Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Husky? Husk... Ya can't keep avoiding me foreva, we live in the same hotel." 

Angel Dust stood outside Husker's room in the newly constructed Hazbin Hotel. He had tried to open it already and found it locked. He hadn't heard a peep from inside but knew for a fact the cat demon was in there. 

"C'mon ya idiot... I'm trying to apologize here, work with me, damnit..." he hit his fist against the strong wooden door. It echoed hollowly in the empty hallway. "I can't apologize right if I don't know what I did, yeah? So... just... tell me what I can do. Don't... don't lock me out, baby. Haven't we been through enough together to-" 

The door suddenly swung open and banged against the opposite wall harshly. Husker stood with clawed fists bunched up tightly. He callously shouldered his way past the arachnid demon who balked at the gesture. "The fuck, Husker?!" 

The feline stalked down the hallway with an aggravated gate, and Angel Dust was able to catch up with him quite quickly, high heels thunking dully on the carpet. "You can't keep doing this, Husk! Talk to me!" 

A low grumble was his only answer. Husker rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead with a low sigh but continued his journey down to the bar in the lobby. He whipped his tail over the bar top and wrapped it around several bottles of whisky that he pulled free from their shelves before turning on his heels, apparently planning to head back to his room to drink himself stupid. A pang of hurt shot through Angel's heart. The old drunk would rather get so shit-faced he couldn't stand than talk to his friend. He shouldn't be surprised, not at all, and yet it still stung. He thought things were better but... it wasn't like he wasn't used to being proven wrong. 

As the feline passed him refusing to make eye contact, Angel crossed his arms and turned to follow. So many thoughts were churning and crashing in his brain that it was hard to keep up. It made his head pound like he had a raging hangover. He furrowed his brow and continued to walk after Husker, trying to keep his temper down but realizing it was going to be a losing battle. "You're a lot of things, Husky-baby, but I didn't figure coward was one of them." 

Husker came to an abrupt stop in front of him, the bottles looped tightly in his tail jingled loudly. "The fuck you say?"

"You heard me, Whiskers. You talk big about hatin’ fake bitches like me, but you ain't much betta huh? What're ya hiding?" 

"S'not like that, kid. Get off my back." 

"Baby, if I was on your back you'd know it," the arachnid smirked and sauntered forward, all four hands on his swaying hips. But before he could open his mouth to say more the feline stormed forward once again while raising his middle finger. Scoffing Angel took off, his long (and perfect) legs flinging him in front of his demon compatriot with ease. He stood to his full height and extended all six of his arms to effectively block off the rest of the hallway. "Husk! TALK TO ME!" 

The slighter demon stopped, his eyes hidden beneath the brim of his hat. His tail swished atop the carpet slowly, back and forth in a serpentine manner. His fists were still clenched and the fur on his shoulders was puffed up in aggravation. "Why'd ya do it, Angel?" 

It was his turn to be confused. Angel blinked several times as his arms slowly lowered. "What?" 

"That stunt you pulled after Adam was shanked." 

"What? You mean you're pissed at me pick-pocketing? The hell man! Petty theft is what all this is about?" he scoffed and retracted his extra arms as he rolled his eyes. "Guess 'curiosity killed the cat' doesn't work on you, huh?" 

"You forgot, 'but satisfaction brought him back!' " Husk retorted, finally raising his head. The shadows under his eyes were darker than normal and Angel could swear that his lashes were wet. "No, this ain't about you rummaging through some dead prick's pockets." 

"Then what is this about?!" 

"It's what you found, Angel!!!" 

Silence. Angel faltered just a touch, taking the smallest step backwards. "Huh? You mean that weapon thing?" 

The memory of that moment came flooding back like a tidal wave into his mind. He had snuck off from the group to rummage through the pockets of the fallen angels to see what type of heavenly goodies he could find. None of the exorcists had anything of interest, so the answer was obvious... Adam was the biggest dick in the known universe, and somehow he got his wings even though he was a duplicitous bitch with a god-complex. Surely he'd have to have something worth having. 

And yet... what Angel found in the pockets of those robes took them all by surprise. At first it looked like a massive silver pocket watch, he was just barely able to hold it in one hand. It had intricately carved cloud designs to the outside cover, and it was still warm to the touch from where it had been against Adam's body. Angel’s mind was racing about how much money he could sell it for as he opened the case front. For a moment he saw his reflection in the shiny face of the watch, but within a split second a blinding light overcame him. He heard distant screams of shock and panic. 

He dropped whatever it was to the ground to cover his eyes with his hands, cursing in pain as he did so. He heard approaching footsteps for a moment but as he turned his head towards them, all movement stopped. 

Charlie gasped from somewhere to his right. "Wh-what?” 

"Oh no..." Lucifer's normally joyful voice had lost all warmth. 

Husker's voice sounded small and horribly frightened.  "Angel?" 

As his vision slowly cleared, Angel lowered his hands."I... What happened?" The fuzzy outline of his found family slowly regained their solidity. Each of their faces were painted in a mixture of confusion, awe, and fear. "What're ya lookin' at me like that for? Did that thing do something to me?" he reached to pat his body and to his surprise, felt no fur against his chest. He glanced down and only saw one pair of hands pressed against soft, pale skin . He felt the breath get stuck in his throat. He raises a hand up to touch his cheeks... smooth. No extra eyes. He flexed, no extra arms protruded from him. An exhale fell out of him as if he had been punched in the chest and he pushed himself backwards, scrambling away from the angelic item in a panic. "THE FUCK, MAN?!" 

"Those maniacs finally did it..." Vaggie's voice broke through his own pounding heart in his ears. 

Lucifer walked forward cautiously, narrowing his eyes darkly as he observed the silver bauble. "What is this, Vaggie?" 

"For years the exorcists were talking about creating a weapon that could... return a demon to their human form to make-" she choked and wrapped her arms around her chest, looking away sharply. 

"Make them easier to kill..." Lucifer hissed darkly. With the tip of his cane he pushed the case front closed, hiding the face of the watch. "Fucking bastards. But why didn't Adam use it?" 

"Probably enjoys the 'hunt' too much, the cabrón." 

Lucifer snorted derisively. " Enjoyed ..." he tilted his head and squinted his eyes. " 'Final judgment'... Fucking prideful moron, could probably have won if he hadn’t had his head shoved so far up his own ass…" he slid the bottom of his cane through the loop of the item’s chain to lift it up. Again, on the polished surface, Angel was able to see his reflection. The face of a 35 year old man. Large dark brown eyes with a dusting of freckles at the high points of his cheeks. Thick, wavy ash blonde hair tumbled down over part of his face. He was slender with long toned legs drawn up tightly beneath him. This was the body he used and abused until it finally gave out on him on Earth. 

"Wh-wait! What're you doin'?! Can't it change me back too? Am I stuck like this?" Angel's mind was running a mile a minute, did this make him vulnerable again? He had gotten too used to decades of the benefits of being nearly immortal to ever go back to being as fragile as a human. He looked between Lucifer and Vaggie desperately, his eyes brimming with tears. 

The King of Hell gave a weary sigh and glanced at Vaggie despondently. "I wouldn't know, Angel, I'm sorry. This type of thing hadn't even been considered during my time upstairs." 

"They had only begun testing that type of technology when I was... one of them," Vaggie was unable to look anyone in the eye, her head was still cast down as she rubbed her arm nervously. "I don't... I don't know. I'm sorry." 

Sat in the rubble of what was once his home, Angel cast a disbelieving and horrified glance to the body of Adam, up to the King of Hell and then towards his friends. Everyone looked so pale, well paler than usual, and uncertain. But Husker? Angel Dust felt his heart stop seeing the look on Husker's face. Expression hard as stone, eyes cold as ice traced Angel's body slowly. Not curiously, predatorily, appraisinging... disgusted . 

When their eyes met, Husker turned on his heels and headed back towards what remained of the hotel. If Angel could break into a thousand pieces and scatter into the wind, now would be the time. He barely heard Lucifer offering him a hand, but he took it in a daze. Any other voices were barely audible as the only thing he could focus on was the retreating back of the bartender. 

It didn't seem to matter that within a matter of minutes Angel had crumbled to the ground in the biggest surge of pain he had ever felt. It felt like the time he had to jump out of a moving car times a hundred. Everything hurt, from the tips of his toes to the hair on his head. He was grateful in retrospect that when he died he just woke up in his arachnid body, he didn't have to spawn into it. The eruption of his extra limbs was something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. And the aftershocks of the pain left him shivering in a cold sweat for about a half hour. Everyone rallied around him. Everyone except Husk. That had been days ago, and it was easy enough to avoid each other with so much going on - but now that hotel was back better than ever - avoiding each other was a choice. 

The pair stood in silence in the empty hallway. At very least this time Husker had made and kept eye contact. Angel’s shoulders sank, and his heart felt like it was in his stomach. His mind was still racing, and he felt more confused than ever. The coldness in Husker’s eyes was back and he stood still as a statue. Angel swallowed nervously, a hand going up to push through his hair, finally breaking away his eye contact. “So… ya don’t find me attractive? Is that it?” 

The bottles clanked to the floor loudly, making Angel jump and snap his head back to face Husker. The cat demon’s jaw was practically on the floor and his wings drooped in astonishment. “What?” 

“I mean, you’ve told me about how much you hated spiders when you were alive. So, yeah, didn’t figure you’d ever be into… all this,” he gestured vaguely to his body with his two right arms with a faint laugh. “It’s funny. For a bit I thought, ‘If only he could have seen me as a human, I bet he’d be allll about it.’ But… yeah. Not even then, huh?” he kicked the carpet childishly as he wrapped his arms across his middle. His eyes were stinging but he refused to show his tears, he glanced back down the hall trying to ignore the tightening in his chest. “Well, I guess that’s-” 

“What the fuck are you getting at, Angel?! That ain’t it at all!” Husker sputtered as he scrubbed a hand down his face. “Jesus fuck, how do you always make things so fucking complicated?!” 

Angel didn’t dare to look at the surly tuxedo cat again. “Well, what is it then? I saw the way you looked at me, Husky. Like a shit smear on the street… like I made you wanna spew or something.” 

Husker shook his head but Angel wasn’t sure if it was in disagreement or just trying to get his thoughts together. He raised a clawed hand up to his face to pinch between his brows with a low groan, his tail released the bottles behind him and it flicked against the carpet. The large, fluffy tip flicked like a rattle snake’s. It was a tick of Husk’s, showing he was thinking hard. He hissed lowly and rubbed the back of his neck as he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. He inhaled deeply and sighed. “You’re just a kid, Angel. I’d almost forgot, but then I saw your face and… damnit, I don’t mess with kids.” 

Angel blinked rapidly a few times and his arms slowly uncrossed from his chest. “Wait… what?” It was like all the lights turned on in his head and the wind was knocked out of him at the same time. He clasped a hand to his forehead and he wheezed out a broken laugh. “This is an age difference thing?!”

“Don’t laugh, Legs!” Husker snapped. “I’m old enough to be your father, you know? That ain’t right.”

Wait. Hold on. Angel slowly locked eyes with Husker as his cheeks began to flush. “Husky… exactly what “ain’t right” about you being older?” 

Yellow eyes dilated in an instant, looking like pools of onyx as his face turned crimson. He cleared his throat and looked away hurriedly. Angel barely resisted a chuckle but covered his mouth to try to stifle it. “Husky… Of all the things I’ve done, both living and dead, you think foolin’ around with a daddy is-” 

“It ain’t about foolin’ around, Angel!” Husker clenched his fists and both his fur and wings puffed up in irritation. 

Oh. Oh, wow . Angel’s eyes widened as his hand drifted away from his mouth, a soft pink blush overtook his cheeks as he smiled. “Then… It wasn’t just me then, Whiskers?” the arachnid asked so softly it was barely over a whisper. 

He wasn’t entirely sure, but he thought he saw the feline shiver lightly. Those golden eyes closed and his brow furrowed as he flicked his tail in front of himself as his arms crossed over his chest. He exhaled slowly and rubbed his arm nervously. He opened and closed his mouth a few times but seemed unable to form the thought to create the words. 

Angel giggled helplessly. “It don’t bother me, Husky… I actually appreciate it, really. You thinkin’ about things like that? Thinkin’ about me in like… a carin’ way? It’s nice.” 

“You’re scraping the bottom of the barrel, kid. You can’t just be ok with me being ‘nice,’ ya know?” 

“Husk…” Angel took a careful step forward, offering his hand to the slighter demon. “I don’t care about the age thing… You might be a crotchety old bastard, but I dig that baby. Grumpy silver foxes are pretty high on my lists of turn-ons don’t ya know?” 

That low, sexy chuckle that made Angel want to melt into a slutty little puddle was music to his ears as Husker shook his head. “Angel, I’m serious.” 

“And so am I, Husky… I ain’t ever felt like this before. And I know I’m hot garbage with a fuck ton of baggage but… I like you. And, I thought you liked me too. So when you were ghosting me back there I. I panicked ok? I’m sorry but… of all the other things we got goin’ against us, I don’t think age is the big one, yeah?” 

Husker stared down at the carpet for a bit before snorting and nodding his head. “When you learn to be so honest, Legs?” 

“Hey, you get called fake enough ya learn when to drop the authentic bombs on folks.” 

“Ya ain’t ‘fake,’ Angel,” Husker said with both a gentle voice and gaze. 

“Heh. Not as fake as Tiffany Titfucker’s boobs or the moon landing at least.” 

“Fuckin’ hell, you’re not one of those are ya?” Husker put a hand on his hip with an exaggerated eye-roll. “I was THERE kid! Saw the thing myself. Those mad bastards got us to the-”

“Hold up. You were there ?” 

“It was on every television screen, Legs. I remember it like it was yesterday. I earned $1,000 bucks cause no one thought they’d be able to pull it off,” he sighed wistfully. “July 20, 1969- oh fuck, you set me up just for that joke didn’t you?” 

Angel raised a hand to his mouth but was unable to hide his smile. “Husky… You were alive for the moon landing?” 

“Yeah?” the feline raised an eyebrow. “It was the year before I died… Why?” he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. 

Angel pressed his hands together and brought them to his trembling lips, his shoulders bouncing lightly as he tried to keep his laughter from boiling over. “So. You died in 1970?” 

“Yes…” 

“I died in ‘47.” 

“Your point?” 

“Just because you died older than me doesn’t mean you are older than me, Husky…” Angel grinned as he lowered his hands to rest on his hips. “What’s your birthday, baby?” 

“May 9th.” 

“C’moooon, Husky!” he threw his head back with a groan. “What year ?”  

The realization came across loud and clear as the feline’s eyes widened. “1910.” 

Angel’s legs gave out and he fell to his knees cackling. One arm kept him from hitting the floor totally while another pounded the carpet with a closed fist, the other two wrapped around his middle as he roared in laughter. “April 1st, 1912! You’re just TWO years older than me, Husky! That’s what you’ve had your panties in a twist about?!” 

All he could hear was sputtering as Husker tried to get his bearings, he was mumbling so lowly under his breath that Angel couldn’t follow it. It didn’t really matter, he hadn’t been able to get his laughter under control just yet anyway. The release it provided after days of stress and heartache was a totally different high than Angel Dust was used to. Tears were still streaming down his face and his cheeks were hurting from how big he was smiling. 

“It ain’t that funny, Legs!” Husker stepped forward, “Could ya-” 

Lightening fast, Angel reached forward to grip at Husker’s suspenders, pulling him forward into a hug. Kneeling there on the carpet made them of the same height and Angel took the opportunity to rest his chin on the feline’s shoulder, three arms wrapped around him tightly while one hand cupped the back of his head. 

“You’re a great guy, Husk. You’re thoughtful. I ain’t used to that… but I like it. I like you . I hope that’s ok…” 

He felt the initial tension in Husker’s body slowly melt away as he raised his arms to tentatively return the embrace. Angel even felt a soft, fuzzy ear flick against his head and it made him smile even harder somehow. This felt nice. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this physically close to someone without it being a sexual encounter. The strength in Husk’s arms, the softness of his fur, and his warmth were soothing in an almost unbearable way. If everything could just be like this… maybe there would be something to live for tomorrow after all. 

Angel Dust slowly let out a sigh, he had almost forgotten to breathe. He scooted a bit closer into Husker’s arms, and was pleased that he didn’t retreat. Instead, he was wrapped up somehow even tighter. The arachnid hummed softly and stroked his fingers carefully in a slow circle into the velvety fur at the nape of Husk’s neck. 

A low rumble took Angel by surprise for a moment. His eyes snapped open and his hand stilled for the briefest moment until he realized Husker was purring . And it was fucking ADORABLE! Angel felt the urge to squirm but just barely kept it together, though he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as he began to circle his fingers once more. His cheeks were turning pink as the vibrations of the deep sound reverberated against his chest. And before he could stop himself, he giggled. 

“Hmm?” Husker stopped and stiffened in Angel’s arms. 

“Do it again,” Angel nuzzled into the cat’s neck immediately and added a second hand to the back of Husker’s head to try to get the purrs back. 

“Fuckin’ hell, Legs!” fuzzy paws gripped Angel’s shoulders and tried to pry him off. “Let go!” 

“You’re not gonna win this fight, Husky-boo. I ain’t even usin’ all my arms for this, but… If it ruffles your fur, fine. Just this once…” he sat back on his heels as he released Husker from his embrace. One pair of hands propped up against his hips while the other folded in his lap as he smirked mischievously. “But only if you promise you’ll do it again for me sometime, gattino…” 

Husker was blushing still and not making eye contact as he rubbed the back of his head. “I ain’t able to promise you much, Angel but-”

“You don’t gotta promise me nothin’, Husky… Let’s just see how this goes, yeah?” he reached his hand out with a hopeful smile. 

Husker seemed to consider him for a moment, but a slow smile crept over his face as he took Angel’s hand. “Sure, kid.” 

Angel chuckled as he was helped to his feet. He dusted the front of his jacket with one set of hands while the other pair pushed through his hair. He paused and leaned to look just behind Husker. “So uh… where you headin’ with those drinks, kitten?” 

“Don’t call me kitten,” Husker grumbled, but he was still smiling. His tail wrapped around the bunch of bottles again and pulled them up besides them. “Back to the bar… If Vaggie sees me taking hotel property back to my room again she’ll rip my head off.” 

“It’s a date then. We can work on pet names!” Angel smirked and offered him a wink. 

Husker paused for a moment and then offered his hand with a timid smile back. Angel blinked and grinned before cupping the back of that hand and bringing it to his lips so he could plant a soft kiss to the heart on his palm. He then laced their fingers and gently urged him down the hallway towards the bar. “C’mon old-timer. Ya got a new bar downstairs that needs a christenin’.” 

Husker snorted and shook his head. His fingers tightening carefully around Angel’s as the bottles clinked behind them melodiously. “Just two years older than you, kid… And you’re never gonna drop it, are ya?” 

“I wouldn’t bet on it, kitten.”