cupid clearly hates me.

[ 10 ]

"This is your house?"

"It is."

Your eyes widened with amazement, trained on the ravishingly adorned mansion. The exterior had been built with chestnut stained wood, providing a nice change from the usual brick of the other buildings in the city. Trails of ivy snaked up the sides of the house in long green tendrils, adding to the natural feeling of the home.

The house was nestled in a little nook in the forest, a distance away from the city, and the distant, cottage-like aura of the place suited Alastor well. He seemed like the kind of guy who enjoyed his quiet time.

Alastor looked like he knew that you were impressed. He placed his palm on the small of your back and ushered you forward gently. "Let's get you settled in, shall we?"

You entered the home through the grandiose double doors out front and were welcomed by a spacious room that contained couches, a chess table, a sleek black piano and matching violin, a bookshelf, and a coffee table. It was connected to the dining room/kitchen, and you could see the smooth, coffee colored counter tops from where you stood. The air smelled of fake cinnamon and blood, and when you scrunched your nose up at the scent, Alastor chuckled—nervously, it seemed.

"The guest bedroom is upstairs," he said quickly as he gestured towards the stairs that were in the center of the room, dividing the living room into two seperate parts. "Would you like me to show you there before I make dinner?"

"Yes, please do." Although the place was capacious, you didn't want to get lost and stumble upon something private.

Alastor led you up the staircase and right down an intricate hallway. As you were walking, he pointed to one tall, plain door. A yellow ceiling lamp above you cast an eerie glow down on it as you followed where his finger was pointing. "Do not go in there."

"Uhh, okay."

You made a mental note to go in there later.

The two of you eventually reached the guest bedroom. Alastor opened the door for you and let you walk inside first.

It was decorated differently from the rest of the house, for it had less furnature, and the walls were painted a more pastel brown. The air was still and unmoving, and it smelled like dust and mothballs, giving you the impression that nobody had entered the room in a long time. There was a queen bed in the center, covered in ornate black sheets, and beside it, a nightstand with a lacy black lamp and similarly colored clock. There was also a small, empty desk in the corner and a doorless, also empty closet.

"Here we are! Please make yourself at home, my dear. There's a bathroom right through there—" Alastor pointed at a glass door in the bedroom that you hadn't noticed before. "—and if you need anything, feel free to let me know! I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to eat."

Alastor turned to leave, but you stopped him as he was brushing past you by grabbing his forearm. He looked down at you questioningly, and you grinned, feeling your stomach flip a little bit.

You reached up on your tippie toes and settled a tender kiss on his cheek. That made his face brighten wonderfully.

"I'll be down in a second," you said, proud of yourself for your confidence.

"The sooner the better, my love."

And with that, he left. You closed the bedroom door behind him quietly, then, finally alone, you flopped down on the bed face first and squealed into the pillows.