Divine Mischief

Under the Stars

"I forfeit." 

There was a momentary silence after that statement.

"What the fuck." Husk muttered, breaking the silence. "Did I just hear what I think I fucking heard."

"You forfeit???" I snapped back into reality and raised my voice in response. What the hell, is that really Alastor? Forfeiting?? Him? Against me?

"Yes, indeed." He waved his hand playfully like he didn't do the most out-of-character thing in the entire world, "How could I win against this wonderful Jambalaya."

I stood there trying to process what he just said.

Alastor slowly laughs while approaching me, "My dear! Why, you should be happy." He placed his hand over my shoulder and continued, "You made a deal with me and WON! Quite a feat! Extraordinary."

"...Thank you?" I awkwardly say in response.

"Well, I guess I'd better prepare for another date tonight." Alastor spins away and walks away from the crowd. "See you at 6, Y/N."

-------

''What the hell was all that about?" Vaggie brought me aside to talk in private.

"I- well, I don't know. He seemed to really like the Jambalaya I guess." I shrugged my shoulder.

"No, I meant-" She pinched the bridge of her nose,  "You made a deal with him? Y/N, didn't I just warn you about making any deals with him?" Vaggie scolds me, "I thought this was just a friendly competition, no one said about having things on the line."

"I know..."

"Well, it doesn't matter now that you've won. Later tonight if you are ever in trouble, you have that bracelet." Vaggie went in for a hug, "Stay safe, Y/N."

It feels like I'm about to be deployed for war instead of dinner.

--------

I paced around my room nervously until I heard a knock. 

"Good evening, my dear." I opened the door and was greeted with another bouquet of flowers.

He gently reaches out for my hand and kisses it. There was something different from the way he brought himself today than last time.

"Good evening, Alastor..." I responded back, "So where are you taking us today?"

"I was thinking about my favorite place in all of hell."

"And where is that?" I asked with a paranoid voice.

"It's a surprise." He places his index over his mouth and extends his hand as an invitation.

I graciously accepted.... and maybe I shouldn't have because he brought me in the middle of a fucking forest, in the middle of nowhere. Ye... So this is how I will be murdered.

"If I was going to murder you-" Alastor says as if he read my mind, "Then I wouldn't have gone such lengths to prepare this for you." 

He led me to an open field that had a marvelous view of the starry night. A table for two was prepared at the center together with fireflies that roam around lighting up like fairy lights.

I raised my brows in surprise. This was kind of romantic.

He led me to my seat and summoned one of his contractual souls as a waiter, it even had a neat bow around his neck. 

2 plates were served in front of us and each of them had a silver dome that masked the meal.

Upon seeing it, I couldn't help but remember the angel meat he had brought over last time. I frowned at him.

"Don't fret, darling." His voice assured me, "Today's meal is special."

The cover was taken off from the plate and the dish was revealed and it was... Oh...Oh great, more Jambalaya.

"Is this the one I made today?" I laughed looking at how familiar it looked.

"No," Alastor responded, "It's the one you brought today."

...

Damn it, he knew I cheated. Cheaters always get caught anyway so I didn't deny him, "So you knew." 

"I knew."

"And you didn't call me out on it?"

"Nope."

"Don't you feel even a little bit upset that you lost to me?"

There was a momentary pause before he replied, "Nope."

"You hesitated." I immediately rebutted.

He sighed before he stood up and started approaching me. There was a strain around his eyes. Geez, he doesn't take losing well.

"Are you o-" Before I could finish my question he bent down on one knee and my heart started beating from my chest.

"Uhm, ah, this situation is kind of misleading."

"Y/N," He paused before continuing, "You have to tell me where you got that Jambalaya from." 

Oh my goodness... Jambalaya this, Jambalaya that.

"You have to tell me." He began begging me. "Please, Y/N."

That word coming out from his mouth shocked me to my core. I was too stunned to respond to him. 

Alastor was impatient for me to recover from whatever shock I was in. "Y/N, please you have to tell me." He reached out from my hands and kept it in between his, "I'd recognize that familiar taste anywhere. At least tell me if it was from Aria."

The mention of Aria's name made me freeze up. "You know Aria?"

Alastor's smile widened and he dived in closer to me. "Yes, Aria. My mother."

"Your mother?!?!??!"

Alastor's hearty laughter filled the air. He pulls me out from my chair and lifts me in a twirl around my waist.

He couldn't stop laughing and it was kind of contagious. I started to smile along with him.

"I never thought I'd be able to taste her cooking again down here." He ecstatically mentions, not noticing how close he was keeping me by him. "Why, I'm so happy I could-!" The millimeter distance between us seemed to seep into him when our eyes met.

There was silence but none of us moved. Before this turned into another awkward moment I decided to change the mood a little. 

"Why don't we take this chance to dance a bit together." I grabbed his hand and pulled him in a twirl. "To celebrate."

His smile widened again and he even continued laughing. "Wonderful idea, my dear!"

He raised both our hands up and started leading me into a dance.

Maybe I should have mentioned I wasn't a good dancer.