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[harderdaddy]

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[harderdaddy]

[The bills get tucked away into his chest fluff before Val can change his mind, but there's a surprised pause at that acknowledgement and he nods.]

You picked it out for me. [Which...he'd forgotten about until seeing it wrecked. He doesn't want to examine if that's added to his frustration about losing it.

Stepping out the motel, Angel starts towards the car, stealing a small glance back at Val.]

Didn' know you remembered...

[papichulo]

I remember everything.

[ whether that's actually true or not is anyone's guess, but valentino remembers what's important. he remembers anything than can be used against him, or could be used against others. it's probably safe to assume he remembers every single little thing he's ever done for angel, every outfit and trinket he's gifted him, just in case he ever needs to remind angel just how much he's given him, how much he's done for him.

valentino steps out after angel, pulling the door closed behind him. housekeeping is likely to have one hell of morning once the bodies are discovered, if they're even discovered at all by the time half of them resurrect, but that's just not his problem. he follows after angel, keeping close behind, wings billowing a little big behind him.

at the car, valentino opens the back door for angel, and guides him inside with a hand on the back of his neck, ducking to follow him in afterward. ]

[harderdaddy]

[Angel laughs softly, clearly not taking him fully at his word, but he still seems touched. Or maybe he was just hit in the head harder than he fucking thought.

Climbing into the car, Angel fishes out some ice from the drink station and holds it to his head with a groan as he settles in. That's better.]

Were you in the middle of anythin' too important?

[papichulo]

[ valentino pulls the door closed behind himself with a little more force than necessary, adrenaline and annoyance still simmering a bit in his veins. he settles next to angel and allows him to rifle around in the bar without question, and then reaches and snags a small white hand towel typically there to sop up any accidental spills.

quietly, he begins to clean the blood off of his one hand, some of it halfway to dry already. his rings will have to be cleaned more thoroughly later. maybe just tossed out all together. it's not as if he can't afford to replace them. ]

Just... [ he begins, turning his hand over and pulling the rag between his fingers. valentino seems to be considering his words. ] A meeting.

[ seems a little bit late to be holding any kind of meeting that wasn't an immediate emergency, so the validity of this is possibly questionable. valentino is just as likely to be telling the truth as he could be lying. he could have been doing absolutely nothing. he could have been in some shitty overpriced bar in a dark corner with vox. none of it matters.

valentinp shrugs. ]

But it could have been an email.

[ which is to say, angel shouldn't worry about it, and despite the fact that he just ripped someone's entire throat out and permanently killed two people - he's not as angry as he could be about being pulled away from whatever it was he may or may not have been doing. fortunately for angel, murder is fun. ]

[harderdaddy]

[A meeting. He knows a least a few of the things that could be, but also knows better than to push if Val doesn't volunteer on his own. He chooses his words very carefully. He guesses it was Vox, but it's not like the other Vee can get any more angry at him over stealing Val's attention away than he is any other day.]

Mosta them could be. [He knows Val gets bored during meetings, and Angel's certainly found the few he's been forced to attention boring as well, excepting for when he's there for Val's entertainment.

Watching Val, Angel moves again, crouched on the floor of the car to delve back into the bar. Do they keep anything non-alcoholic in this thing? He manages to scrounge up a bottle of water, and turns- still on his knees- to motion for the cloth. Val saved his skin, the least Angel can do is help him clean up.]

[papichulo]

[ surprisingly, angel's offhand comment makes valentino laugh. it's short, and it's quiet, low and mostly under his breath, but he chuckles as he works at polishing one of his rings on his fingers. it's true - half of the meetings valentino gets dragged into are boring as fuck. if he didn't find ways to keep himself entertained - bedazzling his weapons, doodling lewd-but-tasteful sketches in the corners of data sheets he hardly ever reads, taking selfies while vox rattles on about technology or whatever the fuck - he'd probably blow someone's brains out.

more often than not, an email containing a handful of relevant bullet points would accomplish the same thing, and waste less of everyone's time.

idly, valentino watches as angel rummages through the drink cabinet. he assumes he's looking for something to drink, maybe something harder than what's within easy reach, so val's somewhat surprised when he produces a bottle of water. when angel gestures for the cloth, valentino blinks at him once, and then leans to put it in his hand. ]

[harderdaddy]

[The laugh makes him grin, clearly what he was aiming for.

Wetting the cloth, Angel silently shifts closer, pushing Val's legs apart to fit in against the seat. He gently takes one of Val's hands from him and starts to wipe it clean with a quiet sort of devotion. He keeps his gaze on his work, reaching for the next hand before finally mumbling-]

You could've died...

[Next to impossible, but the chance was there, Valentino had literally put his life on the line for him, and clearly it's had an affect on Angel.]

[papichulo]

[ valentino spreads his knees easily to make room for angel to settle between them, though he briefly expects this move to be leading toward - something else. when angel takes his hand, val's only briefly disappointed, but it doesn't really linger. he can appreciate other forms of personal attention, too, and angel still looks pretty there on his knees regardless.

valentino's quiet as he watches angel work, feeling no need to fill or break the silence, the low hum of the car's engine and the gentle sound of liquor bottles and crystal glasses clinking against each other the only sound between them. when angel finishes cleaning his first hand and reaches for another, valentino examines his work and presents his next hand.

the sound of angel's voice draws his attention, valentino's gaze shifting to look at him. angel seems... upset, and this surprises him, at least a little bit. when valentino walked into that motel room, he was not concerned about dying. it never even crossed his mind, because he had every intention of making his point and then walking out of there with angel like nothing ever happened. even when he'd kicked that revolver across the floor toward angel, he hadn't feared for anything.

tilting his head, valentino reaches out with a clean hand and slots his fingers under angel's chin. he lifts his head slowly, gently, closing his fingers around the cloth swiping his palm for a moment just to make sure he has angel's attention. ]

And you could have killed me... [ valentino gave him the means to do it for a brief moment in that room. that much has not escaped him. by pointing this out, he's also acknowledging the possibility that he's given angel any reason to want to kill him. valentino is under no delusion that their relationship, whatever it may be, is perfect, but he also doesn't believe that he hasn't been good to angel too.

he lowers his voice a little more, red eyes shifting between angel's, thumb following the edge of his jaw. ] I trust you, Angel. ... Very much.

[ not enough to let him keep that revolver in his hand for more than a few seconds, as valentino had moved fairly quickly to disarm him after he'd done what he'd asked of him and killed he bull, but that's irrelevant.

after a beat, valentino tilts angel's face up a little more and leans down to kiss him, keeping close so his next words are practically murmured against his lips. ]

I love you.

[harderdaddy]

[Confused by his own feelings, Angel doesn't bother to hide the conflicted expression as Val lifts his chin up to meet his gaze. Angel could have killed him. Could have freed himself. There's frustration at himself for not doing it, for not even thinking of it. But he knows he couldn't bring himself to do it even if Val asked him to. He loves Valentino more than he hates him. And as much as he longs for that freedom, he doesn't want it that way. He just wants to be let go. Or does he?

Those three words have always been his weak spot. Maybe because they're not given out too easily, and Angel swallows this one up gratefully, eagerly pushing to return the kiss and show he's worthy of that love.]

I love you too, Daddy. [He echoes easily, though he doesn't parrot back that message of trust.]

[papichulo]

[ those three words are as genuine as they are weaponized, doled out in quieter moments when things are softer between them, and whispered against his throat like a collar being clasped when valentino feels like angel might be starting to drift too far from him. right now, it's an odd mixture of both. val does love him - even when angel pisses him the fuck off, he still loves him - but he can see the conflict written all over angel's face.

valentino meets angel's eagerness with his own, teasing his tongue at the seam of angel's lips. it is, actually, only a tease though, because he pulls back just a moment or two later. he leaves is hand under angel's chin and uses it to carefully turn his head, and with his other hand, he pries the wet cloth free of angel's grasp.

for a moment, valentino just looks at him, silent as his eyes look him over for the second time tonight. finally, he lifts the handtowel, and lightly, he starts to wipe away some of the blood that's spilled from his head wound. he may have cleared angel's schedule for tomorrow, but he still needs to properly asses the damage done to his most prized possession. ]

... Did they get you anywhere else?

[harderdaddy]

[There's a faint hiss, Angel edging back from the touch before stilling himself again. It's light enough that it doesn't hurt beyond that initial shock.]

Few kicks and slaps mostly. Nothin' serious. Fucked rougher than I woulda liked, and probably messed up this shoulder with the ropes.

[Angel assesses, pausing, holding one piece back, though Val's sure to figure it out.]

[papichulo]

[ valentino's still as angel flinches away, allowing him to adjust and settle before he touches him again. he slots his hand back under angel's chin, tilting his head down slightly, and then to one side, gently dabbing the damp towel around the open wound. from what he can tell, it's nothing too severe - but it's still more than angel showed up with, which is unacceptable. valentino doesn't feel a shred of remorse for killing every single person in that room.

that brief pause does not go unnoticed, but val lets the silence simmer for a moment as he works, red eyes narrow slits behind his glasses. he turns angel's head back to face him again once he's finished. his brows lift only slightly. ]

And? [ what else? ] Tell me, Angel.

[harderdaddy]

[Angel holds good and still as Val tends to him, and it's moments like this he tries to highlight to Cherri, but somehow it never comes off right. Or maybe it's just not enough to make up for the other stuff...

He avoids his gaze a beat long before lifting it back to meet Val's, knowing he's going to be pissed. He doesn't speak, but shifts back just enough that he can shift the one leg out to show his inner thigh. It looks almost like smeared writing, the sort they'd done in some films with lipstick. Only it's not lipstick, and the only knife brandished in Val's time there was the angelic one.]

...i tried to stop 'em-

[papichulo]

[ pissed is an understatement. valentino tilts his head slowly as angel stretches his leg out, and for a moment, it doesn't immediately register that what he's looking at isn't just some cheap lipstick. but a messy dollar store lipstain doesn't explain angel's averted gaze and his overall hesitance to mention it. valentino's brows pinch, and he reaches out with one hand to touch the inside of angel's knee, pushing his leg out just the tiniest bit more for a better look.

he should have done more. valentino should have taken that revolver and emptied that entire chamber into those fucks. the head wound was one thing - still unacceptable, but easily concealed, easily healed - but if valentino had known about this while any of those men were still alive, he might have gone fucking ballistic. just pure, blacked out rage.

val's jaw tenses, teeth clenched hard. one of his hands curls into a tight fist, claws biting into his own palm. he knows exactly how many weapons were in that room - the only people seemingly smart enough to keep theirs hidden until an opportunity presented itself were valentino and angel - and there was only one knife, as far as he could tell. the same one sitting against his lower back now, tucked away in his belt.

when he speaks, it's sharp, but his malevolence doesn't seem to be directed at angel specifically. ]

Get up. [ he takes his hand away from angel's knee - and then offers it to him. ] Come here. Now.

[harderdaddy]

[Blacked out rage is exactly the reason Angel kept it to himself, but realistically there was only ever so long he could do that, and this is going to fuck up filming, and cost fuck only knew how much, and-

Angel snaps from his spiraling thoughts, wincing apprehensively, but accepting the hand up. Even if Val's not mad at him, there aren't a lot of other outlets. But he's back up. Those short words leave little room to argue or disobey.]

...could write it into the next script?

[papichulo]

[ the last thing valentino wants to do is solidify and broadcast his oversight somewhere thousands of people will see it. sure, hair and makeup could probably do something to make it look less... realistic (which is a crazy thought, because the less realistic something seems, the harder it is to 'sell'), and sure, the majority of viewers probably wouldn't even look close enough to care, and no one would have any clue about val's involvement, but - that's not the point. featuring valentino's fuckup is out of the question.

he says nothing about it as he helps angel up, guiding him to sit sideways in his lap with one of his arms supporting angel's back. with another hand, he slides angel's legs open, just enough to get a view of his marked up thigh, and carefully begins to clean these wounds too. save for the tension trapped in the hinge of his jaw, his expression is carefully neutral, though he's anything but calm. ]

[harderdaddy]

[Val not saying anything makes Angel nervous, but he's quiet and still, easily manipulated into place and trying not to make a face as he start cleaning up the cuts. They crudely spell out the word 'whore', though his stained fur makes it less immediately clear.]

...you probably won't even be able to see 'em once they scar up, the fur'll hide 'em.

[He only continues talking to fill that unnerving silence, but breaking it feels just as dangerous, and he quickly shuts his mouth again.]

[papichulo]

[ as the lettering becomes more apparent, valentino's silent rage only intensifies. it's not as if the label isn't true in the most literal sense, but the fact that anyone thought they could carve it into angel's flesh without consequence - and valentino's doubly convinced now that he should have left a fancy little bullet in every one of those men's skulls - is beyond infuriating.

the fact that they'll eventually be covered up and hidden by fur is not the point. valentino will know the scars are there. valentino will always know. it'll always be a permanent reminder of when someone questioned his authority and undermined what's his. of when he put angel's life in danger, in actual, lasting danger, because he overlooked or misjudged. whatever the case may be. ]

In that case, [ he says after another couple seconds of silence, hand wiping and dabbing delicately around the inflamed cuts, eyes focused only on his work. his tone, however, is mildly biting, like it's an effort to keep his temper at bay. ] We should just let anyone do whatever the fuck they want. Is that right?

[ obviously not, and obviously valentino wouldn't allow anything like that, not to this extreme, but 'maybe you won't even see 'em' sounds kind of stupid when framed in this light, doesn't it? ]

[harderdaddy]

[Wincing as it's phrased so...bluntly, Angel shakes his head, not sure how exactly to make things right. Truth is there probably isn't anything he can do, but it's very well ingrained in his mind that if Val's pissed he is a) the likely cause, and b) supposed to know the way to make it better again.]

...no, Val.

[papichulo]

I'll fucking - figure something out. [ he says it more to himself, half under his breath and through the cage of his teeth, sharp and cutting. realistically, his options are limited; he can work it into a script, which he'd rather not fucking do, or they can delay shooting anything until the cuts are scarred and covered over. there's also the option of building a wardrobe around it, which might be the easiest choice out of the three, but he'd have to talk to velvette about it.

once valentino's thoroughly cleaned the dried blood out of the surrounding fur, he allows angel to close his knees if he wants to, but otherwise doesn't say anything else. when the car eventually slows, it becomes evident that the 'home' valentino mentioned at the motel is the tower, and not that shithole of a hotel angel stole away to, but maybe that's not so surprising.

in the silence of the back seat, valentino doesn't immediately move. ] I want you to stay here until this is - dealt with.

[ if angel's in the tower, valentino can guarantee that he's (relatively) safe. that he's always somewhere valentino can find him. that no one else will know of what went down tonight.

his eyes finally shift, one hand lifting to turn angel's head by the chin so he can look at him. ]

Don't fight me on this.

[harderdaddy]

[The most Angel dares protest in the moment is a faint frown. Home has slowly but surely cemented itself as the hotel in his mind, and he longs for his bed and cuddles with Fat Nuggets, and eventually his friends to help distract him. But that face means business, and he gets that he doesn't really have a say.]

Yes Val...I can do that.

[How long did shit take to heal naturally? It's been so long, he can hardly remember. Can't be that much longer than it takes to regenerate, right?]

Just gotta text Husk and let him know to look after Nuggs for me.

[papichulo]

[ with angel in his lap, it's fairly easy to just carry him out of the car. valentino pushes the back door open with one of his free hands and steps out, lifting angel bridal style with him. he could very easily just let angel walk - val knows he's more than capable, rough night aside - but for whatever reason, he decides carrying him in is the best option.

in the main lobby, someone on staff summons an elevator for them and says not a word, which is probably for the best considering valentino's simmering temper and the likelihood for him to snap over nothing. val doesn't say anything until they're in the elevator and the doors have slid closed. ]

... I'll have someone pick him up and bring him here in the morning.

[ another unspoken apology. valentino may have gifted angel that little hellpig however long ago, but he's honestly not that fond of it himself. if having it around will keep angel even moderately happy, though, then val will tolerate it. ]

[harderdaddy]

[He's about to climb off when Val abruptly lifts him like he ways nothing, and Angel starts in surprise. It's been a long while since Val caried him around like this anywhere outside of the bedroom, and Angel knows better than to insist he can walk. It does feel nicer if he's been honest, though he pointedly avoids meeting the eye of anyone on staff. (He does however briefly seek out one of the security cameras to smirk.)

His eyes light up when Val finally speaks.]

Really?? He's a lot better now, he doesn' get underfoot or nothin'.

[Normally Angel wouldn't want his baby back here, but he doesn't want to be separated from him for that long, and Val won't hurt him if Angel's around.]

[papichulo]

[ it's clear by the subtle shift in valentino's expression that he doesn't believe that that little creature isn't just as annoying as it was when angel was still living here, but he pointedly chooses not to argue about it. instead, he shifts angel's weight carefully in his arms and steps out of the elevator when the doors eventually part on the correct floor. ]

Just - [ he pauses to adjust his tone. ] - keep him out of everyone's way. And clean up after him.

[ does valentino regret gifting angel that hellpig? sometimes. most of the time, actually, but angel had been so happy about it at the time that it hadn't mattered much back then. now, valentino tries to look at fat nuggets as a leveraging tool, a way to keep angel under his thumb when he needs a quick way to check his fucking attitude. it doesn't work so much with them both living... elsewhere, but it used to.

valentino carries angel to his penthouse and all the way inside before he finally sets him down near the couches in the main area. immediately, he steps away, hands reaching for the weapons tucked behind his wings as he moves toward the cabinet full of firearms and other miscellaneous weapons by the far wall. ]

Clean yourself up, Angel.

[ he lifts his chin slightly, gesturing toward the bathroom upstairs, and then busies himself with putting his personal guns away. notably, he does not remove either of the angelic weapons from his belt. ]

[harderdaddy]

I will~ [The promise comes quick and a little too cheerful, determined ensure Val has no reason to direct any of his anger towards the hellpig. He'd happily take any and all of it to keep Nuggs safe, though he doesn't like him seeing that stuff either. But it's just for a short while, and Val's being sweet.]

Thanks, Val. [Angel starts making his way, glancing back long enough to see those new toys not joining the others. He frowns faintly, but keeps moving. Hopefully Val still has some of his old clothes around here somewhere.]