AN: Alastor is finally awake! Yay! I'm so happy to be able to write his POV again. Just a reminder, this is an AU and the characters are probably oc and I like writing them softer than they are in canon. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations as I loved writing it. Thanks, as always, for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Hazbin Hotel is owned by the wonderful Vivienne Medrano.
Pain, that was the first thing he became aware of. There was a sharp stab of discomfort spreading through his chest though, for some reason, he felt it should be worse. The next thing he became aware of were the voices. He couldn't make out what was being said, the words too muffled and drowned out, though he was certain he recognized them. In his addled state, he couldn't quite place who they belonged to and that bothered him greatly. It felt like it should have been obvious but his brain refused to cooperate.
The voices sounded concerned, upset, sorrowful. The inflection varied from one to the other though a lingering sadness seemed to persist no matter who was speaking. Wanting to ease the minds of those who spoke to him with such care, he fought against the darkness that had wrapped itself around him like a suffocating blanket and managed to pry open his eyes.
Alastor blinked as he was blinded by light, unable to make out anything as his vision adjusted. Movement drew his attention and he looked up into a blurry face, mouth curving into an instinctual smile.
"Mama?" He croaked, disorientated, voice hoarse as if he'd swallowed sandpaper. "Is that you?"
A gentle hand reached out, brushing the hair from his face as his eyes finally focused on the person above him. It wasn't her and he felt a twinge in his heart at that fact. Of course it wasn't, Alastor knew that his dear mother resided in Heaven, right where she belonged... but that didn't stop him from wishing she were here. Then he realized who the face belonged to and relaxed significantly. Rosie may not be his mother but she was the closest he had in Hell and he was eternally grateful for all she'd done for him over the years.
"Shh, you're okay Alastor." The woman soothed and he leaned his face against the hand still pressed lightly to his head. "Can someone pass me a glass of water for him?"
What? Who was she talking to? Tearing his gaze away from the female overlord, Alastor slowly turned his head to take in his surroundings, not paying any attention to the cup she held out to him. It appeared as though he were in his room at Rosie's and, to his horror, the entirety of the hotel minus Sir Pentious (Where was the snake, anyway?) were gathered around his bed with the additions of Cherri Bomb, Vox, and Rosie.
What was happening? Why were they all here? The last thing he remembered was being struck down by Adam, after that, everything was a blur. He had a vague recollection of Vox appearing out of nowhere to whisk him to safety, but it felt more like a dream than reality. Now, he didn't know what to think and the people crowding around him, shouting questions, reaching out to touch... it was all too much.
"Everyone, back up a bit, give him some space." The cannibal exclaimed, but Al wasn't paying attention, too wrapped up in his growing panic.
Distressed static filled the room as his breathing rapidly increased and his smile tightened. With eyes blown wide he watched the crowd shift but they didn't move closer, choosing instead to stare at him with unbridled concern decorating their faces. Suddenly, hands landed on either side of his head and gently turned his face until he was once more staring into the worried eyes of his dear friend.
"Sweetheart, you need to calm down," Rosie said, voice soft as she moved one hand to grab his own and placed it on her chest to help guide him. "Breath with me, okay? Deep breaths... in and out... nice and slow now. You can do it."
Following her lead, the Radio Demon sucked in a desperate breath, nearly choking before getting his breathing under control with some difficulty. Once he was able to breathe on his own without hyperventilating, he saw the older overlord turn to face the rest of the room's occupants.
"He needs to be able to breathe without you all crowding him." Rosie chastised, still keeping her voice calm though there was a slightly disappointed edge to it as she directed her gaze to those he could no longer see. "How would you feel waking up surrounded by people who are seeing you in such a vulnerable position?"
There were mumbled apologies spoken once Rosie finished but he paid them little mind. Exhausted from his ordeal, the deer demon curled up on the bed. Ignoring the fact that it caused his chest to ache, Alastor turned his back on the others, an embarrassed flush covering his face as his ears drooped. He'd never live this down. He prided himself on never showing weakness unless it was around those he trusted implicitly and the only ones here who fell into that category were Rosie and Vox, though the members of the Hazbin Hotel were getting close, much to his chagrin. There was shuffling, the sound of a door clicking closed, and then silence. Remaining where he was, Alastor felt humiliated tears form in his eyes that he was too tired to fight back. He let them fall, figuring the others had left upon realizing how pathetic he was and so there was no one here to witness them anyway.
"Alastor?" A soothing voice spoke up, followed by a gentle hand landing on his shoulder.
Apparently he'd been wrong in thinking everyone had left. Of course Rosie had stayed, she would never leave him when he was in such a state... not until she was certain he would be okay alone.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, it's okay to let your emotions show." The cannibal assured. "If I've told you once I've told you a hundred times, you don't need to pretend around me. No one can be happy all the time."
Fighting back a whine, he asked, "What about the others?"
His voice broke, worried about what they could be thinking of him, though Rosie was quick to alleviate that fear.
"I sent them out of the room until you're ready." She replied, rubbing his back in gentle circles. "I'm sorry we overwhelmed you, Sweetie. It's just, see you awake made us so happy that we forgot ourselves for a time. That's our fault, not yours. You did nothing wrong. Now, sit up and drink some water, it'll soothe your poor throat."
With a tired sigh, he did as told, allowing the woman to help him into a sitting position. She then held the cup out to him once again and he took it with shaking hands. Alastor drank greedily. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until that moment. When he was finished, he placed the cup on the nightstand and smiled abashedly at Rosie.
"I'm terribly sorry, my dear." He spoke in a quiet voice, shame coursing through him at his previous actions. "I shouldn't have reacted as I did. That was a rather disgraceful display, I'm afraid."
"Nonsense! You had every right to react the way you did." Rosie lectured, wagging a well-manicured finger at him while the other hand rested on her hip. "As I said, you did nothing wrong. I should have been better prepared. I know you, I know that you don't like being crowded, especially when you're hurt. We cornered you and you reacted, it's nothing to be ashamed of."
There was a pause, the two simply staring at each other before they both smiled fondly. Moving over to his side, Rosie took a seat on the bed a couple feet away from where he was leaning against the headboard.
"Now, tell me how you're feeling. Any pain? Discomfort?" She addressed, patting his knee in a motherly fashion. "Don't try and hide it, I can read you like a book."
Knowing she spoke the truth, Al nodded. He took a moment, giving himself a once-over before answering.
"My chest hurts a bit but I'm mainly confused," the sinner admitted, face troubled. "I can't seem to recall how I ended up here. I remember being injured by Adam and Vox appearing out of nowhere but then... nothing. To be honest, I thought I was done for."
"You nearly were," her words were pained and Alastor found himself reaching out to cover Rosie's hand with his own in support. "I'm not sure of everything that happened, you'll have to ask Vox about it later, but when you arrived here you weren't in good shape. The angelic steel had left holy energy in your wound and it was poisoning you. If it weren't for Lucifer..."
"Lucifer?" The male overlord cut her off with a growl, not happy hearing the king's name. "What did that insufferable twit do?"
"Only saved your life." The cannibal leader announced, raising an unimpressed eyebrow at him. "You should be grateful, without his help you'd have died. Now, I'm not saying you have to like the guy but maybe you could give him a chance. He's not as bad as you may believe. Just be civil, that's all I ask. Can you do that for me, Alastor?"
He turned his face away, ears folded against his head. Knowing he owed his life to the duck-loving, absentee father of Charlie, really rubbed him the wrong way. Still, it's better than being dead, he supposed.
"I will try," Alastor agreed, begrudgingly, his nerves settling when he turned back and saw the proud look in Rosie's eyes.
The woman rose to her feet after giving him a quick hug. He watched in silence as she grabbed his cup and walked across the room, pausing in the doorway.
"I'll be right back, Sweetheart," she said, turning her head to glance back at him. "I'm just going to refill your water and grab you some painkillers. Will you be alright if I let the others back in now or would you rather wait?"
The silence stretched on, seconds becoming minutes, and still he found himself unable to answer. What if they hated him now? After all, he hadn't been much help in the battle. They had trusted him and he'd let them down. What if they decided he was no longer welcome at the hotel? As annoying as it was, he'd come to care for these people and the thought of them rejecting him caused his heart to clench in fear. Not taking his silence for an answer, Rosie let out a soft hum and turned to face him fully.
"If it makes it easier, they've all been worried sick about you." She spoke, causing his head to whip up as his eyes searched her face for any sign of deception, knowing full well he wouldn't find one. "They care for you, Alastor, I can tell. Besides, I doubt I'll be able to keep Vox out for a moment longer, you know how he is."
A genuine smile stretched across his face at the thought of his old friend and he felt his nerves ease. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to allow them in. If they cared for him as Rosie said and, remembering the voices he'd heard while trapped in that dark place, he believed they did... then maybe it was time he started trusting them.
"They may come in if they wish," the Radio Demon agreed, hands clenching in the blanket that was spread over his lap. "On one condition."
"What might that be?" Rosie questioned, not looking at all surprised.
"They make no mention of what I said when I woke up." He replied, face as red as the coat he usually wore. "Also, I'd rather be dressed beforehand, if it's all the same to you?"
"Alright, no need to fuss, I'll make sure to tell 'em your condition." The woman acquiesced, smiling placatingly as she knew he wouldn't like what she had to say next. "There's a shirt in the first drawer of the nightstand. It'll be big on you but that's so it won't rub against the bandages and irritate your wound. I'm sorry, dear, but you can't wear your usual attire for the time being, not until you've given that cut a chance to start healing."
"But..." He was cut off as Rosie gave him a scolding look, arms crossed.
"No buts, mister," she voiced, a frown briefly falling across her features. "I won't risk you undoing all our hard work for your inflated sense of propriety. They're your friends, they won't care what you're wearing."
"Very well," he grumbled, not willing to argue with the woman as he knew he'd lose.
"Good, I'll send them in." The shop owner declared, smiling as she walked out the door.
Wincing as he reached over to open the drawer, Alastor took out the shirt, finding it was very soft to the touch. Well, it may not be his normal choice but it didn't seem terrible, although when he put it on, he found that Rosie was right. It was very large on his lean frame and had a tendency to slip off one shoulder whenever he shifted, leaving it constantly exposed. Sighing in annoyance, he decided it wasn't worth bothering with and let it hang how it wanted. Just then, a knock came from the door before it opened to reveal the group who had been kicked out earlier, with the exception of Cherri who was absent. They hesitated in the doorway and Alastor had the sudden urge to roll his eyes at their overly cautious attitude.
"Are you planning on standing there all day?" Alastor called out, taking pity on them. "That would be rather inconvenient for Rosie, I'm afraid. Well then, I suppose you'd better come in."
The tension now broken, Vox rushed forward and pulled Alastor into a tight hug. A quiet 'oof' escaped him as he was smothered in the crushing embrace of his friend. Managing to peek over the TV Demon's shoulder, he saw the others settle in a loose circle around his bed, keeping a polite distance between them and where he sat.
"Alastor, you scared the shit out of me!" He awkwardly patted the younger demon's back, ears flicking at his friend's distressed tone. "Fuck! Our deal almost came to an end. The thought of that happening was like a noose closing around my neck. I never want something like that to happen again, you asshole!"
"I will try my best not to be hurt in the future, old pal." He said, pulling away from the suffocating embrace.
Vox allowed him to do so, letting him go but not before reaching up to ruffle the hair between his antlers in a way that always caused the Radio Demon to pout like a child.
"You'd better, or else you'll have another thing coming," Vox smirked, taking a seat at the end of the injured overlord's bed.
Choosing to pay no mind to the quiet snickering from Angel Dust, Al fixed his hair with a slight glare at the other sinner.
"Alastor?" Charlie spoke, bringing his attention back to her and the rest of the hotel inhabitants. "How are you? Do you need anything?"
"I'm doing quite well, my dear. Do not fret." The man responded, taking a moment to observe the group.
Upon finding only concern, no sign of judgment, scorn, or ridicule, he let himself relax fully. He didn't trust easily, never had, but perhaps these people were worthy of that trust.
"I'm so glad!" The princess expressed, her eyes lighting up with genuine happiness. "We were all very worried about you. When I realized you were missing, I swear my heart stopped."
"Yeah, Smiles, we thought we'd lost ya for a while there." Angel joined in, a frown on his face as he hugged himself with two of his arms. "For fuck's sake, if it weren't for Vox we probably would have."
"I see," He said, uncertain how else to respond to the spider's uncharacteristic solemnity. "I apologize for the trouble I caused everyone."
"What the fuck, dude!" The spider yelled, toning it down when he noticed Al wince. "Don't apologize for almost dying, that ain't right. And it was no trouble neither, we were happy to help."
Angel's honest distress surprised him. He'd thought the porn star would have made an inappropriate comment about his exposed shoulder by now. It was a welcome revelation to find he'd been mistaken. Taking another look at the crowd, his gaze fell on Niffty. The little demon was holding herself entirely still, not moving a muscle. He smiled softly at her and opened his arms in invitation. Needing no further persuasion, the maid threw herself into his hold, snuggling into his chest. Choking back a hiss of pain, Al shifted her small form until she was tucked against his side instead.
"Oh, sir, I was so frightened. Please don't ever do that again. I don't want to break my promise to you!" She pleaded, rambling in the way she tended to do whenever she grew upset.
Having no idea what promise she was speaking of, the man simply nodded, not wanting to cause further distress.
"I'm sorry to have given you such a fright, dear one." He uttered, voice gentler than most have ever heard from the Radio Demon.
Noticing movement from the corner of his eye, Alastor turned his attention to the door where Rosie had reappeared. She moved forward, silently handing him a couple of pills along with a newly filled glass of water. Swiftly swallowing them, he drank half the water before setting the rest to the side. Turning his attention back to his friends, Alastor's smile widened.
"Glad to see you're feeling better, Boss," Husk spoke up, the deer's head tilting to the side in slight confusion.
While he knew the bartender didn't hate him, most of the time he acted indifferent.
"Why Husker, I didn't know you cared." He mocked, though there was no malice behind his words.
"Well I do," the feline replied, meeting Alastor's gaze head-on and leaving no question as to the sincerity of his words. "You may be an insufferable bastard but I ain't interested in working for no one else, so you'd best stay alive."
The deer stared in shock, maybe the other sinner cared more than he'd expected. It made a pleasant feeling spread through his body as his smile grew warmer.
"I'll remember that," Al stated, getting a firm nod from the other male.
Lowering his gaze, the injured demon turned to look out the window. He was feeling a little uneasy with all the emotions swirling in his heart. This was the first time he'd felt so accepted and cared for since landing in Hell, not counting when he was with Vox and Rosie, and it reminded him of better times... ones spent with his mother back before he'd fallen so far into sin.
"What are you thinking, Alastor?" A low voice broke the silence and he turned back to face the speaker.
He was presented with the sight of Vaggie, an uncommonly concerned expression directed his way while she stood at her girlfriend's side.
"I can see that you have something on your mind," she continued, crossing her arms. "We can't help if you don't tell us what's wrong."
"What does Vaggie mean?" Charlie spoke up, voice worried as she turned big eyes back on him. "Did you lie when you said you were okay?"
He stared at them in surprise, ears standing at attention and looking for all intents and purposes like a deer caught in the headlights. Turning to Vox for support, the TV Demon merely raised a teasing eyebrow at him. It was clear he wouldn't be any help.
'Fuck,' He thought to himself, rubbing a weary hand down his face. 'I must be more out of it than I thought if she can read me that easily.'
Deciding that if he was going to try trusting them this was as good a time to start as any, the overlord sighed in defeat before meeting the young woman's troubled gaze.
"No, I didn't lie." He said, at last, finding it more difficult than he'd hoped to keep eye contact. "All things considered, I think I'm faring rather well at the moment."
"Then what's going on?" The Princess of Hell pleaded, taking a step forward before lightly taking his hand in her own. "Whatever it is, you can tell us. We won't judge."
He tensed up but allowed the contact without so much as a word. Having no desire for a repeat of his earlier breakdown, Alastor took a minute to get his breathing completely under control. No one pushed him, they simply waited patiently for him to speak.
"I guess I... well... I wanted to thank you all... for caring, that is." He stuttered, feeling like a fool as his cheeks burned red. "I hadn't truly believed you would. Apart from Vox and Rosie, I've never been especially close to anyone besides my dear mother. Even as a human, I was ostracized for my differences. So thank you... for being there when I needed you."
Risking a glance around the room, the Radio Demon was startled to find that the inhabitants were all watching him with fond expressions. It was not a look he was used to receiving and he felt his blush deepen a bit before he cleared his throat in hopes of hiding his reaction.
"Aww, Al, you don't have to thank us for that," Charlie cooed softly, gently running her thumb over the back of his knuckles. "That's what friends are for, silly."
His eyes widened slightly, relief filling his heart at their acceptance before a yawn tore itself from his mouth. The princess chuckled as he ducked his head in embarrassment before releasing his hand and rising to her feet.
"We should probably let you get some rest, you're still healing, after all." She commented, smiling gently.
Everyone nodded along, not wanting to tire their friend out when he was still so weak. The group quickly said their goodbyes with Husk prying Niffty from where she was still snuggled against his side. Then, Rosie quickly began ushering everyone from the room until it was only Vox and Charlie who remained. The other overlord stood, stretched, and turned to Al with a large grin stretching the length of his screen.
"Get some rest, old timer, you could use it." His friend teased good-heartedly, pulling him into another crushing hug before backing off and sauntering out the door.
Letting out an annoyed huff at the man's antics, Alastor turned his gaze to the last remaining inhabitant of the room.
"If it's okay with you, I wanted to speak in private before you rest." She stated, wringing her hands. "I swear, it'll only take a moment."
An unfamiliar rush of concern flowed through his heart as he took a few seconds to scrutinize the Princess of Hell. She had let her smile fall now that they were alone, her bright eyes dulled by negative emotions too complex for him to decipher. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what had caused such a change. Had something happened after he'd lost to Adam? Something he wasn't aware of? Come to think of it, one member of the hotel has been conspicuously missing since he awoke. He remembered noticing it earlier but hadn't paid much attention at the time. Now, though, Alastor wondered if there was more to the snake's absence than he'd originally suspected. It had been his duty to protect the hotel and its inhabitants, but he'd failed. Now, he couldn't help but wonder if his mistake had cost the man his life.
Grabbing his left arm with the opposite hand, claws piercing through tender flesh in hopes of grounding himself, Alastor asked the question he feared he already knew the answer to. "Charlie? Where is Sir Pentious?"