A/N:

Hi everyone!

How are you? : ) More RadioDust times here and siblings and their boyfriends. Some sad moments but hopeful ones, and a lot of flirting too lol. I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading!

CW: At the end, Angel talks briefly with Alastor about the fact that he's afraid of Val because of non-consensual acts Val has pushed him into in the past.

Partners

Chapter 53:

Preparing for the Future, for Better or Worse

As Husk descended from the sky to land on the hotel roof, he did a quick check of the permitter — sure enough, from this angle he could see even more shady demons in suits lurking in the shadows. He sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Great — now I definitely have to talk to Alastor. Fuck, I can't just get one peaceful morning to myself…" He headed through the roof door down the stairs until he eventually reached the top of the steps leading to the lobby.

He paused on the landing for a moment at the sight below. Niffty was sitting on the bar, smiling and clapping while Baxter used some kind of machine to dispense blended drinks into tall glasses. One for Vaggie, who eyed him with an impressed grin, and one for Charlie who was beaming at him. Knowing those two the drinks were probably virgin, but suddenly Husk wanted an ice cold tall one, booze or no booze. Besides, he wouldn't be able to sneak down to his room past everyone anyway — especially in his date get up. And talking to Charlie was definitely preferable to hunting down Alastor.

Husk headed down the stairs and hoped they wouldn't say anything about his suspenders.

"Husk! Oh wow, you're all dressed up! You look great!" Charlie had stars in her eyes.

Vaggie glanced over at him. "Wow, yeah." She smiled. "Where did you go that you pulled out the suspenders?"

Husk clenched his jaw and tried not to blush.

Thankfully, Niffty came to his rescue. "Oh, I just picked out the outfit cuz I thought it was pretty, and Husk was nice enough to wear it!" She shrugged. "I thought he might like to try something new if he was going out to drink instead of staying in."

"You look very professional, Husk." Baxter smiled at him. "And if you still want a drink, I'd be happy to provide one. Thanks for letting me run the bar this morning — I'm having fun!" He put a glass under the machine. "Can I get you anything special? This'll make blended drinks and smoothies and frozen coffee concoctions…"

Husk let out a deep breath, hoping his blushing would subside. "Frozen coffee — black and sweet. Fully caffeinated."

"You got it!" Baxter winked and started pressing buttons on the machine.

Husk went over to Charlie, his voice low. "Hey…Alastor around?"

"Sorry, I haven't seen him, Husk." Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

Vaggie looked over now, curious too.

"Probably," Husk grumbled. "Just, uh…can I talk to you two in the kitchen?"

Charlie nodded, her look growing more serious.

"Here you go!" Baxter placed the drink in front of Husk — it was blended and dark brown and smelled great and even had a little umbrella on top. Husk took it and sipped — it was so satisfying, especially after his early morning of flying and other shenanigans. "This is…good. Thanks, Baxter. Uh, I appreciate the drink, and…you watching the bar for me."

Baxter just smiled and winked.

Husk swallowed and kept his eyes on his drink. He appreciated the help getting a morning off, but he didn't want his love life or his feelings for Molly to become hotel knowledge just yet. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, uh…we're just gonna go in the kitchen for a second. Something private. Niffty, can you come get us if Alastor comes back?"

Niffty saluted. "Absolutely! We'll be on the lookout!" She turned to Baxter. "I'll have a frozen coffee too please! Decaf though, and extra light and sweet! And lots of whipped cream!"

Baxter nodded and started up the machine.

Husk left them to it and led the girls into the kitchen with their drinks.

"Husk, what is it?" Charlie asked immediately. "I…Did my parents do something?" He raised an eyebrow, and she explained. "My mom wanted me to leave the hotel and come back home. I said no. She's not happy. I'm not sure if she'll…do something about it."

Husk shook his head. "I don't think it's your mom. Your parents seem like the direct type, kid."

"Then what?" Vaggie asked as she made her spear appear.

"There's some demons watching the hotel."

"Watching?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Scouting," Husk clarified. "Lurking around in dark corners nearby — like they're casing the place. Guys in hats and dark suits." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I have no idea if they're just goons sent here cuz Alastor pissed off the wrong person again or if they're here for something to do with the hotel, but they're definitely out there. Caught sight of a dozen."

Vaggie sighed. "If it's one of Alastor's overlord enemies, can't they just fight in Cannibal Colony? We can't have the hotel put in danger over politics, even if Alastor would try to protect this place."

Charlie had been considering carefully and now finally spoke. "First we should talk to Alastor, so we can be sure if he knows who it might be. Then we can go from there. But as long as the demons watching this place are staying in the shadows, I think we're okay for right now. Maybe it's all just a misunderstanding." She turned to Husk with a smile. "Thanks for letting us know, Husk. Do you mind talking to Alastor with us about this when he's back?"

He did, but he didn't want to tell them so and give Alastor the satisfaction when the info got back to him. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Maybe mention it to Angel too…you know, just so he can keep himself safe." He blushed, trying not to think about Molly. "After all, it could be one of those 3V fuckers who never leave him alone. Something this sleazy sounds like them."

"Definitely." Vaggie nodded. "He should not have to put up with stalking around here."

"If Angel and Alastor are both out, they'll probably come back together, and hopefully soon." Charlie smiled a little. "In the meantime, let's not worry too much. Why don't we go enjoy our drinks at the bar with Baxter and Niffty? We can also keep an eye on the front door from there."

Husk felt on the edge of saying no — that he just wanted to go to his room and be alone. But somehow the idea of sitting at the bar with others seemed… kind of nice. "Yeah, okay. Baxter and Niffty would probably like that." He took a big sip of his drink, let the caffeine heal all wounds, and then followed the girls back out to the bar where Baxter was sketching out schematic plans for some other device while Niffty made the machine put extra whipped cream on top of her drink. He couldn't help but imagine Molly here too, maybe sharing his coffee drink (two straws in the one glass) and laughing with the others. And maybe one morning it could even just be the two of them together.

Husk clung to the nice thought as he drank and hoped it would come true some day.

Back on the airship, the oldest spider sibling was finally feeling calm again and ready to handle his family issues. And he was also ready to handle some issues of a more amorous nature.

Niss had been physically and emotionally attracted to Sir Pentious for weeks now. But this brief private period with Pen comforting him had sparked something gentler but deeper in the spider demon. He'd needed support and time and a chance to think, and Pen had satisfied all those needs and more by simply sitting with him and listening and serving tea and scones without expectation or judgment. And now that he was feeling better Niss had a strong desire to be able to do the same for Sir Pentious if the overlord ever needed comfort. The spider's feelings for the snake were suddenly much stronger than a flutter of the heart and a twist of the stomach. He felt a powerful lightness and a grounding relief all at once now sitting here next to Sir Pentious. And he wondered, blushing and warm, if this was what it felt like to fall in love.

When Sir Pentious's hand came to lightly rest on his own on the table, Niss decided that he wanted to be falling in love with Pen more than anything else in heaven, hell, or earth.

And he had to wonder if Pen might be experiencing the same surge in feelings now too.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything else?" the snake asked gently. "Perhaps you would like to lie down?" He blushed then quickly added, "Not in a bed, per se. But I can of course bring us to an area here in the solarium with a lounge chair for you."

Frankly, Niss only wanted to lie down if he could do it near Sir Pentious — not for sex but just to hold each other close, warm and safe together. He managed to keep that daydream to himself though, his voice soft. "No, I'm okay. Thank you, Pen." He grasped the snake's hand, squeezing gently, and smiled up at him. "This all helped a lot. I feel better now."

Sir Pentious's smile grew. "Wonderful. I'm very glad to hear it."

They were looking into each other's eyes and still holding hands.

Niss had a lovely compulsion to pull himself closer and offer Pen their first real kiss.

But right now his siblings needed his help, so he resisted and finally let Pen's hand go. He pulled out his phone. "I should to check in with Angel and Molly. Sorry, it'll just take a second."

Sir Pentious nodded in understanding. "By all means, take your time!"

Niss typed on his phone, first to Angel:

'Hey. I know today didn't go how we wanted. I'm sorry. Are you okay? I can come get you and take you back to the hotel if you need.'

He got a message back a few moments later.

'Sup. It's Cherri. I've got him, don't worry. I'll let him know you wanna talk though. He's busy right now. Nothing dangerous or bad, promise.'

Niss sighed. "Looks like Angel's okay for now." He started typing to Molly.

'Hey. Are you okay? Molly, I'm sorry, and you were right — it was dumb of us to surprise you like we did. I know you probably want space, but I'm still on the ship. Can I come say goodbye at least? And maybe we can all meet and talk later? For real this time?'

He waited a few moments. Nothing. He frowned. "She's not answering. Maybe I should check on her anyway. Or maybe she's just that mad…" But then finally a reply came through.

'You can see me. No tricks though or you won't be doing it again for a long time. You and Tony are better than that.'

He typed back quickly.

'And you deserve better from us. You've got my word — no tricks.'

Niss sighed in relief. "Molly says I can say bye to her at least. That's something. The three of us'll probably end up working out another time to talk in person. Don't worry, it won't be here, heh." He rubbed his neck. "I'm real sorry again that everything got so out of control."

Sir Pentious shook his head. "I really didn't mind. At least I was here and able to help you afterwards when you needed it. I hope you three can work things out soon."

"Me too…" Niss's gaze hazed. Then he sat up taller, chest puffed out a little as he went on. "Cuz once we got the family stuff squared away… I'd kind of like to start working out stuff between…me and you." He blushed but kept his eyes on Pen's.

The snake's eyes widened and his hood perked up and he blushed.

Niss grinned at the beautiful response and leaned up toward him a little more. "You know, I've been lying low ever since I left my, uh, family organization. But I can't do it forever, and I don't want to. I think I'm almost in a good place for rejoining society on my own terms. And as part of that future, I'd really like to get to know you better on OUR own terms." His hand found Pen's on the table again, and he entwined their fingers.

"Oh my…" Sir Pentious's tail curled and he actually giggled, and the sound made Niss feel warm all over. "I must say, I'd enjoy that opportunity very much. I've had fun ever since the night we met. And I'd like to see each other regularly — as more than friends — if you're sure you're comfortable."

Niss gazed up at Pen dreamily. "I'm gettin' more than comfortable. I wanna date you too. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a lifetime." He felt a giggle of his own threaten to bubble up. "You're a smart, nice, beautiful man. What's not to love?" His words processed, then Niss quickly blinked and amended. "I mean LIKE! What's not to LIKE! Cuz we're not even dating yet ,and we haven't even kissed yet or nothin' else, so I shouldn't be throwing around words like LOV—"

"Shh…" Pen leaned down to him and held a finger to his lips, eyes hazed. "I know what you meant. And there's no need to get into a fluster however flattering the response is. I understand how love can come to mind so easily sometimes…" His eyes met Niss's, and his blush grew.

"I…yeah." Niss sighed and bit his lip. "Oh, fongul, I wish we could talk about this more. But Molly's expectin' me. And then I gotta talk to Angel when he's ready. I'm sorry."

"We have all the time in eternity." Sir Pentious assured. He stood and pulled Niss up to stand with him, their hands still entwined. "Let's go see Molly."

Niss nodded with a grateful smile and let Sir Pentious lead him out of the solarium and toward Molly's room. They held hands for the entire walk.

When they reached her door, Niss stared up at it and swallowed.

Sir Pentious squeezed his hand. "I can stay if you think it will help. Or if you'd like privacy I'll just be right outside here waiting for you."

Niss took a deep breath and squeezed his hand back. "Lemme, uh…see what Molly wants. I really gotta do better about not treatin' her like a kid." He glanced at Pen. "Thanks."

Sir Pentious's smile grew and he blushed again.

Niss knocked on the door with his free hand. "Molly? It's me — and Pen. Can we talk? It can just be me and you, or if it's okay Pen can stay. But if not, whatever you want is good."

After a moment the door slowly opened.

Molly stood there, dressed now in her pink and black dress and red boots, a rare unhappy look on her face. Niss could see faint tear lines still on her cheeks, and they made him frown. Molly's look did relax a little though when she took in the sight before her. "I'm tryin' ta be mad here, but you two showin' up holding hands like a couple a sweet bambinos is not helping." She clasped her hands together at the sight of them, smiling a little. "I'm hopin' this means that at least one good thing came out of that mess downstairs and you two are gonna stop pretendin' you both ain't gone over each other?"

Niss blushed a little but didn't let go of Sir Pentious's hand. "We had some time together. Pen helped me think things through." He frowned. "I'm real sorry, Molly. Can we talk?"

She nodded and stepped aside for her brother to enter. "Penny? Sorry, could I have a minute alone with this one? It'll be quick, promise."

Sir Pentious nodded. "Of course. I'll be out here if you need anything — either of you." He gave Niss's hand a final squeeze then shyly turned and headed down the hall.

Niss stepped inside the room, and Molly shut the door behind them. He turned to his sister. "I did not want to hurt you today. And I know you used to hate when Pops would treat you like…like you weren't your own person. Angel — and me too — we just want you to be safe if you're staying. Hell takes getting used to: there's dealin' with other demons, and gettin' used to your new form, and also once a year angels come down here from heaven to skewer us, heh. All of that is a lot to imagine puttin' on someone you love."

He swallowed and glanced at the door Pen had left by for a moment. He tried not to blush as he looked back to his sister and went on, smiling a little. "You try to bring out the good in people, and we love ya for it, Molly. There's just a lot of evil here. I've seen some of it. And Angel…" his eyes went down, "he doesn't give me details, but I think he's seen the worst of what hell has to offer." He wiped away a quick tear and looked back up. "But it's not right of us to push you away or decide stuff about you. In some ways you're the strongest of the three of us, Molly. You…you were the last one of us who managed to stay alive after all." He took a deep breath. "I wanna be here for whatever you need. I won't force anything on ya. I hope you can forgive me for today. And then maybe we can all try talking again soon, no surprises, no demands, no anger. Just the spider siblings together again." He swallowed, waiting, uncertain.

Suddenly Molly had her arms around him in a tight hug and was lifting him off the floor.

"Ah! Molly!" Niss wriggled, barely breathing.

She released him, smiling as she wiped away a tear. "I forgive ya! You're my big brother, and I know you love me. And I forgive Angel too. And I hope he forgives me." She sniffed but tried to smile again. "I don't want ya to be scared for me. I'm actually gettin' real good at handling hell. I already know a lot about this place — I've been watching the Pentagram from my window, and practicin' how to shoot and fight with the Egg Bois, and I asked Cherri to give me lessons in how stuff works down here. I'll be fine, I'm just gonna get there in my own way. And I want you and Tony to be part of my life again"

Niss hugged her back, squeezing. "I missed you."

She patted him. "I missed you too." She sighed. "Does Angel know about ya boyfriend yet?"

He almost laughed. "No, I've been way too freaked out to tell him, and he can't seem to figure it out on his own and save me the trouble. Also Pen's not my boyfriend yet Molly. We're just…gonna start dating. Soon." He pulled back and rolled his eyes to the side as she giggled.

Then his eyes caught on a very strange sight — a red and black feather on the floor, and it was marked with…a heart symbol? Where had Niss seen…

He remembered the open house suddenly, the bartender cat with his red and black wings in different card suits including hearts.

His jaw fell and he looked to his sister. "You had the bartender up here!"

She blushed scarlet, eyes wide, trying not to smile but unable to help it. "Oh…what? No, no, what in the world would make ya say—"

Niss picked up the feather. He smirked. "He was here this morning too, wasn't he? You'd of already found this feather and tucked it under your pillow or somethin' girly like that if he'd been here earlier this week."

She scoffed and smiled and nudged him as she snatched the feather away. "Stai zitto!" She glanced down. "Okay…yeah, Husk was here. We were supposed ta have a date this mornin'. Which you and Tony interrupted, which was part of why I got extra mad extra fast, I guess."

"Sorry…" Niss looked down sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nah, don't be…" Molly looked at the feather, her smile soft. "What we had instead was nice too. He stayed with me after you left, listened and let me cry, then he tucked me in for a little rest." Her eyes went back to her bother. "He's another thing that's gonna be part of me stayin' here. Capiche?"

Niss nodded. "I got my snake boyfriend, you got your flying cat boyfriend. And Angel has…whoever he's seeing even though he won't tell me their name." He rolled his eyes.

Molly's eyes widened. "Yeah, uh, whoever he's seeing, heh…"

Niss's jaw fell in realization. "You know who it is?!"

"Angel didn't tell me!" Molly held up her hands. "I kinda figured it out, heh. I can't tell ya though if he didn't yet."

Niss sighed, his look dry. "Same thing Cherri said to me. This guy better turn out to be one damn amazing demon."

"He's interestin'…" Molly considered. "I wanna know more before I decide if I like him or not. But he makes Angel happy. That goes a long way in my book."

Niss smiled again. "Well, maybe we can all talk about our boyfriends the next time we try and meet…which I hope can be soon."

Molly considered. "Do ya mind waiting a few days? I think Angel and I both need some time." She wiped away a tear. "I really shouldn't have said that thing about him being like Pops."

Niss frowned a little and nodded. "We all say things sometimes we don't mean." He took a deep breath. "I think a few days'll be good. And maybe we could try meeting at the hotel instead of here? More neutral ground."

She smiled a little. "Don't grill my gatto if he serves us drinks, and it's a deal."

Niss smirked back. "No promises."

She nudged him and they shared a laugh.

Niss sighed. "I should get going. I want to head back to where I've been staying and also see if I can stop and see Angel. And I should say goodbye to Pen." He blushed a little.

Molly ushered him to the door. "Go, go! I want ta hear all about it later though!" She giggled and opened the door.

Niss rolled his eyes as he waved goodbye to her and stepped out into the hall. The door closed behind him, and he saw Sir Pentious just down the hall. The snake looked to him with a concerned smile and came closer.

"How did it go?"

Niss smiled. "Good. Real good. We're all gonna try talking again in a few days at the hotel."

Sir Pentious smiled in relief.

Niss stepped closer. "I've gotta head back to my safe house and also check on Angel too, so I'm gonna get going. But…thanks for everything, Pen. I can't wait to see you again."

"I feel the same way. I'll miss you. Until next time…" And then Pen leaned down, his beautiful snake hood wrapping them in shadow, and gently kissed Niss on the cheek.

Niss was quite out of commission for a few moments.

Sir Pentious blinked and tilted his head in concern. "Niss? Are you okay? Oh, I'm sorry, did I overstep? Perhaps… Niss?"

"Archie…"

"Pardon?"

Niss blinked a few times, coming out of his daze. "Call me Archie. Please. Arackniss is just my mobster name. My real name is Archibaldo. Archie. People who are family to me or who I really, really care about…I like 'em to call me Archie."

Sir Pentious was beaming. "Archie. Exquisite. I'd love to call you by that name."

Niss was a blushing, giddy mess. "I, uh…I'll just be…the door is… Oh there it is! If you could just fly a little low over the next building that would be…great."

Sir Pentious chuckled. "I'll see to it myself. Take care." He doffed his hat and then slithered away to the controls.

Niss watched him slither. He liked the slithering.

Finally once the snake was out of sight, the spider made his sway to the door and unfurled the rope ladder and did his best to climb down and finally jump onto a building roof. He leaned against a chimney for a moment, smiling dreamily. His heart and mind and body were all full of adoration. He touched his cheek and giggled. Then with a dazed sigh he texted Angel's phone one more time to ask his brother to call him when he was ready and finally made his way from rooftop to rooftop in the direction of Cannibal Colony.

His family was getting back together and he had friends and he was in love, and to hell with everything else.

It was late in the afternoon at Cherri's hideout by the time Angel finally began to slow down in his intense workout. Alastor had kept a concerned eye on him but had also managed to relax a little. Cherri led their conversation — mostly madcap tales about her and Angel getting up to turf war shenanigans, which Alastor had found most entertaining. He'd served more sweet tea, and Cherri had put out some bags of chips and popcorn as snacks. Alastor had picked at the popcorn only — it was a pleasant reminder of his movie night date with Angel a few days ago. As the hours passed he'd even played a few rounds of cards with Cherri and was intrigued at her ability to win rather regularly.

As she gathered the pot from their latest hand (they were playing for loose change), Alastor couldn't help but tilt his head in interest. "You should play against Husker. He has a familiarity with casinos, you know. He would be a proper challenge for you."

"Nah, don't want to embarrass him." Cherri smirked. "Men are always so damn sensitive. Besides, I think he's got a lot on his mind."

Alastor raised an eyebrow and considered questioning how she might know that fact. And if she might know the details about what exactly was preoccupying his feline companion.

But suddenly the sound of Angel punching a weighted bag stopped, and the silence drew both his and Cherri's attention to the gym floor.

The spider had his hands on his thighs as he panted. Then with a deep breath he flung himself back to collapse on a mat on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "I think…" he managed between breaths. "I think…I got it all out. Thank fucking god that didn't take too long. I'm just gonna…lie here for a minute…or twenty. If either of ya wanna dump a bucket of ice water on me, feel free."

"Ha! No." Alastor snapped, and a very large pitcher of tea appeared. "But I have a full pitcher of ice cold sweet tea for you whenever you're ready, darling." He snapped — a filled glass appeared next to Angel on the gym floor.

Angel took a long swig then gave a thumbs up from the floor. "Love ya, babe."

Alastor blushed distinctly and nearly fumbled the cards as he went to gather up the deck.

Cherri chuckled. "It's okay," she whispered. "I know he loves you. I knew it even before he did."

Alastor twiddled his thumbs and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I… And I…" His brow furrowed, and before he could stop himself he asked quietly, "And do you think his siblings will…feel affectionate toward me likewise? I mean, there's seems to be a great deal of contention between them, and I don't want to add to the situation. Perhaps he and I should refrain from bringing up our relationship, and I should make myself scarce if they might need some time to grow comfortable around me. Most demons do, ha!" He gripped his hands together.

Cherri tilted her head. Then she leaned in close, speaking low too, a smile on her face. "Alastor, you are an emotional, dramatic, protective, corny, hilarious, polite dork."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"They'll love the hell out of you," Cherri assured. "You can do the big reveal whenever you want, but the end result is always gonna be the same. You're in with the spiders. Trust me."

Alastor's whole look brightened up.

"And if you REALLY want to impress them, tell them about everything you do for Angel — cooking him great cajun food, snapping him up fun outfits, taking him out for twelve hour date nights—" Cherri winked.

Now Alastor glitched and glowed far too brightly. His eyes darted around then went to Angel. "Angel, if you'd like, I could teleport us directly home! I'm feeling much more refreshed now!"

Angel chuckled faintly from the floor, his tea finished. "Maybe…" With a final big sigh he caught his breath. "Cherri, anything on my phone from…anyone?" He swallowed.

"Yup. Niss texted you — I told him you were in good hands and that you'd get back to him. And…Molly called a couple of times." She frowned. "I didn't answer though — I figured maybe you'd want to talk to her on your own when you're ready. I just texted her from my phone that I was with you so she wouldn't worry."

Angel groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. "She told me I was just like pops."

"Ouch." Cherri winced.

"But I guess we did surprise her, and I maybe I got a little too focused on controlling her hell experience."

Cherri sighed. "I told Niss ambushing her might piss her off. And if you'd asked me, I would have said the same thing to you too. I know you meant well, Angie, but…" She shook her head. "Either way though, you're not like your pops. You're ten times the man that ass will ever be."

"Thanks." Angel swallowed. "I just worry, having her here now…" he said softly. "Don't want her to end up like me, heh…" He sighed then rested his face against the floor. He sniffed once.

Cherri was about to look to Alastor, but the deer demon already knew this was his time to intervene. With a snap of his fingers he was at Angel's side. "But you are such a lovely person to be, mon ange…"

"I…I mean…" Angel said softly, still not looking up from the floor, "I don't want her to go through the things that I…" He was so quiet. "Alastor, there's still things you don't know about me. Bad ones. I can't let her get hurt like me. Not her, not you… I don't want anyone to get hurt like me ever."

Alastor's smile was almost gone. "Then we will all just have to keep each other safe. And whatever has hurt you that badly, no matter what it was, I will never let it happen ever again."

Angel turned his head a little to let his clear eye meet Alastor's — it had tears. He took a deep breath and raised his voice a little. "Cherri… I think Al and I should go home now. But thanks for making sure I was okay."

"Whatever you need, hun." She walked over and handed Angel his phone and his clothes. "You two get home safe. I'm here if anything comes up."

She and Alastor shared a meaningful look. Then Alastor helped Angel up off the floor and snapped them away.

They ended up in Angel's room at the hotel.

There on the bed sat Fat Nuggets, dressed in a little pink and red tailored paisley suit with a fedora on his head an a bow on his tail.

Angel's jaw fell. "Oh my god, this is the cutest shit I've ever seen!"

"Oh!" Alastor blinked. "I almost forgot — while you were out my shadow and I thought we would give Nuggets a little makeover, especially if there was a chance he might see your siblings today." He glowed more. "Do you really like it?"

Angel beamed and nodded as he leaned down to Fat Nuggets. "He looks so good! You're such a good papa, Alastor…" Angel smirked with his eyes hazed and looked back at the Radio Demon.

Alastor beamed in pride and tugged at his collar. "Yes, well… I try." He cleared his throat and snapped his fingers. His shadow appeared. "Why don't you show off Nuggets to the others, hmm? Angel needs some rest now."

The shadow nodded, scooped up Fat Nuggets, hugged the pig as he oinked, and then disappeared with him.

Alastor led Angel to sit the bed. "There now — some well-deserved peace and quiet for you."

Before the deer demon could pull away though Angel gripped his coat sleeve. His voice was quiet. "Sit with me for a sec, Alastor. Okay? I need to tell you some stuff."

Alastor nodded and sat on the edge of the bed with him.

Angel swallowed. "Yesterday, on my way to work, I saw Vox. He says he and Velvet are gone for the long haul. And Val's acting weird now, being real scarce…except when he tried to get me up to the VIP lounge last night. Alone." He watched Alastor's hair bristle. "I was gonna tell ya about it when I got home, but it was late and I was tired, so I figured I'd tell you about it after Niss and I visited Molly this morning. But then, well, you know…spider sibling chaos. So I'm letting you know now. I don't know what he's gonna do next, and that scares me a little. And Val in general scares me A LOT." He took a deep breath. "And I think I'm ready to explain to you more about why… exactly."

Angel cringed, brow furrowed in worry. Alastor held his hand tightly and had a bad feeling.

"Val…" Angel's voice started to break a little. "Val's done things to me…made me do things with him…in bed. Things I never wanted to do. And it hurts…" A small choke escaped his throat. "And after those times I haven't wanted to live with it…to live AT ALL." He took a shuddery breath and then buried his face against Alastor's shoulder.

Alastor was very still. Angel spent some time softly sobbing. Then the Radio Demon took a deep breath and tried to keep himself steady. "You do…still want to live NOW though, yes?"

Angel nodded against him. "With you, preferably." He managed the small joke.

"Good." Alastor sighed in relief and held him closer. "I feel the same. And that…unspeakable 'thing' in the guise of a demon will not hurt you again or anyone you love. Because if he tries, I will know. And I will handle it."

Angel finally pulled his head up, wiping away tears. "Ya can't risk an overlord war over—"

"Oh, darling, overlord wars are what I do. I can and I will…and I'll win. And it will hurt." Alastor's eyes turned to darkness and black symbols swirled over his head as his fangs elongated.

"Not if I hurt him first! For ever touching me, but also for trying to touch you like that in your radio tower." Angel's eyes glowed demonically for a moment. But then the glow faded. He put a finger to Alastor's lips. "But let's forget hurting him for a sec, huh? Come back to helping me, right here and now. You're real good at it." As the Radio Demon returned to normal, Angel looked into Alastor's eyes with a small, grateful smile. "Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. I just… you saw some of me at my lowest today and you were so good about it and I just wanted you to understand and I…" He wiped away some more tears.

Alastor leaned in and placed a small kiss upon Angel's cheek. "Why don't I run a hot bath for you, darling? Then you can rest, and I'll prepare you an early dinner in bed. And afterward you can speak with your siblings if you're ready." He swallowed. "I wish very much you wouldn't go to work tonight but…if you need to, please know I will come at the call of my name just as I came to you today, Anthony. And if you need to talk more… I am here, always." His ears flicked, his gaze intense as it met Angel's.

Angel squeezed his hand and smiled more again. "I know you'll come if I need you. It feels like secretly having you with me all the time… and it makes work feel like much less of a pain in the ass, heh." His gaze softened. "And at the end of work, I get to come home to you, and that's my favorite thing of all."

"What I coincidence — mine too." Alastor glowed and smiled more. "And if you do decide to make any changes about work, I'm here to help you with that as well." He clenched his jaw. "You…you shouldn't have to be anywhere near the cause of your suffering. Let alone six nights a week."

"I…I know… I just — you know, I'm Angel Dust. I get by…"

"Such suffering is unacceptable, Angel." Alastor's tone was firm but his eyes were shining — tears threatening to burn off from the heat of his face. "We can find other entertainment arrangements for your career, no death or deals or perhaps even war required."

Angel took a deep breath in and out. "I'll think about it." He half smiled. "Vox says he owes me a favor — cuz I gave him such good advice about figuring out how to take care of himself. He got a pet, ya know — a walking freaking pet shark! It's cute as hell. Anyway, maybe I can get him to help. Or at least use him in a pinch as long as it's not gonna bug you too much."

Alastor blinked several times. "I…have many questions about the 'walking shark' part of all that. As for the favor…thank you for letting me know. And I don't mind at all — Vox is annoying but sometimes useful. I do believe we could work something out to your advantage." He stood and walked over to Angel's bathroom. "And along with any of our assistance, your own defensive skills seem rather formidable, Angel. Your workout was impressive, to say the least. It was comforting to see you so strong. Quite the paragon of masculinity." He swallowed and glowed as Angel cocked his head and grinned. Alastor quickly drew Angel his bath while the spider lingered on his bed and made a mental note about Alastor's 'masculine' interests.

A/N:

Thank you so much for reading, everyone! After this chapter we're slowly swinging back into less angst/sad stuff and more fluffy/passionate/emotionally charged stuff :333 I hope you like what comes next! Thank you all for being here and reading!

Take care!

-Azure129