Chapter Text
5:30 AM
Angel woke up, sitting upright and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He glanced around, Fat Nuggets was still asleep in the corner of his room. He sighed and forced himself to get up. While he’s getting dressed, his phone goes off, once, twice, he rolled his eyes and grabbed it, a third message coming through as he unlocked his phone. Unsurprisingly, it was Val.
Moth Freak: I need you at the studio by 6:15 amorcito, I can’t wait to see you, I just have so many ideas for shoots
Moth Freak: Angie, respond, don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet again
Moth Freak: Angel, I swear to fuck if you don't get your scrawny twink ass here this moment, I am showing up outside that hotel and te voy a llevar de vuelta al estudio, a ti y a tu estúpido culo amante de las pollas, ahí es donde perteneces, perraa desagradecida.
Angel narrowed his eyes, typed out a quick response, and threw his phone on his bed. He pulled on an outfit that was starched and ironed to perfection, sitting down at his mirror and doing his makeup, slow, careful, perfect. Always, he has to be perfect. He fluffed up his hair and put on his shoes.
11:45 PM
Angel stumbled along the sidewalk, he was more than a little out of it. Today had been a long day, made only more difficult by the fact that Val had him working 16 hours straight on a fucking whim. When he entered the hotel, he was greeted by Husk, who was working at the bar as usual. Everyone else had already gone off to sleep or do whatever they did, Angel didn't exactly care enough to find out. Angel sat down at the bar, glanced up at Husk, and muttered,
“ I need a drink”. Husk scoffed and turned around to grab the nearest bottle of whiskey. The moment the two had gone silent, there was a loud bang and the sound of falling debris. When Angel looked over, he saw a hole where there had been a wall.
“WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THAT WALL?” he yelped, knocking over the glass of whisky Husk had set down mere moments ago.
“So, no drink then?” Husk grumbled before he picked up the glass and began to clean it with a rag. Angel, in a beautiful display of his lack of self-preservation skills, had decided to go and see what had happened. There were three or four dead bodies, not an uncommon sight, this was hell after all. The more interesting part was found behind a large piece of wall that had made itself comfortable, lodged in the dirt. A figure was crouched silently, staring at what had been their three attackers. They glanced up, analysing Angel's face. They stood up, they were almost the same height as Angel, their face schooled into a neutral expression, something so perfect it simply had to be rehearsed.
“What do you want? You pissed about the wall? 'Cause I’ll have you know-” Angel blinks, the voice was so familiar, a distant memory nagging at the back of his head that he couldn’t quite seem to remember.
“I…uh…ya- ya got a little something on your face there,” Angel managed to say after an uncomfortably long silence, vaguely gesturing to a large and very obvious gash. The slightly shorter sinner glared at him
“Gee, thanks. I had no idea.”
“So…what brings you to this side of the pride ring? Most people wouldn't be caught double dead hanging around Charlie's cheesy redemption hotel,” Angel asked pointedly
“Hm, dunno, wasn’t exactly following a tour map while I was getting chased by murderous freaks,” they shoot back. Cool, great, clearly the most pleasant person to be around.
“Angel? You good? I swear to Charlie’s Dad if you got yourself hurt or kidnapped by an insane fan, I’m going to handcuff you to the bar, Valentino be damned.” Husk shouted out, walked over to the glaring hole in the wall, and nearly tripped over a stray brick. Husk faultered, glancing between Angel and the stranger. “...and who is this?”
“The one who blew a hole in your wall,” the sinner snarks back
“Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down?” Husk nearly yells, Why do they even bother replacing that wall at this point. “Besides, you don’t look nothing like any of the usual bums we get around here.”
“Hey! I know you love this b-”
“ANGEL I SWEAR TO FUCK NOW IS NOT THE TIME.”
Angel grins, clearly proud of himself. “So! Are we gonna keep standing out here in this lovely hellish weather, or can we go have a proper conversation? Preferably over some very strong booze.”
“Honest to god, if it'll get you to shut up, fine. Besides, I’m pretty sure there's like six more of those guys looking for me,” the sinner gestures to the corpses, kicking one out of the way as they walk closer to Husk, stepping into the hotel with little difficulty.
Husk groans, “You know I’m the one who has to make the drinks? You literally spilled the last”. Husk gives up once Angel waltzes past him and takes a seat at the bar, waiting expectantly. “You’re impossible Angel.”
Angel scoffs. “Ya love me anyways, now get over here and pour our new friend… acquaintance? Not-arch-rival a drink before I keel over on my feet!”
After Husk had set down the two drinks for Angel and the newly acquainted sinner, he picked up a bottle from under the counter and took a swig. Angel’s eyes followed him with a dumb grin. “So, two of ya a couple?” the sinner huffed. Husk froze in place, nearly choking on his drink
“WHAT.” Husk manages to spit out in between coughs, Angel doesn’t say anything; the lack of a sex joke, or any joke really, is enough of an answer.
2:00 AM
The sinner had decided to stay for the night, after all, who wouldn't want to stay somewhere defended by the radio demon, Lucifer, and a former exorcist angel! Actually, a lot of people probably, a lot of people were probably pissy about the whole former-angel thing, but really, it just meant she had more experience! It was the safest place in hell, all things considered. Angel had gone to bed, Husk already knew how long a day Angel had today; there was no way Husk was letting him stay up all night. Recently, Husk had started forcing him to have any semblance of a sleep schedule. It was out of care, didn’t mean it couldn’t piss Angel off.
After closing up the bar, Husk, despite himself, made his way to Angel's room. He wanted to make sure the spider demon was actually getting rest. “Hey legs, it’s me, is it alright if I come in?”
There's a muffled “mhm,” and the door creaked open. Angel was lying in bed, still fully dressed and staring at the ceiling.
“Fucker really did a number on you, huh?” Husk asked, not judging, worried. Angel nodded, words weren't needed. Husk laid down next to Angel, careful not to accidentally bump into the taller sinner. Once he’s lain down next to Angel, he puts his arm around Angel, moving slowly enough to not startle Angel.
“This alright?” He asked cautiously, not wanting to overwhelm Angel after the day he had. When Angel nodded, Husk relaxed ever so slightly. “So, new guy, huh? You think they’ll stay?”
“Dunno, they're odd, that’s for sure,” Angel muttered without looking at Husk.
“Y’know, they kinda look like you,” Husk noted,
Angel chuckled, “What, you think they’re related to me or somthin?” Husk just stares at Angel pointedly. Angel sits up, exhaustion completely forgotten, “Oh, you have GOT to be joking.”
Back in the lobby, all was quiet, faint footsteps could be heard, then, in the distance, Vaggie’s voice could be heard, “WHERE’D THE FUCKING WALL GO?”
[Spanish translation: I'm going to take you and your stupid cock-loving ass where you belong, you ungrateful bitch.]