Radio stations flickered for a moment before landing on a familiar tune, warmed by the powerful reverberance of a trumpet and lifted with the brightness of a piano. Hands once again took hold of her, fitting into the dip in her waist to pull her closer as they fell into rhythm. Trying her best not to watch her feet as they swayed to the music, she allowed herself to be swept away in the romance of the moment. Clover had only meant to comfort him with a change of pace, selfishly drawing out their time together in the process, and as usual had gotten herself tangled up further into something she was struggling to handle. When the tune became more recognizable, she began to hum along absentmindedly, only breaking from the odd spell she'd cast over herself when Alastor turned her once again. Arms crossed over her chest, her heart stopped as her back once again met his chest, and Clover was sure he felt the shiver that traveled down her spine as he once again fell into a probably accidental seduction.
"You're familiar with this one, I assume."
"I think I heard it in a French film once."
"I didn't know you understood French."
"Oh, I don't, I just watch with subtitles, I just like their films…"
He hummed, spinning her outward before pulling her towards him again, the confidence in his smile stirred up the butterflies that had taken up permanent residence in her stomach, but they were set loose in a flood upon her nerves when he began to softly sing.
"Il est entré dans mon cœur, une part de bonheur dont je connais la cause.
C'est lui pour moi, moi pour lui dans la vie,"
Clover blinked, unable to stop the twitching of her fingers as they clutched the fabric of his shirt and wove their way between his, allowing herself only the smallest of glances upwards to convince herself that this was actually happening, finding sharp teeth still pulled into a soft smile as Alastor continued.
"Et dès que je l'aperçois, alors je sens en moi, mon cœur qui bat."
He led her to circle around the fountain, pushing back on her hips gently and making sure to keep her heeled feet on the solid stone. The soft mist that chilled her skin turned her head, the vision of the fountain slowly coming to life as the sun rose bringing a smile to her lips. It was too perfect of a moment to be real, Clover partway through convincing herself that her cocktail of substances had gifted her with rose colored glasses when Alastor twirled her again, pulling her against him as she stumbled and smiling down at her as she hid herself out of shyness.
"Des nuits d'amour à plus finir, un grand bonheur qui prend sa place, les ennuis, les chagrins s'effacent,"
Completely unsurprised by the pleasant timbre of his voice, her cheek turned to fall against his shoulder, protected from passing into more intimate territory and the possibility of smearing makeup onto his shirt by the back of her hand, fingers relaxing into the dark fabric as clawed fingers dipped into the small of her back to comfortably rest as they were drawn closer together.
"Quand il me prend dans ses bras, il me parle tout bas, je vois la vie en rose."
The radio quality of both Alastor's singing and musical accompaniment only painted their picture in deeper color, the fondness for the aesthetics of the man currently pulling her deeper into the pit of infatuation settling heavily in her chest. Clover tried to keep the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks at bay, her brow furrowing at the swell of emotions that were flooding her senses. This was too perfect, something had to be lurking beneath the surface that was going to go horribly wrong and break her to pieces all over again, she didn't deserve whatever this was. Alastor was too good for her, even with all his faults and skeletons he barely kept concealed, she was obsessed with this version of himself that he'd revealed to her. She knew that she was in far too deep to get herself out of this now, everything was up to him. Whether she sank or swam was entirely up to if Alastor truly cared for her or not, and the fact that she was completely alright with the notion was the most concerning part of it all.
The tears threatened to fall freely when the tickle of his hair brushed against her temple, the sound of his voice sinking into her skin with unprecedented softness.
"Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie. Et dès que je l'aperçois, alors je sens en moi, mon cœur qui bat."
She couldn't help the undignified squeak that left her as her stomach dropped, tightening her grip as he dipped her backwards, unable to do anything but allow her weight to be held up by him with little help from her own two feet. Alastor laughed openly, pulling her back up as the momentum twirled them around the fountain once more, catching his contagious cheerfulness as they fell apart into a fit of giggles as the song ended. They didn't let go of each other even as the laughter died, the chime of a clock tower somewhere deeper in the colony turning their attention to the rising sun. When she looked back up at him, Clover found herself caught up in yet another confusing expression warping the smiling demon's face.
"Al?"
His brow furrowed further, a smile barely twitching the corners of his mouth as he looked down at her. He snapped himself out of it a moment later, releasing her from his grasp and taking a step back with a short cough to clear his throat. His cheerful facade was more transparent than usual as he smiled through the static that rose around him.
"Shall we get you home then?"
Clover could only nod, allowing him to lead her back to the bench they'd been sitting on so he could collect his coat, nearly catching it on the nearby rose-bush before draping it around her shoulders once again before offering her his arm. As reluctant as she was for this night to come to an end, it was going to have to happen sooner or later, an eternity with Alastor seemed like asking too much. Clover gathered her courage and linked her arm with his, smiling up at him as she took comfort in their closeness and followed beside him as the duo made their way out of the Cannibal Colony.
Neither of them noticed the fallen petals that fluttered to the damp grass behind the previously occupied park-bench, not even as they wilted only slightly before falling still in shadows.
When they'd reached the hotel, she'd expected Alastor to drop her at the front door once again, slightly startled when he reached for the doorknob and allowed her to step inside before following after. Clover was kept completely on her toes as he stayed with her as they passed by the empty bar to head up the staircase, Alastor completely confident with his direction as he accompanied her down the hallway of empty hotel rooms. Clover slowed as they neared her room, a buzz of uncertainty settling under her skin as Alastor made no move to turn back. She knew he wasn't planning on coming inside with her, she knew him too well for that, but whatever he was leading up to was impossible for her to guess. He regarded the golden "13" on her door with mild amusement before turning to her, unwinding his arm from hers.
"I apologize for keeping you so early into the day."
Clover blinked, dumbly, slightly taken back by the statement but endeared by him nevertheless. She couldn't help but laugh softly as she replied, watching his brow quirk in interest as she dropped his jacket from her shoulders and folded it over his arm.
"I had a wonderful time, I wouldn't have rejected a few hours more."
"Perhaps another time."
Her heart leapt into her throat as he stepped closer, forcing her head to tilt upward to look at him as he reached past her, the click of the lock echoing through the empty hall as the door knob turned. A wild flurry of reckless risques overtook her mind for only a moment, Clover choking back the hormonal hopefulness with a shaking breath as he pulled away from her once again. Her hand was caught in his, her vision blurring as he pulled it towards him, stopping just short of pressing her knuckles against his lips to smile at her before contact was made.
"Till then, my friend."
Even through the cursed gloves that separated them, the softness of his smile sent a shiver down her skin that pushed her back against the doorframe, Clover unable to tear her eyes away from the kiss until long after her hand was dropped to her side. Lips turned into a gleeful smile as Alastor tilted his head at her, her own struggling to find any words to fill the silence.
Alastor finally seemed to take pity on her, bowing slightly at the waist before stepping further away from her.
"Goodnight, Clover."
Finally finding her voice, she met his eye, uncaring at the soft crack of her nerves that altered her whisper.
"Good morning, Alastor."
He laughed as he turned away, his radio clicking to life with a heavy melody that echoed down the hallway behind him. Clover ducked into her room quickly when he paused, ears twitching towards her. The door shut with a sharp click, Clover's lungs screaming for air as she finally allowed herself a heavy breath into the silence of her room. It unleashed a fluttering that pushed against her nerves, pooling under her skin and pulling her slips into a wide smile as she began to giggle. Her back met the wood of her bedroom door as the reality of the night settled over her, unable to deny the truth of what the night they'd shared.
That was undoubtedly, a date with the Radio Demon.
The realization popped the growing bubble of pure joy that was forming inside of her, tense muscles flexing rapidly as she allowed herself a soft squeal. Her feet left the ground momentarily, Clover's stomach dropping at the change in gravity as she hopped, missing the landing as the shock of what she'd done set in. Landing in a heap on the floor, Clover covered her mouth quickly, falling silent and listening for any remaining echo of radio static in the hallway behind her. The soft throb in her skull only concerned her slightly, rubbing the small bump that was forming from her collision with the ceiling as she climbed to her feet.
Her heels were forgotten by the doorway, kicked hap-hazardly from her slightly aching feet as Clover began the painful process of removing her attire. She tried to ignore the tingle that still sat against the back of her hand as she removed her gloves, taking care in placing them alongside her other accessories. Her dress took its place hung on her bathroom door, Clover becoming more negligent as she removed her undergarments, tossing her slip into the box that still sat on top of her bed in a heap. A glance at herself in the mirror paused her, Clover tilting her head at the flushed woman in vintage lingerie that looked back at her. Her fingers pressed against the back of her hand, willing the buzzing under her skin to stop, but her heart willed the shadows that stretched out from her curtained window to take shape. She knew she was being ridiculous, she was letting herself get away with being a hopeless romantic in the worst place possible, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. As many walls she could build around herself, there was nothing stopping the chaos that went on behind them.
A familiar burn settled into her as she remembered every moment spent near Alastor, clinging to the feeling of his hands pressing into her and letting it wander, tearing her eyes away from the truth in the mirror's image as she walked back until her heels hit something solid. Clover looked down at the rustle of paper, finding the bag from her shopping trip with Angel toppled over at her feet. She quickly crouched down, shoving her embarrassment aside as she tossed clothing aside in search of what she knew sat at the bottom beneath neon pink tissue paper, pulling open the box with shaking fingers and leaving a trail of packaging behind her as she made her way towards the bathroom sink. The familiar feeling of damp silicone caused the burn in her gut to sink lower, her shyness thankful that the wand's shape wasn't something more mortifying as she quickly dried it off. Her corselette was clumsily opened to give her room to breathe as she began to struggle through her anxious apprehension, shoving it aside in favor of the ache that pulsed at the same timbre of the voice that echoed through her skull, laced thick with static and charisma.
Clover fumbled with the light switch for only a moment, blinking into the darkness as she listened for another sound beside her shaking breath. When all was quiet she pressed her fingers into the silicone held between her fingers, whispering a hopeful prayer that her own misguided desire hadn't doomed her with a dead battery and nearly crying from relief when the toy buzzed to life between her palms. Her back hit the cool silk of her bedsheets as her mind gave into it's want to wander, bombarding her with a montage of yearning as she desperately clawed at the fastens of her garters until they came free with a sharp slash of claws and teeth. She hesitated only slightly, knowing she was crossing into a point of no return as padded fingers slid over slick skin and her body convinced itself of the feeling of leather instead.
Closing her eyes, she squeezed tightly until the darkness shifted into a crimson not unlike the gaze she was longing to be looming over her, and with a final breath into the shadows, Clover accepted her demise;
And allowed herself to drown in it.