Hell Frozen Night

-2-

"Good morning."

Angel had his eyes closed, yet somehow, Alastor knew he was awake. They had stayed in the same position they had slept in the previous night, their arms still wrapped around one another. Opening his eyes to the voice that called to him, he didn't expect to be so close to the source. One thing that struck Angel when he first met the radio demon were his eyes. They were so big, wide, and the redness of them stared into the depths of whoever he looked at. It had always intimidated Angel. Every single time his advances were rejected, he was met with that gaze. At this moment in time, he was again entranced, but not by fear. His heart throbbed like a harp's chord; a gentle pluck that sent waves throughout his body. This look was different.

"Good morning." Angel replied and dared to move, his hands moving to Alastor's waist. Understandably, the deer squirmed, pupils shrinking in alertness. His shoulders came up, and he was still. But he relaxed as the spider found what he was looking for: his hands. Their fingers linked with one another. Stunning Angel, Alastor seemed to blush at this, his pupils dashing off to one side. Amusement danced across Angel's features, opposing the other's slightly annoyed pout as the radio demon noticed the teasing smirk.

"You are so..." Alastor began, but the last half of the sentence was forgotten. He rose from his blanket and looked the other way towards the window. It was still cold, the ice and white from outside obscuring everything. Their hands separated.

"I'm so what?" Angel inquired, crawling to slink his four arms around the deer's torso. Again, Alastor became rigid, ears flicking up. The spider's previous amusement turned into a soft giggle.

"It's... nothing." Turning around, Angel looked to be surprised yet again.

Alastor tilted his head slightly. "What is it?"

"...you're smiling."

"But, I'm always smiling."

Angel shook his head. "No. It's... different."

Looking at the spider, his smile seemed to shift a little as if he was unsure of himself. "Well... all I can say is, I'm fully dressed right now. Certainly." Alastor left the room promptly, not waiting for a response. Angel's eyes tracked him until he left the room, closing the door. Behind the door, the deer laid his back against the frame. A hand moving up to his chest, he took a few deep breaths, finding this fluttering sensation within him. Pleasant, yet it was a feeling that yearned, aching like an itch waiting to be scratched. He started down the hallway. His grin closed into a simple, small smile, hand still over his trembling heart.

"Perhaps..."

----------

Angel left the room a little later, his mind still frazzled from everything that had happened the past night. It was so strange to see Alastor act this way, the affections they shared with each other coming out of nowhere. It was as if this was all a dream. The cold had made them bond so intimately; or at least, Angel hoped that's what it was. Doubts formed in his head though as he recalled what the radio demon had told him. 'I'm doing this purely to stay warm.' Even with this doubt, he couldn't help but be excited, an extra spring in his step as he practically danced his way to the lobby. Doing a spin as he sat, he was blooming like a flower in spring. While Charlie and Vaggie seemed to be pretty happy, Husk was not amused, bags under his eyes as he held a mug of coffee.

"Well, aren't you the bright whippersnapper today." Husk sounded like an undertaker who just got finished with their shift.

"Yep! Slept really, really well last night." Angel couldn't keep himself from grinning, his cheeks flushing as he replayed the scenes in his head again. "The best sleep I've ever had, really!"