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“Look, everyone, look!” Charlie called out in the lobby as she ran in, gardening apron on, dirt smudges on her face. Husk, Niffty, Vaggie, Angel, and Alastor all turned their heads to look at her. “The poppies are blooming!” she cheered, as she gently held out five blooms, stood proud on their stems.
“Already?” asked Vaggie, eyebrows raised in some surprise. “It's only been two months since we planted them.”
“Poppies grow really fast! That's why I planted them. Here, Al, hold them while I go grab a vase-”
“-Ah, I actually shouldn't-”
But it was too late. She had all but shoved the bunch in his hands so that he had no choice but to grasp them.
They quickly wilted in his grip.
Silence struck the room. No one moved.
Except for Husk, who, without a change in his expression, took another swig from his bottle.
Niffty didn't seem surprised, either, but she adopted the same still quiet as the rest, out of some politeness to everyone else, probably.
Alastor grinned, as always, but Angel saw the tension in his eyes. “Sorry, my dear! Now you know why I don't help with the gardening!” A laugh track followed after his words.
Charlie smiled weakly, and took the dead flowers from him as she said, “It's okay. There's still plenty of poppies outside, Al. Hey,” she looked around at the group, “anyone want to come out with me and cut a few more?”
Vaggie, with warmth, said, “I'd love to, hon.”
Charlie brightened, if only slightly. “Okay. Just let me throw these-”
“-got it!” cried Niffty as she snatched the perished poppies from the princess and dashed away to dispose of them.
After a beat, Charlie went back the way she came, to return to the garden, and Vaggie followed after.
“...well! I'm famished! I'll be in the kitchen; high time I got started on lunch for everyone!” Alastor announced in a jovial tone, and marched towards the kitchen.
Angel and Husk awkwardly looked at each other for a long moment, until Angel turned and made his way up to his room to get back to work on his dress, and Husk returned to his booze.
A few days later.
Angel walked into the hotel dining room, a hand behind his back and a smirk upon his face.
“Mornin~” he crooned.
Alastor looked up from the paper he read as he sat, legs crossed, on his chair. “Good morning, Angel! Such a surprise to see you awake early enough to join the rest of us for breakfast!”
“Yes, it's wonderful!” said Charlie, her smile wide and bright, “Good morning!”
“Good morning!” Niffty chirped, and waved.
The new hotel resident that arrived just the day before shyly wiggled their fingers in greeting.
Vaggie and Husk, however, looked at him with suspicion.
“Good morning,” said Vaggie in a voice that sounded guarded.
While Husk came right out and asked, “The fuck are you up to this early?”
Angel grinned. “What I'm up to,” he stated, as he made a beeline for Alastor as the man drank his coffee, “is to give a certain radio host a present when I know he'll be around.”
“I am quite sure, whatever it is,” Alastor smoothly said, as his eyes returned to his newspaper, “I don't want it.” He punctuated the sentence with a sip of coffee.
“Yer sure yer sure?” Angel brought the hand that had been behind his back forward to reveal it held a red rose made from fabric, green cloth leaves around the base.
Charlie brought a hand up to her face. “Angel...!”
The spider shrugged, and said, nonchalantly, “I was finishin sewin up all the roses for my dress, and I realized I had one extra. Thought black thumb over here might like it. Here ya go.” He placed it on the table before Alastor with a playful bow.
For a moment, no one said anything.
And then Husk groused, “Sure. He gets flowers.”
Angel turned his head sharply and glared at the cat. “Ya son of a bitch,” he barked, “I gave ya flowers once! And do ya remember what ya told me? Ya said, 'What the fuck are these for, I'm not a fuckin girl,' ya fuckin ungrateful prick!”
As Angel spoke, Husk had gotten out of his chair, walked around the table, and stood in front of him as he pointed a claw at Angel's face. “Well, you shoulda known I didn't mean it!”
Angel's eyes flashed in anger as he bared his teeth. “Yer such an asshole!”
Husk snarled. “So are you!”
Again, for a moment, no one said anything.
And then Husk and Angel grabbed each other and started to furiously make out.
“God fucking dammit,” Vaggie groaned, as her right hand pinched the bridge of her nose.
“At least they're talking again?” said Charlie, meekly.
“...does this happen a lot?” the new guest timidly asked.
“Uh, well...” started Charlie, as the pair made their way to the wall and hit it with a bang.
“Not nearly enough!” Niffty cheered, with a manic grin.
Seemingly unaware of the mayhem, Alastor only smiled as he set down his cup, picked up the well crafted rose, and regarded it.
With a spark of magic, he affixed it to his lapel as he hummed to himself.
~Take a look at the flower in my buttonhole
Take a look, say, and ask me why it's there~
Meanwhile, Vaggie nearly screamed, “Knock it off! You are not fuckING IN THE DINING ROOM!!”