The Unknown (Alastor x reader)

Just a Tear in the Water

Edited on Sept. 21st, 2021

                        After a few seconds of silence downstairs, you soon came swiftly back down the stairs with a black, cotton towel with red roses on the edges in hand. You walked toward the deer and held it out towards him. "May I...?" You asked slowly unfolding the towel. The deer-- or, as your mother addressed him, Alastor-- just looked at you, then sat down and flicked an ear. You took that gesture as his way of saying 'carry on' so you slowly reached the towel out to his back and gingerly rubbed it in circles, drying him the best you could. 

                    After finishing up, you had turned your energy towards looking around for wood for a fire or something, seeing as it was getting dark and therefore, cold. Once you had found some dry ones under the house, peeking up at you from a hole between rotting boards. You tried to reach them from within the gap but they were just out of your reach, causing you to lower your lower body though and grab them. Your nightgown getting even dirtier and torn from this action, though you didn't mind it. You'd think about new clothes tomorrow.

                When you came back in with the wood in your arms, Alastor was still sitting where you left him near the door, looking back at you with a calm gaze as you drug the wooden planks towards the living room. You shivered when you locked eyes with him for a moment, his head turning to watch you as you worked and then tried to start the fire. After several long, fruitless moments of striking two stones together, you drew your hands back quickly when the rocks heated up.

"Owch-" You yelped, dropping them both with a slight gasp, listening to them stumble around on the floor in front of your folded knees. Alastor came up behind you and tossed the black and red towel you had used for him (which now seemed oddly dry) over your shoulders and stood over you, looking towards the fire. Just as he did so, the snap of a flame was heard and you watched, clutching the towel to your shoulders, as a small light glowed from under the branches and boards you had placed in the fireplace.

You gasped in awe as the fire roared to life before your very eyes, the warm glow of the golden, red-crowned flames reaching upward to lick at the walls of the stone firepit. You locked wards at Alastor and he looked down at you, a long silence seeming to echo off of the walls for a moment or two. Then, without warning, he walked away. Turning back to watch him, he paused and turned picked something up off the seat across the room. The closer he brought it, the better you could see the items, and you did nothing short of gasp at the sight of the gift.

 It was a dress; faded red on top that slowly ombréd to a dark crimson at the base near the hips, the black bottom was elegantly sewn with roses and thorned patterns, seemingly hand-done. It had long sleeves which were made of a clear-ish fabric and loose before being tied with a thin red ribbon at the wrist; and yet another black, thorn-covered vine sewn down the sides. Overall, it was quite the shock to see something like this being offered to you by a deer-- even if you knew him now to be a demon. 

Your (e/c) orbs scanned the fabric layers in awe, only noticing how long you had been staring when the red and black deer had walked over and lowered it for you to take. He had managed to loop the hanger it laid upon through his antler, and from this angle, you could see the small tag that was tied around the crook of it. Reaching up, you gently grabbed the thin, wire hanger in your hands, the layers of fabric falling like a waterfall into your lap, but your gaze was on the tag. 

You could see that there was something written on it in familiar writing, something crossed between messy text and fancy cursive, which you soon recognized to be your mothers. More curious than ever, you shifted the thick cardstock strip in the light, trying to use the light of the fire beside you to make out the letters. Alastor stood over you, looking for your reaction with an odd amusement as you turned the paper over a few times and gasped. It was indeed a message from your mother.