The Past and the Present

9: Another Unexpected Visitor

~Flashback~

Alastor wakes up to the smell of something burning. And turns over and Vox isn't in bed. Alastor chuckled to himself. He gets out of bed, doesn't bother changing, and walks to the kitchen.

"What's burning this time, dear?"

"Eggs, again."
"Haha!"

"Yeah. Yeah. Laugh all you want. I was trying." Vox goes to ruffle Alastor's hair, only for Al to flinch. Vox doesn't touch him and lowers his hand. He looks at the deer with concerned eyes and his brows furrowed. He's never asked yet why he flinches so bad like he does. He's always wondered, but he doesn't want to cross a line.

"Al..."

"I'm sorry, I just-" Al sits down at the table, his head laying in his arms. His ears are flat on his head. Vox discards the burnt eggs and soaks the pan quickly. He walks to the table and sits in front of the Radio Demon.

"Ally..."

"I'm fine, Vox."
"Why do you always flinch when I try to touch you or when I do touch you?" Vox holds out his hand, waiting to see if Al would take it. Al looks at the hand and thinks for a moment before intertwining his fingers with the TV's.

"Let me take you on a small walk. I'll tell you when we get there." Al snaps his fingers, his normal clothes appearing on him and gets up. Vox mirrors his partner's actions. Alastor walks Vox to the forest. They walk, hand in hand, into the forest until they reach a clearing. Al has never brought Vox here before. He looks at his surroundings, the dark green and brown trees in every direction. Faint light from the city from where they came from. Al takes a deep breath.

"I've never told anyone this and I don't want you telling anyone this. Promise me."

"I promise Ally. I will not tell another soul." Al lays his head on Vox's shoulder, their hands still intertwined.

"When I was alive, you know I had the sweetest mother. Most caring and beautiful soul I knew. Raised me the most she could in our household."

"I remember dear."

"I never talked about my father. At all. He was the worst. I know there's people who had it worse than I did, but growing up with him made life worse than Hell." Al chuckles dryly. "He'd always hit me and my mother. So cruel to such a sweet lady. He would pretend to change sometimes only for me to warm up to him and just hurt me more and more. He-" Al takes another deep breath. Vox squeezes the Radio Demon's hand lightly and rubs his thumb on it. "He killed my mother. In front of me. She didn't deserve that. So I killed him. I became...insane. I craved bloodshed. I murdered people and ate them. I'd broadcast my killings and the police could never find me. Until I was mistaken for a deer and shot in the head when I was burying a body."

"Alastor, I'm sorry for what your father did."

"Don't worry about it, dear. He's either dead again or burning in Hell right now."

"Just know I love you more than anything and I won't cause any harm to you. Never.

"I love you, too."

~End of Flashback~

"Alastor? Vox?" Rosie asks, only a few feet away from them. Vox gets off Alastor and clears his throat. Alastor stands up and dusts himself off. "Alastor, at least you made it this time. Since Vox is already here, invite the darling in. Get Lucifer too if you can. I have so much to talk about with you three!" Alastor snaps his fingers and a portal appears facing down at Alastor's height. Lucifer falls through it, landing on his ass.