Work Text:
“You may touch it once. ”
Angel almost couldn't hold back his squeal of delight where he stood in Alastor’s room, watching as the deer took off his coat then turned around so his back was to Angel. His fluffy little deer tail, the same color as his hair, twitched like he was trying to keep it from wagging.
“Is this a prank?” Angel asked, trying to tamp down his giddy excitement. He'd asked Alastor ages ago about his tail he kept hidden under his coat all the time and Alastor had told him under no uncertain terms to mind his business. Angel hadn't asked about it since for fear of losing one of his arms. He's grown used to having six over the last eighty years of his death, it would feel wrong to lose one now.
“No.” Alastor said, turning his head to look over his shoulder at Angel, his ears twitching back. “Why would I prank you about this? That's a ridiculous premise for a prank.”
Angel shrugged and took a hesitant step forward. “You've made no secret of the fact you think my legs look tasty. Maybe you're just trying to get me close so you can, yanno,” Angel made a biting motion while gesturing down at his legs.
That made Alastor laugh loudly, a track of canned laughter playing along with him. “I would never, dear boy! I'd never hear the end of it from Charlie and I have no interest in being lectured until you return from your inevitable death from blood loss were I to eat your legs off your body.”
Angel shivered and God dammit why did he find that kind of sexy? Ridiculous. He was ridiculous, Alastor was a cannibal and should not be so hot while talking about literally dismembering him. Taking another small step forward, Angel muttered softly under his breath, “Could eat what's between my legs instead.”
“The answer is still no. In both directions. I've grown quite fond of you in our time together at the hotel, Angel, but not even fondness could make me want that.” Alastor didn't even glance over his shoulder as he said that, instead holding his microphone up and examining its shiny surface. His tail twitched again and Angel couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was a reason beyond Alastor not liking it that he kept the tail hidden. It appeared to be a dead giveaway to his emotions that he was struggling to control even just with Angel.
“I know.” Angel said, eyes glued to that tail as he took the final step forward so he was close enough to Alastor that all he had to do now was lift his hand and his fingers would be caressing his tail. “Still, gotta shoot my shot, right? Maybe one of these days you'll give me the chance to show ya how good I am with my tongue.”
The tail twitched and Angel couldn't help but grin. “Never going to happen.” Alastor said, voice sounding even as ever. Oh yeah, there was definitely a deeper meaning to why Alastor kept his tail hidden.
“Sure.” Angel agreed easily, pretending he hadn't put the pieces together himself already. “So I can just… touch it? That's it? No tricks?”
Alastor sighed like he was an exhausted parent explaining something to his toddler for the thousandth time. The thought made Angel almost laugh. Alastor would be a terrifying parent. “Yes, dear, no tricks and no strings. Hurry up, we haven't got all day.”
“Don't rush me.” Angel huffed. “This is important! I gotta make sure I do it just right, especially if this is my only chance. I wanna savor this moment forever. Wish you didn't break my phone camera or I'd take a picture. You're tail has no right to be so fuckin’ cute .”
Alastor's tail gave that twitch again and this time he was unable to stop it from actually wagging a few times which made Angel's heart pound in his chest. Why was that the cutest thing ever? It wasn't fair how someone so fucking creepy 98% of the time could turn around and be this goddamn adorable the other 2%. “Oh yeah?” Angel asked, biting his lip to keep from giggling. “You like when I compliment you, big buck?”
Alastor gave an airy hum like he didn't know what Angel was talking about even as his tail gave another cute wag. “It’s not necessary.”
“Well duh. I know you ain't gonna keel over if I don't. No one needs compliments to survive but that don't mean they ain't nice to hear once in a while.” Angel took a breath, giving Alastor one more chance to back out of this.
“I suppose.” Alastor hummed, still not looking over his shoulder but not moving away from the spider either.
Angel nodded to himself and with no warning, lifted his hand and touched the very tips of his fingers to Alastors tail. Instantly, like he'd been struck by lighting at the exact same moment, Alastor went stiff, his ears and tail going straight as a rod. Angel was barely even touching him, yet the way Alastor was reacting, it was like he hadn't been properly touched in decades. Hell, maybe he hadn't.
“Alastor?” Angel asked softly, not pulling his hand away but not pressing any harder on it either. “You alright?”
It took a minute but Alastor eventually relaxed, shoulders slumping a bit. “Just fine.” He said, trying hard to actually sound the way he said he felt. Angel could tell by the way his breath hitched just a bit.
“You sure? I'll stop-” Angel moved to pull his hand away when Alastor quickly shook his head.
“I said I'm fine.” He insisted. “I gave you permission to touch my tail, I'm not about to take it away. I don't go back on my word.”
Yeah, Angel knew that. Alastors word was basically law to him. He didn't break promises lightly, if at all. So, with the permission firmly given, Angel took a half step closer and wrapped his fingers around Alastor’s tail, giving it a little stroke that had the Radio Demon stiffening again. “It’s softer than I thought it would be.”
“Oh?” Alastor asked and Angel could hear that his teeth were clenched. “Why’s that?”
“Well, you’re supposed to be a red deer, right? I’m pretty sure they have coarse hair. Guess I was expecting that but your tail isn’t coarse at all. It’s really soft and nice.” His tail almost felt like fluffy bunny’s rather than a deer. Angel had a pet rabbit when he was alive, a little white puffball he and his sister had fittingly named Cotton Candy. She’d been soft to the touch, perfect to bury one's face in after a long day and touching Alastor’s tail felt kinda like petting Cotton Candy had. Unexpected, but… nice. Nice enough that it brought a soft smile to Angel’s lips.
“What’s that look for?” Alastor asked and Angel’s eyes flicked up to meet his gaze, finding him staring at Angel over his shoulder.
Angel shook his head, his smile never leaving his lips. “Nothin’, just thinkin’ about stuff.” His eyes roved up Alastor’s face to his hair and up further to his ears that were slightly cocked as if listening to something far away. “Can I… can I touch your ears? Wanna know if they’re as soft as your tail.”
Angel knew he was probably pushing his luck but he couldn’t help it. Alastor was so cute and fluffy and Angel just wanted to touch him all over and maybe squish him a little bit. Just a little.
Barely a minute of silence passed between them after the question left Angel’s lips before the tail slipped out of his fingers and suddenly Alastor was facing him and they would have been nose to nose were Alastor just a few inches taller. Angel’s breath caught, eyes going wide at now being unexpectedly face to face with the Radio Demon.
“Once.” Alastor said and Angel let his breath out in a whoosh. Why was Alastor being so willing and nice right now? He almost never let anyone touch him, Charlie usually being one of the only exceptions when she would throw her arms around him in a hug he never asked for. So why was he so willingly letting Angel? Not that Angel was going to complain, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he just couldn't figure it out.
“Y-you’re sure?” Angel asked, suddenly hesitant. He really didn't want to force himself onto Alastor. Even if he was just petting him. He knew how awful it could feel to have people touch you without your consent and he didn't like the idea of doing it to someone else. He'd finally actually gotten that lesson through his thick head thanks to Husk and he wasn't about to start back pedalling now. “It's okay if no, I don't wanna make you feel uncomfortable or-”
Alastor reached up and placed a gentle, single finger to Angel's lips. “I wouldn't have said yes if I meant no, Angel. Not even for you.”
What did that mean? “Not even for me?” Angel repeated, genuinely a little miffed by the statement. It sounded like something he would have said a few months ago in an attempt to get Alastor into bed with him. “What, not even for lil ol’ me?” It made him shudder just thinking about it now.
Alastor blushed - actually blushed which was something Angel had never seen on the deer's face before in the past nearly year they'd known one another - and glanced away which made Angel's stomach do a funny flip thing. When Alastor didn’t answer, Angel decided against pushing his luck in asking again and instead lifted his hands up slowly, giving the Radio Demon plenty of time to stop him before he touched Alastor’s ears with gentle fingers, stroking them lightly with his thumbs. Alastor shivered under the touch but didn’t stop Angel.
“You’re so soft.” Angel said, almost in awe. “No wonder you don’t let anyone pet you. Your cute, fluffy ears and tail kinda undercut the big scary Radio Demon thing.” Alastor narrowed his eyes a bit and Angel gave a nervous little giggle, pulling his hands back. “Sorry, that was kinda mean.”
Alastor hummed and turned away from Angel, walking toward the swamp that took up a large part of his room. Angel watched him walk off, unsure what to do with himself. If Alastor vanished into the swamp, did Angel just… leave? Or did he follow him? Was that weird? Or was it rude of him to leave? Alastor was walking away first, surely he wouldn’t mind if Angel slipped out when he was clearly unwanted, right?
Just as Angel was about to turn on his heel and leave Alastor to whatever he was going to do, the deer glanced over his shoulder, lips pressed into a soft smile and gestured Angel forward with a jerk of his chin. “Are you coming, mon Ange?”
Angel straightened in surprise and nodded quickly, starting toward the swamp. Maybe Alastor was about to take him in and feed him to whatever creatures he most definitely had wandering around in here. Maybe he was about to bring him in here to actually eat him. He thought they’d been joking around before but Angel had been known to misread a situation before. Hell, that was a big part of the reason he’d lost his soul in the first place.
But Alastor wouldn’t, right? He’d said he wouldn’t and Alastor didn’t just say shit. He was always careful with his words and he always knew what he wanted.
“Did you ever visit any marshlands when you were alive?” Alastor asked suddenly as they walked together through the - surprisingly - nice swamp.
“Nah,” Angel said casually as he looked around, taking in the trees, the grass and the stars sparkling up above. He knew they were fake, but God, it had been so long since he’d been under a starry sky, even the fake stars made him feel a little more at home. “I was born in Italy and emigrated when I was three to the states. Grew up in New York City, not exactly a lot of swamps there.”
“Ah, that’s a shame.” Alastor said, clasping his hands and the microphone he always carried with him behind his back. “I never really was much for city life myself. I always preferred the quiet of the country, or the bayou in my case.”
That caught Angel by surprise. He never would have placed Alastor as a nature kid, not with how he was now. “Really? You grew up in a bayou?”
Alastor hummed. “Just on the outskirts of one, actually. But I spent much of my childhood exploring it, when I wasn’t at school or helping my mother with her patients.”
Angel gestured around as they walked, “So, did you model this swamp after the one you grew up in?”
“Sort of. I made it a bit nicer, less damp. As much as I enjoy a dip in the water, I wanted to make it easier to navigate through here for days when I come for a walk around while I lose myself in thought so I don’t accidentally walk myself into a river by accident.”
Angel nodded to that and suddenly realized they were actually walking pretty far. He didn’t think this swamp could be that big, right? It was still part of Alastor’s room, after all. But when he looked back over his shoulder, he found he could only barely make out the harsh yellow light of Alastor’s room through the soft blue light of the swamp and the trees they’d walked through. “Whoa,” He breathed as he turned back around to face forward, looking around again in awe. “How did you make it so big? Are you secretly taking over other rooms too without tellin’ Charlie?”
Alastor laughed at that and started twirling his mic around his hand, showing off. “Heavens, no. My swamp is, essentially, a pocket dimension of sorts. It doesn’t actually exist within the hotel.”
Oh, Angel knew a little bit about pocket dimensions. He had a real small one where he stored his guns when he wasn’t using them, but it was essentially just a supply closet. He couldn’t imagine storing a whole swamp . “You’re… scary powerful.”
“Why, thank you.” Alastor sounded pleased by the comment even though Angel wasn’t entirely sure he’d meant it as a compliment.
They walked on in silence for a while longer until they finally came upon a river with a huge downed tree making a bridge across it. But the thing that caught Angel’s attention wasn’t the makeshift bridge or even the river running under it, it was the clearing of trees along the bank of either side of the river that allowed the bright full moon to shine in its full glory overhead, stars sparkling all around it.
“Oh,” Angel breathed as he took in the scene with wide eyes.
“This particular part of my swamp is straight from my own memories.” Alastor said, voice sounding the softest Angel had ever heard it. “This was the best place I’d ever found to watch the night sky.”
“It’s amazing.” Angel said. “With the river and the tree and the sky… I can’t imagine a prettier place.”
Alastor hummed softly and hopped up onto the downed tree, holding his hand out to Angel to help him up. Angel hesitated for a minute, debating if this was actually safe or not, but ultimately decided he actually trusted Alastor. He took the Radio Demon’s outstretched hand and let himself be easily pulled up onto the tree. The trunk was surprisingly dry and wide enough to walk along without Angel feeling like he was wobbling, even in his heels.
“You know, I’ve never been much the adventuring type, but if all swamps are this beautiful, I think I might like to see more of them.”
Ahead, Alastor paused and turned to look at Angel, his head tilted to the side. “I’m confused about something.”
“Hm? You, confused?” Angel couldn’t help but giggle as he stopped behind Alastor. “Who are you and what have you done with Alastor?”
Alastor’s ears flicked, though he didn’t outwardly laugh at the joke. “I’m merely curious why you haven’t asked why I’ve brought you out here. Normally you ask all kinds of questions.”
Angel felt his face flush a bit and kicked the toe of his boot against the trunk of the tree. “People tend to get annoyed when I ask questions.” He shrugged. “So… I thought it would be better to just let it happen.”
The Radio Demon looked slightly appalled by that answer. “What if I had asked you in here to kill you and eat the skin off your bones?”
“Well, I mean, earlier you said you would never do that but…” Angel supposed he couldn’t be too safe so he decided to ask the question Alastor was clearly pushing him to ask. “ Did you?”
“Of course not.” The deer sounded offended by the mere implication he would do such a thing.
Angel gave another shrug. “Well, that was my first thought and you just said you aren’t going to do that so it looks like I ain’t got anything to worry about. Now are we just going to stand on this glorified log talkin’ or are you gonna show me whatever you wanted to show me?”
Alastor straightened a little bit and tapped the end of his microphone against the tree trunk. “This is what I wished to show you. I remember you making a comment some nights ago when Charlie insisted on doing that… what did she call it? Family movie night? There was a scene in the movie where the characters sat under the stars together and you made a comment about how you would give anything to see the stars just one more time. So, I thought I might show them to you.” He gestured up to the sky, encompassing the moon and stars.
Angel looked out at the stars and the moon in awe before Alastors words really hit home. “Wait, the last time we had a movie night was two weeks ago. You… you remembered something arbitrary I said during a movie two weeks ago ?”
“I wouldn't call it arbitrary.” Alastor commented. “You sounded rather… sad talking about them. I decided that didn't really seem fair.”
A hand came up and pressed over Angel's mouth to keep his lips from wobbling. This might be one of the nicest things anyone had done for him in longer than he could really remember. Maybe ever, he thought. “Is that why you invited me to touch your tail too? Because I made a comment about it once?”
Alastor hummed but didn't actually answer.
“Al,” Angel couldn't help the giggle that worked up his throat and out of his mouth. “You're kinda a big softie, you know that?”
Alastor cleared his throat, eyes narrowing a bit. “Yes, well, let's not go around spreading any nasty rumors, shall we?”
“Oh of course. Wouldn't want all of Hell to know the big bad Radio Demon is a softy who likes the stars.”
“Exactly.”
They stood there in silence together for a while, both looking up at the sky. Even though logically, Angel knew everything he was seeing right now was just a bit of magic, it all felt just real enough, he could almost forget that he was a demon in Hell, dead for eighty years and counting. He could almost pretend he was a boy again. A boy who had maybe grown up in the Italian countryside rather than the big city. A boy who could have spent his days in the sun and his nights under stars just like these.
For just a moment, he could pretend that everything was okay.
He looked over to the demon standing beside him, the moon luminating his face, and found that even the Radio Demon could look surprisingly human in the right light. That despite everything he was, everything he did, Alastor was just a man. A man who had paid attention to Angels words and had decided to do something to make his wishes come true. He was a man who made Angel feel safe, even though most would have most likely felt a looming sense of dread in his presence.
Angel didn't.
“Alastor?” Angel asked after a long stretch of silence.
“Yes?” Alastor asked, and for the first time maybe ever, his voice was missing that radio filter he used. And oh, what a lovely voice he had.
“Thank you.”
“Hm?” Alastor looked up at Angel, head tilted. “What for?”
Honestly, Angel thought the list of what he wasn't thanking Alastor for right now was probably shorter. But he thought through everything and settled on one thing, his voice coming out in a whisper as he looked back to the sky to give his answer, “Showing me the stars.”
There was another stretch of silence and Angel was okay with that. He didn't expect a response, honestly. He was just happy to be here, to be sharing this moment with someone like Alastor. He wasn't sure he wanted to be here with anyone else.
Angel closed his eyes and tilted his head back, breathing in the cool swamp air and enjoying this moment when Alastors soft voice filtered over to him and left him smiling even though he didn't open his eyes.
“You're very welcome, Angel.”