Several weeks went by. At first Mary was still frustrated. Ignoring John and leaving him in his drawer. Without his gemstone he didn’t even try to continue digging his hole. Only sitting in the corner. Knees up to his chest as he sat in the lonely darkness. Finding himself slowly wishing Mary would pay attention to him.

Listening to her walking about. Doing things outside of the drawer. He couldn’t tell how long he had been in the drawer, but from how hungry and thirsty he was when she finally opened it again he felt like it had been several days.

As the light flooded in, he looked towards the sky. Mary’s head blocking out the light of the ceiling fan, giving her a divine halo around her head as she deposited some water and food down into the drawer. All John could do is stare. Being kept in the dark all alone for so long without any hope of escape had broken him. He saw Mary for the Goddess she was to him in that instant. The bratty, annoyed, spoiled Goddess that ruled over his entire life.

Leaving a small bowl of water and a few crackers before closing the drawer again without a word. John didn’t even care anymore. He was thankful for the food. Thankful for the brief glimpse at her beautiful face. He found himself being thankful for being kept by her.

After eating his fill of cracker and drinking from the bowl he went back to his corner. Trying not to think about his situation. Trying not to ponder too hard about how much his perception had changed from simply losing the gemstone and being locked away with nothing to do. His hope was in the gemstone along with his soul, he realized. Without it, he had nowhere to go. Nothing he could do. Without having his gemstone in his possession, he was nothing but Mary’s own thing to possess.

Another day passed in the darkness before the drawer opened. Mary’s hand diving into the drawer and grabbing John without any words. John looked up to her as she held him firmly in her fist. The fear of her cruelty even stronger now that he thought about going away from her if she wasn’t careful. Realizing that despite everything she had done he was scared, not of the physical pain she might inflict, but of not being with her.

Having spent so much time and energy into escape. Knowing that each time he would come back to her he didn’t realize that he had started to develop a dependency upon her. Deep down he knew it wasn’t real. It wasn’t what love truly was, but it didn’t matter. He loved her. If it was just to keep his mind from breaking. If it was just a feeling to keep himself from going totally insane it didn’t matter. He felt it and he embraced it. Trying to wrap his arms around her fingers as she brought him over to her desk.

A small smile curling over the edges of her lips as she glanced down and saw the affection from her small boyfriend. Prying him off her fingers and placing him down onto the desk before sitting down in front of him.

“I hate admitting it but, Mom was right. I am too rough on you sometimes. Even though you come back I know it plays a mental toll on you to die over and over. So. I’ll try to be nicer.” Her words sounded genuine. John looking up to her as she spoke. Standing on her desk. Basking in the light that filtered in through the window. His body was thin and pale after spending so much time in the dark drawer.

Mary extended her index finger out towards John. Having enjoyed feeling him snuggle and love up against her fingers as she carried him over to the desk. John didn’t hesitate to show his gratitude for her deciding to be gentler. Opening his arms and giving her finger a hug. Kissing against the pad of her finger as he embraced it.

The sight and feeling of the little man clinging to her finger like a loved one made Mary giggle. “I think I’ll like it better too. Not killing you because it’s just easier that way. I like this. You loving me instead of fearing me.” John looked up at Mary, still clinging to her finger. The warm smile that looked down on him only made him cling to her finger tighter. The only thoughts he could manage to think were how much he loved this woman that stood high above him.

“I love you.” John softly muttered before going back to kissing the finger he clung to. Suddenly finding it lifting him up. Holding him in front of Mary’s beaming face.

“I love you too. I’ve waited so long to hear you say that. I promise I won’t kill you on purpose as long as you keep loving me.” Her breath washed over John. Bringing him closer to her puckered lips after speaking. Pressing her wet, plush lips against his face and body. Leaving him with a thin sheen of spittle as he clung to her finger.

“Mom should be bringing the gemstone back soon. I’ll keep it and you safe with me forever. No one will ever threaten to steal you away again.” Wrapping her fingers around him in a tight possessive, protective hug with her entire hand. Bringing him down to her chest, her hand opening as she pressed him against herself. Doing her best to give him a hug.

Pressed up against her chest he was struggling to breath, but he embraced it. Being smothered with her affection wasn’t as bad as he remembered. It felt nice. Surrounded by her love. The warmth of her body washing over him. Squirming around only slightly as he tried to find a pocket of air when the hug began to last a bit too long.

Pulling him away. A light blush upon her cheeks as she looked down onto his gasping form laying in her palm. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay…I liked it.” John spoke to Mary as an equal for the first time since he had been kidnapped and forced to be her boyfriend. Smiling up to her as he still breathed heavily and tried to catch his breath.

Unable to catch it before she smashed him up against her breasts again. Another loving hug smothering him against them. Hearing him say the words. Hearing him talk to her without fear dripping from his voice. Hearing him act like her boyfriend, finally, made her overjoyed. Squeezing him against her chest and twisting her body back and forth as she clutched him in a hug.

Letting go and smiling at the red-faced gasping man that she held in her palm. Bringing him back up to her face and pressing her lips against him once more. A loud banging booming through the house as someone knocked on the door. “Oh. Mom’s here. Let’s go get your gemstone back.”