Fallen Angelics

That’s why when he walked into the lobby of the hotel wearing a cropped pink hoodie that showed his second pair of arms that hung limp and some comfortable shorts and sat down at the bar without saying a word to anyone, it raised some alarm bells. Instead of greeting at least Husk like he would any other time he was in a slump, Angel sat with his head propped up by one of his hands, the other scrolling through the latest messages Val had sent him.

Every message his eyes scanned over it seemed it was from a different person, the tone changing drastically with every word. It didn’t matter how Val said it though, it all meant the same thing. He was wanted back at the studio that night and how Val had twisted his words in every message into something sugary before it flashed into a dripping of venom, Angel doubted he would be coming back to the hotel for a few days.

That conclusion only seemed to sour Angel’s mood more than it already had been, so much so that he didn’t even notice the drink Husk had placed in front of him or how Charlie seemed like she was gearing up to try and change his mood. The only thing that Angel did notice was the series of emojis that flashed at the top of his screen, the calling card of someone familiar.

Spinning in his chair just as the doors to the hotel were thrust open, Angel came face to face with a grinning Cherri Bomb. Ignoring everyone else in the room, Cherri headed straight for Angel, latching onto him with a large grin. “Hey Angie, how’ve you been bitch?”

“Oh, you know,” Angel could already feel his mood start to brighten as he spoke with Cherri, her presence having an immediate effect on him. After moving into the hotel, Angel hasn’t had many chances to meet up with Cherri, almost all of their usual activities being deemed unredeemable and setting back any of the progress Angel had made in his journey to Heaven. “Just hangin’ out or gettin’ work done.”

“Sounds to me like you need a night out,” Cherri exclaimed, giving away the motives of this interaction. Feeling his body react to that suggestion before his mind could even comprehend what she had in store for the two of them, Angel was grinning and nodding his head, wanting to hear more of the life he had unfortunately given up for redemption. “We can go back to my place to get ready and take a few shots before we hit up all the best clubs. I might even be able to get us a special something.”

“That sounds-” Angel started, pushing himself up from his stool and pocketing his phone. He was getting ready to agree with Cherri, a nice day away from everyone sounding nice when Vaggie cut her way into their conversation, almost shielding Angel with her body as she set herself up as a physical barrier.

“Terrible,” The short woman finished for him. Cherri almost recoiled at the intervention while Angel shoved his forehead into his hand, the two of them eyeing Vaggie with clear disdain. “Maybe you’ve forgotten why Angel Dust is staying here but it’s so he can be redeemed. Going out to get wasted or high completely undermines everything Charlie has been working for.”

“Oh, what Charlie’s been workin’ for?” Angel repeated with a laugh. He immediately came to Cherri’s defence, sliding his way past Vaggie, much to the girl's annoyance so that he could stand next to his friend instead. “I thought I was the one workin’ to redemption, meanin’ I can do whatever I want with my progress.”

“Let’s be real here for a second, okay Angel Dust?” A loud scoff escaped from Vaggie’s lips as she looked up at Angel, disgust evident on her face as if she was being forced to talk to him right now. Angel had seen that look a few times before and while he was new at the hotel he would’ve called her out for it without a second thought, but now as he spent more time here he tried not to cause as many fights for Charlie’s sake. “Charlie has worked harder for your redemption than you have. Now if we say you shouldn't do something because it’s either going to make you, the hotel or us bad, then you shouldn’t do it. Going out with Cherri is one of those things.”

“Angie’s allowed to do whatever he wants. You don’t own him so I don’t know why you’re trying to control him,” It was Cherri’s turn to come to his defence as she pointed an accusing finger at Vaggie. Her words seemed to anger the Fallen Angel more but surprisingly Vaggie bit he tongue, allowing Cherri to go on.  “Hey Princess, why don’t you call off your guard dog?”

There was no answer from the Princess of Hell as the silence stretched across the room. It was clear that being referred to as a guard dog seemed to set Vaggie off but Angel didn’t bother indulging her as he turned to Charlie, staring at her with furrowed brows and a confusion-laced expression as he called out to her softly, “Charlie?”

“I agree with Vaggie, Angel,” The response took a few moments but her answer seemed to rock through Angel, his mask slipping as the confusion he was feeling worsened into betrayal. Charlie was defiantly one of the hotel residents he had grown closer to so hearing those words leave her mouth sent half of Angel’s world tumbling, the other half remaining in a tight cage with Val. “We’ve both worked very hard for this Angel and we can’t just let you throw it all away for a one-night bender. Unless the two of you can think of something peaceful to do here while supervised, I think it’s best Cherri Bomb leaves.”

“Are you being serious right now?” Cherri loudly cried, her voice shooting towards Charlie with anger lacing every word. Just like Cherri, Angel couldn’t believe the words coming from Charlie’s mouth right now. “I’ve known Angie longer than all of you put together and this is how you think you can treat me? No wonder no one else has signed up for this hotel.”

“You heard the Princess,” Vaggie grouched, summoning her Angelic Weapon to point the spear tip at Cherri, forcing her to start moving towards the door. Angel watched the action with gritted teeth, not understanding where the sudden dislike for Cherri among the hotel staff had come from but knowing he wasn’t going to stand for it.

“What the fuck do you all think you’re doin’?” Angel’s voice rose, his words aimed at Vaggie as she tried to hound Cherri away. The shout sent a halt through the room, all eyes turning to Angel, surprised to see the outburst. “I’m not sure when you all started thinkin’ that you can control what I do when I spend my time at the hotel but I ain’t going to stand around and allow that to happen. Especially not when you think you can act like that to my best friend.”

“Angel I’m sure we can talk about this once you’ve calmed down-” Charlie tried to amend, her hands up in a surrendering position as she tried to reach Angel. 

“I don’t need to calm down when you’re treatin’ Cherri like that,” It was almost a hiss as the words left Angel’s mouth. No longer did he stay rooted to his spot as he began walking back towards Cherri, glaring at Vaggie and Charlie as he went, making sure the two of them knew his words were aimed at them. “Cherri’s my person. If I murdered someone, she’s the person I’d call to help me drag the corpse across the livin’ room floor. If I need to get wasted out of my mind then I’m goin’ to send her a message. If I want to destroy everythin’ that I’ve been doing for the past few months then she’s going to be by my side and if you can’t get on board with that then maybe my stay here should be cut short.”

“Angel, wait,” Charlie tried but it was all in vain.

“You would do that for me?” Cherri questioned, her one eye blinking up at Angel with admiration.

“Of course, I would Cher,” Angel grinned down at her linking one of his many arms with hers as he flipped the rest of the hotel off. Though he was giving up the free roof over his head he would rather stand by Cherri’s side. “I’ll be back for Fat Nuggets tomorrow unless you two can reconsider your redemption practices.”

“I knew I could always count on you, Angel,” A laugh rippled from Cherri as she began to fire up again, her instinct no longer screaming at her to stand up and fight back at whoever opposed her. Redefining their linked arms, Cherri began pulling them towards the hotel's door, no longer needing Vaggie’s spear pointed at her back to do so. “Now, let’s blow this place.”

“Couldn’t have put in any better myself,” Angel cackled, following after Cherri as she summoned a bomb and threw it at the door, leaving a large, gaping hole for the two of them as they dashed out of it, giggles spilling from their lips. 

They didn’t stop moving for a long time after that, Cherri leading Angel back to her house like she promised they would, the two of them taking the long way back as they weren’t fully convinced Charlie wouldn’t try to run after them. But as they spilled into Cherri’s room, the two of them flopped back onto her bed and curled into one another, they realised they had the night all to themselves.

“I’m sorry if I put you in a tough spot, Angie,” Cherri murmured, voice quiet as they lay side by side. Angel hadn’t really thought about what he had said since leaving the hotel, leaving that all to tomorrow when he finally went back to either have a serious talk with Charlie and Vaggie or to pack his bags. “You can always stay here if you need to. And if that doesn’t work for you I can help you find a new place.”

“Don’t worry about it Cherri,” Angel put a quick stop to her rambling, wrapping his arms around her to pull her in for a tight hug. “I’d do the same thing all over again if I had to. Not even redemption compares to you.”

It wasn’t often that a gathering such as this was held. The monthly meetings were a bore of politics that Angel never bothered showing up for, sending his brother in his place so he could hear the conversation later on, but this was different. This was an event that only happened once a year, a gathering of everyone important with even the chance of one of the Deadly’s making an appearance.

Angel had a mission though, one he couldn’t afford to mess up while his father and brother were mingling in the crowd keeping Sinner’s occupied. Recently a chunk of their territory had been stolen, and with it vanished some of their profit all due to a certain Gambling Demon earning more confidence and attempting to reach further across the pentagram.

Though Angel hadn’t cared personally for the loss, his family had taken it as a personal attack, sending him to deal with the problem and what better place than the annual gala that he would attend? That’s why he was walking around the large hall looking out for the short demon while in the best dress he could find, hoping to catch his attention one way or another. 

It was a shame it was Angel who had to complete this mission since he would much rather spend the night getting drinks and mingling with some of the crowd but he couldn’t blame his family for being picked as he was the best choice for this job. No one could seduce an Overlord like he could, it was how he first started getting his family some recognition before they began climbing the ranks of Hell.

A quick and seamless job is all he could hope for but he wouldn’t mind if it got a little bit messy; That just came with the territory.

It wasn’t Angel who found the Overlord, instead, Arackniss came towards him, his pace slow as to now raise any alarm bells, simply making it look as if he had something to say to his brother that didn’t involve singling out an attending Overlord. Having to end his current conversation with one of the Vees who were trying to strike a fashion deal with him, Angel made room for his brother, waiting to hear the new intel.

“You’re boy is over by the bar,” Arackniss started, tossing the drink in his hand in a circle as he stared into it, subtly flaunting the liquor that Angel wasn’t currently allowed to drink. 

Though Angel knew better than to look over at the bar immediately, Angel couldn’t help but take a glance at who may be seated over there. Upon seeing the workers attending the event, he also caught sight of an overly red Overlord sitting beside his short but well-groomed target.

Beginning the short journey over to the bar while doing his best not to spark any unwanted conversation on the way over, Arackniss snorted from behind him, “Don’t fuck it up.”

“I’m not goin’ to,” Angel hissed over his shoulder, shooting his older brother a glare before he focused back in on his target. 

Making sure to rid himself of any prior annoyance, Angel sauntered his way over to the bar, situating himself on the other side of his small target before feigning as if he hadn’t noticed him, instead making a show of pondering what he might get from the drink menu provided.

The ditzy dress may have made him look clueless, or the fact that he was almost unrecognisable as an Overlord since he almost never attended meetings, but the golden eyes of his target turned to his, Alastor turning to shadows as the attention left him. Angel continued to ignore him, waiting for the Overlord to speak up before letting him fall into his trap.

“If you need help I can see if they’ll let me whip something up for you,” His gruff voice pierced through Angel’s ears, making him slowly turn his gaze towards him. Schooling a drink of his own that was almost empty, the Gambling Demon stared up at him, half a smirk lacing his features. “Of course, I’m sure anything on their menu will do.”

“I bet you’d be able to make me somethin’ perfect if you’re offerin’,” Angel took him up, taking a slow seat as he watched the Overlord shoot one of the workers a look, gaining approval which the Sinner would’ve been foolish to deny before he was rounding the counter and taking a look over the stock that the bar had. 

Using the time it took the Overlord to place a martini glass in front of him and begin throwing different alcohols in a mixer, Angel took in his appearance. He wore clean black dress pants paired with some slacks, a slightly lighter suit jacket lined with gold covering a simple white shirt, all of it being topped off with a golden bow. Angel couldn’t help but admire how his hair was slicked back or how the red of his wings almost glowed in the lighting.

“So, what brings a guy like you to one of these parties?” The Overlord questioned as he slid the drink over to Angel, not a drop of it spilling as he came to a stop. Bringing the drink to his lips and taking a slow test sip, making sure the glass or the liquid didn’t actually touch his lips, Angel felt the eyes of the Overlord on him as he swallowed. “I don’t think I’ve seen your face at one of these things before.”

“Oh, my brother invited me. He’s recently started workin’ for one of the Overlords and is apparently ranked high enough for the both of us to turn up here,” Attempting to act as if it were no big deal Angel flapped one of his free hands around, waving off the status he held to lower the Overlords guard. “But what about you mista? What’s a fancy little kitty like yourself doin’ up here?”

“I’m one of the Overlords that’s meant to be trying to bargain for more territory or some sort of deal,” He acted as if the title was a pain in his ass as if it was more hassle than it was worth as his eyes quickly skittered around the room, easily tracking the other Overlords that were doing just that. Pushing one of his hands forward, he offered it to Angel, waiting for him to take it before bringing it softly to his lips where he placed a delicate kiss on the back of his hand. “Where are my manners? I’m Husk, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Throughout the whole interaction, Husk kept his golden eyes locked with Angel’s two-toned ones, both an intimidating aura surrounding him that radiated power as well as a comforting glow that wanted to reach out to him. It was almost as intoxicating as the drink Husk had made for him. “Angel, it’s nice meetin’ you.”

“Hm, fitting,” Husk hummed, his smirk growing if that was possible. Remaining on the opposite side of the bar, Husk leaned forward, resting his forearms on the countertop as he stared up at Angel through lidded eyes. “Who did you say your brother worked for, again?”

“I didn’t,” Angel muses, finishing his drink before he sets it down and leans into one of his hands, resting his head there as he matches Husk’s expression. Doing what he did best, Angel propped his chest fluff up as his dress opened up, one of his fingers toying with the stem of his drink as his lashes fluttered. A quickly raised brow from the Overlord pulled a chuckle out of him, adding, “But he works for the Mafia Demon I think. I tend to tune him out when he rants about work.”

“Maybe you should start paying attention,” Husk spoke slowly, his deep voice gruff around the edges as the words were almost purred to him. Angel couldn’t help but wonder if there was an underlying meaning to Husk’s words. “You never know when he might say something important.”

“I’ll start payin’ attention when he starts talking about somethin’ interestin’,” Angel responded in a purr of his own, bringing a finger up to trace down the fur that lined Husk’s cheek. It wasn’t often an Overlord allowed him to get this close and personal, especially not when they knew who he was. “I ain’t got time to worry about which goon he chased after or whose debt he’s out collectin’. This however is quite interestin’ and seems worthy of my time.”

A huff of laughter snorted its way out of Husk, glee lining his golden eyes as Angel stared into them. He couldn’t help but work his charm; If the old sucker fell for it then that was on him. 

“Say, why don’t we get out of here?” Husk offered, one of the corners of his lips ticking up in a smirk. Staring up at Angel with hooded eyes, mischief poorly concealed behind them, Angel knew he had the Overlord right where he wanted him. The way Husk leaned forward before speaking as if sharing a secret, told Angel everything he had to know. “Away from prying eyes. Somewhere it can be just the two of us.”

“I think… that’s a brilliant idea,” Angel paused deliberately, taking a second to think over his next words as if this had all been a spontaneous encounter. Taking a look around the large hall that they were currently in, Angel’s eyes landed on his father's and Arackniss’s, both of them watching him and Husk’s every movement. It hardly did anything to light Angel’s nerves on fire, instead turning back to stare into the warm glow of the Overlord turned bartended in front of him. “Too bad I don’t know any places nearby. I wouldn’t want to keep a pretty thing like you waitin’.”

“I’m sure I can figure out something for the two of us,” Husk shrugged off Angel’s feigned worries, his posture remaining confident as he stared up at Angel from where he leaned. “I do after all own the building we’re hosting this in.”

That piece of information had been something Angel missed. He wasn’t certain if he wasn’t listening close enough when he was being debriefed on the mission or if it had been something his whole family had missed. Regardless, Angel hadn’t a clue he was standing on enemy territory until a few seconds, nothing having given away since the building was located on what could be considered neutral turf. “Why don’t you leade the way then, Handsome?”

As Angel spoke to him, a challenging glimmer sparked to life in Husk’s eyes. Chancing a glance over Angel’s shoulders for a few seconds, locking onto something before they flicked back to Angel’s. Leaning up for a kiss, pulling Angel down slightly so he could reach Husk’s elevated height from where he was leaning across the bar counter. Husk made a show of licking his lips, savouring the taste of Angel on them. All Angel could think about was how he had just taken a dose of the poison that laced his lips, the reason he had avoided anything touching his lips all night.

“Shall we?” Husk offered Angel his hand as he rounded the bar once more, standing as tall as his short frame would allow. Angel placed one of the hands from his top set of arms in Husk’s, slowly raising himself from the stool. With the additional height of his heels, Angel stood at almost double Husk’s height, towering over him. That however did little to deter Husk as the shorter Overlord began leading the way through the large hall, weaving their way to one of the many exits. 

As Angel trailed behind them, his eyes locked onto Arackniss’s, giving his brother a clear nod as they passed by one another even if Angel was sure he had witnessed Husk planting a kiss on his lips. The job was done. Whatever happened after this wasn’t up to Angel. 

Husk had led him to a hidden door that blended with the hall's walls. He easily pressed a concealed pressure plate as two doors slid open, revealing an elevator. Holding the door open for Angel, Husk allowed Angel to walk in first before he stepped in moments later, the door shutting behind him. As soon as Angel was sure the two of them were alone, his hands were immediately on Husk’s, trying to smear his lipstick from the Overlord’s lips.

“You idiot,” Angel hissed. Husk stood stock still as Angel fretted over him, wiping his thumbs over his lips and trying to eliminate any of the remaining pinkish colour. His efforts didn’t matter too much as Husk had already tasted the lipstick, making that clear right after they had kissed. “Why would you kiss me? You knew the lipstick was poisoned.”

“To make sure your family got off your back,” Husk’s hands fumbled for Angel’s, putting a stop to his frantic attempts to clean his lips. Husk didn’t take into account Angel’s other set of arms or even the third set that were kept hidden most of the time. A new pair of hands were instantly on Husk’s face, attempting to do the same thing that the first pair had failed to do. “We had to make sure they saw you give me the poison so they couldn’t blame you for me not dying.” 

“You didn’t have to go lickin’ your lips to rub it in their faces though,” Angel almost shouted, panic seeping into his words. Husk stared up at him with a small smile on his face despite it all, only pushing Angel further on edge as he turned frantic. “Now you’ve consumed it. Quick, how many fingers am I holdin’ up?”

“Stop with that bullshit,” Husk had to drag another one of Angel’s hands away as he attempted to check his pulse to make sure it was still beating smoothly. Rolling his eyes at the low squeak that erupted from Angel as he was dragged around, being pulled out of the elevator doors once they opened as sat on a plush bed after they walked through a long hallway. “I’m the one who gave you that drugged lipstick, don’t you think I’d make sure I’m immune to it first?”

“Oh,” Angel came to a slow end, sitting on the edge of one of Husk’s beds, his two sets of arms being held by Husk, a soothing thumb running over the back of both of them. Angel guesses he should have thought of that. Husk hadn’t become an Overlord off of pure luck, even if that was his trademark. Though, now that the worry had fled from Angel’s being, a firey annoyance filled it instead as he glared at Husk. “Why’d you scare me then? You could’ve said somethin’ sooner so I didn’t freak out.”

“I’m sorry Legs,” Husk murmured, finally releasing Angel’s hands so he could use one of his own to cup the spider’s chin. His hand alone almost dwarfed Angel’s face, just like most things in comparison did–other than his height, of course. “Didn’t think you’d work yourself up so much over it. But since we’re up here… we might as well put this room to good use.”

A large grin split across Angel’s face as he wound a hand up Husk’s suit, tangling the Gambling Overlord’s tie within his fingers before tugging him forward, bringing their faces within inches of one another. “I like the sound of that Whiskers.”

Although his mind was still in a haze, Angel’s top set of arms reached up to curl into the fur on the back of Husk’s head, his fingers pivoting in small circles. A sigh slowly parted its way from Angel’s lips once it seemed like his mind was starting to make sense of his surroundings.

Prepared to lay there in what felt like eternal bliss for hours, Angel couldn’t be happier with how his life had taken a serious turn since the latest Extermination and the Hotel being rebuilt. Sure, he still had to lug it over to the Studio every once in a while but it hadn’t been as frequent or for as long as before. Either Val finally realised after watching the videos from the Extermination that Angel could actually hold his own or his close relations with the King of Hell has scared him off for a short while. 

Other than that everything was almost perfect.

He got to spend more time at the Hotel with his friends while working on redemption or he could crash a few nights over at Cherri’s just like before he was roped into Charlie’s ridiculous plan. And, to top everything off, he had finally gotten together with Husk after the cat-owl hybrid got drunk enough to spill his guts to Angel; both metaphorically and literally. 

So Angel could easily agree that everything had taken a dramatic turn for the best as he laid with Husk on top of him, a soft smile on his face and a glow radiating around him.

Beginning to feel himself slip into a soft slumber, Angel is startled awake when he feels something rough drag along the fluff on his chest. Eyes jumping wide open, Angel stares down at Husk as he runs his tongue along the mound of fluff on his chest with his eyes narrowed in concentration as he spared no glance at Angel. 

With his own brows pinching in confusion, Angel watched in silence as Husk got to work on the fluff Angel housed, not saying a word as Husk parted and smoothed out the white fur, messing it up before making it neat once more. It was rather enduring, watching it all play out. That didn’t take away the rough strokes that danced across Angel’s chest, reminding him of the appendage that was essentially grooming him.

“What are you doin’?” Angel asked, his voice hushed in the quiet room. That didn’t seem to matter as Husk jumped the moment Angel’s mouth opened, not expecting a word to come from what he had thought had been the sleeping Sinner. It wasn’t that he minded the extra care, his eyes swallowing every action with glee as it played out. He was just confused as to why it was happening. 

“Jesus,” Husk hissed, sitting up and resting over Angel with a hand planted on his chest. Angel couldn’t help but smile up at Husk, earning a huff in return as he settled back down, this time laying next to Angel and allowing him to curl into his smaller body. One of Husk’s wings immediately laid itself over Angel’s side. “Give a guy some warning next time.”

“Sorry,” Angel found himself whispering, still in a hushed tone. “That doesn’t answer my question though.”

“I was grooming you,” Husk said in a mumbled voice begrudgingly, making it hard for Angel to make out his words. Pondering whether or not to ask Husk to repeat himself so Angel could clearly hear what the Sinner had said, Angel allowed Husk to hold onto his small shred of dignity lest he’d want a grouchy cat on his hand.

“Why?” He asked, keeping his top set of hands curled into the fur on the back of Husk’s head while his lower set reached for Husk’s hands, lacing their fingers together when Husk clasped his own around Angel’s.

“Because you’re filthy,” Husk’s nose scrunched as the words left his mouth, eyes locking on Angel’s fluffy chest as if he wanted to reach back in. Angel just wasn’t sure if he wanted to bury his head in there again or start grooming him. “And sweaty. I’m just listening to my stupid instincts.”

“You’re cat ones?” Angel asked, getting a small nod in return as if Husk was embarrassed to admit it. Pondering on that thought for a few seconds, Angel’s hands came to a slow stop on the back of Husk’s head, making him look up with bright golden eyes. “If you want to continue, you can. I ain’t goin’ to stop you. Besides, I kinda like it.”

Husk’s brows slowly pinched together as he studied Angel, taking him all in, “Really?”

Only answering with a nod, Angel shifts back onto his back, giving Husk all the space he needs to get back up and lay himself across Angel so he can once again get back to work and listen to the new instincts he had earned after arriving in Hell. Once again Angel wrapped his arms around Husk as he did so, letting his eyes slip shut as he enjoyed the rough tongue that pulled and prodded at his fluffy chest.

He wasn’t sure why he allowed himself to be talked into this. Again.

But every year the day before the Extermination Adam would call Lucifer in for a meeting. Though Adam would never by choice make a meeting unless it was to gloat in Lucifer’s face then it was being mandated by one of the Seraphins, Lucifer would always agree to meet up with him and see what he had to say, even if he already knew where their future conversation was going.

When he’d arrive at Heaven’s Embassy and make his way to whatever room they were having a meeting in, ignoring the paperwork as he went, he’d find Adam munching on a fresh plate of ribs as he waited. Unlike any official meetings, Lute wasn't there, leaving the two of them completely alone and unwatched. 

After Adam’s ego dropped a notch or two temporarily, courtesy of Lucifer, a one-way portal opens for him leading straight to Adam’s room. It was always a risk choosing to go through it and breach Heaven’s walls. It was almost as if there was a disturbance in the air that everyone could feel when Lucifer was there. He still went through that portal every time.

Miraculously, these invites only started after Lilith had run away, leaving Lucifer to his sorrows and to rule Hell by himself. Almost as if Adam had been waiting for this moment since he stole his first wife, maybe even before then. 

None of that mattered though, not when he was once again tangled in someone else's bedsheets with an aching backside. He was getting ready to dress himself before creating a portal of his own to take him home. That’s how most of these occurrences ended unless, of course, Adam woke up before him and either kicked him straight back to Hell since he was too pumped for the Extermination to spare much time on Lucifer or was ready for another round, bothering Lucifer until he was fired up enough. 

Today was different though. As he pushed himself up in the bed, the pearly white sheets fell from his bare chest and pooled in his lap. Lucifer was ready to go about his day just like any other, the heavy snoring of Adam ringing next to him as he was about to get up when an arm slithered its way around his waist, pulling him in. 

Not expecting the sudden hold, Lucifer let out a soft hiss as he was tugged down. Even in his sleep, Adam was as demanding as ever, moulding Lucifer to fit his perfect image of a pillow as he was pushed onto his back and Adam’s head made its way onto his chest. 

Lucifer dared to attempt to wiggle his way out of Adam’s hold, one of his hands shoving against his brown hair while the other tried prying his arm off from around his waist. He could easily snap himself out of Adam’s hold with the angelic power he still possessed though he didn’t attempt to, rather admitting defeat then putting further effort into his escape. All he got for his efforts was a drawn-out groan from Adam as he slowly woke up and more prodding.

“Let me go, you oaf,” Lucifer murmured softly to the waking Adam, the hand that had previously been trying to shove Adam’s head away now running through his hair. Though he hadn’t been let go, he was able to wake Adam up, keeping him awake would be another task in itself. His words seemed to not affect Adam as he slowly lifted his head, resting his chin on Lucifer’s chest so he could stare up at him through tired eyes.

“You weren’t saying that last night,” Adam mumbled, eyes slipping shut as he leaned his head into Lucifer’s hand, a sly smile stretching its way onto his face. A frown etched its way onto Lucifer’s face at his words, tugging Adam’s hair a bit harsher than it was necessary, pulling another groan from him. “I don’t need to be ready for hours, I’m sure you can stay a little longer.”

“Hm, that may be the case for you but if you’ve forgotten I’m the King of Hell,” Lucifer reminded Adam and though he had been neglecting his duties as of late, it didn’t mean he could let them completely slip from his grasp. “Now if you would let go of me so I could return to Hell that would be much appreciated.”

“You’re so ungrateful,” Adam muttered though there was a smile on his face. Trying to bury that smile, Adam planted his face into Lucifer’s chest, holding him down with his weight. His next words were spoken into Lucifer’s skin, the muffled vibrations sending tingles through his body, “I go through all this trouble to bring you up here and you can’t even bother to spend a few more hours with me.”

“Maybe you should come down to Hell for a change,” Lucifer suggested, his hands returning to running through Adam’s hair. He had thought about suggesting the idea for a few years now. Though they only met up once a year, it was a grand hassle to do so as Lucifer’s presence alone could be sensed by most of the higher-ups in Heaven, how they hadn’t caught them yet was beyond him. But if Adam was to come to Hell no one would bat an eye.

“And be subjected to the bummer vibe down there?” He rhetorically asked, head snapping up to scoff at Lucifer so the fallen angel could see how just grossed out he was by the idea. Lucifer merely rolled his eyes at Adam’s words, expecting such an answer. “Hell no.”

“I’m just saying it would be easier for you to come down there,” Lucifer shrugged it off as the suggestion was a silly idea, which he at first had thought it was but with every passing year he was brought up here it seemed it could actually work out. “Especially if you wanted to hold some… private meetings.”

Adam’s eyes narrowed as he took Lucifer’s words into consideration. Just by that look alone, Lucifer knew that his words had struck something in Adam’s brain, making him think upon the possibilities they had.

“Maybe,” Adam slowly said, hesitation behind the single word.

No matter though as a smile graced Lucifer’s face before he flipped the two of them over, Adam landed beneath his small frame with an exhaled huff. “Good to know you’re taking this fling seriously but I do have to part ways now. Call me if you ever want to make the trip down.”

There was a small blip as Lucifer and all of his belongings flashed out of existence, leaving Adam stranded on his back and a tent slowly growing in the blankets.

Every morning he woke up to a cat-owl-hybrid wrapped protective around his back, wings splayed out and acting as a second blanket as he had Fat Nuggets occasionally tucked into his own arms. Sometimes Fat Nuggets chose to stay in his own bed so Angel would find his head resting under Husk’s chin and fingers buried in his fur. Groggy, morning-breath kisses were shared in greetings before one of them would have to pull the other away from the bed so they didn’t fall back asleep. 

Throughout the day Angel would be able to steal small moments with Husk when no one was looking. Already spending as much time at the bar as he did, it wasn’t like much of his daily routine had to change to spend more time with Husk, only the amount of affection Husk chose to share varied. Some days he would act as if they weren’t dating, trying to stay professional in case Alastor came barging in, others he couldn’t care less and would practically spend every second ogling Angel. 

When Angel would have to leave for work, Husk would stay up waiting for the spider to return. If Angel wanted to sit and talk for a few hours, Husk didn’t mind staying up a little longer and making a few drinks, but if Angel wanted to turn in for the night, Husk would take him up to bed like he would any other night, the two of them eventually tucking themselves in after their respective routines before laying close and waiting for it all to happen again. 

To say Angel was content would be an understatement. Every day he was filled with overflowing love for the bartender. He couldn’t bring himself to care for the lack of sexual intimacy, he experienced it enough every day at work to not have a raging libido whenever he got back to the hotel no matter how much he joked about it. That and the fact he didn’t want to ruin what he had with Husk. If staying with him meant taking it slow then that was exactly what Angel would do. 

But if that was what Husk wanted to do, he was left to the current predicament that he had gotten himself into. 

Sat originally lounged across the couch, his legs splayed over Husk’s lap. The rest of the hotel’s residents were taking up other pieces of furniture, minus Alastor, watching a movie on the television. Any attention that Angel had been paying towards the movie was lost once Husk had begun trailing his sharp nails along Angel’s legs. 

It didn’t stop there though as Husk’s fingers reached higher and higher, eventually deciding to drag Angel closer so he sat snug against Husk’s side. His tail very quickly then coiled its way around Angel after that, the feather tip wrapping around his midsection and hovering just over his legs. 

Every few moments, Husk’s tail would twitch, the feathers lightly brushing against the tight black shorts that he normally adorned. Though the movement was light, almost nonexistent, Angel could feel every brush of it. It seemed his mind and body zeroed in on the action, not being able to pay attention to anything else as the sensation repeated every few moments whenever Husk’s tail would twitch. 

What was worse was that Husk seemed to have no idea what he was doing. His attention was utterly focused on the movie in front of them, all of the twitches and brushes of his tail being in direct correlation to the reactions he was having while he was watching. 

It was infuriating, and almost intoxicating, as the heat spread throughout his body, being rendered to do nothing and show real constraint so as to not act on any desires to firstly not bring any attention to what Husk was unawarely doing, and secondly, not gross everyone else in the room out since his stomach should definitely not be tying itself into knots due to the heat that was spreading through him. 

With every second that passed by, Angel could feel himself slowly growing hard. How Husk didn’t realise it was beyond him, but he wasn’t about to point it out before he had the chance to sort it out. Angel tried willing it to calm down but it seemed Husk’s tail had a mind of its own and decided that Angel wasn’t going to get a break, edging him unconsciously.

Even as the movie came to an end, Angel had no clue, instead staring intently at the ground as he tried to keep his breathing even. A few times it had spiked into soft gasps, earning a few flicks of Husk’s ears as they pivoted to face him, not yet turning his head in case it was just a false alarm. 

As people began to file out, Angel muttering his good nights when they were due, he could only hope that Husk didn’t plan on sitting and chatting with him for too long. Though it was something that they did every night, making its way into their routine at this point, Angel couldn’t help but wish to be released from Husk’s gentle hold so he could take care of himself in the bathroom.

“Well Husky,” Angel feigned a large yawn, arching his back as he stretched himself out, trying to move Husk’s tail away while also folding his legs over one another to hide himself. With a soft smile, Husk kept his eyes fastened on Angel, running his hands soothingly over him continuously. “I might turn in as well. I think that movie bored me to my second death.”

“Are you sure? Do you want me to make you a drink to take up?” Husk asked, shifting with Angel. The slight movement resulted in Angel’s legs bunching together, a shiver raking through his body as his nerves were lit and light stimulation was sent through his body. Furrowing his bushy brows at Angel’s reaction, Husk asked, “Are you cold?”

“Nah- I’m good,” Angel stuttered out, trying to compose himself as he sat up fully. He tried sitting up properly when Husk’s knee shifted up, connecting directly with his clothed dick and sending a shockwave of pleasure through him. A breathy moan tumbled its way out of Angel’s lips before he could stop himself, putting a stop to any further movements as Husk’s head bolted towards him.

Freezing himself, Angel stared with wide eyes. All he could do was sit still as Husk’s eyes slowly trailed down to where he had been attempting to hide his growing erection. Preparing himself to be ridiculed or see Husk’s disgusted face, he was pleasantly surprised when he instead felt Husk’s hand reaching for his, running a soothing finger over it. 

“Well, that was…” Husk tried to formulate the words.

“Yeah,” Angel himself didn’t even know what to say in this situation. If it had been anyone else he would’ve taken it in stride and asked them back to his room, but after the slow pace he and Husk had been setting, he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“Let’s go up?” Husk then said, keeping his hand in Angel’s as he stood. Unlike what Angel had thought, there wasn’t an ounce of hatred on Husk’s face.

“What?” He blurted out, eyes still bug-wide. “You’re not disgusted?”

“Why would I be?” Husk seemed genuinely beyond himself as he asked the question, as if finding out your boyfriend had a boner just because he was sitting next to you with your tail slightly brushing up against him wasn’t an unusual occurrence. “We can take care of it upstairs.”

“We?” The words were breathless, just like his earlier moan, as Angel was pulled to his feet by Husk.

At first, it had been the most annoying thing Lucifer had encountered, well, maybe not the most annoying since he had met a handful of Sinners that seemed to piss him off more so than the usual batch. Whenever he would catch a glimpse of swirling eyes they would vanish without a trace, leaving his skin prickling. Looming figures of shadows could be seen out of the corner of his eye, making him question if he was seeing things when he would turn to try and glance at it only for it to disappear with a wink.

Now though, it had become almost a part of his daily routine. Swirls of darkness seemed to linger at his feet when he would step out of his room, welcoming him to a new day as he exited his room and began making his way down to the ground level where most of the hotel residents lingered and where his daughter would be preparing for a less-then productive day. 

It almost seemed as if whatever was watching him was growing more confident, letting itself linger a little longer when Lucifer would try to whirl on it, letting him see whisps of it before it would vanish just like Lucifer had become accustomed to. It made his decision to not immediately reveal the entity when these occurrences first began happening more rewarding in some way. As if earning the trust of some lousy stalker was something that the King of Hell had to do. 

Reaching the foyer of the hotel, Lucifer’s eyes landed on the oddly placed bar and its tender as they were the only ones currently in the vicinity, everyone else either still harbouring in their rooms, loitering somewhere else in the hotel, or making their way through the Pride Ring. Sauntering his way over without the thought of it being too early to start drinking, Lucifer ordered a drink from Husk, letting the cat decide on what exact drink he had. 

“Don’t you care that it’s watching you?” Husk mumbled the question as he placed down a short glass in front of Lucifer, sliding it closer so it was within reach of Lucifer’s nimble fingers. As Lucifer raised his gaze from the drink to Husk’s face, a hint of confusion sparking on his features that contradicted the understanding, Husk continued, “It tried doing the same thing to me but once I figured out what it was I went right up to him and told him to screw off.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Lucifer said aloud, voice raised slightly to make sure that the entity caught gist of what he was saying. He saw Husk’s eyes flicker over his shoulder, locking onto what was surely watching him. “Rather it’s a pity that it hasn’t become daring yet. To think of all the things we could’ve done together by now if it had just stepped out of the shadows.”

“What…?” The words may have confused Husk, evident by his reaction, but they stirred along whatever was lurking. 

Lucifer could feel it grow closer, not even a second wasted as it slithered towards him. Watching Husk slink back as a blanket of warmth wrapped itself around him, Lucifer felt more than he saw the ghosts of hands cascading up his arms, long, sharp nails tearing against his skin. Flush against his back, he could feel the entity trying to close in, trapping Lucifer between the bar counter and whatever it was behind him. 

Husk stared at the scene for a few moments before shaking his head and discarding everything he had been doing prior to Lucifer’s arrival. Muttering under his breath as he exited the bar, slinking back off to wherever he had come from, “I ain’t dealing with this shit this early in the morning.”

Not caring for his departure, Lucifer slowly picked his drink back up and brought it to his lips, taking a slow sip of it as the entity behind him tried to engulf him more. Trails of shadows wafted into Lucifer’s vision, making its presence known as all patience fled from the entity's body after keeping their distance for so long.

“You are sure in a rush,” Lucifer joked as he finished off his drink, licking his lips as he placed the empty glass back down on the counter. The air around him seemed to thicken, an almost static effect slicing through it as Lucifer spoke to the entity. The noise sounded vaguely familiar but Lucifer didn’t care enough to waste time trying to pinpoint where he had heard it from. Shifting in his seat so he could turn around and face the creature, Lucifer was met with a shadowy mass. “If I knew all it would take for you to show yourself was an invitation then I would’ve done so sooner.”

The shadow didn’t say anything, just grinned. The smile spoke more words than Lucifer could’ve imagined the entity to. While it was looming, it was also welcoming, as if trying to entice him in. The shadow didn’t stop in its journey to try and engulf him, whisps of darkness swirling around him and gripping to his skin. 

Craning his head back so he could take all of the shadow in, some qualities of him seemed to ring some bells in his head. Two ears stood large on the top of the shadow’s head, two smaller twig-like antlers in between them; A coat seemed to flare out around where the shadow's hips would be; And Lucifer felt himself craning his neck back at a familiar angle, an angle in which an ache in his neck had appeared from how often he was being bugged by…

“Alastor?” Lucifer couldn’t help but question, finally piecing everything together as he stared at the shadow that he sometimes found loitering when Alastor was in a room. The grin on the shadow’s face faltered for a few seconds, never completely dropping but lessening in width.

Shaking its head at Lucifer, the shadow seemed slightly put off by the uttered name of its owner, but when nothing seemed to come of it in the passing seconds, it grew some of its confidence back as it advanced towards Lucifer again. The extended whisps of darkness also seemed to be steady as they curled up and around Lucifer’s neck, tilting his head further back even if the hold felt feather-light.

Even though it was shadows that were taking hold of him, Lucifer couldn’t help but feel warm in their hold, sicking into it as his eyes drooped slightly. Staring up at Alastor’s shadow with half-lidded eyes, Lucifer, despite himself, felt himself relax and allow the shadow’s hold on him to grow. 

Leaning forward, the shadow’s face was mere inches away from his, a long, slippery black tongue poking out of its mouth and closing in on Lucifer’s face. Closing his eyes fully and waiting for the contact, Lucifer let his name slip out of his mouth once more, “Alastor.”

A static tore through the air, drowning out everything else in the room. What had once been warm turned to freezing cold and slimy as the soft hold turned harsh. Snapping his eyes open, Lucifer first took notice of how there were no longer shadows wafting around his body but thick tentacles that seemed to want to squeeze the life out of him. He could feel his neck start to constrict due to the pressure around it, his eyes now darting up to the face mere inches away from his.

In all his glory, the Radio Demon stood in front of him, a large grin set in place on his face. 

“What do we have here?” The static only picked up once Alastor spoke, his grin turning devilish as he stared at Lucifer as if he were prey. The shadow had fled to behind Alastor, standing behind as he watched Alastor take control of what was meant to be his. So that was why the shadow had been so cautious when Lucifer had said Alastor’s name. “I must say, with my shadow being disobedient, I didn’t expect to find you in its grasp.”

“Yeah, well then you had to go and ruin all the fun,” Lucifer allowed himself to stay in the tentacle's hold for a few moments longer before with a snap of his fingers it was all gone. One of Alastor’s brows raised as he witnessed a part of his power vanish off the face of Hell for a few seconds before he could feel them wiggling back to him. Pointing a finger at Alastor and going to shove it into his chest, Alastor shoots straight up to avoid it, one of his ears flicking as he stares down at Lucifer with his cane held out in front of him. “Since I have a negative Nancy like you spoiling my parade, I’m going elsewhere. I do hope your shadow is disobedient again.”

There was an amusement to Lucifer’s words and an underlining of something that Alastor felt a repulsion growing for as Lucifer stood up and began making his way back to the stairs before blinking out of existence. When he was gone, Alastor rounded on his shadow, watching as the creature prepared to sneak off again. 

“Don’t you dare,” Alastor hissed, his ears laying flat against his head. Though his shadow seemed to be paying attention, Alastor could feel it itching to get out again. With a sigh, he felt himself engulfed by his shadows and taken back to his room where he had previously been before being summoned. In the confines of his own room, Alastor questioned with uncertainty, “...Negative Nancy?”

Treading up the small hill near the end of the pentagram, Angel’s eyes fell on the large building at the top of it. Ghosting his eyes across the overly red building, he took in all of the extra renovations it had undertaken, such as the pirate ship that stuck from one side of the building and the radio tower that was spiralling out. His eyes stayed locked on the radio tower for the remainder of his walk, all the way up until he was knocking on the door and could hear the footsteps of someone coming to greet him.

“Hello,” A short blonde woman cheered excitedly as she threw open the door, staring up at Angel with stars in her eyes. Something in the back of Angel’s mind was itching at him, telling him he had seen her face before but he couldn’t quite place a finger on it. “And welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! You’re Angel Dust, the Mafia Demon, right? Are you here to begin your path to redemption?”

“Ehh, not quite,” Angel spoke with as little enthusiasm as he could muster, having seven years of excitement sucked out of him just from the display he witnessed. Deflating slightly, the blonde woman still looked at him with a radiating sense of joy that Angel couldn’t help but wonder where she stored it. “I’m here for other reasons. Think of this as a business opportunity.”

“That’s great,” She exclaimed, shoving the door open wider to invite him in. With a hand reaching out, one of the blonde woman's hands latched onto Angel’s making him flinch back at the sudden contact. It wasn’t every day that people came running at the opportunity to grab onto Angel, not when they realised who he was at least. The woman took his reaction in stride as she beckoned him in, trying to show him the way. “Let me introduce you to our hotelier. He’ll be so happy to meet you.”

“I’m sure he will be,” Angel muttered as he stepped into the hotel for the first time. Taking it all in, just like the outside, there was an excessive amount of red, the colour coating almost every surface. All the furniture and wallpaper was old, fabrics peeling and stuffing spilling out of surfaces. Angel wouldn’t be caught dead staying in a place like this or even wandering near it if he was certain they were harbouring something he was looking for. 

“Angel Dust?” A voice called out, sceptic as they called for his attention. Turning to face whoever had caused him, Angel’s face brightened a minuscule amount before he even faced the Sinner, recognising them from their voice alone. Just as every other time Angel has had the pleasure of running into the Sinner, he wore his usual tophat, bow and suspendered pants, all of which were laced in red. “What are you doing here?”

“Just lookin’ for some new investments,” Discarding the blonde woman momentarily, Angel Dust gave his full attention to the much shorter Demon. “Didn’t know I’d find you here, Whiskers.”

“Wait,” Their attention was then pulled away from a new voice, one Angel didn’t recognise this time. Spotting a woman even shorter than Husk adorning a lot of grey and a glare on her features, Angel couldn’t help but sigh as more time was wasted. The scowl on her features twisted as her eyes flicked between them both. “You two know each other?”

“Yeah, he also knows Niff,” Husk supplied for him, filling in the two unnamed girls in the room. Both of them gave him a confused stare, unaware as to how Angel could’ve known the both of them. Just by Angel’s looks alone it was clear that he was well off since coming down to Hell. Trying to connect the dots as to how he had met two Sinners who had sold their souls just wasn’t adding up. “Wait, do you two not know who he is?”

“He’s the Mafia Demon,” The blonde woman repeated, though there was a spec of hesitation in her words now as she examined Angel’s tall figure.

“What?” The shorter one exclaimed, her eyes widening as she took in Angel’s calm and put-together appearance. Marching over to the blonde woman, she grabbed onto her arm and pulled her in close, whispering in a shouted way, “You let another Overlord in here, Charlie?”

“He wanted to invest in the hotel, Vaggie,” Angel was guessing Charlie spoke to who she had called Vaggie. Again, the name Charlie rattled around in Angel’s head but he was still yet to put a title to the name or the face. “This could be really good for business if everyone knew we had two Overlords helping out.”

“Or it could scare them all away,” Vaggie rebutted, letting go of Charlie to instead glare at Angel. The heat in her eyes did nothing to get under Angel’s skin, just making the Overlord let out a huff in annoyance as he was subjected to this bickering until Charlie was able to move on with this little tour and take him to the hotelier. 

“I don’t think that’s going to matter,” Husk cut in, stopping Vaggie from going even further down this over-paranoid rabbit hole. “Not when he’s Al-”

“What’s all this commotion about?” A static-filled voice sliced through the room, putting an end to any discussions. Chills broke out along Angel’s spine as he turned to face the newcomer to the conversation. Setting his eyes on him, Angel was glad he decided to give this rundown hotel a look since it was in fact harbouring the Sinner he was in search of. “My, what a wonderful visitor we have here.”

“Alastor,” Angel mused, voice sweet and sultry as he left his spot to saunter over to the Radio Demon. The deer smiled up at Angel in a genuine display, the sight blocked by Angel’s being as he got closer. Lifting one of his many hands, he slowly placed it on Alastor’s cheek, giving him time to back up if he needed to. When he didn’t, his head tilting to rest in the gesture, Angel trailed it down to where he was grabbing Alastor’s chin and tilting his head up so their eyes could properly meet. “Smiles… Where the fuck have you been these past seven years?”

In seconds, the sweetness that had been previously wafting around Angel dropped and a cruel and harsher tone took over. Grip tightening on Alastor’s chin to the point where his nail dug into the flesh and almost pierced it with his claws, blood ready to begin bubbling out. One of Alastor’s ears twitched, his smile hardening as he grinned up at Angel, ready to diffuse the situation. 

“What’s going on with those two?” Vaggie murmured, pointing an accusing finger at the both of them.

Hearing her voice, Angel let go of Alastor’s chin and instead reached up to grip one of Alastor’s red ears. Pinching down hard, Angel pulled Alastor in step with him as he turned the both of them around to face the small group that was watching their untouching reunion. In a deadpan Angel announced, “He’s my husband.”

“Aww,” Charlie very quickly cooed despite the situation, earning a blare of static from Alastor. 

“Why don’t we move this to the privacy of my room, Dear?” Alastor attempted to wiggle his way out of Angel’s grip, one of his tentacles coiling around Angel’s arm to try and yank him off, though Angel stayed strong in not letting Alastor out of his grip.

“Oh, so you made yourself nice and comfy here before tryin’ to track me down to let me know you were back?” Angel scoffed as he pulled on Alastor’s ear tighter, practically shouting into it as he lowered himself to speak into it. “Let me guess, you were gonna go start shit with Vox before even droppin’ by to let me know you weren’t dead.”

Alastor’s response couldn’t be heard as the pair of them were engulfed by shadows, transported to wherever Alastor desired. Behind them, they left two bewildered girls and an amused Husk at seeing his boss get a good yelling at. Sucking a calming breath in that didn’t work in the slightest, Vaggied said, “What. The. Fuck.”

“Pfft, no,” A laugh almost echoed off Husk’s lips with the words as his usual grimace-laced face filled with amusement. Even as Husk laughed at his expense, Angel couldn’t help but smile as he sat down at the bar in the same seat as every other occasion, resting his head in a hand. Without even a second passing, Husk was loading a martini glass onto the counter and sliding it over to him. “I had jobs to do. Manning the bar ain’t the only thing I got to do in a day.”

“Oh really?” Angel questioned suspiciously as he brought the drink up to his lips for a test sip. Everything Husk made him was always amazing, he had however grown a habit of checking every drink before properly relaxing and drinking it since beginning working for Val, not that he ever thought Husk would do something such as drug his drink. “And what is it that you get up to when I’m not around, Babycakes?”

“Many things,” Husk supplied without actually listing anything, hoping it would allude to enough unneeded examples so that Angel wouldn’t feel the need, not that it stopped the Sinner.

“Like?” Angel continued to push, setting his drink down to lean further across the bar, the short dress that Val had made him wear that didn’t even cover half of his ass falling down at his chest fluff, exposing the makeshift cleavage. 

“Like cleaning drinks, restocking alcohol, shopping for toppers,” Husk trailed off, trying to keep an air of nonchalance as he listed the first few things that came to mind. Of course, they had all been things he did for the bar, leaving him to hope that his mannerisms spoke more as if there were far too many to count. He wasn’t however about to Angel what Alastor had him doing throughout the day. 

“That all sounds like bartender duties to me,” If it was possible Angel somehow shifted closer in his seat, trying to bring his face closer to Husk’s. A few bristles of his chest fluff began to brush against Husk’s due to this proximity, one of his extra hands coming up to walk his fingers across the bar top. “Are you sure you're as busy as you say you are? It’s okay to admit that you were just waitin’ up for me, I’m not gonna judge you, Baby.”

“Is that so?” Husk asked, his voice coming out raspy to his own ears. The sound of which sent chills running down Angel’s spine, never having heard the bartender speak in such a way. Something inside his brain clicked at the notion, his attention suddenly spiking as he applied all of it to Husk. A choked hum of agreement was forced from Angel’s lips as he tried to keep his composure. “Well, I can go on all night ‘Baby,’ if that’s what you want to do.”

Husk had pushed himself to meet Angel in the middle. Their faces were impossibly close, breaths intertwining as they shared the same air. It was almost intoxicating, Husk being this close to him willingly without Angel having to go the extra mile to get up close and personal with him. From this close-up, he could see all the golden ridges of his irises, the crinkles of his little nose and every piece of stray hair that made up his furry being. 

Clamming up, Angel could do nothing else but stare at Husk for a few seconds, his cheeks heating just from the proximity, sound and word choice that Husk had delivered. He hadn’t even been touched by the guy and he was ready to squeal like a virgin. It was almost embarrassing, having his mouth hung slightly agape and his face flaring to life, only concealed by the fur on his cheeks. 

It seemed Angel took too long to respond quick enough to Husk’s words as a smug twitch of his lips overtook his face. Though it wasn’t the first time Angel had seen an expression similar to this on Husk’s face, it was the first time it had ever even remotely been directed at him, especially in this context. 

“Why the long face?” Husk purred, a sound so uncharacteristically his as he let the words roll off his tongue. Reaching one of his clawed hands that were at least triple the size of Angel’s up to cup his face, his thumb danced across the white fluff that lined there, smoothing it out for Angel before it sank lower and graced over his bottom lip where it hung open. “Cat got your tongue?”

“I- Uh-“ Angel stuttered, all thought processes leaving his mind as he stayed rooted to his spot unmoving, scared that the slightest twitch would send Husk running. So instead of a witty comeback or just as flirty remarks as he was used to sending others' way, Husk was met with a stare akin to a deer caught in headlights from Angel. “Um…”

A guttory chuckle spilled from Husk’s lips as he took in the expression. Who would’ve thought that all it took to render the famous pornstar Angel Dust speechless was a bit of reciprocated flirting? “So you can dish it but you can’t take it?”

“I can take it,” Angel yelled once he got over his panic, noticing how Husk’s hand had stayed firm on his cheek. If it was possible his face heated up more as he himself almost broke the contact by leaning backwards, creating some much-needed space. “I can take a lot of things like dildos, spanking-“

“But not flirting,” Husk cut him off, one of his long red eyebrows quirking up with his statement. His whole face had relaxed out of the grimace it was usually set to, leaving Angel to take in a not-completely miserable bartender as his smile continued to widen as the night progressed, even if it was at his expense. “Isn’t that right, Baby?”

“I-“ Stumbling over his words, his black and white eyes flicked between Husk’s, searching for something he didn’t want to find. Before he could come to any revelation, Angel was pushing himself up and out of his chair, cutting off any contact that he and Husk were sharing. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”

“Aw, don’t be like that,” Husk called after him even as he let out a deep cackle at Angel’s words and actions, his eyes trailing after him as Angel did a very bad job at fleeing the bar. Jumping over the counter in a quick swoop and grabbing onto Angel’s unfinished drink, Husk went chasing after him. “You’ve just got in and you’ve barely touched your drink.”

“I’ll take my drink to go then,” Angel declared as he stopped and turned around, ready to fetch it out of Husk’s hand. Instead, he was met with a large paw carefully wrapping around one of his many hands and pulling it in closer. 

His lips ghosted the back of his hand as if waiting to place a kiss there as Husk’s eyes lingered on his. Angel made no move to pull away, his hopes slowly climbing as it seemed Husk was leaning in. As it almost nuzzled him, half of Husk’s face slid across his hand and up some of his arm before his fingers were being manually tightened around the stem of his glass. 

“I’ll see you in the morning then, Legs,” Husk bid him goodnight, slipping past him as he left the tall arachnid behind with only a quarter of his brain functioning.

Being able to make it all the way up a flight of stairs before he heard the shattering of glass and the squeal of a school girl, Husk turned himself in for the night knowing his favourite resident was home safe for the night and that the games Angel liked to play with him got a whole lot more fun.