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.

8. Prying Open a Rusted Hinge

MINOR CONTENT WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER. CHARACTERS BEING SEXUALLY OVERWHELMED TO THE POINT OF MINOR SUB DROP. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

"I know what I have given you...
I do not know what you have received."
Antonio Porchia

---

Angel stared at his phone, the glare from the screen bright in the dark room as he smoked what had to be his ninth cigarette of the night. Pentious was asleep next to him with his back to the spider as he coiled up in his blankets. Angel might have found the way the tip of his thick tail peeked out from under the sheets almost adorable if he wasn't so annoyed at the snake.

They'd been having a damn good time until the box of mystery condoms was dropped on them like a fuckin' nuke, making Pent crawl right back into his little shell like the two of them hadn't been getting each other off nice and dirty for weeks. Sighing, Angel let out a thick plume of smoke into the air. In retrospect, he probably should have seen this coming months ago.

Pent wanted to be his friend in private, not public.
The snake was all for getting his dicks wet, but not ready to deal with the consequences of anyone knowing he was fucking a male porn star.

Angel had been someone's dirty little secret plenty of times before now, but it still fucking stung. Of course when he was alive, that had been the only option available. Holding a fella's hand in public was a liability at best and a fuckin' death sentence at worst, but he'd been young and stupid, desperate and willing to take whatever he could get no matter how shitty it was.

In death, he was free to fuck who he pleased, but there were still plenty of guys who didn't want to be seen banging a fella, nevermind a whore. With clients, it wasn't a big deal. Angel didn't care if they wanted to keep their transactions under the table as long as he got paid for his time all the same.

But Pentious wasn't a fuckin' John, he was supposed to be a friend (a weird dickish egomaniac, but still a friend at the end of the day).

He exhaled another stream of smoke and continued flipping through his feed. After that first (terrible) picture in the cab, they'd both started posting selfies and tagging each other. Angel had thought that was the end of Pent's issues with who he was and what he did, but apparently he'd been too fucking optimistic. Now all the snake's stupid insecurities were back to rearing their ugly heads and giving him blue balls.

Angel pursed his lips as an image of Pent bathing Nugs came up in the timeline. That day Nuggets had found a puddle and decided to roll around in it while Angel was distracted on a call with Cherri. Pent finally noticed and grabbed the leash, scolding the pig in a firm voice before ending the walk to bathe the piglet in the bathtub.

He'd tried to explain to the dumb snake that rolling in mud was just what pigs did, but Pent insisted on keeping Fat Nuggets clean. Altogether it had been pretty cute to watch the snake try his best to gently wrestle the pig into the tub without hurting them. Eventually Nuggets did calm down, oinking softly as Pent poured warm soapy water down their back and cleaned them with a rag, but not until after they'd thoroughly drenched the snake from head to tail.

Angel sighed and scrolled to the next picture from the same day which was Pent towel-drying Nuggets, his pet quite literally burritoed in soft terry cloth with just their pink face sticking out of one end. The snake looked mildly annoyed, but still held the animal gently, belaying his fondness despite the soaked clothes and scratches Nugs' hooves had left against his skin.

A decent guy in one moment and an absolute fuckboy in the next.
But he did have two dicks.

Angel groaned softly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Two really nice dicks.

Angel stared at the other Demon as he lifted his cigarette to tap the ash out into the metal tray on his nightstand. He really wasn't sure where they were gonna go from here. Pent was clearly terrified of being found out, but he also hadn't explicitly asked to end the casual sex. Angel was (rightly) pissed at the snake but not enough to go back to full-blown chastity for the next several months.

Glancing to the box of condoms on the dresser, Angel frowned and brought his cigarette back to his mouth. Whoever had sent them had probably just thought they were doing them a favor. He suspected it was Charlie, but it's not like there was any way to confirm it in any case. No one had mentioned any obvious change in their relationship or had hinted that they knew. Of course, Cherri had been able to see right through his bullshit, but that wasn't much of a surprise.

He'd never really kept many secrets with his best friend anyway.

Aside from her, he hadn't really let anyone else in. Not only was it bad for business but he really didn't want to have to worry about people abusing even the smallest amount of faith he lent them.

Trusting Pentious hadn't been a conscious decision. They had to rely on each other to get through this shit. He hadn't gone into their agreement with the intention of letting the snake know anything more than was absolutely necessary to deal with each other's baggage (without starting fights), but as the months passed, the mask slowly began to slip.

He'd stupidly let the snake slither his way past all the walls he'd built and into the deepest darkest parts of himself. He really only had himself to blame when it finally ended up biting him in the ass.

Pent might be a good fuck-buddy and a sort of decent friend, but at the end of the day the snake was just as disposable as all the other casual flings Angel had over the years. This bullshit shouldn't even fuckin' phase him.

Looking back to the snake, he exhaled one last plume and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. The fact that he'd stayed up this goddamn late musing over Pentious was so embarrassing. Why should he waste another fuckin' minute thinking about him when the stupid snake wasn't losing any sleep over this bullshit?

Angel rolled over, forcing his eyes closed as he settled under the covers. The blankets were warm but after weeks of spooning up to Pent's heavy bulk, it actually felt like a downgrade. He exhaled slowly and tried to count sheep, the animals quickly morphing into baby pigs in his mind's eye as his thoughts drifted.

He had more important shit to focus on than Pent's ridiculous hangups. He was better than this. He was fucking Angel Dust, the biggest porn star and hottest piece of ass in this shit pit.

The snake being a decent lay was meaningless in the grand scheme. There were plenty of better dicks across the Pentagram who were less mouthy and actually wanted his goddamn attention. He could have anyone. He didn't need Pentious.

That last thought echoed around his conscious mind as a vocal and distinctly bitter mantra before he finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Angel woke to Pent's tea kettle as was normal, but rather than sit up and greet the day, he kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep even as he felt the metal links shift and the mattress dip with Pentious' rolling. He heard the sound of water being poured into a cup and then there were a few beats of silence between the snake letting out a low yawn and cracking his back.

He could feel the other man's eyes on his shoulders, but didn't bother acknowledging it as he continued to take deep even breaths. His rage from the previous day might have cooled down from the heated simmer that it once was, but by no means was it close to room temperature.

A few minutes stretched between them before he felt a hand rest on the back of his head, claws carding over his hair in an infuriating affectionate manner. "I know you're awake," Pent said quietly. "You're too stiff to still be asleep."

Sighing, Angel rolled up and batted the snake's hand away, detangling his hair with his own fingers. "If you're gonna give me some bullshit apology, I don't wanna hear it," he groused, leaning over to reach for Nugs in their basket, gently tousling the pig's ear to wake them. Nuggets oinked and then lifted their head, blinking up tiredly at him before closing their eyes again and yawning.

Pent retracted his hand and slowly sipped his tea. "I wasn't going to apologize," he said, watching as Angel continued to lean over the bed to pet his pig. "But we do need to talk."

"Ugh," Angel sat back up and crossed his arms, glaring at the other man. "Can't we just beat the shit outta each other an' call it a day?" he muttered as Pent rolled his eyes.

"As gratifying as that would probably be, it won't do much to solve our problem," the snake said, pointedly tilting his head towards the box of condoms. "I'm not looking forward to this discussion either, but if we're to move forward, it has to happen." He gave a snide smile and let out a deep exhale, curling his shoulders in. "Besides, aren't you the one always telling me that we have to get things over with and 'rip them off like a bandaid'?"

Angel snorted. Ok, fair enough, though he fuckin' hated the way that Pentious threw his own words back at him. "Fine," he said, watching the snake sip his tea. "So if you ain't apologizin', what are we gonna discuss?"

Pent hummed and ran a hand back over his hood. "The nature of our relationship and what we need to do in order to keep the peace between us both." He paused and glanced to Angel, shifting his tail underneath the blankets. "Despite my trepidations, I don't think reverting to the way things were before is much of an option. For one, someone already knows. Going back to a more platonic state won't change that fact."

"Pretty bold to assume I still wanna fuck you after last night."

Pent gave him a tired look and said, "You can be upset all you want, but I doubt that your anger will outlast your libido." He took another sip from his cup, red eyes staring at the opposite wall in front of him. "So we move on."

Angel blinked, feeling his blood boil inside of him. "What? Just pretend it never fuckin' happened?" he asked, gesturing with his chained hand to the incriminating box. When Pent nodded, he rolled his eyes and scooted closer to the snake. "Y'know, if you really wanna rip off that bandaid, we should just come out an' say we're fuckin'. Beat this asshole to the punch. If you're so afraid of blackmail, just be the one who exposes it. Then they got no power over either of us."

The snake blanched, his cheeks rounded with a mouthful of hot tea. He swallowed with a wince and lowered his cup to his lap. "That is a terrible idea!"

"It really ain't. No one is gonna bat an eye at the two of us hookin' up while we're locked together. I'm sure folks think that shit is happenin' anyway so who cares if it's confirmed," Angel muttered, tugging his legs up to his chest and leaning his chin on his knees. "You're the only one who gives a damn about this. It's just sex."

Pent gritted his teeth and looked away. "Maybe to you, but sex, even casual, has social consequences."

Angel laughed bitterly. "Hey asshole, I'm gay. You don't think I fuckin' know what could happen if I get caught with the wrong person?" He shook his head and tightened his grip around both shins. "Until you've been thrown outta a guy's apartment and forced to crawl 10 floors down a goddamn fire escape in your underwear cuz his wife's shift at the fuckin' turnpike diner was cut, you got no business tellin' me jack about consequences."

The snake pursed his mouth, his expression softening slightly as he stared at Angel. "That is a rather specific example…" he murmured quietly. Angel just gave an annoyed huff.

"Yeah, cuz that was pretty fuckin' normal," he said as he lifted his head back up to scowl at Pent. "I really don't care if people know. The worst that can happen is that some of my regulars might be a lil' salty, but they'll be right back in line as soon as we're free. They can take their business ta any other hoe in the city til then."

Pentious nodded and finished off his tea, holding the cup in both hands as he stared pensively into the empty basin. "You're not afraid this will be used against you? In any way?"

"Nah, cuz it's just sex," Angel said flatly. "You're not my fuckin' boyfriend or anythin'." He paused, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the snake. "Unless you caught some feelins' and just haven't said shit." And wouldn't that be just plain hilarious? The Kingpin falling for a stripper.

Angel could almost laugh. What kind of dumb ass Pretty Woman shit was that?

The snake shot him a cool glare. "No, nothing like that," he muttered, tapping the claw of his index finger against the side of the cup. "But I do worry about what will happen when we're finally free of each other. Unlike you, I have to consider the way that rumors stir and twist past something we can control."

Of course. Pentious just had to be the one at the helm of his own ship, captaining his destiny through the storm of bullshit. Throw any monkey wrench in his plans and he'd cave faster than a house of cards.

Sighing, Angel let his knees fall, tucking his legs underneath himself to scoot next to Pent. He grabbed the snake's shoulders in his top set of hands and said, "Lemme lay some goddamn life-truths on your old ass: you can't control everythin'. The world ain't a fuckin' machine that you can just dismantle and rebuild any which way ya want it. It ain't possible to plan for every little thing, especially crap with other people." He saw the snake frown, his red eyes lowering and damn him, Angel's heart clenched for the stupid asshole. "The one thing we got any control over in this situation is us."

Pent heaved a sigh, his entire chest deflating with the motion. "You're not wrong," he said after a few more moments of silence, pouting in a way that looked ridiculously childish on him. "I just don't like being at someone else's mercy."

"Heh, get used ta it. If we fuck this up, you'll be at Val's for a coupla centuries." Angel frowned and brushed his thumb over the snake's collarbone. "So let's just get it out in the open. Then it's all over with and no one can use this shit against us."

The snake continued to scowl, but he didn't raise any immediate objections or rebuttals. Finally he nodded and met Angel's eyes. "Then we do it your way and rip it off-"

"-Like a bandaid," Angel finished with a small smile, feeling a touch relieved that the stubborn asshole was only stupid and not blind to seeing some sense in this. He'd give him a little credit, as a treat.

Leaning in, he pecked the other man's scaly cheek before giving it a playful smack with the back of his hand. "I'm still pissed at you by the way. Don't expect me ta forgive you bein' an dick last night just because we're agreein' here and now."

Pent snorted and put his cup down on the nightstand, stretching his arms out over his head. "As I said, I have no intention to apologize. You're free to take all the offense you wish." He lifted his chin defiantly and Angel rolled his eyes, shoving his chest before crawling over him to hop off the side of the bed and head to the bathroom.

After they brushed their teeth and got dressed, Angel harnessed and leashed Nugs while Pent stood by the door and texted. "If we do plan to continue, we will need to stop by my home and pick up some vials of venom," Pentious said absently, not looking up from the device.

Angel blinked and then nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with his top hands as he scooped up Nugs with the bottom set. "Fuck, I almost forgot. Don't wanna end up on my ass all the goddamn time." He paused and glanced to Pent as the snake slithered through the doorway. "Should we just head straight there then? We can walk Nuggets and have breakfast at your place. Kills a coupla birds with one stone."

Pent slipped his phone back into his jacket and locked their door before following Angel to the staircase. "Sounds reasonable," he said, adjusting the brim of his hat as they descended down into the main hallway.

By the time they got to Pentious' lair, the eggs were already waiting at the door with a full breakfast tray along with more tea and a fresh coffee for Angel. "We'll be taking our meal down in the workshop today," Pent told them as he headed to the elevator, popping open the hidden panel and typing in the passcode with one hand.

"Ok, Boss!" the little minions said, piling into the elevator next to the snake's tail and making Pentious groan at their over-enthusiam.

Angel just chuckled and stepped inside behind them, covering Nuggets' eyes with one hand as his shoulder brushed Pent's. "Not gonna lie, I'm gonna miss bein' waited on hand and foot by these lil' idiots," he said, glancing to the eggs who just gave him a friendly wave as the doors closed and the carriage descended. "Can I keep one or two? You won't miss 'em."

Pent snorted once the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding back open to reveal the massive workshop. "They are loyal to me by design. You're my guest so they will treat you well, but they won't obey you outside of the confines of my property," he explained as he slithered out and led Angel to the storage locker while the eggs set the tray and mugs on the nearest workbench.

The snake snatched up the vials of venom from the shelf along with a syringe before sending the eggs off to collect a smaller set of nodes. "We won't want to give you full dosages during the immunization process. Smaller ones will build your tolerance without immobilizing you completely."

Shrugging, Angel followed him back to the bench and tied Nug's leash to the table before they began to pick apart the homemade omelettes ("Kinda fucked up that you made 'em scramble their cousins, don'tcha think?"). Eventually the eggboiz came back with a set of white nodes that were maybe a quarter the size of the yellow ones Pentious had previously used for his grenades.

"There anything else we can do for you, Bossman?" the eggs asked, staring up at him with pure unrestrained admiration. Pent shook his head, giving them their leave and immediately the group of minions began to march to the elevator. "Just call us if you need us, sir!"

Angel snickered and then sipped at his coffee. "You sure you can't make one that'll listen to me?" he asked, watching as the snake ate.

Pent lifted a napkin and wiped his mouth before taking the syringe and beginning to fill the small nodes with the venom from the jars. "I could, but whyever would I do that?" he asked with a raised brow. "Are you going to offer me something in turn?"

"Always gotta be tit for tat with you, huh? No doin' favors for your friend?" Angel asked, turning around on the bench to lean back against the side of the table, kicking one leg up over his opposite knee.

"Being your friend is a full-time favor," Pent said with a small playful smirk, not once looking up from his work until all the nodes were filled and lined up in a neat row. He sighed, capping the venom jars before setting them and the syringe aside.

Angel snorted and returned the smile. "Hey, you ain't easy ta deal with either, asshat. You've got a stick up your ass the size of goddamn Texas and an ego that's somehow even bigger." He shrugged, remembering their last sexual encounter and how nicely the snake had teased his prostate until he was nearly sobbing. "Least you're a decent fuck."

"Only decent?" Pent said with a raised brow and a skeptical huff. "That's quite the insult considering how often you cum by my hand." He picked up one of the nodes and gestured for Angel to remove a glove and roll up his sleeve, which he did.

"You lose points fer bein' a prick," Angel said with a pointed click of his tongue. In truth, Pent was a pretty damn attentive partner who excelled in kissing (always a plus in Angel's book). Most of his clients didn't wanna makeout which was fine for work, but if he was actually fuckin' for pleasure, he wanted at least a lil' tongue action even if it was just some dude slobberin' on him like a dog.

Pent wasn't the best that Angel had ever had, but then again, they also hadn't gone further than intense fingering and handjobs. He'd just have to hold off any final judgments until he actually got to ride that pony.

Which would hopefully be soon. As angry was he still was, there was no way he wasn't going to test out what fucking a dude with two cocks felt like. He was determined to climb that mountain regardless of how much stupid ignorant crap spewed from Pent's mouth.

Angel was pulled from his thoughts when the piercing tip was pressed into his elbow crotch, a mild burning sensation spreading out from where the venom was being injected. Pent didn't keep the node there long, removing it after maybe a handful of seconds before brushing Angel's sleeve back over the mark. "You should feel relaxed, but won't lose full control of your major muscle groups," the snake assured as Angel stretched out to get comfortable.

Nodding, Angel sighed as the burning slowly dissipated, leaving behind a dull ache in his arm and then a growing heaviness to his limbs. He twitched his fingers idly, testing just how much the venom was affecting him as it sank into his system, making even the simple act of keeping his head on straight take actual effort.

"Y'know, the small dose doesn't feel that bad," Angel remarked as he watched the snake pack up the nodes into a box. "You could probably make a fortune off this alone if you felt like dealin' in the drug dens. Some people ain't lookin' ta party, they just wanna be numb fer a night."

Pent's neutral expression tightened. "I'm not interested in abetting addicts regardless of their motivations for using," he said, his tone a touch dark as he closed the container and set it off to the side. "I enable plenty of chaos. No need to add self-destruction to the list."

Then the snake stood and removed his hat, setting it down on top of the workbench. Angel raised an eyebrow as Pent slithered in front of him, slitted eyes tracing over the lines of the spider's body in a way that made him feel like he was being evaluated and measured. "Everythin' ok?" Angel asked, sliding his leg off his knee as he felt the muscle begin to loosen even more.

"Just fine," Pent said before sinking down, coiling his tail underneath him and placing both his hands on Angel's thighs to gently press them together.

Angel blinked, his eyes going wide. Shit, was the snake gonna mess with him now that he was loose and drugged? "Uh, the fuck are you-?"

Rolling his eyes, Pent tapped his talons against the top of Angel's kneecap. "You wanted a blowjob didn't you? Or was that really just you messing with me yet again?" he asked, his tone entirely too matter-of-fact for the situation.

Momentarily stunned, Angel just stared down at the snake in mild disbelief as Pent huffed and grabbed the waistband of his skirt and underwear, tugging them both down to reveal his flaccid cock. "If you don't want it, best speak now," he said, glancing up to Angel with a raised brow.

Angel's confusion slowly morphed into a surprised smile. "Is this your non-apology apology? Get me to forgive your dumb ass by suckin' me dry?" he asked in a snide tone as he lifted his hips to let Pent slip his clothes down the length of his legs. "Cuz I'm not gonna say no to gettin' head, but you ain't back in my good graces just because you're willin' ta go down on me."

Slipping both of Angel's feet out of the fabric, Pent placed the skirt and thong on the bench next to Angel before grasping the spider's knees again. He skimmed his palms and talons over the bone and up the length of his thighs to the juncture of Angel's hips, digging his thumbs into the tendons. "I already told you that I'm not going to apologize," Pent said plainly, lifting his chin to look up at Angel as he spread the spider's legs wide, shifting to enter the space he had just created for himself. "I'm simply honoring our arrangement."

Angel pursed his lips and then let his upper arms rest on the table behind him, one of his lower hands coming down to cup the back of the snake's hood while the opposite appendage wrapped around the base of his limp cock, giving it a few solid pumps. "You need ta work on your pillow talk," he muttered as Pent's eyeline lowered back down to the dick in front of him.

"I've never been much of a poet. That aside, I've found far more success in direct action over mincing words." Pent gave him a sardonic smirk and then parted his lips, leaning in to lick up the length of the soft pink shaft, his forked tongue leaving a warm wet trail from Angel's knuckles up to the slit. Those red eyes never left Angel's, almost like the whole damn thing was some weird game of gay-chicken.

Sinking back on his hips, Angel parted his thighs a bit more, letting Pent get even closer so that long tongue could continue to lap up and down his slowly-hardening cock in teasing strokes. The kittenish licks were gentle but firm and controlled and he sighed as the snake's tongue wrapped around him, pulling the head into the gap between his long fangs. "You look good with a dick in your mouth," Angel purred as Pent began to slowly sink down, taking his sweet goddamn time.

The snake shot him an annoyed glare, but then went right back to sucking on the head, occasionally sliding a few inches down the shaft before pulling off to run the tip of his tongue along the slit. Angel just smirked and exhaled as he slowly took his hand off his dick, moving the arm up to grip at Pent's shoulder.

Angel wasn't used to getting head so much as he was used to giving it, but it was always a nice treat. Pent's blowjob technique wasn't all too dissimilar from how he kissed: thorough and slow in a way that bordered on frustrating, but also felt fucking amazing. "For bein' out of practice, you sure know your way around a cock," Angel remarked as Pentious slid further down, lips brushing the middle of his shaft.

The snake snorted through his nose and slowly pulled off, one of his clawed hands leaving Angel's thighs to pump the spider's erection a few times, thumbing over the swollen head. "Must you continue talking through the entire process?" he asked before going back down, moving his hand aside again to dig those talons back into the meat of the spider's leg. Angel was about to give a snide remark about a pot and a kettle, but then the snake adjusted his hold and suddenly he was being engulfed entirely, Pent's fangs brushing his crotch.

"Oh fuck-!" he swore, clawing at the snake's hood as Pent held there, giving several firm sucks that had his dick pulled tight against the inside of the snake's throat. Despite having an entire goddamn cock in his mouth, Pent somehow managed to look smug as hell, his slitted eyes curved in amusement before he slowly pulled back off, licking the slit once as he began to bob languidly.

Angel bit his lip as he watched his dick disappear into that hot mouth, feeling Pentious' long tongue curling around it and stroking over the vein underneath every time the head pushed past Pent's palate. "Shit, you really don't have a gag reflex do you?" he asked, stroking his fingers over the other man's head, smoothing the lines he'd dragged with his nails.

Part of him wanted to grab the other man's head and slam him down, get Pent to go at a decent pace rather than this slow tease, but the other part wanted to let Pentious take him apart with that filthy fanged mouth as slowly as physically fucking possible.

Maybe he'd go rough next time, if there was a next time.

Angel gritted his teeth. No, fuck it, there was gonna be a next time. Even if he had to bribe the snake, he was gonna fuck this bastard's mouth if it was the last thing he ever did. After all the bullshit Pent put him through, he goddamn well deserved it.

Fighting down the waves of pleasure building in his lower abdomen, Angel felt something nudge his foot. He glanced to the side and immediately winced as he caught sight of Nuggets staring up at them both curiously. "Oh baby, no…"

Pent immediately pulled off, panting through his swollen lips. "I should have asked the eggs to take them for a walk," he muttered as the pig began to snuffle along the side of his tail with their snout, oinking softly. He gave a sigh and pet Nugs before glancing back to Angel who just rolled his eyes and pinched over his brow. "I suppose we can't really do that now though…"

"Y'know, I'm surprised this ain't happened sooner," Angel said, his grimace morphing into a small smile at just how ridiculous the situation was. "I never bring fellas home so Nugs ain't used to seein' me get busy outside of usin' toys or doin' webcam stuff." He shook his head and leaned over, his muscles still heavy with venom as he took Nuggets and gently tucked them back under the table. "Be good for daddy, baby. We can go for a walk after daddy cums."

Pentious groaned and dragged a hand down the side of his face. "That phrasing makes this no less awkward," he muttered before taking hold of Angel's thighs again and leaning in to lap at the spider's pulsing shaft.

"Yeah well, just deal with it. Not like Nugs is gonna get scarred or anythin'. They're a fuckin' pig." Angel laid his hand on top of Pent's hood, guiding the snake back down onto his cock and fuck was that a nice sight. There was just something about seeing his pink dick disappear between the two fangs and into that black maw that burned deep down in his belly.

Thankfully Pent didn't skip a beat, falling into a steady rhythm without much trouble as he sucked, red eyes occasionally glancing up at the spider whenever he bottomed out.

Angel moaned and bit his lip, his toes curling in his boots just about every time those lips kissed the base of the shaft. He knew just how intense it could be when someone made eye contact during a blowjob, but he was used to being the one to initiate, not being the recipent of such a powerful look. Having someone else do it with him was a rush and the fact that it was Pentious (smug smart bastard that he was) just made it all the better.

Then before he could get too used to the measured bobbing, Pent went down all the way and held him in his throat, sucking hard.

Angel's breath hitched, his orgasm sneaking up on him as his hips gave shuddering pumps into the other Demon's wet maw. Pent closed his eyes and dug his talons in, holding Angel's legs as his throat clamped down on the pulsing member buried inside it. Angel's eyes went wide, gaze locked onto the snake's adam's apple as it bounced in time with his swallows. "Holy fuckin' shit."

Pent held Angel in his mouth for a few more seconds before slowly pulling back, his lips slicked and swollen as he gave the head one last lick to clean off a smear of leftover cum. He looked up at Angel, his own arousal bulging up against his scales as he grinned. "Good, I take it?" he asked, his voice a touch raspy in that post-blowjob way that Angel always found incredibly sexy.

"I can't believe you actually swallowed," Angel panted, his hips lowering back to the bench as he slowly loosened his death grip on the table behind him. Fuck he hoped he left some claw marks if only to forever remind the snake of the time he blew a guy in the middle of his goddamn workshop.

Chuckling, Pent idly stroked over the mussed fur on Angel's thighs. "It's easier than cleaning up afterwards. If you keep the mess from happening in the first place, it's less work."

Angel paused and shook his head in disbelief as he watched Pentious uncoil his tail to stand. "You really just swallowed so you could pull that tactical laziness bullshit?"

Pent shrugged and removed his handkerchief from his jacket, cleaning the excess spit from his mouth with a firm wipe. "Is that a problem?" he asked, raising one brow before refolding the silk cloth and neatly pocketing it.

Angel exhaled deeply as his eyes drifted down to the other man's groin, the bulge of his cloaca all the more apparent now that Pentious was standing. "You're fuckin' ridiculous, but you got a damn good mouth."

Snorting, Pent just flashed him a smug smirk and gave a dramatic twirl of his hand. "I'm more accustomed to tipping the velvet, but blowjobs are hardly a new hat for me."

"The fuck does that mean?" Angel asked, eyes still locked onto the swollen pouch of Pent's crotch.

The snake grinned and made a V with his index and middle fingers, slipping that black forked tongue between them. Angel glanced up and nearly laughed. On Pent, the motion just looked absolutely absurd…

-but still kinda hot.

Leaning back against the table, Angel grinned toothily and slowly closed his legs, pressing his thighs together on top of the bench. "Huh, you ever eat ass then?"

Pent lifted his chin and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've tossed more than a few salads back in my day."

Angel didn't even try to fight the giggles that erupted from the snake's attempt to show off. How the hell this stupid asshole could make eating ass sound so goddamn ridiculous had to be a talent of some sort. Or maybe it was a curse? Of course, Pent didn't appreciate his laughter, pouting and turning away from him in obvious annoyance. "What!? You asked for my level of experience and I gave it!"

"Yeah, but the way you said it…" Angel just grinned and leaned forward, grabbing the snake by the hips to tug him down onto his lap, ignoring the shrill squawk it earned him. Then he kissed the side of Pent's chin and hooked his head over the other Demon's shoulder to murmur, "You might not be any good at dirty talk, but you got a sweet mouth and a big round bubble-butt." He slipped his upper arms around Pent's waist to hold the snake's back securely to his chest while the lower set outlined the sharp curve of the other man's hips. "Look at this, I'm fuckin' buried under it."

Pentious gave an annoyed sigh and then pushed down on his own throbbing groin, forcing his slick cocks through the loosened slit. "Please stop talking and just get me off," he muttered, shooting Angel a pointed over the shoulder glare.

Taking both shafts into his set of lower fists, Angel mouthed along the snake's throat above Pent's bowtie while his upper hands shifted to begin unbuttoning the Demon's jacket. "Mmm, you got it, busta."

After he'd finally gotten Pent to spill (the snake's heavy body writhing with pleasure on top of him in a way that almost had Angel ready for another round because damn, having Pent's ass grind against him was really something else), they cleaned up and untied Nuggets from the leg of the worktable.

When the elevator doors closed in front of them, Angel felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Shifting his hold on Nuggets, he dug out the device and smiled, bringing it to his ear. "Hey bitch. What's goin' on?"

"Oh nothing much, just checking out resorts," Cherri responded in an overly casual tone. "Places to hang for a certain someone's D-Day."

Blinking, Angel laughed and shook his head as Pent adjusted the brim of his hat next to him. "Oh you're fuckin' kiddin' me. Quit yankin' my tits," he said, feeling the carriage hit the ground floor just a moment before the doors opened to reveal the main foyer. Angel could see the snake staring at him curiously from the corner of his eyes, but he ignored it as he walked out and set Nugs back on the carpet.

Cherri cackled on the other end of the line. "Uh, no? I don't give a damn that you still have an old man chained to your ass. We're having a real party this time. Just tell him to watch his shit this round." There was some background typing and Cherri hummed. "How about the Isla de Pecado? It's got that cool fucking aquarium theme going for it and the nicer rooms aren't too crazy overpriced on weekends."

"I mean, it's been ages since we went all out like that, but do you got the funds? I don't need you breakin' the bank on my account," Angel said as he adjusted the leash in his hands to lead Nuggets down the hall past the study, guest room, dining hall, and kitchen to get to the back door of the mansion.

"I mean, it won't be cheap, but I saved for this shit. You know I love ya, Angie."

Angel smiled, his throat feeling a little tight as Pent opened the door and they both stepped out onto large porch that kissed the edge of the grassy fields surrounding Pentious' home. "Love you too, babe. Alright, let's fuckin' do it then. I'll need to find somethin' extra fancy to wear around all the high-rollers." He glanced at Pentious who was now ignoring him in favor of checking his own phone. "Gotta make sure I look the part. Plus we'll have to doll Pen up too." His eyes trailed over the other man's figure as they walked down the short steps and onto the cobble stone path that led from the house to the forge in the distance. "Make sure he matches the vibe."

Cherri snorted. "Gonna leave that shit to you, Ang. But I'll text you the reservation once I book it. Sound good?"

"Sounds fuckin' perfect," Angel said as he stepped off the path to let his pig snuffle curiously into the dirt lining the rocks, making sure the heels of his boots didn't catch on any loose stones.

"Awesome. I'll let you get back to whatever crap you've got going with snake-face. Hopefully nothing X-rated." He heard her gag and he snorted, almost ready to tell her that she was lucky she hadn't tried to call him five minutes earlier. Almost.

"Talk to you later."

He hung up and tucked his phone into his pocket before stepping out further onto the grass, letting Nuggets lead the charge. "What was this about high-rollers and dolling me up?" Pent asked, sidling up to Angel as they wandered through the barren field.

Angel flashed the other man a grin as they continued walking. "My D-Day's next month and Cherri's gettin' us a room at the Island of Sin. You're comin' whether you like it or not." He reached up with one hand and tousled his hair thoughtfully. "We're gonna need some new duds and you ain't allowed ta embarrass me on my big day by bein' too hoity toity."

Pentious blinked and glanced down at his clothes, tugging self-consciously along the hem of the sleeves. "Excuse you, but my formal wear is perfectly adequate for a high-end resort casino…" he muttered with a frown. "I've never been turned away or been out of place when wearing my normal suits."

"Yeah, but you're with me. You're not allowed to be stiff-formal." Angel took out his phone again and began to search through more risque formal wear options for men. Suddenly an image crossed his feed and he paused, grinning. "Hey, you know how you said you've never worn a corset before?"

The snake paused and then his eyes went wide, his hood flaring out slightly "You can't be serious," he said, raising one hand up to pinch at his brow. "I refuse to be put in drag. I don't care if it's your Death Day."

Angel rolled his eyes. "I never said you had to be in a woman's corset. Sheesh, asshole…" he said, turning his phone to show Pentious an image of a very nice looking vest with corset lacing up the backside. "I'm thinkin' somethin' like that. More modern, but not too outta your comfort zone."

Pent looked at the image and then enlarged it, his pupils darting across the screen for a few moments in quiet contemplation. "Maybe…" he finally said as he straightened up to his full height and tucked both arms behind his back. "I still think my clothes are just fine."

Of course he would. Stubborn fucking snake. "Just think about it, Pen." Angel shoved his phone back into his jacket and then added, "But you're dressin' up either way even if that's not what we go with. It's my D-Day so what I say goes."

"You're going to abuse that excuse," Pent muttered with a dismissive huff. "I can already tell."

Angel shrugged as he paused to let Nuggets sniff over a patch of clovers. "What, like you don't? I bet you're a big spoiled brat on your D-Day and make your lil' eggs wait on you hand and foot even more than normal."

The snake pursed his lips and shook his head as he also stopped short to watch Nuggets snuffle through the vegetation. "Hardly. I've spent every Death Day since my first in more or less the same fashion."

"Oh? Ya got traditions?" Angel asked with a raised brow, glancing at the other man. "Spill then. What do you do to celebrate then? Get drunk? Tinker in your lab for hours?" He paused, waggling his brows until the snake groaned. "Masturbate?"

Sighing, Pentious shifted both arms around to cross over his chest before straightening the broad line of his shoulders. "I wait for it to end."

Angel blinked and scoffed. "Wow, that's fuckin' sad. I mean, I knew you had no friends, but fuck, why don't you go out? Treat yourself or somethin'?"

The snake's expression twisted into a sardonic smile. "How exactly would I do that while Exorcists are outside reaping?" he asked, tilting his head as his hat's sharp-toothed grin mockingly widened. "As lovely as it would be to have a proper celebration, by the time it's over, I have a limited amount of time to take advantage of the power vacuum. There's simply no place for partying in the chaos of post-Extermination."

Angel stared at him for a moment, his confusion fading into realization. "Wait, your D-Day...is E-Day?"

Pent nodded and leaned back, tapping his talons against the crook of his elbow. "I was one of the unlucky souls who landed in Hell during the middle of Extermination. Statistically, I was very fortunate. Most new souls are immediately exorcised due to lack of shelter and defenses." He shrugged and glanced back to Angel with a pointed quirk of his brow. "So as you can see, it's rather hard to have a celebration of any sort."

Well shit…

"How'd you make it?" Angel asked, extremely curious now. He still remembered the day he landed in Hell all those decades ago, alone, sober and scared, but clothed in the same suit he'd died in, now modified to fit his strange new form.

New souls always spawned outside, never in buildings, but they could come into existence anywhere across the city. Most people were dropped somewhere inside the district that housed their preferred carnal vices and within a few hours of landing were right back to their old toxic habits.

To spawn during an Extermination was probably chaos.

"As much as I would like to take credit for my own survival, that would be a lie. I made it through by chance alone," Pent said as he leaned over to pet at Nugget's ears, the pig lifting their head to eagerly press their face into the controlled scratch of his talons. "When I arrived, I didn't know where I was or what was happening, but I couldn't move my legs and there was so much screaming."

Pent exhaled and plucked a dandelion from the tangle of grass, offering it to Nugs who immediately ate it with a happy snort. "I opened my eyes and saw nothing but strange creatures being mauled by large grey figures with blue tipped weapons." He stood back up and gestured to his tail. "Once I realized I had no legs, I tried to pinch myself, assuming that I had fallen asleep and this was all some terrible nightmare. Then a man stepped on me and I realized that I had to move."

Angel swallowed, trying to imagine what any of that would look like to someone who had just spawned in. Thankfully he had a few buffer months between his spawn and witnessing his first Extermination. "Certainly sounds like a goddamn nightmare."

Pent laughed, but the sound was rather hollow. "It was. I didn't know how to use my new body so I crawled into the nearest alley and hid behind a dumpster for a few hours. Of course, an Angel eventually found me." He paused and glanced up to the clouds, staring at the black sun. "Before it could strike, I heard an explosion and saw some sort of fireworks in the air. The Exorcist looked at the sky and then back at me before it shouldered its weapon and took flight."

Placing a hand on his chest, Pent's eyes fell back to Angel. "It was probably the most terrifying moment of my existence. I had no idea what was going on or what any of it meant, but I knew I had escaped something ghastly."

Angel nodded and thought back to all the stupid assumptions he'd made his first day when he was still in the denial phase of his death. "Yeah, I'd have been toast. Probably woulda thought I was just havin' a bad trip if that'd been my first view of Hell."

Pentious chuckled and swept a hand back over his hood. "In any case, it didn't take me long to figure out what I had experienced. If I celebrate that day in any way it's by continuing to survive no matter the cost." He shrugged and lowered his arms to hang loosely at his sides. "I've always been rather good at defying the odds."

Angel nodded, offering the other man a small smile. "That's for fuckin' sure. Literally survivin' by the skin of your teeth…" he said as he nudged Pent's arm with his elbow. "Bet the first thing you did after was get a nice stiff drink."

Snorting, Pent returned the smile, though it was a little strained. "Oh, I would have loved to, but unfortunately I was still very much in denial. It took weeks for me to accept the fact that I was really dead and that I'd never see my friends or family again." He adjusted the fit of his hat before settling it back down on top of his head, thumbing along the underside of the brim. "I remember asking the first person I saw who looked vaguely humanoid where I was. Of course they laughed in my face because well…" He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what did you do upon entering the afterlife?"

"Well, I was also pretty fuckin' confused, but I was surrounded by other addicts and it was easy enough for me to shake down some assholes for drugs." Angel gently nudged Nuggets and the pig began to trot, finally moving on from the pile of clovers. "I was pretty much high for the first month," he admitted as he adjusted the leash in his hands, turning to head in the direction of the mansion. "Got propositioned a few times and I needed the cash so I fell inta whorin' pretty quick."

Pent hummed, turning to follow him back to the house before the chain stretched too far between them. "I assume you hadn't met Valentino yet?"

Angel grimaced and gave a short nod. "Heh. Yeah, I was freelance for a few decades, but that was its own brand of shitty. The one thing about workin' unda a pimp is that no one will fuck with Val. As long as I'm with him, no one is gonna try an' take a piece outta me or steal my goddamn payments."

"You're safe from everyone but him," Pent remarked with a pointed tilt of his chin. Angel winced.

"It's easier to deal with one asshole than a couple billion…" Angel rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "It's been almost 30 years, give or a take a few extra. Val landed in the 70s, but he didn't get his Overlord status for another decade."

When they reached the door, Pentious unlocked it with the keypad, letting Angel and Nuggets in first before following behind them. "I assume you have a few centuries left in your contract?"

Angel huffed, mentally tallying the total. "I got 719...or I guess 769 now." He gave a cold laugh and bit his lip. "Was a stupid fuckin' decision in hindsight, but I was desperate. You get the shit beaten outta you enough, get some assholes who-" He paused and shook his head. "Anyway, it was a rough game and as shitty as it's been with Val, I at least had someone in my corner."

Pentious nodded, listening quietly as they crossed through the hall leading back to the foyer. "That is certainly a long time," he murmured as he ordered the eggs to head down to the workshop to go and clean up the breakfast tray they had left behind. "Did he offer you anything else aside from protection or was that the entirety of your agreement?"

"Protection, fame, drugs," Angel shrugged as he watched Nugget's curly tail bounce with each step. "I just wanted to be free for once. Allowed to be...well me, y'know?" He dragged a hand back through his hair and exhaled as he followed Pent to the door to call for a cab. "Like I said, it was a shitty deal."

As he spoke, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he glanced up to the other man. Pentious' expression wasn't quite a frown, but neither was it entirely neutral. The snake sighed, eyes averting briefly to the ground before meeting Angel's again. "If you had the opportunity to get out of it, would you take it? Even if it involved a great deal of risk and potential sacrifice?"

Angel blinked, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the other man. "Of course I'd want to get the fuck out. I've got a big enough name now that I could do my own shit. And if I didn't have to kick up ta Val, I'd be a lot less fuckin' broke all the time." He scratched the side of his head as he thought about what he'd do with that sort of freedom. "Wouldn't have the protection, but I could be choosier about clients and shows. I wouldn't have ta settle for any fella with a coupla spare bucks in their pocket."

Pent nodded and pulled out his phone, requesting a taxi from the app he'd downloaded to make their trips back and forth all the easier. "Well, be on the lookout for such an opportunity. You may get one soon." He looked back up to meet Angel's eyes over the top of his device. "But you have to be willing to take it and not allow your fear to make you hesitate."

"The fuck are you talkin' about?" Angel muttered as he bent over to scoop up Nuggets, holding his pet to his chest. "Your deal ain't got nothin' ta do with me beyond Val takin' his anger out on my ass as soon as we're separated."

The snake just slipped his phone back into his jacket and stared out at the city below the hilltop, his slitted pupils scanning the horizon. "It does and it doesn't. In any case, I'm not guaranteeing anything." He let out a smooth exhale through his nose as he crossed his arms and straightened the line of his shoulders. "All I can say is that should an escape route open up, you will need to be the one to step through. I won't be dragging you to the other side."

Pursing his lips, Angel frowned and glanced down at his pet who just gave a muffled snort and nuzzled against his collarbone. He wasn't sure what the hell the snake was planning, but he could tell that it was going to be just as crazy and hairbrained as all of Pentious' other schemes. Pent was nothing if not a drama queen when it came to plotting.

But he wasn't gonna lie and say the idea wasn't appealing. If he could just step out the door and be unshackled from his contract, he'd do it in a fucking heartbeat. He wouldn't even have to give it a second thought, he'd be gone.

For all the snake's confidence, Angel knew it was a pipe dream. Maybe he could break his contract, but then Val would just come right after him. If Pent actually handed the Overlord that fucking knife, Angel would maybe have a few precious moments of freedom before he was given a violent second-death.

Val would probably make it extra painful just to spite him.

He sighed and continued to pet his pig as they waited for the cab to arrive. He really wished shit was as simple as the snake made it out to be. He wished he could just pass over the rainbow and come out the other side.

Unlike the birds though, he never learned how to fuckin' fly.

---

Their relationship cooled over the next month, Angel more or less willing to ignore the snake's bullshit in favor of continued sex and keeping the peace (though he had gotten Pent to agree to subtle PDA if only to try and break the asshole out of his paranoia that they were going to be ruined by anyone finding out they were fucking). The distraction of Angel's approaching D-Day certainly helped smooth the process with Angel dragging Pent out more often to look for potential outfits. In the last two weeks alone they'd probably been to half a dozen different stores and gone through a literal ton of dresses, but nothing he tried felt right.

"I need a sophisticated, but slutty sort of thing," Angel explained to Pent as he looked himself over, running his hands down the fit of the ruffled cocktail dress. "Floor length, but slit to the hip, y'know?"

The snake sighed and dragged a hand over his cheek. "You can just buy a normal dress and cut the slit yourself. It's not that difficult," he muttered with an eyeroll. "You're better off finding something that mostly suits your tastes and altering it than continuing to hunt for the perfect dress."

Angel pouted and turned away from his reflection in the dressing room mirror to face the snake. "Yeah well, unlike someone, I don't fuckin' sew." He paused and stared at Pent, his face splitting into a smile. "Actually-"

"No."

"Aw, c'mon! It's fer my D-Day!" Angel said, grabbing Pent's arms and giving the snake his biggest and saddest pout. "Can'tcha do a fella a favor?"

Pent pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your present from me is my attendance in the first place," he said with a tired frown.

"I'll suck ya dick every day for the next week if you help me with the dress," Angel said, his expression twisting from a sad sullen look to a seductive stare, batting his eyes at the snake. "You can fuck my mouth, cum on my face, smack me with ya dicks. The works." He pressed his ample chest to Pent's, drawing the snake's attention to the cleavage threatening to spill out over the cut of the fabric. "C'mon Pen. Pleeeease?"

"I should have kept my mouth shut…" He groaned before his expression solidified into a firm scowl. "Alright, but pick a dress already. I'm not going to another store."

Angel grinned and pressed a kiss to the older man's pout. "Deal, but I still need ta get shoes and some bling." He trailed his chained hand down the front of Pent's broad chest and added, "Plus we gotta go shoppin' fer you. Need ta make sure my arm-candy isn't lookin' like a dotty old fart."

Pent blinked as Angel turned away to grab the next outfit from the pile. "Arm candy? Since when did I agree to play that role?" he groused as Angel tossed the first few dresses away to pull out a long black gown from the stack.

"Since we got our asses shackled together? Sides, all the other stuff will go by fast once I got me a dress. We just have ta match it up." Angel said as he turned so his back was to Pent. "Unzip me?" he asked, shooting the other man a flirtatious smirk.

The snake sighed and slithered up behind Angel, taking the zipper and slowly dragging it down until he ran out of teeth. "I should start forcing you to go with me to places you despise like the opera or a museum."

"Hey, I like museums!" Angel insisted as he shimmied out of the green cocktail dress. "Don't much like readin', but the exhibits are pretty cool most of the time." He straightened up and adjusted the waistband of his panties before looking over the black dress he'd picked out.

Out of all the items he'd grabbed off the rack, the nearly backless black gown appealed to him the most. It had a narrow inverted triangle design in the center of the spine with a deep v-neck in the front and a long hemline that went to the floor. With a little adjustment to the hem and a thigh-length slit, he could make it work for the look he wanted.

Taking the dress, he slipped it over his head and tugged it down (keeping some slack due to the chain) before turning from side to side to view his back and profile. "Mmmm, what do ya think?" he asked as he touched over the ruching that ran from the top of the v-neck down to the line of his waist before falling in a slinky skirt that skated across the floor.

The snake lowered his phone and hummed, slithering up to thumb over the material critically, his eyes taking in the details of the lacing along the spider's exposed spine. "What sort of alterations would you want done?" he asked, gaze flickering back up to Angel.

"I'm thinking we shorten it to ankle-length, slit this baby to the hip on both sides, and maybe add some stuff to the back like lil' cords drapin' off the sides of this design." He reached back and poked the lacey triangle pattern. "Easy enough?"

Pentious rubbed his chin and said, "That should be doable. I can use the excess fabric from the hem to make the cords, though they obviously won't be lace."

Angel shrugged and smiled. "Can't win 'em all, but it's a startin' point for accessories and your outfit." He then began to remove the dress, but Pent's hands brushed his away to lift the gown up and over his head.

"Am I to match you?" Pent asked, folding the dress over his forearm as Angel brushed his staticy hair back and began to get his normal clothes on.

"Oh hell no. Matching outfits are way too fuckin' dorky," Angel said with a laugh, tugging on his jacket and buttoning it up, zipping the side under the chain along the length of his arm. "But we should coordinate so we don't clash like peanut butter an' pickles."

The face Pent made at the mental image was pretty goddamn priceless and Angel snickered as he slid his skirt on over his boots and up his thighs. "What, it's true!"

"You speak from first-hand experience?" Pent just shuddered as Angel continued to cackle. "What would drive you to eat such a rotten combination?"

Angel shrugged as he tugged his gloves on one at a time. "You do weird shit when you're high. At the time, I had bread, peanut butter, an' pickles in my pantry. Just made sense in the moment." He fluffed his hair one last time in the changing room mirror and then unlocked the door, leaving the rejected dresses on the hangers.

The snake sighed as he followed behind him. "I've been desperate for food at multiple points in my life and I still have never resorted to eating such a meal…"

"Ooh, what's your saddest struggle lunch?" Angel asked conversationally as they headed to look at the selection of shoes. "C'mon, what was the worst shit you had to swallow to get by?" Of course he punctuated the statement with a wink, enjoying the fierce blush that rose to the snake's cheeks at the not so subtle innuendo.

Pent cleared his throat as he followed behind Angel to wander through the cluttered selection of shoes. "Moldy bread was fairly common. The worst meals were simply scraps on the cusp of expiring if not already well into the process. Of course, none of that mattered. Food was food and if I wasn't paying for it, that meant I could save what little money I had for the times I couldn't find anything to eat."

Angel winced. Ok, that was a bit more pathetic than he was expecting. "Man, your childhood sounds worse than mine. Like, I got the shit kicked outta me on the regular, but I certainly wasn't fuckin' starvin'," he muttered as he sat down to swap his boots out for a pair of black stilettos.

"My circumstances weren't uncommon. I was hardly the only child left without a family," Pent shrugged as his eyes flickered over the assorted pairs of shoes lining the racks. "Why were you beaten?"

Angel stood and raised an eyebrow, giving the other man a pointed look as he gestured down at the heels on his long legs. "Dear ol' dad was tryin' to knock the gay outta me. Probably figured if I took enough hits that I'd toughen up an' be the big manly gangster I was supposed ta be." He walked up to the nearby mirror, lifting the heels and taking a few more practice steps to get a feel for the arch. "I was also beaten for bein' a lil' shit, but that was different. Niss and Molly also got their asses whooped when they stepped outta line too."

He always hated seeing dad hit Molly and had tried to step in a few times, preferring to take the blows in her place. That hadn't lasted long though. His old man would just beat on her even worse after he'd thrown Angel into the next room and locked the door behind him.

Molly would come to bed afterwards with dark bruises and cuts across her body (sometimes a black eye) and Angel would hold her to his chest, petting down her back. "One day we'll be runnin' the show and he'll be dead in the dirt," he'd whisper into the soft tufts of her hair.

"Anni, that's not gonna be for a long time…" she sniffled back, curling into him. "If ever."

"Someday."

"But not today…"

Angel blinked as Pentious slithered up behind him, layering the dress over the front of Angel's clothes in the mirror to give him a visual of the gown paired with the shoes. "I think these work rather well. Simple, but the shoes should never outshine the dress." He glanced up to meet Angel's eyes in the reflection. "What do you think?"

Swallowing, Angel smiled, the expression genuine, but a touch weak. "I mean, you've seen my shoe collection, right?" He chuckled and then shrugged. "But you ain't wrong. These don't look half bad with the dress." He saw the snake return the smile and Angel felt something in his chest jump at how soft it looked on Pentious.

"Excellent! Another item off the check-list." Pent pulled the dress away and Angel sat back down to take off the shoes. "Now we'll need to find someone who can tailor to my standards."

Angel just snorted and watched Pent out of the corner of his eye as the snake pulled out his phone and began to search his browser. "What about my corset idea?" he asked as he zipped up his boots and placed the stilettos off to the side. "I think you'd like wearin' one. It'll probably help your back problems too."

Pent glanced up from his phone and pursed his lips. "I'm not against it, per say…" he murmured, lowering the device to his lap. "I just don't want to look feminine. It's never been to my taste or style."

"Those vests I showed ya didn't look very fem," Angel said with an eye-roll. "Sides, did your gramps' work look like the shit any ladies would wear?"

"No…" Pent admitted with a sigh before switching his search to tailors who specialized in men's corsetry. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to try one on, but I can't promise anything."

Standing, Angel took the shoes by the heel and offered a hand to Pent, lifting the other man up onto his tail. "I think you'll find it pretty appealin'," he said with a small wink as they went to go and check out. "Once you're tied in, you feel like you're bullet-proof."

Pent's lips curved into an amused smirk as he dropped the spider's hand (Angel only then realizing that he hadn't immediately let go of the snake's claws). "Well I can assure you that I have no desire to test out that particular theory," he mused as they went to pay.

After leaving the department store, it took a bit of searching, but they eventually did find a tailor with decent reviews who had a fairly diverse catalog of men's wear (including corset vests). The outside of the store was rather small and unassuming, but the items in the window certainly looked fancy as fuck when compared to the shit Angel was used to buying off the rack.

He let out a low whistle as they entered the boutique, noting just how expensive some of the items were by the distinct lack of price tags. "Damn, this shit looks real ritzy," Angel said as they approached the lone clerk at the counter who was working through a leather-bound scheduling book. Without hesitation, Angel leaned over the desk and jerked his thumb at Pent. "Hey pops, we're lookin' to get my buddy here outfitted with one of those corset vests." He punctuated the statement by elbowing the snake's arm and pointing out an example of said vest worn by a faceless wooden mannequin.

The clerk just raised an eyebrow and stared at Angel as if he had just sprouted another head (though considering where they were, that really shouldn't have been all that strange a sight).

Pent winced and rubbed the spot Angel hit before turning to the clerk himself. He cleared his throat behind his fist and straightened his back in a way that belayed a confident authority. Angel raised an eyebrow and suppressed the urge to bite his lip as the snake's voice took on that more straightforward domineering tone he occasionally used in the bedroom. "My measurements are 110, 50, and 129 centimeters. My shoulders are 83 across."

The clerk gave a tired nod, jotting down the numbers on a pad. "Normally I require all fittings to be done by appointment, but my corsets don't require too many alterations if any." He paused, looking at Pent's torso and then back down to the numbers on the paper. "Even with extreme measurements like yours." Then he gestured for them to follow him behind the wall bracketing the front desk to what looked like a massive closet lined with all sorts of jackets, corsets, vests, and ties.

"Were there any particular colors you were looking for? Fabrics?" the clerk asked in a professional tone, ignoring Angel and only addressing Pentious.

"Coal gray or slate if you have it," Pent said, his red eyes flickering over the ridiculous closet of items as if this was just any other day for him. Then again, with all his sewing experience, he probably knew what to look for better than anyone else in regards to quality. "I prefer linen or wool, but a blended weave is acceptable."

Without hesitating, the clerk nodded and then vaguely gestured with his notepad to the set of chairs placed directly in front of a large floor-length mirror. "If you wouldn't mind removing your jacket."

Pent slithered over to the mirror and immediately placed his hat down on one of the chairs before undoing the buttons of his jacket, leaving him in just his ivory button down and sleeveless undershirt. The clerk hummed, taking note of the shackles with a curious expression as Angel took a seat in the empty chair. "This chain of yours will make fitting you quite a challenge, but I have some items that close at the sides in addition to the lacing at the back. One moment please."

He turned away and began to pick through the racks, occasionally pulling an item and draping it over his arm. Pent exhaled and then rolled up his sleeves, exposing his forearms before glancing back to Angel and finally taking notice of his stare. "What?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Nothin'," Angel said with an amused shrug, leaning back in his chair. "Just always interesting to see when an' where you decide to turn all serious an' shit." He chuckled and lifted one leg to cross over the other. "I mean, my image of you is always gonna be like some weird Wicked Witch of the West ridin' in on your blimp, cacklin' and blowin' up half the city, but this version is pretty damn sexy if I do say so myself."

Glancing to himself in the mirror, Pent adjusted his collar and bowtie. "I thought the witch did a perfectly adequate job of frightening her enemies, but that's beside the point. We all adapt our personas based on the situation." He looked back to Angel and raised an eyebrow. "Do you act the same around your clients as you do with Cherri or me?"

Angel rolled his eyes and chewed his bottom lip. "Yeah sure, but you ever think that maybe people would take you more seriously if you were like this rather than constantly showboating about how you're the smartest asshole in this pit?"

Pent frowned and rubbed his chin, but his response was cut off by the clerk returning with a handful of selections. The snake immediately dismissed the first two (one white with gray detail, the other gray with gold) and that left them with two vests: one green and gray and the other gray with red lacing up the back and sides.

Angel rested his chin on his palm as the clerk turned Pent away from the mirror and then began to lace him up into the vest with red ribbon ties. The snake stared at Angel the entire time, wincing whenever the cinch came in a bit tight.

"Didn't think your waist could get any fuckin' smaller, but look at that." Angel let his eyes wander down Pent's body in a blatant onceover before flickering back up to meet the snake's blushing glare and winking.

The clerk stepped back and then Pent slowly turned around, taking stock of himself in the mirror. It really did look good on him, giving him an even more dramatic silhouette with his broad shoulders squared up under the fabric while his waist was brought in to flare out at his hips.

The snake's eyes went wide and he scooped his hands down the sides of the material and then over the back of it, feeling the fit of the ties. "Well now, this is actually rather nice." he murmured quietly, looking back at himself and turning to admire the work running down the length of his spine.

Angel found himself smiling as he watched the snake look over his reflection. "See? Looks an' feels pretty sweet, right?" he said, running his tongue against the pointed edge of his teeth. "Bet your gramps would be pretty proud ta see you wearin' one of these."

Pent's smile softened, no longer bright and excited so much as thoughtful and nostalgic. "He very well might have been. Of course it's not his work-" He trailed his talons down the front of the vest. "-but it's very high quality." He exhaled and gestured for Angel to stand up with the bag holding his gown and shoes. "Let's see if this coordinates with the dress."

Getting up onto his feet, Angel pulled out the dress and held it up next to Pent. The dark gray and black certainly coordinated well without being a one for one direct match, though there was something missing from the ensemble.

"Mmm, hey pops?" Angel asked, turning back to the clerk who was hanging the rejected vests back up. "Ya got any ties? Red like this?" he asked, thumbing over the red laces that lined the back and sides of Pent's torso.

The clerk nodded and walked over to a set of wooden cabinets, pulling out an entire drawer to reveal a display case of ties in varying shades of red. Pent hummed and then tapped the one that was a solid crimson silk. It was simplistic, but as Pent undid his bowtie and tied a perfect eldridge in its place, it was easy to see why the snake had picked the least detailed of the bunch.

Angel smiled and placed a hand on Pent's shoulder, giving the other man a gentle squeeze as he took in the final look. The tie being a solid color really did bring out the lacework without detracting from any of the detail sewn into the vest.

Though the subtle touch of red also matched the darker gradient hues of the snake's many eyes, making them look all the brighter against the Demon's black skin.

"I think we have a winner," Pent said with a chuckle, looking himself over some more. "I'll be damned, this is far more flattering than I ever thought it would be."

Angel put the dress back into the bag and crossed both sets of his arms smugly as the clerk began to undo the laces. "See? You're not the only asshole with an eye for this shit."

Pent just sighed and pulled the necktie loose, sliding the silk out from under his collar. "Your sense of style and mine are worlds apart, Angel. You can't exactly blame me for being skeptical." Once he was out of the vest and shouldering his own jacket, he redid the knot of his bowtie, pulling it taut against his throat as he eyed his own reflection.

"No, but I'm gonna give ya shit anyway," Angel said, bumping his hip and stealing the snake's hat off the chair as the clerk packed up their purchases and went back to the front to ring them up. "Sometimes ya gotta give things a chance. Might end up surprised more often than not." He grinned and placed the top hat back on Pent's head, straightening the brim and giving him a bold peck to his cheek.

Pent's eyes immediately glanced over to see if the clerk had seen before he relaxed and let out a soft exhale. Angel rolled his eyes and gave his shoulder a gentle punch.

They might have stopped trying to hide the physical relationship between them weeks ago as per their discussion, but the snake was still extremely jumpy whenever Angel pulled any PDA. They hadn't gone public to anyone in the Hotel, but Angel was pretty sure that Husk had at least picked up on it if not Al.

Pent's paranoia was certainly not helped by the fact that the person who had sent them the condoms had yet to reveal themselves.

"It's hard to step out of my comfort zone at times," the snake murmured as they headed to the front desk to pay. "I like change and encourage it, but old habits are still not so easily broken."

Angel nodded and let his eyes drift back over the nice suits and shirts that were displayed on the high-quality mannequins. It was kinda weird being in a men's suit shop again now that he was really thinking about it. Back when he was alive, he used to wear shit just like this every day, though that was mostly due to the fact that very little variety existed in men's clothing at the time unless you were in some sorta uniform.

The mob's uniform was suits and blood. Anything else made you a target and as much as Angel hated being in those itchy goddamn pants, he wasn't willing to paint a bullseye on his own back. It sucked, but at least he wasn't the only fella who didn't have much of a choice in how he dressed and presented himself publicly.

He looked back to Pent who was now discussing a few of the designs with the clerk, his tone bordering on excited as he babbled on about stitching technique and fabric choice.

Angel's lips twitched as he watched the other man. Having grown up in poverty, owning a tailored suit probably meant an awful lot to the damn snake.

Suits were as much an uncomfortable mask to Angel as they were a symbol of financial freedom to Pentious.

To Simon, his mind corrected and he winced before clearing his throat, cutting the snake off mid-sentence. "I get that you're excited to talk shop with a fellow sewin' nerd, but we should probably be headin' back, dontcha think?" he asked, jerking his thumb to the exit.

Pent blinked and then sighed, straightening back up. "I suppose," he said before turning back to the clerk who was busy packing up the items in a fancy box, sliding a business card on top of the vest and tie before closing the top. Pent thanked him and they headed out, the snake clutching the box to his chest with a boyish smile still painting his face.

Angel chuckled and nudged him. "Ya look like a kid who just left the candy store. Thought you didn't like shoppin'?"

"I don't like being dragged into store after store, particularly the businesses you prefer to frequent," Pent corrected as he slithered to the edge of the sidewalk to hail a cab. "There is a difference, I'll have you know."

Angel just shrugged as a taxi pulled up, opening the door for Pent before sliding in himself, their hips bumping as he closed the door behind them. "I'm still allowed ta be smug about it. Gettin' your fat ass into a corset was a good idea."

Huffing, Pent placed the box down on his lap, claws brushing over the stylized logo on the front. "I will concede this one point," he admitted after a moment before reaching out to pinch Angel's thigh. "Just don't expect lightning to strike twice."

Angel clicked his tongue as he watched the other man give the driver the address to the Happy Hotel. "I'm gonna continue havin' a lotta fun provin' ya wrong. Let's see how far we can take it, eh?" he teased with a wink as the cabbie pulled back out into traffic.

"How bricky of you," Pent said with a snide tone. "Only time will tell, but you should still stow your confidence."

Angel rolled his eyes and gave a retaliation pinch to the other man's tail, ignoring the indignant yelp it earned him before pulling out his phone, seeing a few missed texts from Cherri asking him if he'd found anything to wear yet.

Glancing down to the bag next to him and the box on Pent's lap, he chewed his tongue and kicked one leg up over the other.

"It ain't too trashy to wear black to my own funeral, is it?"

---

The alterations to the dress weren't particularly extensive, but Angel still kept to his word and gave the snake some damn good head anyway. Besides, it was a lot of fun to watch Pent groan and squirm as he took one dick all the way back into his throat while he palmed the other in his hand. They always seemed to cum at the same time, but he wondered what would happen if he got some cock rings on 'em? Would Pent even let him break out some toys or would that scare him away?

So far the snake had been into most of the stuff he'd introduced into bed, but he'd also been careful to keep it pretty tame (as confident as Pent was, he could be awfully goddamn skittish when pressed too hard). Angel wanted to push Pentious, but not scare him off entirely as three months was a long time to go without getting any after nearly two months of straight boning.

Pent gritted his teeth and strained to keep from bucking his hips as he came, spilling across Angel's tongue as the spider aimed the other cockhead to his face, letting Pent paint him up nice and messy. The snake's glassy red eyes stared down at him, his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath while Angel grinned and licked away some of the excess cum from his mouth, making a show of retracting the appendage before swallowing the rest.

"Feelin' betta?" he asked as he sat up, grabbing the towel he'd snagged from the bathroom before they started to clean off his face and hands.

Pent let out a low shuddering exhale as he sat up, tucking his softening members back inside of his body. "If you're fishing for compliments, you already know that you're very skilled in bed. You hardly need me to sing your praises."

"Yeah, but I like hearin' it anyway," Angel said with a laugh as he rolled off the bed and stood, stretching out as Pent shifted to the edge of the mattress and got up as well. "Sides, you're stingy with praise so I gotta get it wheneva I can."

Pentious snorted and then opened the closet, taking out Angel's pink duffel bag and his own gray carrying bag, setting them down on the bed. "We should start packing. Cherri is going to meet us there around 6:00 correct?" He checked his phone and winced. "It's almost 5:15…"

"Ish, yeah," Angel confirmed as he walked to the length of the chain, opening his drawers and pulling out some sleepwear and clothes for the next day. His eye caught the small box of sex toys next to his underwear and he glanced over his shoulder, seeing Pent was busy packing up his own bag and not paying him any mind.

Rummaging around in the box, he plucked the largest cock ring from his collection and slid it into the pile of wrinkled fabric along with a tube of lube and a handful of condoms. Before Pent could look up, he stuffed it all into the duffel and folded his dress, shoes, and accessories for the night on top, dropping his makeup bag in last. "I'm done," he declared, zipping up the duffel as Pent continued to organize his bag (how the hell he took so much longer when he had less things to pack was truly a goddamn marvel) .

Pent zipped his own bag closed and then sighed, glancing to Nuggets who was staring at them both curiously, clearly aware that something was going on. "You already asked Charlie to tend to Fat Nuggets?" he asked, reaching down to idly pet the pig's soft ears. "They'll be ok for the night?"

Angel felt a small pang in his chest and he chuckled. "Yeah, Nugs'll be just fine. They're a baby, but a big strong baby." He lifted the pig up into his lap and kissed the top of their head. "Right? Are you daddy's big tough piggie?"

Nuggets just stared blankly and then oinked before nuzzling into Angel's abdomen and licking over his hand. Pent smiled and reached over, petting the pig's back spines. "Yes, you're very cute," he murmured as Nugs lifted their head to look up at him. "You behave for Miss Charlie now. No chewing through the sheets again."

"It was one time," Angel said, rolling his eyes as he gave the pig one last kiss and put them back down. "Alright, guess it's time to get this show on the road." He shouldered his duffel bag as Pent lifted his own luggage, following him out of the room.

They arrived at the hotel close to sunset, Pent now carrying both of their bags while Angel texted Cherri to let her know they were waiting inside. The interior of the lobby was aquatic themed to go along with the massive aquarium that was the defining feature of the resort casino. Fossilized fish tiled the floors below them while stained glass windows depicting various ocean life lined all the walls in a cascade of color.

Angel leaned back against a pillar shaped like a seahorse and stared up at the domed ceiling, snickering at the jellyfish shaped chandelier hanging over them. "That kinda looks like the one you got," he said, leaning back into Pent's shoulder and lifting an arm to point it out.

The snake raised a brow and gave a dismissive snort. "Hardly. I would never have something so hideously pink in my home."

"I dunno, you've let me through the door quite a few times," Angel said with a small wink. "Pretty sure I've seen everythin' except your bedroom by this point. The mystery is startin' to make me squirrely."

"I'm afraid you'll simply have to keep on imagining what it looks like," Pent said with a tired eye roll. "Just because we're sleeping together doesn't mean I'm going to take you into my private chambers."

Angel pouted, his lower hands dropping to his hips as he looked at the other man. "What, I ain't good enough for the big bed?"

Pent opened his mouth to answer but closed it again as they both caught sight of Cherri waving them over, her own overnight bag (decked out with more patches and pins than anyone could ever hope to count) slung across her chest. "Hey assholes, ready to check in?" she asked with a grin, pulling her phone from the pocket of her shorts as they got in line for the front desk.

The man at the registrar gave the three of them a skeptical look, but when Cherri handed over the itinerary he punched it into the computer all the same and handed them their cards before directing them to the hall of elevators. "Enjoy your stay at La Isla," he said in a bored tone as Cherri snagged the keycards and turned to give two of them to Angel and Pent.

"So you gamble, right?" Cherri asked as they made their way to the lifts, weaving through the gawking visitors and the people who were already drunk despite the sun having barely set outside. "Where's your normal hot-spot, Edgelord?"

Pent snorted and adjusted his grip on their bags to slip the card into his jacket. "I don't frequent these larger resorts if that's what you're asking. The crowds are obnoxious and I prefer to not be around people who are just as likely to puke on the table as they are to fold a bet." He made a face as they passed a young Demon in a skimpy skirt who was holding her friend's hair back as they vomited into the nearest trash can. "My spots are smaller and far more intimate."

"That's what she said!" Cherri exclaimed, raising a hand for a high-five, which Angel promptly gave her while Pent groaned between them.

"And you wonder why I dislike these outings," he muttered to Angel as they approached the security team in front of the elevators, flashing them their keys to signal that they were guests. The guards nodded and let them pile into the nearest carriage, Cherri leaning over to hit the button for their floor with the side of her fist.

Once the doors closed, she turned back to them and said, "Normally I'd share a room with Angie, but I know you two are gonna be fucking so I'm in the room next door. Thankfully they make these walls thick as shit," She cackled as Pent rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, a solid blush rising to his cheeks.

Angel just smirked and bumped the snake's hip. "She's right Pen. Ya gotta give me the D on my D-Day!" he cackled as the elevator went up, the lights overhead signalling the number of floors they were passing.

"I've already gifted you a dress and my patience," Pent muttered as the carriage stopped and the doors opened to let them off at their floor.

Cherri just danced out ahead of them, walking backwards with her hands tucked behind her massive ponytail as she grinned toothily at Pent. "Hey, you might as well get laid in a different hotel for once. Change of scenery and all that jazz," she suggested before stopping in front of their doors. "Alright, gaylords, we're here."

She unlocked her own room, immediately throwing her bag inside before glancing back to them both with her hands on her hips. "I'm gonna shower and get ready. Text me when you're good, but don't take too damn long or I'm gonna assume you're crossing dicks." She stuck out her tongue and flipped off Pentious (the snake returning the gesture to her retreating back) while Angel unlocked their own room.

The inside was more plain than the grand lobby, but still themed after sea life with glowing blue shell lights overhead and matching coral print sheets. Angel went to the window and pulled the curtain back to look outside, whistling at the sight of the Pentagram below. "Not a bad view," he said as Pent joined him, staring out over the expanse of the city in the dim light of the rising moon.

Pent huffed and gave a small shrug. "It's nicer from my home," he said as he removed his hat and set it down on the nearest nightstand, dropping both of their bags on the blue sheets.

"Not everybody lives in a mansion," Angel reminded, giving a playful pinch to one of the snake's cheeks as he sidled past him to plug in his phone. "But yeah, you got the exclusive view since you live out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere."

He watched the snake unpack their bags as he texted back and forth with Cherri, content to let Pentious get his OCD out if only so the snake wouldn't be bitching later on. When Pent finished and put both of their nearly empty bags on top of the dresser, Angel straightened and put down his phone, wrapping himself around Pent's back. "So, quickie in the shower before we gotta get dolled up? You might've gotten some relief, but I'm still a lil' hard from earlier," he purred, giving the snake's hood a sharp nip as his lower set of arms skated down Pent's abdomen, teasing along the slit of his cloaca.

Pentious snorted, but his lips quirked into a small smile. "Only so you don't end up humping me on the casino floor later." He then turned his head and kissed Angel over his shoulder. "And so you can stop pestering me about all the things you believe I owe you today."

"Ya do owe me. I'm a fuckin' treasure!" Angel said with a grin, pulling off of Pent to undress, carelessly flinging his jacket and gloves onto the dresser in a wrinkled pile.

Rolling his eyes as he removed and then folded his jacket and button-down, Pent placed his clothes on top of the dresser and said, "I already got you an actual gift so you can stop trying to extort me for more presents."

Angel raised an eyebrow and then hummed even as he continued to ogle the other man's exposed skin. "What? Is that legit?" he asked, unzipping his boots and dragging his feet out before kicking the shoes into a corner. He hadn't actually expected anything aside from Pent's basic participation and some good D-Day sex. When had the other man even had time to get him something?

Pent nodded and cleared his throat, the smallest tinge of color rising to his face. "It's not much, but I'm fairly certain you'll appreciate it. You might even wear it tonight if you should feel so inclined."

Ooh, he could wear it? Now he was definitely interested in whatever the fuck the snake had managed to sneak in behind his back. "Well what the hell are you waitin' for!? Gimme," Angel said, practically climbing up the snake's naked body, holding himself in place with just his lower arms and legs while his upper ones affectionately stroked down the other man's hood. Pentious snickered and then slithered to the bathroom with Angel still attached, completely unphased. The spider sighed, tucking his head underneath Pent's chin as the other Demon flicked on the lights. "Ugh, you're seriously gonna keep me waiting?"

"You'll get it before we head downstairs. Just have some patience." Pent paused, taking in the sight of the much smaller shower before gently pushing Angel off of him, making sure the spider didn't fall on his ass. "Hmmm, I think a quickie in the shower is off-limits unless you want to risk breaking something. The hotel will charge Cherri's card for any damages."

Angel stood back up and frowned, looking over the cramped stall. As shitty as it was, Pent was right. They'd have to take turns here. "Fine, but you better make it up to me later. I expect some damn good D-Day sex." He leaned in and kissed the other man thoroughly, sighing into Pent's mouth before pulling back. "Ya got it?"

Pent just smirked and grabbed Angel's waist before dragging the tips of his fangs over his throat in a way that shouldn't have been as hot as it was, but fuck. "Understood, now get cleaned up you dirty little brat." He gave the spider's pert ass a playful slap and Angel shivered, his legs feeling just a little weak as he reached over to turn on the shower.

"I'm not a little brat, I'm a tall brat," he corrected with a grin as he waited for the water to heat up. Once the shower was at a decent temperature, he winked at the other man and stepped inside, immediately running all four of his hands down the length of his body. Pent's slitted pupils dilated even in the bright light of the bathroom as Angel cupped his wet tits and dick, bending over to reach for the bar of hotel soap. "Oops!" he giggled as he purposefully dropped it, spreading his legs wider than was necessary as he went to pick it back up. "Clumsy me."

"Very cute," Pent said sarcastically even as his eyes never once left Angel while he soaped himself up, playing with the thick suds that clung to his body and hair.

Grinning, Angel continued to go nice and slow, still getting himself clean, but going about it in the dirtiest way possible. "What? I'm just doin' what you said an' washin' up like a good boy." He straightened the length of his back and lifted one long leg up to stretch out along the wall, flexing the muscles of his thighs as he washed over the limb, bending more and more to show off his flexibility.

By the time he was finished, there was open lust in the snake's eyes and a slight bulge in his thick scales. Angel grinned as he stepped out, grabbing a towel and running it over his hair and shoulders. "Mmm, need me to take care of that?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow and running his tongue over his lips.

"No," Pent said, slithering past him to enter the shower. "Unlike someone, I'm capable of being patient." However He couldn't help but notice the way Pent purposefully flexed his tail as he lifted it into the stall. Angel purred, wondering if he was going to get a show in turn as the sliding door closed behind the snake.

His suspicions were confirmed as soon as the other Demon turned to face him, a near predatory look in those fierce red eyes.

Angel swallowed, the towel in his hands completely forgotten as he stared transfixed at the view in front of him. Despite all his experience and partners, it was still a surprise whenever a fella actually put in any effort to seduce him, but here Pent was, tensing the muscles of his body as water cascaded over him, droplets desperately clinging to his smooth scales.

He continued to mindlessly drip against the floor as he watched Pent work the soapy lather over his chest and down the bulge in his abdomen. The snake teased against his own slit for a moment before skimming lower to clean his tail, making sure to arch his spine in a way that showed off just how thick and powerful the muscle was in comparison to his tiny fucking waist.

Letting out a low whine, Angel's eyes followed the sway of Pentious' hips as he slithered back under the spray, tipping his head back and closing his eyes so that the suds slid off of him in an artful wave. "Y'know, I gotta wonder where you were hidin' all this," Angel murmured, feeling a distinct want sink down deep into the pit of his belly. "You're such a goddamn dork 90% of the time and then when you're feelin' yourself you pull out some real hot shit."

Pent opened his eyes again and grinned at Angel under the spray, the flash of teeth ridiculously sexy for how feral it made him look. "Isn't it simply amazing what getting to know someone reveals?" he said as he turned off the shower and slithered back out. He grabbed a towel for himself, running it over his scales before leaning in and giving a pinch to Angel's outer thigh. "You're hard by the way," he teased before turning to exit the bathroom, hanging his now damp towel up on the rack as he went.

Blinking, Angel glanced down and swore, following Pent out before the chain could drag his wrist. "Sure you don't wanna do a real quick one? Just to take the edge off?"

Pentious rolled his eyes and began to lay out his clothes for the night across the sheets. "You're going to jump me as soon as we get back to the room anyway." He paused and raised an eyebrow. "Also isn't rehabilitation the entire point of your stay at the Happy Hotel? Patience is a virtue."

"Patience doesn't get rid of this," Angel growled, gesturing down at his half-mast cock before sighing and grabbing his own clothes, sliding on a pair of black panties as his upper hands snatched the bedazzled makeup bag off the dresser. "Tonight I better get some amazin' goddamn sex considerin' the shit you just pulled."

Pentious snickered behind him as Angel settled down in front of the small vanity with his makeup, flicking on the lights to illuminate his face in the round mirror. "Speakin' of gifts, when are you gonna give me the thing you brought?" he asked, glancing up at Pent who was pulling out the hotel's ironing board and draping his light gray button-down over it.

Pent just hummed and went to ironing the fabric, carefully stretching out the weave and misting over some of the more stubborn wrinkles. "Get dressed first. We'll see if it goes with your gown," he said, not looking up from his work.

Pouting, Angel nodded and began to do his makeup, opting for a slightly vampy look with a fierce red lip. Once he was satisfied with his reflection, he stood and turned to see that Pent had already put on his undershirt and button-down and was adjusting the cuff links at his wrists. He blinked as he watched the snake dig out a band and gather up his hood to tie it back in a high-ponytail. "Thought you only did that to keep it out of the way when you worked?" Angel asked as the other man checked his reflection in the hotel's closet mirror.

"I prefer to keep it free, but sometimes the aesthetic is worth the lack of free mobility." Pent pulled down the hem of his shirt and looked over to Angel before giving him a knowing wink.

Angel snickered, enjoying hearing his own words flying out of Pent's mouth for once. "I mean, it looks good so I ain't complainin'," he said as he stood and zipped up his makeup bag. "Now let's get you into this thing."

Pentious nodded and turned to face the mirror, letting Angel pick up the open vest and drape the fabric over his shoulders. The snake laced both of the sides before straightening up to let Angel work the ties at the back. Angel couldn't help but ogle the pretty fabric as he worked. It really did suit Pentious, keeping to his overall conservative style while still being overtly sexy as a form of self-bondage.

Once he was done with the laces, Angel moved to step aside, but quickly found himself being dragged into a kiss. He blinked and smiled as he was released, watching as Pent reached for the dress on the rack. "Mmm, someone's still feelin' frisky," he teased as Pent undid the zipper on the side.

"I never said I was unaffected by your little show in the shower," the snake said as he helped slide the dress over Angel's head, careful not to smudge his makeup. Then he zipped the side back up in a slow drag that made Angel's heart flutter for how intimate it felt before he rested both clawed hands on the spider's hips. "Ready for your present?" Pent asked with a slightly hooded gaze.

"I've been ready this whole fuckin' time, asshole," Angel said, his smile not dropping once as Pent left him go to rummage through his bag.

"Cover your eyes and hold out your hand," the snake insisted, not looking up from his search. Angel rolled his eyes and then closed them, cupping the palms of his top hands together. Instead of dropping the damn thing into his hand, Pent grabbed his chained arm and flipped it back over, sliding something onto his middle finger.

"You can open them now."

Angel blinked and then glanced down at his hand, seeing a gold-colored ring with a pretty pink stone in the middle. At first he was confused, but then his jaw dropped as recognition finally hit him like a truck. "When the fuck did you buy this?" he asked, flexing his fingers and twirling his wrist. "Not that I'm complainin', but I've literally been with you every goddamn moment since this mess started."

"Some things are to remain a mystery," Pent said as he lifted his chin, looking entirely too damn smug for his own good.

Angel's eyes narrowed and he glanced back down at the ring. "Did you fuckin' swipe it at the shop?" Immediately Pent flinched, his bold confidence shattering as Angel snorted and gave an open-mouthed cackle. "You sneaky sonofabitch!" He leaned in, draping both his upper arms over Pent's shoulders and pressing a kiss to his mouth. "I love it," he purred, pulling back with a teasing nip to the snake's lower lip. "Doesn't quite match the outfit, but it doesn't clash either."

Pent just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck underneath his tied hood. "I'm not the most adept palmer, but in any case, you can't say I didn't give you a proper present."

Still snickering, Angel smiled and lifted his arm, turning his hand over repeatedly to let the fake gem catch the light of the room. "I was gonna consider the sex present enough, but I ain't lookin' a gift-horse in the mouth." He gave the other man a genuine smile and pressed a softer kiss to his cheek. "Thanks. It's fuckin' beautiful even if ya didn't spend a cent on it."

The snake nodded and then brushed Angel's hair back before looking at them both in the mirror. "If there's nothing else you need to do, we should probably let Cherri know we're ready."

Sighing, Angel nodded and turned away, stepping into his stilettos and clasping a gold black choker around his neck. "Yeah, as nice as it would be to makeout for a bit, I don't wanna fuck up my paint too much." He gestured to his face with a flourish, openly flashing his new ring as Pent grinned.

"Just let me put on my tie and we can head down to spread the broads," the snake said, slipping their keycards into the pocket of his vest before tugging his new tie out of its case.

Angel raised an eyebrow as Pent knotted the silk underneath the collar of his shirt, covering the eye in the center of his chest with the delicate fabric. "I'm sure that's some old timey shit, but I hope you know just how goddamn suggestive that turn of phrase sounds."

After locking their room, they headed next door to Cherri's suite. She immediately gasped at the sight of Angel's gown, her own dress a short orange bodycon that hugged her generous curves while leaving her arm tattoos completely exposed. "Fuckin' a, you look so goddamn hot, Ang." She then turned to Pent and whistled. "You didn't clean up half-bad yourself, grandpa. Don't think I've ever seen you with your hair up." She gave a tug to his hood and he scowled, shoving her hand away.

"And yours is down for once," he remarked snidely, lifting his chin while Cherri gave a showy twirl for Angel, her long strawberry-blonde hair twisting with the motion before draping over her freckled back in a messy curtain.

"Ya ready ta go, babe?" Angel asked as she closed the door behind her and adjusted the fit of one of her blood red heels.

"Um, do you see this shit?" Cherri asked, cupping her own breasts as she turned back to face them. "Yeah, I'm fucking ready."

Laughing, Angel wrapped his unchained arm around her shoulders. "Then let's hit the slots, sugar-tits." He kissed her cheek and headed toward the elevators, Pent giving the two friends a bit more of a wide berth as they stepped into the already half-filled carriage.

With the casino's nightlife in full-swing, the three of them weren't much out of place among the other attendees who were all either dressed to the nines in flashy expensive clothes or made no effort whatsoever, wearing a mixture of unflattering cargo shorts and sweat-stained graphic tees.

They didn't actually go to the slot machines and instead made their way to the card tables. Pentious refused to participate in poker, but he did sit back and watch as Angel and Cherri lost hand after hand all while the waitresses dressed in slutty mermaid attire plied them with free scotches. Pent ordered a gin and tonic and sipped the drink as the claws of his chained arm idly pet down Angel's exposed back (which really didn't fucking help the spider's concentration, but sure did feel real nice).

Once they'd exhausted poker, they headed to the craps tables where Pent eagerly joined in and taught both of them the rules (though Cherri was more excited to violently slam the dice down on the table rather than actually pay any attention to anything Pentious was saying). When it was Angel's turn, he grinned and took the dice, lifting his palm to Pent's chin. "Blow on 'em for luck?" he asked, glancing at the snake with hooded eyes.

Pent raised one brow and then parted his lips, keeping his eyes on Angel as he blew a puff of warm air over his fingers and the dice. "Don't blame me when you lose," he said, his mouth curving into a small smile as Cherri made fake gagging noises behind them both. "We both know I'm not known for being lucky."

"I'll take my chances," Angel said with a wink before closing his fingers over the dice, shaking them in his palm, and throwing them down onto the board. Everyone, including the dealer leaned in to watch as the dice rolled across the surface. As they waited for the pieces to fall into place, Angel felt Pent's hand reach out and touch his hip. He shivered, the adrenaline of gambling combined with the minor thrill of the snake actually participating in some mutual PDA finally getting to him (either that or it was all the scotch).

Probably just the scotch.

The first die landed on five and then the second hit the wooden barrier before tipping over onto a six.

Pent's eyes went wide and Angel gave a toothy grin, pumping both his upper arms into the air as he turned to face the other man, Cherri hooting and hollering right along with him. "Fuck yeah! Gimme that good shit!" he said as the dealer passed him the chips. "See, you got a lil' luck in ya after all," Angel said, nudging Pent with his hip as the snake's surprise slowly mellowed out. "Won me back some dough."

"It's not nearly the amount you lost playing poker-" Pent managed before Angel covered his mouth, shushing him.

"Don't ruin it, dickbag," he said, removing his hand and kissing him softly. "Just keep lookin' pretty an' bein' my goodluck charm."

The snake sighed and rolled his eyes, but the amused smile didn't drop from his face.

More drinks were shoved at them as they played and Angel didn't turn away a single one, not caring as he and Cherri started to get sloppy with their throws. Pent continued to drink as well, but in that same infuriatingly controlled way he usually did. Angel was almost tempted to demand a drinking contest just to watch the snake down an entire pint of beer in a single sexy swallow, but each time he thought about it, Pentious would do something like fiddle with his cuffs or his tie and then he'd get distracted just looking at the bastard's goddamn hands.

At one point, a waitress tried to pass her number to Pent, but Cherri grabbed the slip as the snake lifted his drink and shoved the paper in her mouth before Pentious could even see it. Angel laughed so hard that he almost puked and Pent forced him to sit down before he actually did fall over onto his ass.

Needless to say they were more than a little tipsy by the time they left the craps table. "I think I need ta eat somethin' ta sop up all the booze," Angel muttered, partially hanging off Pent as Cherri downed her latest drink. "Don't wanna be so hungover that I can't even get it up."

Cherri snickered. "Yeah, whiskey dick isn't fun. Alright, Imma head over and play some blackjack. Meet up after?" she asked, jerking her thumb back toward the tables.

Angel nodded and he pushed off Pent to hug her, drunkenly smooching her cheek and leaving a small imprint of lipstick over her freckles. "I love you, bitch," he murmured as she laughed and patted his back.

"Yeah yeah, just make sure the old man keeps an eye on your stupid ass," Cherri gave him one last squeeze and then waved them off.

Pent snorted and wrapped one arm around Angel's shoulder, leading him out of the main casino hall and into the shopping plaza lined with high-end shops and restaurants. Not wanting to search around for too long, they settled on a pizzeria with a small outdoor patio, ordering some slices before sitting outside under the glowing moon.

Angel nursed at a glass of water until the waiter came by with their food, nearly spitting it out when Pent had the gall to ask the man for actual goddamn silverware. "Ok, first thing's first, you don't use a knife and fork to eat pizza, dumbass!" he scolded as he picked up his own slice (cheese with olives and mushrooms). "You fold it like a normal person." He folded the slice, bending the crust before letting the excess oil drip off the end. "See?"

Pent just huffed and then undid his cuffs, rolling the fabric down to his forearms before he picked up his own slice and folded it awkwardly. "I'm trying to keep my clothes clean, thank you very much. What's wrong with using utensils?" He took a bite, the cheese stretching out obscenely long before Angel took pity on the snake and pinched the end off with his forefinger and thumb.

"Hey, I'm the New Yorker so that makes me the pizza expert by fuckin' default," Angel said before taking a bite and groaning at the taste. It wasn't even close to the best pie he'd ever had, but it was perfect for being mildly drunk. "Did you guys even have pizza in England?"

Swallowing, Pent shook his head. "Not when I was alive, but I was aware of its existence in Italy. I never got to try it until I was already down here and finally learned that the Americans make it very differently than the Italians."

"They invented it, but we perfected it," Angel said with a rather sloppy wink, taking another solid bite even as Pent rolled his eyes.

"I do prefer the American style," Pentious admitted, taking another nibble and chewing as he continued to struggle against the cheese pull. "There's something about it that feels more indulgent, but that seems to be the theme among most styles of American cuisine."

Angel wiped the grease from his fingers with the paper napkin, leaning over to let his boobs rest on the edge of the table and enjoying the way Pent's gaze briefly flickered down. "Indulgin' yourself is one of the only good things about life. I grew up with crumbs so I don't give a fuck about settin' limits at this point. No sense in wastin' the time we've got on shit that sucks."

Pentious nodded and continued to chew, swallowing and clearing his throat before saying, "Well now you have an eternity so I can't imagine that constant indulgence is altogether that satisfying anymore."

Picking up his slice again, Angel stared down at the dripping oil and said, "I mean...it ain't perfect, but it's better than what I had in life. Sometimes ya gotta just take what you can get when you can get it." He shoveled the pizza into his mouth, wanting to sober up a bit if only to keep himself from prattling on about sad shit. Tonight was his night. All the drama and other bullshit could fuck off until morning.

"I suppose that's true." Pent licked his fingers clean, making Angel's eyes immediately snap right up to watch the way that black tongue curled around the bright red claws. Fuck, it wasn't fair to combine his hands and his tongue. "I always worried about over-indulging for fear of landing myself back in the poor house." He reached for his water and took a long sip from the straw. "I still bought nice things and made sure I was plenty well-off and comfortable, but there was always a line I refused to cross." A contemplative look crossed the snake's face as he said, "I've seen rich men drink and gamble their way into poverty and so I've made sure to never be counted among them."

Angel hummed, taking another sip as he tried to focus on what Pent was actually saying and not just how he was saying it. "So what's the most desperate thing you ever did then? When you were a broke bum?" he asked as he pulled apart his now bare crust and began to eat it in segments. If Pent was busy talking about his sad bullshit, it wouldn't leave Angel any space to bitch about his own.

Pent blinked and lowered his glass. "I never resorted to prostitution if that's what you're asking." He picked up his pizza slice and shoveled the last mouthful in, chewing before swallowing it down (Angel's attention following the bulge in his throat before it disappeared). "But I did occasionally have to beg on the streets when work wasn't paying enough to keep the fires going in the winter. It was most fruitful when I was still a sympathetic young boy, but once my voice deepened and I began to grow into manhood, the donations were less generous."

Angel frowned, conjuring the image of a shivering child out in the middle of a cobblestone street begging for money from fancy rich folks. He'd never had to do anything like that, not with mob money on his side. He hadn't been poor until he died and was then forced to scrape and scrounge for cash. It sucked as an adult, but he couldn't imagine doing that sort of thing as a kid. "Y'know, ya never told me why you were stayin' with your gramps. What happened to your folks?"

The snake's eyes narrowed and he lifted his chin. "That topic is not up for discussion," he said in a firm voice, leaving no room for any argument. Angel frowned, leaning his chin in his palm as he stared at the other man.

"Alright, sorry," he said, polishing off the last pieces of his own slice while Pent worked to pull his cuffs back down, sliding the toggles of the links through the slits in the fabric. "Didn't realize it was such a touchy subject." He made to stand and brush a few errant crumbs off the front of his dress, but stumbled against his own chair. Pent immediately reached out and grabbed his arm to catch him before he fell backwards and smacked his head on the concrete.

"No more drinks for you, I think," Pent said, standing and getting Angel to down the rest of his water. "Let's walk around a bit more and get you sober," he suggested, tossing some cash on the table for their waiter as he helped walk Angel out of the restaurant and back into the casino's shopping plaza.

"Just not too sober," Angel remarked as they stepped out into the main walkway. His eyes immediately caught sight of a cardboard cutout shaped like a giant cartoon squid and he squinted to read the text advertising the casino's aquarium. "Hey, you mind takin' a bit of a detour?" he asked, pointing to the sign. "I kinda wanna check that shit out."

Pent glanced to the board in question and then nodded, the two of them heading to the sign and following the directional arrows that continued along the path from there. "You know, I'm not sure if I've ever actually been inside an aquarium," he mused as they reached the front desk manned by a girl dressed in a poor man's attempt at a sexy-octopus costume. Pent showed her their room keys and she waved them in through the shimmering scale-pattern doors before slumping back against the counter tiredly.

Compared to the crowded casino floor and bustling shops lining the halls, the dark aquarium was very quiet and almost barren. There were a few Demons milling around the massive tanks that lined the walls, but they almost had the place to themselves aside from a random couple here and there.

Angel smiled as they walked through the wall-length tanks, his eyes flickering up as the fish swam through the water, gliding weightlessly in the blue like kites pulled by a strong breeze. "New York had way more museums than aquariums. They were kinda nice, but all the animals there were dead and shit." He pointed out a nurse shark as it skimmed across the sand that covered the bottom of its tank. "I like seein' em' move."

Pent's eyes followed the fish who paused when it noticed them, blinking its eyes before turning away, flipping its sickle tail and kicking up some debris from the floor in the process. "They are beautiful. There's a silent grace to the way they swim."

Angel nodded and smiled, watching it drift away before taking the chain and leading Pent further into the exhibit, pausing only as they came upon an even darker room that housed an enormous cylinder tank lit by purple UV-light. Angel gasped as he took stock of all the jellyfish gently floating inside, their massive umbrella shaped bodies practically glowing as they occasionally undulated to move up along the length of the tank. "Oh that's so goddamn cool," he muttered, stepping forward and placing his hand against the glass.

"Those ones sting right?" Pent asked, slithering up to stand next to Angel as he lifted his chin to get a better view. After a moment, he tilted his head and folded his hands behind his back. "They look like purple mushrooms."

The mental image that statement conjured made Angel snort and he grinned, turning to Pentious with his palm still on the glass. "I guess," he murmured before his breath hitched as he noticed just how beautifully the purple light reflected off Pent's dark scales, making them look almost iridescent. Forcing himself to swallow, he cleared his throat and added, "But, you're not wrong. These little fuckers look delicate and they sting real bad. Got one on my foot once and my buddy had ta piss on me."

Immediately, Pent's inquisitive expression twisted into one of pure disgust and Angel couldn't help the laugh that choked its way out. "It wasn't a sex thing! I ain't inta watersports," he assured him with two raised hands, his lower set coming in to hold against the giggles that rocked his belly. "It just stops the stingin'."

"That still sounds absolutely disgusting…" Pent shuddered and shook his head. "I never really traveled outside of London and I didn't see an ocean until after I'd died. The Thames was a truly filthy river so I never even learned how to swim."

Angel blinked. How the fuck had Pentious learned to build an entire goddamn airship, but never nailed down the basics of swimming? Sure, his main river was dirty, but the Hudson had also been a sewage sink and yet Angel had grown up swimming in it anyway. It was just what you did. "You can't swim?" Angel asked with a raised brow as he tried to recall any time he'd seen the snake get into any body of water larger than a bathtub.

"No, I never saw much use in it," Pent said, his eyes following the largest jellyfish as it booped into two smaller ones, gently nudging them aside. "I'm not a sailor so it's not as though I'm in any danger of drowning on a regular basis."

"I dunno, I heard it's possible to drown in like an inch of water. Ya don't need an ocean for that," Angel murmured as he gently tugged Pent to the next tank. It certainly made more sense now as to why Pent had no interest in using the water to cool off while they were at the beach.

As they stepped up to the next exhibit, they saw a moray slither out of a small cave of rocks, wide mouth opening to reveal its threatening set of fangs. Angel laughed and poked Pent's side. "Oh look, your cousins are here."

Pent snorted as the moray in question ducked back inside its hole, peering out only after a few moments to continue baring its long teeth at them. "Very cute," he remarked, giving Angel's side a light pinch. "The information card states that they are fish, not reptiles."

"Close enough," Angel said as he gestured down at Pent's serpentine body. "Least they can swim though."

The snake pouted and Angel just kissed his cheek, wrapping one of his lower arms around the other man's waist as they continued to walk through the various exhibits of sea life.

The last stretch of the aquarium was a single massive hallway that was completely enclosed in glass, quite literally surrounding them on all sides. Angel exhaled all the air in his chest as he watched a school of fish swim overhead, their silver bodies catching the artificial lights in a way that made them shimmer like fucking diamonds. "Now this is some good shit," he said, letting go of Pent to stop in the middle of the wall and press himself up against the glass, staring out into the main body of the tank. "It's like we're under the goddamn ocean."

Pent sidled up next to him, his red eyes locked on the glass fixtures and metal welding along the seams of the enclosure. "This must have taken a lot of work to construct." He touched a claw to the glass and said, "The pressure from the weight of the water alone has got to be an incredible challenge to design around, nevermind all the creatures swimming in it."

Angel snorted and rolled his eyes. Of course he'd be more interested in the engineering than the fish, but it was still nice to see the other man smile. There was something about the expression that had really grown on him over the past few months (certainly not helped by that stupidly cute overbite).

Of course his gaze didn't go unnoticed forever and the snake eventually turned, blinking at him in mild confusion. "What?" he asked with a raised brow.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but he felt absolutely no shame in being caught staring. Angel shook his head and raised his chained hand, brushing the snake's cheek. "Nothin'. Just havin' a good time and glad to see you're not totally miserable bein' out an' about too."

Pent smiled, his teeth flashing as he said, "I've not been a fan of all of our outings, but some of them have been rather enjoyable." He tilted his head up to watch the fish swimming over them and hummed. "This is certainly one of the better ventures."

Angel nodded and continued to stare, his thumb petting over the soft scales of Pent's cheek as his heart pounded in his chest.

He'd been feeling a bit strange all night as they brushed up against each other. Even their usual back and forth banter and flirting had felt heavier than usual and he wasn't sure if he was just imagining it or if he was deluding himself.

But he couldn't deny the fact that just looking at Pentious made him happy. Touching him was a mild thrill.

Kissing him was intoxicating.

He hadn't even realized he had dragged the other man into a kiss until Pent's arms came up to hold his waist, claws gently skimming up and down the length of his torso. Angel closed his eyes as the cloak-like shadow of a manta ray passed overhead, blocking out the bright lights as he held Pentious, teasing a tongue against his lips, but making no attempt to breach.

Underwater, it was like time didn't exist. He was floating in slow-motion with nothing more than total awareness of every inch of his body.

If only he didn't need to breathe, then he could stay under forever.

Slowly he pulled back, his eyes half-lidded as he stared at Pentious who was looking a little flushed himself. Angel took a deep gulp of air and smiled awkwardly at the other man, raising a hand to run his fingers through his fringe. "Heh, sorry. Mighta had too much ta drink," he said, trying to brush off the sudden surge of butterflies in his stomach.

Pent snorted and said, "I thought your tolerance was rather high? Though I guess we haven't really had all that much to eat. It's easy enough to drown a single slice of pizza in scotch." He didn't let go of Angel's waist as he spoke, letting his fingers play against the smooth fabric of the gown as the fish swam in the blue around them.

Angel wanted to kiss him again. Hell he'd go right ahead and take the snake right up against the tank if they wouldn't get kicked out of the casino for it. He shivered at the thought of fucking on the glass and instead of voicing that particular idea, he hissed, "Doesn't help that I'm still horny as hell from you bein' a giant cocktease." He pressed himself up against Pent's chest and nipped the snake's lower lip. "Really this is your fault."

"Always my fault," Pent said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "You know, one day you'll have to learn to take responsibility for yourself." He lifted a hand to playfully tap Angel's nose. "Once we're free, you won't have me as your punching bag anymore."

Angel's smile dropped as the snake slithered out of his hold to continue wandering the expansive hallway. He turned to follow, making sure not to let the tether go taut even as those words pulled at the back of his mind.

Once they were free; that was less than a few months away now.

Then he'd be back in Val's pocket and Pentious would be back to his old ways (if he wasn't enslaved to Val himself or exorcised).

The topic of what they would do once they were free had come up multiple times over the last month, but Angel had never really given it all that much thought aside from the multitude of ways that shit could go horribly wrong.

Now that he was considering their least doomed alternative, somehow he wasn't any happier.

His eyes flickered to Pentious' back, taking in the crisscrossing laces that followed the graceful curve of his spine, the way his shoulders were straight and broad, only hinting at the physical strength the snake possessed underneath.

And of course there was the most dramatic part of his body, that ridiculous tail. Angel hadn't learned to appreciate its hypnotic sway until maybe halfway through their ordeal but now he couldn't help taking notice whenever it crossed his line of sight.

For being someone who didn't know how to swim, Pentious sure moved like he was gliding through water.

He hadn't realized they reached the exit until the door closed behind them and the quiet calm of the aquarium was immediately replaced with the loud music pouring from the overhead speakers, the jingling slot machines, and general conversation of the casino patrons.

"We should probably go and find Cherri, unless there was something else you had in mind?" Pent pulled out his phone to check the clock and immediately scowled once his most recent notifications populated. "Ugh, Valentino will not stop blowing up my bloody inbox."

"Probably cuz you've been ghostin' him since our last meetin'," Angel said, pursing his lips as he checked his own device to see a few messages from Val as well. "He doesn't like bein' ignored, y'know. You should probably text him back."

The most recent of the texts was short and to the point which meant that Val was pretty pissed or pretty drunk, maybe both: "Tell the worm to respond to my messages, Angel Cakes."

He chewed his tongue and shot back: "On it, boss."

Pent huffed and locked his phone, clutching it in his hand as he started to slither back to the casino hall, forcing Angel to follow. "He can go boil his balls for all I care. Until we get to the Extermination, I have no further updates for him."

Angel winced as they walked back toward the main casino floor, scanning the crowds for any sign of Cherri. Eventually they found her at the bar, looking significantly more sober and chatting up a tall demon with a massive horn sticking out of his forehead. She grinned and waved them both over, turning in her stool and leaning back against the counter. "Hey Angie. You guys were gone a while. Find any decent eats?"

"Eh, just grabbed some pizza," Angel said as he leaned over and pecked her cheek. "You gonna hit the tables again?"

She shrugged and plucked a couple of chips from her bra, shuffling them back and forth between her manicured fingers. "I won some money, but I'd rather not blow it all," she said before glancing at Pent with an arch of her only eyebrow. "What about you, old man? You gonna place any more bets or are you dry?"

Pent shook his head and yawned, exposing every single tooth in his mouth. "I think I'm fine with turning in for the night. It is almost-" He paused to glance at his phone. "2:00 AM."

Cherri snorted and stuffed her chips back into the top of her dress. "Ah, past your bedtime, I see." She turned to Angel and grinned, punching his shoulder. "Alright, you two go have a nice D-Day fuck before the Edgelord passes out. I'm gonna hang out down here for a bit longer and enjoy watching all these drunk bitches trip over nothing."

Angel glanced over his shoulder, seeing a perfect example of such a drunk bitch immediately fall and eat shit as soon as her six-inch heel transferred from the soft casino carpeting to the tile that lined the shopping halls. "Sounds like fun," he said with a snicker as Cherri leaned in and gave him a hug, both arms wrapping tight around his torso.

"Hope you enjoyed your day, Ang." She gave him another squeeze and sighed heavily. "Shit's been real tough, but y'know I always got your back, right?"

He swallowed and nodded, his throat feeling a little dry as he hugged her back. "Yeah, I know that, dollface," he said, petting down her spine and being careful to not tangle his fingers in her thick hair. "Catch you for breakfast?"

She nodded and jerked her thumb toward the tiled hallway that led out of the casino floor and back towards the shops and restaurants. "Yeah, there's this French cafe that looks pretty good. Let's check out first and then we can take our sweet time getting coffee and grub."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll text ya once we're up." Angel slowly pulled back and then took Pent's hand, leading him over to the elevators.

Before they'd taken more than ten steps, Angel heard a distinct yell of, "Don't get snake jizz in your hair!" which drew quite a few stares their way. Pent blushed fiercely next to him while Angel fought down a loud snort, barely managing to keep up with the other Demon's hurried pace to the lifts.

Once they'd shown security their keycards and were stuffed into the carriage with a handful of other Demons, Pent sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I hate that woman so much…" he muttered, pinching his brow.

Angel just shook his head and squeezed Pent's clawed hand. "I don't think ya do, but keep tellin' yourself whatever bullshit helps ya feel better."

The elevator abruptly stopped and the group of Demons got off, leaving the two of them alone as the doors closed behind them. Immediately their eyes met and Angel grinned, pressing himself up against Pent while lifting one leg to hook over the snake's hip. "So, the ring was nice, but I hope you got a better D-Day gift for me."

Pent huffed as the carriage began to rise, but he didn't push Angel away. "It's not even your Death Day anymore." His gaze flickered to the exposed leg, taking in the way the slit fabric draped down the side of Angel's narrow hips to fall to the floor. "You've exhausted that excuse anyway."

Angel pouted as the lift stopped and the doors opened to reveal a small group waiting in front of the carriage. The Demons paused, staring at them both in mild alarm (though one of them immediately winked and gave Pent a double thumbs up) as Angel lowered his leg back down. He ignored the open hooting and took Pent by the hand to drag the bashful snake out of the elevator past the group. "Yeah, but you still promised. You can't just give a guy blue balls and then not deliver. That's like...illegal."

Still blushing, Pent pulled out his keycard as they approached their door, unlocking the room before slithering inside. "Is anything illegal in Hell?" he asked sarcastically once the door closed behind them, the blue lights casting a soft glow around the entire room in stark contrast to the blindingly bright hallway outside.

Then he began to undress and Angel's mouth went dry as he watched Pentious unravel the complex knot of his tie with two quick tugs, sliding the silk out from under his collar and hanging it over his shoulders before loosening the cufflinks.

It wasn't anything close to a strip-show, but the way the snake handled his own clothes and undid them with such practiced efficiency was powerful. It felt like the opposite of the primal masculinity he'd seen at the forge: a display of complete bodily control as opposed to unbridled physical strength. "We are gonna fuck though, right?" Angel asked as he slipped out of his stilettos and set the shoes off to the side of the door. "You're just yankin' my chain with all the teasin' shit."

Pent chuckled and then turned to him, meeting his eyes under the blue glow of the shell lights. "With two stipulations," he said, raising a pair of fingers and clacking the claws together. "The first being that you continue to wear that dress."

Angel had just been about to pull said gown up and over his shoulders, but immediately dropped the fabric without a second thought. Ok, normally he preferred to be in his birthday suit, but he wasn't gonna say no to anything Pent asked for unless it was some really uncomfortable shit. Fuck, he just wanted to get laid. "And the second?" he asked as Pent unclipped the front of the vest and loosened the lacing at his sides, tugging it up and off his chest to leave just his button-down and undershirt.

Smirking, the snake hung the vest on a hanger and slipped it into the closet before sliding the door closed. "The second being that you let me tie one set of hands behind your back." He dragged the necktie down from his shoulders and wrapped the silk around his fingers, pulling it taut in a way that had Angel's dick instantly throbbing in his panties.

Angel licked his lips, hiding his surprise behind a sly seductive smile as he sidled up to Pent. "Mmm, finally diggin' into that bondage kink of yours?" he asked, turning around to cross his lower arms behind him. Pent chuckled and began to tie a firm knot with the silk, making sure that the bones of Angel's wrists weren't bumping or rubbing against one another. It was tight, but not enough to hurt (especially given they were using silk rather than rope or another more abrasive material).

Of course Angel immediately tested the knot when Pent finished, raising an eyebrow at the lack of give in the fabric. "Well damn, you really know how to do this," he admitted with a chuckle as he turned back around and straightened up. "I actually got a request too though."

Pent smirked and unbuttoned his shirt slowly as if he was trying to distract Angel (bastard). "Hmmm?"

Angel exhaled and walked to the dresser, opening his duffel bag with his unbound arms and rummaging through the contents that Pent hadn't bothered to unpack. Shit, he really hoped that the snake would keep an open mind about this and not turn into a scared turtle. "You wear this-" He pulled out the yellow cock ring he'd hidden along with the small bottle of lube. "-on one of your dicks. I want a nice long ride so we gotta make sure that they both don't burst at the same time, ya hear?"

At first, Angel was sure Pent would turn him down with the way his eyes went wide in alarm and how he chewed over his lip, but instead the other Demon gave a nod and took the ring to test the stretch of the thick rubber. "Alright," Pentious said after a moment and Angel gave him a relieved smile. Not that they wouldn't be having some damn good sex without the toy, but he had been looking forward to this all goddamn day.

Then without another word, the snake sank down to the floor in front of him. Angel blinked, confused for a moment until he watched Pent tease up the length of one leg with both hands, pushing the fabric of the gown up and aside. Pentious grinned when he finally reached Angel's groin, playfully pulling at the black panties the spider had on underneath.

Letting out a shaky breath, Angel lifted his opposite leg to step out of his underwear, letting Pent hold him to keep his balance. "Ok, that's not fuckin' fair," he muttered, tingles running up the length of his spine as he watched Pent press a wet kiss to his exposed thigh. "You're not allowed to seduce me, asshole."

Pent just laughed and looked up at Angel to give him a knowing smirk. "What? Don't like getting a taste of your own medicine?" he asked as he dropped the panties to the floor and slowly stood, clasping Angel's cheeks in his hands and kissing him deeply. Angel moaned, not hesitating to open his mouth and let that questing tongue in.

Of course he didn't give Pent total control for long and within a minute he was walking the snake back to the bed. He growled and shoved Pentious down onto the mattress before quickly clambering on top of him, pushing the unbuttoned shirt open and hiking the hem of his white sleeveless tank to Pentious' armpits to fully expose the eye underneath. It blinked up at him and Angel licked his lips. "Well hey handsome," he said, tapping the skin just below it with his index finger. "Fancy seein' you here."

Pent snorted and leaned up to bite down on Angel's exposed collarbone. "I thought eyes gave people the creeps?" He teased, lapping his tongue over the white fur before pulling away to let his clawed hands trace the curve of Angel's back through the fabric of the dress, bunching the cloth along every subtle dip of his body. "Do you just have a weird fetish?"

"Mmm, it's not a fetish," Angel said as he stared down at the snake, enjoying the way his slit pupils flittered across his face and body as if Pent couldn't decide where he wanted to look. "But I don't mind being watched. Kinda comes with the territory of doin' porn." He flashed the other man a toothy grin as his free arms came up to tease over the hem of the dress. "Besides, I'm sure you get some real interestin' angles with all this." He purposefully lifted the fabric of the gown, fully exposing his groin to the many eyes that lined Pent's tail.

The snake let out a heavy exhale, his chest deflating underneath Angel. "It definitely lends to a unique perspective," he admitted as Angel leaned in and nipped over the scales of his throat, taking the cock ring from where it hung off the other Demon's claws.

Angel purred and sat up to roll his hips against the slick slit of the snake's cloaca, the dress concealing his own erection as it rested on top of Pent's abdomen. "What does it look like?" he asked, smirking down at him as Pentious' hands gripped his thighs, forcing the rocking into a slower (and deeper) rhythm.

The snake stared up at him and Angel's breath caught as he said, "I see the entire length of your body, every curve and crevice, even your back." He purposefully curled the length of his tail behind where Angel was seated, the red eyes that lined the muscle immediately flickering to the knotted arms at the spider's spine. "You might be dressed, but I still see everything."

Shivering, Angel pressed down on Pent's groin, forcing the two wet cocks through the slit and out into the air. He paused only to enjoy the low moan that earned him before sighing and flexing the band of the cock ring in his fingers. "I prefer no condom when I'm off the clock, but we can grab one from my bag if ya want," he murmured, sliding the ring down over the snake's left-leaning dick and giving an affectionate squeeze to the head before opening the lube he'd placed on the sheets.

"I'm not used to using them," Pent admitted, panting softly as he took the bottle from Angel and smeared it over his fingers while the spider lifted his hips, adjusting the dress to get the fabric out of the way. Then that slicked hand was working between his thighs, skimming over his taint and the rim of his hole in teasing strokes.

It was both amazing and absolutely maddening how much the snake liked to build shit up. Angel couldn't really complain because it felt fucking wonderful, but damn did he just want to sit on the other man's dick and call it a day.

Before he could bitch about the slow pace, two slick fingers were suddenly spearing him open and pressing all the way inside. Angel groaned at the slight burn, his hips squirming in a tight circle as Pent's other hand snuck underneath the dress and grabbed the spider's cock. "It's gonna be so nice to go all the way again for once," Angel said with a breathy laugh, rocking back onto both the fingers in his ass and the hand pulling his dick. "Handjobs are nice, blowjobs are even betta, but this is what I've been wantin' since day one."

Pent just grinned up at him, his own eyes blown wide as he continued to curl and reach his fingers deeper into Angel all while the spider stroked his unrestrained cock. "I haven't been waiting that long, but I'm not going to lie and insist that I'm not dying to bury myself inside of you right now."

He pulled the two fingers out and replaced them with three, continuing to pump Angel's shaft all while thumbing over the leaking head. Angel groaned and kept rocking his hips, holding onto Pent for balance while squeezing down on the thick black shaft in his fingers. "Be prepared for the ride of your goddamn life," he said, licking his lips as he fought to catch his breath. "I won't go easy on ya. It's my goddamn D-Day so I'm settin' the pace."

"It's not your-" Angel leaned down, silencing Pent with his mouth and thrusting his tongue through the gap of those sharp teeth. Pent gave a low whimper and let Angel push into his mouth even as his fingers dug deeper inside of the spider, curling right into his prostate.

Fuck, why did the snake have to be good with his stupid fingers? Angel shuddered, giving a low whine into Pent's mouth as those claws circled his sweet spot, teasing the nerves while not pressing into them fully. "Oh you're such an asshole," he breathed as they broke the kiss, Angel huffing as he pumped his hips back onto Pentious' fingers. "C'mon, be a lil' nice. It's my D-Day."

The snake shook his head and lifted his hand off Angel's cock, retracting it out from under the dress to show Angel the clear precum that slicked his palm and claws. "I'll have you know, I've never been one to show mercy," Pentious said, winking at him before licking his claws clean. Angel's thighs quaked around the thick tail beneath him and he shook his head. Ok, now the stupid snake had gone too far. That shit was definitely not fair.

Straightening the length of his spine, Angel pulled off Pent's fingers to scoot up and cover the snake's groin with the dress. Their eyes met as he used one hand to press the snake's cock into the cleft of his ass, rubbing that thick bulbous head over his loosened rim.

Pent gritted his teeth and grabbed the lube, quickly reslicking his hand and moving down to wrap it around his own cock, giving it a good coating as Angel continued to tease at penetration. "Now who's taking their sweet time?" he hissed, removing his hand and reaching up to tangle his fingers together with Angel's shackled set.

"Sometimes you gotta let people have a taste of their own medicine," Angel repeated in a mocking tone, grinning as the snake let out a frustrated groan. Of course he didn't tease for long and within just a few moments he was slowly sinking down onto that smooth shaft until his ass was resting against Pent's tail.

"Oh fuck…" he groaned as he bottomed out, feeling the pleasurable burning of his muscles in combination with the throbbing pressure of thick hard flesh pressing up against his walls. "You're goddamn thick," he murmured as he opened his eyes, not realizing he had even closed them.

Below him, Pent was panting, his expression a grimace that one might have mistaken for pain if not for the fact that the snake's other cock was weeping at the head and visibly straining from how hard it was. "Mmmm, feels good, huh?" Angel purred, slowly rocking his hips, not quite bouncing but threatening the motion as his body slowly relaxed around the snake's dick. "I'm not normally such a tight fit, but it's been a while since I had even a toy to play with."

And boy was he glad he hadn't loosened himself up all that much prior. He'd forgotten just how good the burn could feel when it was done in a slow slide rather than a piercing thrust. Angel slowly began to move, forced to use both hands to keep himself stable since he didn't have his lower set available (and breaking out the third pair just felt like cheating).

With each slight shift against his prostate, the snake's cock sparked little tingles of pleasure that slowly overshadowed the stretch and made Angel instinctively clench down. All the while, Pent just held Angel's fingers in one hand and guided the spider's hips with the other, smoothing the flow of his body.

It didn't take long for them to find a rhythm with Angel sinking down every time Pent thrust inward, his tail arching under Angel (and up against the spider's leaking cock). Angel bit his lip as he moved, building the pace as he felt Pent throb inside of him, so incredibly hot and hard. He couldn't help but watch the subtle changes in expression that played out across Pentious' face every time their bodies came together and pulled apart.

For all the shame and paranoia that Pent seemed to hold, in private he was an open book with everything he felt laid bare and exposed like a nerve.

The visual was slightly overwhelming and Angel had to close his eyes and focus instead on the wet slide of that thick dick moving inside of him and the way it pressed through the sensitive rim and up against the walls of his body.

If only Pent could be like this all the time. Unashamed and confident as he was with his machines.
If only he wasn't so damn opposed to being with him in public.

Being with a man.
Being with a whore.

Angel felt Pent's hand leave his hip to pump his leaking prick and he whined, wanting to bat it away so he didn't come too quickly, but unwilling to slow the pace by shifting the placement of either of his own hands.

The snake made the decision for him, untangling their fingers and sitting up to force Angel into an upright position on top of his lap. Then a strong arm wrapped around his shoulders and Angel found himself dragged into a deep kiss while the snake pumped up into him, the hard fast thrusts roughly bouncing him against Pentious' tail. He moaned and used his now freed hand to claw down the snake's back, tearing the tie out of Pent's hood while digging his teeth into the other Demon's lips.

He could feel Pent's heart pounding against his own, the shallow pant of the snake's breath misting over his face. He opened his eyes and met Pent's, groaning as he took in the sight of the other Demon's fucked out expression. The snake just kept pace, determined to slot himself as deep as he could into the press of Angel's body even as he jerked the spider's cock between them.

Fuck it'd been so long since it felt like his pleasure mattered to someone else (beyond the perfunctory bragging rights of making a cockslut cum). Angel whimpered, the claws of his feet curling in the sheets below him as his bound arms jostled against his spine.

How sad was it that some of the best sex he'd had in years was with this guy?

Before he could think too hard into it, he felt Pent mouthing at his throat and he instantly tilted his head to give him more room. The fangs brushed against his collar and he shivered bodily in the other man's hold as those sharp teeth continued to skate along his skin. "Bite me," he panted quietly as Pent's tongue lapped at the straining tendons of his nape. "Fuckin' bite me, asshole."

Pent groaned and then the snake let out a shaky breath, shifting back to look Angel in the eye. "Are you sure?"

Angel hissed, digging the fingers of both hands into the snake's shoulders, "If you don't bite me, I'm gonna-" He didn't have any time to even think of a decent threat before Pent was at his throat, jaw extended and sinking those sharp teeth into the muscle. Angel twitched and then gave a hard thrust into Pent's hand as he came, a low moan leaving his lips as he shuddered and clenched around the dick still thrusting inside of him. "Aaah!"

Instead of stopping or slowing down, Pentious just increased his speed, holding himself to Angel without releasing his bite as he fucked up into the wet vice of the spider's body. Then Angel felt a telltale twitch and the snake was grunting as his jaw tightened its grip on Angel's throat, the hold firm enough to bruise. Angel let out a weak moan as he felt Pent give a few more solid thrusts, spilling messily inside of him before slowly settling into weaker rocks with Angel still sitting on his spent cock.

Carefully, Pent extracted his fangs with a cough and winced at the sight of the bloody pin-pricks left behind. "Hmmm, I'm surprised you wanted that…" he murmured, lifting his head back to meet Angel's eyes, both of them flushed and panting like they'd just ran a marathon.

"It feels good when you bite me. Just don't like bein' knocked out afterward." Angel sighed and laid his head on Pent's shoulder, apologetically brushing down the other man's back as he traced the raised lines he'd dragged through the thick scales. "Hopefully all those doses helped…" he muttered, closing his eyes as they simply sat together and breathed.

After another minute, Pent's flaccid cock slipped out of him and Angel grimaced at the familiar sensation of cum trickling down his thighs. His muscles certainly felt loose with Pent's venom now, but he could still move his arms and legs and it wasn't too hard to keep his head raised either (though it felt heavy as hell). "Mmmm," he shifted to lift the dress, exposing his own spent member and the snake's bound shaft which was still fully erect and straining. "Shit, that actually worked…"

Pent huffed and then slid out from underneath Angel, easily maneuvering the drugged spider onto his hands and knees before hiking up the hem of the dress to fully expose his white ass. "Do you need more time?" he asked as he coiled up behind Angel, stroking through the line of his own cum that trailed down the other Demon's quaking legs.

"Mmmm, maybe a lil' warmin' up," Angel said, bracing his forearms down on the sheets and arching his back to create a deeper angle. "Wouldn't say no to some fingerin-"

His eyes went wide as he felt a flat tongue lapping against his dripping hole and he groaned, biting down hard on his lip. "Oh fuck you're nasty."

The snake chuckled against his thigh before continuing to clean up the mess he'd left, not at all perturbed by the taste of his own cum or the lube. Angel let out a shuddering exhale as he slowly rocked his hips back onto the other man's probing tongue. "Your wife was a real lucky bitch if she got this on the regula."

"Kat was not a bitch," Pent corrected, briefly pressing a kiss to Angel's tailbone before his long tongue dove into the slight gape of Angel's hole. "But we had a very active sex life," he admitted with a breathy huff as his claws came up to grip the spider's legs, gently spreading them even more.

Angel shivered, the hands tied at his back shaking a bit as Pent's tongue pressed deep enough that the snake's fangs rubbed against the skin of his taint. Shit, it'd been so long since he'd been eaten out anywhere besides on camera. Most of the guys who wanted to try it outside of a shoot were eager but had no goddamn skill and just slobbered over his asshole while never really going in.

Meanwhile, prudish Pent had absolutely no qualms and plenty of skill. Fuck, he was definitely gonna have to convince Pentious to go down on him again after tonight. There was just no way he was leaving this mess without a repeat performance.

Of course now Angel had to wonder if all snakes were good with their mouths or if it was just this dirtbag in particular who was capable of making him melt into the sheets like a goddamn virgin?

He brushed his musings aside as Pent pulled back, giving the meat of his ass a small swat. Angel raised his head and glanced over his shoulder curiously, shivering as he watched Pent remove the cock ring from his dick with a wince.

Their eyes met and Pent gave him a smirk accompanied by a horny chuckle as he snatched up the lube and slicked his pulsing shaft in his palm. "I'm about to lose my bloody mind back here," he admitted as he crawled over Angel, his chest pressing down against the bend of the spider's tied arms. Angel groaned through his teeth as the snake's weight settled on top of him, one clawed hand guiding that leaking cockhead to brush over his wet hole.

"Then get the fuck in me," he growled, clenching his fingers into the sheets below him and spreading his thighs as far as he could get them. Thankfully the snake didn't argue and simply obeyed, pressing his face between Angel's shoulder blades as he began to sink in slowly, not stopping until he was fully sheathed.

They both let out a mutual groan that sent Angel and then Pent into a small fit of giggles. Angel lifted one arm, loosely batting his fingers at the snake's face. "Asshole," he muttered as he shifted his hips, pressing back into Pent's groin.

"You started all of this," Pent reminded, his voice low and raspy next to Angel's ear. "I was content with staying chaste until we were free." The hand that had guided his prick in was now trailing along the outside of Angel's thigh, skating up his hip and over his abdomen to grope at his breasts. "If you're dissatisfied, you have only yourself to blame."

Angel opened his mouth to retort, but the breath was punched out of him by Pent's first solid thrust shooting a cascading web of lightning up his spine. "Oh shiiiit!" he whined, burying his face back down into the bracket of his arms as Pent began to pound him, the snake's pace brutally rough and fast, but perfect for how loose and wet he was. Between Pent's tongue and dick, Angel's own cock was back to full-mast, swinging through the V of his legs as he was fucked hard. All the while, Pent's hand refused to leave his tits, alternating between squeezing and massaging without missing a beat.

Under him, Angel's chest felt tight, his groin felt tight, and he just couldn't decide which was worse.

"Clench down," he heard the snake whisper and Angel gave a weak nod, tightening himself up into a crushing vice around the snake and enjoying the way Pent hissed against his back while pulsing wildly inside of him.

"Bet you're close. Not used to havin' ta hold back,'' Angel teased with a small laugh even as his thighs burned and strained against the brutal onslaught at his back.

Then without warning he suddenly felt the snake's weight lift off of him and his cock pull out entirely. Angel blinked his eyes open, lifting his head in confusion before he was yanked by his hair to stand on his knees. He gasped, eyes wide as he stared at the ceiling and pressed his spine to Pent's chest as the snake thrust back into his clenching body. The hand not gripping his hair dropped from his chest back down to his dick, firmly pumping the leaking shaft.

"Who's close now?" the snake breathed against him with a horny chuff, giving another sharp tug to Angel's hair.

Always competitive, even in sex.

Angel moaned and reached both his hands back behind him, one pulling Pent's hood until the snake hooked his chin over Angel's shoulder to bring their mouths together while the other clasped at the snake's hips, helping guide the heated thrusts into his body.

He could feel the ache in his throat where Pent had bitten him with every pulse of his heartbeat, but the pain was mild compared to the pleasure that was burning deep in his belly, threatening to let loose with a scalding eruption. Pent's hands and his dick weren't slowing down and that goddamn filthy snake tongue was probing his mouth even deeper than it had his asshole.

Angel whimpered as the claws in his hair finally loosened and gave him a gentle pet, delicately combing through the fur in stark contrast to the snake's rough fucking just below the waist.

If Anthony had been treated like this, had been fucked like this, held like this-

Even just once.

If he'd met a man like Simon, someone who might be an asshole in so many ways but was at least genuine in the ones that counted, just how differently would his life have gone?

His chest clenched and he felt a few tears slip from his eyes as he came with a quiet whine, cock spilling messily over Pent's claws even as the snake continued to pound into him from behind. Pentious broke the kiss and mouthed over Angel's throat, licking and sucking against the skin until he grunted and shoved in hard, cumming a second time with a hard yank to Angel's hips.

Angel shivered bodily as he felt Pent's hands wipe across the fabric of the stained dress before coming up to take his shoulders in a firm but gentle grip. Slowly the snake pulled out and Angel exhaled, feeling loose, wet, and very very raw in more ways than one.

"Well, we're definitely going to have to launder this gown…" Pent said with a chuckle before leaning in to give Angel's cheek one last kiss, pausing when his lips brushed a still damp tear trail. The snake immediately pulled back, his relaxed smile falling as he turned Angel's face to get a better look at him in the dim blue light. "Everything alright? Was it too rough?"

Shaking his head, Angel lifted a hand to his hair, running his fingers through the strands as he let Pent sink them both down to sit on the sheets. "No, it was good," he assured in a soft voice. "I just got in my head."

Pent sighed and then fully removed his button-down and undershirt, placing them off to the side before moving to help Angel out of his dress, untying his lower arms in the process. "Let's get cleaned up. We can talk once we're all settled for bed." He made to stand, but Angel grabbed his shoulders and gently tugged him back down to sit. "Angel?"

Angel exhaled and forced himself to look Pent in the eye, his heart pounding against the cage of his ribs. "Anthony," he said quietly, stretching out his stiff lower arms while the upper ones nervously tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear.

Pent blinked and then his eyes went wide. "Why are you-?" Angel put a finger to his lips, shushing him. He had to get this out now or he might not ever fuckin' get the goddamn courage to try again.

"I want shit ta be even between us, Simon." He felt the snake's entire body stiffen and Angel quickly enveloped the other man in both sets of arms before he could try to bolt (not that he'd get very far with the chain). He held tight to Pent's chest, hooking his chin over the snake's shoulder as he felt the other man's heart race against him. "Just hold me? Like ya did when we were at your place?"

But the snake didn't relax, both his arms stiff and flexing from where they were pinned under Angel's near constrictive grasp. "How did you know my name?" he asked after a few moments. "I've never told anyone-" He paused and swallowed hard. "Was I drunk?"

"Drugged," Angel corrected and he felt Pent flinch underneath him. "I haven't talked, don't worry," he assured, brushing his hands down the natural curve of Pent's spine. "Not my goddamn place to unpack another fella's baggage."

Pent took a deep breath and Angel shivered as he felt that warm exhale blow across his nape. "That is quite the revelation. So why tell me this now?" Pent murmured. "Why didn't you tell me when I asked if we had talked?"

Angel bit his lip, guilt beginning to churn in his stomach. "I wasn't plannin' on ever tellin' you. Figured you'd be pissed either way…"

He began to shake and Angel immediately tightened his grip on the snake in a futile attempt to ground himself. "But I just felt like bein' honest fer once. You've been a pretty good friend. Still an asshole at times, but I mean, pot meet kettle, right?" He gave a hollow laugh and shuddered. "I just-I wanted ya to know that it's appreciated. All the shit you do…"

And when we're done with this, I don't know if I want to see you go...

Slowly the snake's shoulders slumped and Angel loosened his hold enough to let Pent slip his arms free, one of them coming down to rest at the middle of Angel's back while the other brushed over his hair in a way that made Angel hiccup. He hadn't realized until just now how much he craved the feeling of those damn claws scraping through the tangle of his fringe.

"You are indeed quite the asshole," Pent murmured in a measured tone. "An ill-mannered, over-sexed, trashy little brat really."

Angel cringed and closed his eyes.

"Still you have been a good friend in many respects as well. Kinder and more thoughtful than I thought was possible, especially down here." The snake chuckled, the vibrations of his chest reverberating against Angel. "This whole ordeal has been shitty and it's only going to get worse when we hit Extermination Day."

Slowly, Angel felt the snake push against his chest and he opened his eyes to meet Pentious' stare in the dark of the room. "I've always made it a point to try and live without regrets as there's no way to change the past, including anything I've said or have done. It is what it is." Pent leaned in and kissed Angel softly, a few more tears slipping down the spider's cheeks unbidden as he pulled back. "I'm already damned, but that doesn't mean change can't occur...even in a shit pit like this."

Pent pursed his mouth as he stared at Angel, his slitted pupils flickering over his face in a way that Angel couldn't read. "Opening oneself up to that change is no easy task, but it's often the only way forward."

Then the claws that were buried in his hair slid down, shifting to clasp Angel's chained hand firmly. "So...Anthony," Pentious said as his mouth curved into a soft smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Simon of Greenwich."

Angel chewed his lip, squeezing the other man's hand right back as his throat attempted to contract into a vice. "Heh, we got a Greenwich in New York as well, but I'm from Queens." He raised one of his lower hands to wipe his tears away before hesitantly returning Pent's smile. "Wonder if it's any similar to yours?"

Pent shook his head and shrugged. "That's rather unlikely, but it certainly can't hurt to imagine."

As they sat there, hands still clasped between them, Pent's mobile lit up on the nightstand. Raising an eyebrow, the snake slowly detangled from Angel to grab the device, unlocking it and flipping through the latest messages. "This man will not leave me alone…" he muttered, showing Angel the long line of texts from Val. "I'm not one of his employees and yet he expects me to drop everything I'm doing to respond to his asinine queries." He sighed and began to type back. "I suppose it can't be helped. He'll just keep spamming my inbox until he gets what he wants-"

Without thinking, Angel took the phone and turned it off before placing it face down on the nightstand. Pent blinked, his mouth twisting into a confused pout for a moment as Angel pressed him to lay back against the sheets. "He's going to be very cross in the morning," Pentious warned even as he tilted his chin up to let Angel mouth against his neck.

Angel nodded and pinned both of the snake's wrists to the mattress before leaning back to look Pent in the eye. "Probably…" he said, scooting down to lay kisses along the length of Pentious' sternum, being careful to avoid the red eye in the center. "But he can go fuck himself."

Pent raised an eyebrow but didn't argue the point any further, simply letting Angel draw him into a languid kiss.

There were no more words that night.

Everything had already been said.

---

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Beta assistance by SirDust & DerpingLina