CH 43: Brat

**TRIGGER WARNING: Panic Attack, Drug Use, BDSM discussion**

Esme follows Angel into his room, gently wiping the tears from her face as he closes the door. It was getting hard to see with all the mascara building up on her eyelashes.  As she's trying to wipe the streaks from her eyes, the little pig in Angel's arms squeals and jumps into Esme's, causing her to jump,

"What is this?" Her face twists, inspecting the little creature. She hadn't spent much time in Angel's room, as shocking as that was to believe, and had never seen this little one roaming the halls. She's seen Charlie's furry friend, but not this plump thing.

Angel laughs, "This here is my buddy, Fat Nuggets!" He gives the little pig a pat on the head, "Ain't he cute?"

Esme's eyes narrow and a sharp toothy grin appears, "Why, aren't you scrumptious~" She echoes, her eyes begin to glow and she lowers her face to his snout. He could make a fabulous breakfast platter, or a lovely roast...

The pig's ears fly up and a sharp squeal can be heard.

"Alright, that's enough!" Angel narrows his eyes and pulls Fat Nuggets back protectively. He sits down on the bed, "So, what has you so screwed up? It's probably Al again, ain't it? Es, you're fuckin' torturin' yaself..."

Esme sighs and wraps herself tighter in her robe, the feathers dancing along the floor. Her arms are practically absorbed by the style. It was an Old Hollywood gown, one that Velvette had gifted her when her latest album made its debut. It was luxurious and exquisite. She sinks into a nearby chair, "I don't know how I feel..." She begins, her eyes staring at the window to the dark red sky, "I want to rip his skin off piece by piece but at the same time..." She pauses, "My heart bleeds for him..."

Angel sighs and leans back into the bed, putting his feet up, "You really left us all behind for some guy, Es." He shakes his head, leaning back and resting on his upper hands, "You could've stayed with us, made a life in 'da city..."

"He wasn't some guy."

"Esme..."

"He wasn't, okay?" She knows it's no use to keep defending Alastor, but she felt the need to defend her own sanity when it came to him, "You don't understand, he took care of me. He protected me against so much there, did you think life was easy?" Angel shakes his head, "He never once left my side, he was always there. I owe him a lot, but....he also is responsible for me...being here."

"He...killed you..."

"It was an accident.."

Angel stands up, putting Fat Nuggets on the bed, and turning back to her, "What the fuck do you mean accident?!" He shouts, "You don't kill people by accident!"

Esme stands quickly and places a hand over his mouth, "Shh, you'll wake everyone up." She groans. She slowly removes her hand, "I fell, I tripped and got badly hurt. He thought I was dead so he got rid of me." Angel rolls his eyes and turns away, muttering to himself as he paces the room, "He did it to protect himself, Angel, he would've been taken away if he called for help, you know that!" She was just as exasperated as he was, but for a different reason. She couldn't understand how Angel didn't agree with what she was saying, considering the world they had both came from. "He would have been taken like those other dogs-"  

"Then let him!"

"No!" Her eyes glow brightly and Angel takes a step back, "No..." She whispers, her eyes dimming down, "It was an accident, I watched him suffer. I heard his sobs for years, he didn't mean to. I assure you." Tears well in her eyes.

Angel walks back over and puts a hand on the top of her head. He hated seeing the ones he loved cry. Molly, Esme, even Charlie. He didn't mean to make her so upset, but the thought that she was faced with such a fate miles away from home tore him up inside. 

"But..." She whines, "What I'm upset about is the fact that for so much time he let me be by myself here." She rubs her eyes and sniffles, "He knew who I was the second he met me, and he made the decision to stay away from me." Her body begins to shake and she begins to hyperventilate, "He....he..."

Angel's eyes widen, "Breathe, you're okay. He's okay, he's in his room." Her breathing rapidly increases and she can feel her throat closing. Her hands fly to her throat and she starts to pat on it in a frantic state. He holds her face in his hands, "Girl, you're shakin' you need to - fuck." He mumbles, tears filling in his own eyes from the sight. His eyes dart to a small box on the nightstand, "Here.." He reaches inside and pulls out a small candy, "Take one of these, they always relax me."

"W-Wha-What is it?" She struggles to ask between pants.

"Trust me..." He says, bringing it to her mouth. She takes a bite and soon finishes the gummy snack.

For the next half hour or so, Esme sits down on the floor with Angel holding her tightly. The pressure from his grasp soothes her as she continues to take deep labored breaths. "Just breathe, it'll feel different soon, I promise." He reassures her as she waits to feel the effects of whatever it was that he just gave her. She leans into him, allowing him to run his fingers through her curls in a comforting gesture.

She wasn't stupid, she knew it was drugs, but she felt her nerves so shot that she was willing to try anything.

The clock on the wall continues to tick until 45 minutes have passed, and she now lays draped over Angel's bed, on her back with her head hanging over. Her dark blue locks descend into a puddle on the floor and she holds a cigarette in her teeth. Her mind has slipped away from it's torment and into a lulled state of tranquility. Her eyes are half-lidded and a red flush spreads across her cheeks. She lays there in her black satin nightdress and lavish gown, with not a care in the world, filling her lungs with nicotine.

"I thought you were into blondes anyway, what made you pick him?"

She giggles in euphoria, slowly moving the stick away from her mouth and speaking in a lustful haze, "Hunny, that dick was eleven inches~"

Angel nearly falls off the side of the bed, taking a moment before laughing hysterically. "I should have never yet ya listen to that song, ya know?" He pauses, petting Fat Nuggets while stuck in thought, "But...was it really big?" She places the stick back in her mouth nonchalantly and takes a drag, pushing the smoke out into the air. She didn't have to say anything, the slight raise of her eyebrows and the way her lips curled in a smirk told him all that he needed to know. "Dammit, Es, if this is what you're like high you should come to my room more often."

"High?"

"High." Angel clarifies.

"Hello." Esme laughs with a light squeak to her voice. Angel shakes his head and laughs.

"I told ya hunny, one bite of that and you're fuckin' gone. You'll be 'aight by morning." He lights a cigarette of his own, taking a drag, "So, eleven inches?" He raises an eyebrow. "You took that?" He jokes, giving her a playful look up and down.

"Like a good girl~" She giggles. He nearly drops his stick.

"Fuck, Es. This almost feels wrong to hear." There's a pause, "I didn't know you were so kinky. Thank God you never told Val about any of this shit, he would have never let you outta his sight. You ever take the test?"

"I went to school." Esme mumbles underneath her stick, filing her nails with a green emery board. What a odd question for him to ask. Of course she was well educated, did she come off any different?

"Christ." He rubs his forehead with his hand, "I forget you're fuckin' old." He takes out his phone and passes it to her, "This. Answer the questions, let's see where you land."

Esme raises an eyebrow and takes the phone from him, scrolling through, "The green means yes?" He nods. She ponders the questions for some time, giggling at certain ones as she goes along. She puts out her cigarette in an ashtray, "How would somebody even act like a pony?" She retorts. Perhaps they got on all fours? What would the purpose be? Could someone actually find pleasure in that? How bizarre. 

She doesn't say much as she goes through the pages, but she occasionally giggles, bites her lip, and moans at certain implications, "Oooohh being hunted sounds intriguing."

Angel laughs, walking into his bathroom to get changed, "Just answer it, babe."

The questions are almost immortal and definitely not appropriate for her to be answering so honestly around Angel. She had practically raised him, but now they are two adults and so much time as passed. Esme's brain couldn't even process logic to do anything different, so she continued to flip through the test willingly.

I do not want to be used as a urinal - how revolting!

Her nose scrunches at some of the questions.

Forcing my partner into submi - Hmmmm ~

A few moments pass by on the ticking clock until finally she finishes. Her eyes pan over to Angel as he walks out of his bathroom, covered in his own pink slip and matching sheer nightgown. "What's a brat?" She questions, tossing the phone to him. He catches it.

He takes a moment to review it before his eyes widen and his jaw drops, "Shit!" He exclaims in shock. She doesn't answer, continuing to file her nails. "100% Brat ooo okayy~" 

"Clarification would be nice." 

"You like to tease, taunt, mess around." Angel explains, hearing a giggle from the other side of the room. "Sounds right?" She nods, "Prey..." He mumbles. 

She raises an eyebrow, "You like to be hunted...." He says awkwardly, "Um, growling, grunting, biting, things like that." She nods and Angel rests a finger to his chin as he looks up in thought, "I imagine that could come in handy with Al. He's an animal demon of course, he must have some sort of instincts, no?" 

Esme shrugs.

"Rope bu-" He stops, "I'm not explaining that one. It feels almost wrong, Esme. Couldn't you be vanilla or some shit? I feel like I'm givin' ma this test!" Well, he opened this can of worms for himself, he had to see it through to some degree, "Switch." He says in shock, raising an eyebrow. "And then submissive is right behind it." 

"I know that one~" She laughs. Oh, she did know that one far too well. She didn't play that game often in Hell, but in her lifetime she did recall several moments of being put on her back by her husband, being instructed on what to do. It wouldn't surprise anyone to consider his dynamic in bedroom activities, and she matched him where he needed. 

"Maso...Sad - fuck Esme! Didn't your mother take you to church with us?" Esme laughs in response,

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned~" She whispers in her dopey state. 

Angel reads through the rest of the results and shakes his head with a laugh, "You could've been rollinggg in it with your movies." He slumps over the chair, his curiosity gets the better of him. 

"What was it like with him anyway?" 

She giggles, turning to him with a wink, "Fun~" 

~ Author's Note ~ 

I told you that this chapter was a lot more fun and lighthearted. 

It may or may not set the stakes for some steamy chapters later on. 

Thoughts? 👀

🖤Words: 2003🖤

~ Artemis 💗🦌