"Me missing is like what?" asked the Radio Demon, after Charlie had mostly finished her retelling.

"Nothing!" She really had to stop being so detailed when she told Alastor anything. She couldn't stop the way her mouth rambled in paragraph long recounting. He always found something to jump on and torment her with. "It's a bit too… fitting now," she muttered.

Him missing was like a part of her soul went with him.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue," he said after a moment. "And I apologize for the part I played in that whole mess."

"You're getting good at that," Charlie commented, a grin tugging at her lips. "Apologizing."

"Oh?"

"It's the first step towards redemption," she said slyly.

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I would consider… returning to the hotel. There is still a show to be had, of course." He smiled, grateful, choosing any excuse that would do. It was hard not to be appreciative when the demoness came to his defense so ardently.

She returned his smile in spades. He was easy to persuade sometimes, maybe she was the one who could read him like a book instead. "Especially when you're the one causing the show in the first place."

"Mustn't keep the people waiting!" Alastor said, nodding along.

The pair sat in silence, the quiet of the ruined radio tower ringing in both their ears. But it was not an uncomfortable silence.

"It's funny, don't you think?" Alastor continued, examining his newly whitened skin.

"What is?"

"How dissimilar we are and yet our fates continue to be intertwined in such an inseparable way. Quite literally it seems, now," he said, admiring his hand more closely before cupping it over her shoulder.

He was right, she thought. They couldn't be more different. Belonging to different worlds, different outlooks, different callings and with different goals. And yet…

"'Bonded by the soul'…" she quoted in a mild wonder. She chuckled at the absurdity of it all. "I can never get rid of you now," she said, leaning in for a gentle hug against his waist. She felt the heat of his skin through the fabric of his ruined clothes. He was practically all shimmering blackness now. But hidden away from view, she could imagine this tender warmth as all belonging to him.

He brushed some hair behind her ear, smiling affectionately down at her. "And I, you."

Charlie stared up at him, her smile fading into a thin line.

And before she could second-guess herself, she brought herself up, closing the space between them, her face stopping inches from his own.

He eyed her with a probing look, his expression darkening into something deeper, something stark and expectant.

Hovering there, she hesitated, their breath mingling in the dense quiet. Her gaze dropped, lingering there for a beat too long, and then back up again. The air was thick with tension. A thin veneer acting as a barrier between them.

The world around them faded from view, and for a second Charlie could forget the truth of the matter. The chaos and uncertainty melted away and all that was left was her and her companion, caught in a whirlwind of unspoken truth. Her heart pounded, and for the first time, the intoxicating scent of him invaded her senses, making her dizzy. Why had she never noticed his smell before? She never allowed herself to, apparently.

She wanted to break through, to see in his eyes past the pale blinds any indication that might allow her to continue, something to push her over the edge and fall face first into the unknown.

But she couldn't allow herself this. So soon after Vaggie and after all that was still happening within the hotel and within her soul. It still felt wrong and frightful. Her hands curled into his jacket, holding him there, as her inner battle continued to rage.

Alastor's expression softened, his silent language becoming more vulnerable by the second as he watched the conflict flicker across her face. He moved closer, as if to respond; as if to act on her behalf…

But she had already pulled back, shaking her head in self-admonishment.

"What are we doing?" she asked, quietly, and suddenly fraught.

"Sitting in rubble," he offered, an attempt at levity. He re-collected himself, steeling his emotions back into place, the moment over as soon as it had begun.

She laughed but it came out closer to a sob. "You know what I mean…"

"What would you like me to say, dear?"

Anything but that.

"Nothing…" she relented, her inner tormentor punishing her again. She was so close to changing the very foundation of their relationship, as if it wasn't already rocked to its core every time they interacted. This was just the way Alastor was. And this was just the way she was. Bonds were important to her, and the impending doom of her business partner was enough for her to see this bond as something beyond the usual. But that doesn't make it so.

"Just that you'll come back with me and that you'll never leave my side again!" She could speak at the very least, her words overtaking her emotions.

This want. She'd have to tuck it away for later until she could understand it.

"A tall order," he smiled, radio voice wobbling in some unknown turbulence, "but I accept."

…

Arm in arm, they ascended back up to the waiting hotel. Its appearance unmarred by any of the recent internal drama.

To look upon it from below gave Alastor a mild unease. But a deal was a deal, and the princess on his arm would surely erupt were he to disappear again. His little escape acts were wearing thin on her, he could tell. And he wasn't sure just how much he had left in him to continue running away. Where would he even go next at this point?

Her grasp on him was firm, like a lifeline, and he couldn't tell who led who.

His mind was still unbalanced after that scene in the ruined radio tower. How much the two of them would continue to dance around one another, in this perpetual limbo. Though it's not like he did much to truly upset the balance, he thought. He could read her mind, as he always was sure he could, and what he sensed were only feelings of reluctance, guilt, and shame.

How quick he was to change the topic, to move on, to return to their status quo. Again and again. If it meant the demoness would be free from such troublesome feelings.

There was no real future for them, Alastor thought, weary with the burden of reality. Their unusual destinies traveling parallel into the distance, fated never to cross.

Though she still had hope at least, enough for the two of them.

And after the little fiasco with the soul-exchange… Maybe he could afford to have a little hope himself. As much as he refused to let Charlie complete the act of a full exchange, it did tell him that there were possibilities out there. Things they have yet to consider or discover.

His posture was a little straighter as they came upon the front door.

Charlie was eager to return, redemption activities still in the works, one stalled by his absence, apparently. As well as a new grand event that she continually glossed over.

"A lot happened while you were gone," she said again for the third time, as if that explained anything.

Near the doorway, Alastor pulled a scarf out of nowhere and wrapped it around his neck, hoping to disguise his mark. Everyone had seen it, but who's to know what they think they actually saw? The scarf was seasonably fashionable enough, though he was feeling a little pathetic about it. He patched up his ripped clothing the best he could as well.

Charlie watched him, getting an idea of her own. She asked to borrow a spare set of gloves if he had one. Her black palm would be concerning, to say the least, and she wanted to avoid even more questions that she was sure would pile up the moment they stepped inside.

Alastor summoned some from his bedroom, and she slipped her dainty hands inside. They fit comfortably, nearly perfect, like they were made for her. She fingered the unique gold stitching along the edges for a moment, wondering where they came from, before her companion quickly brought her attention back to the door.

Charlie pulled the front door open, the familiar sights and sounds accosting their senses. Alastor considered objecting, wondering if he could enter through some side door, teleport to his room unannounced, literally anything else, but it was already too late. He was back.

"Well look who the cat dragged in," drawled Angel, shooting an apology at Husk's annoyed look. "Nice scarf."

"We were starting to make bets on when you'd turn back up," said Husk, eyeing the pair's newfound fashion. Though he kept his questions to himself.

"BOSS!" screeched Niffty, her tiny form zooming across the lobby to crawl up Alastor's shoulders. She gripped him by the collar, single eye wet with messy tears as she pressed her face into his. "Where were you?" she said in a demonic wail.

"Told you, you were missed!" Charlie chimed in.

Alastor patted Niffty on the head, his smile returning with ease. "Pardon my absence, Niffty dear!"

Shawshank and Ama were in the lobby, by the fire. Upon their return, they stood and greeted them both.

It's like nothing had changed at all… if you weren't paying attention.

Angel looked sufficiently melancholy, despite his grin, browbeaten by what Alastor could guess were some choice words by Charlie and possibly Husk. Maybe even by Valentino himself?

Husk looked more apprehensive than usual, or perhaps annoyed? His fur stood on end.

And Niffty was… well, Niffty.

There was something in the air, a taste or smell of something that Alastor couldn't place. A sizzling of some sort, a crackling of energy. Electricity?

He turned to Charlie then, an eyebrow raised in newfound confusion.

"What happened while I was gone?" he finally asked, wanting a real answer.

Charlie had her hands behind her back, hesitant, as she rubbed her chin across her shoulder in a demure-like procrastination. "Well…" she coughed. "We needed a little help!"

"Charlie…" he warned, sensing something amiss about her expression. She refused eye-contact.

And in pure dramatic fashion, the door burst open behind them, and in waltzed Alastor's least favorite pair in all of Hell:

Seviathan and Vox.

They got right to it, swinging around from pillar to bannister and back again. Vox spun forward, his bright face flashing. Charlie barely even had time to throw a guilty look at Alastor before she was tugged away by a smirking Seviathan. He tossed glitter in the air, showering it upon Husk, Angel, and all present. A picture reminiscent of Mimzy's entrance once upon a time, though far less welcome.

When the two new entrants saw the Radio Demon staring them down in some virulent mix of detestation and hostility, the two dancers locked eyes, Seviathan stumbled over his feet, and Vox nearly lost all composure.

But then the infernal TV demon cleared his throat, and much to Alastor's displeasure, began to sing, not missing a beat. He faced the demoness, extended a hand and charged on, ignoring to the best of his ability the sizable red glare in his backside.

Back when this place was just devoid of souls
Never thought I'd see it reach its goals
Filled with dreams from our princess here
She had no clue, that much was clear!
Who in Hell could ever make the climb?
An idiotic, pointless waste of time
(Get to the point!)

But I was wrong and I see now,
If you'll allow
What I want to do right anyhow

'Cause I'm your savior (Your savior)
I'll be the one to help turn things around
'Cause I'm your savior
I'll do more than just be a dumb clown
Hon, I'm your savior
You didn't think I'd be the one to
Make all of your damn dreams come true
I'll be your savior
And I'll see it all through!

Alastor marched ahead, throwing an incredulous arm in the singing duo's direction. He looked accusingly at Charlie.

Why is he here? A try-hard little squirt?
He'll ruin us all, and I do mean to be curt,
Vox is not noble, always desperate to win
Why would we trust this place to some dim pervert?
Stop this trick, he's just so sad!

Oh, fuck off
You dick, you're just as bad!

I'll be your savior!
Coming to stop this fine spot from expiring!
I AM your savior!
And there are those in need of a firing!
It's bleak that a freak has run wild
But you must, darling trust, this grand brainchild–

A larger-than-life screeching emanated from Alastor's cane then, halting any possibility of singing and music. Everyone within the vicinity clutched their hands to their ears and cringed at the stinging sound. If Alastor had his way, he would do more than use his cane to disrupt these proceedings, but with the pulsing now at his neck, his only recourse was to be as noisy as possible.

"Christ, Boss! You're gonna make us deaf at this rate!" Husk shouted over the sound.

"Yeah Smiles, I need to be able to hear myself moanin–" began Angel.

Alastor clapped with heavy palms, his smile angry and mocking. "Oh, Vox, what a tempting new venture! A circus sideshow with a fish-faced side-kick! Well-done!"

"Better than any show you've put on in years!" spat back Vox, shoulders hunched from the interruption.

It'd been a while since the two exchanged verbal blows, Alastor feeling particularly hateful with the inclusion of Seviathan. The last he'd seen of him was that fateful little party mere days ago.

"That was so... FUN!" Charlie chimed in, stepping in between the two rivals, waving her hands like a distracting windmill. "I can't wait to get started. Thank you for stopping byyyy, Vox, so sorry, I'm a little busy right now! We'll need to discuss things at a later date!"

"But I– you said–"

"So sorry!" repeated Charlie, in a harried tone, a sliver of horns poking through. The sooner the TV demon was gone, the sooner the hotel could return to a peaceful neutral.

Alastor couldn't possibly afford to be antagonized right now, not after last time.

She shoved firmly against Vox's back, as politely as she could manage without being outright discourteous. Vox's slick shoes slid against the lobby floor, his arguments falling once more on deaf ears.

Before he could completely be made a fool of, Vox grimaced and let himself out. "I'll be back," he promised with an angry grin in Charlie and Alastor's direction, before disappearing in a bolt of electricity.

"And take your pet with you!" Alastor called out, indicating Sev.

Seviathan just crossed his arms. "Actually, I still live here, if you've forgotten."

Alastor turned back to the serpent, truly forgetting his place in all of this. His eyes began to glow with hostile intent. "You allowed this cretin back into the hotel? After the stunt he pulled?"

"Are you kidding? You started it!"

"You guys… don't do this…" Charlie said with less fire than he expected.

Alastor sneered. He hoped Charlie might've kicked him out for good. He shouldn't have hoped for that much from the forgiving hotelier. He'd have to plot his revenge against the fish freak at a later date, preferably without Charlie around. The Von Eldritch heir was only avoiding his wrath by the good graces of Charlie (and the Mark.)

He pivoted, his wide smile plastering itself on his face, a change of mood. "Then off to bed, young whippersnapper! The adults have work to do," he turned with a twist of his shoulders and began to usher Seviathan up the stairs with a prod of his cane.

"It's barely the afternoon! And I'm older than you!"

…

The duo entered their office at Alastor's behest once the hubbub downstairs had simmered back into typical. He demanded some privacy with Charlie, despite just having an abundance of it in the ruined radio tower. His gait was heavy, from annoyance or his recent recovery, and he practically dragged his business partner across the hotel.

Charlie did not protest either, relieved to have avoided a confrontation between Vox, Seviathan, and Alastor. There was some semblance of purpose returning to this place, (despite that what she was hoping to accomplish would naturally upset the balance of Heaven and Hell) and future goals in mind brought balance to her steps.

Surprisingly, it was Seviathan's idea to help the hotel with an ambitious, large-scale redemption activity that spanned all of Pride. An amazing race of sorts in which teams of Hotel residents traversed Hell, following clues, and performing charitable and gracious acts to demons along the way ('compliment a stranger!') Vox's cameras would follow and broadcast the "competitors" and make it a big event that no one in Hell would want to miss! It was foolproof!

Charlie loved it. She loved Hell and if she couldn't bring guests into her Hazbin Hotel, she ought to bring the Hotel to the outside world!

"Did you invite Vox here?" Alastor asked once they were alone. "And if so, pray, tell me, what possessed you? It's bad enough with the snake."

Charlie sighed, knowing she had some explaining to do. "After the whole… incident with Angel's relapse and you disappearing… I just really felt like I needed to do something. I called him to get things going with the event and… to see if he knew where you were." She looked at him then, gauging his reaction before continuing. "I'm sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear… But the event is really, truly, happening and you're back! I couldn't be happier for that."

Alastor clenched his teeth, biting back a retort. He wasn't mad at her so much as he was mad at himself. The second he had decided to leave the hotel, Vox had made himself at home with the princess. He wouldn't be making such a mistake again.

He calmed down, more quickly than he thought himself capable of. "I understand. And I won't be going anywhere for the foreseeable future." He threw her a more sincere smile that she gratefully returned.

The two locked eyes for a moment, an unspoken familiarity settling over them again.

…

She broke eye-contact first and sauntered over to her desk, missing Alastor's sudden pointed stare at the offending object currently occupying her work space.

It was a large vase of flowers, all the colors of the rainbow. Dazzling blues and purples, pinks and greens. It was an unusual set of specimens. Flowers he'd never even seen before on Earth. There was a delicate note tucked between the petals. It simply read: "I'm sorry."

She noticed his look and blushed. "Oh, Seviathan gave me these as an apology. He owes you one too. That was really not acceptable, what happened… and he knows it." Her tone was sharp at the end, the promise of some unseen punishment were Seviathan to make any more missteps.

Alastor ignored the idea of an apology from Seviathan, definitely not wanting one. He quickly stopped himself from burning the bouquet to ash. "Won over by such a paltry gift, my dear? I didn't realize you were so easily charmed."

Charlie put her hands on her hips. "Might I remind you of a certain incident in which you gave me flowers as an apology as well?"

"That was different," he replied, almost pouty, like a child.

The image made Charlie giggle. "How so?"

Alastor crossed his arms, his expression stubborn. "Because those flowers had meaning."

"Uh-huh," said Charlie, an uncharacteristic amusement dancing in her eyes. "And these flowers don't?"

"They're a bribe," Alastor said, wrinkling his nose.

Charlie wanted to laugh. On rare occasions, Alastor could be so endearing, even if it wasn't his intention. Something about that grumpy face of his all over flowers made Charlie smile.

"You're cute," she said out loud, voicing her thoughts. She slapped both hands against her mouth. Saying such a thing to the Radio Demon was forbidden!

Alastor blinked, taken aback by the sudden comment. Especially one as unexpected as that one. His haughty demeanor faltered for a split second before he re-composed himself.

Charlie's cheeks flushed crimson. When was her loose tongue finally going to tie itself in a knot? She was waiting for Alastor's reaction, whatever it may be. She expected some sort of mocking retort, not this speechlessness.

Oddly enough, it gave Charlie even more strength to speak.

"I didn't mean to say that, but I'm sticking by it!"

"Ahem, well– thank you, my dear," he finally spoke, failing to appear nonchalant. It was not the expected sarcastic response. He seemed at a loss for words, actually.

Time to double down. If this was the reaction it garnered from the often unreadable Radio Demon, Charlie couldn't afford to let it slip away. He said so much, so recently, in the ruined radio tower. Why stop now? She wouldn't be able to forget it, as much as they could pretend like nothing happened.

"It's true, you can be charming when you want to be! And adorable in your own way!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, my darling," he said, his radio voice wobbling. "Or perhaps, everywhere?"

Was that a hint of redness on his face? She wondered, feeling a surge of adrenaline.

Charlie took a careful step towards her business partner, testing his limit. What else could she goad out of him? "What if I called you what you call me all the time?"

"It certainly wouldn't seem right coming from those lips of yours," he said, without his usual edge.

"Alastor, my darling, my sweet–" Charlie tested out the words and grimaced. He was right, it did sound weird coming from her, like she was playing pretend as some old-timey human.

She looked back up at her companion and rather than the disaffected look she was expecting, Alastor was rendered inert, his hand splayed across his face in some horrid attempt to cover up the warmth spreading on his cheeks.

"Stick to what you know," he choked out.

...

AN: Sorry, couldn't resist adding another song lol. This one is sung to the tune of 'Dentist!' from the musical Little Shop of Horrors. If you're unfamiliar, highly recommend you check out the 1986 film, it's a classic!

Thanks for reading! Played around a little bit with the dynamics here, there's so much to explore with these two 3 I love flustered Alastor!