Arranged Marriage AU (Part 9)
(I’m so sorry for the late update! I was taking a vacation and I was trying to post but Tumblr mobile sucks ass so I had to wait until I got home to my computer. With the extra time I was given I decided to add a lot more to this chapter so I hope it turns out okay.
Anyway, I wanna thank everyone for the overwhelming support you’ve given me <3 I honestly didn’t think this many people would be interested in this fic when I posted it a month ago. Thank you all again <3 I’ll keep working my hardest to get these parts out for yall!
I will be posting stuff on AO3 this week. I’ll be staring with my Kiss Ask requests (that I’m also still working on sorry about that) and then an edited version of Arranged Marriage will go up! (I’m also working on a Charlastor secret santa fic so that will be taking up most of my writing time lol idk what im doing)
Part 9
It was exactly one week before the wedding and every time Charlie thought about it, her stomach did flips. It was all happening too fast. She still hadn’t had time to process her feelings on the matter; or any feelings for a certain radio demon that may be budding within her. The past couple of days had been an emotional rollercoaster and she desperately needed a break to clear her head. The thick fog in her mind made it difficult to concentrate even on the simplest of tasks.
“Charlie dear!” Her mother’s voice broke her out of her trance-like state. Shaking her head, Charlie suddenly remembered where she was. She was in her mother’s limousine and they were going to her dress fitting. It was the final detail Charlie would need to complete by herself. After that she would have the rest of the week to contemplate on it all.
When she looked up at her mother, Lilith’s eyes were full of motherly concern. “What’s the matter my dear?” Lilith leaned forward to scoop up Charlie’s hands and held them firm in her grasp.
With a small tired smile, Charlie sighed. “I dunno… it’s just been… a lot in a week, you know,” she shrugged and let her gaze drop again. “I haven’t had time to let everything sink in yet and I feel like I’ve just been…” she paused to choose the right word for how she’s been feeling, but even she still couldn’t quite tell how she was feeling about the situation.
It was strange. Charlie had dreamt about this day since she was a young girl, but it felt much different than she imagined. Her younger self imagined herself and her mother spending the day finding the perfect dress for her wedding, where she’d be marrying the love of her life and live happily ever after. She was supposed to be ecstatic for this day, but now it all just feels like an idilic dream. She was rushed into a two week engagement where she wasn’t sure about her feelings for her fiancee. It was all too much, too fast.
The silver lining of it all came down to Lilith. To Charlie, all time spent with her mother was precious. It was even better that they were alone together for once. She couldn’t even remember the last time she was able to spend time with her mom like this. And here she was, wasting her precious time sulking on a day she wanted to be excited about.
“-run through the gutter?” Lilith finished for her. She wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t what the heiress was looking for. Charlie looked up again but her gaze stuck this time. Her mother’s expression was empathetic and motherly.
Lilith brought her slender fingers up to her daughter’s cheek and stroked it lovingly. “I know it’s hard, Charlie. And I’ve been so proud of you for staying strong for the family. Trust me, your father and I didn’t want to rush you into marriage like this. But we truly believe that this arrangement will benefit you in the end. The sooner this happens, the easier your future will be. You won’t have to suffer or struggle anymore,”
It wasn’t exactly what Charlie wanted to hear. But she didn’t expect to hear what she wanted anyway. She didn’t even know what she wanted to hear. After all, she was marrying Alastor for her family and for herself. This union was the easiest way to keep her dreams and status as heir to the throne safe.
And it wasn’t as if she was trapped in this marriage, she could still do whatever she wanted. She and Alastor could just live their normal lives separately and play their roles in this partnership for show.
Charlie leaned into her mother’s touch and sighed once more. “I know,” At least she felt a little weight off her shoulders now that’s she’s shared just a sliver of her complex feelings. All that was left was to sort the rest of her thoughts and feelings on her own.
“But if he hurts you in any way, please tell me immediately. Okay?” She squeezed Charlie’s hands to emphasize her concern. Charlie knew her mother was talking about Alastor- who was unpredictable and dangerous- but the one who immediately came to mind was Harold. ‘No. Not again,’ Charlie scolded as she stamped out the thought of her ex. No one was going to hurt her again. She would make sure of it.
Taking a deep breath, Charlie gathered her strength to shoot her mother a reassuring smile. “Okay.” She only needed to preserve through a few more hours and she’d be done for the week.
The limousine came to a halt at that moment and shortly after, the pair were greeted by a team of demons in gaudy outfits. Lilith introduced them as her stylist team for the wedding. They would get her hair and makeup ready to make sure she looked perfect for her big day.
The rest of the day went on as planned and Charlie actually had fun trying on dresses and spending time with her mother. Any reservations she had about her day with Lilith were quickly lifted along with her stressful thoughts. Even if it was just for a few hours, it was the distraction Charlie needed.
By the end of the day everything was ready. Her dress was perfect and her hair and makeup was carefully planned. Everything was perfect for the wedding and she was finally free of preparations until the big day. It was a weight lifted from her shoulders, leaving the emotional tension to work out.
Knowing how exhausted her daughter was, Lilith brought Charlie back to the hotel as soon as the fitting was over with. Though both wanted to keep spending what little time they had together, it was clear Charlie was drained.
Once she was dropped off at the front of the Hazbin Hotel, Charlie waved as she watched her mother leave and stood where she was for a moment, taking advantage of the stillness in the air to clear her head.
If only for a moment. Apparently Charlie’s mind was not going to let her rest even with the quiet atmosphere.
Oddly enough, the first thought that came to her mind was Alastor. Charlie wondered how Alastor really feels about this arrangement. Before, he said it was because he thought it would be fun, but was that really just it? She’d have to ask him again before the wedding, but she hasn’t talked to him much. There just wasn’t much time since Charlie was juggling both her wedding and the hotel. She had only spoken to him in passing the past couple of days so they hadn’t had a real conversation since the ride back from the meeting with her mother.
When she remembered how he behaved that day in the limousine, her heart began to race. ‘No no, not right now,’ she mentally scolded to no avail.
No, all she could think about was how he looked at her with half lidded eyes. His lips pressed against her fingers and the wink that followed- it was maddening. She knew what this was and she needed to be rid of this crush soon. There was no way Alastor felt the same. This longing was a futile effort destined for heartbreak and Charlie needed to protect herself. She promised she wouldn’t let anyone hurt her again.
“No more thoughts, please,” she begged under her breath. As she walked up to the hotel door, she thought about how she’ll grab some food from the kitchen, check up with Vaggie and finally go to sleep.
But it seemed that a break was too much to ask for. The moment she opened the door, Alastor greeted her. “Dearest,” the smile on his face was as wide as ever.
Charlie’s stomach dropped. She reflexively slammed the door in his face and opened it again, her face in disbelief.
“I do hope we’re not doing this again,” he said as he leaned over to prevent the familiar cycle of slamming doors in his face. His hold on the door was firm even when Charlie had no intention of slamming the door again. “Is everything alright?” He quirked a brow.
It was then Charlie realized how close they were. She snapped out of her daze and hastily let go of the door handle, nearly sending Alastor toppling over her. Instinctively she readied her hands to hold him up in front of her. Luckily she managed to catch him in time.
However the contact between them didn’t register until Charlie opened her eyes. With wide eyes and her mouth agape, the flustered demoness squeaked in surprise. “Ah! Sorry I-“ she paused when she felt his heart beating. The pace was fast and wild, just like her’s. She peered up at him with a shocked expression. “Al your heart’s racing,” she blurted without much thought.
“So is your’s,” Alastor responded with his eyes equally as wide open in clear interest. Charlie glanced down and found both of Alastor’s hands wrapped around her wrists with the pads of his fingers pressed against her pulse.
Neither knew what to say. Neither dared to move, but both were mystified by the sensation.
Alastor’s heart felt like it was going to burst as he stared down at his fiancee’s lovely face. A crimson blush invaded her cheeks, her large eyes stared back at him in shock and wonder and her lips parted ever so slightly-
Quickly, Alastor recovered himself and released Charlie from his grasp. Charlie frantically responded by removing her hands from his chest and clasping them behind her back.
Alastor cleared his throat. “Ah, I came here tonight to ask a favor of you,” he nonchalantly continued their conversation as if the moment before never happened. Charlie on the other hand nearly jumped out of her skin when he spoke up. “Despite our partnership, I know quite little about you dear. This may not be your ideal union but I’d like to get to know my fiancee a bit better,” he spoke with confidence but his beating heart made it difficult to focus. Alastor continued as Charlie had yet to respond. “I would like to invite you to my home for a chat tomorrow should you decide to come.”
What came next was nearly incoherent stammering from the demon princess. Alastor expected her to decline, yet to his surprise she ended up sputtering her agreement. With a satisfactory answer, Alastor went home to leave the flustered demoness to her own devices.
Charlie was always full of surprises. The more time Alastor spent around her, the more of a mystery she became. She, with a pure heart and powerful parentage was nothing more than a puzzle to Alastor only six months ago. Now she captivated his thoughts and challenged his resolve without even trying.
Alastor once thought love was a weakness, that any feeling one had toward another constituted a weak point to be exploited.
But from that encounter in the doorway, he had realized something new. It was a type of longing- a yearning. It was akin to his yearning for a satisfying kill, but not at the same time. He didn’t want to kill her, no. He wanted her and just her. He wanted to hear her heart beat again. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to touch her. But most of all, he wanted to understand this odd sensation and revel in the discovery of it.
“If this is love…” Alastor smiled widely and clutched at his chest. At the feeling of his wildly beating heart, he emitted a low chuckle. “… then I want more.”
