Work Text:
“Get out of here, you dirty, thieving bitch!”
A nearly rotten tomato flew past the young woman’s head, missing its intended goal by merely an inch. Her heart pumped in her chest, but she didn’t stop running, clutching her bag tightly. Today had not been a good day. She had barely stolen enough food and supplies to get by for two more days at best. Still, when she was sure she wasn’t being pursued by the shopkeeper anymore, she turned around triumphantly, with a mocking smile on her face like a mask.
“See you next time, you old fucker!”
Everyone in town hated her, Rhiannon knew it - and the feeling was mutual. But was it her fault that she had to steal to survive? It wasn’t like these people offered her the tiniest amount of help. She had asked every soul in that town for honest work, only to be met with hostility or mockery. If she had a coin for every time one of those fuckers spat at her or suggested she’d go to bed with them to earn some money, she’d be the richest woman in the country by now. All because her mother had laid with a man they didn’t agree with. They took it upon themselves to kill him in front of her, acting like they were saving her from him. But Rhiannon knew better. Back when her mother was still alive, before the hunger had taken her, she had told her about him, always with a smile. Always fondly. She loved him, wanted to run away with him… She should’ve, is what she always ended her stories with. Should’ve gotten out of that town, should’ve lived a happy life in his little house, away from those closed-minded bastards.
On the day her mom died, Rhiannon did just that. It was like an invisible tether had been released. Her mom drew her last breath and Rhiannon buried her in the backyard, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. With the dirt still under her fingernails, she packed her things and ran to the outskirts of town, where she knew her father’s now abandoned, worn down house stood near a forest, hidden away from curious eyes. Rhiannon felt like an intruder. Her father had been a stranger to her, a prince from her mother’s fairytales, yet a disgrace in the eyes of the townsfolk. An ache in her heart kept her awake at night sometimes. The feeling of never being able to know part of herself. She was always half empty. When she looked up at the moon from the window with a mug full of hot tea in her hands, she wondered if he had ever done the exact same thing, at some moment in time. His ghost seemed to linger on the creaking wooden floors, while her mother’s spirit was etched into her very soul. Still, Rhiannon was utterly alone. Ghosts were no good company.
The townsfolk didn’t know about this place, as far as Rhiannon knew. At least none of them had found her hiding place in these last couple of years. Which is why she stopped in her tracks while she was unloading her bag in the kitchen. A shadow crept by the window outside, just in the corner of her eye. Rhiannon followed the movement of the shadow, passing window after window, like it was circling the premises, right to the last window by the door. Did the fat shopkeeper manage to track her down this time?
There, right outside, she saw a man standing by the door of the little cottage, his back turned to her. She reached for the silver knife in her thigh holster, hid it behind her back and opened the door barely a crack before she spoke up, her voice shaky.
“Can I help you, sir?”
The man turned around, a sheepish smile on his face, his hands raised halfway into the air, like he wanted to prove that he was harmless. But Rhiannon knew there was nothing harmless about men like him, especially in the dark. Men like him had torn her family apart. She kept her eyes on him, analyzing his build - he looked strong, but she was sure could take him down if she got a good go at him with her knife. Rhiannon tried to catch a glimpse of his intentions in his expression, but she came up empty. He had a pleasant looking face, quite round and a bit worn, but still boyish somehow - his tousled hair added to that impression.
He took a step closer and Rhiannon opened the door further to present her knife as a warning.
“Whoa… Easy there. I didn’t know someone lived here, thought it was abandoned… Figured I could crash here for the rest of the night. I’ve been traveling for two days now, I’m just starting to get worn down, ma’am. I really need a place to gather some strength.”
He looked her up and down and Rhiannon felt even more uncomfortable. It was like he could read her, like he knew her secrets with just a gaze.
“Well, it’s not abandoned. It’s mine. You better move on, there’s a town down that path, three hours away if you walk, one or two if you run, depends on how fast you are. Ask for shelter there.”
He sighed. “Don’t think I’ll make it. My bones are tired, I’m starving, I can barely walk another two steps. Won’t you show a stranger mercy?”
Rhiannon kept her grip firm around her knife. He didn’t look like he was starving, but then again, neither had her mother. On the contrary, on her last few days she was beaming with life again. Rhiannon’s stomach was in knots. The stranger dug something out of his pockets. Shiny and small.
“I can offer you money. Here, look. Solid gold. You can have it. As a thank you, if you let me stay. I swear on all that’s holy, I’ll be gone in the morning. You won’t even have to ask me to leave.”
Rhiannon stared at the coins. They looked old, ancient even. She shivered. “Where the hell did you get those?”
He extended his hand, jingling the coins like he was luring her with them.
“Does it matter, darling? You don’t seem the kind to question where riches come from, as long as you can make them yours.”
Rhiannon blushed. Nobody had ever called her darling, the only names she had been called were bitch, bastard girl or thief. “I don’t even know your name…”, she mumbled, trying to hide from his prying gaze behind the door once more.
“Oh, if that’s all that’s stopping us from not being strangers anymore, I’ll gladly tell you. The name’s Remmick, sweetheart. Would you tell me yours too?”
Her grip around the knife’s handle involuntarily loosened. The way he talked to her with that smooth voice made her relax, although some small, reasonable part of her was still on edge.
“Rhiannon. Doesn’t mean we’re not strangers anymore though.”
Remmick smiled at her. “Rhiannon…”, he dragged the name, like he was trying to taste it on his tongue. “That’s a very nice name. Your mom must love you a lot.”
Rhiannon swallowed, hard. “She did.”
She didn’t notice how much closer Remmick had gotten, his body now blocking the entrance entirely, head leaning against the wood, trying to peek inside through the halfway shut door with the same lazy smile from before. Rhiannon was suddenly oddly aware of his smell, a mixture of trees, like he was running through the woods for a long time, and something she couldn’t place. Metallic. Odd. Something that no person should smell like.
“She’s no longer with us? Your momma? What about your daddy?”, he asked, his voice gentle and comforting.
“Neither.”, Rhiannon said, her voice already cracking. She hadn’t spoken so tenderly to another person in such a long time, she realized.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. You’re too young to suffer so many losses already. Tell you what. You invite me in, and you can pour your heart out. Breaks my heart to see such a pretty thing so lonely. I can hear it in your voice, you haven’t talked about it to anyone, ain’t that right? I can listen. Unload it all on me, and then I’ll be on my way and maybe you’ll feel like I lightened your load at least a little once the sun rises again.”
Rhiannon weighed her options. Send him away and spend another uneventful night talking to herself until she’d drift off to sleep? Or should she take a risk? Make a friend, possibly? The thought made her heart jump and her excitement took the lead as she opened the door. “Alright, come on in. But I can’t offer you much, I barely got enough for myself.”
It was quiet for a moment, like time itself had stopped. There was a strange glint in Remmick’s eyes that she couldn’t quite place. Regret? Pity? It was gone before she could figure it out. He stepped inside and Rhiannon shut the door behind him, the loud creaking breaking the silence.
“Go ahead and have a seat, I’ll cut us some fruits.”, she said, pointing to the chairs by the small fire, turning her back to him to pick out a decent looking apple and a peach.
“You’re too kind, darling.” His steps were oddly quiet, like a stray cat that was prowling the street for mice. Still, she assumed he had sat down. “Shame that a sweet soul like you has to be all alone.” Remmick’s voice was distant and strangely close at the same time.
“Guess I’m used to it by now.”, she muttered while she rinsed the fruits thoroughly.
“Being used to something doesn’t mean that it’s bearable though.”
Rhiannon spun around quickly at the feeling of his breath on her ear. Surely enough, there was Remmick, standing indecently close to her.
“Jesus, I thought you were sitting all the way over there! Almost gave me a heart attack!”
One of his hands rested lazily on the kitchen counter right next to her. Seeing him that close, she realized how handsome he was. But then, in a split second, the candles illuminated his face and something in his eyes shifted. The reflection of the lights in his irises looked…. wrong.
“Thought I could help you with that, at least.”, he said, pointing to the peach in her right hand.
Rhiannon kept staring at his eyes, but they looked normal again. Maybe she was just losing it. Not eating properly for days will do that to someone.
“Sure, thank you… That’s kind of you.”, she whispered, her gaze now dropping to his lips. She hadn’t noticed how soft and full they looked. Something within her stirred. She remembered how her mother had told her about certain things. Tender touches and kisses. Secret, romantic meetings in the dark. Slowly, she placed the peach in Remmick’s open palm, her fingertips ghosting against his skin. He let out a huff of air at the touch and his expression changed again. Rhiannon couldn’t quite place it. Remmick stepped away abruptly, like he just got burned.
“I’ll just take this right here, yeah?”, Remmick said, pointing at a knife on the counter while clearing his throat.
Rhiannon didn’t trust her voice, so she just nodded, taking a step away as well and began slicing the apple with her silver knife. She felt like she was burning up. What was she thinking? Touching a stranger like that? God, she was embarrassed. She quickly grabbed a plate from the cupboard and tossed the sliced apple onto it, then passed it to Remmick.
“Thank you, darling. All done now.”, he said, dropping the juicy peach slices onto the plate. Rhiannon noticed how he was avoiding her gaze.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… touch you like that. I don’t really know what’s proper and whatnot.”
He held the plate, eyes fixed on the fruits, seemingly holding his breath. Then, after what felt like several minutes, he spoke. “Wasn’t inappropriate, just… unexpected. Haven’t been touched in a long time either, you know. I guess I was shocked. By the sheer feeling of it.”
Rhiannon reached for the plate in his hand, prying it out of his grip. He was holding onto it like it was the only thing keeping him from losing his composure. She wasn’t hungry anymore, not for food at least. The pit near her stomach was yearning for something else. She didn’t even know what, exactly. Her eyes met his and she was sure that he could see exactly what she was thinking.
Remmick took two steps back. “This was a mistake. I’ll go to the town instead, like you said. Bet I can find someone else there to give me shelter.”
It felt like a slap in the face. Rhiannon was frozen as she watched him walk back to the door. She’d be alone again. He was right. The feeling was familiar… but unbearable. A pathetic sob involuntarily escaped her lips. “Please stay.”
He stopped, his back turned to her. She could tell he was unsure about what to do.
“You need to let me go now or else I won’t.” His accent changed slightly, like he didn’t have the energy to keep up some sort of act anymore.
Rhiannon’s eyes wandered over his broad shoulders. She wanted to touch him, breathe in his strange scent. Sink into his embrace. “Then don’t go…. Please. I want you to stay.”
Remmick abruptly turned around, his face oddly distorted. His eyes were gleaming red and his teeth were misshaped, sharper than before. A string of drool ran down his chin. Rhiannon gasped, stumbling backwards. “Tell me to leave right now. Curse at me and tell me you’re scared of me. Pick that knife back up and chase me away!” He paced back towards her, now only two steps away from her once more. “Don’t be stupid, girl, do not ask me to stay again.”
Rhiannon’s mouth hung open in shock and confusion. It took her a second to find her voice again. “What are you?”
Remmick looked at her in disbelief. “A monster. Not human. I’m exactly what you see right now and if you don’t tell me to leave right now, I’ll kill you and you’ll end up like me.”, he growled, pushing her against the kitchen counter. “That was my plan when I came here, when I caught a whiff of your scent, full of adrenaline, running full speed with your little bag of fruits. Never smelled something more delicious… I had to have you. Didn’t expect you to be such a lovely little thing though, so polite… And now I can’t go through with it, so don’t fuckin’ tempt me again!”
Rhiannon wasn’t thinking straight anymore. It was like her brain had rotten in her head, all those years of solitude taking their toll on her. No instincts left to tell her to run, nothing sensible to keep her alive. Just the dreadful feeling of being alone by herself again if he left. Something cracked within her and she dropped her body against him, locking him in a tight hug. Tears ran down her cheeks, staining his shirt.
“Don’t be stupid…”, Remmick repeated. It was a plea.
“I can’t be alone anymore.”, Rhiannon admitted, her voice frail and quiet.
Remmick closed his eyes, his hands slowly edging to Rhiannon’s waist. His claws barely dug into her soft flesh, just enough to provide a last warning. It went unheeded. She nuzzled into his embrace, her hands digging into his back muscles, as if she could pull him even closer if she just tried hard enough. Remmick crumbled.
“Then you won’t be alone anymore. Never again. I promise.”
Remmick found himself gently stroking Rhiannon’s hair, his fangs growing even larger in his mouth. The monster in him wanted to tear her apart, but he forced himself to place a gentle kiss on her neck, eliciting a soft moan from the girl in his embrace. Upon hearing that sweet sound, unpleasantly and animalistic as always, his instincts took over, sharp fangs puncturing her soft skin. The vulnerable little thing in his arms whimpered in pain, while Remmick did his best to not bite her again, harder this time, fighting every fiber of his body to prove to her - and himself - that he didn’t want to hurt her more than necessary. He was drinking fast and frenzied, little puffs of air from his nose ghosting against Rhiannon’s now blood-soaked neck. He felt her become limp in his arms and let go of her, now fully sated. Guilt was gnawing at him. He should’ve left. Being alone would’ve been better for her. Better than this.
“....feel dizzy….”, she softly stated.
Remmick shushed her, his lips running along her jawline, placing kisses sporadically.
“You’re dying, darling. Here… Your last heartbeats.”, he took her limp hand in his monstrous claw-hand, placing it on her chest. “Feel them. Won’t ever feel them again after this. I’m sorry.”
Remmick felt sour. Angry at himself. Just when he was about to scold himself even more, her memories began bleeding into his own. Hostile looks. Her mother telling her to keep her head up high. Stealing food from a young age. Tales of a prince and a princess who weren’t allowed to be with each other. A small Rhiannon running all over town like a shadow, quick and nimble. Dirt on her hands. A sunflower on a freshly dug grave. Her cleaning the house, humming to herself. A song her mother used to sing to her. Rhiannon sitting in the sun, stomach growling, a smile on her face. Solitude. Conversations with herself. His own face, softer and kinder than he remembered it himself. A gentle touch and a peach. Remmick smiled. She was a part of him now. He hoped she wouldn’t hate him once she’d see all his memories. Her heart stuttered in her chest one last time and Remmick sank down to the floor with her, carefully holding her corpse in his arms, humming the melody of her mother’s lullaby to himself.
He couldn’t tell how much time had passed until Rhiannon finally moved in his arms again. Her eyes met his. She knew everything now. Anxiously, he held his breath, waiting for any kind of reaction.
“We’re not alone anymore.”, she said with a smile.