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Angel Dust shivered and pulled his blankets higher. He just couldn't get warm. He'd gotten caught out in the ice mist yesterday and couldn't shake it.
Fat Nuggets whined, pawing at the mattress.
"Sorry baby," Angel croaked. He coughed, curling into a forlorn ball of misery. This was worse than the day after one of Valentino's waterboarding shoots. His head weighed a thousand pounds, his body ached, and his hands kept shaking. Like the worst hangover that he didn't deserve.
He was dozing, half-awake, half-miserable when the door to his room creaked open.
"Aw Legs," Husk sighed, big hand warm against the side of Angel's face.
The sick sinner grumbled, leaning into the touch. Smallest eyes blinking up at the cat demon, Angel tried to bat his eyelashes but ended up clutching at his face when the light made him wince.
"C'mon, sit up," Husk said, fighting Angel's grip on the blankets. He fluffed a pillow, helping Angel resettle against the headboard. "There you are, darlin'." A gentle hand carding through sweat-thick white fur. "How you feelin'?"
"Gross," Angel admitted, coughing into a tissue and groaning when it didn't help. "Everything hurts." He was whining but he was sick, damnit, he deserved to whine a little.
"I know it does," Husk murmured, tugging the blankets back up to Angel's chest. "I'll be right back, okay?"
"But..." Angel's eyes stung; he blinked to hide the gathering tears. He was disgusting but all he wanted was company from his favourite person. "...yeah, okay."
"Just hang tight," Husk said into Angel's hair, slipping out of the room as quietly as he'd come into it. Fat Nuggets followed him out.
Angel sniffled, restless hands pulling at the blankets. He couldn't sleep, he'd run out of painkillers and the room wouldn't stop spinning. There were voices in the hallway but trying to make sense of it all just made his head throb.
Sliding back down on the mattress, Angel Dust stared up at the ceiling, seeing none of the mysterious stains because his eyes wouldn't focus. He was burning up and freezing, clutching the blankets to his chin while throwing a foot out to keep cool.
He turned when the muttering at his door resolved into swearing and Husk backing into the room. The cat demon frowned at him and Angel's heart skipped; he wanted to cry. He was making Husk upset, was ruining the day of the man he had been pining for since five minutes after they'd met. Fuck.
"Angel? C'mon, Legs, sit up for me again. Please?" Setting something down off the side of the bed, Husk pulled Angel back up against the headboard. He hummed softly, helping the spider arrange long, trembling limbs.
"Why're you bein' nice to me?" Angel whispered, voice lost to fever. He twisted the blanket between his fingers to keep from reaching out and holding on.
"Because you're not feeling well," Husk said, quiet in the stillness. He met Angel's misty gaze with a gentle smile. Sitting on the side of the mattress, he settled a tray over Angel's lap. "Now, you've got some soup and a hot toddy. Best thing for a cold."
Angel reached for the spoon but his hands wouldn't stop shaking, sloshing soup across the tray. He whined, covering his face because the alternative was spontaneously combusting out of embarrassment.
"Oh darlin'," Husk sighed, making Angel's heart trip in a congested chest. "Let me help." He plucked the spoon from a weak grasp, holding his other hand underneath in case of drips.
A cough hid Angel's whimper when Husk blew across the spoon to cool it. Only soft white fur hid the heat of his blush as he opened his mouth. He'd been fed dicks, drugs, and cum since arriving in Hell but never chicken noodle soup, carefully cooled. If Angel hadn't already been in love with Husk, the soup would have clinched it. He was fully lost when offered the hot toddy; something Husk had refused to make for Charlie when asked at the Sinsmas party.
"It's a waste of whiskey and tea," he'd grumbled, winking at Angel when Charlie's back was turned. They'd laughed together, commiserating the worst drinks they'd ever tried until Angel's cheeks had hurt from smiling.
"Legs?"
Angel Dust startled, only Husk's quick reflexes saving his drink from spilling across the mattress. He'd drifted as they sat in silence, comforted by having his friend close by. But the tray was empty, gifts delivered, and Husk was starting to stand.
"Wait!" Angel cried, fingers tangling into the fur above Husk's wrist. He couldn't help clinging. "Please don't go."
The cat demon straightened, eyebrow raised. "What do you need? You should get some rest."
"I..." Angel sniffled, eyelashes wet as he looked up. "Stay? Please?"
"As you wish," Husk said, smile gentle on his lips as he cupped Angel's cheek. Helping Angel lie back down, Husk settled atop the blankets, closest to the door. "What else do you need, darlin'?"
Angel Dust sniffled, gathered his tattered, misery-dipped courage, and slid closer. Tucking his face into the warmth and darkness of Husk's chest, he closed his eyes. He couldn't smell the musk and smoke of Husk's fur but he finally felt safe.
"I-Is this okay?" Angel whispered, bracing himself to be shoved away. It couldn't hurt more than the tightness already strangling his heart, right?
"It's perfect," Husk whispered, resting his chin against Angel's hair. A wing folded around them like a feathery blanket, and Angel Dust fell asleep to the purr rattling beneath his ear.
And when Husk started sniffling three days later, Angel Dust barged into his room with soup and tissues. He slid beneath the blankets with the man and refused to move. Settled an aching head on his chest fluff and hummed until Husk started purring again.
Then they slept, tangled together because there was nowhere else they wanted to be.