[RadioDust] A Firm Hand

Chapter 2: What Works and What Doesn't

It was weird for Angel's phone to be so quiet. He'd gotten used to not going more than a day without hearing from Val, whether it was to ask where he was and what he was doing or to demand he get back to the studio. But there hadn't been so much as one text since the last time they saw each other. Angel kept checking anyway, hoping maybe Val would change his mind, touching his throat where his contract seal used to be and missing the familiar feeling of being wanted.

He still didn't know why he'd been cut off in the first place. Sure, Val had given him some bullshit excuse about how his 'redemption' looked bad and turned his audience off, how he was 'on his way out' and not worth the trouble anymore. But he knew there had to be more to it. He'd been 'worth the trouble' for decades. Val had literally killed to keep Angel to himself. But now all of a sudden he was old news? Something had to have changed. The craziest part was him tearing up their contract. Even if he'd lost interest in Angel personally, he still would've wanted him as an employee. So something big must have changed.

That, or he wanted the rejection to hurt as much as possible.

"Angel?" Charlie's voice brought him out of his brooding as he realized he was checking his phone again in the middle of a one-on-one therapy session. As always, the princess looked more concerned than irritated. "Are you okay? You seem really distracted lately."

"Nah, I'm fine," he muttered, shoving his phone back in his pocket and crossing both sets of arms so he couldn't mess with it anymore. When he didn't elaborate any further, Charlie tried again.

"Have you heard anything else about work?" she ventured, and he could feel his body tense up at the question.

"No."

"Okay. Well, have you thought about looking for a new job?"

His shoulders pulled in tighter and upward. "I mean, I could find johns on my own, I guess, but—"

"Oh, that's uh, not exactly what I had in mind," Charlie laughed. "Since you're not working for Valentino anymore, maybe you could look into a different field. Maybe something a little safer. Is there anything else you like doing?"

"Uh." Fuck, he did not like where this was going. "I dunno. Prob'ly. But this is the only actual job I've had since I got down here. I don't got a lotta practice with anything else."

"But that's all the more reason for you to explore your options! Since you know we're taking care of room and board, you have the freedom to try some new things," Charlie insisted, eyes lighting up like she was excited on his behalf. "I know your contract had you locked into your old position—"

"I dunno if I'd say it like that..."

"—so you weren't really able to branch out. But now you have every option under the Sun!" The princess was on her feet now, coming around her desk to kneel in front of Angel and take two of his hands in hers. "Think of it like that: if there weren't any restrictions at all, what would you want to do?"

Angel swallowed hard. Why was it so completely unthinkable that he actually enjoyed the work he did? Why did everyone assume it was something he'd been trapped into? "I dunno, Charlie. That's a big fuckin' decision to try to make off the toppa my head."

"Sure, but you at least have a lot to think about."

Yeah, that's exactly the problem. "What if I don't wanna?"

For a second, the princess's smile faltered. "You don't want to think about your future?"

"It's just...you're throwin' a lotta ideas at me right now." He could hardly even process it all at once. Maybe Charlie was exaggerating the situation a little, but still, he wasn't used to having this many options. Frankly, it was fucking terrifying. To have that much responsibility? To be totally in charge of where his life went from here on out? "It's a big change, y'know? I always thought—I mean, all this time I figured I'd have someone there tellin' me what to do, how to be. Not havin' that anymore..."