-----°^°
You were exhausted. Seriously, just sitting upright on the couch in the Hazbin Hotel’s lounge felt like a miracle. And to make things even more absurd, Alastor was sitting right beside you.Lately, he had been acting strangely. Not his usual brand of strange—something was different.
At one point, curiosity got the better of you, and you had asked him what was going on. For a brief moment, it seemed like he was about to answer… but of course, what did he do instead? He laughed it off. Yet, even in his laughter, there had been something odd—his usual mischievous lilt had wavered, just for a second.
Now, here you both were, sitting side by side on this absurdly large couch, a strangely ironic distance between you. You really, really needed to sleep. Alastor, on the other hand, was calmly reading a book, occasionally mumbling something under his breath, completely absorbed in whatever strange world was unfolding in front of him.You tried to fight it, but your eyelids felt heavier by the second. No use. You had to get to your room before you passed out in the middle of the hallway.Maybe you should ask someone for help.…
Wait. Alastor?
No, no, no. He would definitely make fun of you. But then again…
You hesitantly turned your head to glance at him. He was still reading, though something about the way he flipped through the pages seemed off. Slower than usual. Was he lost in thought?
You weren’t even sure Alastor had those.You reached out and poked his shoulder. He hummed in response, finally acknowledging you."Uhm… could you help me get to my room? I feel like I might fall asleep while walking there, hehe…” You trailed off. “Alastor?"
For a moment, he just sat there, silent. You immediately regretted asking. It was a dumb idea. He was probably about to mock you, so you quickly decided to drop it and get up.
But before you could take a step, you heard the sharp sound of his book snapping shut.Then, he was right beside you."Of course, darling!" he chirped.Relieved, you gave him a small smile and moved to start walking, but before you could even take a step, Alastor grabbed your wrist and gently pulled you back.
You blinked, confused, and turned to face him.His usual playful grin was still there, but something was different.
His eyes… hesitated.And then, before you could question him—He lifted you into his arms.
"A-Alastor!?" you yelped, startled.Alastor didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his eyes closed for a brief moment as he adjusted his grip on you, then he simply started walking.You weren’t sure what was more surprising—the fact that he was carrying you, or the fact that he was doing it so effortlessly, as if you weighed nothing.After a beat of silence, you giggled softly.
The whole situation was just so ridiculous.
"We… we could’ve just taken the elevator, you know?”
"Hmm… perhaps next time," he mused
amusement lacing his tone.Sleep was creeping up on you fast. Your body was warm against his, and the rhythmic motion of his steps was oddly soothing.Your eyelids drooped.A small sigh escaped your lips before your head naturally lolled forward, resting against his chest.
Alastor noticeably stiffened for a second. His ears twitched, his head tilting slightly as he glanced down at you.Your breathing was soft. Calm. Completely at ease in his arms.Something in his expression shifted.
"mmh," he hummed quietly.Without thinking, he adjusted his hold on you, bringing you just a little closer. And then, with a small, almost hesitant motion, he lowered his head and lightly brushed his forehead against yours.
When he finally reached your room, his steps slowed. Carefully, he nudged the door open and stepped inside.He made his way over to the bed, moving deliberately as if afraid of waking you. Slowly, he lowered you onto the mattress, making sure your head rested comfortably against the pillow.With one last motion, he pulled the blanket over you, tucking you in.Then, he took a step back, watching you for a moment.A flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze before he finally turned toward the door.Without another word, he slipped out, leaving you to your peaceful sleep.--