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By now, everyone was used to Angel’s wildly inappropriate and perverted behavior. They were used to his constant jokes, flirting, and sexual innuendos. What they weren't used to, was this new behavior that seemed to come out of nowhere.
The spider seemed to hang onto every word and action of a certain cat almost obsessively, spending most of his free time trying to get as close to Husk as possible without pissing him off. Even more strange, was how the smallest of things would have Angel burning bright or staring in admiration. Needless to say, Angel was completely and hopelessly in love.
I.
Angel may have gone a little overboard, but could you really blame him? Not only had he finally gotten his (rather shit) pay, but his most recent client had tipped him two times the usual amount, leaving Angel with more money than he was used to. This meant he got to go on a much needed shopping spree. Originally he had gone for himself, wanting to spoil himself with new shoes and new outfits. However, he took one glance at the pet shop and any plans to spend money on himself were out the window. One adorable costume turned into two, and two costumes turned into ten. Then, of course, he had to get Fat Nuggets a new leash, a couple of blankets, some toys, several kinds of treats, and matching pajamas for the two of them.
It seemed like a good idea at the time. Even now, when he could barely hold onto his bags with all six of his arms, he didn’t regret a single one of his purchases. Sure, maybe Fat Nuggets didn’t need a brand new, extra fluffy bed that he would never use because he prefers to sleep with Angel, but maybe this one he would. And sure, maybe he didn’t need a pet-safe perfume, but it would make him feel included in Angel’s usual morning routine. And sure, maybe he didn’t need three of the exact same sweater in slightly different shades of pink, but- well he just wanted to get them.
Angel was barely able to open the door, reaching out with his leg and slamming down on the handle until he finally managed to jiggle it open. Husk sat on the couch, sipping idly at a bottle of cheap whiskey as he stared down a struggling Angel. His staring made Angel’s skin itch, a pink tint dusting his fur. Suddenly, he felt a little stupid and embarrassed to have so many bags that he was struggling with basic tasks like opening a door.
“Need some help?” Husk didn’t wait for an answer, simply moved to take a rather large load of bags from Angel’s arms. “Is all this for your pig?” he asked, peering into one of the bags.
Red had crept up Angel’s neck and spread across his entirety. Words caught in his throat only strained noises managing to escape. Again, Husk didn’t wait for an answer, he already knew just how much Angel loved to spoil his precious Fat Nuggets, he simply made his way up the stairs toward Angel’s room. Angel’s mouth ran dry, standing stunned and speechless at the other’s actions.
It seemed he had been a little too stunned; because Angel hadn't moved an inch by the time Husk had dropped the bags and returned, “what? You need more help or something?” He asked, reaching out to take more bags from the spider demon.
For whatever reason, Angel wasn’t able to sleep that night, his mind plagued by thoughts of how adorably sweet it was for Husk to have helped him. His grin only grew wider, face pressed against his pillow to muffle his squeals and giggles of delight.
II.
When he was alive, Angel was far from a morning person. He despised waking up and would constantly plead for just “five more minutes.” Now, he thrived in the morning. There was the unfortunately common situation of a raging hangover that left him almost completely unwilling to get up, but even then it wasn't that bad. After all, his rigid morning routine always left him feeling awake, refreshed, and ready for the day.
Six in the morning, just before the sun starts to rise, is when it always began, giving him ample time to carefully dry his fur and apply his skincare and makeup, all of which would be done by the time the others started to rise. Charlie and Alastor were usually the first he would find roaming the hotel, Charlie because she woke up even earlier than him, and Alastor because- well, Angel wasn’t too sure the demon ever slept. Today, however, he found Husk half asleep at the bar, lazily restocking the shelves with whatever cheap booze had just come in. It was clear to anyone with eyes that he did not want to be awake, and would much rather be curled up in bed than to be up this early in the morning.
“You're up early Husky,” Angel slid into one of the bar stools, leaning over the bar in a way that pushed out his chest fluff.
Husk grumbled, annoyed, he wasn’t in the mood for Angel’s usual incessant flirting. However that didn't stop him from continuing to harass and distract the grumpy old man from his job.
Carefully, he set down a bottle he had just grabbed, bracing the edge of the counter. “I ain’t in the mood for your shit Angel,” his voice was deep and rough, far deeper and rougher than it usually was, the kind of manly gravel that comes with having just woken up.
An electric shiver shot down his spine, forcing Angel into an upright position. That morning voice was, extremely attractive. It was the kind of attractive that left him wanting more and more, it made him want to push and press just to hear it again.
“Aww, come on Husky~” he purred, one arm reaching forward to run up Husk’s arm, nails curling into the other’s fur. Husk didn’t pull his arm away or tell him off like Angel had expected, instead he stared Angel down. Hesitant, Angel pulled his hand away, “fine, but I’ll be back later,” he stuttered out, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks. He was quick to turn around, hiding his expression but failing to remain balanced, tripping over his own two feet.
III.
Angel always thought of himself as fucking hilarious. Every joke he told was absolute gold, even if no one else seemed to appreciate them. Even though, majority of the time, most of the hotel didn’t think he was funny in the slightest and often told him that his jokes were too rude, or crass, or were just flat out bad, there were times he was able to get a giggle or a snicker out of them.
Charlie was easy, she laughed at every joke he told that wasn’t about sex or drugs. So there wasn't a lot he could tell, but the ones he could, she crackled up every time. Vaggie was a little harder to get a laugh out of, but occassionally he could draw out a quiet chuckle that she would absolutely deny. He could even get a laugh out of Alastor, granted, most of the time he wasn’t trying to tell a joke, but he got a laugh out of him nonetheless. The only one he couldn’t manage to get a laugh out of was Husk. It’s not like the old cat was incapable of laughing, he’d heard him laugh before, its just that nothing Angel said has gotten so much as a giggle out of him.
For a while, Angel had been endlessly determined to get him to laugh. Just a chuckle, or a snicker, he would even settle for an amused smile, but ultimately Angel failed.
Charlie had, unfortunately, noticed his attempts at making Husk laugh, and decided to turn it into some kind of activity. Which is what they were doing now, reading shitty jokes off of notecards and trying to make the others laugh. It was clear who it was who wrote all the jokes, it was like they were pulled off a laffy taffy wrapper.
With an annoyed groan, Angel reached into the small, glitter covered container and pulled out a small slip of paper. He squinted at the writing and deadpanned at just how bad it was, “what musical instrument is found in the bathroom?” he asked allowed, taking a moment to look over the crowd of bored faces, “a tuba toothpaste.” Silence followed, big surprised, then a muffled snicker from behind him.
Angel whipped around, wide eyed, to find Husk with his head down, trying to cover his snicker with a weak cough. His jaw dropped at the sight, rushing to grab another card.
“What kind of tree fits in your hand?- A palm tree-” he stared, watching the older man bite back a grin and a snicker at the awful joke, “-seriously? This is the shit that makes you laugh?” Angel made a mental note to start making a collection of terrible jokes, wanting to make him laugh again.
Angel abandoned his spot on the couch, grabbing a few more cards before approaching Husk, reading them out and watching as it became harder and harder for the old cat to hold back his laughter. Angel was looking at him with stars in his eyes, admiring just how perfect Husk looked with that perfect smile and that perfect laugh, and that adorably ugly snort of his. Soon, Angel was directly across from Husk, still reading off the awful jokes.
“I can’t believe you actually think this shit is funny,” the words, though insulting, held no malice.
“It's more your garbage delivery thats funny.”
“All I’m hearing is that you think I’m funny.”
With that, Husk let out a much louder and fuller laugh, “sure, I’ll let you keep thinking that.”
Angel slammed his head into the counter, trying to ignore the way his heart leaped at the sound of Husk's laugh.
IV.
Today had been a shit day. The day had just begun when Valentino called him in and when Angel had complaints, Valentino threw him into a mirror and made him work until the sun had long gone down. Needless to say, Angel was battered, bruised, and sore by the time he got out, far too tired to bring himself to work the club like he usually did. All he wanted was to go home, drink until he couldn’t think, and curl up with his precious Fat Nuggets in the warmth and comfort of his own bed.
Angel slammed open the doors to the hotel, grumbling as he threw himself into one the barstools, “gimme something strong,” he laid across the counter, staring at Husk with tired eyes.
Husk raised a brow, “tough day?” he asked, turning just slightly to grab a few bottles from the shelf behind him. Angel groaned in response, burying his face into his arms, “wanna talk about it?”
Angel shook his head, “I’d rather not,” he grumbled, turning back to look at Husk, “It's just- Val’s a total dick is all.”
He had been expecting Husk to hand over a bottle of the strongest liquor he had in the bar, instead, he watched at he created some cocktail. There was something addicting about watching him work, an elegance in the way he was able to pour liquor without a single measurment. Whether he was shaking, stirring, or pouring straight liquor, Husk somehow made it attractive. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Husk and the tight grip he had around the shaker, his movements addicting. He watched closely as he strained the drink into a glass and slid it over to him.
“Isn’t he always?” Husk asked, moving to clean his tools.
“Well yeah, but today he was even worse. I’m real tired of that jackass ruining my life,” he grumbled, taking no time to savor the drink that was just made for him. It was gone in just a few seconds, which was a shame considering just how amazing it tasted. “Holy shit- what the fuck did you put in this? It’s amazing, one of your best for sure.”
Husk grinned, “want another?” Angel felt weak in the knees, that smile of his always made him feel that way. He nodded and immediately turned his attention to Husk, eager to watch him make another drink.
Angel cared very little for what was actually being put in the drink, more focused on the bartender himself. Somehow, watching him work was more comforting than the actual alcohol. It wasn’t long before the drink had been made and was being slid back over to him. This time, Angel took his sweet time sipping at the drink. It was sweet, but thats not what he was focused on. Angel was more focused on watching Husk, taking in the delicious sight of Husk washing his dishes and pouring himself a glass of whiskey. Angel would have loved to stare at him for hours.
V.
Husk was a cat, which meant he had a lot of cat-like behaviors that Angel found to be completely adorable. There were times that Angel would catch him batting around a dropped cherry or purring as he napped. There were other times that Angel would go out of his way to provoke a cat-like reaction from the other. In recent weeks, Angel’s favorite passtime had been to use a little cat laser to catch Husk’s attention and watch as he chased the little red dot. Other times he would put on shows with birds or squirrels and watch as Husk chittered and chirped at the screen when he thought no one else was watching.
“How do you bathe?” Angel asked as he took a long sip of the pink drink Husk had made for him. He wasn’t sure what exactly was in it, but it tasted good and that was what mattered.
Husk froze in his cleaning the counter, “excuse me?”
“Ya know- ‘cause you’re a cat. Do ya shower or do ya lick yourself clean?” He leaned forward, eager for an answer.
Angel thought about it more than he would like to admit, whether or not the cat licked himself clean. The thoughts started after having seen Husk lick the back of his hand and run it over the top of his head. Thoughts of Husk grooming himself and stretching himself into positions that would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t a cat plagued his mind.
Husk refused to answer, “I don’t see how thats any of your buisness… Why do you even want to know?”
It wasn’t his buisness in the slightest, “just curious,” he looked that other up and down, dragging his eyes over his body, “maybe I want to know just how flexible you are.”
“Okay thats enough,” Husk went back to cleaning and began to shoo away Angel, only seconds away from spraying him with cleaner.
Though Husk had banned him from the bar for the rest of the day, that didn’t stop Angel from hanging around just next to it. He had taken up a rather strange conversation with Niffty when Husk began coughing and hacking uncontrollably. The two of them pulled away from their conversation to peer over at the old cat, hunched over the sink.
“Husk? You okay?” concern was evident in Angel’s voice.
“Yeah, just-” more coughing and hacking that only brought more concern, “-just give me a sec.” Angel had moved behind Husk, one hand placed on his back, attempting to soothe the other. He spat into the sink and stood back up, “shit- sorry ‘bout that,” he grumbled, reaching for a paper towel to wipe his lips, “gross.” His nose scrunched at the wet ball of hair he just hacked up in the sink.
“Is that-”
“shut up.”
Angel broke into a wide smile, needing to turn away to hide his growing grin. Oddly, the fact that Husk had just coughed up a hair ball was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen. He had seen his fair share of cute, but this was by far one of the cutest. One hand covered his mouth, trying to muffle the giggles that he couldn’t hold back.
“quit laughing at me,” Husk glared at the other, shoving his hand off him.
“Sorry, just- sorry,” Angel turned to the wall, pressing himself into the corner to hide the pink that was growing on his cheeks, making poor attempts to hide his squeals and giggles, “you’re so cute,” he mumbled into the palms of his hands, too distracted by his own emotions to care if Husk heard him.
Once Angel finally managed to calm himself, he turned towards a grumpy Husk who was not too happy about having been laughed at. His ears were pinned to his head and a deep frown replaced his usual small frown, “Aww, I’m sorry fo’ laughing at ya Husk,” Angel reached out to pet the very top of Husk’s head. Husk glared but made no move to make Angel stop touching him.
The two sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, “so you lick yourself clean then?”
+ 1
Angel was way too obvious. Everyone in the hotel knew, and that included Husk. It was hard not to notice, Angel spent so much time staring at him, blushing and giggling at virtually anything he did. Husk would have to be blind not to notice. There had been several times when he wanted to point out his behavior, but he ultimately decided against it. He was rather enjoying Angel’s new behavior, he preferred it over the perverted and uncomfortable comments he used to make. In a way, Husk thought it was cute.
Angel had been spending significantly more time at his bar, most of the time he was just there to talk rather than to drink. Today was one of those days. He had thrown himself into one of the barstools and started ranting about anything and everything. From work to his precious pet pig, there was nothing that Angel didn’t talk about. Husk was more than happy to listen.
He seemed indifferent, simply leaning against the counter as he listened to Angel talk. However, anyone who looked closely, could tell that he was just as infatuated with Angel as he was with him. His tail had raised and was swaying lazily through the air, an almost silent purr in the back of his throat. Cat like instinct clawed at him, the urge to press his head into one of Angel’s many waving hands were strong, it took him burying his claws into the palm of his hand to stop himself from giving into his urges. Husk wanted nothing more than to listen to this man talk and rant for hours on end.