Friendship Is Where It Starts

by BadButt94

After returning to the hotel from their night out, Angel and Husk knock back a few drinks and have the conversation that kickstarts their friendship. Who knew how much fun talking to a loser could be? HuskerDust one-shot. TW about sexual assault, abuse, drugs, overdosing, heartbreak, death, slavery, and other sensitive topics. This prequel is to another one-shot coming later.

Author's Notes:

Happy Pride Month! I hope everyone is having a safe and prideful Pride! I wanted to add my one-shot, and hopefully my HuskerDust story, to the fandom before the end of the month, so I hope you enjoy it! Also, I might be interested in collaborating with someone to do a HuskerDust ff where Angel gets pregnant. There aren't that many around, so if anyone has any ideas or would like to collaborate, please let me know. Love you guys!

Author's Notes (2):

Please keep in mind that a lot of what I wrote was not canon, but it was inspired by the information posted about them. Please do not take anything to heart, but I still hope you enjoy this fanfiction.

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Summary: After returning to the hotel from their night out, Angel and Husk knock back a few drinks and have the conversation that kickstarts their friendship. Who knew how much fun talking to a loser could be? HuskerDust one-shot. TW about sexual assault, abuse, drugs, overdosing, heartbreak, death, slavery, and other sensitive topics. This prequel is to another one-shot coming later.

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Friends Is Where It Starts

"Man, tonight was the best night of my life!" Angel laughed loudly, almost spilling his Sex on the Beach drink.

"Does that count all the times you were high?" Husk smirked as he drank his neat whiskey.

"Yes! A thousand times, yes. Who knew an old man like you could fight like that."

"Hey, I may be old, but I still have a few moves left."

"Hm. Do those moves include surprises in the bedroom?" Angel asked while wiggling his eyebrows, but laughed when Husk glared at him. "I'm kiddin', Whiskers. I know we're not there yet."

"Hm," Husk smirked before he finished his drink and refilled it.

The lights at the hotel were dimmed because everyone was going to sleep. The only sounds that could be heard were the creaking of the hotel as it settled and some of the violence outside, and the laughter of two losers shooting the shit for the first time since they met. Even though they were still covered in some dirt and grim from their fight about an hour or so ago, they didn't care as they enjoyed each other's company. Angel finished his drink, too, even going as far as to tie the cherry stem into a knot before his drink was refilled.

"So, uh, was that stuff you said about being an overlord true?" asked Angel as he traced the bar top with his pointer finger.

"Yeah. I was known as the Gambling Overlord for a few decades after I died. I'm surprised you haven't heard of me before. Hell, you died long before me."

"I was never into politics. Valentino made sure of that, too. He told me, "No one likes a smart whore. The only thing we're good for is suckin' dick and taking it in every hole possible"."

"That's a pretty good impression there, Legs." Husk chuckled before taking a drink. "Would you like to hear the story about my life upstairs and as an overlord?"

"Oh no. Ya don't hafta say anything if ya don't want to. I know my life ain't pretty, hence the reason I'm down here, too."

"It's not a problem. I don't mind telling my story, especially to a friend." Husk's words made Angel blush, and he knew it by the way Angel's eight eyes were trained on him as he stretched to his max height before continuing. "It was in the mid to late 70s, and I was 65 when I finally died. My name was Victor, and I was born and raised in the Los Vegas casinos. My family owned a local casino, but I always went with them to see how other casinos ran and operated. I learned a few tricks here and there, and I am pretty good at poker and blackjack. However, my true love was magic."

"You did magic?! How did I never know this? You don't do tricks for us."

"I fell out of love with it after everything that happened. But, maybe now I have a reason to start again," Husk smiled into his drink before he continued. "Anyway, I performed several nights a week, distracting the masses and bringing them into our casino before things got bad. I was in my early sixties when I got down on my luck. I couldn't stop gambling, even when I was out of money. My father got tired of burying me out of holes I dug myself in, so I turned to loan sharks. They knew my reputation, so they knew that I couldn't pay them back. I did some… really bad things to clear my debts. They knew I was loyal to a fault, so they needed me to get my hands dirty when they didn't feel like it. Things were going great until they weren't. I started drinking too much and letting my work slip. I couldn't keep a job, and soon, they ran out of favors for me to do and wanted their money instead. Finally, they had enough, and my debt was too much to pay. Before I knew it, I was wearing cement shoes and swimming with the fish."

"Damn, Husk. I used to take care of guys like you. It's awful hearing it from the other side," sighed Angel.

"It ain't all bad. Or at least it wasn't at first. After I arrived, yeah, I freaked out that Hell was real. I wasn't a religious man, despite my folks trying to make me one. But I wasn't shocked. I knew I would wind up in Hell if either were real. Anyway, I started with a deck of cards and some dice gambling on the street. I earned a few friends and souls to boost my status. Everyone underestimated me because of my size and poker face. I wasn't always a winner, but I knew how to bluff my ass off. Soon, I acquired a rundown casino and basically built it from the ground up. I called it "Sleight of Hand"; she was my baby, my pride and joy. And she made me rich beyond my wildest dreams. It didn't take long before I became the Gambling Overlord. I even rubbed elbows with a few of the Deadly Sins. And, just like any overlord, I dealt in souls. Lost souls like mine who wanted to gamble their lives away."

"Wow. You seemed like you were high on the hog. I bet you were one of the few overlords who I wouldn't have minded signing my soul over to. So, how did ya end up on Alastor's lease?"

"Like I said, that's what happens when you lose a few hands. Well, more than a few," sighed Husk as he finished off his drink, the taste being bitter in his mouth. Reminiscing about his overlord days and his expensive whiskey did that to him every now and again. Angel watched in silence as Husk turned his back to him while fixing his fourth drink of the night. Once he was finished, he turned back around, his poker face back in place as he continued.

"I was on a losing streak. The casino was doing well, but I wasn't. Losers would come to me in hopes of selling their souls to clear their debts, and I would let them. I would bet them their souls in exchange for their debts. It started off fine; I lost a soul or two. But then more came, and I lost a few more hands. I don't have to tell you this, but as an overlord, you need souls to be considered powerful. When I started to lose too many, that's when Alastor waltzed into my casino. I was weary of him from the start, and I had every right to be."

"Yeah, he's one scary fuck," Angel shivered.

"Unfortunately, in my desperate state, I did not think so," Husk sighed as he took another sip.

"What did he want? I can't imagine old Deer Boy had a gambling problem."

"You're right, he didn't. I didn't know who he was at the time. He wasn't that famous just yet. He seemed like a lower-level overlord with a creepy smile. However, at the time, he seemed more powerful than me, so I took his bet. He played me like a fiddle, and I gave him the bow. He let me win a couple of hands to boost my confidence, an old trick that I used countless times but couldn't believe he used it on me. But I was running on a gambler's high and didn't want to come down. He let me win a few measly souls, but then the stakes got higher and higher, and I kept winning. I was about to call it quits until he offered me a double or nothing stake."

"Damn. That double-or-nothing always gets people. What did he offer you?" asked Angel.

"All of the souls he owned on top of the few I already won. But if he won, then he would get my casino, territory, my employee, and my soul. Again, that gamble's high was a hell of a drug. After looking at my hand, I knew I couldn't lose, but I wanted to play it smart. I told him I would make the deal as long as I got to keep my powers. And well… you know the rest…" the old cat sighed into his cheap whiskey.

"You lost everything…"

Husk nodded, "Before I knew it, his green chain was wrapped around my neck, and I was his slave, along with the rest of my employees. I still remember his evil laughter and him telling me to "cheer up, good fellow," as he made me watch my casino being demolished. Everything I had worked for and built from the group up, including my reputation, was gone in an instant. After that, I changed my name to Husker since I was a husk of my former self and fell into my old habits again: a stinkin' drunk with nothing but a few hell dollars, a cheap bottle of whiskey, and a deck of cards with some dice to my name."

"At least you got to keep your powers from being an overlord, right?"

"Yeah, that is the nice part, but it wasn't worth it. None of it was worth it. After that, I did his bidding for a few decades."

"What did he make you do?"

"Whatever he wanted. If he wanted someone gone, they were gone. If he wanted someone scared, they were scared shitless to the point we never saw them again, and so on and so on. I was his slave, and he was my master. But then he went away for seven years, and I thought I was free, but I knew better. His leash was still around my neck, but he was out of my life, so I counted it as a win."

"What did you do while he was gone?" asked Angel as he hung onto every word from Husk.

"I tried to rebuild myself from where I left off, but I didn't get very far. No one wanted to fuck with a washed-up overlord who bet everything away because he couldn't control himself. The few people that I played against were other lowlife nobodies who had just about as much to their name as me. They didn't have their souls either, so what good did that do me? But still, imagine my surprise when Alastor found me passed out in the gutter somewhere. After berating me and reminding me of my place, he told me that he would summon me soon for another job. Who knew it would be at this hotel with you fuckers," Husk chuckled as he finished off the last of his whiskey, grimacing at the bitter burn of the liquor as it slid down his throat.

"Lucifer's tits, Whiskers. Didn't realize your story was so sad."

"Yeah, don't I know it. So, when you say that you would have liked to sign your soul over to me, you'd be wrong."

"Would you have sold my soul to Alastor too?"

Husk lowered his eyes as he looked at his reflection in his drink. Would he have been so bold as to betray the same sinner in front of him now? Or would things have been different if they met before he met Alastor? Would things have been different if they met each other before Valentino and Alastor? Since he didn't meet Angel before his downfall, then probably not. But since things fell the way, they did… who knew what Hell would have had in store for them?

"I… don't know if I can answer that question… I want to say no. I want to say things probably would have been different if we met before Alastor, but it's probably a good thing we didn't. I would have probably killed myself if I gambled your soul away to him."

"Oh," Angel said in disappointment, making Husk feel even worse. Knowing that he needed to lighten the mood, Husk opted for a joke.

"Ya know, I miss answering emails and attending meetings."

"Yeah? That all sounds boring," chuckled Angel as he took a drink.

"It was annoying. But it was a part of being an overlord. I used to hate waking up and having a full schedule all the time. Now that I don't have anything besides this bar, I sometimes wish I could go back to those days." Husk grinned before taking his last sip, refilled his glass, and leaned over the bar top. "Mind sharing your story?" At his question, Angel's grip on his glass tightened, and he anxiously bit his lip. Seeing this, Husk immediately backed away with his hands up in defense. "You don't have to if you don't want to. In fact, we don't have to talk anymore. I just don't want to upset you, Angel."

"Anthony."

"Excuse me?"

"That was my name, Anthony. Sometimes, I went by Tony, but Anthony was my name when I was alive. And, no, you didn't upset me. It's just that… no one, not even Valentino, asked about my above life. Well, except Cherri, but that's different. Other than her, I thought no one cared, so I kept it to myself,"

"I care. If you're willing to share, then I'm willing to listen," said Husk as he leaned back over the bar top, giving the spider his full attention.

"Thanks, Husky," Angel said as he looked up with a small smile before taking a sip of his drink and clearing his throat. "You might want to get comfortable. So, you know that I died young. It was my 30th birthday, actually. Growing up in a catholic mafia family as a gay, drug-loving boy was not easy. I can't count on any of my six hands how many times I disappointed my father and older brother while breaking my ma's and Molly's hearts."

"Who's Molly?"

"My twin sista. She and my ma ain't down here, thank Lucifer. I don't think I could handle knowing that they knew about my "career." My other family, like my dad, older brother, and uncles, could all rot down here, and I told them so when they finally got down here and found me. Anyway, it was Brooklyn in 1947, and it was my 30th birthday. At this point, my father and brother didn't know I was gay, but they knew I got hooked on drugs thanks to some old pals of mine. When I was younger, I always had a flare about me, which my family started to suspect about me being gay, but they hoped that I would grow out of it. When I didn't, my older brother and father beat the shit out of me that day. They said they couldn't have any fairies in their family; it made them look weak, they said. My ma and Molly tried to hide and protect me from them, but they just got in the way. After I was beaten to shit, I was told to go to my room to decide if I wanted to be in this family or not. You and I both know that there's no such thing as leaving the mafia, so what they said was bullshit."

"What did you do?" asked Husk, hanging on to every word.

"I ran away. The only people I said bye to were my ma and Molly, but that was because they caught me sneaking out that night. They were coming to check on me when I was halfway out the window. They begged me not to leave. They said they could convince the family to accept me and keep me in the family. I told them that it was a pipe dream, and they knew it. So, I hugged them goodbye and promised that I would be back before morning… but I broke that promise. I didn't mean to overdose that night… I really didn't. I actually tried to make it home and was close too, but I didn't make it."

Angel closed his eyes, and he got lost in the memory; small tears pricked his eyes as they threatened to fall. It wasn't until Husk offered a comforting hand that Angel realized he was about to cry. With Husk's encouraging smile, the spider sniffed up some mucus and dried his eyes before he continued without removing his hand from Husk's.

"After I snuck out, I met with a local john on the down low. He was another closeted gay who had feelings for me, and I liked his back, but we obviously couldn't tell anyone. The best part was he would give me drugs before we had sex. I would go to him whenever I needed a fix, whether it was sex or drugs; he always made time for me. He was a sweet guy. That night, though, we both didn't know what we were getting into. We were both having shitty days and wanted to get lost in each other, especially with it being my birthday. He surprised me with a new drug combination we hadn't tried yet. I don't know what he had in the bag, but I do know that there was at least LSD and Angel Dust laced inside. I didn't care either way. I thought I could handle what came next, but I was wrong."

"What happened to you?"

"We took some of the drugs, and the high kicked in almost immediately. We felt like we were floating on air and lazy at the same time. Not so lazy that we didn't have sex, but lazy to where it almost didn't happen. After we had sex the first time, the high only got better, and I didn't want to come down yet. So, we took some more. And then more. And then more. It was the highest I'd ever been topside, and I loved it. We were in the middle of having sex for the third time when something went wrong. I was riding him when I noticed his eyes rolled back into his head. I thought it was because he was enjoying the sex; I know I was, but something was wrong.

His body started to convulse, and he threw up on me. I was disgusted and immediately got off of him. Next, he kept throwing up, and soon came the diarrhea. I didn't know what to do. I had to get help, but I was too high out of my mind to do anything. I barely had my clothes on when his body finally went still. I freaked out and didn't want to leave him. I didn't know if he was dead or just passed out. I tried to drag him to the neighbors, but he was too heavy, so I left him in his apartment and ran to get help. After a few knocks on the neighbor's door, they answered, and I begged them for help. They called 9-1-1 before I ran away."

"You left him there, alone?" asked Husk.

"I didn't want to! I was scared shitless and thought they were going to accuse me of murdering him, so I ran like a coward. I had to make it home before anyone could say that I was there, and I was in more trouble with my family. I was a selfish prick who let the only man who ever liked me back possibly die in his apartment. Maybe that's why I died on the way home. I ran down the street. The guy's apartment was not that much further than my house, thank god, but it still felt so far away. I almost made it. I was a block away when I suddenly fell to the ground. My body started to shake, and I threw up on the sidewalk. I felt hot and in the worst pain of my life. I was overdosing, and I knew that I was going to die. No one was going to save me, and I didn't deserve it. The last thing I remember was laying there on the sidewalk, with my body convulsing and my life flashing through my eyes. The last thing I remember saying before I finally passed out was that I was sorry. And, just like that… that pain was gone, and so was my life," Angel said as tears streamed down his cheeks, staining his fur, as he bit his bottom lip.

"You ok? You can stop if you want," Husk said as he kept squeezing Angel's hand.

"No, no, I'm fine. Thank you," The spider smiled as he whipped away his tears and continued, "After I arrived here, I was lost. Like you, I wasn't sure if Hell existed, but I wasn't shocked that I ended up here. I knew that this was where I belonged, so I made a way for myself. I soon got into stripping and nightclub dancing. I'd never stripped before, but I was always a good dancer and knew how to be sexy. I was hired immediately. That's where my fucking family found me."

"In a strip club?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't expecting them to come into a gay strip club. When I asked how they found me, they said that my reputation grew, and people told them where to find me. They wanted to continue the family business while they were down there. There was even talk of them becoming overlords. They wanted me to work for them and stop being the "sissy boy" they knew I wasn't. I laughed in their faces and told them to fuck off. I didn't need them. By the time they found me, I was gaining notoriety as a stripper and dancer at the club. They even had a few drag shows in which I participated. I loved every minute of it. Even though it was Hell, I finally found a place where I could be myself without restrictions. I loved it until…"

"Until you met Valentino?" Husk finished.

Angel nodded before sucking down the last of his drink. This time, Husk didn't reach to refill it. His was almost empty, too, but he didn't refill his either.

"He came into the club that night, looking fancy and expensive like always. I was being harassed by some thugs when he saved me and sent them packing. He looked like a night in red and white armor. I don't know what it was about him that night, but it caught my attention. Soon, he started coming around almost every night I performed and would be part of the audience. He would flirt and buy me drinks, and give me drugs, including his own smoke. That red smoke was a poison that I would gladly take every night he came to visit. And before I knew it, I fell in love with the fucker, and he knew it too. He promised me fame, fortune, and a life beyond my wildest dreams. Cherri tried to stop me, but it was too late. I fell hard and fast, and I wanted everything he had to offer, but I wanted to be smart about it."

"Who is Cherri?" asked Husk.

"My best friend. I know you haven't met her yet, but you will soon. She usually doesn't stay away for long," Angel chuckled. "Anyway, she tried to protect me from him because of what she heard about him. When I met him, he had only been an overlord for a decade, but he was established enough to prove that he could take care of me. But, in case anything went south, I would still have a piece of me left, so I only signed over half my soul to him, the biggest mistake of my afterlife. I don't have to tell you the rest but know that he's been trying to get the rest of my soul for decades now. I told him he could have it after I was double dead," he chuckled again.

"Good to see that he hasn't broken your spirit," smiled Husk as he finished his drink and took the glasses to be cleaned.

"Not yet, anyway. I still have some fight left in me… I just don't know for how long."

"What, um, happened to that guy you were with before you died? Did you ever see him again?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I eventually met him again before I met Valentino. It's funny because we almost didn't recognize each other until I was dancing in his lap one night. Afterward, he took me out, and we talked about that night. Apparently, I saved his life. The paramedics got to him in time to flush the drugs out of his system, but he was in a coma for a few months afterward before finally dying. I don't have to tell you how shit medicine was back then."

"Yeah, we came a long way by the time I died, but it was nowhere near what I've heard it is up there now," Husk explained.

"Yeah. Well, he was really grateful for what I did for him that night, and he was sorry that I died instead of him. Afterward, we dated for a short while until the next Extermination Day. He went out to get us more drugs, but he didn't make it back in time before the angels got to him. Cherri told me she saw him out there and tried to save him, but it was already too late."

"Damn, Angel. I'm sorry that happened to him."

"Yeah. It was sad that I lost him twice, but at least I got to know him in life and death."

Husk was about to say something when Angel's phone went off. He reached for it and unlocked the screen. Valentino sent several text messages about his shoot in the morning. The spider sighed as he ignored them and locked his phone. But before he did, large white numbers appeared on his screen, stating that it was two in the morning.

"Damn, is it that late already? I guess we better get to bed, eh Whiskers?" Angel smirked.

"Yeah, I guess we better," Husk said with a smirk back.

Angel waited until Husk finished cleaning their glasses before whipping the bar top down and throwing the dirty, dingy dish rag onto the side of the sink. Together, they made it up the stairs but stopped right before they had to split off to get to their rooms.

"Hey, Legs," Husk loudly whispered while they were in the hallway. "Thanks for fighting with me today. You really handled yourself out there."

Angel's cheeks dusted pink as he scratched the back of his neck while his other arms wrapped around his torso.

"You weren't so back yourself, Whiskers. Next time you need a partner to fight with, just let me know. I've got your back," he smiled. "Oh, and by the way, I want to try a Dirty Shirly when I get home tonight."

"What?"

"My drink order. If Val's texts this early in the morning mean anything, then I'm going to need a drink and some good conversation when I get home tonight. Ya got me, Whiskers?"

Husk's eyes blew up at the spider's words before a blush crept on his face. "Yeah. I've got, yeah, Legs."

"Good night, Victor," said Angel.

"Good night, Anthony," said Husk before they turned to go to their respective rooms, unaware of deep burgundy eyes and a wide yellow smile watching them from the shadows.

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The End