Chapter Text
Dinner was a painfully rowdy affair. Carmen seemed intent on roping everyone into some kind of argument or another. Petty bullshit, sure, but still something Husker did his best to avoid until she threw out an opinion on alcohol that had his blood pressure rising. In hindsight, he could recognise that she’d strategically waited until he was suitably drunk to bring it into respectful conversation. Which turned rather quickly into not so respectful conversation. Monty had assisted her quietly, the traitor, filling Husker’s glass each time it was drained as Carmen began to throw out greater and greater quantities of incorrect opinions.
“That has got to be the shittiest thing I’ve ever fuckin’ heard in my life! Tenesse Jackson is fine, but it sure as shit ain’t good!” Husker slurred. “It’s basically piss sold at a premium.”
Carmin shook her head, looking like she was having more fun than she had any right too. “Sure thing, bucko. Tell you what, tomorrow, you get your fancy boose, I get mine and we see which is best.”
“Deal.”
Sally was pissing herself laughing with every slurred word and everyone else at the table who’d had their argument were talking animatedly whilst enjoying the show. Husker took another sip of his glass before slamming it down. He blinked and suddenly he was across the room sitting at the bar.
Husker woke up delirious. His head was throbbing with vengeance even as his body was surely working to heal him. He couldn’t remember half the night, or he realised as he glanced about, the room he was in. He glanced down and sighed with relief. He was still dressed. He did wish that his drunk self had remembered to remove his shoes at least but he should be thankful he got to a bed at all.
“Are you okay?” Husker turned his head and Steph was looking at him with concern, a glass of water in one hand and a box of pain killers in the other. Husker glanced about again. He was in a bedroom, yes. But it lacked any sort of personal touches and had all sorts of machines and equipment. Was he... Steph placed the items down on the bedside and pulled up a chair. “You got into it pretty hard last night. Angel had you sent to the med-wing when we got back.” Ah. So, he had indeed gotten his ass thrown in med-bay.
Husker groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “How stupid did I get?” He asked.
Steph to her credit acted like it took some time to consider. “Not too much. No more than Carmen, or Monty.”
They’re fucking. A memory of Angel leaning down to whisper in his ear hit Husker suddenly. Who were fucking? Carmen and Monty? When did he talk with Angel?
“Call it a feeling,” Husker said, rubbing his hands over his face, “But I feel like you're sparing me the truth.”
Steph shook her head. “You were just a bit more open than usual. I left early though, so I didn’t see everything.” Husker groaned again and Steph smiled sympathetically. She reached for the box and popped two painkillers from their casing to hand over with the water. “I have to head off. Breakfast will be up soon. I’ll be back later to check on you.” Husker nodded, but he wondered quietly why Angel had sent Steph to check on him. He wondered if it was because between her and Sally, Steph was the quieter one. He pondered whether that would mean something. Husker’s phone pinged and he reached over to his bag. Carmen’s message lit up the screen.
Still up for a drink later? Let me show you my superior booze?
Husker scoffed and texted back.
5pm, my place?
Ur on
Husker glanced about the empty building. He’d managed to get out of the infirmary just after noon after chugging the electrolytes he was given and keeping his food down. There were less people milling about and the sinners and hellborn looked ahead at whatever they were doing with faces set in determination.
What the hell is going on?
Husker flicked Sally a text and she responded.
Angel is having guests today. Enjoy your weekend, she replied. There were very few people that would have the building so on edge.
Overlords? Husker sent.
Yep.
Husker gave the message a thumbs up and slid his phone away. He pressed the elevator button and rode it up to the top floor. He was sure Carmin was just trying to get him to be social but he wasn’t about to have her gloating over him for the next however long that her opinions on drinks were right when they were in fact, decisively wrong. He opened the door to his office and stepped inside without closing the door. He flicked open his liquor cabinet and grabbed two bottles.
A door slammed down the hall and a muffled voice came with it. A woman. She walked quickly down the hall, hissing quietly under her breath. “Fucking hell, can’t wait for me for two fucking seconds…” She passed Husker's office without even a glance inside and continued down to the elevator. He blinked. Why was Velvet meeting with Angel?
“Don’t worry about it,” Carmin said later. They were sat at Husker’s counter picking off a cheese board that she’d brought along with her scotch. “Velvet and Vox, and Angel too I guess, try to stay on good terms. Angel has a lot of soft power by himself but having them close makes it easier for him to keep his ducks in a line, and in return they get the public’s approval. You know, enemies close and all that.”
Husker nodded and poured the scotch over the ice and into the crystal glasses he’d bought with his last paycheck. “I can see Vox doing something like that but not Velvet. Her and Valentino were… I don’t know if close is the word, they could have been considered friends.”
Carmen shrugged. “Velvet is a funny one. I can’t imagine it was her idea, but if there is an opportunity to get ahead she’s sure as shit not going to throw it away for someone who's already dead and gone. On to the next thing, right? I would respect that aspect about her if it didn’t impose a chance that she’ll fucking bite us in the ass later.”
Husker nodded. “Makes sense, I guess. You know Velvet?”
Carmen laughed. “I worked as one of her photographers for a while. It's kinda how I got into the biz. Huge bitch. You?”
“Not really. I gathered what I could from their public appearances but she’s new and I’m…”
“You’re not that fucking old,” Carmen said, preempting his words.
Husker shrugged and slid her the glass he was holding. “We drink your piss first and then mine?”
“In that order?”
“Better to start with yours,” he reasoned.
Carmen laughed and took a sip of her drink, with a pleased sigh. “I hate to disappoint, whiskers.” Husker scrunched his nose at both the taste and the nickname. He motioned for her to take a sip of his drink, eager to get the taste out of his mouth. She took a sip and made a contemplative face. “Well, hm.” She took another sip and groaned. “Fine. It’s a little better.”
Husker rolled his eyes and reached forward to grab an olive. “Just a little?”
“That’s all you're getting out of me I’m afraid,” she took another sip. “Where do you get it?”
Husker told her about the small areas of the city where she could get her hands on some hell made products, and even fewer places where she could get her hands on human world delicacies. “Not cheap though,” he warned, but Carmen waved a hand, and Husker supposed that on their generous pay it wasn’t something she’d even need to bat an eye at. He found that even with the increase to his own disposable income he’d been hesitant to go overboard quite yet. He knew once he dipped his toes in the water, it’d be hard to pull himself back onto the ship. He didn’t have it in him to lose whatever amount of control he’d gathered in the recent months, however small.
Carmen mentioned a movie and they ended up on the couch each nursing a chill drink. Somewhere towards the end of the movie Carmen shuffled to sit up and turn to him. “Can I ask you something?” She asked.
Husker muted the movie.
Carmen pursed her lips as she tried to formulate her sentence. “So, you and Angel, what’s the deal there?”
Husker cocked his head and resisted the urge to ask her about her potential fling with Monty. “What do you mean?”
Carmen pulled the blanket on her lap up under her chin. “I keep trying to figure out this situation between the two of you. You know each other, you don’t know each other. Shit’s going down and Angel is keeping things together but he’s, I don’t know, distracted?”
Husker frowned. There was nothing going down between him and Angel. Angel was his owner technically. They’d had their interactions but they each were busy with their own lives and jobs. Maybe there had been interest, a past, but they’d each taken to putting a little space between them since that day in the bar.
“There’s nothing there,” he said.
Carmen pulled a sceptical face. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Carmen nodded and turned back to the movie, but she didn’t seem to be paying it much attention anymore, staring off in contemplation. Husker took another sip of his drink. So something last night.
Husker spent the next week trying to recall fragments of that night. Occasionally he’d have a moment where he’d remember the steps up to something, a set of shots or a stray conversation but it wasn’t anything that would explain Carmen’s question. It wasn’t until Angel popped into his office and asked whether he could stop by Husker’s new apartment with a house warming gift that Husker got even something remotely related.
He’d been watching Angel leave and his eyes had moved down to glance at Angel’s legs, the white fur exposed in the tight fitting shorts he was wearing. Husker blinked and he recalled a conversation between them.
“Thanks, Legs.”
Angel blinked. “Legs?”
Husker pressed firmly at his brow, feeling a deep sinking feeling. Get your shit– he let out a deep sigh–together.
Sally stuck her head in a while later and asked whether he was feeling unwell, and then proceeded to laugh at him for looking like he’d ‘sucked on a lemon’ when he said he felt fine.
“You know,” Husker said, “I think I am feeling sick.” He got up and pulled his things together. Sally looked bashful and apologised.
“I really didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry. You don’t have to go,” she said.
Husker shook his head. “No, it's not your fault. I’m actually not feeling too hot. I’m not sure I’ll be much help like this is all.”
Sally nodded and let him pass with a promise to duck over to see him later with some soup. He thanked her and left the office, his mind going over and over the events of that night. What else had he said? Fuck, what else had he done? He flung his bag down in his room and crashed onto his bed. He was grown ass man, he should have kept better control of himself. He rubbed at his face. Carmen was at the centre of this. She knew exactly what she’d been doing. Still, it was his fault.
Husker pressed his eyes closed.
There was a knock at the door and Husker stirred. There was drool stuck to his face and a wet pillow beneath it. When had he fallen asleep? Maybe he was actually tired. Husker stretched and wiped his face.
“Coming!” He called, taking a moment to put himself together. The smell of something rich and savoury drifted in from the door and Husker felt the hunger pains in his stomach become aggressive. Sally was an extremely talented cook despite everything she pulled from the oven looking like it was scorched to high hell. Husker opened the door to greet her, but instead of Sally standing in the hallway with soup, it was Angel.
“Oh,” Husker said.
Angel smiled at him. “Forgot I was coming?”
Husker scratted his head and felt his ears flatten for a moment. Angel chuckled. “It’s all good. Sally said you weren’t feeling well, gave me some soup to pass on and said to tell you she’d pop by tomorrow with more.”
Husker nodded, dumbly. “Right.”
They stood in silence for another handful of seconds before Husker startled and stepped aside to let Angel in. Angel grinned and ducked under the door frame. “Where can I put this?” He asked, gesturing to the soup with a nod.
“The counter’s good.” Husker said. Angel placed it down and took a moment to look around. “I’ll put it on in a minute. Can I get you anything to drink?”
Angel shook his head but then sighed and agreed. Husker put the soup on the stove to warm up and got started on a cocktail. Angel sipped it when it was placed down in front of him and hummed. “Could you teach me to play cards?”
Husker raised a brow. “Aren’t you Italian?”
Angel shrugged. “Once upon a time. Is that a no?”
Husker sipped his drink. “Sure.”
Angel was good at cards only because he could control his facial expressions so well. Husker was stunned to find himself losing their seventh game after he’d started picking up on Angel brow twitching the barest amount, and jumped on it. Turns out Angel’s tell was a clever sceme to fuck with Husker and when he placed his cards down exposing his hand, he looked more than pleased with himself.
“You were watching me so closely, you know? I had’ta give you something,” he said, grinning.
Husker chuckled. “Sure.” He stood up and grabbed their bowls to place in the sink.
“You know,” Angel said, “I saw this documentary about blobfishes the other day. Highly recommend.”
“Blobfishes?” Husker turned around, unsure if he’d heard correctly.
Angel clicked his phone open and turned it around. He had a lock screen that would rotate between photos and so had his thumb pressed down on it to keep it from changing. The photo he was showing was a fat fish that looked like it’d been squashed. “It certainly lives up to its name,” Husker said, still staring at the ugly little thing.
“Right? The documentary had a ton of interesting facts ‘bout their living conditions and mating cycles and stuff. All that sciency shit that we didn't have access to when we were on earth!” Angel spoke passionately for half a minute more on the subject before he asked, “wanna watch?”
Husker pursed his lips and Angel groaned. “Come on! I swear you’ll like it!”
Husker didn’t know how it happened but they ended up watching a movie. After a long debate he promised Angel they would watch the documentary another time, how they’d gotten to that he had no clue but he suspected Angel knew exactly how to turn the conversation the way he wanted. They settled on the couch and to Husker’s dismay Angel chose a horror movie at random and pressed play. “Sally said it was good.”
Husker pictured the sort of horror movie Sally would enjoy and grimaced. “I’m not sure I have the stomach for something Sally finds appealing.”
Angel laughed and pulled open his phone as the movie opened. He ordered something from the kitchens and within twenty minutes the door bell rang and a young sinner handed over a set of desserts. Husker sent the containers on the counter and Angel immediately served each of them up a portion of the tiramisu. “I had a hand in this one,” he said. “Ma’s recipe.” Husker glanced at Angel as he flicked the rest of the dessert of the spoon. He was smiling with the same softness Husker saw that night at the bar. Husker wondered what sort of person Angel’s mother was. Angel slid the bowl over and Angel watched him quietly as he took a bite, waiting for the verdict.
“It’s really good,” Husker admitted, a smile tugging at his lips. It was strong and slightly sweet, rich and familiar. Angel nodded and stepped away, that smile still playing over his lips.
Angel was unsurprisingly expressive when watching movies it seemed, he leaned in when parts of the movie got serious and cried out in frustration when characters were being stupid. Husker found he didn’t mind it until Angel started laughing when his tail flared at the unexpected jumpscares and laughed himself sick when Husker physically leapt up into the air. He pulled the blanket over his face at one point to attempt to salvage Husker’s pride. Husker rolled his eyes and unpaused the movie. Angel sighed and wiped his eyes before settling down again.
When the movie finished it was already late and Husker’s slow blinks made Angel chuckle. “Off to bed with you, old man,” he ordered playfully, but they cleaned the kitchen together before Angel mentioned heading off to bed himself.
“Yeah, of course,” Husker said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Angel pulled a face. “Take a sick day. You look dead on your feet. Not good to anyone like that.”
Husker shrugged. “I’ll see how I feel.”
“Nope. Can’t have you burning yourself out, yet.” Angel lifted the pot of leftover soup and made for the door. Husker went to open it for him. “Seriously,” said Angel, “Show up to work and I’ll have you dragged to the infirmary if I have to.”
Was it extreme to go that far? Sure. Did it make Husker grin and want to test Angel’s conviction? “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said. Because of course it did.
Angel smiled and shrugged. “Bring a book I guess, I hear the infirmary gets pretty boring.”
“I got that impression the other day, yeah.”
Something played over Angel’s face for a moment and his eyes flicked over of Husk, searching. He blinked and stretched, opening the door. “Thanks for having me over.” Husker waved a hand. “Sleep well. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
“Guess so. Night Angel.”
“Night,” he said and stepped away
Husker landed on his bed with a crash and rolled himself up in the sheets, flicking off the doona and turning on the air conditioner. His mind lingered on the taste of the tiramisu still lingering on his tongue, of Angel’s frustrated shouts and groans, of that faint softness testing the seams of Angel’s immaculate control. He got a text on his phone.
I forgot to bring my house warming gift!
:(
Husker considered and wrote back.
Next time.
Husker placed his phone up on the nightstand and shuffled down, pressing his face into the coolness of his pillow.
“Holy shit,” Husker mumbled, “I think I just blacked out.” He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten over to the bar.
Angel was sitting next to him. He raised a brow. “Yeah? You don’t seem the sort.”
Husker regarded Angel for a moment. “I’m usually not,” he said.
Angel’s grin settled into a quiet smile and he turned back to where Carmen had foolishly had begun to pick at Sally. Husker could easily see the way Sally’s eyes flickered each time Carmen leaned in so she was just within arms reach. Angel leaned down suddenly into his space. Husker froze and repressed a shiver as Angel whispered in his ear. “They’re fucking.”
Husker looked at Angel and back to Sally and Carmen. He thought back to the photos in Carmen’s office. Her and a man. “Doesn’t Carmen have a partner?”
Angel shook his head and took a sip of his own drink. “They died together but he’s ‘Upstairs,’ if you get me.”
Husker nodded. Sally was visibly twitching as Carmen leaned even closer with a sly grin. “How long has it been since she died?”
“33 years now, pretty young, considering the two of us, huh?” Angel said.
Husker shrugged. Sally growled something about meeting outside and stormed towards the exit with Carmen not far behind. The others in the room yelled out after them:
“Beat her ass, Sal!”
“You show her, hun!”
“Not too bloody, yeah?!”
Carmen laughed at them as she slipped through the door, rolling up her sleeves. “They’ve done a good job hiding it,” Husker said. When Sally introduced him and Carmen, they’d acted like perfectly normal coworkers.
Angel chuckled and shifted. He was pressed against Husker’s side, leaning on his almost. “I wouldn’t have put it together if I hadn’t walked in on some heavy grinding,” he said. “They do very well to keep it professional, all things considered. That’s all I can really ask for.”
Husker felt warm. Loose. His mind buzzed, and the pressure in his chest was amazingly absent. He leaned into Angel’s side. Angel stiffened minutely and Husker eased up slightly, or as much as he could in his drunken supper. Angel relaxed in turn and eased back just slightly into his side. Husker took another sip of his drink, somehow full again. Angel reached for it and took it from his hand. “You should ease up,” he said. Husker nodded but still went to take it back. “Ah, no. Barkeep!” Angel raised a brow at the woman behind the bar, “he needs a new one, less strong, yeah?” His brow arched even higher and the barkeeper nodded and got to work.
“Fuck, aren’t you cluckie?”
“Again, ease up, and I’ll get out of your shit,” Angel said, staring at him with a faintly fond smile. “Hm, I didn’t know you purred.”
Husker squinted at him. “I don’t,” he slurred. He paused and listened to himself. Well, shit. He grumbled and conceded. “Very rarely.”
Angel chuckled. “It’s nice.” The bartender set Husker’s drink down. “Thank you,” said Angel. The woman nodded and rushed away. “Are you going to remember this tomorrow?” He asked.
Husker blinked lazily and took a sip of his new drink. He couldn’t taste what it was. “Maybe,” he said. “I’m not sure.” Angel gave his head a hesitant scratch and Husker pushed up into his hand. “That’s feels…” he trailed off.
“Nice?” Angel offered, sipping his own drink. He looked amused. Maybe? Husker couldn’t tell anymore. The alcohol was properly hitting.
“Mmm. Did I do shots before I came over here?” He asked.
Angel pressed his lips together and his face contorted like he was an inch away from laughing. “You came over here and then did shots,” he said.
Husker nodded solemnly. “Thanks legs.”
“Legs?” Angel asked, eyes big.
“Hm. They’re long.”
Angel nodded and made a playful noise.
When Husker woke up the next morning, he found that he was in fact, taking the sick day.