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puhmpken · 9 months ago

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Author’s Note: This one is a filler since I am still working on “Dairy of the Obsessed” ..this one was spontaneous lmfaoo! Also requests are open feel free to give me story ideas

This has BEEN edited 🥳🎉

Warning ⚠️-> If you’re under the age of 18+ DONT interact with this post, this is your only & final warning! I do not & will not take responsibility for anything further!

You have been warned

Title: A Shape-Shifter’s Dilemma

Alastor x Reader Oneshot

written + edited by @puhmpkins-blog 🎃

W/C: 5.1K 😀 oops maybe too much lol my imagination got the better of me but please enjoy!

You always questioned where Alastor your husband would go. Most of the time you would brush it off and not think of it—Overlord stuff.

But one night while Al and you slept in the same bed he tossed and turned in his sleep you could assume he was having a nightmare

“honey..?” You said in a low ruff voice as you gently placed a hand on Alastor who stops his moving before the word he mutters out was

“charlie..”

...Now that is odd. Why would a overlord like Alastor be saying the princess of hells name in the middle of his sleep?

It made you raise a eyebrow, and questioned him.

The day following did not seem to ease your nerves one bit, he again in rather ..a rush to leave the manor

Standing next to the front doors door you watched as he moved back and forth through the living room looking for whatever he was desiring

“What's rushing for darling? This is rather out of character” You said as your eyes watched him move throughout the room

“Oh nothing to concern yourself with dearie!~ Just overlord business”

You hummed back at his bland cryptic response not wanting to pick it apart–you just decided not to question it and save yourself the energy

“Right. Just don’t go get yourself in trouble” You said smiling at Alastor standing infront of you, slightly towering over you as you fixed and cleaned off any dirt or lent that got caught on his suit as he was in your words rushing around

Moving your hands away from him, your eyes locked with his as Alastor’s reddish brown eyes, a flicker of amusement dancing within them. His lips curved from a small smile into a sly smirk, revealing his pointy teeth.

“Trouble?,” he questioned, making his one of his eyebrows raise in a cocky way , “Why..thats my middle name, my dear.” He said clasping and holding both your hands as he stared at you, before shrugging “But perhaps maybe I’ll make an exception—for you.”

You rolled your eyes to your husband's playful antics, before giving Alastor his goodbye kiss and waving him bye as he sinks into his shadow disappearing leaving you alone in the manor.

A moment of silent filling the air before

“Now, let me figure out WHAT’S actually happening.”

And that’s how this whole shenanigan began with you.

You see, while Alastor might have been expected to marry some ordinary demon, you in your case, were far from ordinary. As a shape-shifting demon, you possessed the ability to transform your identity at will, becoming a whole new demon or a manifestation of whatever your imagination desired.

The only limitations were those of your own imagination or..if Alastor was able to sniff you out, thanks to his keen sense of smell. HOWEVER, avoiding detection was usually easy enough… for the most part.

Weeks to months you’ve been keeping up on this “routine” of cat and mouse but all was paying off.

You found out Al has been to much of your dismay harboring rather a couple of secrets hidden and tucked from you. Other than your known overlord stuff he was a suppose helper at a hotel called the “Hazbin Hotel” that princess charlie owns and works at with a couple of other people almost made you drop with laughter when you first seen Alastor helping out with the hotel, you had to tell Rosie about this later.

It was easy to stay undercover and even easier to get close to him without him realizing and knowing it was you.

You made up your mind weeks ago that his territory would be fine, if you step away here and there to follow Alastor to the hotel

And that’s how you end up to the present day you.

You weren’t satisfied with knowing Alastor helps at a hotel. Yes indeed it was a shocker but that’s all? You were still puzzled on why Al said Charile name to began with

Alastor hasn’t suspected a thing yet due to him kinda being busy at the hotel or up in his office.

On the rare times you would see him, he was up in the upper balcony with nifty laughing with her, you couldn’t hear what they were talking about but knowing the both of them.. it was rather something strange or gruesome

As another shifted ended, the day ended with you back at the manor seating in your comfortable loveseat, reading a book before mere minutes Al got back, making it seem as normal as possible to not raise suspicions

The next day as things moved along you wished Alastor a goodbye as you watched him shift into the shadows and disappear off.

Waiting a few minutes after he left you then began to get ready for your shift at the hotel, that first started with showering to rid yourself of your natural scents–you didn’t want to be tackled down by your husband as soon as you walk in through the door.

Finishing up with your shower you stepped out spraying some random cheap perfume you had bought to scramble Al scents.

As you began styling yourself from being a lady of the 1920s with elegant beauty and designer dresses to a ripped petite coat, old bleach stained black skirt with a hole at the bottom with a finish messy down hairstyle

You laughed at your reflection

Seeing what you looked like in your normal form made you laugh. Alastor would probably gasp and dropped to his knees at the things you wore.

You walked out the house being sure to not be seen

Successfully making it past the fenced gates and out of the woods you came to the main roads of hell shifting yourself into a hell creature you have been using for this whole little “spying game”

A lengthy white fur being that stood, 6ft having two red stripes covering both arms and legs. Your (h/c) just reached the middle of your back and on your head sat two cream colored pointy horns, you kept your sharp teeth to still be able to scare off unwanted demons if the occasion was to rise

Checking yourself out in the reflection of the glass windows, you made sure everything was correct: your look, your attire and your scent.

You started to walk to the hotel, the sidewalk you have taken at least more than ten times.

As you inched closer to the hotel you for safe measures stopped and sprayed yourself down one more time in cheap perfume emptying the bottle before tossing it off in the distances and kept walking

Getting inside the hotel was an easy task,

You said hello to everyone vaggie, angeldust, sir pentious and his eggo children, huskier and nifty.

‘Everyone is down here practically–well almost everyone’ looking around furrowing your eyebrows together

“Where Charlie? She's usually with you, Vag?” You said to Vaggie who was sitting on the couch next to Angel looking at the TV

“She should be in her office right now Lucy. I think she also wanted to talk to you” Vaggie said kinda nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders towards the end as she looked up from the tv to you as you nodded your head

Making a hum noise you turned on your heel and began walking to Charlie office

Knocking before you entered, Charlie sat at her desk looking at papers

“Helluva morning Charlie. Vaggie was telling me you were looking for me, I just wanted to speak to you about what you wanted” You said as you walked towards her desk and seating down in one of the chairs across from it

Charlie still having her go lucky smile on her face nodded putting down a couple of papers “Yes Vaggie was right! I was looking for you Lucy!” She said pausing as she slide over a little stack of paperwork, “It’s nothing serious promise! I just wanted you to run these up to Al~!”

You nodded silently thanking hell for the opportunity to be closer to Al

“Yeah of course I can do that” You said standing up taking the paperwork in your black gloved hands “Consider it done Charlie!” You said walking out of her office as she screamed a thank you from behind a closed office door

You hummed quietly to yourself as you walked up the flights of stairs to get to Alastor’s door

Minutes passed before you got to the door that read in bold letter

“Alastor, Radio Demon”

Knocking lightly on the door, ‘he should be in there?’

“…”

‘No response..hm that weird’ You thought as you looked over both your shoulders before you placed a gloved hand on your door handle twisting the knob before it opened slowly

!!!CREAAAK!!!

Your body mentally cringed at the noise as you pushed the door more open glancing around one more time you slipped in the crack of his door, gently shutting it closed once you entered

‘Wow’ Was the first word that escaped your mouth looking into his room now, it's his office yes, but what was beyond it that made it almost feel like you were..alive it was the bayou swamp/forest it was just how you remembered before you died all those years ago..breathtaking

Scanning the dimly lit area with the only light being a moonless night and the few fireflies that infested the air, you didn’t see Alastor anywhere in sight, just a table with a chair on it in the middle of the grassy forest.

You bite your lip gently as you looked between the paper work and the forest before groaning knowing your mind was made up, as soon as you laid your eyes on the bayou. Leaving the paperwork for Alastor sitting on his wooden desk before you walked passed it and too the bayou landscape filling as it was almost a dream

Walking slowly into the grassy area with a smile as you breathed in the smell of forest closing your eyes and taking in the sound

It was a wonderful moment of quiet before the light noise of static in the forest made you snap your eyes open,.. that’s Alastor getting closer into range of where you were standing.

Being lucky and hopeful you HOPE he didn’t see you in the clearing just standing their with your eyes closed

You ran and hide behind some bushes and trees that were away from the table and chair you were standing near–and just in the nick of time

You could hear and see him from where you were hiding the full static sound of a certain radio demon as he hummed a tune with a deer slumped dead over on his shoulder, carrying it with ease as he slammed it down on the table, you examined as he sat down making a fork appear out of thin air as he leaned his staff against his chair, before disappearing into air as he began to eat the deer raw pulling at its meat–made you want to gag in disgust

‘He could’ve cooked it’ you thought watching him munch down on his hunt you can assume. Licking his lips after a couple of bites he wiped his mouth with a napkin like a true unhinged gentleman

Before he cleared his throat his eyes shutting but his smile spreading wider, causing you to get goosebumps

“I know your there” He said making you do a double take ‘he knows i am here?’ you thought blinking as you didn’t buy his bluff

“I can sense your presence,” he drawled, his voice dripping with a sinister charm.

“You can’t hide from me.” He opened his crimson eyes as they began scanning the area. You kept your movement still as he scanned over the area you were hiding. You saw how he squinted his eyes almost immediately at the bush you were in

“Come out, come out wherever you are” He sang out in a haunting tone

“You do know as a predator.”He started in a cheery tone before his voice dropped to a dual and deep one “ I can smell you out.” His voice ringing of no radio filter

Your heart began to sped up

‘fffuck’ Is what you thought before you seen Alastor disappear into thin air—it wasn’t a surprise you were accustomed to that but you couldn’t help your heart starting to speed up as he vanished into the air

“Run,” a disembodied whisper breathed against your nape

Took you no time of convincing as you ran not looking behind you as you kept your eyes forward only hearing the sound of something chasing behind,

You hit left and right, hoping to get Alastor off of you

As you take another right you ran behind a tree, hiding behind its figure as you heard and felt Alastor run pass you

You have never done something like this, it was rather fun but dangering

Peaking your head from behind the tree after what felt like entirety you didn’t see Alastor for safe measures you transformed yourself to a small forest animal, just in case Alastor wants to sneak behind you..again

Following near your foot trail from the tree branches, you jumped from branch to branch with ease as you stopped once more hearing static noise come from nowhere, you smirked in your creature form as Alastor wouldn’t suspect a thing

Watching from above, his form essentially appeared from thin air as he had a wide smirk and a look of hunger in his eyes as he looked at the spot you were suppose to be standing

“Where are you~?” He said

“…”

After a moment of looking in all the places he would expect and assume for someone to hide, he stood in the middle of the forest arms crossed as his ears flickered now and then

“Now where did they go? I was rather hungrier for something other than deer” He said you can tell by his voice he was almost dumb struck how could he still be able to smell you but your nowhere near..weird?

You slowly shifted yourself backwards away from Alastor as you didn’t want to alarm him nor give away your hiding, you were almost clear before a vibration was felt throughout the branch and in one second the branch snapped as you land ontop of Alastor head

“...”

It was quiet not either one of you dared to move before you felt your body being picked up fully by his hand and now..the jig was up

“What do we have here..” He said looking at you “A small diversion from the person thats in here?”Alastor’s gaze bore into you, dissecting your very essence.

A wicked glint in his eyes began to take place, “Well I guess since I couldn't catch my actual food, I shall eat you little one” Pausing to smug smile before continuing “Bad luck for you?~” He said as he lifted you above his mouth

You squirmed in his hands, heart racing.

‘This can’t be how (y/n)'s story ends’, you thought desperately.

Just as he was about to drop you into his abyssal maw, you shifted—your disguise falling away

You landed on top of Alastor, who staggered back, utterly unprepared.

“Don’t eat me,” you blurted out, adrenaline surging. Alastor stood, bemusement etching his features.

“Lucy?!” Alastor’s voice crackled through the air, a radio filter distorting his words. The static hummed, raising the hairs on your arms.

“Why are you in here?” His step was deliberate, menacing. You retreated, heart pounding.

“How did you make yourself appear small? Then big?” His eyes narrowed, dissecting you. Each step he took, you mirrored, until your back pressed against a tree—literally.

Your mind raced for a lie, an escape. But then it happened—the slip up, the unraveling.

You shifted into your true form, the one Alastor would recognized.

“(Y/N)?!” His voice lost the radio filter, and you met his gaze. Confusion etched his features. You bit your bottom lip, a awkward laugh escaping.

“Erm, surprise…?” You said as you watched him back up a little from you a smile now spreading wider by the minute as the static was the buzz in the air

As it was overtook by the applause he started to emitted as he turned the other way starting to laugh

“A surprise indeed dearie who would’ve know my wife could pull such a thing off” He started.. you didn’t like how this was sounding as you moved away from the tree watching him as he created slight distances between him and yourself

You watched as a nagging feeling was telling you to start running but ignoring that you spoke up “Alastor I-” He cut you off with his words

As he appeared behind you—the Radio Demon, with crimson eyes and a dangerous smile. His arm encircled your waist, pulling you closer. “You had the entire hotel convinced of this Lucy woman,” he murmured, his voice devoid of filters. “Bravo, dearie. Truly bravo.”

You didn’t like how he was taking the situation as what he said to you in a flare voice on confirmed how much you actually DID piss off Alastor with this little disguise

“You should run now.”

Those four words holding a threat of the unknown and you wanting to at least talk for yourself turned to face Alastor his crimson eyes only reflecting the pure chaos he was about to inflict on this game of catch with you, as you shook your head

“Please let me explain” You urged, desperation coloring your voice.

“5” Alastor your dear husband replied, holding out his hand. The air crackled with tension

“Al please—…”

“4..” He sung out as he closed his eyes, standing tall. One hand rested behind his back, the other poised like a pendulum. The smile of him showing his sharp teeth made you swallow harshly

“3” He warned out to you knowing your still there as he opened one eye to look at you breathing out short “Hmm..a shame your going to let me catch you so easy” He said shutting his open eye closed

“2 dearie” He warned out now holding two fingers as he began to shift in his stances his neck elongated he was slowly shifting into his demon form, and that’s when you finally decide to run

You huffed and panted as you switched your form a couple of times to give you longer distances away from Alastor as you made it deeper into the Bayou the ground under you turning slightly squishy as you kept running not interested to turn around

You ran for what felt like hours before you stopped down near a swamp bank hunched on you knees as you gain your second wind, taking a few more breathes you stood up, the air was quiet you couldn’t hear the static of Al, so you have to be far from him? or he just turned off that noise so he could stalk and pounce on you

Whatever the case maybe you took a breathe in and out as you looked ahead of the lake, nothing but more forest—

You thought different ideas like turning into a winged creature and flying back towards the rooms door to get out of here, but you didn’t know how high you could fly and since Alastor can’t fly nor has wings, you doubt that celling is high enough to get high enough where he couldn’t hit you out of air

Best option was to keep running or go into the swamp water, it would give you better opportunity, reflecting your options about it you heard the ground beneath you move with vibrations ‘fuck he already found me’ you thought coming to the defeat you were going to let yourself be caught but that was until you seen that fucken demon form mere seconds before he seen you, you bailed out dipping yourself slowly in the cold water taking a big breathe before dunking yourself under

Seconds stretched into eternity as you held your breath, your lungs screaming for release. The vibrations in the ground intensified, and you knew he was near. What was Alastor going to do when he catched you? He wouldn’t actually hurt his wife? You thought of as your heart hammered against your ribs, and you wondered if you should be actually concerned

Alastor scanned the area, seeking his dear wife. You pressed deeper into the water, your head submerged further, only the top part of your head concealed by a stray lilypad.

Minutes passed—or perhaps it was mere seconds—before you surfaced. Gasping for air, you wiped water from your eyes. Alastor wasn’t in sight.

You continued walk towards the edge of the pond before crawling out of the pond, lying down on the edge of it your knees still submerged as you sighed out in relief, shutting your eyes for what felt like a second

Before you heard, the clearing of a throat—a sound that sent shivers down your spine. Opening your eyes standing above you was the oh-so-familiar radio demon. You smiled, but before you could vanish into the water, Alastor’s grip closed around your arms. His purr was a velvet blade against your skin.

“Come now, darling,” he drawled, his tone deceiving. “We don’t want you to get wet. Let me assist you in this rather…exchange.” His strength pulled you back, and you squirmed, defiance flaring. But Alastor was stronger, and you found yourself pressed against his chest, dripping and caught.

“Let go,” you demanded, but he only laughed—a predator savoring its prey

“Now, dear, this is part of the game.” His eyes bore into yours, crimson flames dancing. “I’ve caught you, and now you’ll be the prize I win.” His tongue flicked across his lips

As Alastor carried you through the forest he hummed a simple tone, making you more on edge

You both arrived at another clearing?

“This isn’t where we started Al” You said as he set you down, gently helping you get up, as your eyes shifted from the scenery to him

Alastor’s gaze was going up and down on you, as you caught little symbols manifesting themselves around him as he was now a step or two away from you

“Come here” He said in a commanding tone, a chain manifesting around your neck as your eyes widen to metal chain outline with the color of green. Your hands immediately shot to your neck trying to grip and claw at it. You felt a tug come towards Al before you leaned your body away from it trying to keep space, digging your feet lightly in the ground

One real yank got you to move forward unprepared, the earth meant your face very quick and you instantly felt blood in your mouth

“Ah, be good for me, Y/N, and just obey,” he murmured, his grip unyielding. You crawled on your knees and hands, inching closer to him. The chain around your neck tightened, lifting you off the ground. Alastor’s crimson eyes bore into yours.

“My dear sweet little wife, Y/N,” he drawled, his voice devoid of filters. Each word carried weight, punctuated by his southern accent. “You, dearie, violated our little agreement.” His fingers traced the chain. “We had an understanding, did we not?”

Your breaths came in ragged gasps. “I didn’t mean to Al” you whispered

His chuckle echoed through the clearing as he lowered you gently to the ground, ensuring the fall didn’t harm you.

“So, my doe,” he began, his voice a velvet blade, “please give me an explanation. Why has my wife been running around disguised as a Lucy person, working—” His fingers closed around your hands, the chain that had bound you vanishing into thin air. “Her dear, softly delicate hands at a hotel that deserves none of her attention?” His words hung in the air, a question wrapped in menace. “Rather than be in a manor that belongs to her and her husband? Have I done something wrong?”

You sighed out as you nodded taking your hands out of his, to his displeasure “All this started because i heard you mumble in your sleep rather a month or so ago..princess name Charlie” You said with embarrassment flaming your checks as you looked away from Alastor not wanting to know what expression he held

The air was quiet between the both of you, not a word was spoken—You felt like you were holding your breathe with the tension in the air before you felt the touch of your husband on your hands again

“Mon cher~” He purred out making you look at him, his face of course held a wide smile but the look in his eyes held anger with something else glimmering around it “Nothing could replace you”

“No hotel” He said his hand holding out your arm as he kissed at the palm before saying, “No demon” Alastor continued raising his head kissing you at the center of your arm, looking at you in the eyes before kissing more up your arm while saying “And certainly no Lucifer daughter could take my eye off of something as ravishing as you my doe~” Al kissing up you between each pause as he at your neck slowly peaking at it having you basically in his lap with your back towards him, as you moved your head to side to let him continue as he only chuckle at the gesture

Al with his free hand grabbing at your chin to make you look at him as he stared into your (e/c) “But my dear mon cher, you agree at my words as if you understand, but it seems as though you forgotten who I belong too” He said letting go of your chin as both of his hands traveled down to your hips resting there “You forget who's name causes thrill of different emotions within me, so let me remind you~”

Alastor leaned into you, as you meant him half way kissing him

A passionate kiss with some underline aggression made the kiss much more thrilling as Alastor fought for dominance with you trying to dominate over him

With a deep chuckle he pulled away from the kiss, “You being defiant won’t end well for you dear” You looked up too him as you bite your lower lip holding on too his bow tie slowly undoing it as his hands trailed up and down your legs

“No words so be it” He shrugged before pushing you down to the ground, your back laying on the grass as he spread your legs open wide, everything on full display for him to see

He leaned his head down as his ears pushed back towards his head as his eyes half lidded looking up to a red face you “Mm~Darling your so intoxicating with that look on your face” He said before plunging his head down open his mouth before eating your pussy

Your eyes shut closed as your hands went immediately to his hair gripping and pulling at it, as you mumbled out moans holding onto Alastor head down as he kept eating you out

“Al~!” You said in low moan as you felt yourself starting to come undone down there “Alastor..I..I am going to—”

Before you could muster and get out the words to warn your husband, the sensation of Alastor mouth moved away from you leaving you in almost blank state, so close to clarity but yet so far …

You whimpered as you looked down to Alastor who’s face was smirking as he shook his head licking his lips slightly “You think after the charade you pulled your going to get to cum that quick and easily?” He said and laughed “Dearie we are just starting.”

Alastor in a instances flipped you over making you rise to all fours with help of his shadows tendrils you were now ass up face down, with your arms being held down by the shadows tendrils, you whimpered trying to move against them as you felt a burning sensation on your bottom causing you to move it from side to side

Alastor watched in trans like state as you moved your ass after he smacked it only making his boner go harder, as he rub on it through his pants

“Al, let me out of this! I don’t want to be—Ahh~!”You said feeling a familiar feeling slide in you as your eyes rolled behind you, you clawed at the grass alastor pushed all himself in you

“Mmm~There you go Mon Cher~” Alastor said rolling his hips as his head tilted backwards, both of his hands gripping on your hips keeping them in place as he began slowly pumping in and out of you

You moaned as you moved with his thrusts, arching your back as Al grunts and low moans could be heard

Alastor started to pick up in speed as you could only speak out the simple word “Al~” Which was music to the radio demons ears

“Oh (Y/n)~” He said as he kept up fast with his thrusts moving one his hand to your hair, gripping at it pulling you backwards as your head flung back

“Open your eyes.” He said making you slowly open your eyes as meant with the eyes of crimson red ones as his smile was deceiving as his eyes showed pure lust that was feeling “Fuck.” He said as gripped tighter on your hair yanking almost at the root as you moaned with each thrust

“I am going to finish in you.” He said in not a question but as a command as you tighten around him bring him closer as he shut his eyes letting go of your hair before opening his mouth and bitting at the back of your neck as you moaned closing your eyes feeling yourself reaching edge as you reached climax sametime as Alastor

Couple months later drawed by quick before you knew it you were back at the manor, watching over Al’s territory sipping tea as you smiled mindlessly, yeah there was really nothing to worry about.

FIN!!!

Extra! Extra!

(Y/n) and Al strolling through the park. hand in hand as Al hums a tune

Al: “I do say mon cher, I think I never told you why I was saying Charlie's name”

Y/n: “Yeah you haven’t, do share”

Al: “You wouldn’t believe it! Charlie in my dream was trying to paint my Radio Studio, it was all going to be rainbows with fluffy pink unicorns if I didn’t say her name”

Y/n: deadpans

Al: Only telling you the truth dearie~!sings out

Y/n: Your truth is utter dogshit sometimes

Al: gasp Darling!

537 notes · View notes

nkirukaj · 5 months ago

Text

Our Renaissance (2)

Pairing: Human!Alastor x Fem! OC

Warnings: Swearing, Racially Degrading Language, 1920s Slang

Genre: Slight Angst/SMUT (& Humor!)

Word Count: 8.2K

1922

“Let me go get my son,” she leaves the room to call out. “Alastor! There are some people here I’d like you to meet!”

Alastor comes down into the small kitchen, seeing there a man, a woman, and a little girl. All three of them dolled up in garb that Alastor would only consider wearing for the fanciest of occasions. These must be rich people, he concluded. “This is the Bates family,” His mother continued “That is Cassius Bates, the head of the household.” Cassius nods towards him in a greeting “Daphne Bates,” who waves “and that is little miss Brynn, who’s been begging to come to see our city.” this little girl curtsies, and her mother responds

“She’s been practicing a curtsy but she doesn’t know when to use it,” Daphne says, eliciting laughter from the rest of them

“How do you do?” Alastor asked politely

“Didn’t you say you had another daughter Mr. Bates?”

“Oh stop, call me Cassius. And yes, I’m not sure where she is-“

A young woman bursts through the door in the kitchen holding about four flowers “Daddy! They have Encore Azaleas here! Remember? From the flower book I read?”

“Yes indeed, but you’re late. And what did I tell you about removing things from people’s property?”

She lowers her head “Yes, of course. I apologize.” She hands them to Alastor’s mother, who laughs

“Keep ‘em.”

The young woman brightens up “Thank you!”

Daphne clears her throat “Dearest, please, introduce yourself.”

“Oh! Hello, I am Vera.”

Vera? Alastor lifts his head at the name, looking toward the young woman over his glasses, who happens to place her hat further back on her head. She was the same girl, the same eyes, the same cheeks, the same hair, and definitely the same lips.

“Alastor, isn’t Miss Vera so pretty?” his mother nudges him slightly. Vera looks up at the mention of his name and studies his face, likely going through the same thought process as he had a minute ago

“She’s quite beautiful.”

She tilts her head “Thank you, sir.” Showing a smile that was surely fake

“I’ve been trying to get my Alastor to think about marriage since he is getting to that age.” She says to Cassius “How old did you say Miss Vera was again?”

Cassius looks to his daughter to answer “I’m 19,” she says

“Perfect for my Alastor!” She hugs his shoulders and he blushes

“I keep telling my Vera the same thing! She wants to be a famous actress! But I keep saying, when you do, where you gonna keep all the money? You gotta find a husband!”

“Very true!”

The adults chuckle cordially as the children just stare around. Alastor catches Vera eyeing him directly, playing with the flowers in her hands as their eyes meet. When the laughter dies down, Alastor’s mother speaks again “Alastor, I wanted you to meet them because they’re staying the next town over and they want to work with us!”

“I heard that you were the best, colored seamstress this side of New Orleans Ms. Fontenot,”

“Oh, you can call me May, no need for formalities here,”

“And I heard your son is a genius at lawn care,”

Alastor waves him off “I don’t know about a genius,” he chuckles politely

Cassius nudges his wife gently “And humble! I like that! That’s really important if you want to make something of yourself son,”

He fakes a smile

“While you’re here, why don’t you take a look around? Maybe Alastor can show you the rest of the flowers?”

“Oh, I’m not one for flowers, but we can discuss the terms of you and your son’s employment, but Vera,” Cassius turns to his oldest daughter “Vera loves flowers. Why don’t you let the young man show you all the flora?”

Vera’s eyes flit up at Alastor, who purses his lips and raises his eyebrow. “Well, I do like more than Azaleas,” she shrugs slightly

“Can I come?” Brynn pulls on Vera’s dress

“Of course,” Vera pulls her little sister close

May puts her arm around her son’s shoulders “Be a gentleman, like I raised you, okay?”

Alastor nods “Right this way,” he leads the girls out the back door “So here we have the Southern Magnolias, Louisiana Iris, Louisiana Phlox, Goldsturm blooms-those haven’t bloomed yet- and of course, you’ve obviously seen the Encore Azaleas” he sounds bored, but mumbles under his breath “Since you helped yourself to some,”

“What was that?” Vera’s head snapped up

He turns to her quickly “Since you helped yourself to some,” he turns back to the flowers “These are the-“

She’s taken aback by his brazenness, “I was unaware that these were being sold, it was simply a mistake,”

“You would think if one didn’t know something, one would ask, so mistakes like that wouldn’t happen,”

“Well, maybe one is used to flowers being free and has never heard of them being a commodity,”

He quickly turns to face her once more “Well now you know not to steal,”

Vera drops her sister’s hand “I would hardly call it stealing! I offered to give them back as soon as I knew they were not free! To steal means to take another person's property without permission or legal right and without intending to return it,”

“Mhmm sure,” Alastor crosses his arms

“What do you mean ‘sure’? You saw me! You all saw me!” She gestures around the empty air

Brynn looks up at her sister “You’re shouting again,”

Vera takes a breath and drops her arms, looking down at her sister “I’m sorry. I did not mean to,” she cups the little girl’s cheek

“Shall we continue the tour?” Alastor asks smugly

Vera stews silently as Alastor continues to go through the flowers they sell.

“What do you do exactly?”

He turns to her slowly “What?”

“What do you do here? What is your purpose?”

“I’m in charge of all the flowers. Planting, potting, and delivering,”

Vera scoffs “Such backbreaking work that is, isn’t it?” she asks mockingly

Alastor furrows his brows “It is actually. And anyone who’s ever had to do it would know that. In fact, anyone who’s ever worked at all would know that,”

Vera rolls her eyes but says nothing in response

“Any more questions?” Alastor asks through his teeth

Brynn raises her little hand and Alastor blinks, he’d almost forgotten that she was there “What’s that?” she points to the woods

“That’s the forest, it’s a very famous hunting ground for professionals and hobbyists, like me,”

“You go hunting?” the older sister chimes in skeptically

Alastor’s eyes roll back so far they’re almost in the back of his head “Yes,”

“Sounds scary,” Brynn says, clutching her sister’s leg

Vera bends down “Yes, that’s where the crazies will drag you off to before they bump you off!” she shakes her sister’s shoulders

“AHHHHH!!” Brynn runs into the house the same way they came out as Vera laughs heartily and Alastor offers a bit of a chuckle

“You like to scare your sister?”

She rolls her eyes “She knows I’m just being goofy,”

“I don’t think she does,”

She waves him off “Psh,” Her laughter dies down and she clears her throat before looking at him, he’s staring at her, trying to read her expression. “What?”

He taps his cheek “You’re a swanky tomato,” he raises his eyebrow “Your whole family is,”

“And?” she asks

“Never seen that before,”

She tilts her head “People who are taken care of?”

“Rich coloreds,”

Vera shakes her head “We don’t like to call ourselves that,”

“Well everyone else will,”

“We are Black people, and that’s that.”

They stand in silence for a beat.

“I guess there’s nothing else to see,”

Vera shifts her weight, hands on her hip “Let’s address the elephant in the garden,”

“And that is?”

“We’ve met and you recognize me,”

He strokes his chin “Hmm, I don’t think I do,”

“You’re full of baloney. I saw it in your eyes. You remember me,”

“Hmm,” he continues playing dumb “Doesn’t ring a bell,”

Vera blinks dramatically before approaching Alastor “You mean to tell me that you don’t remember this face?”

He stares down at her smugly “That’s exactly what I’m telling you,”

“My face is unforgettable,”

“Then why can’t I remember it?” she can feel his breath on her face

“You’re just a liar,”

“Or maybe you aren’t as important as you think you are,” he smirks

She raises her voice “And just who are you?!”

“Alastor,” his smirk widens “Did you not hear my mother introduce me?”

“Quit yapping wise guy, you don’t know me,”

“I know rich people like you,”

She pushes him lightly “You don’t know anyone like me,”

“Your kind is all the same,”

“What exactly is my kind?”

“Rich, uppity, pompous-“

Vera smirks “Sounds like you’re jealous that my family isn’t poor,”

His eyes turn dark “I’m not jealous of the money,”

“Then what’s eating you?” she radiates confident energy

“That even though you’re rich, you love to steal,”

She drops her arms dramatically “Give it a rest! I didn’t know they were for sale! I thought they were just growing on the street!”

“Ah yes, give someone stealing from our business a rest. You sound just like them,”

She rolls her eyes “What? What do you want? Do you want me to pay?” She reaches inside her purse and pulls out money “How much is it? One, two dollars?” she waves it in his face “What? Take it!”

“Are you sure you’re Black? Or are you white?”

“What? You keep bugging me about the flowers, so I’ll pay for them!” she waves the money

“It’s not just about the payment! It’s about how entitled you have to be to just take them without even thinking to ask!” He leans in toward her

“For fuck’s sake I made a mistake! I’m sorry!”

He crosses his arms “Are you sorry or are you just annoyed that I’m bringing it up?”

She groans “I’m sorry! That’s why I tried to give them back! You don’t think I was embarrassed?!”

“So you’re not sorry? You’re just embarrassed because you made a fool of yourself!”

“You didn’t know that you can feel two things at once?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re not sorry,”

She steps up on her toes “Again, you don’t know me,” she squints

“I think I do, you’re a thief, just like a white person,”

Vera pokes him and he swats her hand away “Fuck you, I am not a thief,” she speaks in a hushed tone, his grin wide as ever, as if he’s taking pleasure from her irritation.

“Are you all still out here? It’s been a bit,” May sticks her head out of the back door “I made gumbo, do you two want some? I know you do Alastor,” she gives her son a warm smile

Alastor’s smile warms and shrinks “Of course I do Maman,”

“Well come on in! Of course, you are welcome to have some as well Miss Vera,”

Vera nods “Thank you,”

Both Vera and Alastor approach the door, Alastor grabbing it and holding it open for her and gesturing for her to walk inside, smiling the whole time

“Ladies first,” it rolls off his tongue and past his lips like a true gentleman

Vera holds her head high and her nose in the air as she walks past him, entering the house. He watches her from behind, hips swaying all the while. Alastor’s bottom lip slips up between his teeth before he follows her inside.

_____________________________________________________

“You gave your sister the heebie-jeebies!”

“Daddy, it was a joke!”

“It does not matter, you don’t scare your little sister like that,”

“Okay, I’m sorry,”

“Don’t tell me, tell her,”

Steps are heard “Brynn, I’m sorry for telling you that crazy people are going to bump you off in the woods,”

Alastor could hear them talking from the backyard as he planted the flowers around the back door of the property that the Bates had purchased. Alastor found that while Vera had the utmost love for her family, it didn’t stop her from causing small mischief, including her morbid humor. This wasn’t the first time she’d scared her sister with one of her ‘jokes’. Alastor wipes his forehead, as he kneels on the ground patting and flattening the dirt. He happens to look up, seeing a curtain close quickly.

Alastor smirks to himself, sitting on the ground with his legs open. He looks down again, allowing her to look through the curtain again. He catches her this time, a light blush adorning her face when she pulls the curtain shut.

Alastor hoists himself up and approaches the window, removing his gardening gloves to tap it. Vera opens the curtain and the blush on her cheeks rises when she sees how close he is to the glass. Her eyebrows go up, communicating to him silently as he waves for her to join him outside. The curtain closes and a few moments later she appears in the doorway.

“You got in trouble?” He slips his glove back on

She scoffs “No,”

“Sounds like it,” he flashes her a grin

“I think you just want me to get in trouble,”

“I would love that actually.” Alastor squats in front of her, planting the next flower

Vera’s dress almost touches the dirt, she stares down at Alastor as he sits on the ground, urging her to sit with him. She shakes her head vigorously before he shrugs and continues planting.

“I don’t get in trouble very often,”

He doesn’t look up as he responds “So your daddy lets you do whatever you want huh?”

“Not exactly,”

He chuckles “With money comes privileges,”

Vera puts her hands on her hips “Privileges impeded by my gender,”

Alastor looks up at her “What? You a flapper?”

Vera shrugs and waves around her arms “Somewhat,”

“And just what does your daddy think about that?”

“My daddy supports the movement, but he says I shouldn’t dress like that because he doesn’t want me to draw attention to myself, and I told him ‘But daddy, I love attention’!”

“He doesn’t think you’re drawing attention to yourself now?”

Vers looks confused “What do you mean?”

He snickers “Nothing,”

“No, tell me,”

“You wearing your glad rags all over the place and your loud mouth,”

She rolls her eyes “Of course my mouth is an issue. But your mouth isn’t?”

“Nope,”

“Of course, and what’s the difference between you and me?

Alastor rolls up his sleeves “You’re ignorant?”

“You are a man,” she gestures toward him “Therefore you are automatically afforded more opportunities than I.”

“I am a poor man,” he corrects her “Not many opportunities would be coming my way. You are rich, which is guaranteed to open many doors for you,”

“My father is rich,” she corrected his correction “All the money is his. I have nothing to my name. If I were to head out into the world alone, I would have nothing. On the other hand, you may be poor, but if you were afforded some funds, you would be allowed to keep them. You don’t need anyone’s permission to do anything. You heard my father, even when I am to become a famous actress, I would have nowhere to keep my riches. They would go to my father or…”

“Your husband,” he finishes for her

“Indeed.”

“You have no idea what my situation affords me,” he points up at her “You are up there,” and touches his chest “And I am down here,”

Vera purses her lips “I suppose we both have disadvantages then. Can we agree on that?”

“Hmm…no,”

_______________________________________________________

Vera stood with her arms out as May sewed the sleeves of the dress her mother had ordered for her. Vera felt the purple, green, and gold wasn’t exactly the greatest color combination against her skin, but who was she to go against Mardi Gras tradition? May sewed the sleeves to the correct size and length, she had clearly been working on this dress all night, as she’d heard her mother request it the day before and the bags under her eyes were evident.

“And I think you are finished, Miss Vera. You may look in the mirror,”

She turns to the full-length mirror, revealing the gorgeous deep purple gown embroidered with golden beads at the top around the chest and the bust. The beads adorn the hemline as it draped over her ankles. Around the back, there was a deep green trimming attached to the waist, with golden beads on the bottom of it as well.

“This is gorgeous! You are the best seamstress in New Orleans, not that I have any frame of reference, but still,”

May is flattered “Why thank you, Miss Vera,” she goes to help Vera remove the dress

“You must be the best dressed at every party you go to with this skill,”

May is slightly uncomfortable with the assumption that she attends parties. She doesn’t respond as she peels the dress off the younger woman’s body.

“How many of these cute dresses do you have in your closet?” Vera tries to make conversation

The mother shakes her head “None, Miss,”

Vera raises her eyebrows “Really? I figured you’d have so many. If I could make dresses like this I’d constantly be the belle of the ball, how are you not taking advantage of such skill?”

May smiles at the girl, knowing she meant no harm “I don’t really have time to make dresses for myself Miss, or the money,”

“Money? You should be drowning in customers with work of this caliber. What’s stopping you?”

She sighs “Most seamstresses get work over the phone these days. Where I have to get the work in person,”

“You don’t have a phone?”

May shakes her head

“How much is a phone these days? 20? 30 dollars?”

“No ma’am it is about 14 dollars.”

“Oh? Is that all? Here,” Vera reaches into her coin purse and gives her a 50 dollar bill “This is for my dress,” she hands her two 50 dollar bills “And this is for the dress for yourself” She hands her two 20 dollar bills and a 10. “So all together that’s….” she thinks “200 dollars” Vera claps her hands in delight

“Oh, Miss Vera I can’t accept this,”

“May, please, this is a drop in the bucket for me. You see how easily I gave it to you? This money means much more to you than it would to me. Please, take the money, and make yourself a nice dress.” she touches the older woman’s shoulder “And get yourself a phone! So you can get more customers! More people need to know about your work”

The mother nods her head “Thank you,” and hangs up the dress

Vera turns to the mother “Say, were you upset by me taking the Azaleas?”

May isn’t sure if she’s allowed to tell the truth, she doesn’t want to offend the poor girl, or her parents “Oh no, of course not,”

“Please tell me the truth,”

May tilts her head “Well, it was a bit irksome, but I don’t hold it against you. I know that you didn’t know that we sold them.”

“I do sincerely apologize for that, it’s a habit I’m trying to break. My father always has to remind me,”

“It’s quite alright Miss,”

She drops her head “Thank you,”

May starts putting away her supplies “What made you want to ask?”

Vera shakes her head “Oh nothing,”

“Tell me the truth dear,”

“Well, your son called me a thief,”

The mother furrows her brows “Oh Alastor? Do not worry your pretty head about it. He’s protective of the flowers. You did nothing wrong, the only thing he’s more protective over is me,” she waves her off “Don’t think about a thing he says. I’ll talk to him about it,”

“Oh you don’t have to, I just wanted to make sure it was all well with you,”

“It’s alright thank you, Miss,”

“Alastor,” May called for her son

He wipes his hands as he approaches her from outside “Yes Maman?”

“I was talking to Miss Vera and she said that you called her a thief?”

Alastor blushes and looks away “Oh…”

“Did you say that?”

He rubs the back of his neck “I suppose I did,”

May’s palm connects with the side of Alastor’s head “What is wrong with you? Is that how I taught you to treat ladies? And a client at that? Just ‘cuz they ain’t white doesn’t mean you can act up,”

“I was just joking around Maman,”

“Don’t ‘I was just joking’ me Alastor, you need to watch yourself. I know you’re grown, but this could affect our business, okay?”

“Okay,”

“Thank you, sweetie,”

Alastor lingers in the room “What else did you two talk about?”

She raises her eyebrow “Is that any of your business?”

“I just want to know what you Janes were talking about,”

She purses her lips “We just discussed me buying a phone to get more clients,”

“Where are we getting a phone from?”

His mother pulls out the money from her purse “The Miss gave me some money for it,” she puts it back in her purse “Though I may use it for extra groceries. Or we could get a new icebox,”

Alastor is shocked “A new icebox?!”

His mother nods “She paid me for the dress, gave me money for a phone and enough to make a dress for myself, though I don’t know where I’d even wear a nice dress like the one I made for her,”

“You don’t find that odd Maman?” He crosses his arms “We don’t wanna be taken for saps?”

“Don’t be a killjoy Alastor, the Miss is such a nice girl, why are you being like that?” her eyes soften “Alastor?”

He looks at his mother, confused by her tone.

“Are you stuck on Miss Vera?”

He blushes hot “Stuck on her theft, yes,”

She puts her hands on her hips “Alastor?”

“Maman?”

“Level with me please,”

He looks away from her “I suppose that she is….pretty spiffy,”

“Aww baby,” May cups her son’s cheek “This is your first crush,” she caresses his cheek “If you like a lady,” she slaps the side of his head again “Charm her, don’t bother her!”

Alastor taps Vera’s shoulder while their parents discuss payment. She turns to him rolling her eyes.

“Yes?”

“What are you playing at?”

Vera’s expression is mixed with confusion and annoyance “To what are you referring?”

Alastor’s lips form a straight line “Giving my mother extra money? She’s not some project, and we’re not a charity case,” he says, completely serious

Vera stares at him, full of disbelief “Are you screwy?” she asks in complete sincerity “What kind of poor person complains about getting more money?”

He looks away “I just don’t want to feel like an experiment,”

Vera looks disgusted “I enjoy your mother’s company.” She speaks with her back to him “She’s a charming woman. I think she deserves to have a phone of all things. If I can make her life easier, then I shall. It’s the least I can do when my family relies on her labor. It just so happens that I am in a fortunate situation where it costs me very little to be kind. And even if it cost me much, such a wonderful woman, deserves something wonderful for herself.” She turns to face him “So no, I am not out to get your mother or you, and I resent the accusation.” Her brows are furrowed and she wears a deep scowl to show her displeasure.

“Spend time with your own mother,”

“I do.” she looks around “What’s eating you? Why are you treating me like I’m the opposite of a gold digger?”

“I don’t need some lousy dame who thinks she’s the cat’s meow giving my Maman and I the run-around,”

Vera tilts her head “Maman?”

Alastor blushes “My mother,” he mumbles

“Is that what you call her?”

“And what about it?” he gets defensive

Vera puts her arms behind her back “That’s cute,”

His eyes widen and he drops his guard. Alastor opens his mouth to respond when his mother calls for him.

“Alastor! Come on, unless you want to stay here with Miss Vera!” she jokes

Alastor blushes deeper, looking back at the young woman “Bye,”

Vera pouts her lips “See you tomorrow,” she says batting her lashes.

___________________________________________

Vera woke up to the scent of baked goods, she danced down the staircase to find her entire family in the kitchen, May by the stove just finishing some pastries with powdered sugar. She had prepared pancakes, eggs, hash browns, french toast, bacon, sausage, and grits.

She took a seat at the table, her entire family in their sleepwear. Alastor enters the kitchen, heading for the back door.

“Pardon me,” he states, passing by the table

“Say son, did you eat any breakfast?” Cassius questioned

Alastor turns “No sir, I figured I’d get right to work,”

Vera felt a bit exposed wearing her nightgown in front of a fully dressed Alastor, but she knew better than to give him that satisfaction.

“Sit down! Enjoy a meal why don’t ya? You don’t wanna work yourself to the bone! Your mother’s made a delightful meal! Pull up a chair!”

Alastor forces a smile “Oh I’d rather not, I think I’ll get started early,”

Cassius widens his eyes “I insist,”

May gives her son a look

Alastor exhales, removing his gardening gloves and sitting in an empty chair, far from everyone else.

“Why don’t you move closer?” Daphne suggests

“I’m fine here,”

The Bates family collectively stares at him and his mother shoots him a glare. Alastor reluctantly drags the chair across the floor, slowly and loudly until reaching the table. Once reaching the table, he finally takes a seat.

Cassius clears his throat “I hope that didn’t leave any dents in the floor,” he snaps in May’s direction “When you’re finished with that, take a look at it would you May?”

“Of course,” she says not looking at the man, instead shooting her son a slight glare

Cassius turns back to Alastor, “So son, tell us about yourself,”

“What would you like to know?”

“Do you have an intended?” Daphne smirks as May puts the food on the table in front of the Bates “A young man your age should be thinking about marriage,”

May stands behind her son and lightly taps his back

Alastor ‘ahems’ “Oh no, I haven’t been interested in any women,” Cassius, Daphne, and Vera give him wide eyes, while Brynn reaches for the eggs and fails. May taps her son’s back harder “Or men, of course,” She pushes her son’s head and returns to the stove “But, I have never thought about it,”

“Well, you should! It’s usually around now when young men start courting!” Daphne gives him a grin

“Yes you’re right,” Alastor turns to the youngest Bates “Brynn, may I have your hand?” he jokes, holding out his palm

Brynn dropped her fork and gasped “Yes!” grabbing his fingers with incredibly sticky ones

The rest of the company laugh, Cassius laughing particularly loud as Alastor pulls his hands away, wiping them on the napkin that May handed him. Vera, on the other hand, is not laughing. She does not understand the comedy behind it. She keeps a straight face as May places the square pastries in the middle of the table.

“What is that?”

May turns to her “Hmm?”

“The things you just put on the table,”

“Oh! Those are beignets!”

Vera is confused “What’s a beignet?”

Alastor swallows his eggs and dusts off his hands “They’re a bit like French donuts,”

Vera chuckles “You have egg on your face,”

Alastor raises his brow “Hmm?”

“No, literally,”

Alastor turns to his mother, who points at her own chin, signaling where the food sticks. Alastor blushes and wipes his face with a napkin. Vera giggles and Cassius and Daphne slightly grimace.

“Hmm, how…simple,” The father comments

“Quite,” his wife agrees

Cassius “Oh May, you’ve made enough food, why don’t you join us over here,”

“Of course,” She stands behind her son’s chair

Alastor puts his head down, seeing Vera’s arm reaching past him for a beignet. He watches her wrap her lips around the pastry, licking the powdered sugar from her lips. He feels her pull her foot back and it brushes against his leg on its way to her chair. As the adults continue talking, Alastor reaches his foot toward her, lightly tapping her slipper with his shoe. Her head snaps up.

“Everything alright sweetheart?”

She shakes her head “Sorry, I thought I felt something on me,” she glances at Alastor who gives a sly smirk, letting her know his intentions. They continue the conversation and Vera taps Alastor’s shoe with her foot, to test out her theory, and feels his foot graze her ankle. She was right! He did it on purpose! She rubs his ankle back with her foot, taking it as a challenge, while he pokes her with his toes. She lightly kicks him and he raises his foot her calf slowly. The blush on Vera’s face makes her skin her favorite color and she does the same to him. This time, however, she feels his foot go up much higher on her leg, lifting the hemline of her nightgown much higher, over her knee-

“Mommy! Daddy! Vera is foot wrestling with the garden boy!”

Vera reaches over the table to pinch her sister but is then pinched herself by her mother “Ow!” she rubs her arm

“You don’t pinch your sister!” Daphne reprimands her older daughter

Cassius clears his throat “Perhaps son, you should get to work,”

“Of course sir,” he says, dragging his foot back down slowly and standing up from the table.

Vera watches him exit through the back door, finally noticing how his trousers fit his legs.

______________________________________________________

“You all are going to the Mardi Gras parade, right?”

Alastor turns to the voice talking to him and it’s Vera standing in an outside dress, covering her arms, as the thin material did nothing to shelter her from the cool breeze. He lowered the shears to respond to her.

“You know your daddy will be on my ass if I don’t get this work done,”

Vera shrugs “So get it done,” she states plainly

“I would, but a little doll keeps distracting me,”

She stares up at him, over her glasses and he stares down under his

“Look at me over your cheaters all you want, I got a job to do,” he returns to the branches

Vera stands beside him and looks at his face as he prunes the branches “Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Going to the parade,”

He clamps the shears shut over the dead branch “We’re gonna swing by one of them,”

“One?” she seems confused

“Yeah,” he glances down at her and grins “You didn’t think there was only one did you?”

She blushes. She did think that. “My family is going to the one run by the Krewe of Iris, my mother is a member,”

“Oh?” He lowers the shears “Is that why you all requested those ritzy-looking clothes?” she nods “This is their first year,”

“Oh,” she says, leaving a beat of silence “Which one are you going to?”

“Krewe of Endymion, and no I’m not a member. I like to watch,”

“What are you going to wear?”

He raises his brow “Probably nothing very different from what I’ve got on right now,”

Vera looks shocked “What? You’re going to wear that?! Your mother’s a seamstress, why not wear something nice?!”

Alastor places the shears on the ground and turns to face her directly, he puts his gloved hand on her shoulder and she flinches a bit. He sets his brows and his lips in a line “I want to make something clear to you. Some of us, namely my mother and I, do not have everything you do. And we do not have the time, the money, or the resources to get them because we’re working for fat cats like your daddy just to survive,”

Vera had no idea what to say to that, at that moment, all she could feel was the warmth on her cheeks and the weight of Alastor’s hand on her shoulder. Without his eyes leaving hers, he lowered his hand down to her arm. The wind blows as his hand travels down to capture her silk-covered fingers.

“Do you dislike me?” she asks

“No,” he responds, the winds perfectly combing through his hair “I do however, dislike your talks of your possessions and your ignorance. But what I dislike the most,” he steps closer “is your father getting in the way,”

“In the way of what?” she asked, her chest unexpectedly warming and her stomach shockingly flipping.

He gives her a giant silly grin and puts her hair behind her ear. The gesture is useless, as the wind blew her hair back, but her skin tingled regardless.

“Vera!” she turns to see her mother at the back door “Let that boy do his work! Should you not be in here studying your mathematics?”

Vera doesn’t look back as she answers the call, walking back to the house and to her mother. When she steps into the door frame, Cassius comments on the leaves and dirt on Vera’s sleeve, giving a dirty look to Alastor in the backyard.

Alastor takes a long blink and picks the shears up once more. This time, however, when he cuts off the dead branches and watches them fall, he imagines that he’s cutting Mr. Bates’s neck and watching his head fall with a thud.

__________________________________________

Vera knocks on the front door of the house. “May?” she calls inside “It’s me, it’s Vera! My father sent me over?” she knocks a few more times, standing on the small porch, waiting before the door swung open with force and Alastor stood behind it. Vera’s cheeks warmed “Oh, hello,” she wiggled her gloved fingers

“What’s up?” His expression seems somewhat dark as he leans on the doorframe

“I thought your mother was here,” she says, not really answering the question

He crosses his arms “She is not,”

Vera blinks “Is she coming back?”

“Hopefully,”

Vera stares past the man and into the house, blinking rapidly.

Alastor glances behind him “Would you like to come inside?”

She nods “Yes, please,” he moves out of the frame to allow her to walk in before him, and he closes the door behind them. Once inside, he makes a beeline for the living room, where music can be heard playing.

“What brings you here?”

Vera chuckles “I volunteered to come over to give your Mama the money for the rest of the year, but I suppose I can give it to you,” her gloves are white as snow, and she removes her hat and hands him the wad of cash “What are you listening to?”

“WWL,” he responds, sitting up

“Hmm,” she says, trailing her fingers over the couch

Alastor leans back with his head against the wall “I know you don’t care much for radio, but I don’t need to hear it right now,”

“It’s not that I don’t care for it,” she comes closer to the young man “I just don’t understand the urge to be on it,” she chuckles “Tell me,”

He turns to her “Hmm?”

“Tell me why you want to do radio,”

She stands over him as he sits up in place “Well, radio stars are the pinnacle of celebrity,”

“And?”

He doesn’t know what to say “And…everybody listens,”

“Mhmm? Is that all?”

Alastor shakes his head “No, you don’t understand. Everybody listens. Not just some people, everybody. Radio hosts and late-night stories have everyone on the edge of their seats, hanging onto every word they say. To the point where people don’t even get up to use the toilet for fear of missing what will come out of their mouth next. The people are gripped, practically chained to it. They don’t miss a single broadcast, at least, I don’t. I want to do that. I want to be that because I need to know that when I talk, there’s always someone who will listen,” He had started staring out the window as he spoke, but he turned back to Vera when he finished and saw the tears almost fall out of her eyes, he looks away in embarrassment. “It’s not sad, I don’t know why you’re doing that,”

“I’m sorry,”

His neck snaps with how fast he turns to her “What?”

“I’m so sorry. For the things I said when we met. That was the most beautiful thing I’ve heard in my whole life. I think I’ve been moved by your words. Honestly,”

Alastor blushes “I don’t think that it was that serious,”

“I didn’t mean those things anyway,” she went on “I only said it because I got my feelings hurt,” she smiled awkwardly

“What did I say that hurt your feelings?”

She tilts her head “Well… you laughed at me and implied that being an actress is a useless pipe dream,”

“Right…” Alastor readjusts himself “Well, why do you want to do acting?”

“Well, I want to be seen. The same way you want to be heard, when you’re on the stage and you see the crowd, they paid to be there. So you know they want you, want to see you. I want that to be me,” she clenches her fists as she imagines herself on the stage, spotlights on her in the center, with the audience’s undivided attention. There’s a glimmer in her eyes as she tells him this, one that tells him she means every single word of it.

His expression softens a lot “Wow, you’re so beautiful,” she looks back at him, her thoughts broken “Well, that was so beautiful,”

“Yes, I suppose so,” she places with the ends of her hair.

The two of them sit in comfortable silence, with her staring off into the distance and him staring at her. At a random moment, she snaps back into reality.

“Well, I should get going, my parents are expecting me,” she snickers, replacing her hat “And I don’t think my father likes you very much,” she laughs, but Alastor doesn’t find it funny

Alastor doesn’t want her to leave, and her father was getting on his last nerve. As she exited the living room, he made quick strides to black the front door, as he had come up with an idea. One to get a secret one up on Mr. Bates and to make sure that even if she left, a piece of her would always be here, with him.

“Don’t leave just yet,” he puts on his celebrity smile as she pulls back slightly shocked at his appearance in front of the door

She smiles nervously “Do you need something?”

“Well yes, I need you to come see something with me,”

“Where?” she questions

“Follow me,”

She could decline, or insist on heading back home, but she wasn’t sure that she wanted to. “Fine,”

He leads her out the back door and into the woods behind the house. Not very deep, however, more like where a child would play. She did her best to not get dirt on her blouse, skirt, or gloves, as it would be very difficult to hide. When he stopped it was in front of a small structure made of wood that if one squinted, they could say it looked like a house.

“Ta-da!”

Vera tilts her head “What am I looking at?”

Alastor chuckles “It’s a fort,”

It amuses her “For a child,” she snickers “Did you build this?”

“With my own two hands, my dear,”

She crouches “When? When you were a boy?” she laughs

It has enough room to fit them both, but only if they lie down….on top of each other. She looks back at him

“Indeed,” he grins

“This is adorable but, why did you bring me here?” she questions

Alastor pulls her back by her waist and she blushes at being held there. He crouches and kneels, removing his jacket and laying it on the floor of the fort.

“Go on in,”

“Are you screwy?”

“Trust me, go in,”

She shakes her head with disbelief and chooses to trust him. She crouches once more and enters the tiny fort, Alastor entering behind her. There is more space than she thought, but not by much. She fit inside fully, but Alastor was so tall that his feet threatened to stick out of the door. Vera giggles at the sight. Alastor smiles at the sound of her giggle and removes her hat.

“Miss Bates?”

She flutters her lashes “Yes?”

“Have you ever…been with a man?”

The blush overtakes her face and she covers her mouth with her gloved hands. Alastor grabs her hands and pulls them back down to her lap, waiting for an answer

“Is that an…appropriate topic?”

He stares over his lenses “I thought you were a flapper at heart,”

“I-“ she looks away, embarrassed slightly “I am, but-“ she closes her eyes, trying not to giggle anymore

“But?” he goads her

“Well, I haven’t been with any men, but…” she pushes some of her hair back “I have…done things with some of my friends.”

“What kind of things?” He raises his brow

“Like with our fingers?” She bites her lip in embarrassment

Alastor raises his eyebrows and widens his eyes “So you haven’t tried the newest trend?”

“What trend?” she looks interested

Alastor leans in “The trend where you have a man taste what’s between your legs?” he smirks, he lids his eyes at her

Vera’s face quickly turns pink “I-I’ve never heard of that..” she stammers

“It’s a new thing, cher. All the free-thinking women are doing it. Isn’t that what you stand for?”

She glances to the side “Well, yes, but I don’t know if we should be talking about this.”

“Don’t you believe in equal rights for women?”

“Of course I do!”

“Doesn’t that include sexual freedom?” he leans toward her

“Well, yes but-“

“Then why don’t we try it? It’s supposed to represent a role reversal of the subjugation of women.”

Vera’s breath starts to get heavy, thinking about the man in front of her being between her legs. She also started feeling hot in the space he was asking to taste. She knew that this wasn’t the first time she had thought about Alastor this way, but now that he was asking, it all felt so real. She wasn’t sure if she was still too young for this kind of thing. She was 19 and they weren’t married. This moment had shown its face in all her fantasies, and now she had the chance to make it true. She was a young, free woman goddammit! She could make her own decisions, including who and what goes between her legs! And besides, who said her future husband ever had to know?

“Okay, but you’ll be gentle right?” She looks up at him through her lashes

He crawls towards her, thinking about how pretty she looks right now “Of course,” he whispers against her lips before connecting with them. He kisses her with passion, and although she is startled, she quickly sinks into it; running her hands up his chest and landing around his neck. Allowing his tongue to enter her mouth and him to press her up against the wall to the small area. Her heat pooled underneath her long skirt, full of anticipation for what was coming next.

Alastor pulled back from the kiss, only for Vera to pull him back in, once, twice, three times. He smirks and licks his bottom lip. “I promise it will be worth it ma chérie.” He gives her a few more small kisses before descending and lifting up her skirt to go under it. She felt him pull down her tights and panties halfway down, then felt his warm breath on her heat. Her breath hitched in her throat as he planted a light kiss on her wet heat. She laid back waiting for something else to happen.

Alastor slides his tongue into her vagina, Vera is shocked by the sensation of the intrusion. At first, it felt strange, but then it started to feel good. The feeling of his wet tongue on the inside of her wet core was something magical. He begins to massage the nerves inside her with the curve of his tongue, and each curve and twist had Vera making a symphony of moans in different octaves. Alastor stayed inside of her for what must have been an hour, but it was entirely too short for him. He was tasting paradise and did not want to leave.

When he did remove his tongue he made his way to her clit, Alastor licked and flitted with it. Vera starts moaning at the sudden influx of pleasure. He drags his tongue around and around her clit, then begins sucking on the bud. Her moans get louder and louder, so she has to cover her mouth to avoid being heard by anyone else who might be in the woods. He sucks the bud like his life depended on it; like he needed this little bean to survive. Vera couldn’t help but moan louder and louder as the pleasure built up inside of her. She bites on one of her fingers to keep the volume of her voice down. The volume of her voice grows louder and louder, the longer he sucks on her clit. Her breath is growing heavier than before. She looks down at him, not knowing what else to do while feeling this, and sees his arm sitting up, palm open. She grabs his hand and grips it, squeezing her thighs around his head, as the knot in her gut grows tighter and tighter. Alastor uses his lips to pull on her clit and the knot snaps as she is overwhelmed with pleasure, she begins moaning at the top of her lungs.

Alastor comes from under her skirt and embraces her in another passionate kiss, swallowing her moans. She wraps her arms around him as he lowers her onto the coat he laid under her. He lays on top of her, kissing and feeling her as she rides out her first manmade orgasm.

It may have looked awkward when she finally did leave, her face fully red while trying not to smile, and the gigantic smirk on his face. He tried for a goodbye kiss as she walked out the door, but she simply placed her hand on his chest and silently walked out. He was right in his plan. She’d left her taste with him, and nobody, not even her father could take that from him.

Imagine his surprise when his mother called him down on her way out one morning, telling him that he had mail. He tore open the envelope with confusion, only to have to fight the gigantic grin from crawling onto his face as he read it.

Dear Alastor,

Hello, this is Vera Bates. I’m not sure if you know any other Vera’s. Ha ha!

Anyway, I will just get to the point and say that I can not stop thinking about you and…

what we did.

Oh, I’m so embarrassed just thinking about it. I can feel my face turning red. Ha ha!

Anyway, I was hoping that we could write until we see each other again. I don’t think I want my father to hear me on the phone, haha.

Write back, please.

Love, Vera

Immediately he went to find a pen and paper to respond.

Dear Vera,

Hello to you as well! This is Alastor, haha!

I hope all is well with you, my dear. What we did is on my mind as well, and I am hoping that perhaps we could do something

like it again? If I am allowed to be so forward with you Miss Bates. Catch me up on your adventures in New York City!

I’d love to hear more about your Broadway dreams. And maybe other types of dreams…about me?

It is an honor to write to you.

Sincerely, Alastor

He smirked as he wrote the letter, knowing it would make her blush. They went back and forth like this for the rest of the year. Eager to see her once again and perhaps continue what they’d started, he was up bright and early, ready for the day the Bates came back. But she didn’t come that year, or the next. Her parents did, but Vera was absent, and the letters had stopped too. Of course, he had made it all up in his head, he wasn’t even sure if what he was feeling was real. He had never felt this before, in his entire life. He could have asked her parents about her, but that would be admitting that he cared, and he didn’t so, he did his job and left—day in and day out until the Bates were gone.

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