Fear and Delight (Alastor x Reader)

Chapter 18

Alastor's knee was bouncing under the table as he stared at the chessboard and you could see the unadulterated excitement at him winning again. He was trying to teach you but every time he swept the floor with you. Your scowl grew as your tails lashed out and he let out an amused hum. "Would you like to give up, darling?"

"No," you snapped. You huffed and moved a piece, knowing he was going to take it. He hummed and patted your head, his hand grazing an ear and making it flick.

"Darling, how is your chest," he asked. You sighed as he took your piece and you leaned over the table.

"It's better. I'm just really hungry all the time," you moved another piece and whined when he took it.

"Well, you are recovering. There's no need to rush," he chuckled. You sat back and rubbed your face.

"Recovering or not," you muttered, "I'm scared to interact with them. I don't want to hurt them." He stared with a small, close-lipped smile. You shifted uncomfortably, crossing your arms and looking hard at the chessboard. If he didn't know he knew now and your heart was beating wildly from the confession. He looked at the board and then stood up, leaning over and kissing your head.

"Darling, you're perfectly all right. Even if you did something, I'm sure they'd forgive you," he chuckled. You huffed and wiped your forehead like a child, glaring up at him and your ears going back.

"Easy for you to say. You had practice and no one you cared about when you first got here," you pouted. He let out an amused hum and chuckled, kissing your head again after bopping your nose.

"Darling, I died alone. You died with me by your side," he snickered. "And when you die with me you have to deal with everything that accompanies. These people here are more forgiving than most."

"I wish you put that in the fine print," you snorted. He laughed and took your hand, lifting you to your feet and shifting you to stand on his toes. You clung to his hands with a squeak and he started to slowly dance.

"I should have read the fine print, dear," he snickered. "You pulled me in for a ride and I had to protect my dearest little pet from the world." You rolled your eyes but a smile played across your lips. His eyes glowed a bit, his pace picking up as you properly held his hands.

"Is that what I am," you mumbled. "A pet?"

"Darling, you were my little pet. Now you're my darling," he carefully dipped you as the music started to play from some unknown source. "I still need to protect you but now I want your company in all the dearest moments of my eternal damnation. I want you there for the peak and the fall." Your face turned red when he carefully swung you out and pulled you back. His face was close to yours and there was a hungry look in his eyes.

There was clapping and both of you turned your head to see Vaggie staring at Alastor angrily, "Great! But can you please not open any of that up again? Charlie's already had to fix it a few times and we're running out of bandages."

You straightened up a bit and laughed nervously, nodding and staring at the floor. Alastor had a slight pout for a second, it vanishing to a mischievous smile.

"Vaggie, dear, I heard you were allowing a tasting event," he sang. Vaggie raised an eyebrow and groaned, looking at you.

"Is there anything you don't tell him," she growled. You raised your hand and then put it down, looking over to Alastor and shaking your head. She sighed and pointed between the two of you, "Anyway, Charlie said you two needed to go out."

"Why," Alastor sang quietly. He walked up to her and leaned to her eye level.

She pushed him away a bit, "Charlie just wants you two to go out and get these." She shoved a list to the demon and walked away. Alastor stood up straight and stared at it, looking over at you with a crack of his neck.

"Shall we be going then darling," he asked. You walked over to him and nodded a bit. "If you get tired just say something."

You stared at the bags that Alastor refused to let you carry, his arms full of the groceries and the items for the hotel. "Al," you muttered. He moved his arms away as you reached and sucked air through his teeth.

"I don't feel like dealing with the nagging, darling," he snickered.

You crossed your arms and stopped, glaring at his back.

He turned to you with a close-lipped smirk, an eyebrow raised, "Now, darling, I know you died young but you don't have to act it."

"Give me a bag," you growled. "At least one bag." He stared and sighed, looking at the bags before holding one out to you. You stared at it and took it, pouting at how light it was.

"You didn't specify," he sang. You sighed and continued following him as he started walking again. "Darling, do you know why they would be asking for all of this?"

You shook your head and tightened your grip on the bag, blinking as you fell in and out of focus. Your hand reached over and gripped Alastor's coat tail. He looked over at you, raising an eyebrow and humming out his question. You looked up and blinked as the sky started to turn blue. He jerked a bit and looked up before looking back and sighing.

"Darling, focus on here and now," he chuckled. You stared at him and nodded slowly as he kept walking. It's not like he needed to look while he walked, everyone stepped out of his way as if he was the plaque. You tried blinking it all away, your hand letting go of Alastor who quickly grabbed your wrist and pulled you under his arm. "Dear, you forget who was there with you. Don't let go now if you think you're going somewhere. I promise you aren't." You clung to him as the two of you walked into the hotel.

Alastor quickly dropped the groceries with Husk, ignoring the complaining as he made you put your bag up as well. He dragged you into the elevator, holding your shoulders and waving as Vaggie ran out and caught a glimpse of you two. "Hold it darling, we're almost there! Oh, how exciting this is going to be!"

"Exciting," you croaked and cleared your throat, "Exciting what?"

He laughed and poked your cheeks, moving them to make you smile, "Why, your first power transfer dear. Like we agreed upon!"

"I don't have-"

"Darling, we have food for you and everything is already set up," his tone had dropped to a lustful purr, his fingers drumming on your shoulders as the elevator opened. Trees seemed to blend with the walls and the ground was uneven as the two of you walked down the hall. You shivered as it got darker the closer you got to Alastor's room. He pushed the door open, shutting and locking it behind the two of you. He had drawn a familiar circle in the middle of the room and signs were painted on the walls.

He sat you down in the center of the circle, humming while he waltzed around the room casually. You stayed still and patiently waited, the world fazing in and out as he did so. You clenched over your chest as he soon stood in front of you. You looked up and stared at the heart he held in his hand, taking it slowly and staring at it. No sooner had you smelled the familiar copper, it was being bitten at. Alastor was out of sight but your attention had focused on the heart. The world was going back to normal, the whispers hidden in the static as it only grew louder in your ears.

Taking the last bite, you looked up to see Alastor's eyes glowing a deep red. He had gone to his demonic form, his body large and thin. His antlers were at their fullest, the dials in his eyes slowly spinning as they glowed with static. You were caught off guard and your mouth hung open. Alastor reached down and closed your mouth, leaning down and licking the blood from your mouth. You trembled, your fingers reaching up and grabbing at him.

His claws closed around your hands and a dark chuckle came from him. "Darling, I'm sure Charlie and the others are waiting for you. Why don't you go down and see what they have planned?" You stared and slowly stood up, the world spinning as he steadied you. 

"Don't be-be too long," you nodded a bit. He laughed darkly, patting your head and pushing you for the door.