Alastor can hear the sounds of dogs snarling and barking. He continues to sprint through the woods, but the hounds sound like they're closer and closer. His hands, arms, and clothes are smeared with blood as he scurries away into the night. The barks are getting closer. His heart is racing as he tries to run as fast as he can, his feet treading on the grassy ground. He takes one look behind him as the sound of the snarls and barks are louder.

Alastor frantically opens his eyes and glances around. His heart is still racing as he recalls the nightmare, until he feels warmth on his body. He glances down and sees me, my back against him, remembering our night together. Seeing me sleep calmly manages to settle Alastor's fast breathing, his heart slowing down. His hand caresses my left shoulder lightly, pushing the blanket down past my waist of my naked body. The bruises on my sides are still fading away from my night after retrieving Valentino's money from those petty drug dealers. Alastor furrows his brows at the sight of the bruises and remembers the gunshot wound as well. He worries about me and the trouble I get myself into, concerned that I may end up in worse conditions. He then brings the blankets back up over me, gently wrapping his arm around me again, pulling me closer to him. My soft skin against his brings him comfort and joy as he kisses the back of my head.

'Look at me…' he thinks to himself. 'I wanted to cheat you out of the business we're starting...but now it seems you're the one who got me.'

He buries his face into my hair as he closes his eyes.

'I've become emotionally invested in this relationship…' he continues to think to himself. 'My desire now is to love and protect you.'

The last time Alastor ever felt love was with his mother. He lost her. And he doesn't want to experience that loss again, especially with this kind of love he feels.


I wake up to the sound of footsteps. My eyes open and I blink a few times. I see Alastor entering the room with a tray of food. There are two plates of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. Syrup is lightly dripped on the pancakes, enough for each stack. Alastor also has two cups of milk on the tray. He sits on the edge of the bed to my right, setting the tray of food on his lap. He's wearing his red robe and red pajama pants.

"Rise and shine!" Alastor smiles. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," I give him a tired smile.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" He holds the tray.

"Not too bad," I rub my eye.

"I figured you'd be hungry after your hangover."

"You figured correctly."

Alastor hands me a plate of food after I sit up, holding the bedsheets around my chest. I place the plate on my lap as he hands me a fork. We both begin to eat our food.

"Thank you, Alastor," I give him a smile. "This is very sweet of you."

"You're welcome," he nods with a smile. "My mother would often bring me breakfast in bed. She told me if there's any way a woman wants to wake up, it's to breakfast in bed!"

"Your mother really does sound like a sweet woman. I only wish I could have met her."

"I'm sure you two would have gotten along well."

I give him a nod and smile as we continue to eat.

"So what's in store for you today on this fine Saturday?" Alastor asks.

"Good question," I sip from my milk. "Angel is booked with his dates this whole weekend… so he won't be able to hang out."

"Perhaps we can do something together."

"That'd be fun. But the only problem is being seen together. We still gotta keep a low profile."

"That's unfortunate."

Alastor sits and thinks for a moment as we continue to eat. He then has an idea.

"Might I make a suggestion?" He asks.

"Shoot," I chew on some pancake.

"I have a private cabin outside of town. It's down by a lake in the forest. If you'd care to join me there for the rest of the weekend, it's an option."

"A cabin!" I'm excited. "I haven't been to one in years!"

"It's on private land I own, so being seen by others won't be an issue."

"We can make s'mores and enjoy the outdoors!"

"I take that as a yes?" He chuckles.

"I'm sold!" I hold my fork up.

I smile excitedly as I happily chew on my food and we continue to finish our breakfast.


"Yeah, Angel and I will be going out on a trip for the rest of this weekend," I speak through my car's Bluetooth. "It was a bit of a last minute adventure."

"Alright, so long as you're safe," my mother speaks.

"I should be fine," I glance at Alastor with a grin. "I shouldn't get into much trouble."

"Have fun and try to stay out of trouble."

"Thanks, ama. Te quiero mucho. Adiós!"

"Te quiero mucho, mija."

The call ends and I continue to drive.

"You sure you have everything you need?" I ask Alastor.

"I'm sure. We don't need much considering it's just for two nights."

"True. But one must always come prepared!"

"Agreed!"

I continue to drive down the curvy road that runs through the forest fields.


We arrive at Alastor's cabin by noon. I parked my car in the driveway of the cabin. Alastor carries both of our duffle bags as I gaze up at the simple yet beautiful log cabin of his. It's not too big nor too small with two floors and a basement.

"It's beautiful," I smile up at the cabin.

"I'm sure you'll like the inside better," Alastor leads me up the stairs of the cabin.

He unlocks the door and enters. I follow after him and am in awe at the inside. The front door opens to an open space of living area with a fireplace. Across the fireplace are two cozy brown sofas with a round burgundy rug in the middle. A cabinet of different whiskey and liquor sits to the other side of the living area. Next to it is a wooden table with an old fashioned turntable. A half wall separates the kitchen area.

"I hope it's to your liking," Alastor closes and locks the door behind him.

"It's so cozy!" I glance around.

"I'm glad to hear. I'll take us to the bedroom to drop off our bags," he walks to the flight of stairs. "Wait until you see it!"

I follow him up the stairs and down the hall to a door at the end. He opens it to reveal a large bedroom. In the middle is the queen sized bed, right across the vast glass window that looks out into the lake. The glass window takes up the whole wall from floor to ceiling.

"This is a beautiful view…" I'm in awe.

"It really is," Alastor places the bags on the bed.

"How often do you come here?" I begin to unpack my clothes in a wooden dresser nearby.

"Whenever I need an escape from the busy city life," Alastor also unpacks his bag. "But I haven't been here in weeks. I have someone to clean weekly and stock the fridge when necessary."

We finish unpacking our bags and make our way downstairs.

"Time for lunch! I'm starved!" Alastor heads to the kitchen.

"Let me help you," I offer. "What are you thinking about making?"

"My mother once showed me a wonderful recipe for jambalaya," he opens the fridge. "In fact, it nearly killed her! Ha ha ha! You could say the kick was right out of hell! Oh I'm on a roll!"

"You're so silly," I laugh.

Alastor places the ingredients on the island counter.

"We'll be making a jambalaya with chicken, andouille sausage, rice, shrimp, celery and spices," Alastor explains as he rolls up his sleeves.

"Is it alright if we leave out the shrimp?" I shyly ask. "I don't do so well with seafood…"

"Not a problem, my dear! It'll still taste great without it!"

Alastor prepares the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. He adds the sausage to cook along with a pot of rice.

"The sausage and rice will need to be cooked first," Alastor explains as he stirs the pot. "Toss the sausage occasionally until it is browned."

I listen and toss the sausage myself for a bit and then we move on to the next step. Alastor tosses some chopped onions, bell peppers, and celery to a pot.

"Add some garlic as well," Alastor adds the cloves.

"It's smelling really good!" I sniff.

Alastor then pours chicken broth and crushed tomatoes, along with spices such as paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper and seasoning.

"Add a bit of salt and pepper for taste," he sprinkles into the pot. "Once the rice and sausage are ready, you stir them in. Now, we'll cook up some chicken."

Alastor chops up a chicken breast into chunks and cooks them in some olive oil in a pan. As soon as the chicken is cooked, the rice is also finished. Alastor takes the pot of rice and mixes it into the pot with the other ingredients. I help him stir it all up.

"It smells delicious!" I smile excitedly.

"Now, we just let it simmer in a light boil," Alastor smiles as he covers the pot. "It should be finished in about 20 minutes. The rice will be fully cooked during this time."

"Sounds great!"

Alastor sets a timer and places it on the island counter. He stands there in silence for a moment in thought.

"Everything okay?" I notice how pensive he is.

"This is the first time I cook with someone since my mother," he admits.

My brows rise as I stare at him in awe.

"I've always cooked for only myself," he continues. "It really is different to have someone with me after so long."

I stare at him for a moment before giving him a warm smile. We then make our way to the living area. I head over to the turntable, scanning through the shelf of records.

"Hm. Haven't heard any of these…" I scan through the records.

"I'll play you some songs later tonight," Alastor offers.

"Sure," I smile.

I walk over to the fireplace and lean on the shelf above it. My eyes gaze into the unlit pit in thought.

"Is something on your mind?" Alastor sees I'm pensive.

"Hm?" I snap out of my thoughts. "Sorry, yeah. I'm just a bit spaced out…"

"There's something causing it."

"Well…"

I glance around for a moment.

"It's just a bit hard to understand," I continue. "Being here, on a private estate in the middle of the forest, with you, the infamous Radio Demon."

Alastor stares at me for a moment.

"A year ago, I would have never imagined being here," I turn to him. "And I'm sorry I keep referring to your reputation as the Radio Demon."

"No, I completely understand," Alastor reassures. "And I don't blame you for it. If you still don't trust me, it's completely justified."

"But I want to trust you… and I do."

I give him a warm smile which causes Alastor to be surprised. A part of him feels sincerely bad for his initial plan to betray me. He feels guilty to the point of not even deserving my trust and smile. He shakes off the thought.

"Thank you," he finally says. "I'm grateful for that."


It's nighttime, a bit after 8pm. I'm sitting on a log in front of a campfire setup in front of the cabin. Alastor is sitting next to me on my right. We hold our marshmallows on sticks above the fire, toasting them to our liking.

"You don't have to eat these s'mores for me, you know," I say. "I know you're not into sweets."

"I don't want you feeling lonely," Alastor reassures.

"You're so sweet," I smile.

"S'mores remind me of my childhood anyway."

"Really?"

"Yes, my mother often toasted marshmallows with me."

I stare into the fire in thought, thinking about how a young Alastor was like with his mother. What did he look like? Was his hair black or brown? Did he wear glasses? How did he behave as a child? I giggle and Alastor turns to me with a raised brow.

"What is it?" He questions with a smile.

"I just wonder what you looked like in your human life," I admit. "Especially as a child. I bet you were adorable with your smartly dressed self."

"I guess I was. If only I had pictures to show you."

"That would be nice. At least you saw pictures of me as a kid. With my weird wings…"

"Your wings aren't weird. They're heavenly. Quite literally. You should let them out more often."

"My dad tells me the same thing."

"Why don't you do it?"

"I guess I still suffer from the trauma as a kid when others saw me as a misfit. I've grown to hate my wings."

"Well, you don't have to hide them around me."

I turn to Alastor for a moment and then decide to let my wings span out. My right wing spans around Alastor and he gazes at it admiringly, touching the feathers softly. We fix our s'mores and I bite into mine, giving him a smile.

"Thank you," I say. "You really are sweet."

"You're most welcome, my dear," Alastor uses his finger to wipe some chocolate off my cheek and licks it off.

I'm surprised at this gesture and can't help but blush. Alastor chuckles as I look away with a pouty face, munching away at my s'more.

"You have a knack for making me blush…" I mutter.

"Yes indeedy," he has a smug smile as he bites into his s'more.


I'm sitting on the sofa after having finished our s'mores at the campfire. Alastor is looking through his vinyl records while I read through one of his voodoo books. By now, Alastor isn't wearing his suit jacket, only his red dress shirt and maroon dress pants with black suspenders.

"All these symbols are pretty cool," I gaze at the pages.

"Until you find out what some of them really mean," Alastor replies with a menacing tone.

"Uh huh," I laugh.

Alastor plays a vinyl record, a piano and trumpet opening the song. He then walks over to me, taking a hold of my hand and pulling me in the space between the sofa and the lit fireplace. We begin to slow dance to the song.

"Billie Holiday," I say.

"Ah, you know this song?" Alastor smiles.

"My mom and dad would often dance to it when I was a kid. They really like American music from the early 1900s."

"They have good taste."

"They do. This song was released some years after my death, though. Luckily I can still enjoy it."

I listen to the music, recalling how my parents would slow dance to music like this. It was always so romantic to me, and I would wish that I would also find someone to share moments like that with. Here I am now with Alastor, doing exactly that.

"I've known you not even a year," I say. "And we've only just become romantically involved for about a week. But I feel like it's been longer. Maybe because I have a genuine connection with you… it's nothing like what I had with my ex. This is...much better."

"Perhaps sometimes it's the quality of the time rather than the quantity of time you spend with someone that counts most," Alastor responds.

Your eyes of blue, your kisses too

I never knew what they could do

I can't believe you're in love with me

I enjoy the music and the sound of the crackling fire as we continue to slow dance.

You're telling everyone I know

I'm on your mind each place you go

They can't believe that you're in love with me

I lean my head on Alastor's chest as we slow dance, and he responds by leaning his chin on the top of my head.

I have always placed you far above me

I just can't image that you love me

And after all is said and done

It looks like I'm the lucky one

I can't believe you're in love with me

"I guess time really doesn't matter when you come to really love someone," I say.

Alastor agrees with a nod and kisses the top of my head. We continue to dance to the music, enjoying our time together.


It's now around 10:30pm. We're getting ready for bed. Alastor is adjusting the grey bed sheets on the bed, now wearing only his red robe and maroon pajama pants.

"I was thinking," I walk out of the bathroom. "Maybe a bar would be nice at the venue."

I walk toward the bed, adjusting my hair over my shoulders a bit. Alastor glances at me and can't help but stare. I'm wearing my blue towel, the very same one he saw me on the first night he snuck into my estate for a surprise visit. He sees how the blue towel barely reaches past my thighs as I hold it up under my arms. I'm drying my hair with a second towel, letting my hair down on my right side as I scrunch it up. Alastor gazes at every inch of exposed skin of mine, admiring in silence. To think the first time he saw me like this he didn't think anything of it. Now, seeing me like this arouses him. I notice his stare and have a surprised look on my face.

"What is it?" I blink a few times.

"You're beautiful," Alastor flat out says.

This causes me to blush. Despite having made love a few times already, having Alastor be so kind and loving still causes me to blush. He walks over to me, standing so close that he leans his face inches from mine. I stare up at him in wonder as he just stares back, caressing my face softly.

"I thought you said nothing appealed to you when you first saw me like this," I turn away.

"That was before I fell in love with you," Alastor steps around to be in front of me again. "Which is why I must make up for it."

"You said you died in the year 1933 at the age of 30."

"Mm hm."

"So you were born in 1903...and I in 1994...which makes you 91 years older than me technically."

"How does it feel to make love to an older man?" He has a slight grin as his face comes close to mine again.

"I seem to be into older men, actually. So consider yourself lucky," I poke his nose.

"Oh I know," he smiles.

Alastor brings me close and embraces me. I wrap my arms around him in return, enjoying his warmth. This continues in silence for a good while.

"You enjoying yourself?" I giggle.

"Very much," he replies. "I want to show you that it's not just a sexual or physical attraction I feel for you. I genuinely have a loving attraction for you. It doesn't have to be about sex all the time. I want to show you love other than through sex."

I stare up at him in awe. That's something I never would have heard from my ex. All he wanted from me was sex, and when he wouldn't get it, he'd look for it somewhere else.

"You really mean that?" My eyes tear up.

"I truly do," Alastor nods.

I hug him tighter and this catches him by surprise, but he hugs me back, understanding what this means to me.

"Even just a kiss would be enough," Alastor continues.

"We don't need to rush this," I say. "Let's just take it slow."

Alastor and I continue to embrace each other, enjoying how we feel, knowing that this is enough.