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"He's breathing much easier now~" Niffty announced softly just around eleven o'clock pm to the group clustered in the foyer where Arackniss now slept indeed more at ease.
His face had been cleaned, stitched, and bandaged, the four eyes on one side completely gone and now lay empty but open.
His right upper arm was broken in a way that even if healed correctly, it would never be the same, bent in a manner which told the viewer he'd used it as a shield and later landed fully on it when he was dumped out the window.
As was his right leg.
If he got the chance to walk, it would take ages to get it back the way it was, silent in step, light in his runs.
But the harshest part of the whole ordeal lay open just beneath his ribs and at the start of his belly.
The puncture mark Henrion himself had struck that nearly ended the small hitman spider's life then and there.
Twice now it was gently prodded with the elixir Alastor had fashioned with his powers. And because of this and his will to live, he gave a weak snore and twitched in his slumber upon the couch.
"Niffty, really I can't thank you enough!" Angel spoke up weakly, reaching for the small female cyclops with all four arms. Answering in kind, Niffty welcomed the embrace with a warm, "No problem, Angel~ I'm just glad I was able to do something right!"
"Ohh, Niffty! You've done so much right already!" Charlie spoke up gently, placing an assuring hand upon the littlest Demons shoulder.
"Let's let him and his brother rest now~" Vaggie whispered and nodded towards Angel Dust who looked exhausted and finally willing to drop off now that his brother was breathing easier.
"We'll all be here, just call out!" Niffty chirped as softly as she could, not wishing to startle but wishing to be heard.
"Ya Kid," Husker rumbled with a hint of tenderness.
"You need anything, you let us know, got it?"
The large Cat Demon was embraced next and this time, out of any other time Angel had hugged him before, he lowered his ears, curled his feathered tail up and along the long spider's back, and purred briefly for the being in his arms.
Coughing and straightening up, he moved off first, tail tip flicking to show he was 'irritated' once more, Niffty following his steps with a last look back upon her work and the life she'd actually saved~
Vaggie and Charlie made sure the other couch had blankets and pillows so's the cream colored spider could be comfortable before saying their good nights and stepping out for their own bedrooms down the hall.
Alastor hadn't been seen since Angel's scream over his brother's broken body but knowing him-
Angel smiled weakly as he stared at Arackniss and his 'living' breathing form on the other couch.
He'd turn up outta nowhere and act like he'd never been gone~
In the meantime though-
"I'm here for you, Niss~ Alright? Pops ain't gonna hurt you no more, I promise!"
He knew his brother wasn't going to respond and smiled instead when he made a little snore and breathed in easier right before his exhausted eyes~
He didn't notice it until he felt weightlessness take hold that he'd fallen under exhaustion's slumbering hold. It came to a head when he felt something light but warm rest along his body and a softness along the back of his head.
He just barely opened an eye and saw a blurry red shape standing over him and a smile before he lulled back to sleep and remained that way for what felt like decades!
It wasn't so however that the next time he awoke, it was only turning six.
It was dark in the room, peaceful, soft little snores came from the couch across from his.
He still felt so tired yet-
Something had kept him from returning to the heaviness that was his sleep.
SomeONE actually!
And when his eyes focused, he gave a start and yelped, grabbing that someone's attention and a large hood along its neck to flare in its own startalment!
"Fucken scared me, Noodle!" Angel panted, clutching his fluffy chest tightly as he gained control of himself and found out whom was this someone standing guard over his brothers 'bedside'.
It was Sir Pentious!
He looked roughed up now that Angel Dust was more awake and he said so, leaning upwards off the couch, ignoring the tiredness that his whole body felt.
"You'a.. You okay, dere, Snake?"
"Better off than Nissssy!" Came the snake's response which Angel could feel held the cold claws of grief within them.
"Where have you been? We were hoping you'd pop by, like you always randomly do-"
"Seemssss our livesss were found out-"
Was that directed at HIM or to the room they were in? To the void that listened but never spoke.
"Basssstards! Those basssstards!"
Nope, he was going on to no one in particular.
He was shaking and if Angel knew anything about holding back tears, he knew that's what the snake was trying to do now as he continued his onslaught of words.
"I got away before they got too much and fled to find Nisssy!! They'd been sssent by that bassstard, Henrion, I just know it!"
Angel got up carefully and approached the shaking serpent, upper right hand reaching for his shoulder.
Upon contact with his hand to the snake's shoulder, said snake began to sob, head resting on the couch where Arackniss slept unaware.
"I couldn't find him… I couldn't find him!!! Damnit I couldn't find.. Him!"
"No..w look!"
The snake looked up at the body of his partner and shivered out, "He'ssss been taken out by that bassstard of a man! All because he found himsssself!!"
"Hey, hey, Pent-" Angel whispered and lead the snakes head using a finger point to the light rise and fall of his big brothers chest and announced softly, beaming at the smile that now took hold of the others face, "He didn't let Pops take him out~ He won!"
"Nisssy?"
"He's pretty fucked up but he's here and fighten! Fighten like he's always done~ Fighten like he always will~"
"Ohh Nissssy~" The tender way the snake Demon hissed those few words towards his brother. It had Angel melting inside.
"I ssstill failed him though and to you-" He lowered his once happily raised head in shame, "I'm ssso sorry-"
"But we enjoyed each other's company ooh ssso much! After that day he sssaved me?" Those eyes grew warm and loving as he looked upon the fighting ball of charcoal fluff.
"He'd ssstay visible on the rooftops when he wanted to be with me and I sssoon knew where he'd be it became sso frequent~ Sssometimes I'd get there before him and await upon the roof for him~ Enjoy the ground for a change, lisssten to his day, watch the ssstars!"
The snake really DID like Niss!
He'd seen them together a few times while he was out with Cherri Bomb or coming back from work!
He'd NEVER seen his brother look so relaxed and happy before! Not even when he was alive!
""So, you love Niss, mh? To what extent?" Angel popped up out of left field and gained the snakes full on attention, scarlet eyes burning with his words which simply put, "I'd live for him!" Rang to Angel loud and clear-
"He's ganna be fine, Pen! If he's cracked a smile near you or sits long enough, waiten up just to chat wit you," He eased his embrace of the serpentine Sinner and smiled kindly, "He's ganna wake up and be pissed dat he's in bed and not out dere shooten up people or hanging on da rooftops wit you~"
"I really tried.."
"And I know he knows dat~" Angel assured, feeling weighed down again by his exhaustion.
Sir Pentious noticed this and found himself able to sound assured and confident once more and nudged the younger brother back towards his couch, "I'll keep my eyesss on him whilst you sssleep, Mr. Dust! The leassst I can do for failing him once alread-"
"You didn't fail ya big pool noodle~" Angel chuckled tiredly as he took the invite to sleep, assured that his brother indeed was going to be watched over~
"Pops just.. Just has his ways of.. Fucken up our lives.." He was growing slurred, his vision was blurry once more. But he didn't want to leave the snake thinking HE caused this whole thing!
"Pent.. He'll say da same thing as what I'm sayin now.."
He made his voice grow as clear as it could and instructed with it, "He's ganna wake up sometime soon and see dat doopy noodle face of yours and crack dos rear ass smiles of his cause you're safe along wit him! Now, smile before he can, welcome him back wit dat happy noodle he loves and fought for!"
"He'll wake up and see his fight for life back was worth it when he sees you dere~"
Unallowing but his body doing as his brain baid it, Angel sunk back along the couch he slept upon prior and was sent off into the heavy void of the wrecked emotions, the highs and lows of hate, love, fear, regret, and tipped over the edge into the nothingness that was exhaustion!
He knew someone was watching over his big brother, someone who fought tooth and nail right back to stay with him and defy the Mob Boss himself!
And he smiled even in his dreamless void at this warming thought.