Four Leaf Clover (Human Alastor x Fem Reader)

3: Overwork

As your eyes flutter open, you're greeted by the sun's gentle rays illuminating the room. Glancing at the bedside clock, you note it's just past eight in the morning. Your gaze sweeps the room, but there's a void, a silence that's not quite right. Alastor, your beloved partner, is nowhere to be seen. He's likely already departed for work, but the absence he left behind is more than just physical. It's a palpable emptiness, a mystery waiting to be unraveled. As you sit up and stretch, a glimmer catches your eye. It's a folded piece of paper, a secret waiting to be revealed.

Mon Amour,

I yearn to be there when you awaken, to spend the entire day in our sanctuary of a bed. I'm eagerly planning to leave work early today to be by your side. The weather is a perfect accomplice, inviting us to bask in the backyard and soak up the sun. The porch swing, our haven, is an excellent spot to curl up with a book. But, my dear, keep yourself from overexerting yourself today. You're still recovering from your accident, and it would shatter my heart to see you in more pain. Remember, you are not to leave the house.

Yours Forever,

Alastor

The letter brings a soft smile, a rare moment of pure joy amidst your recovery. You carefully tuck it into the nightstand drawer, a precious memento of Alastor's love. As you head into the bathroom, you notice your (h/c) hair, a reminder of your accident. The fresh bandage wrapped around your head, a sign of Alastor's care, catches your attention. He must've changed it while you were still asleep, a testament to his gentle touch and silent devotion.

After changing into day clothes, you enter the fenced backyard with a cup of coffee. You take a second to feel the sun on your skin. Then, you sit on the porch swing and slowly drink coffee while enjoying nature. You watch the cardinals flying around and the squirrels in the trees. Watching how free they were. You finish drinking your coffee and head back into the house.

You walked around a bit, trying to find something to do. You noticed a lot of laundry pile up, so you did it. It'll at least take up a good chunk of your day. You separate everything by color and put the first load into the washing machine. By now, the cleaning rush has started to settle in. So you walk around to find your next task.

You don't know how long it's been since you started cleaning the house. You started in the kitchen, wiping down the counters and organizing everything better. Then, you worked on sweeping the rooms with hardwood floors and vacuuming the ones with carpet. In between everything, you continued to do the laundry. That all leads up to what you're doing now. You're in the bedroom folding all the laundry you did and putting it away, humming to yourself as you work.

"What are you doing?" a voice behind you says, startling you. You turn around and lock eyes with Alastors. He still has a slight smile on his face. However, his eyes don't match that smile. He's displeased with you, and you know it.

"Uhm, just finishing up some laundry," you say softly. You and Alastor stand there with eyes locked. You break eye contact and stare down at the clothes in your hands. You start fidgeting with them slightly, not daring to look back up at Alastor. You hear a long sigh from him before footsteps approach you.

"I'll take care of it, my love," Alastor says firmly, taking the clothes from your hands. You start to protest, but a stern look from him silences you. You sit on the bed, watching him as he finishes the task. "I don't like it when you overexert yourself, (Y/N). I told you to rest today, and here you are, cleaning the entire house. While I appreciate your effort, your health should always come first." His words, though strict, carry a deep concern that you can't help but feel comforted by.

You don't say anything to him. You know you pushed yourself a little more than you should have. Granted, you feel fine, aside from the slight pain in your head. You'll rate it a three at most. You keep your mouth shut as much as you want to argue back at him. You stare down at your feet as you fidget with your hands. That changes when a gloved hand grabs your chin and makes you look up at them. Alastor's thumb caresses your cheek as he looks down at you. You can't help but lean into his touch slightly.

"I'm going to go cook dinner for us, sweetheart," Alastor tells you. He leans down and kisses your forehead, his lips lingering just a tad longer than they should've. With that, he lets go of your chin and leaves the room, leaving you a flustered mess. This man, who always knows how to make your heart skip beats, makes you feel loved and cherished with every action. But is it too soon to even be saying that? You've technically only "known" him for a day now. Somehow, it feels so right but so wrong at the same time. You let out a sigh as you feel a headache starting to form, a physical manifestation of your internal conflict, a battle between your heart and your mind.

You walk down the stairs and head into the kitchen. You watch as Alastor cooks some food for the two of you. He's humming a song softly to himself. You're unsure what he's cooking, but it smells excellent. He glances behind his shoulder to see you as if he could sense you.

"Dinner is about to be done, love. Why don't you help by setting the table?" He asks. You happily nodded at him and went to grab the plates and utensils. You're glad he's at least letting you help with something. You happily place everything on the table as he brings the food over. He's cooked meatballs with gravy and some mashed potatoes. He fills your plate up before he does his. Then, the both of you enjoy dinner quietly, savoring the taste of the food Alastor has made. "While cooking, I noticed we're getting low on meat. However, I was planning on a hunting trip tomorrow after I get off work. I might come home a little late tomorrow."

"You hunt?" you ask. He seems like someone other than the person to go hunting. It just doesn't fit his persona. He lets out a soft chuckle at your question.

"I do hunt occasionally. I'm rather picky on what I hunt, though," he says, a smile, almost a sadistic grin forming. His sudden change in demeanor makes a slight shiver go down your spine. But that doesn't last long when his usual cheerful smile comes back. "Well, that was a delightful meal! Why don't we clean up here and start winding down for the night."

"Ok," you respond and stand to help him clean the dishes. However, your mind keeps traveling back to that sadistic look on his face. It just unnerves you. One second, he looked evil; like a switch, he returned to being cheerful. What secrets could he be hiding? You shrug it off, probably overthinking it.