Okay, so it's official. Everyone here, Cherri included is acting weird. I mean, we're all a bunch of weirdos anyways but seriously; something felt off and I couldn't put my finger on it. For one thing, I never imagined that Gracie would be doing my makeup and hair for me, although I'll admit it felt kind of nice. In fact, it reminded me of my childhood when my mother used to brush my hair to get all of the knots out of my wild blonde curls.

Nonetheless, a piece of me still felt there was something strange going on. Like that feeling you get when everyone in the room is in on some sort of inside joke and you're the only one that's left in the dark. My hands begin to get clammy and pink venom starts leaking from my lips which pisses me off because it completely gave me away every time it happened. Gracie stopped what she was doing and cleaned the corner of my lip with a tissue before reapplying lipstick to the area, "Angel, my dear, are you feeling okay?" Her tone was very soft and maternal and it almost made me want to cry because it reminded me so much of my mother.

On the other hand, it was really cool to see this other side to her. It reminded me that behind the professionalism, there was still another person just like me under there filled with character and flaws. I let out a sigh, "I'm doing fine, Gracie I'm just feeling a bit nervous for some reason." She grabs another tissue and gestures for me to blot my lips on it, "really? Tell me a little more about that."

'And there goes the professional protocol again.' I sighed, "well I can't quite put my finger on it but this date with Husk feels different than all of the others. Maybe I'm thinking too much but, I don't know. It seems like everyone is acting a bit strange. Like, I never thought that you of all people would be doing my makeup and hair.

I also find it weird that Husk isn't in here getting ready with me." She points a finger up in the air, "ah yes! Husk said he had a couple of loose ends to tie up but don't worry it's not going to make him late or anything." I rolled my eyes feeling slightly annoyed, "yeah, I know that but, I don't know. There's just something else.

Like it's a gut feeling, you know?" She nodded her head, "trust me I'm all too familiar with that feeling myself but speaking from experience, I can tell you that by the end of this evening everything will resolve itself, you'll see." I nodded my head feeling a little less insecure than I felt earlier. Gracie looks at the time and then spins my chair around to face the mirror, "you're all ready! Now we just need to dab a bit of perfume on here and here," she says dabbing at my neck and wrists.

Looking content, she stands up and grabs a blindfold and walks towards me. I stand up and back away from her feeling uncomfortable, "uh... what's that for?" She rests her arms down at her side, "oh, I'm sorry I should have explained before walking up to you with this. So, Husk wants me to blindfold you because he wants everything to be a surprise. "Ooo, kinky," I say sounding a little more enthusiastic than I should've.

She looks up at me unamused, "not like that, Angel." She walks over and proceeds to blindfold me. I laughed, "ahh Gracie, I was totally joking with ya!" She chuckles, "uh huh, sure you were." After she's finished she grabs me by the hands and leads me to the door.

As soon as we get out of my bedroom she stops and closes my door and proceeds to lead me to where ever the fuck Husk told her to take me. I hear what sounds like an elevator and we get in. Then within a few minutes, I hear the doors open again and then she guides me out of the elevator and stops in front of what sounded like doors and somehow propped them open before taking me by the hands again and guiding me to the table. Once I'm sitting in a chair she takes the blindfold off of me and I squint my eyes in effort to adjust to the lighting. Once my eyes adjust, I notice that Husk is sitting across from me and gazing at me with his beautiful golden eyes, "do I look okay? Gracie insisted on doing my hair and makeup and I wasn't sure if you'd like it or if maybe it was too much—",

I asked feeling worried that Gracie might have overdone it with the makeup but according to Husk's response I couldn't be more wrong. "you look... captivating." I raised an eyebrow at that comment. He then rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand, "Sorry if my reaction was a bit off or something I just— well you look... so beautiful," he stumbled before placing my hand to his lips and kissing the back of my hand. I felt my cheeks get warm and scratched the back of my head.

A couple of minutes after that Alastor had came out with an Italian themed menu. I looked down at it and was impressed by the quality and was thrilled to see that the entire menu listed Italian cuisine. "Wow, you've thought of everything didn't you?" He grinned, "well yes but I was able to get help from everyone here." I smiled at the gesture and then Alastor came back with our appetizers.

After we finished eating, a familiar song began to play live in the background. I turned my head to look and noticed that Dr. Frankenstein was playing on the classical guitar and Charlie and Gracie were standing behind the microphones. I turned my head back to Husk and grabbed both of his hands, "oh my gosh, Husky! You remembered! They're playing our song from our first date!"

He smiled and gazed into my soul, "dance with me?" My eyes lit up and I stood up and took his hand and he guided me up to an empty area in front of the stage. I felt warm and safe with Husk's arms wrapped around me in a tender, loving embrace. In that moment the whole world seemed to disappear. We danced together throughout the entire song and I catch Alastor and Nifty staring at us with enormous grins on their faces.

Then I glanced over and standing next to them I noticed Vaggie shedding a couple of tears which I found to be completely unexpected. After the song ends, he guides me back over to our table and he pulls my chair out for me before I take a seat and then Husk walks over to his chair and sits down. A few minutes later Alastor clears our plates and then comes back with our dinner entree. After Alastor walks away Vaggie walks over and refills our wine glasses. We sat there and ate our dinner and talked about how amazing it tasted.

Alastor and Nifty did an amazing job because it reminded me of my mother's cooking. After finishing the meal Husk pulls out a sheet of pink paper. He clears his throat nervously, "I uh,... I wrote you something." He hands it over to me and I looked down and read it out loud,

"'After Life and After Death.'" "Well that's a morbid way to open a poem," I say raising an eyebrow at him.

He rolled his eyes and smiled at me, "keep reading you, dork." I smiled and looked back down at the paper and continued reading,

"' By: Daniel Huskerton

Forty years of my life had passed without a single ounce of hope.

Forty years of waiting for warmth that never came, so I turned to alcohol to cope.

Forty years of my heart bleeding out.

Forty years of not knowing what love was all about.

Then death fell upon me and seemingly ended my pain.

But it was only when I met you that I had something to gain. '"

I glanced back up at him and he was just smiling at me and waited for me to continue." I looked back down at the paper and continued where I left off,

"'The bleeding of my heart had stopped and I began to heal.

Then these feelings swept upon me and felt too good to be real.

In my greatest time of fear I pulled away from you a bit;

in my best efforts to save my heart from plunging me into the pit.

But your compassion and patience made it difficult for me to resist;

so then I fell for you and my heart filled up with love and bliss. '"

By this point I could feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes,

"'As time passed by, my love for you only grew.

It grew and grew until I finally knew;

I wanted to spend every moment of every day with you.

For the first time in my life I felt something true. '"

What started out as a few tears was now turning into crying and I felt my voice crack up as I read the final paragraph of the poem,

"'I felt something familiar yet different too.

It was then that I knew it was all because of you.

So I kneel before you now a humbled man;

asking with every ounce of my heart and soul, for you to take my hand.'"

I looked up to see Husk but noticed that he was no longer in his chair but on a bended knee right in front of me smiling lovingly with a small box in his hand that held a black ring crested with tiny white stones along the band and a larger pink stone in the middle. (See the artwork attached). I gasped and placed my hand over my mouth still sobbing uncontrollably. He looked up to me and spoke, "Anthony, I don't possess the greatest powers in all of Hell nor do I possess all of the wealth that you deserve. But my heart, not just a piece of it, or even half of it but my whole heart; belongs to you and only you have the key that unlocks the deepest and greatest parts of me that for decades I thought was completely gone.

You inspire me and you make me feel like I can do or be anything. You've brought out the best in me and I only continue to grow in every moment that we spend together. Even if we don't manage to get to heaven I want you to know that I've already felt redeemed since the moment I fell for you and if Hell is forever then I want to spend that forever with you. Anthony Deluci, will you take me as I am? A flawed grouchy cat demon that loves you for who you are despite every curve and sharp edge?"

Still sobbing and overcome by overwhelming bliss I answered, "Sì, certo, Daniel, sceglierei te; in cento vite, in cento mondi, in qualisiasi versione della realità, ti troverei e sceglierei te." He smiles and chuckles as he places the ring on my finger. Miraculously, it was a perfect fit. He then took my hand and we both stood up and embraced one another and kissed passionately on the lips. Then he pulled his lips away and lifted me off the ground and spun me around in his arms while the both of us were laughing.

He then placed my feet back on the ground and turned to face everyone and showed them my hand with the ring on it, "he said yes!!" A roar of cheering and clapping sounded by all of our friends at the hotel and then Vaggie popped open a bottle of champagne. Everyone came up to us and hugged and congratulated us with Charlie full on ugly crying as she came up and hugged us both.

THE END