Alastor X Female Deer Demon Reader (Rewritten)

Annoyed

Y/N's P.O.V.

Dinner time came faster than I expected. After the chaotic kitchen episode and dealing with Alastor's mind games, I had been hoping for a little more time to mentally prepare myself for another round. But, no such luck. The dining hall was already set up, and the smell of food-actual, good-smelling food-drifted through the hotel, luring us all in.

The table was long, and I could see the effort that Charlie had put into making it look warm and welcoming. Candles flickered in the center, soft lighting casting a golden glow across the room. It felt almost normal-almost like we weren't in Hell, and like everything wasn't teetering on the edge of chaos. Almost.

I made my way toward the table, spotting Vaggie and Angel Dust already seated. Angel was chatting animatedly, probably telling some ridiculous story, while Vaggie looked like she was already tired of it. Husk was slumped in his chair at the far end, his wings drooping as he sipped from a bottle that I could only assume wasn't his first. And, of course, there was Alastor, sitting at the head of the table, looking completely in his element, as if this whole dinner was some grand stage and we were all just his cast members.

My ears flicked with irritation as I noticed the seat next to him was still empty. Great. Of course, that's where I'd end up.

Charlie noticed me from across the room and waved, her face lighting up with that hopeful smile of hers. She seemed genuinely excited for the dinner, like this was some big family gathering instead of a meeting of misfit demons. Her optimism was both endearing and exhausting sometimes.

"Y/n! Come sit!" she called, gesturing to the empty seat-next to Alastor, obviously. I shot her a small smile, trying to keep my irritation in check. No point in dampening her mood. I was doing this for her, after all.

I reluctantly made my way over, sitting down and giving Alastor a sidelong glance. He, of course, was all smiles, like always.

"Good evening, dear," he greeted, voice smooth and dripping with amusement. "I was beginning to think you might skip dinner altogether. That would've been such a shame."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and kept my focus on the food in front of me. "Well, wouldn't want to miss out on all this," I said dryly, eyeing the spread. It actually looked good-hearty dishes, homemade bread, even some kind of soup that smelled suspiciously like jambalaya. Alastor's doing, no doubt.

He chuckled softly. "I'm glad you could join us, then. After all, a good meal is best shared, don't you think?"

I didn't respond, just reached for a piece of bread and buttered it, focusing on anything but the conversation. My goal for the night? Get through dinner without letting him get under my skin. Simple, right?

Angel Dust, meanwhile, was busy cracking jokes. "So, anyone else feel like this is the weirdest 'family dinner' ever? Or is that just me?"

Vaggie sighed heavily. "You say that like any dinner with you isn't weird."

Angel grinned and wiggled his fingers dramatically. "What can I say? I spice things up!"

Husk grumbled something unintelligible into his drink, clearly already over the whole affair.

Charlie tried to steer the conversation in a positive direction. "I think it's nice, all of us sitting together like this. It's a good start, right?"

"Absolutely, Charlie," I said, offering her a supportive smile. I meant it too. As weird as this whole setup was, she was trying. And if sitting through a meal with Alastor at my side was what it took to keep things on track, I'd do it.