#cupidanon

‘What'cha doin’, baby?~ …Little bit of internet stalking? …Window shopping? You fed up of me already?’ You can hear the fake pout in Ronin's voice as he rests his head on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around you from behind but you're not in the mood to play. You quickly click and close the tabs you’ve got open before spinning around to face him, hoping you moved fast enough he didn’t see what you’re doing.

‘Nothing, baby.’ You nuzzle your face into his neck, wrap your arms around him. ‘Was just reminiscing.’ You hope that you're convincing, hope he can't hear the strain in your voice. You had been looking at the social media page of someone you used to know, but you certainly weren't reminiscing.

You were more… dreading. And researching. And panicking. Hoping that if you looked hard enough you would figure out the secret code for finally getting your ex to leave you the damn fucking hell alone because getting a restraining order had so far fucking failed and you're getting desperate. 

Well, hadn’t failed in the traditional sense of not working but more in the sense that the police have said they won’t help you because your ex technically hasn’t done anything to you… yet. And the court requires evidence to issue a restraining order- evidence such as a police report that you don’t have because the police won’t help you! 

It started about a month ago when suddenly you were seeing them around town after nearly a year of no contact. Which in itself wasn’t that odd- you’d figured they’d just moved to a nearby area recently by coincidence. That some occurence in their life had landed them near you and that was that. It wasn't anything to worry about at first, just the odd meeting here and there; at the grocery store, on the street near your work, a couple times in a nearby park. 

You’d ended on weird terms with them so bumping into them around town was a little awkward but that was it. You’d only dated for a couple of months but even that was long enough for several alarming red flags to rear their ugly heads and make you run for the hills. 

It was little things at first like asking if you were really going to wear that, or ordering for you when you went out to eat. But then they moved in with you. You hadn't really wanted them to but their apartment had flooded and they needed somewhere temporary to stay while their landlord fixed the place.

Pretty soon they started complaining when you went out at night, saying they were lonely and insinuating that it was your fault, suggesting that you having friends was making them feel worse like their emotions were your responsibility, guilting you for being happy, picking fights and just generally playing the victim when you were just trying to live your life.

They even went as far as to suggest that going out alone at night would be ‘unsafe’ and that maybe you should just stay at home even though you were going out with your friends so you wouldn’t be alone anyway. Then during the day they would shit talk your friends like it was normal, trying to convince you that your friends were bad for you.

It had quickly become way too much, and after getting in several dead-end fights about it where you’d fought viciously for your bodily autonomy and they’d simply refused to concede that what they were doing was in any way wrong, you’d broken it off.

You kicked them out, telling them to stay with anyone fucking else and ignoring the guilt trip that followed. You just happened to move flats a month later purely by coincidence and you hadn’t seen them since, until now that is. 

It wasn’t an issue at first. Sure it was a little weird seeing them around town but you figured that the awkwardness would fade as time went on. You’d even told Ronin about it, that some dickhead you used to date had moved into the area. Mentioned it as a passing comment when telling him about your day and then moved on to another topic because it wasn’t anything to worry about, and really it wasn’t.

That is until you got a message from them asking you out. Like on a date. You were a little confused as you hadn't so much as spoken to them since they moved nearby, let alone given them your number.

You’re also pretty sure it changed when you got a new phone last year, but you suppose they could have gotten it off your social media somehow, or maybe they got lucky and the old number worked somehow. Either way, you didn't question it too much because they were just asking, no harm, no foul. There's nothing wrong with asking.

So you replied, because it would be rude not to- right? You sent a short, simple message explaining that you were flattered but that you had a serious boyfriend, and weren’t interested in anything more than a cordial relationship as acquaintances. The next text came instantly, like they had just been waiting to send it. “Bitch.” 

Which was unsettling, sure, but nothing to worry about. Who hasn't had some scorned ex-friend or relationship call them mean names when they got rejected in this day and age? Then there was a bouquet of flowers delivered to your door a day later, red roses with a card that simply said, ‘I’m sorry, forgive me?’

You knew Ronin was a romantic but you didn’t think he was the type to apologise with flowers, at least, not these kinds of flowers. No, he was more likely to turn up on your doorstep covered in blood with a handful that he pinched from a gravesite for you so you knew they weren't from him. 

Plus you both hadn’t even had so much as a minor spat in weeks, so you didn’t know what they could possibly be for- but they couldn’t be from someone else, you didn’t want them to be. It was nothing, they were flowers, nothing sinister about it but they lingered in the edge of your vision all day and unsettled something deep within you.

So you’d waited apprehensively with a pit in your stomach until Ronin came over after work and then asked him, saying you appreciated the flowers but you didn’t know what he could be apologising for. 

Ronin had taken one look at them and pulled a card out of the middle that you hadn't seen, ‘Wrong delivery, darlin’. Some poor fuck’s stuck in the doghouse because they wrote the address wrong- ha!’ He then flipped over the card to show you the address on the back.

Your heart had sank- not at the address because that could have been a mistake, but at the name written above it- it was the stupid, cringe petname your ex had used for you, the one you always hated but felt too awkward to tell them that about because they seemed to like it so much. 

You spent the rest of the night stuck in your head, convincing yourself that it was a coincidence, a minor freak in the fabric of the universe that someone sent flowers to the wrong address and just so happened to call their partner the same stupid pet name your ex called you. A fluke. It had to be, they didn’t even know where you lived for Christ's sake!

…It wasn’t a fluke. You woke up the next day to a text from them that read, “Morning sunshine, did you get my flowers?” You blocked the number then and there- after sending a message warning them not to contact you anymore and that you would be calling the police if you found them anywhere near your flat ever again.

Unfortunately, the warning did little to deter them and it only escalated from there. It started as a trickle at first, an odd call from a blocked number, a spam email that didn’t make any fucking sense, and for a brief moment you allowed yourself to believe you’d gotten rid of them. 

Then the texts started coming in from random numbers, your phone ringing at all hours until you learned to keep it on silent, and the countless threatening emails from burner accounts- it was like they were making them faster than you could block them. 

You’d tried changing your accounts and phone number, deleting the old ones and starting anew but it made no difference, and the knowledge that they could find you even when you tried to hide was somehow worse than just giving up and letting it happen.

That’s when you started seeing them around town more often, only ever as a glimpse from a distance but so often that it was unnerving and you felt unsafe just being outside. Like you were being watched from all corners, you started feeling unsafe even when you were alone. 

The kicker was when last week they started hanging around outside your work for hours on end. You could see them through the window just watching you while you worked. They were always gone by the time you got off shift but you started taking taxis home just to be safe anyway.

That’s when you’d gone to the police. And when you’d learned that the police and court were useless because since your ex technically hadn’t done anything illegal they decided there was nothing they could do for you. Apparently 'feeling threatened doesn't equate to being threatened'.

You’d cried when you found out, so desperately crushed by this information that you’d considered finally telling Ronin about it, but it'd being going on for so long at that point that your desire not to burden him had turned into a desperate embarrassment at how you were failing to handle it. 

You can hear it loud and clear in your head, his mocking laugh, the assertion that you should have been able to handle this yourself, the disdain at you not being able to just kill him the way Ronin himself would.

Even if he wouldn't ever actually say anything like it, you can hear it loud and clear in his voice even now, ‘Aw, baby. You hang out with serial killers all day, every day, see our bloody delights in the chatroom, date one of us and let him into your home but you can’t even handle a pitiful stalker?’ 

You know in your right mind that Ronin wouldn’t, that the cruel things you’re imagining are just that- figments of your imagination, but you can’t shake the thought. Can’t shake the fear that he’ll find you pathetic and then not only will you have a stalker but you’ll also have no boyfriend to come home to.

So that’s why you’re here now, hurridly closing tabs and hiding your phone from your boyfriend. You know he’s noticed something’s up, that he’s seen how stressed you’ve been the past few weeks but he hasn’t outright asked you about it yet.

Ronin knows that you have trouble talking about difficult things, knows you have a tendancy to try handle everything yourself and that him trying to help before you're ready might just result in you getting upset with him so he doesn't.

Ronin's good like that, he understands that your life is your life and he isn't going to ask you to change how you live it, though he's won't hold his tongue if he disagrees with your choices. A part of you can't help but think it'd be nice for him to just fix it for you but you're too ashamed to ask.

It's probably driving him crazy, knowing that something is up and not being able to fix it. You can see that he's been making a deliberate effort to make you feel better but it all just makes you feel shittier for lying to him. 

Doesn’t help that you haven’t had sex in about three weeks. You’ve not exactly been in the mood when every other second you’re paranoidly glancing out the window, or checking your phone then putting it face down, or staring abysmally at their social media page like it will crack their psyche and give you answers on how to fix this. 

Which is where you are now, with Ronin settled over your shoulder looking when you don’t want him to know. ‘Someone you’re missing?’ He asks, drumming his fingers along your arm. 

You shake your head, slip your hand up to entwine your fingers with his and say, ‘It’s nothing. Just someone I used to know popped back up recently. I… wanted to see how they were doing, I was just being nosy.’ You laugh weakly, wincing internally at how fake it sounds even to your ears. 

Ronin hums thoughtfully, and you think for a second that you got away with it before his cutting, dry voice slices through you with a snort, ‘Liar.’ You tense at being called out on your bullshit, but for some reason Ronin doesn’t push like he normally would, just pulls you out of your computer chair and over to the couch to play on his gameboy, chatting noncommittally about how you’ve almost beat the last level and he wants to watch you defeat the boss. 

You don’t get it- what his game is or why he’s being so nice when he knows something’s up but Ronin doesn’t ask and you don’t want to tell so you don’t. It takes you a while to relax because of this but it comes easier with Ronin wrapped around you like a limpet. 

Eventually you get so absorbed in the game that you don’t flinch when Ronin kisses the side of your face then peels himself off with a murmur of ‘bathroom,’ and disappears for a good ten minutes before returning. You only glance at him briefly when he returns and plasters himself along your side.

It doesn’t take you long to defeat the boss and win the game. When you do Ronin cheers for you obnoxiously from where he’s pressed against your side. It’s only after your makeshift celebration wherein Ronin rolls himself on top of you and presses kisses along your shoulder and up your neck to your mouth that he reveals where he actually went when he disappeared by dropping a leading, ‘...So baby, are you gonna deal with them or am I?’

You freeze underneath him. Ronin doesn’t know, does he? No. He can’t. You put so much work into hiding it. You decide to play dumb, hoping against hope that somehow, someway, Ronin is talking about something, anything else. You laugh nervously, plaster on a fake smile and say ‘What? I don’t- what are you talking about, Ronin?’ 

It seems he's gotten fed up of waiting for you to tell him what's wrong. Ronin raises his eyebrows at you, pinning you with a deadpan stare and you can’t escape his gaze with the way he’s literally sandwiched on top of you, preventing your escape from this uncomfortable conversation. He clearly doesn’t buy your bluffing and there’s one question that's broiling through your mind and it's, ‘Exactly how much does he know?’

Ronin's stare turn hard when you don't say anything, and he leans down close so that you're nose to nose. 'Get that fake shit outta you, darlin'. Fuckin' lyin' to me? What's the point in doing it now? I already know. C'mon, make your confession to the devil. Promise I won't make ya' pay too much penance.'

His eyes shift between yours, searching but when you still don't speak he rolls his eyes and starts speaking again, ‘C'mon baby. Been saying I’m gonna make a killer out of you yet and here’s our perfect opportunity! ‘S almost providence, can’t pass up such divine intervention, can we?’

When you don’t say anything, your voice being lost somewhere down in your stomach, he continues, ‘What? Deal not sweet enough for you, darlin’? Okay, okay… how about… slice up this bastard that’s been botherin’ you and I’ll love you forever, baby.’ 

Ronin puts on a fake ooey-gooey voice, snickering right in your face as he says this and for some reason that’s what pushes you over the edge- the thought that this nightmare you’ve been living for about a month now, the one you’ve been so desperately been trying to hide is funny to him. 

You start to cry. Like really cry. Ugly cry. Big heaving sobs right in your boyfriend’s face. You screw your eyes shut and bring your hands up to try hide behind them but Ronin catches you by the wrists and prevents it. 

‘Aw, you poor thing.’ You hear him say dryly, and it just makes you cry harder. 

‘Ronin, stop it. I’m scared.’ You manage to whimper out.

‘Good. You’ve finally stopped fuckin’ lying to me.’

You whimper and slit your eyes open to look at him, sniffling and blinking in attempt to stop the tears that blur your vision. Ronin looks deadly serious, eyes wide and deranged, trained on you without even a hint of his usual humour or sarcasm and for the first time in your life you understand what it’s like to be afraid of Ronin. 

Ronin sits back to put some distance between you, ‘God above it’s being fucking hell watching you scurry around acting all freaked out and nervous trying to hide this shit from me for weeks! Baby, I’m the fucking devil.’ 

He raises a hand to his head and mimes blowing his own brains out. ‘What in the world made you think you had to hide this from me? I coulda fixed it before it started, you only had to ask.’ He looks exasperated, like he can’t understand why you made the choices you did and suddenly you feel silly for trying not to burden him with this, like you've been being stupid. 

’I just- …I didn’t want it to be real.’ It comes out in a half whisper, the admittance that if you said it out loud that would only make it that much more terrifying. Ronin’s face softens, the exasperation slipping right off of it. 

He gives you back your hands and you hastily wipe the tears and snot off your face while looking away from him. Your lip trembles as you barely manage to get out, ‘I- I didn’t want to burden you. It’s my problem, I-I should be able to deal with it, i-it’s my fault anyway I-’

‘Stop.’ You flinch and look up at him, Ronin looks disgusted. You cringe away from the expression, shame starting to curl through you but instead of berating you or saying something cruel he says, ‘A stalker is not your fault, darlin’. No way in hell.’ 

You bite you lip, unsure, and Ronin lets the barely restrained rage slide off his face at the worried look on yours. When he speaks again it's far quieter, more controlled. He strokes his thumb over your cheek ‘I thought you’d have got this by now; rat bastards like that only understand one language; violence.’ He does jazz hands as he says it but it’s not at all funny. 

You frown at him but Ronin just smiles wryly, boops your nose with his knuckle and says, ‘Don’t worry so much, darlin’. I got you. Slaughtering’s my game, and you’ve just given me a whole new playground.’

Ronin grins at you, all teeth, and you shudder to think about what he has planned so you don’t. Just nod at him distractedly and pull him down onto you so you don’t have to think about it anymore.

The next few days pass much the same as before but you feel better, lighter now that Ronin knows and you don't have to hide how worried you are all the time. You even relax enough to have some fun.

It also helps that you're no longer receiving threatening calls and texts due to something Ronin did to your phone, the technological wiz that he is. It's such a relief to not have to think about it all of the time every day. You didn't realise how much of your energy was devoted to dread until it isn't.

But still your ex is out there. And just because you're not getting the messages doesn't mean they aren't sending them and that fact still lingers in your mind. So when you leave for work on Monday you still take a taxi even though its a just short walk.

You see your ex three seperate times that day but Ronin is texting you consistently throughout so you can't find it in you to worry too much when you know it'll be over soon.

You see them again on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday and even though you're not worried per say, you do start to wonder whether you should ask Ronin exactly what his plan is because while it feels like everything has changed, technically you're still being stalked. 

You consider calling out of work for the rest of the week just so you can get a break but when you float the idea to Ronin he simply kisses your forehead and says, ‘What, after I’ve been through all this trouble? One more day baby, alright?’

'I just- I want it to be over.'

Ronin nods, 'It will be, just need to take a few days making sure it can't be traced back to us, okay? This asshole has one hell of a digital footprint, and I gotta erase the CCTV outside your work too.'

You swallow your nerves and nod, trusting that Ronin knows what he’s doing and that you have nothing to worry about- like he said.

When you leave work the next day Ronin’s waiting for you, leaning casually against a lamp post outside and you can’t help but be elated when you see him, practically throwing yourself into his arms. He laughs at the enthusiastic greeting and smooths your hair back from your face, ‘Somebody’s happy to see me.’ He teases.

‘When am I ever not ?’

‘Touché. C’mon let’s go. We’re walking home today.’ 

‘But Ronin-‘

Ronin shushes you quickly, says, ‘Trust me, darlin’. This way's gonna be way more fun.’ 

He winks at you then slings arm over your shoulders, steering you away from your work and the direction of your flat. You look up at him in confusion but he's not looking at you he's looking straight ahead, making conversation as if he isn't going the wrong way, ‘So how was your day, baby? That loser still trying and failing to get your attention?’ 

Ronin’s talking far louder than he needs to be, voice full of amusement and derision. You’re confused for a second before you catch on- your ex, your stalker, the loser in question must be within earshot. 

You laugh and it sounds awkward and strained to your ears but hopefully it's not noticeable, ‘I don’t know, I’ve been ignoring their messages. It’s not like they’ve got anything worthwhile to say anyway.’ 

Ronin grins at you, eyes alight with excitement and you can't help but smile back at him even as your skin prickles and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. You giggle, suppressing the urge to look behind you and leaning into Ronin as you stroll down the street at a slow pace.

Even though you can hear it thundering in your ears, your heart feels lighter than it has in weeks. While you don’t know what Ronin is planning, it is an incredible relief to know that it's going to be over soon. 

You’re so giddy with relief that you don't pay attention to where you're going, and when Ronin pulls you to the side, off the street and presses you against the grimy wall of a dirty alleyway you don’t question it.

Instead you press yourself into his wandering hands and let him kiss you silly, pulling your leg up on his hip. He presses kisses over your face and lets you cling to his jacket, you're almost giggling too much to kiss him back.

You should probably be worried, given that it's all about to finally come to a head but with Ronin surrounding you like this, gazing at you with dopey, love sick eyes you're finding it hard to think about anything else.

Which is why it takes you by complete surprise when someone bodily rushes Ronin and tackles him to the floor. You watch as Ronin falls, and a shriek slips past your lips even as his wholly entertained cackle rings high and clear in the air and the pair go skidding to the ground before you.

From the offset its obvious who's winning this fight, Ronin might be underneath your ex but he's seemingly unbothered, enjoying himself and laughing as your ex tries to throw a punch and it misses, hitting the ground and hurting their hand instead.

It's clear they've never actually been in a fight. Ronin cracks them on the side of their head with his elbow while they're busying cussing over their sore hand and they tip sideways as they clutch their head. The way they're leaning shifts their centre of gravity Ronin takes the opportunity to shove them off of him and shunt himself out from underneath in one smooth motion.

Your ex careens headfirst into the wall and Ronin laughs freely as he stands up, dusts himself off, before kicking them as hard as he can, hitting them squarely under the ribs with his spiked boots and knocking the wind out of them.

Your hands fly up to your face, covering your mouth in shock. You never doubted him for a second but you can't believe how quickly he went from being surprise attacked by them to beating the shit out of your ex.

Ronin catches your eye and winks while your ex is coughing and hacking on the floor, gasping for air. You swallow, breath catching in your throat as you try ignore how turned on watching this is making you.

Ronin saunters up the alleyway to where he's left his crow bar just sitting in plain sight, propped up against the wall. He must have left it here earlier on purpose. Your ex groans and starts getting to their feet but they're too slow and Ronin's in front of them already.

He drops the weight of the crowbar on their shoulder, not hitting them just letting them know it exists. They look up at it and scoff, 'What? Am I supposed to be afraid? Like you're really going to hit me with that.' They push the crowbar off their shoulder with a huff and finishing climbing to their feet.

Ronin's grin is so wide it's nearly splitting his face. He glances back at you to make sure you're watching before he says, 'Wanna bet on it? How about… your life?' He snickers like he just told a funny joke, 'You willing to die on this hill, fucker?'

Your ex spits at his feet and raises his fists like he really thinks Ronin isn't going to use the crowbar. That’s when Ronin swings the crowbar and hits them solidly in the knees while laughing.

The scream they let out is piercing and even though you were expecting it you still flinch in shock. Even though the rational part of your brain already knows that he's a serial killer, part of you can't believe he actually hit them with it.

Your ex goes down like a sack of bricks. They're screaming before they hit the ground. clutching at their very broken looking knee and shouting, 'What the actual fuck, man? What is wrong with you?' You can't help the giggle that spills free from your mouth, sharp and clear, unrepentant in the air. Your ex is panting, wailing and moaning on the ground when their eyes lock onto you at the sound.

'And you, what the fuck is wrong with you dating this fucking psycho-' They're cut off by their own ear splitting scream as Ronin's crowbar connects with their arm with a dull, crunching thud, bending it into an impossible angle and drawing their attention back to him.

Their expression morphs slowly from rage into one of terror as they look at Ronin looming over them. The wolfish look of pure glee on his face as it starts to sink in that maybe they're not leaving here alive.

'Oh yeah? I'm a psycho? You haven't seen nothing yet.' Ronin cackles loudly, swinging the crowbar at the air between him and your ex and watching them flinch with amusement.

Your ex starts desperately calling your name, leaning around Ronin while clutching their broken arm and shouting, 'Hey, hey, sunshine! Go get help okay? You can't- you can't be okay with this. I know you better than-'

Ronin clocks them across the face with his fist and the blow is personal, designed to cause pain but not hurt them so badly that they can't listen to what's being said. He doesn't need to hit them with the crowbar to hurt them now because every movement pulls on their injured limbs and causes them to shriek and whimper in pain.

'Shut the fuck up.' Ronin sounds annoyed, the syllables drawn out like he can't believe they even tried that. 'You don't talk to them. You're dealing with me now.'

He laughs and the sound is disbelieving and bright, 'You don't get it yet, do you? They're here with me.' He gestures at you witht he crowbar. 'They chose this, they want this. This isn't a coincidence, we brought you here today. Your death is premeditated. You're not at my mercy today, you're at theirs. I may be the sinful rot come to cleanse the land of your filth but they're the divinity that directed me to you.'

Your ex spits at Ronin and it lands on the toe of one of his shoes. 'You don't know them like I do-'

Ronin stamps his foot down on their hand and they cut themselves off with a blood curdling scream as the bones crunch underneath his boot.

'You don't know them at all.' All the humour has dropped off his face, instead there's this incensed fury on it. Ronin's eyes are wild and glaring as he grips them by the jaw and makes them look at him and only him.

'Here's how this is gonna go, okay? I'm going to fuck you up, and then you're going to apologise while I show you exactly how much they-' he points at you with his thumb over his shoulder, 'don't want you and if you behave I might consider not killing you. Might.'

Your ex laughs and opens his mouth to say something but Ronin is fed up of listening. He raises the crowbar above his head and brings it down on their torso and you hear the crack, smell the blood, see the fear starting to grip them fully now as Ronin raises the crowbar again.

Ronin's got blood on his face, splattered lightly across his mouth and cheek and though you're watching with baited breath through gaps in your fingers you can't help but feel your heart swell with love watching exactly how far Ronin would go for you- is going for you.

It should be a turn off. You should be running screaming for the hills at the gruesome sight in front of you but instead you're squirming in place, clit feeling heavy in your pants at the sight of him raining down blow after blow on your ex who has dragged themselves into the fetal position.

'Please! Please stop! Oh God, please, please-'

Ronin stops hitting him, pushes his hair out of his eyes, leaving a bloody red streak across his forehead in his fingers wake. He huffs out a breath and leans the crowbar across his shoulders. 'Wah, wah, please stop hitting me! I'm only a creepy fucking stalker that doesn't know the meaning of the words, "no" and "fuck off"!'

Your ex isn't looking at you or Ronin now, they're curled into a ball, shaking and clutching their broken limbs to themselves while praying out loud of all things. You can't help but stifle a giggle as you hear them start, 'Our Father who art thou in Heaven-'

'Oh now you ask for God? Always goes the same way with you sick fucks; all full of defiance with that fire in your eyes until you realise exactly how fucked you are and suddenly its all "don't hurt me, I'm so sorry please",' Ronin's waving his hands around dramatically as he speaks, amusement in his voice at this turn of events.

A little bit of you wonders if he's putting on a show for you as he circles around your ex and allows you a glimpse of the full extent of the damage, 'begging for God with your sinful fucking mouth like you're not already forsaken. Newflash asshole, God's not listening. If he was he wouldn't have put you in the lair of the devil in th' first fuckin' place. Dumbass.'

Your ex does not look good. They're covered in blood, both legs and an arm hanging limp at odd angles, and their breathing is a hard labouring wheeze. You know you should feel bad, that there should be something other than tingling glee running down your spine at the sight of them bloody and beaten because they crossed you. You get it now, why Ronin likes it so much.

Ronin looks up and catches sight of you staring at him nervously, like he might see your want and somehow deny it but that's positively deluded because this is Ronin, the butcher. He saw your want before you even knew you had it and he's brought you here to delight in it.

Ronin grins at you, all teeth and says, 'like what you see, darlin'?' You nod shyly behind your hands because what do you say to that, "Yes, I absolutely love it that you've beaten a person bloody for me?" Knowing Ronin he'd love that.

'C'mere, baby.' Ronin nods you over and you stumble to him on trembling legs. He catches you when you're close to him and sweeps you into a kiss. His hands are soaked with blood, sticky and warm. He tastes like metal when your tongue brushes against his.

You can hear your ex whimpering in horror somewhere below you and you can't help but laugh when Ronin pulls back slightly, saying, 'You hear that, darlin'? It's beautiful isn't it? They were so defiant before, so certain that you would save them, "Oh please, please save me. Sunshine, go get help!"'

Ronin breaks off into a exhuberant laugh, pressing his lips against the corner of your own, 'But what they didn't reckon with is that you're just as fucked up as me.'

Ronin's laugh sounds slightly deranged as he grabs you by the hips and flips you around so you're facing your ex and your back is pressed up against his front. He then slips one hand down the front of your pants, stopping just shy of where you want him, 'This turn you on, baby? You like the sight of death? The knowledge that I would kill for you?'

He noses down the side of your neck, voice breathy with want as your face floods with heat. You can't help but glance down at your ex all bruised and bleeding at your feet and the euphoria that floods you at the sight. The pure relief from knowing that they're not ever going to bother you again nearly knocks you off your feet.

You can't help the laugh that bubbles out of you, giddy and a little hysterical. Ronin chuckles, clicks his tongue from somewhere behind your ear and then he's leading you to brace your hands against the cool wall in front of you.

His hand slides down to cup your pussy, fingers slipping between your lips as he grinds the heel of it over your clit, back and forth. A laugh escapes him and puffs against the back of your neck when he feels how wet you are. 'Somebody's excited.'

'You- you guys are fucking fucke-'

'Shut the fuck up.' Ronin kicks them in their injured leg and the your ex cuts themselves off with a sharp scream that dissolves into a drawn out whimper.

You turn your head to try and catch a glance of Ronin, tilt it to try catch his lips with your own but before you manage it he smooths a hand up the back of your head and forcibly angles it to the ground so that you're looking at your ex.

'You're gonna miss the show, baby.' He nips at your ear. 'Don't you want to see me break him?' He dances his free hand up your side, you squirm at the feeling. You're breathing heavy, panting, hips rocking down into the heat and pressure of his hand against your clit. Your ex is whimpering on the ground now, like he's finally figured out that Ronin is evil incarnate and you're no better.

'I really don't care, I kinda just want you to make me cum, Nin.' You breathe.

Ronin laughs at this, startled and delighted, and nuzzles your face, 'After I painted such a pretty picture for you? Didn't know you were such a philistine.'

Ronin directs his next comment down at your ex, 'I want you to beg for forgiveness, while I take my baby here down to fucking hell on the joyride of their life.'

'Ronin. Don't embarrass meeee.'

'Please. You love it.' He snorts.

'Don't know what you're talking about.' You turn your nose up at him, pretending to be mad but your voice comes out far too breathy for anyone to believe you.

'Whatever will I do? How in sweet hell on Earth could I make it up to you? Maybe like this?'

Ronin's hand slides up, draggin his fingers through your pussy to directly touch your clit, stroking his middle finger over it one, two, three times. He presses another finger against your clit, slides them apart down either side and then pinches gentle to hear you gasp and moan.

You press your pussy into and then away from the feeling, hips jerking. Ronin laughs breathlessly and lets go, using the same fingers to rub over your clit in little circular motions, one way and then the other until you whine, turn your head and try press your face into his neck.

'Ronin!' You gasp, and he makes a fond sound, pressing a kiss to your temple.

Your ex has started trying to shuffle away as discreetly as possible on the ground, mouth pressed into a thin line to stop them from screaming and crying out as they do.

'Keep watching baby,' Ronin guides your head back down with his hand on your neck, before he places his spiked boot on top of your ex's knee and presses, pinning him in place as he screams and cries incoherently.

'I think you're forgetting something~.' He directs at your ex in a singsong voice. 'Apologise.'

'I'm sorry! I'm sorry okay- I'm so- I'm so sorry, please just let me go. I promise I'll leave you alone, I won't ever bother you again.' Your ex starts sobbing in the middle of their sentence, big heaving breaths that rattle their ribcage and undoubtedly hurt but they can't seem to stop them.

Something about the sight is satifying. You're maybe a little heady off of the thrill and the power you feel at seeing someone that made you feel so small and out of control crying and broken beneath you, begging for your forgiveness.

Your clit pulses under Ronin's fingers and you squirm where you're leaning back against Ronin's chest, press your cunt down into his hand. Ronin lets go of the back of your neck and places his arm across the front of your chest, just under your shoulders, pinning you against him.

''Nin, 'Nin, I love you,' you breath, turning your head to try look at him. Ronin's grinning, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he watches you delightedly.

'Baby, baby, what have I said about missing the show, c'mon.'

'Ronin, I don't fucking care, just fucking kiss me.' You pant.

He snickers and presses his mouth to yours while pinching your clit again between his fingers, sliding them together from either side of your clit with an even pressure to listen to you yelp into his mouth. It's more of a moan than a yelp as you're turned on enough that the slightly pain feels good and it's just enough sensation to blur your vision send a fizzing numb tingle across your skin that tips you into your orgasm.

Your lips go slack against Ronin's as you moan and your hips twitch upwards underneath his hand. Your clit pulses in pleasure, rhythmically contracting under his fingers, cunt clenching around nothing. Ronin presses kisses down the side of your neck, tightens his arm across your shoulders to hold you in place as your legs go lax.

Ronin starts talking but you can't make out what he's actually saying, you only hear the low hum of his barritone. You can barely hear how gleeful he sounds over your heartbeat thundering in your ears.

'Do you get it now? See how much they're not into you? You're dyin' at their feet and they'd still rather look at me. You're not even on their radar. You lost, 'nd it's time to make good on your bet.'

Ronin slips his hand out of your pants, holds it up in front of your face to show you exactly how wet you were while snickering before wrapping it tightly around your waist, holding you up as you blink blearily.

He lets go of your shoulders and readjusts so that he has the space to work as he raises his crowbar with his free hand, swings it down and firmly embeds it in your ex's skull just as they're raising their hands and blubbering something about how he can't and that they apologised.

It sinks in with a satisfying thud and he pulls it out again with a wet thunk. Your ex sinks sideways on the ground, body going limp as the life slips from his eyes and you've never seen a sight so intriguing, so fascinating. You kind of want to see it again…

'How was that, darlin'? You feel better now?'

You look up at Ronin, speechless. What do you say to him after that? 'Yes Ronin, turns out I'm a freak and I absolutely loved that, we should do it again soon, I want to see more. Will you teach me?'

A slow grin spreads across Ronin's face as you realise with dawning embarrassment that you might have said some or all of that out loud. He laughs, exhuberant and presses his sticky, wet, bloody hands to your cheeks to kiss you.

'Knew was a reason I love you, darlin'.' He says.

'What, like you didn't before?' You murmur.

'Nah, 'course I did, saw it in you from the minute you decided to stay in hell for the "experience".' He laughs, but then his voice settles and turns serious, almost sweet. 'From the way you first looked at me, then again after knowing who I was when you chose to stay and find out more. Could see it in your eyes. You're a hybristophiliac darlin'.'

'Ronin! I am not.' You're affronted at the idea but Ronin just levels you with a pointed look.

'…Okay, well, maybe for you.' You concede.

Ronin snorts, 'Keep tellin' yourself that, darlin'. Now, let's get out of here.' He wraps his arm around your shoulder and starts strutting towards the entrance of purgatory.

''Nin, we can't. What if someone sees us? We're covered in blood.' You whisper like you're afraid the fictional someone is in the alley with you.

Ronin barks out a laugh, 'Don't worry about it, darlin'. Didn't you know this is the butcher's territory? People are far too afraid of running into him to walk around here this late. Besides, even if they do, nothing a little slaughterin' won't fix.'

He fixes you with a knowing grin, and even though you know you shouldn't, that you should be more afraid or worried, you follow him blindly into the night with glee on your face and mirth in your heart.

♡♡♡

‘What'cha doin’, baby?~ …Little bit of internet stalking? …Window shopping? You fed up of me already?’ You can hear the fake pout in Ronin's voice as he rests his head on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around you from behind but you're not in the mood to play. You quickly click and close the tabs you’ve got open before spinning around to face him, hoping you moved fast enough he didn’t see what you’re doing.

‘Nothing, baby.’ You nuzzle your face into his neck, wrap your arms around him. ‘Was just reminiscing.’ You hope that you're convincing, hope he can't hear the strain in your voice. You had been looking at the social media page of someone you used to know, but you certainly weren't reminiscing.

You were more… dreading. And researching. And panicking. Hoping that if you looked hard enough you would figure out the secret code for finally getting your ex to leave you the damn fucking hell alone because getting a restraining order had so far fucking failed and you're getting desperate. 

Well, hadn’t failed in the traditional sense of not working but more in the sense that the police have said they won’t help you because your ex technically hasn’t done anything to you… yet. And the court requires evidence to issue a restraining order- evidence such as a police report that you don’t have because the police won’t help you! 

It started about a month ago when suddenly you were seeing them around town after nearly a year of no contact. Which in itself wasn’t that odd- you’d figured they’d just moved to a nearby area recently by coincidence. That some occurence in their life had landed them near you and that was that. It wasn't anything to worry about at first, just the odd meeting here and there; at the grocery store, on the street near your work, a couple times in a nearby park. 

You’d ended on weird terms with them so bumping into them around town was a little awkward but that was it. You’d only dated for a couple of months but even that was long enough for several alarming red flags to rear their ugly heads and make you run for the hills. 

It was little things at first like asking if you were really going to wear that, or ordering for you when you went out to eat. But then they moved in with you. You hadn't really wanted them to but their apartment had flooded and they needed somewhere temporary to stay while their landlord fixed the place.

Pretty soon they started complaining when you went out at night, saying they were lonely and insinuating that it was your fault, suggesting that you having friends was making them feel worse like their emotions were your responsibility, guilting you for being happy, picking fights and just generally playing the victim when you were just trying to live your life.

They even went as far as to suggest that going out alone at night would be ‘unsafe’ and that maybe you should just stay at home even though you were going out with your friends so you wouldn’t be alone anyway. Then during the day they would shit talk your friends like it was normal, trying to convince you that your friends were bad for you.

It had quickly become way too much, and after getting in several dead-end fights about it where you’d fought viciously for your bodily autonomy and they’d simply refused to concede that what they were doing was in any way wrong, you’d broken it off.

You kicked them out, telling them to stay with anyone fucking else and ignoring the guilt trip that followed. You just happened to move flats a month later purely by coincidence and you hadn’t seen them since, until now that is. 

It wasn’t an issue at first. Sure it was a little weird seeing them around town but you figured that the awkwardness would fade as time went on. You’d even told Ronin about it, that some dickhead you used to date had moved into the area. Mentioned it as a passing comment when telling him about your day and then moved on to another topic because it wasn’t anything to worry about, and really it wasn’t.

That is until you got a message from them asking you out. Like on a date. You were a little confused as you hadn't so much as spoken to them since they moved nearby, let alone given them your number.

You’re also pretty sure it changed when you got a new phone last year, but you suppose they could have gotten it off your social media somehow, or maybe they got lucky and the old number worked somehow. Either way, you didn't question it too much because they were just asking, no harm, no foul. There's nothing wrong with asking.

So you replied, because it would be rude not to- right? You sent a short, simple message explaining that you were flattered but that you had a serious boyfriend, and weren’t interested in anything more than a cordial relationship as acquaintances. The next text came instantly, like they had just been waiting to send it. “Asshole.” 

Which was unsettling, sure, but nothing to worry about. Who hasn't had some scorned ex-friend or relationship call them mean names when they got rejected in this day and age? Then there was a bouquet of flowers delivered to your door a day later, red roses with a card that simply said, ‘I’m sorry, forgive me?’

You knew Ronin was a romantic but you didn’t think he was the type to apologise with flowers, at least, not these kinds of flowers. No, he was more likely to turn up on your doorstep covered in blood with a handful that he pinched from a gravesite for you so you knew they weren't from him. 

Plus you both hadn’t even had so much as a minor spat in weeks, so you didn’t know what they could possibly be for- but they couldn’t be from someone else, you didn’t want them to be. It was nothing, they were flowers, nothing sinister about it but they lingered in the edge of your vision all day and unsettled something deep within you.

So you’d waited apprehensively with a pit in your stomach until Ronin came over after work and then asked him, saying you appreciated the flowers but you didn’t know what he could be apologising for. 

Ronin had taken one look at them and pulled a card out of the middle that you hadn't seen, ‘Wrong delivery, darlin’. Some poor fuck’s stuck in the doghouse because they wrote the address wrong- ha!’ He then flipped over the card to show you the address on the back.

Your heart had sank- not at the address because that could have been a mistake, but at the name written above it- it was the stupid, cringe petname your ex had used for you, the one you always hated but felt too awkward to tell them that about because they seemed to like it so much. 

You spent the rest of the night stuck in your head, convincing yourself that it was a coincidence, a minor freak in the fabric of the universe that someone sent flowers to the wrong address and just so happened to call their partner the same stupid pet name your ex called you. A fluke. It had to be, they didn’t even know where you lived for Christ's sake!

…It wasn’t a fluke. You woke up the next day to a text from them that read, “Morning sunshine, did you get my flowers?” You blocked the number then and there- after sending a message warning them not to contact you anymore and that you would be calling the police if you found them anywhere near your flat ever again.

Unfortunately, the warning did little to deter them and it only escalated from there. It started as a trickle at first, an odd call from a blocked number, a spam email that didn’t make any fucking sense, and for a brief moment you allowed yourself to believe you’d gotten rid of them. 

Then the texts started coming in from random numbers, your phone ringing at all hours until you learned to keep it on silent, and the countless threatening emails from burner accounts- it was like they were making them faster than you could block them. 

You’d tried changing your accounts and phone number, deleting the old ones and starting anew but it made no difference, and the knowledge that they could find you even when you tried to hide was somehow worse than just giving up and letting it happen.

That’s when you started seeing them around town more often, only ever as a glimpse from a distance but so often that it was unnerving and you felt unsafe just being outside. Like you were being watched from all corners, you started feeling unsafe even when you were alone. 

The kicker was when last week they started hanging around outside your work for hours on end. You could see them through the window just watching you while you worked. They were always gone by the time you got off shift but you started taking taxis home just to be safe anyway.

That’s when you’d gone to the police. And when you’d learned that the police and court were useless because since your ex technically hadn’t done anything illegal they decided there was nothing they could do for you. Apparently 'feeling threatened doesn't equate to being threatened'.

You’d cried when you found out, so desperately crushed by this information that you’d considered finally telling Ronin about it, but it'd being going on for so long at that point that your desire not to burden him had turned into a desperate embarrassment at how you were failing to handle it. 

You can hear it loud and clear in your head, his mocking laugh, the assertion that you should have been able to handle this yourself, the disdain at you not being able to just kill him the way Ronin himself would.

Even if he wouldn't ever actually say anything like it, you can hear it loud and clear in his voice even now, ‘Aw, baby. You hang out with serial killers all day, every day, see our bloody delights in the chatroom, date one of us and let him into your home but you can’t even handle a pitiful stalker?’ 

You know in your right mind that Ronin wouldn’t, that the cruel things you’re imagining are just that- figments of your imagination, but you can’t shake the thought. Can’t shake the fear that he’ll find you pathetic and then not only will you have a stalker but you’ll also have no boyfriend to come home to.

So that’s why you’re here now, hurridly closing tabs and hiding your phone from your boyfriend. You know he’s noticed something’s up, that he’s seen how stressed you’ve been the past few weeks but he hasn’t outright asked you about it yet.

Ronin knows that you have trouble talking about difficult things, knows you have a tendancy to try handle everything yourself and that him trying to help before you're ready might just result in you getting upset with him so he doesn't.

Ronin's good like that, he understands that your life is your life and he isn't going to ask you to change how you live it, though he's won't hold his tongue if he disagrees with your choices. A part of you can't help but think it'd be nice for him to just fix it for you but you're too ashamed to ask.

It's probably driving him crazy, knowing that something is up and not being able to fix it. You can see that he's been making a deliberate effort to make you feel better but it all just makes you feel shittier for lying to him. 

Doesn’t help that you haven’t had sex in about three weeks. You’ve not exactly been in the mood when every other second you’re paranoidly glancing out the window, or checking your phone then putting it face down, or staring abysmally at their social media page like it will crack their psyche and give you answers on how to fix this. 

Which is where you are now, with Ronin settled over your shoulder looking when you don’t want him to know. ‘Someone you’re missing?’ He asks, drumming his fingers along your arm. 

You shake your head, slip your hand up to entwine your fingers with his and say, ‘It’s nothing. Just someone I used to know popped back up recently. I… wanted to see how they were doing, I was just being nosy.’ You laugh weakly, wincing internally at how fake it sounds even to your ears. 

Ronin hums thoughtfully, and you think for a second that you got away with it before his cutting, dry voice slices through you with a snort, ‘Liar.’ You tense at being called out on your bullshit, but for some reason Ronin doesn’t push like he normally would, just pulls you out of your computer chair and over to the couch to play on his gameboy, chatting noncommittally about how you’ve almost beat the last level and he wants to watch you defeat the boss. 

You don’t get it- what his game is or why he’s being so nice when he knows something’s up but Ronin doesn’t ask and you don’t want to tell so you don’t. It takes you a while to relax because of this but it comes easier with Ronin wrapped around you like a limpet. 

Eventually you get so absorbed in the game that you don’t flinch when Ronin kisses the side of your face then peels himself off with a murmur of ‘bathroom,’ and disappears for a good ten minutes before returning. You only glance at him briefly when he returns and plasters himself along your side.

It doesn’t take you long to defeat the boss and win the game. When you do Ronin cheers for you obnoxiously from where he’s pressed against your side. It’s only after your makeshift celebration wherein Ronin rolls himself on top of you and presses kisses along your shoulder and up your neck to your mouth that he reveals where he actually went when he disappeared by dropping a leading, ‘...So baby, are you gonna deal with them or am I?’

You freeze underneath him. Ronin doesn’t know, does he? No. He can’t. You put so much work into hiding it. You decide to play dumb, hoping against hope that somehow, someway, Ronin is talking about something, anything else. You laugh nervously, plaster on a fake smile and say ‘What? I don’t- what are you talking about, Ronin?’ 

It seems he's gotten fed up of waiting for you to tell him what's wrong. Ronin raises his eyebrows at you, pinning you with a deadpan stare and you can’t escape his gaze with the way he’s literally sandwiched on top of you, preventing your escape from this uncomfortable conversation. He clearly doesn’t buy your bluffing and there’s one question that's broiling through your mind and it's, ‘Exactly how much does he know?’

Ronin's stare turn hard when you don't say anything, and he leans down close so that you're nose to nose. 'Get that fake shit outta you, darlin'. Fuckin' lyin' to me? What's the point in doing it now? I already know. C'mon, make your confession to the devil. Promise I won't make ya' pay too much penance.'

His eyes shift between yours, searching but when you still don't speak he rolls his eyes and starts speaking again, ‘C'mon baby. Been saying I’m gonna make a killer out of you yet and here’s our perfect opportunity! ‘S almost providence, can’t pass up such divine intervention, can we?’

When you don’t say anything, your voice being lost somewhere down in your stomach, he continues, ‘What? Deal not sweet enough for you, darlin’? Okay, okay… how about… slice up this bastard that’s been botherin’ you and I’ll love you forever, baby.’ 

Ronin puts on a fake ooey-gooey voice, snickering right in your face as he says this and for some reason that’s what pushes you over the edge- the thought that this nightmare you’ve been living for about a month now, the one you’ve been so desperately been trying to hide is funny to him. 

You start to cry. Like really cry. Ugly cry. Big heaving sobs right in your boyfriend’s face. You screw your eyes shut and bring your hands up to try hide behind them but Ronin catches you by the wrists and prevents it. 

‘Aw, you poor thing.’ You hear him say dryly, and it just makes you cry harder. 

‘Ronin, stop it. I’m scared.’ You manage to whimper out.

‘Good. You’ve finally stopped fuckin’ lying to me.’

You whimper and slit your eyes open to look at him, sniffling and blinking in attempt to stop the tears that blur your vision. Ronin looks deadly serious, eyes wide and deranged, trained on you without even a hint of his usual humour or sarcasm and for the first time in your life you understand what it’s like to be afraid of Ronin. 

Ronin sits back to put some distance between you, ‘God above it’s being fucking hell watching you scurry around acting all freaked out and nervous trying to hide this shit from me for weeks! Baby, I’m the fucking devil.’ 

He raises a hand to his head and mimes blowing his own brains out. ‘What in the world made you think you had to hide this from me? I coulda fixed it before it started, you only had to ask.’ He looks exasperated, like he can’t understand why you made the choices you did and suddenly you feel silly for trying not to burden him with this, like you've been being stupid. 

’I just- …I didn’t want it to be real.’ It comes out in a half whisper, the admittance that if you said it out loud that would only make it that much more terrifying. Ronin’s face softens, the exasperation slipping right off of it. 

He gives you back your hands and you hastily wipe the tears and snot off your face while looking away from him. Your lip trembles as you barely manage to get out, ‘I- I didn’t want to burden you. It’s my problem, I-I should be able to deal with it, i-it’s my fault anyway I-’

‘Stop.’ You flinch and look up at him, Ronin looks disgusted. You cringe away from the expression, shame starting to curl through you but instead of berating you or saying something cruel he says, ‘A stalker is not your fault, darlin’. No way in hell.’ 

You bite you lip, unsure, and Ronin lets the barely restrained rage slide off his face at the worried look on yours. When he speaks again it's far quieter, more controlled. He strokes his thumb over your cheek ‘I thought you’d have got this by now; rat bastards like that only understand one language; violence.’ He does jazz hands as he says it but it’s not at all funny. 

You frown at him but Ronin just smiles wryly, boops your nose with his knuckle and says, ‘Don’t worry so much, darlin’. I got you. Slaughtering’s my game, and you’ve just given me a whole new playground.’

Ronin grins at you, all teeth, and you shudder to think about what he has planned so you don’t. Just nod at him distractedly and pull him down onto you so you don’t have to think about it anymore.

The next few days pass much the same as before but you feel better, lighter now that Ronin knows and you don't have to hide how worried you are all the time. You even relax enough to have some fun.

It also helps that you're no longer receiving threatening calls and texts due to something Ronin did to your phone, the technological wiz that he is. It's such a relief to not have to think about it all of the time every day. You didn't realise how much of your energy was devoted to dread until it isn't.

But still your ex is out there. And just because you're not getting the messages doesn't mean they aren't sending them and that fact still lingers in your mind. So when you leave for work on Monday you still take a taxi even though its a just short walk.

You see your ex three seperate times that day but Ronin is texting you consistently throughout so you can't find it in you to worry too much when you know it'll be over soon.

You see them again on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday and even though you're not worried per say, you do start to wonder whether you should ask Ronin exactly what his plan is because while it feels like everything has changed, technically you're still being stalked. 

You consider calling out of work for the rest of the week just so you can get a break but when you float the idea to Ronin he simply kisses your forehead and says, ‘What, after I’ve been through all this trouble? One more day baby, alright?’

'I just- I want it to be over.'

Ronin nods, 'It will be, just need to take a few days making sure it can't be traced back to us, okay? This asshole has one hell of a digital footprint, and I gotta erase the CCTV outside your work too.'

You swallow your nerves and nod, trusting that Ronin knows what he’s doing and that you have nothing to worry about- like he said.

When you leave work the next day Ronin’s waiting for you, leaning casually against a lamp post outside and you can’t help but be elated when you see him, practically throwing yourself into his arms. He laughs at the enthusiastic greeting and smooths your hair back from your face, ‘Somebody’s happy to see me.’ He teases.

‘When am I ever not ?’

‘Touché. C’mon let’s go. We’re walking home today.’ 

‘But Ronin-‘

Ronin shushes you quickly, says, ‘Trust me, darlin’. This way's gonna be way more fun.’ 

He winks at you then slings arm over your shoulders, steering you away from your work and the direction of your flat. You look up at him in confusion but he's not looking at you he's looking straight ahead, making conversation as if he isn't going the wrong way, ‘So how was your day, baby? That loser still trying and failing to get your attention?’ 

Ronin’s talking far louder than he needs to be, voice full of amusement and derision. You’re confused for a second before you catch on- your ex, your stalker, the loser in question must be within earshot. 

You laugh and it sounds awkward and strained to your ears but hopefully it's not noticeable, ‘I don’t know, I’ve been ignoring their messages. It’s not like they’ve got anything worthwhile to say anyway.’ 

Ronin grins at you, eyes alight with excitement and you can't help but smile back at him even as your skin prickles and the hair on the back of your neck stands up. You giggle, suppressing the urge to look behind you and leaning into Ronin as you stroll down the street at a slow pace.

Even though you can hear it thundering in your ears, your heart feels lighter than it has in weeks. While you don’t know what Ronin is planning, it is an incredible relief to know that it's going to be over soon. 

You’re so giddy with relief that you don't pay attention to where you're going, and when Ronin pulls you to the side, off the street and presses you against the grimy wall of a dirty alleyway you don’t question it.

Instead you press yourself into his wandering hands and let him kiss you silly, pulling your leg up on his hip. He presses kisses over your face and lets you cling to his jacket, you're almost giggling too much to kiss him back.

You should probably be worried, given that it's all about to finally come to a head but with Ronin surrounding you like this, gazing at you with dopey, love sick eyes you're finding it hard to think about anything else.

Which is why it takes you by complete surprise when someone bodily rushes Ronin and tackles him to the floor. You watch as Ronin falls, and a shriek slips past your lips even as his wholly entertained cackle rings high and clear in the air and the pair go skidding to the ground before you.

From the offset its obvious who's winning this fight, Ronin might be underneath your ex but he's seemingly unbothered, enjoying himself and laughing as your ex tries to throw a punch and it misses, hitting the ground and hurting their hand instead.

It's clear they've never actually been in a fight. Ronin cracks them on the side of their head with his elbow while they're busying cussing over their sore hand and they tip sideways as they clutch their head. The way they're leaning shifts their centre of gravity Ronin takes the opportunity to shove them off of him and shunt himself out from underneath in one smooth motion.

Your ex careens headfirst into the wall and Ronin laughs freely as he stands up, dusts himself off, before kicking them as hard as he can, hitting them squarely under the ribs with his spiked boots and knocking the wind out of them.

Your hands fly up to your face, covering your mouth in shock. You never doubted him for a second but you can't believe how quickly he went from being surprise attacked by them to beating the shit out of your ex.

Ronin catches your eye and winks while your ex is coughing and hacking on the floor, gasping for air. You swallow, breath catching in your throat as you try ignore how turned on watching this is making you.

Ronin saunters up the alleyway to where he's left his crow bar just sitting in plain sight, propped up against the wall. He must have left it here earlier on purpose. Your ex groans and starts getting to their feet but they're too slow and Ronin's in front of them already.

He drops the weight of the crowbar on their shoulder, not hitting them just letting them know it exists. They look up at it and scoff, 'What? Am I supposed to be afraid? Like you're really going to hit me with that.' They push the crowbar off their shoulder with a huff and finishing climbing to their feet.

Ronin's grin is so wide it's nearly splitting his face. He glances back at you to make sure you're watching before he says, 'Wanna bet on it? How about… your life?' He snickers like he just told a funny joke, 'You willing to die on this hill, fucker?'

Your ex spits at his feet and raises his fists like he really thinks Ronin isn't going to use the crowbar. That’s when Ronin swings the crowbar and hits them solidly in the knees while laughing.

The scream they let out is piercing and even though you were expecting it you still flinch in shock. Even though the rational part of your brain already knows that he's a serial killer, part of you can't believe he actually hit them with it.

Your ex goes down like a sack of bricks. They're screaming before they hit the ground. clutching at their very broken looking knee and shouting, 'What the actual fuck, man? What is wrong with you?' You can't help the giggle that spills free from your mouth, sharp and clear, unrepentant in the air. Your ex is panting, wailing and moaning on the ground when their eyes lock onto you at the sound.

'And you, what the fuck is wrong with you dating this fucking psycho-' They're cut off by their own ear splitting scream as Ronin's crowbar connects with their arm with a dull, crunching thud, bending it into an impossible angle and drawing their attention back to him.

Their expression morphs slowly from rage into one of terror as they look at Ronin looming over them. The wolfish look of pure glee on his face as it starts to sink in that maybe they're not leaving here alive.

'Oh yeah? I'm a psycho? You haven't seen nothing yet.' Ronin cackles loudly, swinging the crowbar at the air between him and your ex and watching them flinch with amusement.

Your ex starts desperately calling your name, leaning around Ronin while clutching their broken arm and shouting, 'Hey, hey, sunshine! Go get help okay? You can't- you can't be okay with this. I know you better than-'

Ronin clocks them across the face with his fist and the blow is personal, designed to cause pain but not hurt them so badly that they can't listen to what's being said. He doesn't need to hit them with the crowbar to hurt them now because every movement pulls on their injured limbs and causes them to shriek and whimper in pain.

'Shut the fuck up.' Ronin sounds annoyed, the syllables drawn out like he can't believe they even tried that. 'You don't talk to him. You're dealing with me now.'

He laughs and the sound is disbelieving and bright, 'You don't get it yet, do you? He's here with me.' He gestures at you witht he crowbar. 'He chose this, he wants this. This isn't a coincidence, we brought you here today, together. Your death is premeditated. You're not at my mercy today, you're at his. I may be the sinful rot come to cleanse the land of your filth but he's the divinity that directed me to you.'

Your ex spits at Ronin and it lands on the toe of one of his shoes. 'You don't know them like I do-'

Ronin stamps his foot down on their hand and they cut themselves off with a blood curdling scream as the bones crunch underneath his boot.

'You don't know him at all.' All the humour has dropped off his face, instead there's this incensed fury on it. Ronin's eyes are wild and glaring as he grips them by the jaw and makes them look at him and only him.

'Here's how this is gonna go, okay? I'm going to fuck you up, and then you're going to apologise while I show you exactly how much he-' he points at you with his thumb over his shoulder, 'doesn't want you and if you behave I might consider not killing you. Might.'

Your ex laughs and opens his mouth to say something but Ronin is fed up of listening. He raises the crowbar above his head and brings it down on their torso and you hear the crack, smell the blood, see the fear starting to grip them fully now as Ronin raises the crowbar again.

Ronin's got blood on his face, splattered lightly across his mouth and cheek and though you're watching with baited breath through gaps in your fingers you can't help but feel your heart swell with love watching exactly how far Ronin would go for you- is going for you.

It should be a turn off. You should be running screaming for the hills at the gruesome sight in front of you but instead you're squirming in place, cock feeling heavy in your pants at the sight of him raining down blow after blow on your ex who has dragged themselves into the fetal position.

'Please! Please stop! Oh God, please, please-'

Ronin stops hitting him, pushes his hair out of his eyes, leaving a bloody red streak across his forehead in his fingers wake. He huffs out a breath and leans the crowbar across his shoulders. 'Wah, wah, please stop hitting me! I'm only a creepy fucking stalker that doesn't know the meaning of the words, "no" and "fuck off"!'

Your ex isn't looking at you or Ronin now, they're curled into a ball, shaking and clutching their broken limbs to themselves while praying out loud of all things. You can't help but stifle a giggle as you hear them start, 'Our Father who art thou in Heaven-'

'Oh now you ask for God? Always goes the same way with you sick fucks; all full of defiance with that fire in your eyes until you realise exactly how fucked you are and suddenly its all "don't hurt me, I'm so sorry please",' Ronin's waving his hands around dramatically as he speaks, amusement in his voice at this turn of events.

A little bit of you wonders if he's putting on a show for you as he circles around your ex and allows you a glimpse of the full extent of the damage, 'begging for God with your sinful fucking mouth like you're not already forsaken. Newflash asshole, God's not listening. If he was he wouldn't have put you in the lair of the devil in th' first fuckin' place. Dumbass.'

Your ex does not look good. They're covered in blood, both legs and an arm hanging limp at odd angles, and their breathing is a hard labouring wheeze. You know you should feel bad, that there should be something other than tingling glee running down your spine at the sight of them bloody and beaten because they crossed you. You get it now, why Ronin likes it so much.

Ronin looks up and catches sight of you staring at him nervously, like he might see your want and somehow deny it but that's positively deluded because this is Ronin, the butcher. He saw your want before you even knew you had it and he's brought you here to delight in it.

Ronin grins at you, all teeth and says, 'like what you see, darlin'?' You nod shyly behind your hands because what do you say to that, "Yes, I absolutely love it that you've beaten a person bloody for me?" Knowing Ronin he'd love that.

'C'mere, baby.' Ronin nods you over and you stumble to him on trembling legs. He catches you when you're close to him and sweeps you into a kiss. His hands are soaked with blood, sticky and warm. He tastes like metal when your tongue brushes against his.

You can hear your ex whimpering in horror somewhere below you and you can't help but laugh when Ronin pulls back slightly, saying, 'You hear that, darlin'? It's beautiful isn't it? They were so defiant before, so certain that you would save them, "Oh please, please save me. Sunshine, go get help!"'

Ronin breaks off into a exhuberant laugh, pressing his lips against the corner of your own, 'But what they didn't reckon with is that you're just as fucked up as me.'

Ronin's laugh sounds slightly deranged as he grabs you by the hips and flips you around so you're facing your ex and your back is pressed up against his front. He then slips one hand down the front of your pants, stopping just shy of where you want him, 'This turn you on, baby? You like the sight of death? The knowledge that I would kill for you?'

He noses down the side of your neck, voice breathy with want as your face floods with heat. You can't help but glance down at your ex all bruised and bleeding at your feet and the euphoria that floods you at the sight. The pure relief from knowing that they're not ever going to bother you again nearly knocks you off your feet.

You can't help the laugh that bubbles out of you, giddy and a little hysterical. Ronin chuckles, clicks his tongue from somewhere behind your ear and then he's leading you to brace your hands against the cool wall in front of you.

His hand slides down to cup your pussy, fingers slipping between your lips as he grinds the heel of it over the shaft of your cock, palm brushing over the head, back and forth. A laugh escapes him and puffs against the back of your neck when he feels how wet you are. 'Somebody's excited.'

'You- you guys are fucking fucke-'

'Shut the fuck up.' Ronin kicks them in their injured leg and the your ex cuts themselves off with a sharp scream that dissolves into a drawn out whimper.

You turn your head to try and catch a glance of Ronin, tilt it to try catch his lips with your own but before you manage it he smooths a hand up the back of your head and forcibly angles it to the ground so that you're looking at your ex.

'You're gonna miss the show, baby.' He nips at your ear. 'Don't you want to see me break him?' He dances his free hand up your side, you squirm at the feeling. You're breathing heavy, panting, hips rocking down into the heat and pressure of his hand wrapped over your cock. Your ex is whimpering on the ground now, like he's finally figured out that Ronin is evil incarnate and you're no better.

'I really don't care, I kinda just want you to make me cum, Nin.' You breathe.

Ronin laughs at this, startled and delighted, and nuzzles your face, 'After I painted such a pretty picture for you? Didn't know you were such a philistine.'

Ronin directs his next comment down at your ex, 'I want you to beg for forgiveness, while I take my baby here down to fucking hell on the joyride of his life.'

'Ronin. Don't embarrass meeee.'

'Please. You love it.' He snorts.

'Don't know what you're talking about.' You turn your nose up at him, pretending to be mad but your voice comes out far too breathy for anyone to believe you.

'Whatever will I do? How in sweet hell on Earth could I make it up to you? Maybe like this?'

Ronin's hand slides up, draggin his fingers through your pussy to wrap them over your cock, he strokes the shaft with his thumb and ring finger, the middle and index play with the head of your cock. When your hips are rocking into the motion he squeezes, pinching you gently to hear you gasp and moan.

'Ronin!' You gasp, and he makes a fond sound, pressing a kiss to your temple. You press your pussy into and then away from the feeling of him squeezing you, hips jerking. Ronin laughs breathlessly and resumes stroking your cock with regular pressure.

Your ex has started trying to shuffle away as discreetly as possible on the ground, mouth pressed into a thin line to stop them from screaming and crying out as they do.

'Keep watching baby,' Ronin guides your head back down with his hand on your neck, before he places his spiked boot on top of your ex's knee and presses, pinning him in place as he screams and cries incoherently.

'I think you're forgetting something~.' He directs at your ex in a singsong voice. 'Apologise.'

'I'm sorry! I'm sorry okay- I'm so- I'm so sorry, please just let me go. I promise I'll leave you alone, I won't ever bother you again.' Your ex starts sobbing in the middle of their sentence, big heaving breaths that rattle their ribcage and undoubtedly hurt but they can't seem to stop them.

Something about the sight is satifying. You're maybe a little heady off of the thrill and the power you feel at seeing someone that made you feel so small and out of control crying and broken beneath you, begging for your forgiveness.

Your cock pulses under Ronin's hand and you squirm where you're leaning back against Ronin's chest, press your cunt down into his hand. Ronin lets go of the back of your neck and places his arm across the front of your chest, just under your shoulders, pinning you against him.

''Nin, 'Nin, I love you,' you breath, turning your head to try look at him. Ronin's grinning, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he watches you delightedly.

'Baby, baby, what have I said about missing the show, c'mon.'

'Ronin, I don't fucking care, just fucking kiss me.' You pant.

He snickers and presses his mouth to yours while squeezing your cock again, bringing his thumb and ring finger together over the shaft while using his index and middle to pinch the head of your cock gently.

You more moan than yelp into his mouth as you're turned on enough that the slightly pain feels good and it's just enough sensation to blur your vision send a fizzing numb tingle across your skin that tips you into your orgasm.

Your lips go slack against Ronin's as you moan and your hips twitch upwards underneath his hand. Your cock pulses in pleasure, rhythmically contracting under his fingers, cunt clenching around nothing. Ronin presses kisses down the side of your neck, tightens his arm across your shoulders to hold you in place as your legs go lax.

Ronin starts talking but you can't make out what he's actually saying, you only hear the low hum of his barritone. You can barely hear how gleeful he sounds over your heartbeat thundering in your ears.

'Do you get it now? See how much he's not into you? You're dyin' at their feet and he'd still rather look at me. You're not even on his radar. You lost, 'nd it's time to make good on your bet.'

Ronin slips his hand out of your pants, holds it up in front of your face to show you exactly how wet you were while snickering before wrapping it tightly around your waist, holding you up as you blink blearily.

He lets go of your shoulders and readjusts so that he has the space to work as he raises his crowbar with his free hand, swings it down and firmly embeds it in your ex's skull just as they're raising their hands and blubbering something about how he can't and that they apologised.

It sinks in with a satisfying thud and he pulls it out again with a wet thunk. Your ex sinks sideways on the ground, body going limp as the life slips from his eyes and you've never seen a sight so intriguing, so fascinating. You kind of want to see it again…

'How was that, darlin'? You feel better now?'

You look up at Ronin, speechless. What do you say to him after that? 'Yes Ronin, turns out I'm a freak and I absolutely loved that, we should do it again soon, I want to see more. Will you teach me?'

A slow grin spreads across Ronin's face as you realise with dawning embarrassment that you might have said some or all of that out loud. He laughs, exhuberant and presses his sticky, wet, bloody hands to your cheeks to kiss you.

'Knew was a reason I love you, darlin'.' He says.

'What, like you didn't before?' You murmur.

'Nah, 'course I did, saw it in you from the minute you decided to stay in hell for the "experience".' He laughs, but then his voice settles and turns serious, almost sweet. 'From the way you first looked at me, then again after knowing who I was when you chose to stay and find out more. Could see it in your eyes. You're a hybristophiliac darlin'.'

'Ronin! I am not.' You're affronted at the idea but Ronin just levels you with a pointed look.

'…Okay, well, maybe for you.' You concede.

Ronin snorts, 'Keep tellin' yourself that, darlin'. Now, let's get out of here.' He wraps his arm around your shoulder and starts strutting towards the entrance of purgatory.

''Nin, we can't. What if someone sees us? We're covered in blood.' You whisper like you're afraid the fictional someone is in the alley with you.

Ronin barks out a laugh, 'Don't worry about it, darlin'. Didn't you know this is the butcher's territory? People are far too afraid of running into him to walk around here this late. Besides, even if they do, nothing a little slaughterin' won't fix.'

He fixes you with a knowing grin, and even though you know you shouldn't, that you should be more afraid or worried, you follow him blindly into the night with glee on your face and mirth in your heart.

♡♡♡