Al: Fawn has been staring off into space for like 10 minutes now...I wonder what she's thinking about...

Alastor's POV

The sun was nearly set, and I was sitting on the front porch, observing my land.

Fawn and I finished dinner a little bit ago, and she's inside cleaning up the kitchen.

I thought it was lovely outside, so I decided to come sit out here...this also gives me a moment to study the tree line.

Make sure no one else has followed me home.

I'm getting rather tired of people showing up at my house that's supposed to be secluded and hard to find.

It had been a good fifteen minutes, and I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. When I first came out I'd walked around the entire perimeter, checking any place that someone could have hidden.

When that turned up nothing threatening, I made my way back to the porch and sat down to relax.

I never really sit out here.

To be honest, I forgot I even had furniture out here until yesterday.

I remember mother used to take me out to sit on the porch...we would stay out until the sun set, shadowing the farm in darkness...

Only for it to light up with the glow from the fireflies as they woke up to patrol the night.

Those nights were my favorite...

My smile had softened at the memory, and I sighed, moving to get out of the chair and head back inside.

"Al?"

I froze, looking towards the door that had crept open slightly.

Oops...guess I was gone just a little too long.

"I'm out here, baby," I called back to her, to which the door opened up all the way and she popped her head out to look at me.

Then a big smile overtook her features, and she stepped outside and closed the door.

"Whatcha doin?" She asked me, walking over.

She had thrown her hair up into a "messy bun" as she calls it, and was wearing a pair of my night clothes already.

"Oh, nothing...I was just sitting outside, getting a little fresh air while you finished up in the kitchen," I started, and went to continue that I was just about to head inside.

Until she plopped herself into my lap, snuggling up with me.

I wrapped my arm around her to support her weight, and she hummed softly, "I love sitting outside in the fall, it's nice and cool and smells so good...don't you think?" She asked me, looking up at me with a little smile.

...okay, I guess I can stay outside a bit longer.

I smiled back, "yes, my love, I agree..."

The last bit of sunlight slipped behind the trees, and Fawn pulled herself up a bit more, closer to my ear.

"Watch...this is my favorite part," she whispered, wrapping her arms around my neck as she focused back on the clearing in front of us.

I glanced at her, then back forward before my eyes widened when several little lights began to fade in and out...scattered across the entire clearing.

"Wow...that's so pretty, there were never that many back home..." she said softly, and all I could do was stare, my expression relaxed as I watched the bugs glitter.

Fawn's fingers twirled through my hair by the nape of my neck, her thumbs brushing against my neck gently.

"You ok, Al...?" She asked suddenly, and I looked down at her.

Words failed me...had she not come out here and stopped me, I'd have gone inside and completely missed that moment...

A moment up until then, I'd only ever shared with my mother.

Instead of responding, I leaned down and kissed her.

It was soft and short, but full of emotion. I chuckled when we pulled apart, "I'm ok...it's absolutely beautiful, sweetheart..."

I grabbed her chin and tilted her head up to look her in the eyes, "just like you."

She smiled in response to that, "careful, now, I might fall in love with you," she joked, giggling.

The noise was like music to my ears, and I wish I could record it so that I could play it on repeat forever.

"Too late," I purred, leaning down to capture her lips again. This time the kiss was slow, and we stayed like that for a moment.

When we separated she tapped my chest with her fingers excitedly, "I'm going to go catch one!" She exclaimed, sliding off my lap.

She had scampered out into the field before I could even get a word in, and I shook my head as I watched her try to capture one of the insects.

There was the softest smile on my face, and my eyes widened when she actually seemed to catch one.

"Gotcha!" I heard her distantly celebrate, then she trotted back up to the porch.

"That was a lot easier when I was a kid," she said, slightly breathless before sitting back down in my lap.

Instead of cuddling up to me this time, she sat upright and slowly opened her hands.

There in her palm was a tiny firefly, curiously crawling around her hand. It would occasionally stop to feel a certain area with its antenna before continuing its leisurely path.

She and I watched it silently, then she whispered to me.

"Hold your hands out like this...you're not scared of bugs, right?" She asked.

I chuckled, holding my hands out how she wanted me to, "no, dear, I am not," I reassured her.

Ever so gently she transferred the creature over to me, and it crawled into my hands.

"Be careful..." she whispered, "if you scare it, it'll fly away."

I nodded, looking up at her with a smile before focusing back on the bug in my hands.

It crawled around my hand the same it had done for her...just exploring calmly.

Then, it lifted its wings and rose up into the air. I was expecting it to fly away, but the first thing it did was beeline towards Fawn.

She didn't even flinch, and when I looked over at her it was sitting perfectly on her nose.

She giggled, "I think it likes me," she said, and I laughed at that.

The little creature suddenly lit up, giving Fawn a little glowing dot on her nose. We both stayed quiet, waiting for it to do something else.

Then, it finally flew away.

Fawn watched it with a smile, "goodbye, little friend," she said after it, waving.

I pulled her back into my chest, holding her close to me once again.

"Have I ever told you that you're odd?" I mused, rubbing her back.

She hummed, "almost every day," she chuckled.

Looking down at her, I observed her as she silently watched the fireflies. Her fingers played with the buttons on my shirt, and I took in a deep breath to inhale her scent.

"Well...it's one of my favorite things about you..." I continued softly before pressing my lips to the top of her head, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

**

Fawn and I had just begun to settle down for the night after sitting outside for a little while.

I was just about to lay down when suddenly I heard Fawn curse in the bathroom.

"What the fuck?" I heard her muffled voice say.

Sitting up, I hurried over to the closed door and knocked softly, "baby? Are you alright?"

It was quiet for a second, and I could hear her rustling around before the door swing open and I looked down at her.

Her eye brows were raised, and she was holding her sanitary belt in one hand, staring up at me with wide eyes.

"Alastor, I think that healing jelly fixed more than my leg and throat."

I blinked, then tilted my head.

"Um...what?" I asked, and she walked past me and dropped the sanitary belt over by our dirty clothes.

"I'm not bleeding anymore. I would say that's not really that weird, but I'm not even spotting...there's just nothing, I'm not even hurting anymore, really," she said.

I took a second to think over those words, picking out the ones that I understood and piecing the sentence together in my head.

"So...you think it healed your menstruation...?" I asked her, making sure I'm understanding correctly.

She shrugged, "maybe? Either that or I just had a really short period this time, which I'm also not complaining about that, but...I don't know, it's a little weird."

I nodded, "weird indeed...but, as long as you're not in pain, I don't see any reason to fret over it," I said with a smile, turning back towards the bed.

She chuckled softly, "yea, you're right..."

We both got into bed, and I went to turn out the lights when she stopped me, "actually...I wanted to talk to you about something..." she said, and I looked over at her.

She had her eyes down, and bit her lip slightly, telling me whatever it is has her nervous.

Shifting my weight, I turned towards her, "of course, my love, anything you'd like," I said softly.

When she sighed softly and began fidgeting with her fingers, I became a bit worried maybe I'd done something wrong...

Did I do something earlier...?

I'd just started filtering through the night's events when she finally spoke up.

"That detective...from this morning, he...he accused you of poisoning the coffee..." she said, making my eyes widen slightly.

What?

Why on earth would he do that? What the hell did I do to deserve the finger?

I mean sure, I do kill people, but I didn't kill that person...

Perhaps I'm not being as careful as I thought...

"Did he now...?" I murmured slightly, my brows furrowed.

She nodded, "yea, and...of course I told him that you didn't, and that's the truth, but...why...why did he just immediately go for you? It makes me worried that they were suspicious of you, Al..."

I brought my hand up to her face and slipped my fingers under her chin, "look here, darling..."

She looked up to my eyes, pouting softly.

I brushed my thumb across her bottom lip, "now, now...none of that. I don't want this pretty mouth frowning because of me..." I said with a small smile.

She smiled weakly, only for it to fall again as her eyes dropped as well.

My smile faltered slightly, and I shifted a bit closer to her.

"Fawn...baby, look at me..."

Hesitantly she lifted her eyes again, and my heart dropped when I saw the tears swimming at her lash line.

"Sweetheart, don't cry..." I said, quickly swiping the tears as they spilled over, "don't cry...honey, please..."

She hiccuped softly and then threw herself into my chest, wrapping her arms around me.

"P-please be careful..." she sniffled, "I wouldn't be able to handle them taking you from me...y-you're literally all I have..."

I stared straight forward, my mouth now set in a soft frown.

Carefully, my arms curled around her and I shushed her quietly.

"It's alright..." I reassured her, "I promise, from now on I will be extra careful..."

Especially after I had to sacrifice three souls the other day...but that was an emergency.

I rubbed her back and kissed the side of her head, "plus...didn't you say they never did catch me?" I chuckled, "my dear, you're a little oracle in yourself...you've nothing to fret, my love, please don't cry..."

I'm borderline begging at this point. I hate hearing and seeing her cry, especially over me.

She sniffled softly, then wiped her face against my shirt before finally pulling back to let me look at her.

Her face was splotchy and her eyes were all red now...I tsk'd and cupped her cheek.

"Oh honey..." I muttered, using my thumbs to wipe her face and her eyes of any remaining tears.

"Sorry..." she mumbled, to which I chuckled and pulled her forward.

Our lips connected in a gentle kiss, and when we separated I pushed my nose against hers and rubbed back and forth.

"You're such a silly little girl...as for me, don't worry about me...I will be careful," I reassured her.

She looked up at me through wet lashes, and she still hasn't smiled...

"Maybe you should lay off your hobby for a little bit..."

My eyes widened at the sudden suggestion.

Well...as much as I'd love to be anything she wants me to be...I'm afraid that's not a card I'm willing to fold.

I kill people as I see fit...and to my own leisure. In a way, the process keeps me sane.

"Fawn...my love...I—"

"Just until everything calms down...please?"

My lips sealed and I pressed them together in a thin line, looking into her wide eyes.

Fuck...

I rolled my eyes and sighed softly, nodding slightly, "ok...ok, but...I...I may become a bit irritable, so if that does happen, my dear, please forgive me..." I mumbled.

Any irritation I may have felt from this new development faded away when a wide smile spread across her face.

She leaned forward and kissed me quickly, "thank you..."

A smile of my own spread across my lips and I leaned down and kissed her a bit slower, "anything to see that pretty smile..."