The air was thick with smoke, clouding Angel’s view. His entire body was sore, bruised and tender.

 

He stifled a groan as he pushed himself off the mattress. Moving was exhausting, but if he didn’t get up soon he knew he would have Valentino on his ass. He stared out of the window, wrapping his arms around himself. His claws dug into a cut right above his elbow, hidden in his fur. The sharp pain helped push his drowsiness away.

He just wanted to get some fucking sleep, but whatever hours he used to spend at the hotel, the Vees now made him work, ‘to make up for lost money’, either in the studio or in the streets. At least now that he had served his purpose as a spy, he was pretty sure Vox had stopped poking around in his head. There was really no use for it now.

Pulling himself to his feet, he dragged himself to the bathroom to put on his makeup. Mascara and a bright eyeshadow couldn’t hide a bloodshot eye, but it would hopefully distract from it enough to still get him a customer or two.

 

After making sure there wasn't any blood visible from the cuts Valentino’s claws had left on him last night (as fun as they’d had in the moment, the cuts were always annoying the day after, but at least his fur was good at hiding them), he threw on his blazer, pushing up his chest fluff as he buttoned it. He really didn’t want to work right now, he’d barely slept at all last night, but he didn’t want to stay in Vee tower right now either.

Brushing his teeth and fur was a chore, but by the time he was done with it he felt put together enough to fake it through another day.

 

 

Five customers later, Angel felt ready to pass out on his feet, but somehow it had only been three and a half hours since he left the tower.

Sitting down on the curb, cigarette between his fingers, he stifled a groan. This day already felt way too long and it had barely even started.

 

As a shadow fell across his face, he looked up. He grimaced. “Didn’t I tell ya it’s dangerous for us to meet?”

He stared up at Lucifer’s face. Lucifer, who avoided his eyes at the words. “You may have.”

“So? Why’re ya still talkin’ to me?”

Lucifer fiddled with his cane, biting his lip. “Because you looked like you needed company?”

 

Angel tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarette. As he looked up at Lucifer, he realised that he was talking just as much about himself as he did Angel. For some reason, despite having Charlie, despite Lilith being back (a rumour that had spread like wildfire after his last run-in with Lucifer, no doubt drawing even more people to the hotel), Lucifer was lonely. But no matter how lonely Angel also felt, spending time with Lucifer was a bad idea.

He took another drag of his cigarette. “What I need is another customer, and I can’t really get one’a those with you talkin’ to me.”

 

Lucifer’s eyes darted around them, growing nervous. Angel didn’t understand why, until finally he spoke, meeting his eyes. “What if… I paid you for your time? Would that… work?”

Oh, that was such a bad idea. The worst idea he’d heard in a while. He would be lying if he said he’d never wondered what Lucifer would be like in the sack, though.

 

Flicking his cigarette into the street, he stood up. This would probably end up a disaster in the long run.

“Fine. But you’re payin’ me triple.”

 

 

As soon as the door locked behind them, Angel ran his hand along Lucifer’s shoulder, down his chest. As his hand reached its center, he rested his palm there, meeting Lucifer’s eye. His lips parted in a grin as he shoved him, sending Lucifer sprawling on the bed.

Climbing on top of him, he tugged Lucifer’s bowtie loose. As he leaned down to let his teeth find Lucifer’s pulse, he felt hands on his chest. “Wait, wait a second!”

He met Lucifer’s wide eyes.

“What?”

“What, uh, what’re you doing?”

 

Angel’s brows furrowed, though he didn’t let the grin fall from his face. “Ya bought my time, remember? Don’t tell me ya forgot what my job is.”

“Uhhhh…” Lucifer’s eyes drifted to the side. “Not, not really, no, I just… I was just thinking we could… spend some time together?”

“Duh. That’s what you’re payin’ me for.”

“Not like, not like that! Just, I just thought there wouldn’t be any cameras to worry about in here.”

“Are ya sure? I cost a lot, ya know? Would be a waste not to fuck me.”

“I’m sure.” Lucifer raised his arms, his fingers grazing Angel’s cheeks. His next sentence felt as if Lucifer had to force himself to speak the words, his cheeks burning with shame. “But if… if you would… a-allow me to… hug… you?”

 

Angel stared down at him. The longer the silence stretched, the more nervous Lucifer seemed to become. His back straightening, he sat down on Lucifer’s hips. Lucifer lowered his hands to the sheets beneath him.

“Sorry, it was a stupid question. You can fuck me if you’d prefer, I just don’t think I’d be a good lay right now.”

Angel snorted, shaking his head. “I thought ya didn’t want to have sex.”

“I don’t. I just… don’t want to put you in an awkward situation.”

“No, it’s…”Angel’s fingers ran along the buttons of Lucifer’s vest, his eyes fixed on them. “It’s fine.” What kind of guy offered sex just to get out of an awkward situation, besides himself? It seemed like neither of them had a healthy relationship with sex. He knew that his own relationship with it was a little messed up (as much as he liked to deny it), he just wouldn’t have guessed the same of Lucifer.

 

He dropped down next to Lucifer on the bed, watching him as he stared into the ceiling, playing absentmindedly with his wedding ring. Angel wanted to ask about him and Lilith, about her return, but he held back the questions. The less he knew the better. If Vox went rummaging around in his brain again, there wouldn’t be anything of importance to spill.

 

“Hey, Lucifer?”

As Lucifer’s eyes met his, he raised a hand, holding it out, palm up.

“I’ll take that hug now. If it’s still up for grabs.”

Lucifer’s nervous eyes softened, and he let his hand rest in Angel’s. Reaching out with another one of his hands, he pulled Lucifer towards him, holding him close. For a moment that he wasn’t sure whether it was real or not, he felt Lucifer grow tense, but then he relaxed against him, making the thought flee his mind.

He felt Lucifer’s hand withdraw from his, his arm moving around him until his hand rested between his shoulderblades.

As he glanced down, his eyes met Lucifer’s. Lucifer smiled up at him.

“Thank you.”

“For what? Cuddlin’?”

“That too. But… for not laughing at me when I asked.”

 

One of Angel’s hands found their way into Lucifer’s hair, guiding Lucifer to rest his cheek against his chest. “Oh please. Like you’re the first person to hire a hooker not to have sex with’em. Don’t even worry about it.”

That part was the least of their worries. He was much more concerned with the fact that they were interacting at all. Sure, Lucifer was wearing a glamour that hid the fact that he was the one meeting with Angel (which begged the question: why was he wearing one in the first place, even when meeting with Angel clearly hadn’t been the reason for it initially), but that didn’t do much of a difference if Vox did look directly into his head again.

Vox might have completely lost interest in him now that he’d used him up and gotten what he wanted out of him, but what’s to say that he would never peek inside his mind, and realise that Angel wasn’t as separated from the hotel as everyone thought he was.

This really was such a horrifically bad idea.

 

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of quiet snoring.

Glancing down, he realised that Lucifer had fallen asleep, right there in his arms. He bit his lip, embrace tightening. As he noticed Lucifer’s breath picking up, his claws digging into his blazer as his body grew tense, Angel immediately loosened his grip again.

 

Fuck.

Okay.

 

So maybe Lucifer wasn’t as unaffected by what Vox had done to him as he liked to pretend. Why else would he start to panic from being held too tightly in his fucking sleep? That really was knowledge Angel shouldn’t be in possession of.

He should wake Lucifer up and get him out of here, not get any more involved with him than he had already become. He should stay as far away from him as he possibly could, he was already finding out way too much.

 

Angel buried his face in Lucifer’s hair.

This was a terrible idea.

But Lucifer’s body fit so comfortably against his, making him reluctant to let go. He could feel himself start to relax, despite his anxieties swirling around inside his head.

His eyelids felt too heavy, falling on their own accord, despite his best attempts not to let his eyes close.

 

As he felt himself drift off into much-needed sleep, he promised himself that the next time they ran into each other, he would turn right back around and not let this go any further.

He had to.

 

He could only hope he would be strong enough to do it, when the moment actually came.

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