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“Alright legs, finish up your drink.” Husk flicked off the neon signs having over the bartop, and set about cleaning things up behind the counter. Angel was tapping away at his phone, eyes flicking up at Husk for a moment before returning back to the screen.
“Why’re you closin’ up? It’s pretty early. Got a hot date I forgot about?” Angel stuck out his tongue, provoking a chuckle from Husk. He wiped a towel across the counter with one hand, and jerked a thumb off to the side. Alastor’s yellowed grimace shone from all the way across the lobby.
“I’m running an ‘errand’ for him. Not really my call.” Husk’s face glowered into its reflection on the bar, before he shook his head and stowed the towel away. He gestured one hand toward Angel’s drink, and Angel slammed back the last of the pomegranate-colored cocktail before sliding the glass to Husk with a satisfied sigh.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you later tonight, when you get back?” Angel fluttered his lashes, leaning over the bartop. Husk’s look went just a bit darker.
“It’s not a quick one. I gotta drive out to Gluttony, probably gonna be there for a couple of days. So you,” Husk reached across the bar, booping a finger onto Angel’s nose. “Will have to hold things down here and make sure the booze doesn’t run dry.”
Angel piqued an eyebrow, sending one last fleeting text on his phone before turning his attention to Husk.
“Or, just spitballin’ here, how’s about I join you? I’m free for the whole week,” Angel reached across the counter, tracing a finger up from Husk’s bowtie to his chin. “It’s a looong trip from here to Gluttony. Whaddaya say?”
Husk’s eyes flicked to one side. The way his voice caught in his throat, he instinctively knew it wasn’t his call to make. Alastor’s wicked smile cocked with his head to the side, before the subtlest inch of a nod made the grip around Husk’s neck loosen.
“I’d like that,” Husk says, fidgeting a hand at his wrist. “But I get to pick the music.”
“I’ll pack earmuffs,” Angel flourished, standing up from the bar and looking around the lobby. His eyes scanned for familiar faces, but the thing that caught his eye was the luminescent bobbing of an anglerfish lure.
“Oh Baxter!” Angel said, pushing through the crowd of people. The wisp of light tried to speed away from him, but Baxter’s tiny little legs failed to outpace Angel’s strides. Angel’s hand clamped down onto the back of his lab coat, and he whirled around to stare up at him.
“What is it? I’m very busy not being bothered.” Baxter straightened out his golden-lensed glasses and crossed up his arms behind his back.
“I was hoping you could do me – ahem, the hotel, a favor,” Angel put on a scheming tone, “and handle the bar while Husk and I are gone for a few days.”
“Hmm…” He produced a clipboard from behind his back, scanning the front of it. “You want me to ‘handle the bar’? Manage it myself, serve my own beverages?”
“Sure!” Angel couldn’t see the way Husk was vehemently shaking his head and crossing his hands apart.
“That sounds like a satisfactory opportunity to me.” Baxter raised a hand, and Angel shook it with a gleeful fervor that left Baxter dazed and Husk exasperated. Husk barely managed to compose himself by the time Angel got back to him.
“So, I got someone to handle the bar while we’re gone!”
“Yeah, I saw. Thanks,” Husk forced the words out, polishing off Angel’s glass and tucking it away. “Well, we can go ahead and get going. C’mon.”
“Oh, now?” Angel blinked. “Alright, just gimme a second to grab Nuggets.”
“You’re bringing your pig?” Husk questioned, already stepping out from behind the bar.
“Of course! Can’t just leave him. Besides, it’s good luck to bring a pig to Gluttony.” Angel flashed a smile, lacing his fingers into Husk’s hand and tugging him along.
“Is that a real saying? I mean, it’d make sense,” Husk screwed up his face, thinking about it for a few moments as he paced along beside Angel.
“Eh, probably. Better than the ones about porkin’ it,” Angel cackled.
Angel opened up the door to Fat Nuggets thrashing around a rope toy across the floor, the little demon swine’s eyes widening up at seeing his owner. The spots across his body flashed pink as he waddled over and hooved at Angel’s legs, begging to be scooped up and giving a happy oink as he was.
“There’s my widdo guy,” Angel cooed, hefting Nuggets up to his face and nuzzling against his snout. “We’re gonna go on a road trip! You excited?”
Angel turned Nuggets to look at Husk, shining a smile to the gambler looming in the doorway. Husk reached over, ruffling atop the pig’s head.
“Yeah yeah. Well, we got him, we’d better get going,” Husk said, pivoting on one foot from the door and striding off down the hall. Angel locked up his room and was quickly in tow, snuggling his pet into his chest.
The two of them stepped out from the hotel, winding down the street. Husk strayed from the sidewalk, walking across the lawn and leaving Angel following perplexed. Husk twirled a keyring round his finger.
“You got a car?”
“Recently won,” Husk smirked, turning his cheek to meet Angel’s eyes. “Course the keys looked a lot better when they were mixed in with cash. It’ll get us there, though.”
Husk opened the driver’s side of an old-school sedan, rectangular body and rough corners. The blue paintjob was chipping away on the hood, and the interior looked a bit too literally lived-in. Though it wasn’t the worst clunker either of them have been, especially Angel, who swung open the door and settled down into the passenger seat after flicking away some cigarettes and refuse.
“A Crown Veectoria, huh? Classy.” Angel set Nuggets down into his lap, adjusting the seat. His head had barely enough clearance to not scrape the roof of the car.
Husk slid the key into the ignition, and the engine kicked on with a sputter. The radio was tuned to some old-school cigar lounge jazz, piano and sax. He settled a hand down onto the shift knob.
“Alright, you get one stick shift innuendo. Use it wisely,” Husk grinned to Angel, putting the car into gear and rolling off from the hotel.
“So, we’re goin’ to Gluttony. Where abouts?” Angel shifted his shoulders, leaning back into the seat and staring out the window.
“Some podunk farm town, Corpulence. Alastor’s heard about some weird happenings going on there, wanted me to see if they’re true.” Husk shrugged up his shoulders, disbelief on his face.
“Story he told me, shortened and put into plain English: town farms fruit, but in recent weeks there’s been extra comings-and-goings of unmarked trucks. Coincides with the spread of something new, ‘ambrosia’ hitting the streets, these little golden apricot-kinda things. Wants me to see if it’s coincidence, or connection.”
“Huh…” Angel let the low music and the rumble of the tires against asphalt hang for a moment. “Why’s Alastor interested in that?”
“Who knows – he certainly ain’t telling me.” Husk settled back as they drove onto a highway ramp, letting a hand fall from the wheel and steering with just the one on top.
“Scheming, dealing. Maybe just cause he likes yankin’ my chain.”
“Yeah, I know that feelin’ all too well,” Angel muttered, letting off a sigh and fumbling over Fat Nugget’s ears in slow, tender strokes.
Husk stirred up in his seat, taking a hand off the stick and reaching into his waistband. He extended it back out toward Angel, flask in hand. Angel took it wordlessly, tilting his head back and taking a hit off it before passing it back.
“Thanks whiskers,” Angel said, his eyes leaving the roadside for just long enough to see Husk finishing his own sip and depositing the flask back into his waist.
“Don’t have too much now. ‘Drunk Driver Handling Stick’ is one flick I do not wanna be in the sequel for,” Angel cackled, drawing out a groan from Husk.
“There it is, took ya long enough.” Husk gave a dry chuckle, slipping into top gear and revving the engine. The big skyscrapers of Pentagram City gave way to low, sprawling blocks of warehouses and factories under the raised highway, and soon barren, red landscape. The moon hung in the sky, a crimson glow beside the ever-present white nexus of Heaven.
The warm heat of the dash’s vents and the dim light made it a cozy atmosphere. Angel nestled into the crook between the seat and the door, his cheek slumping against the window. It felt nice, getting away. Getting distance from Valentino, too, and being with Husk. He fumbled in his pocket to flick his phone off, then settled his hands down on top of Nuggets, hugging him close.
Angel stirred to the feeling of his shoulder getting shaken. His eyes flicked open to see Husk leaning across from the driver’s seat, a hand brushing over his sleeve.
“Ya have a good nap?” Husk’s smile glinted the streetlights outside.
“Yeah…” Angel said, shifting to sit up. Nuggets was a heavy, asleep brick in his lap, just as out as he was moments ago.
“You got a little– here,” Husk said, wiping a finger against Angel’s cheek. A line of drool had trickled out from the corner of his lips. Any intimacy got dashed as he wiped it away onto Angel’s shoulder.
“Oh thanks,” Angel said flatly, the smile on Husk’s face turning to mischief. He peered out the window. Thick copses of trees were littered across the plains, obscuring the starlight with their silhouette. Their car had stopped in the lot of a sleazy-looking motel, and Angel had to remind himself he wasn’t working for a second as he saw it.
“C’mon,” Husk said, opening his door and swinging his legs out. He straightened up his bowtie and flexed his shoulders, walking around to open Angel’s door for him.
“Now that’s proper gentlemanly behavior, yanno,” Angel smirked, gently working his hands underneath Fat Nuggets and lifting him up secure against his chest. Husk amped it up with a dramatic flourish, bending down and letting his hat roll from his head and along his arm into his hand.
“I figured you’d have your hands full with the pig. Though I guess I forgot, you’ve got spares,” Husk thunked the door shut once Angel had crept out. He pointed ahead toward a room, gesturing a hand behind himself for Angel to follow.
“What, are we breaking in?”
“No, jackass, I already got us a room. You were out.” Husk ribbed an elbow against Angel’s side. “It was cute. Like a little kid on a long roadtrip.”
Husk clicked open the lock with a key, pushing the door open to reveal a bog-standard motel room. One bed, a teeny tiny bathroom, and an antique of a TV. Angel went over to tug a pillow and the cover off the mattress, fluffing it out into a makeshift bed on the floor and depositing Nuggets with care onto it. Husk had already flopped onto the bed and cast his hat aside onto a dresser by the time Angel finished.
“C’mere, legs,” Husk said, rubbing his hands atop the sheets beside him.
“Oh, but I feel so awake now, I couldn’t possibly go back to sleep.” Angel stuck out his tongue, already clambering atop the bed and settling down beside Husk. An arm went around his shoulder, and Husk worked one of his under Angel’s waist. His free hand brushed across Angel’s cheek, and his yellow eyes glowed as he looked into Angel’s.
“Thanks for coming along.”
“Well, I just didn’t wanna be left in that borin’ hotel,” Angel said, his face warming under Husk’s touch. He couldn’t even try suppressing the smile on his lips.
“Uh huh.” Husk let the disbelief drip from his tongue, and he squeezed Angel closer. The two of them went silent, and Husk dropped his head down against a pillow. His breath slowed, and he let off slow, humid huffs against Angel’s chest as he dozed off. Angel tugged his phone out of his pocket, handling it for just a few moments before putting it onto the bedstand and joining him.