Author's Note: My second prize drabble for chandelure, who wrote Saturn x Mars all the way back in the fall of 2011. Sorry these took so long. I hope you enjoy!

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steel and linoleum

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The bed is uncomfortable beneath her aching joints; when she wakes upon it each morning, she feels as though she's been running for days. She makes a habit of stretching each joint, each muscle, one by one, starting at the tips of her feet and extending to the top of her head. Only then does she consider herself ready to stretch out like a cat and rise to her feet.

Her dress sticks to her sides as she walks to find herself breakfast. Steel plating creaks beneath her feet as she walks along the hall. She passes bars and windows, a distant world far away.

Her boy with blue hair is waiting for her. He stands by the door to the dining room like a statue, with the color of his uniform matching his steely eyes. She knows that look - knows it all too well, the one that means trouble.

He says she looks good in stripes, but she's never been the fashionista. She just wants out.

Halfway through the meal, she feels his state-issued handgun against the small of her back, right in the spot where he used to love touching her. "Miss, you're under house arrest for bad behavior." She can hear the smirk in his tone, even though his face remains impassive as one of the other guards.

She stands, allowing him to handcuff her to himself and lead her away. "And whatever might be the reason for that, sir?" she proclaims innocently, her bubbly face wide-eyed and weeping.

The instant they're out of sight, though, she smiles widely, like a cheshire cat. "Ooo, is today the big day?"

"We're back in business," he confirms, kissing the inside of her wrist and exchanging her clothing for that of another security guard. After that, escape is as easy as walking through an open door.

Once they're back in headquarters, it's another kind of prison - more steel and linoleum, more uniforms and handcuffs. But behind closed doors, he sets her free.