I'm feeling much better now after having rested the last few days. It's late in the evening and I've decided to make my way to the venue to test out the acoustics. I turn the dim side lights on and the one for the stage spotlight. I've brought a microphone to hook up to the speakers. We haven't gotten any instruments in the building yet, but I just manifest my own to keep here on stage.
"This is where all the magic will be happening," I gaze around the vast venue.
I giggle in excitement. I manifest my shadow demons to play all the instruments. The demon on the acoustic guitar begins strumming the strings. I prepare myself to sing. Unbeknownst to me, Alastor has entered the venue and is sitting in the shadows toward the entrance. He stays quiet to listen to my performance.
"There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go 'head and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare"
The bass drum begins to thump with the beat.
"See how I leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do
There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark"
The piano joins in with the tambourine and the drum set.
"The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless,
I can't help feeling"
At the next verse, the instruments increase in forte, filling the hall with music.
"We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
And you played it to the beat"
The music dies down from forte into piano.
"Baby I have no story to be told
But I've heard one on you and I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Make a home down there 'cause mine sure won't be shared
The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless, I can't help feeling"
The music once again enters in forte, sounding so full with the acoustics.
"We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
And you played it to the beat
We could've had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside your hand
But you played it with a beating"
Music enters piano, still sounding full.
"Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turned my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow
We could've had it all
We could've had it all
It all, it all, it all"
A much stronger forte now.
"We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
And you played it to the beat
We could've had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside your hand
But you played it, you played it, you played it, you played it
To the beat"
The music abruptly ends. I look down in sorrow for a moment before blinking hard and smiling to myself. I then hear clapping from the other end of the hall.
"Bravo! Bravo!" Alastor claps excitedly with that smile of his. "What a performance!" He makes his way to the front of the stage.
"Thank you, thank you," I play along and bow. "How did the acoustics sound on your end?"
"Marvelous! This place is musically ready!"
"We'll run another test once we fill the hall with more items that can affect the acoustics."
"Sounds like a plan!"
"What are you doing here anyway?" I place my hand on my hip in question.
"I was going to drop by your room for a surprise visit," he begins to explain.
"You have a wish to be erased, don't you?"
"But then I saw you sneaking out of your estate. So I followed! And here I am!"
"You and your stalker tendencies," I scoff.
"Once again, you made a fantastic performance! I could really feel the emotion! You could say I was also getting angry with who you dedicated that song to! Ha ha ha!"
"You're not familiar with the songs I sing, yet you still like my performance?"
"It's because you perform so well. I can feel what you're feeling. The audience may not understand entirely but you captivate their attention!"
"That's a good thing, I guess."
"A wonderful thing indeed!"
Alastor teleports in a shadow in front of me. I look up at him in surprise at his sudden movements.
"Care for a dance?" He asks.
"What choice do I have?" I joke.
Alastor manifests his own shadow demons to play at the instruments. They play some soft classical music.
"No fancy dancing this time," he says. "Just basic slow dancing."
"Uh, alright," I raise a brow at him.
We slow dance in the middle of the stage in the spotlight. I look down to the floor, not wanting to meet Alastor's gaze in such close proximity. He sees I'm avoiding his gaze and wonders why.
"I'm glad to see you're feeling better," he finally says.
"Yeah, thanks…" I say. "I was getting impatient just being bedridden. I needed to get out and do stuff."
"Just know when you need a break."
"That's difficult for me to do," I laugh a bit. "I don't know when to stop sometimes."
"Perhaps you just need someone to tell you."
"Even then I'm a bit stubborn," I shake my head with a smile.
"That's not good."
"Tell me about it."
I try not to lean so much on Alastor's body even when we're this close. He can sense the tension from me.
"Can you tell me who this man is?" He finally asks.
"Who?" I look up at him.
"The man who broke your heart."
I look down and away. Alastor sees I'm bothered by the question.
"I can't," I finally reply.
"Why not?" He's surprised.
"I can't."
"Why can't you tell me who this man is?"
"Because I can't, okay?" I'm a bit upset.
I pull away from him and step away some feet, crossing my arms. Alastor stares at me for a moment but gives me space.
"Just the mere thought of him sends me into a depression," I say. "Let alone his name."
"But why can't you tell me who this man is?" He asks again. "A name wouldn't hurt."
"If I told you his name, I'm afraid you'd do something… I wouldn't want you getting hurt."
"Why would you say that?"
"Just trust me on this. It's for the best that you don't know who he is."
Alastor stares before walking over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry for pressuring you," he says. "Let's continue to dance, shall we?"
"Sure…" I give him a nod.
He places his right hand on my left shoulder blade under my arm while I put my left hand below his right shoulder. He holds my right hand out slightly with his left hand with our elbows bent, close to our sides. We continue to slow dance to the soft music. I keep my gaze away and Alastor still manages to keep his smile as always.
"Why are you so nice to me?" I break the silence.
"It's who I am," he replies.
"Bullshit. You're a powerful overlord demon who's broadcasted his carnage. I can't imagine you being nice, no offense… I just… want to know if you're being genuine with me or not. I'm sorry but I just have trust issues…"
"And rightfully so."
"Are you really my friend?" I look up at him.
Alastor looks me in the eyes for a moment, seeing the pain in them. He doesn't blame me for having trust issues after what I've been through. He also recalls the contract he initially had created to cheat me out of the business.
"I am really your friend," he keeps a genuine smile.
I look up at him for a moment, trying to read him. His damn smile always throws me off but I see that it's genuine this time, something I rarely see. I give him a small smile before leaning my head against the top of his chest. I do it slowly to see how he responds but he doesn't pull away or seem repulsed. He looks down at me in surprise but doesn't mind me leaning my head on his chest. In fact, he rather likes it. He finds himself leaning his chin on the top of my head.
'Just what am I doing?' He thinks to himself. 'This isn't like me...but it feels...good.'
Alastor feels a bit of guilt but closes his eyes as he and I continue to slow dance, enjoying it together.
I'm driving down the road to Alastor's estate. We've just left the venue after having danced for a while and just talked and enjoyed each other's company.
"Any plans for the weekend?" Alastor asks.
"I was hoping to hangout with Angel tomorrow night," I reply. "But it looks like he'll be pretty busy with dates this weekend."
"I'm sure Valentino keeps him busy."
"That son of a bitch," I mutter.
"I take it you're not fond of him."
"Not when he takes his anger out on Angel."
"Why does he do that?"
"It just depends on his mood, supposedly."
"Reminds me of my father…" Alastor mutters.
I hear his words and wonder for a moment.
"How does it remind you of your father?" I ask.
Alastor stares out the tinted window for a moment in deep thought. He recalls memories of his childhood. The sound of his mother crying plays in his head. He decides not to get into it.
"I'd rather not discuss that…" Alastor finally says.
"I can tell it's something that bothers you…" I continue to drive. "But know that if you need to talk about anything, I'm here for you," I take a gentle hold of his hand.
Alastor is surprised but doesn't pull his hand back. He gazes down at our hands in thought, appreciating the caring gesture. I think he doesn't like it based on his silence, so I pull my hand away.
"Sorry…" I shyly say.
"No, it's alright," he quickly reassures. "I'm just…not used to that."
I wonder for a moment at that. He really has never experienced an intimate relationship with anyone, so things like this must throw him off. The fact that he doesn't get upset when I touch him anymore makes me happy that he's opening up. I glance at the clock on the radio and see that it's 10:15pm. We finally arrive at the front gates of his estate.
"Here's your stop," I put the car in park.
"I thank you once again for driving me home as always," Alastor says.
"I'm sure you prefer a fancy limousine that you always get."
"I honestly prefer riding with you. A limousine may provide a vast amount of space, but what's the point if I don't have anyone to share it with?"
"I thought you liked to be alone?"
"When it's you, I don't mind. I genuinely enjoy our time together on car rides...or any other time."
I stare at him with raised brows at his words. He sees my surprised expression and is surprised himself at what he's said. A bit embarrassed, he decides it's time to leave.
"Well then," he clears his throat. "I'll be leaving now."
"Have a good night, Alastor," I give him a smile.
He stares at my genuine smile for a moment, taking it in.
"Have a good night, Elena," he nods.
He steps out of the car, closing the door after him and watching me drive away. Once I'm far enough, he enters through the gates into his estate, walking down the stone path of the cul de sac to his home. Alastor approaches the front double doors of his estate, opening and closing them after entering. He leans his back against the doors, letting out a heavy sigh as he slouches down a bit.
"She's so sweet…" Alastor admits aloud.
"Who is?" A familiar voice surprises him.
Alastor rushes toward the living area and spots Vox sitting on his sofa.
"What are you doing here?" Alastor demands.
"I was bored," Vox shrugs. "I figured it was my turn to give you a surprise visit."
"Who let you in? I don't have a butler."
"I have a copy of your key and the code to your gate."
"I don't recall giving you a key to my estate."
"Well, I made a copy myself without your knowledge."
"Of course you did…"
"As your best friend, I feel it's my right."
Alastor lets out another deep sigh as he heads over to his collection of whiskey bottles. He pours two glasses of them and walks over to the red sofa, handing one glass to Vox.
"You're not upset?" Vox is surprised as he takes the glass of whiskey.
"What other choice do I have?" Alastor plops himself at the other end of the sofa.
Alastor takes a sip of his whiskey and so does Vox.
"So who's this sweet woman you spoke of?" Vox asks.
"Again with this?" Alastor replies.
"How can you not tell me about this woman?"
"I don't think it concerns you."
"I'm your best friend! You can't keep that from me!"
"I never gave you that title."
"Well, I'm the only person you hang out with on a regular basis. Other than this mystery woman, apparently."
Alastor drinks from his glass as Vox eyes him.
"Did you just arrive from being with her?" Vox asks.
"Yes," Alastor replies.
"It's fairly late in the evening," Vox glances at the clock that reads 10:20pm. "What are you up to at this time with her, hm?" He grins.
"Don't get any ideas," Alastor ignores his grin. "We were just talking."
"Talking? Where's the fun in that?"
"Unlike you, I actually care to converse instead of indulging in sexual tendencies."
"Look, I know you're not into that kinda stuff. But I can tell you're acting different," Vox closely eyes Alastor with a more serious stare. "Whoever this woman is, she's having an effect on you. And to be honest...it's good to see you're interested in someone for a change."
Alastor thinks about what Vox has said for a moment.
"I'll figure out who she is," Vox grins a bit as he sips from his glass.
"Whatever you say," Alastor grins a bit too.
(Song Rolling in the Deep by Adele)