Chapter Text
The feel of a chain slipping off of Angel’s neck filled him with an overwhelming wave of relief as he fell onto the bar floor, sinking down as he heard Valentino’s low growl of rage.
He didn’t move his gaze from his lap as he used a gloved hand to lightly touch the phantom place the chains once lay.
He exhaled sharply.
“Husker, you piece of cheating
shit-”
Valentino hissed.
“Shut your mouth Val or I’ll stuff something even your kinky ass won’t enjoy up there.”
Angel glanced up slightly, flickering his eyes between the two overlords.
Husker, dressed in all his vintage finery, Valentino, wrapped in a disgustingly, obnoxious coat.
Valentino turned his eyes harshly to Angel, as if about to strike him, his hand raised, when Husker grabbed it. Angel couldn’t move; just held his breath. Husker looked at Valentino dangerously.
“You want to mess with my staff?” Husk asked calmly, titling his head.
Valentino’s eyes were narrowed and seething.
His staff.
Angel felt anxiety roll through his body.
Was he going to be worse than Valentino?
Did he just get bargained and betted off to an even worse fucker than the one glaring down at him?
He struggled to hide his trembling as Valentino snatched his hand back, his eyes red.
He turned and glared at Angel.
“Fuck you, you stupid fucking slut,” Valentino spat, shoving his way through the room, re-entering the main casino outside of the secluded room they’d been in, as Angel stayed where he was, adjusting himself a small bit as he felt the anxiety wash all over him. He braced himself, when he felt a claw land on his shoulder.
“Hey, you’re fucking Angel Dust, yeah?”
His blood felt colder and colder.
“Yes ..”
Husker nodded and removed his hand upon Angel flinching microscopically, instead outstretching it to help Angel up. Angel stared at the offer, taking it and immediately pulling it back once he was up.
“Your old boss was a fucking dumbass,” Husker snorted as he glanced out the door.
“Pawning off a valuable asset.”
“Asset,” Angel mumbled weakly.
“Let me rephrase,” Husker stated, walking around to his desk and pulling out a drawer.
It clattered like coins.
“You’re a valuable person to have around,” Husker said, opening the box and handing Angel a pair of earrings. Angel blinked at them.
“These are for staff,” Husker explained.
Angel just stared at them for longer.
“You can take them off when you’re not in work, but while you’re working, they stay on. Like uniform. If somebody fucks with you in here tell me and I’ll sort them out for you, or, sort them yourself. I honestly don’t give a shit which,” Husker gruffly said.
“I provide everybody with equal pay unless they volunteer for extra shifts or work, otherwise, it’s all the same since everybody mostly works the same hours. And that’s it, basically.”
Angel quietly started to put the earrings in.
Husker was watching him as they jingled softly; they were bangles, seemingly different earrings in the different boxes, Angel assumed by the different sizing. He didn’t know why Husker had chosen bangles for him, but he wasn’t about to question it.
“I- thank you,” he muttered.
Husker put the box back, raising a brow.
“Did you think I’d be as fucked as that shithead?”
“Maybe a bit, yeah.”
Angel said it with some sass but behind it was too much sincerity that he was trying to cover up.
“Fucking prickhead,” Husker said, and Angel wasn’t sure if he was referring to him or Val.
Both suited in Angel’s head.
Husker walked back over to him.
“You’ll need a different type of outfit, though, for working and such,” Husk muttered, eyeing the outfit before snapping his fingers, and suddenly Angel was in a vintage styled dress.
It was snug against his hips; he eyed the low cut on his back and smiled a bit slyly at it.
The dress was long, mainly medium coverage; minus the desperately low cut, heart shape carved out on his back, the dress a beautiful shade of dark gold also. Clearly this guy had a colour.
The whole experience was happening so fast he couldn’t mentally process it at all.
Husker looked up at him.
“You good there legs?”
The name caught Angel off.
“Legs?”
“You have legs, yeah?”
“You have a brain,
yeah?”
Husker snorted at the retort back, rolling his eyes as he swigged from a bottle on his desk and started walking out of the room.
“You coming or what?”
“Not off camera,” Angel parroted almost bleakly.
“That’s fucking bleak,” Husker whistled.
“Fucking is anything but bleak,” Angel replied haughtily, earning a mildly grossed out look.
Husker led them down a narrow hallway, leading into an upstairs room.
He opened a side door and revealed an entire bedroom as Angel gasped at the place.
“What the fuck?” Angel breathed.
“Your room,” Husker replied casually.
He snapped his fingers, handing Angel a pair of keys as Angel held them like they were the whole world to him.
“Keys too?” Angel murmured, eyeing the place.
Husker nodded, shrugging and then yawning.
“Yeah, this is your room.”
“Shame you won’t let me sleep with you,” Angel said teasingly, earning a deadpan expression from Husk, which was a tad bit surprising.
“Okay then,” Husker rolled his eyes.
“Stay here you can start work tomorrow.”
Angel paused and then stumbled over his words.
“Uh- wait, what uh, is my job?”
“You’re a celebrity right?”
“Well yeah,” Angel gestured at his body. “Duh.”
Husker slowly looked Angel up and down, and Angel couldn’t tell why he was doing it.
“Mm,” was his response. “People want to see you.”
“You mean fuck,” Angel said flatly.
“Well you’re like a tourist attraction of sorts. Pics and greeting people mostly.”
Angel blinked. That was it?
“Uh,” Angel said lamely. “Ok.”
Husker just nodded, beginning to walk out. The constant sex jokes seemed to piss him off, and Angel couldn’t find anymore in himself regardless simply just a;
“Thank you,” Angel whispered quietly.
Husker turned slightly, eyeing Angel, more than likely knowing exactly why he was being thanked.
The demon before him was clutching the keys, his eyes shining and round, fidgeting with his hands.
He was trying to be sincere.
“You’re welcome,” Husker replied, his voice cracking slightly, sliding the door closed, sighing to himself as he did.
…