Normal - Steve Kemp x Reader

Chapter One: Into the Lion's Den

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of death, murder, maiming, serial killers, bodies and cannibalism. Also I tried to show how manipulative people like Steve are and how easily they can get under your skin.

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Walking down the hallway towards the cells of the maximum-security prison, her heels clicking on the floor, Y/N Y/L/N tries to calm herself down. Her hands are clammy, so much so that she almost drops the file in her hands a few times. She has no idea why she's so nervous. She's been a criminal profiler in the FBI for at least five years now, and she's met countless serial killers and other criminals without breaking a sweat. But for some reason, today, the day she meets Steve Kemp, the Portland Cannibal, she's the most nervous she's ever been. His story has been all over the news in recent years, with everything he did to all those women described in more detail than she'd like. She doesn't usually keep up to date with the news on her cases, thinking it would negatively affect her investigations, but for some reason, something about Steve Kemp intrigues her more than it should. And she wants to know why.

So, when her boss told her she would be the one interviewing him in the hopes that he'd give them information that would help them find information to convict the newest serial cannibal terrorising Portland, she had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, maybe she can realise why she's so intrigued by him and finally realising what makes someone like him do the things he does might help solve the case...but on the other hand, she's fucking terrified. Soon, she reaches the end of the hallway, Steve's cell being located right at the far end of the dark corridor. Because of course it is. Once she reaches the bars, she notices he's got his back turned to him. "Hello?" She calls.

When the man in front of her turns around, she gasps slightly. He's not what she expected someone like him to look like. She's seen his face plastered all over news reports, but it's different seeing him in real life. When you think of a cannibal who has kidnapped, maimed and killed multiple women, you think of a monster under the bed, someone who looks grotesque and frightening. You don't expect someone who looks like the man who faces her now. He's younger than she expected, for one thing. And he's so....attractive. He looks better than she expected him to. She hates how she thinks that about him, but it's true. He is really cute. He seems so...normal. But then again, if she's learned one thing from her job as a criminal profiler, it's that most serial killers look so...ordinary. And to her, that's scarier than any monster under the bed. He steps forward, his blue eyes looking her up and down. Almost as if he's sizing her up for a meal.

"Hello." She jumps a little at the sound of his voice. But there's a softness to it. And that's making things even more confusing for her. Even though she knows what sort of person he is, everything he's showing her tells her otherwise. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Now. Who might you be?" He chuckles, cocking his head to the side. She clears her throat and holds up her badge.

"I'm Agent Y/N Y/L/N. I'm a criminal profiler with the FBI." The man leans in closer, peering at her badge. Nervously, she steps back. The man laughs.

"I know you're an agent. They told me you were coming. Didn't tell me you'd be a woman, though...or how cute you are." He grins, and she gulps. His smile sends shivers through her blood. Considering the number of serial killers she's met, it's normal to be terrified of them. And Steve is not the first or the last to flirt with her. But for some reason, a part of her likes it when he calls her cute. And that's what scares her the most, even when she's thinking about the sort of person he is. Sighing, she shakes her head, as if she's trying to move her thoughts of him and how cute he is out of her head. Steve frowns. "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. I can't anyway." He holds up his hands, wrists bound by handcuffs, and gestures to the bars in front of them. "I hate these fucking things." He hisses under his breath, clearly not intending for her to hear him, but she picks it up anyway. Anger fills her blood, but she tries to keep it down. She can't piss him off because then he won't talk to her.