Chapter Text
"What are you feeding my pig?"
Husk smirked to himself as the voice of his favorite resident approached. He turned, seeing Fat Nuggets and Angel Dust sitting at his bartop.
"Well good morning to you too."
Angel grinned, it was a good look on him, but then he placed Fat Nuggets on the counter and gestured to the pigs round body. "Look at him!"
"I'm not feeding him anything that's gonna hurt him." Husk assured, offering up scritches behind Fat Nuggets' ears. "He mainly eats lemon wedges and cherries."
"He's grown so much! He used to be an ankle biter and now I'm afraid he can reach people's shins."
That made Husk laugh. He supposed Angel was right. Husk hadn't really noticed Nugs growth over the time he spent with him. But he supposed if he thought back to when he first started watching over him, almost a year ago now, he was much smaller back then.
Husk took a closer look at the pig, enjoying Angel's giggle as he got nose to snout with Fat Nuggets. He stared into those piggies' eyes, seeing only joy reflected there.
Fat Nuggets oinked happily and licked Husk's nose and barrelled into the demon's chest for more cuddles.
Angel sighed, sinking against the bartop, soft expression on his face as he watched the bartender and piggy cuddle. "Y'all are so cute."
Husk’s face flushed at the compliment.
Something had changed after he found Angel packing for the V tower all those months ago. They'd always been friends but something about Husk admitting that he wanted Angel to stay had changed something about the spider's demeanor. Angel was more open, didn't just say 'you know how it is' when Husk asked about his day. Sometimes Angel would talk a little bit about what was bothering him, what Val had done that day with a defeated expression on his face.
And Husk was trying to be better too. He didn't just wait at the bar all day for Angel to appear. He'd knock on the spider’s door more. Visit Angel and Nuggets in Angel's room. Talk with Angel as he got ready for work. Helped him pick outfits for his nights out with Cherri and give his opinion on Angel's make up.
It wasn't all on Angel to initiate hanging out anymore.
Of course, Husk spent the majority of time at the bar as Alastor forced him to, but he did make a conscious effort to take the party to Angel on occasion.
"Anyway, Vaggie's having that debrief meeting later tonight about the extermination." Husk informed, remembering when the girls had asked him to tell Angel. “If you’re home early enough.”
Angel nodded. "I think Val will let me off early, we're in an upswing."
"First extermination since we killed Adam." Husk poured a drink for Angel. "No one knows what to expect. But by god, Vaggie's got a plan."
"Of course she does." Angel sipped his drink appreciatively. "She used to be a damn exterminator, she better know what she's doing."
Husk laughed, pouring water into a little bowl for Nuggets. The little piggy waiting patiently for his own drink. "When do you gotta leave?"
"Trying to kick me out already?" Angel asked wittily, but there was a flash of insecurity in those eyes that Husk knew he needed to correct immediately.
He gave Nugs his water — the pig submerging his snout in it immediately — and leaned over the bar towards Angel. "Of course not. I’m trying to treasure these last few moments of seeing you smile."
Angel's face went flush and he looked down to the countertop sharply. "You corny ass."
Husk shrugged, cleaning up the bar top from the water splashed about — Nugsy was a messy drinker.
"It's the truth." Husk said. "And you know Nuggsy is always happier when we're together." And yeah, he may be laying it on a bit thick. Had been for weeks because when he did, Angel seemed happier.
Angel's hands fluttered around his head, tucking a piece of fur behind his ear as he dared to look up. "Yeah?" His voice was small and hopeful.
"Yeah." Husk purred out.
Their gazes held each other for a moment. And for one singular beautiful moment everything was still and warm. Almost too warm. But Husk thrived in it. It had been so long since he felt this way about another person. And as unconventional as it was, Husk was relishing this phase where things were unsaid between them. There was no rush. He could take his time, get more true flirts out of the porn star, be able to fluster him like this. Wasn't like Husk was going anywhere anytime soon.
Then Angel's phone started to ring, breaking the moment.
"Ah shit-" The spider fumbled with all six hands to answer it. He shot an apologetic look to Husk as he picked up. "Hey- hi?"
Husk sighed, putting away the glasses.
"Yeah- of course Val- I'm on my way."
Fat Nuggets oinked and waddled over to Angel.
"No- you know I’m not. I- I know. Love you too, of course I do. I- I miss you."
Husk sighed, it sounded like Angel and Val were not exactly on an 'upswing' as Angel described earlier. Husk wondered what pissed Val off this time.
Angel hung up the phone, looking stressed and frazzled. "I gotta go." He placed a kiss on Fat Nuggs forehead. "Be good, baby." He turned to Husk. "And don't feed him too much, please. I'm serious."
"Sure. See you soon."
Fat Nuggets whined sadly as his dad ran out the front door.
"He'll be back, Fatty." Husk soothed, picking up the pig to place on the ground to wander.
Immediately, Fat Nuggets raced to the door, putting his two front hooves on the door and whined again. Husk watched him sadly, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the little piggy. He also missed Angel every time he left. Especially knowing some of what Angel experienced at work, and knowing he couldn't do anything to make it better. It was a special type of Hell made especially for him.
And to make it all worse, the crackle of radio static hit Husk's ears.
When he looked up, Alastor was standing across from him.
"Boss."
"Husker!" Alastor tossed his cane from hand to hand before spinning it.
Out of the corner of Husk's eyes he saw Fat Nuggets still sat, begging at the front door, not to come to Husk's rescue anytime soon.
"I have an errand for you."
Husk frowned. He hadn't had to run an 'errand' for the radio demon since working at this hotel. He thought Alastor had gotten over that particular venture, his hands full with Charlie and the hotel.
"Oh don't give me that, it's nothing so crude." Alastor grinned. "My dear friend Rosie is concerned about the extermination, doesn't have the weapons we do to defend herself and her… gentle people."
Husk knew cannibal town was anything but 'gentle', still he listened for whatever Alastor had in mind for him.
Fat Nuggets turned and finally took notice of the radio demon.
"I told her not to worry and that we could spare a man to help defend her domain this extermination."
Wait-
Fat Nuggets squealed and charged Alastor with fury glowing in his little piggy body.
But they'd done this song and dance before, Fat Nuggets couldn't sneak up on Alastor so easily any more.
A shadow tentacle wrapped around the piggies mid-section, suspending Fat Nuggets inches above the floor, the little hooves kicking furiously.
"Don't do that!" Husk growled at Alastor, angry on Fatty's behalf.
"Relax." Alastor cackled. "I'll put him down in a second, I just want to make sure you understand."
Husk glared. "I'm helping Rosie."
"During the extermination, yes."
And then it hit Husk, what Alastor was actually getting at. Ice flooded his veins. "Alone." he realized.
"Alone." Alastor nodded, a glimmer in his eye that looked like joy. "I'm sure you'll be fine."
Right. Husk gulped, doubting that. He knew the type of person Rosie was. She was the person that coined Husk as Al’s ‘pet’. Something about her liked to demean and make people seem littler than they were. Husk especially.
The friendship between Rosie and Alastor was hell for Husk. Whenever he'd accompanied Alastor to cannibal town — as he used to frequent quite often — Rosie would hurry him outside, saying that ‘pets weren't allowed indoors’.
Likewise, Husk wasn't a fan of her.
He also doubted that the 'letting the pets be indoors' ban was going to be lifted for extermination business.
"You leave tomorrow." And Alastor disappeared into the shadows and Fat Nuggets was freed from his air-jail, squealing and grunting towards where Alastor had just stood.
When he only hit empty air, Fat Nuggets spun in furious circles before huffing and looking up at Husk with concern in his lil beady eyes.
"I'm alright, Nugs." Husk calmed, feeling very much like he'd been sentenced to death. The piggy trotted behind the bar to weave his little body between Husk's legs. "I'm alright."
He tried to convince himself he was saying it on Nugs behalf and not himself.
Angel hadn't lied when he'd told Husk that Val and him were in an upswing. He thought they were! But something must've happened overnight because Val was in a piss poor mood today and kept Angel way past his normal hours.
Angel was sore between the legs as he marched back up to the hotel, longing to see his two favorite beings in all the universe behind its doors. Husk and Nuggets would make the day all better.
With a shove against the door, Angel slouched in, looking instinctually to the bar.
Husk was face down on the counter, only a mound of fur as his silhouette. Fat Nuggets was stomping back and forth on the bartop, his snout pressed into a rag and scooting said rag up and down the counter like he was cleaning. Busy boy.
Angel sighed, he hadn't thought it was that late. But Husk must've had a day if he was falling asleep on the job. He wondered how that meeting with Vaggie went.
"Hey, Whiskers." Angel poked at a flopped ear on the bartop.
Fat Nuggets' gave up trying to scrub the counter and trotted over to Angel Dust with a sad oink.
Husk didn't move.
Angel frowned and poked him again. "You alright?"
The ear flicked and Husk groaned, something deep and gravelly. He must've been out for a while.
Angel and Nuggets shared a concerned look. And then Angel spotted it. Behind Husk was two empty whiskey bottles, and a third one spilling out on the floor at Husk's feet.
Sure enough, when Husk tilted his head up, Angel could smell it on his breath.
Husk was wasted.
"What's the occasion?" Angel asked with a laugh. Not often did he come back to Husk already gone. He hadn't seen the cat plastered like this in months. And if he did get plastered, it was usually the two of them together getting wasted.
Husk didn't appear to hear as his eyes focused on Angel and his pupils widened, lil tongue resting out of his mouth adorably. Looked like a kitten that had just woken up.
Fat Nuggets snuffled and oinked at Angel, as if trying to explain what happened, but Angel didn't understand.
"Why don't we get you to bed, kitty cat." Angel suggested.
Husk blinked slowly. "'m not kitty," were the first words out of his mouth.
Angel smiled and rounded the bar, going to support Husk so he wouldn't slip on the spilled whiskey. "Alright old man."
Husk groaned, resting his weight against the spider. He murmured something unintelligible as Angel scooped up Nuggets in one of his spare arms.
It was slow going but they were going. Husk was saying half words and sentences that Angel didn't understand. Nuggets was also snuffling in Angel's arms like he understood Husk perfectly and was talking back to him. It was cute.
Once they hit the stairs though, Husk started wiggling, chanting, "N-no no- wait."
"What?" Angel paused, looking down at Husk with a quirked brow. What was wrong?
Husk's ears were twitching and breath picking up as he looked back up at Angel. He poked a hand into Angel's fluff. "Yours."
What?
Husk poked him again. "Your. Room." He inhaled slowly then exhaled. "Please."
Angel laughed, "Alright, Whiskers. Whatever you want," and began to lead the cat-demon up the stairs and now to his room.
"nk you." Husk murmured, slumping against Angel.
It had been a while since Angel had seen Husk this drunk. Maybe he was worried about the extermination coming up? The meeting with Vaggie sorta kicked some sense into him. Angel wasn't sure.
Angel wasn't too worried about it. Lucifer was with them this time, so the hotel was going to be safer than ever. Could withstand a lot with the king of Hell on their side.
"What's gotten into you tonight?" Angel asked as he opened his door and showed Husk inside.
Husk grumbled something unintelligible and swayed dangerously into the room, like he was gonna face plant straight into the carpet. Angel would prefer if that didn't happen and scooped him up into his arms. He carried Husk over to the bed and let him face plant there.
Nuggets' jumped out of Angel's arms and made a home for himself on the floor, curling up into a little croissant shape.
Angel looked at his drunk-ass friend passed out and mumbling noises on his comforter and his little pet curled on the floor and wondered what the hell his life had become. He found he didn't mind it. As strange as it was, he didn't mind.
He got himself changed into something more comfortable and crawled up onto the bed beside Husk.
"'ngel."
"Yeah?" Angel shimmied selfishly closer.
Husk's golden eyes shined up at him. "'miss you."
"Aw… yeah?" Angel's heart warmed, this was a different flavor of flirtations than earlier in the day. But they were just as sweet. Husk being open about his feelings felt like a special treat whenever Angel got to hear them. He felt guilty about it sometimes because he couldn't help but think it all stemmed from that one night Husk had caught him trying to leave. And now Husk was laying it on super thick his attraction to make him stay. And still, they hadn’t done anything physical yet.
It wasn't a bad thing, Angel didn't think. It was a fun sort of phase that Angel had never had the chance to properly explore with anybody in Hell. There wasn't often time to build this tension before he got physical with his partners. Everyone here was in a rush. But not Husk.
Husk was holding that line firmly. And Angel was comfortable and happy and falling deeper in love every single day.
With Val there hadn’t been a courting phase. Val had assured him that they had the rest of their life for that. But it never really came aside from random gifts often serving as apologies rather than flirtations.
But Husk…
Angel really hoped he wasn't misreading anything with how he and Husk had been acting. This was courting. This was building towards something. Something good. And he was here for it. Yeah, he'd initially wanted to move fast way back then. But now… he was beginning to realize Husk was onto something with taking things slow.
It was thrilling. It was fun. It was always an adventure to guess what sort of flirt Angel could tease out of Husk down at the bar. Or how he could make the man blush when he invited him back to his room for a movie night.
"miss you s' mch." Husk threw a hand across the bed, paw resting over Angel's waist in a sad attempt of a hug.
Angel grinned at the drunken words. Placing his hand over Husk's and playing with his fingers there. "Missed you too, baby. Why you so drunk?"
Husk just exhaled and flopped back down face first into the mattress. Moments later he started snoring.
Angel shook his head and also curled up on the bed, keeping Husk's paw in his own hands, hoping they fell asleep holding hands and how romantic that would be.