Chapter Text
“See, Princess?” Angel exclaimed from beside her, kicking his legs up on the futon that had been touched by Satan knows what. “This is living.”
She looked around at the demons talking and laughing, stumbling drunkenly and dancing with sensual gyrations. “Uh huh,” she said. “Bet.”
They were in the middle sitting area of a club on the edge of Pride because they couldn’t bear the idea of running into Angel’s boss on their fun night out. (Angel said his eyesight was so bad he’d be surprised if he actually made it this far out of the city.) Husk and Angel had dragged some horny couples off the couches so they could have a place to sit.
Charlie was trying to ignore the suspicious white stain by her foot. Key word: trying.
“What did you say to get out of work anyway?” Charlie asked, directed towards Angel. She swore he had just been complaining about an all-day shoot he had to attend or else, whatever that meant. Charlie really wanted to put that boss of his in his fucking place, but she had promised not to meddle in his friend’s personal lives. Well no meddling besides relationship advice and surprise birthday parties.
“Told him I had signs of herpes,” Angel said with a grin that didn’t pair well with the word herpes. “Val hates germs. I bet he’s on a frantic little spree to get everyone tested. That’ll give me.. a day, at least. Val has a lot of whores.”
“Heh,” Charlie replied. She didn’t need to know that. She noticed the imp dressed in the dark suit of employees and waved him over, swiping two glasses off his tray and turning back to the others.
“What?” She asks as they each give her a weird glance.
“Are you sure?” Cherri asked. “That’s the good shit, but it’s strong.”
“Yeah,” Husk chided. “We’ve barely seen you drink. I thought you’d be the type to sip a shot glass and exclaim, ‘it burns!’”
“Rude,” Charlie said, narrowing her eyes. She hadn’t even sipped the alcohol yet, but a wave of confidence suddenly fell over her. “There’s a lot of things about me that you don’t know.”
“Like what?” Angel asked, raising his eyebrows. “That you’re a top?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it, biting her lip.
“I knew it!” Angel exclaimed, then held his hand out in Husk’s direction. Husk scowled and flattened his ears, slumping against the plush carmine seat. He then proceeded to reach into his pocket and pass money into Angel’s waiting palm.
Wait. Were they betting on her sex life?
You know what, nevermind. Not the weirdest thing they’ve done.
She just tilted her head back and downed half the glass in one gulp. When she came back up, she was out of breath and a bit dizzy, head spinning, vision swimming. Husk was right. Her throat did burn a bit.
Everyone looked at each other, then back at her. Then they all cheered, whooping, patting her in the shoulder or the back. They all reached over and snatched a drink from the impatient imp that had been standing there and waiting for them.
Cherri wrapped an arm around Charlie’s neck, raising the glass. “Didn’t know you had it in ya, Princess.”
She squinted. “Uh, thanks?”
Cherri only chuckled. “Well, here’s to your engagement. I don’t know you gals too well, and your girltoy gives me the creeps, but I’m happy for ya two!”
The others jerked their cups up, liquid sloshing around the sides. Nifty was cackling maniacally, as she often did.
“To Vaggie and Charlie!” Angel called.
“I get paid for working as the bartender during the wedding, right?” Husk asked.
“HUSK!” They all exclaimed.
“What? A guy’s gotta know,” he replied, ears fluttering. “Here’s to the happy couple. Whatever.”
“Bottoms up!” Angel exclaimed.
They all tipped their heads back and began to drink. Charlie finished her drink in one big gulp, then reached for the other. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and looked around her for a moment. Everyone was as drunk as she would be soon enough.
Cherri promptly turned and punched her on the arm. Ouch. “Let’s get this party started, huh?”
“Oh,” Charlie said. “Yeah. Yeah!”
She held back her sigh. She missed her fiancée. She was itching to be planning their wedding, actually making progress to their big day. They hadn’t even picked a date yet.
This was going to a LONG night.
———
By her fourth drink, the music seemed louder, a dull ache at the back of her skull. Her body felt heavy, slumped against the back of the couch. Her tongue was sandpaper, her mouth wrapped in cotton. Her throat stung.
Most of her friends were off dancing after having their first drink. Cherri was with a hunky looking demon in the corner and Husk was talking with the bartender at the bar counter, asking about a drink he had liked. He shot them back glances every few moments, frowning. He had been tasked to look out for Nifty for the minute. The supply closet was off limits to her.
As of now, she was on the dance floor, doing a dance move that was.. something, to say the least. Other demons blinked down at her, sidestepping to avoid stepping on her as she scampered to and from. Well, at least she wasn’t trying to clean the place like last time.
Angel sat across from her, still slowly sipping his drink, stirring the ice with his straw. He seemed to be lost in thought. He had made a few remarks to Charlie about a flavor in his drink or a guy he thought was hot, but seemed pretty out of it. He was used to clubs. Charlie guessed it was repetitive after a while.
Charlie lifted her head and limply looked back to where Cherri was, towards the back of the club. She was met with a female demon where Cherri had been before. In her clothes and mannerisms were any indication, she was a stripper that the club offered. She had seen some Sinners pay to get a lap dance, or pay extra to be taken into a private room to do Satan knows what.
The stripper met her gaze. She tilted her head, looking interested, a strap of her already tight dress slipped further down, revealing more cleavage. She sent Charlie a suggestive wink.
Charlie promptly turned and borrowed her head into her hands, groaning. She felt like crying for some reason. Her head pounded.
That got Angel’s attention. “Toots,” he remarked, his voice light and teasing. She didn’t reply. “Charlie?” He said instead, sounding concerned. “What’s wrong now?”
She groaned again.
“Look, if you’re gonna throw up, do it over there,” he deadpanned.
“No,” Charlie whined.
“Charlie,” he said, poking her. It forced her head out of her hands. “Charlie.”
She planted her head in the seat, not willing to look at him, cheeks pink. “I’m sure a bad fiancée!” She exclaimed, voice muffled by the cushion.
He looked unimpressed. “And why is that?” He tsk ed his tongue. “What? Are you missing your girl? That’s cute, but we'll be home soon enough. Sooner if Husk gets in a fight with that barkeep for not telling him his deep bartender secrets.”
“I’m a bad person,” Charlie exclaimed.
“Where the fuck is this come from, Char?”
“I cheated on Vaggie,” she whispered.
She felt the cushions shift as Angel had a physical reaction, taken aback. “WHAT?!” He yelled, making several demons turn to look at them. “What?” He said again, quieter. “Charlie, the fuck?”
“It’s true!”
He raised one eyebrow, as if entertaining the idea, then dropped it, shaking his head. “And what makes you think that?”
“ I looked at ANOTHER WOMAN!” Charlie gasped, daring to look up at him. He was seated next to her now.
Angel looked at her, uninterested. “That’s all?”
Charlie sat up and wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting hug. “It’s horrible,” she spat. “And vile. How will she forgive me? How can I forgive myself?
“You,” Angel started, asking. “ Looked at another woman..?”
She nodded, hanging her head in shame. She bit her lip, nails digging into her arms, leaving intents.
“The stripper?”
She nodded again.
“Charlie, that’s her job. She wants to make people look at her. It means nothing.”
Charlie slumped further down in the seat, folding in half. “But I— I looked at her! She winked, Angel. Winked. At me!” She hid her face in her hands. “ Argh. Vaggie’s gonna hate meeee.”
Much to his dismay, she began to tear up. She no longer had control of her tear ducts, or much of what left her mouth. Angel opened his mouth, then closed it.
“Well,” he said. “So you think she’s attractive?”
“Vaggie?” Charlie asked, perking up. “Yes. Very much so. Especially when—“
“No. The fuckin’ stripper. Do you want to fuck her?”
Charlie paused, then slowly shook her head.
“Problem solved,” Angel said, throwing his hands up. “You didn’t cheat.”
Charlie let out a hiccup. “I didn’t?”
He regarded her with a cool glance. “Jesus Christ, you’re wasted,” he exclaimed, letting out a long breath. “No. You didn’t. You’re allowed to have eyes, for Satan’s sake. You’re allowed to look. That’s, like, how life works, Charlie.”
“So Vaggie doesn’t hate me?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Angel huffed.
“Oh. Good,” Charlie said, blinking. She let out a content sigh, folding into Angel. “Heh. You’re warm.”
He grunted, elbowing her back. “Like I said, wasted.”
“I’m glad she doesn’t hate me,” she repeated. She ignored Angel’s attempts to drive her off and snuggled into his side. He gave in with a sigh. “I love her. A lot. A lot, a lot.”
“I know, Princess.”
“She’s like an angel.” Charlie chuckled, delirious. “ Heh. Literally.”
She cracked herself up, barreling over in laughter. Angel sent her an annoyed glance. “I know.”
“She’s so pretty,” Charlie drawled. “I love her wings. They’re so soft. I love her hair. I love the way she looks at me. I love her lips. I love the way she kisses me and the way she—“
“I know, Toots,” Angel cut her off, looking away. “I hear it all . The walls are thin.”
She stopped, blushing, then began another helping fit of girlish giggles. “Great,” Angel exclaimed. “You’re delirious.”
She suddenly gasped, throwing her arms around Angel and squeezing him. “And you’re pink!”
“I’m aware,” he replied. Slowly, he peeled her off himself, sighing. “Hey. Tell me more about that girl of yours, just stay on your side of the cushion.” He drew an imaginary circle around himself. “See this? This my personal space bubble— holy shit, this sounds so stupid. Just— Just stay on your side, okay?”
She giggled. “I love bubbles.”
He scoffed. “Of course you do.”
“I don’t think Vaggie does.”
“Of course she doesn’t.”
Charlie bit her lip, cheeks warming at the name of her fiancée. “I love her, Angel. Like really, really.”
“I know. I believe ya, Princess. Again , I hear everything.”
“Everything?” Charlie echoed, wide eyed.
“Everything,” he replied, then let out a curse as Charlie folded in on herself, bottom lip sobbing as she teared up. “You are one whiny drunk, missy. No wonder I’ve barely seen you drink.”
“I’m sorry!” Charlie exclaimed, then was full on crying. Fat tears fell down her cheeks in trickles and her nose began to run.
Alarmed, Angel backed away, but Charlie clung to him, leaning over his lap to wrap her arms around his abdomen. He tried to claw her off, but her grip was iron. “Geez,” he spat. “What do they feed you?”
Charlie only sniffled. “Do you hate me?”
He paused. “What?”
That seemed to be the wrong reply. Her lip started to wobble again.
“No. Charlie—“
She barreled into him, sobbing into his chest. He cringed as he felt the tears coating his jacket. “ I’m sorry, Angel! You hate meee!” She cried.
He twisted to put an arm around her, awkwardly patting her back. There, there?
“No, no, no,” he said quickly. “I don’t hate you. Fuck, Charlie, why are you like this? I can’t believe I’m saying this but I think I like you sober. I’d rather do your forgiveness exercises than this. Charlie, let go.”
Slowly, the words seemed to register in her mind. She let go, slowly falling forward. Angel caught her by the shoulder. “You don’t hate me?” She asked, voice small.
“We’ve established that already,” he snapped. “God, how does Vaggie put up with you?”
“Vaggieee,” Charlie slurred.
“What about her?”
“I wish she were here,” Charlie pouted.
“She’d be stabbing everyone who looked at you the wrong way,” he pointed out.
Charlie giggled, twisting a loose strand of her blonde hair. “She’s so sweet.”
He frowned. “We have different versions of sweet.”
By the time he turned back to her, she was tearing up again. He held back his groan so as not to upset her (again.) “What now?”
“She’s just so beautiful,” Charlie sniffled. “I’m so lucky.”
“I mean, I guess you are.” He shrugged. “You found love in a shithole like this.”
“I’m so glad I found her in that alleyway,” Charlie said with a wide, goofy grin.
“Wait,” Angel paused. “You found her in an alleyway?”
Charlie blinked at him, then nodded. He only chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. “You found your girlfriend in the same way people find their cats.”
“Cat?” Charlie echoed, then gasped. “Cat! I should get a cat!”
“Charlie,” he said slowly. “You have a cat.”
She blinked. “Oh.”
“Well, she’s technically a key, but it works out in the end.”
“Heh,” Charlie replied. “Do you see the shapes dancing too?”
He looked around them, scowling. “We should really get you home. If something happens to you, Vaggie will kill me. Literally. She once told me she would stuff me and hang me on the wall.”
He could see Charlie slipping and breaking a leg in her confused and dazed state. Then Vaggie would find a way to blame him and that spear of hers would be up his ass before he could say anything.
Not the weirdest thing he’s had up his ass, but still.
Charlie only giggled. “You would make a good coat,” she said randomly. “ Ooh, or a rug.”
“The fuck?” He exclaimed. “That’s morbid.”
She blinked. “What does that mean?”
“Yeah. Okay. That’s it. We’re going. You’re too wasted for this.”
Hopefully she would forget this conversation by tomorrow. She would never let him forget the fact that he returned her hug while she had been clinging to him and sobbing hysterically.
He got up and tried to move her and help her up, but she folded her arms over her abdomen like a moody teenager (remind him to ask Lucifer if she had an angsty teen phase later. That shit was good blackmail) and refused to look at him. “No. We can’t go.”
“Why not?”
“We just got here, Angel!”
“We’ve been here two hours, love.”
“I want to have fun.”
“You can’t stand,” he deadpanned.
Immediately, Charlie popped up, as if trying to prove him wrong. She sent him a playful smirk and then promptly fell face forward. Angel caught her with a sigh, pushing her back onto the couch. She sat back down with a huff, rubbing at her arm.
“I told ya, doll,” he said, sitting back down beside her.
She leaned back and closed her eyes, then was groaning. “I miss herrrr.”
And they were back to Vaggie. Damn these two were in love. He got it. Damn.
“Fine, then,” he muttered. “What do you miss about her?”
“Everything, but I’ll start at the beginning,” Charlie began. Something told him this was going to be long. “Ooh, and I’ll do it alphabetically. What letter comes first? Right. B. No, no. A. That’s it. What starts with A? Oh. That’s a good one. I love her attitude, and her…”
He drowned her out, turning his attention back to Husk. He was sitting on a stool at the bar, deep in conversation with that stupid bartender. Seriously. What was so interesting about him? So he could make a good drink? Who cared?
“ Angelll,” Charlie’s voice came back to haunt him. “Are you even listening?—“
She cut herself off as she saw where his gaze was. She looked from Husk to Angel and back again, smiling in a way that was almost sinister. “ Ohhhhhh,” was she said.
Holy fuck, she better forget this by tomorrow or he would make her forget.
“Shut up,” he snapped.
“I didn’t say anything,” she whispered.
With one last glance over his shoulder, he turned around, sighing. He was half aware of Charlie leaning forwards, pressing her forehead to his, eye to eye. “Have you tried telling him that you feel this way?”
“Charlie!” He exclaimed, ignoring the heat rushing to his face. “Personal space bubble, remember?”
God, what was she? A kindergartner? Remind him to never take her out for a drink again.
“Sorry, sorry,” she said quickly, falling back onto the couch. She hiccuped, then giggled. “I like bubbles.”
He stood up and brushed himself off. “I know. You told me.”
She squinted, confused again. “I did? Huh.”
“Okay, Ms. Sunshine, soon to be Mrs. Sunshine,” he said as he scooped her up like a bag of rice. She was surprisingly light. “Let’s get you home.”
She leaned closer to his touch. “I’m glad we’re friends.”
Despite himself, he smiled. Maybe hauling around his drunken friend wasn’t so bad after all. At least she wasn’t a kicker. “Me too, Princess. Me too.”
There was silence for a moment. Charlie poked her head up. “Angellll?”
“Yes?”
“Do ya wanna be my best man? It’ll be so fun!” She asked in a high voice.
He chuckled to no one but himself. “Sure, Princess.”