Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The text didn't fit in the notes so the next chapter will be the actual chapter 1! Below you'll find more info on the fic ahead and what it'll roughly contain.

Posting schedule:  I am on schedule to update with a new chapter every other weekend (usually on Sundays), at least that is the goal! Any changes to the schedule I'll announce here (in the chapter notes) and on social media.

We live in uncertain times, my friend. Updates will come "when they come" for the foreseeable future

I have some social media accounts for my AO3 stuff and art.
You can find all accounts on my Linktree. I'm most active on Bluesky. I also post the most content there so if you want to chat and hang out, find me there!

If you have any questions or the likes for me you can reach out on Tumblr

After my longest running story ever, also Hazbin Hotel (The Librarian's Sect(ion)), came to a close last year in anticipation of the release of the first season, I decided to start a completely new reader-insert fic, taking the now established canon into consideration.

As with the other story, a couple of things to note:

• It’s super self-indulgent because literally everyone is hot and it’s eating my brain
• MC is unhinged and not a good person, there’s a reason they’re in Hell. They’re impulsive and violent. Their proclivities include, but are not limited to: murder, cannibalism, medical malpractice, manipulation, promiscuity, general violence, & substance abuse.
  • Note, for those of you who have read my previous story: I’ve kept some of the aspects of that MC that I enjoyed writing but this one is more off-key, more likely to take risks just because it sounds fun, less suave, and less likely to act out of self-preservation if the alternative is entertainment. This MC is also more broken themselves. They are still good at figuring out what people want and need but more as an inherent trait than a manipulation tactic, though they’re not above abusing their insights. Additionally, this MC has some demonic power in their corner, let’s gooo abuse.
  • Because of this MCs own sexual proclivities, this fic will likely also contain more smutty chapters than the other one, as well as more abuse, though I still try to keep it a rule that the sex has to serve a narrative purpose (which, in this case, usually means it furthers a relationship between characters, whether that be good or bad, or provide an understanding of someone’s inner workings)
• Alastor will not be romanced in this story. Though him and MC will have something of a flirt going this is more to express their professional interest and admiration for each other than anything else. Neither of them has feelings for the other beyond a platonic interest and deep-rooted respect.
• I try to leave out any details about MC’s body such as weight, skin colour, hair, height, etc. so you can envision them how you like. For height I roughly indicate that they’re taller than Husk but shorter than Valentino, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
• Though it is a reader-insert, there will be no "y/n" shenanigans here.
• There will be smut in this fic. MC’s body parts are never described, to make the story more accessible. If there is a scene with penetrative sex where MC is on the ‘giving’ end instead of ‘receiving’, it’s still not fully described so you can make a choice on whether they have the physical ‘equipment’ or if they use a toy of some sort. Below you'll find a table containing a complete overview of the chapters, including which ones contain spicy shit. In the summary of spicy chapters I'll include some more details on what you can expect.
• I’ll continue tagging as the story develops, though I’ve already included everything I know will be in there and what I’ve already written. Additionally, I try to provide chapter specific CWs in the chapter summaries where needed. Please note that I will not give chapter specific trigger warnings for scratching, biting, and fucking through overstimulation, as those tend to be very common place!
• Angel will be the main focus of this fic, bc I am obsessed with him, but given how I adore most characters we'll get to explore a good amount of other connections. I’ll keep updating the ‘relationships’ list below to make it easier to see where we stand.

Content warnings apply, of course, please make sure you’re old enough to be reading this shit. I’m not your parent or guardian but please use common sense.

That’s about all I can think of right now. I hope you enjoy!

Relationships with the MC that are/will be explored (this will be updated as the story progresses)

Main:

• Angel Dust: main focus character of this fic, lust to lovers
• Husk: has a deep, unspoken interest in MC, there might be more to it than meets the eye (exciting, they get to fuck, don’t even sweat), we also believe in chonky!Husk supremacy so there are some references to him having a tummy and such. I just feel that narratively that works super well for his character and he'd look hot a lil 'huskier'!
• Vox: seems intrigued, starts out as business, will develop in an abusive, manipulative, obsessive sexual mess
• Valentino: some abusive, sexual encounters with an obsessive tinge, obviously big antagonist in the Angel arc

NOTE: in this story, MC's real super power is being able to turn anyone into a switch and/or a vers i.e. topping/bottoming and dominant/submissive roles are a free for all. This means that, to give an easy example, someone like Husk might end up bottoming or being more submissive and Angel might top.

Others:

• Alastor: amicable with a strong mutual respect and interest. Some slight flirtation that has more to do with said respect and interest than something that will be pursued beyond the platonic
• Pentious: considers himself MC’s (best) friend, has a lil crush on MC but no guts to act on it, we’ll see how that develops.
• Niffty: infatuated and deranged but not something that will be pursued, amicable
• Charlie: amicable
• Vaggie: does not trust MC, tries to be amicable

Other Relationships:

• Vaggie/Charlie: I mean, they're there and we love them.
  
• Husk/Angel: coming to a theatre near you soon! (seriously though, I love these two. For now their relationship in the fic will progress the way it has on the show)
• Vox/Valentino: need I say more? They're bad people in a situationship. I'm here for it, can't wait for the mess this'll be in season 2
• Cherri/Sir Pentious: They're so cute. Like Husk and Angel, their relationship will follow the show for now.
• Angel/Valentino: I don't ship them in the sense that I think they’re good for each other or should be together. What they have is not healthy or something to be desired, it's abusive. However, I love to dive into all of Angel's complexities. Valentino, and Angel's feelings for him, are a huge part of that. I am a strong believer that Angel used to be, and probably still is to some extent, in love with Valentino. The relationship between them is as multi-faceted and complex as they are.

A complete overview of the chapters and the characters most prominently featured:

Chapter Text

The music echoed throughout the operating theatre, so loud that anyone outside of the dilapidated building would probably be able to follow along with the lyrics word for word. Good thing this fucking shithole was far removed from uncivilised society. Most sinners didn’t venture this far from the city centre and it was a quiet neighbourhood these days. No one lived out here in this urban wasteland. 

It had been a somewhat operational part of the city when you first arrived here. Finding the old observatory and making it your home. The auditorium was easily converted for your needs and you had left the big telescope upstairs. It gave you the most spectacular views of the extermination each year. But that had been ages ago, the city had changed. The building was close to collapse and you dreaded the day you would have to move.

But right now you were one of the few left out here. You honestly preferred it that way, only venturing into town when you needed something, like being paid for the odd job so you could get your fix. You still needed to be paid for the last one. Goddamn that Carmilla Carmine, did she think those weapons were testing themselves or what? You would talk to that handler of hers, see about your fucking money later tonight. 

You were so engulfed in your work, vibing along to the music, lost in thought, that you didn’t notice when someone entered the theatre. Not even when they made their way down the stairs behind your back, towards the large music installation, blasting at full volume.

♬♩  Tight as a virgin, boy, don't get nervous ♩♬

“Tight”

♬♩  I'm here to serve you customer service  ♩♬

“Right?”

♬♩  I save dick by giving it CPR ♩♬

“I save dick by giving it CP-”

With a flick of their tail, the music came to a startling halt, leaving the theatre in an eerie silence, only broken by the sounds of heaving breaths and whimpering coming from your operating table. 

“R….”

You sat up straight, pushing up the blood speckled glasses you wore for safety reasons and turning around on your stool, leisurely spinning until you could see your intruder. 

The serpentine gentleman had a look of disapproval on his face, fangs bared in a scowl, small drunken blush on his face, his hat seemingly just as annoyed as its owner.

“Why do you inssssssisssst on lissssstening to filth like that?”

His reprimand was stark and you laughed, giving him a theatrical bow although you didn’t get up.

“Sir Pentious, what a surprise. If it’s not to his highness’s liking, he could take a royal hike.”

Taking off your surgical mask, you grinned at him and ceased your teasing, overly polite tone.

“Don’t remember giving you a key so I have no clue why you insist on treating this place like you live here.”

It was obvious he had stopped listening almost immediately, slithering his way over to the college benches that covered the sloped sides of your little arena of blood, dramatically lowering himself backwards onto a couple of them, the back of his one hand placed on his forehead, the other loosely holding on to the half empty bottle of red wine.

You hopped off the stool, removing your rubber gloves and tossing them aside as your unexpected visitor started complaining in a way that told you he had bottled and saved it for you. You sauntered up, moving in a zigzag pattern on the stairs, your hands in your pockets and a small, entertained expression on your face while he spilled his frustration.

“Can you believe that fucking whore took down another one of my machinessssss? Who doesssssss sssshe think ssssshe isssss? Zero classsss, zero plansssss, jussssst violence and explossssssionsss.”

Towering over his draped form with a wicked grin, you lifted the bottle from his claw, taking a swig as he continued to rant about the woman you knew he was secretly infatuated with. Fuck, that was a horrible wine, where did he even get that? He usually drank some premium stuff so you were surprised he was stooping this low. Had the latest explosion knocked out his sense of taste? Not that you were particularly picky but this was not what you were expecting.

“What’s with the sewage water?”

He stopped his rambling at your interruption, looking up at you with eyes that immediately shot full of tears. 

“I am worthlesssss, ssso I only dessssserve worthlesssss wine. My geniussssss isss a sssssham…… I’m a failure…….”

Your face contorted in feigned offence.

“Could’ve warned me before I drank it. No need to take me down with you in your spiral.”

His bottom lip trembled and you snickered as you, unbothered, continued to down the drink in big gulps.

“You were a psssssychiatrissssst, how can you ssssay that to me?”

“You don’t pay me, Pen, I don’t owe you shit.”

“Cruel..”

He breathed the word, though you could tell he didn’t mean anything by it from the small smile he shot up at you. You weren’t sure why the both of you hung out, to be honest. You had met a while back, and for some reason the snake had claimed you as a friend, or as close to it as one gets in Hell. That didn’t happen too often, you were odd, a bit awkward, deranged, and, as he just pointed out, cruel. Yet, this washed up genius had taken an immediate liking to you. Perhaps it was because you were a mad scientist in your own field, where his was mechanical, yours was medical. Perhaps it was because you listened to him when he was ranting about his latest invention or his altercations when trying to win territory in Pentagram City. You weren’t exactly welcoming, but you also never kicked him out and that was enough for him to stick to you like glue. Given his penchant for talking, you figured he didn’t have a lot of friends, not counting those idiotic eggbois of his.

From your perspective, he often brought a bottle of booze over when he was coming to complain and he didn’t seem to mind your demented experimentations, your weird ideas in the middle of the night that had you bouncing off the walls, or your hyper focus on some new experiment. Honestly, as far as contact with other sinners went, you strangely liked having him around. Like a white noise machine.

Sir Pentious groaned, pushing himself back up and rummaging through the bag he had brought in with him, fishing out another bottle of wine and opening it before holding it out to you.

Tossing away the other bottle, hearing it crash somewhere behind a few of the benches, you accepted the wine he handed you and took a big swig. You shot him a wide, toothy grin before shifting your attention down into the pit, where your current ‘patient’ was still tied to your operating table. What you didn’t notice was how the demon next to you flushed at your absentminded smile, his gaze fixed on the way you were looking down, contemplating.

He grabbed the bottle from your grasp, taking a big gulp to drown his thoughts, and gestured downward.

“What the actual fuck are you doing to that one?”

You snickered.

“Art project.”

“Art project? He hassssss a bladed object jammed through every joint in hissssss body. He looksssssss like one of your anatomical drawingssssss…..”

He paused.

“I guesssssss it issssss creative.”

“I’m timing his regen. You know, this one is actually being paid to be a guinea pig?”

“Oh? You get volunteerssssss for regeneration experimentsssssss?”

“Yeah… specifically for the testing of the heaven-grade shit.”

You gestured.

“Carmilla’s people keep finding idiots desperate enough for money. Though I doubt they fully understand what they get themselves into when they sign up…”

“He’ssssss being awfully loud about it…..”

There was no point disagreeing. Over the course of your conversation, your patient had apparently gathered some strength again, moaning and weeping as the pain coursed through his body. 

With a sigh, you got up. Fishing a sizable needle from your pocket and walking down the stairs again, under the watchful eye of your scaly friend. Before the young man on your table could start his pleading for the 100th time that day, you emptied the syringe in the IV he was hooked up to. It didn’t take long for his eyes to roll back. Out cold. 

You stayed up with Pen for a while longer, drinking his mediocre wine as he rambled on, with you chiming in every once in a while, mostly to bully him a little. By the time a few more bottles were depleted, he seemed thoroughly cooked and you knew that he was going to spend the night here again. 

You put his arm around your neck as you hoisted him up, dragging him, a little roughly, with you up the final steps, to the small couch and bare mattress that served as your bedroom. Given how this building was basically just two rooms, the converted auditorium and the observatory, and you didn’t care much for traditional living spaces, this had sufficed.

Carefully, you helped him down onto the mattress. You would be going out after this, to see about your money, so he could sleep on it. You hardly ever used it anyway. Another upside of being dead; you could just keep going without sleep for long stretches. What was it going to do? Kill you?

As he plopped down, he let out a small sound, your arms slipping off his frame and you pulled back a little to look at him. His face was flushed from the alcohol and he had a desperate kind of sadness about him that you found to be strangely endearing. His eyes had trouble focusing on you, so close in front of him. He could feel your breath on his skin and he wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol that was making him run this hot or your proximity.

“Youaresssssssobeautiful…..”

You grinned as he slurred his words.

Satan, how you made his heart skip a beat when you looked at him like that. You weren’t one to take to others much but you let him come here. You were even kind to him, in your own way. He swallowed, with some difficulty and, without any further hesitation, he closed the distance, sloppily capturing your lips with his.

You chuckled into the abrupt action but didn’t make any effort to kiss him back. This wasn’t the first time this had happened and always when he was a little too deep into his cups. Perhaps it was because you scared him too much when he was sober or, perhaps, it was just because, in the stark light of day, he knew he shouldn’t covet anything beyond his desire to become overlord. Everything else would have to wait.

Despite your many flaws, taking advantage of sad, drunken men was not really on your long list of proclivities so you just took each kiss in stride, knowing he was five minutes removed from passing out and pretending he didn't remember a thing the next day. You wondered if he actually did, though. 

You had thought about it at length. Given your history, it was hard not to wonder about the internal thought processes of the people you met, even when you tried not to, especially the neurotic messes like Pen. You liked him though and, if he ever worked up the courage to face you sober, you might be inclined to give him a proper chance at it. Could prove to be fun.

His hands cupped your face as he pecked your lips with an almost desperate fervour, his forked tongue flicking out against your skin.

Just one more, ssssso I won’t forget when the fog clearsssss.

You patiently waited for him to pull back and, when he did, you cocked your head as you grinned at him.

“Get some sleep. I need to go out for a bit but I’ll be back by morning.”

He nodded, a bit sheepishly, and let you slip from his aching fingers. Why could he never bring up the courage when he was sober? There was so much he wanted to say, but all his boldness seemed to disappear with each morning’s light and he felt like, with every unspoken thought, he was letting his chances drift further away from him. 

Just before you walked away, you looked back.

“Oh and, if you remember tomorrow, could you take a look at the light above my table? It keeps flickering.”

Again, he nodded. Watching you clean off the blood, trade your lab coat for a jacket, pulling the hood over your eyes and exiting the building, leaving him alone to sleep off the drink and his loneliness.

You weaved through the streets with a slight spring to your step, rosy from the wine, your hands buried in your pockets and not taking any detours. It didn’t take you long to reach the building from which your Carmine contact worked. You made it a habit to never deal with overlords directly, just with their foot soldiers. It was much better to stay off their radar, before they could figure out a use for you. You liked being self-employed, even if that did mean having to scrape by each month and barely being able to afford your vices. You didn’t even have the time to indulge in your preferred hobbies. Still, it was a step up to being under the employment of some sad sack who would tell you how to conduct your business. You would do any job in hell, any at all, before you’d sell yourself to someone’s employment. Your business was yours, as was your violence. If Sir Pentious ever did make it to overlord status, he would be the first you actually knew personally. That wouldn’t be too bad, he’d make for a nice, reliable contact. 

Unsurprisingly, your talk inside was a struggle, with them trying to stiff you half of what they owed. You eventually managed to get them to pay you almost the full amount though, after some yelling, cursing, threatening, and barely contained violence, swinging a blade around for good measure. As for Hell standards, that was a pretty decent deal. 

After that, you wandered around town for a bit, immediately spending the cash on some low-grade opium that only got you a very weak high which you knew wouldn’t last. Fuck that Valentino and his price hiking. The old-fashioned stuff was becoming damn near impossible to afford. He probably thought that all those Victorian folks were loaded or something. Real bummer for the broke sinners like yourself. 

Stumbling, sinking into the shadows of the small alley, you tapped the slender pipe against the brickwork before storing it away. You were feeling high and not nearly as drowsy as you would've liked, still a little antsy. You had to fuck or kill someone. Either way, you wanted to ruin something beautiful. 

It was right at this time, as though by providence, something beautiful appeared.

“Hiya there, hotstuff, ya lookin’ for a tumble? I can make it worth your while.”

You looked up. In the neonlight of the main street stood a very attractive, tall spider demon. His long limbs seductively posed as he looked at your frame in the shadows. So pretty, pale too. You had to wonder what that skin would look like, sprayed in blood.

As you studied his features, you had a realisation through your drug-induced fog. Wasn’t that Angel Dust? Valentino’s little pride project? The most wanted performer in this ring, if not all of them? What a find, truly. And so secluded. He wasn’t really your type, victim wise. He was beautiful but for the violence you preferred your victims arrogant, in charge, with too much power to abuse. You never went for the underdog, the disenfranchised. There was just no thrill to be had in killing them. Still, though, he was stunning, standing there with his hand on his hip, that wide grin on his face, gold tooth glinting mischievously, cigarette dangling between his fingers. 

You stepped out of the shadows, onto the main street, and looked at him, mirroring his smirk while taking off your hood. Something briefly changed in his expression, it was only a flash before he recomposed himself, but it was there.

His eyes traced your form. The way you were slightly slouched in your posture, almost in a careless way but also how a wild animal can look crouched, ready to strike. Your jittery eyes that quickly darted around, telling him you were hyper aware of your surroundings, even while this high. You looked dangerous, not the social type, possibly a little sleep deprived, yet there was something attractive about you. A half hidden madness and a wicked grin that he thought was kind of hot. He whistled through his teeth.

“Well then, aintcha a looker? So, how about it, toots?”

You leaned in, gently lifting his cigarette from his fingers as he watched you, attentively, with that big, sultry smile on his lips, and you took a drag, slowly exhaling the smoke while you looked him over. Now that you were closer, you could see he was tired, a little anxious too, but covering it with plenty of sex appeal to make most demons not look twice. Not that any of them cared how someone like him was feeling anyway. He was there for their entertainment after all, if they had the money. Nothing more.

You felt for him, in a way. You had been in his shoes. You had made similar sacrifices for money, back when you had been alive. Sex work wasn’t the worst, truly, it just really sucked if your boss was a dick, which honestly meant most all of them. Not to mention those clients that took more than you were offering. It made for an excellent hunting ground though and it had paid for your degrees, in more ways than one.

There was something else about him that gave you pause though, very briefly stirring a memory you thought you had buried deep enough a long time ago. Of a beautiful smile, hiding so much pain. You ignored it, pushing it away as you grinned.

“What’s someone like you doing working the streets? Shouldn’t you be on a set somewhere? In one of those high end clubs?”

A flash of annoyance on that pretty face and you cocked your head with a smile. There was a story there.

“Yeah, well, guess it’s your fuckin’ lucky night here then, as Val decided that today I’m on corner duty.”

“Did something to piss off the boss?”

He growled at that and you snickered, handing him his cigarette back.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, just spent the last of my cash on a high that probably won’t even last me till morning.”

He glanced you up and down, putting the cigarette back into his own mouth.

“Pity, wouldn't have minded with someone that looks tha way ya do.”

Exhaling his smoke, he looked different. More honest, now that business was off the table. He peeked at you from the corner of his eye.

“Ya sure ya ain’t got anythin’? Not gonna share that high?”

“Why? Doesn’t your boss pay you in drugs as well as money? It’s his fucking emporium and the rest of us can barely afford it as is.”

Groaning, he leaned back against the building. The way his white skin reflected the lamp light, it reminded you of the stars at night on Earth. Stunning in the way a poem can be stunning.

“Tell me ‘bout it. But I haven’t gotten high in ages and I got a long fuckin’ night ahead, makin’ up my little ‘mistake’ ta Val…. so… anythin’ that’ll get me through it, I guess.”

You went over your options in your foggy, drug-clouded mind. You most definitely weren’t going to share the small haul in your pocket but you had something else. Something special that you could give him. You weren’t too keen though, no matter how beautifully sad he looked. If word got out… then again, that demon here stirred something inside of you. You didn’t really want to linger on the thought that you somehow wanted nothing more than to fix his night for him. After all, you weren’t in the business of doing demons favours, especially ones you didn’t know with direct ties to powerful overlords.

Suddenly, another thought hit you.

“Wait, you’re Cherri’s friend, aren’t you?”

His demeanour immediately changed.

“Ya know Cher?”

“Yeah, we talk sometimes.”

He took his time looking you over again, the little cogs in his head turning until a light went off.

“Wait, ya are that shrink she talks about?”

“That’s me, I guess.”

“Huh, no wonda ya are so easy ta talk ta, doc. She…. speaks highly of ya, y’know. Mind, she says ya are fuckin’ demented, and dangerous, but y’know… who ain’t out here… Says ya ain’t half bad ta hang with though..”

Cherri and you met one night when Pen was hiding out at your place and she showed up, not being done with kicking his ass quite yet. Instead, though, you had ended up chatting for a bit before going to a bar and drinking your weight in alcohol. She was fun, violent, and you loved it. It had become a bit of an occasional habit after that, much to Pen’s chagrin. You’d hang out, listening to her talk, offering her your two cents, as you drank or caused havoc for fun. Explosions weren’t your regular method but it was exciting and, for a demon, she seemed a pretty good sort. She semi-jokingly referred to you as her therapist, and, honestly, though the methods were unconventional at best, it felt good. Besides, being paid in alcohol and chaos was definitely not something you’d turn down. Of course, you were well aware that Pen had a little crush on her, his insistent complaining about her was proof enough, but he was not ready to have that conversation so you had left it for now. It was mighty amusing though.

You studied him for a moment, Satan he was so cute. He flashed you a small smile and he stretched, glancing around with a defeated emptiness, looking for someone who would pay him to mentally check out and let himself be used.

Something snapped for you. Perhaps it was your own memories of rich men with grabby paws in their ‘gentlemen’ clubs, taking what didn’t belong to them and then having to face their shit-eating grins in the colleges the next day where they called themselves your ‘professors’. Perhaps it was the fact that he looked so sad. Perhaps it was because you thought he was pretty and, deep down, reminded you of someone. Or, perhaps, it was just your high talking. Either way, it was clear that an increasingly loud part of you wanted to soothe his pain, if just for a moment. You decided not to dwell on the ‘why’ of it all.

“Fucking fine then, come on.”

You grabbed his wrist and pulled him with you in the alley. He let you, although he kept a very close eye on you. He had heard from Cherri what you did in the name of ‘science’ and he was not looking to spend his night regenerating because some good looking lunatic had decided to dismember him for cash.

When you were satisfied you were well out of view of the street cameras, you stopped and turned to look at him.

He grinned.

“I dunno whatcha into, doll, but ya betta pay me if ya wanna do somethin’ freaky.”

You snickered, his wrist still in your claw, your nails gently digging into the delicate skin on the inside of his arm.

“You want to get high, yes?”

“What, ya gonna share that opium? Cause I can tell ya now, that ain’t my kinda high but I guess it’s betta than nothin’.”

“Not on your afterlife am I sharing that. No, I can give you something you’ve never had before. If you want it.”

“Pfff, high fucking claims there, toots. Ain’t no drug I haven’t tried before.”

“Do you want it or not?”

He gauged your response before shrugging. Why the fuck not.

“Alright..”

“I’ll give you a small sample. If you like it, I’ll give you enough to last you the night but there are two conditions.”

He gestured for you to go ahead, clearly intrigued, and you did.

“One, you do not tell anyone about this. Last thing I need is fucking demons up my ass, thinking they can use it. And two, this is a one time only thing. No follow up. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, toots. Ya are makin’ an awful big fuss, this betta be as good as you say it is.”

With a grin, you took the cigarette out of his hand again, taking a drag and holding it in for a moment as Angel leaned against the side of the building, wondering what you were planning.

You stepped up to him, reaching out your hand and hooking it behind his neck. He deserved a good night. There were so few true pleasures out here these days. As you exhaled into his face, you breathed something else into it. The cigarette smoke shimmered with a hint of intent, with pure suggestibility. The best high most people would ever get, freedom of consideration and consequence, just sheer bliss.

He grinned as the smoke curled between you, shifting in the air.

“Breath it in, starlight.”

He flushed, very briefly, at the nickname before his smirk was back. His gold tooth glinted and he inhaled the smoke. He didn’t question it. Whatever you were into, in his book, was fine as long as you made true on your promise. He was desperate enough for a high, any high, at this point.

It took a second, as you held him there, searching those big, mismatched eyes that were looking at you with a braced curiosity, wondering what you were up to. He was about to open his mouth to vocalise his question when you could see it hit him, his pupils dilating and you could feel his heartbeat change its rhythm under the hand you had on his neck.

“What tha…. Tha fuck is this, doc?”

You didn’t answer, instead watching him digest the feeling, all he needed now was a little nudge.

“You feel better than you have in years, don’t you?”

“I…yeah.... I do….. I do!”

He chuckled which slowly evolved into an actual laugh.

“What did ya do?”

“Just a little something.”

He ran his hands through his hair. It was incredible, like being high on drugs but somehow without the brain fog. It felt like liberation. It tasted like freedom. Satan, if he hadn’t thought you hot before, he sure did now.

Your eyes searched his as you could tell he was coming down. Just a tiny sample, like you had promised.

His gaze settled on you again.

“What was that?”

“A suggestion.”

“Jesus, that is fuckin’ amazin’. If Valentino knew ya could do that…”

“He won’t”

You pulled him in a little closer, your eyes drilling into his, your grin wide and dangerous.

“Will he? There’s others who can do similar shit, with the power to alter someone’s state. All of them under the thumb of overlords. I don’t need that kind of attention on me. Got it? So, I’ll repeat, he won’t learn of this, will he?”

He swallowed.

“Nah, he won’t. Not from me, not if ya gimme more.”

“You’re cute, starlight, so I’ll give you enough to last you the night but remember, it’s only this once, hm?”

“Yeah, yeah! Whateva ya say, c’mon, gimme more, doc.”

He pulled you in closer, the touch of his hands on your body sent a shiver through you. He was gentle yet demanding, and so, so pretty. Through your foggy mind, you realised you wanted nothing more right now than to see him smile like that again.

Smile for me, pretty boy.

You focused, slowly exhaling without using the cigarette smoke to disguise the effect this time. A soft, pale shimmer, making its way through the air, brimming with possibility as Angel breathed it in.

He grinned at you.

“It looks pretty.”

“ You look pretty.”

The words had left your mouth before you could think about it. There was no hesitation as he leaned in closer. His mind adapting to the feeling of the high as his lips brushed yours and he kissed you. For some reason he wanted to, with the way you were treating him. It wasn’t aggressive or demanding, though you were brash and a little off beat, he just felt seen when you looked at him. He couldn’t comprehend why but he felt like you understood something about him and he wanted to own a small part of that feeling, even if it was only a fleeting moment, here, in the shadows of a small alley.

You reciprocated the kiss, he felt amazing, his many hands holding you in place as his tongue flooded your mouth, exploring and brushing against yours. You hadn't noticed it before, over the glint of his gold tooth, but you could now feel the small metallic ball of his tongue piercing as he roamed your mouth. There was something sacred about that kiss, silent and sincere, as you were both lost to it, in your respective highs.

When he pulled back, he looked a little dazed and you grinned. 

“Tell me, doc. Tell me it’s gonna be okay tonight, that I can pull myself togetha and fuck whoever I gotta. That I can have fun while doin’ it. Tell me.”

His whispers against your lips made your heart beat faster. Again, just a little push.

You leaned in closer, kissing him before breathing the words he wanted to hear.

“You’re going to have a wonderful night. You’re going to make the money you need to make and you’ll have a fucking incredible time doing it. Each client will be able to get you off.”

He let out a hot breath, closing his eyes and relishing in your words. This felt incredible and he knew that it was the truth. For as long as this high would last him, that would be the reality of his night. His sensible brain knew that this was just an exchange but right now, all he really noted was a rapidly climbing desire to fuck you. Listen to that voice that felt so compelling, those eyes that seemed to see him even despite the madness that lurked just below their glassy surface, those lips. Why had that kiss felt so good? Satan, he must be really fucking high.

“So, what’s this gonna cost me, doll?”

“Hmm, nothing at all. If you like, you can consider that kiss payment enough.”

You stretched. There was no point lingering, no matter how cute you thought he was. He was on the clock and he wouldn’t be interested in a random demon like you, not now that you had given him what he wanted.

As you took a step, he felt something come over him, wrapping his hand around your wrist and yanking you back in. The sound you made when his lips crashed into yours had his heart racing. Whatever this was, he fucking wanted it for himself and he pushed you backwards into the stone wall behind you. 

You let out a soft groan as he pinned you there, pressing himself against you as he deepened the kiss. His hand cupping the curve of your neck, holding you in place, feeling him move into the kiss, trying to get you as close as possible. Satan, he was wonderful. Was it the drugs or him that had your head spinning like this? Something so beautiful, so fragile.

You tried to ignore the soft whimper he let out as your arms came around him, tracing down his back but not groping him the way he had expected. The way others always did when he was about to give them what they all wanted from him anyway.

Somewhere, deep down, despite your yearning to fuck him, to ruin this beautiful creature, you realised that you couldn’t. Maybe you saw too much hurt there, maybe you just felt a spark of recognition when you looked at him.

With difficulty, you pulled back.

“You’re fucking cute. But I’m broke and you have money to make…. So…. don’t waste your time on me. I’ll find my kicks elsewhere tonight.”

He swallowed. He didn’t really want to let you go. For some reason, you had made it increasingly hard. He knew you were right though, no use in staying if there was no money to be made. Not tonight.

Barely able to hide his disappointment, he let his long arms slip off you, giving you a very fake, disinterested wave of his hand, trying his best to obscure the blush on his face and the way his heart was racing. In turn, you ignored the way he looked right now, his vulnerability, the way his touch had left your head spinning and your skin tingling.

“Have a good night, starlight.”

“Yeah, ya too, doc….”

He watched you slip away into the darkness again and silently wondered if he would see that wicked grin again at some point. Reminding himself to ask Cherri about you, next time he saw her. Just out of a healthy curiosity, nothing more. It’s not like your kiss just now was burrowing deeper and deeper into his brain already. No, that was just the high talking. And what a high it was.

Stretching his multiple arms he felt rejuvenated, energised, ready to take on the night and any cock that came his way. He would make that goddamn money and then some. Enough to put a little away again, in the hopes of one day buying his freedom.

But the doctor was still a ghost on his lips as he set back out into those streets, looking for a client with enough cash and a desperate need. That night, his clients would fuck him, but his mind would be on you.

Chapter Text

It had been almost a month. Weeks of you pretending that that pale, slender addict on the street hadn’t stirred something inside you. You brushed it off though. For one, you couldn’t afford him, even if you wanted to and two, there was no way he would be interested unless you were paying. Perhaps, if you offered him another high but honestly, that felt icky, even for you.

Not that you would deny him if he came and asked though, just didn’t want to go up and offer it. It had been a mistake to do that last time but your own high had prevented you from thinking clearly. And he had looked so pretty when he smiled. Better to stay off people’s radar, even beautiful spider people.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to you, Angel had an equally hard time shrugging you off. Your taste on his lips, that incredible high. It must’ve been whatever you did to him that made you linger on his mind as much as you had. He had had little crushes before, demons he had found attractive. A short lived addition to the spankbank before he moved on again, but you? You lingered. And it must’ve been whatever spell you had put on him. You had presented it as a simple high but you had done something else. No way he could admit that he was just a little infatuated.

“Fine, I’ll fucking show you where they live if it’ll stop you fucking asking! Jeesh, Angie, you know it’s fine if you like them. I’ll take you and you both can fuck it out or whatever.”

Cherri exclaimed, exasperated, as Angel prodded her yet again about you. He was a little baffled, trying not to be too obvious about the blush creeping over his face. Why was he excited about this? Better yet, why was he nervous? It’s not like he thought you had forgotten about him, he was the Angel Dust, after all. It’s more that he worried that his recollection of you wouldn’t live up to reality. No, scratch that, he was not going there for more, he wanted to confront you, tell you to lift whatever stupid fucking spell you had put on him. That was what he was going to do.

He had felt so certain, so confident but when Cherri dropped him in front of your door, he felt himself suddenly grow insecure. What was he fucking doing here? This was insane. You weren’t a client. You weren’t even a dealer as such. What was he going to say?

Rubbing his arms as though he was cold in his pink crop top, he knocked on your door and waited, looking around to see Cherri flash him a thumbs up with a big grin and disappear behind a building. She liked you. She loved Angie. If the two of you got along, it only made things easier in her book. If you did anything to hurt him though, she would make you wish all she would do was make you eat one of her bombs…

The knocking sound echoed through the empty room and you looked up, turning off the radio. That definitely wasn’t Pen. No matter how many times you changed that lock, he always just let himself in, fashioning a new key every time. So you’d given up on that. Ugh, it better not be someone coming to collect.

You walked up, hands in the pockets of your lab coat and a suspicious look on your face as you opened the door. 

Baffled would be the best word to describe your state upon seeing the famous pornstar on your doorstep. He gave you a wide, cheeky grin and a wave.

“Hiya there, doc. Mind if I come in?”

You raised your eyebrow, returning his grin with one of your own and stepping to the side, allowing him to walk in. He did so and looked around before immediately continuing into the operating theatre, which, currently, was empty and clean, ready for your next ‘patient’.

Angel let out a small whistle as he let his eyes trace around the auditorium.

“Big fuckin’ room.”

“What can I say, I need the space. Why are you here?”

“Heh, straight to tha point hm?”

You snickered.

“Yeah, it’s not like I was expecting someone famous to turn up. You’ll be surprised to learn I don’t get many visitors, aside from the occasional frazzled inventor or demolition expert.”

He chuckled and you noted how cute he looked like that, closing the door behind him and following him in. As he looked back at you he felt his cheeks flush. Why did you look so hot in that lab coat? That inquisitive smile on your face that spelled danger.

He quickly swallowed, conjuring his charming, laidback attitude again.

“Shocker, this place feels so invitin’.”

“I like being alone…. So… why are you here? Don’t tell me you’re here for another hit, you know the deal.”

He waved away your comment.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I recall….. So, ya torture people for cash?”

“I dabble… I run some medical tests for Carmilla’s people on the weapons they sell. Specifically the heaven-grade shit.”

You followed him down the stairs and watched as he ran his hand along the operating table.

“Does that… scare you?”

He looked back at you with a grin.

“Depends, toots, ya gonna do that ta me? Cause I gotta warn ya, Cherri will fuckin’ end ya before I get ta regenerate, and then I’ll kill ya myself.”

You let out an entertained laugh.

“Don’t worry, for that line of work, you’re not my type.”

“Oh?” 

His grin grew wider, gold tooth shimmering with mischief.

“So I am your type in otha ways?”

You didn’t answer, just flashing him a wide smirk that made him swallow. 

“I thought ya were a shrink though?”

“I was. Not a lot of demand for those down here though. Cherri has been the only one to even remotely make use of that particular skillset for…. a very long time…. so I turned to other ways to make some cash…”

He just nodded, looking at the table and your tools on the far end. He was avoiding the question, the real reason he was here but something told him he’d be foolish to ask, because, in a way, he realised that it wasn’t that high that had made you live in his head rent-free.

He glanced back at you, nearly jumping when he noticed you had made your way over to him. Fuck you were quiet and your evil grin was enough to make his heart beat faster.

“Jesus, fuck, ya scared tha shit outa me.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just itching to know why you’re really here, starlight-”

The moment the nickname left your lips, he let out a small gasp and you felt two pairs of hands grabbing hold of your coat, yanking you into a kiss. 

You were startled for a moment before relaxing into it, reciprocating the gesture. Angel didn’t waste any time to push past the pleasantries, gasping when your tongue came out to meet his. You smiled into it, recognising the sensation of his piercing brushing against your tongue. It suited him. His arms wrapping around you, desperately pulling you in closer. Immediately, you could both feel yourself heat up from the inside, there was just an undeniable connection between you and now that you could taste each other again, it was clear as day.

Angel let you push him backwards until his back was met with the operating table, his arms draping over your shoulders as he deepened the kiss, your hands caressing his bare sides, exposed under his crop top.

One of his long legs wrapped behind you, pulling you flush against him and your lips left his, trailing kisses down into his neck. Fuck, he smelled amazing. He was so warm, so soft. You wanted him so badly. It took every ounce of strength to stop yourself for a moment, somewhere recalling your consideration for the other person, though it was difficult.

“You know…”

You were a little out of breath, speaking with your forehead pressed against his clavicle, hearing his own panting and feeling the rapid raising of his chest.

“You don’t have to feel an obligation… or anything… if you think you still owe me… for-”

A hand came under your chin, forcing you to look up, into those beautiful mismatched eyes, his flushed face, that strangely honest smile on his features.

“I want ya ta fuck me, doc. I’ve been thinkin’ aboutcha for weeks now.”

You groaned, grinning as he pulled you eagerly back in for another kiss.

“Ya just gotta promise me one thing here, okay? Promise me I ain’t feeling this fuckin’ heated because of what ya did last time.”

You felt the words against your lips and paused for a moment, your eyes searching his.

“That high I gave you wore off in a matter of hours…. Wait, did you think I put you under some kind of mind control?”

Your grin was wide and teasing, he rolled his eyes in response.

“Yeah, yeah, real fuckin’ funny.”

“It is a little. So, you’ve been thinking about me, starlight?”

“Call me that again…”

“Starlight .”

A small moan escaped him.

“That is so tacky, doc.”

“Hmmm, it is, so why did it get you hard?”

“Shaddup.”

He yanked you back in, annoyed scowl on his face that melted the moment your lips touched again. One of his hands grabbed you by the back of your neck, deepening the kiss, as another pulled you flush against him, unable to hide his eagerness. His gasp when you softly bit his lip had you feeling so riled and you pressed him firmly against the table while you slipped your hand between you two. 

Grazing his growing erection through the shorts he was wearing, he made a small sound. Fuck, he was so damn cute. He eagerly lifted his arms as you pulled his top off before immediately claiming his lips again. You didn’t think you’d ever tire of kissing this demon, your hand returning to his bulge and slipping into his shorts.

He moaned, throwing his head back as you started stroking him.

“Hnn fuck, toots, that feels so good. Dontcha stop…. Ah… ”

The way he pushed into your hand had you salivating, running your fingers along his shaft, caressing his tip, watching him writhe, enjoying the building of pleasure that coursed through his body.

He felt his knees go weak as you coaxed him around, obediently leaning over the table while you continued to jerk him off from behind, kissing his exposed back. 

As you pulled off his shorts, one of his hands reached back towards you, pulling you in closer.

He wanted you so badly, he couldn’t wait. Fuck, how he had dreamed about this. 

You looked at the little heart shaped spot on the back of his head, his freckled shoulders, the delicate skin on his back, where you eagerly placed another kiss. There wasn’t a fibre in your body that didn’t want this, that didn’t want him.

Briefly, you inspected your hand, licking off some of the fluids and adding your own saliva before reaching down and preparing him.

The moment your finger entered him, you could feel him clench around you and he whimpered, sending a wave of heat over your skin as you took your time working him open. It didn't take long at all, eager as he was to have more of you, all of you, and you were more than happy to oblige.

His eyes widened and he moaned as you finally pushed into him, his knees almost buckling before he relaxed onto the table, his face against the cool metal, feeling you continue to stroke him with one hand as the other traced his shoulder, down his arm on the table, reaching the top of his hand, fingers interlocking with his.

“Fuck me….”

He breathed, already feeling dazed, mind largely lost to the arousal. You felt your breath hitch and, of course, you could do nothing but comply, pushing into him and matching the rhythm of your hand to your thrusts, finding what he was responding to, forcing his body to betray him. He was entirely subjected to the raw pleasure he was feeling as you continued to fill him up, both of you losing yourselves in each other. This was a high he sought out so often but so few demons could get him there, most didn’t even try, really. 

He liked having sex, he was a sexual creature by nature, but most people took that as an invitation to take shit that didn’t belong to them. But this, right now, this felt incredible. You were matching him, seemingly listening to what his body craved, what he needed and before long, he was clawing at the table, dragging his fingers down on the smooth surface as he felt his mind go blank, his nails hooking behind the edges, trying to find purchase.

“Ahh, ah ! Jesus, doc!”

You slept around, quite a lot. You found it to be a great way to let off steam or take out frustrations, but this, with Angel, was electric to a level you had rarely experienced before. You couldn’t remember the last time you had wanted someone like this, or, if you did, you choose not to. The way he was lost to his pleasure made it obvious that he couldn’t either. The connection between you two was raw, something you couldn’t replicate or placate with something else. It was like your bodies were made for each other and, if you weren’t both entirely enslaved to the ecstasy, you might’ve considered how frightening that truly was.

He was panting and moaning, drooling onto the smooth operating table as you fucked him, and it was driving you insane. 

“You are so fucking beautiful... hnnngg… ”

You breathed against the skin of his back, placing another kiss as he writhed beneath your touch, his eyes rolling back, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he dragged his hands down on the table.

“Fuck, this feels incredible, ahhh! Don’t fuckin’ stop, please…. Please… I’m gettin’ close… “

Speeding up, you could feel him meet each movement, eagerly. His erection dripping, twitching into your hand as he revelled under your touch. You ran your thumb over his tip before wrapping your fingers around his shaft again, continuing to pump your hand up and down on him.

He could feel his arousal build. Fuck, it felt incredible. He was about to lose his damn mind over a deranged doctor who tortured folks for a laugh and some cash. But he couldn’t care less, he wanted this, all of this. Oh god, he was getting so close now. Cherri had been right, he desperately needed to fuck you.

You felt your own excitement like a tangled ball of suturing thread. No wonder he was Hell’s favourite, Jesus what a fucking specimen. Your skin felt like it was on fire and you were taking ragged breaths. You wanted to make him cum, watch him come undone in ecstasy. A knot of tension was building inside you, a steady climb to a very steep peak.

When he suddenly arched his back, tensing up as he came, moaning lewdly, and pushing himself onto you, you unravelled as well, the feeling like a wave of electricity, tingling over you skin, riding out your orgasm before both of you collapsed on the table, you against his back, out of breath.

“Fuck me… toots…. That was …. That was….”

You swallowed, gently nibbling his neck and relishing in the chuckle that escaped him. 

“Fuck…”

Slowly, you caught your breath. After a bit, he got up, pushing you up with him, turning around so he could look at you, hoisting himself onto the table, and you grinned as he pulled you into another kiss, loosely draping his arms around your neck.

“Tell me I’m tha best ya eva had.”

“Do you even need to ask?”

He grinned.

“No, but I wanna hear ya say it.”

“You’re the best I’ve ever had, starlight.”

Angel flushed as he reached over to the side, having noted the packet of cigarettes on the far end and taking one without asking, lighting it up. You watched on with a curious look. What was it about this demon that seemed to consume you, body and soul? You didn’t know this man. At all. Yet it felt familiar, being with him. Effortless, easy… real.

“Why’d ya call me that?”

“Hmm, because the way you looked in the streetlight the other night, it reminded me of the stars I could see from Earth. Beautiful, but hard to reach…”

He snickered, though he wasn’t able to hide his blush.

“Ya are weird, y’know that?”

With a grin, you leaned in, kissing his lips and tasting the tobacco before trailing down again, placing kisses and licks into his neck as he smoked. He was doing his very best to retain his air of cool but you could tell it was making his heartbeat pick up again. The drumming he could hear in his ears was so loud and distracting as he watched you work your way down. Were you…. Really going to go down on him? 

You continued to trail down, kissing his fluffy chest, down his stomach. He had been foolish enough to give you a taste and there was no way you would be done with him any time soon.

He leaned back onto his hands as he continued to smoke, eagerly licking his lips as you lowered yourself between his legs, kissing the inside of his thighs while shooting glances up at him. He didn’t speak, instead slowly exhaling the smoke as he watched you like a hawk. 

He could feel his need rise again, with each kiss and little bite you placed upon the sensitive skin of his warm thighs. He fucked so many people on a daily basis, on and off the clock, though both, usually, as a trade for something, even if that trade was just some temporary bliss in this hellscape. Most couldn't even give him that, though. However, something was different about you. In the short time he had interacted with you you had treated him with respect and a unique sense of understanding he couldn’t fully place. On top of all that, the way you looked at him had his heartbeat pick up, it felt…. Like you could truly see him somehow. Now, that last part might’ve been projection on his part, wishful thinking even, but that didn’t change how it made him feel when he looked into those dangerous eyes.…. You were what he needed right now, somehow he was sure of that. Just what the doctor ordered.

By the time he felt your breath on his cock, he was hard again, shivering when you licked his length. Satan, you were warm. He moaned when you took him into your mouth, slowly, figuring out what made him twitch with pleasure and paying extra attention to the tip as you came up. His long legs wrapped around you in an instant, pulling you in closer, eagerly. Fuck, he couldn’t recall the last time someone had focused on him and his pleasure. This felt incredible, you felt incredible. Everyone he fucked only had eyes for themselves, had him focus on them. Even if they did touch him, it was to tease, to get him hard enough for their pleasure but it was never about him. Why was he getting the impression that this was different? You were different.

Involuntarily, he bucked his hips, making you grin as you went down on him again. It didn’t take long for one of his pale, trembling hands to come to rest on the back of your head, his thighs gently pressing to the sides of your head as you kept taking him in, swirling your tongue around him and sucking him off. You were so warm, your mouth so wet, it felt ecstatic.

You could get lost in his taste, in his sounds. Somewhere, deep down, you wondered how often he felt taken care of in his sexual encounters. How often someone paid attention to him, not for their own gratification, but for his. So, you obliged, taking each movement, the way he pushed on the back of your head, the way he rocked into your mouth, as an indicator for what he enjoyed. Not that any of it was a sacrifice on your end, though. His eyes were glazed over, that cigarette forgotten in his fingers as you continued to suck him off. His pants and moans were music to your ears and each time you glanced up, he looked more dazed, more heated.

“Fuck, ya feel so good, toots, haven’t gotten head in ages… Hnnng …”

You grinned, taking him in deeper and making a humming sound that had his whole body seize up for a moment. 

“Woah! Ah , fuckin’ Christ….”

He bit his lip, taking in the pleasure as it kept steadily building further and further. He was losing his fucking mind.

“ Ahhh doc, I’m gonna cum… I’m- .. I’m gonna cum!”

You ignored his warnings, continuing to take him in before allowing him to bottom out as he came, stuttering motions into your mouth. His legs clamped around you and his hand pressed down on your head, his moan sending a heat throughout your body as hot cum shot down your throat. He whimpered as he felt you swallow around him and his legs trembled as they released you. You gently let him slip off your tongue. 

“Jesus, doc… hng …. I could’ve mistaken ya for a pro.. damn…”

You snickered, opting not to tell him things that didn’t matter. Best not to get too personal here.

Angel was taking deep, uneven breaths, looking down at you as you wiped your mouth with a wide grin that had his heart skip a beat. Slowly, he was coming to a startling realisation. Had he just…. Had sex without dissociating even once? Without mentally checking out and letting his body do what needed to be done? Fucking hell, when was the last time that had happened? He couldn’t rightfully recall… Sure, he had come to you but he had honestly expected that his fantasies would prove to be wishful thinking, and that you would turn out to be like any other cuck in Hell. He would let you fuck him and he’d lose the fascination he had had with you, just clocking out until you were done having your way with him, perhaps then being able to score another high from you before never seeing you again. But this…He felt… He felt somehow saved here. And of course that was ridiculous. You were just a decent fuck and he had some pent up feelings to get rid of, that was all it was. Yet, when you leaned in, to capture his lips again, he felt his cheeks heat up and his mind go blank as his arms came around your neck to pull you closer.

Angel didn’t stay long after that, to your mutual disappointment and regret. Getting a phone call just as you were making out, telling him to come back into work. Apparently, ‘off the clock’ was a difficult concept for Valentino. So, both of you told yourselves that this had been a one time thing as you let Angel leave through your front door, watching him walk away into the darkness and wondering why the sight of him leaving squeezed at your heart.

The second time you had sex, it was mostly by coincidence that you ran into each other, as was the third, actually. Angel had been on his break, wearing a very skimpy outfit that looked, honestly, incredible on him. Smoking in an alley to the side of the club, out of view of the cameras, scowl on his face, muttering to himself about some coworker with his grubby little paws. You just so happened to walk through that same alley at the exact same time, having just got into a small brawl after someone tried to mug you. Your eyes had met, and there had been only a moment before you were on each other like starved animals. A quickie in an alley that you both seemed to crave on a level that scared you.

No, it wasn’t until the fourth time you met, that it was intentional again. On Angel’s part at least. 

You and Angel barely spoke, even though you saw each other on a semi-regular basis now. No phone numbers were exchanged, no personal information divulged aside from the occasional revealing comment. It was like you had an unspoken agreement not to break the spell. As though, if you ever got to know each other properly, the magic would wane and you’d both be left with nothing again. No, this had to stay what it was; an unnamed addiction to each other that held you both in an iron grip.

It’s not that you minded. You liked him, he clearly liked you, and you lived in Hell. As far as unhealthy dynamics went, you could do a lot worse than being a beautiful creature’s comfort fuck.

Yet, there was something about him that kept your mind occupied, even when he wasn’t there. Good thing you didn’t see him that often, that might make things much more difficult in terms of not having to acknowledge what this growing fondness in your non-existent heart could mean.

Chapter Text

Aside from the occasional visit, your life proceeded in the same, relatively quiet manner. That was, until one day, shortly after the yearly extermination and the subsequent announcement that the next one would be in only six short months, you got a knock on the door. Putting down the book and the chalk, you looked up. Who the fuck could that be? You grabbed a cloth, wiping the blood from your hands, to the best of your ability, as you walked up and cautiously opened the door. 

There were a few things you expected, Angel, Cherri, even Pentious, or perhaps a demon looking for a fight, money, drugs, or all the above. There was nothing to prepare you for who your actual visitor was. Clad entirely in red and a very wide smile stood none other than Alastor, the Radio Demon.

“What the…..”

You glanced him up and down, dumbfounded. In well over a hundred years, you barely saw anyone and now two famous people in the span of a few weeks? What the fuck was happening around here?

Your eyes trailed down from the grinning beacon, to his side. A second demon, cat-like and winged, with a foul, annoyed expression on his face and a posture bad enough to almost rival yours, shooting you a very peculiar, stand-offish glance from under his impressive brow. 

You paused, lingering on that face. You had seen him before, hadn’t you? But where? You vaguely recalled an overlord, ages ago, who had looked somewhat similar but that wasn’t the memory that was being stirred. Goddamn, that absinthe from last night really killed your last living brain cell.

While you stood there, staring at each other, the Radio Demon snickered and leaned in towards you. You didn’t flinch, instead slowly letting your gaze trail back to him and his red eyes, just shooting him an interested look as he took your hand in his.

“Why, hello there, my dear. The name’s Alastor! And, of course, I know who you are. I’ve been dying to get acquainted, you know…..”

He leaned down to press a kiss to your knuckles, wide smile against your bloodstained skin as he looked up at you, inhaling the metallic scent. 

“And what a fair perfume….”

When he let go again, and straightened his back, he gestured towards the other demon.

“This good fellow here is Husker.”

His voice sounded chipper, with a transatlantic accent and a tinge of radio static. You knew this voice all too well, you listened to his show, before he went on a seven year hiatus and now that he was back again. You held a deep respect and admiration for the man. You had died a while before him, heard about his renown and you had followed his rise to power, his live broadcasts of carnage. What a thing to behold. Someone dangerous, interesting, though, at the same time, someone you’d rather not be on the radar of for various reasons. 

The demon next to him growled.

“Husk. Not Husker.”

You gave them a curious grin as you stepped aside, letting them into your home. Alastor didn’t waste a second, stepping inside and, as Angel had done weeks ago, immediately continued in further, his grin widening when he noted the demon tied to your operating table below. The chalkboard you had pulled up filled with notes and drawings still standing right next to your work table.

“Quite the setup you got here, my friend.”

He chuckled, an amused static sound as he glanced back at you, at the way you were holding onto the cloth you had used to somewhat clean your hands, now forgotten in your grasp.

You watched as he descended the stairs, eager to inspect the victim on the table and with an air as though he owned the place. Given how powerful you knew he was, he practically did so who were you to comment on it.

The feeling of a set of eyes drilling into the side of your head had you look up at this ‘Husk’ guy. He seemed… apprehensive. Definitely guarded. Most of all, it seemed he hated that he had to be here. Either that or he just despised the demon he was with. Possibly both.

Your eyes trailed back to Alastor, now looming over the body and gesturing at it.

“Do you mind?”

“Be my guest,”

You gestured for him to go ahead as you also stalked down, keeping a close eye on him as, behind you, Husk followed, never letting you out of his sight.

“and then, perhaps, you’ll tell me what I did to warrant a visit from the fucking Radio Demon?”

He chuckled again, prodding at your victim before running his finger through the pooled blood and licking it off with a wide, toothy grin.

“Ahh, well, you see, I have been looking for you for quite some time, my dear.”

His smile turned teasing as he noted the confusion on your face.

“And what could have possibly stirred the interest of someone of your….renown?”

He let out a hearty laugh.

“How about I explain everything over a bite to eat? You can leave your cellular device here while we’re out.”

You eyed him. Why the fuck not, by the looks of him and from his reputation, you felt it was safe to assume he could afford better grub than you had seen in most of your time down here. 

Looking down as you fished your phone out of your pocket, you studied it for a moment. You were aware of his disdain for the other overlord Vox, who held domain over electronic devices and appeared aggressively invested in anything the Radio Demon was involved in. Phone at home it was.

He turned to Husk who immediately raised his hands.

“Ain’t no way I’m coming with.”

“Of course not, my friend! I was just about to suggest you keep the good doctor’s guest here comfortable while we step out for a bit.”

“Wait, I gotta watch the stiff?!”

You laughed, an almost genuine sound though Husk’s scowl of apprehension told you he was fully aware what you were truly entertained by.

“He’s not dead…. yet.”

He groaned, a low, feline growl escaping from his throat in his annoyance as he flicked his wings a little.

“Fuckin’ fine, whatever.”

As this conversation was happening, you took off your lab coat and washed your hands.

“Excellent! Well then, my dear.”

Alastor leaned in towards you, offering you his arm which you took with a grin. You got the feeling that tonight was going to be very interesting.

You weren’t surprised when he took you to the lively, old-fashioned, and welcoming architecture of Cannibal Town. His tastes were part of what people feared about him and you didn’t doubt for a moment he had pegged you as a like minded individual, perhaps even more than he realised. Or, had he uncovered truths he wasn’t letting on at this time? Well, either way, you would probably find out soon.

The two of you talked over the excellent dinner, mostly about life in Hell as well as you addressing Alastor’s rise to power and the fact that he’d been gone from Hell for seven years, both topics he didn’t linger on. As you ate your food, your mind briefly wandered back to the, admittedly, very attractive, grumpy cat who was now stuck guarding your current patient. 

By the time dessert had been consumed, on your end, Alastor did not seem to care much for sweets, and coffee was served, he shifted in his chair, leaning in closer with a wide grin. You wondered how a guy like Husk wound up with a man like the Radio Demon. Desperate deals, no doubt, but you couldn’t help but speculate about the story there.

“Perhaps now would be a good time to do you the courtesy of telling you why I invited you here.”

You just smirked, not answering, cocking your head to show your interest in what he had to say.

“See, my dear, my reasoning is twofold. For one, and most importantly, I have been a great admirer of your work for a long time now. It has been quite the struggle to find you down here, I’ll have you know!”

Interesting.

“Oh? And what work might that be?”

He let out a laugh, sitting back up straight.

“Ha! Darling, you have quite the sense of humour, however, we do find ourselves among like minded individuals, so let’s not pretend, shall we?”

The way he looked at you was dangerous, inquisitive, and you raised your eyebrow, widening your grin and baring your sharp teeth.

“Alright, let’s start with how did you manage to find me?”

“Ohoh! You made that quite the challenge. However, when a corpse showed up at this very kitchen, with your signature and taken apart by someone with a clear medical expertise, well, all I had to do then was have Husker wait around and follow you home.”

Ah, then that’s where you had seen him before?

You leaned back into your chair.

“Impressive, that you would recognise my signature at all. The police never figured it out.”

A dreamy sigh escaped you as you thought of the good old days.

“And it’s not like I get to indulge much down here… The bodies I deliver are a byproduct at best of making some goddamn cash around here..”

“The police? Tragic, moronic, and entirely wasteful drain on resources, that lot. As for recognising your work, I did study it rather attentively. I’ll admit that you were somewhat of an inspiration to me, when I first started out, before I found my own…. Style. The way you insisted on targeting and displaying the high and mighty, it’s an artform few practice.”

You snickered. He was flattering but also seemed honest about it. Who would’ve thought, the Radio Demon, a fan of your work. To be fair, he had, in his time, far exceeded anything you had ever done and then proceeded to rise even higher after his death. You never did it for fame or infamy though. You did it so you could ruin another, truly, completely, in a way there was no coming back from, all the while keeping your involvement a secret. In fact, you had turned it into a sport to keep the police and penny dreadfuls off your tail, switching modus operandi for every kill, finding new, creative ways to display your victims, just so they could never tie them all together. In the end, you didn’t think they ever figured out all those crimes were one perpetrator, let alone who that had been. You missed that thrill like nothing else though. It was a high no opium could ever give you, a desire no absinthe could ever soothe, to bring powerful people to heel, to punish them, even in death, and turn their vile flesh prisons into art, just for you. The one thing that could truly silence your brain, captivate your mind, body, and soul as you worked. Thing was that, here in Hell, given how you couldn’t practise your profession as a psychiatrist for lack of interest, you were forced to take on other jobs, keeping you occupied with scrambling together enough money to sustain your addictions, without being able to indulge in your other vices. Fuck, you missed it.

“There is just no thrill to getting an easy target. Anyone can get to the ones that no one will miss. It’s pathetic. No, getting your hands on a powerful bully and making them squeal…. Now that is the gift that keeps on giving…..”

His grin widened, his eyes narrowed.

“I quite agree with you there and squeal they did, I am sure! Makes me wish I had been there.”

“That you’d consider my work an inspiration though… makes me blush, given your reputation. Your work is fucking insane .”

Fuck, his smile was dangerous, very attractive too. There was a deep rooted admiration between you both, a professional curiosity, and the beginnings of something you might ascribe to friendship, as much as either of you were capable of such a thing.

“ Honoured , my dear, truly… Ah, but that is not all. Though I would love to talk about our shared hobby in due time, I have something else that I would like to discuss with you. Have you heard about my latest endeavour?”

“You mean the Hotel? You made an announcement about that recently, right?”

“Yes indeedy! I noticed the radio in your dwellings, and I am thrilled to know that you listen to my little show!”

“Well, it’s great, I’m glad you’re back on the air, though I am surprised you would volunteer for a project like that.”

“Oh, my dear…. Think of the entertainment.”

You snickered at his eager expression and it had to be said, watching a bunch of idiots trying to get into heaven was, indeed, hilarious. It’s not that you didn’t believe some people could become better, after all, that was literally your field of expertise. No, it was the naivety believing that heaven could change. Those fucks clearly had some wild double standards and fucked up ideas on what constituted a sinner. People like you and Alastor? You were exactly where you belonged. However, you were well aware of the slew of people whose crimes were negligible or who were down here on a mere technicality. In your book, Heaven was a bunch of murderous hypocrites. No way would they ever allow a sinner through those gates, that would mean having to rethink their superiority in a way you didn’t think they ever would. If it were up to them, they’d purge Hell entirely and continue killing new arrivals to keep the streets ‘clean’.

Your eyes searched Alastor’s and the small, amused smile tugging on his lips. There was something he wasn’t telling you about his investment in this project, but did you really care to know right now?

He chuckled, an entertained noise, as he watched you consider his words, the static in his voice sounded almost endearing, if it wasn’t for the fact that you were very well aware of who you had in front of you.

“Well, as it so happens, at this Hazbin Hotel, we are in need of a psychiatrist… You know, to help the inhabitants ‘better’ themselves? So I thought, who better to ask than you!”

You eyed him with curiosity.

“Why me? There’s plenty of others who do what I do and who have a less…. Iffy track record.”

“Oh, that is easy, my dear! For my own entertainment of course! I would look forward to working with you on this little project and, perhaps, we could help you get back on track with your art , hm?”

You grinned.

“I doubt the princess would be excited about that.”

He waved the comment away.

“Wacky nonsense, like me, you wouldn't be there for the redemption treatment, you’d be there to help others redeem themselves. So tell me that that doesn’t sound like fun… and… if you need a little persuasion ….”

His hand moved over yours, for a moment you thought he was going to grab it again but when he pulled away you were holding a small bottle.

Laudanum.

“You can be paid in whatever vice calls to you, my dear. You would live at the Hotel, you’d get your own office. Food will be provided. On top of the continued entertainment at the expense of the poor souls who signed up for this travesty. With the offer to go hunting together some time on the table, if you so please..”

That grin was so wide and his offer very compelling.

“Don’t tempt me with a good time.”

“If that is what it would take to woo you into saying yes, darling, consider yourself tempted.”

“How many current inhabitants?”

“Two current patients but, of course, we intend on expanding this endeavour in the future!”

Two was very doable, even if they were reluctant or difficult. No longer having to scrape by to afford your vices, instead getting your booze and drugs directly from Alastor. It was dangerous to assume you could trust a demon like him, even with the clear shared admiration for each other, but who were you if you weren’t attracted to danger and doing something dumb for the fun of it? Oh, fuck it. You were nothing if not impulsive and this would provide a very interesting change of pace.

“Let’s do it, I’m in.”

When you looked at him, he let out a laugh.

“Wonderful, I knew I could count on you!”

“When do I start?”

“When can you start?”

You thought about that for a moment. You barely had any personal belongings and it wasn’t like you had much on aside from your freelance work. If you wrapped up the one currently in your possession, you could blow that shithole at any given time.

“How about end of the week?”

“Marvellous! I will look forward to introducing you to the rest of the crew and the inhabitants. This will surely be unforgettable! I will send Husker to pick you up.”

You felt something akin to butterflies in your stomach, from excitement at the thought of a change of pace. This would be mighty entertaining, not to mention that getting to work with Alastor was something that sounded thrilling to you. Sure, it went against your rule of staying off overlord radars but that ship had sailed anyway so you might as well go all in.

Like the true gentleman he was, Alastor walked you home as you enjoyed your conversation, quietly joking about the demon who had been following you ever since you left the restaurant but deciding not to engage to see what would happen. Alastor seemed thoroughly amused upon seeing Husk, standing outside the door, smoking. He looked miffed, to the Radio Demon’s delight.

“You guys sure took your fuckin’ time. Ain’t my job to stand out here, y’know.”

“Oh my dear Husker…… yes it is.”

Alastor grinned at him and Husk unintentionally hissed, his ears going flat for a moment, before letting it slide. His yellow eyes fixing on you and your devilish smile.

“Your ‘patient’ woke up. Screamed up the whole joint.”

“Ah yea, they tend to do that.”

“I knocked him out.”

You chuckled.

“Noted. Thanks, for keeping an eye.”

He seemed startled for a brief moment before his grumpy expression was back and he just gave you a brusque nod of acknowledgement.

Alastor turned to you, as Husk passed you by, and took your hand again, placing a kiss on your knuckles. Husk side-eyed the gesture with contempt before walking off.

“Tonight was truly a pleasure, I will be looking forward to our future collaboration.”

Al’s red eyes flickered to the street behind him, the darkened alley where your tail was likely still waiting. The shadows appeared to be moving, as thought they were alive, waiting to strike.

“Would you like me to get rid of our unexpected friend?”

“Nah, thanks. I’ll check it out when you guys leave. Given how he hasn't made his move yet, I figure he’s here for me.”

“Very well, my dear.”

He let go, straightening his back and twirling his microphone cane.

“Thank you, for tonight, Alastor. I will see you end of the week.”

He grinned at you, giving you a nod before finally following Husk, on their way back to the Hotel, leaving you behind in the crisp air of the evening. With a chuckle, you lit up a cigarette, impatiently waiting for the demon in the shadows to make his move. You wondered if you’d have a fight on your hands or not.

It wasn’t until both of them were well gone and Alastor’s chipper voice could no longer be heard down the street, that something moved towards you. You threw your cigarette on the ground, putting it out with your shoe as you glanced up.

“Took you long enough, I was about to just call it a fucking night. The fuck do you want?”

The demon eyed you up and down, seemingly a little taken aback that you had known he was there before recomposing himself.

“Ah eh… boss asked me to follow you and invite you over for a chat.”

“I see. And that invitation, does that come with the option of saying no? Or is it not that kind of an invitation?”

He shrugged, grinning at you.

“Who’s your boss?”

“You’ll see, follow me.”

He turned around, clearly not expecting you to do what you did. Additionally, he didn’t think you’d be that fast, pulling a blade out of your pocket and yanking him in, pressing the sharp edge to his throat.

“Woah, what the-”

“The name of your boss, please.”

“Jesus, fuck, Vox! It’s Vox.”

“There, was that so difficult?”

You closed your eyes. You could smell the fear on him, definitely a messenger, possibly a spy albeit a shit one, and not a brawler. There was a brief moment you considered cutting him up and sending him to his boss in pieces. Teach them not to inconvenience you, but you pushed it away. Clearly, your involvement with Alastor had immediate repercussions and you couldn’t help but think you’d be interested to know what that fucking tv screen wanted from you.

You let out a breath, right next to his face, feeling him tremble under your touch as you smirked.

“Alright, fine, show me to your boss then. It’s not like I got anything better to do.”

The demon stumbled forward, away from you, as he rubbed his throat. Fucking hell, Vox didn’t pay him nearly enough to deal with demented shitheads like you. What a crappy goddamn job.

You strolled behind him, leisurely, clearly ticking him off as you smoked another cigarette. You were having a mighty good time with it until you reached a café, right at the edge of town. You’d seen it in passing but had never gone in and the demon stopped in front of the door, holding it open for you and gesturing inside. He looked eager to be rid of your company.

With a grin, you shot him a cruel look, making him swallow, before stepping into the dark, smokey interior. It was mostly empty, there was a jazz band playing on a small podium and the air was thick with cigarette smoke. This wasn’t where you would expect a tech-empire demon to hang out, though perhaps he just wanted to meet somewhere you wouldn’t be seen together. The furniture in this place looked worn and you looked around, eventually spotting a rectangular, cyan glow. As you approached, you could see a wide smirk on it appear from the haze and he gestured for you to come over.

He looked handsome albeit cocky. You had seen his face before, of course, around town, but in person he looked different somehow. He was seated, leaned back in his chair, arm draped over back rest, smoking a cigarette of his own as he looked you up and down.

“Have a seat.”

He gestured to the empty seat across from him. You took your time to look him over. Arrogant, pompous, controlling, definitely dangerous. Cute as well, though, and you grinned as you sat down, tapping off the ashes that had accumulated at the end of your lit cigarette in the ashtray on the table.

“So, you spotted my guy, hm?”

“Well, yeah, he is pretty fucking shit at being stealthy.”

“Right…”

His mismatched eyes searched your face. There was a certain air of entertainment about the way he was looking at you.

“I’m Vox.”

“I know.”

He snickered.

“Straight from your screen, hm? Does the image on tv do the real thing justice?”

You leaned back, eyeing him.

“I own a phone, no tv though.”

A brief flash of confusion on his screen.

“Why not?”

You felt like testing him, wondering how far you could push an arrogant control freak in a short amount of time.

“No offence, but your shit’s tacky, Vox .”

His eyes narrowed for a moment, annoyance and offence, before he laughed, loudly.

“Guess that’s why someone would take an interest in you.”

You grinned, slowly exhaling your smoke under his watchful gaze. Someone , hm? Someone like Alastor, perhaps?

“You talking about my winning looks or smart mouth?”

He glanced you up and down.

“The latter……. although…”

He smirked and there was a suspenseful pause between you.

“I’ve actually worked for you before, you know. You and Valentino. Vetting work, for some of your new security hires.”

His grin grew wider, echoing your earlier statement.

“I know.”

Interesting, so had he just wanted to see if you would be upfront about that? 

You allowed a silence to fall between you again as you stared each other down. You were dying to know what a guy like him would want with you but you weren’t going to be the first one to bring it up. Your guess was that this had to do with Alastor and the way those two absolutely despised each other. There had been a whole thing, causing a full black-out across town, only a day or so ago. Vox sure didn’t know how to keep his emotions in check when the Radio Demon was around and it made you curious to learn what exactly transpired between them.

After a while, he extinguished his cigarette in the tray before leaning back in his chair again.

“Let's get to the point. You are in leagues with…. Alastor? He offered you something, work at that Hotel perhaps?”

The way that name left his lips, it was clear it took every ounce of self control not to call him something else entirely. His hatred for the deer demon was extremely transparent and you grinned.

“Why would a demon like you possibly care about that?”

He clicked his tongue.

“I don’t care about the clown in red. I’m interested in the Hotel.”

“That just puts more emphasis on my question, not less.”

“Look, me and Val have a vested interest of sorts, let’s leave it at that. You don’t have to worry your pretty head about the details, but, if you end up taking whatever job that fucking 1930s deer offered you, we’d pay you handsomely for any intel on what goes on in there. Our last guy unfortunately wasn’t cut out for the job and we’re looking for an immediate replacement.”

Hiring a down on their luck loser had not panned out the way they had hoped. As it turned out, espionage required a level of skill the bottom of the barrel just didn’t possess. It was time to shift gears and the fact that Alastor was, apparently, hiring shady types like you for the Hotel was the perfect opportunity.

“Hmm…”

Your eyes searched his. 

“And you’re saying you wouldn’t be interested in any info on the ‘fucking 1930s deer’, then?”

There it was. A flash of annoyance, a glitch in his screen, as you put your finger where it hurt. Sure, he hadn’t lied to you when he said they wanted to know about the Hotel but he couldn’t fool you into thinking that he didn’t want intel on Alastor just the same. Kind of funny, from the guy who had hired you ages ago for your ability to figure out what people wanted and when they were telling the truth. Of course, he hadn’t been the one to hire you directly, but he clearly knew about you, having done his homework. The check had come from his wallet all the same.

“Any information on the Hotel. That includes the Radio Fucker.”

Your eyes narrowed. You liked Alastor, he was someone you respected, someone who got you. At the same time though, you could cash in double here. Be paid in your vices and in money, not spending a dime on housing and food, allowing you to save up for the first time since you’d got your ass stuck in Hell. Besides, there was plenty of space to allow Alastor in on your plan, if you ended up liking him as much as you thought you might. But for now, it sounded like a really bad idea. So you just had to do it. 

“What’s the pay?”

His grin grew wider, his mismatched eyes on you for a moment before he took a napkin, wrote something on it and handed it to you. You glanced at the number he had written down and you could feel your mouth water. This was not even close to the peanuts you’d been paid for your vetting gigs or what Carmilla’s people paid you.

“Per month?”

“Per week.”

“Fuck, that’s hot, Vox.”

He snickered, watching attentively how you smoked your cigarette before your smile nearly tore your face in two.

“Why the fuck not. Throw in some premium grade opium and you’ve got a deal.”

His expression was eager, his left eye briefly distorting into a hypnotising pattern, betraying his excitement.

“Excellent, consider it done.” 

He gestured towards the bartender, who came over with two glasses of booze and put them on the table, Vox picked up one and raised it to you, you followed his example.

“You report directly to me, or Valentino and Velvette, if I’m not available, no one else. I’ll text you the details. So, here’s to a lucrative partnership, hm?”

You clinked your glasses together and you both took a sip. The way he was looking at you, he was clearly very pleased you had taken the offer. To be fair, it was a good fucking deal. However, there was something else in his gaze as he watched you drink, he was intrigued by you. By those tired yet alert eyes of yours, that dangerous, crooked grin. He found himself wondering something he never had before: who exactly was this demon he had just hired?

Chapter Text

The day Husk came to pick you up, he showed up at your front door, just as you were closing it behind you. You were leaving nothing but rot and decay behind and, though you had come to understand the Hotel was nowhere close to its prime, it surely would be better than your crumbling abode. If the Hotel gig didn’t work out, you would just find somewhere else to live, it was time anyway.

You turned to the demon outside, who flicked away his cigarette and gave a gruff noise by means of greeting before gesturing for you to hand him a bag. You only had two, one with some clothes and personal effects and one doctor’s bag, containing your tools. 

Handing him the leather toolbag, he casually grabbed the handle before slinging it over his shoulder, holding it in place there as he started walking. You lit up a cigarette, falling into step beside him, and watching him pull one out of his pack as well. He huffed when you leaned in and lit his cigarette for him. 

He didn’t strike you as a small talk kinda guy and you had to admit, the silence was kind of comfortable. To your surprise, he was the one to break it though.

“What’s your connection to Al?”

You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, grinning as you took a drag of your cigarette.

“No connection.”

“Bullshit.”

At that, you laughed and he frowned.

“I’m not lying. I never spoke to the man before the other day.”

“Well, if you don’t know him, he sure as fuck seemed to know you. So what exactly are you to him? He wouldn’t tell me shit. Of course, I figured it couldn’t be anythin’ pleasant, with the way Al had his sights set on you. He was nearly fuckin’ salivatin’ when I told him I had found out where you lived. Ain’t never seen him like that before.”

“Flattering.”

“It fuckin’ ain’t.”

He shot you a glance riddled with warnings.

“Unless you’re lookin’ for trouble, stay the fuck away. Nothin’ good ever comes from bein’ around the likes of him. Take it from me.”

“Aw, are you worried for me?”

“Shut the fuck up, that is the only curtesy warnin’ you’ll get. Do with it what you will.”

There was another silence as you walked, both smoking. You were amused and interested. Husk clearly held a great disdain for the man who appeared to hold a lot of control over his afterlife. Sounded like there was a story there. For someone who didn’t want to be seen giving a shit, he sure did warn you just now though. Not to mention those glances he kept directing your way whenever he thought you weren’t looking.

“So, how’d you end up working with Alastor?”

“That ain’t none of your goddamn business.”

“Duly noted.”

You chuckled and he glanced at you.

“Seriously, why ain’t you more worried? Do you even know who he is?”

“Sure.”

He stopped walking and you slowly followed his example.

“Why is he so damn interested?”

Thoughtfully, you smoked your cigarette.

“Hmmm….”

“Don’t fuckin’ bullshit me, alright? Either tell me or don’t.”

“Well, I guess we have some things in common.”

“That bodes well…”

Husk grumbled, his tail flicking behind him as he resumed his walk and you joined him.

It didn’t take long before the towering Hotel on the hill appeared into view. Your new home. Your new place of work. You could feel the excitement pool in your stomach. This was going to be interesting, whichever way you spun it.

Husk walked up to the front door and held it open for you as you wandered in. The Hotel smelled old, a little musty, but it was a marked improvement from the dump you had just left behind. You glanced at the slightly peeling wallpaper, noting how your footsteps sounded dampened on the rug. 

“My dear, you made it! Excellent!”

Alastor’s chipper voice boomed through the hallway and he walked up from the far end, followed by three young women, one of whom you recognised as the daughter of Lucifer Morningstar. She appeared incredibly eager, bright smile on her face as she approached you. The woman following closely behind had the exact opposite expression, she was weary of you, shooting you a hesitant smile but her eyes betrayed that she didn’t trust anyone brought in by Alastor, probably for good reason. The last one was a tiny little thing, one big eye that immediately took in all of you with an unbridled eagerness and a wide, insane grin.

Alastor stepped aside, to allow you to fully see the new people and gestured.

“My dear, may I introduce you to the founder of this Hotel, Hell’s very own delusional princess: Charlotte Morningstar!”

Charlie walked up, a little uncomfortable chuckle as the woman behind her shot daggers at Alastor, presumably over the ‘delusional’ comment.

“Just… Charlie is fine. It’s nice to meet you! Alastor told us you’re a psychiatrist? That is so amazing! We could really use someone with expertise, I’ve already tried some little games to get them to open up but ehm…. They don’t seem very …. Responsive to it. We’re so glad to have you on board!”

You grinned at her and took her hand when she offered it, shaking it. Excitable, clearly naive but with a willpower that was driving her. Something told you not to underestimate that passion that you could see burning behind those eyes.

Alastor snickered behind her and Charlie let go of your hand, reaching back to entwine her fingers with those of the woman behind her, pulling her closer.

“This is Vaggie, my girlfriend, and the Hotel manager.”

Vaggie gave you a cautious smile. The guard dog. The one who kept this little ball of sunshine safe. You shook her hand as well, grinning wide when she eyed you with suspicion.

“Nice to meet you.”

Alastor gestured towards the final young woman.

“And this little darling is Niffty, the Hotel maid.”

She darted between everyone’s legs at lightning speed to make her way over, climbing onto you, grabbing hold of your collar, so she could look you in the eye.

“Hi, I’m Niffty!”

You mirrored her wide, toothy smile, her one large eye a glowing, yellow orb in front of your face, pupil darting from one part of your face to the next.

“Ohhhh boy, those eyes of yours spell danger, doctor….. I like it!”

She giggled and Husk grumbled.

“Contain yourself, Niff.”

It didn’t appear like she registered his words, as she started looking you over without any indication that anyone had said anything.

You let her fret over you for a bit, as she pulled on your clothes and inspected every inch of you. Charlie had her hand raised in a half-hearted attempt to make her stop but you didn’t seem phased. At all. When she finally jumped down on the ground again, she kept shooting you these glances. She was mesmerised by you. Her favourite Alastor had brought her a new friend, and such an exciting one too!

“And, of course, you’ve met Husker! Our very own bartender!”

You nodded as Husk, to your side, scoffed. Bartender, hm? You liked him better with each passing minute.

“Well then, Charlie, my dear, where are those poor souls in rehabilitation, hm?”

Alastor’s voice made you look back up again.

“Oh ehm…. I … I told them to be here but I think they may have forgotten.”

“Hah, no way, they both just didn’t want to show. I’ll go and drag them out of their rooms.”

Vaggie growled the words, clearly resorting to violence at the first opportunity yet shifting gears when another voice suddenly filled the hall and two more figures rounded the corner.

“Way ta immediately jump ta conclusions, Vagina. Fuckin’ rude, if ya ask me. I’ll have ya know I was gettin’ dressed, wanna make a good impression on tha one who’s apparently gonna be mindfuckin’ us. For any type of fuckin’, I hafta look perfect, and perfection takes time.”

That… was a very familiar voice.

The group in front of you parted a little as the demons joined you and you saw not one but two faces you knew all too well. Angel Dust and Sir Pentious. This complicated matters slightly. Fuck you for not checking earlier who you’d be dealing with exactly, though you knew so few people out here, what were the fucking odds any of them would be here?

Both demons paused, looking at you. 

Charlie smiled, jumping to the rescue, assuming that the men were just apprehensive about meeting their new psychiatrist.

“Alright, you two, this is the new Hotel doctor we told you about! They’ll help you with any physical or mental issues. Isn’t that exciting? They will join the group sessions and, I hope, you’ll be talking to them lots.”

Pentious was the first to move again, awkwardly raising his hand and giving you a small, shy wave.

“Hi there…. Again.”

“Hiya, Pen.”

Charlie whipped her head around and Angel shifted his weight.

“Oh, you two know each other?”

“Seems so.”

Pen just nodded, still baffled that you were here, his mind racing, his heart even moreso. He had opened up to you countless times before but this, this would be different. Why was he so nervous? He had come here, fully intending to let this new ‘shrink’ know his genius mind was not for prodding at but you…. Fuck, if it was you…. That either made it so much worse or so much better and he honestly couldn't decide which.

“Will that…. Be a problem?”

Charlie seemed hesitant again and you shrugged.

“I think we get along fine. I’m okay with playing by asylum rules, if Pen is.”

Vaggie leaned in.

“And what, exactly, are ‘asylum rules’.”

“If it seems iffy, ignore it.”

“Oh yeah, that sounds healthy. To be fair though, hon, if he’s okay with it, I think them knowing each other is the least of our worries down here.”

“But doesn’t that violate some kind of medical code or something?”

You grinned.

“Oh yeah, several. I’m happy to leave again, if you-”

“No!”

Everyone turned to look at Sir Pentious, who immediately flushed a deep red before coughing, trying to compose himself.

“I eh….. I would be willing to give thissssss a try….. I mean…. We’ve talked in the passssst I am ssssure thissss will be much like that. Might actually be easssssier than ssssssomeone new…. You know.”

There was a brief silence. Vaggie was right, as fucked up as things got in Hell, some breaches of medical practice were not just less of a concern, they were unavoidable. And who knew what issues would be encountered if they moved on to someone else? Everyone down here had their vices and you had come at the recommendation of Alastor, whatever that was worth, plus, Pentious seemed to like you.

Your eyes drifted towards Angel and the small frown he had on his face. He seemed annoyed about something and he hadn’t said anything yet. When he caught your gaze his grin was back but before you could open your mouth to greet him, he quickly spoke up.

“Name’s Angel Dust… The Angel Dust. It’s a pleasure, doc.”

He held out his hand and, after a brief moment to digest his actions, you shook it.

“A famous porn star, what an honour.”

The look he shot you was wicked, Satan how he captivated you. Clearly, he didn’t want to let on that you two knew each other as well and who were you to infringe on that. You were far too curious to find out why .

Charlie immediately seemed relieved and excited, beginning to brightly explain about the Hotel and walking ahead of you and the group, giving you the tour. A tour with a lot of unnecessary detail that no one asked for. Vaggie, on the other hand, seemed more apprehensive, keeping her eye on Angel for a bit. He had spent the whole morning complaining about them bringing in a psychiatrist, claiming he didn’t need that shit and how he would actively bully them out of the Hotel, so what was with the nice-act all of the sudden? What was he planning? Was he lulling you into a false sense of security before he would fuck you over? Or had he just shifted gears from ‘fucking you over’ to ‘trying to fuck you’ now that he had seen you? She narrowed her eyes before walking up ahead and taking her girlfriend’s hand. 

As you all walked, you and Angel kept exchanging small glances, both feeling a particular type of excitement bubble inside at the secrecy and the proximity to the other, unable to touch, unable to act.

You tore your eyes away when Pen slid up on your other side, giving you a hesitant smile, Angel barely able to hide his rekindled annoyance.

“It’ssss quite the sssssurprissssse that you’re here. I’m glad you ssssssurvived the extermination.”

“Same with you, but I have to ask: redemption?”

He chuckled.

“Yesss I know…. But ssssstaying here, I think, will be quite nice… Alssssso, sssssshe is quite hard to sssssay ‘no’ to.”

“I can only imagine. Guess that’s why I haven’t seen you since the extermination, you’ve been holed up here?”

“Yesss….”

You exchanged some small talk as Charlie showed you the major (and minor) parts of the Hotel before stopping in front of an ornate set of double doors. 

“This will be your office! Your own room is attached to it. You can also access it from the hallway, over there. But I really want you to see this first!”

She opened the doors, leading into a sizable office. There was a chaise longue, placed strategically in the middle, on a large rug, with a comfortable reading chair in front of it, couch and chair separated by an ornate coffee table. On the other end stood a heavy, wooden desk. Bookcases lined the wall behind it and there was a door, presumably leading to your room, in the far corner. For all intents and purposes, it looked exactly like you would expect the old-fashioned office of a psychiatrist to look like, if it were a fucking movie set. That being said though, it was a nice working space and the furniture looked comfortable.

You walked in, followed closely by the others, and put your bag down. Husk placed your other bag on the coffee table as he watched you take it in.

“It’s incredible.”

Your fingers ran over the heavy curtains in front of the large, panelled windows, and you turned around.

Charlie was practically beaming.

“Is it good? Will it be perfect? I put it together the way I’ve seen those offices look in the movies! And Niffty cleaned every inch of this place.”

Niffty’s large, bulbous eye settled on you, she was almost trembling with excitement.

“If you make a mess, I’ll ruin you.”

You grinned.

“Don’t make any promises now.”

“Ohh defiant too. Dangerous and defiant, I like that!”

Your eyes found Charlie’s again.

“Thanks, Charlie, this will be perfect.”

She squealed with joy, running up to you and pulling you into a hug, startling you a bit before your grin was back.

“You’re going to LOVE it here!”

Not waiting for a response, she let go of you.

“How about we have drinks at the bar in a bit? We can all get to know each other a little!”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Alright, we’ll leave you to unpack and-”

As she was saying that, she got interrupted by Angel, who started coaxing everyone out of the office.

“Angel?”

“Yeah, yeah, sounds great, toots. Now, everyone out! I need ta talk ta tha new doc. Pen already knows ‘em and that ain’t a fair advantage so I’ma do some vettin’, get started on this shit, y’know.”

Charlie’s eyes shot full of tears.

“Oh Angel, that is wonderful. I didn’t think we’d see this commitment-”

He shut the door in her face and you snickered.

“Really? Very inconspicuous.”

Turning around, he grinned at you, his gold tooth glinting in the dimmed light of the room and in an instant he had closed the distance between you both, wrapping his long arms around you and pulling you in, his lips crashing into yours. You received him without hesitation, draping your arms around his waist, holding him against you as he forced his tongue into your mouth, panting slightly and making small, eager noises that had your heart racing. 

As you kissed, he directed you further into the room, to the couch, and carefully pushed you backwards onto it. He lay down on top of you, his lips never leaving yours and you brought your hand up, entangling it into his fluffy hair at the base of his neck. Fuck, he was so warm. The weight of his body on yours, you had missed him and you couldn’t rightfully say why. Of course, you could lie to yourself and say it was just the mesmerising sex but even you couldn’t lie that well.

Eventually, he peeled back a little, to look at you. The way his additional eyes adorned his slightly flushed face like freckles, the half-lidded, warm look he was giving you, it was enough to make your knees go weak and you were glad you weren’t standing up right now.

“Fuck, doc, this is excitin’. I was so damn pissed at the thought that I was gonna hafta talk ta some sad, old, pathetic mindshrinka but with ya… I’ll be lookin’ forward ta every session.”

“We’re going to be found out so fast if we’re not careful…”

“Ya scared?”

“Nope.”

His lips came back to meet yours, gently licking at them, running the small jewellery in his tongue over your lips, before he slightly bit down, playfully.

“I can get used ta ‘therapy’ like this.”

You snickered.

“So can I. I’m glad you’re okay, you know. After the extermination.”

He seemed startled for a moment before his warm smile was back, happy that someone cared beyond whether or not he would still be able to make them money or get them off. At least, he found himself briefly hoping that it was more than the latter.

“Ya too, toots.”

His look suddenly turned serious as he created a bit more distance and you interlaced your fingers behind his back.

“How’d ya know tha snake?”

“Pentious?”

“What otha fuckin’ snake?”

“Didn’t know if you meant it literally.”

He rolled his eyes and you snickered.

“He comes over every once in a while. We talk. Well, he talks. He usually brings wine.”

“Hmm…”

Angel seemed to think.

“Ya fuck him?”

“What?”

He averted his eyes, annoyed pout as he blushed. Was he…. Uncomfortable?

“Ya heard me.”

“No, I haven’t fucked him.”

“Good.”

“Good how?”

His grin was back as he leaned down again, grazing your lips.

“‘Cause ya are mine.”

Wait, was that why he had had the frown in the hallway just now, when he learned that you and Pen knew each other? Had he been… jealous? The Angel Dust. The demon who could probably get anyone he wanted, was jealous? How fucking adorable. And how it made you want him more.

You shot up, claiming his lips again and feeling him gasp into it before eagerly reciprocating, his arms closing around your neck as he deepened the kiss, slightly moaning when you pulled him in closer. Lost as you were to each other, neither of you heard the knock. Or the second one. When the door opened and Husk stepped inside, he groaned.

“I fuckin’ knew it!”

You broke apart, both a little out of breath, looking at the annoyed cat in the door opening.

“What tha fuck, Husky? Dontcha knock?! Also, whaddya mean ‘ya knew it’?”

“I did… twice…. Y’all just fuckin’ distracted. And you were too goddamn eager, legs. Gave the whole damn game away. You’d be a shit poker player.”

You grinned, from your pinned down position on the couch. Husk’s yellow eyes trailing down from the spider to you.

“So, y’all know each other then?”

“Hah! Who says I ain’t put the moves on supa quick just now?”

Husk rolled his eyes in response and you opted to answer his question instead.

“We do…. Are you going to sell us out?”

“Nope.”

He lit a cigarette.

“This ain’t my mess. Literally couldn’t care less.”

The tone of his voice when he found out he had been right would beg to differ, but okay. His yellow gaze lingered on you, on the way you were looking at him.

“Just came here to tell you both that Charlie wants to do those fuckin’ cocktails in thirty minutes and she wants your phone number for the Hotel group app, so I don’t have to come and get you, preventin’ me from walkin’ in on bullshit like this.”

Your grin widened as you watched him smoke, Angel stirring on top of you.

“Well, whiskers, ya gonna leave or are ya gonna join because meowrrr , do I have some ideas on what tha three of us could get up ta in thirty minutes.”

He ran his tongue over his teeth, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, and Husk made a very annoyed noise.

“Fuck you, I ain’t interested, I told you plenty of fuckin’ times, how about you learn to take a goddamn hint?”

Exhaling his smoke, his gaze fell to you again. There was something in the way he was looking at you that gave you pause. Angel too because he looked from Husk to you and back. You just grinned at the cat and he shifted, a little uncomfortable.

“We’ll be there. And thanks, y’know… for not ratting on us.”

He nodded in response, shooting one last glance at Angel and then you again before slipping out the door and closing it behind him again.

“Pffffft”

Angel immediately broke down in giggles and you started laughing as well as he pushed his forehead to yours, both of you snickering and feeling weirdly giddy. When the laughter subsided, you opened your eyes again, fostering a moment of eye contact. 

“He’s cute.”

“Ain’t he? I’ve been tryin’ ta get him ta pound me for days now! It’s becomin’ annoying. Can ya imagine that grumpy ass lettin’ loose and properly railin’ ya? Kinda hot, not gonna lie. And this perfect body is beggin’ ta be railed.”

You chuckled, briefly recapturing his lips and feeling the noise of approval he made vibrate against your lips.

“Hmm… Tho I ratha ya fuck me instead, toots. Afta all, ya are so fuckin’ good at it.”

A buzzing sound caught both your attention and Angel, somewhat annoyed, fished his phone out of the fluff on his chest, looking through his texts, his expression clouding for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothin’ babe. Just my boss….Everyone’s losin’ their shit ova tha extermination comin’ earlier this time…”

His big grin was back but it didn’t escape you how what he had read had startled him. You decided not to push him on it. You’d have plenty of time soon to prod him about stuff he didn’t want to talk about. But now that you thought about it, you wondered if he was part of the ‘vested interest’ Vox had mentioned. After all, they weren’t aware you knew Angel. At least, to your knowledge they weren’t aware. Lot’s of loose threads on this, begging to be pulled to unravel the whole thing. Question was how long you could keep yourself from tugging at them.

Chapter Text

Arriving at the bar, having taken the thirty minute heads up from Husk for all it was worth and spending the entire time with your lips locked to Angel’s, exploring each other eagerly as you both smiled into it, you immediately noted that there was a line of drinks on the wooden surface, with Husk behind it, shaking up another while Niffty was looking on from one of the barstools.

Vaggie and Charlie were standing to the side, talking to Alastor, and Pen was nowhere to be seen yet. 

As you walked up, Angel trailed leisurely behind you, doing his damndest to make it seem like he hadn’t just been on the verge of forgetting the thirty minute deadline and slipping his hand into your trousers, hoping to hear you make those sounds that made his mouth water. He eyed you as you sauntered ahead, his faux-disinterested gaze slowly shifting into one of doubt. Why was he being so weird about you? It was nice to have an easily accessible fuck, right here at the Hotel, one who knew how to treat his body right on top of that, and the prospect of not having to do actual therapy with some dusty old type he didn’t know was a real victory but you made something else stir in him and he didn’t like it one bit. 

You sat down next to Niffty, under scrutiny of Husk’s side eye, and you gestured at the different glasses and drinks.

He made a low noise.

“Everyone gets a personal drink.”

You whistled and his annoyed expression grew even more irked, making you snicker.

“The royal treatment, are you doing this just because I am here or is everyone always this lucky?”

“Shut the fuck up. Charlie wanted to celebrate, so we’re fuckin’ celebratin’. Ain’t got nothing to do with your wisecrackin’ ass.”

You could feel Niffty’s eye boring a hole into you so you looked at her and grinned. Her smile was incredibly wide. Was that why her and Alastor got along so well?

Before she could open her mouth, you felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking around revealed that Charlie and Vaggie had walked up, just as Husk finished the final drink and poured it into a glass. At the same time, Sir Pentious also came down the stairs and up to the bar.

You smiled at him, which he shyly reciprocated, eliciting an eye roll from Angel, before you let your gaze settle on Husk again. Your look was cemented to him as he distributed the drinks. He was stand-offish and annoyed but there was something about him that told you he cared, in his own way. Perhaps not about everything and everyone equally but it was clear that he wished to do some good.

As it turned out, he had made everyone a signature drink, based on what he figured people would like. You accepted yours, served in an old fashioned champagne glass, in the style they had at those fancy gentlemen’s clubs back when you had been alive, and you took a whiff. 

Immediately, your eyes shot to Husk and you gave him an endeared smile.

“You made me a Death in the Afternoon?”

He didn’t meet your gaze, looking a little annoyed again.

“You like absinthe, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then, there you go.”

“Thanks!”

After that, he was definitely, purposely not looking at you, and you could swear there was the slightest hint of a blush on his face. You wondered if that had to do with the ‘thank you’, the fact that his craft was being appreciated, or just the uncomfortability with eyes on him. 

To kick things off, Charlie made a big speech, expressing her gratitude and excitement for the times ahead, everyone raising their glass. Some to toast to the Hotel, most to the fact that there was alcohol being poured. Either way, people seemed happy to be there. There were some questions directed at you, specifically about your connection to Alastor, which you and him both managed to ‘skillfully’ dance around. That just meant wide grins and no answers until people gave up. 

Charlie stepped up next to you while you sipped your excellently simple drink, and started telling you about her plans, what had been done so far. She pulled Pentious into the conversation as well, commenting on his little mishap with the Vees, trying to infiltrate the Hotel, at which you shot him a most entertained look, before she quickly moved on to praise his commitment to betterment. Apparently, that starts with ‘sorry’.

As she was rambling, making Pen flush at the praise and awkwardly chuckle while simultaneously swell with pride, you looked around. Your eye fell to Angel. He clearly thought no one was watching him, everyone focused on the amazing Sir Pentious and his fucking ‘commitment to the cause’ or whatever. He had a small frown on his face, not one of anger or annoyance, but more an expression that read as sad, disappointed, swirling his drink. You grinned to yourself. That was an interesting thing to note, from the inhabitant that, according to everyone, but most of all himself, didn’t believe in this ‘bullshit’ and didn’t want to be here. You stored that information away as your eye drifted over everyone present before coming back to Charlie and her wide smile. Vaggie, on her side, was watching you like a hawk. That amused, dangerous grin of yours irked her, the fact that Alastor had recommended you irked her even more, but above all they didn’t know anything about you. Though Charlie was in the habit of taking in any strays, Vaggie had to watch out on her behalf. She had an excellent sense of danger. It went off with Alastor, it sometimes pinged with Niffty (which she tried to ignore to the best of her abilities) and it was going off now, with you.

You found her unrelenting stare to be quite entertaining, flashing her a threatening, toothy grin that made her narrow her eyes. It probably wasn’t wise to toy with her like that, but it was just so damn amusing and you really wanted to see what she would do with this in the long run.

After antagonising her for a bit you looked back at Charlie, who was none the wiser, and smiled at her.

“Sounds like you already put in a lot of effort here. I look forward to seeing where this’ll go.”

“Yes!”

She looked so bright, so excited. Would be a pity to see that joy crack like an egg, now wouldn’t it?

“I’m sure, if we all work hard together, we can do something truly amazing here!”

You nodded.

“Revolutionary even, if it works. Really stick it to those fucks in heaven.”

“I knew you would get it!”

“Yeah….”

Vaggie stepped in closer, pulling Charlie against her by her waist, her tone betrayed she didn’t buy your enthusiasm here for one second and you chuckled.

“So, what do you think, doc? How often do you want to see everyone?”

“Everyone? Not just those two?”

You gestured at Pen and Angel, making them both look up and in your direction.

Charlie thought about that for a moment.

“Hm, well, unless you have objections, of course. I wouldn’t want to go against your professional opinion and if you only have time to focus on those two that is absolutely fine! Buuuuut I was thinking that perhaps everyone would do well to chat with you? Hm?”

“I mean, we can. I’m at your disposal, y’know.”

“Amazing!”

“As for how often. Depending on the severity of the client’s struggles, we usually start with weekly or bi-weekly sessions of an hour. However, given the timeframe, we probably have to condense that quite a bit.”

Charlie nodded, full agreement and a serious expression.

“Could you see everyone every day?”

“In theory, sure. However, that might not work for those who work a changing schedule.”

Again, she nodded, adding

“And we also have the daily group activities, which, I was hoping you’d help supervise?”

“Alright, how about this, we’ll make a digital sign-in sheet. We’ll do set sessions and sign-in based ones for those who want to invest more time and are free to do so. In case someone gets a workcall they cannot move, they can just reschedule on the sheet. Fair?”

“Ohhhh that is perfect! I can set that up! It’ll be so pretty, and I can add rainbows to it and- and- and-”

You snickered, shooting her another wide grin.

“Go ham. It sounds like it’ll look great. I’ll add a screen next to the office door, where we can display it, so people can see if there’s an opening for a walk in.”

Charlie was nearly vibrating with excitement, running off and returning with a stack of paper and colourful crayons, placing everything on the bar which elicited a “What the fuck?” from Husk as she started sketching out the plan. After a little bit, you joined her, making sure that the end result would have the base functionality you needed and honestly, her colourful, insane design did look very fun. Not comparable to the faded, unsettling sign in sheets at the asylum, that was for sure.

The evening progressed with people chatting and, despite some small tensions, mostly Angel avoiding Pen and aggressively flirting with Husk, much to his chagrin, people seemed to be in decent spirits. You were introduced to a few more demons. Two floating little critters, indicated by Charlie as Razzle and Dazzle, as well at the Hotel key/cat, called KeeKee. 

Vaggie, apparently deciding she could do with some more information, sat down next to you at the bar.

“So, what is it that you’ve been doing in Hell until now?”

A huffing sound made both of you look up at Husk, who was cleaning off some glasses.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to…”

In return, Vaggie looked back at you, expectantly so you just smiled into your drink.

“Medical experiments. Originally, I was looking into the ‘condition’ of being a demon and how the regeneration works but that didn’t pay so I switched to working for Carmine, doing weapons testing.”

Her look turned into a suspicious scowl, noting her girlfriend feverishly drawing on your other side and deciding not to ask you any more, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere of the night.

“But given that I’m now here, in my down time, I want to continue looking into that. It might give us some clues on what it means to be a demon, so, whoever is down to give a tissue and/or blood sample can do so. All voluntary, of course.”

You grinned at the slightly hesitant faces but after Charlie, obviously, immediately agreed, a few more murmurs of agreement arose. Nifty yanked you in by your collar, over Vaggie’s lap so you were nose to nose with her.

“You’re going to hurt me, doc? Cut me? I don’t mind the pain, you can take whatever you like!”

She giggled, a mildly deranged sound and Husk groaned.

“Keep it in your pants, Niff.”

The sound of her laughing faded as she plopped down from the barstool and skittered away between the people gathered here.

When you sat back up, you caught Alastor’s gaze, his wide, cruel grin and curious expression.

“The answer is no, darling.”

You returned his smirk with one of your own.

“Pity.”

Charlie yawned and stretched, making Vaggie get up.

“Alright, missy, it’s time to get you to bed.”

Pen nodded, almost as though that comment had been to him and not Charlie.

“I think I’ll turn in assssss well.”

You said goodnight to the people slowly dissipating into the bowels of the Hotel. Angel abruptly leaned down and picked up a small pig-like creature.

“Nuggets, how tha fuck did ya get down here?”

You got off the stool and stepped in closer, smiling at the little round thing.

“He’s cute.”

Angel swallowed, taken off guard by your sudden proximity as you leaned in and offered your hand to the pig.

“Yeah, this is Fat Nuggets, my baby.”

“Hi there, Nuggets. You want to come to therapy with your daddy? Hm?”

“I can bring him?”

“Of course. Can’t say no to something cute in my office.”

At this, you shot him a glance and he flushed a little, trying to play it off by nuzzling Nuggets. The creature made excited little noises, clearly so happy with the attention, and you softly petted him as well. 

After a bit, Angel announced that it was Nuggets’s bedtime and left, leaving only you, Alastor and Husk behind at the bar.

You stretched and sat back down on the barstool, shooting Husk a hopeful glance as you pushed your glass his way. He flung his tea towel over his shoulder in an annoyed fashion but started making you another drink all the same. Alastor took his seat on your side, humming to himself and putting his glass down next to yours.

“Rather good idea, my dear. Let’s have a nightcap.”

The both of you fell silent while Husk made the new drinks, occasionally observing you two sitting there, next to each other at his bar. This dynamic was making him uneasy.

You glanced at the Radio Demon out of the corner of your eye. He looked handsome, staring dead ahead with an absent minded grin on his face. Seriously, what was he doing here?

He noticed you looking because he turned his head and his smile grew wider.

“So,”

You started, leaning in a little towards Alastor, noting how Husk pushed your drink towards you on the bar before pulling a bottle from a shelf and pouring the contents into Alastor’s glass.

“Really no chance on that tissue sample, Al?”

He snickered, amused, turning to face you.

“No, my dear, I think not.”

“Aww, come on, not even a small nibble?”

You were both coming in closer with each spoken word, the threat of proximity adding to the tone of the conversation.

“Don’t flirt now, darling, you might not like where that leads you.”

At this point, your noses were almost touching. For any onlooker, in this case Husk, it looked like the creepiest flirting session he’d ever witnessed.

Under his breath, Husk muttered. 

“What the actual fuck is happenin’...”

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted, the threat leaving the air as Alastor’s chipper smile was back and he sat back up straight.

“Ha! I look very much forward to seeing what your presence here will yield, darling. Be sure to look forward to my invitation to go on an outing together soon, I’m sure you’ll find it thrilling . Have a pleasant eve, my friends.”

You just nodded with a grin as he finished his drink, got up, and walked away, twirling his microphone cane and whistling an old-fashioned tune.

Returning your attention to your drink, you smiled to yourself. This was going to be rather interesting, that much was sure. 

On the other side of the bar, Husk poured himself a new drink as well before deciding to forgo the glass and putting the bottle to his lips. The two of you sat there, in a uniquely comfortable silence, both contemplating the past day and the ones ahead. 

When he let out a short laugh, you looked up at him again, noting from his expression that he had done so specifically to get your attention.

“Tell Angel he should flirt with you more.”

Confusion riddled your face and you shot him a look.

“.... Why?”

He made a gruff sound, as though the answer was obvious.

“Look, he either annoys people or aggressively flirts with ‘em. The fact that he was ignorin’ you all night just looks fuckin’ sus. I mean, you’ve seen how he is with me. There ain’t no way he’d pass up flirtin’ with someone actually good lookin’. So yeah, unless you want to be found out, tell him to flirt with you more when the group is around.”

You let a silence fall between you two for a moment before a huge grin took over your face and you leaned in closer to him, over the bar, making him shoot you a very suspicious scowl.

“Ohhh, you think I’m good looking?”

Annoyance was plastered all over as he looked away, slightly flushed.

“Shut the fuck up, I’m cuttin’ you off.”

You sat back down on the stool, snickering, and letting ease return to his body as he watched you closely.

“We should team up.”

Now it was his turn to look confused.

“What?”

“We should team up. I could use your help, you know. You’re the Hotel bartender. People tell you things they won’t tell me and since we’re on a tight deadline here, I think we should team up.”

He eyed you, cautiously.

“I dunno about that.”

“Yeah, you do, I am sure you have an excellent read of the people here and you already know what makes them tick. We do the same thing. We listen. Our jobs aren’t that different. You prescribe alcohol where I prescribe drugs and mental exercises.”

He huffed. He hadn’t thought about it like that yet but it made sense in a way.

“What do I get in return?”

You cocked your head at that question.

“What do you want in return?”

He paused, even stopping the cleaning of the glass in his hands as he thought about that before he grinned, wide and slightly wicked. That look was very becoming. What was it about this man that made you think you knew him from somewhere? Either way, he looked fucking handsome right now. Perhaps it was because he’d been serving you excellent drinks all night, or the fact that he looked a little dangerous right now, but it was working for you.

“Play me.”

“What?”

“Play me. The others either don’t want to gamble with me or don’t think I should be gamblin’ at all. I’ll help you out, if you play me. With actual stakes. Weekly game.”

“Of what?”

“Cards. We can decide what we feel like when the time comes.”

Oh, that sounded dangerous. Everything about him told you that he was an excellent gambler, a vicious one at that. Yup, that was a bad idea, and very hot.

“Are you asking me to indulge in your vices? What would Charlie think?”

He laughed at that.

“It’s your call, that’s my condition. Take it or leave it.”

Fuck it.

“You’ve got a deal.”

He grinned, his claw clasping yours over the bar as you shook on it. Something about the way he was looking at you, self-satisfied grin on his face, stirred a feeling inside you. You were going to like hanging out with this bartender, that much was certain. He made a mean drink and he wasn’t scared to break the rules in the name of his own entertainment. Just your type of guy.

As you lay in bed later that night you thought back to the day that had just transpired. Living at this Hotel could very well prove to be the most interesting thing that had happened to you in your time down here and you couldn’t wait to find out how all the little puzzle pieces fit together.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take you long to settle into the chaos of the Hotel. In a way, it seemed to be exactly your wavelength and you found yourself enjoying the colourful cast of characters and the internal dynamics, constantly making mental notes when someone let something interesting slip.

The screen, next to your door, showed the newly set up system that all inhabitants could sign in on to see you, with everyone being allotted personal slots as well that worked best with their individual schedules. Per your request, Charlie had made sure the screen did not have a camera or a microphone. No reason to make this easy on the Vees.

Charlie and Vaggie were the first ones to show up for a scheduled appointment. Not that you were surprised, Charlie was incredibly eager and there was no way Vaggie was going to leave her alone with you. For these first sessions, especially with the guests you didn’t know that well, you were planning on keeping it light, just some exploratory chatting, building rapport, all the while keeping track of anything noteworthy being mentioned. Not that Charlie was particularly difficult to figure out. Vaggie kept her cards close to her chest however and there was a little thing you noticed in their dynamic that gave you pause. Why exactly was Vaggie so protective of her? Where had she come from and why was she here? You decided not to push on it though, instead maintaining a pleasant conversation with Charlie who seemed thrilled with the progress by the time the hour was up.

Pen was up next, wasting no time coming inside and sitting down on the couch, his eggbois piling in after him and you closed the door behind them with a chuckle, sitting down in your own chair.

“Brought the bois today?”

“Yessss well, I eh…..”

“It’s fine, they can stay.”

The eggs seemed most pleased about this.

“Gee, doc, that is so swell.” 

“Yeahhhh what a nice room, do you live here?”

“What’s with the bag of creepy tools?”

You let out a small cough.

“They can stay if they keep their little hands out of bags full of sterilised, sharp equipment.”

You wiggled your fingers in a spider-like fashion for emphasis, emulating their grabby little paws.

Pen flushed, calling his eggs back over and they all gathered on the floor in front of him, looking up at the both of you with their dumb little expressions. Pen, in turn, looked a little apprehensive, he seemed nervous.

“You doing okay?”

“I eh… I think so? It’ssssss jusssst…. Thisssss issssss a bit weird, isssssn’t it?”

“It’s unconventional, but we talk all the time, no reason for this to be different. There’s very little reason to stand on procedure, given the circumstances, y’know.”

“Alright…. What do we disssscusss then?”

“Anything you want, this is your hour.”

He swallowed and you grinned, it was not like him to be at a loss for words, not at all, but the change in environment made him a little hesitant. Time to pull out the big guns.

“Want a starting point?”

“Yesss, that would be nice.”

“Tell me about your deal with Vox to spy on the Hotel.”

Instant regret. The kind that was plastered all over his face as the eggs oooh-ed and aahhhh-ed.

“SSSSSSHUT UP, YOU USSSSSELESSS EGGS! ……ehm….Do we… have to?”

Your grin grew wider.

“No. But you asked for help.”

He was fidgeting with the hem of his jacket, deliberately not looking at you, but, eventually, he did start to talk, about how they had approached him, asked him to do this little job for them. He had felt so proud. The Vees, contacting him . Trusting him with a mission. Though when push came to shove, Vox had dropped him in an instant, making it abundantly clear he had been nothing but a means to an end, an end he hadn’t even reached, not even close. He had been unable to prove his usefulness to them.

He let out a defeated sigh, pulling his lower body up on the couch and clasping it in a way that made it look like he was hugging his knees.

“We still think you’re swell, boss…”

“Yeahhhh you’re the best!”

He rubbed a tear from his eye, looking at the dumb little smiles of the eggs on the floor.

“Thank you…..”

He looked back up at you when you spoke.

“Why do you think you care so much about what the Vees think about you? You clearly have folks here that care.”

“Yessss but to be sssssseen by thosssssse in power….”

Your grin turned curious.

“So power makes someone an expert on your worth? Power is no proof of intelligence. It’s no proof of anything really, other than the existence of said power. Power alone does not speak to how someone got there.”

“True but power providessss accessss.”

“To?”

“Everything!”

“So in your pursuit of their recognition, what you really want is power?”

“Ssssssure.”

“And it’s not that the acknowledgement of people you think have everything you want is what you’re really chasing? The feeling that, if they accept you, you could make it too?”

He swallowed, averting his gaze.

“See, I wonder why you feel the need for external validation of your worth. No one else but you should be in charge of that, y’know. And of course it’s difficult, that’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth but who also work to uplift you. But trying to get this from people you know to be cruel, just because they hold a modicum of power, seems…. A waste.”

He sat there, digesting your words. When he finally looked up, his expression had changed.

“You ssssssound very different like thissssss.”

You let out a short laugh.

“Old habits… when I’m in a chair like this. But do you get what I’m saying?”

“Yessss, I ssssshould listen to my eggboisssss more…”

“No….”

He snickered, making it clear that he had intentionally misunderstood your remark and you smiled.

“Thank you….. It’ssssss…. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sssssswitch that mentality. The Veesssss are jussssst ssssssso cool….”

“You’re cool. And don’t mistake being powerful for being cool, from what I can tell they’re just a bunch of cruel edgelords having a little circlejerk about holding power over people, but what do I know.”

Pentious shot you a look, a little red in the face after you just told him you thought he was cool. It hadn’t been a lie either, you thought he was cool. In a very ‘awkward and definitely on the spectrum’-kind of way. What else was there to say? He was smart and capable but his own insecurity would be his undoing at this rate.

“Are you even allowed to ssssspeak like that?”

“Sure I am, they aren’t my clients. The moment they sign up for the Hotel, I’ll gladly refrain from calling them self-important little shits but just looking at the temper tantrum Vox had, publicly, at Alastor’s return, it says enough.”

“He wassssss jusssssst pointing out how annoying he issss!”

“Really? He kept saying he didn’t want people to pay attention to him, all the while using all resources at his disposal to pull every eye in Hell back to Alastor. He did the very thing he wanted to prevent, out of sheer frustration and pettiness.”

Pen paused at that, a small conflicted look on his face.

“That’ssssss…. I hand’t thought about it like that.”

You just shrugged, smile tugging at the corners of your mouth as you watched him think. Pentious would prove to be a model patient. He was easy to profile, liked to talk, and was susceptible to what you were saying, at least enough to take any food for thought seriously and figure it out. Whether he would be capable of real, sustainable change, given his proclivity to look for validation in others, would be the question. You wouldn’t put it past him to be the type of client who would do exactly as you told him, just to impress you with how good of a patient he was and not because of an internalised desire to be better for himself. But only time would tell.

The hour ran out quickly after that and, as he and the eggs left again, he promised next time he’d come alone and that he’d consider your words as well as the assignment you had given him; finding moments to be proud of himself without looking for someone to confirm the feeling. You honestly didn’t care if he did so by building another death machine. That part was on Charlie and Vaggie to contain, you just wanted him to start believing in himself a little more.

Niffty’s hour was…. Expectedly weird. She had shown up with a sewing project. You didn’t mind and you just chatted as she worked. For any of your sessions you were okay with someone wanting to do something else during the hour, whatever got them in there. Niffty made it very clear that she was mighty interested in you and asked just as many questions in return as you asked her. By the end, neither of you was any wiser, though you did have to admit you liked her unhinged energy. She was also definitely more dangerous than she let on and you wondered, in silence, how a woman like her had ended up with a guy like Al.

When Angel walked in, he immediately closed the door behind him and you could hear the lock click. You looked up from your notes, digesting his wide, eager grin as he sauntered over. 

“Hiya there, doc. Ready ta get your shit rocked?”

He stepped in front of you, bending down, putting his hands on the armrests of the chair and leaning in, capturing your lips with a wide smile which you reciprocated with one of your own. As he pulled back, you nodded towards the couch and he gave you a curious look, sitting down before draping himself over the furniture. 

“Oh docta, what are ya gonna do ta me, hm? Ya wanna fuck here in your office? Want me ta bend over, tell me what a bad boy I’ve been? We can get some ropes, get a little kinky. Do some forced docta’s play, if ya get my drift. I can get ya off in a way that’ll surely do wondas for my therapy grade.”

You chuckled at this and slowly shook your head, giving him an amused smile.

“Let’s establish some base rules here.”

He looked interested, wondering what kind of kinky thing you wanted to do that required rules up front. To be fair, most, if not all, scenes should include thorough discussion and consent before, during, and after, but this was Hell and the rules of safe, sane, and consensual usually weren’t even considered here. He knew that, better than most. 

“We’re not going to fuck during your sessions.”

“What?!”

His look immediately got upset, offended, almost angry.

“Tha fuck, why not?!”

“Very simple. I like you, I like fucking you, but we’re already in murky waters, given how I’m also supposed to be helping you. We won’t ever have a normal client-therapist relationship and that’s fine, this is fucking Hell. But, I won’t allow you to ‘buy’ things from me with your body. Not drugs, not a good ‘grade’ in therapy, nothing. I think we should use this time to get to know each other.”

He opened his mouth.

“Without sex.”

He closed it again. He looked miffed.

“Well, what if I don’t wanna talk?”

“Then you don’t have to, I’m not going to force you.”

You watched him closely.

“I need you to understand that I’ll never force you. You can always say no, not just during our sessions but in general.”

He made an indignant sound.

“Yeah, ya say that now but when I show up in fuckin’ lingerie with a hard-on, ya ain’t gonna hear ‘no’ no more.”

You smiled at him, and he immediately averted his gaze again, still looking annoyed.

“I understand that that might not sound all that believable. For now, you’ll have to take my word for it, but I need you to know that you never have to do anything you don’t want to do. Alright?”

“Sure, babe, whateva ya say.”

He was pouting now. Aside from Husk, with whom it had turned into almost a sport, he was clearly not used to being turned down and he hated the idea of having to do therapy now after believing he had weaselled his way out of that. You had been different from all the others with him, that much was certain and you seemed to see him in a way that he wasn’t sure he had got before but there was no way you meant what you had just said. Besides, what about what he did want? What about that? He wanted you to fuck his brains out right now, and you were still saying no. He was into edgeplay and teasing but this was not what he had in mind for that.

A small laugh escaped you and you got up, deciding to switch gears, rummaging around in a bag and walking over to the couch.

“Scooch over.”

He looked a little confused but did as you asked and you sat down on the couch next to him, leaning back against the armrest and putting one knee up so you could pull him between your legs against you. He let it happen, clearly wondering what you were up to and you brought your arms around him, bringing the handheld console in front of him and turning it on.

“Hey, I got the same one.”

“Figured you might. You got this game?”

“No? What is it?”

You started the game. It was a simple, cute little game that you figured he would enjoy a lot. The first thing you showed him was the little pig character and you could feel the shift in his demeanour immediately as his face cleared.

“Wait, that is so fuckin’ cute!”

“Right?”

He chuckled, the bright, sweet smile on his face as he looked back at you with an honest enjoyment that you figured not many got to see on him and immediately made your heart skip a beat. He seemed to realise this too as he quickly reverted his attention back to the little screen, watching you hit the main menu and start a new game before pushing the console in his hands.

It took a little bit for him to get comfortable. He wasn’t sure how casual he could really be around you but once you reached back to the side table, pulling out a cigarette from the pack on top, lighting it, and putting your chin on his shoulder, smoking as you watched him play and occasionally holding the cigarette up so he could take a drag, he felt himself almost relax into it. Playing that silly little game, leaning back against you. It felt comfortable somehow. He couldn’t trust that feeling yet, not fully but something told him that you genuinely didn’t want sex from him now. Perhaps, just maybe, you actually liked him. Even while only hanging out. 

Every once in a while, you chimed in, telling him where to get more resources or where he could go to find something. Before long, he was defiantly countering your advice and you snickered, letting him play on his own as you watched. 

After a while, you spoke up again.

“Y’know, our mutual friend the bartender told me you need to flirt more with me. Either that or actively annoy me.”

Angel didn’t look up, instead pressing buttons as he focused on what was happening on the screen.

“Huh, why?”

“He said, if we don’t want to give the game away, you shouldn’t ignore me when the others are there because that stands out.”

Angel paused the game, contemplating your words before unpausing and continuing.

“Alright, I guess he’s got a point there. Hadn’t thought about that, was just so busy tryin’ not ta be obvious about us knowin’ each otha.”

“Yes, well, sometimes when we try to keep a secret, the chances of it spilling increase.”

You held up the cigarette again, feeling his lips brush against your fingers as he took a drag, slowly exhaling it and you put the bud back in your mouth.

“You want to tell me why Charlie praising Pen the other night got on your nerves so much?”

He pressed a button repeatedly, trying to get rid of the NPC talking to his character on the screen, he just wanted to progress to the next area.

“It didn’t, I don’t give a shit about that snake.”

“Hmm, also not about Charlie’s approval?”

“Oi, ya said we didn’t hafta do therapy.”

“We don’t, I’m just asking.”

“Well, I’m sayin’ ‘no’, how about that?”

“Alright.”

You grinned as he stuck his tongue out at you, feeling mighty pleased with himself about turning your words against you but you didn’t mind one bit as you noticed something he had yet to; the fact that he had said ‘no’ and it was respected without question.

When the hour was up, you let him leave with your console, so he could transfer the game file to his own device and continue playing. He was sweet, unguarded when he was gaming and, though you had honestly tried for so long to not want to see the person behind the beauty and the incredible, physical connection, you realised deep down you wanted to get to know this version of him. You could show him how things could be different. Because you knew exactly why Charlie praising Pen had got on his nerves that much.

The next one on your couch was Husk. He sat down, legs spread, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, looking at you from underneath his brow. Something quizzical about the way that man looked at you sometimes, like there were things here wasn’t saying. Though, as a gambler, he obviously liked to keep his cards close to his chest.

You sat down in your chair, leaning back and looking at him, he huffed, making you chuckle.

“Uncomfy?”

“Yeah, always an immediate power thing goin’ on in offices like this. You got the leg up here, doc, and I ain’t a talker.”

You grinned.

“Didn’t peg you as one. Alright then, let’s switch.”

He gave you a confused look and you snickered, gesturing for him to get up as you did. You walked around him, lying down on the couch as he, hesitantly, sat down in your chair.

Dramatically, you put the back of your hand against your forehead, the way you had seen Pen do a million times.

“Oh doctor, I think it started back when I was a toddler, where to even begin!”

You glanced up at him, he looked so fucking grumpy but the moment your eyes met, he cracked and both of you started laughing.

“Alright, alright, cool it with the theatrics, doc.”

With a grin, you sat upright again.

“We can just chat, it doesn’t have to be therapy. In fact, I think you and I will get along just fine and I want to use our time, if you’re down, to discuss the things you see and hear.”

You got up, walking behind the heavy looking desk, opening the drawer and pulling out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Husk made a sound of approval as you poured and walked back over, handing him one.

“I ain’t opposed to that.”

“Figured you might say that. Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

He grinned at you. A handsome, calm, slightly stand-offish smile that you thought looked very good on him. So you chatted, about his impressions of people so far, the way he had them pegged right now, knowing that you would pay him back in card games before the week was out. There was a certain level of comfort between you two, an agreement, a deal.

Alastor was the one who closed the line of session, sauntering into the office with a wide smile and sitting down on the couch. It was obvious he was amused by the consideration that he was about to receive therapy and you were equally amused to see him on that couch. He wasn’t phased, a demon of his power didn’t need to be. His lips were sealed shut about things you didn’t need to know about anyway. 

You didn’t even attempt it either, it wasn’t something either of you were interested in, instead immediately falling into a comfortable conversation. The one thing you did prod him about was his involvement with the Hotel.

“I just don’t buy it that your entertainment is your only motive.”

“What can I say, my dear, I’m just starved for a good show down here.”

That smile was so fucking wicked. He knew you were well aware he was withholding information and he loved it. 

“Alright, keep your secrets but one of these days I’ll learn where you went for the last seven years and why helping Charlie was the first thing you decided to do upon your return.”

His grin widened, cruel, dangerous, but also genuinely entertained.

“That’s why I like you, darling. Please, keep the guesses coming. But, while you do, perhaps you would be so kind to join me for a raw breakfast tomorrow? I think you’ll appreciate it after we go hunting tonight.”

There was no denying it, you could feel yourself instantly starting to salivate at that sentence and you grinned at him, exposing your sharp teeth.

“Oh, and do you have a quarry picked out already?”

“Of course, nothing but the best for the first night out on the town, hm?”

Fuck, this was going to be fun. 

By the time the morning rolled around and you walked out of Alastor’s room after a very, very bloody breakfast, you stretched. The night before had been amazing, the smell of fear, of blood. Hunting with Alastor was a fucking joy, watching him work, his eyes trained on you, you got shivers just thinking about it, you could get used to this. 

Invigorated, you decided to head into town. You had got a message from Vox about picking up some cameras and you had some things to say to him so might as well make the trip.

The city looked different today. Perhaps it had been the rousing hunt of the night before, perhaps just the fact that your perspective had shifted when your living situation had changed but whichever way you spun it, it felt like new winds were in the air, bringing more than the regular putrid smell of the city with them.

Without issue, you made your way over to the tall tower with the three neon Vs on it and went inside. You wandered to the reception desk.

“Hiya, I need to talk to Vox.”

The receptionist looked you up and down, bored expression on her face as she popped her bubblegum.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Nope, just dropping by, we’re casual like that.”

“No appointment, no seeing any of the Vees. Are you fucking new here?”

You grinned at her.

“What gave it away? Though, something tells me he’ll still want to see me. So make a little call or something.”

“Yeah, right.”

You were mighty amused, she wasn’t going to help, that much was clear, and you weren’t sure how much Vox gave a shit about the information you may or may not be bringing. How big of a scene were you willing to cause here, just to see what would happen? You could definitely dislocate her shoulder before security could reach you, snap a few fingers perhaps, take a little bite. 

Just as you were considering what you were going to do, you heard an electrical crackle behind you and you looked back just in time to see Vox appear out of the camera mounted on the wall.

“Don’t worry, I got this.”

He smiled a charming smile at the receptionist as he gestured for you to follow him. You didn’t speak, just falling into step behind him, casually trailing after him as you took in your surroundings. Those Vees sure did like themselves, that much was clear from the sheer amount of posters and promotional material, featuring any one or combination of the demon troupe on them. 

He took you to an elevator and stepped inside, waiting for you to join before pressing a button. He then led you to a small platform, which lowered down into what you assumed to be his workspace. It didn’t seem like much of a meeting room and it was clear that he didn’t take his business down here, usually. But you were different. Because of the information you carried. There were screens absolutely everywhere, though, unfortunately for your curious little mind, all showing the Voxtek screensaver and not giving you the satisfaction of information.

You grinned at the sight.

“Jesus, do you just have raging, unmedicated ADHD? What’s with all the screens?”

He finally looked at you, raising his eyebrow.

“I’m sorry?”

Who the fuck did you think you were, to speak to him like that? Oh right, you apparently were a doctor of some kind, psychiatrist? If he wasn’t mistaken? Finding information on you had proven to be quite the pain. You had died before digital records were a thing and kept a low profile after that. He would find the rest, if there was more, it would just take more time.

You waved his comment away as you investigated his setup, vaguely aware of his eyes following you around the room.

“You shouldn’t just show up here, what if someone saw you?”

“I’m not Sir Pentious, they won’t know.”

He chuckled and you grinned. You were well aware one of Alastor’s shadows had followed you and seen you go into the building. 

“You know about that idiot?”

“Yup, that idiot and I go way back.”

He frowned, mostly out of confusion as to why you two would ever hang out.

After a bit, he spoke up again.

“You’re here for the cameras then, I got a bag-”

“Nope. Here to tell you there’s no chance I’m putting those up.”

At this, he became annoyed.

“What do you mean? You’re telling me you’re not doing it?”

You looked back at him, your smile becoming wider, more cruel.

“That is exactly what I’m saying. For one, they’ll be looking for cameras now that you were foolish enough to trust Pentious with that task and for another, I think it’s much more fun if you get the information from me.”

He growled.

“You think you can just decide that shit? I fucking own you. You’re being paid, by me, you better show some goddamn respect, or the money is gone.”

“Hmm, sure, you could take the money away. See who will feed you info then. And you don’t own me, baby, that’s the whole point.”

You smiled at him and his annoyance was palpable. Somewhere you realised why Alastor must be so entertained by his feud with him, he was so easy to rile.

“But I’m hurt, Vox, does that mean you don’t trust me?”

“Not for a second.”

He watched you move around the room, going over his options in his head. He didn’t like that you were playing this from your position of strength yet, at the same time, it was intriguing. Most demons, like Sir Pentious, just submitted to his natural superiority, yet here you were, casually sauntering around, determining the details of the deal as though you were the overlord in this scenario. It was as annoying as it was intriguing. Time to pull out the big guns.

He gestured and a tablet on the table lit up, his gaze on you intense as his left eye started a mesmerising pattern. You could feel the pull it had on your senses, compelling you to obey, to follow, but you managed to free yourself from it. Vox's power clearly worked similarly to yours. Hypnosis and suggestion are powerful tools but only effective on those susceptible to it or those who want it to work, who want to believe your honeyed words. You had worked with hypnotherapy for too long to be susceptible enough and you had seen too many violent, dangerous men to want to be domineered by one.

“On the topic of ‘owning’, I have a contract for you to sign.”

At this, you started laughing and his annoyance was immediately back. Not just that though, confusion as well as you didn’t seem to respond to his effect on you, at least not to the degree he would’ve expected. The only other person he knew that could withstand that was Valentino and they hadn’t fully doctored out if that was because of Val’s moth-like body and (lack of) vision or the pheromones, like those who can command others in a way are immune to it. Either way, this was interesting to note. Very interesting and very fucking annoying.

“Oh, you’re funny. But I am not signing shit.”

“Alright, that’s it. Get out then.”

“Sure, sure, if you don’t want to hear that’s fine. I mean, I go on private outings with Alastor. Very intimate . I am the physician and psychiatrist at the Hotel, but I’m suuuuuure you can find someone else to feed you your precious intel from a vantage point this fucking good. Anyhoo, call me when you change your mind.”

You wandered over to the platform with a big smirk. No matter how much he hated it, he did not have the upperhand in this and it was a perfect experiment to see how he would react. Powerful people in powerless situations tended to be very telling.

“Wait….”

He groaned, rubbing the sides of his screen to alleviate his headache. It was true that he didn’t have another way into the Hotel right now and finding someone else would be a hassle he didn’t want. He looked livid but somewhere in his being he still felt he could mould you. He could win this, come out on top. All he had to do was play the long con. 

“Fucking fine, come in, tell me what the current situation is. But we do have to agree on some things.”

You would submit to his will, he just had to give you a little space now and then, when the time was right, he would tighten the leash around that pretty little neck, and you would be at his feet. He briefly considered how good you’d look, down there. He would crack you. Subconsciously, he salivated at the thought as he looked you over.

You turned around on your heel, your grin wide and excited as you ran your tongue over your teeth. This was going to be fun .

Chapter Text

“But Angel, we have a group session planned today!”

Charlie was pleading and Angel looked mostly indifferent as he shovelled his breakfast into his mouth, chasing it down with the coffee.

“I know, toots, I’ll try ta be back as fast as possible but I gotta shoot. Ain’t no other way about it.”

Her disappointed expression made him sigh.

“Alright then, but come back straight after!”

“When don’t I eva?”

“Ehm, every time? You always end up chatting for ages or going out afterwards. Please just promise to come back immediately.”

“I promise……. That I’ll do my best.”

He grinned at her exasperation and you snickered, lowering your newspaper before handing it to Alastor.

“I can come with, make sure he circles back? I need to go to town anyway and I can pick him up on the way back.”

Angel paused at this, looking you over. Why did the thought of going into the city, just the two of you, make his heart beat just a little faster?

You just flashed him a big grin.

“If you want to, of course.”

Charlie nodded and looked up at Angel, pleading with him. 

“Hmmmm I get tha cute docta as an escort? How could I say no ta that?”

The two of you exchanged a look as you finished your coffee, Charlie vigorously thanking you for offering to keep Angel in line. 

You left right after breakfast, Angel hooking his arm through yours, eliciting a groan from Vaggie who apologised to you, saying that Angel never did know how to respect Hotel staff. 

The walk to V Tower was pleasant as the two of you chatted and laughed. Being around Angel was easy somehow. Every once in a while, you got a peek at the true Angel, the person he was before, seeping through the cracks when he laughed or genuinely enjoyed himself. The rest, especially outside of the confines of your office, he covered with that same mask that Husk despised so much about him. You didn’t mind though. You knew that earning his trust would take time and though you didn’t want to linger on the thought that you wanted to earn his trust, or what that meant, you knew that you could have patience. Not that you were a particularly patient person, usually, but where trauma and genuine hurt were concerned you found it to be second nature if you bothered to care. 

You enjoyed listening to him rattle on about something that happened on set the other day though he noticeably became more quiet when the looming tower came into view.

“I eh….. Ya ain’t gonna come inside, right?”

“I was going to walk you to the door of the studio. I have stuff to take care of but I’ll pick you up there again when I'm done. Why?”

He pondered that for a moment.

“Yeah, that’s alright. Just try not ta be seen by Val…. he ain’t….”

You studied him as he put together his sentence. Was he… worried about you? 

“I won’t come into the studio unless you invite me in. Alright?”

His face cleared and you found your heart skipping a beat, dumbfounded for a moment at that beautiful smile.

“Yeah, alright! Thanks for walkin’ me, doc. It’s very romantic, y’know.”

He snickered, wiggling his eyebrows at you suggestively and you laughed, following him into the building and, as promised, dropping him off at the door of the studio. 

He lingered for a moment, seemingly contemplating something, and you wondered what the problem was before he abruptly snapped out of it, said goodbye, turned around, and walked inside. 

You watched him strut away. What had that been about?

Angel could feel his heart in his throat and a blush on his face, as he brusquely walked onto the studio floor. He had been moments removed from kissing you goodbye just now, what the actual fuck? Had he lost the plot? You two weren’t together, you were just fuck buddies. Jesus, that was cutting it close to making a complete ass out of himself. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought and conjuring his wide grin again as he walked up to hair and make-up while someone handed him a script. Back to being a professional, doing what he did best.

You put your hands in your pockets and wandered off. You hadn’t lied, you did have to be in town. There was just no reason to tell everyone that your plans also included V Tower and now you had an excellent reason to be here.

Fishing your phone out of your pocket, you sent Vox a message.

I’m at the tower, you want the latest update?

The response was almost immediate. Eager fucker.

Come to the elevator, I’ll let you down.

You chuckled at the phrasing. You were sure he let a lot of people down, often. 

Lighting up a cigarette, you walked over to the elevator, flashing a wide smile at the camera above it before hearing a distinctive ding! You took it down to where you knew the moving platform was located. Vox, however, was waiting for you at the elevator door, giving you a big grin as he nodded to his side, gesturing for you to follow him.

“I’m busy, so we’ll walk and talk, but down here there won’t be any eavesdroppers.”

“Whatever you want, you’re paying.”

You exhaled the smoke as you looked at him. He seemed relaxed yet eager to hear what news you were bringing him about the hotel. He side-eyed you, walking up next to him and an inquisitive smile took over his screen.

“Why were you even at the tower?”

“One of the Hotel guests needed to be in for a shoot so I offered to walk him. Great excuse to show up here without any suspicion.”

It wasn’t hard to note the small change in his expression when you mentioned someone that could only be Angel. That was interesting. 

Thoughtfully, you took another drag of your cigarette as the two of you continued down the hallway, chatting casually while you gave him the updates he craved. 

You weren’t an idiot, you told him exactly enough to keep him hooked, describing the chaos, some of the plans, the stress, but nothing too substantial about the people living there. Most certainly not anything they had discussed with you in private. Afterall, he had given you nothing to earn that kind of information.

“Ha! It sounds like it’s a fucking mess already…. Fantastic . What a bunch of idiots.”

His grin was so wide, dripping, as he revelled in the thought of the Hotel turning out to be a failure, making a mockery of Alastor in the process. You had to admit, though he was a self-important jackass, that eager smirk of his and the way he carried himself were kind of cute.

You listened to him gloat for a bit as you studied his reaction. There was something about him. He seemed eager to prove himself somehow yet, at the same time, appeared to have no doubt in his abilities. It was just where Alastor was concerned. Seriously, what had transpired between those two? 

He caught you looking at him from his peripheral and slowed down. You followed his example, putting the cigarette back in your mouth.

“What are you looking for there, doctor ?”

You let out a laugh under his amused yet prodding gaze.

“Anything of interest.”

“And? Like what you see?”

A chuckle as you exhaled the smoke through a toothy grin.

“There’s plenty there.”

His expression turned curious and a little defiant.

“There’s no need to profile me. That’s not what I’m paying you for.”

“Hmm, some things you cannot turn off.”

“Well, fucking try.”

It was making him uneasy, being looked at like that. An almost vulnerable sensation. Which was ridiculous, of course. Not that he was worried, after all, you had limited access to him and his own and he was paying you handsomely to study others. 

Access to you…. Hm, there was a thought. He couldn’t help but think that the way you looked at him was a little exciting. Something about the manner in which you carried yourself. His mismatched eyes scanned your form. You were cute. Not to mention defiant and unstable which, in most cases, he fucking hated but with you it felt like a challenge, like he wanted to tame whatever it was about you and put you on a leash. 

You shrugged and checked your watch. It was about time to go and pick up Angel. 

That little gesture ticked Vox off. Sure, your meeting together was over now but why had it felt offending to him that you were clearly already thinking about where to go next? Especially considering that the next thing on your agenda was picking up that whore, who most definitely should not take precedence over him.

“I’ll see you for the next update. You know your way back to the elevator?”

You grinned, noting the sudden harshness to his voice that he didn’t quite manage to hide. Demons like him sure didn’t enjoy being second to anyone or anything.

“Sure do.”

He didn’t answer, instead waving you away with a flick of his wrist in some attempt to look more in control than he felt. He ignored the amused look you gave him in response and turned on his heel, disappearing into another hallway.

He felt annoyed and a little flustered, taking angry strides as he focused on the other tasks ahead. No reason to lose his composure over a simple interaction. He’d get you in line at some point, he was sure of that. Perhap he’d just have to fuck you, give you a bit more of an incentive to be forthcoming. Of course, none of that was to satisfy his own growing need to sample you. He grinned to himself as he walked through the doors to the meeting room. Now there was a thought.

You made your way back up to the filming floor. Realising you were still a little early, you waited outside the door, smoking another cigarette and tapping your foot. 

The area out here was fairly well populated with people moving out of or into the studio and there were a couple demons having conversations while taking a smoke break.

As you waited for Angel to join you, a very attractive young woman walked up, striking up a conversation. She introduced herself as Tif, asking you for a light with a seductive smile and you obliged with a wide grin of your own. While you chatted, and flirted, you were reminded how easy it was to talk to people in the trade and that you had missed it. She obviously thought you worked here as well, suggesting to have Val put you both together for a little movie some time. You were about to answer her when a very annoyed voice caught your attention.

“Tiffany, ya can fuck off. Tha main attraction has arrived and tha docta is here for me . Not everyone is interested in your fuckin’ tits so stop botherin’ ‘em.”

Angel stood in the hallway, one of his hands pressed firmly in his side and a stormcloud on his face that was only partially balanced with a taunting smirk. He was very eager to tell this bitch what didn’t belong to her.

You sauntered up to Angel, whose posture immediately changed, providing you with the most inviting look he had. Tiffany shot him a foul stare from behind you as you held up your pack of cigarettes. With a sultry smile he took one and you lit it for him, watching the flame briefly reflect in those gorgeous eyes and he glanced at you. A moment of eye contact that you both felt in your spine.

“Me and Tif were just chatting. No one was being bothered.”

His annoyance was immediately back tenfold and you couldn’t help but be mightily entertained by it.

“ Ohhhhh Tif is it already, huh? Well then, doc, maybe ya wanna walk Tif home then? Since ya are so close.”

You were unphased by this display, waiting for him to finish his proclamation, accompanied by wide gestures, watching on with a broad and amused grin, flashing your sharp teeth at him as he averted his eyes immediately when he was done, pouting slightly.

“Nah, I want to walk you home. Let’s go. I’m sure Charlie has something fucking weird lined up, wouldn’t want to miss that.”

He let out a small chuckle as you held out your arm, which he took, flipping Tiffany the bird when you both walked off.

“Rough time filming then?”

“Eh, it wasn’t too bad. Just a bit of a short fuse and that fuckin’ Tiffany is always tryin’ ta steal my shit, puttin’ her claws where they don’t belong.”

Your ‘shit’, hm? 

You eyed him for a moment, deciding not to comment on what he had just said as he didn’t seem to fully realise what he had just implied. It was no secret that Angel could be jealous and defensive but he usually played it off as a joke, just like he had when he had first said that you were his. It was starting to dawn on you that it probably ran deeper than that, though, given how sincere he had just sounded without realising it.

“Hmhm…”

When the both of you were outside, the sounds of the city back in full swing as your feet hit hard concrete, you felt a small tug on your arm. You looked up to see the wide grin he was directing your way and your expression turned curious.

“Hey, ya wanna go for a quickie?”

“What, now?”

There was a brief pause before he yanked you with him, down the street, into a familiar alley where you had been all over each other once before, months ago. He didn’t waste a second pinning you to the brickwork, leaning in and looming over you.

You snickered.

“Charlie is going to kill us. Also, didn’t you literally just get off on set?”

His expression clouded for a moment and you cocked your head.

“Nah, Val wanted some orgasm delay kinda punishment scene…. In the end I wasn’t allowed ta cum at all.”

He looked pained as he said that, like being denied like that had cost him more than a quick release, but his big grin was immediately back, giggling and waving his hand as though the situation was funny in hindsight.

You couldn’t say you thought it was very funny, given how he had clearly not been ‘in’ on the joke. He looked lost somehow.

His hands on your arms squeezed slightly, the smile on his face turning sultry as he pushed his knee in between your legs.

“So, how about it, doc?”

He leaned in further, kissing your neck, nibbling, trying to get you to a certain level of riled so you’d say yes without him having to seem too desperate for it.

You let out a small groan, feeling him smile against your neck in response, glad to see his technique didn’t fail him.

“Ugh, you’re not making this easy on me.”

“Then just say ‘yes’, babe.”

You were wrecking your brain on the options here. There was the promise to Charlie, which you honestly couldn’t care less about and were very willing to throw out the window, but the truth was that this didn’t feel like the right time, no matter how pretty he looked when he was asking for stuff. You had real trouble saying no to that face though.

He peeled back a little, eager little grin as he watched you think. You were very expressive and he could tell you were coming up with something so he waited, a little impatiently

“Alright, I’ll give you a choice. We can either do what you want, have a quickie, right here and now and be late to Charlie’s session. Or, you get to test your patience for a bit and we’ll do anything you want after the group thing is over. Your call.”

He paused, his leg stirring between yours and you grinned up at him. Having you now was tempting, he felt on edge and he really wanted some form of high release. On the other hand, though, the promise of your words started to properly sink in.

“Wait… Anythin’?”

“Anything.”

The glint in his eye was immediately back, his smile widening as he pressed an eager kiss to your lips.

“Okay, doc, ya got a deal. But ya betta be ready ‘cause I’m riled as fuck and I got a lot of time ta think of somethin’.”

He practically dragged you back to the Hotel, though not for a moment because he gave a shit about the group activities planned for the day. Instead, his mind was full of the promise that you gave him. A carte blanche for him to decide what to do with.  

You just chuckled to yourself, your hand thoroughly clasped in his, watching his focused, eager expression as his long strides had you almost running to keep up. Satan, he was pretty.

Back at the Hotel, it turned out that the group activities would centre around ‘trust’, apparently that had come about during a conversation between Pentious, Charlie, and Vaggie. You watched Charlie put Vaggie in charge and narrowed your eyes for a moment when Vaggie abruptly turned into a drill sergeant. Where had she picked up a military approach? 

After the trust falls, which were not a great success and ended with Niffty repeatedly flinging herself to her doom, you watched Angel walk up to the women, apparently with an idea, and before you all knew it, you were in a bondage club, surrounded by kinky toys and even kinkier people.

Vaggie groaned, chastising herself for allowing Angel to make a suggestion.

He just grinned at her, explaining how BDSM required an extraordinary amount of trust.

Charlie swallowed and Vaggie turned around.

“Doctor? How about you chime in on this mess…. Doc? Doc!”

Her eyes found you, trailed off from the rest of the group and in the middle of a conversation with one of the regulars in a latex facemask and body harness, leaned in very close as you gave a small tug on his collar, paying him a compliment you’d forget in another minute or so.

“Doctor!”

“Hm?”

“Care to give your thoughts on this?”

You snickered, stalking back to the group and leaving the guy behind you to let out a breath he had been holding since you started talking to him.

“I mean, I could but I doubt you’ll like it. He is right, kink is something that requires complete transparency and trust, when done correctly.”

Vaggie looked exasperated as Angel squealed in giddy glee.

“But it’s a sex thing! We’re not trying to turn this into an orgy. That’s not what the Hotel is about.”

“I mean, I get that but kink doesn’t have to be a sex thing. It can be, sure, but there’s plenty of people who find release in it in a way that doesn’t have to be sexual.”

She gave you a look and you shrugged, suddenly feeling pressure on your shoulder when Angel leaned on you.

“Don’t hafta be sexual, but it’s so hot if it is. Lil bit of rope, strugglin’, heavy breathin’ through a gag. Ya wanna let me blindfold ya, doc? I’ll be gentle.”

You glanced up at him and you had to suppress the urge to kiss him. He looked so fucking good, that teasing smile on his lips.

“Angel, stop fucking terrorizing our staff.”

Vaggie paused, thinking, and then her expression changed as she proclaimed that they had to be taught the way she was.

By the time you all got home that night, everyone was sore. You included, having jumped off the building with Niffty under your arm when Charlie prevented Vaggie from throwing her off, saying they had to survive the chaos of hell together as comrades in arms. It had been nice, brawling in the streets with the others against some denizens of Hell, and watching, with unbridled entertainment, how the group actually did seem closer for the experience as everyone was now laughing in the lounge. It hadn’t escaped you, though, the way Vaggie had acted today or the way she had responded to Charlie by the end. The two of them seemed okay now but you were becoming more and more intrigued by the stoic woman. There was something being left unsaid.

You watched Alastor enter the Hotel as well, followed by the eggs Pentious had to relinquish earlier that day. Alastor seemed in an exceptionally cheery mood, clearly having had a fruitful trip into town. You made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Your train of thought was interrupted when Angel put his arm around your shoulders, pulling you in, laughing as he recounted the fight from earlier. While people joked and responded, he brought his mouth close to your ear and breathed.

“Ya are mine afta this.”

It made your breath hitch and your heart race, as you glanced at him. You were mesmerised. He acted like nothing had happened, quipping with Pen and Husk about Pen’s near death experience today. Husk caught your eye for a moment, shooting you a knowing look which you reciprocated with a toothy grin. He had stayed true to his word and hadn’t told anyone about the two of you but he was hardly being stealthy about his reactions every time you and Angel were not being slick about your involvement. He always noticed. At times it did make you wonder why he seemed to be keeping such a close eye at all.

By the time you went up to Angel’s room, your heart was pounding with excitement. The glances he had been directing your way the entire day had left your mind spinning and maintaining your composure had become increasingly difficult. He had given you a small headnod to indicate that you should follow him up in a bit. You waited as long as your body would physically allow you before slipping away unnoticed from the group.

Your hand was trembling when you brought it up and knocked softly on his door. It opened almost instantly, as though he had been waiting for you right behind it. You got a brief glimpse of the tiny, black, strappy outfit he was wearing before four arms reached out and you got yanked into the room, the door slamming shut behind you. 

Immediately, his mouth was hot on yours, eager sounds as his hands came around you, pulling you in, one hand grabbing the back of your neck to force the kiss deeper. Little pants and moans into your open mouth that had you immediately so aroused as you snaked your arms around his frame, pulling him flush against you.

While kissing you, he pulled you with him, deeper into the room and coaxed you onto the bed.

His lips left yours for a moment, peeling back to look at you and you could see the deep arousal and eagerness in those beautiful eyes. He grinned and you reciprocated.

He kissed you again, making you hum against his lips and he felt his heartbeat pick up. Fuck, this was getting him so excited. As you made out he clawed at your clothes, helping you shed them, his hands eagerly covering your naked body.

Panting, he parted from you, staring into your eyes for a moment, both of you out of breath.

“I got somethin’ in mind we can do.”

“I would assume so, yeah.”

He hopped off you, leaning over the bedside table and pulling off some equipment; leather cuffs, a blindfold, a leash, and a ring gag. Today’s earlier activities clearly had been a sign on the wall. You didn’t mind though, you were always down for kinky shit.  

You eyed the equipment in his hands with a wide grin, running your tongue over your teeth and not registering the way his breath hitched at the sigh.

“For you or for me?”

He looked dumbfounded for a moment.

“What, ya’d let me tie ya up like that?”

Now it was your turn to look surprised.

“Yeah, obviously. I told you, whatever you want. I’m down with both; tying someone up or being tied up. Different thrills.”

Your eyes searched his. He was so used to his role in the bedroom he hadn’t even considered the fact that your offer was truly, entirely an open invitation. When his confusion subsided it quickly got replaced by unbridled arousal though. Fuck that got him hot and that was definitely something to consider but first, he wanted to know something. Something that he could find out through this. 

The last time he had done this, exactly this, he had been abused, hurt, drugged. If it turned out he couldn’t trust you he’d rather find out like this. In this setting, he was used to it anyway.

He licked his lips and smiled deviously.

“I want ya ta tie my hands, blindfold, leash, and gag me, and then I wanna go down on ya.”

Alright, that had your heart racing and your mouth water. He already looked so good in that little outfit and those inviting bedroom eyes of his nearly wiped your mind clean. 

“That’s so fucking hot, starlight.”

He grinned at you in response.

You were about to agree, hooking your hand behind his neck to pull him into another kiss, when you noticed something. There was the briefest flash of another expression on his face as he thought. 

“Wait, what just happened?”

“What?”

“What did you think about?”

“I eh… nothin’, it’s all fine, babe. C’mon, let’s get ta fuckin’, I’m so fuckin’ horny.”

“Woah, hold up there a second.”

You slid your hand down from his neck into the fluff on his chest when he eagerly leaned in for another kiss and he frowned.

“Ya promised, anythin’ I wanted!”

“I did and I intend to. I’ll fuck you any way you want me to. I just want you to tell me why.”

“Whaddya mean, why? I’m fuckin' horny and I wanna make ya cum. It ain’t rocket science, toots.”

You let him push against your hand, coming in closer and claiming your lips, eagerly pecking them before you urged him backwards again.

“Look, starlight, I need to know if you want to use this as a way of working through something.”

“What?”

“It’s fine if you do, I just want you to be open about that. Now, is what you want to do today a replay of something else?”

His eyes widened and he swallowed. There was no way he was that fucking transparent, was there? He searched your face for a moment. The arousal was evident in your gaze, you wanted him so badly it was barely restrained yet you weren’t acting on it. Somehow you had an iron grip on your wants, putting his needs above them and it was not making a lick of sense to him.

You grinned, briefly pecking his lips again.

“Just tell me the truth.”

“I eh…. What if it is?”

“Then I want to know.”

“Will it change tha way ya will fuck me?”

“Nope, agreements, sex, after care will all remain the same. But if you end up having an emotional reaction though it I can better help you if I know.”

He was gobsmacked. Sitting there, looking at you as you so casually explained how, not only did you want to abide by the rules of safe, sane, and consensual with him, even though he got the distinct impression you weren’t always that thorough with others, and that you would ensure there was aftercare, but that you would take care of him if he broke down? It was all so alien to him and it was almost enough to piss him off if it weren’t for the fact that he felt something squeeze around his heart.

Letting out a sigh, he gave you a hesitant look.

“I…. yeah… it’s eh…y’know.. yeah.  Do I need ta explain?”

He seemed uncomfortable and you reached up, gently brushing his cheek with the pad of your thumb, watching him lean into the gesture with a blush before you pulled him back in and pressed your lips to his.

“No, not if you don’t want to. Thanks for being honest.”

He gasped, fighting back the tears. His blush deepened as he put his arms around your neck and opened his mouth, making an eager little noise when your tongue came out to meet his. 

The two of you kissed, Angel coming in closer with each passing moment until he was flush against you again and the kiss had got you both incredibly heated and riled.

You kissed him all over as you took your time tying his six sets of wrists in pairs with the leather cuffs, ghosting your fangs across his bare shoulders, making him whine, your hands caressing his body, your tongue and lips tracing his skin as you went on.

Fostering another moment of eye contact, you kissed him before carefully tying the blindfold, obscuring those wonderful eyes of his.

The ring gag slipped on without issue, his tongue lolling out as you clasped it in the back, showing off the small gold jewellery running through it, before securing the leash around his neck and you leaned away for a moment, admiring how beautiful he looked. It made your heart race, a pounding in your ears as your gaze trailed his body, the vulnerable position he was in. You had to keep your wits about you, no matter how hard that was. He was making a conscious choice to be this vulnerable with you and you couldn’t fuck this up. Especially knowing what you knew now. 

You gently took his leash in your hand and pulled him in closer.

“Does everything feel alright?”

He nodded.

“Nothing is pinching or straining?”

He shook his head.

“Okay, show me what you’ll do if you want to me to give you a moment.”

Without issue, he gave you the yellow light signal and you smiled.

“Good boy. Show me ‘stop’.”

He obliged, eagerly. For some reason, the breathy sound of your voice as you went over the safety precautions with him got him so hard. He figured he would’ve wanted you to hurry, used as he was to these things being skipped entirely, but the truth was that he could listen to that voice all day, telling him he was doing things right, praising him.

He was panting and trembling slightly as you sat back on the bed, giving a small yank on the leash, making him fall forward towards you, between your legs. 

Fully expecting you to force him down on you immediately, a sudden jolt went through him when he felt your breath on his face and then your tongue, licking his. You kissed him through the gag, relishing in the way his saliva was already dripping down his chin and the incredibly riled sound he made when you kissed him like that. You could taste the metal of the ring, feeling it tick against your sharp teeth at certain angles.

When you pulled back, you could almost see how hot his breath ran, shoulders moving with each intake of air, his erection clearly visible in the tiny black underwear he had on, his gold tooth shimmering. Fuck.

You swallowed, with some difficulty, when he leaned down, trailing the inside of your thigh with his tongue, guiding him exactly where he needed to be. Gently, you put your hand on the back of his head, weaving your fingers through his fluffy hair and gasping when he reached his destination, giving you a salacious lick that made you see stars for a moment.

He made a sound which held the middle between a moan and a whine, listening to your reaction for a second before he committed fully. 

His tongue was eager, caressing and licking you in a way that wiped any other thought straight from your mind. The piercing through his tongue was adding additional stimulation as he worked you. This was so incredibly intense. The way he was bound, the way he was subjecting to you, the feeling of your arousal under his tongue, your taste. It left his head spinning as the drool dripped down his chin.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was so good, he was losing himself in this, in your sounds. You sounded so fucking hot, unashamed to let him know exactly how riled he had you and it was making him feel so good. This had started as a test of your restraint, of your trustworthiness but in this exact moment, he had forgotten all about that.

You felt your arousal build quickly, your skin tingling like tiny needles were stabbing you all over as your fingers clawed into his hair. 

“ Ahh fuck, hnnngg ……don’t stop I …. ah !”

At your words he sped up, eager, so fucking eager, to feel you unravel on his tongue. Your hand in his hair, goddamn, if you were to yank on it it was very likely he would cum himself.

He could feel you move your hips, riding his tongue, he was relishing in this feeling. Part of him regretted that he couldn’t see the way you looked right now, entirely lost to the pleasure.

You could feel your peak coming closer until you finally hit that very steep incline and the wave of release washed over you. Instinctually, your fingers tensed in his hair, urging him down as you rode out your orgasm. He gasped, the sensation of you pulling on his hair in his darkness, combined with your lewd moan, sent a shiver down his spine but he managed to hold on, though only barely. 

The inside of his panties felt slick and his mind was dazed. He couldn’t rightfully recall if he had ever come this close just from giving head but Jesus Christ, this was something else.

He felt your hands cup his face as you pulled him up and an impossible smile tugged on his features when your hot, uneven breath was back on his face and you kissed him through the gag. This was perfect, you were perfect. 

Your tongues entwined, both of you moaning into the kiss as your hands caressed his body. 

He couldn’t wait for you to undo the bindings so the two of you could fuck. Damn, he wanted that release now, more than anything. It wasn’t that he didn’t like being fucked while tied up, it was that he wanted to see if you would remove his restraints in the thick of it. If you would stick to your word.

“Starlight, I know we agreed I would release you now but I have a request.”

His breath hitched. For a moment, only a split second, the thought entered his mind that this was where you were going to betray his misguided trust, that you would turn your advantage into abuse, however it almost immediately melted away again under your soft touch. Your fingers dancing over his skin in a way that made him feel tingly all over.

“You have no clue how fucking good you look right now..”

You groaned. 

“I want to go down on you so bad. I want to prop you up against the wall, tie your arms above your head, and suck you off.”

He made a strained sound, his erection twitching in his panties at the words leaving your mouth, right next to his ear.

You ran your tongue over his jaw and marvelled at the way he shivered.

“Will you allow me to do that?”

Hoping he didn’t seem too eager, he nodded.

“Do you want me to remove your gag, so you can tell me exactly what you want?”

He shook his head. He didn’t want to tell you anything. You were so fucking good at reading his body that he knew you would make him feel incredible. His only concern was that he might cave the second your tongue was on him but honestly, he couldn’t care less. He was desperate for your touch.

He held his breath as you adjusted him and redid his bindings, bringing his arms in front of him and tying them above his head, to a fastening in the wall. His heart was pounding and his chest was rapidly rising and falling by the time you double checked with him if the new position was comfortable. 

Your claws landed on his thighs, eagerness seeping through the way you dug your nails into his flesh, making small indentations and forcing a moan out of him.

There was no way he was going to last long and you knew this. Leaning down and admiring him from your lowered position for a moment before you committed to any action.

He jolted when he felt you press a kiss to his erection through the cloth of his panties and he moaned, trembling when he felt you lick him, the fabric sliding over him with your tongue. It was immediately too much, after a full day of feeling riled, not getting to cum on set, watching you interact at the BDSM club with the folks there, the way you had treated him up till now, feeling you unravel with your hand in his hair. The shockwave of his orgasm had his whole body convulsing and his cum soaked through his underwear.

Heaving breaths through the gag as saliva ran down his chest, you sat back up, taking a moment to admire him before noting that he made a jerking motion with his head and you reached up, taking off the gag.

He swallowed, his mouth feeling a little sore from being stretched open and he was frowning.

“I’m….. hnggg… . I’m sorry….Please don’t be angry…”

There was an immediate sinking feeling in your chest as your hand cupped the side of his face and he pressed into it.

“Of course not, starlight, you have nothing to be sorry for. I knew you were ready to blow.”

You gently traced your thumb over his cheek, watching him take in his uneven breaths.

“I… was kind of hoping you’d let me continue, see if I can get you there a second time.”

His breathing stopped, his expression, though hard to read under the blindfold, changed.

“Wait… really?”

He panted, trying to think clearly through his disbelief.

“Ya… ya ain’t mad at me?”

You leaned in, carefully pressing your lips to his.

“I think you’re perfect .”

He swallowed as he could feel himself immediately get aroused again. Jesus, what were you doing to him? This was dangerous, he had to tell you to stop, to let him go, and to fuck off, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so, instead he weakly nodded and you grinned.

“Are you certain, starlight? You don’t have to continue anymore if you don’t want to. We can also talk about this…”

Vehemently, he shook his head.

“I…. I wanna go again…. Please…. Make me feel good.”

Your heart skipped a beat and your face flushed at his whimper of a request. 

“Alright…”

Pressing a soft kiss to his lips you revelled in his little gasp.

“Want me to leave the gag off?”

“No, put it back on.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…”

You complied, taking care to tie the gag in the same way again and feeling how he needily pressed himself against your leg between his as you worked. He was already getting so riled up again.

“You comfy?”

He nodded, eagerly and you kissed him, once again tasting the metal, teasingly playing with his piercing, and relishing in the sensation of the desperate licks of his tongue.

When you peeled back, you smiled to yourself. He looked so fucking hot.

“Thanks, for trusting me with this.”

Before he could respond with any sound you leaned in and started trailing kisses and lovebites all over his skin, making him whimper. Occasionally sinking your teeth in as well. Not to draw blood but enough to elicit a response from him.

You lowered yourself between his legs as you went, caressing his thighs with your claws while you licked the sensitive skin. 

Listening to him pant and moan, you pulled his underwear to the side, giving you a beautiful visual of his hard, demonic, cum covered cock.

You hummed to yourself for a moment, leaning in and licking him. The sound he made sent a heat of arousal throughout your body but you managed to keep a clear head, slowly licking him clean before fully taking him in. The way he was immediately bucking his hips, riding into your mouth, the sounds he was making, it was all perfect. You thrived on hearing him make those little noises of need as you sucked him off, his body telling you exactly what was working for him.

Feeling him twitch on your tongue, you took your time with him. You could push him very high, very fast, but you didn’t want to. You wanted to savour all of him.

Slowly you came up, kissing the tip and running your tongue over it, feeling him tremble under the hold your claws had on his thighs. You did it again, and then once more for good measure until he finally made a high pitched sound.

“You want more?”

He nodded vigorously and you snickered, making him blush under his blindfold as you took him into your mouth again, swirling your tongue around him and making him bottom out. 

His breath hitched in his throat and you could tell he was getting close by the way his breathing picked up, the way he moved into you, so eager to have more. You smiled around him, taking him in deeper and making a soft sound, knowing that that sent electricity throughout his whole body and without further warning he tensed up, arching his back and pulling hard on his restraints as he came into your mouth. 

The sound he made had your face flush and you swallowed, looking up at him in reverence. He was taking deep, unregulated breaths, his chest rapidly rising and falling, the fluff wet with his own saliva.

Slowly, you sat back up, wiping your mouth and pulling him in by his collar. You placed a kiss on his cheek, feeling him gasp, before reaching back behind his head and undoing the gag.

“You were perfect, starlight.”

You placed another kiss as your hands moved up and you started undoing his wrists in pairs.

He slowly lowered his arms, they felt sore but he hardly noticed, instead patiently waiting for you to take off everything. He felt empty in the best way possible, like all the bad things had been wiped clear for just a moment.

He blinked when you took off his blindfold and he focused his eyes on your face in front of his. Finally, you took off the leash as well and tossed all the equipment to the side of the bed, pulling him in towards you and kissing his shoulder.

“You’re safe.”

You kissed his neck.

“How do you feel? Are you okay?”

He let out a breath, closing his eyes and nodding slowly. He basked in the way you treated him now. He didn’t have the words to describe it. It was like the whole world fell away when he was with you, like he could be himself in all his messy ‘whoreishness’ and it would be fine. At least, for a brief moment just now it felt that way. He was getting addicted to your presence in a way he wouldn’t worry about until later.

It had been scary. He realised this now. He had been scared you’d fail him or that it had been a bad choice to pick an activity that he knew could trigger a memory of last time. The corners of his mouth sore as he had sat on the floor in the shower, shaking, crying, wishing he could wash away the feeling of filth that seemed to permeate his skin to a depth he could never reach to scrub off. Of course he had been mortified going into this yet now, he couldn’t even think about the other time. All he felt was bliss in a safeness he couldn’t put into words.

You looked him over as he seemed lost to his thoughts for a moment. You tried very hard not to dwell on the way the beautiful creature in front of you made you feel. Something unstable about that, something dangerous, a fondness that was better left unsaid and unexplored. You surely wouldn’t like where it would take you. 

You were snapped out of your train of thought when you noticed his hand come in and before you could register it, Angel pulled you into a kiss. It was soft, gentle, exploratory. So different from the riled up, heavy arousal that you both had felt just a moment ago as he now pulled you back with him. Lost to him, you slowly started pulling off the lingerie set he had on, gently undoing the straps and sliding the pieces of fabric off his delicate skin. He lay down on the pillows, looking up at you through dazed eyes that made your heart beat just a bit faster again, his arms hooking behind your neck as you kissed him, again and again, his legs wrapping around you and pulling you in.

Taking some lube off the night stand, you reached between you two, ensuring you were both ready to proceed. He moaned softly when you removed your fingers and finally entered him, gentle, needy sounds as the two of you moved in unison. Each time he felt you push him up into the pillows, he whimpered. You were taking it so slow with him, so tender. He wouldn’t realise until much later how that thought made him want to tear up. No one ever took their time with him. No one ever took things soft and slow. It was…. It was incredible. Not to hurt, not to be in pain, not to have to take someone’s aggression. 

“Ahh… hah…... hnnngg….”

There was an honesty there that didn’t need words. A level of truth to his reactions and little pants that he would pretend never happened in a matter of hours. But right now, you were both lost to it.

The peak was as gentle as the sex, for both of you, moaning against the other’s lips as you unravelled in each other's arms. Something quiet and sacred about fucking like that.

You kissed him a few more times, ensuring his orgasm had fully fizzled before you lay down next to him, turned to your side so you could look at him, staring up at the ceiling with a unique expression. After a moment, he turned towards you as well, coming in close as he put an arm under his head, his face right in front of yours.

Gently, you pressed your nose to his and he giggled, making you grin. 

You are so pretty when you smile, starlight.

His large eyes traced your features for a bit and he smiled.

“That was incredible.”

“You’re incredible. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

You moved in closer, gently pressing your lips to his and feeling how they stuck together for a moment before you pulled back, noting how he kept his eyes closed for a second longer.

He chuckled, his gaze on your demonic features and those eyes that seemed to see everything at all times. There was always that barely contained, unstable, sleep deprived look to your eyes but he could almost convince himself he saw something else there now too.

“Y’know…. Ya look so sharp around the edges, babe, but ya are secretly really soft.”

“Hmm, don’t go telling anyone.”

He grinned.

“I won’t, gonna keep that all ta myself.”

He kissed you again and you closed your eyes. You shouldn’t be doing this, you were getting in far too deep and you knew it but you were horrible at following anyone’s advice, particularly your own. You weren’t good for him, you weren’t safe for him, and yet you couldn’t shake the feeling that you wished that that wasn’t the case.

There was a sudden shadow over your faces and both of you opened your eyes, ending the kiss when you looked up. Fat Nuggets stood on top of the pillow, looming over you, apparently deciding that it was now time for cuddles.

It took a brief moment before the two of you started laughing and Angel pulled Nuggets in, the little critter squealing with joy. You played with Nuggets, talking about nothing in particular as, a little further down on the bed your hands intertwined, playing with each other’s fingers.

You snickered when Nuggets walked up to you and cocked his little head, observing the new friend in his daddy’s bed. Deciding he was okay with it, he gave you a small lick on your cheek and you laughed as you petted him.

A clicking sound caught your attention and you looked up to see Angel was angling the phone above, taking a picture of the three of you. 

You locked eyes with him, his little cheeky grin, and he snapped a few more pictures. Of the both of you laughing as Nuggets insisted on more attention, of the moment where your eyes met again, of you moving in closer, of you two kissing as your hand caressed his face.

Why was this so easy, so comfortable? Chuckling as Nuggets inserted himself into the situation again, putting his little paws on your cheeks while you kissed, trying to tell you that you had spent enough time on each other and he was in dire need of pets.

So you obliged, Angel looking through the shots on his phone and glancing at you interacting with Nuggets. He watched you with bated breath, a deep blush on his face, his heart doing somersaults in his chest, as you petted his baby, shooting him a wide grin that made him flush even more, when suddenly he had a thought that made his heart sink.

Oh no. Oh fucking fuck.

Was he…. Falling for you?

Chapter Text

The final bite slid down your throat with a gentle ease and you grinned at Alastor who returned the gesture with a wicked smile of his own. You enjoyed eating with him, whether that be dinner or, like today, breakfast. His tastes were odd yet impeccable and you highly enjoyed your conversations. He also seemed to appreciate your weird candour and off-beat personality, making the interactions together feel effortless in a way, though it would be a lie to say you weren’t aware he stayed on guard the entire time. He wasn’t stupid enough to trust the demon in front of him, no matter how much you liked or respected each other. You didn’t mind though, you liked him and the danger he posed. At times, it felt like an almost genuine friendship was blossoming between you two. One born of depraved natures and vile, shared interests, but a friendship all the same.

You thanked him for the meal, promising you had some exciting new meat lined up for next time. It was currently still ‘free-range’, something easily remedied. His response was that he couldn’t wait to see what you had ‘cooking’. You both laughed, the bad puns and dark references were definitely part of what you enjoyed about being around him.

With a skip in your step you went to the lobby, considering what you were going to do today until  your next obligation and spotting Husk behind the bar. 

You walked up, sitting down on the stool and returning the little headnod he gave you with a smile.

“You want a drink?”

“Always do.”

He let out a short laugh, pulling up a glass and filling it before sliding it your way. The two of you sat there, as you chatted about nothing in particular, Husk listening in silence, drinking early in the morning, when suddenly your peace was disturbed.

Angel waltzed into the Hotel. He looked tired but bore a wide, wicked grin which he immediately settled on the both of you and Husk, preemptively, groaned. It’s not like it was uncommon for the spider to come home after having spent most of his night getting drunk and high off his ass with colleagues or strangers, in an attempt to feel alive. But that grin always spelled trouble for whomever he decided to fix it on.

“Well, hello there. Dontcha both look delicious.”

“Fuckin’ hell, Angel, could you not? It’s too damn early for this.”

“Hmmm but my night is only just endin’, whiskers. So, by my standard, it’s very fuckin’ late and I am in need of someone to tucka me out. So how about it?”

He purred the lines at you and Husk, leaning in towards him over the bar under your curious gaze. He was being extra forceful today and, after observing him for a moment, you recognised this behaviour. This wasn’t the first time you had seen something like this. You knew it all too well and it triggered a deep, guttural reaction that you felt in your stomach.

His night must’ve sucked. Hard. He was looking for a cathartic release that would make him forget how he had been used, abused, fucked to the brink of sanity for someone else’s satisfaction. He was in pain, both physically and mentally, and acting like this, well, it was the only way he could still feel a semblance of control in his pathetic life. Offering himself in an attempt at connection because it was all he knew how to do. Offer himself. His body was the only thing worthwhile about him, after all. He was only good as a plaything so that’s what he’d offer people, hoping they would see him, if only for a moment, if only a fading part of him.

Husk shot him an absolutely foul look.

“I told you not to fuckin’ call me that. Quit the theatrics and go to bed.”

“Hmmm, only if ya both come with me. I can get two people off at tha same time, y’know, more too if that’s your thrill. I’ll take real good care of ya, babe.”

He pulled back from his leaning position over the bar and instead draped his long arms around your neck, whispering that last part into your ear as you continued to sip your drink.

Angel giggled at Husk’s exasperated noise and one of his gloved hands landed on your knee under the bar, sliding it teasingly up, caressing the inside of your thigh as he walked off again, seductively.

“Perhaps, ya are right, kitty-cat. Maybe I just need a good…. Therapy session, hm? I’ll be in your room, doc. Dontcha keep me waitin’.”

He winked as he walked off and you let out a sigh, finishing your drink before getting up yourself.

As you sauntered in the direction of your office, you heard Husk make a hissing noise behind you and you looked over your shoulder, back at him. The expression on his face was a combination of anger and disgust.

“Can’t believe you’d even consider that…. You fuckin’ know that ain’t what he needs.”

At this, you just snickered, lighting up a cigarette and continuing your trek down the hall, Husk shaking his head behind you.

Walking into your office, you realised Angel wasn’t there and you continued further in, towards your own, private room, where you found him, seated on the bed. 

His gold tooth shimmered as he moved his head, leaning backwards and giving you a very inviting grin. His legs pulled up, seductively rubbing them against each other.

“Ohh, docta, please c’mere. I can’t wait ta feel your hands all ova me. I’m hard already!”

You took your time walking over, extinguishing your bud in the ashtray on the nightstand and making your way to his side of the bed. He looked up at you expectantly, biting his lower lip. He hadn’t lied, he was definitely hard.

Gently, you grabbed his chin with your thumb and index finger, forcing him to look at you. Initially, he seemed eager but as you searched his eyes, not saying anything, he slowly got a little uncomfortable.

“What? Are ya gonna fuck me or no? C’mon doc, I need ta cum soon and ya make me feel so fuckin’ good.”

You still didn’t speak and it was getting on his nerves. Why were you being weird? Finally, you opened your mouth.

“It’s okay, Starlight.”

“Huh?”

“It’s okay. You’re safe here.”

He looked incredibly confused and a little ticked off so you just chuckled and sat down next to him. 

“I want to try something, will you let me?”

“Oh baby, I was made for experimentin’!”

Not like this you’re not.

You lay down on the bed and gestured for him to take a place next to you. His grin was eager and he obliged, though, instead of lying next to you, he placed himself on top of you, his face hovering above yours, expectantly.

“Can I touch you?”

He raised his eyebrow.

“Yeah, I ain’t sure how else ya are gonna get me off, toots.”

You shook your head.

“I am asking if it’s okay to touch you.”

He seemed a bit at a loss as to what was happening.

“Yeah… ya can?”

Slowly, you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him in against you. He let out a soft moan at the contact and you could feel his erection press against your thigh. Very gently, you raised a hand, putting it on top of his head and softly combing through his fluffy hair.

He was so confused but he could feel something happening in his body. Why the fuck was he getting emotional? Why weren’t you just railing him, as he requested? The fuck was up with this shit?

“This is all very cute and all, but I need ya ta do a bit more if ya-”

“Shhh”

You pulled back a little, so you could look at him in his beautiful, mismatched eyes again.

“Can you let it happen for a moment? Give it a little bit of time, try not to overthink it. I promise it will help.”

He frowned.

“Nah, I don’t think so, toots. If ya ain’t gonna fuck me, I’m gonna find my thrills elsewhere. There’s a line of coke out there with my name on it, y’know.”

You let out a sigh. He shouldn’t go out right now, that would only make things worse.

“Alright, give me a few minutes. If it doesn’t do what I think it will, I’ll give you the high myself.”

At this, he perked up.

“Wait, really? I thought ya said that it was a one time thing?”

You just shrugged and he relented with a grin. If you wanted to pet him for a few minutes that was fine, he’d done a lot worse for a lot less of a high. So, he leaned back in, putting his head on your chest as you combed his hair with your fingers, your heartbeat a soft, steady rhythm in his ear. 

Just a few minutes. That couldn’t be too bad, could it? Just had to sit it out and not think. Not think about what happened, about how he felt. He was good at not acknowledging the pain.

So he lay there, his body on yours, listening to your heartbeat and breathing, trying his best to keep his mind empty. The silent room provided no distractions, no loud music or flashing lights. No drugs, no alcohol to numb his aching soul. Even his persistent, and often invasive, sexual fantasies were being oddly quiet. Your claws on his body, so soft, so gentle. He was losing his grip on the door in his mind, behind which the monsters lurked, waiting for him to slip.

A flash of the night before, the three burly actors on the set, surrounding him. Valentino’s smoke filled grin, barely illuminated behind them.

He could feel his throat close up. Nope, no, don’t think about it. Ignore it. Keep it shut.

The memory of being railed on set, one of the actors pushing his cock so far down his throat he could barely breathe, feeling the panic take over as another was taking him roughly from behind. Tears pricking in his eyes. Why him? 

His body tensed up, one of his hands grabbing a fist full of the shirt you were wearing. Stop. Stop!

Another flash, Valentino’s long tongue on his neck as he thrust into him, ignoring his pleas, this whimpering, his begging for him to stop. It felt so good and so horrific at the same time. Why was he like this? Why was he so goddamn weak? Why did he feel like he could never stop coming back for more, no matter how much it hurt?

He whimpered, softly, against your chest, trying his best to fight it when your touch was so soft. After how he’d been treated all night, that softness was enough to break him. Why were you treating him as though he was fragile? As though he couldn’t take multiple guys at the same time like it was nothing… pretending it was nothing…. Pretending that, just because he was a sexual being, he would enjoy all sexual encounters. Even the abusive ones. After all, he asked for this. This was his fault. He deserved it.

It was then the floodgates opened and he started to cry. Softly at first, trying to keep you from noticing but it didn’t take long before he lost control over that as well. His body shocked and trembled and he had trouble keeping his heaving, ragged breaths under control. You didn’t change anything, just continuing to brush his hair as your other arm gently kept hold of him around his waist. Letting him know he wasn’t alone.

He cried. He cried so much, your shirt was drenched and your side was bruised from the way he was holding onto you. Desperate. As though, if he let go now, you’d disappear into the ether and he’d be alone again. As you held him you tried your best to ignore how you could feel his pain clamp around the heart you thought you had lost so long ago. What was it about this man that made you want to save him? Protect him? Make him know that this wasn’t all there was to him? Tell him all the things you wished someone had told you when you were in his position.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, holding onto his broken, crying body, but eventually the convulsions died down and his choppy crying turned into a deep, sad breathing, interrupted by the occasional sniffle. 

Your fingers still softly, deliberately stroking through his hair and he closed his puffy eyes at the sensation. He was mortified that he had just let it all spill like that but at the same time, it had felt so good. He just wasn’t sure where to go from here.

His voice was hoarse when he spoke.

“I eh….. Do we gotta talk about it now?”

You smiled, pulling him in a little closer, pressing your face in his fluffy hair and smelling a combination of cigarette smoke, perfume, and his own, familiar scent which you had come to adore.

“No, we don’t.”

He let out a sigh of relief and there was another long silence in which you continued to brush your nails through his hair, listening to his breathing as he was lost in thought.

Eventually, he spoke up again.

“I just don’t know why I am like this.”

He sounded so small.

“Like what?”

“A fuckin’ whore.”

You pulled back a little, looking into those wonderful eyes, still a puffy from crying, and he swallowed. Uncomfortable. Why had he said anything?

“Why do you think you ended up here, in this situation?”

“Because I’m a fuckin’ idiot! I signed my soul away to an abusive prick! I was so fuckin’ stupid, and now this is all I got!”

He gestured at his body.

“I …. I want it ta stop…. And chasin’ tha drugs, tha booze, tha sex… hopin’ it’ll ruin me enough for him ta lose interest..… it helps…”

“But it never takes the pain away.”

“No….”

“When you signed Valentino’s contract, was he treating you the way he treats you now?”

He paused at this, giving you a confused look.

“No… no, he was…. Charmin’... sweet even. Promised me tha world. He even gave me Nuggets… I ….”

He swallowed and you smiled at him.

“You fell for him.”

“Yeah, like an idiot.”

“See, I wonder if you would say the same thing if it was someone else. Say Cherri found herself someone, and they were charming, and sweet, lavished her with gifts, promised her the world, you’d be happy for her, right? To see her excited like that? In love? But then, when they know she’s in deep enough, whether that is because she signed a contract or just because they slowly managed to isolate her, it doesn’t matter, but they change. Just to her, though, not to the people around her. They still seem so charming to everyone else, but to her, they are cruel, abusive. Meanwhile, what she holds onto are the moments in which they almost seem like who they were before. Kind, charming, loving, fucking amazing in bed. Would you call her an idiot for falling for that? For allowing them to make her push everyone around her away, so they can retain total control? Or are they the real culprit here?”

His eyes widened and you continued.

“This is what abusers do. They work slowly, they lovebomb you, they don’t show their true colours to everyone, only the people they know cannot do anything about it anymore. You do not deserve this just because his tactic worked on you. His power over you does not define you.”

You paused, looking him over.

“Are you in love with him?”

He looked embarrassed and he hesitated before he answered.

“I was….”

“And now?”

His expression became troubled and you smiled.

“There is no shame in still being in love with him. That is not a reflection that you somehow condone, deserve, or even want his violence.”

He flushed, averting his eyes.

“It’s stupid.”

“It’s human, to want to believe in that original promise. Wanting the man he was back then to come back.”

He swallowed.

“But… but I already was a dick-suckin’ ho before we met, he just…. I was….”

“Listen, being sexual, enjoying sex, doesn’t mean you deserve abuse. Your job doesn’t mean you deserve abuse. I think you’re fucking amazing, just as you are and I assume there are parts of your job you actually, truly enjoy.”

“Yeah… I fuckin’ love it…. At times. I love tha actin’ and tha attention, tha fame, tha sex… when I ain’t bein’ forced or drugged ta take it….It was…. One of tha first times I could really be myself….. In a way….”

“Have you considered, instead of self-destructing with drugs and sex, in the hopes that a man like that would lose interest, that you could focus on yourself, on your happiness?”

“How can I be happy when I am unda his fuckin’ thumb?!”

The tears were back, and you watched his broken expression, his nose so close to yours. Reaching up a hand, you gently brushed a tear from his eye.

“Why are you at the Hotel?”

“‘Cause I don’t gotta pay rent and crack’s expensive?”

“Hmm, if that’s the only reason then why are you jealous when Pen gets praised for his attempts to do better?”

He bit his lip and you smiled.

“I’ll tell you a secret, you don’t have to believe you’re worthy of something to want it. In fact, desiring something is often the first step. We can feel like we’re undeserving or not ready or simply don’t know how to proceed, but wanting to be better, wanting to believe we could, is the first step.”

His eyes found yours again, his expression contemplative. There were times you sounded so different, like there were two sides to the coin of you. The cruel, unhinged, dangerous predator, and the calm, gentle, profiling doctor. He wasn’t sure which part he thought was the most attractive but perhaps it was the fact that you held both aspects of your personality with such ease that was so mesmerising to him. Like it made you somehow undefinable, not to mention all the more dangerous. A monster, being able to hide in plain sight under a thin layer of respectability and yet…. He felt safe with you somehow. As though he could feel that that bloodlust shimmering in your eyes was not made for the likes of him, and that, maybe, it would even protect him.

“Ya really think so?”

“I know so, starlight, it’s my job.”

He chuckled.

“Is that also why ya know so much about abusive assholes?”

You didn’t answer and his eyes betrayed his surprise. In that moment, he realised he knew so little about you. That had been by design, for so long, so why did he find himself wanting to ask you about it now? 

His balance wobbled for a moment and his head dropped a little.

You gently pressed your nose to his and he flushed at that, swallowing as his big eyes focused on yours.

“How about you take a shower here, hm? You can sleep here too, if you want.”

“No sex?”

“No sex.”

His smile was shy and he chuckled.

“I think…. I think I would like that… doc.”

“Alright, you hop into the shower, let the night wash off you, I’ll go up and get you a change of clothes.”

“Can…. can Nuggets stay here as well?”

“I’ll get your baby.”

You showed him to your bathroom, giving him your biggest, fluffiest towel, and left him to it as you went deeper into the Hotel, towards Angel’s room. The wet spot in  your shirt felt cold against your skin as you weaved through the hallways.

Inside his room, you grabbed him some overnight stuff and a cute set of pink pjs with a pig-pattern on them. As you searched, Nuggets followed you around the room and seemed thrilled when you picked him up under your arm, taking everything back towards your room. 

Angel was still showering so you softly knocked on the door of the bathroom. 

“Yeah?”

“I have your clothes.”

“Ya can come in.”

You opened the door, quickly shutting it behind you again to prevent the cold air from creeping in and put the clean clothes on a shelf.

Angel leaned around the foggy, glass panel of the shower.

“Why’d ya knock? It’s your bathroom,”

“Why? Because you’re in here and if you didn’t want me to walk in I would’ve put the clothes on the table outside the door.”

He flushed at that, little shocked expression on his face. You were dangerous, weird, definitely unhinged but you were also being so considerate and, though that might’ve been projection on his part, he couldn’t fully shake the feeling that that wasn’t solely because of your profession. There was something else. A recognition in those eyes, a soft, unspoken respect for him, as a person. You knew he was an addict, he liked to fuck, he was crass and messy and you seemed to still like him. How long would that spell hold? He never wanted to get to know you because, the way things had been, he could fantasise that you liked him for all of him, that you could see all of him. Because sometimes he got the impression you did. But now that he was getting a little peek behind the veil, that still held up and it scared him so much it hurt.

“C’mere.”

His voice was breathless and you obeyed, walking over and allowing him to reach out, grabbing your shirt, wetting it further, and slowly, very slowly pulling you in. It was so deliberate, so intentional, his eyes searching yours as he pulled you closer before finally, gently pressing his lips to yours.

The electricity you both felt, surging through your brain and down your back, setting your skin aflame, was making you shiver into it as you kissed.

He was standing there, naked, wet, with soap still in his hair, yet in this exact moment there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that you wouldn’t try to fuck him and he couldn’t remember the last time someone had respected his body’s integrity like that. It made him feel something for you that felt frightening, if he was honest, but also like he never wanted to go without it.

His kiss was soft, his lips pressing against yours as your tongues gently brushed past each other. His little sounds as you kissed had your heart beating in your throat and when he pulled away you were both panting a little. 

Gently, you grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him in and kissing his cheek near his ear, at which he giggled.

“Finish your shower, Nuggets is already in bed.”

When Angel was done, coming out of the bathroom looking refreshed you smiled at him, gesturing towards the bed where Nuggets was eagerly hopping from one side to the other. Angel laughed, grabbing the critter and hugging him close before lying down. 

He glanced up at you and noted the soft gaze you had fixated on the both of them without even realising it. It was something he appreciated about you, that you were very expressive. Aside from the times where you put in a conscious effort to control it, like when you went into ‘psychiatrist-mode’, he could usually tell from your face where you stood and that thought gave him a strange sense of safety. 

You apparently noticed because you flushed a little and he chuckled, blush on his own face as he looked away before glancing up again.

“Hey babe?”

“Yeah?”

“Are ya still gonna gimme that high ya promised?”

You let out a sigh and walked over, sitting down on the bed as he propped himself up.

“If you want it…. Yes….”

“Waddya mean, ‘if I want it’?”

“Well, I’m not going to break a promise, even though I did say I would give it to you only if what I had planned didn’t help, and I think it did. However, if you insist I’ll still give you the high. It’s just….”

You took a deep breath and continued, ignoring the curious, expectant look Angel was directing your way. 

“Look, all addictions are bad for you but this…. This you really shouldn’t get a taste for…. For giving away your agency, your free will. I know it feels good but it’s a dangerous game….”

“Why? I trust ya…”

He quickly covered his mouth, his cheeks turning bright red at the realisation of the words he just let spill. His eyes found yours again, cautiously, hesitant to see your reaction, and he abruptly swallowed when he noticed the slightly pained expression on your face. 

His words had cut through you and you were doing your utmost to stay composed. This was your fault, after all. He shouldn’t trust you but he did. If he ever learned the truth about you, your full story, he would turn away in an instant and all that fragile trust would be washed away like a sandcastle in the tides.

“Ya… ya ain’t kiddin’....”

“No.”

“I… was just teasin’, babe…. I’m good without…..I think me and Nuggs are just gonna pass out for a bit.”

“Yeah, alright.”

Looking down at the bedding between you both, trying to organise your thoughts, your breath hitched when his hand reached into view, making you look up and lock eyes with him as he pulled you in for another soft peck on your lips. Gently, you kissed him back, feeling your heartbeat in your throat. It was so soft, so careful and you were both lost to it. Eventually, he let go of you and you got up. You looked at him for a moment, lying there, cuddling with the pig, before walking into the bathroom to clean up yourself.

By the time you wrapped up your shower, you heard a very distinct ‘click’ of your office door. It was faint but you were trained like nothing else on that sound and you dried off, putting on a robe over your still damp body and walking out, noting that Angel was passed out in bed with Fat Nuggets asleep next to him. He looked so sweet, so vulnerable. He must’ve been exhausted but he seemed peaceful there, arms wrapped around Nuggets, holding him close. 

You flushed a little at the sight. Angel was a brawler, more than capable of his own violence but also so incredibly fragile and there he was, being fragile and entirely himself, in your bed, under your care. Fuck, you knew you should be honest with him, explain that, though you could help him, he would be wise to keep his distance, but you found yourself unable to. The part of you that recognised in him the person you weren’t able to save last time around, it was just too loud. And you did your best to ignore that lately, you saw Angel, more than you saw them when you looked at that face. But, if you weren’t doing it for them , and instead for this beautiful spider that was slowly captivating your heart, then what lie could you still realistically tell yourself to justify your actions?

You were getting in way too deep…

Carefully, you pulled the blanket over the both of them before heading into your office and closing the door to your room behind you.

Inside your office was Husk. He looked vexed as his eyes scanned your form. Your clearly naked, freshly showered body underneath the robe. His glance was foul to say the least and it was obvious what he inferred from his image, though you didn’t really give a shit. This wasn’t about him. 

You took a cigarette from the little case on the table and looked at him.

“What are you doing here?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Al’s lookin’ for me, he’s got a job. I ain’t feelin’ like it so I’m hidin’ out here, if you’ll let me.”

A half-truth and you both knew it. Alastor definitely was looking for him but he could hide out anywhere, there was no reason to do so here.

You let out a sigh.

“Alright, did you at least bring-”

He held up a bottle of absinthe and you grinned.

“You are most welcome here any time, master bartender.”

“Yeah, yeah, just grab some glasses, and bring that drawer whiskey you got, it actually wasn’t half bad.”

You obliged, walking back over after some rummaging with two glasses and the bottle, putting it on the little coffee table and watching him pour the drinks as you lay down on the couch. He slid your drink towards you and took a seat in your chair. From his attitude, you could tell he was angry with you and you grinned, taking a drag of your cigarette and slowly exhaling the smoke. The robe sliding off your leg when you pulled it up.

“Say it out loud.”

His eyes narrowed, the yellow almost not visible anymore.

“I can’t believe you did that. Ain’t you supposed to know better than to take advantage?”

“What did I do?”

His claws came up, an exasperated gesture before he pinched his nose bridge and dragged his claw down over his face, pulling on his facial features.

“You are unbelievable, you want me to say it?”

“Yeah, I do.”

Your grin grew wider, more cruel, as you watched him contemplate the situation.

“Fine, I can’t believe you let Angel talk you into fuckin’ him when he’s clearly usin’ it to self-destruct. There!”

He spat the words at you and you slowly took a sip of your drink, savouring the strong anise taste.

“Who says I did?”

Another gesture of his claw, directed at your robe clad body.

“Just because I showered doesn’t mean I fucked. Do you only shower after you fuck? Goddamn, I hope you’re getting plenty.”

“That ain’t funny.”

“Well, neither is your accusation.”

A silence.

“You really didn’t fuck him?”

“Nope. We talked. He took a shower. He’s asleep now.”

Husk eyed you for a moment, trying to gauge your tone but soon realising that you seemed to be truthful about the whole thing.

“Shit… I’m …. I’m sorry I just…”

“It’s alright. Honestly? I think it’s good that there’s multiple people here looking out for him. I think, aside from Cherri, he hasn’t had that in a long time and he deserves it.”

“Yeah, well, he makes it a fuckin’ pain tho, with his incessant flirtin’. It’s all so fuckin’ fake.”

“Hmm, perhaps you should cut him some slack. I actually think you both would like each other a lot, if you made the effort. He’s wonderful, you know.”

“I do like him, when he’s at the bar, complainin’, bein’ real. You know, not pretendin’ to be somethin’ he’s not….. Just ‘cause he’s broken.”

“Aren’t we all?”

He huffed, a small smile on his features as he sipped his whiskey and silence returned to the office.

The door to your room, unbeknownst to you, was not entirely shut. It had jumped out of the old fashioned lock just after you thought you closed it. Behind that sliver of air and light connecting the two rooms, Angel let out an inaudible sigh. His knees pulled up to his chest as he sat on the floor, Nuggets still asleep in the bed. Why did the people here seem to care so much about a cracked-up whore like him and why was that enough to make him want to cry? Also, fuck Husk for calling him fake and his flirting annoying… and you…. You and that soft, gentle tone whenever you talked about him. The compliments sounded like a song on your lips and he gently traced his own, recalling the kiss from earlier. Goddamnit, he wasn’t sure if he should give into this feeling or not. Perhaps it would be better to keep you at a safe distance, you were burrowing in way too deep too quickly but at the same time, he knew damn well that he didn’t want to turn you away. The way he pushed back anything that made him feel good. Because he didn’t deserve it.

As you sat there, smoking and drinking with Husk over casual conversation, you thought back to your interaction with Angel. You were not one to make other people’s problems yours but you found it hard to leave Angel’s issues to him alone. You decided you needed an ‘in’ with the Vees somehow. See if you could learn a little bit more about them. After all, you were now already deeply embedded in multiple messes, so what was a little more drama? Perhaps your connection to Vox would be your best bet. From what you gathered, he was the one in charge, the one who had made Valentino and Velvette who they were. The sugardaddy of the Vees.

Your eyes slowly trailed back to Husk and the way he sat there in that chair, slouched, complaining about Alastor. You liked hanging out with him, there was a calm sort of ease to it and he was fun to talk to, despite his gruff attitude and being a little rough around the edges. No matter how much he tried to hide it, he seemed like a good guy. On top of that, there was the way he sometimes glanced at you and it was nagging at you. Something wasn’t being said, something familiar.

The following day, you had coffee with Alastor, in your office, his amused grin as you talked and discussed next steps for the Hotel.

“Well then, my dear seems like you are well settled in, both here as well as…. With certain other people?”

You let out an entertained laugh.

“I was wondering when you were going to bring it up.”

“It was something I was going to leave to you but you’ll forgive my curiosity as to what your business could possibly have been inside that neon clad monstrosity they call a building. I hope you’re not attempting anything….. foolish .”

“You remember that demon that followed us from dinner?”

“I do…”

The static in the air was threatening.

“He took me to see Vox.”

Oh boy that smile was devilish. He seemed both irked and curious at the same time.

“He offered me a fuck ton of money to spy on the Hotel.”

“And, did you accept?”

“Of course! Do you want in? I think we can do a lot of damage and have a lot of fun while doing so.”

“That depends, my dear. What have you been sharing with your new friend thus far?”

You waved your hand in a manner that immediately made Alastor’s grin grow wider. 

“Fucking jack shit. General stuff, things that don’t matter. Just enough to keep him invested and keep the money coming.”

He took a brief moment to study the way you carried yourself, making an estimation of how truthful you were being and whether or not you were sincere about being with him in this. Clearly, he reached a conclusion as his demeanour shifted back to his chipper self.

“Wonderful, my dear, I am glad to hear you’ve been sensible about this whole ordeal. We can spin this tragic little attempt of his to our mutual benefit.”

You grinned. There was no way he wouldn’t understand, even with his disdain for Vox he recognised a good opportunity when he saw one. So you chatted, about how to abuse this connection, keep the Vees on a short leash as you continued work at the Hotel. 

Thoughtfully, you inhaled your cigarette smoke, exhaling it again as you looked into Alastor’s red, curious gaze.

“I’ve decided I’m going to fuck him.”

A grimace, tainted with static.

“My dear, why would you ever want to do something that revolting ?”

You chuckled, extinguishing your bud as you sat up straight.

“Simple, I need more. I need a way in and above all, I need him to not worry about why I’m there in person. Men like him are easy, Alastor. The moment they get to bury their cock inside you they forget that you are a person with your own motivations and multiple degrees. He’ll forget to be concerned. And then, then we have full access. First to him, and then, perhaps, to the rest of the Vees.”

Alastor’s smile was so wide, so cruel, it was dripping with intent.

“Darling, I commend you on your willingness to sacrifice yourself for the cause. I cannot fathom that mating with that overblown attraction could be a pleasurable thing for anyone. But I would like to congratulate you on your way of thinking. It is wonderfully dark.”

This would prove to be a very entertaining new game. Alastor was clearly eager to get access to a new way of making life hell for Vox and, in turn, you would get the way in you needed with the support of the Radio Demon at your back.

It was playtime.

Chapter Text

The room was hazy from the cigarette smoke, the dim light accentuating the way in which the air seemed to swirl around you as you looked at the cards in your hand before taking in the ones on the table again. 

The pot was sizable at this point, very sizable. Per Husk’s request, you played for real stakes and something about you two playing against each other clearly brought out the worst in both every week. Continuously increasing the threat by upping the ante. It was very likely that at least one of you was lying their ass off, because there was no conceivable way you both held a hand good enough to warrant the pot on the table. Either that or an insane amount of luck had been involved, but you both knew the odds of that.

You put your cards down for a moment, amusement tugging at the corners of your mouth. You felt Husk’s glowing, golden gaze on you while you took a sip of your lukewarm drink. The two of you had been casually chatting for most of the game, as well as the warm-up rounds you had played before, but by now the tensions were rising so high that the banter had ceased. The drinks had been forgotten, the ice had melted a while ago. 

You liked him. He had a gruff, rough around the edges kind of attitude about him but he was likeable. Not just because he knew how to make a mean drink but because you could tell he was a decent guy. Now, you weren’t usually in the business of dealing with decent people, especially in Hell, yet you had to admit there was something about him that gave you pause. He was fun to tease, easy to drive up the wall, something that Angel proved every single day, but it was more than that. He was pleasant to be around. Easy to talk to. Witty too, when he felt comfortable, with an easygoing humour that you could appreciate. And then there was the way he looked at you at times. Tonight as well, as you chatted, every once in a while catching a very particular look from him over his cards that, admittedly, had your heart beating a little faster. 

Something else you had come to notice was just how good looking he was, especially now with a drink in his hand and cards in front of him. Entirely in his element with a sly smirk that was very becoming. As per usual, you had trouble keeping a clear head when a tinge of danger was introduced and you stood to lose a lot tonight unless you played your cards right. In every sense of the word.

You could feel your curiosity gnaw at you. Tonight was the night you were going to prod him, get some better understanding of the gruff barkeep of this Hotel and his baffling connection to the most feared sinner in all of Hell.

He slowly exhaled his cigar smoke and let it snake over the table in your direction. This was exciting. You didn’t gamble that much but you enjoyed the thrill nonetheless. You had almost forgotten how fun this could be.

Gently, you stretched, glancing back at the demon with the piercing gaze opposite you and you picked your cards back up, redistributing them in your hand.

“So, tell me. How did you and Alastor ever get involved?”

A gruff laugh escaped him, though it sounded more bitter than genuine.

“You should know, you were there right after it happened.”

Confusion washed through you as you looked up at him, over your cards. He immediately averted his gaze, regretting saying anything. Talking to you had been so easy up until this point, the words had escaped him before he could check himself. Damnit. What an idiot. 

“Wait, so we have met before then?”

“Yeah…. Back when I was still an overlord. Well…. Sort of…”

“I fucking knew it, thought I recalled an overlord that looked like you. Why didn’t you say anything?”

He shrugged.

“Why would I? We all see so many goddamn demons in a day, hardly seems worth it to point out you have met someone before. Especially if they don’t remember.”

Did he sound… annoyed at that? Was he offended that you didn’t remember him? He clearly knew you though. Had you just made that much of an ass out of yourself that he had recognised you with such ease? Was that what all those cautious looks had been about? Everytime he thought you weren’t paying attention, or whenever his expertly crafted pokerface faltered for a moment. You wrecked your brain trying to recall meeting him and he let out a more sincere laugh, watching you think.

“I ain’t surprised you don’t remember though, you were high as a fuckin’ kite at the time.”

You snickered. That made sense.

“Alright then, enlighten me. What happened?”

His eyes found yours again. He wanted to tell you. Wait, why did he want to tell you? You didn’t remember him and, though he had known you wouldn’t, that still hurt. And yet, it felt like he had been walking around with a secret this entire time. A bucket of water that threatened to spill, everytime you kicked it, everytime you looked at him, with those eyes. Those eyes that had haunted his dreams for so long now. How do you tell someone they saved you, when they don’t even remember your ugly mug?

He swallowed. Your small amused smile was irking him and he wished he could take back his words. Nonetheless, he could feel the story bubble up and if he didn’t speak now, it would pour out all the same, just not in a controlled fashion.

With a sigh, he threw back his whiskey, ignoring the fact that it was, like yours, no longer cold. Fuck it, might as well. He could tell you part of it, it didn’t have to be the whole story. The whole story would be revealing way too much to someone who would undoubtedly use it against him down the line. He didn’t know you that well but he had seen enough to know you were a fucking lunatic, no matter how composed you could be when needed. That thin veneer of respectability seemed to come off rather quickly whenever your real interests and feelings were stirred. It was actually something he’d come to find kind of endearing about you, it was honest in a way few down here were, but it also made you unpredictable, and fucking dangerous. 

He eyed you for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“I was an overlord and a gambler. You know how fucked up of a combination that is? Gamblin’ with souls… now that was a high-stakes game I couldn’t say no to. But then, when you start losin’, you’re losin’ big. And I wasn’t ready to give up on all that power.”

His voice was low, calm, laying out all the facts, though it didn’t escape you that the words were steeped in a specific brand of regret. The pain was evident, even from here. You took a sip of your drink, watching him as he only occasionally looked you in the eye. Something about this display told you he had wanted to spill this to someone for a while now. Perhaps to you specifically.

“And of course, in comes Alastor to save the fuckin’ day…. Or that’s how he presented it. I was so desperate, I didn’t want to let go of that power so I made the biggest mistake of my life and signed my goddamn soul away…”

He groaned, letting his head roll back as he recounted the series of choices that had led him down this path. The fuck ups he would spend eternity paying for. Smoke curled up from the cigar between his fingers and he closed his eyes for a brief moment before sitting back up.

“After I lost evertyhin’, I went into a bar. Just some simple fuckin’ old fashioned dive to drink my problems away. Lookin’ for answers at the bottom of a bottle, knowing full well they wouldn’t be there...”

His yellow eyes found yours, through the haze of the smoke you could feel the intensity of his look, sending a small shiver down your spine. He was becoming more intriguing with every word. It was like you could taste the desperation he had felt back then, the loss. It stirred a feeling inside as you watched him, eagerly waiting for him to spill more of his honesty on the table between you. Laying his soul bare.

“And you were there, sittin’ at the bar. I think you were bein’ a fuckin’ nuisance to the bartender when I came in, so I guess some things never change.”

He let out a short laugh at the memory of your slurred obscenities and the annoyed look of the bartender, though, at the time, he had barely registered it.

“I took the empty seat, next to you. I felt so fuckin’ lost…. So alone… I realised I had made a mistake I couldn’t undo. I was broken, beyond repair. Didn’t think anyone would ever be able to relate to that kind of damage.”

He took a drag of his cigar, thoughtfully exhaling the smoke and watching it curl into the air.

“I dunno if I started talkin’ after I had a few or if you could just tell but at some point, you turned to me and raised your glass.”

He chuckled, recalling the way you had looked as you had sat there, so damn high, partially draped over the bar, your drink in hand as you raised it at him with a wicked, crooked grin that made his heart beat faster. Fuck you had looked a mess but you were so fucking hot. He remembered thinking you were cute, even through his misery.

“You looked me dead in the eye and said ‘Now you’re a loser, baby, just like the rest of us. Just like me’. I don’t know why that stupid little phrase, coming out of your goddamn wisecrackin’ mouth made me feel better, but it did. Somehow, it made me feel less alone. Less like I had lost everythin’ that made me…. Me.”

He bit his lip, swallowing the rest of the story. This was what was important, the rest…… Well, the rest was just for him. Given how there was no way that recounting that could lead to anything good. Because what would he even say? Would he tell you how, after you had said that, he had sat there, with tears stinging his eyes, feeling like things might not be over for him, despite the mistakes he had made? How he got lost in those eyes that seemed to see him, clinking his glass to yours in stunned silence and you drank together. How you had ordered more rounds as you talked to each other, which felt easy somehow, opening up to you. And you had listened, with that smile on your face, as he had spilled his worries, his pain, his existence over drinks.

Everything after that was a haze. He didn’t remember who kissed who first, just that your mouth on his made him feel saved. Had you both got a room there that night? He wasn’t sure. All there was was the memory of his claws, digging into your skin as you gasped into his mouth, the way you fucked, making him lose his mind as he felt the anger, the fear, the insecurity leave him. You had been amazing, you had been everything that night. You healed something inside him he had long thought dead and, despite the fact that it was nothing like him at all, he had fallen head over heels for you. In the moment you raised that glass to him. The moment you spoke those words. The moment you came with him inside you, changing his brain chemistry forever. You were on his mind ever since, even though you never saw each other again. Each time he fucked, he couldn’t help but recall you, your sounds, your taste, the way you had looked at him. No matter how much he tried to shake the haunting feeling of your lips, your words in his ear, your hands on his body, pulling him in close and telling him it was okay to be at rock bottom with the rest of Hell, he could never rid himself of you.

How could he begin to explain how he had felt then, when Alastor gave him another crappy fucking job, trailing some nutcase making a delivery to Cannibal Town and seeing you. You, who had been on his mind for so long now. He had almost physically felt sick when he recognised you, that big grin on your face as you talked to the cook of the restaurant and took the wad of cash he handed you. His heart had been racing, beating so hard that he felt it would pop straight out of his chest.

He followed you home, no longer just because Al had asked him to, and then, later, when he showed up with the Radio Demon, he had to play it cool. Something in the way you had stared at him had given him a glimmer of hope that you might remember him too but it soon became clear that that wasn’t the case, making his heart sink in his chest. You didn’t remember. Damn it all, he truly was a goddamn moron, and he was not about to play the part of the lovestruck idiot, telling you all about how you had met before, spent an incredible night together, and how no other demon had come even close to living up to that experience ever since. A high he would be chasing forever, in the same way he would be chasing his freedom.

No, he wasn’t dumb. He would keep that information to himself, there was no- wait, why were you getting up?

You listened to his words, to his story and felt something come over you. It’s not that you could recall the interaction, not exactly, yet his words stirred a feeling inside you. Husk looked uncomfortable with his vulnerability but you honestly loved it on him. He seemed so fragile, like a shelter animal, weary of trusting the strangers coming through for fear they might treat him the way others had. Something discarded, deserving of a second chance. 

You put your cards, face down, on the table and got up. 

Husk grumbled.

“Get your ass back into that seat, we ain’t done yet.”

Ignoring him, you walked over, stopping at his side of the table where he also put his cards down so you couldn’t see them. He avoided looking up at you, feeling your eyes on him and making him flush. Goddamnit, him and his fucking big mouth. What were you going to do? Tease him? Berate him? Do something fucked up he hadn’t even considered yet? You had looked so good tonight, unafraid to bet big, seemingly unphased that you were not an experienced gambler like he was. Going up against each other was hardly fair yet you seemed eager to do it anyway, for the thrill of it. It was hot, that much was certain. Conversation had been pleasant, he could’ve been content with that, keeping his contact to you on a slow burner because at least he had access to you again, even if this was all it would ever be. And now? Now he had fucked it all up. There was no way a demon with a thrill seeking record like yours would be interested in scraps like him and… had he seemed desperate just now? Telling you how he remembered that you shared a drink and a conversation fucking ages ago? Maybe it wasn’t too bad. You were a psychiatrist after all, you must realise that, because it was a big moment in his afterlife, it made sense for him to remember you. But still. This was awkward. He had said too much…. 

He sighed, putting his cigar in the ashtray, but eventually he caved, slowly looking up at you with a cautious expression on his face, your eyes meeting.

You weren’t sure why but you leaned in without hesitation, capturing his lips and feeling the vibration of the low sound of surprise that seemed to originate in his throat. 

The contact set fireworks off in his head and electricity down his skin. What the fuck? Were you… Were you really…? His mind was racing, almost as much as his heart, trying to digest what was happening, wondering briefly how much he had to drink and if he wasn’t just passed out at the bar, having a very wishful, alcohol induced delusion.

The moment the surprise faded, though, his claw came up, cupping your cheek as the other grabbed your upper arm, pulling you down into his lap as he kissed you back. His kiss was eager, his claw on your face trailing down and grabbing you by the back of your neck to deepen the kiss, making you gasp into it, eliciting a groan from him.

Licking his lips, you felt his rough, textured tongue come out to meet yours, wrapping around each other effortlessly as though you were already attuned to each other. Perhaps you were? You let out a sound of satisfaction at the sensation and he felt his mind go blank for a moment. Satan, damn it all, why were you having such an effect on him? Of course, he knew damn well why, but the feeling was so strong, it was startling all the same. He eagerly pecked your lips, sliding his claw from your arm to your waist, pulling you in. He needed you closer to him, as close as he could get you. 

He had fantasised about kissing you for so long now, he could barely recall what the actual thing had felt like so then why was it that this was so much goddamn better than anything his alcoholic mind could ever come up with? And trust that he had had some wild fantasies about you over the years. He wanted this, he needed this so badly. How he wanted all of you now, fuck you again after dreaming of it for so long. He had managed to stay composed in your presence thus far, with extreme difficulty, but this kiss was unravelling any restraint he had frighteningly quickly.

With a grin, you pushed his hat off his head, onto the floor, immediately entangling your claw in his greying hair and he hummed against your lips, using the moment to untuck your shirt and pull it off over your head. You briefly broke apart, raising your arms to allow him to do so but when he tried to kiss you again, finally feel your bare skin under his claws, you gave him a teasing smirk and got up out of his lap. 

He eyed you as you took a few steps, back to your side of the table where you finished your drink, purposely slowly, making him groan as he leaned back in the chair. His trousers felt tight as he watched you, he was about to lose his cool. Someone please tell him that you weren’t going to leave him hanging there.

His breath hitched abruptly when you put your glass down, shooting him a glance over your shoulder before slowly getting undressed. He swallowed, with some effort, as he watched you shed each article of clothing with a hypnotised captivation, completely forgetting to maybe shed something of his own. You definitely knew what you were doing, not turning it into too much of a show but making sure to take your time, teasing him, thriving on the way he was staring at you, unable to look away. Hooked.

When you turned around and walked back, he felt his breathing pick up. You were so beautiful. In a very strange, dangerous way. The way something feral could be beautiful. And Husk realised he didn’t care what tangling with a predator would cost him at this point, he wanted this. Whatever this would be.

You closed the distance, pushing him back into his chair with a little force and sitting down in his lap again, a leg on either side, facing him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him. This felt so addictive. Why did this feel so right? You were losing yourself in that kiss and you couldn’t wait to find out what the rest of him would feel like, would taste like. He was exercising a certain level of restraint, you could tell by the way he trembled, ever so slightly, trying to keep a lid on his passion, trying to keep a level of composure. The way his claws caressed your bare back, your thighs, pulling you in, his tongue eagerly exploring your mouth, it felt rousing but also caring. He was soft, in a way, a level of reverence to his touch, worshipping every piece of you he got access to and it was driving you up the wall. 

His claws came around you, nails grazing your skin and making you shiver under his touch. His erection pressing against the confines of his trousers, feeling you move on top of him, your warm mouth, your tongue brushing his. He felt like he was about to blow just from having you this near again. All that insecurity about you not recognising him, not knowing who he was after he had been damn near obsessing over you for so long, it all seemed so unimportant now that he finally got to touch you again.

You pushed his suspenders off his shoulders and reached down between you, tracing your fingers over his soft stomach, unbuttoning his trousers, and slipping your hand inside. Instantly, you both let out a sound of satisfaction. He was fully unsheathed already and so fucking warm, did he always run this hot? You started stroking him, deliberately, slowly, getting a good feel for what you were working with and what had him squirming. You could feel the barb-like protrusions on his cock under your fingers, realising with a start that made your mouth water that allowing him entrance meant committing to it until he was done, unless you were in for a world of hurt. His reactions to your touch did not disappoint either, the lewd, deep, raspy breaths as he relished in the feeling of your hand on him, eagerly trailing kisses from the corner of your mouth to your neck where he kissed you again, fangs grazing your skin in a way that made your knees feel weak.

He moaned when you ran your finger over his tip and you licked your lips at the sight of his flushed face. So. fucking. Cute. 

His lips clashed into yours again, making you hum and one of his claws came down, you could feel it on top of yours, his trousers but a flimsy barrier between them as he urged your hand to apply more pressure, go faster, give him more. You obliged, the sounds he was making were like music to your ears and you could feel your hand getting slick with his pre-cum. 

Your fingers in his greying hair gave a small tug, pulling his head back and he let out a low growl as he grabbed the wrist of your other hand, coaxing it out of his trousers. This was enough or he would lose it, and he wanted so much more before it would get to that point.

You didn’t waste any time inspecting the webbing of pre-cum between your fingers before licking it off with a wide toothy grin. He flushed a bright red before settling into a deeply aroused expression. He reached down, finally exposing himself and you could feel his erection spring free. You were nearly salivating, you couldn’t wait. So far, he had been perfect and you wanted more. So much more. 

He was exciting but, at the same time, he was soft. There was a poetic type of melancholy to the way he touched you and it was unlike anything you’d experienced before but Satan, if it didn’t leave you wanting more.

His breath was uneven, his eyes clouded as he focused them on you. He hadn’t been sober enough last time to warn you, but he was now, gathering the last bit of brain power to formulate his sentence. The way you were looking at him made it that much harder to focus but he had to ensure you knew what you were getting yourself into. He was embarrassed about this but you had had your hand on him just now and not seemed worried in the slightest. Also, was he misremembering or had you been into it last time as well? The same way his tongue didn’t seem to bother you? He couldn't rightfully recall. Fuck, having a demonic body came with it’s hurdles.

“Hnnng… . Wait… I… if I fuck you… you’re goin’ to be stuck until I cum… I cannot pull out again, or it’s goin’ to hurt you… a lot. I …. I need to know if you consent…. If you don’t… we ain’t got to….we can also...I could-…”

Your grin was wide, running your tongue over his lips to shut him up, making him groan.

“I know… I could feel it. I’m not afraid of pain, I just want you. Give me all of you.”

You captured his lips again, feeling him reciprocate the kiss and moan into it, his claws coming to rest on your thighs, sliding up over the bare skin, past your hips, to your waist, where he grabbed hold, lifting you a little as he positioned himself. The sound that escaped you as you lowered onto him nearly made him cum right then and there. You felt so fucking good, this was not even comparable to the vague memories he’d been jerking off to all these years.

You could feel him twitch inside of you, the barbs holding you in place in a way that sent the most delicious feeling through you. No pain but slightly threatening and you were immediately hooked. Literally. Danger was a sure fire way to get you riled and Husk’s care about it made it all the better. You couldn’t wait to devour him whole.

 “Ahh fuck… You’re tight…”

He panted, barely able to get the words out against your lips and you smiled into the kiss, feeling his hot breath, uncontrolled.

Teasingly, you bucked your hips, feeling a jolt as the barbs pulled on you, and you could see the surge it sent through his entire body, making his hair stand up straight in ecstacy and his wings twitch behind him, splaying slightly. Apparently, that was all the encouragement he needed and you suddenly felt something else. His tail, wrapping around the both of you, pulling you in as close as possible as his arms enveloped you, ready to take everything he could from you, fuck what felt like a lifetime of obsession into you.

It was at this exact moment that a memory came crashing back. A memory of a darkened room, a broken man with a gruff voice who had looked so defeated but so wonderfully sincere. You had got lost in each other, his tail wrapping around the both of you, pulling you closer by the chair beneath him as he fucked up into you, making you lose yourself to the ecstasy.

You gasped against his lips and he pulled back a little.

“We have done this before…. That night.… Fuck, you looked so sad, so lost. You were… wonderful.”

His eyes widened, his breathing hitched, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. You…. remembered? 

He looked up at you, like this, for a moment. Entirely lost in this feeling that could only be described as reverence before he found himself again and bucked his hips up into you, making you groan in response. There was no stopping it once he started to move, he realised that immediately. It felt so fucking good, the way your body responded everytime he plunged himself inside, he would lose himself in this, in you.

You met each thrust, each movement, eagerly, going insane over the feeling of him fucking you. He felt so good, buried inside of you, your arms wrapped around his shoulders, nails digging into his back, the way his wings splayed each time a surge of raw pleasure ran through his body. 

It was like memory and reality were overlapping, both of you recalling that night in the way the other’s body made you feel, making you forget all your troubles and the world outside, just like that first night. You were entirely subjugated to the feeling of your bodies merging together. Past and present becoming one. His claws on your body, your hands digging into his fur, both with a level of desperation that would bruise the next day, though neither of you cared.

Husk moaned, running his tongue along the length of your neck as he kept pushing himself into you, over and over again, making your head spin.

His gruff voice was a confession against your skin.

“Hnnnggg fuck, you feel so fuckin’ good. I missed you, so goddamn fuckin’ much….”

His teeth scraped over your skin, hesitating, breathing in your scent as he tried to exercise his last restraint. With a grin, you placed your hand on the back of his head, pulling him in closer, urging him to follow through on what he wanted. 

It didn’t take a lot of convincing and he sunk his teeth down, where your neck and shoulder met, making you yelp and he briefly flinched before letting out a hot breath against the sore skin. He held you there, his fangs buried in your flesh, as he continued to fuck you.

“Ah , keep going, I’m getting close…so close, hahh… Fuck, this is just like last time… you send my mind spinning… hnnn.”

Your mind was spinning? His fucking mind was spinning. Those words, you remembered him, you recalled how good you two were together and he could lose himself in that. In fact he was, as he felt you move around him, pushing his arousal further and further. 

He loved you. He had from the moment you had met, and though he couldn’t voice that, he could make you feel it. He wanted to cum inside you, claim you in that way once more, hoping that, in some small way, it would make you a little more his.

His wings came in, wrapping you both into a small cocoon, only filled with your mutual panting and breathing, It felt so intimate, so close. You looked at him when he finally released your neck, into his golden eyes as you felt your arousal climb. He was keeping his gaze fixed on you, wanting to see the exact moment the scales tipped. 

The way he was staring at you, flushed, that serious, devoted expression on his face, fuck it made you feel things. The tension in your stomach building as you looked at him, keeping a steady, rising rhythm together, until it finally snapped.

You moaned as you came, tensing up as the convulsions of pleasure ran throughout your body, keeping your eye on him, pressing your forehead to his, and watching him unravel the moment he felt you reach your peak, pumping you full of him, his desire, his wants, his need for you. The second he came, the protective cocoon fell apart, his wings splaying as his whole body tensed up before slowly, gently riding out his orgasm inside of you.

You were both out of breath and you collapsed against him, smiling into the fur and feeling almost giddy in the afterglow.

“Fuckin’ hell…”

You relaxed, leaning into him and pushing your face into his neck, inhaling the scent of sex on his skin, feeling the deep, very pleasant sound he was making which you soon realised was a soft purring.

After a little bit, the sound faded and his body seemed to tense up a bit.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

He sounded concerned, now that the fog was clearing. So lost to the feeling of finally being inside you again, he had forgotten to make sure he wasn’t pulling out too far each time. What if he had messed up? His claw reached up, pulling you backwards and grabbing your chin, forcing you to look him in the eye. He flushed at the sight of the expression on your face; sheer ecstatic bliss.

You snickered into his grasp, moving your head and taking his thumb between your teeth, biting down slightly, observing his captivated reaction. Letting the finger slip out again, you pressed a kiss to it before looking him in the eye.

“I’m fine. More than fine, actually. Jesus. That was incredible.”

A wave of relief washed over him and his confidence came back.

“Was?”

You leaned back a little, immediately mirroring the wicked grin he was giving you. Seemed like playtime wasn’t over yet.

And you didn’t mind it one bit as you got lost in each other, over and over again. The pot and the cards lying forgotten on that table as you fucked on it, against it, anyway you could have each other. He had you clawing at his back and you had him addicted. 

He would probably never know now, how you had played the whole evening with one of the worst hands of cards in the game and somehow managed to win all the same. 

Just as he had. 

You both had truly met your match.

Chapter Text

You enjoyed being down here, in Vox’s screen room. The sharks behind the glass below doing their mesmerising dance, slow, unbothered. The area was pleasantly dark, aside from the screens everywhere. It felt sterile but intimate somehow, reminiscent of the neon signs outside on the streets at night. You may have died a long time ago, but you’d kept up with modern inventions. You had even stayed up to date with the progress in the medical field, reading papers and eagerly learning about new developments, all the while knowing that you would never practise your profession again. Until the Hotel, of course. But there was something about those lights, those screens. It held a strange type of late night melancholy that you could appreciate, even if the man behind them was a self-obsessed, cruel, pompous ass who only cared about viewers and selling his fucking products.

When the sliding doors opened, you wandered in, noting Vox in his chair, overlooking the entirety of the ring from that position. You grinned as you walked up. He seemed annoyed about something, flicking through cameras and only giving you a brief side glance when you stopped next to his chair, smoking your cigarette and looking up at the screens.

He wasn’t exactly sure why you insisted on showing up here, though part of him didn’t want to ask about it. It might be foolish but he found you to be entertaining while simultaneously also absolutely infuriating. It was enough to get him interested.

“You got the report?”

“Hmm…”

Without looking, you extended the usb to him between two fingers and, after staring at it for a moment and glancing back up at you, he took it from your grasp. Immediately, the air between you filled with a certain type of antagonism. He wondered silently if you were pushing him on purpose, seeing how much attitude you could get away with, or if you were just born a cunt. An attractive one though, that much had to be noted.

“You know, we could just do these meetings via a call. There is no reason to risk you getting caught by showing up here every time…”

You snickered, slowly exhaling the smoke as your eyes trailed from screen to screen until he finally hit a button, making the screensaver pop up on all of them. Something about that look of yours made him consider that you were taking in a lot more information than those eyes would betray.

“True, but then I’d have to miss out on these charming little interactions. Really, you make me feel so valued, can’t wait to be awarded employee of the month.”

A small laugh escaped him at your chastising joke and he shrugged.

“Fine, give me the highlights.”

“What, don’t have a usb port?”

Annoyance. A small crackle of electricity in the air the moment the comment left your lips. He was so easily antagonised.

You smiled at him, glancing down from the corner of your eye. That vexed expression was kind of cute on him.

“Of course I do but I’m asking you to give me the debrief.”

“You want to try asking nicely?”

Oh boy.

“Careful… You’re on thin fucking ice.”

He was definitely getting agitated now and you looked him over, seated in his chair, legs spread, elbow on the armrest, palm supporting his screen, his eyes narrowed. A guy like this should’ve blown up ages ago over the lip you were giving him. He must be really pressed for the information.

Watching you shift your weight, he waited for you to make your next move. Being around you felt like playing 5D chess without structure. You kept moving pieces somewhere they weren’t supposed to go and he had trouble keeping up because you insisted on changing the rules on him. He was used to playing mind games with people, political intrigue, danger, and ‘give and take’, but you were difficult to pin down because you were unpredictable. You presented yourself professionally enough though there was a madness hidden in there that surfaced every once in a while. A glint of danger, only observable from certain angles. He wondered what that would look like, unbridled, unchecked. Just violent abandon with that crooked grin. Preferably on his leash. A very, very short leash. Fuck, that would be kind of hot.

Ignoring his request, and his warning, you gestured at the screens, casually extinguishing your bud in the ashtray on the desk.

“It’s impressive.”

He raised his eyebrow.

“I thought you said it was a clear indicator of… what did you call it? Raging, unmedicated ADHD?”

You chuckled and he was briefly taken aback. That had looked almost genuine and it was… cute.

“Two things can be true, Vox. But I’m just saying, this is what power looks like.”

Oh, now that piqued his interest and his whole demeanour shifted as he watched you, attentively, with a wide grin on his screen.

“Do continue that train of thought.”

Got him. 

Fuck, he was so predictable yet you couldn’t fully shake the thought that it was also a bit rousing, the way he was looking at you.

Gingerly, you placed your hand on the backrest of the chair and leaned in. He didn’t retreat, holding firm his position as he looked at you with an entertained expression. You were bold, daring to come in that close and he found it strangely amusing. 

You moved slowly, leaning in closer and closer while keeping an eye on his screen, scanning him for any reaction, any shift. All you found was interest, amusement, and arousal. Good.

“So many people think they know what true power looks like, but they don’t, do they? Not really…”

You were so close now, you were breathing the same air. How quickly the atmosphere had turned around, from braced apprehension to dangerous possibility. Vox could feel his interest rise in his chest as he looked into those eyes that betrayed that barely contained madness. You were insane to approach an overlord like him this way. It either meant that you knew exactly what you were doing or that you were just a plain fucking idiot, and somehow he doubted it was the latter. 

Briefly, his eyes darted to your lips, noting the way they stuck together for the slightest moment before parting into a toothy grin. You were not being coy, at all, and he mentally noted just how good that would look on film, watching your tongue run over your teeth.

His eyes trailed you as you pushed yourself back up, taking a few steps until you were in front of him in the chair, bending down, putting your hands on the armrests, and leaning back in.

“Someone can have sway over people and still not know what true power is, y’know.”

He could feel himself starting to salivate. You were talking up his already massive ego, which was working for him, hearing you talk about his power, but the dangerous way in which you moved your body, now that was selling him on this. You had been weird and interesting since the moment he met you. The added air of mystery that he couldn’t find out a whole lot about you just made you all the more intriguing. To be fair, he had been on the fence whether all this made you a hazard or an asset but it was hard to deny you stirred something in him. Now, with you so close, that tone with which you spoke, the way you looked at him, it was so clear that you wanted him. It was riling him up.

He should tell Val about you, once he was done sampling you. If you fucked as well as you flirted, you’d be excellent. Just needed to swap the tailored, dark clothes for a nice little outfit, something skimpy and black. Then again, perhaps he didn’t want to share. Keep that maddening grin all to himself. But first, it was time to see if this was anything more than just hot air in a pretty package.

“Elaborate.”

He grinned, which you reciprocated as you planted one knee on the chair seat next to him, feeling his cyan claw immediately come to rest on your thigh, pressing his nails into your flesh, urging you on.

“There is no power to gain over the weak, over the desperate.”

You came in closer again, putting a hand against his chest, pressing him deeper into the chair with just enough force to be demanding, the other loosely taking hold of the back of his neck as you brought your mouth to the side of his screen.

“The only true power is over those that hold power themselves. See, someone like your red-clad ‘principito’ doesn’t know what that feels like. But you… as the leader of the Vees… the one who rules the entire city and beyond from right here. You know . You understand.”

You slowly reached back, pulling out a heaven-made blade and putting it to his throat in a swift movement. There was an instant flash of anger, of surprise, thinking maybe you were about to do something very dumb, but when you leaned back to look at him and he could see the way you licked your lips, his wide smirk was back, moving into it, his claw tracing up your leg, grabbing your ass and pulling you closer to him. Fucking lunatic, threatening an overlord with a blade like that. It was something he should kill you for. How had you even managed to get that into the building? But, instead of anger, offence, or even confusion, all he could feel was arousal. The sharp edge of the blade scraping over his skin, just enough pressure to be threatening and he was getting hard . 

Huh, this wasn’t part of his usual kinks but it was working for him and who was he to deny that right now, when you were on top of him, looking this fucking good?

You pulled up your other leg, now fully straddling him in his chair as your face hovered above his screen, so close, your lips almost touching.

“And I love it when powerful people realise you’re in control. That they’re at your mercy.”

His breathing had picked up, mismatched eyes trained on yours as his other hand also landed on your ass, squeezing as he looked up at you. This was getting him so hot. 

With a wide, dangerous and toothy grin you renewed your grip on the blade, pressing it against his skin slightly firmer and you felt him breathe, shooting eager glances at your mouth. 

Without warning, he closed the distance, capturing your lips with his and feeling how you immediately reciprocated. It was like a starting shot had been fired as his one hand reached up, violently grabbing the wrist of the hand in which you held the knife, the other coming around your frame and pulling you in with fervour as you eagerly made out. His breath felt hot against your lips and you panted as his tongue wrapped around yours, pushing past your lips and exploring your mouth. It felt as though you were starving for each other and he let a surge of electricity move into the kiss, forcing a sound out of you that just riled him up even more.

There was a bit of a struggle over the knife. You had no intention of keeping it there but you wanted him to work for the removal. Eventually, he managed to push your hand away from his throat, to the side where he squeezed, painfully burrowing the nail of his thumb between your tendons, making you drop the blade. It made a ringing noise as it bounced away on the floor and fell down into the open space below but neither of you registered it as he immediately released your wrist, allowing you to put your arms around his neck, pulling him in and deepening the kiss, feeling him groan into it as his hands massaged your ass before moving up, pushing up your shirt and feeling your bare skin under his finger tips.

The way you were breathing into the kiss, his hands on your body, goddamnit you felt so warm. His brain was entirely clouded as he felt you slowly grind on top of him, stimulating his throbbing cock through his trousers, fully immersed in that kiss. 

Eagerly, he brought his hands in front of you, undoing the buttons of your shirt and exposing your chest. He briefly interrupted the heated kiss to peel back, taking an appreciative look at what he was working with. Fuck, that captivating expression on your face as you leaned back on his knees, your shirt open. Perfect.

You took this moment to glance him over as well. He was flushed and his eyes looked a little dazed but that grin was wide and eager. Biting your lip, you returned his smirk. He groaned, quickly reaching out and grabbing the base of your neck, yanking you back in, his tongue flooding your mouth once more as you both panted. 

Impatiently, you pushed his jacket off his shoulders and hooked a finger behind his bowtie, pulling him up a little, feeling him smile into the kiss, before you undid it with a smooth gesture. You could feel him claw at your trousers, frantically unbuttoning them. He was feeling so incredibly worked up now, he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside you, hearing you make more of those sounds that rewired his brain. You sounded so fucking hot. 

When you reached down, palming his erection through the fabric, he moaned against your lips, making you grin as you started stroking him. He could feel the inside getting slick as you moved your hand over his trousers. Vox was surprisingly easy to figure out. He made it clear what he enjoyed, making your job here exceedingly simple and boy was it working. You could tell you were driving him absolutely insane when his screen started to glitch, ever so slightly. Playing up your own arousal a bit, to get him hooked, you moved against the arm you had between you, seemingly aching for any kind of friction, noting with glee how that had him drooling at the sight. 

He kissed down your neck, licking the skin. You could feel surges of electricity coming from his tongue and his claws on your bare sides. Apparently, he was losing control of that a little, the more he got lost in this, the higher his need grew.

You leaned back again, taking his vest off. Getting impatient as well, he pulled on your trousers and gasped when you used the opportunity to rip his shirt open, sending the buttons flying before pulling it off entirely. Niceties were off the table now and immediately he reached down, unbuttoning his trousers at a speed that you hadn’t thought possible, freeing himself before quickly grabbing some lube and coating his aching cock. You let him pull you up, locking your lips to his again as you felt him prod you for a moment before pushing into you, making you both gasp. He felt so good, the way he filled you.

“ Ahh come on, Vox… show me power .”

There was a full body surge that went through him the moment he entered your body, hearing your breathy voice so close, and something else took over, something primal, base code. You could see it on his screen for a split second before he suddenly got up, taking you with him. Eagerly you wrapped your legs around him, continuing to kiss him with a frantic, almost desperate air. He took a step forward and without hesitating, without caring how bad of a choice that was, he placed you on the console, giving him the unrestricted access to your body and the ability to start ploughing you that he so desperately craved. He had eyed you for so long now, it was incredible to finally have you and he would not let this opportunity be wasted. It was then that he started to move into you, setting a brutal pace fuelled by his own need and desire to own all of you.

This was fucking insane. He had access to good sex, obviously. He had his fling with Valentino, who was undeniably amazing, and for quickies he could always call someone on the payroll. They got him off just fine. Val much more than that. If he wasn’t so entirely subjugated to his arousal, he might consider how concerning it truly was how much he was losing himself in this. You felt so fucking good, he wanted to consume you, own you. Was it the weird powerplay? The way you smiled? The way you carried yourself? The way you looked at him as though you could read his thoughts on his screen? He honestly couldn’t say but each time he bottomed out inside you and you moaned, bucking your hips to meet his thrust, his mind drifted further away. He could do with this all the fucking time. Fuck, if Val knew about you…. Fuck.

“Shit, you feel so good….. Where the f-fFu-C!k have you been hiding all this time? Hnnng… ”

He was barely able to get the words out, slightly glitching halfway through.

You threw your head back as he plunged himself inside you, salivating at the way your body was responding to his, meeting each thrust halfway as you put one hand on his shoulder, digging your nails into his flesh for leverage, and putting the other behind you on the console, pressing an additional array of buttons in the process.

“ Hnn , please, keep going, Vox. Ah! Ahh fuck!”

All over the city, the broadcasts were getting scrambled, tvs were quickly flicking through their scheduled programming and cameras were twirling in their sockets. Sinners looked on in baffled confusion.

Vox knew that fucking you on the console would be a bad idea but he honestly didn’t care anymore. Which should’ve been a huge fucking red flag, honestly. His brand was perfection, he had worked so hard on that. Yet, right now, all he could think was ‘I’ll deal with that later’. He just wanted you so desperately and this was the best way to gain access to it all, so fuck the programming, fuck the sinners, fuck everything. He was lost to this, right here. The feeling of you moving around him, the way you took him, the way you looked at him, the way your nails were digging into his shoulder. Oh god, he was getting so close now. You felt incredible, like you were somehow getting him hooked on a drug.

You could feel the pleasure build in your body as you watched him lose more and more of himself in you. He grabbed your wrist, dislodging your nails from his shoulder and ignoring how you had managed to pierce the skin, instead bringing the palm of your hand to his mouth and kissing it, shooting you a glance as he did that made your heart skip a beat, not losing his rhythm for even a moment.

You bucked your hips as he hit something deep inside you and you could see the glitch run through him as he felt you tense around him.

“F- f-fFuCk-i-ing HeLl…. Ah !”

Fuck he looked cute like that, losing control as he got lost in the pleasure. You could feel your own arousal build, further and further. Though you were here on a mission, that didn’t mean you wouldn’t make sure you had a damn good time yourself. And you sure were, that delicious tension that was building up in your body, making you salivate, it kept coming closer with each time he bottomed out until he finally slammed himself inside, hard. Moaning lewdly as he did. The feeling of his cum spilling into you and the way he angled his thrust, ensuring he hit the exact right spot, sent you over the edge not a second later, tensing your whole body as the waves of pleasure and arousal washed over you with their debilitating strength. You rode out your orgasm, panting and moaning, making deliberate contractions in your abdomen to milk him for every drop and watching him groan at the sensation.

He leaned in, hands on the panel either side of you, and he kissed you, slowly, deliberately, feeling himself coming down from an incredible high and not being quite ready to let go of this yet. 

Shit, he rarely lost his cool like this. The only one who could ever make him cum this hard was Val, and honestly that was only when he made a genuine effort to do so. That moth had a fucking attitude problem. 

He felt you smile into the kiss and peeled back a little, turning a little red at your wide grin and still flushed face.

“That was fucking incredible….”

You quickly licked his lips.

“You always glitch like that when you cum?”

He blushed, averting his gaze with slight annoyance. That was embarrassing. The answer was ‘no’ but giving you that satisfaction seemed like a bad idea so he kept his lips sealed.

Your hand reached out, taking the underside of his screen and forcing him to look at you, making him swallow.

“It was hot, y’know. Watching you lose yourself.”

His breath hitched, eyes wide for a moment before his grin was back and he recaptured your lips. As you kissed you could feel him stir inside you, just the slightest twitch, telling you that, if you were to continue down this path, you’d be getting your shit rocked all over again, very soon. 

It was then that a phone started ringing and he groaned into the kiss. With a chuckle, you released him and he pulled out, turning around to answer the phone as he started to pull his trousers back up.

“Yeah? What the fuck is it?”

Behind him, you hopped off the console, putting your clothes on before walking up to him, kissing his neck and his bare shoulders, fingers dancing over his skin. He rolled his head to the side with a grin, providing you better access as he listened to the person on the other side of the call.

“I’m fine, don’t worry- ….. Yeah…. No, I realise it all went haywire…..”

He glanced at you from the corner of his eye and you shot him a mischievous grin, biting down on his shoulder as you maintained eye contact, just enough to leave a mark, making him groan. He turned around, taking your chin between his thumb and index finger, ignoring the person rambling on the other side as he leaned in and kissed you. 

You could taste the metallic tinge of the static on his tongue and you smiled into it, stepping in closer and relishing in the way he kissed you, his hand moving down and caressing the side of your neck.

He pulled back a little, a strangely soft look on his face as he glanced you over, staring into your eyes while running his thumb over your cheek.

“Hmm yes, well, fix it. That isn’t my problem. I’ll get the programming back online. You get some people out there to clean up the mess. I’ll make a statement later, we’ll spin this into something useful.”

You handed him his ruined shirt, pressing it to his chest where he took hold of it, giving him a wink and a wicked smirk before silently indicating that you would leave him to it. He just gave you a small nod as he watched you walk off, your hand teasingly grazing his crotch in passing, making his breath hitch.

He was captivated by you and it took him a moment to realise he was still on a call, tearing his eyes away from you as you stepped up on the platform and left the building. He turned on his screens again, trying his best to put his mind back to work after just getting a full memory wipe. Shit, that had been amazing…. He couldn’t wait on the next report you’d bring. His mind flashed with some very indecent images of you in increasingly compromising positions as he sat down at his console. Time to do damage reduction.

On the way back to the Hotel, you grinned to yourself. What a resounding success, this was going to prove easier than you had thought and also less of a chore, given how he wasn’t halfway bad at this.

Your self-congratulating smile faltered when another thought passed through your mind.

No matter how good of a fuck this had been, and obviously you had made damn sure you enjoyed yourself just now, it didn’t escape your notice that you had slipped back into old habits with such ease. Using your body to get what you wanted in this way, you hadn’t done that since before you died, since before you graduated even, and it threatened to bring back a slew of memories you’d rather not consider. So, you stuffed the thought back into the dark recesses of your mind, safely away to where you wouldn’t have to deal with it. 

After all, now was the time for action.

Chapter Text

The flame licked at the pea-sized ball of dark paste on your needle and you watched it gradually turn a wonderful shade of gold. Better than real gold in every aspect, in your humble, addict opinion. You stretched the substance a few times, reheating as needed, until you were satisfied it was perfect. Reshaping the ball, you put it in your pipe, finally lying down on the couch and holding the bowl close to the open flame, inhaling the wonderful, familiar vapours.

Today, you had nothing on the agenda. No obligations, no meetings, nothing and you had decided to take the day to yourself, closing the sign in sheet and retreating with your little batch of excellent opium. The heavy, dreamlike feeling washed over you and you sighed. It had been a long time since you had smoked anything of real substance, the stuff you had been able to afford up till now being the cheap crap, likely mixed with a ton of other shit but this, this was premium grade. At least Vox and Alastor both delivered on that.

Exhaling, you stared up at the ceiling. There was so much in your brain at any given moment, thoughts, plans, schemes, weird experiments, a song you heard in town, it was just nice to be able to turn it all off at times. Some things just never changed.

Your eyes trailed the patterns on the ceiling. Your curtains were drawn and in the light of the flame the cracked paint seemed to come to life. Fuck Heaven, this was perfect. 

Contently, you closed your eyes. You weren’t exactly sure how long you were knocked out, listening to the soft jazz Alastor had recommended to you playing in the background as your mind morphed with the visions and dreams, a true sense of calm.

Eventually, though, as the strongest part of the high subsided, you were pulled back when there was a knock on the door and you opened your eyes with reluctance. If that was Charlie, you were fucked. You contemplated not responding but knowing the Hotel inhabitants by now, you were sure they’d open the door anyway to check if you were in or not.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me. You ain’t got to hide your shit..”

The grin was audible in Husk’s voice and you closed your eyes again with a smile, relaxing back into the feeling.

“Come in.”

You heard the door open, footsteps, and the door closing again.

“You're playin’ a dangerous game, smokin’ that shit here without lockin’ the door.”

You laughed in your darkness.

“Well, what if there’s an emergency, hm? Can’t be completely unreachable. Why, can you smell it in the hallway?”

He huffed.

“Yeah, obviously, that shit ain’t stealthy. Good thing Charlie thinks you’re burnin’ some kind of flowery incense in here. Didn’t have the heart to tell her you’re smokin’ opium in her Hotel.”

The both of you snickered.

“Well, I’m not here to be redeemed.”

“True.”

Husk looked you over for a moment. This was the second time he’d seen you high off your ass and it reminded him of that very first meeting. Satan, you were just as messy and beautiful now as you had been back then. He let out a short laugh and walked up, leaning over your frame on the couch and you slowly opened one eye.

“Fuck…”

He muttered the word, like a prayer, before coming in and capturing your lips with his. 

You made a soft, amused sound and relished in the feeling. The two of you had been all over each other since that game night, though you were being stealthy about it. A lot of stolen kisses and quickies in supply closets and empty rooms, but mostly just knowing looks across the bar. To his own surprise, Husk hated how he couldn’t mark you every time, for fear of it becoming apparent, even though you bit him plenty, scattered marks covering his body, hidden beneath fur. Angel had already noticed his teeth print on your neck after that first time and been a little miffed about ‘some demon’ putting their fangs in you but if it was the same mark every time, he would surely figure it out the culprit real fast. Husk didn’t need that kind of attention, despite his growing urge to make sure you and everyone else in Hell knew that he was yours, not to mention the fact that he wasn’t sure Angel could handle that. He seemed…. Possessive over you, even if he too was still keeping his connection to you a secret from the others. Ever since Husk’s advice he had got better at hiding it though.

With a soft groan, Husk pulled back, taking a moment to look at you before sitting down on the floor, in front of the couch with his back towards you, putting the bottle he brought with him to his lips and taking a swig as he put his hat in his lap. Every once in a while, he’d come over just to hang out. There was a comfortability between you two, even when you weren’t busy fucking each other’s brains out, and you thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Slowly you turned on your side, looking at the back of Husk’s head and smiling to yourself. He looked so soft like this. You wanted nothing more than to touch his fur, knowing that the sensation would be perfect for your foggy brain. You reached out a hand, very gently running your fingers through his hair, into his sideburns, down his neck.

A small, almost imperceptible shiver ran through him and he flushed. However, before he could allow himself to enjoy the feeling of your deft fingers weaving through his fur he quickly composed himself again.

“The fuck you doin’?”

“Hmm… you’re so soft.”

“Jesus, you’re high.”

“Yeah…”

You brushed him with your nails, feeling him stir under your claw. Tracing his wings, he retracted them a little and your cloudy brain had a realisation.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“You’re pettin’ me like I’m some kind of fuckin’ cat.”

“You are some kind of fucking cat.”

“Not like that I ain’t….”

“I can stop… if you want me to…. Do you want me to?”

Your hand came back up, over his neck to the top of his head, very softly going over his ears. 

He made a noise in response that you couldn’t entirely place and you leaned in closer, pushing yourself up slightly and wrapping one arm around his neck, pulling him backwards against the edge of the couch as your other hand caressed his big, fluffy ear and you pressed a kiss against the back of it.

There was an immediate, flustered jolt that ran through his entire body, his wings splayed and his hair stood up, just like the feathers on his wings, making him look overall very poofy.

“Woah! The fuck?”

He was glad you couldn't see his startled expression, adorned with a very pink blush.

“Mmmm, so warm.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

You didn’t really want to let go but you were very trained on someone’s ‘no’, even now, so your arms slipped off him and you lay back down with a small smile, noting how he turned around to look at you. He was still a little flushed but his expression was puzzled.

“You… actually stopped?”

“Yeah, you asked me to.”

“I …. Didn’t think you would… you’re so damn high.”

“True, but that does not a monster make. There’s plenty of other things that make me one of those.”

Your grin was wide and he swallowed. He was so used to telling people off for touching him, for flirting with him, he had done so fully assuming you’d continue anyway, like others usually did, and then he’d be able to maintain his grumpy ‘I don’t like none of this shit’ attitude while getting that touch from you he so desperately craved. Looks like that had backfired on him a bit….So now what?

The truth was that Husk was not a fan of his demonic form. It invited people to touch him, despite his protestations and general uninviting attitude. He fucking hated that shit, being treated like some kind of pet. There was enough that made him self-conscious about his appearance and the cat-like behaviours only made it worse, not to mention the goddamn barbs on his cock. Though, on that last part, he’d been relieved, and incredibly aroused, to learn that you took him without issue. You even seemed fond of it, the additional texture adding to your overall experience. Unless he was being intentionally rough, it apparently didn’t hurt and there were times you wanted it to, so he’d oblige. Good thing you were as much of a freak in the sheets as you, apparently, were in the streets. It was most definitely working out in his favour. 

The way your bodies were matched frightened him sometimes. He was learning a lot more about his afterlife form than he bargained for with you. He hadn’t even known just how fucking sensitive his ears were until you did that just now, sending a wave of sensation throughout his whole being as he felt himself heat up. He should not be having a reaction this strong to the absentminded touch of a person who was high as a kite. What annoyed him most about it was that he wanted you to do it again…. and again. Kissing his ears, running your fingers through his fur, allowing him to lose himself in the sensations. God fucking damnit.

You watched him think for a moment.

“You want me to do it again?”

“Hell no!”

“It’s just us, no one has to know.”

When he didn’t respond you just smiled, closing your eyes again, settling back into the couch and listening to Husk taking another swig of his bottle. 

Another silence, just basking in each other’s nearness. Husk’s heart was beating out of his chest as you relaxed in your high behind him. He could still feel your hand on his ears, that kiss that sent lightning through his entire being. After game night he had been so eager, now being able to get much more from you than just teasing remarks over the bar or having to watch you and Alastor be creepy and unsettling together. Finally having you again after all those years, kissing you, fucking you. However, it was just that. Just sex. Incredible, mind blowing sex, but nothing more. That was what he had to tell himself. He was the one in love, after all. Not you. Casual, almost caring touch like the one just now was not something he had even considered, let alone hoped for because, despite the fact that he was infatuated with you, he knew how most sinners felt about things like ‘love’. It wasn’t for this world and it certainly wasn’t for fat, gambling alcoholics like himself. So why had it felt so good and why was he scared that giving into that feeling might spell his demise?

As you lay there, in your comfortable darkness, listening to the sounds of Husk’s breathing and the music in the background, you suddenly felt a claw come around your wrist. There was a brief moment of hesitation, a sharp inhale, and then the palm of your hand was met with soft hair. 

Immediately, you opened your eyes, seeing the back of Husk’s head and your hand firmly planted on top. He wasn’t looking at you, praying that you wouldn’t come in close enough to see he was blushing like a goddamn schoolboy through his uncomfortable frown. 

A wide grin crept over your face and you turned back on your side, gently brushing his hair and caressing his big, soft ears. His posture appeared a little apprehensive, unsure, but when you hit a certain spot, just behind his ear, you could see him perk up for a moment before the soft purring noise started.

He flushed, you could feel him heat up beneath your hand, but you decided not to comment on it, no matter how much you wanted to tease him right now. It was so goddamn cute but you knew full well that saying anything now would result in him never allowing this again. 

After a little while, realising that you weren’t going to say anything and instead just continued with your gentle, exploratory touches, he slowly, very slowly, settled into it, leaning back against the couch and purring as your hand continued to brush through his fur. Eventually, he even pressed his head more into your hand whenever you hit a particularly pleasant spot, like a cat itching to be pet. He closed his eyes and let out a breath as you leaned in, burying your face into his hair. He smelled wonderful, like tobacco and whiskey but also something woodsy, like pine. 

Fuck, he was soft and the noise he was making so deeply comforting.

He hummed as you, again, pressed a kiss to one of his ears, feeling him shiver for a moment, and he lit up a cigarette. You declined when he offered it to you, instead closing your eyes and leaning in further down, nuzzling his neck. 

His golden eyes glanced at you on his shoulder and a small smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. 

You were dangerous. He knew that full well, but this? This was fucking adorable. Who knew you could even be this docile? To be fair though, you still made his heart race and the way you caressed him had an iron grip on his heart as he leaned into your touch. 

Comfort. That was the best word for what you were both feeling right now. 

This was so easy, being together like this, now that he was past his apprehension, and though he knew full well that you were being so touchy because you were high off your ass, he still revelled in it. Those fingers, weaving through his fur making his skin feel electric, those soft kisses, your breath on him, that little smile. He could almost fool himself into believing there was more between you than just fantastic sexual chemistry. Because, though this was rousing in its own right, it felt caring, romantic even. Not something easily admitted to, being a romantic at heart in Hell. 

He wanted nothing more than to remain like this, just for a while, in the calm of your touch. His eyes closed again as he smoked his cigarette, relishing in the way you pressed your face into his neck, taking in his scent as one hand continued to play with his ear. His claw came up, gently holding onto the arm you had around his shoulders for support. What if it could be like this all the time? At least he could stay in this fantasy just a little longer-

There was a sudden, sharp knock on the door and Husk jolted upright, immediately scrambling to get up to prevent anyone from seeing you both together like this and realising too late he was pulling you with him. 

You slid face first off the couch, onto the ground and groaned into the carpet. Not yet having the strength to push yourself back up.

“Ouch….. Ughhh, who is it?”

“It’ssssss me…… ehm…. Ssssssir Pentioussssss? I eh….. Do you have time?”

Husk quickly reached down, peeling you off the floor and pulling you to your feet, letting out a gruff chuckle at your slightly dishevelled appearance and the groggy look you shot him while he roughly dusted you off. It was his fault and now he was laughing about it too. 

You stretched, sauntering over to the window and opening it, letting out the smoke and heavy vapours inside the office, blinking against the bright light that came in and you, reluctantly, opened the curtains.

Behind you, Husk was trying desperately to keep his cool. He didn’t want to make way for Pentious and whatever goddamn drama the snake brought with him now. It had been so perfect just now, your touch so wonderful. He would never admit to it but if you wanted to pet him like a goddamn cat, he’d allow it. Not just that, he fucking loved it, to his own embarrasment. Angel could never, ever find out. He would never live it down. But no matter how pissed he was right now at the interruption, your fingers still a ghost entangling into his fur, he had to play it off. Anything else would be suspicious as hell. 

His gaze lingered on your back as you fought the heavy curtains and he bit his lip in frustration. Damnit.

You turned around, stopping the music, dusting yourself off a little more, and giving Husk a wide grin which he reciprocated after a brief pause.

“You can come in, Pen.”

Sir Pentious opened the door, being slightly taken aback when Husk pushed out past him, hands deep in  his pockets and just shooting him a side eye before disappearing down the hall.

“I’m sssssssorry, I didn’t know you were already in a sssssssesssion….The sheet was unavailable… I didn’t think….”

“It’s alright, we were just wrapping up. What can I do for you?”

He hesitantly came inside.

“Well, I have a quesssstion about the-....”

He looked at you, immediately realising that something was off. Why did the office smell like… poppies and something toasted? You also seemed a little dazed somehow, that grin looking messier than usual. His gaze scanned the room and fell to the obvious opium set-up on the coffee table. When his eyes found yours again you shot him a guilty little smile.

“Whoops, caught red-handed.”

“My dear…. What if Charlie findsssss out?”

You shot him a knowing look.

“Hey, I’m not here to be better. Also, she won't, if you don’t say shit.”

With some difficulty, he swallowed. 

“Ah eh… yessssss…… Alright… My lips are sealed.”

“Good, come on in, let’s talk.”

As you cleaned up your little drug den, Pen came in, closing the door behind him and sitting down on the couch, watching you put all the equipment neatly back into a box and putting it away. 

You felt his eyes on you and you looked up, grinning and making him gulp.

“Unless you wanted a hit?”

“I eh….. No… I don’t ehm…. I don’t think altered ssssssstatessssss are for me…. Particularly.”

You chuckled and he flushed.

“I’m teasing, Pen, but good on you for saying no to drugs, Charlie will be very proud.”

His smile was a little hesitant, very adorable, and you sat down across from him in your chair. 

“So, tell me what’s on your mind.”

You listened to Pen talk, spilling his thoughts and the breakthrough he had earlier that day, providing your thoughts and encouraging him to keep talking. He looked a little self-congratulatory, sitting there, being able to give you good news on his progress. You didn’t want him to get a taste for it, mostly because it could make it that much harder if he had something negative to report next time, but you found a good middle ground, letting him know he was doing well. He was on his way to learning to like the people he shared this hotel with and you had to say you were proud of him for his commitment. He genuinely seemed eager to do better, even if he didn’t fully comprehend what that might look like for him.

He flushed at your compliment and you grinned.

“I eh….. Thank you….. For making time to lissssssten today, I realissssssse now that you were taking the day off… I’m ssssssssorry.”

“It’s alright, Pen. It’s what I’m here for and hanging out with you is never a bother.”

His face got redder and he averted his gaze.

“Wait… then what wasssssss Husssssssker doing here?”

Ah, not too dense after all.

“He and I hang out from time to time. It’s good to have friends here, don’t you think.”

He frowned, giving you a suspicious look but relenting very quickly.

“Yesss, I sssssssupposssssse. He sssssseemssss….. Alright.”

You laughed at this and he chuckled as well.

“But you do already have a friend here… I mean… we’re friendsssss, are we not?”

“Of course.”

After promising to come and look at his latest invention later that week, when it was done, you let him out of your office, only to immediately be faced with Charlie who asked if you were available for a chat.

You let out a small sigh and smiled, stepping to the side and allowing her entrance into the office.

She didn’t waste a moment to start rambling as you both took a seat.

As it turned out, she was worried. Though the people inside the Hotel seemed to slowly be growing closer, it wasn’t going fast enough and it was eating away at her. You sympathised as you looked her over. A little expression of concern on her face.

“Look, Charlie, you’re under an unfair amount of pressure. Real, sustainable change takes time you don’t have. I am with you, I’ll help you, but we cannot redeem anyone in just six months, you know. Not unless they’re already close to good enough by Heaven’s standards and we don’t even know what those are. We’re playing a blind game here but you’re trying. You care. You can’t blame yourself for not being able to do more than your best.”

“But I got them all here! They’re my responsibility and I am letting them down!”

“Are you?”

She looked at you, tears in her eyes.

“I mean it, are you?”

“Well, yeah…”

“So the exterminations are your fault? You got them here in Hell and you are actively preventing them from getting into Heaven?”

“No… not like that but-...”

“If a murder is committed, who’s fault is it?”

“What?”

She looked puzzled at the sudden change in topic but you raised your eyebrows, encouraging her to consider your question.

“The… murderer?”

“So not the victim?”

“No….. I mean… well, if they were maybe a really horrible person and it was self-defence? Although, murder is never okay…. I ehm..”

She took a moment to think it over before clearly coming to a conclusion and following it up with newfound confidence in her statement.

“No…. No, not the victim.”

“Alright, is it the fault of the detective who swore they’d stop the murderer?”

“No…”

“Why not? They said they’d stop them, if they stuck to their word the murderer would be off the streets and couldn’t kill anyone else.”

“But I’m sure they’re doing their best! It’s not their fault that there is a murderer out there, killing innocent people, but at least they’re trying to change it!”

Her raised voice filled the office and you leaned back into your chair, satisfied, wide grin on your face as you watched her digest her own words.

“Wait….. Ohhhhhhhh…… I get it now…”

“I’m glad.”

“But it’s hard.”

“It is…. But that doesn’t make it not worth trying, right?”

She sniffled.

“Yeah… I guess…. No, I know! You’re right!”

You chuckled.

“Why do you feel such a need to prove yourself?  You seem so eager to fix others. Why is that?”

She paused again, taking a tissue from the table and blowing her nose before pulling up her legs on the couch. 

With a sigh she slowly started talking to you. It wasn’t a direct answer to your question, you figured even she didn’t know exactly where the story was going, just that she wanted to tell it. So you listened to her talk about her life growing up as the princess of Hell. Her mother and her absence. Her difficult relationship with her father. Vaggie, whom she trusted with her life.

As you listened, you made some notes. Seven years, hm? The exact same amount of time Alastor had been gone? That couldn’t be a coincidence…. Interesting.

You let her talk, responding every once in a while to encourage her to keep going. Given how there was no session planned after her, you both ended up talking for a very long time until she finally indicated to be out of topics and you smiled.

She gave you a small chuckle.

“That… felt good….”

“I’m glad. Talking helps, you know.”

“I talk all the time.”

“Yeah, but saying things and talking to someone, really talking, are two different things.”

She pondered that for a moment before giving you a wide smile, saying that she was going to get Vaggie and go for dinner. You watched her leave your office with a smile and opened your notebook, putting a few more strokes on the sketch of Charlie you had made a couple days earlier. 

It was a habit, to sketch people while you recounted their sessions, what they had talked about. It gave you focus as you organised your thoughts.

You were so engulfed with it you didn’t hear the knock, didn’t notice the door opening, didn’t smell the food. It wasn’t until you heard a voice, right next to your ear, that you looked up.

“Hey, that ain’t half bad.”

Angel was standing next to your chair, leaned in and looking at your drawing of Charlie. He was wearing an oversized lounge set in a cute, baby pink colour, which looked incredibly comfy. He held two plates of hot food in his hands. Fat Nuggets was on the carpet, already settling in.

“Did ya draw me as well? I wanna see!”

You snickered, flicking through the sketchbook and showing him the multiple studies you had of him. Admittedly, some of those you had started back when you had first met, before you came to the Hotel, but you hadn’t put the date in there so he wouldn’t be able to tell. The already adorable expression on his face got even cuter, his smile turning bright with a pink flushing on his cheeks.

“Wow….Those are real good, doc! Didn’t know ya were an artist. Y’know, if ya wanna draw me naked sometime…..”

His grin was wide, flirtatious, and you reciprocated before gesturing to the plates.

“What’s this?”

He flushed, looking a little taken aback.

“I eh…. Well, I heard from Vaggie that ya were workin’ late… so I brought ya some food and I was thinkin’.... Y’know… maybe we could play a game togetha or somethin’? …Ya don’t hafta or anythin’!..... Just thought… maybe it’d be nice….”

He was purposely not looking at you as his voice trailed off and you chuckled, feeling an uncharacteristic warmth spread through your stomach as you accepted the plate with the wonderful smelling food.

“Yeah, that would be nice.”

He grinned, relief washing over his face as he connected his phone to the sound installation and put some music on. The two of you chatted as you ate your dinner before you joined him on the couch. Nuggets insisted on being on the couch as well and you sat there, Angel huddled against you, with your consoles in hand, playing a game together.

Every once in a while he glanced up at you, wondering why this was so comfortable and how silly he was for wanting more of this. When you caught his gaze, your heartbeat immediately picked up and your face flushed at the sight of his big, round, almost expectant looking eyes, the way he was staring at you. He clearly noticed too, turning a bright pink and quickly glancing back at his game, tapping the buttons, trying to keep you from noticing. 

Why was he making your heart stir? It almost annoyed you. You weren’t the sentimental type yet…

It was a few hours later, the food long since consumed, smoke curling through the air as you played your games, stiff drinks on the table and cigarettes in your hands, that Angel’s phone rang. It was Cherri, telling you both to come out with her. Apparently a new club had opened and they were doing free shots the whole night.

You and Angel exchanged a glance and a grin, and before you knew it you had changed, Nuggets had been tucked in in Angel’s room, and the both of you found yourself in the thumping music of the club under the flashing lights, next to Cherri at the bar.

“Cheers, you fuckin’ whores!”

All three of you threw another shot back. 

Fuck, it was nice to be outside of the Hotel for a night and hanging out with Cherri was always guaranteed to turn into a mess.

A few more drinks in and you were alone at the bar. Well, not alone, just not with Cherri and Angel, who had each wandered off. You were surrounded by a group of demons, cheering as you had accepted a drinking challenge from a demon three times your size, vastly overestimating yourself or underestimating your opponent. Alcohol had that effect on you.

Under loud hollering you slammed your glass down on the bar. The lights were starting to morph together and the beat of the music was indistinguishable from your heartbeat. Honestly, you were used to drinking a lot, but even you had to be able to admit defeat. You genuinely couldn’t remember just how much you had had up to this point but you knew drinking even more would end up with you waking up in a bathtub somewhere with someone else’s clothes on, possibly missing an organ or two. You were about to turn to your challenger, to admit defeat, when the demon in question passed out on the bar. 

You raised your arms in victory and the small audience went wild, some guy slinging his arm around your neck, drunkenly offering to get you and his friends another round but, given that you somewhere realised it had been a while since you’d seen Cherri and Angel and that you should meet up with them for a sec, you declined. 

Leaving the small group behind, you stumbled through the club. Fuck, you were drunk. It was quite hard to distinguish different demons from each other but eventually you managed to find Cherri, her tongue so deep down a random dude’s throat it almost seemed like she was going to swallow him whole. You snickered, unceremoniously pushing the guy off her. He gave you a very annoyed “What the fuck?!” but Cherri didn’t seem to mind, immediately pulling you in close, yelling in your ear.

“There you are, you fuckin’ bitch! You havin’ a good time? You look properly sauced!”

“I am! Have you seen our mutual friend?”

“Saw Angie go into the bathroom a while back but haven’t seen him since!”

She grinned at you, slapping you on the ass in the direction of the bathrooms.

“Go on then, fuck in the stalls! You two are so fuckin’ sloppy!”

You wanted to give a clever retort to that but before you could she had already pulled another guy into a kiss. He seemed more than eager to oblige and you laughed, putting your hands in your pockets and sauntering towards the bathrooms, weaving through the ocean of sweaty bodies and trying your best to stay on course. If it had been a while Angel was probably already somewhere else, either fucking someone or getting high off his ass, but you’d check just in case. You’d rather know he was okay and then you could get back to your own evening as well.

You opened the bathroom door with your shoulder, barely managing to avoid bumping into a couple of demons walking out. You swirled out of the way, taking a few swaying steps and moving into the bathroom, staggering to a halt. The moment the door closed, the worst of the music was drowned out and you looked at yourself in the mirror.

You looked sleep deprived and very, very drunk. Was that a bruise? When had you got that?

As you leaned in closer to inspect it, you started to pay attention to the sounds in the bathroom. About what you’d expect to hear; the muffled sounds of the music from behind the door, coming through in waves whenever it opened, a few people having a very slurred conversation at the sinks, a couple of demons clearly getting nasty in one of the stalls, straining sounds and pounding.

It took a moment for you to realise that those were not normal sex sounds. It sounded like someone was struggling and then you realised that the muffled voice you were hearing was Angel’s.

In an instant you felt your mind sober up and your skin grow cold.

You stalked up to the stall in question, grabbing the top of it and hoisting yourself up so you could see over the door. Given the nature of Hell, none of the other demons there made any attempt to stop you, either not noticing your suspicious actions or just not giving a shit.

It was exactly as you feared. Two large demons had Angel cornered, all six of his arms were restrained and they kept his mouth covered as they were about to free him from his very cute clubbing outfit. Angel was fighting them like hell but was clearly at a disadvantage as they already had him restrained. Their backs were towards you, only Angel, with his makeup smeared by their grabby claws and violent anger in his eyes, could see you. When he noticed you, his eyes widened, hope flooding them as he realised back up had arrived. He watched you, his heart pounding in his ears. He was the only one who could see the way your cautious gaze shifted into something straight from a horror movie. Vicious disgust and a slow paced hatred was evident in your eyes as you, without making a sound, very slowly, pulled yourself up further, climbing into the cubicle over the door. Your fingers and nails seemed to grow longer, dragging deep grooves in the wood of the door, it almost appeared like a dark shadow was taking over your body, an impossible number of eyes scattered in it like stars in the blackest night, you slipped into the stall behind Angel’s attackers. They had been so consumed by the young man in front of them, keeping his violent self-defence contained, that they didn’t notice you. They didn’t pay any attention to the look of horror Angel had fixed on something behind them. Not until it was too late.

“The fuck you looking at, whore?”

One of them looked around, to see you standing there, looking the way you always did, wide smile on your face, arms behind your back. 

You revelled in his confusion for a moment before you struck.

No one else outside of that stall realised what had happened. It went so quick. Your anger was like the cracking of a whip, the way it tore through you, wiping your mind clean of anything but sheer, red hot violence, and, in an attempt to release some of it, you tore into him with great satisfaction. The blood spilled out from underneath the door as you slit his throat with the scalpel you always carried on your person, and you took a big bite out of his neck for good measure, tearing the flesh with your sharp teeth and swallowing it down, the warm liquid coating your hands and your face, running down your neck onto your shirt.

The moment the first one relinquished his hold on Angel and the other’s attention was pulled away, Angel pulled out his Tommy gun, wasting not a second to litter the second assailant with bullet holes which permeated the door behind him. You could hear some demons outside of the stall scream and the sounds of one of the mirrors shattering.

It all happened in an instance of pure violence. And then it was quiet. You let out a laboured breath as both bodies slumped to the floor, almost in slow motion, and wobbled for a moment, fixing your vicious gaze on Angel. The moment your eyes met and you saw the unbridled fear in those eyes, his shaky breaths, you felt your senses return to you and your aggressive expression melted away to gentle, awkward concern. 

Fishing a napkin from the bar out of your pocket you walked up, carefully reaching out and wiping some of the blood splatters off his face. He didn’t flinch, the way you expected him to.

“I’m sorry, starlight…. About your cute outfit.”

Your mind was racing. You scared him, you must’ve. You were so fucking rash, acting on your violence and anger like there was nothing in the balance.

There was a moment of silence before Angel’s mind came back to him.

“I …..”

He chuckled.

“Ya really should use that tissue for yaself, doc…”

He lifted it from your grasp and cleaned some of the blood off your face. His expression turned more serious as he worked and you felt your heartbeat pick up as he wiped off most of the red liquid. 

He was still touching you. He wasn’t running away. 

“They caught me off guard…”

“It’s not your fault.”

He averted his gaze, his hands stopping mid-motion.

“If ya hadn’t shown up….”

“Shhh, I know….”

You gently reached up, placing a shaking, blood covered hand on his cheek and feeling him lean into it, grabbing your wrist and giving you a warm smile that made your heart immediately skip a beat.

“You okay, starlight?”

“Yeah… I’m fine now…. I just…. Thanks… for helpin’ me…. I can’t believe ya did that. That was…..”

He bit back his words. There were too many of them. Terrifying? Hot? Dangerous? Sweet? Frightening? Romantic? Scary? All of them were applicable yet none of them felt right.

You shrugged, feeling uncomfortable with his genuine gratitude.

“Like I’d let you get hurt on my watch.”

Angel swallowed, his eyes wide as he watched you drunkenly mutter those words, more to the void than to him in particular and his heart raced. You had been terrifying just now, absolutely something from a horror movie, unbridled violence to a degree that made him finally understand to some level why you and Alastor seemed to get on so well. He should be scared of you, he knew he should, and he had been for a split second as you had looked up at him, covered in blood, with that maniacal look in your eyes, but then it faded, as abruptly as it had come, for you hadn’t turned even an ounce of that violence on him. You had used it to protect him. All that unhinged, murderous energy, used in his defence. Like he got himself some kind of cryptid guard dog, a ghost story, a monster on his side. 

He wanted to stay in that thought for a bit longer, the way it felt a little romantic, in a dark, unhinged way, yet his mind immediately betrayed him by flashing images of you, taking him in that form, ravaging him. He wondered what your full demon form would look like, if you would tower over him, make him feel small in the way few down here could, those elongated claws on his body, holding him in place, nails digging into his skin, teeth on his neck, fucking him with all that violence turned into passion, just for him. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the visions and pushing them away. 

Carefully he pulled you in, his eyes locked on yours, fostering another moment of eye contact before pressing his lips to yours. You relented in an instant, gently bringing your arms around him and holding him in a way that made it seem you were scared to break him, you were being so careful. As though you were frightened some remnant of that unbridled anger would hurt him still.

He shivered. He could taste the foul, metallic blood on your tongue yet he didn’t pull back. There was an attraction to that violence, to that danger, but also a safety that he knew he was foolish for wanting.

Just a bit more.

He flushed, pulling back a little, smiling a warm smile at you, and watching you turn a little red underneath the blood spatters. As dangerous as you had looked a second ago, why did you look kind of cute now? Blushing as though you didn’t fuck on the regular and as if you didn’t just decimate some guy in a bathroom stall for him.

“Ya wanna go and find Cherri? I think it’s time we blow this joint and go somewhere else. Tha drinks here fuckin’ suck and I wanna start a fight, haven’t gotten rid of all this anger quite yet.”

You nodded breathlessly, offering him your hand as you walked out of the bathroom, leaving the other demons there to curiously inspect the source of all that blood.

“I’ll follow you.”

Chapter Text

You paused, taking another look at the text message before glancing back at the doors. This was most definitely where he had told you to go. Odd. This wasn’t one of your usual meeting spots and though you were aware that Vox sometimes switched it up to keep you on your toes, or because he wanted to fuck somewhere else, this seemed like it was an error of sorts. 

Now, you could be diligent and text him, telling him you suspected he had made a mistake but with a wide grin you realised that this gave you an opportunity to peek behind yet another door in V Tower and you were nothing if not nosy.

Opening the double doors, you were immediately met with a scene unlike any other part of the tower you had seen thus far. The lights were not too bright, there was some kind of latin music, playing softly in the background, and a sweet, enticing smell hung in the air. You could see the red smoke, curling through the room. There was something about that smoke, combined with the smell, that gave you pause for a moment, and then, finally, you could see the demon sitting on the couch, leaned back, typing away on his phone. His large moth wings were draped over the cushions behind him and he was wearing high waisted, white trousers combined with a dark button-up shirt that was cut deep enough to showcase a small chain over his chest which was, undoubtedly, attached to piercings on either side.

Interesting. Was this Valentino’s space? Definitely an error on Vox’s end then, or a very strange new game. Either way, you were eager to learn more about this man you had heard so much about.

You stepped inside, closing the doors behind you. The sound made the tall moth stir.

“Finally! You should know better than to keep me waiting when I call for you, baby. Now, get over here.”

You raised your eyebrow as you sauntered over. There was no way you were who he was expecting. From his tone it sounded like he had called someone up here and this was a classic case of mistaken identity. How entertaining.

As you came closer he briefly glanced at your clothes, frowning slightly.

“Late and didn’t even bother to wear some lingerie? Unless you’re wearing something cute underneath but I didn’t ask you for a show. Now, on your knees and get to work, we haven’t got all day and daddy wants to cum.”

Oh yeah, definitely not you who he was waiting for. 

You studied him for a moment. He hadn’t directly looked at you yet, evidently not giving enough of a shit about whoever he had called up here for a quick blowjob, so he hadn’t noticed that you were entirely the wrong demon. 

Contemplating your options for a moment, you grinned. You could tell him who you were, see what would change in his demeanour, or you could have some fun first. To be fair, you had no clue where Vox was at, waiting for you to show up, and you were already getting bored. The second option seemed rather enticing.

Apparently, you took too long glancing him over, because without looking up from his phone he gestured and a slither of red smoke wrapped itself around your neck. You didn’t have enough time to brace yourself, instead feeling the violent yank on your body making you stumble forward and fall down at his feet. Your knees hit the floor, hard, sending a wave of pain through your legs and up your spine. Satan, you were thankful for the carpet here.

This wasn’t your first rodeo with violent men though and you snickered, making him raise his eyebrow as you put your arms on his knees, resting your face in your palm and looking up at him, entertained.

“You think you could entice me without using those powers?”

Finally, he lowered his phone. His expression was a little irked, combined with confusion. What whore of his were you that you took such a tone with him?

He looked you over, studying your face before leaning in closer, taking your chin between his deft fingers. It was then that realisation seemed to hit him. You didn’t look like any of the people he employed. There was an overworked, tired, and slightly deranged quality to your presentation that would put off most of his customers. Not all of them though, least of all him as he found something enticing in those eyes. He could definitely find use for that crooked grin but fact remained that he’d remember if he had hired someone like you. 

“You’re…. Not one of mine.”

You just grinned up at him, sitting there at his feet with your arms on his knees. Took him long enough. 

After a brief moment of contemplation a wide smirk took over his face. There was an immediate shift in the air around you as he went from disinterested ownership to enticed curiosity.

You could both feel it. Something in that eye contact that held the promise of dangerous possibility. There was an unspoken, immediate fascination between you that could easily devolve into depraved, sweaty sex, right here on the floor. The anticipation of his reaction made your body feel tense as you started him down.

Thoughtfully, you bit your lip while looking him over. He was damn good looking and that smile very enticing. Hot, debased sex didn’t seem like such a bad idea, honestly. 

“Hmmm, you’re gorgeous though.. Wouldn’t mind those pretty lips on me anyway.”

You flashed your sharp teeth up at him as your smile widened. Fucking bold statement on his part. His shift in demeanour just now was so interesting and the way he looked at you, you couldn’t help but think that he was handsome. Dangerous, and vile, from what you had heard, but very good looking.

“Would you now?”

You snickered, you were bored anyway, might as well. However, you would get your kicks first. Time to see if he was down to play a bit. You did always love toying with your food.

“Alright then, beg me for it.”

He let out an amused hum, his fingers slipping off your face as he leaned back into the couch.

“Careful, baby. I might not own you but that doesn’t mean you’re in charge here.”

Cocking your head slightly, you kept your gaze trained on him. It wasn’t hard to ascertain that he was as intrigued by you as you were by him. You wanted to push him a bit, see where it would lead.

“Aw, come on, Valentino. I just want to play. You’ve got such a pretty voice, I imagine what it’ll sound like when you ask me nicely. Beg me. Play with me. ”

You purred the words at him, watching his entertained grin as he contemplated your words for a moment. You were something else, that much was for sure. Cute, in a feral kind of way. Deranged too, as though you didn’t know who you had in front of you. This might prove a much more amusing way to spend his afternoon than his original plan. He would play your little game and see how good you were at it. If you turned out to be all talk, he could always kill you after. What was the harm?

“Alright, baby, I’ll play, but if your cock sucking skills turn out not to be up to par, you and I are going to have a problem, and papi will have to teach you a lesson. Do you understand?”

“Sure….. papi .”

Now that had him salivating and he could feel his cock twitch at your words. He was getting hard. It wasn’t that you had called him that without hesitation, he got his bitches to call him daddy and papi all the time. No, it was the way you had said it. Fucking defiant yet not in the bratty way some of his whores did to please him when he was in the mood for play or taming. It almost sent a shiver down his spine as he felt the anticipation build. Genuine defiance. He wanted to fucking break you, cum all over that crooked grin. Fuck.

He leaned back in towards you, renewing his grip on your chin, pulling you up slightly until your face was right in front of his. You could see yourself reflected in his heart shaped glasses, those piercing red eyes glinting at you behind them, his gold tooth shimmering as he grinned, the warmth of his breath on your face, your lips almost touching. It made your heartbeat pick up and you gently closed your claw around his wrist, not with any intention to make him let go but to rival his demanding gesture.

Eagerly, he ran his tongue over his sharp teeth.

“Por favor, baby, treat my aching cock well. I need your mouth on me so badly. I need to see if you can make me squirm, how hard you can make me cum. Suck me off. Pleasure me, make me feel good. Please . I am begging you.”

The words were a raspy whisper that sent a heat running through you. He was good, his voice deep, gently rolling his R’s, and it made you all the more eager to find out how he had earned his spot at the top of the sex industry in Pride.

He let go of your face, satisfied smirk on his as he leaned back and casually lit up another cigarette, taking a controlled drag, watching you. The way he was looking at you was almost taunting, daring you to try and live up to your attitude. You talked the talk, now it was time to walk the walk. And you couldn’t wait.

Your grin grew wider, more eager as you shifted your weight, pulling yourself up a little by his knees and placing your hands further up his thighs, slightly digging your nails into his flesh.

He kept looking at you with that entertained smirk, wanting to see what your next move would be.

When you placed your hand on his crotch, you could feel he was hard. Not that it had been difficult to tell, the tightness of those trousers hid very little. You wondered for a moment if he had been hard already when you had come in or if he had got a little riled from the conversation just now. You couldn’t rightfully recall his state when you had entered the room. Pity.

You gingerly slid your fingers over his bulge and his eyes narrowed slightly.

“I told you to use your mouth…”

“Patience , Valentino. We have time. I’m just working under the impression that you can hold out a bit but if your stamina isn’t up to snuff….”

You shot him a cruel grin. His one good antenna twitched slightly, betraying his annoyance.

“Tread lightly, the stamina isn’t the problem, my fucking patience is and you are testing it.”

There was a sing-songy cadence to his words, sounding almost pleasant but not disguising the underlying threat.

You let out a small chuckle, amused by his demanding tone, and started unbuttoning his trousers. Time to see what you were dealing with here.

Inadvertently, you had to be intrigued when his erection sprang free. It was impressive, demonic in all the right ways, and you could easily see how having that inside you could constitute a fun ride, provided the proper prep given it’s size, especially if the owner knew how to wield what he had, and there was no doubt in your mind that Valentino knew exactly what he was doing. The piercings that adorned his shaft glistened at you and your mouth started to water.

He snickered, revelling in the way you were studying him as he slowly exhaled his smoke. Valentino was waiting for you to say the magic words, to let him know that you were impressed or even intimidated. Perhaps you’d try to back out now that you had gotten a view of what you had gotten yourself into but he wouldn’t let you. He’d coax you into it anyway, he was good at that.

To his surprise, you managed to keep your comments to yourself and though your face betrayed your admiration, you didn’t voice any concerns or praise. 

It was then that you decided to explore, leaning in and slowly, deliberately licking his full length before kissing the tip, using one hand to hold yourself in place by his thigh and the other to caress his cock. You took your time figuring him out for a bit, finding what seemed to get him going before finally committing and taking him into your mouth. Just a little bit at first, sucking the tip and slowly taking in a bit more every time, allowing yourself to relax your throat and accommodate his size in a way that wouldn’t trigger your gag reflex. 

The satisfied groan that left his lips sent a shiver over your skin and you started to move in a very controlled fashion.

“ Ahh fuck, yeah… just like that…. Keep going…..”

You could hear the entertainment in his voice but also the arousal, what you were doing was affecting him. At the same time though, you had to be impressed with his restraint and you realised that this man could easily hold out, make it last, a thought that made you heat up even more as your mind flashed with scenarios of fucking him for hours. 

You did have to wonder though, was he going to talk the whole fucking time?

A soft, amused sound escaped you and you relished in the way he moved his hips in response. His claw moved through the air, going for the back of your head, to force you on him further, but before he could you did so of your own volition, tensing your throat around him in a way that briefly made him see stars.

That was unexpected, you were reading him with much more ease than he had anticipated. This was good though. Very fucking good. You felt amazing, you clearly knew what you were doing and where he had expected a mediocre blowjob from a hot rando that had made the mistake of wandering into his space with an attitude, he was now getting more and more intrigued as he felt his eagerness build. Fuck this felt good. He wasn’t sure who you were or where you’d come from but he was sure of one thing; he wanted whatever this was for himself. Fuck you for the rest of the day and make you sign a contract at the earliest convenience. He’d find out what it would take to get you on his payroll.

Of course, he got good blowjobs all the time, he wouldn’t waste his precious time with people who didn’t know their shit but given how he had no reason to suspect the weirdo who wandered in here on a random day would be any good at it, the surprise caught him a little off guard. Some times, the right people just fell straight into his lap. In this case literally.

Two of his arms draped over the back of the couch as he let his head roll back, his wings fluttering slightly behind him, betraying how into it he was, engulfed in the pleasure, as one of his other hands now landed on the back of your head, though he was not using it the way he usually would. He didn’t need to.

You could feel the nails of his claw gently grip the back of your head every time you moved, his hand tensing in tandem as he groaned.

“You treat my cock so well, baby. Hnng fuck… don’t stop…. I’m going to cum, and you’re going to swallow it all, I’ll make sure of that.”

Your mind was feeling a little dazed and you weren’t sure if it was your own arousal, the smoke, that sweet smell in the air, or something else but you were eager to taste him, feel him unravel in your mouth. You were owed that much now and you sped up, tensing in a way that had him groaning, making his wings betray him as your tongue swirled around him. Fuck, his sounds were pretty. You could swear you could hear a faint, almost squeaking sound coming from him every once in a while. What was that?

Taking him in eagerly, you could feel each ridge on his shaft as the piercings ran over your tongue every time he pushed in, hitting the back of your throat in a way that would bruise for sure. He would feel offended at the fact that you didn’t even politely pretend to gag or struggle as a way to compliment his size, if it wasn’t for the fact that his mind was largely gone at this point. You felt so warm, so wet, providing him with the perfect amount of suction each time you bobbed your head down on him. Who the fuck were you?

You could feel him buck his hips, twitch on your tongue right before you pushed him over the edge. The claw on the back of your head moved with you as you eagerly took him in in his entirety, feeling him spill down your throat and swallowing around him, forcing another lewd moan out of him. You knew he wouldn’t allow you to pull back but you didn’t want to anyway. Fuck, this got your riled.

When he had ridden out his orgasm into your mouth, his hand slid off your head and you slowly let him slip off your tongue, teasingly running your teeth past the skin of his sensitive cock and he chuckled as you looked up at him and grinned, wiping your mouth. His hand came in, brushing your lips with the pad of his thumb as he recalled feeling them around him only a moment ago. 

“Well, well, where the fuck did you come from? That was a treat, baby.”

Slowly, like a predator with its eye set on a prey, you pushed yourself up by the hand on his thigh, coming in closer to him as he studied your every move with braced arousal.

“We could have a little more fun. Doesn’t have to be over…”

His smirk got wider.

“No, it doesn’t.”

He let you push him back into the couch, one claw wrapping around his thigh and pulling his leg up as you moved in closer, with your other hand you trailed his chest, hooking a finger under the small chain and gently tugging on it. He let out a low sound in response that had you salivating. Two of his arms draped around your neck and you grinned at each other before you simultaneously closed the distance.

His long tongue immediately invaded your mouth and you made a sound of satisfaction which, in turn, made him groan. His leg, which you had pulled up with you, wrapped around you and pulled you in closer as you made out. He didn’t hesitate to explore your mouth, wrapping his tongue around yours before pushing it deeper down your throat as through trying to feel around where his cock had been just now. Or was there another reason he kissed you that deeply?

There was something about the way he kissed you, a sweet taste to him, which you vaguely noted as the source of the smell in the room. What was that? Toxins? Pheromones? That would explain some things. You could feel the pull it had on you as you swallowed it down, like a blanket of sensual arousal, clouding your brain. It wasn't all encompassing but you could see the appeal of this high, as well as its dangers, especially to those addicted to it. And you could get addicted to it, that much was certain. Right now though, you didn’t mind. You wanted to devour this moth whole and the best part was that he would likely let you.

You both moaned and panted into the kiss as you forced it as deep as it could go, trying to taste the other in their entirety. There was nothing else, just the heat radiating from your bodies, the closeness of the other, hands grabbing and pulling. 

There was a sudden, loud clicking sound and the door to the apartment swung open as a young, beautiful demon in a very skimpy outfit stumbled in, clearly in a bit of a panic, fighting with a heel they were still in the middle of putting on.

“I am so sorry, mr. Valentino! I didn’t- … oh.”

Their eyes fell on both of you. You, hovering over Valentino, his leg wrapped around you, your one hand holding onto the chain across his chest, the other on his thigh, his hands clasping you and pulling on your clothes, the two of you looking at them.

There was a silence in which all three of you stared at each other. They clearly had no clue what to do with this new information. As far as they knew, they were in for the punishment of a lifetime but now that they were here there were a lot of unknown factors. Just how angry was Valentino still?

Valentino narrowed his eyes at them, clearly a little vexed.

“You’re late.”

“I know, sir, I am so so-”

He waved their apology away with the flick of his wrist.

“Get the fuck out. I’ll deal with you later.”

You could tell their breath stopped at that remark and you turned your attention back to Valentino.

“Hmm, didn’t I fill in well enough? I’m sure you can cut them some slack, they look so cute after all.”

He snickered, running his sharp claw over your cheek as he looked up at you. Were you really trying to bargain with him for a demon you didn’t know? Interesting.

His eyes didn’t let go of yours as he again gestured in their direction.

“Go. Before I change my mind.”

They stood there, frozen for a second, trying to make sense of what was happening, before they regained agency of their body and bolted.

“Now where were we?”

Valentino purred, his voice turning husky as he pulled you back in with the leg he had around you. Your heart was racing inside your ribcage, he looked so good.

Before your lips could meet again there was another sound and Valentino snapped.

“For fuck’s sake!”

With a dart of electricity and the sound of static, Vox appeared from the camera in the corner. He looked annoyed, glancing over the scene in front of him, but immediately conjured a charming smile as he focused his attention on you.

“There you are, sweetheart. Did you get lost?”

You pushed yourself upright, Valentino’s leg sliding off you, eliciting an annoyed “Oy!” from him.

“Not really.”

Vox’s eye twitched.

“Really? Because you’re not supposed to be here. Disturbing my business partner...”

You could hear Valentino snicker, as he buttoned his trousers back up, and you grinned.

“This is where you told me to go, though.”

He paused, raising his eyebrow at you. That wasn’t correct.

He fished out his phone and looked through your message exchange. God damnit, there it was. He had indeed told you to come here. The error made his blood boil. He had been stuck in a meeting, annoyed and impatient, knowing you were waiting for him in his room. Fuck, he had to focus so much to not get hard as he thought of the treat that was ready for him. Then, when he finally got there and you weren’t where you were supposed to be, he had checked the cameras, seeing you and Val making out on the couch.

Vox was a jealous man, always had been. The moment he wanted something he would stop at nothing to ensure it belonged to him. His tendency to be controlling played no small part in this.

Goddamnit, Valentino. He already had Angel, why did that fucking moth insist on moving in on you as well? You were his. His alone. His to fuck, his to kiss, his to show off or share if he fucking felt like it. Now, he had considered sharing you with Valentino but only on his terms, with him pulling the strings, with him watching. This, this was not how any of it was supposed to go. Fuck!

His gaze settled on you again and your wicked grin as you chuckled.

“See? I’m nothing if not good at following orders.”

Vox let out a groan at that. You and your fucking weaponised incompetence, pretending to do as you were told while clearly being perfectly aware that this was not what he had in mind. You were testing him, pushing his patience.

As this conversation unfolded, Valentino glanced from you to Vox and back before breaking out in a wide smile and getting up, swiftly taking your hand in his and leaning in.

“Ahhh so this is the one you’ve been mentioning, Voxxy? A real…. Pleasure, to be able to put a face to the name…. And the talent…. Doctor.”

His smirk was so arrogant, so seductive, as he leaned down and kissed your knuckles, winking at you as your skin was pressed to his lips. It made your heartbeat pick up again for a moment before you realised that this was also a problem. You knew that Vox and Valentino talked but the whole point of you fucking Vox was to make him think of you less, make you more of a background character in his life. If he was talking about you then you had clearly made a calculation error in his reaction to you. That was a bit annoying yet you couldn’t help but also think it was kind of fun. So he was interested, hm? More than you would’ve thought at least.

When Valentino let go of your hand, you stretched. About time for you to leave then, you had got your entertainment and you shouldn’t stay away from the Hotel for too long, lest you’d rouse suspicion.

You walked up to Vox, under his scrutinising gaze, and pressed a usb stick to his chest where he grabbed it out of reflex more than anything.

“Here’s your report on the Hotel…. Sir .”

Just as you were going to walk off, Vox seemed to snap out of it and grabbed you by the wrist, pulling you in and immediately pressing a searing kiss to your lips. It felt a little demanding and, above all, demonstrative. Valentino’s presence in the room seemed to make him feel a need to make a point out of showing him what was his.

You smiled into it as you reciprocated the kiss without hesitation, letting him pull you against him as his tongue wrapped around yours. He let a little bit of electricity seep into the kiss, likely in equal parts to chastise and entice you. The latter part was most definitely working and you gasped into it. Sometimes you forgot how good he was at this.

When he pulled back a bit, his grin was cocky.

“Who told you you’re free to go, hm?”

You returned his eager smile with one of your own and in a split second you had reversed the situation, freeing your wrist from his claw and grabbing his arm, using it to spin him around and twisting it to his back, pressing him firmly against the wall.

The startled look of confusion on his face quickly made way for one riddled with pleasure and excitement. Vox let out a heated breath as he felt his head spin and his whole body heat up. You leaned in closer over his shoulder, your mouth right next to his screen and you could feel him instinctually arch his back into your aggressive hold on him. This was clearly getting him hot.

“I have an appointment with Alastor in a bit so you get to make a choice here on what’s more important. Getting to fuck now….”

You teasingly pushed your knee between his legs, enticing a moan out of him. Your free hand trailed down his back to his ass where you squeezed, making him squirm and you grinned.

“Or the one thing you’re always aching for; access to the Radio Demon….”

Next to you, you sensed movement and you noted that Valentino was walking over, slightly swaying his hips as he held his cigarette. His smile was entertained as he looked at the two of you interact.

“Oh, I like this one, papito. They are the first one besides us to dare comment on your weird Alastor kink.”

Vox made an annoyed sound and you relinquished your hold on him, allowing him to step back and straighten his jacket, face still slightly flushed from arousal. He coughed, trying to regain his composure in the presence of Valentino and failing miserably.

“It’s not a fucking kink, Val. And that’s not why I have them around…”

“No, no, of course not, mi amor. They’re here because they suck cock like a fucking pro.”

The switch was immediate as the air around Vox filled with static and his voice changed, his left eye starting a hypnotic pattern.

“Excuse me?”

What?! Valentino had, apparently, managed to get much more than a very heated kiss from you. Seriously, knowing that the two of you had made out was already enough to get his blood boiling but this… fuck this!

Valentino ignored his threatening display with casual indifference, instead stepping up next to you and, once again, taking your chin between his thumb and index finger before forcing it open slightly and slipping his thumb inside, pressing down on your warm tongue and digging his nail in slightly.

Behind him, Vox’s anger made way for annoyed curiosity, wondering what the fuck his tall business partner was up to now. 

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t recognise a trained whore when I saw one, did you?”

You just grinned in response, gently biting down on his thumb, licking it as he slipped it out of your mouth again, satisfied and intrigued. 

Turning back around to face Vox, you flashed him an almost genuine smile.

“So, what’ll it be, boss?”

Vox groaned, rubbing the sides of his screen.

“Just fucking go, we can’t afford those losers getting suspicious.”

You nodded, walking back towards the door and hearing Vox behind you.

“Come in earlier for the next report, you have something to make up to me now.”

Not looking back, you waved as you exited the room, leaving the two men to ruminate on what had just transpired.

Valentino snickered, feeling the excitement of having a new toy bubble inside him. He was sold. You were good looking, albeit in an unusual way, and could back up all that attitude with plenty of skill, he couldn’t wait to sample all of you soon. Fuck, he was getting hard again. He leaned down, wrapping his long arms around Vox and trailing down his chest to his crotch, noting that he too was hard as a rock.

Vox watched you leave the room as Valentino pulled him backwards into him, knowing exactly how they would spend the rest of the afternoon. But the tv’s mind was on you and that comment Val had made. 

Now that was interesting and you hadn’t denied it either. Just who the fuck were you, really?

He could feel Valentino put his chin on his shoulder and the smile was audible in his voice.

“That was fun. Can’t believe you kept that all to yourself, Vox, ay that got me hard.”

Vox rolled his eyes at this.

“You were going to fuck?”

“Hm? Ah sí, claro. They proved themselves more than enjoyable and you know the way they look at you, with those eyes? Someone should get that one under a soul contract…. I’ll race you for it…. Now, hnggg come on, I have something to get rid of and so do you. I’ll treat you so well, papi. Come on.”

Teasingly, his claw dug into Vox’s crotch, making him groan. He was too riled to think properly, better accept Valentino’s offer and then figure out what to do about all this.

“Fine, let’s go.”

Chapter Text

Letting out a breath of satisfaction, you settled into the pillows. The feeling of your damp back on the sheets of Husk’s bed with the weight of the bartender in question pressing down on your body, still buried inside of you, waiting to grow soft. He was softly kissing and licking your neck, making you melt into the soft bedding. It all felt uniquely cosy.

He was always adamant about not pulling out earlier, for fear of hurting you unintentionally, despite your protestations, but it was becoming more and more clear that he was milking these moments for a cuddly connection he didn’t really know how else to ask for.

You weren’t a particularly cuddly person, mostly because no one in your time alive had ever truly taken the time to show you how nice that could be. That it could be safe and not just a prelude to something else. You always felt too antsy, too mobile to sit still for soft touches, unless you were high or helping someone else through something. Husk was aware of this, and the fact that he could use his barbed appendage to his advantage gave him the perfect excuse to keep you close for a while.

There were even moments you got the impression he was purposely trying to retain an erection for a bit longer, just so he could keep you there. It had taken a while for you to become comfortable with it, but you were able to allow these moments to last a little longer every time. You weren’t sure why, but being with Husk was comfortable somehow.

One day, he would get you to actually sleep in his bed, the full night, holding you close to him. In lieu of an actual, committed relationship, he would take any of these connected moments he could. After all, he wasn’t even sure if he deserved a relationship, if he wasn’t too broken himself for one of those, but he could dream of keeping you closer. Just had to work you up to these things. Too much too fast and you retreated behind that cruel grin and carefree attitude that was designed to keep people at bay. He wondered where you had got so hurt and how it had become so easy for you to give to others what you wouldn’t accept for yourself.

You could feel his deep, steady purring reverberate from his chest to yours and he nuzzled your neck, rubbing his head against your skin as you chuckled and ran your claws through his fur, trailing up and caressing his ear. He closed his eyes as he relished in the sensation. 

With a grin, you leaned in, kissing his sensitive, soft ear and feeling him shudder before deciding on chaos and following it up with a bite. 

Immediately, you could feel him jolt and stir inside you, making you snicker.

“Ow! What the fuck was that for?”

“Hmm, you just look so edible.”

“You got a weird fixation with bitin’.”

“Ha! You’re one to talk, if you could, you’d have your fangs in my neck the entire time while you pounded into me….. Which, you know, I wouldn’t mind.”

You grinned at him.

“On that note, you want to go again?”

He propped himself up a little to look at you and rolled his eyes.

“No, I don’t.”

“Aww c’mon….Live a little, hm? Fuck me, daddy~!”

His expression immediately soured.

“For fuck’s sake, if you’re goin’ to act like Angel, I’m leavin’.”

He glanced you over, that wide grin on your face, and he sighed.

“You’re too good at that, you know.”

“Why? ‘Cause it got you a little heated, even though you’re not even remotely into that?”

“No, ‘cause whenever you do somethin’ sexual your heart ain’t in, you get this fuckin’ look on your face.”

He paused, shooting you a knowing glance.

“How long were you in the trade for?”

Your expression turned curious as you draped your arms around his neck, gently running your fingers through his hair as you studied the way he was eyeing you.

“That’s interesting. Funny that you’re the first one to figure that out, as opposed to someone else here whom I have been sleeping with for longer.”

His grin betrayed his pride, clearly satisfied that his reading of you had been correct.

“Yeah, but the reason for that’s easy.”

“How so?”

His eyes found yours again, and his gaze turned more serious.

“Angel looks up to you. He couldn’t fathom that the fancy doctor he thinks has their shit together could ever have somethin’ in common with him. He’s so fuckin’ used to seein’ himself as the bottom of the barrel that he’s blind to it when others might be more like him than he thought.”

That…. Was an impressive read. 

“Not too shabby, doctor bartender. I knew you cared for him.”

“I care that he’s in a shit situation but he’s so fuckin’ fake all the time, I can’t be arsed about the rest of him.” 

You pulled him down slightly, running your tongue over his lips.

“You could, if you gave him a chance. That is really sexy though, you reading people like that…. Y’know, now I might have to entice you for real.” 

He snickered at that.

“Heh, you better pull out somethin’ better than that old ‘daddy’ schtick because that ain’t ever gonna work.” 

“What, you want me to try for real?” 

“Give it a whirl, see if you got what it takes, hm?”

Oh, a challenge. 

Accepted.

Tightening your arms around his neck, you pulled him in closer, so his face was buried against your neck again and his ear was right next to your lips.

Running your fingers through his fur, your touch dancing across his shoulder blades, down his spine, feeling him shift into it, thriving under your touch, you started to whisper in his ear.

“We should go out gambling together, somewhere big, somewhere fancy, I’ll wear something classy but revealing, you’ll wear a nice fucking suit. Fuck, you look so hot in a suit… I want to watch you play all the suckers in that establishment and in the final big match, as you stand to win it all with an excellent hand, I want to suck you off underneath the table, without anyone there knowing. See if you can keep that poker face as I make you cum into my mouth….. and then, you’ll fuck me right there on the table, surrounded by your winnings….” 

You could feel his breath hitch and the smile against your skin as he kissed your neck.

“Now you’re talkin’.” 

Relinquishing your hold on him, you allowed him to come back up, sharing a moment of eye contact before his lips met yours. You moaned into his mouth, wrapping your legs around him and pulling him in, feeling him groan as his rough tongue caressed yours, his claws coming around your frame and holding you close as you made out.

When you finally broke apart, both a little out of breath, he smiled, pressing his forehead against yours and kissing the tip of your nose, making you chuckle.

“I’m surprised though… that you didn’t realise that about Angel. The way he looks at you, it’s so obvious.”

You made a huffing noise, rolling your eyes. You were hoping to get him back into it, get another round of hot sex out of him but instead he decided to insult your observation skills. Dick.

“That’s not fair. You’re the bartender. People are open around you in a way they aren’t around their doctor because with their doctor they know they’re being profiled. With you, they forget. Besides, I’d like to think I’ve got a pretty good fucking grasp on everyone around here. Thank you very much.”

He made a gruff sound of disbelief.

“Alright then, smartass MD. What have you unearthed about me?” 

Immediately, you could feel an excitement stir. You were not one to turn down a challenge and humbling Husk sounded like a lot of fun after the sound of dismissal he had just made.

“Ohh, old man, you sure you want to go there?” 

“Yup, hit me with it. But if you’re wrong, you’re payin’ up.” 

“Deal.” 

You took your time to look him over for a moment, studying the slightly arrogant way he was glancing down at you, wondering what you were going to bring up.

“I think that, when you jerk off-”

He groaned.

“Ugh, why do you gotta immediately turn it into a sex thing?”

“Shut up, I’m not done.”

Husk gestured with his claw, annoyed, and you continued.

“I think, when you jerk off, you think about us together.”

A short laugh escaped him.

“Like that’s an impressive deduction. The sex is fuckin’ hot and you’re beautiful. You gotta do better than that.”

You ignored him, wide grin on your face as you continued, unbothered.

“- and I think that you get off to the gentle stuff, the times we cuddled, as often if not more than to the mind blowing sex. In fact, I’d wager the majority of your fantasies are about sappy shit like that.” 

Husk’s demeanour immediately changed as his eyes widened, and he flushed. As in control and cocky as he had looked a moment ago, he now looked like he had been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

You shrugged as you laughed.

“Hey, you asked for it.”

A grumble as he pulled out, feeling suddenly self conscious, leaving you with a very empty sensation.

“Get that smug fuckin’ grin off your face.”

With a snicker, you pushed him over, lying down on top of him. He was so soft and comfortable, feeling his breathing underneath you.

“Aww, you want to cuddle about it?”

“Shut the fuck up….”

You laughed, burying your face against his chest, breathing in his wonderful scent as he slowly relented. A soft smile crept over his face as his claw gently came to rest on your bare back, tracing your skin with his nails.

He silently wondered what this meant. You clearly knew he wanted more than just sex. Apparently, he had been way too obvious about that lately. That was on him for being so careless. But how much had you deduced exactly? Had you just figured out that he was secretly a softy at heart who liked the gentle stuff as much as the rough sex, or had you reached a conclusion about something altogether much deeper than that? There was no way he could ask you about any of this, though. He wouldn’t know how.

He shifted as he felt you stir on top of him, propping your chin on your hands atop his chest and grinning at him.

“Don’t fuckin’ look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

His claw traced up your spine, making you shiver as he grabbed you by the back of your neck and pulled you in but instead of kissing you, like you expected, he instead nuzzled your neck, licking the sensitive skin and placing a few kisses.

“Mmm….”

You arched your back slightly, letting your head roll back, and he eagerly continued, scattering kisses and licks over your neck, down your collarbone, where he grazed you with his fangs, to your chest.

“Fuck, you got me losin’ my common sense every time you make those fucking noises.”

He peeled back a little to look at you, bringing his claw from the back of your neck to cup your face and you leaned into the gesture.

“You’re so goddamn beautiful.”

“Hmm, want to show me exactly how much you appreciate all this?”

He groaned.

“Careful, don’t make me go down on you again. You know by now the lid I have on my self-control ain’t all that.”

His other claw slid between you, caressing the inside of your thigh and the bruised, likely still slightly bleeding, bite mark he had placed there earlier. You let out a moan at the suggestion. You loved it when Husk did that, the texture of his tongue adding to the thrill and the fact that he had a poor lid on his passion where you were concerned got you so hot.

“But I love watching you lose control.”

A gruff noise escaped him.

“Yeah, I know. A little too much. You’re a goddamn lunatic.”

“True, but you enjoy that.”

“Unfortunately, I do.”

Your lips found their way back to each other, and you gingerly wrapped your arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as you eagerly licked at his tongue.

It was at this moment there was a sharp knock on the door and the muffled sound of a chipper voice right behind it.

“Husker, my good friend! Though I wouldn’t want to intrude on your sleeping habits, I do have a bit of an errand I’d like you to run before Charlie starts her little ‘show and tell’ for the day. So chop-chop!”

Husk made a hissing noise, followed by a low growl and you snickered, quickly running your tongue over his lips again before whispering.

“Al seems put off by the sexual stuff. Want me to make some noise?”

In response, his claw quickly covered your mouth, clearly mortified at the thought that you would do so, with or without his blessing, just for your own entertainment. Aw, he knew you so well.

“Yeah, Al, I’ll eh…. I’ll be out in a sec.”

You just giggled, licking his palm as Alastor’s footsteps receded down the hallway again. The hand on your face gently sliding down again as Husk groaned.

“Ugh, fuck me.”

“I mean, I could.”

“Don’t get clever now.”

He seemed disappointed and though you were intending on teasing him further, you decided against it, instead kissing him again, lingering for a moment, before you both got up. 

Husk freshened up and left with Alastor shortly after and you snuck back to your own room, undetected as it was still early, and hopped into the shower.

You weren’t going to join Charlie’s ‘show and tell’ today. You had some files to put together, notes to complete, and she had assured you she would be fine without your supervision. It was just to get to know each other a bit better.

So, you retreated to your office for the better part of the day until there was a knock on your door.

“Come in.”

Putting the papers down, you looked up as the door opened and Niffty darted in, holding a plate of food.

“Hi doc! I brought your food. You should eat, you know.”

She climbed on top of your desk so she could grab you by your collar and pull you in.

“If you don’t eat, you won’t be able to keep up with me.”

You snickered.

“Thanks and yeah, you’re right.”

“I know!”

She sounded chipper as she sat down on your desk, her legs dangling off the edge on your side, swaying as she watched you put the papers away and start eating. Fuck, that was good.

The two of you chatted as you ate.

“So, how was the ‘show and tell’? Did I miss anything?”

“Oh yes! Angel showed a most entertaining movie about him with a very bad boy, said something about some bitch named Tiffany, and then him and Husk got into a fight about the quality of the movie, Husk spilled everyone’s secrets, ‘cept mine of course, he knows better! And then Angel got called into work and Charlie went after him to talk to his boss.”

You raised your eyebrow at her, amused, curious smile on your lips as she played with her hair, seemingly unaware of all the implications of what she just said.

“Jesus, I miss one fucking session.”

Pondering her words as you swallowed down the last bite, you realised just how much must’ve been tousled just now. If Charlie really went to talk to Valentino, that could only end up badly. Sounded like you might need to talk to her about abusive men. In her desperation to help people, she might just doom all of them.

Leaning back in your chair, you stretched.

“Thanks for the food. It was incredible.”

“I know!”

She giggled and her look turned flirtatious.

“I can’t believe we’re alone like this. I do need a health check-up but I don’t know if I should trust you. Please, do nothing untoward, doctor.”

“Like you wouldn’t be more than excited to punish me if I tried.”

You mirrored her grin and she giggled.

“You see right through me, doc! You done?”

“Hm? Yeah. I’ll walk with you, see if Charlie is back from her suicide mission and ask how that went.”

“Oh? You don’t think that has gone well?”

“Nope, though I doubt she bore the brunt of it.” 

You took your plate and mug with you as Niffty hopped beside you, telling you all about her ongoing war with the roaches in the parlour, a fight she had yet to make any significant ground on.

Laughing, you put the dirty dishes in the kitchen before returning to the parlour with Niffty, where you found Charlie on the couch, looking miserable.

You lit up a cigarette as you looked her over and sat down in one of the large chairs.

The moment you were about to speak up, the front door opened and Angel walked in. He looked like hell, one black eye and purposely not looking at Charlie on the couch, instead making a beeline for the bar, telling Husk to make him a strong fucking drink.

You listened to their interaction as Angel was clearly trying to get a rise out of Husk with Husk telling him off, for the flirting, for the attitude, for being so fucking ‘fake’. After some bickering, that final comment was enough to make Angel snap. He flung glass at Husk as he yelled how he should be fucking flattered he was coming onto him, referring to his monetary worth. 

With a sigh, you exhaled your smoke, watching Angel storm out and nearly knocking Vaggie to the floor in the process. Angel’s outburst made you ache for him, the way he talked about himself, clearly believing the lie that his body was a commodity, that he was a desirable, a toy, a plaything. His only worth was what he brought in in cold, hard cash. His personhood held nothing of interest.

You slowly got up as Vaggie interrogated Husk on what had transpired before, not so subtly telling him to go after Angel with Charlie chiming in that he should just make sure he was okay and that things at the studio hadn’t gone well.

Husk looked up, catching your eye and you raised your eyebrow, nodding towards the front door and he groaned, annoyed and reluctantly setting out to find Angel in some seedy dive.

You let out a sigh as you circled back to your chair, sitting down as Charlie let herself fall back onto the couch before making space for Vaggie next to her..

“So, talk me through what happened at the studio, Charlie.”

Her eyes hesitantly found yours and she swallowed, immediately feeling the tears well up but your expression seemed more curious than accusatory and she found herself explaining what had transpired, hiccuping and stammering her way through as her emotions spiralled a bit beyond her control. Vaggie gently rubbed her back as the words came out.

You just listened, smoking your cigarette and nodding along, encouraging her to keep talking.

“I …. I feel like I fucked it all up. I was just trying to be more assertive.”

Extinguishing the bud, you repositioned yourself.

“You meant well.”

“Yeah, but Angel got hurt because of me.”

“Sometimes our best intentions aren’t enough to save someone. Sometimes, they have to want to be saved and sometimes, they have to do it themselves, and all you can do is provide support.”

“I don’t understand it though…. It wasn’t Valentino who sent me away, he was polite to me the entire time, albeit a little…. creepy…. It was Angel who told me to go…”

Her voice trailed off as she recalled the way he had looked at her, the hurt, the anger. Telling her it was her fault, that she just made things worse.

You smiled.

“I can explain something to you, but first, can you go back to that exact moment that he told you off?”

Vaggie shot you a slightly angry look.

“Is that really necessary, doc? She literally just explained the whole thing and that wasn’t easy.”

Charlie’s hand covered Vaggie’s on her lap.

“It’s okay, I can try…. Why?”

“If you can, please tell me. When he was telling you to leave, were his eyes on you the whole time?”

At this, the princess frowned slightly, thinking back to the chaos of that afternoon before slowly shaking her head.

“No….. No, I think…. At some point, he looked to Valentino.”

“Do you know why?”

“No.”

“Because he was looking for approval. Abusers are a particular breed, Charlie. They come in variety of flavours but most of them use the same playbook. One of the things they’ll always try to do is isolate their victims.”

“But it was Angel-”

“Yes, after Valentino told him to send you away. I dare to bet that he either threatened your safety or that our friendly spider just felt scared he might try something. You told us he was scared when you came into the studio, sure that had to do with his own safety, but also yours.”

“I’m the princess of Hell….”

“Charlie, that doesn’t matter. To a victim, the abuser is the most dangerous, scary, and addictive thing there is. Their entire world, and that is by design. Being an abuser’s victim is a complex situation because you are constantly being taken advantage of, gaslit, manipulated. At some point, you believe you are at fault for all the bad things that happen to you. After the hurt comes the love again, even if it’s just a crumb. It’s a constant push and pull and the promise of affection, that was abundant in the beginning of the relationship, keeps people hooked enough to endure the pain because ‘that’s not really them’.”

“That is horrible!”

You smiled.

“So, when he told you to leave, that you were making things worse, there were multiple things happening. He was scared, for you, for him. He was hurting and probably felt like you made it worse, but above all, I believe, he thought he was protecting you.”

Charlie let out a shaky sigh, and you stretched.

“He knows you want to help, Charlie. He just doesn’t know how to accept that help yet. It’s difficult to believe you deserve something like that, after being treated the way he has. But he’ll get there, you know. If you keep believing in him.”

At those words, a new fire took over her eyes, and she smiled through her tears.

“I’ll never stop believing in him!”

“Then I think he’ll be alright.”

She shot you a watery smile and, next to her, Vaggie gave you an approving nod as she let the words sink in. She still had her doubts about you, but that little speech just now made her at least feel a little more at ease about your position here at the Hotel. Seems that title was not just for show.

After talking some more, now with a stiff drink and a fresh cigarette for you, the three of you looked up when the door to the Hotel opened and you could hear Angel and Husk talk and laugh as they walked in. You felt an immediate wave of relief crash through your chest and you smiled to yourself. 

Well done, you idiots. Welcome home.

Charlie didn’t waste a second to run up, wrapping her arms tightly around Angel and starting a teary apology before he cut her off, his slender hand on her head as he told her it was alright, and thanked her…. For caring.

That sent the waterworks running and Angel quickly handed the princess over to Vaggie who stated that it was about time for her to go to bed as behind them Husk and Angel agreed to get a drink.

You got up and stretched, walking over to them when Husk gestured for you to join and you made a beeline towards Angel, gently taking his chin between your thumb and index finger, turning his head as you inspected his black eye.

“Hmm, let’s go sit at the bar. I’ll get you something for that eye.”

He flushed a little, swallowing before shooting you a soft smile.

“And somethin’ ta help me sleep?”

“Yeah, alright, come on. I’ll make you some tea. You can have it with the drink Husk’ll make.”

“Tea?!”

“Oh, trust that when I make you bedtime tea, it’ll knock you the fuck out. I’ll raid Niffty’s cupboards for valerian and other herbs I’ll need and deal with her fury tomorrow. But first, let’s put some ice on that eye of yours, hm?”

You started ushering Angel towards the bar and glanced over your shoulder at Husk, shooting him a wide smile and an approving nod before turning back to Angel.

As the two of you walked away, talking and laughing, Husk trailed behind you, a soft, distant smile on his face. Next to him, Niffty ran up, clearly on her way to bed, tugging on his trousers.

When he looked down, she gave him a curious, wide-eyed stare.

“So? What did you say to him to make him come back? He was so angry when he left!”

Husk let out a short, gruff laugh, watching you hold the ice pack you had just retrieved from behind the bar to Angel’s face as you joked and the two of you snickered before you looked over to Husk, giving him another smile that told him he’d done right by Angel, by himself, and by you tonight. A warm feeling spread through his chest as he watched you.

“Nothin’..... just somethin’ a dangerous lunatic told me once, when I really needed to hear it.”

Chapter Text

It felt like being home, despite not really ever having had one of those. Like what you expected home should feel like. The way you had envisioned truly only once before, ages ago, in the nearness of someone else.

Angel’s grasp on you was soft, two of his arms casually draped around your neck as he was seated in your lap on the bed of your room, facing you. With two of his other hands, he held your wrists, keeping your hands suspended and preventing you from touching him as his tongue gently explored your mouth.

Until a moment ago, he had been painting his nails in your room and, after finishing and deciding he still wanted to continue, he had done yours as well. You had allowed it to happen, watching with a soft, entertained grin as he worked with focused diligence. He would not let you ruin his work, though, so when casual chatting had led to shared looks and then soft kissing, resulting in him climbing onto your lap to give him better access, he had to restrain your hands. You were far too keen to hold him close and ruin the honestly impeccable application.

Both of you had your eyes closed and your minds quieted. There was no outside world, no worries, no Hell, just the soft touches of the lips of the other, the brushing of their tongue, entirely lost in each other.

You smiled into it as you gently nibbled his lower lip and felt him sigh into it. When he made a small noise, somewhere in between a hum and a warm giggle, you pulled back a little. That specific sound stirred something inside you, a lingering memory of something usually so expertly pushed down but now came to the surface in a natural calm as though it was supposed to be there. Keeping your eyes closed, you pressed your nose to his.

“Are you okay, sunshine?”

“What?”

You immediately opened your eyes, being met with the slightly flushed but mostly confused face of Angel, and you felt your cheeks heat up. Oh fuck.

You swallowed before shooting him a grin, trying to salvage the situation but it was clear the damage had been done. Goddamn you and your big fucking mouth.

It was obvious he knew. He knew your mind had drifted to someone else and you had spoken without checking yourself. After all, you called him ‘starlight’. Equally tacky though perhaps equally sincere. There were times you’d call him a more standard nickname, like ‘baby’ or ‘sweetheart’, but, usually, it was ‘starlight’. That was his. So who the fuck was ‘sunshine’? 

He softly chewed his lip as he watched you think. Was he going to speak his thoughts out loud? Better not, that would make this far too close for comfort. It would be like admitting that he felt any type of way about it. Perhaps you were just trying out a new nickname for him? He was better off not knowing the truth. Better off keeping that distance. He was a fool for how close he’d been wanting to get anyway.

He climbed off your lap. He didn’t want to seem offended or hurt, but he was. You fucked other people, he knew that, so did he, so why did this sting? Had it been the loving tone in which you said it? That he wanted that tone to be his and his alone? How fucking stupid. 

Angel’s expression suddenly shifted as he made a decision, giggling, giving you a playful shove, and you shot him a hesitant smile before he started rambling about his plans for the day. A little too fast and a little too loud. You let out a small breath. He wasn’t going to address it.

He was trying so hard to play it off and you felt your stomach turn as you watched him. You wanted to say something to make him feel better but…. Were you ready to talk about this part of your past? Perhaps this was better. 

It’s just because he reminds me of her.

That’s all.

This isn’t about him.

But somewhere, you knew that lie didn’t hold up as well as it once had. 

There was a small part of you that wondered if you had spoken the other nickname on purpose, to sabotage whatever this was, but you pushed that thought away like all the others. It didn’t matter. It had been too comfortable until now, too safe. This warmth wasn’t for degenerates like you and you should shun him, to keep him safe. You had to deny him and ignore the hold he had on your soul.

So why did you want to tell him?

Your eyes found his, and you leaned in, putting your hand on his and watching him stop his monologue. He looked at you, a hesitant yet slightly expectant expression on his face, and you were about to open your mouth when your phone rang. It startled both of you and after some flustered fumbling you answered, immediately recognising Rosie’s voice.

“Hello, doll, am I glad to get a hold of you! I know you and Alastor were going to come over after that darling radio segment but I got an unexpected guest for dinner, you know how it is. I’ll have you both over again real soon but I got to- … Oh quit your snivelling, you pathetic man. I’m talking to a friend, you know, you’re being very rude!”

You let out a chuckle.

“It’s alright, Rosie, I’ll let Alastor know when I head over.”

“Ohh thank you, you’re a marvel!”

“Enjoy your guest.”

“Always do!”

And with that, the line disconnected. It was a good thing she had called too; you needed to get ready if you were going to show up at Alastor’s tower at the agreed upon time. You knew he usually set the meeting time a little earlier as, if it wasn’t for your patients, you were not known for your punctuality, but even so, you didn’t want to keep him waiting. Especially since you wanted nothing more than to not be near Angel right now.

When you looked up, you noticed the spider in question had got up from the bed, stretching and gathering his stuff. He was about to leave when he turned around, shooting you a bit of an awkward smile, which you sheepishly reciprocated. For a brief moment, he hesitated. He wanted to kiss you but… He took a deep breath and instead just said he’d see you later and left your room, leaving you feeling defeated and hollow on the bed.

It took a few minutes for you to compose yourself again and you got up as well, dragging your feet towards the bathroom to get ready.

By the time you made your way up to the tower, you had regained your regular attitude. This was probably all for the best. Being around someone like Al was where you belonged. Monsters among monsters. You had got far too mushy lately. A day with him would sort that right out. Perhaps you could cause some mischief together, share another hunt. Anything to take your mind off the way Angel had looked at you when he had realised and the manner in which your non-existent heart had broken in that moment. You always knew how to ruin anything that might bring you genuine happiness. It was such a frail thing, after all, better to not have it at all than to have to watch it break, the way it always did. 

Whoever said ‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’ was a fucking moron. It wasn’t better at all. You could attest to that. It was not like you felt anything for Angel, of course, but better to make sure that could never happen, so it wouldn’t turn out like last time. To be safe. To keep him safe.

You conjured your wicked smile as you knocked on Alastor’s door and, after a brief pause, it opened and you sauntered in. There was a soft, peppy jazz tune coming from the record player in the corner, providing a nice ambience. He gestured you over with a wide grin, already having the coffee at the ready and a piece of paper in front of him, which he handed you with a greeting. The talking points for the segment today.

The two of you were going to discuss the concept of ‘redemption’ and your thoughts on that process as a psychiatrist, as a way of getting more sinners to hear about the project. A little while back, he had hosted Charlie, which had gone quite well though you doubted many sinners actually listened to what she had to say. Alastor had reach though, and you were somewhat surprised to find he was using his own favourite medium to promote the Hotel and Charlie’s endeavours. That man surely had something up his sleeve.

With a grin you accepted the cup of coffee he slid your way and you looked over the paper, studying the words on it as you took a sip of the dark, bitter liquid.

“Oh, by the by, Rosie just called to say she can’t join later. So we’ll postpone dinner.”

“Hm…”

You looked up, noting the slight change in his expression. He clearly liked Rosie, that much was certain, and you could see why.

“Well,” 

He stated, resolutely, as his big smile returned to its normal position.

“That makes it just the two of us today, my dear.”

“Sure seems that way. You got a plan?”

“We shall do the radio segment and then we shall see. Perhaps we could just go for a leisurely stroll, hm?”

“Sounds good, Al.”

He directed a wide, toothy grin your way, and you returned the favour. 

Once the coffee was depleted and you had gone over the talking points, the light in his tower changed and you both went on the air.

Talking to Alastor came naturally. You liked him and you enjoyed spending time with him. There were a lot of ‘What are your professional thoughts on this?’-type of questions that he fired at you, covering everything from the idea of the Hotel and Charlie’s approach to the very concept of redeemability, clearly aiming to use your degrees to lend credence to the concept of the Hotel and you were only happy to oblige. Not to mention that the discussions and back and forth with him were fun. He was a great conversationalist and an excellent radio host, making you feel comfortable yet keeping you on your toes with pointed questions.

The two of you talked and laughed as you, as professionally as possible, answered his questions, maintaining a realistic yet hopeful stance on the whole idea which he seemed to appreciate.

When the red broadcasting light went off again and the two of you were no longer on the air, he stretched and smiled at you.

“That was wonderful, darling. Thank you for your time.”

“My pleasure. I’ve never been on the radio before. I see why you like it.”

He snickered.

“Don’t start flattering now.”

“I mean it. You seem in your element here.”

“Why thank you.”

He got up with a flourish, twirling his microphone cane and extending his hand.

“Ready for that walk?”

“Absolutely, and we can get coffee in town. My treat.”

You let him pull you up and with a grin you added.

“Let’s spend Vox’s money.”

At this he laughed as the two of you left the Hotel and walked into town, your arm interlocked with his.

Strolling through the park after finishing your coffees, you glanced at him. He had that relaxed, half-lidded smile on his face that always made you think he was either high as shit or just mentally miles away. Neither ever seemed to be truly the case though, as he was maintaining the conversation with his regular, chipper attitude, and you had concluded a while ago that this was just the way he looked when he was at ease.

Time to rattle the cage a little.

“So, Al, you wanna tell me about what you learned a while back, when you were in charge of Pen’s eggs?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t ‘hmmm’ me, you went to the overlords meeting, right? What did you learn?”

“Oh, the meeting was cut short.”

“That is not an answer.”

He grinned.

“No, it is not.”

“So something happened?”

“That is for me to know and for you to keep guessing about.”

You chuckled.

“Alright then. Different topic, do you instead wish to tell me about your seven-year absence? Or how that is the same time Charlie’s mom has been reportedly gone?”

His gaze was fixed on eternity as he smiled ahead, continuing to walk with you at that same leisurely pace, ignoring the sinners who hastily made way for you both, scared to cross the radio demon.

“You are a curious little thing, are you not?”

“I sure am. And you know you like me so you must be bursting to tell me things.”

He snickered at your teasing, expectant grin. It was nice that you were always very up front, and not just to him. For someone who enjoyed playing games and whose field was literally psychology, you didn’t play a lot of mind games. You were surprisingly honest in your depravity, which he considered a breath of fresh air.

“Enjoyable, though I do think I’ll leave you in the dark on that for a while longer as well. Keep guessing though. I do so love the theories.”

“And the attention.”

He shot you a glance from the corner of his eye and the two of you laughed as you exited the park and started on a journey down one of the main roads. You didn’t really have a plan, other than perhaps taking some poor soul apart as you still had some lingering frustration to get rid off, but for now you just let Alastor lead the way, he seemed to have an idea where he was going or, at the very least, his confident strides seemed to suggest as much.

When you were almost at the centre of town, you took a turn only to be confronted with a large group of people on the other side of the road, flashing cameras, all yelling their questions at a figure at the centre of the group. The two of you ignored it and just continued on your way. That was until.

“Well, well, look who it is. If it isn’t the radio demon himself. What are you doing showing your face all the way out here, Alastor? Don’t you have a failure of a Hotel to run? Playing bellhop?”

Now there was a voice you instantly recognised.

Alastor made a small, static-like sound, as he came to a halt and conjured a cruel smile on his face, turning to watch Vox emerge from the group of paparazzi, his hands in his pockets and with a casual saunter that did nothing to diminish the interested grin he had fixated on Alastor.

“Why, hello there, Vox. Fancy meeting you out here. Are you sure you can be away from your charger this long?”

The way those two looked at each other left no room for doubt. There was a lot of history there, and you couldn’t help but wonder exactly what that could be.

The eyes on the screen finally tore away from Alastor and came to rest on you as he made his way over. He still kept enough of a distance, definitely not coming within an arm’s length. The smile he directed towards you was captivating, filled with intent and mutual understanding, like sharing a secret. It was a little hot, you couldn’t deny that.

“Who is this then?”

You shot him an entertained grin, this was fun. Vox, pretending that he didn’t know you, despite that hunger in his eyes that you could identify with ease. Alastor, pretending that he wasn’t well aware of your involvement. You, pretending that you weren’t a double agent in this scenario. How amusing.

His smirk was cocky as he looked at you. There you were, next to his nemesis, and the fool didn’t even know you were his. You reported to him. Fuck, it got him riled, knowing that he had one up on Alastor here. He wished he could rub it in, reveal that you worked for him, fucked him, belonged to him, but he had to remain composed, in charge. That day would come eventually and Alastor would look a fool. Now that got him excited at the prospect. He couldn’t wait to fuck you on that day. It would be so fucking hot.

As you looked at Vox, sharing that look that made your heart race a little and noting the intent gaze he had fixed on you, with a halo of camera flashes behind him, a feeling of surprise washed through you when you felt an arm snake around you and Alastor pulled you in closer by the small of your back, his gaze never letting go of Vox, immediately eliciting an annoyed look from the tv demon, making his grin widen.

A wave of interested noises went through the crowd of paparazzi behind Vox and the flashing of their cameras intensified. 

“Why would you wish to know, Vox? After all, that ‘little Hotel’ is none of your business. So neither are its inhabitants”

It was Vox’s turn to make a static sound, although he did his best to compose himself.

“Where have your manners gone, Alastor? Did they stay behind on your vacation? I’m only asking who this is.”

His eyes settled back on you again, but there was something inquisitive about his stare now. No longer the ‘we are in cahoots’ look, but a question at the centre, wondering what exactly you were to Alastor.

You felt the red-clad demon next to you pull you in slightly closer and, now that you had a moment to digest what was happening, you realised exactly what he was doing. Alastor enjoyed driving Vox up the wall and he knew the two of you were sleeping together by now so what better way to piss him off than by laying his own claim, publicly, in a way he knew Vox couldn’t dispute without ruining his plans and exposing the truth?

With a grin, you let yourself lean against him, just enough to make his earlier action feel natural, like you did this all the time.

“This here is the Hotel’s doctor.”

You pressed your head slightly into Alastor’s shoulder as you glanced at Vox.

“Nice to meet you, mr. Vox.”

Vox narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth as his eyes flickered to Alastor’s hand on you and the way you seemed to casually lean into the gesture. There was no way… was there? Fucking hell, if you were involved with Alastor…. 

His initial reaction was anger, jealousy, a possessive rage at the sight of you two being so casually close but then it shifted as the true possibilities started floating up through the red. The details he could get from you, the access. It was perfect. He would fuck you so good you would accidentally scream his name while you were in bed with the radio demon. The thought almost made him giggle with excitement, but he managed to push it down.

“A pleasure…”

“Well then!”

Alastor sounded chipper as he focused his attention on you and you had to admit, that soft smile he shot your way looked kind of good on him.

“My darling, I think it’s time we take our leave. I have a surprise for you in store.”

He used his index finger to playfully hold your chin up for a moment, ensuring you were looking at him and you grinned, doing nothing to hide the soft flushing of your cheeks at the gesture. It was hot and he knew damn well how this must look.

“Of course…deer.”

His gaze turned amused, and he snickered, taking a moment to look you in the eye before glancing back at Vox with an expression of pure disinterest.

“If you’ll excuse us.”

Vox was nearly fuming at the dismissal as Alastor coaxed you along with him, down the street. Once you were well out of sight, in a part of town that wasn’t as heavily policed by the cameras, he started laughing, as did you.

“What the fuck was that, Al?”

He snickered.

“That cheap picture box had it coming. His face was absolutely priceless! I do hope you don’t mind the sudden shift in tactics.”

“Not at all. It was funny as hell, though there were a lot of vultures there that got photos. Don’t want to even consider what the gossip magazines will say tomorrow.”

He shrugged with a chuckle.

“Let them! If they think I am taken, I might finally have some peace and quiet in that regard.”

You glanced at him.

“I doubt that…. Wait, you would want those kinds of rumours?”

“No, I am saying I wouldn’t mind them. Being in my position means attention, and that includes attention from those with sexual advances that I can’t say I particularly care for.”

You made a noise, and he looked at you.

“Seriously doubt those types of rumours will save you. To most here, monogamy of any kind doesn’t mean shit and people are very willing to cheat but, if you want, I’m happy to play along. I’ll be your shield in that regard.”

“Thank you, darling.”

“You’re welcome, my deer.”

He let out an amused laugh.

“I thought I called you ‘dear’.”

You smirked.

“No, Al, not ‘dear’, ‘deer’, D-E-E-R.”

He paused for a moment, grinning as he stared ahead and chuckling.

“Oh, how clever!”

You looked down when you felt a buzzing in your pocket and you lifted out your phone to find you had a text message from Vox.

Ditch bambi and come find me at the tower. Seeing you just now got me rock fucking hard.

Attached was a picture, showing the bottom part of his screen with a wide, dripping grin only partially in frame. The photo was angled down, his shirt hanging open over his torso, cyan claw on the obvious bulge in his trousers. 

With a smile, you tapped the side of your phone, thinking of a reply before typing it out.

Nope, don’t think so. I’m not fucking your weird Alastor kink out of you. Just use your other hand. You can pretend it’s me. Or Al.

You snickered as you put your phone back in your pocket, feeling it buzz a few more times and deciding to ignore it.

“So, what surprise did you say you had? Or was that just something to piss off Vox?”

“Ah, not at all, darling! No, I found a young demon that operates these streets a little further ahead and who has been taking their frustrations out on fresh meat that comes through.”

“Ohh, well, we do love a bully.”

“We sure do! And given how I treasure our time together, I figured we’d make a nice little outing out of it, after that theatre show in the streets.”

Wait a minute.

“Al…”

“Yes?”

“Did you know Vox would be there today, giving a press conference?”

He grinned at you, refusing to answer, but you knew you were right from the way he looked at you. Honestly, this was on you for not realising it earlier and you shook your head as you snickered. 

“Well played.”

“Thank you, my dear. Now, shall we get going? I’m positively starving for something …. mortified.”

You still felt giddy when you came home later that evening. The taste of booze on your tongue and a smile carved into your face. What a day. Hanging out with Alastor always left you feeling better. It had a sense of normalcy, in some demented way. Probably because he understood your darkness in a way that made you feel like you didn’t have to hide. You didn’t have to pretend to be better than you were for fear of his reaction and you couldn’t really endanger a man like that. Probably not even if you wanted to. 

Following your hunt, you had gone drinking and dancing with him and his friend Mimzy, providing you with the perfect day of distractions to level your brain again.

After you showered you sat down on your bed in your underwear and a shirt, scrolling through your phone and snickering at the pissed off messages you had got from Vox for leaving him hanging.

Don’t fucking play with me and get your ass over here.

Are you ignoring my goddamn texts? 

Seriously, just come. I’ll make it worth your while. 

You can’t be seriously choosing that deer over me right now.

There was a break of maybe an hour or two before his final message came through.

Fine. See if I care. Just keep your ruse going, he won’t suspect a thing. The idiot. Meet me at the agreed upon time for the next debrief. Don’t be late.

He sounded thoroughly pissed but you weren’t too concerned. You weren’t his fucking property and you most definitely weren’t his whore. He better learn that now. You knew full well that denying him just made him want that control more, the next meeting would probably contain some furious, violent sex, but at this point, you were more than willing to play that game. Anything for a bit of excitement down here.

Unbeknownst to you, in the time it had taken him to change direction with that final text, he had opted to take out his frustration on his poor assistant, ramming his cock so far down his throat that the young man was left gagging, getting mercilessly face fucked as Vox reviewed the camera footage that had caught you and Alastor today, cursing the whole time.

How DARE that fucking radio asshole touch you like that? That shit eating grin as he had pulled you in closer, holding you against him. FUCK! Piece of shit, goddamn deer. And you. Fuck you! You had looked so good, with that crooked smile, toying with him. Was your connection to Alastor a ploy? Were you playing him? Was it to make him jealous? Fucking hell! 

There was nothing he could do to stop himself imagining you and Alastor, in bed together, having incredible sex and laughing at the interaction earlier that day. How did Alastor touch you when you were together? How did he fuck you? How did you fuck him? What would you look like, covered in that deer’s cum, having been fucked silly?

He came hard, anger and frustration fuelling every move, forcing his assistant to swallow it all down before telling him to fuck off. One would feel bad for the assistant, running off, hiding his own erection, gasping for air, and wiping his mouth, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was infatuated with Vox and didn’t mind being nothing but a warm hole for him to abuse. He’d do anything for his boss. Anything at all.

Vox continued his day with abject apathy to hide his anger. He’d make you see that he was a better choice than Alastor. He would make sure you knew that. Time to let off some steam and talk shit about the Radio Demon on his late night show.

You were recounting your day, looking through your feed, and noticed there were already pictures and videos of you, Alastor, and Vox being posted. Alastor, of course, being little more than a glitch in every single one. Hell surely wasted no time to speculate. As expected, you were being flagged as someone of interest to Alastor with theories ranging from the two of you being partners in crime, to being married, to you being the reason for his seven-year absence. You just chuckled as you read the different headlines. 

A clip from Vox’s late night show popped up on your feed, showing the tv demon, talking about the sighting in town.

“Of course, we all know that the radio demon is famously incapable of any genuine feelings so one can only hope that this naïve little demon, whoever they are, isn’t letting themselves be fooled into thinking they’re anything special to this poorly dressed venison.”

Heh, looks like the two of you properly got under his skin and it was clear that he was speaking directly to you. Cute, though ineffective. You would’ve sent the video to Al if it weren’t for the fact that he did not own a smartphone or computer. You’d just show him over breakfast. He’d surely be as amused as you were.

A soft knock on the door shook you from your thoughts, and you looked up. Suddenly your stomach felt tight and your skin grew cold as you realised exactly who was on the other side. That was a stark shift in the current mood.

You swallowed, sitting up and taking a deep breath.

“Come in…”

The way your voice croaked had you feeling extra self-conscious. Great.

With a hesitant creak, the door opened, and Angel stepped inside. He was already dressed in his PJs and he looked uncomfortable, not looking you in the eye as he closed the door behind him again and he leaned backwards against it, contemplating what he was going to say.

“I eh…. Look, about this mornin’.”

You let out a sigh, locking your phone and throwing onto your side table before patting the bed beside you.

Angel flushed a little and cautiously made his way over, still struggling to maintain eye contact as he sat down next to you, fidgeting with his hands.

“Alright, ya ain’t gotta tell me shit…. But eh… I ehrm…. I wanna know… what happened. If ya wanna tell me that is… y’know… and ya don’t hafta… but… I wanna know more about ya…”

He was stammering a bit. For all his practising, it didn’t come out the way he wanted it to. It was also a lie. He was doing his utmost to mimic your way of speaking, the way you made space for people to say no, but the truth was that he didn’t want you to say no. He wanted you to tell him the truth, to tell him about yourself, anything. Anything that would give him a better idea of who you were. As stupid as that was. Because what happened this morning was eating him up inside and he had decided he wanted answers, rather than push it down. He had tried though, to get rid of the thoughts, but you were just stuck in his brain too deeply and he realised if he didn’t talk to you now, he’d be awake the whole night, tossing and turning. Why was this bothering him so much?

You took a breath. You realised full well how much courage it must have taken him to come here and say what was on his mind instead of ignoring it and covering it with humour, sex, and drugs.

“Okay, starlight. What do you want to know?”

His eyes shot up, finding yours, and you had to suppress a chuckle at the sudden hopeful expression on his face. He was so cute.

“Well… Who is ‘sunshine’?”

You bit your lip, thinking for a moment about how you were going to answer that.

“That is… a big question… and a bit of a long story. I don’t think it’ll help much if I tell you who she is without context.”

You didn’t expect his eagerness as he pulled his legs up on the bed as well, hugging his knees to his chest as he looked at you.

“I don’t mind! I mean…eh....Just… ya can tell me…”

Well, you owed him this much. Perhaps it was time to share a little bit. An indication of who you were before. You didn’t want to linger on why you wanted to tell him. You had gone all this time down here without telling anyone much of anything, except for Pen perhaps, whom you had shared some stuff with over the years, when you were drunk or high. 

Here went nothing.

“Okay then.”

You leaned back and pulled out a cigarette from the pack on the side table, offering Angel one as well, which he took. He waited patiently for you to light his before you lit your own and you inhaled, having taken the time to decide where to begin.

“When I started working as a psychiatrist I was still so young, I was idealistic, naïve, I thought I was going to change people’s lives… you know? That was what I wanted, when I decided I was going to study medicine.”

You snickered, thinking back to the hopeful young doctor you had once been. Even despite the trauma you had sustained to get there, fighting your way through the bills, the debts, the scrutiny, the abuse, you genuinely had thought you were going to do so much good. What a little idiot.

Angel looked you over, his glance a little sceptical, and you shot him a grin.

“I know, I know, it’s hard to imagine now, but when I came to the asylum, I thought us doctors were there to cure people. I believed that bullshit to my core. So imagine my surprise when I found out that most of the people who were in there were people who were being silenced, one way or another. Wives of violent cops who were diagnosed with ‘hysteria’, witnesses to crimes who were kept there on charges of insanity so they couldn’t testify against people in power. Honestly, a good chunk of people in those institutions had no mental ailments other than the trauma they had sustained over their lifetime. Most of the others were people dumped there because their families deemed them ‘too difficult’ to take care of.”

Angel listened with bated breath, wondering where this story was going.

“That’s pretty dark, doc.”

“It was, yet I didn’t see that when I first started out. I thought we were helping people. It was at that same asylum I met… her…”

Angel felt his heart skip a beat. This was it. He almost couldn’t believe he was about to learn something genuine about you, and his curiosity almost completely drowned out his feelings of jealousy, wondering who exactly this fucking bitch was to you.

“She was young, sweet, incredibly kind and incredibly broken. There was something about her that made me want to save her more than anything, like some kind of demented saviour complex. I thought, in that delusion of grandeur, that I could fix her somehow and get her out of that filthy, dark, hellhole of a mental institution.”

You shook your head as you recounted the story. The cigarette in your hand continued to burn without a care and you didn’t notice how your hands were starting to grow cold.

“I was so fucking confused when I started seeing her for frequent sessions and learned that, though she was definitely traumatised, she didn’t appear to have half the diagnoses that were listed in her files. Notes that would have kept her locked up for the rest of her life. So, I made it my personal mission to get her out, back into the world, away from the grey walls and white coats.”

There was a pause, and Angel stirred slightly.

“So, did ya?”

You grimaced.

“Oh, I got her out alright. Worked with her for hours, days on end. Weeks turning into months, turning into years. Ensuring she was well enough to make it out there on her own, make something of herself. Be… happy…. We built quite some rapport over that time as well. I shouldn’t have, but I enjoyed spending time with her. She was so genuinely sweet, so warm. And that only strengthened my resolve. I was ecstatic, the day I got to tell her she was free to go.”

“What’s with tha long face then? Heh, did she go on a murda spree when ya got her released?”

Angel joked though he regretted it immediately when you looked up and shot him a pained smile.

“Nope… I eh… Her body washed up on the shore two weeks after I released her. See, she had tried to warn me, but she had been so vague, I had misunderstood. I thought the pushback from the rest of the medical staff was because they believed the files over me. I thought she was just nervous about picking life back up again, but that wasn’t it. She feared who was waiting for her out there and I sent her straight to them.”

Another pause.

“Who was it?”

“Her father.”

You spoke the words with such a vile hatred to them that Angel was briefly taken aback, the darkness in the room seemed to intensify for a moment.

“Her own fatha…… murdered her?”

“Yep. Her family was involved in a huge syndicate and she was a sweet kid who had witnessed a crime she never should have. When they learned they couldn’t convince her to see things their way, that she would never join that part of the family, and that she was adamant to go to the police, who, mind you, they had in their back pocket, they had her committed. A hefty contribution to the asylum each year and the doctors ensured she would stay there. Plus, the threats made it so she’d never attempt to leave either. Until my stupid ass came along, planting ideas of freedom in her head, of a future where she could be happy.”

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your shaking hands.

“Of course I knew about her family. It had taken her a while, but she did eventually talk about them and their idea of ‘running a business’. I didn’t come from a pristine background myself and we could relate in a way, to trying to be better than the circumstances of your birth… she just… never told me about what landed her in there. And I was too goddamn absorbed to see it…”

Angel swallowed as he contemplated your words. Guess there were some similarities to himself, if that girl also came from a crime family, though you didn’t know that Angel came from similar stock, so what about him made you think of some patient all those years ago? 

He took the time to take in your expression right now, which was clearly riddled with regret. You always knew what to say to make him feel better, he should try to do the same now that you were the one being vulnerable.

“Y’know… ya tried ta do tha right thing… even if it didn’t go tha way ya wanted it to, your heart was in tha right place.”

A bitter chuckle escaped you and he flinched, ever so slightly.

“I appreciate that, starlight, but as much as I want that to be true, that wasn’t the case. I wanted to be the hero so badly, I ignored the reality of the situation. I was arrogant and it got her killed.”

Angel looked down, his arms had slipped off his knees a while ago and he was now plucking at your sheets as though trying to unravel them thread by thread, and he was making good progress.

“Maybe it was more naivety than arrogance, doc….”

You sighed, a small smile on your face at his insistence and his efforts to make you feel a bit better. Of all the mistakes and cruelty you had made others in your life the victim of, her death was the one you’d never forgive yourself for.

“Yeah…. maybe…”

Carefully he looked back up at you. Your expression seemed a little less pained, more wistful now, and he’d like to believe his words had helped, if only a little, to relieve the weight on that heart you claimed you didn’t have.

“Ya called her ‘sunshine’?”

“Yeah… Her smile could brighten any day… she was like the sun in early spring, soft and bright.”

“So… how long were ya both togetha?”

“We weren’t.”

“What?”

His look conveyed genuine bafflement and you snickered.

“Sorry to disappoint, but there is no sordid love story here. I cared for her, yes, dearly. Probably the only one I ever cared for like that in my lifetime, but it was one-sided. Or, at the very least, I never found out if she felt the same way. Back then, I still cared about doing things by the book, keeping things professional. I didn’t let my personal feelings for her cloud what should be a purely clinical relationship. Perhaps, deep down, I hoped that, if she got out and made a life for herself, we could have a chance. But not in there.”

Somewhere, the spider felt a vague feeling of relief. Unrequited love. Not someone he should worry about, although….

“Have ya tried ta find her down here?”

“She’s not down here.”

“Have ya looked?”

“Didn’t have to. She’s not here.”

Angel took a moment to think about that. His smile turned hesitantly teasing.

“So, was she as cute as me?”

You snickered, and he gave you a cautious smile, glad to see that serious, pained expression break for a moment.

“The two of you look nothing alike. She was short, chubby, and incredibly shy. You both have freckles though.”

Angel frowned.

“So, like my fuckin’ polar opposite? We’re like night and- 

He paused, suddenly realising how fitting the nicknames truly were. His heart skipped a beat but he couldn’t fully pinpoint why.

His voice got more quiet as he continued. 

“So then why-?”

“Because of your smile, starlight. Your laugh when you’re unapologetically yourself.”

“... what?”

“She too had that smile that could hide so much pain. She was great at focusing on others to not have to tend to how broken she felt. Sure, how she went about that was very different, a lot less physical and always a little clumsy and awkward, but there’s something in your eyes that is similar. A warm but broken smile. A desire for more than the cards you’ve been dealt. I saw it on the night we first met.”

He averted his gaze and bit his lip as you continued.

“The thing is, I told myself that maybe I could make up for my mistakes with you. Absolve myself of what had happened if I could be there for you the way I couldn’t be for her. I kept telling myself that that was the reason I wanted to get closer to you. Because I saw so much of her in you….. And that was unfair of me. Towards you, that wasn’t fair….However….”

Angel’s eyes found their way back to yours, and your breath hitched.

“The truth is…. “

You took a contemplative drag of your cigarette. It had already almost completely burned down to the filter.

“The truth is that that was a lie that only held up in the beginning. That first time I got you high, I told myself it was because I saw her when I looked at you and I believed it. I just wanted to soothe your pain, if only for a moment. However, after that, that feeling faded and I got to see you more and more. I think I felt safe, hiding behind the excuse, because it meant I never really had to get to know you and you’d never have to get to know me. But I don’t think I can pretend that I’m doing this for her any longer. I want to help you, because of who you are….Not because of some dead kid from ages ago. I want to support you. If you still want me to. If you’ll still let me.”

You had told him what he had asked about. Everything that came after her death, the anger, the violence, the revenge, and the unstoppable bloodlust… that was just for you to keep, at least for a little while longer. You probably had done enough already to make him think twice about coming close to you. After all, you had hurt his feelings by thinking of someone else and just explained how the last person you had genuinely tried to help like this ended up fucking murdered. Not that you would let that happen again, you were violent enough now, wary enough to protect him if the need was there, but that ability to be a safe place for someone… you had genuinely believed that that had died the day the police showed up and told you what happened. That icy cold, sickening feeling as you realised what all her cautious looks and nervous giggles had been about. And you had misread it. You had thought yourself a saviour god and got her killed. 

Angel would be wise to stay away, only letting you help with the stuff you were contract bound to do. Perhaps fucking every once in a while, if he still wanted that, but nothing more.

And yet…. You couldn’t help but feel those restrictions wash off you whenever he looked at you with those big, wonderful eyes of his. Could there be a second chance for someone like you? After all, you believed he was worthy of one. You believed Husk was. To be fair though, neither of them was a killer, violent and cruel, the way you were.

But that heart you thought had stopped so long ago sure did seem to skip a beat each time Angel smiled at you.

Angel chewed on the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t seen you like this before. You looked vulnerable somehow and… scared. He realised, in the back of his mind, that his normal self would’ve told you to fuck off, remembering someone else while being with him, but watching you now, knowing that your heart ached, for some reason all it did was ensure him you had a heart after all. And if you had a heart, he could make it his. He tried not to linger on the thought that he wanted that as his long arms reached out towards you and pulled you in.

You had shown him a tiny bit of your vulnerability, and he was captivated by it. 

You gasped as his lips claimed yours. Why was he kissing you now? He should be furious, or mortified, at the very least offended. You shouldn’t allow this either. But your mind went blank as he pecked your lips, lifting the forgotten cigarette from your fingers and discarding it with his in the ashtray as he held you close. His pierced tongue ran over your lips before pushing past them, making a small noise when your tongue entwined with his as his hands caressed did your body.

Your arms enclosed around his waist and you pulled him onto your lap, running your fingers over his spine, feeling him shudder under your touch.

Why did this man make your head spin like this? 

You couldn’t help but relent, his hands resting on your neck, pulling you in as he deepened the kiss, and you gasped, your fingers entangling with his pyjama shirt, holding onto him.

A whimper escaped him, eagerly licking your lips, his face flushed, and he reached down between you, wasting no time to pull on the band of your underwear so he could slip his hand inside but you caught him, taking hold of his wrist and he pulled back a little. 

The blush on his face looked adorable and there was a very particular expression below it that made you involuntarily swallow at the sight.

“What is it, babe?”

“I just… I’m sorry, for hurting your feelings earlier today. I need you to know I don’t…. I don’t want you to be anyone else but you, I don’t want to be here with anyone but you right now…. You are-”

“Shaddup.”

“What-?”

“Hmm, shaddup.”

He repeated as he licked your lips again, making you groan and lessen your hold on his wrist. He immediately took the advantage and slipped his hand inside your underwear, forcing you to shudder.

He wanted you. He needed you to pay attention to him. He would make sure he’d treat you so well, you’d never think of anyone else. You had to see him, only him. And he would make sure of that. 

Excitement washed through him as he felt you respond to his touch, your eyes closed, biting your lip as you felt his hand move. It was getting you worked up so fast and he loved that, that he had that effect on you. He could get you to be unguarded, vulnerable now even, and that side of you was all his.

His lips claimed yours again as his hand retracted and instead started pulling off your clothes as you did the same to his. A desperation riddled the actions, as though you both had something to prove right now to the other. Perhaps you felt like you did. 

Parting only briefly to allow shirts to be pulled off, your mouths were immediately hot on each other, panting into the kiss as you leaned back on one hand, using the other to entangle in his hair. 

He moaned into your mouth as you gently pulled, a sound that briefly made you forget who and where you were. 

Your eyes opened when he suddenly pulled back, both of you out of breath. He had a serious look on his face you had seen before on occasion. It was the look he got when he was in charge, when he would take what he wanted. 

Your thoughts were confirmed when he placed a hand on your chest before giving you a firm push backwards, making you fall onto the bed. Immediately, he was hovering over you, gazing into your eyes for a moment with that same, deeply contemplative look and blush on his face, and he leaned down. 

He opened his mouth, letting his tongue come out and slowly licking you from your lower abdomen up to your chest, the gold metal ball on his tongue creating it’s own indentation as he went, sending a wave of heat through your whole body. His nails dug slightly into your sides as he did, holding you in place. You moaned and he let out a small noise in return, deeply aroused at your reaction, his erection stirring in response to the way you were being affected.

Climbing back on top of you and sitting upright, he took a moment to look at you, lying there below him, your chest rising and falling and that look in your eyes as you gazed back at him. Fuck, he wanted to own that. All of that. And he would.

Too impatient to grab the lube from the drawer, he licked his fingers until they were dripping in his saliva, reaching behind him and inserting two without hesitation. He squeezed his eyes shut, moaning as he fingered himself, making sure he was ready for what came next, your fingers digging into his thighs as he worked. You were mesmerised and your heart skipped a beat when he looked at you again, pulling out his fingers, breathing heavily.

Positioning himself, you held your breath as he lowered onto you. He moaned as he did, letting his head roll back and placing one hand behind him, on your thigh for support, arching his back. You could feel the way his palm was digging into your flesh, pulling on the bruise of Husk’s bite, still lingering on the inside of your thigh.

He looked incredible, so goddamn beautiful. You were about to get up, to wrap your arms around him and fuck him any way he wanted you to when one of his lower arms moved and a hand came on your chest, holding you down.

His head came back up, and he looked at you again, not saying anything but making it very clear that he was calling the shots, so you swallowed and relented as he started to move.

It didn’t take long for it to get you both incredibly heated; you bucking your hips up into him, meeting each eager movement at the pace he set, which was almost brutal. He was fucking himself on you, moaning loudly each time you hit the exact right spot, deep inside him. This was Angel, power bottoming at his best, and it got you so hot.

Your visual of him propped on top of you, his hard cock beading pre-cum, and his hair bouncing each time he came down, it was one of the most beautiful sights you’d ever seen.

“Ahhh fuck! Ah! Hnngg! Keep goin’, ah!”

His sounds and moans were wiping your mind clear of any thought. You were mesmerised, entirely enthralled. His eyes were glazed over. He sounded so fucking hot, lost to the pleasure. He looked even better.

Your whole body felt electric as you watched him. You reached your hand over, wrapping your fingers around his erection and he jolted for a moment before his aroused expression returned tenfold. Stroking him, you ran the pad of your thumb over his tip, seeing how his mind drifted further and further away. You watched the pre-cum pull slender strings between your digits as you moved them apart.

His vision was hazy, his tongue lolling out as saliva pooled from the corner of his mouth. This was incredible, oh fuck if things could be like this all the time. 

He moaned as you squeezed gently, feeling your heartbeat in your throat while you watched him, your own arousal climbing so fast. He was beautiful. You realised you had been a fool for trying to chase him off. This man could ruin your whole afterlife and you’d thank him for the goddamn experience.

If only you could be what he wanted you to be, what he needed.

You followed his pace, eagerly, when he started to speed up a bit, straightening his neck again so he could look down at you, at your flushed face and the way you gazed back at him. 

Oh fuck, that was it. Just like that, that look got him so close.

He could feel the pleasure running through his whole body. It wasn’t just that the way you two fucked seemed to imply your bodies were made for each other, there was something deeper there. Deeper than the vibrant, mind-altering arousal and this almost unhinged desire to have all of each other, something that was almost akin to wanting to consume them whole. There was a connection there that became so evident whenever your bodies intertwined. It made it the easiest thing in the world to read the other, to listen to their body, to their wants and needs, and meet them.

The tears started to well up. How was fucking you this goddamn different? 

He whimpered, removing his hand from your chest, hoping you would take the hint and feeling a rush as you immediately did, shooting up from your laid down position and wrapping your free arm around him tightly, clashing your lips to his, forcing a sound of satisfaction out of both of you. Your other hand continuing to stimulate him as you moved in unison, gasping and moaning against the other’s lips. Entirely lost in the sauce.

Angel wrapped his arms around your neck, pulling you close.

“Ah! Doc, please…. Please cum with me, I’m so close… Hnnngg!”

You moaned, burying your face into his neck.

“Hhnn, you better be, I’m about to fucking lose it, starlight… Ah! Fuck!”

Your lips found his again, eagerly wrapping your tongue around his, his hot breath on your face, as his hands curled up around your neck, forcing the kiss as deep as it could go. 

It was hard to breathe, even harder to think as he kept riding you. The bed below you squeaked in agony from the constant, rhythmic strain being exerted. 

You could feel him twitch in your hand as you jerked him off, sticking to the rhythm that he was setting as he sped up more. Your skin felt warm and your mind was entirely singular. There was only Angel and the incredible feeling of his body melting with yours.

The two of you tensed up at nearly the exact same time, his nails digging into your neck, dragging deep, painful groves into your flesh as he moaned against your lips. You held him close as you came, the feeling of his hot cum hitting your bare chest in a few short bursts and the sound he made had your head spinning as the pleasure ran across your skin.

When your orgasms had died out, your arms relaxing around him and his nails slowly relenting their death grip on your neck, you caught your breath, gently holding onto him and pecking his lips, which he eagerly, softly reciprocated.

As you kissed, he started pulling you down with him, until you were both lying on the bed, still holding onto each other, gently making out.

The moment you finally pulled apart, he flushed a little, averting his gaze and letting out a small laugh. You too suddenly felt a little shy, snickering as you pulled him in close against you.

“That was incredible, starlight.”

“Hmm, yeah, I am incredible.”

“True.”

He gulped as you pressed another kiss to his lips. Something about you agreeing with him whenever he made a joke like that got him a little flustered. Probably because it was so obvious you weren’t kidding. He leaned into the kiss for a bit, savouring your taste and the way you were coming down from your high. He wanted nothing more than to keep you to himself, yet he knew how selfish that was, and how unattainable. But there had to be something.

He peeled back again a bit, grinning at you before quickly pecking your lips again, feeling you smile into it.

“Hey babe?” 

“Hm?”

Angel propped himself up on his elbows, so he could look at you and you put an arm under the back of your head.

“So I know we ain’t goin’ steady or nothin’, and I’m not sayin’ I want that! Mind ya… but I am your main squeeze, yeah?” 

You raised an eyebrow, wondering where this line of questioning could possibly be going.

“If that’s the name you want to use for it….. sure.” 

Taking a deep breath, he grinned at you.

“Well, I think that gives me rights.” 

“Does it now?” 

He nodded, a serious look on his face.

“I know ya fuck otha demons, I ain’t gonna be difficult about that ‘cause I do too and I get it. It’s just sex. Like I said, we ain’t exclusive or shit but I don’t like ‘em markin’ ya. Especially with their fuckin’ teeth.”

To put emphasis to his words, Angel sat up before leaning down towards the mark on your inner thigh, placing a kiss on the bruised skin and sucking slightly, making you smile. 

“As your numba one, I should be tha only one who gets ta do that.” 

He glanced up at you and you had trouble keeping your heart rate in check. 

“You think so?” 

“I know so.” 

He sat up again, crossing his arms. 

“Ya gotta promise me. I’ll mark ya any way ya like, but I wanna be tha only one who gets ta. I know ya like it rough so not all markin’ is of tha table but at least tha bitin’ should be mine. It’s more intimate… y’know.” 

“Hmm, are we getting a little territorial?” 

Flushing, he averted his eyes, only for his attitude to come back not a second later.

“Hey, it don’t mean nothin’ so ya betta not read into this shit, ya hear! I just think that I deserve certain privileges. Don’t I treat ya well enough, baby? Hmmm?” 

You let out a laugh as you felt yourself relent. Why did you have such a hard time saying no to that pretty face?

“Alright…” 

“Wait, really?” 

Another chuckle at his baffled expression.

“Yeah, if that’s what you want.” 

Why in Hell did you keep indulging him? You never took your afterlife seriously, nor the people you ran into down here. Everything was just a joke, an experiment, an encounter that would fade like everything else. You didn’t get attached, you just enjoyed yourself while you could, always looking out for number one. It’s how you had made every decision that had led you here. Yet all this gorgeous spider had to do was look at you from underneath those lashes, smile that genuine smile at you, and you folded like a fucking lawn chair. This could prove to be a problem…. But that was a worry for future-you. The you right now just felt warm, watching his reaction.

His face shifted from surprise to excitement as he joined you back on the bed, grinning like an idiot and putting his arms around your neck, pulling you back in for a kiss as his lower arms wrapped around your waist. When he pulled back, he nuzzled your neck before, demonstratively, sinking his teeth into your flesh with a force that ensured it would leave a prominent mark, right next to the scratches his nails had made earlier. You whimpered at the sensation, letting out a hot breath that made him flush with pride. This was his.

For someone who said it meant nothing, he sure seemed giddy about you agreeing and you chuckled as kissed him, making him turn a little red while you wrapped your arms around him and held him close. The fact that he wanted to claim you like this made you feel strangely ecstatic.

Looked like Husk was going to have to learn to keep his fangs in check. That was going to prove to be quite the challenge, given how big of an issue he had with keeping it down as much as he had already. 

Good thing Angel hadn’t said a thing about you sinking your fangs into other demons.

Chapter Text

“Quit shovin’, what are ya tryin’ ta do, scales? Because I can tell ya, any closa and ya are gonna hafta start payin’...”

“Asssss if, sssspider. You know very well I have no interesssssst in whatever you think you have to offer.”

“Why are ya even here?”

“I’ll have you know I am their bessssssst friend! If the two of you are going to be inappropriate and dig up information about them, I ssssssssshould be there!”

“If tha both of ya are really that close, dontcha think ya would already know everythin’ about them? Hm? So what do ya need ta be here for?”

“Very funny, you know very well that they are a private type. I’m not even ssssssure I ssssssshould allow you both to continue thissssss ill conceived misssssssion….”

“If ya are so fuckin’ worried, then maybe-”

“Ugh, could the two of you fuckin’ can it? I’m tryin’ to concentrate here.”

Angel closed his mouth again, swallowing his retort and shooting a taunting grin at Sir Pentious, who rolled his eyes in response as Husk turned his attention back towards the cabinet he was picking the lock of.

He knew this was a fucking bad idea, trying to break into Alastor’s private things with those two idiots in tow. But he also knew what was in there. Everything Alastor had on you was tucked away, somewhere in that cabinet and, after being able to resist its allure all this time, his curiosity finally got the better of him. 

Should he just ask you? Probably. But he wasn’t a talker, and he knew you were secretive at best when it came to your life before. You never really seemed to outright lie, but you could be surprisingly tight-lipped for someone who had made ‘talking to people’ their career. 

Alastor, however, seemed to have a lot of information on you and, what was worse, it had him so interested that he had been searching for you over the course of his time down here. He just had to know. Especially now that there were rumours circulating that you and the Radio Demon were involved. He knew Al well enough by now to know that whatever you two had going on, wasn’t what people assumed it was, but he couldn’t deny that there was something between you that put him on edge. It stirred a specific brand of jealousy in him. Perhaps that just had to do with the fact that it was Al, of all people. The man who owned his soul, playing games with the demon who owned his heart. What was left of it anyway.

He had let it slip to Angel, just an offhanded remark, when the latter had vented to Husk about how little you tended to share about your life before. After all, the spider may have got a taste, but that just meant that he wanted more now, insatiable as he was. Husk had huffed, commenting that, in lieu of asking you yourself, he could always ask Alastor.

One thing led to another, and before he knew it he was planning a heist on Alastor’s belongings with Angel, timed perfectly to unfold when you and Al went on one of your regular outings together. Husk knew you would be gone most of the night, so this was the perfect chance.

And Pen? Well, he had overheard and invited himself. Not much to be done once the snake had heard about the possibility of more information about who you were, so he had relented. Better to have him implicated as well than to have him ratting to Alastor or you in an act of revenge. 

“Weren’t you keepin’ watch, scales?”

Husk glanced over his shoulder at Sir Pentious, making the snake gulp and quickly retreat back towards the door of the room, keeping an eye on the hallway as he had been ordered to do. 

Angel was leaning in entirely too close and Husk could feel his face heat up slightly. Ever since he had followed the kid into town and spoken with him, he felt differently about him. You had been right. Angel was much more sincere and genuine than he had given him credit for. Not that he would ever tell you that, of course, but he enjoyed having him around now. Their tense bickering had made way for an easygoing understanding and appreciation for each other. 

Husk let out a sigh, moving the picks in the lock and feeling for resistance. Here he was, in Alastor’s room, knowing damn well what being caught would cost him, with these two idiots in tow. One of whom was also sleeping with you, and the other who, obviously, desperately wanted to.

He shook his head, his ears slightly bouncing with the movement until they suddenly perked up at the sound of a click. Angel’s hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed in excitement, not saying anything as Husk opened the cabinet. 

The doors had an unsettling squeak to them as they slowly swung open, sending a shiver of unease down everyone’s spine.

Husk held his breath as the insides of the cabinet revealed themselves.

It was mostly what you would expect to find in a forbidden cabinet of Alastor’s. There was a skull of some animal or another, a few smaller cases and boxes that made unnerving sounds when shaken and which he elected not to open. To the side were some books in what appeared to be a French-based Creole language, as well as leather bound notebooks and a couple of folders containing handwritten notes and clippings. Most of it in that same language. There was also an old radio which had been stripped of its innards yet the dial glowed ominously in the darkness. 

Pushed all the way to the back was a box Husk recognised and he carefully moved the stuff in front to the sides, making a mental note of where everything was supposed to go so he could put it back exactly. Alastor was meticulous and even the smallest change would stand out to him.

With his heart in his throat he carefully pulled the box out. It was old, well used, and a bit grimy. There were stains on two of the corners which he didn’t want to dwell on but that looked a lot like dried blood. 

He had seen this box a few times over the years, watching Alastor pull stuff out or put things in but never allowing him to see the full contents. He knew it contained his notes about you though, because he had taken down the information Husk had brought him about you when he had finally managed to locate you. Husk had then watched how it had been eagerly jotted down in a small booklet before it was placed in the box, the box in the cabinet, and the door was locked.

That little booklet contained his notes on you. He was sure of it. Now all he had to do was find it and pray it was in a language he could read.

He could tell Angel was holding his breath next to him, seemingly scared to speak.

“What isssssss happening? Did you find anything?”

Husk jolted, almost dropping the box before catching himself, quickly placing it down, and clasping his claw over his heart.

“Jesus, scales, don’t fuckin’ do that. Just keep watch, we’ll let you know if we find anythin’.”

Angel let out a small breath and a chuckle next to him.

“Is this it?”

“Yeah, I think so. There should be a small notebook in here that he kept his notes in about the doctor.”

“Huh, if I didn’t know any betta I’d say he’s got a hard-on for tha doc, if he kept a diary about them. Ya sure this ain’t some kinda stalka situation?”

Husk made a gruff noise in response, staring at the top of the box and wondering why it felt so difficult to reach out and just open it. What if this was a mistake?

“At this point, I dunno, Legs… but we’ll find out……”

He took a breath as he reached out and grabbed the lid, gently lifting it and allowing the light of the room to cover the contents.

The insides were as organised as the cabinet. There was a sizable stack of folders, neatly laid on top of each other. A small notebook was wedged between the folders and the side of the box. At the very top of the contents was an envelope.

Husk reached in. He didn’t realise how nervous he was until he noticed his claws were shaking slightly and he quickly grabbed the envelope and the booklet, hoping Angel hadn’t seen.

The tall, pale demon next to him also reached in, pulling out the top folder and putting it in his lap. 

Husk made a gruff noise.

“Make sure you don’t mess up the order, we gotta make sure we put all this shit back exactly as it was or I’ll be in so much goddamn shit…

Angel flashed him a careful smile, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Alright, Husky, I gotcha.”

Following that, his mismatched eyes turned to the folder lying on his thighs and Husk shifted his gaze towards the little book. His prize. Finally.

He opened it, holding his breath.

He hadn’t expected to be able to read most of it, this was Al after all and the man made nothing ever easy, however he found himself immediately annoyed at the scribbled pages and numbers. This seemed like the notes went with something else, each page referring to something in a code of sorts. The text appeared to be Alastor’s own ruminations and theories, striking through sentences, circling specific words. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense, not without the context. Not without knowing what those numbers meant.

“These are…. crime scene reports… Oh, fuck me there’s pictures and everythin’.”

Husk looked up at Angel who was rifling through that first folder. When he noticed the bartender was looking at him he held up an old fashioned photograph.

It took Husk a moment to realise what he was even looking at, the amount of deconstructed flesh being hard to recognise to someone less accustomed to that level of sheer violent abandon. The old quality of the photograph didn’t help.

The image appeared to have been taken inside of a mansion, in a large, decorated room. Whoever owned the building clearly had money, and gaudy taste. There was a chandelier strung from the ceiling but instead of the expected crystals and candles it was adorned with body parts. Cut and assembled in such a way that it looked artful and balanced, to those with a taste for the macabre at least. Behind a large, heavy looking desk was the body of an older man in a fine suit. He had been disembowelled, holding onto his own spilling organs in a way that made Husk, involuntarily, consider that he had been alive as he held onto his fleeting mortality. His heart had been expertly carved out of his chest. In the top corner of the photograph was a number, scrawled in Alastor’s handwriting.

“Fuck me….”

Husk quickly rifled through the booklet, finding the number, next to a slew of notes. Not all of them legible and some in languages he couldn’t read but he could make out a few:

First murder?

Look at the craftsmanship of that display. How did they get the chandelier down without anyone noticing? 

Heart gone? → Trophy? Meal. 

What did they use to make that cut? Cuts are too clean and precise, no hesitation. Someone with access to equipment and an education.

Even through the written text, Husk could almost hear a younger Alastor salivate over the picture and details of this crime scene. The closest thing that man probably ever got to desiring someone. 

If he was right, and this was your first, you were a lot more composed than most would be during their first murder, which seemed odd, given how volatile you tended to be. Perhaps there really were two sides of you. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Or… you had a really good reason to go all out for the first one. Either that or Alastor had just never found your first.

“Angel, check if there are more numbers in that file. It seems to match with the numbers in this notebook.”

Angel nodded before pausing and shooting Husk a glance.

“What?”

“Well, Husky, if that is the case… then…. Does that mean this entire box is….”

He felt his skin grow cold as Angel spoke the words he didn’t want to consider. Was it true? This whole box dedicated to your unhinged depravity? He swallowed away his discomfort. Fuck, he knew you were dangerous, suspected you had killed, but there were a lot of shades of grey when it came to murdering someone and this? This was pitch fucking black.

It took him a moment to realise that Angel had his hand outstretched to him and, after a second, he understood and handed Angel the notebook. 

Taking a breath, he looked down at the envelope he had also pulled out and turned it over. The paper was entirely blank, and he suspected Alastor had transferred whatever was in here into an unmarked container for a reason.

Carefully, he pulled out the contents. It was old, weathered paper, like most everything inside this box, and appeared to comprise of a letter and two photographs.

He opened the letter first, scanning the text which, thankfully, he could read. 

The letter was addressed to an old pseudonym Husk knew Alastor used to employ. The sender was thanking him for his interest in the history of the old asylum building but apologised for the lack of information about the requested time period. A lot of it had been lost in the fire. Fucking typical. All he had managed to do was retrieve an old picture of the staff at the time and some portraits of the medical  personnel. 

He could feel his heartbeat pick up as he read that, almost feeling sick at the prospect of looking at the picture and getting a glance at who you were before. Would he even be able recognise you?

The first picture was a group photo, taken outside a large building that was undoubtedly the asylum in question. A looming, dark building that exuded only just enough respectability to partially hide the uninviting darkness of those windows. The group consisted of, what appeared to be, a concierge, some orderlies, a couple of nurses, and a few doctors in their white coats, next to a posh-looking man who had to be the director in charge. The year was scribbled on the back of the photo.

Husk’s heart was beating in his throat as he looked over the faces of those in the white coats, and then it seemed to stop entirely. He recognised you in an instant, despite how different you looked, physically, from your demon form. It was difficult to see clearly, given the quality and age of the photograph, but that was you alright.

Almost frantically, he pulled up the other photograph and his whole being turned cold. There you were, no longer a blurry face in a group photo but a proper portrait. You had that same, sleep deprived look to you but, what immediately stood out to him and what broke his heart was the honesty of your smile. You seemed… brighter somehow, less cynical. Definitely something damaged behind those eyes, but there was a light there that he didn’t see in you now. Hope.

“Holy fuckin’ shit, is that them?”

Husk nearly jumped, having completely forgotten that there were other people there, lost as he had been in thought.

“Yeah… yeah I reckon it is…”

There was a soft shuffle audible from near the door and Angel adjusted as he leaned in closer to Husk, taking a good look at the photo.

“Heh, fuck… they were good lookin’ back then too….. Jesus… this is weird…”

“Yeah…..” 

Husk agreed, breathlessly.

“My god…. That’ssss ….. It feelsssss ssssso out of place, seeing one of usssssss… like thisssss.”

Angel and Husk nodded, and Angel pulled up the small notebook. 

“Look here, there are more numbas that ain’t in this folda. Looks like there might be a lot more and I think this whole fuckin’ box is filled with their stuff.”

He reached out, pulling the second folder and opening it without hesitation, before immediately looking for the photograph that was included.

The three of them leaned in closer so they could all see what was being depicted.

It appeared to be a crime scene inside a church. Behind the altar was a clearly visible puddle of blood, dripping down from the lifesize, suspended cross. On it was a priest, in full garb, nailed to it with, what appeared to be, a slew of sharpened items from the altar and the rest of the church, jammed through his joints and wedged into the wood. Pentious immediately recognised the attention to those pierced joints and swallowed. A large, dark bloodstain in the groin area of his chasuble alluded to what had been taken from him. The blood that spilled from his mouth had stained his chest.

To the side of the scene in the photograph was a trail of blood, leading out of a confessional.

There was an eerie silence that hung over the room as the three of them studied the photograph with baited breath. 

These were only the first two folders. There was a whole stack in there still.

“You don’t ssssssssuppossssssse they actually….. I mean, there isssss a whole pile of foldersssss in there ssssstill….”

“I dunno, scales…. But look, these are numbered too. I can see if these match tha notes Smiles put down.”

Husk made a low growling sound.

“Ain’t no surprise now why the doc and Al get along.”

Another pause.

You nodded contemplatively as you leaned in closer over the backs of the three demons crouched at your feet.

“But don’t you think it’s at least a little impressive?”

Husk’s look turned annoyed.

“Impressive? It’s fucking-”

His eyes widened. All three of them felt their skin grow cold as they suddenly became aware of the figure looming in the shadows behind them and they dreaded turning to look.

Amusement tugged at the corners of your mouth.

“Yeah…. I think you should run. Now.”

It didn’t take a second for everyone to scramble to their feet (for those that had them) and turn around. You were standing there, a dark, unsettling grin on your face that did nothing to make them feel less like cornered prey.

Husk swallowed, glancing you over and you caught his gaze. He felt weird, as he looked at you. It hardly registered that he should feel relief over the fact that Alastor didn’t appear to be here. But if you were, he surely wasn’t far behind.

You gave a nod towards the open, unguarded door.

“Scram. I’ll see all three of you in my office in twenty minutes. Do not make me hunt you down.”

That was not a request, and they knew it. The three partners in crime exchanged a nervous look amongst themselves before hastily making their exit. Like children who knew they’d been caught.

Your attention left them before they had even fully exited the room, instead picking up the folders from the floor and rifling through them at a leisurely pace, glancing at the photographs. 

By the time you had managed to flip through most of the contents of the box, lost in memory and thought, you became aware of a new presence in the room.

“My dear, I do not believe I told you ‘what’s mine is yours.’.”

You grinned as you turned around.

“You sure didn’t, but in this case what is yours does seem to be mine.”

He grimaced, barely able to hide his annoyance and your smile faltered.

“Care to tell me why you appear to be going through my private cabinet?”

Cocking your head, you looked him over. Were you going to sell out the three musketeers?

“What can I say, I’m a curious creature. I always try your cabinets when you leave me here alone but this one… this one is always locked. So I had to indulge, and what a find, I didn’t expect you to have been this fucking thorough. I’m impressed. Flattered too. But most of all I am just excited to get to see my work just one more time…”

You were a pretty shit liar so you always had to stick close to the truth. Technically, nothing of what you had just said had been a lie at all.

He narrowed his eyes at you but at those last words, and the wistful way you had spoken them, his mind seemed to be pulled elsewhere.

“Very well, I’ll look forward to hearing more about your adventures. I’d love to know if my theories were correct. However….”

He reached his cane over, hooking the microphone behind your shoulder and putting a threatening pressure behind it that sent a jolt of pain down through your arm. The room seemed to grow colder, the static in his voice rising as his eyes turned into black voids with glowing, red radio dials.

“If I ever catch you going through my belongings again, you can consider yourself added to my collection. Am I making myself clear?”

You took a moment to estimate how pissed off he was and had to conclude that, yes, he was pretty fucking annoyed right now. His display was frighteningly impressive, and you got the impression that if you pissed him off even more now, you wouldn’t have to worry about regeneration. Ever again.

“Understood. I’m sorry. I won’t go through your stuff unless you invite me to.”

There was a short silence, filled with looming danger and threats as Alastor stared you down. You were glad the man seemed to like you because else this would’ve definitely been your last goddamn day in the afterlife. You were very well aware of this. He seemed genuinely irked and there was a sense of relief that washed over you when his face cleared again, seemingly satisfied that you understood not to fuck with him again.

“Excellent! Now, did you still want to share that coffee? I think we have a lot to discuss!”

With a chuckle, you shook your head, remembering the mortified critters waiting for you in your office.

“How about tomorrow? I ….. Seeing this all again has stirred a lot of memories. I think I need a moment to… digest.”

He gestured at you, indicating that he understood and, after some small talk and exchanges, you exited his room as Alastor put the box back into the cabinet, using his talents to immediately morph the lock, muttering something under his breath.

You let out a sigh, ignoring the budding headache as you made your way to your office. Goddamn, that hadn’t been a lie, seeing those pictures had stirred so much in your mind. It felt like overconfidently stepping into an attic space to clean it, only to realise very soon that you underestimated the task and the amount of sentiment that lay buried under the dust.

With a creak the door to your office opened and the hushed, frantic conversation inside immediately died down as all three demons turned to look at you. 

Angel and Pen seemed concerned, Husk looked apprehensive. 

With a casual stride, you walked in, closing the door behind you. It had to be said that you were enjoying this a little. A lot, actually. You wanted to chastise them, but honestly, watching them buckle under the weight of consequence was a treat in and of itself.

Slowly, you lit up a cigarette, taking a breath as you walked up to the desk before turning around and leaning against it.

You caught Husk’s gaze, and you took a moment, letting him suffer with his question that he didn’t dare voice. He knew he wasn’t owed any favours right now.

Blowing out the smoke you rolled your neck.

“So…. I decided not to tell Alastor who I found rifling through his stuff.”

A breath of relief, yet only a small one. You focused your attention back on them and grinned.

“You each get one question and one question only. Go.”

Bafflement. Silence. Contemplation as confused looks were exchanged.

Sir Pentious was fidgeting with the hem of his jacket before his eyes found yours.

“Did you… ehm… did you conssssssume the missssssing…… partssssss?”

“Some.”

You snickered at his conflicted look.

“I ate the heart of the first guy, tongue of the second. Best meals I’ve ever had.”

Your eyes searched his, big, red, and a little frightened.

“As for the priest’s cock, I made him eat that himself before I crucified him.”

Pen shivered, suddenly feeling a little sick to his stomach as your eyes trailed towards the other two.

Angel appeared to be thinking, but once he decided on his question his gaze became steadfast again.

“Did they have it comin’?”

Ah, sweet Angel, trying to see if you had a reason. To see if he could justify your actions somehow. To himself.

“Yes.”

He nodded, content with your answer. He didn’t need more than that really, despite his curiosity eating him from the inside. He just needed to know that you had your reasons, some justification.

Husk remained quiet for a moment longer as you and Angel looked at each other. Pen seemed to have turned a little green at this point.

Eventually, the cat spoke up, albeit quietly, tinged with a strange brand of apprehension.

“You ever regret any of it?”

You glanced at him. He was standing a little hunched, staring at you from underneath his brow. There was something in the way he was looking at you that you couldn’t place entirely.

“No.”

You took another drag of your cigarette. Husk’s face was incredibly hard to read, and he gave no indication of feeling any type of way about your answer. You wondered how scared the three of them were of you in this very moment.

Oh well, in a way it was easier, having them understand that you were like Al. You may be easier to converse with, making it seem like you were more human, but when it came to your specific brand of monster, you were right up there with the demon clad in red. Or perhaps ‘down there’, would be more apt, given the situation.

Pentious made a noise and, as you focused your attention on him, he started stammering something about apologies, mistakes that were made, and that he would take his leave. He seemed to genuinely feel bad about going through with this ill-conceived plan.

Husk followed after him, his hands deep in his pockets. When he reached the door, he looked back over his shoulder, shooting you a very particular look you couldn’t decipher, making you consider going after him. However, Angel was staying behind, not having moved a muscle as the other two made their way out the door, and Husk closed it behind him, leaving only you and the spider in the quiet of your office.

Angel’s look turned soft as he caught your gaze and you extinguished your bud when he made his way over. Something in those eyes of his that seemed like…. acceptance.

When he was right in front of you, he stopped and you glanced up at him and that warm smile he was directing your way.

“Tell me, doc. Were those because of that kid at the asylum?”

Your heart immediately skipped a beat, and you were left without words for a moment. How had he figured that so fast?

He chuckled at your baffled expression.

“Call it an ‘educated guess’…. Were all tha crimes in there because of ‘em?”

Slowly, you shook your head. After exerting your revenge over your loss, you couldn’t stop anymore. Some boundaries, once you cross them, become permanent and you can never go back to who you were before. It became your work, your obsession, your addiction. The only thing that could quiet your raging mind and shaking hands.

Angel just smiled as he pulled you in, enjoying the confused look you shot him. You were unsure of what he was doing.

“It’s okay, toots. I ain’t scared. I still like ya.”

Why did that stir something in you? There was a slight tremor, seemingly coming from your bones.

Carefully, you reached up, bringing your arms around him and pulling him in closer as you pushed your face into the soft fluff on his chest. Satan, he smelled so comforting, soap intermingled with his own skin musk, he felt so safe, his slender hands caressing your back as he held onto you. 

“I’m sorry we went lookin’ for answers…. I know… we didn’t have tha right ta go pryin’.... Ya are just so damn private. We got curious.”

You looked up at him with a mildly annoyed expression, the lower half of your face still buried in fluff, your voice rife with indignation.

“I told you about myself recently!”

“Yeh well…. that’s on ya tho, ‘cause now I’ve got a taste and I wanna know more… I wanna know it all.”

You grimaced.

“I doubt that. Seriously.”

 He chuckled, and you flushed at the genuine smile on his face.

“Well, I do, so ya betta find more times ta tell me stuff. Like who those people were…. And otha stuff about your life before…”

“Oh, is that so? So does this mean you’ll tell me about your life as well, hm? Perhaps get some actual therapy in while we’re at it?”

Now it was his turn to look uncomfortable, and he gave you an awkward grin.

“Yeah… ehm… well… maybe ya are right, there ain’t no hurry, eh? Like, we’re down here for foreva, got all tha time in that world, yeah?”

“Yeah…”

You smiled at him and he shot you a hesitant grin back before leaning in slowly. 

The touch of his lips against yours had your mind quiet in an instant. The sensation of his kiss, your lips slightly sticking to each other. With a sound of satisfaction, you gently kissed him back, feeling his tongue play with yours at an unhurried pace. His actions seemed to confirm his words. He was unafraid, he still liked you. 

When he pulled away again, you were both a little flushed and he snickered. 

“I gotta go ta work, but ehm…. I’m glad… y’know.. Ta know a bit more aboutcha. And thanks, for not rattin’ us out ta Al…Was he.. Angry?”

“He was… but I’m still here and I doubt he’d been so gracious to you three, if I’m honest.”

He nodded and quickly leaned in again, pecking your lips and lingering for a moment, making you wish he didn’t have to leave.

When he did leave, you let him slip away, his hands tracing your body as you watched him walk towards the door where he shot you one more warm smile before disappearing through it.

If you would’ve taken a moment, you would have realised how goddamn dangerous this was, how giddy and smitten you felt around him in a way you weren’t ready to admit to yourself, just answering any question he fired at you without thinking after having so confidently stated he’d get only one, but instead you pushed yourself back to your feet and stretched. It was time to find out what Husk was up to.

Your footsteps sounded hollow on the carpet in the abandoned hallways as you made the trek towards Husk’s room. His room, not the bar. For some reason you knew he wouldn’t be there.

Arriving at the door, you gave a gentle yet decided knock on the wood.

Silence. He was in there though, you knew he was.

“It’s me. I’m coming in.”

No protest, so you opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was dark and Husk was just standing there, near the bed, with his back towards you. His wings were folded, quite tightly and his tail seemed tense. You narrowed your eyes, was he upset? 

The click noise of the door closing filled the room before silence resumed. You could hear his breathing and you slowly stalked up behind him.

“What’s this? Are you disappointed in me? You’re the one who went looking for answers you clearly weren’t ready for….”

You glanced at the back of his head from the corner of your eye. Still no reaction. His ears lay flat against his head and he was refusing to look at you.

Now that you were closer, you noticed his breathing sounded a bit heavier than usual. Was he emotional? Something was happening and reluctantly you let go of your chastising attitude.

“Are you okay?”

The moment you put your hand on his shoulder, he jolted slightly before finally looking back at you over his shoulder and then turning to face you about halfway.

Even in the dim light of the room you could see his half-lidded expression, a heavy blush adorning his face, and the way he was intently staring at you. It took a moment for your confusion to come and go as your eyes scanned his form, stopping the moment you had your answer and a wide grin spread across your face. Why was he hard?

What was it that had done it for him? The danger? The violence? The sneaking around? The fact that he got caught? The promise of punishment?

You smirked at him and his look turned a little flustered and annoyed, his ears pinning further back.

“This was not what I was expecting when I came over to give you a piece of my mind…. But I’m not complaining.”

He turned a deeper shade of red as you hooked your hand behind his neck and pulled him in closer, just enough so you could feel his breath on your face. Your thumb trailed down towards the front of his throat, teasing a threat, and you could immediately tell it was working for him.

Oh, domination then?

You licked your lips as your eyes searched his.

“What’s this, pretty kitty? You want to taste danger? Maybe I’ll make you wear a nice collar, make you my pet.”

It was to tease him, you knew how he felt about being treated like a pet by Alastor but given his current position, he couldn’t very well scold you for the use of the term. To your surprise, however, a small sound escaped him, his pupils dilating at your words, and you cocked your head in surprise.

“Oh…. really?”

He averted his gaze, flushed a bright pink. His voice was gruff, sounding a little laboured, yet not much more than a whisper.

“Yeah… I think I might….just….. Don’t be a dick about it…don’t be…. Mean…”

You contemplated his request for a moment. Domination without degradation…. Oh, was it praise he was looking for?

“Hmm, alright, you want me to tell you how well you do instead? Tell you you’re mine, that you’re such a good boy?”

He groaned, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to lean in, making his lips brush yours, but you weren’t allowing him to fully close the distance just yet.

He was annoyed with himself. This was embarrassing, far too vulnerable and real, but the heat he felt coursing through him now was not something he could deny. And the worst was yet to come. He worried what this might change between you, how you would treat him after? Would you think he was weak? Lesser? No longer the cool, gruff bartender if he let himself continue down this path? Fuck, he couldn’t even think clearly anymore.

The fact that you were dangerous was no news to him and sure, that was part of the appeal. Always had been. He didn’t really care that you killed people. He had been a vile person as an overlord, he had done things he wasn’t proud of, both in life and after death, things that still had him waking up in cold sweat on occasion. His current disposition often made people forget that he too had a reason to be down here. You may not show any remorse, but he got the feeling you had a reason all the same and even if you didn’t, he was in too deep with you now to make that a deal breaker. But that wasn’t it. No, for some reason it was the fact that you were up there with Alastor. You were his friend, his confidant, his goddamn inspiration. He was under the thumb of that radio shitlord, on his leash, his goddamn pet while you got to stand next to him, being treated with the kind of respect he wouldn’t even get an ounce of from Al in his whole afterlife. 

Seeing your crimes like this, knowing how close to Alastor you truly were, it made him consider something entirely new. What if you were the one who had him on a leash? Would he feel as resentful towards you as he did towards Al? Probably, yes. But in fantasy, it almost seemed like an escape. To have you pull him to his knees in front of you by that chain around his neck, to let you own his soul the way you already held dominion over his heart. Sure, you would be domineering and a dick about it, like Al, but you’d also listen to him, value his input, show him a modicum of respect. Everything Alastor denied him at all times. You would. And it would be you, with that crooked grin and those eyes. Satan, those tired, sleep-deprived, dangerous fucking eyes. 

His feelings on this were complex, the way his feelings for you and his resentment towards Alastor were complex. But right now, it had him feeling so goddamn heated, he could barely digest it all. He just wanted you. Only you. And he needed you to show him you wanted him too.

Husk swallowed as he watched your grin widen in an almost cruel, entertained line when you felt his response to your words. His eyes were a little dazed, and he looked painfully hard, even through his trousers.

“Oh…. oh, you do. You want me to praise you while you fuck me?”

That elicited an uncomfortable shift in him. Not the remark about the praise, but the fact that this was not fully what he wanted. Goddamnit, how was he even supposed to ask for this? 

You felt your mouth starting to water as you watched his reaction and leaned in closer, pulling him in so your lips brushed his when you whispered.

“Or do you want me to fuck you, kitten?”

The hot breath that escaped him was all the confirmation you needed, and you finally closed the distance, pressing your lips to his and feeling the desperate eagerness with which he reciprocated. His claws coming around you, holding you close as his nails dug into your back. His sandpaper tongue felt coarse against yours as they entwined and you had trouble keeping a clear head when Husk let out a whimper into the kiss. 

Fuck, he was cute. As much as you liked him taking charge, this side of him was so vulnerable, and he dared to ask you for his, in so many words. There was something at the root of it, something unspoken and delicate. You had to consider that. 

As you made out, both of you feeling your eagerness rise, you slipped your fingers underneath his bowtie, using it to keep him close. It wasn’t difficult to ascertain how that got him even more heated and, as you pulled apart, out of breath and with a string of saliva still connecting you, you noted his foggy expression. 

With renewed vigour, you gripped his bowtie a little firmer and watched with glee how much it riled him up.

“Ah, fuck!”

He groaned, his golden eyes finding yours and you smiled at him, making his heart skip a beat.

“Look at you, kitten, being so good for me. Do you remember the safe word?”

“Ye-.. Yeah, I do…”

“Good pet.”

You yanked him back in, clashing your lips to his as you reached down and palmed his erection through his trousers, making him squirm. Jesus, he was so hard, he felt like he was about to blow.

Gently, you started stroking him, revelling in the way his body responded. You were going to make him cum like this, filthy inside his clothes, before stripping him and taking him in any way he would beg you to. 

His breathing was picking up as he leaned into you, into the kiss, holding onto you for dear life while he moaned and panted. He hated how fucking obvious he was being, but there was no control left. He always lost his composure around you and this…. Fuck.

“Hnngg, fuck… ah!”

You kissed a trail from his mouth to his cheek before running your tongue along the edge of his ear, feeling him shudder in response. So sensitive.

“You’re doing so well. Such a good boy. Cum for me, hm? Cum, just like this.”

He gasped, burying his face into your neck as your hand picked up speed. The way he was riding into your touch, pushing himself against your palm, it was getting you so excited.

He groaned as he came, stuttering motions, pushing himself into your hand, panting against your neck. 

The slick feeling of cum, staining the inside of his clothes made him feel simultaneously disgusted and fucking aroused. He whimpered as you continued to stroke him, waiting until he had fully ridden out his orgasm as you kissed his ear, making him lose whatever sensibility was left in his mind.

He barely registered it when you coaxed him towards the bed, guiding him to get on it on his knees. You kept standing, eagerly kissing him again as your hands found their way towards the waistband of his trousers, which you started unbuttoning. 

He reciprocated each kiss, his mind so far gone. He didn’t care anymore, he just wanted this, he wanted you.

The room was quiet, only filled with your mutual panting, soft moans, kissing, and the sounds of rustling as you took off his bowtie in one smooth movement. You leaned away for a moment, placing his hat on the nightstand and pulling out a leather collar and leash from the drawer, which you knew he had confiscated from Angel at the bar when he was being an absolute menace, before freeing him from his trousers. He let it all happen in obedient silence, not saying a thing as he watched your every move with a look in his eyes that left you breathless.

With great satisfaction, you glanced him over. His cum-covered cock, dripping and already stirring again in anticipation. You couldn’t resist the glorious sight and leaned in, taking him into your hand and giving him an eager lick, feeling the barb-like protrusions pull on your tongue. The sound he made in response shot through you, and his arousal was being stoked without hesitation. You had to peel yourself away again, trying so hard not to get lost in his sounds as you let go of him, gently kissing and then teasingly sinking your teeth into his pudgy stomach. The sound he made sent a heat running between your legs and you straightened your back.

A grin split your face as you took a moment to wrap your arms around him, running your fingers down his spine until you reached his tail, taking it between your deft fingers and guiding it to the front as you leaned back again. His tail was almost as sensitive as his ears and you teasingly pulled on it, watching him gasp for air. He was shaking as though his legs were about to give out. Maybe they were.

You loved taking control, but when he looked like this, you almost forgot to keep up the attitude, almost lost your composure. It was difficult to maintain a clear head, seeing the sheer, lewd arousal plastered all over his face. Not to mention his submissive attitude right now.

With a smile, you held up the leash and his pupils dilated, giving you a nod that he prayed didn’t look too desperate. As you pecked his lips again, his claws trailed the skin of your arms, nails grazing you, making you shudder while you reached up and tied the collar around his neck. 

You pulled back a bit, looking appreciatively at his soft, naked, fur-covered body, dressed in nothing but a collar and blush. He averted his eyes for a moment, feeling the prying sensation of your eyes covering every inch of him and you hummed, making his ears shoot up involuntarily.

Cautiously, he returned his gaze towards you and immediately swallowed at the sight of you licking your lips. Jesus, the things he’d let you do to him…. The things he was about to let you do to him.

He chewed his lip as he watched you slowly get undressed. You sure loved to torture him by taking your time, even if he could tell you were also absolutely feeling heated. Still, you took pleasure in this play and he adored everything you did, so….

Reaching out a hand towards his trembling body, you briefly wondered if he was cold, nervous, just that fucking excited, or a combination of all the above. 

The moment your hand made contact with the side of his face, he nuzzled into it. He felt warm, under his fur, a heat which immediately permeated your skin as he closed his eyes and pushed his face into your hand. 

A warm smile crept over your face. This was all yours. Until the day that Angel and Husk could finally see that they were meant to be more together than just friends, Husk belonged to you alone. And you intended to make the most out of that.

You gave a small tug on the leash, expecting him to be startled but instead he slowly opened his eyes and looked at you, making you gulp before you found your composure again.

“Hmm, you comfy?”

He remained quiet for a bit, settling into the sensation of the tension on the leash and the way you were looking at him.

“Yeah…. You look….. Gorgeous.”

The blush made your face heat up and you chuckled.

“You look so damn edible, I’m about to lose my last brain cell. I want to bite you all over.”

For the first time since you started, he grinned at you.

“Good, then you fuckin’ know how I feel ‘round you all the damn time.”

“Mmm…”

Pulling on the leash, you beckoned him closer, which he allowed to happen without any resistance, sighing into it when your lips brushed his. 

“Are you ready?”

Words eluded him. Instead, he just nodded, his eyes half open and his breath hot on your face.

You brought your hand back up, caressing his cheek and bringing your fingers to his mouth.

“Lick.”

The command left your lips in a whisper, and you watched eagerly how he responded. He maintained direct eye contact as his claw closed around your wrist. You sometimes forgot how big his hands were, especially compared to Angel’s, and you could feel the nails dig slightly into your skin as he held you steady before taking two fingers into his mouth.

You stifled a moan, feeling his warm, rough tongue run over your digits, coating them slowly and deliberately in his saliva. It felt so vivid, so fucking rousing. The feeling of your heart beating out of control made you consider for a moment to be fearful he would be able to hear it. Perhaps he could, with those big, fucking satellite ears of his.

Speaking of.

While he worked your fingers, you leaned in closer, letting out a breath near his ear that made it flick for a moment, and you grinned. You kissed it, immediately feeling Husk’s fangs graze skin as you made him flinch. So sensitive, that would never fail to make him jump….. Or to get him aroused. You could hear his breathing pick up as you gently played with his ear, his sounds somewhat obstructed by your fingers, making the breaths intermingle with the wet sounds of your saliva-coated digits.

Feeling he had worked on them sufficiently, you pulled back, watching as you slowly took your fingers out and seeing his tongue trail after them for a moment, making it rest outside of his mouth as he glanced at you with those dazed eyes. He looked like he was about to cum again, despite not even being fully hard yet.

You were feeling so horny at this point, you didn’t trust your voice to be able to maintain the authoritative tone you’d had until now so instead you gently pushed him backwards onto the bed, watching him sprawl there, at your mercy, taking big, uneven, expectant breaths as he stared up at you.

His breath hitched when you put a knee on the bed, between his legs, and put the tension back on the leash as your other hand, still covered in his own saliva, reached down.

A shiver went through him as your fingers trailed his skin, teasingly grazing his hardening cock before moving further, prodding at his entrance.

“Light status?”

“Green… fu-fuck…. Green…”

You felt yourself flush again at his eagerness and gently pressed one fingertip inside of him. He was tight, so tight, and you could feel him tense around you as you gave him a moment to adjust before pushing it in further and starting to work him from within.

He writhed beneath you, eyes squeezed shut, and moving into every movement you made. 

Your heartbeat was banging in your ears as you fingered him slowly, taking your time with him. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep a level head though, what with the way he looked right now.

He arched his back as you introduced a second finger.

“Hah… ahhhh …. Fuck….. This… this feels too good….”

You grinned.

“Too good? Is there such a thing?”

He groaned.

“I think I’m about to blow again…. Just don’t hit- Ah! FUCK!”

The feeling of him clamping down on your fingers as you curled them up and hit the exact spot that made his vision turn white nearly made you cum right then and there. Really, just from fingering someone? It was that look on his face, the way he appeared entirely enslaved to the pleasure. It was just so hot, watching him give himself to you entirely. 

Husk too only barely managed to hold on, moaning as you spread your fingers inside him, seeing how much you could get away with.

Satisfied he could take it, and having run out of patience yourself, you flashed him a sharp-toothed grin and slowly retracted your fingers, making him involuntarily whine at the empty sensation. 

Carefully, you positioned yourself, about to take what you so desperately wanted. You wanted to watch him be reduced to absolutely nothing, just a drooling, moaning, whining mess of a man, overtaken by pleasure. 

You caught his eye and grinned at him, glancing him over once more, from the soft, heart-shaped pads on the soles of his feet behind you, to his dripping erection, to his flushed face.

“Don’t worry, kitten, I’ll take good care of you, make you feel amazing.”

With those words, before he could respond, you pushed into him, feeling a sensation of pride and unbridled desire as he arched his back, his wings splaying on the bed, and his tail curling tightly around your leg as a reflex.

You gave him a moment to catch his breath and settle around you. 

When he looked up at you and gave you a nod to go ahead, you smiled, pulling him up slightly by the leash and clashing your lips to his as you started to move.

The kiss was brief as he reciprocated before his body lost all control and he was tensing and convulsing under you, taking each thrust with enthusiastic vigour as his eyes rolled back.

“Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!! Hah! Ahhh, so good… Don’t stop…. Hnnnnggg I’m… I’m fuckin’ losin’ it….”

The last bits of control left your body, watching this man you liked so much writhe in ecstasy beneath you, moaning and groaning every curse word that came to his singular mind.

“Ahhh goddamnit, you look so good, kitten. Such pretty sounds you make… You’re doing such a good job…. My pet…..Hnnng fuck…. How does it feel? Hah…. ahh.”

Husk bit his lip, wrapping his legs and arms around you to pull you in closer. The more of you he could get, the better.

“So…. AH! So good! Feels fuckin’ incredible …. Hnnngg don’t stop, doc…. Don’t …. Hnnn… hah… keep goin’.... I ah…. Call me that again…”

You had to wreck your brain for the term you had used, honestly you just let whatever praise and filth came to mind drip from your tongue, hoping it would hit home for him as you didn’t have the brain capacity anymore to carefully plan out each phrase.

“Wh-.... ah…. Hnn….. my pet?”

He moaned in response and you had your answer.

“Fuck… hhhh, my perfect pet. You’re doing so good, performing so well for me…. Hah… ah! You want to cum?”

A vigorous nod was the only answer you’d get, and you reached your hand down between you. However, before you could wrap it around him, he had apparently mustered enough of a sense of what was happening to grab your wrist and you flushed as he looked up at you.

“Don’t….. I want to cum…. Hnnngg… just by doin’ this….. Keep callin’ me that…Please…. Hah.. ahh.. Own me.”

Well, if there was any coherent thought left in your brain, that comment sure wiped it clean from existence. 

You didn’t hesitate, freeing your wrist from Husk’s grasp and using it to hook behind his knee, pulling his leg up to his chest and allowing you to hit him at a different angle, making him see stars. The additional tension had him drooling as you used your other hand to pull his leash to the side, forcing his head to turn so you had unrestricted access to his neck, where you immediately sunk your teeth into his flesh.

“FUCK! HnnG!! Ah!!.... Oh yeah! I’m goin’ to cum...please I-... AH!. I’m cummin’!...hnngg”

Dislodging your fangs from his neck, you looked at him. There was nothing left of either of you at this point, just two bodies, moving in unison. 

“Then cum for me… kitten… hnnnggg … my pet…. Cum only for me… because I make you feel this good… because I fucking own you.”

You slammed into him, keeping his leash taut and his knee pressed to his chest. You felt yourself unravel as his eyes rolled back and you both came together. The ecstasy rolled over your skin, as though someone had cracked an egg on your bare flesh that was dripping down your extremities. Your whole body tensed up, an orgasm that you felt in your soul before it finally, very slowly faded out of existence again.

With that, all strength left you at once and you crashed down on top of Husk, onto his cum beaded fur.  He seemed to not be mentally present yet. The leash slipped from your fingers and you felt his leg brush your side as he extended it again. His tail went lax around your leg and you realised that he had tightened it before as blood flow resumed its natural course, making the limb feel eerily cold all of a sudden.

You listened to his heavy breathing as you pressed a kiss to his neck, tasting the blood on your lips. Carefully, you licked the wounds, hearing him groan in response.

Once you felt you had caught your breath a bit, you nuzzled his neck, licking up some more droplets before they could matt into his coat.

“You okay?”

“Fuck….”

He muttered the word, still a out of breath, and you pulled back so you were able to see his face, making sure his expression was one that didn’t warrant concern. ‘Fuck’ could, after all, mean a slew of different things.

His face was hard to read, and you gently nudged him, making him slowly focus his eyes on your face and you smiled at him.

“I asked you a question, kitten, you okay?”

He paused, looking up at you with those serious, golden eyes, and he reached up a claw, cupping the side of your face.

“Yeah… I’m okay….”

Finally, he smiled, and your heart skipped a beat.

“You did so well, my pet.”

He looked away again, blush forming on his face.

“Don’t….”

“Why not? Hm? Pet?”

“Ah….”

You raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Wow… that really does it for you.”

His brow furrowed.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t make a fuckin’ big deal out of it…. And ehm….. Don’t go tellin’ no one….”

You stared at him for a moment. Your initial inclination was to tease him, but that feeling soon faded upon seeing the earnest expression on his face.

“No… of course not.”

A grin found its way back onto your face.

“After all, I don’t want to have to share this side of you with anyone. This is all fucking mine.”

With a chuckle you buried your face into his neck again, eliciting a startled, flustered response from him before he slowly settled into it and he smiled.

His claw came to rest on the back of your head as he wrapped his other arm around your waist, holding you close. Your body, pressed against his, felt so comfortable.

Of course, he wouldn’t share this with anyone else. It had been difficult enough to share it with you and if he hadn’t been so damn worked up, he never would’ve let you know about these desires either. 

But he had, and he was glad for it. Of course, this part of him was yours. All of him was yours in whatever way you would have him. He’d take anything at all. Because, if he could choose to belong to anyone, to be anyone’s property, anyone’s pet, he would be yours.

Chapter Text

The door to your office creaked as you stepped from the hallway into the dim space. You moved it a few more times, inspecting the hinges and making a mental note to ask Sir Pentious to take a look. Squeaky doors annoyed the shit out of you, mostly because you’d forget about it and then, in the middle of the night, be startled upon opening the door and the sound cutting through the silence. 

As you closed the door behind you, you realised you weren’t alone. There was a soft, steady breathing that filled the air and you looked over to see Husk, passed out on the chaise longue in the middle of the office, making you smile as you let out a breath and walked over.

This wasn’t the first time you found Husk catnapping (pun intended) in your office. It often was the quietest place in the entire Hotel and no one would bother him here so he’d check the booking schedule and sneak in when the office was empty or he’d take a nap in here while you worked at your desk.

Sometimes, it made you uncomfortable, the domesticity that riddled the actions. Not something someone like you was made for, yet the doubts always seeped away whenever you saw him lying there, passed out, hand on his stomach, snoring softly.

You let your bag slip from your shoulder, putting it next to the door before you walked over towards his sleeping form. 

Fuck, he was cute alright.

Leaning in closer, you reached out a hand, brushing your fingers over the velvety soft tip of his ear, making it flick in response exactly the way a cat’s would and you chuckled silently before repeating the action.

His ear flicked again, but before you could do it once more, a grin of unbridled entertainment plastered on your face, you heard a soft groan and Husk opened one eye.

You were slightly disappointed you weren’t being treated to the surprised “mrrup!”-sound that he usually made when startled out of a nap but he was clearly coming from very far away just now.

“The fuck you doin’?”

“Hello, sleepy kitty. Had a good catnap?”

“Ugh, you think you’re so fuckin’ cute…”

“I am so fucking cute. Also, you’re on my couch. This is a risk you took willingly.”

He huffed in response but smiled all the same.

“Guess I’m just an idiot like that.”

His golden eyes settled on you and his look turned a bit more serious.

“C’mere.”

“Hm? Why?”

“Don’t fuckin’ ask questions, just do it. I need you to hold me for a second…… please…”

Your heart skipped a beat. You knew Husk was a bit touch starved. Alastor was anything but affectionate and beyond the one he owed his soul to, he kept everyone at a safe distance. Now that he had access to you, he tried to catch up on that connection he so clearly craved. And you were finding yourself steadily being roped into it. It was easier, you know, when you could just pretend you were doing it because of his needs. Made it all the more simple to not have to think about your own or how your feelings on the subject might be shifting with each non-sexual touch and hug. Who knew that sappy shit could actually be kind of nice? Maybe especially with Husk, because of his gruff, reluctant attitude, he never made a big deal out of it, the way Angel sometimes did.

“Look at you, asking for what you want…. Such a good boy.”

He grimaced at that, yet the blush on his face betrayed him all the same and when you leaned in, sitting down on the edge of the couch, he quickly pulled you against him, his soft, warm, arm around you, his large claw on the back of your head, pushing your face into his neck so you couldn’t see the flustered expression on his face.

You smiled into his fur, inhaling his scent and nuzzling into the comfort of his hold on you.

“Hmmm, kind of hoping I’d find you here naked some time, or in a robe….”

His gruff laugh reverberated into your chest.

“Don’t get me started on that. Don’t fuckin’ think I forgot about you lyin’ here, in that goddamn robe, when I came to chastise you about Angel. I was so fuckin’ angry and you looked so goddamn good. I nearly lost my shit that day. Took everythin’ not to pounce you when you pulled your leg up and that robe slid off your leg….. You do that shit on purpose?”

“Ahh, a true pro never tells.”

You pressed a kiss against his neck, feeling the fur and warm skin below it give way slightly, and you could tell he smiled, tightening his arm around you and pulling you closer against him. There was comfort in that hold he had on your body. A safety somehow. A quiet calm.

“I won’t chase you out of here, but I do need to get some work done.”

His arm loosened around you and you pushed yourself up, your eyes finding his and the soft smile he had on his face.

“Yeah, alright. You want to do it here? ….I’ll be quiet.”

“Here, as in on the couch?”

“Yeah…”

He blushed, looking away. 

“Don’t have to, if you don’t want to. Just thought…”

“Sure.”

His ears immediately perked up, and you snickered.

“Let me grab my things.”

You felt his arms slide off you as you walked back towards the door to grab your bag and before long you were seated on the couch, reading through a book you had picked up in town earlier, with Husk’s head in your lap. Your fingers absentmindedly weaving through his hair, caressing his ears as he had his eyes closed, purring softly.

Shit, this was comfortable. You should hate it, but the truth was that you didn’t. Not even a little bit. After the initial apprehension had faded, all you could feel was the soft vibrations of his purring, residing deep in your bones, noting how, every once in a while, he’d sneak a glance up at you, those golden eyes visible just below the edge of the book you were holding. It made you flush a little every time.

The book was good too, and you managed to get quite some reading done like this, not being half as distracted as you normally were when someone was in your space while you tried to work. Somewhere in your being, you wondered if this was because of the purring or the strange sensation that you couldn’t move while he was lying so comfortably on your lap. It was like you were welded in place, keeping you cemented on that couch.

A soft buzzing sound disturbed the air, and you grabbed your phone, ignoring Husk’s groan and the way he moved, indicating that he was intending on fully ignoring whatever that was. 

With a smile, you killed the alarm and leaned in, kissing his shoulder before gently biting down. He let out a chuckle, keeping his eyes closed.

“What’s up?”

“I need to go. And so do you.”

Opening one eye he looked up at you.

“Why?”

“Why? Because it’s two. I have a meeting in town and you have your thing with Alastor, remember?”

He groaned.

“Unfortunately, I do.”

He sat up, looking a little dishevelled and glancing at you from the corner of his eye, flushing a little when you snickered at his appearance.

“You look a mess.”

“Heh, it was a good nap.”

He leaned in, cupping your face, and you held your breath as he closed the distance and pressed his lips to yours. You felt yourself melt into it as he kissed you. It was warm and slow and filled you to the brim with a tingling feeling you barely recognised in yourself. You elected to ignore it.

When he peeled back again, he smiled, noting the flushing of your cheeks. There was something about you when you were together like this. Something fragile. Something that wasn’t used to gentle interactions and non-sexual proximity, and he adored that side of you, a little clumsy and awkward. Fuck he thought that was cute, though he knew full well to be careful with it. One wrong move and your cruel sense of demented humour would block the way once again.

“I know where I need to go, but where are you goin’, doc?”

You stretched as you stood up.

“Meeting.”

“Meetin’?”

“You do know what a meeting is, don’t you?”

“Don’t get smart with me. You know I’m askin’ who you’re meetin’.”

You snickered, and he felt his cheeks heat up. You were such a weirdo and a jackass, but damn were you perfect to him. He realised lately how deep his love for you truly ran. It was easy to have a crush on someone who you thought was collected, distant, and dangerous, but he got to see more than that lately. He got to see your awkward, dorky side; the weird fucking music you listened to as you conducted your unhinged experiments, your crude sense of humour, the way you would almost vibrate whenever you got super excited about something, your indignation when things didn’t go the way you wanted them to, that line you hid behind that everything you did was just to serve your own entertainment, so you never had to get too close. 

The few times Sir Pentious had talked to Husk about you and his friendship with you, he had been right. Though Husk had trouble believing it at the time. You were a weirdo, smart but odd, and secretly kind as well, in your own unique way. He adored it.

“I’m meeting with some other medically trained folks. We see each other twice a year, talk about new discoveries in our field topside, our work, our experiments. You know those blood and tissue samples I took? We compare notes and stuff, see if we can make any progress on that.”

Husk frowned.

“You sharin’ our data with those freaks?”

“HA! No.”

You laughed.

“No, of course not. I just take their information. I’m the lead on this particular project. Everyone’s got their own thing. Demonic nature and regen is mine.”

His look turned even more contemplative.

“But don’t you think that if you’re keepin’ information behind, they’d do the same?”

“Of course.”

You grinned and he shook his head.

“Alright, I actually don’t wanna know.”

He slapped his knees before standing up as well, stretching and groaning.

“You alright there, grandpa?”

“Actually? Yeh, this couch ain’t half bad on my back.”

He paused.

“Neither is that lap of yours….”

“Really? Sounds like you may need to be in here more often then.”

His breath hitched at that. Did you just… invite him into this space? Telling him to be here more? You clearly noticed as well because you flushed and quickly walked over to your desk where you grabbed the needed files and stuffed them in your bag, ignoring the sounds of paper crumpling at their violent insertion into their cloth prison.

The two of you continued to talk as you walked out of the office, closing the door behind you. The schedule was cleared, you wouldn’t be home until very late that night, if not the next day.

At least, that was the plan. Hanging out with your colleagues almost always ended with getting drinks, sometimes drugs, and talking the whole night, well into the wee hours. So, when you arrived at the designated meeting spot and learned that one of your favourite colleagues had been pulled apart in a particularly violent mugging, you were let down to say the least. You stuck around for a bit, talking and smoking with your other colleagues, having a few drinks and sharing some casual banter but eventually you all decided to wait for everyone to be present and just postpone the meeting a week or so. Your group wasn’t too big anyway. Not that many doctors that, despite a lack of need for their profession down here, still wanted to practise their field in some capacity. Most had just made the switch to ‘pharmaceuticals’.

You said your goodbyes, did a quick drug trade with another demon you knew on the edge of town, and arrived back home at the Hotel way earlier than you had planned. It was probably a good thing. You weren’t in the habit of taking a good night’s rest, ever, so perhaps tonight you could just grab a book and tuck in early. 

You snickered at the thought, but still, it could be worth a try.

Your hand was already on the doorhandle of your office when you remembered the horrible squeak and that you hadn’t asked Pen to fix it yet. 

Congratulating yourself on remembering, you instead walked further ahead, to the door to your private quarters and walked in, putting your bag on the bed and yawning. You were about to head to your bathroom to shower and get ready for a quiet night in when you noticed the door to your office was open and a slither of dim light poured into your room, casting a thin, yellow strip onto your bedroom floor.

That was odd, had you left the light on when you went out earlier today?

Curiously, you walked up, opening the door further and that’s when you heard it. 

There was someone in your office. 

For a brief moment you thought that someone must’ve snuck in because they weren’t feeling well and found your office empty with you gone but that didn’t sound right. You had messaged the Hotel group chat that you would be gone until early morning and that they should call you with any emergencies. 

You listened for a moment longer and then the sounds, which you had thought to be a soft crying, started to click. That was not crying or someone in distress. There was a soft moaning and whimpering coming from your office. 

Silently, you opened the door and slipped inside. The room was dark, save for the warm yellow glow of the desk lamp on the table next to your comfy chair, opposite the chaise longue which was positioned with its back towards the door of your bedroom. 

At a glance, you could see the key in the lock of the office door to the hallway and you realised that it was locked from this side.

A gentle, whirring noise provided a steady rhythm in between the muffled, needy, squelching noises. There was a slight shuffling sound and a leg appeared over the armrest of the small couch. If you hadn’t recognised him by the sounds, which you had by now, you surely would from the adorable pair of panties hanging from his ankle. Pink, with a little pig on them and a cute, scalloped hem.

Angel lay on the couch, whimpering and moaning. His heavy breathing filling the air.

“Ahhh…. Hnnng…. Please….. Hah… doc…. Keep…. Ah! Keep goin’..... Hnnnggg.”

Your heartbeat was picking up already but at the mention of you it fucked up its rhythm so bad you thought for sure you were having a heart attack for a moment. Shit. 

Your mind was racing. What should you do with this? You wanted to walk around and see him, see what exactly he was doing and watch him cum, help him cum, suck him off right here in your office, fuck him. Jesus, whatever he wanted. 

At the same time, though, you realised that he’d probably counted on you being out. He wasn’t expecting you here, and he’d likely feel vulnerable if he knew you’d caught him. Then again, walking out now, if you took a wrong step and betrayed yourself, he’d know all the same and it’d be even more awkward as it would be obvious you’d tried to sneak away again. 

Choices, choices…

Opting for ‘he took this risk, he can face the consequences’, you slowly walked up to the side of the couch, on the end where his feet were, creating enough space that you wouldn’t suddenly be looming over him.

The moment you could see around the back of the couch, your breath hitched. He was almost entirely naked, his clothes strewn about on the floor, his boots still on, and those panties dangling from his leg. He had put a small towel down, to protect the fabric of the couch. Considerate, and you’d expect nothing less from someone with his expertise.

He looked flushed, hand clawing in his hair as another held a death-grip on the underside of the couch, allowing him to fully arch into the third hand which was thrusting a hot-pink, vibrating toy inside of him at a steady pace. His mouth was hanging slightly open, revealing the shimmer of his gold tooth and tongue jewellery in the dim light. 

Another moan left his lips, stifled and quiet as he tried to keep a lid on his volume. Satan, he looked beautiful. He had shown you, and the others (to their dismay), plenty of his films by now, some of which featured solo masturbation acts, but this, this was unlike any of that. There was a vulnerable honesty to it, that genuinely dazed look to his eyes as he bit his lip, feeling the toy inside him vibrate exactly against the right spot as he was getting so close now, thinking of the hands of the doctor all over him. The thought of your tongue, running up his stomach, your claws creating deep dimples in his thighs as you held him, your eyes, normally so tired and distant looking, now entirely alert as you drank in his every reaction with that crooked grin on your face. He whimpered softly as the fantasy filled his senses.

The truth was he did that often. Thinking of you while he got off that was. He’d cum to so many different people, strangers, and odd scenarios over the years, any temporary fascination that could get him a quick release soon making way for another, but lately, it was only you. Only the thought of you that could get him there like this. Sometimes he thought of you and Husk both, yet he tried not to. Husk didn’t like him that way and he felt icky, getting off to the thought of him joining you two. It felt like betraying his trust. 

But you, fuck… you. It had got to the point that he had convinced Valentino he had developed a medical roleplay kink, getting the moth to dress up as a doctor so he could close his eyes whenever he fucked him, moaning for the doctor without him ever knowing it wasn’t him he was cumming for. Fantasising it was you, railing him into whatever piece of furniture Valentino spread him on, rather than his goddamn pimp. In a strange way, it felt like reclaiming some of his power.

This, though, this didn’t have to do with power. It almost felt like an obsession, the way his mind kept filling with the most indecent thoughts about you. You’d be gone tonight anyway, and the office smelled like you. Like the cigarette smoke of the odd, old-fashioned brand you always had on you, the sterilised medical equipment, the metallic tang of fresh blood, and the incense-like aroma of burned poppies.

His mismatched eyes trailed over the room, hazy from the pleasure. Fuck, if only you were-

A jolt shot through his whole body when he noticed the figure standing at the other end of the couch, hands in your pockets and a curious, crooked grin on your face.

He yelped, eyes widening and trying to get up so fast he nearly fell off the couch all together.

“Fuck! I …. I’m so sorry… this isn’t what it- Ah!! Hnnngg…”

The toy inside him had no compassion for his compromised situation, instead continuing its merry thrum against his prostate. Fuck, he was about to cum, saliva spilling from the corner of his mouth as he got lost in the feeling for a second… why was that look you were giving him only making it worse?

He reached down frantically, with trembling hands removing the toy and groaning as it slid out of him with a wet squelching sound. His legs were shaking from exertion and arousal as his hands fumbled with the button. When he finally got it turned off, the office fell silent, save for his own haggard, ragged breathing. 

He stared at the floor, embarrassment coating his cheeks in a deep burgundy shade. There was no way he could look you in the eye. Fuck, his body was aching for that release. He wasn’t sure what he wanted more; to cum now, as you watched him, or to disappear into the floor, never to be seen again. Jesus, fuck, this was so goddamn embarrassing. You weren’t supposed to be home, he had locked the main door, he thought he was safe, doing something naughty. He’d just clean up thoroughly afterwards and nobody would ever know. He needed a place that smelled like you. He had started out in your bed, his face pushed into your pillow, with his hand down his shorts, but there was something about the allure of the office, a request to be vulnerable, to lay it all bare. So he had.

You watched him as he fumbled. He looked so uncomfortable and you felt a little guilty.

When he spoke up, his voice also had a slight tremor to it.

“I eh… I’m sorry… it’s nothin’... I just… Val has this medical themed shoot comin’ up and I … I figured I could get the right vibe goin’ here… I didn’t think…. Ya weren’t…. Ehm… ah…..”

Slowly, you walked up, making sure that he could see what you were doing and taking your time so he could indicate if he wanted you to remain at a distance. His eyes were watching your feet with laser focus, observing as you came in closer, his arms wrapped around his trembling frame. Fuck, he needed to calm down but all he could feel was those eyes on him. Were you chastising him? Judging him? Ahh…. why did that get him going too? He was still so hard, it was difficult to hide it from view so he just sat there, hunched over, trying to ignore the slick feeling of the lube still spilling out of him.

You stopped in front of him.

“Are you okay?”

“W-what?”

He finally looked up at you, confused, and startled when he saw the warm smile you were directing his way.

“Are you okay, starlight?”

“Yeah… just real fuckin’ embarrassed…”

He grumbled and you let out a short chuckle.

“What do you want to do? You want me to leave so you can get dressed? We should talk but I think we need to sort you out first.”

Sort him out… first? The heat rushed through his body without warning at those words. He wanted you to sort him out, fuck him, touch him, defile him, do anything you wanted to his undeserving, filthy body, right here in your office.

You could see the shiver run over his skin as he buckled over, sweat pearls dripping down the sides of his face and the inside of his thighs. By heaven, how you wanted to bury your face between those legs, bite that soft skin.

You shook your head, ridding yourself of the visual and instead forced yourself to smile at him. 

Remain professional. For all that is sacred, do not act on your desires now.

“I’ll give you a moment, alright?”

You were about to walk away, give yourself a moment to cool off as well, when you felt a hand clasp around your wrist with a surprising strength.

Angel flushed, clearly not having thought this through, though he realised that this reaction was earnest. He wanted you to stay, he just wasn’t sure where to go from here.

You looked back at him, still staring at the floor with wide eyes and his three other arms wrapped around his hunched form, hiding his arousal from you.

“Alright, starlight, what do you want? You want to finish what you were doing? You want to cum?”

He swallowed with some difficulty, still avoiding eye contact and nodding.

“Okay. You want to continue doing that yourself or do you want my help?”

“You!”

He startled himself with his eagerness and he flushed a bright red as he looked at you, making you chuckle. He slightly relaxed into a smile when he noticed that, despite how sure your voice had sounded, you actually looked a bit flustered and red yourself. It made him feel slightly better.

“I’ll help you out. But promise me you won’t run off after you cum, because I think we need to talk about this.”

Noting the immediate concern in his eyes, you quickly added

“I’m not angry with you, I won’t chastise you, I just… I have a theory that I want to talk to you about. Alright?”

He nodded, albeit hesitantly, and his cheeks warmed up again as you took a spot next to him on the couch. You pulled up one leg and opened your arms, inviting him to come and sit against you, which he cautiously did. You figured it was better if he didn’t have to look at you, he clearly felt awkward enough as it was.

Slowly, he let himself lean back against your chest, his bare skin against your clothes, your face hovering over his shoulder. He could immediately feel himself heat up as you looked down at his hard, drooling cock. 

You pressed a gentle kiss into his neck and he closed his eyes, a silent gasp filling the air as you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him closer to you. His whole body was trembling still, the arousal not having subsided and you realised you shouldn’t draw this out any longer. What he needed now was the release he had been building up to, so afterwards you could shower and then talk, about what you had come to suspect.

You let your teeth graze the freckled skin on his shoulders and he bit his lip while one of your claws trailed down over his stomach, before finding its target and gingerly wrapping around him. 

You made sure not to start too fast, too hard, finding the rhythm that he wanted you to take. The truth was that you could likely make him cum with any treatment of his body, given the state he was in, but you wanted to do this right, make him feel seen and safe. 

With a small gesture of your other hand, you asked him to give you the toy but he shook his head, his voice sounding so small.

“Please… Your hand… I wanna feel those fingas inside me…. Fill me, doc…. I wanna cum with your hand.”

A rush of heat coursed through your body and you quickly buried your face against the skin of his neck, pressing a hot kiss that made him moan and squirm.

You let your free hand travel down his stomach, between his legs, finding the entrance to his body, still slick with lube.

His head rolled back as you slipped a finger inside with ease, your other hand working his erection.

“Ahh…. hah… docta…. Hnnnnnggg it feels so good, gimme more….”

Trying to keep a lid on your own desires, you bit into his shoulder. Not too hard, not enough to draw blood or even leave a mark, but just to keep you from losing your marbles as you pushed another finger inside, feeling him tense around you. With a grin against his shoulder, you curled your fingers upwards inside of him, finding that spot that drove him wild without fail and he gasped for air, bucking his hips up and thrusting himself into your hand.

“Fuck… Fuck hahhhh… ah…. I’m so close…. Wait.. wai! I’m real fuckin close I’m- ah FUCK!”

It was a quick release with a low peak, yet filled with catharsis. He tensed up, pressing into you, covering your hand and his own stomach with a few bursts of cum and he went limp in your arms as you slowly retracted your fingers and released him, placing another kiss into his neck, ignoring the way you were aching to lick the cum off his stomach before sucking him off so violently he’d be unable to do anything but scream for you. Instead opting to slow down the hand around his cock, gently stroking him through his orgasm and holding him close.

“Feeling better?”

“Feelin’ fuckin’ amazin’..... Hnng… damn…”

He had a little bit of trouble catching his breath so you just held him as he slowly calmed down. Eventually, he glanced up at you over his shoulder.

“Ya want me ta make it up to ya? I’ll take real good care of ya, babe.”

To his confusion, you shook your head. He knew you were affected but you were still saying ‘no’? Were you really that annoyed with him?

“Nope, but, if you want to make it up to me, you can wash my back. Come on, let’s take a shower, get you cleaned.”

He flushed as he sat up, allowing you to get up from the couch before helping him up as well. Once he stood in front of you, he paused, taking a moment to look you over and then leaning in. Slowly. You allowed his lips to claim yours and you savoured the sensation. It was delicate, sweet. You could almost ignore how your heart was still racing.

You hugged him close as you kissed, your fingers trailing his spine, making him shiver, before taking his hand and guiding him towards your bathroom. He had left a pyjama set in your room, when you had tucked him in after his rough night at work. You had been meaning to give it back to him ever since, but right now it was rather convenient it was still here.

Your shower together was like the kiss. Soft and cosy in a way, though you could tell Angel was a little bit nervous about what you wanted to talk about.

Fresh out of the shower, both in your pyjamas, the two of you sat down on your bed. You figured this would feel less confrontational than in your office, especially given what had just transpired in there. 

Angel pulled his legs up on the bed, hugging them close as he shot you a hesitant smile.

“What… did ya wanna talk about, doc? I ehm…. I am real sorry, y’know….”

“I’m not angry.”

“I know but, look I just wanted ta fuck and ya weren’t here so I just-”

“Starlight….”

“What?!”

“If you just wanted to fuck, you would’ve waited until I was back. You’ve done that before. And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. See, I’m starting to get the impression this isn’t actually about sex.”

At this, he raised an eyebrow, giving you a sceptical look so rife with disbelief that you involuntarily chuckled.

“Right, toots, masturbation ain’t about sex….. Sure thing…. And we ain’t in hell because we sinned, I ain’t no drug addict, and Husk aint no gamblin’ alcoholic. Am I gettin’ this all right?”

You snickered.

“Some of it.”

“Alright then…”

He gestured, though not entirely letting go of his knees just yet.

“Let’s hear it then, doc. If it ain’t about tha sex, what is it about?”

You smiled, leaning back onto the bed with one arm and taking the time to pull a cigarette from the pack on your nightstand, feeling giddy when Angel grabbed one too and leaned in very close so they could be lit by the same, singular flame from your lighter. Your eyes met. His face mere moments away from yours, his big beautiful eyes reflecting that one flicker of light between you. Gorgeous…

Once his cigarette was lit, he sat back into the same position again, knees hugged to his chest and you snapped out of your train of thought, clearing your throat before you spoke again.

“Okay, let me ask you this, how often do you think about sex? About having it, fantasising about people, about pleasure, about compromising situations?”

“Pfffff….” 

He exhaled his smoke as he thought.

“Real fuckin’ often, toots.”

“Multiple times a day?”

“Yeah, easily.”

“Do you always enjoy those fantasies, those urges?”

“Huh, of course I….”

He cut himself off, expression turning conflicted as he realised something.

“...... Wait…. No, wait, I don’t…. Not always….”

“Tell me about that.”

He looked apprehensive for a moment, thinking about your request and the way his brain worked.

“I guess… sometimes I’m just horny, y’know, fantasisin’ about hot shit, gettin’ riled, wantin’ ta fuck.”

“Sure…”

“But sometimes, I don’t wanna hafta think about sex. It’s such a large part of my life, and I enjoy it, don’t go fuckin’ twistin’ my words… but …. Sometimes it feels….. I dunno, there’s some fancy docta’s term for that shit? When it comes into your brain when ya don’t want it ta?”

“Intrusive?”

“Yeah, that’s it! It’s like intrusive thoughts but instead of thinkin’ ‘I’m gonna push this fucker off this bridge’ it’s sex stuff. Y’know? Sometimes it’s real weird, out there stuff, even for me… sometimes it’s almost normal fuckin’ fantasies… but just… not when I actually want ta think about that at all.”

He fell silent, contemplating before adding

“But, I do like sex!”

You nodded, smiling at his insistence, and you took a drag of your cigarette. Angel watched the smoke pour from your lips when you next spoke.

“Do you know the difference between having a high sex drive and hypersexuality?”

He made an annoyed clicking noise with his tongue.

“Obviously not, doc, that’s your department.”

“Alright, a high sex drive is just what it says on the label, it’s having a higher need and drive for sex.”

“Oh, I sure got that!”

You snickered.

“Hypersexuality is more complex. It’s sexual behaviour and thoughts that impact your daily life negatively in their persistence, timing, and frequency. This includes reckless sexual behaviour, intrusive sexual fantasies, and things along those lines.”

Another silence. You watched him think, giving him the space to digest your words.

“If someone got that… Can…. can that be fixed, is there a pill or somethin’?”

“You should know by now that nothing is ever that easy, starlight. Hypersexuality can come from a multitude of sources such as drug addiction, mental health issues.... Sexual abuse….”

A frown clouded that beautiful face.

“That don’t make a lick of sense, ain’t victims supposed ta be like sex-averse and shit? Timid like?”

You resisted the urge to ask him if he fit that description, realising that he might not be ready to think of himself in those terms.

It could take a long time to make peace with the fact that he was a victim of abuse, in multiple senses of the word. Sometimes, admitting that was the hardest part because it felt like giving away your agency over the situation. It would take away the element where he had control, where it was also his fault. God knows how long it had taken you to admit that what you had with your abuser wasn’t just true love ‘hitting a rough patch’. He deserved the space to reach his own conclusions, just like you had, so you decided to just answer as normal. 

“They can be but that is not the golden standard. In fact, there is no such thing as a ‘golden standard’ with this. Responses to trauma are as varied as people. No two people’s coping mechanisms are the same. Where some might absolutely never want to engage in any sexual activity again, and could seek therapy if they ever want to break through that, others might do the exact opposite and take on more reckless behaviour or consume and/or produce media that makes them feel seen in their trauma. There is no ‘right or wrong’ way to be the subject of trauma. Everyone copes differently. Of course, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with that in your day to day but not everyone has access to the tools to help them do so and even with the right tools you can not always control the ways the brain wants to protect itself.”

The smoke curled in the air between you as you watched him take another drag, letting the information settle in.

“So, what, ya think I got that high sex drive or hypersexuality?”

“In my professional opinion? I think you have both. I think you are a sexual creature by nature and I think you developed hypersexuality to deal with your life here in Hell, maybe even before that. We haven’t really talked much about your life on Earth.”

Angel chewed on the inside of his cheek. It was difficult to hear, he didn’t like being analysed. He liked even less being seen as a ‘victim’, no matter how broken he himself felt. It made him feel more naked than he had felt earlier on that couch. Physical nakedness was nothing to him, even as awkward as that had been, but emotional nakedness? Now that was uncomfortable.

“How do I ehm…. Fix that?”

You smiled.

“Depends, if you want to work on this, there’s multiple things you can try. There are mood stabilisers that might help…”

“Oi, ya said there wasn’t some magical pill!”

“And psychotherapy.”

He frowned.

“I want tha meds.”

“Hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you want the meds, you’ll have to talk to me first.”

You grinned as he rolled his eyes.

“Ya forget I can get any drugs with ease, toots. I don’t need ya for those.”

“True, but you’re smart enough to know that if you want to do this right, you’ll do it though someone who knows what they’re doing. And that doesn’t have to be me, mind you. If you don’t feel comfortable, I’ll refer you to a colleague. You’ll like her, she’s very…. Direct. Point is, you don’t have to talk to me about things you don’t want to…. But I do think you should talk to someone. When you’re ready.”

His eyes found yours. He didn’t say it but it was obvious from the way he was looking at you that he didn’t want to talk to someone else. If he was going to talk to anyone, it was going to be you.

“Doc…..”

“Hmm?”

“What did this hafta do with tha… erhm… ‘incident’ in tha office earlier?”

“Well, you said you came there because you wanted sex, right? Knowing I wouldn’t be here?”

“Yeah….”

“Did you really? Or were you having intrusive thoughts and a desire to do something potentially destructive?”

A small gasp as your words. An indication that he was realising something, and you continued.

“See, I think this may not have been about the sex at all. I think you were looking for something else and your brain made it sexual because that’s what it does to have the world make sense to you. Alternatives don’t feel safe to trust.”

His voice was breathless, and he barely dared to look at you.

“What…. Do ya think I was lookin’ for… doc?”

“What were you looking for, starlight?”

He was trembling. He could feel it as he hugged his knees closer and took another drag from his cigarette. You smiled at the sight.

Connection. That was what he had come looking for. He was certain of that. Now, if only he could admit that to himself. 

“I have a suggestion, if you are willing to try it. An offer….. Sleep with me tonight, starlight.”

“Woah, doc! Tha fuck? I ain’t complaining but didn’t ya just say this whole thing about tha difference between sex and wantin’ otha stuff? And now ya proposition me? Bold fuckin’ move.”

You laughed, making him look even more confused.

“I mean literally. Share my bed tonight. No sex, no sexual stuff, just sharing a bed.”

Those words made his heart tremble. He wanted to, so badly, but why was the sheer prospect making him nervous? He fucked so many people, yet the idea of just sharing a bed together, just in the literal sense, made his palms sweat.

To be fair, you also felt nervous as fuck. You tried to maintain a calm facade, and you were thankful that Angel was clearly so in his own head about this that he didn’t notice your nerves, evident, plain as day, in every expression. You did always have a tattletale face.

You both looked up when there was a sound at the door and you got up, feeling Angel’s eyes on you as you pushed the handle of the door down and the light of the hallway streamed in. Something pink and round immediately forced its way past your legs and you chuckled, closing the door behind Fat Nuggets and walking back towards the bed, picking the pig up and handing him to Angel as you sat back now.

Angel let out an excited noise, hugging the critter close. Nuggets squealed in excitement, clearly pleased to have found Angel again after, presumably, having searched the whole Hotel following his prison break from his room.

After nuzzling Nuggets’s belly for a bit, Angel’s mismatched eyes settled back on you and he blushed.

“So… a sleepova?”

“Yeah…. If you want. You know you can say ‘no’ though, right? ……always.”

“No… I eh… I think I’d like that…No sex?”

“No sex.”

“Can we kiss?”

You let out a laugh.

“Sure.”

“And ehm… cuddle?”

You nodded.

“Maybe some hand stuff?”

“Don’t push it.”

You grinned as a mischievous chuckle escaped him before his gaze found you again and his expression turned soft, warm.

“I think I’d like that, doc.”

“Me too, starlight.”

That night, you held each other close. Neither of you used to the idea of falling asleep next to someone, unguarded, with the intention of waking up next to them in the morning. Everyone with their bodies, wallets, and dignities still intact. But here you were, both of you trying out a ‘first’ together. Arms wrapped around the other, softly kissing, pecking at the other’s lips, fingers weaving through hair, your legs intertwined. 

It was the second time now you’d seen Angel without his boots or socks on. You never commented on it, given how you got the impression that he felt self-conscious about them, the way he always hid them, but his little spider feet were honestly so fucking cute. Perhaps, one day, you could tell him that but now didn’t feel like the right time. Besides, you were not ready to admit to even yourself how you thought everything about him was cute. That heart-shaped spot on the back of his head, the freckles covering his body, the markings over his chest, the fluff, his additional eyes, his goddamn attitude, his cheeky smile, his weird fucking jokes, the way his nose crinkled when he was about to laugh, the way he’d laugh and speak with his mouth full, such a grateful, happy, and messy eater, or the way he furrowed his brow when he was about to lose his cool. All of it. 

So you just held each other in the comfort of those soft touches and kisses until he, finally, drifted off to sleep.

This was how you learned that Angel sleeps like an absolute menace. Sprawled, wide and unelegant, with a limb in every fucking direction, drooling slightly while a soft snore filled the room. And you could honestly say you had never seen a creature more ethereal in your entire (after)life. You stayed up for hours, just watching him, feeling safe and comfortable in your bed, before you too fell asleep. The best sleep you had had in ages.

When you woke up the next day, you were pulled into his arms with your back against his chest. He had you entirely entangled in limbs and was breathing softly against your neck, indicating that he was still asleep. The slightly cold spot on your shoulder told you he had likely drooled on you a little as well and you smiled to yourself, huddling closer and feeling how he, instinctually, hugged you tighter against him. 

Fat Nuggets appeared on your side of the bed, giving you a curious look before cuddling close to you and closing his little eyes again. Gently, you put your hand on his back, listening to the small pig sounds of contentment as you settled back in.

You let your fingers intertwine with Angel’s, bringing the back of his hand to your mouth and pressing your lips against it, closing your eyes as the warm skin and comfortable scent gave you visions of his genuine, bright smile and the way he had looked the night before, gazing at you as he trusted you with this little experiment of yours.

He stirred behind you, pulling you in closer and letting out a breath against your neck, continuing to sleep as he muttered something unintelligible to himself.

Perhaps this , right here, with him, was heaven, and that thought didn’t scare you half as much as it should.

Chapter Text

The bed was still warm when you stepped back in, handing a cup of coffee to Angel, who gratefully took it, wrapping two of his hands around it while a third was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

He looked adorable, a little dishevelled, having just woken up. His eye mask sat on top of his head and he still looked somewhat drowsy. 

He inhaled the smell of the hot cup of coffee as you settled in next to him with your own mug and your phone, looking through it to see what your day would look like, and he smiled to himself.

It was weird, waking up in the same bed. Neither of you were completely used to it yet, and he had noted how it was apparently a new concept for you too, but he loved it. He loved waking up in your arms or with you in his. He felt so safe with you. Not just because you hid a monstrous form and had the mentality to fight literally anyone, no matter their size, if they pissed you off, but probably more so because you respected his autonomy, his body, and his boundaries. You might be a psychiatrist, but that didn’t give him any guarantees, and he still found himself surprised at how easily you accepted a ‘no’ whenever he issued one, which honestly wasn’t often. Most of the times he did it was just to see if you would still react the same way, and you always did. He wondered silently if there would ever come a day he’d feel secure enough to not have to test someone and second guess their motives out of sheer self preservation.

But this was nice, surprisingly nice. Angel wouldn’t admit to it out loud. He much preferred cracking jokes or making lewd comments to hide it, but the domestic nature of sitting in bed in the morning, cuddling, having incredible morning sex, or drinking coffee and reading the goddamn paper…. It made him feel uniquely giddy. Perhaps because it was the closest thing he’d ever get to tasting a normal life. What if he could have that? A partner that he’d wake up to every morning, that he would fight with over who would take the trash out, who he could ask about their day in the evening, who would eat his cooking with enthusiasm, who would take him out on the town to watch him cause trouble and who’d take him home at the end of it and fuck him with love. What if he could have that. And what if that person was you? 

He chuckled to himself. You weren’t the domestic type, but it was kind of nice to fantasise about it and he found himself doing that a lot. Fantasising about you.

You didn’t sleep together every night, just once or twice a week. He still didn’t want the rest of the Hotel to know, probably even less now than before as now he was feeling more and more conflicted on what ‘this’ even was, so you had to keep it on the down low. Some nights you’d fuck, others you’d play a game, watch a movie, or just cuddle, and he couldn’t rightfully say what way to spend time with you he enjoyed most. Either way, the final choice was always his on how you’d spend the night. You insisted on that and it made him feel flustered every time.

Without looking up from your phone, you leaned into him and he smiled as he put an arm around you and held you close, glancing at your screen from the corner of his eye. He didn’t want to pry…. But he was born nosy.

No interesting things to be noted, as you had the scheduler open, making sure that no one had booked anything today. As far as Angel knew, you were going out with Alastor today. On that note…

“Hey, babe?”

“Hmm?”

“Ya goin’ out with Al today, right?”

“Yeah, him, Niffty, and Rosie.”

He snickered, and you finally looked up.

“So no cute date with just tha two of ya?”

Getting what he was driving at you returned his grin.

“‘Fraid not, but hanging out with those ladies is always fun. Rosie is fantastic, good food too.”

“Eugh, stop it… But seriously, ya know about tha rumours, yea?”

You nodded.

“Why?”

“I dunno… just… they’re just rumours, right?”

Your smile widened, and you leaned in, pressing a kiss into his neck, making him flush a little.

“Why, starlight? I thought you didn’t care what I did, as long as you got your privileges?”

“I… ah! I don’t! It’s just… Smiles and ya seem ta be so close all tha time. Ya go out togetha a lot, y’know.”

Placing a few more kisses, you enjoyed Angel’s soft, appreciative sounds. For someone so loud and sexually forward, little gestures like these sure got him flustered, and you fucking loved that.

“Well, yeah, starlight, we’re friends, I suppose. Or something like it.”

“Hmm… Just friends?”

“Heh, just friends. Al doesn’t really do anything more than that, I get the impression.”

“What, so ya would fuck him if he was open ta it?”

“Hell yeah, wouldn’t you?”

At this, he let out a laugh and you pulled back to watch that genuine smile on his face as he giggled, not doing anything to stop the blush from creeping across your face.

“Yeah, I think I would…. I mean, he’s got that otha form and those shadowy tentacles. Hnng, now that gets tha gears goin’!”

You nodded, sitting back against the pillow, sipping your coffee and being honestly impressed with yourself that you hadn’t spilled any of it while focused on Angel.

“It would be a wild ride, that much is certain.”

Angel watched you for a moment, taking another gulp of your coffee, and his look turned mischievous.

“Well, ya got a good fuckin’ lookin’ demon form too, from tha little sneak peek I got a while back… maybe ya wanna… take that for a spin with me sometime, hm? See about tha size difference?”

Of course, he’d fantasised about it ever since that night in the club. How could he not? It had been so intimidating, so scary, so rousing. Those long, blackened claws, that violent look in your eye. Yeah, he wouldn’t mind getting railed by something big and dangerous, knowing it was you behind that mad desire.

He glanced at you to see your reaction and his smile faded the second he saw how your face soured at his suggestion.

There was an immediate pit in your stomach and it took everything to stay composed, to not let the sudden wave of negativity consume you whole.

“I eh… toots, I was just kiddin’, I’m sorry.”

You sighed, downing the last bit of your coffee.

“It’s alright, it’s just…. That form is pure violence and hatred. It’s everything that makes me a monster dialled up to the highest setting. You know how everyone has something in their demon form that they hate?”

“… Yeah?”

“That form is mine.”

“But.. it’s so powaful… and kinda hot.”

You let out a short laugh at his hesitant little expression.

“It’s also an uncontrollable monster. I guess that’s why I got it. I spent so much of my life on Earth revelling in the control of killing and inflicting pain that now I get a form that is capable of all the violence but none of the restraint, none of the focused direction…..”

Your eyes found his.

“Promise me you’ll stay away if you ever see it again. I’m….. I’m so far gone when I am like that… I doubt I would be able to distinguish friend or foe. It already becomes blurry when I’m only partially shifted.”

Angel swallowed. He didn’t like it when you talked about yourself like that, saying you were a monster. This was only because he wanted so desperately to believe you weren’t one. That, though you could be dangerous, you were really the person he had next to him now. The rest… was something else. But he had seen you when you attacked those guys in the club bathroom. He had seen the demented violence in those eyes, and that had only been a fraction of your full form. He knew, when you said you were a monster, you didn’t mean it in the tormented ‘emo’ way to be dramatic, you meant it fucking literally. He just didn’t want to hear about it, didn’t want to see, so he could pretend just a little longer.

His heart ached as he watched you get out of bed, putting your empty cup on the nightstand before getting dressed and ready for the day. 

Glancing down at the bed, he noticed your phone light up silently as a message came in. You didn’t have your previews turned on so he couldn’t see what it said, but he noticed the cyan colour of the Voxtek icon that went with it. Initially he brushed it off, thinking it was an update or something until he realised it was a private message app that it had come in on. That was weird. Were you doing a job on the side for Voxtek? You used to always have a ton of side-hustles to get by, he knew that, though he thought you had quit all of those because you were being paid by the Hotel now.

His eyes found you again and he let his fingers brush the rim of the cup while he bit his lip. He felt so shit about what he had said. Him and his big fucking mouth and filthy brain. Must be those intrusive sexual thoughts the two of you had talked about though, at the same time, he realised he couldn’t blame that for all of it.

Some thoughts are ‘inside thoughts’, Angel, ya dumb fucking whore. They don’t wanna know about your monstafucka fantasies. Not when it’s their own goddamn trauma ya are flirtin ’ with…

His self-chastising got interrupted when you appeared on his side of the bed, fully dressed and, honestly, looking real fucking good. He didn’t know what to say for a moment, but that didn’t matter as you grabbed the back of his neck and pressed your lips to his. 

His comment had caught you off guard and made you feel very uncomfortable. You’d never kink shame and could absolutely see the appeal of fucking something monstrous (you’d done it plenty of times down here) but this was different. Every once in a while, the doubts about how involved you were becoming with Angel set back in and this was definitely one of those times. You were glad you were about to spend some time with Alastor today. Set your mind straight again.

You pecked his lips, his soft, wonderful lips, and drank in the gentle, contented moan that left him. Pulling back a little, you looked him in the eye and cupped the side of his face.

“I’m late. I need to go. You can stay here as long as you want, alright?”

Before you could walk off, you felt his hand wrap around your wrist and you looked back at him, sitting there, looking away before his mismatched eyes settled on you.

“I’m sorry… babe…. I didn’t mean….”

“It’s alright, I get the fantasy of fucking something dangerous. This just isn’t the one, yeah?”

“Yeah…”

He pulled you back down, and you kissed him again, his arms wrapping around your neck and his tongue pushing into your mouth, eagerly wrapping around yours as you pushed him backwards into the pillows.

Quickly, he put his half consumed coffee on the nightstand and missed, making the cup bounce a few times before rolling away over the floor, leaving a trail of coffee everywhere, though neither of you registered it. 

His hand caressed your neck as you made out, the other gripping the shirt on your back tightly and you hummed into the kiss. 

“Starlight, I do actually have to leave.”

Your words sounded slightly muffled against his lips.

“Hmmm, nooooo, stay with me…. C’mon, if ya are already late, what’s a few more minutes?”

“It’s never just a few more minutes with you…..”

You kissed him again, running your tongue over his and flicking his tongue piercing while brushing your thumb over his jaw, before reluctantly pulling away. Inadvertently, you had to chuckle when you saw the pouty expression on his face and you quickly pecked his lips once more before walking away, leaving Angel with a small, content smile on his face, alone in your bed.

You made a brief stop at the kitchen. You didn’t have time to have breakfast, plus you were going to have brunch with the others anyway, but you should at least have something, so you filled a disposable travel mug with your coffee combo and started walking towards the front door.

“You headin’ out?”

Husk’s voice sounded gruff. There was always something sexier about his voice in the morning, perhaps because he sounded and looked even more ticked off than usual. Lord knows why that got you going.

“Yeah, I’m meeting Al in town.”

“I know, I just wanted to-”

He crinkled his nose at you.

“The fuck you got in that cup?”

You looked down at the cup and back at him. Sensitive nose.

“Coffee.”

“Ain’t no normal fuckin’ coffee.”

“It’s an americano.”

“The fuck it is! Americano is espresso and water, smartass, and that ain’t it. What did you put in there? It smells fuckin’ chemical.”

You grinned at him and his look turned apprehensive.

“It’s an americano, just with energy drink instead of water.”

The look of horror he directed your way made you laugh.

“You fuckin’ demented. What kind of maniac puts energy drink in their coffee?”

“The ‘me’-kind. Breakfast of champions, baby!”

“Jesus, I think the whole murderin’ psychopath thing is less off puttin’ than your fuckin’ coffee order…. Way to ruin Al’s expensive coffee blend…”

He seemed genuinely offended at your idea of ‘breakfast’ and you grinned, leaning in very close over the bar, making him involuntarily retreat a bit with a suspicious scowl on his face, his ears pinning back ever so slightly, a blush creeping over his face.

“Al isn’t here to see how I violate his coffee, so don’t worry about what I put in my body unless it’s you, my pet.”

You snickered to yourself as you walked off, sipping your drink with a proud smirk and exiting through the front door, not realising how, behind you, Husk flushed a deep shade of red at the nickname used in public, trying to ignore how it made his heart race and his pants tighten. He knew he had fallen for an absolute freak but this… perhaps he had to rethink the choices that had led him here…. 

By the time you reached the agreed upon location, your dubious coffee had been consumed and the cup discarded. 

Hanging out with Alastor, Niffty, and Rosie was a delight, as always. You had a late brunch together, talking about nothing and everything, sharing Pentagram City gossip, talking about developments in the city, targets, interesting new players, Niffty’s war on the roaches, and much more. The food that was served was excellent, and you enjoyed the weather outside until the acid rain started, forcing you to take a seat inside the cafe.

With a smile on your face, you looked out of the window, watching the sinners run for cover while screaming, the rain melting whatever piece of skin it got access to. What a sight. On your other side you could hear the buzzing of voices, the laughter in the room, as well as Alastor and Rosie sharing a passionate conversation about something you weren’t paying attention to, with Niffty enthusiastically chiming in every once in a while. 

Your thoughts drifted as you took another sip of tea to wash down the last bite of cake. You recalled Angel, the way he had looked sitting in bed this morning; messy and with that goofy little grin on his face. You felt a smile tug on the corners of your mouth, thinking back to the way his hair was sticking out and you absentmindedly stirred your tea, even though you had put nothing in it.

There was an amused chuckle coming from the other side of the table.

“Oh, Alastor, I think we got a dreamer on our hands here! Look at them, so in love. Who’s the lucky sinner, hm?”

It took you a moment to realise Rosie was talking to you. You didn’t notice until Niffty prodded you with her sharp little elbow and you turned your attention away from the window to glance at the others.

“Huh?”

Rosie giggled.

“Miles away, I see. Got someone on your mind there then, doll?”

You felt yourself flush and your expression turned uncomfortable for a second before you found your composure again.

“Nothing I’m going to share here. Besides, haven’t you heard? The only one on my mind is Alastor, according to the tabloids.”

She smiled at you, having noted that you didn’t want to talk about it and immediately shifting towards the new topic at hand. You were grateful that she was such a gracious conversationalist and a genuinely amicable person.

You just ignored the wide, interested grin Alastor had fixated on you at Rosie’s words, deliberately not looking at him.

“Oh, I did hear! And what a handsome couple you both make. Didn’t think you had it in you, Al!”

She gave him a playful tap on the shoulder, which he only half acknowledged, an absentminded smile back on his face as he let the conversation unfold without him.

Letting your mind drift as well you watched Rosie and Niffty talk up a storm. 

‘Love’ eh? Ha! What a notion. Rosie was a romantic, through and through. Of course she’d be the one to misconstrue something like what you felt for Angel for ‘love’, turning it into so much more than it was. More than it ever could, or should, be.

You cared for him, sure. You wanted to make sure he was okay. You relished in watching that genuine, broad smile on his face and felt lighter every time you were the cause. But in the end, this was still Hell. Nothing was ever made to last down here so it was better to not get too deeply involved. Besides, Angel wasn’t ready for something like that. He craved it, you knew he did, but that didn’t mean it was the right thing for him right now. Not until he figured his own situation out first, else he would forever remain dependent on people and be susceptible to their abuse. That deep, almost painful craving he felt to be seen, to be heard, to be loved and adored. 

It didn’t entirely escape your notice how convenient this fact was for you right now either, as you watched Niffty giggle and plop the last macaron in her mouth.

‘Love’… How foolish.

You snickered at the display, exchanging a glance with the little bug hunter as Rosie got up.

“Looks like the rains have stopped. Niffty and I have another little outing planned but you two absolutely must come over next week when the new restaurant opens. I know the chef personally and I can assure you both it’ll be the best meal you’ve ever had!”

She said her goodbyes to you and Alastor before taking off with Niffty in tow. From what you understood, they were going dress and weapon shopping together.

You stayed there, chatting and laughing with Alastor for a while longer. You had always thought that Alastor was the type of guy that didn’t initiate a lot of physical contact but what you had come to realise was that that was not entirely true. He was fine touching people, whether that be the ones he liked or the ones he wanted to intimidate. You frequently saw him being casual about touch from Rosie, Niffty, and Mimzy, and lately you found that he was more free like that around you as well. It gave you a sense of pride, in a way, as it cemented something that you had felt from the first conversation you had shared; that you might be working towards a genuine friendship of sorts.

You liked him, simple as that. If he wasn’t, as Rosie put it ‘an ace in the hole’, you figured you could be more than friends too (you would definitely make a pass at least), but the short of it was that you liked being around him and he clearly enjoyed your company too. Your oddities complemented each other and your respective cruelty kept the other challenged and on their toes. 

A sound from the other side of the cafe caught your attention just as Alastor squeezed your shoulder, having finished a story that had you both snickering. There was a small group of demons, trying to inconspicuously take pictures and film you both, aiming to get some interesting footage of the radio demon and his new… whatever the fuck you were.

There was a sense of opportunistic pleasure that washed over you and you grinned widely, picking up the newspaper from the table and folding it open in front of you before giving Alastor a head nod to come closer.

Curiously, he leaned in behind the paper, listening eagerly as you whispered something in his ear about a new target you had spotted in town the other day, some fresh meat prime for the picking.

Your plan worked perfectly because, as you parted and you lowered the paper again, Alastor had an eager, almost flirtatious grin on his face and you knew for a fact that the pictures and video being taken on the other side of the cafe would look like nothing short of a very romantic kiss had happened behind those headlines.

Alastor seemed to realise it too because he let out an amused hum and he reached out his hand, pinching your cheek, making you giggle.

“Very crafty, darling. I’m sure the denizens of Hell shall feast on their theories later today.”

“I’m sure they will.”

His eyes narrowed in interest.

“You surely know how to play an interesting game. I do so enjoy it! Though, I have to wonder, are you not getting too attached to the Hotel to be actively betraying them, hm?”

Trying to catch you off guard with a question like that out of the blue? Rude but not nearly as rattling as Rosie’s question had been. You huffed in indifference.

“Who cares, Al. This afterlife is a fucking joke anyway. None of it matters. You might as well have some fun while you’re down here. Besides, technically I’m not. Betraying them, I mean.”

His grin turned cruel.

“Oh, you think they’ll see it that way when they learn about your…. let’s call them ‘extracurricular activities’?”

You shrugged.

“They’d be making a mistake if they believe we’re all good people down here. That’s on them. I do the job I’m paid for. My amusement is my own.”

His laugh was as loud as it was entertained.

“Well said, my dear!”

With a stretch, you glanced at him.

“You want to get something else, or shall we go?”

“Let’s go. I was going to suggest we take a walk and dine out tonight, but I have a much better plan. I think I shall cook for you.”

There was a baffled, on your end, silence as you looked at him.

“You want to cook? … for me?”

“Yes indeedy! Now, don’t look too shocked, I’ve cooked at the Hotel before, haven’t I?”

“Yeah, but that’s different from cooking just for me.”

“Is it?”

The question might imply that he didn’t understand the nuance, but that grin told you otherwise and you rolled your eyes.

“Fine, what are you going to make?”

His smile turned oddly melancholic as he stared off into space.

“I reckon I shall make you my mother’s favourite dish. It’s got a kick to it, though, if you’re up for it.”

“Spice is fine.”

You looked him over as he thought about more than just the food and the two of you got up, walking out with your arm hooked in his.

After walking for a bit in silence, you glanced at him, still lost in memories.

“What was your mother like?”

The smile on his face was uncharacteristically soft, and you found yourself eager to hear what he had to say. What he had been ruminating about.

“She was a darling woman, truly! Remarkably strong, excellent cook, as you shall rediscover later today.”

He paused, stopping his walk for a second, and you followed his example.

“She was… lovely.”

There was something so wistful about the way he spoke those words. 

Without making too much of a thing out of it, you gently squeezed his arm, making him look at you and you started walking again, taking him with you.

“She was important to you.”

“She was.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Every day.”

You continued again in silence for a bit.

“She’s not down here, I suppose?”

He snickered at that, looking almost cute in his amusement.

“No, my dear, she most definitely is not.”

You turned your attention back on the road ahead and smiled.

“You know, I am aware of how dangerous you are and I respect that as well as the fact that you want to keep your distance from people, but… I do have to say. Sometimes I think I see a glimpse of your pain and if you don’t wish to share that is fine. Just know that, if you do ever want to talk about it…. you can..”

It was by design that you weren’t looking at him as you said this. You didn’t want him to feel cornered or profiled. Because of this, you missed it when his ears, for the briefest moment, pinned back and his look turned almost sad. It was only a split second before he composed himself again.

“I appreciate that, my dear. Though I’d advise you to not go around thinking you can read me that easily.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

You knew Alastor was powerful, even more so than the others probably realised, except for Husk and Niffty, obviously. There was a plan of his brewing in the background and you would not be surprised at all if he was intending on being a major player down the road again. Possibly even in opposition to the current efforts. The real question was, what was keeping him from doing whatever he wanted to do now? What was his real motivation for being around the Hotel in the first place? His interest in Charlie and her powers? Access? A secret curiosity about the feasibility of it all? Or was there something else pulling the strings from behind the scenes?

His look turned more relaxed again as he glanced at you from the corner of his eye.

“Anyone you know end up in heaven, darling?”

You let out a short laugh.

“Yeah.”

“Then you understand the pain of separation.”

“I do. Then again, I wouldn’t wish this place on them and I certainly wouldn’t do well in…. heaven.”

You put an extra ounce of disgust on that last word, and Alastor chuckled.

“You and me both, my dear! Separation it is!”

Laughing, you continued deeper in town, to get groceries and some general stuff for the Hotel.

It wasn’t until much later that you returned home with Al. The kitchen had already been tidied by Niffty as the rest of the inhabitants had finished dinner much earlier and you watched with a stiff drink in your hand as Alastor cooked. 

There was soft jazz playing from a radio on the counter. He had his sleeves rolled up and an apron on. His glass of booze was set on the counter, next to where he was working and he was humming to himself, clearly in his element, while preparing the food. 

After a while, he noticed you observing him because, without looking up from what he was doing, he chuckled.

“My dear, you can make yourself useful, or do you just intend to stand there and look pretty?”

You grinned.

“Is the latter an option?”

He glanced up at you, giving you a side eye with a wide smile, twirling a large knife between his fingers, before pointing it at you. You leaned in closer, towards the sharp object in his grasp.

“Do not point that at me unless you intend to fight or fuck me, Al, because you won’t like what having that directed my way is doing to me.”

He grimaced in return, lowering the blade slightly and flipping it in his hand, extending the handle towards you, which you took with an amused hum.

“I like you, my dear, but why do you always resort to such vulgarity?”

“Why? Because it never fails to catch you off guard, and your reactions are very fun.”

The two of you chuckled as you continued to prep dinner, maintaining minimal conversation and instead just enjoying being in each other’s company. 

After cleaning up the kitchen, you had your excellent food in Alastor’s room, taking in the tastes of his childhood meal with the atmosphere of the bayou he had annexed to his space.

Having depleted the food and about two rounds of coffee with a strong drink over comfortable conversation, you stretched. You didn’t want to overstay your welcome, and it was about time to head out anyway.

As you sauntered towards the door, Alastor followed closely behind, musing about the headlines in the tabloids these days. Something he seemed thoroughly entertained by.

When you were about to head out, he took your hand, pressing a kiss to it with a smile, making your heart race for a moment.

“It was a pleasure as always, mon chère.”

Time stood still in that moment and the entire atmosphere shifted. Your body froze and there was a ringing in your ears as you felt the floor disappear beneath you.

There was no time to think about your reaction, not a single consideration. It didn’t even matter that his French accent was Creole, not Cajun. That term of endearment sent a cold wave of pure, unfiltered panic through your whole body that you didn’t feel you had full access to, as though it was muffled somehow, and your response came not from your brain but from your spine, a knee-jerk reaction.

The sound of skin hitting skin was so loud and sharp, it seemed to fill the room and almost escape into the hallway through the door you had only opened a smidge. Everything turned eerily quiet after that.

The palm of your hand hurt, Alastor’s cheek was almost immediately glowing red hot. You had smacked him so fucking hard, both of you were standing there in silent bafflement, taken entirely aback.

You should say something, you should tell him you didn’t mean to, that you made a mistake. He was surely going to shred you to pieces, but there was nothing happening in your brain, not a single thought.

When he looked up at you, his smile befuddled and eyes wide in confusion, you didn’t even feel bad for him. He had just cooked for you, he had been a wonderful companion all day and even opened up a little to you, yet all you could feel was the sickening sensation in your stomach, the ice running over your skin.

So long. It had been so long since someone had called you that, and it broke you immediately. Years of pain flooding through your body. All that time healing and putting yourself back together again, piece by broken piece, after you were finally free of him seemed to be undone in this simple moment.

The tears started to well in your eyes and there was the briefest flash of concern on Alastor’s face before you yanked the door open and bolted out.

Your heart was beating in your throat, your breathing was uncontrolled, and your mind was going a million miles a minute. What the fuck, what the actual fuck. Even the big strides you took as you traversed the Hotel hallways couldn’t mask the way your legs were shaking. Fuck, you hated feeling like this. It had been years, decades, since you had had a trigger like this. This is what you got for hanging around people this often again. 

Thankfully, you knew exactly what you needed, and you came to a halt in front of the door to Husk’s room. You knew he was in here as he had texted the group chat earlier that day that he was taking the afternoon to himself, which usually meant he was having a stiff drink in his room, listening to music, and playing cards. Either that or he was out playing cards somewhere else.

You knocked on the wood, rubbing your arms as though you were feeling cold, trying to keep your physical reaction under control. 

It took a moment before the door opened, Husk’s face appearing in the gap as he glanced out, blinking against the bright light in the hallway. He wasn’t wearing his usual attire, instead dressed in a normal set of black slacks with a white button-up that wasn’t closed all the way and had the sleeves rolled up in a casual manner. He looked fucking incredible, and it stirred something feral inside you, even through the haze of panic.

You gave him no time to question what you were doing there. The second the door opened, you pushed inside, pressing a searing kiss to his lips as your arms came around his neck. 

He made a muffled sound, looking startled as you pushed him into his room, closing the door again behind you with your foot. After the surprise faded, you felt his arms come around your frame, gently holding you close, and he slowly reciprocated the kiss. 

The room was pleasantly dim, and the music was only barely audible, which was probably the perfect volume for his sensitive ears. You felt your need rise and your arms closed tighter around his neck, pulling him in with fervour. 

He let it happen. It wasn’t that often that you sought him out, and he was okay with that. Initially, it had been difficult to come to terms with, that he was always the one initiating proximity, but he had come to realise that there was probably a different reason you appeared so reluctant. 

His heartbeat picked up as your tongue entered his mouth. He could feel your desperation, your eagerness seep through every lick of your tongue and the way you were holding onto him. You tasted like Al’s cooking, a slight tinge of spice still on your tongue, washed down with the stronger taste of coffee and booze. It was pleasant.

When you finally peeled back, just enough to end the kiss, you were both a little out of breath.

“What are you- …”

“Shhhh…”

You quickly pecked his lips again.

“I need you to tie me up and fuck me. Hard.”

A red hot flush made its way across his face in a wave, and he gulped. Your breathy whisper, the way you were looking at him. It was immediately getting him hard, yet he tried to shake it off. You were looking far too desperate for this to be a regular bootycall. 

“You good?”

“No, I’m not. Will you please shut up and fuck me?”

He shook his head, trying to ignore the feelings you were stirring inside him by plainly refusing to look you in the eye. That face of yours could compel him to do anything.

“Not ‘til you tell me why. C’mon, what happened?”

Your sound of frustration briefly made his ears pin back, but his expression didn’t change.

“Fuck! Fine, I had a small…. trigger just now… I ….ugh.. was reminded of someone I didn’t want to think about and now I need to forget again. I want…. You…. to…”

You swallowed, being up front and vulnerable like this was not your strong suit, hypocritical as you knew that was, yet you also knew it was the only way to get him to do what you needed him to, so you took a deep breath. The faster you told him, the sooner it would be over.

“I want you to make me forget about him and I want to feel…. Like someone cares…. I need to hurt but I need to know it’s safe…..I….”

Your eyes were cast down, not ready to see his reaction, wondering if you’d made a mistake telling him the truth. 

“I need you to wipe my mind…. make me forget everything. Make me forget who I am…”

Husk was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected you to actually be honest, at all. Not to mention that you had just said that you trusted him, in so many words. That you had felt vulnerable, in pain, being confronted with memories from your past you didn’t want to consider, and he was the person you went to. 

He was very well aware that you had self-destructive tendencies. If not for the fact that you were always willing to throw caution to the wind in favour of ‘having a good time’ then for that barely restrained insanity lurking just behind those eyes. Those tired but beautiful eyes. 

Dealing with your issues by yourself or with strangers in sketchy situations in town was your method of choice. He would be the last one to judge but he had seen you on occasion, sneaking out, coming back in high out of your mind, fucked to the brink of sanity, all so no one at the Hotel had to see you be anything less than your weird self. 

Yet this time, you had come to him. 

He would not let you regret that. This was it. This was his chance to prove to you that he would be there for you.

His heartbeat held an unsteady rhythm, and he gently reached up, cupping the side of your face. Your expression seemed conflicted, and a little irked about having to be upfront with him, but slowly your eyes met his.

“You sure that’s what you need, doc?”

Your eyes searched his, your usual crooked grin nowhere to be found, and he realised you looked even more tired than usual, but also sincere and fragile.

“Yeah… I’m sure.”

“Alright.”

He didn’t give you time to consider that he had said yes, instead immediately yanking you back into a passionate kiss, his tongue pushing past your lips and his claws reaching up, undoing your clothes.

It made your heart race, and you didn’t waste a second to reciprocate, moaning into the kiss when he briefly stopped fumbling with your shirt and instead let his claws trail down towards your ass where he grabbed you and pulled you flush against him.

You could feel his erection growing through the layers of fabric and you let out a whimper, your trembling hands reaching up and entangling in the fluff on his chest, peaking out above the closed button of the shirt he was wearing. 

His claws dug into your flesh as he pulled you with him, backwards towards his bed, where he pushed you onto it. 

In a second, he was on top of you, making you gasp as he clawed at your clothes, helping you shed them quickly. He barely took the time to drink in your naked body, the way he usually did, instead placing a hand next to your head on the bed to steady himself as he leaned down and kissed you again.

Your whole body felt hot. This was exactly what you wanted. Husk made you feel desired, seen, but everything he did, even when he was losing himself in you, was with care. He would never purposely hurt you beyond your desire, because he cared and because he, even when his mind was gone, could read the way your body responded with an eerie accuracy. 

A moan rolled off your tongue as he started trailing kisses and bites from the corner of your mouth down your neck, taking care not to leave any marks as you had instructed him, and slowly covering your chest, your stomach, continuing downwards. He was so deliberate about each time he made contact with your body, it had your mind spinning and you arched your back into his kisses and licks as he trailed over your hip to your thigh. Grabbing your leg, he pulled it up a little so he could look down at you as he pressed a kiss on the inside of the leg, grazing the skin with his sharp teeth, making you shudder.

“You said ropes?”

He sounded a little laboured and your words eluded you so you just nodded, watching with bated breath how he let go of you, gently brushing his claw over your skin as he leaned away towards the nightstand from which he retrieved well-used silk bindings, putting the bundle next to you for a moment.

You let him pull you up, slowly, by the back of your neck, and when you were sat upright, he climbed over and sat on the bed behind you, allowing him to tie your arms behind your back. The feeling of the ropes snaking over your chest, wrapping around your arms and binding them together felt freeing and secure. It was like armour, protecting you, while also exposing you to anything he wanted to do to you. 

You whimpered as he tied the final knot and double checked everything before he stepped off the bed and walked back to the other side. Standing in front of you, he could now admire you sitting there. On his bed. With ropes crossing your torso in an artful manner, keeping your arms tied expertly behind you and he let out a hot breath.

Fuck, you looked so goddamn good and what was getting him even more riled was the consideration that you trusted him with this. 

After he had let you top him, he was worried that there would be a shift in your dynamic, that you’d start treating him as a toy, as a pet, even outside of the moments where he wanted you to. But you hadn’t. You actually seemed to like and respect him more for it, if anything, though that last part might just be wishful thinking on his end. And now you dared to be vulnerable with him like this. 

Sure, he had tied you up before, as you him, introducing pain or some roleplay but this was different. He could almost physically feel the weight the situation carried. Bit of kink was plenty of fun for him and you seemed to really enjoy it as well, but this, this made him consider Angel’s words. The thought that bondage requires trust, and that this was his chance to ‘strengthen your bond’ so to speak.

He was getting so damn hard, the way you were looking up at him with that expectant, aroused expression on your face. 

Starting to speak, his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, trying not to look too embarrassed when he tried again.

“You comfortable?”

You nodded breathlessly.

“Alright, and you remember the safe word?”

Again, you nodded. You wanted nothing more than for him to shut up and fuck you already, but you tried to keep your impatience under control. Instead, you slightly spread your legs on the bed, moving into your restraints and watching those golden eyes fixate on you. He was looking quite composed on the surface, but you could see the desire burning behind that yellow shimmer.

He leaned in towards you, but instead of kissing you; he took something from the bed where the ropes had been and held it up. A blindfold. The way he was looking at you didn’t require him to ask and you moaned at the thought of being in total darkness as he fucked the pain out of you.

“Y-... yeah… please… put it on me.”

With some difficulty, he swallowed before complying and leaning in towards you, taking care to tie the blindfold in a way that was comfortable and left you in complete and utter darkness.

There was a wave of pleasure that ran through your whole body when you felt him kiss you, the roughness of his tongue tracing your lips before forcing them to part for him and your tongue eagerly met his. 

This was getting you so riled, without your vision you were entirely subjected to the sensations he unleashed upon you and even a kiss from him now felt so much more vivid. 

You moaned as he kissed your neck again, running his sandpaper tongue over the delicate skin, his voice a gruff, breathy whisper.

“Tell me what you want….. Hah…. “

He sounded a little out of breath, and you shifted under your bindings.

“I… ah… I want you to fuck me, any way you want to have me. Be rough. I want you to take me, claim me. Fuck me so goddamn hard. Knowing you are using my body for your pleasure….”

Fuuuuck, he could feel his erection starting to stain the inside of his trousers, this got him so hot. 

“You’ll use the safeword if you ain’t enjoyin’ it?”

“Y-.. yeah…”

“Promise me.”

“I promise!”

The feeling of his claw, wrapping around the back of your neck as he yanked you forward into a bruising kiss left you breathless. No tongue, just his lips pressed against yours as though he was already trying to ask for forgiveness for what you were allowing him to become. 

You shivered, aching for him to get started. Every once in a while you could feel your hold on your mental state slip a little, just enough for your skin to grow cold again and to feel the panic looming from just behind that door that you tried so desperately to keep shut. You needed Husk to erase it all.

And with that, he pushed you onto your back again, making you almost yelp when you felt his claws wrap around your thighs and his tongue lapping at the skin on the inside of the leg, again teasing you with the threat of his bite before he buried his face between your legs and immediately got to work.

The way he committed, the way he knew your body by now, there was no hiding the reactions as pleasure rolled through your whole being. That rough tongue of his on your most sensitive skin had your eyes rolling back, and he drank in your arousal as though it were the only thing sustaining him in this life.

The pleasure kept building and building, sending waves of heat running over your skin, but just as you were getting close, his assault on you stopped and you whimpered, arching your back and writhing in your binds. 

You could hear a zipper being undone, and you held your breath as you felt him shift between your legs until you could feel his hard cock being placed on you. 

He was going to make this last. That much was clear as he started rubbing himself against you and it was making you salivate. You weren’t sure if he was doing this for you or for him, but it was working either way. When he pulled back a little, you only had a moment before you could feel him prod you and you bit your lip as he slowly, deliberately pushed inside of you. 

The stretch was incredible and, despite his mind being largely consumed by the arousal now, he made sure to pause and give you a moment to adjust around him. 

He was damn near drooling at the sight of you taking him, watching you tense around his cock and that blissful expression on your face. He’d fuck you, alright. He’d fuck you so goddamn thoroughly. You’d be thinking about him and the way he gave it to you whenever you were alone with your thoughts. 

Slowly, he started to move, noting how you squeezed him every time he pulled out, the barbs on his cock dragging on your insides. From the way you were biting your lip, he knew you were looking entirely dazed behind that blindfold, and a grin took over his face. This was only the beginning. He’d have you shaking and convulsing before the end was in sight.

“I hope you’re ready ‘cause that’s all the niceties you’ll be gettin’ out of me… understand?”

You nodded breathlessly but he wasn’t having it, knowing that you wanted him to be rough.

He slapped your thigh firmly, sending a sharp, delicious pain up your spine followed by a wave of heat. He ignored how you tried to wrap your legs around him and pull him in deeper, or how you squeezed his cock perfectly when he did that. You wanted more; you needed more.

“I asked, do you understand?”

“Hnnggg I understand…hah… sir….”

He swallowed, briefly taken aback before the full weight of that response came crashing down on him. There was no pretending that you calling him that didn’t stir something primal in him. He had been called ‘sir’ plenty of times when he was an overlord. This was so much more intense though and damn was it hot.

The shift was immediate as he pulled you up from the bed, lifting you without issue and taking you with him, pinning you to the wall where he thrust himself into you, leaving you gasping when he bottomed out and pulled back again, almost all the way out before slamming back in. It felt unstable, not being able to wrap your arms around his neck for support, but you could feel the secure hold he had on your body, his claws on your thighs as they wrapped around his waist. He wouldn’t drop you. 

With every thrust deep inside you, your back hit the wall with a bruising force. He might not be allowed to mark you with his teeth, but you’d be covered in his signature all the same after this. It hurt in all the best ways and you met each thrust eagerly, feeling the sparks it sent flying across your skin. Finally, for the first time since you had started, your mind started to truly grow quiet. The only thing left in your darkness was pleasure. No more pain, no more thoughts that made you want to curl up and waste away, just the feeling of Husk’s warm, soft body, his fur tickling your skin making it feel electric, him moving inside you, the hold he had on you as he kept taking you higher and higher.

You could tell how affected he was by his heavy breathing next to your face and you relished the way his claws grabbed at your body, digging into your skin as he kept fucking you at an unrelenting pace. It was driving you absolutely wild, and you felt your arousal climb again when he started angling his thrusts in a way he knew drove you mad. 

The feeling of his cock, pushing into you, rubbing along your inner walls, had you reeling. Each time he pushed in it felt so right and each time he purposely pulled back out almost entirely you could feel the barbs sting, getting more painful with each thrust, dragging along your insides and feeding you the exact type of pain you were craving in your soul.

“Fuck… ahhh ah! Hnnnggg so good… it’s so good…”

You were babbling, your mind largely gone, lost in your pleasure-filled darkness as you felt yourself addicted to the feeling of that barbed cock pumping in and out of you. 

He groaned in response, burying his face into your neck and kissing the skin repeatedly.

“Keep talkin’, love. Hah hnnn Go on, let me hear you.”

Your legs faltered their hold on him and he used the opportunity to push both legs up and open, pinning you securely to the wall and making both of you shiver at the added tightness. Your mind was so dazed from the arousal and he just kept the sensations coming.

“AH! Hahh…. Don’t stop… I’m so close… ah ah! Fuck I’m so close! Please… hnnn I’m about to cum….”

“Please… what? hnng… ahh.”

Gods, the way that deep voice reverberated in your bones whenever he spoke. That gruffness to it, even when it was only barely more than a whisper.

“Please…hahh ah…sir…hnnnn….”

You could feel him grin against your neck at your desperate pleas and he picked up his pace, feeling you twitch and move around him until you finally tensed up entirely. Straining against your ropes, and pushing your shoulders into the wall behind you, you arched your back. You gripped his cock so fucking well and he groaned, continuing to thrust into you throughout your peak, even when you went limp. 

With a smile on his face, he dug his claws into your thighs as he kept on fucking you. You moaned, tender as you were from your orgasm and feeling the overstimulation which he ignored. Fuck, it felt good.

He kept your legs stretched open for him, even when, instinctually, you tried to close them as the sensation had your whole body writhing against his movements, but he could see from your expression that you were relishing in it. Getting entranced by that addictive pain. It made his breath hitch, watching you lost in the sauce as he kept lavishing you with more of his love, of his adoration for you. You were like this for him, because of what he was doing to you. If that didn’t get him rock fucking hard….

In one smooth movement, his grip on your body shifted, your legs being allowed to come down and the feeling of your back against the wall dissipating as he carried you back towards the bed, where he placed you down and continued to fuck you.

One claw raked deep, painful grooves into your thigh as he held you with an iron grasp while the other trailed up your body before wrapping around your throat, making you moan in such a way that his mind was briefly wiped clear of anything, and he squeezed.

You couldn’t see the expression of drunk adoration on his face as he watched you writhe and strain, that smile of ecstasy underneath the blindfold, the ropes digging into your skin. You looked so goddamn good. 

He groaned, his thrusts turning erratic at the mind-blowing sensation of you tensing around him.

“Fuck… fuck, fuck, fuck…. Hnnn..”

What else was there for him to say? He was so fucking in love with you, with your body, with your vulnerability, and your strength. Satan, how could he ever begin to tell you if he somehow ever got the courage to?

The poetic beauty of the situation was that you wanted him to fulfil his desires with you, fucking you however he wanted because knowing he was getting off was making you go insane. At the same time, though, the thing that got Husk going was your pleasure. So, there you were, both chasing the high of the other. A turbulent storm of desire and servitude. Catering to each other’s wants and needs in a perfect circle.

Husk felt he was getting close. So close, he wanted it all. 

You relished in the high of the lack of oxygen as his claw relinquished its hold on your throat before you could pass out.

Unceremoniously, and before you could entirely regain your senses, he flipped you over onto your stomach, on your knees with your face pressed into the bed as you couldn’t use your arms to prop yourself up, and he started taking you from behind. 

You could feel yourself drooling into the bedsheets, your mind spinning and your breathing entirely uncontrolled, the feeling of his cock rearranging your insides as he was ploughing you, his nails digging into your hips, holding you up in place and at the right angle for him.

His tail flicked behind him in excitement, and his wings splayed with every movement. He was going to fill you to the brim, claim you in the lowest, most base primal way he could think of. You left nothing of his composure and knowing that he was allowed to lose himself in you, that that was what you wanted, had him trembling with excitement.

He moaned as he picked up the pace again, watching the expression of deep arousal on your face under that blindfold.

It was then that you felt your overstimulation making way for arousal again and you whimpered. This felt so good. How did he always know how to treat you exactly the way you needed? He was being exactly rough enough, clearly getting lost in you and taking your body in a way that had his mind spinning, which, in turn, got you so incredibly hot. 

“Fuck… I’m gettin’ close…. You feel so fuckin’ good, so tight around my cock…The way you look…. hah…takin’ it….. Hnn… you’re... All. Fuckin’. Mine!”

He slammed himself into you with every word and then buried himself up to the hilt inside of you with one, final, violent thrust, his hot cum spilling into you and your whole body trembled as the sensation washed through you, sending you over the edge again as well with a lewd moan that made him flush a bright red. The warmth spreading over your skin as he kept himself there, thoroughly filling you with his seed and refusing to pull out again. His barbs kept you in place, hooked into your fucked raw and sensitive inner walls. You felt like your brain had overheated and the small pearls of sweat made your skin feel electric as they dripped down your body.

Eventually, when he could think again, he grabbed hold of the ropes keeping your arms pinned to your back, and used them to slowly pull you up against him, immediately burying his face against your neck and kissing the skin, drinking in the way you were catching your breath and the flushed look peeking out from underneath your blindfold. You let your head roll back against his shoulder, your chest rising and falling rapidly against the ropes.

Your blindfold was soaked and by now the tears were flowing freely from underneath it but Husk didn’t have to worry as he could also clearly see that smile on your lips as you let the feeling of catharsis wash over you.

How he adored you. 

You moaned softly as he continued to kiss your neck and shoulders, lavishing you with affection as you slowly came down.

After a while, he spoke up in between kisses. His voice soft.

“How you….feelin’?”

You let out a breath.

“I’m… okay ….. Hah…. better than okay…. I’m …. Thank you. That was… perfect.. You were ahhh…. perfect…”

“Hmhm…”

Another kiss on your neck, at the base of your ear, the feeling of his cum, intermingled with your blood, which had turned it a soft pink, slowly leaking out of you as he grew soft, running down the inside of your legs, it was everything you had needed. Husk groaned when he noticed it too, the sight of you leaking his fluids made him feel some very unholy things. 

As he took his time to shower you with kisses and touches, slowly undoing your bindings, taking off your blindfold, and holding you close while tears continued to run down your cheeks, you wondered how being with someone could feel this right. Just what exactly did this all mean? 

However, any trace of concern and doubt was kissed away and then drowned out by the sound of purring as he lay down on the bed, pulling your naked, spent body against him and keeping his arm around your shoulders. He pressed a soft, warm kiss against your forehead as his thumb caressed the skin on your shoulder in circles before sliding down to your back.

He pulled you up a little closer and, to your confusion, he started licking your face. His rough, sandpaper tongue lapping away your tears and covering your skin lick by lick. You groaned softly, trying not to let on how much his affectionate grooming was flustering you.

“What are you doing?”

He stopped for a moment.

“You mind?”

A brief silence in which you contemplated his question, your cheeks heating up at the realisation of your answer.

“No…”

“Alright, then just let me take care of you, baby.”

So you relented, feeling him smile against your skin before continuing his mission to rid your face of any traces of pain as you closed your eyes and tried to relax into it. As rough as he had been a minute ago, he felt so warm, gentle, and safe now. It was against everything in your nature to accept that affection yet you wanted nothing more than to be able to just stay in his arms right now, so you forced yourself to ignore every fibre in you that told you you needed to run. After a bit, it almost became easy.

When he was done grooming you, he pulled you in, arms around you, holding you tight in an embrace that made you feel so incredibly secure.

You played with the poof of fluff sticking out from above his, now dishevelled and only partially buttoned, shirt, your naked leg draped over his clothed one, and the both of you just existed there. Out of breath, tired, and content, in each other’s company as his nails trailed your spine, and you closed your eyes again.

“You…. wanna tell me what happened?”

Husk’s voice was low and he was clearly doing his best to sound as casual as possible, to not scare you off. 

For a moment you feared that him asking that would make the pain return but it didn’t. You still felt as content and safe as you had before and you pushed yourself up, ignoring how your shoulders ached from having your arms bound.

“Not really…..”

You could tell he was trying to hide his disappointment, feeling as though you still didn’t trust him and you gently raked your fingers through his greying, tousled hair, making him look back up at you.

“Not now.. at least… I’d rather just… be…. With you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah… of course.”

He blushed as you lowered yourself again, this time placing your head on his pudgy stomach, relishing in the warmth of his soft body, feeling his large claw coming to rest on your shoulder where he, again, absentmindedly rubbed his thumb in circles on your skin.

There was a swelling of his chest with pride, a warmth that meant the world to him. Years. Years he had been pining after you, knowing that he would likely never see you again yet here you were, in his arms, after you sought him out in a moment of vulnerability, asking him to help take the pain away. It was something he couldn’t quite wrap his head around but he wished the two of you could stay like this forever, in the overwhelming realisation that you needed him.

He adored you, as much as that scared him. But he knew that it would scare you more, if he ever dared to speak his feelings out loud. Whenever that thought rose he tried not to dwell on it. On how this was all only temporary. How, eventually, you would slip from his claws again. There were times he could almost fool himself into believing he was fine with that, that any time spent with you now was good enough for him and that he, like you, would take this for what it was; a fun moment of reprieve in the churning mess of Hell, before moving on again. 

Yeah, there were times he could almost fool himself into believing he was okay with that. 

But then again…

“You want to stay like this for a bit and then get into the bath or somethin’? I can fix you a drink…. I’ll… make your favourite..”

You nuzzled his stomach to hide the blush on your face.

“Yeah, that…. that would be nice.”

Swallowing, you tried to sound confident and indifferent when you next spoke.

“Will you join me? In the bath, I mean?”

He truly hoped that you couldn’t hear his heart skip a beat.

“You want me too?”

“Yeah… I mean.. .only if you want to….”

He swallowed.

“Alright…”

“And ehm….”

You hesitated.

“I could maybe… preen some of those feathers for you? The ones you can’t reach that well?”

His claw dug, ever so slightly, into your flesh at your words and Husk was glad you had your head on his stomach so you couldn’t see the wide-eyed stare he had fixed on the ceiling, blush so red he feared it would glow in the dark.

“If… you don’t mind.”

With a smile you pressed your face into his fur. You felt like an idiot but also strangely giddy. He brought out such a weird side in you. There was something to be said for the kind of safety he provided you. Not just physical but emotional, as though it was okay to be a bit of a mess. To be losers together.

Who knew that there were people like him out here? 

You wondered, silently, how different your life would’ve been if you had known someone like him when you were alive.

You knew full well he had a dark past, just like anyone here and that, even if you had known each other back when you were alive, somehow having existed in the same time period on earth, there was likely no chance it would’ve worked out the way it was now but still. You wished you could send your younger self this version of Husk, knowing that that kid would be safe with him and that he’d protect them in all the ways people had failed you when you were alive. Gods, imagine the kind of person you could’ve turned out to be, the person he could’ve been. 

It was silly, of course, because you understood that the reason you were so well matched now was because of who you had both become throughout your existence, but still. A vision of the two of you, neither of you damaged and broken, you still hopeful and not a cynical, cruel mess of a person. The life you could’ve had. Perhaps neither of you would be down here if you had. 

It was a weird thought to reconcile with, but you found it surprisingly easy; your afterlife in Hell these past months had been a better experience than your entire life on Earth.

Ha, who would’ve thought.

Chapter Text

“Hnnggg… .ah.. ah! … Ff-…. ck… hnn…hmpf…”

Angel’s stifled moans filled his room. The only other sounds being the rustling of clothes and the wet sounds of you sucking him off.

He had his hand on the back of your head, pushing you on him without consideration as he tried his best to keep his whimpering and groaning under control.

He was pissed. You knew he was. And he understood that it was unfair, given your current arrangement. Yet knowing that his anger wasn’t justified did nothing to soothe the bile he had felt inside when he found out you’d been fucked so thoroughly by someone else that you’d be marked for a week, even with the accelerated healing demons enjoyed. Of course, you didn’t address the source of his anger, nor did you tell him that the culprit was the unassuming, grumpy bartender downstairs. If he wanted to talk about it, he had to fess up.

He hated it. He hated knowing that you found solace with others, that you came with others, that others got to see you, got to touch you, got to fuck you like that. He hated it and he hated how hypocritical that was of him. Because he did the same thing. Partially for work, sure, but also off the clock he found himself often getting high and finding a cheap thrill with some random demons. Maybe it hurt because, whenever he did, he often found his mind wandering to you and he knew that the same couldn’t be said the other way around. He was certain of that. 

Trying desperately to stay in control, to get rid of that anger, his hand in a death grip on your head as you kept bobbing up and down on him, he growled softly behind clenched teeth. 

You ignored the way your knees ached on the floor or how your head was pounding. It had been since earlier that day and nothing had worked so far. Yet the only thing on your mind right now was Angel. 

Relishing in his taste on your tongue, you sucked as you came back up before allowing him to force your back down, tightening your throat around him and forcing a high-pitched noise out of him. 

He was close now, just a little bit further.

When he came, he threw his head back, the long hair of his wig sliding off his shoulders and bouncing back into shape behind him, his legs clamping your head between them as his hand forced you as far down on him as possible. Obediently, you swallowed everything he gave you and waited patiently for him to release you again, which he eventually did. His legs slumping off you like limp noodles, all tension having left them for a moment.

Gingerly, you let him slip off your tongue and you glanced up at him. He was flushed, his long, false lashes made his already heavy lidded expression look even more like bedroom eyes than usual, and he was panting. 

You liked his drag look. He was beautiful whatever he did, whatever he wore, and this particular get up never failed to make you smile. Gorgeous broad. 

From his expression you could tell that he was still miffed but the sheer rage that had clouded him earlier, making him yell about something unrelated to avoid addressing the issue while he hurled items at you, seemed mostly resolved. You had clocked the exact moment he exploded though, after initially being so excited to invite you into his room, to see his getup, to get a little action in before he had to go to work. One peek at your bruised body underneath your clothes as he tried to get you undressed despite your protestations was all took.

“Feeling better?”

“Hmpf..”

He resolutely pulled his panties back up and his tight skirt down before turning around on his little stool and checking his make-up in the vanity mirror, leaning in and reapplying his lipstick.

You let out a sigh. You didn’t have the energy to deal with his insecurity right now. Getting up, you dusted yourself off.

Gently, you put your hands on his bare shoulders and leaned in, your face hovering next to his so you could look at him in the mirror.

“You look beautiful, starlight.”

Another small huff, though even through the make-up you could see the blush on his cheeks. He felt embarrassed about his explosion. From what he could tell you had stuck to your promise to him about the bite marks and you had treated him so well just now, even despite his volatile nature but he was no where near ready to address his behaviour, or yours. He didn’t have a fucking clue how to ask you for what he wanted, because… what did he even want?

“I’m not feeling great, so I’m going to do something stupid to get rid of it in town. Good luck at work.”

He briefly glanced at you and you smiled at him, at which he immediately averted his gaze again. You sighed, letting your hands slip off his skin and turning around, lighting up a cigarette and making your way towards the door.

With the doorhandle in your hand you paused, glancing over your shoulder and exhaling the smoke.

“I’ll see you later, if you want me to. Take some time to consider what you’re really mad about.”

With those words, you exited the room, closing the door behind you. 

The moment the lock clicked, Angel put his make-up down and buried his face in his arms on the vanity.

Fuckin’ stupid…..

On your way to the front door, you saw Alastor, who gave you a broad smile and a nod in passing, which you returned. Of course, you had gone to find him the next day, after having your insides rearranged by Husk, to apologise. You had honestly been dead fucking nervous about having to face him but if he was going to murder you, you decided you’d rather get it over with quickly.

To your surprise, however, he greeted you with the same, chipper attitude as usual, wide gestures and lofty exclamations about nothing in particular. It had baffled you for a moment and when you tried to bring up what had happened he cheerily proclaimed he had no recollection of such a thing occurring, adding in a much more sinister tone, laced with static and pure threats: 

“If something like that were to have happened, I reckon the person who did that would have made a fine addition to the radio broadcast, don’t you think?” 

You just nodded in that moment, sheepishly, as his looming form and threatening appearance calmed down once again, only realising much later that this was Alastor’s kindness, odd as it was. He had recognised something had happened, that this had not been a targeted attack on him. However, he was not one for talking about emotions. He didn’t want to ask you about it, that was allowing things too close and though he considered you a friend, one shouldn’t push it with the sentimentality. Besides, acknowledging the altercation would be simultaneously admitting that he was letting you get away with hitting him, so this was the compromise he had come up with and you were genuinely grateful. 

“Thank you, Al…” 

You had muttered. Soft enough so he could pretend to not have heard it, though the movement of those ears and that slight pull on the corners of his mouth told you all you needed to know. The two of you were okay. As long as you weren’t stupid enough to do it again, that was. Alastor still had use for you it seemed.

Your headache only seemed to get worse as you made your way outside, but thankfully, you knew exactly who could help. An old contact, downtown, had a drug in stock that did wonders. It was expensive, but you had the money now to pay for it and at this point you’d eat him out too if it meant getting rid of the ringing in your ears.

You might be a big advocate for healthy coping mechanisms in your professional life, but rarely lived up to those expectations yourself.

Your feet led you straight to the Black Dot without issue, which was a good thing because at this point your vision was starting to get a little blurry. 

You opened the door with your shoulder and stumbled in, immediately making a beeline towards the bar and sitting down. It wasn’t too crowded and the usual thick layer of smoke was almost like clean air compared to rush nights.

The bartender, a demon with a treasure chest and tentacles for a head, walked over, immediately recognising the dishevelled doctor that had just sat down.

“Look at you. You look even more like shit than usual.”

“Shut your treasure trap...”

His eyes narrowed in the dark space inside the chest.

“What brings you back in?”

“I need a stiff drink and some of your unlisted shit.”

He flung the tea towel he’d been drying with glasses over his shoulder.

“You actually going to pay this time?”

You groaned, resting your face in your hands.

“Yeah, man. I got the money.”

At this, he shrugged and disappeared to the back for a moment. When he returned, he put the pill on the counter in front of you and filled you a glass of booze.

The sound of the glass hitting the counter made you open your eyes and you let out a sigh of relief at the sight of that familiar pill. You downed it and the drink without hesitation, ignoring the slightly weird taste of the booze. Must be a new brand, or he’d given you the bottom shelf muck in case it turned out you couldn’t pay after all.

You put the payment on the counter, which he immediately took and counted.

Within about ten minutes, your vision cleared, and the pounding became less and less. Thank Satan.

You were about to consider where to go next when you heard some shuffling behind you. 

“Oh boys, look who we have here. You got a lotta nerve showing your fucking mug here, doctor.”

Glancing over your shoulder, you saw a small group of shark demons, with a very short guy seemingly leading the pack.

You rolled your eyes and turned your attention back to the bar.

“Beat it, short stack.”

“Ohhh, an attitude too? What, not happy to see me?”

You glanced back again, wrecking your brain as you looked them over. 

“Do we know each other?”

His already wide grin turned cruel, annoyed that your lack of recognition didn’t seem to be an act.

“Grab ‘em.”

You weren’t fast enough. A large shark next to you grabbed you by the back of your neck and slammed you headfirst into the bar, keeping your face pressed against the wood with painful force. The pain was sharp and immediate. So much for getting rid of a headache.

“So, you don’t remember me. I’m hurt. But that doesn’t change the fact that you made off with a lotta money and I intend to get every cent back from you.”

To his annoyance, you snickered, feeling a little bit of blood intermingle with your saliva and drip onto the counter.

“Joke’s on you, just paid the bartender the most of the cash I had on me.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. If we can’t get our money, we’ll get our fill some other way. Take ‘em out back and make sure it’ll take a good long while before they regenerate.”

Your grin grew wider. You couldn’t take all these guys in a fight on your own. Not normally. But you had your demon form as back up and it seemed like today you got to dust that off and take it for a spin. Tearing into this bastard would be gratifying for sure. It had been a while since you had eaten from a body that still had a beating heart. Guess today was cheat day.

You growled as you let the inky blackness faze over your skin, your right arm elongating, claw growing, your body contorting and then…. it stopped. Not just that, it seemed to revert a bit before coming back, almost like the transformation got stuck and had started to glitch. It felt horrendous. The transformation was never pleasant but the pay off could be well worth it and the process was fast. This, however, was not.

You tried to push through, force it to consume you, but nothing happened. You then tried to call it back, but that didn’t work either. It took a while before the panic got a hold of your heart, drowning out the pain. Fuck. FUCK.

The surrounding demons, who had looked mildly concerned when you had started to shift, let out sighs and chuckles of relief and one of them put a large stack of money on the counter, which the bartender took.

You glanced up at him, from your pinned position, half your face morphed with the darkness, your mouth bleeding, and he shrugged.

“Nothing personal. Just business.”

Without your demon form, which was glitching something fierce, there was nothing you could do when they dragged you out of the bar and into an alley. Of course, you still fought them like hell but with their sheer numbers and having had the jump on you, you didn’t stand a chance in the long run.

And they beat the absolute shit out of you. 

It hurt, sure it did, a whole fucking lot, but what hurt most of all was your ego, knowing that you had been stupid enough to trust that bartender and his weird tasting drink to the point that you were now paying for it. 

Their blows felt like fire, sending white hot pain through your whole body until your vision became blurry and your head was spinning. You just allowed yourself to mentally tap out, not registering the pain. Don’t think about it, don’t feel it. Think about something else, somewhere else. 

You were at the bar, having a drink and a laugh with Husk. You were in the foyer, hanging out with the others. You were in your lab, conducting your experiments. You were in Angel’s room, your head in his lap as he smiled down on you, running his fingers over your face. 

A knife in your shoulder pulled your briefly back into reality again and you screamed as he twisted the blade, relishing in your reactions until they had done enough damage and your screams ran dry.

Fuck.

By the time they were tired, and out of breath, they straightened their jackets. One of them spit on you, bloodied and dishevelled, and they took their leave, laughing and feeling very pleased with themselves.

To your surprise, you weren’t dead. As in, you didn’t need to regenerate. You had to wonder if that was a blessing or a curse though, as when you slowly came back to the pain was brutal. Your whole body was sore, you were bleeding, and it took a moment before you could get yourself to sit up straight. The little bit of money you’d had was gone, as were your phone and any other valuables on you. The fuckers had even taken your favourite scalpel. 

You’d remember those fucking faces. Next time you saw them, you’d make them pay. You’d make them all pay.

Carefully, you pushed yourself up and groaned, leaning against the wall and closing your eyes for a moment. Getting rid of your headache fast didn’t seem like it had been worth it, all things considered. 

Fuck, you needed another drink. You weren’t ready to face the folks at the Hotel quite yet. Going back there, knowing Angel was still miffed and had had a long day at work. What would you even say? That you’d stumbled into a mess, probably of your own making? You didn’t remember those guys, but let’s face it, you probably screwed them over. They would be far from the only ones in this town. 

You dragged your feet as you stumbled through the city streets. People didn’t give you a second glance, and this was hardly the first time you were walking while only half alive. You’d done it often enough before you died and plenty more after. The only upside was the half shifted demon form. Though it was annoying that it kept glitching and shifting on you, unable to make it go away or pull through completely, it at least lent you the strength you needed to move yourself. It was probably also the reason you weren’t out cold, having to regenerate in a filthy alley right now.

Eventually, you found yourself in the city centre. The clubs wouldn’t let you in, not without money, but there were always people drinking on the streets. If you were lucky, you’d find someone you knew. And you did. A friend of Cherri’s, a violent anarchist with a foul mouth and an even fouler temper, drinking straight from the bottle on the corner, eyeing the people walking by. 

His face changed when he saw you approach, giving you a gruff noise as a greeting and handing you the bottle with no questions asked.

“Thanks….”

You put it to your lips and took a big swig. Vodka. Perfect. Burned like a motherfucker though.

When you lowered the bottle, you saw your blood intermingle with the liquid, like red smoke dissipating into the air.

He didn’t seem bothered by it, taking the bottle back and having a drink himself before handing it to you again.

“You got a fag to trade?”

You snickered, putting your trembling hand in your pocket and taking out the crushed packet of cigarettes, handing it to him. 

He took out one with an odd bend in it and lit up, watching you light one as well and taking a deep breath, followed by another sip of the drink.

Shaking his head at your downright awful appearance, he smiled.

“Keep the bottle.”

“Got plans?”

“Yeh, me and Cherri.”

“Say hi to her.”

He gave you a two-finger salute as he sauntered off, hands deep in his pockets, smoking the cigarette and leaving you with the booze.

You sat down against the brickwork of the building. The thumping music inside betrayed that this must be the back entrance of a club or something.

Taking another swig, you closed your eyes, letting your head rest against the wall as a little further down the alley, a door opened and a very tall demon sauntered out, heels clicking angrily against the pavement, talking loudly on the phone, and sounding slightly drunk.

“I’m outside now, I couldn’t fucking hear you in there. What the fuck do you want?…… So? How the fuck is that my problem? Tell that whore to come in tomorrow, fresh and without the attitude, or the bite marks that John gave her will pale compared to what I’ll do to her ass. Ungrateful bitch!”

You recognised that voice, didn’t you? You hadn’t heard it sound like this before, though. The only time you had, it had sounded seductive, in control, low, with a clear Spanish accent to it. This was a lot more high pitched, his accent appeared almost gone, not to mention he sounded a little slurred. You could hear some squeaking noises as well, very faintly.

You didn’t open your eyes. You weren’t sure if you wanted to deal with Valentino right now, or his reaction to seeing you. With those stilts for legs he probably wouldn’t notice you sitting there anyway, just had to keep still.

The moth in question wrapped up his phonecall with a few more violent threats and his heels echoed in the otherwise empty alley as he made his way back to the door, about to return to the music, the beautiful young demon he had waiting for him, the booze, and the drugs, while muttering to himself. 

“Ay, coño…Ungrateful whore! Who the fuck does she think she’s dealing with?”

He was rolling his Rs, muttering some more curse words in Spanish as he continued his trek. Suddenly, his footsteps ceased, even before he opened the door.

God damnit.

“Ohhhh, look what the cat dragged in, hm?”

Shit.

You opened one eye, the one that wasn’t starting to turn blue and swell shut, looking up at him. 

He looked incredible, wearing a very short, white latex dress that, at your current height, you could see straight under, revealing the black thong he had on. Somewhere you were surprised that he was even wearing any. You had pegged him as the type of man who’d often go commando, though perhaps not in a dress that short. His legs were wrapped in black fishnets thigh highs with a lace trim, held up with black garters and covered with kneehigh white patent boots. He had a black fur coat on. His long red wings looked like a cape and the fluff around his neck gently gave way as he cocked his head to look at you from behind his heart-shaped glasses.

“Evening…”

He was looking you over with a half smile on his face, clearly contemplating something before giving a nod into the direction of the door.

“You look like you could use a drink, mi amor.”

You held up the bottle.

“I have-…”

You paused, noting that it was almost entirely depleted, and Valentino snickered.

“Get up, I’ll buy you a fresh one, hm?”

Not like you to were going to say no to a free drink, so you slowly pushed yourself up, grimacing, leaving the bottle and the mostly burned up cigarette on the ground, ignoring it when your darkness glitched again, making Valentino’s eyes sparkle with interest. 

The moment you got up, he grabbed you by the shoulders and opened the door, coaxing you inside, through the hordes of people and the tidal wave of sounds, towards his spot where he urged you onto a couch before ordering something for you and taking a seat next to you. A young woman on his other side immediately snuggled back up to him and he instinctually put his arm around her, though didn’t seem to pay her any mind otherwise.

“Bruised and battered is a good look on you, baby.”

His tone was flirtatious as he glanced you over out of the corner of his eye, picking the drink he’d left behind up again and taking a sip. He reached out a hand, brushing past your split lip and wiping away some of the blood. It stung.

His red gaze shifted towards your half-changed features, looking threatening and dark. There was pure violence oozing off that form, and he was intrigued. 

“Not to mention that look you got going on. Did you get stuck shifting into something more….. menacing?”

You groaned, rolling your neck before eagerly accepting the drink the server handed you.

“Don’t, Valentino. I’m not in a good mood.”

His grin grew wider.

“I can tell, baby. You want something for the pain? I can help you… soothe it.”

His long, slender tongue ran across his sharp teeth.

“I’m not in a playing mood either.”

You glanced at him.

“I’ve got a lot of residual anger. Don’t test it. And I want nothing for the pain.”

One of his hands ran up your spine, grabbing you by the base of your neck and pulling you in so he could whisper in your ear.

“Of course you don’t. That’s what I like about you, baby. You’re not afraid of pain, are you?”

He paused, looking you over and lingering on your dark, demonic features.

“You’ve got a full demon form but got stuck shifting? I wonder, did you take the drug willingly?”

Your eyes narrowed as you looked at him, and he laughed.

“Ha, someone gave you the slip?”

His mocking laugh sounded cruel and a little too loud, likely due to the alcohol in his system. He was clearly getting a kick out of your current predicament.

“Those drugs, they’re yours?”

He snickered, his gold tooth reflecting the bright lights of the club.

“Velvette’s. Though I honestly didn’t know she released them yet. From what I heard, there was a distinct lack of test subjects. Those with powerful forms don’t want a drug to be made available that cancels out their…. advantage.”

“Shocker.”

You sounded bitter as you took a big gulp of the drink, the alcohol not hesitating to bite into the cut on your lip and your bleeding gums. You weren’t sure where exactly you were bleeding from, but fucking everything hurt.

Slowly you turned your attention back to Valentino and his entertained smirk.

“Will it go away on its own?”

His grin grew wider. 

“Si, but you have to relax, baby.”

You huffed.

“Fuck that, I’m so fucking angry.”

The hand he had on the back of your neck curled around your throat, this thumb brushing your jaw as he pulled you closer. His tongue came out, his grin wide and seductive as he licked up the side of your face, cleaning some of the blood from a large cut. You could feel a shiver of pleasure, intermingling with the pain, running through your whole body at his action and you barely registered he had put a hand on your thigh, squeezing slightly. Slowly, the hazy, lustful sensation brought on by his saliva started to seep into you.

“I could help you relax.”

You opened your mouth to respond when you glitched again, sending a jolt of pain and anger through you.

“Fuck!”

“Fuck…” 

He repeated, almost breathlessly. Something about the way you looked right now, bruised and battered, bleeding, dangerous, and angry, was getting him so aroused.

Your eyes found his, and his breath hitched. There was danger in those eyes. You were not kidding when you said you were angry. This was more than that, and it had him salivating.

On his other side, he let his arm slip off the young woman, waving her away. She left, looking a little confused, and gave a small yelp when he slapped her ass as she walked off before turning his attention back to you.

His hand cupped the side of your face, forcing you to look at him. His grin was wild and excited.

“Come on, baby. I’ll take good care of you.”

He got up, not waiting for a reply, grabbing your wrist and pulling you after him to the other side of the club where there were a few doors leading to private rooms. 

Without hesitation, he pulled you into one of them, forcing you inside as he closed the door behind him. You could hear the click as he locked it and when you looked at him, you only had a split second to see the unbridled desire in those eyes before he had closed the distance. Cupping your face with two hands and pulling you up, he pressed a searing kiss to your lips, immediately reopening the cut, which he ignored as he forced his lengthy tongue into your mouth. 

You could taste him, that particular sweetness of his pheromones, the blood seeping in, the pain, the pleasure and you drank it all down like medicine.

You moaned, and he stirred in response.

“Ay, make that noise again.”

Putting a hand on his chest, you pushed him backwards a bit, wiping your mouth and glaring at him as you tried to catch your breath.

His smirk was dripping and he could feel himself grow hard as he observed those threatening eyes of yours. This was going to be good.

“You only get one final warning, Valentino. If you go down this road, I don’t know how much of my violence I have under wraps at the moment…”

At those words, he bit his lip, wringing his legs together as his growing erection started to slightly hike up his incredibly short skirt.

“Perfect, mi amor. Get rid of all that violence. Fuck me, come on.”

You caved. Immediately. Closing the distance again and reaching up, grabbing the back of his neck and yanking him down into a bruising kiss as your other claw raked up the inside of his thigh, making him hiss, before cupping him. 

He immediately gyrated his hips into your hand, eagerly reciprocating the aggressive kiss as you both felt your breathing becoming more laboured. While you made out, he shed his fur coat and threw it over a chair in the corner.

He had given you the green light, but that was all the consideration you could muster. There would be no safe words, no way for him to get out of this other than straight up killing you, because now the brakes were off. No further kindness, and why should you? You knew this man’s track record. A violent fucking was the least of what he deserved.

As you palmed his cock, his arms draped around you, pulling you in closer. You groaned into the kiss, feeling his antennae twitch above your head as he pressed himself against you.

The moment you got bored with the kiss, you shifted gears, pushing him backwards, hard, onto the bed in the middle of the room. You had barely considered the insides of the room; the heart-shaped bed in the middle, covered in cushions, the soft, velvety drapes, the toys on the shelves and the BDSM equipment hanging from the walls. Your attention was only on Valentino and the way he was looking at you.

He let out a sound of glee as his back hit the soft pillows, his wings fluttering in excitement, and he watched with hungry eyes how you stalked towards him, looking him over.

No niceties. You weren’t considering how he felt or what he wanted. You only saw red, wanting to hear him scream as you got rid of every last drop of frustration. Whether those screams would be from pain or pleasure, you couldn’t care less about. Fighting and fucking were indistinguishable to you now.

Another glitch passed through you and without hesitation you got onto the bed, grabbing him behind his knees and pulling him towards you with quite a lot of force.

His glance was so fucking eager, his tongue running over his lips as he watched your every move like a predator, shooting a quick glance over your shoulder, which you ignored.

Your claws ran up his legs, to the bottom of his skirt, and he moaned.

“Be careful with the dress. It was expensive.”

His tone was sing-songy. You shot him a sharp glance as you yanked up the latex, bundling it just above his bellybutton piercing, revealing his erection which was pulling on his thong and already starting to drip through the fabric. 

What a lewd sight. Fuck, he was gorgeous though.

Your eyes trailed up his body, the way he lay there in front of you, two of his arms resting above his head, that expectant grin on his face. He couldn’t wait to find out how you fucked. He’d been wanting to since you met in the tower and this, this was just perfect. Sure, when he had fantasised about it he was the one to fuck you but who would he be if he passed up on this gem of an opportunity?

His breath hitched when your hungry look stopped at his chest, the deep cut of the dress revealing quite a bit of skin. He wasn’t wearing the chain between his nipple piercings and you grabbed the latex, yanking it open further and tearing it, exposing his hard nipples and the simple gold jewellery that ran through them on both sides. 

He moaned at the air hitting his skin, writhing beneath you as you leaned in and licked up his chest, feeling him push himself off the bed a little so he could grind against your thigh. He was so fucking horny and you looked like you were about to devour him whole. He couldn’t wait.

A gasp escaped him when he felt your sharp claw reach between his legs, tearing his underwear away and making his erection spring free. He bit his lip as he watched the expression on your face. You weren’t present, not really. Something else was taking over.

He reached up, wrapping his arms around your neck and pulling you in closer, as his legs came around your waist and his second pair of hands reached over, taking some lube from the bottle on the side table and prepping himself while reaching down and unbuttoning your trousers. He shot another look over your shoulder, to the top corner of the room, before he whispered.

“Come on, mi amor, take what you want. Dámelo. Fuck me.”

The moment you plunged yourself inside of him, forcing him open while digging your claws into his thighs, he arched his whole body into it.

“Ahhh YEAH!”

He knew you were going to be rough, brutal even. It’s why he had grabbed the lube himself, knowing full well you wouldn’t grace him with such consideration, but this, fuck this was good and it was only the beginning. His mind reeling with the possibilities and the realities as you started fucking him, quickly turning both of you into depraved, panting messes. At it like animals.

Your mind was blank. You weren’t even sure if what you were feeling was lust or bloodlust and it hardly mattered. This, right now, felt fucking incredible, about to take everything you needed from him. There was a particular tension that had got hold of your body, a strange fog clouding your thoughts while the sensation of your desire to consume was in laser focus. And Satan, there was nothing holy about the way you wanted him.

Valentino knew immediately he was enslaved to it. It happened, though not very often. He always chased that high of someone fucking him properly. Vox knew how, but aside from him he had his kicks very rarely met. Of course, then turning around and fucking the daylight out of Angel was a good enough option, watching him give into his vices, his addiction, gave him a thrill like nothing else but this, being engulfed by the pleasure himself, either by being fucked or fucking someone, now that got him going.

He was drooling, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as you ravaged him. His underwear lying torn on the ground, his cock dripping onto his own stomach where the little white latex dress sat bundled around him, effectively cinching him further, the top of the dress ripped, exposing his chest as he panted and moaned.

It should be obvious that you weren’t paying attention to his pleasure, so why was it that you were repeatedly hitting him at the exact right angle? Hadn’t taken you more than a second to find it either.

And to think he was letting you top him on a whim, just to see what you would do with that violence. A one time thing because he was looking to be entertained, hoping you’d surprise him. Well, it was becoming abundantly clear that this would not be a one time thing. Not if he had anything to do with it.

“AH! Ahhhh hah, hnnggg! FUCK FUCK! ¡Dame más! Yeah, hnnn like that, keep going!”

Even outside of the room, over the loud music, people looked at each other, wondering what the fuck was happening in that room. This was the porn performance of a lifetime.

“… hahh…. ah! ¡Más duro, más duro! FUUUUCK!””

Valentino was feeling so fucking heated. The lewd sensation of being fucked in his torn little outfit, the fact that said fucking was making his eyes roll back and his hips buck on their own, the growl you let out as your pulled one of his legs further up, dragging your nails into his skin, and ran the other up over his chest, entangling with the very sensitive fluff around his neck.

Your eyes followed the movement of your claws on his skin. Valentino felt electric, it was doing something to you that was hard to put into words. The sexual desire and pleasure were there, in abundance, coursing through your veins but stronger still was your desire to take from him. More and more until he had nothing left, and then continue all the same. You were owed this. His pleasure and pain were yours.

His mind went blank when you grabbed a first full of fluff and yanked, hard enough to pull some of it out, making his legs stretch out behind you and his back arch in an almost unnatural curve as he came, shooting out a few bursts of cum over his chest and ruined outfit as the pain went through him like lightning.

Not that that meant you were even close to being done with him though and he moaned loudly as you continued to fuck him roughly throughout his peak.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck”

He drawled out, his arms locking around your neck, saliva dripping down his chin, his eyes dazed. 

Incredible. He understood now why Vox was so fixated on you, obsessed almost. To be fair, Valentino had thought he understood after last time. There was something about you that tickled a craving to own you but right now, as you were fucking him, holding onto his shaking, bleeding legs as his mind was largely gone…. fuck. He could feel you push and slide along his inner walls, seemingly looking to permanently rearrange his insides. Either that or get him super fucking pregnant. That would be against all logic but reality should never stand in the way of a good breeding kink. That was his conviction.

You continued to pound your aggression into him. You had honestly never got rid of this form’s violence like this, always resorting to more gore-y solutions but the truth was that this was working very well too. You felt your arousal mix freely with that anger, that violent hatred that this form brought you and you were unleashing it all on this moth who was taking it so well. 

It was not hard to see what Vox saw in him, or Angel for that matter. There was something about Valentino that felt fucking addictive, in the worst and best ways. The fact that he had broken already, cum, and lost his mind in the process, felt almost as good as taking a soul. Hurting and marking him just added to that as you bruised his body to match yours, your nails digging into his sensitive flesh. 

Briefly you considered tearing open that smooth skin on his stomach, see how his insides were moulded by each thrust, bury your claw into the bloody mess as you fucked him relentlessly. Valentino was lucky you were only partially transformed right now, allowing you to ignore the siren’s call of blood and guts. Well, at least that specific fantasy.

You were pushing him down so violently, he could feel some of his ribs strain, maybe you had already cracked one or two. That was going to hurt in a bit, not to mention the way you kept digging your claws into him, raking deep groves and wetting the bed below him with his blood, sweat, drool, and cum.

Valentino moaned and writhed, so sensitive still yet so eager to continue, eager to watch your next move and how you kept fucking him without any consideration for the fact that he had just cum.

When he tried to adjust his position to give himself a some semblance of relief you backhanded him so hard he lost his vision entirely for a moment, head dazed, glasses askew on his face, taking a second to return to what was happening. Your claw covered the lower half of his face, squeezing painfully and holding him in place, forcing him to look at you. You might actually push his body to the brink of temporary death and fuck, how that got him hard.

A grin took over his face as he tried to steady his breathing, his slender hand wrapping around your wrist. He didn’t attempt to remove or lessen your hold on him, just holding onto you as you held him.

He wondered if you would stop if you ended up killing him and with a deep sense of lust that made his cock throb he realised that no, no you probably wouldn’t. He would be lying there, lifeless, and you would continue to fuck his corpse. Perhaps he would come to and immediately cum again from how you were desecrating him. Fuck that was hot.

His antennae bounced in the air with each thrust as he took deep, laboured breaths, riddled with little squeaking noises. Vox better be fucking taping this, he’d want to get off to this footage later for sure, especially if he was indeed about to pass out, given how his vision was starting to blur around the edges.

Speaking of that flat-faced devil…

Behind you was a sound of static. You didn’t look around to see Vox appear from the security camera in the corner. Of course, that filthy voyeur had cameras in here. Of course he did.

He looked like he had ran all the way over, rather than just zapped in. His vest and hat were nowhere to be seen and neither was his jacket. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, sleeves rolled up, and it was only half tucked in, making him look overall very messy. Not to mention that entranced look on his face as he tried to keep his composure.

Valentino grinned, faltering as you bit him, continuously taking your desecration of his body and making whiny noises he hoped would entice Vox to cave sooner. He knew what Vox looked like when he was hot and bothered out of his mind and this was it. He only had a small layer of respectability left, but that too would soon be gone. 

Obviously, he had watched you two go at it. He had watched until watching was no longer enough. His erection was straining against his trousers, which was starting to hurt, but he didn’t want to touch himself.

Finally, you directed your gaze to Vox who involuntarily gulped at the sight of you. You slowed your assault on Valentino to a halt, making him whimper. His leg dropped down when you let go of it and pulled out. The noise he made sounded like begging at the sudden emptiness of his abused hole. He started to catch his breath, propping himself up on his elbows and looking at the both of you with a pained but sensual grin.

“Took… hah… took you long enough, papi.”

Vox grinned back at him.

“Not like you, cumming that fast, Val.”

“Heh… hnn…. you forget that maybe I fucking wanted to.”

In their taunting, Vox hadn’t realised how close you had got until you made your final step and were breathing the same air. He flushed a bright red as his eyes darted from your piercing gaze, which looked a lot more alert than usual and a lot more dangerous, to your lips and back.

Valentino chuckled.

“Careful, papito, they have not gotten rid of all that aggression quite yet.”

Vox huffed, as though that would do anything to make him seem more in control again.

“Perhaps that’s why I’m here, you know, to see-.”

“Bed.”

You growled the word at him, unintentionally lacing the breath with the shimmer of suggestion. There was no control left, even though your sober mind, clear of alcohol and Valentino’s toxins, knew that this would likely have no effect on Vox. He would obey, not because you suggested it, but because he desperately wanted to.

“W-what…?”

“Bed, now. Or get out.”

Vox realised immediately that if he wanted this to happen, there would be no fight for control. There would be no ‘taming the beast’ or winning this. He was either down or he needed to flee with his tail between his legs.

Normally, he might’ve thought twice about this but right now all he could do was recall the way you had pressed him against the wall, a while back in the tower, the way you had pushed your leg between his. Fuck, he was already rock hard and those memories only made it worse. Or better.

Valentino seemed to notice because his grin grew wider and he beckoned him over. Vox walked up to the bed, with you close behind him, and swallowed when Valentino sat up, pulling him in by his waistband, and unbuckling his trousers.

When he felt you step up behind him, he let out a breath, groaning when you twisted his arm painfully behind him at the same time Valentino freed his erection.

Fuck, the both of you looked so fucking good. Valentino was prime spank bank material, in that little torn dress, covered in his own cum and blood, littered with painful looking bruises, deep scratches, and bloody bite marks. And you, you looked like a violent predator, like you had lost your mind, deranged, violent, uncontrolled, and just as banged up as the moth. It was going to be risky, but he already knew it was going to feel incredible.

He shivered when Valentino licked his length with that long, slender tongue, while one of his hands prepped him with lube. The moth looked up at him to gauge his reaction before laying back down, opening his legs for him, and running his hands along his thighs, over the marks your claws had made, showing off the various fluids he was leaking to a famished looking Vox.

“Come on, papi, breed me as you’re being bred.”

Fuck. He felt his cock stir in response to those words and when you let his arm go, he grabbed Valentino’s legs and pulled him closer.

Valentino moaned as Vox pushed into him, followed swiftly by a harsh thrust that signalled you entering Vox. He was so ready for a second round, he couldn’t wait to milk Vox for all he was worth. He could feel the TV was close to ready to blow already and you would not give him any more grace than you had Valentino.

When you fucked into him, a jolt when through Vox, sending actual electricity over his skin, into your hands which had you feeling even more feral. In response, you sank your teeth down into his shoulder as you started fucking him, lapping up his blood eagerly, grabbing his arm again, pulling it back and up, forcing a pained sounds out of him, and he moved into Val, matching your rhythm.

There was a part of you that had missed Vox and it translated to your actions. Not that you were being kinder to him but the static taste on his skin, the electricity through your touch, it riled you up so much more. You pressed your face into his neck, taking in the scent of him. Fuck he was incredible, it had your mind spinning.

Vox was almost seeing stars, the feeling of your teeth repeatedly sinking into his flesh, Valentino expertly clenching around him, the way you held his arm, almost dislocating it. It hurt so much, but he didn’t want you to stop.

“Ahh fuck….F-FuCkk.”

He had clearly been getting heated for a while because he was immediately glitching already, relishing in the feeling of you violently rearranging his insides as his cock was getting squeezed by Valentino, who knew exactly how to treat him right.

He wrapped his free cyan claw around Valentino’s erection, running his finger along the piercings adorning the shaft before starting to jerk him off.

The moth, in response, threw his head back and moaned loudly, intermingled with little squeaks as he played with his own nipple piercings.

You could feel your excitement rise as you pounded into Vox, watching both him and Valentino turn into shells of their former selves, letting pain and pleasure freely mix. This was hardly the first time they’d got violent together in their sexual escapades though this was pushing the boundaries on what they indulged with very fast. Of course they’d seen and done darker things, to others. Not each other. Not like this. 

Your mind was getting more and more clouded, the tension building inside you as you were entirely subjected to your own desires, your violence, your arousal. Your eyes darted towards Vox’s shoulder joint and you could see the strain you were exercising there, almost leveraging the bone out of the socket each time you pushed up. What a beautiful sight.

Your nails dug into Vox’s side and another glitch went through you as he moaned, looking back over his shoulder and eagerly accepting your rough, sloppy kiss, forcing your tongue into his mouth and groaning when he let a jolt of electricity run from his mouth into yours.

He whimpered against your lips. Nothing left of that in-control CEO as he was being pleasured and hurt in all the right ways, with the metallic taste of his own blood now on his tongue.

Your claws left bruises and gashes all over his body, feeling freedom in not caring about how much pain your were inflicting or how dangerously close you got to pulling him apart, and he fucking loved it. He didn’t care how he was going to explain this during his next press conference.

You wrapped your free arm around him, raking your claw across his chest where you left deep, painful marks behind, blood immediately trickling down his stomach and onto Valentino, making Vox curse into the kiss.

Valentino could feel him twitch inside him, watching both of you carefully as he felt his second peak come closer. Satan you were beautiful. He would try to hold out a little longer, Vox was about to blow anyway and you seemed to be edging closer yourself as well. 

This got him so fucking hard. He bucked his hips up, sending a full body shiver through Vox who broke away from the kiss as you released his arm, tongue still sticking out and eyes half lidded before he roughly grabbed Valentino’s legs.

“Oh, you want to play? I’ll give you play, you fucking whore. You like that? Hm?”

He matched not just your rhythm but your violent, rough movements as he fucked into his partner, making the moth throw his head back in pleasure, moaning and yelping loudly as Vox groaned.

“Si, papi!!! AHHHH! Keep going, hnmmm give me more!! Hah…. ahh… Ah!” 

Feeling your own high creep closer, you dug your nails into Vox’s hips, beads of his blood pooling from under your nails. Your movements became more erratic, wanting to ravage every piece of him as you fucked him, making his legs shake underneath him.

All that anger, violence, and pleasure finally came to a steep incline as you felt yourself fall apart, biting into Vox’s neck again, metallic taste on your tongue and moaning against his skin. Vox groaned as he too came, pushed deep into Valentino, unleashing a string of curses as he held the moth tightly in place so he could fill him to the brim. 

Valentino smiled in ecstasy as he exclaimed

“Ahh yes, yes! YES! Ahhhhnng”

decorating himself and Vox in his cum.

The strength nearly left Vox instantaneously, and he had to catch himself before he crashed down on top of Valentino. 

You straightened your back and slowly pulled out, making Vox moan again as he tried to catch his breath. Licking your lips, Vox’s blood still coating them, you took a few deep gasps of air, trying to calm down your heartbeat. Your legs felt unstable and your head was spinning.

That had been incredible. You didn’t feel half as unhinged anymore, a sort of calm having settled over you. Even your body didn’t feel as broken and in pain as it had earlier, albeit drained and wobbly now, and your eyes settled on the two men. Valentino lay sprawled on the bed, taking big, aroused breaths, with Vox hovering over him, hands on either side of Valentino’s body, trying to calm down and hide his shaking.

As if they had practiced it, they both looked up at you at the same time and you felt yourself flush a little. Jesus fucking Christ, they looked incredible. Bruised, beaten, lewd. Had that really just happened? Fuck. What had you done? This probably had been a huge mistake yet all you could feel was desire when looking at those two men.

In a second, Vox assessed the change in dynamics and acted. His cyan claw wrapping around your wrist and yanking you in again, between him and Valentino as he pulled out of his partner. Valentino moaned, eagerly opening his arms as he anticipated Vox’s move before he made it. 

You landed on the bed, between Valentino’s legs, with your back against his chest as Vox loomed over you, grabbing your chin and kissing you. Behind you, you could feel two sets of claws tracing your skin and a long tongue running over your neck as you slowly came to your senses and reciprocated the kiss.

Vox grinned into it, letting some electricity spark between your tongues, making you moan softly.

“There you go, you’re being so good now, hm?”

You wanted to roll your eyes at his praise, at his reclaiming of power in the situation but the truth was that you were exhausted and his kiss felt so nice, his words sounded so sweet, Valentino’s hands on your body made you shiver under his touch, and his tongue felt warm and sensual.

Another glitch ran through you, though less bad than the ones before, and you let out a pained breath, ending the kiss.

Observing you for a moment, Vox pushed himself upright, re-buttoning his shirt and tucking it into his trousers as he buckled everything back up and reached out. There was a small precursor of static before his cyan claw touched your cheek and he made you look at him.

His eyes searched yours for a moment, his expression, which had been arousal and possessiveness up until this point, was now calm and in control again as he looked you over with a serious face. 

He turned around to face Valentino.

“Bring them to the tower.”

Valentino, who had been in the process of lighting up while two of his hands continued to softly rake up and down your arms, twirled his cigarette holder in his fingers, making the smoke curl.

“Alright, Voxxy.”

Vox shot you one more glance before he was gone again. Nothing more than a flash of electricity up into the camera.

Valentino stretched on the bed behind you, a content grin on his face before leaning back in and putting his chin on your shoulder, slowly exhaling the smoke in front of you.

“Ay, mi amor, that was fantastic. Been some time since someone fucked the senses out of me.”

He contemplated the damage you had done to his body, which was quite extensive. Bruises and gashes everywhere, much deeper and more profound than one would usually engage with for most consensual play, though in Hell the options were definitely more extensive. This would take a while to heal. A lesser demon would’ve straight up needed to regenerate after this. So fucking hot.

You felt a bit more like yourself again and slowly turned around, smiling at Val who seemed a little confused but then grinned when you leaned in and kissed him. When you broke apart, he held you in place for a moment, taking another drag of the cigarette and slowly exhaling it, watching you take in his smoke through a big grin and he licked his lips. There was a chemistry here that you couldn’t fake. He honestly disliked that Vox had left and told him to come to the tower. What with how drained you were looking now, he couldn’t help but imagine you taking both of them, feeling your insides as you probably couldn’t do much to stop them anymore anyway. However, Vox had a plan, and it would be a lie to say he wasn’t curious to see what it was.

His eyebrow raised when you got up and extended a hand to him, helping him up from the bed as well. He continued to give you a curious look as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

“My, my… baby, how considerate after mutilating me and making me cum that hard. Twice.”

You glanced him over. Yup, you really had done a number on him. He was lucky that this had only been a small portion of your full form, not even near half. Anything more and you’d been fucking a corpse, and that was not something you particularly needed to add to your list of vices.

Noting his slightly annoyed look, seeing the cum all over him, you took a tissue from the table in the corner and wiped him down. He just stared in confused silence, smoking, wondering why this felt so odd. Vox sometimes took the time to clean him up like this, but he truly never expected anyone to. After all, he was just there for the sex, and he was fucking good at it.

His surprise went even deeper when you muttered,

“Fuck, the dress…. it looked really good on you.”

With his brow furrowed, he reached out a hand, taking your chin between his fingers and forcing you to look up at him. The honest expression on your face had him dumbfounded for a moment before he broke out in a wide grin and pulled you into another kiss. This one softer, more controlled, more genuine.

There was a silence as you reciprocated, feeling him smile into it, playfully licking at your lips and your tongue, moaning when he could taste Vox’s blood, intermingled with your own.

When you pulled apart, he fixed his outfit. The dress was ruined, but he solved this by turning it into a makeshift pencil skirt, putting on the fur coat over his bare chest and transforming the look. Again, he looked fucking incredible, and you snickered.

“What?”

“Nothing, you’re innovative. And you look good.”

He was used to compliments, of course he was. He knew he looked good. Yet the way you had just said that made him flush a little. What was he, fucking twelve? 

“I know, baby.”

Casually, he draped his arm around your shoulder, coaxing you back outside the room and through the club to the front exit. You got quite a few stares and people taking pictures, making you groan as you held your still transformed claw up against the flashes. Valentino seemed entirely unbothered letting himself be photographed as though the bruises and gashes on his body were the most extravagant make up he was modelling and, once outside, he took you straight towards a large limo, urging you into it.

You weren’t sure about going to V tower now. Whatever kinky shit Vox still wanted to do, you weren’t up for anymore. 

The ride was short, Valentino holding you close to him the entire way, as though he was scared you’d open the door mid-drive and jump out. Every once in a while, he glanced at you from the corner of his eyes, smoking his cigarette as he contemplated the evening so far. 

It was almost funny. As dangerous and violent as you had looked earlier that night, you now looked completely different. Tired, a little odd. Those dark circles under your eyes as you seemed almost bored, observing the rest of Pride. Still hot though. The contrast was just very stark and he smiled to himself as he watched you stare out the window, Pentagram City flashing by.

It all seemed a bit of a haze. Perhaps it was your current form, perhaps it was the mind-blowing sex but when you fully realised where you were again you found yourself on one of the top floors of the tower, on a couch, alone, holding a glass of liquor that was almost empty.

Wait, had you just zoned out the whole trip here? How long had you been sitting there? Who gave you your drink? Where were they?

You immediately got an answer when a set of arms draped around your neck from behind and Valentino leaned in. He was wearing a fresh outfit and smelled like a strong, flowery soap.

“Miss me, mi amor?”

You let your head roll back so you could look at him and grinned when he leaned down and kissed you. An upside down kiss is quite a challenge but Valentino had it down without blinking, running his tongue expertly across the cut on your lips before entangling with yours. You let out a content noise just as there was the sound of a door opening.

When you looked up, you noticed Vox walking in. He too was wearing fresh pants and a clean shirt, but still no vest or jacket. He looked casual, at home, and you had to admit that looked incredible on him. Were you actually blushing now? Great.

The two of them seemed at ease here, even while still adorned in the evidence from the club in the form of bruises and marks. 

You could tell Vox had already taken the time to tend to his many wounds as you could see the bandaids and gauze peeking out from underneath his clean dress shirt.

As he came closer you glitched once more, albeit faintly and you let out a small noise of annoyance.

Vox stopped in front of you and glanced you over.

“Yeah, what the fuck is that?”

Your eyes found his, slightly irked with his stupid question.

“A glitch. You should be familiar with those.”

Behind you, Valentino chuckled, and Vox rolled his eyes before leaning in close to you. You figured he was going to kiss you, trying to entice you to go another round but surprise was plastered all over your face when he instead grabbed your chin and forced your head from side to side, inspecting your wounds before tugging at your clothes which were torn and filthy from being beat up in an alley.

“Strip.”

You groaned.

“Vox, I’m really not-”

His look was almost vicious as he glanced at you.

“Strip, so I can see the damage. You’ll take a shower and we’ll treat some of those cuts. They look fucking deep. We’ll give you something to wear.”

You raised your eyebrow.

“Why the fuck would you do that?”

His eye twitched, annoyed.

“I’m trying to be nice.”

“Why?”

“Yes…….why, Voxxy?”

Valentino chimed in behind you, with a confused frown on his face, his hand digging slightly into your shoulder as he exhaled his red smoke. It felt a little possessive. Not bad though.

Vox rolled his eyes at this and you followed up your train of thought.

“It’s not like I know you to be such a ‘nice guy’, Vox. It’s not why I fuck you either.”

Valentino chuckled.

“Me neither, though papi can be sappy from time to time.”

“Shut the fuck up, Val. And you”

His eyes found yours again.

“Get. Into. The fucking shower.”

It wasn’t a request. It wasn’t a suggestion either and deciding you weren’t going to test him on this, you did as instructed.

They walked with you to the bathroom, annexed to a large, gaudy bedroom that had to be Valentino’s or at the very least his decorating tastes. But to your surprise they just made the robot called ‘Kitty’ hand you a towel and a robe before leaving you to your devices in the bathroom. Alone.

The shower in this apartment was incredible. One of those large, rainfall showers that wastes a ton of hot water but feels so incredible. To your own bafflement, they let you shower by yourself. Not that Valentino hadn’t tried to get in there with you, but Vox had told him to stay with him, shooting you a look that told you to go before Val could change his mind.

Once you were done washing the street grime and various bodily fluids off your aching body, the hot water having soothed your painful muscles, your demon form was almost entirely gone save for the elongated fingers and nails on one hand.

You put on the dark silk robe, which felt so soft and gentle after the night you’d had, and walked out of the shower into the annexed bedroom. Both men were there, Valentino sitting on the bed, smoking, looking up at Vox, who had one hand in his pocket and held a glass of whiskey in the other. They seemed to be having a soft, flirtatious conversation, which ceased the moment you entered the room.

From what you could tell, Valentino had had his wounds bandaged and patched. They must’ve done that while you were in the shower.

“Good.”

Vox nodded, doing his best to ignore how good you looked in that robe, your damp, naked, damaged body underneath. 

Valentino made no such attempt.

“Ay, mi amor, you look so hot like that. Maybe I can persuade you to star in a little film sometime, hm? Just something small…. fuck, they’d eat you up. If you show even half the fervour you did tonight, hmmm, it would be perfect….”

Vox shot him a foul look, which Valentino knew meant he was overstepping their agreement about trying to recruit you for any of their own businesses while they were both there. You worked for Vox, after all, so he got first dibs. In his book at least. The moth, in response, just sent him a teasing grin back and Vox focused his attention back on you, giving a head nod towards the bed and turning around, grabbing a box which turned out to be a first aid kit.

Not really knowing what else to do you sat down next to Valentino on the bed, who wasted no time hooking a finger inside your robe at your shoulder and pulling on it. When you shot him a questioning look, he grinned.

“Need to see what we need to treat, don’t we?”

At those words, you undid the tie around your waist, letting the robe slide off your shoulders. The feeling of the silk caressing your skin felt feather light, and Valentino whistled between his teeth, taking another drag of his cigarette in approval.

Vox turned around to face you, flushing immediately upon seeing your naked body, having missed the interaction just now, but he quickly composed himself, giving you a stern nod that almost made you chuckle.

He walked over to you, getting on his knees in front of you and opening the kit, dousing some gauze with disinfectant and slowly getting to work. His actions were meticulous, the solid yet surprisingly gently grasp he had on you as he worked his way up your body, cleaning the wounds and putting ointment on the bruises which were getting darker with every minute.

Valentino looked on with an amused grin on his face. You looked hot. The fact that you had Vox doing this, even without you asking, was hot. The fact that he wanted to watch, knowing that this would not devolve into sex, was also hot. For some fucking reason. 

Vox kissed your neck gently as he cleaned the wound on your shoulder before taking your chin between his thumb and index finger and holding you in place as he treated the marks on your face.

“There’s stuff here that isn’t from tonight.”

You could hear the disapproval in his voice.

“There is.”

He paused.

“Another fight?”

“Of sorts.”

The conflicted look on his face was so cute, you reached up and pulled him in, pressing your lips to his and ignoring the startled expression on his face. After a second, he melted into it, reciprocating the kiss and cupping the side of your neck. You made a small sound as he hit your lip and he groaned, pulling back.

“That’s enough.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because any more and I’ll fuck you.”

You snickered, and his annoyance made way for a soft smile.

With a grin, you looked yourself over. 

“Am I done, doctor Vox?”

“You’re done.” 

He turned around, to hide the blush on his screen and gestured towards a neatly folded stack of clothes on a chair.

As instructed, you put them on. They fit like a glove and were very comfortable, albeit not entirely your style.

“Thanks…. I appreciate this.”

“Yeah, yeah, just can’t have you being unable to do your fucking job.”

He coughed.

“I can have someone take you back to the Hotel. Or, close to it, I guess. Can’t let anyone catch you coming out of that car.”

You snickered.

“Why not? Half of pride saw me get in it.”

He groaned.

“Fuck.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just tell them truth.”

“Which is?”

“That we fucked. It’s a free city.”

Contemplating that option for a moment he slowly nodded, serious expression welded in place.

“Fine, but only mention Val, leave me out of it. Wouldn’t want your boyfriend to feel slighted, now would we?”

You saluted him with a grin, knowing exactly how he wanted to continue lording your connection to him over an ‘unsuspecting’ Alastor a little while longer and he rolled his eyes in response, though couldn’t help but crack a small smile.

He gestured and, after some conversation and another drink, the two of them watched as you left. Not much else to be done. Somewhere in his brain the thought arose for a moment that, if your explanation at the Hotel didn’t pan out, you could come and live here. He’d have total control over you if you lived at the tower, away from that goddamn Radio Demon. 

His selfless kindness had not been all that selfless, after all. He had seen how seemingly kind, gentle, and romantic Alastor was with you, though clearly the man also fucked you raw. Vox was unsure what part of that pissed him off the most. But he had come to a conclusion in his anger, in his vile jealousy. He just had to show you that whatever he had to offer was better. He was better than Alastor. Better at making sinners pay attention, better at taking charge, better at being powerful, better at romance, better at fucking. And you would see that, he’d make sure of that.

Those older wounds and markings on your body, the way Alastor fucked apparent on your skin. A thought that had him seething with rage but he soon found himself with a new found drive to lay his own claim. He’d fuck you, he’d mark you, make you understand that no one could provide you the things he could, in the way he did. You’d be begging for him, and Alastor would lose in the most humiliating way possible. 

It was perfect.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Voxxy, because we just let the opportunity to get our dicks wet again walk out the door. After all that…hmm…. I would’ve really liked to fuck them silly… feel them cum on my cock until they couldn’t take it anymore. They would’ve let us too, they were clearly drained.”

He paused for a moment, grin forming on his face.

“I hope you got a good recording of the club. Let’s watch it later, together.”

Valentino felt how Vox pulled him in as they watched from their window how you, all those stories below, looked up for a brief moment before getting into the car and driving off.

“So, you got a plan then, papito?” 

Vox grinned wide, lit up by the neon light of the streets below as he looked out over the city, seeing the Hotel up on the hill in the distance.

“Of course I do, Tino.”

The door of the Hotel creaked as you opened it and stepped inside. Fuck, you were tired and your whole body ached but you couldn’t help but smile a little, remembering Vox’s careful grasp on your body as he treated your wounds. You weren’t stupid. You knew men like him extended ‘kindness’ only for the pressure of reciprocity, yet it still felt nice. It was okay to enjoy that… wasn’t it? 

There was a flash of white in your peripheral and suddenly you found yourself pulled firmly into the fluff on Angel’s chest. It sent a jolt of pain through your whole body but you couldn’t care less.

After the initial surprised faded, you closed your eyes. He smelled so nice. Instinctually you wrapped your arms around him and buried your face into the fluff.

“Tha fuck happened?!! Ya look terrible. I was so fuckin’ worried! What are ya wearin’?”

You groaned. You had to be honest, he’d find out anyway.

“Before I tell you… you should know I.… I eh….I fucked your boss….”

Angel sighed but a hesitant smile made its way onto his features nonetheless.

“Who in hell hasn’t? ……Did he do this to ya? Because if he did… Jesus, ya got into shit tonight.”

He grabbed your shoulders and pushed you back to look at you, your black eye and bust lip, the strange clothes you were wearing, your confusion.

“Wait, you’re not angry I fucked Valentino?”

He shrugged.

“He’s charmin’ and hot, I get it. Besides, I saw tha pictures….. of you and him at that club…. it’s all ova social media, y’know. I got so fuckin’ worried, ya looked a mess. As did he. I know he’s into some fucked up shit… but damn that looked…. Are ya okay?”

Goddamn demon gossip.

“I’m sorry….”

“Seriously, toots, what happened?”

You sighed as you noticed Husk was also still up, walking up with his hands in his pockets, unable to show the same level of concern and affection without giving your connection away to Angel.

“I got into a mess with some people I apparently owed a lot of money to. Got drugged so I couldn’t shift. Kept bugging out the whole night. It sucked ass. Valentino just happened to find me in town and offered me a drink, and then…well… a way to get rid of the anger.”

“Who were they?”

“You don’t have to-”

“Who fuckin’ were they, I’ma fuckin’ kill them!”

You chuckled at his sweet anger and his expression softened slightly as he let his fingers trace your bruised features.

“I’m sorry, about earlier, babe.”

“Me too…”

“No, I mean it… It was selfish….. I got angry because…. I just bothered me that …… ugh! If ya wanna fuck otha demons, that is okay. I don’t own ya. I fuck otha people too it’s just…. I dunno… Ya looked like ya had a wild time and….. But now I feel so shit, findin’ out ya got hurt… afta I let ya leave like that…… I just…”

Behind him, Husk flushed, a look of concern on his face as he glanced at Angel, realising that he had likely been part of the reason the two of you had fought. He quickly took another gulp of the bottle in his hand, trying to silence his racing thoughts.

“Shhhh….. You have nothing to be sorry for. No one here’s got their shit together, least of all me….”

You smiled, cupping the side of his face and feeling him lean into it.

He let out a small chuckle.

“I was angry with ya for bullshit reasons and ya fucked my asshole boss. I’d say we’re even now, yeah?”

A small pause as his looked turned more serious again.

“Ya really do look like shit tho… come on, lemme take care of ya.”

He grabbed your wrist and started pulling you with him, past Husk who shot you a cautious glance and muttered

“Glad you’re okay, doc.”

before watching you being dragged off by the lanky spider. 

There was a part of him that felt at ease, watching you both. Angel seemed happier with you, more comfortable. As a matter of fact, the kid looked smitten around you and he deserved that. It was honestly a wonder the rest of the Hotel inhabitants hadn’t picked up on it yet, the way he looked at you and the way you two interacted. Of course, he also knew that you were in Hell for a reason and he worried Angel might get his fragile heart broken by you, but that was a separate issue.

Like how you had just slept with his abuser, knowing what kind of man Valentino was. Somewhere, Husk realised that that particular attraction didn’t have anything to do with Angel specifically. More with proving something to yourself, over old pains and wounds which he hadn’t quite unravelled yet. Still, it just complicated matters even more. Not to mention how violent that had clearly got. He had to wonder if you yourself knew what ‘healthy coping mechanisms’ were, despite the ease with which you recommended them to others you clearly had some issue practicing what you preached.

On the other hand, though, watching you filled him with a sense of something that wasn’t quite jealousy. He ached when it was just the three of you and Angel got to be open about his relationship with you, whatever that was, and he couldn’t. He wished he could tell Angel, but he just couldn’t trust that the kid would take it well. Not to mention that he didn’t want to ever be the cause of his hurt. He had enough of that in his life. This fat, drunken gambler did not have to add to it.

He took another swig of his bottle as he walked back towards the bar, knowing it would be another night of drinking alone, thinking of you and Angel, huddled together in bed as Angel dressed your wounds and caressed your skin.

Though his highs with you were incredible, there were times when Husk found himself feeling more lonely being with you than he had by himself in all those years before.

His eyes searched the shelves behind the bar, settling on a bottle of very strong, very mid-tier booze. 

That would do for tonight.

Chapter Text

Fat Nuggets’s excited oinks filled the kitchen, only occasionally interrupted by the sounds of his little hooves hitting the counter as he eagerly tapped them in anticipation.

You snickered, focussing your attention back to him and his red smeared face before holding another strawberry in front of him, which he immediately devoured. Putting a few more down, you turned back towards the stove just as you heard movement in the hallway.

Angel stretched his two sets of arms, feeling the pull all throughout his broken body. The robe was only haphazardly tied, and he was still wearing the underwear he had fallen asleep in. 

Last night had been a goddamn nightmare. After a full day of work, Valentino had insisted he come up to his quarters and had proceeded to fuck the living daylight out of him until the sun started to rise. He had been so fucking rough, even more than usual, before he finally told Angel to fuck off and go home. The only upside was that he had marked Angel so thoroughly that he told him not to come in for the next few days. Given how much he made Angel work, that reprieve seemed almost worth it. Almost.

He groaned as he shuffled his way towards the kitchen. It was already well into the day. The rest of the Hotel inhabitants probably went out already so he decided he’d make himself a bowl of soggy cereal and huddle up with Nuggs in bed, scrolling through his phone, trying to ignore how his body hurt and his soul even more so. 

Nuggets must’ve broken out again, as he was wont to do lately, so as he was dragging his feet towards the kitchen, he kept an eye and an ear out. It was then that he noticed two things. 

The first was the happy, excited little oinks of his baby, coming from the lit kitchen. The second was the amazing smell of something being baked. Huh, was Niffty home?

Angel rubbed his tired eyes as he crested the corner, finally being able to look in through the doorway and he froze.

You were there, standing with your back towards him, flipping something in the pan, with Nuggets next to you on the counter. Clearly you had been feeding him something as the little critter’s face was smeared with a red substance. 

Of course, he didn’t truly think you’d be feeding his beloved pet anything bloody, yet he couldn’t help but consider it, given the scene laid out in front of him and your track record.

You turned your head to look at Nuggets, a soft smile on your features that immediately made his heart skip a beat. You were always sweet to Nuggs, yet watching you now, knowing that you weren’t aware that he was even there, it felt different. You still cared, even if it wouldn’t get you any points with Angel, and he watched as you fed him another strawberry. 

Angel felt like he could cry, seeing the sheer adoration on Nuggets’s little chubby face and the way you watched him inhale that strawberry. He couldn’t help but let out a small enamoured chuckle, and you turned around. His eyes met yours and he smiled.

“He’s gonna get even more fat if ya keep feedin’ him like that.”

You looked him over. Angel looked dead tired, deep, dark circles under his eyes and, though he was holding his robe closed over his chest, you could see a large, dark bruise peek out above it on his neck and some painful looking marks on his wrist.

“Heh, just means there’s more of him to love, don’t you think?”

Nuggets squealed in excitement at the sight of Angel and launched himself off the counter. Your reflexes were only barely fast enough to be able to catch him and you quickly cleaned him off with a napkin before handing him to Angel who hugged him close.

“Ya lil’ rascall, gettin’ in with tha docta, hm? Bein’ all cute ‘n shit. Tryin’ ta one up me?”

He flushed when your hand cupped the side of his face and you leaned in, gently pressing a kiss to his lips, being careful to not press too hard as you could see the painful looking marks at the corners of his mouth.

“Oh, he’s cute alright, but he could never out-do you.”

Angel swallowed as he watched you walk back towards the stove, gesturing for him to sit down, which he did, and when you came back, you were holding a plate with a fresh stack of pancakes.

His blush deepened as you put it down in front of him. They smelled amazing. Warm pancakes with fresh strawberries, butter, and powdered sugar.

He felt his stomach grumble, and he noted he was far hungrier than he had realised. After all, he hadn’t eaten a thing when he had come home. He had found Husk at the bar, taken one shot in almost complete silence under the bartender’s concerned gaze, and gone straight to bed. 

“These smell so good, babe! But eh… is there enough for ya ta share with me? I don’t wanna confiscate your breakfast, y’know…”

You raised your eyebrow.

“Share? These are for you, starlight. I already ate.”

Angel was dumbfounded, and you snickered at his confused expression, pressing a quick kiss to his forehead before turning around and starting to clean up the kitchen.

“Wait… how did ya know…. that I would be havin’ breakfast late?”

You let out a breath, running a wet cloth over the strawberry massacre on the counter.

“Husk texted me, said you had a rough night. So, I figured I’d make you breakfast when you woke up.”

“Okay….”

He looked contemplative as he started cutting the first pancake, creating a bite with the perfect ratio of sugar, fruit, and baked goods. He let the fork hover in the air as he thought.

“But then I still dunno how you knew I was comin’ down right now.”

You turned to look at him and grinned.

“Fat Nuggets.”

“Nuggs?”

“Yeah, when I saw him waddle into my office I figured you were either up or starting to wake up. He doesn’t stir until you do.”

Angel flushed, quickly shoving the large bite into his mouth and wincing at the feeling of the wounds burning.

His eyes widened, and he looked at you.

“Dith ith amathing! I didn know you coul cookgh”

You were impressed that you caught most of that, despite his mouth being full.

“Heh, I’m no cook but not even I could fuck up this pancake recipe.”

You paused, looking him over as he eagerly took another bite. He looked as excited about the food as Nuggets had mere moments ago and you felt your cheeks heat up. To see him light up like this, despite how shit he had clearly been feeling, it was enough to send your heart racing. Such a small thing, making someone breakfast, yet watching him now it was obvious how much it meant to him. 

“I’m….. glad you like it. Ahem.. You eh… want some coffee?”

He nodded vigorously as you got up, continuing to stuff his face with pancakes and strawberries. 

With a smile and a warm feeling in your chest, you placed a cup of hot coffee in front of him before sitting down at the table with your own.

Sipping your coffee, you let your eyes travel his body. Each piece of skin that got exposed when he moved seemed to either have bruises or bite marks on it and you gritted your teeth. There was no problem with marks like that, as long as they were obtained enthusiastically and consensually. You doubted that this was the case.

Angel let out a sigh of contentment, swallowing down the last bite and allowing Nuggets to wiggle free from his arms to climb onto the table where he started licking the plate clean as Angel fixed his gaze on you.

“What are ya gonna do today? I thought ya were gonna go hang out with scales?”

You nodded, slowly.

“Yeah, he invited me to see what he’s been working on. But… do you want me to stay with you?”

Angel felt the warmth reach his face in an instant. You would cancel your plans with your friend….. for him?

“Why?”

“Why? Because I enjoy hanging out with you and you look like you might be in need of company…”

He pouted, something that immediately made you blush again. 

“What, ain’t I lookin’ cute?”

“You’re always cute, starlight.”

Quickly, he averted his eyes, looking down at the empty plate Nuggets was still working feverishly on. His heart was pounding in his chest. You had made him breakfast, just for him, with all the fixings he liked the most. You had even gone and bought the good strawberries. You called him cute, even when he looked like a train wreck. Satan, it made him want you in every sinful way imaginable. 

He let out a hot breath as his eyes fixated on you again.

“Fuck, I wantcha ta breed me, right here on tha table….”

His words were barely more than a whisper and though you could hear him just fine in the otherwise silent kitchen, you grinned.

“Sorry, what?”

Angel rolled his eyes, and you snickered, leaning in and running your tongue over his cheek, kissing away some remnants of strawberry and sugar, making him heat up under your touch.

“I’m teasing but no. You got the day off, right?”

He nodded, annoyed little frown on his face at the rejection, though it immediately melted when you took his hand in yours.

“I think you should take a nice, quiet day. Have a hot bath, treat yourself, watch a movie, cuddle Nuggets, maybe invite Cherri over? If you want, I’ll spend the day with you. Just… take it easy. Alright?”

“Alright….” 

He muttered. He hated that your suggestion actually sounded good and hesitantly he looked back up at you.

“I think I’ll do that… also, just bein’ by myself sounds kinda nice… but maybe we can do somethin’ later…. and tomorrow?”

“What, you got tomorrow off too?”

“Yeah, three days…. ta get rid of tha bruises and shit.”

“Sounds great.”

You pushed yourself up out of the chair, giving Fat Nuggets a quick pet and running your hand through Angel’s soft, bouncy hair at which he let out a sweet, slightly embarrassed chuckle that made your heart melt.

“Here, put this on your bruises and marks, alright?”

The jar got placed in front on Angel on the table with a clank of glass against wood. Brown, apothecary glass that contained an ointment he had used before. Worked wonders on bruises and cuts and though Angel was a big fan of flaunting any marks you made on him, he wasn’t too keen on keeping Valentino’s signature on him for any longer than he had to. 

His slender hands slid around the brown jar and a grateful smile formed on his face as he nodded.

“Then I’m going to see Pen, I’m already late. Take care of yourself. And text me, if you don’t feel alright. Yeah?”

“Heh, yeah…”

His eyes followed you as you walked towards the open door, almost running into Husk but swerving just in time.

“Woah, hey, you’re back. There’s strawberries on the counter, if you want some. Pancakes are already gone.”

With those words, you were off, sauntering down the hallway with your hands in your pockets, humming a tune as Husk watched you leave. When he focused his attention back inside the kitchen, he saw Angel, blush on his face, eyes dazed, chewing on the knuckle of his index finger, mind miles away, and he let out a gruff laugh.

“Y’know…”

He started as he walked in, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“You’re bein’ very obvious, legs. It’s a good thing there ain’t no one else here to see you fantasise about the doctor...”

Angel snapped out of his fantasies, of you fingering him on the counter, his erection bound to delay his release, making him lose his goddamn mind as his eyes rolled back and he begged for you to let him cum. You, whispering in his ear that he would have to wait like a good boy while stretching him open perfectly, curling your fingers up into him. Fuck.

Annoyed, he focused his gaze on Husk and that self-satisfied grin on his face.

“Well, Husky, if ya knew how they fuck ya, ya wouldn’t judge. Besides, they just made me fuckin’ pancakes, am I allowed ta have nice things?”

He grumbled and Husk shot him a warm smile that made him blush and quickly look away, still trying to look miffed but not entirely succeeding.

Angel finished his coffee, picking up the small jar and Fat Nuggets who desperately tried to get in some final licks of pancake residue. As he was about to leave, already halfway to the door, Husk spoke up again.

“Hey…..You okay, kid?”

The spider slowed his large strides, and he sighed before looking back at Husk, standing there, leaning against the counter with his coffee. He looked so handsome, with a hesitant smile that told him he genuinely cared about his wellbeing. A thought that made his heart race.

“Yeah… whiskers, I’ll be okay. I’ve had worse.”

Husk frowned.

“That ain’t what I asked.”

Angel grinned, a bright, genuine smile that had everything to do with pancakes and syrupy words.

“I’m much betta now, Husky, promise! Thanks for takin’ care o’ me last night.”

Husk felt his cheeks heat up and he quickly took another gulp of coffee.

“Alright, I’m glad.”

His eyes fell back to Angel, his hair bouncing as he walked out of the kitchen, and he gripped his coffee mug a little tighter.

He wanted that kid to be okay, he wanted him to get everything he deserved, to get love, affection, goddamn fucking pancakes in the morning. So why did it hurt to watch you two get this close, knowing that he would never have this with you? With either of you. Having to bite his tongue when Angel proclaimed he didn’t know what it was like to sleep with you. The worst part was that it was his own damn fault because he insisted on keeping that information from Angel, to spare him. What was he doing? Really….Damnit. Damnit all! 

With a sigh he took a strawberry and plopped it in his mouth as he set out to his regular spot behind the bar. Maybe, what he really wanted, was for you to do something like that for him too. It’s not that he expected you to cook for him or anything but a little act of affection, a small thing that made it clear that you thought of him when the two of your were not fucking or already hanging out…. was that too much to ask? 

He shook his head. Of course it was. This was you. A cruel serial killer and an asshole without a penchant for something like romance, because that clearly scared the shit out of you. Yet….. you had done it for Angel…. was it really still fair to believe that was only because Angel was also your patient? Or was what you had with Angel real? More real…. than what he had with you?

It soon became clear this was something only a solid few hours of day drinking could fix and he decided not to dwell on it as he made his way to the bar.

At the same time, you reached your destination and your feet stopped in front of the door to Pen’s room, the sounds of chaos and eggbois permeating through the wooden slab, separating them from the rest of the Hotel. 

You gave a firm knock and waited. It didn’t take long before the door swung open and habitually you looked down to see an egg standing in the opening with a big, goofy grin.

“Oh geez, doc, you made it! That is swell! You’re late, you know. The bossman was close to having another one of his panic attacks thinking you wouldn’t show.” 

There was a frantic scrambling noise and the egg was violently pushed out of the way, which looked rather comical from your point of view.

“Sssssshut up, you usssssselessssss egg!” 

Sir Pentious looked up at you, his face flushed red and his eyes wide, still hunched over as he kept the egg at bay and you let out a laugh, making him blush even more.

“Sorry I’m late, Pen. I had to check on someone before coming up.”

“Ah… it’ssssss … no bother at all. I eh…. sssssshall we go?” 

You nodded, a look of curiosity as he exited the room. The eggs piled out after him but he quickly turned to face them.

“I ssssshall not be requiring your ssssssservicessssss today, my minionssssss. You may ussssssse thissssss time to clean up the worksssssspace. I want it sssssspotlesssssss when I return! When you’re finisssssshed, you may tidy the doctor’ssssssss office.”

All the eggs scrambled to salute, their little faces scrunched in an earnest frown as though the fate of the world had just been placed on their tiny shoulders.

Pentious quickly closed the door and offered you his arm, which you took. He tried not to be too obvious when he swallowed as he started leading you down the hallway.

“So, where are we headed today?” 

“You’ll sssssssee. We sssssshall be taking the aircraft. I have sssssssomething to sssssshow you.” 

You watched that eager smile on his face as he contemplated whatever it was he was hoping to show you and your expression softened. He was so sweet, so entirely engulfed in his inventions and creations. You were genuinely intrigued as to what he had cooked up this time and you let him lead the way as he rambled about his latest mishap with some ‘ruffians’ in town.

Once inside the blimp, Pentious grabbed hold of the steering wheel and let the craft take off while you wandered towards a window, looking out as the streets of Pride became smaller and smaller. Even in Hell one’s problems seemed to diminish when viewed from a distance. It made you smile, cracking a window so you could feel the breeze on your skin and the zeppelin started leisurely cruising ahead.

Sir Pentious watched you move around the space as though you had always belonged there. Of course, this was not the first time he had taken you for a flight. Even before you moved into the Hotel, you’d been known to accept his offer every once in a while. Something about seeing Pentagram City at this distance, you always remarked, put everything in perspective. 

It put things in perspective for him too. Like how much he enjoyed having you here. How he loved watching you move or the way you stared out the window, so clearly lost in thought. He always had a hard time figuring out what you were thinking. 

People tended to say you were easy to read because you couldn’t lie well and showed your emotions on your face but Pen always found the opposite to be true for him. He couldn’t read what others seemed to be able to without effort. Perhaps it was because people and their messy emotions had never been a subject that came naturally to him, least of all his own feelings, so it was all the more welcome that you tended to be direct and relatively honest, albeit evasive when it came to things you didn’t wish to share. Still, the two of you had an easy understanding. You seemed to see him beyond his inability to make friends easily or his incessant ramblings about his work.

When Pentious had claimed you as his ‘friend’ all those years ago you had only been one small step removed from considering it a nuisance. You liked your independence, your solitude, yet here came this mess of a man, slithering through your front door whenever it suited him, no matter how often you changed those locks. With his big proclamations of friendships, his weird tales, his even weirder inventions, you should’ve hated it, taken him apart, make him regret consistently ignoring the boundaries he didn’t realise you had set. 

The truth, however, was that you found yourself enjoying it. It was nice to have a real friend. It was even nicer when said friend would ramble and hang around, ensuring that you didn’t need to carry a conversation unless you wanted to. He was honest, awkward, sweet, and caring. You never understood why but he was always genuinely interested in whatever you were doing, eager to show you his own progress, and concerned whenever you had found yourself in yet another pickle. You were the only person who had ever taken his claim to want to become an overlord seriously. Well, at the very least you had never ridiculed him for it.

Having Pen around was like having an excitable pet that followed you home from a dumpster and you couldn’t get rid of anymore. It suited you more than you had been willing to admit for the longest time. 

The aircraft came to a steady hover above the edge of the city, on the opposite side of the Hotel, and you turned around, grinning at the snake behind the wheel who flashed you a hesitant smile back.

You could tell he was worried, the way he was eyeing your bruises and cuts. Even more, you wondered if he felt some type of way about the fact that you had slept with Valentino. The whole of Pride knew about that now, though most didn’t care beyond the possible drama this could stir with Vox and Alastor. The fact that Angel seemed fine with it had been an indescribable relief to you and Husk seemed annoyed if only for the fact that he just thoroughly disliked the Vees but reluctantly admitted that your afterlife was yours to do with, trying his damndest to keep his complex feelings off the table out of fear of scaring you off. But Pen, Pen held a deep rooted respect and admiration for the Vees. He wanted nothing more than to obtain their recognition, for them to see him and acknowledge him.

So it was safe to say that what he did next came as a complete surprise to you.

He made his way over, a contemplative, serious look on his face that made you cock your head in curiosity. His hand was cold as he put it on your bruised cheek, cupping your face in a gesture that was amicable and caring.

“Are you…. doing okay?”

You smiled. Big softie.

“I’m fine, Pen.”

“I know you got into a fight before that but….. wasssss it Valentino? Becausssssse if he hurt you…. I will make him pay!”

His honest expression and unexpected words forced a laugh out of you, which you immediately regretted upon seeing him reduce to half his size in unease.

“Heh, I’m sorry, you caught me off guard with that. I thought you wanted to join the Vees?”

“Not if they treat you like thisssss!”

He blurted out, seeming genuinely frustrated. The annoyance dissipated the moment you covered his hand with yours and he flushed.

“That’s sweet, that you’d fight an overlord for me. But it wasn’t Valentino. In fact, I did a number on him, not the other way around. No, it was those assholes at the bar. If I get my fucking hands on them….”

Just the thought of those pieces of shit made your blood boil and your mouth water. You’d get them some day and it would be glorious. Your dreams were filled with blood stained concrete and disembowelled sharks.

You watched as his expression morphed through relief to a mischievous wide grin that, involuntarily, made you flush a little. 

“Would you like to?”

“What?”

“Make them pay, dear.”

Your eyes searched his. He had a plan.

“…Yes?”

He immediately perked up, straightening his back and conjuring a wide, salesman-esque smile as he slithered over to a covered contraption in the front of the craft.

“Then do I have marveloussssss newsssssss for you! Ssssssee, I have developed a new cannon and wisssssh for you to be the firsssst to ssssssseeee it in action.”

With a flourish he uncovered the impressive device. He looked fucking adorable, standing next to his newest ‘death ray’ with the smile of a toddler presenting his macaroni art piece, albeit slightly deadlier.

You walked up, looking it over under his proud gaze. Technology like this was not your expertise but it looked very cool. A lot of intricate details and a sleek design that suited his aesthetic. You also noted some departures from previous designs. When your eyes met his again and you smiled, he visible gulped.

“I see you changed this bit here?”

Fingers crossed you just pointed at something important that he did indeed change.

“Oh… You noticed! Yessss, that wasssss the part that wassssss obsssstructing the flow of energy. Thissssss new model sssssshould be more power efficient and have a much bigger impact!”

Satan, so excitable and you couldn’t help feel it brushing off on you, your own eagerness to see stuff blow up rising quickly. Especially if that meant destruction for those assholes. 

“It looks incredible, Pen, let’s see what this baby can do!”

At those words, his big smile was back again and he nodded eagerly, gesturing towards the window.

“I have taken the liberty of locating the group, basssssed on your desssscription. They’re holed up in that building over there. Do you wissssssssssh to fire or to watch?”

He watched, eagerly, how that insane sparkle in your eye turned into a maniacal flame and your grin damn near split your face in two.

“How’s this: I’ll call them out, you fire, and I watch them fucking burn.”

You could feel yourself starting to salivate. It would be brief, hardly the prolonged enjoyment you got out of torturing people, watching them scream and beg, but it would be fun for sure. Besides, fire and explosions provided a different kind of rush. Hanging out with Cherri had taught you that much. 

Sir Pentious nodded, feeling stirred by your excitement and allowing you to open the side door so you had an unrestricted view of the city below you.

Grabbing a gun off the cabinet next to you, you aimed at the building Pen pointed out as he repositioned the blimp and manned the laser. He was watching you with a soft smile on his face. You seemed eager, so ready for what he had planned for you. He did the right thing and though Charlie would likely disapprove, seeing you smile like that made it all worth it.

The gun went off with a bang, impacting one of the windows behind the old fashioned bell you had aimed for and missed, sending shards of glass flying, and not a second later about half the group you had seen the other night piled out, followed by the short shark demon with the big fucking mouth, all of them looking around to see where the shot came from.

“Up here, you fuck wits!”

You grinned as their heads turned and they noticed you hanging half-way out of the blimp, still waving the gun around like a madman.

“Miss me? I have good news for you, short stack,”

Your insane smile widened as they all took aim, running your tongue past your teeth.

“I remember you now!”

Their eyes widened. Even at this distance you could see the ‘oh fuck’ plastered on their faces as they registered the laser but no longer had time to react, and the flash blinded them. 

The explosion was devastating, sending a wave of force, light, and sound that made the very air vibrate as the building came down. You only barely managed to hold on, nearly being knocked out of the aircraft altogether.

You laughed as the ground below you smoked and burned, combined with the rush of almost falling to your death just now, it made you feel ecstatic. Behind you, Pen had the proudest smile on his face. The new laser operated exactly as expected and he quickly grabbed his notebook to note down the date, time, and his findings.

Once the smoke started to clear it became obvious that there was nothing left at the point of impact except burning ashes. It would take ages for them to come back from this and you squealed in excitement, laughing as you held onto the frame, hanging as far outside the door as possible to allow yourself the best view of the carnage. 

You felt giddy, absolutely thrilled. The adrenaline coursing through your veins made you feel alive and you snickered. This was fantastic. If your usual methods were like your opium addiction; prolonged, calm, and methodical, this was like a hit of pure cocaine.

With a wide grin you looked back at Pen who gave you an awkward chuckle as he tucked away his notebook.

Before he could even register what was happening, you had pulled yourself back in and closed the distance, wrapping your arms around his frame and burying your face against his chest with a wide smile.

The contact was so sudden and unexpected. You weren’t one to give out hugs freely. In fact, in most cases you avoided physical contact unless there was a good enough reason. But the high of the explosion made you consider none of it. All that was going through your head was how lucky you were to have a friend like this as your disposal. 

Someone who wanted to help you, just because they liked you. No ill intentions or vile strings attached. What a concept.

Under the touch of your fingertips you could feel every muscle in his body tense up with the abrupt feeling of your body against his and he froze as you hugged him. Unsurprisingly, this made you feel even more giddy and you nuzzled his chest.

“That was fantastic. I’m glad to see it works so well. Your inventions are incredible.”

Was he… shaking?

“Ah… ehm… yessss… well… I am glad too that you…. like the ssssurprisssse? I eh…. Yessss… …. ehmm…. are you… quite done?”

You looked up, putting your chin on his chest and smirking up at him and his very flushed face.

“You want me to be done? Are you uncomfortable?”

He continued to stammer.

“I … no! No, of courssssse not…. you’re my… friend, I’m glad you’re happy…. It’ssss jussssst ehm…. You’re hurt and ehm… Ah!”

You hugged him slightly tighter, making him yelp and his waterfall of words cease for a moment.

“I’m okay, y’know. But better now. Thanks.”

He just nodded, averting his gaze and trying his best to create some distance between your bodies without being too obvious. This was the same man who would kiss you when he was drunk but who was now trying to maintain his space. Why? Did he like you less when sober? 

You loosened your arms a little and noted how he seemed both relieved and a little disappointed as his big, red eyes settled back on yours again.

There was something quiet in that eye contact, something caring and unspoken as his hand came up again and he, without thinking, brushed his finger over your split lip and the bruise surrounding it.

He appeared lost in thought, as though he wasn’t totally in control of his actions and you decided to stir the pot some more by very quickly running your tongue over the pad of his thumb, resulting in a full body shiver running through him. He immediately grabbed you by your shoulders, quite harshly, and pushed you backwards, keeping you at an arms length as he looked down at the floor, practically steaming.

“What?”

“Why…… why would you do ssssssuch a thing?”

You snickered.

“Why? Heh, I wanted to see what you would do.”

“Cruel…”

He breathed and you smiled.

Slowly, very slowly, he gathered his courage and looked up at you only to find you still grinning that insufferable cocky smile.

“I feel …. bullied…. ssssomehow.”

“Good.”

“Good?!”

You laughed and he couldn’t help but chuckle as well. There was just something in the way you always teased him that didn’t feel like you were doing anything malicious. More like you were trying to coax an honest reaction out of him.

When your eyes met again his grip on your shoulders softened.

“I wissssh to kisssss you!”

The words were out of his mouth before he could check himself and at twice the volume he intended, leaving you feeling baffled for a moment, a blush covering your cheeks, before your wide grin found its way back to your features.

“Damn, Pen, sober and everything?”

He hastily removed his hands from your shoulders and was already in the motion of turning around, making a clumsy, awkward retreat, when you caught his wrist and yanked him back. 

The moment he turned around you clashed your lips to his, holding him there as he digested the situation in awestruck confusion. His whole body was frozen and his mind was going a million miles a minute, his heart beating in his throat as you could hear your own in your ears.

He was just so cute. You’d been hoping he would find his courage while sober sometime and now that he had there was no stopping you. You would find out exactly how well you both were matched. After all, you were much more at ease with casual, sexual activities or within the confines of your office, in professional analysis of the person in front of you. Much easier than actually sitting with your thoughts and feelings, or worse, having to share them with someone.

It took him a minute to regain his composure but once he did he melted into the kiss, hesitantly sliding his hands to your back, uncertain of where he could place them before making a decision and wrapping his arms around you, pulling you in.

You hummed in surprise and felt his split tongue flick out, into your open mouth. It was slender and fast yet surprisingly strong when you licked it and entangled your tongue with his, making him whimper. He had kissed you before, pretending to be entirely too drunk to know what he was doing or remember it the day after. And, though he always hoped you’d kiss him back, you never had. That probably was to your credit but it did mean that this was the first time. The first time he truly got to share a kiss with you and his mind filled with fireworks, explosions going off everywhere.

BOOM!

Damn, that kiss was so good it felt like the blimp was actually shaking.

He gasped when you pushed him back slightly, ending the kiss, and you snickered at his dazed expression.

“We’re under attack, tinker boy.”

Oh, so there was a real explosion then. 

His confusion made way for indignant anger. Who DARED interrupt this moment of bliss?!

You were ahead of him, leaning out the door again as a second impact shook the whole cabin and you barely managed to grab hold of the frame, looking down, feeling Pen’s claw grab the back of your jacket to prevent you from falling out.

It didn’t take long for you to spot Cherri on a nearby rooftop, casually throwing up a bomb with one hand and catching it again before taking aim. Her wide, aggressive smile faltered when she noticed you in the door opening instead of just Pen and she lowered her arm.

“Quit that, you demented bitch. I’m in here too!”

You yelled at her and she frowned in confusion.

“What are you doin’ in that fuckin’ dingy, floatin’ trashcan, cunt? I almost blew you up!”

She screamed back at the top of her lungs.

“Yeah! Could you maybe not?!”

“Well, I’m fuckin’ sorry, didn’t know you were in there, did I?”

You laughed.

“No, but you do now! You can blow each other up later!”

“Yeah, alright! Hey, now that I have you, I found a great place to get our hands on some new explosives but I need your help puttin’ the fear of me into someone! Sometime next week?”

“Alright, text me the details!”

“I will!”

Pen glared over your shoulder, angry and confused. Cherri just flipped him off as she jumped down to a roof below and disappeared out of sight, making Sir Pentious huff.

With a chuckle you closed the door and turned around, watching Pen mutter some curses as he took in the damage she had managed to do with just two bombs.

“That classless whore!”

You snickered watching him fume and curse, unable to hide the flushing of his face which could not be solely attributed to his anger.

“Yeah, she’s hot.”

“Yessss, exact-,……. WAIT! NO!”

You burst out laughing as he scrambled to undo his confirmation but you just shook your head.

“Come on, I know you like her.”

“Ah, that’s not… she’s…. No, I like … I like you…”

There was a brief pause. He was so honest sometimes and you felt a little uncomfortable. Of course you knew he liked you but hearing him say it so genuinely was most definitely outside your comfort zone. You shrugged, to give yourself some semblance of indifference, and he looked even more confused.

“Two things can be true, bud.”

The truth, and a great way to not have to engage with what he had said. 

He contemplated your words. Not only were you calling out the way Cherri made his heart stir, with her foul mouth, her brazenness, her gall, but you made no qualms about the fact hat he could like you all the same. As though that was obvious. A given. Perhaps it was, again to anyone but him. 

“You know, if you want her to like you back, you need to practice being a bit more assertive. I’m sure she’d like you too if she got to know you, but you have to make a move.”

He paused, his face turning a bright red. Why were you trying to wingman him after just having kissed? And did this mean his chances with you were now off the table? This was all so confusing. It was bad enough having these pesky feelings and desires for just one person, but two? Sure, it all seemed easy to you. You who slept with whomever you desired, who went out, who was awkward and weird like him but who never seemed stopped by that and somehow managed to turn their unsettling nature into something desirable. At least, he thought it was.

Your eyes trailed his features, his eyes, averted and conflicted, his little frown, his lips which you had tasted moments ago, and the way his fangs stuck out. There was definitely a part of you that wanted to kiss him again but at the same time it felt unfair. He was fragile. He was a good person, you knew he was. And even better friend. And you were already making a mess of enough people at the Hotel. Perhaps it was best not to add to that. Besides, you could see how conflicted he felt right now and you gently put your hand on his arm.

“Let’s go back, yeah? I’m assuming you want to take care of the damage to the ship.”

You leaned in, gently pecking his cheek.

“This was amazing, Pen. Thanks…. for everything.”

He flushed and his smile was back, beaming at you, over the fact that you were pleased with him. His mind and heart were still racing but he felt at ease as he started steering the blimp back home.

On the way back, as you were looking out the window watching the buildings and stores pass you by, night falling over the city below, you suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, Pen, stop here for a sec! Do you have a way for me to get down?”

A little while later, back at the Hotel, Pentious wasted no time to rattle off his ideas for fixing and improving the blimp, all the way to the door of your office. He hesitated for a moment but when Charlie rounded the corner he quickly yelled his goodbyes and made a hasty retreat.

You just chuckled, making some small talk with a confused Charlie before going into your room and getting ready for the night. 

You were sitting up in bed, half empty glass of absinthe on the table next to you and a tablet on your knees, working on some stuff for the Hotel, when there was a soft knock on your door.

“Yeah?”

There was no answer, instead the door slowly opened and Angel slipped inside, quickly closing and locking it behind him as he took big, fast strides towards your bed and got under the covers, immediately burying his face into your side, as though he was a small child hiding behind mother’s skirt.

Slightly confused, you put your tablet away, being mindful not to knock your drink off the table, and you put your hand in Angel’s fluffy mop of hair.

“Hey…? You good?”

His voice sounded so small, and slightly muffled, when he answered.

“Hold me.”

Letting out a breath, you wrapped your arm around him, pulling him up slightly and against you. As you did, you caught a glimpse of his face and noticed he looked agitated. A pained, almost tearful expression of frustration.

A pang of guilt snapped through you and you grimaced.

“Starlight, I thought you promised to let me know if you weren’t doing well…”

He nuzzled his face into your shirt, denying you his reaction.

“I’m sorry…… I was fine, y’know. Ya were right, I had a nice, chill day but then…. literally just now… I dunno… I was watchin’ a movie and somethin’ happened… and I could feel his hands all ova me and…. I got fuckin’ hard!”

His voice cracked, his fingers digging deeper into your flesh as though he was trying to use your body to physically keep the tears from spilling.

There was an immediate lump in your throat and you closed your arms around him, putting your face into his hair, your voice but a whisper.

“You want to talk about it?”

“….. no…..”

A small pause.

“….. yes?…. I dunno…. I just…. I feel like such a fuckin’ stupid slut…. I don’t want him ta touch me… but I do… and even when rememberin’ the bad shit… I just…. am I this fuckin’ pathetic? Do I wanna be hurt by him?”

Gently, you ran your fingers through his hair.

“Do you?”

“Ain’t ya tha head shrinka? Ain’t ya supposed ta have all tha solutions?”

You chuckled, feeling him tense under your fingers.

“I don’t have solutions, I can give a different perspective and options. You’re the one who makes the final call. You’re the one in charge. You’re the one who has the power to make changes in your life.”

He groaned, softly.

“Is a fuckin’ lobotomy an option?”

You snickered.

“Haven’t done one of those in a looong time. Hate to tell you but down here that effect is only temporary and don’t say you want one too loud, because I’m sure he’d find a crowd that’s into that too.”

There was a weak chuckle from somewhere in the folds of cloth that Angel was hiding in and you smiled.

A silence settled over the room as you gently stroked his hair.

“Am I a bad person, doc?”

Your smile faded. There was a sense of unease that washed over you. You enjoyed having him in your arms, the way he thought you were the one who could fix him, who could tell him everything was going to be alright because he believed it when you said it. Despite your many failings, you’d gone to school for that, hadn’t you? You were the smart doctor. It wasn’t hard to admit to yourself that you enjoyed that lie. It kept him close to you, needing you. 

Angel was strong, plenty strong, on his own and he was no idiot. He’d be more than capable to save himself if he learned to rely on his strength and he should. Not on you. Yet, instead of guiding him to trust himself, you let him lean on you, because you enjoyed that unwavering faith he had in you. And it was unprofessional, unethical, and unfair to him as it wasn’t built to last but you just chalked that up to your never-ending list of workplace improprieties. 

Right now he was tapping into your opinion of him and there was no way you could say what you really thought, how you felt about him as a person.

“Define a ‘bad person’.”

Another groan.

“Why ya gotta be answerin’ my questions with questions, doc?”

“Part of the job. The main thing I do is help people think about their own situations and come up with their own solutions. The best way to do it is to ask questions. But to answer you, I think your question is void because it doesn’t matter. You’ll always be a bad person to someone’s standard and there might be people out there who think you’re the best even if that’s not a good thing for you, willing to ignore every fault. You could change it to ‘do the people I like, like me’ but a much more important questions is ‘do I like myself?’.”

You paused for a moment, brushing through his hair.

“and if the answer is ‘no’, as it is for most of us because self-love is fucking hard, even without the trauma we’re all riddled with, then the next question becomes ‘what can I do right now to work towards that?’”

“Ya make it sound so easy.”

“It’s not.”

“Do ya like yourself?”

A small chuckle as you let your head lean back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling as your hand continued to gently rake his scalp.

“Sometimes. Like I said, it’s hard. I’ve worked on it for a long time and there are days where it’s easy but it’s always even easier to slip back into old habits, especially on bad days.”

“What then?”

“Then you continue working on it.”

“But it hurts…”

“It does.”

“What do ya do when it hurts?”

“Heh, you want the actual advice? Because what I do is not the healthy thing. What you should do is talk to someone if possible, evaluate your feelings, figure out healthy ways to cope with them and learn to trust yourself by proving time and time again that you will get back up. Build up that trust in yourself.”

“So….. what do you do?”

“I fuck and drink until the pain stops after which I usually regret my choices, re-evaluate, and pick the pieces back up…… and then I do the other stuff. Do as I say, not as I do.”

Finally, his grip on you relented slightly. His eyes still a little teary but his gaze on you was steadfast.

“Sometimes… ya sound like me.”

Your heart skipped a beat, there was something in the way he was looking at you now that made you feel, even if just for a moment, as though he could see the entirety of you and it felt as frightening as it felt liberating. In this moment, you recalled Husk’s words to you, about Angel and how the kid didn’t realise how similar you were in some ways.

“We’re more alike than you might think, starlight.”

You expected him to chuckle, to wave your comment away, but instead his steady gaze remained on you and he came in closer until you could feel his warm breath on you. 

“Do…. ya like me, doc?”

You swallowed, unable to answer it but he clearly saw something in your eyes that answered for you. He maintained eye contact as he slowly pressed his lips to yours before finally closing his eyes.

There was a particular melancholy to that kiss, the way he melted into you, it went beyond the physicality of your bodies. It was like you could feel him reach out and touch a part of your soul and it left you shivering.

Both of your eyes remained closed as his lips left yours again, only parting enough for him to speak so you could feel the air of each word brush your skin.

“Touch me, doc.”

You shouldn’t. You absolutely shouldn’t. But the connection between you two right now left no room for doubt, for sane thoughts, or consideration. 

Your arms closed around his frame, pulling him in as he climbed on top of you, hands cupping your face as he kissed you again, softly, slowly, deliberately, leaving you breathless. You let your hands travel up his bare back, underneath the shirt he was wearing before you let your fingers trace down his spine to the small curve of his ass and the cute pair of panties covering it, pulling him in closer and making him softly gasp into the kiss.

How you adored those little sounds.

His small, pointed tongue was surprisingly strong as he explored your mouth, smiling into the kiss as you licked it back, teasingly running it over the piece of jewellery running through it.

When you broke away, you took a moment to look at him in the dim light of the room before leaning back in and placing a kiss in his neck, on top of the very visible bite mark Valentino had left there. 

Angel’s arms around your neck pulled you in closer and you licked the sensitive, bruised skin. He let out a small whimper in response so you paused but when he didn’t give any indication he wanted you to stop you repeated the motion before pulling on the collar of his shirt to give yourself access to another sore spot.

You took your time, steadily covering every exposed mark on his neck and arms until you couldn’t reach any more.

He let out a hot breath and leaned back, obediently raising his arms as you lifted up his shirt, pulling it off over his head and making his hair bounce back into place the moment it was freed of the cloth.

Your fingers trailed the soft, fuzzy skin on his back, gently dancing over the delicate surface, making him shift in your lap as you buried your face into his chest poof, taking in his scent before continuing to kiss each bruised and broken piece of skin you came across.

Angel moaned weakly with every mark being reclaimed and your mind was empty other than your singular focus on his approval. 

Underneath the dainty lace of the pink panties he was wearing, the effect of your touches was beginning to make itself known and you traced one hand down his stomach.

You loved the way his dick looked. Delicate, adorable, with cute little pink stripes to match the ones on his arms, and a tendency to make a bit of a mess when he got excited, immediately leaking precum, which was a sight that you found to be incredibly hot. 

His hand caught yours before it could reach its destination though and you stopped, looking up at him, his flushed face and deep, uneven breaths. 

“Don’t….”

He whispered.

You didn’t question it, instead freeing your hand from his and putting both arms around his slender frame again, pulling him close to you as you kissed him, feeling his growing arousal press against your stomach, the lace panties making the feeling slightly scratchy, but in a pleasant way.

 Angel bit his lip as you continued to kiss every mark Valentino had left on his skin, as though that would erase them, or turn them into yours. You couldn’t even rightfully say why you felt the need to do this, or why you recognised something akin to possessiveness as you did. 

You didn’t claim people, same as you didn’t like to be claimed. In the heat of the moment it was fine of course but laying an actual claim to someone in terms of a relationship was something you steered clear of. Yet… The way Valentino ‘owned’ Angel was pissing you off. Far too familiar. True, whatever there was between them was none of your business and marking someone so thoroughly was something you yourself were a big fan of but only consensually. The fact that Angel clearly felt some type of shame over the way Valentino had left him was proof enough that whatever there had been between them originally was long morphed into something vile. And still Angel couldn’t help going back for more. You knew what that felt like.

You pulled another moan from his lips as you licked a particularly dark bruise on his stomach and looking down you could see the way he was leaking through his panties. Of course it was hard to ignore, but he had asked you to, so you left it alone, instead running your fingers over the backs of his thighs, watching him shiver under your touch which in turn made your skin run hot and your face flush.

As you trailed your kisses back up you suddenly felt a hand come under your chin and Angel forced you to look up at him. The moment your eyes met you could feel it. A sensation of deep adoration and a quiet comfortable safety in each other’s arms as he leaned in and kissed your lips, pecking at them a few times which you returned breathlessly, your hand coming up the back of his head and entangling into his hair.

He let out a soft, content sound against your lips as he pushed you backwards onto the bed, lying down on top of you and settling in between your legs as he deepened the kiss, his tongue eagerly wrapping around yours in a sensuous way as it caressed yours, his hips gently rocking against you, both of you entirely lost to that kiss, to the way the other’s body felt, the warmth, the comfort.

Despite his lanky frame, he was soft, lying on top of you. His body warm, his touches gentle and caring.

You vaguely registered two of his hands taking your clothes off. Carefully, slowly, as not to disturb the quiet, desire-filled comfort you both had settled in. Angel continued to kiss you as you let your fingers dance along his spine, across his shoulder blades, feeling the bones shift beneath the skin each time he moved.

The way he was moving his hips, grinding against you with only the panties he was wearing as a flimsy barrier was wiping your mind clean of anything else. It was hard to think. Even harder to put into words how right this all felt and there was no consideration from either of you when Angel reached down between you, freeing his erection from his soaked panties, immediately prodding at your entrance.

He reached over to the side table, putting some lube on his hand and coating himself and you, a slick feeling that had your mind reeling. You moaned against his lips as he pushed into you, feeling him tense and shake under your fingers, whimpering into the kiss himself.

Angel was not particularly big, neither in girth nor length, yet the way he slid into you felt so incredibly fucking right it had you shivering and you instinctually wrapped your legs around him as he gently rolled his hips, slowly, so carefully. Your legs felt like jelly, your mind was mush, your face felt so hot, and you pulled him into another kiss as he pushed into you over and over again, setting a gentle rhythm that didn’t hide the mind-numbing desire you both felt. His soft moans against your lips like a confession of his need for you.

You felt so good, being with you was unlike anything he had known before. He got lost in sex sometimes, addicted to it, but this was different. It was more than just raw, carnal pleasure and though that was something that frightened him deeply, he couldn’t bring himself to stop. All he could do was chase that desire further, deeper, as though he could melt into you.

He couldn’t bring himself to consider much of anything right now as the only thing on his mind was you, your eager kisses, the sounds you made, the way you felt around his cock, seemingly pulling him in as your body begged for him to continue. The wet sounds of his thrusts interwoven with your combined panting filled the room, your whimpers and moans of need made his mind go blank.

Your breathing was made difficult by the continuous kisses yet you didn’t want him to stop, rocking your hips to meet his movements as you felt your arousal rise incredibly fast. It felt so good. A sensual desire that chased something other than the carnal pleasures you looked for in sex. You wanted to warn him, tell him to stop because cumming this fast was embarrassing yet no words formed. Somehow, that inhibition, the desire to be performative during sex and do things in the most ‘desirable’ way was just not present and your hand tensed into his hair as you arched your back when you came. 

A soft peak, nothing extraordinary and something you might have referred to as a ‘disappointing’ orgasm in any other scenario. Too fast and not the whole body shaking experience that you normally went for, yet in this case, it felt perfect and you were left trembling all the same albeit for different reasons. So much so it felt like a religious experience, your mind quite thoroughly blown.

“Hnnnggg, babe…. ah hnnn…..”

Angel’s moan as you came rang in your ears and he buried his face into your neck, his gentle thrusts speeding up and slightly losing his rhythm until he finally came undone as well in a series of short, sharp snaps of his hips, filling you with his adoration and he lowered himself on top of you with arms that were suddenly too weary to hold him up. His body melting onto yours, his uneven, hot breaths against the skin of your neck as you wrapped your arms around him, holding him close while he came down from his high.

Why did you feel like you were about to cry? Perhaps you were crying already. Fuck.

The two of you stayed like that for a while. Angel’s softening dick inside you. Your breathing calmed down, Angel’s body in your grasp, his arms coming around you and holding you close as he rubbed his face into the curve of your neck, sniffling softly.

Perfectly. 

You fit together perfectly.

There was genuinely no saying how long you stayed like that, so calm and still yet neither of you feeling like you might slip into sleep. In fact, neither of you had ever felt so present in the afterglow, the feeling of the other’s body so vivid, every touch so vibrant.

In that quiet calm of the room, you relished in the way every intake of breath Angel took pressed against your body. How he, every once in a while, turned his head a little so he could kiss the skin on your neck, closing his eyes as your fingers traced his shoulder, his back, his face.

There were still no words necessary when, eventually, Angel stirred, slowly untangling from the multiple-limbed hug and pushing himself up to look at you before kissing you again.

When he pulled out, both of you shivered, and he got up, helping you up as well. The two of you went into the bathroom where you turned on the hot shower and got underneath it.

The sounds of the water echoed in the tiled, steam filled room. The warmth welcoming.

It was as you were cleaning yourselves and each other, Angel taking the time to wash your back with gentle, soap lathered strokes, that you noticed he seemed contemplative, chewing on the inside of his cheek, clearly brewing on something so you gave him an inquisitive look over your shoulder and he flushed a little.

He looked uncomfortable as he spoke.

“I…. can’t believe ya let me do that…..”

Under the running water, you turned around to face him and let your hand travel to his lower back, pulling him in.

“What?”

He averted his gaze, face flushed a bright pink now.

“Ya spread your legs for me like it was nothin’….. I don’t…. I’m sorry I…. I acted without thinkin’…”

“Shhhh…”

You hooked your hand behind his neck, pulling him into a kiss to shut him up before a doubt entered your mind.

“Wait… did….. you not enjoy it?”

He swallowed, with some difficulty.

“I did!…. It was fuckin’ amazin’….Ya were perfect… bein’ inside ya… fuck.. ya feel so good..”

He paused, clearly lost in the memory for a moment before breathlessly adding.

“So…. fuckin’ good….”

He snapped out of it again, slightly shaking his head.

“…. I just… I don’t normally… Val says I ain’t got tha props ta top and …. I dunno…. I know ain’t that big and I always let otha demons…. I…don’t usually….I’m sorry… Did….”

His voice became frighteningly small.

“Did.. ya hate it?”

You averted your gaze, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as your cheeks heated up. There were no words to describe to him what being fucked so tenderly by him had done to your brain chemistry.

Without looking at him you took his hand in yours, pausing for a second before bringing his hand up to your face, gently pressing a kiss to his fingers. You refused to look him in the eye, your cheeks flushed and hot, so you couldn’t see the startled expression of adoration on his face.

“Starlight…. you made me feel so fucking good. I … came so fast… it’s just…. I didn’t ….. you were amazing…”

You glanced up at him and more resolutely added

“Fuck Valentino and his fuck ass opinion.”

His eyes widened slightly, frozen in place as he contemplated your words until they sank in. It was fine. Without thinking he had acted on a desire that had struck him and everything was fine. You weren’t angry, you weren’t going to laugh at him just because this was not his usual position. All those mean things Valentino had said to him, the few times Angel had tried to express any desire beyond his typecasting felt washed away right now. 

He was a bottom, a power-bottom and a brat on a good day but within his profession and his relationship with Valentino he had a line to walk. Now, things shouldn’t be misconstrued, he did enjoy that most of the time, preferred it even, but the knowledge that he wasn’t allowed anything outside of the small box his boss had constructed for him save for the rare exception always loomed overhead, to the point that he found himself obeying it, even outside of the confines of the studio. 

He felt so good with you, so safe, so seen. His desire to be with you had taken him to an unexpected place and he was inside you before he could think about the repercussions. And Satan, had it felt good. Feeling your body, warm and inviting around him, feeling you cum with him inside you was an indescribable high. It had been incredible. But once that high subsided, the fears and doubts came back. Valentino’s chastising, sneering remarks ringing in his ears and you just tossed those out as well.

His trembling hands reached up, cupping your face as his mismatched eyes searched yours. You seemed flustered, a little hesitant as well but not about what you had said. It appeared as though this proximity was scary for you as well and for some reason that made it easier on him. Knowing that he wasn’t alone in these doubts and insecurities. That this person whom he had thought to be so in control might also have hang ups and damage. He thought he liked you because you were nothing like him, that he could build on your strength and fill the voids where his own was lacking with yours. Knowing that you were more like him than he had thought should send him running, but it didn’t. It made it feel safer somehow. 

A small smile took over his face, his usual flair and flamboyance returning to him as he chuckled.

“Well, ya might regret sayin’ that, toots because fuuuck, bein’ inside ya…. hnng….. ya felt so good… gettin’ hard just thinkin’ about it…. definitely wanna do that more with ya.”

His expression turned a little more serious again, eyes searching yours. 

Slowly, he leaned in, coming in closer and closer, watching your eyes shift between his gaze and his mouth before he finally pressed a kiss to your lips. He could feel you relax your shoulders when he did, fully wrapping your arms around him and holding him close as the hot, steaming water ran down your bodies while you kissed.

It didn’t take long for desire to take hold of you both again and you backed him up to the wall of the shower, pressing him against it as you made out, his hand reaching down between your bodies and he grinned into the kiss, satisfied by the effect he was clearly having on you. 

The connection between you had you both feeling alive as you kissed, hands trailing wet, naked bodies, trying to get the other as close as possible as arousal climbed fast. The soft, whimpering moans echoed of deep seated longing along the tiled walls of the bathroom, cutting through the steam and the sounds of cascading water. Lips hot on his as you were being pulled in, ready to get lost in each other again and again until the almost frantic feeling of need had morphed into quiet contentment.

So broken, yet so whole.

Much later that night, when all of the Hotel was fast asleep already and you were tucked into your bed with Angel, your head on his fluffy chest as his fingers gently traced your spine up and down, both of you with small, satisfied smiles on your faces, Husk finally decided to go to bed as well.

He groaned, his back hurt and he had not managed to get rid of his bad mood from earlier that day entirely. All the day drinking had given him was a headache but no solutions.

With a sigh, he opened the door to his room, neglecting to turn on the lights as he walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed with a groan, pinching his nose bridge, his knees spread, his elbows resting on his thighs.

What was becoming of him? 

His eyes travelled the dark space of his bare bedroom but suddenly stopped at the nightstand where there was something he didn’t remember leaving there.

Now, it wasn’t strange for Husk to leave a bottle somewhere and not remember it. In fact, that was one of the most common things to happen and the only real surprise was when it turned out it still had liquor in it. But what stood out was that this one had a big bow on it and looked not just full but unopened.

He reached out and grabbed it, looking it over.

This wasn’t just any bottle. This was top shelf and his favourite too. The type of drink he’d treat himself to back when he had been an overlord, whenever he managed to close a deal or claim another victory of some sort. A special occasions type of booze.

The bow looked beautiful, red, gold, and black ribbon tied together. It was then he noticed a playing card hanging from the ornament and he looked at it. The king of spades. On the back was a message, scrawled in the nearly illegible script of the Hotel doctor.

Sorry for drinking your good stash when I was high off my rocker. Thought of you while out today and got you this to make up for it. Maybe we can find an excuse to crack it open together? -Doc

Husk looked down at the bottle in his claw with the little note you had written and he let out a soft, gruff chuckle in the dark as he felt his cheeks heat up.

“Well….. fuck.” 

Chapter Text

Out of the corner of your eye you watched Vox move, propping himself up while you lit up a cigarette and leaning over, gently kissing your bare shoulder with a wide grin. His cyan claw caressing down your side. 

The covers were a mess and most of the pillows and the blanket that had fallen victim to your tussle now lay discarded on the floor next to the bed. A bed. His bed. In his room. No longer a sloppy fuck in one of his offices or his surveillance room.

Vox kept you closer these days. Didn’t dismiss you anymore straight after intel and sex. No, he kept you around. Took his time with foreplay and his own unique brand of aftercare, locking you into spending more time with him. 

In theory you could leave of course, at the peril of offending him, but you found yourself not really wanting to. Teasing him was fine but you had come to enjoy this time you spent together. Besides, you had to stay somewhat on his good side. For now.

You could pinpoint the exact moment he had become more insistent on claiming your time and attention and it was, without a shadow of a doubt, when he learned of your ‘relationship’ with Alastor. 

It was a poorly kept secret that he was trying his best to out do Alastor in everything he thought he needed to outshine him in. Clearly under the impression that Alastor took you straight to the pearly gates each time you had sex and if Vox wanted to try and outperform him, who were you to stop him? Sometimes you wondered what would happen once he learned that you and Alastor had never shared more than a dance and brief physical contact on occasion.

You let out a breath filled with smoke as you felt his teeth tease the skin in your neck and he chuckled. He sounded relaxed, his expression a lot more open, less guarded when it was just the two of you and he didn’t feel like he needed to perform as much as when he knew he had an audience. He was still performing, just differently, and notably less.

He was good at that though, assessing what the masses wanted from him, how to behave in a way that would garner the most desirable effect. Leading the people, herding the sheep, towards what they didn’t realise they needed: him. In life he must’ve held a position of power and control as well. His ease with which he moulded people to his liking came far to naturally to him. It was attractive to you though. 

Observing him and his soft smile you handed him the cigarette and watched how he took a drag before his eyes landed on you.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

You grinned, letting your gaze wander away from him over the room. It was pleasantly dark. Lots of deep blues with some red accents and cyan lighting. It was tidy (aside from the mess you two had made), modern, and streamlined. Not at all personal and lacking anything that could be considered ‘cosy’. In fact, the room felt cold in its lack of decorations. Exactly what you’d expect of a tech CEO with a lack of personal taste, favouring only what made him feel like he was exuding what he ‘should’. 

Of course, one wall was attached to the large shark tank and filled the room with a haunting, blue glow. The one ‘personal’ touch in the entire space. The tranquil movement of the sharks was something you absolutely adored, it almost put you in a trance. The way Vox could.

“Tell me about sharks...”

You spoke your thoughts out loud, surprising even yourself for a moment.

He huffed, exhaling the smoke and you turned your attention back to him. He wasn’t looking at you and his expression told you he did not think your request had been in earnest, his mind already elsewhere.

“Tell me about sharks.”

You repeated, a little more insistent in tone and he turned his screen to look at you. He seemed a little puzzled, small frown on his face.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I’m not that familiar with sharks and you clearly like them.”

Another huff and you smiled. He was becoming uncomfortable and you got the impression you knew exactly why.

“Alright, rephrase, what’s your favourite shark?”

His eyes narrowed and he took another drag, not responding, trying to gauge what you wanted to achieve with this line of questioning.

You had thought it would be easier to get him to blab about his obvious special interest but you suspected years of people telling him off for info dumping had made him cautious about sharing his love for the misunderstood creatures. Time to coax him out.

“Great white?”

You said it as though it was an honest guess. It wasn’t. It was just such a clearly wrong answer that the chances of him jumping to correct you would be tremendous, even if he could tell you didn’t really mean it. You had placed the bait, now all you had to do was give him time to bite. And he did.

“Great white??”

He gestured in an indignant manner, waving the cigarette around, making the smoke trail and some of the ash fall on the navy-blue sheets.

“Is that the only fucking shark you know?”

With a shrug you grinned and he groaned.

“It’s not a great white…”

He paused, looking away, slightly uncomfortable again.

“Okay, so what is?”

“If you only know the great white you won’t know it….”

You laughed, taking the cigarette from his fingers and rolling onto your stomach so you could look up at him as you smoked.

“Then tell me about it.”

“What, you really want to know?”

Still that frown on his face, like he had a hard time believing there weren’t any weird strings attached to your inquiry.

“Yeah, I heard sharks are pretty misunderstood but I never learned much about them. Is it true that they bite things in order to inspect them?”

He looked a little baffled. It was kind of cute.

“It…. is… they use their mouths to identify things, see if something is edible or not….Just a small nibble, like this.”

He leaned in, gently biting into your shoulder making you laugh. When he sat back up again, he looked more at ease. You liked this side of him, the relaxed one that was fine cracking a joke and talking in the afterglow of wild, depraved sex. You ignored how this cute, small action on his part had your heart beat just a bit faster. 

Taking a slow drag, you contemplated his words as you stared at the aquarium water where one of the sharks just passed in front of the glass.

“It’s…. a thresher shark.”

“What is?”

“My favourite…. I mean, I like a lot of them, but threshers are just so fucking cool.”

“Why?”

“Alright, fine.”

He turned around, sitting cross-legged, facing you, and grabbed his phone. After some typing he flicked his wrist, pulling the image from his phone screen and throwing it to the large tv, mounted on the wall. 

You made a noise, making him glance at you and your wide smile.

“Look at it, it’s got such a goofy face!”

He snickered, letting out a breath of relief and jumping up, standing in the middle of the room and pointing at the screen as though he was a five year old, pointing at an animal in the zoo.

“They do, but you see that tail? That thing can be as long as their whole body.”

“Does it serve a purpose?”

“Does it serve a purpose… of course it fucking does!”

A video appeared on the screen of the ocean surface with a tail sticking out, aggressively whipping above water.

“They use it to stun their prey, see? Like a whip. And they can use it to propel themselves out of the water too, making them jump. They’re actually known for their aerial displays.”

You nodded, grinning, slowly exhaling your smoke, watching Vox stand there, in his boxers, giving you the TLDR on thresher sharks. Immersed in his excitement, you didn’t notice the way your cheeks were flushing a little.

“Okay, I can see why you think they’re cool. I like their dopey little faces.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Dangerous predators with killing baked into their evolution and you like them for their silly face.”

“Yeah!”

“Okay, doll, which one do you like?”

“I don’t know that many sharks, Vox.”

“Do you like anything in the ocean?”

His additional prod to get you to think about it was genuine. He was fully invested now in this conversation and he looked fucking edible. You wanted to pounce him and fuck him right there on the floor.

You thought about his question for a moment, finishing the cigarette and extinguishing it in the ashtray on the nightstand before looking back at the tech CEO, waiting for your answer.

“I like manta rays.”

“Okay, why?”

“I dunno, I like the way they move, I guess. It’s like they’re flying. Looks fucking serene, just floating through the water like that.”

There was a brief pause before his grin was back, wider than before and a new picture appeared on the screen, as he walked back towards the bed, observing your reaction slowly. Glowing red eyes fixated on you, noting every small expression on your face.

You sat up.

“There is a fucking shark that moves like a manta ray??”

Vox snickered, slowly shaking his head.

“It’s extinct, but it used to exist. It’s an eagle shark, genus Aquilolamna. Pretty cool, right?”

“That is super cool!”

The tv demon swallowed. He was glad your attention was on the large screen, so you couldn’t see the blush on his. It wasn’t often that people mentioned sharks to him. The only times they did was when he threatened to feed someone to them or when Val or Vel told him to shut the fuck up because it was embarrassing. He knew it was a bit nerdy, the way he could gush about them, so he tried not to. The tech stuff was cool, it made him important, in control, a genius among common men. The sharks made him look like an excitable kid. It wasn’t a good look for a man like him. But he couldn’t deny how nice it was to have someone who seemed genuinely interested. Even if he couldn’t fully buy into it.

He studied your face as you took in the image of the shark on the big screen. Your features half illuminated by the blue glow of the aquarium on your other side, the sharks gently moving through the water. He suddenly got an idea.

“You eh….ahem.. you want to come up and feed them?”

Turning to look at him, you noted his little head nod towards the aquarium and your face lit up, making him blush again.

“Wait, really? Fuck yes I do!”

The two of you got somewhat dressed again before Vox started leading you out of his room and up with the elevator. The way his hands folded behind his back gave him an air of calm control though the impatient tapping of his foot betrayed both his nerves and his excitement.

You wanted to say you were doing this to lull him into a false sense of security, to get this arrogant TV to open up to you some more. You wished it were a cleverly constructed plan to get him to like you but the truth was that your heart was beating out of your chest and your cheeks felt hot. He looked adorable just now, the excitement plastered on that screen of his as he talked. Even in the elevator the silence and composure didn’t last long as he started talking about the sharks he kept at the tower and what he fed them to keep them in top condition. With each sentence, his excitement increased and before long he was rattling, a little too fast and a little too loud, gesturing as he explained the ins and outs of keeping sharks. Why was this endearing to you and why did you want him to continue? His enthusiasm was honestly infectious. Since when did you give a shit about sharks?

The top of the humongous tank was open with a walkway just above the water to give easy access for feeding and cleaning.

You leaned on the railing, watching the dance of the sharks at your feet who were clearly very well aware of what was about to happen.

Vox walked up with a bucket of various unidentifiable ‘chunks’. The few bits you could recognise contained an arm, sticking out of the the bucket, which made you chuckle.

“Don’t you have people to feed them?”

He grinned, gesturing at the arm.

“I do.”

That forced a laugh out of you and you nudge his shoulder with yours.

“You know what I mean.”

He snickered and followed your example of leaning on the railing and looking down.

“I do. But I like to come up here to think, to be alone. And then I give them a special treat.”

“Hmm, sinner meat.”

“Connoisseur, are we?”

You didn’t answer, just grinning as you looked down into the water. He was right, it was tranquil up here, not a bad place to come to think.

Feeling his eyes on you you looked to your side. It took him a moment to snap out of it, quickly averting his gaze and bending down to pick up the bucket. Trying to get his heartbeat under control. What the fuck were you doing to him and why did he want this to last a bit longer? Was he getting fucking soft?

“You want to throw in the first piece?”

“Fuck yes.”

You took out the arm, making him snicker, and tossed it into the water a little ways away, making a gleeful sound at the immediate thrashing and violence that erupted.

“Damn, look at them go. You ever feed them a live one?”

He grinned.

“We could, right now.”

“What you’re going to tip me over?”

“Maybe, if you don’t behave.”

He also tossed in some food and the two of you watched as the fight over the best pieces continued. 

“What constitutes ‘behaving’, right now?”

“What it always does, sweetheart, doing as you’re told.”

“Well, you know I’m very good at that.”

His glance was sharp.

“Debatable.”

Emptying the rest of the bucket into the water, he turned his attention back to you, your blue-lit face, your mesmerised grin as you admired the violence and beauty. Was that why he liked having you around? Perhaps you were more like a shark than he had anticipated. Capable of violence, with a bloodlust, but possibly also not entirely as unpredictable as you seemed. Perhaps your constant antagonisation was your way of taking a small bite to see what you could eat. Did he want that? To be eaten? Or was he the one who wanted to consume you? The latter, of course, he was the shark in this scenario. Though, perhaps, there was a bit of truth to both.

There was no denying what this was doing to him though. How your interest in him and his favourite creatures was stirring a very particular brand of possessiveness inside him. How the fuck was someone like you with someone like Alastor? He could see how your bloodlust might be well matched, as was your ‘appetite’. However he knew damn well you were much better suited to him than that damn petting zoo attraction. Fuck the radio demon, you belonged to him.

When you looked back up, he acted entirely on instinct, grabbing you by the base of your neck and pulling you into a possessive kiss. In his movement, the bucket fell over, rolling off the edge and falling into the water, bobbing away as the sharks curiously booped it with their snouts to see what the fuck it was, but neither of you noticed it.

Your muffled sound of surprise quickly faded and you turned around fully to wrap your arms around his neck and pull him in closer. He pressed you against the railing and you could feel he was getting hard again, making you smile into the kiss, letting your hand travel between your bodies to stroke his growing erection through his trousers.

He groaned, a wicked grin on his screen. Something about this moment, with you, here, with the sharks, the smell of salt water and blood, it got him so incredibly worked up. 

With one smooth movement he spun you back around, forcing you to bend over the railing as he pulled off your clothes. His body acted on its own as he freed his cock, spitting in his hand and giving himself a few pumps before he lined himself up. The feeling of him prodding you had your mind reeling with anticipation and you held your breath as he pushed into you, stretching you open, feeling him move into you, forcing your body to accommodate him, and pulling a moan from you that hung in the air here. 

It felt incredible, you could feel his excitement, his eagerness. Something about having listened to him, wanting to see this part of him, being impressed by it, it got him rock fucking hard and he thrust into you. He had claimed you similarly before, roughly taking you from behind, a quickie in his office, but this was different. His claws dug into your hips, demanding but careful, he moved in unison with you, meeting each other half way, your combined moans filling the air, breathing in the salt, hearing the splashing of the sharks and the humming of the filtration systems.

This was just another fuck yet you felt your legs almost go weak and you were glad you were holding onto the railing as he fucked you, his dick pushing into you and pulling out almost entirely at the perfect pace.

The salt in the air slightly burned your throat as you took in your uneven breaths. 

“Hnnnggg ahh Vox…. hahh..”

His claws gripped you tighter, the lewd sound of skin slapping skin only spurring him on more.

“Yeah… just like that sweetheart, say my name. Hnn… tell me how good I make you feel.”

He reached around, wrapping one claw around your throat and pulling you up against him as he kept pushing into you.

“Vox.. Ah! Fuuuhhh.. fuck… keep doing that,  you feel so good.”

A moan escaped him, you could feel him twitch inside you, your whole body coursing with pleasure and desire, before he suddenly slowed down again and pulled out, leaving you feeling empty and a little annoyed though when you looked over your shoulder you could see the sheer ecstasy on his face. He was out of breath and his glance was intense.

“Lie down…”

He breathed the order and you did, lying down on the walkway, spreading your legs for him and making him groan in response at the sight as you grinned up at him, opening your arms as well to invite him in.

There was such an honest excitement in his gaze, it was hard not to be affected by that and you swallowed.

“You look so fucking hot.”

His words were like a prayer and he was on top of you in an instant, lips pressed feverishly to yours, tongue halfway down your throat in a way that forced another muffled moan out of you. 

After what felt like ages his drooling cock finally prodded your entrance again and he broke free from the kiss, looking you in the eye as he pushed back inside and you arched into it. The mewling sound that escaped you made his fans work overtime trying to keep him from overheating.

“Fuck….” 

He muttered under his breath, taking a moment to look at you, lying there on the grated walkway with the sharks circling in the pool beneath you and his cock buried up to the hilt inside of you.

Glancing up at him, through half-lidded eyes, you pondered how different Vox could be. You had sex with him when he was the arrogant CEO, the prick who would fuck you for his own pleasure, didn’t care if you came or not, treated you the way he wanted, and sent you out with hardly a goodbye and slap on your ass as if you were a common slut for him to abuse. That was the man you thought you’d be dealing with, what you expected, what you were used to from men like him. It was what you had counted on. But then there was this version. More honest, more caring, at times forgetting to put up the invulnerable power act and instead allowing himself to get lost in it. Of course, you realised that that had started out as an act too, probably still was, but lately there appeared to be a lot more truth poking through and it was wildly attractive to you. You wondered if he got like this with Valentino too. Had to, you concluded, as their connection was more complex than it seemed on the outside. 

You shouldn’t fall for it though, you knew he was a cruel, arrogant asshole and everything he did served his own agenda. This wasn’t about you, he didn’t care about you. The man was a powerful manipulator. But it would be a lie to say it didn’t feel good. That he couldn’t make you lose yourself as well at times. Perhaps it was fine, as long as you didn’t believe the lies that came with it. Perhaps indulging a little would be okay.

You tensed around him as he started to move again, fucking into you slowly, drinking in your sounds, your breathing, the way you were lit by the pool. His screen glitched and he bit his lip, trying to keep some semblance of composure, he was getting so close but he wanted to draw it out. The expressions on your face and the way you were moaning, begging for more, made it increasingly difficult though. 

His lips found yours again, pulling you into another passionate kiss, tongues entwining, panting in each other’s mouths as you fucked. The surface beneath you was uncomfortable yet you hardly noticed it, instead entirely engulfed by the electric kiss, the way his cock slid along your inner walls, filling you perfectly, meeting every movement with a desire that left your skin tingling. 

His pants and moans filled your ears as you felt your excitement rise. You could tell he noticed it too by the way he started to speed up, chasing after your approval as your body let him know exactly what it was craving.

“Ohh fuck.. yeah!”

Your nails dug into his back as you pulled him in, eagerly pecking at his lips, wordlessly asking for more of that charged tongue which he gave you without second thought. He relished in the way you drank the sensations off his charge. Not everyone enjoyed it. Val did, obviously, and you. He’d used it to genuinely hurt people during sex, getting off on their pain and desperate pleas. Valentino was into that too and he realised that so were you. Pain and pleasure were as common a mix for you as they were for him and Val. But he didn’t want to hurt you. Not now. Not too much.

“Hnnnggg come on, doll… leT m-MmE HeAr YYoU… ah hahh….”

Oh, those sounds you were making. You were getting close, he could feel you writhe and tense, pulling him in, wanting more and more until it became too much.

“Vox, Vox! Ahhh!”

He felt a shudder go through his whole being and his screen glitched as you came around him, tensing up in a way that gripped his cock so tightly. He moaned with you as he let your ride out your peak, continuing to chase his own and glitching again something fierce when he followed soon after. The feeling of him coming undone inside you had your mind spinning and as he was trying to catch his breath you pulled him into another kiss which he eagerly reciprocated. 

The two of you stayed like this as he lowered himself on top of you, his face in your neck, kissing and nibbling the sensitive skin, both of you starting to catch your breath. 

“Fuck that was good.”

You muttered, feeling him snicker against you skin.

“Yeah, it was.”

He slowly pushed himself back up a little, so he could look at you.

“You look incredible like this.”

A scoffing sound escaped you.

“What? With a raw back, your cock inside me, and leaking your fucking cum into your fancy aquarium?”

He rolled his eyes before his grin was back and he put a claw on the side of your face.

“No…. just…. like this….”

Slowly, he came closer again, grinding into you without really trying to start another round (for now), and his tongue met yours. 

You softly moaned into it. Something about this was tranquil and felt so goddamn good. 

It was too easy to settle into this, relishing the soft, slow kiss, the way he held your face as you made out, time passing as the other claw playfully trailed down your side to your thigh before hooking behind your knee and pulling it up.

You both smiled against each other’s lips and his kisses picked up pace, filling again with more and more passion as you could feel him starting to get hard again. Eagerly you rolled your hips, enticing a muffled groan out of him that made you shiver. You could feel your need for this man starting to build again, excited to see where it would lead and how many times he would fuck you up here. How many times he’d let you fuck him.

It was then that the sharp sound of a cellphone cut through the silence and he groaned again, though this time in annoyance.

You watched, with equal annoyance, how he pulled the phone out of his pocket and took a look before answering. 

“What do you want?”

He noticed your frown and leaned in, kissing you. You couldn’t help but melt into it. Soft Vox was rather enticing. Hot, weird, and still dangerous. It was working for you.

With a teasing roll of his hips, he stirred your arousal and you moved into it, allowing him to swallow down your sound with another kiss. You grinned against his lips, thinking of the possibility of getting him to cum while on the phone. Now that would be entertaining.

Gently, he peeled away again, the soft look on his face making way for a harsher, more familiar one as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.

“Handle it without me, I’m sure you-…… Hold up, why wasn’t I informed of this? Who okayed that meeting?….. Fuck! Fine! I’ll be there in 10, keep them distracted till I get there.”

The annoyance barely hid his disappointment when he hung up, quickly claiming your lips once more yet unable to pull away again immediately like he intended. You smiled into it, pulling him in closer and feeling him groan against your lips when you intentionally tensed around his cock. He wished he could stay up here, with you, in the blue hue of the tank, no meetings, no obligations, no idiotic people following him around with their stupid questions. Just here, in the quiet of the shark tank with that body that fit his so well and a mind that kept him on his toes.

After a moment, he gently grabbed your wrist, tearing himself away from the kiss, reluctantly, slowly pulling out, and getting up. He held out his hand to pull you up as well, his face riddled with regret, before he started getting dressed again. You followed his example.

“Meeting?”

He growled.

“Yeah… I have to go.”

“Alright.”

You nodded as you buttoned the final few closures on your shirt.

“I’ll get going then. I got some paperwork to do at the Hotel...”

He paused, leaving his bowtie undone as he contemplated your words for a moment.

“No, stay.”

There was a pause and you looked at him, trying to see if he was tricking you somehow, setting you up for something.

“Why? Not much for me to do around here when you’re in a meeting. Unless you’re fine with me going on an adventure through the tower.”

He grinned at your teasing tone and wicked grin.

“I’m not, but the thought of you, waiting for me in my room will get me through this meeting so easily. And I promise I’ll make it up to you, hm?”

The air around him turned mischievous as he leaned in, bringing his face closer to yours so you could really see that devilish grin on his screen.

“Come on, doll. Knowing you’d be in my room, waiting… and ready…. fuck…”

His breath was hot and you could feel the effects of his static-y whisper against your skin.

You should probably return to the Hotel though.

“Okay.”

Wait, what? You weren’t the type to wait around for someone but that chastising thought immediately disappeared when the excited, boyish enthusiasm promptly returned to his screen.

“Really?”

You snickered.

“Yeah, I’ll wait, but I won’t wait forever. If I get bored, I leave.”

He nodded, eagerly.

“A challenge to wrap it up as soon as possible and come back to fuck you properly to make up. I accept.”

Your hands landed on his chest, trailing up and tying his bowtie for him, ignoring the excited grin he had fixated on you. When you were done you hooked your finger behind it and pulled him in, pressing a quick but hot kiss to his lips.

“Don’t make me regret saying yes.”

“Don’t make me regret keeping you here.”

You returned to Vox’s room, walking most of the way together with him until he had to split off and go the other direction for his meeting. 

“Behave.”

He whispered in your ear, his claw seductively sliding across your lower back as he walked off, reminding you of promises made.

It made you feel giddy though when you returned to the empty room you immediately regretted your decision. You weren’t particularly patient and you had no clue how long this fucking meeting would even take. 

A little annoyed with yourself you walked around the room, inspecting the various books and items he had around. To no one’s surprise, the books were all tech or shark related and you traced your fingers across the spines, considering opening one or two but deciding not to.

You found a music installation, fiddling with it for a moment before turning it on. The sound of heavy metal coming from the surround sound system nearly blew your eardrums out and you snickered, turning the volume down but leaving it on in the background as you continued your exploration.

Quite some time was spent in front of the aquarium, looking at the large sharks making their way through the water. Part of you wanted to watch them for hours.

Eventually though, the need to move struck you again and you walked over to the desk, finding some paper and a pen and taking it with you to the bed where you lay down and started drawing. You made some sketches of the sharks, some quick studies of the room, and then a few of Vox. Unintentionally, you were smiling as your pen traced the soft features of his genuine smile when you put it to paper. He was handsome, it had to be admitted. Cute too, when a more genuine person shone through.

You smoked a couple more cigarettes as you doodled, taking scrolling breaks on the new phone Vox had provided you with, until you ran out of paper and reached over to find the pack empty on the nightstand. Great.

This was officially it. You were now out of smokes and out of patience. The thought of leaving crossed your mind and your eyes drifted towards the camera on one of the shelves, hidden between the books. You had noticed it earlier on your round and pretended to not have seen it, instead just continuing on your inspection. It wasn’t a surprise it was there. Not at all. Vox probably had all your encounters taped and stored somewhere. And now, a thought hit you.

You put the papers to the side, pulling a few pillows back up so you could prop yourself against the wall opposite the camera. Taking a moment, you let your legs relax, casually letting them fall open a bit as you unbuttoned your trousers and slowly slipped your hand inside.

There was no way Vox wasn’t keeping an eye on you, in his bedroom. He would be a fool to trust you and he was a nosy piece of shit on the best of days. With some luck, it would finally entice him out of that meeting.

You worked slowly, letting yourself get into the mood. The thought of being watched through that little glass, black eye by a possessive, dangerous demon was definitely working for you. The consideration that he would have to get out of that meeting without letting anyone know he was hard, even more so.

As you got more and more into it, your breathing picked up. Your hand stimulating you slowly, making sure you were getting properly aroused without pushing yourself too far too fast. A moan escaped you and you arched your back slightly into it, rolling your hips into your hand. 

“Ahh… hhhnn….”

Even if Vox wasn’t watching, which wasn’t likely, you now had a way to kill some time and if he didn’t manage to get here before you finished, you’d just leave. There were limits to your generosity. 

On the other side of the building, Vox was being bored out of his CPU. This was taking forever and he wanted to go back to his room, to the treat that he had waiting for him. He had fully intended on making you wait long enough to doubt that he was even coming back, just to see what you would do, but this was taking too long and he was starting to genuinely worry you’d leave. He didn’t want you to.

His phone was in his claw under the table and every once in a while he snuck a peek at what you were up to. He had been amused to see that you were sneaking around his room, even more when you didn’t find the camera. He watched you admire the sharks, something that strangely made his heart beat a little bit faster, and then watched you lay on his bed and draw? He didn’t know you drew. He couldn’t see what it was either but it was kind of cute, watching you there, on his bed, being casual as though you lived there. It made him blush slightly and smile before realising where he was and conjuring his annoyed, ‘above it all’ CEO expression.

This time, though, when he looked down, he froze. He watched as you were there, on the bed, touching yourself in clear view of the camera. Had you noticed it was there after all? Were you just assuming he was watching even without knowing? Did you think you weren’t being watched at all? It hardly mattered, he could feel himself starting to salivate, his eyes wide as he watched your hand move, your face flushed, your chest rising and falling with each deep intake of breath. 

Shit, he was getting hard.

Quickly he turned his phone around on his thigh, his heart beating out of his chest and his mind racing as a grin started to form on his screen. What should he do? He should be used to getting enticed through his cameras. Valentino did it all the time after all but it never failed to get him so fucking hot. It played right into all his voyeuristic fantasies. 

You knew that. You had to. Knew that he fucking loved to watch, to exert control from a distance, observing. What you were doing had to be on purpose, knowing how much he loved this but being stuck in a meeting and therefore unable to do anything. That situation had ‘you’ written all over it. Just to tease him. He’d get you for that.

He needed to finish this meeting. He swallowed, with some difficulty, taking another quick peek at his phone.

Oh Jesus, you were taking off your clothes and you were clearly feeling very fucking heated. He could feel his trousers start to tighten and his eyes darted around the room. 

His thumb darted across the screen as he typed and hit send.

Back in his room, you could feel your excitement build. Your naked skin against the soft sheets of Vox’s bed, the feeling of being watched as you touched yourself. It had been a while since voyeurism like this was something you’d played into and it had not been nearly as pleasurable back then. You were starting to get annoyed though. Where was he? To your disappointment your hand was not nearly satisfying enough. You wanted him here, to hear his voice, feel his hands on your body, his tongue down your throat, his cock buried inside you, filling you up and fucking you silly.

A soft ding caught your attention and with your free hand you grabbed your phone, heart beating in your ears with anticipation. It was Vox. 

Spread your legs a little wider.

Your grinned as you eyed the camera before slowly, very slowly, allowing your legs to fall open and give him the view he was asking for. 

Knowing for sure that he was watching sent a rush running through you and you stifled a moan, feeling your arousal rise. It still wasn’t enough though so you worked slowly, allowing yourself to get properly riled, knowing he was keeping an eye on you and would come to give you that final release himself. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, there was a flash of static electricity. The surprise you felt quickly faded as your excitement doubled down with crushing force, seeing the look on Vox’s screen.

He was taking big strides towards the bed, already yanking off his bowtie and jacket. His eyes spoke to his hunger and his grin looked almost angry in its possessiveness. His appearance was heated and dishevelled, even though he could’ve hardly got this worked up in the meeting. His one eye was spiralling hypnotically, making him look almost unhinged in the most desirable way possible and you could feel the effects of it tug on your conscience. He looked hot.

“I thought I fucking told you to behave.”

You received him with open arms as he crawled onto the bed on top of you.

“I thought I told you to not leave me here too long.”

He groaned, not wanting to continue this argument and instead pressing his lips to yours, one of his hands landing on your side, holding you in place. You wasted no time reciprocating his kiss, making a satisfied sound as he forced some static into it. Definitely more aggressive than before and making it hurt a little. You weren’t complaining.

The feeling of him smiling had you pause and you pulled back a little to see the grin on his face. In a fraction of a moment, he had flipped you, so you were seated on his chest, his nails digging into your thighs as his hungry eyes glanced up at you. 

“Fuck, I want to devour you whole.”

His words sent shivers across your skin and you grinned. 

He glanced you over, your naked body, the way you were propped up on his chest, giving him a very clear view of your arousal. His tongue ran across his teeth in excitement. His hypnotic left eye pulled you in and his order sounded like spoken honey, echoing in your brain. There was nothing else. 

“Sit on my face.”

Your heart skipped a beat, your breath catching in your throat. The though of that charged tongue on your most sensitive parts got you incredibly fucking riled. 

He watched, as you turned around, a knee on either side of his screen, offering yourself to him as you gave yourself unrestricted access to his body, hovering over him and eagerly unbuckling his belt. When you freed his erection it became apparent just how ready he was. 

With a grin you kissed it. The feeling of his claws caressing your ass before he suddenly dug his nails in and gave you a salacious lick that made you briefly see stars and you moaned, earning yourself a very satisfied chuckle from Vox.

“Such pretty sounds you make for me, sweetheart, come on, make them again as I fucking consume you.”

His tongue was long, not as long as Valentino’s but definitely thicker and the electricity he ran through it as he started working you made you forget to focus on him for a moment. 

A sharp pain from his teeth in your ass cheek made you snap out of it and you chuckled, licking his length in full and thriving on the way he immediately and involuntarily bucked his hips up to meet your warm, wet lips. 

“Eager, are we, Vox? What did I say about biting?”

There was a brief moment in which you thought you had caught him without an answer but then you suddenly felt his tongue prod you before pushing in without warning. 

“What the- Woah! Ahhhnngg fuck…. ”

It felt incredible, so targeted as he did exactly as promised. You wouldn’t last long like this, at all. You could feel the blissful arousal running through your body, wiping any coherent thought from your mind.

Already feeling dazed you wrapped your lips around his throbbing cock, sucking on his tip, using one hand to steady yourself as your free claw wrapped around his base and you started to repay the attention he was showering you with. The vibrations of his satisfied moans against you as he licked, sucked, and caressed you with his tongue, leaving no part of you unexplored, had you reeling. 

The quiet room was filled with the wet sounds of you pleasuring each other, your combined pants and moans, the feelings of ecstasy. 

“Vox ah! Ahh, wait, slow down, I’m- hnnn I’m about to cum.”

He moaned into your flesh, his voice sounding slightly muffled

“Keep going.. hnggg fuck… hah..ah…”

Doing as you were told, you took him back into your mouth, your mind not entirely your own anymore as you sucked him off.

The incredible sensations of pure pleasure had your knees feeling like they were about to give out and your body became increasingly tense when suddenly all that tension released and you came on his tongue. Like the sea crashing into the shore. He lapped up your arousal eagerly, his touch electrified sending wave after wave of pleasure running through you. It was almost too much. Perhaps it was.

You moaned on his cock, your throat tightening as he bucked his hips up into your mouth. Your mind was too far gone and his orgasm caught you off guard. The feeling of him twitch so deep inside your throat before overfilling it was incredibly fucking hot. You coughed, grateful it didn’t turn into a whole choking fit, instead drooling a cocktail of cum and saliva down his shaft as he rode out his peak into your mouth.

By the time your orgasm had faded and Vox decided to stop continuing to stimulate your sensitive flesh, he groaned. Your body still slightly trembling from the release under his sharp claws.

“Turn around, let me see you.”

You did as you were told, once again, still feeling a little light headed and he flushed a bright red before breaking out in a very satisfied grin.

“Fucking hell, look at you. A face like that was made for video. That is so goddamn hot, doll. Was it too much, hm? Did I give you more than you could handle?”

An amused chuckle escaped you and you grinned though you kept your chastising response to yourself upon seeing his genuinely excited expression. You just made him feel like a million bucks, merely by not paying enough attention and you decided to just let him have that. He had been so good to you today, it wouldn’t last like this. Might as well enjoy it.

He sat up, with you in his lap, and he took your chin in his fingers, forcing his thumb into your mouth, holding it open, giving himself an excellent view of his cum on your face and in your mouth. 

His grin was wide and satisfied. Moments like these he fucking loved his afterlife. You should star in a Valentino-directed film sometime. Not for the masses. Only for him. Val knew what he liked, it would be perfect.

To your surprise, Vox only studied your cum covered face for a moment longer before he reached out, grabbing a tissue and taking the time to help clean you off.

“What a gentleman.”

He flushed slightly, averting his gaze before thinking of a response that might make it seem that this had nothing to do with taking care of you.

“Don’t want you to smear my own cum on my screen when I kiss you.”

“Hmmhmm, sure.”

Before he could respond you put your arms around his neck and pressed your lips to his. The sounds of protestation quickly died out and he reciprocated, putting his arms around your waist, the both of you allowing yourselves to get lost in that kiss. He could taste his own cum on your tongue and groaned softly.

You loved the sensation of his claws on your back, the way he held you. He adored the way your tongue played with his and the manner in which you looked at him.

About an hour of kissing, touching, and talking later, you were both lying on the bed, sharing a cigarette from a new pack Vox procured from a drawer in the desk. You were on your side with your back against Vox’s chest, one of his arms around you, teasingly trailing gentle circles on the bare skin of your chest, underneath your shirt, every once in a while kissing your neck or nibbling your ear as the two of you smoked and talked.

Your current topic was the yearly exterminations.

“Don’t you care though, about all the people who die every year?”

You held the cigarette up to Vox so he could take a drag and contemplate your question. The smoke washed over you when he answered with a question of his own.

“Do you?”

“Not really.”

“Same.”

There was a silence as you inhaled the cigarette smoke and slowly released it again, watching it curl into the air in front of you.

“What do you crave down here, Vox?”

“Heh, craving?”

He sounded amused, a bit caught off guard.

“Yeah, what’s stopping you from throwing yourself into an angelic weapon and quitting all this bullshit?”

He wanted to laugh at the question but something stopped him and he took the cigarette out of your mouth, taking a pensive drag as a frown clouded his screen.

“What everyone craves, I suppose. Alcohol, drugs, sex, power.”

“Hmm, so you’re just like everyone?”

“Oh alright then, smart ass, what do you crave? What makes you different from all the others?”

“Nothing.”

He looked perplexed at your answer. The simplicity with which you said it.

“I am just like every other sinner down here, Vox, and I have no issue admitting that.”

He wanted to disagree. Somehow your answer pissed him the fuck off but he couldn’t entirely explain why. Was it because of the insinuation that his own answer was pompous and untrue? No, that wasn’t it. Perhaps it was because you weren’t like other sinners at all. Not to him. A dangerous thought and one that just pissed him off even more.

His thoughts got interrupted when you continued your line of questioning.

“But you want to be someone that stands out. Why?”

He huffed.

“Why else? To get out on top.”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why? I’m just wondering. I like to be among the others down here, getting into brawls, drinking, being a miserable lot of losers together. You want to be at the top, ruling over that bunch of miscreants and though I understand power I do have to wonder…”

You glanced over your shoulder, your eyes finding his and he swallowed.

“Doesn’t it get lonely at the top?”

There was a pause. He tried to compose himself, waving his hand through the air to dismiss your comment and how it had made him feel for a split second. The smoke trailed behind the cigarette he was holding but not smoking and you frowned, taking it back from him again.

“Most people are made to be followers, they don’t just want a leader, they need one. Besides, I’m not lonely. I’ve got Vel and Val and-…”

His sentence died out, not looking at you. What the fuck was he even about to say?

“Do you?”

“What’s with all these goddamn questions, doc?”

“Hmm just curious.”

Another pause. Something gnawing at him. He made a decision and his voice cut through the silence again.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Velvette likes managing things, she can build up anyone. And Valentino… well, he’s pretty I suppose.”

Vox was perplexed for a moment before he snorted, laughing at your snide implication about Valentino’s intelligence. You got the impression that, aside from being half blind, Valentino was not actually that stupid, but he sure liked to play that part around Vox. Knowing exactly how to make the TV demon feel in charge and keep him happy, and Vox ate it up.

You grinned, glad to see the tension break and you continued with a smile.

“I don’t know, he’s a fun fuck but he’s also a tad… dramatic? Seems like a lot of maintenance effort to me, not gonna to lie.”

He snickered, amused, gesturing over you to put power to his words.

“Are you kidding, you don’t even know the half of it! Do you know how much stuff that man breaks around here when he’s having one of his fits? You should’ve seen him when Angel moved out. Another fucking day with Val!”

The two of you laughed and he pulled you closer against him, feeling you chuckle against his chest. He wouldn’t realise until after you had left that he had forgotten to remain guarded and he would chastise himself for how honest he had been. But right now, he felt almost giddy, holding you close and settling in the warmth of your body pressed to his.

His grip on your loosened when you turned around, lying down on your other side so you were facing him. He flushed when you came in, but instead of kissing him you put your cheek to his screen and closed your eyes.

“Hmmm, sometimes I wish you were an old-fashioned tv. I kind of miss that weird static-y feeling they had.”

He was dumbfounded for a moment, digesting your words in confusion as you kept your eyes closed and your cheek pressed against him. Realising he had a solution he ran a slight bit of voltage through you, making the hairs in the back of your neck stand up and you squealed with joy.

“Yeah! Like that!”

He smiled, pressing a quick kiss to your lips.

“No need for old fashioned designs, I still have some tricks up my sleeve.”

“Clearly….”

You grinned, running your tongue over his lips.

It felt comfortable, familiar, hanging out like this and it really shouldn’t.

“My final meeting of the day is in thirty minutes.”

You groaned.

“I’m not waiting again, Vox. I do not have the patience for that. I’ll just go home.”

His look turned hesitant for a moment and then it turned downright devious.

“Well, actually, we’re talking about the psychology behind employee behaviour for our next strategy….. perhaps… your insights could prove to be….. valuable.”

You scoffed. What was this man up to?

“You want me in your fancy meeting? Have we met?”

He snickered.

“You can be presentable when you want to be, I’ve seen it.”

“Yeah… but do I want to be?”

“I’ll double the opium on your next payout.”

Even Vox wasn’t sure why he was bribing you. It wasn’t like he didn’t have other, more reliable experts at that table. You might have a degree, somewhere buried in your backyard, but to him you were a whore and a spy. Nothing more. Perhaps it was because he wanted to test you. See if you would act in the interest of Voxtek when given the chance or if everything you did was truly only ever for your own benefit. Perhaps, it had nothing to do with any of that at all. Either way, when you paused for a moment and then agreed, it made his heart beat faster.

You just had to find out what this was about. The curiosity was stronger than your apprehension and perhaps the warm feeling around Vox today had provided you with a false air of security that you knew you shouldn’t trust.

Cleaned up, fully dressed, and decently informed about the meeting in question the two of you arrived at the door to the room. The conference room was large, overlooking pride and with a sizable, oval table in the centre. 

Vox immediately took the seat that was very clearly his. You stood in the corner, near the windows, biding your time, watching the people that came in, how they interacted, where they sat, how they looked at Vox. 

The CEO in question wasn’t paying them any mind, instead looking through some paperwork that had been placed in front of him before glancing at you, making your breath hitch for a moment. He looked so different here, in charge, authoritative, almost like a completely different demon compared to earlier that day. You were terrible with authority but watching him exert it over others, well, that was another thing entirely.

You took a seat about halfway down the table, keeping an eye on the other people as they streamed in. 

When everyone was seated a scrawny looking eel-like young man stood up, pushing his glasses back up on his freckled face, nervously welcoming everyone and starting up the presentation on the big screen. 

The presentation was boring as shit, mostly empty numbers and graphs that probably looked imposing to those who’d never seen them before and hadn’t done their homework. You just quietly lit up a cigarette as you instead opted to watch the people present here. 

This was clearly not the top of Voxtek, which made sense. There was no reason Vox would risk taking you to a meeting of his most trusted advisors if he didn’t trust you. And he didnt, that was no secret. Certainly not with his business.

Still, this group held enough power to be able to make some bigger calls on movements within Voxtek and today’s topic of focus was a small collection of employees rousing up dissatisfaction in part of the company over unethical working conditions. 

In Hell? How surprising.

“We need to buy them out. Give them what they want before their mentality spreads.”

“Are you insane? Just make a fucking example out of them, kill them, make sure the others won’t think twice about repeating their mistake.”

You listened to the discourse, amused. Only after a while of hearing different people throw ideas around did you notice that Vox hadn’t said a thing and when you looked his way you remarked the intense gaze he had fixed on you. He was gauging your reactions, he was analysing you. His elbows were on the surface of the table, his fingers intertwined as he leaned in, his lips pressed to his hands, his glaring eyes above them, piercing through you. 

It would be a lie to say that that display didn’t make your heart beat faster.

The moment your eyes met, you expected him to snap out of it, but he didn’t. Instead, he slowly lowered his hands and sat back in his chair, casually twirling his pen between his fingers and watching you, amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth before he gave a small head nod towards the presentation, urging you to chime in. 

Jesus that was hot. Subconsciously, you adjusted the way you were sitting slightly.

You didn’t do as instructed though. Not immediately. Now that you knew he wanted you to pitch in you calmly smoked your cigarette and waited for the arguments to die down. When you saw your window, you took it.

“You don’t need to buy them out.”

One of the people at the table looked at you.

“What?”

“And ruling with sheer fear will always breed more unrest in the end.”

The assistant gripped his clipboard tighter, his eyes shooting towards his boss, noting the intent gaze he had fixed on you, and back to you. A pang of unease and jealousy through that frail body of his as he collected all his strength to speak up.

“Excuse me, who are you?”

Your eyes found his. He was cute, young, unsure and unsteady. Oh yeah, Vox was definitely fucking that little thing.

“Nobody. Just someone from psych with a suggestion. The way I see it you got two alternatives here. Either you use the mind control option you have access to or you abuse the herd mentality.”

There was a silence, the assistant making a sound of disagreement.

“Mr. Vox is far too busy to have to deal with low ranking employees!”

“Sure, hence the second option.”

He swallowed, he was starting to look agitated through his nervous disposition. What was it about you that was driving him up the wall?

“I am not sure we need to listen to the word of someone we don’t even know. Who let you in here? I don’t see why your suggestion is something we have to heed.”

You shrugged.

“You don’t. I’m just speaking from my own experience.”

“Which is??”

His voice was a little shrill, trying to exude some type of authority over you as Vox’s right hand man.

“That people don’t want to cause a scene. Did you know that in times of catastrophe, most people freeze and do nothing? The pure chaos and panic that we always hear about doesn’t happen. Not at first. They’re too scared to come off as hysterical or like they’re overreacting so they’d rather burn to death. Unless they see enough others take action, like running or screaming, they won’t do anything. Fun fact, right?”

The assistant started to get red in the face, it was kind of cute, if he wasn’t directing it towards you. Now his dismissal was starting to get annoying, not to mention his quick glances to his boss to see if there was any reaction to what was happening. Any approval towards him and his desperate attempts to be seen. There was not. Vox was remarkably difficult to read right now, waiting on something the assistant wasn’t sure he could guess.

“That is exactly what I said. If those few people can rouse the rest we’ll have a real problem on our hands. We can’t let it get to that point.”

You smiled, cocking your head and extinguishing your cigarette.

“You’re missing the other op-”

“I think we should put it to a vote!”

His voice cracked and slightly trembled as he interrupted you, hoping to outweigh you before your suggestions gained traction, and he nearly yelped when you suddenly got up. 

“I’d like to speak to you outside for a moment.”

“I-I-I-….mister Vox?”

You didn’t have to say anything, that piercing, violent, unhinged gaze you directed his way did all the talking and he quickly looked at Vox who just shot him an entertained grin back and gestured for him to follow you. 

As you walked out the conference room, into a hallway to the side, the assistant walked closely behind, holding his clipboard to his chest as though it would protect him and he flinched when you suddenly turned around and grabbed him, pinning him to the wall and looming over him, making him gulp and his eyes widen.

“Listen, you’re cute. You want to do a good job, you want to impress your boss, make him proud of you so he’ll fuck you silly? You want so choke on his cock while he praises you? By all means. You don’t have to listen to my advice, you don’t have to act on it, but keep acting like a little bitch around me and you won’t have to wonder about what your boss thinks of you ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

He didn’t answer except for a pathetic, high pitched noise that escaped him as pearls of sweat started to form on his forehead and he writhed his legs together. His face was flushed and you could see why he was obsessed with Vox if a little bit of light threatening got him this flustered.

You smiled down at him, making you look even more dangerous.

“Now, if you’re done suckling on Vox’s cock, maybe we can continue this meeting like adults, yeah?”

“Y-yes… I’m sorry.”

“Good boy.”

You pushed yourself off the wall and sauntered back towards the conference room, followed by a very heated looking assistant. Your threats had made you look more unhinged than in-control and imposing but it worked all the same and you shook your arms, trying to get rid of the tingling in your skin from watching this young man almost piss himself. You wondered if he’d taste as much like fish as he looked. He was kind of cute. 

When you were seated again, the demon next to you flashed you a wide grin, holding up a lighter as you pulled out a new cigarette.

“So, what was that about using their mentality against them?”

You snickered, allowing him to light it for you and taking a slow drag. Your eyes looking over to the assistant, who was carrying his clipboard remarkably lower than before and quickly sat down. You shifted your gaze to Vox, who was observing his little helper through narrowed, entertained eyes before settling his gaze back on you. There was a hint to his look you found hard to decipher but you shrugged it off, focusing instead on the demon next to you.

“Because most people are so scared of overreacting, all you have to do is paint the ones rebelling as overreacting kids. ‘they don’t understand what hard work is’, ‘they’re those weak-willed green hippy types’, ‘no body wants to work anymore, people have become lazy’ and so on. Whatever works. Just paint them as sheep who follow something they don’t understand and they’ll be ostracised by the others without any other effort from your end. The problem employees will either conform again or leave, either way, you problem is solved and you won’t look worse for it.”

“That is fucked up.”

Another demon noted and people started laughing.

The meeting continued without a hitch. The assistant was still directing flustered looks your way but something had clearly shifted. Vox’s gaze remained intent on you as the others present continued to discuss strategy and set up a plan. You didn’t partake any more, instead just observing, listening to those attending putting together a plan that included part of your suggestion.

By the time the meeting wrapped up and everyone was dismissed, you stuck around until people left. You chatted with a large, handsome looking demon for a bit before he too took off, at the same time Vox signed some papers and sent them off with his assistant who shot you another glance before leaving.

Watching Vox get up from the table gave you a bit of a thrill. He looked good in his natural environment, in charge. The perfect, collected CEO. His arrogance and sleek attitude suited him here, a true showman and damn did it make you want to fuck him against this table.

He didn’t speak, instead just grinning and nodding his head in the direction of the door by means of asking you to follow.

The two of you walked together through the hallways in silence until Vox spoke up in a hushed voice.

“keep acting like a little bitch around me and you won’t have to wonder about what your boss thinks of you ever again…”

Ah, he had been listening in. That made sense.

You glanced at him and he grinned, still looking ahead.

“You threatened my assistant.”

He tutted.

“Unacceptable, you know. But….”

His eyes found yours and he grinned.

“Kind of hot.”

“Hmm, and, did I pass whatever weird test of yours this was just now?”

He shrugged, still looking very amused.

“Who knows.”

You snickered.

“You thought it was hot that I threatened your assistant?”

“So did he. He’ll be jerking off to that tonight, no doubt. He looked like he was about to cum or piss himself. Now that would’ve been a great return to the meeting room…. Maybe next time you should push him a little further, that little humiliated shit looks so good when he’s about to cry. Not to mention how you said that you understand his desire to please.”

“Well, he’s got a crush on you so that does say something about the type of power dynamics he finds himself attracted to.”

“What about you?”

“Me? Are you asking me if I’d let the CEO of Voxtek fuck me silly? Because you already know the answer.”

Before he could retort he felt your hand on his ass and a jolt ran through him, immediately undoing the calm, in-charge persona he was exuding right now.

“Not here!”

He hissed the words at you but that just got you even more interested in his reactions and without further hesitation you grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back and pinning him to the wall, pushing you leg between his as you knew that would get him hard again. And it worked, he was immediately getting hot and bothered, unable to muffle the moan that left him as his face flushed and his breathing picked up.

“Why? You scared that someone will see, hm? The big, scary, powerful Vox, enjoys being fondled in public? Or are you getting hard because you love the threat of that?”

Your mouth was right next to his screen, breathing the words as he arched his back slightly, pushing himself against your thigh. It looked incredibly slutty and made your heart beat faster. You loved this kind of power play and the fact that he clearly loved it too made your saliva pool in your mouth. The CEO turned needy little slut at the threat of exposure. Satan, he was getting hard.

You were about to say something again when you heard voices down the hallway and Vox tensed up under your hands. When you didn’t immediately let go of him his face turned increasingly worried.

“Let go… let go of me right the fuck now!” 

His whispers were sharp and you grinned, making him swallow. Of course he could easily zap out of your grasp. He could overpower you too, yet he didn’t. Perhaps it was because his foggy brain didn’t think of it, perhaps it was because the threat of being seen made his knees go weak. 

It wasn’t until the very last moment that you let go of him and stepped out in front, hiding his predicament from the people walking up. Vox facing the wall, trying to get his heartbeat under control as he pretended to use his shielded position to light up a cigarette he quickly procured from his pocket. 

“Mr. Vox.” 

The demons greeted politely upon spotting him. He just gave them a casual ‘I’m too busy for you commoners’ kind of nod in return. 

When they went around the other corner Vox let out a breath and his eyes immediately shot towards you and the goofy, fake-apologising grin on your face.

“You’ll pay for that.”

“Hm, probably. Or maybe I’ll fuck you against the window for all of Pride to be able to see how much you like being publicly defiled.”

He flushed, his look turning annoyed, hands buried in his pockets as he started walking down the hallway again and you chuckled, falling into step next to him. 

To your surprise, he didn’t walk towards the elevator, either to send you home or take you back to one of his private rooms to teach you a lesson, instead making a sharp turn and opening a door to a meeting room. The people in there, clearly in the middle of a discussion with papers in front of them and statistics on the board, froze in place.

“Out. All of you.”

Vox snapped and you watched as they all scrambled to their feet, fleeing the room in a whirlwind of obedience and frazzled panic. 

The moment the last demon exited the room, Vox pushed you in, closing and locking the door behind him. He looked… hungry.

You watched him move from the corner of your eye as you walked deeper into the room, realising that the glass on the building here was designed to be able to see out but not see in. The way Vox liked it.

“I take you to one meeting and you think you are the boss of me?”

Hm, dangerous line of questioning yet you didn’t get the impression he was actually angry. Something had riled him and you had to tread carefully to see what it was he was fishing for now. One wrong move and he would get pissed.

“Not at all….. sir…”

You grinned and he rolled his eyes, annoyed.

“No, no, doll, play it out. You think you can come in here, act like you can take over my company? What do you even have to offer, hm? VoxTek doesn merge. We don’t settle.”

Realisation washed over you. Roleplay. He wanted you to see this scenario through. You could work with this.

“Oh Vox..”

You sauntered up to him, feeling the bubbling sensation of excitement and power course through you as you thought of exactly how you were going to play this. A cruel grin on your lips as you gabbed him by the back of his neck, his piercing, defiant gaze on you, shifting from your eyes to your lips and back.

“This isn’t a merger.”

In one swift movement you hooked your foot behind his knee and pulled, using your hand on his neck to push him down as he sank to his knees. His gaze was angry, rebellious, but the fact that he didn’t actually explode, overpower you, or zap out, told you you were precisely on the right track. 

You looked down at him, grin spreading even wider as you placed the sole of your shoe against his crotch, feeling him shift against the pressure and you leaned in, your voice but a whisper next to his screen.

“This is a hostile take over.”

He could barely stifle a moan and when you pulled back a little, to look him in the eye, there was only a split second before your mouth was hot on his. His claw closing around your wrist, his face flushed, pressing himself against the sole of your shoe. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a man that in control really enjoyed the fantasy of having to give it all up, to be at someone else’s mercy. You exerted a little more pressure to his groin and felt him respond immediately.

“We can do this the easy way..”

You unfastened some of your buttons, feeling yourself heat up at the eager expression on his face.

“Or the hard way…. your choice, mr. CEO.”

He growled, though not otherwise physically fighting you on any of it.

“Fuck you, you’re not getting anything from me.”

Vox whimpered when you removed your foot, instead kneeling down and roughly turning him around, reaching down and unbuttoning his trousers, freeing his painful erection. His breathing had picked up and he was relishing in the violating touch of your hands on his body.

“Bend over.”

You couldn’t help but lace your breath a little with suggestion. Just enough to make him a little more pliant, the way he did to you with the hypnosis, knowing it could never fully sway him but just pull him in a little further. 

He obeyed, leaning forward as you pulled his trousers down, exposing his ass and he gasped at the feeling of air hitting his skin, the humiliating and public nature of being treated like this in one of his own offices. Fuck, the way you sounded got him so hot, he knew this was a bad idea, to show you this much of his humiliation kink, but that display just now had managed to get him so hot, he would worry about the fall out later.

Something cold and wet traced his entrance for a moment and he shivered when you suddenly thrust into him, hard. He moaned, being claimed so unceremoniously had him leaking, the arousal spiking through his body like a gunshot. You pulled him up, grabbing his leg and holding him open for you as you started fucking him roughly. It felt incredible, watching him get lost in the sauce and you bit into his neck, the arousal coursing through you like a storm.

“Look at you, the big CEO, reduced to a needy little slut for me. Do you let all your business partners fuck you like this?”

He moaned and whimpered, his hard cock bouncing up and down, unattended and leaking.

“N-no… ahhhnnn s-stop…”

You knew he didn’t want you to stop, this was part of play. Vox had a very clear way to indicate whenever something was happening he didn’t like. You had to say though, this obedient, horny side of him was absolutely driving you wild and you watched him whimper and beg.

“Ahhh, I bet you do though. The way you’re pulling me in, fuck hahh you want people to watch you, hm? You want everyone to see how you’re getting fucked? Should we broadcast this all over Hell?”

He let out a hot breath, drool pooling from the corner of his mouth. He looked back over his shoulder, his face flushed and eyes dazed. Your heart skipped a beat and his lips met yours.

“…T-. touch me…. ahnnggg fuck….. touch my cock…”

You let your tongue come out, sloppily entangling with his and getting lost in the way he was surrendering himself to this scenario.

“No, Vox, only good, obedient boys get their cocks touched.”

With that you pulled him up with you, forcing him towards the window and pressing him against it, the tip of his cock painting the cold, smooth surface and making him shiver. He arched his back into it when you claimed his body again, pulling his leg up and pressing him flush against the window.

“N-noo ahhh fuck.. fuck! Hnnnggg…..”

You kissed his neck, lost in the scent on his skin, the way he was pulling you in. His claw on the back of your neck, holding you close, his body meeting yours each time, eager to be fucked to the brink of sanity. You could feel his need for you to touch him more, your free hand sliding over his chest, teasing the sensitive skin.

His breath was creating patches of condensation on the window in front of him and his hands squeaked against the smooth surface, gliding across and looking desperately for purchase, nails creating scratches that would be impossible to buff out.

“Are you going to be good?”

“Y-yeah, yeah! Hnngg ahh! AH!”

The cold, slippery surface against his cock disappeared as you eased up enough to create some room, reaching your hand around and wrapping it around him. He groaned, eyes rolling back as you fucked him against the glass, overlooking Pride, your claw jerking him off, making his knees tremble.

His body felt tense, his hips jerking, his cock twitching in your hand. He looked so goddamn pretty like this. 

When he finally came, his cum painted the window and he groaned, staying still in that moment as you held him there, letting the catharsis wash over him. His eyes closed, his head tilted back, against you.

Gently, you kissed his shoulder through his tousled shirt. You were both out of breath. That had been so intense.

“You okay?”

He glanced at you over his shoulder, the air of desperation slowly dissipating and his gaze turning harsher, yet upon seeing your soft smile he didn’t follow through on whatever act of dominance he had cooking to make you forget how he had just acted.

“I’m… okay…. fuck.”

He let out a hot breath, one of arousal and relief, continuing his sentiment in a choppy fashion.

“That.. was…”

You snickered, nuzzling his neck.

“That was incredible.”

He flushed a bright red, the embarrassment slowly settling in and you slipped out of him when he turned around. When you glanced at him, he looked troubled.

“Didn’t think you’d be… open to something like that.”

You frowned in offence.

“How dare you, exploring kinks is fucking amazing. Doing something you can get lost in …..oof...”

He let out a chuckle.

“Yeah…. you are something else alright…...”

His claw landed on your cheek and he gently pushed you backwards until you were met with the large table in the middle of the room. His lips claimed yours and he grinned, feeling the needy way you responded to the kiss your body pushed against his, begging him for more, the excitement still hot in your veins.

“You didn’t cum yet, did you? I think we can re-evaluate who the ‘needy little slut’ is, in this scenario. Don’t you?”

The touch of his nails trailed down your body before reaching the arousal between your legs and you bit your lip, feeling his intent gaze on you as he touched you, slowly, deliberately.

“See? Look at how fucking hot you are for me. Let’s restart our negotiations, shall we?”

You grinned as you let your arms come around his neck, pulling him into a kiss that got progressively more eager and possessive, his hand releasing you to stroke his cock, ready to claim you and show you exactly who was in charge here. He’d make you cum so hard they’d be able to hear you multiple floors down. Perhaps his little assistant would be touching himself, listening to the two of you go at it like depraved animals.

He just wanted to consume you. Own you. The more you saw of him and the more you accepted, the more he wanted to keep you all to himself.

Meanwhile, you couldn’t help but think that you kind of liked this new version of Vox. The parts that not everyone got to see. Perhaps there would be more to get out of this deal than just payment and a decent fuck.

Now the real question was, was that thought as dangerous as it sounded?

Chapter Text

There was quite a bit of chaos on the floor around you as you weaved your path through people, assistants, folks carrying accessories, fabrics, or wheeling racks with outfits around.

Velvette clearly had quite the business going for herself here, like the other two Vees commanding a large number of people who were running like headless chickens to keep her appeased. You had to admit it was impressive and probably not even close to the level of chaos a show day would bring. 

It was obvious you were not supposed to be here, people giving you annoyed or panicked glances as you obstructed their most direct paths to wherever they needed to go with your slow, unbothered saunter through the space. You purposely bumped into an arrogant young man who appeared to be threatening some of the interns, shooting him a very wide, unhinged smile and noting the look of violent disdain he reciprocated with. He’d look incredible, shaking and crying in fear. Cowering in the corner of an unlit alley. Probably taste great too.

With a grin you took a new cigarette out of the case but didn’t light it. You loved getting “lost” by “accident” in V Tower. It gave you a great opportunity to see more of the workings around here and helped you better understand the dynamics and hierarchy. But above all, there was just so fucking much to see and it mesmerised you.

Immersed as you were, letting your amused, tired looking eyes scan the room as you went, you nearly walked into the only person in the whole space who didn’t seem to be running to get shit done. Her voice was clear, cutting through the buzzing of the crowd with ease as she instructed the people around her before looking back at you with an annoyed glance.

She wasn’t very tall but her presence spoke for itself. Velvette commanded a room as though she was born to it, knowing her place and her power, wielding both without breaking a sweat and looking damn fine while doing so.

Her judgemental eyes scanned you top to bottom and she turned back around, tapping away on her phone.

“Who the fuck are you?”

You snickered.

“No one important.”

“Yeah, babes, I can tell.”

Another quick glance when you didn’t move or give any acknowledgement of her comment. She observed the way you were looking around, your hands in your pockets, a worn down yet slightly violent look to you, a tad slouched. Definitely the sort of ‘playfully dangerous’ Vox and Val would love to tame. A thought hit her.

“Ohhh, you’re the new toy, the….. doctor?”

She gave you another once over, clearly insinuating that she had trouble buying your credentials. She was probably doing it to get under your skin but the observation was fair. You didn’t really look the part. At all.

Your eyes settled back on her. She had a mean presence about her and it was hot. Hot, collected, rude, and she was definitely no empty-headed idiot.

“Charming description.”

“What, I don’t bother with names for you lot. You switch out so often. I mean, those boys just get bored easy, yeah? Ain’t nothin’ personal.”

She grinned. You got the impression that this is what she did, trying to take stock of someone. How did they respond to snide remarks? Passive aggressive insults? Would you become insecure? Defensive? Hurt?

You nodded to yourself and she narrowed her eyes at you as you looked at her again, almost as if you agreed with her. Perhaps you did. You liked her loud, nasty display. It hid so much delicious insecurity. No one actually secure becomes a mean girl but that didn’t mean she didn’t have the props to back up her attitude. She was at the top of Hell’s foodchain for reason and it’s wasn’t just that she was cute.

“Yeah, alright, I can see how you’re the V in charge.”

She cocked her head, arrogant, curious little smirk tugging on her lips. This was unexpected. 

She didn’t like you. Or just didn’t care enough to bother. You’d be out of there soon enough, when the boys got bored of you and moved on, tossing you aside. She knew that, and so did you. It’s not like you were here for anything lasting either. Everyone had their own agenda, their own motives. Squeezing the people around them dry before leaving them to rot on the sidewalk. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be mildly intrigued by your attitude so far. Perhaps those boys were not entirely idiotic in their choices to follow their dicks around, though, of course, she wouldn’t be as easily swayed as them.

You gestured at the crowd around you, moving Heaven and Earth (or in this case Hell) for their boss.

“It’s impressive. You know, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you in person honestly. Wondering who is really the one pulling the strings in this team. But it’s you, isn’t it? The one who keeps ‘the Vees’ running this smoothly? Keep the spotlight bright and curated.” 

She adjusted her stance slightly. She didn’t trust this line of questioning at all, most of all because you seemed to be a lot more observant than she had given you credit for upon first glance. That crooked grin on your face spoke to something you found entertaining but at the same time it was nice to have her part acknowledged out loud. 

Sure, she could be vocal about it. Knowing that, without her, those boys wouldn’t be anywhere. She was the one making sure Hell never forgot about them, kept them, and herself, in the limelight, kept them relevant. She was that hashtag-bitch for a reason. The glue. The backbone. Yet men’s egos are fragile and she found that her contributions often got overshadowed by theirs. It was the only way to keep them from being miffy about it but still, it stung sometimes.

They adored her. They valued her role in the team. But there was no way they’d ever fully acknowledge just how much her participation did for their status. They couldn’t. They needed to feel like they’d done it themselves. So hearing someone else confirm it so casually, well, it did feel good. Even if she didn’t trust your fucking face for a second.

She shrugged, seeming casual about it yet her glance was far too alert to be considered ‘unbothered’.

“Obvi.” 

“Right, you’re the most important member. Just have that presence about you.”

She raised her eyebrow at you.

“What? You think you’re bein’ clever or somethin’? Sorry, babe, but sweet talkin’ ain’t gonna work me. What are you even doin’ here, ‘cept interrupting me. Don’t you have to be somewhere to play?…. Like the toy you are?”

Your grin grew wider. 

“Nah, I was just wondering. For all you do here…. You being the real reason the Vees are what they are…. I just wonder…. Do they know that?”

There was the slightest hint of her eyes widening as realisation hit.

The fucking gall, for you to imply that Vox and Val didn’t realise her input or valued her correctly. They were just arrogant boys, it was in their nature to only see themselves, but beyond that, they knew how fucking important she was. They loved her. And she loved those idiots. So who the fuck were you. No one, that’s who! Just some toy they’d toss aside in another week or two. 

You chuckled as you could see her demeanour shift and she turned her attention back to her phone.

“That’s adorable. If you’re lookin’ to get a rise out of me, babes, you’re barkin’ up the wrong fuckin’ tree. You’re the new favourite toy so I won’t break you…. yet. But don’t go actin’ like you’re tough shit. You’re expendable after all.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

Your agreement irked her enough to warrant a scoff and you turned on your heel. It wasn’t like, deep down, the comments about being a toy and being expendable didn’t hurt. Of course they did, mostly because they were true and rang with the echoes of a life lived long ago. But it was easy enough to let the comment slide, accepting that, in this scenario, that was exactly the case and what you had agreed to.

Enough rattling the cage. Sowing tiny seeds of discourse in the tower was fun and all but best to not outstay your welcome. Because you hadn’t lied, you did see her status among the Vees and a few targeted remarks from her would have you out on your ass in no time. Let’s make no mistake about who held the power here. Velvette held the social currency, Vox the literal one, and Valentino was the violent charm. You settled for making just enough of a dent to stay in the back of her mind while keeping plenty of distance for her to not want to actively get you out. Because if she did that now, she’d be admitting that what you said had rattled her. And it hadn’t, of course.

The moment you had fully turned around, to perhaps finally find your way to wherever Vox had decided he wanted to fuck you today, you were met with a screen, mere moments from your face, and you startled. 

Vox’s grin was wide and threatening, his claw closing around your upper arm with a demanding force. The tone of his voice was pleasant enough but it was hard to miss the underlying implication.

“Lost again, are we?”

You just shot him your most apologetic, goofy grin.

“The tower is big.”

He pulled you in closer, whispering in your ear.

“These little stunts better stop. I guess I’ll have to punish a disobedient little thing like you to make that click.”

His regular tone of voice came back, sounding chipper and polite when he addressed Velvette next.

“Velvette! Busy as always I see. I’ll take this one off your hands now. Have a wonderful day, my dear.”

She just waved her hand, without looking up.

“‘Kay. Kisses, V.”

And with that he started coaxing you out of the large room. He wasn’t quite dragging you but it was definitely more forceful than usual and you wondered if he was just really horny or really pissed. Perhaps both.

Finally alone in the private elevator, away from the droning sounds of the masses of demons moving through the tower, he didn’t waste a second cornering you, backing you against the wall as he loosened his bowtie.

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Velvette?”

He frowned at the cheeky reply, clearly circumventing the actual answer.

“And… what business do you have with Velvette?”

You grinned, bringing your arms around his neck and feeling his hand slip behind you and grab your ass, pulling you closer to him.

“None…. yet…”

He raised his eyebrow and you continued.

“What? She’s cute.”

He rolled his eyes at that comment before deciding the waiting was over and abruptly claiming your lips. His other hand reached up, grabbing the lower half of your face with force and using it to open your mouth so he could immediately invade it with his charge tongue, running some voltage through the kiss. More than usual, to make a point.

You made a sound of glee, tightening your arms around his neck and pulling him in closer, pressing your body to his. He let out a soft groan into the kiss that stoked the fires of your passion without delay.

The ding! of the elevator, announcing it’s arrival to the selected floor, came all too soon and you pried yourselves away from each other with some difficulty.

He straightened his shirt, to your dismay. He looked fucking hot, a little dishevelled from the kiss but the thought faded as he casually placed his hand on your lower back and started pulling you with him , towards a large, ornate door. 

Pushing it open, and closing it behind you both again, Vox called out.

“Tino, you here?”

Oh, Valentino would be involved again? The thought inadvertently had your heartbeat pick up. It would be a lie to say you hadn’t thought about them, both of them, often since your shenanigans at the club. You really didn’t want to crave men like them but the truth was that their violence and cruelty were part of the appeal to you. That was really something you ought to address at some point, but not right now as your eyes searched around the room for the demon clad in red.

“In here, Voxxy~!”

You found him, on a couch in the back, and he wasn’t alone. 

On his lap was Angel, leaning backwards against the large moth demon who made Angel’s tall frame seem frail and tiny in comparison. The spider was wearing a robe from the tower, similar to the one you had received last time you had seen Valentino, and had clearly freshly showered.

His legs were spread slightly and Valentino’s hand was hidden underneath the silky fabric between them, moving in leisurely motions. Angel’s eyes were closed, his face flushed, and his little moans of need were as cute as they were rousing. It looked like they’d been at it for a while, if the wet spots in the robe were anything to go by.

Valentino appeared fully dressed, his wings closed like a coat, with a soft smile on his face that was very becoming, whispering sweet nothings in Angel’s ear. They didn’t know you were here too, apparently unbothered and refusing to stop at the notion that Vox had just made his entrance.

Now that you were closer, you could actually hear some of what they were saying.

“Good job, amorcito. You look so pretty like this for me….”

“Ahh… hah… hnn Val….. Please…. Ya make me feel so good…. hnnggg……lemme cum….. please….. please… hahh…”

“Aww, but you’re doing so well for me, cariño….. Look how you’re body is begging me to keep touching you like this…. You’ll have to earn that release, now, won’t you? Trying to deprive me of this pretty picture. Come on then, baby, tell me what I want to hear.”

Angel smiled in his blissful darkness.

“Haahhh…. I love ya… Val….”

Angel turned his head towards Valentino and they kissed. A slow, languid kiss that mirrored the way Valentino was casually pleasuring him. Angel looked lost to it.

Cute. You hated to admit it but they looked cute together. Their bodies so attuned to each other, so aware of what brought them bliss. If you didn’t know any better it would be easy to mistake them for a very hot couple engaging in some casual, sensual play. 

You couldn’t rightfully say what it was that was causing a sense of anger through you though and you just settled on the fact that you hated that a monster like Valentino clearly still had such a sway over Angel but part of you knew that that wasn’t the full truth.

Next to you, your heard Vox click his tongue in annoyance. Whether that was because of the words spoken or the fact that Angel was here at all was unclear but it made Valentino glance up, his red eyes finding Vox before trailing off, settling on you, and his grin widened. He took a moment to stare at you, considering the new possibilities presented to him before pressing a hot kiss to Angel’s neck as he forced the spiders legs open with his knees, letting the robe slide back and giving you and Vox a full view of the way his hand was caressing Angel’s dick while another was fingering him.

Angel slowly opened his hazy eyes, blissful expression on his face as Valentino finally started jerking him off in earnest. His moaning and writhing picking up with that genuinely happy little smile curving his lips. That was until he noticed the other people in the room. Sure, he knew Vox was there but he didn’t give a shit about that. He sincerely disliked that square-faced freak who so clearly got off whenever Val was being cruel, throwing Angel around the room. But seeing you here, his heart skipped a beat and his skin grew cold, his body unable to reconcile the rising panic with the heat he felt coursing through his body at Valentino’s expert touch and your gaze on him now. 

“W-wait, Val! Stop!”

You shouldn’t see him like this. This was worse than the time you caught him in your office! And why did you have to look so good, just standing there? 

Angel wasn’t sure what he would dislike more; you seeing him like this now, pathetic and in love with Valentino who treated him like his little toy princess, fucking him after ushering those words of affection out of him. Or if it’d be worse if Val was having one of his fits, throwing Angel around the room for giving him lip, or whatever caught his fury that day. 

See when Valentino was abusive and you’d see it, you might think Angel even weaker than you probably already did. An idiot for staying with a man like that but at least his cruelty would be on display, set in stone. On the other hand, if he was suave, and sweet, like now, perhaps you’d think that all those times he had complained about the pimp had been exaggerations. After all, wasn’t he treating him right? Hadn’t he just whispered to him how much he loved him? Perhaps he was a filthy liar, on top of being a whore and an addict.

And Valentino was careful. He didn’t abuse Angel when there were people around, save for Vox and Velvette perhaps, or some of the crew on set he already had under contract. You had made a remark about that once, when Angel had been defending Valentino, saying he’d just lost his temper, that it’s not really who he is. What had you said again? Something about who he lost his temper around? 

“Starlight, if he was truly losing control, then why doesn’t it ever happen in front of people he has something to lose with? Because that sounds very controlled to me.”

Alright, perhaps you didn’t need proof of the fact that Valentino was an asshole. Still though, he hated that you had just heard him say those things, to the man he was supposed to hate. Because he did hate him. But at the same time…. When he looked at him with those piercing, red eyes. When he touched him like this, in a way that felt so possessive and so full of passion… Angel could sometimes almost believe it when he whispered to him how much Val loved him, that the things he did were out of love, because he cared, because Angel needed it. Valentino never wanted to hurt Angel, Angel just forced his hand sometimes.

Valentino grinned, feeling the immediate reaction your presence was having on the smaller demon in his lap, using a third hand to hold Angel in place, entangling with the poof of fur on his chest as he slowly licked up the slope of his neck, leaving a trail of pheromone-laced saliva behind on Angel’s pale white skin.

“Ohhh right, you two know each other, don’t you? Don’t worry, baby, I’m sure they’ve seen it all before, being a doctor and all that. Have they given you a fully physical yet, mi amor?”

He ignored Angel’s attempts to wiggle himself free, his body tired from the overstimulation and edging that had been going on for ages now, instead just continuing to breathe his words against his tender neck and relishing in the way he was throbbing in his hand. This was getting Angel so hot and Valentino was immediately invested, feeling his own desire stir.

“Don’t fight it, baby, you’ve thought about it, haven’t you? You dirty slut. Thinking about that doctor that lives in that same, ratchet little Hotel, getting physical during an examination? Perhaps, if you’re a really good boy, I’ll ask them to join us. Would you like that? Come on, Angel-cakes, spread your legs for the doctor, give them a show. I know you love it when people watch you get fucked like this.”

Angel’s heart was beating in his throat, his body unsure whether to continue fighting or succumb to the pleasure, which at this point was overwhelming. Valentino’s gentle but deliberate strokes of his cock, his fingers deep inside him, those filthy words he was whispering to him, your eyes on him as he was getting fucked. He hated it, but he relished in it. The public humiliation had him throbbing and the fact that it was you made it worse and better at the same time. 

You had some difficulty swallowing, watching the display in front of you and being unable to tear your eyes away. Your whole body felt hot, like you were running a fever. Angel was ethereal and it would be a lie to say that the way he looked now, trying not to want what was happening to him, wasn't absolutely doing things to you. Even when it probably shouldn’t.

Weakly, he tried to push Valentino away, who’s expression briefly morphed into annoyance before settling back into a possessive grin, his eyes flicking between you and Angel and back.

“Don’t fight it, baby, come on, do you think I couldn’t feel your cock stir at the sight of them? Hm? Show the doctor what they’re missing out on and maybe they’ll want to fuck you too. Would you like that, amorcito? For me to hold you open like a common whore while they fuck you sloppy?”

Involuntarily, Angel moaned at the suggestion, unable to even muster embarrassment at that anymore, and Valentino watched your reaction with a laser focus, the way your cheeks reddened, those tired, mildly insane eyes unable to look away. Your hands in your pocket gave you some illusion of being relaxed but Valentino could almost smell the arousal and tension on you. 

He wasn’t surprised to find that Angel was attracted to you. For one, he thought you were a pretty decent piece of ass himself and he had excellent taste but even despite that, Angel clearly had a hard on for medical staff, if his recent begging for them to play doctor was anything to go by. He wondered how often Angel had jerked off, knowing there was a doctor that looked like you living right under the roof with him. Thoughts of physical exams being paid off with his body, talks about his mental state being remedied by you taking him. Hm, perhaps it was time to ask you again to film something. You’d look great in a little medical shoot with Angel as your nurse or your patient. He narrowed his red eyes at you as he thought, ignoring the writhing of a very overheated Angel in his lap.

Yes, that would work out great. He might not have figured out exactly what your past in the industry was but you clearly had one. He could always sniff out a whore, even one who had moved onto a different profession. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince you to get into porn, reeling you in with the promise of a one-time thing, with Angel as the perfect bait, if the way you looked at him right now was anything to go by, and he would likely be able to get Vox on board too if he promised full access and some private clips of you for him alone. Perhaps some fucking on set without any cameras other than Vox’s, knowing that he was jerking it on the other side. That would be so hot and likely the only way he’d get access to you. He needed Vox’s approval on that, whether he liked it or not. Going behind his back was almost always a bad idea and he needed Vox to feel in control.

Angel was drooling at this point, having given up on trying to fight it, his dazed eyes only barely able to focus on you and that look you were giving him. Standing there with your hands in your pockets, you couldn’t hide how he made your heart skip a beat. You couldn’t let them know you and Angel already fucked. You couldn’t let them know you gave a shit, but by Satan your heart was beating out of your chest and you had trouble remembering the last time you had taken in a breath of air.

Vox stirred next to you, having pulled his phone out with a vexed expression on his screen. His hand slid to the small of your back, pulling you in a little as though that would undo the effect the scene in front of you was evidently having. He didn’t like it when you had eyes for others, even if the reason was more than understandable. You should only desire him. Sure, he thought it was hot that there was an undeniable attraction between you and Val and, under his supervision and approval, you were welcome to explore that a bit, but not that cheap, common slut Angel Dust. Valentino already had too much of an obsession with him. Vox enjoyed it, when Valentino abused Angel. It was hot and watching that little bitch squirm, cry, and beg was a treat. He loved fuelling that flame in Valentino. But make no mistake that he didn’t want Angel to have any hold otherwise. Valentino should be looking at him, want him. And the same went for you now. He did have to wonder why Valentino was being so demonstrative, trying to entice you specifically with this display.

“Get rid of the whore, Val.”

“Just a second, papi.”

Valentino’s words sounded like a song as his hand around Angel’s slender cock sped up, as did the one fingering his small ass. His red eyes focused on you. The things this was doing to you, watching Angel be stimulated while both him and Val had their full attention on you. Angel, unable to hide how much all of this was turning him on, getting jerked off by Valentino, whispering filthy things in his ear, his legs spread, all on display for you. His eyes were transfixed on your face. He was going to cum to you, your presence here, his unwanted desire for you to see him like this. Your heart ached, you felt bad for Angel who so clearly didn’t want you to see him like that but at the same time could do nothing to prevent the heat from building in his body at the depravity of it all. 

The pimp’s grin was all teeth and cruelty, pressed into the nook of Angel’s neck, his red eyes not letting you out of their grasp. This was exhilarating, what a nice surprise. With Vox here, and it being the first time you saw each other in a setting like this, it was best not to push it but he could feel his own cock stir at the thought of having you and Angel both, together, at the same time. It made his mouth water and his skin tingle. 

“Hnnnggg ahh doctaaahhhh!”

The spider finally came as Val pressed his thumb onto the tip of his cock, making the cum spill out from underneath it and create a mess all over the moth’s hand. Angel’s body tensing up, his eyes squeezing shut, curving into Valentino’s grasp, and convulsing as the unwanted orgasm consumed him. Like a wolf devouring a lamb.

“Good boy…”

Valentino purred, Angel almost losing his grasp on reality at the soft words of praise. He looked so heated, taking heaving breaths, his face red, his sensitive erection slipping out of Valentino’s fingers as his body slumped back against the sturdy chest behind him. He was trembling.

Fuck, that had felt so good and he had never experienced this level of shame.

Vox’s hand on your back had disappeared. You weren’t sure when that had happened but you doubted Angel, in his state, had noticed it had been there at all. You watched as Angel slowly caught his breath and came to his senses, quickly covering himself with the robe again and making Valentino chuckle as he got up. He wobbled for a moment, unsteady in his movements. He looked angry, like he wanted to chastise Valentino but couldn’t find his voice.

“Good job, Angel-cakes. You did so well for daddy. I’m sure the doctor here enjoyed getting that private show, didn’t you, mi amor? Now, you can go to your dressing room and get cleaned up, I don’t need you in for the rest of the day.”

His red eyes settled on you again and he ran his tongue over his teeth.

“Papi has…. other engagements.”

Angel should feel relief. Valentino had been so sweet to him today, treating him to a full morning of pampering, of gentle fucking and attention. It had been one of the good days. He could get lost in the way that man could make him feel. And now he had the rest of the day off. It should be perfect yet it wasn’t. He felt naked, more so than just having been put on display and he wasn’t sure what hurt more, the fact that you’d just seen him like this or that he was now being dismissed so easily.

Angel tightly held the robe over his chest as he stood, still a little uneven. Why were you even here? He hadn’t realised your little escapades with Valentino were now a regular thing. And why had you come in with Vox of all people? Was Vox somehow involved now too?

He shook his head, not the time right now to ask as he tried to bolt past you and Vox towards the elevator, to a shower, back to the Hotel, to Husk and his cheap booze and listening ears. He needed that grumpy, foul-mouthed cat now more than anything. Something real. Someone who didn’t have any cards in this game. Someone he could spill his misery to and who wouldn’t judge him for being this much of a loser.

As he tried to walk past you, you briefly stopped him, extending your arm in front of him but in a relaxed gesture, as to not make it too aggressive. You did really need him to stop though. You needed to make sure, ignoring the way you wanted to press him against the wall, claim his lips, hold onto him, make him feel loved and seen, better than Valentino ever could. 

“You…. okay?”

It was weird to not hear your nickname for him yet it was to protect him, he knew that. This question was in your capacity as the Hotel doctor, not as his friend or his lover.

He just nodded, unable to look you in the eye before gathering his courage and flashing you a hesitant smile. His heart skipped a beat, now that his head was clearing up he finally noticed just how flushed you looked but on top of that you seemed genuinely worried. 

With some difficulty, he swallowed, averting his eyes again but not able to resist a small smile. The display you’d been subjected to had turned you on yet you didn’t take Valentino up on his offer. You kept your hands to yourself. And you cared. He clung to that like it was a life line out at sea.

“I’m okay doc, sorry ya had ta see that…. I’ll eh….. I’ll see ya back at the Hotel, yeah?”

Valentino cackled, making Angel flinch and you shifted your gaze to the moth.

“Doctor, if you want to sample the goods you can just ask.”

Again, his voice held an almost musical cadence, his Spanish accent a pleasant, melodic weave through the words. Fuck him for being this hot while being this much of an asshole. You ignored him, instead lowering your arm, letting Angel pass and exit the room by himself. 

Valentino was still snickering when you heard the elevator doors close and immediately Vox’s voice boomed through the room.

“What the fuck, Val! I told you not to bring that whore up here whenever you fucking feel like it! What if he figured out that they have other business here than just fucking you?”

Valentino lit up a cigarette, waving his hand in response as if to chase away the notion of Vox’s frustration.

“Don’t worry so much, papito. Angel will believe anything I tell him.”

His red eyes settled on you again and he took a long drag of his cigarette.

“He’ll do anything I tell him. If you’re interested, doctor. It’ll be on the house. You two would look so hot together.”

Prick. 

The anger spiked briefly yet it was interlaced with the unmistakable surge of arousal. You weren’t sure if you liked this side of you, that got off to the thought of Angel being subjected to you by Val like this.

You chuckled, shrugging off the thought and finally grabbing that cigarette you hadn’t lit earlier. Walking up, you leaned in close to Valentino and lit your smoke with his.

In the quiet proximity, your eyes met and the two of you exchanged a smile. Valentino’s hand sliding around your upper arm and pulling you onto his lap, as you casually smoked.

Vox growled, clearly still pissed at Valentino’s carelessness and the way he now pulled you in as though Vox brought you up for him alone.

“I’m not fucking kidding, Val. That slut of yours might be a bimbo, but he’s got fucking eyes.”

The moth ignored him, slowly exhaling a smoke filled breath through a wide grin, his red eyes fixed on you.

“Ay, Voxxy, it’ll be fine.”

“Val!”

He finally released you from his visual grasp when a cyan claw reached in, grabbing Val by the scruff around his neck and pulling him closer. Vox looked livid, his one eye spiralling and wide. The pimp’s little dumbfounded expression was honestly kind of adorable.

“I cannot lose this because you can’t control yourself. Dumb whores can fuck up a plan just as well as anyone. Do. Not. Ruin. This.”

It took a second, the moth considering his words and thinking through his options before he grinned and reached up a hand. Vox side-eyed the movement but didn’t fight it when Valentino gently grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him in.

“I’m sorry, papito. Let me make it up to you, hm?”

They kissed as you watched them. Immediately entangling their tongues and you could almost see the anger slide off Vox as his frown turned into a satisfied smirk. Satan, those two looked good together. The way they played each other, encouraging the worst in the other…. it was as hot as it was dangerous.

You took another contemplative drag of your cigarette as they parted again, Vox straightening his back and brushing off his sleeve. 

As if called, the Kitty appeared with a tray, balancing a glass of something that appeared to be whiskey, judging by the colour. Vox took it and the robot stepped back again while the T.V. demon sauntered over to another couch, sitting down, leaning forward with his legs spread, elbows on his knees, casually swirling his drink and his eyes fixated on you and Val. He was expecting a show, that much was clear, and you wondered if he, in his anger about the Angel situation, had forgotten your little adventure through the tower and the punishment he had promised. Probably for the best if so.

Your eyes trailed back to Valentino, only to find him grinning up at you. His hand moving up, hooking behind your neck and pulling you closer. The smile tugging on your features was mirrored in his expression as he pressed his lips to yours.

There was something about him today, you noticed it the moment your lips met and he kissed you. It was the same thing you had noticed while watching him with Angel. He was in a good, almost gentle mood. His kisses were slow, filled with passion as his tongue explored your mouth, his poison slowly seeping into your being and giving you the most pleasant, soft erotic feeling, thriving on the way he pulled you closer to him, so you could feel the engorged bulge under his coat. Guess that little stunt with Angel had an effect on him too.

This felt incredible and you didn’t hesitate as you allowed yourself to get lost a little in that kiss, the cigarette in your grasp as forgotten as the one in his.

Vox grinned, swirling his glass, watching the two of you make out. This was how it was supposed to be, you two getting it on under his watchful gaze until he decided that he would fuck you both. He was the one in control, after all, the same way he ran the Vees, composed and disciplined.

One of Valentino’s hands was situated on your lower back, exerting just enough pressure to keep you close, while his fingers teased up and down your spine. Your claw came up and you entangled your fingers with the fluff around his neck, his lips curving into a smile against yours.

You were so different now. He had enjoyed your violent side, the way you had ravaged him and left him utterly destroyed yet wanting more, but this, this was malleable. You had remembered that his fur was sensitive and though you tugged on it slightly, to tease, you were being surprisingly considerate, similar to how you had cared for him after last time. Two sides to the same demon and it made his mouth water to be able to get both from you. He couldn’t wait to figure out how you fucked when you were like this. Had to be at least somewhat decent, given Vox’s adorable infatuation with his new toy.

It would be a lie to say that he didn’t enjoy this relaxed presence you had about you when you weren’t a half transformed monstrosity. You were casual, not high strung like Vox, and there was something about that look in your eye that made him consider you were easy to be around. You knew when to be seen and when to shut up. Like a good plaything. 

As the three of you settled into this, a slow, unhurried sensual atmosphere aided by the hungry, arrogant look Vox had fixated on you both, the air ripe with the green smell of the plants strewn about the room and the gentle, sweet aroma of the red smoke that Valentino had exhaled earlier, still a whiff of sex and catharsis in the air, there was suddenly a sharp knock on the door.

Vox’s annoyance immediately came back, his eyes narrowed as he looked in the direction of the door. You and Valentino continued as though you hadn’t heard it.

“Who is it?”

A small voice, which you recognised as Vox’s cute little assistant, came from behind it, sounding slightly muffled.

“I’m sorry, sir, you weren’t answering your phone. We have a small incident down stairs.”

Vox grit his teeth, his voice riddled with barely constrained violence.

“I told you not to disturb me today…”

“I- I’m sorry….”

The small voice stammered.

“But I think you’ll really want to make the final call on this.”

The T.V. demon groaned, putting his drink on a side table and getting up, finally making you and Valentino pry apart. The two of you looked up at Vox and his miffed expression which morphed into a faux pleasant smile.

“I do apologise, I’ll be right back…”

As he took big, annoyed strides towards the door, you looked back at Valentino.

“If that turns out to be nothing important, he’s going to kill that adorable little assistant.”

The moth grinned, amused at the thought as he squeezed the back of your neck in a gesture that was equal parts endearing and possessive.

“Pobrecito….”

He didn’t mean it and you chuckled, getting up and hovering over Valentino, placing your hand on his knee, under his coat and sliding it up. You could feel the fishnets he was wearing pull under your grasp and you got lost in those possessive eyes. With a wide smile you pushed him deeper into the couch, your hand curving under his thigh and pulling it up, which he allowed with an amused, toothy grin.

“Well, guess we’ll just have to make our own fun.”

Two of his long arms draped over your shoulders and he settled into the hold you had on his body.

“I guess so, baby.”

Vox was still in the process of retying his bowtie when he stepped out and followed his assistant to the elevator. He was acting cool and uninterested but he was fuming. 

He knew the assistant well enough to know that he wouldn’t dare interrupt unless it was important but just the idea of him missing out on whatever was happening upstairs right now pissed him off. He didn’t want to miss a minute and now, now the two of you had free reign while he was trapped in whatever VoxTek mess had sprung up.

Vox went through the motions, his mind continuously drifting to what was likely unfolding upstairs. His assistant hadn’t lied, it did need his own, personal involvement, though he wasn’t sure if he was happy that turned out to be the case. Punishing that scrawny little eel for wasting his time had seemed rather enticing. A quick, rough fuck to put him in his place, hearing him cry as he took him before discarding him. A good way to get rid of this pent up frustration. But, after about an hour, the chaos had calmed down and he could return to you and Val. He wondered just how much he missed out on, perhaps the two of you had left all together. Now that would thoroughly piss him off.

So, imagine his surprise when he came back to that same floor, walked back through that same door with his hands in his pockets to give himself an allure of ‘not giving a shit’, only to hear music.

Soft, rhythmic, Latin music, and the sounds of laughing.

Not whimpering, the wet sounds of you fucking, the crying out of names, but talking and chuckling. From the tone it didn’t even sound like dirty talk or pillow talk. 

The two of you had continued making out for a bit but after a while of touching, grinding, and a little bit of talking, Valentino had told Kitty to put on music and asked you if you could dance. You were a halfway decent dancer. By no means a pro but you’d spent a good portion of your life performing and some things never fully go away. The moth was amused as you picked up on the moves, letting him lead and following without much prompting, at times catching him off guard by fighting him for the lead a bit, just enough to entice him without ever fully committing. He found it amusing.

When Vox crested the corner and was past one of the big plants, he could finally see you two. You, held against his partner, moving to the beat in a way that appeared equal parts genuine fun and sensuality while having a fucking normal conversation. He could now finally make out some of what you were saying.

“What, you never had tres leches, baby? Kitty is making some right now.”

You took a moment, allowing him to spin you before almost violently pulling you back against him, feeling the surge of passion that went through the action. Being with Valentino like this was thrilling. He was sexy, in his element, but even more than that he was at home and that was doing wonders for his willingness to chat, like Vox forgetting about the wall he kept up.

Now, it had to be said that Valentino had no issue being vulnerable about certain things with certain people, especially if he tried to entice them. A moment of vulnerability, whether real or staged, was a sure fire way to get someone to trust him more after all and how better to pull someone in than by making them feel safe and seen? A little bit of relatability. But he wasn’t thinking about that, not entirely. Somehow, the words flowed rather easily.

“Yeah, I guess so. Did you have it often, while alive?”

Valentino grinned, his hand sliding over your back as he moved with you across the floor. 

“Si, my abuelita made it for certain occasions. She cooked a lot. Food is culture, mi amor. Food is bonding.”

Your eyes searched his. He looked so handsome, holding you in his capable arms, his deft hands guiding you as he lead you through the music.

“Were you close with her?”

He huffed, a scowl of disgust curving his lips.

“Ay no, she was a catholic cunt who would whip out a chancleta every chance the bitch got. But, she was an excellent cook.”

His smile turned distant for a moment, recalling the woman who so often made his life hell, growing up, but who could cook the most amazing dishes. Suddenly, his eyes widened slightly and he looked at you, your body against his, an interested, calm, half-lidded look to your eyes, and giving no indication you had just won a battle. Why in the rings was he telling you about his abuelita? Strange.

He put tried to banish the thought as he observed you for a moment longer. When you spoke up again, you nearly startled him.

“You said you enjoyed drawing, do you still do that?”

Taken aback a little, he paused, until you looked up and met his gaze. Without realising the two of you had stopped dancing, Valentino just loosely holding you against him as he looked down at you. He answered before he could really think about it further.

“Si…. at times…. sure.”

Vox watched all this unfold with narrowed eyes. He saw Val being domestic, sure, and he had been in a good mood already which usually meant he was a bit more chatty and forthcoming but even so, this was a lot of opening up to someone that was just there as a sleazy fuck and for information about that damned Radio Demon. What was it about you that made it feel almost easy to open up?

Valentino noticed Vox, standing there and thinking, just as Kitty came running up with a fresh whiskey which the apprehensive CEO took before sitting down on the other couch again. 

This was not what he was expecting and he wasn’t sure if he should be relieved he hadn’t missed any major action or concerned that now apparently Valentino was talking to you like that was a fucking good idea. Val could be such a moron.

The moth grinned upon noticing his partner, making a wide gesture and either covering any apprehension about what Vox may have overheard with convincing flair or just genuinely not giving a shit.

“Welcome back, Voxxy, we waited for you.”

“Hmm hmm….”

Vox’s expression was serious as he looked at you both. You let your hands slide down Valentino’s chest, turning to look at Vox and draping one arm around Val’s waist as he held you close. You glanced at Vox, feeling the moth pull you slightly closer against him with the arm around you. It felt weirdly comforting.

“Heya, you’re back. You want some cake? Apparently Kitty just made some”

Vox rolled his eyes.

“No. I don’t want any damn cake.”

You looked up at Valentino, exchanging a glance, and the moth let you slip out of his grasp, both of you agreeing that something had to be done about this clear attitude Vox was displaying.

As you sauntered over to the couch, you felt both sets of eyes on you and Vox huffed.

“You’re not being paid to be chatty, you know.”

You snickered.

“Then don’t keep leaving me unattended.”

He still had that frown on his face when you reached him, your knees against his legs and he looked up at you, finally shifting a little in his attitude and reaching up his free hand, pulling you in closer by your wrist until you were standing against the couch, the bottom of his screen pressed against your stomach as he looked up at you.

“You are mine to do with as I please. Don’t you fucking forget that.”

Time to switch gears. 

“You got any drawing apps on this thing?”

It worked because you clearly caught him off guard. He looked entirely confused as you brought your face in close to his screen and tapped the surface of his cheek.

“W-what?”

“Drawing apps, you got any?”

Behind you, Valentino chuckled, amused by the direction you had decided to take it and wondering what you were planning. There was no way you weren’t intending on teasing Vox a bit, for leaving.

Vox flushed as you inspected his screen until he finally snapped out of it.

“Yeah….”

His monitor turned into split screen, his face visible on one side as a drawing application opened on the other. You grinned, taking his drink from his hand and ignoring his protestations when you put your hand on his shoulder, turning him and pushing him backwards onto the couch. Taking a sip of his drink and appreciating the taste of the excellent whiskey, you placed it on the table where the previous one stood before being taken away by Kitty. 

Before he could wonder what you were doing you put your knee on the couch, crawling on top of him and, under his flushed gaze, you lowered yourself on top of him, propped up on your elbow and with one hand free so your could access his screen.

He watched, with bated breath, feeling your body press against his before settling on top, his grin returning and his arms closing around your waist.

You didn’t have to deny to yourself that that felt comfortable. Ever since that last meeting with him you liked Vox so much more. And that was fucking dangerous, you were well aware of that but the heart wants what it wants. Though, it probably was not really your heart that was aching for Vox. Not something you were willing to dwell on though as you traced your finger on his screen, placing the first line.

“Show me.”

You looked up at Valentino as you spoke, giving a head nod towards Vox and the moth grinned. You were entertaining, off beat and unpredictable. He loved it. He slowly walked up, statuesque and elegant as he moved his way across the floor and behind the couch, leaning in over the back rest so he had access too.

The two of you started drawing. Casually chatting every so often while not neglecting so shoot each other and Vox some suggestive glances.

Vox felt his fans speeding up. To have both of you focused on him like this, in such a casual but intimate manner, was making him far hotter than it should. He could feel your body shift against him, every time you repositioned yourself and he was starting to get hard. 

When he readjusted a little, trying to stop you from noticing, both you and Val chastised him for moving, which immediately sent a wave of arousal through his body.

“You’re not bad, mi amor.”

Vox groaned when you moved to glance up at the moth.

“Says you, you got fucking talent, Valentino. You ever consider pursuing this?”

Valentino laughed.

“I guess I am just a creative in more fields than you expected, baby.”

You allowed him to lean in, kissing you languidly but filled with passion, Vox taking in a sharp breath of air at the sight, his hardening cock being stimulated with every small shift in your body on top of his. His nails digging slightly into your back, holding you flush against him.

When Val’s lips left yours, he grinned, pecking them once more very briefly before his eyes drifted to Vox, looking rather heated below you.

“I think, perhaps it’s time you put pobrecito Voxxy out of his misery, hm?”

You chuckled.

“Why? He looks so good like this.”

Another amused laugh from the moth as he lit up another cigarette, propping up his head in his hand, elbow on the backrest and looking down at Vox with an amused, sultry smile that made Vox’s heartbeat pick up.

“That he does….”

Vox’s expression suddenly morphed into annoyance, the split screen disappearing with the drawing app, grabbing your waist and rolling you off him into the backrest of the couch as he got up from underneath you and stood up.

He was the damn CEO of VoxTek, he was not some little plaything. He got lost in the moment just now but he shouldn’t. Not like this, not in front of you both. He had somewhat of a reputation to maintain, whatever was left at least. Vox was good at luring people in, at being controlling, charismatic, but there were times he could lose all of that in favour of his own insecurity, forcing him to be brash and violent, to prove his dominance.

His sharp gaze settled on you as you lay there. His face was unreadable and you cocked your head, wondering if he was posturing or genuinely pissed. 

Your eyes trailed down when you noticed movement and you watched him as he unbuckled his belt before undoing his zipper, revealing the VoxTek boxers he was wearing.

“On your knees. I’ll remind you of who’s really in charge here.”

You slowly pushed yourself up. He had stepped far enough away from the couch that you couldn’t blow him from the comfort of the furniture. Clearly on purpose. Seemed like he was quite serious about the ‘on your knees’ part. So, under a soft, entertained cooing noise from Valentino, you took your time getting off the couch, crawling towards Vox on all fours who tried to look unswayed by the display. Better to give into Vox now, stay on his good side.

Behind you, you heard some rustling as Val circled the couch and lay down where you had just been, draping his long limbs across the velvet furnishings, an amused smirk etched into his face as he studied Vox’s eyes. He could read that look of anticipation in the fucking dark and not just literally, because Vox had a screen for a face.

When you reached Vox’s feet, you propped yourself up, reaching up and grabbing his waist as you looked up at him. He just grinned down at you, though it was not hard to see just how riled he was feeling and how desperate he was to retain control in this scenario.

His one claw reached down, grabbing the waistband of his boxers as the other landed on the back of your head. You didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what he was planning so you were prepared the moment he freed himself, his erection springing up towards your face and he immediately forced you on him by the back of your head. He closed his eyes, letting his head roll back for a second upon entry.

The sound he let out, feeling the warm, wetness of your mouth envelop him, was enough to make you forget the forceful action. That had sounded so fucking hot.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, looking back down at you and smirking when he caught your gaze. You looked so good, with your lips wrapped around him and those defiant yet calm eyes staring back at him.

He gave a short thrust into your mouth, indicating that it was time for you to do what you were supposed to and after waiting purposely slightly longer than necessary you obliged. His questioning look turning into one of bliss as you moved up and down on him. Your tongue swirling around his cock, the lewd sounds of you sucking him off filling the room and intermingling with the red smoke swirling up from the demon behind you who was enjoying the show through a wide, glowing grin.

“That’s it…. see? Hah… you’re doing so good now. Such an obedient little whore….. hnnn…. yeah, keep going….. fuck, you’re warm.”

He tried to sound in control, collected and sexy as he fucked your mouth but every once in a while his grip on his performance faltered, just enough to make it clear that his mind was reeling. 

Your hands on his hips aided him as he rocked them forward, rolling himself in and out of your mouth. That wisecracking, insubordinate mouth that felt so fucking incredible around him. 

As your tongue explored him, you allowed yourself to get into it. The feeling of him on your tongue, the sounds of need and desire that were escaping him, that arrogant fucking grin on that goddamn screen. It was making you feel hot all over. You could taste him as you ran your tongue over his tip, briefly dipping into the slit at the top and enjoying the way that made his hips buck. 

Vox, unlike Valentino, couldn’t hold out very long. Especially not the first round though thankfully he was almost always able to go again very shortly after. You didn’t mind it though. He clearly was high strung, needing that release to help him relax. That first orgasm was usually only the beginning, a way for him to unwind so you could get to the main course. Plus, you thought it was kind of cute, being able to push a man like him over the edge so fast every time. The cold, calculating CEO, being a whimpering mess under your hands.

He had something else up his sleeve though and when you could tell he was getting close, his movements speeding up, becoming more erratic as he sought more and more pleasure in that perfect mouth of yours, he suddenly yanked your head back, allowing him to pull out. His hard cock bouncing in front of you, the cold air being just that last push he needed and he came. Bursts of cum like strings and pearls, decorating your face and neck. You only just managed to close your eyes in time and you could hear Valentino whistle behind you.

“Nicely done, papi. That is fucking hot.”

You were lucky, none of it landed in your eyes and when you opened them to look at Vox, you could see the flustered expression on his face at seeing you like that. When he realised though, he immediately closed off again, throwing you a tissue with a disinterested flick.

“Clean yourself off, you look disgusting.”

Yeah, you were not going to let that slide. You were willing to take a lot of bullshit to keep your cover and stay in his good graces but not this. You weren’t under a soul contract and gone were your days where you had to swallow absolutely everything, literally and figuratively.

With a grin, you renewed your grip on his hips, pulling yourself up and without hesitation burying your cum-covered face against his stomach, rubbing his fluids on his, probably very expensive, shirt.

He tensed up entirely, taken off guard and flushing bright red in embarrassment and… arousal?

“What the-?! What the fuck are you doing?!”

Finally, you pulled back, happy with the slickness left behind on his shirt, thoroughly rubbed into he fibres.

“There, clean.” 

“You are fucking demented!”

You didn’t respond, instead just grinning up at him and his frustration, watching him take off the shirt with a huff, exposing the lean body underneath. His little power display had backfired. That would probably cost you later but right now, it felt very satisfying to watch him in defeat. Being around Vox, around Valentino, meant a constant power balance, a struggle for dominance. You weren’t necessarily interested in trying to outmatch either of them but you had to stay aware of how they felt about their position. Both of them were too volatile to chance it and you got the impression that encouraging the worst in each other was their favourite hobby.

He seemed quite thoroughly irked, even more so when Valentino cackled from the couch.

“Oh baby, that’s hilarious.”

Vox shot him a foul look, which Val missed because he was preoccupied putting out his cigarette, still snickering. When he did meet Vox’s gaze, he narrowed his red eyes, grin widening, turning sultry again, and glancing back at you.

“Come here, mi amor, I’ll clean your face…. properly.”

You got up, slowly, shooting Vox a side eye as you passed him and walked back to the couch where Valentino’s hand closed around your wrist, pulling you on top of him. He looked you over before slowly and deliberately licking your face in one long streak across. Immediately you felt your heartbeat pick up and Vox stared, feeling himself grow hard again. 

Valentino pulled his tongue in, running it across his lips as he used a tissue to clean you off properly, keeping his half-lidded, sultry gaze on you and you felt yourself flush under his touch.

When he pulled you into a kiss, you didn’t fight it, letting him flood your mouth with that long, demonic tongue and his poisonous pheromones. The warmth of his influence seeping through your body in a gentle wave of comfort and arousal.

His hands caressed your back before coming between you where he deftly started undoing your clothes and sliding them off your skin. His wings unfurled, revealing the outfit beneath; a short black dress and black fishnets that encapsulated his beautiful long legs perfectly.

The air in the room felt invigorating on your bare skin and you forgot about anything else as you kissed him back, feeling him smile into it and making a noise when you gently bit his lower lip. You felt one of his claws trail down your spine, sending a shiver across your skin, and he reached down, between your legs, chuckling into the kiss.

“My, my, mi amor. Did that little blow job get you this fucking excited?”

You weren’t sure when he had lubricated his fingers but when they touched you they felt slick and slightly cold, forcing you to shiver again, into his expert touch as he teased your arousal. 

Vox had undressed down to his boxers now, watching the display with his whiskey in hand. His heart was beating in his throat, you two looked so good and he could see the way Val’s dress was hiking up, the black lace thong he was wearing straining against the monster stirring inside. The thought of being the one to have managed to get you this riled by abusing your mouth had him feeling like a god.

He watched as Valentino reached down, freeing his impressive cock by pulling the lace to the side and lubing himself up without ever faltering his rhythm pleasuring you. When he coaxed you around, sitting up and pulling you in with your back against his chest, Vox felt his cheeks heat up. 

You did look incredibly heated, your cheeks flushed, the way you held onto the back of Val’s neck as he positioned you over his glistening erection, throbbing and waiting. 

He watched, perhaps a little to intently, how your expression changed as Valentino pushed inside of you. Slowly, unhurried, making you take every bit, feeling his shaft piercings slip in one by one. You bit your lip, eyes closed and your fingers entangled with the scruff in the back of his neck, his grinning lips reclaiming yours which you eagerly reciprocated, moaning softly into the kiss in a way that had Val’s cock stir and Vox’s springing to attention.

And Vox got an idea.

Your sounds were muffled as Valentino pushed his tongue in deeper. The bulge in your throat matching the one in your stomach as you were on full display for Vox. You could feel his pheromones drip into you and you gasped when he finally bottomed out, keeping you there. Your insides were most definitely being squeezed and moved places they didn’t belong to accommodate him and Satan, did it feel incredible.

Val smiled into the kiss, very pleased with the way you were taking his tongue and his cock. Of course, being the overlord of porn, his scouting brain was never really off unless he was alone with Vox and Vel. You felt good, warm, your noises were enticing, and even while allowing him the lead without any form of resistance, the way you moved your body and held onto him kept pulling him in. He wondered how much of that behaviour was intrinsic to you and how much of it was learned. He hadn’t even started moving yet and he could feel you contract around him, making him lose a little more composure every time.

Being in hell meant monster fucking was a given and you loved that. You’d taken demons bigger than Val, though some of those you’d come to regret real soon. Still, it was fun, healing was fast down here anyway, and every demon here was packing something unusual and exciting. Some more than others. Those squares that had ended up in Pride and never managed to get over the fact that no one looked human anymore were sexually pent up and frustrated, unable to get with anyone without acknowledging some stuff about themselves. You found those cases to be incredibly hilarious, especially knowing just how much fun these demonic bodies could be.

But finding one that had a cock like this and knew how to use it? Magic. 

He felt incredible inside of you. The feeling of those piercings sliding along your sensitive walls while he filled you up perfectly, it was incredible and you groaned when he retracted his tongue. 

“Ay, baby, look how well you take me……”

He paused. He sounded a little winded but… was he impressed? Whatever it was, it was clear that he had found something he was not about to let go and he rolled his hips, two of his hands grabbing the undersides of your thighs, holding you, as the other two took hold of your waist, fingers digging into your flesh. 

You moaned as he repeated the action, a little more this time, pulling out further before pushing back in. 

So good. Why did he feel this good? Was it the pheromones? The notion that Vox, possessive and controlling, was watching this? The size of his cock? The way he was using it to figure out what angle made your eyes roll back? You couldn’t say. You weren’t even sure if you wanted to analyse it as he continued to fuck you, accepting kisses from over your shoulder, your hand cupping the side of his face in a way that felt so soft. 

Every once in a while, his eyes opened, fixing a red hot gaze on Vox, standing here, sipping his whiskey while hard as a rock, looking at you two fucking. He knew that look on Vox’s face. He had an idea, he was just waiting for something.

How exhillerating. 

He loved that fucked up mind of his partner. True, when it came to sexual prowess, he usually had the upper hand, having introduced Vox to a slew of kinks and fetishes over the years, some more enthusiastically received than others, but every so often, Vox took initiative. And it got his gears going like nothing else.

Val closed his eyes again, letting out a moan against your lips as he felt your muscles contract around him. Shit, you were a good fuck. Not complaining even once that he was too big. To be fair, he had taken it slow, mostly because he wanted to savour the feeling of entering you to the fullest extent, but still. Again, the thought hit him that you were just fucking wasted on Vox, who only wanted to keep you to himself and to get information on that dumb Alastor when you should be out there, working for Val’s emporium. Satan, if only he could get you to star in a movie, Vox would be sold the moment he could see what Val could.

The arousal washed through your body. The combination of Val’s expert treatment combined with the wonderful, hazy feeling of the pheromones had you existing in another world. There was only pleasure and those many hands on your body as he pumped in and out of you at a steady pace. Your mind had to be pulled back from very far away when you finally noticed another presence. You opened your eyes to find Vox, no longer wearing his boxers and already with one knee on the couch, between your legs and Val’s. 

He grinned at you, leaning in and capturing your lips, pressing a hot kiss to them that left you a little dizzy. Your hand relaxed in Val’s fur and the other reached up, draping it around Vox’s neck as his tongue met yours, making you moan again when he zapped the kiss. 

Valentino grinned. He realised what Vox wanted now and you had clearly not caught on yet, too lost to the poison, the pleasure, or both. His claws on your thighs gripped a little tighter, holding you open as Vox prodded your entrance.

Your eyes fluttered open and realisation started to dawn on you. Getting double stuffed was not something you were opposed to, on the contrary, it was something that could get you incredibly hot. However, given Valentino’s size, the lack of preparation for scaling up to something that appeared to be a very snug fit, and the evident absence of lube on Vox’s dick made the whole thing seem less appealing than could otherwise be taken for granted. You had taken cocks of their combined girth and bigger, but not without proper care. 

Was this fucker actually going to do this? 

You let your hand slide down from Vox’s neck, placing it against his chest where he intercepted it, a cruel grin on his lips as he grabbed your hand and brought it to his face, pressing a kiss to it.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

Valentino placed a kiss in your neck, making it hard to think.

“D-don’t… don’t you fucking dare..”

You laced your breath with suggestion, in a desperate attempt to make him stop, but he covered your mouth. Whether it was to silence your protestations or if he had figured out that you were trying to do something else was unclear to you.

“Why not? Can’t you see I’m aching for you?”

You took in a sharp breath when Valentino’s teeth sunk into your sensitive skin, just as slowly as he was fucking you, and Vox grinned, leaning in closer.

“Think it’ll hurt if I do it like this? I told you I was going to punish you.”

A cruel hiss of a whisper, filled with the barely contained excitement at what he was about to do. His eyes widened briefly in anticipation, watching the realisation hit you, and in one swift movement he released your mouth, took hold of your waist, and brutally forced himself inside.

“Ah Ff-fUcK-!….”

Vox glitched immediately and Valentino moaned with him as the white hot pain seared through your body, all that building pleasure and warmth being replaced in an instant with a sickening feeling. You bit back a yelp. The pain forced tears to your eyes, feeling like you were about to burst at the seams, and a strew of obscenities and curses left your lips through gritted teeth, your eyes squeezed shut.

A claw landed on your cheek, a gesture so soft and sweet in stark contrast to the violent abuse of your body you had just endured. You were surprised he didn’t start fucking you immediately and you slowly opened your eyes, one tear making its way down your cheek as you tried to focus on the screen in front of you.

His voice was soft, gentle, his smile too when he spoke to you.

“Hmmm..Such foul things you say, doll, when you feel and look this pretty, impaled on our cocks. Come on, be sweet for me hm? We’ll make you feel good.”

He leaned in, gently holding onto your face as he pressed his lips to yours, kissing you so carefully as though you would break. As though he wasn’t the one who had just ignored your protestations and taken you anyway.

You hated that, through the pain, it had actually sent a wave of arousal through you too. Damn, a traumatised mind could be a little traitor sometimes.

Another sweet kiss, and another, Valentino’s tongue running over your cheek and lapping up that one stray tear. Vox pulled back a little again, your angry gaze on him.

“Come, sweetheart, don’t be like that. I’ll make it up to you..”

His left eye started a slow spiral. You didn’t really want to give in. You wanted to be livid, tell him to fuck off and leave, but the numbing feeling of the pheromones, combined with the idea that it might make things better made you not consider that for long and you let yourself get lost in his gaze.

When he kissed you again, your arm around his neck pulled him in closer.

“That’s it, doll, just let us fuck you. This body of yours is ours to do with as we please.”

You whimpered when he started to move. It felt sore, even through the multiple layers keeping you from reality, but despite the pain and the fact that you didn’t really want to, you could almost instantly feel the arousal come back.

Valentino released your neck, lapping up the blood and grinning at Vox over your shoulder.

“Ahh….Papi, that is so fucking hot. Kiss me….”

His request was breathless and he matched Vox’s rhythm, feeling his partner rub against him inside your tight hole. 

Vox just returned his grin with one of his own, leaning in over your shoulder as he fucked into you with fervour, kissing the moth eagerly and allowing the electricity to pass from his tongue to Val’s who moaned in contentment. This felt incredible, the violence, the passion, his unbridled desire being unleashed on you and you were taking all of it. Was it his imagination or did it even seem like you were into it? Now that got him hard. 

Val had mentioned you had worked in the sex industry but he was honestly impressed with what you were able to handle, not to mention just how fucking good this felt. Oh fuck, he was losing himself in this, he was about to spill into you, fill you to the brim with his and Val’s seed. Then you’d know your fucking place. This got him so excited and he snapped his hips into you, enjoying the way you whimpered and the looks of unhinged arousal Valentino was shooting him. The large wings behind him fluttering in anticipation against the couch cushions.

“You’re doing so well for us, mi amor. hahhh ah…. You feel so good around our cocks, squeezing us like that. hnnnngg Are you going to let us cum inside, hm? Let us defile those pretty pink walls of yours? Is that going to make you cum, being fucked filthy like a common whore. Is that getting you hot?”

Vox’s head was spinning, Valentino’s dirty talk was making him feel every unholy feeling as he thrust himself inside of you, over and over again. Valentino’s piercing rubbing against his cock, stimulating him while you squeezed around him. 

Vaguely your registered Valentino, his breathy voice against your skin, whispering something in Spanish that you couldn’t place and Vox answering him in English, to no further understanding on your part. His voice was overcome with pleasure. Their combined cruelty fuelling each other, watching them be consumed by it. 

Valentino watched his partner, observing the rising of his desperation, lost to the sensations as even he himself was starting to see stars. The violence got him off, absolutely. He fully understood what Vox’s obsession was, getting to fuck you now, and then this, together with him, was just the perfect synergy. And now was the perfect moment to pull out his signature move.

The moth reached up his hand, grabbing the lower half of your face and forcing you to look at Vox who swallowed at the sight of you. Tears, still lodged in the corners of your dazed eyes, your mouth slightly open, your chest rapidly rising and falling as you took your ragged breaths, the flushing of your cheeks, your mind miles away.

“Look at them, Voxxy.”

Valentino’s breathy, sing-songy voice tickled your neck.

“Wouldn’t this look incredible on film? Hm? Come on, papi, hahh ahh…please, let me shoot a little thing with them sometime. hmm… Just for you, si? With your permission I’ll make art with this face.”

Vox seemed a little too out of it to fully realise what Valentino was asking him, how this permission was the floodgate for Valentino to persuade him into full access to you, which was, of course, exactly the intention. He knew damn well that if Vox got to see what he wanted him to, there would be no way he’d object to more.

“Ahh shit… hnnn wha-..? Yeah, yeah sure… hahh..ah..”

Another successful agreement from Vox, pulled from his lips right as he was about to cum. The porn overlord would never tire of this. Valentino smiled against your neck, placing a hot kiss as they fucked you. Their sounds created ripples of heat throughout your being and you moaned, the pleasure now steadily outweighing the pain and allowing you to get back in the game yourself. You were more than just a rag doll for them to abuse.

“Hnnngg fu- … fuuck… hah ahhhh”

Your hand in his fluff tensed again, holding yourself together by the sensitive scruff and Valentino grit his teeth. Fuck, that felt good. Good enough to-

With a deep thrust, he slammed himself up to the hilt inside of you as he came undone, immediately followed by Vox whose peak caught him off guard and he groaned and glitched as he felt himself spill into your spent body. 

You looked incredible, that pained yet dazed expression of arousal on your face, the bleeding mark in your neck, the bulge of their cocks, outlined in your stomach and the way it expanded further as they continued to fill you to the brim. Pulsing pleasure running up his cock, feeling Valentino throb against him, it left him shivering.

All three of you were entirely out of breath, minds spinning as the waves of arousal washed over Vox and Val. 

When his mind returned to him, Vox grinned. You hadn’t cum yet and he wondered if you deserved to at all after your attitude today, yet, when your eyes, full of dulled defiance and arousal, met his, he flushed and swallowed, all doubt leaving his mind. He had let himself go a bit too far, too much cruelty for someone he didn’t have under a full contract yet. He had to reel you back in, make you remember that, though he could be cruel, he also knew how to take care of you. He would make you cum so fucking hard, just so you knew who you belonged to. Alastor would not be your first choice anymore after this. 

“Val, pull out.”

Valentino, who was hanging back, eyes closed, head rolled back with his arms spread across the back and arm rests of the couch, looked up, a little irked.

“Why?”

Vox grinned.

“Because I’m going to fuck them sloppy until they cum.”

Valentino shook his head, his voice defiant and determined.

“No chance, I want to feel them cum on my cock.”

Vox gritted his teeth.

“Pull. Out. Val.”

Okay, this clearly needed a heavier hand and Valentino pushed himself up, wrapping all four arms around your frame and giving Vox the biggest eyes over your shoulder. Long fingers suggestively burrowing in your flesh, caressing sensitive parts of your skin and making your whole body flush. 

You grit your teeth, feeling their fluids and hot cocks inside of you, your own peak within reaching distance and you were aching for it now. Fuck, if these two idiots could just fucking let you finish. You wanted to cum now more than anything. You’d almost forgiven Vox’s transgressions for the way they made your mind reel. After all, you’d endured plenty of cruelty in the past, this was barely anything in comparison. Yet.. somewhere in your mind, you realised the damage this did, the memories it wrecked. Though that probably wouldn’t be a problem until later.

“Por favor, papito. Pleeaassee? You feel so good….I want to feel you fucking them, in the mess we made together, I want to feel them cum as you fuck them so well.”

One of his hands reached out, pulling Vox into a kiss and he tried not to grin when he could feel Vox relent. He had real trouble saying no to him and Valentino relished in it, every time he got Vox to agree to something in the end.

The moth leaned back again, running his fingers over your bare back as Vox started so slowly move again.

The pain had largely subsided now, likely no lasting damage, and you moaned as you felt him purposely hit the exact right spot over and over again, the lewd, wet sounds, and your laboured pants filling the space. Valentino groaned, letting his head roll back again.

“Ay, si, papi….. keep going…… I can feel them pull you in….. are you that desperate for his cock, baby? You don’t have enough yet? You want Voxxy to fuck you like a used toy?”

You could feel the arousal building again rapidly, Vox’s shallow thrusts into your sore body feeling more and more right.

Biting your lip, you groaned.

“Hnnnn ahh… don’t stop…. hah….”

The T.V. demon glanced up at you, his grin widening at the look on your face. You were into it, no longer just because of Val’s poison or his hypnosis but because he was making you feel this good. 

He sped up, his sensitive cock being caressed by the way your body pulled him in. 

“Hahhhh you feel so good, doll….. You’re going to cum for me?”

He pushed you backwards, against Valentino’s chest who received you with a wide grin and open arms, Vox fucking into you hard and fast as he pressed his lips to yours.

Your moan was a muffled prayer into the kiss, your whole body tensing when your arousal finally reached its peak and you arched your back. The orgasm had you in a chokehold, raking through your body and leaving it even more wrecked than it already felt. It was incredible.

“Ahhhh hahhnnn!”

Both men groaned when you came, feeling your body seize up around them and squeeze them so well, pushing them as close together as possible.

Valentino caught his breath, genuinely looking a bit tousled, his expression one of mild bafflement.

“Jesus… fucking… Christ….”

Vox, who had collapsed on top of you, groaned against your bare, sweaty skin. 

“Fuck me…..”

Gradually, you felt your heartbeat grow more steady again. The worst of the haze having left you and the last bit of the hypnosis being shrugged off.

You wanted to say that with that your anger returned, but it didn’t. It felt so fucking good, to be claimed like that. For someone to want you beyond what you wanted, in the most toxic way possible yet to then still turn around and make you feel good too. It was horrible. And you had missed it. That raw, painful desire. That toxicity and the passion that carried. You knew this was abuse, but you were not immune to it. In fact, there might be a small, addicted part of you that never kicked the habit.

You felt the vibration in Valentino’s chest when he muttered something in Spanish and Vox, again, answered in English, though you couldn’t rightfully say what they were talking about as consumed by thought and sensations you were.

When Vox took hold of your chin, you focused your eyes on him and the gentle, handsome smile on his face.

“You’re mine.”

With those words, he pressed another kiss to your lips and you closed your eyes, feeling Val’s claw trace your bare shoulders and the bite mark he had made.

You showered together. Valentino offering to help you clean up which turned out to be him going down on you with that long, capable tongue. You came a second time under that hot, streaming water. Vox watching from a bench in the shower, leisurely stroking himself. The voyeurism ran deep with him, that much was sure. They both lavished you with sultry affection and passionate kisses.

You snickered as you were trying to dry off and Vox stepped up behind, kissing your shoulders. When you turned around you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss which he reciprocated without hesitation, feeling your warm, freshly showered skin under his fingers. Pushing you backwards and lifting you onto the counter as you shared another sloppy fuck on the marble.

Valentino was amused, watching you. Even though Vox had unleashed a type of violence on you today, there was no denying the hold you had on him. And he understood it. It was hot.

You chatted as you had a stiff drink later, fully dressed, your legs draped over Valentino’s lap, whose hand was firmly placed on your thigh. Your back against Vox’s chest. You snickered when Valentino hit Vox with a snide remark. Their interactions were unique. They were entertaining but it was also very clear that they understood each other on a level that was hard to put into words. Both Vox and Val understood the value of moments like these, allowing things to feel almost caring and domestic. Since they didn’t have you under contract yet, they had to employ their playbook to pull you in yet neither of them could really deny just how easy that felt with you. Every once in a while a small remark escaping them that they would realise later was a little more honest than they had intended to be.

When you glanced at your watch, Vox groaned behind you.

“Come on, sweetheart, don’t try to slip away now.”

You shot him a look over your shoulder and was briefly silenced by his lips claiming yours. When he released you, you had your rebuttal ready.

“Can’t have them get suspicious. Besides, you’ve done enough fucking damage for one day.”

He grinned, pressing a kiss to your neck.

“I made it up to you, didn’t I?”

You rolled your eyes.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Hmmm, then give me another chance to do that.”

With a snicker, you freed yourself from his grasp, ignoring his annoyed ‘hey!’ and standing up before throwing him a usb from your pocket which he caught a little clumsily.

“I’ll think about it.”

You shot a grin at Valentino who returned the gesture with a wide, toothy smirk of his own, mind clearly coming up with all kinds of ideas that would rock the world of porn.

Vox hadn’t remembered the exchange. He wouldn’t until Valentino would bring it up again later and he begrudgingly had to admit that he already agreed to it. Though he’d be annoyed, he’d also be excited because the deal was a film just for him. And Valentino knew what he liked better than even he did.

You, on the other hand, had the deal that was made over your shoulder seared in your brain. It’s not that you minded making a little porn for Vox, especially if that kept him hooked. You wouldn’t even mind doing actual porn in the future if that was where this was headed, as long as you kept your soul that was. But the feeling of people making deals about you and your body as though you weren’t there, now that ran deep and you wondered if Valentino would ever even bother to ask you what you wanted. He probably would, not because he cared about your answer but because you weren’t under a soul contract yet, he still had a performance to play. It had been a long time since your body had been a commodity to be dispensed by anyone but yourself and you hated it. What you hated even more was the small, almost unperceivable part of you that got excited at the prospect of being owned again. Perhaps some habits were just harder to kick than the opium.

The truth was you hadn’t minded sex work when you were in the business. In fact, you found that the overlap between psychology and sex work likely aided you in your studies. And you enjoyed sex. You enjoyed the exhibitionism. The sex industry was, in your opinion, a vital one, fulfilling an important role in any society. It was the abuse of greedy, violent people and exploitative companies that was the problem, never the work itself, and it was those people that had made you leave it behind. Well, one person. And to think of them still ached somewhere in your soul.

Shaking off those thoughts, you turned on your heel, walking towards the door and leaving the two men behind. Vox, still looking a little baffled and with a blush on his face, hastily got up, standing there still holding that usb, before deciding that chasing after you was not a good look. A smile formed on his screen. He couldn’t imagine ever tiring of this chase. But he would have you, at some point. He would win you from Alastor. You’d be his. The perfect little side piece, at least for a while. Alastor would be livid and he’d make sure the media would then be filled with pictures of you by Vox’s side, ensuring that Alastor could not ignore his defeat. 

When you opened the door, you barely managed to avoid Velvette, who shot you a piercing look with one raised eyebrow. You just saluted her and stepped into the elevator she had just exited. The two of you maintained eye contact as the doors closed and you disappeared from view.

Velvette turned, continuing through the door and finding the other two Vees there, Val still draped on the couch with a wide grin and Vox standing there, a little sheepishly. Both of them looking very handsome and freshly showered. 

She glanced them over for a moment before settling on Vox and the way he was standing there still looking in the direction of the door and her calm examination made way for indignation. Her chastising remark echoed through the space.

“Oh HELL NO! That deranged lunatic? Really?”

Vox immediately snapped out of it, annoyed indifference as he huffed and gestured, seemingly all back to his usual self.

“As if, Vel, stay out of it.”

Velvette narrowed her eyes. She was hoping that stupid look on his dumb face was just a fluke because that was not what she needed right now and she just continued her trek into the apartment, only briefly stopping next to Vox and giving both of them a cautionary glare before moving on.

“They’re fuckin’ trouble, V. I’m tellin you.”

Much later that night, Vox was back in his den, continuing his quest to find old, usable footage of you. There must be something in there that he could use as blackmail material. To get you here more often, to get a better grip on you, to tame and restrain you.

His eye fell to some recording he had found a while back, of you and Angel. It had taken him a bit to figure out it was you in those shadows but other than that, it didn’t seem special footage. As the silent images moved by he suddenly hit pause and rewinded a bit before hitting play again. Angel went into the alley with you, like the common whore he was, and then you both emerged, separately and from different sides of the alley. He hadn’t thought much of it, probably Angel tried to sell himself and you had told him ‘no’ or the other way around where you had propositioned him and he declined. But what he now noticed for the first time was that little spring in the whore’s step when he left the alley, compared to the defeated, faux confident posture he had had before going in. 

Though Vox didn’t doubt your sexual ability, no quicky was that good. Even more so, that would’ve been a record breaking fuck if it was. What had happened? 

He checked the date on the footage. Well, well, well, this was from before you started working at the Hotel? Seems like you and Angel might know each other better than he had thought. 

Time to see how often you’d been spotted together, starting with the time you had come to pick him up and had ruined your meeting together. 

Who knew, maybe Alastor wasn’t aware you were getting close to someone right in that Hotel, which would be mighty entertaining. Clearly you were allowed to fuck around but he doubted Alastor would be okay with you sleeping with someone he knew. 

Perhaps Val would find all this interesting as well. 

Time to do some more digging and in the mean time he could have someone look into your past. Someone had to know something and this was Hell. Everything in Hell was for sale, for the right price.

Chapter Text

The unmistakable scent of booze, permeating the woodgrain of the bar. Not something that surprised you but what did catch you off guard was how pleasant it was. Not at all stale or sticky. Husk kept his bar in excellent condition and you now noticed a sharper, albeit more faded smell of a cleaning agent and a wood oil. You recognised the scent as the woodsy smell you could sometimes detect on Husk. Perhaps that was why this felt so comforting, the way the standoffish bartender was.

With your head on the bar and your eyes closed you contemplated your situation right now. Your involvement at the Hotel, with the people here, with Angel and Husk, but also your deal with Alastor and the dangerous game you were playing with the Vees. After coming home from V Tower you’d spent most of the night on your couch, drinking by yourself, smoking opium, trying to drown out a feeling you couldn’t entirely place as well as the soreness you felt. You silently wondered about the meeting you had attended with Vox and if those in attendance could pose a threat to your cover here, though you doubted anything would happen without Vox’s say-so, you wouldn’t put it past him to do exactly that if he felt it would gain him the upper hand. The same went for whatever Angel did or did not pick up on the day before. You hadn’t had a chance to talk yet and had decided to pretend nothing happened unless you were specifically asked about it. 

Your mind wandered to the other day at the tower, the mind-numbing sex, the desire, the pain and humiliation. You weren’t stupid, you knew you were getting into dangerous water with the Vees, playing a game you couldn’t fully oversee the risks of. And that was how you enjoyed your afterlife, walking the edge, treading on that razor’s blade of danger and sometimes tippling over. It was part of what kept things fun and interesting for you, so why did you now feel a bit of a sinking feeling each time you thought about it? Like it was wrong, somehow? You knew it couldn’t exactly be described as the actions of a good, law-abiding citizen but it was not like you were actually betraying the Hotel. You had a deal with Alastor, your connection to the Vees was all posturing, pleasure, danger, and it might come in handy one day. That was all. You couldn’t even rightfully remember if you once had a plan for getting in with them, other than just gaining proximity. And yes, the others here at the Hotel would probably be very annoyed if they found out but they’d forgive it once they knew you never betrayed them. Yet you had to wonder why you cared about that at all. And why you felt that their disapproval, no matter how fleeting, would hurt in a way you couldn’t quite comprehend yet.

You let the surface underneath your cheek permeate your skin with its cool touch, your eyes closed, listening to the sounds of Angel yapping about what today would bring overlapping with the rhythmic cutting on a cutting board. 

Angel often helped Husk set up the bar in the morning, especially cutting the fruit for his own cocktails. He had loudly proclaimed that Husk just didn’t cut them right, which Husk had protested, but it never escaped you how much they enjoyed this time together nearly every morning. Chatting, bickering, teasing comments, and pleasant silences, filled only with warm glances each time the other wasn’t paying attention. Those idiots were falling so hard for each other yet neither was ready to admit that yet. It made your heart warm to see the way they looked at each other and you ignored a tiny pit in your soul that told you that whatever was blossoming between them just wasn’t cut out for someone like you. Not that it mattered, you didn’t want something that domesticated anyway. Did you?

You were paying attention though and you opened your eyes, only to see Husk, completely distracted, cleaning the same glass he had been for the past 10 minutes which hadn’t even been dirty when he had picked it up. He always did a proper close and left everything clean and ready for the next day. His eyes were fixed on Angel, a distant, warm smile on his face as he listened to the spider talk, gesturing with the knife he was holding in a way that was a hazard to everyone in his vicinity, and cackling at his own jokes and innuendos. 

It wasn’t until Husk noticed you move that he looked down, at you sprawled over the bar, swirling your drink on the surface, right in front of your grinning face and knowing glance. He immediately flushed a bright red and rolled his eyes in an annoyed fashion, trying to play it off which garnered him a chuckle from you. 

As you focused your attention on Angel, on how happy he was, sitting here with you and Husk, you didn’t notice how the latter snuck another glance at you and smiled to himself.

Eventually, you got up, prompting Angel to follow suit and stretch, announcing that he was going to go for work but that he would be back in time for his session today.

You smiled an nodded, watching him walk off with a spring in his step. Despite everything, his ups and downs, Angel seemed content these days, having found something here, at the Hotel, he enjoyed but didn’t fully trust yet. Still, he wanted to and that was a great start.

You glanced at your phone to check the time, downing your drink and exchanging a few more words with Husk before also setting out, back to your office, for a full day of sessions.

The first one into your room was Alastor, who didn’t even bother sitting down, instead giving you a chipper greeting as his eyes wandered the room.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but I will not be attending. I had something else that came up but would you care to join me for a drink, later tonight?”

Of course you said yes.

When Niffty came in, she talked extensively about her bug-hunt around the Hotel, a conversation that you followed and participated in before gently nudging it towards an introspection on why she feels the need to clean everything, a desire which clearly ran much deeper than a general drive to keep a tidy house. It never ceased to stand out to you how her obsession with cleanliness was not consistent, leaving certain dirt and filth without a care while being overtly consumed by others. She gave you a wide-eyed stare that was a little unnerving to say the least before she giggled and told you to stop flirting. It wasn’t polite to ask a young lady about her cleaning habits after all. 

You just snickered.

“Alright, alright, but just consider it for a bit, yeah? Maybe we can talk about your life before Hell a bit, next time.”

She grinned, a threatening display, before hopping off her chair, giving your desk, and you, another quick dusting in passing and chasing a cockroach out of the door, nearly running over Vaggie in the process.

Her long, silvery hair flowed behind her as she entered the room and sat down. 

Vaggie was a tough nut to crack. She didn’t like to share, she didn’t like to be vulnerable around anyone but Charlie, and she didn’t like you. More than that, she didn’t trust you, and for someone who was so clearly hiding something that put her on edge. She often wondered how much you could tell by looking at her. She worried about the secrets she kept but above all she worried about what you were doing to the Hotel. It was obvious that people liked you, they talked to you, and she had to begrudgingly admit that you were making progress with most inhabitants in some way but it irked her that she was apparently the only one that could see something was wrong, the same way that you seemed to see that she wasn’t being fully honest either. Neither of you could put your finger on exactly what it was, but it was unmistakable. 

The Hotel manager sometimes wondered if she was just imagining things, given how everyone else seemed just fine having you around. Upon prodding Angel he had, at some point, told her something along the lines of ‘yeah babe, we’re in Hell. we’re all fuckin’ shady down here, what did ya expect?’ and though that answer was frustrating, he wasn’t exactly wrong. It was obvious that Angel, Husk, and Pentious were rather close to you, so perhaps their view of you was muddled. And then there was your relationship to Alastor. Charlie had nearly combusted when the news broke but Vaggie was skeptical at best. The sly looks and snappy jokes between you two hinted at a deeper understanding but it was obvious you weren’t actually dating. She never managed to get that through to Charlie though.

So, to keep her girlfriend happy and to prevent further suspicion, she went to these sessions dutifully. It had to be said that you seemed to respect her hesitation and you often just let her talk about Charlie, the Hotel, life in Hell, things of that nature. Every once in a while you would prod her with something, to see if she would give. Today was no different.

You underlined something in your notes, next to a small sketch of Vaggie, and she raised her eyebrow.

“Found something of note… doctor?”

You smiled, flipping the page back to another day of notes and checking something.

“I just noticed you use a lot of distancing language.”

She crossed her arms, already getting defensive at the notion of you remarking anything about her.

“What do you mean?”

You put your book on your lap, leaning in and looking her in the eye.

“When you talk about your fellow sinners. You always use language such as ‘Charlie’s people’ or ‘sinners’ or ‘the people down here’.”

A short pause.

“Yeah, so?”

“So, you exclude yourself from the others. Why do you think that is?”

There was a split second of uncomfortable silence, a flash of something that could be either anger or panic, but her poker face was rather good and she corrected it in record time.

“Didn’t realise I did.”

“You do. All the time, actually. You never see yourself as part of the population here in Hell. Why?”

She shrugged.

“I guess I don’t think I have much in common with them.”

“Why? Didn’t you ‘sin’? Are you here without charge?”

“Oh no, I sinned….”

She grumbled before continuing in her stoic fashion.

“I just think it was the right thing to do.”

You shifted. That was more honesty than you usually got from her when it pertained to the topic of herself. Vaggie was not one for talking at length, usually being short and to the point, but she was honest and dependable where most topics were concerned. When it was about her though, not so much.

“Do you mind telling me what happened?”

Her look turned contemplative, almost wistful, and she averted her gaze, suddenly looking a lot more vulnerable.

“I….. I don’t think I can.”

She sighed, her mind still stuck in the past and you waited, giving her a moment to be there. When she looked up again, her expression hardened. You smiled. 

“That’s alright, you don’t have to. But the space is here, if you want.”

She nodded brusquely, trying not to linger on how she felt compelled, even for just a moment, to finally tell someone her horrible secret. It had been eating at her for so long. Looking into those big, hopeful eyes of Charlie and not being able to tell her that her girlfriend was a fraud. It felt horrible. Perhaps it was that part of her that was so desperate to do right by the princess. If she could do that, maybe she could make up for not telling her. 

Words cannot describe how relieved she felt when you said that time was up. She did her best hiding it but the way she scurried out of the room left nothing up for debate. Her heart was pounding and anxiety blackened the edges of her vision. Why had she been so close to just spilling her guts like that? She wanted to tell you for a split second. The person in this Hotel she trusted almost as little as she trusted Alastor. One thing was clear, she needed to get out of future sessions or come up with a new game plan. This could not happen again.

The papers in your folder rustled as you flipped through them. You heard the unmistakable sound of Sir Pentious, slithering into your office and the door closing.

“Heya Pen, I’ll be with you in a sec, take a seat.”

But when you turned around, he was right behind you. You didn’t even get a moment to be startled before he pushed a small bouquet of flowers in your face with a blush.

It took you a moment but you grinned, taking the gift from his hands and looking it over.

They were gorgeous. And your favourite. The upside of Pen having known you for this long. 

“I ehh…. I realissssssed that I haven’t brought you flowerssssss ssssince you moved in here…”

He was right. Back when you lived at the observatory, he sometimes brought you flowers or other greenery, insisting that every space you lived in needed to be made yours, something personal. It hadn’t even been a specifically romantic gesture, at least not in the beginning. You had told him you were more comfortable around death and that keeping plants didn’t suit your schedule as you would just forget about them and they’d wither and die. He had told you this wasn’t an issue and kept his word, using his own key to let himself and/or his eggs in and refresh flowers or water any plants he gave you. And there was a part of you that loved it. It was like, in taking care of those plants, he was taking care of you a little bit. It would be a lie to say that that didn’t feel nice.

“Thank- ”

You were cut off when he, a little clumsily and with more force than probably intended, clashed his lips to yours. The feeling of one of his sharp fangs snagging on your lip, creating a small pinprick of a wound. His fingers grabbing hold of your upper arms and digging into your flesh.

There was no doubting the passion as he held you there, his eyes squeezed shut, his face red. The impact sent a wave of surprise across your skin, followed by warmth. Even in his bashfull, clumsy attempts, he was wonderful. As soon as it started, it stopped, he pulled back, looking flustered.

“I… am sssssssorry. I jusssssst missssssssed you.”

A laugh escaped you and his blush deepened, watching that smile on your face that seemed genuine and the way you too looked a little flushed.

Briefly, you pecked his lips again. You just couldn’t resist.

“It’s good to see you too, Pen.”

You wanted to tell him to keep this separate from your sessions, that you could be affectionate and make out if he wanted, but not during allotted therapy time but you chose against it. It would be rather hypocritical, even for you, given that you and Husk never really did therapy and with Angel you switched between having really good talks and railing him against the wall until his claws had ripped up the wallpaper. Your eyes trailed towards the scratches that were strategically hidden behind a painting.

The session with Pen went well. He was a natural at therapy, if such a thing existed. Taking prompts well and showcasing a genuine desire for change. Once seated he started talking, answering any questions you had and taking the new material to think about for next time without issue. You had to insist that he continue a specific story at a later time because you had already ran late with the session and he, a little awkwardly, agreed. 

Upon opening the door, the eggs were standing outside, ready to pick their boss up from his session and asking him how it went before very loudly inquiring if you had liked the flowers. As they ventured down the hall with a frazzled Pentious they passed Charlie, waiting her turn. 

Her smile was bright and excited, walking into your office when you gestured for her to come in, and immediately starting to talk about her latest exercise she wanted to do with the group. She handed you the script and you read it as she continued to explain how this was going to be the one that was going to ‘fix everything’. Slowly, you followed her in, kicking the door closed behind you.

You sighed upon looking it over. Charlie made the same mistake every time, it was pervasive at this point.

She apparently noticed you were seeing something because she stopped her rambling to look at you.

“Do you… see something wrong, doc?”

You handed her the script back.

“Tell me, what do you see?”

She frowned, glancing at the text in front of her.

“A… script?”

A snicker as you shook your head.

“Sure, yeah, a script. Look at the characters you’ve created.”

A small pause.

“Yes, so we got the crackhead…”

“The villain.”

“Yeah! and instead of the innocent child, we have the innocent-”

“Why is the crackhead not innocent? Why are they called ‘the crackhead’?”

“Well, because they do drugs, and drugs are bad.”

You smiled, gesturing at the couch and she took a seat as instructed as you took yours in your chair.

“Don’t you feel that that might be an oversimplification of the situation you wish to describe?”

Her frown deepened, set grooves into her pale forehead as she did her best to contemplate what you could possibly be driving at.

“Yeah of course it’s not exactly like reality but I think it really shows-”

“What does it show?”

“Right and wrong!”

“Does it?”

Again, confusion stamped across her face and you let out a breath.

“Charlie, is the ‘crackhead’ evil for doing drugs?”

“Well, maybe not evil but they’re also selling them!”

“Sure, okay, does that make them the villain?”

“It’s not…. good.”

“Okay, follow that train of thought. Let’s say every ‘crackhead’ is a villain. Our resident pornstar does a ton of drug still, does that make him a villain?”

“No! Of course not!”

“But he played the crackhead last time, and the crackhead is the villain.”

She opened her mouth to defend herself, although she couldn’t rightfully say against what other than the feeling that she had to, but you continued.

“How do you think that makes him feel? Being reduced to the stereotype of ‘drugs are bad so if you do drugs you are bad’? Our bartender is an alcoholic, does alcohol count? Does that make him a villain? Because he also pours it for others.”

She bit her lip, shrinking in that couch a little.

“N…. no….. I never…..”

Her voice sounded small.

“Charlie, I know you mean well but your oversimplification of what is good and what is bad might actually end up hurting people. Tell me this, why do people do drugs?”

“Because it’s easy?”

“Or because it’s hard?”

She looked a little forlorn so you smiled at her.

“Perhaps, people do drugs because things are hard. Drugs are not the issue, it’s often not even the people using them. Sure, they can be evil people but they’re not evil because they use drugs. Everyone’s circumstance is different. Addiction is a disease that can make people act irrationally. Not because they’re bad people but because the drugs, or lack of them, force them to desperation. Reducing people and their lived experience to stereotypes might be a good way for you to keep track of what is ‘good’ and what is not but you run the risk of causing harm. Because nothing in life is ever that black and white. If you say ‘crackheads are villains’ you tell people their use of drugs makes them ‘unredeemable’.”

“But Angel doesn’t sell!”

“Doesn’t he? Do you know that for sure? And does that actually matter for this argument?”

She let out a sigh. She could see where you were coming from, she really could but at the same time, why did things have to be so complicated? Sometimes things just were divided between good and evil! Weren’t they? That’s how her brain had always worked. You can do good and you can do bad. On rare occasions going good could lead to harm, but that would be an accident. It’s about the intention! And sure, good things to one person could be bad to another, that was complicated at times, but generally things were pretty clear. Weren’t they?

You talked some more before she left your office. You knew she didn’t fully understand but hopefully she had something to think about now.

You were genuinely happy and excited to see Angel when he wandered in. His morning at work had gone without a hitch and he plopped himself onto the couch, lying down, making himself comfortable as he talked about his day and you listened, sitting on one leg in your chair while sketching and taking notes. 

Sometimes you had to remind yourself to take notes and keep on track when Angel was there. Your mind wandered, as did your pen. You loved drawing him far too much, his long limbs, the way he moved them, the way he looked when he was relaxed, talking, gesturing, even when frustrated or angry he was beautiful.

“Hey doc?”

“Hmm?”

“What’s up with ya and tha Vees?”

Your pen stopped mid line and you paused, feeling a little rush go through your body, though not a particularly good or pleasant one.

“How do you mean? You know I slept with Valentino.”

“Yeah….”

He placed his four hands on his stomach as he lay there, looking at you with an inquisitive expression. He didn’t seem accusatory or hurt in any way, just wondering.

“But I didn’t know that was an ongoin’ thing. Plus, ya came in with Vox last time. Didn’t think he’d be involved.”

You shrugged.

“I think the Vees all just sort of do what they want. I can’t take the elevator up by myself, I don’t have clearance, so I went with him.”

It was the truth, albeit omitting a lot of crucial information. It felt strangely like lying, and that notion was new to you. You made sure never to outright lie because you were bad at it, not because you felt bad about it. But you didn’t feel right omitting this information now. Why?

“He didn’t strike me as someone who’d bring Val’s…. playmates… up tha elevator….”

“Guess so, he does strike me as a man who feels the need to posture a lot…”

Angel nodded, ignoring how a tiny part of him felt like you didn’t really answer the whole question. 

“So… ya sleepin’ with Val is …. a thing now?”

“Yeah.. I suppose. Do you mind?”

He snickered, his mind wandering to the other day, Valentino violating him in front of you. Why was that getting him hot again?

“Nah, I don’t mind. Like I said, I get tha attraction. He’s hot…. I’m sorry for how he talked to ya tho… how ya…….. had ta see me.”

He trailed off into a long pause. You felt uncomfortable, remembering how the way he had looked has driven you to the brink of madness. You weren’t known for your restraint and it had cost you every last ounce to not pounce him right then and there. And you hated yourself for wanting him when he was being made vulnerable by Valentino like that.

You cleared your throat, putting your pen down on your notes as a bookmark, giving him your undivided attention. He eyed you, observing the shift in quiet contemplation.

“Do you… want to talk about that, starlight?”

A red glow crept across his face. There was so much to say yet he didn’t know where to start. It all felt muddled to the point where he truly couldn’t tell if he hated or loved what had happened. Perhaps the truth lay somewhere in the middle. A complex soup of thoughts and feelings he didn’t know how to unravel. But there was one question that was clear as day, that had been haunting him since he left you back there and went to his dressing room. The notion that had hung around him as he showered, followed him home, caressed his back as he drank with Husk, and held him when he tried to sleep.

“Not really. I just wanna know……. were ya disgusted?”

You could hear the hesitation in his voice, like he was scared of the answer. Because what if you were? He couldn’t look at you, fumbling with his hands on his stomach.

The question sank into your reality. How could he ever believe that. If he knew how you saw him…. But you couldn’t say that. You couldn’t even think it. Every time the truth about your feelings towards Angel threatened to surface, your brain shut down. You hadn’t even realised that yet, let alone what the words were that were being kept out so expertly.

“You know I wasn’t. Not by you. Never by you.”

He sighed. So decided, without wavering. Your words echoed with honesty. He felt the relief wash over him, finally stopping to pick at a little thread in one of his gloves.

“I ain’t eva sure what ya are thinkin’.”

You chuckled and he looked up, the previous tension having left the room.

“Yes you are, starlight. You have excellent people reading skills.”

At this, he huffed, waving away your comment like smoke in the air.

“No, I don’t. I aint a fancy docta like ya are.”

You closed your folder, putting it away on your desk and leaning in, observing him.

“Why do you give yourself so little credit?”

“Why? I’m just a dumb whore with violent tendencies. I ain’t learned or shit.”

He sounded lightly agitated, more with himself than the line of questioning. He looked cute, with his wide gestures and small frown.

“Access to an education does not make you smarter. I just means you have access to an eduction, nothing more. I’ve met plenty of stupid people who got very far in academics because they can memorise facts really well. And I’ve met a plethora of people who may not have book smarts but who are some of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met. Intelligence is not knowing facts, it’s perceiving and understanding.”

“Doc. Be real for a second. I know how ta suck dick and shoot someone’s head off. That don’t make me smart.”

“How often do clients want to talk to you? Just, about their day, about their lives, about their partners at home or the stress of their job?”

Angel opened his mouth but closed it again. Sort of like a goldfish.

“Well…. I suppose…. yeah, they do. Often, I mean. But what does that gotta do with anythin’?”

You leaned back, looking up, remembering your own side-gig as you were struggling your way through med school.

“Did you know that sex work and psychology are very closely linked?”

“They are?”

He sounded skeptical.

“Heh, yeah, they are. Sure, it’s important to be good in bed, and that you are without a doubt.”

You didn’t have to look at him to know his grin just got very wide and suggestive and you continued.

“But most clients, especially the high paying ones, they want more than a good bj in a back alley. They want you to come over, they want to fuck you and then they want you to talk to them. They want you to listen, to fulfil the role they’re missing in their lives. A lot of sex workers, the ones who are really good at their job, can transform into anything the clients needs. You’re a whore, an actor, a performer, a therapist, a partner, a pet. You need to be able to read their wants and needs. You need to be able to see what they want from you, sometimes even before they realise it.”

You left a pause to let him contemplate before you asked your next question.

“Have you ever had a client where you made an assessment, saw how they enjoyed it, and then they got angry or violent afterwards?”

He nodded, slowly.

“That’s because you were able to read a need they didn’t realise they had, or one they were ashamed of. Being able to read people like that is great for your job, but it can backfire.”

“I… neva thought of it like that.”

“No, because you are an excellent judge of people but you’ve never learned to trust that. My guess is because Valentino keeps gaslighting you, makes you think you don’t actually know how to read people. Because for you to be able to read him, would’ve been fucking inconvenient, especially in the beginning. How often did you ignore little red flags because he made you believe you saw things wrong?”

Observing the change in his reaction was answer enough and you nodded.

“Exactly. You’re good, starlight, and you’re smart. You don’t give yourself enough credit because you’ve been taught not to but when you feel in your element, you know it’s true. You’re confident, and radiant. Perhaps that can be the next thing you start to work on? Doesn’t have to be immediate changes or work-work, just noticing it. Observing how often you discount your own feelings or intuition, y’know?”

There was another silence as Angel fixed his eyes on the ceiling. He had never really thought about it like that. He thought being a whore was just that, a fuck, a sleazy image on someone screen, a used ‘mildly entertaining’ set of holes as Valentino would put it. But somewhere in his being, below the immediate desire to discount everything you’d just said, he knew there was an element of truth to it and he wondered who he could be if he learned to trust that more.

When he spoke up again, he changed the subject, and you let him, watching as he got more and more excited talking about his plans with Cherri that night. It was a good thing you didn’t disclose sessions with Charlie because she would have a conniption at the mere notion of the amount of drugs and violence that he was being so excited about partaking in. You felt a soft smile on your features as you watched him talk about crushing some fuckers that had dared to mess with Cherri. Thinking about blood and spilled guts. About cobblestone splattered with blood and him and Cherri laughing while finishing a bottle of booze.

He was violent, and messy. Crass and loud. He made your heart beat faster and your face flush. You were glad the topic of the Vees had been circumvented so easily. Who knew how much prodding it would take for him to pry the truth from you. You were too weak where he was concerned. 

Before he left, he kissed you. A soft, lingering peck on your lips that made the room disappear for a split second. His voice, soft, promising to share your bed that night, making your skin heat up under his touch. 

It wasn’t until a few hours later, with you having finalised your notes and done some more sketching, that Husk wandered in, closing the door behind him and lying down on the couch without saying a word. One wing propped up against the backrest, the other grazing the floor. He let one of his legs dangle off the side and his tail gently moved just above the carpet. You didn’t even have to look up to feel his rough yet calming presence in the room and you closed your books.

Without asking, you poured two glasses of booze, taking them with you to the couch and placing them on the small coffee table before crashing down on top of him.

He let out a grumble but didn’t otherwise protest as you settled in on his soft body, burying your face into his neck and feeling one of his claws land on your lower back.

“Feel free to do the thing.”

You muttered and he let out a bassy chuckle. It didn’t take long for him to do as asked and you could feel the soft, grumbling purring noise reverberate from his chest to yours. Perfect.

Closing your eyes, you melted into it and Husk smiled when he felt you relax on top of him. He loved that it was becoming easier to just spend time together. He knew you were careful with making things consistently sexual with Angel, despite both of you having a high drive and a clear obsession with each other, but it hadn’t escaped him how you tended to lead with sex in most other situations. Like Angel, you found that easier than just being with someone. Sex gave you something to do, a reason to be in proximity to someone else without questions arising. He obliged, of course, but you were the one who felt more comfortable fucking his brains out rather than something like this. But you were slowly getting used to it and it made him indescribably happy. And he knew how dumb that was, when he was well aware it wouldn’t last anyway.

He had noticed something was different about you today, like you had something on your mind, yet he wasn’t sure if he could address it or not, for fear of scaring you off and having you close up on him again.

“You’re tight.”

He muttered, more to the void than to you as his hand trailed up your back and grabbed you by the back of your neck, kneading at the muscles there.

You just chuckled at the, likely unintended, innuendo but didn’t respond and instead let him continue prodding your sore shoulders.

“It’s because you’re at that fuckin’ desk like a goddamn shrimp.”

This time he got a full on laugh and he smiled. Bad posture and stress was what he was feeling in your neck, pure tension. But stress about what? What had changed?

“What did you just call me?”

“You heard me, you need to get a better posture. Dr. Shrimp MD.”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny. Bad posture won’t kill me down here.”

“No, but it’ll hurt. You keep complainin’ about headaches and back pain. This is why.”

You nuzzled his neck.

“Yeah, yeah, I know….”

Another comfortable silence, only filled with the soft purring noise coming from below you.

“How’d the sessions go today?”

“They went alright.”

“Good…. I always wonder why Vaggie keeps comin’ to these. She clearly doesn’t want to be there.”

“Heh, no, I don’t think she likes me very much.”

“She doesn’t trust you.”

“Well, in Hell that’s not a bad idea.”

His tone of voice turned lower.

“I don’t trust her.”

“Why?”

“She’s hidin’ somethin’.”

“Yeah…”

“She talk to you?”

“Not yet. I trust her though. As in, I also noticed she’s hiding something but I don’t think it’s something bad for us or the Hotel. I think it’s a personal shame thing. She doesn’t seem to want to identify with the rest of the sinners. She either doesn’t believe she belongs here or has some other hang up that makes her feel disjointed. But I believe she wants what is best for Charlie and for the Hotel. Maybe in part because she feels that doing that will redeem her but I think her intentions are pure in that sense.”

Husk nodded, slowly, trailing his claw up and down your back as he thought.

“You think she’s in the right for not trustin’ you?”

“Sure. This is Hell after all. Betrayals are not uncommon.”

“You should know all about betrayals.”

A cold shard of ice, spreading across your skin. What did he mean with that comment? Had he uncovered something? You had thought you’d been careful enough around your little trips to the tower. Perhaps it wasn’t too bad. At the very least you weren’t dumb enough to assume, despite the raging panic in your chest. You’d wait it out, see what he had to say before outing yourself.

“How’d you mean?”

“What do I mean? You’re fuckin’ around with Al, the two of you comin’ up with your little schemes. Goin’ out at all hours, comin’ back covered in blood and often drunk too. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Relief like a tidal wave. Husk noticed it too, the way you seemed to relax upon him mentioning Alastor. That couldn’t be good.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Al and I are just having fun. I’d invite you but I doubt you’d like our idea of ‘a solid fucking night’.”

You could feel him tense up underneath you and you pushed yourself up so you could look him in the eye. He seemed agitated.

“That man ain’t no harmless weirdo, doc. He’s fuckin’ dangerous…. I should know.”

Gently, you ran your fingers through his greying hair and he averted his eyes. He was still annoyed although blushing slightly.

“I’m sorry.”

His eyes circled back to you, golden pools piercing into your soul.

“I know the two of you are friends… or as much as he’s capable of that I suppose. Just… be fuckin’ careful, and don’t let him rope you into doin’ shit you’re gon regret. Alright?”

“Hmm, yeah, alright.”

In one ear, out the other. You liked Alastor, even while knowing he was abusive and dangerous. It was easier to hate someone like Valentino, to make that divide, when he was so obvious about his abuse towards Angel. The way Husk suffered under Alastor was different, much more hidden, much more psychological. And it would be easy to dismiss that as ‘less bad’ even if it wasn’t in the slightest. Husk didn’t talk about it much, neither did Alastor. Everything you had gathered, which wasn’t much, had been from context clues. The idea that Alastor wasn’t good to Husk was little more than a guess at this point, barely substantiated, yet you had a feeling you were on the right track.

“Are you afraid of him?”

Again, he averted his gaze.

“Fuck him.”

“No, answer the question. Are you afraid?”

“Yeah, I’m fuckin’ afraid of him! I’ve seen what he can do! He’s….. he ain’t somethin’ to be messed with. I know I’m a coward…. especially when it comes to him… but this ain’t just me bein’ chicken shit. This is real.”

You just nodded. It was something you’d discussed with him before. Husk was a coward, he just was. Running away or turning a blind eye if he felt outmatched, using his gruff and disinterested performance to make people think he was a lot more chill than he really was. Make them think he didn’t care one way or the other. It hadn’t been hard for you to ascertain that he did care. People like him cared a lot, perhaps too much. But he was scared and wounded. At the very least, he was able to talk about it, in so many words. To you. And though he hadn’t said it out loud he recognised something similar in you. Something that cared and loved too much at one point and had been utterly crushed somehow. He wondered about your damage. He could piece little parts together sometimes but you never told him things outright, not the whole story. Even Angel, who he got the impression you had told a bit more, didn’t get the full picture. Perhaps they should compare notes sometime but how would he explain to him that he had this information to begin with?

After another silence you decided to change the topic, conjuring a wicked grin that put him on edge immediately. He didn’t know what you were about to do or bring up but he did know you had him quite literally cornered, pinned down on the couch. He could push you off, of course, but there was no easy escape from this position. And you knew this.

“So, our lovely spider resident looked really good this morning, didn’t he? Cutting up those fruit slices and peels for you.”

He flushed, a bright pink and your grin widened. You loved how much Angel and Husk were into each other but not saying it out loud. It was adorable. Their friendship, and silent courtship, developing over time. Who needed reality tv when you had those two living under the same roof?

“Stay out of it, doc. I ain’t got no comment on Angel one way or ‘nother.”

“Really? Because the way you were looking at him had me thinking you do.”

He growled, his impressive brown furrowing and his piercing eyes burrowing into yours.

“Oh, you want to talk longin’ looks? How about the way he looks at you?”

“What, are you going to tell me you’re jealous? You know the two of us fuck. You could have that and more if you would work up the courage to talk to him, ask him out.”

Husk rolled his eyes. He wasn’t jealous, not in the way you were suggesting at least. He definitely desired what the two of you had but at the same time he knew that that too was not complete. Even in the strong connection between you and Angel, you weren’t completely honest. And poor Angel was falling too hard to notice. He wondered sometimes if you had realised how you felt about him or if you were fooling yourself just as much as anyone else.

“Come on, doc, don’t be naive. The kid is clearly smitten.”

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes.

“Jeez, don’t get your panties in a twist. We have fun, we play, we talk. I like him, I think he likes me. Don’t make it into more than it is. Everything is fleeting in Hell. You know that.”

Ah, so fooling yourself it was. That and not wanting to commit because of a bullshit reason. Not that he couldn’t relate though.

“Fuckin’ hell, you sure are dumb for a smart person. Y’know that, doc?”

“Oy, what’s with the insults? Whoa-”

You startled when he suddenly grabbed your shoulders, holding you in a tight grip that actually hurt a little as he stared you down.

“Be careful with him. Doc. Even if it’s all a game to you, if you hurt the kid…..”

“Then what?”

You wanted it to sound defiant, but it sounded rather small, your voice so silent it was almost a whisper.

“He don’t deserve that, alright? Just… be careful with the people here.”

A small smile on your face as you ran your fingers through his hair again, gently running up his ear, making him shiver. His words cut through you but you tried not to be too obvious about it by turning it back on him, knowing his own awkwardness would make him less observant.

“Everyone here? Hm? Want me to be more careful with you?”

He didn’t response, looking away again and grumbling something but it made you flush all the same. Somewhere in your soul, something ached. Something that would have to be drowned out with plenty of alcohol.

Thankfully, Alastor had extended an invitation.

It was already late when you and Al found yourselves back at Husk’s bar, having had dinner at Rosie’s before starting something akin to a ‘gentleman’s bar crawl’, combined with a wager concerning cruelty and blood, chasing down nasty little people in filthy alleys while getting more and more plastered.

You were especially proud of a display of blood and organs against a far wall in an alley, a sort of ‘exploded anatomical view illustration come to life’ that, once completed, Alastor gave you a small round of applause for, donning a wide grin. His attention and appreciation for your violence made you giddy and had you forgetting all you worries beneath layers of his approval and alcohol. He subsequently tore another victim expertly to shreds, under your enthusiastic approval, and the two of you laughed on the way back to the Hotel, having a little trouble walking a straight line, until you found yourselves sat and getting served more to drink by your familiar bartender.

Even Alastor was donning a flushing on his cheeks from the sheer amount of alcohol you had consumed together and the two of you were in stitches, laughing and joking at the bar under the concerned and disturbed look of Husk.

He reluctantly poured you both another drink when asked before corking it again.

“That’s the last one. I’m cuttin’ you both off.”

You pulled yourself back up by Alastor’s shoulder who let it happen with a distant little grin on his face.

“Aww why?”

Husk shook his head. You had something about you when you were this hammered. Perhaps because it reminded him of your first meeting. He thought it was kind of cute, all flushed and red, slurring your words a little. The fact that you and Al got along this well was both intriguing and disturbing to him. And perhaps a little rousing as well.

“Yes, Husker, why?”

Alastor aided you. He sounded chipper, not quite slurring his words but still clearly affected in how touchy he was allowing you to be and in his relaxed inflection. 

Husk side-eyed you both.

“‘Cause you’re drinkin’ me dry and I’m about to close the bar for the night.”

You groaned in protestation, again something Husk had to admit he thought was a little endearing.

“Allllll, tell him to stay. Keep your pet on a tighter leash.”

A rush when through Husk. ‘Pet’. He thought he’d be angry, the way he was when Alastor used the word, but he wasn’t. At all. Not even in this context. It did make his heart beat faster though and he wasn’t sure if that was nerves or arousal. Perhaps both.

Alastor hummed in response, entertained grin on his face as he looked Husk over.

“Hmmm, my pet, my dear? Or yours?”

Vaguely you registered your cheeks flushing and you focused your eyes on the demon clad in red with some difficulty. You didn’t even notice how Husk’s brain appeared to be fried inside his skull, steam rising up as he feverishly cleaned the glass in his hands, creating cracks in the smooth surface from the sheer amount of pressure.

“How’d you figure that?”

You frowned as you posed the question. Not really hiding anything, just wondering how Alastor, who didn’t seem particularly interested in Husk beyond his usefulness to him, would’ve noticed something like that. Or even understood the concept of pet-play.

“Ha! My good friend Husker here has a rather excellent poker face. You, my dear, do not possess the same gift, I’m afraid”

You stared at each other for a moment before you both started laughing again and Husk let out a breath. Fucking hell, the two of you would be the second death of him. He quickly took a big gulp of the bottle in his hand as he watched Alastor get up, finishing his drink, politely declaring that he was going to call it a night, kissing your hand, and walking off. His microphone staff spinning in his hand without effort as his whistling disappeared down the hallway.

You snickered to yourself, slowly sipping on the last bit of your drink, watching Husk throw away the damaged glass and clean up the bar.

When he caught your eye, he flushed again. Alastor knew. He knew the two of you were sleeping together. He doubted the radio demon fully understood the implication of the word ‘pet’ he had used, rather than just finding it fitting to describe the fact that you had some sort of hold over Husk but either way it left him feeling rather naked. Vulnerable. Exposed. And aroused.

“You always look so handsome behind the bar.”

He ignored your comment, instead pushing you back slightly as he ran his cloth over the surface of the bar and you could smell that same cleaning agent you had noted earlier that day. 

“Someone should suck you off behind it while you work.”

That stopped him, dead in his tracks. Trying his darndest to compose himself before his eyes found yours. His rapid heartbeat was back and he could feel his blood heating up from the way you were looking at him. He would be lying if he said he couldn’t use some outlet for his pent up feelings after that earlier display.

“You offerin’, doc?”

“Yeah… but only when there’s people around. I want to have you in my mouth, feel those barbs on my tongue, as you have to keep a straight face serving people their drinks. Do you think you’d be able to hold out if Al was sitting at the bar? or …. someone else perhaps?”

His cheeks turned red and he huffed, acting as though you were being annoying but unable to shake the visions of you on your knees, sucking him off, as he kept a poker face talking to Al. He didn’t want to do that with Angel. Angel was different, he wanted Angel to feel seen and respected. He wanted Al to feel the opposite and getting head as he was talking to him, it felt like the ultimate act of defiance. And then, when that monster in red had walked off, Husk would pull you up and fuck you on his bar. The thought made his mouth water. Somehow you always knew how to play these power games with him in a way that got him so hot.

He wanted to fuck you now but he would resist, no matter how you looked at him. Back when he had been an overlord he only cared about himself, his own needs and release. He wanted to be better than that, he had to be. You were drunk and besides that you had promised your bed to Angel tonight. He wasn’t about to let you forget that. No matter how inviting that grin was and how your suggestion had him feeling like there was static electricity building in his fur.

As though summoned, the doors to the Hotel opened and Angel walked in. Wide grin on his face, arms stretching in satisfaction, still slightly chuckling. He looked a mess. Bruised, battered, clothes torn and bloodied, but appearing content in a way that didn’t make Husk question it. Angel had his violent tendencies and he needed to let off steam sometimes. His girl buddy got his back for anything, but especially violent little escapades in the middle of the night while getting high as shit. 

He was indulging less and less though and Husk had to admit he was proud of him for that yet he wouldn’t judge him for the times he did get swayed. Living in Hell was living under a lot of stress. You needed to let off steam some way.

Angel took a quick look around, confirming that the lobby was otherwise empty before walking up and hugging you from behind, shooting Husk a big smile that made his heart pound.

“Heya whiskers, miss me?”

He turned his attention to you, pecking your cheek.

“Hey doc.”

“Hmm, hey.”

You welcomed his kiss, his lips brushing yours, his tongue pushing past briefly to tease and gently caressing yours before he pulled back. 

Husk’s cheeks were bright red and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. The two of you rarely got physical in front of him, usually because there were other people around and you were trying to keep a low profile. Watching you kiss like this though, so briefly yet filled with desire, your tongues slipping out to meet each other, it unleashed a tidal wave of desire and longing over him. What he wouldn’t give to be able to taste you both like that. If he could, he’d take the two wonderful creatures at his bar to his bed and would spend the rest of the night worshipping those bodies. 

“Mmm, absinthe.”

Angel remarked with a grin and you chuckled. Husk gave him a small nod, finally tearing his eyes away and commending himself on his restraint. He was glad he was standing behind the bar.

“You want a drink, kid?”

Your eyes snapped to the bartender.

“Hey, you said you were closing up!”

“Yeah, for you and Al.”

He grinned, watching your offence and Angel giggled. He enjoyed being here, with you and Husk. It felt right, just the three of you.

“Nah, Husky, I’m alright. Had plenty ta drink tonight so I think I’m cuttin’ myself off. And ya,”

He looked down at you and that goofy little grin that betrayed how much you had to drink.

“I think ya had enough too, doc. How’s about we showa and go ta bed, hm?”

“Yaaayyyyy~” 

You chuckled as you reached your arms up, allowing Angel to pull you off your seat and against him. Husk observed the interaction with a soft smile, exchanging a ‘goodnight’ and watching the two of you walk away, towards your room.

It was honestly a miracle that no one but him had figured it out now. The two of you weren’t exactly being stealthy. Then again, Charlie was fully convinced you were dating Alastor so clearly there were tiers to how observant people could be.

Husk let out a breath, putting the bottle down and gripping the edges of the bar. Fuck. This buried desire was going to fucking kill him. 

Your room was cold and so were you, even after the shower and getting into bed with Angel’s warm body next to you. You huddled in closer, into his long, droopy arms, against his sleepy frame. He wasn’t asleep yet but he was clearly tuckered out and he let out a soft laugh as he felt you scooch in closer.

“Fuck, ya are cold, babe.”

His arms came around you, pulling you against him and you breathed in the scent on his skin. Soap and Angel Dust. The person, not the drug. You loved the way he smelled and though you wouldn’t admit to it, the warm, comforting smells of him and Husk were what had you sleeping a lot easier these days. Warm bodies with soft fur to bury your face in, inhaling their essence, the good and the bad. Yeah, you slept like a baby recently in Angel’s arms and if you ever spent a full night with Husk, you probably would with him too. 

You looked up in the dark, at Angel’s soft features. His light skin almost glowing in the dim light streaming in from outside. He looked beautiful and when he returned your gaze you swallowed, feeling your cheeks heat up.

“What’s wrong, toots?”

“N-nothing…. you’re just so nice and warm, starlight.”

A soft giggle, his breath on your face, and then his lips against yours. Gentle, exploratory, one of his hands reaching up and taking hold of your chin as he opened his mouth. Careful licks of his tongue, brushing against yours, slowly and filled with care as he drank in the taste of you. Such a quiet comfort in this bed together, like this was your whole world. It did feel like that sometimes, that everything else just faded away to the background when you were together like this.

At times he needed you to rail him to be able to let go of the stress or the pain but other times, like right now, your proximity was enough. No thoughts, no worries, for either of you. Just slow kisses and shared body heat.

Your hand reached around him, softly landing on his lower back, holding him close to you. He smiled into the kiss, nibbling on your lower lip, making you chuckle. 

You got lost to him like this. He was warm, and safe, and sweet, and dangerous, and violent. He was so many things to you, made you feel so many things. During the day, when you thought about it with an unclouded mind, it worried you. But when you were with him, it all felt so natural, so easy.

A small gasp escaped you as his tongue pushed in deeper and you felt him stir against you. 

You continued to make out like this for a bit, you noticed your heartbeat pick up as time went on, the way he kissed you feeling more and more rousing. The manner in which you desired him was hard to put into words. It made the sex feel transcendent because it was about more than sweaty bodies and shattering orgasms. Not that you could truly admit that. But you could feel now, through your drunken haze, how much you craved this man. In any way you could have him. Fuck, he drove you insane.

Eventually, you broke apart and you looked up at him with a smile but immediately noted that he didn’t reciprocate. Instead, he was donning a contemplative expression and he sighed before taking a deep breath, as though he was preparing for something, smiling, and pressing his lips to yours again, more determined this time yet not quite passionate and definitely not entirely convincing.

You reached up, taking hold of his shoulders and using a little bit of pressure to coax him back. His breathing had picked up, like yours, but something was off.

“Hey, what just happened?”

He smiled, a soft, warm smile.

“Nothin’ babe, it’s okay, we can have sex.”

He kissed you once more but you, again, created some distance.

“Starlight, wait, what is happening? What are you doing?”

His smile didn’t falter.

“I mean it, it’s okay. I’m okay. Just be gentle, yeah? Ya are clearly gettin’ a bit riled and kissin’ ya has me hard already anyway so we can do it.”

Your heart sank.

“Oh, starlight…”

You whispered and you watched his expression turn to confusion. He was genuinely okay with just having sex right now. It wasn’t what he originally wanted but you were getting heated and he should do something about that, that was his job after all. The thing he could do to communicate he cared. Besides, he liked you and he liked fucking you. A lot. It was really no bother but upon seeing your worried frown in the darkness of the room, he felt a little bit of a knot in his stomach. Why weren’t you just accepting this? Didn’t you like him anymore? Had the spark faded?

“Doc, what’s wrong? Ya… don’t wanna fuck me? Did I read it wrong?”

Doubt settled into his stomach. You told him he was a good judge of people but had he misjudged the situation? Perhaps you weren’t right about him after all.

You shook your head, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips but not allowing him to opportunity to kiss you back and pull you in again.

“No, no you read it correctly. You’re wonderful, you smell amazing, your kisses set my brain on fire and I’m still a little drunk and the ways in which I want you should be concerning to the church.”

That forced a little chuckle out of him, though it didn’t relieve his doubts.

“Okay… so what’s the problem?”

“You don’t want to.”

“No.. no I do, it’s fine.”

“‘It’s fine’ is not enthusiastic consent, starlight, it’s surrender. Look, it took me a long time to learn this and I still struggle with it sometimes but just because I’m horny and you’re hard doesn’t mean we have to fuck.”

“What… d’ya mean?”

He sounded genuinely confused and you cupped his face in your hand, running your thumb over his cheek, looking into those wonderful, big, puzzled eyes of his, trying to organise your thoughts through your alcohol clouded brain.

“I understand, feeling like you owe someone your body and your consent. Like, you have to because else you’re turning them down and what if they don’t want you anymore if you do? Or what if they don’t listen to your refusal? Just saying ‘yes’ is easier than having a ‘no’ ignored. It’s a way to protect yourself. But you will learn that there are no repercussions for saying ‘no’ to me. Worst case I’d have to get myself off. I think I’ll survive that. And that is not even the case now. I don’t mind, baby. At all.”

You pulled him in closer and kissed his forehead as he closed his eyes. Feeling the sensations of being seen and having his body respected wash over him, tears stinging in the corners of his eyes and a gentle, hesitant smile curving his lips. His arms around you pulling you in tighter, holding you close to him. His erection ignored and safe between you. Your desire being transposed to gentle touches and caring hugs, finally feeling the last bit of the cold leave your body in his tight embrace.

“And I’ll prove that to you, as many times as it takes.”

Chapter Text

He didn’t make a sound as he sat there, the light flushing of his face the only indication to what was happening at all.

Vox eyed you with a contemplative look, edge of his screen resting in his palm, elbow on one armrest of his chair in his surveillance room, you seated on the other, your hand down his trousers, moving it leisurely as you swirled your drink around in your other hand. 

The handjob he was receiving was okay, not your best work but he didn’t mind some sloppy action amidst all the chaos of his day-to-day. What he did mind was that it was because you were distracted. He had noticed you had become less committed, less interested in what was happening at the tower. Something was gnawing at you and if he had you under a fucking soul contract that wouldn’t worry him like it was now. Then he could just push you around, use you as he saw fit, demand your full attention. He also had not yet uncovered the dirt on you he had been looking for. He was making slow progress though, piecing together parts of your life before through meticulous networking and digging but he hadn’t found the one thing that could make him force you back in line in lieu of a soul contract and it was too early to reveal what he did have. He didn’t know what he was looking for yet, he just knew he’d recognise it if he found it. But as of yet, his cyan claws remained void of leverage. No, as things stood now, if he wanted to keep you (and he did) he had to get you invested.

“Alright, stop.”

You glanced at him, halting your stroking of his cock and the swirling of your drink at the same time.

“What’s wrong?”

“You tell me.”

His glance was direct but not harsh, more inquisitive and a little reserved. 

“Oh, you want to talk now?”

You grinned at him, teasingly running your hand up his shaft once more but he took hold of your wrist, determined but not painfully so. You let him coax your hand out of his trousers and watched him zip them back up while you cleaned off your hand with a tissue, wondering what was up with him today. Your glass now stood forgotten on the control panel behind you.

When he was done he looked up at you again, resuming his previous position and reaching up towards you, grabbing your arm and gently guiding you to come off the armrest and take a seat in his lap. Curious as to where this was headed, you obliged.

Once seated, he just stared at you for a bit, not releasing you from his grasp and you returned his glance. 

“You’ve been distracted.”

“Oh?”

It was all you could say. You knew it was true. The weird part was that you didn’t really want to be. Despite your mixed feelings about your ongoing deal with the overlord of tech, you did like spending time with him. You enjoyed sleeping with him. You liked the way he could take you, roughly and verging on cruel, and juxtapose that with his adorable, silly side when confronted with his hyper fixation. The switching of power dynamics from him railing you and wanting you to be his perfect submissive side piece to you tying him up and degrading him as you fucked him. You liked talking to him. Even if he was a self-absorbed, arrogant asshole with strong manipulative tendencies that complimented those of his ‘business partners’ very well. He would make for a very entertaining client but in its very core, you just enjoyed him. The more you got to know him, despite his best efforts not to let you, the more you found to like. Which, admittedly, was dangerous. 

But these days you couldn’t turn off your thoughts about the Hotel like you could before. The worries about what this deal could mean for your position there, for your relationship to Angel and Husk, and the others, it was becoming more than you could ignore. And, apparently, he had started to notice. Would he still want to fuck you if you wouldn’t report to him anymore? Probably not, the whole appeal of you was your connection to Alastor. Part of you even suspected that he thought of the radio demon while he was fucking you. Either imagining him having sex with his nemesis directly or just relishing in the power that came through fucking someone Alastor held dear without his knowledge.

“Don’t fucking ‘oh’, me.”

He sounded annoyed, following it up with a sigh and conjuring a smile that looked a lot more caring that you were used to from him. It felt forced though.

“Just…. what’s on your mind?”

You scoffed.

“Jesus, Vox, really? You want to know what’s going on in my day-to-day?”

His smile didn’t falter, the hand around your arm going slightly lax and his thumb started gently rubbing your skin through the fabric of the shirt you were wearing.

“Come on, baby. What’s wrong? Is it about Val asking you to perform for him? Because you don’t have to, you’re mine, not his. Not unless I say so.”

You sighed, pondering your options. Might as well test the waters, now that he was asking you so straight forward.

“I think we may have to revisit our deal.”

Slowly, your eyes found his, anticipating his anger, his outburst. His connection to Alastor was important to him after all but you didn’t get any of that. Instead, he just frowned.

“Why? I pay you enough, don’t I?”

You shrugged.

“Sure, but what Al pays me for my job at the Hotel is plenty already.”

This did agitate him. Electricity, unintentionally, seeping through his hold on you. Just enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“What? He pays you and he fucks you? Is that included in your fee? Seems a bit fucking weird if he claims to be dating you.”

You had to do a double take and could barely suppress a chuckle at the sight of his pouty face. Was that really what was pissing him off right now?

“Vox…. you pay and fuck me.”

His eyes shot up towards you and he scowled.

“You initiated that part of our interactions. I would like to remind you that I didn’t hire you for that.”

“Who says I didn’t initiate things with Al once he hired me? You’re assuming paying for sex is part of our deal and that he was the one who initiated it. Lots of assumptions there, boss.”

His mouth turned into a snarl. The topic of Alastor was always a touchy one, simply because Vox clearly had some tremendous inferiority issues surrounding the demon in red. 

“Fuck, fine. So it’s not about the money? Is it about the drugs, or does Alastor also provide those?”

Your silent grin made him groan. Fuck that fucking piece of deer trash. His eyes found yours again and your smile faded. He narrowed his gaze. Something was clearly bothering you and if it wasn’t the drugs or the money, two things he had an abundance of, he didn’t like where this was headed.

“No it’s….. I think my position at the Hotel is becoming … compromised. Maybe we should stop with me reporting to you.”

His eyes narrowed further, lips a tight line as he thought and observed.

“What, you think they’re onto you?”

You shrugged, not looking him in the eye.

“Not yet, but I’m getting a bad feeling about it and it’s not like I have much of interest to report. Like, has any of it even been useful to you? You’ve seen what a chaos show it is over there. I doubt you’d be missing much without my reports.”

Skating around the truth, as always.

His claw around your arm tightened again, not much but just enough to betray how he felt about your statement. It was true that the reports didn’t do much for his understanding of the Hotel. He didn’t even care about that crappy building and the other idiots residing there. It was exactly the hot mess he had hoped it’d be and though he got plenty of enjoyment out of hearing how Alastor was tied to a project that clearly wasn’t going anywhere, it wasn’t anything he couldn’t have been picking up with his own brand new voyeur scopes. Truth was that he could probably do without the reports. The one thing he didn’t want to lose out on was fucking you. It got him far too fucking riled that he was pounding Alastor’s little piece without him knowing about it. Fuck, that thought kept him up at night sometimes, excitement sparking across his skin, wondering what his reaction would be if Al ever found out. 

But giving into one request only opened the floodgates for more. He didn’t want you to start distancing yourself because that would allow you to slip from his grasp. He needed to keep you on a tight leash, until he could replace that with something you couldn’t take off anymore. Plus, the reports made it so you had to keep coming back to him and it would be a lie to say he didn’t look forward to those moments every time. But, at the same time, you needed to think that he was willing to give you space. Good control was all about push and pull, he knew that better than most. Pulling too tightly too fast could result in you getting away entirely. 

“Hmm…. you just want to stop reporting to me? Or do you want to stop…. all contact?”

The way he said it made it clear what the safer answer was in this case. What he wanted you to say. Luckily for you, that response was also the truthful one.

“Just the reports…. ”

“What? You’re not worried about Alastor finding out we’re fucking but you are worried about those stupid reports? What exactly is your arrangement with him?”

“Hah, as if that’s any of your business.”

He growled, trying to stay composed. He didn’t like that you felt comfortable talking to him like that and his hand on your arm finally let go, reaching up further and taking hold of your chin.

“Careful.”

His grip felt sharp, piercing, even though his claw wasn’t digging in. It was the way he was looking at you. His left eye wasn’t doing it’s pattern but he was on the verge. You got the impression he couldn’t quite control it when his emotions started to bubble over. It was cute, in a way, how he felt this need to project control while really being so volatile. 

You smiled at him and he flushed, quickly swallowing and conjuring his big grin again.

“Alright, how about this, sweetheart: I’ll give you a little bonus, some stash to get you through your thought process, you go back to that crappy hotel and Alastor’s mediocre dick and think on it for a few days, hm? No strings attached. And then we revisit this conversation.”

It was obvious to you that this was a false offer. He didn’t want to let you out of this deal yet part of you desperately wanted to believe it could be that easy. Besides, turning this down now and standing your ground would not work out in your favour either so you just nodded, feeling a little rush at the satisfied grin on his screen.

“There’s a good pet. Now, how about we make you forget your silly little worries, hm? Show you why you want to be here.”