A/N:

Hi everyone! I'm happy I was able to get another chapter up this weekend, especially since I really want to get to the spider sibling reunion soon ^w^ I won't be able to update next weekend since I'll be away but I'll try to be back with more asap. Thank you all for reading and for your support!

Partners

Chapter 51:

All Dressed Up with Somewhere to Go

Niss stood in front of the mirror in his room at the Emporium just after sunup on Saturday morning. He had on the suit, shirt, tie, and fedora he'd first come to the Cannibal Colony wearing, washed and pressed as best he could…though his collar still bore a small rip and a faint stain of blood from the hit Pops had given to his eye. It felt weird, putting back on the clothes he'd worn as someone working for 'the family' — almost unnatural now. But he wanted to look presentable for seeing Tony and Molly. And he wanted to look dressed up for Pen too.

And maybe the suit also gave him a sense of familiar protection to cling to in case he decided to admit some vulnerable stuff to his brother before Angel figured out Niss's 'less than straight' tendencies on his own and everything went to hell in a hand basket.

Niss cleared his throat to practice again for talking to Angel. "Tony… Pen and I are close cuz we like each other. I mean, we're friends…but there's more to it. See, I like him in a special way cuz I'm…cuz I like guys! Capiche?" He sighed deeply. "Fuck, no matter how I try to say the truth, either I get all scared and vague or I announce it like I'm lookin' for a fight." He turned and leaned against the wall. "Today's probably not a good day for spillin' the beans about me anyway… We gotta focus on Molly. But I do wanna to talk to Tony before I spend too much time alone with Pen again. I really need his advice." His cheeks flushed, and he tried not to think of the dream he'd had last night of making out with Pen on the elegant tea table the guy kept in his solarium — straddling that serpentine body as Pen's tail curled around his waist.

There was a knock on the door. "Niss, dear," came Rosie's voice. "Good morning! Mimzy and I know you have to step out soon, and we wanted to give you something first!"

Niss got his thoughts under control and opened the door. He found Rosie smiling down at him and holding a garment bag while Mimzy leaned against her, trying not to drift off.

Mimzy yawned and waved. "Hi Niss! I'm glad we caught you before you left!" She yawned again. "Sorry, I'm a terrible morning person." She clung more to Rosie's skirts.

Rosie smiled more and ran a hand through Mimzy's hair, which made the shorter demon smile. Then she turned back to Niss. "We know today is sort of a small family reunion for you, as well as a chance to visit your good friend Sir Pentious. So, seeing as how you're an impeccable young man with style, I stitched you up a little something."

"I picked the colors," Mimzy added with a hazy smile.

"And in case the suit you came here with has any bad memories attached…we wanted you to have another option," Rosie continued. She opened the bag to reveal a light grey pinstripe suit with a black bowtie bearing a silver spider-shaped brooch at the center, a royal blue shirt with silver buttons, and a light grey fedora with a dark blue satin band.

Niss blinked several times, jaw open. "I…you made this…for me?"

A sleepy Mimzy nodded. "Of course! We love you, ya silly thing. Plus I've been dying to dress you up. Alastor doesn't let us do it to him nearly enough these days." She giggled.

"You've seemed brighter lately," Rosie added, smiling more. "We wanted you to have something to reflect that feeling."

Niss's eyes tingled, and then he blinked and realized it was because there were hot tears in them. He quickly wiped them away. He took the outfit very gently, admiring the color and texture and every stitch for a moment…then he laid it carefully on his bed. He turned back to the ladies, took a deep breath, and suddenly held them both in a tight hug, his face buried against Rosie's skirts. He tried not to cry, but a few tears couldn't help escaping.

"Oh…" Mimzy's eyes blinked open. She hugged him back with one arm. "Oh Arackniss…"

Rosie gently hugged him too. "You are part of our little family here in Cannibal Colony, you know…and our little family in this house. We're here for you, Niss."

"Archie…" he mumbled.

"Hmm?" Rosie raised an eyebrow.

Niss pulled back a little and looked up at Rosie and Mimzy. "Arackniss is the mob name I picked down here. It's not my real one. Will you call me my real one? It's Archibaldo, but I kinda prefer Archie — especially from, ya know…family." He blushed very much.

Rosie knelt down and looked into his eyes with a smile. "We'd love to, Archie."

Mimzy nodded eagerly in agreement.

Niss smiled back at them then let out a deep breath and finally released the ladies. He went back over to his bed to start laying out his suit.

"Hmm, do you think this means Angel Dust has another name too?" Mimzy sleepily asked.

"If he does, I'm sure we'll find out if and when he's ready," Rosie assured warmly.

"He does." Niss smiled a little to himself. "Keeps it real secret though; very attached to the stage name. I always told him his given one was a good one though — much better sounding than Archibaldo." He rolled his eyes.

"Archibaldo is a fine name," Rosie assured with a chuckle. "We've prepared some coffee and heated up a few of your danishes so you have something to take with you for breakfast. Would you like one of us to escort you through the colony and to the hotel?"

Niss shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm better off being stealthy and solo — just to avoid my Pops' goons. I ain't worried about the cannibals — they know I know you two, and most people here have been pretty swell anyway. We got differences but, hey, that's everyone, right?" Finished with the suit, he turned back to them. "And thanks, about breakfast. I'll take some of the pastries with me for Angel. Haven't cooked for him in a while…"

Mimzy yawned. "Well, have a good visit. I'll be awake by the time you get back. Oh!" Mimzy beamed as Rosie suddenly scooped her up to carry her.

"We'll see you later, Archie." Rosie cradled Mimzy close in her arms. "And if Angel or your sister want to come by, please have them do so." She nodded and then departed with a giggling Mimzy, closing the door behind her.

Niss laughed a little then changed his outfit. When he saw himself in the new suit, his eyes went wide. He looked like a new person — bold and bright and capable. The blue color made him feel handsome. Maybe he could even get shirts in all different colors one day. Suddenly he loved the idea, and he also loved the fact that Pops would have hated it.

Niss took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothin'." He grabbed his phone and dialed. It rang a few times, and then a sleepy Angel yelled, "What?!" into it.

Niss laughed. "Sorry to wake ya. Remember, we've got an appointment today? We're meetin' in half an hour."

Angel sighed, groggy. "Yeah…I'll be ready… just five more minutes of sleep."

Niss blushed a little as he headed out of his room and to the kitchen. "I, uh…didn't interrupt nothin', did I? I mean, you're not with your guy or anything…?"

"Oh my god, shut up," Angel mumbled, almost playfully. "We're dating, not attached at the hip. Nuggs and I are just sleepy. Some of us don't go to bed at ten pm like good little boys."

"Hey, I went to bed at 10:30 last night, so there!" Niss started, pouring coffee into the thermos and bagging some pastries. "If it helps motivate ya, I'm bringing hot coffee and pastries."

"…Did YOU make the pastries?"

"Of course!"

"Fuck, your pastries are good. The ones with the pignoli nuts?"

"Yup!"

"Okay…" Angel yawned, "I'm getting up and dressed, I swear. If I don't get out of here before the princess wakes up, she'll wonder where I'm heading and start gushing about wanting to redeem ALL the spider siblings instead of just one."

They both shared a laugh. It was probably the warmest conversation they'd had in forever. It felt like love was there even if they still weren't ready for the words yet.

"Well, I'll see ya soon then, Tony. I, uh…bye."

"Yeah…I…bye, Archie."

Niss hung up the phone, climbed to the Emporium roof, and proceeded to hop from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of the hotel. He felt…hope? In a few hours he, Tony, and Molly might all be together, sipping some espresso and talking again like a real family. Maybe he'd just casually mention Pen and say he was a special friend…more than a friend…and his brother would get it and wouldn't hate him. Maybe everything really was gonna be okay.

Angel couldn't have fallen back asleep after Niss's call even if he'd wanted to. The anxiety about seeing both Archie and Molly again in person and what might happen when they finally all met up was getting to him too much. He sighed and wished Alastor was beside him in bed so he could cuddle close to the Radio Demon's warm body and ask Al to smile and tell him everything would be okay. Instead Angel got up, put on his usual pink and white suit, got himself cleaned up for the day, then sat down with Nuggets on the edge of his bed and started tapping his foot. Somehow the idea of actually heading out the door was a big one for him.

Suddenly there was a gentle knock — not on his room door but on the secret door he shared with Alastor. "Cher…" the familiar deer demon's voice called quietly, "if you're awake and quite ready for your day, may I come in?"

Angel felt relief sweep over him as stood and dashed to the door. He hadn't actually wanted to wake Alastor just to be told everything would be okay. But as long as the Radio Demon was already up and offering, he would happily take any encouragement. He pulled open the door.

There stood Alastor, dressed neat as a pin in his usual suit with that easy smile on his face. It was such a familiar and comforting sight that Angel could have hugged him. "Morning, Smiles! Come in, stick around!" He bit his lip. "And feel free to give me reasons to maybe put off this meeting with my brother and sister. I'm a little nervous, heh…"

Alastor entered and nodded. "I had a feeling. But remember — no matter what happens, I will be here waiting for you…and for your siblings should they decide to come by." His glow increased. "I am very prepared to see to their refreshment and entertainment should that be the case. And if not…I'm very prepared to see to your refreshment and entertainment privately to help you relax after your big reunion."

Angel blushed a little and almost smirked. "Even if they do come over, could I get some of the 'private' stuff later with you?" He stepped closer. "I do love me a man who loves to entertain."

"I will do my very best for you, mon ange," left Alastor brightly. "I am glad you and the beloved members of your family will soon be together again." His ears flicked and his smile grew awkwardly. "Not that I'm glad your sister may be staying in hell! I mean to say, I'm glad you can be together, ha…" His eyes darted around.

Angel giggled. "Shh, calm down, mio cervo. You're cute when you're nervous, but I don't want ya to blow a fuse." Flirting helped take the tension away. "I know today'll be okay. And I know you're here when I need you. Thanks, Al." He played with his hands. "Could I give ya a hug?"

Alastor nodded, calmer again. "Perhaps even with…two sets of arms? For good luck."

Angel brightened and did just that, gently wrapping up his deer demon beloved. He inhaled near Alastor's hair and felt the deer's ears twitch against his face. He chuckled "They should meet you. Even if we don't tell them yet that we're together… I just want them to know you."

If Angel had opened his eyes and pulled back he would have seen Alastor's eyes wide as dinner plates, a big hopeful smile on his face and his spine straight and tall. The effect subdued slightly just as Angel finally pulled away. He gestured to Nuggets sleeping on the bed. "Look after Nuggets while I'm gone? He'll probably just sleep, but just in case he's lonely…"

"Of course!" Alastor nodded. "We shall spend some proper quality time together. Perhaps I'll gussy him up in case your siblings do come by, ha! Oh and also—" He snapped. A pink jacket appeared over Angel's shoulders as well as a black and pink fedora with a black band for his head. "This early it's rather chilly out — I thought bundling up might be good for you, so I designed these quickly with my magic." He snapped again — a thermos appeared in Angel's hands. "And I brewed hot peppermint tea with honey to keep you warm as well."

Angel blinked at the additions then wiped away a tear. "How I feel about you keeps me pretty warm…and all this only makes the feeling stronger, ya know." Alastor held his head high, looking quite proud of himself. "Have a nice morning, Smiles. Thanks for everything." Angel gave him a kiss on the cheek that made Alastor glow and his ears spark. The spider demon giggled then waved and strolled out his door.

Despite a distinct wobble in his legs, Alastor made his way back to his own room and snapped his fingers. Nuggets, still sleeping, appeared now in the plush bed Alastor had created for him the other night. Then Alastor sat in his chair and sighed dreamily. "What do you think, Nuggets? I do believe your Daddy would like to see you dressed up regardless of whether we have guests or not — like a nice surprise, hmm? If you'll indulge papa Alastor."

Nuggets ears twitched and he gave Alastor a sleepy blink before cuddling back into his bed.

"Yes, quite! You rest, I'll get started!" He snapped: his shadow appeared, holding several different rolls of fabric in different designs. "What do you think?" Alastor asked the shadow. "Polka dots or pin stripes?"

The shadow made a few excited gestures in the air.

"Ah, paisley! Daring indeed — let's give it a try! You get his measurements, and I'll grab a repast from downstairs!" Alastor snapped himself away as his shadow got to work with a tape measure on the sleeping Fat Nuggets.

Niss was waiting when Angel finally came out of the door to the hotel roof.

They stared at each other for a long moment. There was a big difference between the few good phone calls they'd managed and now seeing each other in person.

Angel spoke first; he couldn't help it. "Did you dress up?"

Niss cleared his throat awkwardly. "Uh, well…Rosie and Mimzy made me new threads. Besides, I didn't want to wear my cheap mafia suit. And I like blue… It's cheerful or whatever. Might make Molly happy." He glanced at Angel. "Nice jacket."

"Thanks — my boyfriend made it for me." Angel held his head high as he strolled over, almost waiting for a challenging or dismissive look from his brother even if he didn't voice his opinion.

He raised an eyebrow though when Niss just looked at the jacket with wide eyes and a small smile. "Really? Another sewer just like Rosie and Mimzy, heh. That's neat… Uh, he did a good job. Pink's always been your color."

"Yeah," left Angel, head tilted as he came to lean against the wall beside Niss. "He, uh…didn't want me getting cold out here this early. The tea here's from him too. But I could still use breakfast — fork over the pastries." He smirked a little.

Niss handed over the brown paper bag. "Dig in." He sipped from his own thermos. "Tea, huh? Glad it seems like you're taking care of yourself, Tony. You look…happy." He bit his lip.

Angel almost wanted to find some kind of insult in the words, but he knew there wasn't any. "Thanks. Yeah, I am…kinda. You look better too. Ya seem less angry, if that makes sense."

"Yeah, gettin' away from Pops has that effect on people." Niss glanced down. "I'm figuring some stuff out about myself. It's helping. Maybe…one day I could talk to you about some of it?" He blushed a little.

Angel nodded. "Okay. And…maybe I could talk about some stuff too. Some stuff we probably need to go over if we're gonna try this whole 'being family' thing again."

Niss nodded too. "Good. I really wanna try bein' family again, Tony." He glanced at his brother.

Angel's jaw fell when he saw tears in Niss's eyes. And…he leaned in closer as he noticed something else. It was faint but he could make out a few broken blood vessels in one of Niss's eyes and the faint outline of a nearly healed bruise. "Archie, Pops really clocked you one…"

"He'll never get the chance again — to do it to me or you or Molly." Niss held his head high.

For the first time in a long time Angel felt like he really had a big brother looking out for him.

They both heard the airship approaching. Niss glanced at it, hid his blush, then went to the edge of the building. "Come on, Pen should have the Egg Bois drop down the ladder soon."

"Pen? Guess you really are good friends." Angel smiled sheepishly. "Hope all the times I tried to blow up his ship with Cherri didn't hurt that at all, heh."

Niss smiled. "Pen's cooler than you think. He says everything's good." He winked, felt his heart starting to race, then saw the rope ladder drop down.

As soon as it came near the building, both boys jumped on it and started to climb.

Alastorappeared downstairs, ready to gather some coffee from the kitchen as well as some breakfast for himself and the little pig.

He paused when he saw Niffty sitting on the bar counter and…Baxter behind the bar. His head tilted. Alastor was always torn about surprises. They both intrigued him for their inherent entertainment and irked him for his lack of control over their sudden appearance.

"Alastor, good morning!" Niffty waved and grabbed a tray from behind the bar with a coffee pot and cup on it as well as a plate of sausage and eggs. "I made breakfast! Baxter and I — oh and Husk — already ate, but I saved you a plate too!"

Alastor stepped closer, eyeing the plate then turning a curious smile to Niffty. "Indeed. Thank you for preparing me a plate! And…good morning, Baxter." He nodded at the fish demon and reflexively put on a more cordial and controlled air. At this point he had fewer qualms about Baxter's closeness with Niffty — his sudden slip into his perfectly cultivated professional persona was more due to the fact that Alastor had always found himself a little shy around strangers (who he wasn't preparing to eat). But, ever since joining the hotel, he had gotten a taste of engaging with other demons without resorting to violence or deals. And he wanted to keep cultivating such refreshing relationships. Baxter seemed a decent enough demon with whom to continue his endeavors if possible. And he wasn't cowering — always intriguing.

Baxter waved as he finished wiping down some shiny chrome machine behind the counter. "Good morning, Alastor! Or do you prefer Radio Demon? Or perhaps Mister Alastor? Niffty always just refers to you as Alastor so—"

"Alastor is acceptable!" Alastor replied simply if perhaps a little too eagerly. He glanced from the fish to Niffty. "But I wonder what Baxter is doing behind the bar instead of Husker?"

Niffty smiled. "We thought running the bar for the day would be a fun way for Baxter to get to know everyone! But you know how grumpy Husk can get when he doesn't have enough alone time — so he went out for a bit. I think getting away from the hotel sometimes could be good for him actually." She looked up at Alastor hopefully then added, "Maybe Baxter could even help at the bar sometimes regularly so Husk can have some more time to himself?"

Baxter nodded. "I'm very happy to assist. I'm excited to observe the demons around here as much as possible. And mixology is sort of a fun science." He hoisted the large machine onto the counter — it had several buttons and spouts and lights. "Also, I've been looking for an audience to try out this invention of mine — it's supposed to be for whipping up chemical compounds quickly, but today I've converted it into a specialty drink maker! If you want something a little complicated but Husk doesn't have time to create it, here's the solution!" He beamed. "It'll make mixed drinks, blended drinks, frozen drinks, iced drinks, hot drinks — alcoholic or non-alcoholic, you name it!"

"Ask for one, Alastor!" Niffty pleaded eagerly. "It's really neat! Baxter had it make me a peach smoothie before, and I loved it!"

Alastor eyed the machine curiously for a moment then turned his sights back to Baxter. "Hot buttered rum, extra cinnamon. If you please."

Baxter pressed a few buttons on the back. The machine whirred, Niffty placed a mug beneath the spout, and sure enough in a matter of seconds a steaming stream of warm golden liquid flowed out complete with an extra dash of cinnamon. Baxter presented the drink to Alastor.

Alastor inhaled deeply — his eyes brightened. He took the mug, considered it, then sipped. His smile grew and he looked back to Baxter. "I must say I've always despised newer technology. But you clearly have a knack for actually using it to create something rather useful. Have you ever considered selling your soul into eternal servitude as part of a highly beneficial deal?"

Baxter raised an eyebrow at first then laughed in realization. "Oh, you like the drink! And the machine! I'm glad!" He fiddled with some gears in a back panel. "I'm afraid I'm not open to the soul selling part though. I like being my own boss. And I'm terrible at politics. And at following instructions, heh. If there's any kind of machine you'd like built through, let me know and I'll see what I can do. I love a challenge!"

Alastor took another sip of the drink. "Well then, to each his own. I think we shall all get along swimmingly! Just respect my boundaries and never harm a hair on the head of anyone in this establishment or I'll have to fricassee you I'm afraid, ha!"

"Oh Alastor, he'd never hurt anyone," Niffty assured, waving him off with a laugh.

"Very true!" Baxter nodded. "Science — even some of the more mad science that I practice — is for learning, not hurting. I'm not sure how 'redeeming' it all might be, but I don't think it's damning to any extent." He wiped his brow and closed the panel. "Although, based on my research, I don't think there's any risk of you attempting to cannibalize me for at least three weeks no matter what."

Alastor stood very still, his head tilted, gaze a bit piercing. "And from whence have you drawn that conclusion, pray tell?" Even Niffty looked a little curious.

Baxter shrugged. "During your last radio show, before your tower was briefly shut down, your guest was a cephalopod. A squid demon, specifically. Seafood, in other words. Based on the pattern of your shows, you tend to allow approximately 2.5 weeks between repeating types of flesh. And in general you consume seafood slightly less frequently overall, which made me round up the timeframe to three weeks."

Alastor was stunned momentarily to say the least. "You listen to my show?"

"Oh, no." Baxter shook his head, still smiling. "I get a little too easily distracted to sit still and listen to shows. But I did research you and the others before I made my final decision to move in. I wanted to be prepared for making conversation…and possibly friends." He swallowed, looking hesitant for a moment. He raised his eyebrow. "Did I overstep somehow? Boundaries can be…blurry for me a little."

Niffty bit are lip, looking anxious.

But Alastor's smile actually softened. "No, you have not. And I understand the uncertainty of diving into new permanent social endeavors. Personally, I think you are doing well. Niffty will certainly be helpful to you too — she is an absolute social butterfly, ha! Welcome to our hotel, Baxter." Alastor hesitated then held out his hand to shake. He cleared his throat. "You must be aware that I shake hands with demons to make soul-binding deals, but you should know I really am perfectly capable of a handshake without divine repercussions. However, if you'd rather not entertain the greeting—"

But Baxter's hand was already shaking his firmly. Niffty beamed. The fish demon smiled. "Ah! A cordial greeting! And of course you can shake normally — how inconvenient would it be if everything you touched was suddenly bound to you eternally? It makes no biological, magical or scientific sense. I have no idea why others would assume such an absurd hypothesis."

Alastor released Baxter from a shake with a laugh of his own. "Exactly!" He placed his buttered rum on the tray with the coffee and his breakfast and took it in hand. "Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you, Baxter, and the bar seems to be in excellent hands! I'm afraid I must take my leave though since I have a project to work on. Niffty, if Husker returns do let me know." He hesitated then made himself add, "I'd like to check on him."

She nodded. "Of course, Alastor!"

He nodded in return then headed upstairs, quite happy about his friendly interaction with Baxter. And, perhaps it was the sip of rum talking, but he was also extra elated at the idea of working on a fresh outfit for Nuggets to impress Angel…and perhaps Angel's family as well.

Husk had gotten up at dawn and eaten a full breakfast like Niffty had insisted to keep up his strength. Then he'd spent some time on the roof psyching himself up. And finally he'd taken off flying. Without carrying a passenger, it wasn't so bad. And knowing he was going to see Molly made the flight feel easier as well.

Spotting the airship on the outskirts on the pentagram wasn't hard, though it did take him a minute to work up the nerve to finally head to her window. She'd described it as the only one with pink curtains, so it was pretty easy to see. Husk was just nervous about everything going wrong…or maybe right. He glanced down at himself and hoped he'd made a good choice wearing this outfit Niffty had picked for him — black slacks with suspenders, a black bowtie, brown loafers, and his usual hat. Shirts just didn't work for him with these wings no matter what the occasion.

He also had a small surprise for Molly, but it was tucked under his hat — for safety during the flight and for effect when he would reveal it to her.

Finally, unable to stand the waiting anymore, Husk flew to her window and knocked.

No answer.

He knocked harder. Still nothing. He tried once more, and this time the porthole window swung open a little.

He swallowed. "Uh…Molly? It's uh…me — Husk. I, uh…flew here. I don't think I mentioned yet that I can fly, heh… Can I come in?"

He heard a deep sigh followed by a giggle.

Curious, he pushed the window open all the way and entered.

Husk found Molly lying on her bed wrapped up in a pink robe, her blonde hair in curlers, and a green moisturizing mask spread over her face. On her floor were scattered dresses and outfits. And laid out on a chair was a pink and black dress, red boots, and a red hairband.

Molly shivered from the draft from the open window. "Okay…" she sighed to herself, eyes still closed. "That was probably five minutes. Now I'll definitely get up and get ready…" She yawned and her eyes opened…only to see Husk.

He gave a small wave, unsure of what else to do.

Molly's eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright. "Oh maledizione! Fongul! Che ore sono? Ah…" She looked at her phone. "Nine? I dragged myself out of bed at seven, ripped apart my closet til I found the perfect outfit, and only laid down for a few minutes while I had the face mask on!" She gasped and then tried to hide her face with her hair and then to cover up the curlers with her hands. "Husk! How did ya get in here?"

"Uh, I flew — to the air ship — and came in through the window. I don't like using them much, but the wings aren't just for show." He shrugged and let them spread for a moment before tucking them back behind him shyly.

She blinked, eyeing his wings with wonder for a moment. But then she scowled and shook her head to herself. "I'm sorry, Husky! I'm so bad at mornings! I just wanted ya ta finally see me lookin' nice for once!"

"But…you ALWAYS look nice," Husk said with a swallow.

She stopped wiping off the face mask with tissues and turned to him, eyes wide.

He was blushing. "I'm not a morning person either. Niffty's just a persistent alarm clock. She got me up and even into this get up. I feel kind a ridiculous. But…you're pretty any way you are and every time I've seen you."

She played with one of her curlers as she gently finished removing them from her hair. "Do ya…really think that, Husky?"

He nodded then blinked. "Oh, and I got you something." He blushed more. "Don't laugh."

She nodded, a small smile barely coming to her lips.

Husk took a breath and took off his hat. He flashed her the empty inside then tapped the brim twice and reached in. He pulled out a small bouquet of yellow flowers. "Ta da. I hope you like them. And the trick. I do magic tricks sometimes, like a hobby or whatever. I know it's dumb—"

"It's perfect and so are you, mio gatto," Molly said softly as she took the flowers, smelled them, then set them delicately in the water glass by her bed. "Look at me, gettin' all upset like I ruined our meetin', and here you go makin' it perfect." She blushed. "If I wasn't worried you might be against it, I could kiss ya again."

Husk gripped his hands and tried to remind himself why he was here. He did not want her to stay in hell. He did not want to care for her so very deeply. He did not want this meeting to turn into a date. It was a simple goodbye. He would never kiss her again.

His heart ached until he finally came forward and kissed her again. He felt selfish and stupid but he wanted just more more happy moment before they went away forever.

Molly brought her arms around him and kissed him too, fiercely. Suddenly his hands were in her hair and she was exploring past his suspender straps and around to the sensitive bases of his wings. And every time he got a little bolder she matched him in stride as everything about this being a simple meeting went out the window.

She pulled back for a moment, breathless. "I missed ya. I like ya. I know we ain't known each other long but… I wanna keep knowin' ya more. There's just never enough time. Is there any chance ya could get away for the whole weekend? We could spend it all together."

Husk's heart was racing. He imagined telling Alastor to fuck off and really spending two days with her without sneaking around or getting interrupted or one of them having to run off. If only… But he shook his head. "I'll never get away that long, and I…I'm rusty about dates. I wouldn't even know where to take you…"

"We could start with your room at the hotel…" She was scarlet and giggling, those big blue eyes so perfect and mischievous.

Husk finally blinked and pulled back. "I…no, no, we can't do this! I didn't come here to… I…I know you're going back to purgatory!" His ears dropped at the sad words. "And I came here to tell you that…I can't hurt you by giving you reasons to stay here. And I can't hurt myself pretending that we…" He scowled. "Love doesn't exist in hell!"

"You're wrong." She put a finger to his lips, still so calm and sure. "I'm never going back to purgatory. I'm staying here. And It's got nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. My choice. And now it's a PERMANENT choice… See?"

He flushed and blinked when she pulled open the top of her robe a little. But then his heart both dropped to his stomach and sped up at what she revealed when her eyes flashed pink.

A small X mark over the center of her chest glowed brightly for a moment then faded.

Her eyes returned to normal as she pulled the top of her robe closed again with a shaky breath. "My death mark. Never showed up on any of my visits before. But I guess I've finally been here too long. With this, I can't go back. I'm in hell for that long haul." She shrugged. "I'm gonna get my brothers together soon and let them know. Then I'm gonna settle down here. And none of it's your fault. I promise ya. You ain't hurtin' me, Husky."

Husk looked at her with disbelief…then disappointment…then flustered desire, especially as her eyes hazed and her smile grew. "Okay… We should still probably talk about this more. But…not here in some other guys house… especially not Penny, your good overlord buddy and roommate." He tried to scowl. "I mean — tall, rich, powerful. I can't compete with that. I might let him turn my head a little too." There couldn't actually be a possibility of a happy ending for himself and Molly: Sir Pentious must be ready to mess it up somehow, and then hell would make sense again and Husk could go back to the safety of having no feelings at all.

Molly titled her head then burst into giggles. "Husky! Penny is not that kind of friend! Also he's very into someone else, and either way he ain't into girls."

"Really?" Husk couldn't help sounding hopeful.

She nodded. "But you seem to be into girls…and maybe guys too?" She raised an eyebrow with a curious smile.

"I'm into demons of all kind." He shrugged and his eyes met hers. "But right now I'm especially into you." Even just wrapped up in a robe over a nightgown she was stunning. And he had this weird mental image suddenly of holding her in his arms in the dress she'd picked out and flying her away from the airship. Had he just daydreamed? He'd never daydreamed, in life or death!

"Lucky me, I feel the same about you." She swallowed and blushed. "But I guess we should still go slow. I'm still tryin' ta get used to the spider body and not hate it, after all. You know I got fangs now on top of everything, heh? What if ya don't like canoodling me so much?"

He moved closer. "Everyone here has fangs and claws, but none of it's so bad." He took a deep breath. "But if you're worried, I can try to help you feel as pretty as you are."

"Want me to help you feel pretty too, Husk?" She whispered.

He could only nod, absolutely flushed.

She kissed him deeply again, and he returned the gesture as they held each other so happily.

Only a few minutes later though they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Sir Pentious calling out from the main hull of the ship. "Molly? You have visitors!"

Husk and Molly separated and sighed deeply, flushed completely. Molly groaned in annoyance. "Maybe it's Cherri? Oh, she picked a real bad time… Wait, but who else would she bring?"

Husk didn't let her go and gazed into her eyes. "I don't know, but maybe the two of 'em can keep each other company while we stay up here and keep doing the same thing for us?"

Molly giggled wildly.

Then Sir Pentious called from downstairs again. "It's er…your brothers. Niss and Angel."

Instantly, Molly's eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and she paled.

Husk blinked. "Angel? He never said he was coming here when he left this morning… And your other brother's with him?"

Molly sat Husk on her bed. "Hide in here please! I need ta see what this is about! I'm so sorry, I'll be right back! Please don't leave!" She frowned, looking pained.

Husk took her hand and nodded. "Go talk to them. But if you need me to help, I'll try."

Molly smiled awkwardly, twirling her hair. "Ya ain't worried this time that if they see ya comin' out of my room they're gonna assume some things?"

Husk swallowed. "Well…I don't know. A little I guess. But making sure you're okay matters more to me." His scowl softened away completely. "I think I care about you a lot."

She wiped away tear and kissed his forehead. "I care about ya a lot too. I'll be back soon." Then she left.

Husk laid back on the bed for a moment, catching his breath.

Fuck everything, he was not going to miss out on this woman all because he'd almost forgotten how to let himself just be happy.

From behind a shadowy corner at ground level just a few moments ago, some demons in fedoras had watched as Sir Pentious's airship flew over a building and two familiar spider figures grabbed for a rope ladder and climbed onboard.

When the ship left, one pulled out his phone. "Tell the boss we found Niss. We had eyes on him and everything. He was gettin' on the airship of that snake overlord. And he wasn't alone — the pink sheep of the family was with him."

The call ended, and the two figures snuck back into the shadows, ready to return to their boss and fill him in on this new info about not just one but both of his sons.

A/N:

Thank you all for reading! The big meeting is next chapter and a lot happens. And Henroin is coming soon… I hope you like what's next!

Take care!

-Azure129