Authors Note: If you haven't heard the song Pieces by Red please do so before reading this chapter! It's so nice and there's a piano cover on YT by Michael Matat that is beautiful! I hope everyone is still enjoying the story! Thank you! xx
Charlie woke up with a slight stiff neck and crusted drool on her face. She sat up and realized that it was dark outside. She had slept the entire afternoon away! She bolted up and looked at the clock. It read 10:36 p.m. She flew the covers off and let a slew of curse words fly from her mouth as she tried to organize herself. She didn't expect to sleep the rest of the day away, she just wanted a few hours to reset herself. Like a ton of bricks she remembered the issue she had avoided earlier.
"Fuck me." Charlie grumbled to herself, letting a hand drag over her face. She was sure that she still needed to do some paperwork and lay the groundwork for the performance that was organized earlier. She felt constricted by the pantsuit that she slept in so she changed into her more comfortable red and black pajamas. She let her long hair down and brushed it through so it wouldn't be tangled later. Once she felt like a person again she left her room and made her way to her office that was just two doors down. She went in and noticed a stack of papers neatly placed with a sticky note on it. She lifted the note and noticed very nice handwriting.
Charlie,
I couldn't help but notice that you were taking a nap so I took the liberty of finishing your paperwork for you. The details of the Talent Show are contained in the document to your left. If you have any questions, you know where to find me.
Alastor
Charlie smiled as she put the note down and confirmed that there was a well typed document on the left side of her desk. She picked it up and began to read as she plopped down in her swivel chair. She was surprised to see how many people were actually participating! It even contained a cocktail list that Husk put together for her approval. Everything looked so well put together, which she assumed was Alastor's doing. She loved everyone, but organization wasn't their strong suit. The song of choice for Angel and Cherry's dance number was 'Beast' by Mia Martina and Waka Flocka. She didn't recognize the song but was sure it would be high energy like the duo themselves. She looked at the slot that had Alastor and her name and a song was written next to it. Pieces by Red in neat handwriting. Alastor's handwriting. She had never heard this song before so she was interested to find out what it sounded like.
She returned to her room and conjured up her piano along with sheet music she found on the internet that went with the song. She realized that it also had lyrics which threw her off. Were they expected to sing too? Surely not since it wasn't mentioned but anything could've been added since she wasn't at the meeting. She read the lyrics and felt her heart swell. The lyrics were heartbreakingly beautiful. Very raw and emotional to the point that Charlie's eyes welled up. Did Alastor choose this song? Did he know what the lyrics were when he chose it? Now she was even more convinced that they weren't supposed to sing this. She started to play the keys following along with the music sheets and realized that song without the words was just as beautiful. She easily followed along and was quickly absorbed into the melody. It was slow and sweet and perfect for her. She stopped and took another look at the lyrics and figured there was no harm in singing a little while she familiarized herself with the song.
I've come undone
But you make sense of who I am
Like puzzle pieces in your eyes
When 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
She had to admit that the lyrics were quite lovely. She continued to mumble the lyrics while playing more and she suddenly felt eyes on her. She stopped and looked toward the door and saw a familiar silhouette standing there.
"You could always knock you know." Charlie commented as Alastor approached her casually.
"I could but I didn't want to interrupt your riveting performance." Charlie rolled her eyes and placed her hands in her lap.
"It wasn't all that, Alastor." She paused and looked up at him. "Did you choose this song?"
"No, I'm afraid I trusted Angel with the song selection considering everyone shot down all of my suggestions." He said with slight annoyance in his tone. Charlie stifled a giggle.
"Oh ok. Well it's a beautiful song!" Charlie said in a lighter voice. Alastor walked behind her to read the sheet music, which also had the lyrics underneath the notes.
"Hmm. Seems so." Alastor was pretty content with the melody. Nothing spectacular and of course not his exact taste in music but it was passable. He lowered his gaze to the lyrics and felt his heart skip.
He was definitely going to drop Angel Dust from a high roof.
"Are you ok, Alastor? You seem more pale than usual." Charlie could almost see the color drain from his face, which was saying something because he hardly ever had color in his face to begin with. He cleared his throat and straightened his back.
"Perfect as punch, my dear. If you don't like this song selection we can always choose something else." Alastor wasn't one to pray, well ever, but he sent a small one to anyone who would hear him that Charlie would reject this song. It was as if the lyrics were materialized from his own heart and he really loathed that he didn't do more research into the song before he wrote it next to their names.
"No, I mean I like it! It's beautiful." Charlie began to play more of the melody and Alastor couldn't help but hum along with her. She glanced up as she continued without stopping.
"Were you wanting us to actually sing this?" Charlie's throat tightened almost painfully and she felt like her organs were vibrating. Why was she so nervous about the possibility that Alastor would say yes?
"I...I will let you make that choice, dear. It's certainly not out of my voice range. But as I said, if it's not something you'd prefer then-"
"I'd like to. If that's ok with you? I just feel like the song would be incomplete without the lyrics." Charlie had no clue what prompted her to agree to this, but she just followed her gut feeling. Part of her actually wanted to hear Alastor sing this. He fixed his monocle nervously, stalling to the best of his ability.
"Consider it done!" He eventually replied with a slight edge to his voice. Charlie smiled as she started to play the chorus. She noticed that Alastor was standing right behind her, still as a statue. She could almost feel his lower abdomen touching her upper back and it made her breathing a little heavier. She needed him to move.
"Would you like to practice? Since you're already here?" She stopped playing and flipped the music sheets to the first page. Alastor carefully leaned his microphone against her bedframe as he took his seat next to her. He couldn't help but notice that she had changed into her silk pajamas that hugged her curves perfectly and her golden hair let loose, cascading down her back. Moments like these reminded Alastor that she was in face part angel.
"Ready when you are." He said as he raised his hands to the keys. Once she began to play he quickly joined her. They went through the entire song in perfect harmony. It sounded like they had played this song together for many years rather than for the first time. Charlie sighed contently.
"That was pretty good, wasn't it?" Charlie looked at her partner for confirmation. He gave a slight nod.
"I have to say, I am impressed by how well it sounded." Charlie noticed that it seemed like he wanted to add something else, but hesitated.
"Was there something else?" Charlie was slightly worried that he was holding back his critiques to spare her feelings. Was she not as good as she thought she was? Anxiety nipped at her brain hoping that he hadn't been lying to her.
"Could we perhaps...try it with the lyrics?" Alastor could've laid down and died again from the embarrassment he was feeling in that moment. Him and Charlie had sung duets before but nothing like this. He knew that their voices melted together well and he really wanted to know what it sounded like singing these lyrics. He had to stop himself from grinding his teeth into dust from frustration. Day by day he was losing his restraint with her. His ability to reject any advances towards her were crumbling before his eyes.
Charlie's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. She wasn't expecting that request at all.
"Oh um...yeah we could!" Charlie readied her fingers again before either one of them could back out.
They began to play and when the lyrics came, they seemingly harmonized perfectly. Alastor started off a little quieter at the beginning but as he continued he got more comfortable and let his voice crescendo. Both of them got lost in the music, forgetting where they were. Alastor felt like he was leaving his bare heart out on the piano lid from feeling so exposed. He noticed though that he didn't have any anxiety with it. It felt almost natural to be experiencing this with Charlie. With his lower register meshing with her higher, the song itself sounded like a beautiful hymn. Alastor would steal a glance at Charlie ever so often and would see her eyes closed as she sang and played. She had apparently already memorized the entire song and Alastor was just in awe of her. Her little tweaks of her smile as she sang the chorus or her voice break when she accidently hit the wrong key once. He was amazed by her composure through the piece and he realized that he had stopped singing. He was only playing along on the keys and his eyes were glued to her. The song came to an end and Charlie didn't realize that Alastor had been looking at her for the majority of the song. She looked at Alastor with a shy smile.
"Um W-Was that ok?" Charlie tucked some hair behind her ear shyly.
"No it wasn't." Alastor replied quickly. Charlie felt like her heart had fallen to her ankles until he reached over and placed his hand on top of hers that was resting on her knee.
"It was divine."
Charlie felt her whole face go scarlet, no way of talking herself out of that. She felt her hand tinging under Alastor's and she couldn't control her nervous giggle that escaped her lips. What in the hell was happening to her?
"Thank you, Alastor. You were pretty great yourself."
"Oh don't give me so much credit. I'm only as great as my partner."
Charlie leaned her head to one side, still looking at him.
"So that means you were divine."
Oh. Oh no. Alastor thought. He had a new urge flash through his mind and it took all of his supernatural strength to not vanish back to his room.
He wanted to kiss her. Godamnit he wanted to kiss her badly.
