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Angel Dust hummed contentedly, nuzzling into his partner's thick chest fur.
"Gimme a break," mumbled Husk. He was trying to light a cigarette, but Angel's head was in the way.
"Have a friggin' chill pill, why don't'cha?" Husk cringed; Angel Dust's grip on modern slang was tenuous at best, and there was something so unnatural about the newfangled expressions being said in his nasally old accent.
Two hands reached up and took the cigarette from Husk, lit it, and placed it between Husk's lips. Another two hands remained on the cat's body, combing through his fur.
Angel sighed. "Your fur's just like my hair, Daddy."
"Mine's less pink." His was also a bit heartier than Angel's fine, wispy body hair, but he opted not to point that out.
"I meant when I was alive." He reached up and stroked Husk's dark mutton chops. "I had the thickest, blackest head of hair you've ever seen. Skin like butter, too, and dark as toast!"
Husk resisted the urge to mock Angel's pronunciation of "butter" - "buddah" - and asked, "You were a swarthy motherfucker, huh?"
"I'm Italiano , Daddy, I couldn't wax if I fuckin' tried! It'd all grow back in an hour! And y'know what else?"
"Hm?"
"I was a little chubby, too."
"No."
"Uh-huh. All I ate was carbs and cheese, y'know, and cured meats. I had a fat little ass, it was pretty hot. 'Til the war, obviously."
"The war?" They'd been seeing each other exclusively (outside of Angel's work, of course) for months, but Angel never talked about his time serving in WWII. It was one of the only topics he danced around rather than diving in and oversharing.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, that's when I got hooked. How else do you think a nice Catholic boy ends up on PCP?"
"Shit."
"Uh-huh." He scooted up a bit and buried his face in Husk's neck. "It didn't take more than two years for me to lose the weight, start whoring myself out, and, y'know. Die."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." He kissed Husk on the cheek. "Now I have you!"
Husk cradled Angel's face in one clawed hand and kissed him lightly. He knew how much Angel loved gentle, sweet touches like this.
"I better go get cleaned up," whispered Angel. He hopped up, shuddering at the feeling of cum dripping out of him, and headed for the bathroom.
Husk ashed his cigarette and tried to take calming breaths. Angel made him feel things he didn't recognize. But they were things he thoroughly enjoyed, and that's what scared him.
Hate, anger, sadness, he knew. He was familiar with them. They were his friends.
But what was this feeling, trying desperately to calm his racing mind, stifle the fluttering in his stomach?
He knew damn well what it was. He never had the balls to bring it up, but, hey, since they were already talking about forbidden topics…
"Babydoll?"
Angel opened the bathroom door so he could hear better while he cleaned up. Fat Nuggets trotted in to join him, bumping the spider's long legs with his snout.
"Aw, kissies for me?" said Angel in his baby-talk voice. "Kissie-wissies for widdle ole me?"
"I got a question, gorgeous."
"Go ahead, then, jeez, there's enough of me to go around. Right, nuggie-wuggies?"
"You ever loved someone? Down here?"
Angel paused as he put on some lip balm, then said, "I'm in love right now."
"Oh. Fuck." Husk's heart nearly stopped. Could this be real? Could he really have this? "I…"
Angel turned to look at his lover. This was odd; Husk rarely stuttered.
"I love you, too," said Husk, so low it was more of a purr than actual speech.
Angel's eyes widened, so huge it was comical, and his mouth puckered into a worried little line.
"What, babydoll?"
"I...I was talkin' about Fat Nuggets..."
They stared at each other in silent horror, but only for a moment.
"Wait, wait, wait!" It was no use. Husk had already fled to the hall. Angel Dust threw on a thin silk robe and pursued him. "Baby, honey, come back, talk to me!"
Husk was already down several flights of stairs.
"I'm serious, I need you to leave me the fuck alone right now."
"Daddy, come on, wait!" Ever the spider, Angel simply hopped over the banister and landed in front of Husk.
"I'm serious. Not now." His chest was rising and falling rapidly. "Please, just let me - "
Angel captured Husk into a six-armed hug, though the cat remained rigidly straight and stiff.
"Don't go right now. Please."
Husk sighed and let himself melt into the embrace.
"You know what it's like, Daddy."
"Yeah. I know."
"I'll tell ya one thing, though." Four arms remained around Husk, but the top set reached up and cupped his face. "God, you're cute."
Husk only looked down at the floor. He seemed ready to cry, which was unusual, unless he was really shitfaced. And he knew Husk hadn't been that drunk in...a long time.
Just like he hadn't been that high in a long time. Or taken on a client that sick or that dangerous in a long time. They'd been trying to behave lately, for each other.
"Husky…"
"It's fine. You don't need to justify anything to me. To anyone."
"Honey, it's not that I don't love you back. I don't know how I feel, I can't tell."
"It's alright."
"No, I mean, literally. I think it's the drugs, I can never tell if I'm hungry or horny or what. I literally just can't friggin' tell. But…"
Husk's ears had been pressed flat, but they perked up.
"Let's just say that if I had to choose between lots of stuff and you, I'd choose you."
"Like what?"
"Like…If I had to choose between you and my job, I'd choose you."
"I'd never make you decide something like that."
"I know, I just mean if I had to. I'd pick you over liquor, too."
"And drugs?"
Angel bit his lip. "I don't know how I'd finagle the whole cleanliness thing, but...I really, really don't wanna lose you. So, sure."
"Holy shit."
"I know."
"How about me and Fat Nuggets?"
Angel just stared for a moment. "Well...I can't choose, and I know I love Fat Nuggets, so I guess that means I love you."
Husk clearly had no idea what to do, so Angel kissed him, chaste and gentle.
"Go back upstairs, Daddy, get comfy. I'll meet you up there."
Husk was shaking a little when he climbed into Angel's bed. He turned on the little rose-shaded lamp and opened the bedside table drawer. There was a big bottle of whiskey in there, winking up at him, looking gorgeous as ever. He shut the drawer without drinking any; it was nice just knowing it was there.
Angel entered, seemingly not caring that his little robe covered absolutely nothing important. If anyone had seen him, he'd surely get a talking to later about proper decorum, but neither man cared just then.
Angel was carrying a plate with a hot meatball hero.
"Extra cheese, obviously."
"God, you're amazing."
Husk leaned back so Angel could sit on his lap.
"Mind if we share, Daddy?"
"Anything you want." He smiled as Angel took a huge bite. "Let's get some meat on those bones, huh?"
"Look who's talking!"
"Babydoll, you've fattened me up. I've gained about twenty pounds or so since you came around. You feed me damn good!"
He smirked. "Yeah, but I also give you a helluva workout, don't I?"
"Damn straight."
Still smiling, he gave Husk a long look.
"Yeah, I'd say I love you," he concluded, nodding. "I think so."
"I love you."
"You're sweet."
Husk held up the meatball hero. "Uh, I was talking to the sandwich."