Nights in the Bayou // Werecrocodile x Reader.
Stories had floated around the bayou for years.
Since the tree had been little seeds and the lakes no more then raindrops, there had been something so strange about it...something that made people afraid. The bayou, old and dark and secretive, had been full of strange stories since the day it had been stumbled upon, and its sleeping waters were said to hide all kinds of things.
Witches were said to fly in the moonlight, cackling high above the clouds as they cursed the mortals below.
Spirits dancing through the dark, wailing and screaming as they floated through the shadows.
And beasts. There were endless tails about monsters in the bayou, the rougarou who changed forms and hunted for victims in the light...swamp monsters who viciously defend their lands from unwanted human invasion.
Growing up in Louisiana, you heard all of these stories and more.
Your grandpa used to sit you upon his knee and whisper stories about these beasts to you, stories so scary that they left you shaking for days on end, always watching the shadows for something lurking inside...but you always came running back, hopping onto his lap and begging for more of his frightening tales.
And he was always willing to tell you a story.
There had been one that he told over and over, swearing it was true every time.
“Down in the dark waters, there’s a monster lurkin’ around. They say that in the light of day, he’s no more then a man, same as you and me. But when night falls and the moon is bright, this man becomes a terrible beast! Rough scales cover him from head to toe…”
He’d creep his hands along your belly, tickling you softly as though he had claws.
“Rows of sharp teeth along his jaws, powerful enough to snap anything into bits and pieces!”
He’d chomp and bite, all while snarling softly in between pretend bites.
“And in the darkness of the night, he slithers through the bayou, waiting to snap up an unsuspecting victim! RAAAAR!!”
He’d always tuck you in, assuring you that while it was a true story (“Seen the beast with my own eye!”) that there was nothing to be frightened of, not while he was around. Excited screams slipped away into giggling, you’d go to bed with those stories in your mind. Stories of monsters and crocodiles and moonlight on the bayou…
Some childish things were left behind but one thing always stayed: your love of stories and monsters. Now you didn’t just listen and read stories, now you wrote ones of your own. Tales of monsters and adventures and romance filled the pages of your books which in turn, filled shelves across the world. Grandpa, you thought, would be rather proud of you.
And he would love your new house!
The old lake house you had bought sat right in the middle of the bayou, once grand place and full of light. But for years it had been neglected and forgotten, left to rot in the darkness until you had stumbled upon it and fallen in love.
It was private and, if cleaned up and repaired, it would be perfect.
Luckily, you had Castile to help you with that. The tall man with his dark skin, handsome features and smooth as silk Louisianan accent, had been a godsend. He was a jack of all trades kind of that had been introduced to you by a friend and, when you showed him your new house, he’d said only one thing:
And he’d been here ever since. Staying in a little room on the first floor, Cas proved himself to be an expert in, well, everything. The house was coming along nicely, the dock had been repaired, and the little lake had been cleaned up. He could fix it, build it, anything you put in front of him, Castile could do it.
Which was a good thing because the house was an absolute mess!
The sun room ceiling windows had flat fallen out, the rest half shattered and dirty. There was a family of raccoon living in the old chimney and goodness knows how many other critters burrowing beneath the house. The walls were cracked and in need of painting, the floorboards in the kitchen needed replacing, and to top it all off, the roof had a big old hole in it!
But every time, Cas just straightened himself up, looked at you with that sunshine smile of his, and always said,
And single time, no matter what the problem was, he always managed to fix it. It was starting to seem like there wasn’t anything that Castile couldn’t do. He was strong and kind, always cheerful and full of stories and wisdom.
As time wen on, you’re feelings for him became more and more clear. You couldn’t deny the little skip that he gave your heart nor the dreams that he gave you at night, sweet and romantic. They proved to be great inspiration for your stories. Cas was everything you’d ever wanted a man...if it weren’t for a couple little things.
Like the way he disappeared for hours, always dancing around the truth when you asked him where he’d been.
Or the fact that you knew so little about him.
Like where he was from (sure, it was Louisiana, but whereabouts?), whether or not he had any family,
Your feelings for Cal and your questions about him kept you up just about every night, leaving you laying in the darkness, worrying and wondering all night long. The sounds the old house made certainly didn’t help you to get any sleep either.
The creaking of the old floorboards...the squeaking and shifting of the pipes..and clang of the backdoor slamming shut.
Listening carefully, you heard something else too. It was the sound of heavy footsteps walking slowly, as though someone was being careful not to wake you.
Carefully, you crept out of bed.
Looking out your bedroom window, you saw a tall, strong figure walking down the dock slowly. Your steps matched his own, creeping closer to the window as he walked to the edge of dock, looking down at the water. The bright light of the moon shone down, silver beams revealing a familiar face standing there.
What was he doing out so late, you wondered?
For a moment, Cas only stood in the silence of the bayou. He looked out at the lake, gazing at the gently rippling water. But slowly, something began to happen. His form twisted and grew, becoming a hulking mass of green, his face grew long and sharp and a tail stretched low. Scales grew over his body, hands becoming sharp claws and a grim smile graced his face. Your heart beat in your chest, each beat growing louder and louder until it felt deafening.
Standing before you was a creature of legends.
The monster in the deep, the beast lurking in the darkness, the very creature that you had been so frightened of as a child.
Cal dove into the water with a soundlessly, so graceful that he made no more then ripples on the water’s surface as he vanished into the deep.
You didn’t leave the window for a while.
Standing there, you could only look out the window in absolute awe. It wasn’t that you were frightened of Cal, the exact opposite really. Instead, you were entranced by the creature before you, remembering those old stories your grandpa used to tell you.
Eventually, you went to bed.
That night, you managed to sleep soundly for the first time in a long time. The strange sounds of the bayou drifted into your dreams, pulling you beneath the dark water and into the arms of a werecrocodile.
The next morning was peaceful.
Sunlight streamed through the long tendrils of the willow trees, golden light melting over the bayou like butter over hot pancakes. In the old house, music was playing softly, an old record player spinning away and filling the house with a sweet love song.
You hummed along, the pan sizzling away as you made a big breakfast.
The sound of the backdoor opening and slamming shut made you smile, footsteps slowly coming down the hallway.
Cal entered the sunny kitchen casually, picking up his usual mug (a white mug with painted magnolias) and heading right for the coffee pot. Steam rose from the mug as he leaned against the counter, giving you a grin.
“Good morning, Cal.” You said softly. “Sleep well?”
“Yup.” He replied. You noticed the slight smile half hidden by the mug, just a little bit smug. “What about you?”
“Sort of. I had the strangest dream! Strange in a good way, though, not in a scary way.”
He smiled at you, making butterflies fly about in your belly once more, taking a long sip of coffee as he did.
“I was standing on the dock. The moon was yellow and shining down over me...and I thought it was in the water. The lake was black and it looked as though there were two yellow moons within it. I reached down to pluck them from the water only for hands to rise up and take hold of me. As I fell into the lake, I realized that it wasn’t the moon I had seen but the eyes of a werecrocodile.”
“I wasn’t afraid. My grandpa used to tell me scary stories about them but I don’t think he was a monster. Not really. As we were floating in the water, I knew that he was a gentle monster and he’d never hurt me.”
Cal laughed a little, looking down at his coffee cup in silence. Your heart was beating again and you wondered if he could feel it too.
“Maybe,” Cal said softly, “the werecrocodile was just lonely. Maybe he thought you were beautiful and he just wanted to look at you...hold you.”
“Yeah.” He replied. “I think you should take a look at the lake tonight. It’s real pretty with the moonlight pouring over it at night. There’s nothing round here that could hurt you. The crocodile wouldn’t let that happen.”
Nothing more on the matter was said, the both of you sitting down to eat before getting to work. The day was long and hot and, by the time it was done, the night had come quickly. Sitting on the end of the dock, your dipped your feet into the water and looked into the lake.
At first, there was only darkness.
But slowly, a shadow began to swim close and come into view. Two golden eyes gazed up at you from the depths of the deep water, mighty hands reaching out of the lake and taking hold of you.
Down into the deep you went, falling into Cal’s arms.
The werecrocodile gave a delighted, crooked smile as you wrapped your arms around him, pressing a kiss to his rough jaw.
The stories that had long haunted the bayou were not entirely untrue.
Monsters did, in fact, exists. They hunted in the dark and lurked in the deep, strange creatures that most humans would never see, only whisper about. But for those who had love in their hearts and open minds, there would be a monster and a happily ever after in the bayou.
