Like A Drug (Radiodust Oneshots)

The Path Towards Hell

 Unbeknownst to many people, Alastor and Angel met before the hotel.

 When you do die, you find yourself on a tightrope. A tightrope made thinner and thinner by the choices you made in life. If you get through the life part, the way you died can make the rope even thinner.

 Waiting on the other side, if you made it, would be the angels. Or you could fall, and go to Hell. If you fall, you meet one other demon before you emerge into the real Hell itself. That was where Angel and Alastor met (kind of).

 Alastor had not seen it coming. He was wandering around, bored out of his skull, and then in an instant he was in the Void.

 The demons called it the Void because there was nothing for miles around. And sitting on a dark stool, sobbing, was a young man. Alastor didn't know what to do about the tears. He wasn't good when people cried.

 In fact, he often made it worse. So instead, he remembered the first thing he was told to do in the Void. "I see you have not yet chosen your demon," he said, smiling as kindly as he could.

 The younger man raised his head, his eyes red with tears. One of them was swollen and black. "W-What?"

 Alastor raised his head and sure enough, he saw the tightrope. It looked thicker than his had been, except towards the end. It thinned out there. "You fell," Alastor said. "You will go to Hell now." The man began sobbing harder. "It's not as bad as you think!" Alastor ducked down and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "It's actually a very nice place."

 The man looked up at him. "I-I..." he trailed off. "I overdosed. He didn't help me. He hit me before I died..." He wiped his eyes, wincing at the black ones sudden contact. "He didn't even try to help me."

 "He will surely go to Hell then," Alastor said. He paused at the man's face. "But, it's a big place. It'll be really hard for him to find you."

 The man stopped crying, and Alastor let go of his shoulder gently and slowly. "Now, before you enter the real Hell," Alastor said, helping him up, and guiding him along. "You have to chose an animal, or a demonic look."

 "How do I do that?" he asked.

 "Just picture the animal in your head," Alastor said. "And based on personality, it will make you as good as you want it to look."

 The man closed his eyes, and slowly, he took on shape. Long legs, thin frame, fluffy fur on his chest and head, sharp teeth, and two extra set of arms extended. "A spider," Alastor said. "Why a spider?"

 He opened his eyes, and the black eye had sunken into his eyeball, making it black where there should be a white. The pupil was missing from that eye, too. The other eye had yellow whites, and a pupil. Both pupils were pink, as was most patterns on the fur.

 Including around the no-no square, which Alastor was definitely not looking at. He wasn't a pervert, he was just slightly interested in men. And he was quite big...stupid brain, stop thinking those accursed thoughts!

 "Spiders scare me," the man said. "It's time I spread my fear to my enemies, too."

 Alastor nodded, smiling. "Your clothes," he said. "Same thing, think how you want them to be."

 Instantly kinky-styled clothes appeared on the spider demon, including on the third set of arms. With surprising speed, those arms shrunk into his body, taking the cloth with them. "Now what?"

 Alastor gestured forward to an opening in the air, to a starting point for the new demon. "You go," he said. He held out his hand and helped the spider to the portals opening. "You're new life awaits you."

 "Thank you, uh..." he trailed off.

 "Alastor," Alastor said. "The Radio Demon." He gently kissed the back of his gloved hand. "And you are?"

 The spider shrugged. "Some things are best left behind," he said. "But...you can call me Angel Dust." He stepped closer, before pausing. "Will I see you again, Al?"

 Alastor shrugged. "Depends on how fate and coincidence want it to go," he said. "I hope I do, though."

 "Me too," Angel said. He hesitated before leaning down and kissing Alastor's lips gently, not prodding for more. Alastor closed his eyes, and leaned up to make it easy to him. They pulled away, both equally flustered. "Goodbye, Alastor."

 And with that he was gone. Alastor was spat back to where he remembered being, and smiled to himself. Yes, it was fate that had made him take care of him before entering Hell, and coincidence that had his heard racing.

~~~~~

 Alastor walked into the hotel, and his eyes landed on a spider demon sitting off to the side. His heart sped up. Angel Dust.

 Angel raised his head and his eyes met with Alastor's. Recognition, joy and...love spread across his face.

 He stood and walked forward. "Alastor?" he whispered.

 "Angel Dust," Alastor said, and couldn't stop himself from taking him in a hug. "I found you."

 Angel hugged back. "I thought I'd never see you again," he said, and looked into his eyes.

 The kiss was messy and loud and probably very strange to look at, but it was overdue and perfect for them, and that was all that mattered.