She Lay Beside Me
Disclaimer: All Fantastic Beasts names, characters and locations belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing that you recognize.
Written for strawberry snicket during the Exchange of Evil
Prompts used: The Unforgiven II by Metallica, Aurelini
A wall stands before him, plastered with posters advertising their curse, the reason why they're together. He sees them daily, hears the voices jeering, standing amongst his fellow performers in this parade of freaks and oddities.
And yet he stands alone.
It's a feeling that persists through each performance, a feeling of isolation and loneliness spreading throughout his chest, making the darkness stir within his veins. He lifts his hand, his movements sluggish, his thoughts distracted, and blackness unfurls from his palm, rising toward the bars that surrounded him.
This monstrous form is all he'll ever have, his features wreathed in tangled strands of smoke. It is as black as the day which lingers, as dark as the night that follows. Still, he tries not to think about the time she slept beside him, believing that she could never love such an unnatural beast, and continues his performance.
Night after night the curtain rises, until his body learns to move with it rather than against it. It is nothing more than a shadow, he tells himself. A second skin, moving together in perfect synchronicity. All the while she watches from afar, the subtle movements, the dance they perform.
And still she stands alone.
He is grateful to retire in the evening, shrugging off his embroidered jacket and lowering his head, if only to avoid those glaring images on the wall. He doesn't want to look at them, doesn't want to be reminded of what he his. He looks up only when he feels her hand brush against his, an expression of silent longing.
In her heart she holds a curse, an understanding of what he has become. She moves toward him, and the memories return, taking him back to the night she slept beside him.
They had barley known each other at the time, brought together simply because of a lack of space, Skender told them, shoving him forward and magically locking the cage door behind him.
Credence stumbled, practically falling into her arms, but when she looked she wasn't repulsed or frightened by what she saw. Surprised, yes. Startled by the closeness of their encounter. But not the least bit fearful of what he was. She allowed him to share her bed, and for the first time he knew warmth and comfort.
What followed was a sight unlike any he had seen before, her lithe form melting into coils on the mattress beside him. It was her serpentine form that came to him in his dreams, head and tail embedded in the wall, looking out at him from between the posters that stretched from floor to ceiling.
Each time he saw her he tried to walk away, her coils stretching, reaching for him in the darkness of his mind. Smooth scales intertwined with living shadow, closing around him and gently tugging, so that he remained beside her. It wasn't long until morning found them sleeping side by side, and he began to think that maybe she could love him, yet he still felt the need to distance himself from her.
It is because of his Obscurus that he turns and walks away. He fears leaving her alone, knowing that no human can survive for long with such an affliction. It is a thought that makes him want to free her, giving her a chance at a better life even if she must go on without him.
"Credence," she whispers gently, taking his hand and smiling up at him. He is exhausted. He is fighting the urge to give in, trembling at the feel of her touch as she wraps her arms around him. "It's okay, Credence. I'm here now. Everything is going to be alright."
'She'll be here when I'm gone,' he thinks, feeling the warmth of her embrace and allowing her to hold him. 'But what can I do? How am I going to help her escape?'
A weary sigh drags across his lips. His time here is limited, each moment he shares with her is precious. Why not enjoy it while it lasts? While he can still feel her touch, the sweetness of her voice helping to soothe the ache in his chest.
Credence follows her to their shared living quarters, grateful for a moment's peace, for the closeness of her body as she lay down beside him. He shifts position, hair and fingers weaving together, brushing aside those flowing strands so he could better see her face. He can feel her heart beat next to his, longing still for something more, for a moment that lasts forever.
He doesn't want to let her go. And in the morning when they wake he can finally see the sun, knowing exactly what he must do to set her free.
The wall crumbles, voices scream in panic, in terror, fleeing the circus as he unleashes a pack of Firedrakes upon the audience. It is because of her that he has the strength to continue, the courage to make a stand against the oppressive ringmaster. Her love, her affection held in his heart as he reaches for her hand, running now, never looking back.
Together they escape and find their way onto the rooftops overlooking the city. It is peaceful here, the chill in the night air bringing them together once more.
He lay down beside her in the attic, gazing in wonder at the sleeping serpent on the floor. She wakes slowly, easing herself onto her back as her human form materializes out of the smooth scales that coil around his waist. After months of longing the tension melts away, her lips finding his in the twilight of dawn.