"Ugh… well, it took us nearly an hour, but the cake is iced and decorated." Angel said with a satisfied sigh. "And it turned out great, too." Husk smiled, "It just sucks we have to wait another two whole days to eat it." Angel giggled, squirting a tiny bit of the leftover icing on Husk's nose and watching the feline lap it up, laughing as Husk reached into the bowl and smeared a little frosting onto Angel's nose.
"Hahaha! Oh, damn, I haven't had this much fun in the kitchen in years!" Husk cackled, "Thanks so much for this, Angel. I owe you one." "Oh? Just one, Husky?" Angel teased, "I think you owe me, like… five or six at this point."
"Oh, ha-ha, very funny." Husk said, rolling his eyes, "Seriously, though… thanks for, well… everything today. Especially for helping me get cleaned up earlier. God, that was fucking awful." Angel's expression softened as Husk turned away, rubbing his arm timidly as he looked down at his feet. Angel bent down and gently cupped Husk's face in his hands, kissing him softly on the cheek before bringing him in for a hug. Husk took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he reached up and wrapped one arm around Angel's shoulders, smiling as he caught the wonderfully fruity scent of Angel's body lotion.
"Hmmm… strawberry banana crème." Husk sighed. "What was that, Husk?" "Uh, nothing." Husk stammered. Husk growled as he felt a pang in his lower back, whimpering as his muscles spasmed and his head started to throb. Husk quickly backed out of Angel's grasp and gripped his hair between his claws, whining as his whole body ached.
"Oh, goddamn it… please not now." Husk cried, "Not so soon after… the last one." "Husk, are you alright?" Angel asked, "Do you need to sit down?" Husk moaned, nodding slowly as Angel helped him take his apron off and hung it up on the hook. Husk pointed to a couple of sous-chefs, then at the cake and said, "Hey, get this in the freezer for me, would ya?"
The chefs nodded and trotted over to fetch the cake as Husk headed back up to his room with Angel in tow. Once inside, Husk let out a grunt as he flopped down in the armchair and rested his head in his palm. Angel reached over and rested one hand on Husk's gasping as the contact made Husk's fur bristle a little.
"Is it a flare-up?" Angel asked gently, "Or a mini-flare, or… whatever you call it?" Husk sighed, shaking his head and said, "I… I don't know. It's impossible to tell… if it's a flare-up coming on or if this is from the withdrawal. All I know is that I hurt." Angel felt his heart ache for the guy as Husk's body started to shake, his wings ruffling as he struggled to stay sitting up in the chair and a pained whine escaped his throat. "Ooh… oh, fuck… who am I kidding? I need to lay down."
Angel turned to the bedroom door and smiled, gently taking Husk's hand and supported him as he got to his feet and helped the man hobble over. Husk quickly unlocked the bedroom door, flipping the light on and limped over to the bed; the feline let out an exhausted sigh as he crawled up onto the bed, letting out a whimper as he grabbed one of the two larger head pillows and buried his face into the plush material and let his wings lie limp across the span of the mattress.
Angel did his best to contain his excitement as he looked around the room. It was a pretty large room, a bit bigger than his own back at the Hazbin Hotel and was adorned with various heart-shaped and poker themed decorations and furniture. Most everything was colored red, black or white with little splashes of gold, orange, and a few hints of navy blue and light green here and there.
On the vanity dresser were a few photographs and newspaper clippings, some knick-knacks and awards from what Angel could only assume were gambling contests. As he scanned the various mementoes, one in particular caught Angel's eye, and it broke his heart to see. It was a very old news clipping showing a picture of Husk and Alastor standing in front of the Jackpot, shaking hands with smiles on their faces. Al's was big and excited, while Husk's looked forced and fearful, almost submissive. He could make out Husk's employees in the background, eyeing Alastor with disdain and worry; the one face that was notably absent from the scene was Hazel. Angel's heart sank further as he read the story beneath the photo.
"Newest business 'power couple' in Pride's gambling district? Now ex-overlord Husker signs soul over to overlord powerhouse Alastor after losing it all in a disastrous winner-take-all game of poker. Many suspect dirty dealings; however, so far no evidence of this has been found. After an almost 30-year reign, the Gambling Overlord has finally fallen; his luck has apparently, finally, run out."
Angel looked back at Husk with a pang of sympathy and walked over, sitting down on the edge of the mattress and reached over to gently place a hand on the small of Husk's back. Angel was surprised at just how large and plush the mattress was; it was like sitting on a king-sized cloud. Husk's lovely red wings all but vanished into the thick red comforter; there were also four small poker-themed throw pillows along with the red and white head pillows. As the spider demon gently rubbed the feline's back, he saw his fur and feathers bristle a little from discomfort.
Angel reached over, removing Husk's top hat and bowtie before gently unhooking his suspenders and taking them off. Husk lifted his head up and looked at Angel curiously as he placed his things in a pile on his vanity before grabbing a towel from the bathroom and coming back; Angel settled down at the end of the bed, gently spreading Husk's legs so he could sit between them. Husk let his eyes flutter shut as Angel gripped his hips and lifted his pelvis; a quiet whimper rose from Husk's throat as Angel opened his fly, letting Angel gently strip him bare before slipping the towel underneath him and gently pushing him back down.
Angel slid off the bed and placed Husk's pants and boxers on the dresser before carefully moving Husk's wing out of the way and settling down next to him, softly stroking the back of Husk's head and neck. "How you feel now, Husk?" Angel asked softly. Husk lifted his face and rested his chin on the pillow, looking off to the side as a light flush came to his cheeks. Husk mulled it over for a moment, letting out a sigh as he shook his head slowly and let his face rest back down on the pillow.
"Is there anything I can do to help you feel more comfortable?" Angel whispered. Husk moaned and shook his head, shivering as another wave of pain rippled across his spine, making his skin twitch and his tail lash in discomfort. "Aw, poor fella." Angel stayed by Husk's side, making soft hushing sounds and tenderly stroking Husk's ears and the back of his head and neck, keeping a close eye on Husk's breathing and noticed how Husk seemed to be getting a bit antsy as his hands moved to rub little circles on his upper and lower back.
"Husk? You good?" Angel asked, "Sounds like you're getting a bit… hot and bothered?" Husk let out a flustered shiver and moaned, pushing his face deeper into the pillow as he tried to choke back a frustrated cry. "Hey, it's okay. Doesn't bother me," Angel said with a shrug, a smile stretching across his face as he continued, "Besides… it's nothing I haven't already seen."
Husk slowly lifted his head and looked up at Angel in surprise; Angel just smiled and gave a little nod. Husk's cheeks blushed deeper as he turned away, shivering hard as another wave of pain wracked his frame. Angel scooted closer and reached out to place a hand on Husk's shoulder to get his attention. "I'm sorry, Angel," Husk groaned, taking Angel by surprise as Husk turned to him with tears in his eyes and sniffled, "I… want it, too. But I… I… I don't have it in me. I just hurt too damn much."
Angel could see desire in the cat's eyes, a desire that matched his own, but it was clear he was in too much pain to go through with it. Angel nodded and slowly sat up, helping Husk crawl under the blankets before removing his boots and jacket so he could join him.
"Hey, it's okay, big guy." Angel whispered, cupping Husk's cheek and wiping a tear as it trickled down his face, "I told you before, there's no rush. If you're not ready or you're not feeling good, that's fine. I know better than anyone how painful it can be, being forced to… perform when you feel like shit. So, if you can't do it, it's okay. I know you probably don't think so, but… you are absolutely worth the wait."
Husk let out a broken chuckle, reaching up and placing his hand over Angel's as he caressed Husk's face with his thumb. A smile stretched across Husk's face as he leaned into Angel's touch, letting his eyes close and a few small tears fall down his face as a soft purr rose from his chest. "Thank you, Angel." Husk whispered, bringing Angel's hand to his lips and softly kissing his knuckles, "Thank you."