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It had been a long time since Alastor had last felt this exhausted.
Things had been rather busy in the Hazbin Hotel as of late, particularly for the hotelier. Who knew that seven people - and whatever the Egg Bois counted as - could create so much work? Bills, supply runs, repairs, meal preparations, and catering to the princess’ whims all on top of his social obligations and duties as an overlord left Alastor feeling rather like a wrung towel.
At the moment, the overlord was on his way back to the hotel from Rosie’s emporium. He’d taken her some snacks he’d prepared with Nifty, and the two had spent the last couple hours just gossiping about the other overlords. Normally, Alastor would have walked back to the hotel to enjoy the terror his mere presence caused on the streets, but after only five minutes his exhaustion caught up with him. He allowed himself the small mercy of travelling back through his shadows - though he had to rationalize it in his mind by assuring himself people were usually intimidated by casual shows of magic.
He rematerialized right outside the front door and slipped inside. Normally he would have had a little more flare with his entrance, but Alastor could barely dredge up the energy to even think about playing up the theatrics. Normally he wouldn’t indulge, but Alastor decided that he deserved to actually get some sleep once dinner was finished. Maybe a little actual rest would clear up this bone-deep exhaustion before it got out of hand.
Alastor swallowed slightly, his throat a bit dry from all the talking he’d done with Rosie, and he slowly made his way over to the kitchen to grab some water. The cool relief soothing his parched tongue made Alastor realize just how thirsty he was, and soon he’d downed two more full glasses.
“Ah, there you are!” Alastor jumped slightly, fumbling with the - thankfully empty - glass for a moment before he managed to get a firm hold on it once more. He turned a murderous glare on the intruder only to find Sir Pentious frozen with a wince on his face. Alastor opened his mouth to snap at the serpent, but the other beat him to the punch.
“Oh, I am sssso sorry Missster Radio Demon sir! I didn’t mean to ssstartle you - I don’t think you heard me knock. My deepesst apologies,” Alastor glared at the snake for another moment before pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. The inventor did seem genuinely repentant, though that honestly made Alastor a bit more upset. Odds are the serpentine sinner really had knocked on the doorframe before speaking, and Alastor just hadn’t been aware of it. His situational awareness was usually on point, but the exhaustion weighing heavily in his bones must have lowered his guard - completely unacceptable.
“What is it, my good man,” Alastor prompted the other to speak while trying to keep up his usually cheery demeanor. Alastor was fairly certain he’d missed the mark though. His eyes chose that moment to start itching, and Alastor desperately hoped that the inventor didn’t notice Alastor’s eyes watering from the irritating burn. He tried to sniffle quietly, but judging from the concern blossoming in the snake’s expression, he wasn’t very successful with that either.
“I wasss just going to assk about the cccircuit breakers - are you alright? You ssseem…pale,” Sir Pentious looked at Alastor searchingly, and noticed the way the overlord’s ears drooped ever-so-slightly. There were also dark bags under Alastor’s eyes, which were only exacerbated by his abnormally pale complexion. Even as he watched, Alastor’s posture straightened, and his grin widened threateningly.
“Of course I’m alright! It must just be the lighting in here - or maybe your eyes are finally failing you after all these decades, haha!” Sir Pentious didn’t seem convinced, but Alastor was too tired to keep up the facade for long. Not wanting to be caught, Alastor quickly ushered the snake from the kitchen.
“Yes, yes, don’t worry about a thing. I’ll check on the circuit breakers later, but for now I’m making dinner so out out out!” He successfully shoved the other sinner out of the kitchen despite his stammered protests and Alastor’s own achy muscles. Ugh, he hoped the snake didn’t think he was crying - that would be beyond humiliating.
He checked the time: almost six in the evening. That was definitely close enough to dinner time for him to start preparing food. However, even the thought of cooking made Alastor’s stomach churn slightly, so with a sigh, he checked the fridge and was thankful to find enough leftovers to feed the other residents with some still remaining. Sniffling again, Alastor left the containers of food and a note with reheating instructions on the counter for the others to find before he melted back into his shadows to retreat back to his room for the evening. He didn’t want to risk running into anyone and having to socialize again when all he wanted to do was go to bed.
Once he rematerialized in his room, Alastor slowly changed into a set of red pajamas before face planting onto his bed with an exhausted groan. Every part of him felt sore; from his legs, to his arms, all the way up his spine. His sprawl was completely undignified, but Alastor couldn’t find it within himself to care. With another miserable sniffle, Alastor reluctantly admitted that he was probably getting sick, but a small part of him clung to the hope that it was just allergies acting up.
The overlord summoned a box of tissues and a trash can to keep next to his bed, and blew his nose before slowly wriggling his way under his blankets. Hopefully a good night’s sleep would refresh his system and help him recover before he had to worry about hiding his symptoms from the others.
Charlie worried at her lip as she stood before Alastor’s door. No one had seen the overlord all day, and he hadn’t made dinner yesterday, or breakfast or lunch earlier. Now, it was steadily approaching dinner once more, and Charlie had seen neither hide nor tail of her hotelier - she was well past the point of concern.
The only reason she’d managed to hold off checking on the overlord for so long was because Vaggie had insisted on her waiting, since she didn’t trust Alastor. Now however, even Vaggie had expressed slight concern for their resident power house, in her own gruff way at least. Concern that only grew when Sir Pentious claimed that he’d seen Alastor in the kitchen looking rather pale the previous evening.
“Alastor? Are you in there?” Charlie asked, knocking lightly. There was nothing but silence from the other side of the door, so Charlie took out her master key and undid the latch.
“I’m coming in,” she warned, slowly easing the door open. Instead of Alastor’s chipper voice, or the familiar buzz of static, Charlie was greeted by silence. “Alastor?” she called, her concern growing by the minute. Looking towards the bed, the princess realized with some relief that she could see bright red hair and fluffy ears poking out from the mess of blankets there. She approached the bed with a sigh, relieved but also curious.
She’d never seen Alastor sleep before, but Charlie could immediately tell something was off. The deer sinner was curled up in a loose fetal position beneath the blankets, and his brows were furrowed slightly. It made him look concerned even as he continued to smile in his sleep. His face was a bit flushed, and despite the fact that he was sleeping, his eyes were sporting dark bags beneath them.
The princess pursed her lips in worry and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead - warm, but not overly hot. He was probably running a mild fever, and judging from the way he breathed softly though his mouth, the overlord was definitely congested. Charlie rested her hand on Alastor’s shoulder and gently stroked her thumb back and forth.
“Alastor,” she murmured. “Hey, Alastor. I need you to wake up for a minute, okay? Alastor?” As Charlie coaxed the overlord back to the world of wakefulness, she sent Vaggie a quick text asking her to bring benadryl and tylenol as well as a thermometer.
Alastor’s eyes fluttered open wearily, and he squinted up at the princess in confusion. His eyes felt like they were melting out of his skull, and they watered reflexively. He felt awful. His temples and forehead throbbed in time with his heartbeat, and his head felt like a half-filled barrel that sloshed unpleasantly whenever he tried to move. To top it all off, there was a growing pressure in his ears, and sharp pains pulsed along his lower back and hips.
“...Charlie?” Alastor murmured raspily, his voice nasally with congestion as he squinted.
“Yeah Al, it’s me,” Charlie soothed, hesitantly running her fingers through his soft hair and growing more bold when he didn’t pull away from her touch. “It feels like you’re running a bit of a fever - how long have you been sick?” Charlie felt terrible; how could she have not noticed that her business partner and friend was ill?
Instead of answering her question, Alastor blearily looked at the inside of his right wrist, squinting at his watch for a moment before his eyes widened in shock. Had he really slept for twenty one hours?! Before he could dwell on that thought for long, Alastor became aware of an uncomfortable and familiar feeling between his thighs, and his face burned with humiliation.
“Charlie, dear, I’ll be fine. I was just tired is all,” Alastor croaked, the obvious congestion in his voice only humiliating him further. “Now if you could leave, I’d appreciate-” Alastor cut himself off with a staticky sneeze that he thankfully managed to catch in his elbow, but he couldn’t stop the humiliatingly uncomfortable sensation in his boxers from getting worse. Charlie frowned at him sympathetically as she handed the overlord a tissue.
“I don’t think you are. How long have you been asleep?” Alastor burned with shame as he slowly sat up and felt all of the blood pooling in his abdomen rush downwards.
“Charlie, please,” Alastor begged quietly, ashamed beyond belief. “I just need to use the bathroom, we can talk in a moment, alright?” Infuriatingly enough, Alastor felt like he was on the verge of tears as Charlie nodded and moved back, allowing Alastor to stand. His ears pinned back against his hair as he carefully shuffled to grab a new pair of pants and boxers - the special ones with the custom flap on the inside, well aware of Charlie’s eyes boring into his back. His quick but cautious trip to the bathroom felt like a walk of shame, and he gladly locked the door once he was inside.
Alastor sat on the toilet and sniffled pathetically as he peeled his pants and boxers off. Just as he’d feared, both were marred with huge blood stains. His period had come when he wasn’t ready for it, and he’d definitely have to replace his sheets. He’d been so distracted by his other discomforts that he hadn’t even recognized the early signs of his period until now.
He pulled on the new underwear and pants and stuck a pad in place - he’d never been a fan of tampons and refused to use them - before going about his business. Once he was done, he started rinsing and squeezing the blood from his soiled clothes, and a few tears rolled down his cheeks from the combined hotness of his eyes and the shame of being caught by surprise by his period. He wiped them roughly away and squeezed the excess water from the clothing before tossing them in the dirty clothes hamper he kept.
Reluctantly, he stepped back out of his bathroom and realized with mounting shame that his bed had been remade with new sheets. More tears burned his already hot eyes, and Alastor mentally swore at himself for being so emotional. It was probably just the massive hormone imbalance caused by being sick and on his period, but that didn’t help Alastor feel any less humiliated.
At least he knew why his back and hips hurt so much, and he could feel slight cramping already tensing his abdomen. Alastor stumbled back over to his bed, feeling a bit off balance as pressure built in his ears. The overlord did a few motions with his jaw until a squeaking release of pressure squeezed from both ears, which thankfully relieved the growing dizziness. Despite the fact that he’d just slept for almost an entire day, Alastor still felt weary down to his bones.
Charlie came back into the room - had she been gone? - carrying a couple pill bottles, a strange square of fabric and a thermometer. Alastor’s ears pinned in displeasure, knowing that the princess was likely about to start coddling him. As if he needed it - it was just some allergies. He’d be fine without the princess’ incessant mother-henning.
“I’m back,” she murmured comfortingly, and Alastor bristled at the implication that he needed to be talked down to like a child. “I got some medicine, a thermometer, and a heating pad for cramps, and I can get anything else you need too.”
“I don’t require your-” Alastor once again cut himself off as he lunged for a tissue, holding it to his face as he let out a string of painfully strong coughs. When the fit ended, Alastor was left panting as he slowly lowered himself back onto his side on the bed. Now his chest and ears hurt, and he whimpered miserably.
At some point, Charlie had moved back to Alastor’s side to gently stroke his hair, carefully scritching the sensitive spot behind his ears that made Alastor relax under her fingers. His tail slowly wagged as the feeling continued, and his eyes slid shut with exhausted bliss. The princess eventually pulled her fingers away and Alastor almost whined at the loss of contact.
“I know I know,” Charlie soothed easily, “You were falling asleep, and I still have to give you your medicine and take your temperature. It’ll only take a minute, then you can go right back to bed, alright?”
Alastor knew he should feel insulted by all the coddling, but all he could feel was his aching body, his pounding, cotton-filled head, and the heavy exhaustion clouding his thoughts. As such, the overlord didn’t put up much of a fight when Charlie slipped a thermometer in his mouth and instructed him to hold it under his tongue.
Alastor startled at the loud beeping noise, unsure when he had dozed off, if at all, while Charlie pulled the thermometer free. Her lips formed a thin line and Alastor flopped back against the bed, already bracing for the lecture he knew would come.
“Okay, so your temperature is about what I thought it would be - about an even 99℉ - which wouldn’t normally be a concern, but I know you run a little colder than most sinners, so you should still stay in bed. I don’t know if that is just because your period started or if it’s something else, but it’s just a minor fever.” Alastor let out a displeased crackle of static as Charlie spoke so casually about something Alastor was so ashamed of, but the princess merely pressed on.
“Vaggie thinks you have hay fever, and she knows more than me so we’re gonna assume she’s right.” She shook four pills into her hand carefully before handing them to Alastor.”The little pink ones are for allergies, and the white ones are for pain and the fever. Go ahead and take all four, and I’ll write down the time, the pills, and your temperature. Do you need water?”
Before Charlie could even finish her question, Alastor had already thrown all four back into his mouth and dry-swallowed the pills, which earned a wide-eyed look from the princess that he was simply too exhausted to find joy in. There was so much pressure in his head that it felt like his brain was about to explode, and if Alastor had even one more sneezing or coughing fit, he was sure he’d do something drastic. Quite frankly, he felt like a dumpster fire and had no patience to deal with Charlie’s coddling.
“Is that all dear?” Alastor asked, trying to sound polite, but unsure of how successful he actually was. Of course, even if he didn’t manage it, Charlie was still as understanding and patient as ever.
“Yeah, that’s all. I’ll come back and check on you in an hour or two - just try to sleep for a little bit, alright?” She handed Alastor the little heating pad and the overlord instantly pressed the delightful warmth into his cramping middle. As much as he wanted to scoff at the idea of sleeping even more after basically falling into a coma, Alastor couldn’t deny the way his eyelids drooped heavily.
The overlord grumbled slightly as Charlie pulled the blanket up over his shoulder, but almost immediately settled as warmth hesitantly seeped under his fur. His ears pinned back under a steady thrumming pain that spiked whenever he flexed his jaw, but other than that, his face was much more relaxed than when Charlie first entered.
The princess fondly brushed a finger over Alastor’s fevered cheek, and only received a half-hearted blat of static for her efforts. His weak protest was immediately undermined by the way he pressed his face into her hand. The overlord was clearly out of it - he never would have acted this way otherwise - and Charlie didn’t want to push his boundaries when he wasn’t completely in control of himself. She knew that her hotelier prided himself on his control, so with one last comforting stroke of her fingers through his hair, Charlie pulled away.
A soft staticky whine almost made her turn back, but instead she adjusted his blankets more securely before heading back down to the lobby. Once she was gone, Alastor was back asleep within seconds. His breaths evened out into quiet squeaky snores as he struggled to breathe through his nose.
His ears ached with what would likely become a painful double ear infection, and his eyes burned like hot coals, but Alastor was somehow less miserable than he’d expected. Alastor subconsciously pressed the heating pad into his cramping belly, the warmth doing wonders to soothe the pain.
As his mind drifted back into a deep, dreamless sleep, Alastor figured that maybe being coddled could be okay sometimes. Maybe being cared for wasn’t so horrible a fate after all.