"Good morning."

Angel had his eyes closed, yet somehow, Alastor knew he was awake. They had stayed in the same position they had slept in the previous night, their arms still wrapped around one another. Opening his eyes to the voice that called to him, he didn't expect to be so close to the source. One thing that struck Angel when he first met the radio demon were his eyes. They were so big, wide, and the redness of them stared into the depths of whoever he looked at. It had always intimidated Angel. Every single time his advances were rejected, he was met with that gaze. At this moment in time, he was again entranced, but not by fear. His heart throbbed like a harp's chord; a gentle pluck that sent waves throughout his body. This look was different.

"Good morning." Angel replied and dared to move, his hands moving to Alastor's waist. Understandably, the deer squirmed, pupils shrinking in alertness. His shoulders came up, and he was still. But he relaxed as the spider found what he was looking for: his hands. Their fingers linked with one another. Stunning Angel, Alastor seemed to blush at this, his pupils dashing off to one side. Amusement danced across Angel's features, opposing the other's slightly annoyed pout as the radio demon noticed the teasing smirk.

"You are so..." Alastor began, but the last half of the sentence was forgotten. He rose from his blanket and looked the other way towards the window. It was still cold, the ice and white from outside obscuring everything. Their hands separated.

"I'm so what?" Angel inquired, crawling to slink his four arms around the deer's torso. Again, Alastor became rigid, ears flicking up. The spider's previous amusement turned into a soft giggle.

"It's... nothing." Turning around, Angel looked to be surprised yet again.

Alastor tilted his head slightly. "What is it?"

"...you're smiling."

"But, I'm always smiling."

Angel shook his head. "No. It's... different."

Looking at the spider, his smile seemed to shift a little as if he was unsure of himself. "Well... all I can say is, I'm fully dressed right now. Certainly." Alastor left the room promptly, not waiting for a response. Angel's eyes tracked him until he left the room, closing the door. Behind the door, the deer laid his back against the frame. A hand moving up to his chest, he took a few deep breaths, finding this fluttering sensation within him. Pleasant, yet it was a feeling that yearned, aching like an itch waiting to be scratched. He started down the hallway. His grin closed into a simple, small smile, hand still over his trembling heart.

"Perhaps..."


Angel left the room a little later, his mind still frazzled from everything that had happened the past night. It was so strange to see Alastor act this way, the affections they shared with each other coming out of nowhere. It was as if this was all a dream. The cold had made them bond so intimately; or at least, Angel hoped that's what it was. Doubts formed in his head though as he recalled what the radio demon had told him. 'I'm doing this purely to stay warm.' Even with this doubt, he couldn't help but be excited, an extra spring in his step as he practically danced his way to the lobby. Doing a spin as he sat, he was blooming like a flower in spring. While Charlie and Vaggie seemed to be pretty happy, Husk was not amused, bags under his eyes as he held a mug of coffee.

"Well, aren't you the bright whippersnapper today." Husk sounded like an undertaker who just got finished with their shift.

"Yep! Slept really, really well last night." Angel couldn't keep himself from grinning, his cheeks flushing as he replayed the scenes in his head again. "The best sleep I've ever had, really!"

"Yeah? Well good for you. This weather fuckin' sucks. Didn't get a single wink." Eyes squinting, the bartender sunk into his scarf, letting out a 'brrr.' Finally, Angel felt the cold settle in at this as if Husk's reaction was contagious. Looking left and right for someone he knew could relate, he noticed that very someone wasn't present.

"Did you happen to see Alastor?"

"He went out." The cat was muffled by his scarf, and his eyes were closed.

"Hmm... got any extra coffee?"

"Make it yourself."


Alastor appeared in the store, shadows revealing his form of red. He was glad to see they were open today. As expected, the store was rather jam packed. This was one of the only stores that sold winter apparel, the others forgoing the possibility of the current weather they were having.

"Oh, excellent. This is what I'm looking for."

Once others noticed him, they parted into two sides like double doors. The chatter suddenly became quiet. The radio demon smiled at this and went on ahead, the long line disappearing. His reputation allowed him some small benefits like this.

"What are you looking to buy, sir?" The salesman was a short mouse, and spoke meekly before the much taller demon. Either he was shy, or knew the reputation of the demon before.

"Hmm... your finest, furriest, fluffiest blanket!" Alastor proclaimed, clasping his hands together.

"Right away, sir..."

In the demon metropolis, there was still some semblance of civility. There were still certain rules and regulations to follow. Some demons excelled at certain skills more than others, and as a result, there were still a trading and currency system. Even as a well known, powerful figure, Alastor couldn't just come in and make demands; king of hell or peasant, you had to have the penny to receive. Money wasn't an issue for Alastor anyways.

"How's this, sir?"

"Hmm... that looks just about right. My thanks, fellow!"

Being given a generous tip, the mouse bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much for your business."

"Hmm..." Just as Alastor was about to leave though, something caught his eye. "...how much for those?"


"Our sincerest apologies for the delay. Traffic was... hell, as you can imagine! Hahaha... hell."

"...leave the jokes to me, Tom."

"Sorry."

"Anyways, we apologize for having to ruin your day even more, but this cold may be staying for much longer. Our experts here have told us that this storm may last for even months!"

"Oh for fuck's sake... more of this, and I'll become the first ever ice spider in existence." By now, Angel's brightness had faded as the cold once again attacked him. The storm seemed to slow down for a few hours, but it was back at full force by the afternoon. The news confirmed this, and worse. Looking outside, there was nothing but white, and the demons who were outside looked like statues that had been animated to life; struggling to move, sluggish. He wondered why they even tried. The entrance to the hotel opened shortly after, and it was one of the figures he had seen. Oddly, it looked familiar up close, it moving into the lobby very, very slowly, entire body covered in snow. The group's interest was caught as they all stared at it. Eventually, it made it to a barstool, then sat.

"...huh." Charlie walked up to it, and gave the unknown thing a simple poke. Like dust, the snow all fell off at once. It was a slightly paler Alastor, hugging himself with a shopping bag in hand. The first demon ice deer in existence.

"Gr... greetings, everyone!"

"Geez, are you trying to get yourself killed? What were you doing out there?" Husk seemed to be doing better now, having stacked three jackets now.

"It looks like someone went shopping." Vaggie remarked as she looked at the bag that had somehow remained in good condition under the snow.

"Indeed. I have decided to make an investment... in this!" Proudly, he took out a short red trenchcoat and a black/red striped scarf. It looked expensive. Nothing less to be expected of the radio demon. Besides that, he took out a white long sleeve, earmuffs in the shape of cat ears, and a white/pink scarf.

"Wow, didn't think you'd pick out something other than red." Charlie commented.

"Actually, these are for someone else." Grinning, he looked to Angel and handed them over. Angel was genuinely surprised, pointing at himself in question.

"Really? You... seriously didn't have to."

"I wanted to. See if it fits."

Angel tried on the sweater and was glad to see the measurements were just right, his arms fitting in, and not without stretching the fabric. "It's perfect. And the earmuffs are really cute too! Um..." They had caught each other's eyes for just a moment. Alastor was perfectly fine with this, his toothy grin disappearing under a gentle smile. Angel looked away, feeling heat come onto his face. "T... thanks."

Charlie, Husk, and Vaggie looked at each other, detecting a different atmosphere, checking if they all had the same thought. Seeing each other's identical looks, they definitely were thinking the same thing.

"It is my pleasure, Angel Dust."

"Oh, get a rooooom!" Husk bellowed, and he and Vaggie started laughing, leaving the deer and spider to blush.


Angel took to wearing his new gifts, enjoying the warmth they brought. This wasn't just ordinary clothing either; this had to be enchanted with something. Angel didn't know much about magic, but thin clothing like this definitely couldn't stave off these kinds of temperatures. They were surely maintained by some sort of potion, or whatever nonsense could give such abilities. However, as much as Angel enjoyed the comfort, he worried. As night fell, temperatures dove sharply once more, the freeze penetrating the properties of his new clothing, though not so much that he couldn't sleep. In his bed, laying under some covers, he felt fine. This would be more than enough to sleep.

This was what he worried about.

His lips pursed and he looked outside solemnly. He thought back to the events of the other night again. Earlier, he was happy to remember these memories. He had been anticipating tonight. With these gifts, there was no need to go to Alastor. Surely, Alastor felt the same way with his new clothes too. Hugging himself, he felt tears. His sorrow catching up quick upon recognition, he sobbed quietly, holding a pillow.

"Why am I crying? Fuck's sake." Hearing his door creak open, he immediately wiped his tears and sat up, though didn't face the other direction.

"Angel, dear." Of course it was him. Turning, he looked with just one eye, black and red meeting scarlet. "I've purchased something else. Would you like to try it with me?"

Looking away again, Angel cried harder, but smiled, tears of sadness quickly shifting to a different light.

"Angel? Are you...?" Before he could finish, Angel dove for Alastor, hugging tightly. Slightly winded, Alastor stumbled, but managed to stay put. As Angel placed his head on the deer's chest and gripped tightly, Alastor finally pieced it together. Smiling, he wrapped his arms around the vulnerable spider, placing his nose into his hair.

"I... I thought..." Angel struggled through tears.

"I know." Alastor hummed, soothing Angel until the spider felt his legs get swooped from under him. He was being carried.

"H-hey!" Angel yelped as Alastor just grinned, walking towards his room.

"Relax, or we might fall." As luck would have it, Charlie and Vaggie were making their way to their rooms to, awkward glances exchanged between the spider and the other couple. Alastor didn't care though, not even acknowledging them. He sort of wanted them to see.

"Well, that's not something I expected." A moody voice observed as Alastor and Angel disappeared into their room.

"Let's not ruin their moment..." A cheerier voice replied.

The door closing, Alastor laid Angel onto his bed, then joined him. The scent of roses and that crackling fire soothed the spider's mind further, laying his head on a pillow. He pulled the deer in. The radio demon had no objections, placing his head beside Angel's, and wrapping his arms around the spider. They stayed like this for a while as Angel gathered his emotions, his breathing slowing. He was still crying a bit. Alastor wiped the tears as they came, rubbing the other's back as Angel let it all out of his system. Eventually, near silence arrived, only the subtle breathing of the two and the flicks of the flame in the room present.

"Sorry for crying. I really thought that'd be... the end of it."

"It's alright, darling. I was also afraid that would be it."

Angel smiled at this, raising a hand, but putting it down in hesitation. 'Maybe that'd be too much.' As if his thoughts were read, Alastor took the hand and held it. This made Angel's heart swoon, but something still bothered him.

"I still don't get it."

"What is there to understand? As long as we're both happy..."

"That's true. But... I don't want to..." Alastor removed his hand from Angel's, looking a little nervous.

"...no, that's fine!" Angel took the hand again and gave a giggle, but the doubt was clear by the way his laugh ended. "But... I just don't want to misplace my feelings. You said you were only doing this to stay warm... right?"

Alastor stared for a while, then looked away in thought. "It's true that I said that." Angel's heart dropped, but he wasn't a fool. How could such feelings emerge all of a sudden anyways? It would've been stupid to assume any of this romance. He didn't think it was romance at all. But, part of him dreamed. Part of him had hoped.

"...but, that's not the whole truth." Again, that dreadful hope grew like a fire in his chest. An intense want that needed to be sated; but would it be stomped on? "We've been here in this hotel for quite some time now. I came here for entertainment."

Angel remained quiet, and his heart beat harshly. "I got what I came for. And, something more." Leaning on en elbow, he touched his own chest, right above where his heart rested, and looked to the false fireplace.

"Sometimes, I feel something so... strong. A feeling that takes hold of me. I feel free, and uncaring." Alastor's eyes focused in on Angel. "I don't normally feel this way. I never feel like this. But for some reason, around you..."

He stopped himself, looking at Angel. Alastor wasn't sure if he was freaking him out at this moment, afraid that he had rambled too long, or was just being confusing. The deer could imagine it now before it even happened. Angel pulling away, saying hurtful things, and leaving him. The pain was already taking shape where he had kept his hand. His heart was preparing itself. He waited.

'Any moment now.' Nothing came. Angel seemed to drift closer, and closer, in fact. Eventually, the already small gap between them disappeared, but Alastor still believed something bad would happen. It had to any moment now. Maybe he'd be shoved away. Maybe he'd be let down gently. At the tension's highest, Angel leaned in. It started off as a brush upon his lips. Angel's eyes were lidded, and Alastor hadn't noticed the arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him in.

It was what he never expected. 'A... kiss?' Eyes dilating, he was taken out of his prison of thoughts. He leaned in as well as every thought was vanished away like the cinders of a fire. So many maybes had run through his head, but out of all of them, he never thought of this one. Angel's lips felt so soft on his, and he wanted more. Moments of pure, uninterrupted bliss passed before they separated, lips mere inches apart when they did. Through their eyes alone, the message was clear. But Alastor did not want to leave any doubts this time.

"I love you, Angel Dust."

The spider seemed to dance with these words for a moment. Alastor held his breath. "I love you too, Alastor."