Work Text:
Who knew Hell could get so cold!?
Newer sinners were shocked in the streets, but older souls who had been around for a while were fairly used to it. Just another form of torture Angel Dust figured, shivering in just his boots at the porn studio.
At least Val let him keep THOSE on… but he often did. It was the one and only kindness he showed the white and pink spider. And really? WAS it a kindness? Or just the fact that he found his feet to be just as disgusting as Angel himself.
At the end of another long day, too long in fact, Angel pushed open the doors of the large, newly renovated hotel in exhausted frustration. Shivering as he pulled the stylish but very thin coat he wore closer to his wiry frame, hair mussed and eyeliner smudged.
“Why hello there, my good sir. Long day I take it?” Alastor asked, appearing from nowhere with his shadow grinning menacingly from over his shoulder as the deer man stood in his usual perfect posture with both hands resting on top of his microphone cane.
“You have no idea… fuckin’ Val… im freezin’ ta death! Well… if I could die again that is.”
“You can! It's called an angelic weapon!” Nifty chimed in as she scurried around and peeked from behind the coffee table.
“Why'ya gotta be so literal, ya little bug?” Angel snapped sharply, glaring down at the smaller woman with all eight eyes.
“Now, now… no need to get yourself spun into a tizzy!” Alastor chastised in his most condescending tone, lifting Nifty by the back of her dress at the collar and placing her away from the obviously crabby giant spider of a man. “She was merely stating a fact. A shame you did not find it helpful.” Alastor helped to antagonize. He always loved to do that, much to everyone else's chagrin. Particularly Vaggie, Husker and especially Lucifer.
“Yeah? Well, I didn't." Angel snarled, taking off the fur lined joke of a jacket and throwing it at Alastor himself, only to watch him turn to a wisp of a shadow before it landed on him and decided to move on from the warm fireplace of the common space parlor.
“Hello Angel!” Charlie bid in her usual overly cheerful tone. It grated on Angel's last piece of nerve. “How was your day?”
“Rottn’. Does it look like it was anything but.”
“Oh no!” Charlie frowned, her usually smiling face giving way to the very occasional and empathetic frown. “What happened? Are you alright?”
“What's it always? That blind pimp of his.” Huskers gruff voice sounded from the bar area as he wiped clean glasses.
“See! The cat pays attention! How's is it the rest of yous don't get it by now?”
Huskers black eyes widened, the golden pupils blown wide as well as if looking at prey. “Oh, excuse me! It was that kind of day, huh?” He put the glass he had just shined and moved down the bar, away from his snippy partner, still shivering although he was inside the comfortably warm hotel. The man WAS skinny, even by sinner standards, and couldn't stop shivering as he tried to saunter to the bar, pushing his way by as he did. Wobbly on his feet already from the uncontrolled shivers.
“Gimme somethin’ that burns alldaway down.” He ignored Charlie until her crabby girlfriend (Vaggie was always in a bad mood when it came to the residents. All but the Morningstars, anyhow.)
“Hey jerkoff! She's trying to be nice. Least you could do is politely tell her you don't want to talk right now–”
“But that would encourage more conversation, which I don't need or want.” He placed all four elbows on the bar, taking a seat, and put his head in his hands.
“Weeee– should leave him alone a while.” Charlie suggested twisting fingers. Finger tips touching tips, wrists turning. She was trying her best not to poke and prod. She was working on her boundaries and getting better with it every day.
“I know how hard that was for you. Proud of ya babe.” Vaggie assured, taking Charlie by the shoulder and leading her away, noticing the small drag in black and white shoes on red carpet as she tried hard to resist going back.
“Now that they're gone–” Husk began, sliding a poured drink down the bar to Angel's waiting hand. “How about we talk about this funky little attitude of yours?”
“There ain't nothin’ little about it!” Angel frowned, throwing the drink back quickly. “Fuckin’ rotten day an I'm freezin’! Isn't hell supposed to be hot?!”
“You've been here long enough to know better.” Husker chuckled deeply in his chest. “Just gives you something else to bitch about.”
“Listen, Whiskers. Can you just cut the bartender crap tonight? I said I wasn't in’ta mood and that means from you too.”
“Maybe he'd like to see my roach collection? Do you wanna?” Niffty asked jumping up on the bar to look the tall pink and white spider in the eyes, and in fact too close. Encroaching on his personal space.
It really did seem to be that only ‘fancy-talk-creepy-face’ understood the words that came from his mouth! Alastor was good for that at least…
Instead of telling yet another resident to fuck off, Angel only groaned with a look of disgust, got up from the bar and running his hands through his hair went to the elevator to retreat from all the voices. But before the doors closed he leaned out, holding both grates open and began to yell. “IS THERE ANYONE ELSE I NEED TA TELL TA FUCK OFF ‘ROUND HERE?!” Lucifer turned in his high backed chair, having been there the entire time, listening to the bitch fest of a tantrum happening behind himself, and raised a brow at Angel. “NO? GOOD!”
“...he didn't say no.” Nifty chuckled in her famously gremlin-like fashion, starting to follow but was stopped by Husk reaching out and grabbing her by her waist. Picking her up and placing her on the floor.
“I think that was a pretty clear no, Nif. Go add to that collection. I think I saw some beetles outside or somethin’.” Husk gave her a stern look, directing her away. And just as he had hoped, she pulled a large knife from her apron and ran towards the door with a new mission.
Husk had a new mission of his own to attend to. Grabbing a bottle of Angel's favorite liquor he also began the trek upstairs, taking the stairs himself. It bought him more time to drink from his own bottle.
Walking down the red hall, practically leaning against the patterned wallpaper he stopped at his own room first. It did reflect Husker perfectly, as all their rooms did thanks to Lucifer. A dark, neon lit almost dingy casino. Putting the bottles down on top of his dresser, Husk yanked the bottom drawer open and pulled out one of his large black sweaters along with a pink patterned bag that he had been keeping for some time now. Kicking the drawer shut he took all of the items with him from his room to the next floor up.
Stopping in front of the neon pink spider webbed door Husk used the bottom of the liquor bottle to knock and waited for a reply.
None came.
But what did come was a very large, eyes glowing, mandibles showing, face snarling from the dark cracked open door.
“I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“Not a chance, kid. Put all of that away because you're not intimidating anyone when you scrunch your pretty face up like that.” Husk answered cooly, placing a hand with the fabric and bag against the door and pushed it open further.
“Husk. Please?” Angel used his bottom set of hands to place them in a praying position, watching as the black winged cat sat down on the bed and after freeing a hand gave the tiny pink pig a scratch down his back. “I'm tired, everythin’ hurts an’ I'm cold. I just want ta go ta bed.”
“That's what I'm here for.” He tossed the sweater at Angel first and as soon as he was sure he caught it, tossed the bottle next.
“Okay well I guess this is a good start…” Angel wearily spoke, looking at the black sweater with the red playing card suits stitched on to it all the way down the arms. He was wearing his own sweater with pink stars but it was thread bare and old. This one had a much better weight and quickly pulled the newer one on top, bottom arms hugging himself tightly. Quite the feat with the bottle still in hand. He wore his usual black short shorts and Husk wondered if he owned anything longer?
“I also brought you this.” He held the bag up, only catching Angel's attention when he looked down from the tipped back liquor bottle after taking a long drink.
“Whasdat?”
“It was going to be for Sinsmas, but I think you could use it now.” Putting his own bottle down between furry feet, Husk pulled long pink striped socks from the bag. Even as tall and skinny as Angel was, they would rise high on his thighs.
At the sight of the fuzzy, warm socks Angel's expression fell again. “Nice gesture an’ all… but I don't do socks.” He almost muttered the words.
“Why not? You wear those stupid short shorts all the time. You could probably use a layer or two there.”
Angel knew what he was doing, and Husk did as well. Angel never removed his boots. Ever. Sometimes he was even seen sleeping in them, and although Husk wouldn't admit it, he'd even seen them in a few of Angel's films.
“Sweet gesture, but I could do without ‘em”
“Is this that hang up about your boots? What is that anyhow?” Husk asked, tipping his own bottle back and placed the socks on the bed next to himself.
“Well… if you have’ta know, I don't take my boots off. So if you wanna leave them there and go, I guess that would be okay.”
A large bushy red feathered brown raised slowly. Angel and Husker had been forming a close bond for months now. Taking cat naps together, curled in the parlor or one of their rooms, but always the boots.
“You're that insecure about whatever you're hiding under there, you'd rather stay cold and bitchy?”
To be truthful, Angel would! Although attractive and lithe, his legs were a source of insecurity. The way they bent back below the knee and the spider toes at the bottom of his feet, although his other appendages were still very human in appearance.
“Maybe..?”
“Shame. Thought I'd spend the night up here, try to keep you warm. But not with those stompers kickin’ me all night.”
“Ya never minded them before.”
“Yeah well now I'm over it. C'mon Angel. You've trusted me before, say you always will. Just change and we'll get comfortable.”
This was a new and strange sensation to the spider of a man. He was actually considering it…
Taking another large drink, almost emptied the bottle for courage, he came and sat next to Husk on the bed. All limbs tucked in under the sweater all but the two arm holes it provided. “Fine. Just– can ya turn around or somethin'?” Angel asked, starting the process of unzipping one of the long black boots.
“Naw. You're hot, my creepy crawly. Safe with me ‘legs’, so just hurry up so we can get some sleep. I'm tired.”
“Yer always tired, old man…” Angel muttered. Fingers fumbling with the zipper, quite literally shaking at the prospect. The man could show his entire body in many many ways, but the boots were a step too far?
“Just lay back. Relax.” Husk sighed, placing a large hand on Angel's chest and pushed him back on the bed. “I got this. I'm a patient man but I'm also not waiting all night.”
Angel tried to resist at first, but quickly submitted. He always did. Husk didn't like to take advantage of that, but the guy needed a push every once in a while. Gentle, but a push. He watched as Angel turned his head away to look at the glowing spider web on the wall and allowed Husk to remove his boot.
He had no idea what the kid was so ashamed of. The two almost paw like toes with very small black claws on each.
“You okay?” Husk asked, rolling up the sock and placing it over one foot.
Angel only nodded. Husk hadn't said anything disparaging as he had assumed. He didn't recoil but gently rolled the sock on up and over his thigh, large paws giving the now fabric covered skin a bit of a long rub. It helped Angel to relax, in fact he was starting to feel a bit warmer already. A slow growing glow from his chest outward. He wanted that feeling to stay, so he willingly gave him his other boot. Kicking a long leg up seductively and placing it on his lap.
The trust was not lost on Husk. If he had sensed it was all too much he would have stopped, but Angel always did trust him more than he suspected anyone else.
Finished with both socks now Husk stood from his former sitting position and pulled off his pants and suspenders.
“Now, let's get cozy. Eh?”
Angel only nodded, claiming to the top of the bed and shimmied under the covers, watching as Fat Nuggets jumped onto the bed as well. He was headed for his usual place curled against Angel's side, but he had to wait a moment first. Snorting impatiently.
Husk crawled into the pink heart shaped bed, grabbed Angel and pulled his still chilled body back against his chest. It didn't seem like enough with the drinks, the sweater and the thigh highs, so he wrapped the both of them in his wings and began to purr softly against Angel's neck. Finally, now that the bigger demons were comfortable, Fat Nuggets snuffed his way under the covers and between the large wings as well, the three in a huddled mound.
“How's that feel?” Husk asked gently.
“A thousand times betta.” Angel sighed and closed his eyes.
It was true, he was finally starting to warm up. In more ways than one.