Note: I had not intended to do a follow up, but I vastly underestimated how fun these characters are to write.

Since the show has not spotlighted Husk too much as of yet, small liberties with his backstory details were taken.

The Hazbin Hotel was quiet. To anyone else the absence of noise might have been eerie, maybe even suspicious, but to Husk the silence felt more comforting than a warm bath. Today had been their first day after the battle against Heaven's exorcists, and to say it had been a disaster would have been a compliment of the highest order. News anchors, reporters, bloggers, vloggers and pretty much any asshole with a smart phone had flocked to their doors faster than flies on fresh shit. Poor Charlie had done her best to steer the never ending barrage of questions towards promoting the hotel and her vision, but it soon became clear the gnashing masses were only trying to take a bite of the juicy apple that was their victory against the angel army and the death of Adam. It had taken Vaggie hours to 'escort' all of the parasitic reporters off the property and from there the day had only spiraled further into chaos. Husk almost felt envious of Angel Dust, who had been summoned to the studio earlier in the afternoon. Whatever, or more accurately, whoever, Angel was doing had to be better than this mess.

Husk sighed as his eyes drifted over to the entrance doors for the fourth time in three minutes. He understood that porn wasn't exactly a nine to five gig and he also understood that Angel was a grown man, fully capable of taking care of himself with no need for a second-rate bartender to wait up for him; and yet here Husk was, stalling time, trying his best to appear busy despite having finished his meager responsibilities hours ago and watching the doors just as he had every night for weeks.

The sound of footsteps suddenly filled the air and Husk instinctively perked but instead of coming from the doors the steps were echoing down from the stairwell. He watched as Charlie appeared; she had a large tower of papers balanced precariously in her arms and when she caught sight of Husk a beaming smile filled her face.

"Husk, you're still awake! That's great, I wanted to - oof!" Charlie staggered over and dropped the wobbly stack of papers onto the bar. "I wanted to get your opinion on the new flyer I made for the hotel!"

"A flyer?"

"Yeah! With all the publicity the hotel is getting, what better time to get our message back out there? I know the commercial we tried didn't really work and apparently Vaggie promised Alastor he'd never have to make another one, soooo!" Charlie grinned and pushed one of the papers into his hand.

Husk stared down at the flyer. The image on the paper, obviously hand drawn with what Husk had to assume were crayons, was a crude yet cheerful drawing of the new hotel surrounded by flowers and one sickeningly intense rainbow. There were figures as well, some on the ground, looking mournful, while others were drawn ascending into the sky with tiny halos around their misshapen heads. "What do you think?" She pressed.

"Ughhh," Husk droned as he actively avoided meeting Charlie's enthused gaze. "You know Charlie, I ain't really an artistic person... Is Vaggie around? Maybe you should ask her."

"Oh I did! But..." Charlie's smile faltered. "Sometimes I think she's afraid of hurting my feelings and just tells me what I want to hear. And my dad is being super supportive, which is great, but I can't tell if he's being genuinely supportive or just being supportive for supportive's sake... So that's why I'm asking you - you're the most honest person at the hotel!"

'Fuck me', Husk groaned internally. Apparently his no-shits given habit of just telling things as they were had made him the paragon of truth in this damned place. He glanced back and forth from the pitiful drawing up to Charlie's expectant face. In that moment he would have rather kicked a basket full of orphan puppies into a lake of fire than tell her the truth. "Well... I think it's great."

"Really?"

"Really." Husk nodded, forcing his lips into what he hoped was a convincing smile. "It's, ugh, eye catchin' and straight to the point; just like a good flyer should be. And the, ugh..., smilin' clouds are a nice touch."

"Thank you! I was worried they might be too much and I was second guessing whether to put them in..." The young woman suddenly looked down at the bar and nervously ran her fingers through her long, golden hair. "And I know this isn't really your job, so feel free to say 'no' but... Do you think you and Angel could put them up around the city tomorrow? Please?"

Six months ago Husk wouldn't have hesitated to tell Charlie to piss off and find someone else to do her dirty work, but that time was long gone. He still wasn't sure what he thought of Charlie's grand plan of rehabilitating sinners; after months of work they were still no closer to proving the hotel a success on any level, and he had no idea if the victory over the angels would change the city's perception of her efforts at all. But what he did know was that somehow Lucifer's descendant, the Crown Princess of Hell, was the purest, kindest, most altruistic soul this damned city has ever seen and even if her dream culminated into nothing more than a waste of time, Husk was going to support that dream. "Don't even worry about it, Charlie. Angel and I will take care of these," he patted the papers but quickly pulled away as the stack wobbled dangerously under his touch.

"Thank you, Husk! I know..." She paused and seemed to be considering her next words very carefully. "I know you didn't really have a choice to be here with us, but I'm so glad you are."

For the first time Husk noticed her wide, trusting eyes were uncharacteristically dull and he wondered when was the last time she had managed to get any sleep. "Hey, there's no where else I'd rather be, kid. You've done good by me - by all of us, and we know you'll keep doin' good."

Charlie looked ready to launch herself over the bar and embrace him, but thankfully at that moment the front doors swung open and Angel Dust made his entrance. Despite the late hour Angel looked as though he had just walked off the front cover of a glamor magazine, or, knowing Angel, an adult magazine would be more accurate. "Hey Husk," he greeted automatically before catching sight of Charlie. "Oh hey, Charlie! I didn't expect to see you up this late - you gettin' Husk all warmed up for me tonight?" Angel smirked and swung himself into a barstool next to Charlie.

Before Husk could retort, Charlie had taken a flyer and presented it to Angel. "Actually, I was just getting Husk's opinion on the flyers I made to advertise the hotel!"

"Aww - Ohhhhhh..." Angel's face fell at the sight of the drawing.

"They're great, aren't they Angel?" Husk asked firmly. "Charlie worked all day on them and she's trustin' you and me to pass them out tomorrow."

If Angel missed the prompting inflection of Husk's voice, he certainly didn't miss Husk's pin-point eyes drilling the correct response into his head. "Yeah! It's - it's great! I can't wait to see how many people these bad boys draw in."

Charlie grinned and wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you! Wow, maybe I should go make more -"

"No!" Husk and Angel bellowed together.

"Ugh, what I mean is," Husk stammered at Charlie's shocked expression, "You don't wanna bombard people right up front, or else they'll lose interest. Better to give them a little bit at a time, right, Angel?"

"That's one of the cardinal rules of porn, baby: always leave your audience wantin' more. You can't blow your whole load at the very start of the show."

"Not the analogy I would'a used, but yeah."

"Hmmm," Charlie hummed thoughtfully, then smiled. "That makes sense!"

"It does? Ow!" Angel winced as Husk leaned over and decked one of his arms. "I mean, of course it does!"

"Eeee! I'm so excited to finally make some real progress today! I'm gonna go tell Vaggie!" Charlie exclaimed, and in a flash she spun around and ran up the stairwell to undoubtedly wake her unfortunate partner from a deep sleep.

The moment her slender frame was out sight of sight Husk turned to Angel. "Was that seriously the best you could do? I thought you're supposed to be an actor!"

"Hey, you can't drop that shit on me with no warnin' and expect an award winnin' performance! Especially not after the day I had."

"Rough day, I'm guessin'?" Husk asked. He pulled a low ball glass from a nearby shelf and poured Angel a generous two finger helping of whiskey.

"Not rough, just dumb. It literally took all afternoon just to shoot one scene! I don't know where Val is gettin' these new guys from, but I swear to God they couldn't find my holes even if they tripped and fell into one."

Husk laughed and watched as Angel threw his head back and downed the whiskey in a single shot. "Oh damn, that's good. Is that new?"

"Just got it in today; Alastor wanted to 'broaden our supply' behind the bar, so I ordered some different shit."

Alastor, in fact, had never told him this - Husk knew good and well that Alastor gave less than a single fuck about what went on behind the bar. But he had seen the new Beelzebub honey flavored whiskey in the store and knew in his gut that Angel would like it.

"Well don't be stingy with it." The man said, shaking his empty glass. "And since when do you make me drink alone?"

Husk obediently poured Angel another serving before helping himself to a large swig straight from the bottle. This was the real reason Husk had waited patiently for Angel to return home. The first time they had performed this ritual had been the night Angel had stormed out of the hotel with Husk on his heels; after their return, they had shared what was supposed to have been one drink, which turned into another, then another, and another as they talked far into the early morning. With so many weeks having passed since that first night Husk could barely even remember what they had talked about; but what he did remember was the sound of Angel's laugh, the warm softness of his gaze that held no ounce of judgement as Husk spoke of things he had never disclosed to anyone, and a sensation of peace that settled over Husk: a peace that an hour later had turned to alarm when Husk, alone and wide awake in his bed, realized he was still thinking about Angel. He knew at that moment the best thing to do would be to cut his losses and step away from Angel before he foolishly invested anything else in this doomed scenario, but then again, folding on a bad hand had never been Husk's style of play.

So instead he had pressed his luck. 'Just one more time,' said the voice in the back of his head that all gambling addicts had, a voice that breathed adrenaline and hungered for risk. 'Just one more drink, one more talk, and then you'll walk away and things will go back to how they were.' And yet weeks later, here he was, so lost in the game he could barely remember the rules anymore.

Angel took a modest sip of his drink and said, "I'd ask how your day went, buuuut - I think I got an idea." He smiled and side-eyed the stack of flyers.

"Man, you don't know the half of it. After those damn reporters left Charlie got everyone to meet up and discuss ideas for the hotel. Problem is, she got everyone, meaning Alastor and her dad were under the same roof."

"Oh for fucks sake. I never turn down a good dick measurin' contest but those two are gettin' exhaustin', even for me. What's the beef between them, anyway?"

"Hell if I know! It could be a big, fat, fuckin' nothing," Husk growled. "Alastor's a dangerous demon to mess with, but trust me when I tell you he can also be a petty little bitch when he wants to be."

"Cheers to that", Angel grinned, lifting his glass. Husk returned the smile and clinked his bottle against Angel's glass before taking simultaneous drinks.

As Angel tilted his head back to finish off the whiskey, Husk caught himself watching the soft pulsing of his throat as he swallowed and he quickly forced his gaze down to the bar. "I don't suppose you got any porn friends we could pass these flyers out to?" Husk asked.

"Are you nuts? Val still can't get it through his thick skull that I ain't movin' back in with him - I can't piss him off more by tryin' to poach his workers. What about you, you got any old drinkin' pals you can call up?"

"Even if I did, it's hard to keep track of people and even harder to call them up when you don't have a phone."

"You ain't got a phone?"

"Bitch, I've told you a dozen times I don't have one!"

"I always just thought you were tryin' to avoid givin' me your number! You really don't have one? Like, at all?"

"I don't need one! I lived and died before those damn bricks were even invented."

"So did I, dumbass, but I still got one! Why you bein' so stubborn about this?"

"Maybe 'cause I don't need you sendin' me pictures of random dudes' dicks all day, every day, for the rest of my afterlife." Husk droned.

"That's not all you'd get! Look, Charlie sends me an inspirational quote every morning." Angel said and presented the screen of his pink phone. Sure enough, under a small picture of Charlie's beaming face titled "Fearless Leader" was a lengthy string of text messages, all of them displaying short quotes such as: "Positive anything is better than negative nothing!", and, "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up!"

"If that's supposed to change my mind, it ain't workin'."

"Fine, buzzkill. But I ain't droppin' this, and you know how persistent I can be."

"Oh I know." Husk chuckled and took another draw from his bottle.

Angel, glass empty, waited for Husk to finish before swiping the bottle and taking a long drink of his own. "And speakin' of persistent... I think it's about time you and me put an end to this tension between us."

"What tension?"

"Come on. I like you, you like me and neither of us are jail bait, so what's the problem? Besides..." A sly grin spread across Angel's face. "You already let me get to second base last night, remember?"

The bartender rolled his eyes. Husk had known the second Angel made his 'innocent' offer of a massage that he should have refused. It was one thing for Husk to find excuses to sit, drink, and talk with Angel, but to be touched by him; that was something else completely - something that, like a roll of dice, had no way of being undone once cast. He knew he should have walked away but the addict's voice he had tried so hard for years to starve out of existence had taken control and it felt almost like a dream when Husk heard himself say, "Fuck it, why not? Let's do it".

And even though his mind knew exactly how many 'why not's there were, his body had still laid down and allowed Angel to clamber on top of him like he was a damn carousel pony. He had been so close to tossing the man off and regaining control of himself, but then Angel's hands rained down on him and his resistance shattered faster than glass thrown against a brick wall. It had felt so good to just give in; to abandon his own agency, his fear, his pain, and just leave his future in Angel's talented hands.

But then Angel had pulled away and, like all good things in his life, the moment ended; leaving Husk alone with his self-loathing and a bitter reminder of why he could never lose control again. "First of all, me and you got real different ideas of what 'second base' is."

"Whatever, it was probably some sort of base."

"And second," Husk softly sighed. "I'm grateful you helped me out last night, but you said yourself you were offerin' as a friend. So that's all last night was; a favor between friends."

"Friends can do all sorts of favors, you know."

Angel's soft purr reverberated through Husk's bones and he knew the voice would begin to stir. "Come on man, enough."

"Seriously Whiskers, you know me and my charms are gonna wear you down at some point. So why not give in?"

The pounding of Husk's heart was painful against his chest and his skin prickled as though millions of ants were crawling over him. 'Yeah, why not?' The voice whispered, 'Things could play out different this time. Just take a chance - see what happens.'

'NO!' He was not going to run those risks, he was not going to put himself through that pain ever again. "You wanna know why?" Husk snapped, his voice rising with every word. "I'll tell you why. You go around fuckin' guys all day and never think about them again. But I can't do that. That's why this - us - ain't ever happenin' so just stop wastin' your time on me! And for the last damn time don't call me 'Whiskers'!"

The echo of Husk's words filled the empty parlor, as though to mock him. Trembling, Husk waited for the silently staring Angel to react: to insult him, to scream back at him, to do anything. He stood there for what felt like hours and when Angel finally pushed himself to his feet Husk felt himself go tense. He watched as Angel simply took a last, long drink of whiskey, calmly set the bottle back onto the bar, then turned and locked his unnervingly detached gaze onto Husk.

"Fuck you, Husk."

His glacial tone froze Husk in his place and he could only silently stare as Angel turned and made his way up the stairwell. The scene played over and over like a broken film reel in Husk's mind as he eventually wandered to his own room. He lay in his bed for a long time, just looking up at the dark ceiling. He had done exactly what he should have done the previous night: he had kept control, he had told Angel 'no' and he had saved himself from entering yet another situation that would only end in pain.

So why then was he filled with an overwhelming sense that he had just fucked everything up?

The night passed slowly for a sleepless Husk, and by the time morning came he was thoroughly annoyed and was now nursing a headache that had settled in right behind his eyes. Halfway down the stairs he suddenly remembered his promise to Charlie and audibly groaned; spending his morning on the street dealing with the idiotic masses was not what he needed right now, not to mention that he had no idea what attitude Angel was going to be in. He had rejected the man several times before and never had Angel reacted in such a severe yet emotionless manner, a fact Husk had mulled over as he endlessly tossed and turned. The closest explanation he could fathom was that Husk's tirade last night had gotten through to Angel and the man had finally accepted, albeit poorly, that his efforts were being wasted on Husk. The idea of Angel moving on and no longer chipping away at Husk's resolve should have been a relief, and yet he felt horribly lonely as he thought about what empty future awaited him. After all, he could not imagine Angel would continue to spend his nights at Husk's bar, not when there was a whole city of men ready and willing to give him what Husk couldn't.

As Husk entered the parlor he immediately caught sight of his bar - a bar that was completely absent of the monstrous pile of flyers that should have been waiting on him. He turned and approached Charlie and Vaggie, who were sitting together on the couch - the same couch he and Angel had shared less than forty-eight hours ago. As he drew closer Charlie looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. "Husk! Are you and Angel back already?"

"Already?"

"Well, the flyers were gone so I thought..."

"That's what I was gonna ask you about; I just came from upstairs and they were already gone."

Before she could answer there was a furious rustling of movement from a nearby wing-backed chair, and Niffty popped up from under the seat cushion like a demented mole. "I saw Angel take those hours ago." She announced happily.

"Oh!" Charlie said. "I guess he wanted to save you the trouble, Husk."

"And Angel told me if Husk asks where he is I'm supposed to tell him to 'go sit on a bent pole'". Niffty giggled with a slight hint of mania in her voice.

"Okayyyy, maybe not."

The headache behind Husk's eyes exploded and engulfed his entire skull down to the base of his neck. That immature little prick!

Vaggie crossed her arms and regarded Husk coldly. "Sounds like you pissed him off again. What'd you say this time?"

"Nothin' that I ain't said to him before."

"Well clearly you said something."

Husk turned and glared at the lounging woman. "All that happened was he started pullin' his same old Angel bullshit and I shot him down! Maybe he finally listened, or maybe he just wants me to go chasin' him through the streets like last time! Who the fuck knows."

"You could just call and ask."

"Even if I had a phone, I ain't givin' him the satisfaction of -"

"You can use mine!" Niffty chirped and from her skirt pocket she pulled a phone, the back of which was stained with the crushed remains of long-dead roaches.

Husk recoiled and gulped down the vomit rising in his throat. "Uhhh, no thanks, Niff."

"Here, use mine." Charlie said, and her thumbs started zipping across her phone screen with baffling speed.

"I ain't -"

"It's ringing!" She announced and pushed her phone into Husk's hand. The screen was alight with a picture of Angel and Charlie, both of them beaming at the camera, and the words "CALLING - ANGEL DUST" blinked up at him. Before he could do anything the sound of Angel's voice faintly drifted up from the speaker. "'Sup Charlie?"

Husk hesitated, but at Charlie's prompting he finally raised the phone to rest against his cheek. "Charlieee," Angel continued in a sing-song tone, "Miss Morningstarrr, did your bony ass butt dial me again?"

"It ain't Charlie."

The line went deadly silent. "Angel?" He pressed after several seconds.

"I guess Niffty didn't give you my message."

Irritation burned through his veins faster and hotter than a shot of heroin. "Yeah she did, and you could'a said it to my face instead of pushin' it off on her! Why are you -"

Click

Dumbfounded, Husk looked at the phone screen and saw that it was now black. "You little piece of -!"

"Okay!" Charlie cried and jumped up to rescue her phone out of Husk's clenching fist. "Clearly Angel needs some space, so let's respect that and leave him to it."

"Gee, what'd you do to him?" Niffty asked.

"Why the hell are you all actin' like I'm the problem here? I ain't the one actin' like a cryin' little schoolgirl!"

"Really not loving the mild sexism here."

Husk ignored Vaggie and said, "I mean, if he's got a problem with me then he needs to have the fuckin' balls to stick around and say it to my face!"

A wry smile crossed Vaggie's face and she turned to look at Charlie, "Hey babe, weren't you just talking about that new thing you wanted to try about improving communication?"

Husk had no idea what she was talking about, but he really didnt like the expression of pure excitement that had crossed Charlie's face. "Oh my God, Vaggie, you're right! Ahhh! This would be the perfect way to test out what I've been reading!"

"Wait a fuckin' minute -" Husk started, but in the next moment Charlie latched onto his arm and, with surprising strength, flung him onto the couch.

"Okay Husk, this is exercise is called 'cognitive therapy role play', and it's going to give you an opportunity to talk out your conflicts with 'Angel' in a safe, judgement-free environment!"

"Woah, woah, woah, Charlie! Look, I don't mind helpin' you with the hotel but at the end of the day I just work here - I ain't part of your redemption club."

"Please, Husk!" Charlie whimpered, her doe eyes shining. "I've always wanted to try this!"

God, why had he ever let these insane people worm their way into his heart? "Okay, but -"

"Thank you thank you thank you!" Charlie sang and wrapped him in a brief but bone-shattering hug. "Vaggie, you can be Angel!"

"What? This is your thing - I thought you would be Angel!"

"I can't be part of the scene and be the mediator."

"Shit. Fine..."

"Thank you, Vaggie!"

"Yeah, thanks Vaggie." Husk snarled.

"What can I do?" Niffty asked, jumping up and down on the seat cushion.

"You can be my assistant - I need you to take note of everything Husk and 'Angel' say in case we have a breakthrough."

Niffty promptly sat and pulled out her cockroach phone. "Gotcha!"

"Okay, Husk - 'Angel' is sitting right here," she motioned to a very uncomfortable looking Vaggie, "So here's your opportunity to tell him what's on your mind."

"The first thing on my mind is to tell 'Angel' he's a whiny bitch."

Charlie laughed weakly. "Strong start, but one quick note - let's try to avoid using direct statements and instead focus on how Angel and how his actions make you feel."

"Alright, I feel like Angel is a whiny bitch."

Vaggie's eyes rolled. "Oh that's real original."

"Then why don't you say somethin' since this was all your great idea?!"

A loud crash filled the room and they turned in unison to the stairwell - Cherri Bomb had leapt down the last half dozen steps and landed hard on the wooden floor. "Sup cunt mafia!" She greeted and cheerfully strolled over to the shell-shocked group. "What are we doin'?"

"Role play." Niffty answered.

"Ooooooh."

"Cognitive therapy role play!" Charlie corrected proudly.

"Oh." Cherri groaned and perched herself on the arm of Niffty's chair. "That sounds a lot less hot."

"It's not meant to be hot, it's meant to be healing."

"So where's Angie? Hot or not, he's not the type to turn down a bit of role playin'."

"Well that's actually what we're working through; Angel's a little, uhm, distant this morning -"

"Very distant." Vaggie added. "As in 'stormed out of the hotel and went God-knows-where' distant."

Husk jumped in his seat as Cherri's eye snapped to him. "What the fuck did you do this time?"

"How do you know I did anything?"

"Cause anytime Angie's pissed off you're the reason, and I got the receipts to prove it."

As proof, Cherri Bomb held up her phone. She dragged her finger down the screen and scrolled through an incredibly long series of messages - presumably from Angel. Most of the texts were written in all capitalized letters and even the phone deprived Husk knew what that meant. Were all of those truly about him? "Let me see those!"

"Piss off! These are between me and Angie."

"Then why did you bother - fuck it, nevermind! Did Angel say anything about last night?"

"Not a word, which means he must be really fuming."

"Alright!" Charlie interjected, sounding desperate. "Let's all take a deep breath, refocus and try again. Husk?"

Husk stubbornly refused to take a deep breath but he did shift his gaze back to Vaggie. Even for Charlie this was some next-level bullshit. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Well, earlier you mentioned how you'd prefer if Angel would talk to you directly when he's angry instead of using Niffty. Start there."

"Wait a minute," Cherri interjected and pointed at Vaggie. "Is she meant to be Angie?"

"That is the point of the exercise -"

"Nah, fuck that! If anyone is playin' Angie it outta be me."

Vaggie leapt from the couch as though it were on fire. "Please, be my guest!"

Cherri grinned and threw herself into Vaggie's abandoned seat. She instantly crossed her legs and arched her back to accentuate her chest in a frighteningly accurate imitation of Angel. "Well hey there, Whiskers."

Husk felt his left eye give an involuntary twitch. "Don't you fuckin' start with me, Cherri."

"Weren't you listening, furball? I'm the one and only Angel Dust! And why should I bother talking to you at all after you've gone and pissed me off?"

"Maybe cause you're a grown ass -" He heard the unmistakable sound of Charlie loudly clearing her throat. "Ugh, fine... I mean, I feel like we're both too old for you to be playin' these stupid games."

"Oh that's rich comin' from you, Husk! Hey, what's the weather like up there on your golden pedestal? Are you really gonna act like you don't play your own fucked up games; leading me on like I'm a dog on a leash?"

"What the hell are you talkin' about?!"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! You make a show of turning your nose up and shooin' me away, but the moment you think no one's watching you flash me the 'fuck me' eyes! Well I got news for ya mate, people are watching!"

A knot was twisting in the pit of Husk's stomach. "That's bullshit! I ain't never led you - oh fuck this - I ain't never led Angel on!"

"Sure ya haven't, mate."

"What would you know, Cherri? You ain't even been here for two days!"

"Fine, let's ask them!" Cherri said, jerking her thumb towards the others.

At her words, Charlie and Vaggie dropped their heads and suddenly became immensely interested in staring at a spot in the carpet. "Well?" Husk demanded.

"I mean," Charlie groaned. "You might have been a little... inconsistent."

"Inconsistent? What the fuck does that mean?"

Vaggie huffed. "It means yes, everyone knows that lately you've been giving Angel more mixed signals than a busted traffic light."

The knot in Husk's stomach was now a boulder. He had been so preoccupied with convincing himself that as long as he didn't lose control there was no real harm in some small slipups: a secret glance thrown Angel's way from time to time, a returned flirtatious comment every now and then; they were just insignificant fractures in the wall that he would seal up and repair - eventually. He had never taken a moment to stand on the other side of the wall, on Angel's side, and wonder how those fractures were affecting him. "I don't mean to... shit! It's more complicated than that..."

"Of course it's complicated, Husk! When I first met Vaggie, I didn't know how to act around her." Charlie smiled and reached for Vaggie's hand. "I felt so stupid and awkward and sweaty all the time."

"Very sweaty." Vaggie confirmed.

"And remember how flustered Pentious would get around Cherri?"

"Leave him out of this, yeah?" Cherri snapped.

"Sorry..."

"Hmmm," Niffty mused, looking up from her note taking for the first time in so long Husk had legitimately forgotten she was even there. "It sounds like Angel's negative reactive behavior is a coping mechanism triggered by what he perceives as a volatile interpersonal environment."

The group stared at her.

"What?" Niffty blinked.

"That's it, this is getting too fuckin' weird." Husk said and pushed himself to his feet.

Charlie closed the distance between them so quickly she might as well have teleported in front of him. "Wait Husk, please! We're making progress here, I can feel it! If we push just a little further I'm sure we can figure out - "

"There ain't nothin' to 'figure out'! Listen, you all are right, I ain't been as straightforward with Angel as I should have been - I'll own up to that."

"'Bout time."

"But!," Husk continued, throwing Cherri a sideways glower, "That don't change anything! I told Angel last night this ain't ever happenin', and I meant it."

"But if you want to be with - "

"For fucks sake, Charlie, it don't matter what I want!"

The sudden bang of the front door swinging open made the group jump. Angel strolled into the room, a large black shopping bag swinging lazily from one of his hands, and even though Husk felt ready to faint from his mounting frustration his pulse quickened at the sight of the tall man. As Angel removed and tucked away his pink sunglasses his gaze scanned the room; when his eyes landed on Husk they gave an exaggerated roll and without even greeting the others Angel changed course for the stairwell. The curt dismissal hurt more than it should have and Husk tried to swallow his bitterness as he said, "Thanks for... whatever this was, but I'm done now. I'm gonna go apologize to Angel for being 'inconsistent' as you guys put it, and then we can all just forget this happened."

"But maybe if we - "

"I'm done." Husk snapped, his deep voice brimming with finality. "I'm sorry your little experiment didn't work but I ain't a lab rat, and -"

"I don't care about the exercise, Husk!" Charlie said, almost pleadingly. "I - I just want you to be happy!"

The sincerity in her voice broke Husk's heart. With a sigh, he moved to place his hand on her shoulder and prepared to once again be the obligatory honest bastard. "I know you do kid, but life in Hell ain't like your flyer. Some people just don't get to be happy and the sooner you let that sink in, the better off you'll be."

A stoic shadow fell over Charlie's face and for the first time since meeting the vibrant young woman Husk felt genuinely unnerved by her. "You're wrong. I know life here isn't always flowers and rainbows but people can be happy, even in Hell. Sometimes it's hard and takes work, but everyone can be happy and everyone deserves to be happy - including you."

Husk didn't know what to say. He wanted so badly to share in her grand optimism, but just as fiercely he wished she would grow up and for once see the world around her as it truly was and not what she wished it could be. He could feel the eyes of Vaggie, Cherri and Niffty watching them, watching him, and the pressure of their gazes combined with Charlie's surreally innocent stare was intolerable. "W- well," he finally stammered. "Like I said, I'm gonna go talk to Angel."

Knowing full well that he looked like a coward running from battle, Husk turned on his heel. He was grateful that no one tried to stop him as he went up the stairs up to the next landing. Just as he was brainstorming on how to convince Angel to let him into his room, at the end of the hall he saw the very man of his thoughts standing outside his door. His three unoccupied hands were patting down his tight clothes and as Husk drew nearer he heard Angel muttering furiously under his breath, "Shit shit shit, I cannot lose another key! Vaggie's never gonna let me hear the end of it if I lose -"

Husk approached as silently as he could, walking cautiously as one would sneak up on a dangerous predator, but he must have made a sound or maybe Angel was more observant than Husk gave him credit for, because the man's head suddenly turned to him. "Oh great. What do you want?"

"I aint here to start shit, I just wanna talk."

"Well feel free to stand out here and talk all you want." Angel snapped. His searching hand finally found his room key and Husk realized he was running out of time; Angel's room might as well have been a vault and if he made it inside there would be no reaching him. As Angel moved to slide his glittering bronze key into the lock Husk lunged forward and with one fierce tug he yanked the black shopping bag out of the astonished man's grasp. "What the fu - give that back!"

"Stop givin' me the cold shoulder and talk to me for five damn minutes and I'll give it back!"

Husk was not proud for lowering himself to such playground bully tactics, but now was not the time for mature decisions. His muscles tensed as he readied himself to dodge whatever retaliation Angel would launch, but the taller man simply stood there, glaring and visibly trembling.

"Fine." Angel eventually hissed and he disappeared through the threshold.

Husk warily followed. He had never been inside Angel's room before and he found the space strangely... ordinary. He had not necessarily been expecting to see a mirror hanging over the bed and handcuffs to be littering the floor - or maybe he had - but besides a string of soft pink lights that lined the edges of the ceiling there was nothing about the room that proclaimed 'Angel Dust lives here." Then again, the hotel was not even seventy-two hours old and personal decorations weren't really a high priority at the moment. He saw the small, spotted head of Fat Nuggets poke out from beneath Angel's bedspread and as soon as the tiny pig demon caught sight of Husk he bounded over.

"Hey Nuggs." He greeted.

Fat Nuggets snorted in excitement and promptly rolled over to display his round belly. Husk obliged and gently scratched the happily wriggling creature but his eyes remained on the fuming man in front of him. "I'll take that now." Angel demanded.

Husk relinquished the captured bag without argument. In one fluid motion Angel yanked the bag from his hand and then overturned the contents onto his bedspread. Sex toys of all shapes, sizes and functions, some familiar and others completely unfamiliar to the bartender, bounced against the bed and Husk couldn't stop his eyes from rolling into the back of his skull. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me."

Angel, who had moved to open his nightstand drawer, froze and glared at him. "You got somethin' to say?"

"Just that I ain't surprised you prioritized this", he motioned to the raunchy pile of goods, "Over helpin' Charlie."

"In case you didn't notice, asshole, those flyers are gone with no thanks to anyone but me. So yeah, I took a little 'me time' after I passed them out."

"Did you pass them out, or did you throw them down a gutter to make sure you'd have plenty of 'me time'?"

Husk regretted his words at once, but it was too late; Angel had already pulled himself up to his full impressive height, all of his eyes glowing with rage. "If you think after everythin' Charlie's done for me that I'd fuck her over like that - !"

"I don't think that," he said quickly. "I... I'm sorry. That was a real fucked up thing for me to say."

"Yeah, well..." Angel stood frozen, oscillating between anger and another emotion Husk couldn't place. After several seconds the man turned back to his nightstand and began haphazardly storing away the new toys. "Apology accepted. You can go now."

Fat Nuggets had returned to his chubby hooves and was pushing against Husk's hand, demanding more attention, but the bartender's focus was completely on his friend before him. Husk had seen Angel drunk, combative, depressed, pissed beyond all reason, but this... This was something different, and Husk could not shake the feeling that he was about to step into a mine field. "I ain't leavin', Angel, not till you talk to me."

"I got nothin' to say to you." Angel snarled as he deposited his last toy into the drawer.

"Fucks sake... Look... I get why you're mad at me."

That made Angel pause. Encouraged slightly, Husk continued, "The girls and I were talking, well sorta talking, it's a long and weird story, but I guess... I guess I've been givin' you mixed signals about this - us - and -"

Angel's head whipped around so sharply Husk heard a bone in his neck crack. "Are you fuckin' serious?! Thats why you think I'm mad?"

Any ounce of confidence Husk has managed to salvage together melted away into a puddle at his feet. "It ain't?" He asked, painfully aware of how stupid he sounded.

"No Einstein, it ain't!"

"Well ... Ugh...Is it cause I rejected you?"

"Holy shit, you are so pathetic it's almost funny!"

Husk could feel his tail begin to whip back and forth in mounting irritation. "Then just say it! Why the hell are you so pissed at me?!"

An erratic, almost manic laugh erupted from Angel. "Gee, I don't know, Husk! Maybe, just fuckin' maybe, the reason I'm so pissed off is cause last night you looked me straight in the eyes and called me a whore!"

The air was punched from Husk's lungs so forcefully he felt his entire chest cave in. "Wha - What the fuck?! I never said that!"

"I heard it straight from your mouth, you piece of shit!"

"Then last night you must have been high as a kite, cause I was there and I know what I said and I never said that, motherfucker!"

Angel leaned in so close that Husk could feel the man's warm breath on his face as he screamed, "'You go around fuckin' guys all day and never think about them again'! That's what you said about me! So don't you stand there and pretend not to remember, cause I remember every fuckin' word!"

"That ain't -!"

'That ain't what I said', were the words poised on Husk's tongue, but the sentence never left his mouth. He had said that. He had said those exact words, but somehow in the space between Husk's mouth and Angel's ears the words had become so horribly mangled they were unrecognizable. "That ain't what I was sayin'! You know me - I ain't some prude; I don't care if you're out there fuckin' one guy or a hundred guys!"

"Apparently you do care." Angel grumbled.

"I don't!" Husk sank onto Angel's bed and cradled his throbbing temple in his palm. "Shit Angel, I wish I was more like you!"

"Oh give me a fuckin' break, Husk."

"Seriously! Thats what I was trying to tell you last night!"

The room fell silent, save for Fat Nuggets' gentle snuffling as he curiously sniffed at the fur on Husk's tail. How much simpler would things be if Husk had just kept Angel at arms length? If Angel had just remained an annoyance in his life instead of becoming a confidant and friend, or if Husk had remained steadfast in deflecting Angel's flirting instead of accepting it he would not be here now, struggling to undo the damage he had so carelessly caused. After several minutes he heard Angel finally ask, "Whaddya mean?"

Husk took a deep breath, "You remember I told you I used to be an Overlord?"

"Yeah, 'till you fucked it up."

"Heh, pretty much...Gamblin's all about takin' risks; about knowing when to keep pushin' your luck or when to cut your losses and throw in the cards. Except I was never too good at that last part. I was more of an 'all in' type of guy - still am. No matter which way my luck turns I always jump in headfirst and risk everythin' I have. The problem is, I ain't just that way at gamblin'. I... I go all in with people too - right at the start."

Husk felt the mattress shift and knew that Angel was now sitting beside him, and he was ashamed to realize he couldn't find the courage to look at the man. "What I'm sayin' is: I don't know how to fuck someone without gettin' attached to them. But it's worse than that; it's... shit, this is gonna sound completely fuckin' pathetic, but I fall for them - head over heels, every damn time. You can take a wild guess how that's worked out for me. And one day I realized I couldn't do it anymore; I felt so small and I didn't know how many more heartbreaks I could put myself through. So I just... stopped."

"You just stopped... What? Havin' sex?"

Husk nodded. "I know, you ain't gotta tell me how stupid it sounds. But it worked. No more head over heels; no more losin' pieces of myself to people who never gave a fuck in the first place. I know you're just lookin' for a one night stand and that's fine, I swear I ain't judgin' you; but I can't give that to you. Fuck I wish I could! But I can't, and I'm a straight up bastard for leadin' you on like I have been. That's what I tried to tell you last night."

Again the pair fell into silence. From below them, the faint sounds of their friends talking drifted up through the floorboards; they were all completely oblivious to the scene unfolding just above their heads, and the separation felt so surreal to Husk. He waited, listening to the muffled voices, trying to will Angel to say something and put him out of his misery. Finally, Angel did speak: "Sooooo, what you're sayin' is: you're a giant pussy."

"The fuck!?" Husk spat and swiveled just in time to see a large grin split Angel's face. "Hey, when I spilled my soul to you, you called me a loser - among other things. You had that comin'."

A bark of laughter loudly escaped from Husk and he slapped his palm over his mouth to try and smother the unexpected sound. "I see Alastor's not the only petty bitch we got in this place. So we even?"

"Yeah, we're even."

"And...are we good?" He asked cautiously.

Angel took a long time to answer, and when he finally did his voice was barely a whisper, "Yeah I guess, but... what if I don't want a one night stand?"

"What?"

"You keep talkin' 'bout me like I'm just lookin' to hit it and quit it with you. But what if I'm not? What if I want the real deal?"

Husk's temple was pounding again. The damned voice had taken notice of Angel's words and Husk could feel it priming for yet another attack on his resolve, just like it had that night on the couch. "Fuck, don't do this to me. Please. Dont just tell me what you think I wanna hear."

"I ain't doin' that. Look, I'm not an idiot; I know I really am a whore."

"Man, don't say that; you ain't a - "

"Yeah, I literally am. Sex is fun, and I like havin' it whether or not there's a camera filmin' me! And you'd think that'd be a point in my favor when it comes to datin', but it ain't. Guys wanna do a porn star but they dont wanna stay with a porn star - not once they remember my job means every other day I gotta go off and fuck different men. What guy wants to date someone who can't give them nothin' but sloppy seconds? That's..." Angel's voice trailed off and his four, slender arms wrapped around his torso in a protective self-embrace. Husk felt his breath catch in his throat. He knew from Angel's own admission that the perpetually bold, confident persona he projected was just that - a persona he had crafted to try and manage the horrors of his own private world, and these small peeks behind his veil were always a humbling reminder for Husk on just how similar they were. "That's one of the reasons I like you so much. Cause I thought you didn't care 'bout that part of me."

'He likes you. Doesn't that make the odds in your favor?'

"How many times I gotta tell you, I don't care!" Husk growled.

"I know, I know! But that's why what you said last night - what I thought you were sayin' - it hurt so bad."

"Then why didn't you just tell me that? Seriously Angel, you can't just run off and count on me to hunt you down anytime I touch a nerve! You don't play that damn game with Charlie or the any of the others!"

"It's not a game! Or - shit - I dunno, maybe it is." He admitted quietly. "It's just sometimes I don't know what to do but run, cause you piss me off more than everyone else!"

"Yeah, and I got no idea what that feels like." Husk said dryly.

Angel smiled, but Husk could see no humor in his expression. "You still ain't answered my question."

''Yes, it changes everything', rose to his lips and Husk bit down to stop the words from escaping. "Why are you even interested in someone like me," he said instead. "I ain't your type."

"If by 'my type' you mean: super hot, dumb as a brick, mean, possessive, jealous, toxic and treats me worse than a piece of shit stuck to the bottom of their shoe, then yeah, you ain't my usual type."

"Don't think I didn't notice you just call me ugly, asshole."

Angel chuckled and Husk felt a light squeeze on his hand. He glanced down and was shocked to see his hand clasped around one of Angel's - when the ever-loving fuck had that happened? Had Angel taken his hand, or had Husk once again lost control and done it himself? "But you are my best friend." Angel whispered. "Is it really so weird that I'd fall for you?"

Husk felt his cheeks burn and was grateful for the rooms' soft pink ambient lighting that would mask the color blooming across his face. "I figured Cherri was your best friend."

"Don't get me wrong, she's my Best Baddest Bitch and I love her, but when I'm with her I gotta be 'balls to the wall, up for anything and down for anyone' Angel Dust. I can't be me around her. I can't be me around anyone, 'cept you, Husk."

Angel turned to him and gave Husk a smile; a real, unburdened smile that made him as beautiful as his namesake. "Besides, Cherri ain't the one pretendin' to work late every night just for an excuse to talk to me."

His hand burned like a searing hot coal against Angel's. He needed to compose himself; he needed to let go of Angel's hand, get the hell out of that room and go drown himself in as many bottles as it took to silence the needling voice whispering to him, coaxing him to stop fighting. "I... I don't know..."

A shiver ran down his body as Angel's soft palm brushed his cheek. "Hey, I get it - I really do. Let's just... let's just forget all this and things can go back to the way they were. Okay?"

Yeah, they could go back. Husk could walk out of this pink, shimmering room right now. He could rebuild his walls between Angel and throw himself back down the nearest bottle. He could rebury that insistent voice in the back of his head along with his impulses and temptations and just let them all rot. He could survive living life on a plateau, never chasing a risk, never pushing his luck, because at the end of it all every hand won or lost, every thrown pair of dice, every shuffled deck, every person he had trusted with his body and heart, all those things had ever gotten him was a mountain of regrets and a spot on the end of Alastor's leash.

Except...In a way, he also had Charlie. Sweet, joyful Charlie who had welcomed Husk with open arms from the first disorienting moment he had been thrust into her weird world. He had Vaggie and Niffty and even Cherri Bomb, all of them people who would die for him, and he for them. He had Pentious, who did die for him. He had a home - a strange, sometimes infuriating home, but a home nonetheless. And he had Angel Dust, his first real friend in years, holding his hand and asking to be more than a friend.

And why couldn't Husk have more? If he pushed his luck, if he gave everything he had to Angel and lost again, what was the worst that could happen? Of course it would hurt and another chunk of his withered heart would disappear into the void, but he had already hit rock bottom years ago and all of the controlling measures meant to protect his heart had done nothing except to provide himself a shovel to tunnel even further past the rocky bottom. None of his rules had changed the fact he was living in a literal and metaphorical hell - the only thing he had truly accomplished was to keep himself locked in a perpetual state of self-imposed misery. 'Maybe it's time to see if your luck has changed...'

For the second time Angel's hand softly squeezed his own and he asked again, "Okay, Husk?"

"No, not okay," Husk growled, and, giving in to the starving voice inside of him, he grabbed the man by his shirt collar and roughly pulled. There was no more hesitation, no more fear or self-denial; there was just the softness of Angel's mouth and the current of euphoria that flooded every cell in Husk's body. He remembered this intoxicating feeling so well; and when Angel's lips finally moved against his own the perfect marriage of drunken mirth and drug-induced hypersensitivity overtook him. The addict in him had prevailed, but, in true addict nature, he was already craving more. Husk pushed himself against Angel's slim body and they fell together backwards onto the bed. The hands that had massaged his back so tenderly were now clawing at him, fighting to drag Husk even closer against Angel's chest. Neither were gentle with the other as they pulled and scratched and writhed, their desperation driving each other into a near frenzy - until one misjudged move sent them both plummeting over the side of the bed in a whirlwind of sheets and limbs.

Husk's wings somewhat softened his fall as he collided with the floor; a moment later Angel followed, landing on Husk with a soft "Oof!" For several seconds they both simply laid there, chest to chest, dizzy from the tumble and their spiking adrenaline, only coming back to their senses when a concerned oinking drifted down from the mattress. "Mmpph. We're okay, Baby Nuggs." Angel mumbled against Husk's chest.

"One of us is okay; the other one just got used as a cushion," Husk argued once his vision steadied and the air returned to his flattened lungs.

The vibrations of Angel's laugh tickled Husk's chest and he felt the man slide upwards until they were face to face. "Thanks for catchin' me," Angel whispered before he lowered himself into another kiss, this one slower and longer now that the fall had managed to snap them out of their manic state. Husk relished the warmth culminating between their shifting lips and his tongue ached to explore the cavern of Angel's mouth, but there was one even more pressing desire he had wanted to indulge for weeks now. Breaking away, he gently tugged Angel's head upwards and kissed the spot directly below his chin. He could feel Angel's rapid pulse beating against his skin and Husk followed the trail with his mouth; when he reached the center of Angel's throat he paused and drew the tight skin between his teeth. A whimper of... Pleasure? Discomfort? reached Husk's ears and the uncertainty immediately made him pull away. His words were hardly more than strangled gasps as he asked, "You okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm good." Angel breathed, but the wavering in his voice failed to put Husk at ease.

"You want me to stop?"

"Husk, I will kill you if you stop!"

"'Scuse me!" Husk laughed and returned his attention to Angel's throat. This time there was no mistaking the man's groan as one of excitement, and each sound Husk drew from him was a fresh bolt of dopamine to his already hazy mind. Too soon his mouth met with fabric and Husk blindly reached between them to tug at the hem of Angel's offending shirt.

This time it was Angel who broke away; he pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared down at Husk's prone face. "Husk, we ain't just foolin' around, right? You and me...we're gonna give this a real shot?"

"Weren't you listenin' earlier? I already told you I don't do one night stands." Husk teased.

He wrapped his arms around Angel's torso and pulled him back down, but to his shock he felt the man strain against him. Confusion and pain sliced through his elation as devastatingly as an edged knife and all of his reawakened dread began tumbling through the freshly opened wound. How could he have been so fucking stupid; how could he have ever allowed himself to hope things would be different - to be better? But through the swirling storm clouds that gathered in his mind, he saw all of those same terrors and insecurities shining from Angel's eyes like a lighthouse beacon. "Promise... Promise you won't change your mind about me tomorrow when I gotta go to work and fuck ten other guys."

The storm clouds retreated and his destructive thoughts disappeared as quickly as they had manifested. Husk was not the only one taking a gamble; Angel was clearly just as terrified as him, and the knowledge that they were both trusting the other person with a fragile piece of themselves was strangely both saddening and comforting. He gently cupped Angel's wary face. "Hey, you know I ain't gonna do that to you."

"Promise me. Please."

"I promise... So long as you promise that at the end of the day, when you're done fuckin' those ten or twenty or whatever other guys, you'll come home to me."

Finally, a smile tugged at the corners of Angel's mouth and Husk watched his eyes fill with their usual scampish gleam. "I've been doin' that for weeks, Husk!"

"Just say you promise, you snarky bitch."

"I promise."

This time when Husk pulled him close, Angel didn't resist. In the moment just before their mouths found each other again Angel suddenly paused and whispered, "Oh, and also - you're gettin' a damn phone."

"The fuck I am -!" Husk started but the rest of his words were muffled by Angel's mouth, and when he felt the man's tongue press against his lips he decided there were much more important matters to concern himself with.

Angel's multiple hands made short work of his own clothes, and even shorter work of Husk's, and soon every barrier separating them had been discarded onto the floor. When Angel pulled away yet again Husk could not stop the groan of irritation that tore out of him, but his frustration quickly shifted into discomfort as he watched the man straighten and open his nightstand drawer - the same drawer that he had watched Angel store away a plethora of new sex toys. "What, ugh... What are you diggin' around in there for?"

"Relax, scaredy-cat." Angel smirked and showed Husk a simple bottle clasped in his hand. In one smooth, clearly practiced, motion Angel opened the bottle and poured a generous amount of oil onto one of his palms. "You know, you're pretty uptight for someone who says they ain't a prude."

"I ain't a prude, I just -" His breath caught in his throat as Angel reached down and began stroking Husk with his oiled hand. He had forgotten how fucking good it felt to be touched by another person, and the fact that it was Angel touching him only heightened the sensation. "It's just been a while since I've done this." He admitted.

"How long we talkin'?" Angel asked, as casually as though he were sitting at the breakfast table instead of on his bedroom floor with Husk's well-oiled dick in his hand.

"You don't even wanna know."

"Oh, Husk." Angel cooed and released Husk before leaning down to kiss the corner of the bartender's mouth. Husk groaned at the loss of Angel's warm hand and his hips instinctively thrust upwards in a desperate bid for contact. Every desire for connection, emotionally and physically, that he had denied himself over the years had returned with a vengeful reckoning and his body ached with the repercussions. "If it's been that long, are you sure you remember what to do to me? I've got some films we can watch if you need a reminder..."

"That's sweet," Husk managed to chuckle. "But, actually -"

Husk's arms and legs shot forward and ensnared Angel's shoulders and hips, trapping the man against his body. With one powerful beat of his wings against the floor and a sharp twist Husk rolled them both over and pinned Angel beneath him. "I think I can take it from here."

In an instant Angel's expression of shock morphed into raw lust and Husk couldn't stop himself from grinning as he drank in the sight of his beautiful, eager friend. "I'm waitin', Whiskers."

Years of control and resilience, years of protecting himself from a vicious pattern of infatuation and pain were all undone with a single thrust. The pair entwined themselves together as they fell into a steady rhythm, Husk's arms looping behind Angel's shoulders while Angel's impressively long legs wrapped around Husk's waist. The volume of his own ragged breathing was deafening, the pounding of his heart so severe that his ribs felt as though they would crack. All too soon Husk felt an oppressive pressure building inside him and he ground his teeth in a desperate attempt to hold out; there was no way in hell he was coming without Angel. "Hold on, baby." He snarled.

His hold on Angel's shoulders became an iron vice. With a sharp growl Husk extended his wings and brought them down in a vigorous flap. The force propelled him forward, driving him into his partner faster and stronger than before, and Angel's beautifully primal howl shook the room.

"Again! Please!" Husk heard Angel cry, but he had already prepared himself for another lunge. He filled Angel a second time, then a third, each thrust pushing Husk closer his own precipice, and just as he had resolved himself to failure he felt Angel's body seize with the long-awaited contractions. "Husk!"

The sound of Angel crying his name was too much. Husk collapsed as the pressure inside him erupted and convulsions gripped his muscles in a wonderfully painful grip. He lay like a broken rag doll against Angel's heaving chest as they rode the waves of their orgasms.

After several seconds Angel shifted beneath him and Husk heard him softly laugh, "Told you I could make those wings flap."

"Shut up." Husk chuckled as Angel wrapped his four arms around him. A rustling sound brought him to attention and a pair of beady eyes met his gaze from atop the bed. "Oh shit. I think we just traumatized Nuggs."

"Don't worry, he's seen worse."

Husk didn't ask for elaboration. The soft, thick fur on Angel's chest tickled his nose as he breathed and he could feel the man's heart beating directly below his cheek. It was done. Whatever happened now, for better or for worst, the tiny surviving fragment of Husk's heart that he had protected so fervently for so long now belonged to Angel. The cards were dealt, his hand was set, and there was nothing more for him to do but watch and see how his luck would turn.

"Hey, Husk?"

"Hmm?"

"Was all that you said earlier true? About why you didn't want to be with me?"

"I did want to be with you, fool. I just... I didn't think I could."

"Then... what changed your mind?"

"You gonna call me a giant pussy again if I tell you?"

"You gonna call me a snarky bitch if I do?"

Husk smiled. Why had he changed his mind? Why had he thrown away years of regulation and put so much faith in the hope that he wouldn't once again be on the losing end of what was essentially a long shot? There were not enough hours in the day for Husk to embark on that dizzying level of self-reflection. So instead, embraced in Angel's arms and with a sense of calm that he had previously only been able to obtain with several bottles of the hardest liquor, Husk simply thought back to Charlie and her bold declaration that a mere half hour ago had seemed so naive to his bitter mind. "I think... I think I'm ready to be happy."

Husk allowed his eyes to drift close as Angel, his best friend, his new partner, the man who in time would either be his worst sorrow or his greatest love, leaned forward and softly kissed the spot between his ears. "Me too."