"Been called worse, babe." Angel shrugged his shoulders, removing his claw from his jacket.
Honestly? Angel didn't know he was waiting around for that stupid deer to show back up. The old him would have slept with anyone at a drop of a hat. But how things were felt off between them... it didn't feel right? Even if Alastor showed back up, there was virtually no chance of the other demon wanting to sleep with him. That is even if he had a sliver of interest in him, which at this point he had no evidence on. The more he thought about it, the more it made him pissed at himself why was he waiting?
"I'll level with ya. I honestly don't know what I'm waitin' on. Maybe just clear the air between me and Al first, I guess." He gave another shrug. "But you snooze, you loose."
If Angel said that he didn't feel a little bit bad about this situation, he would be lying. I mean, he was flirting with the feline close to a month and then ending up getting cold feet at the end. Damn, if this was for money, Angel would have jumped on it. But Husk wasn't just some rando. And for that, he couldn't help but not feeling a bit shitty. But he ended up trying to reassure the cat before retreating into the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days inched by with little signs of the deer returning back to the Hotel. The first few days, the porn star was in his usual high spirits, causing mischief for its residence. He wasn't worried. Nope. It was totally fine. Not hiding behind his humor to mask his concerns. That didn't sound like him. But that façade started to crumple like a cheap two dollar suit as the eve of the Cleanse was upon them. Angel's emotions betrayed him as he appeared openly concerned about the missing deer's safety. Did he really intend to stay away for this long? Was it all really due to his punishment or was he really trying to run away from him? Either way, it did nothing to ease his mind.
The Cleanse came and the radio demon was still missing. If Charlie and the others didn't physically hold Angel back, he would have darted out into the fry. They all wanted to search for him but Charlie had an annoyingly frustrating fair point: They would be no use to Alastor if they were dead. So all he could do was wait. Fuck, he hated waiting. Looking out his window with Fat Nuggs in his lap, peering out at Pentagram City like some fucking Navy wife waiting for her husband to return from sea. In the ocean of chaos that laid waste beyond the thin sheet of glass, Angel silently hoped that where ever Alastor was that he was safe.
On the dawn of the seventh day, after one hell of a sleepless night, Angel's nerves were frayed to hell. Not even his fur could hide the bags under his eyes from staying up until morning. Hanging on the hope that someone would walk through those doors. But no one ever did. So now, the spider was tired and grumpy and really needed some coffee... or alcohol. Fuck it, both.
Marching back down to the foyer, he unceremoniously plopped himself down at the bar. "Can I get an irish coffee?"
"Give me a sec. If you're in a hurry, you can have it without the coffee," Husk grumped.
Now Husk was no softie, but he'd been deliberately tuning the radio to 66.6 AM since just before the Cleanse. Hearing his boss cheerfully deliver the final countdown had let him know that the deer was still kicking at least before the angels arrived. However, there was silence from the radio. It made sense given the angels could've used a broadcast to track Alastor's location.
Not that it mattered. The amount of power Alastor gave off was like a big shining beacon.
"You look like shit," Husk groused as he started pouring coffee into a mug, adding a splash of whiskey.
Watching the cat work, Angel tried to keep his mind off the topic that was he so focused on last night. Stupid fucking deer. He ignored all his texts. All left unread. Would is kill him to say anything? Wait... did he have his phone? God dammit!
"Always with the sweet talk, Husky." Angel took the mug from him taking a long sip. The warmth of the drink mixed with the pleasant burn of the whiskey, it really hit the spot. There was a beat before Angel placed the cup back on the counter. "You saying you don't want to cash in my I.O.U.? After I finished this coffee, I'd let you fuck me right here on this counter."
"Definitely want you to cash it in. It's been a wee -- "
The radio crackled to life.
"To anyone who can hear my voice, congratulations! You've survived the Cleanse for another year! How thrilling! I enjoyed myself immensely and hope you did, too!"
Husk cast a resigned look to the radio. "Guess he made it through okay."
At the sound of Alastor's voice cutting over the radio, the spider flinched. It felt like forever since he's heard his voice. Just hearing it filled him with a strange warmth he didn't know was possible. Praise Satan, he was alive. For now. His grump turned to burning annoyance. Couldn't spare a second to text, huh?
Angel pounded back the coffee and crawled up on to the bar giving Husk a surly gaze. "Well he ain't here, is he? I distinctly remember saying 'until he returns'." Swinging his long legs over to the other side of the bar pulling Husker firmly between them. "Unless you got any objection to that?"
The porn star was so ready to go, placing his hands on the feline's shoulders mirroring his smirk back at him. But suddenly Angel could hear the door swing open followed by Husker's frustrated cry. A small chill ran down his spine as the spider sat frozen struck mute as the crackle of musical static buzzed behind him. No doubt he was back. Wait, was the bastard fucking humming?! Did he have any idea how worried sick he had been? Bet he enjoyed have an Angel free week, the dick.
Without moving from the bar, Angel bent himself over backwards in a feat of flexibility to flash the deer a smile and a wave. "Well well well... Look what the cat dragged in. Enjoy your little vacay?"
It hadn't been much of a vacation, honestly. He'd drunk himself into near-oblivion for most of the week. Then sobered himself up the day before the Cleanse so that he'd be ready for the angels' descent.
Execution Day was always so busy for him.
"I could ask the same thing of you all! Though it seems my reappearance isn't entirely welcome! Should I have made myself scarce for longer?" Alastor chirped cheerfully.
Because everyone always had much more fun without the Radio Demon looming about. Even as the pocket watch rested in his coat pocket, the photograph inside suggesting otherwise, he didn't dare let himself hope that they'd missed him. He didn't want to fool himself into thinking he belonged where he was tolerated at best.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
"Well I know there is a least one person who thinks that." Angel pulled himself back up to stare at the one in question. He could partially see smoke coming out of the cat's ears. "Sorry babe, you know the terms of the deal. Better luck next time."
With a small kiss on the tip of Husker's nose, Angel slipped off the bar and around to the other side to take his seat again. From his spot, his eyes examined Alastor. It was still so hard to get a read on him. Angel wanted to get him alone to talk to him. So many questions and thoughts swirled in his mind, it was deafening.
"If your phone broke?" Angel finally said after a long pause.
"How can you possibly have perfect timing in music but absolute shit timing with everything else?!" Husk demanded of his employer.
Alastor gave a playful shrug before turning his attention to Angel's question.
"I don't think so?" He patted down his jacket. "Though I do seem to have misplaced it. One moment!"
His ears pricked straight up as he closed his eyes and pinged the infernal device with his radio waves. The cellular network piggybacked on his own signal, making it simple enough to find his phone so long as it was charged.
However, doing so would show that the edges of his ears were a tad more ragged than usual, a bit of the fur in one black tip matted as if the ear had gotten wet at some point.
He opened his eyes as he received the response. "My apologies, I seem to have left it on the charger in my room again!"
Of fucking course the old bastard left it. He had a feeling that might have been the case but there was still a small part of him that told him that the deer was dodging him. Next time Angel was going to stick a fucking tracker on the asshole. Though the state of the demon's ears didn't go unnoticed and Angel's brow cocked with curiosity.
"What's the point of having the damn thing if ya don't carry it?" Angel huffed in annoyance. But an idea sparked in his head. Slipping off the bar stool Angel crossed over to stand in front of Alastor. "Lets go check on it together."
One, it was an excuse to get him alone and two... He wanted to get his hands on the deer's phone before he saw it. He sent.... a lot of messages. Some of which were... embarrassingly emotional? Like some drunk girl texting her exe. If Al hasn't seen them then, he didn't need to know how worried sick he had been.
"I'd like to point out that I never wanted the blasted thing to begin with," Alastor said. He crossed his arms, grin tightening. "And I believe I can handle going to check on my own cellular device without an escort. Thank you."
Honestly? He wanted to just go to his room and see what he could do for his injuries. He was aching, he was tired, and the hotel was a place he felt safe enough to recover after the exhausting Cleanse.
Unfortunately for Alastor, Angel was not going to take no for an answer. A wicked grin spread across his face as the porn star leans in super close so that the deer was the only one that could hear him.
"Oh I think you're going to want my help. While you were away I might have sent you some..." Angel placed a gentle hand on Alastor's shoulder getting right up on one of his ears. "...intimate images of yours truly that you may not want to see~ Unless you want to take the risk and delete them yourself~"
Alastor cringed at both the close contact and the idea of him having been sent lewd photographs. He studied Angel's face, looking for signs of a bluff, ears twitching backwards.
"...Very well. But only for a few minutes."
Husk slammed his head down on the bar counter. Fuck. His. Life.
Bingo, there it was. You can just hand him is Oscar now. Though the thought of sending Alastor naughty photos has crossed his mind a few times just to watch the deer twitch. He was glad that Alastor took the bait.
Angel popped back up and beamed down at Alastor. "Then lead the way, Sweet Meat." Then he gave Husk a tiny wave. "Thanks for the drink~"
Waiting to be lead up stairs a thought struck him. This would be the first time he has ever seen the inside of the illusive deer's room. They have been in his own countless times by now. He wondered how Alastor kept it. If he had to guess, he bet it was simple and classic. There was a little spark of excitement inside him, getting a peek behind the curtain.
Alastor started leading the way up to his room, only the tiniest hint of a limp visible. The show must go on, after all.
"You are aware of what sweet meats are, aren't you?" Alastor asked dryly as he hit the button to call the elevator. He was too tired to do another teleport even though it would've been easier.
Other overlords had fortresses they set up to protect themselves during the Cleanse, deep in their respective territories where they could hunker down in. However, Alastor had no such luxury. Instead, he spent the whole day running, chased by an Exorcist or two. He used the opportunity to lead the angels towards targets of his choosing rather than just random slaughter. And if doing so meant he led the angels away from weaker demons who'd been forced out of their own shelters by more powerful ones? Well, that was lucky for them, wasn't it?
He entered the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. His room was a few floors up from the others'. Nobody wanted to be around him, anyway. It only made sense to stay isolated.
Angel followed closely behind Alastor, humming happily to himself as his eyes playfully scanned the deer up and down. "What? You're sweet and I like you're meat~" If he wasn't afraid of instant karma, Angel would have slap that fine ass to bring home his point. But he resisted.
When the elevator doors closed and the two of them were alone, Angel leans his back against the wall his smile faded. Through the jokes he was glad to see Alastor in one piece. It was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He only teased to keep himself together. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Glad you're back." Angel's voice was hushed. "You alright, Al?"
Alastor shook his head in response to Angel's suggestive comment. Both to express exasperation and to cover the fact he got "sweetmeats" and "sweetbreads" confused for a moment. Definitely time for bed.
As the doors closed and Angel asked his question, Alastor sighed. "Just a bit tired, my dear. I've been on my feet for the past twenty-four hours and had to use my powers more than I wanted to. A little rest will do me good."
He held himself stiffly however, praying that the red of his clothing would obscure the wounds that he'd earned.
"Extermination Day is always rather tiring for me. Nothing to be concerned about."
What Alastor said might be true. The Cleanse was a rough time for everyone down here in Hell. However Angel was having doubts that fatigue was all the that was going on. The way the deer was moving since he walked through those doors felt stilted. Almost how a wounded animal tried to conceal their pain from predators so they wouldn't get picked off. Angel himself had done similar things in the past when his pimp roughed him up before going on stage or when he tried to hide it from the residence of the hotel.
Angel cocked a brow at him. "As someone who makes a livin' off faking it, you got to try harder than that to fool me." His eyes traveled down the deer's frame when something suddenly caught his eyes. He has ogled the demon countless times to notice there was something wrong about his jacket. His eyes shot open, reaching out a hand towards the radio host. "Wait Al.. Is that... blood?"
"It's nothing!" Alastor said hastily, stepping away from Angel and mentally swearing as he realized he'd just put himself in a corner. Dammit. "Probably some leftover viscera from the ones who weren't quick enough to get out of the way!"
He glanced at the elevator panel. Couldn't this blasted thing go any faster?!
The way he recoiled was evident enough. It was far more reactive than the usual 'no touchy' Alastor he knew and loved. Angel took a step forward, but he lowered his hands so not to frighten the already started deer.
"Al, open your jacket." Angel placed his hands on his hips sternly. "Don't make me strip you. Lucifer knows I will."
Alastor's ears flattened. He didn't want to obey but he didn't want to get stripped either. At least if he was controlling how he opened the jacket, he might get away with it.
He opened the opposite side from a major injury. Other than some torn fabric and a little bit of blood on this side, there was nothing too worrisome.
Yeah, no. Angel was buying it. The look on his face grew harsher.
"Ya think I'm stupid or something? That cut isn't big enough to cause bleedin' on the other side of your coat, genius. I'm asking you one last time to show me or I'm going in." He raised bother sets of hands. "And you may not like it but I sure will~"
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Honestly? Angel didn't know he was waiting around for that stupid deer to show back up. The old him would have slept with anyone at a drop of a hat. But how things were felt off between them... it didn't feel right? Even if Alastor showed back up, there was virtually no chance of the other demon wanting to sleep with him. That is even if he had a sliver of interest in him, which at this point he had no evidence on. The more he thought about it, the more it made him pissed at himself why was he waiting?
"I'll level with ya. I honestly don't know what I'm waitin' on. Maybe just clear the air between me and Al first, I guess." He gave another shrug. "But you snooze, you loose."
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In other words, he wasn't likely to get any at all. God, Alastor wasn't even here and he managed to cockblock Husk!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
The days inched by with little signs of the deer returning back to the Hotel. The first few days, the porn star was in his usual high spirits, causing mischief for its residence. He wasn't worried. Nope. It was totally fine. Not hiding behind his humor to mask his concerns. That didn't sound like him. But that façade started to crumple like a cheap two dollar suit as the eve of the Cleanse was upon them. Angel's emotions betrayed him as he appeared openly concerned about the missing deer's safety. Did he really intend to stay away for this long? Was it all really due to his punishment or was he really trying to run away from him? Either way, it did nothing to ease his mind.
The Cleanse came and the radio demon was still missing. If Charlie and the others didn't physically hold Angel back, he would have darted out into the fry. They all wanted to search for him but Charlie had an annoyingly frustrating fair point: They would be no use to Alastor if they were dead. So all he could do was wait. Fuck, he hated waiting. Looking out his window with Fat Nuggs in his lap, peering out at Pentagram City like some fucking Navy wife waiting for her husband to return from sea. In the ocean of chaos that laid waste beyond the thin sheet of glass, Angel silently hoped that where ever Alastor was that he was safe.
On the dawn of the seventh day, after one hell of a sleepless night, Angel's nerves were frayed to hell. Not even his fur could hide the bags under his eyes from staying up until morning. Hanging on the hope that someone would walk through those doors. But no one ever did. So now, the spider was tired and grumpy and really needed some coffee... or alcohol. Fuck it, both.
Marching back down to the foyer, he unceremoniously plopped himself down at the bar. "Can I get an irish coffee?"
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Now Husk was no softie, but he'd been deliberately tuning the radio to 66.6 AM since just before the Cleanse. Hearing his boss cheerfully deliver the final countdown had let him know that the deer was still kicking at least before the angels arrived. However, there was silence from the radio. It made sense given the angels could've used a broadcast to track Alastor's location.
Not that it mattered. The amount of power Alastor gave off was like a big shining beacon.
"You look like shit," Husk groused as he started pouring coffee into a mug, adding a splash of whiskey.
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"Always with the sweet talk, Husky." Angel took the mug from him taking a long sip. The warmth of the drink mixed with the pleasant burn of the whiskey, it really hit the spot. There was a beat before Angel placed the cup back on the counter. "You saying you don't want to cash in my I.O.U.? After I finished this coffee, I'd let you fuck me right here on this counter."
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The radio crackled to life.
"To anyone who can hear my voice, congratulations! You've survived the Cleanse for another year! How thrilling! I enjoyed myself immensely and hope you did, too!"
Husk cast a resigned look to the radio. "Guess he made it through okay."
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Angel pounded back the coffee and crawled up on to the bar giving Husk a surly gaze. "Well he ain't here, is he? I distinctly remember saying 'until he returns'." Swinging his long legs over to the other side of the bar pulling Husker firmly between them. "Unless you got any objection to that?"
Spite fucking was on.
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Finally, finally everything was coming up Husk! Now all he needed was for Alastor to not --
The front door opened and the red bastard himself entered, humming along to some tune he was playing.
"Son of a bitch!" Husk shouted.
Alastor gasped. "My mother was no such thing!"
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Without moving from the bar, Angel bent himself over backwards in a feat of flexibility to flash the deer a smile and a wave. "Well well well... Look what the cat dragged in. Enjoy your little vacay?"
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Execution Day was always so busy for him.
"I could ask the same thing of you all! Though it seems my reappearance isn't entirely welcome! Should I have made myself scarce for longer?" Alastor chirped cheerfully.
Because everyone always had much more fun without the Radio Demon looming about. Even as the pocket watch rested in his coat pocket, the photograph inside suggesting otherwise, he didn't dare let himself hope that they'd missed him. He didn't want to fool himself into thinking he belonged where he was tolerated at best.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
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With a small kiss on the tip of Husker's nose, Angel slipped off the bar and around to the other side to take his seat again. From his spot, his eyes examined Alastor. It was still so hard to get a read on him. Angel wanted to get him alone to talk to him. So many questions and thoughts swirled in his mind, it was deafening.
"If your phone broke?" Angel finally said after a long pause.
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Alastor gave a playful shrug before turning his attention to Angel's question.
"I don't think so?" He patted down his jacket. "Though I do seem to have misplaced it. One moment!"
His ears pricked straight up as he closed his eyes and pinged the infernal device with his radio waves. The cellular network piggybacked on his own signal, making it simple enough to find his phone so long as it was charged.
However, doing so would show that the edges of his ears were a tad more ragged than usual, a bit of the fur in one black tip matted as if the ear had gotten wet at some point.
He opened his eyes as he received the response. "My apologies, I seem to have left it on the charger in my room again!"
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"What's the point of having the damn thing if ya don't carry it?" Angel huffed in annoyance. But an idea sparked in his head. Slipping off the bar stool Angel crossed over to stand in front of Alastor. "Lets go check on it together."
One, it was an excuse to get him alone and two... He wanted to get his hands on the deer's phone before he saw it. He sent.... a lot of messages. Some of which were... embarrassingly emotional? Like some drunk girl texting her exe. If Al hasn't seen them then, he didn't need to know how worried sick he had been.
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Honestly? He wanted to just go to his room and see what he could do for his injuries. He was aching, he was tired, and the hotel was a place he felt safe enough to recover after the exhausting Cleanse.
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"Oh I think you're going to want my help. While you were away I might have sent you some..." Angel placed a gentle hand on Alastor's shoulder getting right up on one of his ears. "...intimate images of yours truly that you may not want to see~ Unless you want to take the risk and delete them yourself~"
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"...Very well. But only for a few minutes."
Husk slammed his head down on the bar counter. Fuck. His. Life.
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Angel popped back up and beamed down at Alastor. "Then lead the way, Sweet Meat." Then he gave Husk a tiny wave. "Thanks for the drink~"
Waiting to be lead up stairs a thought struck him. This would be the first time he has ever seen the inside of the illusive deer's room. They have been in his own countless times by now. He wondered how Alastor kept it. If he had to guess, he bet it was simple and classic. There was a little spark of excitement inside him, getting a peek behind the curtain.
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Alastor started leading the way up to his room, only the tiniest hint of a limp visible. The show must go on, after all.
"You are aware of what sweet meats are, aren't you?" Alastor asked dryly as he hit the button to call the elevator. He was too tired to do another teleport even though it would've been easier.
Other overlords had fortresses they set up to protect themselves during the Cleanse, deep in their respective territories where they could hunker down in. However, Alastor had no such luxury. Instead, he spent the whole day running, chased by an Exorcist or two. He used the opportunity to lead the angels towards targets of his choosing rather than just random slaughter. And if doing so meant he led the angels away from weaker demons who'd been forced out of their own shelters by more powerful ones? Well, that was lucky for them, wasn't it?
He entered the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. His room was a few floors up from the others'. Nobody wanted to be around him, anyway. It only made sense to stay isolated.
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When the elevator doors closed and the two of them were alone, Angel leans his back against the wall his smile faded. Through the jokes he was glad to see Alastor in one piece. It was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He only teased to keep himself together. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Glad you're back." Angel's voice was hushed. "You alright, Al?"
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As the doors closed and Angel asked his question, Alastor sighed. "Just a bit tired, my dear. I've been on my feet for the past twenty-four hours and had to use my powers more than I wanted to. A little rest will do me good."
He held himself stiffly however, praying that the red of his clothing would obscure the wounds that he'd earned.
"Extermination Day is always rather tiring for me. Nothing to be concerned about."
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Angel cocked a brow at him. "As someone who makes a livin' off faking it, you got to try harder than that to fool me." His eyes traveled down the deer's frame when something suddenly caught his eyes. He has ogled the demon countless times to notice there was something wrong about his jacket. His eyes shot open, reaching out a hand towards the radio host. "Wait Al.. Is that... blood?"
Insert silent panic.
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He glanced at the elevator panel. Couldn't this blasted thing go any faster?!
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"Al, open your jacket." Angel placed his hands on his hips sternly. "Don't make me strip you. Lucifer knows I will."
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He opened the opposite side from a major injury. Other than some torn fabric and a little bit of blood on this side, there was nothing too worrisome.
"There. Are you happy now?"
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"Ya think I'm stupid or something? That cut isn't big enough to cause bleedin' on the other side of your coat, genius. I'm asking you one last time to show me or I'm going in." He raised bother sets of hands. "And you may not like it but I sure will~"
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