Double Update!
The next day came and Charlie was freaking out. When she went to sleep last night, she was hoping something would have come back to her so she would remember what the hell she said exactly. It wasn't the fact she black out drunk, she wanted to know what she said to Husk to see him hurt like that.
She continued to drum her fingers against the table, holding her coffee cup just thinking.
"You're getting on my nerves."
Charlie's eyes flickered up to see Vaggie glaring at her.
"S-sorry."
"You've been out of sorts for the last few days and you hadn't told me why you screamed at me or why you had been half naked walking in the hallway."
"I…." she trailed off.
She already bared her soul for Angel and he had her thinking. She felt so conflicted because she wasn't sure what she was feeling. Was she feeling this way because the cat demon was hurt or because she did or felt something during her drunken encounter that her brain was trying to unravel?
"You what?"
"I… I hurt someone by accident."
Vaggie's eye widened then narrowed.
"Who? Physically?"
"I mean… well?"
"That's not a damn answer."
"What do you want me to say?! I'm so terrible Vaggie!"
She slammed her head on the table, rattling their cups. She slapped her hand down the moment the kitchen door opened up. Husk stood there watching as Charlie's hand started to smoke and a burning wood smell filled the air.
"You're gonna catch the hotel on fire!" Vaggie screeched, dumping her coffee on Charlie's smoking hand.
Charlie let out a sob of anguish and self loathing and the cat demon booked it out of there as fast as he could go. Just hearing her like that should've made him a little happy that she was miserable but it didn't. His yellow eyes landed on the bar and found Angel sitting there.
Fuck my whole entire afterlife.
He hadn't realized Angel would become so fully invested in all this bullshit but here he was. The spider demon was slapping the bar top way too eagerly. He really needed to get the fuck out of the hotel for a few days. Why did he continue to punish himself like this?
"The fuck you want? I don't want to talk about this-
"She spilled the beans ta me last night."
"There ain't no fuckin' beans to spill."
"She said she wasn't grossed out by ya and she's hesitantin' about sleepin' with Alastor."
"Why are you in my damn business still? There's nothing more about it. It's over and it ended. It was a big fuckin' mistake."
"I don't think it was."
Angel propped two of his elbows on the bar and held up his face just grinning away.
"You're smoking somethin' then."
"Nope! Chicks swoon for a guy who do the lovey dovey bullshit. I am sure- thousand percent fuckin' sure, Charlie isn't gonna fuck him because ya got to her head first. She feels somethin' for ya but because she doesn't remember."
Husk sighed and started making Angel a cosmo.
"I just don't wanna hear it anymore and I prefer to forget."
Husk opened a beer and started drinking. He poured him and Angel a shot each.
"Husky baby-
"The answer is no. I don't care what she does anymore alright Angel?"
The spider demon closed his mouth.
He didn't believe him one bit but he knew Husk was hurting. That was fine, he would just work in the background.
X
X
Charlie was burning through her paperwork (not actually burning it though like she had tried with the table) and she managed to finish even backed up stuff too. Vaggie looked impressed watching her from her own seat but the whole time the princess sat there she looked outrageously pissed. Charlie finished and slammed her laptop shut and jumped up.
"Jesus, I've never seen you so on edge Charlie."
"I'm in a fireball mood."
"Um…. I don't think you should be drinking."
The princess gave her a weird look.
"Actually, I could use one of those hard lemonade things. Can you get me one and I gotta get some shit from the basement."
Charlie didn't leave any room for arguing and she bolted from the office.
I have to be missing something. Fucking hell.
Vaggie forced herself to go to the bar and asked for a hard lemonade from Husk. The cat demon looked mildly surprised because Vaggie only drank when there was something to celebrate. The moth demon shrugged and took the bottle.
"Charlie wanted it."
She watched as Husk made a weird face.
"Is there something-
There was stomping and cussing, making Vaggie turn around to see Charlie dragging something bigger than her in a fabric bag. She rushed over to the princess trying to talk to her but she wasn't hearing it. Charlie drained the bottle in one go and handed it back to Vaggie who looked absolutely dumbfounded.
The blonde opened up both doors and dragged out the big black bag. She was near the half filled crater Alastor had created when destroyed Sir Pentious' blimp and started pulling out flame resistant target boards. Husk, Angel and Vaggie watched from the door.
"What's that shit?" the spider demon asked.
"I've never seen that before. She has a lot of stuff hidden in the basement. She keeps it locked because she has a lot of precious stuff down there."
The princess set everything then walked a good distance from that. She made a big fist with both hands together and slammed them into the ground. The force shook the ground and cracked it. Their jaws collectively dropped when she started pulling jagged boulders out of the ground and tossed them near the targets she had set up.
Charlie didn't show her power. She never flaunted it but holy hell was it impressive. She created mini fire balls in her hands and threw them. She could've been one hell of a pitcher on Earth. Rock exploded everywhere raining down upon her.
There wasn't many times she would display such frustrations but running a hotel for sinners definitely was stressful. Or that's Vaggie thought since she didn't know about what truly had happened.
Forty two minutes (Angel kept track) of Charlie raining fireballs at the targets before she got tired of resetting them up. She stomped over, held her hands up, creating a bigger fireball and demolished each one screaming at it like it offended her in some way.
Her shoulders slumped down like she relaxed before laying on the hot ground staring up at the red sky.
"Like, I'm worried about her but my sexy ass isn't walking out there. That was fuckin' terrifying," Angel whispered, "But I can say I am not worried about anyone attacking here now. Fuck that, Alastor ain't even that scary anymore."
Vaggie snorted but nodded in agreement. Husk wanted to go out there and say something, he could hover over the hot ass ground but then Alastor appeared because of course he fucking would. The cat demon turned around, slapping Vaggie in the face with his wings (he ignored her cussing) and grabbed another bottle and started drinking.
"Well dear! Look at this! I had no idea you were so powerful with fire!"
Charlie glared at him but that only made him grin more.
"You have me fascinated, my dear and I have to say you have my interest even more now than before. Allow me to help you up!"
"I can get up by myself."
The princess jumped up and brushed her clothes off.
"My, you're in rough shape! Perhaps a shower and throwing those old rags away would be an order before our dance."
She blinked a few times.
Oh.
"Sorry Al I totally forgot. I'll do that right now."
She started walking off when he cleared his throat.
"What made you so upset darling?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I can deal with it on my own."
"Does this have to do with why poor Husker seems so down in the dumps?" Alastor asked.
Charlie clenched her fists.
"No, it doesn't."
She stomped off leaving behind Alastor who looked smug. He knew exactly what the problem was.
X
X
Vaggie helped trim the singed edges of her hair after her shower. The two of them stayed silent which was unusual for them. Vaggie could see the tension in Charlie's shoulders and the fact she wasn't even humming was a bad sign. Charlie changed into a more relaxed suit that was a deeper red tone and her button up shirt was black with a red tie.
"Um… Were you planning on going out?" the moth demon asked quietly.
"No. I was gonna dance with Alastor actually."
"Did something happen with you and…."
"Nothing happened."
Charlie left no room for anymore talking with her short, snappy response. Vaggie sighed as Charlie slipped on her black flats and stood up.
"You aren't a terrible person. One mistake doesn't make you bad. As long as you try to fix it then it's ok."
The princess gave a short nod and left Vaggie in her room alone.
Why am I doing this? Why am I acting like such a brat? No one did anything to me. I did it to Husk because I am a terrible fucking person. It doesn't matter how right I try to make it... I can't take back my words.
Charlie had people hate her, it wasn't something new. Hurting a friend and not being able to make up was the problem. Her friends were few and far in between. No one liked her that much. Her own clients treated her like an idiot most of the time but the staff didn't.
She was mad at herself because for once she couldn't fix it because she couldn't sort out her own damn feelings no matter how she tried. She had been thinking about Angel's offer to get help remembering. Some part of her hated she didn't remember.
There was something there and her brain wasn't clicking with it. She went through so many damn love songs trying to jog a simple flicker of something- nothing worked. Not even country or sad songs. She had hoped she would dream of something that would give her some indication of what had happened…
It was like having the outside of the puzzle completed but the inside she was missing all the damn pieces and it was frustrating.
Well, dancing always had her relaxed once she started right?
Charlie hurried to the lobby to see Alastor already standing there waiting and twirling his mic stand. She managed to force a smile seeing the Radio Demon. It wasn't anything new right? They danced all the damn time. She had become fond of him that way and that's how her and Vaggie became friends. They met at a club and danced the night away together.
Soft music started filling the air and she smiled. Alastor always picked things from before he died and it was always part of his southern gentleman charm she had liked so much. Apparently plenty of women did because Niffty told the princess he was a chick magnet.
The moment he held out his hand and Charlie took it…. It just felt wrong?
She almost frowned until Alastor slammed her against him like he had done hundreds of times.
"Hello dear. You look beautiful as always."
"Th-thanks Al!"
"You're welcome."
They slowly danced much to her surprise. He usually was the type to tango and it led to them walking over tables and couches pissing Vaggie off but the clients loved that about Charlie. Even if they thought she was an idiot with her ideas, she was fun.
Is this him trying to be romantic?
That was her first thought. It wasn't like him.
"Um Al?"
"Yes?"
"You don't want faster dancing?" she asked.
Slow dancing like this was allowing her to think. She didn't want to think.
"Oh? I thought ladies loved slow dancing before a heated romp in the sheets."
"W-well I was just asking. Is this fun for you?"
"We can kick it up a notch if you would prefer."
Charlie nodded eagerly and his grin almost seemed lecherous in a way. The princess blinked thinking how weird that was. He never looked at her like that before. It made her feel uneasy.
Oh no.
Her heartbeat stuttered but she didn't have time to think when he started dancing faster to the music now playing. She almost yelped when his hand was dangerously low, close enough to grab her ass. Almost a week ago she would've loved his attention but now it had her second guessing herself in every way.
She wanted to go home.
The two of them jumped on the table making Charlie grin for a split second.
"My, my princess. You don't have to be so tense. I plan on making sure the whole night is about you and I promise you'll feel better by morning. Don't stress out so much."
Her black lips upturned into an uneasy smile.
A half hour of the most uncomfortable dancing Charlie had ever experienced in her life ended finally and he took her hand then intertwined their fingers. His hand was so warm against hers but it didn't feel right. It wasn't the same.
Same as what?
She blinked a few times as he led her out of the lobby. She glanced back at her suit jacket she left on the couch. She wanted to stall for time. She wanted an excuse to let go of him but she couldn't. The Radio Demon had a death grip on her hand.
They were on his floor now. She started counting the doors.
Whoa, that feels like deja vu.
It did. Her heart leapt at that thought. She felt a slight twinge of excitement when he opened his door but then it hit her. It wasn't the room she wanted to be in. Her heart sank and her stomach felt like there was a rock in it. She almost jerked her hand out of his grip as they went inside.
Alastor's room was…. Very him. Charlie had never stepped foot in there ever and she only knew Niffty had been in there.
Alastor snapped his fingers and the door shut and locked behind them. His bed was huge with different shades of red sheets, pillows and comforter. She watched as he took off his overcoat then came back to her.
At one point she would've found it hot that he grabbed her tie and pulled her closer. At one point it would've been the sexiest thing she ever saw with his eyes glowing like that his pupils blown out with lust for her. That hand sliding around her waist had been everything she wanted until this week.
"Remember princess. I don't kiss. I can bite and lick all you want but I don't do that."
He tossed her tie off to the side and started on her shirt buttons.
Kiss me please! I love kissing you, it makes it all so much better!
Just like that she saw Husk's face for a split second like a hazy dream and the look he had. Charlie backed off from Alastor once he reached the fourth button of her shirt that was straining against her breasts.
"I can't do this," she stated firmly, "Sorry."
She rushed to the side and grabbed her tie.
"Charlie."
She turned to look at him. He didn't look pissed, he actually looked downright amused.
"Did he really get in your head that much? He couldn't have been that good."
"I can't say because I don't remember too much," she said quietly, "But I won't do something that makes me uncomfortable."
"You'll be back. When he won't want you, I'll be waiting."
Well, that felt like a knife to her heart. She shot him the dirtiest look she could and took off.
She had no idea why she used the stairs instead of the elevator but she did. She came to her floor in time to see Husk's tail going into the elevator.
She opened her mouth but her voice just wouldn't come out. Tears pricked at her eyes and she took off running for her door. He had hung her jacket on the door knob. She slid down to her knees, hugging it herself like it was going to save her in some way but it wouldn't. She did it to herself.
She caught feelings and she didn't even remember a damn thing at all. Somehow deep inside she remembered something but it just wouldn't come to her. It was a frustrating thing- enough to throw a punch and get her fist stuck in her door.
Charlie didn't think she was in love but there was something there. Something that she had wanted.
"ARGH!"
She planted her feet on her door and pushed but the wood would only creak. She had no idea why in the hell God would punish her more but Angel came out of the elevator and towards her room. He arched an eyebrow.
"You ok there?"
"No!" she snapped as a tear dropped from her eye and sizzled on her cheek, "I hate myself so much right now."
"Alright, alright calm down babe."
Angel helped her pry her hand out, cutting her skin a little in the process but she didn't complain.
"Are-
"Take me to your friend."
"Now?"
She nodded, "If they're ok with it."
"Alright Charlie. I gotcha."