Lovers Once More - Radiostatic

Cold Mornings Part 2

As Niffty settled into the bubbles, her head resting back against the tub, she looked up at Alastor with her usual spark of curiosity. "Can you tell me a story?" she asked, pausing for effect before adding, "But... one of *your* stories. Like... one of your kills?"

Alastor chuckled, a bit surprised but also amused. "One of my kills, hmm? You're sure you wouldn't rather hear about a nice fairytale?"

She grinned mischievously, "No way! Fairytales are boring. I want to hear *your* stories!"

"Well, alright then," he began, leaning closer as if he were sharing a thrilling secret. "There was this man, very stubborn, arrogant as could be. Thought he could walk into my woods and take whatever he wanted..."

Niffty's eyes gleamed with fascination as Alastor wove the tale, detailing how he had tracked the man through the forest. His voice was low, captivating, drawing her into the story as he described every subtle thrill of the chase and the final, satisfying conclusion. Niffty hung onto every word, her small face showing excitement and curiosity.

But as Alastor went on, he noticed her eyelids beginning to droop. By the time he reached the final twist in his tale, her head had lolled to one side, and she was softly snoring, completely relaxed in the warmth of the bath.

He smiled, shaking his head in amused affection. Carefully, Alastor reached in to wrap her in a towel and gently lifted her out of the tub, taking care not to wake her. He dried her off and carried her back to the bedroom, where he tucked her back into bed with Bunny nestled beside her.

Watching her sleep, he murmured softly, "Goodnight, my little mischief-maker," before slipping quietly out of the room to let her rest.

When Vox returned from work, he stepped into the bedroom to find Alastor sitting in a nearby chair, sipping on a freshly made cup of tea. Alastor glanced up as Vox entered, a slight smile crossing his face.

"Hey," Vox said, glancing over at Niffty, who was fast asleep, looking much more peaceful than when he'd left that morning. "How's she doing?"

Alastor set his cup down and stretched a little. "Better, thankfully. She had quite the morning, though. Refused to shower, but I managed to convince her with a bubble bath and one of my... stories."

Vox raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh, I bet that got her attention. Did it work?"

Alastor chuckled. "Halfway through, she fell asleep in the bath. I had to carry her out and get her tucked back into bed, but she's definitely looking better now."

Vox gave a satisfied nod. "Good, good. I was worried she'd be miserable all day. You really pulled out all the stops for her, didn't you?"

Alastor shrugged, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. "What can I say? She's a tough one, but she's still young, and she deserves a little care."

Vox placed a hand on Alastor's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Well, you did great. She's lucky to have you looking after her."

Alastor smiled, leaning back, feeling a sense of contentment. "Well, we'll see if she's still up for any more 'stories' tomorrow," he joked softly.

In the lobby, Vox turned to Alastor, looking unusually enthusiastic. "I had an idea that I think could make things easier around here," he began. "I'm planning to put a VoxTek Glitch device in Niffty's room—and one in ours."

Alastor squinted, clearly confused. "A... 'Glitch'? What in Hell's name is that?"

Vox chuckled. "It's this device that one of my top engineers, Glitch, came up with. It's kind of like having an assistant that can answer questions, play music, and—this is the part I think will help us—she can 'drop in' and talk to us through it. No more shouting down the hallway in the middle of the night."