Chapter Text
Sometimes I feel I've got to
Run away, I've got to
Get away from the pain you
Drive into the heart of me
So I remember this one time back in college, I was sitting alone under a tree, studying. There had been a storm the night before, and some branches had been shaken loose. But it was my favorite tree on the campus, so I didn't care.
Anyways, the wind picked up and one of the biggest branches came plummeting toward me. I remember getting slugged in the gut by adrenaline, I remember running faster than I ever had before, and I remember thinking afterward… I could've died.
I was taken back to that moment as pieces of the ceiling came raining down around me.
“CHRIST–” I covered my head with my hands, coughing out smoke and dust. Distantly I felt Angel toss himself over me, shielding me from the debris. His arms were warm. Tight. I stayed still, heart hammering, as noise started rising from the guards.
The wasp nest had been stirred.
Then there was a THUNK right beside us.
“Legs!” I recognized Husk's voice and my eyes shot open. The old cat was crouching down to help me and Angel up. “Thank fuck!”
I clung to Angel and somehow managed to get to my feet. Husk pushed us both behind him and raised a gun, pointing it out at the guards.
“Great ta finally see ya, Whiskers!” Angel quipped. “Jus’ peachy! But uh… say, ya didn't happen ta bring us any extra firepower, didya?”
Husk smirked, just barely. “You know, Angel, the funny thing about that is–”
“SUCK IT, MOTHAFUCKERS!” Another voice cackled over the shouting of the guards. “ALL YOUR CAREERS ARE BOUTTA GO UP IN SMOKE! TAAAKE THIS!”
KA-BOOM! The far corner of the room exploded. Everyone got down, including us on the stage.
My eyes got wide. “Is that… Cherri?”
Angel whooped with laughter. “Nawh! AIN'T NO FUCKIN’ WAY!”
“Way.” Husk chuckled. “Let's just say… some extra firepower brought itself.”
And with another thunk, a tall, scary-looking girl dropped from the hole in the ceiling. She had one eye, a huge pink ponytail, and a manic grin full of teeth sharper than knives. She was also holding three literal bombs.
Big surprise, she looked like Harley freaking Quinn on steroids.
“ANGIEEE!” she squealed, tackle-hugging Angel. “What is UP, my bitch! Good to see you've still got all your parts attached! I fucking SWEAR, you've gotta stop getting yourself into so much trouble.”
Angel flashed her a mischievous smile. “An’ throw dirt on my reputation? I don't think so, dollface.”
“I think a little dirt on your reputation is betta than six feet of it above your head!” Cherri shot back. Then she gave me a huge, crazy grin. “And YOU! Nice to finally see your face in person, del Toro!”
“Uh… same here.” Her face was kinda distracting me. “How did you know we were here?”
Husk laughed darkly. “She didn't. This crazy bitch showed up outta nowhere while I was picking off the guards. Almost blew me up, too, until I told her I was a friend of Angel's.” He gave Angel a stern look. “Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend, Legs?”
“Well, I didn't see nobody askin’,” Angel said with a toss of his hair. “‘Sides, a professional neva reveals his-”
BANG BANG BANG.
Cherri dropped and rolled as one of the guards finally opened fire on her. Omar. He was the only one who'd managed to pull himself together.
Husk raised his gun and fired back, pushing me and Angel back towards the chute.
“Guys, what the fuck?!” Omar yelled at the other guards. “They're getting AWAY! Weapons! WEAPONS, everyone–!”
I peered around Angel's shoulder just in time to see Kye absolutely throw himself on this dude. And not in a sex-like way. In a professional wrestler way. I watched them roll around on the floor in a mad struggle, clawing at each other, until Kye ripped the gun out of his hand and ended up on top of him.
“Kyrone,” Omar gasped, trying to get up, “my man, what the fuck–?”
Kye slammed the butt of the gun into his face. I winced and looked away, but I heard the impact like three or four times. The sound of bones crunching made me sick to my stomach.
“I ain't YOUR anything, bitch,” Kye snarled, shoving the barrel under Omar's chin. “And that's JUST Kye to you!”
Omar spat out blood, gasping for air. “W-wait, what…? WHY?”
Kye cocked the gun. “Think about it, smart guy. Think back to the fourteen-year-old you fucked on the regular when you were twice his fucking age.”
SMACK! He slapped Omar across the face.
“Think about the money you offered the Doctor to try and take that kid away!”
SMACK!
“Try thinking about ANY of that shit for one FUCKING second!”
The gun shook like a leaf in Kye's grip. I watched his finger press over the trigger.
“W-Wait,” Omar wheezed, kicking wildly. “You can't fucking blame me for that shit! Wasn't that what you WANTED, you slut–?!”
Rage lit Kye's face up like a match, and he punched the dude in the teeth. Over and over.
“NOBODY EVER FUCKING ASKED ME!” he shouted, eyes wild. “YOU THINK I LIKED BEING A SEX TOY? Dead FUCKING WRONG–”
BANG! Another guard shot, and I watched blood spray from Kye's shoulder. The incubus shrieked and fell backward, thrashing in pain.
My heart skipped several beats.
“Kye!” I cried, ripping away from Angel.
“Toots, NO!”
I felt him grab onto my shirt but I pulled away, jumping off the stage. The impact hurt my knees but I still hit the ground running, shoving guards out of my way, stumbling blindly through a cloud of chaos and half-raised guns and shouts of “that's the kid! Don't shoot!–”
I reached Omar just as he was about to grab his gun and snatched it up instead, swinging it into his eye.
“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” I snapped.
Omar collapsed, out cold.
I struggled to hold the gun right and pointed it up… only to find myself smack in the middle of a dozen weapons. Aimed at me.
I could just see God slapping Himself on the forehead.
“Drop it, kid,” one guard barked, clicking off his safety. “These bullets won't kill the likes of you, but they'll sure hurt like fuck.”
My hands trembled as I looked around. There were way too many of them, and I had no idea how to use a gun… and even if I were some kind of sharpshooter, there was no way I could take all of them out. Not before at least five of them lit into my fragile little body.
I dropped the gun and raised my hands.
“It's… whatever, okay?” I whispered. “Just don't hurt Kye. He hates being hurt.”
“Fuck nah!” Angel yelled from the stage. “Cherri, cantcha do somethin’?!”
Clicks echoed across the room– all the safeties switching off.
“Make one fucking move and Del Toro's gonna be dela-fucking-cotta,” a guard snapped. “Don't try us.”
All three of them froze.
Kye groaned and struggled to sit up, dark blood dripping down his arm. “Nolan, you absolute fucking dumbass… the fuck are you doing?”
“Trying to save you.”
“Oh, how fucking noble! And now we're BOTH stuck! Great job–”
“Great job, indeed.”
His words dried up and blew away like ashes. I felt fear twist in my chest as faint clapping echoed from the far side of the room, a pair of yellow eyes opening in the dark hall beyond.
“I must say,” the Doctor chuckled, stepping into the room, “I didn't expect you all to make this quite so easy for me. I suppose safety in numbers only goes so far.”
The guy approached us slowly, like a shadow stretching across the room. Angel bared his teeth and lunged forward, but Husk grabbed him with a sharp, “Kid, don't.”
Kye tried using me to stand up, but ended up dragging me down too. We could only watch as the guards parted, letting the Doctor loom over us. I cringed back, feeling like a mouse in the gaze of a hawk, but he had eyes only for Kye.
“Kyrone,” he finally said, cold as a fridge. “I'm disappointed in you. Seven years, you avoid me. And then, suddenly, you return… only to steal my quarry out from under me? Tsk. I thought I taught you better.”
Kye bared his fangs. “You didn't teach me shit.”
“No?” The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Don't be impudent, boy. Everything you know, you know because I taught you.”
I felt a vibration close by my skin, and I realized it was because Kye's wings were trembling. It was like a frantic, helpless buzz.
I reached for his hand and clasped it tight.
“Leave him alone,” I grated, sticking my lower lip out. “I don't know how you two know each other, but I can guess he hates you. I mean, who WOULDN'T? You're a fucking monster…”
Kye squeezed my hand hard enough to hurt. “Ginger,” he mumbled, “don't.”
But the Doctor was already laughing.
“So… he's really told you nothing about me?” He bent down and grabbed Kye's chin, forcing their eyes to lock. “Tsk. Kyrone, sweetheart. Will you never grow back the spine I ripped out?”
Kye flinched and shook his hand off. “Don't fucking touch me.”
“Or what, pray tell?”
“Or… or I'll…”
He swallowed hard, sweat shining on his neck.
For once, the loudmouth who always had a comeback had no words.
The Doctor reached down to cup his cheek. “That's what I thought.”
Kye's eyes snapped shut like he was in a nightmare.
I didn't even think. I just grabbed the Doctor's wrist. “He said don't touch him, you–!”
STAB.
Pain erupted in my arm and I screamed, back smacking the floor. I saw stars. My vision swam. It took way too long for me to realize he'd impaled my shoulder on his tail.
I couldn't move.
“This is not your business, angel,” the Doctor said, waving a dismissive hand. “This is strictly…”
“Sh-shut up.” Kye's voice broke. “Please, don't fucking tell–”
“...family business.”
His words died.
Hold on a second.
I reeled between those implications for a moment, like they were two puzzle pieces that refused to fit. Until they turned themselves around, rearranged, and suddenly… click.
Everything started falling together.
Family business.
If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't mean shit.
Kye's dad taught him… everything he knows.
My blood ran cold.
“Kye,” I gasped, “is this guy... your DAD?!”
Kye covered up his face.
“Indeed,” the Doctor chuckled, wrapping his hand around Kye's arm. He yanked him to his feet and held him up, displaying him. “Can you not see the resemblance?”
Through a stinging haze, I looked at them both… really looked. My heart sank straight into my stomach.
He and Kye both had olive green skin. Black wings. Long tails. And even though the Doctor was wearing a mask, I could see plain as day… they had the same eyes.
Kye was the Doctor's son.
Kye was… oh God.
“Wait a second,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I-If he's your son, then why were you talking about him like…”
I swallowed hard. All those comments he'd made before, about Kye being… virile. And how he missed the scent of his arousal. How did that… how did any of that make sense?
What kind of father would talk about his child like that?
The Doctor's eyes crinkled with a smile. “Ah, little angel,” he purred. “So innocent to the true depravities of Hell, aren't you?”
His hand slid around Kye's neck and gripped it tight.
“He is my son. My property.” He let out a sick chuckle. “And he was living under my roof for free. Was it not fair of me to expect a service from him in return?”
A… service?
My whole body recoiled. It was like a can of worms had been unleashed in my stomach, leaving everything inside feeling gross and squirmy.
“He's your SON,” I snapped. “That's… that's so freaking WRONG!”
The barb in my shoulder twisted and I yelped in pain.
“And who are you to tell me how to treat my child?” The Doctor hissed. “You, a castaway from Heaven itself? Little one, you were born out of sin in its purest form.”
He chuckled darkly.
“You must have done something worse than even I, to have been locked out of Heaven.”
I froze, tears stinging my eyes. Those words flew through all my layers straight down to my core, and hit me so hard I bled. Worse than him. Worse than HIM.
I locked gazes with Kye and saw myself reflected in his eyes.
Guilt.
No angelic soul should harbor this much guilt.
The Doctor made a smug purring sound, his stump dragging down the front of Kye's tuxedo. “There we are,” he murmured. “You know I'm right. I always am.”
He yanked his tail from my shoulder and turned his back.
“Keep Del Toro and Angel Dust unscathed, get rid of the other two,” he said to the guards. “Kyrone and I have something… private to discuss.”
Pure panic gripped me. I struggled to my feet and threw myself at the Doctor, grabbing onto his coat. “NO–”
And all hell broke loose.
“CHERRI, NOW!” Angel yelled, and there was an explosion above us. The camera went up in flames, debris rained down on the guards, and a few of them started to open fire… but the whole room was choked full of smoke in seconds.
ZIP ZIP ZIP! Streaks of golden light wove through the smokescreen, cutting demons down where they stood. I caught sight of a king of hearts, an ace of spades. Magic playing cards…?
“HRMMPH!”
The Doctor backhanded me with his stump (is it really a backhand if there's no hand?) and I almost lost consciousness.
Gritting my teeth, I held on, tearing and yanking at his coat with all my strength. “Let Kye go, you psycho!” I cried. “Let him GO!”
“GRRK! You insolent little…”
I saw his tail coming out of the corner of my eye and twisted my body, narrowly missing a stab. It kept coming, fast as snake strikes. I kept on clinging and dodging, running on pure adrenaline.
“Kye!” I called out to him, “help m-”
The barb clipped my chest and I stumbled, blood oozing from the cut.
“Ginger!” Kye cried.
I blinked, fighting to breathe. My chest heaved madly, but nothing wanted to enter my lungs… was I dying? Was I going to die here?
I lost my grip and fell into someone's arms. Four arms. Angel.
“Gotcha!" he grunted, hauling me off the ground. “I gotcha, Nolie. C'mon, breathe. We're gettin’ the fuck outta here.”
I found myself being carried, limp and gasping, against his chest. He backed away, using the smokescreen as cover. And slowly, air started trickling back to me.
“...Kye,” I coughed, tears streaming down my face. “W-We can't leave him…”
“Cherri an’ Husk are gonna get ‘im,” Angel said, picking up speed. “He's gonna be fine, baby. Jus’ hold on.”
He staggered out of the smoke and back onto the stage. I heard a few bullets whistle past us, striking the wooden backdrop, but none of them hit. Angel broke into a run just long enough to get us both into the chute, and then…
…he stumbled.
“Aw, fuck!” he winced, shaking one of his hands. “Fuckin’ useless thing! Goddammit…”
It hit me; that was the same hand where his broken wrist had been. He was hurt. He couldn't keep going.
“There's… a room up ahead,” I whispered, holding tight to his neck. “We passed it on the way. Some things of mine are in there. We can lay low there for a minute.”
Angel sucked in a pained breath. “Good idea, sweet cheeks.”
He managed to drag us both through the chute, all the way to that door I'd seen. Then he pulled me in and shut it behind us.
It was a pretty big room. Every wall was lined with tables and shelves, and every table or shelf was full of items. Glowing items, books, jewels. Valuable looking things.
Angel and I sank to the floor near one of the tables, panting. I didn't dare let go of him. I was afraid I'd pass out. I didn't want to leave him here alone.
We took a minute to catch our breath, then I pointed at the glass case holding my knife. “There,” I whispered. “That's… mine.”
He blinked up at it. “Where da fuck didya get an Exorcist weapon?”
“It's a long story.”
“Well, we got time.”
I smiled weakly. “Um… well, remember that guy we saved from the shootout? The bodyguard? I met him. He seemed pretty grateful. He gave me the knife as proof he wouldn't hurt me.”
Angel's brow furrowed. “Whaddaya mean, hurt ya?”
“Apparently he's a murderer?"
“Oh. Dat checks.” Angel looked into my eyes and smiled. “I swear ta fuck, only you could talk a murderer inta givin’ ya gifts from Heaven, choirboy.”
I giggled. “Um… I'm not that special.”
He brushed a hand through my hair. “Sure ya ain't. An' I'm a fuckin' virgin."
Oh gosh. I felt soft heat rising to my cheeks, a silly smile taking over my face.
“Angel,” I whispered, sliding my hand into his, “listen. There's… something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now.”
He tilted his head. “Mm? What's dat?”
“I…” My heart fluttered in my chest. “I-I, um…”
SLAM!
The door flew open.
Angel jerked us both back, rolling us up like a sushi under the table as the Doctor stormed in. Someone was tossed on top of our hiding place. It had to be Kye. I sucked in a breath and felt Angel press a hand over my lips as the Doctor's boots stopped right in front of us.
I wanted to scream, but I knew I couldn't.
We were both goners if I screamed.
“Now, I KNOW I didn't raise a pussy,” the Doctor purred, holding Kye against the edge of the table. “Did I raise a fucking pussy? Hm?”
“Fuck you–”
The table rattled; I heard Kye's head strike through glass.
“That's not an answer, son.”
“GHH!” Kye choked on a sob. “I hate you! I-I fucking hate you. I hate you…”
“You hate me?”
“Y-Yes...”
“After everything I did for you?”
“...f-fuck… yes!”
There was a scuffle. To my horror, I heard what sounded like a zipper being pulled down.
“Pity,” the Doctor murmured. “I taught you to fear me, but it seems the lesson of respect has been lost. Maybe you simply need to learn it again.”
Kye made some sounds that sounded completely wrong coming out of him. Desperate struggling, biting back tears. It was like a stab to my heart; he sounded just like me.
“Pop, c'mon,” he gasped. “I don't wanna do this shit… please–”
His words were muffled. I heard the sound of clothes rustling, lips smacking together, tongues moving… and the table kept shaking as Kye kept struggling. Like an animal caught in a trap.
My whole world went blank as I remembered.
Hiding in the bathtub.
Angel's cries floating in through the locked door.
Being too scared to move.
Angel's grip tightened on me like he knew what I was thinking. This wasn't the first time something horrible had happened so close I could've stopped it. The thought made me see red. Why was I always helpless? Why did people keep getting hurt because of me? Why couldn't I–?!
Clatter. Some items fell off the table. My knife was one of them.
I stared at it for a moment. It was like God had given me a choice.
I reached for it and, before Angel could stop me, I shoved it into the Doctor's leg.
“GAHHH!”
I yanked it out and sat up, pressing on the bottom of the table. Angel joined me and we pushed it over until the Doctor and Kye both crashed to the ground.
“Damn it, Nolan,” Angel hissed. “Dat wasn't ya best idea!”
“Well, somebody had to do SOMETHING!” I stumbled to my feet and started yanking at Kye's arm. “Kye, come on, we gotta go!”
He was in a bit of a frenzy, spitting and wiping his lips and fixing his pants with shaky hands. He kept falling back over. “...fuck. Fuck. Fuck…!"
Taking a deep breath, I crouched to his level and wiped his mouth off with the hem of my shirt. “Kye,” I said softly, “it's gonna be okay. Okay? But we gotta get you away from him.”
His eyes focused. I felt him grab my hand and squeeze it like a vice. “O-Okay. Yeah. Yeah..."
Angel helped me get him up and we turned to the door, but he resisted at the last second. “WAIT! H-Hold on a minute…!”
“What now?” Angel groaned.
Kye staggered over to the fallen items and scooped up a yellow gem. “Just wanted to grab this...”
“Well, hurry up! Any second now, dat mothafucker's gonna get up–”
Speak of the devil. The Doctor threw the table across the room, busting one of the shelves. Glass and glowing relics shattered all over the place like magic rain, framing him in sparks.
“You're not going anywhere,” he growled, raising his tail to strike. “Kyrone is my son. He will ALWAYS be mine…”
FIZZZZ.
A little red bomb with a skull on it rolled between Angel and I. We all saw it there on the floor. I was still blankly staring at it when Cherri's voice yelled, “WELL, GET OUTTA THERE, NERDS!” and all three of us were yanked out the door.
Husk shut it. Locked it tight.
And… KA-BOOM!!
The bomb went off, purple smoke leaking from around the edges.
The five of us stood there panting for a moment, blinking at each other and the smoke and the door. Like we were all sharing a single brain cell or something.
Then I collapsed into Angel, Angel collapsed into Kye, Kye collapsed into Husk and we all fell at Cherri's feet in a relieved heap.
She planted her hands on her hips and smirked. “You're a bunch of fucking losers.”
“–baby,” Kye mumbled.
Husk took a swipe at him.
I chuckled nervously. “You guys, uh… you know we're not free yet, right?” I said, trying to wiggle free. “The Doctor might still be alive. And there's still guards around. Like, we could still all die.”
“Nolan,” Angel sighed, “I'm too sober fa’ dis...”
Something started pounding on the door from the inside.
We pretty much took that as a sign that it was time to go.
“Gah, fuckin’ dickhead,” Cherri grumbled. “Couldn't I finish the fucker off?”
“Are you crazy?!” Husk blustered. “This place is gonna be crawling with guards in no time! We should get our asses out of here.”
“But where are we gonna go?” Kye asked. “We can't all five of us head straight back to Vee Tower; Mister Valentino would lose his shit…”
“I got an idea,” Angel spoke up.
We all looked at him, and he smirked.
“Ya remember how I promised ta show ya da Hazbin Hotel, Nolan?”
I broke into a huge smile.
Kye groaned. “Aw, fuck no. FUCK no. I am not going to some cornball-ass… friendship-is-magic type… Haz-Hole Hotel. No fucking sir…”
Well, thank goodness, we somehow talked Kye into going to the cornball-ass friendship-is-magic type Haz-Hole Hotel. He really wasn't happy about it, though.
“All of ya'll are gonna owe me big-time after this,” he muttered as we got out of the cab.
Cherri scoffed. “I'd say all that rescue shit makes us even, fucker.”
Kye went quiet and stayed that way.
Everyone had pointedly avoided looking at him or talking to him for the entire ride, and honestly, I didn't blame them. I found it hard to look him in the eye now, too, knowing whose son he was. Knowing who had RAISED him.
I was glad to get out of that cab. It had been the awkwardest car ride of my life.
“So…” I craned my neck, taking in the building in front of us. “This is where you live, Angel?”
It was huge, red, and decked out in tons of bright lights. It had a set of ornate doors, a wall that looked like it had been patched together a hundred times, and a little radio tower sticking off the side of it like a weed. And a big, flashing sign across the front of it read Hazbin Hotel.
Finally. I'd made it.
Just a couple days too late.
“Yep! Dis is it, sugar.” Angel wrapped an arm around me, holding me steady as we walked up to the door. “Just, uhh, brace yaself. I know ya met Charlie already, but it ain't her ya gotta worry about.”
My brow furrowed. “What do you mean…?”
But he was already pushing open the door. And then we were inside.
The lobby was HUGE. Like, huge huge. Everything looked patched together from scraps, with lots of different wallpapers and pieces of furniture and lights strung across the walls to hide little cracks. There was a bar in the corner– which Husk immediately made a beeline for– and a big double staircase on the far side leading to the upper floors.
I spotted Charlie running toward us and I smiled.
“Charlie!” I called… then stammered, “a-ah, I mean, Your Highness! Or uh…”
She hadn't even noticed me yet, thank goodness. I wanted to stab myself in the vocal cords.
“OHMYGOSH, ANGELLLL,” she gasped, teary-eyed. She threw herself at him and clung like a baby, stammering frantic apologies. “I am so, so, SO sorry. I promise, I will never, ever, ever, EVER–”
She must've been apologizing for fucking up Val's shoot. Oh, right. Was that only a day ago? It felt like I'd been kidnapped for an eternity.
“Charlie!” Angel cut her off with a smile. “Hey, toots, it's okay. I know ya were jus’ tryna help. Like… somebody else I know.”
He shifted, pulling both me and Charlie into a hug.
“Thanks. Fa’ carin’ about me.”
Charlie's eyes filled with tears. I grinned and wrapped myself around Angel, burying my face in his fluff. It felt so freaking good to hear him say that.
I SO MUCH MORE than care about you, Angel…
“Hey, uh…” A deeper female voice broke in, “...babe. It looks like Angel brought company.”
I looked up to see several other people approaching us. A shorter girl with long white hair and an X over one eye was staring at me with her arms crossed. Her gaze was a little cold. But only a little.
There was also a tall snake guy and a tiny redheaded maid thing with sharp teeth. But the tiny one was zipping over to Kye, not me.
“OOOOOH,” she giggled, latching herself onto his leg. “You look like a reeeeally BAD boy~!”
Kye flinched and almost fell over. “The fuck?!”
I stifled a laugh as she climbed up his tuxedo, somehow ending up perched on his chest with a huge, freaky smile. “You're handsome,” she said matter-of-factly. “I've never seen a green one before! Do you have claws? Do you bite? Oooh, these look tasty~”
She grabbed one of his dreads and started chewing on it. He just stared, hands up in the air, almost bent over backward.
“What is HAPPENING?”
Angel snorted loudly. “Agh… that's Niff. Shoulda guessed she'd have a thing fa’ you, Kye.”
“THIS IS HELLA WEIRD!” Kye complained, but there was a glint in his eye. “Shit. I think my dick's bigger than she is! Hey, is this bitch into size difference?”
The girl with the X eye slapped her forehead, jerking a thumb at him. “Angel. Who is he?”
I spoke up for him. “That's Kye, Señorita,” I giggled. “Don't worry about him. He's weird, but, uh…”
I looked her over and shrank down. The look on her face was screaming I am a badass and I would not be above drop kicking you.
“...I think you could take him.”
Her lips formed the tiniest smirk. “Ay. Apuesto a que podría.”
My heart leaped. “YOU'RE SPANISH TOO?!”
Her eye lit up. “¡Claro que si!” she said, her posture relaxing a bit. “And you must be Nolan del Toro. Angel's mentioned you a few times, but…”
She shot him a look.
“...we were starting to think he was never gonna bring you.”
Angel shrugged. “Hey, he ain't stayin’, dollface. I jus’ brought him ta chill for a while. We jus’ went through fresh hell ta save his ass.”
“Fuck yeah, we did!” Cherri said loudly, throwing herself on one of the couches. “It was a fucking blast! I haven't blown a joint like that since Angie and I set club 666 on fire!”
The girl with the X glared at her as she put her feet up on a table, then grumbled under her breath. “I'm not even gonna ask who that is.”
“Buddy a’ mine. Ya know. Da one I owed a solid dat one time?”
“Ah. Right. The day you made the Hotel look like a joke.”
Angel smirked and dramatically pretended to faint. “Oh~ gosh, toots. Ya so mean ta me.”
X girl rolled her eyes and shook my hand. “Well, at any rate, we're glad to finally have you here, Nolan.”
I felt a tiny zing of… something almost electric when her hand touched mine. I almost flinched back. What was that?
Her eye narrowed; had she noticed it, too?
“Um… happy to be here, ma'am.”
“Come on, none of that.” She put on a smile. “You can call me Vaggie. That little menace over there is Nifty, and this is…”
“Ssssir Pentious, very much at your service!” The snake guy hissed, dipping an awkward bow. “Visionary extraordinary, revolutionary mind, ssssstealer of territoriesss and… OH MY WORD, ISSS THAT MISS BOMB?!”
He caught sight of Cherri and almost fell over. She leaned over the couch and threw up an annoyed peace sign.
“What up, edgelord?” she grumbled. “Been a while since you last tried to murder me. Guess I get it now. You've been here, huh?”
Pentious struggled for words, slitted pupils darting. “Well, I, uh… yes? You… you know how it isss. I've been… taking a break! Yesss. But I'm ssssure I'll be back to attempted murder in…”
Vaggie gave him a sharp glare and he deflated.
“...eh… never.”
Vaggie nodded and turned her attention back to me. “Anyways. Again, welcome to the Hazbin Hotel. Normally, our host would be here to greet you, but… none of us are sure where Alastor is right now.”
“WHIIIICH MEEEANS,” Charlie finally spoke up, jumping up and down in excitement, “we can give him the tour ourselves! We have so so SO much to show you! We've got the kitchen and the therapy room and the SUN room and the-”
“Um.”
My voice came out tiny. Faint and weak as a crushed mouse.
“I-If it's all the same to you, Charlie,” I mumbled, “We just went through a lot, and… I think some of us need to rest. Husk and Kye got shot, and I got stabbed, and…”
Charlie went pale. “Wait, what? HUSK, YOU GOT SHOT?!”
“In the fucking shoulder!” Husk growled from the bar. “It's nothin’! I ain't no sissy! Take care of Angel and Nolan, they're the ones who need it.”
Well. Charlie took that VERY seriously. She and Vaggie rushed to clear off the couch nearest to the fireplace and helped me lay down on it, then started getting another ready for Angel. But he just waved them off.
“Nah, nah, dis is fine.” He crawled onto the couch with me and hugged me close to his chest. “I ain't lettin’ dis little shit outta my sight again.”
I felt him nuzzle the back of my neck, the tip of his tongue teasing my skin, and I absolutely melted. Ohhh yes~
Charlie and Vaggie shared a look, then the latter shrugged. “Well. Whatever makes you feel more at home.”
“Just, um,” Charlie stammered, “don't like, uh… start doing anything… ummm, QUESTIONABLE, in front of the other guests…”
“Don't fuck him while we're watching,” Vaggie deadpanned.
I blushed deep red and hid my face. Angel gasped like he was offended by the very idea.
“Who, me? I'd neva!” He brushed my hair off my forehead, smiling tenderly. “He's been through enough shit anyways. Da fuckin’ can wait til we're alone.”
Yes. That sounded perfect.
“Well, I ain't waitin’ for nobody,” Kye loudly declared. I glanced up to see that half his hair was down Nifty's throat, and he was watching her chew on it with wicked interest. “You fellas got a sex room in this joint? I wanna choke this little bitch out.”
Nifty giggled wildly. Everybody else made disgusted faces.
“Kye, leave Niff alone,” Angel groaned. “You try an’ fuck her, she's gonna bite off ya dick.”
“Wouldn't be the first time someone tried that.” Kye looked right at me and I cringed.
“Ugh, nawr.” Cherri glared at him. “Kye, the last thing you need right now is more sex. We just got you out of that fucking hellhole. You need to rest.”
I fully expected him to keep on being a horny jerk and say fuck no. But to my surprise, he sobered up quick. With a huff, he shook Nifty off. “Well, sorry, baby. Guess you're gonna have to catch me later.”
She jumped around like a feral jellybean. “Don't worry! I'll catch you alright! I'll catch you goooood~”
I buried my face in Angel's chest and shut my eyes, blocking out the chaos. This was just a little too much for my poor tired brain. “Can we pretend it's just you and me, Angel?”
I didn't see him smile, but I felt it. I felt it in the way he stroked my hair, in the way he chuckled softly and held me tighter. I felt it in the way his body cradled mine.
“Sure, toots,” he murmured. “Jus’ you an’ me. Don't nobody else matta right now.”
I smiled and melted against him.
And for the first time in days, I felt like I was home.