A/N:

Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be back with some fresh chapters of this story :) Thank you all for your patience and support, and I hope you enjoy everything that's coming up!

Partners

Chapter 79:

Frisky Mornings are Good for the Soul

Sometime between night and day, Charlie sat up in her bed with a frightened gasp. Pieces of nightmares swirled through her mind. The hotel decimated to a crumbling ruin, her guests scattered in despair, angels from heaven coldly eyeing the wreckage, all of hell jeering at her failure, her parents shaking their heads in disappointment…but maybe some kind of odd satisfaction too.

She clutched the blankets over her bare chest, shivering a little. She and Vaggie had spent last night celebrating everyone's safety following the mob battle by enjoying each other's company, and Charlie had fallen asleep before she could dress again.

Vaggie…

She glanced over at her girlfriend's side of the bed and instantly felt better.

Vaggie was lying curled up on her side, blankets pulled up close, silver hair almost glowing in the moonlight. Whenever Vaggie fell into a deep sleep, especially after she and Charlie spent some intimate time together, she always lost her scowl. Her mouth was even quirked in a small, peaceful smile now.

Charlie wanted to gently comb her fingers through her hair, just relishing the comfort of her presence. Vaggie was so wonderful and didn't deserve to worry so much each day about keeping the hotel safe. For a moment Charlie wondered if maybe she herself didn't deserve to worry so much about the hotel either. Sure there were a lot of risks with everything they were doing…but there was also a lot of love and faith and hard work to back it all up.

Charlie wanted to have dreams instead of nightmares tonight; dreams about dancing with Vaggie in matching red and white dresses, dreams about filling this hotel with happy demons and bright futures, dreams about crowning her girlfriend as a fellow princess and introducing her to all of hell.

These good thoughts made the lingering anxiety of Charlie's nightmares disappear. She sighed, turning her gaze to the curtained window, and wondered what time it was. If it was near dawn she might as well get up and get a head start on the day. She reached out toward the nightstand on her side of the bed, looking for her phone to check the time. She didn't realize she had grabbed Vaggie's phone by accident until she had it in front of her face with the screen lit up, showing that she still had an hour until sunrise. Charlie decided to try for a little more sleep but paused before putting the phone back…because the screen lighting up also showed her a message notification. A text from Steve. And a small preview of the message.

'Vaggie, I'm all set and heading out in this weekend. Nothing else suspicious yet, but…'
Charlie raised an eyebrow. She hoped Steve was okay. Where was he heading? What was suspicious? And…why hadn't Vaggie told her?

Worry crept back into her heart.

"Babe?"

Charlie blinked and instantly put the phone back onto the nightstand before turning to Vaggie. "Hey! Sorry, did I wake you?"

Vaggie smiled a little. "It's fine. Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Charlie nodded. "Just…had a bad dream and woke up. It's still an hour before dawn though. You can go back to sleep, I probably will too."

"You sure?" Vaggie asked in concern.

Charlie nodded and settled back against her pillows, smiling. "I'll be fine." She swallowed. "I love you." She popped forward and kissed Vaggie's lips.

When she pulled back, Vaggie was smiling and blushing. She looked so beautiful. "I love you too. Try to rest. I'm always here for you, no matter what." She took one of Charlie's hands under the covers then closed her eyes again.

Charlie swallowed and squeezed her hand a little. Vaggie was always there for her. So if something was going on with Steve, Vaggie must have had a good reason for not telling her about it. Yet, her heart still felt pinched by worry and doubt.

The princess closed her eyes and managed to rest without dreams until morning, drifting in and out of wakefulness and clutching Vaggie's hand the whole time.

Soon early was upon hell, when the burnt garnet sky of night began to give way to the glowing embers of dawn.

Even in a room with heavy curtains drawn and without any sort of alarm to rouse him, Niss could sense sunrise. Getting up early was a habit of his, a comfort, and also sort of a survival instinct. Being one of the first ones up always meant knowing what was going on before anyone else and having the chance to get prepared for whatever might be next.

So today Niss stirred at the usual time, curled up near the edge of a bed. Who's bed…?

His eyes slowly opened and realization dawned on him. Oh boy, he was in Sir Pentious's bed. He sighed in relief at the fact that he was still dressed (albeit in only his boxers and undershirt) as he remembered that nothing 'too serious' had happened between them.

Still, one special thing had indeed happened. Niss had spent his first night in bed with a guy.

And he had made out with that guy yesterday and also told him he loved him.

A little smirk of pride couldn't help but come to his lips.

Niss shut his eyes, ready to settle back in again for some more sleep. He didn't have the courage just yet to turn over and see what Sir Pentious might be up to, but he could hear the snake lightly snoring and feel his weight nearby, which was a major comfort indeed. A morning sleeping in together sounded kind of nice.

Just as his eyes closed though, Niss heard scuffling outside the room then whispering and finally a hesitant knock. His eyes opened, not in suspicion so much as surprise — he knew who those sounds belonged to.

"Uh…boss?" an Egg Boi whispered loudly. "Psst, boss? Are you up? We can't find Mr. Niss!"

"Yeah!" another one added. "He's not in his bed!"

"Or in the kitchen or shooting the ray gun or anything!" a third one chimed in.

More knocking ensued along with more whispers and shuffling.

Niss blushed so much. Then suddenly he heard a sleepy sigh. He bit his lip and turned over, blinking at the sight that met his eyes.

Sir Pentious was shifting in his sleep, completely sprawled out over the three quarters of the bed not occupied by Niss, blankets all tangled around his body.

It was chaotic…and sort of cute.

"Psst, boss! Did you two have a fight after he saw your special skin? We're sorry he found it!"

"Or is Mr. Niss sick now just like you were? Do spiders shed too?"

"We just want him to be okay so much. Mr. Niss is like our great Other Boss Man."

Niss blushed and swallowed at their flattering yet sad little admissions, unsure of what to do. Maybe Pen didn't want the Eggs to know that they had spent the night together… Maybe Niss wasn't even sure if he wanted them to know. But he didn't want them to keep worrying. He cleared his throat and lightly tapped Pen's shoulder. "Pen? Sorry, don't mean to wake ya. It's the eggs…"

"Hmm…?" Sir Pentious's tail swirled under the blankets. He blinked a few times then yawned deeply, snake tongue uncurling from his mouth for a moment (Niss tried not to focus on that exotic tongue). "Eggs?" He blinked one eye at at time. "I'd like mine hardboiled please. Oh and with croissants, dearest… Yours are divine."

Niss chuckled a little. "Thanks but, not eggs to eat. I mean it's the Egg Bois. They're outside your door, all worried about where I am. They think we had a fight or something." He hesitated then leaned over and popped a quick kiss onto Pen's cheek. "Also, good morning."

That action made the snake's eyes finally open all the way. He sat up with a little smile as he woke up completely. Then he glanced over at Niss, and his whole look brightened. "Oh! Good morning to you too."

They shared a dreamy look for a moment.

Then there were more knocks.

Niss smiled sheepishly. "That's the Egg Bois. They want help tryin' to find me. I wasn't sure if… I mean, I don't know if you want them to know about us spending the night in here together."

Sir Pentious chuckled. "I don't mind if they know. They'll be quite excited. And they aren't gossips even if they wanted to be. After all, they hardly leave the ship, and they don't have access to social media." He rolled his eyes. "At least not since I cut them off after they got a phone and made themselves a dating profile looking for 'available ray guns in their area'." He rubbed his temple. "I ended up with a dozen swarthy arms dealers trying to infiltrate this ship."

Niss blinked then blushed a little. "Swarthier than…me?"

Sir Pentious instantly smirked. "Now that's just simply impossible…" The little tuft of hair Niss let grow at the center of his chest just barley peaked out from the low collar of his nightshirt. Pen's fingertip tapped it, and Niss resisted an unexpected urge to groan. Wow, being in love…really had an effect on a guy.

The snake's tone turned softer as he added sincerely, "But, getting back to our situation, if you would prefer to keep matters a secret, I'll go to the door now and put the Egg Bois off the scent."

Niss gazed at his boyfriend for a moment longer. Then he cleared his throat and called out to the door. "Hey, Egg Bois? It's Niss! Don't worry, I'm not lost or in danger, and we didn't have a fight. I just…spent the night bunking with Pen. Everything's okay."

There were several gasps and then giggles and cheers of celebration.

Niss blushed so much and had to hold back some laughter. Sir Pentious cleared his throat, calling out to the door now too. "Why don't you all put on some coffee and play some games. We'll be out to see to breakfast in a little while."

"Okay, Boss!"

"Have a good time with Mr. Niss, Boss!"

"Mr. Niss, you have a good time with the Boss!

And then they heard them all waddle away.

Niss finally caved in and snorted with laughter. "Aw, they're swell, like little bambinos." He focused on Sir Pentious again, gold nightgown falling over his body so gracefully. "I don't mind them or anyone else knowing. I had a nice time last night. Did you?"

Sir Pentious nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Yes, quite. But I'm sorry for being such a difficult bedmate." He frowned at the twisted blankets and the sight of his tail taking up so much space. He quickly curled it in."The tail and the rest of me sort of have minds of our own at night, and I end up working my way through the whole bed."

"Aw, it's okay. I didn't even notice…" Niss shrugged, smiling sheepishly too. "I mean, I've been spending nights resting on hard cots or awake on guard duty for so many years that I can kinda sleep anywhere. I think for most of last night I was curled up in a tiny corner of the bed on instinct." He blushed and quickly added. "But it's not cuz I don't want to be near you or something, promise. It's just a habit."

Sir Pentious's nervous smile softened. "Well, I think we made it through at least the first part of the night still holding each other as we slept thankfully. Even if we need some time to get used to each other's presences, I'm sure we'll find a way to mesh our styles and grow more comfortable together…provided you want to do this again. Or want to do this often possibly? Perhaps every night…" He looked down, twiddling his fingers.

Niss hesitated, brow furrowed for a moment in shyness. "Are you, uh…I mean, are you asking me to move in with you?"

Sir Pentious took a deep breath and looked skyward. "Sweet Satan, if you did move in with me, this airship would be paradise in the skies of hell."

Niss turned completely red but also couldn't help smiling a lot, especially as Sir Pentious shot him a dreamy smile.

The spider had to swallow and calm his beating heart before replying. "Pen… Pendleton. Don't get me wrong, I think it'd be great to…live together. But I…maybe I'm old fashioned, but it's a little too fast for me. I want to date you, I want to be your fella, I want to kiss you and try other things… And I want to spend more nights in this bed. But I'm just not quite ready yet to live together exactly." He glanced at the snake, full of uncertainty.

Sir Pentious frowned for a moment but then nodded, and a little of his smile returned. "I understand. When you are ready though, please do let me know. You can have your own room…or I'll bust down a wall and turn this one into a true master suite for us both. You'd have your own changing screen right next to mine and everything…" There was a lilt of flirtation in his voice.

NIss's heart and stomach fluttered, and his eyes hazed flirtatiously back. "Well, that's a temptin' offer, and I'll certainly keep it in mind for the future."

They shared a giggle.

Then Niss stretched up with a yawn (trying not to notice how Pen watched his body the entire time). "Well, uh, I should get breakfast started. Make sure the Egg Bois get something nice and hearty to eat, and you too so you can regain your energy from your shed."

"Ah, ah!" Sir Pentious shook his head and moved to place a finger in front of Niss's surprised lips. "I'll be taking care of the Egg Bois and breakfast — you stay right here and rest."

"But—"

"You have been tending to me for days. You deserve it." The snake lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'll bring us breakfast in bed. We can eat side by side… Perhaps even feed each other if you'd like to add a little extra fun and daring to our morning."

Heart pounding giddily, Niss nodded. "I…yes please!"

Grinning more, Pen slithered his body around to tower over Niss just a little, flaps expanded, creating a dim space around them. "Craving anything in particular today?"

Niss resisted a very strong urge to reply 'snake tongue' and then make out with Pen in this bed with wild abandon. But he resisted, still wanting to take things slow (especially since he had a feeling that if anything steamy started between them here they would never be able to take their hands off of each other). "Uh…sna…sausage and French toast… with some of that boysenberry syrup I made, if that's okay."

Pen chuckled. "It is extremely okay, my dearest Archie." The snake tapped Niss's non-existent nose and slithered off the bed, adjusting his nightcap. "And I know you're not ready to move in yet, but please do stay here as long as you'd like until you feel ready to depart. We could spend the day together, perhaps visiting the hotel?"

"The hotel — yeah, yeah…" Niss blinked, coming out of a fantasy about Sir Pentious cooking French Toast in a frilly white apron…and JUST a frilly white apron. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I, uh…I gotta check on Niffty anyway for Cherri. And I should check on Angel and Molly again too. And then, I don't know, decide where I want to live." He shrugged. "I was thinking of moving into the hotel so I could be close to my brother and sister for a bit."

Sir Pentious clapped his hands together with a bright smile. "Oh that sounds splendid! Very well, first breakfast then we'll head off to the hotel! It's been nice having you all to myself for the last few days, but I'm very glad you and Angel and Molly will all get to live under the same roof again as family." He left the bed then grabbed a robe off a hook on the door and glanced over his shoulder. "Be back soon, Nissy!" He winked then giddy slithered out of the room.

Niss watched him slither away.

He liked watching that slither a lot.

When Sir Pentious was gone, Niss sank back into the pillow and sighed with a big smile. "Pen…I love you." Everything was coming up roses starting today, and Niss was ready to jump into this new life with both feet and never look back.

Alastor and Angel both woke up a couple hours after sunrise — in separate rooms yet somehow in tune with each other. Then again, sharing a passionate experience for the first time, even at a distance, could forge strong connections between two people.

Angel still remembered the feeling of touching himself and thinking about Alastor, knowing the sweet deer was just on the other side of their secret door, and the tenderness of Alastor drawing him a bath with his magic, and all the dreams Angel had had last night cuddling close to that man in the afterglow of future intimacy.

With a giggle, the spider yawned and pressed the radio transmitter on his phone to check if Alastor was up yet. Alastor responded with an intrigued good morning and questions about how Angel had slept during the night. Giggling, Angel set his phone on his nightstand and began to answer that last night had felt like the best sleep of his life…thanks to certain things just before going to bed. Alastor chuckled modestly and said he'd had the same experience.

Then they both began to get ready for the day, still talking through their private radio connection.

They were in totally separate rooms, sight unseen, yet somehow removing his clothes to dress for the day while still talking to Alastor made Angel blush completely. He daydreamed about the two of them one day sharing a room, an apartment…a house. Alastor and himself being familiar and comfortable enough to get up in the morning and chat and change right in front of each other, even if his modest deer did need to turn away at some points with a shy smile.

Angel was almost done getting ready now — he had insisted on working his way around the room on his own using the furniture and Nuggets to keep himself steady with his injured leg. He wanted to regain his strength and get better as soon as possible. Alastor finished getting ready first and transmitted some light jazz into the room as they kept speaking while he waited.

It was a perfect morning.

Finally Angel finished tying his tie in front of his vanity and glanced down at his phone. "Getting around feels a lot better today, Smiles. I'm not winded at all, and the leg doesn't hurt too bad."

The radio transmitter crackled with what sounded like pleased static. "I'm delighted to hear it, darling. Of course, I hope you'll take my arm for going down the stairs. Are you sure you don't want to teleport?"

Angel smiled. "Nah. I want to get as much practice at walking again as possible. And any excuse to be escorted around on your arm is fine by me," he added with a purr.

Alastor chuckled shyly, and Angel sighed dreamily. The spider gave his hair a final brushing in the mirror then limped over to his door. "All ready — heading out to the hall now."

"See you in a moment, mon ange." The radio went silent.
Angel went out his door into the hall. Alastor immediately exited his own room and joined him, looking so smart in his usual suit and jacket and tie.

The deer demon gave him a bow then took his hand for a kiss. "You look heavenly darling."

Angel giggled. "Right back at ya, handsome."

Alastor beamed in pride then stood up tall and held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Angel nodded and took his elbow.

Angel smiled more, voice low. "Ya know, I think we've got time for a good morning kiss."

"Hmm…" Alastor sighed, eyes hazed. "Not if I had my way. I would dote on you for hours if we even started."

Angel turned scarlet, his heart pounding. "Smiles?!" His voice cracked with nervous fluster.

Alastor held him closer, replying in a static-laced whisper. "How could I help it? Your care is my calling…in every way." Alastor's other hand came to his shoulder, and Angel felt himself start to lean back slightly like he was being dipped. Alastor's velvety voice continued. "But…I will control myself so that we can continue on with our days." He leaned in and placed a soft and curious kiss on Angel's mouth — not like his usual dramatic ones. This was tender and tantalizing. He treasured Angel's lips with his own for a moment.

When he pulled back, Angel was only still standing because he was clutching Alastor's coat. The spider's chest rose and fell rapidly, and his mind raced with giddy visions and feelings of romance. "Alastor…" he barely breathed, unsure of where to even start.

Alastor just straightened them up a proud little look and led them to the staircase. "Now, on to breakfast. And later we can tend to your divine wound — as many kisses as it might take." He winked.

Angel burst into giggles, twirling his hair. "Al, you're frisky today. I like it." He smirked. "I'm feelin' frisky too. Any chance I can convince ya to let me sit in your lap at the breakfast table?"

"Ha, no, not there…" He shrugged playfully. "But perhaps if we dine in your room later tonight, hmm?"

"It is a date, hot stuff." Angel winked.

They both burst into giggles again and headed to the lobby.

The hour was still early, but the sun was definitely getting higher in the sky by the time Husk and Molly started to stir. They usually slept with Husk cradling Molly, a wing wrapped around them both. Sometimes Molly ended up turning toward him in her sleep, and Husk's face would rest on her lovely hair like a pillow.

This morning, she was facing him and cuddled close as could be when Husk woke up. He was usually the first one of them to finally roll out of bed each day. Molly loved her beauty sleep, and also Husk felt more comfortable changing before she got up, especially since his bathroom was too small to accommodate his wings for putting on new outfits.

He had been wearing clothes — suspender pants during the day, and some boxer's at night, specifically— all the time lately. His attitude for decades had been that clothes didn't matter for him since his wings covered his backside and his front was protected by thick layers of cat hair with nothing externally exposed anyway. Now though, with a lady like Molly around the hotel and in his room, he felt awkward unless he was wearing something, day and night. So dressing was now a regular part of his routine.

He pulled up his suspender straps and started brushing down his face and chest fur. He remembered Molly's soft fingers pulling through the fur on his body last night during their celebrations about his contract being changed. She had said she was trying to 'feel where his purrs came from'. He smiled at the sweet memory.

Molly yawned now and groaned sleepily like she was finally awake. "Husky…you up?"

"Yup," he nodded, finishing up his brushing. "Morning. I could use some coffee. Want me to bring you a cup?" He turned to face her, unable to help smiling at the beautiful sight she was.

"Mornin' ta you too…" She yawned again and turned over, blond hair tumbling around her body. "No thanks, I should get up, see Angel and the others… And I wanna talk to Charlie. I'm thinkin' of gettin' a room here now…" She twirled a curl of hair on her finger in thought.

"Oh?" Husk blushed a bit, heading back over to the bed as he set his top hat on his head. "Uh, look, Molly… I know we haven't talked about it yet, and I know this room is kinda small. But you're welcome to share it with me…or whatever." He shrugged. Last night they hadn't directly made plans to start living together, but they had pretty clearly established that that was where they were heading for the future. If she wanted to start now, he wouldn't say no.

She smiled up at him. "I know, Husky. And I wanna, someday. But first I want my own place, for a bit at least. I never had that before." She touched his hand. "We'll still be near each other though. We'll still visit." She winked.

Husk smiled and blushed shyly. "I think that sounds nice, your own place… And visits."

She chuckled too then pushed off the blankets to sit up and stretch.

Husk tried very hard not to get too distracted by her long legs peeking out of her nightshirt, or the splash of heart beauty marks low on her hips, or that glorious chest of hers that had spent so much of last night pressed to his own.

The feeling of their hearts beating against each other while they touched and kissed drove him absolutely wild every single time.

She lowered her arms and grinned at him, clearly aware that he had been looking at her. "I'll just head into the bathroom ta change and get my face on. And do somethin' with all of this." She smiled sheepishly and gestured to the wild nest of her hair.

"Your hair looks pretty in the morning — like a big blond cloud. I like it."

She smiled shyly and brushed a piece behind her ear. "Thank ya, Husky." Then she leaned across the bed and kissed his mouth. "You're pretty cute in the mornings yourself, mister. And I'm planning for us to have a lot more together — we'll just have two places for 'em now instead of one." She winked, and Husk grinned widely. Then she climbed off the bed, grabbed some clothes, and sauntered over to the bathroom, shutting herself in.

Husk collapsed back against the pillows on the bed, beaming. If she wanted her own place, she was gonna get it, and he would help her make it happen and get her a housewarming present and everything. She was the best dame, and she deserved the best and then some out of life. They were each gonna make their dreams come true together.

He decided to be productive and take care of some cleaning while Molly got ready. This was the start of his new afterlife, and he was going to live it right this time. Husk grabbed their tray of used champagne glasses from last night off his chair and headed out to the bar.

Alastor and Angel definitely took a little longer getting Angel down the hotel stairs than necessary — there were frequent pauses when a grinning Alastor would ask Angel if he was certain he felt all right and a coy Angel would reply that he was okay but maybe needed to hug a little closer to Alastor just to be safe. By the time they hit the lobby they were practically leaning against each other big moony smiles, whispering sweet nothings together and giggling.

As they headed across the room, Alastor was vaguely aware that Husk was behind the bar tending to some glasses, but mostly his focus was on Angel. He paused near the kitchen, holding both of Angel's hands. "Now are you certain you can make it into the kitchen to acquire some coffee for yourself, darling?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah, I can do it. You just stay out here and get the table out here all ready for us. I'll bring us coffee and we can decide on what to have for breakfast, Smiles." He tapped Alastor's nose.

Alastor's ears flicked bashfully, and with a shy clearing of his throat he snapped his fingers. His shadow appeared with a grin. "Just in case carrying the coffee does prove daunting, he's here to help." The shadow bowed. "You mustn't burn yourself, mon ange. We already have one pesky injury like that to manage." Alastor gazed into his eyes.

Angel gazed right back at him. "Yeah, and we couldn't kiss away a coffee burn…" He tried not to giggle more as the deer glowed, clearly wagging his tail beneath his coat. Angel let go of one of Alastor's hands to give a little wave hello to the shadow. But the loss of support suddenly caused the spider to teeter on his legs.

Before he could fall, the shadow came behind him to steady him and Alastor took hold of his shoulders in front. He gazed up at Angel with pure care and adoration. "How about you take this as well, my dear, hmm? Just in case." He set his microphone into Angel's hands.

Angel blushed, holding it tight and leaning on it like a cane. "You sure, Smiles? I know I used it right after the battle to walk, but that was just an emergency. You don't have to—"

"I'm positive, and I want to!" A grin quirked up on one side of Alastor's lips. "Think of me when we're apart and you use it," he added in a saucy, low voice with a little smirk of desire.

Angel blinked then blushed and beamed. "Smiles!" He nudged the air near his shoulder as Alastor looked away innocently and then the two of them burst into giggles again.

With a final warm and loving look in Alastor's direction, Angel limped off of the kitchen with the shadow in tow.

Alastor watched him go with a dreamy grin. He only noticed Husk's presence again as Angel gave the cat demon a little good morning wave before finally heading into the kitchen.

Husk just stared back at the spider with an eyebrow raised, then turned the same look to the deer demon.

Alastor strolled over to the bar with a little pep in his step, feeling like he was walking on air. "Good morning, Husker, old chum! How is life today, hmm?" He popped himself onto a stool and swung his legs. "Doesn't the air just feel like it's filled with magic, ha?"

Husk's eyes went very wide. He looked back and forth between the kitchen door and Alastor and then sighed deeply. "Oh my god, you two did something together last night, didn't you?"

A record scratch sounded from Alastor's ears. "Ha…n-no!" cracked his voice, "Why would you even… Psshh, I don't even understand the question!"

Husk looked at him dryly. "You just strolled in here all over each other, handed off your precious microphone with a giggle, clearly made some kind of inside dirty joke, and watched Angel walk away like you wanted to goose him."

Alastor snapped his fingers and appeared behind the bar, not making eye contact with Husk at all. He took a very deep breath, his voice quiet. "N-Nothing happened…much. A-And that joke was saucy at best! And I would not goose him…publicly." The last word left him in a mumble, his entire face glowing.

Husk shook his head, trying not to smile even more. "Okay, but if you want to keep whatever happened a secret, I'd say lay off the cutesy stuff til you're in private. Or maybe you don't want to keep it all a secret anymore? Basically everyone around here knows about you two now except, who, Baxter? Even Pen's gonna know soon if we go on that triple date. So if you want to be more public, maybe now's a good time to just go for it."

Alastor considered, flexing his hands, almost like he wished he had his cane to hold for comfort. "I will…make sure Angel and I are not excessively affectionate in public spaces around the hotel. I don't mind the others knowing about our relationship, but I would prefer they not know when new private developments occur." He cleared his throat. "Thank you for…pointing out our intimate obviousness before others could notice, Husker. I am indeed a bit distracted this morning."

"No problem." Husk shrugged awkwardly. "I'm just glad that something good happened for both of you." He lowered his voice more. "Did it happen because you told him that you—"

"No!" Alastor quickly screeched, then quickly lowered his voice as he added, "I am still seeking the right time for that confession. Last night…we had another important moment to attend to first." He froze, almost pouting as he added, "A very respectful and modest moment, I assure you! Mostly…" He adjusted his tie and held his head high, though he still glowed immensely… and he couldn't help his smile softening.

Husk nodded. "Understood." He cleared his throat, ready to change the subject like Alastor clearly wanted. "Uh…Molly and I had a nice night. I told her about my contract changing. She's really happy. We spent hours making plans together…ya know, for the future or whatever. That's why I'm back here now — putting away the champagne glasses."

"That sounds splendid, Husker." Alastor's demeanor finally relaxed a bit. "Seems we're all lucky in love around here, ha!"

Husk nodded then blinked. "Oh, speaking of all of us, where did you send Niffty this morning?"

"Niffty?" Alastor tilted his head. "I didn't send her anywhere. Is she gone?"

Husk frowned. "I didn't see her around doing her usual morning chores, and when I knocked on her room door to see if she wanted coffee, she didn't answer. I thought maybe you sent her out with someone…"

"I…I did not." Alastor considered then glowed tremendously. "You…could she be…I mean, if her date went well perhaps she is with Baxter…in his quarters?"

Husk blushed a little but shook his head. "Al, even just going on a date was big for her, I'm not sure if she would have been ready for a 'happy ending'. And, come on, you and me both saw Baxter show up for their date. Guy was a shy and polite wreck. It looked like it would take all he had even to kiss her goodnight."

Alastor's brow furrowed. "I would like to get to the bottom of this. Immediately." He was about to snap his fingers to teleport away…when Niffty's door opened across the lobby.

He and Husk watched in silence as Niffty slowly poked her head out. She saw them, swallowed, and finally shuffled the rest of the way out the door. "Good morning, Husk, good morning, Alastor!" She gave a half smile and a little wave. Her eye was bright, but her face looked a little pale. Her hair was clipped back, but didn't look neatly brushed. And there was a look of tiredness in her gaze.

The fact that the little demon, always up at dawn, was only just now emerging from her room was the final sure sign that something was wrong.

Alastor and Husk shared a small meaningful glance then turned back to her. Alastor gave her a bow. "Good morning, dear. How are you today?"

"Oh, okay." She shrugged. "I was feeling kind of tired so I slept in a little. I'm sorry if I worried anyone."

"Not at all." Alastor shook his head. "I am glad you took care of yourself and rested."

"Yeah, no big deal. Tell ya what, I'll get started on your morning chores right now," Husk quickly offered. "Why don't you just take it easy, have some breakfast?"

"Oh, Husk, you don't have to… Are you sure?" Niffty frowned.

He nodded. "Always happy to help. Plus I still owe ya a bunch from when you covered for me sneaking off to see Molly." He laughed a little.

She tried to smile but ended up looking down with a grateful nod. "Thank you, Husk. I'll…I'll get some breakfast then, I guess."

As she shuffled toward the kitchen, Alastor considered for a moment then cleared his throat. "Niffty, dear, perhaps you would like to take the whole day off? To rest and recover from whatever has tired you so?"

She paused but then shook her head. "Thanks, Alastor, but I'd rather not. I might be a little slower getting things done today, but I'd still like to keep busy. It helps me think." She finally headed into the kitchen just as Angel exited with his and Alastor's coffee in hand, the shadow in tow. "Good morning, Angel…" She said listlessly.

"Morning…" Angel watched her with an eyebrow raised then made his way over to the bar, the shadow following with extra cups and the coffee pot on a tray. He looked to Alastor and Husk. "Something happen with her?"

Alastor scowled, fingers ready to snap. "Perhaps I need to have a word with Baxter and ask…"

Husk held up a hand. "Hey, come on, we can't go prying into her love life like that. She's an adult. And she doesn't seem hurt, just a little…off."

Alastor seethed a bit but managed to get his temper under control enough to lower his fingers. "I…want to respect her privacy. But she is sensitive, and Baxter—" "Uh, Smiles, Baxter at twelve o'clock!" Angel quickly whispered, pointing at the stairs.

Sure enough, Baxter had come down a few steps. He was looking through the railing, hesitant.

For a moment Alastor was ready to snap him right down here and ask a few pointed questions. But then he saw the look on Baxter's face. The fish demon's eyes were wide and wet with tears, his color was pale, and even his little lantern hung low. He froze the moment he caught sight of the three guys, bottom lip trembling.

Niffty came out of the kitchen then, coffee and a few of Niss's leftover biscotti in hand. She trudged over to her room and went inside with a sigh.

Baxter watched her, frowning so much. Then he quickly turned and headed back upstairs, wiping tears from his eyes.

Alastor knew that dismal, defeated state all too well. He had felt that way so many times while trying to express or deny his feelings for Angel before the start of their courtship. In that moment he was sure in his heart that Baxter must truly care for Niffty and therefore could have done nothing intentional to hurt her. But still, a misunderstanding of some sort had clearly happened, and now both demons were suffering.

The Radio Demon sighed. "We will let Niffty…and Baxter…know we are here to talk, and that is all. You're right, Husker, we shouldn't push them."

Husk nodded then came out from the bar and took the coffee tray from the shadow, heading over to the dining room table with it. "She'll be okay, and he will too. We're all here for them."

"Quite right." Alastor took Angel's arm, squeezing close for a moment in pure gratitude that they had ended up together and happy at the end of things. Angel tilted his head but smiled more. Alastor just gazed into his lovely eyes then led him over to a chair, propping up his leg on a separate one off to the side.

Just then Molly came out of Husk's room, all dressed and ready for the day. She beamed when she saw the table. "Angel, Alastor, good mornin'!"

"Hey!" Angel waved to her, and she came over and gave him a big hug.

Alastor smiled. "Molly, my dear, Angel and I were about to sit down for coffee and possibly a croissant or two. Would you and Husker like to join us?"

Molly glanced at Husk who shared a smile with her. She nodded and turned to Alastor. "We'd love to! Niss has plenty of pastries in the fridge."

"I'll grab 'em. You get settled." Husk gave her a kiss on the cheek and then headed off.

Molly took a seat across from her brother and Alastor took a seat beside Angel.

"Your leg feeling better today, Tony?" She asked in concern.

Angel nodded and couldn't help blushing. "Oh yeah, lots better. Al's was a…real miracle worker last night, heh…"

"I try…" Alastor replied quite shyly with a bashful glow.

Molly eyed them and laughed. "Well, I'm glad ta hear it. Speakin' of workin' miracles…about this hotel… Tony, do ya think Charlie would let me stay here even if I'm not too keen on redemption right now? Cuz I was thinking about gettin' a room…maybe on your floor?"

"Yes! Please! Do it!" Angel's eyes lit up. "I know Charlie would love to have you! You're a good person. If anything, it would be great to have your input as someone from Purgatory. And I'd really like having ya here too."

"I would very much enjoy your presence around here as well, Molly." Alastor bowed his head.

Molly smiled warmly at him. "I'd love to spend more time with you too, Alastor. It's like there's something new and good to learn about you every day."

He practically beamed in pride. They shared a meaningful look for a moment.

"You two are freaking cute, I wish Husk was seeing this." Angel chuckled.

Alastor rolled his eyes with a grin as Molly laughed and clapped her hands together. "It's settled then. I'll talk to Charlie about it later." She began to pour coffee for everyone. "And if Niss maybe takes a room too, it'll be just like old times in the house when we were kids. But lots better."

"Yeah…that'd be real good." Angel sighed dreamily and took Alastor's hand, giving it a squeeze. "All my favorite people in one place. The whole family back together and then some."

Alastor tried not to glow even more now as Husk returned with the pastries and took a seat beside Molly. Angel referring to him like family made his heart soar every time.

The foursome began to eat and talk and eventually joke and laugh. All in all it was a rather nice morning spent together. And it settled Alastor's nerves and made him hopeful that Niffty and Baxter would be able to have some nice mornings again themselves very soon.

A/N:

That's all for now! I had time to draft a lot of chapters while I was working on other things so I have plenty available for posting. I hope you enjoy what's coming up for everyone :) Thank you all for reading and for your support!

Take care!

-Azure129