SLIM SHADY The Butcher of Detroit 3 ∆M

Marshall stepped into her apartment, taking in the cozy, homely atmosphere. He made his way to the couch, sitting down and looking around the room, silently taking note of every detail. This was all part of the plan, he reminded himself, hiding the satisfaction he felt at being alone with her in her own space.

Emily hung her coat up, her eyes wandering back to him, sitting on her couch, his gaze roaming over the room. A strange flutter in her chest made her heart pound just a tad faster. She quickly pushed the feeling away, walking over to the couch, a small, awkward smile on her lips.

__Emily: "Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water...?" she offered, forcing her voice to sound steady. Despite her best efforts, she felt strangely nervous with him in her home.

Marshall looked up as she spoke, his eyes meeting hers. He hid a smirk, enjoying the subtle signs of her nervousness, the flutter in her chest, the slight waver in her voice. He shook his head.

__Marshall: "No, I'm fine," he said quietly, keeping up his vulnerable facade. "Just... just having a place to be, it's enough."

He leaned back on the couch, his eyes fixed on her, his mind formulating a plan to find out if she had family. He waited for a moment before speaking, watching her closely.

__Marshall: "So... you live alone here? No roommates, or... a boyfriend maybe?"

She turned towards him, a hint of surprise in her eyes. The question seemed innocent, and she answered honestly.

__Emily: "No, just me," she replied, a hint of loneliness in her voice. "I've tried having roommates before, but... it never really works out. I prefer being alone, to be honest."

Marshall watched her closely, hearing the hint of loneliness in her voice. It was just as he had hoped, just a bit of confirmation that she was truly alone in the world, no family or partner to fall back on.

__Marshall: "Must get lonely, no?" he asked quietly, feigning concern but secretly satisfied with her answer.

She took a deep breath before responding, her expression becoming a little nostalgic. Her voice held a hint of fondness for the memories.

__Emily: "Yeah," she answered. "I come from a pretty big family. Shared a room with my sister. So moving out and living alone... it was a big adjustment."

She paused for a moment, then shrugged slightly with a small smile.

__Emily: "But it's okay. I'm used to it now. No one to argue over closet space, or makeup on the bathroom mirror. I have my peace of mind... most of the time, at least."

He listened intently to her words, taking in the information he wanted. He could hear the fondness in her voice when she spoke about her family, the nostalgia in her eyes. But what piqued his interest more was the hint of loneliness he detected beneath her words, the small, slightly forced smile she gave when she talked about her solitude. He continued feigning concern, his voice soft.

__Marshall: "Is that... enough for you? The peace?" he asked quietly, his gaze meeting hers. "No... no one special in your life to share it with?"

She face softened as she responded to his question, her voice carrying a hint of genuine emotion.

__Emily: "I'm a very social person," she said, a soft, small smile curving her lips. "So... yeah, it sucks sometimes, staying at home and being alone. But... but most of the time, I have friends here. And my siblings do visit every now and then for a weekend. So... it's not too lonely."

Marshall nodded slightly, taking in her response. She painted a picture of someone who was social, surrounded by good friends and family. But there was also a hint of loneliness in her words, a hint that sometimes, the solitude got to her. He hid his true thoughts, still playing the part of the vulnerable stranger who needed company.

__Marshall: "That... that must be nice," he said quietly. "Having friends... your family close by. Sometimes... sometimes I wish I had that..."

Emily's eyes softened as he spoke, her protective instinct kicking in again. She could hear the ache in his voice, the loneliness, and it tugged at her heartstrings. She took a few steps forward, sitting down on the other end of the couch, a small, sad smile on her face.

__Emily: "It... it is nice," she admitted quietly. "Having loved ones close. Sometimes... sometimes even just having one person to talk to can make a huge difference."

Marshall suppressed a smirk, seeing his act working on her. She was truly too kind, too protective. It was almost too easy to manipulate her. But at the same time, her genuine concern, her obvious protectiveness, it sparked something unexpected in him. A feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time, if ever. He hid this feeling, keeping up his vulnerable act.

__Marshall: "Yeah..." he said quietly, his voice a bit hoarse. "I... I guess I just wasn't... lucky enough to have that kind of person in my life."

His heart was racing as the idea formed in his mind, the thought of kissing her, of seeing her reaction to his advance. It would be so, so easy, her sitting so close to him, her eyes filled with pity and concern. He could just lean forward, pull her closer...

He swallowed the thought, fighting the sudden urge. It was still too early, he told himself, reminding himself of the long game he had to play. He had to wait, maintain his facade a little longer...

But it was so hard to ignore the temptation, the pull towards her. He found himself staring at her lips, the curve of her smile, his heart skipping a beat at the thought of what it would be like to taste them, to feel her respond to his touch...

He swallowed again, forcing his eyes away from her mouth, trying to get a hold on his suddenly racing pulse.

__Marshall: "It's late," he said instead, trying to distract himself from his own thoughts. "You... you probably want to get some sleep."

He hoped she couldn't see the conflict in his eyes, the inner battle between his manipulation and his strange, inexplicable attraction to her.

Emily looked at him for a moment, a hint of confusion crossing her face at his sudden change in topic. She was about to respond when she noticed the look he hid in his eyes, a strange mixture of... was it conflict? Attraction?

She shook her head slightly, pushing the thoughts away. It must have been the lighting, or her tired mind playing tricks on her. It was late, after all.

__Emily: "Yeah," she agreed, giving him a small smile. "You're right. I should probably get to bed."

He nodded silently, grateful for the change of topic. His heart was still racing, his thoughts still on the idea of kissing her.

__Marshall: "Yeah, you... you go ahead," he said quietly, a small, kind smile on his lips as he stood up. "I'll just... make myself comfortable on the couch here."

Emily gave him a drowsy, grateful smile, appreciating his consideration. She got up from the couch, her movements a little sluggish due to her tiredness. As she walked towards her bedroom door, she turned back to him, a soft, sleepy look in her eyes.

__Emily: "Good night," she murmured, her voice thick with exhaustion. "I'll see you in the morning."

He watched her walk towards her bedroom door, a strange flutter in his chest. There was something endearing about her, a soft, almost innocence in her sleepy, exhausted demeanor. He wanted to reach out, to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin...

__Emily: "Good night" he echoed, his voice quiet.

He sat back down on the couch, listening to the sound of her bedroom door closing behind her. Once the sound was gone, he let out a deep, silent sigh, running a hand through his hair.

Once he was sure he was alone in the room, Marshall's mind went back to its usual, darker thoughts. His expression darkened, his eyes becoming a little cold, a subtle, sinister smirk playing on his lips. The nice, vulnerable stranger facade was gone, replaced by the ice-cold mindset of a killer.

He leaned back on the couch, his gaze roaming over the room. He knew she was just behind that door, asleep, vulnerable, completely unaware of the danger he posed.

An almost cruel, satisfied look appeared in his eyes as he thought of her, asleep in her room, trustingly taking him into her home, into her space. He could still vividly recall the way she looked at him, the gentleness, the pity, the concern. She didn't think for a moment that he was a threat, a predator. She saw a wounded stranger, someone who needed help...

He let out a soft, menacing chuckle, the sound barely audible. She had no idea who she let into her home.

He sat quietly for a moment, the silence in the room nearly unnerving. He could picture her, asleep in her bed, the peaceful rise-and-fall of her chest, blissfully unaware of his sinister thoughts. The idea of getting up, walking into her room and watching her sleep sent a shiver of excitement down his spine.

But he forced himself to stay still, to wait. He had a long game to play, and giving in to his darker desires this early would ruin all his efforts so far...

He'd play the part of the lost soul for a little longer, slowly gaining her trust until she was completely his, until she'd willingly let him into her life. He knew it would only be a matter of time, a matter of patience and persistence.

A hint of that strange, inexplicable attraction he felt for her earlier returned, mixing with his darker thoughts and creating a dangerous, addictive combination...

His thoughts wandered back to the idea of kissing her earlier, the strange flutter he had felt in his chest when she had looked at him, that soft, sleepy look in her eyes. He had almost lost control, almost leaned forward to pull her close, to take what he wanted.

He smirked at the memory, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. It was too soon, he told himself, shaking his head slightly. The game wasn't over yet. There would be time for other... pleasures later, when the time was right...