Chapter Text
Angel sighed. "Husk, I told you, I--"
Husk held up a finger and typed a little more.
You don't have to live with him. You have so much support here, at the hotel, and when I'm better I can protect you
Angel sighed again, this time more accepting than defeated. Despite still only being dressed in a robe, he pulled himself close to Husk with his arm around the cat’s shoulder.
“It ain’t about protecting me. It’s about protecting you. All of you. Everyone here is in danger with me.”
“We can handle ourselves,” Husk said, keeping his voice a whisper to prevent more coughing. Typing took too long and this was important.
“I know you can hold your own in a fight. I know what you and Cherri and Charlie and everyone are capable of,” he clasped his hands together and squeezed them to keep himself grounded. “But if I’m not here, the fight won’t happen.”
“You don’t know-“
“But I do, though,” Angel was looking him dead in the eyes. “I’ve got way too much baggage I gotta sort out before I can make real headway on getting better. Which I do want to do, by the way,” he ran a hand through Husk’s fur. “I was a little too caught up in the moment when I was yelling at Cherri the other night. I don’t actually plan on staying away forever. There’s just too much following me around right now. I gotta sort it out first.”
Angel shuffled a little and the shoulder of the robe slid off his arm, revealing the long red cat scratch running the length of his forearm.
Husk’s eyes went and he snatched Angel’s arm. “Did I do this?” He asked, his voice coated with horror and guilt. “When?”
“Last night. When you were delirious.”
Husk let go quickly, suddenly scared to do it again. Not even in his nightmares was there a scenario he saw himself hurting Angel."No. I would never..."
"But you did, and--"
"No!" He half yelled and triggered a coughing fit. It hurt almost as much as the guilt, and he started crying in between coughs.
"I gotcha, Kitty, I gotcha." Angel said, rubbing his back and trying not to cry himself.
"I'm sorry." Husk said through tears."For hurting you, for not being strong enough to fight off this fucking flu or Val or--"
"Hey, we're not doing any of that." Angel said, wrapping him in a hug. He continued rubbing his back for a minute then held his face in his hands, looking Husk in the eyes. "Here's what we're gonna do: you're gonna eat something and take these meds to make you better. And you're gonna listen to me for a sec while you do, okay?"
Husk nodded and started eating the oatmeal, Angel's arm still around him.
"You did something at a time you were at your worst and not of sound mind. But I'm ok, and you're okay, because everyone is working to make sure you're getting better, right? Do you get it? That pain of having done something to hurt someone you care about, not in your right mind? That guilt? That's what I felt that day. And I'm trying to get better so I don't do that ever again."
"We can still help you." Husk said, taking a sip of the tea.
"I know, and I want you to." Angel ran a hand through his hair. "But you saw how quickly Val got here and things got messy when he realized where I was. I can't fix anything by hiding from him, I gotta do it at the studio. I have to face him."
Husk nodded. He could accept that. But the leaving still hurt. I guess that's what happens, when you use a muscle you haven't in years. It's gonna take time before it doesn't hurt to love.
"There were a lot of emotions that day that I left. I didn't mean everything I said; please don't ever forget me. I want to fix what I've done, as much as I can, and then I want a life with you. Angel kissed him on the cheek. “Ti amo, perdente."
Husk nuzzled into him. A life. A life with someone. A life with Angel. As much as Husk had known that he loved Angel, it was still almost impossible to wrap his head around. A life, a future. They had to have it. He would let Angel find his freedom, whether that was through redemption or killing Valentino a second time, but Husk was going to fight for that future too. He wasn’t sure how yet, but he was going to find out. He owed Angel that much for having the courage to love a sad sack like him.
“I love you, too, baby.”
Angel smiled, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. “You speak Italian?”
Husk chuckled slightly, taking another bite of the now lukewarm oatmeal. “Nah, not really. I conducted a lot of international business back when I was alive. Picked up bits and pieces of a lot of languages. ”
“Did those business meetings usually include ‘I love you?’”
Husk gave Angel a wry smile and Angel laughed so hard he fell out of bed.
———
The antibiotics worked their magic. Over the rest of the day, Husk’s cough lost all its bite. The fever hiked up just a little around lunch before it broke around mid-afternoon, leaving him coated with sweat and drained of all his energy. Any lingering congestion migrated from his chest up to his head, making him sneeze more frequently but with much less intensity. Now, it seemed more like he had a run of the mill head cold, instead of a bio-engineered mega-virus.
Angel didn’t care that he was sneezy and snotty. He didn’t care that he was covered with sweat his fur didn’t know how to contend with, seeing as cats normally don’t sweat. (He does for some unknown reason). Angel was practically glued to his side, clinging to him like he was trying to imprint Husk’s body shape onto his skin.
Angel needed to leave. He needed to leave if he wanted to get back to the tower with enough time to properly unpack before Val came up and let him have whatever was in store for him.
But he didn’t want to leave. Husk still didn’t seem well enough for Angel’s liking and lying with him, making sure he had tissues and tea was just so nice.Husk had just finished a round of quiet but phlegmy sneezes, blowing his nose and turning to Angel. “I promise you, I’m okay now. I feel way better.”
“Better than shit is still dirt, Husky. You sound real gross.”
“It sounds wa-“ he sneezed again. “Ugh. Way worse than it is. You gotta go.”
Angel did need to go. He eyed the baby pink duffle bag he’d stuffed with as many belongings as he could. “I don’t wanna leave you alone if you’re still sick.”
Husk wrapped him in a hug one more time. “I’ll go downstairs. Set myself up on the couch with a blanket and this,” he held up the box of tissues. “Will having someone to keep an eye on me make you feel better?”
Angel nodded. “I wish I didn’t have to.”
“I wish you didn’t either. But I’m listening to you right now.”
Angel smiled and kissed him. He didn’t even think about how Husk was full of snot and kissing him was probably not a pleasant sensation. He didn’t even care. He was kissing Husk and Husk was kissing back.
Right up until he pushed Angel away to sneeze into a tissue.
Angel frowned sympathetically. “Yeah, you should go be where other people can see you.”
Husk nodded, gathering up the box of tissues and Angel’s big fluffy pink blanket. They embraced one more time, pressing just hard enough to memorize what the hug felt like. “You ain’t gonna say goodbye?”
Angel shook his head. “They won’t get it. Not like you do.”
Husk nodded. He did get it. “Text me. All the time.”
“I will, Baby. I will.”
Angel grabbed his bag and climbed into the windowsill. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
And Angel slipped over the edge and out of sight.
Husk sighed for a moment, trying to let his eyes decide if they needed to cry or not. When they remained dry, he blew his nose and turned to head downstairs.
In the lobby, it looked like a giant pillow fort was being set up, with Charlie buzzing around making sure things were perfect. He would have turned right around if Cherri wasn't at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey, Cherri." He said, still very congested.
"Hey, Husk!" Cherri said, genuinely happy to see him. "You don't sound better but you definitely look better. How ya feeling?"
"I'm alright."
"Good," she lightly punched his shoulder. "I missed ya.
"Really?"
"Yeah, no one else in this shithole can make a real fucking drink but you."
Husk scoffed and sneezed a couple of times"I'm flattered."
The sneezing alerted Charlie to his presence and she ran to his side."Hey Husk! Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, kid, I am."
"We're doing a movie night! you should join us!" Charlie didn't wait for an answer before Husk got whisked away to the pillow fort she'd built. She plopped him down on a bean bag and draped the blanket over him. "We're watching Anastasia. It's this really fun movie I don't know if you've ever seen but I reallyreallylikeitithas..."
Husk zoned out of Charlie's rambling as Cherri took a seat next to him.
"Hey. He's gone isn't he?"
"Yeah," Husk sighed. "M sorry."
Cherri scoffed."Did he at least tell you goodbye?"
"He did."
"Good. I won't have to kill him."
Husk smiled and settled in as the movie started. But it only took hearing the soundtrack and narration to get him to fall asleep.
_____
Angel stood at the entrance of the Vee tower, just staring at it. This was the last place he wanted to be, but if he was gonna start fixing anything, it had to be here. And the hotel, his friends, his Husk, would all stay safe. How long it would take, though, was something he couldn't say. But the tower suddenly seemed larger, more threatening than before.
His phone pinged and he checked it. It was from Cherri. Angel winced, realizing that he probably should have said goodbye to her, too, and this was a very long and angry text. He took a deep breath and braced himself as he viewed it.
But when he opened it he found a picture: Husk, curled up in a ball, with nifty (also curled up in a ball) on top of him, both fast asleep.
Angel let a laugh out, immediately made it the contact picture for Husk, and read the text that came with it before walking into the studio.
He’s good. Take your time. I 💖 you bestie