(Cuphead) (Devil x Reader/OC x King Dice) Sweet As Honey

Saying Goodbye

The night was spent much like most of their nights were before everything went to literal hell. The little family ate a nice dinner, played some games and the siblings all danced to the radio while elder kettle watched and clapped along next to the fire.
It felt so good to be home, to get back to herself for a moment. But as her brothers fell asleep on the couch and angel sat on the floor with her head on elder kettles knee, watching the time tick down on her hand her heart began to ache. Who knew when the next time she would be home would be? If she ever would be...
Elder Kettle ran his hand over her handle and smiled down at her warmly as the fire crackled beside them, warming the tiny room well.
"I'm so glad I got to see you again my dear.... one last time." Kettle said, placing his hand on her cheek.
She leaned into the gesture and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean elder kettle? I'll be back again. The devil trusts me more now..."
He nodded and looked at her with a sad smile.
"Yes I'm sure you'll be back a lot... but I won't be here I'm afraid. My dear I was old when you three were born. I'm even older now. My time on this earth is at its end I'm afraid... you three are gonna have to take over from here."
Her eyes began to fill with tears as she moved to her knees beside kettle and looked up at him, taking his hand tight. "No... no elder kettle you're fine! You're just fine! If you're not feeling we I'll go phone for Dr. Kahl..." She said as she went to stand but he stopped her and smiled, shaking his head, "No no dear girl. T heres no use in that now. I was only holding on....to see you again. I love you angel. I love you all so much. You make those people take care of you. And know that I am very..." He took a deep pained breath, "proud of you my dear." He said, reaching up a shaking hand to wipe away her tears.
"But I need more time with you...." She whispered.
"I'm always with you angel..." He whispered as her clock hit 00:00 and smoke began to envelop her.
Her eyes got wide and she reached out, tears flowing desperately down her face. "Elder Kettle! No!" She yelled before she found herself on the floor of the devils office and she fell forward onto her hands.
Devil stood from his chair where he had been waiting for her and rushed over to her, "angel? Angel what's wtong?" He asked, kneeling next to her and carefully helping her sit up.
She looked up at him and covered her mouth, shaking her head. Elder Kettle was gone... and she wasnt there.

The next few days were spent with different people trying to coax angel out of her room. Devil and dice trying time and time again to get her to come out and tell them what happened but she just stayed in her room instead, quietly telling anyone who knocked to just go away, that she didn't want to see anyone in that moment.

The devil began to grow rather impatient so he made his way, angrily up to the room and banged on the door as if he would break it down. "Come out here, now!" He called as dice finally caught up, protesting his behavior breathlessly.

When he stopped to nag the devil about his anger and his behavior slowly the door opened. There angel stood, her chest glowing where the devil was pulling on her soul but she was dressed to work downstairs again and she rubbed her eyes. Do you mind letting me go so I can get to work dev?" She asked, glancing up at him and gesturing to the glow. He quickly released her and she nodded and off she went, staggering down the hall.

Devil and dice exchanged a look. She looked so tired and empty. Like she hadn't slept or eaten that whole time locked away in her room. They followed after her at a distance as she made her way down onto the main floor and all the crew looked up from where they were setting up their stations to smile at her welcomingly.
Wheezy and Piroetta in particular were happy to see her.
The two made their way over to her and smiled, "glad to see you're still breathing dearie." Piroetta said, fixing the bow on angels handle.
Angel forced a small smile even if her eyes were still empty, "yeah...me too." She said softly.
Wheezy glanced down worriedly at Piroetta and moved to snake an arm around angels shoulders, making angel cough a little. "Wheezy... you smell like smoke."
The big cigar man chuckled and took a long draw on his cigar and blew the smoke playfully in angels face, making her cough and chuckled as she tried to shove him off. "Walking cancer stick!" She teased lightly, making wheezy laugh. "There she is." He said, lifting her chin a bit and she sighed. Her friends were just good at making her happy.
"The show tonight is a visiting act so you actually have the night off angel." Piroetta told her, "but if you want you can help us out with some of the games or help out around the bar. Keep you busy..." She said, trying to keep angel from locking herself away again. No one knew why she had done it but they knew they didn't want her to do it again...
She nodded. "Ok... I'll go see if the troop needs any help." She said, knowing the last time she tried to help set up the stage she broke three lights and a chair.
The two nodded and headed off back to their work after watching her go.

Ms. Martini was happy to see her, still not drunk enough to be confused as to why angel was even there. "Angel baby! To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked as she restocked the bar fruits.
"No show for me tonight... figured I'd see if you need an extra pair of hands." She said with a shrug.
"Honey that blasted dice never gives me enough servers. If you can do that I'd kiss ya!" She said excitedly before turning and grabbing her an apron and notepad and handing it to her. "If you need any help or can't do it doll juat tell one of us troop and we will take over." She said, gently patting angels hands as she gave her the stuff.
Angel nodded and t died the apron around her hips and went about doing what she saw the other wait staff doing and cleaning tables and setting up tables caddies.

Serving proved to be a bit more challenging than angel had previously thought it to be but it was a nice distraction and she seemed pretty good at it until about three hours in when a gentleman who looked like he was made out of an old chopped log stump sat at one of her tables.
She came over with that happy and sweet smile all waitresses learn after a while and she held her pen to her paper, "hello sweetie. What can we get for you?" She asked
The man looked up from his menu and smiled, opening his mouth as if he were about to order before the smile fell from his face, "wait a second...arent you elder kettles daughter?" He asked, lifting a shaking hand to point at her and her smiled quickly began to falter.
"I'm his granddaughter...but yes..."
The man reached out and clasped her hand. "I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to him sweetie. He was such a good man. Purest soul in the whole isle..."
Angel felt tears filling the corners of her eyees and she gently took her hand back from the man, her shoulders shaking as she tried desperately to cling to her composure. "Yes... thank you... excuse me won't you?" She said before she hurried over to the bar and handed Ms. Martini but before the old glass could ask her what was wrong angel was gone in a flash and she rushed off to the employees break room.

Having been watching her most of the day dice and devil were quick to follow after her and when the walked in they saw her leaning on one of the tables trying desperately not to hyperventilate. She looked up and blushed, throwing her hand out at them. "I'm good. I just need a minute..." She choked out.
They shook their heads and the devil moved to stand in front of her, crouching down to be more at her eye level and he used the control he had over her soul to slow her breath down as she looked in his eyes, tears dripping down her face.
Dice brought over a chair and helped ease her into it as she slowly calmed down and he held her hand and rubbed her back. "That's it darlin. Just breathe. You're ok. You're safe. No one is gonna hurt you." He told her.
After a few minutes of the devil and dice helping her relax she was breathing fine on her own and she sniffled, drying her eyes. "I'm sorry. God cuphead is right... I'm such a sippy cup." She said with a sad chuckle.
The devil pouted and laid his head in her lap and hugged her waist "he's a fucking sippy cup." He muttered as Angel smiled down at him in spite of it all. The devil was like an over grown cat... or just a really big hair toddler.
She started to stroke his fur and he began to purr as he nuzzled his face against her soft lap and she sighed.
Dice smiled and took her face in his hands gently. "Angel darlin... you gotta tell us what's been going on. Keeping it all to yourself just isn't healthy." He told her, scolding her lightly like a parent.
She sighed and nodded. "Fine.... as my timmer ran out and I started to be brought back here... elder kettle died... and I didn't get to say goodbye or hold his a hand or even be there for my brothers... hell couldn't even go to the funeral..."
Devil sat up slowly and he and dice exchanged a look. The old kettle was...was dead... and angel was there as he started to die?
The two pulled her into their arms and held her tight. "Angel darlin...we are so sorry." Dice said softly.
"Just tell us what you need. It's yours. Litterally anything doll. I can snap my fingers and it's in your hands." The devil told her.
And in spite of it all she could only smile with little tears running down her face as she pulled back a bit and looked at them.
She never, ever in a million years would have guessed that this is where her life would have brought her. Into the arms of Satan himself and his green eyed dice headed demon... but she was happy it had. "I love you boys." She whispered.
Both of them blushed and blinked at her, surprised. That....was unexpected.