Snow Angel (Alastor x OC)

•{Chapter 17}•

My Dreams, Her Nightmares

Time, or at least the prospect of it, had become nonexistent for the pair of demons who spent it enjoying one another's company. They'd tried tap dancing to some music that Alastor had played on the vintage vinyl record player that he'd brought downstairs from his study, such as 'Hello! Ma Baby' by Arthur Collins and 'Let's Misbehave' by Irving Aaronson and his Commanders. After that, Harlene had asked Alastor if he could demonstrate how to play the piano to her, and so she was currently sat beside him at the instrument, watching his fingers glide across the keys with astonishment. Harlene hummed along to the melody that the piano sung, causing Alastor to smile contentedly at her muffled voice, secretly wishing she would eventually sing. It was then that, unknown to her, an idea had popped into Alastor's mind, and Harlene blinked in surprise at the sudden change in rhythm of the music.
The piano began to hum a heavenly melody that Harlene recognised from the 1960s era of music that she'd used to overhear when travelling through the alleyways between apartments and houses in the city. She realised, since the original song had lyrics, that Alastor wanted her to sing for him. With any other demon, Harlene would've been far too shy to display her voice, but with Alastor, Harlene felt that it was okay because she knew he wouldn't judge her. Starry-eyed, Harlene focussed her gaze on the surface of the piano and let herself form enough courage to sing.

"Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you," she began, a light smile drawing on her lips as she felt Alastor's stunned gaze rest on her. "Shall I stay? Would it be a sin, if I can't help falling in love with you?" Her cheeks turned as blue as Earth's sky at day as Alastor wouldn't stop staring at her, captivated by her nurturing singing voice. "Like a river flows, surely to the sea; darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be... Take my hand. Take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you." Their eyes then met and never broke away as Harlene continued, "Like a river flows, surely to the sea; darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be... Take my hand. Take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you..." Both their eyes grew heavy and Alastor stopped playing the piano, even though Harlene hadn't yet finished the song. "For I can't help falling in love with you..."

Flinching out of the trance a moment after she'd finished singing, Harlene averted her eyes from Alastor's and broke into a gentle bout of laughter. She covered a hand over her mouth as she did, her amusement aimed at herself for obviously being so terrible that Alastor had been rendered speechless. In the meantime, Alastor lowered the fallboard and gave her an estranged look.

"What's got you so merry, my dearest?" he asked her.

Harlene's giggling quietened a bit as she said, "I'm sorry for ruining that song for you forever."

"Ruined? Harley, you thought that was bad?" Alastor remarked, gaping.

"Wasn't it?" she responded, her laughter killed by her confusion.

"You're pulling my leg."

"H-Huh?"

"You cannot seriously believe that you don't have such a gorgeous voice!" he exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

For a second, Harlene's entire face flushed at the compliment, but the colour soon faded as quickly as it had arisen. Yet again, Harlene's lack of self-worth had devoured her ability to see that she had other talents other than in the field of fine art and ice skating. Realising that reminded Harlene of the conversation she'd had with Charlie a couple weeks back where she'd forced herself to consider the fact that maybe she had mental health issues as a result of all that she'd been through during her time as a human being in the mortal world. Following that discussion, Harlene had tried not to think about it too much, but it was moments like these that reminded Harlene that she really must've grown to subconsciously despise herself ever since she'd manifested as a demon in Hell.