Alastor X Reader: Blood For Freedom

39. Not Again

*** Your POV ***

Charlie rang the announcement bell and her voice echoed through out the hotel "Goodmorning everyone! Today the V's are coming in for meeting regarding our visit to heaven, they will be here in the next hour. So I ask all residents who do not wish to interact with them to make their way up their rooms and stay there until after I make the second announcement for the day. I repeat, all residents who do not wish to interact with Vox, Velvette or Valentino to please make their way to their respective rooms! Thank you!"

You were listening at the receptionist desk where you were hanging around, pretending to be busy by doodling in your sketchbook with your feet up on the counter. You never liked their visits, and you were especially worried now. Since the heaven incident tensions in the hotel rang high. Although it seems like Alastor smoothed things over for the most part, the mild discomfort from the arugment itself was talking a lot longer to die down. It didn't help that if anyone so much as copped an attitude with you, Alastor would pop out of nowhere by your side. The chances of thinks getting a little out of hand has increased.

The V's came in with their usual attitudes, but at least they were punctual arriving almost fifteen minutes before they were supposed to, and causing some of the straggling residents to have to bolt upstairs. Velvette gave you a happy little wave, looking up from her phone briefly before walking forward. Vox sauntered in with his hands behind his back, noticing you sitting at the entrance, he grinned widely then followed Velvette. Valentino was last, and he didn't even look at you just kept going right past, which was probably for the best.

There was a mild hope that maybe they would keep to themselves, go get briefed by Charlie and then leave. Alas, that didn't last long. You saw Vox coming back up to the receptionist counter holding two drinks in his hands. As he approached, he extended one towards you and was about to say some sort of greeting, but was intercepted by Alastor who just a moment ago was elsewhere, preparing for the meeting. He had one glove off, which he was holding in his other hand, placing the bare hand right over the top of the drink Vox was intending for you. He pressed on the drink causing it to hit the counter with a loud clink and some of the liquid spilled out despite his hand on it, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to it, instead placing himself directly between you and the TV man.

"Uh, excuse me, what are you doing?" Vox questioned, not taking his hand off he drink looking at Alastor with disdain, his mouth touching the bottom of his TV screen and his eyes slightly narrowed.

"That is a question for you, old pal." Alastor fired back, the static giving his voice a mild edge and his last words dripping in sarcasm through his toothy smile.

"I am trying to offer the lady a drink, as an apology for the first time we met." He explained himself, his eyes going between Alastor and the drink that the stag was still holding down to the counter. An odd flush filled his cheeks as he realized their fingers were touching at the rim.

"You are not offering anyone here a drink, especially not Y/n." Alastor pushed the drink back towards Vox, forcing him to pick it back up to his chest. "Take this away and go." Despite his clear irritation, he didn't want to cause too much of a scene. And at this point the remaining residents were already looking and Velvette has come back around behind Vox to check on the commotion.

"You still on about that?" Vox suddenly asked, sounding genuinely indignant, "It was a mistake Alastor, how long are you going to be hung up on it?"

Alastor was about to retort with something, but you had a big involuntary yawn climb out of you, causing you to have to hastily clasp your hand to your mouth to cover it. Your head buzzed with sleepyness. You looked at the clock and realized that the meeting was about to take place just at the time that you and Alastor usually headed up to his office for your nap. You've never had a scheduled sleep time before so you didn't really think about it.

"Awh, little thing didn't catch enough Z's?" Vox leaned to the side to look at you from around Alastor who had immediately turned his head towards you. His gaze widening at first but softening immediately as it landed on your half dozed face. A sharp slap came from behind Vox and he bent over with an audible "Ow" that sounded like a volume glitch, revealing Velvette who had apparently smacked him on the back of the head.

"You idiot, she's part bat. The poor thing probably barely gets any sleep." She snapped at him, causing him to "Oh" quiely as he looked at her.

Alastor seems to have completely forgotten his earlier anger, turning to face you fully. He shook the drops of the drink from his hand using magic to get rid of them completely. Vox's and Velvettes eyebrows rose as he brought his fingers to your cheek, brushing it gently. "Do you want me to take you up to your room or my office?" He said it very quietly just loud enough for you to hear and you're responded in the same volume.

"No, its okay. I probably wont be able to sleep until you get there anyway." You rubbed your eyes with the back of your hand and a shudder, "Man, its no fair you seem just fine." You whined a little realizing that Alastor was not showing any signs of the same sleepiness.

"Hah," Alastor gave a quiet amused chuckle, "That's because I still sleep during the night silly."

"Everyone, meeting is starting come to conference five please!" Charlie yelled out causing Alastor and the two V's turn their heads.

"I'll wait here." You told Alastor placing a hand on his chest, and he gave you a quick nod before joining the rest of procession, but he left his shadow with you which discretely climbed its way up the chair you were sitting on and put its head on your lap. Alastor himself may have not been showing being sleepy but the shadow was more than happy to curl up for its nap.

"What was that about?" Vox whispered to Velvette who had dragged him away by hooking her arm around his elbow and was leading them towards the conference room, never looking up from her phone. "You don't think...?"

Velvette looked up at him and shrugged, "Didn't you say Alastor was a stiff though? Maybe he is playing at something." She reasoned, but secretly she had other thoughts - Alastor's gesture especially after such a pointed outburst seemed much to familiar to be ploy, far too gentle. She just figured sharing these thoughts, especially now, would be a bad idea.

"Well, yeah..." Vox glanced to the side awkwardly, clearly not really believing her words either. But deciding better than to reminisce too much on it here.

They all went into the room where Charlie informed them of the developments that caused such a scene a couple of weeks back. The V's, Velvette specifically, ultimately not agreeing or disagreeing to give the whole redemption thing a try, basically postponing the decision. Much to the aggravation of Charlie who was running out of options, but at least it wasn't a straight up no.

The moment Charlie concluded the meeting, Alastor turned on his heels and went out the door followed closely by Velvette, who was originally hoping to sneak a probing question to him before they left, but ended up having her suspicions confirmed in another way. Alastor melted into shadows right in front of her and popped up by the reception desk, then picked you up bridal style giving you a kiss on the forehead before disappearing with you in a puff of smoke.