Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“CUT!” Valentino screeched.

“AH!” Angel whined, back arching as he climaxed.

“Fu-DID YOU JUST CUM?! Urggh!” Valentino growled as he rose from his chair and marched over to the camera man. “Take your time adjusting the focus, we have to wait for Angel’s refractory period to finish.” He sneered as he looked in Angel’s direction.

Angel shrank into himself as his co-star pulled out. Valentino had gotten more hostile than usual ever since Angel stood up to him at the club. Angel said Val could do whatever he wanted to him at the studio and Val took that statement and ran with it.

Currently, they were shooting a film where Angel was an innocent schoolboy who had fallen into a ditch and a construction worker started jackhammering him with his massive dick. A concrete ditch big enough for Angel to fall into but small enough for him to get stuck in had been built and his scrawny body had to contort unnaturally for Rocky to have any hope of penetrating him.

Angel started to wiggle his way out of the ditch when Valentino pushed him back in with his heel. Angel yelped as the heel dug into his shoulder. Holding Angel down with his shoe, Valentino turned to the cameraman and called out: “How’s that look?!”

“Perfect!” the cameraman replied.

Valentino glared down at Angel, red eyes glowing, piercing through Angel’s body right to his heart. “Are you ready yet?” Val hissed.

Angel gulped. “Almost.”

“Hmph.” Valentino lifted his heel out of Angel’s shoulder and Angel seethed at the pain. He brought his hand up to cover the open wound Val’s heel made as Valentino strutted back to his director’s chair.

A bolt of electricity shot out from a security camera in the corner of the room and Vox emerged from the flash. He adjusted his bowtie as he strode over to Valentino.

“Ah, Val. I see the shoot’s not quite done,” he said, hands behind his back.

“Ugh, we would’ve been done by now if the camera hadn’t gone out of focus and Angel knew how to cum at the right time!” Valentino bitched.

Vox wheeled around to scowl at Angel, sparks of electricity radiating off his face. Angel looked away, glowering, still squeezing his wound.

Vox’s face relaxed and he chuckled. “It’s so hard to find a good whore, it seems.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Valentino said, leaning back in his chair.

“Hmm, well, how ‘bout after you’re done with your shoot and I’m done with my meeting, I get you a nice wine to take the edge off?” Vox said, taking Valentino’s hand in his, caressing the back of it with his thumb.

Valentino smiled, letting his head roll back. “Oh, that’d be nice.”

Angel shifted in the ditch. He pulled his hand away from his shoulder to see a tiny bloodstain on the fur of his palm. The schoolboy uniform had already come undone as his fall into the ditch miraculously caused his shirt to open and his pants to fall (porn logic at it’s finest). He looked down at his body: the way his chest fluff stuck out of the now open shirt, the way his pants hung around his ankles and his leg were spread wide. The drying cum around his half hard cock made him bite his lip and he could tell he was getting aroused again, especially once someone came over to clean him off. He rolled his shoulders back, hissing in pain as he realized how badly being in the ditch was affecting his back, and ran his lower hands up his waist. He trembled, biting his lip harder, before calling out: “Okay, I’m ready now!”

Valentino snapped his attention, which had been on Vox’s doting face, back to Angel. “Finally!”

Vox glared at Angel, before smiling at Valentino who yelled: “Alright, back to filming!” Vox bolted back into the security camera, and everyone took their places. “ACTION!”

Rocky, dressed as a shirtless construction worker, leered over Angel.

“Oh no!” Angel cried, putting a hand to his brow, and feeling the concrete scrape against his shoulder. “I’m stuck! And my clothes are all disheveled!”

“Hey there, young man, we’re trying to drill that hole and make it bigger,” Rocky said, several other actors dressed as shirtless construction workers coming up behind him.

“Is that so?” Angel said, coyly tilting his head so half his face was covered with hair. He bit his finger and grinned. “Do you boys think it’s possible to drill two holes at once?” He shimmied down into the ditch and lifted his groin.

The ‘construction workers’ looked at each other and grinned. “It’s definitely….DO-able” Rocky said. He walked forward as another actor yanked on his belt, whipping it off in a swift motion and making his pants drop.

Angel gasped at the sight of Rocky’s dick. “Oh my! It’s so big!”

“It has to be. How else would I make these gaping holes?” Rocky asked.

“Why don’t you show me how, daddy?” Angel insisted, cocking his eyebrow and grinning deviously.

Rocky lifted Angel’s hips to a better angle before penetrating.

“OH! OH GOD! OH, YES!” Angel shrieked, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. He winced as he felt a pulsing in his head, he’d been having headaches throughout the day. He felt his back jam into the concrete and gasped. “AH, FUCK!”

Rocky continued to thrust, in and out, at a quicker and quicker pace. Angel cracked open his eyes to catch a glimpse of Valentino. He was watching, salivating, writhing in his chair; no doubt imagining doing this to Angel himself. Angel felt a chill run up his spin, exacerbated by all the other nerves buzzing in his body as Rocky thrusted and banged his body against the concrete ditch.

“OH!” Angel’s back arched, he gripped at the ground, his nails scrapping along the concrete. He could feel it coming. He was desperate, longing for this shoot to be over. Angel wanted nothing more than to go back to the hotel and spend the evening with his friends: with Cherri Bomb, with Charlie. With Husk…

“AAAHHH!!!” Angel came hard. His whole body pulsed, writhing, battering his body against the ditch he was stuck in. As he finished climaxing his fingers unclenched and he splayed his hands on the ground. He collapsed, shuddering, as Rocky pulled out, panting heavily.

“That should be big enough, right boys?” Rocky asked, wiping his brow.

The ‘construction workers’ cackled and nodded in agreement.

Valentino’s body roiled in his seat and Angel shuddered at the thought of Val cumming while watching this. “Ah, cut!!! Good, that’s a wrap!”

Angel wriggled his body out of the ditch, and he stumbled as he tried to stand. His back was sore and starting to spasm as he leaned over. His lower set of arms ached as he reached down to pull off his pants. He froze as he saw Valentino starting to advance on him. Angel’s eyes darted around, looking for an escape when Velvette burst into the room.

“Valentino! I need you for a second!”

Valentino snarled. “Babydoll, can this wait?!”

“It’ll be quick. I have a meeting right after this, come here!” Velvette snapped.

Valentino groaned and marched over to her. Angel slipped his shirt off as Velvette showed Valentino something on her phone; no doubt they were discussing the branding for their newest line of Love Potions. Angel didn’t stick around to find out as he bolted to his dressing room.

When shoots were done, Angel had developed a routine to get out of Vee Tower as quickly as possible:

-Hang up costume.

-Jacket.

-Shorts.

-Gloves.

-Grab phone and charger.

-Book it.

It used to take him several minutes to get back into his regular clothes, but he’d gotten so good at it he could be out the door in 30 seconds. He flung the costume onto a hanger with his top set of hands while the bottom set grabbed his jacket. He buttoned his jacket with his top hands while his lower set pulled on his shorts. While he put on his top and lower gloves, his retracted third set of arms popped out to grab his phone and charger and retract them into his body.

He swiveled around, ready to run out the door when it slammed close, Valentino standing in front of it. Angel froze as Valentino moved in on him.

“Have you been trying to ruin these shoots?” Val asked.

Angel glowered. “No. Believe it or not, Val, I actually care about my work.”

He started to march towards to the door until Valentino stepped in front of him. “Really?” Valentino said. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Angel tried to move around him, but Valentino side stepped in front of him.

“The shoot’s over, Val. Just let me go home.”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Valentino wagged his finger in Angel’s face and shoved Angel into the arm of his makeup chair. “So long as you’re at the studio, I can do whatever I want with you.”

Valentino had whipped out a cigarette and lit it so fast Angel didn’t even notice until the red smoke snaked between his legs, weaving through the legs of the chair, and coming up around behind him. The smoke wrapped around Angel’s neck, forming a manacle and chain, and Valentino yanked on it, pulling Angel back so he fell into the chair. Angel howled in pain, still sore from the ditch and head still pounding from his headache. His legs flew up in the air and Valentino stood between them. Angel clawed at the chain with his upper hands and clawed at Valentino with his lower set, but Valentino’s smoke latched onto each of his wrists and pulled them up over Angel’s head.

“I’m getting real tired of your shit, Angel,” Valentino sneered, leaning in close to Angel’s face.

“Ack! Val! Let me go!!!” Angel yelped, choking on the manacle pulling at his throat.

“I have half a mind to lock you in the closet until we need you for another shoot,” Valentino said, leering, running his fingers through Angel’s chest fluff.

“Get off me!” Angel writhed, the whole left side of his body bumping into the back of the chair.

“Stop squirming, you little bitch!” Valentino spat, red salvia going into Angel’s eyes.

“AGH! YOU STOP!” Angel pleaded, lifting his legs to try and kick Valentino off him only for Valentino to force them down with his lower set of hands.

Valentino yanked harder on the chain and seized a fist full of Angel’s hair. “You don’t get to tell me what to do! You’re mine, Angel! You may not live here anymore, but I’ll always own your soul.”

Angel hissed, body pulsating, desperate to run with no way out. He rolled his eyes into the back of his head and cried out in exasperation: “Gurr, WHAT THE FUCK DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET AWAY FROM YOU!? When are you finally gonna get fed up with me?! How broken do I have to be before you don’t want me anymore!?”

Valentino stared at Angel, wide eyed, and then he laughed. It started off as a childish giggle and then grew into something more maniacal and wicked. “Yo-you think being broken would make me lose interest in you?! Oh, Angel.” He leaned in close, so close Angel could see his face reflected in Val’s glasses, and whispered: “That’s one of the hottest things about you.”

Angel’s pupils shrank, and he felt his stomach sink. Valentino nuzzled the side of Angel’s face with his cheek, his top right hand playing with Angel’s hair, his top left hand still holding the chain. His bottoms hands gripped Angel’s thighs and caressed them.

“I love seeing you weak and pathetic. When you’re helpless. It’s so alluring. And everybody else thinks so too. Why do you think so many of your films are about you getting gangbanged?” Valentino asked, voice low and dangerous.

Angel shuddered, lip quivering. His body deflated, sinking into the chair. His eyes welled with tears. Of course, Valentino would like him at his lowest. How could he have been so stupid?! All the years of him trying to destroy himself so Valentino would lose interest only made him a bigger target.

Valentino chuckled. “I couldn’t possibly be turned off by you being broken. If anything, it’s a turn on. And it’ll never stop being a turn on since you’ll always be pathetic, addict trash!”

Angel’s breath hitched as he thought back to his conversation with Husk outside the bar when he confessed why he was so self-destructive. Husk had made him feel better in the moment, made him feel less alone in his failures and weaknesses. After that, Angel started showing a genuine interest in getting clean.

Angel smirked. “It’s funny you think that,” he said. Valentino frowned, lifted his head, and glared at Angel. “’Cause I’ve been getting better. At the hotel. They’ve been helping me get over my drug problem. They’ve been supportin’ me and helping me see I’m not so fuckin’ pathetic! I’m stronger than you think I am, and I can stand up to you, just like I did at the club!”

Valentino growled and pulled on the chain with both his top hands. Angel’s head banged against the chair’s arm, and he screamed.

“And you think I won’t beat you down every time you do!?” Valentino gripped Angel’s hair and pulled him up, so they were face to face. “I don’t know what shit they’re feeding you at that ratty hotel that’s giving you this attitude problem, but don’t you think for a second you’re stronger than I am!”

Angel grimaced. He was still shaking; his head was throbbing, and his body ached. Tears were streaming down his face, and he was gasping for breaths. Valentino gazed at him, face softening, and then a sinister grin crept across his face.

“You know,” he said, dipping Angel down back onto the chair and using his lower arms to unzip his pants. “It’s been a long time since I had my way with you.”

Angel gasped as Valentino dropped his pants to the ground. “No.” He frantically kicked his legs. “No!” Valentino dragged his nails across Angel’s legs as he practically tore his shorts off. “No, stop! NOOOO!!!”

Husk was busy cleaning glasses when he noticed what time it was. Angel should’ve been back a half hour ago at least. He looked up from what he was doing to see Cherri Bomb sitting on the couch talking to Vaggie, Charlie and Lucifer pouring over plans for the hotel on the coffee table, KeeKee curled up at their feet, and Nifty diligently dusting everything from the floor to the fireplace mantle to the top of Lucifer’s hat. Husk frowned and set down the glass he was cleaning. He stared at the front door, hoping Angel would walk through at any second.

Alastor strode into the lobby from the hallway, nonchalantly passing everyone. In one hand he held a teacup and he used the other hand to hoist Nifty up by the back of her shirt to help her reach the lamp she was trying to dust. He left Nifty to her work and dropped the teacup on the bar counter.

“Clean that for me, would you?” Alastor said. He placed one hand over his chest, the area where Adam had struck him with an Angelic axe. His other hand reached down to grab his cane that wasn’t there, and he stumbled a bit as he went to lean on it.

Husk glared. “And where have you been?”

“Just drinking tea on the back balcony,” Alastor said, waving his hand cane-free with a flourish.

“Wait, what were you doing outside?” Husk asked.

“Getting some fresh air. The renovations you’ve all done on this place have certainly made it more livable, but it’s still gets a bit stuffy after a while,” Alastor said, putting his hands behind his back and gazing out at the hotel’s lobby.

The layout wasn’t all that different from how it was before, they only shifted things so much, but everything was much grander and more extravagant. More areas to sit and lounge with better couches and a nicer television set. The wallpaper was no longer ripping and was now a darker, richer red, and the chandelier was wider and had more crystals and candles. The biggest difference was Husk’s bar which now had a large mirror in the back where the bottles were and was more color coordinated with the rest of the hotel.

“I thought you didn’t want anyone knowing you were back yet?” Husk hissed. “Until you healed and were back at full power?”

“That’s why I went in the back, Husker,” Alastor said, turning his head 180 degrees to face Husk. “I wouldn’t be foolish enough to put myself in the public eye so soon. Honestly, I’m a little insulted you think I wouldn’t have thought this through.” He turned the rest of his body so it faced the same direction as his head before he glanced at his nails.

“It’s just…what about Vox?” Husk asked.

Alastor twitched, the permanent smile on his face not masking his irritation in the slightest. “What about him?”

“He’s got Voyeurscopes everywhere, doesn’t he? I’m sure he has them surrounding the hotel,” Husk said.

“I’m sure they’re only in the front of the hotel,” Alastor insisted, waving his hand dismissively as he began to walk away. “Vox isn’t that smart.”

“Did you check?” Husk asked.

Alastor froze. His lips snapped back to reveal his jagged teeth and his face glitched. His neck snapped as he turned to look back at Husk. “Of course, I did.”

Husk tensed, taking a step back. “I-I was only asking ‘cause…you’ve just seemed a little off lately-.”

“Off?” Alastor asked, pivoting on his heels, beginning to advance on Husk.

“No! I mean, it’s just-after the fight with the Angels, I’ve just noticed you’re not as sharp as-.”

“As what?” Alastor asked, neck extending, his radio dial eyes ticking back and forth.

Husk’s knees buckled and he shrunk into himself. He swallowed hard and forced himself to say: “Look, I just wanna know that you’re not pushing yourself so that you don’t get hurt again.”

Alastor’s face stopped glitching, his eyes returned to normal, and he features seemed to soften, though they didn’t lose their sinister edge. “How sweet. You care about me.” He reached forward and scratched Husk’s ear. “What a good kitty.” Husk hissed. “But I don’t need you to protect me, Husk. I only suffered a scratch on the chest and a broken staff. It’s not like I gambled away all my powers.”

Husk sneered but cast his gaze to the side. Charlie looked up from her plans. “Uh, Husk? Alastor? Is everything alright over there?”

Alastor’s head wheeled around, creaking as it did. “Everything’s fine, Charlie. You go back to your work.”

Lucifer wrapped his arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “Yeah, Charlie, let’s get back to work.” Charlie looked back down at her papers as Lucifer gave Alastor the ‘I’m watching you’ hand gesture. Alastor merely grinned wider at Lucifer’s feebly attempted threat.

Alastor began to walk away from the bar when the front door of the hotel burst open, and Angel Dust hobbled in.

“Angel!” Husk said, relieved to see him before noticing the way Angel stiffly walked to towards the bar.

“Ang?” Cherri asked, noticing how stiff Angel was as well.

The energy of the room went cold, and everyone was dead silent as Angel dragged his feet to the bar. He had enough mobility and energy to bring his hands up to the bar, but he had his head down. Husk noticed he was breathing heavy, that his hair was messier than it usually was after a shoot, and Husk could make out a faint bite mark on Angel’s neck.

Charlie fidgeted before slowly standing up and breaking the silence. “Welcome home, Angel,” she said, trying to put her usual pep into her voice. “How…how was work?”

“Charlie…” Vaggie said, quietly, but it was too late.

Angel’s hands contracted into claws, gripping at the bar counter. His heavy breathing became more ragged and erratic. His shoulder’s tensed then he seized the nearest glass and reared his arm back.

“I fucking HATE VALENTINO!” he screamed, and he chucked the glass at the mirror on the back on the bar.

The shattering of the glass was enough to destroy the tension in the room and Cherri bolted out of her chair.   

“For fucks sake! Are you two gonna do anything about this?!” she shouted at Charlie and Lucifer.

“Cherri!” Vaggie said, standing, holding out her hands only for Cherri to push them to side.

“You’re the rulers of Hell, yeah!? Can’t you do anything to help him!?!” Cherri shrieked, waving her hand in Angel’s direction.

“Cherri…we want to help but…” Charlie started.

“But what!?” Cherri snapped.

Lucifer stepped in front of his daughter. “But there’s nothing we can do.”

“Nothing you can do!? The fuck does that mean!?! Aren’t you the King!? The most powerful creature in Hell!?” Cherri raged, advancing on Lucifer.

“Look, it’s not the simple…” Lucifer said, yanking at his collar.

“How’s it not that simple!?! You have the power! Get Angel out of the contract!!!” Cherri screamed.

“I don’t have THAT power!” Lucifer finally snapped, fire ragging from his mouth and ears. Cherri stumbled back and everyone went silent.

Lucifer took in a shaky breath, centering himself, before he said: “I have power, yes, but not like everyone thinks. The Angels condemned me to watch over Hell to see what happened when humanity was given free will. To see how twisted, malicious, and cruel they could be. That’s where the Overlords came from. They’re Sinners exercising their own free will by taking it from others and claiming their souls to gain more power. The powers I have…I can create incredible things! I can reconstruct this hotel! I can fight back against the Angels! I can…try to help but I can’t terminate an Overlords’ contract, only an Overlord can do that.” He looked over at Angel. “I’m sorry.”

Angel bowed his head. Cherri deflated. Alastor chuckled. “Oh, what a shame. Even the great Lucifer Morningstar is helpless to save his own people. Or perhaps, he’s just to broken to try.”

Lucifer sneered.

“Alastor, that’s not fair!” Charlie chimed in, placing her hands on Lucifer’s shoulders. “If dad could do anything to help Angel, he would.”

“That’s right!” Lucifer said, indignant. He glanced over at Angel, who still looked crestfallen, and said: “In fact…” He walked up to the bar. “I could probably go down there and rough him up for you! I mean, he doesn’t know what I can and can’t do to him! I could scare him into letting you go!” Lucifer unleashed his full demon form, fist clenched, brimming with an eager bloodlust.

Angel sighed. “No thanks, Short King.”

Lucifer deflated, reverting to his default form.

“What!? Ang!” Cherri said, rushing to Angel’s side.

“Voxtech has been working on Angelic Security and they’ve probably got Angelic weapons of their own. If you go down there to threaten them, they’re just gonna kill you and attack the hotel,” Angel said, looking at Lucifer as his face fell.

Angel looked at the heartbroken expressions of all his friends; even the look in Alastor’s eyes seemed vaguely sympathetic, though it was hard to tell with him.

Angel shook his head and said: “Look, it’s great that you all wanna help, but I don’t want you getting hurt for me. Besides, he isn’t here. I’m home now. And…” he looked at Husk, who was staring back at him with big, worried eyes. “…all I want right now is to relax and have a drink.”

Husk cracked a small smile, though his eyes still looked weary. He put his hand over Angel’s and said: “I’ll get you some water.” His fingers slide off the back of Angel’s hand and Angel shuddered.

“Yeah, thanks,” Angel breathed, unable to stop himself from smiling.

Husk went to the back of the bar and Cherri slid along the counter until she was right by Angel. “What?” he asked.

Cherri dragged her fingers across the back of her other hand and said in a horrible impression of Angel: “Oh, uh, yeah, Husk. Thanks.”

“The fuck was that?” Angel asked.

“That was you, just now,” Cherri said.

“Your impressions are shit, you know that?” Angel said.

“Oh, come on, bitch. I know you like him,” Cherri said.

Angel blushed. “Well, yeah. He’s my friend.”

“You don’t think of him as just a friend, Angie. I know you better than that,” Cherri insisted.

Angel gave a panicked glance over at Husk, who was almost done filling a glass with water. “It isn’t like that, Cherri.”

“Puh-lease, Ang! I’ve seen the way you two look at each other,” Cherri said.

“I don’t look at him like…wait. How does he look at me?” Angel asked.

“Like you need me to tell you,” Cherri said, smiling.

Angel noticed Husk coming back. “Look, Cherri, Husk and I are just friends, okay? That’s it!” He wheeled around, exacerbating his headache, and plastered a big fake grin on his face as Husk set the glass of water in front of him.

“Ugh, really? You can’t even give him an actual drink?” Cherri scoffed at the water.

“Angel’s trying to quit drinking, isn’t that right?” Husk asked, glancing at Angel, searching for an answer and expecting the right one.

Angel gulped. “Yeah, just started yesterday. Don’t wanna keep getting wasted all the time.”

Cherri groaned. “Okay, Ang, you do you. I still don’t get what the big deal is, but if that’s what you want.”

Angel frowned. His eyes trailed away from the glass in front of him and over to the bottles lining the wall.

“I know it’s not as wild and fun as you’d like,” Husk sneered at Cherri. “But what’s important is that Angel gets better.”

Angel’s eyes snapped back to his water.

Cherri held up her hands, defensive but not cautious. “I said he can do what he wants, mate. No need to snap at me. But while we’re at it, get me a Bloody Mary.”

Husk rolled his eyes and went to make the drink. Cherri leaned over to Angel and whispered: “Not sure what you see in him, but I guess you have weirder taste than I thought.” She nudged him playfully and Angel rolled his eyes, trying not to show how painful her light nudging actually felt. He shakily rose from the barstool.

“I think I’m gonna turn in for the night. See you guys,” he said, waving as he took the water with him.

Cherri and Husk smiled sympathetically and waved to him. Husk handed Cherri her drink and watched Angel stiffly walk up the stairs.

Angel seethed and hissed in pain as he opened the door to his room. Fat Nuggets lifted his head and oinked at the sight of Angel. Angel smiled. “Hey, Nuggs.” He patted Fat Nuggets on the head.

He could feel his phone vibrating inside him, and he crossed to his vanity. As his third set of arms slipped out from his waist, he could feel everything else he had stored away shift around. Mostly guns, photos of him and his friends, and a bag of cocaine. Angel frowned.

He’d stored the bag of cocaine when Charlie and Vaggie started searching for and taking his drug stashes. After Charlie had tried standing up to Valentino for him, then apologized for interfering, Angel felt like he owed it to her to actually try to improve. Afterall, she was letting him stay at the hotel rent free, he might as well do something to earn it. Cutting them out completely didn’t help because he experienced withdrawals. Charlie and Vaggie insisted that the withdrawals would pass once he cut the drugs out entirely. They didn’t, and Angel had to smuggle and hide bags around his room and different spots in the hotel. Everyone else always found them, and he was down to one. His waist was the best place he could think to hide it.

He'd completely forgotten it was there for a week, mostly surviving withdrawal symptoms by replacing crack with alcohol, and the last time he’d really used drugs was the night he stood up to Valentino at the club. Charlie had tried encouraging him to cut out alcohol for a while, and after a few weeks of resistance, Angel finally caved and officially quit drinking the previous night.

He hated it. He’d never say it out loud, but he resented not having drugs and alcohol to fall back on when Valentino was at his worst, and he’d gotten much worse in the past couple of months. Angel wanted desperately to whip the bag out and snort the whole thing on his vanity table, but he knew everyone would be disappointed in him. As angry and resentful as he was, he was more afraid of letting everyone down.

Angel sighed and left the bag in his waist. He dropped the phone charger on the vanity and looked at the message on his phone from Valentino:

Angel bby dun b liek dis lets talk

Angel growled, thinking back to Valentino assaulting him in the dressing room. He twitched as he felt the ghost of Valentino inside him, in and out, harder and deeper. He could still feel Val’s fingers gripping and pulling at his fur, could still feel his teeth sinking into his already sore and tense shoulder. But worst of all, he could still feel the euphoria that came as Valentino hit all the right spots and the wash of shame that overtook him as he eased into Val’s grinding and orgasmed. He felt sick and embarrassed, feeling Valentino’s red salvia dripping down the side of his mouth as Valentino chuckled in victory.

Once he’d had his way, he released the smoke chain from Angel’s neck and let him fumble out of the seat. As Angel struggled to get to the door, Val said: “I missed this, Angel. Making love to you.”

Angel nearly gagged. He seized the door handle, pulled it open, and walked outside before turning back to Val and spitting: “You’re the fucking worse!”

Valentino stared at Angel like he’d been smacked. He snarled and growled as Angel marched off. The force of Angel’s anger distracted him from the pain in his body and he managed to barrel out the studio door before the chair Valentino threw at him could hit his head.

Angel turned off his phone, knowing Val would just keep texting him and not wanting to deal with it. He threw the phone on the vanity and wobbled his way to his bed. His knees buckled and he collapsed on the floor. He screeched as he felt the impact and clapped his hands over his mouth. He rolled over so he was sitting on his ass, though that didn’t feel much better. He wiped the tears out of his eyes when he heard a knock at the door.

“Angel?” Husk asked. “Can I come in?”

Angel stared at the door. “Uh…yeah.”

He heard the lock click and Husk gently opened the door. The key he held transformed into Keekee and she skittered away as Husk peaked inside. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Angel said with a weak smile.

“You doin’ alright? You looked like you were in a lot of pain,” Husk said, fully entering the room and closing the door behind him.

“Ugh, today’s shoot really fucked up my back,” Angel said, curling in on himself.

“Do you want a back rub? I’m pretty good at them,” Husk offered, holding out his hands.

Angel hissed in pain. “That might be nice…”

Husk walked over to Angel, not before patting Fat Nuggets on the head. He sat on the bed and started kneading into Angel’s back. Angel smirked; it was so catlike. He relaxed into Husk’s kneading before Husk shifted to rubbing his hands down Angel’s back.

“Oh,” Angel said, feeling Husk’s drag his knuckles down each side of Angel’s spin. “Ah!” It felt good, releasing tension in his body. He started to melt, feeling his back arch. “Oh! Daddy!”

His eyes flew open when he felt Husk jerk his hands back. “Haven’t heard you say that in a while,” Husk noted, dryly.

Angel froze, face burning. “Ah! Uh, sorry! It was an accident! But y’know, once I feel the urge, it’s hard to stop it from coming!”

Realizing what he just said, Angel squeezed his lips together, desperate to hold it in.

“You wanna make a sex joke outta that,” Husk said.

“I am using so much restraint right now.”

Husk laughed. “I don’t mind your sex jokes, Angel. I just didn’t like when you were being pushy with them.”

“Right…” Angel said as Husk started to massage again. Husk gripped Angel’s shoulders and dug right into the wound from Valentino’s heel and bite mark by his neck. “AH!” Angel yelped.

Husk retracted his hands, suddenly noticing the bitemark again. He sighed. “He really fucked you up today, huh?”

Angel brought his hand to his shoulder and groaned. Husk cast his eyes to the side, considering if he should even say anything, before lowering himself off the bed and gently wrapping his arms around Angel’s shoulders. “Look, I know it’s probably hard to talk about, but…it might help to get it off your chest.”

Angel scoffed. “What is there to say? Val treats me like shit, I’m a fucking mess, rinse and repeat. Nothing new.”

“Nothing? No weird new kinks Val has now?” Husk asked, playfully.

Angel frowned and stared at the floor, mind wandering back to what Valentino had said in the dressing room. His body tremored as he said: “You know how…you know how I said I tried to break myself to get him to lose interest?”

Husk nodded. Angel laughed, bitterly. “What a fuckin’ waste of time that was. Breakin’ myself didn’t make him wanna get rid of me, it only made him want me more. He…get’s off to it.”

Husk froze, horrified, then he growled. He wrapped his arms tighter around Angel, not enough to squeeze, but enough that he pulled Angel back into his chest. “If I still had all my power, I’d tear that bastard apart.”

Angel glanced back at Husk. He often forgot Husk had been an Overlord once. Whenever Angel thought of Overlords, he thought of Valentino and the other Vees, or Alastor. Larger than life with monstrous personalities and cruel intentions. That wasn’t Husk. As far as Angel was concerned, Husk was just like him: broken, powerless, and in desperate need of a friend.

“I wish I could get you outta that contract. I’m sorry, Angel,” Husk said, low and gruff, and Angel shuddered.

“Yeah, well, I wish I could get you outta yours,” Angel said.

Angel leaned his head to the side, resting it against Husk’s fuzzy head. Their fur brushed up against each other, overlapping and splaying into the other’s scalp. Husk sighed and Angel could feel his breath, warm against his cheek. Their faces were so close, if they leaned in just a little more their lips would touch. Angel frowned, looking away, feeling his cheeks flushing as Husk grazed his claws along Angel’s arm.

“Guess we’re both shit outta luck,” Husk said, finally.

Angel snorted. “Yeah. But, hey, we got each other.”

Husk smiled. “Yeah. And plus,” he unfurled his arms from Angel’s shoulders, much to Angel’s dismay. “You get to come back here every day and get time away from him.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry you can’t get away from Alastor,” Angel said.

Husk shrugged. “He’s not in this room.”

Angel gave a small smile.

“You still want a massage?” Husk asked.

“Sure. Just not on my shoulders, ‘kay?”

“Okay.”

Husk resumed his massage, kneading his paws into Angel’s back, Angel summoning all his will power not to cry out obscenities as he did. He glanced at his vanity, noticing the phone. He wondered how many texts Val sent but decided not to worry about it now. Husk was right, while Angel was at the hotel, he didn’t have to deal with Valentino.

Valentino marched into his room, cell phone in hand as he furiously texted Angel.

Amorcito pleeeeease talk to me i miss u

This isn’t fucking funny angel anser me

Cum on babe don’t be so coy you know i hate it when you get like this!

FUCKDNG ANDSR MY TEXTS U FUCKING SLUT

But FR babe lets talk ok?

Valentino was about to call Angel when a notification that his phone battery was low popped up. Valentino huffed as he crossed to the desk under his security cameras. He opened the wrong drawer to find his charger and instead found an old sketchbook. His eyes lingered on the drawing of Angel the book was open to.

Valentino lifted the sketchbook out of the drawer and stared at it. He still remembered when he drew it.

They’d just moved into what would eventually become Vee Tower, and they had spent the entire night having sex. They had just finished their first round and Valentino was struck by how beautiful Angel looked. His top set of arms raised over his head which was collapsed to the side. His fingers gently curled into his fists and a few stray strands of hair stuck out around his face, which was settled into a peaceful afterglow. His breathing was heavy and rapturous, and Valentino wanted to capture the moment.

He'd pulled the sketchbook off the bedside table and told Angel not to move to which Angel responded: “Wasn’t plannin’ to.” Valentino gazed at Angel and quickly sketched, desperate to preserve Angel’s image as accurately as possible. He wanted every minute curve and out of place hair to remain intact. When he finished, he showed Angel the picture, and Angel looked just as pretty with the wide-eyed awe he had seeing his portrait. Valentino scooped Angel into his arms as Angel held the sketchbook and gushed over Valentino’s artistic skills. Val pulled Angel into a kiss, starting out sweet and becoming hungrier, like he could devour whatever perfect, luminous thing existed in Angel to make him so alluring and Valentino could swallow it whole and keep it forever. Angel had set the sketchbook to the side as they entered their second round for the night.

Presently, Valentino frowned, staring at the picture, something inside him splintering. He remembered vividly the look or pure adoration Angel had for him back then. He rummaged through the adjacent drawer to find his charger and plugged his phone in before flipping through it.

He had several folders in his photos, all labeled. The first folder was selfies, then Vox, then Angel, and then Misc. for Valentino’s other whores he had on contract. He clicked on the Angel folder and scrolled through the pictures. Most were Angel posing in some kind of sexy outfit, usually making a lewd gesture to accompany it, but there were a few selfies of him with Val and some sporadic candid photos Val had snagged when Angel wasn’t looking.

There was one photo he had of Angel sitting in a limo wearing a sparkling pink gown and holding a trophy. It was the night he’d won the SexXXi Award for his performance in Interrogation Intercourse. Angel always went above and beyond in every performance he did but he’d really outdone himself for this film. Valentino had assured Angel he’d win the award, and if he didn’t Val would make a scene and kill whoever did win along with everyone who voted for them. Luckily, that didn’t wind up happening because Angel had won! He’d been so overcome with emotion, that mask of confidence and bravado he usually had split for just a moment before he strode up to the stage, being sure to flip off his rival Tiffany Titfucker on his way there. That night, on the way home, Valentino heaped praise onto Angel for his achievement and pulled out his phone for a picture. Angel’s smile was so painfully earnest it almost brought a tear to Val’s eye. It had been a while since Angel had looked at him like that and Valentino would often come back to this picture to remind himself what it was like.

Valentino looked back at the sketchbook and huffed. He rested his elbows on the counter, set the phone down and caressed the curves of Angel’s body in the drawing.

“What do I have to do, Angel?” he asked, forlorn. “What’ll it take to make you love me again?”

The door to his room burst open as Vox marched in, face glitching and electric currents writhing around his whole body. The currents sputtered out in waves as he bellowed: “THAT MOTHER FUCKER CAME BACK, AGAIN!!!”

Valentino sighed. Guess Vox wasn’t bringing him wine after work. “Who did?” he asked, turning back to his drawing.

“ALASTOR!!!” Vox screamed.

“What!?” Valentino wheeled around. “I thought he disappeared after the Extermination.”

Vox dragged his finger across his face, pulling a video file onto his screen. “Take a look at this!” He whipped the file off his face and threw it into one of Valentino’s security camera screens.

A video of Alastor sitting on the back balcony of the Hazbin Hotel popped up. Alastor’s body glitched as it always did on camera. Vox pressed his finger to the screen, seething. “Look at him! Sitting there all smug! He’s up to something. I know it!”

“Isn’t he always?” Valentino asked, barely interested.

“You slippery bastard. Somehow you always survive. Always persevere! God, how are you able to always get away!? What are your weaknesses you piece of shit!?” Vox ranted at the TV.

Valentino turned back to his sketchbook, dragging his nail down the curve of Angel’s side. He writhed, turned on, and he nearly missed what Vox was saying.

“Oh, Alastor,” Vox said, clawing at the TV, pressing his own screen to the television. “How much longer are you going to get away with this? What do I have to do to destroy you!?”

Valentino sighed and rested his chin on the back of his hand. “Hm, no idea. But if you’re going to have a hate boner about it, could you at least use it to fuck me?”

Vox wheeled around to glare at Valentino, who looked back at him with a cheeky smile. Vox wanted to smack that smug grin off his face until he noticed the way Valentino’s ass was sticking out in his direction. Vox stared at it, considering, before he dug his nails into Valentino’s hip and whipped him around, throwing him on the couch. Valentino flopped over the back of the couch, wing coat flying up over his head, and he chuckled as he heard Vox striding toward him, unzipping his fly.

“Oh, Vox! You’re always so good to MEEE! OH!!!” Valentino squealed as he felt Vox pull his pants down and penetrate him.

Vox pulled Valentino’s wings off his head, and he moved in and out of Val’s hole at a brisk pace. As Valentino melted and moaned, Vox thrusted hard, sending an electrical current through Valentino’s body. “AAAUUUOOOHHH!!! Oh, GOD, you’re so…electrifying.” He kicked up his heels and wrapped his legs around Vox’s waist, pulling him closer and digging Vox’s cock deeper into him and he gave a pleasured moan.

Vox bit his lip and leaned over. “You like that, don’t you?”

“Oh, I do! Oh, but you know what I don’t like?” Valentino asked.

“Hmm, what?” Vox asked, still digging his cock into Val.

Valentino scoffed. “The way Angel’s been acting lately.”

Vox scowled. He continued to plow Valentino’s ass as Val lamented: “Ugh! It’s not fair! He and I used to be so close, but now he back sasses me about everything! I don’t get it. Why doesn’t he love me anymore? What do I have to do to get him to want me agai-AIIIN!?” Vox gave a particularly hard thrust and the electrical current made Valentino’s antennas and neck fluff stand on ends.

“Well, you know how degenerate whores can be, Val, they’re unfaithful,” Vox said. He curled his claws around Valentino’s hips and gently dragged his nails down Val’s thighs. Valentino shuddered in response as Vox leaned over and rested his body on Valentino’s back. “But it’s not the end of the world. You have plenty of better people to sleep with.”

“What about the movies?” Valentino asked, crossing his arms, though his question sounded earnest.

“You have other actors,” Vox said.

“Not like Angel,” Valentino pouted.

Vox sneered. “What does Angel have that the others don’t?!”

“He makes us the most money,” Valentino said.

Vox frowned. “That’s true. Well, it’s a good thing you have him under contract so he can’t go anywhere.”

Valentino’s antennas flopped over into his face, the longer, healthier one bumping into his glasses. He blew it out of his face and sighed. “Yeah, but he’s such a pain to work with now! Things were easier when he actually liked me, but I dunno how to make him like me again. I mean, I don’t even get what his problem is! I’m great!”

Vox hummed, half agreeing, half laughing.

“Like, what? Is it something they said at that shitty hotel?! I mean, that’s when this all really started! He started living there, you know, to ‘get clean’ and ‘become a better person’!” He said using air quotes. “Is that just, like, his thing now? Being at that shithole? Do I have to go to the hotel and do their song and dance to get Angel to want me again?!”

Vox’s antenna stood up and the sound effect of a lightbulb going off came out of his speakers. A wicked smile crept across his face as he said: “I think that might be just the thing.”

Valentino’s antennas perked up and he titled his head: “Wait…seriously?!”

“Think about it, Angel spending all that time with those goody goodies is why he pulls away from you so much. If you go there saying that you want to change for the better, you’d not only get more time with him, but you’d show him how devoted you are, and how could he resist that?” Vox asked, tracing a finger along the underside of Valentino’s chin.

Valentino glared, raising an eyebrow. “You want me to go there to spy on Alastor, don’t you?”

Vox hummed. “Kill two birds with one stone. Besides, you have a score to settle with Alastor, too, don’t you?”

Valentino smirked. “Not as much as you, but yes, I suppose.”

“See? This’ll be good for the both of us. You’ll get your most lucrative whore back, and we’ll both learn what that piece of shit Alastor is up to and how to stop him,” Vox said, digging his nails into Valentino’s back.

Valentino huffed. “But then I’ll have to do whatever they ask me to at the hotel! What if they make me give up smoking?! What if they make hold hands with people who aren’t Angel!? What if they make me perform…” he wretched. “Community service?”

“Well, you’re good at performing, right?” Vox asked.

“I am,” Valentino said, matter of fact.

“And this’ll be the performance of a lifetime! And the rewards we’ll both reap from this are worth it, right?” Vox asked, dragging his nails along Val’s thighs.

Valentino thought back to earlier; having Angel all to himself for the first time in months, indulging in the feel and taste of him, the memories of happier times rushing back to him only for Angel to scoff at him on his way out. The thought chipped away at his core, and he dug his nails into the couch.

Val had always been driven to get what he wanted, what he felt he deserved, and he felt that drive now more than ever.

A devious grin stretched across his face and Valentino pushed himself up, Vox still very much inside him. “You’re right. I think it’s about time we both got our bitches.”

He began to move, feeling Vox slipping out of him, until Vox seized Val’s upper arm. “Whoa! Easy there, Val. You can’t just rush in there; we need a plan.”

“Like what?” Valentino asked.

“Mm hmm, sure. That shouldn’t be too difficult to add,” Velvette said, taking the miniature camera from Vox and sauntering over to her model. “Hold still.”

She wiped out a needle and thread and got to work.

“And you’re sure this Angelic armor will work?” Vox asked, hands behind his back with Valentino at his right side.

“Of course, it bloody works! I’ve already tested it on several other models,” Velvette said, gesturing to the row of models with missing limbs or deep wounds. “We’ve got all the kinks worked out!”

“Why do we even need these, the Angels aren’t doing Exterminations anymore,” Valentino said.

“We already had these in development before the last Extermination, but since you’re going to the hotel, and they have Angelic weapons, it seems like a good precaution in case someone there gets defensive,” Vox said, striding up to the model.

Valentino followed and squinted to get a better look at the armor. It was a glittering golden white chainmail top that was form fitted around the whole torso. Across the chest area was Vox’s electric blue V logo and above it was a blood red sideways 3, making it look like the <3 heart symbol but standing up. Velvette sewed the camera in the middle of it. The top was held together by blood red satin ribbon around the shoulders and snaking down under the armpits.

“How exactly am I supposed to be protected from Angelic weapons with just a shirt?” Valentino asked.

“It’s not just a shirt, Val,” Velvette said as she finished sewing and snipped the thread. “It’s designed to sense Angelic weaponry anywhere near the wearer’s body and shield you from it. Watch.”

She pulled out an Angelic knife from a small wooden box on one of her sewing tables. The model wearing the armor froze as Velvette stabbed at her leg. What looked like tiny silver fireworks erupted from the tip of the blade as it reached the models thigh. Velvette stabbed the model around her arm and face and the same thing happened; a protective shield popped up right before the blade made contact with her body. The model clutched her chest and breathed heavily as Velvette went to put the knife away.

“Oooh! Fancy,” Valentino said, eyes wide.

Vox chuckled. “Originally, Vox-tech Angelic Security was going to be a home security system, but Velvette insisted on a more individualized approach.”

“It’s more practical and more attractive. Plus, more people would need to buy them and that means more profit for us,” Velvette said, grinning and rubbing her fingers together.

“You are so smart, Babydoll,” Valentino said, leaning over and beaming at Velvette.

“Of course, I am! Now try it on,” Velvette said, waving at her model to undress and give the armor to Valentino.

Val slipped the armor on and admired himself in the mirror. “How do I look?” he asked, turning to the other Vees and posing.

Vox bit his lip, eyes scanning hungrily over Valentino’s body. “Perfect. And now with the camera installed, we’ll have an easier time spying on Alastor.” He strode up to Valentino, phone in hand, and he tapped the camera gently with his nail as the phone played what the camera was picking up.

“The most important part, of course,” Valentino said, playful, teasing.

Vox hummed. Velvette marched up to them, arms crossed. “Is this really such a good idea, though? Remember what happened last time we tried to infiltrate the hotel.”

“That was because we sent an amateur in to do a professional’s work,” Vox said.

“Right. So why are you sendin’ him in?” Velvette asked, glancing at Val.

“What? You don’t trust me, Babydoll?” Valentino asked, mockingly hurt.

Velvette gently placed a hand to Valentino’s check, looked him deep in the eyes, and said: “No.”

Valentino held up his fingers in a letter V and stuck his tongue through it. Velvette smirked, then turned to Vox and said: “The whole point of sending that snake into the hotel was so there’d be no direct ties to us, and no one would suspect we were after the Radio Demon. How’s sending Valentino there going to accomplish that?”

“Valentino’s main goal is to get Angel back. Those bleeding hearts at the hotel will absolutely buy that he’s working towards redemption for Angel’s sake and won’t even think about Alastor,” Vox said, turning back to Valentino.

“Exactly,” Valentino said, straightening his back and standing proudly.

Vox pocketed his phone and pulled Valentino’s wings around his shoulders to form a coat, fastening them together with the gold chain pinned to them. “Now remember, you still need to keep close to Alastor to see what he’s up to but don’t spend so much time with him. As far as the rest of Hell is concerned, he’s gone missing again, so there’s no reason for them to think we’re spying on him specifically, but better to keep contact to a minimum so he’s not suspicious.”

“Fine by me,” Valentino said, watching Vox’s fingers pull the gold clasp on his coat’s waist together.

“And if he tries to make a deal with you, you decline! I don’t care how desperate you get trying to get Angel back, you don’t let Alastor take advantage of you!” Vox said, grabbing the fur around Valentino’s neck and pulling him down so their eyes met.

Valentino scoffed. “I know better than to trust that creep, Vox. Don’t worry.”

“Good,” Vox said, voice trembling a bit.

Valentino smiled. “Aw. Are you worried about me?”

Vox glared. “I’m worried about what Alastor will do in general, but if he gets you that’ll destroy everything we’ve worked for.”

“Hmm, is that it?” Valentino asked, playfully. “Well, don’t you worry, papito, I’ll be careful.” He lifted Vox’s chin, and they slid their tongues into each other’s mouths.

Velvette rolled her eyes. “Alright, lovebirds, break it up! If we’re going to do this, let’s get a move on!”

Valentino and Vox pulled apart, a string of red salvia hanging between their lips like a strand of spaghetti. “We’re not in love, Velvette,” Vox insisted.

“Yeah, we just like to fuck,” Valentino said.

“Right, yeah, sure. Denial’s more than just a river,” Velvette said, pulling her phone out of her back pocket. “Anyway, if that’s all you need from me, I’m getting back to work.”

“You go ahead, Velvette,” Vox said, waving a hand in dismissal.

“Thanks again, Babydoll!” Valentino called after her.

Velvette blew a kiss at Valentino before grabbing her model’s arm and dragging her to the next room.

Vox took a deep breath. “Alright, are you ready for this?”

“Of course!” Valentino said, turning towards the window and gazing out where the hotel sat. “I’ll go in, show Angel how good I am at playing nice, and then my itsy-bitsy spider will be climbing all over my waterspout again.”

Vox sneered. “You’re going there for Alastor, too.”

“Ew. I don’t want that furry freak on my dick,” Valentino scoffed, waving his hand.

Vox pinched his brow. “Just…try to keep an eye on both of them.”

“I’ll be fine, Vox! Trust me!” Valentino said, turning, coat swaying around his ankles. “You know I always come through for you.”

Vox gave a warm smile. “I know, Val. Be safe.”

“I will,” Valentino said, patting his torso and clinking the chainmail, before strutting out of the room. Vox watched him, still smiling, but his brow furrowed, and he fidgeted behind his back.

The hotel residents and Cherri Bomb were sitting in the lounge closest to the front door watching Nifty convey a tumultuous drama in the form of a roach puppet show.

“I can’t accept your love, Jeffrey, I have too many broken limbs!” Nifty said, shaking a dead roach with legs barely hanging to it’s body. She lifted the dead roach with a hole in it’s chest and said in a gruffer voice. “Don’t say that, Ricardo, you’re the only one who fills the hole in my heart!”

“Yeah, Ricardo! Just let the man love ya! Non essere un fottuto idiota!” Angel said, pinching his fingers together and shaking them at the broken roach. Husk smirked at him.

“You would love me? Even with my mangled limbs?” said ‘Ricardo’ as he wiggled around and finally lost a leg. “Only if you can accept my hollowed breast!” said ‘Jeffrey’, raising his chest to the sky. “OF COURSE!” exclaimed ‘Ricardo’, and Nifty jammed the roaches together violently while making wet, sloppy kissing noises.

“YES! Finally!” Angel cried, shaking Cherri’s arm.

“What do you mean ‘finally’? There was barely any build up! They meet each other, told the audience they were in love, then started to confess their love in the span of like, three minutes! How would you even have time to get invested?” Husk asked.

Angel rolled his eyes. “I’m always invested in love, baby. Besides, why would I even wanna wait so long to get to the good stuff?”

“Because it makes for a stronger story,” Husk said, flatly. “Not everything moves as fast as they do in your porn movies.”

“Pssh. Always a critic,” Angel said, waving his hands. “You gotta learn to lighten up, Husk.”

Husk grumbled and rested his cheek on his paw. Angel turned his attention back to the roaches, kicking his feet in excitement over their love. Husk couldn’t help but smile, cheeks flushing at the earnest look on Angel’s face. Cherri glanced at Husk, smiling and raising her eyebrow suggestively as her eye darted between Husk and Angel. Husk sneered and looked away.

Nifty bounced off the table she’d been using as a stage. “And thus concludes tonight’s episode of Roach Romance.” Everyone clapped, even Husk, though he seemed reluctant. “Thank you, thank you. And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…” she reached into a black bag and pulled out several roaches with broken limbs or holes in their chests. “MERCHANDISE!”

Everyone cringed, trying their best to look excited but barely concealing their disgust.     

“For you,” Nifty said, handing Vaggie the first roach.

“Wow…yay, I can put these with the other ones,” Vaggie said, wrinkling her nose. Charlie chuckled and delicately lifted the roach she was handed with two fingers.

Nifty handed a roach to Lucifer, who smiled politely, then waited for her to move on before dropping the dead bug into a nearby pot. KeeKee jumped inside and ate it.

“You seem like a Ricardo fan,” Nifty said, presenting a roach with broken legs to Cherri. “For you.”

Cherri chuckled and took the roach. “You’re a fucking freak, Nifty. I respect that,” she said as she watched Nifty hand Angel and Husk ‘Ricardo’ and ‘Jeffery’ respectively.

“And a special one for you, sir!” Nifty said, handing Alastor a particularly fat roach that was still alive and moving.

“Why thank you, Nifty, you’re too kind,” Alastor said, before opening his mouth wide and launching the roach into his mouth. He chewed on it and everyone wretched.

Lucifer stared at him, disgusted, unamused. “Remind me why he’s here again?” he asked Charlie.

“He’s the host of the hotel, remember?” Charlie said.

“Yeah, but like, you could easily replace him,” Lucifer said.

“Oh, come on, dad. Alastor’s a part of the team. He helped us fight off the Angels!” Charlie said.

“As I recall, I was the one who did most of the work and Nifty was the one who delivered the final blow to Adam, so…” Lucifer said.

Alastor continued chewing before swallowing the roach down and saying: “In case I neglected to mention, Nifty wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me. Also, I gave Charlie important information about how to defeat the Angels and helped her amass the army that did the brunt of the work well before you showed up.”

Lucifer sneered and pouted, face turning red. Alastor’s grin crept higher on his face, and he leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together. “Besides, why make it competition? The real focus is making the hotel suitable for our future guests and ensuring they have the tools they need to become better people, right?”

“Alastor’s right. We can use all the help we can get!” Charlie said.

“Yeah, for your one resident,” Cherri said, smirking.

“Cherri, come on. I’m sure we’ll get more Sinners comin’ to the hotel soon,” Angel said.

“And when they do, we’ll be ready,” Charlie said, standing, determined. Vaggie smiled affectionately and Lucifer sighed, resigned but willing, and smiled too.

There was a knock at the door and Charlie yelped. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” she waved her hands, frantically.

“Whoa! Easy, Charlie,” Vaggie grabbed Charlie’s hands to steady them.

“A new guest!” Charlie gasped. “Okay everybody, let’s all go to the front door and greet them together!”

“I think you’re just gonna scare them off,” Cherri said.

“Cherri!” Angel snapped.

“Nah, she’s right,” Husk said. “We all go to the door, that’s just gonna overwhelm them.”

“That’s true…” Charlie said, biting her thumb and thinking. “Okay, new plan! I’ll go to the door myself, and you all sit here acting casual so that they know this is a safe, fun environment!”

“An excellent idea, Charlotte,” Alastor said.

“YEAH, Charlie! Great idea!” Lucifer pipped in, glaring at Alastor but smiling for his daughter.

Charlie took a deep breath. “Alright, I’m going in!”

“You got this, sweetie!” Lucifer called after her.

Charlie skipped to the front door, beaming with excitement. She looked back at everyone and exchanged thumbs up with them before throwing the front door open. “Welcome to the Hazbin Hote-EL!!!” She recoiled when she saw Valentino looming over her in the doorway.

Charlie slammed the door shut and pressed her back against it. Everyone stared at her, shocked.

“Babe, is everything alright?” Vaggie asked.

“Who was it?” Nifty asked.

“Uh…Angel! I think you should go upstairs,” Charlie said, shaking.

“What?! Why?” Angel asked.

“Uh…” Before Charlie could answer, the door burst open and pushed Charlie out of the way. Valentino stepped inside, looking indignant, before glancing at the lounge area. He smiled and said in a low, sultry voice: “Hey, Angel.”

Angel’s pupils shrunk and he sank into the couch. His breath escaped him, and he felt the world around him sucked away until there was nothing but him and Valentino. His body startled rattling and he could still feel the concrete and Valentino’s body banging into him from earlier. A strangled gasp escaped his throat, and the world came back into sharp focus as Husk and Cherri bolted up from the couch. Angel noticed that everyone except Alastor had stood up, weapons at the ready, all facing Valentino. KeeKee hissed as her fur stood on end.

“What are you doing here?” Charlie asked.

Valentino chuckled. “What do you think I’m doing here, Chiquita? Why would anyone come here?”

Charlie stepped back, eyes wide. “You…came here to get redeemed?”

“Of course!” Valentino said, throwing his hands out for extra flair.

Everyone gaped. Angel blinked, unable to process what was happening.

“Y-You’re serious?” Charlie asked, flabbergasted.

“Obviously. Why else would I come this ratty hotel? Although, now that I’m in here, it’s not nearly as shitty as I was expecting,” Valentino said, squinting and looking around, getting distracted by the glittering chandelier.

Alastor raised an eyebrow. “Well, this is interesting,” he said, finally rising from his chair.

“Alastor! You’re alive?!” Valentino feigned surprised. “We thought you died in the Extermination.”

“I had a temporary set back and had to slip away for a moment,” Alastor said, hands behind his back.

“Oh, is that it?” Valentino asked with a condescending grin.

“Hold on! Why would you want to be redeemed?! Where did this even come from?” Charlie asked, gob smacked.

“Great question!” Valentino said. “Earlier today, things got a little heated between me and Angel and I could tell that things just weren’t working out between us like they used to.” Angel stared; brow furrowed. “I noticed things haven’t really been the same between us since he started living here, so I thought, maybe I should give this hotel thing a chance! Maybe if I try this whole redemption thing, it could fix whatever’s broken between us. Wouldn’t you like that, amorcito? You know I’d do anything for you.”

Angel shivered, Valentino’s low, seductive voice rumbling through his body. His head was pounding as his headache worsened. He looked down at his feet, wishing he could will them to move and carry him far away from here.

“BULL SHIT!” Husk roared, snapping Angel out of his daze. “All you do is torture Angel and use him for your own means! You don’t care about him! You never have!”

Valentino’s antennas stood up, affronted. He twitched, desperate to march forward and smack Husk across the face for daring to say that, only stopping when he noticed Charlie and Lucifer glaring at him. Valentino huffed and said: “I can’t imagine where you got that idea, but just so you know, I do care about Angel and always have.”

“You have a fucked-up way of showing it,” Husk growled.

“Besides, isn’t the whole point of this place to help people change for the better?” Valentino asked. “And why wouldn’t you believe that people can change, Husk? You’re not exactly what you used to be.”

Husk snarled as Valentino smirked at him. “I may not be an Overlord anymore, but I could still squash you like the bug that you are!”

Nifty slowly emerged from behind Husk’s shoulder. “Heh, heh, squash the bug.” She wielded her Angelic dagger, cackling.

Valentino’s eyes bulged, antennas standing on end at the familiar voice. “Oh fuck, not you!!!”

Nifty laughed manically as she launched herself off Husk’s shoulder and leapt towards Valentino with the dagger at the ready.

“Nifty! NO!” Angel cried.

Valentino shrieked and cowered, covering his face as Nifty made impact. She brought the dagger down on Valentino but was thwarted by a small burst of silver erupting between the blade and Valentino’s arm.

Everyone gawked, besides Nifty, who gleefully cackled and continued to stab, despite never penetrating her target. Valentino grinned and laughed. He seized Nifty by the back of her shirt with his lower arm and held her away. “Oh, you think those Angelic weapons will have any affect on me?” He tossed Nifty away, Alastor leaping to catch her before she fell to the ground. “Think again, bitch. You can’t do anything to me as long as I’m wearing this.” He undid his coat and pulled it back to reveal the Angelic armor Velvette made.

The hotel residents stared at the armor, mixed reactions of horror, disgust, and fury.

“So, you expect us to believe you came here with good intentions, but you’re wearing armor to deflect Angelic weapons?!” Vaggie snapped.

“Uh, yeah! Just in case you all didn’t believe me and jumped to conclusions!” Valentino said, doing up his coat. “You know, for a place that’s all about giving people second chances, you’ve created a really hostile environment.”

“You’re the only one makin’ this place hostile, mate! Don’t act smug!” Cherri bellowed.

Valentino squinted, leaning in. “Are you that bitch who blew up my club?!”

“Yeah! And I’m gonna be the bitch that blows up your face if you don’t leave!” Cherri said, pulling out a grenade, ready to pull out the pin.

Angel leapt from his seat and threw his arms around Cherri, holding the grenade down. “Cherri, no!”

“Yeah, Cherri. Chill out. What if Angel actually wants me to stay here?” Valentino asked, hands on hips.

“He doesn’t want you here! He wants nothing to do with your sorry ass, right Ang?!” Cherri asked.

Angel looked away, arms still around Cherri. Cherri blinked. “Ang?”

“Angel?” Husk asked.

Angel shrank into his shoulders, unable to look anyone in the eye. Everyone stared. Charlie looked back and forth between Angel and Valentino before making her way back to the lounge. “Uh, hold that thought,” she said to Valentino. “Stay right there, don’t move!”

Valentino folded his arm, frowning. Once Charlie reached the lounge, everyone huddled together.

“Angie, you don’t actually want him to stay here, right?” Cherri asked. “After everything he’s done to you!”

“You’ve been trying to get away from him,” Husk said.

“You know he’s not here because he actually cares!” Cherri said.

“He’s just trying to get his filthy hands all over you,” Husk growled.

“You know you don’t deserve that, right?!” Cherri asked, fiercely.

Angel frowned and glanced back at Valentino who was watching them all, impatiently tapping his foot. Angel sighed before finally speaking:

“Look, I’ve spent years trying to get out of the contract with Val but…I’m runnin’ outta options! Breaking myself just made me more appealing to him, standing up for myself got me beaten down, none a you can break the contract for me and there ain’t nothin’ we can do to him while he has that Angelic armor on…I’m basically stuck with him! But…”

Everyone was watching, sympathetic, waiting to see where Angel was going with this.

“But maybe…if he stays here, and you guys show him how to be a better person, maybe he’ll realize what he’s doing is wrong. Maybe he’ll actually care that he’s been hurting me for so long and maybe…maybe he’ll let me go.”

He looked up to see everyone staring at him, wide eyed. Angel sighed, exhausted, he looked worn. “Look, I know it’s a long shot and it may not even work but what other choice do I have?”

Angel looked directly at Charlie, unwilling to look at anyone else, unsure of how they would feel. Charlie’s big, shimmering eyes took in the pleading look on Angel’s face before reaching out and taking his hands. She gave him an earnest smile that she could barely hold onto, before letting Angel’s hands go, running her hands through her hair as she took a deep breath, and wheeled around.

“Valentino!” she said, snapping Valentino’s attention back to her and away from the chandelier. “We’ve taken a moment to assess the situation and have decided that…” she took another deep breath. “We’re going to give you a chance.”

Valentino’s mouth fell open, eyes bulging. He glanced at Angel who was watching him through a furrowed brow, trembling at the eye contact. A grin crept across Valentino’s face, but disappeared when Charlie said:

“BUT! There will be strict guidelines you will have to follow.”

Valentino sighed. “Like what?”

“Like…” Charlie thought. “You and Angel have to maintain at least 10 feet of distance between each other at all times.”

Valentino tilted his head to the side. “How much is 10 feet?”

“It’s about as far as you’re standing right now,” Husk grumbled.

Valentino sneered at Husk. “Hmph, fine. So…am I like, officially staying here then?”

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but…yes. You’re the newest guest at the Hazbin Hotel,” Charlie said.

“Perfect!” Valentino said, straightening his back and snapping his fingers. “KITTY! Bring it in!”

The front door burst open and Val’s Fizzbot, Kitty, entered dragging a cart with several fancy travel bags.

“Just tell me where my room is, and I’ll get settled in.”

Charlie looked back at everyone. Vaggie stepped forward. “I’ll show him to his room.”

“Make sure it’s as far from Angel’s room as possible,” Charlie whispered.

Vaggie nodded and marched upstairs with KeeKee by her side, Valentino and Kitty in tow. The rest of the hotel residents watched as they ascended the staircase. Cherri and Husk placed tentative hands on Angel’s arms as Angel curled into himself, watching Valentino disappear from sight and feeling his stomach sink.

Chapter Text

Valentino strolled leisurely behind Vaggie as she marched him to his room, never minding Kitty struggling to drag the cart of his luggage behind him.

“I was expecting this place to look a lot shittier, but it’s surprisingly extravagant,” Valentino said, admiring the wallpaper.

“We did renovations after the Exterminator attacks,” Vaggie said.

“Hmm. Guess that fight wasn’t a total loss then, huh?” Valentino asked.

“You think people losing their lives was worth it just so we could get nicer interior?” Vaggie snapped, turning the corner.

Valentino shrugged. “Just looking on the bright side. Isn’t that what you guys do here?”

“What we do here is value souls enough to not let them get exterminated!”

Valentino scoffed. “That’s rich, coming from you.”

Vaggie stopped dead in her tracks. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“I watched the Extermination while it was happening, I saw your Angel wings,” Valentino said with a devious smile.

Vaggie froze, then sneered. “I’m not an Exterminator anymore. I haven’t been for years.”

Valentino raised an eyebrow. “Lemme guess, you came to this hotel and got redeemed.”

Vaggie blinked. “Yeah, in a way.” She continued walking, and KeeKee leapt into her hand after reverting into key form.

“So this redemption shit really works?” Valentino asked, snickering.

“You have doubts?” Vaggie asked.

“Well, yeah. I mean, aren’t people just what they are, good or bad?”

“It’s more complicated then that.”

“Just telling yourself that to ease the guilt?” Valentino leaned in, grinning.

Vaggie growled. “Didn’t you literally come here to get redeemed?!”

Valentino blinked, then stood up straight. “Well, yeah.”

“Why would you have come here if you had doubts?”

Valentino huffed. “Look, I’m doing this for Angel.”

“Hmm.” Vaggie paused in front of a door at the very end of the hallway, stuck KeeKee into the lock, and opened the door. “Alright, this is your room.”

Valentino peaked inside before fully stepping in. It was about half the size of his lounge room at Vee Tower. There was a Queen-sized bed on the left with a nightstand and lamp beside it. Across from the door was a window with a chair positioned under it. On the right was a door leading to the bathroom and between it and the front door was a mahogany wardrobe. “It’s alright. Not as big as I like, but it’ll make due.” Kitty dragged Val’s luggage inside as he whipped out his cigarette and lit it.

“Ah, ah. No smoking,” Vaggie said.

“What?! Why not?!” Valentino asked before he could take a drag.

“Part of your redemption process is to get clean from drugs,” Vaggie said.

“Oh, come on! You literally have a bar in the lobby!” Valentino raged.

“Hand it over,” Vaggie said, holding out her palm.

Valentino curled into himself, cradling his cigarette holder. “No!”

“Don’t make me take it from you,” Vaggie said, readying her spear.

Valentino chortled. “You know that spear won’t do anything to me.”

“Do you wanna prove you’re trying to get better?!” Vaggie snapped.

Valentino groaned. He pulled the cigarette out of the holder and handed it to Vaggie. Vaggie crushed it in her hand, extinguishing it, before tossing it in the trash by the door. She looked up and noticed Kitty had started unpacking.

“No servants either.”

“WHAT!?! Who’s gonna get all my stuff for me?”

“You can do it yourself,” Vaggie said with a smug grin.

Valentino snarled. Vaggie walked up to Kitty. “Come on, let’s get you outta here.”

“Hey, you don’t get to tell her what to do!” Valentino snapped, before turning to Kitty and commanding: “KITTY! Get the fuck out!”

Kitty bowed and bolted out of the room. Valentino folded his arms as Vaggie left. “Have fun unpacking,” she said, before closing the door behind her.

Valentino pouted, looking at the work Kitty had left behind. Half of one bag of clothes had been hung up, while everything else was on the bed, only half of it folded neatly. He had three other bags to unpack. Valentino fished his phone out of his pocket and immediately called Vox.

“Val! I see you got in,” came Vox’s chipper reply. “I couldn’t see anything since your coat was in the way, but I heard most of it through the camera’s speaker.”

“Oh, good! So you heard how they’re just leaving me out to dry!?!” Valentino screeched. “These people fucking suck! They tried to kill me when I showed up, they won’t let me smoke, and now I have to put all my clothes away myself!” He marched to the window as he pulled a cigarette out of his coat and lit it.

“Well, we knew this wouldn’t be easy. But hey, at least you got in!” Vox said.

“Yeah, that’s great for you! You get spy on Alastor from Vee Tower while I don’t even get to stand next to Angel while I’m here!” Valentino sulked. He took a drag and blew red smoke as Vox spoke:

“Val, you got in! That’s the most important part. And Angel’s the one who convinced them in the first place, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he was.” Valentino stared at the floor, thoughtfully.

“Exactly! You’re already on the right track,” Vox said.

Valentino sighed. “I guess. Although it won’t be easy with everyone here breathing down my neck!”

Vaggie’s voice erupted from the other side of the door. “Hey! Do I smell smoke in there?”

“NO!” Valentino yelped, throwing the window open and tossing the lit cigarette out of it before cupping his hand around the phone. “See?! Did you hear that!?” he hissed. “They’re trying to ruin my afterlife!”

“Val, you’ll be fine. You just have to play along for a while; focus on the goal.”

“Tch, yours or mine?” Val crossed his arms.

“Both! We’ll figure out Alastor’s plans and how to stop him while also winning back our best employee!”

“I guess,” Valentino sighed. Red smoke rose from outside the window and Valentino’s antenna twitched in response. “Is something burning?”

Outside, from below his window, Valentino heard Lucifer cry out: “AH! MY ROSE BUSHES!!!”

“Hm.” Valentino shut the window and sauntered to the bed.

Cherri and Husk walked back to Angel’s room with him, Charlie followed close behind.

“You gonna be alright?” Husk asked.

“I’ll be fine. He’s nowhere near my room,” Angel said.

“If you need anything, let me know,” Husk said.

Angel smiled. “I’ll be okay, promise.”

Husk sighed and walked to his room. “G’night, Angel.”

“Night, Husk,” Angel said, waving after him.

“For real, Ang. If you need anything let us know,” Cherri insisted.

Angel sighed. “Look, I appreciate it, but I don’t want you worryin’ about me. As long as I don’t have to mingle with him too much at the hotel, I’ll be okay. See ya later.”

He waved to Cherri and Charlie before slipping into his room. Cherri crossed her arms and groaned. “You’re really gonna try and redeem ‘im?”

“That’s the plan,” Charlie said. “I was actually wondering if I could ask you for some advice.”

“For what?!” Cherri asked, snapping her head around to look at Charlie.

“You’re Angel’s best friend, I’m sure he’s told you all about Valentino. Is there anything specific he’s told you that you think we should know going into this?” Charlie asked, awkwardly pushing her hair back with one hand.

Cherri frowned. “The dickhead doesn’t care about boundaries, that’s for sure. He pushes Angel too hard and too long.”

“Hmm,” Charlie rubbed her chin. “Okay, I’ve already got some lesson plans for boundaries. I can spruce those up for tomorrow.”

Cherri blinked before glancing back at Angel’s door. “Please take care of ‘im,” she said, staring at Charlie with a painfully earnest expression.

Charlie nodded and took Cherri’s hands. “Of course.” They stared at each other for a while before Charlie launched herself at Cherri and gave her a hug.

Cherri squirmed. “Uh, okay, no. Don’t hug me…”

Charlie released her. “Right! Sorry. Boundaries!”

“…I’m gonna go,” Cherri said, walking back to the stairs.

“Okay, bye!” Charlie waved after her.

Angel tossed his clothes on his vanity chair and slipped into his pajamas. He crawled under the covers as Fat Nuggets oinked at him.

“G’night, Fat Nuggets,” Angel said, before rolling onto his side.

He glanced at the photos he had stuck to the wall. Various polaroids of him and his friends smiling back at him with snarky comments written on them. One in particular of him and Husk had been placed perfectly in his eyeline. Angel had his arm around Husk’s shoulder with the other arm extended out to take the picture. Husk’s eyelids dropped down as they usually did but he was smiling at the camera. Angel had taken the photo a day or two after he and Husk had bonded outside the club.

“I just figured since, you know, we’re actually friends now,” he’d said, and Husk had agreed faster than Angel was expecting.

Angel gazed at the picture, thinking back to Husk’s earlier comment: “If you need anything, let me know.”

Angel sighed and rolled over, staring at the door. He knew Valentino had been put in a room far away from him, but he could still feel Valentino’s presence like he was right next door. Rolling onto his back, staring at the ceiling, Angel wondered if he was asking too much of Charlie. He still felt horrible about taking advantage of her kindness in the beginning, which compelled him to try to improve in the first place, but was this too far? Would it even be possible to convince Valentino to be a better person?

His mind drifted, eyelids slowly drooping, thinking back to when he first met Valentino. Back then, Angel believed Valentino already was good, or at least believed that he was safe to be around.

He recalled the night he decided to run away from his family; he had snuck out, but his stupid brother saw him crawling out the window and alerted their father. The two of them chased Angel through the streets of Pentagram City, and every time Angel thought he’d lost them, they’d somehow manage to catch up. Angel ran as fast as his feet could take him, turning the corner and glancing back to see if they were close, when he bumped into Val outside a club and fell on his back. He gazed up at Val, who towered over him, and gaped in awe. Even now, after everything, Angel couldn’t deny that Valentino was attractive. The two of them locked eyes when Angel heard his father yell:

“ANTHONY!!!”

Angel yelped as he whipped his head around and saw his family come around the corner.

“Hide me!” he begged and dove behind Valentino as his father shouted: “ANTHONY! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU LITTLE SHIT?!”

“Oh, hello, gentlemen. Anything I can help you with?” Valentino asked, spreading his wings and concealing Angel with them.

Angel couldn’t see what Valentino was doing, but he figured he must’ve been standing in a suggestive pose since his father said: “Eugh! I’m not looking for anything with you, fruitcake!”

“Well, what are you looking for?” Valentino asked, sounding offended.

“You seen anybody who looks like this but taller with white fur run by?” Angel’s father asked, no doubt using his brother as reference.

“Yeah! Actually, I have!” Valentino said, and Angel felt his heart sink. “He went that way.” Valentino pointed down the alley across the street.

“Come on,” Angel’s father demanded his brother. “ANTHONY! YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER!”

As Angel’s family’s footsteps disappear down the alleyway, Valentino dropped his wings. “They’re gone.”

Angel seized his chest and gulped down a breath. “Thank you.”

“They seem like a fun bunch,” Valentino said. “That your family?”

“Unfortunately,” Angel said.

Valentino hummed. “Bad blood? I get that.”

“You dunno the half of it,” Angel said, folding his arms.

Valentino turned to face the club. “Well, if you come inside, maybe you can tell me everything over a drink.”

Angel blinked, finally looking up at Val. The idea of having a drink with someone that attractive was too good to pass up. They made their way into the club, which was teeming with horny Sinners drunkenly throwing money at pole dancers, and sat down close to the stage. Angel downed his drink in one gulp before going off on his rant:

“I really thought bein’ down here was gonna be my escape, y’know? No more a my old man breathing down my neck and beatin’ the shit outta me when I was actin’ too queer.” He limped his wrist with one hand and swiped a drink from a passing waiter with the opposite. “Like, when I first started lookin’ for a place to live, the landlord said I could stay for free if I sucked his dick! Nobody wanted me to suck their dick when I was alive! And if they did, my old man woulda knocked my teeth in before I could try.”

Valentino hummed, swishing his martini glass. “Parents can be so unsupportive.”

“Tell me about it.” Angel gulped down another drink then tossed it to the side, not noticing the waiter slip on his glass as he continued:

“I was never allowed to be myself on Earth, but down here!? I could do whatever I wanted! Heh, I could do WHO ever I wanted!” He snapped, thinking he was clever, and the smile on Val’s face reaffirmed his belief. “I didn’t even have to be good at it. The landlord said my dick sucking was ‘good enough to get him off’ and I never had to pay rent! And when I needed drugs, I just sucked the dealers dick and I got all the cock I needed. And I went to clubs and there were guys flirtin’ with me.” He curled his knees up to his chest, suddenly bashful. “And there was this one night where this real handsome fella was bein’ sweet to me and we were drinkin’ and dancin’ and…and I really thought that this would be my first real boyfriend. That I didn’t have to imagine bein’ with a guy. That I was gonna finally have somebody who really cared about me by my side.”

Valentino watched as Angel wrapped his arms around himself, glancing off to the side. Valentino rested his chin on the back on his hand and frowned. “I’m guessing this is when your family wound up in Hell.”

Angel rolled his eyes. “They literally came into the club right as this guy was about to kiss me! My brother recognized my voice and my old man stormed over and dragged me away. Then he forced me back into the same shit he had me doin’ on Earth, and this new life I started buildin’ for myself went right out the window!” Angel waved his hands around emphatically as he spoke before crossing both sets of arms and staring at the table. “It aint fair, but I guess it wouldn’t be Hell if I wasn’t suffering, right?”

Valentino stared at Angel, sympathetically, at least Angel thought it was sympathetic at the time. He sure sounded earnest when he said: “You deserve better than that. You should be allowed to live life how you want, not how someone else wants.”

Angel stared. That was the first time anyone had ever told him that. The cruel irony that Valentino told him this hurt to think about, especially as Angel recalled how warm he felt hearing that. He’d broken eye contact with Val when the emotion became too overwhelming.

“I’d give anything for that,” he said. “I would love to go to clubs to have fun rather than to threaten the owner for money. I’d love to wear a dress without having somebody ripping it off ‘cause it’s not boy’s clothes.” He remembered Valentino having a particularly pointed reaction to that. “I’d love to try new things! New drugs, new drinks! I’d love to try sex stuff that’s more than suckin’ dick! I’d love sing at clubs, I’d love to do that!” He pointed to the pole dancers. “But…I can’t.” Angel deflated.

“Why not?” Valentino asked.

“’Cause my old man would never let me,” Angel said, curling into himself.

“He’s not here, is he?” Valentino asked.

Angel’s head popped up. “Well, no, but…”

“But what?” Valentino asked, leaning in. “Come on…Anthony, right? Didn’t you literally run away from your family so you could make a life for yourself.”

“Yeah, but…” Angel snarled, balling his fists in frustration. “Look, it’s not that easy! They stopped me once, who’s to say they won’t try to stop me again?!”

“You’re gonna let the possibility that they might stop you get in the way from even trying?” Valentino asked, cocking his head. “Look, babe, I understand feeling stifled by your parents, tch, believe me, I get it! But, if I had let that stop me, I never would’ve gotten to live the life I wanted!”

Angel frowned. “Okay, well good for you.”

“You can do it to! Your family isn’t here to stop you. I’m certainly not gonna stop you. You think any of the horny degenerates at this club are gonna try and stop you? Honestly, babe, the only person who’s holding you back right now is you.”

Angel stared. “I…” He glanced at the Sinners and demons on the dance floor, hooting and hollering at the dancers on stage.

“Why don’t you try it?” Valentino said.

“What?”

“Seriously, get up,” Valentino said, snapping his fingers and motioning for Angel to stand. Angel stood, slightly put off by Val’s insistence but feeling compelled, nonetheless. Valentino leaned back in his chair. “Go on, dance!”

“Wha-?!” Angel looked at the pole dancers. “I can’t dance like that!”

“Have you ever tried?”

“Urgh, no! That’s what I mean. I’ve never done any sexy dance moves, so…”

“You never sucked dick either, but it was good enough to get your landlord off,” Valentino said with a smug grin. “You could be a natural at this, but you won’t know unless you try.”

Angel sighed. Even then, he could tell Val was being pushy, but his desire to branch out was stronger than his annoyance at the time. Angel watched the dancers gyrate against the poles, dropping down and writhing around on the floor. He did an awkward recreation of it, feeling self-conscious and rigid. He glanced back at Val whose mouth had twisted into a thoughtful frown.

“Mm, okay. I see what the problem is,” Val said, standing up and walking behind Angel. “You’re too tense. You’re too guarded; look at them.” He pointed at the dancers. “They’re so loose, so free. They don’t hold back.” Angel frowned, eyes downcast. Valentino took Angel’s shoulders. “Here.”

“Whoa! What’re you-?!” Angel flinched at the contact.

“Relax! Come on, roll your shoulders back,” Valentino said, taking Angel’s shoulders and guiding them back. Angel felt his cheeks flush as Valentino ran his hands underneath each of Angel’s arms, bringing the out. “Open up. Stick your chest out. See how they arch their backs?” Valentino pressed the palm of his hand between Angel’s shoulders and slowly caressed down his spine, pressing deeper into the small of Angel’s back, pushing Angel’s ass out. Angel gasped. Looking back, he should’ve told Val to stop and run away, but while it was happening, with so little experience and so much time repressing his sexuality, having a man run his hands along Angel’s body, even against his will, made him feel weak in the knees. He still remembered the way he shuddered, easing into Valentino’s hand.

Valentino hummed. “There, now try it again.” Angel gasped, feeling Valentino’s breath on his cheek, trembling at the sound of Valentino’s voice. “Don’t overthink it. Just close your eyes. Don’t worry about anyone else. Just feel the music and go with it.”

Angel closed his eyes, listening to the slow, sultry music playing. Instinctively, he swayed his body to one side, arms raising, then swayed the opposite direction, his top arms bending over his head and cupping the back of his head, his lower arms wrapping around his torso. His knees bent and his body dropped to the floor. He dragged his top hands down his neck and his bottom hands slid along his thighs. Slowly, he lifted his ass, and he froze when he felt it rub against Valentino’s erection.

Angel gasped and stumbled forward, wheeling around to see Valentino chuckling. “See? You’ve got it! How’d that feel?”

Angel rubbed his hands together, jittering with nerves. “Good.” He smiled, laughing breathlessly, as Valentino approached.

Valentino lifted Angel’s chin so their eyes met. “You’re beautiful,” he said, and Angel felt his knees give out. He practically collapsed into Valentino and before he could even process what had happened, he felt Valentino’s lips pressing into his.

Shock punctured Angel’s chest when he realized a man was kissing him! He seized Valentino’s coat and pressed his mouth deeper into Val’s. Val slide Angel’s mouth open with his tongue and Angel moaned. Their tongues slithered around each other’s mouth and Angel became dazed and woozy. It wasn’t until much later that Angel would realize Valentino’s saliva was an aphrodisiac and he was literally getting drugged on Val’s kiss.

Valentino slipped his tongue out of Angel’s mouth and Angel whined when Val pulled away from his face. “Nuh, uh,” Angel slurred, fumbling with Valentino’s jacket, barely able to open his eyes to see Valentino smiling at him.

“You’re amazing with your tongue,” he said. “Must be from all that dick sucking you do.”

Angel chuckled, blushing, and looking away. “I haven’t done it that much. And it’s been a while. Like I said, I’ve never even had sex.”

Valentino’s lower hands slide around Angel’s back and he pulled Angel closer to him. One hand curled around Angel’s waist while the other one cupped his ass. “Would you like to try?”

Angel’s eyes bulged. His heartbeat quickened. “Wi-with you?” he asked, breathless.

“If you want,” Valentino said, smiling down at him.

Angel couldn’t help but smile. He gripped Valentino’s jacket, standing on his toes in hopes of reaching Val’s lips. He noticed a waiter walk by and froze. “We-we’re not doin’ it here, right?”

Valentino smirked. “We can get a hotel room.”

Angel stared at Val, blinking, before seizing Valentino’s hands and rushing him to the front door.

“Whoa!” Valentino yelped as Angel practically dragged him to the door. Valentino chuckled, racing up to Angel and scooping him up around the waist. “You’re gonna be fun, Anthony, I can already tell.”

They hailed a taxi and started making out in the back seat before they reached a nearby hotel. When they went up to their room, Valentino immediately pushed Angel onto the bed and pulled down his pants with his lower arms. Angel lifted his hips instinctively, his retractable dick popping out, ready for whatever Valentino was going to do to him. Valentino stuck his tongue down Angel’s throat, making him woozy enough to not feel how tight he was when Valentino entered him. Angel barely remembered what Val did to him specifically, but he remembered how it felt. Remembered every nerve vibrating, his mind spinning, feeling like he was suffocating but finally able to breath at the same time. He remembered Valentino gripping his cock as he came, a high-pitched squeal escaping his mouth, and he melted into the sheets when he was finished. It was when Valentino collapsed onto of him, panting and hoarsely breathing Angel’s old name, that Angel realized he didn’t even know the name of the man who’d just deflowered him.

Angel squirmed at the memory. It had all felt so good. For the first time in his life he felt adored! And he felt it again and again, night after night, day after day, until the reality of who Valentino was came crashing down when he least expected it. He wanted so badly to believe that Valentino really loved him, that somewhere deep down he actually cared, but it became harder and harder to believe every time Valentino struck him across the face or buried him in the sheets when he wanted it the least. Angel whimpered. If Valentino didn’t care about him, how was Charlie going to make him care?

The sound of Charlie knocking at the door woke Angel up. “Rise and shine, Angel!” she chimed, pushing the door open with her back. KeeKee was standing at the door in her cat form.

Angel groggily sat up and rubbed his eyes. Charlie strolled up to his bed and set down a tray with pancakes, coffee, and a pastry. The pancakes had blueberries in the shape of a smile and the coffee had cream molded into the shape of a heart. “I made you breakfast!”

Angel blinked. “Uh, what for?” he asked as Charlie set down a bowl of barely for Fat Nuggets.

“Well, I was up late last night with dad and Vaggie and we figured it might be best if we take you and Valentino at separate times,” Charlie said, holding her two index fingers together before pulling them as far apart as she could. “We’ll take Valentino for the first couple of hours and then work with you after that.”

Angel stared, too tired to process. “What am I supposed to do with myself until you guys are done?”

“You can spend time in your room or go down to the gym and dance, OR you can go spend time at the pool. You just won’t be able to go in the lobby until we’re done with Valentino.”

Angel sighed. “Alright…”

Charlie frowned. “I know it’s not ideal, but I thought it’d be better for you to spend as little time with him as possible.”

Angel snorted. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

Charlie rung her hands together. “Are you…gonna be okay?”

Angel looked up at Charlie and felt his heart twist. “Look, Dollface, I’ll be fine. Honestly, I’m more worried about you.”

Charlie blinked, then shook her head. “I’ll be fine, Angel. I can handle him.” She put his fists on her hips and stood tall and triumphant.

Angel couldn’t help but smile. “Well, if you got that kinda spunk, I guess I got nothin’ to worry about.”

Charlie brought her hands together and bounced on her toes.

“Enjoy your breakfast, Angel. We’ll come and get you when we’re done,” Charlie said.

She started to leave, then paused, then swiveled wildly to throw her arms around Angel and squeeze him tight. Angel frowned, resting his head on Charlie’s shoulder. He patted her back before gently pushing her off.

“Come on, Charlie. Get on out there,” he said.

“Right,” Charlie said. She walked out the door, turning to give Angel a thumbs up, before closing it behind her.

Angel looked down at the breakfast Charlie had made him, deflating. The smiley pancakes stared back at him and he felt nauseous.

Valentino waltzed down the stairs, stretching his arms high and cracking his back. He swirled dramatically before throwing himself onto the bar stool and grinning at Husk. “I’ll have a martini.”

Husk growled, glowering, but made the drink anyway.

“So, this is where you ended up. That’s a hell of a downgrade,” Valentino said, resting his chin on his hand.

Husk didn’t answer. He finished the drink and handed it to Valentino. Val took the martini and began drinking.

“…You’re welcome,” Husk said, flatly.

Valentino glanced back at Husk, not understanding the subtext, or just not caring. “So, are you on the path to redemption or are you just a servant?”

Husk groaned. “I’m only here ‘cause Alastor forced me.”

Valentino smirked. “Wow. Sucks for you.” He turned away from Husk and sipped his martini.

Husk balled his fists, desperate to swing them Valentino’s head. “Maybe your first lesson today could be showing some fucking respect.”

“To who? You?” Valentino asked, not bothering to turn around.

“To everyone! You’re not entitled to treating people like shit just because they’re beneath you!”

“Pfft. I’m sorry, are you the teacher or the bartender?” Valentino asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Husk’s eye twitched. “Do you wanna learn how to be better, or not?”

“I want Angel to get along with me again. If it means staying at this hotel then so be it, but that doesn’t mean I have to do what you tell me to,” Valentino said. He sipped his drink.

Husk bristled. “Why are you so obsessed with Angel, anyway?”

Valentino laughed. “How could I not love Angel? He’s gorgeous. Those eyes you could get lost in for days. That mouth that’s perfect for biting and sucking.” Husk felt his blood boil. “That body that doesn’t quit and curves in all the right places.” Valentino stroked the air as though his was tracing the curve of Angel’s spine.

Husk launched himself over the bar, seized Valentino by the fur on his neck, and yanked him until they were face to face. “Don’t you FUCKING TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT!!!”

“Ay, dios mio, gatito! Are you jealous?” Valentino asked, smug.

Husk blinked, head snapping back. “What?”

“Come on, Husk. You’re telling me you’ve never thought about sleeping with Angel?” Valentino asked, raising a brow.

“I…” Husk’s eyes darted around, trying to find a response, before shaking his head: “Look, Angel’s my friend, and I don’t like you talking about him like he’s a sex toy!”

When Valentino realized Husk’s grip on him had loosened, he took Husk’s hand in two fingers and tossed it to the side like a piece of trash. “Angel’s job is to be a sex toy, that was our agreement.”

“That doesn’t mean you can treat him like an object!” Husk snarled.

“Please, like you treated the souls you owned any different,” Valentino scoffed, waving a dismissive hand.

“I never treated them the way you treat Angel,” Husk said, though he didn’t sound convicted.

“Maybe not, but I can’t imagine you treated them well, seeing how all the souls I won off you seemed relieved to be getting away from you,” Valentino said, watching Husk’s face fall. He stared into Husk’s wide, watery eyes and added: “Thanks for those, by the way, they’ve made great movie extras.”

Husk sank into his shoulders and looked away.

“Aw, poor kitty gambled away all his souls and now he works for the Radio Demon,” Valentino said, mockingly pursing his lips. “Shame the big cat about town turned into such a pussy.”

Husk’s gazed snapped back to Valentino and he seethed. “If I still had all my power I’d tear you apart.”

“Mm, but you don’t. But that’s on you for selling your soul to Alastor,” Valentino said, turning away to finish his drink.

Husk stared at Valentino, confused. “I didn’t lose my power from selling my soul, I did that to keep what little power I had left.”

Valentino blinked. “Yeah, but like, if someone else has your soul that weakens you, right?”

Husk stared, mouth agape, though he wasn’t exactly shocked Valentino could own souls and still not understand how the whole process worked. “Selling your soul just binds you to the buyer, it doesn’t deplete your power. If that’s how it worked, Alastor wouldn’t still be able to-AUGH! FUCK!!!”

Alastor had appeared suddenly, seized Husk’s hand, and twisted it, squeezing his palm by digging his nails into it. He slowly turned his head, eyes turning into dials and antlers sprouting. “Did you call for me, Husk?”

Husk trembled beneath Alastor’s gaze. “No! No, just, uh, just doing work.”

“Hm, good kitty,” Alastor said, scratching Husk’s head. Husk hissed and pulled away, still cowering as Alastor’s face returned to normal.

“AH! Alastor! How’ve you been, baby?” Valentino asked, turning to face Alastor as he parted his coat enough for the camera to peak through. “It’s been a while.”

Alastor remained smiling, but glared dangerously at Valentino. Meanwhile, in Vee Tower, Vox was watching from his control room.

“Yes. There you are, you son of a bitch,” Vox said, leaning into the screen showing Alastor’s glitching form. Red venom dripped down the side of his mouth at the sight of his nemesis.

“I’ve been well,” Alastor said. “Just working on my latest project.” He gestured to the hotel lobby.

“Hmm, never thought you’d be interested in a place like this. Especially since you’re so against working with others,” Valentino said, leaning on the bar counter and thrusting his chest up so Vox could get a better view.

“I don’t mind working with others,” Alastor said, snapping his fingers at Husk and holding out his hand. “Provided they’re effective at their jobs.” Husk handed Alastor his “Oh Deer” mug, filled with coffee.

Vox snarled. His fingers laced together, and he dug his nails into the backs of his hands.

Valentino tilted his head to the side. “Vox was very effective at his job; you just didn’t appreciate his vision.”

Alastor scoffed. “What? His vision for a media enterprise that’s constantly changing formats with no longevity? Can’t say turning that down was a miss for me.”

Vox slammed his hands on the control panel and rose from his seat. “You smug bastard!”

“Tch. You just hate change,” Valentino said, waving his hand.

“If it’s not broken, there’s no need to fix it,” Alastor said. “And my methods haven’t steered me wrong in all the decades I’ve been down here.”

“Well, obviously something went wrong, otherwise you wouldn’t have disappeared for seven years,” Valentino said, swishing his martini glass.

Alastor twitched. “I had important business to take care of.”

Valentino hummed and sipped his drink. “Always with the excuses. Face it, ciervo, you’ve always been behind the times. That’s why you broadcast with a device no one uses anymore, it’s why you won’t change out of that ratty outfit,” he gestured to the tattered ends of Alastor’s coat. “And I’ll bet you’re so deep in that old timey closet you haven’t even figured out you’re asexual.”

Alastor stared; brow furrowed. “A sexual what?”

Valentino snickered. “So naïve. It’s almost cute if it weren’t so pathetic. But I suppose that’s what you get for digging your heels in the ground and refusing to change.”

He turned away, resting his elbow on the bar, and drank the rest of his martini, all the while Vox beamed at Valentino’s digs at the Radio Demon.

Alastor remained unimpressed and let out a sharp: “HA!” Valentino’s antennas stood on end, and he nearly choked on his drink as Alastor continued: “Your hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me, Valentino.”

Valentino whipped his head around. “The fuck does that mean?”

Alastor sipped his coffee before saying: “You and I both know you’re not here to improve. Someone as in love with themselves as you are could never admit there’s anything to improve on. You’re clearly here for selfish reasons and that’s not going to get you anywhere.”

Valentino frowned. “You really can’t believe I’m here for Angel?”

“Oh, I believe you’re here for Angel,” Alastor said. “But I don’t believe it’s for his sake. You only care about people in so far as how useful they are to you.”

“Hmph, and you don’t?” Valentino asked, setting down his glass.

“Never said I don’t,” Alastor said, readying to take another sip of coffee.

“Well, that begs the question: If you’re really no better than me, and you only think of people as pawns, then why are you working here?” Valentino asked, leaning in and grinning.

Alastor twitched, gripping his mug, as Charlie descended the stairs.  

“Okay, Valentino, let’s get started on your first lesson!” Charlie announced, making her way to the closest lounge area.

Valentino rose from his seat, following Charlie to the lounge and looking around. “Uh, where’s Angel?” he asked.

Charlie gulped. “He’s in his room. I figured that it would be best for both of you if I worked with you separately. This way I can give you each the focus you need!”

Valentino huffed. “Well, how is Angel supposed to see my progress if he isn’t here?”

“We’ll fill him in,” Charlie said, grimacing with a smile.

“Hmph.”

“Alright! Let’s gets started with an informative video!” Charlie said, marching to the TV. Valentino dramatically flopped over the back of the couch, landing face first into the seat cushion. He then rolled his whole body over onto the couch until he landed on his back in an undignified position.

The TV in the lounge was much nicer than their previous one, though not nearly as high tech or modern as the one Vox’s head was made of. Charlie pressed a button and sat down with Vaggie and Lucifer as the television turned on. Lucifer appeared on screen in a puff of smoke.

“Hey there, you Wayward Sinner! If you’re watching this, then Congratulations!” TV Lucifer said as the word ‘Congratulations’ appeared in sparkling calligraphy above his head. “That means you’ve taken up the daunting but noble task of redeeming yourself!” His wings sprouted and he flew out of frame as the shadowy image of an angry demon transformed into a golden smiling creature.

Valentino raised an eyebrow, squinting. Charlie and Lucifer beamed over the video as Alastor casually walked behind Valentino’s couch. Husk slumped down on the chair across from the TV.

“We here at the Hazbin Hotel are committed to customizing a unique plan to help you reach your redemption goals,” Lucifer continued on the TV. “And it looks like your biggest obstacle is understanding the concept of Boundaries!” The word ‘Boundaries’ appeared in shimmering gold letters above his head. “Websters Dictionary defines ‘boundaries’ as…”

Valentino leaned forward, squinting as the dictionary definition appeared on screen. TV Lucifer created marionette dolls and began using them to show an example of crossing boundaries vs respecting them. Valentino rolled off the couch and crawled up to the television set, bringing his face as close to the screen as possible.

Everyone stared. “Uh, Valentino, what’re you doing?” Charlie asked.

“Watching the video,” Val said, not looking away from the screen.

 “Couldn’t you do that from the couch?” Charlie asked.

“I can’t see it from back there!” Valentino snapped, finally turning to face her.

“His eyesight is shit,” Husk muttered to Charlie.

“My eyes are fine, fuck off!” Valentino said, flipping the bird at Husk.

Charlie rose from her seat. “This could actually be a good start to our lesson! See, we understand that you need to be able to see the TV screen, but when you’re watching a video with other people you need to be considerate of the fact that they want to see the TV too.”

“So?” Valentino asked.

“Soooo, maybe you could scoot out of the way and not stand right in front of the TV?” Charlie suggested, gesturing for Valentino to shift to the side.

“How am I supposed to see the TV then?” Valentino asked.

“You can still be close to the TV, just not right in front of it,” Charlie said.

Valentino groaned. “Yeah, but then the screen looks all warped to one side and that’s annoying.”

“Okay, but then no one else can see the TV,” Charlie said.

“Well, sucks for them!” Valentino said, turning back to the screen.

Charlie twitched. “Valentino, the whole reason you’re here is to learn how to be respectful to other people, and this is a good opportunity for you to try that.”

“Don’t you need me to watch the video first?” Val asked with a smug grin.

“Well, yeah, but you don’t need to be right in front of the screen to do that,” Charlie said.

“But if I move to the side then it’ll look all weird,” Valentino said.

“But you’ll still see it,” Charlie said, starting to lose patience.

“Not as well as I can if I’m right here,” Valentino said in a sing-songy taunt.

“But part of your lesson is to get out of the way so that other people can see the TV too!” Charlie said.

“But I don’t wanna move to the side.”

“Then sit back on the couch!”

“But I can’t see from the couch! How am I supposed to watch your stupid fucking video from there?!”

Charlie almost snapped, horns sprouting from her head, when Alastor chimed: “Get real glasses!”

Valentino sneered. “Pfft, that’s rich coming from the guy who wears a monocle.”

“How do you know I’m wearing a monocle?” Alastor asked, tilting his head. “Can you see it from there?”

Valentino blinked, leaned forward, and squinted, only to realize what he was doing and snap his head back in indignation.

Angel was pole dancing in the hotel gym. Sensual music was blaring from his phone as he writhed and spun around the metal rod. His hands were clammy, and he was having a hard time holding onto the pole. He slid down, boots hitting the floor with a soft thud, and thrust his ass out before slowly lifting it to the long, slick saxophone note that filled the room.

He hadn’t done much pole dancing outside of the occasional porn since he and Cherri had blown up Valentino’s club. Since Cherri was the one to throw the bombs, Valentino decided that it was mostly her fault and proceeded to have her be banned from anyplace owned by the Vees.  Still, Val was furious that Angel let some ‘cyclops cunt’ blow up his business and proceeded to spend the night knocking Angel around the bedroom. Angel could still feel his brain rattling around in his skull from the impact.

As freeing as it was to not have to perform for Valentino more than he already did, a part of Angel missed the club. He missed his pole dancing and drag performances. He still got to do those in porn but not as often as he wanted. He’d considered asking Val on his more agreeable days to give him more opportunities, but always chickened out.

Presently, Angel was standing, still holding the pole, practically cradling it to his chest. He remembered the first time he did pole dancing. Valentino had shown him how to do it. Angel could still feel Val’s hands guiding him around the pole, maneuvering his legs so they were wrapped around the pole just right. When Angel started getting the hang of it, he and Val would perform together. Angel dragged his leg up the side of the pole, trembling at the memory of him and Val spinning around on the pole together, eyes locked, leaning in for a kiss.

The music abruptly cut to a commercial and Angel screamed at the sound of Vox’s voice: “You’re listening to Vox-dora! The best station to listen to music that doesn’t come from a shitty old radio! This has been brought to you by Vox-tech! Trust u-!” Angel seized his phone and closed out the app.

He tip-toed out of the gym to the elevator. He couldn’t go up the stairs, least he run into Val and the others. His foot tapped impatiently, desperate for any kind of distraction from thinking about the moth man downstairs. Angel fidgeted with his phone, wondering how Charlie was doing down there and not entirely wanting the answer.

When he reached the second floor, he went to his room to take a shower. He stood there, feeling the water dripping down his face and body and he hated how horny it was making him. The way the water trickled down, contorting to each curve of his body, slipping through strands of fur was overstimulating and he squirmed, squeezing his legs together. Angel pressed his back against the wall, which certainly wasn’t helping, and looked down at his creepy spider feet. Nothing was a bigger turn off than looking at those.

The day Val first saw Angel’s feet, he’d said: “Guess God’s divine punishment was only making us hot above the ankles.” And gestured to his own feet, never removing his boots to expose them. “That’s why you need to invest in a good pair of shoes.” It was later that day he bought Angel his thigh highs.

Angel did everything he could to stare at or think about his feet throughout his shower. It only worked so well, the inherent eroticism of water dripping down his crotch could only alleviate getting hard so much, but he managed to get through it without whipping out his dick and jacking off.

After drying off, he slipped into some comfortable clothes; hot pink and white stripped socks, magenta pajama shorts, and a lose fitting pale pink T-shirt with the word SLUT written across the front in bright pink bubble letters. He flopped onto his bed, Fat Nuggets sniffling his hair, and stared at the ceiling.

Charlie said she’d come upstairs and get him when Valentino’s session was over, so he didn’t want to leave the hotel. Besides, he had no idea where he’d go. Going to a club would make drug use and drinking too tempting, and leaving the hotel in general would mean people would recognize him and he didn’t want to deal with that right now. He’d already showered, so he didn’t want to get back on the pole or dip in the pool since he’d just have to shower again. The kitchen was an option, but he didn’t have an appetite at the moment.

Sighing, Angel pulled out his phone. He’d have to settle for watching videos or play games on it. The internet app was about to open when a text from Cherri popped up.

hey ang. how’s it goin?

Angel groaned and texted:

Charlie’s taking us separately so im stuck in my room w nuthin 2 do

Cherri asked:

come on out to a bar w me!!!

Rolling his eyes, Angel replied:

im not goin clubin cherri! im tryin to quit drinkin

There was a long pause and Angel almost panicked until Cherri’s text came in:

K fiiiiiine! i’ll come 2 u!!!

Angel smiled. He sat up and asked:

Ok! Great! when do u think you’ll get here?

There was a banging against the rail on Angel’s balcony and the doors leading to it burst open. Cherri threw herself into the room and seized the balcony door handle before she could hit the ground.

“Right now!” she said.

Angel cackled. “You crazy bitch! Were you standin’ outside the hotel this whole time?!”

Cherri jumped onto the bed, landing hard enough to launch Angel at least an inch off the covers. “I was in the neighborhood. Thought I’d drop by and see how you were doin’.”

Angel groaned, throwing his head back. “I’m so fuckin’ BORED!!! There’s nothin’ to do.” He folded his arms and flopped on his back. Fat Nuggets leapt off the bed and Cherri crawled towards Angel.

“We could go blow shit up,” she said, eye wide with blood lust.

Angel sighed. “If I blow up shit for no reason, Charlie’s gonna freak! It might ruin the hotel’s reputation if I go wreckin’ shit.”

Cherri pouted. “We could go to a club. NOT TO DRINK!” she quickly added when she saw Angel’s disapproving face. “Just to dance.”

Angel shrugged. “I already danced in the hotel gym. Don’t wanna have to shower again.”

“Can we at least get out of the hotel?!” Cherri asked.

“Charlie’s gonna come get me when she’s done with Valentino. I don’t wanna leave and not be here when she comes,” Angel said.

“You could just text her and tell her you’re out. Then she could text you to come back,” Cherri said.

“Yeah, well. Not really in the mood to go out,” Angel said, nestling into his many pillows.

“You lame-o! You used to be so much fun! At least try to live a little!” Cherri said, crawling over Angel and rocking her body back and forth to make the bed shake.

“Hey, HEY! Quit shakin’ your tits in my face!” Angel cried, shoving Cherri away from him, before adding with a sly grin: “You know I charge extra for that.”

“Come ON, ANG!” Cherri said, seizing Angel’s shirt and pulling his chest off the bed. “There’s gotta be somethin’ fun we can do!”

“We could cyberstalk your exes on Sinstagram and make fun of how pathetic their lives turned out,” Angel said, a shit eating grin on his face.

Cherri mirrored Angel expression. “HA! You know my weakness!” She pulled out her phone and shifted her body so she was sitting between Angel legs, resting her head on his chest fluff. Angel wrapped his arms around her shoulders and waist as she opened the Sinstagram app and began scrolling.

“Ugh! Carl,” Cherri gagged. “Let’s see how this dweeb is doing.”

She opened the app and Angel howled. “Oho! Look at his haircut!”

“That’s not a haircut, that’s a massacre!” Cherri said, cackling.

“And what’s with the tattoo?” Angel pointed.

“Holy shit, is that a possum?!” Cherri asked.

“What the fuck is that about?!” Angel asked.

Cherri shook her head. “He was always a weirdo. Can’t believe I was wasted enough to sleep with him.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t drink so much,” Angel said, nudging her.

Cherri elbowed him. “Fuck off, nerd!”

Angel stuck his tongue out as Cherri kept scrolling. “OH GOD! Mary Jane! The fuck did she do to her face!?” Cherri gawked.

“Looks like her lip filler gave her a beak!” Angel said.

“Heh, considering how much she squawked about all her problems it makes sense she’s turning into a bird!”

“Let people know what they’re getting into ahead of time,” Angel added.

“HAH!” Cherri kept scrolling.

Angel was sure if Charlie walked in on them talking shit about Cherri’s exes (or anyone, really), she’d probably beret them for being needlessly cruel. Thankfully, she was still downstairs, so Angel didn’t have to worry about being made to feel bad for indulging in his nastier side. Especially once he saw whose picture Cherri landed on.

“Fucking hell, is that Izzi?!” Angel snapped.

Cherri froze, staring at the one-eyed demon on her phone. “Sure is,” she said, her voice lacking emotion.

“Yeesh! What’s that bastard been up to?” Angel asked.

“Dunno,” Cherri said, tapping his profile.

“Ugh, jeez! Look at this smug prick!” Angel said, nearly grabbing the phone out of Cherri’s hand. “Thinks he’s hot shit, shootin’ down that Hell hog. If that bastard ever shot Fat Nuggets, I’d skewer ‘im!”

“He wouldn’t shoot Nuggs,” Cherri said, shrinking. “He only goes for the big ones.”

“Pfft! Sick fuck,” Angel said, putting his hand over Cherri’s and scrolling the page with his thumb. “Agh! Look at this mother fucker! ‘Won a drinking contest’…I hope you choke on the next drink you have!”

“I’ve never seen ‘im choke on anything,” Cherri said.

“Well, there’s a first time for everythin’, right!” Angel said, swipping left. “OH, GOD! Look at that bastard! He even got into a bar fight and won! If I saw that piece a shit in a bar, I’d shoot him with an Angelic bullet to the head!”

“HEY! FUCK OFF!” Cherri said, yanking the phone away from Angel and shoving him on his back. “YOU’RE NOT SHOOTIN’ ‘IM WITH ANYTHING!”

Angel stared, blinking. “What!?”

“Look, he’s allowed to be proud of himself about winnin’ a bar fight. You don’t gotta threaten him with Angelic steal,” Cherri said, crossing her arms.

Angel’s jaw dropped. “What the fuck, Cherri!? Are you actually defending him?”

“NO! Ah…” Cherri looked down at her phone and curled in on herself. “Look, he wasn’t all bad.”

Angel’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “Are you fuckin’ serious!? Cherri, he used to beat you within an inch of your afterlife! He choked you until your neck snapped and while you were regenerating, he stole all your money and spent it on hunting gear!”

“I know that!” Cherri said.

“Then how could you not want him double dead!? Don’t he deserve it after everything he did to you?!” Angel asked, eyes pleading.

Cherri squeezed her eye shut, trying to keep the tears at bay. “I don’t know!”

Angel dropped his arms, horrified and heartbroken. Cherri wiped the tears from her eye and said: “Look, I know he was a bad guy, and it’s good that we broke up…but…” Her breath hitched. “But there were good things too! He’s the one who taught me about explosives. He and I used to go wreck shit together. Plus, he had a great sense a humor! I know he could be a dick head, but he was…he was…”

Angel’s eyebrows furrowed, sympathetic. “He was important.” He frowned, eyes downcast. “Yeah, I understand that.” He wrapped his arms around himself.

Cherri turned off her phone and wiped her eye again. When Angel’s words finally clicked in her head, her eye went wide. “Is that why you agreed to let Val stay here?” she asked, almost breathless.

Angel’s eyes snapped back to Cherri. Seeing the look of fear on her face twisted at something in his gut. He averted his gaze and shook his head. “All I want is to get outta the contract. This is the only option I got right now.”

Cherri tentatively extended a hand and touched Angel’s arm with it. Angel couldn’t bear to look at the earnest expression on her face. “How do you think it’s goin’ down there?” Cherri asked.

“Dunno, but knowing Val, it’s probably not goin’ great,” Angel said.

Valentino dragged his hand down his face as Charlie said: “Let’s try this one more time.”

Alastor, Vaggie, and Lucifer were seated at the bar. KeeKee was sitting off to the side, glaring at Valentino as her tail wiped back and forth. Husk stood behind the bar, furiously polishing an already clean glass. Charlie scooted past him and paused when she was standing in front of Vaggie.

“The scene is: You walk into a bar, and you spot this beautiful young lady…” she gazed loving at Vaggie, taking her hand, and reaching out to cup her cheek. “…and you ask her to go home with you.”

Charlie stepped back from Vaggie as Valentino sauntered up behind her. “Hola, senorita, te gustaría dormir conmigo?”

“Hmm, gracias, pero no,” Vaggie said, flatly.

“Oh, come on, baby, don’t be like that,” Valentino said, slinking around her and caressing her shoulders. “Why don’t I buy you a few drinks and show you a good time?”

“AHHH!!! OKAY, STOP!” Charlie called, startling Valentino’s hands off Vaggie. “Remember, you’re supposed to accept that she rejected you.”

“Yeah, but I want her to sleep with me,” Valentino said, matter-of-factly.

“I understand that, but the point of the exercise is that you take no for an answer,” Charlie said, sweat dripping off her brow.

“So, what, am I just supposed to not pursue what I want when there’s obstacles?” Valentino asked.

“Boundaries are not obstacles, Valentino!” Charlie stressed.

“Well then, what are they?” Valentino asked.

“Maybe you should’ve actually watched the video,” Husk sneered.

“I heard it, I just thought it was boring,” Valentino said, leaning against the bar and checking his nails.

“How was that boring?!” Lucifer demanded, pounding his fist on the bar.

Valentino flinched, floundering. “Well, maybe not boring so much as…uh…lacking in the entertainment value I’m used to.”

“You mean porn?” Vaggie asked.

“Exactly! It needed more sex appeal. I’d be happy to give you some pointers, your Highness,” Valentino said, voice low and seductive as he gave a slight bow.

Lucifer’s already rosy cheeks burned red hot. “Oh! Uh, well, I mean, uh, NO! No, that won’t be necessary!” He frantically looked away from Valentino’s alluring figure. Valentino smirked.

 “Not everything has to be about sex, you know,” Vaggie said.

“Okay, and not everything has to be squeaky clean and chaste, Heaven Reject,” Valentino said, pushing his face into Vaggie’s, who recoiled.

“I’d rather be a Heaven Reject than a low-life, sleazy, degenerate jackass like you!” she spat.

“OH! OW! You’ve wounded me!” Valentino said, turning away dramatically from the bar and feigning agony. He smirked and whirled back to face Vaggie, resting his elbow on the counter. “Please. Did you really think that was gonna make a dent in me, coño!?” Vaggie flinched, crinkling her nose at the insult. “I have no shame. There’s nothing you could say that could get under my skin.” He grinned wide, his gold tooth gleaming.

Vaggie glared, then a sinister grin broke across her face. “You’re ugly.”

Valentino shrieked. “WHA-No I’m not!” He snarled and floundered before furiously pointing his finger at Vaggie. “YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU BITCH! I’m hot! I’m the hottest bitch in Hell! See!?” He reached into his coat and whipped out a magazine. “Says so right here.” The magazine declaring him the Hottest Bitch In Hell depicted Valentino wearing black lingerie, a hand stroking his groin while he stuck out his long, dripping tongue.

Everyone stared at the magazine, eyelids heavy, unimpressed. “Of course, you carry that with you,” Husk groaned.

Nifty crawled onto the bar counter, cackling. “Ehee, bad boy.” She scampered towards Valentino, hands out and grabby.

“No, no! STAY BACK!” Valentino recoiled, holding the magazine in front of him like a shield. Nifty launched herself onto the magazine, gripping it eagerly. “Yeah, o-okay. Take that! Take that and go!”

He tossed the magazine aside. Nifty fell to the floor, still gripping the magazine, and promptly got up to run off with her treasure.

“Now Nifty,” Alastor said. “What did I say about hoarding trash?”

Valentino whipped around to glare at Alastor’s smug, grinning face.

Angel and Cherri had moved on from catty comments about Cherri’s exes to talking about Angel’s ever expanding wall photo collage.

“You’re gonna run outta room, mate. I should get you a photo album,” Cherri said.

“I like having ‘em out,” Angel said, gesturing to the whole wall. “Makes it easier to find my favorite memories.”

Cherri snickered. “Or your favorite people.” She pointed to the picture of him with Husk. “Do you lean over and kiss it at night?”

Angel’s face turned bright pink. “No.”

“Do you look at it while you jack off?” Cherri said, making a jerking motion at her groin.

Angel’s fur ruffled and he bit his lip. “Agh! NO! Cherri, it’s not like that.”

“Dude! You’re such a shit liar! I know you, man! Don’t play dumb,” Cherri said, lauching herself onto Angel and throwing her arms around his shoulders.

“You don’t know me that well. You didn’t know I was trying to get clean!” Angel said.

“Yeah, ‘cause ya didn’t tell me,” Cherri said.

“Well, I also didn’t tell you I like Husk,” Angel said.

“You did just now,” Cherri said, slyly.

Angel squeaked. “That doesn’t count!!!”

“Come on, Ang! Why are you tryin’ to deny it? You’re always upfront about the guys you like.”

“Look, it, grAAHH!!! It’s complicated!” Angel whined, curling into himself, and burying his face in his knees.

Cherri watched him, concerned. “Don’t see how. You live in the same place, you get along, you’re both into this redemption crap. What could be getting in the way?”

Angel shifted his face, so it was turned away from Cherri. Cherri frowned. “Is it ‘cause of Val?”

Angel blinked. “No. Well, maybe, but…not really.”

“Then what is it?” Cherri asked.

Angel raised his head from his knees, but still didn’t look Cherri’s way. Cherri leaned forward. “Ang?” she asked.

There was a knock at the door.

“Uh, yeah?” Angel called.

The door opened tentatively, and Charlie stuck her head in, KeeKee at her feet. “Hey, Angel. We’re ready for you. Oh! Hi Cherri!”

“Sup,” Cherri said.

“How’d it go? With Val, I mean,” Angel asked, walking to the door.

“Oh, uhm, well. You know, first day and all,” Charlie said, sweating. “Things are always a little difficult.”

“Difficult how?” Angel asked, standing in the doorway.

“Uhm…” Charlie gulped down whatever her response would’ve been as Valentino marched behind her. He and Angel locked eyes and Angel felt the ground cave beneath him under Val’s gaze. Valentino sneered and stormed off.

“We’ll get there! Eventually…” Charlie said, finally.

Angel released the tension in his shoulders and slumped against the doorframe. Cherri rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“This fucking SUCKS!” Valentino raged, sitting in the chair underneath his bedroom window. His legs were swung over one of the chair arms and he was holding his phone to have a video chat with Vox. “What makes those Holier-Than-Thou Shitheads think they can talk to me like that?!”

“It’s just what they have to do to feel better about themselves,” Vox said, lifting his coffee mug to his lips. “They know they’re no better than you, so they have to put you down to build themselves up.”

“The NERVE of them!” Valentino cried, squeaking in fury. “Making fun of my eyesight, telling me not to like porn, and that Exorcist bitch had the gall to call me ugly! I’m not ugly!!!” He paused, nervous. “Am I?”

“No! Of course not!” Vox said, setting down his mug. “Val, don’t listen to what that Fallen Angel says. She’s a lesbian, she only thinks woman are hot.”

Valentino’s huge red eyes blinked, thoughtfully, before asking: “Would I make a hot woman?”

The looks on Vox’s face was withering, and he pinched his brow in exasperation. “Yes, Val. You’d make a hot woman,” he said, flatly.

Valentino smiled, squeaking in delight. “I would, wouldn’t I? Can’t you just imagine me with big milky jugs?” He asked, lifting his chest to the sky, and flexing his pecks.

“Heh, yeah. I can definitely imagine it,” Vox said with a hungry grin, red drool dripping from his mouth.

 Valentino slunk deeper into his chair, chuckling, and biting his lip. “Oh, I can just imagine you motorboating me.”

“I can imagine doing more than that,” Vox said, leaning into the screen.

The two horny Sinners stared at each other, simmering in the heat of their arousal, when Valentino’s face suddenly went soft. “I miss you.”

A bolt of electricity shot between Vox’s antennas. His eyes went wide and he stared, unsure of what to say. “Uh, yeah. I miss you too, Val.”

Valentino rolled onto his stomach, kicking his heels in the air. “It wasn’t the same without you last night.”

Vox leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, well, you brought your sex toys, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Valentino admitted, eyes downcast.

“See? You’ll be fine! You’ve got everything you need,” Vox said.

Valentino frowned. “I guess. Suppose it’s something to relieve the tension I have to endure.” He rolled onto his back again and arched it as he threw his arm over his brow.

“Come on, Val. Don’t be so dramatic. Look at the bright side! You managed to get a rise out of Alastor,” Vox said.

Valentino pouted. “Hmm, suppose that’s something.”

“He’s definitely up to something, probably cosying up to Lucifer and his brat,” Vox said, drumming his fingers on the conference table. “But why?”

“To be the most powerful Overlord in Hell?” Valentino asked, stretching out on the too small for his body chair.

“Well, duh. But what does he plan to do with the Morningstars? He must be trying to strike a deal with them, most likely the Princess.” Vox stroked his chin, left eye spiraling wildly.

“I can watch how they interact, if you want,” Valentino said, boredly.

Vox’s attention snapped back to the screen. “That’d be great, thanks.”

“Mm, hm.”

Vox tapped his nail on the table. “I should, uh, get ready for my next meeting.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

“Thanks, you too.” Vox ended the call and Valentino sighed.

Vox leaned back in his chair. He stared out across the empty conference table, feeling how miniscule he was in the massive boardroom. The giant aquarium behind him glowed faintly as bioluminescent sharks swam by. His nail scraped against the table, breaking the suffocating silence, until he heard Velvette’s boots marching into the room.

“Thought you were done with meetings for today,” she said, not looking up from her phone.

“I am,” Vox said.

“Val’s bitchin’ to me about his day because you’re ‘busy with a meeting’,” Velvette said, holding her phone up.

Vox rolled his eyes. He rose from his seat and strode to the coffee table. “I don’t have the energy to listen to Valentino’s complaints. I was just getting a progress update from him.”

“Sounded like you were doing a little more than that,” Velvette said, slyly.

Vox took the coffee pot. “If you’re referring to the motorboating comments, that was just playful banter. It’s nothing really. Just something to keep Valentino amused.” He poured the coffee into his mug and began to drink.

“Oh, cut the crap, Vox. I know you’re in love with him.”

Vox spit the coffee out, splattering it all over the wall. “I don’t-I-what?!”

“I know you fantasize about him day and night. Dreaming of the next time you’ll feel that towering body writhe against yours. You’d keep him chained at your hip if you could,” Velvette said, sauntering over to the coffee table.

Vox wiped the coffee from his chin. “Just ‘cause I like sleeping with Val doesn’t mean I’m in love with him.”

“Not necessarily. But I can tell,” Velvette said, beaming at Vox.

Vox groaned. “Look, Vel, Valentino is a fun fuck and a good business partner and that’s the extent of our relationship. Always has been, always will be.”

“Uh, huh. And there’s nothing you want to add to that?” Velvette asked, leaning into Vox, insistent.

Vox frowned. “Even if I did, which I don’t, it’s not like Valentino would want to.”

Velvette flinched. “What makes you say that?”

“You know how he is! He sleeps with everyone he can get his hands on.”

“Okay…he can sleep around and still have his one true love.”

Vox’s shoulders tensed and he looked away. “Even if that’s true, the only person I’ve ever seen him obsess over is Angel. That’s the only reason he agreed to go to the hotel.”

Velvette frowned. “Vox…”

“It’s nothing, Velvette. Just drop it!”

Velvette sighed. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, Vox.”

She walked away and Vox stormed off in the other direction.

He marched down the hall, hands behind his back, and entered the elevator. Vox pressed the top floor button and when he reached it, he immediately went to Valentino’s bedroom.

Even with the massive red velvet curtains drawn, Vox could still make out all the room’s details. The wallpaper was decorated with Valentino’s moth symbol and his lavish, red satin sheets were laid out pristinely on the bed since he hadn’t slept in it the previous night. Posters of Valentino hung on the walls, each one dawning a slutty outfit and suggestive pose. Vox glanced around, making sure Kitty wasn’t in the room, before shutting the door and locking it behind him.

There was a nightstand with nothing but a framed picture of Valentino and Vox at the first television interview they did together. Vox picked up the photo and delicately traced his finger along Valentino’s face, trailing down to his body. He set the photo back on the nightstand and ran his palm over the sheets, memories flooding back to him, before he crawled onto the bed. Rolling onto his back, he stared up at the crystal chandelier in the shape of moth wings hanging over him. Vox sighed, relaxed into the mattress, and closed his eyes.

Chapter Text

Vox met Valentino because Alastor never showed up to their meeting.

Vox had manifested in Hell around the mid 1950’s. Once he’d gotten over the initial shock of being dead and in Hell, he realized Hell was just a redder version of Earth and found himself a job selling radios to pay rent. That’s where he’d first learned about Alastor.

The transatlantic voice interrupted the jazzy tune Vox had been playing while he was on his lunch break. The radio demon gloated about the new voice he’d just acquired after the disappearance of a beloved Overlord. Alastor cackled maniacally over the sound of a piercing screech. Initially, Vox had been terrified, but after talking with some coworkers who told him about the dreaded Radio Demon and the Overlords he managed to overthrow, Vox became obsessed!

Everytime Alastor’s voice broke over the radio, Vox turned the volume up and jotted down everything the demon said. He’d constantly bring Alastor up in conversation to glean every scrap of information he could about the Overlord. When he’d see a crudely drawn poster warning of the Radio Demon, he’d snatch it and take it home with him. Vox had always been attracted to power, so naturally someone as influential and dangerous as Alastor was admirable to him.

On the eve of his first Extermination, Vox decided to track down the Radio Demon. He’d found the address of the radio station and rode the bus there immediately after work. Adjusting his blazer, he pushed the door open and strode inside. His false bravado withered the moment he stepped inside the empty studio lobby. The florescent lights above flickered, and his footsteps echoed on the linoleum floor. He glanced at the front desk to see no one was there. He treaded into the hallway and caught sight of a door open ajar. The neon light that read ON AIR was dim and no one was inside. Vox sighed. He closed the door, turning to leave, and shrieked when he saw someone behind him.

Standing in the hallway under a flickering light was a man in a red suit with an astonishingly bad haircut holding a cane with an old-fashioned microphone on the end. He was glaring at Vox with a sinister grin. Vox’s eyes went wide.

“A-are you…?”

The man’s lips curled over his sharp yellow teeth. He spun his cane around, holding it behind his back as he extended his hand. “Alastor! Pleasure to be meeting you, sir. Quite a pleasure.”

Vox was awestruck. He clasped both hands around Alastor’s and introduced himself. Alastor found the TV headed sycophant bemusing as he sputtered about wanting to meet the Radio Demon since first hearing him on the airwaves. Vox told Alastor he was eager to learn more about him and Alastor invited him to stay in his friend’s cellar during the Extermination tomorrow. Electricity buzzed between Vox’s antennas, BZZZT, and he smiled.

The next day, Alastor and Vox made their way into Cannibal Town where Rosie ushered her citizens into her Emporium cellar. Vox squirmed as the cannibals feasted on dismembered limbs and he politely declined Rosie’s offer of intestine soup.

When the morning broke, the bell tower chimed, signaling the start of the Extermination. From above, Vox could hear blood curdling screams as the Exorcist Angels descended upon the citizens of Hell.

The cellar doors had been barred and the citizens were tucked into the far corner away from the entrance. Everyone carried on with their conversation once the bell stopped, seemingly unperturbed, but Vox remained tense. Alastor kept Vox’s mind off the bloodshed with conversation. Vox found Alastor’s voice calming, despite him talking about being shot in the head while burying a body in the woods.

“So, a murderer in life, huh? What drove you to commit?”

Alastor set down his teacup. His smile never wavered, but he stared off into the distance with a bitter, forlorn look in his eyes.

“There are some truly vile people in the world, Vox. Men in particular are despicable beasts. Anyone who’s unable to maintain control over their emotions is not suitable to continue on in this world. So sometimes, these people need to be disposed of.” He sipped his drink as the carnage rained down from outside.

Vox shifted in his seat, trying to appear composed. “Is that why you killed all those Overlords? Because they were unsuitable?”

Alastor chuckled. “Oh, Vox. I didn’t kill them. Killing someone down here just results in them regenerating later. The only way to truly kill someone in Hell is with an Angelic Weapon.” He gestured to the ceiling as a citizen cried out, only to be prematurely silenced.

Vox coughed into his hands. “What did you do to them, then?”

“I simply ripped their souls apart and broadcast their screams on my radio show!” Alastor said, plain and jovial.

“Ah, I see,” Vox said, twitching.

Alastor drank his last drop before setting his teacup and plate down. He rested his elbows on the table, laced his fingers together, and leaned his chin on the back of his hands. “Now I think that’s quite enough about me. What about you! How did you end up down here?”

Vox composed himself as another body banged on the ceiling. He explained one of his followers murdered him after Vox swindled him out of all his money. In the past, Vox had been a Televangelist (a concept Vox had to explain to Alastor since he wasn’t familiar with television) and his ruse of being God’s divine prophet who would liberate them if they paid him.

“I see! Manipulating the masses to gain the upper hand. If you weren’t so new to Hell, I’d assume you were an Overlord!” Alastor said.

Vox gave a good-hearted laugh, though he yanked at his collar. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not. Otherwise, I’d have to worry about you tearing my soul apart!”

Alastor chuckled. “Oh, Vox. I wouldn’t rip your soul apart simply for being an Overlord. I’m an Overlord, and so is Rosie. I have no qualms with someone rising to power through determination and hard work. My concern is with how well someone maintains control over their emotions. And despite your sycophantic nature and understandable floundering over the Exterminations, you don’t strike me as the type to lose your cool so easily.”

Vox sat up tall and grinned. “It’s true. I’m not easily flappable. My parents taught me how to keep things close to the vest and to never give into impulse.”

“Glad to see you took those lessons to heart. It was my mother who taught me the value of smiling through hardship and persevering in the face of adversity,” Alastor said, pointing to his sharp toothed grin.

“Smart lady,” Vox said.

“Hmm, yes, she was,” Alastor said, eyes going soft. He caught Vox’s gaze and Vox froze, pinned to the spot by his stare. “And you seem like a smart man, Vox.”

BZZT! Vox smiled. “Thanks. You are too, Alastor.”

The two continued to chat throughout the Extermination. They bonded over a shared love of jazz music and mocking people less intelligent than them. They drank heavily, and Alastor slurred his words as he explained his mother’s superior jambalaya recipe. Vox glugged his wine, launching into his own extensive prattle about sharks. Alastor giggled, possibly hearing what Vox had said, and he clapped Vox on the back. Vox felt chills run down his spine at the contact and quickly jammed the wine bottle in his mouth.

Once the Extermination was over, the cannibals emerged from their hiding place and Alastor escorted Vox back to his apartment. Vox was horrified by the fresh corpses that littered the streets, but Alastor’s hand on his shoulder braced him and kept him calm. When they made it to Vox’s place, Alastor said: “Feel free to stop by the radio station anytime you’d like to talk.”

Vox gasped. “Oh, yeah! Okay!”

He visited Alastor every day after work. They’d spend the evenings walking around Hell, chatting about their time on Earth and all the stupid people they’d managed to manipulate in their lives. On weekends, they’d visit Rosie’s Emporium or spend the day at movies or the aquarium. Vox would usually recommend the aquarium and rattle off facts about sharks.

“You know they’ve got 7 rows of teeth?” Vox said, screen pressed against the glass tank as a great white swam by. “And around 300 teeth in total!?”

“Interesting,” Alastor said as the shark passed by him. “How many wretched underlings do you think you could feed to them at once?”

Vox chuckled. “Depends on how tall they are!”

The both laughed. Their laughter became so erratic and maniacal they didn’t realize everyone was staring at them.

Years passed, and television became more prominent in Hell. Vox quit his job at the radio shop and started working at the News Station. He begrudgingly started from the bottom, bringing the newscasters their coffee, and slowly worked his way up with encouragement from Alastor.

“Think of all you accomplished in life, Vox. I see no reason you can’t elevate your status down here.”

Though Vox would never tell him outright, he deeply appreciated Alastor’s emotional support.

As the 1960’s turned into the 1970’s, Vox had solidified himself as one of Hell’s most beloved newscasters. While walking through the streets of Hell, Alastor clapped Vox on the back. “Good show this week, old pal.”

Vox chuckled, rubbing the back of his updated model TV head. “Thanks.”

“You’ve become quite popular over the years,” Alastor said, passing by a newspaper stand with Vox’s face all over the front page. “Sinners can’t get enough of you.”

Vox adjusted his jacket and beamed. “Yeah. I’m not surprised; this is the same level of adoration I received in life.”

“Rightly deserved, if you ask me,” Alastor said.

BZZZT! “Ha, yeah.”

Alastor glanced at the clocktower looming from several blocks over. “I should get going soon. Don’t want to miss the Overlord meeting. We can chat later.”

Vox inhaled sharply, shoving his hands in his pockets, and tried to appear confident. “We might be able to go to those meetings together sometime soon.”

Alastor turned his head, cracking his neck, and blinked. “Are you thinking of becoming an Overlord?”

“Why not? I’ve got the popularity, I’ve got the following,” Vox said.

“But do you have anything to offer?” Alastor asked.

Vox blinked. “Huh?”

“People aren’t going to hand over their souls for nothing, Vox. You’re a charming individual, you can certainly draw a crowd, but like any Overlord, you need something you can promise them that they’ll benefit from in the long run.”

“That won’t be a problem. I’ll just do what I did in life; I’ll convince those lowly Sinners that I was sent by God Himself as their Liberator. That so long as they do my bidding and sell me their souls, I will save them from burning eternally in the fiery pits of Damnation!” Vox declared, raising his arms in maniacal triumph.

Alastor blinked, looking between Vox and the giant ‘Welcome to Hell’ sign behind him. “I’m not sure you’ll have much luck with that down here.”

Vox withered. “Oh, right. Yeah, pretty sure no one’s gonna buy that down here. Uhm…”

Alastor watched Vox rub his hands together nervously. “Now don’t fret, Vox. You’re intelligent. I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

He began to walk off, spinning his cane and holding it behind his back. Vox watched Alastor begin to cross the street when he called out: “Maybe you and I could go over some ideas together!”

Alastor paused, head spinning around to face Vox while his body remained facing the other direction.

“I mean, you’ve been an Overlord for decades. I’m sure you’ve got some good ideas,” Vox said.

Alastor hummed and shrugged. “I certainly can’t argue with that. We’ll meet at the Devil’s Brew Tuesday morning.”

Vox beamed. “Sounds great! How about 8am?”

“Perfect. I’ll see you there, my little apprentice,” Alastor said with that charmingly devilish laugh of his. Vox smiled as Alastor’s head whirled back around and he finished crossing the street.

Vox woke up bright and early Tuesday morning then made his way to the coffee shop with a notebook and a pencil. He waited for an hour, but Alastor didn’t show.

Vox checked his watch. “Hmm. Maybe he got caught up with something.”

Vox ordered his coffee, periodically checking over his shoulder to see if Alastor had arrived, and frowning every time the Radio Demon didn’t appear. He paid for his drink and made his way to the pickup counter. He glanced at the entrance once again and collided with another customer.

“Oh! Sorry, I-uh…” Vox gaped.

Towering over him was a slender man with purple skin and giant red eyes. He wore a long red cloak and a red hat with what looked like two long feathers sticking out. Vox would soon learn that this was Valentino, but at the time he couldn’t get a read on Val’s gender based on the androgyny of his attire; a red pinstriped coat, and pants with a frilly ivory blouse.

“Uh, a-are you-?” Vox began.

Valentino smirked. He stirred his tea with a spoon. “I’m off the clock. But, if you’re willing to wait another hour, I’ll be happy to provide my services.” He flashed Vox a sultry grin.

Vox felt his chest thump as electricity shot between his antennas. “Ah, no! No, that’s, uh-that’s not necessary.”

“Vox!” the barista called.

Vox seized his coffee mug from the counter and blew on it. Valentino stared at Vox.

“What?” Vox asked.

“You’re going to drink that?” Valentino asked.

“Well, yeah. That’s why I bought it.”

“How?”

“With…my mouth.”

“You have a screen,” Val said, pointing.

“Oh! Well, yeah, but like, I can still…Look!” Vox turned his head at an angle and held the mug to his lips.

Valentino watched as the liquid slide into Vox’s mouth. “Huh, that’s so weird.”

Vox glared as Valentino continued, strutting off: “Though it’s not the weirdest thing I’ve seen down here. I once had a threesome with a guy that had a tentacle for a dick and some bitch with three tits going down her front like traffic lights.”

“Ah, charming,” Vox said, grimacing.

He sat down at a nearby table and Valentino seated himself across from him. Vox frowned as Val said: “But you do who you have to if you wanna make ends meet.”

Ah, hah,” Vox said, watching Valentino stir his tea. “As much as I’d love to help, I’m really not interested in anything you have to offer.” He glanced at the front door, hoping to see Alastor.

“If you insist, papito,” Valentino said. “But just so you know, you’ll be missing out.” He chuckled and struck a pose, lifting his top two arms over his head and using the bottom two to caress his thighs as he jutted his legs out, accentuating their length.

Vox sneered, unable to wrench his eyes away from the arch in Valentino’s back. “You seem to take pride in your work. But I can’t imagine you want to spend the rest of your afterlife as a lowly whore.”

Valentino scoffed. “Of course not. I hate when people to tell me what to do. This was just to get my bearings. I plan to do what I did in human life.”

“Which was?”

“Kill my pimp and take over in his place!” Valentino said, gleefully. He sipped his tea, delicate and dainty, and Vox squirmed at how adorably peaceful Val’s face looked as he drank.

Vox turned away, glancing at the front door. When he didn’t see Alastor, he asked: “How long have you been in Hell?”

“About a year. Why?” Valentino asked, setting down his cup.

“It’s just…if you kill someone down here, they just regenerate. Killing your pimp isn’t going to get rid of him permanently. He’ll just come back and seize his position of power again.”

Valentino blinked, then shrank. “Oh.” He looked down at his cup. “I…didn’t think about that…”

Vox watched Valentino’s crestfallen face and fidgeted with the edge of his notebook. “I mean, obviously it’ll take a while to regenerate…you know, there’s an Extermination coming up. You know about the Exterminations, right?”

Valentino shuddered. “Yeah.”

“Well, if you kill your pimp, preferably while he’s asleep, you can take his corpse outside and leave it for the Angels to find and finish off for good!”

Valentino looked up, eyes growing wide with awe.

“You’ll have to prop him up on a bench or something, that way he’s in plain sight and the Angels will think he’s still alive. I assume those bloodthirsty monsters will attack anything in sight but just to be safe, you’ll want them to think he’s alive, just sleeping. So, prop him up in a position that gives the impression he’s napping. Maybe throw some sunglasses on him.”

“He wears sunglasses all the time!” Valentino said, eyes still huge.

“Perfect! There, you’re all set! Just try to do it the night before the Extermination to avoid suspicion. You can play it off like he went out the night before and just never came back.”

Valentino beamed. “Yeah. Yeah, that could work!” The sweetness in his face dissolved into something sinister as he stroked his chin. “You’re awfully smart.”

Vox smiled. “Heh, thank you.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, eyes landing on the front door.

Valentino leaned in. “Looking for someone?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I was supposed to meet a friend here over an hour ago, but he seems to be running late,” Vox said, checking his watch.

Valentino chuckled. “Your date flake out on you?”

BZZT! “He’s not my date! He’s a guy, and I don’t swing that way.”

Valentino smirked. “Keep telling yourself that.” He sipped his tea as Vox seethed.

“We’re not meeting for a date. We’re meeting to discuss how I can become an Overlord!”

“A what?” Valentino asked.

“You know, Overlords! The Tog Dogs, the Head Honchos?” Vox asked. Valentino stared at him, tilting his head, and Vox continued: “Sinners can amass power through owning souls. You gotta have something to offer them though.” He picked up the notebook. “My friend’s a very powerful and influential Overlord so he was going to help me find the best sales pitch.”

Valentino took the notebook out of Vox’s hand and opened it. “There’s nothing here…”

“Because I have no ideas yet.”

“You really can’t think of anything? What kind of stuff would make you sell your soul to someone?” Valentino asked.

Vox huffed. “I would never be stupid enough to sell my soul to anyone. I’m trying to get in the mindset of a Sinner, but I just can’t.”

Valentino raised an eyebrow. “You’re literally in Hell. You’re already a Sinner.”

Vox froze. A wave of guilt washed over him. He stamped his feet into the ground and groaned. “I dunno what to offer people in Hell! At least when I was alive, people were acting according to what would get them into Heaven, but all people have to look forward to down here is potential Extermination."

Valentino scoffed. “You’re focusing too much on needs instead of wants. The only goal anyone should have in life is enjoying themselves.”

Vox stared. “You think I should encourage them give into temptation?”

“Why not? They’re already in Hell!” Valentino said. He dropped the notebook on the table. “Everyone down here has a vice, why not lean into that? Drugs, violence, sex.”

Vox sneered. “Sell sex?”

“Yeah! People would love that! Do you know how many horny fucks I’ve banged just this month? These shoes didn’t pay for themselves, baby.” He stretched out one of his legs, pointing his toe to accentuate his stiletto boots.

Vox twitched. “Unlike you, I’m not really interesting in becoming a pimp.”

“Then don’t become a pimp. Just sell porn!”

“Porn!?” Vox asked, voice becoming distorted.

“Sure! You could hire models to pose for magazines. Ooh! OR you could hire actors and film it! It would fit with your whole TV head thing,” Valentino said, playfully plucking at Vox’s antenna.

Vox reared his head back and swiped at Valentino’s hand. “You think I should ask people to sell me their souls just to have sex on camera.”

“Yeah! There are so many desperate degenerates in this shit hole, they’d be flocking to you for a job. Especially if it means they can get their rocks off,” Valentino said, flashing Vox a devious, winning smile.

Vox’s glare slowly melted away. He tapped his chin, thoughtfully. “That…might actually work.”

“Of course, it’ll work. You’ll see. Perverts will be flooding to sell you their souls in no time,” Valentino said. “I could even help you find talent for your films.”

Vox snorted. “Are you referring to yourself?”

“Are you offering?” Valentino asked, ruffling the fluff around his neck.

“I thought your goal was to become a pimp.”

“I can do both! I’m a very good multitasker, and I’ve been told I give an excellent performance.” Valentino sprawled out on the table, lying on his back and arching it as he spread his legs. “Oh, yes, papi! Deeper!”

Vox bristled, frantically looking around before shooing Valentino off the table. “Ah! Okay, yeah! I believe you. Don’t do that here.”

Valentino laughed as he slid back onto his chair. “This is Hell, baby. You don’t have to be so fussed about what anyone thinks of you. Sure, they might have opinions, but who cares? They’re down here too, what right do they have to judge?”

He took Vox’s hand and Vox stared, realizing that Valentino was holding it in the same way a gentleman would hold a lady’s hand if he were about to kiss it.

Vox cleared his throat and pulled his hand back. “Auh…yes, well…IF I decide to do the porn thing, I’ll let you know, Mister…uh?”

“Valentino.” His voice flowed soft and seductive.

Vox felt a trembling in his groin as he was locked into Valentino’s sultry gaze. “Valentino,” he repeated, nearly breathless. He jutted out his hand. “I’m Vox.”

Valentino smiled and shook Vox’s hand. “Vox.” He noticed Vox’s watch and tilted his wrist to read it. “I should get back to work.”

“It’s a bit early to be working the streets, isn’t it?” Vox asked as Valentino stood up.

“It’s always a good time to fuck, Voxxy,” Valentino said, matter of factly.

Vox sneered at the nickname and Valentino snickered. As Valentino walked towards the exit, Vox said: “Well, good luck with becoming a pimp, Valentino.”

Valentino paused, looked back, and gave an earnest smile. “Good luck becoming an Overlord, Vox.”

Vox watched Valentino’s cape sway around his ankles as he strolled out the door. Once Valentino disappeared around the corner, Vox leaned back in his chair and drank his coffee. When he finished the last drop, Vox checked the front door again. With no sign of Alastor, Vox grumpily stood and left with his notebook in hand. He rounded the corner, nearing the bus stop, when he noticed Alastor.

“He-hey!” Vox called.

“Oh! Hello, Vox,” Alastor said, with his signature grin.

“Where were you!? I was waiting for over an hour!”

“My sincerest apologies, Vox, but I ran into an old friend from my Earthly life who just wound up down here. We were catching up and I was helping him adjust.”

“Hah, well, lucky for him! You’re so helpful,” Vox said, crossing his arms.

“Oh, don’t be like that, old pal. If it had been any other newcomer, you know I would’ve left them to rot and joined you immediately,” Alastor said.

Vox softened. “Right. So…do you wanna go over some ideas now?”

“Unfortunately, I have a very important meeting with the Queen of Hell that I don’t think I’ll be able to worm my way out of,” Alastor said.

“Is this about broadcasting another of her performances?” Vox asked.

“I would assume so,” Alastor said.

“So, when can we meet to talk about this?” Vox asked.

“How about this weekend at your place?” Alastor asked.

“My place? Oh, yeah! Okay,” Vox said.

“I’ll see you Saturday afternoon, then,” Alastor said, striding off.

“Yeah, okay! Cool! See you then,” Vox said, waving as Alastor disappeared around the corner.

The next evening, Vox walked home with his hands in his pocket, musing over what he could discuss with Alastor. He thought back to what Valentino had said, about making porn. It sounded heathenous, like the kind of thing his parents would whip him for engaging with, but in Hell, would it even matter? His thoughts were interrupted as a door flew open and Valentino stumbled out of it.

“I’ve fucking HAD IT with your shit Val! You fucking WHORE!!!” boomed a voice from inside. “After everything I’ve provided you with, you have the NERVE TO TRY AND KILL ME!?”

Valentino shrank, forcing a smile. “In my defense, I thought you were napping.” He shrieked and ducked as a suitcase sailed towards his head. Clothes and lingerie flew out the door and Val desperately tried to catch them.

“Fuck off, Val! You’re FIRED!!!” the voice screamed.

Valentino glared at the door, snarling. “You can fire me all you want, but one day I’ll really kill you and take your place!”

Shots fired out the door and Valentino leapt out of the way as they hit the concrete. The gun flew out the door and clonked Val on the head.

“You’re too stupid to accomplish anything! Killing your pimp in life was a fluke. Have fun on the streets, you bitch,” the voice spat before slamming the door.

Valentino growled, but his features melted the moment the clock tower chimed. He whirled around, seeing there were 15 hours left before the Extermination.

“W-WAIT!” Valentino rushed to the door. “What about the Extermination!?”

“Should’ve thought of that before you tried to kill me!”

“PLEASE! Don’t leave me out here! I’ll be good, I promise!” Valentino said, eyes brimming with tears.

“You’ve had enough chances to prove it. You’ll never be good, Valentino. You deserve to have an Angelic spear run through that withered husk you call a heart.”

Valentino’s expression snapped from hurt to anger on a dime and he violently scratched at the door. “¡Maldito cabrón! ¡Cómo te atreves! ¡No me conoces!”

“IF YOU DON’T STOP THAT I’M USING THE RIFFLE!!!” the voice inside shouted.

Valentino ceased, trembling. He stepped back from the door as the bell stopped chiming. Falling to his knees, he stared at the clothes strewn across the street. He pulled his suitcase towards him. His lip quivered as he grabbed his clothes and started throwing them into his suitcase.

Vox watched him, frowning. He cast his gaze to the sidewalk across the street, then back at Valentino. Slowly, he approached.

“Uh, hey.”

Valentino gasped, eyes wide at the sight of Vox.

Vox fidgeted before saying: “You, uh, want some help?”

Valentino stared, clutching a lacey top to his chest. He looked at the ground and nodded. Vox knelt down and began folding a nearby shirt but decided it didn’t matter once he noticed Valentino tossing clothes into the suitcase. Vox chucked in the half-folded shirt then grabbed a pair of pants.

“Look, uhm, I have a pretty comfortable couch back at my place. It’s probably not long enough to accommodate your height but, Hey! It beats being out in the open during an Extermination!” Vox said.

Valentino paused. He looked at Vox with wide eyes and Vox writhed at the softness of Val’s features.

“That’d be nice,” Val said softly, unable to stop himself from smiling.

Vox led Valentino back to his apartment. Valentino leaned over to get through the front door, but the ceilings were high enough that his head didn’t hit it, though his antennas grazed it. Vox’s couch was up against the right wall; a gaudy blue fabric with a tacky design of tan squares all over it. Valentino grimaced.

“It’s not the nicest looking thing, but it was the cheapest one I could find,” Vox said.

“I suppose it’ll do,” Valentino said.

“Just lemme know if you need anything,” Vox said, going to lock the front door.

“Okay,” Valentino said, laying on the couch and stretching out. His wrists and ankles hung over the arms of the couch. He watched Vox wander towards the kitchen. “Hey, Vox?”

Vox turned around, Valentino was sitting up and staring at him with those big, red eyes. “Thanks.”

Vox felt his heart thump and he gripped his chest. “No problem, Valentino.”

Valentino laughed. “You can call me Val.”

Vox nodded. “No problem, Val.”

Valentino smiled and curled up on the couch. Vox watched him for a while, tracing the outline of Val’s body with his eyes before he shuddered and walked away.

The bell tower clanged as Extermination Day began. Vox ushered Valentino into his bathroom after checking that all the doors and windows were closed and locked. The bathroom was big enough for them both to squeeze inside and Vox closed the door behind them. He pulled back the shower curtain to reveal several boxes of cereal, granola bars, and candy bags in the bathtub along with two bottles of whiskey. Valentino was curled into a fetal position by the sink. Vox grabbed the drinks and sat down next to him.

“It’s always scariest the first time, but so long as you’ve got someplace to go and people to be with, it’s not so bad,” Vox said, handing Valentino his bottle.

There was a loud scream from outside. Valentino yelped and seized Vox with all four arms. BZZT! Vox’s facial features went fuzzy as Valentino pulled his head closer to his chest.

“It’s good to talk to take your mind off it,” Vox said, patting Valentino’s arm.

“Okay…” Valentino said, voice small.

Vox wriggled out of Valentino’s grasp, and Val responded by grasping one of Vox’s hands. Vox’s face turned to SMPTE color bars and he had to violently shake his head to get his face back to normal. “So, Val. Tell me about yourself. Where are you from on Earth?”

“Puerto Rico,” Valentino said, staring at the ceiling.

“Hmm,” Vox said, looking at their hands. “You live there your whole life?”

“No.”

“Where’d you kill your pimp?”

“Texas.”

“Is that where you died?”

“Uh, huh.” Valentino withered as he heard another scream. His features looked soft, Vox thought, and far more fragile than he’d seemed when Vox first met him.

Vox coughed into his fist and said: “You know, I was thinking…remember the conversation we had at the coffee shop? About what I could sell people as an Overlord, and you suggested…porn?”

Valentino was snapped out of his haunted trance and his head whipped around to face Vox.

“Well, I thought about it and…I think I might actually try it out. You know, selling movies of people fucking,” Vox said, flatly.

A smirk appeared on Valentino’s lips. “This is a roundabout way of asking to bang, but I’m open.”

Vox felt his cock twitch and reared back. “WHOA! NO! No! That’s not what I’m asking! I’ll produce the films, not star in them.”

“Hmm, what a shame. You’re not the most attractive demon I’ve seen down here, but I wouldn’t kick you out of bed,” Valentino said.

Vox glowered.

“Regardless, you should still do it.  Like I said, you’ll be loaded,” Valentino said, rubbing his fingers together. “You just need to stop being so uptight so you can understand what those skanks really wanna see.”

Vox realized that Valentino was no longer reacting to the screams outside anymore and chuckled. “I’m guessing you have ideas.”

“Of course! I have imagination and experience,” Valentino said, swiveling his body in a way that he could stretch his leg up and rest it against the wall in front of him.

Vox gazed at Valentino’s calf before shaking his head. “Maybe you could help me with film concepts.”

“Only if you’re paying,” Valentino said, resting a hand on his hip.

Vox smirked. “Why don’t we be business partners? You said you wanted to be a pimp. If you become an Overlord, you’d have more power and control than any pimp in Hell.”

Valentino stared, wide eyed, then a sinister grin crept across his face. He rubbed his chin as he glanced at the door. “I wouldn’t mind that. Especially if it means seeing the look on my pimp’s face when I make it big.”

“Exactly! Show that bastard what you’re made of. He’ll be sorry he ever threw you out,” Vox said.

Valentino smiled, earnest and devious. He turned to Vox and thrust out his hand: “Alright, I’m in!”

Vox grabbed Valentino’s hand and they shook on it as a poor Sinner’s body banged against the roof.

They spent the rest of Extermination brainstorming ideas. Vox was tempted to reign in Valentino’s more depraved concepts, but Valentino insisted that it’s what the Sinners wanted. “I would know, after all,” he crooned. Vox grimaced but conceded. As they continued their discussion, Vox couldn’t help but notice how earnestly excited Valentino seemed. He would frantically sketch ideas out in Vox’s journal and Vox was awed at Val’s artistic skills. The two became so engrossed in what they were working on together they didn’t even notice when the Extermination final stopped.

Saturday morning, Vox paced around the kitchen, muttering what he was going to say when Alastor arrived. Valentino strode into the kitchen, wearing a red coat with white and black stripped fur trim and heeled boots. He poured himself a cup of coffee and watched Vox fidgeting.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” Valentino asked.

Vox stopped dead in his tracks. “I just don’t know how Alastor will react. He doesn’t strike me as the horny type.”

“We’re not selling him porn, we’re convincing him that other Sinners will buy porn,” Valentino said, stirring cream into his brew.

Vox sighed. “Right.” He looked at Valentino, noticing that he wasn’t wearing his hat. “Oh!”

“What?” Valentino asked, stopping mid stir.

“You’re…I thought those were feathers in your hat but they’re sticking out of your head,” Vox said, pointing.

Valentino snickered. “They’re antennas. I’m a moth.”

Vox blinked. “If you’re a moth, wear are your wings?”

“They’re right here,” Valentino said, parting his coat down the middle. His coat flared out and Vox realized his coat WAS his wings.

Vox gaped. Valentino’s wings stretched out, revealing dark crimson hearts covering his blood red wings. Vox’s eyes trailed along the zebra striped fur that lined the wing’s edges. “Wow,” Vox breathed, a smile creeping up his face. His smile fell when his eyes landed on Valentino’s body. “Whoa! FUCK! YOU’RE NAKED!”

“Yeah, it was a little stuffy in here. I needed to air out,” Valentino said, stretching his arms as Vox turned away and shielded his eyes from Valentino’s erection.

“Val, put some clothes on!”

“What’s the problem? It’s not like you’ve never seen a penis before?” Valentino said, resting his hands on his hip while one hand held out his coffee. His wings drooped and hung behind him like a cape.

“Just because I’ve seen mine doesn’t mean I wanna look any anyone elses!”

Valentino scoffed. “You’re so uptight, Vox. Are you really that homophobic or are you just jealous you don’t look this good?” He strutted to the table, set down his mug, and posed suggestively.

Vox glanced at Valentino’s slender figure, trembling at the sight of Val’s leg sliding against the inside of his opposite thigh. Vox squeezed his legs together and turned away. “Look, just make sure you’re dressed for when Alastor gets here.”

“Ugh, fine,” Valentino said. He swiped up his mug and strode into the living room. Vox turned around, watching Valentino’s wings sway behind him, revealing the curve of his ass. Vox bit his lip and snarled.

Alastor arrived a few hours later. Vox greeted him at the door, a little too eagerly: “HEY! Alastor, glad you could make it.”

“Good to see you too, Vox. I hope you’ve been doing we-” Alastor paused in the doorway. He noticed Valentino, now wearing a hat and a red suit, sitting on the couch with his legs crossed. “I didn’t realize you had company. Am I interrupting something?”

“Oh! No, this is Valentino! I met him while I was waiting for you at the coffee shop. He and I got talking and we came up with some…uh…ideas for what I could sell as an Overlord,” Vox said, forcing a smile and wringing his hands.

“I see! Is there any other reason he’s here?” Alastor asked, raising an eyebrow.

“He just…needed a place to stay. Long story,” Vox said.

“Hmm, it’s nice to meet you, Valentino,” Alastor said, extending a hand.

Valentino took Alastor’s hand and smiled. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

He bent down and licked the back of Alastor’s hand. Alastor recoiled, yanking his hand away. Vox rushed behind Alastor and grasped his shoulders.

“WHOA, OKAY! Ah, sorry about him. He’s very…forward.”

“I can see that,” Alastor said, wiping the back of his hand on his coat.

“Heh, let’s just…go in here.” Vox ushered Alastor into the kitchen, Valentino following behind. Vox pulled out a chair for Alastor to sit. Valentino sat in the seat next to him, and Alastor quickly shuffled to the next seat over.

“Why don’t we get started?” Alastor asked, sitting down.

“Right! Yeah…” Vox sat in between Alastor and Valentino. He took a deep breath to steady himself and opened his notebook:

“Initially I struggled to find a sales pitch for the Sinners of Hell. Obviously, I couldn’t use the idea of giving Sinners salvation like I did in life but, really, once you’re dead, what are you really looking forward to other than an Exorcist blade? After talking with Valentino, I realized that the only thing Sinners have left is to indulge in their depravity. After all, they wound up in Hell because they gave into their lowest impulses. And since Valentino has made a living down here catering to those impulses, it’s safe to say that they’d do anything to continue in their heathenous ways.”

Alastor raised an eyebrow and glanced incredulously at Valentino. “What exactly is your line of work?”

Valentino smirked. “I fuck people for money.”

Alastor grimaced. “Charming.”

Vox guffawed, shaking. “AHA! YEAH! And Val’s made a lot of money off of it, so clearly it’s what the people want!”

“I see. So you’re going to rope in Sinners by running a brothel?” Alastor asked.

“We’re going to make porn,” Valentino said.

“Porn?” Alastor sneered.

“Yeah! People love to watch other people gettin’ freak-eh!” Valentino said, making a jerk off gesture.

Alastor scowled, though his smile never faltered. He straightened his back and looked past Valentino’s shoulder. “You really think people will sell their souls in exchange for pornography?”

“They’re not selling their souls for the porn. They’re selling their souls to make the porn,” Valentino said, matter-of-factly.

“Oh! You mean actors?” Alastor asked.

“Of course!” Valentino said. “Somebody needs to fill all those holes.”

“He means roles!” Vox said.

“That too,” Valentino said. “Plus, people to work behind the scenes. They get a chance to do the fucking and watch the fucking happen in front of them.”

“I see,” Alastor said, nodding.

Vox smiled, finally feeling a sense of hope, until Valentino continued: “We could also hire people to write the scripts for each film. I’ve already come up with plenty of ideas.” He swiped the notebook off the table and opened it to his lewd drawings.

Alastor bristled and turned away from the offending art. Vox snatched the notebook out of Valentino’s hands. “VAL!” he cried, voice distorting.

“Vox, could I speak with you in private, please?” Alastor asked, standing up and walking to the other end of the kitchen.

Valentino and Vox exchanged worried glances and Vox followed. “Uh, what’s up?” Vox asked, fidgeting.

“You know, Vox, I’ve always admired your unwavering determination to achieve your goals,” Alastor said.

BZZZT! “You have?”

“Yes. That’s why I can’t wrap my head around why you would want to work with someone like that,” Alastor said, glancing at Valentino who had snatched up a pen and started doodling in Vox’s notebook.

Vox watched Valentino, biting his lip at the adorably determined look on Val’s face as he drew. “Look, I know Valentino’s a bit…much, but he’s just as driven as I am. And he’s got a point; Sinners love depravity, and we could make a gold mine off their need to indulge in their lowest impulses. Obviously, I could never get into the headspace of a degenerate. And you don’t strike me as the type to engage in salacious activities…”

“You’re right. I’m not,” Alastor said, flatly.

“Exactly! Which is why I need him to help create my new empire,” Vox said.

Alastor’s smile twisted; not quite a frown but not a happy grin.

Vox’s face fell. “Come on, Alastor. This could really work.”

“Hmm…” Alastor looked back at Valentino lifting the notebook to admire his drawing of an octopus orgy. “I suppose you’re right.”

Vox perked up. “Yeah!?”

“This whole thing may not be to my taste, but you have a point. Sinners do love depravity,” Alastor said, still glaring at Valentino who was now sketching something else.

“So it’s a good idea!? We have your blessing!” Vox said.

Alastor chuckled. “Oh, Vox. You don’t need my blessing. But since you think so highly of my opinion, I’ll be happy to give it to you anyway.”

“YES! Thank you!” Vox launched himself at Alastor and threw his arms around him.

Alastor bristled, tensing up. “Don’t touch me.”

“Right! Sorry.” Vox jumped off him and backed away.

Alastor adjusted his coat and strode past the table right as Valentino turned the notebook to face him. “Do you like it, ciervo?”

Alastor sneered at the drawing of a deer ejaculating on a broken-down television set. “I’ll leave you two to your work,” he called back to Vox as he exited the kitchen.

Valentino returned to his art: “He seems fun.”

“Did you hear that!? He thinks we can do it!” Vox said.

“Why does it matter what he thinks?” Valentino asked.

“He’s one of the most powerful Overlords in Hell! If he thinks we can do it, that means it’s bound to work!” Vox said.

“Hmm.” Valentino never looked up from his drawing.

“Now all we need to do is get this thing started,” Vox said, rubbing his hands together mischievously.

They agreed that Valentino would ask some of the hookers he used to work with to come be the actors and Vox would seek out a studio and crew members at his own job. The next day, they both returned empty handed. Vox’s boss was not won over by the promise of killer ratings, claiming he was unwilling to cater to ‘those kinds of Sinners’. Valentino’s old pimp had made him a social pariah after kicking him out, so his ex-coworkers rejected him.

“We’ll have to go about this another way,” Vox said.

“How?” Valentino asked, dejected.

“By pulling up our bootstraps and making money for our own studio,” Vox said. “I saw an old building for sale on my way home that could work.”

Valentino frowned. “I saw a Help Wanted ad for pole dancers I could look into.”

“Perfect! Maybe some of the sluts at that job would be interested,” Vox said.

Valentino hummed, smirking. “Maybe.”

By the next week, Valentino was hired to dance at a nearby club. Vox continued working at the news station, often coming home disgruntled and furious at his boss for constantly asking if he’d made the money for his ‘degenerate passion project’ yet. After one particularly hard day, Valentino asked Vox to come watch him perform at the club. Vox insisted he was only going for the booze, but really, he wanted to see what Valentino could do.

Vox sat at one of the tables closest to the stage and nearly choked on his drink when Val walked out. He was dressed in a glittery red bustier and black lace panties with crimson garters attached to thigh high black boots. Vox’s jaw hung open as Valentino took to the pole; gyrating and spinning gracefully. Dollar bills flew at him from every direction and Val soaked in the praise. Vox yanked at his collar as his antenna’s sparked. He averted his gaze just before Valentino turned to face him.

On the way home, Vox played it cool: “You’re very talented. With a performance that good, we’ll have the money to buy our studio in no time.”

“I sure hope so. My new boss is leagues better than my pimp was, but he’s still so touchy feely,” Valentino said, wiggling his hands like they were coated in muck.

“Hm.” Vox unlocked the front door to their apartment and they stepped inside. “Well, thanks for inviting me out.”

“Of course,” Valentino said in his sultry way. “Feel free to come by anytime, papi.”

“Uh, maybe. Goodnight.”

“’Night.”

Valentino flopped onto the couch as Vox head to his room. Vox paused before he turned the corner, staring at Valentino’s body strewn across the couch, watching his chest rise and fall before writhing around to get comfortable. Shaking his head and squeezing his thighs together, Vox shuffled into his room.

That night, he was plagued with thoughts of Valentino’s dancing. Memories of the way the light caught Valentino’s features sent Vox into a frenzy. He dreamt of crawling onto the stage to seize Valentino by the waist and rip his panties off. He scratched and bit and licked Valentino’s body, claiming it for himself, and Valentino moaned and cried out Vox’s name. Vox awoke with a start as his alarm clock blared. He slammed his hand down to shut it up as he stared at his boner peaking up from beneath his bedsheet.

He wanted Valentino’s body, needed it. But he couldn’t tell Valentino that, the asshole would never let him live it down. Vox wanted to touch him, claim him, but he would have to settle for simply looking.

Later that week, he called Valentino into his office; a second bedroom in his apartment he turned into an office when he first moved in. He told Valentino he wanted to go over something before he met with Alastor the next day. It seemed like a reasonable excuse.

“What exactly are we going over?” Valentino asked as Vox locked the door and drew the blinds as closed as he could without leaving them in complete darkness. 

“It’s about the whole…uhm…porn situation,” Vox said, putting one hand behind his back as the other one tugged at his collar.

“What about it?” Valentino asked, watching Vox sit down on one of the chairs.

“I was just thinking, after watching your performance, there are plenty of Sinners who would do anything to get their hands on your body,” Vox said.

Valentino raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Vox gulped, averting his gaze. “And I was thinking, perhaps we could start off by shooting footage of you in…uh…unsavory positions.”

Valentino smirked. “Is that so?”

“Yes. But, seeing as it’s porn, it would make far more sense to shoot you…unclothed,” Vox said, closing his eyes and pressing his palms together, doing his best to look thoughtful.

“Makes sense,” Valentino said, grinning. Vox opened his eyes enough to catch Val’s smile and nearly melted on the spot.

“Uh…” Vox’s voice distorted, and he coughed into his fist. “Uh-of course, I don’t actually know what you look like…in the nude, so I thought I’d bring you in here to make sure your body is up to the right standards of Hell’s denizens.”

“Oh, it is, baby. How do you think I snagged so many customers in the first place?” Valentino asked, brimming with pride.

“Right, well…it would just give me peace of mind to see for myself,” Vox said, closing his eyes again and trying to put on an air of professionalism.

“Hmm, well, if it would give you peace of mind,” Valentino said with a wry grin.                    

Vox held his breath, bracing himself as Valentino slowly, sensually, unbuttoned his blouse and slid it off his arms. Vox’s heart pounded at the sight of Valentino’s bare chest, and he pressed his lips together. Valentino smiled as he tossed his blouse to the side and stared at Vox as he unbuckled his belt. Vox shifted in his chair, thighs trembling. He used one hand to grip the arm of the chair while the other hand curled into a fist over his mouth. His eyes zeroed in on Valentino’s crotch as the whore unbuttoned his pants. Valentino tilted his body just enough for his wings to drape in front of his legs as he slid his pants down. Vox dug his heels into the floor, getting impatient, but he couldn’t let Valentino see how desperate he was so he ground himself into the chair cushion as Valentino stood. Val held his pants and folded them right in front of his crotch, eyeing Vox with a sadistic smile. Vox stared at Val’s crotch, waiting for him to move his pants out of the way. When he didn’t, Vox glanced up at Valentino whose features softened before he casually tossed his pants to the side, revealing his erect cock.

“Oh,” Vox said, staring at it. His legs spread involuntarily, and his own boner stretched through his pants. “Oh…OH! FUCK!” He squeezed his legs together as static erupted around his face.

Valentino cackled. “You know, if you wanted to have sex, you could’ve just asked.”

Vox froze. “I…” he looked around the room, wondering if he should run. “I like…WOMEN, Val,” he finally insisted.

Valentino shrugged. “So do I, but I like men too.”

Vox rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, you’re…you,” he said with a dismissive hand wave. “But I…I mean, I don’t…I shouldn’t…not that I want to, BECAUSE I DON’T. It’s just that…I…”

Valentino watched him stammer, eyebrow raised, before finally saying: “Lemme guess, strict parents? Controlling. Conservative. They were Christian, right?”

Vox turned his gaze to the side. “Catholic.”

Valentino shuddered. “Oof, even worse. But look at it this way, babe, your parents aren’t here to tell you what to do! And even if they were, you’re like, what, sixty-three?”

“I’m only fifty-two!” Vox snapped.

“Point is, you’re old enough to make your own decisions. You can do whatever you want,” Valentino said, placing his hands on the arms of Vox’s chair and leering over him. “Or who ever you want.”

Vox stared at Valentino’s naked body, close enough to see the veins underneath his skin. His eyes landed on Valentino’s cock, still erect, and Vox swallowed. “I…I mean…wh-where am I even supposed to put it?!”

Valentino chuckled. “I’ll show you.” He smiled softly and held out a hand for Vox to take.

Vox hesitated for a moment, then took Val’s hand. Valentino lifted him out of his seat and lead him away from it. Laying down on the floor, Valentino dropped his head near Vox’s desk and lifted his hips so his asshole was visible. Vox’s cock twitched and red drool dripped out of his mouth.

“Don’t worry about lube, I’m already loose and wet enough,” Valentino said, grinning.

Vox scoffed. “Of course, you are.” He stared, desperate to launch himself at Valentino and devour him whole. Shaking his head, Vox decided to maintain some level of composure and began unbuckling his belt. He slid his pants off and Valentino gasped at the size of Vox’s dick.

Vox laughed. “You like it?”

“Uh huh,” Valentino said, looking faint.

Vox smirked. He was used to that reaction with his previous partners. It made him feel powerful, strong, and the fact that he could still top Valentino meant he didn’t have to sacrifice his masculinity to sleep with a man. Then again, Valentino was fairly androgynous and often wore dresses, so Vox felt a little more justified in fucking him…as long as he ignored Valentino’s throbbing length.

Grabbing Valentino’s legs, Vox lowered himself to Valentino’s hole. He brushed the tip of his cock against Val’s entrance. “Oh,” he breathed, pulling away.

“Relax,” Valentino said. “It’s nothing you haven’t done before, it’s just a different hole then you’re used to.”

Vox frowned, glancing down. He lined himself up with Val’s entrance, closed his eyes, and thrust inside.

“OH!” Valentino threw his head back as Vox shot through him.

Vox gasped, feeling Valentino engulf him. He gripped Valentino’s thighs and began thrusting in and out. Valentino moaned and rolled his hips. Vox bit his lip, pressing deeper and harder and relishing in the depraved sounds coming out of Val’s mouth. Body trembling, Vox bottomed out and collapsed on top of Valentino as he continued thrusting. Valentino gyrated against him and the two worked up a rhythm. Vox growled, snarled, and dug his claws into Valentino’s waist.

“OH, YES! ¡AY! ¡Dios mio! AAOOOH!”

Vox pressed his stomach against Val’s, feeling Valentino’s leaking cock seeping through his button up shirt. He continued thrusting, panting like a dog, and the tip of his tongue grazed Valentino’s chest. Thoughtlessly, he lapped at Valentino’s sweat, and Valentino whined and screamed. “AAOOOH, YES!!!”

Vox bit down on Valentino’s shoulder and Valentino’s top set of hands shot up to wrap around Vox’s shoulders. “¡Dios mío! ¡Eres increíble, papito! ¡Qué rico! ¡OH!”

Vox didn’t understand what Val was saying and he didn’t care. All he cared about was making Val cum and cumming inside him. Breathing raggedly, Vox thrust harder, faster, deeper, and Valentino howled and shrieked, clawing at Vox’s back and making Vox feel himself ready to climax. Vox’s mind went blank and he saw stars as he came. “OH!” Valentino gasped and came shortly after, his cum splattering all over his and Vox’s chest.

They collapsed, breathing heavy, and Vox began to laugh. “Oh my God,” he said, hearing Valentino laugh faintly underneath him. “Oh my God.” He lifted his head to look at Valentino’s glowing, smiling face. “Oh my God.” He brought a shaky hand to Valentino’s head and wiped away some of his sweat, barely registering that Valentino looked surprised he did that. “Oh my God…” He could feel Valentino’s cock go limp underneath him and the wet from his sweat and cum was sticking to Vox’s stomach. “Oh my…God…!” He looked down at the man…the man he’d just fucked. His pecs, not breasts, were still heaving from the intensity of what Vox had just done to him. “Oh my God! Oh my GOD!!!”

Vox leapt back, yanking his cock out of Valentino, and stumbled away from him.  Valentino squeaked as Vox pulled out and away. “V-Vox!?”

“Oh my God, oh my God, OH MY GOD!!!” Vox scrambled against one of his chairs, curling into himself and squeezing his legs together. “Oh God. Oh God, Oh my God!”

Valentino watched Vox as he curled up and trembled. “Uh…you know, for your first time with a man, I thought you did a good job!”

Snapping out of his panic attack, Vox stared at Valentino with wide, horrified eyes. Valentino’s smile fell and he sunk into the fluff around his neck.

Vox wrapped one arm around his legs and clutched his head with his other hand. “Is this why I’m in Hell?”

Valentino’s eyes went wide.

Vox swallowed. “Because I feel…because I want…be-because I like…” He covered his mouth, shaking, on the verge of tears.

Valentino’s face softened. He scooted over to Vox, watching him whimper, and said: “I think you’re in Hell because you started a cult.”

Vox looked up, eyes still welling with tears.

“And I’m probably in Hell for killing my pimp,” Valentino said, proudly.

Vox stared, mouth agape. Valentino’s bravado deflated and he looked away. “Besides, even if that was why we were in Hell, that’s stupid. Being eternally punished for what? Having feelings? For wanting love? That isn’t fair.”

Vox watched Valentino’s features twist in pain and fury. The sun seeping through the blinds illuminated Valentino’s face in a dim halo of light. He was gorgeous, and he was right. It wasn’t fair. Of all the crimes he commited on Earth, Vox couldn’t fathom being attracted to men as the most damnable one.

Valentino sighed, face still twisted in anguish, and Vox reached out to cup Val’s cheek. It broke Valentino out of his thoughts and his red eyes grew wide. Vox stared; Val looked adorable with his eyes big and round and his lips slightly apart. Pulling Valentino’s face down, Vox pressed his lips into Valentino’s. Valentino made a surprised noise, but quickly closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. Vox grabbed both sides of Val’s face and Valentino’s upper hands slid over Vox’s shoulders. They pulled apart for a moment, staring at each other. Vox wanted to say something, but opted for something else:

“Can we…do that again?”

Valentino smiled, wide-eyed and earnest. “Yes.”

Vox pushed Valentino onto his back and Valentino giggled, reaching all his arms out to grab Vox and pull him close. They spent the rest of the afternoon fucking on the office floor. Every round was better than the last and Vox found himself becoming more desperate and adventerous each time. Considering his vast experience, Valentino had plenty of suggestions, and Vox was more than happy to try each of them out. By nightfall, Vox was sure he knew every nook and cranny of Valentino’s body better than his own apartment. His lips were pressed deep into Valentino’s when an alarm went off in the other room. Valentino’s lips slowly pulled away from Vox’s and he pouted.

“I have work…”

Vox panted. “Right…” He pushed himself up. Both of them were covered in sweat, cum, scratches, and bite marks. “A-are you gonna be okay to go to work like this?”

Valentino chuckled. “I can hose off real quick. It’ll be fine.”

Vox pushed himself back to let Valentino stand. As he waltzed toward the door, Vox said: “I’ll see you when you get back.”

Valentino paused, turning to look at Vox. He smiled: “Yeah.”

Vox smiled in return. Valentino hid his blush behind his fluff and scurried into the bathroom. Vox shook his head and went into his room to change.

Alastor had been invited to come over the next morning. It had been a few months since he’d given his blessing and he’d been too busy with other things to check in.

“My apologies again, old pal. Lilith’s concerts have become more frequent and I’ve had to juggle broadcasting those with my more burdensome souls,” Alastor said, following Vox into his office.

“No worries. I’m sure you’re busy,” Vox said, closing the door.

“As I’m sure you are,” Alastor said. “You said you and your…partner are workng over time.”

“Yes! We’re trying to get enough money to buy a studio,” Vox said.

“Wonderful! And how is that-?” Alastor stopped dead in his tracks.

Vox paused, mortified, when he realized what stopped Alastor. Dried cum from his previous night with Valentino covered the carpet, and Alastor’s shadow recoiled, retreating under Alastor’s feet.

Vox dared to look up at Alastor’s scowl. “Practicing for your movies, are you?” Alastor asked.

“I-…” Vox stammered. Eyes darting around the room, he caught a glimpse of the sunlight through the blinds and thought back to what Valentino had said last night. “Y-you know, there’s nothing wrong with it! Sex I mean…especially with a man. I mean, of all the horrible things I’ve done to wind up down here, I really don’t think it’s that big a deal! And, b-besides, I’m a grown ass man! I can do whatever I want, o-or WHO ever I want! You know?!”

Alastor stared at him like he’d grown a second head. Vox sunk into his shoulders, shocked by his own boldness, before Alastor said: “Vox, I couldn’t care less about your sexual escapades with Valentino. All I ask is that if you’re unable to keep your loins from leaking all over that shameless display, you keep your activities in the bedroom where they belong.” He waved his staff around Vox’s ‘staff’ and gave a toothy grin.

Vox blinked, face glitching. “Yeah, sure,” he said, small.

“Now then,” Alastor said, disipating into shadow and reappearing fully formed on the chair on the other side of the room. “Why don’t you tell me how things are going financially?”

“Right! Yeah, okay…” Vox fumbled, rushing to sit behind his desk.

Once the initial embarasment had subsided, Vox made it a habit of banging Valentino any chance he had (in the bedroom of course). They’d fuck the morning after breakfast, they’d fuck when Vox was on his lunchbreak, they’d fuck when they were done with work. Sometimes, Vox would visit Valentino at his job and they’d screw each others brains out in the backroom.

Writhing ontop of (or occassionally underneath) Valentino’s body was alwas exilerating, but Vox equally enjoyed just spending time with Val. They’d visit the aquarium where Vox would infodump about the sharks and Valentino listened while sketching the sealife. In the evenings on their days off, they snuggled up on the couch to watch movies together. Sometimes they’d just sit and chat about their day and all the stupid people they’d encountered or get drunk and bitch about how shitty their parents were.

Everything about Valentino made Vox’s heart flutter: his face, his body, his voice, his laugh. He had a twisted sense of humor that Vox enjoyed, he was talented, and had a perspective on the world Vox had never enocuntered in his time on Earth.

Nothing was perfect though; Valentino could be flighty and unfocused. Worse over, he had a temper. He could control himself if he needed to, Vox had once seen his boss at the club berate him for blowing up at a customer and Valentino quickly changed his tune from then on (though not without oozing contempt), but once he got home he let his rage get the better of him.

One night he got so angry he started throwing any piece of kitchenware he could get his hands on. Vox had tried to stop him, only for a mug to smash right through his screen. Thankfully, Valentino noticed what had happened and quickly called an ambulance. The hospital had replaced Vox’s head with the latest model and Valentino sheepishly came into his room holding a boquet of flowers as an apology.

“You’re not, like, mad, right?” Valentino asked with a pleading grin.

Vox smiled and beckoned Valentino forward with his finger. Valentino leaned over, only for Vox to seize his fluff and send an electrical current through Val’s body. Val yelped, fur standing on end, as Vox said: “You’re paying for the surgery.”

“Eh, heh. Right. Yeah, I’ll go do that right now,” Valentino said, leaving the flowers on the bed and rushing out of the room while whipping out his wallet. Vox looked down at the flowers and admired them, wondering where he would put them.

While Valentino may have regretted his actions, he never learned how to quell his temper and Vox didn’t have the patience to try to help him with that, though he did learn to stay out of the line of fire.

“You’re really willing to put up with this kind of behavior?” Alastor asked over tea one day.

“It’s fine. I dealt with worse in my childhood,” Vox said, waving his hand. “Besides, I can handle him.”

Alastor’s smile crinkled, as though he was trying to frown. “My mother used to say the same thing after her husband struck her across the face and made her bleed.”

Vox grimaced. “Him breaking my screen was an accident and he hasn’t done it since. He never hits me anyway.”

Bristling, Alastor said: “But he does wreck everything in your house.”

“I’ve put locks on all the important things. Now when he throws a tantrum, he winds up ruining his own stuff and I just leave him alone in the wreckage until he’s calmed down,” Vox said, with a chuckle.

“Hmm…” Alastor glanced to the side.

Vox sighed. “Look, I appreciate your concern but this isn’t like what happened with your parents. Valentino may be a pain, but he’s weaker than he lets on. I’m sure that’s why he’s so petulant. He wants to feel in control of things when he isn’t.”

“The same could be said of my mother’s husband,” Alastor said, grimly.

“Alastor, this isn’t like your parents! Relax! I can handle myself! I’m not weak!” Vox snapped.

Alastor’s body straightened in his chair. Static buzzed as Alastor’s eyes turned into radio dials and his antlers began to sprout. “What are you implying about my mother?”

Vox withered and immediately sank in his chair. “Ah, nothing! No-I-I wasn’t trying to disrespect your mother! I’m sure she was a very strong woman to have endured what she did! I was just trying to reassure you that I’ll be okay!”

Alastor’s neck had begun to grow longer and higher, jutting towards Vox and making him shrink even more. Slowly, Alastor’s eyes returned to normal and his body retracted to it’s usual proportions. “Good to know.”

Clutching his heart, Vox slowed his breathing before letting out a strangled: “Yeah…”

As the months went by, Valentino’s outbursts began to subside. They began accumilating more money and the promise of their own business seemed closer than ever before. The less Valentino had to worry about being under someone else’s thumb, the less prone to fits of rage he was.

On the night they finally made enough money to buy the studio space, they celebrated by raw dogging each other into Vox’s mattress. Vox nearly collapsed on top of Valentino, panting and shaking as he watched a sweating Valentino catch his breath. The light from the lap made his sweat glisten and his serene face made Vox feel even more dizzy.

“You’re beautiful…” he breathed.

Valentino sighed. “I know.”

Vox blinked, then burst into laughter.

Valentino glared. “What?”

Vox’s chuckling slowed and he rested his head on his hand. “You’re so humble.”

“You’re the one who said it, babe,” Valentino said with a smile.

Vox hummed and used his free hand to cup Valentino’s cheek. Valentino closed his eyes and tilted his face into Vox’s palm. Vox stared, feeling the weight and heat of Valentino’s cheek in his hand. Val’s antenna twitched and he nuzzled into Vox, looking too precious for words. Vox gazed down at the beautiful, messy creature beneath him and whispered: “Val.”

Valentino’s eyes fluttered open, and he turned to face upward: “Vox?”

“Uh…” They locked eyes, and Vox felt even more naked than he already was. The earnestness on Valentino’s face was too much to bear and Vox sputtered: “Uh…i-it’s getting late. We should probably go to sleep.”

Valentino’s face fell. “Right…” He rose from the bed and swung his legs over the edge. “Well, good night.”

“Uh, where are you going?” Vox asked.

“To the couch,” Valentino said, leaning over to grab his clothes.

Vox blinked, watching the moonlight illuminate Valentino’s silhouette. “Uh…you don’t have to sleep on the couch, y’know? You can stay here. I mean, it’s probably more comfortable to sleep on a bed anyway.”

Valentino’s eyes went wide. “Oh…okay.” He hesitantly crawled back under the covers and Vox pulled the blanket over Val’s shoulders. Val’s eyes were huge, and as Vox reached over to turn off the light, he could faintly see Val blush.

Vox settled under the covers and said: “Goodnight, Val.”

“Goodnight, Vox,” Valentino said, eyes still big.

Vox closed his eyes before the urge to kiss Valentino won over. He slept peacefully and as he awoke, he realized Valentino’s hand was now resting over his own.

They finally had their studio! The space was paid for, and to commemorate it, they took a picture inside the building. Alastor had, begrudgingly, agreed to photograph them and insisted they not do anything dirty in the picture, so they simply shook hands as business partners.

Valentino had convinced a few of his co-workers to act in the films, and Vox had schmoozed some of his own co-workers into helping with the technical side of things. Once their new employees had signed the contracts, Vox had convinced Alastor to let him and Valentino join an Overlord meeting. Valentino had been called into work the night of the meeting, so Vox went on his own.

“Glad you could make it, Vox. I was worried you might run off with your ‘business’ partner and be late,” Alastor said as the elevator ascended.

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss my first Overlord meeting for anything, not even Valentino,” Vox said.

“Good to know,” Alastor said.

The elevator opened and Vox gaped at the Overlords as they filed into the conference room. He frantically adjusted his suit as he followed Alastor to the table.

Carmilla Carmine stood at the front of the table, her Angelic en-pointe shoes gleaming in the florescent lights. “Thank you all for coming. We have much to discuss in the way of protecting our contracted souls from Extermination.”

Vox fidgeted, glancing around the room. Every Overlord in the room had an air of imposing confidence to them. No one there seemed nervous, and if they were they didn’t show it. Vox shifted his eyes to Alastor, who sat tall and steadfast, attentive to what Carmilla was saying. Vox tried to mimic Alastor’s bravado but was distracted by a smirk from across the table. A tuxedo cat with large red wings wearing  a black suit with golden pinstripes was staring at him with piercing, golden eyes. Vox felt pinned to the spot as the cat watched him, sipping whiskey and sitting in his chair like he owned the joint. Vox sat up straighter in his chair and focused on Carmilla.

“Anyone with ideas, please feel free to speak up,” Carmilla said.

The cat Overlord was about to speak, but Vox cleared his throat and put on his most winning smile. “I think if we’re to protect our employees from Extermination, we should focus on gathering them into a safe room the night before. I know Rosie has her cellar. Perhaps you all could create safe spaces for your souls to file into for the Exterminations.”

Everyone turned and stared at Vox. “I’m sorry, who are you?” Carmilla asked.

Vox felt his heart sink, suddenly feeling everyone’s eyes on him. Alastor laughed good-heartedly (though it sounded forced) and said: “My apologies, Carmilla. I forgot to inform you he was coming. Everyone, this is Vox. You might recognize him from the daily news.”

“Ah, yes. You’ll have to forgive me, I tend to be busy working while I have the TV on, so I wouldn’t immediately know your face,” Carmilla said.

“Ah, no. It’s fine,” Vox said, yanking at his collar.

“Vox has just recently procured some souls along with his…business partner, Valentino. He wanted to sit in on an Overlord meeting, so I brought him along,” Alastor continued.

“I see. Well, welcome to the fold, Vox,” Carmilla said, drolly.

“Thank you, my dear,” Vox said, giving a slight bow. “And while I have your attention…” He stood up, clasping his hands together with a wide grin, and Alastor’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “May I just say it is an honor to join your ranks. After all, the power and influence you all have is aspirational.”

Alastor covered his face, mortified, as everyone stared at Vox with matching half lidded glares. The cat Overlord across the table scoffed: “Kiss ass…”

Vox snapped his attention to the cat. “Excuse me?”

The cat swirled his glass of whiskey and took a swig before answering: “You already amassed souls, kid, you don’t gotta suck up to us. Just keep a good grip on the souls you have and rope in more suckers.”

Vox sneered. “I’m sorry, and you are?”

“Name’s Husker,” the cat said, adjusting in his seat and setting his feet up on the table. “I run the casino next to Cannibal Town.”

“Ah. You must be new, I’ve never heard of you,” Vox said.

Alastor bristled.

“Been an Overlord for almost a year now,” Husker said, crossing his arms. His multiple rings glistened in the light. “Maybe you just haven’t been paying attention.”

Vox seethed, but regained composure and flashed a smile. “Forgive me, I’ve been busy trying to create a viable business and rope in souls. You know how much time and energy that takes.”

“I became an Overlord only a month after winding up down here,” Husker said, his own golden teeth glinting menacingly and making Vox shrivel instantly.

“Wh-ho-how did you do that?!”

“Stayed focused and persevered,” Husker said, grabbing his drink.

“Bu-I did the same thing!!!”

“And how long did it take for that to pay off?” Husker asked, his long red eyebrow shooting up. Vox withered. “I’ve seen you on the news, Vox. You strike me as unfocused and inconsistent. I’ve gotten whiplash from how fast you bounce between news stories. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were too busy focusing on other things that you lost track of your ultimate goals.”

Vox’s jaw dropped, idling at the bottom of his screen before electricity crackled and snapped around his head. “Hey, shut up! You don’t know me!!!”

“Are you sure? I’m good at reading people,” Husker said, his low voice graveling as he smiled.

Electricity sparked all over Vox, causing the lights in the room to flicker. “You smug SON OF A-!!!” he started, voice distorting, when Alastor clapped his hand over Vox’s screen.

“AHA! I’m so sorry, Husker!” Alastor said, wrapping his free arm around Vox and pulling him in close. “Vox hasn’t been feeling well lately. I tried to get him to stay home but he just wouldn’t listen.”

“What?!” Vox asked, speakers muffled by Alastor’s hair.

“Perhaps you should take him home, Alastor. We’ll fill you in on what you missed at a later time,” Carmilla said, waving her giant hand.

“Of course,” Alastor said, giving a slight bow, and strongarming Vox out of the room. Once they were in the hallway, Alastor released Vox from his grasp.

“What the fuck, Alastor!? Why didn’t you stand up for me back there!?” Vox asked.

“Stand up for you?” Alastor asked, seeming insulted by the mere thought. “Why would I stand up for you when you were embarrassing me?”

“Embarassing you!?” Vox snapped.

“Yes! I helped you in your journey to becoming an Overlord and brought you to this meeting, and you repay me by arguing with one of my friends!”

“Friend!? That jackass is one of your friends!?”

“One of my oldest, actually. I knew him in life,” Alastor said, glaring at Vox.

Vox blinked, piecing things together. “That was the guy you ditched me for when we were supposed to talk about my business plans!!!”

“I didn’t ditch you, Vox, I was helping him adjust to being in Hell.”

“And then you helped him become an Overlord, didn’t you?!” Vox asked, buzzing with static.

“I didn’t give him any more assistance than I gave you.”

“Then how did he become an Overlord so damn fast!!?”

“Because he didn’t get caught up in distractions.”

“What distractions!?”

“You know who.”

Vox reared back like he’d been slapped. “Wait, you think I’ve been distracted by Valentino?! Val helped me figure out what my business would even be! He helped me raise money for our studio! He helped me employ souls!”

“And he helps keep you warm at night?” Alastor asked with a condescending grin.

Vox twitched. “I thought you said you didn’t have a problem with us sleeping together!”

“I don’t care if you have a relationship with Valentino, Vox. I didn’t even care if you became an Overlord or not and it’s no skin off my back if your business fails. All I ask is that if you’re going to associate with me and my colleagues, that you keep your petulant grievances to yourself.”

Vox stood still, shocked. Alastor inhaled sharply through his nose and twisted his body around while his head still faced Vox. “Figure out where your priorities lie.” His head wheeled around and he strode back into the meeting.

The empty hallway was deathly silent and it took Vox a moment to will his legs to move. As the elevator descended, Vox thought back to all the times he’d put Valentino over his work. The amount of times they ran off to have sex, the amount of money Vox had spent to replace things that Valentino had broken. Valentino wasn’t even at the meeting right now. Sure, he’d been called in by his boss, but Vox knew it was really because Val couldn’t pass up an opportunity to grind on some rando…someone other than Vox!

Val wasn’t home when Vox returned. Vox marched straight to his office and began pouring over the studio plans, expenses, budgets. He was busy sorting things into manilla folders when Valentino waltzed in.

“Hey, babe. How’d the meeting go?”

“Fine,” Vox said, not looking up from his work.

“How were they? Were they creepy like Alastor?” Valentino asked, traipsing over to Vox’s desk.

“They were…imposing,” Vox said, shuffling some papers around.

Valentino frowned. “You look tense.”

“I’m busy,” Vox said, flat and stern.

“Hmm. Why don’t you take a break and relax?” Valentino asked, sliding his hand over Vox’s.

Vox yanked his hand away and glared. Val was wearing the cream-colored frilly blouse Vox liked and tight-fitting black pants that showed his erection. Vox flexed his fingers at the sight before shaking his head. “I don’t need to relax, I need to organize things before we start filming.”

“Ugh. You can do that later,” Valentino said. “Come on, baby, you work too much.”

“Really!? I feel like I haven’t worked enough,” Vox said.

“Trust me, you’re obsessed. All this stress isn’t good for you.” Valentino wiped his arm across the desk, shoving Vox’s work to the side. Vox sneered as his paper piles mixed together and Valentino crawled onto the desk. Val spread his legs and draped them over Vox’s shoulders as he said: “Come on, papito. Why don’t you get this crap off your desk and have a little fun?”

Vox’s antennas fizzled furiously, but simmered down as he smiled. “You’re right, Val.” He scooped his hands under Val’s ass and Valentino chuckled. Vox lifted Valentino up and turned to the side. “I do need to get this crap off my desk!”

He flung Valentino onto the floor and Val landed with a hard thud. Valentino stared with giant eyes as Vox sat back down and resumed his work.

“What the fuck, Vox!? What was that for!?!” Valentino snapped. Vox thought he heard a tinge of hurt in Valentino’s voice but ignored it.

“I have a business to run, Val. I can’t keep entertaining your every whim.”

“My every what!?”

“You’re near constant horniness, your petulant outbursts. If you wanna do the bare minimum for this business, fine, but the least you could do is stay out of my way and let me work,” Vox said, trying to re-sort his papers.

Valentino’s breathing was getting heavy and ragged. He rose from the floor and said: “Hey, I care about this business too!”

“Then maybe stop being an annoying little bitch and act like it,” Vox said, false sincerity dripping off of every word.

Valentino growled, the fur around his neck standing on end. “What makes you think you can treat me like this?!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Vox saw Valentino lifting his arm, ready to strike. Vox snatched Val’s wrist before it could make contact and grabbed his neck fur with his free hand. He pulled Valentino’s face down to meet his and screamed: “WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN TREAT ME LIKE THIS?! Don’t forget who’s roof you’re living under, Val. If it weren’t for me, you’d be a rotting corpse on the side of the road with an Excorcist blade through your heart. I saved your fucking life, and if this is how you’re gonna keep repaying me, I could so easily tie you to a lamppost during the next Extermination and let you die!”

Valentino’s eyes grew so wide Vox could see creases forming around them. He could feel the moth shaking in his hands and he released his grip. “Look, we’ll compromise. I’ll do all the hard work for our company, and you can focus strictly on creating the visuals. In the mean time, if you need to get your rocks off, just find some pathetic degenerate on the street and get them to fuck you. That’s what you’re good at, right?”

He sat and returned to his work before he could see Valentino’s reaction, but he could guess based on Val’s tone of voice: “You’re right, Vox. That is what I’m good at!”

Vox sighed as Valentino marched to the door. The door slammed so hard it rattled the picture frames and caused one to fall to the ground. Vox groaned and bellowed: “You are a FUCKING CHILD!”

The front door slammed and something on the wall fell. Vox growled, then stedied himself. “No, you know what! It’s fine! Now I can work in peace.” He returned to his work, but his mind wandered to the hurt in Valentino’s voice. Vox nearly crinkled an important bank document trying to avoid the thought. Valentino wasn’t hurt, he couldn’t have been. He didn’t feel anything except arousal. He was just mad that Vox wouldn’t fuck him. Vox didn’t hurt his feelings…

Valentino didn’t return the next morning…

Or the morning after…

Or the morning after that.

“You don’t need him, Vox,” Alastor said during lunch. “He gave you the ideas and the employees. All you really need is to put it all together. And if you’re worried about someone to sleep with, you have enough charisma to reel someone else in.”

“I guess,” Vox said, rubbing the back of his hand.

The week was almost over and Valentino still hadn’t returned. The bed felt cold and empty without him there. Vox had taken to staying up late, waiting for Val to come home, only to be shaking from sleep deprevation as the sun came up. Finally, Vox couldn’t wait anymore. He downed a mug of coffee and was about to call the police when he heard the front door unlock.

“VAL?!”

“Hey, Vox!”

“VAL!” Vox couldn’t hide the relief in his voice. He ran out of the kitchen and cried: “OH THANK GOD! Val, where were you?! I was worried si-!”

His jubilation depleted the moment he saw the tall, scrawny, white thing standing next to Val. “Uh…”

“Vox, this is Anthony. I met him the other night while I was out,” Valentino said, stroking his hands down Anthony’s arms.

Vox stared, taking in Anthony’s lanky form and shimmery pink dress that still had the pricetag on it. “Nice to meet ya,” Anthony said, smiling and extending his hand. Vox stared at it and Anthony began to shrink.

“Is, uh, this who you’ve been with the whole time?” Vox asked.

“He was running away from his shitty family and I was just trying to help him out. Show him a good time, help him get out of his own way,” Valentino said, extending Anthony’s arm out and rubbing his face along it as he used his free hands to stroke down Anthony’s back.

“Oh, Val,” Anthony said, turning bright pink. His lower set of arms dropped the shopping bags he’d been holding and he and Val wrapped all their arms around each other as they kissed.

BZZZZZZT!!! Vox vibrated violently and cried: “OKAY! I see! This is one of your clients. Glad you two had a good time, now why don’t you send him home?”

“That’s the thing,” Val said, moving away from Anthony who was clawing desperately at the frilly lapels of Valentino’s crimon red blouse. “Anthony doesn’t have a home. So I thought I’d bring him here.”

Vox felt his whole body spasm with electrical currents as Anthony started to crawl up Valentino’s body. “Well, if he has no home, where have you two been staying this whole time?”

Anthony’s stupidly long legs were wrapped around Valentino’s waist and Val was craddling him with all four arms. “We were staying at a hotel, but they kicked us out for being to rowdy.” He nuzzled into Anthony’s weird stupid honkable nose and they giggled together.

Vox felt his circuits overheating. He took a deep breath to steady himself. “Val, could I speak with you for a second…alone.”

Valentino set Anthony down on the floor. The fluffy white tramp looked worried as Valentino strode over to Vox. “Yes?” Valentino asked, leaning down to Vox’s level.

“Why did you bring that whore here?” Vox hissed.

“I told you, he ran away from his family and he needs a place to stay,” Valentino said, plainly.

“You couldn’t have just helped him rent a place?” Vox asked. “From all those clothes you bought it seems like you had the money to spare.”

“He was lonely,” Valentino said, voice dripping with pity. “And besides, he needs me. I’ve been helping him come out of his shell. I just want to make sure he’s safe and happy.”

Vox gritted his teeth and forced a smile. “You’re so generous.”

“Mm, I learned it from you,” Valentino said, lifting Vox’s chin with one finger. Vox glowered at Valentino as he smirked and flicked the underside of Vox’s chin before struting back over to Anthony.

“Is everything okay?” Anthony asked.

“It’s all fine, babe,” Valentino said. “I told you, Vox is a bit uptight but he’s malleable.”

“So I can stay!?” Anthony asked, beaming and bouncing on his toes.

“Sure can, baby,” Valentino said, and Anthony leapt into his arms. They started furiously making out and Vox stormed into his room, slamming the door shut. He stared at the side of the bed Valentino had slept on and started furiously punching the pillow before burying his face in it and screaming.

Anthony was so fucking annoying!!! His stupid long limbs, his floppy white mop of hair, his mismatched eyes, his Obnoxious. Fucking. VOICE! He sounded like the squeaky toy version of a New York Italian goose. His voice was even worse when he was high, which he was often since Valentino always had to buy him to best quality drugs. The worst part of Anthony’s highs, however, were when he’d start hallucinating and pick fights with people who weren’t there. Vox insisted that Val stop indulging the brat’s addiction, hoping it would cease his late night screaming matches with a lamp. Valentino would always defend Anthony, claiming he had a right to numb the pain and express himself.

The two lanky bastards were all over each other, every morning, every night. They fucked around on the couch and never cleaned up afterwards. Vox considered throwing the couch out and getting a new one, but opted for buying the apartment above their new studio instead.

“This way we’ll always be close to work and you two can keep your business in a bedroom where it belongs,” Vox said.

When they moved in, Val and Anthony spent the whole night banging each other. Vox could hear them down the hall in his king size bed, burying his face in the pillow that should’ve belonged to Val. Thankfully, they started filming shortly after and Vox had convinced Val not to let Anthony into the studio.

“We don’t need him distracting you.”

“Ugh, fine,” Valentino said.

The first few movies they made were a mild success. The actors were hot, but they didn’t have star power. Vox and Val had already quit their other jobs to start this business and they were barely scraping by to keep their studio and apartment. Vox seriously considered telling Valentino that the two of them should record a sex tape and sell that, but he didn’t need anyone thinking he was in love with Val or jealous of his relationship with Anthony…because he wasn’t!

Then one day, Anthony had weaseled his way into one of the film shoots and the next thing Vox knew, Valentino had hired him and recorded a movie starring him!

“YOU WHAT!?” Vox screamed, nearly frying a plant on his window with his electrical currents.

“He’s hot! Just wait until you see the tapes,” Valentino said, leaning back in the office chair.

Vox bared his teeth. “Are you so obsessed with Anthony that you let that brat be in your movies!?”

“His stage name is Angel Dust,” Valentino said, using all four arms to do jazz hands. “And besides, he wanted to do it.”

“And you just let him?”

“I had him audition.”

“Val, just because you like to fuck him doesn’t mean…!”

“We need money, Vox,” Valentino said, leaning forward. “Whether you like it or not, Angel Dust is sexy and alluring and people are gonna love him. Trust me.”

Vox twitched at Valentino’s smile, desperate to knock his teeth out. “This better work.”

It did…!

For some reason Vox couldn’t wrap his mind around, Angel Dust’s movies were a success. People came to see his movies in droves and the videos they sold made them even more back. Vox begrudingly conceded that Val was right and the moth was a smug bastard about it for the rest of the year.

The more money Angel made them, the more Valentino doted on him. They fucked longer and harder and Vox had taken to peeping through their keyhole to watch them and jerk off. If Valentino wouldn’t fuck him, this would have to suffice.

Not that he needed Valentino to fuck him. He could have anyone! He even found some hookers to bang on occasion and brought them home for Valentino to see. He could tell Valentino was annoyed, but Val would just grab Angel and pull him into their room. Vox would rawdog the hookers, listening to Valentino’s squeals and shrieks from the other room and letting it overwhelm him. Everytime he called out Valentino’s name during sex, he’d hyponize the hookers so they’d forget it ever happened.

Fucking strangers was a bandaid solution, but two years of not having Valentino was starting to drive him mad. One night, after bringing Angel home from the hospital after a particularly bad drug trip, Vox confronted Valentino in the kitchen.

“This is getting out of hand, Val.”

Valentino groaned. “Look, he was having a bad week and he overdosed…”

“You can’t keep defending him, Val! This is a consistent problem!”

“Why do you hate Angel so much?” Valentino asked, leaning on the kitchen counter.

“Oh, gee! I wonder why!? Maybe it’s his constant drug binges and the damage he does when he’s high! On top of his obnoxious voice and shitty jokes. I mean, my GOD! What is it you all like about him!?”

“He’s sexy. What’s not to like?”Valentino said, casually, shrugging.

“You’ve got plenty of sexy employees, Val,” Vox said, accidentally pointing to himself. “Why not sleep with any of them?”

“I sleep with my other employees,” Valentino said, folding his arms.

“But none of them live with you,” Vox said, striding forward. “You don’t buy them expensive gifts or make them your star!”

Valentino examined his nails. “If I didn’t know any better, Vox, I’d say you were jealous.”

BZZZT! “Jealous!? Of what?”

“Of Angel.” Valentino looked up to grin at Vox.

“Why would I be jealous of that crack whore? I can’t think of a single thing he has that I would want.”

“Besides me,” Valentino said, his golden tooth gleaming from his wicked grin.

BZZZZZZT! Vox felt his legs wobble. With an unconvincing scoff, he asked: “What makes you think I want you?”

“Well,” Valentino said, sauntering towards Vox. “You hate the guy I’m sleeping with despite him making us a shitload of money, you spend all your time sleeping with prostitutes who are about my height, and every time you sleep with them, I hear you calling out my name.” Valentino finished by backing Vox into a table. He rested his palms on the table top and Vox was trapped.

Vox felt his heart pounding in his chest and his cock get hard as he noticed Valentino’s nipples peaking out of his open shirt. Vox swallowed hard and said: “I think you’re just hearing what you want to hear.”

“Am I?” Valentino asked.

“Yes,” Vox said, standing up straight and startling Valentino back. “You’re the one who stormed off after we had a fight and spent a week hooking up with the first skank you came across and now you parade him around here because you’re trying to get me to break and want you back.” He stepped forward and Valentino backed up. “But I don’t want you back, Val. I don’t need you. I can get whatever and whoever I want. And you’ll be stuck with your itsy bitsy spider and all the other lowly whores who will never give you what you really crave.”

Valentino stared at him, eyes wide and furious. Then he grinned. “Oh, Vox. I get more than I could ever crave with Angel. He’s a much better lay than you ever were.”

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT! Blue lightning crackled around Vox’s hand. He swiped it along Valentino’s groin and sliced his belt. He used his other hand to grab the buckle and yank the belt out of it’s loops, causing Val’s pants to slip a little. “Get on the floor,” he demanded.

Valentino’s eyes grew and an earnest smile spread across his face. “Vox!”

“Shut up!” Vox snapped. “You don’t talk until I tell you to.”

Valentino bit his lip and chuckled.

“Don’t make a sound,” Vox said. “Just turn around and get on your knees.”

Valentino obeyed. Vox seized Valentino’s top set of arms and used Val’s belt to tied his wrists together. He removed his own belt to secure Val’s lower arms.

“Bend over,” Vox said, low and danger.

Valentino almost moaned but squeezed his lips together as he rested his head on a nerby chair. Vox pulled his and Valentino’s pants down. He stared at Valentino’s bare ass, his own cock fully erect, and grazed his hands over Valentino’s hips. He shuddered at the feeling of Val’s skin. After stroking Valentino’s thighs, Vox gripped them tight and entered. He hissed, slipping in easily as Val was (predictably) already wet.

“OH!” He moaned, and he dug his claws into Valentino’s thighs when the moth started to respond too.

It was embarassing how much Vox missed feeling Valentino around his dick. He rolled his hips, feeling around, and Valentino writhed and kicked his feet. Vox chuckled; Valentino pathetically thrashing underneath him, unable to vocalize anything, gave Vox a sick satisfaction. As much as Valentino loved to manipulate everyone around him, Vox could at least take solice that he could still have control over Valentino.

Vox bottomed out and dropped onto of Valentino’s back, pulsating quicker and deeper. Valentino, for his part, had done a good job keeping quiet, and Vox could tell it was driving him mad. Red droll spilled out of the side of Vox’s mouth as he dragged his finger tips across Val’s wings, feeling him shudder at the touch.

“You’re such a good boy, Val. Keeping your pretty mouth shut for me,” Vox said.

Valentino muffled a sound and gripped at Vox’s shirt with his fingers. Vox cackled, relishing in Valentino’s desperation for him. “You’ve been so good. I think I can allow you to speak again.”

Before Valentino could utter a word, Vox clamped his hand over Val’s mouth. “I didn’t say you could speak now. You can speak, only if you’re going to answer my questions.”

Valentino growled against Vox’s palm and it made Vox’s circuits buzz. Vox snarled and used his free hand to grasp Valentino’s cock. As he massaged it, he asked: “Tell me, Val: Do you like that?”

He uncovered Valentino’s mouth and was met with an immediate: “Yes!” in response.

“I thought so,” Vox said, voice going ragged and distorted. He thrust and stroked and Valentino squealed. “Tell me, Val: On a scale of 1 to 10, how good does this feel?”

“Oooh, eleven!” Valentino moaned, shoving his ass into Vox’s groin and Vox howled.

“OH GOD!” They quickened their pace, frantic, sweating. Vox gripped Valentino’s shoulder with his free hand and fondled Valentino’s balls with the other as he hoarsed out: “Tell me, Val: Who fucks you the best?”

“You do!” Valentino answered immediately.

“Say it again!”

“YOU DO!”

“AGAIN!”

“YOU VOX! IT’S YOU! NO ONE BUT YOU! AAAAHHHH!!! ¡TE QUIERO, PAPITO! ¡TE HE EXTRAÑADO TANTO! ¡TE DESEO CON TANTA MIERDA!” Valentino squealed, tears forming in his eyes.

Vox had no idea what Valentino was saying but he didn’t care. He had Valentino again. It didn’t matter that Valentino was only in this for the sex, Vox had wanted this stupid bastard in his arms again and he’d do anything to keep him.

“AAAHHH!!!” They came at the same time. They collapsed, going limp over the kitchen chair. Trembling, Vox grasped at Valentino’s shoulders.

“Oh, Vox…Vox…”

Vox spread his hands over Valentino’s shoulder blades and stroked down Val’s arms. He leaned forward and kissed the back of Valentino’s head. Valentino whined, burying his face in the seat. As he listened to Val whimper, Vox felt a second wind. He squeezed Valentino’s bicep and bit his shoulder. Valentino howled in ecstacy, and Vox knew that he had won. It didn’t matter how hot Angel was, how much money he made them, he would never have Valentino the way Vox had Valentino.

Apparently, the little bitch had been watching the whole affair from the doorway. He confronted Valentino about it later and finally pissed Valentino off enough for Val to hurt him. Vox watched from the keyhole, relishing in Valentino’s hostility towards Angel. The more the brat struggled and cried, the more emboldened Vox felt. Even as Valentino fucked Angel to alivate the whore’s worry that Val “didn’t love him”, Vox knew that he was the one that really mattered to Val. Angel was a sidepiece, Vox was the one who really gave Val what he wanted.

Every opportunity that arose to put Angel in his place, Vox would take it. Any transgression, no matter how small or insignificant, Vox would makesure Angel felt like the pathetic slut he was. Whenever Angel was with Valentino, Vox would swoop in and ask Valentino if he was up for a quickie then silently laugh as Valentino pushed Angel aside to do so. Vox would always try to make out with Valentino if Angel was coming down the hallway and keep one eye open to watch him cry. The rush of power Vox got from possessing Valentino and degrading Angel was even more electrifying than anything else he gained as an Overlord…

But it wasn’t enough to stop Valentino from sleeping with Angel. Anytime Vox and Valentino got into a fight, Valentino would go back to Angel. He’d dote on him, buy him things, spend hours in the bedroom with him. Vox and Val’s fights got less frequent, or at least they didn’t last as long, but Angel was always there and Valentino always had to go on about him. Whether he was gushing over what a shining star he was, or complaining when he pissed Valentino off. After several years, Vox started to think that Valentino really did like Angel best…

“I just don’t get it,” he complained to Alastor one day. “Angel is the fucking worst! He’s annoying! He’s constantly pissing Val off! And he’s not even that sexy! What gives!?”

“From the sound of it, he makes your company a lot of money,” Alastor said, leaning back in his chair.

“That doesn’t mean he had to obsess over Angel off hours!” Vox screeched. “UGH! Sometimes, I think about fucking Angel myself to see what Val’s on about.” He cackled, eye whirring. “Maybe I could fuck him so badly that he can’t even walk, or scratch him up so bad that he gets mutilated and ugly and Val doesn’t even wanna think about his stupid horrible face again. I could electricute his holes so much that the skin inside burns off and falls out his orifices and everyone will be too disgusted to go near him ever again.”

Vox’s hysterical tirade ended the moment he saw the look of disgust on Alastor’s face. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Vox withered under Alastor’s gaze. “I-I mean, what’s the big deal? Angel deals with all sorts of fucked up sex things. Val makes him do snuff! What would it matter if I ruined him like that?”

“He’s your biggest cash-cow, the reason your business even took off, and you want to violently assalt him because you don’t like Valentino paying attention to him?” Alastor asked, his usually composed tone crackling with distain.

“Wh-are you taking Angel’s side!?”

“I don’t know Angel, and given everything I’ve heard about him I don’t care to. But I can tell your anger at him is misplaced.”

“Ugh! Look, Val wastes too much time with Angel! Besides, he’s plenty violent with him! I don’t see how I-!”

“Vox, whatever Valentino is doing with Angel is keeping your business afloat. If you harm Angel with the intent of making him unappealing, you risk losing everything you’ve worked for.”

Vox vibrated, fists shaking. He felt caught between a rock and a hard place. Not having Valentino all to himself was maddening, but losing his business would prove he was just as worthless as he always felt deep down. His rage boiled over and he screamed as electricity burst out from his every limb. Alastor dissolved into shadow, avoiding the blast, and he reappeared by the door. “I’ll leave you to clean this up.” He exited, leaving Vox in the sizzling reckage of his office.

The years that passed were maddening. Vox and Valentino’s relationship (if you could even call it that) was always on and off. Whenever it was off, all Valentino could think about was Angel Dust. Angel continued to make them obscene amounts of money, validating Alastor’s point and pissing Vox off even more.

On their off periods, Vox became even more obsessed with power. They’d risen through the ranks, nearly on par with Alastor and other well established Overlords, but they never quite made it to the top! There was an unspoken competition between Overlords to have the most souls and teritory and the few times Val and Vox could get along on their off periods was when they were trying to gain the upper hand.

They’d surpassed Husker due to his gambling addiction costing him souls. Many of his souls had been won by Valentino, not because Valentino was any good at gambling, but because Vox helped him cheat using cameras and extra cards. It was the closest thing to getting along the two of them had and Vox relished in their moments of civility as well as watching Husker’s downfall. Still, it wasn’t enough to get them at the very top.

Vox had always been taught that the best place to be was at the top. If you were at the top, you had everything. Vox knew he couldn’t have everything so long as Valentino had Angel Dust, and without Angel Dust, their empire would come crashing down, but if he could be at the top of the Overlords ranks, maybe it would fill that gaping hole in his heart that never seemed to go away.

After a particularly grusome Extermination, Vox called Alastor to come over for a chat. In the hour leading up to his arrival, Vox paced around the living room rehearsing his pitch.

“I still don’t think we need him,” Valentino said, sitting on the chaise lounge with his arms crossed.

“We made it this far because of a collaboration. We can make it even farther if we add another person,” Vox said.

Valentino blew his antennas out of his face and pouted.

There was a knock at the door and Vox frantically adjusted his suit. “How do I look?”

“You look fine, Vox. You always do,” Valentino said.

Vox took a deep breath and answered the door. Alastor stood in the doorway, smiling as always, but his expression was dark.

“Alastor. Thank you for coming.”

Alastor stepped inside without saying anything. Vox worriedly shut the door and said: “Might I say, you look extra imposing this evening.”

Alastor raised an eyebrow, still look sour. “Cut the flaterry, Vox. What do you want?”

Vox blinked, shaken by Alastor’s tone, and he clasps his hands in front of him. “Alright, Al, I’ll cut to the chase. Val and I have been doing well for ourselves but we know we could always do better. Be greater! We’ve created a thriving enterprise off of the porn films we’ve made, but it’s only the beginning. We’re going to concur all forms of entertainment! Everything demons and Sinners see and hear will be controlled by us! We could have power that rivals Lucifer himself!”

Alastor drummed his fingers on his staff.

“I know what you’re thinking, its ambitious. But where would we be in life if not for ambitious people defeating all odds. Look at you? You’ve managed to take down powerful Overlords and become one of the most feared and respected creatures on all of Hell!”

“And what does this have to do with your enterprise?” Alastor asked.

“I was thinking, it could be our enterprise,” Vox said, flashing a smile while Valentino sulked behind him.

“Our?” Alastor asked.

“Think about it, Al. You’ve worked on your own for decades, and you’ve accomplished much, but can you even imagine what you could accomplish with an elite team by your side?” Vox asked, raising his fists in the air. Alastor stared at him. “Now before you say anything, I would never ask you to work for us, I know how you like to have control. I’m only asking that you work with us. Help us usher in a new era of progress and inovation! A world where you’d have even more power and influence than before, with your most worthy allies at your side. The most powerful Overlords in all of Hell, Alastor and the Vees!” Vox’s screen displayed an image of Alastor standing with Vox and Valentino on either side of him, standing high above the denizens of Hell and relishing in their obidience.

Valentino slumped in his seat and Alastor stared at Vox’s screen as it returned to his usual face. “So what do you say, Al? Wanna join the team?” He reached out his hand while flashing a winning grin.

Alastor’s eyes locked on Vox’s hand, noticing the slight twitch in his fingers. The expression on Alastor’s face remained neutral for a moment, before twisting into a scowl: “No.”

Vox’s face fell. “What?”

Valentino sat up.

“I would never join your team, Vox. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am and I’m not going to let an alliance with you squander that,” Alastor said, his shadow creeping up along the wall behind him with an equally disgusted look.

Vox stared, mouth agape, unable to think. “What the-Al, what are you talking about!?” He looked around and noticed Valentino sitting up and watching. Vox turned back to Alastor and leaned in: “You’re not worried about Valentino, are you? ‘Cause you said yourself, he’s helped this business take off and-!”

“This isn’t about Valentino, Vox, this is about you,” Alastor said, eyes narrowing.

“Me?!”

“You know, when I first met you, I really believed you were someone who knew how to control yourself and the people around you. But as the years go by, you reveal yourself more and more to be a spineless, pathetic little man who lets his emotions get the better of him.”

Vox stepped back, mortified. “What?” he asked, breathless.

Valentino stood.

“You cast aside input from others when it doesn’t suit your ego, lash out at anyone who challenges your beliefs, you’re constantly losing focus of your priorities, and you’re willing to risk everything you worked for over petty grievances,” Alastor said, glancing back at Valentino.

“Wh-what the fuck, Al!? Why didn’t you say something!?” Vox asked, body shaking.

“I’ve been telling you what I think, Vox. You have been unwilling to listen or take what I say to heart. And the only reason you’re interested in an alliance now is because you can’t handle being a failure. And it’s not because you don’t have enough souls, or money, or power. It’s because deep down you’re a weak, fragile person who knows he’ll never get what he really wants out of life so you try to fill the void with hollow victories and destroy anyone who reminds you what a miserable wretch you truly are,” Alastor said, advancing on Vox and making him cower back.

Vox stared at Alastor, his longest friend in this shithole. The person he’d confided in all this time, and here he was tearing him down like every other authority figure in Vox’s life. He felt like a child again, being stared down by his disapproving parents, bracing himself for a whipping and a sermon. He wanted to run and hide, to cry in his bed, but knew that would only reinforce Alastor’s low opinion of him. Electrical currents surged through his body and crackled out of his face.

“You fucking asshole!” he spat. “You piece of shit! I thought you were my friend!” He was embarassed at the way his voice cracked on a sob.

“And I thought you were mine,” Alastor said, sounding worn. “But I’m not going to let your frivolous incompetence waste my time any longer and I certainly won’t be losing my power by joining your inevitable failure of a business.”

He turned to walk away and Vox lunged. “DON’T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, YOU-!!!”

Alastor whirled around, his antlers and body expanding until he was a drooling spindly demon, crouching over Vox. “You forget who you’re dealing with, Vo-.”

He was cut off by the sound of a gun cocking. He and Vox looked up to see Valentino holding a gun at Alastor’s head, teeth bared. Alastor sneered and cackled. “I’ll leave you and your lapdog to your work.”

Valentino pulled the trigger and Alastor disappeared before the bullet could hit him. Alastor’s shadow tripped Valentino by swiping underneath his feet. Valentino stood up and roared: “¡COBARDE! ¡No te vayas, maricón! ¡Quiero VOLARTE LOS SESUROS!”

“Val! Stop…” Vox reached out a hand. “Just…forget it.” He let his hand fall and shakily stood.

Valentino turned around, looking at where Alastor had stood, then pocketed his gun. “I always knew that guy was a prick. We’re better off without him.”

“He’s right…”

Valentino stared at Vox, who had crawled onto the chaise lounge with his head in his hands. “I’m pathetic. I always have been. That’s why I’ve been so desperate to build up this business. Why I postured myself as a man of God in life. I just…wanted to feel like I was something special. Like I could have everything and that I could achieve anything if put my mind to it but, look at me. I didn’t even get into Heaven.”

Valentino watched him, features soft.

“I tried so hard to be the best. But I’m not…and I never will b-.”

Valentino seized either side of Vox’s face and stared him dead in the eyes. “No! You listen to me, Vox. That bastard doesn’t know what he’s talking about. You are not pathetic! You’re the smartest, most driven person I’ve ever met. You built this company from the ground up. You’ve made a name for yourself and millions of dollars in the process.”

Vox blinked. He had never seen Valentino this serious. “Val, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

“And I wouldn’t even be here right now if not for you!” Valentino said, gripping Vox’s head and pulling him close. “Vox, you are not pathetic and you are not going to fail. Alastor just wants you to because he wants to be at the top! He’s trying to get into your head and make you feel small because he’s a fucking coward and he knows you can come out on top.”

Vox felt his heart thumping in his chest as Valentino leaned in so close his breath fogged up Vox’s screen. “Don’t let him get to you, Vox. He doesn’t want you to change the status quo, he wants things to stay exactly as they are so he never loses his status, but he will. And it’ll be because of you, papi. Because you’re better than him. You’re better than all of them!” Valentino blinked, shuddering a bit. “Okay?”

Vox thought he was going crazy, but he could’ve sworn he saw tears forming in Val’s eyes. He knew, deep down, Valentino was only buttering him up so he woudn’t lose his own status as an Overlord. Still, the fact that Valentino said any of this with such earnestness was enough to make Vox’s heart swell and his head spin.

“Val…” he breathed, leaning forward and snaking his arms around Valentino’s shoulders. He pressed his lips against Val’s, and Valentino used every one of his hands to caress Vox’s face and body. Vox dragged Valentino onto the chaise lounge and tore his clothes off. He was almost positive he coud hear Angel whimpering from the hallway but he didn’t care. He knew Alastor was off planning something devious to try and overthrow him, but that hardly mattered now. Right now, he had Valentino writhing underneath him, screaming his name in fervent praise and it was all Vox needed to keep going.

Years rolled by. They managed to ellude any direct action from Alastor but the rivalry to gain the upper hand waged on. The Radio Demon maintained dominance for a couple more decades until Velvette wound up in Hell. Once the social media diva joined their team, the Vees became a force to be reckoned with. They controlled entertainment, social media, marketing. They garnered reverance from all corners of the Pentagram and Alastor’s relevance in radio began to wane…

At least Vox wanted it to. Somehow the radio bastard maintained power and continued to overthrow powerful Overlords. Vox was sure that was the reason Alastor remained so powerful, stealing the souls of those he took down. He was determined to never let that happen to him or the other Vees.

It almost happened once. Seven years ago, Vox and Valentino had confronted Alastor in an alleyway right before Extermination began. They fought until the Excorcists came, and their fight became even more lethal. While they managed to evade the Angels attacks, Alastor managed to grab an Angelic axe out of a dead cannibal. Vox had grabbed his own weapon, an Angelic sword, and he left a gash in Alastor’s side. Alstor howled in pain. His shadow wrapped around his waist and he swung his axe at Vox’s head. Valentino had leapt in front, trying push Vox out of the way, and resulting in one of his antenna’s getting shorn. One of Vox’s antenna got some risidule damage, but Val took the brunt of the force.

Vox watched Valentino fall to the ground, clutching his wound. Alastor stood looming over them, weapon in hand. Vox crawled over Valentino to shield him, glaring at Alastor but too physically drained to do anything. Alastor locked eyes with Vox, pupils turning to radio dials, before dropping his weapon. He stared at Vox for a moment, then turned around.

 Vox watched Alastor walk away, shocked and confused. He still didn’t know why Alastor sparred him, but assumed it was all part of some sinister plot. He heard Valentino moan underneath him and became more concerned with getting Valentino back to Vee Tower and making sure Velvette wasn’t freaking out over their absence.

Alastor disappeared for years after that, and Vox assumed he had been killed in the Extermination. He felt a wave of relief. No more would he have to worry about gaining the upper hand against an adversary like Alastor…until he returned several months ago!

And now, Vox was sitting alone in Valentino’s room, drifting in and out of conciousness as he recalled everything they’d been through together. He wondered how Valentino was doing at the hotel. If Valentino was really going to be able to find dirt on Alastor and enable them to finally defeat him once and for all. Moreover, he wondered if he really would win back Angel’s affection. Vox grimaced as he thought about Valentino, lying in his hotel bed and touching himself to the thought of Angel Dust. Vox curled into himself and tried to erase the thought from his mind.

Valentino finished his skincare routine and shuffled back into his room. He flopped over onto his bed and did his best to get comfortable. When nothing he did seemed to work, he pulled out his phone and went to a playlist of Vox interviews on VoxTube. He tilted the phone to the side and set it down by his pillow. He turned up the brightness as Vox completed interviewing his first guest:

“That’s all for tonight folks. Thank you and Good night!” he said.

“Good night, Vox…” Valentino said, drowsily. He curled his hand around his phone and closed his eyes.

Chapter Text

The next couple of days rolled on and the hotel saw no progress with Valentino. He continued to be combative and dismissive to criticism. Lucifer bringing out his horns would often get Valentino to shut up for a while, but when Valentino saw how easily Alastor got under the Devil’s skin, his fear of Lucifer’s authority started to wane.

By the end of the week, Angel and Val needed to go to work.

“Do you want someone to go with you?” Charlie asked. “Just in case he tries anything.”

“I can go,” Vaggie said, wielding her spear with a bloodthirsty smile.

Angel furrowed his brow. The idea of someone following him around all day to protect him felt belittling. “I can handle myself.”

“You shouldn’t have to,” Vaggie said, gripping the spear.

Growling, Angel said: “I don’t want you guys breathing down my neck all day. I got enough to deal with at work! Look, you guys are sweet, and I know you mean well, but I don’t need this. I’ll be fine, alright?”

Vaggie and Charlie’s faces fell. Charlie reached out to take Angel’s shoulder. “If something happens, please call us, okay?”

The earnest look on Charlie’s face was too much to bear. Angel sighed and conceded: “Okay.”

He didn’t plan on doing it, but anything to get her to stop staring at him with that pitying look of concern.

“Angel! Let’s go!” Valentino called, tapping his foot by the hotel entrance.

Angel stood up from the barstool and trudged to the door. He walked out the door without sparing Valentino a glance, and Valentino followed.

Angel did his best to walk ahead, but Valentino caught up quickly. Angel braced himself as he heard the clack of Valentino’s heels nearing him. “You’re supposed to stay ten feet away from me, remember?”

“That’s only in the hotel. And we’re not in the hotel,” Valentino said, smug. “I can do what I want.”

Twitching, Angel said: “At the studio! But we’re not there yet.”

Valentino groaned. “You know, things between us would be a lot easier if you would just be more agreeable.”

“Really? I could say the same thing about you,” Angel said, marching ahead.

Valentino’s strides became wider as he did his best to keep pace. “If it weren’t for me, you’d be sucking dick on the side of the road.”

“Sounds preferable,” Angel said.

“If you’re gonna have that attitude about it, maybe you will! Maybe, I’ll just send you out on the street for the rest of your afterlife!”

Angel stopped in his tracks. “You’re…gonna end my contract?”

Valentino’s scowl melted away, replaced with wide eyed realization. “I was just saying I could kick you out, not that I would.”

Angel groaned and continued walking. Valentino followed a few paces behind.

The streets of Pentagram City were buzzing this morning. Valentino sprinted up to Angel and hissed: “Walk beside me.”

“Would you back off?!” Angel spat.

Valentino seized Angel’s arm. “We have a reputation, and after that little scene you caused at the club, you nearly ruined it!”

“Dunno how this makes me look bad,” Angel said, about to cross the threshold into the main street until Valentino pulled him back.

Bringing his lips so close to Angel’s face that it made Angel shudder, Valentino said: “It made you look unruly and difficult. You’re staying at a hotel trying to get people into Heaven. Little brats like you don’t get into Heaven. You don’t want people thinking the Princesa’s hotel doesn’t work, do you?”

Angel felt his stomach sink. He swallowed hard and said: “Fine. But don’t touch me. We’re still not at the studio.”

“Fine. But I’m standing this close,” Valentino said, pointing at the two-inch distance between them.

“Fine,” Angel said, finally facing him.

“Fine!” Valentino growled, leaning in.

Angel trembled, brimming with fury, and tore his face away before marching ahead.

“Try to look happy,” Valentino hissed.

Angel put on a phony grin. As he and Valentino were noticed by others, Angel said: “Wow! Sure is a nice day today, huh, Val?”

“Sure is Angelito. And I’m glad I get to be spending it with you,” Valentino said, putting all his hands behind his back and beaming with false joy.

Angel twitched and said: “Yeah. Me too. You’re the best boss anyone could ever have.”

“Aw! You flatter me,” Valentino said, pretending to be touched. “And you’re the best employee anyone could ask for. Especially these days. Looks like that redemption thing is really making you easier to be around.”

Angel maintained his horse-shit grin as people whispered and took pictures with their phones. Angel’s skin crawled, but he knew this would at least keep the Vees off his ass about ruining their approachable image. “Yeah. Guess it is.”

Vee Tower loomed over them as they approached. There were less people around, but there were a few loiterers near the tower. Angel felt his stomach gurgling, eating away at itself, in part from having not eaten breakfast, but also from realizing how close they were to being inside the studio.

“See how easy it is to be agreeable, Angel?” Valentino asked, his voice dripping with saccharine. “And now people will think that ratty hotel is actually good for something. Won’t your Princesa be proud?”

Angel balled his hands into fists, slowing his pace the closer they got to the tower entrance. “Since you’re staying there, maybe you could start acting like a decent person now.”

“Tch, I don’t have to act, baby. I can just be good if I really feel like it. In fact, I’ll do it right now.” Valentino shuffled ahead and opened the door. “Here. After you.” He gave a slight bow as he held the door open.

Angel stopped and stared. He knew the moment he walked through those doors, Valentino would unleash everything he’d been bottling up this weekend in Angel’s direction.

Valentino stared, still smiling, and he jerked his head in the direction of the entrance. “After you!” he repeated.

Angel stood near the door, folding his arms and crossing one of his legs over the other. Valentino looked at him, still smiling, though the façade started to crack. “Aren’t you gonna go in?”

“…no!” Angel said, maintaining his stance.

Valentino twitched. “We have to go to work.”

“It can wait,” Angel said.

Valentino’s nails scratched against the door’s glass. “You know, you’re not being a very agreeable employee right now.”

“Well, I’m not in the studio, so I don’t have to do what you say right now,” Angel said, casual but with a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice.

Valentino’s face pursed like he’d eaten a lemon and he whipped out his gun. “You fucking SLUT!”

Before Angel could even register the gun pointed at his head, a flash of blue light appeared and Vox pushed up Valentino’s arm: “VAL!”

The gun fired in the air and hit a flying pigeon.

“VOX! WHAT THE HELL!?” Valentino snapped as the pigeon landed with a thud.

The loiterers all gawked at the slain pigeon and Vox laughed nervously. “Aha! Yes! Thank you for that demonstration, Valentino. Our new Vox-Tech threat seeking pistols will surely come in handy for home security, don’t you think?”

Valentino glared at Angel who stood frozen in shock. Through his forced toothy grin, Valentino said: “Of course! Anything to protect the things we love.”

POW!

He blasted the gun at the pigeon, and it exploded on impact.

The surrounding people all applauded at the display and Valentino held the smoking gun with a devious grin. Angel shuffled inside as Vox and Valentino’s attention was on the audience.

“Aha! Yes, thank you, Val. We’ll continue perfecting it for you lovely people. Remember, you can Trust Us with your…everything. Goodbye!” Vox pulled Valentino inside and slammed the door behind them.

Valentino watched as Angel finished clocking in at the front desk. He was about to advance on him when Vox caught him by the arm. “Val! A word.”

Valentino glared as Angel scuffled into the studio.

“I know you’re frustrated, but you can’t let your anger get the better of you,” Vox said.

“Ugh! I know! I was trying to get him to play nice so everyone would think we’re on good terms,” Valentino said, crossing his arms.

“And are you playing nice? That’s the whole reason they’re keeping you at the hotel.”

“You know I’m not allowed to go near him at the hotel!” Valentino snapped, stamping his foot.

“You’re trying to make a good impression on the Princess and the King of Hell. They’re the key to getting Angel to want you again,” Vox said, seizing Valentino’s coat and pulling him in. He ruffled the fluff around Val’s neck and Val scoffed. “And don’t forget, you’re also there to-.”

“Yeah, spy on Alastor. I know! I’m trying my best, okay?” Valentino said.

“Well, try harder! That bastard’s up to something and we don’t need him and the goody-goodies at that hotel ruining everything we’ve worked for,” Vox said, hands behind his back.

Valentino scowled, eyes narrowing on the studio entrance.

Angel barreled past the film crew and ran straight into his dressing room. He pulled the door closed behind him, then stumbled over to his vanity to catch his breath. His head was pounding, his skin was clammy, and he felt nauseous. Looking at his haggard reflection in the mirror, he caught sight of the security camera in the corner of the room. The red light blinked, and Angel knew the second Vox was done talking to Valentino, he’d be in his office watching Angel like a hawk.

Angel remembered first meeting Vox. He had just spent the week with Valentino, fucking in a hotel room and shopping for cute clothes. After they’d been kicked out of the hotel for being too rowdy, Valentino insisted they go back to his place.

“Vox can be stuffy and uptight, but I can butter him up,” Valentino had said before they reached Vox’s old apartment.

Whatever Val said had enabled Angel to stay with them, but Angel could tell Vox didn’t like him. Every inch of his body oozed contempt and it never let up even after they moved into Vee Tower. There was something in the way Valentino and Vox interacted that made it abundantly clear that something was going on between them, but every time Angel asked, Valentino would say the same thing: “Why would I ever like that stuck up nerd. He’s nothing special. He’s just my ticket to fame and fortune.”

That was a lie. Like everything else Valentino said, that was a lie.

One night, Angel had nearly overdosed on his name-sake drug and started hallucinating his family coming into his room. He’d wiped out his tommy guns and started shooting everything in sight. Valentino had seized him from behind, screaming at him to calm down, and Angel had been rushed to the hospital to be restrained and detoxed. When he’d come home, Angel felt hollowed out. He had spent the day in his and Val’s bed, but it felt so empty without Val in it. All he wanted was to be held and taken care of. He’d shakily crawled out of the sheets and went looking for Val when he overheard him and Vox talking in the kitchen.

He heard Valentino confess to sleeping with his other employees, and Vox saying Valentino went and found Angel to get back at him after they’d gotten into a fight. The discovery was crushing, but watching Valentino enthusiastically bottoming for Vox and screaming his love and devotion for him was soul destroying. Angel clasped his hand over his mouth, clutching his chest as his heart shattered. Angel didn’t speak Spanish, but Italian was close enough to Spanish that he got the gist of was Valentino was screaming and it gutted him. Angel’s knees gave out as the happy couple climaxed, and he frantically rushed back into his bedroom. He collapsed on the bed, shrieking and crying as the smell of Valentino on the bedsheets filled his lungs. He wanted tear his skin off, break his ribcage in half, and puncture his lungs with it so the pain might seep out along with his breath. He’d always struggled with enjoying life, but now more than ever he wanted to die.

Valentino came into their room about an hour later. Angel was sitting up on the bed, still shaken.

“Hey, baby. How’re you feeling?” Valentino asked. The sympathy in his voice sounded fake, and Angel wondered if all his sympathy had been.

Angel stared at Val blankly. Valentino blinked. “Uh, hello? Angel! You okay? You’re not still high, are you?”

Angel rasped: “I saw you and Vox.”

Valentino’s face fell. “Wh-what?”

“In the kitchen. You two…you were…” He couldn’t even say it.

Valentino stuttered before throwing on a smile. “Oh, that! That was just business. Practicing for a new film idea-.”

“You said you sleep with your other employees,” Angel interrupted.

Valentino squeaked. “I need to get them in the mood for filming, babe.”

“Is that the only reason you sleep with me?” Angel asked, eyes welling with tears.

Valentino’s body spasmed, like he wanted to run but decided to stay put. “Angel, look, it’s different with you. Those are just employees, but you’re my favorite! That’s why you live with me, why we share a bed together-.”

“Vox said you’re using me to get back at him for a fight…” Angel said, voice hoarse as tears streamed down his face.

Valentino looked caught between fear and rage. “O-Okay, so maybe I found you after I had a fight with Vox, but so what!? I kept you around because I like you-.” He started to take Angel’s hand.

Angel yanked his hands away. “Because I make Vox jealous?!”

Valentino’s claws flexed and he scowled. “I don’t care what Vox thinks!”

“I heard what you were screaming during sex! I know how you feel about him!” Angel snapped, standing on wobbly legs and towering over Valentino from the bed.

Valentino’s eyes practically burst from his skull and he frantically looked around. “I don’t feel anything about him!”

“Stop lying to me, Val!” Angel cried. “Tell me the truth! Why didn’t you tell me you were sleeping with your other actors? Why didn’t you tell me that you had a thing with Vox!?”

“I dunno! Maybe I didn’t want to listen to you whine about it!” Valentino snapped.

Angel gasped, feeling Val’s words like a knife through his chest. He stumbled back and collapsed on the bed. “Wh-what?”

“You are such a fucking baby, Angel! You get so worked up over everything! Everyone’s always out to get you! Life is so hard for you! Then you shoot up or snort something to numb the pain, and that just makes you even more unbearable!” Valentino ranted, pacing around the room.

Angel’s lip quivered. Tears bucketed from his eyes, and he was so busy choking back sobs he couldn’t even speak.

“Yeah! See! You’re doing it right now!” Valentino said, pointing at Angel’s face. “I don’t tell you things so I don’t have to deal with all this!”

“I-I-VAL!!!” Angel shrieked, unable to stop himself from wailing. “I-I DON’T UNDERSTAND! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!!!”

“Ay, dios mio, Angel,” Valentino said, walking away and massaging his temples.

“WHAT THE FUCK, VAL!? WHAT THE FUCK AM I TO YOU?!” Angel asked, moving forward on the bed, and nearly falling off the edge.

“I don’t fucking know, Angel! All you are right now is annoying!” Valentino said.

Angel gasped. He began hyperventilating, clutching his chest. Valentino groaned and headed for the door. “I’m not dealing with this right now.”

“N-NO!” Angel cried, finally stumbling off the bed, nearly tripping on the sheet that hooked around his foot. “You’re not leaving me! You’re My boyfriend! You’re supposed to love ME! I don’t want you fuckin’ nobody else no more!”

In a lightning fast, fluid motion, Valentino whipped around and lifted Angel up by his robe. He held Angel above the ground, letting his legs dangle, and screamed: “I CAN FUCK WHOEVER I WANT, ANGEL!”

Angel trembled. He’d seen Valentino treat other people like this before. He wasn’t unfamiliar with Valentino’s anger issues, but he’d never thought he’d be on the receiving end of them.

Growling, Valentino said: “You don’t get to tell me what to do. No one tells me what to do.”

“V-Val…” Angel gripped Valentino’s wrists. “I wasn’t trying to- I just want you to love me again!” His eyes welled with tears again.

“I don’t think I can love you right now, Angel. Not like this,” Valentino said, tossing Angel to the ground.

Angel collapsed, staring up at Valentino who glowered down at him. “I’ll talk to you later when you’ve stopped being so pathetic.”

“Pathetic!?” Angel gasped. “Val!” Valentino started walking away, but Angel glommed onto Valentino’s leg. “I’m not fucking pathetic! Don’t fucking do this, Val! Don’t you fucking leave me!”

Valentino wrenched Angel off of him, stood him up, and swiftly smacked him across the face. Angel stood paralyzed, hunched over and staring at the floor as the sting in his cheek spread to the rest of his face. All eight of his eyes were wide open, dread suffocating him as it finally registered what happened.

“Ah-oh my god.” Angel raised a trembling hand to his face.

“Oh, get over it. I know your father’s done worse to you,” Valentino said.

The comment tore at his heart and Angel’s head snapped up to face Valentino. He felt his pulse vibrating in his gut as he tried to speak. “You…fucking….bastard!” Fresh tears formed in his eyes and they gushed down his face as he said: “You fucking….you said you loved me! Every night you told me you loved me! WHY WOULD YOU TREAT ME LIKE THIS IF YOU NEVER LOVED ME!”

“I DO love you, you idiot!” Valentino growled.

“NO YOU DON’T! You just hit me and told me I’m pathetic! How is that love!?”

“I love you because I want you! Or at least I did!”

“If you want me so bad, then why are you fucking other people!?” Angel felt stupid as his voice broke on explosive sobs.

“URGH! Fine! You want me to fuck you?! Here!” Valentino lifted Angel by his robe and threw him onto the bed. He crawled on top of Angel and began undoing his robe sash.

“Whoa! HEY! STOP! WHAT’RE YOU DOING!?” Angel cried.

“You want me to fuck you, so I’m doing it!” Valentino said, pushing Angel down on the bed and tearing his robe open.

“No! STOP!” Angel tried to push Valentino away, but he couldn’t.

“DO YOU WANT ME TO FUCK YOU OR NOT!?” Valentino screamed, spit flying into Angel’s eyes.

“I-I just want you to love me,” Angel sobbed, voice small and unstable.

“Then let me,” Valentino said, voice as dark as the shadows covering his face.

“Ah-MMM!” Angel choked on his words as Valentino jammed his tongue down Angel’s throat. He struggled, trying to get Valentino off him, but Val seized his wrists and pinned him down. Angel whined and cried as Valentino used his lower arms to open Angel’s robe and his desperate cries dissolved as Val’s tongue slithered around in his mouth.

A fresh wave of tears poured from Angel’s eyes as Valentino entered him. Before, feeling Valentino inside him had felt sacred and unifying, like weaving a tapestry that bound them together in blissful ecstasy. Now, feeling Valentino inside him felt invasive, like a parasite digging around for food. Where once being devoured by Valentino made him feel wanted and adored, Angel now felt like he was being torn apart by a wild animal. He’d always felt a mix of fear and catharsis from sex, and now was no different, but something had changed. He didn’t feel like his partner was fucking him, he felt like a monster was slowly killing him and trying to get him to cum before he took his last breath.

He screamed into Valentino’s mouth as he climaxed, feeling Val dump his load at the same time. His already conflicted feelings became even more hazy when Valentino collapsed on top of him and rasped: “See? Would I have fucked you like that if I didn’t love you?” He caressed Angel’s face and pressed his lips against his sweaty cheek. Angel quaked, breathing erratic, and he wanted to throw up.

He was unable to sleep that night. Valentino had fallen asleep on top of him, and he had to carefully wriggle out from underneath. As Valentino slept, Angel pulled his robe around him and tied it tight. His legs threatened to give out as he tiptoed out the door. He wobbled to the bathroom and vomited in the toilet. He felt empty, though he could feel the residue of Valentino’s cum clinging like a leech to his insides. His arms shook as he pushed himself up. He clutched his stomach as he staggered into the kitchen.

His heart sank when he saw Vox standing in the kitchen holding a coffee mug. “AH! Good morning, Angel.”

“H-hey.” Angel said, small and weak. He clung to the countertop as he made his way to the cabinet.

“Sleep well?” Vox asked, his glowing blue teeth blinding as he smiled.

“Uh…uhm…” Angel curled into himself and hid his face behind the cabinet as he opened it.

There were various cereals and instant oatmeal, but nothing sounded good. Angel’s stomach knotted, unsure if it wanted nourishment or to disintegrate into dust.

Vox chuckled. “I’m surprised you still have a voice, considering how much you were screaming last night.”

Angel froze. He slowly turned to face Vox. “You heard that?”

“Heard it. Watched it from the keyhole,” Vox said, casual. He drank his coffee.

Angel stared, feeling like a gust of wind was blowing through him. “You-you saw what he did?”

“You mean hit you? Fuck you? Both?” Vox asked, raising an eyebrow. He wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t seem the least bit perturbed.

“Wh-why-why didn’t you do nothin’?” Angel stammered, nearly loosing balance against the counter.

Vox laughed. “What? Did you think I should stop him? You’re the one who was whining that he wouldn’t fuck you! Why would I stop him?”

“He…I…it….” Angel crumbled; palms splayed out on the counter as he stared at it.

“Aw. Are you still mad he fucks people other than you?” Vox asked, a mocking pout on his screen. “Heh. Well, that’s on you for thinking a whore like Valentino could keep it in his pants for just one person.”

Angel balled his fists. “I asked him about you two…” he finally hoarsed out. “He told me there was nothing. He lied to me.”

“People lie, Angel. You’ve been in Hell long enough I would’ve guessed you’d know that by now,” Vox said. He sipped his coffee again.

“He hit me…”

“So what? He hits people. He’s a childish brute,” Vox said, looking into his mug to see how much was left.

Angel’s head popped up. “Does…does he hit you too?”

“HA!” Vox laughed. “Of course not. Because if he ever treated me the way he treated you in there I would rip his wings off, tie them around his neck, and hang him with them and he knows that.” His eye spiraled, forcing Angel to stand and stare, defenseless. Vox released his hold on Angel and grinned. He turned his back and continued: “See, that’s the difference between you and me, Angel. I know how to command authority and keep Valentino in line. You on the other hand are a sniveling, limp-wristed, crack whore whose only value is how good you can fuck. But that can only get you so far. You don’t get to impose any restrictions on Valentino because you are beneath him.”

Angel scrunched his face, bracing himself for the tears. He knew Vox was just trying to push his buttons. He saw Vox and Val the night before. He knew Vox was jealous. Angel may have been shaken, but he wasn’t going to be the weakling in this situation.

He laughed, the force hurting his raw throat. “Well, maybe I’m beneath him because he likes me underneath him.” Vox’s antennas buzzed and Angel smirked. “You heard him last night. He said he loves me. I didn’t hear him say that to you when you were fuckin’.” He did, but Vox didn’t speak Spanish and didn’t need to know.

Vox glared at him, eye whirring. Angel looked away and said: “You can act like big shit all you want, but I know it’s just ‘cause you can’t handle that he likes me better than yo-AOUH! FUCK!” Vox had slammed his mug down on the back of Angel’s hand. Angel’s knees finally gave out and he collapsed to the floor, his hand still pinned to the counter by Vox’s mug.

“You think the fact that he ‘loves’ you makes you anything special? You’re the side piece, Angel. He picked you up when I wouldn’t give him what he wanted. You’re the leftover scraps when he’s desperate. I kept him in suspense for two years because he knew better than to try and force himself on me like he did to you.  I am his superior. His benefactor. I’m basically his God, and he fucking worshipped me last night like I damn-well deserved. You’ll never get that treatment because you’re nothing more than his shiny toy. Valentino might ‘love’ you, Angel, but he will never respect you. And, really…” He smiled, red venom dripping down his face as his scrutinous eyes scanned Angel’s body. “Why would he?”

Angel gazed up at Vox’s sinister face, quaking beneath him. His body racked even harder when he heard Valentino yawn from the hallway. Vox lifted the mug off Angel’s hand as Valentino waltzed into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and stretching.

“Ah, good morning, Val,” Vox greeted.

“Mm, good morning,” Valentino said, strolling right past Angel.

“Sleep well?” Vox asked.

“Yeah,” Valentino said, sitting down.

Vox turned to Angel and grinned. Angel scrambled to his feet and darted out of the kitchen. Valentino noticed. “What was that about?”

“Oh, probably running off to snort a line of something. He didn’t even touch any food in here,” Vox said.

Valentino sighed. “As long as we don’t have to take him to the hospital again.”

Angel stood outside the kitchen, back pressed against the wall. He crumpled to the floor and curled into a fetal position. He silently wept as reality sunk in: He was stuck here with two people who wanted to hurt him and didn’t care how badly they did, and one of them was the man he shared a bed with.

BAM!

Angel was brought back to the present when Valentino threw his dressing room door open.

Val stormed in, slamming the door behind him, and advanced on Angel. “You really had to go and make a scene out there, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t make you pull a gun out and shoot a bird,” Angel said.

Val grabbed the back of Angel’s head and slammed his face into his vanity. Angel muffled out a cry as blood dripped from his nose into his mouth. Val yanked Angel up by his hair so they were face to face: “You forced my hand when you didn’t go inside.”

“I didn’t force shit!” Angel spat, blood landing on Valentino’s face.

Valentino threw Angel back down and Angel felt something crack as his head made impact. The crack was the wood of the vanity, but his head was still bleeding. “I try to do something nice for you, and this is how you repay me?!” Valentino hissed.

“What? Holdin’ a door open is your example of bein’ nice!?” Angel snarled, pushing himself up and clutching his head.

“I’ve been doing nice things for you for decades!” Valentino snapped, leaning in and startling Angel back.

“What the fuck do you think you did that was so nice?” Angel asked, shaking, staring down at the vanity so as not to catch Valentino’s eye.

“You really need a reminder?” Valentino asked. “I gave you a place to stay so you didn’t have to be around your shitty family. I helped you come out of your shell. I showed you how to pole dance. Gave you the opportunity to make a living doing what you loved.”

Angel withered, shrinking a little with each example Val gave. He wanted to retort, but he knew he couldn’t.

Valentino leered over him and continued: “I buy you nice clothes. I buy you drugs. I got you that fucking pig! I’m even staying at that stupid hotel for you, and you have the fucking GALL to act like I haven’t been nice? I’m the nicest fucking person you know, Angel. You owe me everything!”

Angel almost crumpled completely until Val mentioned the hotel. Taking a sharp inhale, Angel shakily pushed himself up. He was finally able to look Valentino in the eye when he asked: “If you’re such a good fuckin’ person, why do you need to stay at the hotel in the first place?”

Valentino’s rage dissipated on impact. He stared, unable to answer. A tiny smirk threatened to form in the side of Angel’s mouth, and it was enough to anger Val once more. Valentino smacked Angel across the back of the head before storming to the door. “Be ready in five!” He threw the door open and slammed it hard enough to make cracks in the wall.

Angel roared and slammed his fists on the vanity. He looked at his bloodied, miserable face in the mirror. There was a bag of make-up wipes on his vanity. He pulled one out and began to clean himself off. Under no circumstances would he admit this to anyone at the hotel, but he was regretting not accepting a bodyguard for the day.

Husk had just finished cleaning glasses when Angel came home.

“How’d it go?” Husk asked.

Angel bristled. “Val’s still a bastard, work’s still rough, and I need somethin’ to take the load off.” He collapsed onto the barstool.

Husk grabbed one of the clean glasses and headed towards the sink. “You sure you don’t want anyone goin’ there with you?”

Angel groaned. “I’m fine, Husk. Besides, I don’t want anyone gettin’ involved in my work.”

“What kinda fucked up shit did he have you do today?” Husk asked, turning on the faucet.

“Innocent boy desperate for love gets raped in the back of some creepy old guy’s van,” Angel said, waving a hand.

“Jesus,” Husk said, cringing as he turned the faucet off.

“Eh, it’s not the worst thing Val’s had me do. Plus, it’s nothin’ new. I’ve done at least one a these types a films every year since I started workin’ for Val. Always around the same time a year too. Least he’s consistent,” Angel said with a shrug.

“Hmm. Still, that’s a fucked-up experience to have, even if it’s all an act,” Husk said, heading back to the bar.

“Well, that’s why I need a drink,” Angel said.

Husk smiled. “Here ya go?”

He set the glass of water down and Angel glared. “Did I forget to say I’m trying to take the load off?”

“I heard you.”

“Then why the fuck are ya givin’ me this?” Angel said, picking the glass up by the brim and sloshing the contents around. “I need somethin’ that’s actually hard.”

“You said you wanted to quite alcohol,” Husk said, folding his arms.

Angel rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on! It’s been a long couple a days and I could use a drink.”

“If you have a drink now, you’ll just keep finding excuses to drink more and relapse,” Husk said.

“I won’t relapse. But even if I did, would that really be so shocking. Remember, I’m a loser, baby,” Angel said, grinning slyly and he waved the glass in Husk’s face.

Husk frowned, and then sighed. “Angel, look, I know you’re going through a lot right now, but…you’ve made a lot of progress, and I don’t want you throwin’ that all away just because of Valentino.” He rested his hand over Angel’s.

Angel froze, staring at the earnest look on Husk’s face and feeling Husk’s hand made his face burn. He downed the water in one gulp and yanked his hand back to wipe the corner of his mouth. “Heh, can’t have that, can we?”

Husk smiled. “You’re doin’ good, kid.”

He took the glass from Angel, his claws brushing against Angel’s fingers. Angel trembled, feeling the sensation from the contact running through his hand and up his arm. “Oooh!” he moaned, bringing his hand to his lips, and biting his fingertip. His face turned bright pink when he saw Husk staring at him. “Oh, uh, must still be riled up from work!”

Husk blinked. “You’re still horny after all that?”

“What can I say Husk, I’m a horn-dog,” Angel said. He felt his lower hand slip between his legs and squealed, writhing in his seat. The look of shock on Husk’s face made him self-conscious. “Uh, I-I should probably deal with this upstairs.”

Husk smirked. “Well, it’s a good thing you’ve got all those hands.”

Angel gaped. “Wow. Okay, who’s bein’ horny now?”

“Still you.” Husk winked.

Angel flinched, caught off guard. Husk froze. They both blushed furiously before Angel stumbled off the stool. “Uh, I should get goin’!”

“Uh, right! Yeah, have fun with that!” Husk said, turning away and cleaning an already clean glass.

“Thanks! You too!” Angel said, already at the staircase. He didn’t register that his response made no sense until he had reached his bedroom.

When he opened the door, Fat Nuggets stood up and scampered over to him.

“Oh, Fat Nuggets, not now,” Angel muttered, squeezing his legs together. Fat Nuggets had a bad habit of interrupting his masturbation sessions, most likely because he’s come to associate Angel’s sex noises with being abused. It was sweet that Fat Nuggets was concerned, but a cute pig nuzzling against Angel’s face made touching himself extremely awkward.

Angel pulled out his phone and a tiny headset from his torso. After plugging the headset in, he pulled up a playlist labeled: For Fat Nuggets. He scooped Fat Nuggets up, placed the headset over the pig’s ears, and set him and the phone down on Fat Nugget’s bed. Fat Nuggets became captivated by the dancing fruit on the phone and Angel turned the volume up. When Fat Nuggets had settled in to watch his show, Angel went to his bed and pulled a box out from underneath it.

The box was full of dildos and vibrators. Angel rummaged through the box until he found a dildo with penile spines on it. He bit his lip, cheeks flushing, and he crawled onto his bed. He glanced back at Fat Nuggets, checking that the pig was looking at his phone and had his back to Angel, before his third set of arms popped out and slipped his shorts off.

Angel raised top set of arms over his head to grab the rails on his bed frame, his middle arms un-buttoned his jacket, and his lower arms slid the dildo between his legs. “Ungh,” he moaned, squirming at the sensation of the spines inside his hole. He whined and writhed as he moved the dildo in and out. His hands squeezed the bed frame and gripped his chest fluff. He let his head fall to the side. Right across from his face was a polaroid picture of Husk smiling at the camera.

“Aoh, Husk!” Angel heaved. His eyes welled with tears as he dug the dildo deeper. His legs spasmed and his back arched. “AOH, HUSK! HUUUUSK!” He clamped his hand over his mouth, and he screamed Husk’s name as he climaxed. Collapsing, Angel dragged his hands through his hair and bit his lip as he pulled the dildo out. He twisted around as he felt a little extra cum squirt out.

“Mmn, Husk…” Angel rolled over, staring at the photo his wall. Husk’s golden eyes stared back, piercing through him, and making him melt.

Angel buried his face in the sheets. He’d always found Husk attractive, ever since he first laid eyes on the grumpy drunkard, but the crush developed slowly. Flirting with Husk was fun, Angel was always down to fuck anyone who was hot enough, but Husk’s utter distain was both infuriating and enticing. Surely, he had to crack at some point! Of course, that never happened, but the challenge was the most fun Angel’d had in a long time. The more Husk played hard to get, the more insistent Angel became until Husk finally had it with him. That was before the two of them really bonded, but even then, the rejection stung. But now, after getting to know Husk on a deeper level and seeing the softy he was underneath all that gruff, knowing Husk wasn’t interested burned Angel to his core.

He felt disgusting every time he touched himself to the thought of Husk. If Husk ever found out about that, he’d never speak to Angel again. Angel griped the sheets, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes, furious that the sheets were touching his lips in such a way that he could pretend it was Husk kissing him.

He growled, rolled over on his back, and stared at the ceiling. Surely, there had to be something to turn him off to Husk. Angel closed his eyes and thought: what about Husk was off-putting?

He was judgmental.

Condescending.

Hypocritical! Angel was positive the moment he went upstairs Husk had stuck a bottle of booze in his mouth and downed the whole thing in one go.

The thought of Husk drinking his weight in liquor after telling Angel off for wanting to numb his pain made Angel’s blood boil. His eyes shot open, and he jumped out of bed. He threw his door open and marched downstairs, so blinded by rage that he didn’t even notice the lobby had reverted back to how it was before the Extermination.

Husk was cleaning a bottle as Angel slammed his hands down on the bar counter. “You know, I’m gettin’ real tired of your shit you fuckin’ hypocrite!”

“Excuse me?” Husk asked, eyebrow rising.

“Don’t play dumb, Husk. You stand here all day, downin’ bottles like it’s your last meal and givin’ me shit for wantin’ to have one measly drink!” Angel snapped.

“You said you wanted to get clean,” Husk said, flippant. It made Angel seethe. “Besides, I ain’t trying to get into Heaven.”

“I didn’t come here to get into Heaven either, Husk. I came here to get away from Valentino! And that sure ain’t workin’ how I hoped,” Angel said, turning away from the bar and folding his arms.

“You were the one who insisted Valentino stay and get redeemed,” Husk said, shrugging and returning to his work.

Angel’s fur stood on end, and he wheeled around. “Yeah, and that’s sure movin’ at a snail’s pace.”

“Things don’t always go the way you want, Angel,” Husk said, stern. “Just be patient.”

Angel’s shoulders tensed. He wanted to smack Husk across the face for having the gall to say such shitty things with that sexy graveling voice. “I think after everything Val put me through, I deserve to get what I want,” he said, crawling onto the bar counter and knocking glasses on the floor. “And what I want…is to have some fun.” He laid himself across the counter and stared at Husk through lidded eyes. He dragged his fingers sensually up his leg and torso, accompanied by the sound of a boozy saxophone.

Husk paused his glass cleaning and stared at Angel with wide, horrified eyes. “What are you doing?”

Angel rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on his laced together fingers. “With any luck, I’ll be doin’ you.” He grinned, golden tooth gleaming.

Husk’s shoulders slumped. “Angel, I thought you were done with this.”

Angel rolled over again, sitting on his ass while leaning in: “Oh, don’t be like that, Husk. I know you like me.”

“Come on, man, you’re better than this,” Husk said, recoiling.

“I’m at my best in bed,” Angel said, throwing his legs over the front of the bar and leaning back so he could rest his head on Husk’s shoulder.

Husk scowled. “Angel, I swear to God…”

Angel wrapped an arm around Husk’s neck and cupped the back of his head. “You’ll be swearin’ to God when I bring you to Kingdom Cum, baby!” Angel said, arching his back and spreading his legs.

“KNOCK IT OFF!” Husk shoved Angel off the bar.

Angel landed hard on his hands and knees. The knowledge that what he’d just done was wrong was swiftly drowned out by the hurt he felt being rejected. Rage spiked through him, from his feet through the top of his head, and he spun around to see Husk standing over him, the bar counter having disappeared completely.

“You know I hate it when you do that,” Husk said, pointing an accusatory finger at Angel. “If you were really a good person, you would’ve stopped behaving like this a long time ago!”

Angel growled and bolted up from the floor. “Maybe I don’t wanna be a good person!” He seized Husk by the fur around his suspenders and pulled him up until they were face to face. “Bein’ good’s not gonna get you to fuck me. If I have to take you by force, then so fuckin’ be it!” His eyes were wide and manic, and his smile became jagged and sinister.

Husk snarled. “I really thought you were better than this, but you’re just as bad as Valentino!”

Angel saw white, eyes bulging. “WHAT!? I’m nothing like-!”

He looked down at his hands, still gripping Husk’s fur, and noticed his gloves were black and covered by red sleeves with a white fur trim. Angel gasped, dropping Husk and stumbling backward, taking in the long red coat with black and white fur trim that swayed around his ankles as he did. Angel’s whole body shook as he looked up. Husk was gone and all that was left was the bar’s mirror reflecting Valentino’s image in place of his own.

Angel screamed and bolted up from his bed. He clutched his chest as his ragged breath racked his whole body. Sweating, he looked down at himself to see he was wearing his usual attire, his shorts still pushed down and the dirty dildo off to the side. Angel grasped at his face, making sure it was his, before his breathing slowed. He wrapped all his arms around himself and bent at the waist. His hair fell in his face, and he turned to look at his photos of Husk. He’d managed to capture Husk smiling in all of them, because by then Husk saw him as a trustworthy friend. Guilt bubbled in Angel’s gut and threatened to spill out his mouth.

He was snapped out of his spiraling when he heard a knock at the door.

“Angel! Breakfast!” came Charlie’s voice.

“Uh, yeah, Charlie. Come on in,” Angel said, pulling his shorts up and covering the dildo with his sheets.

Charlie waltzed in with KeeKee at her heel. She presented him with a breakfast consisting of French toast with syrup and berries arranged to look like Angel’s smiling face, and coffee with cream shaped like the sun. She set a bowl of hashbrowns next to Fat Nuggets bed with one hand and tentatively removed his headset with the other.

“Is everything alright? I thought I heard you screaming?” she asked, looking worried.

Angel gulped. He pushed his hair back and it flopped in front of his face as he smiled and said: “Nothin’ to worry about, toots. Just a bad dream.”

“Was it about Valentino?” Charlie asked.

Angel averted his gaze. “Sorta.”

“We’re doing the best we can. I’ve got some new ideas that might help,” Charlie said, sounding determined but not entirely secure.

Angel rested a hand on her shoulder. “Just relax, Dollface. I hate seein’ you all worked up.”

“And I hate seeing you so sad,” Charlie said, painfully earnest.

The look on Charlie’s face pierced Angel right through his heart and he had to look away. “I’ll be fine…”

Charlie gently rested her hands on Angel’s shoulders and gave him a peck on the forehead. “Enjoy your breakfast,” she said, before waving and heading out with KeeKee.

Angel looked down at the happy face on his toast. He took his fork and shifted all the berries until the smile turned into a frown.

Chapter Text

The 666 News logo appeared onscreen before the newscasters.

“Good morning, you rotten scumbags, I’m Katie Killjoy,” Katie said to the camera.

“And I’m Tom Trench,” Tom chimed.

Katie laughed. “As if anyone gives a fuck.” She climbed onto the desk and covered Tom’s face with her rear end. “But I’m sure everyone watching gives a fuck about the latest hot goss!” Tom stood up, trying to be seen over the blonde bitch, but Katie ascended, still on her knees, and said: “Yesterday, Overlord Valentino and his biggest cash cow: porn star, Angel Dust, were seen together in public for the first time since their spat at the Consent Sex Club!”

A phone recorded video popped up onscreen of Valentino and Angel walking through Pentagram City.

“It looks like whatever beef these two were having has subsided. They buried the hatchet,” Katie said, moving around the table to block Tom every time he tried to be seen. “On top of that, Valentino was seen going to the Hazbin Hotel yesterday evening.”

Katie ended up on all fours and Tom frantically slid underneath her, face sticking out between her boobs and the tabletop. “What could this mean?”

“Good question, Tom,” Katie said, looking down at him, before shoving his face into the table with her hand. “According to the leader of the Vees, and CEO of Vox-tech Enterprises…”

A video of Vox appeared on screen.

“We here at Vox-Tech value our employees above all else,” Vox said into several microphones as pictures flashed all around him. “After having taken such an interest in redemption, our dear Angel Dust began to worry that his employer didn’t value the work he was doing outside the studio. So, to help ease Angel’s mind, Valentino decided to stay at the hotel and give this whole redemption thing a chance.”

An image of Angel’s Sinstagram popped up with a photo of him and Valentino standing near each other in the hotel lobby with big, cheese grins and Husk grimacing in the background. “Angel Dust posted this image of himself and his Overlord, saying, quote: ‘Val and I are getting along great! I look forward to seeing the progress he’ll make at the Hazbin Hotel’,” said Katie, offscreen.

The screen cut back to Vox’s interview where an offscreen reporter asked: “Does this mean you believe in the Princess’s goal of redeeming Sinners?”

Vox chuckled. “I must admit, I have my doubts, but Angel went there first and foremost to get clean, and if he succeeds, that will certainly make his and all our lives here easier.” He flashed a condescending grin at the camera. “Plus, now that Valentino is there, he can help encourage Angel on his path to healing.”

A post from Valentino’s Sinstagram popped up, showing Valentino in his hotel room posing suggestively on his bed. He was wearing lacey underwear and smiling with his tongue out. Offscreen, Tom said: “Valentino commented on his own social media, saying, quote: ‘I am so happy to be here at the Has-been Hotel to help Angel in his path to sobriety. Wish us luck!!!’ with several heart emojis.”

“I was gonna read that, you piece of shit,” Katie’s voice sneered after him.

The camera cut back to the newscasters. Katie had Tom in a headlock, and Tom choked out: “Do you think Valentino will succeed in aiding Angel’s recovery?”

“Of course, he will, Tom,” Katie said as Tom clawed at her arm around his throat. “Even if Sinners can never make it into Heaven, the Vees have always had our best interests at heart. It’s like their slogan says…!”

Vox popped up onscreen, eye whirring, and stated: “Trust us with your happiness.”

In his conference room, Vox switched off the TV and turned to face Velvette and Valentino at the table. He clamped his hands together and said: “Ah, another crisis averted.”

Velvette scrolled through her phone. “It’s a good thing Angel agreed to doing the social media post.”

Valentino scoffed as he doodled lingerie in his sketchbook. “The bitch only agreed to stand next to me for one fucking picture!!! I had to take one all by myself for my account!”

Kitty rounded the corner with drinks. Valentino snatched the martini out of her hand and downed it. He thrust it back in her face. “Fill this up!”

Kitty set Valentino’s empty glass on her tray and then set down Vox’s scotch in front of him. “Luckily, no one seems to suspect anything. Angel still took a picture with you and posted it to his own account.”

Valentino sighed. “I guess.”

“If it makes you feel better, Val, you looking fuckin’ fierce in your solo pic,” Velvette said, pulling up his account.

“Oh, Baby Doll, you’re too sweet!” Valentino said. “That’s the underwear you made me for Sinsmas.”

“I know, that’s why you look amazing,” Velvette said.

They held out their hands to each other and wiggled their fingers together. Vox stared at them, confused but uninterested. “Yes, Val, you looked hot. Now let’s get back to business.”

“What other business is there?” Valentino asked. “We cleared things up to save our image.”

“You still need to win Angel over,” Vox said. “And figure out what Alastor’s up to.”

“Ugh! He’s just being a creepy bitch like usual,” Valentino said, leaning back in his chair.

“He must’ve been badly injured when Adam attacked him, that’s why he retreated and why he hasn’t come out in public,” Vox said, resting his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together in front of his screen. “But there’s no way he doesn’t have a plan. You just need to find out what that plan is.”

Valentino pouted. “How am I supposed to do that? He’s never gonna tell me. And the ex-Overlord cat isn’t gonna spill the beans.”

“What about that creepy little one that’s always around him?” Velvette asked, holding out her phone and showing a picture from Charlie’s Sinstagram of Nifty crawling all over a glitching Alastor.

Valentino flinched and recoiled. “I am not asking her…”

Vox tapped his chin. “Perhaps the Princess knows something.”

“She doesn’t exactly trust me. No one there does,” Valentino said, folding his arms and sinking in his chair.

“You have breaks during your sessions,” Vox said. “Maybe take that time to hide around corners and listen in on some conversations. And make sure your wings are open so I can see and hear what’s going on.” He pointed to Val’s chest where the Angelic armor’s camera was.

Valentino sighed. “I guess…”

“You’ve got this,” Vox said. “I believe in you.”

Valentino looked up at Vox and smiled softly. “Gracias, mi amor.”

Vox mirrored Valentino’s smile and they stared at each other. Velvette watched them, groaning, and subtly snapped a picture of them.

Night had fallen over Pentagram City. Angel was in his room, arms and legs wrapped around a long, fuzzy pillow.

“Come on, Angel. You can do this,” he said, squeezing the pillow tight.

He stared at his picture of Husk, smiling back at him. Angel blushed, gripping the pillow.

“He’s not that hot. A-and he can be such a dick sometimes,” Angel said. His legs squeezed around the pillow. “I bet he’s got a big dick,” he said, thighs trembling. He shook his head. “No! Don’t be a creep. He might be a shit sometimes, but he doesn’t deserve that. Besides, he’s usually really sweet…and soft…and warm.” He cuddled the pillow, nuzzling it with the side of his face and feeling the fuzz rub against his chest fluff. “Ah!” It sent chills throughout his chest, making him shimmy his shoulders and letting his fluff spill out of his jacket.

He stared at Husk’s picture, imaging him staring at Angel’s trembling body. He imagined Husk reaching out, gently pushing the jacket off Angel’s shoulders, and running his claws through his furry chest.

“Oh…AAHHH!!!”

Angel clutched the pillow, feeling the soft fabric ruffle his fur. Despite every thought in his head telling him ‘no’, Angel threw himself over the pillow and gave into his impulses. He groped and ran his fingers through it as he humped it furiously.

“Nngh, Huuusk!” he moaned, crying as he buried his face in the pillow. “Oh, fuck!”

He yanked his shorts down and rubbed his erection into the pillow, dragging the bottom of it along the fuzz in just the right way to drive him crazy. The nerves in his groin buzzed and he grinded himself deeper into the body pillow.

“Agh! Ough, Husk, GAH!” Angel practically choked on the pillow’s fuzz.

He let his imagination run wild. Holding the pillow tight, Angel thought of Husk’s big, strong arms wrapping around his body. Felt those long claws dragging down his spine. Heard that stupidly sexy voice whispering how beautiful he thought Angel was over and over. Angel’s whole body convulsed, and he squirted all over the pillow. “AAAUGH!!!” He panted and gasped for air, clutching the pillow as he finished himself off. He collapsed and stared at the photo. Husk was still smiling in it, but Angel could picture the disgust and betrayal Husk would no doubt feel if he knew what Angel had just done.

Angel’s lip quivered and he hid part of his face in the pillow. The mental image of Husk glaring at him, revolted, burned in his mind. “Husk…I’m sorry…” he said, tears streaming down his face. He watched imaginary Husk walk away. Angel sobbed, beating himself over the head with his fist, when he heard a knock at the door.

“Angel?” Husk asked.

Angel shot up from his bed. “HUSK!?”

“You okay? Sounds like you’re crying,” Husk asked, and Angel almost melted from how gentle he sounded.

“Oh, uh!” Angel wiped his eyes. He squealed when he looked down at his cum covered dick and pillow. “Uh-I-I’m fine! Just, uh…j-jackin’ off…”

There was a soft huff from behind the door that Angel knew was Husk laughing. “No worries, I get it. Maybe after you clean up, we can go to the roof.”

Angel wrapped his arms around himself. He didn’t want to be around Husk, not after what he’d just done, but if he refused, Husk would start to worry. “Uh, sure. Just, gimmie a sec.”

“Take your time,” Husk said as Angel rose from his bed and headed to the bathroom.

The roof of the hotel was surrounded by an ornate black metal fence designed to look like Lucifer’s snake and apple symbol. Angel and Husk rested their elbows on the railing, holding their drinks in their hands; Husk had a beer bottle, and he brought Angel a glass of water (the bastard…). They stared out at Pentagram City, taking in the glowing red lights of all the buildings. A gentle breeze blew Angel’s hair and he writhed as it ruffled his chest fluff. He looked over at Husk and nearly combusted at the sight of his fur blowing in the breeze. Angel turned his face away as Husk asked:

“I’m still amazed how horny you can be after work.”

Angel took a sip of water and coughed. “Uh, yeah. I dunno, maybe it’s just different when I get to do it on my own terms.”

“Hmm.” Husk nodded. He took a swig of beer, then asked: “Is there anything about work you enjoy?”

“Oh, yeah. Plenty,” Angel said. “Fuckin’s fun. There’s a lot of scenarios that fit my personal kinks.” He smiled and bit his lip. He ignored his erection as he continued: “Feels like I get to do less and less of the stuff I want though. It’s all about what Val wants.”

Husk glowered. “I still hate that you had to pose with him for that photo.”

Angel frowned. “It was either that, or he and the other Vees blast the hotel publicly. I couldn’t do that to Charlie.”

“I think she’d understand,” Husk said.

Angel shrugged. “It was just one photo. Not the worst thing I’ve endured with Val.”

Husk gripped his bottle so tight he nearly shattered it. “Has that bastard ever treated you right?!”

Angel’s glass of water paused right before it touched his lips. He had no idea how Husk would react to the news that Angel and Val used to date, or still date, they never did call it off officially.

“He…has. I mean, he used to let me perform whatever I wanted at his club…before Cherri and I blew it up.” He chuckled. “I used to do drag there all the time.”

“Oh, really?” Husk asked. His earnest smile made Angel’s heart nearly burst.

“Yeah,” Angel said, blushing. “It was fun. I miss it.”

Husk’s pupils dilated. “What was your drag name?”

“Uh, Angel Dust,” Angel said, confused.

Husk raised a brow. “You use your real name for drag?”

Angel stared. “My real name?!” He busted up laughing. “You-you think Angel Dust is my real name!!??”

Husk’s face turned bright red. “I-no! Well, I mean…that’s the name I’ve always heard you use…”

“You think I use my real name for porn!!! HA, HA, HA!!!”

Husk sank into himself. “I’ve never heard you use any other name, even when you’re not working!” he said, defensive.

“That doesn’t mean it’s my real name!” Angel cackled. “Who the fuck even uses their real name down here?!”

“I mean, I know some Sinners use their real names down here. Alastor never changed his name, and Husker was my real last name…”

“So, what? You thought my family named me Angel Dust?! After the fuckin’ drug!!!?” Tears formed in Angel’s eyes as he threw his head back and laughed.

Husk pouted, his face searing red. His ears flattened and he snapped: “Okay, smartass, what is your real name!?”

Angel wiped a tear and his laughter dissipating instantly. He looked away and his face fell. Husk watched Angel curl into himself and frowned. “I’m guessing there’s a lot of baggage attached to that name.”

Angel scoffed. “You don’t even know.”

“Hmm,” Husk looked down at his bottle. “Well, you’re Angel now. And I think that name suits you.”

Angel’s face turned pink, and he smiled softly. He turned away and looked out at the city below. “Not sure I’m much of an Angel if I ended up down here.”

“You’ll get to Heaven one day, I know it,” Husk said.

Angel winced. “I don’t really mind it down here, honestly. The clubs are great!” He sneered. “Not that I can go to those anymore. If I do, somebody’ll snag a picture of me downin’ shots and it’ll just make the hotel look bad.” He glared at his water glass. “But, I guess that’s the price I pay for tryin’ to get better.”

Husk smiled as Angel begrudgingly drank his water. He looked down at the city and said: “You know, Angel, when we first met, I thought you were so fucking annoying.”

Angel scowled. He lowered his glass as Husk continued: “I mean, literally, I hated every second you were around. Crackin’ sex jokes at me, stealin’ booze from the bar, snortin’ coke in the lobby.” Angel twitched. “I thought: ‘that guy is never gonna get better, and my sorry ass is gonna have to put up with him for all eternity’.”

“You really know how to make a guy feel special, Husk,” Angel said, flatly.

Husk laughed. “Look, my point is, I never thought you were gonna change, but you have!” Angel looked at him. He had that earnest smile again. “You don’t do drugs anymore, you’ve stopped drinking, and you haven’t hit on me in months.” Angel felt his gut seize up. “What I’m trying to say is…” He rested his hand over one of Angel’s. “I’m really proud of you.”

Angel would’ve gotten so hard from this exchange if his stomach wasn’t busy sinking. “Oh…uh..yeah. Thanks…”

Husk smiled, giving Angel’s hand a light squeeze, before resuming his drinking. Angel watched Husk chug his beer, desperate to rip it out of Husk’s hand and finish it off himself. He looked down at his half full water glass and withered.

“I think I’ve figured out what your problem is, Valentino,” Charlie said the next morning.

“That I don’t have a bigger bedroom? I was just gonna say. Glad we cleared that up,” Valentino said, checking his nails.

 Charlie glared through her smile. “No.” Valentino looked up and pouted. “See, when you do something wrong, you tend to double down on it instead of owning up to it. So, today, we’re gonna teach you how to apologize!”

Valentino stared at her, eyes squinted, and mouth drawn out into a disgusted frown. “Seriously?”

“One of the most important parts of being a good person is admitting when you’re wrong,” Charlie explained.

“And what if I didn’t do anything wrong, huh?” Valentino asked, folding his arms as he bent down to her eye level.

Charlie met his gaze and said: “This lesson is about when you did do something wrong.”

“Hmph.” Valentino straightened his back out and towered over the Princess.

Charlie straightened out her jacket and strode to the bar. “Why don’t you take a seat?” Valentino slumped onto the barstool. Husk glowered from over the bottle he was drinking. “So, let’s say you come to the bar and ask for a drink, but the bartender got the drink wrong…”

“Okay, so he should apologize to me!” Valentino said. Husk snarled.

“I wasn’t finished yet…” Charlie said, twitching. “You get a drink you didn’t want and you respond by, say, splashing the drink in his face!”

“I can do that!” Valentino said. He grabbed a nearby glass of gin and tossed it at Husk. Husk hissed, fur standing on end, and he glared.

“W-WHY’D YOU DO THAT?!” Charlie asked.

“You told me to,” Valentino said.

“I was just giving an example of a bad thing you could do that you would then apologize for,” Charlie said.

“If we’re acting out a scene, doesn’t this make it more believable?” Valentino asked. Husk bristled, the liquid weighing his fur down as it dripped.

“Are you going to apologize for it?” Charlie asked.

Valentino faced Husk who stared at him with open arms as if to say ‘I’m waiting’.

“I’m sorry, Husk…” Valentino said, drolly. Husk blinked. “That you’re stuck in this shitty job! HAHAHAHA!!!” Valentino cackled, nearly falling out of his chair.

Husk growled and rolled his eyes. Charlie gripped her hair. “VALENTINO!!!”

“Oh, come on! That was funny!” Valentino said.

“UUUUURGH!” Charlie pulled her hair out of her braid.

The red sun burned Angel and Cherri as they sat by the hotel pool. They were sprawled out on beach chairs wearing sunglasses and patterned bikinis; Angel’s pink and covered in spiderwebs, Cherri’s red and covered in yellow starbursts.

“Thanks for comin’ over, Cherri,” Angel said, shifting on his chair.

“Of course, mate,” Cherri said, slathering her arm in sunscreen. “You can’t spend your whole day by yourself, ‘specially since you’re not goin’ out to the clubs anymore.”

Angel frowned.

“What have you been doin’ with yourself lately, anyway?” Cherri asked, sprawling out of her chair.

“Mostly dancin’ on the pool downstairs,” Angel said, wiping his brow.

“Glad you’re at least doin’ somethin’ fun,” Cherri said, adjusting her sunglass.

Angel sneered, then covered his mouth as he felt his stomach lurch. Cherri watched him squirm and contract his body. “You alright, Ang?”

“Y-yeah, fine. Just feel nauseous,” Angel said.

Cherri frowned. “Did you eat?”

“Uck, no. Breakfast looked disgusting,” Angel said, writhing on the chair. “It has for the past week or so. Gah! And my head fuckin’ hurts too! And I been feelin’ gross and clammy.”

As he wiped the sweat from his brow, Cherri asked: “When did you stop drinking?”

“Mmm, sss-six days ago? Maybe seven,” Angel said, furrowing his brow as he tried to think and giving himself a headache. “Agh!” He clutched his head. “Why?”

“I think you’re having withdrawals, mate,” Cherri said.

“Ugh, withdrawals only last for, like, three days at most,” Angel said, waving a dismissive hand.

“Not always,” Cherri said. “The longest I’ve seen someone go through withdrawals was close to two weeks.”

“Agh, fuck,” Angel said, rolling over and curling into himself.

“Ang, you’re losing your appetite and you’re sweating like a pig,” Cherri said.

“I’m sweatin’ because it’s hot as fuck out here,” Angel spat.

Cherri fidgeted, picking at the plastic of the chair. “Ang…look, I know you’re tryin’ to quit…”

Angel groaned. He braced himself as she said: “…but I think you might need to have a drink.”

“I’m not drinkin’, Cherri,” Angel said, refusing to look at her.

“Not much,” Cherri said. “Just like, a shot or somethin’.”

“That’s gonna lead to another shot. Then another one, and another one! And then all my progress goes down the toilet,” Angel said, folding his upper set of arms while his lower ones wrapped around his waist.

Cherri sighed. “Angie, you’re feelin’ like this because you quite cold turkey. Maybe having a few drinks’ll do you some good.”

Angel twitched. “What part of ‘I’ll lose all my progress if I have a few drinks’ are you not getting?”

“You can still quit, just later,” Cherri said.

“You just want me to go out clubbin’,” Angel said.

“I want you to be happy, Ang!” Cherri said with more bite to her tone.

“Then drop it!” Angel spat.

“Angel!” Cherri snapped, leaning forward to grab his shoulder.

Angel wheeled around, all eight eyes glowing pink and hair standing on end. “FUCK OFF, CHERRI! Just because you don’t wanna bother gettin’ better doesn’t mean you have to drag me down with you!!!”

Cherri’s sunglass had slipped as she reared back, revealing the look of shock and hurt in her eye. Angel’s snarling subsided as he took in her expression. The nausea threatened to turn into full-fledged vomit and Angel doubled back into his seat.

“I-fuck-I-I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around himself. Cherri watched him with concern. Angel couldn’t bear to meet her eye. He stared at the pool water sparkling in the sunlight, thankful that his sunglasses muted the light so his headache didn’t get worse. “Look, if my withdrawal is this bad now, that means it’s gotta go up from here, right? I-I know you’re worried but I’ll be fine.”

Cherri frowned. She watched Angel curl into himself, looking smaller and smaller. “Alright. Just…let me know if you need any help, yeah?”

Angel glanced up at her, sickened by how worried she looked, and said: “Yeah…”

“I’ve noticed that you really enjoy drawing, Valentino,” Charlie said, strands of hair sticking out as she twitched.

Valentino looked up from his sketchbook. “Very observant, Princess,” he said, smiling wide enough to see each tooth.

Charlie’s smile extended to be just as big, and she said through gritted teeth: “I was thinking…” She stood up tall. “Sometimes, art can be a useful tool to understand someone on a deeper level. If we can understand you better, maybe we’ll be able to understand why you’re so…combative.”

Valentino raised an eyebrow.

“So, for this exercise, I want you to draw a picture of your deepest desire. Something you want more than anything but feel you can’t have. Something you’d do anything to finally have in your possession!” Charlie said, eyes shimmering as she reached a theatrical hand to the glittering chandelier above them.

Valentino tapped his pencil on his chin, then flipped to the next page of his sketchbook and began furiously scribbling. Charlie blinked, watching him intently as he stuck his tongue out in deep concentration. He finished with a flourish of his hand and said: “There!”

“Alright!” Charlie said, eyes bright. “Lemme see!”

Valentino handed Charlie the sketchbook. Charlie’s smile fell and contorted into a grimace. “OH! AUGH! WHAT THE-!?” She cringed and recoiled at the drawing of Angel Dust giving Valentino head.

“What? I want Angel to suck me off,” Valentino said, matter of fact.

“THIS is your deepest desire?! THIS is what you feel like you can’t have!?”

“Yeah! Getting Angel to do what I want is such a struggle lately,” Valentino said, crossing his arms and legs as he leaned back. “I want him to be the obedient little whore I deserve.”

Charlie’s eye twitched. “What if Angel doesn’t want to be obedient?! Why does Angel have to do everything that you want!?”

“Because I own him!” Valentino responded, assertive.

“That doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want to him!” Lucifer butted in.

Valentino glanced at him. “Of course, it does! That’s what Overlords do, isn’t it? If you didn’t want that, why’d you create the Overlords?”

“I didn’t! Overlords created themselves!” Lucifer snapped.

“But if you have such a problem with it, why don’t you do something about it?” Valentino asked, all arms folded.

Lucifer’s rosy cheeks grew redder, sweat dripping around his wide eyes. “Be-because…because you need to learn how to be better on your own!”

Valentino’s eyes narrowed, a slimy grin spreading across his face. “I thought I was here for you to teach me that.”

“We’re TRYING!” Charlie snapped.

“Then why isn’t it working?” Valentino asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Because YOU’RE NOT-!!!” Charlie’s horns sprouted and her claws grew. She snarled and gripped her already disheveled hair. “GRRR! Just…. WE’RE TAKING A BREAK!!!”

She stormed to the bar. Lucifer reached out a hand, then turned around to glare at a smirking Valentino.

“You’re not as powerful as everyone thinks, huh?” Valentino asked.

Lucifer’s own horns emerged. “Don’t get smug. I’m not as weak as you’re hoping.”

He stormed off and disappeared down the hall. Valentino chuckled. “Oh, pobre diablo.” He stuck out his lower lip in mock pout.

His eyes wandered to the bar where Vaggie and Husk consoled a frazzled Charlie. Nifty was busy sweeping the longue area closest to the bar. Tossing his sketchbook and pencil on the coffee table, Valentino rose from his seat and opened his coat enough for the camera on his vest to see. He strolled casually behind the staircase and walked down the hallway.

The hall was lit with yellow lamps hanging along the wall and ceiling. The light illuminated enough to see where he was going, but Valentino was acutely aware of the shadows clinging to the walls. His heels made a soft thud as he walked along the carpet, and he stretched his arms.

“Oh, now where is that elevator? I’d like to spend the break in my room…jacking off.” He made a lewd gesture by his groin.

He flinched when a shadow at the end of the hall lurched and disappeared behind the wall. Valentino slowed his pace, reaching into his coat to grab his gun. He began to get quicker and quicker before he rounded the corner. Holding his gun so it pointed up, he saw Lucifer exiting a room with double doors and dozens of wooden crates inside. Valentino pocketed his gun and chuckled.

“Ah, your majesty.”

Lucifer jumped and then wielded an Angelic spear. Valentino held up his hands and stepped back. Lucifer grinned. “I told you, I’m not as powerless as you think!”

Valentino blinked, looking down at his vest, and smiling. “Touché, su Alteza. But you do remember that won’t work on me, right?” The Angelic chainmail glistened in the light.

Lucifer’s eyes grew and he deflated, lowering the spear.

“Aw, you tried your best,” Valentino said.

Lucifer snorted and tossed the spear back into the room. As he locked the door, Valentino asked: “Those were Carmine crates, right? Is this where you stored the Extermination battle weapons?”

The door lock clicked, and Lucifer wheeled around with a grin. “Guess you’ll never find out.”

“Hmm, if I get a hold of that key…” Before Valentino could finish, the key burst into a cloud of smoke and transformed into KeeKee.

Lucifer glared, smug as KeeKee curled around his shoulders.  “Oh, I don’t think you will. See, KeeKee here will only let someone use her as a key if she trusts them.”

Valentino stared at KeeKee, unimpressed. The mouthless cat managed to give the impression of barring sharp teeth just by hissing and making her one eye grow and turn red, making Valentino squeak and wither as her fur bristled.

“You know, if you actually tried to be a better person, maybe she’d like you more,” Lucifer said, scratching KeeKee under the chin and making her purr.

“Tch, I don’t give a shit about your little cat,” Valentino said and KeeKee glared.

“You said you were here for Angel. Shouldn’t you care about him?” Lucifer asked.

“I do care about him,” Valentino sneered.

“Then why aren’t you trying harder to be good?” Lucifer asked, darkly.

Alastor’s laugh echoed through the hall before he manifested out of the shadows. “Oh, don’t be so gullible, Lucifer. We both know Valentino is dense enough that he already thinks of himself as good.” Valentino glared.

Lucifer scowled. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Making sure Valentino isn’t up to something. To make sure the hotel is safe,” Alastor said, leaning over like he was going to rest his weight against his staff and nearly toppling over until he quickly caught himself against the wall.

“No need to worry, Alastor,” Valentino said, letting his robe open wider. “I have no interest in ruining anything in the hotel.”

“Mmm, what about anyone?” Alastor asked.

Valentino huffed. “Anything I do to Angel is my prerogative. And nothing anyone here says or does will change that.” He grinned deviously at Lucifer and strutted away.

He waltzed past Charlie and Vaggie as they came down the hall. “What’s going on?” he heard Charlie ask as he rounded the corner.

“Oh, Lucifer attempted to threaten Valentino with Angelic Weaponry, completely forgetting that they have no effect on him while he’s wearing his Angelic Armor,” Alastor said.

Lucifer snarled. “At least I’m trying to do something!”

“Wait! Were you going to kill him?” Charlie asked.

“What else are we supposed to do, Charlie!?” Lucifer snapped. “Valentino doesn’t care about being redeemed, he’s just wants Angel all to himself! After a while, he’s gonna get bored of all these lessons and do something drastic!”

Valentino had hidden behind the nearest wall. He listened in, thrusting his chest in the direction of the conversation.

“He won’t do anything so long as he thinks you guys can destroy him for stepping out of line,” Vaggie said.

“He…” Lucifer deflated. “He knows there’s nothing I can do to him.”

Charlie and Vaggie lowered their heads. Valentino smirked from the shadows.  “What are we going to do?” Vaggie asked.

Alastor glanced at his shadow grinning behind him. He smiled and put his arm around Charlie’s shoulders. “I might be able to help.”

“Really? How!?” Charlie asked, gripping Alastor’s lapels, and making Lucifer seethe.

“I have my ways of putting Valentino in his place. But first, I’m going to need you to do something. Remember that deal we made?” Alastor asked.

Valentino’s eyes grew wide, as did Lucifer’s. “YOU MADE A DEAL!? WITH HIM!?” Lucifer cried.

“Uh, yes,” Charlie said.

Alastor reveled in Lucifer’s panicked rage. “Yo-you made a deal! With an Overlord! With THAT Overlord! Wha-ah-WHY DIDN’T YOU DO ANYTHING TO STOP THIS!?” he gabbed Vaggie’s shoulders.

“I-I tried! But-…” Vaggie stammered.

“Oh, calm down. Charlie still owns her soul,” Alastor said, patting Charlie on the head and flattening her unruly hair.

“He had information about how to kill the Angels and we agreed that in exchange for that, I’d do him a favor,” Charlie said.

“Yes. And once you’ve done that favor, I’ll be able to stop Valentino from ever harming Angel or anyone else ever again,” Alastor said, clutching Charlie around the shoulders and steering her down the hall.

Valentino pressed his back against the wall, stifling a squeak as they walked past him. Lucifer barreled after them and yelled: “HOLD ON! What’s this favor?!”

“That’s between Charlie and I,” Alastor said, his shadow about to engulf them both when Lucifer slammed his staff down. The apple shaped pommel startled Alastor’s shadow back under his feet.

“Anything you can tell Charlie, you can tell the rest of us,” Lucifer said, standing in front of them as Vaggie stood behind.

Alastor grimaced, lip curling as Vaggie and Lucifer stood their ground. “Charlie,” he said. “How badly do you want to help Angel?”

“More than anything,” Charlie said.

“Then do me one small favor, and I’ll be able to remove Valentino from the equation…” his eyes turned to dials, and the static on his voice became thicker. “Permanently.”

Valentino gasped, fingers gripping the wallpaper behind him.

Charlie’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, permanently?”

“What do you think?” Alastor asked, venom dripping from his mouth.

Charlie pulled away from him. “You said if we made this deal, no one would get hurt.”

“No, I said you wouldn’t have to hurt anyone.”

“Forget it, Alastor! I’m not letting you kill Valentino!” Charlie snapped.

 “WHAT!?” Lucifer and Vaggie cried in unison.

“Look, Valentino’s a pain and he’s not making any progress, but he hasn’t hurt anyone…at the hotel,” Charlie said.

“But you think he isn’t going to try!?” Lucifer said.

“He’s right, Charlie,” Vaggie said. “There’s no way someone like Valentino’s gonna keep up this whole redemption shtick forever.”

Charlie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Angel said himself that attacking Valentino would just make the other Vees attack the hotel. And we don’t need to lose anymore souls to war.” She glanced at the portrait of Sir Pentious mounted on the wall.

“If it’s Vox you’re worried about, I can handle him just fine,” Alastor said. Valentino snarled as Alastor added: “Even better if we finish our deal.”

Charlie sighed. “Look, we’ll keep trying to get through to Val, but…if things start to get dire…if he oversteps the boundaries we put in place for Angel’s sake…then…and only then…will I do your favor.”

Alastor’s smile grew and his teeth glowed as the lights in the hallway flickered. Lucifer and Vaggie looked at each other will solemn understanding. Valentino stayed in the shadows, trembling as the group walked back into the lobby.

“MOTHER OF FUCK!!!!!!!” Vox shrieked, voice distorting as he blasted electricity at a photo of Alastor and burned it to a crisp. 

Velvette and Valentino sat on the conference table, watching Vox frantically pace back and forth as red venom dripped out of his mouth. “HE MADE A DEAL WITH THE PRINCESS!!! Aha-of fucking course he did! Because of course he had to be several steps ahead!!!”

“Vox, calm down. You saw it yourself. The King of Hell isn’t as powerful as people think he is,” Velvette said.

“Alastor didn’t make a deal with him, Velvette, he made a deal with his daughter,” Vox said, bending over the table like he was about to pass out.

“And what makes you think she’d be any stronger than her old man?” Velvette asked. “There’s nothing either of them could do that would make Alastor a threat to our empire.”

“Alastor knows the Morningstars aren’t as powerful as everyone thinks,” Vox said, controlled and firm, but the whirring of his eye proved he was barely holding it together. “But they’re obviously powerful enough for him to have made a deal with one of them. If the Princess makes good on that deal, who knows how powerful he’ll become!? We’ll be fucked! We’ll be SO FUCKED!!!”

Vox’s head jittered around as his circuits sparked. Valentino and Velvette exchanged worried looks. Vox pressed a button on the remote and watched the scene play out on the screen behind him. “If it’s Vox you’re worried about, I can handle him just fine,” Alastor said as his image glitched. Vox cackled and slid down to the floor. “Ahahahaha, we’re so fucking fucked…”

He rewound the tape and listened to Alastor taunt him over and over again. Valentino stood up and yanked the remote out of Vox’s hand. Onscreen, Charlie said: “Look, we’ll keep trying to get through to Val, but…if things start to get dire…if he oversteps the boundaries we put in place for Angel’s sake…then…and only then…will I do your favor.”

“Ah! There, see?” Velvette said, waving her finger. “So long as Valentino keeps playing along with their redemption shit, we have nothing to worry about!”

The sound of a lightbulb dinging burst from Vox’s speakers. His head slowly turned until it was completely facing behind him. Valentino stared at him, still holding the remote. “Uh, yeah! As long as I play along, we’ll be fine.”

Vox stood and his body spun around to the same direction as his face. He strode towards Valentino, seized his fur, and pulled him down so their faces were almost touching. “Val,” he said, eyes wide and manic with a barely concealed paranoia in his otherwise calm voice. “Are you actually going to play along?”

“Uh, yeah,” Valentino said. “That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“You’ve been antagonizing them,” Vox said, the nervousness crackling through his speech.

“Okay, but I still go to their stupid lessons…”

“And you’ve pissed them off enough that Charlotte might make a deal with Alastor,” Vox said, mania crackling through his composed façade.

“Look, Vox, if you’re really worried, why don’t we just blow up the hotel or something? We’ve got our own weapons, we could just grab Angel, kill Alastor and everyone else, and move on with our lives,” Valentino said.

“As far as the public is concerned, we have no reason to attack the hotel,” Vox said, electricity sparking off his head and making Valentino’s fur stand up. “Picking a fight with them right after we got the public to see us in a benevolent light is just gonna make us look bad!”

“Vox, I...”

“You what, Val? You wanna just go over there and blow the place up because that’s how you deal with all your problems!?” Vox tightened his grip. “Picking a fight with the hotel because of Alastor or Angel is going to make us look pathetic and desperate and I can’t have anyone thinking that Alastor was right about me!”

Valentino and Velvette blinked. Vox shuddered, trying to recompose himself. “Look, I know being at the hotel isn’t fun for you and all you want is to get Angel back, but if you give a damn about this company, you’ll bite your tongue and actually try to be agreeable for once.”

Valentino stared into Vox’s wavering eyes. He pouted, glancing to the side, but he sighed and said: “You know I’d do anything for you, Vox.”

Vox’s features softened and his grip released. “Good…good.” He clutched Valentino’s arms to stabilize himself. Valentino slipped his arms under Vox’s and pulled him into a hug. Vox shuddered, clutching Valentino. “Thanks…Val.”

Valentino petted Vox’s back. “Of course.”

In the hotel gymnasium, Angel shakily spun around on the pole. He had thrown up in the toilet not five minutes before, but he refused to sit in his room and cry about it. It was past midnight and everyone else was asleep already, including Fat Nuggets, who thankfully hadn’t awoken from the sound of Angel vomiting. The pig squealing and fretting over him would’ve been too much to bear right now. He took a swig of water and went to the pole, barely able to hold onto it.

He snarled. He was sick of this! Not just the withdrawal symptoms, but everything that got him in this situation in the first place. His shitty fucking family, the drug addiction that led to his death, and then bumping into Valentino.

It burned Angel looking back at all their interactions together. Everything that seemed sweet and loving in the moment looked sinister and devious in hindsight. But Angel was desperate for someone to love him, and Valentino was the only one who gave him the adoration he craved. So, when Valentino was off shooting his movies without him, Angel started to get lonely.

One day, he finally dared to sneak into the studio. Valentino was sitting back in his chair, arms folded, as he watched a pink demon chick with blue horns and three eyes deep throat the cock of a large, muscular, green minotaur cyclops. Angel watched awestruck as the minotaur gyrated, grunting and shouting expletives. It took him back to all the times he’d given Valentino head. He caught Valentino cross his legs, foot tapping impatiently as the pink demon sucked frantically. Angel tiptoed forward and tripped over a cord. He screamed and tumbled into a light. Someone had grabbed it before anything could happen, but Valentino stood up and screamed: “CUT!!! Who the FUCK just-!?”

Angel looked up at Valentino, trembling under the moth’s height. Valentino blinked. “Anthony!? What are you doing here?”

Angel scrambled to his feet. “I-I just...” Everyone was staring. He blushed and said in a small voice: “I missed you.”

Valentino flushed and pulled Angel off to the side. “Take five and reset!” he barked at the crew and cast. As everyone shuffled, Valentino backed Angel into a corner. Angel had thought nothing of it in the moment; he had just interrupted the shoot, of course Valentino was frustrated. He hadn’t started hitting Angel by this point, so Angel didn’t expect any physical violence, just chastisement. “Anthony, baby, you know I love you, but I can’t have you here while I’m working.”

“Why not?” Angel asked.

“Because I don’t need you distracting me,” Valentino said with a voice so sickly sweet it should’ve been obvious how condescending it was.

“I won’t distract you! Promise!” Angel said.

“Really?” Valentino asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head toward the light Angel knocked into.

Angel gulped. “I won’t bump into nothin’ no more. M-maybe I could sit with you.” He looked down at his feet as his face heated up.

Valentino’s mouth twisted in thought. “I suppose if you’re close by I can keep an eye on you.”

Angel chuckled and Valentino ran his fingers through Angel’s hair. “Just promise to be quiet, okay?”

“Okay,” Angel said.

Valentino wrapped an arm around Angel’s shoulders and led him back to the set. “Everyone, this is my friend, Anthony,” Valentino introduced. The fact that he’d been introduced as Valentino’s friend rather than boyfriend had given Angel pause, but he figured Val was just trying to be professional. Now he knew Valentino wanted to seem available to his other employees and the memory made Angel’s stomach knot. “He’s gonna sit and watch.”

No one seemed fazed by this. Valentino snapped his fingers and said: “Alright, take it from the top!” He pulled Angel onto the chair with him, and Angel snuggled up nice and cozy as Val yelled: “Action!”

“Oh, Terrance,” the pink demon cooed in a sultry voice. “I never thought I’d see you like this!” She gestured to his naked body.

“This is the real me, baby, all natural!” Terrance said, gesturing to his form. “You wanna taste?” His hands landed at his cock.

The pink demon bit her lip. “I’m not sure. This is so sudden.” She turned away and Terrance seized her jaw, forcing them face to face. “We-we shouldn’t. You’re my boss, and I’m just your lowly unpaid intern.”

“I can pay you…in cum,” Terrance growled darkly.

“Oh!” the pink demon moaned, squeezing her legs together and clutching Terrance’s pectorals. “That would be the best payment of all!”

“Then get on your knees, Bethany, and show me how good you are at your work,” Terrance said, pushing Bethany down by the head.

Bethany obeyed and immediately began sucking him off. Angel squirmed, still imagining Valentino’s cock in his mouth. He snaked his arms around Valentino and buried his cheek in Val’s neck fur. He breathed in the smell of him, that strawberry scented smoke that clung to him even when he didn’t have a cigarette in hand. Angel pressed his body into Valentino and Valentino squeezed an arm around him. Angel squeaked and Val shushed him.

Smiling, Angel glanced back at the actors. He imagined himself in Bethany’s place, sucking off a mountain of a man who was pushing his face deeper into his groin. He noticed the dark eye shadow Bethany was wearing, the way her body shimmered in the studio lights. Angel thought back to his life on Earth, watching the Rockettes perform and envying their sparkly dresses and long, beautiful legs. He remembered watching the first movies in theaters and dreaming of performing in them one day. The idea of performing in a movie where he got to have sex, with Valentino watching him the whole time, made his whole body buzz with excitement.

Angel blinked, thinking. “H-hey, Val,” he whispered.

“Shh,” Val hissed.

“V-Val, I-.”

Valentino clamped his hand over Angel’s mouth. Feeling Valentino’s hand squeezing his mouth shut just sent Angel into a frenzy. His hand was warm and strong, and his long fingers massaged his lips in just the right way to feel like a kiss.

Onset, Terrance roared as he climaxed. “OH! Bethany,” he said, hoarse. “I’ll have to use your services again sometime.”

Bethany giggled and licked the cum off her lip.

“Okay, cut! Reset for a close up on his dick,” Valentino said. His grip on Angel released as everyone went about their business.

“Hey, Val?” Angel asked.

Valentino groaned. “What, Anthony?” he asked, barely concealing his annoyance through a grin.

Angel looked at the set. “Can-can I do this?”

Valentino stared. “Do what?”

“This!” Angel gestured at the set. “Porn! Can I act in your movies?”

Valentino blinked. “You…really?”

“Yeah! I mean, you know I’ve always wanted to act. This way I could live out that dream…” he blushed. “And you and I could spend more time together.”

Valentino stared, taking this in, then a grin sprouted across his face that showed each and every jagged tooth. He patted Angel’s head and said: “Why don’t you sit in my office, and we can discuss this when I’m done with the shoot?”

Angel blinked. “Oh, o-okay!”

Valentino winked at him and stood from his chair. “Okay, Buffalo Bulge, Sweet ‘n’ Low, some notes!” he said to Terrance and Bethany’s actors.

Angel rushed into Valentino’s office upstairs and sat in one of the plush chairs. He kicked his feet and looked around at the heart covered wallpaper. He’d snuck into Val’s office to have sex a few times and he could still see some cum stains on the shag carpet. He smiled, imagining all the things he’d get to do in the movies…assuming Val was really going to let him do it.

The door opening startled Angel out of his thoughts and Valentino slipped languidly into the office. “So, Anthony, you want to be a porn star,” he said, closing the door behind him.

“Yes! I mean, if you’re okay with it…” Angel said, blushing and looking away.

“Of course, I’m okay with it,” Valentino said, voice thick with sticky sweetness.

“R-really!?” Angel said, looking up as Valentino plopped down on his swivel chair.

“Anthony, you know I want you to be happy,” Valentino said, his toothy grin sharp and glistening.

Angel bought his bullshit and smiled. His face fell when Valentino said: “But, obviously, I can’t just give you a role! You need to audition first.”

“R-right! Yeah! I can do that,” Angel said.

Valentino hummed. “Good boy. Now,” he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a rolled-up script. “We’re gonna be working on this next week. I wanna see you play the Billy role.” He tossed the script Angel’s way and pulled out another script to read.

Angel looked over the script briefly before clearing his throat. “Oh, Cousin Ricky!” Angel squealed, twirling his hair around his finger. “Why have you brought me to your room?”

“Well, Billy,” Valentino read. “I’ve seen you at all our family gatherings, but I never got to know you on a…deeper level.” His voice dropped low and dangerous.

Angel shuddered, curling into his seat. “Deeper!? You don’t mean???”

“Oh, but I do,” Valentino snarled, leaning forward.

Angel bit his lip and rolled over, pressing his stomach against the chair and arching his back. “But we can’t! We’re cousins! It’s forbidden!” He let his hair fall over one of his eyes and used the exposed one to gaze up innocently at Val.

Valentino spread his legs and bent over. “Well, you know what they say: ‘Cum is thicker than water.’”

Angel suppressed a chuckle. “Well, I can’t argue with that logic.”

He let his loose shirt droop, exposing his shoulder. He had hoped, at the time, that Valentino would rip the shirt off and start banging him right then and there. Instead, Valentino leaned back and said: “Now show me what you’ve got.”

Angel blinked, glancing over the script to see where Val was, only to realize Val was speaking as himself. “You already know what I got. You see it every night.”

“I get see you in close up,” Valentino said, gyrating in his chair. “But I have to see how you do in a wide shot.”

“Oh, right. That makes sense,” Angel said. He glanced over the script one more time before setting it down. He paused and said: “Uh, how am I gonna do this with no scene partner?”

“You’ve got extra arms, don’t you?” Valentino asked.

Angel laughed. “Right.” He let his third set of arms come out and used them to push his legs apart. He used his middle set of hands to pin down his top set as his lower arms pulled down his panties. His penis popped out and he used one of his bottom hands to grip it. “Oh!” he whined, stroking it.

Valentino watched intently as Angel fondled himself. Angel could hear Valentino’s groans and grunts as he shifted in his seat. While it was happening, Angel imagined it was Valentino fucking him, and relished in his lover getting off to what he was watching. Now, Angel’s stomach lurched at the thought of Valentino writhing at the sight of Angel getting fucked.

Angel’s body lurched. He released one of his upper hands so he could use it to grab his hair and the free middle arm helped hold his legs open. His voice crackled on something between a whine and a scream as his back arched and he felt himself ready to cum. His groans were in synch with Val’s and he still remembered feeling himself ejaculate right as Valentino orgasmed. Their moans blended into each other as Valentino raggedly launched himself at Angel to wrap his long, snake of a tongue around Angel’s cock and clean off the cum.

Angel whined and trembled as Valentino finished. “You’re so fucking perfect,” Valentino said, voice raw and hoarse. He grabbed Angel by the back of his head and stuck his tongue down Angel’s throat. The memory of sheer rapture Angel felt at the time made Angel presently want to vomit.

When Valentino pulled his tongue out, Angel stammered: “S-so, am uh-am I in?”

Valentino smiled. “I’ll draw up the contract.”

Angel smiled and deflated into the chair as Valentino rushed to his desk. Gripping the pole, Angel remembered watching Valentino furiously scribbling on a glowing piece of paper. On the office chair, Angel asked: “What’s all that for?”

Valentino finished with a flourish and waltzed over to Angel, contract in hand. “It’s just something to make sure you and I are both getting what we need out of this arrangement. You’ll get all the luxuries of being a porn star so long as you’re in my hands.”

“In your hands?” Angel laughed, at the time thinking Val was making a sex joke.

“You’re my employee, I effectively own you now. And to make sure that you’re securely a member of my studio, you have to sign over your soul,” Valentino said, leaning down and presenting Angel with the contract and a pen.

Angel blinked, staring at the golden piece of paper. He saw a place for him to sign his name. “That’s alright by you, isn’t it?” Valentino asked. “If I own your soul?”

Angel gazed up into Valentino’s huge red eyes. They seemed so soft, sympathetic even. His smile seemed so gentle. Angel smiled, softly, taking the pen, and said: “It’s fine by me. You already own my heart.”

Valentino’s expression shifted to something more devious as Angel wrote down his old name with a tiny heart next to it. Once he’d pulled the pen away from the paper, he dropped it on the floor as he felt a pang in his chest. He clutched at his body as he felt his insides shrivel and hollow out. Hacking and coughing. He doubled over as Valentino’s smoke writhed around his neck and formed a chain. Valentino cackled, yanking the chain so Angel was facing him, and the memory made Angel feel like a fool for not seeing the reality of the situation.

“Ahahaha! Oh, Anthony,” Valentino said, meeting Angel’s gaze. Angel blinked as Valentino pocketed the contract. “You’re going to need a stage name.”

Angel’s head tilted to the side, he was still wrung out and worn. “Uh, huh?”

“Look, Anthony’s a fine name and all, but you need something for porn. Something like: Miss Mary Rack, Penis Colada, CoCoCaine…”

As Valentino rattled off various suggestive names, Angel latched onto the one’s relating to drugs. His mind wandered to one drug in particular, one that he had a special fondness for. “Angel Dust.”

Valentino paused, eyes flying open wide, and he stared at Angel. “I-Is that a good name? Angel Dust?”

Valentino’s smile slithered across his face as he bent down to cup Angel’s face in his hand. “It’s perfect,” he said, voice smokey and sultry. Angel beamed. “Welcome to the job, Angel Dust,” Valentino said, letting his tongue slip between Angel’s teeth.

Angel banged his head against the pole, causing his head to throb as his brain rattled around in his skull.” GAH! FUCK!” he clamped his hand over his mouth, knowing that if anyone heard him, they’d rush downstairs to check on him, and talking to people was the last thing he wanted right now.

He seethed, bending over as he felt himself about to wretch. How could he have been so stupid!? It was so clear in hindsight what a monster Valentino was. How did Angel let himself be blinded by love?

Angel trembled and cried, feeling the hollow part of his soul so viscerally it made him even sicker. He gripped his hand around his mouth, pressing his palm deep into his lips to stop from screaming and dug his nails into the sides of his face. He would’ve given anything for a drink, something to numb the pain. He knew Husk was upstairs by now. He could easily go to the bar and grab a drink, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from chugging the whole bottle and he knew Husk took inventory every morning.

Angel’s free hand clutched the pole to keep him steady as he crumbled to his knees. His lower arms wrapped around his waist, and he nearly whipped out his third set to scratch and claw at his legs when he felt his hand brush against the coke bag he had stored in his body.

Angel’s eyes flew open, and he shakily sat up. His fingers gripped the bag and Angel looked around the gym, making sure no one was there. Gingerly, he opened the bag and scooped out some powder with two of his fingers. He closed his hand around the powder, cupping it as he pulled his arm out into the open. He lifted his hand to his face and stared down at the coke in his hand. Angel blinked, closing his hand enough that the powder formed into a line, then he used one of his hands to close one of his nostrils and bent down to snort.

The coke hit his system immediately, releasing a wave of ecstasy and relief he had been longing for the whole week. “Oh!” he moaned, dragging his nose across his hand to snort every last grain. He rubbed his face into his hand, desperate, practically licking the excess off, and cackled in sheer joy. “Ah!” he breathed in, pushing his hair back, finally feeling free from the pain that had been crushing him this whole time. The weight of everything lifted off his chest and he puffed it out, letting the air conditioner ruffle his chest fluff and making his whole body tingle.

His eyes shot open as horror set in. He had just done drugs again.

 Angel pulled his hand away from his hair and it fell back in his face. He felt his eyes widen to the point where it stretched his skin. He felt his bones rattle as he scrambled to clutch the pole with all hands. He looked around him. No one was there, thankfully, but the isolated feeling was rapid fire.

He couldn’t tell anyone. Charlie would be disappointed, as would everyone else at the hotel. The thought of Husk scowling at him for caving to his addition stung and Angel gripped the pole tighter. Cherri wouldn’t be disappointed, but she would be smug. She told him so and all that. He’d never hear the end of it about how he should’ve done drugs to get through all this in the first place and this whole redemption stuff is a waste of time. And Valentino, he would eat this shit up! That he was right about Angel being addict trash. A pathetic, desperate whore who couldn’t control himself and just kept getting worse and worse every day.

Angel stared at the door, knowing that no one was going to come in and see him, and knowing that, if he wanted to stay in their good graces, they could never see him.

Chapter Text

The first thing Husk saw when he woke up was the picture of Angel he had on his night stand. It was actually a picture of the two of them sitting at the bar, but Husk had folded himself out of the picture. Groggily, Husk stared at the big, goofy grin on Angel’s face and couldn’t help but smile.

He rose from his bed, knocking some empty beers bottles onto the floor as he did, and trudged to the bathroom. The only thing that compelled him to go down to work was knowing he’d get to eventually see Angel…also Alastor would crucify him if he didn’t do his work.

He took a swig of Jack Daniel, gargled it, and spat it into the sink. He stared up at himself; his expression was as grumpy and dejected as ever. He noticed just how dark the bags were under his eyes, how deep the creases around his mouth were, and worst of all, how damn furry he was. He growled, exposing his piss yellow teeth, and shuffled out of his room.

At the bar, he spent his time cleaning glasses as Charlie tried to explain to Valentino why he shouldn’t make everything about sex.

“Look, I know you guys are prudes, but this is ridiculous! Come on, you’re telling me you two never have sex?” Valentino asked, pointing between Charlie and Vaggie.

“That’s none of your busine-!” Vaggie started.

“Of course, we have sex!” Charlie said. Vaggie turned bright red as Charlie continued: “But that doesn’t mean we need to make a sexual comment about everything.”

Valentino seethed, about to blow up, until he looked down at his chest. His rage was still bubbling, but he restrained himself enough to say: “Look, Princesa, in case you’ve forgotten, I’m the Overlord of Porn. I’m going to talk about sex, that’s kind of my thing.” He spoke through gritted teeth and his fake smile crawled up high enough into his eyes that he was squinting.

“Alright,” Charlie said, with an equally restrained fury. “But you could do with toning it down just a bit.”

Valentino trembled like a pot about to boil over. “Ffffffffffffffine!” he strained, hands curling into claws.

“Okay,” Charlie said. “So, when someone sings ‘She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain’, you say…”

Valentino bit his lip, snarling. His eyes watered as he barely squeaked out: “Apparently not that she should be cumming in the mountain…”

Charlie raised her thumbs up and the two of them glared daggers at each other.           

Husk groaned. He set the glass aside and picked up another one. Once Valentino’s session had ended, he went upstairs, and Angel came down. Charlie was so preoccupied with figuring out lessons for Valentino that she had spent Angel’s sessions focusing on that. Not that it mattered much, Angel had been clean for a few months now and as far as Husk was concerned, already leagues better than anyone in the shithole they called home.

Husk had whipped up a Bloody Mary for Cherri and handed Angel a glass of water.

“Gotta give the Princess somethin’,” Cherri said, watching Charlie work. “She’s got drive.”

“Yeah,” Husk said. He stared at Angel, watching the way the rim of the glass slide between his lips. His cheeks flushed and legs trembled as he watched Angel gulp down water.

“Do you think Val’s getting’ any better?” Cherri asked.

Husk groaned, tearing his eyes away from Angel. “Hard to say. He seems less combative these days, but I wouldn’t say he’s really changed.”

Cherri downed her Bloody Mary, leaving a drop of liquid at the bottom as she set her glass down. Angel stared at the red-orange liquid as Cherri said: “Fuckin’ prick. I didn’t expect him to get better in a couple of weeks, but how long is this supposed to take?!”

“Well, you know. Habits are hard to kick,” Angel said, setting his empty glass down in front of Cherri’s. “But, hey! At least he’s makin’ some progress, right?”

Cherri sighed. “I guess. Just wish he’d make it faster.” She rested a hand on Angel’s shoulders and Angel crumbled.

“Like you said, Princess is determined,” Husk said. “She helped Angel get clean, who’s to say she can’t teach Valentino to behave?”

Angel slid the glass closest to Cherri toward himself, hand covering the bottom of the glass, and Cherri said: “She better. Or I’ll have to teach him myself.” She cracked her knuckles as Angel lifted the glass to his mouth, covering the underside with his hand as he thrust his tongue inside to lap up the remaining liquid.

“No need to get violent,” Husk said, taking Cherri’s clear, empty glass.

“Tch. Y’all are no fun,” Cherri said, folding her arms as Angel finished off his drink and handed the empty glass to Husk. Husk smiled as Angel licked the corner of his mouth and took the glasses to the sink.

“Well, it’s been nice chattin’, but I should hit the hay,” Angel said.

“Fuckin’ hell, bitch, it’s not even 8 o’clock yet!” Cherri said, pointing at the clock on the wall.

“Yeah, well, all this talk about Valentino has worn me out,” Angel said, folding his arms.

Cherri slumped. “I get it.” She stood up to give Angel a hug and he wrapped all four of his arms around her.

Angel glanced at Husk before heading upstairs. “Night,” he said.

“Sweet dreams,” Husk smiled.

Angel’s cheeks turned bright pink and he walked away. Cherri turned to Husk with an unimpressed expression and said: “So when are you gonna tap that?”

“What!?” Husk asked, fur standing on end.

“Ah, don’t play dumb!” Cherri said. “You’re obsessed with Angie! I see the way you look at him.”

Husk wrapped his wings around himself, defensive. “I don’t look at him any special way.”

“Yes, you do,” Nifty said.

Husk jumped. “Were you there the whole fucking time!?”

Nifty giggled, sipping a cocktail that Husk never remembered making.

Cherri asked Nifty how she got around so quickly, and Nifty divulged in all the secret passageways she’d found in the hotel. Husk stepped back, cleaning glasses and trying to ignore them. He looked upstairs, imagining Angel getting into his pajamas, and sighed.

The night droned on. Cherri migrated to the lounge to chat with Vaggie for a bit, then left to go out clubbing. Everyone else went to sleep and Husk was left alone at the bar. There had been times over the past several months that Husk would stay up late waiting for Angel to come home, but tonight, Angel was safe and sound up in his room. At least, he was physically safe. Husk remembered Angel’s eagerness at the idea that Valentino was making any progress, and Husk wanted to believe it was true. Angel’s progress had given him renewed hope that change was possible, but the moth was a stubborn prick and only seemed to be playing nice, not being nice.

Husk looked up at the clock. It was nearly midnight. Husk yawned and tossed his towel onto the counter. He held out his hands, the yellow hearts on his palm glowing, and he magically dimmed the lights. He walked to the staircase and nearly set foot on the first step when the staircase dissolved into a sea of static and Husk found himself standing on flat ground.

Husk groaned as he heard Alastor say: “Ah! Husker! I see you’re not busy with anything.”

Husk snarled. “I was going to bed.”

“You look famished!” Alastor said, ignoring Husk’s response and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He ushered Husk past his fireplace where a victrola record was playing jazz music. Husk shuffled along as Alastor led him from the normal hotel part of his bedroom, into the added-on swamp area. Husk grimaced at the dead elk laying on Alastor’s dinning table. “Would you like a slice?”

Husk glowered. “I’ll pass.”

“Well, I insist you have some tea,” Alastor said, pouring Husk a cup.

“I’m good, thanks,” Husk said, holding up a hand.

Alastor’s eyes turned to dials and the lights in the room began to dim. “I insist,” Alastor said as his antlers began to sprout. Husk quaked as Alastor’s neck extended. “After all, you’ve been looking rather stressed lately.”

Husk took the teacup from Alastor and took a sip. Alastor’s face and body returned to normal as Husk said: “I am getting worried about Valentino.”

“Ah, yes. Our newest patron. He certainly is a handful, isn’t he?” Alastor said, sauntering back into the hotel portion of his room.

Husk followed, noticing a slight, unnatural pause in the music playing, but didn’t think much of it. “He’s arguing a lot less with the Princess, but he hasn’t exactly started being a better person. It feels like he’s finally starting to play along, but I’m worried he won’t keep it up after a while.”

“Oh, Husk, of course he won’t,” Alastor said, plainly. Husk scowled. “You know how Sinners are. They always give into their worst impulses. Valentino will play nice if he thinks he’ll win Angel back, but the moment he realizes he can’t, he’ll be done with the redemption game altogether.”

Husk sighed. “I just want Angel to be safe…”

Alastor leaned casually against his desk and said: “I know you’re worried about your boyfriend, Husk…”

Husk froze, the teacup slipped from his hand and nearly crashed on the floor until Alastor’s shadow caught it. “Wh-NO! He’s not-! I mean, we’re not…he’s not my boyfriend! He’s just…he’s important to me…” he looked away, cheeks bright red.

Alastor stared at him, raising an eyebrow. “Well, whatever he is to you, you have nothing to fear. Angel can handle himself…”

“He shouldn’t have to,” Husk said, quietly, wings drooping.

“Aw! You care for him,” Alastor said, scratching Husk’s ears. Husk snarled and clawed Alastor’s hand away. Alastor glared at Husk and continued: “Easy, kitty. You know I have a plan for when things go downhill.”

Husk looked up, the music pausing awkwardly again before continuing. “You mean the Princess breaking your contract?”

“Yes. Once Valentino gives up on trying to feign atonement, Charlie will have no choice but to hold up our end of the deal. And once that happens, I’ll regain my full power and take him down,” Alastor said, antlers sprouting.

“You heard Lucifer,” Husk said. “Only the person who made the deal can break it.”

“Charlie may not be the one to own my soul, but she’s Lilith’s daughter and therefore in her bloodline,” Alastor said, adjusting the cufflinks on his sleeve.

“You sure that’s gonna be enough?” Husk asked.

“Of course I’m sure!” Alastor said, jovial.

The music paused and started again. Alastor turned to look at the victrola. “Hmm, the needle must be wearing down.”

“Look, Boss,” Husk said, snapping Alastor’s attention back to him. “What if the Princess can’t actually break your contract? Do you have a backup plan for how to stop Valentino if he takes things too far?”

Radio static buzzed around Alastor’s head as he twitched. “Of course, I do…”

“Then what is it?” Husk asked.

Alastor’s lip curled and he said: “I don’t have to tell you everything, Husker.”

“You literally tell me everything! I know more about you than anyone in this joint,” Husk spat.

Alastor snarled.

“You don’t have a back-up, do you?”

“This plan will work, Husker, trust me.”

Husk groaned. “Alastor, look, I know you want to regain your power, I get it, I’d do anything to get it all back too, but you’ve nearly died twice from getting struck by Angelic weapons; the first time’s the whole reason you made that deal with Lilith in the first place. I think it’s starting to take a toll on you, physically and mentally.”

Alastor buzzed as he forced his perma-smile to grow wider. “What are you getting at, Husk?”

Husk knew he was putting his foot in his mouth, but it had to be said: “You don’t have your shit together like you used to. And I don’t think you’ve really thought this through enough.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed and before Husk could process it, he was yanked back and collided with the wall. Alastor’s shadow gripped his arms, holding him down, as Alastor approached.

“After all this time, Husker, you still haven’t learned how to stop yourself when you’re going to far.” Alastor’s eyes had turned to dials and the lights in the room began to flicker.

Husk struggled against Alastor’s shadow. He trembled as Alastor finally stopped in from of him. “Look, I’m just concerned about you.”

“No, you’re concerned about Angel. Which is why you should trust that I’ll be able to fix things once they go south. Unless, of course, you have an idea of how to save your little lovebug from Valentino’s clutches?”

Husk’s expression melted; the look of fear replaced with a look of remorse. He bowed his head.

Alastor chuckled. “That’s what I thought. Now…” he plucked one of Husk’s feathers and Husk yelped in pain. “Would you care to rephrase your statement?”

He pointed the feather’s calamus at Husk’s eye and Husk flinched as Alastor jabbed it at him, never quite reaching his eye but getting close. Alastor’s shadow gripped Husk tighter. “Augh, urgh! You’re-you’re not losing it. You-you’ve got your shit together.” Alastor jabbed at Husk’s other eye and Husk turned his head away to avoid it. “You’re in control.” Alastor began jabbing the calamus all around Husk’s face and body, making Husk writhe, and the shadow clamped down on his harder. “Gah! You know what you’re doing and you’re gonna save Angel from Valentino and get your full power back and dethrone Lucifer and rule Hell the way you believe it should be ruled!”

Alastor grinned. “See? Was that so hard?” He used the feather to tickle under Husk’s chin. Husk squeaked and Alastor chuckled. “Now, why don’t you run along. It’s getting late. You should already be in bed by now.”

Husk snarled as Alastor’s shadow released him. He marched to the door and threw it open, expecting to see the hallway but instead seeing his own bedroom. He turned around to see Alastor’s room had disappeared and was replaced by the hallway’s dim lighting. Husk groaned and went inside, closing the door behind him.

He didn’t bother to underdress, aside from tossing his hat to the side. He flopped onto his bed and grumbled. He held out his paw, yellow heart on his palm glowing, and he dimmed the lamp on his bedside table. His eyelids drifted shut and he wondered what his life would be like if he’d never met Alastor.

When he was in his early 20’s, Husk had joined a band playing saxophone. They traveled around the country, and around the late 1920’s landed in New Orleans. One of his bandmates had gotten them a spot to perform on a local radio show…Alastor’s radio show.

Husk still remembered the first time he met Alastor. Tall, tan, dark curly hair. He wore small, golden rim glasses, a red vest, and the biggest smile Husk had ever seen.

He introduced himself with a flourish of his hand: “Alastor! Pleasure to be meeting you, quite a pleasure.”

Husk took his hand to shake it and Alastor’s grip was just a little too firm. “You’re a smiley guy. Not hidin’ anything, are you?” Husk asked, half joking.

Alastor chuckled. “We all have our secrets, don’t we?”

Husk scrunched his nose. He didn’t trust Alastor as far as he could throw him. They played on his show, he gave them glowing praise that at least sounded genuine, and encouraged his audience to come see their show.

It was their biggest audience they’d even had! Husk insisted they celebrate by going to the casino, but his bandmates refused.

“I’m not letting you blow our hard-earned money just so you can play the slot machines, Henry,” the trumpeter snapped.

“I make us more money playin’ the slots then we make off of a single performance,” Husk said.

“You keep it all to yourself and spend it on booze!” the trumpeter said.

Husk groaned, still clutching his flask. “Look, you guys don’t wanna come to the casino, that’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You better be back before our next show, Henry!” the cellist called after him and he responded with a half-hearted wave.

The casino was packed, but Husk managed to elbow his way to the poker table. A beautiful young lady with curly blonde hair draped herself all over him when she saw he was winning and when he won, he used the money to buy them both drinks.

“What’s the secret to winnin’ those?” the pretty blonde asked, swirling her martini in it’s glass.

Husk chuckled. “Magic,” he said, wiggling his fingers.

She raised an eyebrow. “You’re kidding,” she said, dry.

“Not at all.” Husk pulled out his deck of cards. “I’ve been doin’ magic tricks since I was little. It’s come in handy plenty of times.”

“Oh! So, you cheated,” she said, pointedly, but she was smiling.

Husk bit his lip as he stared at her bright red lipstick. “You could say that.”

The beautiful lady chuckled, and Husk felt himself getting hard. “Have you ever gotten caught?”

“Had some close calls, but managed to get away with the goods before anyone figured it out,” Husk said.

The pretty blonde finished her drink and set it down on the bar counter. “So you’re good at magic tricks.” She leaned in, resting her arm on Husk’s upper thigh. “What other tricks are you good at?”

Husk felt his insides burning but he played it cool. He took her chin in his fingertips and pulled her in close. “If you come to my hotel room, maybe I can show you.”

She hummed and Husk pulled her in for a kiss. Before their lips could touch, he felt someone grab his collar and yank him away.

“Hey, scuzbag! You makin’ the moves on my dame?!” asked a brawny blonde man.

“What!? No, I-!” Husk stammered, but the lady stood up.

“I was just sitting her, drinkin’, and this brute came up and tried to force a kiss on me!” she cried, clutching her boyfriend’s bicep.

Husk stared at her for a moment, mouth agape, before his face turned into a scowl. “You lying little-!” Before he could finish his sentence, the boyfriend grabbed Husk by his shirt and pulled him up so they were eye level before punching him in the face.

Husk hit the ground hard and groaned, trying to push himself up, when the boyfriend pushed him down with his boot. He kicked Husk in the gut at least twice before the lying blonde said: “BARRY! Enough! You made your point.”

Husk hissed in pain, still mad but grateful she stepped in. Barry grabbed his partner and said: “Come on, Sylvia. We don’t want his dirty hands getting all over you.”

Husk looked down at the brown skin of his hands and growled, knowing exactly what that bastard meant by ‘dirty’. Once they’d walked away, Husk bought himself another beer and left.

Outside the casino was a forest, thick with dark, eerie trees, and Husk drunkenly walked right into one. He gulped down his beer as he trudged deeper into the thick fog and bramble. Stumbling over a rock, he stabilized himself against a tree trunk with his free hand. The trunk was smoother than he expected, and Husk let his body fall against it before throwing his arms around it’s thick frame. Husk may have wandered into the forest to get away from everyone, but the altercation in the casino only served to emphasis how lonely he was.

It wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to, people being dishonest and treating him like shit, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Husk sniffled, rubbing his face against the trunk to wipe the tears away. The fog began to clear and Husk almost missed the suffocating cloud blanketing him. He pushed himself off the trunk, shaking a little, when he heard something in the distance.

Husk stumbled away from the tree and wobbled through the woods until he could make out someone’s head. Squinting, he made out the dark curly hair and red vest he had seen earlier that day.

“Hah, ALASTOR!” Husk bellowed.

Alastor jolted, his body tensing as he turned to face Husk.

“Heh, what are you doin’ out here, man?” Husk asked, just managing to register that Alastor was smiling but his eyes were panicked. “You know, I pegged you for a creep, but I didn’t think you’d be lurkin’ around in the woods late at night. You’re not out here trying to bury a body are y-.”

Husk froze when he saw a bloody corpse lying in a ditch. Alastor was gripping a shovel with a pair of gray gloves on. There was a splatter of blood across his face with some visible on his white collared shirt and Husk imagined there was more on his vest, but it blended in with the red material.

The two men stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Husk tore his gaze from Alastor’s eyes for just long enough to see Alastor ready to lift his shovel. “Auh…” Husk stammered. When the shovel lifted from the ground, Husk stumbled back and blurted out: “Auh, you want me to stand guard!?”

Alastor’s expression went from panicked to confused.

“Uh, I mean, you obviously want to do your work in peace! I can make sure no one comes by!” Husk sputtered.

Alastor blinked. Husk felt the sweat drip down his forehead. “I can give you some privacy,” Husk said, turning his back and wondering if he’d regret that.

Alastor stared at the back of Husk’s head, lowering his shovel, then returned to his work. Husk gulped as he heard Alastor shovel dirt to cover the body. He looked around to make sure no one was there, then looked up to the heavens, hoping God and his angels weren’t watching them.

Alastor patted the dirt down, pocketed his gloves, then gripped Husk’s shoulder. Husk yelped and turned around. “Follow me,” Alastor said.

Husk obeyed, following Alastor to a river. He watched Alastor cover their tracks with the shovel as they walked and when they reached the water, Alastor used it to wash off his face and shirt. Husk watched, unsure of what to say or do. Once he’d finished cleaning the shovel, Alastor rose and looked Husk dead in the eyes. Husk trembled, feeling pinned in his place by Alastor piercing gaze.

“Thank you,” Alastor said.

Husk felt the wind knock out of him and coughed. “Ough, ah! O-of course!” Husk said.

Alastor’s seemingly permanent smile grew wider, crawling up his cheeks into his eyes and he wrapped an arm around Husk’s shoulders. “Let me return the favor.”

“Ah, oh! Uhm…” Before Husk could form a complete sentence, Alastor had already steered him away from the river and started leading him in the opposite direction.

On the outskirts of the forest were a row of modest sized homes. Alastor brought Husk into the one marked 666. He immediately sat Husk down in the kitchen and turned on the victrola record on the counter.

“With all that alcohol in your system, you must be starved!” Alastor exclaimed, rummaging through the fridge. “What would you like? Biscuits and gravy? Seafood broil? How about some jambalaya!? I can use the recipe my mother showed me!”

“Uhm…sure?” Husk said, not drunk enough to have no clue what Alastor was saying, but enough to be woozy.

He watched Alastor slice up salami with horrifying speed and accuracy. He swiftly added celery, bell peppers, onions, rice, and a variety of seasonings that Husk couldn’t catch sight of before Alastor used and discarded them in the cupboard. Husk glanced around the kitchen, terrified he’s see a severed hand sticking out of the cabinet or fridge. Thankfully, there was nothing of the sort (that Husk could see at least).

“It’s been a long day. I think I’d like a drink as well. How do you feel about rye?” Alastor asked, pulling the fridge open again.

“Uh, ‘s fine.” Husk shrugged.

Alastor poured them both a drink. He downed his first glass as he finished cooking, then poured himself another before ladeling the jambalaya into two bowls and sitting down at the table.

“So, Henry Husker, right?” Alastor asked, picking up a spoon. “What brought you into the woods?”

Husk gulped down his jambalaya, which was still a bit too hot, and said: “Booze.”

Alastor gave a good-hearted chuckle. “We all have our vices, don’t we?” He drank. “I don’t tend to drink often, but sometimes a man needs to take the edge off.”

Husk nodded, then started looking around the kitchen. “You live here yourself?”

Alastor finished his drink and poured himself another glass. “Ah, yes. Don’t really fancy anyone enough to get hitched.”

“One-night stands?”

Alastor sneered. “Not appealing.”

“Hmm.” Husk blew on his jambalaya and ate it. “This is pretty good.”

“Isn’t it!? Oh-ho! It’s my mother’s recipe. Quite a talent in the kitchen. An all-around lovely person, really,” Alastor beamed, scooping up some jambalaya and downing it in one gulp. He washed it down with another drink.

Husk smiled. “You two still close.”

Alastor’s smile didn’t fall, but his expression was pensive. “She died many years ago.”

Husk’s expression softened. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

Alastor sneered, gripping his spoon. He wobbled a bit, starting to get tipsy. “She was beaten to death by her husband.”

Husk blinked. “Uh…her husband…so I’m guessing he wasn’t your biological-.”

“No, he was…” Alastor said, glaring into his jambalaya and nearly bending the spoon in half from how tight he was gripping it. He began to lean over, and Husk could tell he was getting drunk.

“I’m sorry,” Husk said. “I’m guessing you don’t speak to him anymore.”

Alastor cackled wickedly, then wobbled a bit as he sat up. In the brightest tone possible he said: “Oh, no one can speak to him anymore.”

Husk gulped. “Did you…uh…you know?” He made a slicing motion across his neck and flinched at his own gesture.

Alastor hummed pleasantly and said: “Yes. Then I buried him by a pile of bear excrement. It’s all he deserved.”

Husk’s spoon slipped out of his hand and plopped into the jambalaya, splashing some on his shirt. Alastor noticed, swiped up his napkin, and began cleaning Husk off. Husk froze, unsure of what to say or do. Alastor wasn’t doing anything particularly invasive, he seemed genuinely concerned with cleaning Husk off. His rubbing accidentally caused the lose button on Husk’s shirt to come loose and his shirt opened to reveal part of his chest. Alastor continued to clean Husk up, either not noticing Husk’s chest or not caring. Ordinarily, Husk wouldn’t have minded a man cleaning him off just to casually undo the buttons of his shirt, but Alastor’s pension for murder made the interaction far more terrifying than erotic.

“Do you kill people often?” Husk found himself suddenly blurting out.

Alastor looked up at him, napkin paused over Husk’s heart, which began pounding in his chest. Inhaling sharply, Alastor sat back in his chair, wobbling a little, and said: “Only the ones who deserve it.”

Husk stared.

“The ones who can’t control their emotions. The ones who act on impulse and don’t even consider the consequences of their actions! They’re the scourge of the Earth and it burns me to watch them continue to exist…”

Husk felt a shiver run up his spine and he shuddered at the murderous look in Alastor’s eyes. “I mean…I guess I get it.”

“You do?” Alastor asked, swaying and tilting his head so much Husk thought it might snap off.

“Well, yeah. I mean…there’s definitely some assholes I’d like to see bite the dust sooner than later…” Husk growled, thinking back to the bastard that beat him in the casino and the bitch whose lies started the whole thing.

Alastor’s smile spread and his unnaturally pearly whites gleamed as he raised his utensil and said: “Would you like me to take care of them?”

Husk froze, staring at Alastor’s sinister expression, before glancing at his hand and asking: “With a spoon?”

Alastor’s expression snapped to something more neutral and he looked at the spoon he was holding, watching bits of jambalaya drip off it. He sputtered and began laughing hysterically. Husk stated to chuckle and joined along in the manic laughter. The two drunkenly laughed for what felt like ages before they completely forgot what they had been laughing about.

The night rolled on and the two men bonded. They both had a love fore music, booze, and a disdain for most people. Husk told Alastor about his life being raised in Vegas and how it started his love for cheesy magic shows. Alastor insisted Husk show him some tricks and Husk whipped out a card deck to show off. 

Between the two of them, Husk shared more of his life, but in his drunken state, bits of Alastor’s history came through.  Even with only fragments of information, Husk was good at reading people and managed to get a decent idea of who Alastor was: A damaged soul who didn’t trust easily but was nonetheless desperate for connection. After everything Husk had been through in his own life, he could relate.

Husk passed out on Alastor’s kitchen table and woke up the next morning lying on the couch. Alastor made him breakfast and they chatted some more. Alastor then dropped Husk off at his hotel on the way to work and Husk made a big show to his bandmates of getting back to them well before showtime.

After the band left Louisiana, Husk and Alastor stayed in touch through phone calls and postcards. A few years rolled on and Husk still traveled with the band. Whenever they landed in New Orleans, he’d meet up with Alastor and stayed at his place instead of at the hotel with his bandmates.

“Just make sure your boyfriend doesn’t keep you from coming to the shows, Henry!” the trumpeter told him as they set up in the venue.

Husk rolled his eyes. “He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t think he’s really into anybody.”

“Yeah, but you’re into everybody,” the cellist sneered, limping his wrist.

Husk glowered but said nothing.

Alastor had set up the couch for him to sleep on. During the day, they’d spend time together at Alastor’s radio station, and in the evenings while Husk was performing with the band, Alastor would be out ‘taking care’ of the scum of the Earth. Husk had long since gotten over his misgivings about Alastor’s murders. Enough people had pissed him off over the years that he didn’t feel compelled to stop him. If he came home early enough, and Alastor wasn’t around, they’d met up in the woods so Husk could stand watch while Alastor buried the body. When they got home, they’d drink and chat. Alastor would cook them food and Husk would keep them both entertained with magic tricks.

In the summer of 1933, Husk called Alastor to let him know he would be in New Orleans in a few days.

“I’ll meet you at the train station when you arrive,” Alastor said, jovial as ever.

“See you then,” Husk said.

When Husk stepped off the train, he looked around for Alastor, but he wasn’t there.

“Just come to the hotel with us,” the cellist said.

“He should be here…” Husk said, still looking around.

His bandmates left to check in at the hotel while Husk stayed behind. He sat at a bench and watched three trains come and go before accepting that Alastor wasn’t coming. He got a taxi to take him to the radio station, but Alastor wasn’t there either. Husk took the taxi to Alastor’s house. When Alastor didn’t answer the doorbell, Husk knocked, and when that didn’t work he used the key under the mat to open the door. The couch had been made up for Husk to sleep on and the fridge was stocked with food and booze. Alastor’s bedroom was empty, and no one was in the bathroom or backyard. Husk sat on the couch, staring at the front door, and becoming more and more unnerved by how deathly silent the house was.

It was nearly time to get to his performance, but Husk had been waiting for almost ten hours and Alastor still wasn’t home. Finally, Husk grabbed the phone and called the police.

“Hello? I’d like to report a missing person,” Husk said.

He gave the police Alastor’s name and a description of what he looked like. There was a brief silence before the officer responded and Husk felt his stomach drop as he heard: “Oh, him? He’s dead. Last night, a hunter saw him in the woods, thought he was a deer, and shot ‘im. One of my guys happened to be patrolling the area, heard the gunshot, and investigated. He had no living family that we could see and didn’t know he had any friends. Sorry.”

Husk slept on Alastor’s couch, choking down bottles of whiskey to numb the pain. He woke up late the next morning with a horrible hangover. He eventually wandered into the kitchen, expecting to see Alastor standing there with breakfast, and immediately broke down in tears when he remembered what happened.

He wiped his eyes, unsure of what to do next, when he heard a knock at the door. His bandmates were standing in the doorway, furious.

“You missed the show…” the trumpeter said.

Husk’s shoulders slumped. “Fuck…I-I’m sorry. But Alastor didn’t show up and I was worried a-and I called the police and they said he died!” he choked on fresh tears.

His bandmates looked at each other with mildly sympathetic expressions, when the cellist looked back at Husk and said: “Look, Henry, we’re sorry for your loss, but you shoulda just come to the hotel when he didn’t show up at the train station.”

Husk glared through his tears. “He told me he’d be there. I wanted to wait for him. And then when he didn’t show up I got worried…so you really expect me to just drop that and go with you guys?”

“We all came here to perform together, Henry,” the trumpeter said, stern. “Of course, we expected you to come with us!”

“I was gonna come to the show once Alastor showed up! How the fuck was I supposed to know he was gone?!”

“You still shoulda stuck with us,” the drummer said.

Husk snarled. “Why the fuck would I stay with you!? All you guys do is take the piss outta me for my dating life or when I go out gambling or drinking.”

“It’s ‘cause you’re a fuckin’ mess, Henry!” the pianist snapped.

 “And you guys are lousy fuckin’ friends!” Husk snapped.

“Is that why you’re always runnin’ off to gamble or bang some rando you meet at the casino instead of ever partyin’ with us?” the cellist asked, looking slightly offended.

“YES! Y’all always makin’ me feel like shit! Why the hell would I wanna spend any time with you!?” Husk roared.

“Well, if you hate spendin’ time with us so much, maybe you should just quit the band!” the trumpeter said.

“FINE! I QUIT!” Husk screamed.

His bandmates stared at him, a tinge of hurt in their eyes as they scowled at him. “Goodbye, Henry,” the trumpeter said, and with that, Husk’s former bandmates walked away.

Husk sat in Alastor’s empty house for another few days, drowning his sorrows in booze until he ran out. When the hangover subsided and the reality of his loneliness was too much to bear, he took the train home to Las Vegas. He took up a job at a casino bar. It was the best way to maintain access to gambling, booze, and also talk to people. He hooked up with a few beautiful faces he saw at the bar, but they never lasted. They always wound-up being tourists or dishonest backstabbers who were using Husk as a fun fling. Occasionally they liked him enough to stick around for a year or two until they didn’t want to put up with his gambling addiction and drinking problem anymore.

Husk laid on a hotel bed one night after a particularly rough break up. He’d been with a handsome red-haired man who was seeing Husk on the side until finally his wife found out. The man came up with a weak excuse about how Husk had seduced him and that he went along with the romance so as not to anger Husk. The man’s wife bought the story and tried to call the police, so the man urged Husk to flee town. Being lied about already hurt Husk enough, but the fact that the man he’d slept with for three years had been offended that Husk was hurt by this added insult to injury.

Husk glanced over at his suitcases. He had taken a train out of Vegas and was staying in Arizona for a night before taking another train to Los Angeles. He glugged a beer as he tried not to think about the heartache. He imagined just killing the bastard and his wife and felt a pang in his chest imagining that Alastor would’ve killed them off for him.

The next several decades, Husk spent his days traveling to different states and countries. He became more embittered and subsequently more bold. He had always loved gambling, sleeping around with people he wasn’t supposed to was a worthwhile risk, especially if he got to hold all the cards. He’d woo a beautiful stranger, compel them to come to bed with him, then leave before they woke up. Everyone did it to him, why should he care?

Eventually, it came back to bite him in the ass. Someone’s husband caught wind of her unfaithfulness and, as usual, she pinned the blame on Husk first. Unfortunately, this time it actually was his fault. A bar fight ensued, and between the force of the husband’s punch and the alcohol poisoning Husk had no doubt procured, Husk wasn’t surprised he died. He also wasn’t shocked he wound up in Hell. He hadn’t exactly been a decent person for most of his life.

He was surprised that he now looked like a cat.

The wings were also a surprise.

Husk noticed his demon form in the reflection of a window and sputtered: “Wh-what the FUCK!?”

CLANG! Husk wheeled around to see the Days Until Extermination Countdown Tower: 2 days left. Husk didn’t know what any of this meant and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He looked around for some friendly faces, only to remember where he was when the big neon WELCOME TO HELL sign nearly blinded him. He curled into a ball and pressed his back against the wall. Once again, he found himself all alone…

Until he heard a familiar voice humming as he passed.

Husk squinted at the stranger. The bizarre hairdo wasn’t familiar, but the man’s face…

“Uh, hey! E-excuse me?” Husk asked, shakily getting up.

The stranger paused, back facing Husk. “Well, well! That’s a voice I haven’t heard in a long time.” He turned his head around 180 degrees to see behind him. “Henry Husker! Is that you?”

Husk felt his chest unclench as a wave of relief rolled through him. “A-Alastor! HEY!” Husk rushed to Alastor as his body turned around to face forward. Husk lauched himself onto Alastor and wrapped his arms around him. “Oh, thank god! Somebody I can trust!”

Alastor pat Husk’s back. “It’s been years, Henry! Did you just get down here?”

“Yeah, yeah. A few minutes ago,” Husk said, arms still wrapped around Alastor’s waist. “What’s going on? Obviously, this is Hell, but why am I a winged cat? What’s with your hair? And what is that?!” He gestured to the Countdown Tower.

Alastor wrapped his arm around Husk’s shoulders and lead him down the sidewalk. “Ah, yes. The Exterminations. Once a year, Heaven sends down their Angels to indiscriminately slaughter the denizens of Hell.”

Husk bristled, as unnerved by this news as he was by all the new fur on his body. “Why do they do that? HOW do they do that? Isn’t everyone down here already dead.”

“Not dead enough, it seems,” Alastor said, then he laughed. Husk jumped at the sudden sound of canned laughter accompanying Alastor’s cackle. “Really, there’s too many Sinners that wind up down here. It’s to curb overpopulation.”

Husk’s nose wrinkled. “Is that really why?”

“Hmm, I doubt it. The Queen of Hell believes this is punishment for her encouraging Sinners to rise up and demand better living conditions,” Alastor said, tapping a poster as he passed it. Husk briefly caught what it said: Lilith Live: Resist! In Concert. “Regardless, we’re all up for slaughter.”

Husk shuddered. “Yeesh. I literally just got down here and already I’m on the chopping block.”

Alastor glanced down at Husk and paused. Husk looked up at Alastor, jarred by the slight height difference they had now. Alastor’s eyes were soft, though he still had that permanent smile on his face. “Now, my friend, I would never let you be slaughtered. You don’t deserve that.”

Husk frowned, looking away. “If I’m down here, maybe I do.”

“Oh, don’t be like that. Everyone has their shortcomings, but you’re not the scum of the Earth. Come, I’ll get you some clothes and you can stay with me,” Alastor said, giving Husk’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

Husk eased into Alastor’s touch. “Tha-thank you.”

Alastor brought Husk to the nearest store, bought him some clothes, and set his couch up for Husk to sleep on before heading back out. Husk cozied up on the couch, closing his eyes and relishing in the familiarity of staying with his friend. They spent the next couple of days catching up and continued catching up in Rosie’s cellar during the Extermination. It was so easy, the way they picked up on their conversation like no time had passed in the last forty years.

During the Extermination, Alastor explained the Overlords to Husk. It sounded appealing, having that level of power and control. Despite his best efforts, he never really felt in control of anything in his mortal life.

“Why not give it a shot?” Alastor asked. “You’ve endured enough in the living realm. I think you deserve to get what you want.”

He may have wound up in Hell, but Husk figured if he had the chance for a better life down here, he would take it. He was always open to a gamble after all.

Husk found an old, run-down casino just outside Cannibal Town. Alastor and Rosie helped fund the repairs and Husk used his old magic tricks to gamble souls off some other Overlords. Within a month, Husk had secured himself a place at the top of the Sinners’ hierarchy. He spent his days overseeing the casino, gambling, and drinking. He slept around with casino guests and the souls he owned. Now that he owned the people he slept with, he never had to worry about them leaving him again. And if they were dishonest, he’d put them in their place.

Besides Alastor, Husk didn’t care much for the other Overlords. They were just means to an end for him. Of all the Overlords, he was the most put off by the Vees. Valentino was a smug, preening, shithead who he’d lost a few gambles, and thus a few souls, to, and Vox was insecure and flighty. The fact that he was Alastor’s friend had floored Husk.

“Dunno what you see in that guy,” Husk had said after the first day Vox showed up to an Overlord meeting.

Alastor let out a resigned sigh. “He’s not usually like this…usually.”

Husk raised an eyebrow.

Alastor grimaced and said: “Vox can be…obsequious, but he’s always been far more composed than he was this evening!”

“Maybe he was composed when you first met him,” Husk said. “But you did say he was manipulative. Maybe he’s not as composed as he came across.”

Alastor’s fingers flexed around the microphone on his staff. “Vox is…he’s not…”

Husk watched Alastor wither. Based on how the other Overlords spoke of him, Husk believed he may be the only one Alastor ever truly showed vulnerability towards. “Look, you know him better than I do. If you say he’s got his shit together, fine. I don’t buy it, though.”

Alastor looked up at Husk, head bowed. Though he was slightly taller than Husk now, he looked so small. Husk had a sneaking suspicion Alastor latched on to people like Husk and Vox because they proved not all men were like his father. The look in Alastor’s eyes was heartbreaking, and Husk couldn’t bring himself to confront Alastor with that insight, but it was the only explanation for why Alastor couldn’t accept that Vox was the way he was…at least not yet.

Eventually, Vox had vented about one of his workers in such a volatile, thoughtless way that Alastor couldn’t bare it anymore.

“It’s not that I’m surprised that he’d be prone to sexual violence, most men are and he’s running a porn business,” Alastor ranted, pacing the floor of his room. “But wanting to assault his most lucrative whore, to make him unappealing to get back at Valentino for not paying attention to him!? What kind of inept, petulant, wretched bastard would-!?” He glitched and sprouted into his demonic form.

Husk watched from his chair. Alastor caught a glimpse of his reflection in the cracked mirror and simmered down into his human proportions. “I think I need a drink…”

Husk poured whiskey into a glass and handed it to Alastor. As Alastor drank, Husk turned on some jazz. When Husk sat down next to Alastor, the Radio Demon slumped and tipped over, resting his head on Husk’s shoulder. Husk put his arm around Alastor and rocked him gently. Alastor’s permanent smile settled into something calm and pleasant. “Husker…thank you.”

“No problem,” Husk said.

Alastor snuggled into Husk, wrapping his arms around his waist. Husk snorted. Alastor may have not been one for romance, but the man was incredibly affectionate when his guard was down.

Years past, and Alastor avoided direct interaction with Vox as much as possible. He was pleasant enough with him when they were in Overlord meetings together, but Alastor would always find an excuse to not hang out afterwards. One day, Vox had invited Alastor over and asked him to join the Vees. Alastor declined, and that was the official end of their friendship. Once again, Alastor went to Husk to vent and lean on. Though Alastor acted like he was glad to be rid of Vox, Husk could tell he was heartbroken that things didn’t work.

“Cutting ties with people you care about is hard, even if it’s necessary,” Husk said. “But if they’re just weighing you down or making you miserable, it’s what you have to do.”

Alastor bent over in his chair, still clutching his rye. His hair covered his face as he said: “We live in Hell. Everyone down here is horrible. Should I cut ties with everyone? Should I just be alone?”

“Not everyone is horrible, Alastor. There’s plenty of people worth keeping around,” Husk said.

“Hmmm…” Alastor slowly slumped lower to the floor and eventually Husk dragged him to bed. He tucked Alastor in before saying: “You’re not alone.” He was about to walk away, but Alastor had latched onto Husk’s hand. Husk sat down in the chair by his bed and fell asleep.

For the next decade, Husk maintained his status as an Overlord; nowhere near Alastor’s level of power and influence, but high enough that he was better than the Vees. But Husk began to get cocky, gambling with more and more high-rollers and losing more souls than he gained.

“They must be cheating,” Husk growled, nearly shattering his glass in fury.

“Don’t you always cheat?” Alastor asked.

“Yeah, but that’s how I win!” Husk snapped, finally breaking his glass. He howled in pain as the glass pierced his skin. He snapped the fingers of his other hand and the glass, cuts, and blood magically disappeared.

“You can’t expect the other Overlords to not use underhanded means to win, Husker,” Alastor said, plainly. “We’re all trying to get ahead in this game.”

Husk growled. “I’ve worked too hard to get this far. I’m not about to lose it all because some bastards think they can beat me at my own game.”

He gambled with more higher ups, hoping that he’d win back the souls he lost, but only ended up beating one of them. Every soul he’d won off that Overlord was gone by the time he’d gambled with the other big shots, especially Valentino. The bastard rarely lost to Husk and was a smug asshole every time he’d walk away with new actors.

“That fuckin’ prick!” Husk raged, tossing his glass against the wall.

Alastor winced. “Mm, yes. Valentino has always been an unpleasant individual.”

“Thinks he can get away with this…” Husk muttered, low and guttural. “I’ll challenge him to another game. And this time, I’ll get him to bet on his biggest star. What’s that scrawny fuck’s name. Ah…” He snapped his fingers. “Angle something?”

“Valentino would never gamble on Angel Dust’s contract,” Alastor said. “He’s too valuable to the company.”

“Exactly,” Husk said. “He’s being a coward. He’s got something to precious to lose, that’s why I never see him bring that whore around the casino. If I call his bluff, he’ll have to cave and play for Angel’s soul. Then when I beat him and take his cash cow, his empire will crumble, and all the Vees’ souls will come crawling to me.” The look in his eyes was wild and manic, and yellow sparks flew from his paws as the lights around him flickered.

Alastor watched him, unfazed. “And what if you lose?”

Husk snapped his head in Alastor’s direction. “What?!”

“Husk, you haven’t exactly been on a winning streak lately. Perhaps it would be in your best interest to retire these silly games and maintain your hold on the souls you have left,” Alastor said.

Husk stared. He’d fallen to the mid-range in the Overlord hierarchy, and every Overlord he came across made sure he knew it. It stung, and it dredged up memories of his life on Earth. “If I have a chance to win back my status, why wouldn’t I take it? And besides, don’t you want me to take down Vox?”

Alastor pursed his lips and glanced at the television set in Husk’s room. “Enticing as that sounds, I really do think you’re pushing your luck with this and would be better off not gambling any longer.”

“I’m the Gambling Overlord, Alastor! Should I tell you to stop doing Radio broadcasts?!” Husk snapped.

“My radio broadcasts don’t cost me any souls,” Alastor stated.

Husk huffed. “I’ll be fine, Alastor. I’ll win that spider bitch off Valentino, and everything will fall into place! You’ll see!”

Alastor hummed but didn’t push further.

Husk had summoned Valentino to the casino, insisting he bring his shiny little sex toy with him. As expected, Valentino showed up empty handed.

“Couldn’t bear to bet on your little Angel?” Husk asked, lighting a cigar.

“Trust me, you wouldn’t want Angel,” Valentino said, the smoke from his cigarette coiling around his shoulders like a snake. “He’s a pain in the ass. You’d have a hard time controlling him.”

“If he’s such a burden, why don’t I take him off your hands?” Husk asked, pocketing his lighter.

“He’s hard to work with, but he’s mi estrella brillante. I’m not just going to give him away,” Valentino said.

Husk took a drag and blew a smoke cloud in Valentino’s direction. “You didn’t seem to have a problem giving away your other actors.”

“They’re a dime a dozen,” Valentino said. “Angel’s special.”

Husk chuckled. “You’re afraid of losing him.”

Valentino hissed, red smoke streaming from between his jagged teeth. “I’m not afraid to lose to you. After all, most of my actors used to belong to you. Clearly, the one who’s afraid must be you, gatito.”

Husk glared. “I aint afraid. I’ve never back down from a gamble.”

“No, but that’s probably because you’re on a losing streak,” Valentino said. “Can’t handle being on the lower rung of the Overlords?” He dosed his cigarette on one of Husk’s cards.

Husk sneered. “You and I own the same amount of souls, Valentino. Just because you work with Vox doesn’t mean you both own the same souls.”

Valentino glowered. “We basically do.”

“Do you?” Husk asked, raising his eyebrow and bringing the cigar to his lips as Valentino twitched. Husk blew smoke and said: “Tell you what: I’ll gamble half my souls if you gamble Angel Dust’s contract.”

Valentino huffed. “I have a better idea: We each gamble half our souls, and whoever wins gets to choose an extra person to take off the other. How’s that sound?”

Husk rolled his eyes. “If that’ll get you to sit down and play.”

They shook on it and Husk delt the cards. The game was tense, and the souls Husk betted were crowded around the poker table to watch. Husk glared at the two souls who seemed to gravitate over to Valentino before the game was even done. Years of being left behind by unfaithful partners caused him to lose focus and patience and he slammed down his Full House. “Read ‘em and weep!” he cried.

Valentino cackled. “Oh, Husker. You really are losing your edge, darling.” The moth slowly splayed out his Straight Flush on the table to the sound of uproarious cheers.

“WHAT!? No! That’s not possible! YOU CHEATED!” Husk screamed.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” Valentino said as two of Husk’s previous souls threw themselves over Valentino’s arms.

“Did they feed you information?! WHAT WERE YOU FUCKS DOING OVER THERE!?” Husk barked, making his ex-employees cower.

“You’re too tense, gato,” Valentino said, slithering his arms around his new souls. “It’s no wonder you can’t win anymore. By the way, the extra contract I want is his.” He pointed to the handsome bartender that Husk liked to bang on weekends.

Husk seethed as he watched Valentino walk away with half his souls, feeling like his like his lungs collapsed as they were removed from his grasp.

“I swear he cheated,” Husk growled into his whiskey. “Vox must have the place bugged. Or those traitors slipped him something to get away from me.” He dug his claws into the table and scratched the wood.

“I told you not to gamble anymore,” Alastor said, spinning his drink in his glass.

“I’m not gonna end up at the bottom again,” Husk said, shaking. “I won’t let anyone else leave…”

“Then stop gambling, Husker,” Alastor insisted. “You’re only going to lead to more heartache and-.”

Husk slammed his fist on the table and rose from his chair, wings fanning out to make himself look bigger. “Don’t you tell me about heartache!” he roared. “Aren’t you the one who encouraged me to become an Overlord in the first place?!”

“That was when you were still mentally stable,” Alastor said, unfettered, but stern.

Husk stared, eyes blazing. “The fuck does that mean!?”

“You lack the focus and discipline that got you to the top. You’re losing souls left and right because you got cocky and now your attempts to regain your status are only making you lose it faster. The best thing for you to do is stop trying to-.”

“You just don’t want me to be more powerful than you!” Husk spat.

Alastor twitched. “You’re my friend, Husker. All I want is for you to stay afloat.”

“Then let me win back my status! My souls! I’m not like Vox! I haven’t lost sight of my goals, I’m trying to fulfill them!” Electricity sparked from Husk’s paws and the lights flickered around them. “If you’re really worried about me, then don’t try to stop me.”

Alastor drummed his fingers on his staff and his shadow crept up the wall, glaring at Husk the whole time. “If you insist, Husk.”

Husk continued gambling and continued losing. Overlords and those who aspired to become Overlords flocked to Husk’s casino solely to challenge Husk to gamble his souls away. He’s won a couple of games and gained new souls, but he lost them just as quickly. His powers were dwindling. He was barely able to summon his cards and dice anymore. He could still do magic tricks, but most of them were the slight of hand maneuvers he’d learned as a human. One night, he waved his hand over the lamps in his room and only one of them turned on.

He sat in his parlor, gripping his hair as the stress caused him to hyperventilate. His remaining souls were milling about, trying not to catch his eye, lest they invoked his wrath. There were several more Overlords and desperate Sinners ready to gamble him and he knew he would fail. After overhearing his employees gossip about which Overlord they’d rather work for, Husk rushed to his phone and called Alastor over.

“I’m sorry to see you’re in such a predicament, Husker,” Alastor said, shadow lurking on the wall behind him. “But I don’t see why you’re coming to me for help. After all, you never seemed interested in my advice before.”

Husk snarled. “Look, you were right. This went too far. But I can’t afford to lose any more power, Alastor. I feel weaker, and these Overlords just keep snatching everyone up and…”

“Well, that’s the price you pay for your hubris,” Alastor said.

Husk fell to his knees. “Oh, come on, Alastor! Help me out! You said yourself, I’m your friend! You gotta help me!” He clutched Alastor’s pant leg and looked up at him with giant eyes.

Alastor stared down at him, eyes narrowing. “Tell you what, let’s make a deal.”

Husk straightened his back. “O-Okay.”

“If you sell me your soul, then all the power you still have with remain intact,” Alastor said. Husk smiled, feeling a wave of relief wash over him, but that relief waned the moment Alastor said: “And in return, I’ll take the souls you own off your hands. As well as your casino.”

“WHAT?!” Husk bolted up. “Why the fuck would I give that all away?!”

“You’ve come crawling to me to save your skin because you’ve been careless with these things,” Alastor said. “You’ll still have your power, but all your possessions will be in far more capable hands.”

Husk glared at Alastor as the bastard examined his nails. Alastor didn’t care about the casino. He didn’t need more souls, and he certainly didn’t care for the company they provided. Alastor was just as lonely as Husk, but that’s not what this was about. Alastor was just being smug. “Forget it.”

Alastor chuckled. “What’s this? The Gambling Overlord turning down a game? I thought you never backed down from one?”

Husk balled his fists. Alastor was just trying to get under his skin. He was worried Husk was turning into Vox; a volatile, self-absorbed prick that couldn’t be trusted. But Husk wasn’t that guy, and he certainly wasn’t going to let Alastor think he was.

“Fine…if I win, we’ll combine our empires,” Husk started. Alastor’s eyebrows rose and his fingers twitched. “And I won’t gamble any of the souls you own, I’ll just have some extra power on my side.”

Alastor tilted his head. “And if you lose?”

Husk frowned. “If I lose…then I’ll only keep my powers, and you can have everything else.” He noticed some of his souls watching and chattering about his conversation with Alastor.

Alastor’s lips curled over his jagged, yellow teeth. “It’s a deal, then.” He extended his hand, glowing with a sizzling green energy.

Husk trembled, flexing his fingers, before he grabbed Alastor’s hand and the deal was made.

Everyone gathered around to watch the game. Husk could feel everyone’s eyes on him, especially Alastor’s. He could’ve sworn Alastor’s shadow was looking over his shoulder, but every time he turned around, there was nothing there.

“Not nervous, are you?” Alastor asked.

Husk sneered. “Not at all.”

The game continued. He could feel his souls gravitating towards Alastor and the shadowy tendrils of Alastor’s demon form creeping along the walls, suffocating them in darkness. Even the light above them seemed to get dimmer and dimmer. Everything Husk had worked for, everything he desired, was on the line and he felt it growing distant with every card dealt. Husk wiped the sweat from his brow, snapping his fingers under the table and summoning an Ace of Diamonds out of thin air. Before everything around him disappeared into the inky blackness, Husk slammed down his Four of a Kind.

“HA!” he cried, hearing the manic paranoia in his voice like a distant sound.

Alastor hummed, then chuckled, then his laugh become more manic and diabolical. “Oh, Husker. It’s such a pity. I really believed you were better than this.” He revealed his Royal Flush and Husk felt his entire world crumble around him.

His heart pounding in his ears muffled the sound of Husk’s former souls cheering at his loss. Alastor stood from his chair and manifested a glowing green chain around Husk’s neck. Husk clutched his chest as he felt his soul tear in two, leaving him along with everyone else. Every person that ever walked away or betrayed him flashed before his eyes, and Husk felt his stomach churn as Alastor said: “Look at it this way, Husk, at least you can still summon your cards.”

Husk signed a contract with Alastor, designating that he was allowed to live in the casino for as long as Alastor allowed. He could work anywhere Alastor allowed. He could do anything that Alastor allowed. He had been enabled to continue playing poker, but he couldn’t contract souls or own any property. Husk’s reputation had crumbled to dust, and everyone knew him as the disgraced ex-Overlord. A hollow shell of a man who spent his days drinking and gambling with nothing to show for it.

Alastor only grew stronger and more dangerous as the years passed, still just barely surpassing the Vees, especially once they’d enlisted Velvette. Husk would try to offer advice on how to best them, but Alastor never listened. “I can’t imagine why I would take advice from someone who nearly lost it all,” Alastor said, laughing good-heartedly and Husk grimaced at the canned laughter that accompanied.

Husk resented Alastor for taking everything from him, for rubbing all his failures in his face, for being just as two-faced and cruel to him as everyone else in his life had been! But more than anything, Husk resented himself for not listening. For taking Alastor’s advice for granted. He never wanted to admit it, but deep down he knew that he deserved everything Alastor was putting him through.

Despite everything, Alastor still seemed to regard Husk as his most trusted confidant. Maybe it was because Husk literally couldn’t go around telling anyone Alastor’s secrets without the threat of his soul being torn apart, but he regularly divulged his plans to Husk. Like on Earth, Alastor had trust issues and a low opinion of others. He thought very little of Lucifer and his way of running Hell, an opinion only exacerbated by his friendship with Lilith. Husk figured Alastor’s love for his mother made him more in favor of the women in his life. He wasn’t surprised to find that Alastor had gone to Lilith for help after nearing dying in an Extermination battle with Vox. He was surprised about the deal he’d made with her!

“She insisted on it,” Alastor said. “She said she’d only heal my wounds if I agreed to be on her leash.”

Husk stared. “But…why?”

Alastor sighed. “Apparently, she thinks I’ve become too unruly. That my goal to overthrow Lucifer and eradicate Sinners that don’t fit my standards is ‘practically the same as allowing Heaven’s Exterminations’. It appears she’s always felt this way, but never felt she could do anything about it until the opportunity presented itself.” He looked offended and hurt. “She said I can keep my powers and my Overlord status, but that she’ll impose limitations on what I can do.”

Husk frowned. Based on the few interactions Husk had with Lilith, this didn’t feel completely out of line with her beliefs. Still, diminishing Alastor in this way seemed like it was going too far. He didn’t understand, but it’s not like there was anything he could do.

“Anyway,” Alastor said, walking towards the door. “I’ll be going to Heaven with her. She said she’d like me by her side for whatever she’s doing up there, but I suspect all she really wants is to keep an eye on me. I can’t say for sure when I’ll return, but I should be gone a while.”

Seven years felt longer than ‘a while’, but Husk couldn’t complain. He wasn’t truly free with Alastor gone, but he wasn’t at his beck and call anymore. Husk’s days were consistent with how they’d always been: drinking and gambling, but he felt like he had some free reign. Even still, he was acutely aware of how empty and lonely his life was. There were days he wasn’t even sure he wanted this freedom. At least with Alastor pulling his chain he had someone to talk to.

Of course, any desire to see Alastor again went out the window once Alastor returned. Husk was pulled out of a game he was winning and coerced into working as a bartender with the promise of cheap booze. Husk hated himself for being so easily swayed, but whatever. It was something to do, he got booze, and the hotel seemed empty enough that he wouldn’t have many people to deal with…

And then he met Angel Dust.

“Hey.”

“Go fuck yourself…”

“Only if you watch me.”

Husk had seen Angel before. His face and body were plastered all over the Pride Ring and Husk had watched one of his movies out of curiosity. He was immediately put off by the porn star’s phony persona and decided to never engage with his work again. Being forced to share a hotel with him was not ideal. The fact that he always came up to the bar to flirt was even worse.

“Hey, Pretty Kitty,” Angel said, sitting on the barstool so his back arched and his chest fluff practically spilled out of his jacket. “Wanna gimmie somethin’ sweet?”

Husk glowered. “Only if it’s alcohol.”

“Got somethin’ in mind? Surprise me, baby,” Angel said, leaning in so close he and Husk’s noses almost touched.

Husk pulled back. He was tempted to steal Nifty’s rat poison and put that in Angel’s drink but decided against it.

“Not sure the Princess would appreciate if I offed her only guest,” Husk muttered to Alastor in his room. “And I’m sure you don’t want me messing up your new project.”

“Oh, I don’t believe this silly hotel thing will work, Husk,” Alastor said with a wave of his hand. “Lilith sent me down here to ensure Charlie wouldn’t redeem souls…”

“Why? Doesn’t she want the citizens of Hell to have a better life?” Husk asked.

“She wants them to be free to live as they are, not to change themselves to fit Heaven’s ideals. But she has nothing to fret. This project will crumble in the next week I assure you. But it’s true that until then, we have to keep up appearances.”

He stuck his fingers in Husk’s mouth and forced him to smile.

Resigned to his fate, Husk put up with Angel’s advances, but never indulged them. Angel was persistent, and Husk couldn’t pinpoint why. He’s seen Angel flirt with every man he encountered, but somehow it was always Husk he’d come back to.

“Why do you flirt with me so much?” Husk asked one day as he prepared the spider’s drink.

“’Cause you’re a hottie,” Angel said with a wink.

Husk twitched. He never found his demon form attractive, and when someone told him it was, he was certain they were lying to butter him up. “What do you want from me?”

“Your dick,” Angel said, golden tooth twinkling as he grinned.

Husk glared and shoved Angel’s drink across the bar. He knew Angel was up to something, but the asshole was coated in so many layers of bullshit Husk couldn’t see what it was.

“You know I’m not interested,” Husk said one day. “Why do you keep trying?”

“Oh, you’ll crack eventually,” Angel said, picking the cherry out of his drink.

“And what makes you so sure?” Husk asked, glaring.

“Because I’m Angel Dust. No one can resist me,” Angel said. He popped the cherry in his mouth, stem included. He chewed, swallowed, then swirled something around in his mouth before sticking his tongue out to reveal a tied cherry stem.

Husk glared at the look of smug satisfaction on Angel’s face. If the porn star wasn’t such a prick, Husk might’ve found his little trick impressive.

This sort of banter continued for about a week. Husk was used to his life becoming monotonous, but he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. On the night Angel had left to go to work, Husk checked his calendar to see when the next Extermination was, hoping he could stand out in the open and be put out of his misery. Maybe Alastor would be disappointed, despite everything, Husk still seemed to be his closest confidant, but was sticking around for Alastor’s sake really worth dealing with Angel?

Right at that moment, the front door to the hotel burst open and Angel stormed in. He marched up to the bar and slammed his hands down. “Gimmie the hardest shit you’ve got,” he spat, voice lower and raspier than usual.

Husk stared, taking in Angel’s disheveled appearance. His usually coif mop of hair was sticking out erratically, his make-up was smudged, and it looked like he rushed putting his clothes on, not bothering to smooth down any bumps or wrinkles.

“Hello!?” Angel snapped his fingers in Husk’s face. “You gonna make me somethin’ or what!?”

Husk snarled and prepared his drink. Angel plopped down on the stool a little too hard and screamed: “FUCK!”

Glancing over his shoulder, Husk could see a fresh bruise on Angel’s neck. “What happened?”

“Valentino happened!” Angel said, hunched over and shaking. He bowed his head and mumbled: “God…fuckin’…dammit…”

Husk hummed. He thought back to all the interactions he’d had with Valentino. The moth was charming in a way that Husk knew to be deceitful. He also remembered the temper tantrums Valentino threw on the rare occasions he lost a gambling match.

“What’d he do to you?” Husk asked.

Angel looked up, his eyebrows knitted low and his neon pink pupils practically glowing with rage. “That’s none a your fuckin’ business.”

Husk frowned. He could glean what Angel had been through just from the way he looked. He handed Angel his drink and watched him down it in one gulp.

Angel slammed the drink down on the table. “Gimmie another.”

Husk frowned. “You look awful. Maybe you should wash up and go to be-.”

“I SAID GIMMIE ANOTHER ONE!” Angel screamed, towering over Husk as all eight of his eyes glowed.

Husk stood his ground, though he flinched at the eight foot tall spider looming over him. Husk grabbed Angel’s glass and fixed him another drink. Angel continued drinking, demanding more, and the more wasted he got, the more loose his lips became.

“I had to work five hours longer than planned just because I didn’t cum at the right time! Then he adds five more fuckin’ guys to the scene so while I’m getting’ sucked off, I’m suckin’ another guy off while I’m usin’ four hands to jack off them rest of ‘em!” He spat, shakings his fists for visual reference.

Husk handed Angel his drink. “Sounds rough.”

“Rough don’t even cut it!” Angel snapped, swipping up his drink and glugging it.

Angel continued to drink and bitch about his day. The more he ranted about how awful Valentino was, the more Husk’s mind wandered back to all the souls he’d lost to Val. He remembered, bitterly, how they flocked to Val the moment he’d won them. Husk wondered if any of those traitorous assholes regretted going with Valentino and if any of them missed their old Overlord. The answer was probably no, but it made Husk feel better to think they maybe did.

Angel demanded several more drinks before finally passing out and Husk left him there as he went to bed. He paused at the top of the stairs and looked down at Angel’s sleeping body. Leaning against the banister, Husk considered going down there and bringing Angel upstairs. Annoying as he was, Angel was clearly suffering and could probably use some help. The mental image of bringing Angel upstairs only for him to wake up and make some crack about Husk bringing him to bed was enough to make Husk turn around and walk away.

They had several more interactions like that in the coming months. Angel would furiously come home from work, demand something hard, then get wasted and bitch about how awful his job was.

“Why do you put up with that shit?” Husk asked.

“What choice do I have?” Angel asked, getting tipsy. “He owns me.”

“Right,” Husk said, eyes downcast. His face twisted as he thought. “Is that why you’re trying to get into Heaven? To get away from Val?”

Angel blinked, then he laughed. “I’m never gettin’ into Heaven. But it’s nice to have a break from Val, y’know?”

Husk watched him drink. “You know, the Princess is letting you stay here so you can redeem yourself. It’d be nice if you put in some effort.”

Angel paused mid-sip. He glared at Husk. “You think I’m not tryin’?”

“I know you’re not trying. I see you every day,” Husk said. “You longue around on the couch on your phone all day and you barely participate in the group activities.”

“What group!?” Angel snapped. “Aside from me, there was nobody around until like, two days ago!” Pentious had just started to stay at the hotel.

“Yeah, and he’s putting more into it than you,” Husk said.

Angel slammed his drink on the counter. “I don’t see you doin’ anything with the group, Husk.”

Hearing Angel actually use Husk’s name instead of a nickname threw him for a second. “I ain’t tryin’ to get into Heaven. I’m just hear ‘cause Alastor forced me to serve drinks to you fucks.”

“Uh, huh. Sure,” Angel said, swerving around so his back was to Husk.

Husk growled. “If you really wanna be free from Valentino, maybe you could actually try and get better! It’s the least you could do after Charlie let you stay here rent free.”

Angel huffed. “Charlie’s sweet, but her head’s made outta cotton candy.” He pointed to his own brain. “She’s wastin’ her time with this. We all know it. I don’t even know what she sees in me.”

Husk watched as Angel’s shoulder drooped. He leaned on the bar with his elbows. “She musta seen somethin’ worthwhile.”

“Yeah, a charity project,” Angel said. He stared into his drink, taking in his appearance. “I’m no good for anything except havin’ holes to fuck. If she thinks that’s ever gonna change, she’s crazy.”

Husk sighed. “Look, maybe the Princess is in over her head, but that doesn’t mean she’s wrong for believing in you.”

Angel scoffed. “Do you believe in me?”

Husk stared. Angel looked angry, but too exhausted to really be pissed off. “Yeah. I do.”

Angel blinked; his annoyance suddenly replaced with shock.

“I think you could do anything if you set your mind to it,” Husk said. “The problem isn’t whether or not any of us believe in you, Angel. The problem is you don’t believe in yourself.”

Angel stared at Husk with huge, mismatched eyes, his smaller eyes also wide. The glass slipped out of Angel’s hands as he began to fall back.

“Angel!?”

Husk darted around the bar to catch Angel before he fell back on the floor. Angel’s eyes were closed, he’d passed out. Husk hummed. He was holding Angel up by his back. There was no way in hell Husk was bringing Angel up to his room, so he scooped Angel up under his stupidly long legs and carried him to the couch in the lounge.

He laid Angel down in as comfortable a position as possible, watching Angel sleep for a moment. Angel wriggled, holding his hands out. “Mmm, Husk…”

Husk stepped away and Angel rolled onto his stomach, still mumbling Husk’s name. Angel wrapped his arms around himself and curled into a fetal position. Husk sighed. He grabbed the closest couch pillow and nudged Angel with it. Still asleep, Angel reached out and took the pillow. He cuddled it to his chest and smiled. Husk blinked, staring at Angel curled up on the couch, cradling a pillow and murmuring Husk’s name. Husk trudged upstairs to go to bed.

Staring up at the ceiling, he thought back to all the interactions he’d had with Angel up until now. It was always obvious Angel was hiding something, but it didn’t seem as nefarious as Husk initially thought. He was suffering under a petulant, volatile Overlord, and had come to believe his only value was sex appeal. That didn’t make his advances any less annoying, but at least Husk understood why Angel did it. He also figured Angel was lonely, desperate for genuine connection. Husk understood, he’d even be willing to bond with Angel himself if Angel would just be real with him.

Whenever he wasn’t drunk off his ass, Angel was just as slimy and flirtatious as ever. If anything, he gotten worse about it since Husk showed him any compassion. Give him an inch and he’ll run a mile… Even drunk, Angel was still combative and pushy.

“I know you like me, Whiskers,” Angel said, holding his fifth drink that night in one and hand and using the other to caress Husk’s arm.

Husk pulled away. “I’d like you better if I knew you.”

“You know me,” Angel said, posing. “I’m Angel Dust.”

“That’s an act,” Husk said. “I wanna know the real you.”

Angel took offense to that and bolted upstairs. When Husk went to bed, he noticed Angel had passed out midway through opening his bedroom door. Husk scooted Angel into his room before closing the door behind him.

The only time Angel seemed to open up was after the Trust Building exercise they did in the Doomsday District. Husk had snuck away before Vaggie had a chance to throw him into the fight, but he did watch Angel and Pentious from a distance. Pentious was no fighter without his warship or weapons, and Angel swooped in to save him from one guy beating the shit out of the poor snake. Husk watched Angel drag Pentious up the stairs, surprised Angel would even bother to risk his neck for somebody else when running away was an option. They all sat at the bar that night, drinking and chatting about their day. It was the first time Husk had really talked to any of them, or even seen Angel talk without hitting on someone. Pentious some something funny (or at the very least, the way he spoke made it sound funny) and Angel erupted into laughter, snorting and crying as he did. Pentious and Nifty watched him and chuckled, but Husk couldn’t take his eyes off him. He’d never seen Angel so messy but genuinely happy at the same time. If Husk got to see more of this guy, maybe he’d be willing to spend more time with him.

Unfortunately, Angel wasn’t so quick to change and slipped back into his phony persona the moment he had the chance. Finally, Husk had enough of Angel’s bullshit and called him out on it.

“You can cut the act, already. It’s never gonna work on me so all you’re doin’ is makin’ an ass outta yourself with this fake bullshit.”

“CALL ME FAKE ONE MORE TIME MOTHERFUCKER!” Angel shouted, eyes glowing. “I dare you.”

Husk did. Angel was furious, throwing his broken bottle and ranting and raving about how Husk would be lucky to get a chance to fuck him. As pitiful as it was, seeing Angel like this, Husk just didn’t have the patience to deal with him. Unfortunately, Vaggie and Charlie insisted he go after Angel to make sure he didn’t get hurt after running off.

Husk wasn’t thrilled to be turned into Angel’s babysitter, especially when he overheard Angel claim he ‘had better options’ to the group of loan sharks he was hanging out with, but after seeing a loan shark spike Angel’s drink he knew he had to step in.

He and Angel fought outside the bar and Husk managed to finally break down Angel’s barriers. His persona wasn’t an act to him, it was armor. And his self-destructive habits were a means to ruin himself enough that Valentino wouldn’t want him anymore. Husk withered, knowing all too well what it was like to yearn for freedom. He told Angel about his own experiences as an Ex-Overlord now on Alastor’s leash. He did his best to perk Angel up, claiming that Angel was, in fact, a loser, but that he wasn’t alone.

After bonding through song, and fighting the loan sharks, Husk and Angel went home and sat down at the bar. It was the first time they’d been in this spot and had an actual conversation. Husk marveled at Angel, covered in blood, using his natural voice to talk, and not once hitting on or yelling at Husk.

Husk pour Angel another drink as Angel animatedly explained a barfight he’d gotten into years ago. “Seems like you’ve had a wild time down here,” he said, handing the drink to Angel.

“Heh, yeah. Sure have.” Angel held his drink and looked up at Husk. His smile melted, his eyes were big, and it was the most vulnerable Husk had ever seen him where he wasn’t crying. “Uh…Husk…”

“Yeah?”

Angel averted his gaze. “Th-thanks for everything back there. I know I’ve been an asshole to you, and you don’t owe me nothin’, but-.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Husk said, holding up his hand. Angel stared. “That’s in the past. Let’s look to the future.”

He held up his own drink and Angel smiled. “To the future.” They clinked their glasses and drank.

After spending months begrudgingly going to his job, Husk started looking forward to standing behind the bar and talking to Angel. Now that he was being more himself, Husk liked spending time chatting with Angel before he went to one of Charlie’s lessons. After their talk, Angel had started putting effort into getting better. Charlie would have him do skits where he’d come home from a long day at work and could either numb the pain with drugs or talk to a trusted friend (in this case, it was always Pentious). It was clearly difficult, and Angel would often still do drugs outside of the performances, but the more time went on, the better Angel got at getting clean.

“You’re doin’ good, kid,” Husk said. “I’m proud of you.”

Angel blushed. “Thanks…”

Husk watched Angel drink, unaware that he was smiling until Nifty pointed it out later.

“Do you like him?” Nifty asked.

“Yeah. He’s a good guy when you get to know him,” Husk said.

Nifty had been sitting on the edge of the bar and swiftly got up to say: “So when’s the wedding?”

Husk flinched. “Weddi-?! Nifty, I don’t like him like that!”

“Come on, Husk. I’ve seen how you look at him,” Nifty said, eyeing him knowingly.

Husk snarled. “I’m just happy he’s doing better. And I’m glad he’s not being fake and hitting on me all the time.”

“If you say so,” Nifty said, swinging her leg over the other side of the bar and dramatically falling off. Husk leaned over the counter to make sure she was alright and saw her right as she rose to her feet and skittered away.

Nifty trying to play matchmaker was nothing new. She always tried to nudge Husk into a relationship, but Husk wasn’t having it. His previous love affairs always ended in disaster and he wasn’t planning on ruining his relationship with Angel. Besides, he didn’t think of him that way in the first place. Sure he thought about Angel more now, and seeing Angel was the best part of his day, but that didn’t mean he was in love with him.

One night, Angel had gotten off work early and came home with a WacDonalds meal. He voraciously ate his burger, apparently having gone most of the day without food, and devoured half the fries before feeling nauseous.

“Oof. I ate too much,” Angel said, clutching his stomach.

“You ate too fast,” Husk said.

“You want any?” Angel asked, pushing the fries towards Husk.

“No thanks. Not a fries guy,” Husk said.

“That’s alright. I can save ‘em for Fat Nuggets,” Angel said.

Husk raised a brow. “For who?”

Angel looked up, confused and slightly offended, before his jaw dropped. “Wait! I haven’t introduced you yet! Hang on!”

Husk watched Angel rush upstairs, disappearing long enough that Husk decided to resume cleaning glasses. When Angel finally returned, he had his hands behind his back and was grinning ear to ear. “Husk, say hello to Fat Nuggets!” He shoved an tiny demon pig in Husk’s face. “Fat Nuggets, you’ve seen my photos of Husk.”

Fat Nuggets oinked, nose wriggling, and Husk stared. “You have a pet pig?”

“Yep. Ain’t he the cutest little hellhog you ever did see?” Angel said, pulling Fat Nuggets close to him and tickling his tummy. Fat Nuggets wiggled his feet and squealed.

Husk tilted his head. “You know hellhogs grow to be huge and ugly, right? He’s not gonna be little and cute forever.”

Angel gasped, covering Fat Nuggets ears with his lower set of arms. “How dare you!” He lifted Fat Nuggets to meet his gaze. “Don’t listen to him, Nuggs. No matter how big you get, you’ll always be beautiful. You’ll have big, beautiful tusks, and that grumpy brow hellhogs get, and you’re gonna be so big and strong! And I’ll make sure you get big and strong because I’m gonna feed you, and love you, and when you’re all grown up, I’ll ride you to the nearest mall and we can get you some cute shoes. Yes we can, Fat Nuggets! Wouldn’t you like that?” Angel asked, adopting a baby voice and nuzzling Fat Nuggets against his cheek.

Husk watched Angel dote over his pig and never noticed the smile appearing on his face. This was the first time he’d ever seen Angel act like this. It was sweet. Husk felt his cheeks flush.

Angel thrust Fat Nuggets in Husk’s face again. “Now apologize to Nuggies.”

Husk stared into the tiny black eyes of Fat Nuggets and sighed. “Sorry for saying you’ll be ugly, Fat Nuggets. Here.” He held out a fry. “To help you grow big and strong.”

Fat Nuggets sniffed the fry before nibbling at it. Angel set Fat Nuggets down on the bar counter and Fat Nuggets ate the fries in the paper bag. Husk frowned. “If he makes a mess, you’re cleaning up after him.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fine,” Angel said. He rested his face on his fists and gazed lovingly at Fat Nuggets as he ate.

Fat Nuggets finished a fry and stared up at Husk. Husk held out the fry in his hands and Fat Nuggets finished it off. When he got to the last bite, he stared at Husk’s hand before taking a tentative step forward and licking Husk’s fingers.

Husk froze, unsure of what to do. Angel squealed. “Aw! He likes you!”

Husk locked eyes with Angel, caught off guard by how wide and earnest they were. “Uh…yeah. Uh, good! Yeah…” His fur prickled and he felt warm and tingly. He wanted to stare into Angel’s eyes forever but was so overwhelmed he couldn’t bear it. He looked down at the little pig kissing his finger.

Nifty continued to pry about Husk’s feelings for Angel and Husk always denied it. So what if he got butterflies in his stomach every time he heard Angel laugh? What did it matter that seeing Angel’s face light up at the sight of a blobfish in the aquarium was the most alive Husk had felt in decades? Who cares if Husk would spend hours listening to Angel rant in Italian about his favorite TV drama? Sure, Angel was pretty and kind and funny and smarter than he let on but that didn’t mean Husk was in love with him. He lost the ability to love years ago, and nothing was gonna fill that gaping hole in his heart left by years of failed romances and betrayals.

One night, Angel came home from work looking disheveled but no less stunning. Something about the way Angel’s hair flopped over in his face made him look especially cute. The way his lips parted just enough for his pointy teeth to show. He sauntered past the bar, claiming he was too tired to talk and needed to sleep before his shift the next morning. Husk tried not to show how upset he was and said good night, watching Angel make his way upstairs and staring at his long legs as he did.

Husk shuffled into his bathroom, swished some Jack Daniels around in his mouth and spat into the sink. He looked up at his groggy, old, hairy face and scowled. “You’re not in love with him.” He trudged into his bedroom, kicking over empty bottles and ignoring the puke stains on his sheets as he sat on his bed. “He’s just a friend.” He looked at the picture of Angel he had on his nightstand, unable to bear how cute Angel’s smile was. Husk groaned. “Besides, what would he want with you anyhow?”

Husk’s face fell and he flopped onto his back. His eyes drifted close, and he almost fell asleep when he heard a knock at the door.

“Husk…” came Angel’s small voice. “Can I come in?”

“Angel?” Husk asked. “Uh, yeah! Of course.”

Angel pushed the door open, still tall as ever, but looking small and defeated. It broke Husk’s heart. “Hey…what’s going on?”

Angel sat next to Husk on the bed and sighed. “I don’t wanna go into work tomorrow.”

Husk frowned. “I don’t want you to go to work tomorrow either.”

Angel sighed. “I wish I could just avoid it, but…Val owns my soul. And there’s nothin’ I can do about that.”

Husk gripped his sheets, suddenly self-conscious that Angel was sitting on his puke stains. “I wish there was something I could do to help you.”

Angel looked up at Husk, eyes wide and tear brimmed. Husk reached forward and gently wiped the tears away. Angel shuddered and Husk wondered if he’d done something wrong. “It just sucks, y’know?” Angel said.

Husk waited, listening.

“Just…everyday, I gotta go into work so that other people can have their way with me,” Angel said, wrapping his arms around his tiny waist and bending over. “It’s always about what I can do for them, but no one ever tries to make me feel good.”

Husk blinked, eyes growing wide.

“I just want someone to touch me to make me feel good,” Angel said, clutching his chest. “I want somebody to fuck me because they want me to have a good time.”

This wasn’t the first time Angel had told Husk this, but it was the first time he’d said so without being drunk.

Angel huffed, and Husk nearly melted at the small smile pulling at the corner of Angel’s lips. “Sorry, I’m just complaining. Besides, it’s stupid…”

“No it’s not!” Husk said.

Angel whirled around to face him. Husk cupped his hand over Angel’s cheek and said: “What you do, it should be a two-way street. Love and be loved. People shouldn’t use you like that. They should be cherishing you. You deserve to be loved!” He put his other hand on Angel’s other cheek and could feel Angel’s face heating up.

“Husk…” Angel breathed, practically a whispered.

They both blinked, unable to look away from each other. Husk leaned forward, feeling bold, and pressed his lips against Angel’s. Angel made a small noise of surprise, but he leaned into it, clutching at Husk’s suspenders. Husk held Angel’s face, pulling him in and pressing their lips deeper into each other. He felt four of Angel’s arms snake around his neck and waist and he rolled Angel onto his back.

They continued kissing, slipping their tongues into each other’s mouths. Husk dragged his tongue along the roof of Angel’s mouth and relished in the pleasured moan Angel made. He ran his claws through Angel’s perfect hair, feeling Angel melt beneath him, then dragged his hands down Angel’s face, neck, and sprawling his paws out over Angel’s chest fluff. He was hard as a rock and ground his erection into Angel’s, making Angel squeal.

When he pulled his mouth away from Angel’s to lick his neck, Angel gasped: “Oh, Husk! Are we-are we gonna fuck?”

Husk sat up. “Fuck? No. We’re gonna make love.”

Angel gasped, looking up with starry eyes at a suddenly naked Husk. Husk kissed a suddenly naked Angel and pulled him close as he penetrated.

“Oh, Husk!” Angel cried. Husk drove himself into Angel, desperate to please and delighting in Angel’s eager cries. “Oh, Husk! OH, HUSK! OH!!!”

Angel’s cries became higher and higher pitched until he literally began shrieking like an alarm.

Husk’s eyes flew open as he realized his phone alarm was going off. He reached over to his bedside table to hit snooze. As he dropped the phone back on the nightstand, he felt his salvia covered pillow against his cheek. He was still half hard and dressed in his usual pants, which were sticky with cum. He looked up at his photo of Angel, feeling small at the sight of him, and groaned.

“Shit.”

 Husk forced himself to the bar, feeling hollowed out and vulnerable. He tried to push the thoughts of Angel from his mind by polishing the already clean glasses. Curling the towel around the glass, he began to imagine cupping Angel’s cheek again. Growling, Husk shook his head and decided to clean inside the glass instead. Rubbing around the inside of the glass only made Husk imagine sticking his hand inside Angel’s hole and he could almost hear Angel moaning. Husk huffed as Angel sat down at the bar:

“Mornin’.”

Husk yelped, nearly dropping the glass.

“Whoa! Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya,” Angel said, holding up his hands defensively.

Husk looked up, overwhelmed by the real Angel sitting before him, and turned around. “Ah, don’t worry about it.”

Angel leaned over. “You doin’ alright?”

“Uh, yeah! Fine. Just had a…interesting night,” Husk said.

“Interesting how?” Angel asked.

Angel’s voice sent shivers down Husk’s spine, and he could feel himself getting hard again. “Just…feeling things.”

Angel snorted. “What kind of things?”

Husk bit his lip. “Things I never thought I’d feel again.”

There was silence, and Husk worried what Angel’s reaction might be. “Is that a bad thing?” Angel finally asked.

Husk wheeled around, seeing the look of concern on Angel’s face. He really was beautiful. Husk wanted so desperately to grab him and kiss him but withered when he saw Nifty and the others coming downstairs. “Not bad. Just…overwhelming.”

“Well, hope you feel better,” Angel said, earnestly.

Husk wanted to cry, Angel’s smile was so warm and sweet. Husk huffed, unable to stop himself from smiling and blushing. “I think I’ll be fine.”

Angel beamed. “That’s good. Say, I gotta go to work soon. Think you could make me somethin’ before I go?”

Husk nodded and made Angel his usual. He watched Angel drink, unable to stop staring at his lips and imagining the glass brim was Husk’s own mouth. Angel set the drink down, waved goodbye, and headed out the door. Husk waved, feeling a rush of giddy excitement mixed with cloying dread. Falling in love with Angel was incredible, he felt lighter than he had in ages, but he was used to things going wrong for him, and given his and Angel’s situations, he didn’t expect anything come from this.

The weeks came and went, and Husk felt in a perpetual daze. Angel was always on his mind, even when he wasn’t around. Every song that came on the radio reminded Husk of Angel, somehow. Every food he ate made him wonder if Angel would enjoy it. Whenever he went shopping for more booze, he’d pass the clothing stores and wonder what Angel would look like in the outfits displayed in the windows.

He used to hate sitting in on Charlie’s lessons, but now he eagerly sat and watched the skits Angel and Pentious were asked to perform. All the games they’d play were to help Pentious not assume the worst in everyone and Angel not rely so heavily on drugs. Husk could tell Angel didn’t enjoy having to give up coke for friendly talks, and he certainly didn’t enjoy when the hotel staff started stealing his drug stashes, but Husk was proud of Angel for putting in the effort to improve.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t escape his biggest problem. Husk stayed at the bar late into the night, waiting for Angel to come back. 

“You don’t have to stay up for me, Husk. Get some sleep,” Angel said.

Husk’s eyelids drooped. “I can’t sleep until I know you’re safe at home.”

Angel’s hair stood on end and he flushed. “Oh…”

Husk gave a tired smile. “You’re here now.”

Angel smiled back, taking in the dark circles under Husk’s eyes. “Let’s get you to bed.” He reached out and took Husk’s hand. Husk’s face turned red as Angel led him upstairs.

Husk could feel his heart pounding throughout every inch of his body. Angel wasn’t wearing his gloves that night and Husk’s paw tingled with the sensation of Angel’s fur against his own. When Angel brought him to his bedroom door, he took a second too long to let Angel go. He and Angel said goodnight to each other and Husk immediately went to bed. He let the hand that held Angel’s linger against his nose, smelling Angel’s sweat and perfume, before gliding down his mouth, neck, and body, then traveling down his pants.

“O-Oh, Angel!” he moaned, easing his erection into his palm. He thrust, clasping his free hand over his mouth as he cried out Angel’s name. He gasped as he came, unable to stop shaking, wishing Angel was here for him to hold.

The sexual tension he felt around Angel was becoming unbearable.  Even when he found Angel obnoxious, he always thought he was attractive, but now he was the most perfect, beautiful creature Husk had ever seen and it drove him mad! Whenever Angel licked his lips, Husk mirrored him, wishing their tongues were intertwined. Noticing the curve of Angel’s back made Husk dig his claws into the table to restrain himself from seizing Angel to make his back really arch. On his days off, Angel would come downstairs in his pajamas, looking disheveled, and it took all Husk’s willpower to not tear Angel’s pants off, spread his legs a mile wide, and start lapping him up like milk.

Touching himself to the thought of Angel could only do so much. The idea of him didn’t cut it, neither did staring at the picture on his nightstand. He wanted to hear Angel whine, needed to know Angel was enjoying this too. Obviously, he couldn’t go to Angel himself, so Husk took to finding one of his porns online.

Husk used the internet on his phone and scrolled through Angel’s films. Most of them looked violent, and while Husk wasn’t against rowdy sex, knowing what Angel went through in those shoots made his stomach churn. He continued scrolling, hoping to find something that at least appeared tame. He landed on a thumbnail for Farmyard Fornication, which displayed Angel in a bra and mini skirt, both with cow print on it, and a headband that looked like cow horns and ears. Husk hummed. He wasn’t much for cow play, but Angel looked cute in the outfit and the synopsis ‘Farmer milks his cow. E-I-E-I-Oh!’ didn’t strike Husk as particularly violent. He could feel some precum leaking in his pants and he clicked on the video.

The film began with the sun rising over a farmyard set. Angel pranced onscreen, dressed in the same outfit as the thumbnail, and Husk could see the boots he had on looked like cow hooves. Angel got down on all fours and arched his back and shook his ass. The tail on his mini skirt wagged, and the cow utter he had over his dick swayed.

“Moo! Oh, I’m so restless! If only someone would help me deal with this heat!” Angel bellowed, spreading his legs and wagging his ‘utter’.

Husk scowled. This was such a waste of Angel’s talent. Not because of the porn scenario itself, but because the dialogue was terribly on-the-nose.

A large, muscular tabby cat dressed like a farmer leapt over the fence. He tilted his straw hat out of his face and leered at Angel. “Well, hello there, beautiful. I’d like to diddle, diddle your little fiddle. OR maybe…” he swung his leg over Angel’s back and landed with his crotch just over Angel’s ass. “Jump right over your moon.”

Husk rolled his eyes. Who the fuck wrote this shit?

“Oh my, mista farmer,” Angel said, shimmying his shoulders. “You sure are forward. OH! I’m leaking!!!” Some precum dripped from his ‘utter’.

“Looks like you need a good milking,” said the farmer, rolling Angel over so his was on his back, legs spread, erect ‘utter’ in the air.

“But that’s not milk,” Angel said, voice getting lower, smokier. “It’s cum.”

“Even better,” the farmer said. He practically unhinged his jaw as he went down on Angel.

“OH!!!” Angel threw his head back as the farmer sucked him off.

Husk grimaced. There was a mild twinge of pain in Angel’s expression that Husk couldn’t shake, but Angel looked so pretty with his hair flopped back out of his face. He slipped his hand down his pants, watching as the farmer ravaged Angel’s cock. Husk was about to touch his dick when Angel let out a fervent: “MOOOO!!!”

Husk paused, suddenly brought back to the reality that Angel was starring in a stupid, unrealistic porn about cows. Truly, Valentino’s production left much to be desired. If he was going to make cow porn, he could’ve at least put Angel in a better costume…given him a cod piece that had multiple utters like a real cow. Or even better, Valentino could have hired a bovine actor and had Angel suck each of his utters off. Sure, Angel looked cute in the outfit, but where was the commitment to the bit?

“Milk me, daddy! MOO!” Angel whined.

Husk exited out of the video. Even worse than the bullshit cow costume and terrible dialogue was seeing Angel be phony. Sure he was an actor, but he was clearly overdoing it. Husk cast his phone to the side and pulled his hand out of his pants, wondering what went through Angel’s head while he had to film that schlock. He considered just asking Angel until he realized that would reveal to Angel that Husk had watched one of his porns…voluntarily…of his own free will.

Husk’s face turned bright red, and he clutched his churning stomach. He tried watching one of Angel’s porns to jack off to! If Angel found out, he’d never trust Husk again! Husk was just another creep trying to use Angel as sexual fodder. It didn’t matter than he had feelings for Angel, if anything that made it worse! Husk looked at his picture of Angel and whimpered. The idea that Angel’s smile would fade the moment he learned the truth made Husk’s soul curdle like milk…

Milk…eeeugh.

Husk had learned to drown out his lust with booze. The sex dreams didn’t stop, but it quelled his desires enough to not shove his hand down his pants while he was awake. He managed to have conversations with Angel without his attraction being obvious, at least, not obvious to Angel. Nifty continued to grin mischievously every time they spoke, and once Cherri Bomb started hanging around the hotel, she’d give him a knowing look whenever Husk was staring at the back of Angel’s head.

Though his crush never wavered, he learned to accept that nothing could ever happen between them. Angel deserved someone who treated him right, and Husk was just a washed-up creep that didn’t deserve him. It would never work out, but Husk wanted to be supportive at least. He heaped praise onto Angel for every milestone he accomplished, he made sure Angel always had his favorite drink when he got to the bar, and he did his best to lend an ear when Angel needed to vent or offer a shoulder to cry on.

Even though he knew he was nowhere near powerful enough to really do anything for Angel, he still tried his best to protect him. He would’ve fought to protect the hotel anyway (if nothing else because Alastor would make him), but if it meant protecting Angel then he’d give it his all. They survived the Extermination and helped rebuild the hotel together. Things weren’t exactly what Husk wanted, but he was content with how things were…

Until Valentino showed up.

The bastard already hurt Angel enough at work, Husk hated the idea of him being at the hotel! Thankfully, Charlie had put enough restrictions in place to keep Angel safe, but Valentino didn’t seem genuinely open to change.

As Husk’s alarm went off, shaking him out of his memories, he dreaded what bullshit he’d encounter with Valentino today.

“You don’t need it!” Vaggie snapped, trying to snatch Valentino’s cigarette pack.

Valentino straightened his back and cradled the pack to his chest. “You want me to calm down, these are the only things that keep me calm!” He shoved the pack into his coat.

“There are other ways to stay calm,” Charlie said, hair much neater than it had been a few days ago, but still disheveled.

“Like what?” Valentino snapped.

“Like taking a deep breath,” Charlie said.

Valentino scoffed. “Really? You think just breathing heavy calms people down.”

“It’s better than smoking,” Vaggie said, reaching to grab Valentino’s fluff.

Valentino grabbed Vaggie’s wrist and wrenched her away. “Don’t touch me, bitch!”

“OH! So you do think touching someone without asking is bad!?” Vaggie said.

“Oh, WHATEVER!!! Fuck you!” Valentino snapped.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket. Husk barely caught Vox’s name on Valentino’s screen before Valentino turned around to look at the text. Valentino looked down at his chest and said: “I’m not arguing, I’m DISAGREEING LOUDLY!!!” His phone buzzed again, and he held the phone close to his face to read the text. “I’M TRYING TO CALM DOWN!!!”

“If you want to calm down, then breathe!” Charlie said.

“THAT’S NOT GOING TO WORK!” Valentino yelled.

“HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU WON’T TRY IT!?” Charlie snapped.

“HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW IF IT WORKS!?” Valentino spat.

“JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH!!!” Charlie screamed, horns sprouting.

“FINE! YOU WANT ME TO BREATHE!? HERE!!!” Valentino drew a huge breath, chest puffing out, and huffed an exhale right in Charlie’s face. Charlie grimaced, no doubt from the stench of Val’s breath, and Valentino calmly asked: “There. Happy?”

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Are you?”

Valentino blinked. “Wait…” He inhaled deeply, held it for a moment, then exhaled. “That actually worked?” He stood, bent at the waist with a dumbfounded expression, before throwing his head back and saying: “That is so STUPID! WHAT THE FUCK!? ¿Solo tenía que respirar? ¡¿En serio?! ¡No es tan fácil! ¡¿Qué demonios?!”

“It is that easy. And if you wanna prove that your working on being better, you need to breathe through your anger. Got it?!” Vaggie said, hands on hips.

Valentino’s cheeks puffed, he opened his mouth to speak but froze when his phone buzzed again. He whined, stamping his feet, and he flopped over on the couch.

Husk watched from the bar. Valentino eventually ceased his tantrum and took a deep breath. He dropped his face into the couch pillow, and Husk wondered if Valentino would suffocate from it, then he wouldn’t have to worry about deep breathing anymore.

Alastor materialized on the barstool and set his glass down. “This might be the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

Husk snarled.

“Oh, don’t fuss, Husker. Once he breaks and Charlie makes good on her end of our deal, it’ll all have been worth it.”

Husk took Alastor’s glass and began cleaning it. As much as he wanted to believe that Charlie’s plan would work, Valentino had been at the hotel for over two weeks now and he’d made little progress. The last thing Husk wanted was for Alastor to reach his full power again, but if it meant protecting Angel…

That night, Husk flopped onto his bed and gazed at his picture of Angel. Thinking back to the past few days and the panicked look in Angel’s eye made Husk’s fur stand on end. He wished he had his powers again. Then he wouldn’t have to rely on Charlie or Alastor to take care of Valentino. As his eyes drifted shut, he imagined Valentino finally breaking and seizing Angel’s arms. The rest of the hotel staff melted away and they were all that was left in the distorted lobby.

“Val, let GO!” Angel screamed, wrestling against Valentino’s grip.

“I’ll never let you go, bitch. Not again,” Valentino said.

Husk growled. “HEY! Leave him alone!”

“Tch. What are you gonna do about it, Husk? You’re too weak to stop me,” Valentino said.

“Think again,” Husk said, drawing his card deck. It was the deck he’d imbued with Angelic steel for the Extermination. He fanned the cards out and threw them at Valentino’s head, slicing it off at the neck.

Angel stumbled as Valentino’s grip released. Husk caught Angel and held him bridal style. “Husk…” Angel whispered.

“It’s okay, baby. You don’t gotta fight anymore,” Husk said.

Angel wrapped his arms around Husk’s neck as Husk flapped his wings and flew them away. They gazed into each other’s eyes and kissed. Slow and soft but building in intensity as Husk swooped down onto his bed. It was the bed from when he was an Overlord; lavish silk curtains covered in stars draped over plush satin sheets. Husk sprawled Angel out, eyes drifted over his naked body, seeing all the scars and bruises Valentino had left behind. Husk gently kissed each of them, making Angel shudder, and worked his way up Angel’s torso until their lips were locked again.

He felt Angel’s tears stream down his cheeks and Husk kissed them away. The more Angel cried, the deeper Husk kissed him. He laced their fingers together before slowly entering Angel.

“OH! HUSK!” Angel cried as Husk moved in and out.

He whined and Husk caught Angel’s cries in his mouth. He swallowed down Angel’s pain and thrust harder, hoping to replace the pain with pleasure.

He looked down, seeing Angel’s tear stained, blissed out face. “Angel,” he said. “I-I love-.”

BEEP!

Husk jumped as his alarmed blared. He grabbed it off his nightstand, trying to turn it off, but no matter how many times he tapped the screen it wouldn’t stop. Husk growled, jabbing the screen with his index finger before it finally turned off. He slapped it down and sunk into his own drool and cum. The smiling picture of Angel stared back at him, and he felt disgusting and small. Unable to control his sexual urges and unable to protect Angel from anything. Fury bubbled from his toes to his head, and he tore at his bedsheets with his claws.

He gasped, looking down at his ripped sheets. Memories flooded back of all the times he’d used those claws to scrape his souls until they bled. Their cries of pain still rang in his ears, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The thought of every cruel, violent thing Valentino did to Angel mirroring the pain Husk inflicted on his own employees forced Husk to remember that he’d never be the better option. He buried his face in his pillow and wept.

The next morning, Husk trudged past Angel’s room. He stared at the photos on the door; Angel with Cherri Bomb, Angel with Fat Nuggets, Angel with Charlie, and Angel with everyone else at the hotel. Husk frowned when he noticed he’d been lumped in as a part of Angel’s group of friends, unlike Cherri and Charlie who got their own pictures. Husk shook his head, feeling selfish. If that’s how Angel felt, then that mattered more than Husk’s fragile ego.

He was about to walk away when he heard Angel sniffle. Husk pressed his ear to the door, trying to hear if Angel was crying. There was a low moaning sound, but Husk couldn’t place the emotion behind it. There was another sniffle and Husk groaned. He couldn’t save Angel, he couldn’t even be Angel’s lover, but he could at least be his friend and check up on him.

“Angel?” Husk asked, gently knocking on the door.

Angel yelped. “AH! Husk!?”

“Everything alright?”

“Uh…YEAH! One second.”

Husk could faintly hear a brushing sound, like Angel was wiping something off his vanity. Had he been doing his make-up? Did Husk just interrupt him!? Jackass…

Husk leapt back when the door opened. Angel wiped his nose on the back of his hand and wiped that against his shorts. “Hey, Husk! How’s it goin’?” Angel asked, forcing a smile.

“Is everything okay in there?” Husk asked.

“Oh! Yeah. Just spilled some powder is all,” Angel said.

Husk noticed the white smudge where Angel had wiped his hand. Must’ve been make-up powder. “Alright. I was worried you were cryin’.”

Angel’s smile fell. “Don’t worry about me, Husk. I’m doin’ fine.”

He wandered back into his room without closing the door. Husk absentmindedly followed. “Are you?” he asked, shutting the door behind him.

Angel sighed and plopped onto his bed. “I’m managing.”

Husk sat beside him. He wanted to reach up and take Angel’s miserable face in his hands, but feared what Angel’s reaction might be. “Wish there was somethin’ I could do to help.”

“Y’all are doin’ your best. Charlie said Valentino’s starting to do what she asks,” Angel said. Fat Nuggets crawled onto the bed and waddled over to Angel.

“He’s still pretty resistant,” Husk said. “I’m just worried what might happen if he gives up.”

Angel picked Fat Nuggets up and plopped him on his lap. He pat the pig’s head as he said: “Can’t be anything worse than what he’s been doin’.”

Husk frowned, wings drooping. He glanced at Angel’s crestfallen face and noticed how it lit up when Fat Nuggets rested his little hoofs on Angel’s chest fluff. Husk smiled. “No use dwelling on it now. Let’s talk about somethin’ else.”

“Sounds god to me,” Angel said, lifting Fat Nuggets up. The pig licked Angel’s nose and Angel beamed. “What do you wanna talk about?”

“Why not Fat Nuggets?” Husk asked. “Where’d you get ‘im?”

Angel’s face immediately fell. “He was a gift,” Angel said. “From Valentino.”

Husk’s stomach sank. “Oh.” Shit. “Uh, sorry.”

“You didn’t know,” Angel said, cradling Fat Nuggets to his chest.

Husk stared, wheels spinning. “Why’d he give you Fat Nuggets?”

“He always gave me stuff, usually to apologize for beatin’ the shit outta me,” Angel said, scratching Fat Nuggets’ chin.

“He gives his employees gifts to make up for how he treats them?” Husk growled.

“No, just me,” Angel said.

“Why? ‘Cause you’re the biggest name?” Husk asked.

“Dunno. I mean, he gave me plenty a gifts before we started workin’ together.”

“Was that how he drew you in?” Husk asked, voice grave. “With fancy gifts so you’d sign your soul over?”

Angel sank into his shoulders. “No. I-I was the one who asked for the contract. He wasn’t against it, but…”

“Wait! How long did you know him before you started working for him?”

“Uh, we were dating for about a year before then.”

Husk felt his reality shatter. “You-you were…”

Angel squeezed his eyes shut, peaking out of the one closest to Husk as he said: “Holy shit! I always thought he was just your boss! I didn’t realize-!” Husk watched Angel’s head fall and he stared down at his feet. “Shit. That’s-that’s a lot.”

“You don’t even know,” Angel said, clutching Fat Nuggets.

 Husk gripped the edge of the bed. “Well, maybe not exactly. But, I get the idea. Alastor and I used to be friends.”

Angel’s head popped up and he stared. “No shit?” Husk nodded. “Fuck. For how long?”

“We knew each other in life,” Husk said.

Angel scowled. “And he treats you like this? What the fuck is wrong with him?”

Husk winced. Hearing someone talk shit about Alastor, even if it was warranted, still made his skin crawl. “Look, it’s not like I don’t deserve it.”

“What!?” Angel asked.

“He warned me not to gamble the souls I owned, and I didn’t listen,” Husk said. “I was careless, and I was cocky. I caused my own downfall. I made this bed, and now I gotta lie in it.”

He caught Angel’s eyes; his pupils were small, horrified and angry. “No. There’s no way you deserve this. He’s a fuckin’ jackass Overlord and you-.”

“I was an Overlord too! And a shitty one at that.”

“There’s no way you were worse that him. Or Valentino for that matter.”

Husk clutched his stomach, feeling like he’d wretch. “You have no idea what I was like then, Angel.”

“I’m sure I woulda liked workin’ for you better than Valentino.”

Husk’s fur bristled. “If you were owned by me back then you probably woulda ended up with Valentino anyway! And even if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have been better off with me, Angel! I treated my souls like playthings. I used them and discarded them. I would’ve broken you!”

Angel stared. Husk withered and caved into himself. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice small.

“For what?” Angel asked.

“What do you mean ‘for what’? I just told you-.”

“You just told me what you used to be like. And maybe you were, I dunno, but you’re not like that now.”

“That doesn’t make me a good man, Angel.”

“So what? I’m no good either!”

Husk stared. “What do you mean you’re no good?!”

“Well, let’s see: I’m an addict, a pervert. I used to sexually harass you on a regular basis.”

Husk rolled his eyes. “You haven't done any a that in months.”

“And you haven’t been an Overlord in years,” Angel said, leaning back on the bed, eyes narrowing.

Husk shrank under Angel’s gaze. “Yeah, well. At least you’re trying to get better. You’ve been getting clean and sober and I’m still drowning my pain in booze.”

Angel rubbed his hand over the white powder on his shorts. They sat in silence, staring down at the floor. Fat Nuggets crawled out of Angel’s lap and sniffed at Husk’s leg. Angel’s face brightened. “Well, maybe you’re still a drunk. But if Fat Nuggets likes you, that must mean you’re a good guy.”

Husk raised a brow. “And how do you figure that?”

“Because he’s a very good judge of character,” Angel said, scooping Fat Nuggets up.

Husk glared at the adorable face staring back at him. “No offense, but I gotta hard time believing that.”

“Oh, come on! Trust the pig, Husk!” Angel thrust Fat Nuggets in Husk’s face. “Trust the pig.”

Fat Nuggets wibbled his little feet in Husk’s direction and Husk finally gave in. He took Fat Nuggets, holding him so they were face to face, and Fat Nuggets licked Husk’s nose. Husk froze. Fat Nuggets oinked, waggling his feet at Husk. Husk slowly brought Fat Nuggets close to his chest and Fat Nuggets nestled into his fur. Husk’s fingers twitched, unable to commit to tensing or relaxing. His fur bristled as Angel moved closer to him. He could feel Angel’s breath on his shoulder as he said:

“Look, I dunno what you were like back then, and I don’t think you’re perfect now. But I do think you’re better than you think you are.”

Husk turned away as he felt his cheeks flush. Angel lingered around Husk’s shoulder, and Husk wanted to lean back into Angel’s lips. As Fat Nuggets began to nod off, Husk pat the pig’s head.

Vaggie rubbed circles into Charlie’s back as they sat on the couch. Charlie poured over the papers on the table, scanning them quickly before tossing them to the side, startling KeeKee. Lucifer watched with concern and Alastor lurked just behind him.

“Urgh! I don’t want to teach Valentino anything today!” Charlie whined.

“None of us do, babe,” Vaggie said.

“At least he’s doing what you tell him to and not arguing…as much,” Lucifer said.

“Yeah, but he’s not enjoying it,” Charlie said.

“Why does that matter?” Lucifer asked.

“Because if he’s not having a good time, that means he’ll burnout quicker!” Charlie said.

Alastor shook his head. “The only one who seems burnt out right now is you, Charlie. Perhaps you should take a break from all this.” Lucifer glared as Alastor leaned in over his shoulder.

“I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but Alastor has a point,” Vaggie said. “You’ve been working yourself to the bone for weeks. You deserve a break.”

“But if I stop, Valentino might do something awful,” Charlie said.

“You know there’s always a second option,” Alastor said.

“No! We’re not resorting to whatever that deal was!” Lucifer snapped.

“It doesn’t have to be for long, just take a day off,” Vaggie said. “Maybe we could go for a walk or something. Get you out of the house.”

Charlie gasped and rose from the couch. “That’s it! We should all go on a day trip! It’ll get us all out in the fresh air so we’re not so cooped up. We could go someplace big enough so Angel can still have his space, but public enough that Valentino won’t act up. And if we find someplace fun, then maybe Valentino will actually enjoy himself.”

“Great idea, Charlie!” Lucifer said, leaping onto the table. “And I know just the place!”

Chapter Text

Outside the hotel, Lucifer conjured up a white limousine with golden accents. Alastor stayed behind as everyone piled in.

“You sure you’re not comin’?” Husk asked.

“I have no interest engaging in such frivolities, especially not one’s created by Lucifer,” Alastor said. He glared at Lucifer, but Husk noticed Alastor scratching his chest where Adam had wounded him.

“Hmm, see you, then,” Husk said, before crawling into the limo.

Valentino had been put into the back of the car with a divider put up between him and the rest of the group. He could faintly hear Angel laughing at something Husk said and proceeded to complain to Velvette about it over text. The limo glided smoothly through the Pride Ring before pulling up to a sparkly blue-white palace. It had a large golden apple perched on it’s top spire and was surrounded by pearly gates.

Lucifer leapt out of the limo and opened the doors. As everyone stepped out, he twirled his staff and pointed it at the entrance sign as he said: “Welcome to Lu Lu World! The Happiest Place in Hell!”

Charlie squealed and bounced on her heels. “This is so perfect! You guys are gonna love it here!”

Valentino slunk out of the backseat, took one look at the amusement park, and scowled. Angel shielded his eyes from the brilliant light emitting from the park and looked around. Cherri Bomb stood by the entrance, chewing her gum and blowing a huge bubble. “CHERRI!” Angel called.

The bubble popped and Cherri spat the gum on the ground. “ANGIE!”

Angel scooped her up and spun her around. “You made it!”

“Of course, mate! I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to hang out with my fav freak,” Cherri said, noogying Angel’s head and ruffling his hair. “Also, wasn’t gonna pass up an opportunity to get into Lu Lu World for free!”

Angel chuckled as Husk walked up behind them, grinning. Lucifer led them through the pearly gates and displayed the inside with the flourish of his hand. It looked like a cross between an amusement park, a circus, and a little bit of Heaven. Everything was red and gold and white with occasional shades of pale blue, purple, and pink. The booth games and rides were decorated with pearlescent clouds and yellow ducks, and everything was spotless and sparkling.

“Oh my gosh!” Charlie said, frantically waving her hands. “It looks even more amazing than when you brought me as a kid!”

“Yeah, we had some renovations done,” Lucifer said, beaming with pride. “Afterall, I made this place to bring joy to the citizens of Hell so it had to be up to a certain standard. Especially after all the people kept getting Lu Lu World confused with Mammon’s knock-off Loo Loo Land, and then complaining about how unsafe the rides were and how messy everything was, we had to step up our game. And Loo Loo Land IS a cheap knock-off, I don’t care what that green bastard says. He ripped me off to scam people and make a quick buck because he doesn’t care if he puts people in danger or gives them lousy quality entertainment so long as he can profit from it! And I’d love to shut his whole park down, but since it’s called Loo Loo Land and not Lu Lu World, and Loo is spelled with two ‘o’s instead of a ’u’ it doesn’t technically count as copyright infringement and there’s nothing I can do about it!”

Everyone stared at him as he pouted. “Not that I’m bitter.”

Valentino chuckled. “You folks really can’t handle anything less than perfect, can you?”

Everyone glared. “It’s not about wanting things to be perfect; it’s about wanting things to be better,” Charlie explained, calmly, with a tinge of frustration seeping through.

“Right. Which to you is being perfect,” Valentino said.

Angel sniffled and rubbed his nose. Charlie pinched the bridge of her nose and said: “We’re trying to improve people’s lives and make them happy. Which is why we’re here! To help you reach your full potential and give everyone a chance to have fun!”

Husk clutched Angel’s hand, making him blush furiously, and said: “You guys enjoy yourselves then.”

He and Cherri made off with Angel. Valentino watched Angel slip away, never even looking back to see him, and balled his fists. “Why isn’t Angel staying here?!”

“Because we’re taking you two separately, remember?” Charlie asked.

Valentino crossed his arms and stamped his foot. “Ugh! This isn’t fair.”

“Relax, Val. You get to be with us today,” Vaggie said with a sadistic grin. Nifty appeared over her shoulder and cackled.

Valentino recoiled. He glanced past Vaggie’s head and noticed a Vox-Tech Voyeurscope hovering over a hoop throwing game. Valentino groaned, blew his antenna out of his face, and said: “Great…”

Angel, Cherri, and Husk walked around the park, each staring at a different booth or ride.

“Damn! Where do you even start with this place?!” Cherri asked, eyeing the rollercoaster with cars shaped like ducks.

“Dunno,” Husk said, looking at the carousel of unicorns. “What do you wanna do, Angel?”

Angel tore his eyes away from the cotton candy booth to look at Husk. “Uh! Dunno. There any place to play games?”

“There!” Cherri pointed to a booth where a child was firing a crossbow at a golden apple that moved back and forth. The imp running the booth pulled a level to make the apple speed up. The child frantically shot and just barely hit the apple’s edge. 

“Hah! Perfect,” Angel said releasing Cherri and Husk’s hands to crack his knuckles.

“You think you can hit that? It moves pretty fast,” Husk said.

“Pah-lease, bitch. I could hit that target with a cumshot in my sleep,” Angel said, strutting to the booth.

Husk bit his lip. “Huh.” He and Cherri followed Angel to the booth as the child and his mother left.

Angel slammed a dollar down on the counter. “Hand me that crossbow.”

“Here ya go,” the imp said, handing Angel the crossbow. “One dollar gets you three tries!”

Angel readied his crossbow as the apple glided swiftly back and forth. He glanced at Husk and winked. Husk’s face turned beet red, and Angel recoiled. Cherri leaned over and whispered: “Tryin’ to impress your boyfriend?”

“Shut up,” Angel hissed. He readied his weapon, following the apple with it, and fired. The dart inside the crossbow hit the center of the apple.

“Hah! You did it!” Husk said, clapping Angel on the back.

Angel’s faced glowed pink. “Yeah! Told ya. In fact, make it go faster!”

The imp pulled the lever further and the target accelerated. Angel’s eyes darted back and forth with the apple. “Ahhh…” he tried to follow the target with the crossbow.

“Need it at the original speed?” the imp asked, folding his arms.

“NO! I got this,” Angel said, firing. The dart flew past the apple and disappeared behind the moving target.

“Two down. Three to go!” the imp said.

“Maybe slow it dow-,” Husk started.

“I’ve got this!” Angel snapped.

He lined up the crossbow, following the apple back and forth. His finger trembled on the trigger, sweat dripping off his brow. The imp raised an eyebrow, waiting, and Angel fired. The dart just grazed the edge of the apple before disappearing.

“WHAT!? No way! This game’s rigged!” Angel spat.

“No rigged games here. You must be thinking of Loo Loo Land,” the imp said, collecting the darts.

“Gimmie another shot,” Angel said, thumbing through the money Charlie gave them.

“Angel, come on, don’t blow all the money on one game,” Husk said.

“I’m not gonna blow it all on one game ‘cause I’m not gonna lose this one,” Angel said, slamming the money down.

Husk frowned. “You know, I thought the same thing when I played Overlords for their souls.” Angel rolled his eyes. “You got the one and you just hit the last one. Why don’t we-?”

“I’ve got this, Husk!” Angel snapped, taking the now full crossbow from the imp and readying it.

The imp pulled the lever, the apple breezed back and forth and Angel fired all three darts at once. Two of them missed and the last one bonked against the apple stem and flew in the air before dropping in front of the target.

“FUCK! You made it go faster, didn’t you?!” Angel said, jabbing an accusatory finger at the imp.

“It was the same speed as last time,” the imp said, shrugging as he bent over to grab the darts.

“Bullshit! You’re fuckin’ with me!” Angel said, leaning over the counter.

“I don’t fuck with anybody who plays this game,” the imp said. “You’re just not as good at it as you thought.”

Angel’s eyes glowed and he seized the imp’s shirt. “The fuck did you just say to me?!”

“Whoa! Angel!” Husk said.

“You think I can’t hit a moving target?! Why don’t you start runnin’ and we’ll see how good a shot I am,” Angel said, releasing the imp’s shirt and pulling out his tommy gun with his third set of arms.

“Whoa! Easy, man! It’s not that big a deal! Besides, no guns allowed!” the imp said, hands up.

“Then we’ll take it outside the park!” Angel said, taking aim.

“Angel, stop!” Husk said, pushing the gun down.

“Angel? Like Angel Dust, right?” the imp said.

“What’s it to ya?” Angel snapped.

“Aren’t you the one going to that hotel that’s supposed to make you a good person?” the imp asked. He smirked. “Doesn’t look like you’re doin’ a good job.”

Angel bristled. “I-fuck you! I’m doin’ a great job at gettin’ better!”

“About as great as your aim,” the imp said.

Angel growled, ready to aim, when Husk seized Angel’s arm. “Knock it off!” he growled, pointing at the teenager who’d pulled out their phone to record the fight.

Angel blinked and the imp chuckled. “Man, the Princess really is in over her head with this whole redemption thing.”

“Ah…” Angel retracted his arms and gun. “N-no. Ch-Charlie’s doin’ her best. She’s helpin’ a lot! Heh, normally I’d still be fightin’ but I stopped! See?” He held up his four exposed hands.

The teenager rolled their eyes and pocket their phone.

“Guess so,” the imp said, shrugging.

“Yeah. So, uh, sorry about that,” Angel said, holding out his hand.

The imp stared at it and said: “Thanks. Now why don’t you run along so somebody else can try.”

Angel squared his shoulders and walked away, Cherri and Husk following behind.

“Ah, fuck that guy, Ang. He was just bein’ a prick,” Cherri said.

“Was he?” Husk asked. “Seemed like he was just doin’ his job and Angel picked a fight.”

“What? Angie’s not supposed to stand up for himself?” Cherri asked.

“That wasn’t standing up for himself. He got mad he couldn’t hit targets that were moving too fast,” Husk said.

Angel withered. Cherri scoffed. “Angie’s a great marksman. That guy was doin’ too much.”

“Angel asked him to,” Husk said, and Angel bowed his head until his hair covered his face. Husk noticed and said: “You don’t gotta prove anything, Angel. Besides, it was just a game.”

“I know,” Angel sighed. His shoulders tensed as he felt Husk and Cherri’s eyes on him. “Look, let’s just do somethin’ else, okay?”

Husk and Cherri placed their hands on Angel’s arms and walked away from the booth.

Valentino trudged behind the others. Charlie was bouncing off the walls, eagerly pointing out all the rides.

“OH!!! The Whirly Bird! That was so fun! Until I threw up, that was gross, but the ride was awesome! OH! And the Apple Core Escape Room! I never did figure that one out, but maybe one of these days! And AGH! I forgot all the snack booths!” Charlie squealed.

Lucifer and Vaggie watched her affectionately. Valentino groaned. Charlie looked back to see his sullen face and asked: “So, Valentino. Have you ever been to an amusement park?”

“Nope,” Valentino said.

“Really? Not even when you were little?” Charlie asked.

“Nah. My parents weren’t big on doing things that were fun,” Valentino said.

“Oh! Uhm, sorry to hear that. But now that you’re here, maybe you can have fun for a change,” Charlie said.

“Really? Thought we were here to teach me how to be ‘good’,” Valentino said, making air quotes with all his hands.

“OH! Right! Hmm. What can we do here to help you learn respect?” Charlie wondered. She tapped her chin and looked around.

A dolphin-looking sinner walked by with a container of popcorn. After stuffing a fistful in her mouth, she tossed the container to the side, barely hitting the trash can and walking away as the container fell to it’s side and popcorn rolled out across the ground.

“AH! Perfect,” Charlie said. “You see that container?”

“Yeah, that ugly bitch missed the trash,” Valentino said with a cackle.

“Well, you can provide a good service to the community by picking it up and throwing it away,” Charlie said.

Valentino recoiled. “You want me to do…” He nearly wretched. “Community service?!”

“Yes,” Charlie said, stepping aside and gesturing to the popcorn.

Valentino shuddered. “Don’t you have people here to take care of that?” he asked Lucifer.

“Sure. But you’d be helping make their jobs easier by cleaning that up when you see it,” Lucifer said.

“Why can’t I go tell that porpoise bitch to clean it up! It’s her fault!” Valentino asked.

“Because we’re not teaching her to be a good person, we’re teaching you,” Charlie said.

“Ugh. YEAH, but…” Valentino caught sight of the Voyeurscope in the sky and groaned. He trudged up to the popcorn and sighed. He bent at the waist and lifted the container. He tossed it in the trash and gestured to it. “There, happy?”

“And all the popcorn,” Charlie said.

Valentino looked down and saw several kernels at his feet. He groaned and leaned down to pick them up. His hand recoiled at the first piece; his expression revolted.

“Come on,” Vaggie said. “Considering your line of work, this can’t be the grossest thing you’ve touched.”

Valentino sneered. “Yeah, well, that gross stuff is actually fun!” He looked back at the popcorn and muttered: “This place is apparently supposed to be fun, but not for me, I guess.  Because I’m not allowed to have any fun. Es como si mis padres nunca se hubieran ido. Joder.”

“Uh, what is he saying?” Charlie asked.

“Dunno, he’s mumbling. Something about his parents,” Vaggie said.

“Huh,” Charlie said.

“Bring me something from the trash!” Nifty called. Valentino looked back at her and shuddered.

“Hey, Funhouse,” Cherri said, nudging Angel’s arm. She pointed at the Funhouse, which was a circus tent with saturated gold and red stripes. “That should cheer ya up.”

Angel forced a laugh. “That’d be nice.”

The trio walked inside and were immediately met with their warped reflections in the mirrors.

“Heh, these things are great,” Cherri said, wiggling in front of a mirror that made her look like the letter Z.

Angel puffed his cheeks in a mirror that made his head look like a swollen balloon. He cackled. He and Cherri raced inside, and Husk sauntered behind them.

Cherri bolted between a mirror that made her look flattened like a pancake, and one that made her look toothpick thin and tall as the mirror itself. Angel bounced up and down in front of a mirror that made him look squashed to the ground when he stood on his toes and his regular height when he bent down. Husk stood in front of a mirror that made him look smaller and smooshed and somehow even more haggard than usual. He glowered but couldn’t look away.

Angel stepped aside and stood in front of a mirror that made him look even more voluptuous than usual, especially his lower half. He thrust his chest and ass out and his reflection became even more proportionally obscene.

“Hah! Hey, Cherri!” Angel called, pulling Cherri’s focus away from her toothpick reflection. “How do you like these jugs and big juicy ass?” He ruffled his chest fluff and twerked, making his ass bounce in the reflection.

Cherri cackled. “Ah! I love it! Hey Husk!” Husk turned around. “How do you like Angel’s big juicy ass?!”

Angel squeaked, straightening up and covering his ass. Husk blinked and walked off. “I like Angel’s regular ass better.”

“So you do like his ass?” Cherri asked.

Husk froze, fur prickling. “WHA-AH, NO! That’s not what I-I mean, not that I think Angel’s ass is bad, I just didn’t-uh!!!” He turned around, face red as his wings as he met Angel’s gaze. “It’s just that…you’re perfect the way you are, and I don’t want you to feel like you have to change anything.”

Angel’s face softened and he smiled.

“Yeah, Angie, don’t change anythin’ about yourself. You know, besides being a sex addict and a drug addict and an alcoholic,” Cherri said.

“Hey, he’s the one who’s trying to get better, I’m just encouraging him,” Husk said.

“That’s right, Angel wants to be boring now,” Cherri said, resting a hand on Angel’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Cherri,” Angel spat.

“Of course, mate. You know I’m always here for you,” Cherri said, playfully punching his arm. “In fact, I got an idea that you two lameos’ll love. Come on!”

She rushed off, leaving Angel and Husk to look at each other in confusion.

Valentino sulked as Charlie led the group through the park.

“See Valentino, didn’t it feel good to help out your community by keeping it clean?” Charlie asked.

Valentino garbled something under his breath.

“You’ll learn to love it,” Charlie said.

They continued forward when Charlie stopped dead in her tracks as a goldfish demon carrying apple shaped balloons walked by. An imp and his daughter saw the demon and the imp child frantically pointed at the balloon. “Daddy, can I have a balloon?!”

“Of course, sweetie,” the imp said.

Lucifer watched, sweating, and glanced at Charlie. “Uh, hey! Char-Char. You want me to get you a balloon?”

“Oh! Uh, sure! I guess,” Charlie said.

“It’s just, I remember you always like when I got you balloons at this place,” Lucifer said, fidgeting.

“You remembered?” Charlie said, hands over her heart.

“Of course!” Lucifer said.

Vaggie and Nifty beamed at the Morningstar’s bonding. Valentino grimaced at the saccharine display, but then sprouted a devious grin. “You know, you two seem like you’ve got a lot of family bonding you need to catch up on.”

Charlie and Lucifer bristled. “Oh! Heh, yeah. Is it-is it that obvious?” Lucifer asked.

“I would hate to think that all this redemption stuff is getting in the way of you two spending quality time together. Why don’t we take a break from the lessons and you both have some fun. Get a balloon. Go on some rides,” Valentino said.

“Uh, as nice as that would be, we really shouldn’t just leave you to your own devices,” Charlie sweated.

“I think I can handle being in an amusement park by myself,” Valentino said.

“I’m not worried something will happen to you,” Charlie said.

Valentino frowned. Suddenly, Vaggie wrapped her arm around Valentino and pulled him close. “You two have fun. I’ll keep an eye on Val.”

Valentino withered. “Right…you’re here.”

Nifty appeared behind Vaggie’s head, rising slowly. “And me.” She giggled and Valentino squirmed.

“Vaggie, I don’t want you to have to take the brunt of the work,” Charlie said.

“You’ve already taken on enough. Go spend time with your dad,” Vaggie said.

Charlie beamed, eyes welling with tears. “You’re the best!” She threw her arms around Vaggie and gave her a kiss on the lips before grabbing Lucifer’s arm. Lucifer met Vaggie’s eye, whispered: “Thank you!” and ran up to the balloon selling goldfish with his daughter.

Vaggie watched them for a while, smiling warmly, before forcibly steering Valentino in the direction of the Ferris Wheel line. “You’re not slick, you know?”

“What? I thought you wanted me to be considerate of others,” Valentino said.

“That’s not what that was,” Vaggie said, tightening her grip.

“You people need to loosen up. So, I want to wander around by myself for a bit. What’s the harm?” Valentino asked.

“I don’t trust what you plan to do by yourself,” Vaggie said.

“If you don’t trust me, how can I ever prove myself?” Valentino asked.

“You’ll prove yourself when you stop being such a pain in the ass and actually do the right thing,” Vaggie said, moving up in the line.

“I’m doing what you guys want! I just picked up all that crap off the ground,” Valentino said.

“But would you do it if we didn’t tell you to?” Vaggie asked.

 “Well, no, but-,” Valentino started.

“Exactly,” Vaggie said.

Valentino huffed and noticed the line moving. “What exactly is getting on the Ferris Wheel going to do to teach me how to be good?”

Vaggie blinked. “Oh, uh. Well…”

“You didn’t think about that, did you?” Valentino asked, smugly.

Vaggie glared. “There’s gotta be something. How about, you have to go the entire ride without saying something gross or creepy to whoever’s sitting with us?”

Valentino groaned. “Fine.”

The rabbit demon standing in front of them climbed into the cabin and Vaggie, Nifty, and Valentino climbed in after. Vaggie and Nifty sat on one side of the cabin while Valentino sat with the rabbit demon. The pink axolotl running the ride closed the door behind them before going to the control panel. The Ferris Wheel started moving and the cabin lifted into the air.

Valentino tapped his foot, glancing at the rabbit demon’s low-cut shirt. “Hey,” he said, low and seductive.

“Oh, hi,” the rabbit demon said.

“What’s your name?” Valentino asked.

“Carlotta,” the rabbit said. 

“Carlotta, un placer conocerte, mi amor,” Valentino said, taking her paw in his hand. “I’m Valentino. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?”

“Of course! You’re one of the Vees,” Carlotta said, face bright red.

Vaggie rolled her eyes while Nifty looked out the window.

“Sure am,” Valentino said. “You know, you’re awfully pretty. And I could always use more bunny actors for my movies.”

“Really” Carlotta asked.

“Sure! After all, there’s plenty of people who have a breeding kink, and the perfect candidates to act in those films are the ones who ‘fuck like rabbits’,” Valentino said, leering, snaking his finger along Carlotta’s leg.

Carlotta vibrated, sweating and blushing. “Ah, oh! Uh!?”

“Valentino!” Vaggie snapped.

Val and Carlotta looked at Vaggie.

“What did we talk about?” Vaggie asked.

“What? I’m telling her she’s hot!” Valentino said.

“You’re being a creep!” Vaggie said.

“Oh, please. She’s into it, right?” Valentino asked, leering over Carlotta.

Carlotta smiled and squirmed. “I mean, it’s nice to be thought of as useful and attractive.”

“Yeah! I’m complimenting her,” Valentino said.

“You’re creeping on her,” Vaggie said. “Knock it off! And apologize.”

“Ugh, fine,” Valentino said. He glanced at Carlotta and said: “Sorry, babe. You’re actually ugly.”

Carlotta’s ears fell. “What?”

“VALENTINO!” Vaggie cried.

“WHAT!? I thought you didn’t want me to tell her she was sexy?”

“That doesn’t mean saying she’s ugly!”

“Then what the fuck am I supposed to say to her?!”

“How about nothing!”

“Oh, so being a good person means just not saying anything?!”

“In your case, yeah!”

Valentino stared, brimming with rage. He seethed, whole body racking and his almost boiled over until he saw a Voyeurscope fly by.

“Breathe,” Vaggie said, eye narrowing.

Valentino scowled. He took a huge breath and huffed it out. Vaggie smiled. “Good boy.”

Valentino slumped in his chair. Carlotta gripped her ears. “Uhm, is this about that Hazbin Hotel thing that was on the news?”

“Yes. We’re teaching him how to be a good person,” Vaggie said.

“Oh. Should I stay out of this?” Carlotta asked.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re not the problem,” Vaggie said.

Valentino turned away, looking out the window. They had reached the very top of the Ferris Wheel and everything looked fuzzier and farther away than it normally did for him. He folded his arms, subtly slinking them around his body until he was hugging himself.

“Cherri, what the fuck is this!?” Angel cried, throwing his hands out at the ride in front of him. Boats shaped like ducks sat in the river leading into a tunnel that looked like it had twinkling lights in it.

“Tunnel of Relaxation according to the sign,” Cherri said.

“You wanna go on this?” Angel asked.

“Me? No. It’s for you two,” Cherri said, pointing to Angel and Husk.

“What makes you think we’d like this?” Angel asked.

“It’s quiet. Not much action or anythin’ too excited. Just you two. Alone. Together,” Cherri said, slinking her arms around the boys’ shoulders and pulling them closer together.

Angel and Husk caught eyes and blushed furiously. “Cherri, can I talk to you?” Angel asked.

“Sure, mate.”

“Alone.”

Angel marched off. Cherri let go of Husk and followed him. Husk watched them, never moving from his spot.

“What’s up?” Cherri asked.

“Cherri, what the fuck are you doing?!” Angel spat.

“Givin’ you and your boyfriend some space. You’re welcome,” Cherri said.

“He is NOT my boyfriend. I already told you that,” Angel said, teeth gritted. His eyes darted between Husk and Cherri.

“Come on, bitch! I know you like him! And he likes you too!” Cherri said.

“No, he doesn’t! Now stop!” Angel snapped.

“Why are you doin’ this, Ang? You obviously wanna be with him, why are you pushin’ him away?”

“Because he doesn’t want me!”

“How do you know?”

“Because I used to hit on him and he didn’t like it!”

Cherri stared, seeing Angel’s eyes well with tears.

Angel glanced back over at Husk, who had taken to looking at the ride. “Look, you’re right. I do like him, but I pushed too hard and made him uncomfortable. He and I are gettin’ along now and I don’t wanna ruin that.”

“Ang,” Cherri said, softly. “It’s sweet that you care so much, but I don’t think he’d get upset if you said you still had feelings for him.”

“What if he does?” Angel asked.

“Angel, he likes you too,” Cherri said.

“How do you know? Has he said he does?” Angel asked.

“I-he…he hasn’t said anything. But-.”

“No buts. I’m not riskin’ what I have with him just because he might like me back,” Angel said, curling into himself.

Cherri deflated. She reached out and took one of Angel’s lower hands. “Ang, I don’t want you to ruin what you have with him either. I see how happy he makes you. You deserve to be happy.”

Angel looked down at his feet.

“Look, if you don’t wanna go on the ride with him you don’t have to. It’s your life. You do what you want, yeah?” Cherri said.

Angel glanced up at her from behind his hair. His eyes drifted back to Husk; still staring at the ride, softly illuminated by the neon sign above.

Husk watched as the next empty boat drifted in when Angel came up behind him. “Hey, Husk.” Husk turned around. Angel fidgeted with his gloves and asked: “Do-do you wanna go on the ride?”

Husk’s ears perked up and he smiled. “Yeah. I’d like that. ‘S long as you’re up for it.”

“Yeah,” Angel said.

Husk extended a hand and Angel tentatively reached out to take it. The stepped into the boat and the ride operator pressed a button on the control panel. As the boat inched towards the tunnel, Angel looked back to see Cherri giving him two thumbs up and smiling. Angel repeated the gesture, deflating once they were in the tunnel and Cherri was out of sight.

The inside of the tunnel looked like a circus. The walls were painted red and gold stripes and were lined with fairy lights. There were small carousels along the edge of the river, each moving slowly and playing a charming little music box song. Angel and Husk looked around, catching each other’s eyes and frantically looking away. Husk stretched, making a small meow as he did, and rested his hands behind his head as he lay down. Angel mimicked the action and Husk chuckled.

They looked up at the stars on the ceiling. Angel turned to see the stars reflecting in Husk’s eyes and the fairy lights creating a soft halo of light along his silhouette. Angel stared, hands still behind his head, and covered his blushing cheeks with his arms when Husk looked his way.

“This is nice,” Husk said.

“Y-yeah?” Angel said.

“It’s relaxing.”

“Well, that’s what it’s for.”

“Hm. Yeah.”

They sat quietly, listening to the music box song. Angel watched the carousel horses make their rounds, gently going up and down. Angel frowned. “Do you think I’m boring?”

Husk’s ears pricked. “Is this about what Cherri said?” Angel didn’t answer. “No. I don’t think you’re boring. I think you’ve just been through a lot and you’re finally starting to slow down and take a break. I think you deserve it.”

Angel buried his face in his arm furthest from Husk. “Thanks. You do to.”

“Hm?”

“You go through a lot too. You’re always stuck behind the counter and dealing with Alastor. I think you deserve a break too,” Angel said, smiling.

Husk’s fur prickled and his face turned red. “Yeah, well. It’s not that bad. If anything, I’d like to go back to a time when my life was exciting.”

“Like when you were an Overlord?”

“That. And when I was alive.”

“What’d you do on Earth?”

“Traveled around a lot. Was in a band; played saxophone. Did magic tricks on the side.”

“Oh yeah? Is that why you dress like a magician?” Angel asked, playfully tipping the brim of Husk’s hat.

Husk smirked and readjusted his hat. “Yeah.”

“How long were you alive?”

“Died right before turning 60.”

“Damn. That’s a while. Can’t imagine all you did was play music and do card tricks.”

“It was more than card tricks. But I also gambled at all the casinos.”

“Some things never change, huh?”

“Yeah,” Husk groaned. “Couldn’t really help it. Was born in Vegas, so it’s not like I could avoid it.”

“Oh! Vegas!” Angel shifted so his body faced Husk. He rested his cheek on his hand and asked: “You play any shows there?”

“Sure did.”

“Sleep with any showgirls?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Mm hm” Husk hummed, smirking.

“You seem a little too satisfied with yourself, mister,” Angel said. “Were you a womanizer?”

“Nah. I slept with men too,” Husk said.

Angel squeezed his legs together. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m not picky. Any hole’s a goal.”

Angel wriggled around in his seat, eyes bulging as much as his erection was. “Ah. Huh…You ever settle down with any of ‘em, or where they all flings?”

Husk frowned. “Would’ve liked to settle down. None of them ever lasted though. Something always came up. They were already taken, or they just dropped me when they got what they needed from me.”

Angel stared. “I’m sorry.”

“Hm. It don’t matter. After a while I started bein’ the one doin’ the using and discarding. ‘S probably the reason I ended up down here. That and the drinking and bar fights.”

“You get in a lot a those?”

“Yeah. One got so bad I woke up in Hell afterwards.”

“Damn. That’s a hell of a way to go though.”

“Guess so. Sure went out with a bang,” Husk said, swinging his fist at the air.

“Yeesh. I’m sorry.”

Husk shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

They sat silently again, listening to the music. Whatever song had been playing switched to something else as the boat went through a narrower tunnel. The walls were navy blue and covered in glow in the dark stars.

“How about you?” Husk asked.

“Huh?”

“What’d you do while you were alive?”

Angel frowned. “Family business.”

“Which was?”

“Mafia.”

“Oh!” Husk said, sitting up. “Heh, guess that explains why you’re so good with a gun.”

“Heh, yeah. It was about all I was good at back then,” Angel said, crossing his arms.

“Guessing you died in a fight, huh?”

Angel laughed. “I wish. Woulda been nice to go down fightin’. But no. I overdosed on PCP.”

Husk looked to the side, trying to remember. “PCP?”

“Phencyclidine. You know, Angel Dust?” Angel asked, pointing at himself with four index fingers.

Husk’s eyes widened and his jaw slacked.

Angel looked away and forced a laugh. “I used to get so fucked up on that shit. My family was involved in the drug trade, so I always got the good stuff. Helped me feel better, and hallucinating helped me forget where I was. Course, it also made me shit at the one thing I was good at. Couldn’t control my arms, couldn’t see what I was doin’. But at least I didn’t have to see my old man rearin’ up to hit me or hear him call me a ‘usless fag’.”

Husk winced. “Is that why you were so bent outta shape about not shootin’ that target earlier?”

Angel sneered. “It don’t matter.”

“It must matter a little. You seemed really upset about it,” Husk said.

Angel growled. “It shouldn’t matter! Like, okay, sure, it was the one thing I was good at or ever got praise for on Earth, but so what? It wasn’t even worth it! My family hated me for everything else! I was the queer they shoved the closet to keep up appearances. Nothin’ I did really mattered. Why the fuck would I care if I can’t shoot no more?”

“Because it was something you were good at,” Husk said. Angel stared at him. “Because it made you feel valuable. It made you feel like you were wanted.”

Angel trembled. Husk’s ability to see right through him was as relieving as it was terrifying. He shook his head and said: “Yeah, well, I guess they liked my shootin’ enough to rope me back into their bullshit once they ended up down here. I was only able to get away from them after meeting Val.”

Husk bolted up, watching a smile curl up the corner of Angel’s mouth. “He accepted me bein’ queer. He encouraged it. That was the first time I felt like somebody wanted me, but like, all of me. You know?”

Husk feathers ruffled.

“That’s why I wanted to work with him,” Angel said, softly. “I wanted to spend all my time with him, so I’d always feel wanted. And I did. By him. By everybody who watched my stuff.”

“And then they used you,” Husk said.

Angel snapped back to reality and deflated. “Yeah…”

“And Val had the nerve to name you after the drug that killed you,” Husk snarled.

“I picked that name,” Angel said.

“What!? Why?!”

Angel looked up, calmed by the faint turquoise glow of the stars. “Because it set me free.”

Husk stared.

“I know that sounds fucked up, but it freed me up from my old man and brother when I was alive. It freed me from being alive. So becoming a porn star, gettin’ to do the things I’d always wanted to do with somebody that I love; naming myself after that drug just made sense to me.”

Husk griped his stomach as he felt nausea bubbling up. “Angel…you…he-he didn’t…”

The glow of the stars never dimmed, but Angel suddenly felt the surrounding darkness envelop his vision. He bent at the waist and said: “Yeah. Yeah, that didn’t really work out to well, huh?” He stared at the floor of the boat. He sighed, letting his head hang. “I thought I was gonna be free, but I just ended up trapped again.” He clutched his chest, feeling the hollow space where his soul used to be.

Seeing Angel hunched over trying to hold himself together broke Husk’s heart. He reached out, hesitant, wondering where it would be appropriate to touch Angel, before setting his hand beside Angel’s lower hand so their pinky fingers lightly touched. “I know things suck now, but once you get into Heaven-.”

“Something else’ll go wrong,” Angel said.

“Come on, Angel, don’t think like that,” Husk said.

“Why not? It’s a pattern, right? I was trapped as Anthony, I’m trapped as Angel Dust, who’s to say I wouldn’t be trapped as a literal Angel?”

“Look, I know Heaven used to do the Exterminations, but those have been canceled! Maybe things are more accepting up-.” Husk paused, finally processing everything Angel said. “Anthony?”

Angel tensed. Realization dawned on Husk and he sputtered: “Ah! Sorry! I didn’t…shit! I won’t call you that if you don’t want.”

Angel sighed, sliding down and flopping along the back of his seat. “Call me whatever. I don’t care.”

Husk’s eyebrows raised. “I thought you didn’t want me to know that name ‘cause there was so much shit attached to it.”

“Yeah, well, there’s shit attached to everything in my life. Might as well not have a name at all,” Angel said, head rolling to the side and staring blankly at the star covered wall.

Husk looked down at their hands, so close. He grazed his pinky along Angel’s until Angel curled his fingers under his palm. “Look, whatever you want me to call you, I’ll call you. Or I won’t call you anything.”

“How are you gonna get my attention when I’m zoning out?” Angel asked.

Husk smirked. “I’ll just snap my fingers in front of your face.”

“Nah, I hate it when people do that,” Angel said.

“Alright then, I won’t,” Husk said.

Angel smiled. Husk had a special way of making him feel safe. Then again, Valentino did too once, but this was different. Husk wasn’t pushing him to do anything he wasn’t ready for. He didn’t beat Angel for doing something he didn’t like. When he was with Husk, Angel felt safe and wanted, and Angel’s whole body tingled with warmth at the earnest look in Husk’s eyes.

Angel thought back to Husk saying his old name; the initial dread he felt was overcome by the desire to hear Husk say it again. Maybe it was Husk’s warm, deep voice, but Angel didn’t think he’d mind hearing that name if Husk said it.

“You-you can call me Anthony,” Angel said.

Husk sat up. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I mean, that name’s been covered in shit for years but so has Angel Dust.” Angel’s eyes went soft. “Maybe, if you say it, then it won’t feel so bad.”

Husk smiled. “Alright,” he said, finally slipping his fingers under Angel’s palm and taking his hand. “Anthony.”

Angel’s hair prickled and his face turned bright pink. His chest tightened and it felt good and bad. He squirmed and looked away, hyper aware of his hand in Husk’s. “Uh, you know, usually people called me Tony. You know? Italians. Like ‘Hey! Tony!’” Angel pinched his fingers together and shook them.

Husk smirked. “Alright, Tony,” he said, mimicking the gesture.

Angel rubbed his top two hands together, still feeling that swell of joy with a stomach-churning discomfort. “You can still call me Angel though. That’s the name I picked and it’s the one I use the most now.” He spoke so fast he wasn’t sure he even heard what he said.

“How about I use all those names?” Husk suggested.

Angel blinked, considering. “At once?” he joked.

“What? No! What would that even sound like?” Husk asked.

“AngelAnthonyTony,” Angel said.

Husk chuckled. “I meant I’ll switch it up from time to time. Then none of them have more weight than the other.”

“That’d be nice,” Angel said, fingers curling around Husk’s palm. Husk rubbed the back of Angel’s hand in circles with his thumb and though Angel shuddered at the touch, he could feel it calming him down. “Thanks, Husk.”

“No problem, Tony,” Husk said, doing the finger thing again.

Angel smirked, squirming with delight as he stared into Husk’s eyes. His golden irises sparkled in the light of the stars and Angel didn’t even notice he was leaning forward to see them closer. Husk noticed Angel’s face closing in on him and his lips parted. They almost let their eyes close when they heard someone say:

“Hey! This is the end of the ride. You gotta get out.”

Husk and Angel looked up to see a disgruntled cockroach demon with a Lu Lu World uniform tapping his foot to the right of them.

“Oh, sorry!” they said in unison, making to get out on the right.

“You get out on the other side,” the cockroach said.

“RIGHT!”

“Yep!”

“SORRY!”

Husk and Angel frantically got out of the boat, rocking it as they hurried to the left, and darted away from the ride.

Charlie and Lucifer were waiting outside the Ferris Wheel, Lucifer holding Charlie’s balloon for her and Charlie munching on a fluffy cloud of cotton candy. Vaggie and Nifty exited first, letting Carlotta pass them, and Valentino slumped out of the cabin last.

“Did you two have fun?” Vaggie asked.

“Yeah! We got a balloon, some cotton candy! We went on the teacups!” Charlie said, eagerly pointing to a ride with spinning teacups.

“I know those were always your favorite,” Lucifer said. Charlie threw her arms around him and Lucifer smiled ear to ear.

“How was the Ferris Wheel?” Charlie asked.

“Great. Valentino didn’t say anything creepy,” Vaggie said, grinning and glaring.

“Because apparently I’m not allowed to say anything,” Valentino muttered.

Charlie watched Valentino walk away. “Well, it’s good he wasn’t doing anything bad.”

“What do we do now?” Lucifer asked, watching Valentino sulk by the ride entrance.

Charlie tapped her chin. “Oh!” She handed her cotton candy to Vaggie and ran off. Lucifer and Vaggie went after her as Nifty ate the cotton candy.

“Hey, Valentino. Having fun?” Charlie asked.

“Am I actually allowed to answer that?” Valentino asked.

“Yes. Being nice isn’t about being quiet,” Charlie said.

“Really? Then why was I not allowed to talk throughout that whole ride?” Valentino asked, leaning down to meet her gaze.

“We just don’t want you saying anything mean or gross, y’know?” Charlie said.

Valentino sneered, then caught a Voyeurscope flying nearby and sighed. “Yeah…”

“But that doesn’t mean you never talk to anyone,” Charlie said. “You can always give someone confort by telling them something encouraging.”

“I encourage people!”

“Great! Why don’t you give him some encouragement?” Charlie asked, pointing at a little imp boy with a popped balloon.

“Like what? That his balloon will fill up with air again?” Valentino asked.

“Maybe you could tell him that you could buy him a new balloon! Here.” Charlie handed Valentino a couple of dollars.

Valentino sighed and trudged up to the child. “Hey, kid. You want me to buy you another balloon?”

The imp kid sighed. “Nah. Some jerk from school popped it. He’d probably just pop the next one too.”

Valentino frowned. “Huh. That sucks.”

“Tell me about it,” the boy said. “He’s always picking on me.”

“Why’s that?”

“‘Cause I’m bad at everything,” the boy said, casually. “I suck at sports. I’m not good at math, or writing. It’s not just the kids that pick on me, the teachers do too. And my parents tell me they wouldn’t give me a hard time if I just ‘applied myself more’.”

“Hm. Yeah, I know how that feels,” Valentino said.

“I dunno why I bought a balloon in the first place,” the boy said. “Should’ve guessed something bad would happen to it. Really, I should just stop trying.” He tossed the balloon in a nearby trash.

Valentino frowned. Charlie and crew watched from the side as Valentino knelt down to the kid’s level. “You know, people used to shit on me all the time, but I didn’t give up. I kept believing that I deserved better and kept working until I got what I deserved! And so did the people I work with. Maybe if you keep trying to get what you want, you’ll get it eventually.”

Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer gaped. Nifty continued eating.

“Really?” the boy asked.

“Yeah! I’m one of the most powerful and influential Overlords in Hell,” Valentino boasted. “Anything’s possible.”

“Wow!” the boy stared up with starry eyes. “What do you do as an Overlord?”

The Hazbin gang tensed.

“Well, I run the porn industry,” Valentino said.

“What’s that?” the boy asked.

“I make movies about sex.”

“What’s sex?”

“It’s what your parents did to have you.”

“How does it work?”

“Well…”

“NOPE! NO!” Charlie swooped in and pushed Valentino away.

Lucifer ran up to the child and said: “Hey, kid. You know, you should definitely keep pursuing a better life, but maybe don’t worry about sex until your older, okay? Come on, let’s find your parents.” He ushered the child in the opposite direction of Valentino.

“VALENTINO!” Charlie snapped.

“WHAT!? You wanted me to give that kid encouragement,” Valentino said.

“That doesn’t mean you have to tell him about sex!”

“Oh, for fuck sake! What’s the big deal? Why can’t kids know about sex?”

“Because they’re children! Sex is for adults!”

“Bullshit! I had sex for the first time when I was thirteen.”

“That’s not-!” Charlie paused, realization slowly hitting her. “That’s not a good thing!”

“Wow. Judgy much?” Valentino asked, flicking Charlie’s bangs and breezing past her.

“I’m not judging you, I’m trying to help you!” Charlie said.

“No, you’re trying to teach me to be a ‘good person’,” Valentino said.

“Yeah, and being a good person will help you in the long run because then people won’t hate you,” Vaggie said.

“Nobody hates me! I’m Valentino! The Overlord! The Sex Symbol! People love me!”

“Angel doesn’t,” Vaggie said.

Valentino’s fur ruffled and he looked like someone stabbed him in the gut. He felt something inside him crack and his fingers bent into claws. “Yes, he does…”

“If he did, you wouldn’t have needed to come to the hotel and learn to be a good person,” Vaggie said, glaring.

“He…Angel…I OWN HIM!”

“And that’s bad!” Vaggie snapped. Lucifer, having reunited the child with his parents, came up behind her.

“He wanted to give me his soul! I didn’t make him do anything he didn’t want!” Valentino snapped.

“You did after you got his soul,” Vaggie said.

“He’s my employee! I’m his boss! He has to do what I want!”

“And what you want is awful!”

“Why is it always what I want is awful?! Why can’t anything you guys want be awful!?”

“Because we’re not perverted Overlords who force people to do things they hate!”

“You’re LITERALLY forcing me to do things I hate all the time!”

“Because you’re an awful person who does bad things all the time!”

“¡AY! ¡HIJO DE LA GRAN PUTA! This is just Sunday school with my parents all over again!!!” Valentino screamed.

Charlie blinked. “Your parents?”

“Yeah, Fundamentalist shitheads. They always shut down everything I did,” Valentino pouted, folding his arms.

“Aw, did mami and papi not give you what you wanted?” Vaggie asked in mock sympathy.

“They never let me do ANYTHING I wanted! They were always crawling up my ass about everything! ‘Don’t draw on the walls, Valentino. Your art’s no good anyway.’ ‘Don’t go into mami’s jewelry, Valentino. That’s not for you.’ ‘Stop crying so much, Valentino. You’re a boy, you have to man up!’ ‘Stop trying on dresses, those are for girls. Respect what the Lord made you!’ ‘Don’t look at those dirty magazines or your soul will burn forever!’ ‘Don’t even think about kissing that boy, Valentino, or we’ll throw you out of the house!’ WELL, I wasn’t gonna give them the satisfaction, so I ran away before they could throw me out! See how they like it! They couldn’t tell me what to do anymore! I could finally do whatever I wanted! And whoever I want,” Valentino said, smug.

Everyone stared, wide eyed. Charlie and Lucifer had matched expressions of horror, but Vaggie looked disgusted. “So you ran away from home just so you could find people to fuck?”

“I ran away so my parents couldn’t stop me from enjoying myself.”

“Which was finding innocent people to sexually assault?”

“No! Jeez, I didn’t even know how to have sex back then. It was like, a week before I ran into that old guy that fucked me in the back of his van.”

Charlie felt something in her soul shatter. “And you were thirteen when that happened?”

“Uh, huh,” Valentino said, unperturbed.

Charlie took a shuddering breath and brought her hands to her mouth. “Valentino, that’s…that’s horrible.”

“Why?”

“Somebody took advantage of you. You were just a kid,” Charlie said.

“So what? I wanted to know about sex, and he showed me how it was done. And then he sold me off to somebody who gave me a job having sex!” Valentino said.

Horror and disgust slithered through Charlie’s core. “And you were thirteen.”

“Yes! Ugh! Why are you so weird about that?!”

“Valentino,” Charlie said, staring at her hands blankly. “You really expect me to believe that you were just okay with what happened to you? With those men taking advantage of you? Of stealing your childhood from you?”

Valentino groaned. “Look, I’m not stupid, I knew they were trying to control me, just like my parents. But the first guy that fucked me taught me how to not take no for an answer! And my pimp always told me that if I wanted to be treated with respect, I had to be at the top! So I shot that bastard while he was asleep and took his place! HAHAHA! He thought he was keeping me down, but I found a way to move up! Then I was the one calling the shots!”

Everyone stared. Lucifer fidgeted with the pommel on his staff. “So, you killed your pimp because he was awful to you, then you took his place so you could be awful to the people that worked for you.”

“Uh, yeah! Pretty much,” Valentino said.

“So, did you wind up down here because one of your whores shot you while you were asleep?” Lucifer asked, raising a brow.

“Pfft, no! They tried, but I managed to get away,” Valentino bragged.

“So, how’d you die?” Charlie asked.

Valentino’s face pursed like he ate a lemon. “I mean, she chased me out of the brothel and into the street and I got hit by a car, but she didn’t actually shoot me!”

“She’s still responsible for your death,” Vaggie said.

“So what?!”

“Maybe if you treated people better, they wouldn’t want to kill you,” Vaggie said, stressing each syllable.

“And what? Let them walk all over me!?” Valentino asked. “I’d rather be dead.” He turned his back and folded his arms.

“Do you wish you were dead right now?” Charlie asked.

“Technically, I am, right?”

“I mean like, gone dead, like from an Angelic weapon.”

“Fuck no! Like, sure maybe back when I first wound up down here and realized my parents were right about the whole ‘eternal damnation’ thing, BUT!” he whirled around. “Then I realized I could just do the same thing all over again! Kill my new pimp and take his place!”

“Did you?” Charlie asked.

Valentino squeaked. “Uh, no. But when I met Vox, he got me in on his whole Overlord scheme and then I didn’t have to! Because now I’m even higher in rank that my pimp was! I’m one of the most powerful Overlords in Hell! My soul isn’t burning, it’s on FIRE, baby! Nobody can shut me down now! I was better than either of my pimps told me I was, and I made a living doing all the things my parents wouldn’t let me do!” He turned to look up at Heaven, glowering in the distance. “Oy! Mami, papi! Can you see me from there! You still think I deserve to burn?! ¡VE A CHUPAR LA CRUZ LARGA DE JESÚS!” He raised his middle finger and shook it.

The group stared. Inhaling sharply through her nose, Charlie stepped forward and said: “Valentino, that’s awful!”

“You mean ‘awesome’?!” Valentino asked.

“No!” Charlie said, stamping her foot. “Nothing you just said is awesome! You were hurt by everyone you knew and now you’re using it as an excuse to hurt other people!”

Valentino guffawed. “I didn’t get hurt! And even if I did, I have a very high pain tolerance.”

Nifty emerged from over his shoulder. “Pain,” she said, gutturally, before tearing off a piece of Valentino’s fluff.

Valentino shrieked and grabbed Nifty by the back of her collar. “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS!? GET OFF!”

He tossed her away and Vaggie leapt forward to catch her. “I thought you had a high pain tolerance?”

“Well, yeah, but that hurt!” Valentino said, massaging where Nifty tore.

“So you do feel pain,” Vaggie said.

Valentino pouted. “I’m not weak,” he said through gritted teeth.

“We’re not saying your weak,” Charlie said.

“Then what are you saying?” Valentino snapped.

“Val,” Charlie started, staring at the floor with a furrowed brow. “You weren’t allowed to do the things you wanted when you were little, which wasn’t fair, and you were taken advantage of by people in positions of authority over you, which also wasn’t fair. But in order for you to get what you wanted, now you’re just treating people the way you were treated.”

Valentino’s eyebrows shot up. “What are you saying?!”

“I think you know exactly what I’m saying,” Charlie said, stern.

Valentino seethed. “I am nothing like my parents. And I’m nothing like my pimps either!”

“You are though!” Charlie said. “You manipulate and control the people who work for you, and you punish them when they don’t do what you want!”

“That’s just how this works!” Valentino spat.

“How what works?!”

“EVERYTHING! There’s the people at the top and the people at the bottom! The one’s at the top can do whatever they want and the one’s at the bottom can only have that if they work their way up! And the people at the top can only stay at the top if they stop the people at the bottom from taking their place!” Valentino said, frantically jabbing his fingers for emphasis.

“And you think that’s fair?” Charlie asked.

“Well, it worked out for me,” Valentino said.

“Did it?” Charlie asked. “Do you really have what you want? You say you want Angel to like you, but he doesn’t!”

“Yes, he does! He has to!”

“No he doesn’t! And he’s never going to if you keep treating him the way you do!”

“If I don’t treat him that way, he won’t do what I want!”

“He already doesn’t do what you want!”

 “Yeah! But…but…” Valentino froze, thinking.

Charlie watched him flounder for a moment, then asked: “Be honest, if your parents had been more accepting, would you have run away from them?”

“I-I dunno, probably not.”

“But you did.”

“Yeah! Because they didn’t want m-.” He paused, squeezing his lips together, before blurting out: “Because they wouldn’t let me do what I want!”

“So you pulled away because you felt like you weren’t allowed to express yourself?”

“Right.”

“And that’s why you killed your pimp, right?” Charlie said, processing in real time. “‘Cause he forced you to do things, even when you didn’t want.”

“Yeah.”

“So, doesn’t it make sense that Angel pulls away from you because you won’t let him do what he wants?”

“But I do! He wanted to be in sex work, and I let him do that!”

“And you wanted to have sex, but not always the way your pimp made you do it, right?!”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“So don’t you think if you eased up on Angel and stopped forcing him to do things he doesn’t wa-?”

“If I ease up on him, he’ll never do what I want again!”

“How do you know?!”

“Because-!” Valentino paused. “B-because I just know!”

“It’d be worth it to try, right?”

“What if it doesn’t work!?”

“You won’t know until you try.”

“But what if I try and it doesn’t work?!”

Charlie seethed, horns sprouting, before she took a deep breath and said: “Val, if treating Angel this way worked, don’t you think it would’ve worked by now?”

Valentino stared.

Charlie shrugged. “At least give it a chance.”

Valentino noticed the others staring at him, not angrily like before, but earnestly waiting for his response. Vox’s Voyeurscope was sitting in a nearby tree. Valentino groaned, gripping the brim of his hat and pulling it over his face. “Urgh! Fine! I guess I could try…”

Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer all jolted in shock. “Great!” Charlie said, clapping her hands together.

Valentino groaned.

“Hey, look! They’re back!” Nifty cried, pointing at Angel, Husk, and Cherri approaching.

“Oh, perfect!” Charlie bounded up to them. “Hey, guys! Did you had fun?”

“Yeah, we did,” Angel said, rubbing his neck and looking at Husk. Cherri watched them, amused, as the two boys smiled at each other. “How ‘bout you?”

“Great!” Charlie said. She leaned in a whispered: “I think we found a way to get through to Valentino.”

“You did?” Angel asked.

Valentino loomed behind Charlie, staring down at Angel. “Hey, baby,” he said, sickly sweet. “How was your day?”

“Uh, good,” Angel said.

“Mm, what’d you do?” Valentino asked.

“Uh, why do you ask?” Angel asked.

Valentino blinked. “Just…you know, just asking.”

“Okay,” Angel said, recoiling.

“So, you gonna say what you did?” Valentino asked.

Angel stared, unblinking. “No.”

Valentino twitched. He looked at Charlie, who smiled, gesturing for him to continue. Valentino looked back at Angel and forced a smile before letting out a strained: “Okay!” He held up all four hands to give a thumbs up.

Angel grimaced. “Great…” He stood in awkward silence for a moment before walking off, Husk and Cherri in tow.

Valentino craned his neck to look at Charlie, his lip curling up over his teeth. Charlie gave him a thumbs up and said: “Keep it up!”

Valentino’s expression fell into a scowl, and he gripped his hat and pulled it down over his eyes.

Chapter Text

After filling Angel in on her breakthrough with Valentino, Charlie asked him to write up a list of things he wanted Valentino to stop doing while they were at work. She told him to take his time, since he wasn’t going into work for another few days, but Angel wrote up the list and handed it back to her within the hour.

Valentino squinted, reading over the list, becoming more disgruntled with each restriction.

“No yelling. No hitting. No pulling, pushing, smacking around! NO JACKING OFF!?”

“That’s what it says,” Charlie said.

“What’s wrong with me getting off to his performance?! That’s the whole reason we make these movies in the first place!!!”

“True, but if this is going to make Angel more comfortable, then it’s worth it, right?” Charlie asked, encouraging.

Valentino growled in the back of his throat. The next few days involved similar exercises where Valentino had to say please and thank you to Husk and not make so many crass jokes. Filming day couldn’t come sooner, and when it did, Val was desperate to go to work. Angel sauntered downstairs, took his sweet time sipping his drink at the bar, then lazily walked out the door that Valentino had been standing at since he woke up.

Angel walked a few steps behind Valentino and Val paused until Angel caught up with him. “I don’t remember anything in your list saying you could take forever to get to work,” he spat.

“No, but it did say you can’t talk to me while we’re going to work,” Angel asked.

Valentino pouted. They walked to work in silence. Angel waved at the citizens of Hell as they walked through town. Valentino forced a smile and waved too, hoping the attention would get Angel to say something to him. It didn’t.

They walked into Vee Tower and went directly to the studio. Angel walked by the crew and other actors as he went to his dressing room. Valentino sped after him until he was right on Angel’s heel. “Alright, we’re in the studio. We can talk now.”

“Alright,” Angel said, casual.

“Look, I’m willing to play nice, but you still have to do your job,” Valentino said.

“I know,” Angel said, opening his dressing room door.

Valentino followed. “You know but are you going to do it?”

“Of course. I told you, I actually like this job,” Angel said, closing the door.

“Whoa! Hey!” Valentino clapped his hand on the door, keeping Angel from shutting it. “What’re you doing?”

“Goin’ to get dressed,” Angel said, pushing the door closed.

“Hold on!” Valentino said, using both his top arms to hold the door open. “We’re not done talking!”

“We are if you want me to get ready for work,” Angel said.

“We can talk in the dressing room!” Valentino said.

“No we can’t. Number 7 on the list says you’re not allowed in my dressin’ room, remember?” Angel asked with a smug grin.

Valentino clawed at the door and reluctantly moved away. Angel smiled and shut the door. Valentino stood outside the door, fuming, before banging a fist against it and yelling: “Make it quick!”

“No hitting or yelling! Remember!?” Angel called.

“I didn’t hit you!” Valentino cried.

“Don’t hit anything around me,” Angel clarified.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Valentino cried.

“Don’t raise your voice!” Angel said.

“Oh, don’t raise your voice, Valentino. ¡Maldito engreído! Después de todo lo que hice por ti, ¿este es el agradecimiento que recibo? Será mejor que aprecies todo esto,” Valentino ranted under his breath, fists shaking.

He turned around to see everyone was staring at him. “GET BACK TO WORK!” he snapped, and everybody scattered. Valentino huffed and walked away from Angel’s dressing room. At least the rest of his employees obeyed him.

Angel was out of his dressing room in about five minutes. He was dressed in a slinky black dress with red sparkles and an ornate red and black choker. His smoky eyeshadow had hints of red glitter that shimmered as he walked on set. Valentino salivated as Angel’s leg emerged from the dress slit and he dragged his nails along his chair as the dress strap fell off Angel’s shoulder. He rose from his chair and slunk up behind Angel to lift the strap back into place.

Angel pulled away. “What are you doing?”

“You need the straps up for the beginning of the scene,” Valentino said.

“I got it,” Angel said, lifting the strap himself.

“Just making sure,” Valentino said, reaching out, and Angel stepped back.

“Ah, ah! Number 1 on the list! Don’t put your hands on me,” Angel said.

Valentino snarled, his clawed fingers trembling. He clamped his hands to his side and glared. “Make sure you don’t fuck up the scene,” he growled.

“Make sure you don’t jack off during it,” Angel said.

Valentino twitched. He forced a smile to spread across his face, lips stretched and thin along his jagged teeth. “As long as you do your job.”

“I always do my job. And I’ll do it even better if you back off,” Angel said, sing-songy, mocking.

“Fine,” Valentino said, leaning it, still forcing his smile.

“Fine,” Angel said, leaning in, smiling with a challenging look in his eyes.

No matter how smug Angel was being, he was still absolutely beautiful. His defiant expression made Valentino want to simultaneously beat the shit out of him and kiss him passionately. Valentino hissed, breath escaping from the slits between his teeth as he tried to restrain himself from fucking Angel against the wall.

Valentino straightened his back and stiffly returned to his chair. Angel adjusted his straps and stepped onto the set; a torture chamber with a stretch table that Angel was being handcuffed to. Valentino groaned, writhing in his seat at the sight of Angel handcuffed in a beautiful dress with an arched back. Angel caught his eye and glared. Valentino squeaked, suddenly aware of his erection, and crossed his legs. Angel smiled and Valentino sunk in his chair. Everything had been set, and filming finally began.

A jackal-looking demon in a snappy black suit strode over to Angel, adjusting his cufflinks, and said: “Ah, the illustrious Angel Dust. You’re finally mine.”

Angel struggled against the handcuffs, his chest fluff spilling out of the low cut of his dress. Valentino bit his lip, about to roll his hips to rub his cock against the inside of his coat, when he caught Angel glare at him from behind his hair. Valentino squeezed his legs together, infuriated by how hot Angel looked with his hair in his face.

“You bastard,” Angel said, still struggling. “What do you want with me?”

“What does anyone want with you? I want your body,” the jackal said, pressing a button on a remote. The handcuffs moved from above Angel’s head to the side, spreading Angel’s arms out on either side of him. The handcuffs pulled, making Angel yelp in pain. The sound drove Valentino wild. The jackal dragged his claw along Angel’s arm, making Angel shiver. Valentino shivered as well, feeling his dick throb against his thigh.

“Agh, you think you’re slick?” Angel asked, turning his head to the side, exposing more of his neck.

“I think I can make you slick,” the jackal said, dragging his claw down Angel’s neck. Angel let out an orgasmic whine and Valentino’s thighs trembled. He looked to the side, staring at the power chord on the floor as the jackal continued: “Ah. Already aroused.”

“Fuck you, you piece a shit,” Angel said with a hoarse voice that made Valentino want to scream.

“Oh, fucking you is what I’m planning,” the jackal said, pressing the remote again.

The handcuffs lowered to behind Angel’s back and a manacle sprung from the table and clamped around Angel’s neck. Angel struggled and squealed as the jackal undid his pants.

“You’ll never get away with this!” Angel cried, kicking his legs out. The jackal seized his legs and spread them until two manacles emerged from the walls to hold them in place. Valentino squeaked as he saw Angel’s dick and asshole.  “My boyfriend will be here to save me and stop you from takin’ over the world!”

The jackal slid Angel’s straps off his shoulder and chuckled. “Oh, I know about your boyfriend’s plans to stop me. But my men have him cornered. They’ll keep him busy for quite a while. And even if he does escape them, by the time he arrives, I’ll already have had my way with you.” He gripped the edge of Angel’s dress and tore the entire thing off in one swift motion. Valentino writhed, unable to tear his eyes away from Angel’s naked body. “There’s nowhere to run, Angel. You’re at my mercy now.”

The jackal, naked from the waist down, stepped onto a metal stool to reach Angel’s hole and penetrated him. Angel screamed and the jackal gyrated. Valentino watched the jackal’s dick slide easily in and out of Angel. He felt salvia drip from his mouth in synch with the cum dripping from Angel’s cock. Angel cracked one eye open, and Valentino wiped the drool from his chin.

Angel glared at him, then smiled. He closed both eyes and banged his head against the table as the jackal licked under his chin. “OH! OH MY GOD! OH! YOUR TONGUE IS SO ROUGH!”

Valentino bit down on the back of his hand.

“OH! Your cock is so big and hard!” Angel whined. The jackal thrust harder, grabbing Angel’s hair. “You’re so grip is so strong! And I’m so fucking wet!” Valentino pounded his fist on the arm of his chair.  “OH! I feel like you’re gonna crack me open like a walnut and all my cum will burst out of me like a FUCKING FIRE HYDRANT! AAAAUUUUOOOOHHH!!!”

Travis and a few other people checked the script, confounded by Angel’s adlibs. Valentino ground his ass into his seat, jammed his hand into his mouth, and squished his thighs together, feeling the precum trickling out of his urethra. He knew Angel was doing this to get to him, and unfortunately it was working.

Travis looked up from his script and saw Valentino convulsing in his seat. “Uh, hey, boss. You alright?”

Valentino squeaked, sweat dripping from his brow. “Yeah. Fine. Don’t talk during the shoot!” he hissed.

Travis sulked and continued watching. Valentino ground his lower set of hands down on his lap. He hoped the pressure from his fists against his length would be enough to get him off and relieve him of his arousal, only to remember that was exactly what he wasn’t allowed to do! Surely, he could be discrete about it. Angel’s eyes were closed (or at least they were supposed to be), he wouldn’t know. But what if he did? What if he told the Princess? He could easily overpower her, but then he’d start shit with the hotel and Vox would never forgive him! God, what he wouldn’t give to have Vox inside him right now…

The jackal thrust harder and faster, panting and sweating, barking and howling. “Oh, you dirty little whore!” he rasped. “I’ll make you cum!”

“OH! DO IT, DADDY! MAKE ME SQUIRT! I WANNA SCREAM WHEN IT HAPPENS!” Angel cried, rolling his head to the side and staring directly at Valentino.

Valentino couldn’t take it anymore. His whole body was vibrating, he was on the verge of exploding from either his groin or his brain. He rose from the chair, stamping his foot on the ground, and screamed: “CUUUUUUT!”

Everyone turned to stare at him. Valentino was sweating, eyes wide and panicked. “TAKE FIVE!” he screamed, throwing his hands in the air and storming out of the studio.

He slammed the door behind him and threw his coat open. “Fuck!” He pulled up his skirt, setting his erection free. He pressed his back against the wall and grabbed his cock. He squealed at the contact, his cock was thick and hard and throbbing. He was about the drag his fingers along it, but paused, squeaking at the sight of Vox with his coffee.

“Uh, you good?” Vox asked.

“NO, I’M NOT GOOD!” Valentino screamed. “They gave me a whole fucking list of things I’m not allowed to do and one of them is I can’t get off to Angel getting fucked!”

“Isn’t that the whole point of the movies?” Vox asked.

“THAT’S WHAT I SAID! But apparently, it makes Angel uncomfortable, and if I’m ever gonna get him to wanna come back, I can’t do it!” Valentino banged the back of his head against the door and whined. “This fucking sucks! How the fuck am I supposed to get through our shoots now!?”

Vox set his coffee mug on a nearby table and said: “Well, if you want, maybe I could lend you a hand.” He held up his hand and flexed his fingers with a cheeky grin.

Valentino stared, feeling his cock twitch. “That’d be nice.”

Vox pulled Valentino onto the table nearest the door and seized Val’s cock. “OH!” Valentino shrieked as Vox used his free hand to press Valentino’s back into the wall. “OH!” Vox rubbed his hand up and down Valentino’s length, cupping it in his palm at the bottom and slipping a finger in between Val’s balls.

“Oh, Vox! OH! OH MY GOD! OH! OH MY-AUGH! AUGH! AUUUUGH!!!” Valentino squealed as Vox worked his magic.

Valentino’s cries of ecstasy could be heard inside the studio. Angel was wearing his robe, leaning against the concessions table, and holding a cup of water as the crew and cast stared at the door. “So,” Angel said to the jackal. “How’s your week been?”

Vox kneaded his palm and fingers against Val’s cock and balls, relishing in Valentino’s frantic, increased panting and whining. Vox dragged his fingers up and squeezed just under the tip and Valentino’s back arched as he came. Vox and Valentino moaned in unison as Valentino’s cum spilled over Vox’s hand.

Valentino collapsed against the wall, completely worn out. “Oh, Vox. I love you.”

BZZT! Vox stared, wide eyed. Valentino squeaked, a mirrored look of shock on his face. “Ah, I mean, I love how good you are at fucking me.” He flashed his signature grin, playful and sinister.

Vox blinked and shook his head. “Uh, right! Yeah. Well, I am very good at that.”

“Mmm, you are,” Valentino said, hooking his legs around Vox’s waist and pulling him in close.

Vox watched Valentino’s expression melt as his head fell to one side and Vox used his free hand to cup Valentino’s cheek. Valentino smiled, warm and soft, and he nuzzled into Vox’s palm. Vox stared, feeling the heat and sweat emanating from Val’s face, the cock limp and wet in his other hand. Vox felt his circuits buzz, overwhelmed by the amount of Valentino he was suddenly cradling in each hand.

“Val,” he said quietly.

Valentino blinked. “Vox?” he asked, looking up.

“Auh!” Vox flinched, startled by Valentino’s big, earnest eyes staring back at him. His hands quivered and he felt Valentino’s soggy dick shack in his palm. “Auh, uh, ah-you good? I mean, did that help?”

“Huh? OH! Yes. It did,” Valentino said, sitting up.

“Good! Good,” Vox said, feeling Valentino slipping out of both hands. “Well, I don’t wanna keep you from work.”

Valentino’s face fell. “Right! Right. And I’m sure you have work to do.” He hopped off the table as Vox stepped back.

“Yeah, plus I’ve gotta go wash this off,” Vox said, holding up his cum covered hand.

“Heh, yeah!” Valentino said with a panicked laugh. “You wanna look presentable.”

“Yeah! Yeah,” Vox said.

They stared at each other.

“Well, see you later,” Valentino said.

“Uh, yeah! Later,” Vox said, waving as Valentino went back into the studio.

Valentino sighed, letting his fingers slip off the door handle. He readjusted his skirt and coat before turning around. “Alright! Let’s get back to work!”

“We got four more minutes,” Angel said, flatly.

“What?” Valentino asked.

“You said to take five. A minute passed, so we got four more minutes,” Angel said, smiling.

Valentino vibrated and squealed: “FINE! Yeah! Okay! Take four more minutes, everyone!” He wiped out a cigarette and lit it before storming off.

Outside the studio, Vox was standing, staring at his hand. Valentino’s cum was dripping down his fingers and the edge of his palm. Vox’s lips parted and he brought his hand closer to him. He glanced up at the studio door, seeing it was shut, and he let his eyes drift shut before extending his tongue and licking his hand.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

Vox jumped, tongue still on his palm, and he turned to see Velvette standing in the corner with her phone out. “Really, man. You can lick his bunk off your hand, but you’re not brave enough to tell him how you feel?”

“How long have you been standing there?” Vox asked.

“Long enough,” Velvette said.

“Get out!” Vox ordered, pointing with his clean hand.

“Fine. Enjoy your snack, love,” Velvette said, swishing her dreadlocks as she walked away.

Vox looked back at his hand before yelling after her: “And delete whatever pictures you took!”

“It wasn’t a picture!”

“DELETE IT!”

He looked back at his hand, still slick with Valentino’s ejaculation. Vox trembled, trying to bring it to his face again, but he clenched his fist and stormed off into a nearby bathroom.

Chapter Text

Not without extreme difficultly, Valentino managed to go the whole filming session without getting off to Angel’s performance. He bit down on his hand, but pain was arousing to him. He looked away from the scene, but then he was missed what happened and couldn’t give proper notes. His solution was to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes, sucking in every time something especially delicious was happening in the scene. They were supposed to film two movies that day, but Valentino couldn’t bare it anymore and insisted they pick things up the next day.

Angel wore an infuriatingly smug grin on his face the entire walk home. Valentino wanted so badly to bash his head in, but everybody was watching them, and Vox had cameras everywhere. When they reached the hotel lobby, Valentino stormed past everyone and up to his room to scream into a pillow.

“How am I supposed to do my job if I can’t even look at him!?” Valentino complained to Vox on the phone.

“If we’re going to avoid the Princess making good on her deal with Alastor, you have to play nice,” Vox said.

Valentino screamed, throwing his head back. “Fucking Alastor! Can’t I just kill the bastard so this isn’t a problem anymore!?”

“You think you can kill Alastor?” Vox asked.

“Sure! They’ve got Angelic weapons here.”

“And how do you plan to get them?”

“I just need to get that cat thing that opens all the doors.”

“The one that hates you?”

Valentino pouted.

“Val, you managed to get through today. You’ve got this. Just keep it up!”

Valentino sank in his bed, feeling the pillows and blankets curl around his body. “Why can’t Angel just like me the way I am? Why do I have to act different for him to come back?”

Vox was silent on the other side.

“Vox?”

“Look, Val, if you want Angel to like you again, this is what you have to do. And so long as you do what they ask, Alastor won’t get that favor from the Princess.”

“Right, ‘cause that’s what this is really about,” Valentino spat.

Vox groaned. “If you’re gonna be a brat about this, I’m hanging up.”

“Fine!” Valentino hung up first.

He threw his phone at the open wardrobe, and it hit a latex dress before dropping to the floor. Valentino curled into a ball and buried his face in the pillow. He was used to Vox being a self-absorbed prick, but usually when Vox wasn’t giving him what he wanted he’d go to Angel. When Angel was pissing him off (or in this case unavailable) he’d find another one of his whores to bang. None of them were available now. Valentino looked up to see his phone on the floor. Maybe he could text Velvette and vent, but she might’ve been busy, or she’d take Vox’s side.

Valentino buried his face in the pillows again. He hoped Vox or Velvette (or even Angel!) would reach out to him. When enough people cast him aside, he’d wait for somebody to come crawling back to him. It happened, and he always relished in the idea that they couldn’t live without him, but it never lasted.

His room was deathly quiet and still, leaving too much room for his thoughts. He knew he couldn’t smoke while he was here, so he shoved his hands down his skirt and thought about Angel as he masturbated.

The next day of filming wasn’t much easier. Valentino still couldn’t jack off and Angel was still torturing him with hornier and hornier comments. Valentino considered forcing Angel to redo the scenes without the adlibs, but knew he’d still be struggling to keep his arousal in check, and he wasn’t willing to suffer any longer than he needed to. He waited until Angel went home to look over the footage and froth at the mouth over it.

After a few days of restraining himself at work, Valentino had to take a written exam at the hotel. The questions all had to do with ‘Respecting Boundaries’ and had multiple answers to choose from. Valentino groaned. He hadn’t taken an exam since he was in middle school, which at this point was around sixty years ago…or seventy? He had never been good at math.

He squinted, looking over the first question:

You’re at work. You want Angel to wear a dress that shows his chest fluff, but Angel wants to dress more modestly. How do you deal with this?

1. Force him into the dress you want him to wear.
2. Let him wear what he wants.
3. Make a different movie.

Valentino looked up from the test to see Charlie with a stopwatch.

“Okay, you’ll have thirty minutes to work on the test. Ready, set…!”

“Hold on!” Valentino held up his hand. “You really think Angel would want to dress modestly?”

Charlie twitched. “Well, maybe. He does want to get better, so…”

“So, you think that being good is covering up? Prude.”

Charlie gripped her hair and forced herself to breathe. “It’s not about being prudish. It’s about respecting people’s bodily autonomy.”

“And you think that can’t happen unless Angel covers up?”

“Will you respect Angel’s bodily autonomy if he’s wearing something revealing?”

Valentino blinked.

“Look, just take the test, we can talk about this later. Okay, get set…!”

“Whoa! Hold up!” Valentino cried. Charlie groaned as Valentino held the test out. “What’s this crap about the drugs?!”

The question asked:

Angel is struggling with his feelings and wants to snort coke to make the pain go away. You know doing so would make him feel worse. How do you help him?

1. Give him the coke anyway.
2. Give him alcohol.
3. Give him a hug (if he wants one.)

“Are you trying to say I shouldn’t give Angel drugs if he wants them? I thought the whole point was to give him what he wanted?!”

“It’s about not overstepping his boundaries, that doesn’t mean you give him something that could hurt him just because he wants it,” Charlie explained.

“If he wants drugs, he’ll get drugs. Either because he’ll fight you for them, or he’ll smuggle them,” Valentino said.

“Maybe that’s how things used to be, but he stopped doing drugs altogether months ago!” Charlie said.

“You expect me to believe Angel quit cold turkey? He’d be having serious withdrawals,” Valentino said, crossing his arms.

“Well, he got over them,” Charlie said.

“Did he replace it with alcohol?”

“For a while, but he stopped doing that weeks ago.”

“And he’s fine?” Valentino asked, raising his brow.

“Yes.”

“There’s no way. He’s probably got a stash or something that’s holding him over,” Valentino said, examining his nails.

“We took all his drug stashes away from him,” Vaggie said. “He’s not doing drugs.”

“Are you sure?” Valentino asked.

Husk, who was sitting on the couch with Alastor and Nifty, rose from his seat and growled: “Don’t degrade Angel’s progress just because you can’t get over your vices!”

“I know Angel better than any of you do,” Valentino said. “I’m just pointing out the problems with the test.”

“You’re stalling,” Vaggie said.

“And you’re all just scared to admit that you might not really be helping Angel as much as you think,” Valentino said.

Horns sprouted from Charlie’s head, and she breathed fire as she screamed: “Okay! ENOUGH! Just shut up and take the test!”

Everyone stared at her in shock, except Valentino, who snapped: “Oh! Okay. So, you don’t really want me to be good, you just want me to be quiet!”

“That’d be great!” Charlie snarled, lip curling over her fangs.

Valentino growled, then jumped at the sound of his phone dinging. Valentino checked the text. It was from Velvette:

Vox made me watch the video feed while he’s in a meeting. Wanted me to tell you to calm down when you get too worked up.

Val glared down at the Angelic armor peaking through his open coat. “COOL! So, you’re against me too, that’s great!” Valentino seethed, fiercely texting an emoji of a head exploding, several middle fingers, and poop emojis at Velvette. She responded with a selfie of her looking bored and annoyed.

This is why Vox wanted me to keep an eye on you. Just take the damn test.

Valentino snorted and grumbled.

“Put your phone away!” Charlie snapped.

“Hang on! This is important,” Valentino said, sending a vomit emoji after his message of: here’s what I think of the test.

“Who are you texting?” Charlie asked.

“Velvette.”

“Is this about work?”

“Basically,” Valentino grumbled.

“Well, could you tell her you’re busy?” Charlie asked.

“She knows.”

“So, why’s she texting you?”

Valentino groaned. “Look, what happens between me and Velvette is between me and Velvette.”

“Are you sending her death threats?” Vaggie asked.

“WHAT?!”

“That’s what you do when you’re angry, right? You hurt people,” Vaggie said.

“Hey! I would never hurt my Babydoll! No matter how much she pisses me off,” Valentino said.

Velvette texted: You’ll wreck my department though.

Valentino responded with: Yes. But I would never hurt YOU!

Velvette texted back: You’re damn right you won’t.

Valentino sent a kissy emoji that looked like his face.

“So, you can restrain yourself,” Lucifer said.

“Ugh! Yes,” Valentino said, sinking in his chair.   

“But you feel like you can take your anger out on Angel,” Charlie said.

“RAGH! I’m NOT! I went almost a whole fucking week without doing anything!” Valentino said.

“But could you go longer than that?” Charlie asked.

“YES!” Valentino screamed, leaping from his chair. “I’ve gone months without hitting Angel before!”

“You should go your whole afterlife without hitting Angel! Or anyone else!” Charlie said.

“Oh my god! There’s plenty of people I don’t hit!”

“Like the other Vees?”

“Yes!”

“Because they’re on top?”

“Yes.”

“Because you think they’re more deserving of respect? Because your parents and pimps taught you that?”

“Oh, would you stop bringing them up!? This has nothing to do with them!”

“Doesn’t it? They’re the reason you can’t handle being rejected.”

“FUCK OFF!!! I’m not a pathetic loser who didn’t get enough hugs or whatever you think is my problem!” Valentino leered, face nearly touching Charlie’s nose.

“Then what is your problem?” Charlie asked, jutting her neck out and startling Valentino back. “You obviously have one, or you wouldn’t have to come here?”

“My problem is Angel doesn’t want to come back home! That he would rather waste time at this stupid fucking hotel than with me!”

“Because you treat him badly!”

“God, FUCK! So, what if I treat him badly?! If it weren’t for me, he’d be out on the street or stuck with his shitty family! If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have a job!”

“Did your pimps say that to you?” Husk asked.

Valentino froze, turning his head slowly to glare at Husk. “Shut. Up.”

“Face it, Val. You became the monster that hurt you,” Husk said.

“¡Puta madre!” Valentino snapped, advancing. “You fucking piece of shit! Don’t deflect on me, Husk! I remember what a monster you were!”

“You’re right!” Husk said. “I was a monster. But at least I can admit it!”

“But have you really changed?” Valentino asked, barring his teeth. “Did you come here to redeem yourself?”

“Did you?”

Valentino squeaked.

“The only reason you came here is to get your filthy hands all over Angel,” Husk said.

“So, what!? So, I want Angel back? Why’s that a problem!?”

“Because you don’t care about him.”

“I DO care about him!”

“What about him do you care about? And don’t say anything about his body!”

“I-!” Valentino paused. “Uh, I…”

“There isn’t anything, is there?”

“Shut up! There’s plenty of things!”

“Like what?”

“Like-! Like…” Valentino withered. Husk was glaring, and Alastor was watching from the couch with that smug grin he always had. The thought of being vulnerable around anyone at the hotel, especially Alastor or Husk, made Valentino’s skin crawl. “Look, it’s none of your business!”

“There’s nothing else,” Husk said. “The only thing you care about is having control over others because you have no control over yourself. And you won’t do the work to change because that would mean looking deep inside yourself to see why you became this way. But you won’t. Because you’re a coward.”

“I am not a coward,” Valentino said through gritted teeth.

“Then admit it,” Husk said. “Admit that you’re just like your-.”

Valentino seized Husk’s suspender and lifted him off the ground. “If you finish that fucking sentence, I’ll-!”
“Let him go!” Nifty cried, jumping on Valentino’s arm and reaching for his fluff.

“GET OFF!” Valentino yelled, shaking her away.

Alastor pulled her off and held her close. He used his shadow to wrench Husk out of Valentino’s grasp and pulled Husk into his free arm.

“Valentino!” Charlie cried.

“He started it!” Valentino pointed at Husk.

“Just because he said something you didn’t wanna hear doesn’t mean you can attack him!”

“Oh, but you guys can gang up on me!?”

“When have we ganged up on you?”

“THE ENTIRE TIME I’VE BEEN HERE! You’ve been telling me what to do, what not to do! You won’t let me smoke! You won’t let me be horny! You barely even let me talk! Nothing I do around you people is ever good enough! You guys are just like-!”

“Your parents?” Charlie asked, soft but stern.

The wind was knocked out of Valentino. Everyone was staring at him, mixed expressions of fury and concern. It was overwhelming, and Valentino choked down an oncoming sob.

“FUCK ALL OF YOU!!!” he yelled, and he stormed upstairs.

He slammed his bedroom door behind him, grabbed a pillow, and screamed into it. “FUCK! GOD! FUCKING! DAMMIT!!!” He pounded his fists into the pillow over and over again before digging his nails into the center of it and tearing it apart.

“¡Malditos imbéciles! ¡Malditos bastardos! ¡Los odio a todos! ¡No me conocen! ¡JODER!” He punched the walls, tore at the wallpaper, kicked everything near his feet.

He growled, ready to storm into the bathroom, when his phone buzzed. It was Velvette:

Holy shit Val! Calm down!

Valentino looked down at the Angelic armor, seeing the camera on his chest. “LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” He chucked the phone at the wall and heard the screen crack as he closed his coat and marched into the bathroom.

He tore the towels off the rack and ripped them to shreds, then did the same with the toilet paper, then the shower curtain. That scary little maid would have a field day cleaning this up, but he didn’t care. Vox would scold him for ruining their plans, but what else was new? Alastor would get a favor from Charlie and destroy him and the Vees and all of Hell but none of it mattered because he would never get Angel back!

Valentino turned, ready to smash the mirror in, when he caught sight of his expression. He looked haggard and mean and ugly. His face fell. He shivered and walked closer. Normally, he would relish in his reflection, but now he just felt disgusted. He hated when the angry look on his face left deep lines. Hated when his eyes looked big and vulnerable and weak! He could hear his pimps criticizing his appearance and clutched the edge of the sink as he trembled with fury.

His mind wandered to the last time he saw his pimp from Hell. It was the week he had met Angel. Valentino had just stormed out of Vox’s apartment after their first big fight, and he was desperate to find someone, anyone who would want him around. Angel happened to bump into him right before he went into the nearest club. He was attractive, and from the way he was running from his family, Valentino suspected he was just as desperate to get out and enjoy himself as Valentino had been when he was young. They spent the night at a hotel together and Valentino spent the week taking Angel out to get new clothes and experience the club scene in Hell. He could tell Angel was still a bit tense from years of repression, but Valentino was happy to help loosen him up. He appreciated the way Angel latched onto him, the attention was welcome after Vox had cast him aside, but he wasn’t sure he wanted a long-term relationship or anything.

Around the third or fourth day, Valentino decided to show Angel around a seedy bar just outside IMP City. He was expecting Angel to be nervous, like he was at the clubs, but violent bar scenes didn’t seem to faze him. “I was in the mob,” he said. “’S nothin’ I haven’t seen before.”

“Huh.” Valentino had no idea how to respond to that.

They walked into the bar and several large, muscular demons glared at them as they walked through, muttering slurs and threats. They were able to ignore the intimidating looks and go right to the bartender to order their drinks. Despite the patrons glaring and bigoted comments, things were fairly peaceful, until Valentino noticed his old pimp, Cyrus, waltz in.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the whore that tried to take my place,” the rhino-faced pimp spat, quickly striding towards Valentino, two hookers that Valentino used to work with hanging on each of his arms. Valentino could see his panicked expression reflected in Cyrus’s sunglasses. “What are you up to these days?”

Valentino had frozen, unsure of what to say. He and Vox hadn’t officially started their business yet, and after storming out of Vox’s apartment, Val wasn’t even sure he wanted to work with Vox anymore.

“Uhm…” Valentino couldn’t form any words and looked down at his feet, hating how small he felt.

“Peaches and Cream here tell me you’re making some kinda porn studio,” Cyrus said, nodding his head at the hookers on his arms. Valentino frowned; he had asked the hookers at the brothel to join his studio and they’d all laughed in his face. “How’s that going?”

Valentino glowered. “Great! We’re about to start filming.”

“I see. So, you’ve been working on this little project for over a year and don’t have anything to show for it?” Cyrus asked, casually, tapping his cigar over Valentino’s feet and letting ash drop on his shoes.

Valentino sneered, fingers bending into claws. “We have a studio! And actors and a crew! We just need to start making movies!”

“And with your short attention span, how long will that take?” Cyrus asked. Peaches and Cream chuckled beside him.

Valentino bristled, ready to strike, when Angel asked: “What the fuck is your problem?”

Cyrus and his whores looked down at Angel, barely interested. “Who’s this, Val? One of your new employees?”

“No. Uh, he’s…he’s…”

“I’m his boyfriend!” Angel said.

Valentino squeaked. He never intended to make Angel his official boyfriend, but after so long hearing Vox insist they were just fucking and nothing more, it was heartwarming that Angel would proclaim such a thing in public.

Cyrus and the whores laughed. “Oh, boy! You poor sap.”

“The fuck does that mean?” Angel asked.

“How long have you two been together?”

“What does it matter?”

“Can’t imagine it’s been a long time. If you knew what a wretched piece of shit Val is, you’d be runnin’ for the hills.”

Valentino barred his teeth. Cyrus smirked. “Aw! Did that make you angry, Val? Did your feelings get hurt? Are you gonna throw a tantrum like the giant baby you are?!”

Valentino snorted, wanting to tear his pimp to shreds, when Angel whipped a tommy gun out of nowhere and pointed it at Cyrus’s head. “Back off, asshole!”

“Whoa! Where the fuck did that come from?!” Cyrus asked, throwing his hands up in defense.

Angel responded by firing several rounds into Cyrus’s brain. Peaches and Cream fled, and everyone else in the bar either ran out or hid behind tables as Angel fired along the walls.

“ANYBODY ELSE WANNA FUCK WITH US!? HUH!?” Angel shouted.

Valentino watched Angel step on Cyrus’s bloody chest as he stared down everyone left in the bar. The signs on the wall created a halo of neon light around Angel’s body as he turned to face Val. The vicious look on Angel’s face melted away and he dropped the gun.

“Ah, heh. He ain’t botherin’ you no more,” Angel said, apologetically.

Valentino blinked, eyes big and jaw slacked dumbly. He lurched for Angel and kissed him. They slipped their tongues down each other’s throats and fell over, frantically making love on Cyrus’s corpse.

Valentino and Angel would have other run-ins with horrible people from their past; hookers from Valentino’s old brothel, members of the mafia Angel knew, Valentino’s boss from the club he danced at, Angel’s old landlord. They would both happily plow down each other’s adversaries, followed by an intense make-out session on the rotting remains. Valentino couldn’t get over how beautiful Angel looked covered in blood, how hot he looked when he was angry. Angel’s ferocity was extremely alluring, but it was also terrifying.

Angel was inexperienced with expressing his sexuality, but he was stronger and tougher than he looked. Someone with that kind of strength and conviction would have no trouble leaving Val once he got sick of him, and if Valentino’s history was anything to go by, Angel would get sick of him eventually.

Valentino dealt with this by encouraging Angel’s softer qualities, putting him in submissive roles during their roleplays, and convincing him not to get into fights. “I can handle myself,” Valentino said. “Besides, you should let me protect you. You’ve had to fight for too long, don’t you think?”

It was a band aid solution at best. Angel maintained his strong will; he was opinionated and hypersensitive and when he got high, he’d shoot at imaginary rivals in the bedroom. Valentino wasn’t willing to lose the only person who ever wanted to be his boyfriend, but when he was being particularly annoying, Valentino would find one of his employees to bang after work. When Angel asked why Valentino came home late, Val would excuse it with long work hours.

Valentino was grateful that he owned souls. He could get whatever he needed out of them, and the contracts meant they couldn’t leave him. He’d considered asking Angel to sign a contract with him, but Vox had forbid him from letting Angel into the studio. Part of Valentino wanted to do it anyway, just to piss Vox off, but he knew if he pushed too hard, Vox would lock him out of the building on Extermination Day and let him die. Even if Valentino survived (especially if he survived), the idea of Vox throwing him away hurt more than the fear that Angel might leave him.

Thankfully, Angel had snuck into his studio and asked for a contract on his own. Valentino decided to be professional, having Angel audition for him before signing the contract so Vox wouldn’t think he was playing favorites, but he’d made up his mind the moment Angel asked the question. To his relief, Angel was a talented performer on top of being hot, so Vox couldn’t give him too much shit once Angel’s movies started raking in the money.

Owning Angel’s soul alleviated so much stress. No matter how petulant and angry he got at Valentino, he could never leave. Valentino didn’t need to restrain his impulses for fear that Angel would reject him because now he couldn’t. There was nothing Valentino could do to or around Angel that would result in him being cast aside because Valentino held all the cards!

Unfortunately, Valentino’s contract said he could do anything he wanted to Angel while he was at the studio, but it never said he couldn’t leave the building. When Valentino’s meltdowns went too far, Angel would threaten to leave, and Valentino would turn on the charm and smooth things over with gifts or empty promises to do better. It would work for a while, but Angel always saw right through him, and they’d get into a fight again. Valentino told himself it didn’t matter, that Angel could never truly leave him least he be out of a job and back to sucking his landlord’s dick, but deep down he knew it was false hope. Even if Angel never left, he didn’t love Valentino like he once did.

Hunching over the hotel sink, Valentino recalled the worst nightmare he’d ever had in his life. Every single person he’d ever encountered in life or in Hell collected in one room together to gossip about Val. They ranted about Valentino’s behavior and joked about how incompetent and worthless he was. He entered the room abruptly and caused a scene, screaming in everyone’s face and lashing out, only for his hands to go through everyone around him. Thousands of eyes stared down at him and he shrank to the size of a literal moth. He buzzed around, trying to get people’s attention, but they all ignored him, continuing to talk shit about how awful he was and that they were glad to be rid of him.

He'd woken up sweating and screaming. He was alone, and the empty bed and eerie silence only rubbed salt in the wound. He burst into Vox’s office, demanding to know why he wasn’t in bed and demanding Vox pay attention to him. Vox responded by grabbing Val’s wrist and sending an electrical current through his arm.

“I don’t have time for this, Val! I have work to do.”

Vox summoned cables from the ceiling and used them to toss Valentino out of his office, slamming the door behind him. Valentino furiously stormed out of Vee Tower. Velvette hadn’t joined their team yet and everyone who worked for him had the day off since Valentino expected he and Vox would be spending the week together. He went to the closest stripe club he could find, hoping to find someone desperate enough to sleep with him, but the building was empty.

“Hello!?” Valentino yelled, hearing his voice echo down the halls. “The lights are on! There’s gotta be someone in here!”

Something slithered along the walls and Valentino jumped. His heart sank when he heard a familiar voice from the shadows.

“Valentino,” came the low, sinister voice of his pimp from Earth, Lorenzo.

Valentino froze as a sharply dressed man with the head of a leech emerged from the darkness, the slime of his body glistening in the dim colorful lights. Lorenzo grinned, rows of jagged teeth gleaming, and Valentino felt the air run cold.

“Haven’t seen you in a long time, Val,” Lorenzo said, striding up to him, drink in hand. “It was 1972, right? I remember you standing over my bed with a gun in your hand.”

Valentino said nothing.

“It was smart, you know? Waiting until I was asleep before killing me. Of course, I woke up right before you did, but it was a thoughtful plan. Surprised you came up with it.”

Valentino twitched.

“Actually, I’m surprised at how far you’ve come. I remember seeing you in an interview and thought: ‘Is that my Val? Couldn’t be. He could never get that far in life.’”

Valentino grumbled, memories of similar conversations in their bedroom flooding back to him.

“But there you were! I could never forget that voice. That smile. That unearned confidence,” Lorenzo said. He took a sip of his drink, smacked his lips, and said: “How’d you do it, Val? How’d you rise the ranks of Hell?”

Valentino stood, glaring. He didn’t want to respond; he knew Lorenzo would take anything he said and turn it against him. It would’ve been easier to let Lorenzo say whatever he wanted and let the conversation blow over, but Valentino was still raw from his nightmare and Vox’s rejection. He wasn’t in the mood to let someone tear him down. He cocked his head to the side, mustering all the venomous barbs he could, before saying:

“I fucked a bunch of people. That’s what I’m good at, after all.”

Lorenzo smiled. “You’re right, Val. That is all you’re good at,” he said, slipping his hand around Valentino’s waist.

Valentino squeaked, feeling panic shoot through his body and paralyze him. Lorenzo snaked his arm around Valentino and pull him in close before clamping his demon leech mouth down on Valentino’s neck.

“Agh! NO! STOP! GET OFF!” Valentino yelled, frantically beating Lorenzo’s back. Lorenzo bit down and Valentino screamed. He gripped Lorenzo’s shoulder as he felt the leech suck on him, making him both weak in the knees and hard as a rock. He did this to Val when they were alive and it resulted in the same effect, but Lorenzo’s demon form made it even more intense.

Lorenzo released his grip on Valentino and let him slump to the floor. Valentino squirmed, writhing as his dick throbbed, desperate for someone to get him off. Lorenzo stared down at him, smirking. “I knew it,” he said.

“Knew what?” Valentino whined, hating the sound of his voice.

“That you were still weak,” Lorenzo said.

Valentino panted heavily, breath becoming more and more ragged. He reached out to grab Lorenzo’s leg and grinded his erection into it. Lorenzo cackled. “You even still hump like a dog.”

“FUCK YOU!” Valentino cried, grinding harder.

Lorenzo bit his lip and let out a pleasured groan. “Oh, yeah, baby, make me cum.”

“STOP IT! THIS ISN’T FOR YOU!” Valentino cried.

“Oh, isn’t it?” Lorenzo moaned. He reached down and grabbed Valentino’s antennas. He yanked him up, making Val shriek with pain, and used his other arm to pull Valentino close so their groins were touching.

“AOH!” Valentino squealed, feeling Lorenzo grind against him. His nerves buzzed and his head spun. Lorenzo was the last person he wanted to fuck, but he was so lonely and desperate and horny that he threw his arms around Lorenzo and panted as they ground into each other. Lorenzo had dropped his glass and was clutching Valentino close to him. They both threw their head backs and orgasmed in unison as they came at the same time. Valentino slide down, head resting on Lorenzo’s chest, and Lorenzo pet Valentino’s fluff.

“Look at you,” Lorenzo said. “So small.” Valentino hiccupped, body lurching, and Lorenzo clamped down on his neck. “Such a pathetic little whore.” He chuckled, voice hoarse. “Is that why you shot me, Val? Did you think, without me around, you could somehow come out on top? Claw your way up?”

Valentino hissed. “I did. I took your place.”

“And how long did that last?”

Valentino didn’t answer.

“Couldn’t have been long. Somebody must’ve tried taking your place,” Lorenzo said, massaging Valentino’s neck.

“Yeah, well, what about now?” Valentino asked. “I have an empire! I’m one of the most powerful Overlords in Hell!”

Lorenzo leaned in close, lips barely touching the side of Val’s face, and said: “Vox is one of the most powerful Overlords in Hell. You’re just coasting off his success.”

Valentino gripped Lorenzo’s suit. “No,” he rasped. “I’m responsible for Vox’s success! I gave him the idea for the company! I produce all the movies!”

“And you think Vox couldn’t easily find a replacement?” Lorenzo asked, softly caressing the side of Val’s face.

Vox throwing Valentino out of his office played in Val’s mind and he shuddered.

“He probably will too,” Lorenzo said, releasing his grip on Valentino. “Because why would he want to keep you around?”

Valentino held onto Lorenzo’s coat, hiding his face so Lorenzo couldn’t see the tears starting to form, and spat: “Probably the same reason you kept me around.”

Lorenzo looked down at Valentino. “For sex?” he asked, cooly.

“Because you’re lonely,” Valentino said. He looked up just in time to catch Lorenzo’s face go pale. Valentino smirked and climbed up Lorenzo’s body until their faces met. “Because you need someone who’ll always be there for you, because you know that no one else wants you.”

Lorenzo’s pupils shrank, his frown tugging at the sides of his mouth. Then he hissed, his expression evaporating as his pupils dilated and his frown lifted into a toothy grin. “Pot calling the kettle black, are we?”

Valentino stared at him. “The fuck?”

“Of course, you don’t know what that means,” Lorenzo said, shoving Valentino off him. Valentino landed hard on his ass as Lorenzo hovered over him. “The lonely one that no one wants is you, Valentino.”

Valentino growled. “Fuck you!”

“Eloquent as always.” Lorenzo adjusted his tie. “And so quick to deflect.”

“You’re the one deflecting!” Valentino cried. “I know you were lonely! That you needed me! You told me so!”

“You must’ve dreamt it.”

“You were drunk! You begged me not to leave!”

“I said what I needed to say to keep you around.”

“Because you’re alone!”

“Because I needed money,” Lorenzo said, stern, leaning down to meet Valentino’s gaze. “Because that’s all you’re good for, sex and money. And the moment you can’t provide those things, you’re of no use to anyone.”

Valentino stared, angry but unable to think of a comeback. Lorenzo straightened out, flattened out his suit, and turned heel. “Enjoy your time on top, Valentino. It won’t last.”

Valentino watched him walk away, disappearing into the shadows of the empty club. Valentino trembled with anger, gripping the carpet with his claws. He leapt to his feet, raced towards Lorenzo, and swung a punch at the bastard’s head.

“AGH!”

Valentino was brought back to the present as his fist made contact with the bathroom mirror. He clutched his bloody knuckles and looked at his fractured reflection in the mirror. He remembered, bitterly, how Lorenzo’s bodyguards dragged him out of the club, and he went back to Vee Tower to drink away his pain, only to be consumed with rage and bash his fists against the floor length mirror in his room. His reflection in the cracks of the mirror took him back to that moment, only instead of the hotel bathroom behind him, it had been Angel with a suitcase.

“Val?”

Valentino narrowed his attention on the suitcase in the mirror and whirled around. “What is that?” he asked, his voice panicked as he pointed to the luggage.

Angel looked down. “Oh, uh…”

“Where are you going?”

“Uh, Cherri’s place.”

“Why?”

“Just…to hang out.”

“For how long? Why is that suitcase so big?” He took a woozy step forward and noticed another suitcase behind Angel’s leg. “How many bags are you taking?!”

“Val…”

“You’re leaving aren’t you!?”

“No! Val!”

“You-you are leaving! You’re trying to run away!” Valentino slurred, pointing an accusatory finger at Angel.

“No! I-!”

“Of course, you are! Heh! Yeah! Of course! Because that’s just how it is! Because EVERYBODY wants to throw me away!” Valentino ranted, loopy from the alcohol. “My parents wanted to kick me out, my first pimp just cast me aside earlier, my other pimp threw me out a long time ago, Vox always pushes me away, and now you’re trying to move out!!!”

“I…I…!”

“Why!? Why does this always happen!? WHY DOESN’T ANYONE WANT ME!?” Valentino screamed and threw his bottle to the floor. It shattered and broke the tension in the room.

They stood in silence, Valentino staring at his broken reflection, seeing a fragmented Angel staring back at him.

“Val…”

Valentino stared back at his own wide-eyed reflection, lip quivering. “I…I know I’m not perfect but…but am I really that bad?” 

He slumped to the floor and Angel tepidly walked up behind him. Valentino continued to stare ahead as Angel put his arms around Valentino.

“I mean sure, I can be a pain, but that’s not the end of the world…is it? I’m not that bad, right? I…I’m not a monster, am I?”

Angel’s arms tensed. He looked at the mirror, at the reflection of him holding a trembling Valentino who looked more scared and helpless than he’d ever seen him. After a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and said: “No.”

Valentino collapsed into Angel’s chest and Angel held him as he cried.

“Come on, Val. Let’s get you to bed,” Angel said, helping him off the floor.

Valentino couldn’t remember anything after that, he must’ve blacked out. Standing in the hotel bathroom, staring at his reflection, Valentino wondered if Angel had meant what he said.

He couldn’t have, surely. Angel was obviously trying to run away and only stuck around because Valentino was sad. Valentino scratched his nails against the sink. He hated that the only thing that kept Angel from leaving was seeing that Valentino was weak. It reminded him when, on Earth, Lorenzo had gotten drunk, and Valentino had tried to leave. Lorenzo had fallen to the floor, begged him to stay, insisted he had nobody else who wanted him. Valentino didn’t believe it, since Lorenzo had plenty of whores, but it did dawn on him in that moment that he was the one to usually share Lorenzo’s bed. So, Valentino dropped his bags and went to bed with Lorenzo, who drunkenly kissed him until falling asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around Valentino’s shoulders. Valentino felt trapped, but he also felt wanted. Lorenzo was hot and sweaty, but he had long, strong arms and Valentino felt like he’d been wrapped in a cocoon. He had grown to resent Lorenzo over the years, but he remembered a time when they got along, and Valentino had feelings for his pimp.

Valentino stood, paralyzed, at the sink, suddenly struck by the similarities between his experience failing to leave Lorenzo and Angel’s failed attempt to leave him. He’d never thought about it before, how similar he was to Lorenzo. Not because he didn’t notice any similarities, but because he never wanted to think about it. But now, standing in the wreckage he’d caused in the hotel room with no one and nothing around to distract him, Valentino couldn’t help but realize that he had become Angel’s Lorenzo.

He clamped his hand over his mouth as he wretched. He felt the vomit pass his lips, sputtering into his palm, and he rushed to the toilet. He threw the lid open and puked, heaving when some of it got caught in his throat. He hacked and coughed and collapsed, trembling as his energy left him. His teeth chattered as every minute similarity between him and Lorenzo came into sharp focus. The way they degraded and manipulated those around them. Their violent outbursts. Their desperation to be wanted. Valentino started spiraling, thinking of all the ways he was like his parents; stubborn, controlling, quick to cast aside when someone didn’t suit their desires.

Valentino writhed, remembering how much pain he felt when he was mistreated, and he couldn’t help but imagine that Angel’s pain mirrored his own. Charlie was right; Angel was responding to Valentino the exact same way Valentino responded to everyone who hurt him.

Valentino shuddered and wretched again, glasses slipping off his face as he puked. He gasped as his glasses fell into the toilet and slipped through his throw up. Valentino gagged, wanting to reach in and grab them, but he was too exhausted. He collapsed over the bowl and watched helplessly as his rose-colored glasses were coated in his own bile.

The sound of his ragged breathing echoed throughout the destroyed bathroom. He felt cold and empty. He wanted someone to hold him, but he didn’t know who to go to. Vox and Velvette would just tell him he was being ridiculous and to get over it, everyone downstairs would tell him he didn’t deserve to be coddled, and Angel hated him. Valentino hiccupped, sobbing. Besides Vox, Angel was the best thing to ever happen to him, and he ruined it. He drove Angel away with his cruelty and petulance. It was no wonder Angel ran away to live in the hotel.

Valentino’s antenna perked up. The hotel. He had come here under the guise of improvement, thinking that would win Angel over, but it hadn’t. Because he didn’t really mean it. Because once they got back to Vee Tower, everything would return to normal, and Valentino would be the vicious monster he’d always been. Angel wouldn’t want that. But what if he did try? Charlie said Angel would probably like Val more if he treated him right. Valentino glanced at the door leading to his bedroom and thought about everyone downstairs. If Valentino tried to be better, if he actually wanted to be better, would things really improve between him and Angel?

Charlie was hunched over on the couch, running her fingers through her hair as Vaggie and Lucifer comforted her.

“Come on, babe, don’t beat yourself up,” Vaggie said.

“I just don’t understand. Every time I think I’ve figured out how to get through to him, he just winds up getting worse,” Charlie said, knocking against the sides of her head with her fists.

“It’s not your fault he doesn’t want to improve,” Husk said.

“But I was so close!” Charlie said.

“You tried everything you could, honey,” Lucifer said.

“Well, maybe not everything,” Alastor said, hands behind his back and craning his neck until it creaked.

Everyone stared. “Valentino…hasn’t done anything yet…” Charlie started; voice timid.

“And how long do you think it’ll be before he does?” Alastor asked, darkly.

Everyone trembled, faces grave, and Charlie stood. “Alright. I’ll do your favor.”

Alastor smiled, teeth glowing as the rest of the room grew darker. Husk sank in his seat. “No…”

“Come with me, my dear,” Alastor said, extending his hand.

Charlie took it and Lucifer held his staff between them. “Hold on! Where are you taking her?”

“Just down the hall, somewhere private,” Alastor said. Lucifer’s eyes blazed and Alastor grinned. “No need to fret, Lucifer. I don’t intend to put Charlotte in any harm.”

He led Charlie past Lucifer, walking to the hallway behind the staircase, when Valentino descended the last step.

“Uh, h-hey,” Valentino said, small. He looked exhausted.

Alastor and Charlie stared at him with matching looks of surprise.

Valentino fidgeted, staring down at his feet. He looked like a child. “Uhm, look, about earlier. Like, not just today but like, in general. I…”

Everyone watched, waiting. Alastor rolled his eyes. “Could you hurry this along, we have business to attend t-.”

“I’m sorry.”

They all flinched. Even Alastor looked taken aback. Valentino glanced up at them, still looking small and pleading.

“You were right, Princess. I am…just like everyone that hurt me. And that’s why Angel hates me. Because I hurt him.”

He could feel everyone’s eyes on him. He took a deep breath and sighed out. “Look, I really do want to make things work with Angel, so if I have to try harder and do the things you tell me to then…” he closed his eyes and lifted his head. “Then I will.”

He opened his eyes to see everyone’s mouth hanging open. The only one not slack jawed was Alastor, whose lips were sealed but his eyes were huge, glaring at Valentino like he’d just slapped his mother.

 Charlie walked forward, looking up at Valentino, hopeful but steadfast. “You’re really going to try?”

Valentino tried to speak but could only mumble a feeble response, so he nodded vigorously.

Charlie nodded. “Okay. I’m holding you to that.” She jut out her hand and Valentino stared at it before taking it in his own.

Vaggie, Lucifer, and Nifty all stared, still dumbfounded. Husk stood beside Alastor, watching the Radio Demon glare daggers at Valentino.

Chapter Text

Valentino took the test Charlie had given him and she spent the afternoon looking it over. He scored 5/10 and most of them it looked like he guessed what answer Charlie wanted to hear. The next morning, they had Valentino watch the video about boundaries again, insisting he move to the side rather than standing in front of the screen. Valentino grumpily sat on the side of the TV, craning his neck so the screen wouldn’t look as tilted, and watched the entire thing. From there, they moved onto the bar scenario.

Valentino walked up to the bar, seeing Lucifer, Vaggie, and Alastor sitting on the stools. He paused before crossing the threshold and looked back at Charlie.

“I’m allowed to like, talk during this, right?” he asked.

“Yes, just don’t be creepy,” Charlie said.

Valentino frowned. “Yeah. Right. Okay.” He walked up to Vaggie and said: “Hola, preciosa. Are you here by yourself?”

Vaggie glanced up from her drink. “Yes.”

“Would you be interested in making room for one more?” Valentino asked, bumping Lucifer with his hip to move him over.

Vaggie glared. “No. And you’re not supposed to shove people.”

Valentino looked back at Lucifer, who was adjusting his hat after nearly falling out of his seat. Lucifer glared and Valentino shook his head. “Right! Right, yeah. Fuck, uhm…”

“It’s okay. Let’s try this again,” Charlie said, summoning Valentino back towards her.

Valentino walked away then turned right back around. He strode up to Vaggie and slipped between her and Alastor, without bumping into him. Alastor raised an eyebrow as Valentino looked at Vaggie and said: “Buenos días, cosita caliente. Are you…?”

“Don’t call me ‘hot stuff’,” Vaggie said, firmly.

“Oh, come on! What’s the problem with saying your hot?” Valentino snapped.

“Because it’s objectifying,” Vaggie said.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Is every compliment objectifying then?” Valentino said.

“It is if you say it like that,” Vaggie said.

“Maldita perra. Crees que todo lo que digo es malo…” Valentino griped, claws trembling close to Vaggie’s neck.

“Valentino!” Charlie said. “You said you were actually gonna try to be good now.”

“Urgh! YES! Right. Fine,” Valentino said, marching back towards Charlie.

“And what do we say when we mess up?” Charlie asked.

“Uh, sorry,” Valentino said, looking back at Vaggie who glared.

“Good,” Charlie said, patting Valentino’s arm. Valentino squeaked at the contact, and Charlie said: “Now try again.”

Valentino straightened his back and walked back to the bar. Vaggie and the others had turned their backs to him. He bristled, then looked up at the staircase, faintly able to make out the door to Angel’s bedroom. He walked past it every morning and before coming to class, he could faintly hear Angel talking to Cherri behind the door. He couldn’t hear what they were talking about, and he was afraid it might be about him. He looked back at Charlie who urged him to start the scene, then walked up behind Vaggie.

“Uh…hi,” he said.

Vaggie turned around. “Hello.”

“Uhm…you here by yourself?” Valentino asked.

“Yep,” Vaggie said.

“Uh, do you want to be here by yourself?”

“Yeah.”

Valentino tensed. He looked back at Charlie who was watching intently. “So, do you just like being alone all the time?”

“Not all the time. Just right now,” Vaggie said.

Valentino tapped his heel. “When do you think you’ll want company again?”

Vaggie rolled her eye. “Dunno. Couldn’t tell you.”

Valentino twitched and looked back at Charlie who made a motion for him to move on. Valentino groaned. “Yeah, okay.”

He shlupped over to Lucifer. “Hey,” he said, unenthused.

“Hi, there,” Lucifer said.

“Do you wanna be by yourself?”

“Sure do,” Lucifer said.

Valentino tapped his heel furiously. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. He marched over to Alastor who glanced up at him. Valentino sneered and turned to face Husk.

“What can I get ya?” Husk asked.

“Martini,” Valentino said.

“Martini what?” Husk asked.

“Uh…espresso?”

“The word you’re looking for is ‘please’,” Husk said, dryly.

Valentino grumbled. “A martini, please,” Valentino said, drawing out the please.

Husk prepared Valentino’s order. Alastor chuckled and sipped his coffee. Valentino wheeled around, glaring. “What’s so funny?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the show,” Alastor said.

“What show?” Valentino snapped.

Alastor said nothing. He simply smiled and drank his coffee.

Husk set the martini down. “Here ya go.”

Valentino snatched it off the table and drank.

“You’re welcome,” Husk said.

Valentino stared at him.

“What do you say when someone gives you something?” Husk asked.

“Fuck! Right: Thank you!” Valentino said before drinking again.

Charlie walked past Nifty, who was sitting on the floor petting KeeKee, and slid behind the bar. She leaned in towards Vaggie and Lucifer and whispered: “Do you think this is going well?”

“For him? It’s good enough,” Vaggie said.

Alastor’s ears pricked and he watched Valentino finish his drink before setting the glass on the bar. “Gimmie another.”

“Another what?” Husk asked.

Valentino grumbled. “Please.”

“There ya go,” Husk said, taking the glass and making another drink.

Alastor looked at Lucifer as he leaned into Charlie and said: “I’ll only be worried if he starts arguing again.”

Alastor’s grin crept higher on his cheeks and he casually tilted his coffee mug until the scolding contents splashed on Valentino’s lower left arm.

Valentino yelped, fur standing up. “AUGH! ¡CALIENTE! FUCK!”

“Oh, dear. Did I make a splash?” Alastor asked, innocently.

“What the fuck was that for!?” Valentino asked.

“It was an accident. My deepest apologies,” Alastor said, dripping with false sincerity.

“Bullshit! You did that on purpose,” Valentino said.

“Now why would you say that?” Alastor asked, lacing his fingers together.

“Because you’re you!”

“Valentino!” Charlie chimed. “Come on, let’s not fight.”

“I’m not fighting! He spilled on me, and I want an apology!” Valentino said.

“We’re teaching you how to apologize,” Vaggie said.

“So, what? Am I never owed an apology?!” Valentino snapped.

“That’s not what she’s saying,” Charlie said.

“He knows that, Charlie. He’s just deflecting blame as per usual,” Alastor said. “Honestly, I don’t know why you bother.”

Valentino’s antenna pricked. “That’s what you’re up to! You’re trying to get me to fail so you can get the Princess to do a favor for you!”

“Even if that’s true, isn’t the point of this lesson you learning to accept rejection gracefully?” Alastor asked.

Valentino sputtered. “You-brrrrngh-FUCK! Gah!” He marched away, storming past KeeKee who leaped into Nifty’s lap and nearly knocked her over.

“Valentino!” Charlie said, emerging from the bar. “Remember to breathe!”

Valentino gripped his hat, seething, and huffed.

“Breathe in, and-,” Charlie started.

“I was GETTING THERE!” Valentino screamed. He began panting heavily.

“You’re supposed to do it slowly,” Vaggie said, rising from her seat.

Valentino gasped for air, holding it, then blowing it out again.

“Not like that!” Vaggie said.

“Fuck! Now you’re telling me how to breathe?” Valentino asked.

“We’re teaching you how to do it correctly,” Vaggie said.

“Right! Because I always do everything wrong,” Valetino said.

“Exactly!” Alastor said. “Glad you can admit it.”

“You stay out of this!” Valentino snapped.

“If you really want to do the right thing, you need to do what we tell you to do,” Vaggie insisted.

“I’m TRYING!”

“No, you’re not! You’re arguing!”

“Only because you won’t shut up and give me a second to breathe!”

“Are you really going to breathe?”

“YES! JUST SHUT UP!”

“Would you stop yelling?” Charlie snapped.

“How am I supposed to get you to LISTEN TO ME IF I DON’T YELL!?” Valentino asked.

“Just calm down!”

“THAT’S WHAT I’M TRYING TO DO!!!”

“Well, you’re not doing a good job of it!” Vaggie said.

“OH MY GOD! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! EVERYBODY JUST SHUT THE FUCK UUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!” Valentino screamed so loud it made the chandelier shake.

KeeKee’s fur bristled, and Nifty held her close. Everyone else glared at Valentino judgmentally. Alastor flashed a wicked grin. Valentino’s features softened and he let his arms drop as the tension in them subsided. He took a couple short breaths, feeling like those weren’t good enough for the other’s standards, and whimpered.

“You know, believe it or not, I really am trying!” he said, finally. “I know you probably don’t believe it, but it’s true. It’s just, this isn’t easy for me! Being ‘good’. I’m not used to it. It doesn’t come easy to me like it does to you!” he pointed at Charlie before stumbling up to the nearest chair.

Charlie watched Valentino clutch the back of the chair to stabilize himself. She frowned, brows knitting as she looked down at her fidgeting hands. “It’s…not easy for me either.”

Valentino looked up and everyone else turned to stare at Charlie, identical shocked expressions all around. Charlie squirmed, averting their gaze, and said: “I mean, I try to be good. I’ve always tried to be good. I want to be. I think it’s good to be good, and I think everyone has it in them to be good, but…” She closed her eyes. “But it’s so hard to believe that when I’m constantly interacting with people who do horrible things.”

Valentino’s face fell. “Like me.”

“It’s not just you,” Charlie said, and Valentino looked up. “It’s everyone. We’re literally in Hell! And I’m the Princess of Hell! And that’s why I want to take care of my people and love my people no matter how awful they are, but it just feels hopeless and sometimes…” she looked around the hotel, taking in how empty the lobby really was. “Sometimes I wonder why I even bother.”

“Because you’re, like, a good person?” Valentino said.

“Am I?” Charlie asked. “I mean, I haven’t actually done anything. I only had two guests; one that died in a war that I incited, and the other one still isn’t in Heaven. And Heaven! I wasn’t even able to get through to them. Even with Adam gone, are they really going to accept Sinners? Are they even going to accept me?” her voice wavered.

Everyone watched her, intently, concerned. Charlie made a nervous laugh and said: “Is that what this is about? Have I just been doing this for me? Am I just doing this to feel better about myself? I mean, I’m the daughter of the literal Devil and a Sinner! The two responsible for Hell’s creation!” Lucifer withered, looking horrified. “Is this all just me trying to make up for all of that?!”

“No!” Lucifer said. “Charlie, none of this is your fault!”

“But don’t I have some responsibility to fix it?”

“No! Sweetie, none of this should be on you to fix,” Lucifer said, taking Charlie’s hands.

“But I want to fix it!” Charlie said, turning away. “I want to help people! I want to make things better, but I don’t know how! I mean, I think I know how! I’m pretty sure I know how good people act, but do I? All I’ve ever known is Hell! You told me stories about Heaven, about goodness, but does that mean I really know anything?” Her horns sprouted and she was pulling at her hair. “Is this why no one else has checked in? Because they know I’m a fraud?! They know that there’s no point because I’m just going to give them false hope and lead them on and send them down a path that goes nowhere!”

“Charlie!” Vaggie cried, she and Lucifer stepping forward with arms outstretched.

Valentino seized a panicking Charlie by the shoulders and said: “Okay, STOP! Like, god damn, bitch, chill!” Charlie stared, blinking. Valentino let go of her shoulders. “Okay, just, like, do that breathing thing you showed me, like…” He breathed in, gesturing for Charlie to do them same, and when she did, he breathed out and she followed. They did it a couple more times, then Valentino patted Charlie on the head, a little forcefully but not enough to hurt. “Okay, there. Better?”

Charlie nodded. “Mm hm.”

“Alright, look,” Valentino said, pinching the space between his eyebrows. “Maybe you’re not a totally ‘good person’.” He did air quotes with all his hands. “But at least you try to do good. You made this hotel thing to help Sinners. And yeah, maybe you did incite a war and get one of your guests killed, but you still got the Exterminations cancelled. You know, that’s good, right?”

Charlie blinked. “Right.”

“And besides, even if you don’t have a lot of guests, you still have people who like you and want you around.” Valentino gestured to the rest of the hotel staff. “It’s not like you were so awful you pushed away somebody important.” He crossed his arms and folded in on himself.

Charlie looked him shrivel, taking note of the pained look in his eyes.

“Well, at least you realize that now,” she said. “The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one, or at least, that’s what I’ve been told. You may have pushed away someone you care about in the past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make amends.”

“But I keep messing up!” Valentino said.

Charlie shrugged. “So do I, but it’s like you said, I still have people who like me and want me around.” Vaggie and Lucifer came up on either side of her. Vaggie held her hand and Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder. KeeKee purred and nuzzled against Charlie’s leg. “If I can mess up and keep trying and be given a second chance, why not you?”

Valentino stared, looking hopeful, then he withered again. “Because I’m worse than you.”

“But you don’t have to be,” Charlie said, stepping away from the others and towards Valentino. “If you really want to be better, I think you can do it.”

Valentino squirmed. “You really think so?”

“I do,” Charlie said, smiling warmly.

Valentino stared. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked at him like that. His lip quivered and he jolted towards Charlie a little too quickly. Charlie took a step back and Valentino paused. “Fuck! Ah…sorry. Am I allowed to, like, hug?”

Charlie beamed and threw out her arms. “Come here, big guy!”

Valentino scooped Charlie up and pulled her into a bearhug. Charlie wrapped her arms around Valentino’s neck and nuzzled into his fluff. Valentino clutched Charlie to him, burying his face in the crook of her neck to hide his tears from the others.

“It’s okay. Let it out,” Charlie said, patting his back.

Everyone watched in stunned silence as the two of them hugged. KeeKee lifted her head, slowly creeping towards Valentino. Alastor was still smiling, but there was a horrified fury blazing in his eyes. Husk leaned over and whispered: “I think he’s actually starting to change.”

Alastor scrapped his nails along the bar table, never taking his eyes off Valentino. “We’ll see.”

Later that afternoon, Angel and Cherri came downstairs. Cherri hung out with Vaggie in the lounge and Charlie told Angel about Valentino’s progress.

“He’s starting to apologize without needing to be told. He’s asking for consent before coming into people’s spaces. He’s even letting his guard down and being honest about his feelings.”

“You got Val to open up about his feelings?” Angel asked, stunned.

“Mm hm!” Charlie hummed, beaming. “He also helped me relax when I started freaking out. He’s actually starting to be sweet!” She noticed the look on Angel’s face and her smile fell. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah. Just surprised is all,” Angel said.

Charlie placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s a little weird to get used to, but he really is starting to change.”

Angel nodded awkwardly, not sure what to say and unwilling to continue the conversation. Around lunchtime, Angel went into the kitchen to make him and Husk sandwiches. He slathered mayonnaise on four slices of bread and put whatever meat and cheese he found in the fridge on two slices before laying the other two on top. He was putting the plates on a tray when Valentino stormed in. 

Angel froze, watching Valentino tear through the cabinets, muttering swears in Spanish. He stopped when he saw Angel, face shifting from fury to horror. 

“Uh, hey,” Angel said.

Valentino blinked. “Uh, hi.”

“Whatcha doin’?” Angel asked.

Valentino groaned, returning to his search. “I’m trying to find something to put in my mouth besides these!” He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his coat before shoving them back in. “‘Cause apparently smoking is bad!”

“Yeah...” Angel resumed setting the tray with chips and cookies. 

Valentino snarled, pulling soup cans out and tossing them to the side. “Come on! There’s gotta be something!”

Angel watched soup cans roll across the floor. “You’re makin’ a mess.”

Valentino paused and looked over his shoulder. He groaned, then took a deep breath. Angel watched as a much calmer Val picked up the soup cans. The calm didn’t last as Val got instantly frustrated with a can that kept rolling away from him and when he finally got it, he threw it at the cabinet. Angel lurched at the sound of the can colliding with the wood. 

“Fuck! Why doesn’t that stupid breathing thing work longer?!” Valentino asked, marching back to the counter. 

“You’re supposed to take several breaths,” Angel said.

Valentino groaned, gripping his hat. “You only have to take one drag on a cigarette to calm down,” he muttered.

“Yeah, but you’re not supposed to smoke,” Angel said.

“Yeah, I know that, Angel! That’s why I came in here in the first place!” Valentino snapped in a condescending tone.

Angel frowned and returned to plating his and Husk’s lunch. He knew Charlie could be delusional, but if this was her idea of Val being sweet...

“Gah, FUCK! Why is this so fucking hard?!” Valentino screeched. “Why can’t I just breathe through it?! Why do I even need to smoke this badly?! I’m not a fucking addict like you!”

Angel seethed, inhaled sharply through his nose, and grabbed the tray.

Valentino looked up. “No, WAIT! FUCK! Ah...”

Angel was almost at the door when he heard Valentino say: “I’m sorry!”

Angel paused, turning around with huge eyes. Valentino was staring back, featured soft and sunken. He sighed and said: “I’m sorry.”

Angel stared, breathless and blinking in shock. He couldn’t remember a single time in the four decades he knew Valentino when the moth had ever apologized to him, and if he did it was always with a present and a false promise to get better. Angel had expected Valentino to throw a can at his head or scream some obscenity at him as he was leaving, but to get an apology? Maybe Charlie was getting through to him.

Valentino sighed. “I’m sorry.” That was three sorrys. “I’ll leave you alone.” 

He began walking towards the other door and Angel felt a pang in his heart as Val walked away. Something on the counter caught his eye and he called: “Hey, Val!”

Valentino paused at the door and turned around. Angel grabbed a cinnamon stick from a jar on the counter and tossed it to Valentino, who caught it and looked at it scrutinously. 

“When I first tried to stop smoking, I sucked on one a those as a replacement. Satisfied the oral fixation,” Angel said, deciding to leave out the part where he eventually replaced it with alcohol. 

Valentino looked at the stick, opening his mouth when Angel added: “Uh, don’t suck in like you would with a cigarette. You’ll just inhale the cinnamon dust. Suck on it like a lollipop.”

Valentino did just that, sucking the stick until it went all the way into his mouth. He let the stick slip through his lips, and he pulled out the wet cinnamon and stared at it. “Hm, it’s better than nothing.”

Angel smiled. He and Valentino locked eyes and both suddenly felt self-conscious.

“Uh, thanks,” Valentino said.

Angel shuddered. “Uh, yeah! No problem.”

Valentino smiled, not the devious smile Angel was accustomed to, but a softer, warmer smile Angel forgot Valentino was capable of. “Enjoy your lunch.” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Uh, enjoy your stick,” Angel said.

Valentino chuckled and waved before heading out the door. Angel stood alone in the kitchen, staring at the door. He eventually became aware of the tray of food in his hands and left.

Husk was sitting in the dining room with a bottle of whiskey in his mouth. Angel scowled. “Don’t down that whole thing! You won’t have any room for my amazing lunch.”

Husk chuckled at the sloppily put together sandwich and the chips and cookies strewn across the plate. “Yeah, wouldn’t wanna miss out on this.” He set the bottle on the table but didn’t let it go. “Especially since you took so long to put it together.”

Angel sighed, sitting down. “Sorry. Ran into Val in the kitchen.”

“How’d that go?” Husk asked.

“It was the same shit at first, but then...” Angel paused, unsure if it was even real. “He actually apologized. And things were okay.”

“That’s good!” Husk said, sliding his plate closer to him.

“Yeah. It’s weird. Can’t remember the last time we were able to just talk, y’know? It’s been a while,” Angel said, staring into space.

Husk watched him. “Anthony?”

Angel’s stomach lurched. He was still getting used to Husk knowing his old name. “Yeah?”

“I know this must be hard, with everything that happened between you and him, but things are looking up, right?”

“Yeah! No, I’m not upset that he’s gettin’ better. It just...” he stared at his plate, hair falling in his face.

“It just sucks that he didn’t come around sooner?” Husk asked.

Angel sighed. He couldn’t bring himself to speak so he nodded his head.

Husk placed a gently hand on Angel’s shoulder. “At least he’s comin’ around at all.”

“Yeah. Yeah! I’m glad he’s comin’ around,” Angel said, finally looking up.

Husk beamed and Angel felt a flutter in his stomach. They ate their lunch in silence and Husk offered to clean up when they were done, since Angel made them the food. 

The rest of the day, Charlie worked on ideas to redeem Valentino with Vaggie and Lucifer. Part of Angel felt hurt that they weren’t bothering to help him work on his problems, but he remembered the whole reason they were redeeming Valentino was because he had asked them to! Besides, it wasn’t like he really missed the lessons. And it was nice that they thought he was far enough along in his healing journey to not be constantly breathing down his throat anymore. His third set of arms fidgeted with the half full coke bag hidden in his waist as he sat in the couch.

Charlie was documenting all the good things Valentino had done in their most recent lesson and what they still needed to work on. Angel squirmed as he imagined Valentino behaving well, and his mind drifted back to their encounter in the kitchen. 

Angel discreetly got up from the couch and made his way upstairs. He laid on his bed and pulled out his phone. He had a photo album labeled ‘Valentino’. He opened it and scrolled through the copious photos of the two of them cuddling and posing in sexy outfits.

Angel paused at a video of Valentino leaning on a railing and looking out at the sky. He played the video and Valentino blew red smoke into the wind. He glanced at Angel and smiled. After a few seconds, Angel’s voice said: “It’s recording.”

“Oh! ...Hey,” Valentino said. “Why are you recording?”

“I dunno. The wind was blowing your fluff and it looked nice,” Angel admitted.

Valentino gently brushed his fluff back and forth and smiled as Angel giggled. 

Angel swiped through a few more pictures until he landed on another video.

Angel’s face filled the screen and he said: “Okay, it’s recording.”

Valentino took the phone in his lower hand and held it so his face and torso were visible. He looked bloated, like there was a balloon in his stomach.

“Oh! Oh, god! I don’t feel so good!” He said, looking ill. He gasped. “Oh, no!” He screamed and threw his head back as Angel emerged from Valentino’s coat.

“Grah! I’m inside you! And not in a sexy way!” Angel said, using a scratchy, gurgly voice.

“Not in a sexy way?! NOOO!!!” Valentino cried.

“Well, you know, I could always make it sexy,” Angel said in his normal voice, shaking his ass against Valentino’s groin.

Valentino smiled, grabbing Angel and pulling him close to kiss him. He paused and pulled back to say: “This would make a good porn.”

Angel smirked. They did wind up doing that porn and it was one of the more fun shoots Angel had done. He swiped again until he reached a video of Valentino hovering over Angel in his sleep. Angel stared, lips parted, and he hesitantly pressed play.

“Hey, baby,” Valentino said, softly. He leaned over Angel’s body and whispered: “You’re asleep.” Angel’s chest gently rose and fell, and Valentino brushed a few strands of hair back. “You had a long day today.”

Angel remembered this day. Valentino had worked him to the bone and then insisted they have sex afterwards. Angel was so tired he fell asleep while Valentino was inside him.

In the video, Valentino said: “I can tell you don’t enjoy these long shoots, and I know you probably feel like I don’t care about you because I make you work so hard.” Angel frowned. There were more reasons than that. He continued watching as Val said: “But you need to know, I do care about you. I care about you so much. You make my life better just by being in it. You’re my star! And not just on the screen.” He rested his head beside Angel’s and cradled him in his arms. He gazed at Angel, softly, like he was the most precious thing in the world, then turned to the camera. “I’m sending you this, because I want you to watch it any time you’re worried that I don’t care about you. Because I do.” He looked down at Angel and whispered: “I love you.” before giving him a small kiss on the cheek. Angel stirred and wearily opened his eyes. He smiled at Valentino, and they kissed on the lips.

Watching this made Angel’s fur bristle and he squinted as he felt tears forming. By the time Valentino had made this video, Angel already knew what he was like. He knew Valentino’s promises were empty and no matter how much he said he loved Angel, he didn’t do enough to show it. But there were still so many things that Val did or said that made Angel hope that maybe, this time, things would be different.

Seeing the good times they shared, remembering the moments when Valentino made Angel feel safe and loved were enough to make his heart swell. Their conversation in the kitchen played out in Angel’s head again. Valentino certainly wasn’t a good person now by any stretch, but the fact that he apologized, of his own volition, three times was enough to give Angel hope again. Maybe Valentino really was going to respect him now. Maybe things between them would be like they were when they first met. Maybe they could be happy again!

Angel’s stomach sank. He’d felt hope before and Val always let him down. He wanted to believe but he didn’t want to get hurt. Angel curled into himself clutching his phone to his chest. He glanced once more at the screen to see him and Valentino kissing.

For the next week, Valentino continued to work on improving himself. He’d wake up bright and early to start his lessons. Mostly his lessons involved him respecting boundaries, but also putting him in situations that would anger him that he could only navigate if he worked on breathing through the rage. Alastor was more than happy to oblige in being the cause of Valentino’s ire. Unfortunately for him, Valentino was starting to get better at calming down, and Alastor would slip into the shadows to sulk somewhere else.

Charlie told Angel about Valentino’s progress and what she planned on doing for each new lesson. Angel smiled sheepishly and thanked Charlie for everything she was doing.

One day, Angel snuck downstairs to watch Val’s lesson from the balcony. Lucifer was standing in front of the couch Valentino was seated at and transformed into Angel. Angel watched as a version of him with Lucifer’s eyes and rosy cheeks sauntered past Valentino.

Valentino stood up. “Angel!”

“What’s that, Val?” Lucifer asked in a horrible Angel impression.

“Uh, do you wanna hang out? Maybe go to the bar?” Valentino asked, clearly trying, and failing to not sway his hips seductively as he asked.

“Mm, nah,” Lucifer said, waving a hand and walking off.

“No, wait!” Valentino said, starting to chase. He paused when Lucifer wheeled around to glare at him. “What do you want?”

Angel squirmed. Right now, he didn’t know what he wanted, especially not from Val.

“Well, I’d like to be released from my contract,” Lucifer said.

Angel blinked, watching Valentino intently.

Valentino stood there, big eyed, shaking. “I-look, Angel. I want you to be happy, but I still have a business to run. And you’re my biggest star.”

“But I’d really like it if you let me go, Val,” Lucifer said.

Angel gripped the railing, stomach clenching as he watched.

Valentino whined, sweating nervously as he looked back at Charlie and the others. Alastor leaned back in his chair, grin crawling up the sides of his face. Valentino stammered, looking between Lucifer as Angel Dust and the rest of the hotel.

“Agh! I can’t!” Valentino cried, gripping his hat. “I can’t just throw away my biggest money maker!”

“Val,” Charlie said, standing up.

“Look, I can work on not hurting him, okay? I’ll try to be good about not pushing things on him, but I can’t let him go!”

Angel felt a wave of relief wash through him and took a deep breath.

“But this is what Angel wanted from the beginning,” Charlie said. “We promised we would-.”

“I can’t lose him!” Valentino cried. “If we lose money because of him, Vox is gonna kill me!”

“Whoa! Okay, breathe. Come on,” Charlie said, and Valentino took a huge inhale.

Lucifer reverted back to his usual form. Angel continued to watch from above. He watched as Valentino slowly came down from his panic and Charlie patted him on the back.

“There you go,” Charlie said. “Look, I can talk to Angel about it, okay?”

Valentino wiped a tear from his eye and nodded.

Angel hid behind a corner as Valentino went upstairs. Peaking out from his hiding spot, Angel saw Valentino pause and stare forlornly at the pictures covering Angel’s door. He took a shuddering breath and sighed, slumping as he trudged back to his room.

When Angel came downstairs, Charlie met him at the bottom.

“Hey, Angel. I need to talk to you about-.”

“I know. I saw,” Angel said.

Charlie winced. “I’m sorry, Angel. We’re really trying to-.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Angel said. “Look, just keep workin’ on teachin’ him right from wrong. He’ll come around on his own.”

Alastor raised an eyebrow and glanced at his shadow on the wall. The shadow latched it’s dark tendrils around Alastor and pulled him into the darkness.

Charlie nodded. “Okay. We can do that.”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks,” Angel said.

Charlie smiled and hugged him. Angel patted Charlie’s head and looked upstairs. He wondered if Valentino would come around on his own, and even moreso, he wondered if that’s really what he wanted.

Valentino shut the door behind him. He wanted to burst out of his skin, but knew if he blew up, someone would come upstairs or Vox or Velvette would call him and he’d never hear the end of it.

He huffed, feeling anger and panic bubbling inside him, making him swell. His breathing was ragged and hoarse and he knew he needed to relax. He gasped for air and breathed out. His chest felt tight, and he pulled his coat open, the sight of Vox’s camera making him even more determined to wind down. He reached into his coat to grab his cigarettes, only to remember he wasn’t supposed to smoke. He had grabbed the cinnamon stick jar from the kitchen (which Vaggie initially scolded him for, until he explained what he was using it for and she eased up) and set it on his night stand. He pulled a stick out and sucked on it.

He groaned, vaguely satisfied by the texture and taste, but it wasn’t the same as smoking. He wanted to inhale as much red smoke as he could until he passed out and didn’t have to think about anything anymore.

He understood why Angel wanted out of his contract, but it didn’t hurt less to hear it. As he felt himself starting to get angry again, he took another breath and wrapped his tongue around the cinnamon stick.

His mind wandered to earlier in the week when he saw Angel in the kitchen. Angel had obviously been uncomfortable, but he had also given Valentino the cinnamon stick. Did that mean Angel liked him again? Of course, not. He wouldn’t be avoiding Valentino anymore if that was the case. But would anything Valentino do be enough? Was all this ‘being better’ nonsense really going to make Angel feel safe around him again?

He swooped out to the balcony to see what Angel was up to. Peering over the railing, he saw Charlie and Lucifer going over lesson plans with KeeKee sitting on Charlie’s lap. Vaggie and Cherri were arm wrestling on the coffee table and Nifty was cleaning the top of the fireplace mantel.  Angel and Husk were cuddled up on the couch as Husk shuffled a card deck.

Husk splayed the cards out face down and said: “Pick a card, any card.”

Angel smirked and took a card from the middle of the deck.

“Got it memorized?” Husk asked.

“Got it,” Angel said.

“Now put it back face down,” Husk said. Angel did and Husk shuffled the deck again. Angel watched Husk’s hands closely. “What’re you lookin’ at?”

“Watchin’ to see how you do this,” Angel said.

“How I do what?” Husk asked, smug.

“This card trick,” Angel said. “I seen these before. You’re gonna pull the card outta the deck and it’s gonna be the card I picked. I just gotta find out how you do it.”

“Now what makes you think that’s how I’m gonna play this game?” Husk asked. “Maybe I’m gonna do something different.”

Angel laughed. “There’s only so many places you can hide that card, Husk. It’s not like you’re wearing much to hide it in.”

“What makes you think I’m hiding it in my clothes, Tony?” Husk asked, pincing his fingers together and shaking them.

Angel rolled his eyes and shoved Husk’s hand away. “Alright, you don’t gotta do that every time you say my name, capiche?” he asked snidely, doing the same gesture with his top two hands. 

Husk chuckled. “Alright, alright. Here.” He splayed out the deck face up. “Do you see your card?”

“No, ‘cause you’re hiding it in your clothes!” Angel said.

“Really?” Husk asked, smiling playfully.

“Come on, I know you got it hidden somewhere,” Angel said, equally playful, but more confrontational.

“Alright, so where is it?” Husk asked, leaning back.

“Hmm…” Angel tapped his chin. “Your pockets!”

Husk pulled his pockets out, revealing them to be empty. “Nope.”

Angel sneered, looking Husk over. “It’s in your hat!”

Husk removed his hat. It was empty too. “Try again.”

“Oh, come on! Where ya hiding it!?” Angel begged.

“It’s not on me,” Husk said, putting his hat back on. “Why don’t you search yourself?”

“Oh, no! I know how this works!” Angel said, grinning. “You’re gonna say it’s behind my ear, and when you reach back there, you’re gonna pull the card outta your sleeve, right?”

“What sleeves?” Husk asked, raising his bare arms. “Besides, told you to search yourself.”

Angel frowned and began patting himself down. “Ain’t no way you got the card on me.”

“Check everywhere. Not just where you’re covered,” Husk said.

Angel raised an eyebrow, incredulous. He reached up and all eight of his eyes grew in shock as he pulled the card out of his hair. “What the FUCK!? How did you do that!?”

Husk chuckled. “A magician never tells his secrets, Tony.”

“No, come on! I gotta know! How’d you do that?” Angel asked. “Did you slip it in my hair while I wasn’t lookin’?”

“How would I have done that?” Husk asked, taking the card and shuffling it back in the deck.

“I dunno, you obviously did somethin’!” Angel said.

“Sure. But I won’t tell you what it is,” Husk said.

“Oh, come on! Please!”

“No.”

“Please!”

“No,” Husk said, coy.

“Please,” Angel said, lower, more seductive.

“No,” Husk said, lowering his own voice.

“Pretty please?” Angel said, slinking up to Husk and taking his cheek in his hand.

They gazed hungrily into each other’s eyes until they realized how close their noses were. Their eyes flew open, and they broke apart, cheeks bright red.

“Uh, why don’t I show you another trick,” Husk said, frantically shuffling the deck.

“Yeah! Yeah, sounds good,” Angel said, all four exposed hands fidgeting.

Valentino glowered, gripping the railing. Husk had been an Overlord, a nasty one at that, and Angel had no trouble cuddling up to him and letting him use his old name. What did Valentino have to do to get Angel to feel that comfortable with him again?

Alastor materialized behind him. “Enjoying the view?”

Valentino jumped. “Ugh, what do you want?”

“I couldn’t help but notice you watching the two love birds,” Alastor said, stepping closer to the railing and glancing at Angel and Husk.

Valentino frowned. “I don’t get what he sees in him,” he said, darkly.

“Husk has his drawbacks, but he’s a good man overall,” Alastor said.

Valentino growled. “He didn’t used to be! Why is Angel so comfortable around him?”

“Because he isn’t like he used to be,” Alastor said.

“He’s not even here to be redeemed! He’s not trying to get better. I am! Why does he get to be close to Angel without putting in any of the work?” Valentino huffed, storming away from the railing.

“Hmm, life isn’t always fair,” Alastor said with a shrug.

Valentino scoffed. He sucked on the cinnamon stick and Alastor raised an eyebrow. “Hungry?”

Valentino groaned. “It’s the only alternative to smoking I have.” He sighed.

“You look exhausted,” Alastor said, feigning concern.

Valentino sighed. “It just feels hopeless,” he muttered. “What if I never get Angel back?”

Watching the conversation unfold from inside his TV room, Vox sneered at the mention of Angel.

“You’ll find other whores to make money off of,” Alastor said.

“It’s not just the money,” Valentino said, staring at his boots. Electricity sputtered from Vox’s head, and he dug his laced together fingers into the back of his hands.

Alastor glanced back at Angel and Husk once more before strolling up to Valentino. “It pains me to see you like this, Valentino. You’re usually so bold and passionate yet being here has reduced you to something small and meek.”

Valentino glared at Alastor.

“Why don’t I help you out?” Alastor asked.

“Why would you help me?” Valentino asked. “We’re not exactly friends, Alastor.”

“No, but we are colleagues. Fellow Overlords.”

“Bullshit,” Valentino hissed. “You’re up to something.”

“Truthfully, it’s about Husk,” Alastor said. “He’d been so distracted lately, and I’m sure you can guess why.”

They both looked over the railing to see Husk beaming at Angel trying and failing to shuffle the deck.

“If we help each other out, then we’ll be able to get both our wayward souls to fall back in line,” Alastor said, face darkening as his eyes and teeth glowed. 

Valentino glanced at Alastor out of the corner of his eye. “When you say help each other?”

Alastor extended his hand. “Let’s make a deal.”

Vox leapt from his chair. “WHAT?!”

Valentino stared at Alastor’s hand. “Why would I make a deal with you?”

“Because it’ll help you get Angel back,” Alastor said. “I know all the right things to say to get Husk riled up. Once he’s brimming with fury, I’ll send him out to the lobby where he’ll look like he’s about to attack Angel. That’s when you’ll come in to protect Angel by fighting Husk. He still has his powers, but they’re nothing compared to what they once were. You’ll defeat him fairly easily, and once you have, you can take a grateful Angel away with you and never have to deal with this hotel and it’s silly lessons ever again.”

Valentino continued to stare at Alastor’s hand.

“Don’t do it, Val,” Vox begged, clawing at the control panel.

“How do I know this isn’t a trap?” Valentino asked.

“I’m a man of my word,” Alastor said. “My deal with Charlie was to give her information how to defeat the Adam’s army in exchange for a favor, and I did just that. I’m only waiting for her to uphold her end of the deal.”

Valentino’s eyes narrowed.

“Come on, Valentino, we both know you hate it here. These silly games Charlie has you playing will only get you so far. And besides, no one ever really changes. Is this charade really worth it when there’s an easier way to get Angel back in your clutches?”

Valentino looked back over the railing. Angel had dropped the cards and Husk was helping him pick them up. Valentino frowned, looking away.

“So what do you say, Valentino?” Alastor asked. “Do we have a deal?”

He held out a glowing green hand and Valentino stared at it.

“No!” Vox said, staring at the glitching hand onscreen.

Valentino pressed his lips together, brow furrowed. He slowly reached out.

“NO! VAL DON’T DO IT!” Vox cried, pressing his hands and face to the screen. “VAL! NO! STOP! IT’S A TRAP! HE’S GONNA HURT YOU, VAL! STOP! DON’T! VAL!!!!”

Valentino’s fingertips were about to brush Alastor’s. Vox was about ready to jump through the screen and leap out of the camera on Val’s chest. He didn’t care if it meant facing Alastor again, he wouldn’t let Valentino get hurt. Before he could do anything, Valentino had already reared his hand back and slapped Alastor’s away.

Valentino chuckled wickedly. “Do you think I’m stupid, Alastor?”

Alastor blinked, eyes wide as he stared at his no longer glowing hand. “I was counting on it.”

“You don’t fool me, ciervo. I may not know what you’re planning, but I know this little deal isn’t for my benefit. You want the Princess to do you some kind of favor and whatever that is you’re going to use it to try and take down Vox. Well, I won’t let you.”

Vox gawked, staring at the screen and Alastor’s glitching, dumbfounded face.

“I’ll win Angel back one way or another, but not with your help,” Valentino said, strutting past Alastor. He turned so his chest was facing Alastor, so Vox could see better. “Buenas noches, demonio de la radio.”

Vox laughed, jumping up on the control panel. “Yes! YES! EAT SHIT, ALASTOR!” Valentino lingered on Alastor’s shocked expression before turning around and walking down the hall. “OH, Val! You beautiful bastard! I knew I could count on you.” He clutched the TV displaying Valentino’s footage and cradled it, petting the screen. “Oh, I love you.”

His eyes flew open when he registered what just came out of his mouth. He gasped, slapping his hand over his mouth and falling into his chair. The chair rolled back, and Vox stared into space. Something inside him released, like his heart had been tightly shut and finally opened. After holding his breath, he slowly began to breathe again, laughing as his face lit up.

He loved Val. He always had, but it was the first time he’d ever said it out loud. Vox felt light, fluttery, and warm. He couldn’t stop smiling because he couldn’t stop thinking about Valentino. All their years together and every exhilarating moment they shared flashed before his eyes and he wanted nothing more than to jump through the screen, grab Valentino by the fluff, and confess his feelings to him!

Vox paused, plummeting from his high instantly. He couldn’t tell Valentino how he felt. Val would cringe, laugh in his face, and worst of all, he wouldn’t reciprocate any of what Vox felt. Vox knew Valentino well enough to know he only cared about sex and himself. Valentino standing up to Alastor wasn’t really for Vox so much as it was to protect his own hide. Vox deflated, feeling despair creeping into his chest. He curled into a ball on his chair and wrapped his arms around himself, only to jump when he felt his phone buzz.

He looked at the caller ID. It was Val. Vox stared, feeling the phone buzz in his hand. He was positive Valentino had called to gloat. Vox’s thumb hovered over the answer button, but he couldn’t bring himself to hit it. Vox groaned, falling back into his chair and letting the hand holding the phone fall to the side.

Valentino stood in his room, listening to the phone ring. Finally, he heard Vox’s voice:

“You’ve reached Vox, CEO of Vox-Tech Enterprise. If you’re one of the Vees or my assistants, leave a message. If you’re anyone else, why the FUCK do you have this number?!”

Valentino pouted as he heard the message beep. He put on a cheery demeanor and said: “Hey, Voxxy! I’m sure you saw, but just in case you missed it, I just turned down a deal with Alastor! And you were worried I might cave.” He laughed through closed lips. “Don’t you worry, papito, you know I’d do anything for you.” He waited for a moment, before saying: “Uhm, talk to you later, okay? Good night.”

He hung up and tossed his phone on his bed. He wrapped his arms around himself, still clutching the cinnamon stick in one hand, and stood silently, taking in how big and empty his room actually was.

Chapter Text

Husk walked to his room to get his magic kit. Angel was insistent he show off all his magic tricks and was determined to find out how Husk did them. Husk smiled, absent-mindedly walking down the hall to his room, thinking about Angel. That look of determination on his face as he tried to shuffle the deck. How small his hands were in Husk’s as he showed Angel the best way to shuffle. He thought back to how close their faces had gotten and the look in Angel’s eyes as he asked Husk to tell him his secrets. For a moment, it seemed like Angel really did like him back.

Husk shook his head. As much as he wanted to believe it, he didn’t want to get his hopes up. He was about to turn the corner to his room when he heard a pounding sound in Alastor’s room. Husk froze, hearing Alastor’s frustrated rantings as something fell to the ground and crashed. He stood by the door, almost deciding against it, and knocked on the door.

“Hey, boss. Everything alright?”

There was a moment of silence, then Husk was inside Alastor’s room in the blink of an eye.

The room was a mess. He’d overturned chairs and tables and broken glass from lamps was strewn across the floor. The floor of the swampy area of the room was littered with torn off tree branches and the ground looked like it had been raked every which way. Alastor was standing in the middle of the wreckage, breathing heavy and ragged as his hair stood out every which way. His claws were covered in dirt, his eyes were dials, and his antlers had branched out past the length of his shoulders. Sitting on the fireplace was the victrola record, playing a song that skipped every few seconds.

Husk stared, shuddering. “Uh, what happened?”

“Valentino,” Alastor snarled, radio static buzzing around him. The fireplace was the only remaining light source and it pulsated with Alastor’s breath.

“What’d he do?” Husk asked.

Alastor seethed. “I almost had him. I made him a deal I was sure he’d take, and he turned it down!” He grabbed a dart from the floor and threw it at a dart board on the opposite wall. He’d ripped out a magazine page with Valentino’s face and the dart landed in Valentino’s eye with all the other darts.

Husk withered. “What was the deal?”

“I told him I wanted to get Angel away from you, so you’d stop being distracted by him,” Alastor said, marching towards the fireplace, the light casting his furious shadow along the opposite wall. “I said I’d rile you up and send you into the lobby so it’d look like you were about to attack Angel, so then he could swoop in and save Angel from you. Then Valentino could take Angel away with him and no longer have to deal with Charlie’s stupid redemption plan!”

Husk gaped, horrified and furious. “You were gonna have me attack Angel so Valentino could take him away!? I thought you said you wouldn’t let Angel get hurt!!!”

“Oh, don’t be stupid, Husker. I didn’t plan on Angel getting hurt. I was going to anger you enough that when I teleported you to the lobby it looked like you were angry at Angel, but when Valentino leapt in to attack you, I would teleport you away and everyone would think he was going after Angel. I was going to convince Charlie to release me from the contract so I could stop him! It was perfect! I could’ve finally been free to enact my plans, but was thwarted by Valentino’s unwavering loyalty to Vox!”

The victrola skipped one too many times and Alastor tore the needle away from the record. “This stupid fucking thing doesn’t work anymore!” He seized the victrola and pulled it off the mantel. He reared it back like he was going to throw it into the fireplace.

“WHOA! HEY!” Husk bolted and grabbed the victrola. “You can’t just destroy everything you have because this one plan didn’t work out?”

“Why not!? If something is ineffective and doesn’t work, why shouldn’t I destroy it!?” Alastor asked, antlers growing.

Husk skittered back, setting the victrola by the front door and holding up his hands defensively. “Look, I know you had your heart set on getting out of your deal, but it’s not the end of the world.”

Alastor’s head cocked, cracking as it bent to a ninety-degree angle.

“I know how much it sucks being on a leash, not being on top of the world like you once were, but that doesn’t mean that you have nothing going for you,” Husk said, sweating, fully aware he should have walked away from Alastor’s door before he even knocked.

Alastor’s antlers and neck grew, nearly taking up the whole room. Radio static buzzed and distorted the room around them and red venom dripped from Alastor’s twisted smile as he advanced on Husk, backing him into a corner.

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing!?” Alastor asked, the radio filter on his voice stronger than Husk had ever heard it. “You want me stuck in the contract!”

“What! NO! That’s not what I meant!” Husk said, cowering.

“Of course, it is!” Alastor said, so close to Husk’s face that Husk could smell his rancid, rotting breathe. “You resent being on my leash, so you revel in my fate because it means I’m just as low as you are! Well, you’re wrong!” Alastor jammed his claws into the wall on either side of Husk, trapping him, as he inched closer. “I didn’t make a deal to preserve my wanning power because I never gambled all my souls away. And I certainly didn’t disregard my friend’s advice to stop gambling because I know better than to give into my vices! I may not be allowed to operate at full capacity any longer, but at least I never wound up a lowly broken drunk with nothing to look forward to except a degenerate arachnid he’s too afraid to admit his feelings to!”

Husk trembled under Alastor gaze, feeling Alastor shadow scratching at his back.

“We are not equals, Husk,” Alastor said, venom dripping onto Husk’s feet. “And we never will be. No matter how low I get, no matter how far I may fall, I will always be your superior. Because you will always be a digusting, pathetic, wretched little worm.”

Husk felt his bones rattling inside his skin, fur prickling, and he choked on Alastor’s breath, feeling the Radio Demon suffocate him with his presence.

“HEY, HUSK!” came Angel’s voice from the hallway.

Alastor turned his head to the door. Husk felt Alastor’s shadow dissipate off his back and he slipped under Alastor’s arm to seize the doorknob. He threw the door open and rushed out the door as Angel approached, holding the card deck.

“Where are ya!? I think I figured out how you did that one card trick you showed m-OOF!”

Husk threw himself at Angel, wrapping his arms around Angel’s waist and burying his face in Angel’s chest. Angel stumbled back, the cards flying out of his hand and littering the hallway floor.

“Jeez! You really don’t want me to figure it out, do ya?” He blinked down at Husk, who trembled and whimpered. “Husk?” Angel looked up, catching the sinister look on Alastor’s face as he slowly closed the door. Angel’s expression went grave, and his voice dropped as he asked: “What did he do to you?”

“Nothin’,” Husk said, voice small.

“Nothin’ my ass, Husk. You’re shakin’ like a leaf!”

“It doesn’t matter,” Husk said, voice shaking but a bit louder.

“Of course, it matters! You matter!” Angel insisted, holding Husk’s face so he was looking up.

“It’s my fault!” Husk said. “I shoulda known when to shut up.”

“That’s no excuse for hurtin’ you,” Angel said.

“He didn’t do anything, Angel! He was just puttin’ me in my place.”

“In your place!? Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me! I don’t care what you said to him, that ain’t no reason for him to scare the shit outta you like that.”

“I’m fine, Angel!”

“No you’re not! Husk!” Angel said, pleading.

“ANGEL!” Husk cried. “Just stop. You-you’ve got enough to worry about. I don’t want you wasting your time fussin’ over me.”

Angel stared, heartbroken. Husk was still latched around Angel, trembling. Angel wrapped his arms around Husk and said: “You got a lot to worry about, but you still fuss over me.”

Husk looked up, eyes watery. Angel brushed Husk’s fur back and gently wiped his eyes. “We look after each other, alright? None a this shit with you pushin’ me away. Now come here.” He pulled Husk close, resting Husk’s head against his chest and petting the back of Husk’s neck.

Husk eased into Angel’s touch, letting the stress melt away and sinking deeper into Angel’s chest fluff. Angel was soft and warm, and Husk felt safe in his arms. He gave Angel a light squeeze and smiled.

“You got a good heart, Angel,” he said.

Angel blinked, casting his gaze to the side. He scratched behind one of Husk’s ears and said: “So do you.”

Husk opened his eyes. He felt Angel run his fingers through his fur. They stood in the hallway, holding each other, cards strewn across the floor, as Alastor fumed in the room right behind them.

The next day, Husk stood at the bar, watching Valentino manage to get through a full scene without pushing somebody’s boundaries.

“Let’s try something a little different,” said Charlie. “What would you do if Vaggie let you sit with her?”

Valentino and Vaggie looked at each other. “Uh, mind if I sit with you?” Valentino asked.

“Go ahead,” Vaggie said.

Valentino sat beside her.

“So, come here often?” Valentino asked.

“Sure do.”

“What do you usually get?”

“Are you offering?”

“May I?”

“Nah. I got it.”

Valentino sulked. “Alright.”

Vaggie raised her eyebrows. “Why the long face?”

Valentino shrugged. “I dunno. Isn’t it nice to help people?”

“Sure, if they want help.”

“What if they need help but don’t accept it?”

“You help them anyway.”

“But they don’t want it,” Valentino reiterated. “Isn’t the whole point of being nice not forcing people to do what they don’t want?”

Vaggie pursed her lips. “Yeah. Well…” She paused, staring down at her drink.

Valentino watched her. “I mean, you would know, wouldn’t you? You were in Heaven after all.”

“Well, yeah, but even Heaven doesn’t know what gets someone into Heaven,” Vaggie said.

Valentino blinked. “So, you don’t know what makes somebody good?”

Vaggie glared. “What are you getting at?”

Valentino squeaked. “Ah, wait! No! Sorry! Wasn’t trying to say you were bad or anything.” He sank in his chair as he began to sweat.

Vaggie sneered. “Yeah, sure you weren’t.”

“I wasn’t! Jeez! Can we not have a conversation?”

“We can if you don’t be a jerk about it,” Vaggie said.

“Was I being a jerk?” Valentino asked, seeming partially offended but mostly confused.

“You usually are!” Vaggie snapped.

“When’s the last time I was seriously being a jerk?” Valentino asked, earnestly.

Vaggie almost answered, then paused and thought for a moment. She sighed and slunk into her chair. “I dunno. Sorry. Guess I’m just used to being on edge.”

“Because of me?”

“You. And just, being an Exorcist. You always had to be ready for anything,” Vaggie said.

Valentino blinked. “Isn’t Heaven supposed to be, like, chill?”

“Well, sure, if you were in Heaven after being on Earth. If you were created by Adam, things were a little different,” Vaggie said, sadly looking at her reflection in her drink.

Valentino watched her. “What were things like?”

Vaggie looked up at him, seeing his wide, earnest eyes staring back at her. She looked down at her drink again, brow furrowed, then said: “Well, first of all, we barely got any breaks!”

Valentino sat and listened attentively as Vaggie launched into her tirade. Charlie stood behind the bar with Husk, watching Vaggie open up to Valentino with Lucifer gravely nodding along with each of her complaints about Heaven.

“He’s actually interested in her, and not just for sex,” Charlie whispered. “And she feels comfortable enough to open up to him? Things are really looking up!” She gripped Husk’s arm and shook it.

Husk hummed. “Yeah, they are.” He watched Valentino, stunned but elated at the way Val talked with Vaggie, genuinely wanting to know what life in Heaven was like for Vaggie and how things had changed for her being in Hell.

The conversation continued, and Husk noticed KeeKee standing behind them, watching the conversation unfold and slowly creeping up to Valentino. When it was time for a break, Charlie asked Vaggie to come with her.

“How’re you feeling?” Charlie asked.

“Good,” Vaggie said, in shock. “It was nice to talk about Heaven. I’ve talked with Lucifer about it, but it was cool to have someone not from Heaven interested in the details.”

“But you felt safe talking to him? You didn’t feel like he was being pushy or rude?”

Vaggie shrugged. “He got a little iffy every now and then, but maybe that’s just my paranoia,” Vaggie said, shoulders slumping.

Charlie pulled Vaggie into a hug and kissed her on the forehead. Husk smiled at the same time Vaggie did. He turned to Valentino, who’d pulled out his sketchbook and was doodling Vaggie fighting an Exterminator.

“Good job today,” Husk said.

Valentino looked up, surprised. “Oh, thanks.”

Husk smiled and returned to cleaning glasses. Valentino watched, smiling, and returned to his art. KeeKee crawled onto the bar and watched him draw.

Nifty was busy cleaning the railing when Alastor finally came downstairs.

“Alastor! You’re up!” Nifty cried, either ignorant of Alastor’s disheveled appearance or just unbothered by it. “Now I can clean your room.”

Alastor twitched, forcing his smile wider as he cracked his neck to face her. “Thank you, Nifty. There’s quite a bit of work to be done in there.”

Nifty hoped off the banister and skittered upstairs while a tense and twitchy Alastor stalked over to the bar. Husk recoiled at the sight of him.

“My coffee,” Alastor said.

“Uh, one second, it’s-.”

“You don’t have it ready?”

“I do, it’s just-.”

“Then give it to me,” Alastor said, extending a clawed hand. His fingers were still coated in dirt.

“But-.”

“NOW, Husk!”

Husk frantically handed Alastor his coffee mug. Alastor took one sip and spit it out. “This is cold.”

“I was trying to tell you; I need to heat it up!”

“Why wasn’t it heated up already?”

“It was, but you came down late.”

“So, you didn’t think to heat it up again?” Alastor asked, dial-eyed as his antlers and neck extended.

“I didn’t know when you’d be down,” Husk said, cowering.

“You should’ve done it anyway,” Alastor said, making the lights flicker.

“He was busy with making our drinks,” Valentino said.

Husk and Alastor turned to stare at him.

“You can’t get mad at him for doing his job. Especially when you’re the one who made him do it,” Valentino said, crossing his arms.

Alastor’s eyes narrowed, and he looked down at Valentino’s sketchbook. He tipped his mug to the side. “Oops,” he said, unconvincing, as he dumped the contents all over Valentino’s art.

“HEY!” Valentino said, scooping up the sketchbook.

KeeKee cowered under Alastor as he leaned in and said: “Relax. The drawing wasn’t that good anyway.”

Valentino glared, barring his teeth.

“Angry, Valentino? What’re you going to do about it?” Alastor asked, challenging. His tone sounded subdued but more jittery and eractic than normal.

Valentino and Alastor locked eyes. Valentino closed his eyes, took and deep breath, and said: “Nothing.”

Alastor bristled as Valentino set his sketchbook down. He took a napkin and began dabbing the coffee off the page. Alastor twitched and slammed his mug on the bar, startling KeeKee. She jumped into Valentino’s arms, trembling.

“Fuck! What is your problem!?” Valentino asked, clutching KeeKee to his chest.

“You know damn well what my problem is!” Alastor snapped.

“Well, what is it?” Lucifer asked, pushing Alastor’s shoulder with his cane so the Radio Demon was turned around, facing him.

Alastor sneered. “This is none of your concern, Lucifer.”

“You’re all my subjects, so it’s all my concern.”

“He just wants me to snap so he can have an excuse to get Charlie to do him a favor,” Valentino said, petting KeeKee on the head.

“Oh! So, you’re trying to ruin all his progress just to finish off your little deal, huh?” Lucifer asked, loud enough to catch Charlie and Vaggie’s attention.

“Progress,” Alastor spat. “You all really think he’s going to change? No one changes! Everyone down here had their chance and they failed!”

“How would you know? Have you even tried?!” Lucifer asked, standing on his toes to glare at Alastor.

Alastor was shaking with rage, the lights flickering around him. Charlie was watching him, as was everyone else. He looked back at Valentino who was holding KeeKee with his top set of hands while the bottom set were cleaning off his sketchbook.

Snarling and rearing up, Alastor pointed and said: “He’s going to snap at some point.” He looked at Charlie. “And when he does, you’ll regret not coming to me for it.”

He stormed past everyone, evaporating in the shadows behind the staircase. Lucifer stamped his foot and turned to his daughter. “Charlie! Get him out!”

“What?!” Charlie asked.

“Alastor! I don’t care how long he’s been here, and I don’t care what he’s done for you in the past. He needs to go!”

“Look, I know you don’t like him, but he hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“What about this!?” Lucifer asked, pointing at Valentino’s sketchbook.

“Okay, that was rude of him. But he isn’t doing any serious harm,” Charlie said.

“And what about when he does!?” Lucifer asked.

“That’s what we thought about Valentino and look how far he’s come!” Charlie said, gesturing to Valentino who squeaked at the acknowledgement.

“Yeah, but, he, URGH!” Lucifer wheeled around to face Husk. “You have to work for him! What do you think?”

“Uh!” Husk bristled, face burning as everyone stared at him. “He, uh. Alastor…”

Charlie blinked and inched forward. “Husk, just be honest. Do you think we should kick Alastor out?”

Husk looked at the shadows, positive Alastor was lurking in them, listening. “Look, he’s being a creep, but no more than usual.” He glanced up at the stairs, faintly making out the door to Angel’s room. His ears fell and he said: “Besides, if you get rid of Alastor, he’s just gonna take me and Nifty with him, and I don’t wanna leave this place.”

Charlie gave a gentle smile and nodded. “Okay. Alastor can stay. But we’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Grrrr, fine!” Lucifer said, stamping his foot and marching away. Charlie and Vaggie followed him.

Valentino looked at Husk. The cat’s head was hung low, and his wings were dragging on the floor. “Are you okay?” Valentino asked after a moment.

Husk looked up at him, eyes sunken and tired. He took the dirty napkin Valentino was holding and said: “I’ll toss this.”

He walked to the trash, sullenly. Valentino pursed his lips and looked back at the shadows. KeeKee had nuzzled into his fur, and he blinked. He pulled her away from him so they were facing each other and asked: “You can open any room in the hotel, right?”

KeeKee stared, tilting her head to the side.

“So, Radio Man is losing it, while Valentino is actually being decent?” Cherri asked, setting down her Bloody Mary.

“Basically,” Husk said.

Angel set down his water in front of Cherri’s glass, brushing his thumb against the drop of orange liquid on her glass’s rim.

“Wild. Hard to believe Val’s really changing. Guess I’m not surprised Alastor’s snappin’ though. He always seemed a bit sus,” Cherri said.

Angel discretely sucked his thumb and said: “Wish he’d try to do better. For your sake.” He looked at Husk.

“It’s nothin’ I can’t handle,” Husk said.

Angel seized his hand as he went to grab Angel’s empty glass. He and Angel locked eyes, and Husk froze under Angel’s intense stare.

“You don’t deserve it,” Angel said.

Warmth tingled all around Husk’s hand beneath Angel’s and he gulped. “Right. Thanks.”

They looked at each other, then down at their hands. Angel slowly let his fingers slip off Husk’s and he pushed away from the bar. “I gotta go use the bathroom.”

“You know where it is,” Husk said.

Angel snorted and waved before disappearing down the hall.

Husk looked back at Cherri who was stirring her drink with a sly smile.

“What?” Husk asked.

“You know what,” Cherri said, pointing at Husk with her celery stick.

Husk groaned. He looked down the hall.

“Come on, bitch. You should tell him,” Cherri said.

Husk rolled his eyes. “You’re not gonna let up on this, are you?”

“No,” Cherri said.

“None of us will,” Nifty said, with a sinister cackle.

“Weren’t you just-?!” Husk asked, pointing at the longue farthest from the bar. Nifty stuck the lime from her margarita that Husk absolutely didn’t remember preparing and sucked all the juice out in one slurp. Husk shuddered. “Why do you two want me to tell Angel I love him so bad?”

“So, you admit that you love him?” Cherri asked, her sly expression matching Nifty’s.

Husk sighed. “Fine, yes! I admit it.”

“So, tell him how you feel, mate!” Cherri said.

Husk looked back at the hallway. “What if he-I mean, what if he doesn’t want me? What if I upset him?”

“Husk, would I be pushing you to do this if I thought it would make Angie upset?” Cherri asked.

Husk thought for a moment. “No. Can’t see why you would.”

“So go for it, man! Tell him how you feel!” Cherri said, leaning over the bar.

Husk wrapped his arms around himself. “I dunno.”

“Come on, Husk! You want him, don’t you?” Cherri asked.

“Well, yeah, he makes me happy,” Husk said.

“Then do it, mate!” Cherri said.

“Yeah, Husk. You deserve to be happy,” Nifty said, earnestly.

Husk stared at her, blinking, then bit his lip. He looked at Cherri. “You know him better than any of us. What do you think’s the best way to tell him?”

Cherri beamed, then crouched down and spoke low. “Okay, Ang always said that if the love of his life were to confess his feelings for ‘im, he’d want it to happen while they were dancing. Dippin’ him and bein’ all romantic. I always thought that shit was lame and gross, but he said he’d know they were serious if they went all out.”

Husk rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He hummed, then smiled.

Chapter Text

Angel tossed and turned in bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about Valentino. The moment they had in the kitchen played over and over in his head, as did Valentino’s inability to release him from his contract. Charlie and Husk continued to tell him about the progress Valentino was making and Angel pulled the pillow over his head and screamed. Valentino making Angel feel insane was nothing he wasn’t used to, but the feeling that he was really coming around and improving made Angel’s already tumultuous feelings for Val even more complicated.

He chucked the pillow to the side and stared at his picture of Husk. The smile on Husk’s face made Angel melt. He reached out to touch the picture and traced his fingers along Husk’s face. Husk’s freakout the night before and the news that Alastor was becoming increasingly unhinged made Angel worried. Husk’s refusal to accept Angel’s help was even more concerning. Angel sighed. Husk was stubborn, but so was Angel. He pulled out his phone and typed:

hey. u up?

He knew from past experiences that Angel’s late night texts didn’t wake Husk up, so he didn’t feel bad sending messages this close to midnight. The phone pinged almost instantly with Husk’s response:

Hey! was just about to ask you the same question

Angel smiled, turning pink.

just wanted to see how u were doin

Husk responded:

Fine. You?

Angel texted:

I’m alright. been worse ig

There was a short pause before Husk replied:

 Why don’t you come downstairs? I got something that might cheer us both up

Angel blinked. He sat up, unsure what Husk would want him in the lobby for, but knowing it’d be better than sitting in bed stewing about Valentino. He crept past Fat Nuggets and gently closed the door behind him.

The lobby was dark, though not as dark as the rest of the hotel. The lights were low and dim and the usually red hotel looked faintly blue. Husk was standing at the fireplace, fiddling with something on the mantel, while a pale yellow fire burned. Angel tiptoed behind him, worried he might startle Husk if he said something, and waited for Husk to step away from his work. “Hey.”

Husk whirled around. “Hey!” His smile was so big and earnest it made Angel’s knees weak.

“You said you got somethin’ to cheer us both up?”

“Yeah. I know you like dancin’, so I thought we could cut a rug,” Husk said, lifting his hand to the victrola player on the mantel. “How’s that sound?”

“Sounds nice,” Angel said. Husk set down the needle. “Didn’t know you had a victrola.”

“It was Alastor’s,” Husk said as the music began to play.

“Oh, shit,” Angel said. “And you took it from ‘im? Ain’t he gonna get mad?”

“He was gonna throw it out,” Husk said with a shrug. “Nifty took it after she cleaned out Alastor’s room and said could borrow it.”

“Why’d he wanna get rid of it?” Angel asked.

There was an awkward pause in the music and they both turned to look at the record player. “Think the needle’s wearing down.”

Angel frowned. “Why keep it then?”

“It’s not broken,” Husk said. “Still plays music.”

“Yeah, but don’t you want it to play without skippin’?” Angel asked as the music skipped again.

“Sure, but I don’t see the point in throwing something out just ‘cause it’s a little busted,” Husk said.

Angel shrugged. “Hey, if it makes you happy.”

“As long as you’re okay with it,” Husk said.

Angel stared. Husk’s golden eyes pierced right through him. “Ah, sure. It’s a little annoying, but it’s not terrible.”

Husk smiled. He extended his hand. “Care to dance?”

Angel snickered. “Such a gentleman.” He took Husk’s hand.

Husk wrapped his hand around Angel’s waist and pulled him close. Angel’s face turned bright pink and he felt himself getting hard. He retracted his extra arms and laid his free hand on Husk’s shoulder. Husk’s smile was disarming, and though Angel was wearing a baggy sweater and pajama bottoms that covered most of his body, he felt naked and exposed.

The music skipped again, and Angel looked at the record player. “You sure we can dance to this?”

“Of course,” Husk said.

“You lead then,” Angel said.

Husk pressed his hand in the small of Angel’s back and led him in a dance. Every time the music stopped, so did Husk. Angel stumbled a bit every time the dancing paused, but eventually he got into the rhythm. The music seemed to skip after the same number of beats.

“See? It’s not so bad,” Husk said.

“Guess so,” Angel said.

Every time he paused, Husk stood up on his toes and Angel giggled. His nose would always get close to Angel’s mouth and Angel was having trouble resisting the urge to kiss it. The distress Angel felt over trying to resist Husk was overshadowed by the warm feeling he got at the smile on Husk’s face. He smiled and said: “You’re a pretty good dancer.”

“Thanks. You’re not half bad either,” Husk said.

The low grumble of Husk’s voice made Angel’s skin tingly. Angel looked away and asked: “Did you dance a lot when you were an Overlord?”

“Yeah. Did a lot of partner dancing at the Galas,” Husk said.

“Nice,” Angel said. They danced around the lobby. “I never went to any a those. Val said they were real stuffy and boring.”

“Yeah, they weren’t the liveliest places,” Husk said. “I did my best to make it fun.”

“Did ya do your card tricks?” Angel asked, playfully.

Husk smirked. “Sometimes. I had all my powers back then so there was more I could do.”

“Like what?” Angel asked.

“Levitation. Making things disappear and reappear in different locations. Used to play with light a lot.”

“What do ya mean?”

“I could pull light from lamps and juggle ‘em. Morph the light into figures and have ‘em dance around the room.”

“Wow!” Angel said, wide eyes sparkling.

Husk laughed, sheepish. “Yeah. The only thing I can do now is turns lights on and off. It saves the trouble of reachin’ for a light switch, but it’s not super impressive.”

“It’s impressive to me,” Angel said.

Husk blinked, pausing right as the music skipped. They stood still for a moment before Angel said: “Can I see?”

“Oh, uhm.” Husk looked around. He saw a lamp on the nearest wall and held out his hand. The yellow heart on his hand glowed and the light in the lamp dimmed and then brightened again.

“Whoa!” Angel said, eyes huge like a child.

“Eh, that was nothin’. That was a small light,” Husk said.

“Can you do anything bigger?” Angel asked.

“When you say bigger?” Husk asked.

Angel looked around and then up at the ceiling. “How ‘bout that?” he asked, pointing to the chandelier.

Husk blinked. “Uh, maybe. Probably won’t be anything impressive.”

“I’m sure it will be,” Angel said.

Husk sighed. “I don’t want you gettin’ your hopes up.”

“It’ll be fine.”

Husk rolled his eyes. “Anthony…”

“Husk.” Angel leaned over so he was eye level with Husk. “If you can accept a busted victrola player, I can accept some busted powers.”

Husk stared, transfixed by Angel’s smile. He gulped and looked up at the chandelier. The crystals hung stationary and imposing. Husk looked down at his palm and let the pad glow before looking back up again. He could faintly make out the candles in the dim light of the lobby. He glanced at Angel, who was waiting with bated breath, and threw his hand up in the air. The glow in his paw flew from his hand into the bottom of the chandelier. The impact made the crystals flair out, bumping into each other, and each crystal glowed with the yellow light.

“WHOA!” Angel exclaimed, bouncing on his toes as the crystals glittered.

Husk gaped at his own work. “Wow…”

“See?!” Angel said. “Look at that!”

“Yeah,” Husk said, barely a whispered. He looked at Angel’s beaming face, seeing the way his light shimmered in Angel’s eyes. He felt his heart about to burst, and his wings flapped, lifting him from the ground as he scooped his arms under Angel’s.

Husk lifted Angel and spun him around to the janky rhythm of the music. Angel squealed and laughed as Husk spun him around. He wrapped his arms around Husk’s shoulders and buried his face in Husk’s neck. Husk held Angel close, squeezing him, and noticed his long legs dangling over the floor. Husk swooped down, letting Angel’s feet delicately touch the ground, and spun Angel around to dipped him. Angel laughed, hair flying out of his face.

Husk landed, still dipping Angel, and stared at him. His eyes were huge and sparkly, his smile wide and earnest, his sweatshirt had slipped so one of his shoulders was exposed. Husk became hyperaware of the feeling of Angel in his hands, and he felt the breath escape him as he said: “Angel…”

Angel’s smile fell, but his eyes were still big and shiny. “Yeah?”

“Uh!” Husk’s heart seized. “Uh, Anthony?”

“Yeah?” Angel asked, leaning in.

“Uhm, Tony?” Husk asked, laughing a little.

“Yeah?” Angel asked, smiling.

“I-.” Husk locked eyes with Angel. “I-.” He leaned in. “I-.” His eyelids fluttered, about to close, when the music stopped and all the light in the room suddenly went out.

Angel and Husk jumped as the fireplace roared with green fire, illuminating Alastor standing by the mantel and holding the victrola needle away from the record. His neck craned, and he slowly turned his head as he asked: “Did you take my victrola record, Husk?”

Husk tensed, lifting Angel up. “Ah, you were gonna throw it away, so I just thought-.”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Alastor said, waving his finger. “That doesn’t mean you had any right to take it.” He manifested glowing green chains from thin air and threw it at Husk.

The manacle latched around Husk’s throat and Alastor yanked the chain, bringing Husk to his knees.

“Hey, BACK OFF, Alastor!” Angel shouted, marching towards him.

“Stay out of this, Angel,” Alastor said. “This doesn’t involve you.”

“Anything that involves my friends involves me,” Angel said. He pulled out his tommy gun and pointed it at Alastor. “Now you let him go or I’ll blow the antlers off your fuckin’ head!”

Alastor stared down the gun’s barrel, then seized it with his free hand, squeezing it. Angel gasped.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Angel,” Alastor said. He slowly bent the barrel until it pointed back at Angel and Angel dropped the gun and stepped back. “You can’t even imagine what I’m capable of.” He reached into his lapel and pulled out a knife made of Angelic steel.

Angel froze, watching the green light of the fire reflect off the pearly blade.

“No!” Husk cried, one hand clawing at his manacle, the other reaching out for Angel.

PEW!

Alastor jumped as the knife flew out of his hand and landed blade first in the mantel. Everyone turned and saw Valentino standing on the balcony with a smoking gun.

“Val!?” Angel asked.

“You,” Alastor hissed, yanking the knife out of the mantel and almost cutting Angel with it. “What are you doing here?”

Valentino leapt from the banister and grabbed hold of the chandelier, swinging then letting go and landing on the coffee table underneath. “Oh, couldn’t sleep and heard a ruckus so I thought I’d come downstairs.”

“Are you sure you didn’t come downstairs to start a fight?” Alastor asked.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Valentino asked.

“This matter doesn’t concern you, Valentino. I’m in the middle of teaching Husk a lesson,” Alastor said, pulling on the chain and yanking Husk. Angel winced, seeing the pained look on Husk’s face.

“For what? Collecting your trash?” Valentino asked, glancing at the victrola.

“For disobeying me,” Alastor said.

“From the looks of it, you were trying to kill Angel,” Valentino said, glancing at Angel who froze under Val’s gaze.

Alastor hummed and shrugged. “If there’s a pest getting in your way, you do what you must to get rid of it.”

“That ‘pest’ didn’t do anything wrong,” Valentino spat, darkly. “It’s bad enough that you’re taking your anger at me out on Husk, but threatening my Angel is taking it too far.”

Angel’s breath hitched and his fur stood on end. My Angel.

“I know you think you’ve got the Princess wrapped around your finger, but she did say to keep an eye on you. And since you’re taking things too far, and I’m awake, I figure I might as well take care of you myself,” Valentino said, grinning.

“Don’t get cocky, Valentino,” Alastor said, holding up his knife. “You would do well to remember that we have Angelic weapons.”

“I know,” Valentino said, lifting his gun. “Where do you think I got these bullets?”

Alastor’s pupils shrank. “Shit.”

Valentino aimed his gun at Alastor and fired. Alastor dissipated into shadows and the bullet sailed into the fireplace. The green chain went through the floor, dragging Husk across, and lifted when Alastor appeared on the other side of the room, shadowy tentacles lashing out. Valentino dodged the attacks and fired at the chain. As the chain disappeared, Valentino aimed at Alastor, but a tentacle shot out and pushed Valentino’s gun in the opposite direction as he pulled the trigger. The bullet sailed in Husk’s direction, and he ducked, gripping the carpet.

Alastor disappeared into darkness, shadow crawling along the walls onto the ceiling, and he dove down with his knife drawn. Valentino fired and Alastor swerved out of the way, landing in front of Husk. Valentino continued firing and Alastor disappeared. The bullets sailed over Husk’s head, and he trembled, digging his claws deeper into the ground.

Valentino noticed Angel crouching by the fireplace and covering his head. They locked eyes and Valentino yelled: “Get out of here!”

Angel scrambled to his feet and ran for the stairs. He tripped on Husk’s tail and stumbled.

“Husk! Come on!” he called, running as the bullets flew. He ducked, narrowly hit, and noticed Husk was crouching down. “Husk! Come on! Let’s go!” Angel grabbed Husk by the hips and pulled him, but Husk wouldn’t budge. “Husk?” He noticed Husk’s claws still clung in the carpet fibers. Angel ducked as another bullet flew.

Alastor had Valentino pinned to the ground with his tentacles. Valentino continued trying to aim his gun at Alastor, but the tentacles continued to twist his wrist in Husk and Angel’s direction. Valentino struggled and spat: “¡Suéltame, maldita sea!”

Alastor’s shadow pinned Valentino’s wings to the floor. He cackled as Valentino squirmed. “Aw. What’s the matter, Valentino? Not able to protect yourself without Vox?”

Valentino bared his teeth. “If you touch him, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“Oh, you think you’ll get the chance?” Alastor asked, raising the knife above his head with both hands.

Valentino squeaked, sweating as Alastor brought the knife down to Val’s chest. The knife barely reached Valentino’s body before it hit a starburst of silver. Alastor gaped, staring at the Angelic armor. He brought the knife down a few more times, but his efforts were in vain. Valentino chuckled as the tentacles released their grip and he was about to twist the gun in Alastor’s direction.

Alastor yelped and dissipated, narrowly missing the bullet.

Angel ran around to Husk’s front, trying to pry his claws out of the carpet. “Husk, come on! Let go!” He yanked Husk’s wrists and Husk whimpered. Angel looked into Husk’s eyes, seeing how petrified he was. “Husk, I know you’re scared, I am too, but that’s why we gotta go!” Husk nearly relaxed until a bullet clanged against the mantel.

“Hold still, you bastard!” Valentino cried as Alastor slipped away.

Alastor materialized behind him and tried to strike his wings. The armor worked it’s magic and Alastor swore under his breath, nearly missing Valentino turning around to shoot. Alastor continued to try and shank Valentino from various angles but always failed. Valentino aimed at Alastor’s head and Alastor split his face down the middle, letting the bullet sail through the space before dissolving into darkness. The bullet landed right by Angel’s leg.

“VAL! STOP SHOOTING!”

Valentino looked around. “WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE!? GO!”

“I’M TRYING! HUSK’S STUCK IN THE CARPET!” Angel said, pulling on a still terrified Husk’s arms.

Valentino looked around once more before walking up to Angel. He reached out, about to grab Husk’s hand, when he felt his wings pulled back. Alastor glommed onto Valentino, wrapping his legs around Val’s waist, and tried stabbing Valentino’s face. The armor prevented him. Valentino lifted his gun and fired right as Alastor shifted his head around Val’s other shoulder. He scraped at Valentino’s armor with his free hand and tore the red ribbon holding the vest together.

Valentino gasped. Alastor cackled. “Oh, you Vees. You can never make anything that lasts.” He ripped at the ribbon on the other shoulder.

Valentino elbowed Alastor off him and clutched at the vest as it peeled off his chest. There was still ribbon holding the vest together around his waist and Alastor clawed at it.

“STOP!” Valentino said, stumbling away and clutching at the vest as it slipped off him.

Alastor watched Valentino drop his gun. Alastor’s shadow snatched the gun and handed it to him. Valentino paused and Alastor aimed at his head. Valentino squeaked and darted out of the way as Alastor pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun firing made Angel jump and turn around right in time to see the bullet flying towards him. He gasped, frozen in panic.

“NO!” Valentino cried, seeing the bullet. He felt the vest hanging around his waist. Immediately, he yanked the vest off, tearing the remaining ribbon, and threw the vest like a boomerang towards Angel. The armor splayed out in front of Angel right before the bullet hit. The bullet chipped the camera before the silver fireworks erupted across the vest, electrical currents sputtering from the camera before the vest collapsed at Angel’s feet.

Angel stared, still frozen in shock. He looked up at Valentino who stared back at him, equally shocked. Angel managed to tear his eyes away from Valentino long enough to see Alastor, still smiling but with an equally shocked and horrified look on his face. Valentino whirled around and kicked the gun out of Alastor’s hand, then aimed in at Alastor’s head. Alastor tried to escape, only for the bullet to graze his arm. He shrieked and clutched his bicep as Valentino tackled him to the ground.

Angel gripped Husk’s hands and plucked his claws from the carpet. “Come on!”

He grabbed Husk’s hand and rushed them both upstairs. They collapsed behind the railing at the top, breathing heavily.

“Husk, you alright?” Angel asked, gasping.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine,” Husk said clutching his chest. “You?”

“Yeah,” Angel said.

They stared into each other’s eyes, huge and soft, and leaned in to kiss each other. They clutched each other’s faces, pressing their lips in deeper. They tilted their heads, about to parts their lips and slip their tongues in each other’s mouth, when they realized what was happening. Their eyes flew open and they peeled apart from each other, stammering and blushing.

Angel covered his mouth, wanting to tear it off. What was he thinking?! He dared to look at Husk, who was cursing under his breath in between apologies. Angel blinked. He kissed Husk, and it seemed like Husk willingly kissed him. Angel looked down at his feet, letting his fingers trace over his lips, feeling the warmth and softness of Husk’s lips against them. His toes curled in his socks and he squeezed his eyes close. He thought back to his conversation with Cherri at Lu Lu World, how happy Husk made him, and that Angel deserved to be happy. Angel sighed, finally forcing himself to say: “Husk.”

Husk snapped out of his own panicked spiraling and looked at Angel. Angel faced him. “I love you.”

Husk’s eyes grew and Angel almost worried he shouldn’t have said anything, when a smile spread across Husk’s face and he said: “I love you, too.” He gently cupped Angel’s face and added: “AngelAnthonyTony.”

Angel laughed, cheeks tingling. Husk brushed his thumb across Angel’s face and leaned forward. They pressed their lips together, closing their eyes and snaking their arms around each other. They held each other tight, running their fingers through each other’s hair, but pulled apart when Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer ran by.

Chapter Text

Alastor sat in an armchair in the center of the lobby. Everyone else stood in a crescent moon shape around him, Charlie standing in the middle.

“Alastor,” Charlie said. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“I can,” Lucifer said, leaning in.

“What were you thinking?!” Charlie asked.

“My apologies, Charlotte,” Alastor said. “I was only trying to keep Angel safe from Valentino.”

“Bullshit!” Angel said. “You were threatening me and Husk before Valentino even showed up.”

“Why were you threatening them?” Charlie asked.

“Husk was acting disobedient, and I was teaching him a lesson,” Alastor said, glaring in Husk’s direction and making Husk shrink.

“For what?! Taking a record player that you were gonna throw out?” Angel snapped.

“That’s what this is about? You nearly killed three people because you were mad Husk took your garbage?” Vaggie asked.

“It’s not your place to tell me how to handle the souls in my care,” Alastor said, pointedly.

“Why not?” Valentino said. “I’ve been here for weeks learning how to treat Angel right, why shouldn’t you learn a thing or two?”

Angel looked at Valentino, who was still maintaining the ten feet of distance rule and was holding a cinnamon stick between two fingers.

Alastor’s lip curled over his teeth. “You deal with Angel in your way, I’ll deal with Husk in mine.”

“Your way nearly got us killed,” Valentino said.

“It’s not my fault you had Angelic bullets,” Alastor said, lacing his fingers together in his lap.

“I only took the Angelic bullets ‘cause I figured you’d be up to something,” Valentino said as KeeKee curled around his ankle.

“And you had an Angelic knife first!” Angel said, pointing at Alastor as his shadow peaked out from under his feet.

“Because I didn’t trust what Valentino was up to,” Alastor said, plainly, though he was beginning to look distressed.

“If it was about Val, then why’d you pull the knife on me?” Angel asked.

“Because you were getting in the way,” Alastor said, rising from the chair as his antlers extended.

“Okay, hold on!” Charlie said, waving her hands. “Alastor, you snuck into the Angelic weapons room to get a knife because you thought Valentino was up to something?”

“Of course, he’s up to something, Charlie,” Alastor said. “He’s Valentino! You don’t actually believe he’s trying to improve, do you?” Valentino glared at him.

“He’s been improving,” Lucifer said. “I don’t see you trying.”

“Because I’m not here for redemption,” Alastor said, curtly.

“No,” Vaggie said. “But you are here to help with the hotel, and that includes keeping the people in it safe.”

“I was trying to keep the hotel safe!” Alastor insisted.

“You were not!” Angel said. “You were gonna throw that victrola record out. Husk didn’t do nothin’ wrong. The only reason you came in was because you get off to treating him like shit!”

“Angel,” Husk said, voice strained.

Alastor’s body and antlers extended. “You insolent little whore!” he snapped, voice crackling with static.

Husk pulled Angel back as Alastor advanced on him. Vaggie leapt between them, holding out her spear, and Alastor stumbled back into his chair as his body reverted to it’s normal size.

“Alastor! Stop!” Charlie said. “Urgh! I keep trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but…”

“But, what, Charlie?!” Alastor asked. “You should’ve done away with Valentino long ago, but he’s still around.”

“Because Valentino is actually putting in the work to treat people better,” Charlie said.

“That’s not why he came here!” Alastor said.

“No, but that’s why he’s here now,” Charlie said. Angel glanced at Valentino as Charlie continued: “He’s stopped pushing people’s boundaries, he’s showing interest in other people’s feelings, and even if he hasn’t released Angel from his contract, he’s respecting Angel’s space.” She gestured to the distance between Angel and Val.

“Meanwhile,” Lucifer said, striding up to Alastor with his hands behind his back. “You’ve just been getting pettier, snappier, and the only reason you insist Valentino is bad is because that means you can get a favor out of my daughter.”  

Alastor sat, shaking violently, clawing the arms of the chair and tearing the fabric. He looked around, everyone’s eyes on him, all judgmental except for Nifty and, surprisingly, Husk. Alastor snarled and spat: “So what if I am!? Valentino came here for selfish reasons. Why shouldn’t I-?”

“Enough! This isn’t about Valentino, Alastor, this is about you!” Charlie said, horns growing. “You used your shadow powers to sneak into the weapons room and who knows what else you’ll do to get your way.”

“What do you want, Charlie? An apology? Well, I’m sorry!” Alastor said, clearly insincere.

“Are you?” Charlie asked.

“Yes,” Alastor hissed, eyes turning into dials as his antlers sprouted.

Charlie looked at the venom dripping down Alastor’s mouth, shivering at the way his eyes glowed with malice. She looked at Lucifer who jerked his head in Alastor’s direction, like he was saying: “Come on, let’s just do it.”

Charlie sighed. “Alastor, with the kind of power you have, and with how unstable you’ve become, we can’t trust what you’re going to do next. So, for the time being, we’re neutralizing your powers.”

Lucifer pulled a pair of Angelic handcuffs out from behind his back and snapped them over Alastor’s wrists.

“WHAT!?” Alastor gaped. His shadow shrieked and melted away beneath his feet. Alastor clawed at the air, hands glowing green only for the light to sputter and fizzle out. “No. No! NO!” he shrieked as all his attempts to use his powers failed. He trembled and looked up at Lucifer, who smiled down at him.

“Oh, suck it!” Lucifer whispered, holding up both hands to flip Alastor off.

Alastor looked at Charlie, shaking. “Charlie, please. This is a bit excessive, isn’t it?”

Charlie bit her lip and looked away.

“It’s could be worse,” Vaggie said. “We were gonna put you in a straight jacket.” She gestured at Lucifer who nodded.

“Alastor,” Charlie said. “You can still walk around the hotel, you can even go outside it, but we’re not letting you use your powers anymore.”

Alastor stared, slack jawed. He stared at his feet, his shadow was fainter than the usual inky black it was when he controlled it.

Nifty watched Alastor bow his head, shuddering and trembling. “You’re not gonna leave him like this, right?” she asked, voice shaky. “Will you ever let him out?”

“He’ll be let out when he’s earned in,” Lucifer said, holding a pearly white key in his hand and waving it in Alastor’s face.

Alastor snarled at Lucifer. “And what do I have to do to earn it? Play your silly games? Watch your videos on the damned picture box? Stand ten feet away from Husk at all times!?”

 Charlie blinked and looked at Husk. She took the key from Lucifer and said: “The one determining whether you’ve earned it will be Husk.” She handed him the key.

“What!?” Husk asked, gawking.

“You were the one Alastor attacked first. You know how he is at his worst and at his best. You should be the one to decide when he’s earned his powers back.”

Husk’s eyes were huge. He stared, unblinking, at Charlie, then the key, then at Alastor. Alastor glared daggers at him.

“Well, Husk,” Alastor said, voice icy. “What do I need to do?”

Husk’s fur bristled and he shoved his hands in his pocket. “I’ll think about it.”

Alastor’s hands bent, ready to claw at the arms of the chair, but the chain between the cuffs wasn’t long enough for him to reach both arms at once.

“Then it’s settled. Husk will figure out what Alastor needs to do, and-,” Charlie started.

“NO!” Alastor roared, bolting out of his chair. “Nothing’s settled! This is absurd! I’ve been at this hotel longer than Valentino has and he never suffered this kind of indignity!”

“You came here because you thought watching us fail would be fun,” Vaggie said.

“I helped protect this stupid place from Adam and his army,” Alastor said.

“So you think it’s stupid?” Lucifer said, cocking his head.

“No! URGH! You stay out of this!” Alator snapped. “I have my reasons for being here!”

“And what are they?” Charlie asked.

Alastor’s eyes went wide with panic. He looked at Charlie, then at Lucifer, then at Husk who avoided his gaze. He began panting heavily and stared down at his cuffed wrists. Aside from Husk and Nifty, everyone was glaring at him with distain or smug satisfaction, and with the way he was hunched over he looked and felt so small. Rage, fear, and panic bubbled in his chest, and he gripped his hair, yanking it, as he let all his frustration burst out of his mouth in a horrible, agonized scream. He stumbled back, collapsing into his chair, and Nifty’s eye watered.

“Husk?” she asked, voice wobbly. Husk turned away.

“Let him be, Nifty,” Vaggie said, scopping her up. “Husk’ll let him out when he’s ready.” Nifty clutched Vaggie’s arm as she walked away, staring back sympathetically at Alastor.

Alastor sat, still pulling at his hair, as Angel approached. He leaned against the back of Alastor’s chair and said, smugly: “Not so fun bein’ the one on a chain now, huh?”

Alastor released his hair, slowly turning his head to face Angel. His expression was a mix of fury and hurt.

“Angel,” Husk said, rushing to his side and grabbing his arm. “Don’t.”

Angel looked back at Alastor, confused, as Husk pulled him away. Valentino waltzed up to Alastor, looking down on him with a sadistic grin. Alastor barred his teeth.

Husk brought Angel behind the staircase and down the hall.

“You okay?” Angel asked.

“Don’t antagonize him,” Husk said.

“What? Why?” Angel asked.

“Look, he’s been a thorn in my side for decades now, but he’s also goin’ through a lot. Just don’t rub it in, okay?” Husk asked.

Angel stared at him. “You’re not gonna let him out any time soon, are you? I think after everything he’s done, he should be de-powered for a while, right?”

Husk frowned. He looked at the key in his hand. “Probably. It’d be nice to not be on his beck and call all the time.” He stuffed the key back in his pocket.

“Yeah. Give you some freedom and control for once,” Angel said.

“That’d be nice,” Husk said, smiling.

He glanced down, realizing that Angel had taken his hand. Angel blinked, not realizing he’d done it. They looked at each other and blushed.

“Uh, hey,” Angel said.

“Hey,” Husk said, smiling.

Angel gulped and turned away. “So, uh, about last night.”

Husk hummed, gently rubbing the back of Angel’s hand with his thumb. “Yeah?”

Angel squirmed, feeling like he was about to swoon. “Uh, since we, y’know, uhm, could we like-?” He tapped his lips.

Husk snorted. “I wouldn’t mind that.”

Angel squeaked and it made Husk smile wider. They leaned in, closing their eyes, and kissed. Angel reached out, grabbing Husk’s face and pulling him in closer. Husk laughed into Angel’s mouth and cupped his hands around Angel’s cheeks. Angel squealed, making their lips vibrate. When they pulled apart, Angel was giddy as a schoolboy and Husk was staring at him like he was most perfect thing in the world.

“Wow,” Angel said. “I been wantin’ to do that since I first saw ya.”

Husk smirked. “We can do that as much as you want, baby.”

Angel’s entire face glowed pink and he covered it in embarrassment. Husk laughed. He took Angel’s face in his hands and said: “You’re the cutest fuckin’ thing, Tony.”

Angel squealed, pressing his fists into his eyes. He was about to throw his arms around Husk and kiss him again when he heard Valentino call: “Angel?! We should go, we’re gonna be late for work!”

Angel looked at Husk. “I gotta go.”

Husk smiled. “See you when you get back.”

Angel smiled back. “Okay.”

Husk took Angel’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Have a good day.”

Angel flushed. “Okay,” he said, a little tipsy.

Husk chuckled as he watched Angel saunter off. Angel walked back into the lobby, head in the clouds, until he saw Valentino standing by the door. His stomach sank as Valentino smiled at him and held the door open. Angel’s shoulders tensed and he walked out, Valentino behind him.

They walked down the cobblestone steps; Valentino was at Angel’s side but with at least five feet of distance. Valentino twirled the cinnamon stick in his hand. “Well,” he said. “Last night was crazy, huh?”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Angel said, trying to look ahead.

Valentino saw a trash nearby and tossed his stick in it. “Glad we don’t have to worry about Alastor anymore. Or at least, not for a while.”

“Yeah. That’s good,” Angel said.

They walked in silence. Valentino leaned in, looking concerned. “You alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! Fine. He didn’t actually hurt me or anything,” Angel said.

Valentino sighed in relief. “That’s good. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if he had.”

“Yeah.” Angel stared ahead. They were getting close to the threshold. He glanced at Valentino, who was also staring ahead. “Hey, Val.”

Valentino paused and looked at Angel. Angel stood, skin tingling under Valentino’s gaze. “I-uhm…” he tried to force the words out, but they wouldn’t come. He averted his gaze and heard a sizzling noise above him. “Do you hear somethin’?”

He and Valentino looked up to see one of Vox’s Voyeurscopes hovering overhead. It fizzled and crackled with electricity and suddenly Vox burst out of the camera lens. “VAL!” he screamed, landing on the ground behind them. “Val!” He rushed towards the hotel. “VALENTINO!”

“Vox!?” Valentino asked.

Vox paused just outside Dazzle’s statue. He whirled around. “VAL! OH MY GOD!” He bolted up to Valentino and tore his coat open.

“Whoa! You’re fresh,” Valentino laughed.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Vox said, frantically running his hands over Valentino’s body.

“What’s got you so frisky this morning?” Valentino asked, playfully.

“I saw the tape!” Vox said. “From last night. I woke up this morning and your video feed was nothing but static. I rewound the tape and saw you picked a fight with Alastor! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!”

“I was thinking Alastor was up to no good, so I stopped him. You’re welcome,” Valentino said.

“You didn’t need to take the armor off to do it!” “Vox said.

“Angel would’ve gotten shot if I didn’t,” Valentino said, gesturing to Angel, who was frozen to the side of him.

“That armor was supposed to protect you, not him!” Vox said.

Valentino scoffed. “Look, Vox, I know you don’t like Angel, but if I didn’t do something then he-.”

“YOU COULD’VE DIED!!!” Vox screamed, electrical currents bursting from his head. Valentino stared at him, watching his face fall. Vox’s voice trembled as he said: “You could’ve died, Val.”

Valentino’s face softened. “Vox, I’m fine.” He parted his coat. “I’m fine, see?”

Vox looked over Val’s body, seeing no signs of harm. He slowly crawled down from Valentino’s waist and Valentino patted his shoulders. “See? It’s okay.”

Vox gulped. “Good,” he said, shakily.

“Aw, were you worried about me?” Valentino asked.

Vox scowled. “I was concerned that you might’ve gotten yourself into something reckless and stupid. But I’m glad to see you’re okay.” He did his best to keep his voice measured, but there was the slightest tremble that gave away his true feelings.

Valentino chuckled. “Oh, it’s okay, Voxxy. Everything’s alright.” He leaned over and took Vox’s screen in his hand. He tilted Vox’s face up to meet his and slide his tongue into Vox’s mouth, which Vox openly accepted.

Angel gasped, feeling pins prick at his heart. Watching Valentino gently caress the sides of Vox’s screen as Vox gripped Valentino’s fluff like a lifeline made Angel’s stomach lurch. Every experience Angel had of seeing Valentino and Vox make-out came flooding back to him, and all the hurt and betrayal that came with it.

Vox and Valentino parted, tongues slipping out of each other’s mouths and leaving a thin strand of red salvia between them. They stared at each other with heavy lidded eyes and kissed once more, this time a small, gentle kiss and Angel whined involuntarily.

Vox heard and turned his head to see Angel staring at them. He frowned and asked, bitterly: “What are you looking at?”

Angel flinched, suddenly brought back to the present. “Nothin’,” he said, voice flat and unconvincing. “I’ll leave you two alone.” He wrapped his arms around himself and marched off.

Vox watched him walk away like a predator watching his prey. Valentino watched Angel too, more concerned. Vox saw the look on Valentino’s face and said: “It’s a good thing you didn’t lose your life trying to protect that whore.” He adjusted his tie and said: “I just hope Alastor won’t give you anymore trouble.”

Valentino chuckled. “Oh, he won’t. This morning, the Princess used Angelic handcuffs to stop him from using his powers.”

Vox’s eyes flew open. “What?!”

“Yeah! And the only way he’ll get out of them is if Husk decides to let him out. And considering how Alastor treats him, there’s a slim chance he’ll let him out any time soon, or even at all.”

A huge smile spread across Vox’s screen and he cackled wildly. “So-so you’re saying that Alastor, the Alastor, can’t use his powers anymore?!”

“Nope. He’s completely powerless. It’s honestly kind of sad how pathetic he looks now,” Valentino said.

“Oh-ho my God!” Vox laughed. “Ha! That fucker finally got defeated! OH MY GOD! This is too good to be true! We-we did it! YOU did it!”

“Of course! I told you I wouldn’t let you down,” Valentino beamed.

Vox smiled and gripped Valentino’s arms. “You didn’t let me down.” He smiled, features soft. “Thank you.”

Valentino squeaked, cheeks flushing. “Yeah, no problem.”

Vox laughed again. “This is great! Now nothing can get in our way.”

Valentino chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Exactly. Anything for the business.”

“Right. Now let’s get to work!” Vox said, determined, pointing in the direction of Vee Tower.

“Alright,” Valentino said. He scooped up Vox, bridal style, and let his wings flair out.

“Whoa! What are you doing?!” Vox asked.

“I’m gonna fly us there!” Valentino said.

“Your antenna’s busted, Val, you can’t fly,” Vox said.

Valentino’s wings and antennas drooped. “Oh, right.”

Vox hummed, rubbing his chin. “Maybe…” he thought aloud. He undid his bowtie and reached up to fasten it around Valentino’s busted antenna. When he pulled his hands back, the bowtie was tied so the fabric splayed out like the sail on a ship. “Think it’ll work?”

Valentino looked up at his makeshift antenna, twitching it to see how it moved. “Only one way to find out!” He bent at the knees.

“Wait what?” Vox asked.

Valentino’s wings flapped and he launched into the air.

“VAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!” Vox screamed as Valentino took off.

Valentino’s wings caught the wind and he soared. He was little a wobbly but the makeshift antenna helped to stabilize him. He soared above Angel as he started walking into town. Angel gawked, watching as Valentino held Vox and flew him over Pentagram City. Angel seethed and stormed forward.

Vox wrapped his arms around Valentino’s neck and squeezed his eyes shut. “VAL! WHAT THE FUCK!? I’M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!!!”

“Relax, Vox, I’m not gonna drop you,” Valentino said.

Vox clung tighter. “You better not,” he said.

“I won’t!” Valentino said, smiling. Vox dug his nails into Valentino’s shoulders. “C’mon, Vox. You know you can trust me. Think about everything I’ve done for you.” Vox shifted but didn’t release his hold. “I’m not gonna drop you. You’ll be alright. You can let go.”

Vox slowly opened one eye and looked down, still clinging to Valentino for dear life. Valentino held Vox closer to him, clutching him with all four hands. Vox opened his other eye and let his arms slip off Valentino. He held his breath looking down, watching Pentagram City zoom by underneath. His trembling subsided as he felt the strength of Valentino’s hold on him. He looked at Val who gave him a reassuring smile. Vox let out his breath and laughed. He threw his arms out and hollered: “WHOO!”

Valentino giggled and spun around. Vox screamed and clutched Val again, only to realize Valentino had not let him go. He released his grip and let his arms out again. He gave into the fun of it and started hooping and hollering again. Valentino joined in and stopped spinning long enough for Vox to catch the morning light shining on Val’s smiling face. Vox stared at him, awestruck, and threw his arms around Valentino. Valentino nearly lost his balance, but flapped his wings and hovered in place, holding Vox as close as he could.

He swooped down and landed at the top of Vee Tower. He set Vox down on his feet and Vox laughed.

“WHOO! Oh, that-that was-.”

“Fun?” Valentino asked.

“Heh, yeah,” Vox said. He pulled down on his jacket and took Val’s hand. “Thank you, Val, for, uh, everything! Today, and in general.”

Valentino smiled softly. Vox’s antenna’s fizzled and he looked away. “And, uh, we should probably get to work now.”

Valentino’s smile fell, though he never quite frowned. “Right. Okay.” He undid his makeshift antenna and handed Vox his bowtie. He led Vox to the elevator and pressed the down button. They stepped inside when the doors opened and didn’t release each other’s hands until they got to the bottom floor.

Angel stormed through the streets of Pentagram City, arms crossed and face red. He’d asked Valentino to fly him around before, but Val always had an excuse for not doing it. Then when his antenna got busted, he said it messed up his ability to fly. Apparently, it wasn’t so messed up that he could fly with Vox!

When he reached Vee Tower, he burst through the doors and charged into the studio. Valentino swept inside right as Angel reached his dressing room. Angel bristled and slammed the door behind him. He tossed his phone onto the vanity and tore his gloves off. There was a knock at the door.

“Angel?” Valentino said.

Angel growled. “WHAT!?”

There was a pause. “Uh, just checking to see how you were doing.”

Angel blinked. The anger drained from his body like a sieve. “Oh, uh.”

Valentino was quiet for a moment before saying, “I’ll let you get ready.”

“Wait!” Angel bolted to the door and swung it open. Valentino stood, towering and staring down him but not in the imposing way he usually did. His eyes were large, round, and concerned.

“You alright?” Valentino asked.

“Uh, yeah! Sorry,” Angel said, unable to meet his gaze.

Valentino fidgeted with his coat, which was closed now, and asked: “Did I do something?”

Angel looked up. He thought back to Valentino and Vox kissing, to Valentino flying Vox over Hell. It would’ve been sufficient enough to say that Valentino had left Angel behind and Valentino would probably apologize, but considering Angel had walked away from them and Valentino was instructed to give Angel space, Angel couldn’t entirely justify his hurt and frustration.

“No,” he said. “No, you’re fine.”

Valentino breathed a sigh of relief. He stood in the doorway for a moment, then asked: “Are you still upset about last night?”

Angel thought back to Alastor pulling out his Angelic knife and the Angelic bullets flying while he tried to pry Husk off the carpet. “Yeah, probably.”

“Well, you have nothing to worry about. Alastor’s all taken care of and he’s not even here,” Valentino said, bending down and resting his hands on his knees.

The earnest look on Val’s face make Angel’s heart skip a beat. “Yeah. That’s good.”

Valentino smiled. “We’re filming in five. Will you be ready by then?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. See you then,” Valentino said. He waved, wiggling his fingers as he did, and sauntered off.

Angel barely made out Valentino asking Travis if he’d made the revisions to the script before the door shut completely. He pressed his back against the door and stared at his dressing room. His eyes wandered around, seeing the carpet, walls, and couch Valentino had fucked him against. Angel squeezed his legs together and bit his lip. He had five minutes to get ready, so he pushed aside every thought that didn’t involve his costume.

It was a flowy red dress with swirly vines running along the edges. It was held together with a single snap to make it easier to undress him. When Angel left his dressing room, he walked onto the set; a hotel room covered in red wallpaper with pink hearts and a queen-sized bed with maroon bedsheets. His co-star, a tall, purple-skinned demon with black hair and a red bomber jacket with a tan fluff collar, was standing to the side looking over his script and Valentino was talking to the cameraman about something. Angel stood by the set door and rested his head against it. He watched Valentino casually talking about something while he pulled out a fresh cinnamon stick from his pocket. Angel stared at Valentino’s tongue wrapping around it and felt a tingling in his groin when Valentino’s lips closed around the stick.  

Valentino looked up at the set and saw Angel. “Oh, good! You’re ready!”

Angel jumped at the acknowledgement and couldn’t bare to look at Valentino’s smiling face. “Oh, yeah.”

“Places, everybody!” Valentino called, strutting to his chair. Angel and his co-star went on the other side of the set door as Valentino sat in his chair. The workers bustled and Valentino said: “Action!”

Angel opened the door and stepped inside. He dragged a suitcase to the bed and said: “Gee, that was a long flight. I sure can’t wait to get some shut eye.”

The door opened again, and Angel’s co-star walked in. “Hey, doll,” he said. “Are you my roommate?”

“Roommate? What the hell are you talkin’ about? This is my room!” Angel snapped.

“Sorry, babe,” his co-star said, shrugging. “But there were no other rooms left.”

“Ugh, fine!” Angel said, pouting and sitting on the edge of the bed.

In the original version of the script, the two of them were supposed to argue about which side of the bed they were going to sleep on, eventually realizing they both wanted to same side and Angel’s co-star would top him on that side of the bed and start fucking him. Apparently, Charlie had convinced Valentino to have his scripts reworked to be more consensual, so now Angel’s co-star asked: “Mind if I sit with you?”

Angel looked up and said: “Sure.”

His co-star sat down. “What’s your name?”

“Angel Dust,” Angel answered.

“What a pretty name. I’m Richard Smash, but you can call me Dick,” Dick said.

Angel snorted. “Classy.”

“So, what brings you here?” Dick asked.

“Tryin’ to be a movie star,” Angel said, staring out the set window. “You?”

“Gonna be an artist,” Dick said.

“Oh, really?” Angel asked. “Mind if I see your work?”

Dick chuckled. “My best work is the stuff I do in bed.” He ran his hand along the bedsheets.

“Oh, yeah?” Angel asked, blushing. Dick was leaning on the bed in a way Angel had seen Valentino do several times. In fact, Dick’s skin tone and body type looked quite a bit like Valentino. His red jacket and fluff collar didn’t help. Angel’s eyes darted over to Valentino, noting the differences but unable to stop thinking about the similarities.

“Do you still wanna see my work?” Dick asked, tilting his head so his hair fell out of his face.

Angel stared at the hair, relieved to have a stark distinction between Dick and Valentino. He noticed their hands where close to touching and he delicately nudged his fingers between Dick’s. “Yeah. I do.”

They leaned in, feeling their breath on each other’s lips, and kissed. Dick rolled over Angel and brought Angel down on his back, still kissing him. He grabbed the dress and pulled the snaps apart in one fluid motion. Angel gasped as Dick said: “Beautiful.”

Dick snaked his fingers between Angel’s and gazed down at him before they kissed again. Dick began kissing Angel down the side of his neck onto his shoulder. He rolled Angel’s shoulders back as he pulled the dress sleeves off Angel’s arms and tossed the dress to the side. Angel’s lower arms undid Dick’s belt and slid his pants down. Dick was already hard and Angel had lubed up before the shoot so Dick slid in easily.

“OH!” Angel moaned, arching his back as Dick thrusted.

“Yeah, baby,” Dick said. “I’m gonna paint your insides like Rembrandt.”

Angel peaked out of one eye to see Valentino awkwardly adjust in his seat before shoving the cinnamon stick back in his mouth. Angel frowned. Valentino was doing what he’d been told; to not jack off to Angel’s performances. Angel should’ve been grateful, but he found himself incensed that Valentino wasn’t aroused by this. He let out a pleasured moan so load it startled Dick. Valentino’s fur pricked and he shifted in his seat, sucking furiously on the cinnamon stick. Angel whined. Dick dragged his cock along the top of Angel’s hole and Angel gasped and gripped Dick’s shoulders.

He couldn’t understand why he was so upset. He wanted Valentino to respect his boundaries, to leave him alone. Now he was, and all Angel felt was hurt. All the times Valentino had ignored him or left him behind for someone else (usually Vox) ate away at him and Angel dug his nails into Dick’s back.

Dick bottomed out and started grinding deeper, grunting as he did. Angel tried to push the thought of Valentino to the side. He was trying to work, dammit!  He couldn’t let his complicated feelings about Valentino get in the way of his work. And besides, he shouldn’t care if Valentino paid him any attention anymore. He has Husk now.

Angel’s eyes flew open.

Husk. Husk was his boyfriend now! At least, it seemed that way now that they’d confessed their feelings for each other. And here Angel was, getting banged by another guy while wishing his ex-lover would pay attention to him.

The guilt building in his stomach turned to nausea as Dick ground into him. Angel had never had a solid partner besides Valentino, and even then, that was never truly solid. He’d pinned after Husk for so long, thinking it would never happen, only for Husk to return his affection. Angel was used to being rejected, abandoned, or for the good things in his life to go sour. The thought of driving Husk away, especially so soon after finally getting together with him, sent a burst of fear throughout Angel’s body and he began to convulse.

“No.No! NO! GET OFF ME!!!” Angel screamed, beating his fists against Dick’s shoulders.

Valentino leapt out of his chair. “Whoa! CUT! Cut!”

Dick pulled out and pushed away. “Hey! Stop!” He stumbles off the bed, holding his hands out defensively as Valentino ran on set.

“Angel! Whoa! Hey! What’s going on?” Valentino asked.

Angel stared up at him, frozen. Valentino looked at him, then turned to the crew and yelled: “Alright, take five everyone!”

Angel gasped for breath, barely hearing Dick insist he wasn’t doing anything he hadn’t been directed to. Valentino said he believed him and told him to go relax before sitting at the foot of the bed.

“Angel, it’s okay. Breathe,” Valentino said, holding out a hand but never touching Angel.

Angel took a huge gasp of air and breathed out slowly. He took a few more breaths before calming down.

“There you go,” Valentino said. “What happened?”

Angel tensed, clutching his chest. “Oh, Uh...”

Valentino frowned. “Are you still freaking out about last night.”

Angel’s head popped up. “Oh, yeah! Yeah, that-that must be it.” The previous night played back in his head, riling him up again but also easing his nerves. Still being overwhelmed at nearly dying felt much more reasonable than being overwhelmed about his tumultuous love life.

Valentino reaches out to Angel, about to put his hand on Angel’s leg, but he stopped. His hand hovered just outside Angel’s body before he turned it so his palm faced up. Angel stared at it. “I know that was scary, but you’re safe, okay?”

Angel stared at Valentino’s hand. It was an offer; he didn’t have to take it. Ordinarily, Angel would feel obligated out of fear, but he wasn’t afraid of Valentino right now. All Angel wanted in that moment was something to stabilize him. Getting that stability from Valentino seemed counterproductive due to Angel’s actual worries, but he felt like he was going to fall to pieces any minute.

Angel reached out and took Val’s hand, gripping it until he stopped shaking. Slowly, he crawled into Valentino’s arms.

“Oh!” Valentino squeaked as Angel slipped his arms around him. He paused for a moment, waiting to see what Angel did. When Angel didn’t move away, Valentino slowly wrapped his arms around Angel.

Angel clutched Valentino’s fluff with his top arms and gripped his back with his lower arms. Valentino pressed his palms against Angel’s bareback. He nestled his check into the crook of Angel’s neck. “Angel...”

“Val...” Angel whispered. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d hugged. Usually, Valentino reeked of cigarette smoke, but now he smelled like cinnamon.

Valentino pulled Angel close to him, rubbing his hands down Angel’s spine, trailing down towards his bare ass.

Angel gasped.

Valentino’s eyes flew open, and he tore his hands away from Angel. “Shit! Sorry!”

Angel pushed away from Val to look him in the eye. He looked as nervous as Angel felt. They stared at each other, neither sure what to do. Finally, Valentino asked: “Do you think you’ll be okay to do the shoot?”

Angel blinked. He wasn’t sure. He’d never had a problem sleeping with anyone before, but he was feeling overwhelmed and confused. “Uh, no. Sorry.”

Valentino looked at him. Angel shrank, expecting some kind of pushback. Instead, Valentino simply said: “Okay.”

“Really?” Angel asked.

Valentino smiled so warmly Angel thought he was gonna melt. “Of course. You had a rough time last night, it’s no wonder you’re so stressed. Just take the rest of the day off. We can pick this up later.”

Angel stared. He was used to getting days off, but those were always prescheduled. “Th-thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Valentino said, scooping the dress off the floor and gently wrapping it around Angel’s shoulders. Angel gripped the dress, feeling like he’d been swaddled in a blanket. He watched as Valentino rose from the bed and told everyone to take the rest of the day off.

The hotel residents were going about their usual routine; Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer going over lesson plans, Husk at the bar cleaning glasses, and Nifty cleaning. Nifty skittered behind the bar to sweep and paused right behind Husk. She quietly set the broom down by the sink and crept to Husk’s pocket. Her fingers slipped inside just as Husk turned around.

“HEY!” he leaned down at grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her up to eye level. “What are you doing?” He noticed the pearly white key in her hand. He snatched it just as Alastor rounded the corner. “Really? You’re so desperate to get out you send Nifty to grab the key.”

Alastor stared at the key, then at Nifty, then held up his hands defensively. “I didn’t put her up to this!”

“It’s true,” Nifty said. “I just wanted to help.”

Husk huffed and set Nifty on the bar counter. Alastor strode up to her as she looked at him with her big, wet eye. “I’m sorry, Alastor.”

Alastor’s eyes softened and he pat her head. “Oh, Nifty, you’re such a darling. But you needn’t worry trying to free me. As long as I behave, Husk will release me of his own accord, right?”

Husk winced at the eye contact. Alastor’s usual smile was big and eager, his eyes wide with child-like enthusiasm and innocence. Looking away, Husk said: “We’ll see.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed as the front door swung open.

“Angel?” Husk asked as Angel walked inside. “What are you doing home so early?”

“Oh, uh, was still worked up from last night so Val said we could reschedule the shoot,” Angel said, walking up to the bar.

Alastor sneered and turned away. Nifty plopped in his lap and gave him a hug. Alastor sighed and patted her head.

“That was nice of him,” Husk said.

“Yeah. It was,” Angel said, hunching his shoulders as he sat.

Husk’s wings drooped. “You alright?” He reached out a hand, almost putting it on Angel’s hand, then paused and turned his palm up.

Angel remembered Valentino doing the same thing earlier and felt his body lurch. Husk pulled his hand back. “Whoa! Angel.”

“Agh! Sorry.” Angel gripped the edge of the bar and stared at it.

“Damn, you are still worked up,” Husk said. Alastor pursed his lips.

Angel collapsed in his seat.

“Breathe, baby,” Husk said.

Angel took a shuddering breath, remembering Valentino telling him the same thing. He ran his fingers through his hair and cursed under his breath.

“You’re safe, Tony,” Husk whispered.

Angel dropped his head on the counter, rolling it so he was resting on his cheek. He looked up at Husk who was staring down at him. “Can I touch you?” Husk asked, lifting his hand to hover by Angel’s head.

Angel sighed. “Yeah, go ahead.” Husk placed his palm on the side of Angel’s face, then gently brushed his hair back. Angel closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of Husk’s fingers clawing through his hair. There were so many other things Angel wanted Husk to do to him with his hands. His mind wandered back to earlier at the studio and he frowned. “Hey, Husk?”

“Yeah?”

Angel bit his lip. “Uhm, do you mind that-that I-?” He paused, unsure if he wanted to ask. “Do you mind that… I sleep with other people for a living?”

Husk raised an eyebrow. “Why would I mind that?” he asked.

“Well, you know, we’re like, together now and I just didn’t want you to think I was bein’ unfaithful.”

“Oh, Angel, no!” Husk said, lifting Angel’s face to meet his. “I know it’s your job. It’s alright.”

“Really? You’re not jealous?” Angel asked.

Husk chuckled. “No, of course, not. You’re just doing you job, it’s not like you’re in love with them or anything.”

Valentino flashed through Angel’s mind, and he shook his head. “Right! Right. Yeah, I love you, not my…co-workers.”

Husk smiled and brushed his thumbs over Angel’s cheeks. “You’re fine, Anthony.”

Angel shivered, clutching Husk’s wrists. “I love you,” he said, frantically.

“I love you, too,” Husk said.

Angel leaned in and Husk pressed his lips into Angel’s. Nifty squealed in delight while Alastor wretched. “Ugh, no! I’m not sticking around for this,” he said, rising from the barstool and carrying Nifty away with him. Nifty watched Angel and Husk kiss over Alastor’s shoulder, squeaking ‘Finally!’ as he walked away.

Husk held Angel’s face as they kissed. Angel’s hands snaked over Husk’s shoulders and around his neck. Husk cupped a hand around the back of Angel’s head and pulled him in closer. Their lips parted, and Angel wanted to stick his tongue down Husk’s throat, when he realized they were still at the bar, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Charlie and the others noticed them and started making comments. He pulled his arms back and gave a slight push at Husk’s shoulders. Husk released his grip and Angel rested his forehead against Husk’s.

“You look tired,” Husk said.

“Yeah,” Angel said.

“Why don’t you get some sleep. You’ve got the rest of the day to relax,” Husk said.

Angel smiled. “Okay.” He gave Husk a quick kiss on the lips. “See ya.”

Husk cupped Angel’s cheek. “See ya.”

Angel blushed and bit his lip before heading upstairs. Husk watched him, looking lovestruck, and rested his cheek on his palm as Angel disappeared.

Fat Nuggets waddled up to Angel as he flopped over on his bed. “Hey, Nuggs,” Angel said, lifting the pig and pulling him close. Fat Nuggets nuzzled his snout into Angel’s neck and Angel giggled. He cuddled the pig and rolled over on his side. He came face to face with his picture of Husk, smiling back at him. Angel’s heart swelled and he smiled. No longer did he feel the pangs of despair he used to when looking at the photo, disgusted with himself for loving someone who didn’t reciprocate his feelings. Now, he knew he was staring at someone who loved him and wanted him back. There was, unfortunately, a different dread starting to set in, one that Angel wanted desperately to ignore.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. It was Cherri:

YO ANG! i was just texting w vaggie n she said there was some crazy shit with alister? r u okay mate!?

Angel typed back:

yeah, im fine! it was a lot but it’s okay now.

He glanced up at his photo of Husk and added:

esp cuz me and husk r a thing now ;)

He hit send and stared at the photo again. He was admiring Husk’s snaggle tooth when the doors leading to his balcony burst open. He was pretty sure he saw the handle fly off the door when Cherri Bomb slide in.

“YOU AND HUSK GOT TOGETHER!?”

“What the fuck, bitch?! Don’t break my fuckin’ door!” Angel said, setting Fat Nuggets to the side with his lower arms and shaking his upper hands with his fingers pinched together.

Cherri seized Angel’s wrists and pulled him off the bed. “YOU AND HUSK GOT TOGETHER AND YOU DIDN’T MESSAGE ME RIGHT AWAY!?”

“Things were kinda crazy last night. And then there was work and I was just dealin’ with a lot, alright?!”

Cherri clutched Angel’s hands. Bouncing up and down. “Tell! Me! EVERYTHIN’!”

Angel snorted. “Well, it started when Husk texted me to come down to the lobby.” He couldn’t stop himself from blushing and squeezing his legs together.

“Oh!!! To do what?” Cherri asked.

“To dance,” Angel said, slyly.

Cherri gasped. “Oh, my fuckin’ god! He did it! Did he sweep you off ya feet?!”

“Literally! We were flying!” Angel said.

Cherri squealed, then grabbed Angel and swung him around until she had him dipped down to the floor. “Did he dip ya down?”

“Just like this!” Angel said, throwing his arms around Cherri’s neck.

“YES!” Cherri said. She gripped Angel’s shoulders. “And then he told you how he felt!?”

“Uh, well, he was about to. That’s when Alastor showed up,” Angel said.

“Yeesh, creepy fuck had to go and ruin the mood,” Cherri said. “Vaggie made it sound like he tried to kill ya!”

“HE DID!” Angel said, throwing his hands in the air. “The fuckin’ bitch.”

“Did Husk save ya from ‘im?” Cherri asked, pulling Angel up.

Angel’s shoulders tensed. “Ah, no. Alastor owns Husk so he came downstairs to threaten him! Husk was pretty stressed, he couldn’t even move.”

“Oh, shit!” Cherri said, sympathetic. “So how’d you guys get away?”

“Uh, Val saved us,” Angel said, unable to look at her.

“Val!? He saved you!”

“Yes.”

“Holy shit! He really is changin’, huh?”

“Yeah, guess so,” Angel said.

“This is great!” Cherri said. “He’s getting’ off your ass, startin’ to care about you, and now you’ve got Husk!? Things are lookin’ up, Ang!”

Angel blinked, looking down at her eager face and not wanting to see it fall. “Yeah! Things are lookin’ up.”

Chapter Text

Angel spent the rest of the day talking with Cherri. She’d grill him on all the stuff he’d done, or wanted to do, with Husk and he’d supply her with most of the details. It was nice getting to talk openly about his attraction to Husk, knowing now that Husk would be open to Angel’s desires. It also reminded him how happy he was to be with Husk. That Cherri was right about things looking up. The two of them went downstairs to get some snacks when Valentino came home.

“Hey, Val,” Charlie said, waving. “Angel said you canceled today’s shoot for him.”

“Yeah. He was still pretty shaken from last night,” Valentino said, tossing his used cinnamon stick in the trash. “Just figured he needed some rest.”

“That’s good! I’m glad you’re taking his needs into consideration,” Charlie said.

Valentino smiled like a child hearing their parent say they were proud of him.

Angel stood frozen at the bottom step.

“Ang?” Cherri asked.

Valentino noticed him. “Oh, Angel! Hey! You doing alright?”

 “Oh, uh! Uhm.” Angel looked around, Alastor was nowhere to be seen. Husk was still behind the counter and was looking at him with concern.

Valentino frowned. “Do you think you’re gonna need another day off?”

Angel blinked. Everyone was staring at him, and he wanted to jump out of his skin and run. “Ah, would that be a problem?”

Valentino stared, unblinking, and Angel felt his stomach clench. Valentino closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Well, we’d really have to rearrange some things, but if you need the break.”

Angel bit his lip and looked over at the bar. Husk was leaning on the counter, waiting to hear what Angel had to say. Angel wanted to run to him, let Husk scoop him up and fly away with him. He had just gotten together with Husk a few hours ago and he wanted more time with him.

“I think a break would be nice,” Angel said.

Valentino nodded. “Alright. I’ll check in with you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Angel said.

As he and Cherri cleared the final step, Angel heard Charlie praise Valentino and saw Valentino smile. It was a cute smile, one that Angel had seen several times before. His red eyes were big and round and made his face even more precious and Angel had to tear his eyes away from it. His eyes landed on Husk, who was staring at him adoringly and it made Angel’s whole body tingle. He smiled as they walked up.

“Looks like you got some more down time,” Husk said.

“Sounds like you got more downtime too, mate. Since your boss is in chains ‘n’ all,” Cherri said.

Husk glanced to the side. “Right. Guess so.”

“That means you two saps can spend more time together,” Cherri said, shoving Angel behind the bar so he fell into Husk’s arms.

Husk and Angel stared at each other, and Husk smiled. “Yeah. Guess we can.”

Angel rubbed one foot behind his other leg. “We were gonna get some snacks. You wanna come?”

Husk looked at the bar to see a row of clean glasses and no one sitting on the stools. “Yeah.”

He kissed Angel’s nose and Angel giggled before kissing Husk’s nose in return. Cherri rolled her eye, though she was smiling. “Come on, you two.” She summoned them to follow her into the kitchen.

They sat and talked while munching on chips and cookies. Periodically, Angel and Husk would lean over to kiss each other, and Cherri would make fun of them. Angel clapped back with the fact that she wanted them to get together, and Cherri replied that they were still being gross. Husk responded by grabbing Angel, dipping him down, and licking along his face. Angel shivered and squealed. Cherri wretched and Husk stared her dead in the eye and slowly licked his lips. Cherri mentioned that she wasn’t surprised Angel was attracted to such a horny freak. Angel did nothing but nod as he tried not to think about how being licked reminded him of Valentino.

The next day, Angel decided to work the pole and Husk sat and watched. Husk clutched a bottle in his hand as he watched Angel spin around.

“You’re so talented,” Husk said.

Angel nearly lost his grip and blushed. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Husk said. Angel dropped to the ground and slowly stood, ass sticking out as he did. “And you look good too.”

Angel pulled himself into the pole and hid his face. Husk smirked as Angel muffled a squeal. “Never took you as the type to get flustered,” Husk said.

“Yeah, well,” Angel said, spinning on the pole until he faced Husk. He wanted to say something smug or cheeky, but all he could muster was: “I am.”

“Fine by me,” Husk said, resting his check on his hand. “You’re cute when you get like this.”

Angel squealed and spun around until his back was facing Husk. Husk laughed. Angel was wearing a tank top that exposed most of his back and Husk admired it from his seat. His eyes trailed down Angel’s spine until he reached Angel’s ass wearing a pair of booty shorts that said JUICY on it. Angel spun again, sliding down until his back almost hit the floor and he threw a leg up in the air.

Husk’s wings ruffled at the sight. “Nice legs.”

Angel bit his lip, trying to compose himself. “They are my best quality.” He readjusted himself so he was holding onto the pole, facing downward, and threw both of his legs up above.

Husk whistled and Angel felt himself getting hard. He wrapped his legs around the pole and squeezed. Husk shifted in his seat and Angel could see Husk’s erection through his pants.

“Bet they feel nice around the neck,” Husk said.

Angel practically came on the spot. He jittered, nearly losing his grip, and untangled himself, spinning around until he landed on the floor. “I’ve been told they do.”

“I can always find out for myself, can’t I?” Husk asked, grinning and raising an eyebrow.

Angel was suddenly hyperaware of the fur on his body, of his hands on the pole, his legs brushing together. He swooned, stabilizing himself on the pole. He wanted to tear his clothes off and throw himself at Husk but was startled when he saw Valentino walk into the gym.

“Oh, shit. Didn’t know you would be in here,” Valentino said, holding his hands up. “My bad!”

“Oh, no! It’s fine,” Angel said.

“No, no. You’re on the pole now. I can wait,” Valentino said, turning to walk away.

“Wait!”

Valentino whirled around, looking as startled as Angel felt. Husk was watching him too, intently. Angel squirmed and shrank into himself. “Uh, I’ll be done in here soon,” he said finally.

“Alright,” Valentino said, standing in the doorway.

Angel rubbed his arm and shifted awkwardly. Valentino coughed into his hand. “So, Angel. You feeling better? Think you’ll come back to work soon?”

Angel froze. “Uh…” he felt like a deer in headlights. Husk and Valentino were both staring at him. His body rattled and he felt like his bones would disconnect and he’d fall in a heap on the floor. “Val…”

Valentino fidgeted. “You seem like you’re doing better,” he said.

Angel clutched his chest. “Look,” he said, unable to meet Val’s gaze. “It’s just, this is different. Bein’ at the hotel and dancin’. But, at the studio. Y’know, with everybody.” He noticed Valentino’s shoes and shut his eyes. “And, y’know, sex…” The word alone was enough to make Angel hard. He covered his groin with his lower hands. “I dunno. Uh, just, penetration, violence. Y’know?”

Valentino’s antennas and shoulders slumped. “Right…”

“Look,” Angel said. “It’s not like I never wanna work again. Or have sex. That’s-that’s not what I­-!”

“No, I know. It’s okay,” Valentino said, hurriedly.

“You sure?”

Valentino sighed. “Yeah.” He smiled. “Look, you take all the time you need to calm down. Just let me know when you’re ready, okay?”

Angel stared. The look on Valentino’s face was so soft and gentle it made Angel feel wet. Angel looked away and said: “Yeah. Okay.”

Valentino nodded. He slipped out the door and left Angel and Husk alone. Husk looked at Angel and smiled warmly. Angel smiled, but it fell when he looked back at the door.

The next week was torture for Val. Vox was not happy that Valentino gave Angel time off, but Val insisted it was for the best. “If he’s not at his best, then the movies won’t be as good!” was his excuse and he could tell Vox barely believed it. Whenever Vox bombarded him with texts demanding to know if Angel was better yet, Val would ignore him, only offering a ‘dunno yet. sorry. busy w/ charlie’ as an excuse at the end of the day. It wasn’t entirely untrue, but now that the armor’s camera had been destroyed, Val could lie about what he was up to without worrying about Vox knowing better.

Valentino had been allowed to be in the lobby the same time as Angel, though he was still expected to keep his distance. It was nice getting to be in the same room as Angel, though Valentino now had the misfortune of seeing Angel and Husk together. They’d sit at the bar and drink while holding hands. Angel would take copious polaroid photos of them together. Husk would show Angel card tricks and whenever Angel figured out how Husk managed something, Husk would reward him with a kiss. Watching Angel melt as soon as their lips met made Valentino’s stomach churn and he’d jam the cinnamon stick so far down his throat he almost choked on it.

He wanted to rip Angel away from Husk. Lock Angel up in his room and keep him to himself. Banging the back of his head against the wall, Valentino reminded himself that doing so would just hurt Angel more. Every intrusive thought about pinning Angel to the bed and fucking him only reminded him of his own pimps and he saw their predatory hands every time he looked down at his own.

So, he sat back and watched Angel enjoy his time with Husk. Cuddling up to him. Running his fingers through the cat’s fur. And Husk wrapping his arms and wings around Angel and carrying him to bed when he fell asleep on the couch. Valentino remembered all the times he’d carried Angel to bed and could still feel the weight of Angel in his arms. He wanted to hide away in his bedroom and touch himself to the thought of Angel, but every time the thought crossed his mind, he’d feel a wave of nausea in his stomach. He wanted to draw pictures of Angel sprawled out on the bed, his dick out and covered in cum, but he worried what would happen if Charlie or Vaggie, or even worse Angel himself, came across it.

He sat in the lobby, doodling pictures of the hotel interior to distract himself as he sucked on a cinnamon stick. The most pleasure he felt these days was seeing a dejected Alastor shuffle through the lobby, still handcuffed. Valentino smirked whenever the Radio Demon passed by, and Alastor would shoot him a pitifully attempted death glare. Alastor trudged to the bar where Angel and Husk were kissing over the counter and said: “If you two could stop sucking face for a moment, I’d like a whiskey.”

Valentino relished in Angel and Husk pulling apart so Husk could make Alastor’s drink. The next day, during a lesson, Valentino asked Husk how he felt still having to make drinks for Alastor.

“He’s just another customer now,” Husk said, fixing up Valentino martini.

Alastor was seated on the couch in the farthest lounge. His ear tufts stood up at the mention of his name, though he never tore his eyes away from the newspaper he was reading.

Valentino thanked Husk for his drink when he was handed it. He sipped it, eyes narrowing on the kiss mark on Husk’s cheek.

“So, Husk,” Valentino said. “How’re things with Angel?”

Husk smiled. “They’re good.”

Valentino frowned and stared at the counter. “Good. Uhm, have you guys, y’know?” He made a lewd gesture.

Husk shook his head. “Since he needed a break from work, I figured he wasn’t ready for sex yet, so I haven’t asked. Figured he’d say something when he’s ready.”

Valentino sighed. “That’s…sweet of you.”

“It’s just common curtesy,” Husk said, shrugging.

Valentino slumped onto the table. Husk watched him, blankly, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes. Valentino sighed and said: “You’re a good boyfriend, Husk. Better than I ever was.”

Husk’s eyes widened. “Listen, maybe you weren’t the best partner for Angel, but you can still be a good boss for him.”

Valentino’s stomach churned. The idea of never getting Angel in bed with him again made him want to die.

“And if it makes you feel better, Angel does really appreciate everything you’ve been doing,” Husk said.

Valentino’s head jumped off the table. “He does?”

“Yeah,” Husk said, smiling. “We were just talking about it. He looked nervous around you the other day, so I asked if you did anything wrong and he said you were doing fine. He’s just a little shaken by it since he’s getting used to you being good. But he does like it.”

Valentino blinked, mouth agape. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Husk said.

Valentino sat up. He looked at the upstairs hallway leading to Angel’s room. A warm tingling sensation spread throughout his body at the thought that Angel appreciated all his work to be good. Angel may have been dating Husk, but when he finally came back to work, maybe things would be better.

That evening, he’d been summoned to Vee Tower for a meeting. He dreaded what Vox was going to say, but he knew avoiding it would be catastrophic. Velvette met him in the lobby and road the elevator with him to the conference room.

“He’s not happy,” Velvette said.

“Vox. Not happy? Wild,” Valentino said.

“We’ll be going over alternative ways to make bank while we wait for your little spider bitch to get over himself,” Velvette said.

Valentino glared. “He almost died, Velvette! He’s got every reason to be freaking out.”

Velvette shrugged. “Still seems like he’s being a pussy to me.”

Valentino sneered.

The elevator door opened and they walked inside. Valentino bumped into Kitty as she walked towards the bar. “Oop! Sorry, Kitty,” Valentino said. Kitty stared at him, shocked, as he took his seat.

Velvette pulled out her phone and Valentino pulled out a cinnamon stick.

“What the fuck is that?” Velvette asked, pointing.

“A cinnamon stick, duh!” Valentino said.

“Why do you have that?”

“It’s a cigarette replacement.”

“You don’t have any cigarettes?”

“No, I still have some,” Valentino said, pulling out a box from his coat. “But they won’t let me smoke at the hotel, so I’ve been sucking on these.”

“We’re not at the hotel, Val,” Velvette said.

Valentino blinked, confused, when the elevator door opened, and Vox stormed inside. Kitty stepped away from the bar and Vox seized his scotch off her tray. “Let’s get started, shall we?” he snapped, glaring at Valentino as he took his seat.

Valentino bristled but eased up when Kitty handed him his drink. “Thank you, Kitty,” he said. Kitty blinked, then shook her head and walked over to Velvette.

As Velvette took her drink, Vox gulped his scotch down and slammed the glass on the table. Kitty slipped the glass onto her tray and skittered off to the bar.

“We’ve lost an entire weeks’ worth of filming thanks to Angel’s little meltdown,” Vox said, rising from his seat and staring down at Valentino. 

Valentino averted his gaze and said: “I told you, he’s still fucked up from the fight with Alastor.”

Vox hummed, not convinced, and proceeded: “So, until the whore can get his shit together, we need to find an alternative way to make back the money that we’re losing from this.”

Valentino sank in his chair, seething. Velvette swipped her finger across her phone, flinging out bright blue floating screens that hovered above the conference table. Each screen had something different on it; some with images of clothes, some had Angel on it, others had Velvette’s Love Potion. Valentino’s eyes narrowed on the Love Potion screens.

“Val and I were discussing ways we could monetize Angel’s image without having any new works from him,” Velvette started. ‘Discussing’ was a stretch. The night before, Velvette texted Valentino an idea that Valentino had waved away with a ‘sure. ok.’ And let Velvette do what she thought would win Vox over. “I could recreate some of Angel’s most iconic outfits and we could sell those for $500 each.”

Vox sat down and leaned back in his chair. “That’s an idea. But is it going to be enough to make up for what we’re losing this week?”

“Hold your horses, Voxxy, there’s more,” Velvette said, waving her hand. Vox rolled his eyes and Velvette pointed to another screen. “We can have special screenings in theaters of Angel’s old films, the one’s we’ve put in a vault.”

Vox tapped his heel impatiently. “Anything else?”

“We have it be a couples night event. Bring a partner and all that. And at the concession stand, they can sell my Love Potion,” Velvette said, pointing to the Love Potion screen. “We’ll encourage people to come dressed as Angel, and then get people to wank off and fuck in the theaters to Angel’s old movies.”

Vox sighed, rubbing between his eyes. “That’ll have to suffice. It should bring in a fair bit. Sinners are probably depraved enough to spend money on all that.”

Valentino grimaced. He thought back to all the times he’d used a Love Potion on Angel to get him to quiet down and take whatever Valentino did to him. It was one of the things on Angel’s list that Valentino wasn’t allowed to use anymore. He could just see the look of horror and disappointment on Angel and everyone else at the hotel’s face if the Vees followed through with this.  

“Uhm, maybe we shouldn’t do the Love Potion thing,” he said, finally.

Velvette and Vox snapped their attention in Valentino’s direction. Even Kitty had stopped what she was doing at the bar to stare at him.

“Why not?” Vox asked.

“Well, you know, does it really add anything?” Valentino asked.

Velvette and Vox stared at him, incredulous. “Of course, it does, Val,” Velvette said. “They watch the porn to get their rocks off.”

“Okay, but then why do they need the Love Potion? They’re probably gonna get wet enough when they see Angel onscreen,” Valentino said.

“Right, and then the Love Potion will loosen them up enough to fuck during the movie,” Velvette said.

“What if they don’t want to fuck?” Valentino asked.

Velvette and Vox’s jaws dropped. “Why the fuck would they be watching porn if they didn’t want to have sex, Val?” Vox asked.

“Maybe they just wanna touch themselves! I dunno,” Valentino said, squirming in his seat.

“Well, it’s a couple’s event so they wouldn’t be going alone,” Velvette said. “And even if someone’s partner wasn’t in the mood, they could always slip them something to help put them out.”

Valentino stared, horrified. Velvette said it with such a casual malice it sent chills down his spine. Every pervert who’d ever forced themselves onto Val invaded his mind, along with every instance he’d done the same to Angel.

“You can’t do that!” he cried, startling Velvette and Vox. “You can’t just give people an excuse to hurt their partner! Like, your partner’s supposed to care about your feelings, what if you’re not up for it? Or maybe you were getting into it but you wanna stop?!”

 Several instances he’d been on the receiving end or instigator of this exact situation flashed through his mind.

“We’re really just gonna enable creepy shitheads to force their partners to do something they may not wanna do?! For what, money!? Isn’t that violating their trust in us? Isn’t our motto ‘Trust Us’?!”

Vox and Velvette were gaping at him, mouths slacked, leaning back in their chairs. Velvette’s phone nearly dropped from her hands, and she said: “Holy shit, Val, you’ve gone soft.”

Valentino blinked, snapped out of his triggered memories. “What?!”

“You’re spendin’ all your time at that hotel, and now their Bible camp bullshit is rubbin’ off on you,” Velvette said.

Valentino scoffed. “They are not rubbing off on m-!” He noticed the cinnamon stick in his hand. He hid it under the table and slunk down into his chair. “I’m just getting into character. You know? We need them to believe I’m really trying to improve, right?” he asked, putting on his usual air of sly deviance.

“You’re not at the hotel now, Val. You don’t need to keep up the act,” Vox said.

“R-right,” Valentino said, façade slipping. “But, you know, the better I am at it, the better chance we have of winning Angel back.”

“Angel hasn’t worked this entire week because you let him off until he comes down from his little panic attack,” Vox said, rising from his chair and stalking over to Valentino.

Valentino gulped. “He’ll get better. He said he still wants to work, so…”

“And you wanna make him feel safe, don’t you?” Vox asked in mocking concern. He cocked his head to the side as red venom dripped down his chin. “You wanna give him everything he wants because all you care about is how Angel feels!”

“Vox, I’m just trying to help,” Valentino said.

“WHO are you trying to help, Val?!” Vox snapped, electricity bursting out of his face.

“YOU! The-the business!”

“If you were trying to help this business, you’d drag Angel’s ass back here instead of keeping up this charade!”

“You told me to go the hotel!”

“To spy on Alastor! And he’s out of commission right now.”

“You said to try and win Angel back!”

“I didn’t care if you won him back or not, Val! So long as he was in the studio making us money, I couldn’t give less of a shit if he shares your bed! All that mattered to me was finding out Alastor’s plan and stopping him, which you did! And now you’re dragging this redemption shit out and for what? The possibility that Angel might want you again? You’re gonna hinge our whole empire on a maybe!? What are you accomplishing by giving Angel all this time off!? Why is he so damn important to you!? WHERE DO YOUR LOYALTIES LIE, VAL!?”

Valentino stared at Vox, trying not to look as shaken as he was. He let a sinister grin creep up his cheeks and said: “Oh, Vox. You really can’t figure it out?”

Vox raised his eyebrows, still sizzling.

Valentino chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, papito, after all this time, you think I wouldn’t be loyal to you? Voxxy, this is all part of the plan. Angel responds best to people respecting his space. Obviously, giving him the week off would make him feel safe enough to return to the studio, open and willing to do anything I ask.”

Vox’s eyes narrowed. “I see. And you neglected to share this master plan with me because?”

“Because I figured you would’ve realized it ahead of time. Silly me, I thought you were the smart one,” Valentino said, lifting Vox’s chin with his finger.

Vox bared his teeth. “You have until Sunday to get him back in the studio. And you’ll spend the entire day filming this past week’s movies. And if you don’t, I’ll just have to find a replacement for him, and for you.”

Valentino’s finger locked. Then he chuckled and said: “There won’t be any need for that, baby.” He flicked the underside of Vox’s chin and Vox glowered at him.  Vox straightened out, put his hands behind his back, and marched out of the conference room into the elevator. Valentino turned back to Velvette, who was staring with wide, concerned eyes. “See? I’m not soft. I’m the same bad bitch I’ve always been.”

Velvette nodded. “Sure, Val.”

Valentino deflated once she looked down at her phone. He glanced at the cinnamon stick in his hand. His mind wandered back to Angel, then to what Husk told him about how happy Angel was that Val was improving. Then his mind stuck on Angel and Husk kissing each other. He felt the chasm between himself and Angel widen as he looked back at the elevator to see Vox was already gone.

Angel and Husk were lying on an outdoor chaise lounge on the hotel roof. Husk was lying on his back as he held Angel close to him, rubbing Angel’s back while Angel gripped Husk’s chest fur with his hand. Husk watched Angel play with his fur and chuckled. “You like that?”

Angel blushed. “Yeah.” He paused. “It’s okay, right? You don’t mind?”

“Not at all,” Husk said, running his fingers through Angel’s hair.

Angel shuddered and seized a fist full of Husk’s fur. “Just makin’ sure. I mean, after all that time I creeped on ya, I don’t wanna do anything that you don’t like.”

Husk looked down at Angel. “You’re sweet. But you don’t gotta worry about it. I trust you.”

Angel’s head popped up. He stared at Husk’s smiling face and felt his stomach sink. “You sure?” he asked. “I mean, before we got together, I used to touch myself while thinking about you.”

Husk smirked. “Alright. I did the same thing.”

Angel’s eyes bulged. “You did?”

“Yeah,” Husk said, suddenly embarrassed. “I actually tried watchin’ one of your movies.”

“Oho! Did you?” Angel laughed.

“Yeah.” Husk’s face was red.

Angel bit his lip and leaned down. “Which ones did ya watch?”

“Only watched one, and couldn’t even get through it,” Husk said.

“Why not?”

“You were in a fuckin’ cow costume and mooing. And your costume only had one utter, like, what was that?!”

Angel snorted. “I remember that one! That was a fun shoot.”

Husk raised an eyebrow. “You actually enjoyed that?”

“Sure! I like getting to loosen up every now and then.”

“Hmm. Guess now I know what kind of a freak you are,” Husk said, smiling.

“Oh, baby. You can’t even imagine what kind of a freak I am,” Angel said, devious. He could feel Husk getting hard underneath him. “What I’d like to know is what kind of a freak are you?”

Husk smirked and it sent shivers right down to Angel’s groin. “I ain’t into no vanilla shit, if that’s what your thinkin’.”

“You sure?” Angel asked. “You couldn’t even handle cowplay.”

Husk snorted and Angel blushed. He was so fucking cute. “Everyone has their limits, and that one’s mine.”

“Hmm.” Angel spun his finger around a particularly long strand of fur on Husk’s chest. “I wouldn’t mind findin’ those limits.”

Husk purred and it make Angel’s head spin. “You wanna start lookin’ now?”

Angel blinked, suddenly self-conscious. “Oh, uh.”

Husk’s face softened. “We don’t have to if you’re not ready.”

Angel sighed. “Look, I really want to.”

“I know. But don’t push yourself, okay?” Husk said, cupping his palm around Angel’s cheek.

Angel eased into Husk’s touch, feeling how warm his palm was, and relaxed. “Okay.”

They sat on the roof for a while longer, cuddling and looking up at the night sky. Husk yawned and Angel insisted he walk Husk back to his room. They held hands the entire walk back, and Angel marveled at how small his hand was in Husk’s. He laced his fingers between Husk’s and held tightly as they reached Husk’s room.

“Have a good night, baby,” Angel said.

“You too, Anthony,” Husk said. Angel squirmed, face bright pink, and he used his free hand to cover his face. Husk reached up and gently pulled down on Angel’s shoulder. “Sweet dreams.”

“Sweet dreams,” Angel said, drowsy. His mind went blank as Husk kissed him. He gripped Husk’s face, not wanting to let go. Husk caressed Angel’s face and slowly peeled his lips away. They looked at each other, hopelessly in love. “G’night.”

“Night,” Husk said, fingers slipping away from Angel. He walked through the door, glancing back at Angel to smile one more time before closing it.

Angel sighed, leaning against the door, imagining Husk getting ready for bed. He pushed away from the door and walked off. He took the elevator down to his room and jumped when the door opened to reveal Valentino.

They both squeaked at the sight of each other and stared for a long time before Valentino finally said: “Hey, Angel! How are you?”

“Uh, fine,” Angel said.

Valentino remained in the doorway and Angel was frozen to his spot. Valentino wrung his hands together and looked at his boots. Finally, Angel swallowed hard and asked: “How was your meeting?”

Valentino looked up. “Oh, uh, about that.” Angel stared. “Look, we’ve lost a lot of time and money by not having you in the studio.”

Angel slumped. “Right.”

Valentino bit his lip, agitation rising. He gripped his hat and shut his eyes, forcing himself to breathe through it. “Angel, look. I know you’re still dealing with stuff…”

“Right,” Angel said. “But, I know you gotta make a living.”

“Yeah, but, like, I know I’m not supposed to force you do to stuff you don’t want to…”

“And I don’t wanna ruin your business…”

“Look, do you think that-?”

“I’m just bein’ stupid. I should be able to get over thi-.”

“Maybe we could do something without the rest of the team! You know?” Valentino blurted out. Angel looked up. “Maybe instead of a full team watching with someone fucking you, we could do like, porn that’s just you jacking off! That way you don’t have to worry about anyone touching you and or anyone else watching. It would just be the two of us.”

Angel’s face turned pink. “Just the two of us?”

Valentino’s face fell and he looked panicked. “Uh, if you’re up for that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh…” Angel stared, head spinning at the idea of being alone in a room with Valentino recording him touching himself. The idea was far too alluring for Angel to bare. He looked at Valentino’s worried, pleading face. “Val…that sounds… I mean, it would be better than, I mean! Uh…” Valentino watched him. “Uh, look can I think about this for a bit?”

Valentino bit his lip. “I need an answer by tomorrow night, okay?”

Angel sighed. “Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry.”

Valentino’s hand slid off his neck. “No. Don’t apologize. None of this is fair.”

“No, it’s not,” Angel said, hugging himself and looking away.

Valentino watched him, wanting to reach out and hold him but pulling his hands back. “I guess we’ll pick this up tomorrow. You go sleep on it.” He stepped to the side to let Angel out.

Angel stepped out of the elevator and said: “Yeah. Okay.” As Valentino stepped inside. Valentino pressed a button and before the elevator closed, Angel said: “G’night, Val.”

Valentino’s attention was startled away from the button. As the door closed, he smiled and said: “Buenos noches, amorcito.”

Angel stared above the elevator, listening to it ascend. When the noise stopped, Angel went back to his room. His whole body thrummed with arousal as he removed his clothes and got into his pajamas. He wanted to bash his head against the wall. Why did he have to feel like this? Why did Valentino still make him so crazy?

He plopped onto his bed and closed his eyes. Instantly, his mind wandered back to the time he’d tried to run away from Valentino. Cherri had insisted he come stay with her and he’d packed several bags to take with him. It was his day off and Valentino was out, or so he thought. There was a loud crash from Valentino’s room when Angel stepped in to grab the rest of his things. Val was drunk and breaking things and rambling about how nobody loved him. Angel wanted to run away, just grab his stuff and go while Val was inebriated enough to not catch him, but he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Val. He knew enough about Valentino’s life from little things that slipped out when Val got drunk, and it was hard for Angel not to empathize with him. So when Valentino asked for confirmation that he wasn’t a monster, Angel lied.

He took Valentino to bed and a drunken Val fell ontop of him. Falling on his back, Angel was crushed under Val’s body and unable to move. Valentino grasped Angel’s face and kissed him, tears streaming down his face onto Angel’s face.

Lying on his back now, eyes closed, Angel still could still feel the tears landing on his eyes and streaming down his face. He was pretty sure he started crying to, but how much of those tears were truly his he didn’t know. As far as he was concerned, in that moment and beyond, he was forever tied to Valentino, and crying Val’s tears was proof of that.

Angel blinked, realizing he had started crying. He wiped his eyes, thinking of the times he’d cried about his shitty family and Valentino would kiss his tears away. He thought of the times they’d lay in bed together, holding each other, terrified of letting each other go. Angel could still feel Valentino’s fur between his fingers, could feel Valentino’s fingers running through his hair. Rolling over on his side, Angel stared at the door. He wondered if Valentino was thinking about it too. If Valentino remembered any of it and missed it.

Angel rose from his bed and opened the door, seeing the hotel lobby outside. Valentino was sitting on the couch with his back to Angel. Slowly, Angel walked forward.

“Hey, Val?” he said, voice small.

Valentino turned around. “Oh, hey Angel.”

“Can we talk?” Angel asked.

“Of course, baby,” Valentino said, gesturing to the seat beside him.

Angel sat down, staring ahead. He could see out the window in Valentino’s penthouse room; the sky was light orange as the sun came up.

“So, what did you wanna talk about?” Val asked.

Angel sighed. He gripped the edge of his sweater and stared at his sock covered feet. “Val, listen. I- I really didn’t know what to expect when you started stayin’ here. I wanted you to get better, I wanted you to let me go, but I dunno if I ever really expected it to work. I mean, you’ve always been pretty stuck in your ways.”

“I know,” Valentino said, sadly. “And I’m sorry.”

Angel looked at him. His eyes were so big and sweet. “Yeah, well,” Angel said. “You really did start doin’ better. And I was worried it was just a fluke. That you weren’t actually getting better, you were just faking it like you always did, but no. You really changed.” He smiled. “You’re actually thinking abut my feelings. And now that I’m startin’ to feel safe around you again, it reminded me of all the stuff I like about you. How good you made me feel back when we first met.”

Angel looked up at Valentino. Both his antennas were full, healthy, and slicked back, and he was wearing the same outfit he wore when they’d first met. Angel sheepishly pushed his hair back and said: “I don’t think I realized how much I missed it. How much I missed you.” He was shaking, but he felt good, weightless. He practically floated up to Valentino’s eye level and put his hands on Val’s shoulders. “I love you, Val! I still do. I don’t think I ever stopped.”

Valentino gaped at him, then smiled and said: “I love you, too, Angel.”

Angel seized Val’s fluff and pulled him in for a kiss. Valentino ran his fingers through Angel’s hair and slide his tongue down Angel’s throat. They fell over, Valentino on top of Angel as he landed on Valentino’s bed. They grabbed each other tightly, nearly suffocating from their kiss. Angel pulled Valentino closer and realized they were both naked. Valentino slid inside Angel and Angel threw his head back. He scratched down Valentino’s back and he thrust in and out.

“Aouh! Oh, Val! VAL!” Angel squealed, feeling high as a kite. Valentino licked Angel’s face and bit his neck. Angel squeezed his eyes shut and could feel himself about to cum. “AH! VAL! AH!” It had been so long since they’d done this and Angel actually wanted it. He hugged Valentino around the neck, wanting to be as close to him as possible when he came. He could feel tears forming in his eyes and he gasped for air. “Val,” he sighed, opening his eyes. His stomach dropped when he noticed a figure standing over them.

“Husk!” Angel shrieked.

Husk was staring down, looking crestfallen. Angel could see the hurt and betrayal in his eyes. “Oh, no. Husk! AH!” Valentino was still fucking him. “H-Husk, AOUH!!!” Angel wanted to tell Val to stop, but it felt so good. Angel’s grip on Valentino released and he slid off, flopping onto his back as Valentino worked to finish him off. “Husk!” Angel cried, feeling Valentino hit all the right spots. Husk’s wings curled over himself and he looked away, his face twisting in agony. “N-Nuh-NO! HU-HUUUUUUSK!!!” Angel cried as he came.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Angel screamed, bolting up from his bed. He was alone, save for Fat Nuggets who squealed and jumped out of his bed.

Angel looked at the photo of Husk on his wall. He felt his heart crumble at the thought of loosing that smile. The sun was up already, streaming in through his now broken balcony door. Angel threw the covers off himself and rushed out his bedroom door.

Chapter Text

Angel raced down the staircase. He could feel the fresh cum squishing between his thighs and it made him feel even more disgusting. Husk was just slipping behind the bar counter when Angel reached the bottom step. Husk looked up and smiled as Angel ran towards him.

“Oh, hey! What are you doing up so earl-MMM!!!” Husk’s wings flared out as Angel launched himself across the bar to grab Husk and kiss him.  Husk stumbled a bit and grabbed Angel around the waist. Angel was hanging off the bar by the lower half of his legs and furiously grasping at Husk’s face as he smooshed their lips together. Husk made muffled noises as he tried to push Angel off, only getting the chance to speak when Angel tried to pry his mouth open with his tongue. “GAH! FUCK! ANGEL!?”

Angel opened his eyes, horrified when he realized what he was doing. “Oh, shit. SORRY! Sorry.”

“You’re alright. Just take it easy, Jesus,” Husk said, slowly walking the length of Angel’s body back to the bar. Angel sat up on the counter, shaking. “You alright?” Husk asked, reaching out to touch Angel’s arm.

Angel grabbed Husk’s hands and held them in his own. “Husk, I love you, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, of course!” Husk said. “I love you too, Anthony.”

“I love you,” Angel said, taking Husk’s hands with his lower set so he could seize Husk’s face with his upper ones. “I love you so much! Okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Husk said as Angel squished his face. He pried Angel off him and asked: “What’s going on?”

Angel noticed his reflection in the mirror. He looked haggard with dark circles under his eyes and his hair every which way. He could still feel the cum in his pants. “Ah.”

“Oh!”

Angel nearly fell off the counter when he heard Valentino.

“Uh, are we changing the schedule? I thought I was out here this morning,” Valentino said, looking embarrassed.

“Oh, no. Y-you’re fine,” Angel said, shakily getting off the table. He nearly fell but Valentino swooped in to catch him. Angel’s hands flew up and he grabbed Valentino’s shoulders. He gasped, horrified as he realized Valentino was dipping him. He could feel his wet cock rising and rubbing against the fabric of his pants.

“You okay?” Valentino asked.

“Oh my god. OH FUCK!” Angel flailed about, scrabbling away from Valentino as he let go.

Valentino groaned, gripping his face and dragging it down. “Agh, sorry! I-!”

“NO! Fuck, Val, you’re fine,” Angel stammered.

“So, what’s the problem?” Valentino asked.

“Angel?” Husk asked.

Angel froze. They were both staring at him, looking worried. He felt the room spin, he wanted to run. He felt sticky, wet, and gross and he wanted to peel off his skin like a snake. With no other ideas, Angel blurted out: “I’M GOING TO BATH!!!”

Husk and Valentino stared at him, confused. Angel blinked, unable to move for a moment, before bolting up the stairs again.

Valentino smacked his forehead. “Was that my fault?”

“No, he was acting weird before you got here,” Husk said.

Valentino sighed, forcing himself to breathe. “Last night, I asked him about working again and that I needed an answer by tonight. Do you think that had anything to do with it?”

“Dunno,” Husk said, looking up as Angel disappeared down the upstairs hall.

Angel rushed into the bathroom. He twisted the handle until water came gushing out of the bath’s faucet. He wasn’t really a fan of baths, but he couldn’t handle a shower now, it would just turn him on more. Plus, he felt dirty, he needed to clean himself off. As the tub filled with water, Angel stripped.

“FUCK!” he cried, furious at how the simple act of removing clothes made him wanna cum.

He threw his clothes to the side, noticing his ugly feet and grimacing. He turned off the faucet and stepped into the tub. His teeth chattered, the water was cold, but maybe that would stop him from getting horny. It helped, but it just made him uncomfortable in a new way. Angel gripped his hair and cried. He wanted to scream but didn’t want anyone to hear him, so he bit down hard on his hand. Fat Nuggets watched sadly in the doorway, which was still wide open. Angel wiped his eyes and turned away from the pig. He sniveled, feeling pathetic and evil. He wanted to rip off his traitorous cock and tear it to shreds. He wanted to pull his heart out and puncture it. Why did he have to feel this way? Why did he always have to ruin everything!?

He jumped, splashing water onto the floor, when he heard a knock at the door.

“Tony?”

Angel’s felt everything in his body flush out, leaving him hollow, when he heard Husk’s voice. “Uh, H-Husk!?”

“Can I come in?” Husk asked, voice loud but soft.

“Uh…” Angel wanted to say no. He wanted to push Husk away, but figured if he did that it would just worry Husk even more. “Yes.”

He heard the lock click and Keekee skitter away as Husk entered. Angel looked out of the corner of his eye at Husk patting Fat Nuggets on the head before entering the bathroom.

“Hey,” Husk said, walking up to the tub. “How’re you doin’?”

Angel’s lip quivered as Husk knelt down beside him. “Uhm.” He looked down at his reflection in the water.

Husk rested a hand on Angel’s shoulder, making Angel jump. “Oh, fuck! What happened?” Husk asked.

Angel splashed cold water on his face and growled. “Ugh! Nothing! I’m bein’ stupid.” He sank deeper in the tub.

“You’re not stupid, Angel,” Husk said, sternly.

Angel groaned, sinking deeper until he had to lift his feet up on the edge of the tub for his body to fit in it. “It was just a dream. I’m bein’ ridiculous.”

“What was your dream about?” Husk asked.

Angel tensed.

“Val said he talked to you about coming back to work yesterday and he was wondering if that had you freaked out,” Husk said.

“Uh, somethin’ like that,” Angel said.

“If you don’t wanna go back to work, you don’t have to,” Husk said. “Val’s not like he used to be, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Angel sighed. “It’s not that. He’s got a business to run. And knowin’ how Vox is, Val’s probably worried about losing everything if he can’t make the money back.”

“That would suck for him, but you shouldn’t have to force yourself to work just for somebody else,” Husk said.

“Just forget it, Husk. Let’s talk about somethin’ else, okay?” Angel said, tilting his head back and letting his hair flop over.

Husk sighed. “Alright.” He glanced to the side and looked at the edge of the tub. “Are those your feet?”

Angel’s eyes flew open and he saw his feet just up and out in the open. He shrieked and sat up, forcing his feet back in the water with a splash.

Husk laughed. “You got little spider feet?” he asked, trying to see through the water.

“Don’t make fun!” Angel snapped.

“I’m not makin’ fun, Angel, I think they’re cute,” Husk said.

Angel stared at him. “You think my feet are cute?”

“Yeah, don’t you?”

Angel looked away. “No.”

Husk’s smile feel. He sighed. “I get it. I don’t like my demon form either.”

Angel looked at him. “You don’t like your demon form?”

“No! Like, what is this. I’m a cat, but I have wings! And what even is this tail?!” he asked as his tail lifted up to his shoulder.

“Hey, I like your tail,” Angel said.

“And I like your feet,” Husk said, leaning in, his voice low and sultry.

Angel blushed, mind going blank for a moment, then he laughed and rolled his eyes. “Well, now I know what kinda weird shit you’re into.”

Husk smirked. He lifted a hand up to Angel’s face and rested his thumb on Angel’s lip. Angel leaned forward and kissed him. Husk’s mouth and hand were warm, in stark contrast to the water. Angel leaned in, feeling his chest fluff spill over the tub as Husk cupped Angel’s face. They stayed that way for a while before Husk pulled away and said: “I love you, Tony.”

Angel smiled. “I love you too, Val.”

Husk’s smile disappeared, replaced with a look of shock. Angel’s fur stood on end as he registered what just came out of his mouth. “Oh, shit! Fuck! I meant Val. FUCK! No, HUSK! I mean Husk!”

Husk blinked, then shook his head and smiled. “Hey, it was just a slip of the tongue, right?”

Angel stared down at his reflection, unwilling to see Husk’s smile fall.

“Angel?”

Angel squeezed his eyes shut. There was no use in hiding it. “I’m in love with Val again.”

Husk had been on his knees, but when Angel said this, he fell back on his heels.

Angel shook his head. “Heh, again. I don’t think I ever actually stopped.” He ran his fingers through his hair, looking at the faucet and noticing the condensation drip. “Val, he was always a piece a work, but there were so many things about him that were great. He was a great fuck, obviously, but he could be nice. He supported me and encouraged me to be myself. He gave me my dream job. He gave me Fat Nuggets. He understood me in ways nobody else did. And all those things that I loved about him were always there, but there was all this bullshit to wade through to get to it. So, it didn’t feel worth it to stick around, y’know? But…” he dragged his nails down the back of his head. “But I kinda always hoped, y’know? That maybe he would be good again. That we could be together again and make things work and I’d never have to let him go! And now…” Angel wrapped his arms around himself, squeezing like he was giving a hug. “Now that might actually be possible. He’s really good now. He’s-.”

Angel’s words were stolen right out of his mouth when he looked up to see Husk’s demoralized face. He wasn’t crying, but Angel could see a hint of tears in Husk’s eyes. Angel felt his heart crumble to ash and he shook his head.

“B-but it don’t matter! I-it doesn’t matter at all!” Angel said, splashing around to fully face Husk. “I- I don’t need him, I got you now!” He took Husk’s hands and tried to force a smile.

Husk just stared at him, unable to move or speak. Angel’s hands trembled and his fake smile dropped. “Look, forget I said anything. It doesn’t-.”

“Angel.”

Angel blinked. He could tell Husk was barely holding it together. Husk looked away and said: “You…you should do what makes you happy. And…” he took a shuddering breath. “If you love him…”

“I love you, Husk!” Angel said, squeezing Husk’s paws. “I wanna be with you. I wanna be with both a you. Maybe-maybe I can! Like, an open relationship or somethin’. How’s that sound?!”

Husk blinked. “Oh, uh…”

Angel watched Husk’s eyes dart around, noticing the way Husk squirmed. “Would you not be okay with that?”

“Ah, look, it’s not that… I mean, it’s a fine idea, it’s just… ”Husk wrenched one of his paw away from Angel to scratch behind his neck. Angel stared, waiting. Husk forced a smile and said: “Y’know, I should really get back to the bar. They’re gonna start soon.”

“What? Husk!” Angel said.

Husk stood, Angel’s fingers barely clinging to his claws. “I’ll see you later.”

Angel’s fingers slipped off Husk’s as he walked away. “No.” Angel whispered. “No, HUSK! WAIT! PLEASE!” He fumbled, splashing around, unable to get his footing to stand up.

Husk looked back at him, and Angel was sure he looked as pathetic as he felt. “I’m sorry.”

Husk could barely stand to see Angel’s eyes welling with tears. As his own eyes began to water, he said: “You didn’t do anything wrong, Tony.”

Angel stared at him, and Husk could barely keep his smile up. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?”

Angel watched Husk slip out the door and crumbled over the edge of the tub. His voice broke on a sob as he cried: “Shit.”

Husk dragged his feet as he walked to the staircase. He could feel the tears coming and squeezed his eyes shut. Down in the lobby, he could hear Charlie asking Valentino if he’d seen Husk.

“He went to check on Angel. He should be back soon,” Valentino said.

Husk bristled at the sound of Valentino’s voice. So smooth and seductive, even when he wasn’t trying to be. There was a half full bottle of jack sitting at the bar and it was enough to push Husk to make his way downstairs.

“Oh! There you are, Husk!” Charlie said. “Are you ready to get started?”

“Mm.” Husk walked past her, behind the bar, and grabbed the bottle to chug down the remaining contents.

“Now remember, Val. It’s about letting go! Don’t feel bad if someone rejects you,” Charlie said.

Valentino sighed. “Alright.”

The last drop of jack slid down Husk’s throat as Valentino took a deep breath and sauntered up to Vaggie at the bar.

“Hola señorita. You look lonely. Want some company?” Valentino asked, leaning on the counter.

“Mm, nah. I’m good,” Vaggie said.

Valentino shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Husk stared. He looked so casual, unbothered. Husk rummaged for another bottle, not of anything in particular, as long as it was alcohol, as Valentino turned to the side to face Lucifer.

“Oh, diablo, you look a bit down. Need someone by your side?” Valentino asked, flirtatious but not overtly so.

Lucifer blushed and said: “Ah, well, someone by my side would be ni-I mean no! No thank you.”

“Alright. If you change your mind, the offer’s open,” Valentino said, slipping away in that sultry way he did, but never looking back at Lucifer.

Husk popped open the bottle and stuck it in his mouth.

Valentino walked past Vaggie to reach Alastor, who was sitting at the end of the bar, scowling.

“Hey.”

“No.”

“Fine by me.”

“Good job, Val!” Charlie whispered, giving him two thumbs up.

Valentino smiled. He looked a little tired, but appreciative of the praise.

Husk began chugging the bottle, squeezing his eyes shut as he did.

Dramatically, Valentino plopped down on the empty barstool and said: “Guess I’ll order myself a drink. I’ll have a margarita, please.”

Husk was still downing his bottle.

Valentino blinked. “Uh, is this a bad time?”

Husk was getting close to finishing.

Valentino’s mouth twisted. “Uh, Husk? You alright?”

The sound of Husk’s name caught his attention and he choked on his drink. He hacked and sputtered, spewing alcohol all over Valentino’s face.

“Ah! Fuck!” Valentino cried, stumbling back.

“Shit! Sorry! Fuck, ah!” Husk stammered.

“Ugh, you’re fine,” Valentino said, taking his glasses off and wiping them on a clean part of his coat.

“No! Uh, fuck.” The bottle slipped out of Husk’s hand and crashed on the floor. “AUGH!”

“Whoa! Easy!” Valentino said.

Husk stumbled back, avoiding the glass shards, and began trembling, frozen in place.

“Husk, are you alright?” Vaggie asked.

Husk looked up, seeing everyone staring at him. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he caught the genuinely concerned look on Valentino’s face. “Auh, ah!” he couldn’t speak. He felt pinned to his spot, unable to move or think.

“Husk,” Charlie said, gently. “Are you alright?”

She reached out to touch his arm and he screeched at the contact, swiping his claws at her. Lucifer bolted out of his chair to pull Charlie back before Husk could harm her.

Husk gasped. “Oh, god! No! I-I’m sorry, Princess!”

“I’m fine,” Charlie said. “Husk, what happened? You seemed fine this morning.”

“Uh.” Husk’s eyes welled with tears and he turned away. “It’s nothin’.” He sniffled and covered his eyes with his arm. “It’s nothin’. Don’t worry about it.”

Charlie watched him, sympathetically. “If you insist. Uh, why don’t we take a break while Nifty helps clean this up.”

Nifty popped up from behind the sofa and skittered to the bar with a broom while everyone walked to the lounge. Alastor stayed behind, watching Nifty sweep the glass around Husk’s feet and dump it in the trash. She looked up at Husk, who was still trembling, covering his face with his hands.

“Husk,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Husk glanced down at her through his fingers. Unable to bring himself to speak, he nodded and covered his face again. Nifty sighed. She dragged the broom across the floor as she walked over to the others.

“Do you think Husk will be okay?” she asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Nifty,” Vaggie said. “He might’ve just had too much to drink.”

Nifty looked back over. “He drinks all the time, but I’ve never seen him this upset.”

“Just give him some space,” Valentino said, gently scooting Nifty closer into the group circle. “He’ll open up when he’s ready.”

“Yeah, Nifty. It’s gonna be alright,” Charlie said.

Valentino glanced at the bar and noticed Alastor walking behind it. He frowned. Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer were all trying to make Nifty feel better. Valentino slipped away to hide behind the staircase and watched Alastor walk up to Husk, who was hunched over the bar counter.

“My word, Husker. What’s gotten into you?” Alastor asked.

Husk didn’t respond.

“I’m used to you having a more sullen demeanour, but this is a bit excessive, don’t you think?” Alastor asked.

Husk growled weakly. “I’m not in the fuckin’ mood, Al.”

Alastor looked down at his hands, sneering at the Angelic cuffs. “You’ve just been so happy, lately. Happier than I’ve ever seen you. Did something happen with Angel?”

Husk froze, a look of horror on his face. He scrunched his face to try and stop the tears.

Alastor stared. “Husk?”

Husk sniveled and said: “He still loves Valentino.”

Valentino’s antennas shot into the air.

Alastor hummed. “Oh, dear.” He drummed his fingers, eyes scanning the counter. “I’m sorry he dumped you.”

Husk tried to hold in his sobs as he wiped his eyes. “He didn’t.”

Alastor looked up. Valentino’s antennas drooped.

“He said he still loves me,” Husk said. “He-he said he wanted to be with both of us. Like an open relationship.”

Alastor tilted his head. “So then what’s the problem? Are you not open to polyamory?”

“It’s not that,” Husk said.

Valentino leaned in closer.

“Then why are you so upset?” Alastor asked. “Angel still wants you. So, you don’t have him all to yourself. It’s not the end of the world.”

Husk choked back a sob, but soon the floodgates broke, and he was crying. “I don’t deserve him.”

Alastor’s ears pricked. “What?”

Husk wrapped his arms around himself and he double over onto the counter. “I’m a washed up has been. I have no power. Barely any money. I’m a drunk and a mess.”

“What does that matter?” Alastor asked. “Angel still likes you.”

“Angel’s trying to change,” Husk said. “And he is. He has! And so has Valentino. You’ve seen his progress. Maybe he won’t release Angel from his contract, but he’s still a better person than he was when he got here. But me? I’m not even capable of getting better. I ruined all my relationships in life and in death. I ruined my empire as an Overlord. I couldn’t even save Angel when you threatened him! But Valentino did.”

Valentino’s back straightened. He stared, dumbfounded, into space as Husk gripped his head. "I wanted Angel so bad. I still do. But he deserves better. He deserves someone who will take care of him. Who won’t drag him down. I want him to be safe and happy. And if that means I can’t be his partner then…” His voice hitched as tears streamed down his face.

Alastor watched him, brow furrowed. Husk curled into himself, still hunched over the counter. Alastor reached out, about to touch the top of Husk’s head behind the ears, then paused, settling his hand on Husk’s shoulder. Husk flinched, ears shooting up. Alastor rubbed circles on Husk’s back and Husk broke again. He buried his face in his arms and cried as Alastor sighed and continued to comfort him.

Valentino was still standing under the stairs, mind spinning. Angel loved him again?! Still loved him!? All this work to win Angel back had actually paid off! Hurriedly, Valentino slipped around the staircase and ran up to Angel’s room. He paused in front of the door, staring at the polaroid photos of Angel and all the other hotel residents. His heart pounded. Doubt crept in; it almost didn’t seem real. He replayed what Husk said in his mind over and over again to reassure himself.  He realized he wasn’t breathing and drew a deep breath to center himself before raising his hand.

Angel was sitting, fully dressed, at his vanity. He’d stuck a photo of him and Husk in the corner of the mirror. He’d taken it after they started dating. They were kissing, and looking at it made Angel want to cry. He gripped his hair, wanting to bash his fists against his head. He thought about running downstairs and telling Husk it was all a joke and he didn’t mean it, but that would probably make things worse. Husk did hate Angel being fake after all.

Pulling at his hair, Angel considered pulling out his coke bag. There was, surprisingly, still quite a bit left, even after snorting it bit by bit over the past few weeks. He’d felt guilty every time he did it, knowing if anyone at the hotel found out they’d be disappointed, but at this point it didn’t matter. Husk was already disappointed in him and if Angel didn’t snort some now, he might resort to something more drastic. He was about to pull the bag out when he heard a knock at the door.

“Angel?” came Valentino’s voice.

Angel gasped, head spinning to face the door.

“Can I come in?”

Angel’s stomach clenched. He looked at himself in the mirror, eyes dark and hair disheveled. He shivered, thinking of the times Valentino would wrap his wings around Angel when he was cold or sad. He swallowed hard and said: “Yeah. Yeah, come on in.”

He hadn’t locked the door after Husk left so Valentino came right in. “Hey,” he said, smiling.

Angel trembled as Valentino fully entered the room, closing the door behind him.

“Ooh! Nice room. I see you still have the pillows I gave you,” Valentino said, pointing to the bed.

“Yeah,” Angel said, seeing Valentino’s reflection in the vanity mirror. “And all the make-up. And clothes.”

Valentino beamed. Fat Nuggets stirred in his bed and his eyes grew when he saw Valentino.

“Oh, you kept Fat Nuggets,” Valentino said, leaning down to pet him.

Fat Nuggets squealed and hurried into a corner. Valentino pulled back, watching the pig shiver, and shrugged: “Heh. He always liked you better.”

Angel nodded. “Course I kept him. He’s my favorite gift you ever gave me.”

“Really?” Valentino asked, sauntering over to Angel. Angel tensed, back going rigid as Valentino got closer to him. Val noticed, slowing his pace. Angel took several slow, deep breaths as Valentino approached.

“Yeah,” Angel said, almost choking on his salvia. “I love him.”

“That’s nice,” Valentino said, leaning over. Angel’s breathing became more rapid. Valentino paused right over Angel’s shoulder and said: “How’re you feeling?”

Angel shut his eyes. He felt his heart about to burst out of his chest. Valentino was so close, if Angel so much as leaned back, his head might bump into Val’s arm. Angel swallowed hard and said: “I dunno.”

Valentino frowned. “Sounds like you and Husk broke up.”

Angel’s lip quivered and he cried. “Fuck,” he whispered, furiously wiping the tears away. “He’s mad, isn’t he?”

Valentino glanced at the door. “Maybe not mad. Not at you.”

Angel dragged his hands down his face. “I’m so fuckin’ stupid. Why’d I have to tell him.”

“Tell him what?” Valentino asked, softly.

Angel’s eyes flew open. “Uh…” He saw Valentino’s face right behind his own in the mirror. His groin tingled as he realized he could turn his head to the side and catch Valentino’s lips in his own. “Uhm.” Angel wrapped his arms around himself.

Valentino stood, waiting. He stared at the back of Angel’s head, so close he could lean forward and bury his face in Angel’s hair. His fingers twitched and he rested his arms on the back of Angel’s chair. Angel jumped, startled by the closeness, and Valentino said: “Have you thought about it? What we talked about last night?”

A chill ran up Angel’s spin and he squeezed his legs together. “Uh, kinda.”

“And?” Valentino asked, sounding desperate.

Angel sighed, hunching over. “Val… I really miss you.”

Valentino perked up. “I miss you too, Angel.”

Angel looked at him in the mirror. “Yeah?”

“Of course,” Valentino said, gently reaching out a finger to touch Angel’s shoulder. Angel’s breath escaped him as Valentino gently ran his finger along Angel’s shoulder blade. “It hurt when you left. I know I got to see you at work, but it wasn’t the same. Sleeping alone.”

Angel frowned. “You had Vox.”

Valentino laughed, bitterly. “We only slept together when it was convenient for him.”

“You have other whores.”

“Not like you.”

Angel shivered. Fat Nuggets was watching, still trembling in the corner. “Really?” Angel asked.

“No. There’s no one like you,” Valentino said, leaning in closer, lips almost touching the side of Angel’s face.

Angel clutched his heart, feeling like he was about to explode. “Val,” he said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you behind.”

“Why did you leave?” Valentino asked, and Angel couldn’t bare the heartbroken look on his face.

Swallowing hard, Angel said: “I was scared.”

Valentino blinked, then frowned. “Scared of me?”

“Yes,” Angel said, breathless, and he was surprised how quickly he said it.

Valentino’s finger twitched against Angel’s shoulder. “Are you still scared?”

Angel sighed, relaxing against Valentino’s fingers. “No. You’ve changed, Val. I didn’t think it was possible, but I always hoped you would. You-you’re finally the man I fell in love with back when we first met.”

Valentino’s face glowed, unable to keep himself from smiling. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Angel said, smiling into the mirror.

Valentino’s heart swelled. He wanted to scream, jump for joy, grab Angel and hold him close and never let him go. He leaned in and said: “Come back home, Angel.”

Angel flinched. “What?”

“Come back to Vee Tower. To my room. We can be together again. Not just at work, but in general. Everything will be okay again! What do you say?” Valentino asked, trying to contain his exuberance, and failing.

Angel blinked.  He started to smile, tempted to say yes, until he noticed the photo of him and Husk. His smile fell. He knew Husk was downstairs, probably resenting him, but Angel couldn’t bare the idea of leaving him. Husk had told him he’d done nothing wrong, and Valentino said Husk wasn’t angry at him. Even though Angel’s instinct was to believe he was at fault, he knew deep down Husk really didn’t hate him, even if he was hurt.

His mind wandered to the rest of the hotel. He thought of Charlie’s smiling face and bubbly energy. Of Nifty scampering around like the chaotic gremlin she was. He thought of Vaggie and how her abrasive approach to things was really her way of showing she cared. Of Lucifer’s bumbling but well meaning attempts to help. The thought of moving back in with Val and never coming downstairs to see all their smiling faces again made Angel’s heart ache.

“Val,” Angel said.” I- I dunno.”

Valentino’s smile dropped. “What?”

“I- I dunno! Like, it’s not that I don’t want to be with you anymore, but…what about the hotel?”

Valentino scowled. “What about it?”

“I mean, I made a commitment to be here. To get into Heaven, you know?” Angel said.

Valentino blinked. “Do you want to get into Heaven?”

“Uhm…”

“I thought the only reason you came here to get away from me,” Valentino said, bitterness creeping into his voice.

“Well, yeah. But…” Angel realized it wasn’t the only reason. “I guess it just meant a lot that Charlie believed in me. That she thought I could do better. Even if I never got into Heaven, I could still get clean. Maybe I wouldn’t feel like such shit anymore.”

Valentino shuddered, fingers flexing against the back of the chair. “So, what? You want to stay here for Charlie?”

“Her. And everyone else here,” Angel said.

Valentino saw the photo in the mirror, and he felt his heart splinter. “Really? Aren’t you and Husk broken up?”

“Well, not entirely.”

“And you really like being around Alastor!? And don’t all the others get on your nerves sometimes?!”

Angel furrowed his brow. “I thought you were gettin’ along with everybody?”

“Yeah! I mean, sure, not Alastor, obviously. Fuck that guy. But yeah, the others are great and all, but…URGH!” Valentino gripped his hat.

“Val, I know they can be a bit much sometimes, but they’re like family! And this is like my home…”

“This is a hotel, Angel!” Valentino snapped, leaning in. “You stay here for a while, and then you leave. That’s how these things work! Charlie wouldn’t have made it a hotel if she planned on you staying here forever!”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But what!?” Valentino shrieked, looking as paranoid as he did angry. “You said you came here to get away from me, but now I’m better! Right? If that’s all you wanted, why the fuck would you stick around here?! They didn’t want you here forever and you already broke things off with Husk so why won’t you just come back!?”

“Val, why are you-!?” Angel started. His startled face lowered into a scowl. He glared at Valentino’s seething face and said: “You haven’t changed at all.”

Valentino snarled. They stared at each other for a tense moment, and then Angel dove under the vanity just before Valentino could lunge at him. Angel shoved the chair to the side, throwing Valentino off balance and making him stumble back as Angel darted for the door. Valentino’s muscle memory kicked in as he whipped out a cigarette and lit it. The red smoke turned into chains and Valentino threw it at Angel like a whip. The manacle clamped around Angel’s neck before he could reach the door and Valentino yanked the chain hard enough to throw Angel onto his bed.

Fat Nuggets squealed, hustling around, unsure of where to go or what to do.

“SHUT UP!” Valentino cried.

Fat Nuggets huddled back into the wall as Valentino advanced on Angel.

“Agh! FUCK! I shoulda known better!” Angel said. “You were never gonna change! You dunno how!”

“I did change, Angel! I did it for you!”

“If you really changed you wouldn’t have me in chains right now!”

Valentino slammed his hands down on the bed, boxing Angel in. “How the hell else am I supposed to get you to stay!? I tried giving you space, but you just decide you want to stay here anyway?!”

“You don’t fucking get it, do ya?!” Angel spat. “You didn’t learn anything from Charlie, did you?”

“Apparently, she didn’t teach me anything because you still don’t want me!”

“You’re supposed to give a shit about what I want!”

“I do give a shit about what you want!”

“THEN LET GO A ME!!!”

“GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!!!” Valentino cried. “WHY IS NOTHING I DO EVER GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU!? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT!?”

“I WANT TO GET AWAY FROM YOU!!!” Angel screamed, voice going hoarse. “That’s all I’ve wanted for years! That’s the whole reason I asked Charlie to work with you. Because I was hopin’ you’d finally let me outta that fucking contract and let me go!!!”

“FINE! You want to be outta the contract?! HERE!” Valentino dropped the chain and summoned the contract. Angel gaped as Valentino seized the contract with all four hands and violently ripped it to shreds. “There! THERE! IT’S DONE! IT’S OVER! NO MORE CONTRACT! HAPPY NOW?!”

There was a tense pause before the manacle around Angel’s neck unlocked. The chain dissipated into smoke and wafted away. Valentino’s eyes widened as he realized what happened. The contract in his hands began to disintegrate. “No. No, no, no, no, no, NO!” He grasped at the contract as it slipped from his hands. Angel gasped, his soul returning to him, filling the hole in his center that had been empty for over forty years.

They stared at each other, Angel looking shocked and Val looking horrified. Valentino shook, slowly reaching out for Angel, but Angel scooted back on the bed, pulling his legs in close to him. Valentino’s core fragmented, letting everything he’d work for slip through the cracks. The room was deathly silent, and Valentino felt like it was spinning around him. His hands trembled, and a growled bubbled up in his throat, before spilling out as he launched himself into Angel’s face and screamed: “FUCK YOU!!!”

He pushed back against the bed and stormed out of the room, nearly tearing the door off it’s hinges as he did. He stampeded downstairs as Charlie began to ascend them.

“Valentino! What happened? I heard a-OOF!”

Valentino shoved her to the side. “FUCK OFF!”

“Wha-hey! Valentino?” Charlie asked, stumbling after him.

As he reached the bottom step, Valentino wheeled around to scream: “I said FUCK YOU, BITCH!”

“What?” Charlie asked, rearing back like she’d been slapped.

Valentino caught a glimpse of hurt in her eyes and looked away from her. “Just leave me alone.”

“Wait!” Charlie said, barreling after him as he rushed towards the front door. “What’s going on? What happened?”

“NOTHING! NOTHING HAPPENED! Because your stupid lessons didn’t do ANYTHING TO HELP! Angel still doesn’t want me!”

“But he doesn’t need to!” Charlie said. “Just because Angel doesn’t want you doesn’t mean nobody will!”

Valentino’s heart crackled and split like Vox’s electricity, and he gripped his hat. “NO! NOBODY WILL! NOBODY EVER DOES!”

“Well, not if you act like this!” Vaggie said.

Valentino felt Vaggie’s comment like a blow to the gut. He felt the sadness coming and quickly suppressed it with rage. “FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU! I HATE THIS STUPID FUCKING HOTEL! I HOPE THIS WHOLE PLACE GOES UP IN FLAMES!” He stormed out the door and slammed it shut.

Everyone stood, silently. Charlie stared at the door, hands over her heart. The rest of the hotel looked at Charlie. “Sweetie,” Lucifer said, slowly rising from his seat.

Everyone wheeled around when the heard Angel rush up to the balcony banister.

“Angel?” Charlie asked.

Angel stared at the front door, panting. Slowly, a smile spread across his face and he yelled: “I’m out! I’M OUT! I’M OUTTA THE CONTRACT! YEEEES!” He threw his arms in the air and jumped for joy. He hooped and hollered, running around and nearly falling off the edge of the railing.

“ANGEL!” Husk cried, bolting out from behind the bar.

Angel writhed around, laughing like a maniac, and he stumbled back onto the balcony before falling over and curling into a fetal position. Tears streamed down his face, and he clutched at his heart. Everyone stared at his shaking body, listening to Angel’s hysterical laughing slowly morph into panicked, howling screams.

Chapter Text

Angel sat at the end of the dining hall table as Lucifer emerged from the kitchen. He set down a double tier cake with pink frosting, white icing along the sides that created spiderwebs and hearts, and black icing at the top that said: ‘Congratulations, Angel’. Everyone else in the hotel, including Cherri, had gathered around the table and applauded.

“Congratulations on your newly freed soul, Angel!” Lucifer said, patting him on the back.

“Heh, thanks,” Angel said.

He looked at Husk, who was standing to his right, smiling and clapping. Angel smiled and leaned over to kiss Husk’s cheek. Husk froze, taken aback. He glanced at Alastor from across the room. Alastor looked at Husk, then at Angel, and tilted his head to the side as if to say “Go on!”. Husk took Angel’s face in his hands and kissed him on the lips. Angel smiled and pulled Husk in by his suspenders.

“Get a room, you two!” Cherri jeered, playfully.

Angel flipped her off with his bottom left hand and Cherri laughed.

“I’m so glad you’re free, Angel,” Charlie said, eyes welling. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out with Valentino.”

“Don’t sweat it, Dollface. You did the best you could,” Angel said.

“At least now you can walk around the hotel freely, again,” Vaggie said.

“You can walk free anywhere now, Ang!” Cherri said, shaking Angel by the shoulders.

“That’s right! You’re out of a job now,” Lucifer said.

“Oh, yeah. Guess I am,” Angel said.

Nifty crawled onto the table and skittered up to stand by the cake. “What are you gonna do with all your free time, Angel?”

“Uh. I dunno,” Angel said, shrugging. “I never really thought this far ahead.”

He stared blankly at the wall. Everyone stared at him, all with similar looks of dreadful realization.

Husk broke the silence by saying: “Look, you don’t gotta figure that out any time soon. Just enjoy your cake, okay?”

“Yeah, Ang. You got all the time in the world to figure out what you wanna do,” Cherri said. “Let’s dig in!”

Angel snorted. “Yeah. Okay, let’s dig in!”

Nifty lifted the knife over her head and sliced through the cake. Cherri cheered her on as her slicing became more erratic and violent. Charlie and Vaggie tried to stop her. Lucifer bit his nails as his hard work was destroyed and Alastor insisted that Nifty have her way with it. Husk rolled his eyes, unamused, as Angel continued to stare at the back wall.

Valentino barely noticed anyone as he stormed through the streets of Hell. Someone came up and asked him for a picture, he told them to fuck off! A reporter barreled up to him, asking about how things at the hotel were going. Valentino responded by pulling out his gun. He’d used all the bullets fighting Alastor so when the gun wouldn’t fire, he used it to beat the reporter to death. People screamed and ran away. Some stayed hidden to record Valentino with their phones. Valentino paid them no mind and darted to Vee Tower.

Once inside, he immediately went into the studio, screaming as he ran to the posters of Angel hanging on the walls. He pulled the posters down, smashing the frames on the ground, and then pulling the posters out to tear them apart. When that was done, he stormed into Angel’s dressing room and ripped his costumes to shreds. He broke the mirror and dumped all the contents of the vanity onto the floor.

When he was done, he shakily wandered back into the empty studio. Everything from the last film shoot was still in place, waiting to be used again. Valentino stared at the set, the impression of Angel’s body could still be seen in the bedsheets, as well as the spot Valentino had sat in to comfort him. Fury bubbled up from Valentino core and he screeched, launching at the bed to rip the sheets apart with his teeth. He walked by a lamp and tossed it to the ground, ignoring the fire it caused as he left the studio.

There were pictures of Angel that lined the wall of every hallway, and Valentino tore them to bits. There were cardboard cutouts sitting along the floors and Valentino punched them until Angel’s head dislocated from his body. A fire alarm went off as he stormed into Velvette’s studio. There were mannequins wearing Angelic armor and Valentino ripped the ribbons off them. He proceeded to tear any and all clothing he could get his hands on to tatters as Velvette burst through the door.

“What the FUCK are you doing, Val!?”

“FUCK OFF!” Valentino screamed.

Velvette held out her phone, a video of Valentino beating a reporter playing. “You’re going viral for lashing out at reporter!”

“Who fucking cares!?” Valentino asked, holding a demolished cocktail dress in his claws.

“You should fucking care!” Velvette said. “Aren’t you trying to prove that you’re a good person?”

Valentino seethed. “FUCK BEING A GOOD PERSON!” He threw the dress to the ground. “Nothing I did mattered in the end! Angel doesn’t want me. He just wants Husk! He wants the hotel!!! FUCKING BITCH!!!” He pushed the sewing machine off the table and it smashed against the floor.

“God dammit, Val!” Velvette snapped, rushing to the sewing machine. “You can be pissed all you like, but don’t break my equipment!”

“Why not!? None of it matters!” Valentino rummaged through the drawers, emptying the contents onto the floor. “Apparently, I’m just a fucking monster who nobody cares about, so why does it matter if I ruin everything!?” He pulled out a box and shook it, the Angelic knife Velvette used to test the armor clanging on the floor.

“Val! Knock it off!” Velvette said, standing up.

“Maybe I should just destroy this whole place! Maybe I should kill everyone! Maybe everything and everyone should burn to the ground!” Valentino swipped the knife off the floor and threw it.

Velvette shrieked as the Angelic weapon grazed her cheek and landed in the wall behind her. Valentino’s anger dissolved the moment he saw the horrified look on Velvette’s face.

“Y-You almost killed me!” Velvette stammered, still frozen in shock and fear.

Valentino blinked. “I-fuck. No, Velvette.”

He reached out and Velvette yanked the knife out of the wall. She brandished it and yelled: “No! Stay back!”

“Velvette, I’m sorry! It was an accident!” Valentino said.

“You just said you wanted to kill everyone!” Velvette said.

“I didn’t mean it! Velvette!” Valentino said, walking towards her.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Velvette shrieked, running away, still holding the knife out in Valentino’s direction as she ran out the door.

“VELVETTE!” Valentino cried, running after her. “BABYDOLL, I’M SORRY! PLEASE! WAIT!”

Velvette turned the corner right where another poster of Angel hung. Valentino stared at Angel’s cocky face and screamed as he punched the frame and shatter the glass around Angel’s mouth.

Angel was sitting on his bed with Husk. He was wearing an oversized pink sweater with a heart shaped spider web on it and a pair on black shorts. Husk had his hand on Angel’s bare foot as he said: “Maybe you could sing someplace?”

“Maybe,” Angel said, looking out the window of his busted balcony door. It was getting dark and storm clouds were rolling in.

“Or you could be a dancer,” Husk suggested. “You’re good at that.”

“Yeah,” Angel said.

Husk frowned. “I’m guessing those are too close to your previous job.”

Angel sighed. “It’s not that. I wouldn’t mind having a similar job again.”

Husk raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t the whole point of this to get you out of the job?”

“I like doing sex work, Husk. I just didn’t like having Valentino as a boss,” Angel said.

Husk nodded. “That makes sense. Well, maybe you’ll find a better boss sometime soon.”

Angel groaned, rolling on his back. “Sure hope so. I could use a good fuck right about now.”

Husk stared at Angel, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed. Husk gripped Angel’s ankle and looked away. “Do you want me to do it?”

Angel’s head popped up. “Do you want to?”

“Would I have asked if I didn’t?” Husk asked with a smile.

Angel shrank into his shoulders. “No.”

Husk hummed, and Angel felt it vibrate in his groin. Angel bit his lip and sat up. “I’d like that.”

“Yeah!?” Husk asked, looking excited.

Angel beamed. “Yeah.”

Husk cupped his hands around Angel’s face and leaned in for a kiss. Angel’s skin tingled, and he wrapped all his arms around Husk. They pulled each other in close, gripping each other like they were terrified the other would slip away. They parted their lips and slipped their tongues in each other’s mouth. Angel moaned, letting his tongue slide over Husk’s. Husk hooked his tongue around Angel’s and sucked against Angel’s mouth.

“Mm.” Angel seized a fist full of Husk’s fur. Husk’s tongue trailed along the inside of Angel’s mouth and Angel shivered. The action reminded him of the way Valentino used to kiss him. Angel made a panicked whine and Husk pulled back, salvia hanging between their lips.

“You alright?” he asked.

“Uh…” Angel stared, blankly. He realized how tense he was, and it took all his concentration to make his body move.

“Anthony?” Husk asked, looking worried.

Angel blinked and flapped his gums as he sputtered out gibberish.

“Angel, are you okay?” Husk asked, gently touching Angel’s cheek.

Angel shook his head and shuddered. “Uh, yeah! Yeah, I’m fine.”

Husk’s brow furrowed. “You didn’t seem fine.”

Angel sighed, rolling his eyes. “Look, Husk, I’m fine. Just…maybe don’t put your tongue in my mouth.” He looked away, staring at one of his pillows.

Husk nodded. “Alright. I won’t.”

Angel smiled and Husk smiled back. Husk leaned in to kiss Angel lightly on the lips and Angel chuckled. “You don’t have to be precious about it, baby. I like it rough.”

Husk grinned, the look in his eyes a little predatory, and he pressed his lips harshly against Angel’s. Angel moaned and grasped Husk’s shoulders, pulling him down as he fell on his back. Husk ran his claws through Angel’s hair and Angel arched his back. He dragged his nails along Husk’s spine. Husk kissed Angel’s cheek and Angel glanced at his photo of Husk on his wall. He noticed the body pillow he’d used as a placeholder for Husk. Elated to have the real Husk in his arms, Angel lifted his hips and pressed his erection into Husk’s thigh.

Husk chuckled. “I gotcha, baby.”

He pulled down Angel’s sweater, exposing his shoulder, and dragged his tongue along Angel’s neck.

“Ah!” Angel froze. He remembered all the times Valentino had licked his neck, and his face, and his back, and every nook and cranny of Angel’s body. Angel made weak, pitiful noises, unable to articulate words.

Husk was pulling down Angel’s sweater when he noticed Angel’s tensing body. “Angel?” he asked, pulling away. His hand was resting on Angel’s chest fluff and Angel’s hand shot up to grab Husk around the wrist. “Whoa! Angel! What is it?”

Angel shook, staring up at Husk with a blank expression.

“Angel?” Husk asked, concerned.

Angel clung to Husk’s wrist, unsure if he was trying to pull him off or use him as stability. Husk’s wings flared out and Angel gasped, bombarded by memories of Valentino’s wings covering the ceiling as he leered over Angel.

“No! GAH! GOD! NO! GET OFF ME!!!” Angel shrieked, flailing and lashing out until Husk jumped back.

Husk sat at the foot of Angel’s bed as Angel continued thrashing. “Angel! It’s okay! Angel!”

“AAAHHH!!! AH! Ah! Ah…” Angel’s thrashing lessened, and he stared at Husk. He wanted to tell Husk to stop looking at him like something was wrong, that he had nothing to worry about, but he knew Husk hated when Angel was fake. Waves of anguish rippled throughout Angel’s body and he shrieked, tears streaming down his face. Husk watched, helplessly, as Angel curled into a ball and buried his face in the sheets, screaming and crying.

Valentino ran around, looking for Velvette. The fire alarm was still blaring, but it stopped once Valentino reached his room. He threw the doors open and ran inside.

“BABYDOLL! Please, where are you? I really am sorry! It won’t happen again! Please! Velvette!”

He tore through his gun closet and overturned all the furniture. Velvette wasn’t anywhere to be found. He trembled, crumbling to the ground.

“No. No! NO! GOD DAMMIT!!!” he shrieked, clawing at the carpet.

Vox burst out of the security camera in the top corner of the room. “VAL! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!? You beat a reporter to death, you started a fire in the studio, then you threw an Angelic knife at Velvette!?”

“Go away!” Valentino wailed.

“Look, I get that you’re upset about Angel rejecting you, but that doesn’t mean you get to just go around wrecking everything,” Vox said, striding up to Valentino.

“Who fucking cares?” Valentino asked, sounding more exhausted than angry.

“You should care!” Vox said. “You’re the one who’s all over the news beating a reporter to death!”

“He’ll just regenerate. I didn’t have any Angelic bullets left,” Valentino said.

“Is that why you pulled an Angelic weapon on Velvette?” Vox asked. “Because you didn’t get to off someone in the streets?”

Valentino hunched over, still gripping the carpet. “No! That was an accident!”

“Like you accidentally setting the studio on fire!?” Vox snapped. “You’re damn lucky the sprinkler system kicked on or this whole building would be up in smoke!”

Valentino growled, yanking the fibers out of the carpet. “WELL MAYBE IT SHOULD GO UP IN SMOKE! We lost our best actor, it’s not like this company’s going to last anyway!” He summoned more of his contracts. “Let’s just quit while we’re ahead!” He began tearing the contracts apart one by one.

“VAL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? STOP!” Vox lunged, gripping Valentino’s wrists to stop him.

Valentino wriggled. “GET OFF ME!”

“WHY ARE YOU DESTROYING YOUR CONTRACTS!?” Vox spat, finally wresting Valentino away from them.

“BECAUSE IT DOESN’T MATTER!” Valentino bellowed, standing up to stare Vox down. “None of this ever mattered to me! I don’t care about this company, I only did it for you! Because you only cared about me if I was able to make you money! Because that’s all anyone cared about! Nobody gave a shit about me. They just used me up and discarded me! That’s why I needed Angel. I needed someone who’d always be there no matter what, but even he doesn’t want me anymore!”

Vox stared at him, gob smacked, before laughing. “Well, gee! I wonder why!”

Valentino blinked. “What?” he asked in a small voice.

“You really can’t fathom why he wouldn’t like you? Look at you, Val! You blow up at the tiniest thing. You lay waste to anything you can get you hands on. The second something is outside your control you lash out and destroy it! And you wanna take about discarding people? You do that all the time! I can think of plenty of times you cast me aside when I wasn’t giving you what you wanted! Why’s it okay for you to throw me away but when I do it, it’s too far!?”

Valentino stared, noticing the way Vox’s voice broke. “I…Vox. I didn’t think you cared.”

BZZT! Vox shook his head. “I- I don’t! I don’t care, Val, I don’t need you to love me, I’m only pointing out what a hypocrite you are.” Valentino pouted and Vox scoffed. “Oh, are you gonna whine about it, you big baby? Because that’s just what you do! Because you’re an immature brat who doesn’t know how to deal with your problems! You’re right, Val. The only reason I can think as to why I’ve kept you around for so long is because you make me money! And you can’t even do that right! But no wonder you can’t do it right because apparently you didn’t even want to do it in the first place! You just wanted to fuck around with Angel all day and night, and the studio was just an excuse to do it! But even Angel didn’t want to put up with your bullshit forever, because he may be a whore, but he’s not stupid enough to waste his time on a pathetic man child who uses up all his energy on petty meltdowns! Of course, he doesn’t love you, Val? How could ANYONE LOVE YOU!?!”

Valentino stared at Vox, feeling the final crack splitter across his heart until it shattered into pieces. Valentino’s knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground. He couldn’t stop the tears from coming, no matter how small and pathetic he felt to cry in front of Vox. He buried his face in his hands as he wailed. His lower arms gripped at his broken core, feeling lost and empty and alone.

Vox watched, his anger dissolving. He’d seen Valentino fall to pieces plenty of times, but this was different. He was used to temper tantrums and destruction, not genuine displays of grief. Valentino’s cries rattled Vox’s core as he realized he may have always known Valentino was this vulnerable, but until now, he’d never been willing to acknowledge it.

Vox stepped forward, tepidly reaching out a hand: “Val?”

The sound of Vox’s voice sent Valentino over the edge. He screamed, clawing at the hooks holding his wings together until they flew away from his body. Vox stumbled back as Valentino’s wings emerged. Valentino seized the closest chair and chucked it the window, shattering it. The wind blew rain inside and Vox covered his screen.

“Agh! VAL!”

Valentino rushed to the window, spreading his wings as he leapt outside and soared on the wind.

“VAL! STOP! WAIT!” Vox ran to the window. He watched Valentino struggle to keep his balance, antennas twitching, before the wind swept him away. “NO! VAL!” A crack of lightning shot across the sky, nearly blinding Vox and sending him stumbling back. He looked back out the window, frantically looking around for Valentino and seeing him nowhere. Rain spattered against Vox’s screen as he cried: “VAL!”

The door behind him opened and he wiped around to see Velvette standing in the doorframe. She looked at him, worried. He looked back out at the storm, falling to his knees. “Val,” he whispered, voice breaking.

The storm wiped Valentino around and he tried, desperately, to regain control of his flight pattern, but to no avail. The world was a blur of color, rain, and flashes of light as he collided with something hard and blacked out.

Chapter Text

Angel slept dreamlessly, but he felt haunted throughout the night. Something cloying and oppressive encompassed him. Though he saw nothing, he felt the sensation of choking on Valentino’s smoke.

He woke with a gasp, hearing rain pattern against the window. Gripping the sheets, he looked around his room. It was dark, but there was a faint purple light outside that allowed him to see. Husk was sitting on the edge of Angel’s bed, hunched over, fast asleep. His wings hung heavy, weighing him down into the mattress. Angel wanted to lay him down on his back but didn’t want to risk waking him. Husk would want to talk about last night and Angel wasn’t ready for that conversation. 

Slowly, Angel sat up. Fat Nuggets was asleep in his bed as Angel stepped down onto the floor. The talons of his feet spread, and Angel cringed. He was as hyperaware of his body as he’d ever been, and he couldn’t bare it. He needed to get out, maybe go running. Anything to get him out of his head and body.

Angel crept to his open wardrobe and pulled out his regular jacket, shorts, boots, and gloves. He slipped his shorts off, feeling the fur around his groin and legs shift as he did. He whimpered, wanting to cry, but not wanting to wake Husk or Fat Nuggets. By the time his shorts reached his ankles, he was fully erect. Hissing, Angel tried his best to ignore it as he discarded the shorts to the side. His body shook; he wanted wake Husk up and beg him to try again, but even the thought of trying brought back memories of begging Valentino for sex.

Angel began to lift his sweater over his head, whining as the sweater dragged his fur up, sending shivers throughout his body. Once the sweater pulled at his chest fluff, he couldn’t take it anymore. He yanked the sweater over his head, jammed it into his mouth, and screamed. His scream made the sweater vibrate, buzzing around his face in a way that was overstimulating. He screamed until his throat went hoarse, not willing to stop until he released every bit of anger, hurt, and sadness inside him. His knees buckled and he sank to the floor. He gasped, shakily pulling the sweater away from his face, and looked up to see Husk and Fat Nuggets were still fast asleep. Angel clutched the sweater to his chest, not sure if he was relieved or disappointed his cry didn’t wake them.

He threw the sweater aside and frantically put on his clothes. He wanted to vomit, he wanted to scream again, he wanted to peel his skin off. Running wouldn’t be enough, and the fear of bumping into anyone on the street scared him. He knew they’d ask about Valentino and he didn’t want to talk about it. Didn’t want to talk about him. All Angel wanted was to turn off his brain and just make everything stop!

Angel felt the coke bag between the fingers of his retracted arms. Eyes growing wide, Angel looked at Husk. It would be easier to snort the remaining coke on his vanity, but if Husk awoke and saw, Angel would never hear the end of it. Swallowing hard, Angel decided to do it on the bar counter. It was early enough that no one would be downstairs, and it would give him time to snort and clean the counter before Husk woke up.

The door creaked as Angel slowly opened it. He glanced back at Husk and Fat Nuggets. They were still asleep. Angel slipped out the door without closing it, worried that the door clicking shut might finally wake them. There was a faint light glowing in the hallway lamps, but nothing much. Angel looked around. There was no one there save for the faint outline of someone at the end of the hallway. Angel gasped. He blinked and the figure was gone.

“He-hello?” Angel asked, soft and shaky.

There was no reply. Angel shook his head, figuring he was paranoid and imagining things. He turned the other direction and walked away before Alastor stepped back into the line of sight.

Angel tip-toed down the stairs, looking out and seeing no one in the lobby. As he sat at the empty bar, his retracted arms emerged, holding the coke bag. Angel lifted it up. In the dim light, he could make out the powder filling half the bag. There was a noise from above. Angel flinched, clutching the bag to his chest as he looked up at the staircase. Nothing. Angel took a shaky breath and looked back down at his bag. The light from the window was a purple-blue as the sun began to rise and Angel knew it was now or never.

Angel dumped the contents onto the counter and frantically splayed it out to lay flat. Angel used his index finger to separate the powder into fine lines. They were shaky, but Angel didn’t care, it was good enough. Angel plugged one side of his nose with his thumb and tilted his head to snort with his open nostril. The moment the drugs hit his system, he felt rejuvenated. In an instant, the pain and turmoil melted away and he felt lighter. He chuckled, snorting the other lines and completely missing Alastor watching him from the balcony. Alastor turned and walked down the upstairs hall right as Angel finished his final line.

Angel lifted his head and brushed his hair back. He breathed a sigh of relief, trying to remember why he agreed to quit drugs and unable to think of a good reason. It was so much nicer, being high. He didn’t have to deal with the pain of being alive, of being himself. Absentmindedly, he started cackling. This was the best he’d felt in a while and he wasn’t about to let it stop. He crawled on top of the counter and fished around underneath it for some booze. He grabbed a bottle, cracked it open, and began to chug. He glugged the entire thing in one go, and he belched as he wrenched the bottle from his lips. He was digging around for another bottle when he heard:

“Angel.”

Angel froze. He slowly looked up to see Husk standing at the top of the stairs, Alastor lurking behind him.

“What are you doing?” Husk asked.

Angel scowled. He didn’t have the patience for this. “The fuck does it look like?” he asked as he continued to rummage.

Husk sighed and descended the stairs. “Look, if this is about last night…”

“It’s about a lot of things,” Angel said, pulling out a bottle and trying to pry it open.

“I know you’re upset,” Husk said, halfway down the steps. “I know this past month has been a lot, but that doesn’t mean you need to throw away all your progress.”

Angel rolled his eyes. He was having a hard time pulling the bottle cap off. “Oh, fuck off, Husk. I started relapsin’ weeks ago.”

Husk’s feathers ruffled. “What?”

“I had the coke bag leftover from when Charlie and Vaggie were stealin’ all my stashes. I been takin’ bits at a time to get through the day. I been lappin’ up whatever’s left in yours or Cherri’s glasses to get the taste of alcohol again.”

Husk gaped. “Why would you do that?”

“Why do you think?” Angel snapped. When he saw the look of frustrated confusion on Husk’s face he said: “Oh, don’t act surprised, Husk. You had to have seen this comin’. After all, I’m a loser, baby.” He hooked the bottle cap against one of the posts holding up the BAR sign. He yanked the bottle away and the cap popped off, letting some alcohol spill to the floor.

Husk shook his head. “You’re not a loser, Tony.”

“Really? Weren’t you the one who called me that?” Angel asked, bitterly, before jamming the bottle in his mouth.

“I just meant you’re rough around the edges, but that doesn’t mean you’re a lost cause,” Husk said.

Angel scowled, still gulping down alcohol.

“Angel, you’re better than this,” Husk said, finally coming all the way down the stairs. “You can overcome this. I’ve seen you do it.”

Angel continued to chug, hoping the alcohol would drown out Husk’s voice.

Husk snarled. “This isn’t gonna make you feel better,” he said. “The more you try to drown your sorrows, the more miserable you’re gonna get.”

Husk’s hypocrisy cut Angel like a knife, igniting his ire, and when Husk reached his side, Angel filled his cheeks with booze and spat it out in Husk’s face.

Husk hacked and coughed, rearing back. “GAH! What the fuck!?”

“You got some fuckin’ nerve, Husk,” Angel sneered, making to step down from the bar stool only to stumbled and fall to his knees. He held the bottle with his middle set of hands while his top and bottom set helped him crawl up to Husk. “You stand behind that bar every fuckin’ day, gulpin’ down booze, and you still gonna tell me I can’t use it to deal with my problems?”

“I’m not tryin’ to get into Heaven, Angel,” Husk said.

“Fuck Heaven! All I wanted was to feel better and get away from Val. And neither a those things happened!”

Alastor, who had been watching from the balcony, turned heel and rushed down the hall.

“I know you’re upset about Valentino, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep trying to feel better,” Husk said, backing away as Angel’s crawling became a little too spider-like.

“Why not?!” Angel asked. “Valentino didn’t get better. You won’t work on yourself. Why the fuck should I?”

“Because you don’t deserve to feel like this,” Husk said, back hitting the staircase railing.

“Then why the fuck do I feel like this!?”

“Because you’re not trying!”

Angel flinched like Husk slapped him. He glared daggers, wanting to rip Husk to shreds, but decided a different approach. “Ohoho,” he chuckled. “You mad, Huskie?”

Husk’s eyebrows pinched together as Angel continued crawling, slower, more sensually.

“What’re you gonna do about it, Husk? You gonna punish me?”

Husk glowered.

“You wanna hit me, baby? Scratch me? Make me bleed?” Angel asked, slithering down to the floor with his ass still in the air. “Or maybe just spank me since I’m such a bad boy.”

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Husk said, as hurt as he was irritated.

“You never had a problem hurtin’ me before,” Angel said.

“What?!”

“You say nasty shit all the time. Makin’ me feel bad for not livin’ up to your standards,” Angel said, voice low and hoarse.

“This isn’t about livin’ up to my standards, Angel, I just want you to be okay!”

“Well, I’m not,” Angel said. “But that’s all my fault, ain’t it?”

Husk growled. “Don’t push me.”

“OH! So you do wanna hurt me?” Angel asked, grinning. “Is this somethin’ you’d do as an Overlord when anyone pissed you off? You did say you not tryin’ to change. Maybe you’re not so different from how you used to be.”

Husk’s stomach knotted. “Stop it.”

“Or what?”

“Angel, don’t fucking do this!”

“You’ll be the one doin’ it.”

“Angel, I’m not hitting you!”

“Oh, but I want you to spank me, Huskie. After all, I’m too fucked up to have sex the normal way. I can only do it the sleazy, violent kinda way,” Angel said, throwing his front arms out, gripping the carpet, and dragging himself closer to Husk. “Come on, Husk. Show me how you treated all those souls you owned.”

Husk’s stomach lurched and he wanted to puke. “NO! You’ve had enough of Overlords hitting you. I’m not letting that happen again.”

Angel growled, pushing himself up. “You think not hittin’ me means I don’t gotta deal with Valentino anymore!?” He launched himself at Husk, boxing him in against the staircase. “I’ll never get rid of Val, Husk. That’s the whole reason we couldn’t fuck last night!”

“We don’t have to fuck, Angel. Not if you don’t want!”

“I DO WANT TO!” Angel screamed, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “I’ve wanted to fuck you since the moment I saw you! I’ve wanted to be with you for so long and now I can’t just because a fuckin’ Valentino!!!”

“We can still be together, baby,” Husk said, looking sad and panicked. “We don’t have to let that get in our way.”

“It IS getting in our way! I can’t be with you like I want because Valentino twisted everything I love into something violent and scary,” Angel said. His heartbroken expression twisted into furious hysteria. “So, if the only way we can fuck is through violence, then so be it.”

Husk shuddered beneath Angel’s manic expression, wincing as his extra eyes opened wide. “Anthony,” Husk said. “This isn’t the way to-.”

Hearing his old name prickled Angel from the inside out and he bashed his fists against the railing as he shouted: “Don’t you FUCKING ANTHONY ME!”

Footsteps rained down from overhead and Angel stepped back as everyone stumbled downstairs, still wearing their pajamas. The front door creaked open, and Cherri peaked her head through.

“Angel, what’s going on?” Charlie asked, looking worried.

Angel sneered. He didn’t want to see her sweet face right now. “Nothin’, Charlie. Fuck off!”

“Alastor said you were relapsing,” Charlie said, gesturing to a surprisingly concerned Alastor. “Angel, please, don’t do this to yourself. We can help you.”

“Oh, sure! Like you helped Valentino,” Angel said, struggling to stand up straight, swinging the bottle at his side.

Charlie grimaced. “I’m sorry. I did the best I could…”

“Yeah, you always do. But it’s never enough, is it?” Angel asked, letting his head tilt to the other side, almost causing him to topple over.

“Hey! Don’t talk to her like that!” Vaggie said, standing between them. “She was trying to help you!”

“Right, like you always help her by going along with whatever she wants. Doesn’t matter if it works or it makes sense. You and Short King over here just bend over backwards to make sure Charlie’s happy and okay even when she’s ruinin’ everything for everyone else!”

Vaggie and Lucifer gaped at him. Charlie bowed her head. Cherri rushed over to him.

“Whoa, Ang! What the hell happened? I thought you were doin’ okay?”

“Oh, fuck off, Cherri!” Angel said, shoving at her shoulder with his bottle. “Why the fuck would you care if I was doin’ better?”

Cherri looked taken aback. “Because you’re my best friend! Of course, I want you to be alright.”

“Really! Is that why you kept shittin’ on me bein’ at the hotel?”

“Ang, I told you, I support you!”

“Yeah, by tellin’ me I’m boring now and makin’ fun of all the stuff I did to try and heal!”

Nifty stood frozen at the end of the stairs and Husk seized her by the arm, pulling her away as Alastor marched forward. “You are acting way out of line, Angel,” Alastor said.

“Oh, big talk from the guy who blew up over a fuckin’ record player and tried to kill me for stickin’ up for his victim! Which one of us is in fuckin’ handcuffs, asshole!?” Angel gestured to Alastor’s cuffs with his bottle.

Husk stood in between them, hiding Nifty behind his back as he said: “Angel, stop! I know you’re upset, but you don’t gotta take it out on everybody here.”

“Well what the fuck should I do?!” Angel snapped, standing in front of the staircase with everyone watching him. “None a the things you guys told me to do works! Should I just not do things to make myself feel better because it’s too mean? Too messy? Because it’s not good enough!? Do any of you even know what’s good? ‘Cause you’re all stuck down here too!!! You guys all got your shit you can’t deal with! You all got your vices! Whether you’re drunk or controlling or pretendin’ everything’s fine when it’s not! None a your hands are clean! So what right do ANY OF YOU HAVE TO JUDGE ME!?” He lifted the bottle in the air and threw it down on the floor.

The sound of shattered glass broke Angel out of his enraged state and he was painfully aware of the horrified, anguished looks on everyone’s faces. His breathing hitched, and he stumbled back, tripping over the bottom step and falling into the stairs. Everyone staring down at him made him feel small and pathetic. He whimpered and scrambled up the stairs.

“Angel!” Husk cried, rushing forward. Alastor pulled him back before he stepped on broken glass.

Angel raced into his room and slammed the door behind him. He was breathing heavy and he wanted the floor to swallow him up. Fat Nuggets oinked, pulling Angel back to reality. The pig crawled out of his bed, staring at Angel with concern, and bounded towards him.

“No, no! Fat Nuggets! Leave me alone!” Angel cried, rushing around Fat Nuggets, trying to get to the bathroom. Fat Nuggets bolted past him and stood in front of the door, squealing with worry. “Fat Nuggets, stop!” Fat Nuggets waddled up to the him, and Angel swiveled away. “I don’t want you to comfort me! Leave me alon-AGH!”

He expected his back to hit the balcony doors, but the lock and handle were still broken. Angel’s weight pushed the doors open and Angel threw his arms out to grab them so he wouldn’t fall. His back nearly grazed the balcony floor and the wind blew his hair. Angel looked out at the railing, separating him from the outside. He glanced back at Fat Nuggets for a moment, before letting go of the door and crawling over the railing.

Fat Nuggets squealed, watching Angel crawl down the railing. He rushed up to Angel, and Angel said: “SHOO!” Fat Nuggets wiggled his nose and reached out his front hoof to rest against Angel’s hand. Angel’s heart melted and he shook his head: “I gotta get outta here.” He flicked Fat Nuggets hoof away from him. Their sad eyes locked as Angel said: “I’m sorry.” before crawling down onto the balcony underneath him.

Fat Nuggets peaked out through the railings, watching sadly as Angel crept down the hotel wall.

The lobby was still and quiet. Everyone except Husk sat in the lounge, looking down at their feet. Finally, Charlie sighed.

“This is all my fault,” she said. “I messed this up.”

“Charlie, don’t say tha-,” Vaggie started, putting out a hand to rest on Charlie’s shoulder.

Charlie pulled away and said: “No! Don’t try to console me! I messed up!”

“Sweetie, I know you feel bad, but you can’t blame yourself for everything that Angel’s going through,” Lucifer said.

“But I made it worse!” Charlie said, gripping her hair as her horns sprouted.

“Don’t beat yourself up, mate,” Cherri said. “At least you were trying to help him, unlike me.”

Everyone watched her bow her head.

“Angie’s right. All I did was make fun of him. I wasn’t trying to hurt him, I thought I was still bein’ supportive, but I made him feel like shit for trying to get better. No wonder he relapsed.”

Vaggie stood and walked up to her. “Cherri, don’t blame yourself. We all failed Angel.” She sat down beside Cherri and they both hung their heads in shame.

Lucifer sighed. “God,” he whispered. “Why does this always happen? Why does trying to do the right thing always go up in flames?!”

Nifty looked up at Charlie with a huge, sad eye. “There’s gotta be something we can do for him.”

Charlie sighed. “I don’t know. I want to help, but Angel’s right, I don’t actually know what it means to ‘be good’. And like he said, we’re all in Hell! Why would any of us think we could help someone to be good!?” She slumped in the couch. “Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should just give up.”

Everyone stared at her, shocked.

“What?” Lucifer asked, horrified.

“I made this hotel to help people but all it’s done is cause more pain. I don’t want to hurt Angel anymore than I already have,” Charlie said, withering in her seat.

Nifty looked frantically between Charlie and the others. Lucifer’s horrified expression turned cold and he said: “You really did turn out like me.”

Charlie’s head popped up. “What?!” she asked.

“You tried to make things better, it didn’t work, and now you’re giving up and retreating just like I did,” Lucifer said.

Charlie stared, a little indignant, and shook her head. “No. No, that’s not...well...look! It’s different!”

“Is it?” Lucifer asked.

“Yes! You…you actually started to get more involved and help out! Yeah, you’re not perfect about it, but you did try,” Charlie said.

“Alright, so why can’t you keep trying?” Lucifer asked.

Charlie blinked. “Hah?”

“Charlie,” Lucifer said, taking her hands. “I stayed couped up in my room for centuries feeling sorry for myself and I wasn’t there for you the way you needed. I wasn’t there for anyone. But you gave me a chance to be better. Why can’t you give yourself that chance?”

Charlie stared at Lucifer as Vaggie stood up. “He’s right. You gave me another chance after finding out I was an Angel! And you had every right to be mad.”

“They’re right, Charlie,” Alastor said, startling everyone. “You really don’t give yourself enough credit for everything you do. Maybe cut yourself some slack.”

Charlie clutched her heart as her eyes welled with tears. She wiped her eyes and said: “You’re right. I can’t just give up. Even if Angel’s mad, I still wanna help, even if it means going about it a different way.”

“But how are you gonna go about it?” Cherri asked. “And what if he doesn’t forgive us?” She curled into herself.

Charlie rested her hands on Cherri’s shoulders. “If we put our heads together, we can figure something out. And as for forgiveness, you’re Angel’s best friend. I’m sure he’ll forgive you just like he’s forgiven me in the past.”

Cherri’s lip quivered. She launched herself off the couch and threw her arms around Charlie. Alastor watched as everyone huddled around Cherri to give her a hug, even Nifty crawled up her leg to hug her around the waist. He glanced over at the bar to see Husk was watching with sad, tired eyes.

Husk looked down at the bottle in his hand. He lifted it to his lips, paused, then set the bottle down. Alastor slipped behind the bar and stood by his side.

“Drowning your sorrows, are you?”

Husk groaned. “I know I shouldn’t.”

“Because it would make you a hypocrite?” Alastor asked, placing his elbows on the counter and lacing his fingers together.

Husk glared. “The fuck do you want?”

“You heard what they all said. Wallowing about your failures isn’t going to help Angel or yourself,” Alastor said.

Husk looked up at the stairs. His wings sagged, dragging along the floor. “There’s nothing I can do for Angel. He doesn’t want to see me, and I don’t want to hurt him anymore.”

“Aw, poor Husker. So stuck in your ways,” Alastor said, shaking his head. “It’s no wonder you’ve found yourself in this predicament.”

Husk wheeled around, snarling. “What predicament?”

“Being a lowly drunkard. Pushing away everyone you care about because you feel you don’t deserve them,” Alastor said. “Everyone else is working towards healing and forgiving themselves, why can’t you?”

Rage spiked in Husk’s body and his fur stood on end. “I don’t need your bullshit right now, Alastor.”

“Excuse me?” Alastor asked, indignant. “I’m trying to help you out of your funk.”

“No, you’re trying to degrade me like you always do!” Husk snapped, pointing a claw at Alastor’s face.

Alastor reared back. He groaned. “Really, Husk. Do you have to be so stubborn? You wouldn’t let me help you when you were gambling souls away, and now-.”

“You put me on a leash!” Husk said, wings flaring out. “You treat me like an animal! You tell me that I’m worthless, and you never believed it was possible to change! Why the fuck are you acting like you’re trying to help me heal now?!”

“I…” Alastor watched the furious look on Husk’s face ebb and flow between rage and hurt.

“You’re takin’ the piss outta me for not being willing to change, but after I lost everything, all you did was lord that over my head and remind me that there was no going back from that! So what fuckin’ right do you have to tell me I’m being stubborn? Maybe I have been, maybe I still am, but if you really believe what Charlie says about healing and forgiveness, why’d you spend so much time making me believe that wasn’t possible!? For me or anybody else!?”

Alastor’s smile remained, but it was quivering, and his eyes looked sad. Alastor bowed his head and said: “I’m sorry.”

Husk jerked back, feeling the wind knocked out of him.

“I’m sorry, Husk,” Alastor said, finally looking at him. “I shouldn’t have treated you that way.”

Husk deflated, feeling unsteady. “Then why did you?”

Alastor sighed. “I don’t know. I suppose I was angry that you didn’t listen to me, the way Vox didn’t. It’s infuriating, not being able to control the way others think or behave. I couldn’t salvage my friendship with Vox but I wasn’t ready to lose my friendship with you. The only way I knew how to do that was to make you subservient. To make you feel small and trapped so you would do what I wanted and I wouldn’t have to worry about things crumbling with you.” He held out his hands, gripping at something that wasn’t there and trying to cage it with his hands. The chain connecting his hand cuffs jangled as he moved. He deflated and dropped his hands. “Perhaps that didn’t work out how I’d intended. It would seem I’m just as stubborn as you are.”

Husk watched him, unsure of how to respond.

“You’re more than that, though,” Alastor continued. “You’re intelligent, loyal. You have a good heart. I really did think you were one of the few good people on Earth, and even down here. I wanted you to succeed, Henry. That’s why I was so frustrated you weren’t letting me help you!” He sighed. “Still, I let my own frustration get the better of me. Perhaps, I’m not as good as I always thought I was.”

Husk watched Alastor’s ears slope down, surprised by the genuine look of remorse on Alastor’s face. “Look, Al. You’re a bit rough around the edges, but you’re better than you think you are.”

“Well, that’s just it, isn’t it?” Alastor said, raising an eyebrow. Husk stared and Alastor continued: “Everyone here has made mistakes, even your beloved Angel Dust. You believe he can change, don’t you?”

“Wha-well, yeah! Of course. But-.”

“Even after he relapsed?” Alastor asked. “Even after he lashed out at you?”

“YES! Of course!”

“So doesn’t it stand to reason that you can change too? That you deserve to? That Angel lashing out at you had more to do with his own insecurities than anything you did wrong?”

Husk flinched. He looked upstairs.

“I know you don’t believe you can change, and I know I played a part in why. But I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you as happy as you were with Angel. And as disgusting as your displays of affection are, seeing you heartbroken at the thought you didn’t deserve him…well, it was hard to watch. Especially because it’s not true.”

Husk looked back at Alastor, who had a pleading look in his eye.

“I don’t know if I can ever make up for how I treated you, Husk, but the least I can do is assure you that you deserve to be happy, and that Angel might be more willing to forgive you than you believe. You just have to be willing to believe it.”

The room fell silent. Husk wasn’t sure if everyone else had heard their conversation and he wasn’t interested in finding out. He wanted to be with Angel, wanted to make sure Angel was okay, so he immediately made his way upstairs. He stood outside Angel’s room, drawing a shaky breath before knocking on the door.

“Angel,” he said. “Listen, I know you may not be ready to talk to me yet, and I won’t force you to. But I just wanted to make sure you were okay. And…and I’m sorry for making you feel like-.”

There was a pawing at the door and Husk could hear panicked snorting on the other side.

“Fat Nuggets?” Husk asked.

The door was unlocked and Fat Nuggets burst out when Husk opened it.

“Whoa! Hey! What’s going on?” Husk asked, lifting the pig up.

Fat Nuggets oinked, sadly turning to face the room. Husk entered, looking around.

“Angel? Angel where are you!?” Husk asked. Rushing around the empty room. He looked inside the bathroom and Angel wasn’t there. Fat Nuggets waved his leg at the balcony and Husk stared out, feeling the wind blow his fur back.

“No. Anthony!?” Husk cried.

Chapter Text

Angel managed to keep in the shadows as he ran the outskirts of Pentagram City. He couldn’t bear to be recognized and have to answer for his sudden drug and alcohol consumption. He paused outside a sign reading Welcome to Imp City! Angel hummed. He’d never been to Imp City before, but he hoped no one there knew who he was.

He hunched over as he towered above the imps and a few Sinners he saw on the street. There were some faint whispers as he passed but he quickened his pace enough to not hear them. He was still woozy from the alcohol he’d had earlier, but he’d been running and hiding long enough that it was starting to wear off. He needed a hit, or a drink, or anything to get his mind off what he’d just done. The distraught looks on everyone’s face after he snapped was haunting, and he clutched his head as he dove into the nearest bar.

It was lively, but dark and a bit cramped. Angel looked around, seeing a table of imps leave their drinks behind as they went out to the dancefloor. Each of the drinks were half full and Angel began gulping each of them down. None of the drinks met his preferences and he was reminded of the personalized drinks Husk prepared for him. He downed a particularly bitter glass of vodka to drown out the thought of Husk. It barely worked, but Angel was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone behind him.

“No way! Look who it is!” said a Sinner bat demon who just reached Angel’s chest, about the same height as Husk. “It’s the porn star, Angel Dust!”

Angel’s stomach sank. So much for not being recognized.

“What’re you doing here?” the bat asked. “Word on the street is you’re tryin’ to get clean.”

Angel glowered. There was no use trying to deny it. He laughed, putting on his flamboyant persona, and said: “Gettin’ clean’s overrated.” He went to lean on the table and nearly slid off it. He fumbled to his feet, surely looking as ungraceful as he felt. He plopped down on one of the chairs as the bat advanced.

“Ain’t that the truth,” the bat said. “Say…” he walked in between Angel’s spread legs. “You fuck for a livin’, right?”

Angel’s body clenched. He watched as the bat slid his hand around Angel’s thigh. “I’ve seen some of your movies. You’re pretty hot. But are you as good a fuck as the movies claim you are?”

Angel’s eyes were dark and empty. Something deep inside him was begging to run, but his desperation to be touched overpowered it. Angel smirked and said: “You askin’ for a friend or somethin’?”

The bat chuckled. “I’m askin’ for me, bitch.” He squeezed Angel’s thigh and Angel squeaked. The bat laughed, fingers trailing up Angel’s leg until it was at the edge of his shorts. “So, what do you say? You wanna show me a good time?”

Angel gulped. He forced his mask back on and said: “I only fuck people outside the studio if they pay.”

“I’ll only pay if you’re any good,” the bat said, sticking his fingers inside Angel’s shorts and sliding them under Angel’s ass. “How’s that?”

Panic and desire wrestled around in Angel’s chest. He wished Cherri Bomb were here to fight this guy off. He wished Charlie were here to console him. He wished Husk were here to kiss him and hold him and love him, but thanks to his little meltdown, none of those things were available to him anymore. The bat stuck his fingers between Angel’s ass cheeks and Angel squirmed as he felt himself get hard. Angel bit his lip. If getting railed meant letting this bat take advantage of him, then so be it.

Angel seized the bat by his shirt and pulled him in close. He grinned and said: “You better get your wallet ready, baby.”

Valentino sat in darkness, huddled in a ball, hearing Vox’s words echo around him.

“HOW COULD ANYONE LOVE YOU?!”

Whimpering, Valentino covered his head with his hands. He always knew Vox didn’t love him, but it still broke his heart to hear it said out loud. He shivered, wanting to disappear, when he heard Charlie walk up to him.

“Valentino?” she asked.

Valentino’s eyes flew open. She looked hurt, disappointed. “Why did you do that?” she asked.

“Wha?”

“Why did you go back on everything we taught you? I thought you were trying to change!”

“I was! Really!” Valentino said, crawling up to her. “That was wrong. I’m sorry. I just wanted Angel to-.”

“Ugh, that’s not the point, Val!” Charlie cried. “You know we were trying to get you to let Angel go.”

“I know! I just wanted him so bad!” Valentino cried, gripping his hat. “I thought if I was good enough, he’d want me back and I wouldn’t have to let him go.”

“And how’d that work out?” Charlie asked.

Valentino withered. “It…didn’t.”

Charlie shook her head. “I don’t why I wasted all that time on you. You weren’t worth it.”

“Charlie, I’m sorry! Please!” Valentino reached out for her hand as she began to walk away. She disappeared, and Alastor materialized in her place. He stepped on Valentino’s arm. Valentino screamed as Alastor leered over him.

“Oh! Is Vox’s little lapdog all alone?” Alastor taunted.

“FUCK OFF, ASSHOLE!” Valentino snapped.

Alastor vanished as Angel appeared in front of him. Valentino shrank. “Angel?” he asked, voice minuscule.

Angel crossed his arms.

“Angel, I’m sorry! About everything! Please!”

Angel watched Valentino fall to the ground, pleading. “You had your chance, Val. You had years of chances. You fuckin’ ruined my life!”

“I know! I’m sorry!”

“Sorry ain’t enough!” Angel spat. “Sorry doesn’t make up for decades of abuse!”

“Angel…” Valentino cried.

“Bein’ good is about doing the right thing, Val. All you cared about was getting your way,” Angel said. He turned away right as Husk came up behind him.

“No…” Valentino watched Husk kiss Angel gently on the lips. Angel beamed as Husk held his hand and guided him into the hotel. “No! Please! WAIT!” The hotel doors slammed in his face. He could still hear everyone inside, all of them talking about Valentino and what a waste of space he had been. How much happier they were that he was gone. That they never should have wasted their time with him. Valentino screamed but no sound came out. KeeKee materialized in front of him and hissed, startling him awake.

Valentino gasped, gripping his chest and then his head. He felt a bump on his forehead and noticed he was lying on his back underneath a giant billboard. It was a poster of himself, posing suggestively with his tongue sticking out. The tagline to the side of him read: Valentino! Hell’s Hottest Overlord!

Shakily, Valentino stood. He looked up at the looming billboard, at his devious grinning face. It was disgusting. That smirking, conceited jackass in the photo made Valentino feel ill and he couldn’t bear to look at the person he used to be.

The wind picked up and caught Valentino’s wings. Val let the wind take him and he blew into the Welcome to Imp City sign before crumbling to the ground. Valentino had never been to Imp City and hoped no one would recognize him. He stood and didn’t bother to brush himself off before trudging through the streets.

He noticed an imp couple walking hand in hand. He couldn’t hear what they were saying but the shorter of the two was making the taller one laugh. There was another set of imps sitting on a bench. One was crying while the other consoled him.

“We don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” the consoling imp said.

“But I know you really wanted to sleep together,” the crying imp said, wiping his eyes.

“Look, if you’re not ready, don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to spend time with you.”

The crying imp threw his arms around his partner’s neck. His partner laughed and wrapped his arms around his partner’s waist. Valentino covered his face with his fluff and walked past them.

A threesome of imps was standing on the sidewalk, playing instruments and singing love songs. Valentino rounded the corner and saw a cockroach Sinner trying to force himself on a small female imp. A bigger female imp jumped on the Sinner’s shoulders and choked him, urging the small imp to run. Valentino watched the little imp run down the street. Once the bigger imp had brought down the Sinner, she looked to make sure the little one was safe before walking off in the other direction.

Valentino’s eyes glazed over as he looked at the lifeless body underneath him. The imp didn’t use any weapons, especially not angelic ones. Surely the Sinner lying on the ground was just passed out or, if he was dead, would regenerate later. Valentino wasn’t sure he wanted the Sinner to wake up. He dug his heel into the Sinner’s neck, drawing blood. He yanked his heel out right as a family with a small child approached. The child cried and his mother shielded his eyes, rushing him away while glaring at Valentino.

Val withered, looking down at the damage he’d done. He imagined his own body lying on the ground and it only made him want to enact more violence. He thought about pulling off his heel, jamming it into his neck, and ending it all, but he knew he’d only regenerate later, and he’d probably just terrify and disgust more people with his rotting corpse until he did. He stepped over the body and continued down the sidewalk.

Angel was giving the bat Sinner a lap dance at his table. The music was loud and disorienting, but not enough to drown out Angel’s thoughts. The alcohol made him woozy, but not numb, and he felt hyper aware of the bat’s dick inside him.

“Satan!” the bat groaned, shifting underneath Angel. “You suck at this.”

“Fuck you!” Angel spat, adjusting. “I’m great at this.” He pushed himself down hard and screamed. The bat’s dick was almost the same length and thickness as Valentino’s and he flashed back to one particularly unpleasant lap dance he’d given Val. Valentino was having a rough day and demanded Angel get on his cock. Nothing Angel did was enough to satiate him, so Valentino grabbed Angel’s hips and pulled him down, shoving his cock so far into Angel he thought he was gonna break in half.

“Oh!” the bat said. “That was something! Keep that up and I might buy you that drink.”

“Please,” Angel muttered, forcing himself down again. He needed another drink; he wasn’t numb enough to deal with this. He bit his lip, whimpering as he felt the tip of the bat’s cock in just the right spot. “Ah.”

It wasn’t enough to get either of them off, but it was something. Angel gripped the bat’s shoulders and the bat grabbed Angel’s hips. Angel yelped. The bat had bigger hands then Valentino did, but those claws were just as sharp. As the bat ground his hips upward, Angel’s head spun, and he could feel his lungs filling with Valentino’s smoke.

“You’re not on you’re a-game tonight, baby,” Valentino’s voice hissed in his mind. “You’re so lucky I love you. No one else would put up with you like this.”

The bat threw his head back and moaned, emptying himself as his wings unfurled. The cum filling him combined with the sight of wings made Angel nauseous and he wretched, vomiting all over the bat’s chest.

“AGH! What the fuck!?” the bat cried, throwing Angel off him. Angel landed on the floor with a thud as the bat stood and brushed off the puke. “Gah! You can forget the drink.”

“Wait!” Angel frantically stood, trying to pull up his pants but never quite getting a grip on them. “It was an accident!”

“You’re an accident,” the bat said, starting to walk away.

Angel twitched. His family had told him the same thing numerous times. Vox and Valentino also enjoyed rubbing Angel’s failures in his face. Angel charged towards the bat and seized the back of his shirt.

“What the fuck did you just call me?!” His eyes were blazing, and he still had vomit dribbling down his chin.

The bat pried Angel’s hand off him. “Get over yourself,” he said. “Just because you’re famous doesn’t mean you’re special.”

“Well at least I’m not some random nobody who wants to fuck celebrities to feel good about himself!” Angel snapped.

The jab caught the bat off guard, and he growled. He drew a knife from his pocket and jammed it into Angel’s thigh. Angel screamed a gripped his leg.

“At least I can fight!” the bat said, wielding his weapon. “Do you even know how to use weapons, pretty boy?”

Angel laughed, whipping out his tommy guns. The bat recoiled as Angel cackled, shooting haphazardly. The bar patrons fled, hiding in the bathroom and behind overturned tables.

“You’re fucking crazy!” the bat cried, dodging every erratic bullet. “And your aim is shit!”

“MY AIM IS GREAT! FUCK YOU!” Angel cried, meaning to blow the bat’s head off and shooting right between his ears instead.

A hellhound came up behind Angel, seized him by the collar, and lifted him above the ground. Angel dropped his gun and kicked his feet.

“LEMME GO!”

The hellhound stepped on the tommy gun, breaking the barrel, and dragged Angel away.

“NO! STOP!”

The further Valentino walked, the emptier the streets became. The streetlamps flickered and Valentino stared up at one for a long while until the lamp completely fizzled out. In the dim light ahead, Valentino could just make out a Voyeurscope in the sky. He lowered his head and kept walking, not wanting to be seen by Vox, until he realized Vox probably wasn’t looking for him.

“HOW COULD ANYONE LOVE YOU?!” rang in his head and he nearly fell to his knees again.

The wind blew his antennas and coat and he shivered. The streets were bare, and he was acutely aware of how alone he was. He saw a bar in the distance. He wanted to go inside and find somebody, anybody to hold him. He didn’t even need sex, he just needed someone to be near him, but he couldn’t think of why anyone would want that. No one loved him after all. And why would they? Even if he met someone who didn’t know all his past transgressions, he was positive he’d do something to hurt them later.

Valentino wrapped his arms around himself, wondering how far he would walk before he finally dropped from exhaustion, left for dead with no one coming to look for him. His thoughts were interrupted as he neared the bar and the door swung open. A tall, lanky, white furball flew out, landing hard on the concrete.

Valentino’s eyes bulged. “Angel!?”

Angel pushed himself up off the pavement. His hair was a mess, his pants were hanging just under his ass, and his mouth was covered in throw up. He had a bloody nose from landing on the pavement and it dripped into his mouth. He looked at Valentino, eyes turning dark, and scowled. “You,” he rasped.

“Auh, hey Angel,” Valentino said, smiling sheepishly. “How are you?”

Angel dragged himself across the sidewalk, inching towards Valentino like a ragged worm. “How do you think?”

Valentino grimaced, taking a step back. “What are you doing out here? I thought you’d be at the hotel with Husk and everyone.”

Angel snarled, trying to push himself up on wobbly arms. “Is that what you thought?”

Valentino watched Angel struggle, wanting to reach over and help him but knowing that would only make Angel angrier. “It’s just, you’re out of the contract. I just thought you’d be enjoying yourself now that you don’t have me to deal with.”

Angel laughed, spraying vomit and blood onto the ground. “You think I don’t gotta deal with you just because you broke our contract?”

Valentino stared, eyes wide as Angel tilted his battered face up. “You think I don’t still see your face and hear your voice? You think I don’t still feel you on me? In me?! I couldn’t sleep with Husk because you kept poppin’ into my head! I just got thrown out of a bar because I pissed off some guy I threw up on ‘cause givin’ him a lap dance just reminded me a you!”

Valentino’s whole body tensed. “Oh god. Ah, Angel, I’m sorry!”

“Sorry ain’t gonna fix this!” Angel said, barely able to hold himself up. “You fuckin’ ruined me, Val. You coated me in yourself and I’ll never be rid a that stench. You filled me up and you’re still inside me! And now I can’t be with the person I love because you broke me too much!” He laughed. “But that’s what you like, right? You said you like me broken. Well, you broke me! Do you like what you see, Val! IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?”

His hands slipped out from underneath him, and he fell, chin smashing against the pavement. He cried out in pain, wailing as his chin bled. Valentino watched, horrified. He didn’t know what to do, or what to say. There was nothing to say. No matter what he said or did, it would never change the fact that what he was watching right now was entirely his fault.

Angel let his head roll to the side, tears streaming down his face. His cries slowly turned into hollow, bitter laughs. He hissed as he pushed himself up on his elbows. “Fuck it,” he said, voice raw and deep. “The hell was I even thinkin’?”

“Uh…” Valentino watched Angel crawl up to him.

“Why have I been tryin’ so hard to escape you?” Angel asked, reaching out, pitifully grabbing at Valentino’s coat. “You own me, Val. You may not own my soul, but you’ve always had my heart.” He finally latched onto the edge of Val’s fur and yanked.

“Angel…” Valentino said, watching Angel pull himself up by Val’s coat.

“I can’t stop thinkin’ about you. You’re all my body can handle. You’re all I want,” Angel said, finally getting to his feet. He grabbed all four of Valentino’s arms and wrapped them around him. Valentino stared as Angel ripped his jacket open, letting his chest fluff spill out. “Why not just give into it?” he asked.

“Angel!” Valentino cupped his upper set of hands behind Angel’s back as he started to fall backwards.

Angel reached out and gripped Valentino’s fluff. He pulled himself close and said: “What do ya say, Val? You’ve ruined everyone else for me. I’ll never love anyone the way I love you. So why don’t we just go back to how things were, huh? Just you and me? Just hide away somewhere so we can be together forever.” He rested his head against Valentino’s chest and stared up at him. “Come on, Val. Take me.”

Valentino stared down at Angel. He could have him. Angel was throwing himself at him. He wouldn’t have to worry about convincing Angel of his goodness, he wouldn’t have to make a contract, Angel would be all his! He wouldn’t have to be alone anymore!

He looked into Angel’s eyes; hollow and dead. Angel was smiling, but it was that phony smile he put on to get through everything, and the mask was slipping. Valentino felt Angel, warm and heavy against his body and in his hands. His antennas twitched at the sound of an incoming car.

“Taxi!” Valentino called.

The taxi came screeching to a halt. Valentino and Angel looked between the taxi and each other.

“Let’s get you home, Angel,” Valentino said.

Angel’s heart sank and the world went hazy as Valentino led him to the taxi. He stumbled inside and collapsed on the seat. Valentino grabbed the edges of Angel’s pants and Angel gasped before Valentino pulled them up over his ass. Valentino lifted Angel up into a sitting position before closing the door and sitting next to him. Angel leaned over, hearing Valentino say something to the driver but in his hazy state, not making out what. Valentino took Angel by the shoulders and pulled him back until he was laying against Val’s side.

The taxi drove and Angel stared blankly ahead. The streetlamps passed over them, casting shadows along the driver’s seat in front of him. Angel’s lip quivered. He had thrown himself back into Valentino’s clutches. He had fallen back into his self-destructive habits, and he’d driven away everyone who would’ve helped him.

Angel gasped, feeling the tears roll down his face. He shuddered when he felt Valentino take his hand and gently stroke the back of it. Angel eased into Valentino’s chest, letting his eyes drift close. He knew the kindness wouldn’t last, it never did, but he appreciated the reprieve for now.

Angel’s mind wandered to the hotel and everyone’s hurt faces. He wondered what they were doing now. If any of them would even notice he’d left, and if any of them would even care. He curled up into Valentino’s side and nuzzled against his fluff.

Valentino stroked Angel’s arm, then leaned over and whispered: “We’re here.”

Angel sighed. He drearily opened his eyes and blinked at the bright lights ahead. As his vision became sharper, he noticed the glittering ‘Hazbin Hotel’ marquee.

Angel sat up, still feeling woozy and lightheaded. He slumped in his chair. “This is the hotel.”

“Yes,” Valentino said.

“You said we were going home,” Angel said.

“You said this was your home,” Valentino said.

Angel blinked, head feeling suddenly heavy. “I thought we were going to Vee Tower.”

Valentino sighed. “No.”

Angel leaned back. “They’re not gonna like seein’ us coming back together. Or going to bed together.”

“We’re not,” Valentino said.

Angel whipped his head around, giving himself a headache. “What?”

“I’m just dropping you off,” Valentino said. “We’re not...” he sighed. “We’re not sleeping together.”

“Wha-? Wh-why not?” Angel asked, feeling uneasy.

Valentino looked at him, his eyes tired. “Because I shouldn’t do that to you.”

Angel nearly fell forward. He caught himself, head feeling like a brick. “Wha-? No, Val it’s fine. I want to sleep with you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! Val, don’t mess with me, I’m not in the mood.”

“I’m not-! Urgh!” Valentino clenched his fists, then paused and took a breath. “I’m not messing with you, Angel. I just don’t want you to do this because you think you have to.”

“Since when do you care?” Angel snapped.

Valentino stared, feeling his broken heart chip away. He lowered his gaze, unable to bear Angel’s annoyed expression. “I should’ve always cared.”

Angel reared back, unsure if he was hallucinating. Valentino looked miserable. He gripped the seat and said: “Angel, you didn’t deserve what I did to you. Any of it. And I should’ve known better than to do any of it. I think deep down I always did know better, but...” He grimaced, unable to stomach the thought of what he’d become. “It doesn’t matter. What I did was wrong, and I can’t keep treating you that way.”

Angel fell back against the leather seat. He breathed heavy, staring up at the hotel marquee. He remembered the look on everyone’s face when he yelled at them, and he withered.

“It’s fine,” he said.

Valentino looked at him.

Angel laughed. “I don’t deserve better. I’m a fuckin’ mess. I blew up at everyone after drinkin’ and snortin’ behind their backs for a month. I can’t even sleep with the man I love without losin’ it.”

Valentino watched him sadly. “That’s my fault, though.”

“No,” Angel said. “I’m supposed to be the good one, Charlie’s little charity project, but I never really changed. I just used up Charlie’s good will and wasted her time.”

“No. That’s what I did,” Valentino said.

“Okay, so we’re not so different,” Angel said.

“Angel...”

“Look, I’m fucked and there’s no going back. They won’t want me back after what I did, so might as well-.”

“Don’t say that!” Valentino said. “Everybody in that hotel cares about you. That’s why they spent all that time trying to get me to change for you.” Angel stared. “Look, maybe you messed up, but they’ll understand, and they’ll accept you.”

Angel shivered, eyeing the hotel in his peripheral vision. “No,” he said. “No, I don’t deserve it.”

“You do,” Valentino said.

“No,” Angel said. “I can’t face them again.”

“They won’t be mad at you, Angel. It’ll be okay.”

“No. No, just let me stay with you!” Angel said, throwing himself at Valentino again.

Valentino wrenched Angel’s hands off him. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

“But I want to.”

“You want to punish yourself.”

“Because I deserve it!”

“No, you don’t!”

“Please just take me!!!”

“ANGEL!” Valentino launches himself at Angel, leering over him as he fell back into the seat.

They stared at each other. Angel’s eyes were huge and panicked underneath Valentino’s angry gaze. Val’s expression melted at the sight of Angel’s face, and he leaned over to push open the door by Angel’s head.

Angel’s heart skipped a beat as Valentino scooted away from him. Angel looked back at the open door then pushed himself up, watching Valentino turn away.

“Val.”

Valentino looked down at his feet.

“Val, please!”

Valentino glared out of the corner of his eye. He wanted to tell Angel to get out, to push him out and slam the door in his face, but he knew that would just mean he was controlling Angel. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe.

“Val!” Angel said, panicked.

Valentino continued to focus on his breathing but was finding it increasingly more difficult.

Val!” Angel reached out to grab Valentino’s arm and Valentino swiftly snatched Angel by the wrist.

They both gasped, realizing what was happening. Valentino released his grip. Angel’s hand slipped, resting inside Valentino’s palm. Their fingers trembled, brushing against each other. They stared into the other’s eyes, breath hitching, both wanting to cling to each other and push each other away.

“V-Val?”

Valentino tensed, unsure of what to say or do.

Angel flexed his fingers, wanting to lace them between Valentino’s.

“Val.”

Years of history stretches out between them. Every kiss, every hit, every sweet word, every argument pulsating in the silence like a heartbeat. Angel could still feel Valentino’s lips on his body, but he could also feel the bruises and cuts. He didn’t care. He wanted to grab Valentino’s hand, shove his tongue down his throat, and take him. Anything else but being alone.

Still, he knew the good wasn’t worth the bad. No amount of warm embraces and late nights laughing at each other’s stupid jokes was worth the lacerations and psychological warfare that came with their relationship. Angel wanted to convince himself that things would be different this time, that Valentino really was starting to change, but how many times had he said that before? Even if Valentino got better, how many more beatings and vicious words could Angel take before that happened?

The lights of the marquee shone in the corner of Angel’s eye, and he thought about Husk. He was rough and stubborn and didn’t always say the right thing, but he genuinely cared about what Angel wanted. So did Charlie. And Cherri! No matter how fucked up or messy Angel was, the still cared about him. He knew Valentino was right, that they would accept him no matter what, that he should go back, but Valentino was familiar, and it would be easier to let him have his way with Angel than to face everyone at the hotel again.

Memories of Angel’s time with Valentino continued to flood back to him when he suddenly remembered their very first meeting. Vividly, Angel recalled sitting in the club with Valentino as Val told him: “Honestly, babe, the only person who’s holding you back right now is you.”

Angel’s eyes grew, snapped back to reality as he realized the choice he had to make. Valentino was staring back at him, waiting, and Angel frantically threw Valentino’s hand away before skittering out the door.

He stumbled onto the pavement and scampered up to the statue of Dazzle. He turned around and gasped as Valentino crawled over to the door. Valentino pulled the door shut and sat back down. He sighed and looked at the driver: “Drop me off where you picked me up.”

The taxi drove around the statue and then down the road. Angel wobbled, nearly toppling over as he watched Valentino disappear. Though he owned his soul again, he could feel a part of his heart leaving with Valentino. It hurt, and he knew that gaping hole would never be filled again, but he also knew it was a missing piece of him that was better off gone.

The wind blew, and Angel leaned against the statue as he turned to face the hotel. His legs wobbled and he let go of the statue as he struggled to walk to the front door. His fear of seeing the others was cancelled out by his desperation to stay standing as he pushed the door open, but his legs gave out as the door swung open and he fell to the ground.

A red a shoe slunk around the edge of the door and pushed it open wider. Angel looked up wearily to see Alastor standing over him. Alastor lifted a walkie-talkie to his mouth and said: “Angel’s back.”

The walkie-talkie crackled as Husk’s voice came over: “ANGEL?!”

“He’s okay?!” Cherri’s voice asked.

“I’ll bring him upstairs,” Alastor said.

“Thank you, Alastor!” Charlie’s voice said. “We’ll be back soon.”

Alastor pocketed the walkie-talkie and stared down at Angel. Angel blankly stared back, so drunk and emotionally drained he could barely move. Alastor waved his hand, rattling his chain, as he attempted to lift Angel with his shadow. His shadow barely lifted Angel’s shoulders off the ground before fizzling out and dropping him. Alastor scowled. He looked at Angel and sighed before leaning over and seizing Angel by the back of his jacket. He dragged Angel out of the doorway and kicked the door shut.

As Alastor dragged Angel to the staircase, Angel looked around, noticing how empty and quiet the lobby was. Alastor dropped Angel by the staircase, panting. He looked at the limp body at his feet and groaned. Rolling his shoulders back, Alastor leaned over and scooped Angel up. Angel’s long body hung limp as Alastor shakily carried him up the stairs. Angel’s head conked against the staircase, not too hard, but enough that Angel felt it.

“Ow,” Angel said.

“Oh, don’t whine,” Alastor said.

Angel’s head hung, swinging a bit as he looked at the empty bar through the railings.

KeeKee opened Angel’s bedroom door and Alastor shuffled in. He tossed Angel on the bed, startling Fat Nuggets who had been laying on one of the pillows. Alastor lifted his arms above his head, cracking his shoulders and back as he did, and said; “You’re a lot heavier than you look.”

Angel rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “Where is everybody?”

“Out looking for you.”

Angel let his head roll to the side to see Alastor. “You gave everyone quite a scare, Angel. After your little outburst, Husk went to check on you and found you’d run off.”

Angel winced. “Husk,” he whispered. “Is he mad?”

“At you? No,” Alastor said. “Only worried. Your friend, Cherri thought you might’ve run off to get more drugs or find Valentino, so everyone split up to search. I stayed behind in case you came back.”

Angel blinked. “Val...I ran into him. I threw myself at him. I wanted him to take me, but he brought me back here. I don’t get it. He coulda had me. But he took me home.”

Alastor watched Angel lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. He crossed his hands in front of him and said: “You know, Angel, when I first arrived at this hotel, I was certain it was a lost cause. I never believed that redemption was possible. But, perhaps, if even Valentino can show signs of change, maybe it’s not as impossible as I thought.”

Angel looked at him, surprised. Fat Nuggets waddled up to Angel and lay on his chest. He licked Angel’s busted chin and Angel wearily pulled him of closer. Alastor smiled softly and said: “You should get some rest. The others should be back soon.”

Before he reached the door, Angel said: “Hey, Alastor. Are you ever gonna let Husk outta his contract?”

Alastor turned to face him, an unreadable look in his eyes. He grabbed the doorknob and said: “Get some sleep, Angel.”

Angel frowned as Alastor closed the door behind him. Fat Nuggets oinked and redirected Angel’s attention to him. Angel smiled and embraced his pig, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.

The taxi driver dropped Valentino off at the bar in Imp City. The lights inside were low and blue fairy lights hung around the ceiling to give the place a melancholy glow. Valentino slumped onto the barstool. He asked the bartender for a martini and glanced around the room. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He’d pushed everyone he cared about away, and he still wasn’t ready to talk to anyone new. For now, he just needed a drink.

The blue light surrounding him and the staticky television set above his head made him wonder what Vox was doing. He was probably comforting Velvette after she nearly died. Valentino bowed his head as the bartender handed him his drink.

“Thanks,” he said, voice small.

He lifted the drink to his lips as someone sat beside him.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.

“I’ll take a scotch on the rocks.”

The martini glass barely touched Valentino’s lips when he heard the new patron’s voice. He whipped his head around to see Vox staring at him with tired eyes.

Valentino stared at him, unblinking. “What are you doing here?” he asked, finally.

Vox frowned. “Looking for you.”

“How did you find me?”

“Voyeurscopes,” Vox said.

Valentino laughed wearily. “You’re a sick fuck, Vox. Maybe you should spend some time at the hotel.”

Vox watched him sip his drink right as the bartender handed him his scotch. Vox took the drink and trailed his finger around the rim. “I saw you with Angel,” he said.

Valentino lowered his glass. “Mm hm.”

“He threw himself at you,” Vox said. “You could’ve had him all to yourself.”

“I know,” Valentino said.

“So why didn’t you take him?” Vox asked. “Why take him to the hotel?”

Valentino sighed. “Because it was the right thing to do.”

Vox stared, looking at Valentino liked he’d never seen him before.

Valentino shook his head. “I’ve hurt him enough. He deserves to have space from me.”

Vox tapped his nail on his glass.

“I really do just fuck up everything for everyone, huh?” Valentino said. “I don’t want to be like this, but I don’t know how to change. And I don’t want to force anyone to put up with me at my worst. You were right, Vox. How could anyone love me.”

Vox’s heart contorted, unable to stand Valentino’s broken expression. He clutched his glass and said: “Val, look, I shouldn’t have said that.”

Valentino stared down at his drink.

“Like, sure, you can be a pain. You don’t always think things through, you let your emotions get the better of you, you can be selfish...” he noticed Valentino slumping. “But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to like about you.”

Valentino rested his head on his hand. “What is there to like?”

“Well...” Vox looked down at his drink. “You’re hot.”

Valentino rolled his eyes. “Besides that.”

“Uh.” Vox wrung his hands together. “You’re great in bed.”

“Anything else?” Valentino asked, eyes drifting close.

Vox drummed his fingers on the counter, looking up at the blue lights. “You’re really talented.”

Valentino’s head perked up and he opened his eyes.

“You’re an amazing artist, and performer. You’ve got a great singing voice and you’re an incredible dancer,” Vox said, earnest and enthusiastic. “And you’re creative. Your ideas might be a little out there sometimes, but you know what the people wanna watch. ‘Cause you really get people! Sure, you can be a little slow on the up take sometimes, but you’re actually really smart. And loyal! You’ve done so much for this company, for me! You’ve helped me come out of my shell and enjoy things I was too afraid to try! Yeah, there’s plenty of times you’ve been selfish, but when it comes down to it, you really can be good to people. Like, today! You said you can’t change, but look at what you did for Angel! You could’ve had your way with him, but you didn’t, you let him go!”

Valentino watched Vox, feeling overwhelmed by what he was hearing.

“Val, you’re not perfect, but you’re not impossible to love. You’ve got so many amazing qualities, you have so much to offer and so much to admire and that’s why I love-!” He paused, suddenly withering when he caught Valentino’s shocked face. He turned away, static buzzing through his antennas. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself, before finally confessing: “I love you.”

Valentino’s hand dropped on the counter and he gaped, unable to speak.

Vox looked at him, feeling small and weak, but deciding he didn’t care. He took Valentino’s hand and said: “I love you, Val. I always have. And I’m sorry that I made you feel like I didn’t.”

Valentino’s heart swelled as his eyes filled with tears. His lip quivered and he said: “I love you too, Vox!”

Vox watched him, wanting to wipe his tears away. He clutched Valentino’s face and kissed him, brushing the tears with his thumbs. Valentino grabbed Vox by the waist and pulled him close. Vox crawled onto Valentino’s lap and kissed him deeper as Valentino clutched Vox close to him. They had kissed hundreds of times before, but this felt different. There were no barriers or pretenses getting in the way and for the first time, they both felt entirely consumed by one another, as though their souls were merging from the physical contact, and they were completely open and bare for each other.

They pulled apart, looking deep into each other’s eyes, overwhelmed by their feelings. Valentino smiled, laughing as fresh tears fell from his eyes. Vox brushes his palms over Valentino’s face, wiping the tears away, before pulling Valentino’s head onto his chest. Val squeaked, overcome with emotion, and he held Vox as tight as he could. Vox beamed, holding Valentino and stroking the back of his head. He looked up briefly and noticed the bartender watching them with a heart warmed smile.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Vox scowled and snapped: “Do you mind?!”

The bartender flinched and held up his hands defensively. Valentino chuckled: “You’re such a hypocrite, Vox.”

Vox looked down at Val who was smiling up at him. Vox’s annoyance melted away and he caresses Valentino’s face. “Let’s go home, Val.”

Valentino's breath hitched and he nodded. He was nervous about going back to Vee Tower, he knew he had plenty to answer for. His outburst in the streets must’ve had an impact on their brand, and he needed to apologize to Velvette, but he was willing to do what he needed to if it meant making things right. Vox’s smile was encouraging, and Valentino reached up to kiss him again before they walked out of the bar.

Angel stirred, still cuddling Fat Nuggets. He could faintly hear Charlie and Cherri’s voices. He opened his eyes and saw them sitting at the foot of his bed.

“Angel!” they said in unison when they saw he was awake.

Angel sat up and Fat Nuggets jumped out of his arms as Charlie threw her arms around Angel’s neck.

“Angel! Ah, you’re okay!” she said. “I am so, so, so, so sorry Angel!”

“No, Charlie, I’m sorry. You were just tryin’ to help. I shouldn’t a blown up at you. Either a you,” Angel said, glancing at Cherri.

“But you were right,” Charlie said, letting go. “I didn’t know how to help you and just made you feel worse about yourself. That wasn’t helping. I wanna help you to get better.”

Angel smiled. “I’m sure you will, Dollface.”

Charlie beamed, eyes brimming with tears. Angel shook his head. She was so sweet.

Cherri stepped forward. “I wanna help too,” she said. “I don’t want you to feel bad for tryin’ to get better, mate.”

Angel reached out for Cherri’s hand. She nervously took it, and Angel pulled her in for a hug. Charlie smiled and scooted out of the way. Angel released Cherri from the hug and Cherri said: “I’m sorry, Ang. I shouldn’t have said you were boring. You’re not boring! I just got used to things being a certain way with you and now...”

“Cherri relax! I get it,” Angel said. “It’s been hard for me too. I miss bein’ a mess. It was easy.”

“But you weren’t really happy, huh?” Cherri asked.

Angel bowed his head. “No. But I’m not happy sober either.”

Charlie and Cherri looked at each other. Charlie leaned over and took Angel’s hand. “We’ll figure something out. We want you to be okay.”

Angel smiled at both of them. “I’d like to be okay too.” Charlie squeezed his hand and smiled. Cherri wrapped her arm around Angel and he hugged her back.

“Do you still need to rest?” Charlie asked. “We can leave you be.”

“Or we could send Husk in here,” Cherri said with a sly grin. “He’s outside waitin’ for you.”

Angel’s stomach dropped. “Husk. He’s not mad, is he?”

“No! Of course, not,” Charlie said. “He just wasn’t sure what to say yet.”

Angel blinked, heart feeling heavy. “Look, tell him I’ll be out in a bit, okay?”

Cherri and Charlie smiled. “We’ll tell him,” Cherri said, rubbing Angel’s shoulder.

They stood up and walked out, leaving Angel alone in his bed with Fat Nuggets. Fat Nuggets nuzzled Angel’s leg and Angel took a deep breath. He knew he had to face Husk, and he knew it wouldn’t be as bad as he feared.

Angel stood up and walked to his door. He cracked it open and peered outside. Charlie and Cherri were walking away from Husk, who was standing with Alastor fidgeting nervously as he tried to breathe.

“You’ll be fine, old pal. You know you will,” Alastor said.

“I know,” Husk said with a sigh. “I can know it but not feel it.”

Alastor hummed. He noticed Angel in the doorway. “Just try to smile through it. That’s what my mother always said.”

Husk looked at Alastor, his nerves seeming to dissipate. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Alastor said, waving his hand and rattling his chain.

“No. Really, thank you. For everything you’ve done today. For apologizing, for staying behind in case Angel came back,” Husk said.

Alastor blinked, looking stunned. “Yes, well, it’s the least I could do after everything I’ve put you through.”

Husk noted the genuine shame on Alastor’s face. He dug his hand in his pocket, pausing to think. “Listen, I’ve been thinkin’; you showin’ remorse and all. Maybe it’s not much, maybe I’m just goin’ soft, but even though being on a chain is no fun, being osn two chains is one too many.” He pulled out the key to Alastor’s cuffs.

Alastor’s eyes bulged as Husk took one of his hands. Grimacing, Husk said: “Don’t make me regret this.”

He stuck the key in the lock and turned it. The cuff clicked open as Husk unlocked the second cuff. Alastor watched the cuffs fall from his wrists. Green energy surged around his hands, and he brimmed with maniacal power.

Husk bristled and began to edge backwards. “I’ll just leave you be.”

“Husk,” Alastor said, latching a green chain around Husk’s neck.

Angel nearly threw the door open when he saw this, only pausing when Husk wheeled around to face Alastor. “You mother fucker!” He snarled. “All that talk of feeling bad for what it did, for thinkin’ highly of me! That was just to get out of the handcuffs, wasn’t-?!”

Alastor held up a hand, materializing their contract in front of Husk’s face. Husk growled, breathing ragged. Alastor glances back at Angel and took the contract in both hands. He looked back at Husk one more time before shutting his eyes and tearing the contract clean down the center.

Husk gasped as the manacle around his neck broke open and the contract evaporated. His lungs filled with air, and he clutched at his core as Alastor put his hands behind his back. “Now I’ll let you be.”

Husk watched him walk away. “Wait!” He chased after him. Alastor paused and turned around. They stared at each other for a long time before Husk said: “Thank you.”

Alastor’s smile became soft. “Of course. I should’ve done it a long time ago.”

Husk stared at him, still clutching his chest.

Alastor turned back around and said: “Angel’s waiting for you.” before walking away.

Husk stumbles back, panting, a smile spreading across his face. He gripped his chest and laughed.

Angel stepped out of his room. “He set you free!”

Husk turned around. “Angel!” He bolted towards Angel and leapt into his arms. He wrapped his legs around Angel’s waist and kissed him. Angel cradled Husk in his arms as he stumbled back into the doorframe. They stayed like this for a moment before Husk pulled back and said: “You’re alright!”

“You’re alright!” Angel said. “You’re out of the contract!”

“Heh, yeah!” Husk breathed. He grabbed at his chest again.

Angel smiled. “Feels good, huh?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s weird. But a good weird,” Husk said.

“It’s like you didn’t remember what it felt like to have your soul, and then you realized how much you’d lost once you got it back. How important it really was to you,” Angel said.

“Yeah. Now I got two important things back,” Husk said, cupping Angel’s face and kissing him again.

Angel exhaled sharply when Husk pulled away. “Husk, I’m sorry.”

Husk blinked. “What?”

“For runnin’ away,” Angel said. “And yellin’ at you and spittin’ in your face. You didn’t deserve that. You didn’t do anything wrong! I was just mad at myself!”

Husk watched him sadly. He caressed Angel’s face and said: “Don’t be mad at yourself, Angel.”

Angel sighed, conking his head lightly against the doorframe. “I just wanted to be better, but I wasn’t. And I took it out on you, and I’m sorry.”

Husk rested his forehead against Angel’s. “I’m not mad at you, Angel. I know you’re going through a lot. And I do owe you an apology. You were right, I was being a hypocrite. I was expecting you to do things I didn’t even bother to try because I was afraid I’d fail.” He looked at Angel, who stared back with big eyes. “I could’ve done better. I should’ve done better. I’m sorry I made it feel like you weren’t good enough.”

He cupped Angel’s cheek in his hand and Angel leaned into it as a silent acceptance of the apology.

“I just need you to know, I was never gonna be mad at you for relapsing. I just didn’t want you to get hurt. I just wanted you to be okay!”

Angel looked at Husk’s earnest face. It broke through his barriers and his voice cracked as he said: “I’m not okay.”

Husk winced as Angel began to cry. Angel’s knees gave out and he slid down the doorframe onto the floor. He burst into tears and clutched Husk as close to him as possible. Husk held him, pressing his hands into Angel’s back.

“I’m scared,” Angel wept. “I dunno what to do.”

“I know,” Husk said, his own voice breaking. “We’ll figure it out, okay? Together.”

Angel gripped Husk’s back and rubbed his face into his fur. He peaked his eyes open; to his right, in his room, there was darkness, and to his left the hallway was brightly lit. As he and Husk sat in the doorframe, Fat Nuggets waddled up to Angel and nestled by his side. Somewhere in the lobby, Charlie, Cherri, and the others were working together to figure out how to help Angel heal. Angel felt Husk breathing over him and he breathed along with him, slowly feeling himself relax.

Chapter Text

The 666 News logo burst onscreen before cutting to Katie and Tom.

“Hello, you horny degenerates! I’m Katie Killjoy here with the latest news on-.”

“And I’m Tom Trench!” Tom interjected.

Katie shoved him out of the way and said: “As I was saying; Hell’s most beloved porn star, Angel Dust, has officially ended his contract with Vox-Tech Enterprises!”

A video of Valentino attacking the reporter appeared onscreen.

“After Porn Overlord, Valentino, relapsed on his redemption plan, the Overlord and Angel agreed to go their separate ways. No longer will you be seeing Valentino produced porns starring that slutty spider.”

“Oh, no!” Tom said.

“Now don't you worry you perverted little head about it, Tom,” Katie said. “Because Angel Dust has turned to independent employment!”

Angel’s Sinstagram account popped up onscreen, displaying pictures of Angel in drag and lingerie posing scandalously.

“He’s posting original content to his Sinstagram account, so you can still get your fill of sexy Angel Dust material.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Tom said, clutching his chest and breathing a sigh of relief.

“You are deplorable, Tom,” Katie said. 

The Vox-Tech logo appeared onscreen, and Katie’s voice could be heard saying: “Meanwhile, Valentino is paying for the medical bills of the reporter he attacked as an apology. Also, he and the rest of the Vee’s are readjusting their business approach. They’re taking a hiatus for the rest of this week to let their employees determine their new working conditions.”

“Well, that’s awfully considerate of them,” Tom said.

“It sure is, Tom. Just another way the Vee’s are showing their concern for the citizens of Hell,” Katie said.

“Wait, if they were so considerate before, why would they need to adjust how they treat their workers now?” Tom asked.

Katie forced her smile to go even bigger. “Well, obviously, it’s because of Charlie’s influence on Valentino while he was at the hotel. He said as much in his Sinstagram post.” Said post appeared onscreen, accompanied by a picture of Valentino smiling and making half a heart with hand while standing outside the hotel. Underneath, he had written: “Thanks to the Princesa and everyone at the Hazbin Hotel, I’ve started to see the error of my ways. If our motto here at Vox-Tech is ‘Trust Us’ then we want you to really be able to Trust Us! While I am no longer living at the hotel, I will continue to utilize Charlie’s teachings and work towards treating my workers with the respect they deserve.” The statement was followed by several heart emojis and an emoji of his face blowing a kiss.

“So, does that mean the Princess was right and redemption is possible?” Tom asked.

Katie’s smile fell as she took this in. She thought for a moment, then glared at the camera and made a slicing motion across her neck as she hissed: “Go to commercial!”

The feed cut out and Vox turned the conference room screen off. He turned to face Velvette and Valentino who were sitting at the conference table. Valentino was doodling in his sketchbook and Velvette had her feet on the table while looking at her phone.

“Ugh! Can’t believe how much Angel’s making off his Sinstagram posts. And we’re not allowed to have even a cut of it?!” she said.

“Angel doesn’t work for us anymore,” Valentino said. “So no.” 

Velvette rolled her eyes. “This whole thing with you being good is really cutting into our profits.”

“If you want things to go back to normal, I can always angrily chase you around with an Angelic weapon,” Valentino said with a cheeky grin.

Velvette scowled. “You know what? It’s not that big a deal.”

Valentino’s smile remained, but if softened. “I’m sorry about that, Babydoll.”

When Valentino and Vox had returned from the bar, Velvette was waiting in the lobby. Valentino has fallen to his knees and tearfully apologized, promising he’d never do it again. Velvette had thrown her arms around him, claiming it was fine and she was just glad he was alright. Valentino held her tight, vowing he’d do better.

Velvette groaned. “Val, you don’t need to keep apologizing for that. It’s been over two weeks and you haven’t done anything. We’re fine, darling.” She crawled onto the table and slid over to him, patting him on the shoulder.

Vox walked around the table: “Didn’t the Princess tell you not to beat yourself up over your shortcomings.”

Valentino rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but I still need to apologize, right?” 

“Not multiple times, Val,” Velvette said, hoping off the table.

Valentino took a deep breath and nodded, returning to his art. 

Vox leaned over to watch him finish a lewd sketch of himself and Vox. “Is that a new position you want to try?” He asked with a smirk.

Valentino grinned. “Are you open to it?”

“I wouldn’t mind trying it out,” Vox said.

Valentino licked his lips and Vox bit his lip. Velvette smiled and shook her head. “Shall I leave you boys alone?”

“Might as well,” Vox said stroking Valentino’s cheek with his finger. “It’s not like we had anything to do today. We won’t hear back from our employees until the end of the week.”

Valentino threw himself dramatically onto the table. “I really hope they don’t want to water things down too much. Like, I’ll do what they ask, obviously, but I really don’t want the movies to be vanilla. I mean, I want to be good not boring!”

Vox chuckled. “I don’t think you’re capable of being boring.” He laid beside Valentino and held his face.

Valentino beamed at him. He snakes his hands over Vox’s shoulders and around his waist and said: “And I’m sure your business won’t fail just because you’re not overworking or stalking everyone.”

Vox rolled his eyes, though he was still smiling. “Maybe not. But even if it does, there are more important things in life than being on top.” He brushed his fingers through Valentino’s fur. 

They stared into each other’s eyes, featured softening, when Valentino said: “I love you, Vox.”

“I love you too, Val,” Vox said, and he leaned in to kiss him.

Velvette had walked to the elevator. She smiled as she closed to door to give them their space.

In the backyard of the hotel, Lucifer snapped pictures of Angel dancing around the pole that held up the tarp. Angel was wearing a huge blonde wig, a black skintight bolero jacket that exposed his chest fluff, his boots, and nothing else. His extra arms and penis were retracted, making him look less spiderlike and more feminine. 

“Nice! Yes, work it!” Lucifer said as Angel spun around. Angel landed, rolling his body along the pole and Lucifer flushed as he took the pictures. “Whoo! Nice. Very, very nice.”

Angel snickered. “You’re looking a little red, Lucifer.” He spun around the pole, slinking to the floor as he did. “You like what you see?” He stroked the side of his bare body.

“Uh huh,” Lucifer said, staring. Then he shook his head and said: “I mean NO! No. I mean, not saying you don’t look good. You do! You look very, very good. Ah, wait! No...” he turned away, blushing furiously. “Is it bad to be attracted to your daughter’s friend?” He wondered to himself.

Angel snorted. “Don’t hurt yourself, Short King.” He pulled himself up by the pole. “I don’t mind you thinkin’ I’m hot. That’s kinda the whole point a this.” He strutted up to Lucifer and said in a sultry voice: “As long as you don’t do anything without asking.”

“Right!” Lucifer said, yanking at his collar. “Right. I’ll respect your boundaries!” He took a step back. 

Angel leaned over. “You think that’s enough pictures?”

“Oh, we got more than enough!” Lucifer said. “I’ll send them to you so you can pick the ones you like best.”

“Thanks,” Angel said. 

Charlie skittered away from Vaggie and Cherri, who were sparring by the pool, and up to Angel and Lucifer. “Now that you’re done with work, Angel, you can have your daily smoke.” She presented him with a cigarette. 

“Thanks, Charlie,” Angel said, taking the cigarette after Lucifer lit the end. He took a drag and blew the smoke out before pulling at his wig. “I’m gonna go take this off.”

“Alright,” Charlie said, giving him the thumbs up.

Angel waltzed past Cherri and Vaggie. Cherri caught Vaggie in a headlock and caught a glimpse of Angel. “Lookin’ good mate!” Cherri said. 

Vaggie was yanking at Cherri’s arm with one hand and gave Angel a thumbs up with the other. “Yeah, nice!”

“Thanks,” Angel said. “You guys havin’ fun?”

“Yeah! You want in on this?” Cherri asked.

“Nah. Gonna go undress and relax,” Angel said.

“See you later then,” Cherri said, waving, giving Vaggie an opening to worm out of the chokehold and catch Cherri in a headlock.

Angel laughed as he watched Cherri and Vaggie spar for a moment before walking back into the hotel.

Alastor stood behind the bar, shaking something up. Nifty and Husk sat at the bar, waiting for their drinks. 

“Remember to shake it up and down, not side to side. You don’t wanna spill,” Husk said.

Alastor adjusted his shaking, then poured the contents into a glass that he scooted across the counter to Nifty. 

“Thanks!” she said. Alastor stuck a straw in the drink, and she began slurping through it.

“This is much harder than it looks,” Alastor said, taking a glass from under the bar.

“Lots of things are harder when you don’t use your powers for everything,” Husk said, smirking.

“So it seems,” Alastor said. He poured rye into the glass. When it was filled halfway, he turned to the sink to fill it with water. “Thankfully, you have an easy order.”

Husk huffed as Alastor handed him his drink. 

“You really don’t have to go easy on me, you know?” Alastor said.

“I’ve gotten you to do my job for me, and to do it without relying on your powers. That’s more than I’d ever expect from you,” Husk said.

Nifty finished her drink with one final slurp. She smacked her lips and said: “You make a mean cocktail.”

“Well, I have a good teacher,” Alastor said, looking at Husk.

Husk rolled his eyes. “Alright, you don’t gotta butter me up.” 

Alastor hummed, then poured himself some rye. 

“What really surprises me is that you haven’t been scheming lately,” Husk said, lifting his glass.

“Well,” Alastor said, setting the bottle to the side. “Now that things are quieter around here, there’s no reason for Charlie to do me any favors. And it’s given me time to think, perhaps I don’t need to get out of this deal as badly as I once thought.”

“You’ll get out of it one day,” Husk said. “But I’m glad you’re willing to take it easy for now.”

Alastor chuckled. “For now.”  

Husk rolled his eyes and smirked. He brought his glass to his lips and paused when he noticed Angel walk by. He watched Angel go upstairs and disappear down the hallway. Smiling, he hopped off the barstool.

“I’ll see you guys later,” he said, taking his drink with him. 

“Have a good day, Husker,” Alastor said, waving.

“Have fun,” Nifty said, slyly.

Husk chuckled and walked upstairs.

In his room, Angel took his wig off and tossed it on the vanity. Fat Nuggets oinked and Angel patted him on the head. Angel opened his new balcony doors and stepped outside. He could faintly see Cherri and Vaggie sparring down below and smiled. 

Angel took a long drag on his cigarette. He and Charlie agreed that cutting out drugs and alcohol completely wasn’t helping, so they settled on a cigarette a day, and maybe a drink before bed if he needed it. Angel was surprised that it cut down his cravings. He still looked forward to it, though, and appreciated having it.

Angel blew smoke into the air, watching it curl and wind around, creating heart shapes. Though his smoke was gray rather than red, the shapes it made reminded him of Valentino’s smoke. Angel frowned. He had decided that he and Valentino would no longer see each other, and according to Charlie, Valentino had agreed. Charlie had promised not to talk to Angel about Valentino, though Angel did know Valentino had reached out to Charlie to apologize for his outburst and Charlie agreed to keep in touch with him and help him continue to improve.

Taking another long drag, Angel wondered if he should ask Charlie how Val was doing. He still thought about Valentino, and he realized that he probably always would. He’d unfollowed Valentino on social media, but he still had Valentino’s number in his phone. He thought about blocking his number, but Valentino had made good on his promise to leave Angel alone so there was no need. 

Part of Angel wanted Val to contact him again. It was odd not hearing his voice or going into work and seeing him. Deep down, he still wished their relationship could work, but there was always the fear that Val would relapse, and he’d get stuck in the same cycles he’d been trying to escape. 

Angel chuckled, bitterly, as he looked down at his cigarette. He didn’t feel like he was really changing, what with his smoking and scandalous attire, but when he took a step back and really saw himself and what he was doing, he was not the same. Even if he wasn’t a completely different person, he was more open than he had ever been. It was obvious to everyone at the hotel, and the fact that he felt able to talk to them about his feelings made it obvious to him. He had never felt this safe around Valentino. Perhaps, one day, Valentino would be safer person to be around. Maybe he already was, but since Angel had started healing separate from Valentino, he wasn’t in any rush to find out.

A knock at the door snapped Angel out of his thoughts.

“Angel?” came Husk’s voice. 

A smile broke across Angel’s face. “Come on in!”

Husk entered the room and KeeKee skittered away. Husk patted Fat Nuggets’ head and joined Angel on the balcony. 

“Have a nice day at work?” Husk asked.

“Yeah.” 

“You look nice,” Husk said, eyes trailing along Angel’s body.

Angel arched his back, sticking out his bare ass, and said: “Thanks.” He took a drag.

“Enjoying your cigarette?” Husk asked.

Angel blew smoke and ignored the shapes it made. “Yep.” He looked at Husk’s glass. “Whatcha got there?”

“Watered down whiskey,” Husk said, taking a sip.

“Any good?” 

Husk scowled. “Tastes like shit.”

Angel laughed. “Well, it’s better than quitting cold turkey.”

“That’s for sure.” Husk took another sip and smacked his lips. 

Angel stared at Husk’s mouth. Husk noticed and smiled. “You want somethin’?” He asked.

“A kiss would be nice,” Angel said.

Husk lifted his chin and Angel leaned down. They pressed their lips together, staying there for a moment, before pulling apart and kissing each other again. They kept kissing each other, getting more desperate and passionate with every kiss. They pulled apart, panting, and rested their foreheads together.

“I want you,” Angel breathed.

“I want you, too,” Husk said, voice ragged.

“Can we...try again?” Angel asked.

Husk smiled. “Sure. Just lemme finish this first.” He lifted his glass.

“Okay,” Angel said, beaming.

As Husk finished his drink, Angel skittered back into his room. He took a long drag on his cigarette and blew smoke as he dosed it on the ash tray on his vanity. He could finish the cigarette later in the day. He lifted Fat Nuggets up, cuddling him and kissing him, before gently setting him down in the bathroom with a plush toy before closing the door. He laid down on his bed as Husk came inside and set the glass on Angel’s vanity.

Angel squirmed. He and Husk has been trying to make love several times in the past few weeks, but Angel was still plagued with intrusive thoughts. Husk has been patient with him, but it had taken a while for Angel to be patient with himself. 

Husk crawled on top of him, and Angel sank into the bed. “You ready?” Husk asked.

“Uh huh.” 

Husk leaned down and kissed Angel on the lips. He unbuttoned Angel’s bolero and began slipping it off Angel’s shoulders. Angel shuddered, lips parting, and Husk slid his tongue into Angel’s mouth. He left the tip of his tongue resting against Angel’s teeth and Angel moved his head up to take the rest of Husk’s tongue in his mouth. 

Husk had fully taken off Angel’s bolero and Angel lifted his legs to remove his boots. Husk licked around Angel’s mouth and Angel moaned, feeling a thought at the edge of his mind and desperately pushing it away. He unzipped his boots and slipped them off with his lower arms, while his upper arms yanked off Husk’s suspenders. Husk wiggled out of his pants as Angel pulled them off. 

When they were both naked, they snaked their arms around each other, pressing their bodies together. Husk’s tongue coiled around Angel’s and Angel whined, clutching Husk’s shoulders. He didn’t see anyone in his mind, but he could feel something creeping along the edges of his subconscious. Husk’s chest presses into Angel’s and something about the sensation was too overwhelming. 

Angel peeled his mouth away from Husk, pushing his face back, and said: “Stop!” 

Husk sighed and moved back, though he never let Angel go. Angel rested his head on Husk’s shoulder and took a deep, shaky breath. Husk pet Angel’s hair and purred.

“That’s a lot farther than we got last time,” Husk said, softly.

“Yeah,” Angel said, smiling. He nuzzled into the crook of Husk’s neck. “I still wanna go all the way.”

“I do too,” Husk said. 

Angel cuddled up to Husk and said: “Can we take a break and try again?”

“Of course.” Husk smiled. 

He pulled Angel close and covered him in his wings. Angel smiled. The wings were a similar crimson red as someone else’s, but the feathers helped remind him that these wings belonged to Husk. Angel curled up in Husk’s arms, taking a deep breath and relishing in the feeling of safety.