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Alastor’s bayou was a magical marvel, at least in your point of view. The fact that he was capable of creating a pocket realm so full of diverse life and realism was incredible. It also provided a splendid place for both of you to relax, just on your own, and to enjoy one another’s company.
Every Tuesday at around noon, Alastor and you would slip away to his bayou to enjoy a nice lunch with each other. He’d snag a basket and lay out a blanket on one of the mossy banks of the river, and you’d both sit and chat for the next hour or two. A calm interlude to an otherwise hectic and entertaining day.
“You’ve tried a new recipe with this, haven’t you?” You guessed, ears twitching slightly at the added spice.
“Just a touch spicier than you might be used to, cher.” He replied simply, taking another bite of his sandwich.
“And not sinner meat, right?” You cocked your brow when he gave you a far too innocent look. “Al.” You cajoled.
He cackled. “Not sinner, my dear. Cross my wretched black heart.” He promised.
You snorted, polishing off the last bite of your sandwich. You were just about to snag one of the others he had made for you, but a low rumbling noise from the water drew your attention, and you spotted a series of bubbles dotting along the water.
Your ears perked at the noticeable noise, but you noticed Alastor barely even cast a glance towards it. Curious, given he was always so aware of everything around him.
“What was that?” You asked.
“Hm? Oh, likely one of the resident alligators. Nothing to be concerned about.” He answered dismissively.
“Alligators?” You asked, and Alastor lifted his eyes to see an obvious eager spark in yours.
He smiled a bit more fondly, and stood, offering you a hand to help you up.
“Come. Let’s make some introductions, shall we?”
You snagged his hand and hopped up, nearly bouncing as Alastor led you towards the water’s edge. It took a moment, but soon enough, a set of blinking red eyes emerged from the muddied waters. At Alastor’s whistle, a snout soon emerged from the water, followed by the rest of a long, crocodilian body.
“My dear Y/N, may I introduce Daisy.” Alastor gestured with a flourish as a large female alligator trudged onto the bank of the bayou.
Daisy let out a low bellow as she laid eyes on Alastor, but a curious sounding huff when her eyes slid towards you.
“Hello Daisy.” Your eyes were completely filled with awe as you leaned closer to her. “Has she been here the whole time?”
“Oh yes. Her and several others.” He chuckled amusedly. “They come in handy when needing to dispose of any bodies.”
“Oh I can imagine. Even these poor babies need to eat.” You waved off the idea of using them to take care of corpses as if it were nothing of importance.
Alastor could only watch you with a fond look as you continued to coo over the seemingly grinning reptile.
Oh, how much he loved you, you charming delightful woman.
You let your eyes flutter as the gentle swaying of the hammock started rocking you into a state of calm, subconsciously leaning further into Alastor’s side. On your request, and you imagine a dash of whimsy on his, Alastor had set up a hammock between two trees near where you normally had your lunches. On calmer days, you both retired to here and rested a bit. It was a rare treat, but one you cherished, especially since you knew and treasured that you were the only person Alastor ever truly allowed himself to relax completely around.
The fact he was peacefully dozing beside you was a testament to that.
Your ears perked at the sound of a low rumbling bellow, and you turned your head as the familiar outline of a scaly snout and red eyes popped into view from the shallow water.
Daisy.
You smiled, casting a sideways glance at Al, before you very carefully got up from the hammock. After making sure you hadn’t woken up Alastor with your movements, you padded over to the edge of the water, where Daisy’s full head and neck had emerged, and crouched down in the mud.
“Hey there, girl.” You murmured, lifting your hand up to gingerly place it on her snout. “Come to say hi?”
Daisy rumbled softly, and her head lightly nudged upwards into your touch.
She was certainly the friendliest of the alligators in the bayou, and she tended to poke her head out whenever she spotted you or Alastor around. She was also the biggest, and she had to be nearly twenty feet long at least. Still, for such a dinosaur, she was remarkably gentle, and she seemed well aware of how fragile your skin was versus her scales and teeth.
Daisy tolerated a few pets, but after a few moments you grew bolder, and your hand skirted down to lightly scritch under her jaw. Daisy’s eyes shut to the point of thin slits, and she let out a soft hiss that sounded like the gator equivalent of a purr. The sound made you laugh, and you let your other hand join in on scratching the otherwise terrifying reptile.
“Well now, isn’t this a sight.”
You looked up, smiling as innocently up at Alastor as you could manage as he strode closer. He cast you a fond look as he reached down, giving Daisy a fond scratch under her jaw before he tapped her snout.
Daisy cracked open her eyes, letting out a snort.
“Swim along, now. I believe you’ve stolen mon cherie from me long enough.” He playfully shooed her off.
Daisy grumbled, but she slowly slid back into the water before she was completely submerged. Alastor cast you an amused look as you stood up, now that your gator was gone.
“If I didn’t know any better, my dear, I might start to think you’re more fond of them than me.” He teased.
“Oh Alastor, you should know they could never come close to how much I love you.” You chided, leaning up on your tiptoes and, when Alastor’s ears didn’t flick back, you pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Besides, you happen to be as fond of them as I am.”
“Weeeeell, you’re not wrong.” He flashed you a grin, and a clawed finger lightly poked your nose.
You giggled, and your ears flicked gently back as Alastor’s hand wound around your waist, guiding you back towards the abandoned hammock from earlier.
“You know, I can see why you like them so much.” You murmured, a playful lilt to your grin.
“Oh, and what makes it so obvious?” He asked, knowingly playing into your oncoming tease.
“You share the same smile.”
Alastor laughed.