Work Text:
The air was thick with the smell of Rosie's perfume as the pale woman sat at her desk in her office. The leader of Cannibal Town let a sigh slip through her ruby red lips. File upon file consumed her work space and she grew bored. After all, it was like watching paint dry. On that there was no arguing. But it did have one perk. One thing she could be grateful for. There were was no audience here. No forced smile she had to wear for the glorious citizens of Cannibal Town. Here, there was only a dimmed light and some polished bone furniture. Her mouth twitched as she took in the scent of copper. That sweet stench never did fade. Trapped in anything it could cling to. She was unaware of the drool running down her chin until she heard the pitter patter of your bear feet on the wooden floor boards. Damn it. Shouldn't you be in bed? Asleep? Far from her?
You smile as you opened the door to her office. The room was covered in shadow and you couldn't only see her back. You tilted your head at her rigid posture. "You didn't come to bed, love?" You called gently to your beautiful cannibalistic girlfriend. She had been.. distant with you lately. You couldn't help but worry you had upset her in some sense. You really hoped not. She was all you had and you loved her dearly. With furrowed brows, you inched a little closer at her silence. Fiddling with your thumbs. "Rosie?" you whispered to her, slightly more nervous this time.
"I'm busy." The answer was short. Clipped. It bothered you greatly. She glanced up, at the window. Refusing to even look your way for a second. if she did.... she might cave. Dig her pearly sharp teeth into your beautiful smooth neck. Listen to the musical crunch as she keeps you pinned beneath her. Her throat went dry. It felt like swallowing sand. Squeezing her eyes shut, the cannibal reminded herself no.. Not you. Never you... she could control it. Right?
Not sensing the danger you took another step towards your lover. "You're always busy lately." You mutter, the worry clear in your tone. "Especially once I get too close." your whisper hung in the air. There was a long pause. A pause that lasted too long. Her shoulders stiffened. Only slightly. If you blinked you might have missed such a thing. "Have I done something to upset you?" your awkward question was left unanswered. Her back was still turned to you. "I feel... as if you hate me, Rosie." You admitted, vulnerable. A little scared.
Her body twitched. Almost as if she was resisting the urge to look upon you. To take you into her arms and kiss you forehead. Reassure you that everything was going to be alright. But was it? "Don't be ridicules." She grit out. "That's not true" The cannibal lady hissed, defensive. Hate you? No... you just smelt so delicious and all she could think about was licking your blood and sucking on your organs. Her legs trembled at the thought. Shit. this wasn't how this was supposed to go. She loved you.. Right? You begged her to glance your way. But the older woman didn't. She couldn't. Her claw like nails dug into the edge of her table. Ruining the varnish. "If I look at you.. Ill ruin this..." She mumbled. Feeing the weight of what was happening.
“By doing what?” The question was so innocent it made her feel sick in her lower stomach.
Rosie was silent. Too silent. A subtle sort of quiet that eats away at your hearts beat. "By wanting you incorrectly." Rosie rasped out while rubbing her forehead. Her body felt heavy. You stare wide eyed at her disposition. So with so subtle steps you inch a little closer. Rose tenses as she heard the pitter patter of your feet. The room felt like it was closing in. Going to swallow her whole. She made sure to keep her back to you .
Your fingers twitched. Wanting to reach out for her. “I don’t feel wanted at all.” Your mumble rang throughout the shallow office. Did she no longer love you? How did she not see this distance was killing you. A brittle laugh came from the cannibal causing your posture to lower. Feeling more and more vulnerable as the laugh hit you like a slap.
“Good.” she hissed through her laugh. Piercing you were you stood. Like a child being scolded. “I'm trying to keep you safe.” The confession could be nearly missed if you weren't paying attention. Luckily, you were. Her words were spoken with such... honesty. Your eyes welled a little. Scared and confused. What did she mean? When you asked, her voice dropped low. Her eyes searching her desk. "From me." She muttered. Your heart ached. "From the part of me that doesn't know the difference between desire and consumption." Her voice shook with worry. Her hands trembled. She pinned her hands to the desk. Trying to keep steady.
Then there was silence. And it was haunting. There was only the sound of a clock ticking it's seconds. You swallow and look down. Taking a step back, you hugged yourself. Trying to feed the urge to scream for comfort. "Was I a mistake, Rosie?" Your words hung in the air. That finally did it. Rosie's smile was gone. There was no mask in place as she snapped her head towards you. Fear and hunger ate away at her tangled expression. She shook her head. Her large inky eyes seemed appalled. A mistake? You? Never! You search her eyes. "Then why do you flinch when we touch now, Rosie? Why do you shy away?" You begged for an answer. to make sense of this situation without her riddles.
Rosie shuddered and squeezed her eyes. Imagining your touch on her body. "Because when you touch me, pet, I can no longer think in words." She seemed to read your confusion too easily. "I think in need." she swallows thickly. You knees felt weak. Need? The leader of Cannibal Town took one step towards you. She doesn't dare get any closer as she stopped herself. Inhaling your scent. "You make me so hungry, pet. So hungry." She grit and smiled sadly. "But in all the wrong ways."
Your heart raced rapidly. It was killing her. Your innocent eyes scanning her features. Didn't you recognise the monster before you? "Isn't that just love?" Satan below, her heart shattered as she eyed you. Damn you. Damn the stupid way you were looking up at her.
Shaking her head, she glanced at anything but you. "Love doesn't make my mouth water." She whispered, Her guilt eating at her as she thought about everything. "Love shouldn't make me imagine how quiet you'd me... still unmoving as your blood lingers on my finger tips." Her mouth watered as she swallowed down her thoughts.
Against your better judgment, You didn't move. Didn't run. "You've never hurt me..." You whispered with shaking ragged breath. "You wouldn't hurt me..." You tried to reassure yourself as well as her. Rosie looked at you with bitter pity.
“That’s because I leave the room whenever I want to.”
Your breath caught. She had had these thoughts before? Thoughts of hurting you? You fiddled with your fingers. Now nervous. A what if hung in your mind. “And if one day you don’t?” you questioned with a scarce gaze. Rosie smiled. It was small and broken. Not like anything she had showed you or the town before.
Rosie searched your trusting gaze. A sigh escaped her lips. "If I don't? Then I hope you hate me enough to scream." There was another beat of silence then. Scream? To scream for help? Your heart ached. Hate Rosie? You couldn't ever dare to think of hating her.
“Do you want me to leave?” You whispered quietly. Vulnerable and.. unnerved. Rosie hesitated. And that hesitation was the most dangerous thing in the room. She shook her head weakly. No. She didn't want want you to leave. Never. That struck her with a pang of fear. Once again, you stared at your lover. Confused and with a tilted head. “Then what do you want?” You muttered.
Rosie's eyes softened, her brows furrowed and her smile quirked a little in disbelief of herself. “I want you close enough to feel real… and far enough away that I don’t destroy you for it.” She'd hate herself if she hurt you. Perhaps even worse. She slowly reached out. Her heart thumping. But she stopped herself. Only short of touching you. "That’s why I keep pushing you away.” She grit. Her sharp teeth glimmering as she spoke. “Because I don’t trust what I become when I’m starving.” And with that... the room darkened.