Chapter Text
Pentagram City in the Pride ring – home to most of the sinner demons in Hell. Since Lucifer’s disappearance, the city was carved up into territories by the most powerful Overlords, who ruled over them and the sinners that lived there. Some Overlords abused, exploited and enslaved the sinner demons under their control, and others fought to protect them – the rulers of Cannibal Town were the latter.
Cannibal Town was a quaint little place on the outskirts of the city, and it seemed like a different place altogether. Rather than the dirty streets illuminated by neon lights, the weapon factories, drugs on every corner and the run down urban jungle that made up most of the rest of the city, Cannibal Town was neat, clean and full of historical charm. Everything had a vintage feel, from the buildings to the businesses to the residents themselves, some of whom were even Hellborn. Strangely for Hell, there was more grass than concrete. And Cannibal Town was an anomaly in another way as well – rather than one Overlord protecting it, this territory had two.
The first of these was Rosie, a Cannibal herself, and she was most adept at making sure the town ran smoothly. Her role was somewhere between a mayor and a Queen, dealing with the residents’ daily concerns and problems, making sure the town was in good repair, and generally lending an ear to everyone who came calling. She was well loved and good at her job, the face and lifeblood of the community. But while Rosie was at the forefront of Cannibal Town’s administration, the second Overlord preferred to work from the shadows.
Alastor was rarely seen, but everyone knew him nevertheless. Every day without fail, his radio broadcast went out across the airwaves, keeping the residents informed of local happenings, the state of Hell in general and anything else worth knowing, along with a side of jazz and swing to keep everyone’s spirits up. Alastor’s cheerful voice was deeply woven into the fabric of the town, despite the fact that he almost never went out in public. His other job was one of the most important – protection and defence. As one of the strongest Overlords in Hell, he was well suited to shield their territory from invasion and other Overlords generally did not dare to challenge him. His magic was strong, even able to repel Heavenly attacks on Extermination Day, and so the citizens of Cannibal Town often felt fortunate indeed to live where they did.
Alastor lived in a large house near the centre of town, surrounded by trees and with a well tended rose garden out back – it would have been quite picturesque if not for the radio tower haphazardly attached to the side, growing out of the house like a crooked tree. He was fairly self sufficient, much more so than many other Overlords who demanded to be treated like the royalty they practically were, but Alastor had no use for excessive flattery. He kept a small staff in the house for things like cleaning, laundry and taking his messages, but he often cooked for himself and mostly stayed upstairs in his own rooms. On this particular day he was in his room preparing the notes for the next day’s broadcast when one there was a knock on his door. He opened it just a crack to find a younger Cannibal who ran errands, fetched things and generally helped out around the house. He seemed a little nervous, hoping he hadn’t interrupted Alastor while he was doing something important.
“Mr. Radio Demon...there’s a huge package for you downstairs. There’s a letter that says it’s some sort of gift.” Alastor sighed, opening the door wider. “That’s rather suspicious...I suppose I ought to come down and get it. Any idea who it could be from?” The boy shrugged as he led the way downstairs.
“The card says it’s from someone called Lucas? I don’t know anyone like that. But I have to go, I have to deliver some letters for Miss Rosie.” When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he gave a little bow and ran off, leaving Alastor alone in the large entryway with the strange package.
Calling what awaited Alastor downstairs a package was a bit of a stretch – it was huge, taller than him, and it certainly wasn’t sent by regular mail. At first glance it looked like a large cage covered with a pink curtain. Just like the boy had said, there was a card attached to the curtain – Alastor pulled it off and opened it, reading the contents.
“Thanks for brokering that deal across town. It’s been very lucrative for my business. Here’s a token of my gratitude” The card is signed simply ‘Lucas’.
Alastor frowned. It was true that he’d disposed of a few sinners who were getting worryingly powerful recently, and it seemed the power vacuum that their deaths had created was good for a local slimy drug dealer, and he’d decided to take the initiative to get on Alastor’s good side to prevent becoming the next target. The name was not familiar to Alastor – his business was outside Cannibal Town and he wasn’t a problem, so he wasn’t on the Overlord’s radar. He cautiously pulled the curtain back, curious as to what a nobody like Lucas would be sending him.
It was a cage after all – white and ornate, and the bottom part contained a series of drawers. But what the top half contained was even stranger. The ‘gift’ that this sinner had sent to Alastor was a white and pink spider demon, naked and gagged, tied up with pink ribbons. All three pairs of his arms were bound, and his thighs were tied in a way that kept him in a kneeling position. The spider squinted in the light once the cage was uncovered – he was trembling slightly, and there was fear in his eyes.
Alastor was shocked. He knew that giving and receiving people as tributes was not uncommon in Hell, but it had certainly never been his style. In fact, he was appalled that someone would think to send him such a gift. It’s too late now, though...what’s done is done, he thought. To return it would be perceived as a slight. How troublesome...I’ll just have to make the best of it. He found the cage’s latch and opened it, offering the shivering demon inside a reassuring smile.
“You poor thing, who could do such a thing to you? Let me help you out.” Alastor reached in to carefully untie the ribbons, trying not to cause the unfortunate demon any further stress.
As for the spider, he’d been in Hell for a while, and he knew how these things worked, especially with someone of Alastor’s station. This wasn’t the first time, he’d been passed around to various powerful men before...but this was the first one with kind eyes and gentle hands. With every ribbon unwound from his soft form, more pink stripes and spots and little hearts were visible, and when Alastor finally took the gag from his mouth, the spider took a moment to collect himself before speaking.
“Thanks...you must be the Radio Demon. I’m Angel Dust.” Alastor could see that he was still shaking a little, and he tried to put Angel at ease.”
“Yes, I am the Radio Demon...but you may call me Alastor. Angel is a fitting name for a divine creature like you...it pains me to see you in such a state. Allow me to help you down from there.” Alastor extended his arms in such a way that Angel could either take his hands or be lifted down whatever he preferred. At first Angel was going to take Alastor’s hand, but he’d been in the cage for hours and his legs were almost numb. Anyway, Angel thought to himself, it’s gonna be my job to be physical with him...may as well start now. As he moved forward so Alastor could lift him down, he took a good look at the Overlord he now belonged to. Well...at least this one is handsome.
When Alastor lifted him down, Angel considered himself fortunate – his touch was soft and he seemed like such a gentleman, not at all what he was used to. Angel knew that Alastor must be powerful and dangerous if he was an Overlord., but he’d also heard that Cannibal Town was one of the nicest parts of the city, so he allowed himself to be hopeful. After all, it can’t be much worse than where I came from.
Alastor took the hint and lifted Angel gently out of the cage, keeping a hand on his waist even after he was set down.
“Are you all right? You can hold onto me if it’s difficult to stand. I’m truly sorry this happened to you. I will ask, although I fear I know the answer already – if I were to set you free, you wouldn’t have anywhere to go, would you?” Angel’s feet were firmly on the ground now, but when he heard these words he felt as if the rug was pulled out from under them.
“...ya don’t want me?” He managed to keep his expression neutral, but his voice sounded sad. “Uh...no. But I could probably make my way...I have talents that can earn me some decent dough, so ya don’t gotta worry about me. If ya don’t want to keep me, I can go.” Angel managed to regain his composure by the time he finished speaking, and he leaned down to go through the drawers in the bottom of the cage. They contained his few possessions, some clothes, cheap costume jewellery and lingerie, and he pulled out a loose dress, the light fabric fluttering around his body as he slipped it over his head. Alastor watched him with a confused expression – this was not the reaction he’d expected.
“Are you telling me you’d rather stay here than go free? I thought you’d appreciate the offer.” As Angel dressed, Alastor watched him closely, making sure he was steady on his feet. “Of course, you can stay if you wish, I just didn’t assume you’d want to. Honestly I find this custom quite distasteful...you should have some control over your own destiny.”
Now that he had some clothes on and his eyes had adjusted to the light, Angel grinned as he looked around. “Are ya kidding me? Look at this place!” He gestured to the elegant entryway of Alastor’s house. “It’s so nice here! Nicer than anywhere I’ve ever been. Of course I’d wanna live here!” Suddenly Angel switched to speaking in a lower, more subdued voice. “And besides...I hear that ya keep the people in this town safe. That ya care about protectin’ em. Maybe I need that.” He tried to act tough, but Angel’s legs were still stiff, and he wobbled a little. He swallowed his pride and reached out to cling to Alastor with a sheepish grin. “Heh...it’s a bit harder to stand than I thought.” Desire and instinct made him want to lean closer to Alastor, but he was still figuring things out, so he managed to keep some distance at first, but Alastor put an arm around Angel’s waist to steady him.
“Well then...I suppose I’d better take care of you, at least for now. I’ll find you a room...I see you have some things with you, but let me know if you need anything else and I’ll send someone to take care of it. I’ll take you to my room for now...is there anything I can do for you?” Despite himself, Angel couldn’t help but notice how good Alastor smelled, and how their bodies seemed to fit together so nicely...it took a moment before he could focus on what Alastor was asking him.
“I...I think I’m good, actually...I’m feelin’ pretty lucky. I didn’t know what kind of person I’d be seein’ when I got outta that cage today, but I think this is one of the best ways it coulda turned out. I promise I’ll try not to be a bother to ya.” Angel offered the Overlord an uncharacteristically shy smile. But Alastor just shook his head – he was starting to question how he’d managed to end up in such an absurd situation, and why anyone would think he wanted a ‘gift’ like this.
“I’m not worried about that, I’m worried about making you comfortable. Come with me for now, I understand that you’re probably distressed after that ordeal. I’ll take you upstairs so you can collect your thoughts and decide where you’d like to go from here. Can you manage, or shall I carry you?” He helped Angel to the bottom of the staircase, and Angel leaned heavily on the banister.
“I think I’ve got it, my legs won’t wake up if I don’t use ‘em.’ He took the stairs carefully, one at a time. “I think it’ll be easy to be comfortable here, I don’t need much. I’m...I’m also not distressed or anythin’...I’ve done this before. Maybe that says a lot about me, but...anyway, what I’m tryin’ to say is if you keep me here I can make it worthwhile~” Angel knew he was brought here for a reason, and he figured not was as good a time as any to get to work. But Alastor seemed not to notice – in fact, he seemed rather relieved when Angel said he didn’t need much to be comfortable.
“Oh, that’s good to hear. In that case, I’ll just call someone to take care of you. They’ll take you to your rooms once they are ready, and get you settled. If you need anything, you can tell them and I’ll make the necessary arrangements. I really am quite sorry that this happened to you, but if you’re determined to stay I hope you won’t find life here too unbearable.” Now that Angel seemed to be capable of walking and handling this situation better than he was, Alastor decided it was safe to leave him in the hands of his loyal servants while he returned to the sanctuary of his own room.
But the staircase was longer than Angel had anticipated. Despite his determination, he got about halfway to the top before his legs buckled and he lost his balance, losing his grip on the handrail.
“Oh fuck...!” Alastor had gone a few steps ahead, but he heard Angel’s gasp as he started to fall. He turned, knowing he was too far away to help directly, so he did the only thing he could think of in the moment. Shadows quickly materialized out of the ground, cushioning Angel’s fall as Alastor hurried back to him.
“Are you all right? I’m so sorry, I should have insisted on escorting you...so now, that’s exactly what I will do. I appreciate that you tried to put on a brave face, but let me take care of you.” The shadows lifted Angel gently into Alastor’s arms, and he carried the spider the rest of the way up the stairs to his room.
“Y-yeah...thanks.” Angel felt embarrassed, he had really intended to walk up the stairs himself. But the shadows were strong and it was easy to trust them to catch him...and now he was in Alastor’s arms, and it felt nice. He relaxed and let his tension go...it had been a long day, and Angel rested his cheek on Alastor’s shoulder and closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of the other demon’s expensive smelling cologne. Alastor hummed soothingly as he carried Angel into his room, a soft, static-y sound. He laid the spider down on the couch and knelt next to it, stroking his hair.
“Now, you just stay here and rest a while until your legs feel better. Can I get you anything? A drink, perhaps?” Once Angel was settled, Alastor went to pull a cord on the wall, summoning a servant. When that was done, he knelt beside the couch again while he waited for one to arrive. As Angel rested on the couch, he looked around the room, enjoying the softness of the furniture and the feeling of Alastor hand petting his hair. When Alastor returned to his side, Angel smiled, admiring the Overlord’s handsome face.
“Would ya have a drink with me?”
“Of course, if that would please you. What would you like?” As Alastor stood again to approach the liquor cabinet, there was a knock at the door. He patted Angel’s hand, returning his smile. “Excuse me for a moment...you can think about what you want while I’m gone.”
When Alastor answered the door, a cannibal servant in an old fashioned maid dress gave him a little curtsy.
“What can I do for you, sir?” Now that he had to explain it, the situation Alastor found himself in seemed not only painfully real, but even more absurd.
“We have an unexpected guest who will be staying with us for the foreseeable future. Can you please fix up the other rooms on this floor for him to stay in? I’ll take care of the aesthetics with my magic, but just make sure his things are unpacked and moved in for him, and that he has clean towels and linens and those sorts of important things. His clothes are in the drawers in that ridiculous cage in the hallway...and please get someone to dispose of that, I don’t want to see it again.” The maid listened to his instructions carefully, her expression only mildly quizzical. She knew better than to ask any questions, but she couldn’t hide her curiosity about the whole strange business. Somehow she managed to stay professional, giving a little nod.
“Of course, sir...I’ll call some others to help. Please summon me again if you think of anything else!” With another little curtsy she scurried down the stairs – she couldn’t wait to gossip with the other maids about this mysterious guest.
While Alastor stood in the doorway talking, Angel craned his neck to try and watch. As he watched the way Alastor moved and talked, he felt his smile growing. He’d been owned by and rented to many powerful men, and all of them had been unpleasant. He’d thought this new owner would be just another trial in his rough life, but now he was starting to think differently. When Alastor came back into the room, Angel smiled up at him.
“I thought about it, and I decided we should have either rum or whiskey, whatever ya like betta!” Alastor nodded and went to pour the drinks.
“I’ve arranged a room for you...it should be ready shortly. Until then, I assume you don’t mind staying here with me?” He returned to his spot on the floor beside the couch, offering Angel a glass of whiskey. Angel took the drink gratefully.
“Thanks...” He smiled and took a sip, rolling over to lay on his side. He knew what he was here for, and now that he was feeling much better, he was ready to focus on the job at hand. “Ya know, Mister Tall Dark and Handsome...I’d love to get to know ya betta~” Angel let his pink eyes wander, taking in every inch of Alastor’s body. For once, this was a job Angel wouldn’t mind doing.
“If you like...” Alastor sipped his drink, eyeing Angel and wondering what he was up to. “But I’m quite busy and I don’t think we’ll see very much of each other, so you don’t need to worry about that.” Angel was caught off guard by Alastor’s dismissive attitude, but he wasn’t deterred yet.
“What if I wanna worry about it? What if I think yer interesting...?” His smile was mischievous, but then he realized he was probably being impolite. “I won’t bug ya if ya don’t want, though...I won’t be any trouble at all.” Alastor continued to sip his whiskey with a calm demeanour.
“No, I suspect you won’t. My servants will take care of your every need. I can’t imagine the kind of life you’ve had, but I promise you’ll want for nothing here.” Alastor patted Angel’s hand reassuringly. Angel couldn’t resist curling his fingers around Alastor’s for a moment – he was used to being manhandled, but this kind of tenderness had been conspicuously absent from his life up until now.
“Is there anything I can do to contribute?” He held his drink with his other upper hand, taking sips as they talked. Alastor raised an eyebrow – Angel really was making himself at home, in unexpected ways.
“Oh? And what do you think you could do for me? What have you done in other places you’ve been sent to? I’m not sure you’re quite...qualified to help an Overlord like me. Besides, you are my guest. You may as well just enjoy your life here.” Angel’s smile faltered just a little, but it quickly returned full force.
“Oh...okay, sure...all right. No problem!” He nodded and finished the rest of his drink. Although a future here seemed safe and relaxing, he started to wonder what he’d do with himself. Alastor frowned at Angel’s response – he’d expected the spider to be happy that he could have everything he desired and never have to lift a finger, but that didn’t seem to be the case. He took one of Angel’s hands in his and stroked the back with his other hand, a concerned expression darkening his face.
“What’s wrong? Please tell me...what can I do for you? I don’t want you to be unhappy here.” Despite his disappointment, Angel savoured the contact – he focused on how nice Alastor’s gloved hand felt over his own. “No...it’s...it’s a different problem.” Angel took a deep breath, gathering his courage. “If I’m not fightin’ or fuckin’, I..I guess I feel a little lost.” He looked away, too ashamed to meet Alastor’s eyes. Alastor sighed. He could see this wouldn’t be an easy problem to fix.
“I’m sorry...we don’t do a lot of fighting here. Perhaps if I look around I can find something for you to do...but in the meantime, you’ll just have to try to be content here. I am awfully sorry that this happened to you, but I don’t think I can just send you back without seeming insulting or even worse, getting you in trouble...so we’ll just have to get by.” Angel chuckled awkwardly.
“Well...my existential crisis shouldn’t be yer problem anyways. Being here is much betta then where I was, trust me. It’s just...different. I’ll be fine, it’s just gonna take some gettin’ used to.” He squeezed Alastor’s hand, keeping his eyes on the ground. Alastor continued to stroke Angel’s hand as he spoke.
“I really do feel awful about it, so let me know if there’s anything that will make it easier for you. But for now, forgive me for not asking before...you didn’t hurt yourself when you fell did you? I was afraid you’d twist an ankle before I managed to catch you.” Angel considered his current state – he’d been too distracted to think about it.
“Now that ya mention it...it was a bumpy ride on the way here and I thought I might have some bruises from bein’ tied up like that, but I definitely did hurt my leg a bit on those stairs.”
“You poor thing...you should just rest here for a while. Honestly, tying you up like that seemed excessive, you were already in a cage. I know your previous owner was trying to curry favour by sending me a gift but all it did was make me dislike him.” Angel laughed a little when he heard this.
“Yeah? Well, he’s an awful guy, and I’m happy to leave him behind, along with the rest of my past.” Alastor shifted to the other end of the couch, inspecting Angel’s legs. “Which one did you hurt?” Angel lifted one of his legs just a little as he explained, “This is the one...when my legs crumpled unda me I twisted it tryin’ to get my balance.” On closer inspection, Alastor could see that one of Angel’s already thick ankles was a bit swollen compared to the other, and a faint bruise was visible. He thought for a moment before standing up.
“Hm...can you lift your legs for a moment?” When Angel obeyed, Alastor sat down on the couch and put Angel’s legs across his lap, pulling off his gloves before massaging the injured ankle gently. “I hope this helps...I only wish I could do more for you.” He continued to work on Angel’s leg in silence for a while, thinking how soft the spider’s skin was, before speaking again. “Your room is right next to mine...it’s just down the hall. For most things the servants should be able to handle it, but if you need me for anything, I’ll be here.”
“I’ll try not to bother any of ya too much...I’ve been mostly independent before, I can take care of myself pretty well.” Angel sighed a little, relaxing as Alastor rubbed his sore ankle. Now and then Angel winced when Alastor touched a particularly sensitive spot, but mostly he began to relax. “Well...if our rooms are close, maybe every now and then we can catch each other for a drink, if yer not too busy.”
“You know...if you don’t mind, I think I’ll keep you here tonight. I don’t want you walking on this ankle just yet. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable with that idea I can carry you to your room when it’s ready, but I feel responsible and I think I’d like to personally take care of you. Is that all right with you?” He absentmindedly ran a hand higher up Angel’s leg – the spider was impossibly soft, like suede, and lovely to touch. Angel watched Alastor’s face, a warm smile growing on his own.
“That’s fine with me! I’m real comfortable here~” The hand drifting higher made Angel shiver, and a little sigh caught in his throat as his eyes drifted shut. “Mm...that’s nice...” Alastor smiled back.
“Oh? Shall I massage both your legs, then? I don’t mind.” He started at Angel’s ankle and went all the way up his thigh, reaching under the hem of his dress, still enjoying the softness.
By the time he moved to the other leg, he had his eyes closed as well, a small smile on his lips as he hummed to himself quietly. Angel slumped against the couch cushions, his breathing finally fully calm. He still tensed a bit when Alastor touched the injured ankle but the rest of the massage made him melt, especially when Alastor starts to touch his thighs. Angel was usually quite self conscious about his feet, but all that was forgotten under Alastor’s expert fingers.
Alastor was enjoying himself as well – Angel was soft everywhere, varying from that suedelike texture on his thighs to longer fluff on his lower legs that faded from pink to white. His skin was dotted with small pink freckles, which Alastor found quite charming. “How could anyone do something like this to someone so lovely? It’s practically a crime...but I suppose this is Hell, after all.” He didn’t really want to stop touching Angel, so he kept on massaging, waiting for a sign to stop. Angel shrugged.
“It used ta make him a lot of money...” But rather than holding onto that bitterness, Angel let it go in favour of listening to Alastor’s voice, and the sweet things he was saying. Yes....he was worth something. He deserved better than what he’d had so far in his afterlife.
“Well, you don’t have to do that anymore. Tying you up naked in a cage, no less...disgusting. Here you can have nice clothes, and good food, and most importantly, no one will touch you. Well...besides me, right now, of course.” Alastor searched Angel’s face for a sign he should be stopping, and when he didn’t see one, he continued.
“But I like bein’ touched...a lot, actually. I just think it would be nice to choose who does it rather than be ordered what to do all the time.” Angel trailed off, focusing instead on how nice Alastor’s hands were, how right it felt, and how much he enjoyed this closeness. There was something so soothing about Alastor’s energy, like Angel was right where he was meant to be.
“I promise no one here will touch you if you don’t want them to. If I can’t set you free, the least I can do is let you live here and have a normal life. It won’t be any trouble for me to do that.” He was determined to put the poor spider at ease – he hadn’t asked for this, it was true, but neither had Angel...and he deserved better.
Angel nodded and absorbed all that Alastor was saying. He let it swirl around in his mind as he enjoyed the massage for his stiff legs, and he began to feel a little guilty. There was a lot Angel was implying, but not actually saying, and he knew he should come clean about it sooner rather than later.
“I...I kinda dodged your question earlier...about what I did for my last owner?” he looked away from Alastor, his eyes sweeping the rest of the room – the dark red wallpaper, the beautiful fireplace, the piano in the corner. He could look anywhere but into Alastor’s piercing red eyes. “I was basically just a hooker...” he began, but his voice failed him. He had planned to tell Alastor all of it, to get it off his chest, but it just felt too heavy. He looked at Alastor again and felt too vulnerable to admit the rest yet. He really didn’t want to ruin things, and he wasn’t sure what the right answer was. “This could be a fresh start fer me, and that sounds like a dream.”
Alastor made a face – he found the very idea distasteful. But he didn’t blame Angel, only the man who had forced him into that life, and that just made him even worse in Alastor’s eyes.
“Well. You certainly won’t have to do anything like that here. If you need something to occupy your time we’ll find you something more suitable.”
“I’d like to do something. I think sitting around doin’ nothing won’t help things. I got other skills...I’m a dancer, I can sing, I’m pretty handy with a sewin’ machine. I know I can make myself useful. I can make it worth protecting me.” Angel offered a smile, feeling a little more relaxed. He wouldn’t have to tell Alastor about his drug problem if he could get over it on his own. And the last thing...well, he could just get ‘sick’ and hide in his room for a few days. He started to think that maybe this wouldn’t have to be any more awkward than it already was.
Alastor patted Angel’s thigh reassuringly. “There are lots of good clubs in Cannibal Town. I’ll speak to Rosie and see if she can help you get a position in one of them, or at least an audition. And you don’t need to do anything to be ‘worth’ protecting...you already are.”
“Just an audition is great...I want this all to be fair an’ square.” Angel rested his cheek on the arm of the couch, savouring Alastor’s words – he thinks I’m already worth protecting... It was the first time Angel had ever heard words like that, and he knew he would treasure them going forward. He wanted to believe it so badly. “Thanks fer sayin’ that. I feel really safe here.” He offered Alastor a small smile.
“Protection is my job here. I am serious about protecting our territory and our citizens, so you don’t have to worry. You are safe, I swear it. I promise everything will be different for you here.” Alastor took one of Angel’s lower hands and squeezed it.
Angel’s small smile grew wider, and he squeezed Alastor’s hand gently in return. He felt his heart skip as he studied Alastor’s face...the radio demon was so handsome, and he didn’t want this sweet moment to end. “I think yer right...and I’m lookin’ forward to it.”
“Now, is there anything else I can do for you? Another drink? A snack? A bath, if you’re still stiff from that awful cage? I admit I’m not very good at this.” Normally Alastor would have handed Angel off to the servants the first chance he got, but his instincts were telling him to take extra care with the lovely spider demon, at least for the first little while. But this sort of thing was more Rosie’s forte, and he felt a little awkward being in this position, even if he chose it for himself.
“Ya know...it’s been a very, very long day...I think getting some sleep would help the most. Besides, ya did such a great job on my legs, they’re already feelin’ much betta. Yer makin’ a fuss of me, and ya don’t gotta do that. I can curl up on this couch right here and I’ll probably be walkin’ just fine by tomorrow.” But Alastor shook his head.
“No, that won’t do...you’re much too tall to sleep here, you’ll be even stiffer in the morning. Allow me to take you to bed.” Alastor stood and lifted Angel as gently as he could. Angel was about to protest, but it was too late – Alastor was already carrying him to the bedroom, and once he was in the Overlord’s arms he didn’t want to leave. He rested his cheek against Alastor’s shoulder, wrapping his upper arms around him. He wished he could stay that close to the Radio Demon a little longer, but it was all too soon before they entered the bedroom, Alastor laying him down on the bed and helping him to get under the covers. At least the sheets and pillows still smelled of his new owner, and he sighed happily, cuddling into the blankets. Once Angel was nice and cozy, Alastor sat on the edge of the bed, stroking Angel’s hair again with a fond smile.
“There, that’s better. Tomorrow your very own room will be ready for you, and you can move into it properly. I hope you will be happy here...I’ll try my best.” When Alastor touched his hair, Angel made a soft happy sound, his face breaking into a bright, sunny smile. “Well, so far so good! I’m already really happy.”
Alastor played with Angel’s fluffy hair a bit more – the spider seemed to like it and Alastor wanted to put him at ease as much as possible. Watching Angel fall on the stairs after declaring that he was fine on his own had convinced Alastor that he was doing his best to put on a brave face, trying hard not to be any trouble...but despite what he said Angel was likely distressed and maybe even a little afraid of such a big change. He knew that there probably wasn’t a lot he could do – time was the only thing that would truly help. But all the same, he hoped that he could offer Angel a bit of comfort and help him to get some much needed rest.
“Would you like me to go, or shall I stay here with you until you fall asleep? What would make you more comfortable?”
“Please stay....” Angel murmured, “just a bit longer?” The spider looked up at Alastor with pleading eyes, leaning just a little into the hand that kept touching his hair. “I promise I’m startin’ to get sleepy...” Angel snuggled into the blankets more, stretching out his long legs. Alastor’s bed was comfortable, and plenty big enough.
“All right, I’ll stay. Good night, Angel...I hope you sleep well.” Alastor stroked the other demon’s cheek before taking one of his hands, holding it gently. He sat in silence for a while as Angel closed his eyes. Alastor closed his eyes as well, bowing his head...and then he began to sing softly.
“Darling, you can count on me,
Till the sun dries up the sea,
Until then, I’ll always be
Devoted to you
I’ll be yours through endless time,
I’ll adore your charm sublime,
Guess by now you know that I’m
Devoted to you
I’ll never hurt you,
I’ll never lie,
I’ll never be untrue
I’ll never give you reason to cry,
I’d be unhappy if you were blue
Through the years my love will grow,
Like a river it will flow,
It can’t die because I’m so
Devoted to you.”
Angel was still hovering on the edge of sleep, and he couldn’t help but smile as his eyes grew heavy. The hand Alastor held in his drew its thumb over the back of Alastor’s. He managed to hear the whole song as he drifted off. “...ya sing so nice...” Angel sighed into the pillow, fully and completely relaxed as he fell into a world of sweet dreams.
Alastor opened his eyes again, making sure Angel was asleep. He lingered a moment, watching the peaceful spider with a soft expression. What he’d said earlier was true – he was committed to protecting everyone and everything in his domain – but for some reason he couldn’t explain, he felt an overwhelming desire to protect Angel.
Finally he released Angel’s hand, careful not to disturb him. He quietly removed his jacket, tie and shirt, putting them away neatly before retrieving a spare blanket and pillow from his closet. He took one last look at Angel before going to sleep on the couch in his sitting room, leaving the bedroom door open in case Angel woke up and needed anything.
The last thought on Alastor’s mind before he fell asleep was Angel’s sweet smile.