A Wide Collar & Short Leash

by Total-Mal

It's bad enough to be forced into close quarters with an enemy, but Angel Dust is by far one of the most irritating demons Pentious ever had the displeasure of crossing paths with. Now the only way they're both getting out of this situation is to cooperate. Hopefully he doesn't lose his sanity in the meantime. Cover art by Scribblehearts.

4. Soldering the Edges

MAJOR CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER. NONCONSENSUAL GROPING/TOUCHING AND DISCUSSIONS OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

"We've got a bond in common, you and I. We are both alone in the world."
Daphne du Maurie

---

A week and a half had gone by since they were first cuffed and Angel still wasn't used to having another person in his bed. The men he slept with weren't ever invited back to his place and he never stayed the night in a client's house or hotel room. So to roll over and see the outline of another body on the other side of the mattress was almost surreal in a way.

Of course he really wished it wasn't the goddamn snake, but beggars and choosers (or however the stupid phrase went) and he could think of at least half a dozen different sleazebags who'd be a far worse bed partner. At least Pentious didn't grope him in the night and drunkenly beg for sex or drugs. If anything, the snake was pretty touch-repulsed and went out of his way to keep from making physical contact with everyone, not just Angel.

Which was weird, but Angel could handle that.

Weird, irritating, snooty, prissy. There were a million words to describe Pent and his hang-ups, but they still paled in comparison to the alternatives.

This was hardly his shittiest experience locked in a set of handcuffs. Honestly, it might even be one of the better ones.

Fuck, that was sad...

A shrill whistle filled the air and Angel flinched, his fingers tightening over the sheets as Pentious' stupid tea kettle timer went off. Next to him, the snake groaned, rubbing at his eyes before reaching across the nightstand and hitting the switch to cool the boiler plate. Angel watched out of the corner of his eye as Pent sat up and poured the boiling water into a cup he'd left out the night before, dropping a tea bag into the steaming liquid to steep.

The snake sleepily leaned back against the headboard, holding the warm cup between his palms before turning to look at Angel, his red eyes still glassy and unfocused. "Hm, how long have you been awake?" he asked, blowing across the top of the cup before taking a tentative sip from the rim. Lowering the cup to his lap, Pentious yawned, his hood extending out with the motion before deflating just as quickly.

"Not long," Angel muttered, pulling his knees up under the covers and hooking his arms around them as he shifted to stare out the window.

Pent hummed and then took another drink from his cup. "Did you sleep at all?" he asked quietly.

Angel glanced at him and chuckled. "A little," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

He still didn't know how to feel about the night before. Sure, maybe it had been a pretty big dick move to take out his frustration on the snake when it wasn't his fault they were in this mess (stupid fuckin' Imp), but Pent had no goddamn clue what the fuck they were in for; what he was in for.

Then there was the damn cigarette thing. Angel had wracked his brain for the better part of an hour after Pentious had finally retreated to his side of the bed and left him alone with nothing but a fading high and his own thoughts to occupy his insomnia.

The fuckin' snake could have just left the lighter on the floor, gotten into bed, and ignored Angel for the rest of the night. As angry as it would have made him, Angel wouldn't have blamed him if that's what he had done.

-but he didn't.

Why?

Angel groaned, rubbing over his face. Maybe he was just overthinking it all. It wouldn't be the first time he'd jumped to conclusions before having the complete picture. He and Pentious barely knew each other and for all he was aware, that was some weird Victorian-era bullshit. Not like he hadn't seen a plethora of that crap over the course of their time spent together. The old timey slang alone was enough to send his head spinning sometimes.

Glancing back to the other side of the bed, Pent had just finished off his tea and set the cup back on a coaster atop the nightstand. Angel's eyes followed the other Demon's spine as it flexed, the lean muscle of his back stretching out as the snake arched, several audible pops sounding before Pentious slumped slightly in relief. "Alright, now I'm awake," he declared, peeling the covers and his heated blanket off to slide his tail to the floor.

Angel sighed, shifting out from under his own sheets. "Guess I gotta get up too then, huh?" he groused as he got to his feet, following Pent into the bathroom to go through what had become their normal schedule.

Every morning followed more or less the same routine: Pentious would have his tea, they'd both brush their teeth, wash up, get dressed, take Nuggets for a morning walk, and then head to the dining hall for breakfast. Normally Angel wouldn't bother getting up so damn early, but Pentious had demanded some concessions since he agreed to stay at the Hotel and this was one of them. No more lazy sleep-ins snuggling with Nugs under the sheets.

Spitting into the sink, Pentious rinsed his mouth one last time and looked at Angel's reflection in the mirror. "We have six days then?"

Angel blinked, toothbrush still shoved into the pocket of his cheek. He hummed in confusion and Pent rolled his eyes, wetting a washcloth and wiping down his face. "We have roughly a week until your employer returns," he clarified, cleaning the delicate scales around his eyes with the corners of the fabric.

Leaning over, Angel spat into the sink and wiped the excess foam off on his arm. Fuck it was too early for this shit. "Yeah, Val gets back on Friday and he expects me at the studio," he muttered, rinsing off his toothbrush and tossing it into the cup next to Pent's.

"That doesn't leave us with a particularly great deal of time to come up with a plan of action." Pentious frowned, hanging up the wet towel to dry and rubbing over his chin as the expression on his face turned contemplative. "But I'd dealt with shorter deadlines before."

Angel's brow furrowed. "The fuck are you talkin' about?" he asked, leaning one palm on the counter as he watched the snake. "What plan?"

Pent sighed, looking annoyed as he stared at Angel's reflection in the mirror. "We'll need to deal with your boss one way or the other. The only scenario in which we both get out of this situation unscathed is one where we create a plan and stick to it."

Oh for fuck's sake. "Look, you really don't know Val. And I've seen your plans, right? They kinda don't work...like at all." Not that the snake wasn't a smart guy, but he definitely couldn't hold a candle to any of the Overlords, Val especially.

Huffing, the snake pouted and fixed one of the loosened buttons of his sleep shirt. "So you would prefer to wing it and hope for the best? Sounds like a surefire way to get us mutilated or killed." He slithered up to Angel, making the spider take a step back. "I might not know him personally, but he is an Overlord, and they want two things:" he held up two red claws. "Power and influence."

"No shit, sherlock. Got any other amazin' insights for me?" Angel asked with a bored snort as he leaned against the counter, crossing one leg over the other, the shackles jangling between them loosely. "Neither of us got much so what the fuck do we offer him?"

Pentious stared at Angel for a moment and then reached up to pinch his brow, giving a tired sigh. "Sometimes I honestly cannot tell if you really are this stupid or are merely mocking me." The snake grabbed the chain and lifted the metal, shaking it. "We offer him this."

Angel's eyes widened and he swallowed. "Whoa, whoa. That'd just get us in trouble with that goddamn owl. That's not a fix!" He thought back to the way Stolas had exploded those eggs without even touching them and shuddered. Fuck, that could be them if they weren't careful.

"I never said it was the final solution to our problem," Pent said, shaking his head as he released the metal, letting it drop back down between them. "But it will buy us the time that we need to make the key." He cleared his throat and clasped his hands, pressing his thumbs and index fingers together, pointing them at Angel. "I say we go to your employer, explain that we are working on a fix and offer the steel as compensation for his trouble." He paused, pursing his lips. "The rest we can figure out while we gather the fragments we need."

Angel looked down at the chain hanging loosely at their wrists and tapped his heel nervously against the floor. That was a really big risk. They couldn't actually forfeit the shackles to Val because then Stolas would hunt them down. At the same time, there was really no telling what Val would do to him once he found out that he wouldn't be able to use his favorite toy whichever way he liked for who knew how long. "You're playin' with fire, snake…" he muttered after a moment, biting his lip.

Pent gave a sardonic smirk and separated his hands, splaying his palms. "I've been doing that for well over a century. It simply comes with the territory of climbing the ladder." He slithered out of the bathroom, forcing Angel to follow him as he went to the closet to get dressed. "Sometimes you need to be willing to risk stepping on someone else's fingers to get to the next rung."

"I guess," Angel muttered as he looked over his own clothes contemplatively. Usually after a bad night he'd get dolled up and go out, try all that self-care bullshit that everyone was always harping on about, but with Pentious on his arm, that didn't seem likely. Maybe if he got a few drinks into him, the snake would loosen up enough to be willing to party for a night?

He paused, hand on the sleeve of his jacket as he tried to imagine the other Demon drunk, but it was really difficult to picture. He'd seen Pentious drink, but never enough to actually get shitfaced. He was unfailingly controlled in that regard, definitely not someone who had an issue with addiction despite being a semi-regular gambler who was surrounded by every temptation known to man.

"Are you going to get dressed?"

Angel shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he watched Pent reach for his top hat, settling it on his head and adjusting the fit. "Yeah, yeah. Sheesh, since when were you the impatient one?" he muttered, pulling his sleep shirt off and tossing it into the hamper that the snake insisted he use rather than the floor. He then slipped on his usual day-clothes and brushed a hand through his hair, making sure it was nice and fluffy before leaning over the bed to rouse Nugs.

The pig gave a tired snort and blinked their eyes open, slowly shifting to stand. "Hey Nugs. Ready for your walk?" he asked as he pet over the pig's back spikes. Nuggets gave a small oink and then stretched both front and hind legs before hopping out of the basket.

Pent took the harness and leash off the hook, passing it to Angel who secured Nugs in it before scooping the pig into his arms as they both headed for the stairs.

It was almost unnatural how amicable things were despite the tension from the night before, but Angel wasn't one to look a gift-horse in the mouth. He'd much rather be back to what passed for a normal routine down here than be dealing with a surly snake or have another argument. Of course he was curious about why Pentious was simply moving on with benign acceptance, but he wasn't interested enough to break the peace between them by asking.

The ground floor of the Hotel was still empty by the time they stepped out into the Lobby. Outside of Niffty, everyone else was most likely still in bed, adhering to a saner sleep schedule. Angel yawned and put Nugs down on the carpet, letting the pig lead them to the front door.

"Do you ever take Nuggets further than the park?" Pent asked as they closed the double doors behind them, walking down the front steps to the sidewalk.

"Eh, I'd usually just go around the same coupla' blocks back when I was in my old apartment. Not a lotta grass in the city and I ain't payin' cab fees to go all the way out to bumfuck nowhere." Angel looked down at his pet. "Least here Nugs gets a lil' nature and less homeless fuckers tryin' to grab 'em."

Pent raised an eyebrow and glanced to Nugs, gesturing at the animal snuffling the concrete curb with interest. "Why would they want to take your pig?"

"Because they're fuckin' precious of course." Angel leaned down, pulling out his phone to snap a picture of Nuggets as his pet paused to eat a dandelion growing out of a crack in the sidewalk. He smiled and opened his social media, applying a heart filter and posting it with the caption: Out with my one true love!

Angel ignored Pentious' dismissive head shake as the two of them continued their walk to the park, Nugs pulling away from the broken stem of the flower to eagerly lead the charge. "Hey snake, you got social, right?" he asked, adjusting his grip on the leash in his hands as he fat fingered the search bar and ended up opening the front facing camera instead (oof, unflattering angle right there).

"Social as in social media?" Pent clarified with a raised brow. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"What's your handle?"

"The_Serpentine_Overlord1888."

Snorting, Angel typed it into the search and waited for the page to load. Once the account page populated, he stopped in his tracks and stared, surprised to see that Pentious was actually far more active than even he was, with several posts every day going as far back as a decade. "You use a lot of goddamn emojis," he muttered as he scrolled through the feed, recoiling at the sheer number of animated images that were littered through the posts. "And hashtags."

"What's wrong with them? I was told using them would help boost my engagement."

Angel clicked his tongue, noting that Pentious' follower count was only two despite the age of the profile. "Nothin's wrong with them, but you type like an old auntie." He paused and then snorted as the first selfie popped up. "What the fuck is this?" he asked, turning his phone and pointing to a picture of the snake wearing a backwards baseball cap as he flashed a peace sign to the camera. Fuckin' hell, no wonder he had practically zero followers.

Pent leaned in to get a better look at the image and frowned. "What? I was feeling casual that day," he explained, pulling at the cuffs of his sleeves. "I naturally prefer a more formal style, but I'm not opposed to dressing down on occasion." He lifted his chin and added, "I try to follow along with the trends as best I can so that I'm not caught too far behind the times."

"If you say so…" Angel murmured, biting his lip as he fought to keep a straight face, continuing to scroll down the feed. There were tons of poorly-taken selfies (Pentious really did not know his angles at all), WIP pictures of a myriad devices that Angel couldn't even begin to name, the occasional egg doing something rather stupid (though the two who made bunny ears behind Pent working at his desk were actually kind of cute), a ridiculous number of memes, but by far the thing that seemed the most out of place were various snapshots of baked goods. "Do you fuckin' cook?" Angel asked, opening a post with what looked like a plate of scones. He zoomed in and furrowed his brow. "There's no fuckin' way you made those."

Pent leaned over, taking a look at the image in question. "I can assure you that I did. The orange glaze pairs excellently with black tea." He gave a satisfied smile and made a chef's kiss gesture which only looked absolutely absurd coming from the older Demon.

Raising an eyebrow, Angel shook his head. "And I'm sayin' I don't buy it. Those are store-bought and you just plated 'em up all nice for the 'gram," he muttered, stepping off the sidewalk and onto the grass, following Nuggets as the pig went to sniff around the bushes that lined the borders of the park, careful to keep his pet away from the cigarette butts that were scattered across the concrete.

Pentious sidled back up to Angel, an annoyed frown on his face as he put his hands on his hips. "You doubt my talents?"

Angel gestured to Pent as a whole, making the snake glance down at himself in mild confusion. "I don't see you workin' a kitchen. The sewin' is one thing, but this? Nah."

"Baking is little more than chemistry." Pentious huffed, his forked tongue flicking out briefly in annoyance. "It's a fairly simple concept to grasp once you know what ingredients are required and how to use them. I wouldn't give myself the title of chef, but I think my baking speaks for itself."

"Still callin' bullshit," Angel said, pocketing his phone and trudging along the grass.

Pent lowered his arms, fingers balling into loose fists at his sides. "It's not bullshit!"

"Then prove it," Angel countered with a grin, enjoying the snake's irritation even as he kept Nugs in the corner of his field of vision. "If you're so good, then show me."

Scowling, Pentious threw up his hands and said, "Fine! I'll make those exact scones-" He lowered his arms and poked Angel's chest with his chained arm, his claw just a few inches above Angel's heart. "-and then you will eat your words."

"The only thing I better be eatin' is scones, pal," Angel said with a wink as the snake gave a suppressed growl, clearly still miffed by the whole thing. God he was so damn easy to goad, even moreso than Vaggie and that was fuckin' saying something.

"We will need to request the ingredients. I doubt Miss Magne has what I require stocked in her pantry," Pent murmured, opening his own phone and drawing up the recipe from his files. He pursed his lips and rubbed at his bottom lip with one finger. "But they are simple enough to make otherwise. The Hotel kitchen will be adequate."

Angel glanced over his shoulder to read the recipe title and made a face. "Orange? Can't you do somethin' like strawberry?"

Pentious' brow furrowed as Angel whined before he closed his eyes and stubbornly lifted his chin. "You're too late! I've made up my mind and I'm going to make this recipe." He tapped the screen and grinned as Angel pouted. "Perhaps next time, you won't be so quick to doubt my skill."

"Still gotta prove it first," Angel muttered, adjusting the cuff so that the metal links didn't pull over the joint of his wrist.

Huffing, Pent grabbed the chain and gave a pointed tug, forcing Angel to look up at him. "Come, we're settling this now. We can take Fat Nuggets for a longer walk in the afternoon."

Angel snorted dismissively, but allowed himself to be turned back to the Hotel, gently pulling on the leash to get Nugs to follow them. Fat Nuggets gave a small oink of protest, but ultimately trotted back over to his side without delay.

By the time they returned, most of the others were up and about, Husk hungover at his station while Charlie and Vaggie talked in the central Lobby with a clipboard brandished between them. The two women turned towards the doors when they walked through, Charlie immediately grinning and waving them over. "Morning, guys! How was Girl's Night yesterday, Angel?"

Angel plastered on a fake smile and said, "Was great, toots. Always a blast with Cherri." He ignored the questioning glance from Pent and leaned over to scoop up Nuggets into his bottom set of arms. "Anyhow, you broads know where we can pick up some oranges? The snake and I got a bet."

Charlie winced as Vaggie's eyes narrowed, taking the clipboard from her girlfriend. "Oh?" she asked, tilting her head skeptically at him and tucking the clipboard underneath her arm. "And what sort of bet would that be?"

Pentious puffed up his chest and squared his shoulders. "Angel lacks confidence in my many talents and I have to defend my honor."

"And you need oranges to do that?" Vaggie asked with a raised brow, glancing to Charlie who just shrugged, looking equally confused.

"I have a recipe for scones that I would like to make," Pentious slithered forward and Angel followed to keep the chain from going taut as the other Demon showed the girls the text file on his phone. Angel leaned in over their heads and Pent shot him a glare before clearing his throat. "If it wouldn't be too much to ask, could we acquire these ingredients sometime today?"

Charlie gave a nod and took the clipboard back from Vaggie, showing a detailed list of items. "We actually needed to do a bit of shopping for the Hotel anyway, right Vaggie?" Her girlfriend nodded and Charlie beamed, taking the pen from the top of the clipboard and quickly jotting down the additional items listed in the recipe. "Alright, it shouldn't take too long, but sit tight anyway."

The girls left shortly after to head to the store, leaving the three of them alone in the lobby (Husk still drooling against the counter). Angel sighed and plopped down on the couch, forcing Pent to join him as they waited. "These betta be worth the wait, y'know?" Angel said, petting Nugs. "I'm fuckin' starvin'."

Pent gave an annoyed snort and began to play a matching game on his phone. "They will be absolutely delicious or I will eat my hat." The hat in question gave a confused look, tilting down at Pentious before grimacing, making Angel snicker in response.

"Hope you like the taste of polyester then."

"Excuse you, this is pure silk."

"Whateva…"

Charlie and Vaggie returned from the store roughly twenty minutes later with a large bundle of bags each (Charlie struggling with the load while Vaggie confidently strode past with flexed arms). Angel grinned and batted Pentious' shoulder which earned him an annoyed glare from the other man as Pent lowered his phone. "Time to put up or shut up," he said, getting to his feet, lifting Nugs up off his lap.

"You will regret ever doubting me," Pent shot back as they headed upstairs to their shared room, both to drop off Nuggets, but also so Pentious could grab a clean work apron from the closet.

Angel sighed, tapping one foot as he watched Pentious remove his jacket and roll the sleeves of his button down up to his elbows, neatly tucking in the fabric to expose the entirety of his forearms. Lastly the snake took a ribbon and tied his hood down in a bizarre imitation of a pony-tail, checking that the knot was firm before turning back to Angel.

"Is that necessary? I mean, it's not really hair, right?" Angel asked as he followed the other Demon out of their room and down the stairs, entering the hall leading to the large commercial kitchen.

"The tie keeps my hood out of the way when I'm working. I don't always have control over it and I prefer to avoid messes and injuries whenever possible," Pent remarked, opening the door to the kitchen just as the girls were finishing up taking out all the ingredients from their shopping bags. He walked to the sink and turned on the faucet, running his hands under the water before soaping up. "I assume the labeling on all the cabinetry is accurate?"

Vaggie nodded as she rolled up the shopping bags and stuffed them back into the pantry. "So what brought on this bet?

Grinning, Angel leaned back against the island, crossing his top set of arms while the bottom set hung over the edge of the counter. "C'mon Vags, does this asshole look like the kinda guy who knows his way around a kitchen?" He lifted one hand to jerk his thumb at the snake who had just finished drying his hands and was now gathering a mixing bowl, some measuring spoons/cups, and others utensils for combining ingredients from the various overhead cabinets.

Pentious rolled his eyes and preheated the oven with a quick twist of his fingers. "As I've already told you, baking is merely a form of chemistry and I've been tinkering with chemistry sets since I was a boy."

Angel shrugged, watching as the snake straightened and greased a pan with the end of a stick of butter. "Who taught you all of this stuff anyway? You go to some fancy schmancy boarding school for rich kids or something?" He could picture that pretty easy. Not that he knew what Pent looked like when he was alive, but he could see some little school boy version of him carrying a bunch of books that were probably bigger than he was. Fuckin' nerd.

Huffing, Pent shook his head, not looking up from his work as he set the butter and pan aside. "The only official schooling I received was a church sponsored education that consisted of more scripture than fact." He paused and looked down at his own claws, clacking them together idly. "Though I suppose there was some truth in all their talk of Hell and damnation…"

"Yeah, my pastors are probably all laughin' their asses off in Heaven...or they're down here for diddlin' kids," Angel snickered. "Catholics are such fuckin' trash."

"I was raised Protestant, but I never saw much use in religion." Pent shrugged and measured out all of the ingredients he needed, sifting the flour into a mixing bowl and making a well with his fingers. "Going back to your initial question, I learned to sew from my grandfather. He owned a small tailoring enterprise specializing in men's wear."

Charlie raised an eyebrow and came to lean against the opposite side of the island, resting her forearms and elbows against the counter. "Wow, so did you apprentice with him? That must have been pretty cool learning the family trade."

Pentious snorted and shook his head. "I would have if I had been given the opportunity. Unfortunately he passed away when I was still a child." His tone was entirely matter of fact as he moved on to whisk the wet ingredients, his arm rotating in an even, practiced circle that almost bordered on mechanical. "But it gave me the start that I needed to enter the textile industry."

"As a kid?" Vaggie asked, coming to stand next to Charlie and placing one hand on her girlfriend's shoulder.

Pent shrugged, pouring the liquid mixture of orange juice and milk on top of the well he had made in the flour. "I was plenty old enough to work. Besides, I was very good at my job."

"Uh, just how old are we talking?" Charlie asked, glancing up at Vaggie with a confused expression. Vaggie just shrugged, her brow furrowed at the statement in equal measure.

"Oh it was so terribly long ago, but I was approximately eight or nine years old." Pentious tapped his chin and frowned, smearing flour over his jawline. "It had to be fairly close to my birthday when I started working because I remember getting myself a peppermint sweetie to celebrate." He then slithered back to the sink to go wash off the excess flour.

Both girls just stared at him incredulously as the snake wiped off the flour and then cleaned his fingers with soap and water. Angel covered his mouth at their reactions, suppressing his giggles. Even he fuckin' knew that the world was a shitty goddamn place, especially if you were a nobody.

Though it was kinda surprising to hear that the snake wasn't some spoiled rich kid considering how damn entitled he acted all the damn time. That was actually a bit of a curveball to say the least.

"Ok, so that's how you got good at stitchin' shit. Where's the bakin' come into play? I don't buy that you learned all this shit from some stupid toy set." Angel asked, watching as the snake went back to the counter and began to stir the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.

"I was an exceptionally diligent worker, to the point where I was granted special access to the chemical dyes and other fabric treatments that were combined for commercial use." Pent smiled as he mixed, as if remembering something fondly. "I had a great deal of fun in the back rooms, though they weren't particularly well ventilated and we were always passing out from the fumes." He shrugged, lifting the spatula and removing the excess dough from the sides by running it along the rim of the metal mixing bowl. "But it was higher paying work and less dangerous than the machinery. I experimented up there a lot in my free time."

Pentious took some flour, smearing it over the workbench. "We learned how to weigh, measure, and follow instructions exactly lest we destroyed the mixture or worse. There were quite a few injuries that came about due to careless work." He grimaced and took the dough from the bowl, setting it down in a massive mound atop the flour. "Once you've seen what a chemical burn does to a man's face, you realize exactly what not to do."

Angel gagged at the mental image as Pent continued. "Baking is very much the same. If you follow the instructions exactly, you will have a perfect product every time." He cleaned off his hands for a third time and began to knead the dough, forcing it to firm up the more he rolled it.

Angel's eyes followed the push and pull of his flexing arms for a moment before his gaze flickered up to Pentious' face which was furrowed slightly in concentration as he worked. "Well I'm not gonna lie, I kinda assumed you were a rich nobleman or some shit." Angel smirked and crossed one leg over the other, running one hand through his fringe as the smell of flour and oranges began to waft into the air along with the faint tinge of gasoline from the oven. "Who knew you were a workin' class stiff just like the rest of us."

Pentious snorted and began to pat out the dough into a rectangular shape as the oven beeped, signalling it had reached the desired temperature. "I'll be gracious and not hold your assumption that I died poor against you. But I also won't lie and say that the early years weren't something of a hardship at the time."

"What ended up happening to your grandad's business?" Charlie asked, cupping her chin in both palms as she watched him grab the tray he had buttered and place it down next to the kneaded mound of dough.

Pent scowled, finally glancing up from his work to look her in the eye. "His brother inherited it and sold it." Charlie opened her mouth, clearly about to ask a follow-up question, but Pentious raised a flour-covered hand to stop her. "He and I were never close."

Charlie frowned sadly and glanced back to Vaggie who just squeezed her shoulder. "That's unfortunate. But not all too surprising. Most people down here either were or are estranged from their family." She turned to Angel and said, "You have some relatives down here, right?"

Angel blinked, turning to face her, the chain knocking into the counter noisily. "Yeah, but they're all jackasses. My old man especially. Ain't no love lost between blood."

Pentious smirked and gave a nod. "Blood is highly overrated," he said as he moved to the sink to wash his hands (Fuck, how many times was that now?). Then he grabbed a knife and cut the dough into triangle shapes, glazing them with some of the excess milk and sprinkling a small amount of sugar over the top of each scone. Angel leaned over his shoulder, watching as the snake arranged the pieces of dough across the buttered sheet so that they were evenly spread out and then slipped the whole thing into the warm oven.

"How long we gotta wait?" he asked as Pent began to wipe down the counter, clearing off the excess flour.

"10-15 minutes," the snake replied, setting a timer on his phone before moving to the sink (for his millionth hand-wash) and rinsing off all the utensils before loading them into the industrial dishwasher. "But I'm not done. We have a glaze to make."

"Ooh," Charlie said with an intrigued grin as Pent took out the zester, an orange, and what was left of the orange juice in the measuring cup, sliding the metal ridges over the edge of the rind so that the tiny slivers fell into the juice. "You're really making this fancy."

Pentious smiled, the expression surprisingly soft compared to his normal smug takes. "What can I say? I'm fond of a job well done, not a job half-finished." He mixed in some powdered sugar until the liquid thickened up and then lifted the spoon out, dabbing at the rim of the cup to clean off the excess before offering it to Angel. "Try this. You'll understand why I insisted on the citrus."

Raising an eyebrow, Angel took the spoon and smirked toothily. "Y'know, if you wanted to give me somethin' to lick-"

"Oh please stuff your sauce-box and just try it!" Pent hissed, pinching his brow as his cheeks darkened. "Must you turn everything I say into innuendo?"

Angel chuckled and gave the other man a sly wink as he tapped the spoon to his lips. "Wouldn't be me otherwise, snake." He gave an exaggerated moan and then slipped the utensil into his mouth, making sure to take it back much further than necessary along his palate (the revolted expression on Pent's face was totally worth it).

Then the taste hit his tongue and he blinked, closing his lips around the silverware as he took in just how well the sweetness of the sugar blended with the tarter fruit. He pulled out the spoon and gave it one last lick, raising an eyebrow before glancing to Pentious who was crossing his arms rather smugly across his aproned chest. "Huh...alright, that's not half-bad for bein' sour."

He handed the utensil back and Pentious placed it off to the side, still grinning in triumph. "I know what I'm talking about. Next time, don't dismiss my experience so readily." Pent exhaled and then pulled his hood loose, wrapping the ribbon around his free wrist. "We're almost done here. It shouldn't be much longer now."

Sure enough, a few minutes later the timer dinged and Pent grabbed a pot-holder, opening the oven and bending over. Angel's eyeline followed the slinky curve of his spine as the snake pulled out the tray and straightened to set it down on top of the oven, closing the door and switching the appliance off.

The smell of oranges and fresh baked dough was really intense now and Angel couldn't help the rumble of his stomach as the scent hit his nose. The scones themselves were a rich golden color and he had to admit that even if they ended up tasting like shit, they certainly were plenty nice enough to take pictures of.

"Now where's that spoon?" Pent murmured to himself, turning around to grab the cup of mixed glaze.

Vaggie yanked open a drawer and pulled out a fresh utensil, reaching over the island to hand it to Pent. "Here. So you don't have to use the one with Angel's spit."

Angel scowled. "You sayin' I'm diseased, Vags?"

"No, just disgusting."

He touched his chest and gave a mocking wince. "Ouch, that might hurt if I actually gave a fuck."

Pentious ignored their sniping and took the spoon from her, dribbling the glaze over the tops of the steaming scones. He made sure each one got a good coating before rinsing out that cup too and putting everything in the massive dishwasher.

Behind them, the kitchen door opened and Husk walked in, sticking his nose in the air and taking a curious whiff. "What the fuck are you guys making in here? Smells like goddamn oranges," he muttered, still cradling his empty drink from earlier.

Pent wiped his hands off one last time and untied his apron, pulling it off and over his head. "I made scones to prove a point. Would you like one?"

Husk raised an eyebrow and walked over to the oven, glancing at the tray of fresh baked pastries sitting on the cooling sheet. "Fuck, Pentious. Between all the sewing and baking, you're quite the little Suzie Homemaker, ain'tcha?" he said, tossing his bottle in the recycling bin where it clattered against all the others with a loud bang, making just about everyone cringe.

"Am I supposed to know what that is a reference to?" Pentious asked, pursing his lips as he folded his apron and laid it on the island counter.

"Means you'd be good wife material," Husk teased, laughing as Pent scowled, the expression morphing into a hiss as the cat leaned in and smacked his shoulder. "Anyway, you're gonna let us have a taste, right?"

"And why should I?" Pentious asked, taking the pot holder and lifting the tray up out of Husk's reach. "Considering how much pleasure the lot of you take from insulting me, I should keep these to myself."

Husk rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, snake. There's no way you're gonna be able to stuff all those scones into your gob."

"Want to try me?" Pent asked, plucking one of them off the tray, making a show of blowing the steam off the pastry and taking a bite. He chewed slowly, some crumbs sticking to his lips as he gave an exaggerated moan that had Angel raising an eyebrow at just how pornographic it sounded. "Delicious," he insisted as he took another large bite.

"Hey, what about our bet?" Angel said, sidling up to the snake and reaching up, snatching one of the scones off the tray for himself much to Pentious' chagrin (though the snake couldn't really talk with a full mouth). "These things look pretty enough, but the test is in the taste." Angel winked at the other Demon, earning him an irritated snort before he took a bite, crunching through the hardened dough on the outside to the slightly chewier inside.

Perfectly warm, sweet but not too rich, and flaky without being dry. He paused, glancing down at the rest of the scone as he chewed and then slowly swallowed. "Holy shit…"

Pentious swallowed his own mouthful and lifted his chin in smug triumph as he placed the tray back on top of the oven. "I'm waiting," he said, puffing out his chest as he looked at Angel expectantly.

"Uh, waitin' for what?" Angel asked, going for another bite. It was damn good, but he wasn't gonna blow smoke up the other man's ass for being able to make a pastry.

The snake rolled his eyes. "The apology you owe me, of course." Pent took another bite of his own scone and leaned back against the counter as he chewed and swallowed. "You don't get to spend all morning denying my skill, then eat the fruits of my labor without atoning." He gestured with his chained arm to Angel and demanded, "Admit that you were wrong and that I've taken the egg in this gamble."

Angel snickered and stuffed the rest of the scone into his mouth. "The only thing I'm atonin' for is lettin' your ego get so goddamn big." He licked his lips and then let his tongue chase the glaze that had dribbled over his fingers, making sure to stare at Pent the whole time. "But these ain't half bad. Still think you shoulda done strawberry, but I'll give it a pass."

Slowly Charlie pushed off the island and stepped out from around it, Vaggie following behind her. "May we try some, Sir Pentious?" she asked, gesturing to her and her girlfriend. "After watching you make them, I'm really curious as to how they taste."

The snake nodded and both girls took a scone from the tray, Charlie gently knocking the triangle tip of hers against Vaggie's in a cheers motion before taking a bite. "Oh damn!" Her eyes lit up and she took another bite. "This is really fucking good!" she said, reaching up to cover her mouth with her hand.

Vaggie nodded in agreement as she thoughtfully chewed and swallowed. "Do you know how to cook or just bake? I used to make pan dulce with my aunt when I was a kid and it'd be nice to have someone to work with." She took another taste and Charlie gasped, her eyes wide as she grabbed her girlfriend's free hand in hers and shook it excitedly.

"Vaggie, let's make that next! I've never tried it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's a lot of food from the human world I've never gotten to try. I mean, obviously everything's not one for one down here anyway-"

Pent just smiled, the expression self-satisfied as he finally turned back to Husk and said, "You may have one," he raised a finger, "-if you promise not to be an absolute prick." He then moved away from the oven, giving Husk access to the tray.

Husk gave an annoyed grunt and swiped a scone, immediately shoveling the whole thing into his mouth. Pent made a face as he watched the cat noisily chew and then lick his fingers clean, lacking any of the sensuality and grace that Angel had displayed.

"Mm, gotta agree with legs," Husk said with a shrug, his wings stretching out before refolding against his back. "It's good, but I'm not a huge citrus guy. Got any apple turnovers?"

Pentious' mouth thinned and he chewed his bottom lip. "Everyone is a critic, I suppose…" He sighed and made to move the tray, only to flinch as Niffty zoomed by, nearly knocking it out of his hand.

"What's going on in here? Is Al cooking?" she asked, holding a plunger as she looked around the room at a practically frantic pace. Niffty paused as soon as her eye caught sight of the baking sheet, single pupil ballooning cartoonishly wide. "Ooooh! Who made scones!?" she gasped excitedly, bouncing on her heels.

"I did…" Pent said flatly, lowering the tray to her height level. "Would you like one?"

Niffty glanced to the plunger in her hand and laughed, "One moment," she said, racing out as quickly as she had come in before returning sans plunger and scooting a stool over to wash her hands off at the sink.

After she dried her hands, Pentious let her take a scone from the tray and she gave a nod of thanks, nibbling at the outer crust with an intrigued smile. "Oh, this is very good! I mean, mine are better, but for a guy, you can really bake!"

Angel had to repress his laughter as Pentious' eye twitched through his forced smile. "I'm glad I have your approval…" he murmured as everyone polished off their scones, leaving the kitchen floor littered with crumbs (that Niffty immediately swept up with a broom and dustpan).

"At least my point has been made," Pentious said with a rather unenthusiastic sigh, placing the tray down and picking up his folded apron, laying it to hang over the bend of his forearm as he looked up at Angel. He made to pack up the last scone into a paper towel but a sudden shadow made him pause and he turned, seeing the yellowed smirk of the Radio Demon.

Grinning, Angel leaned back against the counter, enjoying the way Pent immediately tensed up. "Hey, Al. The snake made scones, but there's one left. It's got your name on it." He swiped the tray out from under Pent and offered it to the other Demon even as Pent bristled, his hood flaring in anger. "Wanna trrrry?"

Alastor glanced from Angel to the tray in question and held up a hand. "No thank you. I'd rather not ruin my appetite." His gaze slid to Pentious, smirk twitching in a way that usually meant he was annoyed...or amused. Angel still couldn't get a read on the guy after a year of living with him. "But I heard quite a commotion in the kitchen and had to investigate for myself." He leaned over Pent, forcing the snake to sink back in turn against the counter. "You weren't using anything you weren't supposed to, I hope?"

Pentious bared his teeth. "What exactly is that supposed to mean? You don't own this kitchen, Alastor!"

Al chuckled, waving his mic before bopping the snake on the nose with it. "Ah, actually as a co-owner, I do." He then placed a hand on the snake's shoulder which only riled Pent up even more as he shoved the Demon aside (dragging Angel with him) "Now, I believe we had some lovely red rice on the menu for tonight so if you all don't mind clearing out while I get that started-."

For a moment, Pentious stewed, biting his lip as he glared at Al's back. The Radio Demon paid him no mind, humming a jaunty tune to himself as he began to gather ingredients from the fridge and pantry, completely unbothered by the raging snake behind him.

Hissing, Pent grabbed the tray from Angel's hands, practically crushing the last scone as he tossed the pastry into the garbage. He slammed the tray into the sink as he passed, ignoring the smattering of glances it earned as he stormed out of the kitchen, dragging Angel with him.

Angel just snorted and shook his head, a small smirk playing out across his face. "He really gets your fuckin' goat, doesn't he?" he said as he followed the snake down the hall leading back to the stairs. "Ya know, the more you react, the more he's gonna dig into that. He does it to Vags all the time."

When he got no answer, Angel hummed and said, "I gotta wonder, is your beef with him 'cuz you're jealous? I mean, I get it. He's got the kinda power that you'd fuckin' kill for and everyone and their ma down in this pit knows who he is…" He paused and then added, "Ok, I guess I didn't know what the fuck his deal was at first, but whateva."

They rounded the final staircase and Pent growled, turning to Angel with a burning glare and raised hood. "I do not appreciate being publicly disrespected."

"Funny you say that considerin' you talk down to just about everyone else, busta," Angel said, rolling his eyes as Pent unlocked their door and slithered inside, hanging his apron up and turning on his kettle to make more tea.

"That's different. We're on the same level. He has no right to treat me as anything lesser."

Good to know that the snake's perpetual condescension was only because he didn't consider any of them to be 'on his level'. What a fuckin' bag of dicks.

Least Al brought his ego low. Clearly someone had to take Pent down a few pegs.

Angel let out a loud snort as he picked up Nugs to place him on the bed, sitting down and petting across the pig's back. "Uh, hate to break it to ya, but you're really not. He kinda destroyed your whole damn airship with a literal snap," he snapped with all four of his hands for emphasis, "-of his fuckin' fingers.

Pentious bit his lip and pulled out his box of tea from inside his nightstand, ripping a single bag from the bunch. "That was a fluke," he muttered stubbornly, tapping one claw against the wooden surface as he waited for the water to boil, tail flicking in time with the taps.

"Yeah, sure," Angel said, crossing his legs as he watched the other man attempt to boil the water with the strength of his anger alone. "Al's stronger than you in pretty much every way, pal. He's also a legit psycho." He turned back to Nugs, grinning as the pig sat down between the cradle of his legs, tiny curled tail swinging a bit. "It's kinda hot, kinda scary."

Though Angel had stopped chasin' that avenue months ago. Husk was still fair game as far as he was concerned.

Angel shrugged and leaned back on his top set of arms, idly petting Nugs with the bottom pair. "Why the fuck do you gotta dick measure with him anyway? You know he ain't interested in takin' over Hell like you are. He's just bored as shit an' lookin' for people to mess with. That's his deal."

The kettle began to whistle and Pent immediately turned it off, pouring the water out into the cup he'd used that morning and laying the teabag on the surface. He grunted and used a claw to poke the stubbornly floating bag underneath the steaming water. "He could take over if he wanted to," Pentious said with an annoyed snarl. "Just because he lacks the motivation to do anything with his gifts doesn't mean that he isn't fully capable."

Twisting, Pent sat down and took the steeping tea into his lap, holding the cup between both hands as his tail trailed over the side of the bed frame. "It's a complete waste."

Angel raised an eyebrow and looked at the other Demon over his shoulder as Pent stewed next to him. "So lemme get this straight. You hate him because he can easily do the thing you wanna do...but refuses to go ahead and just do it? Is that right?"

Sighing, Pentious removed the teabag, placing it onto the coaster before shooting a glare at Angel. "Could you just stop trying to play therapist? I've been insulted enough today, thank you very much." He took a sip from his cup and allowed his shoulders to slump, his expression sour as he stared into his tea.

Angel just gave a wordless nod and turned away, pulling Nuggets up into his arms and cuddling his pet against his chest as the pig gave a few happy snorts. "You really gotta grow some thicker skin, pal. Why do you care what he thinks? Like, what does it matter if Al doesn't give ya the time of day?" he asked, smiling at Nugs as the pig licked over his collarbone.

He heard the snake take another sip of his tea, but offered no response. Back to the silent treatment then. Shit, the snake could be such a fuckin' brat sometimes. Wasn't he too damn old for this crap?

In lieu of continuing the conversation, Angel pulled out his phone, realizing that he still had the snake's account open from earlier. He frowned, noting the sad little follower count on top of the taskbar before going back to his own page, seeing that the picture of Nugs taken just two hours ago was already at several thousand likes with tons of comments from his friends and fans gushing over the image.

He flipped back to the picture of the scones, seeing one single solitary thumbs up and sighed. Ok...maybe he could see where the snake was coming from with this one. It probably sucked to try so hard and end up with little to nothing while a guy who didn't even give a damn could just have everything you wanted with no effort involved on their part.

As he swapped back to his own profile, a notification bubbled up in his DMs and Angel opened it, blood running cold as Val's username jolted to the top of the inbox.

I see you're having fun with your little pet today. Really looking forward to Friday, darling. I hope you've got a good excuse prepared.

It was signed with two heart emojis.

Angel felt all the air slip out of his lungs and he tightened his grip on Nuggets, swallowing hard.

Less than a week now.

His hands shook as he forced himself to type, "Can't wait, boss." and hit send, locking his phone and tossing it to the other side of the bed. He heard Pent hum curiously, but Angel didn't address the other Demon, simply curling in on his side, holding Nugs as the pig gave a concerned oink.

He'd get through this. He always got through it. Maybe not in one piece...but through.

Sometimes getting through was enough.

---

Angel hardly slept the last couple of nights leading up to the meeting with Val. The week had passed far too quickly for him and no amount of cuddles with Nugs or stupid bullshit from the snake was enough of a distraction to keep him from spiraling every evening.

The day of, he forced himself to take two shots of whiskey just to calm down. He couldn't show any weakness or Val would pounce and make him regret it. Pentious of course had no qualms, seemingly assured by the plan that he had come up with to convince Val not to skin them both. Of course the stupid asshole didn't know Valentino and didn't know what he was capable of, but Angel was done trying to argue the point.

Either Pent was stupidly confident or was just hiding his fear behind a wall of stubborn will. If it was the latter, Angel was almost envious.

Getting into the cab was hard. He knew Pentious was staring at him and so was the driver who pointedly tapped her watch in annoyance before he leaned down and slid in, his hand accidentally brushing Pent's as he closed the door. He folded all of his arms into his lap, staring out the window as the driver pulled away from the curbside of the Hotel and began to head into the city. The chain between them bounced off the seat every time they hit a pothole, clinking almost innocently in the silence of the car.

Pent raised an eyebrow as they approached the studio, making a face at the garish advertisements hanging off the side of the building. The driver held out their hand for the fare and Pentious paid her as they both got out, staring up at the massive skyscraper as the shackles hung in a limp half-circle at their wrists. "This is where you work?" the snake asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced over his shoulder at Angel.

"It's one of 'em," Angel said with a sigh, running a hand back through his hair. "I dance at a few clubs Val owns too, but this is where the 'magic' happens." He swallowed hard and forced one of his usual disarming smirks onto his face. "Alright, let's get this over with." Angel tugged at the chain and they went inside, ignoring the curious looks they got from the security guards sitting behind the front desk.

As they approached, the first guard stood up from his chair while the other remained in his seat and kept texting on his phone, clearly too preoccupied to give a shit. "Who the fuck is this, Angel? A try-out?"

"Nah, a guest of mine," Angel said with a grin, leaning over the counter and pressing his arms together to bunch his tits up against the collar of his jacket. Immediately the guard's eyes flickered down and Angel playfully reached out with one of his lower arms, stroking a finger down the side of the man's bicep. "Just let Val know I'm here for our talk. Is he up in the Penthouse?"

"He's in a meetin'," the guard said pointedly, pushing Angel's hand off of him with an annoyed grunt. "Sit your ass down and I'll let you know when he's on his way."

Angel giggled and blew a kiss. "Thanks, babe." He turned, ignoring Pentious' incredulous stare as he dragged the snake over to the couch that was set up alongside the wall.

"This is disgusting," Pent muttered, looking down at the literal centuries worth of stains that littered the fabric of the sofa. Angel rolled his eyes and plopped on the couch, glancing up at the screens that were mounted to the ceiling, displaying all sorts of trailers for upcoming and recently released smut films. His own face appeared several times and he saw Pentious' eyes go wide when he took notice.

Thankfully, the snake kept any opinions he had to himself, but Angel knew the other man was judging him. Not like he expected any different from the stuck-up bastard by this point. No doubt he saw this shit as degrading, filthy, trashy...and ok, maybe some of it was.

But he still didn't need some prudish virgin prick to talk down to him like he wasn't a person because he took dick on camera for cash.

A few minutes passed between them in silence before Pentious slipped out his phone. Immediately the guard growled and tapped a sign next to the desk that read, "No cellular devices or cameras allowed," and the snake scowled, sliding the phone back inside of his suit. "How long do you reckon this will take?" Pentious asked, averting his gaze to the floor which was basically the only SFW surface in the entire Lobby.

Angel shrugged. "Depends on his mood." He closed his eyes and pinched his brow. "Just let me do most of the talkin', ya hear?"

The snake pouted, but nodded, his tail flicking back and forth out of boredom.

Suddenly the doors behind the front desk opened and two girls walked out, Val's normal arm-candy Dia and Summer. Both women paused, catching sight of Angel before matching smirks lit up their faces. "Angel, baby! Long time no see!" Dia said, sauntering over, her massive horns barely helping to elevate her small frame above the 5 foot mark. "Where have you been, huh?" Her black eyes flickered to Pent. "And who's your handsome friend?"

Pent stiffened and Angel grinned toothily. "Back off, ladies, he's mine. Y'all can go sink your claws into someone else's beau for a change."

Summer laughed and walked over to Dia, wrapping one arm around the other girl's waist as she looked them over, her cat ears flickering curiously. "Val's been worried sick, Angel. You know better than to make him chase after you."

Angel's gaze grew steely even as he maintained his smile. "Well, I had a lil' somethin' come up. Val will understand when he sees-"

He froze as the doors opened again, Valentino's imposing silhouette blocking the lighting from the hallway behind him. Pentious frowned and glanced to the door, looking the tall moth over as Val approached, sliding his top set of hands over the girls' shoulders. "Darlings, you found Angel for me." He leaned over, kissing each of their cheeks. "Good…"

Angel met Val's gaze, doing his best to hold his smile as the Overlord smirked down at him, stepping between the two Demons to reach out and stroke over Angel's cheek. "Glad you could make it, Angel Cakes. I see you've brought a guest." Val's red pupiless stare slid to Pentious and then to the chain that snaked between them. "How about the three of us go for a drive around the block. I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on."

"Course, Val. Whateva you want." Angel chuckled and stood, gesturing for Pent to follow suit. Dia and Summer gave Angel a mocking wave and he resisted the urge to flip them both off as Val took him by the shoulder, leading him out front to where the red limo was already parked. Val opened the door and Angel got in, ignoring the way his heart pounded frantically in his chest as the doors closed behind them.

Once they were settled into seats (Val in his usual spot at the back with Angel and Pentious sitting adjacent), the driver pulled away from the curb and rolled up the privacy shield, locking them all into the soundproof compartment. Val then turned to the two of them and reached over, picking at the chain. "So, Angel baby...what the fuck is this?"

Angel exhaled, still smiling. "Well, as I told ya over the phone, it's a long story and somethin' that ya needed to see in person."

Val frowned, pulling a carton of cigarettes from his coat and knocking one out of the pack. "Are you gonna introduce your little friend here?" he said as he lit the end of the cigarette with his red lighter (emblazoned with the studio logo). Pent frowned, clearly disliking the label of Angel's little friend, but wisely stayed silent.

Angel exhaled and then looked down to the chain. "I was doin' a favor for someone and we accidentally got locked together. We've been stuck since E-Day."

"And you haven't broken the handcuffs because?" Val asked, his voice measured and calm as he took a quick drag and blew the smoke at them both, resulting in Pentious' frown deepening all the more.

"This is no ordinary chain," Pent began, making Angel's eye twitch. So much for letting him handle this shit. Goddamn snake.

Val raised an eyebrow behind the rim of his pink glasses, holding his cigarette aloft as he crossed one long leg over the other underneath his massive coat. "You are-?"

"Sir Pentious."

Val's face remained blank. "Are you a client of Angel's?"

"What!? No!" Pent said with a fierce blush that extended all the way up to the hat on his head.

Val smirked and reached over with one of his bottom arms, rubbing Angel's knee and squeezing. "If the price's too high, that can always be negotiated, right Angel Cakes?"

Angel swallowed and nodded. "He really ain't a client, Val. Trust me. Neither of us wanted to be in this situation."

Pentious huffed and then undid the ties to the cloth covering the chain, pulling the fabric away to reveal a flash of blue metal. Val's eyes narrowed instantly and his smile transformed into a curious but skeptical line. "Heaven's Steel…" He reached forward, touching the bare chain for himself to confirm its legitimacy. "How did you come across this?" Val asked, quirking his eyebrow as he looked to Angel. "Which Demon did you steal this from?"

"I didn't steal from nobody, Val. I said it was an accident!" Angel bit his lip and crossed his bottom arms over his torso as his top ones rested over his thighs. "A fuckin' Imp cuffed us and didn't know what it was. There ain't no key either." He looked up at his boss, not enjoying the way Val's expression remained firm and stony. "We gotta make one if we wanna be free again."

For a moment, Val was silent, taking another contemplative drag on his cigarette as he stared the both of them down. Then one of his hands grabbed Angel by the chin, bodily dragging him off the seat and onto the floor in one quick pull. Pent quickly followed to avoid being yanked along, hissing at the other man as Val squeezed Angel's jaw hard enough to grind bone against bone.

"You're telling me that you're shackled to this pathetic worm with no way out? Is that what's going on, Angel?" Val asked, smiling as he raised his other hand that still held the lit cigarette, tapping the ash into Angel's hair. "Answer me, darling. You know I don't like it when you play the silent little mouse."

Angel gritted his teeth and looked up at Valentino, shifting his knees against the floor of the vehicle. "We can...make the key! Pentious does that sorta shit!" He swallowed hard, his legs trembling underneath him as he tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible.

Val's attention quickly moved back to the snake, but he didn't once loosen his grip on Angel, top arms casually leaning back against the seat. "Oh really now? You know how to work with Heaven's Steel?" he asked, taking another pull from the cigarette, his smarmy smile slowly returning.

Pentious glanced from Angel on the floor and back up to Val and then nodded. "We require more than what we currently have on hand, but I'll be able to manufacture a key for the cuffs."

Val's grip loosened and then finally he released Angel, gently patting his cheek and smoothing over the fur he'd just mussed. "How long will that take?" he asked, petting down the column of Angel's throat. It did nothing to calm Angel who simply kept his focus on Val, knowing the other man could snap in an instant if he wasn't pleased with them.

Pent pursed his lips and then began to rewrap the chain in its cloth bindings. "At least a year, but possibly much longer. It will depend on how many fragments we can find after Extermination."

Val's smile immediately tightened and Angel found his throat held in a firm grip, not quite cutting off his airway, but enough to make breathing difficult. Angel balled his fists against the tops of his thighs and did his best to just focus on his breath. Don't let him see you're scared. Don't let him get to you. "Tsk tsk...that's far too long for you to be outta the office, baby." Val lifted Angel up slightly, forcing him to partially stand to keep from being choked out. "You've already been very naughty and failed to show up for work twice now," Val blew a stream of smoke directly into Angel's face, making him wince. "You do remember your contract, don't you?"

Angel's eyes watered as he fought to keep from coughing, managing to nod quietly as Val's grip loosened again, a facsimile of gentleness as he thumbed over the neck he'd just been intent on crushing in his grip not a minute earlier. "Then you know this is unacceptable."

"The chain is yours when we're released."

Angel winced as Val lifted his head, eyes flickering back to Pentious. The snake gripped the chain that hung between them and said, "Consider it payment for the missed work. We'll give you the chain, the cuffs, the key...the whole damn thing."

Slowly, Val sat back in his seat, resting one arm on the length of his thigh, his wrist and hand hanging loosely over it (mere inches from Angel's face). "Who did you say you were again?"

The snake bristled and said, "Sir Pentious," clearly annoyed at being so quickly forgotten.

Val rubbed his chin with one of his free arms and then chuckled. "I remember you now. You're the little Kingpin who fights for control of the cheapside blocks every year." His chuckles devolved into full blown laughter and Angel bit his lip, glancing back at Pent. Fuck he hoped the snake wasn't stupid enough to take the bait. He always did when Al goaded him, but Alastor and Valentino were very different Overlords.

Al provoked others to entertain himself.

Val did it to punish.

The snake wasn't cowed by the mockery, instead balling his fists and raising his hood in challenge even as Val's laughter died down, the moth taking another drag before continuing, "I'm impressed someone like you has managed to escape Extermination so many times."

"I've been here far longer than you have," Pentious snarled, his long fangs flashing dangerously.

"And you've clearly done far less with your time," Val said, patting the seat beside him, not even looking down at Angel. Exhaling, Angel got onto his feet and sat next to Val which forced Pent to take the adjacent space, lest he be dragged along. "You know, Pentious, there's a reason you're in those chains rather than sitting where I am." Val shifted his top arm from his own thigh to wrap around Angel's shoulder, fingers gripping the side of the spider's arm.

Angel swallowed, ignoring Pentious as the snake glanced to him and then back to Val, his fists still tight on his lap. "I'm in these chains because a fool Imp-"

Val blew a stream of smoke into the snake's face and Pent hacked, bringing up a hand to wave it away.

"No, that's not why," Val said with a dismissive snort, his smirk encompassing the width of his entire goddamn face. "You're incapable of controlling anything besides yourself." He gestured to Angel with one of his free arms. "Every whore in my district knows who I am, knows who they belong to. They don't dare cross me because they've all learned at one time or another just where that will get them." He leaned in, lifting Angel's chin with one finger. "Right, darling?"

Angel took a deep breath, forcing a smile as humiliation burned in his stomach, "Yes, Mista Valentino…" he confirmed, nodding sweetly.

"Good boy." Val turned his face to press a kiss to Angel's cheek and then looked back at Pentious, still smirking. "What you do...it's cute, but no one will respect it. You've given them no reason to."

Pentious' eye twitched and he stood, straightening his tail to rear up over Val. The moth gave an amused chuckle, smoking his cigarette as the snake hissed, "Now see here-!"

"No, I don't think I will," Val lifted his leg and hooked it behind Pentious' tail, forcing the snake to fall forward and then down to the floor before shoving the heel of his opposite boot into his abdomen. Pent wheezed and Angel gasped as the chain was yanked taut between them, the metal links bouncing like a wire from the force of the shove. Val then leaned over Pent and said, "What you fail to understand, Sir Pentious, is your place in this hierarchy. You may not be at the bottom, but a Demon like you will never rise to the top."

He stubbed out his cigarette onto Pent's shoulder (flatly ignoring the snake's frantic squirming) and placed the cigarette into an ashtray hidden inside the cup holder. "Do you know why that is?" the moth asked, wrapping his now freed up arm around Angel's waist, making him immediately freeze in place.

Pentious snarled, trying to stand up, but Val kept his boot firm against the snake's abdomen, digging into Pentious' hipbone. Angel saw the snake's eyes go wide with pain and he winced, remembering that was where Husk had stitched him up not even two weeks ago. Fuck, he hoped that shit didn't reopen...

"It's because you lack the conviction necessary to own a person. You can't just let those underneath you do as they please," Val said with a smile before he bodily dragged Angel off the seat and into his lap, the spider's back pressed against his chest.

Angel's eyes went wide, meeting Pent's on the floor as Val leaned in, mouth pressed to Angel's ear. "You've gotta be capable of controlling their every move, their every thought. To own them mind-"

His fingers dug into Angel's hair, making the spider wince as sharp nails scraped against his scalp.

"-body,"

The opposite hand slid over Angel's chest and splayed under his breast, gentle at first, then squeezing firmly.

"-and soul."

The hand that was resting against the curve of his waist shifted to the front, trailing down the spider's abdomen before aggressively shoving under the waistband of Angel's skirt and underwear. Angel let out a small whimper as his groin was cupped and fondled in Val's grip, shame bubbling in his chest as Pentious stared up at him with wide eyes. "Right, Angel? Who do you belong to, baby?"

Angel felt his eyes water as the moth's hands squeezed him, three of the four limbs caging him to Valentino's chest. "You, Val," he said in a quiet voice, wishing he could just evaporate.

Of all the people who had to witness his debasement, it just had to be the fucking snake.

"I didn't hear that, Angel Cakes. You're not normally this shy. Speak up." Val slipped a finger back behind Angel's prick, rubbing along the length of his taint.

"You!" Angel hissed through gritted teeth, the words tasting like shards of glass as they scratched their way out of his raw throat. "I belong to you!"

Val chuckled and then released his breast to tilt Angel's head toward his own, the hand still buried in Angel's skirt pinching the skin of his taint hard. "Good boy. Now give us a kiss."

Angel squirmed, biting his lip as his head was angled and guided to Val's, the moth aggressively pressing into his mouth as he went back to fondling over Angel's cock. Angel gave a whimpering moan and closed his eyes, his hands pressed hard against Val's chest, not able to hold the other Demon back from what he wanted, but not willing to passively submit either.

"It's rather rude to ignore guests!"

Val slowly pulled back, licking his lips and Angel resisted the urge to spit the taste out, turning his head back to look at the snake on the floor. Pentious glared up at them both, still fighting to shove Val's boot off of him even through the pain. "When I hold meetings, I give any guests my complete and undivided attention," he spat, defiant even when literally pinned under the heel of a much stronger and more dangerous enemy.

Angel had to admit one thing: the snake had some fucking guts. He was an idiot and he'd probably get them both killed, but fuck, it was kinda nice to see someone fight Val for once even if Pent ended up being flayed alive for it.

"Oh?" Val gave an amused tilt of his head and removed his hand from Angel's groin, resting it against the spider's inner thigh while the opposite arm came up to comb through Angel's now tangled hair. "Did you have something else to say?"

"As a matter of fact, I did!" Pentious hissed, slapping his tail down against the floor of the limo. "If you would kindly get your filthy shoe off of me, I would like to make a proposition!"

Val pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly removed the pressure from Pentious' body, allowing the snake to get back up with a wince, clutching the injured hip with one hand. "Go ahead then," Val murmured, twisting his claws in the white strands closest to Angel's head.

Pent took a shallow breath and then straightened, pulling on the chain. "If you grant us all the time we need to free ourselves, I'll gladly hand over every gram of steel." Val opened his mouth, but Pent held up a finger and Angel nearly had a goddamn heart attack at the fucking balls on this cocky moron. "But if you assist in our endeavor to gather the steel required, whether through manpower or other resources, I'll manufacture these shackles-" He jangled them pointedly. "-into any weapon you desire."

Val stared at him for a moment before his face twisted back into that damnable grin. "Oh you're adorable," he said, glancing to Angel and squeezing the spider's hip. "Where in the city did you find this one? What a joke!" He laughed at Pent and added, "You really think I'll agree to that? I could just have my men rip your arm off and take the steel from you now."

Pentious returned the smirk, not showing any sign of being intimidated by the threat of bodily harm. "I know what my work is worth and I refuse to give away my labor without a fair price." He rubbed the metal links between his claws and added, "Tell me this, Mister Valentino. Just how many blacksmiths do you know who can not only melt this material, but shape it into a usable form?" He quirked his mouth at the moth and added, "I can already guess that number is not particularly high and none of them would be willing to part with this much steel practically free of charge."

"It's hardly free, considering I'll be losing one of my most valuable employees for an indefinite amount of time," Val said, digging his nails into Angel's thigh and making Angel claw his own fingers into the leather upholstery in turn.

"Perhaps, but even if you removed my arm, you would still have him locked to the other end of the chain," Pentious pointed out, rubbing over the burn on his shoulder and frowning more at the damage to his suit than the injury itself. "Not only would you be impairing a perfectly willing metallurgy, but you'd be handicapping one of your own employees." He tipped the brim of his hat and raised an eyebrow. "Agreeing to my condition is surely the more favorable option for us both, yes?"

Angel stared at Pent, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and shock. The snake really had no concept of the danger they were both in, but here he was, actively trying to bargain with an Overlord.

Maybe gambling really was the snake's addiction. He certainly wasn't opposed to taking the worst goddamn risks...

However, Val did seem to be considering the snake's words, removing his top set of hands from Angel's hair and thigh in order to relight his cigarette and bring it to his lips. "You're incredibly bold for a worm," Valentino said with a smirk, taking a drag and blowing the smoke towards Pent who was prepared for it this time, waving it away before it got to his face. "How do I know you won't run off with the steel as soon as you've earned your freedom?"

"I am a man of my word," Pentious chuckled, his grin confident as he offered his unshackled hand. "But if you require assurance…"

Angel's blood ran cold. "Don't make a goddamn deal you fuckin'-" he hissed as Val yanked his hair back, forcing his spine to arch painfully against the moth's chest.

"Be quiet, Angel. It's not polite to interrupt." Val released him and then grinned, looking at Pent. "Go on."

Pent's confidence didn't falter, keeping his hand up, palm open as he reiterated his offer. "I will fashion you a weapon of your choice from this Heaven's Steel and deliver it to the studio in exchange for free use of your men and resources during the next Extermination." Pent ran his forked tongue over one long fang and said, "Should I fail to follow through, I forfeit my soul to you for the next...say 200 years?" Angel's jaw dropped and Val gave a satisfied click of his tongue. "Are those terms acceptable?"

For a moment Val simply grinned, holding his cigarette in his teeth as he stared at Pentious. "Make it 300. I've got quite a few clients who would love to get their hands on a unique body like yours." Angel felt his skin crawl as he watched one of Val's arms come out, pinching the snake's injured hip. Pentious' smirk twisted into a scowl, but surprisingly, he didn't pull out of Val's grasp.

"300 then," Pentious agreed, not dropping his hand as he stared down the moth.

Valentino chuckled and let go of the snake's side, instead clasping his claws around Pentious' gloved fingers. "Very well, you've got yourself a deal."

Angel bit his lip, closing his eyes as they shook hands, a green glow enveloping their fingers before dissipating just as quickly as it had come. Part of him felt like throwing up, but it was too late. The goddamn snake had just sealed his own fate with that stunt.

Val slipped his hand from Pentious' and he looked to Angel, stroking along the column of the spider's throat and toying with the fabric of the bowtie. "Well, my darling, you really lucked out, haven't you?" He trailed his claws down to the valley between Angel's breasts and added, "But don't think that means I won't be checking up on you in that Hotel of yours every now and then." He used one of his other hands to cup Angel's chin, turning his head so that their eyes met, only separated by those horrid pink frames. "You know I always keep a close eye on my investments."

Then without any warning, he shoved Angel off his lap. Pentious' hood flared as the spider was literally thrown onto him, making them both stumble along the length of the vehicle. "Now, both of you get the fuck out of my limo. My time is valuable and if Angel's no longer on the clock then I've got better things to do." Val hit a button on the side panel and gripped the seat with two of his hands, blowing more cigarette smoke over them both.

The driver abruptly breaked and they both nearly toppled again as they were thrown by the force, Pent managing to grab onto a seatbelt and hold them both upright as they swayed. The snake gave an angry smile to the moth and said, "Indeed. We'll be in touch," before releasing the seatbelt and opening the door as the vehicle swerved up to a curb.

Pent's expression fell as soon as he turned away from Valentino and Angel followed behind him, rubbing his arms and fixing the buttons on his jacket as they stepped out of the car.

Val gave a mocking wave to them both before Pentious shut the door and the car drove off into the night, leaving them both standing on an empty street in the middle of the drug district. The snake's shoulders slumped and he turned to look at Angel, his expression tired as if the effort of keeping his bravado had worn him out. "Well, a drink certainly sounds nice right about now."

"Yeah…" Angel muttered, not looking at the other man as he reached down to tug the hem of his skirt straight against his upper thighs. "A strong one."

Pentious laughed, but the sound was subdued and quiet. "Quite a stroke of luck that the Hotel maintains a well-stocked bar then." He took out his phone and called for a cab, turning away from Angel as he told the driver their location based on the street.

Angel bit his lip and lowered his gaze to the ground, not looking up even as the cab pulled into the curb. Pentious opened the door and slid in, beckoning Angel to follow and he did, sitting down and closing the door behind them.

Neither of them spoke for the entire car ride, staring out their own windows as the city passed outside. Honestly, he wasn't even sure what they could talk about after that mess. Part of Angel wanted to know what Pentious was thinking after seeing him at his lowest, but the other part of him knew he probably wouldn't like the answer regardless. Not that he wanted or needed the stupid snake's sympathies, but he didn't want the snake to be disgusted by him either.

He wasn't inherently dirty.

Val made him dirty.

Once they arrived at the Hotel, Pent paid the cabbie and they both watched the taxi drive away before heading inside. Husk was passed out at the bar so Pentious simply helped himself to the selection on the shelves behind him, tapping his claws against a few bottles before pulling out a massive handle of vodka. "I think this will do the trick," he said, lifting it up and glancing back to Angel for confirmation.

Angel just shrugged, not caring what kind of liquor they were drinking. He only wanted it to hit like a truck.

They headed to the stairs and began the climb, Pent leading the way with Angel trailing slightly behind, his feet dragging against the red carpet on each step. Nuggets was waiting at the door when they unlocked it and Angel immediately scooped the pig into his arms, pressing Nugs close to his chest as he took a few deep breaths. Pentious closed the door behind them and removed his hat, hanging it up before passing a hand over the back of his hood.

A few silent moments passed between them and Angel could feel the snake's many eyes on him, but he ignored it in favor of listening to Nugs' tiny worried snorts. Finally he lifted his head and gently placed Nuggets on top of the bed, hugging himself as he tried to keep his legs from shaking. "You mind if I shower?" Angel asked, looking back to the snake over his shoulder. Pentious shook his head and they both headed into the bathroom, turning on the lights and wincing at the sudden stark brightness.

Once his eyes adjusted, Angel stripped down, not bothering with the flirting and teasing he typically launched into whenever either one of them took off their clothes. He just dropped the fabric into a pile and unzipped his boots, not stepping out of them just yet as he cranked the shower on as hot as it would go, giving it a moment to heat up.

In the mirror he watched as Pent opened the bottle of vodka and drank straight from it. "Figured you woulda poured it out into shot glasses all fancy-like," Angel remarked as he slipped off his shoes and stepped into the shower, closing his eyes just as the water hit him.

"They didn't feel appropriate."

Angel snorted. That was a goddamn understatement.

He reached for the shampoo and squeezed as much of it into his hands as he could, washing over his face, throat, breasts, and groin, not bothering to be gentle as he worked it into a foamy lather.

"What is the length of your contract?"

Angel blinked and then raised one of his arms, parting the wet bangs that hung in front of his face. Pentious was leaning against the counter, still holding the bottle loosely in one hand, the other resting against the counter. "With Val?" Angel asked.

"I'm assuming you have no others," Pentious confirmed with a nod.

Sighing, Angel turned back to the shower, scrubbing through his hair and fur. "Ain't exactly any of your business now is it?"

"I only ask-"

"I don't care," Angel bit his lip, closing his eyes. "Don't pretend you give a damn just because you're stuck dealin' with this bullshit now too…" he muttered. "Can't believe you signed away 300 fuckin' years, christ..."

A few minutes passed with only the rush of the shower water hitting tile to fill the dead air. Then Angel turned off the faucet, watching the last of the water swirl around the drain before disappearing into the many black holes that spiraled into the floor.

"Here." Angel turned and blinked as Pentious held out a towel and one of the bathrobes. "Try not to drip all over the floor."

Angel sighed and took both from Pent, mussing the towel through his hair and then down the length of his body to free his fur of any clinging water droplets. He slipped the robe on and wrapped his hair, stepping out of the shower carefully to keep from slipping on the tile.

He expected more comments from the snake or questions at the very least regarding the contract. Instead he watched as Pentious swallowed another undignified swig from the bottle before offering it his way. Angel took it and smiled, but the expression didn't reach his eyes. "Y'know we're gonna be swappin' spit with this?"

Pentious snorted and rolled his eyes. "There are worse things," he said flatly before bending down to pick up Angel's discarded clothes and boots, tossing the fabric into the hamper right outside the door. "I suppose you'll be wanting to cover your feet?" he asked, offering the shoes.

Angel looked to the boots and took them, but didn't bother putting them on. Instead he left the bathroom and tossed them into the closet, grabbing a pair of pink bunny socks from his drawers as he drank from the bottle, chugging as much as he could while his bottom set of hands fitted the socks over his feet.

Pent slithered past him, going to the full length of the chain as he undid the buttons to his jacket and shirt, sliding out of them before peeling out of his undershirt. Angel paused, watching as the snake touched the fresh burn on his shoulder and then picked over the wound on his hip which had formed an ugly purple welt beneath the scales. "We need to call Husk?"

"No," Pentious said, gently brushing the injury before pulling out a sleeping shirt from his dresser. "You can rest assured that I shall survive the night."

Snorting, Angel sat down on the bed and pet over Nuggets, his chest feeling tight and his stomach twisting even as the vodka burned through him. He barely noticed Pent turning the lights off and only looked up when the bed shifted with the snake's weight.

"Want some more?" Angel asked Pentious, shaking the now half-empty bottle of vodka. Pent's eyes flickered over to him and he took the neck of the container, swallowing another few mouthfuls before passing it right back.

Nugs crawled into his lap as Angel undid the towel covering his hair, shaking out the damp strands before tossing the terrycloth vaguely in the direction of the hamper. "I don't want your goddamn pity."

"It's a good thing that I never offered it then," Pentious said, laying down against the sheets, shifting his tail onto the length of the mattress.

Huffing, Angel shook his head. "Don't bullshit me. I can fuckin' feel it, snake." He took another drink, closing his eyes as he felt the liquor finally start to hit, making his limbs feel loose and heavy.

Pentious hummed. "And you're incorrect to assume as much. I wouldn't offer such a thing to you, even if it was what you wanted," he said in a quiet voice. "I've always seen pity as rather worthless."

"Oh?" Angel said snidely, turning to face Pent as he held Nugs between his crossed legs. "How's that?"

The snake frowned, staring at the ceiling as he tucked one hand behind his head, letting his chained arm rest against his abdomen. "Pity didn't feed me when I was hungry," he began, claws pulling at the buttons of his sleep shirt. "It didn't put a roof over my head when it rained."

Pausing, Pent sighed, his chest deflating with the exhale. "And it most certainly gave me no comfort when I was hurt." Pent pursed his lips, adding, "I have little cause to respect you, but I refuse to give empty platitudes to even my worst enemies. There's simply no greater insult."

Angel blinked and took another sip from the bottle. "So what do you got instead, huh? If you ain't the pityin' type?"

The snake snorted and his red eyes flickered to Angel, surprisingly soft in the dim glow of the moon outside the window. "I offer practical solutions, for one," he said, lifting his arm to gesture vaguely, the chain coiling loosely against his stomach. "It's certainly better than sitting around on one's ass for all of eternity." His eyes narrowed. "Or as you so eloquently put it, I prefer to chase after the big cars like a goddamn dog over sitting in a gutter feeling sorry for myself."

Wincing, Angel rubbed the side of his face and took another swig. "Alright, you made your fuckin' point…" he muttered, petting over Nugs with his two lower arms. "So what's your plan then? We have some time, but you do get that we're screwed either way, right? You're his bitch if you don't give him the steel and you're dead fuckin' meat if you do. And I'm...well, fucked."

That earned him an unimpressed glare from the snake and Angel just shrugged. "Hey, I gotta check on this crap sometimes. You're stupidly smart about your weird lil' hobbies but dense as shit with everythin' else."

"Fuck you too," Pentious muttered, stretching out against the sheets. "I bought us time. Time is the most precious resource we have right now. Be grateful for it."

Angel's eyes tracked the movement of the thick tail, watching the muscle shift against the sheets. "I'm just sayin', it seems like your big plan is to make shit up as we go."

"All good ideas require a certain amount of improvisation," Pent insisted, yawning wide enough to expose every inch of his fangs. "Besides, do you have any better suggestions?"

Pouting, Angel took another drink and belched as he pulled his mouth off the rim. Pent gave him a disgusted look and pursed his mouth into a thin line. "Excuse you," the snake said as Angel sank back against the pillows, Nugs in one arm and the bottle in another.

Maybe it was the ridiculousness of the snake getting annoyed at his lack of manners (while they were drinkin' this shit straight from the bottle in bed like teenagers) or just the liquor sitting heavy in his stomach finally hitting him hard, but Angel began to laugh, small at first and then with enough force to shake his entire body. He felt the snake's eyes on him as he cackled and kicked his legs out against the sheets, eyes beginning to water.

"Are you even breathing?" Pentious asked after almost a minute.

Angel grinned, wiping his eyes as he took a pull from the bottle, only to nearly spit it out again as he was overcome by more giggles. He distantly felt Pent slip the vodka from his hand and he managed to swallow the liquor in his mouth with a hiccup, pulling Nugs up onto his vibrating chest.

It got painful quick, the lack of air, the convulsion of his chest-

The complete and utter shame that had been bubbling up inside of him for the last hour.

He didn't realize he was crying until Nugs began to lick the tears off his face and that just made it all the worse didn't it? Thankfully the snake didn't comment, merely placed the vodka on the nightstand next to his tea kettle and stayed quiet as Angel devolved into open sobs, clutching his pet close.

The worst of the breakdown didn't last long as nausea swirled in his stomach from lack of oxygen (drank too much too fast). At the end of it, Angel was left a tear-stained snotty mess, breathing heavily and staring out at the opposite wall where the vanity mirror used to be. He'd had so many nights just like this, drunk enough to be loose and open, but not enough to blur the line where he could stop himself from spiraling down the drain once he started. He wanted to call Cherri, but it's not like she could do anything other than be a comforting hand on his shoulder.

What the fuck would he even say after a night like tonight?

Angel's thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of something soft fluttering into his open palm. He quickly glanced up, seeing the snake rolling over to turn his back to Angel. "Don't wipe your nose on the sheets," Pentious remarked, adjusting the blankets to cover his shoulders.

Blinking, Angel glanced down and saw what looked like a cloth handkerchief in his hand. He raised it to his face, wiping the tears that hadn't dried into his fur and then sniffled as he cleaned the snot from his upper lip, blowing hard into the black fabric.

He winced at the aftermath and balled it up, tossing it onto his own nightstand before looking back to the snake, his eyes tracing the thin yellow lines that ran down the back of his hood. Relaxed, it almost resembled hair and he had the strangest urge to run his hands through it (impossible as that would be).

Angel sighed and looked back to Nugs who he could tell was still concerned, tiny ears perked and eyes big and sweet. He kissed his pet's forehead, settling Nuggets down to lay next to him. "Hey snake," he said, feeling the other man tense slightly at being addressed.

A tired sigh. "What?"

Angel bit his lip and pulled the blankets over his legs. "Thanks…" he murmured quietly, hoping the other man heard him so he wouldn't have to repeat himself. His head was already swimming and he didn't even know if he could manage much more conversation anyway.

Pentious was quiet for a moment before he shifted slightly and muttered, "Just make sure to wash it. I'm not carrying your snot around in my pocket."

Angel closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah...sure," he said, laying his head down and curling into Nugs, letting the pig settle in the cradle of his arms.

Sleep didn't come immediately, but the alcohol certainly got him there faster than he would have sober.

---

The next month passed in a blur of sameness, eating together, working together, and sleeping together (though not the fun kind). Angel still got texts and messages from Val, but he wasn't called in to the studio or any of the strip clubs and for that he was grateful. It seemed that Pent had been right: time was a precious resource…

But now he felt as though he had too much of it.

It could be tiring, especially since Pentious disliked the stares they got in public and avoided leaving the Hotel and its neighboring blocks for anything other than necessity. That meant no clubs, no parties, no bars (outside of the Welcome Desk. Thank fuck for the Welcome Desk).

It had gotten easier to live together though. By this point they could both recognize and react to when the other was going to move (whether it was to lean, bend over, or change direction) and adjust their path accordingly. They still sniped at each other, but there was less heat behind the words and it felt like normal banter more often than not. Angel still hated waking up at the ass-crack of dawn and he knew Pent despised watching his trashy TV shows, but they both sucked it up and dealt with each other's hang-ups with something resembling maturity.

Well, most of the time anyway. Frustrations occasionally bubbled to the surface and Angel was dealing with the worst case of blue balls he'd ever had. He hadn't gone more than a week without an orgasm since he died and the fact that he couldn't even take a fuckin' hand to himself in the shower anymore was driving him up the goddamn wall.

Pentious was also clearly (for a lack of better wording) pent-up. Angel didn't know if it was sexual or otherwise (the snake acted like a pissy virgin, but apparently he had a family once upon a time so he'd managed to get it in at least once) and he really didn't care beyond the fact that it made the snake's normally incendiary temper flare over even rather benign accidents like getting his tail smacked by a door.

Usually Angel just let the snake rage until he burned himself out, giving a sarcastic, "Ya done?" before going back to whatever he was doing previously. It just wasn't worth inciting the same three or four tiresome arguments with Pent at this point. After all, they were only two months into this mess and had ten more to go until next E-Day.

If the sexual frustration didn't kill him by then, the fuckin' boredom certainly would. Angel really only looked forward to Girl's Nights with Cherri and the occasional events Charlie insisted on hosting with the rest of the Hotel. Every other evening aside from that was some shade of beige.

On the days he was really bored (and out of powder), Angel found himself looking up Pentious' social media and scrolling for hours on end. The snake hadn't posted anything new since they started cohabiting, but that wasn't a huge shocker given that Pent seemed intent on not letting anyone know he was staying in the Hotel (he had his precious reputation to think of).

Between the posts detailing all the weird projects the snake was working on, there'd occasionally be something interesting like a dorky selfie, more baked goods (which always looked surprisingly tasty), or a scenic view of the Pentagram from the snake's hillside lair away from the city. Eggs featured in some of the images, but otherwise there was no one else; just a dumb snake in a big empty house day after day and year after year.

Angel almost felt sad for him, but then Pentious would say something vaguely insulting and he'd quickly be reminded: oh yeah, he's a massive dick.

Then one morning he was scrolling through the snake's content and stumbled over an old video post from two years back. He raised an eyebrow and watched the three second preview of Pent playing at a grand piano, curiosity getting the best of him as he clicked the post into focus and paused the clip before any sound could blast out of his speakers.

Angel reached for his headphones resting on the coffee table, briefly glancing to Pentious who was napping on the couch beside him. Pentious didn't wake, but his tail shifted closer to his chest, the tip swaying as it dangled over the edge of the armrest.

Plugging in the headset, Angel slipped the buds into his ears and turned the volume on before hitting play. The video loaded and then there was the snake himself, standing in front of the camera and clearly fumbling with the recording before setting the phone down in front of the piano at an angle that allowed a view of the keyboard and Pent in frame. The snake then sat on the wooden bench, tucking his tail underneath as he cleared his throat, giving an unnecessary flourish of his hands before letting his claws settle against the white keys.

Pentious began to play and Angel furrowed his brow, recognizing the tune vaguely but unable to put a name to it. Then the snake began to sing and he flinched, nearly kicking the back of the sleeping Demon's tail in surprise.

"Believe me, if all those endearing young charms, that I gaze on so fondly today-" Angel tore his gaze away from the video, glancing to the present-day Pentious on the other side of the couch who was still blissfully snoozing into the cushions. "Were to fade by tomorrow and fleet in my arms, like fairy gifts, fading away-"

Pent did not have a voice for singing. He was technically on-key, but his vocals still scratched against Angel's ears in a way that made him wince despite the skill of his piano playing. The snake seemed to be enjoying himself though, a smile playing across his face while he sang with his eyes closed, swaying as red claws danced across the keys with well-practiced ease.

"It is not while beauty and youth are thine own and thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear, that the fervor and faith of a soul can be known, to which time will but make thee more dear!"

Pentious tipped his head back a bit, increasing his volume as he sang, "Oh! The heart that has truly loved, never forgets! But as truly loves on to the close; as the sunflower turns on her god, when he sets, the same look that she gave when he rose."

His fingers petered out across the piano and he stood, giving a showman's bow to the camera before reaching for it and then fumbled. Angel muffled a snort as the camera was knocked on its side with a muttered "Drat!" before the screen went dark and a replay button appeared in its place.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Angel sat up and reached over to poke the snake's shoulder, earning him a flinch followed by an annoyed grimace. Angel poked him a second time and the other Demon growled, adjusting his grip on the cushion serving as his pillow. "Must you wake me?" Pent murmured, not opening his eyes as his massive tail shifted on the sofa.

"Yeah. How the fuck do you play a piano without any legs?"

Pentious' sighed and rolled up to sit, a confused expression on his face as he rubbed over his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Angel turned his phone, showing the video sans audio. Pentious' hood flared and he tried to snatch the device from Angel's grasp, only for it to be pulled out of reach with the smirking spider. "Why are you still looking at my profile!?" he hissed, embarrassment coloring his cheeks as Angel unplugged his headphones.

"What else have I got to do? 'Sides, it's a public profile, asshole. Maybe if you don't want people snoopin' around you should private your shit?" Angel shrugged and chuckled, tossing the ear buds back onto the table. "You can't sing worth a damn, by the way."

Pent scowled, giving an embarrassed huff. "Your opinion is entirely unnecessary," he muttered, his tail swishing back and forth as he glared at Angel. "If you're going to insist on peering through my records, at least hold your damn tongue."

"So, you gonna answer the question?"

"What question?"

Angel rolled his eyes and leaned back, folding his top set of arms behind his head while his bottom two continued to scroll through his phone. "How the fuck you play without feet? Don't pianos got pedals and crap underneath them?"

Pentious blinked and said, "Well of course, but the model I have at my home is custom. Most of my furniture is." He held up his hands, wiggling his fingers as he added, "Modifications also needed to be made to the keys. Almost all modern instruments were designed to be played with five fingers rather than four."

Ok, that made some sense. If Pent was capable of building a massive airship, why couldn't he redesign a stupid piano? "Huh, so you couldn't play the one in the lounge then?" Angel said, lifting one of his bottom arms to point out the hall leading to the room in question.

"Not as intended," Pentious said, his anger slowly dissipating as he sank back against the couch, yawning wide enough to crack his jaw. "Why do you care?"

"Just curious," Angel said with a shrug of both sets of his shoulders. "Like I said, got nothin' better to do." He flopped back against the couch and gave a bored sigh, raising his phone. "Since someone doesn't want to ever go anywhere."

If only he could convince the snake to let him rub one out. Hell, Angel'd even get the snake off too if it meant they could push past all this unnecessary hostility.

Pentious stared at him for a time and rubbed over his chin thoughtfully. "If you need something to do, we can go to my lair. The airship still needs plenty of repairs and I'd much prefer for it to be functional and flying by the next Extermination." He checked his own phone, reading through the daily notifications his minions sent over regarding the upkeep of his home (the snake seemed paranoid that someone was gonna break in and swipe all his crap). "You wouldn't be much help, but it would be a change of scenery at the very least."

Angel raised an eyebrow and then sighed heavily, his chest rising and falling with the motion. The snake's house was kinda creepy in the way all old buildings were, but there was certainly a lot of interesting shit to look at and it would get them out of the Hotel.

It wasn't a club, wasn't a party, but eh, he'd take what he could get for now. "Why the fuck not?" Angel pulled his arms out from behind his head and straightened up. "I didn't get to see much inside your digs when we picked up your clothes." He grinned and gave his lips a salacious lick. "Maybe I'll rummage through your closet and find all your weird Victorian sex toys."

Pent made a face and stood, adjusting the hat on his head. "Considering my bedroom is nowhere near the workshop, you'll find that to be quite the challenge."

"So what you're sayin' is you do have weird sex toys?" Angel said with a snicker as the snake gave him an irritated huff and yanked the chain until he stood.

"Imagine whatever you want, but you will never set foot in my bedroom so long as I am in this plane of existence," Pent lifted his chin and led them both out to the Lobby, the chain pulling taut until Angel caught pace and sidled up to him.

As they passed the Welcome Desk, Husk lifted his head off the counter, adjusting his grip around the neck of the latest bottle of booze. "Just where the fuck are you two clowns going?" he muttered as he watched them head toward the doors.

"To my home," Pentious said, waving him off dismissively. "If Miss Charlie asks after us, tell her she need not hold up dinner on our account. We may return late."

Husk snorted and leaned his chin on his palm, furred elbow sliding across the bar. "You got a fucking phone, Pentious. Just text her your damn self." He then lifted the bottle in his opposite hand and took a long pull. "Bring back some schnapps on your way back. We're almost outta that shit." The cat shook the nearly empty glass and sighed as the alcohol sloshed around the bottom. "And the kid never orders enough…"

Grinning, Angel shot the other man a wink and blew a flirty kiss. "You got it, hot-stuff." Husk flipped him off and Angel snickered, following Pent out the front doors to call for a taxi.

The drive to the snake's lair was fairly quick despite the distance, mostly due to the fact that the winding roads didn't have a lot of traffic blocking the route that took them away from the city to the out-lands that surrounded it.

Their cabbie gave them both weird looks as they pulled up to the snake's house, but Pentious ignored it in favor of sliding their fare forward and exiting the vehicle without another word. Angel couldn't exactly blame the driver's reaction though. The old Victorian-style mansion cast a massive shadow over the surrounding hillside and was no less creepy-looking than the first time Angel set foot on the snake's property.

Once the driver was gone, Pentious slithered up to the door, using both a hand scanner, physical key, and passcode to bypass his strict security measures. After a minute, he finally opened the door, letting Angel go in first so he could reset the complicated system behind them.

The foyer was big and grand with a colossal black crystal chandelier that hung over the top like a glittering gothic jellyfish. It was the sort of thing that one would expect from the showboat snake, but despite the expensive looking paintings and rare tchotchkes lining the walls, the whole place felt oddly empty. Angel had initially gotten the impression that the snake just didn't have a lot of visitors, but the more time he spent around Pent, the more he'd come to realize that the other man had virtually no friends.

His follower count online being a total of two users (one of which Angel was almost certain was a porn bot) spoke fuckin' volumes.

"Come, the workshop and lab are downstairs," Pentious said, gesturing for Angel to follow him to a mostly empty stretch of wall next to the grand staircase. Angel raised an eyebrow as the snake shifted a small podium, exposing a hidden keypad behind it. He typed in an elaborate code and the wall opened to reveal a spacious elevator, the snake sliding inside without hesitation. "Well?" Pent asked, jangling the chain pointedly he waited for Angel to follow him.

Angel stepped inside and looked around, noting that there were only three buttons on the wall console. "Are the stairs just for show?" he asked as Pent hit the bottom button, closing the doors and sending them falling with a light jolt of gears grinding against one another.

"No, the stairs only lead to more living space. I installed an elevator after one too many falls with heavy equipment," Pent rubbed at his wrist as if remembering an old injury as the doors opened, revealing an industrial hanger that had to be carved out from underneath the hillside. Angel's eyes widened as he looked around, taking in the massive wall of tools and appliances along with the various projects scattered across multiple work benches, the biggest of which was the wrecked airship which was held aloft from the ceiling by a pulley system.

Several eggs were working on the vehicle, but immediately put down their tools and welding goggles at the sight of them. "Boss!" one of them exclaimed as they all came running, five eggs rushing the snake and hugging him around the base of his tail. "Oh Bossman, we missed you!"

Pentious hissed and peeled them off one by one. "What did I say about making repairs without my supervision?" he snapped, pointing to the ship with a single claw before smacking one of them with his opposite palm. "What if one of you had ruptured the remaining fuel cells?"

The eggs exchanged some guilty looks. "We wanted to surprise you," one of them explained. "We're sorry, sir."

Rolling his eyes, Pentious just pinched his brow and slithered forward, sending them scattering. "Imbeciles…"

"Hey, they were tryin'," Angel said, patting the one Pent had hit as he stepped over them. "Sheesh, you're so fuckin' harsh on your little egg kids."

"They are not my children," Pent growled, unbuttoning his jacket and the shirt underneath, leaving him only in his sleeveless undershirt. He let the eggs take his clothes and grabbed a well-worn leather apron from a rack on the wall as well as heat-resistant gloves and two sets of safety goggles. "Wear these. I'm not responsible if you lose an eye," Pent muttered as he passed one to Angel and tied his hood back into a loose ponytail. Lastly, he set his hat on the workbench and grabbed a large silver toolbox, lifting it with ease despite how heavy it looked. "Now, all of you will tell me exactly what work you have done so far. I'll need to inspect it."

The eggs began to rattle off all the details, about how they'd removed the engines, taken off the most damaged panels and guns and popped out the remaining windows as every one of them was either shattered to the point of being useless or splintered enough to be a safety risk. Pent nodded and put on his own goggles, moving to the most damaged engine that had been placed on a raised platform.

"So this is what the damn thing looks like with its skirts off," Angel said as he watched Pentious check over the work the eggs had done. He tilted his head, changing the angle. "It's kinda small."

"It's heavier than it looks, I assure you," Pent said, putting on his gloves and removing a set of plastic trays from the toolbox. "Keep in mind that this is also only one of three engines."

Taking a wrench, he began to unscrew the bolts holding the outer casing to the interior components, carefully placing the small bits of metal into the trays as he worked, separating them out by size and screw-type.

Angel sighed. Alright, this was probably gonna take a while, wasn't it? There were a million little screws and judging by Pentious' current pace, it'd probably take an hour just to pull off the damn cover.

Leaning back on the bench behind them, Angel tugged out a crumpled pack of cigarettes along with his lighter. He'd already pulled a stick and was trying to light it when Pent realized what he was doing and whipped around, smacking the cigarette from his mouth. "Are you stupid!?" the snake snarled, gesturing at the engine behind him. "Do you want to risk causing a bloody explosion!?"

Scowling, Angel bent over to retrieve the cigarette, sticking it and the lighter back into his jacket with a grunt. "Ya didn't have to go and be a dick about it, christ!" He crossed his arms, annoyed now as he watched the other Demon huff and turn back to his work. "So what the fuck am I supposed to do then? Sit and watch you tinker with your stupid toys all day?" He asked, gesturing with his chained arm.

Pentious gave a tired sigh and lifted his wrench. "I told you before we left that this-" he gestured to the engine with the tool. "-is what we would be doing." He shook his head incredulously and added, "What exactly did you expect?"

Angel pouted as the other man went back to taking apart the casing, managing to get all of the bolts holding the cover in place. Pent put down the tool and then gripped the panel with both arms, grunting as he wrenched the sheet out of its tight fit and up into the air.

The muscles of the snake's back pulled and contracted with the motion, drawing Angel's eye to the visible strength that was now much more obvious without a suit covering the shiny black scales. "Where'd you pick up all this shit anyway? Sewin' was your grandpa's thing and you mixed chemicals in a factory," Angel ticked off two fingers as the snake handed the sheet to the eggs who struggled to lift it, quickly carting the metal off to lean against the nearest wall. "So who taught you machines?"

"No one," Pentious said with a frown, peering into the engine to inspect the exposed valves. "We'll need to replace the ventilation pipes. They've corroded…" he muttered to himself as he grabbed his wrench again and began to remove the deteriorated piece in question.

"You just taught yourself all of this crap?" Angel asked with a frown as he gestured to the expansive room at large. "No help at all?"

"More or less," Pentious responded plainly, still focused on his work as he spoke. "Machines in the factory regularly broke and needed repairs. I simply watched what the engineers did and copied them in my own time." He ripped out the pipe and tossed it to the floor where it was immediately retrieved by the eggs. "If you take enough things apart and rebuild them, you will eventually learn how the various parts work in conjunction with one another. All new technology builds off existing designs so when you want to make your own devices, you simply modify and adapt the blueprint to your needs." Pent grunted and yanked back his arm, wincing as he flexed his gloved fingers which had clearly gotten caught against something. "It's not particularly difficult."

He said all this so matter of factly, as if it was plain and obvious to anyone with eyes. But if it really was so damn simple, then why the fuck didn't everyone do all this shit, huh?

Angel pursed his lips, staring at the snake's back as Pent reached over and grabbed a rag, cleaning the oil off a screw to get a better grip on it with his tool. "You have way too much time on your hands…"

"And you have no room to judge considering what sort of activities you waste your free time on," Pentious shot back, gritting his teeth as he pulled on the stubborn bolt. "I seek knowledge and thus power. The only thing you chase is pleasure."

Angel ran a hand back through his hair, irritation flaring up at the callous judgment. "And what's so bad about that, huh? If life's all work, where's the fuckin' fun?" He stepped closer to the snake and shoved his shoulder, causing the other Demon to flinch and whip around to glare at him. "What's even the point of existin' if you're sad and alone all the damn time because you're spendin' every fuckin' day in a cave rather than livin'?"

Pentious scowled and threw the oily rag to the floor, pointing the finger back at Angel. "Is that what you're doing when you're cowering in front of your boss or taking drugs to wipe away the pain of your career choices? Is that living?" He made air-quotes with his talons, forked tongue flicking out at Angel mockingly. Huffing, the snake lowered his arms and his mouth curled into a frown. "My life wasn't perfect. My afterlife isn't either, but I have purpose and goals to work toward." His tail flicked and he adjusted the fit of his work gloves. "There is a tomorrow that is worth waking up for."

Angel chewed his tongue for a moment before raising his top arms to gesture at the snake, the chain swinging between them. "Don't give me that bullshit. You're not fuckin' happy. You're desperate for any attention you can get." He yanked out his phone, opening up his social to search for Pentious' profile and then turned the device to face the snake. "Why the fuck would you post constantly, give a shit about engagement, or fly around the city in the biggest goddamn blimp if you weren't beggin' for someone to notice you and give you a pat on the ass for it?"

The other Demon's eyes widened as he stared at the screen, clearly not expecting any sort of retort to his scathing statement. Pent furrowed his brow and tightened his grip on the wrench in his hand as he watched Angel scroll through his feed, showing him all the posts he had made over the years, an insulting visual to punctuate the spider's words.

Angel didn't stop though, gesturing back to the eggs who were now stepping away from the two of them as they took in the expression on their boss' face. "And then there's these little shits! You build 'em by the hundreds and make sure they all suck up to you constantly because it's the only validation you'll ever get from anyone." The spider smirked, leaning in to shove the other Demon's chest hard with the heel of his palm. "But it's fuckin' hollow an' you know it, so you beat the shit outta them constantly because none of their praise is real. It's all crap you put into their heads in the first fuckin' place, ain't it?"

Pentious' face was so tight, Angel thought the other man was going to burst a blood vessel. Instead, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, grabbing Angel's wrist and twisting it until the spider was forced to remove it from his chest. "So much for our deal," Pentious finally said, turning away from Angel to focus back on his work, his shoulders shaking with repressed anger as he tore more pieces out of the engine.

Laughing, Angel turned off his phone and shoved it inside of his suit. "You're the one who broke it first, judgin' me and mine." Hypocritical assbag.

The snake took a shuddering breath, resting one hand on the top of the engine as his back hunched slightly. "You didn't have to be cruel."

The genuine hurt in the snake's voice was enough to kill any sadistic pleasure that Angel got from tearing Pent a new one. His smile slowly dissolved as he stared at the other man, all four arms dropping down to his sides as he inhaled and stepped forward to sidle up to Pent.

In profile, he could see that Pentious' expression had twisted into a painful grimace, his chained fist balled tight against his tail.

Then suddenly the snake's eyes snapped open and Angel flinched as the other Demon glared at him, hate burning in his slit pupils. "So what if I'm alone?" he groused bitterly. "Better to be alone than with company that makes me wish for something worse than death."

Angel winced. Yeesh, Pentious never pulled his goddamn punches did he? Sighing, he touched over the side of his face, glancing to the eggs who looked like they wanted to try and comfort the snake, but also were terrified to even make an attempt (least the little fuckers weren't suicidal). "Look, there ain't nothin' wrong with wantin' people to notice you. I get that. Fuck, I dance naked on a stage for my bread." The other Demon snorted and went back to ripping through the engine, his arms straining as he fought against the corroded bits of metal (all the while, refusing to make eye contact with Angel). "But you ever think that maybe holin' yourself up here ain't exactly gonna be the thing that gets folks to give a damn? I mean, we're all selfish assholes. We're in Hell for fuck's sake."

"I'm very aware of where we are and why we're here," Pent snapped, tossing his wrench to the floor where it clattered noisily before sliding against the toolbox. "Don't patronize me."

Angel groaned, throwing all four of his hands up into the air. "I'm not! Will you fuckin' look at me, asshole? I'm tryin' to talk to you!" He reached out and grabbed the snake's arm to try and turn him, but Pentious twisted out of his grip, hood flaring out and snapping through the band that tied it. Angel didn't back down though, glaring at the other man just as fiercely. "You got a ton of talent and a lotta brains, but no sense in how to use either of 'em to get the crap you want." He poked at the side of his own brow for emphasis and shook his head, groaning. "You musta had some friends when you were alive. You had a family, right? How fuck did you manage to socialize before you kicked the bucket?"

Pentious dropped his arms to his side, clenching both hands into fists. "The keyword in that sentence is had," he said stiffly.

"Ok. Well, just do the same shit you did back then," Angel said, desperate to find any give to the other Demon. Fuck, he hated fighting over shit like this. Why couldn't the snake just stop being a goddamn asshole for five fuckin' minutes?

Pentious gave a bitter laugh, his hood deflating. "You forget how much the times have changed. I try all the new things and follow the trends…" He exhaled, his shoulders loosening. "I'm apparently too out of touch to make things work. God knows I've tried."

Leaning over, Pent scooped up the wrench, holding the handle and tapping the head of the tool against his opposite palm. "But I suspect that this is all part of my punishment down here. The hole is never filled no matter what I do."

"The hole?" Angel asked, refraining from making the very obvious sex joke that was just begging to be voiced.

Pent frowned, twisting the wrench in his fingers. "All of us sinners have a pit inside of us that we're aching to fill." He gestured to Angel with the tool. "You fill yours with drugs and sex, I fill mine with labor and war. It's all we knew in life so it's rather fitting that it's all we know in death as well."

He sighed, closing his eyes as he pulled off his safety goggles, letting the equipment dangle loosely around his throat. "We are all our own personal Hell."

Angel's eyes slid down to the floor. "Shit…"

The snake snorted, a slightly bemused look on his face (though it was barely visible through his grimace). "Exactly. Shit," he repeated as he waved the wrench in the air, encompassing the gigantic cave around them. "I've had far too many nights to muse on the nature of my eternal damnation and have found the best way to keep my mind occupied is to work. If you're always busy, you don't have time to consider anything else."

Pentious looked back at the engine and sighed, running his hand not holding onto the wrench over his hood. "I'm definitely not in the working mood now though." He laughed, the sound weak and rather broken. "I just want a drink…"

Well Angel could get behind that thought. Better to be drunk and sad than sober and pissed off. At least when he was drunk, he could sort of slip away from reality even if it only lasted a few hours. "Ya got any liquor in this joint?" Angel jerked his thumb back to the elevator and offered the other man a hesitant smile.

Pent glanced to the exit and furrowed his brow before lowering himself to clean up his tools and the parts he had removed. "Of course I have alcohol," he muttered, folding the oily rag and stuffing it into the apron pocket. "Have you ever tried absinthe?"

Angel followed behind the snake as Pent carried the toolbox away from the exposed engine and back toward the workbench. "That's the green stuff, right? Yeah, a long ass time ago." Angel paused, taking in the way Pentious' exposed arms flexed as he lifted the box up onto the counter before reaching back to untie the leather apron from his impossibly small waist. "That shit got me fucked up."

Pentious chuckled. The sound was weak, but Angel would take the small victory that was temporarily getting the other man's mind off their argument. "It tends to do that," Pent said as he hung the apron and took off the goggles, reaching back for Angel's pair. The eggs scrambled to bring over his shirt and jacket, but Pent waved them off, simply grabbing his hat (though not donning it) as they headed to the elevator. "It's a personal favorite of mine, though it is an acquired taste."

"If it gets me goofy, that's all I give a damn about," Angel said, stepping inside the cabin and leaning against the back wall as Pent hit the console button. The doors closed and he flinched as the elevator jolted and began to rise, carrying them back to ground level. "Good thing we're takin' a cab back, huh?"

"Indeed," Pentious said, slithering out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened up to the entrance foyer. Instead of going upstairs, he led Angel through the hall behind it into a spacious parlor and what looked like a study or small library. While Angel looked over the books that lined the shelves built into the walls, Pent unlocked a cabinet behind a massive oak writing desk with yet another keycode and pulled out a large bottle half-filled with green liquid. He unplugged the stopper and took an inhale, smiling softly before passing it to Angel and setting his hat atop the desk. "Do not drink from the bottle," he warned before Angel could bring it to his mouth. "This isn't Husker's cheap vodka and you will treat it as is proper."

Pouting, Angel lowered the spirit and instead took a curious sniff from the rim, smelling licorice as the snake pulled out two glasses from inside the desk. "So you read and get shitfaced in here?" he asked, following Pent to sit down on a silk fainting couch that was placed alongside the wall.

"That's one way of putting it," Pent admitted, taking the bottle from Angel and replacing it with one of the glasses, pouring for the spider first and then himself. He set the bottle down on the floor and clinked their glasses together, pulling his tail up onto the sofa as he took his first sip.

Angel took another cursory sniff of the drink before bringing it to his mouth, downing it like a shot which earned him an irritated hum from the snake. "Heh, it's habit," Angel admitted as he watched the other man drink, Pentious' claws holding the glass in a manner that could only be described as delicate.

His gaze shifted up, following the column of Pentious' throat as the snake swallowed, the bulge of his Adam's apple bobbing slightly with the motion. Angel chewed his tongue and sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't apologize," Pent snapped, closing his eyes and pinching over the bridge of his nose. "We're not nearly drunk enough to be bothering with any of that nonsense." He then licked his lips, that forked tongue curling around one yellow fang before disappearing back into his mouth. "Besides, you aren't exactly far off the mark. It wouldn't hurt if there wasn't a small amount of truth to what you said." Pentious' eyes opened again slowly, an intense melancholy settling over his posture as he drank.

Wincing, Angel reached over, grabbing the bottle and helping himself to another portion. "Still, we did agree to try and not be total assholes to each other."

"Too bad we're both right prats to begin with." Pentious snorted and shook his head. "I suppose there's no helping it," he added snidely, taking another sip as the end of his tail flicked, knocking against Angel's knee.

Laughing, Angel grinned and shook his head. "Fuck you're so goddamn British," he muttered with an amused eyeroll. "Alright, to being prats then?" he said, mockingly copying Pent's accent as he raised his glass. Pent quirked an eyebrow, looking at the other man for a moment before bringing his own drink up in turn.

"To being prats," he agreed, letting Angel clink their glasses a second time before taking a long sip. "I think this may be the first time I've ever shared a drink with someone in my home…" Pent's red eyes flickered to the green liquid floating in his glass and he pursed his mouth. "That's rather pathetic, isn't it?"

"I mean, yeah kinda," Angel admitted, not gonna lie just for the sake of the other Demon's already bruised ego. Sides, he couldn't see Pentious appreciating any bullshit right now. He did grin though, nudging the other man's shoulder playfully. "Probably wish it was someone else, huh?"

Pent shrugged and took another drink, finishing off his glass. "If not you, who else would it be?"

Angel felt his chest tighten and his gaze lowered down to the fancy looking Persian rug, kicking his feet up against the fabric. Man, the snake really knew how to twist the knife didn't he? For all that talk of not wantin' to be the guy sittin' in a gutter, Pent was sure great at throwin' himself a pity-party.

So maybe a different sort of party was in order?

Clearing his throat, Angel wrapped an arm around the other man's broad shoulders and ignored the surprised jolt the overly familiar touch earned him. "Well shit, feels like we gotta make this special, huh? First time an' all that jazz." He waggled his brow suggestively and pushed off Pentious, snagging the bottle off the floor as he stood. "You dance, snake?" he asked, pulling out his phone and setting up his normal party mix.

Pentious stared up at Angel with wide confused eyes for a moment before he chewed his lower lip. "It's not exactly easy to dance with no legs."

"Aw, c'mon. You can wiggle," he dragged Pentious up by the chain and set his phone on the couch, facing the screen out to direct the speakers as a thumping bass filled the room. Pent winced, tightening his grip on the glass.

"Your taste in music is terrible," he said as Angel refilled his drink and set the bottle down on the desk.

Angel snickered and shoved at the other man's shoulder. "Just shut your trap an' cut loose ya fuckin' pool noodle." He ignored Pent's scandalized look as he took another drink and started to dance. His motions were limited by the chain keeping their arms tied, but at least he was still perfectly capable of bouncing to the beat.

For a few moments, Pentious stared at him in utter bewilderment before sighing and tipping back his own drink in a swallow. He began to twist, his entire body moving with the motion as the muscles that ran down the length of his tail flexed and pulled. It took a few seconds for him to catch the beat, but once he did, Pent didn't look so awkward (though it was clear he wasn't used to dancing to club and house mixes).

But that would clear up soon. A few more drinks in the snake and Pent would probably be sliding across the floor like a greased eel. Angel laughed and bumped his hip to Pentious', enjoying the confused squawk it got him before the other man bumped back in retaliation, a small smirk replacing the other Demon's chagrin.

Maybe it was the absinthe or just the thrill of dancing again for the first time in literally two months, but Angel found himself returning the toothy grin in full. He might not have the ideal dance partner, but he wasn't gonna lie and say he wasn't having some fun.

He'd dealt with plenty worse before and at the very least, Pent's genuine smile was pretty nice to look at.

A few hours later, Angel was splayed out on the floor with his back against the legs of the couch, pleasantly shitfaced as the empty bottle of absinthe sat between his knees. Pentious leaned against his shoulder, passed out and breathing softly into the spider's collarbone.

Angel's eyes drifted to Pentious' hood and he got the strange urge to touch it once again. This time he gave into the desire, removing his glove with some difficulty before passing his bare fingers over the Demon's black skin. Surprisingly, the scales were cool to the touch and extremely smooth, barely textured aside from the minor sensation of webbing that followed along the grain of Pent's skin. He paused as the snake shifted, moaning softly in his sleep before settling back against Angel's shoulder.

Slowly removing his hand, Angel yawned and pulled out his phone. The snake's profile was still open when he unlocked the device (fucking up his password three times in the process) and his eyes immediately honed in on the pathetic follower count at the top of the application.

He briefly glanced down at the snake again, feeling his goddamn bleeding heart clench. The stupid snake probably didn't deserve this, but no one could say Angel wasn't generous on occasion. He hit the "Follow" button at the top of the bar and sighed, waiting for the loading icon to clear.

The application immediately refreshed, showing 3 followers along with a new list of "recommended profiles based on similar users". Angel ignored the ad and searched through the snake's backlog, opening up the dorky selfie Pentious had taken with the backwards cap.

He smirked down at the ridiculous image and typed out a single comment, hitting send.

Looking sharp, prat.

---

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Beta assistance by SirDust & DerpingLina