Hazbin Hotel: Anthony's

As promised, Caine formally invited Emily for tea one afternoon. He'd even gone so far as to escort her himself, knocking on the door to her room and waiting patiently as he watched the seconds tick by on his pocket watch. It was just tea, just another conversation between the pair. One of the conversations he'd come to enjoy very much, along with her presence. At that thought he snapped his watch closed and shook his head to clear his thoughts. Such silly nonsense. It was merely friendship. Nothing more. She was a friend, a joyful presence that he couldn't see his life without, even after only a couple weeks. Those damnable eyes, so full of grace and hope, so bright and shining with her ever present holy light. They'd been filling his thoughts of late.

He was so lost in his own mind that when she opened the door, he almost jumped out of his skin. Of her numerous qualities, her ability to set him on edge in a way that was not in fear or anger was something new. Something he hadn't experienced before. He removed his hat and crossed it over his heart, bowing to her in greeting "Miss Emily" He heard her giggle and was glad she couldn't see his face in the moment. That sound was like music to him. She curtsied in return as she always did during these greetings and he straightened back up, replacing his hat "Shall we then?" He stepped back and waited for her to set the pace of their walk. Falling into step, they walked in companionable silence for a moment before he broached the subject that hung over their heads "I must apologize for my behavior the other day. It was unseemly and I should not have lost my temper like that."

He hadn't shown his face for a couple days after his fight with Lucifer. He didn't want to talk to anyone about it, least of all her. Not because he was ashamed of the fight itself, but ashamed of the disappointment he'd see in her eyes at reverting to his old self. The self he was trying so hard to change for Heaven's approval "Caine…" she took a deep breath to steady her thoughts "You have a past that is as vast and deep as an ocean. It would take many years to go through it all" she began to float and turn around to face him as they moved, a skill he'd come to admire in her "But I need you to start trusting me more with your secrets. Not all of them, but enough that I can help you forge the path ahead. Your choices affect others, not just yourself and clearly Lucifer was a big part of the choices you'd made" As they it the first-floor landing, she stopped in front of him "There's something I'd like you to try today. Something I think will be good for yourself and for others as you try and build bonds here. But first, tea" she turned back around, leading on and deeming the topic closed for now. He hadn't even gotten a word in. Oh yes, this Angel was going to vex him mightily.

They settled in a table at the center of the restaurant, Caine making a tea setting and plate of sandwiches appear rather than needing to bother Angel about it. Emily decided to be the one to pour the tea while he nervously fiddled with the ring he always wore on his right hand. She noticed this, having not even paid any mind before. It was a beautiful piece, a large ember stone embedded in a golden setting, running the length of his entire index finger, just under the nail. "That's a beautiful ring. Is it something important to you?" she helped herself to a sandwich, watching him freeze when she called attention to it. So it was important to him. "It's…just a trinket, nothing more" he picked up his cup, taking a sip and then fixing it the way he liked. Though when her cup snapped into place on her saucer he stopped and looked to her angry eyes "See, this is what I'm talking about. Instead of saying anything you shut down the topic and try and move on. I want you to be more open with me!" she hissed.

He curled his knuckles, watching as the stone caught the light and stroking his thumb over it "Some things I can…others…I'd rather not" he sighed heavily and picked up his cup again "I'm sorry, I'm not well practiced at conversing with someone so interested in my life." The cup started to rattle in his hands, and he set it back down again "I just don't want to see the look in your eyes when you find out things about me that I've never told anyone. Things I've done…things I've had to be" He'd lived quite the life before all this. He hadn't always been the overlord everyone feared. No one started off on top of the world down here. Sinners had to earn their place.

Emily's eyes softened and she set her own cup down as well. "I'm not here to judge you. It's not my place. You're trying to change. To better yourself." She realized she didn't even know why. She had told him he didn't need to tell her, but after seeing the effort he was putting into this, she really wanted to know. "Do you really want to change? Are you doing it for yourself or…. for someone else?" There was a bit of curiosity to her voice, but also…. jealousy? No. Why would she be jealous? He wasn't changing for her; he shouldn't have to change for anyone but himself. But still all the progress he'd been making with her help….it was almost as if it was for her in some way.

When he said nothing, she was sure he'd ignore the question or retreat again. But when he spoke, she looked at him with even more curiosity. "Thousands of years is a long time, Emily. By the designs of this place, you feel it, down in your bones, in your soul. Like a prison sentence, you count the years. In that time…I've done unspeakable acts to be where I am today. Anything to survive. Anything to get ahead. I waged an entire war against the king of Hell for my own gain." He couldn't move, only felt his body wanting to shake and tremble, trying to control himself to keep from showing her that it affected him so much, but he knew she could see right through him. "I regret every death I caused, every life I took. They've weighed heavy on me lately, in my reclusion from the world. But above all else, one weighs even harder on me than the countless thousands that I've caused" She heard his voice break slightly, a tremble in his throat. A soft gasp left her lips, not having realized how much his life had affected him until now.

Movement caught her eye and she looked to see Angel standing there, frozen, a tray in his hands. No doubt coming over to see if they needed anything, or to be his usual playful self. She put a finger to her lips and he nodded but stayed where he was. He wanted to hear this too. "I killed my brother Emily." He wasn't staring anywhere but the floor, a thousand-yard stare as he went back to that time before "I picked up a tool and I struck him down. I kept hitting him, over and over and over again. Every strike felt like a hammer against steel, so heavy, so hot. Then he just wasn't moving anymore." He didn't know a tear streamed down his cheek; he couldn't feel it. He was so numb. "I was just so angry." He growled, his fists clenching "Not at him, never him. Abel was a good soul. Such a wonderful person" the smallest of smiles graced his lips as he remembered his brother. Then it fell again just as quickly "Then I felt the whole world turn dark as a storm began to brew. He was angry with me. I'd killed his favored son. I'd taken that little bit of light out of the world." His hand came up and gently grazed over the scars running from his eye. "Lightning struck me. I remember the terrible storm brewing as I covered my face and ran. He cursed me…" he slammed his fist down on the table so hard his cup flew and crashed to the ground "He set me to wander the land of Nod for the rest of my days. Never knowing true peace, always being the outcast" he scratched his nails down the table so hard that gauges formed "If I hadn't found my wife's people…had my bleeding feet bandaged, been cared for…"

A sniffle brought him out of his head, and he looked up to see Emily weeping. He blinked over and over again, trying to understand why she would be weeping for him, when the clatter of a tray sounded behind him and he turned to see Angel standing there, also crying. Everything in him wanted to run away, retreat to his cave of a room and be alone again. But Emily was too quick for him. She moved from her chair and knelt by his side, holding onto his still trembling hands as she laid her head against his arm "I'm sorry." He felt like the breath was sucked out of him. "Don't… don't pity me" he whispered but remained seated "I made my choice. I sinned and am being punished for it." Slowly he brought his hand down until it rested on the back of her head. Gently he caressed her, comforting her "I brought this on myself, you have nothing to be sorry for."

They stayed like that for a while before she spoke again, her voice still full of tears "Remember when I said I wanted to try something new today?" he simply nodded, not even sure if she could see it, yet she continued "I wanted to ask you to tell me why you wanted to redeem yourself" Of course she did. Sometimes he wasn't even sure himself. He'd had one goal in mind when he started this whole venture. One thing he wanted to accomplish, and he wasn't even sure if he'd get that far. "I just…. I want to tell him I'm sorry" He couldn't stop his tears now even if he tried. Getting something like that off his chest had been a long time coming. He was just glad she'd been the one to listen.

Angel couldn't stand it anymore and left his tray on the ground, running back to the kitchen where Husker was filling saltshakers for him. "I still don't see why we can't just get the packets, they're way easier…" but he was interrupted as Angel flung all four of his arms around the bartender and just held onto him. "Woah! Hey…" he was confused for a moment before seeing that Angel was in genuine distress. Slowly his arms came up and around him and he held onto him "Hey now, whatever it is…it's ok" he spoke in that gentle tone only reserved for Angel as he just stroked and comforted him. He'd find out later about whatever it was.