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Alastor needed to speak with Charlie about some renovations they were planning, but hadn’t seen her that evening. “Has anyone seen Charlie?”
“She’s out.” Husk replied, drawing a card from the deck.
“Out? What does that mean?”
Angel looked at him like he was stupid. “It means she’s not here.”
“I’m aware, I was referring to the reason she was out. She usually says something.”
“She’ll be back. Maybe not tonight though.” Angel gave Husk a knowing smile and wiggled his eyebrows.
“I didn’t realize she was planning to be away.”
“She’s got a DATE, grandpa.” Angel rolled his eyes.
“Oh. Well if she doesn’t return by midnight, I’ll make sure she’s alright.”
“Hold up, strawberry, you can’t go cock blocking charlie.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t WHAT?”
“The chick never gets to go out, so I’ve set her up with a good lookin’ rich guy. She needs to get some and you don’t need to interrupt it.”
“I still don’t- oh. ” He cleared his throat. “I see. Yes, I wouldn’t want to…interrupt. If one of you sees her before I do, please tell her I need to speak with her about the renovations.” He disappeared into the shadows and up to his room.
So Charlie had a date? Interesting that she hadn’t mentioned it, since they shared an office. After two years of working together, he’d become adept at reading her moods. She hadn’t seemed any different when he spoke to her earlier.
She should’ve said something though. Not that it was a date, he didn’t care about that, but because they were partners. Partners should know where the other partner was at all times, right? And if he’d known she was away, he wouldn’t have wasted time searching for her. It was just courteous!
His evening plans had involved going over the renovations with her, so now he was unsure of what to do. He supposed he could read something, since he had time to spare. It was then he realized how much of his life and schedule revolved around Charlie. Waking up before her and fixing coffee and breakfast, working in the office with her during the day, attending the team building exercises in the evening, and all the other times his life seemingly revolved around her.
He watched the clock. 9:30, still no Charlie. 10 o’clock, still no Charlie. He paced the floors and felt a gnawing sense of anxiety. Why did it bother him so much that she wasn’t back? It was unsafe for a young woman to be out alone at this hour! Though he supposed she wasn’t alone. He could send his shadow to find her but might end up seeing something he didn’t want to see.
She’s back, his shadow alerted him some time later. Without a second thought, he popped up in front of her in the lobby. “THERE you are!”
“AUGH, Jesus, Al!” Charlie clutched her chest. “You scared the shit out of me!”
“Apologies. I’ve simply been awaiting your return to discuss the renovations.” She looked pretty, though truthfully she was always pretty, but he could tell she’d put in extra effort. Her lashes looked longer and darker and her hair hung loose down her shoulders instead of tied back. She wore a simple red dress in place of her red suit.
“Oh, could it wait until the morning?” Charlie asked. “It’s kind of late.”
“I know, I wasn’t aware you would be occupied this evening. I do wish you’d said something, I wouldn’t have wasted my own evening waiting for you.”
Charlie’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Al. I should’ve said I’d be away. If you’re not tired, let’s go over those plans, ok?”
He kept her perhaps a bit longer than necessary, but he’d waited all evening for her. While he debated about tile patterns around 1 AM, he noticed Charlie had fallen asleep on the couch in their office. He considered waking her up, but decided she looked too peaceful to disturb. He used his shadow tentacles to gently pick her up, then teleported into her room upstairs. He made sure not to disturb her slumber as he pulled the covers back and tucked her into bed. He smiled at the sleeping girl once more before returning to his room.
Charlie smacked her alarm when it went off and rolled out of bed. Wait, how had she gotten here? And why was she still in her dress? She stumbled over to her closet and tossed the dress over her shoulder, putting on a pair of comfy pajamas. She was starving, so she shuffled downstairs in her pajamas. A quick glance in the mirror reminded her she hadn’t taken her makeup off last night, and it was now smeared all over her face. Oh well, not like she was gonna run into anybody this early.
“How was your date?”
Charlie jumped and clutched her chest. “You have to stop doing that, Al! You’re gonna give me a heart attack!” She’d been standing in the kitchen, about to pour a cup of coffee, when Alastor had appeared right in front of her, causing her to drop her mug. Damn.
“So how was it?”
“What?” Charlie blinked at him.
“How was your date?”
She blinked again. “Al, it’s 6 AM and I haven’t even had coffee yet.”
He handed her a cup he’d prepared for her and she took her usual seat at the counter. Alastor slid a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her with a smile.
“You really don’t have to do this every morning, Al. But thank you, I appreciate it.”
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! And I’m an early riser.” He sipped his own coffee and leaned back against the counter. “So. How was your date?”
Charlie chewed her bacon and tried to decide how to respond. “It was ok. He was nice, but we didn’t really have a lot in common.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He didn’t look sorry at all.
“Sorry I fell asleep last night. I’m assuming you’re the reason I woke up in my bed?”
“I certainly couldn’t have left you on that couch! Why, your back would be in knots!”
“Thank you. It was very thoughtful of you. And I’m really sorry for not telling you I was going out.”
Alastor waved his hand nonchalantly. “Water under the bridge, my dear.”
It was about noon and Charlie and Alastor were working in their office when there was a knock on the door. “It’s open!” Charlie called out.
The door opened and there was a large bouquet of flowers. An imp was struggling to carry them. “Delivery for Charlie Morningstar?”
“Oh! Thank you. Let me take those, they must be awfully heavy.” She took the flowers and set them on her desk. She turned to thank the imp but he was gone. “Those guys are so FAST!”
“Quite the display. Am I to assume they’re from your date?” Alastor tried his best to not sound annoyed.
Charlie plucked the card and read it, then blushed. “Yep, they’re from Daniel. He said nothing compares to my beauty, but these flowers were the best he could do. That’s so cheesy, right? But also romantic.”
“I suppose so, if he only values your physical attributes.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t, he was just trying to compliment me.” Charlie looked at the flowers, then grinned at Alastor. “No one has ever sent me flowers before!”
“Never? That’s a shame. Though I don’t see the appeal. They smell far too strongly and die quickly. I would think a practical gift would be more appropriate.”
“I think if he’d sent me a stapler, I’d be more confused than flattered. Though I would appreciate it, because mine sucks.” She sniffed the flowers and sighed. “I should call him and thank him. Or is it too soon? Maybe I should just text him. Then I can plan what I want to say…”
They’d just wrapped up their team building exercise for the evening, they’d been doing trust falls, and Alastor was helping Charlie clean up. They had many more residents now and they always ended up making a mess. “I’m gonna go put the cushions away.” Charlie picked up the cushions they used when someone was undoubtedly dropped, and headed to the storage closet.
Alastor was sweeping when he heard the door open. “Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! How can I help you?”
There was a tall, handsome demon with a lion mane standing by the door wearing an expensive business suit. “Hi, I was looking for Charlie Morningstar?”
“And is she expecting you?”
“No, but I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d say hi.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Daniel. If she’s not here, could I leave a message?”
“I suppose so.” Alastor glared.
“Could you tell her I stopped by and that I’d love to see her again? I’d really appreciate it.” He handed Alastor a twenty dollar bill.
“I’m sorry, what is this for?”
“It’s a tip. I always tip the help.”
Daniel was about to lose a limb.
“Daniel? What are you doing here?” Charlie entered the lobby.
“Charlie! Hey! I, uh, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d say hi.”
“In the neighborhood?”
“Alright, I wanted to see you.” He chuckled nervously.
“Well isn’t that just adorable!” Alastor smirked.
“Could you give us some privacy?” Daniel glanced at Alastor.
“Oh! I’m sorry, let me introduce you guys. Alastor, this is Daniel, Daniel, this is Alastor.”
“A pleasure!” Alastor’s grin was strained.
“Nice to meet you. I’m kind of surprised you’re on a first name basis with your employees! I figured as the owner you did mostly administrative stuff.”
“Oh no! Al and I do everything around here. Earlier we were on our hands and knees scrubbing the tile in the upstairs bathroom.”
“We sure do. Charlie and I work very closely to maintain the hotel.” Alastor wrapped an arm around Charlie, who gave him a confused look.
“You don’t have people for that? You and the bellhop do the cleaning?”
“Bellhop? Oh, no! Alastor is my business partner! Co owner of the hotel.”
“Oh! YOU’RE the radio demon?”
“Correct!”
Daniel looked surprised. “Huh. You’re not what I was expecting.”
“And what were you expecting?”
“I dunno, I guess someone a bit more…intimidating.”
Charlie saw Alastor’s grin grow razor sharp and his eyes begin to glow. “WELL, thanks for stopping by, if you’ll excuse us we have to finish cleaning up for the night, come on, Al!” She practically dragged Alastor away. His head turned nearly all the way around as he gave Daniel his most terrifying grin, then snapped his head sideways. He saw Daniel jump and knew he’d rattled him.
Charlie shoved him into the office and shut the door, leaning against it. “Phew! I figured he was a dead man.”
“He was about to be.”
“Well thank you for not killing him.”
“I hope you’re not actually considering seeing the sleaze again. He was incredibly condescending.”
“Yeah I think I’ll have to pass.” Charlie sighed. “Ugh. Why is it so hard to find a nice guy?”
“Well for starters, we’re in hell.”
Charlie chuckled. “A valid point.”
A few weeks passed and Charlie and Alastor were hard at work on the renovations. It was a Friday evening and Charlie seemed anxious.
“Something wrong, dear?”
“Oh, um, well…I have a date.”
Alastor frowned. “Surely not that Daniel fellow again?”
“Definitely not! I met this guy online.”
“ONLINE?”
“Yeah, on a dating website. Angel made me a profile. I told him I’d give it a shot.”
“That seems incredibly dangerous.”
“Why? I’m Lucifer’s daughter. I’m not as weak as I look.”
“I just worry that you’ll meet some unsavory individuals.”
“We’re in hell, unsavory individuals are everywhere. I’ve gotta go get ready.” Charlie left the office and headed up the stairs. Alastor decided to man the front counter (and check out Charlie’s date.)
45 minutes later, a demon with horns like a bull entered the hotel. “Hi. I’m supposed to meet a Charlie here?”
“You were, were you?” Alastor smiled. “I’m afraid something came up and she’s unavailable.”
“Oh. Did she wanna reschedule?”
Alastor sighed. “I was attempting to spare your feelings. She’s not interested in you.”
“Seriously? Why didn’t she say something before I came all the way here?”
“Don’t shoot the messenger! Sorry you wasted your time.” The bull demon left and Alastor smiled smugly.
Charlie checked the time again. “Should I message him and see if he’s running late?”
“My dear girl, it’s been an hour. I’m afraid you’ll have to cut bait. Besides, he should’ve been waiting with bells on if he had the opportunity to take you out!”
“You’re sweet. I’m starving. Wanna grab a bite to eat?”
“Sounds splendid!”
This happened several times. Charlie’s date wouldn’t show up, she’d be disappointed, Alastor would cheer her up by taking her out instead. Charlie was beginning to get suspicious.
“Not that you don’t look lovely, but shouldn’t you go get ready for your date?” Alastor asked.
“Nope! Just gonna wait right here. I mean, what’s the point? They don’t show up anyway.”
Shit. How was he going to get rid of her dates now?
Angel was outside the hotel smoking a cigarette when he saw a handsome demon approaching. Before Angel could even think of a come on, the demon was yanked off his feet by an invisible force. “Holy shit!” Angel rushed towards the screaming demon who was being dragged away. What was going on?! Then a black tentacle shot out of the ground, wrapped around the demon, and flung him into the distance. Alastor.
“Hey strawberry, I need to talk to you. Got a minute?”
“What is it?”
“It’s private. I just wanna throw some ideas around.”
Alastor’s eyes narrowed. “Certainly. Excuse us.”
Alastor took Angel into his office and shut the door.
“What is it?”
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
“Cut the shit, I saw you throw that guy. It was Charlie’s date, wasn’t it?” Alastor was silent. “Is that what you’re been doing with all of her dates?” More silence. “You and I can have a conversation about this or me and Charlie can. Your choice.”
Alastor sighed. “The others I just spoke with and said Charlie changed her mind. They’d arrive while she was getting ready. She just thinks they don’t show up. But she stayed this time, so I had to be a bit creative.”
“I’m gonna ask the obvious question here. Why?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Which are?”
“Private.”
Angel nodded. “Just what I thought. You want her for yourself.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Alastor scoffed.
“Ok, if that’s not it, why are you using her dates for target practice?”
Alastor was trying to think of an answer and realized he was struggling. “Because we’re in the middle of a big project and I can’t afford for her to be distracted right now.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You want her for yourself.”
“I do not! But have you seen these imbeciles that try to court her? They don’t deserve to be anywhere near her!”
There was a beat of silence. “Yeah, that’s a totally rational response. Look, I’m not gonna say anything, it’s between you and Charlie, but you’d better figure some shit out, because eventually she’s gonna put the pieces together.” Angel got up and left, leaving Alastor alone with his thoughts. Why DID he want to get rid of Charlie’s dates? The thought of those lowlifes going anywhere near her made his skin crawl. She was far too good for the likes of them! He was sparing her from having to deal with them. That’s what it was.
Charlie was almost certain Alastor was scaring her dates away, but what she couldn’t figure out was why. It was another Saturday night and Charlie stood up and stretched. “I’m gonna go get ready for my date. I don’t know why I bother, they never show up.”
“They’re imbeciles, dear. I’ll alert you if they arrive.”
Charlie headed up the stairs, but this time she stayed at the top of the first stairwell.
A blue demon with his hands in his pockets came in. “Hey. I’m looking for Charlie?” Chad was a friend of her father’s and had agreed to help her figure out what was going on.
“I’m afraid she’s unavailable. Sorry to disappoint you.” Alastor replied. She knew it!
“I literally confirmed with her five minutes ago.” Chad pulled out his phone and showed a text from Charlie. “So where is she?”
“Unavailable, as I stated. Perhaps she’s changed her mind and is attempting to spare your feelings.”
“I’m just gonna wait here a few minutes, if that’s alright with you.” Chad could tell that it was most definitely NOT ok, but Alastor was silent.
“So Chad. What is it that you do?” Alastor asked.
“I’m a mechanic.”
“I see. And how does this make you qualified to date Charlie?”
Chad snorted. “Qualified? I didn’t realize this was a job interview. Should’ve brought my resume.”
Alastor was standing in front of Chad in an instant. “Listen to me and listen closely. You’re going to leave quietly, block Charlie’s phone number, and never speak to her again. If you tell her about our conversation, you’ll be losing a limb.”
“Dude, what the fuck?! Who even ARE you?!”
“I’m Alastor. Charlie’s partner. As such, I’m going to ensure her happiness and safety by any means necessary. I don’t care for your attitude, so unfortunately you’ve failed the test. Do as I say, you’re easy to locate and look fairly easy to pull apart. You can leave by your own will or I will gladly help you.”
“Whatever man. Psycho.” Chad pushed Alastor off of him and headed out the door.
Alastor sighed. Crisis averted! He turned around and saw Charlie standing at the top of the stairs, absolutely fuming.
Uh oh.
“Charlie-“
“DON’T!” She stomped up the stairs and he followed closely behind.
“Let me explain!”
“Explain WHAT, Al?! Why you’re trying to ruin my social life, the little bit of one that I have?!”
“None of those men were good enough for you!”
“That’s MY decision to make!”
“I was just trying to help you!”
“I didn’t ask for your help!”
“You didn’t have to! I’m your partner, I want what’s best for you!”
Charlie whipped around to face him. “Alastor. You are my BUSINESS partner. You want to help me with business stuff? Have at it. But when you start throwing my dates out, we’ve got a problem.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “Tell me the truth. Did any of them actually not show up? Or did you throw them all out?”
What did he have to lose by this point? “One, but the others all showed up on time.”
Maybe he was wrong, because she got even more furious with him. “Do you have ANY idea how shitty that made me feel?! To think that all of those guys stood me up?! I was wondering what was wrong with me, why they were dumping me before even meeting me. You wrecked my self esteem. I just- UGH. I can’t deal with you right now, Alastor!” Charlie stomped over to her room and slammed the door.
Now what did he do?
Charlie was absolutely pissed at Alastor. How dare he scare her dates off?! What right did he have to do that?! She knew he could be a bit possessive, she’d noticed he’d get touchy-feely when someone else would have her attention for too long. But she didn’t understand WHY. He’d never expressed any sort of romantic interest in her. Maybe he genuinely thought none of those guys were good enough for her. Regardless, he had no right, and she was pissed.
The next morning, she opened her door to head downstairs and found Alastor waiting. “Nope.” She pushed past him and he trailed after her.
“I made you breakfast. And coffee.” She ignored him as she headed down the stairs. “Chocolate chip pancakes, your favorite!”
“Gee, that makes up for everything, Al.” She snorted and headed into the kitchen. She poured coffee into a to-go mug and turned around, nearly crashing into him.
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“I’m aware. But where?”
“That is absolutely none of your business.” She shoved past him and headed out the door.
“I simply want to know in case anyone was to come looking for you.”
“Tell them I’m unavailable and I’m attempting to spare their feelings.” She grabbed her jacket by the door and finally looked at him. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m just going to see a friend.”
He had a strange expression on his face and he nodded. “Do be careful.” Then he turned around and left.
Charlie stopped for donuts on the way to Chad’s garage. She’d always liked Chad, she’d known him her whole life. She used to call him uncle Chad, despite not actually being related to him. She walked to the garage and found him already fiddling with an engine.
“Don’t blame me if your donut gets grease on it.” Charlie smiled and sat the box down.
“Hey, thanks kiddo! Let me wash up.” Charlie munched on a donut while Chad did his best to wash the grease off. He grinned and picked up a donut. “You’re sweet, Charlie. How you holding up?”
Charlie sighed. “I’m just so angry at him. Where does he get off scaring away my dates?!”
“Well, he’s not going about it the right way, but I understand where he’s coming from.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think it’s pretty clear. He has feelings for you.”
Charlie laughed and slapped her knee. “You’re hilarious. No, Alastor doesn’t have feelings for ANYBODY. That’s pretty widely known.”
“I dunno what to tell you, other than he said he wanted to ensure your happiness and safety. I saw a guy desperate to keep other guys away from you. Even if it meant dismembering them. Now, depending on where you fall on that, that’s either really romantic or terrifying, your choice.”
“Still, I don’t think he feels that way about me.”
“I dunno, kid. What other reason is there? Anyway, catch me up. How’s it going with the new residents?”
Charlie spent a few hours with Chad and his wife, who was greatly amused by the situation. “He could use a few smacks every now and then, let Alastor have at him!”
She decided she’d spent enough time away from the hotel and she needed to get some work done. The hotel was quiet and no one was in sight. She headed into her office, expecting to see Alastor in his usual spot. Surprisingly, his desk was empty. Weird. She walked over to her desk and froze, then smiled.
A brand new stapler was sitting on her desk.
Alastor was uncharacteristically anxious. He was trying to give Charlie her space but it was killing him, knowing she was upset with him. How could he have been so stupid? He had no right to interfere with her social life. He spent most of the day in his room, pacing and trying to gather his thoughts. He found himself in the unusual position of needing someone to talk to.
Angel was walking back to his room with a bag of chips when Alastor suddenly appeared in front of him.
“FUCK! Why can’t you just walk around like a normal person?!”
“It’s far more entertaining this way. May I have a moment of your time?”
Angel eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”
“Because I…” Alastor sighed and closed his eyes. “I could use some advice.”
“From ME?”
“I know, I’m surprised too, but you’re the only one aware of my situation.”
“Believe me, after the shouting match in the hallway yesterday, everybody knows your situation.”
“I meant the more…personal side of it. There was something you said, that I initially scoffed at, but after giving it some thought-“
“Holy shit, I knew I was right!” Angel grinned.
“Please, keep it to yourself. I need to discuss this.”
Angel popped a chip in his mouth. “What's in it for me?”
“I’ll take care of your chores for the week.”
“Sold! My room or yours?”
“Neither. Follow me.”
Alastor took him up to the radio tower, somewhere that was very private to him, and Angel wondered if Alastor had lured him there to kill him. He was shocked when Alastor’s signature smile fell the moment the door shut. It was somehow more unnerving than his smile.
“So you’ve got the hots for Charlie?”
“That’s not how I would describe it. In fact, I don’t know HOW to describe it. This situation, these feelings…they’re entirely foreign to me! I’m confused and frankly quite annoyed.” Alastor began pacing.
“Ok, let’s try to figure it out then. When you think of Charlie, how do you feel?”
Alastor tried to think of how to respond. “Unwell.”
“Huh?”
“Recently, I feel unwell when I’m around her. Not because I don’t want to be around her, because I do, quite frankly it’s the best part of my day. But I find myself feeling shaky, and my heart is pounding in my chest. I get sweaty. I can’t even think straight! And I don’t understand it.”
Angel grinned. “Well that’s just fucking adorable.”
“What is?”
“This is your first crush, isn’t it?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You ever felt this way before?”
“No.”
“Well the answer is easy. You have a crush. You like her and you want to be around her but you’re fucking terrified of messing it up or sayin’ something stupid.”
Alastor blinked. “So this is a normal reaction?”
“Yep.”
“Well I don’t care for it!”
Angel laughed. “Yeah, it sucks for sure. So we’ve established the obvious: you like her. The next thing to figure out is what you want from her.”
“What I want?”
“Yeah, are you looking for a fuck buddy? Or something long term? Maybe just a fling. What do you want?”
Alastor was lost in thought. What DID he want? “I want to be with her. I want her to be mine.”
“Ok, slow your roll, because if you start trying to claim ownership of her, she’s gonna get pissed. So you want to be with her. What’s that mean?”
“It means I want to spend my time with her by her side, caring for her and ensuring her happiness. I want to be with her in any capacity that she’ll let me.”
“Damn, strawberry! You’ve got it bad!” Angel grinned and leaned closer. “What about physically? What do you want from her?”
“I’m not comfortable discussing that.”
“Come ooooon! You can tell me! It won’t leave this room! You wanna kiss her?”
“Of course.”
“Hold her?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck her brains out?”
“I am NOT answering that.” Alastor’s cheeks burned.
“You just did.” Angel winked. “Alright, so she’s pissed at you. She probably thinks you’re just being a dick. What you’re gonna have to do is just tell her.”
Alastor scoffed. “Just tell her? As if it’s SO SIMPLE!”
“It is. You just need to look her in the eye and tell her you have feelings for her. Don’t you wanna get this over with?”
“Yes, but if she rejects me, things will be terribly awkward.”
“Aren’t they already? Come on, you need to fix this. And maybe do something nice for her as an apology.”
After Angel left, Alastor continued to pace and think. What was something nice he could do for her? Aha! He’d get her a gift! But nothing showy like Daniel had done. He’d give her something she actually needed.
Charlie was more confused than ever. The stapler she sort of understood, but the other gifts?
“Delivery for Charlie Morningstar?” Another imp stood in the doorway.
“That’s me. Thank you.” It was a small, nondescript box. There was no return address or any indication of the sender. She opened the box and looked at the contents with a confused expression. There was a coffee mug with her name on it, a keychain with the hotel’s logo, a pretty bookmark, and a package of hair ties. She had a pretty good idea of who the strange gift was from.
“Angel, have you seen Al today?”
“Up in his tower. He needs to talk to you anyway.”
“Oh. He does?”
“Forget I said anything. Go talk to him. And, uh, be patient with him. He’s kinda stupid about some things.” Angel shrugged and returned to his magazine. Still confused, she headed up to the radio tower.
She knocked on the door and it was almost instantly whipped open. “I’m sorry!” Alastor practically shouted.
“It’s ok, Al. Can I come in?”
“Yes, of course.” He ushered her inside and she noticed how anxious he looked.
“Are you ok, Al?”
“Well, no. I’m not unwell, if that’s what you mean. I’m struggling with something.”
“You can talk about it with me, Al. I’m all ears.” She smiled and squeezed his surprisingly sweaty hand.
“I appreciate that, I do. By any chance, did you receive a package?”
Charlie smiled and chuckled. “I did, but I’m a bit confused.”
“By what?”
“The stapler made sense, because mine sucks, but I’m not understanding why you chose the other things. Not that I don’t appreciate it! I was just confused.”
“Ah, I should’ve included a note. I knew that you never replaced your coffee mug after the last one broke, so I thought I’d get you one with your name on it. You’re constantly losing your keys, so I’m hopeful that the keychain will benefit you. The bookmark was because yours isn’t going to survive much longer. Yours is torn and bent and on its last leg. So I got one in your favorite color so you can finally lay the old one to rest. And the hair ties are because I’m constantly finding them EVERYWHERE, so I figured you must surely be running out. By the way, the top right drawer of my desk is full of them, I meant to give them to you.”
Charlie was stunned. “Al…that’s so thoughtful! You’re so sweet!”
She noticed a blush creeping up on Alastor’s face. “Yes, well, I thought these items would be better than a flashy display. I’m glad that you appreciate them.”
Charlie flung her arms around him in a hug and he was frozen in place. Charlie smiled up at him. “Sorry I yelled at you. I was just so upset. I thought that you were doing it because you thought it was funny when they didn’t show up or something.”
“No! That’s not it at all! The truth is-“ he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I didn’t want any of them to go out with you. I didn’t understand why at first, I just knew that I didn’t want them anywhere near you. But with a bit of guidance, I realized that it’s because…I have feelings for you. Romantic ones. I’m as shocked as you are. I tried very hard to deny it, because it’s TERRIBLY inconvenient and rather troublesome, but unfortunately I can’t get rid of them.”
Charlie grinned at him. “You actually have feelings for me? Like, as more than just something to study?”
“Yes. I’m afraid you’ve captured my heart. I ask that you be gentle with it. I didn’t know it was still alive, but it is, and beats for you. I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable or made things awk-“
Charlie had grabbed him by the front of his jacket and tugged him down to kiss him. Alastor’s brain was useless now. Now it would be permanently occupied by the feeling of Charlie’s lips on his.
When Charlie broke the kiss, he was adorably flustered. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome?”
Alastor cleared his throat again. “May I take you out some evening?”
“I’d like that. I’m free tonight, actually.”
“Wonderful! Splendid. Yes, tonight. Excellent.” She could tell how terrified he was.
“I like you, Alastor.” Charlie smiled and took his hands. “I just didn’t think you could ever feel that way about me.”
“I didn’t either. I was quite surprised when Angel pointed it out.”
Charlie was surprised. “Angel knew?”
“Yes, he witnessed me…disposing…one of your dates.”
“You killed them?!”
“No, no! I just quite literally threw him out.” Alastor grinned. “Angel saw this and wanted to know why I’d done it, and said I wanted you for myself. He was right. He encouraged me to tell you.”
“Chad lucked out then. You just threatened him!” Charlie laughed.
“Yes, he was quite persistent…”
“Yeah he told me all about it this morning. He’s a family friend, by the way. I called him Uncle Chad for years. I was pretty sure you were doing something to scare off my dates, so I asked him to help me out.”
Alastor chuckled. “Well aren’t you a crafty one!”
“Hey, it worked! And here we are.”
“Here we are, indeed.” Alastor smiled down at her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “And I’m very happy with how things turned out.”
“Me too. Um, Al?” Charlie looked sheepish.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Can I kiss you again?”
“Oh my darling girl. You can do that as much as you’d like.”