Chapter Text
It has already been a month since (y/n) moved to their new house, but even with the dozens of times they have driven up the path they still haven’t gotten used to the unpaved, unlit road. How could they when every rock cause their car to jump, sending them bumping up before crashing down. It was a huge contrast to any road they were used to, and by the end of the long drive it wasn’t uncommon for their behind to be sore.
What certainly didn’t help the already rough drive was the slow speed they needed to drive on said road. If it were any other road, they probably would have been home in a matter of minutes, but when driving a few miles into the woods with rocks and animals at every turn, that just wasn’t possible.
A particularly large rock sent (y/n) flying up and into the door of the car, aiding in the starts of a bruise from the non stop abuse. At this (y/n) couldn’t help but cringe and wonder if it wasn’t too late to move, yet alas coming here wasn’t a choice but a necessity. If (y/n) had the choice, they would have never moved into a woodland house neighboring a relatively small town. If they had the choice, they would have stayed at their rewarding job in the big city. Sure, the people weren’t the best and the job was stressful at times, but it made them feel alive in a way nothing ever did. It had the perfect amounts of adventure and ingenuity combined in a way that always kept them on their toes. However, one mistake and a department of angry individuals later, and (y/n) was fired and their name was drug through the dirt.
It was only when (y/n)’s ex-boss saw them nearly homeless that they took pitty on (y/n) and offered them a remote house they never used anymore. When hearing their offer, (y/n) thought it was too good to be true. In exchange for “taking the house off their hands” (y/n) was not required to pay till they had a steady income. That way they didn’t get saddled with debt and their ex-boss wouldn’t have to deal with the house anymore.
So here they are, living in a remote house in a town they would have never imagined themself in. A real hero to zero moment if there was one.
That leads into why (y/n) was out till nightfall, even though the situation seemed to be fine and dandy, there was one problem. (Y/n) couldn’t find a job. They went to almost every hole in the wall and every big store in the town but whenever trying their luck they got the same two replies.
“You want a job here? I’m sorry Mx. we aren’t hiring right now.”
Or
“I’m sorry, but you aren’t qualified for this.”
So much for a masters degree.
Today (y/n) spent from the usual opening to closing time driving aimlessly around town and stopping whenever they saw a new place. It hasn’t worked so far, but there was still a section of town left that they hadn’t driven through yet so they were still hopeful.
Originally, (y/n) wanted to finish driving throughout the town by tonight, but when the moon came up faster than expected, they decided to call it a night and head back home.
In the distance, (y/n) could make out the outline of their house from the headlights of their car. The sight it’s self made them sigh in content since after long hours of driving and interviewing nothing felt better than getting home and relaxing. Just the thought of winding down untensed their shoulders and made the annoying ache in their feet feel bearable. Wanting to arrive faster, they pushed harder on the gas, swiftly being rewarded by the grumble of their engine and the more aggressive bumps that came with it.
Upon closer inspection, they couldn’t help but take notice of the dark interior of the house. It was strange to see the house so dark since they only ever drove back during the day, but taking it all in gave a chill to (y/n)’s spine.
It wasn’t that they were scared of the dark, no, that is something they grew out of years ago. Rather, they hated the dreadful feeling of not knowing what was in it. As much as a chance there was nothing, there was an equally large chance that there was something. It didn’t even have to be a made up creature like the boogeyman, it could be something small like an animal or something… larger. Like an intruder. Whenever they stepped into a dark room, they couldn’t help but feel like a void was swallowing them whole with the only thing saving them being the grace of a light. But still, they weren’t scared of the dark. They swore it up and down.
Shaking the thoughts from their head, (y/n) noted that they needed to buy new lightbulbs since before leaving house they left the kitchen lights on so they wouldn’t return that unknown darkness. Yet it seemed either the bulb blew or it just wasn’t bright anymore.
What a lucky day.
Parking their car out front in a small gravel space meant to be a makeshift parking spot, they pulled their keys from the engine and hoped out. The jump cause a throb to shoot from their feet and their backpack to bounce uncomfortably on their shoulders, but what mattered above all else at the moment was getting inside.
(Y/n) jammed their keys into the lock before swinging open the door and shutting it behind them. With a quick lock of the door in a snap of the lights, they were finally home. It didn’t take them long to slip off their shoes and skip to the kitchen, clicking lights as they walked, akin a toddler dragging a teddy bear. The only difference being (y/n)’s teddy bear was the lights. A few more clicks of lights and the nearly inaudible thumps of their soft feet they finally made it to their kitchen, where, just as they guessed, the lights were burned out. Well, almost all the lights. The only remaining light was a single bulb dangling lifelessly over the sink.
Mostly out of frustration, (Y/n) tried clicking on the other lights of the kitchen, even going as far to hit the switch with the side of their fist, but was met with continuous darkness.
“Well…” they muttered halfheartedly while walking slowly to the fridge. “I guess that’s what I get for not buying new lights.”
Pulling open in the fridge, (y/n) Was met with a pathetic sight. The Inside the fridge was almost empty with the only things inside being objects left behind or bought when they first arrived. (Y/n) bent down and pushed aside what they could in hopes of finding something new, but was sorely disappointed as, just like the last few times they did this, they found nothing good. Turning their head from side to side they only saw the left over bottles from god knows when, mayonnaise, that may or may not be good, molding bread, and an impulsively bought pack of bacon. All of which together didn’t do much for them.
In all their driving around and job searching, grocery shopping seemed to keep slipping their mind. Even when they put up sticky notes on the bathroom mirror or car door, the notes were either over looked or forgotten. It was almost like it was destined for (y/n) to never go to the grocery store. Maybe like a vampire, they needed someone to bring them in, but if that was the case then they would never go since there wasn’t a friend let alone a stranger in a 5 mile radius.
Never mind the empty fridge, but even the cabinets and drawers were empty. One would have imagine when moving here someone would bring their kitchen ware, but in the midst of losing their housing, (y/n) didn’t think of packing anything from their kitchen or laundry, leaving them completely and utterly empty handed. On the bright side, the local grocery store had a discount on plastic sporks. One heck of a deal right there! Why buy spoons and forks when you can get sporks! And only for the low low price of 3.99 for a pack of 50! (Processing and shipping not included) and if you act now you can get a promo deal of buy a pack and get a pack! So shop now while stock lasts!
(Y/n) shook their head aggressively. Weird. They felt like a corporate entity interested in creating inelasticity and necessity for a usually unneeded item just took over their body for a split second.
Huh.
Anyway.
Whatever (y/n) didn’t have, they tended to just make a mental note of it to buy at a later date. To when said later date would come? They didn’t know. But at the very least they put the effort to note it down so that when it does come they will [maybe?] remember.
(Y/n) decided to settle for a mayonnaise sandwich. It wasn’t the most delicious thing, but if they picked off the mold and warmed it up, it could be decent. Plus, they couldn’t eat the bacon right now since it was a breakfast food and breakfast food belongs in breakfast. Definitely not at 9:47pm.
Two picked clean slices of whole grain bread and a thick slab of strangely smelling mayonnaise later, and dinner was served. The warmness of the whole thing didn’t make it taste any better, if anything, it made it taste straight out of a dumpster. But hey, dumpster food is still edible so beggars can’t be choosers.
As they chewed the bites slowly and pushed them down with gulps of stale water, (y/n) sat at the worn, wooden dining table that sat in direct view kitchen. On the table in-front of them laid their dinged phone with long lines of unanswered called from their parents and what few close friends they had left. However, as much as they wanted to answer them, they didn’t have the heart to. After working so hard to get to the job they spend decades gushing about, they blew it after a few short years and are now in Satin’s belly wax of a place twiddling thumbs and barely scraping by. It was pathetic and humiliating. Something they never wanted those people to see them as. And if they did? Then (y/n) would just be overloaded with pity and sad stares as are offered help with limp arms. There wasn’t a chance (y/n) was going to resort to that. No. Way. The last thing they needed was pity and on the off chance they did take it, they would be showing the universe that they accept defeat.
“Yeah, I’d rather eat bull balls than that.” (Y/n) scoffed to themself, shoveling the last bit of their now room temperature sandwich into their mouth.
Now standing, (y/n) pushed in the chair behind them and walked back out of the kitchen and to their room down the hall. A symphony of clicks from the switches following closely behind them.
Once inside with the dimly lit room, (y/n) softly closed the door behind them and sat on the bed. Around them sat a mostly unpacked room with nearly empty boxes stacked in the corners. Even with all the time they had been there, they only ever had the motivation to unpack their clothes and necessities. Whatever trinkets or sentimental things stayed in boxes out of sight.
Whenever they tried to unpack the rest of their stuff, they were met with a sickening churn of their stomach that made them stop. It was a silly thought, but it felt that if they did fully unpack and settle, they would be stuck where they are now. Forever jobless and alone in a place they didn’t want to be. Even when they tried to throw away the notion, it came back like a spring and nagged them. It felt like such a real possibility, that they couldn’t escape from.
(Y/N) took the backpack from their shoulders and dropped it at their feet, all the while fiddling with the zippers to it. In the midst of dropping the bag and pulling it open, a mish mash of papers, keys, stray bills, and semi important papers flew out and- as delicately as a wet cloth hitting the floor, landed on the floor all around them.
(Y/n) wasted no time in crouching down and collecting what fell, making a small heap of stuff that they carried into their lap for organizing. The keys, alongside the bills, was tossed into a small inside pocket while the papers and miscellaneous things were thrown into the middle. However, before letting all the papers fall in, (y/n) held into a few that were paper clipped together. In bold letters printed on the front was the words ROOM FOR RENT. Directly below was a short paragraph enlisting their address, a description of the room/house, and their phone number to contact them with. (Y/n) didn’t have high hopes of someone calling to rent the room, but as they traveled from place to place they pinned up the ads in the off chance someone who needed a room would see them and call.
In all honesty, it wasn’t that they wanted a house mate, but it was a quick and easy way to get money so it was worth a chance. Plus, nothing was official so if things didn’t work out (y/n) could easily kick them out.
Putting the papers back into the bag a bit more delicately than the other things, (y/n) pulled aside the phone charger that was nested inside and zipped close the bag.
After plugging in the charger- and by extension their phone, (y/n) sauntered off to change into some oversized clothes to sleep in. When on, they were baggy, as expected, and they felt ready to sleep.
A hop skip and a jump later and they were toasty in bed with the lights off. They weren’t tired yet, but they knew they needed some form of sleep and with their newly acquired Arsenal of sleepless nights, they knew it was better earlier than later. Tomorrow was another day of job searching and for some reason, (y/n) felt like something good was going to happen.
It was as any day was at the local butcher shop: slow and dull. Bob slouched on the glass displaying various cuts of meat and absent mindedly tapped his thick didgets on the metal top, causing light thumps to sound along side a lowly humming radio that sat by the register.
The day as been going slow, that was for sure. Now that he thought about it, besides for a few people stopping in during the lunch rush, Boys and Grills has been unusually empty. No usual elderly folks stopping in for some sort of cut and light chatter nor the stay at home mothers picking up dinner meats. And even when the few patrons where there, they weren’t much for conversation since the only things on their mind was getting their share of meat and leaving. With that in mind, it was easy to say that the butcher was craving any kind of social interaction or distraction, but alas, he was left with his thoughts and the faint smell of fresh meat.
Bob sighed, his tongue slowly raking over his teeth as he took in the smells of fresh meat. Sometimes when nobody else was there, he would leave the freezer open a crack to let out the chilled air and raw smells that came with it. Taking in another deep breath, Bob held the air in for a few seconds to savor the smell before exhaling deeply.
When was the last time he ate? Was it last night? No, he couldn’t scrounge anything up then. Was it the day before? Possibly. He does vaguely remember snacking on some treats he nabbed from the Candy Club. As if recalling a dream, Bob could almost taste the sweet sugars of the candies he ate. Hm. Bob lifted one hand from the metal top and used it to lazily prop his head up.
“You know… now that I think of it, I am getting quite… hungry.” The man muttered to himself, not minding his hot breath moistening his hand and arm.
It wouldn’t hurt if he took a little something from the back, and it wasn’t as if someone was magically going to come in during that small amount of time. Making up his mind, the man began making his way to the back, buttoning the mostly unbuttoned shirt he wore to fend off the cold.
Sure this wasn’t his preferred kind of meal, but it was certainly something and with someone with a diet at his, you can’t always pick and choose what and when you’ll eat.
His hand now grasped the large handle of the walk in cooler and with a swift yank the door swung open with ease to reveal a wide assortments of dangling meats. There was almost anything a butcher could imagine practically laying at his feet and begging him to have a taste. Whole pigs and lambs, large slabs of cow, there were even some more special meats mixed in like elk and turkey which they only stocked in certain parts of the year. The whole place was like heaven, and the deeper he walked into the cooler the more he felt the saliva pool in his mouth.
While he couldn’t take large amounts, he could still take smaller chunks from the hanging cuts. Now, it was just a matter of figuring out what he wanted.
Bob moved aside his red apron and reached under his shirt to grab his utensils that he routinely stored there in case he needed them. It never hurt to be too ready, and it was times like now that he was grateful for his foresight. If it wasn’t for it, he would be tearing at the meat before him like a savage animal. Something he never wished to degrade him self to.
Bob licked his fingers one by one, making sure to get every reminiscence of his meal (and what a meal it was).
The man was in no rush, as the whole time he ate there was not a single chime from the door signaling someone’s arrival. Not to mention the prior empty streak the store carried led him to believe that it was safe to take his time. Rushing for the sake of it was pointless and would only end with him bloated and high strung.
“Uhm, Hello?” A voice called out, starting Bob from his thoughts and licking. Bob paused for a few seconds, wondering if it was just his imagination but after hearing another call, the man quickly walked back to the front of the shop.
“Oh why hello there, Mx. What may I help ya with?” Bob asked, while giving the person before him a once over.
They seemed disheveled. Their hair looked as if they tried to style it, but in spite of their best efforts it still went every which way. Their faces seemed a little better but not by a long shot as under their eyes rested deep and heavy eye bags that could have only been earned through may sleepless nights. Making his way down, Bob looked over their clothes quickly, taking note of the business casual look they had going on.
“Good Evening, sir. My name is (y/n) and I would like to work here.”
Bob snorted and covered his wide grin with his hand. (Y/n)’s confidence was amusing, and the fact that they had the balls to walk in here like they owned the place sparked curiosity in Bob.
“Why, I’m sorry but we currently aren’t hirin’ at the moment. But you just may have better luck over at the Candy Club down the street.” Bob responded, looking them dead in the eye and flashing a smile.
In response (y/n) groaned and pulled their eyes towards the exit.
“I already tried there. And the theater. And Pista Pazza. And Gensomooru. Heck, I’ve tried dang near every place in town but either nobody is hiring or I’m not qualified.” (Y/n) huffed and crossed their arms, drawing their eyes back to Bob as they finished talking.
“I don’t know what to tell ya then.” Bob shrugged and leaned against the back wall, intrigued to hear their response. What started off as a boring day, has become better than he expected. Not only did he have a decent meal, but now he has a means of entertainment.
“Why don’t you tell me I got a job here?” (Y/n) tried, giving Bob a sheepish smile and standing up straight. Upon hearing Bob’s thundering laughter, (y/n) shrunk back.
Bob flew forward and while slapping his knee he laughed as if what they said was the funniest thing in the world.
It was a struggle to talk, but Bob tried his best to choke out the words on his mind. “Oh… that is a good one, sugar… but I’m afraid… that’s a no from me. Nice try though.” Bob wiped a stray tear from his eye.
“I’m not kidding.” (Y/n) shook their head in frustration and took a strong step closer to the butcher. “I want a job and this is the last place. From what I see you don’t have any other workers, so there isn’t any reason you can’t hire me.”
Bob’s laughter died down quickly at this. As unexpected as (y/n) was, this seemed a little far. Any normal person would have accepted Bob’s refusal, but the desperate and determined shine in the eyes before him suggested (y/n) was anything but that.
“You may have also noticed how there aren’t any other people either. Now tell me, why would I hire more people if there are no customers?” Bob retorted and crossed his arms over his chest.
This question made (y/n) pause. The whole time they were here, they failed to notice the sore thumb that is the emptiness of the place, but now that they noticed they saw his point. However, seeing one’s point and accepting it are two different things.
“Simple. Even if there aren’t many people stopping in, that doesn’t mean that taking care of the place is easy. I bet inside you would just love to have a helping hand, hm?” (Y/n) smirked.
At the constant nagging Bob began to get annoyed. Going back and forth was fun, but one can only take so much before getting tired of it. Especially when the other party begins telling you what to do.
The smile that once stained his face, slid off to a more serious look.
“I told you I don’t need ‘nother worker. And if I say no, it is best you listened. Now, would you like to purchase some meat or make your way out without a fuss?”
“Are you-“ Bob took a stomp forwards and leaned over the counter and over (y/n), his height causing them to crane their neck.
“Do I need to ask again?” Bob slowly asked, his gravely voice rumbling in his chest.
“No, sir. I’m sorry I disturbed you.” (Y/n) squeaked meanwhile they began to turn towards the exit but stopped before their second step.
Bob hummed at their pause and watched as they spun in their heel to where they almost faced him again.
“What is it?” Bob asked.
(Y/n) gestured at a long abandoned cork board that had paper ads stuck to it as old as the butchery it’s self. “May I post an ad on that before I go?”
Bob glanced at the board and then you, and then back to the board. He wouldn’t lose out on anything if he let you, and if he ever changed his mind, he could just take it down.
“Go ahead.”
“Thanks!” (Y/n) pipped, swinging a backpack from off their shoulders and pulling out a paper before he finished.
As (y/n) jogged to the board they began speaking, although mostly to themself. “Y’know I’ve been posting these things all over, but nobody has been calling. I am half convinced nobody is reading it, but hey it’s worth a try.”
(Y/n) took a thumb tack from the corner of the board and pinned their paper to the very middle. “I would have imagined at least someone would have wanted to rent a room, especially with how high apartment prices have been recently.”
This perked Bob’s ear. Rent a room? Something like that was almost non existent in the town since everyone here has either been here for years or was born here and have a house. Not even the out of towners rent rooms, they would much rather stay at some Ritzy place on downtown. The fact that (y/n) were renting a room meant one of two things. Either they were new in town and straight outta cash, or they are from town and desperate enough to be scratching up a dead tree. Both options included (y/n) being broke and outta luck.
However, as dead as the rent a room scene was in the town, there was someone who needed such an arrangement.
Bob.
Although the man owned his own butcher shop, which does rake in a nice sum, he was unfortunate enough to be unable to buy a house, leaving him stuck at his current worn down and rotting shack of a house. The house was one he inherited when his mother died a good ten years ago, and because of his fond memories of the place, he didn’t want to sell it. Things took a turn rather fast when the neighborhood around it began to become run down, each resident opting to move out to greener pastures.
Usually when this happens, the house owner will try to resell the house in question or straight up move out, but before he got the chance to, Bob was struck with a lovely thing called a low credit score. This lovely thing renders Bob unable to buy or rent any sort of house or apartment so even if he did sell the house, he would have no where to go. Until now.
“Room for rent, you say?” Bob purred, taking the more relaxing pose of propping his elbow on the meat display and leaning his cheek on his hand.
“Yeah. I live a little out of town and with the whole “no job” thing going for me, bills have been pilling up like hotdogs in a eating contest. But anyway, my house is relatively big, so I decided to try and rent half of it out to get some dough while I search.” (Y/n) shrugs and began making their way out of Boys & Grills. “I’ll be on my way now, thanks for your time, sir.”
(Y/n) began pushing open the door when Bob suddenly, and loudly, stopped them.
“Bob.”
At the sudden outburst (y/n) jumped and whipped their head back to face the large man. Bob?
“Huh?”
“Bob Velseb. That’s my name.” Bob said quickly, no longer as lax as he previously was.
“Nice to meet you then, Bob.” (Y/n) took a step out the door when Bob began speaking again.
“You know, I may have have a solution to your problem.”
“What? Why the change of heart?” (Y/n) asked, slowly shuffling back into the butchery but not nearly as far in as before.
“You see, I am in need of boarding. So maybe we can come up with some sorta… deal. What do ya say? A job here in exchange for a room at your place. I’ll still pay you, of course, but I just won’t pay rent. I would say this is a mighty fine deal…” Bob trailer off and made a show of making circles on the metal with a finger. He knew how desperate (y/n) was and he knew that there was no way they would say no. What he also knew was that when he got tired of them, he could remove them and have a meal in the process.
“Alright you have yourself a deal.” (Y/n) walked closer and outstretched their hand for Bob to take.
“Lovely.” Bob took their hand and strongly shook it.