"Good morning, Husker!" Alastor said and pulled him into a snug side-hug. Husk grunted, and looped an arm loosely around Alastor's waist, too fucking hung over and tired to do much more than that.
"Not so loud, asshole", he muttered, and pressed half of his face into Alastor's chest. If that also blocked half of his hearing because it smooshed his ear on that side, that was simply a coincidence.
"Hah! If you wanted peace and quiet, you could have stayed in your room for a couple of more hours. You know Charlie no longer expects much of a steady schedule from you."
He wasn't wrong. But…
"It was cold and lonely after you left", Husk said under his breath, but was unsurprised when Alastor heard him anyway.
Alastor gently tilted Husk's head up and gave him a searching look. He always did that if Husk even hinted at being lonely or unhappy nowadays, and while it warmed his heart and was frankly endearing as fuck, Husk was more than ready for Alastor to stop fretting already.
He rolled his eyes. "Relax. I've simply missed you, and that's normal. You're not doing anything wrong and I don't require anything in particular."
Alastor's smile softened, and he pressed a kiss on Husk's nose. The flips his stomach performed immediately after had nothing to do with his hangover.
"Unless something comes up, I'll be around tonight", Alastor said, and Husk purred lightly at the thought.
The thing was, Alastor had started sharing a bed with him – for sleeping, obviously – a couple of weeks after they had gotten together. It wasn't every night, and sometimes he only stayed until Husk fell asleep, but it was typically a couple of times a week. But just now there had been a gap of almost an entire week, before Alastor finally showed up in the middle of last night and left early in the morning for work. It honestly wasn't alarming in the slightest, because while Alastor was adjusting to their newly found relationship damn well, he still had his touch aversion going on and cuddling for an entire night was clearly pushing it, despite his general want for cuddles. There were times when he didn't want Husk to return any of his touches, and times when Husk had basically free access to his body, his cute little deer tail included – with a few obvious restrictions, of course. Sometimes Alastor would press himself as close as humanly possible the moment Husk turned in for the night. Sometimes Alastor would be the big spoon in order to limit how much Husk could touch him, while still being close. Sometimes he would be in the same bed, but they would only hold hands from the far sides of it, if even that. Mostly Alastor just slept in his own room in order to have space. Husk was fine with all of it, but he couldn't help missing Alastor's presence and warmth after only getting a brief glimpse of it after days of practically no contact.
It was always up to Alastor to set the boundaries of the day, and that meant Husk never knew if he'd get to fall asleep in Alastor's arms or not. But it was a small price to pay for the privilege of getting said contact in the first place.
"You're really fucking soppy for someone who doesn't comprehend romance", Husk said with a smirk. Or at least he told himself it was a smirk and not one of those goofy lovestruck smiles that people who weren't him pulled at times. His continued purring was adamant in trying to prove him wrong. Fuck his purring.
Alastor laughed, and squeezed him closer. "You only have yourself to blame for that, my dear! I'm simply following your lead, after all."
Fuck that truthful bullshit. Husk preferred to live the lie where he wasn't the mushy bastard.
"Just shut up, Al."
Alastor chuckled, and started scratching Husk's ear while humming quietly, and Husk closed his eyes, purring contentedly.
...He was definitely the mushy bastard.
ooooo
It was one of those days.
Husk watched impassively as the lobby turned into a ballroom and every single demon in it, him included, found themselves wearing Victorian dresses or suits. The residents and regulars mostly didn't give a shit anymore and just rolled with it, but the newcomers' faces were fucking priceless and got an actual chuckle out of him.
Alastor laughed and a song started playing from out of nowhere. It was a queer mixture of whatever the typical ballroom shit was called and swing music. And, of course, Alastor had lyrics to go with it. That explained the recent frequent bouts of humming – Alastor had been writing the song in his head.
Husk rolled his eyes and served the drink he had been preparing, only half paying attention to Alastor's bullshit: his enthusiastic singing and him forcing random demons into dancing parts of the song with him before tossing them aside without a care.
Although Husk did have to admit that Alastor pulled the lace jabot and the deep red tailcoat really damn well. He found himself staring whenever he could see the action from his vantage point, but considering the chaotic manner Alastor operated in and the crowded room, that was only a few glimpses.
Husk managed to serve a few more drink with blissful ignorance before he noticed that the ballroom and the music stayed even after Alastor was finished with the singing part of his impromptu musical number. That was unusual.
Just as he finished that thought, Alastor appeared in front of him. He bowed and extended a hand in Husk's direction, an expectant smile on his face.
For fuck's sake.
Husk looked at the smile, and then at the hand, and then at the ballroom that actually had a few demons voluntarily dancing now. Charlie and Vagatha included, of course.
...For fuck's sake.
"I'm only doing this because I love you, you attention seeking asshole", Husk said with a sigh, and took the hand.
Alastor beamed at him with such utter delight that Husk found himself silently agreeing to dance to as many songs as Alastor dared to ask him for.
"I know, Husker~"
ooooo
"-and I'll be back in three days", Alastor finished, and leaned over the counter to drop a quick peck on Husk's lips. A really quick one. The kind where Husk barely had the time to even pucker his lips to receive it and then it was over already.
It wasn't that he was disappointed. He was always happy to get a kiss from Alastor, no matter how brief or where it was dropped. But… Okay, he was a little bit disappointed, despite his attempts to not be. He wouldn't see Alastor for three days. Potentially five, even, as Husk's days off came directly after the business trip. Now, Alastor would probably drop by Husk's location briefly when he returned, but he'd have to get back to work right after it, and he'd no doubt be very busy for the next couple of days. So unless he showed up during the night to cuddle with a well passed out Husk, they wouldn't properly see each other until after his days off.
In that light, the brief peck from across the counter felt inadequate. Husk wasn't sure what exactly he wanted, but it boiled down to "more". A bigger kiss. Or multiple small ones. A hug. Something. He pondered on whether to say something, as Alastor wanted him to tell him these things, but it felt like such a clingy shit to whine about that he was inclined to let it slide and just deal with it.
Alastor was staring at him with a thoughtful look now, so his troubled thoughts were probably written all over his face. Husk sighed, and prepared to speak his mind before Alastor would need to ask...
But Alastor disappeared, and then reappeared right in front of him, well in his personal space. Husk didn't have the time to do more than flinch in surprise when Alastor already held him by his shoulders, pushed him against the liquor cabinet, and kissed him roughly.
Husk's mind blanked completely. Alastor was- Damn. Yes. Fucking yes, please!
Husk wasted no time wrapping his arms around Alastor's waist and returning the kiss enthusiastically. His head was swimming and his heart was beating wildly and his purring was loud, and holy fucking shit this was the best damn thing!
It lasted maybe ten seconds before Alastor pulled away from the kiss. His nose crinkled and eyes narrowed, and his smile was more of a grimace. "Ugh. That was disgusting."
Husk didn't care. Future Husk could make-do without this as necessary, but Present Husk was fucking high from the heated kiss. He smiled widely, gazed adoringly at the love of his afterlife, and nodded. "Uh-huh."
Alastor looked at him, eyes narrowing further. "...You enjoyed that?"
Husk nodded again, and then burst into stupid fucking actual giggles like the lovestruck fool he was, and leaned his head against Alastor's shoulder. He tightened his hold around Alastor's waist and tried to figure out how to laugh and purr at the same time without choking. It was a challenge.
"...Special occasions, then", Alastor said after a moment, stroking Husk's shoulders.
Husk was more than okay with that. He would later try to tell Alastor that it wasn't necessary if he found it gross, but his token resistance was summarily ignored, and who was Husk to tell Alastor where to set his limits? He would simply have to make sure to not – neither purposefully or accidentally – guilt-trip Alastor into doing it any more than what he felt inclined to give on his own accord. They would find a balance that worked, he was sure.
ooooo
It was supposed to be a regular fucking day. Alastor was having one of his rare days off, and Husk was manning the bar as usual. With Alastor out, the day should have been a particularly peaceful one for everyone in the hotel. But no. Of course not.
The radio behind Husk made a sudden tuning noise, cutting the music channel out.
"Hello, sinners and demons alike! This is your favourite host, Alastor!"
A broadcast? Husk had thought Alastor was simply visiting Mimzy and Rosie today for some quiet social time. Had something gone wrong? He turned around to give the radio a concerned frown, ignoring anyone who might want to order something; they were wholly unimportant when there was a potential need to worry about Alastor.
"Today I have a very special broadcast for you! I was visiting a friend of mine and she had the most brilliant idea that I want to put into practice immediately."
Okay, so not a murder-spree, then? Husk felt his shoulders relaxing as the anxiety evaporated.
The opening notes of a song he wasn't familiar with started playing out. Huh.
"This song is dedicated to a very special person. You know who you are, but in case you're doubting it, your name starts with an H."
...Wait a fucking moment-!
"I'm not one of the greedy kind
All of my wants are simple
I know what's on my mind~"
Alastor was singing. He wasn't playing a record, he was singing the song himself.
Alastor was fucking serenading Husk via the radio!
His face felt like it was on fire and his heart was doing crazy shit again. He covered his face with his paws and his entire being with his wings and leaned against the counter, shaking with too many fucking emotions at once.
He started hearing wolf-whistling, laughter and applause. Everybody in the hotel knew about him and Alastor, and they knew exactly what was happening. So naturally they had an absolute ball about it at his expense.
He was going to kill Alastor. First kiss him silly, and then kill him. Same with Mimzy, because this had her name written all over it. He would kiss her, thank her, and then murder her in cold blood and set the remains on fire.
But revenge could wait. First he had an unwanted, but damned lovely serenade to listen to.
"I wanna be loved by you, just you
Nobody else but you
I wanna be loved by you alone~"
...He wasn't sure he would survive this song. Fuck damn it.
ooooo
Husk glanced at the clock every two minutes. It was almost time. That is, if Angel Dust could be trusted to do his part.
He was nervous. But he was ready. He had practiced, he had tossed out any assholes he didn't want around, and he had been psyching himself for this for days now.
All he needed was for Alastor to show up.
He glanced at the clock again. It was time. Where the fuck was-
Angel Dust walked through the doorway, glanced at Husk briefly with a smirk, and then turned to look back. Alastor walked in right behind him with a mildly curious look on his face.
It was show-time.
Husk clinked a glass with a spoon to make everyone shut the fuck up. Then he climbed on the bar counter.
"Listen up, assholes. This song is dedicated to a very special jackass at the doorway", he said, and pointed a claw at Alastor, who had frozen on the spot like a deer in the headlights, pun very much intended. "In case it's not fucking obvious, his name starts with an A and ends with lastor. Enjoy."
He extended a paw towards Niffty, who was hiding behind the counter. She passed him the saxophone he had purchased not too long ago for this exact purpose, and gave him a double thumbs-up. He smiled at her, turned to give a deliciously red-faced Alastor a smug look, and brought the instrument to his lips.
It was payback time. A lovely but humiliating serenade for a lovely but humiliating serenade -style.
ooooo
A few days later Alastor summoned his furby organ in the middle of the dining hall during dinner. It was one third sweet, one third agony, and one third absolutely fucking hilarious.
It was fucking On.
ooooo
It was in the middle of the night. Everyone was fast asleep by then, Alastor included.
Husk smirked to himself and cackled a bit as he took his position by Alastor's door. Then he cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and started caterwauling at the top of his lungs.
ooooo
Charlie gave them a deadpan look. Vagatha glared.
Alastor and Husk did their collective best to look clueless and innocent.
"Listen", Charlie said, and rubbed her temples. She looked tired. "This is for the greater good."
Vagatha slapped a paper on the table between them. She looked equally tired.
Husk looked at the paper disinterestedly. Alastor didn't even bother.
"We have a new rule", Charlie said, and tapped the paper with a finger. "Serenading is no longer allowed within the hotel grounds. Also not in any way that is otherwise able to be heard here. Effective immediately and applies to everyone, but especially the two of you."
Alastor and Husk looked at each other mildly.
"This is rather a drastic measure, wouldn't you say, darling?" Alastor asked.
"Yeah, I haven't a clue what might have brought this on", Husk said with a shake of his head.
When Alastor broke down laughing, Husk had no chance in Hell in avoiding the same fate.
ooooo
Husk set the crate of various spirits down on the counter with a groan, and rubbed his aching back with both hands. He was too fucking old for this bullshit and should have roped someone else into doing it for him with that excuse. Some demons actually bought it, and Charlie's brainwashing tended to make the residents of the hotel nice enough to even be helpful sometimes.
He snorted at the thought, and begun the task of unloading the bottles on the shelves.
He was almost done when suddenly there was a smell of something sweet in his nose, and he whirled around.
"Hello, my darling! I saw you return from your quest of retrieving the giggle juice, and figured you might appreciate refreshments!" Alastor said with a wide grin, holding a plate of crepes drowning in syrup and topped with sliced bananas and whipped cream in front of him.
Husk nearly dropped the bottle of rum he had been holding in his haste to take a seat and make grabby hands at the plate.
Alastor laughed, and took a seat opposite of Husk so he could watch him enjoy his treat with a satisfied smile.
"You know what?" Husk asked after a few delicious bites. "I'll buy us tickets to the opening night of that new opera thingamabob you haven't shut up about lately. I can handle a couple of hours of melodic screaming this once."
Alastor beamed at him and leaned over the crepe plate to give Husk an enthusiastic kiss that left the dessert in shame with its sweetness.
"Oh Husker, I think I understand what love feels like now", Alastor said, and held a dramatic hand over his heart.
Husk almost choked on his crepe from his sudden fucking laughter.
ooooo
"Well, this was a fun ride", Alastor said, arm looped around Husk's shoulders and a faux wistful tone in his voice.
Husk rolled his eyes, and turned his gaze away from the hotel's front door to give Alastor a flat look. "Sure, whatever. A fucking mess is what it was. Glad to be done with it. So, what's in the cards now?"
Alastor laughed, and squeezed him closer. "You have such a delightful way with words, dearest! And I'm glad you asked! You see…"
They turned around and walked away together, leaving the hotel behind them for good, each step taking them towards a new beginning.
Husk glanced back as they were turning the corner.
It hadn't been that bad a ride, really; the hotel had turned out to be the perfect environment for Alastor and him to build their relationship and make it work seamlessly; the way it had before but with new additions. The perfect place to set their new boundaries and widen the previous ones. Perfect for learning how to love each other under their rather unique circumstances.
As the hotel disappeared from his sight, he turned his head forward with a small, thankful smile on his lips. He wrapped an arm around Alastor's waist and simply walked by his side with no care about where they were headed. It didn't matter as long as they were in it together.
ooooo
Husk swore. This was not going as planned. It had gone all wrong ever since his wing had got hit and he had been forced into the ground, and had had to deal with being imbalanced by the broken wing. One fucking mistake, just one, and suddenly he was beyond screwed.
He clawed at the mechanical leg desperately, despite knowing how useless that was. The foot pressed down harder, making him cough blood and gasp for air painfully.
Fuck, Alastor would be hysterical for weeks if he died here.
"Hey, you crook!" Alastor's voice said, as if summoned by the thought, and suddenly the cyborg demon was violently tossed aside by a push from large, haphazardly branching deer antlers. Alastor was gasping for breath himself, and an open wound on his side was bleeding all over the place. His grin was terrifying. "Keep all of your appendages off my husband or I'll be forced to get my angel sword and bop you permanently!"
...Wait a fucking minute.
Husk stared.
The cyborg demon stared.
The minions around them stopped their individual fights to stare.
Alastor's menacing grin faded in confusion, and he gave Husk a questioning look.
"Uh, husband?" Husk clarified, and coughed up a few more drops of blood while getting up.
Alastor blinked, and then beamed at him. "Oh, right! I completely forgot a step! Will you walk the middle aisle with me?"
…
"You choose this moment to propose? Really, Al? Also, of course I will. Given that we fucking survive this bullshit", Husk said, and folded his wings painfully.
"Swell! Now please excuse me, I need to go and blow that fool down for daring to harm you", Alastor said, dropped a quick kiss on his bloody lips, and went on his merry way to murder a bitch.
Well then. Guess that happened.
Husk smiled to himself and went back into the fight. That was certainly a good motivator to get this battle over with and not die.
ooooo
Their wedding was a big fucking mess. Not that Husk had expected anything different. No, he had simply made a few bets about the exact shit he expected to happen, and lo and behold, he was right about most of it. He was a life and afterlife long gambler, after all; he knew his shit.
Also, he knew his husband.
He watched the burning tent in mild fascination and was internally relieved about their useless wedding gifts being inside of it so they wouldn't actually need to take any of them home. Too bad about the excellent punch, though. He would have liked some more of that.
"Here you are!" Alastor said, and passed him a skewer with perfectly roasted, heart shaped marshmallows on it. He looked ridiculously pleased with himself, and really fucking handsome in his white, if slightly singed, tuxedo.
Husk accepted the gift and bit into one of the confections. "How many are dead or dying?"
"Most of them", Alastor said with a happy chuckle, and wrapped an arm around Husk. "The traps around the perimeter should take care of the rest. I have a crossbow in case someone with wings makes it out."
Husk hummed, and leaned his head against Alastor's shoulder.
This was the best fucking wedding he had ever been to, and it was his own.
He was married to the fucking Radio Demon. A man who didn't want to fuck him and whose love for him boiled down to all encompassing, absolutely devoted friendship rather than romantic love. A man who was a serial killer and had certainly more than a few screws loose. And Husk himself was a depression-ridden old alcoholic with more untreated trauma than was legal. And they were both in Hell.
"You know, Husker, my mother always told me to not marry a stranger, but to marry my best friend", Alastor said, and squeezed him. "I'm not sure if this is what she had in mind, but she was certainly right."
Husk kissed the corner of Alastor's grinning mouth and turned to watch the flames with a content smile.
"She was."
His afterlife couldn't possibly be any better than this.
A/N: The song Alastor sings is "I wanna be loved by you" by Helen Kane. Thank you for reading this fanfiction, I hope you enjoyed the ride!
