Angel Dust

[ could have fooled him. valentino could list a dozen things angel's said or done in the past week that he could swear were deliberately intended to piss him the fuck off. fortunately - or unfortunately, depending on your perspective - valentino sometimes enjoys the little arguments ("arguments") they get into, even when he's redhot with rage. it makes work interesting, and it makes the occasional hatefuck that much better.

for now, he decides not throw angel's apology back in his face, focused instead on the little bits of information angel feeds him. it's obvious to valentino that angel's been backing off using as much; it'd be obvious to anyone who spends as much time around angel as he does, to anyone who pays him half as much attention, but valentino knows him like the back of his fucking hands. he's different, sometimes, and val hasn't decided if he likes it or not.

probably fucking not, though. that fucking hotel and that little bitch that runs it are ruining angel, and for what?

valentino tilts his head, fingers walking up angel's chest to settle under his chin. he lifts his head up slightly, thumb rubbing a lazy line across his cheek. ]

It's that fucking hotel, baby.

[ despite the irritation simmering underneath the surface, he manages his tone fairly well, coming off as genuinely concerned for angel's well-being. if he could burn that place to the ground, he would, but vox would probably have some shit to say about it, and tussling with the princess of hell (and probably, her dad) maybe isn't the smartest move he could make. at least, not right now.

he pets his hand down angel's throat, then back up again, fingers ghosting underneath his jaw. gentle, gentle, gentle. ]

You know, I don't think they know the first thing about helping people. [ redeeming them, whatever the fuck it is they're trying to do there. it's all a joke to valentino. ] Certainly, they aren't helping you. [ he pauses here and tries to catch angel's eyes before continuing on. ] They are using you, baby. That little - princesa has daddy issues so deep she could make millions in my hands, but appealing to that little council will not fix that. Parading you around like the poster child of bad habits will not fix that.

[ valentino brings his cigarette to his mouth and inhales, and when he exhales he doesn't deliberately blow the smoke in angel's face, but he doesn't go out of his way to avoid it either. ]

Cariño, the only thing she has done for you is paint a target on your back. On that whole hotel. The exorcists came back in half the time, did they not? And they came right for that hotel. It's very lucky you weren't killed. [ the hands at angel's hips squeeze and then shift, linking together behind him at the base of his spine, holding him loosely. ] Why would you want to fight to get into a place where its people come down here every year to kill us all? For what - having lived interesting lives?

[ valentino leans down then, brushing a kiss against the corner of angel's mouth, his voice low. ]

You were much safer with me.