A/N: Iâm back!!! Iâm so sorry for the random hiatus, it was finals and my birthday and and and⌠anyway, Iâm back to it now and am happy to be back to writing and posting!! Also HUGE thank you to everyone sending requests!!! Iâm so excited to go to more of them and will be posting a few this week!! Again, just a big big thank you if you are reading this post at all!
I licked the blood off my claws, pleased with my conquest over one of my lookalikes of the woods. A fine dinner that doubled as an outlet for my pesky emotions that had taken over me tonight. Lilly, she had truly gotten to me tonight. It was one thing when I was the one toying with her affections, but for that little demon to play with mine? It simply pushed me to the edge. I hate letting another soul have this power over me, even more I hate how easily it comes to her. How all it takes is a blink of her eyes and Iâm finding myself wondering what she is thinking. Especially tonight, I can feel the agitation creeping back just thinking about how she looked under the glow of the candlelight. She had smelled so sweet when we danced, cradled in my arms, it made me wonder if she would taste just as pure. I had been ready to demolish every soul in attendance at that party if it meant we could have the privacy I craved, ready to unfurl my frustrations onto her back in my room, ready to show her exactly what she did to me.
I caught my breath, swiftly cleaning myself and my dinner up. I steadied my mind. It was wise to send her away instead. I knew she would be safe back here at the hotel and it gave me the space that I desired to clear my head. My anger dissipated as I decided to check on her, no doubt curled up under her blanket or maybe at Huskâs bar if she had stirred.
Quietly, I melted into the shadows of my room and made my way to hers. The lights were off, it was all shadows, but upon inspection it appeared not only was her bed empty but it had not been slept in. I frowned. Maybe she had gone straight to the bar for comfort or something, she seemed to have an affinity for keeping a drink in her hand anyway. I slipped downstairs to the lobby and could see it was only Husk at his stand. That was not what I was hoping for, I stepped out of the shadows and placed a grin on my face, asking if he had seen Lilly tonight. The cattish demon gave me a sideways look, he suspected something was afoot, but wouldnât dare press, and informed me that he had not.
That agitation grew within me again, I found myself searching the entire hotel for any sign of her. The kitchen? Angelâs room? The library? The study? The roof? Nothing, not even her scent. My anger bubbled inside of me at the realization, baring my teeth, I ran a clawed hand through my hair.
A giggle escaped my lips even as I held my glass in front of my face in order to hide my smile, I couldnât help myself. I had found myself in a group with one of the overlords Alastor had introduced me to earlier in the night, Rosie. She had linked arms with me when she spotted me stuck in a less than interesting conversation upon my rearrival and allowed me to join her little group. Now I stood with her, one of her cannibal friends, and three other surprisingly pleasant influential demons. Rosie was good company, I understood why Alastor enjoyed her so much. She may not be the most outright powerful overlord, but he certainly seemed to understand the power of a charismatic personality, which Rosie had.
âOh! Lily sweetie, would you please let me introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Iâve just spotted her!â Rosie asked cheerfully, seemingly to glance across the crowd to someone I couldnât quite see. It was hard to say no to a smile like hers.
âOf course Rosie, Iâd be delighted.â I smiled softly and she relinked our arms, quickly excusing us from the group as she promised we wouldnât be long.
We took only a few steps before she asked me âSo, how did you shake Mr. Broody? I didnât think youâd be able to!â It sounded like she had been wondering the whole time. I felt my face warm as I thought back to the scene in which I had left him. Or more so in which he had demanded my dismissal. I couldnât tell her how it had happened, it was simply too much to get into.
I waved away the question with my glass still in my hand and drew on a playful smile. âOh he said he had enough of the crowd then something about preparing his next broadcast. He had wanted me to come with him back to the hotel, but I insisted my night was not over just yet.â We continued forward and she hummed a response. I couldnât tell where we were headed at this point, but she seemed confident.
âAlâs just trying to look out for you, he plays all big and scary, donât tell him I told you this, but heâs a softie deep down!â She sang and giggled at her gossip. âHe must think youâre something rather special though, he seemed wonderfully caught up with you. It would be nice to see him happy like that more.â The last sentence was more so to herself than to me, it brought a dull ache to my chest.
How could I tell her how wrong she was, how he could barely stand the sight of me, it would seem. I wanted to believe she was right, but clearly he had no real feelings for me based on tonight. The fact that he couldnât even bring himself to look at me, despite his physical attraction to me, which he had admitted to, Alastor must hate me.
âIâm sure he is.â Is all I say, looking around Iâm still not sure where we are headed, surely by now we would have reached whoever she saw? âRosie, who were you going to introduce me to again?â
âOh sweetie, that bunch are just all huge gossips I wanted us to have some sort of privacy. Thank you for indulging me! Please feel free to stop by Cannibal Town anytime youâd like, Iâll have some fresh fingers ready!â She smiled cheerfully and I believed she meant her invitation. With that the one delightful demon I had managed to meet tonight went to rejoin her friends and I knew I was back on my own.
My eyes swept the room and lit up at the sight of the one demon I wanted to talk to right now, Angel Dust. He was lounging on a couch with a few other sinners it looked like and Valentino to his right. I was not so bold as to invite myself to such a scene, but it was good to see his face and know he is nearby.
Instead I became acutely aware of the sound of a familiar pair of heeled boots clicking up to me.
âGood there you are bitch,â Velvette, always a charmer. She was wearing an admiringly beautiful purple and black floor length dress, it glimmered gently under the dim lighting. The halter top style was unusual for her, but it looked very nice tonight. I straightened my back as I pivoted to face her, what could she need right now? âThe waiters are almost out of all of the good food, make sure more is made, and here-â she snapped her fingers and my clipboard fell into my hands, a long list of minute details to be fixed already typed up for me. âFucking fix this shit!â She barked and then waved me away. I wanted to huff and tell her Iâm not here as an employee, but I was still under her roof.
Besides, it was a needed distraction. As I bounced between the kitchen and soothing bickering guests my mind would have no time to linger on Alastor, which I was grateful for.
Steadying myself I drew back on a smile and headed off to check in with the kitchen as my first task. I quickly flag down the grumpy head chef to see if there is anything he possibly needs in order to keep up with the demand.
I had gotten all the bars restocked, fresh food was just starting to pour out of the kitchen, all of the tables were still in perfect order, and as asked the band would play the Veesâ favorite songs for the rest of the night.
I was halfway through my list when I felt a hand on my arm. âLilly! Babe, I've been looking for you for an hour!â It was Angel, he sounded as happy to see me as I was to see him. I tilted my head back to meet his eyes, smiling back to him. He frowned at my clipboard though, plucking it from my arms and glancing over it.
âAngel, câmon I need that back Velvette asked me-â I strained my arms up to reach for it, but the effort was futile.
âSheâs got you doing lackey work tonight when you look like that? No way, none of this shit is even important, itâs just an excuse to boss you around!â Angel said glancing over the list, he was mostly right, of course I had knocked out all of the actual important things first, everything left was petty work. But it was my petty work to do. I rolled my eyes at him.
âYes, she is my boss Angel, thatâs what she does!â I said, putting a hand on my hip to accentuate my displeasure. Part of me agreed with him though, I wanted to keep myself busy, but not like this.
Angel flagged down a miscellaneous employee who quickly trotted over. The spider demon shot me a look that told me I was being ridiculous. His plan was clear to me and when the sinner approached I at least recognized them as not an idiot. Angel passed the worker my clipboard and I shot them a dry smile.
âThe Vees need you to complete this list of tasks, Velvette asked me to make sure you were given it once the important things were taken care of, thank you!â I politely instructed and the demon simply nodded nervously and skittered away. I felt slightly bad, but not enough to call them back and to take care of it all myself. One act of selfishness, I think Iâve earned it. Angel grinned as he started to lead me forward in the ballroom.
âPerfect! Now, how did you ditch your admirer, anyway?â Angel teased, batting his eyelashes at me. That pit in my stomach returned and I felt my face fall for just a moment before I restored my smile. I wanted to confide in Angel, but not here, not now. I needed a full blown debrief session fitted with pajamas and ice cream and a corny movie playing in the background to fill the silence between my shaky sentences.
I settled for a half truth. âPlease, you know that's not how it is. He was tired of the crowd and I wasn't, so my night has continued without him.â I said, I could tell Angel didnât quite buy my explanation by the quirk of his eyebrow, but he didnât press the issue.
âAlrighty then,â He mused, sparing me, âDo you know how to play black jack? We got a guy in the North Lounge setting up friendly games, nothinâ serious! I bet âcha youâll like it!â he steered us in that direction, walking through a doorway not too far away to another room off on the main one. Luckily I am familiar, the rules were simple enough: You want to hit a sum of twenty one with your cards, with face cards all equalling ten and aces flexing to equal either eleven one one, whichever was better for your hand. You wanted to stay at or under twenty one, but also beat the dealerâs hand which you canât see all of. Every turn you would ask for a âhitâ, being another card or you would pass.
âI might have played a few times before, this sounds fun!â I smiled as we walked over to the playing table. A demon who had taken on the form of a sort of fox was the dealer, four other figures sat at the table and I watched as they each either asked for a hit or not. At the far end of the table from us a demon who resembled a well dressed calico cat grinned as he had beat the dealer that round. Another, who seamed to be a muscular hell hound with dark grey fur celebrated as well. The other two groaned and muttered their goodbyeâs apparently having had enough.
âMe-ow handsome! Could you be a doll and deal us in this next round?â Angel flirted with the dealer, taking a seat next to me and propping his chin up with his palms as his elbows leaned on the table. He turned our way as he passed out the first round of cards, throwing a wink to me as he did.
âA lady like that can play as long as sheâd like at my table.â He smirked, running a claw against his slicked back hair before refocusing on the game at hand. The dealer was admittedly handsome, and his outfit didnât match the sets I had laid out earlier so he was a guest who simply enjoys playing if I had to guess. His white button up had the first two buttons popped open and his suit vest was a deep forest green, contrasting the deep orange hue of his hair.
Finally I looked down at my card, an eight, pretty good. Impossible to bust on my next hit, but after that it is more of a gamble. Flicking my eyes over to the other two patrons I saw one of the pervious victors groan as his sum exceeded twenty one after his first hit. The same happened to the second man. Then it was my turn. The dealer politely asked if I would hit or pass, from half lidded eyes.
âHit, ah, please.â I added, it never hurt to be nice to your opponent, even when luck was involved.
I wouldnât be able to ask for any other cards, the odds of drawing a three or less were absurdly low, I could only hope his cards totaled less.
My eyes drag over to Angelâs cards, sum fourteen, it was worth taking a card at that point. A seven point difference was enough of a gap to make it fairly possible and with a low sum like that he was more likely to lose if he didnât hit anyway. When prompted the dealer gave him his third card, bust!
âDamn, sorry Angel.â I placed a hand on his shoulder but he wasnât exactly heart broken over the game.
Angel smiled back at me, âYouâll just have to win for the four of us then!â He said and I nodded, a small promise to do my best though it was out of my control by now.
âSooo, winning the game for your boyfriend then huh?â The dealer quipped, he was holding the stack of cards but had not drawn his own next card yet, keeping me in suspense. Both me and Angel laughed at the idea, weâre not exactly each otherâs type after all. He clutched his stomach with laughter which only made me laugh more.
âPlease, thatâs sweet and sheâs a hottie so Iâd be lucky, but absolutely not!â Angel giggled, dramatically wiping a tear from his eye. I brushed a strand of hair from my face, calming my fit.
âAngel here is great company, but no, Iâm just going to win for my friend tonight.â I stressed the word friend, the dealer had been obvious as to what he was getting at, it was a nice contrast in my evening.
âI see, my apologies sweetheart, I just figured no way a doll like you was here all alone.â He said coyly. I found myself leaning slightly forward across the table towards him. Out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn Angel was shooting me a little thumbs up.
âSadly it would seem so, now please tell me Mr. Fox, how long will you hold our game in suspense? Iâm dying to know which of us wins.â I was flirting back, my tone was soaked in it, but I didnât mind. The demon didnât reply, instead he simply revealed his own cards to me. A Seventeen. I had won. I had won!
Angel cheered for me and as I have a sarcastic mini bow and a round of thank yous to a made up audience
âThank you, I could not have done it without all of you! Thank you so much!â I dramatically blew kisses to Angel, the dealer and the two other grumpy demons who did not seem to enjoy our antics.
Angel clapped along for me as the dealer demon collected our cards and began to shuffle, it looked like he was just about to speak when his ears flattened back and he diverted his eyes ever so slightly. I looked at Angel and our eyes met, both of us confused at the sudden demeanor shift and I hardly had time to notice the furthest catlike demon leaving. My confusion fizzled out as it was quickly replaced with understanding and the immense urge to shrink away as well when the sound of the familiarly chipper and overly characteristic voice filled the room.
I didnât have to turn my head any further to see them. Vox was accompanied by a succubus demon, she was stunningly beautiful as they always were, blue skin and horns as she held onto his arm. His his other side was a taller slender sinner, an ashy grey tone, dressed in a very well made suit, he looked to take great pleasure in his appearance. The trio strode in and while Vox tried to hide it I noticed how his somehow sinister grin drew up even further at the sight of me. I felt far less confident without Alastor behind me, even though I hated the realization, his presence is what had given me confidence earlier.
Angel met my eyes as they slid back his way. While Vox didnât own either of our souls there was an understanding that when another Vee is present you were to be respectful and perhaps slightly on edge. I hadnât had the opportunity to brief him on my earlier interaction with Vox, nor had I confessed to my discussion with him and Valentino a couple of days ago, so to Angel it was only a slightly tense situation. For me, I knew I had to be walking on eggshells right now.
The dealer walked to the other end of the grand table where the trio made themselves comfortable. I was thankful that he was further away, perhaps I could just ignore his presence from five feet away.
Angel raised an eyebrow at me, as if to ask if I wanted to go. It would look like Iâm running away from him if we left now and somehow that sounded even worse. I didnât want to seem intimidated, like I was skittering out of his sight. Iâd have to hold my ground. I gave him a tiny head shake ânoâ and he obliged.
âTell me,â Angel said, a little louder than necessary. âWhatâs it take to get some cards down here?â He teased, leaning on the table pseudo-flirtatiously. Mr. Fox didnât look our way, in fact the only way I knew Angel had been heard at all was due to the flick of his tall ears in our direction. I pushed down my anxiety from his loud remark the best that I could. Drawing attention to us wasnât exactly what I would have preferred. I busied my hands by pulling my hair over my right shoulder, turning my head to the left like a barrier between me and the TV giant across the room. Mostly pointless, but it gave me some semblance of defense.
âAngel, please.â I half whispered, he gave me an apologetic smile upon realizing my discomfort, but Mr. Fox did indeed begin to deal everyone in. It was obvious that I was no longer our dealerâs primary interest, I couldnât blame him of course, but he still threw me a wink as he flipped my card in front of me. My focus shifted back to Angel at this point. I was stuck here, but at least I wasnât alone. âWhat did you get?â I asked him peeking over his way.
Angel held up his card to me between two fingers, kicking his legs a bit. âA ten, what about you?â I glanced back at my own card, shrugging my shoulders. It wasnât great, a five.
âLittle bitty five, kinda whatever.â I would have to hit, but my next card would either make or break me. If Iâm lucky Iâll get a second low card and then my third would be higher, but thatâs a bit of a big âifâ the way my night has been.
From the corner of my eye I could see Vox swirling his martini as he seemed to charm his guests, they were enough to keep him preoccupied. For years, maybe even decades at this point, I avoided any real attention from the other two Vees. Of course as soon as I start to try to improve my life in one facet, it crashes in another. I get a stable living situation, a couple of friends, just for fate to keep me in line by sabotaging my work life. I guess it is hell after all.
Maybe it would be best to distance myself from Alastor more, it was the whole reason Vox had any interest in me in the first place. Maybe Al knew that and wanted to protect me in his own way, however, Iâd find it easier to believe that he just likes seeing how he can twist me around at this point. Iâm sure his sadistic nature lends him to enjoying seeing just how far he can push me away before I run back to him for more. Maybe it was a mix of both even.
âSo,â Angel started, drawing me out of my own head, âhow are we going to get that cutieâs attention back on you where it belongs? Iâm thinkinâ if we get him to relax just a little bit more youâd have no problem scoring him!â He was an excellent wing man I must admit.
âMy competition is steep, if Tall, Dark, and Blue isnât enough distraction Iâm afraid I donât have much on one of Asmodeusâ girls.â I yielded propping my chin up on the palm of my hand . Angel rolled his eyes at me. We spoke a little quieter.
âOh please babe, heâs just keeping the big man happy right now. Besides, what do you do when you want Alâs attention? I betcha itâll work even better on him!â He flicked his eyes over to our subject at the end, a grand smile filling his face. I, on the other hand, felt my face burn at the mention.
âPlease Angel! I donât do anything to get-â I cleared my throat suddenly feeling mindful of my choice of words. Even in hushed tones I felt as though we were being listened to. â- Alastorâs attention. He hardly even gives it to me in the first place. Tonight was an anomaly that I donât see being repeated.â Unfortunately. I thought to myself.
But in honesty I knew exactly how I had gotten his attention tonight. He is territorial and jealous and anyone could see that from a mile away. That real hard part for people is figuring out just what he is territorial of. It was easy to tease those aspects though, especially if I feigned naivety.
The problem was I didnât know that about this demon, I hadnât even gotten his name yet let alone figured out what made him tick. What I did know is that he might be a bit of a flirt based on our brief encounter, and he knows when to shut up and pay attention, a good trait to have.
I watched him across the table, maybe on a better day it would be easier to pick out these things, maybe if my thoughts didnât keep trailing off back to Alastorâs room, the feeling of his arms holding me against him, the way he had been as close as possible to kissing my neck. This guyâŚhe might have decent looks, but he doesnât have what Alastor has. I sighed in defeat, earning a groan from Angel as he gently shook his head at me. His star pupil, failing miserably.
âLils, whatâs really got you all wrapped up?â He asked softly. I couldnât tell him here, not with prying eyes and ears around. Maybe we should call it a night and head back to the hotel, maybeâ
My thought was cut off by the loud decisive ringing of a phoneâAngelâsâhe immediately had that look of regret and exhaustion spread over his face. Valentino. Angel flashed me an apologetic smile as he got up from his seat to go answer and even when I couldnât see him outside the doorway any more I could hear his anxious pacing not far away occasionally peppered with âYes Valâ. I could only imagine that he was being beckoned back to Valentinoâs side, if so I think it truly might be time for me to go home and stay home this time. I gave it a shot at least, thatâs a start, maybe at the next gala in 100 years Iâll try harder.
Angel walked back in, clearly trying hard not to look put off, but I knew it before he could even say it. âIâm sorry to leave mid game, but Val says he needs me back asap.â He took a breath and pulled a smile back on, âSays heâs got someone for me to become acquainted with who just showed up, I promise we will resume our conversation tomorrow no way youâre getting off that easily!â He giggled to himself as he started to turn away. âThatâs my job!â That did draw a smile out of me at least.
âIâm only ever a call away, you know where to find me.â I told him softly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, but his mind was also elsewhere already.
âThank youâ his eyes flashed behind me and he gently lifted his chin up to motion. âGood luck.â His long legs were already carrying him out of the room by the time I followed his gaze to the dealer, he was finally headed back my way.
âWow, was his hand that bad?â He quipped, running a hand through his hair, it made me giggle despite myself. I leaned forward on my elbows again into our banter. Maybe he doesnât have what Al has, maybe he has something of his own.
As we chatted I was too distracted to notice the succubus that Vox had entered with leaving with the singular demon who had stayed upon their entry, even less so did I notice the well dressed demon on his way out a few minutes later. I should have, I should have noticed the lack of noise in the room, but I didnât want to break out of our little bubble. I also should have noticed the eyes that had become trained on me, that the sound of boots walking my way weren't headed towards the door this time. I didnât notice any of these things, or how the air suddenly hung stale in the air and was just a touch too cold for the amount of skin I had exposed.
It wasnât until a heavy hand fell on my right shoulder did I notice anything was different in the room. Mr. Fox stopped talking immediately, straightening his back. He looked even more tense than when Vox had originally entered the room. I found myself tense as well, in fact I could have sworn I stopped breathing. I did not dare speak even if I wanted to scream when my admirer gave a curt nod to the overlord behind me and ducked out of the room. We were alone. Me and Vox, and white the note we had left on earlier in the night I was not excited for the expedited reunion. My mind raced as my heart pounded against my chest filling my ears with the sound of my own blood pumping through my veins.
âSo you were able to ditch the guard dog?â Vox mused, his tone was flat, it was more just a statement.
A statement to point out how completely and utterly alone I was. I held my tongue, of course he was not expecting a reply from me so he continued.
âIâm glad you chose to stick around, well more so return to us, you and my old friend had scurried off at some point, but that means I wonât have to wait until morning to do-â His almost casual grasp of my shoulder instantly tightened painfully so; he pulled me backwards out of my seat and onto the floor. â-This.â My shoulder connected with the stone flooring absorbing the brunt of my fall, causing a yelp of pain to escape my throat. Speaking still didnât seem like the right choice, nor did any kind of running away or defense. I wasnât going to out run Vox, or overpower him, I would need something else entirely if I wanted to escape his fury.
Still I attempted to gather myself on the floor, even an extra inch of space between us felt better. My breathing was labored as he approached my pitiful position. âI mean really one of our employees-â he reached down to me, grabbing a handful of my hair and using it to yank my head up to look at him. â-coming in with my biggest rival! How the fuck do you think that looks?â His boot connected with my abdomen, a painful kick that knocked the air from my lungs. Still, he held me up in this half sitting position in front of him. I couldnât stop myself, as soon as I got any air back in them I would spend it on useless pleadings. His face contorted to a disgusted frown as he stood before me. âAnd then-â a second powerful blow to my stomach, elicited another desperate shriek out of me as I heaved. He did not seem to mind my screams, in fact he relished in them. â-when I give you a very gracious night I say, offer to stop embarrassing us what do you do? You.â Another kick âSay.â Another kick âNo!â He releases my hair, not expecting it my head slammed against the flooring sending a sharp pain through my head. His foot connected as another blow to my abdomen sending me flying backwards until I slammed against the wall.
I feel dizzy as the aches and pains forming in my body spread and connect, I try to focus on getting more air as tears collect in my eyes from the pain.
âIâll be better, Iâm sorryâIâm so sorry, please Mr. Vox Iââ I sobbed, it was all I could do. There was no running, no hiding, no winning. I had made my bed and now Iâll have to lay in it. The overlord was not interested in anything I had to say. I could feel the blood dripping from where I had hit my head on the floor, my head was spinning, and honestly at the point passing out would have been merciful. Instead I feel his fingers intertwine with my hair again and he yanks me back up. I do not bother to lift my head to look, but he forced me to.
Vox has an unhinged look in his eyes, bearing his teeth at me like an animal ready to snap my neck. I couldnât look away from his eyes though and slowly I felt a wave of calm wash over me. It drowned out the adrenaline my body was pumping through me to keep me alert, my senses felt dulled and either I couldnât hear my own heavy breathing or I had finally gotten enough air. âYou tell Al, this-â he gestures to my over all appearance. â-this will keep happening every day because of him. And because you continue to embarrass me, and Velvette, by associating with him.â I felt compelled to nod to agree, somewhere in me I knew every muscle I had was begging me not to move so much, but I felt compelled. Vox released my hair sending my head back against the wall. As I looked at the ceiling I felt all the pains and aches pooling in my muscles and throughout me returning. I could hear him straighten his suit and his footsteps faded away from me.
I wanted to take stock of myself, to see how bad my injuries were, how much blood Iâd lost, but I couldnât bring myself to expend the energy. I let my eyes gently flutter between half open and closed as I sat propped up against the cool wall. That was my only solace, it was like an ice pack for me even if it was deeply uncomfortable. As I fade in and out of consciousness I thought about what I would possibly tell everyone back at the hotel, especially Alastor. Would he even care? Maybe just that it was Vox, not that I was hurt. At least thatâs what I was telling myself.
Finally I could not keep my eyes open any longer, I let my mind find rest as I slip into unconsciousness, hopeful that rest is all I need, hopeful that someone will come across me at some point.
It felt like I was on a lifeboat floating alone in the deep ocean as waves pushed and pulled me in conflicting and nauseating patterns. It was hard to tell what was dreams and what was real, my mind was so foggy and when I opened my eyes all the way it felt like I was continuously falling down some infinite sinkhole so I preferred to keep them closed.
It felt like hours had passed, maybe they had. It made me feel that much more tired. Even when I was asleep I wasnât resting. My dreams filled with what tonight could have been like if Alastor had not rejected me, if I had stayed home with him. How he would have run his hands through my hair afterwards, gently pulling out any tangles he ran into. How he could have held me against him as we drifted into sleep, his arms wrapped around me while I listened to the rhythm of his chest slowly rising and falling. My state made it feel so vivid, it was like I could actually feel his body heat and arms around me at one point.
At some point I realized I was in my bedroom. I donât know how I get here or how long it had been since I was placed here. Maybe just maybe that meant it was all a dream. A ridiculous dream that never happened. I stayed home and went to bed like normal and never tried to do anything fun or risky or new and I never would ever again! But I was still dizzy and when I tried to sit up the poignant pain in my stomach told me I had absolutely not dreamt any part of last nightâs events. My recollection of the night washes over me again and I let out a pitiful groan; I think I would like to stay here and never have to discuss the entire evening ever again and if it wouldnât hurt so much I would like to grill up into a ball and never leave my bed again.
When I do get up I will have to face the consequences of my actions though, Iâll have to at least tell Angel everything, Iâll have to avoid Alastor, then Iâll have to go to work and take whatever abuse Vox and Velvette throw my way that day. God, Alastor. My chest ached like Iâd had the air knocked out of my all over again at just the thought of him. Iâm sure it was Angel who would have brought me home, he might have been discreet for my privacy. If so that means as far as anyone else in the hotel knows I had a lovely night out, good. I donât want all the fuss if they know Vox attacked me and even though I have this nagging voice in the back of my head begging me to tell Alastor, the rest of my brain agrees that it wouldnât change anything so why bother him with it.
A soft knock at my door draws my attention, I turn my head and smile softly when I see itâs Angel, I must have been right. He face lights up a bit seeing that Iâm awake.
âYouâre awake!â He leans his head back out of the door to speak to the hallway, âSheâs awake!â Immediately I head husked voices excited chatter not too far away while Angel strides over to my side. âDamn toots you gave us, me, one hell of a scare with that shit!â He tells me, stealing and fluffing a pillow with one set of arms and then shaking pain medicine out of a bottle for me with the other. The rest of the hotel files in shortly after Angel, save one, and Charlie goes straight for the other side of my bed.
âAre you okay?! What happened? Was it someone we know? Are you okay? Do you need anything? How can I help?â She rapid fire asks, lifting my arms and seemingly checking for deadly injuries that will take a much longer time to self heal.
I smile at her. âIâm okay, really, just a bit of bed rest until I can repair and Iâll be good as new, my head already feels much better.â I tried to reassure her, but she didnât seem as sure as I was.
âBut, what happened after I left?â Angel asked frowning, sitting on the foot of my bed. I scanned my eyes across the room, Nifty had gotten distracted by a roach in the corner, but Husk and Vaggie did look rather somber as well. I tried to push myself up into a sitting position rather than laying down but it sent shocks of pain through my whole torso. Angel and Charlie each grabbed my arms to help comfortably move me up, my muscles strained, but I managed.
âThank you.â I said softly and gave them each a reassuring smile. My hands fiddle with the blanket now in my lap and as I feel a bit better I finally remember to feel a bit embarrassed that Iâm still wearing my dress from last night. âI promise itâs not a big deal, justâŚâ I trailed off, I hadnât had time to think of a convincing story. âA shitty party go-er pissed off that I play a better game of black hack than he did. To be fair he hadnât tried flirting with the dealer.â I say and try to laugh, but it comes out a pitiful wheeze instead leading to a coughing fit.
âNo big deal? Lilly, look at you!â Angel raised his voice just a bit but stopped himself taking a breath. âYou canât even sit up, or laugh, you didn't even call me and I could have been there to help you! Instead Alastor of all people turned back up and found you passed out, bleeding, in that room all by yourself! And what, it was just some stranger?â His voice was filled with concern and I could tell he wanted a better explanation.
âAlastor? What was he doing there, no, he left, he wasn't there.â I furrowed my brow, that didnât make sense, why would he come back? If he did, where is he right now? I felt my face flush as the picture of him walking up to the pathetic scene of me curled up in the ground bleeding and unconscious, embarrassing. Why would that be embarrassing? But I couldnât shake that deep sense of anxiety and regret even if it didnât make sense. I held the blanket tight in my hands, electing to studying the stitching of it rather than look at my company.
âI know he was looking for you,â Husk offered, hands buried in his pants pockets. âDidnât say why, maybe you know better than me, checking the fancy shmancy party yâall went to seems like a pretty sensible place to start looking I guess.â That only made my heart pump faster, he specifically was looking for me? Why?
âI, uh I see.â I sputtered out, I look back up to see all eyes on me expectantly, as if I would explain why Alastor might have been looking for me given we had headed out all together. I didnât have an answer that I wanted to give them though. âI think Iâd like some more time to rest now, and probably change out of this dress.â I scrunch my nose up looking down at myself, it was not in the pristine condition I had hoped to keep it in. There were dirty footprints on it and faint signs of blood that had dropped down, at least those should wash out alright of the black fabric. Angel nodded gently, giving my hand a little squeeze as Vaggie began ushering the other residents out.
âYou heard the lady! Letâs go, Pentious, account for your egg boys too please.â She prompted them motioning towards the door. The serpent scooped up his little creatures and a chorus of âlet us know if you need usâ âwe arenât farâ âfeel better!â âWait! Thereâs one more bug I need!â trailed out with them. Angel didnât move though, his eyes were too busy trying to read me. Charlie was the last at the door, she raised an eyebrow to me as if to ask if I wanted him to leave as well, but I shook my head no and she left us to debrief. I knew thatâs what he was looking for. Angel had become quite good at knowing when I wasnât saying my whole truth quite quickly. He didnât say anything so I knew I would have to figure out where to start, particularly difficult with your whole body is screaming in pain.
âLast night wasâŚa long night.â I said with a sign. It earned a sarcastic snort from him.
âYou donât say?â He said with a smile, I playfully pushed his shoulder, breaking into a smile myself.
âListen, itâs a long story so get comfortable.â He grabbed a pillow that I wasnât using and hugged it in his lap, fully sitting on my bed now, and nodded when he was ready. I replay the whole night for him, enjoying his commentary and short booing at Vox every time I bring him up the first few times. By the end though, he stops playing around when I confess that it was Vox who roughed me up, and his ongoing threat. Angel looked to be deep in thought when I finished, as if he was looking for my next steps or some great solution. I knew there wasnât one. As we stood, I would just have to live with Voxâs abuse on top of Velvetteâs at work now and my relationship with Alastor, well there want even really a relationship to have ruined. Still, why wasnât he here right now? What had his attention instead? It was hard for me to understand his actions from the last twelve hours, you donât care, but then you do, then you donât again, finally you really do, but then you stop all together?
I groan aloud from my internal dialogue, throwing my head back follow immediately by a wince at the pain it caused. Angel took that as a cue to get out of his own head as well. âWell, work is fucked, but as far as Alastor goes, itâs looking promising.â He remarked, happy with his conclusion. I raised my eyebrow and felt my lips part, then frown, and repeat a few times as I struggled to find the train of thought to follow.
âAlastor looks promising?â How the hell did you come to that conclusion? From where Iâm standing the demon canât stand me and any part that can is being beaten down buy the rest!â I huffed, crossing my arms across my chest
âSorry, maybe now isnât the time for humor.â Angel admitted, offering me a hand. âMaybe you should get changed instead.â He was right. I desperately wanted out of this dress now, a shower wouldnât hurt while weâre at it either.
âThank you,â I told him, sincerely, taking his hand to help me swing my legs over the side of the bed and slowly transition my weight into my feet. If my body didnât like sitting up, it utterly despised standing. There was nowhere else to pawn the brunt of the stress onto, forcing my muscles to work double time, but I forced myself to do it anyway. Step by agonizing step I made it to my dresser, which despite only being four feet away from my bed made my heart beat like Iâd just run a marathon. âI can take it from here.â Angel didnât look convinced. I couldn't blame him. He crossed his arms over his chest.
âYeah, youâre the fucking opitome of health right now.â He said sarcastically, his other set of arms still holding onto me.
âAngel I can dress myself, I promise, you need rest too. It must be nearly four in the morning.â I said looking at his face closer, I was right, I could see the dark circles forming under his eyes. He was also still in his party clothes and his hair had seen better days. âPlease.â I added with a half hearted smile. Angel sighed and relinquished his hold on my arm.
âAlright, be you yell or text me if you need anything!â He says over his shoulder while walking towards the door.
âOf course, goodnight!â I say and he echos goodnight back before leaving me alone. I ache and groan, but eventually do find a suitable pair of pajamas and outfit for work in a few hours. I push work out of my mind again though, instead hobbling over to my bathroom and taking a much needed shower. The hot water helps relax my tensed bruised muscles and alleviates some of the duller aches. I desperately needed the relief it provides.
It is only once I have gotten out, dressed, and am tucking myself into bed that I had a searing sensation that I am not alone. Maybe itâs nerves, but I suspect it could be the man I wish to avoid, lurking in the shadows somewhere. His idea of checking on me I guess. Normally I would want to poke the beast, tell the abyss that he should just come out and speak to me, but I didnât want confrontation tonight. I wanted to get my well earned two hours of sleep before I had to be back at Vee tower and face the day. So instead I whispered out a goodnight to the shadows in my room and turned off the light finally allowing my tiredness to win.
tags: @cannibalcoyote @thereeallink @asainfrustration13 @lexx-exe
