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There was no alarm clock, what woke Millie was the sweet chirping of birds
Her eyes popped open, excitement flooding her veins as she immediately sprang up in bed, her thick bouncy curls bobbing with the motion as she leaned over and carefully climbed to sit on her husband's torso, her hands planting themselves on the pillow by his head
"Moooxxiiiieee~ Wake uuuuup~"
As always, she found it incredibly cute the way his face wrinkled, nose first, like a baby bunny, and then mouth, before his eyes started to flicker open and his expression melted back into a warm smile
"Morning Sweetie,"
"Mornin'~ You remember what day it is?"
It hardly took a moment for him to say it
"Spring Equinox?"
"YES!"
He jolted back a little, always taken by a bit of surprise, as Millie jumped off of him and ran to her closet, grabbing a fresh set of clothes and her ceremonial Cape Of Flowers
"Hurry up Mox! The tree's waitin'!!"
"It is, but you know it's not going anywhere right?" Moxxie teased as he slid out of bed, stepping past her on his way to the bathroom
"I know I know, but I wanna get there first!"
Moxxie could remind her that it really didn't matter who got there first, but he knew it was a mixture of Millie's two favorite traits- competitiveness and excitement
So why bother?
Instead he just grabbed his own clothes and shook his head as he followed her towards the shower, nearly bumping into the massive, flower adorned axe in the corner on his way there
~+~
The four Seasonal Guardians were.... special
They were Holiday Spirits, yes, but unlike any other holidays, their's didn't need to be celebrated to exist
The Guardians were vital to not just the human realm, but all realms, to keep nature flowing smoothly
Things that usually mattered to Holiday Spirits like celebration and recognition were meaningless to the Guardians, what mattered- all that mattered- to them was making sure that every three months, the seasons changed on time
To ensure this, the Guardians were granted access to a special realm that bordered carefully between the Holiday Realms and The Heavenly Realms- they called it The Garden Of Life
Typically, regular Holiday Spirits weren't allowed in, the door stood massively, almost imposingly at the end of the Hall Of Doors and was very tightly locked
But Moxxie was special
He was special because Millie had chosen him for her own
Millie, The Guardian Of Spring, had chosen Moxxie of all people- a half-human, half-spirit mutt who had only just started his role as the Easter Bunny less than a decade ago- for her husband, for the person who would help her someday bring the future Guardian Of Spring into the world
Because of his importance- because of the importance Millie saw in him, had given him- Moxxie found himself for the fifth time in his life staring up at the enormous door, his breath still in his lungs as he gazed at the intricately carved tree that labeled the door for what it was
He had never in his wildest dreams imagined he'd be here...
Millie, ever in a hurry, grabbed his hand and gave him a smile, setting her axe down next to her as she took the key to the door out of her pocket and slipped it into the huge, bronze lock that sat roughly at eye-level, giving it a turn as the sound of a *click* rumbled through the hall
Excitedly, she nudged the door open with her foot, grabbed her axe, and slipped inside, Moxxie right behind her
As was always the case, the door shut once they entered, and the key magically returned to Millie's pocket
The Garden Of Life was nothing like Moxxie could ever describe
It's purity and beauty were something fabled, like Eden, maybe, but without the uncomfortable feeling that it was being violated by anyone's presence
No, the Garden was welcoming
It welcomed all, from the tiniest of ants to the largest of giants, from the purest of angels to the most rotten of demons, from humans to spirits to Fae to animals, good or bad, innocent or wicked, the Garden didn't care, because the Garden had been the birthplace of it all
Every soul to ever exist had taken it's first breath in the Garden, before it eventually moved on to be human or Fae or anything else, it had started out there
Started out here, where Moxxie stood, amazed by it all
With one hand back on his, Millie guided him through the feilds of flourishing green and blossoming flowers, towards the enormous tree that sat in the center of this little universe
The Tree Of Life
It served as something akin to a spiritual spine to nature it's self, and was responsible for the changing seasons
Right now, despite it being surrounded by lively green feilds and beds of flowers, the tree was still clearly in it's winter phase, with few leaves left on it and snow falling in one little contained space just above it- it was what the Guardian Of Spring was here to fix
Millie, full of excitement as ever, marched towards it, practically giddy, and took in a deep breath, staring up at the enormous tree in awe
For a moment, she did nothing more- she just stared, full of appreciation, full of understanding in a way that Moxxie supposed only the Seasonal Guardians could experience, before she took a few carefull steps back, raised her flower-covered axe, and swung it forward, the sound of steel connecting with wood echoing throughout the realm as the tree began to shiver and shake, the snow turning to falling flower petals as the life breath of spring was given back to the tree, leaves turning bright, full green as little pink blossoms began to grow along the branches
Millie, satisfied, smiled to herself and yanked her axe away before peering around the other side, grinning from ear to ear
"YES! I was first again this year!!"
"I mean, to be fair, is it ever any different? The Guardian Of Autumn doesn't seem to care as much,"
"Oh he cares," Millie promised with a snort
"He just don't like showin' it,"
Moxxie only shrugged, taking a step back to stare up at the tree himself as Millie hurried close and wrapped an arm around him
For a moment, they just basked in the simple wonders of the beauty in front of them, the world around them quiet and still, it was.... lovely.....
"Wanna go see some baby bunnies?"
Instantly, Moxxie's attention was on his wife again, no longer caring about the tree
"YES!"
Giggling to herself, Millie grabbed his hand and tugged him along through the Garden, across winding pathways, down twisting turns, he was amazed that she knew where she was going as, despite being quite adept at navigation, it all looked like one massive loop to him
And then, all of a sudden, it wasn't a loop anymore- it was a straight line
There was a forest in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere, wich Millie silently urged for him to accompany her through
As they walked, Moxxie could feel the life in the very atmosphere around him, it felt like the air it's self was breathing, like the ground beneath his feet was slumbering, each shade of green in the trees felt like it's own person, he could have stayed in that forest for hours.... yet he seemed to have exited it in only moments
And when they reached the other side, they were in a sea of daffodils, Moxxie had never seen so much yellow in his life
"Wow...."
Millie, giggling, pulled him along, a pathway opening up for her as she lead her husband through the flowers, glancing at the little crystals that grew along the ground, each one inscribed with a rune, quietly telling visitors what was growing in each section of daffodils
Millie hadn't learned many of the runes, it wasn't any Guardian's job to, but after meeting Moxxie and learning about his adoration of rabbits, she had learned that one, and she had a pretty good sense of where it was
"Here we go," she said quietly, bending down in front of a small patch of flowers, the baby blue crystal in front of the daffodils carved clearly with the rune for rabbits
"Careull not to touch though, these are new souls, even the slightest hint of a touch will imprint on who they are for the rest of eternity,"
"Right," Moxxie wispered back, nodding like a bobblehead as Millie gently, ever so carefully, stroked her fingertips across the petals of one of the daffodils
The petals unfurled, expanded, opening up to reveal the tiniest baby bunny resting inside a soft, almost gel-like cocoon, developing as though it were in a womb
Moxxie was so enchanted that he wanted to cry, he had never seen anything so beautifull or magical or life affirming
"Pretty cool right?" Millie grinned, unable to help herself as she started to coax open another flower
"Yeah..." Moxxie breathed in agreement
"Very cool...."
He peered over her shoulder at he other flower, gasping in adoration at another tiny bunny, this one with little brown splotches and large droopy ears, somehow even cuter than the first
He wasn't sure if the bunnies would actually be born looking the way that they did now- that was the funny thing about souls, sometimes one's physical appearance reflected how they had been crafted in the Garden, sometimes it didn't, he wasn't really sure why, maybe he'd ask Millie later
"So are.... are all these flowers...-?"
"New souls," Millie confirmed with an absolutely ecstatic grin, starting to coax open a third daffodil, as the first one began to close back up, no longer interested in displaying the treasure safely nestled inside
"That's amazing.... and... and they're not all just bunnies right...?"
"Nope," Millie confirmed as she revealed an adorable little ink-black rabbit in the third flower
"Daffodils are the flowers of new life, perfect incubators,"
All souls were crafted with care in the Heavens, then given a spark of life here in the Garden, where they would incubate inside the flowers and wait for their appropriate vessel to become available and be born in a living realm- human, Fae, Holiday, something else, a planet or universe or realm that Moxxie hadn't even heard of yet, it didn't matter, they all started in the Garden
"That's incredible...."
"Right?" Millie grinned, moving towards a fourth flower
"I'm pretty partial to baby gators myself, they are so damn cute when they're little like this,"
"I'll take your word for that," Moxxie chuckled
"We should probably get goin' after the next one though... I've got alot to do today,"
"I know," Moxxie agreed, watching- entranced- as she began opening the fifth and final flower
"Thank you for bringing me here Millie, I-.... I never thought..... I mean if anyone had ever told me about.... any of this back when I lived as a human..... I never would have believed them.... but it.... it's you that's the most amazing part of all, you know,"
Millie rose back up, smiling with an indescribable warmth and affection as she cupped her husband's face and gave him a kiss
"I feel the same way about you sweetie,"
Taking her hand, Moxxie allowed his wife to lead him out of the sea of daffodils- as much as he very much wanted to stay a little longer- and back towards the forest
~+~
"I was wonderin' when you'd get here," Millie grinned, poking her head around the corner, the Autumn Guardian glancing away from the tree as she spoke
"You're early as always," he muttered under his breath, holstering his pistol and stepping away from the tree as the leaves turned from the bright green of summer into the golds and oranges of fall and began to fall from the branches
The Tree Of Life was actually more like two trees
Despite it all being one physical entity, it was divided between the Northern and Southern hemispheres of earth, meaning that one side was always the opposite season of the other, and when the seasons changed, it required not one, but two Guardians to make the appropriate changes
"I'm on time honey, you're just late," Millie teased back, one hand on her hip, the other resting on the handle of her axe, the blade against the ground as she leaned cheerfully against it
The Guardian Of Autumn didn't seem impressed though- he never seemed impressed with much of anything, to be quite fair
"Riiiiight..... see ya' next spring," he muttered back, heading back towards the door
Millie only huffed, pouting
"I bet Sallie May's opposite is more excitin' than this guy..." she muttered, more to herself than to Moxxie
"Don't let him bring you down honey, this is your favorite day of the entire year!"
Millie perked, her eyes twinkling in delight
"Ya' know what? You're right, c'mon baby, let's-"
Suddenly, Millie paused, her expression falling to utter shock and awe
Moxxie, confused, turned to stare in her direction, wondering what she could have seen that would have stunned her so
It didn't take long for him to figure it out
This was his fourth time in the Garden Of Life, but outside of the Autumn Guardian, he had never seen anyone else around
....
Not until now
Several yards away, someone was dancing
He was beautifull
The type of beautifull that didn't seem real
Pale peachy skin and hair as dark as raven wings, with soft, round features and a figure like a dancer's- muscular enough to let him move with grace and ease, but still thin and lithe, reminding Moxxie of a ballerina
But his beauty wasn't what stood out to Moxxie- well.... it wasn't the only thing atleast, because this unnamed dancer sported a pair of massive, feathery black wings as well
"Is.... is he an angel?" Moxxie wispered under his breath, daring take only a single step closer, a hand reaching out to wrap around Millie's
"I don't know... I think so...." Millie breathed in return
Even Millie, who- unlike Moxxie- had lived her entire life in the Holiday Realms, had never seen an angel before....
Though it made sense, angels were one of the few creatures that could come and go as they pleased from the Garden Of Life
The man spun light-heartedly, shifting just enough for Moxxie to realize with slight amusement that he was wearing a pair of headphones, a little black cord attached to what seemed to be an iPod or a an iPhone or.... something to that effect was resting in a little pouch at his hip
Before Moxxie could observe further though, the creature seemed to finally realize he wasn't alone, catching sight of them out of the corner of his eye and stopping so abruptly that he fell out of balance, quickly scrambling up to his feet and brushing himself off, much to Millie's clear amusement as she giggled and snickered under her breath
The angel was turning red from embarrassment, quickly yanking off his headphones
"S-Sorry! How... long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to see some of the show," Millie beamed back
Moxxie was too starstruck to say anything, amazed- as per usual- by his wife's astounding forwardness
The angel only offered another shy smile, his steps light and easy as he crossed the space between them, the headphones now resting around his neck, looking slightly less out of place against his simple black robes.... but only slightly
"Sorry about that, I came to meet with you but I didn't see you here, you'd left your axe though, so I figured you'd come back for it and... I just thought I'd wait...."
"You... came to see me?" Millie asked in astonishment, earning a nod in response
"You are the Guardian Of Spring, aren't you?"
"Y-Yeah! Yep, yeah, that's me!"
The angel smiled, clearly glad to see he was correct, and reached into another, larger pouch on his opposite hip, pulling free a small box
"Then.... by any chance, could you please do me a favor? I'd owe you, in return,"
"Please, no need to owe me nothin', what's the favor?" she asked curiously
"Could you please give this to Cupid? I'd really appreciate it,"
Millie, surprised, gently took the box and tilted her head
It was small, but made of velvet and heart-shaped, like a typical box of Valentine chocolates
"Alastor's got a powerfull admirer huh?" she asked in surprise
"O-Oh uh, no, no... it's nothing like that," the angel promised quickly, brushing off her suggestion with a wave of his hands and a shake of his head
"It's um.... just..... please make sure to tell him it's from Eros,"
"Eros...." she repeated slowly, giving a considerate nod as the smile appeared over her face again
"I can do that, not a problem,"
"Thank you, really," the angel smiled warmly back, giving a polite bow before suddenly seeming to vanish before their eyes
Things were quiet for a moment before Moxxie stepped closer, gently setting a hand on his wife's shoulder
"...What do you think all that was about?"
"I dunno...." Millie confessed, staring at the box
"I'm really... startin' to wonder...."
~+~
"Well? Do you like them?"
Angel beamed like a ray of sunshine, nodding excitedly and giving his wrists a little shake, clearly delighted with the way the bells on his wrists jingled as a response
"They really do suit you too! Just your colors!"
Angel nodded again, pressing his fingers to his chin and extending them out- "Thank you"
"No problem,"
Before Angel could say anything else though, Stolas- seemingly by instinct- reached out and gave him a tight hug
And Angel just sort of..... froze.....
His heart was racing, his body was stiff, everything seemed to freeze as his emotions startled and stuttered like a broken record
.....
And then, all at once, they poured themselves out
Angel wasn't even really consciously aware of it at first, wrapping his arms around Stolas like a lifeline, like a big teddy bear he was desperately holding onto for comfort, his watering eyes quickly squeezing shut, but that did nothing to stop the tears from falling, or his body from trembling, or his fingers from tangling themselves in Stolas's jacket
"It's alright," the silver-haired man promised, hugging Angel tighter, seeming to pick up with ease that it was what he needed
Angel couldn't remember the last time he'd had a hug
It... had to have been before the accident though right?
Accident? That's what he was calling it? It was a fucking murder attempt
....Yeah.....
Long before
It felt better than he remembered, better than he thought it possibly could, it felt like every bad, scary, negative, horrible thing had suddenly fallen away, leaving Angel with nothing but peace and tranquility
It was..... breath taking, and from something so simple too
"....Thanks....." he wispered instinctively, voice weak and scratchy from disuse, barely loud enough for either of them to hear it, but hear it they did
Or, well, Stolas did, at first
Immediately, the other human pulled away, beaming as though he'd just won the lottery
"You spoke to me!"
As the realization dawned over him, Angel's eyes went wide, lips spreading into an excited grin as he immediately tried to speak again....
Only for nothing to happen
He tried a second time, and a third, but it was just.... dead air each time, no sound would leave him, no matter how hard he tried
And if the first realization had made him burst with happiness, this second one immediately caused him to deflate, shoulders sagging and eyes downcast with disappointment and shame, just when he had thought he'd be making progress-....
"It's ok," Stolas promised, giving him a second hug, much to Angel's surprise
"It's ok, take your time, I certainly don't expect anything of you, but I'm... I'm happy to help, if you think that I can," he promised, pulling back a bit and smiling sweetly at Angel
"And I'm more than happy to provide free hugs any time that you wish, day or night, just let me know,"
Angel huffed, face a bit pink
"Be carefull what you offer people, you might not get rid of me then..." he signed, before forgetting that Stolas couldn't understand sign language and deflating even further
"What's he offering that might not get rid of you?" Blitz asked as he walked up behind Stolas, startling both of them into giving him their full attention
"O-Oh um... I offered Angel free hugs whenever, that's all," Stolas explained, turning back to Angel
"And trust me, that will not be a problem," he promised, before turning to Blitz once more, the elf sucking on a chocolate, heart-shaped lollipop, a second one of wich he offered to Stolas
"Damn I love these things, wish Christmas Town had 'em..." Blitz muttered, quirking a brow as Angel moved closer and wrapped himself around Stolas like a sloth, a gesture that Stolas was very keen to return
"....Did I miss somethin'....?"
Unfortunately for Blitz, that question was going to have to stay unanswered a bit longer, the presence of new arrivals was quick to take everyone's attention
"Hey, do any of you happen to know where Cupid is?"
Blitz's eyes quickly widened, almost dropping the bag of chocolate he'd bought wile in town as he turned towards the sound of the voice
"Oh my god..." he mumbled, quickly jerking the sucker out of his mouth and wiping at his chin with his sleeve
"Holy shit you're the Guardian Of Spring!"
Millie gave a bright smile, giving her flower-covered axe a little twirl
"That's me,"
Blitz was in front of her in a heartbeat, shaking her hand enthusiastically with his free one
"I'm Blitz, Blitz Martinez, from Christmas Town, it is SO fuckin' cool to meet you!!! Big, BIG fan!"
"O-Oh, well it's nice to meet you!!" Millie laughed, deciding to forego the basics and just cut right through with a big hug, wich caused Blitz to squeak with delight, eyes sparkling as he immediately hugged her back
Angel and Stolas, who were watching this display, tilted their heads in unison, like a pair of confused pugs
Blitz, who didn't so much "let go" as he was "gently avoided" as Millie finally slipped away, turned towards them and sighed, like a disappointed parent
"You two have no idea who she is huh?"
"Well it isn't like we've lived here long," Stolas pointed out, wich Blitz was about to respond to... before shutting his mouth, nodding in consideration
He was right, after all...
"Ok well then you're both about to get a lesson in how things work around here- this is Millie, the Guardian Of Spring, you remember meeting the Guardian Of Winter, right Stolas?"
"Ah, yes! Santa's girlfreind," Stolas nodded
"Right, well this is the spring counterpart, the Guardians aren't like other holiday spirits, they're like royalty here!"
"I really wouldn't go that far," Millie cautioned quickly
"That's really cool!" Angel signed excitedly
"What are you doing in Valentine Town though? Oh! Do you bring spring to all the different towns here?"
"Nope, the weather and season are more decided by the holidays themselves and who rules 'em, sorry," Millie smiled back
"I actually came to see Cupid, you know where he is?"
"Yeah, he's in White Town in a meeting, but I'm his...... apprentice, I can give whatever it is to him?"
"You really wouldn't mind?" Millie grinned excitedly
Angel shook his head, smiling and shrugging- definitely didn't mind
"Great! That'd really help me out, could you give him this then? And tell 'im it's from Eros,"
Angel blinked in surprise as Millie thrust a small heart-shaped box towards him, but nodded all the same- Alastor's apparent personal life was none of his business after all
"Thank you!! I hate to just run off like this but Mox an' I've gotta go, I'll stop by another time and visit, promise,"
"Where are you two off to?" Blitz asked curiously
"Human world," Millie beamed
"Spring is starting, but it could use a little help gettin' there,"
"Sounds like a blast, want some company?" Blitz asked excitedly
Millie's expression dropped into one of surprise, clearly not quite sure how to answer
"Um..."
"We really should get back to Octavia darling," Stolas offered, apparently noting her uncertainty and placing a hand on Blitz's shoulder
"But we should go to the human world tommorrow and visit a park or something, let her experience some warm weather,"
Blitz seemed a bit disappointed, but nodded in agreement all the same
"Yeah, sounds like an idea, I'll be seeing you later though," he promised with a grin, shooting double finger-guns at the Guardian Of Spring before turning back to Angel and giving a wave goodbye
"See you later Angel!! I'll stop by again tommorrow before we leave," Stolas offered, earning a nod and a wave back in response as he and Blitz headed for the door
"Thanks again for givin' your boss that gift for us, uh.. Angel, right?"
Angel nodded, turning back to Millie and giving a non-chalant shrug
"We gotta be off too, but see ya' later!"
Angel only waved again, taking another look at the strange little gift and heading back to Alastor's to wait on him
It wasn't any of Angel's business who was sending Al something like this, but.... he couldn't help wondering all the same.....
~+~
With nothing more than a brush of Millie's fingertips, the frost on the ground faded away, leaving warm, fertile ground in it's wake for flowers to grow
A spin of her axe brought warmth to the air, clearing out the last of the March chill as a group of people in the distance gradually began to shed their jackets and coats as they walked down the street
Moxxie watched in wonder and complete adoration as Millie blew a kiss at a rose bush, giggling in delight as buds started to sprout out all throughout it, preparing to bloom
Watching Millie work was his favorite thing in the world
Maybe it was just because he, too, was associated with spring, but there was just nothing like watching her bring spring to life all around them, it was the most incredible magic he could think of
"I think.... we should go to Japan next," she deemed as she stepped back from her work, lips curved into a grin at the beautifully green park that she had brought to life
Her best work yet, in Moxxie's opinion never mind that he said that everytime
"Hm? Oh! Yeah, yeah! The cherry blossom trees, I love seeing those bloom!"
"Me too," Millie agreed, looping her arm through his and starting to head out of the park
Millie could conjure up a strong wind and get them to Japan with the snap of her fingers, but it was typical of her to want to take a small stroll in the beautifull weather first
They passed by a group of giggling teenage girls, a happy elderly couple walking their dog, a young mother jogging with her stroller, all wonderfull markers of humans enjoying the spring weather, and then-
"I'm telling you Val, it's like he just disappeared! There's no activity on his bank account, nobody's seen 'im, his apartment hasn't been touched, I've even checked all the hospitals and morgues in the fucking state, but there's just... NOTHING!"
Even though Moxxie knew that the humans couldn't see them, his instincts still kicked in, and he pulled Millie a little closer, holding his arm around her protectively as they walked past the angry sounding businessman shouting into his cell phone
"Oho NO, you are NOT taking this out on me again! This it IT, I'm DONE, I'm not going to be your scapegoat one more time just because ANGEL fucked up!"
The two spirits paused suddenly, giving eachother a concerned glance as the businessman all but walked right into them, but ultimately managed to pass them by
"....You don't think.....?" Millie asked slowly
"....Nah," Moxxie replied with a shake of his head
"What would the odds of that be?"
~+~
"Sorry that took so long darling, we really had to sort out a few things after White Day,"
Angel only shrugged, glancing up from his book as Alastor hung his jacket on the coat rack
"It's fine," he signed back, smiling slightly at the soft jingling of his bracelets as his hands moved
"I see you got your new bracelets! They suit you well,"
Smiling a little brighter, Angel put the book down and sat up a bit straighter
"Thanks! And guess what? I spoke to Stolas earlier! Isn't that fucking cool?! It was kind of almost an accident.... when I tried to do it again I couldn't but.... that's progress right?"
"That's SUPERB progress, good for you!"
Maybe Angel was just imagining it, maybe it was wishfull thinking, but Alastor actually seemed.... genuinely proud of him....
It made his heart warm, made it beat a little faster, he felt kind of like a puppy who had learned a new trick, and for the first time in fucking years, things actually felt like they were on the upside for him
Maybe things were going to work out here after all...
"Anything else good happen?"
Angel thought for a moment, before suddenly remembering the weird matter of the heart-shaped gift and snapping his fingers, nodding and jumping up from the couch, missing the fond smile that had started to creep over Alastor's lips
He dashed to the kitchen where he had left the box, grabbing it and returning quickly, much to Alastor's confusion
"Somebody dropped this off for you, the..... spring person? She said it's from Eros?"
Immediately, as Alastor slowly accepted the gift, his expression fell, no longer fond or cheerfull, but now into something far more gloomy and.... agitated...
His eyes narrowed as he opened the box, not even noticing Angel's confused, concerned expression
In the center of the box was a single heart-shaped chocolate, the perfect size to eat in one bite, and taped to the inside of the lid was a note, wich Alastor was quick to take, setting the box aside and unfolding the papper
Rather than waiting and asking what was going on, Angel shifted to stand behind Alastor and read over his shoulder, something the Cupid didn't even try to prevent
"Dearest Alastor," the note read
"I'm so sorry for everything, but after all these years, I've finally managed to find something that, I hope, will make things right- this chocolate has been made with Angel's Breath and Pixie Dust, it will grant any wish, please take it, and be happy, I'll accept the consequences of whatever fallout comes,"
What the absolute fuck...?
"My heart's wishes, ~Eros"
...
Further what the fuck!?
Angel jerked his head up, staring at Alastor in astonishment as the brunette quickly snatched up the chocolate and headed to the kitchen, Angel right on his heels like a curious puppy
He was trying to sign to Alastor, but his companion wouldn't look at him to save his life, no matter how much Angel tried to jingle his bracelets to get his attention
"I hear you dear," Alastor finally said, voice tight and frustrated, not how Angel usually heard it
But to further Angel's confusion even more, he didn't turn around or even provide an explanation for his sudden coldness
Instead, he set the chocolate on the counter and reached up into the highest cabinet he could, pulling out a small music box with a lock on it
Angel.... had never seen it before.....
Not all that surprising considering how short of a time they'd lived together maybe, but Alastor lived modestly, Angel had felt like he'd seen most everything by now
Evidently not
Alastor sighed, reaching beneath his bowtie and pulling out a small bronze key, much to Angel's surprise, and opening the box
Angel didn't see what else was inside it, but he did watch Alastor carefully wrap up the chocolate in some nearby foil and deposit that into the container before quickly locking it away, setting the box back in the cabinet and returning the key to it's place
Frustrated, Angel jingled his bracelets again, finally getting Alastor's attention
"Dude, what the fuck!?" was all he signed, having too many questions to- proverbially and, in some cases literally- spell out for the other
"The chocolate is a gift from the man who had this job before me," Alastor finally explained
"The man who turned me into this,"
Angel raised a brow, silently prompting him for more details
"He turned me into this nightmare against my will," Alastor explained, crossing his arms over his chest
"And then he abandoned me here,"
Angel's shoulders instantly sagged, expression falling somber
".....I'm sorry....." he finally signed, only to earn a shrug in response
"I suppose part of him has felt guilty all this time, now he's trying to make up for it, almost a hundred damn years late,"
Angel was still for a moment, before slowly signing a single question
"What..... is your wish....?"
In that moment, Angel felt a shiver start to crawl up his spine, his heart squeezing with discomfort as he shrank back a step, a truly demented looking grin crossed Alastor's face, eyes almost glowing with glee as he glanced up at Angel, and answered him in three simple words-
"To become Death,"