Alastor's POV

Finally. Finally I finished the last document in this endless stack of pointless paperwork.

I snapped my fingers and it filed away into the proper place.

Standing up, I exited my office and headed down to the hotel lobby. There was Charlie talking to Vagatha about something.

The moth glared at me and I gave her a threatening smile before turning to Charlie with a far less sinister smile.

"Dear Charlie, I finished the paperwork, so I will be heading home for the night. Enjoy your evening, girls," I said, and turned before they could even say anything back.

I snapped and the world around me faded away before reforming back into my kitchen. I smiled softer and waved my hand, allowing my clothing to change into something more comfortable.

With that I looked around, wondering where Aria is.

Just then I heard soft singing, and turned towards the noise. I followed it, and rounded the corner to the living room.

The sight that waited for me was...surprising, to say the least. It's pouring rain outside, and Aria is sitting in the dark in the living room, an entire bottle of wine in her hand.

She was just singing softly to herself, and her eyes looked completely glazed.

She's wasted.

I went to approach her but froze when I noticed something. She's sitting in the chair I usually sit in...holding one of my jackets that I left here.

Upon closer observation I saw that her eyes looked puffy and her cheeks were flushed.

I felt my heart break a little bit. What happened today that left her like this...?

Finally I made myself known, stepping into the room with a smile fixed onto my face.

I've never seen Aria drunk before, so I'm approaching this with caution. I don't want her to set off, or freak out.

Her eyes shifted over to me, and her face broke into a huge smile.

"You're back..." she said, and her voice wavered just barely. She put the wine bottle down and I noticed then that it was actually empty.

She drank the entire bottle.

She went to stand and I wasted no time in teleporting next to her, making her look over at me. She swayed and I grabbed her, holding her steady.

"Woah, you're...you're really tall, you know that?" She slurred, tilting her head up to look at me.

I chuckled and rubbed her back, "I know, sweetheart...come on, let's head up to your room—"

"No! I'm not tired!" She said, suddenly struggling against me. My eyes widened and quickly I tried to diffuse the situation.

"Ok! That's ok, dear, we don't have to sleep...let's just head up there and get more comfortable, hm?" I suggested and she stopped struggling.

"Oh, Ok..." she complied and started walking, making me inwardly sigh in relief.

I picked her up, not trusting the stairs we'd have to climb, and started walking with her. Luckily for me she was too incapacitated to fight against me. Her body just laid limply against me, and her arms were wrapped around my neck.

She wrapped her legs around my waist, and just then a loud thunderclap made the house shake slightly. She jumped, and hugged me tighter.

I started climbing the stairs, rubbing her back gently. I lightly trailed my claws down her back, and she slowly relaxed.

"You're alright, dear...it's just a bit of thunder..." I cooed at her quietly. She murmured something into my neck and I sighed.

Walking down the hall to her room, I used one arm to pull her up further and get a bit more leverage before using my other hand to open the door.

Her room was dark, and the sound of the rain hitting the window was a bit soothing. I walked over to her bed and gently sat her down.

As I removed her arms from me, she suddenly gained a death grip against my shirt.

"Honey, let go...Im going to sit down too, it's ok," I reassured her, and she whined.

"No...I want you close to me..."

My eyes widened when suddenly her lips were against my neck. Immediately I gently pulled away from her, removing her hands with a bit of force.

I stepped back away from her, and immediately felt guilty because of the look on her face. Her eyes were big and she looked like I just slapped her.

"Don't...don't you like me...?" She asked quietly, her voice shaking. I glanced off to the side and went over how to handle this situation.

"Darling...Aria, of course...of course I like you, sweetheart," I said, and then her eyes lit up slightly.

"I like you too...I want to show you, I can't explain it..." she said, shaking her head. Then I panicked again when she reached for the hem of her tank top.

It was then I noticed she seems to be damp, her clothing was stuck to her body and her hair was slightly dampened and frizzy.

What in the world happened to her?

She started peeling her shirt away from her body and I nearly fell over scrambling over to her. I knelt in front of her bed, grabbing her wrists and holding them.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, "what...I thought..."

"Dear..." I said, looking up into her eyes, "I like you, but you are drunk, Aria...I am not doing this while you are drunk..."

My expression strained when her eyes filled with tears. She sniffed softly, and slowly let go of her tank top.

I stood back up and cupped her face in both my hands, causing her cheeks to squish slightly. Her watery eyes just stared up at me as she sniffled every now and then, and I sighed.

"Honey...Oh dear...uhm...come, come here, darling," I scooped her up in my arms and she immediately curled up against me, wrapping her legs around my torso. She buried her face into my neck and started sobbing.

"You hate me, don't you!" She sobbed against my skin, muffling her words slightly. I squeezed her gently.

"No, dear...I don't hate you," I replied calmly.

She just kept crying. It's better to let her just get it out, I've discovered.

I rubbed her back gently, walking over to the small nook by the large window in her room.

I adjusted the pillows, using one arm to hold her up. She was clinging to me like a little monkey, so it wasn't too hard.

Her quiet sobs were the only other sound aside from the rain, and I slid onto the nook, settling into the space.

This was my favorite space from when this was my room. I used to sit here and look out this window...especially when it was raining.

The water pelted the window and I just smiled softly, continuing to rub Aria's back.

"Y-you think I'm u-ugly, don't you..." she cried, keeping her face buried in my neck. I tilted my head, looking down at her slightly.

I chuckled softly, "darling, you are not ugly, nor do I think such...you are beautiful."

She sniffled and hugged me tighter, "w-well then why do you a-always stop whenever I want to go further...y-you don't like me like that, do you..." she sniffled and hiccuped and I thought over her words for a moment.

"Sweetheart...I just want you to be comfortable..." I said softly, staring out into the pouring rain, watching the droplets fall down the glass. Another thunderclap made her jump again.

"Like right now..." I trailed my nails up her back, and then back down, "I just want you to feel safe...and comfortable...because you deserve to feel safe and comfortable...darling, our intimacy would mean nothing to me if you were purely doing it to please me...I want you to feel...cared for."

The words were just falling out of me. She won't remember it anyway.

Her sobs quieted and fell into little sniffles and hiccups. She just laid against me, and I kept rubbing her back, just trying to get her to calm down.

Suddenly her hands slipped under my shirt and her fingers felt cold against my skin. She started kissing my neck softly, and my hold on her tightened.

I released her for a moment to pull her hands from under my shirt, and then pulled her up away from my neck.

I looked her in the eyes, realizing I need to be firm about my answer.

"No."

She looked at me and blinked before her eyes cast down and she just looked so sad.

I sighed and then picked her up under her arms, turning her around so she was also facing the window.

I wrapped my arms around her securely and put my chin on her head.

"Dear, I am not going to have sex with you...not while you're drunk. Despite what your brain is saying, you aren't in the right headspace to make that kind of decision..." I explained to her softly and she just laid against me, not speaking or protesting. Her chest rose and fell evenly and I wondered if she was asleep.

But she wasn't...she was just staring out the window.

"But..." I began again, and her body went slightly stiff, "when you're sober...and you can think straight...if that is still what you desire...then, I will have sex with you...only if you desire to be that intimate with me..."

I barely recognized myself as I spoke those words. Words that only a matter of months ago I never would have dreamed of saying to any living thing.

But I meant them...every single one.

Her happiness is what I desire...and if she desires me, and that brings her happiness, then so be it.

She stayed quiet, and we just watched the rain. The occasional thunder rolled overhead, and she stopped jumping. Her body melted against mine, and I summoned a blanket to cover us.

Eventually she fell asleep, and I made sure she was perfectly ok and her breathing was even.

I couldn't sleep.

I was thinking about what Angel said...

I've never been in love before...I don't even know what it would be like...what does one do when they're in love?

This moment...is this love? Was I showing her love, here...?

I'm growing tired of feeling confused...I don't know how to confess to a feeling I've never felt before...

I just want to protect her.

Is that love?

Is this love?