Later on in the day Charlie was able to finish her relaxing bubble bath, insisted by Alastor, and then she decided for them to practice their Talent Show duet together in Alastor's Radio tower. His area was slightly bigger and it made the music sound much better with the acoustics. Charlie knocked on his door and before she could wait 3 seconds, Alastor appeared. He had cleaned himself up and changed into a clean outfit.
"Please don't just stand there, do come in!" Alastor stepped aside so Charlie could walk in. She looked around and seen that his room hadn't changed too much since she was last here. His deer skull was still proudly hanging on the wall and his bookshelves still had many dusty novels sitting cozy on them.
"Have you read all of those?" Charlie jerked her head toward the bookshelves. Alastor glanced over and shrugged.
"I have but some of them I haven't read in quite sometime. I should probably brush up on my French language skills some more." Alastor said casually as he walked over to his couch. Charlie immediately stopped in her tracks.
"Wait. You can speak French?" Alastor turned to face her and found her confused face simply adorable.
"I'm from New Orleans, Charlie. Of course I can speak French." Alastor sat down and patted the seat next to him. Charlie joined him on the couch, crossing her legs.
"Would it be weird if I asked you to say something in French?" Charlie couldn't hold back her grin. She had always loved the French language. So beautiful and luxurious, she wished she could speak it. Alastor looked to the ceiling in thought. When he thought of something, he leaned forward to Charlie ever so slightly. Charlie felt her heart patter a bit faster from his close proximity.
"Tu es la plus belle créature qui ait jamais honoré ma présence." Alastor said with a roll of his tongue. Charlie's eyes went wide as she instinctively tightened her legs. She was thoroughly surprised that he was so fluent.
"What did you say?" Charlie had to know because whatever he said was her new favorite sentence. Alastor quickly glanced from left to right.
"That I...that I can't wait to practice the piano with you!" Alastor quickly said as he conjured up a sleek black piano in front of them. The couch had turned into a piano seat, still just as comfortable with a red velvet cushion underneath them. Charlie yelped in surprise from the sudden movement beneath her.
"Well in that case, let's get started!"
Charlie knew that she probably should've went to talk to Vaggie first, but the Talent Show was tomorrow and they certainly needed to practice some more. Lucifer told her that he would make arrangements for Charlie to go to heaven tomorrow morning before the show so everything lined up perfectly.
Charlie began with the two beginning keys, then let her fingers dance fluidly. Before Alastor even joined in, she was already lost in the music. It really was a beautiful song. She closed her eyes, shocked that she was actually able to remember the keys so well. She felt the chorus come up and right when she was preparing herself for the harmony, something else joined in the melody that nearly made her fall out of her seat.
I'm here again, a thousand miles away from you.
A broken man. Just scattered pieces of who I am.
Charlie opened her eyes and looked over to her right and saw that Alastor too had his eyes closed but he was actually singing along with the song. His radio filter was off so his voice sounded like pure honey. She felt a frog form in her throat as she watched him become a part of the song. She couldn't stop herself from joining him when the chorus came.
Then I see your face. I know I'm finally yours.
I find everything I thought I lost before.
You call my name. I come to you in pieces.
So you can make me whole.
Alastor felt his breath catch slightly on the first chorus lyric when he realized that Charlie was singing along with him. He didn't even really mean to start singing, honestly. It just flowed out of him unexpectedly. He was sure that Charlie would stop playing and ask him to just play the sheet music, but when she kept playing he decided to continue. Something about the lyrics made him feel more relaxed. He remembered playing piano at dive bars before he died and he felt more alive now playing with Charlie than he did then. He would remember women winking at him and waving flirtingly from across the bar at him while he played and some part of his stomach spoiled from the sight of it. With Charlie here though, the imagery of Charlie winking at him while playing made him accidently miss a key during the song. They were slowly reaching the end and Alastor decided to look over at Charlie. His heart stuttered when he realized that she had been looking at him way longer than he had noticed. He looked into her eyes and like magnets, felt impossible to separate from her gaze.
Then I see your face. I know I'm finally yours.
I find everything I thought I lost before.
You call my name.
I come to you in pieces.
So you can make me whole.
The music faded into a whisper and it left Charlie and Alastor still looking into each others eyes.
"Was that...ok?" Charlie asked. She realized that she was somewhat out of breath which was odd. She took pride in her singing abilities and the song was no where near an up beat tempo to cause her breathing to be erratic. Alastor swallowed, making his Adams apple bob up and down.
"Perfect from what I could tell." Alastor's voice was a little more rough than Charlie was used to and it left her lower stomach fill with butterflies. Charlie nodded, eye contact still not breaking.
"Good. That's uh that's good." Alastor nodded slightly. His smile had weakened but not towards a frown. It was more of a softer smile than Charlie was used to. His grins were always crazed and intimidating. This one didn't look like a demonic smile though. It looked like a genuine display of happiness and Charlie suddenly felt her fingers touch Alastor's briskly on the cushion in between them.
Oh Satan was she leaning towards him?
No, he was leaning towards her? She couldn't tell who started it but she realized that their faces were growing closer and closer. She noticed Alastor glance so quickly at her lips that she could almost convince herself that she had imagined it. A part of her was telling to break the eye contact, to back away from him. To do something to stop this but another stronger part of her took over and said fuck it.
Her lips were so close to his that she could feel his quickened breath on her face. She was pleased to know that she wasn't the only one having a come apart here. She glanced down at his own lips and she ever so slightly cocked her head to the side-
"Hey Smiles, you in there! There's a new guest that needs a Hotel tour and I can't find Charlie!" Angel's voice boomed from the other side of Alastor's door. The interruption was enough to have Charlie and Alastor come back down to Hell. They backed away from each other and looked to the door. Charlie cleared her throat that was suddenly dry as sandpaper. She looked from the door back to Alastor and she noticed his horns growing ever so slightly. She heard him mumble something like 'perfect timing' but she couldn't be sure. Alastor got up and after brushing himself off, held out a hand to help Charlie stand up. She took it was a quivering palm, her knees attempting to buckle beneath her.
"Well erm it appears that we are ready for the Talent show, dear! Can't improve perfection and apparently there is a new guest that is in need of my assistance. So I suppose this is goodnight?" Alastor held his arms behind his back, his natural pose returning to him. Charlie, still trying to calm her heartbeat, nodded.
"Seems so! And we can't keep a new guest waiting! So I guess I'll just-"
"Helloooooo?! I hear you in there, Strawberry pimp!" Angel knocked on the door another time. Alastor rolled his eyes as he walked over and opened the door with a rush of air. Angel jerked back slightly from the abrupt movement and noticed Charlie behind Alastor, a piano even further back.
"Ooooohhhh you guys were practicing! My bad." Angel rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, smiling to where his gold tooth glimmered.
"No, don't be! Guests always come first! Besides, we were just finishing." Charlie glanced at Alastor and waved at him before she paced herself down the hallway.
Alastor sighed and had never felt so homicidal toward Angel Dust since he had met him. He was nervous about Charlie's visit to Heaven in the morning but hopefully she could find some answers to his affliction.
Something told him that he wouldn't be able to survive this wound much longer.
A/N: I almost got you didn't I? ;) Just wanted to pop in and say that the chapters might pause slightly this weekend! Friday me and my husband are getting tattoos (I'm getting Alastor!) and then Saturday I'm spending some quality time with family! Do not fret though, I will return soon after! Thank you! xx