Fawn's POV

It's so warm...

My eyes remained closed as my body began to wake up, and I shifted slightly. My leg pulled itself up further to hug against whatever was radiating this pleasant heat.

The hand I had rested against something solid grabbed onto what felt like fabric, and my recently awoken brain was using all my senses to try and figure out what it was that I was pressed up against.

Taking a deep breath, I realized the scent was very familiar...but also a bit foreign.

And then what I was laying on moved.

My eyes shot wide open, my breath catching in my throat as my heart started slamming against my chest.

I violently yanked myself away from whatever was touching me, crawling backwards until my back bumped into a table.

My knees curled up to my chest as I stared wide eyed at a now awake Alastor. Him and I were just looking at one another, a startle grin on his face and a petrified expression on mine.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"Good morning!" He chirped.

My pounding heart slowly stopped beating so violently, and my eyes shifted around the room.

The living room...?

What...oh...right.

I caught sight of the radio laying on the floor, still halfway taken apart with the tools sprawled out around it. Alastor moved and stretched his arms over his head.

"W-why was I laying on you...?" I asked him, and he looked at me, raising an eyebrow before he ran his hand back through his slightly messy hair.

He shrugged, "I was simply showing you the workings of my radio, and I guess you got bored and fell asleep...quite rude if you ask me," he said, but threw me a smirk.

I remembered the calm way he spoke to me, the gentle movement of his muscles as he poked around the wires and coils...that bastard did that on purpose.

Scowling, I crawled back to be a little closer to him and pointed at him accusatively.

"You did that on purpose."

His lowered eyelids and his smug smile made me want to hit him as he shrugged again.

"What I did and did not do will remain up to your imagination...but you did look awfully tired," he said, and glanced away from me momentarily, tapping his fingers against his thigh for a second.

I could've sworn a little color tinted his face, but he suddenly stood up quickly and clapped his hands together.

"Well! Let's just pretend it didn't happen, and we can move past the endeavor and never do it again, agreed? Agreed, ok, I'll go make breakfast," he said quickly, gathering the tools and the partially deconstructed radio.

He whisked the items and himself away, leaving me to sit on the floor by myself, my brows furrowing.

Did he lull me to sleep...just because he thought I looked tired...? Why would he care about that? I figured he'd have laughed and wanted to watch me face-plant once I'd gotten to the point I couldn't hold my head up anymore.

My mind was racing as I felt myself fall deeper into my own embarrassment, my cheeks flushing as I thought about how he was just holding me.

I don't know what I hated more about it...the fact that he did it in the first place...

Or the fact that it was actually comfortable...and I liked it.

**

"Alrighty, darling, I had to take off work yesterday to help get you situated, but today I must go in to do my reports..." Alastor said as he straightened his bow tie in the hallway mirror.

I was sitting on the couch with my legs curled up to my chest, my chin resting against my knees.

My eyes followed his movements, and I was just observing him. His outfit consisted of deep burgundy's and browns, a white dress shirt situated under all those heavy layers.

Tilting my head curiously, I cocked an eyebrow at him, "doesn't all that shit get hot...?" I asked, causing him to pause his finicky movements and look over at me.

"Pardon?" He questioned and I pointed to his ensemble, making a little circle motion with my finger.

"All of that, those clothes, don't they get hot?" I asked again, and he chuckled and shrugged.

"I suppose it can get a little warm when the sun is out, but this is the way a proper man should dress should he wish to be taken seriously," he answered, making me snort softly at that ridiculously old-fashioned view.

Seeing it written in history books is different than experiencing it first hand.

He looked back towards me, placing his hands behind his back as he walked over to the couch.

Bending forward to be more level with me, he tilted his head.

"What? What's funny, my dear?" He asked me with a playful smile, but also a bit of genuine confusion in his eyes.

I shook my head, just looking up into his eyes. It's gotten easier to look at him the more we interact.

"I'm just not used to all this yet," I explained amusedly, "where I work, my manger wears a red polo and khakis, meanwhile you're wearing an entire suit and more layers than I can count just to sit in a chair and talk to people that can't even see you," I said, covering my mouth and giggling slightly.

His eyelids lowered and he reached forward, putting his gloved finger to my forehead and gently pushing me backwards, knocking me off my balance.

I fell over on my side, unfurling from my ball that I'd safely put myself in.

"Hey!" I whined and he smugly stood back up straight, walking towards the front door.

"I should return in no more than five hours...possibly six if they make me cover an extra segment, but in that time you may do as you please..." his eyes shifted to me, looking serious as he spoke his next words, "within the boundaries of our agreement."

My smile faded as he reminded me of that, and I nodded, letting my eyes fall to his feet.

He sighed softly, and the door clicked open.

"Oh, and if you get hungry..." my ears perked slightly, and I raised my eyes to look at him.

He gave me a softer smile, "the fridge is safe now...you may cook whatever you'd like," he said, making my eyes widen just barely as he slipped out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

Now being alone, I slid off the couch and decided to wonder around the house. If he's going to give me the freedom, I should at least take advantage of it.

I've already seen the kitchen...the upstairs bathroom, his bedroom, and the living room...

So, I wonder what else there is to discover in this house.

I made my way towards a shut door that I haven't been through before, reaching for the knob. Turning it slowly, it clicked open, and I hesitated before I pushed it. 

Flicking the light on, I took slow steps into the new room.

It looks like...some sort of office. There's a desk with a chair, and bookshelves lined the walls. There was another, smaller radio sitting on the desk.

Pursing my lips, I left the room. There wasn't anything that looked interesting in there.

Next up, I made my way upstairs to see if there's anywhere I haven't explored up there yet. I know of one place for certain, but as I passed the door that was dead bolted and locked several times, I once again felt that dark feeling.

A shiver ran down my spine and I scurried past the room without another thought about it.

Coming up on Alastor's room, I paused by the closed door. I've been in here before, but that was my first night here and I was too scared to really get a good look around.

My hand touched the doorknob, and I hesitated again.

It's not really polite to look through someone's room while they're away...

Then again, he did give me the freedom to do whatever while he was gone.

Shrugging off the slight guilt, I pushed the door open and stepped into his room. Immediately I noticed it was cozier than mine, having obviously been actually lived in.

The walls were a deep wine red color, the furniture a beautiful polished wood. Above the bed there was a stuffed deer head with huge antlers, and it was really imposing.

I could almost feel the eyes watching me, judging my for being in here without direct permission.

Lifting my finger to my lips, I made eye contact with the stuffed beast.

"Shh," I hushed the dead animal, telling it to keep my secret.

His bed was a king it looked like, and the covers were what looked to be a maroon quilted pattern with brown accents.

As I walked past it, my fingers brushed over the soft comforter, and I looked around the large room.

He had two dressers, two night tables on either side of his bed, and a bookshelf in his room. Man, this guy has a lot of books.

Walking over to one of his night tables, I knelt in front of it and flicked on the lamp that adorned the table. Next I opened the top drawer, looking through the files and papers that were inside.

It just seemed to be tax documents and legal shit.

Closing that, I opened the next drawer. In this one there was a pistol and ammunition...noted.

Onto the next drawer.

Sliding opened the third and final drawer, I paused once I saw what was inside.

Pictures.

My interest immediately piqued and I reached in a grabbed some of the few pictures. Most of them were of a farmhouse from various different angles, and some of them were just of some flora in the area...

But then there were a couple that had him in them.

Slowly I lifted one of the pictures, the black and white not looking as faded as it normally would since the pictures were relatively new.

And in it was Alastor...he was smiling, but it looked different...real. He looks happy.

Next to him was a young woman...or, at least she looks relatively young. She does have a few age lines on her face, but other than that I'd put her in her early thirties.

I wasn't sure how old Alastor was...he looks a tad bit younger, his build looking a little less developed. His shoulders weren't as broad as they are now, and he didn't look as...how do I say this...strong?

He looks a bit scrawny, but not in a bad way.

Flipping the picture, my eyebrows raised at the date written on the back.

1917...so he was 17 if I did my math correctly. He told me the other day he's 25 currently, and it's 1925, so...that only makes sense.

Looking at this picture, I wondered where and when it went wrong. What made this sweet looking kid snap.

Even then he had his good looks...fluffy hair and strong features...straight, white teeth and a charming smile.

He seemingly had it good, so I wonder where it went awry?

My eyes shifted to the woman, and I tilted my head. Using my calves, I relaxed back slightly, sinking a bit into the floor as I picked apart this image.

She had a round face, but her body was petite, like Alastor's. Her frame was small, and he had at least a foot on her in height.

Must've gotten his height from his dad.

However, his good looks must've come from mom...who I've come to the conclusion is the woman in this picture. I'm not sure who else it could be.

Her skin seemed to be a little darker than his, her smile shining just as bright...but her eyes looked tired. Her soft looking cheeks were dimpled, and overall she just looked kind.

I wonder if she's still around...but I have a nagging feeling that she is not.

There were a couple more, but none of them quite as intriguing or telling as the one with his mom...

Gently, I placed all the photographs back into their proper place, and shut the drawer.

He seemed like such a sweet kid...I guess looks can be deceiving, because he also seemed like a decent man, too.

And it seems he's been sporting that smile for most of his life.

Using his bed to help myself stand back up, I realized his bed is a lot squishier than the one in my room.

Suddenly, I felt a longing as I stared at this bed. It became a very beautiful thing in just a split second, the need for proper sleep just begging me to lay down...

I glanced to the side and debated with myself sleeping in his bed. I feel like Goldie locks right now.

Last night was probably the best I've slept in the past 48 hours, and it wasn't even in a bed. On top of that, I barely even got probably four hours of actual sleep.

Before I knew it, I was tugging the comforter back, and my eyes widened at the red satin sheets that laid underneath.

This bed just keeps getting more and more enticing by the second.

I was still in my night clothes, and carefully I crawled up into his bed. My body basically sunk into his mattress, and the aches from the past two days released.

Letting out a very satisfied sigh, I snuggled into his pillow...immediately noticing that this bed smells like him. Which, duh, of course it does, but it still made me feel slightly flustered.

Especially because his scent is so nice, it's like a bit of a guilty pleasure to me now that I don't have anything that familiar to me anymore. His scent has quickly become something my brain has associated with familiarity, so naturally I'm just drawn to it.

Breathing in deeply, I let my eyes flutter closed. The exhaustion in my body quickly overtook me...and without even really debating weather it was a good idea or not, I fell into a very deep sleep.