• 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲'𝐬 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 • Alastor x Reader

𝐒𝐢𝐱.

Alastor hummed as you browsed through some of the outfits the shop had to offer, eyes sparkling with joy at one specific dress. It wasn't anything special, really. Just a blue dress with some thin, white stripes, but you seemed to have fallen in love with it. He wished he could buy it for you, yet he knew you were perfectly capable now, even if it was at the price of your health...

The brunette found himself disliking the idea of your mystery job, his mind always wandering to how shaken and fatigued you looked every time you met up with him, your body seeming to grow thinner and thinner with each passing day. You told him on quite a few occasions not to worry about anything that was happening, but after his outburst yesterday at the café, he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to stop worrying.

He was pulled from his mind when he saw you take the dress off the rack, bounding over to the changing rooms. His smile softened at the sight, despite your state of being, you always somehow managed to remain optimistic. Alastor was an optimist most of the time, but there were things that just made him want to drop his smiling facade and go animalistic — like your visibly unwell form. "Al! What do you think?" You came scurrying out from behind the curtain, giggling like a child that had just been told a joke about talking rocks.

The man's eyes flicked to you, lids lowering over his eyes lazily. The blue dress fit you perfectly, hugging your curves in a way that made your waist and chest look bigger, most likely from the stripes. He didn't hover on that for too long, though. The hem of the dress reached just above your ankles and the sleeves were short, covering a little more than your shoulder. "My dear, that looks absolutely ravishing on you," he chuckled at the look beginning to form on your face. "Really? That's great! I mean — I really like it, so I wanted to make sure it looked alright before getting it," you smiled up at him before lifting onto the tips of your feet and planting a quick peck on his cheek, his smile simply forming into curious one.

Not leaving him any time to respond, you hurried back into the dressing room and pulled your regular clothes on. They weren't as pretty as the dress you were about to purchase, but that was the whole reason you came here. Just a quick stop before heading to Alastor's place for the evening! Giggling at the thought of getting a proper meal for once, you pulled on the red coat Alastor had bought you all those weeks ago and left the changing cabins.

When you came out, the brunette was nowhere to be seen. Your brow lifted in confusion until you spotted him just outside of the store with a smoke between his fingers, the pale gray fumes rising into the air from where he was faced away from you.

Smiling, you quickly paid for the dress before stepping out to join the man, his eyes immediately landing on you and a small grin tugging at his lips. He quickly finished the cigarette and extinguished it before tossing it away from himself, the small butt barely visible in the snow. "Get what you need, my darling?" he verified, adjusting his gloves a little. You nodded enthusiastically, taking the first few steps away from store and towards Alastor's home, your steps quick and happy as your friend followed behind.

The both of you had passed a group of three prostitutes, each one sporting a large fur coat over their skimpy lingerie. Alastor had taken a glance at them and then shook his head, keeping quiet at your side until the both of you were a good distance out of earshot. "I don't understand how a lady can sell herself in such a way," he mumbled, the heart in your chest seeming to stop and fall into a gorge of darkness. "I mean, they could be doing something else with their lives. Not feeding off of something so sacred."

Your muscles tensed as you tried to think of a way to lighten the profession in his mind. "Maybe they couldn't find any other jobs. It's not necessarily because they enjoy it," you tried to defend those women — and yourself. Alastor turned his head to look at you, slowly nodding in agreement. "Perhaps, but at that point why bother? The only thing you'll gain are STDs. Is the money worth it then?" You shuddered at that thought. "I guess not," your words came out as a raspy whisper, the tears being swallowed like a lump in your throat as you continued down the road towards the northern end of the city.