[Closed Post: Caught]

[timebethine]

Laertes is in love. He's in love, and he's carrying his whole heart tucked into his coat, held close against his chest. The pup wriggles and squirms and makes little noises that to Laertes's ears are more curious and interested than distressed. "Soon, pet," says Laertes softly as he undoes the lock on the door to his and Sagramore's rooms. Then, louder: "Sagramore! I've brought a friend for thee!"

And he pulls the tiny puppy out of his coat. It blinks ice-blue eyes at Sagramore, then gives an amiable bark.

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[sagramore]

"Two parts broth to one part meat and bread." Szarka is now about as interested in her dinner as she was in A Bacon, since the fridge has closed on its scent, and she wriggles eagerly in his arms. Sagramore laughs. "Patience, patience."

[timebethine]

Laertes tips some shreds of bread and chicken into a bowl, then covers them liberally with broth and mixes them--then he sets the bowl on the floor, while Szarka frantically kicks and wiggles and barks with a passion to consume it.

[sagramore]

"All right, we'll work on patience." He crouches down and sets her on the floor, but doesn't immediately let go. Then, "All right," in an excited, encouraging tone, releasing her so she can pelt for the bowl and begin slurping up the contents.

[timebethine]

While Szarka eats, Laertes comes over to rest his head on Sagramore's shoulder. "Is that how thou wouldst be trained?" he asks. "Made to be patient, taught when thou canst and canst not act on thy wants?"

[sagramore]

"Why, wilt thou train me alongside her? I do like that, yes."

[timebethine]

"I know not how," Laertes admits. "But I'd like to learn. Watching thee ... I think I could learn."

[sagramore]

"We'll learn to be good masters together." He turns to kiss Laertes' neck.

[timebethine]

Laertes just laughs. "I know thou dost only let me play at mastery."

[sagramore]

"What meanst thou by that?"

[timebethine]

Laertes straightens, frowning. "Didst not say it? With Grantaire?"

[sagramore]

Sagramore blinks at him. "Aye, because it pleases thee?"

[timebethine]

An equally incredulous look. "It did please me--it pleased me very well. But I knew not that it was said in play."

[sagramore]

"My heart. It's all play. Perhaps we should be clearer about when play begins and ends, I had no idea thou didst not know."

[timebethine]

"Or at least--when we might have faith that we speak from the heart, and when we might doubt." He meets Sagramore's gaze. "Art thou playing, when thou callest me master?"

The broth is slopping everywhere. Szarka's entire face is covered in chunks of bread and meat. She has never been so happy in her entire tiny life.

[sagramore]

"There's a part of me that would be glad to have thee as my master all the time and always bend towards thy service -- but I like to be thine equal, too, and stand beside thee as thy husband. So I do try to call thee master only when it's part of a game."

[timebethine]

"Ah." There's a little pang, at that, like a child's at realizing that fairies are only stories. (There's another, deeper pang, at realizing that he doesn't know what's a game--whether the tattoos on his arm mean they're a family, or whether that's just another game they play.) "I'm sorry, my heart. I think I was just swept away in it."

[sagramore]

"Laertes," softer. "What's that look?"

[timebethine]

A wry little smile. "Only ... remembering how new this is to me, and how little I know."

[sagramore]

"Didst thou want to be my master, or me thine, all the time?"

[timebethine]

He hesitates, then reaches for Sagramore's chain. "I thought that was what this meant."

[sagramore]

"Ah." He's quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Let me draw a distinction for thee. This reminds me always of what power I give thee, and how glad I am to trust thee with that power, what covenant we have between us that no one else shares. When I'm melancholy, or I want to be reminded that thou hast chosen me to be thy dog because thou lovest me and thinkst me good, I have that promise here, like a ring," touching the chain himself. "It marks me, and I want that mark. But that's different from the way it feels when I lie at thy feet or lick thy boots or rut against thy leg at thy command. That's the game."

[timebethine]

For that, Laertes has to pull him close and kiss him, swift and eager with relief. "That's what I meant by it, too," he says. "Not that at all times I would command thee--but that I've always chosen thee to command. That thou wilt always be my dog when it's in thee to be a dog."

[sagramore]

He kisses back warmly. "Aye, then, that I know and would have be so, in my very soul. Is that also what thou wouldst have of me?"

[timebethine]

"It is--and I thought it to be true, but then--I doubted." A smaller smile. "I'll hold fast to this, and know that anything that contradicts it is said in play."

[sagramore]

"Good man. I'm sorry I gave thee cause to doubt me -- I forget, too, that thou art new."