So much debate on what song to use for a title. I finally settled for, "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" by Louis Armstrong. Although "Have I Told You Lately (That I Love You)" by Rod Stewart inspired this too. As well as "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" by The Ink Spots. And "As Long As You're Mine" from "Wicked." And "Beneath a Moonless Sky" from "Love Never Dies" (doesn't get that erotic though, I swear).

Yeah. I've been planning this chapter for a while now.

After breakfast, Tina invited Hildegard to accompany her on an errand. Alastor followed them to the door, the hellhound eyeing him the whole way.

"I didn't say you could come, Al," Tina said. "No offense, but this is a business matter that I have to handle alone."

"I wasn't planning on joining you," Alastor said. "I merely wanted to ask you something."

She sighed and faced him. "Yeah?"

He glanced at Hildegard. "Privately?"

The hellhound snarled at him. Tina held up a hand.

"Wait outside for me, please."

With one last snort, Hildegard stepped out the front door and shut it behind her.

"Is this about last night?" Tina asked.

Alastor made a so-so sign. "Yes and no. Anyway, what did you say your daughter's full name was?"

She hadn't expected this question. "Um, Nancy Aretha Davis."

"And she was born November 15th, correct?"

"Err, yeah?"

"What year exactly?"

"1992. Al, what is—?"

"In New York City, is that right?"

"Yes, but why do ya wanna know?"

Alastor shrugged. "Is it so wrong to wish to know about this stepdaughter I've never met?"

Tina shook her head. "Whatever. Is that all?"

"Yes, dear, thank you for your time. And you needn't worry about me following you today. I have some business to take care of myself."

She knew better than to ask. "Fine." She opened the front door. "Have fun, I guess."

"You too!" He sent her a finger wave. "Love you!"

"Love ya t—"

Tina halted in the middle of the doorway and bit her lip. She turned back to Alastor, who wore an equally stunned expression.

His grin widened. "Did you just say—?"

"Nope!"

Slamming the door, she grabbed Hildegard by the arm and raced down the street.

"Your face is red," Hildegard said.

"I didn't say nothing!" Tina exclaimed. "Ya heard nothing!"

Hildegard wrenched her arm out of her boss's grasp. "I am hellhound. I hear all."

Tina growled. "It's just so typical of him to pull a trick like that! Say 'love you' in hopes I'll make the automatic response! Thinks he can get away with it just cuz I almost said the same thing back! Well when I get home tonight, he's gonna—"

"Boss." Hildegard laid a paw on her shoulder. "It's okay. You said it because you were used to it. Could happen to anyone."

The Songbat took a deep breath. "Thanks, Hildegard."

"Unless you did mean to say it."

Tina scowled and shoved the hellhound's paw off. "I didn't. He tricked me. I don't still love him."

Hildegard rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

The fury and embarrassment did not leave Tina's cheeks the whole stroll through Pentagram City, but she did take the time to think. Maybe Alastor had only said it out of habit, like last night. Then again, it could have been deliberate. Not just as a ploy to get her to say it back, but as a reminder of when they'd first confessed.

Because if that had been the plan, it sure was working.

Ever since Alastor had saved her from the Three Vs last month, he'd been acting strange. Different from his usual strangeness, anyway.

The first thing Tina noticed was Alastor's sudden tendency to sleep in. He'd always been an early bird, waking up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast, but now she woke to find him not only still asleep, but clutching her in a tight embrace. It was becoming harder and harder to escape him each morning.

Next was Alastor's behavior whenever the two of them went out. While it wasn't odd for him to touch Tina in public as part of their act, he'd gotten into the habit of holding her hand. Not pressing her close to his side, or linking his arm with hers, but holding her hand. When she asked why, he said he wanted to try something different.

Their mealtimes alone were the strangest. Alastor would go long periods of time without talking, and this was a man who loved to talk. When Tina would look up from her meal to question if he was alright, she'd catch Alastor staring at her, only to immediately avert his eyes.

Maybe he was still shaken up about what had happened with the Three Vs. He'd almost died a second time, after all, and probably wanted to ensure his wife wasn't snatched up again so he wouldn't face another near-death experience.

It wouldn't be until the eve of the 2005 Extermination that Tina would learn the real reason her husband was acting so clingy.

Tina was reading in the living room when Alastor walked past her. "Where ya headed?"

He stopped and turned. "It's the day before the Extermination."

She lowered her book with a smirk. "Gonna call dibs on the free meat before it's even skewered?"

"Ha-ha! Not a bad idea, but no." He straightened his bowtie. "I'm going to collect this month's rent before any of my tenants are erased. You wouldn't believe how many demons try to use the Extermination as an excuse for being negligent."

"And if they don't have the rent?"

Alastor summoned his microphone to his side. "I'll give them a choice. Annihilation by angels, or eternal torment from yours truly."

She tilted her head. "How many people go for the latter?"

He shrugged. "Not many, funnily enough."

"Just be back before dinner." Tina laid back and put her feet up on the coffee table. "If tonight ends up being my last meal, I ain't eatin' it alone."

They both knew she was only joking, of course. Alastor always ensured his wife was safe from the Extermination.

"Craving anything in particular, chère?" he asked.

She tapped her chin. "A heapin' bottle of liquor."

He chuckled. "I meant foodwise."

"You know what I like. Surprise me." She returned to her book. "But no demon meat."

"Aw." Alastor feigned disappointment. "Have to go with Plan B then."

Tina smiled at his sarcasm.

"Well, best be off then before Heaven exacts retribution." With a twirl of his cane, he continued his exit. "See you at dinner!"

"Okay, take care."

"Always do! Love you, bye!"

"Bye."

After a full five minutes alone, Tina dropped her book. "Wait, what?"

It was too late to ask him to repeat that last line. He was already gone.

For the next few hours, Tina did nothing but pace around the house, mulling over what she'd just heard. She couldn't have heard it wrong. Her ears were exceptional. And there were not many phrases that could be mistaken for "love you."

Had he said it by accident? Had it been a joke? Or had he been sincere?

If that were the case, it certainly explained his behavior over the last month.

The Radio Demon, in love with her. Tina had never considered the possibility. They were too comfortable in their fake marriage to be in love. But if it were true, what would that mean for their future? After all, it wasn't like she felt the same about him.

Then why was her heart beating so fast?

Alastor returned that evening with two steaks for dinner. As Tina helped him in the kitchen, she waited for him to say something about earlier. But all he did was hum and cook, occasionally asking her for a particular herb.

It wasn't until they were both seated at the table that she decided to confront him. "So, we gonna talk about it?"

"Talk about what, chère?" Alastor asked as he nonchalantly raised a piece of steak towards his mouth. "What an excellent cooking duo we make?"

Either he was pretending nothing had happened, or was genuinely oblivious. "You said, 'love you.'"

There was a record scratch as he dropped his fork. "W-What?"

So, he really hadn't been aware of his words.

"Just as you were leaving," Tina said slowly, "you said, 'love you, bye,' like it was a normal thing. But you've never said that before, not when no one was watching, anyway, so…" She shifted in her seat. "Why'd ya say it?"

The Radio Demon was dead silent. Not even his usual static was present. He only stared at her with wide, glowing eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching. His left hand shook, rattling the steak knife against his plate.

"Al?" She leaned towards him, but didn't dare get too close to that knife. "You okay?"

He blinked. "N-Now, darling, when I s-said that, I was…what I meant to say was…"

After making some radio tuning sounds, he perked back into an air of cheerfulness. "Why, it was merely a slip of the tongue, dear! Why make such a big deal out of it?" He put down his knife to ruffle her hair. "After all, I call you 'dear' and 'darling' all the time. Why should this be any different?"

Tina put down her own silverware and crossed her arms, not liking his condescending tone. "Cuz 'love' usually has a heavier meaning."

"Y-Yes, but…not always romantic! It can be said to a close friend or a family member or a beloved pet—"

She scowled. "A pet?"

Alastor held up his hands. "Not that I see you as an animal, dearest! I mean you are a bat, but not a—"

"Is that all I am to ya, then? Some small furry thing ya keep around for fun?"

"No! Well, technically you are small and furry, but…" A glare from her prevented him from finishing that sentence. "Why are you even upset over this? You already know how I feel about you, and that I'd never break our deal and do a silly thing like fall in love with you, right?"

The words hurt Tina more than she'd expected.

"You're right." She gazed down at her unfinished steak. "You'd never really love me. You probably just got caught up in the whole loving husband act and forgot we were alone."

"Yes!" Alastor pointed at her. "That's exactly what happened!"

"Cuz that's all this is," she murmured. "An act. The very idea of you fallin' in love with me would be…ridiculous."

The tears forming in her eyes surprised them both. Alastor reached to wipe them, but Tina jerked her face away.

"Tina, I—"

She pushed her chair out. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Tina, did I say something wrong?"

"What do you think, bastard?!"

Tina rushed to her bedroom. Not the one she shared with Alastor, but the one she'd been given for her own personal use. She came here whenever she wanted some privacy. Or, more specifically, a break from her husband.

Flopping onto the bed, Tina cried into her pillow without really knowing why.

Alastor had a point. Why was she upset over this? Why did she care that his saying "love you" had been a mistake? She knew from the beginning this would be a loveless marriage.

Could it be she was disappointed it hadn't been true? After all, the last time someone had said "I love you" to her, he had tried to rape her. Alastor would never do a thing like that to her. He'd promised he'd always be honest with her, at least when it came to his feelings. If it really had been nothing more than a slip of the tongue, it wasn't his fault.

Nor was it Alastor's fault that no man had ever said he loved her, and meant it.

"Tina?"

She raised her head and turned to see her husband standing in the doorway, his staff at his side.

"It's time," he said. "We best get you in the bunker."

Tina wiped her face as she rose from the bed. The Extermination wouldn't wait for her to get her shit together.

The Radio Demon kept a bunker under the house. The only time Tina was allowed in the cellar was when he took her to the trapdoor under the stairs.

Alastor lit a single oil lamp, illuminating the small underground room. The only furniture it held was an old red couch, a wooden table holding a picnic basket and radio, and a shelf of books to keep Tina entertained. A chamber pot was tucked beneath the table. The Extermination did last twenty-four hours, after all.

"I packed the rest of your dinner if you still want it," Alastor said, setting the oil lamp next to the picnic basket. "Also some peaches and your favorite liquor."

Tina said nothing, only crossed her arms as she glanced around the bunker, trying to find something to focus on that wasn't him.

"Remember, as soon as you hear the clock strike midnight," Alastor said, wagging a finger, "do not set foot outside this room. And do not open the trapdoor for anything. On the off-chance an Exterminator does get inside, turn your ring three times, and I'll come for you."

She clutched her elbows. "What if…what if ya don't come back?"

"Don't be ridiculous." He pointed to the radio. "But if you're that concerned, you can always tune into my broadcast. Just be sure not to leave it on for too long, dear. While this room is virtually soundproof, you can never be too careful."

"So you're really just gonna leave me here?"

Alastor tilted his head. "Tina, you know it's my duty to broadcast the Extermination each year."

She sniffed. "And what am I supposed to do if ya get skewered by one of them angel spears? Or sliced by one of them scythes? Or shot?"

"Where is this coming from?" He turned her to face him and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You know I'm always careful. After seventy-one Exterminations, I have to be. And even if I did run into one of those damn angels, nothing will stop me from coming back to you."

"Why?" She shoved his hands off. "Don't want anything happenin' to your pet?"

His smile shrank. "Darling, what's this all about?"

"Fuck, are ya really that dense?!" The tears were back. "You don't really care what happens to me! I'm just some slut ya hired to be your trophy wife!"

She paced the bunker. "That's how it's always been, hasn't it? We have this fake marriage, people leave us alone, no feelings whatsoever. Except…"

She stopped with her back to him. "If that was really the case, why'd ya almost die for me?"

Alastor opened his mouth to speak.

"Cuz it makes no sense. Especially when you're also willin' to just leave me here while you go out and risk your life for some dumb radio show. Like that matters more than your fucking wife! You didn't even think about it when Vox held ya at gunpoint. You just decided to give up and not care what would happen to me if ya suddenly…"

Tina buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I…I don't know why I feel this way."

She sank onto the couch. "If I were to go outside tonight, if you were to come back here to find me gone, would…would ya even care?"

"What?" Alastor leaned his staff against the table and joined her on the couch. "Of course, I'd care." He wrapped his arms around her. "Tina, how…how can you say such things?"

Despite still being furious with him, she sobbed into his chest. "Cuz you…you say it all the time. There's no love between us. This is nothing more than a marriage of convenience."

"No, no, dear." He stroked her hair. "That's not true."

"Then why'd ya say it didn't mean anything? Why've ya been actin' so weird lately?"

Alastor stared down at her. It broke his heart to see her so upset. Moreover, that he was the cause of this. He had thought hiding his emotions would preserve their relationship, but it had only made things worse.

"I did not mean to lie to you, mon épouse," he whispered. "The truth is I've been lying to myself about something I should've accepted a long time ago."

"Whaddya mean?" she asked.

He ran his hands up and down her back. "Do you remember our first dance? What I said to you then?"

"That was a while ago, Al. Think ya can remind me?"

His arms tightened around her. "Just that there was one thing we should never lie to each other about, and I did it anyway. I apologize for that."

"What?"

Alastor took a deep breath. He had never made a confession like this before. So he chose to say it in a language she would understand.

He began to sing.

"Be sure it's true when you say, 'I love you.'
It's a sin to tell a lie."

It was the song they'd danced to at their wedding. He'd first heard it the night before, when Tina had performed onstage. The lyrics had never been more relevant.

"Millions of hearts have been broken
Just because these words were spoken."

Tina smiled a bit as she reminisced on the old days. Then Alastor lowered his voice as he crooned into her ear.

"I love you, yes I do, I love you."

She opened her eyes.

"If you break my heart, I'll die."

Pushing herself back, she looked up at him. His voice and eyes were devoid of any insincerity.

"So be sure it's true," he sang, cupping her face, "when you say, 'I love you.'"

Alastor pressed his forehead to hers. "It's a sin to tell a lie."

Tina stared up at him in astonishment.

"I mean it, Tina," he whispered. "I never thought I'd say this to anyone, but…I love you. I know I promised I wouldn't, but I couldn't help it. You're just so wonderful, so beautiful, so perfect. You're everything I could ever want in a partner. It's alright if you don't love me back, but please, never resort to destroying yourself. You're the most important person in my afterlife and I can't bear to lose you. And I understand I've done terrible, unforgivable things. Demons with my sins don't deserve to be loved. But I swear, as long as you are here, by my side, I will be perfectly con—"

Her lips shut him up.

She hadn't planned to kiss him. It had just happened as if it were the most natural thing in the world. And the moment their lips made contact, everything became clear.

The reason Tina had been so upset by Alastor's dismissed confession, was because somewhere down the line, though she hadn't been aware of it, she had fallen in love with him too.

When Tina pulled away, the sight of Alastor made her realize the gravity of what she had done. He was frozen stiff, his eyes wide, and his smile…

Was gone. Replaced by a thin, flat line. She'd kissed the smile clean off his face.

In all these years, Tina had never seen Alastor without a smile. Even when he was mad. She had thought him incapable of making any other expression. Her hands flew to her mouth in horror.

"I-I'm so sorry." She shook her head. "I thought that… I should've asked. P-Please, don't be mad. I was only—"

Three fingers covered her lips, silencing her. Alastor's own lips remained in that straight line as he stared at her. Tina used to pride herself in knowing what he was thinking be watching his eyes, but now it was impossible to tell. Who would've thought he'd be so unnerving without a smile?

Alastor's head tilted as he traced his fingers along her lips, taking note of their smoothness. His other fingers touched his own mouth, equally surprised that there was no smile. Then he licked his lips, sampling what was left of her taste. His eyes rolled to the side in contemplation.

Then he looked back at her and the smile returned. Not one of those elaborate, toothy smiles. Not an impish grin. But a gentle, loving smile.

In fact, it was the most genuine smile Tina had ever seen on him.

Then he cupped her face in both hands, closed his eyes, and kissed her back. This time was slower, much more tender, yet equal in passion.

Thrilled that he wasn't angry at her, Tina wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Alastor moved one hand to the small of her back, the other taking a clump of her hair.

In their five years of marriage, they'd only kissed three times. The first had been onstage at their joint bachelor/bachelorette party. Tina had only done it for show, and without warning. Then just before the ceremony they had engaged in a practice kiss, which was naturally followed by the kiss to seal their vows.

This was nothing like those other kisses. Each time had felt like a chore, a disgusting but necessary task for their ruse. They hadn't caused his lips to tingle, or his heart to spring to life, or his tail to wag. This kiss didn't feel disgusting, but nice. A simple, but wholesome way to express Alastor's and Tina's newfound emotions. Nothing more needed to be said. It was all in the lips.

He wanted to experiment. To test that this wasn't a fluke.

So, he broke the kiss, only to start a new one. And another. And another.

He kept trying different positions, tilting his head, cupping her neck, taking her shoulder. But the novelty did not fade. With every parting of their lips, he found himself hungry for more. Did this mean he wanted to eat her? No, he just wanted to keep tasting her for the rest of eternity.

"My Tina," he murmured between kisses. "Mon amour. Ma belle. Ma précieuse épouse."

"Al, slow—" Stopped by his lips once again, Tina pushed against his chest. "Gimme a chance to say it back, will ya?"

Alastor blushed. "Apologies, my dear. I got a little carried away."

She giggled. "I love ya too, ya big lug."

"Then it seems we both broke our deal."

With a surprising burst of strength, Tina shoved him onto his back, pinning his shoulders. "Screw the deal. We're husband and wife, ain't we?"

Alastor's ears drooped in submission as he took her face and pulled her down. "Indeed, we are."

When their lips next met, he placed one hand on small of her back, the other taking a clump of her hair. Tina moaned and rubbed her abdomen against his, catching him off-guard.

It then occurred to him that he had no idea what he was doing.

"Tina?"

"Hmm?"

While Alastor was busy talking, her lips got busy with his jawline. The heat rose to his face as she unbuttoned his collar.

"I believe I have mentioned that I don't, um, have much experience in this," he released an uncharacteristic squeak as she kissed his now exposed neck, "department."

"That's fine," Tina whispered as she nuzzled her nose against his cheek. "Just follow my lead."

Alastor considered this, and decided to try it.

To get in a more comfortable position, he scooted back and propped his head on the arm of the couch. Then he took his wife by the shoulders, pulled her down, and began kissing her neck as she had done to his. In a wave of curiosity, he proceeded to peck along her shoulder.

It was strange, tasting flesh without fully consuming it, but the satisfied whimpers from Tina made it unexpectedly enjoyable. Except she tasted so good that it took all his willpower not to bite.

"Ya learn fast," Tina said before redirecting his lips back to hers.

This time, she opened her mouth for him. Alastor stiffened when he felt her tongue trace his lips. It lingered there for a while, swishing back and forth.

Was he supposed to be doing something? He'd thought kissing only involved lips. Was there more?

Her tongue seemed to be pushing now. As if it wanted to break into his mouth.

With a new idea in mind, Alastor opened his mouth and her tongue found its way in. He had to keep his mouth perfectly still to avoid accidentally chomping it off. He'd never bothered to taste tongue before, and hers was wet and wriggly.

Although Tina was moaning with pleasure, Alastor wondered if he was pushing too far out of his comfort zone. While he liked kissing her, having her tongue in his mouth made him squeamish once again, though she didn't seem to notice.

But he wanted to continue pleasing her, so he remained quiet. Even when she started unbuttoning his jacket. He was overheating anyway.

Then she tugged on the waistband of his trousers and Alastor opened his eyes in alarm.

It appeared that Tina wanted more than just a kiss.

The Radio Demon should've expected this, but did it have to happen so soon? He'd thought they might start a proper courtship before taking any major steps. Although, he couldn't call it a courtship when they were already married, and by society's rules, their consummation was long overdue.

This was what people did when they were in love, wasn't it? That thing he'd promised his mother to save for the right woman? No one would scold him for becoming one with his wife.

And yet, as Tina stuck her hand down the front of his trousers, and groped a certain area guarded by his boxers, his entire body shook with panic.

That was the last straw.

"WAIT!"

Alastor hadn't intended to scream, nor sit up so quickly that Tina nearly tumbled off the couch. He caught her by the shoulders and planted her at arms-length. Her gorgeous eyes blinked up at him in confusion.

"What's wrong? I thought… Didn't you…?"

"I do! I…" He panted, gazing down at his open jacket. "I'm sorry, I…I do want you, darling, but not…"

He nearly finished with "that much," but then saw the worry in her eyes. If he told her he didn't want to go all the way with her, would she be upset? He didn't want to ruin their relationship before it had really started.

"You see, I…" His smile twitched. "This is all so…so new to me, and…I want to fulfill your every wish, but…I'm not so sure I can do…everything. At least…not tonight." He rested his forehead on hers. "If you love me as much as you say, precious, will you do me this small courtesy, and wait? Until I am ready?"

Tina hadn't meant to push him. She had just gotten so caught up in the heat of the moment that she hadn't realized that for a virgin like Alastor, who'd never even kissed anyone before her, this would all be too much to handle at once.

But she would not be like her other partners.

"It's okay, Al." Tina raised a hand to his face. "We don't have to do everything tonight."

He leaned into her touch, the only one he would ever accept. "Thank you, my perfect angel."

She rolled her eyes. "I ain't no angel, and I'm far from perfect."

Sighing, he laid his hand over hers. "You are to me."

"Alright, I'll take the cheesy lines. So, how far ya wanna take this, then?"

"For now," he said, kissing her palm, "this is enough."

She leaned towards him with her lips parted.

"Although," Alastor said, "could you explain to me what your tongue was doing in my mouth?"

Tina tilted her head. "Ya mean ya really don't know what French kissin' is?"

"There was nothing French about that, so what was it for?"

"Well, ya see it's, uh… People do that to…" She scrunched her nose. "Huh. Ya know what? I really don't know."

"Oh. Well, in that case, could we not do that again? I didn't find it very enjoyable."

"Okay." Tina giggled. "To be honest, I was kinda worried ya were gonna bite my tongue off anyway."

Alastor gave a more relaxed smile as he took her chin. "I will tell you what I did find enjoyable."

Before he could demonstrate, there came a loud bong all the way from the center of Pentagram City.

Midnight. The beginning of the New Year.

And the Extermination.

Tina backed off Alastor in disappointment. "Shouldn't ya be startin' your broadcast now?"

He glanced at the microphone which, at some point during their passionate fumbling, had fallen to the floor.

Then his eyes illuminated as he picked up the mic and tapped it. "Happy New Year, ladies and gentle-demons! And Happy Last Day in Hell to some of you loathsome sinners, ha-ha-ha! This is Alastor the Radio Demon, bringing you a brief but special message.

"Please, stay inside for the next twenty-four hours, and guard your loved ones, if you do not wish to lose them." He cast Tina a sideways glance. "Just as I will guard mine. Good night, and good luck!"

Alastor poofed the mic away, and Tina smirked. "Suppose we'll have to keep quiet now, won't we?"

"Indeed." He chuckled as he caressed her cheek and leaned in. "However will we manage?"

Their first real kiss, combined with the confession, was actually one of the first scenes I came up with over a year ago when I was planning this fic series. However, it was a lot different then, as I hadn't figured out all the major plot points yet. Let's just say this scene went through a series of rewrites. Alastor's confession had to go just right and it was originally a series of romantic movie quotes and I thought I could do better than that.

In the end, I got inspired by my brother's accidental confession to his girlfriend, except his was over the phone just as he was hanging up. And when he saw her in person a few minutes later, she was like, "Hey, did you mean it?" Their talk went a lot smoother than Al and Tina's, of course, because Tina is such a hothead.

The kiss was also a pain to write, as it made me excited and really uncomfortable at the same time (which is what I was going for). A lot of Alastor's approach to physical intimacy is based on my own feelings as an asexual. I like the idea of kissing, but don't get the appeal of tongue action. And before I realized I was ace, I was raised on the belief that I would change my mind when I met the right person. Remember Alastor was born in an era where there was no asexual awareness, so at this moment in time he doesn't even know what's "wrong" with him (aside from psychopathy, of course, not that it's linked to asexuality in any way).

So yeah. If this chapter made you a bit uncomfortable, you got the intended effect.