Work Text:
For the first time in 10,000 years, it was a happy day in Hell- thanks to Charlie’s plan and excellent leadership, she, with some help from Rosie and the cannibals, and her friends, managed to change the outcome of Heaven’s second extermination for the year. Though the victory came at a cost. The hotel was decimated, and not everyone who went into war came out on the other side alive. The losses were painful, but they rebuilt the hotel in record speed thanks to the help of the King himself. To celebrate the sweet victory, everyone headed inside, where Husk wasted no time in busting out the alcohol. While everyone was busy celebrating with booze and loud music, the Radio Demon, who had just resurfaced a few hours ago after his admittedly humiliating defeat, was withdrawn from the celebration. He remained secluded in the far corner of the lobby, away from the newly expanded bar where everyone else was gathered, and toasting to victory.
Due to her short stature, Niffty managed to sneak away from the crowd with no attention being drawn to her. She swiftly and stealthily approached Alastor. When she approached, she leaned against the arm of the couch he sat on before giving into her instinct to crawl onto his lap and wrapping her arms around him to embrace him. “Alastor, why are you here, by yourself? We beat Heaven in the extermination for once! Don’t you want to celebrate with everyone else? You scared us by just disappearing like that you know! You really scared…me.”
“Mm?” He snapped back to reality for a moment, his mask fully reactivated and wincing a bit as he moved slightly to return her hug. When he moved, the crackle of the radio sounded. “Yes, yes, I suppose I should at least grace everyone with my presence properly now that I am back, and fully mended from my scuffle.” He chuckled as he glanced at the bar, and then down the long, empty hall opposite to the group. “I’m sorry for giving you a scare, my dear, that wasn’t my intention.”
“I know… But, where did you go, anyway?” The maid asked him, her eye wide as she blinked. Her face was pressed to his chest- where the shoddy stitching he did pressed against her skin, the blood soaked thread staining her pale cheek.
“Oh, you know… somewhere… Come now, Niffty, let’s go celebrate this most victorious of occasions with a good drink… and some fraternizing with our fellow staff and patrons.” He said, standing up while holding her with one arm… unfortunately, as he stood, he strained one of his muscles just a little too hard- and caused a large portion of the stitches across his chest to break and pop out of place “...After I go take care of this little… problem, I suppose…” He said, as he placed her down on the ground again. He turned on his heel to head up to his radio tower. Blood began to soak into his shirt.
“Wait… let me help you with that. You didn’t do a very good job with your stitches… They were sloppy and loose. Probably need a better thread, and stitching technique…” She pointed out to him, as she suddenly materialized her needle, and a spool of more durable thread from the skirt of her dress.
Alastor stared at the needle in her hand, and then down at his chest, watching the blood seeping and spreading across his shirt. “I think I can take care of it, but thank you for your generous offer–”
“Come on, I can stitch clothes perfectly! How hard can it be to stitch up your big cut? She asked, furrowing her brow slightly, arms crossed over her chest with a pout on her face.
Seeing her pout like that made him relent, with a deep sigh. “Oh, alright, fine, I’ll allow you to do it just this once.” His smile softened slightly as he placed his hand to his chest- with a familiar warmth and dampness pressed to his palm. “And we are never to speak of this to anyone that this happened.”
She nodded, as he began to walk down the hall towards the elevator- and she followed just behind him. “We should go to my room- I have some first aid supplies there that will help.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“Yes, Alastor, your cut will heal much better if it’s not dirty… and with a better stitch.” She said, as she stepped into the elevator when its doors opened. She pressed the button to the top floor, where her room was located. Something in her gut was telling her that there was something else wrong by how he was acting. He was still smiling- but not as big as he normally does. She would have asked- but the elevator halted at the top floor, and the doors opened as their cue to get out. The pair stepped out, walking down the hall, to her room. Once they got there, she opened the door, and stepped inside, with him following close behind. He looked around, not yet having seen what the standard, new rooms look like. As to be expected- her room was spotless. Furniture was freshly polished, bed was perfectly made… and even the chimera stuffed animal projects she had going on were neatly arranged in their own corner. The maid forced him to sit down on the chaise. “C’mon, take your shirt off…” She ordered him rather sternly, lugging out some first aid supplies from her closet, including some rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and fresh gauze.
He slipped off his long coat, putting it beside him on the chaise. His slender fingers untied his bowtie, and then deftly unbuttoned each button to his shirt, placing both articles of clothing on top of his coat. She climbed into his lap, with the peroxide, gauze, and rubbing alcohol. Before beginning to treat his wound, she grabbed his shirt and doused the stains with peroxide. The liquid foamed up upon contact with the blood, as she laid the shirt out away from the rest of his clothes. She then began to clean up the blood coming from his nasty gash, using the rubbing alcohol and the fresh gauze.
Alastor looked down at her tending to him, before looking away from her and drumming his fingers anxiously on the arm of the seat. It was so hard for him to not squirm as she did what she had to do. He couldn't believe this was happening, and he was equally surprised that he let her do it, and he was enjoying it. There was something about feeling cared for like this that made him feel warm inside… though the stinging of the disinfectant in his wound caused him to flinch slightly under him while she continued to mop up the blood with the alcohol soaked gauze pads. Once his blood saturated the gauze, she tossed it into the trash, his eyes following each fast, yet smooth motion she made. “Are you absolutely sure all of this is necessary?” He asked again.
“Do you want to die of an infection and go to Double Hell? I don’t think so.” Niffty asked with a straight face as she grabbed her needle and some of the strongest thread she could find.
Alastor looked at her, knowing she could say some truly baffling things… but this was something different. “Whatever do you mean by that, my dear?” Feeling her needle pierce his skin, his ears moved straight back, as he smiled through the pain with a subtle eye twitch.
“Angel told me that if sinners die, they can go to double Hell… and I don’t want you to go there. I can’t let you go out like that!” She stated, as she was stitching him up. She held onto him with her free hand as she stared intently at her stitching to make sure it was perfect. There was at least one spot where she felt like it was slightly imperfect, so she had to start over. Thankfully for him, she only had to start over once.
He rolled his eyes as he slowly relaxed with each pass of her needle across the gash. “There’s no such thing as double Hell… I would just respawn if I had died… slowly, but I’d come back eventually...”
Hearing this, she sighed in relief, as she finished up, being sure to secure the end and snipping the ends cleanly. Her hand ran along his chest. “There you go… good as new- sort of. You can go now, if you want.”
Alastor looked down at her, his smile fading away slowly as he cupped her cheek with his hand, delicately tilting her head to look up at him. His bony thumb brushed across her cheek, as she leaned into his touch, a frown crossing her face to match his. This was not the Alastor she knew. “...Something is bothering you. Wanna talk about it? If it’s about getting hurt… You know, you’re still my favorite bad boy, even if you don’t win all the time.” She said softly, as she placed her tiny hand on top of his.
His ears would stand straight up at her compliment. “Niffty, my dear… I’m flattered… I suppose that yes, I didn’t enjoy being taken out like that.” His other hand held her at the small of her back. “But… no, that isn’t the full. I am feeling… even more fondly, of those sinners… and the Princess. They are quite the eclectic bunch, but they sure are good company. They’re like friends…” His eyes narrows lightly, the word friends lingering like a bitter aftertaste. “I can’t believe I actually risked my life like that for them.”
She blinked. “Well, what’s wrong with liking them like friends? We’re friends… Does that make you uncomfortable?”
“Oh, no, of course not! But it’s different with you.” He told her fondly, holding her hand in his now, a comforting, warm and fuzzy spreading through his body despite the cool air circulating in her room. His cold, hardened heart slowly softening and melting with this newfound feeling he found himself experiencing.
“What do you mean?”
He held her close to his chest, a hand resting on the back of her head. His fingers nestled into her soft hair. “Well, I like you a lot more than pretty much anyone else in Hell… I just like being around you. You’re simply the sweetest little darling… My sweet little darling.”
With her head pressed to his body, she snuggled into his shoulder, smiling wide as her arms wrapped around his slender frame- being careful not to agitate his fresh stitches. “My big, strong, bad boy…” She mumbled softly, allowing her tiny frame to melt into the embrace. “Well, like I said, If you want to go back downstairs now, you’re all patched up now.” She said, as her hand rested on a patch of fluff on his chest.
He moved to sprawl himself out across her chaise, head resting on the nice accent pillows. “I’d rather stay here with you.”
She beamed, moving to lay on her stomach on top of him, resting her chin on his chest as she tried to be gentle with him. “Does this mean we can have a sleepover tonight?”
“Oh, that sounds delightful! You know how much I enjoy staying up late and gossiping while participating in various activities.” He chuckled.
“Can I do your claws? Pretty please?” Niffty pleaded with him as she clasped her hands together.
He pondered for a moment, and said, “Actually… that sounds delightful. I must say that I do enjoy the feeling of freshly sharpened claws. And you’re quite good at making them as sharp as I like them.” He sat up slowly.
Excitedly, she got up, and retrieved some nail files, and some nail polish. “...Would you paint my nails for me, too?” She asked, as she sat next to him, grabbing his hand as she began to sharpen his claws with the nail file.
“Of course, my dear. We’re doing your usual black nail polish, right?”
“Mmmhm!” She nodded, as she continued to work on his claws- making sure each one was perfectly sharp, just to his liking. Once she was satisfied with one hand, she began to work on the other. As she kept working, they began to indulge in gossip. Of course, Alastor just had to ask about Susan- and much to his disappointment, she survived the extermination. Once it was time for them to switch, Niffty extended her hand to him, allowing him to start painting her nails. “You know, the best part of today was me getting to stab angels… especially Adam.” She said casually, watching him delicately brush black nail polish across her middle fingernail.
He stopped for a moment, eyes wide as he looked at her. “That was you who stabbed Adam?”
“Yep! Repeatedly! Right in the back! He didn’t see it coming!” She cackled as she replayed that moment in her head. “It was great, especially because I thought I avenged you too! But it’s even better now that you’re alive and he’s dead instead of you being dead too.”
“You are simply brilliant, and I am so proud of you for taking down that nasty man. You did a great service to everyone.” He praised her while smiling warmly at her, as he began to paint the nails on her other hand now.
She blushed a little. “I don’t know if I’m that incredible… I am just the housekeeper after all.”
“What? Oh no, my dear, you are more than just the best housekeeper on this side of Hell!” Alastor told her, finishing off her manicure as he looked into her eye while squeezing her hand affectionately. “You’re caring, smart, an excellent seamstress, baker, and an exceptional chef! Not to mention that you’re also sweet as molasses.”
“You really mean it?”
“Of course I do. Not many people who aren’t cannibals are willing to learn how to cook human flesh for someone else like you do… let alone try and innovate it!”
“Aw… well, I can’t exactly cook the same three things for you… what kind of cook would I be if I did? Besides, you cook really well too! I love your jambalaya, and your chicken creole. Oh, and don’t forget about bread pudding. I love that…”
He chuckled, “Perhaps since we all survived another extermination day, you and I should cook all those things together, for everyone.”
She nodded in agreement, before yawning and stretching her arms up for a moment. “Definitely, but let’s do all that tomorrow… I’m so tired…” She got off of his lap, before walking into her closet and shutting the door. Within about 60 seconds, she reemerged in her nightgown, and walked right over to her bed, flopping face down onto it. He stood from the chaise, before using his magic powers to change from his normal suit into his pajamas- a long-sleeved top and matching pants in the same color scheme as his favorite suit. Once he was changed and comfortable, he laid in her bed on his back, right next to where she was laying face down.
“Niffty darling, you can’t possibly be comfortable like that. Come.” He motioned for her to lay closer to him, which she did. She laid on her side, head on the pillow and facing him as she yawned again. She made herself comfortable. His hand held the back of her head, his fingers nestling into her soft red hair once again. She leaned into his touch, body curling up slightly.
The warmth from his body, and the motion of his fingers playing with her hair were starting to make her drowsy. “Can I tell you something?”
“Anything, my little darling.”
“…I had a radio in here before the hotel got destroyed… the static it would make helps me sleep.” She said softly. “Would… could you do that for me?”
“Well, of course… I didn’t know that. I’ll be sure to get you a new radio for your room, too.” He tilted his head slightly. “Hold on…” He muttered, as he began to make radio static noise at a soft, soothing volume. She smiled a little to herself as the comforting sound washed over her… falling sound asleep in mere minutes. Once he noticed that she was getting her much deserved sleep, he leaned down and placed an affectionately saccharine kiss to the top of her head. His hand moved from the back of her head, now holding her by the small of her back. “Good night, my sweet Niffty. Sleep well, you deserve it.” He whispered to her as he used his magic to turn out the lights- his eyes casting a soft glow that gently illuminated the room, remaining alert and on guard. He planned on caring for her right now- in his own, weird way.