Blood Rose (Completed)

Chapter 5

Neibolt Street was only three blocks away from the Pub, but when Robert glanced at Katherine, he saw the obvious pain written on her face. Pain normally amused him...Hell, Pain made him fucking happy whenever he saw or conflicted it on others. He didn't like to see it on her face for some reason. 

A hiss escaped his lips when a burning sensation started in his stomach again, made its way down his belly and when Katherine looked at him, he bit the insides of his cheeks and was able to offer her a reassuring smile. Or at least, he hoped it came off as reassuring. 

The last few days, Robert hadn't left his house. After he saw his reflection as Pennywise, he had waited to see it again. To feel the energetic outburst of violence somewhere in Derry that would bring him out of his slumber. Whatever made Pennywise come out that day, was conjured up by an act of violence somewhere close by. He had felt the echo of that, but it hadn't been strong enough to fully wake his abilities. 

So, he was still Robert Gray. 

Something had shifted, though. He couldn't understand what or how, or why. When he woke up the day after IT had stared back at him, it was still early because the sun was barely rising, Robert had listened to his heart beating in his chest. He never once did this before, never asked himself how his heart sounded, how it worked, how it felt... Yet, there he was.... His hand on his chest, staring at the wooden ceiling above him, feeling how his heart went; Thud Thud ThudThud. 

He might have done that for a few minutes, maybe a few hours, Robert had no idea. That same morning, when he finally got out of bed, and went into town to swiftly pick up some groceries, he had a taste of coffee. Nothing new. He drank coffee daily, just as he smoked. When that first sip of the day went over his tongue, he had shivered involuntarily. It tasted different. The coffee didn't taste as nothing anymore; instead the bitterness made Robert grin and enjoy the taste. 

Small things, small changes. Nothing he worried about. Too much. 

When they arrived in his front garden, he felt Katherine stood still behind him instead of following him to the door. He glanced back, features serious while he watched how she took in the exterior of the house. Robert knew what she saw; a white and red painted wooden house, three stairs that led up to a red front door, a two-persons old metal swing on the porch that he never used. 

"What," he asked, half turning to face her when Katherine offered him one of the warmest smiles he ever gotten. And he didn't get lots of smiles. He hated smiles. Just not the smile she just gave him. It made Robert shift uncomfortable from one foot to another. 

"I just saw you as a typical modern apartment kind of guy," she replied, voice light and it seemed she completely forgot about the wound on her hand. 

"How so," his eyes shifted to his neighbour, who stood on her porch, watching Katherine with big eyes. He never got any visitors. Let alone he invited one, so it must've gotten his neighbours attention. 

Robert ignored the older woman and turned to face Katherine again, just to take a big step away from her. While he was looking at the house next door, she apparently made his way towards him and stood before him. Too close. 

His movement didn't go by unnoticed by her because she raised a brow, but respectfully took a small step away from him; creating some distance between the two and her smile became apologetic. Robert shook his head slowly and with a wave of his hand offered her to follow him inside the house. 

"I don't know," she finally replied while she followed him inside the small, wooden yet charming house. "It's just what I thought. I love this, it's beautiful."

Her green orbs went over the old stairs while Katherine followed him through the living room to the kitchen area. Robert made sure the glamour was still strong; weaving his magic through the house once more. 

"Just like I had no idea you liked roses," this remark made him turn on his heel to face her. No idea what she was talking about until he noticed the white roses on his kitchen table. Did he do this?

He stared at the flowers, chaos in his mind and a low growl threatened to escape his throat. Robert couldn't remember the white roses, but when he saw Katherine walking towards them, and her fingers caressed the white petals, he nodded uncertain. A half-smile appeared on his lips when the sunlight fell on her chocolate brown hair through the little window. 

"Yes, I like the scent of them," walking towards her, hands in the pockets of his black trousers. 

"They remind me of you," he spoke up, and clenched his lips shut again. 

What the fuck was he saying?! 

There was that smile of hers again, and Robert had no idea if it enraged him or if he liked it. He was conflicted and coughed to get the knot out of his throat that had formed there. Maybe he should just grab her by the throat and rip her head off. That would end everything he felt because Robert Gray was certain that Katherine Miller was the one to blame for those little differences. 

Instead, he pulled back a chair. 

"Sit, I'll get the bandages and alcohol."

"Alcohol?"

"Not for the wound, for youuu," he sang the last word while he went to one of the cabinets to pull out everything, he needed for her hand. 

Glamour was weaved again while Katherine sat down. Robert didn't really have anything that could take care of the burn on her hand, but in less than a second he held a bottle and some cotton in his hands. A bottle of tequila, which was real, was sat on the table when he swiftly pulled one his chairs to go sit before her. 

'Too Close," Pennywise's voice whispered in his head. Followed by a maniac sounded laughter. 'We should kill her, eat her...Make her fear ussss.' And Robert's head filled with the sound of small bells. 

Robert shook his head, wondered when he suddenly seemed to have two voices in his head. One of Robert, one of Pennywise the Clown. He ignored it, put the Clown to the back of his mind when he took Katherine's hand in his. Skin warm, almost burning him. 

The wound was red, swollen and the flesh around it smelled. He turned her hand in his a few times, to make sure he looked at it from every side. Robert felt her gaze resting on him but didn't look up. 

"I was being stupid in the kitchen," she spoke, and Robert looked up at her. He shrugged his shoulders and opened the bottle of tequila. He offered her a glass; which Katherine took hesitantly. 

"It won't bite," his voice short when he saw her doubt. 

Katherine slowly shook her head, a nervous smile on her lips. "No, no, that's not it. I ...," she took a deep breath in, "I'm on anxiety pills. I can't drink liquor while taking them."

Robert froze in his place, the cotton in his hands and watched her. That was it. That was why she didn't feel fear. She couldn't because those pills made her numb. The grin that formed on his features was unseen by her because she had her gaze towards her feet. He could feel her shame and instead of taking advantage, one of his long fingers came to rest under her chin. Robert made Katherine look at him. 

"I have lemonade too," he offered her a sincere smile. 

Katherine took a breath of relief, probably because he didn't ask questions about it. She nodded with red coloured cheeks when his finger left her chin. 

"Thank you, that would be great."