Refresher on their height difference cus I think it's kinda funny.

If you're ever reading and thinking "is she really that short..."

Yes. She is.

Aria's POV

I woke up and immediately my head hurt. A groan fell past my lips and my hand shot up to my face, blocking out the light.

"Owwwwww..." I whined and then huffed.

"Good morning, dumbass."

I pursed my lips and threw a middle finger up. I don't know where he's standing, but he'll see it either way.

"You're lucky I'm in too much pain to beat your ass for that comment," I grumbled and he chuckled.

"Dear, I call you what you are. Why did you drink an entire bottle of wine?" He asked, his voice holding an edge to it.

I sighed and slowly took my hand away from my face, allowing my eyes to adjust to the light. I blinked and slowly sat up, letting the room spin for a second.

There were three Alastor's until the spinning settled and they formed into one.

I looked at him with half lidded eyes and a soft frown.

"Because I was lonely," I answered simply, "and I felt like getting drunk."

The way he was looking at me was weird. He didn't look disappointed, but he also didn't look happy.

"Am I not allowed to drink wine...?" I asked him slowly, wondering what his problem is.

He sighed and the look softened slightly before he shook his head.

"It's not that, dear...I was going to just let you suffer through your mistake, but..." he took a few steps towards me, and sat next to me on the bed.

Before I could ask what he was doing, he reached up and placed his palm against my forehead.

The pain slowly faded and the light stopped hurting my eyes.

I blinked and looked up at him. A smile formed on my face before I looked away sheepishly.

"Thanks..." I murmured and then my eyes widened when he grabbed me by the chin roughly and forced me to look his direction.

I could feel his claws just barely poking into my cheeks, not painfully but definitely uncomfortably.

His eyes narrowed and were glowing a deep red, and I stared up at him in confusion.

"You shouldn't drink to escape your feelings, Aria. That is a bad habit." He chastised and I was about to shoot back with something snarky but then I remembered.

His dad...

I shut my mouth and my expression fell.

"Ok...I'm sorry..." I mumbled and he released my chin, allowing me to face forward again. I kept my eyes down and my hands in my lap.

After a moment of silence there was a sigh and Alastor gently cupped my face and made me face him.

His eyes were a lot softer and he tilted my head side to side, looking over my face.

"I'm sorry...I didn't hurt you did I...?" He asked and I giggled softly, swiping his hand away.

"No, you didn't...I just...I'm sorry..." I said, my smile falling, "I shouldn't have done that..."

He hummed and I looked up at him. His soft smile had lifted slightly but his eyes still held that same soft look.

"No you shouldn't have...but it's alright as long as we acknowledge it and move on...getting drunk is just fine, peu d'amour, but drinking an entire bottle of wine in the dark by yourself is not."

He was speaking less firmly now, his demeanor losing its strict vibe.

I smiled and then flinched when a loud thunderclap sounded. My eyes widened slightly and my heart started to race.

That only lasted a moment before it passed, but I'm sure Alastor picked up on it. He always does.

"It's still fuckin raining, I see," I mumbled and he chuckled.

"Yes, it has been all night. I find it quite relaxing...I see you don't share my views?" He said in a questioning tone and I shrugged.

"I don't like storms...rain is fine...it's the storms I don't like..." I said, looking off to the side. I turned towards my window, watching the rain pelt it mercilessly.

Alastor stood up off the bed, then.

Suddenly I felt myself get lifted under my arms and I looked at him curiously. He wrapped one arm under my thighs and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

Looking up at him I was wondering what on earth he's doing.

"Uh...what's up?" I asked him and he glanced down at me. He started walking with me, and I realized he was taking me over to the nook.

"Let's go sit over here, sweetheart...I'm curious as to why you don't like storms," he said and then he sat in the nook. He pulled his legs up and then pulled me off of him, turning me around before putting my back against his chest.

A memory flashed through my head, then,
of us doing this exact same thing last night.

I remember small bits and pieces...not much. I can only imagine what embarrassing things I did.

I snuggled into him, trying to get warm. There was a chill coming off this window and I could feel it on my arms.

I noticed then that I was wearing completely different clothing than I was when I passed out.

"Uh...Alastor?" I said and he hummed.

"Did you...change my clothes?" I asked him and he didn't answer me, but snapped his fingers.

My clothing changed. He snapped again and they changed back.

Ah, ok.

Suddenly a blanket appeared over us and I pulled it up to my chin.

This is cozy...watching the rain, staring out into the—

Another thunderclap made my thoughts cease, a spike of fear immediately clouding my thoughts before quickly dissipating.

I sighed.

"Would you like to share why you're scared of the thunder, dear?" Alastor asked me softly and I leaned back against him.

"I told you my parents died in a car crash, didn't I?" I asked quietly, my eyes trained on the window. I watched the water streak down the glass, and the soft sound was soothing.

The memories were not.

"You did," he replied, and I hummed.

"I was in the car, too..." I said, barely above a whisper. He went stiff, and then relaxed again, his voice following immediately after.

"Ok, darling...I understand, you don't have to keep going..." he said softly and I shook my head.

"I'm fine..." I said sadly, "I'm just left with this...fear...this troubling feeling whenever it's raining," I explained and he just sat quietly and listened.

"On the night they died...it was pouring down rain...I was only 10 when it happened so...it's been a while..." I paused for a moment, and turned my head, shifting my body to where I was curled up against Alastor.

My ear was against his chest and I could hear his heartbeat.

"But I remember it like it happened yesterday...for some reason, I could never shake the memory. I could never get it to...go away..."

No matter how badly I wanted it to.

"Our breaks went out, and...my dad lost control of the car..." I furrowed my brows when the god awful screeching noise passed through my head, and I closed my eyes.

"We hit a tree head on going 80 miles an hour..."

Alastor held his breath, and a moment later let out a sigh. He rubbed my arm gently, but stayed silent.

"The doctors told me it was a miracle I survived," I said, chuckling dryly, "but they weren't there...they weren't there in the pouring rain...they didn't see the mangled corpses of my parents...they didn't see the blood..."

I buried my face into Alastor's chest, and he just held me.

"I told the doctors I wish I would have died, too..." I whispered, "but they just called it survivors guilt...and I was 10, so I didn't know what that fucking meant. All I knew was that my parents died, and I did not, and I didn't know fucking why..."

My voice was even as I spoke, but tears were falling from my lashes. I sniffled quietly, and sighed.

"And that's why I'm scared of thunder storms," I finished, not bothering to wipe the tears off my cheeks.

Alastor rubbed my arm and then I felt him press his lips against the top of my head. He rested there for a moment before pulling away.

"I'm sorry, Aria...a child shouldn't have to suffer such a thing..." he said quietly, and I chuckled.

"It's ok..." I sniffled and shook my head, curling against him tighter. I smiled to try and fight the tears, but they just kept spilling down my cheeks.

My fingers curled around Alastor's shirt and I held onto him like he'd disappear if I let go.

"Do you think they're in heaven?" I asked through my sobs, trying to keep my voice even, "I hope they're in heaven..."

It was a rhetorical question, really. Alastor wouldn't know the answer...and I think he knew that because he just kept rubbing my arm soothingly.

One of his hands went up to my head and cradled it into his chest, and he started rocking back and forth slightly.

"Do you know what my mother did for me whenever I was scared...?" Alastor whispered into my hair, and I quieted my crying.

"She would hold me just like this...and we would sit on the front porch...or in her bed...and she would sing to me," he continued.

My body quivered slightly as he rocked us back and forth, and then he started to sing, very softly.

My shaking subsided and I hiccuped softly before I let my body just relax into him. He ran his fingers through my hair, just singing.

His voice sounded just like something that would play on the radio, and the soft hum of static was making my eyes feel heavy.

Eventually I was blinking, trying to keep my eyes open. I relaxed even further into him, letting my head rest against his chest.

His voice floated away, and I lost my fight with trying to stay awake.