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Angel tugged at the hem of his mini-skirt as he tried to keep up with Val. Ever since Vox lost his shit and Angel left the hotel, Val and Velvette have been making appearances all across the pentagram to try to negate the bad press. For Angel, this meant being dragged along by Val as arm candy to every bar, club, and casino imaginable. Tonight was no exception.
When they reached the front of the queue, passing disgruntled sinners who had been waiting as patiently as sinners in Hell could, Angel looked at the posters beside the door
FIZZIES - a member of the OZZIES group
Open mic night
“An open mic night, Val? Really scrapin’ the barrel here ain’t ya?” Angel raised an immaculate eyebrow quizzically at his overlord.
Val glared at him and hissed ”¡Maldito puta, callate la boca!” Grabbing Angel by the upper arms, he slammed him against a wall and said, “Velvette said it’s important for u to be seen at the most influential places, so that’s what we’re doing. If that means showing our faces at some shitty knock-off of a Deadly Sin’s bar, then that’s what we’re doing. ¿Comprendé?”
” Yes, Valentino…”
” Good boy”, Val patted Angel on the ass before heading to the VIP booth that had been reserved for them. The venue was intimate and decorated like a bizarre mix of a circus and a brothel, and it worked somehow. Val had made himself comfortable, manspreading as much as demonly possible before yanking Angel into his lap by his soul chain. An imp waiter scurried up to the booth to take their drink orders. Val ordered a Cuba Libré, and Angel decided on a slippery nipple, mostly because he thought the name was funny. He had to get his laughs somehow in his shitty existence! They were also given a bottle of champagne on the house.
The music quietened, and the lights dimmed until only a spotlight on the stage remained. In the spotlight was a Robo-Fizz that looked a little worse for wear.
“Good evening, Sinners and Hellborn!” cried Robo-Fizz as he sprang to life, “Welcome to Fizzies, the Pride Ring’s branch of the Ozzie’s franchise! I’m Robo-Fizz, and boy, do we have a show for you tonight!” The mechanical facsimile of Fizzarolli bounded about the stage exuberantly. “Tonight’s Open Mic is sponsored by VoxTech, and the best performance will win the chance to have a contract with the Vees!” Angel’s eyes widened in shock at this announcement. He couldn’t let some unsuspecting soul sign their afterlife away to the Vees…
Backstage, Husk was pacing. This was a fucking stupid plan. What was he doing listening to Cherri and Nifty? One’s a pyromaniac, and the other is a tiny psychopath! Still… if there was a chance to help Angel, he had to take it. Nifty had offered Husk the use of her genetically engineered roach orchestra, which he had politely declined. This was going to be ridiculous enough without it.
Ever since Angel had left, Husk hadn’t known what to do with himself. He hadn’t realised how much he relied on Angel’s companionship until it wasn’t there anymore, and it stung. Charlie had tried her best to counsel him, but there’s only so much that good intentions and a sunny personality can do when you’re mourning a friendship. Okay, maybe he felt more than friendship, but he wasn’t about to go down that path. He always said he had lost the ability to love, and he wasn’t about to re-evaluate his entire existence based on a bromance.
The stage manager, a vaguely tree-like sinner, had informed him that he would be the third act on. This gave Husk ample time to have a glass of liquid courage so that he wouldn’t think himself out of what was objectively a stupid idea. He drained the glass of neat whiskey in seconds and savoured the warmth that it left in his throat. The second act was currently on stage. It was an amphibious-looking sinner performing with a pair of bongos. It was odd to say the very least, and, peaking out at the crowd from backstage, Husk could see the audience was less than enthused. That's when he saw him, Angel, sitting in Valentino’s lap, downing ridiculous-looking shots. Husk felt a tight feeling in his chest at the sight.
“Fuck, he looks miserable”, Husk growled to himself. As the bongo act came to an end, Husk took his position in the wings whilst Robo-Fizz prepared to introduce him.
“Well, wasn’t that act something else? Give it up for…” Robo-fizz double-checked his list, “Bobby, the bongo king…? The fuck kind of name is that?” The crowd gave the least enthusiastic applause in history. “Next up with some good old-fashioned Jazz is Husker!”
Angel felt his stomach somersault when he heard that announcement, but tried not to give anything away to Val. Val was short-sighted and just about dumb enough not to realise that this was the same guy he had fought on that day in the V-tower.
Husk stepped into the spotlight in his usual slacks and suspenders, carrying a trumpet. He snaps his fingers a few times to set the pace and then puts the mouthpiece to his lips. He played a jaunty solo, gradually joined by percussion, bass, and piano. After a minute, Husk removed the trumpet from his lips and approached the mic. He took a calming breath, closed his eyes, and began to sing:
Nights are long since you went away
I think about you all through the day
My buddy, my buddy, no buddy quite so true
He tried not to make eye contact with Angel, but he felt the gaze from the VIP section on him and looked up. Their eyes met, and it was electric. Husk, with renewed confidence, sang the next part without breaking eye contact.
Miss your voice, the touch of your hand
Just long to know that you understand
My buddy, my buddy, your buddy misses you
Angel felt the tears begin to sting his eyes and shifted uncomfortably in Val’s lap. Val, distracted by a pair of beautiful sinners that he was trying to recruit, shoved Angel off his lap, much to Angel’s relief. Husk brought the trumpet back to his lips and played a short solo again, and how Angel wished Husk's lips and fingers were playing him so deftly! He felt the heat rise in his cheeks at the thought.
Miss your voice, the touch of your hand
Just long to know that you understand
My buddy, my buddy, your buddy misses you
Husk finished his song with a lingering gaze, winked at Angel when he was sure Val wasn’t looking. Angel smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. Husk hoped that he had done enough to let Angel know how he feels, and how much they all miss him at the Hotel. He left the stage and went to pack away his instrument. He needed to get back. He had taken a risk showing his face here.
“Husk?” His whole body went stiff as a board when he heard that small voice say his name. He turned around to find Angel closing the stage door behind him.
“Angel, what are you…?” he began to ask before he was wrapped in a four-armed hug. He visibly relaxed in Angel's arms and embraced him back. Angel sniffled as he held onto Husk like he was the last safe thing in all of existence. “It’s ok, Legs, I’m here.”
“I thought I told you to forget you ever knew me”, Angel mumbled into the fur on Husk’s head.
“Like that was going to happen, you’re too damn obnoxious to forget”, Husk laughed. Angel chuckled.
“That was a risky thing you did, what if Val had recognised you?”
“What can I say, you can take the cat out of the casino, but you can’t take the casino out of the cat. It was a gamble I was willing to make to let you know that you are missed and still wanted at the Hotel.”
“Husk.. “Angel let out a heavy sigh, “ I can’t go back, I’m a danger to everyone”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it!” Angel flinched at Husk’s angry tone. Husk ran a hand over his face, “I’m not really mad, not with you at any rate.” Husk tilted Angel’s chin so he could look him directly in the eyes. “What I meant to say is, you were never the problem. It was Vox, and the other Vees. We miss you. I miss you.”
Angel’s eyes started to tear up again. “Damn, Kitty, you’re lucky I’m wearing waterproof mascara” Angel released Husk from his arms to wipe his eyes again. “I need to get back to Val before he realises I’m not ‘powdering my nose’.”
”Cherri is literally a phone call away, I can get her here in 5 minutes, blowing a hole in the wall, and Val won’t know you’re gone until it’s too late.” Husk suggested. Angel snorted and shook his head.
”I’m sure she would. Look, I’m not ready to come back yet. But you’ve given me something to think about.” Angel’s lower arms hugged himself as he let out a sigh, “Look… I really gotta go…” as he turned to leave, Husk suddenly realised that he needed to swallow his pride and lay all his cards on the table. He grabbed Angel’s hand and tugged him into a dip. Angel squealed with surprise at the sudden change in his position and looked up at Husk with wide eyes. Husk, with every ounce of courage he had left, kissed Angel. It was soft and chaste to start with, but as Angel realised what was happening, he started to run his hands through Husk’s hair and ran his tongue across his lips, giving Husk permission to explore his mouth further.
After what felt like both an eternity and no time at all, they broke for air. Panting heavily, Angel spoke first. “Santa merda! If I knew you had moves like that, I would have tried harder to seduce you…”
“Have I given you enough to think about now?” Husk asked, still a little high on the serotonin that came with kissing. Angel chuckled again and said, “Yes, now let go of me,” with a playful slap on Husk’s arm.
“I’ll see you back at the hotel then?” Husk asked hopefully.
“Maybe… just give me a little more time”, Angel kissed Husk on the top of his head before walking out the door, back to Valentino. Husk finished packing his gear with a sigh and a silly grin and walked out through the backstage entrance to head home. He’d played his hand; it was all up to Angel now.