Snow Angel (Alastor x OC)

•{Chapter 7}•

Smiles and Laughter

"Have unprotected sex!" Angel Dust's voice rang out from the restaurant, loud enough for Harlene and Alastor to hear as they entered the hotel and made their way to the restaurant's doorway. "Wait, wait- Maybe don't. If I got sick at work, then I got an STD and that's not good, so I better hope I don't get sick at work."

"You're fucking disgusting," Husk grunted.

"Fucking disgustingly good at sex, sweet cheeks."

Holding onto the case, Harlene shifted her eyes towards the picnic basket that Alastor held in one hand beside her. She shuffled her shoes over the wooden flooring of the hotel's restaurant, wary of the fact that this would be her first time eating alongside others in almost a century. Soon enough, Vaggie spotted the two loitering in the doorway, where Alastor was grinning down at Harlene as he observed the confliction in her movements. Vaggie's fixated goggling only enhanced the pale demoness's discomfort. Luckily for Harlene, the staring stopped when Charlie bounded over from her seat at one end of the long table where the others were sitting around a roast dinner. There wasn't much left.

Charlie said, with a guilty look in her yellow eyes, "I'm sorry, Al and Snowy. We ate without you, and the best leftovers were given to Fat Nuggets. We thought you two had gone out for the day."

"There's no need to apologise, my dear," Alastor reassured her. "We have food left over from lunch. And I don't eat this kind of cuisine anyway."

"I could just make some more!" Niffty piped up, leaping down from her seat.

"That won't be necessary, my little darling," he politely declined, then peered back down at Harlene. "Come with me, sweetheart. Let's heat up your dinner."

Humming to himself, Alastor strolled towards the kitchen doors. Bewildered, Harlene blinked a couple times before hurriedly thanking Niffty for her offer and heading after Alastor, disappearing into the kitchen as he held open the door for her like a gentleman. She followed the taller demon over to the nearest countertop, where he placed the picnic basket, and stood quietly beside him as he took out the red beans and rice. Instead of putting it into the microwave however, Alastor conjured a roaring flame in the palm of his hand and held the plate of food over it. Harlene stared in awe, her lips parting slightly at the seemingly endless amount of abilities Alastor had at his fingertips. Then, Harlene glanced back up at him, gaze swelling with uncertainty.

"Is something the matter, my dear?" Alastor asked.

"I must admit that I'd figured you'd be heading home now," Harlene said.

There was a pause and Alastor's eyes overshadowed. "Would you like me to leave then?" he then mumbled, seeming surprisingly hurt.

"N-No," Harlene replied swiftly yet truthfully.

"Was that another lie? Like when you lied about your hunger?"

"No. I do want you to stay," she confirmed.

Something within Alastor relaxed and his shoulders loosened behind the sleeves of his pinstriped coat. He turned his attention back to the cooking meal. In that moment, Alastor's faint shadow grew darker and formed its own twisted smile. It moved differently to Alastor as it separated itself from the deer-like demon and went to put the muffaletta in the fridge. Harlene watched as the shadow then began cleaning the dishes that she'd used during lunch. Then, with the water running in the background of her mind, Harlene leaned against the opposing counter behind where Alastor stood beside the shadow, with her arms crossed lightly over her torso. She nuzzled her cheek against her left shoulder, glancing towards the kitchen doors and wondering if anyone was watching them through the windows. She started to contemplate on the building rage that she'd noticed in Vaggie's eyes upon entering the dining room.
I get why Vaggie is upset with me. She knows that I know who Alastor is, and yet I've clearly spent the afternoon with him. But I'm just not scared of him anymore - at least, not like how I was before, Harlene thought, sighing quietly. I just hope that being friends with Alastor doesn't mean that I can't still be friends with Vaggie.