Work Text:
In both the original hotel and the newly built one, Angel Dust found solace on the balcony.
In most parts of the Pentagram, there was no peace. No silence. A constant cacophony of fire, of screaming and yelling and unholy sights and sounds every step a sinner could take. There was rarely an opportunity, if any, to observe the city from afar. Not without risking your life. Yet here, on a hill nearly a mile outside of the city limits, the only sounds to be heard were the occasional blowing of wind or muted static from Alastor’s radio tower.
The spider demon strolled onto the shiny black floor from the balcony’s entrance, his feet making a soft tip-tap on the ground as he walked. He very quietly closed the door behind him, making sure he wouldn’t accidentally wake anyone. Slowly, he inhaled, letting his breath become the forefront of his attention. The air surrounding the hotel was considerably fresher than the rest of Hell; it didn’t constantly reek of burnt flesh or blood. Just…air.
A light gust of wind flew past Angel as he walked, gently swaying the fur on his head. The air was also colder up here, in sharp contrast to the Pentagram’s sweltering heat. It took Angel months to get used to it, but once he did, he despised the heat within the city. He…despised a lot of things about the city…about his life, too. And as much as he didn’t want to admit it…he didn’t realize that until he moved into the hotel. Where he experienced real joy for the first time in his second life.
Angel leaned carefully against the rails of the balcony (which had been highly reinforced by Lucifer when the hotel was rebuilt) and stared at the city before him. He took another deep breath, allowing his body to ground itself. His mind, too. He was outside of all that chaos here.
A light tapping on the glass-like floor caught Angel’s attention. A sudden burst of fear shot down his spine; did he wake someone up? He craned his neck around, hoping not to be met with an angry hotel resident demanding he be quiet. Instead, he spotted Charlie.
The princess was wearing a worn-down pair of pink shorts and a white t-shirt with a yellow duck symbol on it. Her hair was untied, which was a highly rare occurrence. Every time he saw it, Angel was bewildered by how much hair Charlie had. Her uncovered hooves clacked lightly against the smooth floor as she walked towards him.
Angel glanced at her nervously as she took a spot beside him at the edge of the balcony, staring down at the Pentagram. “Fuck, did I wake you up? I’m so sorry, Charlie, I-”
“No! You didn’t wake me up! I just…never fell asleep.” Charlie offered him a delicate, yet tired smile. She took a long, exhausted sigh, leaning her head on her palm. “I usually come out here when I can’t sleep. To get some fresh air, you know?”
“I…do the same thing,” Angel added quietly. He rubbed his hand across his forehead and through his head fluff, feeling the cold air smooth through his fur. He tilted his head, observing Charlie as she silently watched the city. “I guess it’s just never been at the same time.”
“Yeah…” the princess trailed off.
The two stood in silence for a while, letting the gentle wind continuously blow past them. Angel heard the occasional sigh leave Charlie’s lips, each one growing in length and intensity. She never turned to look at him. And…she wasn’t smiling. She looked harrowed; Angel could understand why, she was the princess of Hell. Charlie was under so much pressure, and despite everything, she managed to stay optimistic.
Maybe she was also hiding behind a wall. Putting up a facade when she wasn’t truly experiencing her signature optimism in herself . Just like Angel…hiding his emotion, his pain and his truth behind a persona of confidence and lust.
“Do you ever,” Angel started, catching Charlie’s attention, “feel like you have to keep bein’ optimistic even when you don’t feel it yourself?”
Charlie hesitated for a moment. She turned back to the front of the balcony, facing the city. “I…I feel like that every day.”
Angel turned to face the princess. “Because you don’t wanna worry everyone around you. ‘Cause you’re worried you’d be a burden on them if you…showed your true emotion.”
“I…that’s exactly how I feel. How…” she trailed off again, looking up at Angel with tired eyes.
Angel let out a sad chuckle. “Y’know how Husk called me fake? Well…he’s not wrong.” The spider demon craned his head toward the hotel. “The Angel Dust you see every day at the hotel, flirtin’ with every guy in sight, confident as can be…he’s not all… real .”
Charlie didn’t respond. She quietly listened…almost as if she understood what Angel was explaining.
“Underneath all’ that, there’s a guy who just…” his voice faltered out. He hadn’t…gotten this personal with anyone in a long time. “There’s a guy who just needs to cry . To let his emotion out, to stop holding it in, ‘cause every time he holds it in, it gets more painful.”
He sighed sharply, ignoring the tears that were building up in the corners of his eyes.
“But he doesn’t wanna cry in front of anyone. ‘Cause he knows it’ll make them worry and…and he doesn’t…want people to waste their energy on him.”
Tears flew down Angel’s face faster than he could stop them. He shut his eyes as tight as possible. He couldn’t believe he was crying in front of Charlie…no. He could.
Angel opened his eyes when he felt a pair of arms delicately wrap around him. He felt Charlie lean into him, her eyes shut tightly as his just were. He even spotted a few tears running down her own face as well, leaving watery trails across her bright red cheeks. Softly, he wrapped both pairs of his arms around the princess, letting more tears fall.
He didn’t want to let go. He hadn’t been hugged like this since…since before he fell.
“I hide myself behind a wall of cheeriness and brightness almost every second of my life,” Charlie spoke, carefully letting go of the spider demon. “I get so scared and stressed, Angel. But I never let anyone see that side of me. I’m supposed to be the fearless princess of Hell, for fuck’s sake! Not some nervous anxiety filled wreck.” She took his hand in her own. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that…I understand you.”
Empathy. Angel didn’t experience empathy. But now…he felt warmth, he felt appreciation, he felt understood . He felt cared for .
Charlie squeezed Angel’s hand lightly in her own. “And as stupid as this sounds…if you need to talk to someone, talk to me. Please.” She leaned her head into Angel’s shoulder.
A sudden sense of familiarity washed over Angel. The familiar feeling of being cared for.
“You remind me of my sister.”
Charlie stared at Angel, her eyes wide and sparkling. “You have a sister? ”
“Yeah. Her name’s Molly. She was just like you, super high energy and always wearin’ a happy face.” He sighed, this time a sentimental yet…happy sigh. “She’s not down here, thank god. But…she was the only one who I could talk to. Like this, I mean.”
“She sounds wonderful, Angel,” Charlie said, smiling.
Angel looked down at the princess, who was beaming up at him. Charlie had been with him since he moved into the hotel, by his side every step of the way. Encouraging him, conversing with him, and now…listening to him let his walls down. She was truly like a sister to him.
“I don’t have any siblings,” Charlie claimed, shrugging. “But I think I can confidently say that if I could have any, I’d choose you to be my brother, Angel.”
Angel barked a laugh. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Well, I could go ask my dad to adopt you right now! And then we’ll see if it works, huh?”
“Your dad can’t just adopt me!”
“My dad is the king of Hell.”
“Touche,” Angel chuckled. He exhaled, leaning into Charlie like he would with his sister.
“And Angel?” Charlie beamed up at him with glittering eyes. “I’m gonna help you with your boss, ok? Don’t feel like you have to keep suffering and not ask for help. I will make sure he never treats you badly again.”
Angel didn’t argue. He trusted Charlie more than he trusted…well, anyone. And if she could help him escape from Valentino…he trusted that, too.
“Thanks, Charlie. For carin’ about me.”
“Always, Angel.”