Angel Dust

[ before you dropped me off. it sounds, to him, like angel is insinuating that valentino's responsible for putting him directly in charlie's path. it sounds to him like angel is suggesting it's his fault that angel left the tower. left him. valentino's eyes narrow sharply. his hands flex, claws like little pinpricks against angel's thighs.

and then they relax. valentino wants to explode at him, but he deliberately chooses not to. he hasn't put all of this fucking effort into playing nice tonight just to fuck it all up by lashing out. angel would deserve it, don't get him wrong, but valentino's determined to coax angel back to him. maybe it won't happen tonight, maybe it'll take more time, but he'll make it happen one way or another. hopefully, without even having to force his hand.

valentino inhales slowly, deeply, and then exhales. ]

... You could use less here. [ he drags the loofah down the center of angel's chest, across his ribs, down one of his lower arms to his wrist underneath the water. val lets go of the sponge, letting it float and bob to the surface, and ghosts his claws over angel's palm before gently linking their fingers together. ] You know I don't like it when you get... messy.

[ that's not necessarily true; sometimes it's convenient when angel's overindulged. valentino doesn't care, so long as he's benefiting, but there have been a number of times where he's had to be on angel's ass. a number of times where it's actually been dangerous, and valentino's has had to drag his ass somewhere 'safe'. the last thing either of them need is a headline about angel overdosing, even if he'd just come back. it's still bad PR regardless.

but onto the next point. ]

You know... before she started all of that hotel nonsense, we only had to worry about the Extermination once a year. Well - you haven't had to worry about it at all. [ not for a very long time, at least, because valentino has always kept him safe. vee tower has never been directly targeted by the exorcists, and there's probably a reason for that. ] But they came back early this year. And now, you and your little - friends - [ he hesitates to even use that word, biting back a crueler descriptor. ] have killed Heaven's favorite Golden Boy.

[ valentino tuts his tongue quietly, lifting angel's hand out of the water to kiss the back of it. ]

What do you think is going to happen, amorcito? Hmm? I don't think she's stopped the Extermination the way you think she has. If anything, I think she's probably made things worse. For all of us.

[ the verbiage here is careful. valentino makes a point to put the blame on charlie's shoulder's, intentionally avoids grouping angel in with the rest of them, absolving him of any guilt, by association or otherwise.

valentino turns angel's hand over and presses another kiss to his palm, looking at him over the edge of his glasses. he lowers his voice, almost murmuring. ]

I just want you to be safe, mi amor.