Work Text:
Angel smiled at his reflection. His makeup was perfect, it only took two hours, but he was worth it. One final touch of lipstick, and then he was off with Cherri.
“Damn it.” The pale pink shade he wore every day was almost out, and it was his last one. “At least I know what I have to get now.” He mused to himself as he put it on. Pleased with his work, he grabbed his phone and purse and headed out into the hotel. As he decanted the stairs, he noticed Al at the bar having a one-sided conversation with Husk. Angel smiled and approached his target.
“Hiya babe. I’m going out with Cherri; I need to pick up a few things. Try not to miss me too much while I’m gone.” Angel kissed him on the cheek. Leaning back to admire his work, he could picture in his mind the pale pink kiss marks he used to leave on Val till things went to shit. “Oh.” Angel pouted at the barely visible kiss on Alastor’s cheek, nothing more than some glossiness. While glaring at the mark, he did not notice the red color blooming across Alastor’s face. Well, that had to change.
“Angel! Get your ass out here!” Cherri yelled from outside as she revved her engine. Angel snapped out of his staring.
“Gotta go!” He kissed Alasor’s cheek again. “Love ya be back soon.” He waved at the pair as he hurried outside.
“You are a disturbed individual.” Alastor ignored Husk in favor of trying not to have a heart attack.
There were too many choices. Reds, pinks, purples, and all the shades in between. Sheers, creams, mattes, satins, and metallics. Angel was close to ripping his hair out.
“Cherri, what do ya think? I was thinking red…but should it be an orange-red, oxblood red, blue-red, true red, or something closer to berry. Fuck, this is harder than I thought.” Cherri snatched one of the lipsticks out of his hands.
“He’ll love you in whatever…fuck I might vomit at the thought.” Angel giggled at Cherri’s gagging. “I’ve known you for how long, and pink is the only thing you’ve ever worn.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t show up good on Al’s face.” Cherri gagged harder.
“So?” Angel spun around to face her.
“So! So! This is a matter of the utmost importance! I have to mark my territory somehow. Can’t have some skank thinking they can make a move.” Cherri rolled her eye.
“You act like there’s a line of people dying to be with that weirdo.”
“With his looks, I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s a catch, he cooks, kills any guy who tries to get handsy, takes me out, and he loves me.” The love-struck expression made Cherri both extremely happy for her friend and violently ill.
“He’s a cannibalistic serial killer.”
“Yeah, but he’s my cannibalistic serial killer.”
Angel left with a wide range of lipsticks, some bright reds, some deep reds, a winter-appropriate berry shade, a few browns, and of course, a few darker pink shades.
Later that evening, Angel returned to the hotel with a few bags in hand. Returning to the room, they shared Angel found Alastor in his usual position. He was sitting against the fluffy pink pillows that he had lamented about when Angel initially presented to him, reading.
“Miss me handsome?” Alastor looked up from his book a soft smile graced his features.
“Always mon ange.”
“Wanna see what I got?” Angel asked, dropping all but one of the bags on the floor. “I got something for ya. Well kind, you’ll see.” Alastor looked skeptical but nodded. “Now ya going to have to trust the process and just go with it, okay?” Alastor again nodded as he watched Angel closely.
“Could I at least get an idea—” His mouth snapped shut as Angel straddled his hips.
“This, okay?” Angel asked. He grinned playfully as he watched a deep red flush spread across Alastor’s face. Alastor nodded as he tried to focus his attention on anything else but Angel. “Oh, baby, don’t tell me ya embarrassed by little old me.” Alastor groaned and covered his face with his hand.
“Must you?” Angel threw his head back in laughter.
“I must. Now you’re kinda sorta gift.” Angel reached into the bag and pulled out a lipstick at random. “The first one is the shade Hellraiser.”
“You bought me lipstick?” The static distorted his voice as he peeked out through his fingers. Angel rolled his eyes. Sometimes Alastor was dense.
“Baby, ya need ta trust the process. Now relax and let me be good ta ya.” Alastor’s flush intensified as Angel applied lipstick. “Now, let’s see.” Angel moved Alastor’s hands off his face with his lower hands and cupped his face in his top set of hands. Angel hemmed and hawed as he made of show of turn Alastor’s face from side to side. Finding a spot on Alastor’s cheek, he deemed acceptable. He bent down a kissed the spot.
“Angel,” Alastor wined as Angel pulled away and examined the mark.
“Not that one.” Angel tutted. “Especially not if you keep blushing like a schoolgirl.” Alastor groaned and tried to cover his face again. Angel caught his hands and admired his work. “Well, on to the next.” Reaching into the bag again, he pulled out a different shade. “Let’s try succubus.” Angel applied the lipstick and bent down, and kissed Alastor’s other cheek.
“How many of these are you going to do?” Angel pulled back quickly and stared down at Alastor’s face.
“If you want me to stop, all you have to do is say so. I just wanted—maybe this is stupid.” Angel dropped his hold on Alastor’s arms and started to lift himself off. Alastor grabbed Angel’s waist to hold him in place.
“Mon ange, I just not used to this.”
“If you want me ta stop, I can.” Alastor threw his head back against the pillows.
“No, I like it. I’m just not used to it.” Angel fiddled with the lipstick in his hand. “Darling, why is this important to you?”
“It’s silly, but my ma, she was big on leaving kisses on my pa. She always said it was cuz she wanted everyone ta know he was a married man. When I was alive, I always dreamed about finding a man who loved me and settling down and making sure he had a kiss on the cheek so that everyone knew he had someone waiting at home.” Angel sighed. “But it never happened, never found a man who loved me like that.”
Alastor was confident enough in himself to acknowledge that emotions were not his strong suit, but Angel had a knack for making him face the parts of himself he thought had long perished. It pulled at his heart, or whatever was left of his heart, to watch the tears build in his love’s eyes.
“Ange,” Alastor wiped the tears from Angel’s eyes. “I’m so sorry my love.” Angel gave a wet laugh.
“Why are you sorry? It’s not like we knew each other when we were alive.” Feeling really are not his strongest area.
“I’m sorry that you never got that kind of love.” Angel stared down blinking at him for so long Alastor fear he had messed something up. Till Angel snorted and burst into laughter.
“You’re a fucking idiot babe.” Alastor opened his mouth to protest but Angel put a finger to his lips to silence him. “Why do you think I’m doing this.” Alastor stared up at Angel before it clicked.
“Oh!” Alastor’s flush returned in full force. “Angel.”
“I may not have found someone who loved me like that in life, but I found you in death. My ma and pa didn’t end up down here together and we only got so much time up top, so I think I’m the lucky one here. I love you Al.” Angel smiled softly down at the flushed mess that Alastor had become. He felt a twinge of pride at the power he had to make the feared radio demon into a blushing mess.
“I love you too Angel.” Angel smiled as he reached into the bag for another lipstick.
“Now may I continue my work.” Alastor nodded as he watched a bright smile grow across Angel’s face. After many kisses Angel beamed down at his work Alastor’s red face covered in multicolor kisses. Along with his color selection a red shade for going out, for when Alastor stopped blushing so much, a dark pink, every day, and an oxblood shade for winter. “You look so handsome.” He cooed.
“I am covered in lipstick Angel. I bet I look like a kaleidoscope.” Alastor lifted himself and looked past Angel into the mirror. He was covered in lipsticks of all colors but the longer he looked the more he saw. What he would have first described as chaos he notices the longer, he looks the careful planning of Angel’s soft kisses. Like colors with one another to see which he liked best, the finalists all different colors along his jawline to see which looked best. “Mon cher you are truly an artist.” Angel smiled and wrapped his arms around Alastor.
“I like to think I have an eye for good things.”