"A person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for."
Tom Bodett
The power dynamics of the Pentagram were often in flux due to the constant addition and mass yearly subtraction of souls, but even in the middle of all that broiling chaos Valentino's comeuppance hadn't gone unnoticed by the denizens of Hell. Many of the grunts in the lower and mid-tiers of the pornography district began to abandon ship in droves and with blood in the water, all sorts of Demons were now coming out of the woodwork, ready to stake a claim on the vulnerable territory.
Angel sat back and enjoyed the bloodbath from afar, mostly through social media and the news articles that Pent kept insisting he pay attention to. Though he didn't really give a damn who the fuck was in power. He'd leave the politicking to the big dogs.
All he'd ever wanted was some good drugs, flashy clothes, and a loving man able to dick him down at a moment's notice. Currently, he had all three so life was pretty fucking good as far as he was concerned.
Of course, their own names had been thrust into the spotlight as well, with Cherri's picture of Val going viral within hours of its initial posting. Pent had nearly dropped his phone when he opened his inbox and realized he had literally thousands of DMs from people asking just how they'd pulled it off. Angel's box was just as full, but he was used to getting flooded with fanmail so he merely raised an eyebrow when he noted that the count was higher than usual. "Look at that. You're a certified badass now," he'd teased while Pent just scrolled through the feed, the snake's red eyes widening all the more as he took in the sheer magnitude of his newfound popularity.
"I almost wish Cherri hadn't tagged me, though I suppose there was no escaping this. Velvet did post the video of them torturing me first," Pent murmured with an irritated sigh. That too had garnered a lot of attention, much to Pentious' chagrin, but an Overlord torturing a Kingpin just wasn't the same sort of draw as that aforementioned Kingpin, a porn star, and a local hooligan taking down one of the most powerful and influential Demons in the Seven Rings.
Angel had just chuckled and rubbed over Pentious' shoulder as the snake swapped his phone for a cup of tea. "It'll blow over soon enough. Enjoy it for now while my videos rake in the dough for all our home repairs."
In lieu of using the big porn sites (still owned and operated by Val and his subsidiaries), Angel had begun to take advantage of social media, selling cam shows, custom nudes, and booking small gigs at privately owned venues. It was significantly less money than he'd made under Val, but he also didn't have to kick up to the pimp anymore so it mostly evened out (though having a rent-free Hotel room certainly helped).
Most of the bigger names in the porn industry quickly followed in Angel's footsteps and rival websites soon popped up to service the new production of freelance porn. Some of the smaller names weren't able to secure any footholds or major gigs, but seeing them fall to the wayside in the wake of the crumbling porn empire did give Angel an idea. Initially Charlie had been skeptical when he brought it up to her, but eventually she agreed to give his suggestion a try.
The sex workers needed a safe place to stay and the Happy Hotel needed clients for rehabilitation.
Easy fix right there.
Of course it now meant that they shared their floor with a lot of Angel's former colleagues, many of which were very eager and curious to talk with him and Pent. Usually they just wanted to know details about the fight and how they survived, but there were also plenty of questions about their relationship and sex life which only aggravated the snake every time it was brought up.
"Is this just a porn star thing?" Pent had asked after dinner one night as Angel wheeled the snake back to their room. "Why is everyone so concerned about the details of my private life?"
"It's cuz you're such an outward prude. The more you try and hide shit, the more curious people get," Angel explained as he let Pentious unlock the door before pushing the chair on through. "That's what had me interested. It's dumb but the more open you are, the less people give a fuck." He closed the door behind them and leaned over to help Pent up and into the bathroom so they could change out the bandages.
Pentious rolled his eyes as he reached out to turn on the lights. "It's none of their business what we do. Our relationship is between you and I."
"And anyone else we bring into our bed," Angel said with a teasing hum as he sat Pent down on the rim of the basin. He gave the other man a wink before unbuttoning the snake's jacket and shirt, tugging them off to get at the wrappings around his abdomen and his shoulder.
Hissing as his wounds were exposed, Pent glanced down and checked over the damaged tissue. The bullet and knife wounds were almost healed at the skin level, but the snake's hand still had quite a ways to go. "Are you already so bored of me that you want a threeway?" he groused as Angel tossed the old wrappings and gently cleaned away the sweat that had accumulated around the delicate scales with a wet cloth.
"Pen, I'm neva gonna get tired of seein' you suck my dick. That's just a fact, end of story," Angel said with a snicker as he began to unravel some fresh gauze from the med kit he'd been keeping on the counter for the last several weeks. "But I'm down for occasionally bringin' in a third for some extra fun if you ain't too married to the idea of pure monogamy."
As Angel began to wrap him back up, Pent exhaled and furrowed his brow. "It would depend on the person. You know I'm not someone who trusts easily, especially with my body."
Pausing, Angel smiled and leaned in, lifting Pent's hat to pet over the other man's hood. "I wouldn't just be grabbin' randos, baby. I'd clear it all with ya first." He pressed a kiss to the snake's brow and finished up the binding, tying the gauze before smoothing it over and helping Pent back into his clothes. "'Sides, we still got a house to build. Ain't no way I'm shackin' up with a third in this fuckin' dump."
Slowly sitting up, Pent took Angel's hand and allowed the spider to lift him to standing before slithering a few feet to the waiting wheelchair. Despite all his progress, the snake still had to take it easy even though he already was trying to push further than what doctors were recommending (which was really not all that surprising). "Speaking of, you should look over the blueprints and see if there are any alterations you want made while I'm still designing."
Angel wheeled Pent out to the bed, letting the other man get up and slide under the sheets on his own before yanking the chair back. "Sure, show me whatcha got, babe."
Pent exhaled as he settled against the pillows and pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket. The lock-screen lit up and Angel felt his heart flutter as he caught sight of the background. He gently grabbed the snake's wrist to get a good look at it before Pent could open the device.
Immediately Pentious blushed and he cleared his throat. "It was a nice picture...and it was the last one we took before everything got messy," he murmured as Angel stared over the photo they'd taken together just before going to Pillager's Point.
"We almost have a before an' after," Angel said as he pulled out his own phone, flicking through his album to the picture they'd snapped the night they'd returned to the Hotel before lining up his screen with Pent's.
Side by side, the two images were a bizarre mirror of one another. The first was the two of them all cleaned up and ready for a fun day at the boardwalk, Pent flashing a peace sign and a wide grin while Angel stuck out his tongue and winked. The second was them both cut up and bruised, Pent's eyes glassy with drugs and Angel's hooded from exhaustion. Their smiles were genuine, but weary with the weight of the day.
"Strange to think it's only been a few weeks since then," Pent murmured as he unlocked his phone and pulled up the blueprints he'd been working on while Angel did his cam shows. "Take a look," he said, passing the device to Angel.
Angel lifted Pent's phone and began to idly scroll through the designs as Pent explained the various changes he had made from the original house. "The Master will still be on the top floor and mostly look the same as the original, but I've expanded the closet to make room for your horde of clothes," Pent said, pointedly glaring at their current closet where Angel's items had swallowed up the remaining space in the absence of Pentious' usual wardrobe. "The second floor will house your new workroom, my study, and our home theater, and the ground level will have the guest quarters, dining room, kitchen, and sitting room."
"Then below the ground is the workshop an' all that jazz?" Angel said as he handed the phone to Pentious with a shrug. "Looks pretty good to me. It's gonna be fuckin' huge, but I can't say I mind gettin' more space." He then climbed over Pent's tail to sit down next to the snake before lifting his own phone back up. "I ain't got fancy blueprints, but I've been grabbin' pics of stuff that might look nice."
Pent blinked as Angel opened up the files he'd been collecting over the past few weeks of potential furniture, paint colors, curtains, flooring, and other decorative items. "I'm surprised there isn't more pink," he mused as Angel flicked through the images.
Rolling his eyes, Angel said, "As much as I'd love ta live in a goddamn Barbie Dream House, I know that shit won't fly with you, but there will still be some fuckin' pink in this place, asshole and not just in my workroom," he teased, kissing Pent's cheek. "Ya got it?"
"Yes dear," Pent said with a playfully dramatic sigh that made Angel snicker and wrap one of his upper arms around the snake's broad shoulders.
Once he was out of photos, Angel lowered his mobile and turned to cuddle up against the other Demon. "Hey Pen...I know we're still in the honeymoon phase for all this junk, but you'd tell me if I was ever bein' a real pain, right?"
Despite Pent's constant singing of Kat's praises, Angel hadn't once felt jealous of her (what even was the point of being jealous of a woman who was probably in Heaven?), but sometimes he worried that he'd never measure up. Kat was (at least according to Pentious), a literal goddamn saint who was simultaneously loving, smart, patient, talented, and beautiful.
What was Angel in comparison to a woman like that?
"Hmmm?" Pent hummed before glancing to Angel, taking in the slightly melancholy expression that had fallen over the spider's face. "Have I ever held back my criticisms of you and your behavior?" he asked with a raised brow.
Angel shook his head. Of course Pent was nothing less than brutally honest (in that special kind of European way). "Nah, you call me out," he admitted as one of his lower hands pet down the snake's tail, skating around the many eyes lining the scales. "I just don't wanna get so far in that we both take off these rose-colored glasses a coupla' months from now and wonder what the fuck we were doin' in the first place."
Pentious chuckled and the warm rumble had tingles erupting along Angel's skin underneath his fur. "Oh I agree. We've been through a lot this past year and it's very easy to mistake extreme emotions for passion…" he exhaled and then met Angel's eye, his mouth slowly curving into a gentle smile. "But I think if we manage to build this house without killing each other then we're probably set to survive a long-term relationship."
"Heh, that's true. House-huntin' seems ta break a lotta people," Angel murmured as he laid his head against Pent's good shoulder, watching as the snake scrolled through a news article.
Nodding, Pent leaned over and kissed the top of Angel's hair. "I'll have you know that it's rather strange to see you so insecure. Whatever happened to my confident spider, hmmm?" he teased, making Angel snort.
"Hey, I can't be this fuckin' poised all the goddamn time," Angel retorted even as he lifted one long leg to hook over the lower half of Pentious' tail. "Cut me some slack, Pen. Remember that what we got here is my first real relationship. I don't know how this shit works and part of me is scared I'm gonna fuck it all up and make you head for the hills."
Pent's smile slowly fell and then the snake sighed. "Well, there are no guarantees in life. I can't promise forever because things change with time, including people. One day we may decide that we're no longer a good fit for each other or that we want different things. One day we may hurt each other in irreparable ways." Angel winced, but Pent just reached out and stroked the claws of his good hand through the spider's fringe. "That's always the risk you take when entering a relationship with anyone: friends, family, and lovers included."
Pausing, Pent lowered his phone to his lap before meeting Angel's eyeline. "The best way to mitigate those outcomes is to put in the work needed to strengthen and maintain the existing bonds. I told you before that my marriage was far from perfect, but we were happy because we worked to be happy. Kat and I were regularly making adjustments and doing our best to communicate as openly and honestly as we could. It wasn't always pleasant, but happiness isn't something that just happens. You have to seek it out for yourself."
Angel chewed his lower lip and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I just don't wanna ruin everythin'. You're honestly one of the best things I've got goin' and losin' you...fuck, it'd be like losin' Molly again." He saw Pent tense and Angel swallowed, his throat tightening as he continued to stroke his fingers over the snake's hips and tail. "So if ya had any doubts about how goddamn serious I am with you, there ya go."
"To be fair, any doubts I had were erased as soon as you threw yourself at a man carrying a loaded bazooka for me," Pentious said with an amused quirk of his brow. Angel mirrored the expression and closed his eyes as Pent added, "But I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless."
They fell silent after that, Angel dozing against Pent while he read, the both of them shrouded under the dim afternoon sun that cut through their window. All the while he could feel the gentle rise and fall of the snake's breath and the warm pulse of his heartbeat under the smooth black scales. Lulled by the steady rhythm of Pent's body, Angel couldn't help the thoughts that bubbled up into his fading conscious; the words familiar, but no less true than the last time the phrase had come to mind. He smiled and yawned, nuzzling against Pentious' collarbone.
There's no place like home.
The room around him was almost eerily bare. With all personal effects gone, the floors freshly vacuumed, and the sheets stripped from the bed, it was almost like no one had ever lived in this space.
Glancing down at the key to Room 404 in his palm, Angel sighed and shouldered his duffel bag before scooping up Nugs to hold the pig to his chest. "Time to go, Nuggies. Papa's waitin' fer us," he told the pig as he pressed a wet kiss to their brow. Nuggets just oinked and leaned into the affectionate touch, kicking out their tiny legs. Angel chuckled and then stepped out into the hall, closing and locking the door behind him. He hummed to himself as he walked down the stairs, keeping to the right hand side to avoid the other guests heading up to the fourth floor.
When he got to the lobby, Angel paused, noting that the full Hotel staff was there waiting for him by the Welcome Desk. "Shit, the gang's all here," he said with a pointed wink to Charlie whose eyes were rather watery and red despite the warm smile that stretched across her face. "Y'all gonna say goodbye?" he taunted as he sauntered up to the bar and leaned over the counter, winking at Husk who just rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Is it really goodbye when you work here now?" the cat muttered as Niffty skated across the bar on top of a sponge that had to be over half her size. "You're gonna be back first thing in the goddamn morning."
Angel laughed and reached out to pinch the cat's cheek, earning him an annoyed swat to the back of the hand. "Yeah, but that's different. Bein' a liaison doesn't make me a guest or patient or whatever the fuck you're callin' 'em now." He jerked his thumb back toward the rec room where several of the Hotel's clients were watching a hockey game while Alastor leered over them like a large red curtain.
Charlie sighed and nodded, clasping her palms out in front of her. "It's still a little sad. I'm glad your house is almost finished, but I'm going to miss having you around more often, Angel."
"It's ok, I won't miss him at all," Vaggie said with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifted her weight from one hip to the other. Angel just grinned and stalked over to her, leaning into Vaggie's space until she tipped back and shot him an annoyed glare.
"Aw, c'mon Vags. Don't gimme that crap," he said with a wide obnoxious grin. "At least ya don't have to worry about the bullshit I get up to anymore. Betta to be coworkers than my full-time babysitta."
Vaggie pursed her lips and then nodded, tightening the cage of her limbs only to release them a moment later. "That's true," she conceded with a tired sigh as she wrapped one arm loosely around Charlie's waist. "You're Pentious' problem now."
Angel shrugged with all four arms. "You say that as if both of you bitches won't be comin' to our digs for band practice every otha week." The piano had already been moved along with all the non-essentials earlier in the morning, but Pentious had assured Charlie that she was always welcome in their new home and that he was happy to continue their sessions (albeit in the privacy of the new sitting room rather than the crowded Hotel).
Turning back to Husk, Angel gave the other man a sultry bat of his eyes and said, "Speakin' of havin' visitors ova, the bedroom is finished, Husky. If ya wanna give it a spin with us, our door's always open." Angel grinned and ran his tongue over his teeth before leaning onto the bar, shifting Nuggets so that the other Demon had an unobstructed view of his ample chest. "What do'ya say, huh?"
At the proposition, Husk raised one long red eyebrow and took a deep swig from his bottle. "Hmmm, you and Pentious?" He hummed and then nodded, rubbing over the bottom of his chin. "Sure, just text me a good time to come on by."
Immediately Angel blinked, his flirtatious smirk falling and twisting into a confused scowl. "Wait, are you fuckin' serious?" he asked, standing back up to his full height as he watched the other man swallow another mouthful of straight gin. "After two full years of me rollin' out the red pussy carpet, now you're DTF?"
Husk just gave another nod, his expression nonplussed even as he met Angel's demanding stare. "Not that I don't appreciate a good pair of tits-" His yellow eyes pointedly flickered down to where Angel's breasts were threatening to spill out of the top of his jacket. "-but to be honest, I've always been more of an ass man."
Angel scoffed and glanced back over his shoulder to get a look at his own (admitted unimpressive) behind before shooting a glare at Husk. "Well...I can't argue with that. I've always been kinda lackin' in the butt department." He heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Be prepared for Pen to insist for a goddamn hour that he technically doesn't have an ass and that we're both weird fuckin' pervs with a snake fetish."
Shrugging, Husk just laughed and finished off his handle of gin. "Eh, as long as I get to rub my junk up on him, I don't really care what he calls it," he muttered as he lifted the bottle, chucking it unceremoniously into the can behind the counter.
"Just make sure to be safe!" Niffty said as she wrung out the sponge into a bucket on the floor. "There's a lotta bugs down here you know."
At her warning, Angel raised an eyebrow, now suspiciously curious. "Hey Niff...you didn't happen to leave a box of condoms in front of-" Before he could finish, Angel was grabbed by the shoulders and swung around, sending him and Nugs spinning like a top before he caught his footing on the carpet again. "Fuckin' hell, Al! Gimme a heads-up or somethin'!"
"And ruin the surprise!?" Alastor exclaimed with an amused chuckle, adjusting his monocle before flashing his yellow teeth in one of his signature smiles. "Why my dear fellow, you don't know me at all, do you?"
Husk snorted as he dragged a beer out from underneath the countertop, popping the metal cap off with one of his claws. "I've been stuck with you for decades and I barely know you," he groused as Niffty nabbed the cap before it tumbled to the carpet and tossed it into the recycling bin.
"Ha! Oh Husker!" Al said before smacking the cat over the back with his microphone (earning him a low annoyed growl from Husk). "And here I thought you were a magician, not a comedian." His red eyes glinted as a laugh track trailed behind his words, quickly fading back to static. Then his unnerving gaze slid over to Angel and Alastor's neck turned, slowly followed by the rest of his body. "While it's predictably tragic to see our first client fail so spectacularly to achieve even a modicum of progress across three years, this has opened the door to many new and more entertaining avenues."
Al's eyeline briefly flickered back to the rec room and he chuckled, raising a hand to rest on top of Angel's shoulder. "However, I do hope you and your little beau continue to wage war on the streets. Witnessing the desperate scrapings of the proud and power-hungry never fails to delight me in the absence of less predictable fare."
Angel snickered and shook his head. "Hey, you ain't allowed ta pick on my boyfriend anymore. That's my goddamn job." He let Alastor's hand slip away before he pulled out the key for 404, slapping it onto the wooden countertop. "Well, I'll see you fuckers in the mornin'. Got a hot date waitin' on my happy ass an' I don't feel like stickin' around this dump any longer than I have to." Angel gave a mocking wave and made to turn toward the exit, but found himself pulled into a tight hug by Charlie. He went stiff at first before relaxing into it, reaching one hand out to pet over her thick blonde hair. "Heh, no need for dramatics, toots. It ain't goodbye. Not really."
Charlie nodded, a small hiccup escaping her lips as she pulled away. "I know, but you were our first guest so seeing you leave is a big deal, Angel. At least it is for me." She sniffled and smiled, her expression all the more painful in its genuineness. "But I'm also excited to have you on as an official staff member. Tell Sir Pentious we all say hi and give him a nice big hug from me, ok?"
"You got it," Angel said as he glanced down to Nugs who was starting to squirm from being held for so long. "Ready ta go see our new home, baby?" he asked, petting the pig's soft ears. Charlie chuckled and reached out to give Nuggets a few pats as well while the pig affectionately snuffled her wrist.
With that, Angel's eyes met Charlie's and they both smiled, coming in for one last gentle embrace before Angel stepped back, giving the rest of the gang a simple wave as he walked through the two double doors and out into the warm midday sun.
Taking a deep breath, Angel turned and looked up at the Hotel even as he pulled out his phone to call for a cab. It was strange to be leaving after almost three years of living in this place. Most of that time he'd been the only guest and the sole focus of the princess' lil' pet project, but now the rooms were filled and the halls were bustling with more people than Charlie knew what to do with.
He might not be going to Heaven, but Angel was certainly not heading back to the old life he'd led. None of this was perfect by any means...but he was happy.
Once the cab pulled up, Angel got in and set Nuggets down on the seat beside him before giving the driver the address to the mansion.
As the taxi began to move, he turned to watch the Hotel slowly fade into the background behind the dusty glass of the cab's unwashed window. Nuggets nuzzled his thigh and Angel finally tore his attention away from the building to gently tug the pig up into lap. He smiled fondly and shook his head. "I'm bein' pretty silly, huh Nugs?"
The pig just blinked those impossibly black eyes up at him and Angel laughed as the cab began to head out of the Pentagram proper and toward the hilly outskirts of the city.
The mansion was still partially under construction, but enough of the house had been finished that Pent deemed it more or less safe to go ahead and move in. As Angel's cab pulled up to the front, the spider smiled and lifted Nugs up so the pig could watch as the movers carried the last of the big boxes into their new home.
On the outside, the overall design of the house hadn't changed aside from the extra floor and color scheme which swapped out the harsh blacks and grays that Pentious had favored for a soft silvery blue. After months of going back and forth about colors, they decided that blue was a safe middle ground and so that became the primary palette of the house, though it was often accompanied by complementary colors that varied from room to room.
After paying the driver, Angel trudged along the paved path leading to the front steps with Nugs in his arms, keeping out of the way of the movers as he stepped through the open door. Wandering the foyer, Angel glanced up and grinned at the new periwinkle chandelier that hung at the entrance. As much as he had insisted that Pent update his style, some aspects had grown on him and so the chandeliers ended up staying as a staple fixture.
The Persian carpeting on the other hand had been replaced with hardwood and most of the furnishing they acquired were built with a more modern design. But then there was the wallpaper that (despite being significantly toned down) harkened back to Pent's Victorian roots in a way that Angel couldn't help but find charming.
He followed the movers to the stairs, but paused at the second floor landing while the burly Demons continued their trek to the Master bedroom on the third floor. "Pen?" Angel asked, seeing a moving shadow just off the hallway that separated the study and playroom. He furrowed his brow and peered in through the open doorway, catching sight of a familiar black tail as it draped over the bottom of an aluminum ladder.
Pent was drilling the last bolts into the ceiling for a stripper pole, his talons holding the metal plate in place as he secured each screw. "You're rather late," Pent said without looking as he turned off the drill and placed it on a rack he'd attached to the top of the ladder. "I had assumed you'd be by before the movers made it up the hill." The snake slowly descended as he spoke, removing his safety goggles and perching them on top of his hood before gesturing back at the pole. "Well, what do you think? It's guaranteed to hold around 225 kilos." Pent lifted his chin proudly and then reached out to pet Nugs, giggling as the pig licked his fingers. "Of course we'll still need to furnish everything, but that will come with time."
Angel kissed Pentious' cheek and then went over to inspect the small stage that his boyfriend had built to elevate the pole above the hardwood. The wall lights had been designed to be adjustable (for brightness, color, and positioning) like a real studio and the wallpaper was a nice dark red so that Angel's white fur would contrast starkly from any angle. "It looks gorgeous, babe," he said, reaching out and touching over the cool metal. "You already did the one in the bedroom, right?"
Pentious sidled back up to Angel and huffed. "What sort of man do you take me for? Of course I prioritized the bedroom." He laughed and wrapped an arm around Angel's shoulders as he looked up at the pole. "Do you want me to hold Fat Nuggets so you can test it out?"
"Lookin' for a show already?" Angel teased before handing over the pig and lowering his duffel bag to the floor. "I'm outta practice so expect some slippage."
Once the ladder was moved and placed against the wall, Angel stepped up to the stage and turned on his heel, smirking down at Pentious. "You ever been to a strip club before?" he asked as he tested the give of the pole (finding it had none) before easily climbing until his head nearly brushed the ceiling. Angel leaned back, leaving only his thighs wrapped around the metal as he swung in a corkscrew, looking at the other man upside down.
"It was never much my scene," Pent said with a snort, the eyes on his face and body tracking Angel's even rotations. "But if you ever got booked for a proper striptease, I would attend your shows."
Angel grinned at him, slowing his spinning as he got to the mid-point of the long pole. "You'd be ok with me giving lap dances ta fellas, right? An' guys stickin' cash in my panties?"
Pentious rolled his eyes and glanced down to Nugs in his arms. "Yes, yes. I know how this works. I don't live under a rock, Angel."
Chuckling, Angel blew his boyfriend a kiss and let himself drift to the slow spin. As he swung around again, his eyes caught sight of what looked like a long metal rail and a stack of floor-length mirrors waiting to be installed. His eyes widened and Angel lost his grip, falling on his shoulders and upper back as he hit the floor with a loud thud.
Pent's hood flared and he put Nuggets down before immediately slithering to Angel. "Are you alright?" he asked, helping Angel to sit up while checking over his neck to make sure he hadn't seriously hurt himself.
Angel shook his head and groaned, immediately glancing from Pent's worried expression back to the mirrors. "Is...is that a barre?" he asked as he slowly stood with Pent's help, stepping off the stage and walking over to the opposite wall.
"Oh! Um...well yes. I ordered them the last time we went out drinking." Pent gave a slightly embarrassed laugh and rubbed over his deflating hood with one hand. "I had a little too much that night and you kept talking about how excited you were to be able to dance again and I just couldn't help myself. They came today, but I can send them back if you-"
Angel turned to grab Pent by his absurdly small waist, dragging the snake in for a fierce kiss. His lower hands kept their grip on Pent's hips while the upper set cupped the other man's skull and lower back, rubbing over the sensitive tendons that quickly relaxed under his familiar touch.
When he pulled away, Angel smiled and then pressed their brows together. "Fuck, I love you," he said without thinking, only to freeze in place once the words hit his ears. Pent went stiff as well but he recovered after a few quiet moments, relaxing and gently nuzzling into Angel's cheek.
"I know…" Pentious said with an awkward laugh before clearing his throat and correcting himself. "Actually I've known…" He smiled and pulled out his phone before highlighting an Italian to English translation app. "You're my everything too."
Angel swallowed, a deep flush rising to his face as mortification and embarrassment churned in his belly. But then he glanced up at Pent's warm smile and the shame from being called out faded, replaced by the floaty high that the snake's genuine happiness always seemed to inspire. Exhaling, Angel looked over his shoulder to stare at the barre resting against the wall. "I'll have ta get the right shoes for it…" he murmured in a quiet voice as Pent's talons gripped his shoulders, gently tracing down the natural grain of his fur.
"There are websites that make them custom." Pent's eyes immediately flickered to Angel's feet and he chuckled. "Don't fret. We'll get those hooves of yours outfitted in proper pointe before the space is ready for regular use."
Nodding, Angel hugged Pentious and hooked his chin over the snake's broad shoulder. A fucking metal rail and a set of mirrors shouldn't make him wanna cry, but here he was, fighting back tears as he held this wonderfully silly and insanely thoughtful man.
The man he fucking loved.
They stood there, holding each other in mutual silence until the door opened and one of the movers peeked inside. "Mr. Pentious, we're all done here. If you'd like to finish the paperwork-?"
Pent sighed and nodded, kissing Angel's cheek even as he pulled away. "Go on up and start unpacking. I'll be along momentarily." He then slithered out of the room and down the stairs to inspect the truck for any missing items and to sign off on the payment.
Angel exhaled and took stock of the unfinished playroom, already imagining what it'd be like once it was completely furnished with the barre set up. He reached out and touched the burnished metal as he looked over to Nugs who was trying to climb onto the stage and struggling due to their tiny legs.
Snorting, he walked over and scooped up the pig, petting their ears. "C'mon, Nuggies. Let's go see our new bedroom," he said in a soft voice as he lifted the duffel bag and headed out to the hallway, climbing the last flight of stairs that led to the Master. The door was left ajar and the security keypad outside the door was currently disabled, but Angel had already made sure to memorize all the house codes (as insanely complicated as they were).
He stepped inside and set Nugs down on the floor as he shut the door behind him. Like the rest of the house, the overall interior had been finished with the new flooring, but the room was mostly the same as it was before with clean wallpaper (a white-gold combination), a private balcony, fireplace, and the ridiculously huge bed-pit (which now included a system to raise and lower the mattress when they didn't want Nuggets climbing into the sheets with them). One of the few changes was a stripper pole that had been placed off to the side, but still in full-view of the bed.
Angel peered inside the walk-in closet, noting that Pent had already unpacked his own clothes, leaving the other side for Angel's things. It was a shame that most of (if not all) of Pent's closet had been lost in the fire, including the nice corset vest and tie, but Angel had gone and replaced some of those items with one of the first paychecks that came from selling custom nudes. At least the hoodies Angel had saved (stolen) were still intact.
He smiled and left to go and check out the bathroom which was also mostly unchanged, though the counters and tile were now a pink-tinted marble and the black had been heavily toned down, only serving as an accent to the much softer pastel coloration of the room.
Most importantly, there were now two sinks. No more fighting over spitting rights (as fun as it had been to shove Pent out of his own bathroom, it simply wasn't going to be practical in the long run).
Running his hand over the smooth stone, Angel looked at his own reflection and let out a long sigh.
The past three years had been a combination of rough, weird, terrifying, amazing, and wonderful. Most of it had still been some flavor of bad, but at the same time, he wouldn't change any of it, even the suckier parts. In hindsight, those moments were distant and it was easier to push that crap from his mind when he had so much better shit to look forward to.
"Oh! Hey Mister Dust."
Angel turned, seeing a few of the eggboiz had come in and were starting to unpack the boxes that were stacked by the door. They all waved to the spider, but one of them stepped forward and cleared their throat. "Welcome home! Do you like the room? The Boss was worried that you'd want the whole thing redone."
Snickering, Angel just leaned against the doorframe and grinned. "Lose the Mista, that shit makes it seem like I'm married with two-n'-a-half crotch goblins," he insisted as he shook his head in tired amusement. "But yeah, Pen's a big fuckin' worrywart. If I didn't like any of this shit, I woulda told him when he was still designin' it." And that was quite the process in and of itself. Both of them had extremely different tastes and needs, but based on what he was seeing so far, the work they put in was definitely worth it.
The first egg paused and tapped their chin as the rest went back to moving clothes from the opened boxes into the closet. "Well, can we get you anything, ummm...Sir Dust?" the eggboi asked with a hopeful expression as they stared up at Angel, their yellow eyes simultaneously beady and absurdly round at the same time. "The kitchen's not well-stocked, but we can order delivery!"
"Y'know, that nickname ain't half bad. Makes me sound fancy," Angel said as he walked over to the eggs, giving two of them a light pat on the head as Nuggets toddled after him curiously. "But nah, I'm good to wait until dinner."
As he spoke, the bedroom door opened and Pent entered, now sans his safety goggles. "Ah, I see you've found the bathroom," he said with a small knowing glance behind Angel before slithering over to meet the spider halfway.
"Who the hell do you take me for, Pen? Of course I had ta scope out all the best spots for us to bone," Angel said with a wink, wrapping one arm around Pent's waist to cup over his hipbone. "Y'know, we never did get to fuck in that last tub."
Pentious rolled his eyes. "I assume you would like to christen the new one?" he said as Angel waggled his brows.
"Among other places," Angel teased, pinching the snake's scales. "Sides, you've been workin' so hard, babe. Don'tcha wanna just lay back an' be the pillow princess for once?" As Angel spoke, his upper arms rose to massage the tense muscles of Pent's shoulders, digging his fingers into the smooth black skin. "Lemme get you nice and loose. It's been a real long time since you lemme play with your funhole."
Groaning, Pent lifted a hand to tightly pinch his brow. "Must you call it that? Why can't you say cloaca?" he asked with an exasperated pout.
Angel laughed and kissed his cheek. "Because you already banned me from usin' the other word and cloaca just sounds like somethin' outta a goddamn nature documentary. At least funhole is accurate. I have a lotta fun in your hole. Specifically my dick."
Pent just shook his head and then glanced to the bathroom. "While I disagree with your chosen terminology, I admit that a warm bath sounds very appealing right about now."
Angel grinned, thrusting his hips into Pent's. "So bath-n'-bone?" he asked as one hand teased down to the hem of Pent's shirt, tugging it up to thumb across the seam of the snake's cloaca. "C'mon, Pen. I'll let you decide how we break in the bed tonight if ya lemme fuck you in the new tub." He batted his eyes and gave a sultry purr. "We can use your tooooys…"
Pent quirked one eyebrow as he stared at Angel, his mouth pursing into a line before relaxing. "Hmmm, are you up for being flogged?" he asked as Angel continued to tease over his slit, the other three hands now outlining the snake's trim waist and wide hips.
"Ohhh, feelin' a lil fiesty?" Angel asked with a knowing grin.
Pent, being the cheeky shitlord he was, just returned the smirk. "It's the first night in our new home. Why wouldn't I be?" he said, grabbing the hand that was rubbing his slit and bringing it up to his mouth. Angel's eyes widened as Pentious wrapped his forked tongue around the spider's middle and index fingers, staring up at Angel as he slowly sucked them between his fangs and hollowed his cheeks.
Immediately the eggboiz froze, recovering only to scurry out of the room. "Bossman and Sir Dust are getting busy! Time to take piggy for a walk!" one of them said, grabbing Nugget's leash and harness before the other two minions bodily lifted up the pig in question (who gave a very confused oink, but didn't fight) as they ran out of the room and closed the door with a loud slam.
Pent winced and then slowly extracted the spider's fingers from his mouth. "Angel, you're not supposed to use Sir as a title unless you've been knighted," he lectured as the spider rolled his eyes and flexed his saliva-slick appendages.
"And were you knighted?" Angel shot right back with a grin, watching as Pentious went stiff and began to chew his lip. "Yeah, that's what I fuckin' thought."
Snickering, Angel just shook his head and then gestured towards the bathroom. "But speakin' of dirtyin' up our new house, I am gonna get you into the playroom for a film one of these days. You're too hot to not show off." He winked and used one of his lower hands to give the snake's backside a firm pat.
Pent scoffed, a soft blush rising to his cheeks. "I am not a porn star, Angel."
Angel shrugged as he continued to stroke down the other man's back all while slowly leading Pentious toward the bathroom. "So? Do'ya know how much bank we'd make once people saw what kinda heat you're packin' under those scales?" He released Pent only to reach over and turn on the faucet once they were through the bathroom door, letting the water heat up before plugging the bottom of the tub. "If you wanna see some serious bills comin' in, you'll get on camera. Trust me."
"You'll never convince me to get naked for an audience," Pent said while Angel undressed him and the bath filled with steaming water. "As enticing as the money would be, I'm not desperate like I was in my youth." Leaning over, Pentious turned off the faucet once the waterline was deep enough before he slipped into the tub and sighed, leaning back against the lip of the basin.
Snorting, Angel stripped down as well and stepped inside the pool, straddling Pent and rubbing his flaccid cock across the yellow scales of the snake's abdomen. "You also said I'd never set foot in your bedroom as long as you had a soul in this shit pit, but here we are," Angel teased, his upper hands stroking Pent's face while the lower set went right back to rubbing against the scales covering the snake's groin.
"You wore me down with that one, but I have no desire to share my body with the world," Pent said with a sigh as he let his own hands come up to rest on Angel's waist, hips squirming a bit as Angel kept humping against his tail under the water. "Be free with your own as you like. It's yours to do with what you wish."
Angel just continued to smile as he gave the other man a playful tap to the nose. "I guess only time will tell, but I'm damn pretty persuasive."
Pent returned the smile and cupped the spider's cheek, stroking the talon of his thumb underneath Angel's black eye. "You are, I'll admit that much," he purred as Angel's upper arms draped over his shoulders while the lower set began to prod into the tight clench of his body. Pent's breath hitched and he let out a low exhale, brow furrowing as Angel snickered on top of him. "You're also an absolute shit."
"An' you fuckin' love it," Angel insisted, leaning down to mouth over the snake's throat, grinning as Pent lifted his chin to give him more room to work. Pent so rarely voiced what he wanted in bed, but his body language was always very clear and Angel had gotten damn good at reading the minute shifts and twitches that slipped out whenever the snake got really into it.
"I refuse to inflate your considerable ego any further," Pent said stubbornly all while he closed his eyes and sank his hips down further into the basin. A soft breathy exhale escaped his parted lips as Angel sucked over the scales that ran from his throat to his collarbone.
Letting out his own husky hum, Angel nipped the tense muscle and pressed a firm kiss to the slick black skin. "Guess I'll just have ta settle fer makin' ya melt into a whimperin' puddle," he purred as Pent's hands gripped his waist, those sharp red talons digging into the fur deep enough to tickle his skin, but not hard enough to slice or cut. "What a fuckin' travesty."
Pent laughed and Angel pulled back just to watch the other man's face as his entire body lit up with a genuine smile.
He'd witnessed hundreds of little expressions from Pentious over the last three years and yet there was still something special about the other man's goofy goddamn grin after all this time. No matter how many times Angel had seen it, that smile always sent his head and heart into uncontrolled tailspins.
Knowing that he was the one to put it there in the first place was the ultimate high.
Stolas hummed and let out a disappointed sigh as he flipped through his phone. "Well that was a rather unexpected development," he murmured, red eyes scanning through the album that was currently displayed across his screen while Blitzo untied the firm knots that bound his thin ankles to their respective bedposts.
"Hm?" Blitzo asked, tossing the rope away to let it loosely drape over the side of the mattress. "What? Your kid finally drop the boy-crazy act and admit that she's a raging lesbian?"
Stolas shook his head before flipping his palm and the phone clenched in it to show Blitzo the most recent post from Angel Dust's social media. The image was of the spider standing in front of a large Victorian-style house, showing off a new pig keychain and several keys (presumably to the mansion behind him) attached at the ring: Finally movin' in with the boyfriend. #KissTheRingBitches.
"That's the guy you wanted to bone, right?" Blitzo said, tilting his head to one side before giving the owl a loose dismissive shrug. "Shit, guess he's off the market then. Sucks for you, Stolas."
Exhaling, Stolas hummed and tapped one long talon to his cheek. "It is truly a pity, but this is what's so peculiar-" He then scrolled to the next image file, showing a picture of Pentious chasing a small out of focus pig around a kitchen island. The blur made it difficult to tell, but it looked as if the pet had stolen a cookie off a baking sheet that was only barely in frame.
"Wait, is this from that other guy's page? Are those two fuckers friends now?" Blitzo asked, climbing back up to lay against the headboard with Stolas. "Also why am I supposed to care again?"
"Read the caption," Stolas insisted and Blitzo leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing.
Nuggies papa's baking. #PigPapaStruggles #FamilyLyfe
Blitzo blinked and then cackled as he rolled over to straddle the larger Demon. "Oooooh, they're fucking! Well good for them I guess. That snake guy seemed like he really needed to get laid."
Shaking his head, Stolas murmured, "As I said, it's a rather strange outcome given the last time we saw them both. Thankfully there is always Angel Dust's filmography to lean back on." He heaved a sigh and dramatically stroked his talons along the feathers lining his sternum. "My imagination will simply have to suffice."
"Speaking of those two weirdos, you ever get those stupid cuffs back?" Blitzo asked as he reached over and grabbed his own phone, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he began to text.
Stolas chuckled and gave a small nod. "They were delivered to my residence a few months ago," he assured, sliding out from underneath Blitzo before he rolled up to sit. The tall Demon stretched out his long legs and arms as he stood, walking over to the closet and dragging out a familiar wooden chest that Blitzo had learned long ago to never touch.
Opening the lid, Stolas's pupilless eyes curved in amusement as he stalked back to the bed, lifting the length of metallic blue chain up in his palm. "I might have to contract Sir Pentious for any future pieces. His craftsmanship is impeccable…and the man makes a mean scone to boot."
"Scone?" Blitzo muttered, not glancing up once from his screen. "The fuck are you talking about?"
"One of his little eggs brought a box of scones along with the cuffs as an apology for the long wait. Via and I went through the entire tin in less than a week." Stolas picked up the key, tapping the charm to both of the cuffs to open them before glancing at Blitzo, his mouth stretching into a horny smirk. "But enough about the scones, how about we ditch the ropes and test out my new set of cuffs, hmm?"
The Imp's eyes flickered up from his phone to Stolas and Blitzo gave a nervous swallow as the owl pulled the chain taut, the metal links bouncing with the tension before straightening into a tight line. "Uh, you aren't gonna lose that key again, are you?" he asked with a small chuckle. "Right, Stolas?"
The owl leaned in, humming softly as he nuzzled against the Imp's broad forehead. "Oh don't worry, I'm planning on commissioning a spare. In the meantime, what do you say to using these? I'll have you know that the mild burn of Heaven's Steel is excruciatingly lovely."
Blitzo gave a weak nod and Stolas beamed before dropping the blue chain into his lap. Stolas then climbed back onto the bed to take his place in the center of the mattress, draping himself out over the messy tangled sheets. Blitzo's mouth went dry as the owl crossed his arms over his head and batted all four red eyes at the Imp. "Coming, Blitzy?" he asked with a deep throaty purr that sent tingles up the Imp's spine.
Picking up the steel, Blitzo raised the cuffs and laughed before the sound faded into a nervous chuckle. "Alright, but remember, you asked for it," he reminded, leaning up to run the chain through a metal loop attached to the headboard before crossing the links and locking both of the owl's wrists into the cuffs. "No getting pissy with me later."
Stolas let out a deep moan and arched his back, puffing out his chest as the metal burned against his exposed flesh. "Mmmm, how about you stop worrying and shove that big red cock of yours down my throat?" he breathed, running his tongue over the sharp curve of his beak. "I'm waiting."
The Imp shivered and shifted up to stand, placing his feet on either side of the Demon's chest. Stolas shivered as Blitzo's significantly smaller body cast a dark shadow over him, blocking his view of anything aside from the Imp's legs and groin.
As soft moans and lavish sucking began to fill the room in the absence of continued conversation, the blue chains gently clacked against the headboard in tandem to the rhythmic rocking of the wrists they encircled.
Molten steel, once forged into spears that stabbed and knives that cut, once again took the form of ties that bind.
And there were oh so many ways to be bound.
THE END
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Beta assistance by SirDust & DerpingLina