The Boy Next Door

A Promise

Anthony and Alastor walked silently, nothing really needed to be said though. So the silence was comfortable.

There was definitely a lot to talk about, but the shock still hadn't worn off, Alastor still wasn't entirely there. The injury that had knocked him out was definitely concussed.
Finally arriving back at their home, Anthony opened the door and led Alastor to the lounge to sit down.
And just as before, both men were silent. This time it was less comfortable, they were safe now... at least they hoped so. Everything that had just happened finally settling in, Anthony felt his stomach drop as he stared at his feet.
"I just killed a man." He muttered.
Alastor looked up when the silence was broken. "Oh...yes you did do that, congratulations?" Anthony shook his head. "Smiles shut up- I fucking killed him. Holy fuck, and you! You lied to me!" Alastor sighed. "Alright, Anthony I told you already I was- never mind." Anthony glared at him, before standing up and walking away. Alastor sat their quietly, it didn't take long before Anthony came back with an armful of items. The brunette was less than excited at the idea of Anthony giving him stitches. But the only other options were seeing a nurse, waiting for his mother who would have many questions, or to leave it and possibly have an infection.
Grin and bare it. He did that for most of his life anyway.

"Alastor...that guy knew, he figured it out. I think you and I need to have a serious talk about the whole, you killing people thing." Alastor bit the inside of his cheek. "I suppose we should...what do you think I should do?" He asked. Anthony paused for a moment.
"Be honest, how many people have you killed?"
Silence.
"I don't know... and I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth. More than two hundred but I can't tell you how many."
Anthony stared at his hands as he listened. "Two fucking hundred?!" Alastor sighed. "Yes I know, I know it's not good. I assure you my love, I hardly even remember most of them." Anthony stared at him blankly. "I don't understand sometimes, how you...just some shy boy who I was friends with as kid. That kid is you, I really don't get how you got from there to now." The brunette only shrugged. "I don't understand it either." Once again they both were quiet.

Anthony finished dressing the wound, putting everything away and sitting down on the couch next to Alastor, he spoke again.
"Alastor I don't want you killing people anymore."
Alastor felt his stomach drop.
"Anthony...I can't do that."
The blonde turned to look at him, his expression dead serious. "I mean it, you have to stop." The brunette didn't know how to word it, he didn't know if he was able to stop. If he was aloud to stop. "It's not as simple as you think it is-" "Why not?!" Anthony cut him off. Alastor stared at him. Anthony turned to grip his shoulders, the brunette wincing at the pressure on his newly dressed wound. "Why isn't it that simple?! I killed a man to save you! I killed a man to save myself! Why do you do it?!" Alastor didn't have an answer. His whole life he killed people because he was told he had to. Anthony wouldn't understand, how could he? Some countdown, hell, demons? It was hard for Alastor to comprehend, how could his lover?

He was silent, Anthony stared at him as he waited for an answer. Finally through gritted teeth he received it. "I don't know."

The blonde was frozen, grip on his shoulders only tightened in anger, the glare he held faltered only with the pent up emotions of fear for his lover, the feelings he had endured that night. "You aren't gonna kill anyone else, ever again." He said quietly. "Anthony you don't understand-" "I, as your boyfriend, forbid it. You will never kill anyone. Ever. Again." Alastor stared at him, he hadn't expected this, not from Anthony. He was demanding something so sensible yet seemed so impossible. He didn't have any words to answer, so Anthony spoke again. "Promise me. Please, please Al...promise me you will stop. You can't die, I can't lose you. It's over now, my dads gone, that man is dead, we're okay now and you've done enough damage." The brunette remained silent, pained at the desperation of Anthony's demands. Until finally...
"I promise."

Anthony didn't smile, he didn't thank him, not even an "okay, good." He remained still, tears streaming down his face as he finally received an answer.

Alastor didn't feel any form of relief, the internal conflict of what he had promised played in his head in a hundred different results. Even if he were to stop, it would not change his fate. But would it change the aftermath? He dwelled on it for a moment until a familiar static filled his ears, those same claw like hands covering Anthony's eye. "Alastor, how could you promise you won't kill again?" The brunette shook his head. "I don't know." "And what will you do if you stop? What purpose will you serve?" He pondered that for a moment, eyes again falling on his lover. "I don't know." "Is that all you have? You don't know? We have a purpose to fulfil. This is your destiny, to be the monster we have created. Be worthy of your title. How can you expect-" "I've done what you asked."

"You loved him as much as I do, why can't I just have this life? I've dedicated so many years to this, risked myself and loved ones, what you told me I had to do. I've survived the only man who has ever come close to taking me down. Don't I deserve my last years to be of my choosing?"

The entity went quiet. It had an argument ready, why Alastor was being unrealistic and ridiculous. But something caught it's eye. It stared at Alastor, then slowly it looked around the room. The photos on the wall, the furniture, the wallpaper. Things it had once recognized as their's. Finally it's eyes landing on Anthony, who remained still in his tranced state. His beautiful blonde hair, his voice. The things it had come to love so dearly about him, or rather Alastor did...
No, as the entity had, all that time ago.
Turning back to its summoner, it said nothing. It couldn't really stop Alastor from doing this. It could influence, it could encourage, but this time it would not force. Raising one hand to pet Anthony's hair, it leaned in to kiss the top of his head. Alastor watched it until the entity looked up at him. Merely bowing its head in submission, and fading into static, the noise ringing through the room and disappearing into mere silence.

Anthony blinked his eye, looking up at his lover as he came back to awareness. He wasn't aware of the rush of emotions overtaking the man before him.
The realization of what this meant.
The weight that had been lifted, a promise of his freedom, a choice to live a life he wanted free of the plan of some higher power.
But Anthony knew that smile, one that conveyed real happiness. It calmed his nerves ever so slightly, despite having no idea where this change of mood had come from.

The euphoria he was experiencing. Finally, finally. Was it really over? Could it be over for him. The entity had finally agreed with him...
He was free

He was free.

Anthony snapped his fingers in front of the man's eyes. "Alastor, you in there?" He asked. The brunette responded instantly, not with words, but a kiss. The blonde was shocked but leaned into it. Excepting this affection from his lover, even if he hadn't quite caught up to why the tone had suddenly shifted so much.
Alastor broke the kiss, staring into his eye with this look of pure adoration.
"What's going on with you?" Anthony asked.

"Darling things are gonna change for us, I promise. You and I are going to have a better life. And if it will lead to your happiness I will put all of this behind me. You won't lose me, and I will do anything and everything to stay by your side for the rest of my life, if you'll have me."

Anthony's mouth pulled into a small smile, realizing what must have happened. Even if he barely understood, if Alastor had his closure then he was more than fine with it. He was just relieved to hear that this was over. It was all over.

"Of course I'll  have you." He said happily as he leaned forward to once again lock lips with the brunette. Hands moving from his shoulders to hold his face, keeping him there as they remained that way for a few more seconds. Yet to them it was an eternity, or a promise of eternity. Anthony only wished that-
Barely pulling away from the kiss, their lips still brushed against each other. He wanted that promise to be official.

"Alastor...

...Would you marry me?"

Hey guys, so I'm alive! And this story is getting updated!

This chapter is what I was having trouble with so I promise you the last few chapters will hopefully be faster than like- the 6 months it took for this one. Anyways, hope you are all having a wonderful day! Kisses! <333