Who: Ro and Ronnie What: Ro has a theory about Ronnie When: Valentine’s Weekend Where: Ronnie's house Warnings: None
Ronnie paced back and forth in the living room. Mikey wasn’t there - work could be a hell of a thing to have to leave for in this situation - but he would come back after. They weren’t apart for long when it wasn’t necessary. Socked feet made a soft sound as he made another circle around the coffee table.
There was nothing different about him today save for the little gold chain looped around his neck that was given to him by Mikey.
Ro had always been a great friend. While he wasn’t sure what even could be done regarding the stalker, maybe she would have some insight as to who or what it was hassling him. Bring some peace back to the trailer.
As soon as his friend appeared in the door Ronnie grinned and went to let her inside.
“Hey! Come in!”
"Hi!" Ro gave Ronnie an enthusiastic wave for a greeting. It was nice to be invited over somewhere around Valentine’s Day. She usually stayed inside over the holiday. Too many couples around.
"I was told there were cupcakes?"
Ronnie laughed, offering Ro a side eyed glance, “You only love me for my food.” The door would be secured and latched behind her once she was safely in. A small, fragrant candle was lit but otherwise any traces of festivity was null. “Kitchen. Come on, they’re red velvet with cream cheese icing.”
He waved her into the kitchen and got them both hooked up with a treat. “How’s Ro been? Things good?”
"You know it's true." Ro grinned at Ronnie, teasing. She liked spending time with Ronnie. He was objectively a good person and he didn't want anything from her.
"I'm good," she said, tearing into her cupcake. "Keeping my head down, working. Very boring. How are you? Cause you look…" Exhausted. Pale. Haggard. "...Not great."
“Aw, work is never boring when you’re doing something you love,” Ronnie murmured. He wished he was cooking again. While he wasn’t exactly partial to Terrible’s, at least he got to do something he was passionate about. Right now all he could do was sit at home and try not to go crazy. His smile faded a bit. “I mean, I’ve seen better days.”
He held up a single finger and then disappeared to go get her thing, bringing back a wrapped basket full of self-care stuff. He set it down on the counter. “For you! I hope it’s cool.” There were an assortment of random things, some of them silly and some of them a bit nicer. When the people he cared about took time to care for themselves he knew things were right in the world.
"You didn't have to do that!" Ro protested, even as she lit up with delight. "Every time I've seen you lately you've given me presents. You have to let me make you dinner or something at least." She studied him again.
"When was the last time you ate anything? You look like the people I feed off right before I start shoving carbs into them in the morning."
He smiled and nodded, “Okay, okay, I’ll allow it.” He never objected to dinner. But then her comment had his smile faltering a bit and he tried to think. “Earlier? I made breakfast.” He hadn’t eaten really since then but again his diet had been mostly liquid and fast food gross stuff in his absence. “I’m fine, I promise.”
Ro tossed her cupcake liner in the trash and stepped around Ronnie to begin searching his cabinets and fridge. "Seriously, are you going to tell me how you're actually doing? You got me all the down here, start talking."
Ronnie sighed. “I’m fine, really. It’s this whole….stalker thing. I’m afraid to leave my own house.” His voice dropped a little bit. “They don’t come around when Mikey is here except for the other night. Cut the screen to the bedroom window and left a note. They know I’m back.” He was scared.
Ro turned and leaned against the countertop. He really did look like someone had been feeding off him and she could see fear behind his eyes. "How do you feel otherwise? I mean physically."
“Tired. Like wiped out. I have some energy here and there but I sleep a lot otherwise. Doesn’t seem to help much with the energy.” He felt drained. Afraid. And unsure of what to do. He didn’t even have the motivation for chores outside of not wanting Mikey to be burdened with it after a long day at work.
“Lemme show you something,” Ronnie said, motioning for Ro to follow. He led her to the bedroom, pointing at the window. “That was there last night, but not before. They’ve been here since then. There’s another slashed screen in the bathroom.”
Ro examined the tears in the screen, frowning. Proximity. Exhaustion. A current of worry crept down her spine. "You said you're scared. All the time? Are there times when you're okay and then it gets worse? Like it's all you can think about no matter how hard you try?" She actually reached out and caught Ronnie's sleeve, closer to him than she'd usually come. "Has anyone you don’t know touched you recently? Or when it started? Touched your skin?"
He let her have his sleeve, but shook his head, “We haven’t met in person, but someone did stick a letter in my pocket at a New Years Eve party in Vegas. It was the same person who is doing this.” And then he would nod again, “Yeah. Like I can’t stop being scared no matter what. Can’t shake it. It sucks. I don’t know what to do.” It all started with a text, something small and random but he felt as if the lacerations in the screen meant that more was coming.
"Okay yeah, you need to eat. All the carbs. And sit somewhere before you fall down." Ro was already tugging on his sleeve, leading Ronnie out of the bedroom. "God, this would be so much easier if we'd slept together and you had something to compare to."
Ronnie blinked. “Okay.” He wasn’t going to protest or fight, that wasn’t what he did. So he went along by the sleeve and went back to the kitchen. “Is it important?” The comparison, he meant. To whatever was going on. If Mikey had never been in the picture it was probable that they would’ve slept together by now but his heart was set on what it wanted and he had only ever cheated once.
He sat down at the counter.
"It would help you tell if what's happening to you now is the same thing." Ro hadn’t gotten attraction from Ronnie. Mikey had the typical rush she experienced when meeting new people but Ronnie hadn’t had that. Maybe he was too taken with his big blonde boyfriend if it wasn't just that he wasn't attracted to women. That was fine. Ronnie was too nice a person to just be her food. But the comparison would have been handy.
She began pulling things out of the fridge. Ronnie needed carbs and protein. Energy. "How much do you understand about what I am?"
He understood a little bit better at the small explanation. Two and two did make four, after all. “I don’t know much,” Ronnie admitted. “I’m not as worldly as some, I guess. But I’m willing to learn.” It wasn’t that he didn’t feel attraction, his love for Mikey overshadowed any other feelings he might’ve had. Even the natural ones. “So just from what I’m getting,” he began, trying to find the right words. “You think this is kinda the same thing? Like...maybe cause I’m afraid all the time there’s something else?”
"I think? If I had to guess. It's hard to say because fear is such a complicated emotion. I mean, most people don't feel horny all the time. But people with anxiety or panic attacks, they can feel fear all the time. So it's hard." There was chicken in the fridge and she started pulling that out.
"The way I work, I can feel when someone feels what I feed on. And once I know they have it, I can pull on it. Draw it out. So if someone is feeling attracted to me, I tug on it until that's the first thing in their attention. Can't push it off or think about something else, that's it. Then when I'm feeding, I make them feel it more so there's more for me to feed. After, the person can feel mentally exhausted, emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted. Weak. Low blood sugar, low blood pressure? Or too much blood pressure? I'm not sure but if you're not careful you can stroke out."
She looked at Ronnie. "Any of that ring a bell?"
His eyes widened. It was like she was here. “Yeah, like, all of that. You think…” he swallowed, looking small and reserved. “..it’s like this?” Were there variations on etheric vampires? It was probable. He’d become more singularly focused where it was controlling his life. Maybe that was what the person wanted.
“Ro,” Ronnie sniffled. “I don’t know what to do. I’m so tired. I’m tired of this. I left everything to get away from the fear — like I feel like I’m crazy.”
"You're not crazy." There was almost nothing she could do to comfort him but Ro went over and gave him a pat on his shoulder from a safe distance. "If it's being done to you, they have to stay close. That's why your screens are cut. If it's me, I have to touch you. Maybe another type is different but still can't be too far away. Cause seriously, you look like guys who think it'll be fun to have me stay a week or two and then when it's over they're wrecked."
He shivered. “I don’t know what to do.” He was nearly in tears. The fear was insurmountable. Ronnie just dealt with it to save Mikey from the impact. If she thought it was someone like her he wanted it to be like her. Not one who terrorized innocent people. He was silently freaking out. “Ro. I don’t know what to do. Mikey...I can’t..”
Ro grit her teeth and then shot her hand out, reaching out to squeeze hold of Ronnie's. She counted to three in her head and then jerked back away. "Mikey loves you." She cradled her hand against her chest. "He wants to help. You've got to start feeling something else. I'd try and make you but the only thing I'm good for you don’t feel towards me. If it's an etheric, they need to be close. They can be caught."
He felt dizzy. And then he pulled his hand away from her as she did from him remembering she couldn’t touch. “I don’t know what else to feel,” he proclaimed. Ronnie tried his best not to freak out. That explained the cut window screens. The notes. “What if they come for me when Mikey isn’t here?” He began to tear up. He couldn’t do that to Mikey. That was one of the reasons he’d left.
"Have someone stay with you," she suggested. The burning was fading from her hand and she shook it to try and clear the last of it. "What about Derek? Someone who makes you feel...what's the opposite of fear? Safety? I don't know. The feeling that means they can't touch you like how I can't."
Ronnie nodded. He didn’t want to impose on his friend who was already going through a lot. “What about during the day?” Did etheric vampires run on the same schedule as regular vampires? He felt like this one was stalking him almost twenty four seven. He’d gotten almost five hundred texts in the short time. Love. She meant love. What was the opposite of fear?
"He can sleep his ass on your couch so someone is here. You have friends, let them help." She took a breath, hoping to calm him down as much as herself. "Focus on what you'd be feeling if you weren't afraid. What brings you comfort and peace, makes you feel good."
Ronnie did have blackout curtains but his friend was going through a thing right now. But then they were supposed to be close. He doubted Derek would say no. Ronnie nodded. “If he won’t, would you?” He thought of them both equally. Best friends. Or he could ask Tal. The man seemed eager to help.
To her question he considered it. Almost immediately he could hear his mama. “Your faith, Ron. Your hope in God and the light.” He nearly choked. “Hope.”
"If I can. I still have to work. If it's an etheric maybe we can come to an agreement." His answer caught her by surprise though. She'd been thinking about comfort and safety but hope was good.
Ro went and took a seat beside him. "Hope sounds good. What do you hope for? What's in the future?"
Was that how things worked with etheric vampires? What types of things did they negotiate for? He found that wholly interesting and fitting for the state they lived on which thrived on risk and chance. “I know you do.”
Then he smiled a bit at her question. “I hope that things will continue to get better with Mikey. Like maybe we will get married one day, you know? Probably have a family of cats.”
"How fantastically domestic of you," Ro said with a smile. This wasn't a typical line of conversation for her but she could make a special exception for Ronnie. "I hope they all fantastic food names. Like Baguette and Kimchi."
Ronnie laughed. “My last one was named Booger. Mikey mentioned we named the next one Steve.” Maybe it was domestic but he was human and he wanted a deep connection. He’d promised Mikey he would find him in the next life, and the one after that, forever. He meant it. “Kimchi isn’t bad, though.” Could a car be named sushi? Dragon roll?
"That sounds nice." Not in the way that Ro wanted it for herself but it was nice for him. "Big Blonde would be lucky to have cats with you." Ronnie was smiling for the first time in awhile. Good. "What else?"
He might have been blushing a bit. His relationship still felt like a dream. “Thanks, Ro.” He wanted to have cats with Mikey, too. A lot of cats. “I hope Derek has a good forever, you too. I hope all of my friends have the best things.”
"I got no complaints. Like one of your cata, I aways land on my feet." Ro grinned. "Hey if he plays his cards right I might call Big Blonde by his name one day."
Ronnie smiled. “I think that you having a nick name means more. It means you care.” Nicknames weren’t a bad thing, always. It took thought and consideration. Plus, she wasn’t wrong. “He’s good to me. That’s all I need.” Especially considering the last one wasn’t.
"Try not to read too much into it, Scrunchie." She smiled again. "Okay. You seem like you're doing a little better sublets get you fed. I'm cooking. Then if you want I can stay, wait with you for Bi - Mikey to come home, I can. Or stay over, whatever."
“I don’t want you to compromise what you’ve got, they don’t usually come around when someone is here.” He didn’t want to impose. “I’m glad you’re my friend, though.”
Ro's eyebrows rose. "That's not a no."
Ronnie nodded, smiling. “Okay. Food it is. And sure, I don’t mind if you stay and wait or just stay over. You know more about this than I do, which is super cool.” He felt more comfortable with someone there, especially knowing the person wouldn’t come around.
“I’m glad you’re my friend, too, Ro.”
"Ugh," Ro said dramatically. "Fine. I like you too. Happy now?" She got up and went back into the kitchen. "Time for food."
He laughed, shaking those dark curls. “I am happy!” Food was good. He was okay with that.