Lovers Once More - Radiostatic

Morning

The morning sun crept through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Alastor squinted at the light, feeling the weight of a small figure sprawled across him. He chuckled softly and shook Niffty's shoulder gently.

"Niffty," he whispered, "time to wake up, sleepyhead."

She just mumbled something incoherent and burrowed her face deeper into the pillow. Alastor tried again, giving her a slight nudge. "Come on now, up and at 'em!"

Niffty groaned dramatically, curling up tighter. "Five more minutes," she whined, clinging to the blanket like it was her last defense.

Alastor sighed, sharing an exasperated look with Vox. "She's like a little brick," he muttered, half-amused. "No amount of nudging is going to do the trick."

Vox smirked, leaning in close to her ear. "Hey, Niffty... What if I told you I'm taking you to McDevils for breakfast?" he said, letting the temptation sink in.

Niffty's eyes popped open instantly, a glint of excitement replacing the sleepiness. "Really? McDevils?!"

Alastor rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Vox, do you really think spoiling her like that is necessary?" he said, shooting him a mild glare, though there was a touch of fondness in his voice.

"Hey, a little bribery never hurt," Vox replied, grinning as Niffty practically launched out of bed, already wide awake.

Niffty beamed, throwing her arms around both of them in turn. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed, bouncing on the bed.

Alastor shook his head, chuckling despite himself. "Alright, you win this round," he conceded, ruffling her hair. "But don't think this is going to be a regular thing, young lady."

Vox winked at Niffty, giving her a conspiratorial grin. "You heard him—this is a *special* treat."

Niffty grinned, practically vibrating with excitement. She was halfway down the hall before they'd even left the room, her mind already on McDevils' hash brown stacks and syrup-drenched pancakes.

As Alastor and Vox followed her out, Alastor sighed, shaking his head but smiling. "Well, I suppose it's worth the indulgence every now and then... Just this once."

The three arrived at McDevils, the enticing aroma of fried breakfast foods filling the air. Niffty darted ahead, eager to get in line, with Alastor and Vox trailing behind her, chuckling at her boundless energy.

As they reached the counter, a tall, burly demon with a sneer on his face looked over and recognized Vox. His eyes narrowed as he scoffed, muttering just loud enough for them to hear, "Look who it is. Didn't expect to see you two out here, flaunting yourselves in public."

Alastor's smile faded, and he bristled slightly, his hand twitching at his side. Vox stayed silent, his jaw tightening as he moved to step closer to Alastor protectively. But before either of them could say a word, Niffty whipped around, standing between them and the demon with her hands on her hips.

"Hey! You got a problem?" she shot back, glaring up at the much larger demon without a hint of fear. "Nobody talks to my dads like that!"

The demon looked taken aback, raising his eyebrows as if he hadn't expected such a little spitfire to stand up to him. "Your *dads*?" he sneered, looking between Alastor and Vox with disdain.

"Yes! And if you don't have anything nice to say, then you should just keep walking!" Niffty said, crossing her arms defiantly.

Alastor couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face as he watched her defend them so fiercely. Vox, meanwhile, looked down at her with a mixture of surprise and pride.