The Twins
The next morning Charlie had notified you and Angel that there was a group activity to be done. With a soft exhale you patted the concealer along the bruises on your neck but couldn't help smiling slightly.
Then you felt guilt once more after tugging on the white turtleneck and holding up the dainty ruby necklace.
You were conflicted with your feelings. After that mess with Husk you slept with Vox and you loved it. In fact the drive home was just as fun as you both reminisced on the past and talked about nothing.
You couldn't just overlook the way Vox tried to give you the life you wanted at his expense.
Not to mention you had a long history.
"God even in death everything is complicated.",you say aloud while clasping on the ruby necklace and making your way out of the bathroom and hotel room. You opt for leaving your phone on the charger, forgetting to charge it last night.
//Its not like I'm leaving the hotel today...//
Walking down the long flight of steps you hear the chatter of the hotels occupants. Mainly Charlies cheery voice and Angels loud laughter. Reaching the bottom of the stairs you see the occupants sitting at the bar.
You look to Alastor talking with an indifferent looking Husk. You glance to a conversing Angel, Charlie, and Niffty before tapping Alastors shoulder. You look to Husk and offer an awkward smile yet he simply grunts and turns away to look at the alcohol.
//Ouch...//
Alastor turns and his grin softens ever so slightly at the sight of you. Especially when he glances down to see the necklace around your neck. Your warm smile makes his black heart beat quicker.
"Hello my dear. The necklace looks quite lovely on you, I take it you like it.",Alastor greets you while leaning down ever so slightly to let his gloved fingers pick up the ruby stone. Letting it fall back on your chest he fixes his composure.
You nod while glancing down at it,"I really do but I don't think I can accept such a lovely gift." You frown slightly and Alastors eyes glint as he watches the ruby red shade shift to a pure white.
He is the only one who can see the color shift.
He laughs jovially while waving his hand,"Nonsense! Of course you can my dear! Please I would have no use for it if you returned it." You gently grasp the jewel and smile gently while walking back,"If you insist. Now if you'll excuse me."
With that Alastor watches you watch towards the other three. You smile brightly as you greet them.
"(Y/N)! Good morning. Angel was just telling me about the movie you two went to watch last night. Did you like it?",Charlie asks while clasping her hands together in front of her.
You glance to Angel Dust and he shoots you a discreet wink. You feel a bit bad about lying to Charlie but it was a one time thing and a bit needed. So with a smile you nod.
"Yeah it was really good!"
Alastors eyes narrow slightly as the red jewel around your neck shifts to a dark black. With a slight cocking of his head he could only wonder where you actually were.
"Okay! So today we are going to the shelter owned by family friends and we're going to help with the animals!",Charlie squeals and you gasp softly while she grabs your hands in excitement. Angel Dust scowls at the idea of wasting his good outfit on spending time with a bunch of dirty animals. Yet looking down at your excited smile he can't help but crack a smile.
Charlie is nervous of Angels reaction as she looks up to him. Yet his mismatched eyes are on you,"Sounds like fun." Charlies eyes look from Angel to you and her smile widens. She leads you both towards the front entrance yet stops when Alastor appears in front of the three of you.
"I will be coming along.",Alastor states and Charlie gives him a strange look,"Its only reasonable for your business partner to want to see how the clients are." Alastor internally refrains from shaking at the thought of being around the loathsome animals that were dogs.
Charlie nods slowly,"Riiiiight...well lets go."
«»
Velvet re-braids her long purple locks while spinning in her black swivel chair. Her eyes narrow slightly as she looks out of her penthouse window and taps her foot against the ground.
//"She's one hell of a woman."//
You were quite the woman. Valentino was right about that. Velvet had decades to mull over her decisions and what led her to her death. She knew she deserved that beating she had gotten. And quite frankly you gave her a good one.
You were a kind and loving soul who deserved nothing but good karma yet Velvet couldn't help but feel bitterness towards you. And not just because you hurt Vox. Whether it was jealousy or something else she wasn't quite sure.
But she knew one thing.
You were both in Hell and for eternity. Maybe getting along with you wouldn't be so terrible. If not for Vox just so you wouldn't try to kill her every time you saw her. With a heavy sigh she stood up and grabbed her phone.
She frowned deeply while opening instagram and going to Angels profile and scrolling through his following.
«»
"So what exactly are we gonna be doing?",Angel asks while pushing up his circular sunglasses upon entering the shelter. Charlie walks up to the front desk with a smile,"Just playing with the animals and keeping them company. Rarely anyone comes to volunteer so thats what we'll be doing."
You are practically vibrating with excitement as Charlie talks informally and quite friendly with the owners, giving them both hugs. You glance up to Alastor and notice his usual grin is a bit shaky. Following his line of vision you notice he is staring at the signs that reads "Hellhounds & Others".
With a growing grin you nudge him and cross your arms over your chest loosely. He jumps slightly before looking down to you and clearing his throat with a raised brow.
"Not too fond of hellhounds?",you inquire with amusement and Alastor scoffs. With a roll of his eyes he keeps his signature grin yet scrunches his pointed nose.
"I hold disdain for all loathsome dogs.",he states in a deathly serious tone. You stifle your laughter and Alastor glares at you,"They are dirty and useless creatures." You nod while continuing to stifle your laughter,"Uh-huh. And I'm assuming your shaking because of how much you hold disdain for them."
Alastor is about to threaten you until Charlie gestures for you two to come forward.
"Hello, I'm Atticus.",the man with the green skin tone finds himself stopping short when his eyes land on you. The woman next to him elbows him and he averts his gaze, clearing his throat,"I'm—I'm the owner and this is my sister Siren she is also the owner." He holds a soft british accent on his tongue.
Alastor can't help but narrow his eyes slightly.
Siren is a pretty demon. With long black hair that holds streaks of white and clear muted green skin she offers a wide smile, her full top lip a dark shade of black. Atticus looks just as similar to her yet he's much taller and his dark raven and streaky white hair is a tousled mess of waves atop his head.
They look strikingly familiar.
"So there are two sections to the shelter, to our left is the hellhounds and any sort of animal that falls under the dog category and our other animals are to our right.",Siren starts with her similar accent,"So who's going where?"
Charlie claps her hands and she turns to Angel,"We'll be going to the right.",she turns to you and Alastor and Alastor nods in agreement you smile with excitement.
"I wanna go to the hellhounds and dogs.",you respond and Siren nods with a polite laugh.
"Well you three come with me, you will be led with Atticus.",you nod unaware to the smile that falls on Atticus's lips.
Alastor eyes you two as you part ways. With narrowed eyes he hesitates pondering whether he should go ahead or not. Yet out of concern of it drawing suspicion on him for caring about you too deeply he watches you disappear around the corner.
You turn to Atticus as you glance around the hallway, he pulls a key from the lanyard around his neck.
"So how long have you two owned this shop?",you question in an effort to make conversation. He looks to you and smiles politely while unlocking the door to the vast room holding the animals.
“We wanted to own our own little business so our parents gave us money to start it up. We don’t really like to be trust fund babies.”,he laughs awkwardly and you furrow your brows. He opens the door and you hear loud barking,”This is our way of feeling like we aren’t leeches like our other siblings.”
You wonder what he means by “trust fund babies” and wonder about his other siblings yet he gestures towards the room and speaks before you can ask,”Shall we?” You offer a small nod and smile, //eh maybe I can ask later.//
When you step into the room the barking begins to slow down and quiet until it eventually stops. Atticus looks around with furrowed brows at the strange occurrence.
Yet you don't notice as you gasp and look around at the different breeds and array of dogs. Atticus's eyes look to you as you walk up to a small fluff ball,"Hii aren't you the cutest!" You coo at the dog while reaching into the cage and petting him. Your eyes look to another door with a caution sign on it.
"Whats that?",you question while fixing your composure and pointing to the caution door. Atticus snaps out of his momentary trance and walks towards you while rubbing the nape of his neck.
"Thats where we have our only hellhound. Usually we keep them out for shoppers to see since they're always in high demand but this one is a bit...difficult.",you frown slightly and walk towards the door. Atticus follows with caution,"He's a mean one, the names Yuri. He's on hold for an overlord but it takes a tranquilizer to even go near him."
You furrow your brows and place your hand against the door. He lays on a black mat and his four eyes open when you step up to the door. Atticus watches with fascination as Ares walks towards the door.
"Awh he looks like a big sweetheart!",you coo yet again and his four red eyes look to you. He hops up to his feet and wags his tail with excited whines.
Atticus watches as he claws at the door happily and you continue to coo to him,"What the fuck..." He whispers gently while looking to Ares then to you. He feels his cheeks warm up as you smile warmly at the once vicious hellhound.
//Is she some sort of angel or something?// He thinks and you turn to him while clasping your hands together.
"Can I play with him?",you question with excitement. Atticus shakes his head while grabbing your wrist and pulling you away from the door.
"Oh no no no. Definitely not, he'll tear you to pieces.",you frown as Atticus pulls you away from the door. With a snort you pull your arm away and approach the door once more. You look into the window and see Ares on his back with a wagging tale, kicking his legs.
"Oh yeeahhh",you say with sarcasm dripping from your voice,"He looks absolutely terrifying."Atticus rolls his dark eyes at you,"C'mon! He probably was just lonely. Please?"
Atticus feels his heart beat quicker when your brows turn up and your lips fall into a frown. He glances to the seemingly happy dog in the room and back to you. With a heavy sigh he nods and walks forward.
"The second he shows a bit of hostility you will leave, okay?" You grin in satisfaction and nod while watching Atticus cautiously open the door. Upon opening it he allows you to slowly walk in. Approaching the standing hellhound that matches your height you smile widely.
"Hi, Ares!",you exclaim with joy and the hellhound falls to his back once more with excited pants and a wagging tail. You kneel down and begin to scratch at his belly,"Awh you really are just a sweetheart huh?"
Atticus stands at the door with raised brows and slightly parted lips,"I'll be damned..." You look up to Atticus and grin with smugness,"Rip me to pieces huh?"
Atticus snorts,"Well bloody hell excuse me for not knowing you were some princess with animals." You laugh softly and Atticus feels his smile soften at that lovely sound. Kneeling down next to you the heavy door remains open,"So you're in the Charlie’s rehabilitation program too?"
You turn to him with a nod as you scratch the dog to a peaceful slumber,"Yeah I joined not long ago." He nods slowly while running a hand through his messy hair.
"Why?",he questions and flinches when you shoot him a slightly irritated glare,"I-I mean why because you already seem so...angelic." Your hand stops atop the dogs belly as he says this. You blink back for a few moments and can't help the blush that creeps onto your face.
//Angelic...// you think while smiling and cocking your head.
"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were flirting with me.",you state with a teasing tone and you watch as his eyed widen and a harsh blush falls on his cheeks.
"O-Oh I—",he stops himself short when you laugh and lean towards him.
"I'm messing with you. But thank you...thats sweet of you to say but I'm afraid its less than true.",you smile with a bit of sadness and his eyes fall to you.
You think back to the people who have gotten hurt and even died because of you. Those you caused heartache and those you couldn't save. With sad eyes and lips you shake those thoughts, clearing your throat.
"I'm not angelic in the slightest. If anything I'm the opposite.",your tone is riddled with guilt and sadness despite you trying to smile and not falter the mood.
Atticus looks to you and glances down to your hand on the black mat. With hesitation he places his hand over yours. Your eyes widen and your gaze whips to him.
He offers a dimpled smile and cocks his head. With a grin he leans in and speaks as if he's telling you a secret,"Wanna know something?" You don't pull your hand away from his, instead you nod with a curious tilt of your head.
"I don't believe you.",he states plainly while glancing to the slumbering dog beneath your other hand,"And I bet he wouldn't believe you either."
You can't help the butterflies that arise in your stomach. You smile softly while feeling his soft large hand atop your smaller one.
"Dumbass Atti left the door open.”,Siren mumbles as she leads Charlie, Angel, and a reluctant Alastor into the Hellhound wing.
Her dark green eyes widen as she approaches Ares personal room and watches a you pet the slumbering dog, yet his tail remains wagging. Then her eyes fall to the two of you smiling at each other, Atticus’s hand atop of yours.
Charlie blinks back and Angel Dust smirks.
“Jeez why don’t you two shag while you’re at it.”,Siren teases and they laugh when you two jump and pull your hands away from one another. Alastor is the only one not laughing.
Atticus glares at his sister and you roll your eyes while standing. Ares remains slumbering peacefully as you two make your way out of the room.
“Shut up Ren.”,Atticus says in a warning tone to his twin sister. Siren simply laughs and you clear your throat,”Why are you guys here so early? Is there not a lot of animals in that wing?”
Charlie shakes her head and holds up her phone,”I forgot I had a meeting with a potential investor today, sorry.” She winces at her forgetfulness but you nod in understanding with a soft smile. Atticus feels disappointment pinch at him,”Do all of you need to leave?”
He glances at you and before Charlie can answer Alastor grabs ahold of your wrist and pulls you close to him. You gasp in surprise, both Angel and Charlie feels uneasiness fall on them.
“Yes. We do. So if you’re done being unprofessional we really must get going.”,Alastor states with a tight grin and his usual show host tone. Your brows pinch together as you pull away from Alastors touch and look at him with slight disbelief.
The twins know of Alastor and his reputation. And although he cannot hurt them she knows of her brothers short temperance. And by the way he was looking at you earlier its best you dont see that side of him.
Stepping in front of him she laughs softly,”Oh well! I hope you guys come back some other time! It was a pleasure having you here.”
Atticus looks at Alastor and despite knowing of the mans reputation he glares at his shit eating grin face. Alastor returns just the same, feeling prideful at the frown on his green features.
You shoot your own glare to Alastor before turning to the twins,”Thank you for having us. I’ll be sure to return.” With an embarrassed blush on your features you turn and walk away from the room, Angel follows close as Charlie deals with formalities.
Siren leads Charlie from the room and Alastor watches as Atticus scoffs and walks past him.
“I’d learn to keep your hands to yourself if I were you, Von Eldritch.”,Alastor states while turning only his head to face Atticus. Atticus seems to have a bored expression on his features which surprisingly catches Alastor off guard.
He wears a cocky smirk.
“Is that a threat?”,he inquires with amusement on his forked tongue. Alastor looks into his eyes with a low chuckle before turning his head back straight ahead,”It’s merely a suggestion. Tell Frederick and Bethesda I said hello. While you’re at it tell Helsa and Seviathan Charlotte says hello, I’m sure that would be quite entertaining for you.”
Atticus snorts as Alastor walks out of the room,”Fucking prick.”