hazbin hotel au: overlord!husk × angeldust @celestialalpacaron
❝ High, all the time, to keep you off my mind.❞ - 1930's version
IN WHICH: two idiots start to fall in love.
Inside the casino, the air was mingled with the sweet scent of cocktails and the faint hum of slot machines. The main hall was adorned with opulent chandeliers and the whispers of bluffs and big wins echoed amidst the clinking of chips and the shuffling of cards.
The soft murmurs of the casino trickled in the background as Angel Dust smoothly ran his fingertips across the railing of the balcony, his gloved fingers curling around the golden accents of the railing with a quiet strained laugh.
Surrounding him, the surface of the balcony was adorned with an array of golden flowers, their petals gleaming like precious metal in the fading light of the crimson sky. Each petal softly glowing as Angel plucked one of the roses quietly, his thin fingers adorned with the sleek black material of his gloves that rolled the stem of the following between his thumb before allowing it to fall from his grip.
Angel Dust couldn't help but wonder what the fuck was wrong with him.
Well, plenty, really. But what had been wrong with him in that particular moment was what had been fucking with him.
One of the casino's clients had hit on him. A regular. Decent looking, easy on the eyes, even sorta funny. The demon had struck up a conversation with him early in the evening, smiling with a confident grin and a fat wallet that was spilling with crinkled-up bills.
The conversation was smooth, nice, even. Even asked him a couple of questions about himself throughout the night through the scattered games of cards and blinking slot machines. But when the guy had leaned over and gestured to kiss him, bringing one of his crooked fingertips underneath the edge of his chin softly, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Working under Valentino, Angel had gotten used to the sudden touches across his skin and advances made toward him under the harsh lights of the fluorescent filming studio. He had grown accustomed to the harsh linger of swirling smoke across the breadth of his clients or the surface of the palms wandering over the bareness of his thigh for a moment too long.
This should be easy for him. Piece of cake, even. And for a while, it was. Just a quick flutter of his lashes, a small giggle behind every sip of his glass, a pretty smile played across his lips often with a sweet praise at their win-
So why couldn't he kiss him? Why the fuck couldn't do it now?
He scrambled for his clutch purse with a scoff under his breath, gingerly plucking out his small powder disk to quickly touch up his makeup from earlier. His other hands smoothed out the golden fabric of his fitted dress that snuggled his thin frame, the material softly shimmering under the hue of the night sky.
The voice was warm and smooth like melting honey, almost making him sigh as the words wandered by the entrance of the balcony ever so cautiously. The spider demon perked his head towards the doorway with a slight tilt, the soft orange light of the bustling casino contently spilling onto the emerging figure.
"Hey, Whiskers," He whispered back.
Husker's golden eyes had grown soft under his long wispy lashes, the crisp dark suit he wore freshly ironed as he lingered by the doorframe, holding two champagne glasses carefully within the grasp of his thin claws.
"You alright?" His tone was gentle yet raspy, the light tousles of his smoothed-out fur brushed back neatly, the hints of salt and pepper locks peeking out that Angel had been tempted so many times before to comb through with his fingers. "Were any of those fuckers out there bothering you?"
Angel Dust smiled lightly with the small reveal of his golden tooth at the feline, leaning his lanky frame across the railing with a small laugh. "Ah? The king of hearts is all worried about lil ole' me?" He placed his gloved fingertips playfully across the white fluff of his chest that had been adorned with pearls, the splash of gold neatly applied across his eyelids shimmering. "I'm flattered, Husky. Truly, but I'm just catchin' some fresh air."
Angel turned his back to lean his elbows on the surface iron railing, another one of his long hands tentatively cupping the edge of his chin warmly into his palm. "No need t' feel like ya gotta check in on me, big guy." His voice smoothly slipped out with a content chuckle, his dark lashes brushing past his pale cheeks.
There was a brief moment of silence between the both of them, the hum of the slot machines chimed with the occasional roar of excitement erupted from nearby tables where players celebrated their wins or groaned in disappointment at their losses.
Angel had half expected the hear the faint click of dress shoes to slip back towards the noise of the bustling casino, the ends of his teeth sinking into the edge of his glossy bottom lip. His hands slid down smoothly to the pearly white fur of his thin arms, examining the small gold band that wrapped around his finger quietly.
Except, he felt the slight rustle of fabric beside his elbow, and a small gesture of the glistening champagne glass towards him as the demon stood next to him.
Angel quietly blinked at the small offer of champagne, his thin fingers carefully began pinching the stem before glancing back toward the gambling overlord with a pursed lip, his expression softening under the soft hue of the lingering light that wandered from the casino.
"I wanted to." Husk replied, his golden eyes crinkling lightly with a quiet flicker as his smooth hand wandered over the length of his ear with a small sigh, "Too loud out there anyways with all drunk assholes slobbering all over themselves at the bar, it hurts my fucking ears after a while."
Angel Dust took a sip of his drink at the remark, a playful smile spread across the ends of his lips before pressing the tip of his finger on the bowtie the overlord wore and giving it a small singular tap. "You tellin' me," A laugh mingled happily at the edge of his words, dripping with a hushed grin, "If I gotta laugh at one more time over the same shitty pickup line I might ask Satan himself to tear my arms off and jam em' in my ears."
Husk had chuckled quietly in reply, the city skyline glittered in the distance, a sprawling tapestry of lights that painted the night. The soft strains of a jazz band filtered through the open doors as they stood side by side, the subtle shiver that ran through Angel's slender frame. His elegant dress nearly grazed the marble floor, perfect for the upscale occasion, and seemed ill-equipped to shield him from the faint chill of the night.
Without a word, Husk reached for the coat that had been lazily slung across his shoulders and unbuttoned, a soft jacket that had kept him warm most nights at the casino. Angel Dust felt the light fabric drape across his bare shoulders, the faint musk of cologne lingering on the ends as their eyes met for a moment.
"You shouldn't ever have to be cold, y'know," Husker said softly, his voice light with the deep swirls of honey that seemed to be dripping with a warmth that Angel wanted to sink into.
Angel smiled, the corners of the dark pink pricks of his eyes turning upward as he tentatively wrapped the coat around himself. The shared warmth and lingering scent of fresh champagne was sweet across the coat, he noted to himself. "Thank you," He whispered, his voice a breathy murmur that mingled with the night breeze. "Such a gentleman, huh?" He teased with a crooked smile, taking a small sip from the glass that still was cool between the grip of his fingers with a waggle of his pointer finger. "Careful there, ask a girl to dinner before you start giving her the wrong idea, Gatinno"
The gambling demon hummed with a smooth laugh of his own, finally resting the empty champagne glass on the surface of the balcony railing with a snort, "If letting your ass freeze out here is giving the wrong idea, can't imagine what might be the right one," His red wings fluttered a bit, tucking themselves carefully to his sides, thoughtfully placing a claw to the edge of his curled up lip, "Though, dinner ain't sounding half bad right 'bout now."
The ripples of his dress wrinkled with a golden shimmer as the former adult actor nuzzled into the scent of the coat, his fingertips tugging the small buttons of the coat with a light flicker of amusement crinkling in the corner of his eyes, "Ah~! Didn't drink enough tonight to fill that stomach of yours, Kitty cat?"
The corner of Husk's mouth curled at the comment, leaning slightly closer to tap the edge of Angel's champagne glass, so close that he could almost feel the smoothness of his breath lingering on his words, "I'll have you know, that drink you're holding was actually supposed to be for me, Legs."
"Oh, what an honor!" Angel's eyes briefly sparked with mischief, dramatically placing a hand to his chest to feign offense at the remark, "Do sure know how to make a gal feel special, hm?"
The streetlights below them had now flickered to life from the sight of the balcony as they both chuckled, casting long shadows that danced across the pavement like ghosts in the night. The distant hum of traffic gave way to the rhythmic beat of music, drifting up from hidden clubs and bars nestled among the labyrinthine streets below.
Husk brought his elbows to the edge of the metal railing as Angel felt his arm slightly brush against him, quietly feeling the warmth of his sudden touch. "This is my favorite spot in this whole joint, y'know?" He spoke with a faint glint, the white buttoned-up shirt softly rustling with the light winds that tugged at the ends of his combed-back hair.
Bringing a gloved hand to his puffed cheek, the spider demon took a curious glance over at the overlord, an eyebrow cocked playfully towards his direction at the statement. "Seriously? Full of surprises aren't ya, kitty? Thought it was the bar-"
Husk shrugged his shoulders with a lazy grin spread across the corners of his mouth, "Which is a close second," He confirmed before relaxing his grip of the sleek railing with a tight whistle. "But from here? You can see all of Pentagram City. Part of the reason I wanted to build my casino here was when I first got started. Ain't nothin' in all of Hell comparing to this view."
Husk met Angel's eyes for a moment, lightly nodding to himself before flickering back towards the scene below them. "Well, perhaps a few things."
Angel Dust dragged his fingertips across the surface of the balcony railing with a hum perched across his curled lips, "I can see why ya like it so much." He laughed with a hand brought to his chest, another waving a small hand into the air with a soft sigh, "Y'know, growing up, my sister used to wanna go out and see all the big cities. When my pops would be out and ma was at church, my sis would let me get all dolled up in her dresses and we would pretend to be like those big Vegas showgirls."
He didn't know quite why he had shared that with Husk. He rarely mentioned his family like that during his time alive, which gave him far too many headaches trying to recall memories that had seemed to now become a hazed recollection of a life he could no longer recognize as his own. Hell, maybe it was all the drinks he had drank throughout the evening. He couldn't honestly figure out what exactly caused it.
"Bet she would be losin' her mind seeing me in a dress like this." Angel continued with a small snort to lighten up the sudden shift, bringing the tips of his fingers down the soft fabric that embraced his slender figure. "Ain't ever got t' wear something nearly this nice when I was with her."
With a softening expression, Husk nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "I bet she would be." Husk had straightened up slightly, his voice slightly melting into a rasp that mingled with his breath as his lips pursed. "You look stunning, Angel, really."
The spider demon could feel his own face heating up, taking a moment to run his fingers carefully through the curls of his hair before gaining some composure.
"Ain't too bad on the eyes yourself, Husky."
Before the conversation could carry any further, an imp had quickly entered cautiously by the entrance of the balcony. He wore a small waiter attire, a simple buttoned-up white shirt and a dark vest that was tugged neatly on the top. The waiter had rushed up to Husk, quickly whispering a few things before scrambling back with a metal tray balanced meekly on his arm.
"I gotta take care of a few things," Husk softly said with a sigh, his light golden eyes finally flickering carefully towards Angel. He gently reached for Angel's hand, lightly running the surface of his thumb across the smooth fabric of the glove before warmly placing a faint kiss on the back of his hand. "Scusa, caro." He whispered, his words still lingering on the back of his hand as Angel could feel a sudden warmth spread across his cheeks at the brief Italian words that the overlord had spoken.
Blinking and attempting to ignore the sudden heat sent across his face, Angel quickly scrambled for the thick coat that remained comfortably across his shoulders, flusteredly extending it back towards him with a bashful expression etched across his sweet features. "Your coat, Husky- Here, take it back before ya head inside." He insisted, finding his eyes more focused on the floor pattern rather than the demon that stood in front of him.
Husk had glanced at the coat before waving it off with a faint grin, "Keep it, I got plenty." He replied before looking at Angel for a moment longer, "It looks better on you anyway."
Angel Dust smiled quickly, holding the coat closer to his chest with a quiet breath. The finely stitched coat complimenting the golden fabric of his gown as his fingertips gathered the material closely.
Husk nodded; a faint warmth spread across his face with a small smile in return.
a/n: this au is everything and i love it so much :,))
