The Boy Next Door

My lovely Lissie

First of all, why does this picture remind me of this AU so much?

Fuck it.

O N E  person asked about her backstory. So I'm fucking doing it.

!TW! Suggested abuse and murder, use of alcohol, family conflicts

Rosie sat on the couch of her home, her posture was more relaxed than usual as he watched the boy sitting on the ground by the coffee table in front of her. He slowly stood up and walked towards where she was sitting, tugging at her skirt a bit. "Roses-"
"Rosie, Alastor. Rose-EE." The boy nodded his head a few times. "Rosie when is mama and papa gonna be back?" He asked. Rosie bit her lip, glancing at the door. "She'll be...soon! She'll be here soon." She finally concluded. The boy nodded. "How do you know my mama again?" He asked, tilting his head a bit. "I'm her friend dear. Like your friends, do you have friends?" She asked. He merely shrugged. "Ah. Well...me and your mother get along very well, so we...like to hang out? Until that bastard got in the way."Rosie cursed quietly under her breath, she really didn't know how to interact with children. Immediately panicking when the boy repeated her curse. "Oh! Oh no! Nonono! Don't say that!" She quickly yelled. "Why not?" She bit her hand nervously, glancing at the few framed photos on the wall. "Umm...0r mama will make you go to bed without supper, and won't let you have any jambalaya tonight?" Alastor's smile immediately dropped as he nodded quickly. "Okay, don't say that...go play or whatever children do." She watched as Alastor left the room, glancing at the photos again, smile faltering a bit. "Elisa, Elisa, Elisa...why, of all the men in the world, why him?"

Once Alastor had finally gone to bed, she closed the door to his room and walked down the stairs. Thankful that he finally complied with her demands. Turning into the lounge, eyes immediately falling on the boy's mother, sitting on the couch staring off blankly into space. "Elisa...can I get you anything?" She called softly. "Bottle of wine in the cabinet, need a pick-me-up." She replied, the unmistakable sound of defeat clear in her words. Rosie nodded and turned into the kitchen, getting said bottle and two glasses, before walking back into the lounge and sitting next to her. She silently handed Elisabeth the bottle momentarily so she could properly set the glass down. Turning back to get the bottle again, Elisabeth having already opening it and taking a sip straight from the bottle. Rosie didn't know how to react in that moment but decided to just go with it, forgetting the glasses completely and doing as her friend had done, simply passing the bottle back to each other every few minutes. "So...what now?" She asked. Elisabeth scoffed taking a quick sip of the wine before setting it on the table. "Who knows. I dedicate eight years of my life to him, and now what? I've got a child to raise, a rent to pay and a minimum wage job...if I had to guess, I'll probably have to start working double shifts...triple maybe...just..ah screw it." She cut herself off, quickly picking the bottle up again. Rosie felt her blood boiling at even the mention of the man she hated to call her husband. "Okay...slow down. Alcohol and a broken heart are not a very good mix." She said cautiously, slowly reaching to take the bottle from her. "Broken heart? Maybe...I'm just trying to figure out why. Did I do something, Say something...this feels so out of nowhere. Were there warnings I was just missing?" Rosie sighed, shaking her head. "You were too good for him anyways, he wasn't good for you at all." Elisabeth shrugged, leaning back against the couch. "I'm not wasting anymore tears over that man. Can't wait to explain to Aly why he isn't home yet...that will be just splendid!" She said sarcastically. "Yes...your son...how are you planning on raising him? Single mothers are normally..." Rosie decided best not to finish that sentence. Elisabeth frowned, looking her dead in the eye. "I know. And I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I want him to grow up knowing that at least one of his parents cared enough to stay." Taking a small sip from the bottle, Rosie set it down again. "Elisabeth...if you ever need help with any of this, please remember I'll help try to assist you in whatever way I can." She said softly. Elisabeth glanced up at her, small smile pulling at her lips as she reached forward and pulled her hat down over her eyes. "Aw Rosie, you're to good to me." She said with a small laugh. Rosie removed her hat and put it down beside her. "I simply try to be the friend you deserve." Elisabeth shook her head, leaning against her shoulder. "You're better than I deserve Ro. Thank you for watching him today, I know you have a distaste for children. But it means a lot that you're doing this." Rosie felt herself tense up. Breath hitching in her throat a bit. "O-of course Lissie...again, anything for you."

Taking a deep breath she let herself relax a bit. She was always the most comfortable with Elisabeth anyway. This was the first time someone had a huge problem and she didn't just roll her eyes and move on, not when it was Elisa. She wished for years that that man would get out of her life. But now that he had, she didn't realize the effect it would have on her. She didn't expect the outcome she got. Years of wishing, he finally picks up and leaves...but he picked up a left...And Elisabeth was miserable. It almost made her feel a little guilty. This would have been easier without the child, but that boy was the only thing the kept her happy. She really did feel very conflicted by the situation.

If she was honest. She never liked him. Something about him bothered her.
Was it the way he treated Elisa? Yes.
Was it how he kept Elisa away from her? Yes.
Was it the fact that he believed the rumours? Yes. Yes. Yes.
She couldn't understand how Elisabeth could have married someone like him. She didn't protest because she wanted her friend to be happy, but Elisabeth wasn't happy. And she didn't want to lose her only real friend over that man.
It was Also a little beyond that though, Her thoughts on Elisabeth were already complicated in their own way. She could never just place it, but this feeling of betrayal when they got together, this never ending envy when they went out. She never could understand exactly why it bothered her that anyone was interested in her friend in such a way. She understood Elisabeth didn't belong to her in any way. Yes, she was protective of the only person who didn't believe the rumours that she was a witch, true or not true it was nice.
The amount of pain he had caused her friend over the years, the way talked about Elisabeth, how quickly she would shut up when he entered the room, how he actively tried to distance her from Rosie.

There was only one thing she could do now to get even.

Smooth." Rosie glanced back at her shadow with a glare. "You be quiet, you've done nothing but cause problems since I woke up." She said with an unamused glare. The entity smirked shaking its head. "You're right, Alastor is a lot like you. In more ways than you think." Was all it said before it disappeared. Rosie leaned against the door, smile tugging at her lips.
Suddenly freezing up. Feeling something along the lines of panic. Smooth?! What did it mean smooth?! She originally brushed it off as meaning that was awkward. It was, but now that she was thinking about it.
Elisabeth had always been important to her.
She was her friend. A really good, incredible, brave, kind, caring, beautiful...friend.
Rosie brought a hand to cover her mouth as she stared wide eyed off into space.
She wasn't...was she?
Like Alastor in more ways than one...
Did that mean she was?

"Apple didn't fall far from the tree at all..."

I can't find a good way to put this into the story in a simple way that doesn't look forced, so why not just say it?

After Elisabeth's husband left Rosie basically filled the role of Alastor's other parent. She watched him while Elisabeth was gone, she stuck by Elisabeth until they were in a good enough position to keep living their lives. Almost became something of what would have been Alastor's "father" figure.

I only say it like that because due to the gender norms of the time not only was it
Man and Woman.
(Insert eye roll here)
But there were also certain things each parent would do for teaching the child, and Rosie did everything the father was "supposed" to do.
(Insert another eye roll here)
Love the aesthetic of the 20's.
Not the time.
I would not have enjoyed livin back then.

Is Rosie in love with Elisabeth?
I want to say it's up for interpretation.
But the answer kinda is just...

Yes. She is.

Rosie's been in the friend zone for so much of her life, and she doesn't care because not only did she not realize it, her main priority is Elisabeth's happiness, so she's satisfied as long as her friend is.

Did I explain that okay?
Idc
This isn't at all important to the story, but thought I'd get it out there anyways, I love writing about side characters.

Anywhooo, I'm helping a friend write lore for her story so imma stop writing and post this. See ya peeps!

-your local lunatic