CH 32: Burning Cities

Hours had passed now, and Esme remained in the lobby of the hotel, trying to console Angel. The arachnid was pacing back and forth, still visibly upset at the thought that Esme had traded her soul for his, realizing that all this time, she willingly put herself in danger because of him. For as much as he knew Esme, he never knew her to keep secrets from him. In their lives, he was a young child, unaware of the hidden truths his aunt would keep from those around her, all the while prioritizing their own protection. 

It pains the woman's heart to watch his mind spiral into such upset. This was never supposed to play out this way. His happiness, his safety, was supposed to be sealed. This behavior, this frustration building within him, was the antithesis of happiness. With the guilt within her building, she picked at her claws until she took a solid step forward,

"Angel, it was never going to ha-"

"You were fuckin' stupid, you know that!?" He screams, tears in his eyes. He grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her out of frustration. "You put yourself in fuckin' danger for something that didn't matter!"

Esme's eyes widened, "YOU MATTER!" She shouts, tears streaming down her face. Angel shakes his head and looks away. How could he possibly say that? Yes, it was true that the men of the family had held him to such a standard that didn't often show affection, but Angioletto had always been held in a special place within her heart. Had she not shown that enough to him? Did she fail him just as she did Margo? 

She couldn't possibly fathom that thought. The ghost of her sister still haunted her very being, toying with her mind and teasing her with memories of their lives together, fully knowing they could never be reunited. In a sense, perhaps she was using Anthony to fill that gap. Or, perhaps he filled the missing space of a special child who's memory ached her very essence. 

Without letting that thought plague her any further, Esme grabs his face and forces him to look at her, "You will always matter, amore." She shakes him lightly, "Don't ever doubt that."

Behind his eyes were the soft blue of a young boy she once knew so well. The same one that would run in between her legs, hold her hand as she walked him to school, waiting for her on the steps of his building. Never, never in a million years did he want to lose her. His voice grew meek, "You should've never put your soul on the line for me."

"In a thousand lifetimes and afterlives, I will always be there for you." He falls into her arms, sucking up his tears. "Now...." She says in a soft, nurturing, voice. "It's getting late, you should get some rest."

The parlor remains quiet and dim as the clock ticks on by. Many had scattered to their own whereabouts to debrief on the chaos that had unfolded. Gossip was soon spreading like wildfire as it always seemed to do. Listening to the crackling of the chimney, Esme remains in silence, as she too was lost in her thoughts. She turns her head to see Alastor sitting at the bar, tapping his boot against the wood in frustration. He had not said a word to her in hours and the aura that radiated from him was irksome. It was eerier than usual, and the very thought drove her mad. She hesitates, but gets up and walks over to him, "May I have a word?"

He doesn't say a word, but instead glares at her and turns his face, earning a dejected sigh, "I'm not sure what I did to upset you so much, but please know it wasn't intentional." He scoffs in response and Esme narrows her eyes, "Are you going to be bitter for the rest of the evening, or are you going to be an adult and speak to me?"

He rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his whiskey, putting the glass down on the counter and tapping his finger on it lightly. He was holding back, a great deal, and couldn't show her how upset she truly made him. "I just want to know why you're so mad at me. You act as if you loath me for whatever reason."

"I'm not mad at you."

"But y-"

"I'm disappointed." He turns to face her, locking eyes with her, and turning the rest of his body to follow suit. For some strange reason, that word struck her more than the thought of him being angry. Rage she could handle, but disappointment from him was a bitter pill to swallow. The very taste made her recoil. 

"D-Disappoin-"

"You sold your soul, to that wretched picture box of all people, and did it all to help your little friend? How foolish." He huffs, taking another swing at his glass, and reaching for the bottle to pour himself more. Esme's eyes follow his hand as he does so, eventually glancing back at his face. She was a lot of things. She could be short tempered, she could be impulsive, she could be a downright bitch, but she didn't believe she could be foolish. There was a goal in her mind, keeping her loved one safe. It was something he could never understand. Alastor was never shown to be affectionate towards many people, and if he was, the authenticity of it was questionable. Before she can process what she is saying, the question pours out, 

"Have you never loved someone so much that you would lay your life down for them?"

He's silent.

"I pity you if you haven't." Her brain is on autopilot, causing the words to cascade out mindlessly, "Love is the one thing that life had to offer any of us..."

"It makes you weak." 

"No, it doesn't." She responds quickly, with a shake of her head, "You never felt the intensity of being willing to burn cities for the one you love?" She cocks her head to the side, watching intently as she watched the wheels begin to turn in his head. 

He pauses, deep within thought.

~ Louisiana, 1928 ~

Never in her life did Esme think autumn in the south would be this beautiful. There were leaves dancing in the wind as the children ran up and down the sidewalks. It was peaceful, quaint, something out of a picture show. The two of them were just adjusting to married life, getting situated to their new roles within the home. Domesticity was something that took some time accepting, but came natural to this little wife. 

It's rapidly approaching dinner time and Alastor is in the kitchen preparing a seafood broil. She had requested that numerous of times within the past couple of months since becoming a unit, as it was the one dish she loved the most from this town. She had a special taste for seafood and he was more than happy to cook for her whenever she asked.

Esme sits on the chair in the living room, putting her book down and looking out the window. She smiles to herself as she watches the wind push the trees back and forth, "It's so beautiful out."

"Indeed, it is."

Esme gets off the chair and walks to the window, opening it slightly, sighing contently feeling the crisp air on her skin. She backs up and sits back on the chair, "You know..." She begins softly as the wind caresses her hair gently. It was a loving touch, as if someone was petting her as if she were a precious jewel. 

"Hm?" Her husband hums softly from the stove, covering the pot, and turning to look at her. My goodness, she was a vision. It was a miraculous sight to behold. She was something out of a Picasso painting, belonging in one of those respected museums. He could almost hear his mother's voice mumbling next to him, 

'Isn't she just the most darlin' little beauty, you ever did see?' Oh, wouldn't he agree. It was amazing how her light radiated from her, mirroring the same brightness that would escape her pistol.

"We never did get to officially say our vows." Was that what she was concerned about? Golly, that was an easy fix. Ha, and here he thought he had to sod off another useless Jack. 

"Does that matter that much to you?" He chuckles, swinging the hand towel over his shoulder.

"Would've been nice to hear you say them." She shrugs, looking away with a playful smirk. This was a feline game, she wanted him to chase. Well, for her, he would crawl on all fours and sit at her feet to make her happy. If it was a cat and mouse game she wanted, he would let her sink those little fangs into him without hesitation. 

"Oh, you want to hear me say it..." He taunts, walking closer to her, "Hear me say just how much I care for you?" He tilts his head to the side and raises a brow to tease her.

"Can't form it into words?" Esme looks up at him, her big green eyes batting innocently. 

He lets out a small laugh, wiping his hands on his pants, and placing one on her cheek. He looks into her eyes, "My dear..."

And then, in a moment Esme never thought she would see with her own two eyes, he kneels before her, his eyes just faintly lower than her level. He grabs her hands, "My affection for you knows no limits." He begins, "Wherever you will go, I will follow. Whatever you want in the world, it is yours as soon as you ask." He reaches up for her face, gently pulling her to him from the pearl necklace wrapped around her neck, "I will happily burn all of this damned city to the ground for you. You are mine alone, forever and always." He kisses her hands softly, clearing his throat, and standing up. He smirks and looks down at her.

"How was that?"

A bright blush across her cheeks, Esme looks up at him and her voice shakes, "I-It was good..."

~ Present Day ~

"Whether I have felt that or not, that is not the concern here." He stands up, looking down at her. She had no right to pull those memories from him, forcing him to remember them. Her presence was starting to become a nuisance, and she needed to face the reality, "You put yourself in danger, that's the problem."

Esme rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, "For goodness sake, I wasn't going to get hurt, I didn't know the ring could fall off..."

It can't. It's a bonded ring, practically embedded into her skin, only to be removed by the heart that placed it there. Something he would keep from her and wouldn't dare do again.

He groans and grabs her arm, pulling her close. It was a firm grip, one that brought a slight wince to her face, "Ring or no ring, you don't do something like that." The overlord's tone was rough, leaving no room for arguments. It was the same authoritative nature that she would expect from-

She freezes, looking up at his eyes, "And why is that?" She whispers breathlessly.

He stares at her and for a moment he's reminded that he almost lost her...again.

From his own doing, once again. His selfishness, his rage, had consumed him. His sins were filling his soulless body at an exponential rate.

"You remind me of someone, extremely important to me." He says, "I can not fathom you getting hurt, are you satisfied?" His eye twitches, "Is that what you wanted to hear?" There was so much more to explain, but his own pride still held him down in that vince, preventing him from revealing his passion to her. 

"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" She questions barely above a whisper. There was something in the air, she could sense it. It was thick with an unspoken tension building. There was so much more than what he was saying, as there was for her. 

His breath is stolen at her words, staring down at her and still holding her arm in his hand. He sighs, leaning down to her, "Is that what you wanted to hear?" He repeats, daring her to continue with this little game of hers. If she thought she was smelling blood in the water, he was the shark lurking within the shadows. 

Esme's heart begins to pick up speed as she's reminded of the feeling she had being pressed up against that wall by his body. His hands on her, her gasps, and his groans. She takes a harsh gulp and her eyes drop to a half-lidded gaze, admiring him in front of her.

"Is there something you desire?" He says softly to her.

She doesn't answer, but pushes him back softly to sit on the barstool, climbing up his legs and wrapping both of hers around him. 

 ~ Author's Note ~ 

Ahhhhhhh!!! 

Also, are we still wanting them together because some of y'all be cooking Alastor in these comments. Did I make him too scummy? LOL! I didn't mean to! 

To be clear, he still does deeply care for Esme at this point in the story. 

You can imagine, the next scene will be....✨special✨

🖤Words: 2249🖤

~ Artemis 🦌💗