Normal - Steve Kemp x Reader

Chapter Four: Inner Darkness

Y/N works her way through her report, trying to seem awake. The last thing they need to know is that she was up all night trying to ignore what may or may not be growing feelings for Steve Kemp. Thankfully, with so much time spent pretending to be interested in what serial killers have to say under her belt, Y/N feels like she's a bit of an expert at hiding her true feelings from others. "Going forward, I advise we go through the list of business partners and clientele that Ste-Mister Kemp...." She quickly corrects herself, hoping they didn't notice her slip up. "...has happily provided us with." She passes over printouts of the lists to each man. "Some of them are based in the US, but some are further afield. Mister Kemp stated he has not been in contact with them all, but some of them may well have clientele or...other interested parties within the US who could be our guy." She explains.

"Thank you, Agent Y/L/N." The police chief nods, and she smiles.

"No need to thank me, Sir. It's my job." Her eyes glance to her boss, who's currently deep in thought.

"Oh! Yes, thank you, Y/N, for your information. I'm sorry, I was just thinking about the size of this list and its potential to spread out even further...I think you might need reinforcements." Y/N gulps, hoping it doesn't mean her co-workers will join her. It's bad enough having them staring at her and making comments about her, let alone having to work close by them on a case or taking them to see Steve. That would be a nightmare for everyone. "Don't you worry about that, though. I'll sort it, and you go and do whatever it was you were working on before this. No doubt trying to solve the case, right Y/N?" He grins, gently waving her away. Y/N nods, chuckling lightly. If only he knew what she was really thinking about.

"Tell me more about the victims." Steve orders the next time she sees him.

"All women, usually about college age. All students." She replies. Steve nods.

"I see. Now tell me, why do you think he is stalking and hunting for people on a college campus, the one place where he can be seen and where people might recognise him?"

"Because he doesn't care about getting caught. He just knows we don't have anything worthy of an arrest yet." Y/N answers. "Either that or he's Mister Fucking Invisible, which sounds even more likely as time goes on. God, I just wanna catch this guy!" She exclaims, frustratingly throwing the file onto the ground.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. I told you already, I'll help you catch him. No need to get so upset." Steve reassures her. Although she knows he's still probably using this as an opportunity to show his arrogance, the softness in Steve's voice catches her off guard.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I just...I haven't been sleeping well, and with this case constantly on my mind-" she explains.

"Y/N." Steve cuts her off. His voice is a little firmer, but there's still a softness to it. Y/N stops quickly, expecting him to say something about how much he hates it when people apologise for no reason or complain. To her surprise, however, Steve repeats: "It's okay. I told you already. No need to apologise or explain." She waits for a moment, still expecting it to be followed by a comment about himself and his ego. Yet still, nothing comes, and she frowns slightly. That's...different. "Are you ready to continue now?" She nods, still somewhat confused. Of course, it's not the first time he's said something to her or reassured her...but it feels different now somehow. It feels good. And she likes it.

"Now. I assume all the victims were in limited contact with their parents and classmates?" Steve continues. When she agrees, he grins. "I knew it. It's a classic tactic people like me use. That way, they won't be missed." She almost pukes at that. 'People like me'. What a weird way to describe serial killers, as if they're just normal people. Steve looks her over once more. "Tell me, Y/N...are you close to your family?" Her eyes widen slightly, remembering his modus operandi, and he sighs. "Not like that. You're perfectly safe with me." He reassures her once again. Y/N's still not sure whether or not she believes that, though. "Just wondering as part of our quid pro quo." Steve asks. Sighing, Y/N tries to ignore all the bad memories going through her mind. She shakes her head.