Time was ticking. On the clock outside that loomed over the city, counting down the days before extermination. And inside the hotel, namely the kitchen. It was loud as the hand ticked by the second. It hadn't been long since Vaggie and Charlie returned from heaven. But it felt like ages ago. Charlie couldn't even look at her when they got back. Could barely speak to her. How could she. When She found out her girlfriend use to be an angel that would come down and slaughter her people. 

Vaggie sighed as she hunched over the table in the kitchen. Not sure what to do. How to fix this mess. How to protect Charlie and her ideas when she couldn't be near her. the door to the kitchen opened up, snapping her out of her thoughts. She raised her head to see who was disturbing her. She let out a tired groan at the guest. 

Angel, draped in his sleep wear. A pair of long blue pants that looked fuzzy and a flowy shirt that actually covered his chest instead of showing it off. It was torn and grey with a faded picture Vaggie couldn't tell of what though. His eyes me her and she cringed before he spoke. 

"Ya look like shit" he commented with a shit eating grin. Vaggie groaned louder with her frustration. She slumped her head, hovering above the table. Angel seemed to leave her alone for the moment. His steps softer then usual. The clacking of his boots gone and instead she had to strain to hear him move. 

The fridge opened, letting in more light in the room. Along with the cold. Then it was closed. But Vaggie didn't dare raise her head to see if he was still moving around. Not till something was placed in front of her. She opened her eyes, spotting a cup of yogurt sealed with a small spoon on top. The hand that placed it moved away. She moved her head up to look at the man intruding on her moment of turmoil. 

Angel sat down across from her and opened his own yogurt. Taking the lid off to lick it then setting it on the counter. "What is this" Vaggie asked, more lethal then she wanted. Angel dipped his spoon in his own cup. "What ya look down in the dumps. I thought ya could use somethin ta eat" he claimed. Vaggie squinted her eyes at him. He glanced her way then rolled his own eyes. 

"Don't look so suspicious it isn't even open yet. And no this isn't the human chunk kind or the semen base kind. It's all natural, or as natural as ya can get in hell. I made sure of it. Ya think I wanna be eating yogurt made from people. Shit just eat it would ya" Angel pushed. Vaggie watched him take a spoon full of his own cup. Swirling his tongue out then placing it in his mouth with a hum at the flavor. Deming it safe enough, she grabbed the waiting cup. She took off the lid and let it hang off then mixed it up. She took a spoon full into her mouth. Surprised she didn't hate it. She hated most things hell made. The food was gross and always laced with something or made out of something you didn't want to know. Unless you make it yourself. But this was almost heavenly. 

She immediately took another spoon full. Getting a chunk of something almost fruity. She paused at the texture. "Ah this better not have anything deadly in it" she spoke to Angel. He rolled his eyes at her. His spoon hanging from his mouth. He pulled it out to set it in his cup. 

"Chill out. Ya know it may surprise ya but there's a whole bunch of folks out there that don't want ta be eating crap. It took awhile and a few tours of a factory but I made sure I wasn't investin' in a cannibalism yogurt. Besides, Val says people are fattin' so we're not allowed to eat people" he grabbed the end of his spoon to fiddle with. Setting his cup on the table so he could play with the yogurt. 

"I just thought ya could use somethin' I'm not sure ya ate. An honestly ya look pretty miserable. I mean ya always look miserable but right now ya look like a kicked puppy got pissed on and stapled with a kick me sign" Angel told. "Jeuses" Vaggie sat up straighter. Startled by his imagination. She let out another sigh and lowered her shoulders. She glanced away from him. 

"Maybe thats not to far off though" she began. Not sure what to tell him. She decided the whole truth was best. She was gonna get kicked out anyway. What did it matter. "I- me- auh when we went up to heaven I thought I'd be able to keep my secret. I should of known better. I should of Told Charlie long ago. I just couldn't. the way she looked at me and the more she talked about her people I just couldn't bring myself to do it. She'd be crushed. She is crushed" Vaggie started. Trying to find the right words to tell the demon about her past. He made a clacking noise, hitting his tongue against the spoon in his mouth before taking it out. 

"It's cause ya an angel ain't it" Vaggie snapped her head up at his claim. But Angel didn't look phased by the fact. "Were ya one of em exterminators. Must o' done somethin real bad if ya don' have ya wings anymore. So what was it, refused to suck Adams dick. Wasn't good enough for him so he condemned ya" Angel gave a humorless 'Ha'. Vaggie rolled her eyes and shook her head. A joyless smile spreading on her face at the thought. 

"No I-I just didn't kill a resident. He was just some kid. A kid ended up down here. I-he looked so scared and I just couldn't take his life. One of my platoon saw me and stabbed out my eye. She ripped my wings off. In an instant I was condemned, stripped of my angelic status and left in the gutter with the rest of the trash down here. When I woke up it was to Charlie. She smiled at me, wrapped up my wounds and helped me to my feet. I vowed to always take care of her that day. To help her with anything she needed. She became my whole world.... she saved me" Vaggie smiled fondly at the table. Her grin falling as her current situation came back to her. 

"But in the end I only accomplished hurting her. Now she knows and I don't think she'll forgive me for this" she confessed. Staring down at her yogurt. Angel let out a loud laugh that shocked her into looking up at him. He was smiling despite her situation. 

"Ah come on ya really believe that. This is Charlie we're talkin about. She forgave Al for literally painting the front of the hotel in blood. She forgave me for genocide" he reasoned. Vaggie bared her teeth in rage. "That was different. You were at least helping a friend and Alastor was protecting the hotel. How could she ever forgive me for this. I slaughtered her people ruthlessly. I was tasked with it and I was good at it. It was my whole purpose to just kill human souls" Vaggie argued. Her voice raising with her despair. Tears pricking her eye while she stared at the to calm demon before her. He licked his spoon like she wasn't on the verge of crying. 

"Right, an ya didn' pay for that mistake. Nothin bad happened ta ya. Ya didn' meet an unkind hand when ya chose compassion over yer work" he countered. Vaggie sat back a bit shocked. He met her gaze and lowered his spoon back to his yogurt. He set his chin on the back of his hand while the other set sat in his lap. "Look toots. It's a shock sure. But Charlie for whatever reason loves ya. She just needs some space, some time too come ta terms with it. But just cause ya were somethin awful in yer past doesn' mean ya still the same person. I mean isn't that the whole point of this place. We're all suppose ta redeem. Well maybe that means ya too" Angel provided. 

Vaggie blinked at him, stunned he was actually being helpful for a change. She squinted her eye at him, looking him up and down. "What" he asked a bit defensively. "Why are you being so nice, you just found out I'm an angel and instead of casting me out you're helping me" she spoke out loud. Angel rolled his eyes. 

"I didn' just find out. I knew for awhile. Heard Al say something about it to Husky" he told. Vaggie nearly stood up with her shock. "Alastor knows" she shouted. Angel smirked at her. "Are ya surprised, that man knows everything. How else is he ta play puppet master if he doesn' know everyone's secrets. An he's good at it. Finding out. He's a literal shadow, creeping inta peoples lives" Angel spread his hands out on the table. Hovering over it. The hand holding up his head now curved around his face. A pink tinge taking over his white fur around his freckles. 

His expression fell as if he just realized himself. He sat back and grabbed his cup quickly. Turning away from Vaggie. "Or ya know somethin" he stuffed a spoonful of the yogurt in his mouth. Vaggie eyed him. Not sure why he was being bashful. 

"Why are you sitting here eating yogurt. And don't start with the whole 'you like it' I have literally never seen you eat it before" Vaggie pointed. Angel glared at her, an actual glare. Then he turned away, letting out his own sigh. He dropped his spoon into the cup, stirring it nervously. 

"Fine I guess since ya poured ya sappy little heart all over this table I can maybe do the same" Angel took in a breath then pinned Vaggie with a glare that looked more anxious then angry. "But ya can' tell a soul. Got it. Keep my secret an I'll let ya crash in my room. With a pillow wall between us of course. Don' want ya angel cooties rubbing off on me in my sleep" Angel teased, mostly to ease his own tension. She let it happen. 

He glanced away again, his mouth moving as it tried to form words. "I may or may not, kind a sorta. --------" he mumbled. Vaggie leaned forward, not hearing him. "What" she asked. He groaned and rolled his shoulders. "I like Al. Like romantically or some shit. And don' start with me cause I know it's deranged. He doesn' have a heart an could never actually fall for someone. He'd tear anyone apart just for the fun of it including me. He's an overlord an lettin on about it would just invite him to use and abuse me for his own gain like everyone else. I've reasoned it all with myself. But..." Angel bit his lip, his voice lowering when he began again. 

"I can' help it. He's so silly. The way he laughs, how sometimes he laughs so hard his eyes become unfocused and roll up. The sudden laugh track that plays when he tells a joke that gets him goin. His little quips. That man is a petty bitch an don' let anyone convince ya other wise. His whole feud with Lucifer. It was hard not to laugh. His one liners are so on point" Angel smiled in a way Vaggie had never seen. It wasn't cocky for a change. It was soft. Making her chest ping in worry for the demon. 

"He skips ya know. When he's in a good mood. Sometimes he even hums when he thinks no ones around. Or maybe he knows but he's just too inta the tune ta care. He has an amazing voice. An when ya talk he listens. Maybe it's cause he's lookin for ways ta mess with people or own them. Anythin' ta not be bored. I know non of us matter ta him. But Vag" Angel looked from his yogurt to the woman across from him. His expression oddly serious for his playful personality. It captured her breath, stopping her from interjecting. 

"The extermination is comin. An I ain't stupid. I know they're comin here. They're gonna slaughter us first. I know I won' make it. I'm Charlies pet project an she royally pissed off heaven which means I'm collateral. So I decided. If I'm gonna die then I'm gonna live. I'm gonna put Val in his place. I'm gonna try an do this whole sober thin. But ya ain't taken my toys. I'm gonna make the most of it. And Damn it I'm gonna tell Al how I feel. Even if he laughs in my face. At least I'll know I was brave enough ta do it" Angel resolved. 

Vaggie closed her mouth and mulled over his words. A bit taken back by his understanding of the situation. His acceptance of his own fate. It brought a new found respect to their relationship. She contemplated so long Angel's bravado faded and he flopped onto the table with a groan. "But every time I try ta confess somethin goes wrong" he admitted. Vaggie gasped. 

"You've already tried" she asked, making him groan with more discontent. He raised his head and ran a hand though his floppy hair. "Of course I have. Look I knew coming here meant either Val or someone else would tear me apart. I just didn't think it would be heaven. But seeing how things were going I knew it was gonna lead to it. The more Charlie talked me up to people higher then her the more at risk I was gonna be. So I tried confessing. But I always fuck it up" Angel whined. 

Vaggie gave him a sympathetic smile. The way he was behaving reminded her of herself when she first tried to confess her feelings to Charlie. She was a wreck and her attempts also failed. Till Charlie slipped her a love letter, confessing her own feelings for her. It was cute. Vaggie nodded at herself. She knew he was right about all of it. Heaven was coming and there was a good chance the residence here wouldn't live. She'd probably also die. Defending them against Heavens army. Alastor and Charlie would probably be the only ones to make it out alive. 

She decided then, if it was to be his last month alive she'd help him. What harm could come from confessing to Alastor. Not like he was capable of loving anything and Angel already sold his soul. Alastor couldn't get his hands on it unless he killed the V's. As long as Angel didn't make a deal with the demon it should be fine. Just some heart ache that Vaggie would console him about. No I told you so's. Just a kind hand on his shoulder and another yogurt session. 

She reached across the table. Hesitantly reaching for his bare hand. She noticed the pattern around his fingers. Pink fur looking like fingerless gloves and the lower set displaying pink on his fingers. She set her hand on one of his and he moved his head to look at her. "I-I'll um help you confess" she spoke in a voice so small it didn't sound like her. Angel smiled at her slowly. Accepting her kindness. But then his grin grew more cocky and she knew he was gonna say some infuriating shit.