"Our past may explain why we're suffering but we must not use it as an excuse to stay in bondage."
Joyce Meyer

Today was supposed to be his day.

He had the army, the weapons, the ship, the style and yet here he was, defeated and humiliated in front of the entire Pentagram yet again.

He truly didn't know where it had all gone wrong. Everything had started out so perfect, but now most of his minions were decimated across Hightown, his ship was wrecked (no doubt requiring months of work to repair), and he was chained to a man who wore boots that were longer than his skirt.

The entire situation was his absolute worst nightmare, but currently topping the list of shitty things to happen that day was being forced to hold the spider's damn hand the entire taxi ride out of Hightown.

Unfortunately, they'd had little choice in the matter. If anyone saw the shackles between them and recognized the chain for what it was, they'd be dead. That much Heaven's Steel out in the open was a prize unlike any other and no one would hesitate to rip them to pieces if they even had a chance to claim such a trophy. It could take a Demon hundreds of Exterminations to salvage the amount needed to create the chain alone, nevermind the thick cuffs that bound them together.

So here they were, sitting hip to hip and hand in hand with their sleeves pulled down over the cuffs while they kept the chain hidden between their clasped fingers. The cabbie had given them a weird look, but otherwise didn't question it as they both got in from the same side, refusing to release their grip on each other.

The pain of their injuries (and the constant stinging from the steel) kept them both mostly quiet, only speaking to tell the driver to take them to the Hotel (Pent had fought to retreat to his own evil lair, but the stupid spider had obligations to the princess so he'd begrudgingly acquiesced to the extra trip).

As they began to pull up to the massive building, Pentious raised an eyebrow, lifting the brim of his hat with his free hand to get a better look. "I see you lot have put some work into that place," he murmured, peering out the smudged glass of the window.

"Yeah, Charlie wanted the Hotel nice and clean for all the non-existent guests she has." Angel shrugged and then winced, smacking the door with the side of one of his fists (much to the driver's irritation). "Shit, I didn't do the stupid census…"

"Census?"

The spider sighed as the taxi turned into the front entrance and pulled up to the sidewalk. "Yeah. I was supposed to be gettin' that shit filled out in Hightown." Angel glanced to him expectantly as the cabbie held out his arm for their fare and Pent rolled his eyes, awkwardly retrieving his billfold with his one free hand and slapping the cash into the man's grubby fingers. Angel grinned and then added, "Anyhow, I have an excuse. You fucked it all up."

Scoffing, Pent opened the door and yanked on the other Demon's arm, enjoying the small grimace it earned him as Angel scooted out to exit the vehicle. "You could have just stayed out of my way. My conquest was not an invitation for you to get involved."

Angel kicked the cab door closed, earning him another annoyed glare from the driver as they revved the engine and pulled out of the lane to head back into town. "Hey, you were shootin' up the place. How the hell is a guy supposed ta get any work done when-"

Before Angel could finish, a blonde blur practically tackled him, sending them both wobbling back from the sheer force. "Angel! Oh my god, I saw Hightown was attacked by-" Charlie turned, her expression morphing from a mixture of worry and relief to complete and utter confusion, "Sir...Pentious?"

"Ah, babe, you're squeezin' a lil' too much. Kinda busted up here." Angel slowly pried Charlie's arms off of him and she turned her attention back to his blood-stained clothes and listing stance.

"Oh jeez, yeah. We'll have to get Husk to take a look at you both." Charlie stepped back and took a breath, folding her hands together before forcing a cheerful smile. "So, what the hell happened? Clearly there's a story." She gestured to their joined hands pointedly and then added, "Are you guys...friends now?"

Pent huffed and then untangled his fingers from Angel's, releasing the length of cable between them. Charlie blinked and then picked up the chain, rubbing it between her forefinger and thumb. "Oh wow, that's-" she cut herself off, pursing her lips. "There's no key?"

"I'm afraid not," Pentious said, rubbing his brow. "We'll need to forge one...but for now we need medical attention and hopefully a bath. At some point we'll need to go to my lair to pick up a few things, but this is our predicament for now." He glanced to Angel and crossed his arms over his chest, scowling as fiercely as he could manage. "It is what it is."

Charlie frowned and nodded, rubbing her elbow awkwardly. "Well that is unfortunate, but we'll be glad to take you as a temporary guest, Sir Pentious." She turned to the spider and added, "We might have to move you to a different room, Angel. I don't think the two of you can live comfortably in your current one."

"Is this that 'silver-lining' crap or a monkey's paw?" Angel asked snidely, waving his chained arm and making the shackles dance with the twirl of his wrist. "I'm handcuffed to a goddamn tool, but I get a bigger room outta it?" He snorted and shook his head. "Fuckin' figures."

Charlie shrugged and said, "It's the only way I can see this working out. You don't exactly have a lot of cable to work with." She gestured for them to follow her to the front entrance. "I imagine we'll be figuring all this out as we go."

Sighing, Pent tipped his head back and stared up at the sign blazing neon bright even in the encompassing red light of the black sun. "I thought this was the Happy Hotel? Why does the sign say Hazbin?"

"Ah...Al did that," Charlie said with a nervous giggle, glancing back over her shoulder and shrugging. "It's not really the image I wanted to convey, but well, you know the Radio Demon. He kinda does what he wants...whenever he wants…"

Pentious stiffened and stopped in his tracks as his hood flared, making Angel halt mid-step as well. "You're still hosting that insufferable clackbox?"

"Uh, he's not really a guest so much as a staff-member?" Charlie opened the two double doors and stepped aside, waiting for them both to come in. "It's complicated."

Angel snorted and yanked the chain, forcing Pent out of his stupor. "Better get used to the idea of sharin' a roof with him, snake. Vags doesn't like him much either so you two can bond over being bitter bitches."

"Angel, you really need to stop calling Vaggie a bitch."

"I'll stop callin' her a bitch when she stops bein' one."

Pent groaned and followed the other man into the Hotel lobby. If this was what he had to look forward to for the entirety of his stay, maybe he was better off amputating his own hand.

The lobby at least was neat and orderly, though the large amount of alcohol stacked behind the 'Welcome Desk' was rather telling as was the cat manning it. "Ah, it's been a long time, Husker," Pent said, allowing himself a small grin of satisfaction as the other Demon lifted his head off the counter and tightened his grip around a half-empty bottle.

Angel raised an eyebrow and pointed at them both in quick succession. "You two know each other?" he asked before giving Husk an annoyed look. "Since when?"

"We frequented the same casinos," Husk muttered, straightening his shoulders and cracking his neck. "Well, that was all before you-know-fucking-who told me to quit gambling." Charlie laughed and gave an innocent shrug as Husk looked to Pent and added, "So what the fuck are you doing here? This ain't no craps table, y'know?"

Clearing her throat, Charlie gestured to the two of them and said, "Sir Pentious is going to be staying with us for a while as a guest, Husk. Um, it's not really up for debate, I'm afraid." She pointed to the cuffs with both hands and Husk's eyes narrowed.

"The hell is that?" Folding his wings back, Husk stepped out from behind the bar, still holding the bottle by the neck. He leaned down for a closer look and rubbed his chin, one long eyebrow quirked. "Huh, I don't see the problem. Just take a hammer and crack the sucker open."

"It's Heaven's Steel," Charlie said, wincing through her smile.

"Oh, huh." Husk took a drink from his bottle and tipped the rim to them both. "Well then you're fucked I guess. That sucks."

Angel gave the cat a sly smirk and reached out with one of his free hands, tickling the fur under Husk's chin. "You gettin' jealous, baby? Maybe when we get these offa me, the two of us can take a regular pair of cuffs for a spin?"

Husk let out a tired sigh and made to walk back to the bar, but Charlie grabbed his wrist and spun him around again, causing his wings to flare out in surprise and nearly smack Pent in the face. "Wait! They're both injured," she pleaded, pointing to one of the larger blood stains on Angel's jacket. "Can you look them over and make sure it's nothing serious?"

"You could just take 'em to a hospital you know," Husk muttered, tipping the bottle and knocking back the rest of its contents. "I was a field medic, not a goddamn surgeon."

Pouting, Charlie gestured back at the two shackled Demons and said, "But we can't let anyone see what they're chained with. They'll be targeted by every Demon in the city." She released Husk's arm and gave him her best puppy expression, eyes large and lip pouting just enough to be endearing. "There's only so much protection I can offer them if that happens."

The cat was silent for a moment before finally releasing a drawn-out groan. "Fiiiiine," he growled, tossing the bottle into a trash bin where it clattered against the metal sides before finally settling at the bottom. "Let me get the kit, but go ahead and set 'em up on the couches. I'll also need some water, disinfectant, and towels."

Charlie beamed. "Thank you, Husk!" she called after him as he went to fetch the emergency medical kit from the supply closet. Once he left, she pushed Angel and Pent to sit down on the couch and said, "I'll be right back. You both stay here and-" she paused, looking over their exhausted expressions, "-try not to bleed out!" With that she clapped her palms together and then bolted off to fetch the other supplies.

Pentious raised an eyebrow and turned to Angel. "Is she always...this energetic?" he asked, watching as the spider took out a rusted old lighter and a crumpled pack of cheap cigarettes from inside his jacket pocket.

Sticking a cigarette in his mouth, Angel fumbled with the lighter for a moment before finally catching the spark and bringing it to the tip. "If you think that's bad, you should getta load of Niffty. I'm the cokehead, but she's the one who zooms around this place like she's snorted an entire goddamn truckload."

He was about to close the lighter when he glanced to Pent and offered the cigarettes. "Want one?"

Pent frowned. "I don't smoke," he said plainly as the spider shrugged and pocketed the pack.

"Eh, suit yourself…" Angel muttered, blowing out a plume into the air and closing the old lighter.

Husk returned a few moments later with a large briefcase stamped with the standard medical cross. "Alright, let's check the damage," he groused, popping the buckles and pulling out a package of bandages, thread, needles, and other appliances. "I've never stitched up scales before so this is gonna be fun."

Pent reached out, plucking a tube of liquid adhesive from the kit. "I've found this works best for most cuts, but this one-" he indicated the large gash oozing at his hip, "-may be too large to close without stitches."

Leaning in, Husk eyed the injury in question and nodded. "Yeah, that's a big one. Least it's shallow."

When Charlie came back, they both allowed their wounds to be cleaned despite the intense stinging that followed the rubbing alcohol and had Husk check for basic internal damage. "Well, you've got some fractured ribs from what I can tell, but only an x-ray would confirm it," Husk told Pent. "So we'll bandage those up as best we can and hope it heals up right. You haven't passed out though so I doubt you're bleeding on the inside. Bruised to shit, but that's livable." He began with the largest injury, giving Pentious a pillow to bite down on as he was slowly stitched up, snake venom oozing into the fabric.

Once that was done, they bandaged the spots they could, closed the remaining cuts with liquid bandage, and moved onto Angel who had just finished up his cigarette. "It looks worse than it is," the spider said with a confident smirk. "Red on white always looks hella dramatic an' all that shit," he muttered as Charlie began to clean the fresh blood out of his fur. "Though I'm pretty sure I sprained somethin'. Also I dunno why, but my head aches like a motherfucker."

"You're probably concussed, idiot," Husk muttered as he began to work over Angel's injuries, taking the pillow and passing it his way. "Bite down. I'm still pretty shitfaced so this ain't my best work."

Angel turned the cushion, biting down on the opposite side from where Pent had and winced as the cat began to stitch him up.

As Husk worked, the doors to the Hotel opened and two women that Pent vaguely recognized walked in. The tiny one gasped at the sight of them and immediately ran over. "What happened!?" she exclaimed, her single eye frantically darting over them both. "Oh my gosh! Angel, did you make a friend?"

Meanwhile the other woman just stared at them and slowly pursed her lips into a fine line. "Charlie…" she began as she closed the door with more force than necessary. "What the hell is going on?"

"Hey Vaggie. We have a bit of a...development," Charlie began, standing and pressing her palms together. "Sir Pentious is going to be staying at the Hotel for a while."

Vaggie walked over, placing her hands on her hips as she caught sight of the handcuffs. Her eye immediately flickered to Angel and narrowed. "What. Did. You. Do?"

Spitting out the saliva and venom-stained pillow, Angel huffed and said, "I didn't do nothin'! I was in Hightown, 'bout to get the dumb census thing started, and then this asshole comes flyin' in blastin' up the joint!" He jerked a thumb back at Pent who scoffed and crossed his arms over his bandaged chest. "Anyway, it's a long fuckin' story."

"Clearly," Vaggie muttered, rolling her eye before looking to Pentious. "Well, I guess as long as you're here, you're a client too." She offered him her hand. "I'm Vaggie, this is Niffty, Charlie-"

Pent raised his own palm to cut her off. "Thank you, I know the rest," he told her dismissively as he turned his head to the side, facing away from Angel. She frowned and lowered her hand, tucking it into the crook of her arm as he added, "And I'm not a client. I'm simply a reluctant guest."

"Alright, you should be good for now." Husk wiped his hands off on a towel and then bandaged over Angel's fresh stitches. "Both of you are gonna have to deal with spongebaths until some of those are healed up. Have fun sharing a bathroom."

Pent groaned, biting his lip as Angel snorted. He hadn't even considered what sharing a space with the spider would actually entail. He'd surely have to modify his clothes if only for the ease of getting in and out of them with only one hand, but regardless there would be very little privacy between them. "Do you have a sewing machine?" he asked tiredly, pinching over the bridge of his nose.

"I do!" Niffty said with an excited smile, gathering up all the dirty towels and scraps of bandaging. "It's in my room, but you can use it if you need it."

Pent gave her a grateful nod and said, "I shall, though I'd rather get a bit cleaned up first." He slowly stood, wincing at how stiff he felt now that the adrenaline had worn off and his skin was tight with bandages and stitching. "Where can we bathe?"

Charlie gestured for him to follow her and said, "Angel's room is on the bottom floor, but the bigger rooms are higher up." She waited for Angel to stand as well before leading them both to the elevator, stepping in and making space for them both before hitting the button for the 4th floor.

As the cabin began to rise, Pent watched her bounce a bit on her heels and he raised an eyebrow. "You don't have many guests, do you?" he asked, noting the way she flinched and put on a careful smile.

"Ah, no...not really." She chuckled and brushed her hair back. "We've been trying to get clients, but so far the only one who's stuck around is Angel and we still haven't made as much progress as I'd hoped."

"I'm right here, babe. Don't talk like we ain't sharin' the same air."

Charlie winced. "Yeah, sorry." The elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing a floor that lacked all the open space of the lobby but otherwise matched the interior decor. "Anyway, fourth floor! Let's find a nice room for you both to share." She walked out, stepping aside for them both and then marched down the hall. Pent let his eyes wander over the cheap wallpaper and gaudy finishes as they passed several identical looking doors before finally stopping at one close to the stairs labeled 404. "Take a look in here guys. Tell me what you think."

She unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing a single queen-sized bed with two dressers, two nightstands, a writing desk, and an adjacent bathroom with a large shower, dual-sinks, and a rather small roman tub. Pentious bit his lip, immediately regretting agreeing to leave his home for this hovel. How was he to share such a small space with Angel without going insane?

Said spider immediately crossed his arms and stepped inside, dragging Pent further in as well. "Guess it's fine. Gonna be shitty sharin' a bed but there ain't enough slack on this thing to go with separates." He turned on his heel to look back at Charlie, tapping one finger against the writing desk. "Nugs won't like that elevator though…"

"That's why I put you close to the stairs," she said with a smile, sweeping her hands out towards the guardrail leading down. "Fat Nuggets isn't too heavy to carry up a few extra flights for walks, right?"

"Nah, I'll manage," Angel said with a sigh, pouting as he trailed his fingers along the wood grain of the desk.

Pulled out of his pity-pot by the mention of a third party, Pentious raised an eyebrow and glanced between the two of them. "Who is Nugs?"

Angel immediately shot him a nasty glare that made Pent's hood flare from just how quickly the spider's mood had turned. "My fuckin' pride and joy, that's what." He stepped into Pentious' space, making the snake rear back as the other Demon poked his jacket collar and added, "You fuck with my pig at all and you're toast, ya hear?"

"You have...a pig?" Pent asked as his hood fell back down to his neck, more confused than anything. "And it's trained, I hope?"

"They've got a litter box if that's what you're askin'," Angel said with a huff. "I'll keep their stuff on my side of the room, but you ain't allowed to fuckin' harm a spike on their back no matter how many of your shoes they eat."

Pentious paused, staring at Angel incredulously before gesturing down at his tail with both hands. "I don't own any shoes."

Angel gave a dismissive scoff and crossed his bottom two arms, his top two lifted in an annoyed shrug. "Whateva, you get the gist of it," the spider muttered as he kicked at the cheap carpet. "Alright, let's get this shit done. I need a stiff drink and good dick, but with this sonofabitch attached to me, I'm only gonna get one of those things."

"I sincerely hope it's the drink," Pent muttered, earning him a giggle from Charlie as they exited the room.

"Well if you want to go and take Nugs for a walk, Vaggie and I can go and move your stuff, Angel. It should be done by the time you get back." She led them back to the elevator and they took the chute down to the ground floor.

Once the doors parted, Pent snarled, his hood snapping open as he caught sight of the Radio Demon's distinctive silhouette. Alastor just slowly turned his head to face the elevator, his infernal grin widening as he took in the sight of all three of them. "Ah, there you are Charlie. Husker was just informing me that we had a-" He paused, the static of his voice deepening in a manner that was far too sinister for Pentious' liking, "-new guest."

His red eyes gave Pentious an amused onceover and Alastor tapped the end of his microphone against the carpet. "Should I assume you've already found them a suitable room?"

"Yeah, I've got it covered, Al." Charlie nodded and then gestured for Vaggie to follow. "We've just gotta move Angel's things upstairs. How'd the census go?"

"Oh absolutely splendid," Alastor said, trailing behind them as they made their way to Angel's current room (Pent keeping the distance even as the Radio Demon matched his pace). "So many poor souls writhing in the streets, clawing at their last moments of existence before being embraced by the siren call of oblivion." Alastor gave a contented sigh and twirled the staff, bouncing the head of the mic against his palm. "Shall we send someone else out to redo the forms for Hightown?"

Angel rolled his eyes and pulled out his key, unlocking the door. "Yeah, didn't exactly go as planned, smiles…" He turned the knob and went inside to greet his pig, forcing Pentious to follow him. "Here, baby. I'm home."

Pent scowled, taking in the absolute disarray of clothing, sex toys, and makeup that covered every piece of furniture the room had on offer. "How on earth do you live like this?" he muttered, picking up an empty bottle of tequila off the dusty vanity and placing it into the equally empty trash can.

"Oh great, you're a neat freak too? This is gonna be extra fuckin' fun," Angel said with a snort as he leaned over, drawing Pentious' attention as a small horned pig toddled out from behind the bed. The animal paused, noting the group and took a step back before Angel made a cooing noise. "It's ok, Fat Nuggets. Daddy's not gonna let the mean snake eat you." He scooped the pig up into his arms and hugged the animal, petting over the black spines running down their back.

The pig gave a soft oink and Angel smiled, turning to face the group. "Alright, back it up now. I gotta get the leash." He shooed the others out of the way with one of his free hands and Pent followed as they headed back through the door. As he passed the Radio Demon, Pent felt a chill run up his spine and turned, briefly meeting Alastor's unnervingly cheerful expression. The Demon only quirked his lips higher, exposing more of that horrid mouth before Pentious snarled, baring his own fangs in retaliation.

"Knock it off, snake. You chucklefucks can settle this weird rivalry shit on your own time. Nugs needs a walk," Angel muttered, dragging a pink leash and matching harness off a hook next to the door frame. Pent closed his mouth, shooting one last hateful look at Alastor as the Radio Demon gave a small mocking wave.

Once they were in the hallway, Angel gestured for Pent to lean down so he could get the pig into the harness, linking the leash to a ring at the top. "Ok, we're set. Time to go for walkies." He pet the pig one last time before standing back up and looking to Pentious. "Fat Nuggets gets walked 3 times a day and that ain't changin' so you better get used to it."

Pentious crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm to schedule my life around the needs of a pig?" he sniped as they both headed for the front door.

"Yeah. Deal with it. Nuggets was here first and my pet comes before you and your bullshit," Angel said flatly as he opened the door, holding it for Nugs and letting it drop against Pentious' shoulder.

Before they could descend the short steps leading from the entrance down to the sidewalk, Niffty suddenly danced in out of nowhere and grabbed Pent by the sleeve, bouncing on her heels.

"Hey so I set up the sewing machine for you in the lounge," she said with a wide grin, waving a feather duster in her free hand. "I also left out some black cotton, but let me know if you need any other fabric. I've got loads!"

He blinked and then smiled softly at her, slowly tugging her fingers from his jacket. "It's appreciated. I'll probably make use of it later tonight when we're more settled in."

Niffty giggled and swished her hips, making her poodle skirt sway from side to side. "It's weird that you know how to sew because well...you're a guy right? I mean, I wasn't sure about Angel at first either, but you never know these days!"

Pentious' smile fell as Angel snorted, leaning against the doorframe as he tried (and failed) to suppress his laughter. "I am a man," he confirmed in a curt tone, his eye twitching slightly in annoyance.

"Ok, just checking!" Niffty said, still smiling as she waved them off. "You both have fun!"

Angel grinned and nodded, patting the top of her head fondly. "We certainly will, Niff." He waved her off and managed to keep his mouth closed until the door shut behind her. Then once the coast was clear, he let out an absurdly loud bark of laughter, leaning forward as his bottom hands came to rest on his upper thighs.

Pent sighed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms to tap at the crook of his elbow. "Get it out now. Yes, it's very funny that I know a useful skill for mending and manufacturing my own clothing. How very gauche."

"You didn't see the look on your face when she asked," Angel said with a toothy smirk as he lifted the leash and let Nugs toddle down the low steps and onto the sidewalk. "That was goddamn priceless."

Once Angel's chuckles finally subsided, they fell into a relatively peaceful silence. The Hotel had a small private park next to it and it was clearly a normal route for Nugs who led them straight to the grassy plot, eagerly sniffing around and occasionally digging their hooves into the soft dirt.

Pentious sighed and pulled out his phone, forwarding the contact information for the tow company Stolas had called to the surviving eggs in his lair. At least they could pick up the airship while he was stuck here. Repairs would have to wait as his minions were only so helpful with tools, but he'd rather not have the vehicle rotting in some disgusting lot for days on end.

"So whatcha need the sewin' machine for anyway?"

Glancing up from his phone, he blinked and watched as Angel pulled out his cigarettes and lighter again. "I beg your pardon?"

Angel gave a frustrated grunt as he struggled with the junky lighter, his other hands pulling out a new stick before shoving the pack away inside his jacket. "We're gonna be goin' back to your place to get clothes and shit, right? So whatcha need to sew for?" he asked as he finally managed to get a light and took a few drags, blowing the smoke out the corner of his mouth.

"I'll need to make alterations to my suits." Pent pulled at his sleeve and added, "And we'll want to cover the chain, both so we don't draw any unwelcome attention, but also so we don't end up with scars from the steel." He gave a sardonic tilt of his head and tipped the brim of his hat for maximum effect. "If you haven't noticed, it's been slowly eating away at our flesh this entire time."

Angel shrugged, his eyes following the trail of smoke as it disappeared into the air. "Guess that makes sense," he muttered as he continued to smoke, following along as Nugs continued to explore the small park. "Though just so you know, we ain't gonna be able to keep this a secret from everyone. My boss is gonna find out."

"Your boss?" Pent asked as he pocketed his phone. "Are you not merely a harlot for hire?"

"Man, you make it sound so much classier than it is," Angel said with a sneer. "But yeah, kinda. I do a lotta stuff, but ultimately I kick up to Valentino. He, ah…" He paused, rubbing at his elbow as his mismatched eyes glanced off to the side. "-holds my work contract."

Pentious gave him a skeptical look and huffed. "He owns your soul you mean," he said plainly, watching as the spider flinched and then took another long drag. "Oh don't be coy. You forget that I've been here for far longer than you have." Pent adjusted his burnt bowtie and then his gloves, picking at the frayed leather with a small scowl. "I'm well aware of how the Overlords of the Seven Rings operate."

Angel gave a weak cough and tapped the ash off the end of the cigarette as Pent sighed. "We'd best tell him sooner rather than later. Hopefully he finds you to be more valuable than the steel on our wrists."

"Nah, Val wouldn't hurt the goods," Angel said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Wouldn't do somethin' permanent anyway." He laughed, but it felt a touch too loud for the moment and they both fell awkwardly silent again.

Eventually Nugs did their business and got bored, waddling back to Angel and looking up at him expectantly. Angel smiled, the expression real this time and said, "Ready to go back, baby? We've got a nice new room, but we hafta share." He put his cigarette in one of his bottom hands as he picked up the pig with the top set and stood. Then he paused, looking between Pentious and his beloved pet for a moment before giving a resigned sigh. Pent flinched as Angel suddenly stepped in front of him, holding Nugs up to chest height. "Here, let Nuggets sniff you. If you're gonna be stayin' with us, I can't have them thinkin' you're a stranger."

Pent inhaled sharply and stared at the pig who just tilted their head at him in curiosity. "Ah, hello there…" he said, raising his free hand and letting the pig's soft snout graze over the gloved back of his palm. Nugs gave a few snorts and then licked his knuckles, looking back up at him with black eyes. "I suppose I should be grateful you didn't bite me," Pent murmured as Angel set his pet back down and they began to walk back to the Hotel. "Is it a girl or boy?"

"Neither," Angel said, putting the cigarette back to his lips as his heels clicked across the concrete. Pent blinked and then shook his head. Ok, he supposed he shouldn't really be surprised at this point given just how insanely bizarre this entire day was turning out to be.

When they got back, all of Angel's personal possessions had been moved from the first floor to the new bedroom on the fourth and a set of robes, towels, and sponges had been left along with medical grade soap on the bathroom counter. Hope you enjoy your stay! was scrawled on a piece of notebook paper next to a set of chocolates placed on the sheets.

"Man, Charlie's really rollin' out the red carpet for your dumb ass. How come I didn't get any chocolate?" Angel said, undoing the leash harness and hanging it on the coat rack, letting Nugs freely sniff around the premises. "Alright, how the hell are we gonna bathe? I'm assumin' you're gonna freak out if I see you in your birthday suit?"

"Unfortunately, there's no helping it," Pentious said, rubbing his arms as Angel sat down on the bed, lifting one leg (much higher than was necessary) to cross it over the other. "The best we could do is turn away from one another and promise not to look." He shot Angel a glare as the spider scooped one of the chocolates off the sheets and unwrapped it, carelessly tossing the foil onto the bed. "-But somehow I don't think I could trust you to keep your word."

Angel popped the chocolate into his mouth and smirked. "What, you doubt my honor as a gentleman?" He pressed one hand to his chest and gave a faux offended gasp before breaking character by devolving into snickers. "Chill, snake. I'm not gonna make this shit any harder than it has to be." He leaned back on his top set of elbows and raised one of his bottom hands, index finger pointed to the ceiling. "Let's just rip it off like a bandaid. Once it's over it won't be so bad since it ain't like either of us got parts we haven't seen before."

He licked his lips and lowered his hand, cupping his chest to give himself a sensual grope. "Sides, you can't tell me that you ain't interested in seein' all this-" he stretched out his long legs, nearly kicking them into the air and flashing Pentious. "-steamed up and wet."

"You think far too highly of yourself," Pent groused, grabbing the chain and giving it a pointed tug to get Angel off the bed. "But your logic is sound. It will be simpler to become accustomed to our new situation rather than deny the obvious." He frowned and rolled his eyes as Angel stood, continuing to touch himself and waggle his eyebrows suggestively. "After all, it may very well be several years before we earn our freedom."

"Wait, years?" Angel parroted, dropping his act as he followed Pent into the bathroom. "Why the fuck would it take that goddamn long?"

Pentious gave a beleaguered sigh and closed the bathroom door behind them. "There is only one day of the year that presents an opportunity to collect Heaven's Steel: Extermination day." Taking the metal wash-basin off the counter, he placed it into the tub and turned on the faucet, running the water as hot as he could make it. "Depending on how much we require, it may be some time before we are able to gather enough to forge the key. Additionally, we'll have to fight off every other Demon looking to pilfer it for themselves." He glanced back at Angel and added, "I have a small amount at my residence, but we'll no doubt need more. There are always fragments on the black market, but at prices that neither of us will likely be capable of affording."

Angel sat down on the edge of the tub and ran a hand back through his hair, watching as the basin filled. "Shit...Val's not gonna like that…" he muttered to himself.

"It is what it is." Pent shut off the faucet and lifted the filled basin back onto the counter with a wince as some of his stitches pulled taut. He avoided looking at Angel as he removed his hat and then undid the clasps of his suit jacket, sliding it off his shoulders. The nearly destroyed fabric dragged onto the slack of the chain as he removed his button-down and undershirt to join it, leaving him entirely bare save for the bandages Husk had bound around his tail.

Wetting one of the sponges, he applied some liquid soap, working it into a lather before he began to clean the parts of his body that weren't lacerated or stitched up.

"Whoa, you are fuckin' snatched."

Pentious gave a tired sigh, not looking up. "Am I supposed to know what that means?" he asked snidely, picking at the spots of dried blood splattered across his abdomen.

A pair of hands came up to cup the juncture of his waist and hips and Pent froze, his eyes wide with disbelief as he gripped the sponge tight enough to make it drip onto the floor. "No, seriously, I thought you had a corset on under that thing, but you really just got a tiny ass waist."

He glanced up to the mirror, seeing Angel staring down at his serpentine body curiously, one of his top hands rubbing his chin while the bottom two held Pentious in a gentle but entirely inappropriate manner.

"Do not touch me," he growled, hood snapping open as he twisted out of Angel's grip.

Angel quickly put up all four of his hands, taking a step back. "Yeesh, I was givin' ya a compliment. Not a lotta fellas can boast a waist like that and a fat ass."

Pent scowled, hood retreating down to his neckline. "My tail is not my ass," he said pointedly, going back to scrubbing, his cheeks burning hot as he felt Angel's stare on his back.

"It might as well be," Angel laughed, beginning to remove his own clothes, pulling off his suit jacket and bending over to drag his skirt and thong down in a single slide. "I don't got much back there so I appreciate some solid cake when it comes along."

Pentious paused and then groaned, putting down the sponge to rub at his eye. "Is cake a euphemism for ass?"

Angel grinned at him in the mirror and reached for his own luffa, wetting it and soaping it up. "Right on the money, sonny and you got cake for days."

"Do not make unsolicited commentary on my body," Pent muttered, rinsing a towel to wash off the soapy water and wringing it out into the sink as he tried to keep the burning embarrassment from creeping onto his face.

"Alright, sheesh," Angel drawled, lifting one leg up on the side of the tub. He unzipped his boot and pulled his foot out, quickly covering the appendage with a towel as he washed over his calf and knee. "But you really should consider loosenin' up. It's not like this is gonna be the only time I see you buck naked."

Pentious grimaced and dampened the towel again. "Indeed. I still ask that you keep whatever thoughts you have to yourself."

Angel rolled his eyes as he washed over the length of his left leg. "Yeah, yeah. I got it the first time, Penty."

Pentious felt his eye twitch and he quickly shook his head. "Don't call me that."

"Penny."

"Also no."

"Sir Penny?"

Biting his lip, Pent turned to Angel, gripping the towel tightly between his clasped fingers as he kept his eyes firmly at chest level and above. "If you must use shorthand, Pen and Pent are acceptable." Though he really hated that most Demons refused to use his full title. Unfortunately he knew there'd be no enforcing such a thing with a man who willingly went by the name Angel Dust.

"Pen then," Angel amended, moving to his other leg and peeling it out of the boot, hiding his right foot in much the same fashion as he did his left. "So what the fuck were you doin' in Hightown anyway?"

Pentious turned away again, rubbing the sponge over the eyes on his tail and wincing at the slight burn of soap. "I was looking to take advantage of the power vacuum of course. Do you not pay attention to the news at all?"

Angel laughed and shrugged. "Why the fuck would I do that? I don't give a damn about any other poor fuckers down here." He leaned over and wrung out the towel in the tub, adding, "If me an' mine are alright, then I'm good."

Huffing, Pent rinsed off the soap and said, "Well there were more deaths than usual in Hightown and I saw the opportunity. Unfortunately I didn't count on someone boarding my ship and distracting me from my work."

"Yeah, you really lucked out. I was only in Hightown cuz the princess wanted a census done. Course, once I caught sight of your stupid balloon I had to make sure you didn't cause too much trouble."

"Yes, because you attacked me entirely out of altruism," Pent snarked, waving both of his hands and twirling the towel dramatically, splattering water against the mirror. "All to protect the good citizens of Hightown from my army."

Angel scrubbed the hair on his head thoroughly and then wrapped all the wet strands up into a towel, twisting the fabric into a bun. "My motivations were totally pure," he said with a grin, touching his ample chest as he leaned back against the wall, both long legs stretched out across the length of the tub's rim. "Miss Charlie woulda been so upset if I let you wreak havoc on the rich folks."

Pentious scoffed and slowly extended his hood, washing the back and front of it carefully. Angel really had thrown a wrench into his plans. Had he not been forced to fight off the spider, he could have easily taken out the gatling gun with his mounted armaments. He certainly wouldn't have had to rely on his minions to control the ship as it was falling from the sky.

Unfortunately, there was no going back now. His ship was destroyed and the opportunity to take hold in Hightown had slipped through his constrictive grasp.

"Hey, tell me somethin'."

"What?" Pent asked, turning to face Angel as he dropped his hood down, running the wet towel along the back of his neck.

The spider pointed to the eye in the middle of his chest and then the ones running down his tail. "Can you actually see with those or are they just decoration?"

Pentious hummed, not expecting such a question. "Yes, they are functional." He paused, tilting his head slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Angel shrugged, folding his top set of arms back behind his head as he leaned against the wall. "Just curious cuz I see 'em movin' around a lot. They react to light an' shit too, so I just figured I'd ask if they were real." He laughed and grinned up at Pentious. "Gotta imagine that your vision is pretty fuckin' strange."

"I've gotten used to it," Pent said flatly, turning back to the mirror and washing his face, wincing at the sticky trail of dried blood running down his chin. "Though my first few years down here were interesting to say the least. Getting settled in this form took time, but now, like most Demons, it's simply how I am." He paused, looking at his reflection in the mirror as he draped the towel to hang over the rim of the basin. "I honestly can't even remember my vision being any different from how it is now."

"That long, huh?" Angel said, yawning and stretching out all four of his arms up until his elbows and back cracked. "Yeah, I guess it's the same for me too these days." He turned to face Pent and playfully waved his limbs. "How the fuck I used to live with only two of these bad boys is a goddamn mystery."

Pent snorted and then chuckled into his hand, the absurdity of the statement getting to him as he leaned against the countertop. Angel blinked and stared at him. "Oh shit, did you just like, laugh?" He placed his covered feet down on the floor and leaned forward, one set of hands gripping the rim of the tub while the other two folded over his knees. "Holy shit, you really laughed and not that stupid fuckin' witch cackle you do when you're tryin' to be all Mister Badass."

"It's not a witch cackle, it's my sinister laugh," Pentious insisted, straightening his posture and squaring his shoulders. "Every good Overlord should be capable of striking fear into other Demons at a moment's notice!"

"'Cept you're just a Kingpin and not an Overlord," Angel said snidely, kicking his legs back and forth as the towels fluttered around his feet.

Pent sniffed, puffing out his chest. "You clearly lack ambition. I don't plan on remaining in the lower rungs forever." He looked to the (previously white, now rusty red) towel and lifted the basin enough to dump the dirty water into the sink. "One day I'll rule this entire city and every damned soul in it."

Angel unwrapped his hair and shook it out, mussing the wet white strands. "Big dreamer, huh? That's cute I guess. You really must be bored down here if you're content to chase after the big cars like a goddamn dog all year 'round." Pentious' eyes narrowed as the other Demon carelessly tossed the used towel into the sink and shrugged, adding, "Guess it's better than slidin' into a gutter with some needles in your elbow crotch, but not by much."

"And your afterlife is so superior?" Pentious asked with an annoyed huff, grabbing the dirty towel and placing it on top of his inside the now empty wash-basin. "You're someone else's property."

Angel stiffened and then stood, frowning at Pent in the mirror as he put his lower hands on his hips. "Thought we agreed not to pick at each other's scabs?"

Turning and mirroring Angel's posture mockingly, Pent flashed his fangs and said, "Is it a scab or is it the truth?"

He fully expected to feel a sadistic rush when Angel didn't respond, only lowering his eyes and cupping his own shoulders in an act of self-comfort. The stupid spider rightly deserved to be taken down a few pegs given how much grief he'd given Pent over the course of a single goddamn day, but as the seconds passed between them in silence, Pentious only felt a disappointed hollow feeling settle deep into the pit of his stomach.

Sighing, Pent leaned back, crossing his arms and tapping a claw against the crook of his elbow. "Alright, that was a touch...harsh," he admitted, his tone bordering on apologetic, but never quite crossing the line. "Since it's clearly a sore spot, I'll avoid talking about your employer from now on unless it comes up in conversation."

He reached for one of the remaining clean towels and wiped himself down, careful of the various wounds and bandages that covered his body. Once dry, he glanced to the tattered clothes hanging off the chain and sighed. There was not much to salvage given how torn and patchy the fabric was from their fight so he dug his claws into the largest seams and tore it clean off the chain. He'd just have to make due with a robe until they could pick up his effects later. At least that wouldn't be full of holes and covered in sweat and blood.

Slipping on the robe emblazoned with the Hotel logo (leaving his chained arm free), he glanced back to Angel and furrowed his brow. The other man was still just standing there silently, eyes unfocused and far away as he held himself, wet pink and white fur dripping onto the tile.

Pentious frowned and slithered closer, snapping his fingers in front of the other man's face. Angel jumped and nearly tumbled back, but Pent grabbed his arm, steadying him before he sent them both falling into the roman tub. "Are you done? I'd like to make a wrap to cover the cuffs." He quirked his lip and added, "Unless you'd prefer to continue letting the steel burn our wrists?"

Angel swallowed and forced a smirk, grabbing one of the other towels and mussing it through the fur of his body. "Yeah, give me a second. Just gotta get my shoes." He turned away from Pent and reached for his boots, slipping in each leg and zipping them all the way up.

"Do you have a habit of putting on footwear before actual clothing?" Pentious asked as Angel donned the second robe and followed him out of the bathroom.

"Do you have a habit of being a nosy asshole?" Angel shot right back, his usual sass returning just as quickly as it had vanished. "I should also put on some underwear before we go out into the hall. Last time I didn't have any panties on, Vaggie threw a goddamn fit."

Pent nodded and followed Angel to the top of the dresser where the spider's clothes had been folded and neatly stacked (along with an open box of sex toys that immediately made Pent avert his eyes in distaste). A quick glance behind him revealed that several other items were hanging in the closet. He curiously reached out, taking a lingerie set by the hanger and winced, examining the misaligned stitchwork. "This is atrocious," he muttered, pulling at the fabric. "I hope you didn't pay money for this."

Angel stepped into a set of red lace underwear and slid them up his legs, bunching the hem of the robe as he adjusted the fabric at his groin. "You talkin' shit 'bout my clothes now too?" The spider turned and grinned, licking his lips suggestively. "If you're so offended by 'em, I could just walk around naked."

Pointing to the uneven lace trim, Pent said, "I just can't imagine wearing something this poorly made. It's still terribly tacky, but if it had at least been properly constructed, it might look halfway decent." He hung the set back on the hanger rail as Angel shrugged and plucked the second chocolate off the bed, unwrapping it and eating it in a single bite. "Could you dispose of those in the trash?"

Angel gave an exaggerated sigh and scooped up the two bits of crumpled foil, tossing them into the bin next to the dresser. "Livin' with you is gonna be real fuckin' fun…" he muttered as he ran a hand back through his wet hair. "You said you wanted to do some sewin' right?" When Pent nodded, Angel turned and headed to the door. "Kay, the lounge is on the first floor, but it's kinda tucked away. This whole building has a weird ass layout."

Pentious followed Angel down into the lounge which was mostly barren save for a few pieces of dusty sitting furniture and a folding desk where the sewing machine was set up along with a pile of black fabric, matching thread, and some fabric shears. "Oh, this is an old design," Pentious said, smiling as he ran his claws over the metal plating. "Hmmm."

"Is that a problem?" Angel asked, drawing up a couple of chairs from against the wall and plopping down in one as Pent inspected the machine.

"No, not at all. I'm used to older equipment, but the newer models allow you greater diversity in your work. There's pros and cons to both methodologies." Pent threaded the bobbin with the provided black thread and tested the tension for the wire as he filled the spool. "It's in excellent condition too."

Angel shrugged and pulled his phone out (where he was keeping it, Pentious had no idea). "It's all Greek to me," he said, kicking his legs up onto the empty side of the desk. "Just let me know if you need to get up and take a piss or somethin'."

Wincing at the vulgarity of it, Pent just shook his head and began to work, measuring out the fabric to the length of their chain and cutting it before beginning to craft. A simple cover wouldn't take very long at all though it would go faster if he had his glasses and could get a better look at his work.

After maybe half an hour, he was tying the cover over the chain, checking the fit. Once that was done, he went ahead and made the wraps for the cuffs, using his own wrist as a base measurement.

"Here," he said, handing the first one to Angel. "Slip that underneath the inside of the cuff and tie it to the first chainlink."

Angel slipped the fabric from his fingers and put on the cover, raising an eyebrow as he looked over the now black cuff. "Huh, really does make a difference…" he remarked as Pentious went back to sewing his own cover. "Didn't realize just how bad that was hurtin' until it went away."

"Imagine feeling that for an entire year," Pent said with a smug smirk, snipping the excess thread. "It'd be more proper to iron these first, but the stitching should hold just fine regardless." He pushed the fabric in the limited space between his wrist and the metal, sighing as the stinging subsided almost instantly, leaving a dull ache in its place from where it had irritated his scales.

Once it was tied in place, he smiled and shook the chain. It looked like a black tube stretching between them with black cuffs on either wrist. "Much better, no?"

"Alright, alright. Don't pat yourself on the ass," Angel said as he sat up and stretched out. "If we're done here, I think I'm good to have a lie-down." He lifted his legs, lowering them back down to the carpet. "Ready to try sharin' the bed?"

"Not particularly," Pentious said with an irritated sigh, getting up himself and turning off the machine, folding the excess fabric and neatening up the table before following Angel back upstairs to their room.

Nuggets was curled up in the pet bed on the floor, but immediately hopped out to greet Angel when the door opened. Angel smiled and gave the pig a few scritches, snagging some socks off the top of the dresser before picking Nugs up and settling down on the queen mattress. "Alright Nugs. We got a bigger bed, but you gotta stay on this side with me, ok?" He kissed the top of his pet's head. "Good baby."

"They sleep with you?" Pent asked, sitting down on the opposite side, sliding his tail down to lay out against the bed.

"Sometimes," Angel said with a shrug, turning away from Pent as he unzipped his boots and quickly replaced them with the socks before pulling the pig in close to his chest. Nugs just gave a small oink and began to lick the other Demon's cheek. "Aw, daddy loves you too," Angel cooed affectionately, petting two hands over the pig's back.

Pentious yawned and nodded, letting his chained arm drop down to the side as he laid on his back. Normally he slept curled into a pillow, but the wound on his hip was still too sore and fresh. Instead he laid his head against the cushions and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as his body throbbed in a mixture of overexertion and pain.

He was in a strange building, in a strange room, in a strange bed, with a strange man. Nothing about the situation was even slightly comfortable but after a few minutes his exhaustion won out and he managed to slip into fatigued oblivion.

Their first week was filled with more than a lion's share of awkward episodes. Going to the bathroom required drilling a hole in the wall with a carved pathway to the door so they could slide the chain through and still have a certain level of privacy (though bathing still demanded too much movement and access to the shower which their limited slack didn't allow).

On the second day, they managed to go to Pentious' home and pick up several sets of clothing along with his most important tools and personal items, including his reading glasses (of which Angel mocked him for over an hour). After a few rounds at the sewing machine, all of his (and a few of Angel's) clothes had been modified with hidden zippers along the seams of their chained limbs to allow them to more or less dress themselves normally without having to resort to culling entire sleeves.

While they were at his lair, he had also made sure to grab his heated blankets to avoid any potential incidents in bed. The first night they'd shared, Pent had woken with his face buried in Angel's soft hair and his tail partially draped over the spider's flank. Thankfully Angel hadn't woken, but it was embarrassing enough in its own right that he resolved to never let it happen again. He truly hated being cold-blooded and in particular, his near instinctive need to get uncomfortably close to the nearest source of heat on offer when sleeping in this drafty old Hotel.

If Angel ever found out, he'd never hear the end of it.

But Angel wasn't the only problem he had to deal with on a regular basis. Everywhere he went he could feel the simpering presence of the Radio Demon looming over his shoulders. It was bad enough dealing with the spider's rather disgusting and uncouth habits, but his hood flared every time he caught wind of static in the air. He was absolutely certain that the smarmy gigglemug was shadowing him on purpose (no doubt in an effort to rile him up), always asking if he was enjoying his stay and if there was anything, anything they could do to make him more comfortable?

One day he would rip Every. Single. Rotten. Tooth from that demented deer's filthy mouth.

Though he had to admit it wasn't all bad. Miss Charlotte ("Please just call me Charlie, Sir Pentious.") was growing on him faster than he cared to admit. She was very well-mannered and charming despite her overbearing nature. Her girlfriend was also rather likeable. Vagatha was curt and to the point, but reasonable and with a good head on her shoulders (she also hated Alastor which was always a plus in his book).

Husker was the same as he remembered from their times sharing game tables, though he seemed more tired, as if something was weighing him down (and not just the absurd amount of drink he consumed).

Lastly there was Miss Niffty. One moment he was fascinated by her talent and energy and then in the next she would say something that cut far deeper than any insult from Angel but in such a disarmingly sweet tone that he wasn't sure if he was even allowed to take offense to it at all!

Of course, without any real guests, most of his time in the Hotel was mostly spent sharing meals in the dining hall, playing card games in the rec room (Husker was still a terrible cheat), and flatly ignoring everyone by texting on his phone or watching cat videos on his laptop.

Though the dull peace didn't last long as by the week's end, Angel invited Cherri Bomb over for a visit (without warning him first of course). After she'd finished cackling like a drunk hyena for a good 20 minutes over their situation, she spent the rest of the afternoon making joke after joke at his expense all the while Angel high-fived her with one of his unchained arms.

Pent was almost grateful when they finally retired to the rec room to watch a terribly over-produced reality show (that was apparently a weekly "tradition" for the two friends). He'd never sat down and watched any of these trashy dramas for himself, but these two were clearly invested in the spectacle, throwing popcorn at the screen and kicking their feet up under an old cow-print blanket every time the obnoxious sound effects indicated that someone had just "fucked up".

"So have you told Val yet? I'm surprised he hasn't asked you to come in," Cherri asked, turning down the TV volume as the show went to commercial. Angel sighed and leaned back against the couch, his smile fading slightly as Cherri nudged his shoulder with her elbow. "Hey, if you need me there, I'm game. You know that, right, Angie?"

"Yeah...just dunno what his reaction's gonna be. Can't take clients like this aside from the ones who got an exhibitionist kink," Angel said, shaking the shackles between them. "And filmin' around the chain won't exactly be a cakewalk either." He heaved a heavy sigh and adjusted the deeply v-neck of his loose sleep shirt against his breast. "Thank fuck I already paid him last week."

Cherri raised her only eyebrow. "How the hell did you manage that?" she asked, leaning over the coffee table to snag a bowl of pretzels off the stacked magazines serving as makeshift coasters.

"Got a loan from Charlie to cover my ass, but it won't last. So I'm probably gonna go into the studio tomorrow and have a chat."

Pent shifted his tail to hang over the armrest of the couch, idly petting Nugs (who had started to grow very accustomed to his presence, at least enough to beg him for cuddles when Angel was otherwise occupied). "Is that wise?" he asked, looking to the spider. "Remember, we have a priceless piece of metal hanging between us. He could decide that our mutilation is a small price to pay for getting his hands on this steel."

"Don't got a choice in that matter, now do I?" Angel said with a tired shrug, crossing his long legs and folding his lower set of arms around himself. "He'll be even more pissed if I make him look for me."

He paused and then leaned over, grabbing a small mirror off the side table, evening up the powder spilled across the reflective surface with a credit card. "Just gotta rip it off like a bandaid, snake. Waitin' always makes it worse." He rolled up the bill he'd used for his last two lines and put it to his nose, closing his opposite nostril with his finger before snorting the contents in a practiced sweep of his head. "Fuck," he muttered, setting the mirror, card, and bill back down before leaning against the couch, pulling his legs up into his chest.

Pent sighed and glanced back to his phone. Sometimes he wondered if Angel was supposed to be doing drugs in the Hotel given the nature of Charlie's mission, but honestly he didn't really care. The spider never brought it up in front of the princess and the other staff members so he was at least trying to conceal the severity of his addiction for now. The only time it ever really annoyed Pent was when he got a horrendous nose bleed and stained their sheets.

As they waited for the commercial break to end, Angel's phone began to vibrate on the table. Cherri reached over and grabbed it, wincing. "Speak of the devil…" she mumbled, showing Angel the caller ID.

Angel immediately stiffened and swiped the phone from her hand, standing up almost too fast for Pentious to react to. "Heeey boss…" Angel said, gesturing for Cherri to mute the TV which she did without question. The spider then jerked the chain between them and Pent sighed, trailing Angel as he was led to an empty hall outside of the recreation room. There was muffled audio from the other end of the line, but it was too difficult for Pentious to make out anything specific as he followed Angel to what looked like a barren supply closet. Angel mimed for him to remain outside as he went in, closing the door as best he could with the covered chain pulled taut between the wood and the metal hinge.

Sighing, Pentious leaned against the wall, letting his head rest on the doorframe as he heard Angel's voice filter through the open crack.

"Yeah I know it's been a while. But I did that nice big show before E-Day and-" Angel paused as more muffled dialogue filled the space. Then the spider was pleading. "Val, you gotta give me time. There's some stuff that's come up and I wanna explain it to ya, but it ain't somethin' that can-"

Angel went silent again as the muffled voice on the other end of the line took control of the conversation before finally the spider blurted out "I-I'll make it up. I swear! Just gimme a chance, please."

For some reason, Pentious' stomach began to knot as he listened to Angel beg. There was something broken and desperate in the other Demon's voice and he felt oddly sick bearing witness to it. He tapped his claws against the wall in an anxious rhythm, wondering when the phone call was going to end (and praying that it was soon).

"Ok, right when you get back." Another pause. "I know...thank you, thank you, thank you."

Pent grimaced, gripping the doorframe harder as he heard Angel hang up.

Why did a simple expression of gratitude feel so twisted?

Several minutes passed and the other Demon didn't emerge from the closet. From the outside, Pentious couldn't hear any sounds or any movement, but despite his curiosity, he didn't feel that it his place to enter.

Part of him was also a touch scared of what he would find if he did.

Of course, it wasn't long before Cherri walked by to check on things, holding Nugs in her tattooed arms. "He still in there?" she asked, pointing to the closet. Pent just gave a nod and she sighed, her melancholy expression strange and foreign to him as she gently knocked on the doorframe. "Hey Angie, you still on the phone, babe?"

No answer.

Cherri bit her lip. "Can I come in?" she asked in an even softer voice. There was still no answer, but the door did creak open slightly so she took that as invitation and entered, closing the closet as best she could behind her.

Pentious exhaled a smooth breath, closing his eyes and touching over his face as he heard her whisper, "Hey, how you holdin' up?"

"I'm not…"

"What's he want?"

A sniff and then a watery chuckle. "A lot, but that shit's expected. Shouldn't have fuckin' ghosted him for so long…"

"Angel…"

"He's outta the studio for a week so I got until then."

"Fuck."

"Yeah." Another sniff. "Fuck."

Then there was silence for a few minutes and somehow that was even worse than the talking.

Pent didn't know if he should interrupt or just continue to wait quietly; though both approaches felt terribly wrong in their own right. He didn't want to be stuck out in the hall for the rest of the evening, but he didn't get the sense that it was his right to intrude on them either. This was far too personal for him to be comfortable with, especially coming from a man like Angel.

Before he could make a decision either way, the door opened and the spider stepped out, his eyes a little red and glassy, but otherwise showing no outward signs of distress. Angel glanced at him and frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whatever you heard, just forget it." He briefly lifted a hand to rub at the underside of his nose before tucking it back into the crook of his elbow. "It's none of ya business, ok?"

Pentious pursed his lips and took a deep breath. "You're going to have to involve me in this. As you said, we don't exactly have much of a choice." He lifted his arm to jangle the chain pointedly, but Angel grabbed his wrist, squeezing down hard against the cuff.

"You don't think I fuckin' know that!? I'm not a goddamn moron, y'know!" Angel winced as Cherri stepped out behind him, still holding Nugs who was now oinking frantically. "Sorry baby, daddy didn't mean to yell." He let go of Pentious' arm and took the pig from her, cradling the animal to his chest and letting Nuggets lick over his cheek.

The three of them stood there quietly for a moment (save for Nugs' who continued to snort against Angel's chest) before Cherri finally cleared her throat and said, "Need me to spend the night?"

Angel pursed his lips and then shook his head. "Nah...sides, I already got someone I'm stuck sharin' the bed with." He gave her a weak smile, the expression strained and tight. "But I appreciate you comin' by, dollface. Always nice to have you around this dump."

Looking down at Nugs, Angel pet over the pig's floppy ears and said, "You should probably head out though. Imma hit the hay a bit early tonight, Cherri."

Cherri frowned, but didn't fight it. "Yeah, alright. Just text me if you need anything, ok?" she squeezed his shoulder and the three of them walked out to the lobby, Pent standing back as far as the chain would let him as he watched as the two friends embrace by the double doors. Cherri glanced back at them and gave one last wave before slipping through and closing the door with a soft click behind her.

Almost immediately both sets of Angel's shoulders slumped, his head dipping slightly forward so that the messy fringe of white hair drooped down over his eyes. Pentious exhaled and gave a timid tug on the chain. "We should clean up the recreati-"

"Leave it. Niffty likes doin' that crap anyway." Suddenly Angel turned and began to stalk his way to the stairs, forcing Pent to slither fast to keep up with his long stride. Without slowing down, Angel began to take the stairs two at a time, only speeding up the higher he climbed.

"Wait! You need to slow-" Pent called as the other man leapt too high, the chain pulling taut between them. Angel wobbled on the edge of the step for a moment before gravity won out, yanking him down into the snake's heavier body.

Angel snarled, flinging himself off of Pentious as he twisted around to glare daggers at the snake. "Fuck!" he hissed as he righted himself, using one hand to shove Pent's chest. "Can't you move any goddamn faster you fat stupid slug!?"

Pentious' eyes narrowed and he grabbed the chain, yanking Angel off the taller step so they were eye-level. "Do not talk to me like that again," he said in a firm voice, barely restraining himself from baring his fangs at the other Demon.

He closed his eyes, taking a calming breath before his eyes snapped open and he met Angel's burning stare. "Do whatever it is that you need to do. Drink yourself into a stupor, take all the drugs you want," He pulled the chain hard, their faces mere inches away from one another as he spat, "-but do not sell me a dog and act as though you are mad at me."

For a moment, Angel was quiet, his mismatched eyes filled with hate even as his lip quivered. "You're such a fuckin' bastard," he muttered before turning to keep climbing the stairs, only to slip as the heel of his boot caught the edge of the step. Pent grabbed Angel's arms, holding him upright as the spider careened while clutching a squealing Nugs to his breast.

"My parents were very much wed when I was born, thank you," Pentious hissed as he steadied Angel. "Now, if you don't want to break your goddamn neck going up these steps, I suggest you take your time and watch where you put those massive hooves of yours."

Angel growled, but didn't argue, simply walking up the stairs at a normal pace with Pent keeping an eye on him from behind. Neither of them spoke as they entered their shared room, Angel putting Nugs down and giving a soft apology pet to the pig before grabbing some socks and kicking off his boots. Once his feet were covered by stretchy pink fabric, he sat down on the bed and ripped open the drawer to his nightstand to rummage for his cigarettes and lighter.

Pentious also sat down, watching as the spider stuck a stick in his lips and then struggled to get the rusted old lighter to ignite in his shaking hands. After a few moments, Angel let out a frustrated hiss and then threw the dented metal into the opposite wall where it collided with the vanity mirror, sending the whole thing shattering to the floor. At the sudden commotion, Nugs squealed and ran under the bed to hide.

Wincing, Pent leaned over and picked up the wooden frame. "Does having a tantrum help?" he asked sarcastically, carefully plucking at the shards and placing the largest fragments on the vanity before turning on the roomba he'd brought from his home. He watched as the little robot quickly sucked up the smaller pieces of glass, leaving the floor pristine before returning to its power bank.

"Shut the fuck up," Angel muttered, unlit cigarette still clutched in his teeth as he hugged himself, legs crossed on the sheets in a tangled mess.

"So very mature," Pent said as he scooped up the lighter, thumbing over the engraved logo which was barely visible through the thick coating of rust across its surface. Turning to Angel, he gave the other man a nasty scowl before popping off the metal cover with his thumb.

Without a word, Pentious leaned into Angel's space and ignited the flint, letting the flame kiss the end of the spider's cigarette before capping the device closed. He ignored the mixture of anger and confusion that played out across the other Demon's face and quietly set the lighter down on top of the nightstand.

Angel's bewilderment quickly twisted back into rage as he ripped the lit cigarette from his mouth. "The fuck was that for?" he asked, turning to the side to glower at the snake as Pent slithered across the bed and clapped to turn off the lights.

Once the room was dark, Pentious sighed, his shoulders hunching as the end of his tail gave an annoyed slap to the mattress. "Go. To. Sleep."

He then yanked back the covers and slipped under the blankets, facing away from the spider to stare at the opposite wall. For a few minutes, the room was deadly silent save for the patter of Nugs' hooves underneath the bed. Finally he felt Angel roll over and drag the sheets up to his shoulders.

Pent distantly heard the muted hiss of a cigarette being stubbed out in an ashtray, shortly accompanied by a shuddery sigh and muffled hiccup.

Then there was nothing.

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Beta assistance by SirDust & DerpingLina