A/N:

Hi everyone! Happy Valentine's Day : ) Here's the latest update - I hope you enjoy!

Partners

Chapter 10:

A Fitting Heart

"Being in the car as a partner instead of as entertainment is a lot more fun—right, Angel Cakes?" Valentino sneered and took a long drag from his cigarette as the limousine holding himself, Vox, Velvet, and Angel careened around town.

Angel put on a smile and tried not to remember the number of times in this car when he had indeed been just entertainment and Valentino had forced him to sit on his lap or hang on his arm or…kiss him. "Heh, yeah, this is classy!" He turned his head and raised an eyebrow at the television overlord was holding his head, his screen distorted. "Uh, Uncle Vox, you all right?"

Velvet laughed. "He gets carsick when he drinks too much! And he's been going on some serious benders lately - usually just before we hang out with you!" She piped some icing into her mouth from a pastry bag then lit a plate of bananas foster on fire.

"That's because we always talk about Radio Fuck when he's here," Vox slurred as he grabbed a bottle from the mini bar. "Cuz Angel…Angel's the only one allowed to get close to him… cuz we need him to."

Valentino scowled at Vox. Velvet giggled. Angel tried not to be too insulted that these three were sincerely convinced he was still falling for their terrible plan to get info about Alastor from him. Pretending to be stupid enough not to see all their slip-ups was becoming a challenge.

"Vox just gets a little distracted when the topic of Radio Freak comes up," Valentino assured.

"That uppity relic!" Vox took a big swig and almost tumbled to the floor as the limo took a turn. "Acts like he's too good for - hic - for anyone! He's not too good for me - I got all the power! What's his power? Being a fucking virgin! With deer horns! Heh, horny virgin - heh, heh, heh!" His laughter changed to a mix between laughter and crying as he slumped to lie on his back on the seat, his bottle clutched close. "That tricky charming stupid bastard with his tricky charming stupid smile."

Valentino gripped the seat of the limo so hard that he tore holes in the fabric. Velvet just rolled her eyes and went over to Vox. "Aw, come on Voxy - no one likes a sad party pooper. How about you have a cupcake! I promise I didn't drug them. You're already enough of a handful today." She giggled and pulled a plate of cupcakes out of the mini bar.

Vox sniffed and looked at them. "Red velvet… I want a RED one! Gimme!" He grabbed three and stuffed them down, smearing icing on his screen.

"Easy there, big guy!" Velvet tucked the rest away and elbowed him hard to get him upright. "Chew and swallow so you don't choke - there are so many better ways to die! If you don't get yourself together, I might just do one of those ways to you so you don't end so pathetically and make us all look bad." She winked then pulled a knife out of her pocket which she expertly flipped in the air, caught, and tucked away again before skipping back over to her seat.

Valentino sighed deeply and rubbed his temple.

Angel really wished Alastor was here to see just how horribly their plan was going. He finally cleared his throat and spoke up again. "It's okay, I get it - Alastor's a handful. Half the reason I schmooze him is to get an open bar at the hotel so I can drink to handle being near him. Ha!"

Valentino's smile returned a little. Velvet nodded with a big, homicidal grin. Vox curled up on the limo seat, pouting and covered in crumbs. He groaned. "Did we have to go driving today? That always makes my drinking feel worse." His screen flashed green, and his eyes looked weary.

Vox glared at him then turned a convincing smile to Angel again. "Alastor really takes a toll on Vox. He appreciates you helping us get a handle on that deer guy, Angel Cakes."

"Yeah, you're like a secret ingredient of death we just blended into the hotel when no one was looking!" Velvet nodded and went back to sucking down icing.

Valentino moved closer to Angel, turning on the charm. "You're being loyal to the group you're loyal to: our group. Just like always, Angel baby, only now with more perks. But speaking of all this talk of Alastor, any news? Any sudden movements or shows plans? Any little tidbits to share about hell's most secretive overlord?" His smile curled and his teeth flashed.

Angel put a hand to his chin like he was really thinking - and resisted the strong urge to shift away from Valentino's towering presence. "He almost did a show the other night but couldn't the right target. Right now his big project is helping the princess host the hotel open house. She put out flyers inviting people. Guess Alastor wants to show off what he's done with the place - or show off that it's still a miserable mess for a laugh. I'm supposed to help too. He says that I'm very entertaining for a slut - whatever he thinks that means." Acting like Alastor could be mean to him sometimes was a nice touch, in Angel's opinion - it helped eliminate from their minds the idea that he and Alastor might actually be getting closer. And it reminded him of the nice thing Alastor had said the other day - that he would never call Angel 'such a term'. "All I know is if he puts one more radio in that hotel, I'm gonna start pawning them for parts, heh."

"Smash them! They know what they did!" Vox raised a hand high, his face buried in the seat, then his hand dropped down with a thud and his now empty bottle rolled across the floor.

"Uh…" Angel rubbed his neck, "I think if I go around smashing stuff I'll get kicked out.

"Does he cook demons while he's there - does he sneak them into food and watch you eat them then tell you about it later?" Velvet tilted her head, her smile big.

"Heh, good one." Angel held up his hands and smiled (even though part of him knew Velvet was perfectly serious), "No, the princess is kinda strict about not cooking and eating people. Ranks as a pretty big sin in her book."

"Interesting. He's playing by a few of SOMEONE ELSE'S rules for once." Valentino leaned back in his seat and took a deep drag of his cigarette. "An open house - yeah, I saw those flyers. And putting radios everywhere - could he be more fucking obvious?"

These three were the obvious ones - compared to them, Alastor was subtle as hell. "I know right! It's like me decorating the place with dildos."

Valentino chuckled, Velvet giggled maniacally, and Vox groaned. "Heh, that - hic - would make him leave. Talking such a big game, can't even… Showing off like he's just saying 'yeah I'm here, but look don't touch'! Selfish bastard. I hope that open house sucks if he wants it to go good and goes great if he wants it to suck. Whatever entertains him less."

"Cheers to that." Angel offered as he picked up Vox's empty bottle and held it up.

Valentino tapped Angel's shoulder. "You're doing real well, Angel. Giving us lots of nice info that'll help us and everyone in hell eventually. Big things are gonna change soon, you'll see."

"You won't even recognize anything," Velvet's smile widened as she ate her bananas foster, flames and all. "Like a cake before and after it comes out of the oven. Only with more blood."

"Happy to help, Daddy." Angel nodded. "It's the least I could do." Part of Angel inside wanted to scream at the feeling of Val's hand lingering on his shoulder.

"Yes, it is." Valentino nodded as he gave Angel's shoulder a tight squeeze - gentler than usual but still a clench of authority. "And the more you do for us, the more we'll do for you." He finally released Angel.

"Sounds like a plan." Angel's smile grew into a wicked grin. His shoulder still felt tense.

"Stop the car, I'm gonna-!" Vox's head snapped up, his mouth suddenly full.

"Fuck, Vox!" Valentino snarled and hit a button on his arm rest. The Limo stopped and Vox got a window open just in time to hurl up everything but the wires and bones inside of him.

Velvet just sat there laughing. "It's all gonna be red from the cupcakes - like guts!"

"It's all going to be fine, and we're going back to the studio now because if Vox does that in here I'm going to take off his head and use it as a tray for cocaine lines." Valentino snarled.

"Oh cool it, I'm…I'm fine." Vox pulled his head back in, winded but seeming a bit steadier. "I just need out of this damn car. I want to check on some cameras anyway." He adjusted his tie.

Valentino sighed and pressed the button again. The limo started up.

Angel put on a casual smile. "Hey, would you guys mind just dropping me off at the hotel? I've got another little outing with our Radio Demon. The guy's a talker - the longer I spend with him at a shot, the more I hear. And he's got the whole afternoon free."

Valentino grinned and nodded. "Of course, Angel Baby. Vox, reroute the GPS."

Vox nodded weakly and touched a console. The limo turned down a new street.

"Thanks, Daddy." Angel kept himself together as they approached the hotel. When the limo stopped, he casually got out and strode inside to meet Alastor for their walk and lunch today (neither of which were odd things for friends to do alone together, Angel reminded himself, blushing a little).

"So, yeah," Angel sipped his lemonade and leaned back in his chair, "thus ends today's round of adventures with Val, Vox, and Vel. They must really be desperate for info about you because they are getting seriously sloppy with trying to sneak it out of me."

Angel and Alastor were seated at a table tucked into the back corner of the cafe's yard and hidden under the shade of a tree. The area gave them some extra privacy for their delicate conversations and meant fewer customers were liable to notice Alastor and panic.

Alastor finished off a deviled egg in one graceful bite. "Do you see now why I'm not worried about them, Angel? Even if I went up agains the three of them at once, our powers might be close to evenly matched. But the deciding factor is that I'm competent on a regular basis."

"That I'll give you, Al - even if I do still want you to be careful." Angel played with a meatball on his plate. "You know, I'm used to dealing with Val most and you're used to dealing with Vox most. Wouldn't it be a pip if loopy Velvet turned out to be the one to kick our asses?"

"Ha!" Alastor laughed. "Yes, never underestimate a sadistic cook - trust me. She is the one we know the least about - perhaps I'll keep an ear out on frequencies for any of her comings and goings."

"Yeah, heh." Angel nodded. He hesitated. "Speaking of…me knowing Val too well and you knowing Vox too well…" Alastor tilted his head, obviously curious. Angel rolled a meatball back and forth on his plate. "Feel free to tell me if this is none of my business but, uh…do you and Vox got some history you want to share? Just for the sake of giving me context."

The fingers on one of Alastor's hands dug grooves into the table - his smile didn't change. "What sort of history?"

Angel sighed and gave him a dry look. "Al, seriously, there's hating someone as a rival and then there's getting drunk and laughing and crying and not shutting up about them for hours until you pass out. That guy is obsessed with you. And you don't let it out at as much, but it's clear you have a big problem with him." He felt his chest tighten and his face warm. "Just curious if maybe you were friends once — or something…"

Alastor's hand relaxed slightly on the table. He shrugged. " 'Or something' would be a better term for it."

Angel's eyes widened. "Oh. So you were…uh…partners?" He flushed and his stomach twisted.

"As two demons of media, I let him entertain the possibility until the possibility stopped entertaining me. Nothing was formalized…" Alastor raised an eyebrow at Angel's strange look — then instantly static screeched between his ears and his eyes became radio dials. "Of course, I'm referring to our potential to be BUSINESS partners! NOT EMOTIONAL PARTNERS!"

"Yikes, okay, I got it!" Angel held up his hands, unable to help smiling gratefully. "I was just a little confused. I mean, you have to know, the way Vox talks about you, he clearly wishes SOMETHING unprofessional had happened."

Alastor's eyes twitched. "I have lost my appetite!" He pushed the plate of deviled eggs forward.

"Aw, come on, Al. I didn't mean to spoil our lunch." Angel rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't bring it up again. Thanks for clearing that up for me though."

Alastor took a deep breath and straightened his tie. He sipped his wine deeply. "Think nothing of it. I'm sure the way Vox was going on was crass enough to suggest many possibilities."

"Well, I'm glad you got away from him, Al. He's not worth your time."

Alastor's smile grew a little. "Of course he isn't! I made the best decision." He stared down at his remaining deviled eggs, his brow furrowed.

Angel noticed. "Something still bothers you a lot about him though." He leaned on his elbows and caught the Radio Demon's eyes and smiled again. "Well, whatever it is - fuck Vox for bothering you with it in the first place." He winked.

Alastor couldn't help himself - he laughed. Not one of his stage laughs but a genuine bout of chuckling. His smile softened. "It's not anything specific that he did to me. It's merely the fact that…" His voice quieted, "…at the end of the day, radio waves only go so far. Vox has the televisions and phones and cameras; and each day new souls drop in already addicted to their screens. He really does reach more demons in an hour than I do in a week, albeit with simpleminded drivel." His eyes narrowed and his voice gradually became louder and more distorted. "I orchestrate horrific broadcasts to stay relevant while all Vox does is press the button of a damn remote control. He's a hack, and I am an artist but other demons…like him better!" Alastor clenched his hand - dark drops of blood suddenly fell on the table cloth.

Angel noticed a dark shape out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a small tentacle curl up from the ground, barely hidden by the tree. His eyes widened and on impulse he reached out and took Alastor's hurt hand in both of his, holding it out of sight below the far side of the table. "Whoa, Al!" He kept his voice low. "Take a breath, it's okay…. Besides, screw Vox! Trust me, not everyone likes him better. I don't! And I bet no one at the hotel does either. He's a jerk! But you've got class, Smiles! And principles! And you're a deer demon, which is a hell of a lot cooler than spending eternity as a fucking flatscreen!"

Alastor took a deep breath. He blinked twice, and his demeanor returned to normal. He smiled at Angel who had liked him better than Vox from the start…and who had just made many kind observations about him that Alastor liked very much. His tail was lightly twitching beneath his jacket. And then his eyes widened and went to their hands. "Dear me, the end of my claw must have sliced clean through my glove. I seem to be bleeding! And you…seem to have stopped it." Angel's hands kept more blood from leaking out of the wound.

"Oh! Sorry!"

Angel was about to pull his hands away when Alastor reached out his other hand and placed it on top of them. "Please…hold them there just for a moment if you don't mind. If any more drops spill, we may have a small garden of tentacles to contend with. I wouldn't want to disrupt Abel's lunch rush - he needs those tips for the wedding after all."

Angel nodded, grinning a bit. "Whatever you need, Al."

Alastor nodded in return. He removed his unharmed hand and reached into his pocket. He produced a dark handkerchief and then snapped to make his shadow appear. The shadow raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two demons holding hands then scowled at Alastor with his arms crossed. Alastor scowled back at him then rather forcefully handed over the hanky. Then his look softened and he turned back to Angel. "You can…let go now, Angel."

Angel nodded. The instant he let go, the shadow tied the dark hanky deftly around Alastor's hand. The color matched Alastor's dark brown glove so well that it was almost unnoticeable. Satisfied with his work, the shadow disappeared. Alastor waved his hand through the air, and the tentacle as well as the drops of blood on the table cloth disappeared.

Angel looked to where the tentacle had been then back to Alastor. "You make those things…when you bleed?"

"Right! Such a small wound will heal quickly, but I'll have to get this glove repaired before it tears further," Alastor replied. "And, of course any specifics of this ability of mine are fact I would prefer you didn't point out to our three mutual overlord enemies. Along with everything I just admitted about my sentiments toward Vox." He cleared his throat then noticed Angel's hands - white and pink dotted with dark drops. "I seem to have stained you," he pointed out.

Angel smiled and shrugged. "I've been a lot more covered in a lot worse fluids. No big deal."

Alastor rolled his eyes and pulled out a second handkerchief. He dipped the end in his water glass and reached out to dab Angel's palm. "Well, I always clean up after myself - whether it's from a careful dismemberment or a simple accident such as this one. It's a habit that let me complete quite an impressive number of kills in life before my end." He dabbed the blood until Angel's hand was white again then flicked his wrist to make the hanky disappear.

Angel looked at his hand and smiled. "Thanks, Smiles. Such a gentleman." He laughed a little.

Alastor's smile grew and he felt his tail twitch again.

And then Abel came over to the table, holding a couple trays and looking a little haggard but smiling a lot. "Hey guys! Sorry I keep leaving you alone so long - we're busy today. Can I get you something else? A couple full meals or a dessert to split or something?"

"Eh, I'm good with the meatballs." Angel smiled. "Thanks for the freebie, by the way."

"Yes, I am fine as well. Just a check for the wine when you can," Alastor added.

"You got it, hotel friends!" Abel winked and dashed off to the next table with a skip in his step.

"Hmm…" Angel's eyes hazed. "Guy is totally gone on the idea of proposing."

"He does seem utterly elated for someone working a double shift for poor wages."

"You're not gonna tell me why we both get free apps these days, are ya?"

"The same reason Louise looks at me like I'm the hero and not the villain." Alastor sighed. "But I think I've expanded upon enough of my personal experiences for one afternoon."

"Fair enough - I'm just grateful for the grub!" Angel ate into the final bite of his meatball and patted his stomach in satisfaction. Then he sighed. "Any thoughts about doing show soon, Al? Those three keep bringing it up - they seem way too excited about the fact that you haven't. I want you to be strong enough to face…whatever happens." He swallowed. "If you need to go 'hunting' or whatever, I could cover for you. I don't know much about running the hotel, but I could just keep an eye on things and help Charlie if she needs it. Actually that would give me a good excuse to wear a suit - I have a few cute ones I've been dying to take for a spin."

Alastor's ear twitched slightly and he was fascinated for a moment by the thought that BOTH the concept of Angel in a gown and a suit could cause him such sudden interest. "A tempting offer, Angel." He quickly cleared his throat. "I don't have any suitable prospect for my show in mind yet. Perhaps I will take you up on your offer and spend an evening exploring the streets for a dark heart."

Angel smiled. "I'd even say I'll make breakfast for us the next morning to celebrate but you'll probably be full…" He squirmed, looking down. "I'd also say I'd listen to your show, but I…"

"No need to explain. Believe me, I'd attend one of your floor shows, but…" Alastor shrugged. "Even if we can't see each other entertain others though, we make our own entertainment for each other." He raised his glass. "To good conversation."

Angel raised his glass too. "To good conversation." They drank.

Alastor pushed out his chair and flicked his wrist to make Angel's chair pull out too. "Come, let's return to the hotel. Abel is quite busy, and I wasn't planning to ask for change when he returned with the check anyway." He pulled out a a few bills of rather large denominations.

Angel whistled. "Whoa, how expensive was that wine you ordered us?"

"About a quarter of what this is." Alastor tucked the money under a plate and tossed the last of his deviled eggs to the ravenous crows as he stood. "But as you say, he needs the tips - proposal and being a provider coming up and all."

Angel stood, his hands on his hips. "You're secretly a big old romantic, aren't ya, Smiles?"

"Ha! I don't know what you mean! Just taking a practical measure for a fellow member of the Hazbin Hotel!" He twirled his cane and strolled through the exit out onto the street.

Angel followed after him, smirking. "You're gonna cry at their wedding and everything, I know it. And I'll end up carrying a sobbing mess of a deer demon all the way home."

"You have a particularly vivid imagination, Angel! And you are lucky I like you…" He added the last part in a lower, playfully threatening voice.

"You're lucky I like you too - carting you home means I might miss catching the bouquet. Louise isn't the only one looking for a good man in hell, you know!"

Angel laughed and blushed a little, and Alastor laughed and glowed a little brighter. They turned the corner together to continue on their way back to the hotel side by side.

Charlie and Vaggie headed from the hotel kitchen to Charlie's office. Charlie sighed. "Maybe I should have told people to RSVP on the invitations so we'd get a head count. I just didn't want anyone to feel pressured to come. But if anyone is on the fence, I hope they reach out to us…"

"You did a great job on the flyers making it clear that the party is just a casual opportunity to learn more about the hotel." Vaggie put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "I think people will want to see what we have to offer, babe. And any stubborn ones will use getting to see Angel Dust perform as an excuse to learn more about redemption."

Charlie's smile brightened. "I really hope so."

"I know so." Vaggie winked.

They passed through the lobby - where a familiar someone sat on a chair tossing an unlit bomb up and down in her hand with a bored look.

"Hi Cherri!" Charlie greeted, her focus still on Vaggie. Vaggie gave a quick wave to the guest, her focus still on Charlie.

Then both girls stopped cold, eyes wide.

Vaggie whipped around and made her spear appear. "Bruja! How the hell did you get in here?"

"Uh, through the front door," Cherri replied, unfazed. "The UNLOCKED front door. Seriously, you guys need some better security. I don't know how this place isn't looted every hour."

Charlie stepped forward. "Cherri, we're…happy to see you. But you should really knock before coming in." She took a deep breath. "As long as you're here though, is there something we… I can do for you?" She glanced at Vaggie, blushed, looked back at Cherri and crossed her arms.

Cherri smirked. "Relax, I'm not here to steal your girlfriend. Sheesh…" She snickered as Charlie blushed a lot more and Vaggie scowled. "Just came by to see if Angel needed help with anything. Or if he has, like, any chores around here that I could do for him if he's sleeping or whatever so he doesn't have to do them later…" She rolled a hand through the air.

Charlie and Vaggie blinked, looked at each other then looked back at Cherri.

"Ella quiere ayudar…?" Vaggie whispered in surprise.

Charlie's smile grew. "Cherri, that's really nice of you to offer. But usually Angel just cooks dinner with Alastor a few nights a week and they take care of their garden - and they like doing those things together. Anything else he helps out with he just…does when he wants to. Like if he sees Niffty struggling to reach a high shelf he'll reach it for her or if he sees Husk has a lot of empty bottles behind the bar he'll offer to take them out back."

"Also, Angel's not here right now," Vaggie added. "He's on one of his walks with Alastor."

Cherri grinned to herself at that bit of information. She sighed and stood up then tucked the bomb into her pocket. "Okay, fair enough. Good to know you don't have him on some kind of chore schedule - he gets enough mindless obligations from Valentino." She stretched. "Well, if Angel's out that means Fat Nuggets is alone. I'm gonna check on him and make sure he's all taken care of so Angie doesn't have to do it when he gets back - he can just go garden with Radio Head or whatever." She strolled past them.

Vaggie held out her arms. "Uh, how do you expect to get in there? His door is locked."

Cherri laughed. "We keep each other's spares just in case. So expect to see me around here sometimes." She pulled a key out of her cleavage. "Relax, I'll be gone soon. Then happiness can return to the Hazbin Hotel!" She twirled a finger in the air and headed to the stairs.

Vaggie and Charlie shared a concerned look. Then Charlie narrowed her eyes in determination and raced over to Cherri. "Wait! Cherri Bomb!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a flyer. "I don't know if Angel told you, but we're having an open house. He's going to sing and Alastor's shadow band will play, and there'll be food and drinks. You can learn more about this place and what we're trying to do. And who knows? If you take some time and get comfortable with the idea of redemption…maybe you can live here too? With Angel! And all of us."

Vaggie and Cherri both stared at Charlie with dry looks.

Cherri Bomb cocked her head to the side and eyed the invitation. "Oh Princess, you really don't get that despite all the crap and the risks and the endlessness…some demons just like being in hell. I was made for this place - I'm my truest self here." She smirked as Charlie's smile fell. Behind them, Vaggie clenched her jaw and glared at Cherri. "But…" Cherri went on, plucking the invite from Charlie's hand, "I'm down for free food and booze, good parties, and cheering on my best friend while he puts on a show. So I guess I'll pop by." She put the invitation into her pocket. "You know…" she added nonchalantly as she turned and started up the stairs, "as long as Angel's singing and Alastor's band is playing, maybe they should do a duet? Never saw Angel perform with live back up - that would definitely pull in the crowds."

Charlie's eyes widened then she beamed. "Oh, uh…thank you! We'll talk to them about it!"

"Definitely do." Cherri shot her a special grin as she headed up the stairs and out of sight.

Vaggie came over to Charlie, smiling warmly. "You didn't have to personally invite her - but I think it's cool that you did, Charlie. I know I'm always suspicious of people, babe, but…you give everyone a chance. It's a beautiful thing to see."

Charlie was blushing so much. She played with her hair. "I just wanted to let her know she's welcome here. She might encourage Angel to do some risky things but…I think they also do a lot of good for each other. She helps him - so I want to help her." Her smile widened. "Also she wanted Alastor and Angel to do something together - she gets how good their friendship is!"

Vaggie laughed. "Maybe you're right." She raised an eyebrow, grinning more. "Also you do know there's nothing to be jealous about when it comes to me, right?"

"Of course!" Charlie waved her off with a sheepish smile. "I just felt a little awkward after last time - getting jealous in front of her like that." She took Vaggie's hand and squeezed. "You and I are so strong, Vaggie. I wouldn't be here without you." Charlie hugged her with a bright smile.

Vaggie hugged her back. "You are an amazing woman, Charlie. I'm happy to be here with you."

They pulled back then shared a quick kiss.

Husk walked in from the backyard with Niffty. He sighed. "You know, if you two need a room, we've got like three dozen upstairs."

"Aww!" Niffty clasped her hands together. "Miss Charlie and Miss Vaggie look so cute!"

Vaggie sighed and just looked to Charlie who was blushing and smiling a lot. "Want to have Husk make us some Shirley Temples?" Charlie looked up at her and nodded. Vaggie took her hand and led them over to sit at the bar.

"Ooo and one for me too, Husk!" Niffty announced as she leapt onto a seat.

"Three Shirley Temples - I feel like I'm pouring for a kids birthday party." Husk grumbled. "I'm gonna have to drink triple the hard liquor to even everything out in my head." He made their drinks then pulled out three bottles for himself. "So what's up? Did we miss something?"

Charlie and Vaggie shared a smile then turned back to him. "We're just looking forward to the open house a lot," Charlie replied.

"Me too!" Niffty agreed. "Husk is coming! Alastor's gonna make him wear a suit!"

Husk scowled at her.

Vaggie raised her glass. "Then cheers to Alastor stuffing Husk in a suit!" The girls clinked their glasses and drank, laughing, while Husk just sighed and drank straight from his first bottle.

Upstairs, Cherri sat on Angel's bed, petting Fat Nuggets. She had found the pink radio on Angel's nightstand which was definitely not an item he'd owned before coming to this place. And she had a feeling she knew who it was from. Cherri smiled to herself, and her eye hazed.

A/N:

Thank you for reading and reviewing if you can! Alastor and Angel are getting so close ^w^ Next time around, Alastor and Angel reveal a secret to each other…but also things outside of the hotel take a turn for the worse. Big dramatic turning point coming up soon :333

Have a good week, everyone!

-Jenna