A/N:

Hi everyone! I've just had some time so I wanted to do some extra posting while I can. This chapter focuses a lot on Niffty and Baxter with some fluffy RadioDust thrown in :) I hope you like it and thanks for reading!

Cw / nothing explicit but Niffty refers to the effects of her trauma with men on her current life

Partners

Chapter 81:

Clear Hearts, Clean Slates

The three couples talked in the lobby for over an hour. But once Angel started showing some signs of fatigue they figured it would be better to end their visit and let him return upstairs to rest. Even if his angelic burn wasn't acting up, he had still been through a lot of physical trauma and unconscious for a few days and needed downtime.

Niss and Molly started grabbing up plates and cups, and Husk joined them while Sir Pentious swept crumbs off the table. Alastor had his shadow assist but mostly he used the momentary distraction as an excuse to freely keep his concerned gaze on a yawning Angel.

Husk, Molly, and Niss headed into the kitchen to drop off the dishes, but Niss was quickly shooed away by the two of them (who apparently liked to wash and dry together as a flirty fun activity). He returned to the dining area, wondering if he could take this time to try fostering some conversation between Alastor and Pen (despite the deer's clear avoidance of the snake), when a nearby door slowly opened, and Niffty had stepped out.

Niss remembered instantly his promise to Cherri to check in on her. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Hey, Niffty. Nice to see ya."

She looked anxious moment but then took a breath and smiled back at him. "Hi Niss! It's very nice to see you too. I'm glad you're visiting Angel today." She eyed the dining area. "Oh, look, six settings — all of you must be here. Where are Husk and Molly though?"

"Kitchen, doing the dishes and flirting, heh," Niss explained. He bit his lip. "Hey, uh…thanks for helping get Angel safe and bandaged up when he got back here from the fight. I heard you and Baxter were like a nurse tag team." Niss hadn't meant to bring up the fish demon directly, but Cherri had mentioned checking up on him too, so the words just popped out.

Niffty blinked and froze. Her eye didn't meet his as she finally nodded and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "Yes, we…we both worked really well together." He lips pressed together, and her chin wobbled a little.

Niss knew that look — a few times while growing up, a teenage Molly had come home from dates with that look. And Niss had always known that something had gone south. He wasn't seeing any fear or panic signs on Niffty, so Baxter probably hadn't crossed any lines. But there was a sadness in her eye, much like Molly had always shown after being dumped by any guys who feared the wrath of their Don dad more than they liked her — it was a look that said she had a broken heart she couldn't quite accept.

Niss cleared his throat. "Ah. Well…you're both nice people — makes sense you'd get along." He considered then softened his voice, like talking to his sister on her sad nights so many years ago. "I'm glad ya took care of my brother, but I hope you're taking care of yourself too. That battle wasn't easy on any of us. You're a swell gal, Niffty. You deserve swell company and a swell life down here."

Niffty's smile became soft. She managed to let her eye meet his — he saw that it was shiny with tears that wanted to fall. "Thank you, Niss. You're nice too." She hesitated then gave his arm a quick, tight hug before pulling back.

Husk and Molly both came out of the kitchen now. Molly smiled when she saw the little demon with her brother. "Oh, hi Niffty!"

Niffty put on more of a smile (though it was still weak) and gave her a little wave back. "Hi Molly. Hi Husk."

Husk eyed her cautiously for a moment. Niffty's lip wobbled under the knowing stare, though she kept her smile present. Molly most have noticed too — her own smile faltered.

Husk cleared his throat. "Hey, Niss, do you mind saying bye to Pen for me? I want to talk to Niffty for a minute…with Alastor. Is that okay, Niffty?"

Niffty clenched the ends of her skirt, blushing, but nodded. "Yeah…maybe.

Niss cleared his throat. "Maybe Molly should come too. Ya know, in case anything needs to be said woman to woman."

Molly glanced at him, head tilted. Niss shrugged but gave her a meaningful look.

"I'd…like that," Niffty suddenly replied with a firm nod.

Molly looked right to her. "Okay then, let's go talk. Come on, Husky." She took Husk's hand then glanced at Niss. "Get Alastor for us, okay?" Niss nodded, and Niffty led her and Husk over to her room.

Niss headed back over to the dining area where he found Angel telling some old mob story while Pen listened with an amused smile and Alastor observed, quiet but enraptured. Niss cleared his throat. "Hey, sorry to interrupt. Pen — Husk and Molly say bye. Sorry, they had to go help Niffty with something. Speakin' of which, they want you to give 'em a hand, Alastor." He looked to Alastor.

Alastor bolted up, glowing as he snapped out of watching Angel. "Niffty? Yes, of course!" He looked back to Angel. "Angel, shall I teleport you to your room so you don't have to manage the stairs?"

Angel smiled but shook his head. "Nah, that's okay. I'm a little tired but I don't mind a bit more walking."

"Understood. Then at least accept my—"Alastor paused right in the middle of extending his cane toward Angel. He chanced a single quick glance at Pen before his smile froze awkwardly.

Niss decided to give him an out. The guy really seemed like a bundle of nerves today. "No worries, Pen and I will get him upstairs. Then we'll probably leave from the roof."

"Oh yes, I can carry Angel quite easily," Sir Pentious assured. He lifted the end of his tail, making a dip mid way down to act as a seat. Angel eyed it but then slowly pushed himself up and slid into the dip with his legs hanging off of one side.

He grinned. "Hey, this is kinda fun, heh. Thanks, Pen!"

Alastor clearly bristled and was clearly trying not to show it — and Pen made sure to look away, though he wasn't subtle about it. Niss just wondered how he and his brother had both ended up with such oblivious yet adoring guys.

The Radio Demon finally took a deep breath and replied to Pen through a tight smile. "Very well. Thank you." He looked to Niss, his tone cordial again as he took a bow. "Niss, it's always a pleasure!" He looked to the snake just inclined his head. "Sir Pentious…likewise."

Sir Pentious eyed him curiously for a moment but then just smiled and nodded, doffing his hat. "Lovely to chat too, Alastor." He straightened up and turned to Niss, holding out his hand. "Come along, Nissy, let's get going." He glanced behind him. "Angel, I'll try to move slowly so we don't jostle you on the stairs."

Angel laughed a little, still settling in. "I'm okay, but thanks." He looked to Alastor. "See ya soon, Smiles?"

For a moment all of the deer's jealousy and insecurity and stubbornness melted away. He smiled in a soft, genuine way and nodded. "Indeed. I'll be up to see you as soon as I can Or you can radio me earlier if needed." His eyes widened, processing Pen's presence again. "Er…just like I allow all of our premier hotel patients to do, ha!" Then with a snap he was gone.

Sir Pentious tried very hard to hold back a giggle at the little display, and Niss was grateful that Angel was too distracted by balancing on the tail to notice.

Besides, other thoughts were occupying Niss's mind now — like how grateful he was that at least Sir Pentious didn't seem insulted by Alastor's behavior. Maybe the situation between them could be fixed up easily. Maybe he could talk to Angel before leaving so they could start figuring things out. "Okay, he's ready, let's go, Pen!" Niss called smiled at his brother and his boyfriend.

"One express trip to the upper floors!" Sir Pentious laughed and then slithered up the stairs with Angel laughing and trying to balance, and Niss laughing and helping keep his brother steady. They quickly made it straight up to the second floor but paused when they heard what sounded like a glass break upstairs. The three men shared a glance. Angel nodded to Niss, Niss nodded to him then Sir Pentious, and Sir Pentious nodded to them both before heading up the next flight of stairs to check out the cause of the ruckus.

They didn't expect to find the door to Baxter's lab open or to see the small fish demon curled up on the floor by the doorway, a shattered beaker at his side, just gazing at his machines and creations, looking so empty and lost.

Angel and Niss and Sir Pentious shared another glance and another nod. Whatever was gong on, they were here to help.

Back downstairs, Alastor had teleported himself directly into Niffty's room — normally he would knock, but he knew Husker and Molly were in there already, and he knew Niffty needed him. And also…maybe he had wanted to get away from the Sir Pentious as quickly as possible. The snake was giving him frustrating, and…slightly self-deprecating feelings. It was complicated. But he knew he would have to apologize to Angel for his behavior later and then swallow his pride and apologize to Niss and the snake as well. He had to suss out the nature of his conflicted feelings first though.

Right now, however, Niffty mattered most. And all of Alastor's attention went to her when he took in the sight of the room and the three people in it.

Husk had pulled up a stool to sit near Niffty's bed, wings tucked in as he frowned in worry. Niffty was seated on her bed with Molly beside her, and the ladies were holding hands while Molly patted the little demon's back and Niffty sniffed and tried to squint away a tear in her eye.

Alastor approached gently and leaned in toward her. "My dearest Niffty, your smile is gone. What's wrong?"

Her lip trembled and that big tear threatened to fall. "Me, maybe?" She replied, causing Alastor to blink in confusion. "Sometimes I think it's me. I know it's not, but that's what it feels like sometimes." And then she closed her eye and rested against Molly as the tear fell.

Alastor's ears dropped completely. Molly brushed a hand through Niffty's hair. "Shh, it's okay…I'm here for ya. I know. Bein' a girl is hard sometimes… But you can tell them what ya just whispered ta me if you're ready. They'll want to help."

Alastor raised an eyebrow and glanced at Husk. Husk glanced at him and nodded toward an empty chair. Alastor snapped to make it appear at the bedside and took a seat on the edge, sitting up strait, gripping his cane, ears angled forward.

"We're here for you, Niffty," Husk assured. "I know Alastor and I kind of suck at emotional stuff, but we're getting better. Promise."

Alastor swallowed and looked to the little demon, his smile so small. "Niffty…I value your presence and your peace of mind. If you are in any distress and I can assist you, I am at your service." He bowed his head low and then sat back up.

Niffty took a deep breath in and out and then opened her eye again. She seemed calmer but still fragile. She squeezed Molly's hand then finally spoke. "It's…it's about me and…" She bit her lip.

"You and…Baxter, perhaps?" Alastor gently supplied.

Niffty shook her head. "No." She frowned a little and looked to Alastor and Husk. "None of this is his fault, please remember that." She sniffed. "I know both of you, and you'd run in and sock a guy first and ask questions never if you thought he was mean to me. Which is sweet, but I can take care of myself, and I'd probably beat you both to it anyway, heh."

Alastor and Husk nodded to her and waited for her to go on. "It's about me and…men." Niffty swallowed. "I've gotten better at being friends with them and meeting new ones, I'm having trouble getting close to them…romantically. I know it has to do with my memories, and the bad feelings I still have from them." She looked down in frustration. "I thought I would be okay going on a date with Baxter, and we really had a nice time. But then we tried to kiss and… It was like I panicked and suddenly wanted to hurt men because otherwise they might hurt me first. But I don't want to hurt Baxter — I don't want to hurt anyone! It's not fair!" Her eye glowed, her fangs flashed, the ends of her hair tipped in flame. "I want to live my life with whoever I want in it, but some part of my head just won't let me!"

Molly instantly took both of Niffty's hands in hers and met her gaze. "Hey, Niffty, it's okay. Deep breaths, just like me. Get the anger out, but don't let it take over. Ya don't deserve all the stress."

Niffty did manage a few cleansing breaths, and finally her demonics faded. She gave Molly a small thankful gaze before looking down and going on quietly. "I've already accepted that some bad stuff happened in my life. But I won't accept letting any of it ruin my death."

There was quiet for a moment. Then Alastor spoke carefully, ears down. "Niffty… Perhaps this is my fault." All eyes turned to him, and he held his cane even more tightly. "When you asked for a fresh start as part of your deal, I cleaned away much from your mind but perhaps not enough. It was a delicate spell though — I was worried about taking away too much and having you lose all personality, all sense of self. So I erred on the side of caution." He blinked, ignoring tears pricking at his own eyes. "Or maybe I should have left even more behind so you could have retained a clearer context of your life? I don't know." His eyes met her eye. "But not all men are bad. It's taken me decades to accept that truth. And whatever I can do to help you have the same comforting realization, I will do without hesitation or fail."

Husk took on a serious look. "Niffty, seriously, Alastor and I will do anything to help you. We'll even go through your memories ourselves, find the souls of whoever hurt you in life, and send 'em to the Cannibal Colony butcher if that's the closure you need. Just say the word." His wings flared.

"No." Niffty shook her head. "Please. I already told Alastor I don't want anything to do with those memories, let alone the people who caused them. And I don't want you to have anything to do with them either. They're not worth it. My closure is just being here now with all of you. All I want is…" She took a deep breath, holding back a tear again. "All I need from you two is to know that you'll both be here for me, not to fix things but just to listen and maybe let me cry a little. Because I think I can work through this if I go slow. But sometimes I might not be okay, and I might have to let myself just stay like that for a little while. I don't want to be fixed. I just want to learn how to feel better in my own time and my own way. Okay?"

Alastor and Husk's eyes widened and they shared a look. Then they turned back to Niffty. Alastor cleared his throat and stood up. "Molly…may we? If it's all right with you, Niffty?" He gestured to the bed.

Molly looked to Niffty who nodded. The spider stood up and took Alastor's chair as he and Husk came over sat on either side of Niffty on the bed.

Alastor tried to smile a little more. "Husker is right — we've both been abysmal at talking about feelings for the longest time."

Husk sighed. "Yeah, but now we're opening up and respecting boundaries and listening and all that good stuff. It's getting easier. Kinda almost feels good now, heh."

Alastor nodded, gazing down at her. "But even if we were still our most atrocious at it all, we would still dash our egos and be there for you. To listen, to let you cry, to let you heal."

Husk nodded too. "You and me are best friends, Niffty." He glanced at Alastor then back to her. "The three of us are friends…and we're in this together. Whenever you need a shoulder, you got it." He held out a hand to her, and Alastor carefully did the same.

She sniffed and cried a little but smiled, holding their hands and squeezing tight. "I love you both so much."

Molly was smiling and wiping away tears too. "Oh, Niffty… And if ya ever wanna talk girl to girl, I'm here and I'm sure Charlie and Vaggie and Cherri are too."

Niffty sighed and nodded, releasing the boys to wipe away her tears. "Now all I have to do is be brave enough to explain things to Baxter. He's so nice, but…I guess I'm just anxious that he won't want to deal with all the time and space I'm gonna need if we want to try making things work. Especially since we only just started seeing each other."

Molly leaned closer. "Now, listen, Niffty, Baxter is a swell guy and he likes you. You deserve a good man, and a good man will always listen to you and respect what you have to say and what you need. You're not asking for a favor, you're just letting him understand you so he can care for you in the best way possible for both of you."

Niffty nodded. "I know." She bit her lip. "Has he seemed…okay?"

The three of them shared a look. Alastor cleared his throat. "I believe he's a tad lonely…and a smidge melancholy. I know those feelings too well. But if you talk to him, even just to tell him that you need time before you can talk to him further, I think it will help very much."

"We can let him know you need time if you want," Husk offered hesitantly.

Niffty considered but shook her head. "Thanks Husk, but I think I need to do this myself." She wiped at her eye then straightened her hair and skirt and stood up. "Just talking to you three makes me feel like I can finally talk to him. Thank you." She gave Molly a hug then Husk. She paused at Alastor and just gave his arm a little hug…until Alastor opened both arms wide with a gentle smile. She beamed and hugged him tightly, making sure to be gentle. He held her gently in return.

"Alastor…" She whispered near his ear, "there is one thing I'd like to know, so I can share it with Baxter when I'm ready. What was my name? I think I used to remember…but I don't anymore."

Alastor blinked. He had left her so few memories of life, no wonder she hadn't been able to retain her name after a certain amount of decades. He whispered near her ear. "Margaret — Maggie. When we met I told you I thought it was magnificent, and slang for that in my day was Niffty."

She laughed a little and whispered back. "Thank you, Alastor."

Niffty pulled back, and they shared a smile Then she headed for her door, the three other demons following behind her.

Alastor's smile remained as he watched her move forward across the lobby and to the stairs. She was brave and strong and everything he had ever wanted for her. He really didn't need to keep her safe anymore, she could do that on her own. Magnificent Niffty. He was so proud.

As she ventured upstairs to find Baxter, Husk and Molly heard Charlie and Vaggie out in the garden and went outside to join them (and to keep them from heading upstairs for now so Baxter and Niffty could have privacy). Meanwhile, Alastor snapped himself to Angel's room, where he was surprised to not find the spider. He heard some voices coming from upstairs though and assumed Angel had gone up to bid his brother goodbye at the rooftop door. He decided to send his shadow and cane to assist Angel when needed…and also so he could avoid further awkwardness with Sir Pentious. Alastor used his time alone to think through his emotional turmoil regarding the snake and other issues and to decide the best way to remedy the situation before their upcoming date with the spiders and his impending revelation to the snake about being Angel's beau.

Upstairs, Angel decided to be the first one to address Baxter since he knew him the best of the three of them. He also highly suspected this issue had something to do with Niffty and knew all too well how much it could suck to feel like the person you cared about didn't care about you. He got off of Pen's tail and hobbled forward then gave a light knock on the door frame. "Baxter? Hey, buddy… You okay?"

Baxter let out a tremendous sigh but didn't otherwise move. "As okay as anyone can be while severely depleted of serotonin and dopamine." He sighed. "I couldn't even manage a single experiment…" He gestured vaguely to the broken beaker he had dropped.

"Uh…?" Angel raised an eyebrow, and Niss tilted his head.

Sir Pentious whispered loudly to them both. "Those are the chemicals that cause feelings of happiness in the brain."

"Oh." Angel frowned. "Baxter, I'm sorry you're feeling down." "Can we…help somehow?" Niss shrugged, blushing awkwardly. "Like get ya something or…"

"There's only one thing that would set me at ease, but…I don't think it'll be happening again any time soon," Baxter replied sadly.

Angel hesitated then started carefully. "Baxter… is this about Niffty?"

Baxter curled in on himself completely, even tucking in his lantern, and didn't reply.

The spider brothers frowned at each other then looked back to Baxter. Niss stepped forward, channeling all of his big brother energy. "Baxter, listen, if it is about her, I was just talkin' to her and she—"

The guy only curled in on himself all the more at those words, and Niss instantly hesitated.

Behind them Sir Pentious was considering. And now he slithered forward. He gave each spider a reassuring nod then moved to the entrance of Baxter's suite. "Hello, Baxter. I don't think we've had the pleasure of getting to know each other. Though come to think of it I believe we might have bumped into each other at the hotel open house some weeks ago." Baxter barely glanced over his shoulder then sighed. "You bumped into me on the stairs outside…"

"…And stained your jacket! Oh, my apologies!" Sir Pentious gave a sheepish bow. "Emotions were running very high that night." He shot a blushing glance at Niss who blushed in return. The snake cleared his throat and straightened up. "Allow me to correct the matter with a proper greeting. I'm Sir Pentious, it's very nice to meet you. And may I say you have quite the impressive lab here!" He glanced around with a smile. "Are all of these machines and experiments and equations yours?"

Baxter sighed and relaxed a little. "It's…nice to meet you again too. I'm Baxter. And yes, this is all my work. I'm a scientist. Mostly chemistry, robotics, and some light engineering."

"Fascinating." Sir Pentious slithered in, glancing around. "I'm a scientist too you know. Emphasis on experimental engineering, laser theory, and dab of biological studies. This place is beautiful. It must give you a lot of joy."

"Yeah. It does." Baxter sat up a little, only half facing away from them now. "It's just lonely. Especially now that…" He hesitated.

Sir Pentious sat on one of the lab stools. "…Now that you perhaps lack a friendly former assistant?"

Baxter nodded, blinking back tears.

"I completely understand," Sir Pentious assured with a sigh. "I've been lonely for quite a while myself and only just discovered the delights of of a partner." He glanced at Niss, giving him a wink.

Niss turned completely red with a big bashful smile while Angel watched the flirtation play out with a giddy smirk.

Sir Pentious glanced to Baxter again. "If you've lost your assistant — and your assistant is Niffty — perhaps we can help with the situation. I'm certain having her back here would perk up your serotonin and dopamine stores right away."

Baxter blinked, looking at each of them desperately for a moment. "No, it's okay, please don't ask her to come here! I mean…I…" He blushed so much, his shyness returning. "Of course I'd love to see her again and have her assisting me and for us to talk and make each other smile." He smiled a little though it quickly faded. "But…I can't." He blushed again and pulled his knees into his chest.

Niss and Angel carefully approached, walking into the room.

Angel cleared his throat. "Do ya wanna talk about what happened? I mean… if anyone knows about relationship ups and downs, it's me. You should have seen what me and…uh…" he recalled Sir Pentious's presence… "you should have seen what me and the guy I'm seeing put each other through over the last few months, heh."

Baxter considered. "I don't want to violate Niffty's privacy, so I won't share details." He took a breath. "All I can say is we were spending time together…and things were going perfectly. She was so happy. But then we tried something new and…suddenly she wasn't happy anymore. And I don't understand what happened." His lip wobbled. "I haven't seen her smile since then, and I think it's breaking my heart." He looked to the three men. "If she's not happy with me, then she doesn't have to be near me — I'll give her space for eternity. I just want to see her smile. I can't be happy again until I know she's happy again too."

Angel had tears in his eyes and his hands were clasped together. "Baxter, that's fucking beautiful."

Even Niss had to quickly wipe at his face. "That's…Yeah. I mean, you care about her so much."

Sir pentious blew his nose loudly into a hanky. "Oh, what a charming love story this is going to be, I just know it."

"What? Love?" Baxter turned utterly red, and his lantern glowed. "I don't…We only just… She and I barely… It would completely go against normal socializing rules and emotional progression patterns for us to be." He twiddled his thumbs anxiously, but at least he was now far more energetic than the man they had found curled up and alone mere minutes ago — progress, in a way.

"Aw, Baxter…" Angel grinned, "hate to break it to ya, but love doesn't follow a lot of traditional social patterns or whatever. It makes sense if you're not sure how you feel about her yet, but if you are starting to fall hard for her, it's okay to admit it to yourself."

"He's right." Niss nodded. "Romances really just plays by its own rules." And now he was the one to give Pen a flirtatious look and a wink. The snake blushed and barely held back a giggle, tail curling shyly on the floor. Angel just rolled his eyes but then had to hide a sudden wince as his ankle burn flared. He quickly took a seat on a stool and tried to act casual. Niss noticed though — big brothers always did. But Angel clearly wanted to keep focusing on Baxter now, so Niss let it go for the moment and put his attention back to the fish as well.

Baxter swallowed, brow furrowed in thought. "I don't know yet if what I feel is…synonymous with romance. But I…I like her SO much. And if she still likes me too, I hope we can keep growing closer and seeing if we're good for each other." His look turned dreamy for a moment but then he swallowed and added more firmly, "But her being happy again first is most important. I just wish I knew if there was something I could do to help. I'm so afraid of making things worse that I've just been avoiding her… and maybe Alastor and Husk too." He blushed. "I'm afraid I've disappointed them."

"Alastor and Husker?" Sir Pentious raised an eyebrow.

Angel sighed. "Baxter, come on, I know they act like her big brothers but they aren't disappointed in you. They know you're a good guy. It's not like they're gonna beat you up or something, right, Niss?"

Niss shrugged. "As long as you really care about her and she vouches for ya, nah, you're good. I only ever used to beat up guys who treated Molly bad on purpose. And…I maybe snuck out and beat up a couple a few of the guys who got cocky with Angel too." He shrugged.

Angel blinked. "Aww, Niss, did ya really used to beat up some of my squeezes who turned out to be creeps?" he asked with a big sincere smile.

Niss grinned sheepishly. "Hey, I might've been a jerk about your sexuality back then, but no one disrespects either of my kid siblings without getting a shot in the chops."

Sir Pentious chuckled. "Oh Nissy, you are very chivalrous…"

"I'd do the same for you," Niss assured, puffing out his chest a bit.

"Okay, okay, you two are officially really good at being open about your relationship." Angel shook his head with a grin. He also expertly hid a sudden fresh wince from pain in his ankle before looking to Baxter again. "Baxter, the point is, you've got nothing to worry about. And Niffty is going to be okay, I promise." He leaned closer. "Ya know, before we came up here, she called Alastor and Husk into her room to have a talk with them — Molly's in there too. I bet she's figuring things out and she'll want to see you again soon. You're a sweetheart, Baxter, the ladies love that."

"You…You really think she'll want to see me again?" He was blushing, eyes wide, heart clearly racing.

Before Angel or either of the others could reply though, another voice spoke up, coming from the doorway. "I really do, Baxter. I've wanted to see you for days."

Baxter jumped to standing and turned around.

There was Niffty, in the doorway. She held a dust pan in one hand (full of the shards of broken beaker), a small broom in the other, and she had a small smile on her face.

"Niffty!" Baxter beamed. "Are you okay? I've been worried! I…" He went to move closer then hesitated and stepped back.

Niffty set aside her cleaning supplies and approached him all on her own. "I know. I didn't mean to worry you or make you sad. Thank you for thinking about me though." She shrugged, hands behind her back. "Can we talk please? I want to try explaining some things to you. And I want us to spend time together again."

"Yes!" His voice cracked and he nearly toppled several beakers in his excitement. He quickly calmed himself. "I mean, yes, please, you have my full undivided attention! I…" Baxter glanced at the other three demons.

"I do believe that's our cue to leave, gentlemen," Sir Pentious instantly supplied, slithering to the door and holding it open for the spiders. "Miss Niffty, excellent to see you again. Mister Baxter, fascinating lab — we really must collaborate on some experiments one day. Niss, Angel, let's say our farewells."

Niss helped Angel hobble out toward the hall, both of them waving at Baxter and Niffty as they finally left and closed the door behind them to give the new couple some privacy.

The spiders and the snake retreated down the hall to the door leading to the roof and paused there.

Angel grinned at Sir Pentious and Niss. "Once those two end up together they're gonna rival you both for cutest couple, you know."

Niss blushed a lot and tried to pout, arms crossed over his chest. "We're just…ya know…when we get going it's…"

"He's getting less shy, and I've been dying to dote on him openly for weeks anyway, so really we're just having a delightful time not that we're public." Sir Pentious giggled which couldn't help but make Niss smile too. Then Sir Pentious wrung his hands shyly and added, "I'm…very glad that you approve of us so highly, Angel. Thank you for the kind welcome."

Angel smiled and hobbled forward. "Hey, thank you for being a good guy for my brother." He shrugged. "Ya know Molly and I were hoping to do a little shopping spree to celebrate the three of us being together again…and then maybe a triple date afterwards with all of our fellas. I hope you'll come."

Sir Pentious nodded. "Oh yes, Niss told me! I'd love to spend more time with all of us getting to know each other. And I'd be honored to meet your paramour, Angel," He urged.

"Heh, yeah…" Angel swallowed, smiling nervously. "Well, uh…I'm sure he's gearing up to meet you too."

Niss and Pen shared a quick glanced. Then Sir Pentious looked back to Angel again. "Oh, and do tell Alastor I had a nice time catching up today. I hope our time together during the mob battle didn't cause him any distress…"

"Oh. Uh…" Angel rubbed the back of his neck, brow furrowed in confusion, "yeah, he was kind of quiet today, wasn't he? Sorry, he's just got a lot on his mind — probably about Niffty. But he really thinks you're swell, especially how you helped keep everyone safe during the fight."

Sir Pentious's smile grew. "Oh marvelous. I'll look forward to the next time we chat."

Niss smiled a little then looked to his brother. "You sure you don't need help getting downstairs to your room from up here?"

"Oh, no, I'll be fine," Angel assured. "If I need help I can always call Alas—" He shut himself up. "I mean…"

There was movement out of the corner of his eye, and now the group suddenly noticed Alastor's shadow approach them, holding the deer's microphone. "Oh look at that, Alastor sent his shadow and his cane to help me, heh!" Angel remarked sheepishly. "Er… He's always doing little things like that for everyone, really a swell guy once you get to know him. Great benefactor and friend and whatever. I-I should go. You two get to the ship and do lots of gay canoodling — Niss is overdue."

"Can do!" Pen announced eagerly before slithering over to the roof door to open it for his beau.

Niss blushed thoroughly but just rolled his eyes. "I'll handle our canoodling schedule, Angel, don't worry." He smiled then reached out and shook hands with his brother. His voice lowered a little. "Tell Molly I love her, say bye to the fellas, and tell the Princess and her girlfriend and Abel and Louise I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to see 'em." He hesitated then added casually, "And if Cherri shoots ya a message, get back to her and make sure she doesn't need anything. She's a good egg. Kind of like the rebellious cousin we always wanted and never had."

Angel raised an eyebrow but nodded. Niss swallowed. "And Angel…for real, is Alastor okay — or not okay — about something with Pen?"

Angel blushed. "I think he's just bein' territorial. Old overlord instinct? I'm really sorry."

"It's all right," Niss assured with a smile. "I know he's got a good heart." He frowned. "And are you okay?"

"Yeah, of course, I—"

"Your ankle kept hurting you all through breakfast and even now in the lab. I could tell." Niss frowned.

Angel sighed. "These kinda injuries are complicated. Al and I just need some time to figure it out. I'm a lot better now, I promise."

Niss gave a nod and a small smile. "Okay. But you let me know if I can help." He opened his arms. Angel came forward and they gave each other a hug and a pat on the back. They separated after a moment with a nod, then Niss joined his boyfriend near the roof door. Sir Pentious chuckled and playfully wound his tail around Niss and pulled him along, Niss laughing as the door closed behind them.

Angel just watched them go with a happy smile and then turned to the shadow. "Smiles waiting for me in my room?"

The shadow nodded, grinning eagerly.

"Heh, okay, then let's get to him." He hobbled down the stairs, using the cane, already feeling fatigued again with the excitement of the morning.

He found his door open and Alastor waiting outside of it. "Angel!" The deer beamed at his approach. One ear went down. "Is your leg hurting again? You're clinging to the cane tightly and you look flushed." His smile grew small. "My apologies, I should have met you at the top of the stairs and offered to teleport you to your room. I know you're enjoying the exercise, but pushing yourself can't be good."

Angel smiled gently and made it to the door frame, leaning against it as he gave Alastor back his cane. "Hey, it's okay. It feels good to be out of bed and getting around after two days unconscious. And there was just a lot of emotions upstairs, we were all talking with Baxter. And now he's talking with Niffty — so I guess your talk with her went good. I'm excited for 'em." He sighed, resting his head on the door frame. "But yeah, now I just want to lie down for a bit."

"I anticipated you might." Alastor's smile returned. He brought one of Angel's arms over his shoulder and one arm around Angel's waist as he guided him over to the bed.

Angel blinked. There were extra pillows on the bed, all fluffed, and a plush cushion at the end of the bed ready for his leg. There was also a pitcher of what looked like Alastor's sweet tea on the nightstand along with two glasses.

Alastor led him over to the bed and set him down. "There, I have everything all set up for you. Would you like anything else to entertain yourself? Or to aid your injury?"

Angel smiled tenderly and scooched over on the bed. "Will ya sit next to me for a bit? I just…wanna be near you."

Alastor's smile grew. He swallowed. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Well, I got the hint with the two glasses," Angel grinned.

Alastor chuckled then removed his jacket and his shoes. He climbed into the bed to sit up beside Angel, legs extended forward. "Shall I snap us up an extra blanket?"

Angel shook his head. "Nah, this is good." He settled against his pillow. "This is perfect." He blinked sleepily a few times. He reached up and gently brushed his fingers through Alastor's hair. When Alastor leaned into the touch, he scratched lightly behind the deer's ear, making Alastor relax completely into the pillows beneath them. "Smiles…you sure you don't want to go do something? I don't want you to be bored…"

"Hmm? Heavens, you think I could ever be bored with you? Ha!" Alastor smirked. "I am content here, just sitting quietly together. But we could talk if you like. We always enjoy that."

Angel pulled his fingers down through the locks of red hair and then found his hand resting on Alastor's. The deer entwined their fingers. "Could we talk about…why Pen's making you nervous? Cuz I'm worried it's because we're planning to tell him about us soon and that you're not ready yet even though you want to be."

Alastor's eyes widened. One ear went down. "Was I really so obviously rude to him downstairs?"

"Eh, you just seemed kind of uptight. He didn't say much about it, just hoped he hadn't upset you somehow during the mob battle," Angel explained. "Niss was worried too. He just wants to make sure you're okay."

"I am quite all right, and Sir Pentious did nothing of the sort. He was quite formidable during the battle actually." He sighed. "Honestly, darling, I think I've pinned it down and the problem is entirely my own. I'm terribly insecure about being a beau and about…making new friends. That snake's been to this hotel a handful of times and instantly charms everyone, and look how he openly dotes on your brother — and he even speaks Italian! And then there's me. I make most people flee at the sight of me, I'm still too fretful to show affection to you in certain situations, and I barely know a thing of your background and culture. Ha…" He considered, "I've felt the same envy about Husk's success with Molly sometimes, you know. They two of them just clicked together so perfectly, and I…made an awful mess about things before our courtship started." He shrugged. "I feel like the most powerful overlord among us but the weakest beau."

Angel's eyes widened. "But you ain't the—"

Alastor kissed his knuckles. "I know. And none of you ever make me feel that way. It's just insecurity. These feelings will pass… but not until I stop being dramatic and do something about it."

Angel smiled again. "Heh, that is very mature of you, Smiles. Also, good communication is sexy." He winked.

"Is it? How nice to know?" Alastor smiled back, hazed eyes meeting Angel's Angel's heart raced. "So, uh…what are you gonna do about Pen then?"

"What else?" Alastor shrugged. "Apologize to him and Niss for any slights, admit he's quite a fine catch for your brother, then dramatically reveal to him my devotion to you. Consequences be damned!"

Angel giggled. "That sounds kind chivalrous. You know, us spiders love chivalry."

"You deserve chivalry and more," Alastor replied in a sincere, low tone.

Angel sighed softly. "Oh Al…" He cuddled closer to him, still leaving a breath of space if Alastor wanted it. Alastor didn't want it — he cuddled closer too, letting them touch. Angel could feel the warmth of the deer's arm through his shirtsleeve.

Alastor sighed and kissed his cheek, just under one of his freckle eyes. "Enough about me, darling, how is your injury feeling?"

"Huh?" Angel murmured. "Oh, uh…ya know, the burning feeling still kind of comes and goes." He swallowed, not wanting to worry Alastor too much, just wanting to savor this moment.

"Hmm, well, perhaps later I can have another look at it, yes?" Alastor asked sweetly.

Angel blushed and swallowed, trying suddenly not to think too much about last night when Alastor's touches to his foot had lead Angel to moaning the deer's name and writhing in pleasure right here on this very bed. He was too tired to be horny right now anyway thankfully. "Yeah, uh…maybe later." He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Hey Al? Maybe you could read to me while I rest? I like your voice so much. We could find some nice old-fashioned novel with lots of chivalry. And plenty of gay undertones if possible."

Alastor nodded and snapped. A book appeared in his hand, and also his monocle was gone in favor of his regular pair of glasses. Angel tried not to swoon at how cute he looked.

Alastor sat up a little and opened the book. "I'll read for as long as you'd like. You just drink some tea to restore your fluids. And nap if you need to — we had a very active morning after all. And last night as well…" He glowed brightly.

"Yeah…" Angel giggled. "Just so ya know — during stuff last night, I felt great, the leg included," he added in a whisper he couldn't help. Alastor glowed a lot but smiled to much to himself as well, sitting up tall with pride. "Very, very good to know. We'll…have to consider what that fact means for the care of your wound." He held back an awkward giggle then added shyly as he flipped open the first pages of the book, "Er, you know, Husker suspects that we might have done…something…together. He said this morning I seemed like I…well, his exact words aren't important but I guess we quite a bit more flirtatious than usual."

Angel nodded. "Yeah, we were kinda all over each other." He raised an eyebrow. "You okay with that? Someone suspecting we were fooling around? Even if it's Husk…"

Alastor's smile softened. "I can accept Husker's suspicions in this matter. I want to be more comfortable being affectionate around the others. I don't like feeling as though I have to worry and hide things — breakfast today cemented that fact for me. But I don't want to give away the intimate details of our relationship if possible. Perhaps we could find a happy medium? "

Angel gazed into his eyes, smiling so gently. "We can. I like more affection too, and I also want the spicy details just between us. Makes things feel extra special. So we'll just tone it down a tiny bit when other people are watching." He rubbed small circles with his thumb over Alastor's hand. "Sex stuff can do that, you know — make ya act more affectionate without even trying. I kinda like it though, at least when we're alone."

"Likewise…which is surprising but in the most delightful way" Alastor almost purred, muscles relaxing under Angel's gentle, rhythmic touch. "Yes, just adjusting our behavior slightly seems like an excellent plan with this fresh development between us." He shifted close and pressing his thumb to Angel's palm. "I have no doubts or fears about anything new as long as I'm with you, darling." He gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and winked when Angel blushed.

"You make me feel all confident and peaceful too, Smiles," Angel reassured with a grin.

The two of them shared a giggle and then settled in as Alastor picked up the book, cleared his throat, and began to read, voice extra warm and inviting.

Angel drank tea and listened to the beautiful sounds, resting peacefully. He felt perfectly loved and like his love was perfect as Alastor's elegant voice echoed in the cozy room around them.

A/N:

Yay Niffty and Baxter are gonna talk things out lol. I like writing them, they're so sweet together ^w^ And Alastor and Angel are going to keep working on healing Angel's divine wound. Thank you for your support and for reading!
Take care!

-Azure129