---///---

Something felt off, to say the least. You felt more uneasy in this new unfamiliar place than any other place.

When your father announced you'd be attending this new place, you were furious. Well, furious and heartbroken. He had written you off to become a nun because it was the easiest way to send you away. And all for wait? Because you had recently been having issues with your mental health and he couldn't deal with it? Or did he need you needed Jesus?

Either way, you started hating him on the drive here. And once you stepped foot in this place and felt the almost sicken bad vibes.

The teachers had been just as you expected. Strict, never smiling and so obviously loved having power over others. Others being the new not yet devoted Nuns or freshly devoted Nuns.

You was gonna hate it here.

You had met your new sisters and to be honest, none of them mattered to you. You weren't in any kind of mood to make friends, but you hoped that would change. You didn't want to be alone here.

The only Sister that seemed like friend material was Sister Irene. She had that kind and friendly spirit that you thought all Nuns should have.

But seriously, something wasn't right around here. You couldn't place your finger on it and honestly, you hoped you never could.

—-///—-

You tried to get comfortable in your new bed, but it seemed impossible. Like the Devil was purposely making the springs press into your back and then laughing at your discomfort.

You huffed as you gave up and got out of bed. You grabbed your carefully stashed away blunts and lighter and headed for your window. Unlocking the old window proved to be a little bit of a challenge but you managed.

You started at the sky as you smoked, the affect of the weed slowly crawled into you and eased you. You leaned against the wall of the window and slowly looked around your room. The atmosphere suddenly changed back to uneasy and even more so.

Something...or maybe someone caught your eye. You had spotted a figure in your room, in front of your bedroom door. It was so dark, you couldn't make out any features. Just the outline of a body.

It freaked you out to say the least and you knew you wasn't that high so this was real. It had to one of your Sisters right? Here to snitch on you for smoking a joint...right?

"If you're here to catch me up to something, well, you caught me. So what are you waiting for now? Go ahead and snitch." You called out.

No response. You were quiet for a few seconds, just staring at the figure. You then sighed a bit before drawing another drag and offering it up to the mysterious figure.

"Or do you want some?"

The figure suddenly disappeared and you couldn't see where it went. You stood up properly in fear and looked around again, you saw nothing. The room looked completely normal even in the dark but certainly didn't feel normal.

You nervously put out the blunt and crawling back into bed. You told yourself it had to have been the pot, even if you didn't feel that high it must of been that. Maybe your dealer gave you something different this time, some pot laced with something. God you hope it was just that. It has to be just a bad trip.

Fortunately, you managed to fall asleep fairly quickly after that. Bud seemed to be just what you needed to fall asleep. You would get you was asleep for maybe a little over an hour before you stirred awake.

Wonderful, awake again, and it only just turned 1am and you were gonna be woken up at 6am. Delicious, this is gonna be a night full of broken up sleep. You looked up to face the ceiling and hopefully fall asleep again, just get those much needed extra hours.

But you couldn't. And you didn't feel like smoking again, so you did the next best thing. Placed both feet against the bed with your knees bent and pushed a hand past your underwear. You carefully fingered yourselves with two fingers. As your pleasure built up, you closed your eyes and focused simply on your own pleasure. A few moaned slipped out of your mouth and when you felt although you was ready, you added another finger.

You lost yourself in your pleasure and smiled as you neared yourself closer to the edge. It didn't take too long, considering how sleepy you already was. But right as you felt your orgasm building, you opened you eyes. And boy did you regret it.

When you opened your eyes, your attention quickly went to the foot of your bed where another figure appeared. And this time, you could see their features. It was Nun, with a terrifying face say the least. You knew it wasn't another Sister because of their lovely face which was smirking down at you, giving you a lovely view of their sharp fangs. Their eyes glowing a piercing yellow.

'Hell no, not today Satan. Please no.' Is what you thought as you, now fully wide awake, threw your covers off, ripped all fingers out of your pussy and made a beeline for the door. You were stopped by a force that only could of been supernatural and air yeeted back onto your bed. You screamed as loud as you could and the creepy looking Nun inched closer and closer to you.

"Oh Baby, don't scream. Don't cry." The Nun pouted down at you and touched your right cheek.

Obviously, you screamed even louder. The Nun's soft expression disappeared almost as soon as it came and they clamped a hand down across your mouth and squeezed.

"Shut up, now." It's tone now gruff and aggressive.

You looked up at them in fear whilst noticing some strange beauty in their face and soon started crying, "Please don't hurt me."

"Oh Dear," Their soft tone suddenly back, "I'm not here to hurt you... I just wanted to help."

"H-Help?" You whispered.

The Nun gave you a smile and headed down south. You thought the smile was supposed to be comforting but it felt so evil and unsettling, it had the opposite the affect. You felt your heart beat faster in fear, the way your heart starts beating when your about to have a panic attack. It definitely didn't help that you still couldn't move and was completely immobilised by this supernatural force.

The Nun pulled your panties down to your knees, not bothering pulling them down all the way and quickly got to work. Their tongue was... something you had experienced before.

It was wet, messy and far too big to be normal. It was driving you insane. If you had to guess from just the feeling, this monster's tongue was almost the same size as the average dick. It quickly turned you into a moaning mess. Your cries became cries of pleasure and you orgasmed almost immediately. Either you was still worked up from fingering yourself, which was unlikely considering the brief heart attack you just had, or this Nun was unstoppable with their tongue.

The Nun gave you two more orgasms with their tongue before coming up. They looked down at you and smirked again. You could see now, their black lips and tongue were black from ash. It was all over their mouth and chin and you was now consumed with worry, hopefully now of that ash got caught in your pussy. Which STI would you get from that?

You hadn't noticed but the Nun had started pulling up their skirt and pulling at something underneath it. Out sprang the biggest dick you had ever seen.

Nope, that wasn't normal, if you saw that monster on any human man you'd tell them to see a Doctor. Cause 12.5 inches (you're estimating based on looks) is not normal. The Nun grinned and stared down at your terrified face as he pumped himself.

You looked up at him, "That's not going inside me."

"Yes it is." He stated matter of factly still smiling at you.

"It will kill me." You responded with a glare.

Whilst you was still a little iffy about the penis size, your fear was starting to melt away and you was no longer afraid to talk to this creature. It could be the dizziness from the multiple orgasms you just had but this was starting to feel like a normal not scary sexual encounter.

"I'll make it work." The Nun shrugged.

"Ok, but I need to know your name first." You told him.

The demon was silent for a few seconds, "I don't usually give my name... but I suppose you will need something to scream so. It's Valak."

Valak thrusted into you immediately after that, not giving you much time to adjust. You screamed in pain but Valak placed a hand over your mouth again and tsked at your vocals, as if you was the problem. He then pulled off your panties completely and shoved them in your mouth without warning, you choked a little and Valak moaned at the sound.

Fortunately Valak hadn't pushed all of himself inside of you, only the first few inches (which is still a whole dick, Valak, but ok) and didn't go any further than that. He moved in and out at normal pace, not seeming to care at all about your cervix which he was currently beating up with his monster cock.

But despite all the complaints, you was starting to love it. Once you had adjusted, you was moaning and crying again. Tears ruining your vision and making Valak more aroused therefore making him move faster.

He groaned as he fucked up and glared down at you, completely focused on your face. Deciding this wasn't enough, he bent your legs back as far as they could go, up to your head and leaving you in a mating press. This gave him more opportunity to add a couple more inches without hurting you as much.

You cried, screamed and whined as the creature defiled you. You felt filthy, absolutely disgusting. But also alive. Something you hadn't felt before. You were squirming and whimpered from a dick too big for your little pussy to comprehend and you loved it. It was now you realised there was no chance you could married to God, you was enjoying such a lewd act, letting a demon fuck you dumb, way too much.

"Please! More!" You whined against your panties.

Valak heard you loud and clear and pressed a thumb on your clit. He would of preferred to sink his whole dick into you but knew it would be too much.

He then leaned down and spat on your mouth. Most of it was immediately soaked up by your panties, which irritated the shapeshifter. So he pulled your panties out of your mouth and spat again.

"Swallow whore." He hissed at you.

You eagerly did as you was told, hoping there would be a reward. And there was, the demon grinned down at you again when he saw you followed orders well, and then shoved his whole tongue in your mouth.

He tasted just as you expected, like ash and death.

As you noticed before when he was eating you out, his tongue was not normal either. It was way too big and long, just like his dick. It filled up your mouth and made you choke slightly. But soon like before, once you adjusted to the size, you was moaning like a slut again.

You came again, you didn't know which number this one but it was definitely better than the last. But you were feeling drained now, overstimulated. You had no idea when Valak would cum though and it made you nervous, surely he would stop once he came you thought. But then, when would he cum? A demon's limit must be far greater than a human's.

And you was right, Valak could fuck for hours without cumming. And that's what he planned to do. He wanted to know what you looked like, excessively overstimulated.

  The first day, she showed up on time, but stood in the doorway for a moment before reluctantly entering your office.

  “Welcome, I’m y/n.” You held your hand out, scanning her. 

  “Kathryn.” She was in a white blouse and dark brown skirt, a frown etched on her face. She shook your hand, her grasp firm. 

  “Over here. We’ll start simple today while I set your file up.” You invited her over to your desk and let her sit across from you. Once the both of you were settled, you pulled her files up on your screen. “Are you aware of why you’ve been mandated?”

  Just the mention of the word made Kathryn’s nose slightly wrinkle, but aside from that, her gaze remained calm. “Yes.”

  “Do you know who reported you?”

  “No.” Still calm. “But I have a guess.”

  “It’s classified, but I’m sure who you guess is most likely correct.” You sighed, scanning her file for a moment. “According to this, you’ve been suffering with sleep issues, nightmares, and paranoia ever since Case M167 two months back, is that right?”

  “Paranoia is a bit of an exaggeration.” Kathryn replied cooly. “But the nightmares and sleep struggles are… consistent, yes.”

  You read a little deeper into her file. Case M167 was more of an incident than anything, but it was written down for future knowledge as a case.

  The agency had gotten a tip about a group of bad people planning to bomb a building downtown and everybody in it. Kathryn was the one who waved the threat off, claiming it was a bunch of bullshit from younger kids wanting some drama.

  It turned out, she was wrong. The building wasn’t destroyed, but another one down the street was damaged pretty badly, and a few people were too.

  The guilt immediately fell onto Kathryn’s shoulders. Very few people knew about the tip in the first place, but it was investigated anyway and proven that this incident wasn’t connected to whatever Kathryn had been told. It was another group, or perhaps an accident. The truth hadn’t yet been discovered and there was a chance it never would.

  But still, she took it as her fault. And it haunted her. Clearly.

  “Have you tried any sleep medication?” You glanced away from the screen and over at her. She was fidgeting with a tissue, looking uneasy.

  “Of course.”

  “No results?”

  “Less than average.”

  “If you’d be able to give me a list of what you’ve tried so far, we could figure out something to really help.”

  “You’re a pharmacist now?”

  “I collaborate with one, just like a doctor.” You sighed. “Let’s move on. Tell me about these nightmares, please.”

  Kathryn’s eyes darkened. “I’m not comfortable with that.”

  This was going to be harder than you thought. Kathryn’s walls were sturdy and icy, a perfect barrier to keep you out, and her pains inside.

  “Are they about Case M167?”

  “I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Okay.” You raised your hands in surrender. “We can talk about something else, then.”

  Kathryn eyed you suspiciously but didn’t voice any further complaints.

  By the end of the session, you hadn’t gotten anywhere. You ended up coaxing her into discussing some of her past cases, and her success as an agent. Eventually you drew out a slight bit of information about her sleep schedule which was incredibly inconsistent. There were multiple nights in a row where she’d struggle to drift off, and then the moment she did, she’d wake up soaked in sweat from the same nightmare.

  You recommended her some sleep medication and sent her on her way.

  She came back every other day, and was never too happy about it. You weren’t getting anywhere with her.

    The hostility followed her into the room like a suffocating smog, and she gave you a displeased look as you took her over to the chairs by the windows instead of your desk.

  “How has the medicine been working?” You asked the first question, knowing she wouldn’t breach the gap unless nudged firmly. Your clipboard sat on one leg and you twirled a pencil around.

  Today Kathryn was in a purple blouse and white slacks. Her gaze was mostly out the window, as if trying to pretend you weren’t there, or perhaps pretend she was somewhere else. “No results.”

  “I’ll see what else we can find if it hasn’t changed anything at all.”

  “I don’t think anything will help.” Kathryn mumbled. “Every time I shut my eyes, I just see…”

  “See what?”

  She tensed up a little, one hand forming a fist. “...after the case, I saw a video on the news. Somebody had gotten the explosion on camera. It was a peculiar little cafe, dark walls full of history, family run… It was obliterated in seconds.”

  You wrote this down quietly.

  “Have you seen the video? The flames were… horrifying.” Kathryn shuddered. Her hand lifted for a moment, then fell to her neck, nimble fingers fidgeting anxiously with her necklace. “5 dead. 3 injured, 1 in fatal condition, still.”

  Now you were getting somewhere.

  “Is this what you see in your nightmares?”

  “I see the… the building exploding, and the screams. I never heard them, my mind created them as if to torture me further…” Kathryn scoffed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “As if I’m not already tortured enough.”

  At first you were pleased Kathryn was opening up to you, but then you saw the circles beneath her eyes. She was exhausted, and exhausted people are vulnerable. Even the most reserved of people speak up when they’re tired. 

  “What do you mean?”

  “It… never mind.”

  “Your job is a heavy one to bear, isn’t it?” You prodded softly. “Are there other cases that stick with you?”

  “Yes, but not like this one.”

  “Would you like to talk about them?”

  “I’ve talked enough.” Kathryn shook her head.

  You chuckled softly. “The point of these sessions is to talk without limit, you know. You don’t have a word count.”

  “Some things are not meant to be shared.” She murmured, turning her head. “A lot of things.” Her fingers tugged mindlessly at her thick hair. “I don’t like talking.”

  “What do you like?”

  “Not thinking about my past mistakes. I don’t want to be like my mother.”

  That caught your interest. You lifted your gaze from your clipboard. Kathryn, realizing she said too much, turned her head.

  “What happened with your mother?” You asked her gently. You weren’t sure if it was careful picking of her words, or if there wasn’t much to divulge, but Kathryn never talked about her childhood or her parents.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Okay.”

  Kathryn’s eyes lowered to her lap. She twirled the fabric of her blouse around her fingers and ran her lip between her teeth. It was almost as though she was hoping you’d ask her further questions, but you said nothing, so she cleared her throat.”

  “My father died when I was young.” Uneasily, she rubbed her neck. “Undiagnosed cancer… he uhm.. Deteriorated quickly, a few months. We weren’t very close, he was a shitty father, but it took a toll on my mother. She’s a fragile woman and…” Kathryn hesitated, looking very uncomfortable. “She blamed herself for it. So… guilt. It’s been eating her alive ever since.”

  “What do you mean by that?” You murmured.

  “She has these phases… overly clingy and utterly distant; cares too much or doesn’t want me in her life.”

  “Is she still in your life?”

  “No.” Kathryn dipped her head to fix her hair. When she looked back up, she saw your eyes on her. “She’s not dead, no. I grew apart from her, her personality isn’t what an only, fatherless child needed. But she lives a few hours away, we rarely see each other. It’s for the best.”

  Your expression softened. That was a lot worse than you thought it would be. You never would’ve noticed, honestly, if she never told you. 

  Her cold personality was just a mask it seemed, to guard the hurt child inside. 

  “I’m sorry. That sounds… hard.”

  “It was.” Kathryn chuckled flatly. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

  “I think it might, more than you know.”

  “Why’s that?” Kathryn’s voice grew sharper. 

  You sighed heavily. “Almost anything in your childhood can change how you act as an adult.” You explained. “Dealing with your mothers guilt, as well as your fathers death, can alter how you process your own guilt, hence the nightmares and sleep troubles.”

  Kathryn’s features grew dark, then softened. “That… I guess that makes sense.” She agreed, though defeatedly. “I always knew the mistakes of my parents would come back and bite me in the ass.”

  You laughed softly at that. “That’s how it goes.”

  The two of you exchanged a look. For once, her eyes weren’t full of daggers or hatred. They were a soft blue; a beautiful blue.

  You pulled a paper off the notepad and scribbled down the name of a different medication. “Try this for sleeping.”

  Kathryn took it without a word.

  Your next visit, an early morning one, seemed almost backwards. Kathryn was full of this… unwarranted rage. It certainly got her to talk, much more than usual, but one wrong move and she’d snap.

  The anger faded near the end of the session but you couldn’t help but worry.

  And that worry grew the next day. You were dusting the shelves of your office, cleaning some picture frames and little trinkets when the door opened and Kathryn’s familiar footsteps walked in.

  “Your appointment is tomorrow.” You said without looking over at her, expecting another force of anger.

  “I know, I know, but…”

  Something about her tone of voice made you uneasy. You glanced over your shoulder to where Kathryn now stood by your desk. Her eyes were wide, almost anxious. One hand was splayed on her chest over her heart and sweat had begun to bead on her forehead.

  “Kathryn?” You could hear her struggling to breathe. You quickly went over to her. “Did something happen?”

  “No, nothing happened.” Kathryn answered shakily. She tried to step back but her steps were uneasy and she stumbled, back smacking into the wall. “I… I don’t know what it is. Everyone’s staring at me, and… and fuck, I feel like somethings going to happen, y/n. Something bad. I… I need to call downstairs, see if anyone’s got a tip, and–”

  For a moment she looked like she was going to pass out.

  You stepped forward and caught her again as she stumbled. Her trembling body sank into your arms.

  “I can’t… I can’t breathe.” Kathryn rasped nervously, heart racing so loudly that you could hear it.

  She was having some sort of panic attack, or was incredibly panicked at least.

  “Easy…” You murmured, lowering her down. You sat her down against the wall and took her hand into yours, feeling her wrist for her pulse. It was alarmingly fast. Her chest was heaving. You’d never seen her look like this before.

  Kathryn tried to stand up but the lack of oxygen was making her dizzy. She clung onto your hand in return. “Y/n, I can’t…”

  “You’re having a panic attack.” You sat on your knees, holding both of her hands now. Her palms were sweaty and her nails dug into her skin, desperate to ground themselves. “Focus on me, alright? Just look at me.”

  Kathryn’s eyes, now a wide, hazy blue, found your face. “A… a panic..” she wheezed, tearing up.

  “I want you to breathe with me.” You murmured. “Breathe everything out first, okay? Then inhale, and hold it as long as you can.”

  Kathryn looked hesitant, but did as you asked. It took a few tries for her to be able to take a full breath but soon she did. When she exhaled it through her mouth, her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

  You had her keep breathing this way, doing it with her until you felt her pulse slow down to a somewhat normal rate. She was still anxious though, tears brimming in her eyes.

  “There you go.” You murmured soothingly, grabbing a box of tissues. “Good. Keep breathing, okay? You’re doing great.”

  Kathryn took one of the tissues and dabbed at her eyes though the movement drew her away from breathing and she gasped again. So you took it over, taking the tissue and gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.

  She leaned her head into your hand and exhaled shakily. “Y/n…” Her eyes closed.

  “Yes?” You murmured softly, still surprised by how docile she’d become, but you didn’t let it show.

  Kathryn opened her eyes, then without a word of warning, hugged you.

  You were shocked; pleasantly. After reality set in, you wrapped your arms around her and held her tight. You never got very physical with your patients but there was something about Kathryn that made you want to. She looked so vulnerable… you just wanted to make her feel better, and sometimes a tight embrace was enough.

  “Tell me five things you see.” You murmured softly.

  Kathryn scoffed weakly but didn’t fight. She moved her head out of your shoulder so she could see. “Brown.. Walls… your computer, the door, plants.. Windows, and you…” She whispered softly.

  “What about four things you feel?”

  “The carpet, your arms… and tired and panicked…”

  “Good..” You murmured. “What about three things you hear?”

  Kathryn was quiet. “The cars outside… my breathing, and your breathing.”

  “Two things you smell?”

  “I only smell one thing…” Kathryn mumbled.

  “What is it?”

  “Your perfume.”

  You were about to continue with the final part of the exercise when Kathryn slowly let go of you. She brushed her hair out of her face and silently cleaned the runny mascara and tears off her red cheeks. Then she sighed.

  “I’m sorry about this.” She whispered. “I don’t know what happened. This has never happened to me before, I’m always so…” she ran her finger along her waterline again, wiping away any remaining tears, “composed.”

  “I think I have a guess.” You murmured.

  You were right. As it turns out, the sleep medication she was now taking can have… some pretty noticeable mood swings when taken more than one night in a row. You advised her to take one rarely, and when she was feeling better, sent her on her way.

  She missed your next session due to a meeting, but came in the next time with a small, wrapped gift box which she set on your desk silently.

  “What is this?” You glanced up at her in surprise. It was silver wrapped with a silver ribbon, something you’d buy from a jewelry store and have thrown in when they ask if you want the packaging or not.

  “An apology. Or a ‘thank you.’” Kathryn stood awkwardly by the desk. 

  You looked up at her. “You don’t have to apologize, or thank me.” You reminded her. “I’m just doing my job.”

  “Well… I want to anyway.” Kathryn insisted. It was clear she wasn’t used to someone willingly being there for her and accepting her emotions she preferred to hide. You’d done a number on her without trying. “Open it. Please.”

  Doing as asked, you pulled the top off the box.

  Inside was a delicate gold bracelet. It was expensive, that was for sure. Too expensive for something as simple as this.

  “Kathryn…”

  “I don’t care. It’s not… professional, I know, but I want you to have it. Please.” Kathryn murmured. “I can’t return it, and it’s not my style. If you don’t want to take it out of pride, then do it out of pity.” She added, trying to bring a slight humorous tone to the situation.

  You couldn’t help but laugh softly at that. Carefully, you slipped the bracelet on and looked at it beneath the light. “It’s beautiful, Kathryn. Not that I deserve it, but, thank you. Truly.”

  Kathryn smiled for the first time. And you fell in love.

  You’d already suspected you formed a slight crush on her overtime, but you knew better than to act on it. You were the offices shrink, you couldn’t just fall in love with one of your patients. Not only was it inappropriate and unprofessional, but there was probably a law against it somewhere in the books.

  But with the way Kathryn looked at you, you wanted to burn the rulebook to ashes. But no… you couldn’t. Not yet.

  “I’m glad you like it.” Kathryn’s hum snapped you out of your thoughts. She stood up and planted herself down in her usual chair.

  Still slightly starstruck, you copied her. You pulled your clipboard out and began asking the usual routine questions. She’d stopped taking the medication and felt much better. She was also oddly open with you, more open than ever.

  So open in fact, that if this were anywhere else, you could’ve mistaken it as flirting. 

  “Out of curiosity… Do you do observational visits?” Kathryn asked you, unprompted.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know, come to my house, see how I am in my natural environment. Or just follow me around. The other psychologist upstairs does it sometimes.”

  “Oh. Well, no, I haven’t considered it.”

  “Maybe you should.” Kathryn lowered her voice. “You’d certainly be able to get to know me better, without the restrictions of the office and all of that.”

  In any other situation, it did seem like a good idea. But you couldn’t agree, not now, not with how you were feeling. You’d make a mistake.

  “I’ll think about it.” You said hesitantly.

  “What about tonight?” Kathryn leaned back in her chair. “I got this new recipe book online, I’ve been meaning to try out some meals but it seems a waste to cook something so rich for only one person.”

  “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Why not?” Kathryn frowned. “I mean, you and I are getting along pretty well. Much better than before. Plus, I promise I’d be much nicer than I have been in the past.”

  Was she purposefully trying to get under your skin? “Kathryn, I can’t. It’s not professional. Why… are you asking me this, anyway? What caused this change of tune?”

  “Maybe you’re not as bad as I thought.” Kathryn stood up and wandered over to the window, a habit she’d picked up when discussing something deeper. She trailed her finger over the glass. “Maybe I think these 45 minute sessions aren’t long enough.” She turned towards you.

  You were tempted to let her continue, but it was when you felt her hand on your shoulder that you realized what was going to happen if you didn’t stop this.

  “Kathryn, stop.”

  The woman froze. She was eager, yes, but she would never continue something if it made you uncomfortable. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped back. “I thought…”

  “Whatever you thought was wrong. You’re being inappropriate.” You said firmly, trying to look past the hurt in your eyes. You glanced at your watch and sighed. 20 minutes left… 20 minutes of pain and awkwardness for the both of you. Hesitantly, you looked back up at the slightly-dejected Kathryn. “We’ll end early for now. Have a good day, Kathryn.”

  Hurt wasn’t enough to describe the look in her eyes. She stared at you for a few seconds, then masked whatever emotions she was letting show. She simply nodded and left.

  But instead of relieved, you just felt awful, like you’d skipped out on the golden ticket laid at your feet. You knew it was wrong. It was horribly wrong, actually, for both sides. You could be accused of taking advantage of a patient and she could be accused of manipulating her therapist but… that didn’t matter anymore. None of it did.

  So, setting the professionalism aside, you sent Kathryn an email and asked her to meet you outside for lunch.

  You weren’t sure if she was going to show. You’d figured out pretty easily that Kathryn does not like to be shut down, and you sending her away earlier might’ve ruined it all but you had to try.

  But she was there, waiting for you by the doors. It was a warmer day so she’d left her leather jacket behind and was in some long pants and a sweater, though her expression was cold.

  “Finishing the last 20 minutes of our session?” Kathryn mumbled as you took her to some nearby benches. She sat down reluctantly and pulled out a salad. 

  “Not quite.” You shook your head. “I came to apologize.”

  “Why?”

  You glanced at your new bracelet. “You know, we’re taught to lie for our jobs if necessary. You are too. That’s a common thing between shrinks and agents… but I don’t find it as easy as you do.” You replied, watching as Kathryn huffed and looked away. “I’m sorry for lying to you.”

  Kathryn didn’t respond. She just stared down at her salad and ate without a word.

  You both finished your lunches silently, but when you tried to go back in, Kathryn–a little calmer now–suggested you take a walk.

  As you came around the corner of a nearby store, Kathryn sighed.

  “I’m sorry too.” She finally admitted. “Earlier… I came off a lot more uhm.. Intensely than I meant to. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that, so I was embarrassingly nervous.” 

  You chuckled. “It’s okay.”

  “No, you were right. It is inappropriate and probably wrong but… I don’t care. I’ve spent my whole adulthood married to my job and dedicated to keeping my country safe, no matter what. I don’t see how something like this could put either of those in danger.”

  You were quiet for a few seconds, then sighed. “It wouldn’t.” You finally agreed.

  “But… I care about you too.” Kathryn said in a quieter tone. “And if this is something that makes you uncomfortable, then I’ll stop and we can just forget about it.”

  “It’s… not.”

  Kathryn stopped in her tracks. It was as if she’d already set herself up for rejection and planned on going back to work with an empty heart. “It isn’t?”

  “No.” You stopped too, and smiled softly. “I thought about it and… as wrong as it is, which truly, isn’t that much, I want it too.”

  “Oh. That’s… that’s good.” Kathryn smiled too, a bit unsure what to do. You, feeling the same, just laughed.

   You walked back to the agency together and took Kathryn to your office under the label of: Finishing your session. But that was quickly forgotten as Kathryn’s hand found your waist and she turned you to face her.

  “I was thinking that maybe I should do something drastic.” She murmured softly, other hand resting on your neck. “Something to get me mandated a little longer.”

  “You have 3 months left.” You chuckled breathily.

  “Not enough time.” Kathryn lowered her head closer to yours. “Would shaving my head be enough of a case?”

  Laughing, you reached up and ran a hand through her hair. “No, don’t do that.”

  “It’s just… I don’t want to have to stop seeing you once I’m done.” 

  “Nobody said anything about that.”

  “No? Prove it…”

  With a red face, and a smile on your lips, you stood up on your toes and hooked your arms around your neck, and then you kissed her.

  Kathryn, although expecting it, was pleasantly surprised. She laughed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around your middle. “Point taken.” She murmured after the kiss ended.

  A knock on your door startled the two of you apart. You both quickly fixed your hair and you smoothed down her shirt. As Kathryn turned to leave, you reached out and grabbed her hand.

  “My office opens at 6 for… extra therapy, if you’re interested.” You whispered.