~~Part 1: Bashful Buck~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What did she give you?" The deer asked, walking side by side with you as you made your way back to the hotel.
"Nunya." You answered.
"Beg your pardon?" He wondered.
"Sorry." You chuckled slyly. "That's short for nunya business."
"Y/n?"
"Yeees?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a smartass?" He asked with a smirk.
"Only throughout my whole life. But I'd rather be a smartass than a dumbass." You hummed, pulling the small pair of gloves out of the box and put them on. Funnily enough, they fit almost like they were made for you. The soft material hugging your hands perfectly as they came up just to the wrist. You discarded the box and pulled a cigarette from your pocket and placed it to your lips. "Also, watch your mouth." You teased.
"I didn't know you smoke?" He inquired. Choosing to verbally ignore the gloves, despite his insatiable curiosity, instead just making a mental note to bring it up later. He sparked his thumb and index talons together, scratching them as if his thumb was a match and lit the stoge for you. "Allow me. I'm a little surprised, seeing as you pride yourself on athletic abilities. Such a habit would hinder that sort of work."
"Yeahh, not my most proud quality." You admitted, taking a deep drag and blowing the smoke away from him. "Plus they taste terrible."
"Then why do it?"
You shrugged. "Well when I was alive it was always around me. Almost everyone that I grew up around did it. One day when I was a teenager I decided to fool around and try it myself, and, I just never put it down since. Now I guess I keep doing it because, well, I'm dead anyway and I still crave it."
"Fair enough." He shrugged. "When I started, it was quite a fad. Of course, that was back before we knew how bad they were. They even advertised them as a dietary aid."
"Right." You nodded. "Have you heard about the electronic cigarettes they make now?"
"Elec- what? How? What?" He asked. Bewilderment clear as an un-muddied lake as he tried to grasp the concept of what that was without any additional context.
"They're rechargeable gadgets that have nicotine infused oil in them which turns to a sort of vapor when inhaled." You explained. "A lot of them have funky flavors too. They were meant to be a stepping stone to quitting smoking, since they just have the nicotine and not all the other shit cigarettes have. Buuuut instead, they largely became a vice in themself."
"Interesting." He hummed with intrigue. "I see how that could be a useful alternative if used correctly, however."
"Sounds good in theory." You nodded. "Till you're really hungry and think you smell something delicious. Turn around, and it's just fuckin' Brad and his ferocious strawberry-cheesecake vape cloud of lies."
He chuckled and shook his head. "Any plans for the evening, my dear?" He asked, steering the subject back to you.
"Training Angel. After that, I don't know. Maybe mess around and try and come up with a new routine for future performances."
"You really taken a liking to that fellow, haven't you?"
You shrugged, rolling your shoulder forward. Inhaling once more of the toxic smoke before removing the cig from your mouth. Holding it at your side as you walked along. "He's alright. He's been kind so far."
"Him and Husk." He added. "Who's definitely sweet on you, if you couldn't tell."
"Yeah I kinda figured. Jealous of who I spend my time with, dear?" You teased. Smirking subtly as very faint peachy pink blush had dusted his cheeks and nose; despite him displaying an almost seamless mask of neutrality.
"I just don't quite understand why you would spend time with such loathsome sinners, when you could be around someone more intellectually stimulating." He reasoned, straightening out the lapels of his coat.
"Like yourself?" You hummed, noting the air of superiority he emitted. "Just say you don't like sharing the pretty girl with the other guys."
"That's not true-"
"So you don't think I'm pretty?"
"No, my dear I think you're very pretty- wait."
Hah. Got ya. You thought with a smug grin. "What's the matter?" You asked.
He stammered -well, glitched, really- in response. Perhaps blushing a tad harder despite trying to suppress it. For once, at a bit of a loss for words. This did not go unnoticed by you.
"Alastor?" You chuckled, pausing your stride and taking another drag. Smoke pooled from the corners of your mouth as he stopped as well and turned to look at you. His smile ever present, however tight and clearly disingenuous. His eyes wide with curiosity. "Do I make you nervous?"
He cleared his throat and shook his head as if the action was enough to make him snap back to his normal, collected self. "Why would you ask such a preposterous question?"
"Because your face is almost as red as your coat, and you're suddenly as quiet as a mouse." You pried, taking a step closer to him. A soft, wicked grin forming on your face as he took a step back toward the building you both stood beside.
"You're putting me on the spot, my dear." He chuckled nervously. Trying to maintain decorum. The truth, is he was nervous. And it frustrated him to not know why he felt that way. Yet curious all the same, wondering what your next move of action would be.
"You know... You're kinda cute when you're all flustered." You teased, taking another step. Amused as he had backed himself into the building as you stood no more than a mere foot away from him. Your eyes seemed to sparkle as they peered into his. From this close you could see the vast assortment of red in his eyes, they were more intricately colored than you initially thought. Even noticing a few flecks of orange and gold within his irises.
You took in his shying state one last time before taking a final drag of the cancerous smoke; offering him a shrug with a suddenly bored expression as you flicked the cigarette butt onto the sidewalk. Turning on your heels to keep on walking. "What a shame that you're kind of a prick."
Alastor blinked owlishly for a second, feeling the heat slowly dissipate from his cheeks as he regained a sense of composure and began waking next to you. Disregarding your little insult at the end of your flirtatious display. He didn't realize it until just now, but you actually managed to get his heart-rate up a little bit. How or why, he couldn't quite fathom. Shirking away the possibilities of his wonders he looked down at you.
"For someone who's never entertained another man you certainly know how to make one flustered." He admitted, grumbling a little.
"I never said I've never entertained another man." You said simply, eyes looking straight ahead of you. "Just that I don't do it anymore. I've tried romance, it was fun but, I don't think it's for me."
"There's a story there," he hummed with a sense of intrigue. You smiled and finally looked up at him, meeting his gaze. A glimmer in your eyes that dissipated as quickly as he noticed it, but it was there. "Isn't there?" He asked.
"That, there is." You nodded. "But it's not a story for you to read."
"I'm very intrigued." He pried.
You shrugged again. "Get used to disappointment."
~~Part 2: Somber Spider~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Angel~! Yooo-hoooo!" You sang out in an obnoxiously high falsetto -that was most definitely not within your vocal range. You skipped lightly down the hall where the arachnids room was, your claws lightly tracing the wall next to you as you went along your merry way.
You and Alastor had returned to the hotel a smidge later than you thought, by the time you'd arrived you found out Angel had already returned from work. Surprised, having checked the auditorium first and expecting to see him already there waiting for you, he wasn't there. Curiously you skulked off to find him.
Reaching his door you raised your hand and knocked to the rhythm 'shave and a haircut, two bits!'. You waited patiently, shifting your weight back and forth from your toes to your heels as you stood there.
"Hey stud-muffin, you in there?" You called out with a soft smirk.
"Go away..." you heard his voice say. A sniffle following his dismal words. You frowned a little, furrowing your brows.
"Mmmm. No." You said. "Also I'm wearing your hoodie, I thought you may want it back. Why do you want me to go away?"
"I'm not in the mood." He said a little louder. "Just... Leave me alone for a bit... Sorry..."
"Wanna talk about it?" You offered softly. Expressions of concern and compassion beginning to carve their way onto your face. Hearing nothing but mere quiet shuffling on the other side of the door, you sighed and leaned back against it. Staring at the wall on the opposite side.
Angel took note that he never heard your footsteps walking away, and could see the shadow of your feet through the light under the door. You heard him sigh. "I had a rough day at work." He answered with a small huff. Carefully wiping a stray tear from his cheek, wincing as he grazed against the fresh purple bruise beneath his eye.
"Talking might help you feel better." You pried.
"Talking won't do shit." He said bitterly.
"If you don't wanna talk about it, would you like to hear about my day?" You offered. "Could help distract you for a few minutes having something else to think about, and at least you wouldn't be alone with your thoughts for a couple minutes."
"Why do you care?" You heard him ask, his tone much softer now. You could hear him biting back his emotions through the strain in his voice, you felt kinda bad for him.
"You've been there for me." You answered simply. "That's what friends do, right? They're there for each other?"
He stayed quiet for a few seconds, reeling over your offer.
"I can't promise that I can help or give solid advice," you admitted. "I wanna at least be there for you so you aren't alone. It's what you've done for me. But if you truly just want to be alone right now, I won't disrespect your boundary. My door's open for you if you change your mind."
You said your piece and were willing to leave it at that. Adjusting the strings on the hoodie you were about to walk away and go find something else to do; but the sound of the door opening behind you stopped you in your tracks. Your heart ached a little when you saw the fluffy white arachnid looking very distraught as he opened the door. His one eye seemingly stuck in a permanent squint as his bruised and swollen cheek prevented the lid from opening completely. Actually, he was almost littered with bruises; with a few deep scratches and cuts along his neck and shoulder to add to it.
"Aww man..." you murmured dismally. Taking in the sight of your battered friend before you. You stepped through the doorway and gently hugged him, being very careful not to agitate his very sore body as you did so. Angel Dust stood there letting you hug him, before shutting the door behind you and wrapping his four arms around you in a tight embrace.
"It's alright." You said. Feeling sympathetic as he rest his cheek on the top of your head and begun to weep as he hugged you close. "Let it out, it's okay."
Each shakey inhale felt like hell as his lungs expanded within his heavily bruised ribs; hurting just as awful as his body forced out gentle cries.
"You're safe with me." You whispered.
That seemed to spark something within him. He nodded as he tried to stifle his tears. The emotional dam still wracking his tall and agile frame as he finally let go of you and wiped away his tears again. Looking up at the ceiling as he tried to compose himself.
"My boss is a fucking asshole." He grumbled bitterly.
"Really seems like it." You nodded. "Is he the one who did this to you?"
He nodded, sniffling as he turned and walked back over to his bed. Fat Nuggets trotting up to him in efforts to help console him as well.
"Sounds like a real charmer." You affirmed. "I'm sorry this happened to you..."
"I'm used to it..." he said numbly.
"But you shouldn't be."
"I signed up for it," he shrugged. More tears streaming down his face as he stared off at the floor, reaching a hand up to scratch the little piggy's head. You sauntered over and sat down beside him, sitting with your legs criss crossed and your hands in your lap as you just listened to him.
"Today one of my clients didn't pay... They received my services and then they dashed. Val didn't like that, and he made it my problem..." he explained.
"Beating the piss out of you isn't going to get him his money." You protested with disgust.
"No but it made him feel better." He said with a loud eye-roll. "He didn't just stop there anyway, he wanted some gratification before he was done..."
"He... used... you?" You winced.
He nodded. Covering his face in his first pair hands while the other set wrapped around his own waist; hugging himself as a form of self comfort while he silently cried.
"My jaw still hurts from that fucker..." he sniffled. "He just pried my mouth open and..."
"Angel I'm so sorry..." you whispered, reaching over to hug him. Resting your head on his shoulder while you held him close. "You don't deserve this. It's not your fault. He's a fucking pig."
Oink! Fat Nuggets angrily snorted.
"Sorry, apparently that's offensive to the actual pig." You chuckled gently. Angel stifling a short laugh as he sat there. "He's right, Val seems more like a rat. No, a flea on a rat. A nasty little flea carrying the plague."
"There you go." Angel nodded with a gentle smile. "I just wish I didn't have to deal with him, ya know? That's why I let Charlie use me as her guinea-pig for this whole redemption idea... I don't... I don't wanna let him do this to me anymore... but I'm not safe from him anywhere, not unless I'm in heaven..."
"You can't quit?" You wondered, freeing him from your gentle embrace and looking over at him.
He shook his head, lowering his hands and revealing his puffy face. "He'd just as soon have me erased if I tried." He answered. "He's got eyes everywhere, so I can't hide well either."
"What if something happened to Val? What would come of you then?"
"Vox would probably take over for a while until they figure something out. He's about the same as Val."
"Sheesh." You sighed. "Angel, I'm really rooting for you."
"You don't mean that."
"Of course I do." You protested.
"I'm nothing but a worthless sinner whose sole purpose is to satisfy others... Why do you care?"
"Because I believe you're more than just that. And I think you do too, otherwise you wouldn't be in this hotel right now." You said with certainty. "Sure, try and play it off and say how it's just a room and three hot meals to you. Nothing more. But deep down, I know you want better for yourself. And you deserve that. Even if you're convinced that you don't."
He smiled meekly and looked over at you. "Thanks for giving a crap about me, toots."
You smiled back gently at him. "Glad I didn't leave you alone, now?"
He chuckled almost inaudibly and nodded. "So, how was your day? Since you brought it up."
"Had lunch with the radio demon." You started.
"Still hanging out with deer-daddy, huh?" He hummed, shaking his head.
"I made him blush today." You smirked.
His eyes widened. "You made him blush?"
"Should I be proud or worried? I can't tell."
"How the fuck did you do that?" He wondered, disregarding your question. "You made the strawberry pimp blush, I should be taking notes right now..."
"I got him to admit that he thought I was pretty, then I told him he was cute when he gets flustered."
"I bet he does think you're pretty, I seen how he looks at ya when you're not paying attention." He said.
"How, like a hungry animal stalking a meal?" You asked sarcastically. Not at all trying to hide your lingering distaste for how you met him.
"Yeah, but, not like how you mean it." He snickered. "I swear, he's eye-fucked you at least a dozen times by now."
"No fuckin' way." You blushed. "Nuh uh. I don't believe you."
"Believe it toots," he insisted. "Might explain why he's so keen on keeping you around all the time."
"I doubt that I'm more than just a play-thing for his amusement." You dismissed. "Probably just wants to see me suffer from up-close, same reason why he's helping with the hotel. To watch people fail."
"Maybe." He shrugged. "But he could just wear you down on his own if he really felt that way, instead of being so kind to you."
"Maybe it's a long-con and the kindness is a facade."
"Ehhh." He tsked. "My gut says otherwise."
You shrugged.
"Well I guess we'll just have to see for ourselves, won't we?"