Proposal

Chapter 1

Stifling a yawn, he tried to look more excited to be where he was, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. His shift ended in a couple of minutes, not long enough to actually do anything, but Heaven forbid he walk to the back before it was time. How much sleep had he gotten, again? Four hours? Maybe if he was luck tonight he'd get six instead. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he desperately watched the hands click on until it reached the right position. The moment the clock struck three AM, Angel was slipping into the back rooms and heading for the changing room. He wasted no time at all throwing on some more comfortable clothes and gathering his things. "Holy fuck, I love shift change." Turning around, he caught sight of the rabbit that had joined him.

"No, you only like it when you leave. It's a whole different story when you get here." Checking his phone for any missed messages, he sighed at the lack of contact as the woman hummed.

"Too true. If I ever get excited to be here, tie me outside during the Cleanse." Angel scoffed and shook his head.

"Yeah right. I'll just give you all of my shifts and be done with it, yeah?" The woman pouted and followed him out towards the back door.

"So cruel! But I can't say I blame you. I'd probably do the same damn thing." They laughed about it while walking out to the street. Angel said his goodbyes as she hopped into a cab and started home, and he began his trek back to the hotel. He had to believe she didn't live but a block away, because there was no way she had enough money for more than that after the night they'd had. It had been incredibly slow, which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because he didn't have to deal with all of the scum bags putting their hands on him every five seconds. A curse, because it made the night drag on when he was already exhausted enough, since there was nothing to distract him from it.

He couldn't remember feeling so excited to see the hotel since he'd taken Charlie up on her offer and moved into it. Slipping in the front doors, Angel tried his best to make as little noise as possible so he didn't wake anyone else. Mostly, he didn't want to wake Vaggie, who would chew him out again for being loud while others are sleeping. He swore he'd said it before, and he'd gladly say it again to her face; the hotel needed better sound proofing to ensure nobody could hear anybody else. It was a damned invasion of privacy.

A few steps inside and he froze at the sight of the feline standing behind the bar. Husker wasn't doing much, simply nursing a bottle and toying with a deck of cards, but he was awake. Sliding himself onto a bar stool, he watched the cat pick up a card and with the barest of moment make it disappear. "Did you want something?" Thinking on it for a moment, he smiled.

"Could you give me a night cap?" How many of the newly dead bartenders laughed at him for saying something similar. Apparently, it wasn't something most were used to hearing anymore. Without another word, Husker set the cards down and got to work on his drink. "Why are you still awake? You know you can go to bed, right?" The feline scoffed.

"Why are you still awake? You know you could have walked right by here and... gone to bed, right?" Angel feigned a wince.

"Ouch, fair point. But seriously, though, it's almost four in the morning. Don't you... you know, wanna sleep?" After a moment of thought, he gasped. "Wait, does Al make you do this? What an asshole, going to bed while you're staying up. Really makes me see the Overlord in him." Husker chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, this isn't Alastor's doing. I just couldn't sleep, that's all." The man placed the drink in front of him before sitting back down on his stool and going back to his deck of cards.

"Huh. I thought cats liked to sleep." The feline looked up at him with a droll stare.

"You kidding me? I love sleep, when I can get it. Tonight, I just... couldn't that's all." He hummed as he took a sip of his drink. The burn of the alcohol rushing down his throat would have been a wonderful feeling, if he hadn't been feeling it for the last eight hours when customers ordered him drinks. A few of them he'd been able to turn down, or fake drinking, but the rest had been impossible.