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If you had told Angel about ten hours ago that he would be coming home after a long shift with Valentino feeling even worse than usual, he’d probably take another drag of his cigarette and say that he wasn’t surprised.
But if you told Angel ten hours ago that he’d be coming home knowing that his imminent second death was a mere day away, now that would’ve made him spiral. But alas, here he came, in limping back into that stupid hotel, his eyes wide and his stomach sitting unsteadily inside his body.
Valentino’s words still echoed in his head.
“By Monday, amorcito, you’ll be a nobody. No one will even remember you when I’m done with you.”
Husk, who was still tending bar despite the fact that it was eleven at night, looked over and immediately noticed the expression on Angel’s face. Truth is, the only reason he ever stayed out late was to make sure that the kid made it back okay and didn’t need anything before he crashed in his room and cried himself to sleep.
“You look like shit, legs.” Husk commented, gesturing for Angel to sit in front of the bar. As soon as he did he poured him a ‘harder daddy’, which he knew was his favorite drink, and placed it across the bar.
And Angel didn’t even touch it.
That’s when Husk started to get really worried.
“Okay, this must be serious if you’re not even gonna touch your favorite drink. What’s wrong?” Husk asked, his tone more serious now. He watched the way Angel stared ahead like he was seeing something he wasn’t supposed to. His whole demeanor practically screamed ‘tortured’.
“He’s gonna kill me, Husker.” He finally managed after a minute, his eyes shifting to stare down into his drink. “He said he has no use for me anymore, and that tomorrow, I’m gonna be gone. I don’t know what to do.”
“Excuse me?” Husk placed the bottle of liquor he had in his hand down, his eyes widening slightly.
“I fucked up, whiskers. I pissed him off and now this is my last night alive.” Angel finally picked up the drink the bartender had made him from the table and took a swig from it. “Guess I might as well enjoy it, huh?”
Husk didn’t know how to respond. His first instinct was to stop everything and do everything in his power to prevent him from losing Angel, who had grown to be his anchor in this shitty hotel. “There has to be some way to stop this sort of thing, I mean we have Lucifer and Charlie for shit like this-“
“I already tried. Believe me. I’ll deal with it in the morning.” Angel finished his drink in a final swig, the alcohol flooding his veins and making him forget, just for a second, that his inevitable doom was a day away. “I’ll suck up to him and bat my pretty little eyes, Val will forgive me no problem.”
Husk took the empty glass and turned to wash it. He stared down at the glass for a second, noticing his reflection, before sighing and turning around. “Legs, I-“
Angel leaned over the bar, almost expectant. “Yes?”
“Don’t look at me like that.” Husk’s cheeks flushed a little as he turned his gaze away from the man in front of him.
“But what if I want to?” The pornstar leaned his hand over to pull Husk’s face back to look at him as he gently scratched the underside of it. “Come on, sweetheart, if it’s my last night alive, I might as well make it count.”
Husk hesitated. His eyes were wide and his hands suddenly felt too heavy at his sides.
Angel’s hand moved from under his chin to his cheek, eyes flickering to his lips as he leaned in just a little closer. Then, from there he waited to make sure the other wanted it. It might’ve been his last night alive – well, alive in hell at least, but he wasn’t going to force someone into a romantic altercation with him. He was a pornstar, not a dickhead.
Husk sighed. Fuck it.
The gap closed and it was just as perfect and messy as they’d both imagined. Angel’s back had hit the table of the bar sooner than either had expected, but of course, neither were complaining.
The kiss broke due to someone clearing their throat behind the two of them.
“Ahem.” Vaggie coughed. “Go upstairs, guys, please don’t fuck on the bar countertop.”
“Sorry vagina,” Angel picked Husk up and waved to the fallen angel as he made his way upstairs. After he was up the staircase, he looked at Husk. “My room or yours?”
“Mine smells like booze and cigarettes, I don’t really know if that’s what you’d be in the mood for.” Husk shrugged his shoulders.
“Well mine smells like sex, so maybe mine would be better for tonight.” Angel pushed his door open and practically threw Husk onto his bed, closing the entrance to his room behind him. He didn’t even bother grabbing anything else that he would usually use in shoots. He just wanted Husk right now.
Husk grabbed the man by his collar and pulled him down, kissing him a second time. Angel’s hands landed on his waist as he pressed the older into his bedframe, running his hands around to his back and then down from there.
Husk’s hands became busy around Angel’s front, trailing his hands down his front, staying gentle – as he knew the other was used to rough shoots. As his hands landed on his waist, he trailed around to the front before pulling back from the kiss.
“I’m not gonna be like those rough bastards you shoot with,” Husk smiled, knowing that would probably relax Angel a little bit. “We do this your way, okay?”
Angel smiled – a genuine one, not one of the fake ones he put on for acting. “Thanks, whiskers.” He wrapped his arms around him, silently letting him take control for the night ahead.
-
Angel woke up the next morning with less of an ache than he expected, knowing damn well that he was naked under the sheet that was covering both him and Husk. He gently moved one of the other’s wings that was covering him and slid out of bed, pulling his clothes back on.
Then, reality hit him.
Fuck, he had to go suck up to Valentino or he was toast.
Husk woke up while Angel was still putting his clothes on, groaning and rubbing his head. “Legs?” He called out his nickname for the other, noticing the frantic way the other was pulling his clothes on. “You okay?”
“No. I gotta go suck up to Valentino before he smites my ass.” Angel Sighed, pulling his suit-vest on and checking how he looked in the mirror. In the reflection, he could see that Husk was now rolling out of bed and putting his own clothes on.
“I’m coming with.” Husk said. It wasn’t a question, it was a demand- but the other was still skeptical.
“I don’t know, Husk, you know how Val can be with me. I don’t want you to see me get-“ Angel paused, not sure what the right word to use would be.
“Raped? Abused?” Husker put his top-hat on before pulling on his jacket. “I’m going to come with you, that wasn’t a question. Valentino can kiss my ass for all I care, I’m keeping you safe whether you want it or not.”
“That’s… awfully nice of you, whiskers.” Angel smiled. “Well, we better get going before I just drop dead.”
-
Angel walked into his workplace with Husk trailing behind him like a bodyguard with a gambling addiction for a weapon. He glanced around the place, noticing that there was a couple different shoots going on, but no Valentino in sight.
“Valentino’s in his office,” one of the workers said to Angel, almost as if she could sense what he was thinking. Angel sighed. He hated that office because he’d had so many unspeakable things done to him in there. But he had to suck up or die, so that made the choice easy.
His office smelled like that sex smoke he always blew out of the cigarette he held, but Angel was used to that stench by now. Husk trailed in behind him, silently glaring at Valentino, who was passed out in the couch in his room.
“Val?” Angel spoke quietly, watching as the moth-demon slowly got up from his couch. “Hey, look, I’m really sorry about what happened last night, it was just… I got a little carried away in this hotel thing with Charlie, I spoke…” He breathed out through gritted teeth. “Out of line.”
Husk hadn’t even known what had happened between Angel and Valentino previously, but now he could piece it together. Angel had spoke up for himself, Valentino got pissed, and now they were here. He was so close to the moth demon, maybe he could jab an umbrella into him or something-
“God, it is too early to deal with your SHIT Angel!” Valentino threw a glass from his desk directly at Angel, who ducked, and instead, it hit the wall. “Fix me a prairie oyster and maybe I’ll think about talking.”
Angel grabbed Husk’s wrist and yanked him around the corner before Husk could think of decking that sorry excuse for an overlord.
“You really just let him treat you like that?!” Husk gestured back at the man’s office as they approached the kitchenette in the building, flinging his hands up into the air afterwards. “He’s a sorry excuse for a fucking overlord-“
“And he also owns my soul, Husker. Now help me make a prairie oyster.” Angel crouched down into the cabinet. “Fuck, what’s in a prairie oyster, uh… raw eggs-“
“Worchester sauce, salt and pepper, vinegar,” Husk reached into the cabinet and pulled out what he was saying as he was saying it and placing it on the counter, already getting a mug to start mixing all of the ingredients in.
Angel smiled, seeming a little more relaxed given that Husk clearly knew what he was doing. “You sure know your hangover cures.”
“Can’t be a bartender without knowing at least a few of them.” He cracked a couple of eggs into the mug before washing his hands, and Angel seemed to pick up on the fact that he could continue making it without the other.
“You really know your shit, huh?” He leaned over, shaking the salt a couple times. “I like a knowledgeable man.”
“Last night proved that enough, believe me,” Husk leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to Angel’s shoulder – because that’s all he could reach, even on his tippy toes. Angel did a shake of pepper and a swing of vinegar into the mug before smirking and leaning closer to the cat-demon.
“You missed,” He leaned down, pressing his lips to Husk’s after a moment, holding the back of his head and stumbling to press him back against the countertop right next to the hangover cure, keeping the kiss slow.
“Prairie oyster!” Valentino’s voice cut through the studio like a banshee. Angel sighed and hesitantly pulled himself off of his shorter boyfriend and grabbed the mug off the counter with the finished concoction.
The pornstar thought for a minute. “Hah, here’s my revenge, I’m gonna put a flemglobber in his prairie oyster.” He hacked up spit for a second.
Husk bent over and looked through the cabinet again as he put everything that was on the counter back, spotting something as he put the last item away. “I’m more of a drain cleaner guy myself,” he got out a bottle of drain cleaner from under the sink and put it on the table.
Angel spit in the cup and looked over. “Don’t be silly, that stuff would kill him.”
“Thus, ending his hangover, and also most of your problems.” Husk took another cup from under the sink – identical to the one that Angel was holding – and pouring blue drain cleaner into it. “We could hide it in this mug, then he’d drink it and probably just drop dead.”
“Woah, Husk, there could be serious repercussions for that.” Angel put both pairs of his hands up. “Let’s not be too rash here.”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, legs,” Husk placed the mug down and reached his hands up, cupping Angel’s face. “We’ll do this together, okay? I’ll try to not let you suffer on your own again, you deserve the support.”
Angel didn’t respond, just leaned down with a lovesick smile and kissed the male, holding it for a few seconds before reaching over to the counter with his eyes still closed and grabbing one of the cups, then he pulled away.
Husk noticed the wrong liquid in it immediately. He didn’t comment on it though, just let Angel wipe his lips and make his way back towards his boss’s office. When they re-entered the room, Valentino got up, glancing at Husk before he looked at Angel.
“Alright,” He didn’t even take the hangover cure yet. “Beg.”
Angel seemed a bit embarrassed to be doing this in front of Husk. He hesitated for a second. “Look, Val, I’m really sorry, please, I won’t do it again, I-“
“I’d actually prefer if you did this on your knees,” Valentino gestured to Husk with his cigarette, smiling sadistically. “In front of your boytoy here!”
Husk’s wings flared and he almost growled, but Angel placed a hand up to hopefully get him the message to be quiet.
Angel did it no hesitation. He collapsed to his knees. Valentino didn’t even need anymore than that, he simply took the cup out of his hands and began rising it towards his lips. “Good boy.” He placed the cup to his lips before taking a long sip of it.
At first, nothing happened. Husk’s eyebrow raised as if he was awaiting something. Then Valentino took another sip and began sputtering. “What the fuck is this? This isn’t a prairie oyster!” He looked at Angel. “You lousy little bitch, you tricked me! What is this shit?!”
Angel, who was none-the-wiser, put his hands up. “Val, I don’t know what you’re talking about, I swear!”
Valentino coughed once, then twice, then he coughed up a thick blue liquid before gesturing to his throat, like he couldn’t breathe. Angel almost went in and saved him, but Husk grabbed his arm and held him back as the overlord collapsed.
“Oops, you grabbed the wrong cup. Honest mistake, but we need to go before someone sees this.” He glanced around before grabbing Angel tighter and exiting out of the emergency exit, flying him back towards the hotel.
It seemed to hit Angel once they were in the sky. “Holy shit, I just killed my boss.”
“And your worst enemy.” Husk added.
“Same difference!” Angel waved off the statement. “Holy shit, what happens now? Surely one of the other vees are gonna come find me, and then they’re gonna fucking kill me, now I’m dead twice! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuckkk..”
“I’m sure Alastor would be happy to beat up Vox or Velvette for you,” Husk pointed out. “We’ll figure it out once we get to the hotel. For now, don’t worry your pretty little head about anything, okay?”