A/N:

Hi everyone! It's the last day of Alastor and Angel's date, and there's a lot for the boys to share 3 I hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

(Cw / Angel mentions his drug habit, both boys draw a drop of blood for one of Alastor's tentacles).

Partners

Chapter 116:

What a Weekend Can Change: Part 3

Alastor and Angel woke up the next day, cuddled close. Alastor was facing away from Angel, and Angel was curled up against him from behind while the deer cupped the spider's hands tenderly against his chest. The morning was quiet — some clouds dappled the sky visible through the window, there were the faint sounds of a few cars passing by in the street and ravens cawing overhead, and the room still felt warm with the memory of last night's fire in the hearth.

Alastor woke first. He savored Angel's hold around him for a moment then slowly turned over to face his darling beau with a soft, genuine smile.

Angel's eyes blinked open. He grinned sweetly at the sight of Alastor's wide, happy eyes. "Morning, Alastor."

Alastor's eyes crinkled at the edges in joy. "Good morning, Anthony."

They shared a little kiss then pulled back.

Angel shrugged with a blush. "You still up for a day in bed? Just hanging out, cozy and comfortable, working out our intimate stuff?"

Alastor gave a little nod, glowing shyly.

Angel gently stroked back a lock of his hair, and Alastor melted into the touch. The spider asked gently, "You've had some pretty clear plans for this weekend so far. Do you have some specifics about how we should tackle things today?"

Alastor gave a little nod again and found his voice. "There were…three areas I was hoping to address — within reason — for us both."
Angel smiled. "Okay, lay 'em on me."

Alastor smiled a bit more. He took a breath. "First, I would like to review your experience was with my tentacle during our last tryst and to discuss the simplest and safest and…most pleasurable…ways for that to continue being part of our intimacy, if you'd like?"

Angel nodded, eyes a bit wide, blush stronger in his features. "Oh! Uh, yeah, we can talk about that. And, listen, it doesn't have to be graphic or lead to anything. Just a nice responsible conversation, no pressure."

"Yes, I'd prefer that, thank you." Alastor let out a small sigh of relief. "Second — I would like to…experiment with the notion of seeing more of each other unclothed. Not entirely undressed, but…more undressed than previously? I'd like to explore how the experience might make me feel. And I know I'd love to see more of you. I'm ready now. If you are."

Angel's featured heated up more but he managed another nod. "Yeah, I'd be cool trying that. I've never really feel uncomfortable without clothes anyway. Probably from all the stripping, heh. In front of you, of course, it's different because of how we feel about each other. But I can still handle it as long as we ain't going all the way with it just yet. I'll have to get a little creative since you've already seen me in my pole dance outfit and that's like 90% undressed, but I think I can manage. I…packed a wide variety of outfits and stuff."

"Ah…splendid then." Alastor's ears buzzed lightly with static, and he cleared his throat. "As for me, I think I would officially like to remove my shirt with you. I think I would like that very much." He blurted out the words like a secret he desperately wanted to tell. "I enjoy how you look at me… And I think I want you to hold and touch me directly, if you're inclined."

Angel tried not to tremble at the notion of such a privilege. "I wanna touch you like that. So much."

Alastor's smile grew. "I'm glad to know we're still on the same page." He swallowed. "And the, er, third thing on my list is…something that, even if we can't get to it today, I would like to get to soon." He shut his eyes. "The other night we were having such an intense time, but we had to separate at the end before we…climaxed." A small record scratch sounded from his ears, but he took a breath and kept going. "Yet part of me wanted to stay with you. I merely couldn't handle the first time — my first time in front of anyone — being so spontaneous." He shrugged. "So, I'd like to have a controlled experience of sexual release in your presence." His gaze found Angel's, Alastor glowing golden and rosy while light static buzzed about his head.

Angel's jaw hung open. He was completely red in the face. His little extra freckle eyes had even popped open. But then he coughed and regained himself and took a deep breath. "So…okay, I agree. I do think it'd be good to do that in a planned, controlled setting for the first time cuz you seemed really nervous. And I think I'm ready to handle it." He bit his lip. "We can at least talk about it. Okay?"

Alastor nodded. "I would appreciate that VERY much, darling." His glowing faded, and his static seemed to settle. "Once we address all of those things, I believe I'll be able to handle any future progressions we decide to make with much more grace and confidence."

"Yeah, same goes for me too," Angel agreed.

"Anything else you'd like to add to our intentions for today?" asked Alastor.

"Nah, you picked all good stuff." Angel grinned sheepishly. "But, uh, could we ease into the day with some breakfast and light banter? I'm better at sexy stuff on a full stomach, heh."

Alastor chuckled softly. "Of course, darling. How does breakfast in bed sound?" He held up his fingers. "I might have crept to the kitchen before sunrise and prepared a few things." He snapped — two large silver trays appeared at the end of the bed, bearing waffles with syrup, fluffy scrambled eggs with fine cheese, fresh grits, biscuits with honey, and lovely andouille sausage with herbs. Also included were two cups of piping hot coffee and two glasses of fresh orange juice." Alastor sat up, smile so happy. "I don't know if you recall, but this was one of the first meals I ever made for you. Not long after our friendship began, I came to visit you in your room at the hotel, concerned about your job situation and also maddeningly preoccupied by how our conversations made me feel utterly intrigued down into my bones."

Angel sat up too and laughed, eyes bright with realization. "Aw Smiles, I remember! You were so sweet. A perfect gentlemen, and I'd never gotten to interact with those much before. I loved the fact that you thought of me enough to cook for me back then. I just didn't quite realize yet that I loved YOU." He winked.

Alastor giggled as they each took their trays onto there laps. The deer raised up his coffee. "To weekends away, dearest."

Angel raised up his coffee. "And to the fact that there's plenty more where this one came from."

"Next stop, the ocean!" Alastor announced, and Angel giggled. They sipped their coffee and settled in for a fine breakfast together on this special day.

Velvet was being a little naughty today.

She was in a place where she definitely wasn't supposed to be…and she was lingering dangerously long.

Still, the time to make her final move was coming soon, and she really couldn't resist the thrill of the build up before the vicious grand finale.

So here she hid, up in a tree in the small Cannibal Colony park, watching a gaggle of familiar cannibal ladies coo and swoon and gossip all about the latest little anonymous love note she'd left them.

Some might say falling for a dozen cannibal ladies, especially when your friends and business partners were arch rivals with their radio idol, was madness. And they'd be right! But what was life and love without a little (or a lot of) madness? And polyamorous and sapphic Velvet was ready to spend her life with doting on and defending (and maybe deftly committing murders with) these lovelies if only they would have her.

Over the last few years, Velvet had snuck into the colony to leave notes only once a month, but now she was officially dropping off love letters every other day. Alastor was clearly uninterested in the ladies and also now too busy with the hotel or whatever to give these gorgeous and terrifying women the attention they deserved. And Val and Vox were officially growing up enough to look after themselves and put aside petty rivalries. Which meant Velvet finally felt secure and stable enough to begin caring for her dozen cannibal beauties out in the open. The timing was all lining up perfectly.

She was so tempted in this moment to slide down from the tree, reveal herself as their admirer, sweep each of them off their feet, then take them back to her place for some group pampering and heavy petting. Even if they recognized her on sight as a cohort of Vox and Val, his truce with Alastor must be well-known enough by now that these women wouldn't try to maul her without at least hearing her out first. And yet, part of Velvet shivered with delight at the idea of all those gnashing teeth coming hungrily toward her — delicate mouths of knives that she would have to woo to kisses using nothing but cupcakes and her own charm.

Her smile was soft as her head tilted to the side in wonder, gazing down at her cannibal beautifies. "I want you all so much… I want us to be happy." She was in position to shift off the tree branch and go to them.

Then her phone buzzed.

Velvet's smile tightened. "Oh, somebody who matters better be dying…" she hissed to herself. Few people had her number, so it stood to reason that the call might be important, but it had better be really REALLY important to interrupt her love confession and potential blood play orgy. The caller turned out to be Vox. She supposed there was a chance he was calling to reveal that Valentino had confessed and now they were eloping. Might be fun to find out. So Velvet answered in a hushed whisper. "Voxxy…I hope this is important, I'm doing something special right now."

"Um…Yeah, it…Where are you?"

"You'd never ever guess."

"Okay. I, um…"

"Voxxy, I'm not patient. Now, please."

"Val's not okay, maybe, and I think you should go check on him."

Velvet sung her legs from the tree branch in impatience. Seriously, why could these grown men not communicate without her? "I did try messaging him earlier, but he didn't answer — I hoped he was just busy with you." She yawned. "Why don't YOU go check on him?"

"I…I can't. I can't go over there, I mean. But he's not taking calls, but—"

"WHY can't you go over there — to a place where we've practically lived for decades?" She narrowed her eyes.

Vox sighed deeply. "Velvet, please don't make me talk about this…"

"Well, now I pretty much have to make you talk, Voxxy."

He groaned. "I think I caught him…with a date — a fling? I heard him having sex upstairs. And he flipped out, and I…really can't deal with how I'm feeling right now."

Velvet tilted her head and smiled again. Okay, this was finally getting interesting. "You a little jealous that he's got someone else to tell his troubles to?"

"No!" Vox scoffed. "He's allowed to talk to whoever he wants, and to…fuck whoever he wants as long as they want it too. I just… I think he and I need a little space before we pretend this didn't happen. But I'm still worried that his version of taking space might hurt him before it helps him. His phone keeps going straight to voicemail. And I heard he suddenly closed the club tonight. Please check on him, Vel."

Velvet sighed and mentally apologized to her libido for having to deny it satisfaction a bit longer. "Okay, fine. But I'm gonna need at least half an hour to get over there. I'm all caught up in something." She grinned and glanced at the tree branches around her, snorting at her own pun.

"Okay. Thanks, Vel, seriously. And, um…let me know if he's alright? And try not to say anything to him about what happened."

"I'll do my best. I can keep a secret, Voxxy…" She'd been keeping his and Val's secrets for years, after all. And she'd been keeping her wild love for the cannibal ladies a secret too. "Give Varky a hug for me! Talk soon." She hung up the phone and watched her sweet cannibal ladies for a moment longer until they finally departed the park. She slid down her tree and made a quick dash for the street (thankfully the park was right at the colony border).

Skipping down the road, she tried Val's number for a call — still right to voicemail, like Vox had said. She sent a text again — it wasn't opened or acknowledged. Hmm, maybe Vox was right and Val did need some immediate supervision. "I leave you two boys alone for one weekend, honestly… I'll fix it, but this better be the last time for a while. My ladies need me." She turned her skipping in the direction of the studio. Screw whether the club downstairs was open or whether Val was taking visitors. That man would see her in person and talk about his feelings and confirm that he was okay — Velvet simply wouldn't accept any other outcome.

In her dim room at the hotel, Louise's eyes shot open and her breath caught in her throat. She was in bed so she knew she must have been dreaming, but that fact didn't make the nightmare she'd just had any less upsetting. Tied up again in that old butcher shop, but this time Alastor and Angel had gotten hurt by that explosive her kidnapper had tried to use on them. Then somehow the bull was holding a knife to Abel's throat and threatening to turn him into fish fillet. Louise tried to lunge forward and bite the bull because that was all she could do, crying at the idea of having her mouth on him again but also secretly relishing how good it would feel to tear away a piece of his body.

She sighed and turned over in bed. Her eyes found the clock on the wall. It was late in the morning. Abel had brought her some breakfast earlier and kissed her goodbye and said he would just be at the cafe for a bit, taking in some fresh food deliveries so that they could open up again soon. Crymini had come by afterwards and asked how she was doing and taken her (not very empty) plates and left. Then Husk and Molly had stopped in for a bit, talking to her about the hotel and how she was doing, clearly hoping to get her to talk back. She'd tried but then told them she needed to rest. Which was true. Because everything still felt so heavy and awful. She didn't want things to be so bad though. She was getting married next month, she wanted to be happy.

Part of her wished she could talk to Alastor right now. But he was away with Angel for the weekend, and those two deserved all the peace and time possible together. Alastor just…he would understand about struggling with power and being so angry and hurt about people existing who wanted to hurt others. He would understand about her momentary cannibalistic lapse too. Honestly, her appetite had been dead for days now…except for lamb chops. But she hadn't had the courage to ask anyone to help her make them, not after biting off the bull demon's tail. What would they think of her? At least Alastor would understand on some level. All the cannibals would probably understand. They weren't bad people, and it galled Louise right now that anyone in hell might have the nerve to view Alastor poorly for putting on his cannibal radio show after his hotel radio show when all he had done was remove a terrible person from this world in his own special way. He wasn't the enemy. There was no need for any enemies in hell. And weak demons weren't disposable, they were people. And sinners deserved to be safe from each other, not just from heaven. And… Her head felt tired again suddenly, but her passion was still there. She just wanted all sinners to feel like they could have a peaceful life, like they weren't just waiting in fear for someone powerful to hurt them. The people she loved deserved protecting and so did everyone else. And she wanted to find her way to making that dream a reality.

Louise sat up, restless for a moment, and decided to get a drink of water from downstairs. She had been trying to do at least one task a day all by herself — it was a way to focus and to remind herself that she had the strength to find her way out of this sadness, she just needed to let herself do it one step at a time.

She put on a fresh sweater and her slippers and shuffled out into the hall. No one was around. She slowly headed down the stairs — no one was in the lobby. She peeked out into the yard — no one there either. She tried to the kitchen for her water but found it absolutely empty too. Full glass in hand, she paused in the lobby for a moment. She hadn't wanted to run into anyone, but it seemed weird that the whole place was suddenly empty. Perhaps they were all on the roof for some reason? Or—

She heard some laugher, from behind the closed ballroom doors.

Louise shuffled over and opened the door slightly to peek inside.

She saw Charlie and Vaggie and the King and Queen and Husk and Niffty and Molly and Baxter and Sev and Steve and Nuggets and Crymini all together, talking and laughing and writing things on papers and a chalkboard. They were talking about hell and heaven and the radio and Alastor and a new show to set everything right and unite the pentagram as a whole.

"Can…Can I help?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was speaking.

Everyone turned to her. Crymini's tail wagged, her eyes wide.

Charlie approached, smile gentle. "Louise, hi! We'd love that. We're planning another radio show to have my parents come on the air and talk about supporting us. We're trying to get everything outlined so Alastor doesn't have to do too much for it since he's done so much already. We want to broadcast on Monday. If you have any ideas we'd love to hear them."

Louise approached, trying to ease in to this sudden bout of active socializing. "We could…talk about how Alastor has been good for this hotel and for sinners like me." Her bottom lip trembled. "I don't like thinking that people might be suspicious of him after the cannibal show… He only did that to help. I want them to know he's a safe person to be around. That this whole hotel is a safe and welcoming space, especially for sinners who need help." She wiped at her eyes.

Charlie frowned and gave her a hug. "I think that would be a wonderful thing for the show. And I don't think anyone could put it better than you. I'm sure a direct testimonial would be great. But if you're not up for going on the air you can write something and I'll read it, okay?"

Louise's eyes widened. "I…me on the air? I…" She considered. Then she held her head a bit higher. "Thank you for offering to read something for me, Charlie. But it's okay. I want to be on the air. I'll be ready."

Charlie smiled and nodded and lead her over. Husk and Molly smiled at her too. Niffty got her a snack, and Baxter found a chair for her to sit in, and the king and queen welcomed her, and the others did the same. And it was a lot for her to be up and engaging with others and working on something this big, but it was good. She'd needed this.

A couple of hours later, Abel returned. He noticed the lobby empty but the ballroom door ajar. He peeked inside. When he saw Louise sitting with the others, listening and nodding and sometimes giving a small smile as she talked, his whole heart filled with relief until he could have cried. Crymini saw him and waved him over, and then the others did too. Even Louise. He took a seat beside her and they held hands as the planning continued.

Breakfast was long since done, and the boys had gotten cleaned up and changed. For their day in bed together, Alastor had chosen a pair of long dark grey pajamas with a black smoking jacket that Angel said made him look absolutely swoon worthy. Angel had settled on a pair of comfortable grey cotton pants and a red wide-neck top with long sleeves (that Alastor had remarked made him look like a loungewear vision). They had teased each other about their appearances a little more and flirted and reminisced about how they missed the others back at the hotel even though they were also sad to have to go home on Monday when their weekend away would end.

Eventually, they both had to admit they were stalling a bit.

Sitting on the covers in silence, they looked to each other. "Alastor? Wanna…talk about tentacles?" Angel asked.

Alastor glowed so much but nodded. "Yes." He snapped his fingers. A few pieces of paper appeared in his hands as well as a fountain pen and a small wooden tray to set everything on. He tugged at his collar and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow as his eyes focused on the papers. "Now then, I've tried to arrange some notes on the ideal tentacle properties in relation to non-lethal human interaction. Obviously, size is a factor." One eye twitched and he wrote more quickly. "I mean in the sense of, well… you've seen me make these tentacles large enough to pull an airship from the sky, but a much more compact version is needed for personal endeavors obviously, ha." He swallowed, ears starting to go down as he rambled. "And then of course there's intent, strength, longevity — all controlled by my will upon creation, so I merely have to be sure I have the right requirements in mind for you. And then we just have to factor in their capacity for agility and precision against a demon body's capacity for resilience — a-and the needs of your own personal pleasure — and we're square, ha!" He managed to keep smiling as he looked up even though his hand holding the pen was shaking.

Angel sighed, tilting his head with a small smile. Alastor was trying so hard. "Al, it's great that you got all the technical parameters worked out. If it's okay though, can I just…give ya my feedback on what it was like the other night with the tentacle, and we can go from there? Honestly, I think you got things real close to perfect already."

Alastor seemed to relax. His shoulders dropped and his glow faded slightly and his ears perked back up. "Yes. Thank you. I've just…never approached a gentleman about something so personal. But as long as you're comfortable, that's more than enough to ease me."

Angel's smile grew. He blushed a little but cleared his throat and went on. "Your tentacle was…fun. Lively. Playful. Like, it kept wrapping around me and touching and teasing, but nothing too intense. If anything I mighta gotten a little, uh, aggressive with it on my end actually, heh. I just…being with it felt like being with a piece of you, in a way that was comfortable for you, so I may have been a bit rough."

Alastor raised an eyebrow, some of his glow returning. "But it…it wasn't calibrated to engage in full intimacy, so how did you—"

Angel smirked and shrugged. "Wrapped myself around that thing and let friction and my flexible hips do the rest. Basically grinded it into the ground."

A record scratch sounded from Alastor's ears. Then his eyes closed.

"Smiles? Too graphic?" Angel bit his lip.

Alastor snorted and put a hand to his mouth as he laughed. "I…" He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, eyes open again. "No, it's just…you're always so creative. I adore it. In the bedroom just as much as anywhere else, it seems."

Angel blushed and looked down shyly at the sudden complement. Then a small snort left him. "When I was done I gave it a high five and thanked it for being such a good sport."

Now they both burst into laughter. They ended up lying side by side on the bed for a moment, all awkwardness gone.

"Al…if it's okay to ask — since they don't 'go all the way', how did you use your tentacle exactly?" Angel asked the question quietly, glancing over at Alastor.

Alastor was very still, and Angel was about to assure him he didn't have to answer when the deer replied softly, "To hold me or to let me hold it. Arousal is an overwhelming experience at times, and that kind of support helps me feel…grounded."

Angel took in the information. "I'm glad it helps you like that." He swallowed. "One day, if you're ever ready to try things with our bodies together…I can hold you or you can hold me."

"I sometimes imagined that happening the other night, while I was holding the tentacle." His eyes closed like he was reliving a particularly pleasant experience.

Angel had to cross his legs. "Well, uh…yeah, see, so whatever you cooked up for the tentacles last time worked well enough — for both of us." He gave a sheepish smile. "For mine though, just don't be afraid to let it be a little more active. I can handle a lot, and I like handling a lot."

"Hmm…duly noted." Alastor opened his eyes, returning to the present moment with a glow in his cheeks.

Since he seemed okay, Angel tired pressing further with the subject. "Speaking of handling a lot…" he bit his lip, "I know they ain't calibrated for penetration but…could they be, maybe?"

Alastor had taken up his pen and paper again but paused now. He squeezed the pen, making some ink blot onto the page. He looked at Angel. "Maybe." Angel waited for more — Alastor's darting eyes clearly indicated the deer was considering some things. Finally he sighed. "First, I would need to know your texture and temperature preferences as well as the precise maximum size measurements to be certain not to hurt you. Which, I worry, brings us to a rather awkward impasse because…aside from conjuring up a tentacle and carefully inserting it inside of you in my presence, I don't know how to go about getting such information. And I'm not ready for that, Anthony. Even as a mere experiment."

"I might have a solution for both of us." Angel offered with a sheepish grin. "If I put a tentacle into my mouth, I could tell from that what the max capacity would be for other situations. And I could figure out the texture and temperature thing too. Trust me."

Alastor was silent for exactly one second. Then he nodded. "Let's do it then before I lose my nerve. Do look away, darling, I know you don't like to see me bleed." Angel blinked then glanced away as Alastor squeezed his hand. A drop of blood fell from his wrist, and a tentacle flowered up from the bed, slender and agile and angled toward Angel.

As Angel grabbed a hanky to dab Alastor's wrist, he blushed and grinned at the tentacle. "Uh, hey, long time no see." The tip tickled his cheek and Angel smiled. He looked to Alastor as he put aside the hanky. "Is it okay to bite one of these? Like for me to put in teeth marks to show the limit? Or in case I just…felt like biting during foreplay?"

Alastor trembled a little — Angel noticed. He swallowed and managed to compose himself. "It would be better if you didn't…unless…" He sighed. "I don't want to ask that of you though."

"What?"

"If you added a drop of your own blood, there would be no risk of it being toxic to you. But I—"

"It's okay, Al. I got it. Look away if you want." Angel brought his wrist to his mouth and bit lightly with his gold tooth. A drop beaded up. Alastor was so stunned, he couldn't help staring. Angel explained. "I used to shoot up a lot — needles. So doing this doesn't really bother me. Heh, when I first got to the hotel, Vaggie bet me I couldn't go clean. I gave up drugs and went through some heavy withdrawal for two weeks just to spite her. I was gonna start up again, but then I met you and you were way more entertaining than any high…"

Alastor watched him with wonder as he lightly put a tear into the tentacle with one of his claws. Angel let a drop of blood fall into it before bringing the hanky to his wrist. Alastor touched his fingers to the tentacle to seal the gouge with tentacle turned from black to a deep red. It instantly curled around Angel's figure, lightly flicking at his chest.

"Whoa, hey, come on, none of that right now." Angel chuckled and unwound the tentacle from his body, holding it in his hands. "Ready, Smiles?"

Alastor nodded. "Yes. And also," he leaned forward and kissed Angel's lips, "I love you."

Angel blushed a little. "Oh. Yeah. I love you too." He swallowed…and then he took the tentacle into his mouth.

An image flashed into Alastor's mind of Angel's offers over the months to put that mouth to use on an appendage of his own. He tried not to think about it even as he felt heat build within himself.

The spider closed his eyes, engaging the appendage with his tongue and letting the tentacle go deeper and deeper…. Finally he lightly bit down and removed it from his mouth. "There…that's about my limit — for length and girth. I wouldn't wanna take all that at once, of course, I'd need some prep and teasing first. But it's a good guideline to start." He swallowed. "For temp, definitely warmer than this. Say around my body temp, maybe even a few degrees higher. And as for texture…just make sure they're slick with lubrication, otherwise — surprise me, cutie." He grinned.

Wide-eyed in wonder, Alastor snapped, making all of the tentacle below the bite mark disappear. He sealed the remainder in a glowing green orb of magic and snapped it away. "I shall use this data wisely. Thank you, darling."

"Thank you for caring so much about my pleasure," Angel cooed. He chuckled and added teasingly, "Any chance you could make it more anatomically shaped too?"

"Ha!" Alastor blushed. "Now that I would definitely require me to be in the room during penetration for an accurate assessment, and I'm still not quite there yet, darling."

"No worries, Smiles. I'm happy to try out what we've got cooking up already." Angel winked.

Alastor's heart beat happily. "Thank you for the enlightening discussion, Anthony. Why don't we take a leisurely break before moving on to what's next, hmm?" He glowed a bit. "Shall I read to you…perhaps in my natural twang, cher?" The smile was gone and the southern lilt was back.

"I'd love it, Al. Your voice is something else, especially that southern one," Angel gazed at him.

Alastor chuckled then snapped up some books and extra blankets and his reading glasses, getting them all cozy for the next part of their afternoon.

Velvet got into the closed-up studio easily enough. She'd learned how to pick Val's locks with a knife long ago, and she knew Vox's security system codes (even if he didn't exactly know that she knew them). She noticed that Tom's VIP room had some lights on, but otherwise the place really was dead. With a sigh, Velvet headed to the elevators to make her way to the top floor. "If Val really did bed someone else, this is gonna cause such a setback. And if Vox is gonna be this obviously jealous and still not realize it, that's an even bigger setback. Honestly, holding their hands for a few years has been fun, but now mommy needs some me time and they have to learn to stand on their own so that I can start dedicating my lucid moments to my love life." The elevator door opened. She skipped down the hall to the VIP lounge. She considered giving a rap on the door but decided she wasn't in the mood for Val ignoring her. So she worked her magic on the lock and the security system and strolled in, closing the door behind her.

"Valentino," she sang out into the room, "wherever you are, you have exactly ten seconds to tell me what went wrong and swear you're going to work with Voxxy to fix it. Then we'll have cake." She peered around, saw the usual spaces empty, then skipped over to the bedroom. "Val? Come on, I—" She paused. She heard crying.

Velvet blinked. Then she slowly turned the handle and pushed open the door. "Val?"

The room was dim and Val was lying in bed, facing away from her, wrapped in blankets like a moth still trapped in a cocoon. At her appearance, he didn't lash out or get startled or pretend he was okay… He just remained still except for breathing. And his lack of response made Velvet worry. She approached the bed and sat on the edge. "What happened, sweetie?"

A little tremble passed through him.

She spoke gently. She knew she'd told Vox that she would try to avoid bringing up the incident to Val, but there was no time for subtle games. This needed to get cleared up now, for both of their sakes. "Did you get a little horny, need a little lay to clear your head?"

He shook his head.

She tilted hers. "Voxxy said he walked in on you—"

"I was fucking myself and fantasizing about him," croaked out Val.

Her eyes widened. Oh these two and their inability to avoid misunderstandings.

"Okay." Velvet took a breath. "Well…if it helps to know, Vox has no idea you were fantasizing about him. He just thought he interrupted you in the middle of intercourse, and now he feels awkward. How about you tell him you were just jacking off, and we call it a day? Not a big deal, everyone does it." She tried to smile, make things lighthearted.

He sighed. "I can't do this."

She frowned and put her hand closer to him on the bed. "For Vox, you have to."

He shuddered. "No, I mean…" He sighed. "Never mind. Please leave me alone, Vel. I'll fix it soon."

She hesitated then nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna trust you to do that." She didn't leave just yet though. "Just so you know, I'm proud that you dealt with your lust on your own instead of pressuring one of the strippers to deal with it for you."

He buried himself more in his blankets. He sniffed.

She frowned more. "And, also just so you know… it's okay to not be okay. You are a complicated person, Val. I mean, you've done some things that are…fucked up. Things that hurt people, that you can't really make better, that you just have to learn from for the future. But…I figure part of you spreading around all that pain was because someone probably did some pretty painful things to you once upon a time. Whatever happened, you didn't deserve to suffer it, especially alone. And you don't deserve to be alone now. We're all kind of a mess too, in our own ways. And we're here for you, forever."

Velvet was deeply surprised for the first time in a very long time when Val suddenly shot up from the bed and wrapped her in a tight hug, shaking with silent sobs. Then he was gone as quick as he'd come, hiding in the blankets again. She blinked and realized there was a tear in her own eye now. She wiped it away and cleared her throat. "I'll, uh…go make you some sweets and have them sent over. You need to eat. Promise me, Val." She received a slight nod. Good enough. Velvet stood up and walked to the bedroom door. She paused there, bit her lip, blushed, then spoke once more. "Val? I'm not ready to share EVERYTHING yet but…you remember how you asked me if I had my eye on someone? Well, from one friend to another, I've had my eye on a few someones. I'm poly. And very sapphic. And if those ladies'll be mine, I hope you'll like meeting them."

His antennas twitched in interest. Velvet smiled a little. "Talk soon, Val." She blew him a kiss and then skipped away. She was smiling and sniffing and laughing and wiping away tears all the way home. Hell (and her emotions) could be so screwy sometimes.

Alastor and Angel whiled away some more time together, though to both of them it barely felt like any time passed at all. It was so nice to just be totally devoted to and focused on one another with no other affairs to distract them. But the day was getting on now, and they did still have two more intimacy items to tackle.

Pouring another glass of sweet tea for himself and Angel following their lunch of seafood bisque and fresh baguette slices, Alastor sat up a little straighter and willed himself to speak. "Darling? Would you be inclined to discuss disrobing now?"

Angel nearly choked on the tea, blushing red. He blinked. "Oh! Oh you mean what you wanted to talk about with…getting more comfortable seeing more of each other. Uh, yeah, yeah…." His eyes went a little dreamy. He got up from the bed. "Hold on a sec!" He dug into his bag and grabbed something small along with a fluffy pink robe. "Be right back!" Angel winked and headed into the powder room.

Alastor took a very deep breath, glowed hotly, then snapped his fingers. He now no longer wore his pajama shirt beneath his smoking jacket. He hugged the garment more closely around himself and waited.

In only a moment, Angel sauntered out of the bathroom, wearing the pink robe. The pajamas he'd been wearing were folded in his hands. He set them aside.

Alastor couldn't take his eyes off of him.

Angel grinned. "I ain't fully au natural under here, just so you know. But I'm closer than I've ever been with you." He headed closer to the bed. "Just say the word and no more robe. You can take your time until you're ready to see me—"

"I'm ready!" Popped out of Alastor's mouth embarrassingly quickly.

Angel blinked and blushed then grinned a little more.

Alastor shrugged, ears turning down sheepishly. "You are an exquisite work of art. I want to know how all of you comes together, every angle and curve and splash of color."

Angel's eyes widened. Then he looked down with a modest smile. "You could charm the clothes off anyone, you know. And I've been wanting you to see." He turned half away and let the robe slide from his body. Beneath it he only wore a slim red thong trimmed in lace. Alastor could see the entirety of his hips and thighs includes the known dusting of freckles there and the little pink heart on his hip, and then around his exposed backside he saw…

"Another heart?"

Indeed, each side of Angel's rear was circled by the outline of half an upside down heart, the shape's tip blooming from the base of his spine. Angel giggled. "Told ya I had ones you hadn't seen yet. Plus some other stuff." He turned back around to face Alastor, hands on his hips.

Alastor's eyes dipped to the full hammock of red fabric between his legs then looked away then glanced back then peeked again then looked back to Angel's eyes. "I may need a moment before I can… I mean…"

"It's okay. You ease yourself in — and that ain't a sex pun, cutie." Angel sat on the bed beside him, chuckling. He crossed his legs so now Alastor could only see the top of the red fabric between them. Angel blinked. "Hey, are you not wearing a shirt under there anymore?"

"Maybe…" Alastor gripped the smoking jacket. He saw Angel blush and felt bolder. "Remember, they don't hurt me — the scars." He snapped his fingers, and the robe was gone.

Angel's jaw fell and his white fur flushed, and his chest fluff puffed up a bit. "Oh marrona…" Dusky skin, broad shoulders, supple pecs, a soft line of red fur trailing down from his navel and a little tuft set low on his sternum. Even the patterns of the scars were so pretty. Angel barely knew what to say. "Uh…still the gloves?" popped out of his mouth. He couldn't help his eyes being drawn to the dark leather still coating Alastor's hands.

Alastor's fingers flexed in his leather gloves. "Baby steps… And my claws are still so ragged…"

"I'll give ya that manicure I promised when we get back to the hotel," Angel replied. "You can have every inch of yourself covered except your hands when we do that. Could be kinda kinky…" he teased.

A clear quiver of excitement passed through Alastor, and his eyes widened and his smile grew. "I'd like that…" There was silence, and Alastor seemed to become even more aware of Angel taking in the sight of his bare upper body. "I…hope every other aspect is pleasant." He tried not to squirm, "I…I've been trying to do some calisthenics each morning for a while now to… be less wiry. I don't know if it's helped. You're just so strong and stunning, Anthony." His eyes darted around. "I-I'm cold, is it cold in here, ha?"

"Let me warm ya up, stud?" Angel bit his lip, so shy, so eager.

Static burst from Alastor's ears. But when it passed, he nodded. And then he moved forward. He draped his arms carefully around Angel's neck and pressed their chests close, soft static sounds coming from his ears. He shivered at the contact then melted into Angel fiercely, practically trying to crawl into the spider's lap.

Angel helped him do just that, sitting Alastor on his thighs so he could hold the deer in his safe embrace. He kept his hands on Alastor's hips so they would still touch only fabric and not deer trembled but only held him more tightly. Angel rested his forehead against Alastor's and whispered. "If this is as good for you as it is for me…let's get to the necking and see if we can make it even better for us both."

He felt a wiggle from Alastor's hips as his tail furiously wagged, and then the deer set his mouth to Angel's with all the fierce passion the spider had come to expect and then some. Angel kissed him back with gusto.

Angel was completely gone right away, and Alastor went with him. The kisses and cuddles increased and grew more heated, hands caressing faces and dragging through hair and holding hips like lifelines. At one point Angel felt Alastor guide his hands higher to the deer's bare ribs and chest. Alastor hissed a little at the direct contact then buried a hand against the exposed fluff of Angel's chest, grounding himself. The spider moved forward into the touch, dipping the deer back, cradling him fiercely, pressing their racing hearts together. Angel mewled a little as Alastor slid his masterful tongue past his lips with a pleased grumble of perfect static.

They didn't know how long they were necking, they just knew that eventually they were flushed and perspiring and shaking from the sensation. They could barely keep a hold of each other. They could barely breathe or think or feel anything but the heat of their love.

"Al?" Angel managed, barely separating their flushed lips, barely keeping his arousal at bay. "I…before I get carried away, I…I think we should stop. But I also think we should plan to do this again very, very soon and often."

"YES…" left Alastor in the deep static-choked voice he used in his most demonic form. He clung against Angel. "You make it all feel safe."

Angel smiled gently and patted his back. "Yeah. You do the same for me." His smile grew. "Also, I got caught up in the moment but, for the record, everything you have to offer is VERY pleasant, and you do look all fit and strong. But only keep up the calisthenics if you like doing 'em, okay? You're already so beautiful." He tapped low on Alastor's chest, where that tiny tuft of reddish hair was.

Alastor glowed rosy red and nodded, smiling so much, nuzzling into Angel's chest and neck. "And you as well, mon ange."

Angel chuckled, twirling a lock of Alastor's hair in his hand. "Okay if I go take a shower? Then maybe we could play cards or something? Keep it light?"

Alastor nodded again and sat up a little, just barely regaining his composure. He lightly kissed Angel's mouth one final time. His eyes travelled over Angel's beautiful face and soft chest and down the pink lines of his stomach and…to the curved area between his legs, covered by taught red silk.

Angel's heart raced and his eyes went down too and he tried not to think too much about where this moment could go. "Al?"
"I'm very comfortable with your body. Thank you for showing me more." left Alastor in a hushed tone. "I really do want to know all of you."

Angel shivered. "I'd give you every inch. I…"

"Maybe just an inch or two…just a peek," whispered Alastor. "That one last piece of mystery regarding your flawless anatomy tantalizes me. I crave at least a hint. I do hope there are hearts."

Angel's heart raced and his features all flushed again. "Heh, just…just one, at the tip. But otherwise…" He made his lower arms appear and shifted down the thong just a bit along the tops of his thighs, revealing the upper area of his pelvis.

Alastor's yellow eyes went wide as harvest moons. Then a soft, sentimental crinkle came to his features, and his smile was slight and sincere. "Stripes! What an elegant culmination." His eyes drifted up to Angel's. "You are a masterpiece, ha!"

Angel was so overwhelmed that it took him a moment to fumble with pulling up the material again. He smiled awkwardly, blinking back tears. "Al…" He sighed. "You're lovely too, ya know, every inch you let me see." He kissed the deer's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "And I still wanna kiss all those scars some day. Every. Single. One. Everywhere…"

While Alastor burst into a fiery rosy glow, Angel got up and grabbed the robe from the floor, heading into the bathroom. He picked up his pajamas too. "See ya soon, il cervino mio." He blew Alastor a kiss, and Alastor nodded and gave him a wave, tail wagging.

As Angel closed the door, Alastor snapped himself clean and back into his shirt (minus the smoking jacket — he was far too overheated for that now). He laid back on the bed and gazed up at the ceiling, feeling accomplished in a wondrous way.

Helsa and Cherri were currently climbing up the rope ladder to Pentious's air ship which had just docked over a tall building near Cherri's hideout. The ladies had spent most of the day at Helsa's apartment picking out outfits (and maybe having more sex), and now it was time for their dinner party. Cherri took the lead, scaling the ladder easily, while Helsa carefully followed behind her, trying not to get her heels tangled in the ropes.

"Ugh," Helsa grumbled, adjusting her coat and skirt. "I could have just, like, hired a helicopter to take us up here… and bribed the pilot to keep his mouth shut about us."

"Or you could have just rented the chopper and let me fly it — I'm pretty good in the cockpit." Cherri grinned down at her.

"Oh now you tell me." Helsa rolled her eyes but did smirk as they continued to ascend.

"It's fun getting up here like this once you get used to it, promise," Cherri assured.

"More fun since I get to stare up at that tight ass of yours," Helsa remarked casually.

Cherri snorted through her nose. "You and your classy foreplay."

"Debutante in the streets, debauchery in the sheets," Helsa shrugged.

They both laughed as they finally reached the entrance and and crawled inside. Cherri dusted herself off and Helsa straightened her teal and black skirt and black blouse, then ran a hand through her hair which she was half pinned back with gold clips. She bit her lip. "If you ask me this again I'll deny saying it, but just so you know if your friends don't exactly like me…I won't feel bad. I mean, I'll feel a little bad but I know I'm an acquired taste for getting close to. Seeing me at the hotel is one thing, but actually…befriending me is another." She blushed and looked down with a scowl.

Cherri touched a hand to her cheek with a smile. "They'll like you. Just be yourself." Helsa rolled her eyes and opened her mouth. Cherri went on. "And I know, I know, you think 'yourself' is too much for a lot of people but…it's not. It's beautiful. And these are good, loving guys. They don't judge. You're welcome here, okay?"

Helsa sighed and nodded, her scowl softening. "Well…at least this'll prepare me for getting introduced to Angel as your…the person you're seeing, or whatever we're going with. Since we're gonna go to the hotel on Monday…" She shifted side to side on her heels nervously. "I'm not sure yet about telling the others, but…you can tell him. I want to, I'm pretty sure."

Cherri spoke soothingly at the sight of her apparent nervousness. "Angie is gonna be in love with everything about you and about us being together. We can even double date sometime."

Helsa's brow furrowed. "Uh, maybe… I just…don't want to deal with explaining us to a stranger — you know, whoever Angel would bring on the date."

Cherri raised an eyebrow. "But Ala—" And then of course she remembered that Helsa didn't know about Radio Head and Angel yet. "But…all of the people will know about us eventually, so… you and me and Angel and one of them could go on the date, heh."

"Yeah…okay." Helsa looked down, her eyes wide as she bit her lip. She noticed Cherri watching her, and she quickly cleared her throat and tried to put on a smirk as she added. "Also, nice save but it's kind of obvious that you were covering about something just now. It's related to your best friend though, and I understand that kind of loyalty. Just tell me it's a secret next time, okay?" Her smirk picked up on one side.

Cherri sighed and crossed her arms with a grin. "God, it's hot how smart you are."

"Save it for later, hun — right now you've got the debutante." Helsa winked. Cherri chuckled and took her hand.

"Cherri, is that you? I'm afraid I can only hold the Egg Bois at bay for so long!" Sir Pentious's sonorous voice met their ears.

Then Niss's voice piped up. "Yeah, come on — we want to let you and your date make your own entrance, but these little guys are getting desperate!"

The girls looked at each other, squeezed hands, nodded, and then Cherri led Helsa up to the main landing.

Pen and Niss were standing there, dressed in their usual classy attire. A little gaggle of Egg Bois were standing just behind them, barely held back by Pen's tail and Niss's extra arms.

"Hey, fellas!" Cherri gave a little wave. "Thanks for having me…and for having her — Helsa, my date." Cherri lifted their hands and blushed.

Niss's eyes lit up, and Pen smiled and put his hands to his cheeks in surprise and delight.

Helsa gave a little wave with her free hand. "Hey, uh… I know we already know each other as hotel people, but now we also know each other as…you being Cherri's friends and me being Cherri's date, heh. Helsa Von Eldritch." She gave a polite nod of her head then stood up tall. Then she blinked and reached into her purse. "Oh, uh, also I brought wine. The best we have, at least that's what Sev tells me — he keeps track of the wine cellar. But, um, here!" She thrust the pretty bottle forward, and her hand only shook a little.

Niss gently took the bottle. "Grazie. I'm sure it'll be great."

"A very thoughtful gift," Pen assured.

Niss grinned to himself, looking back and forth between a smiling Cherri and a trying-to-smile Helsa. "Feisty blondes fighting against hell for the sake of each other, taking shit from no one. Okay, this is pairing amazing and I love everything about it."

"We're really so charmed to have you here with Cherri! This is all just delightful! You're an absolute picture together!" Pen clapped his hands and gave a little twirl.

A full smile broke out onto Helsa's face, and Cherri thought it was beautiful.

Then the smile gave way to wide-eyed fear as Pen's twirl and Niss's hands being busy holding the wine bottle accidentally released the little flood of Egg Bois.

They all tumbled forward, beaming and talking.

"Miss Cherri, we haven't seen you in forever! We missed you!"

"Miss Cherri, you've got a pretty lady friend! It's like having double Cherris!"

"Miss Helsa looks like she could shoot a ray gun or throw a bomb so well!"

They eagerly turned from one lady to the next in excitement. Helsa's eyes darted back and forth between them all, and she immediately backed up a little, fins lifting.

Cherri patted the Egg Bois on the head and tried to gently guide them back. "Hey, hey, I've missed you all too, and I'm glad you like my new friend. But she's…shy. She needs a little space and some time. And then we'll talk about blasting ray guns and throwing bombs, okay?"

"Uh, hi…" Helsa managed with a swallow, stepping closer again. "Nice to meet all you all. I…I'm glad you like Cherri. I do too, heh." She blushed and blinked at her own admission.

The Egg Bois cheered. A small grin came to Helsa's features. The eggs all focused on her.

"Can we help you?"

"Can we get you anything?"

"Can we do anything for you?"

"Oh! Yeah, uh…" Helsa glanced around herself, at a loss for a moment, then took off her jacket. "Can you hang that up somewhere for me? There's a pack of gum in one pocket. You can have it. Do kids like gum? Are you kids? Do eggs like gum? I'm still really unclear about a lot of things, I…" The Egg Bois looked in awe at her jacket, and she quieted again.

One of them carefully lifted the jacket up high. They all 'Oooed' at the sight. "We can add this to our Cherri shrine! It even has gum!" The other eggs cheered and they started to tumble away to another part of the ship.

"Thanks, Miss Cherri! Thanks, Miss Helsa! Have a fun dinner with boss man and Mr. Niss!" One called out before they were gone.
"You guys can have gum, and you can add the jacket to the shrine FOR NOW, but ya gotta give it back later!" Niss called out with a grin, shaking his head.

"Oh dear, sorry about all the dramatics." Sir Pentious came forward with a sheepish shrug. "They really are quite taken with Cherri, and they get so carried away. They've already dined though, so they'll be heading to bed while the four of us head to the solarium to eat."

"You okay, Helsa?" Niss asked with a smiler.

Helsa blinked at the kind question and nodded. "Yeah. Just not used to socializing with impressionable minds. I…hope I did something nice with the jacket and the gum and didn't accidentally contribute to a cult or anything."

Cherri snorted. "They'll be okay. They only really get cultish about ray guns.

Helsa smiled a little more, and Pen and Niss both laughed.

Niss gestured to some stairs. "Well, let's sit down and have a nice dinner and get to know each other better. We're real happy you could make it, Helsa."

"Indeed," Pen assured, taking Niss's hand.

"I'm…happy too. Thanks." Helsa squeezed cherri's hand, blushing a little.

Cherri smiled more and squeezed back. "Yeah, I think this'll be a great date for us," she whispered. Then she kissed Helsa's cheek, and Helsa blushed and giggled.

The boys chuckled and began to guide them forward, talking of the menu and the ship and the latest events at the hotel.

And Helsa and Cherri smiled and joined in and held hands all the way to the dinner table.

Until late into the evening, Alastor and Angel laid on their stomachs in bed, legs kicked up into the air, playing cards — every game they could recall from life and death. They were at it for so long that they even ordered dinner in — pizza, half sausage and peppers, half roasted rare venison. Angel beamed when it turned out to be Alastor's first time eating pizza, and Alastor marveled when Angel tried a bite of a venison slice and said he kind of liked it.
Alastor trounced Angel at Gin Rummy, Angel destroyed Alastor at Hearts, they both challenged each other viciously at Go Fish, and then they both lost abysmally to each other at Poker.

Alastor laughed after the final hand of that game and turned over in bed. "Husker is truly the master of poker, you know. I was very fortunate that he never challenged me to it — I bluffed so much and so well back in the day that he was convinced I was an absolute card shark."

"And now?" Angel asked with a grin.

Alastor waved him off with a dramatic sigh. "Oh, he knows every one of my tells and could easily destroy me with a mere hand. I've only attempted to play with him sometimes in the past to…atone if I ever got a bit difficult and wanted to give him an outlet for his frustrations with me. It helped, I think." His smile softened. "It's nice that there's no more frustration though. I love being friends with him. I love having so many friends now." He beamed.

Angel watched him and moved closer, hanging his head over Alastor's. "You're pretty great to have as a friend yourself. And as more than a friend too, of course." He winked.

Alastor laughed. He gazed up at Angel. He bit his lip.

"Whatchya thinking about, Smiles?"

Alastor took a breath. "The…the third thing we talked about tackling today. Me, having a sexual moment in your presence." Angel blushed but otherwise gave no reaction. Alastor continued. "I…" He squirmed on the bed. "I don't think I can. I want to, but… Not tonight maybe? I…"

Angel gently brushed a hand through a few locks of his hair. "We also said we could just set up a time. There's no rush. We could try next weekend maybe, all comfy and cozy in your hotel bed. Or we could pencil it in for our next date. Or maybe we'll see about it the next time you get a little hot blooded from a radio show. There's no pressure, Alastor. I know first times can be a lot."

Alastor blinked away some tears. He nodded up at Angel. "For future reference…you can release in my presence if the mood strikes you. Just let me know before it happens."

Angel's eyes widened and his heart raced. "Al, I ain't gonna do that unless you're really, really comfortable."

"I am. I really am. I like learning about your experiences and your body and all of you so much." Alastor assured him as he turned over on the bed, taking Angel's hand in his. "I'm mentally prepared for it. I'll simply need to disengage for a bit afterwards. I have a complicated relationship to that bodily function and variety of fluids." His brow furrowed. "I know it's quite strange…"

Angel looked into his eyes. "You ain't ever strange to me. But if you're worried, when the time comes I'll hold you and I'll stroke your hair, and I'll whisper to you that you're good and loved and that you have me forever, okay?"

Alastor's eyes were so wide, brimming with tears that started to steam off at the edges. His smile was small and sweet. He squeezed Angel's hand. "Anthony, I have a small surprise for you. The thing I was conferring with Charlie about before we left." He shrugged sheepishly. "You and your siblings once mentioned a celebration in your lives called the San Gennaro feast — a festival full of food and fun. I asked Charlie if we could hold one at the hotel in the fall, as another open house and a celebration of how far the hotel has come. She said yes. Will you allow me to escort you? I'd be honored."

Angel's jaw fell open and then a big bright smile came across his face. "Oh you are too sweet and such a good listener and the best beau in any realm of being!" Angel wrapped a tight hug around him then pulled back. "Ah there's gonna be so much to do — I gotta explain to everyone about the decorations, and me and Niss and Molly gotta make food, and then everyone's gotta let all of hell know!"

"We'll sort it out once we're back at the hotel," Alastor assured, eyes crinkling in joy. "For now, I'm content just to savor the rest of this evening at your side." His eyes went down shyly. "You have me forever too, you know…"

Angel swallowed, eyes darting down and a blush growing in his features. "This place is really our home now? At the end of everything? That's a lot to offer me, Alastor. You made this place all on your own and—"

"And none of it is complete or right or the best it can be without you…" The deer's eyes locked onto Angel's.

Angel smiled and wiped away tear. "Can…can you maybe hold me for now and stroke my hair and whisper that I'm good and loved? So I can believe this is real?"

Alastor nodded and did just that, hugging him close.

"Then can we go get ice cream? I know we said we'd stay in bed all day but I think we managed pretty good and I'd kill for some dessert?"

"Ha! Yes, ice cream out together it is. There's a little place in the colony."

They snuggled in together for a few peaceful minutes before dessert and bed.

Dinner with Pen and Niss went so perfectly, Cherri could have cried. They were kind to Helsa and asked questions about her and found common interests and didn't make a big deal about the details of their new relationship, and by the end of the night Helsa was smiling more than Cherri had ever seen. They said their goodbyes late, and the boys dropped them off at the roof of Cherri's hideout. Cherri carried Helsa down on her back — it was dark, and Helsa still had on her heels, and it just seemed like the chivalrous thing to do. They went back into Cherri's building, laughing and talking about the meal and the boys and the Eggs, who had insisted that Helsa and Cherri help tuck them in after dinner.

They made their way to the bedroom and collapsed on the mattress side by side with smiles.

"Huh, guess I can do sentimental family Sunday dinners after all." Helsa shrugged.

"You were made for 'em. Absolute crime you didn't get your first one til now," Cherri teased. She turned onto her side. "Thanks for coming. I'm really happy you did."

"Thanks for wanting me to come." Helsa turned onto her side too, gazing at Cherri.

Their eyes met, widened a little. They were quiet.

"Family dinners usually don't happen with fun flings, huh?" Helsa suddenly blurted out.

Cherri had to smile. She loved that Helsa always said what was on her mind (even if she'd seemed a little hesitant about some things lately, about their relationship). "Not usually, no. But you're special, so…special circumstances."

"What, are you, like, falling for me or something?" Helsa stammered, looking down, blushing, trying to pout as she bit her lip.

Cherri gripped the blankets and decided to just say what was on her mind too. "Would that be bad? Me caring about you already, outside of the bedroom, outside of just having fun…?"

Helsa blinked a few times, tears in her eyes. "No. And it's kinda freaking me out, heh. But not in a bad way, I think?" She reached out a hand, hesitated.

Cherri caught the hand in her own. They squeezed hands and pressed their foreheads together.

Cherri swallowed. "I know you've seemed kinda…nervous about us being more than just a good time But everything more that we've tried so far has turned out great, right?"

"Yeah." Helsa trembled a little. "That's what I'm worried about. It's so great, but… Cherri… What if we fuck this up?"

"I'm not scared. We're stronger than any fuck ups…" Cherri breathed.

A fire shone in Helsa's eyes. And it reflected in Cherri's.

Their lips met. Helsa clung to Cherri, and Cherri pulled her in close. But it was different than their other times together. No frantic tearing off of clothes, no snarky dirty jokes, no erotic acrobatics. They were half undressed before they realized they were actually making love this time, and by then they were too in love with the notion to stop. And everything was so beautiful.

A/N:

One more chapter to go in this batch, and a lot is happening in that one too — a radio show, more radio dust, and lots of sweet times for everyone. Thank you for reading!

Take care!
-Azure129