Archive of Our Own ^beta

Alastor was listening to Niffty ramble on and on about how the team rebuilt the hotel after the extermination. They were beside the railing – the same one he got his crown on the night before the extermination. Niffty was sitting on it, dangling her feet as she got more and more excited.

”And then the ultimate bad boy used magic!” She said those words with such vigor Alastor let out some irritated radio noises despite his self control. Ultimate bad boy, my ass!

”Sir? Can I ask something?” Niffty questioned, getting Alastor’s attention back successfully.

”Of course, my dear, ask away!” The man replied with one of his person-specific soft smiles on his face.

”What’s going to happen next?”

Beside his smile, a frown appeared on Alastor’s face. Answering with a half lie would have been so easy – power imbalance amongst the overlords, which would lead his ranking on the list getting higher, more guests coming to the hotel and using his deal with Charlie against his owner (about which nobody, but Husk knew. Needless to say, his underling was not happy about that plan.). However, the thought of another denouement popped up in the back of his head over and over no matter how hard he tried to fight it – his owner finding out that he was planning to be free.

Alastor looked the small girl sitting beside him up and down. Compared to him, she was so tiny and fragile. Of course, he was aware that in that body lived a vicious and brutal little thing, but still-

He took a breath to get back his composure. He never would have thought that he would ever love someone more than his mother and now here he was worrying for a soul, who should have been just another slave of his. He heard Niffty’s small gasp as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. Vicious and brutal or not, Niffty was his and god save anyone who dares to lay a finger on her – even if that person’s stronger than him.

”Don’t worry, darling. Everything will be fine,” he murmured into her ear, holding her tighter. He felt Niffty leaning back against his chest and could see the small, content smile appearing on her lips.

”Good, then!”