Reaper of Souls (Alastor)

4

Tw: Blood. Language. Mentions of sex. Mentions of cheating. FEELINGS. Self-blame/being hard on self. Toxic ex. CONFESSIONS but not the fun kind.

As soon as they returned, Nyla ran to her room and started packing what little she had. There was no way she was staying at a hotel with a fucking psychopath across the hall.

"What're you doing?" Angel asked as Nyla hurried towards the exit.

"Leaving." Nyla gave Angel a smile. "It's been great knowing you, but I really have to go."

Angel raised a brow. "Is something wrong? You seem tense. And... are you covered in blood?"

Nyla glanced down at her clothes, blanching at the strangers blood splattered on her. "I- I have to go."

She pushed past him and ran to the door, airway tightening as she panicked. Nyla didn't like having someone's blood over her, especially after what Alastor had done.

"Darling, wherever could you be going?" Alastor's voice rang out through the lobby, making her freeze. She could hear his footsteps as he leisurely walked closer. "You haven't said goodbye, yet."

Nyla bolted for the door.

She was suddenly yanked back, landing next to Angel. Angel gave her a concerned look and helped her up, seeming confused. Then his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"That's what the deal was?" Angel demanded. "You gave him your soul? It better have been for a fucking good reason!"

Nyla pulled out a knife and brandished it at Alastor, ignoring Angel. "I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Tha would slow down your rehabilitation, my dear," Alastor said in mock protest. "We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Then explain why you wanted me to kill someone!" Nyla shouted, throwing a knife at him. 

It landed just past him, and his eyes lit up with delight. "My dear, I love the enthusiasm! But please do direct it elsewhere. At the Soul Reaper, more specifically."

"You're insane, you know that?" Nyla pulled out her second knife, fingers tightening around the hilt. "I want to kill you so badly, but I need my soul back. We still have a deal."

The others had gathered around, and Husk appeared antsy as he watched them face off for some reason. Vaggie was scowling, and Charlie looked like she wanted to intervene.

"I'm not insane," Alastor scoffed, "just entertaining. I know what an audience wants."

Charlie held up a hand. "Alastor, our guests-"

"I know. I won't do anything too horrifyingly gruesome." Alastor grinned teasingly. Nyla's bags disappeared as he strutted closer, holding out an arm. "Come along, my dear. We have much to discuss."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Nyla held the knife between them.

"I promise I won't make you do anything too dreadful. We just need to talk over the finer parts of our arrangement." Alastor's arm was still out, and his tone was insistent. "Nyla, I may be a monster, but I'm still a gentleman."

Nyla glanced to Husk, whose shoulders shrugged slightly. She grimaced and linked arms with Alastor, who began truly beaming.

"Excellent!" Alastor guided Nyla outside and away from prying ears. "Now tell me, why were you so against killing him? You've killed before."

"But it's different when I don't know who it is or what he's done. I don't like killing unless it's really deserved." Nyla sighed and kicked a can out onto the street. "It's just... I've done bad things before to people who didn't deserve it. I don't like repeating past mistakes."

"I'm sure it wasn't horrendous," Alastor confidently said. "We're in Hell for a reason; we've all done terrible things. I've heard worse, I can assure you."

"Remember how I made that first deal with you? How I'd give up my soul so I could get my boyfriend out of some trouble with a big overlord?" Nyla hesitantly asked. After Alastor hummed, encouraging her to continue, she let out a heavy breath. "I killed him after."

Alastor laughed, throwing his head back. "You gave away your soul for him then you killed him?"

"I know. He didn't deserve it," Nyla quietly said. "It eats me up inside. I killed someone that shouldn't have been killed."

"He was in Hell for a reason," Alastor said, attempting to comfort her for some strange reason. "His hands weren't exactly clean of blood, as one might say."

Nyla's head bobbed and she blinked back tears. "But still, it hurts knowing that I was responsible for taking someone's life when I could've just let it go. It was my fault after all, that he had the affair."

Alastor's eye twitched. "What now?"

Nyla thumbed at the empty sheath at her belt, remembering it was still in the wall at the hotel. "I forgot my knife."

"I'll get it later. Would you mind repeating what caused you to kill him?" Alastor requested, turning to face her.

"I killed him because I found out about the other woman. I overreacted, though. It was my fault." Nyla muttered the last part under her breath. 

"How could that possibly be blamed on you? You're not responsible for anyone else's moronic choices." Alastor stopped to inspect a suit in the window of a shop. He tilted his head before shaking his head and resumed walking.

"I- You don't understand." Nyla pursed her lips. "It's complicated."

Oh, he was curious now.

Alastor's lips peeled back to show teeth. "I'll tell you a secret in return, and the Radio Demon doesn't give those away lightly."

Nyla's hands bunched up into fists and she blurted out, "I don't like sex. It's complicated."

Alastor stared for a moment. "And that's why he had the affair? And that's why you blame yourself? My dear, that's no excuse. I suppose it's fine if you know about it and put down boundaries if he needed to have physical relations, but you didn't. Is it possible that he guilted you into feeling this way?"

Nyla took a minute before glancing away. "Tell me a secret."

Alastor spun his cane around as he mulled it over, adding a bit of flourish just to show off. "I don't like being touched. I like it when I touch, because I am the one establishing contact."

"Thanks for sharing. Maybe we're more alike than we realize." Nyla offered a weak smile. "Working together might be okay."

Except the one he was hunting down, was her.