For You, My Dear, Anything (Radiodust)

Valentino's Wrath

"Miss Angel, the others wanted me to inform you that there is food waiting for you in the kitchen." Angel nodded absently at Nifty and she smiled, skipping away. Throwing on a shirt, he stood up and stumbled towards the kitchen, thinking hard. What did he mean he'll keep me safe? What in all hell is playing at? He turned the corner leading to the kitchen and was stopped by Charlie standing in front of him.

"Oh Angel, you're here!" she grabbed his arm gently and helped him to the counter in front of where Alastor was cooking, "Alastor just finished making you some food. I figured you must be starving after whatever happened last night." She sat him in a chair beside her and pushed a plate of pasta in front of him. He sighed, smiling, and pushed it away.

"I'm not really that hun-"

"Eat some food," Alastor cut him off firmly, giving him a stern look. Angel sighed again, trying to keep up a happy composure for Charlie next to him, and took a small bite of the pasta. It tasted wonderful, like all of Alasotr's cooking, but he had to fight back the urge to spit it out a vomit up any of it that landed in his stomach. The room around him swirled, his head reeling as everything blurred.

"Angel, are you ok?" Charlie's voice echoed through the haze. Angel stood up quickly, shaking his head, and stumbled out of the room as fast as his trembling legs would allow. He burst into the nearest bathroom and vomited into the toilet, holding his side with his bottom arms as it contracted painfully. The sound of footsteps made him turn around to find Alastor walking up to him.

"Come with me, I'll help you."

"How can you help me," Angel spat, "I bet you don't even know what's happening.

"For your information," he replied smoothly, "I contracted my fair share of eating disorders, so my mother had to find ways to get me to eat. So yes, I think I do know what's going on, and I believe I have a way to help you. If you'll come with me." He reached out a hand for Angel to grab, and walked him to his bedroom, instead of the kitchen.

"Hey genius, wouldn't it be easier to eat in the kitchen where the food is?"

"Yes, but then my then my tactic would not work," he smiled, placing the skeptical male on his bed, "So we will start here. Where is that delightful pet of yours?"

"I'm not going to let you kill Fat Nuggets!" Angel shouted angrily.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt him. I just need him here for this to work," he kneeled and looked under the bed, coming back up with a pink demon pig, no bigger than a soccer ball, in his arms and handed him to the other male, "Here we go. Now we can start." Angel sat back, crossing his legs and bottom arms around Nuggsy's plump body, contently feeling the even rise and fall of his breathing. Alastor sat next to him, suddenly holding a small bowl of orange jello in his hands.

"Here," he said, holding a small spoon full up to Angel's face.

"I'm not a toddler you know," he sneered, pulling back.

"And I'm not a nanny," he replied, clearly losing his patience, "I'm helping you until you can eat on your own." Angel sighed and took the spoon in his mouth, immediately retching at the feeling of the jello against his tongue, but holding the food in his mouth so it didn't get on his bed. "Breath Angel," Alastor cooed, "If this is going to work you need to calm down." Angel nodded. "OK, now focus on your pet. Let your mind be completely focused on him in your lap, not on the food in your mouth." Angel did as he was told, focusing all his senses on Nuggs. Soon he smiled, feeling content again to just watch him sleep against his legs. "Now swallow." Angel swallowed down the jello, almost forgetting that it was there, and took a deep breath. "Good job."

"How did you know that Nuggs would help?" Angel asked him as he readied another spoonful of jello.

"My mother tried doing it to me with some of my favorite books to read," he replied, "But since I don't think you read much, I thought your pet would be just as good. Maybe even better, because he is more important than a book." Angel nodded thoughtfully. Pretty soon, Alastor got him to eat the whole bowl of jello and was cleaning up when Angel asked him another question.

"Why jello?"

"It's easy to digest and has lots of sugars. Plus, unlike hard food, you don't need to chew it, allowing you to focus on other things rather than that."

"You know, you're a lot smarter than I thought, Smiley," Alastor gave him a confused look and Angel smiled at him, "With all the violence that has happened around you, I never would have guessed you would take the time to be educated. I most certainly didn't."

"Hm, yes well, it was a requirement for my job."

"Whatever you say," he replied, waving a hand at him. All of a sudden, a loud bang echoed throughout the hotel, followed by the deep shouting of a man's voice.

"Where are you, Angel?! I know you're here!"

"Valentino," Angel whimpered, wrapping his arms around his body. Alastor growled angrily, stepping out of the room and walking to the parlor where Valentino was arguing loudly with Charlie.

"If I say my whore is going to work today then he's going to work today!" He bellowed, "I don't care what kind of pathetic injuries he has, we made a deal!"

"But Mr. Valentino, he could be killed if he goes to work today."

"I don't give a fuck if he dies! He-"

"So sorry to barge in," Alastor interrupted, "But I can't help but hear that you are here for Angel Dust, correct?" He paused and Valentino nodded, "My apologies. You see Angel has been injured and cannot come to work, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'll say this one more time, pretty boy," Valentino hissed, glowering over Alastor with murderous intent, "If I say my whore is going to work, he's going to work." Alastor opened his eyes wide, making the other demon cock his head to the side in confusion, and let his grin deepen until it seemed to cover his whole face.

"Please leave now," Alastor repeated threateningly.

"You son of a bitch!" Valentino raised a hand to hit Alastor in the face, but before he could move he was thrown across the wall. Alastor stood where he was. His eyes turned to glowing red radio dials, black tentacles swarming around him as he walked slowly over to the now cowering moth demon.

"Please leave now," he said again, danger swirling around each word as they slurred from his mouth like molasses. Valentino nodded frantically, fumbling over his jacket as he ran out of the hotel and into his car.

"Whoa," Vaggie whispered, coming up behind him as he calmed his nerves, "I don't think I've ever seen you get pissed like that."

"Then it's a good thing," Alastor chuckled, the tentacles disappearing into small void holes beneath his feet, "I can be much angrier, and I surprisingly don't want to make you terrified of me." Vaggie laughed, and Charlie hugged him from behind, making him jolt in surprise.

"Thank you, Alastor. I owe you." He patted her on the head and smiled at her, but his ears flicked when he heard a quiet rustle near the stairs.

"You're quite welcome Charlie, dear. Now would you stop lurking and come out here Angel? I can hear you." Both girls were surprised when Angel crept sheepishly from behind the corner and walked slowly toward them.

"Hi Angel, how are you feeling?" Charlie asked gingerly, grabbing his two top hands in her own, "I'm sorry if I made you feel sick earlier." Angel gave Alastor a curious glance, but shook his head at her, saying that he was just a little dizzy.

"I'm better now," he chirped, "I just need rest like you said." The others looked at him worriedly and he sighed. "Guys, I'm alight," Angel smiled weakly, "It takes more than a little cut to kill me."

"Angel darling, you know that wasn't just a cut," Alastor growled, "I have half a mind to skin him alive."

"Seriously, I'm ok," he said again, firmly.

"Ok," Charlie chirped, "We don't need fights. Angel get some rest, we'll talk again tomorrow."