Angel wandered the streets of the pentagram. Having just broken it to his producer that he wasn't coming back he was feeling oddly relieved. He had expected it to be harder both on himself and he expected his producer to put up more of a fight. Maybe that was why he was suspiciously on edge as well. He hadn't wanted to head directly back to the hotel because…well, he wasn't exactly sure why. Just wanted time to clear through his thoughts he supposed. He kept glancing behind him, feeling like someone was following him.
He had made great strides with Charlie's program. Actually, drug free for the first time in centuries, just celebrated 3 months sober, the occasional cocktail notwithstanding. Even Charlie, or Cha-Cha as he had affectionately nicknamed her, couldn't disagree with the occasional celebratory cocktail. Even Husker had backed off on the hooch a bit. Guess it goes to show that your environment really does play a part in your behavior.
They had all developed a weird poly-puddle around Charlie. How someone who was the literal princess of hell managed to bring so much light to everyone around her was a mystery. Vaggie of course was her main partner, but she didn't have a problem with sharing Cha-Cha with the rest of them; as long as Charlie was happy, Vaggie was happy. Alastor had developed a more…hands off approach to his adoration of Charlie. He wasn't interested in the sex, but it wasn't uncommon to find him cuddling with Charlie naked. Everyone could tell that he missed skin to skin contact but nobody was going to say anything about it. He even had developed his own affection for the radio demon.
Sometimes Angel could rouse a sensual reaction out of him, which Al seemed to even enjoy. The man was definitely a hard-dom type. He wanted the sensual interaction with Angeldust, he just wanted to make Ange work for it. But anything more than kissing and Al would put a full stop on any contact. Husker however, Husker had adapted to the angry overprotective dad. A dad who knew every single one of his kids were a special kind of stupid, but he loved them anyway. Everyone speculated that him and Nifty had something going on, or maybe it was just because she had become the hotel house mom.
Angel smiled as he thought about the family that he had found. It made him really believe in Cha-Cha's mission. Angel heard a shuffle behind him and suddenly he was getting dragged into the alley.
"What the fu-!?" A punch to the gut sent Angel reeling as he fought to keep his lunch down. He looked up to see what the hell was going on. There were three large demons looming over him. He recognized one of them as his now ex-producer's bodyguard. He let out a vicious chuckle before kicking Angel in the side of the head making the world spin.
"The boss told me to deliver a message. Good fucking riddance you has-been."
What ensued was probably the most vicious beating he had received since his first week in hell. After it was over angel just laid there. He's pretty sure he fell asleep. There was a gurgle in his lung that told him he probably had punctured one of them. What he was sure of was that after what seemed liked hours, he heard an almost static filled voice suddenly purring in his ear.
"Oh, mon Ange, black and blue will never be your colors." He felt arms scoop him up and start to walk away as Angel started to pull himself out of the inky blackness. He saw a glimmer of red topped by horns, maybe antlers.
"Wh…fuckin shit. What….Al?"
"Don't worry, mon cher. We're going home." Angel slowly started to recognize that static in Alastor's voice. Al only did that when he was verging on dangerous and right now it was making Angel feel uncomfortable. Oh, he was no stranger to violence. This is Hell after all. Violence and degradation were the backbone of this place. It was only a few months ago that he had been through the turf war with Cherri Bomb against Sir Pentious. But when he can barely take a deep breath and the world a blur from what he hoped was a black eye covered in blood as opposed to his eye just hanging out of his skull.
"Al, put me down. Please. Just help me walk. We're only a couple blocks from the hotel. I'll be fine." Alastor glanced down at him, and realization dawned on him. He softened his voice as well as his smile.
"Well then, I guess I won't have to carry you far." Angel realized it was going to be a losing fight and just settle into the lapels of his lover's suit.
"Just promise me that you'll let me walk through the door myself. I don't want anyone to see you carrying me like I'm some damsel in distress cliché." Angel managed to muster out a weak smile which elicited a mild chuckle from the radio demon.
"I think that would be fine." By the time conversation was over they had reached the front walk of the hotel. Alastor set Angeldust down gently keeping a clawed hand on the small of his back. Angel gripped Alastor's suit back tightly for balance as he limped up the walk.
They pushed the door open and Angel glanced around checking to make sure the coast was clear.
"I'd like to take a bath if that'd be alright with you, darlin'." Alastor simply nodded and they made their way toward the hall. Suddenly Charlie's office door banged open making Angel jump so hard he almost hit the ceiling. His head certainly started pounding like he had. It was Vaggie and she looked pissed.
"Where, exactly, the hell HAVE YOU BEEN!? We expected you home HOURS-"
"Vaggie, darling. I'm warning you." Alastor cut her off. She started to open her mouth to tell the cheesy talk-show host shitlord off but Vaggie stopped short once she caught sight of Angel.
"What the fuck happened to you!?" She rushed forward and gingerly put her hands out as if to take Angel by the shoulders but he backed away ever so slightly and Vaggie did the same tenderly taking him by the elbows instead. Charlie came to the door of her office.
"What's going on? ANGIE! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?" She almost shrieked.
"I guess my producer didn't like the fact that his star was moving on to better things. I'm fine, I just need to take a bath and get all this blood off me. Hopefully Nifty can get it out of my jacket. This is my favorite outfit."
Vaggie let out a small chuckle. "Oh sweetie. I think it's your only outfit. I'll go get her."
"What's all the commotion? I'm trying to sleep." The door to Husk's room creaked open and he poked his head out, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Hey, what the hell happened to Fluff-pansy?" his ears perking up and his feathers ruffling slightly.
Vaggie snorted. "I guess his producer didn't take too kindly to Angel leaving."
Husk glared before slamming his bedroom door closed, followed by angry rustling. Nifty showed up just then immediately fussing over the jacket and ushering Angel toward the bathroom the water in the tub already running. The woman was like a house sprite on crack.
"Oh Angel." Charlie let out a small whimper. Vaggie and Alastor both resting a reassuring hand on her shoulders. Husk's door swung open and he stormed out pulling his jacket on. Vaggie's head swiveled to follow.
"And just where are you going?" He pulled the front door open and gave her a sidelong glance.
"Out." Was all he said before he slammed the door shut behind him. Vaggie and Alastor glanced at each other, Alastor looking almost pleased. Then it clicked.
"SHIT." Charlie's head spun towards the door. "We have to stop him! He's gonna tear that producer up into shreds!"
"Charlie, wait!" Vaggie called out as Charlie ran for the door. "That scumbag deserved whatever Husk has planned for him! You saw what Angie looked like!" Charlie raised her arms in frustration.
"Arrrgh! I know that! But how is this going to make the Hotel look? This could be bad for business!" She grabbed her jacket and ran out the door.
Vaggie rolled her eyes and looked at Al. "We better go stop her before she gets hurt."
"Well, well, well. At the very least this should be very entertaining." Alastor sauntered after Vaggie with a delicious grin. They all piled into Charlie's Limo and rushed to the studio. By the time they got there and found Angel's now ex-producer's office it was too late.
Charlie threw open the door to the dick bag's office to find husk smoking a cigarette over the bloody groaning hull that used to be Producer Dick Bag himself. Charlie glanced back and forth for a moment before Husk finally said anything.
"Anybody got a napkin?" He asked holding up one bloody clawed hand before taking a long drag off his cigarette and exhaling on to the bloody mass at his feet. There was a moment of silence before Alastor startling laughing hysterically and handing Husk the handkerchief out of his inside pocket.
"Husker, my good man, you are truly one of kind. Never failing to keep the crowd reeling with your well timed one liners! Have you considered a career in show business?" Husk exhaled one last time before stamping the cigarette on the producers forehead.
"Not in this fucking place. Let's go home." Charlie and Vaggie had stayed silent the entire time but hearing Husk refer to the Hotel as 'home' made Charlie forgive him a little bit. She let out a long sigh before following them all back to the limo.
"I just knew this trip wouldn't fail to entertain!" Alastor chimed. Vaggie linked her arm with Charlie's and she smiled fondly at the princess. What was it her dad always said? Bad publicity is better than no publicity? Whatever it was Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that her vision was working. Husk did this because Angel got hurt. They care about each other and She couldn't love her weird family more.
The car ride home was quiet outside of Vaggie and Charlie chit-chatting about the hotel and budgets and what-not. Alastor managed to squeeze in a brief conversation with his old friend.
"Believe it or not I think that was quite noble of you. Not many people around here can say they have a friend willing to commit violent atrocities against their fellow demons for them with no strings attached."
"Bold of you to assume there aren't any strings attached to this one." He grumbled. Alastor raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So, there are strings attached?" Alastor was surprised. He hadn't expected this from his old friend Husker. Despite the gruff exterior he really was a big softy under all the barbs.
"Yeah," he took a long swig from the flask he kept in his vest, "don't let it happen again." He gave Al a side-long smile. Alastor cocked his head to the side ever so slightly.
"I wasn't expecting that either." He muttered to himself.
By the time they got home it was close to dinner time and Husk and the gang were starving. Charlie opened the front door and quickly stepped sideways as a stream of water from power washer blasted the group and hitting Husk square in the chest. Nifty stood as a sentry to the front entrance.
"YOU ARE NOT TRACKING A SINGLE DROP OF BLOOD ONTO MY CLEAN FLOORS MOTHERFUCKER." Immediately followed by a whirlwind of soap and bubbles. She tossed him a towel and instructed him to dry off COMPLETELY so as not to drip on the floors. By the time he had finished drying off everyone had settled back into the house.
"Hey, where's Fluffy?" He asked Vaggie.
"I think he's watching TV in his room." Husk walked down the hall and knocked gently on Angel's door.
"Come on in." Husk opened the door to find Angel lounging in booty shorts and an off the shoulder sweatshirt with obscenely floppy sleeves.
"Hey Fluff, how are you feeling?" He sat down on the floor in front of the tv. Angel chuckled, "Oh, I'm the fluffy one? You sir are the fluffy one. Like, wow, you are just a goddamn puffball. Here," Angel scooted to the edge of the bed, "I'll get your feathers back to your intentionally disheveled self in no time."
Husk just grumbled and let Angel brush through his fur and feathers. After a few minutes Husk could tell that it was less about smoothing out his fur and more a relaxation technique. It seemed to soothe the spider demon.
"Thanks, by the way. You didn't have to do that. But I still appreciate it." Angel mumbled out a weak thank you. Husk just grunted in response before adding "Just don't let it happen again".
"So, what are we watching?" Husk asked after a while and picked up the remote.
"Dealer's choice." Angel purred. Husk chuckled.
"Jeopardy it is."