Chapter Text
"You cannot be serious."
Charlie stood before them, hands clasped, bouncing on her toes. "I'm sure it’ll work!"
Husk and Angel shared a look. Fat Nuggets paced at their feet, snuffling the hotel’s carpet.
They'd just come back from date night, a beautiful dinner the two could afford in some sketchy diner that actually had half decent food. Husk felt buzzy and warm from the beers he'd drank, hand pressed warmly in Angel’s.
The spider himself had been swimming in soft emotions up until stepping back into this hotel and being bombarded by Charlie Morningstar.
It was only a couple weeks after the fiasco of the extermination. Angel and Husk had gone on a couple dates by now, but this was the first time they'd managed to take Fat Nuggets with them on date night. Angel had reservations about taking his sometimes-aggressive piggy out in public. But surprisingly Fat Nuggets was supremely well-behaved — shocking both his parents.
Fat Nuggets had stayed in either Angel’s or Husk’s arms throughout the night. And he only growled once at the waiter when he'd stepped too close to Angel.
Since the little piggy had been so good, the two had decided to take a stroll throughout Pentagram City back to the hotel. Let Fat Nuggets get his energy out and smell the smells of the city. The poor little piggy was always cooped up inside and Angel wanted to get him a little more used to the outside world. Didn't want the hotel to be the only thing Fat Nuggets knew.
So they walked back to the hotel, Angel being supremely preoccupied with the feeling of Husk's hand in his. How warm he felt. How loved. How happy.
Not everything in Hell was perfect. In fact, only a couple weeks ago Husk had nearly died on him. Angel fought the urge to try and kill Alastor every time the radio demon was in his presence for what he'd done to his partner. For sending him out alone in the extermination to most demons's certain doom.
But Husk had recovered quickly. And Fat Nuggets had pooped out the piece of the microphone he'd eaten. His little piggy no longer had shadow powers… thank satan. Angel didn't know what he would do if Fat Nuggets had kept those insane powers. The piggy was chaotic and violent as is. With shadow powers? He'd managed to make Alastor bleed.
That was scary. That was real scary.
But Charlie made Alastor apologize and promise to never hurt the piggy or mess with him again. Husk had gotten an apology as well that was literally just the word 'sorry' scrawled on a napkin.
Well… it was better than nothing.
They'd thought no one would be up in the hotel when they returned, and here the princess of Hell stood, blurting out her stupid plan.
"You can't just ask overlords nicely to free their souls." Angel pointed out with a frown. "Are you fuckin’ crazy? Don't you remember what happened when you talked to Val?"
Charlie wilted but only slightly before perking up again. "But that time I was asking for him to give you time off! Now that we know the hotel somewhat works, he'll be more inclined to let you go."
"No he won't-"
"What does Alastor think of all this?" Husk interrupted, looking skeptically at Charlie.
"He… he doesn't know." Charlie wilted again, but then lit up. "But he did write those apologies! I'm sure if we ask nicely, he'll let you go, Husk."
Angel gaped at the princess. Didn't she remember that the only reason Husk had gotten hurt was because of Alastor. What the hell was she thinking trying to get all the overlords together to just ask nicely for them to return their souls to their proper owners?
Husk looked up to Angel.
Angel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Do you really think inviting all the overlords to the hotel is the best idea?"
"Well, I have to do something." Charlie pointed out, cocking her hip. "And my dad said I can't free you guys manually so we have to ask them to give you up of their own free will. Just like you guys gave away your souls of your own free will. It’ll be easy."
Angel had never been more skeptical of this in his life. Sometimes Charlie was brilliant. But sometimes she was so naïve to how the world actually worked it made her look stupid. Because this plan… idiotic.
A paw pressed to the small of Angel's back. He looked down to see Husk there with a sympathetic expression. He understood Angel’s apprehension better than most.
Over their date nights they talked and talked. Husk admitted some of the abuse he was under with Alastor in the hotel and before. Angel talked more about how he got mixed up with Val in the first place. His fears, his regrets.
The more they talked the more similarities they found in each other.
Husk wasn’t sexually abused by Alastor but he was humiliated and suffered cannibalistic tortures that could rival Angel’s own trauma with Valentino. And while Angel had been love bombed and provided with gifts to be manipulated in coming back to the studio, Alastor took everything Husk had so that the cat-demon was forced to be dependent on the radio-demon for his survival. Didn’t even have a shirt to his name.
It was fucked up. Angel was ashamed for not realizing it sooner.
Husk turned back to Charlie. "Why don't you sleep on this plan. We can talk more about it in the morning. After we've had some rest."
Charlie said nothing, her face flushing.
Oh no. Angel did not like that look on her.
"Charlie…" He started, reading the guilt and regret easily on her face. "What did you do?"
She dawdled, bouncing from leg to leg. "I- I may have… already sent out invitations."
“To everyone?” Husk asked.
Charlie bit her lip and nodded.
"You- what?!" Angel looked at her in dawning horror.
That meant overlords were coming to the hotel. That meant Valentino was coming here. To the hotel. To his safe haven. To the place he went to to escape Val. Charlie had invited him.
Angel automatically bent down to scoop up Nuggets, he held him close to his chest, protectively.
Val was coming to the hotel.
"But they're not coming until tomorrow!" Charlie continued, looking frantically between Husk and Angel's stricken faces. She clearly didn't realize why they were so upset. "You have time to rest and then- then tomorrow you will be free people! I'm sure of it."
Husk and Angel stood frozen in fear as the princess bounded off, confident in her plan. But Angel and Husk were less than confident. And Fat Nuggets was none the wiser, licking at Angel's chin and oinking softly.
Angel knew Charlie was planning something since witnessing the severity of Husk's wounds after the extermination. But he’d thought her plan would be more sensible than this. This was… lunacy. Actually insane.
When he saw the red string up on the wall and heard her muttering about soul contracts, he’d stepped in, offering his two cents on the matter. He’d pointed out that Lucifer was staying in the hotel now, perhaps he could do something about contracts. Forcefully break them. The guy already hated Alastor, maybe he wouldn’t mind cutting Husk’s chain. Setting him free.
Then he and Husk overheard her talking to her father and Lucifer had said that they couldn't free souls of their own volition. It wasn't right. It would mean free will would not be an inherent right to human souls anymore.
Angel hadn't loved hearing about that conversation, Husk either. The two talked to each other afterwards thinking that the way Lucifer talked about it, it was like he could do something. He just didn't want to because of… karma or something?
It hadn't made any sense to the spider. If Lucifer saw injustice in the world, why the fuck wasn't he doing something about it when he could?
The day after, Husk approached the king, bringing it up again in a much more sensible manner than Angel would’ve. Husk made some points about how Earth worked and how they dealt with discrimination and abuse and inequalities. But Lucifer hadn't been receptive to Husk's talk, simply saying that Earth was a different matter. And it was still human souls down here in Pride, if they could figure it out on Earth, they could do so again in Hell.
And the most infuriating thing was that Charlie had listened to all of that and didn’t stand up for Husk nor Angel not once! She'd simply taken her father's side but promised them that she would find another way to free them.
And apparently this was the other way.
"I can't believe her." Husk muttered, dumbfounded as Angel felt.
Stupid tears welled in Angel's eyes and he hugged Fat Nuggets closer.
He’d only brought it up to Charlie for Husk’s sake. Wanting his partner to be free from Alastor’s psychotic abuse. He thought she’d come up with something safer than inviting all her literal enemies to the hotel. To their home.
Now it wasn’t just getting Husk away from Alastor.
She’d gotten Val involved… again.
The last time Charlie had gotten involved with Valentino, he'd had the worst week of his life for her actions. Now that she had invited him to the hotel, hoping to ask her idiotic, stupid questions of freedom, Angel could only imagine what sort of abuse he'd have to endure to 'make it up' to Val. Perhaps his boss would force him to stay in the studio long term. He'd done that before. Angel did not treasure the memories.
"Are you okay?"
Angel shook his head, pressing a shaky kiss to Fat Nuggets head. He didn't think he could speak right now as terror and anger warred within him. Had Charlie learned nothing? Why did she think this was such a good idea? It was the worst! The worst idea she'd ever had — and she'd had loads of bad ideas before. He'd thought she was getting better. Thought she was finally understanding the soul contracts.
But perhaps the sign when she'd declared 'sanctuary' on Husk's behalf was a sign that she really, really didn't. That she simply thought she could make up the rules. That if she just talked sternly to overlords — as she'd done with Alastor — they'd simply bow at her feet and do whatever she asked.
That wasn't how the world worked. Angel knew that, Husk knew that, even Fat Nuggets fucking knew that.
She probably thought that she hadn't been stern enough with Val last time — idiotic thinking.
Angel knew better. If it wasn't Val’s way, he'd lash out at the closest person to him — oftentimes Angel. But Angel wasn’t the only one at risk of getting hurt this time. Husk was also on a leash. He was also affected by this.
"What do you think Al is gonna do to you?" Angel asked, forcing his feet to move forward, to get the three of them back to his room for a late night debrief and cuddle session. He was so angry at Charlie for spoiling his lovely date night. He’d been so happy not ten minutes before. But she just knew how to wreck his mood like none other.
Husk followed, wrapping a wing over Angel's shoulders in a comforting side-hug. "Nothing good, I'm sure. I'm worried for you though."
"I can't believe she invited him to the hotel." Angel bit out as betrayed tears fell down his face. He threw open his bedroom door, making sure Husk and Nuggets got in safely. "What was she thinking?!"
Husk shrugged, taking Nuggets from Angel's arms and setting him down so that he could run to his water bowl and get some much needed water.
"We have to do something." Angel sat down on his bed with Husk. "Val can't be here."
Husk nodded. "I'll take down your door decorations, make sure he doesn't know which room is yours. Might help."
Angel hadn't even thought of that. Hadn't thought to protect himself with anything else other than maybe his guns or sex. He hadn't thought to hide his home. And why should he?! He never thought Val would come here. That's why he came here in the first place!
And now Charlie fucking invited him. What the fuck?!
"If she invited all overlords, that means Vox might be coming too.” Husk hummed. “Alastor is going to hate that."
"Fuck, I didn't even think-"
"It's okay-"
"No it's not!" Angel snapped, hands clenching into fists. He'd been trying so hard to be considerate of Husk after he found out how deep the abuse was with Al. He'd been trying to actively take more care with Husk, anticipate his needs more, not just assume he was okay with everything. "I'm trying to be a better partner, stop minimizing your problems. This affects you too, I know."
Husk pressed his lips into a line and nodded at the admonishment.
"Is he gonna make you do fucked up things to him?" Angel guessed.
"Probably."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"It's not."
Husk sighed, shaking his head. "Val will do fucked up things to you as well. We can't forget that."
"And Nugs," Angel realized with horror, looking over to where his perfect little pig was splashing more water out of his bowl than drinking it.
Nuggets had no idea who was coming over tomorrow. He remembered when the pig had been so small — the size of a teacup when Val had gifted him to Angel — now he more resembled a bowling ball.
Angel remembered the abuse that had happened in the tower. The abuse Val inflicted. The final straw. Angel shuddered at the memories.
Husk also turned to look at Nuggets. "He can stay up here for whatever it is Charlie has planned."
Angel nodded.
With the decorations taken down, hopefully Val wouldn't be able to find Angel's room if he snooped. Wouldn't be able to find Fat Nuggets. His baby had to stay safe.
But ever since his stint with radio demon powers, Fat Nuggets had figured out how doors work. And he'd gotten slightly bigger too, more agile, stronger.
During Husk and Angel's first date night, the two had left Fat Nuggets in Angel's room. Sure that the little piggy could be safe on his own for a couple hours. But when they returned home, Charlie was babysitting the pig, claiming that he had just wandered downstairs on his own.
No one knew how he'd escaped.
That was until one morning Angel awoke to a panicked Nuggets snuffling around the pillow Husk had slept on that night. With no sign of Husk in the room, Fat Nuggets had cried and whined at Angel running to the door and back to him.
Too tired, Angel hadn’t actually realized the problem. He knew Husk probably just went down to start work.
But Fat Nuggets hadn’t understood.
After begging for a few minutes, he took it into his own hooves and leapt onto Angel’s vanity next to the door.
Angel was too drowsy to really stop him. Fat Nuggets liked being on his vanity sometimes, Angel didn’t see the issue with it until Fat Nuggets leapt off of it.
Teeth wrapping around the door handle, the weight of Fat Nuggets little body managed to open the door an inch and Fat Nuggets let go, dropped to his hooves and scrambled out into the hallway.
It was terrifying.
Thankfully, Angel had managed to grab the little piggy before he got too far.
Afterwards, he and Husk had spent the better part of the evening moving furniture away from the door so that Nuggets wouldn't jump off things like that again.
It should work, Angel hoped. He didn't want Fat Nuggets anywhere near whatever overlord conference Charlie was hosting. His baby didn't need that stress. The little guy was stressed enough as is whenever Husk and Angel were gone. Hence why they'd taken him out on date night this time. But now… Angel was skeptical of how many more date nights he'd be able to have after whatever fucked shit Charlie was pulling.
Fat Nuggets wondered why nobody was sleeping. He padded between Husk and Angel's legs, looking up at his dads with concern as the two talked with big words that Fat Nuggets didn't know.
It was late in the evening and usually he'd be asleep by now. But he'd just had the best day with his dads. He'd gotten to leave the hotel! He'd gotten to eat yummy foods and smell the air and the street and the sidewalk and he didn't get shoved into a dumpster with Angel to survive the scary day. It was fun!
Of course, Fat Nuggets had been skeptical of if it would be fun. He'd only been outside a couple times and usually Angel was stressed when he was. But not this time! Angel had been happy. Husk had been happy. So that made Fat Nuggets happy!
He was glad to see that his parents were happy and hanging out together and cuddling Fat Nuggets and slipping him bits of their yummy yummy food. It had been the best night Fat Nuggets had had in a while. He hoped for more days like this! He wanted to go outside more! Wanted to see his parents happy and not scared by the people that held their leashes.
Since Fat Nuggets had bitten the radio man, the Strawberry had given him a wide berth. Husk too. And Fat Nuggets hadn't seen the moth man since Angel and him had moved to this hotel. Just a distant memory now.
But god, Fat Nuggets missed his shadow powers. He'd felt so cool and powerful with his shadows. He felt like a proper protector! A proper little pig protecting his family.
Because Angel and Husk needed someone to protect them from the big, bad men. And even though Fat Nuggets didn't have shadow powers any more, he was still trying his best to keep his dads safe.
And right now it was sleeping time. But his parents weren't going to sleep. They were just talking. And talking. And talking.
Fat Nuggets whined petulantly. His dads should sleep! Fat Nuggets was tired! He wanted to sleep but there was something about his dads body language, especially Angel. Angel looked stressed, sad, scared. Fat Nuggets didn't like it. He wanted Angel happy as he had been earlier in the night.
Fat Nuggets licked Angel's shin comfortingly. Wanting his dad to be okay again. Wanting him to be happy and safe and cuddling Fat Nuggets and giving him yummy yummy food.
"Are you tired baby?" Angel scooped Fat Nuggets up and placed him in his lap.
Yes, but I'm worried about you. Fat Nuggets tried to oink back. But he knew his parents could barely understand him.
"He senses your stress." Husk supplied for him.
Husk was good at that, Fat Nuggets noticed. Husk knew how Fat Nuggets communicated and could sometimes translate for him.
Angel petted Fat Nuggets sides comfortingly. "Is that so, baby? Don't worry. I'm going to try and keep you safe, I promise."
But that's my job! Fat Nuggets oinked, licking at Angel's hand, trying to convey that Angel should relax and just let Fat Nuggets handle whatever it was that was stressing him out. If it was something he could bite, he absolutely would. He was really good at biting people and things. Even better than Angel. Angel never bit anyone. Husk either. And that was their problem! They needed to start biting people. Then people would back off! Like Alastor had backed off!
It was a foolproof plan. He’d just bite whatever was bothering his dad.
Fat Nuggets oinked drowsily, finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open.
"Sleep, Fatty." Husk soothed, another warm hand petting his little rump. "We'll take care of you."
Fat Nuggets wanted to argue, but sleep was so tempting. He was warm and happy and even though his parents were stressed, Nugs had had a good evening with them. The best evening ever actually.
And with that thought, Fat Nuggets drifted off into a content sleep.