Chapter Text
Angel groaned as he opened the doors, rubbing his eyes, feeling the ache in his bones. He spotted Charlie out of the corner of his eye, but ignored her, too tired to deal with her right now.
He collapsed onto the seat at the bar, grunting out, “I need a drink. The hardest you can make.”
“Hmm. You look like shit.”
Angel glared at Husk’s back, then sat up, taking a deep breath as Husk got out the alcohol, ready to put on his persona. His Angel Dust persona. He scoffed, noticing the way Husk’s shoulders flinched as he did so. “Tch. Impossible. Just a long shoot,” he drawled, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his hands, which were on the bar counter. “Nothing new.”
It certainly didn’t hurt that Husk was hot, so flirting with him wasn’t unpleasant. He’d had a crush on Husk ever since he appeared in the hotel at Alastor’s bidding. Sue him; Husk was one of the hottest demons Angel had ever seen. That voice was like whiskey and honey all at once: sexy, those paws that could wrap around the whole of Angel’s fucking waist, could restrain him with ease, and even when he looked at Angel with disdain in those beautiful amber golden eyes of his, Angel’s heart beat just a little bit harder.
Angel knew he was pretty; he always had been. That was all anyone cared about, didn’t they? He knew what they saw: a tall spider, with pearly ivory fur like silk, mismatched magenta eyes, the left sclera black, additional pink eyes underneath that everyone mistook for freckles, like the ones he’d had topside, thick black eyelashes accentuated by mascara, a fluffy head of hair with spots of pink, one even shaped like a heart, a heart-shaped marking on his chest, chest fluff that he pushed up to look like tits, made even more prominent by the tight pink-and-white-striped jacket he liked to wear, framed underneath his bowtie and black choker. His little pink freckles on his slender shoulders and ass, and stripes adorning his arms and cock. His ass- some motherfuckers had even grabbed at it in the mistaken belief that he was female. His ass was plump and round, filling out his favorite booty shorts, complimenting his entire figure. Then he had those long, slender legs.
Not to say he hadn’t been good-looking topside, either. His heterochromia had followed him even down here. His pops and brother had always scorned his looks, the angelic beauty he had inherited from his mother, saying he was too girlish by far, but which the others guys in the mafia seemed to love. He’d had pale, alabaster skin, with freckles sprinkled across his nose and cheeks like little golden specks from the sun, dotting his slender shoulders and ass, fluffy blonde hair that was thick and silky, and his big mismatched eyes, one a deep chocolate-brown, the other a bright blue, blue as sapphires. His pops had always hated his eyes, as did Nico, called them weird. But that was to be expected. They hated everything that they thought made him girlish: his long dark eyelashes that swept his cheeks, his high cheekbones showing off his delicate bone structure, his full pink lips, his aforementioned ass, and those long legs he sported. They’d always hated him: for his looks, for being gay, for not being Nico. For being Anthony.
He’d been flirting with Husk nonstop, trying and failing to get the handsome bartender to notice him, but Husk only snarled and turned away. Actually if they were counting, he’d in order told him to go fuck himself, threatened to jam a bottle down his throat, developed an eye twitch, groaned and grumbled, shoved him off the bar counter, glared at him, dropped him after catching him during the trust fall, and even this morning calling him out for his fake act, his Angel Dust act. He hadn’t missed the way Husk had snarled at his back as Angel gave him the finger. But no matter what he tried, he couldn’t get the bartender to notice him. It was infuriating!
He snatched the shot from Husk’s grasp, chugging the alcoholic beverage. The taste was milder than he was used to, sour, not fruity as he normally liked his drinks. But…this wasn’t strong. The fuck was Husk’s problem? He slammed the drink down, glaring at the cat demon. “I said a strong one!”
Husk’s amber eyes widened. “Excuse me! Didn’t realize this was a drinking to forget kind of night,” he replied, raising one of his long red-and-black brows.
Angel’s temper flared. How dare this asshole judge him! He didn’t even know him! “Oh, I forgot,” Angel quipped, turning on the sarcasm, using his hands wildly, “you’re the wise old bartender who’s seen it all!” He adopted a wide, happy grin, then dropped it just as quickly. “Get the fuck over yourself and pour me a real drink,” he snapped, using a finger to tip the glass over, spilling the amber liquid across the bar counter.
Husk’s eyes went hard. “Look,” he growled, taking out a cloth and cleaning up the mess, “if you’ve got a problem, you’re not going to find the solution at the bottom of a bottle. I should know. I’ve been looking there a long time.” There was suddenly unmeasurable sadness and bitterness in the golden depths of his eyes.
Angel smirked. “Oh, sure. And where should I look? Hmm?” He leaned in closer. “In your bedroom, maybe?” he asked, sexily. “Under the covers?” He shook his shoulders back and forth, as Husk blinked and moved away, a look of annoyance crossing his features. “Maybe we can go and look together.” He moved his fingers across the bar in a suggestive motion, but Husk quickly cut him off, raising a paw.
“Don’t. Even start.”
But Angel was in the game now. He failed to notice his eye twitch, the downturn of his sexy lips, the warning look in his eyes. All he knew was that he needed this, needed to forget, to lose himself in how he was seen. He lidded his mismatched eyes, leaning in ever closer, snagging the bottle of alcohol while he was at it.
“Oh, come on! I bet I could make those wings flap!” He grabbed Husk’s crimson wing, wrapping it around his body.
It all happened so quickly. “Stop!” Husk pushed Angel off of him hard, forcing Angel back onto the stool. It shook him, setting him off balance, and he dropped the bottle on his hand, sending it crashing to the floor, shattering.
“Fucking Christ!”
Angel was pissed now. Did he not know who the fuck he was?! He glared, tapping his fingers against the counter, ready to unleash his temper on Husk, but it seemed Husk was angrier. Husk struck faster than a panther, shocking Angel with his next action.
Husk suddenly snagged Angel by the wrist, making Angel gasp in shock, and dragged him around to his side of the bar, yanking him forward until he yelped ungracefully, as Husk snarled at him, golden eyes flashing.
“I have make it clear time and fucking time again that I do not want this version of you, I want you to cut the act! If you’re gonna act like a kid,” he snarled, yanking Angel closer, still holding him by his tiny, slender wrist, “then I’m gonna fucking treat you like one.”
Angel barely had time to gasp. The bar counter was high. Husk switched his grip to Angel’s waist, putting his paw around his tiny waist, and lifting him over the bar, keeping him bent over, ass up. He gasped again, trying to find his footing so he could touch the ground, but he was rendered immobile by Husk, who kept him in place by the waist.
He struggled as hard as he could, but it was no use. Fuck, how the hell did he do that? Angel had been in the fucking mafia for fuck’s sake, yet Husk was able to keep him still without even exerting a tenth of his strength!
He knew this position only too well. He hated it. It was too reminiscent of Val. Val would force him facedown, and enter him, without care, without kindness, without lube, just to teach him a lesson, if he felt that Angel had done something wrong. Angel tried to use his elbows to shove Husk off. He didn’t want it like this! All those flirting attempts were for the outcome that he could do this willingly, for once in his afterlife. He didn’t want to be raped, bent over like this!
His struggling came to a standstill, as Husk grabbed the waistband of his shorts. The fuck was he doing? He shrieked as Husk’s claws hooked into the waistband and yanked them down to his ankles. His face began to burn as his butt and panties were then revealed. He then felt Husk grab his white lace panties in his grip, and he struggled feebly, but those came down, too. He yelped as his ass was bared to Husk. His face flushed red. No. Surely, he wasn’t going to-
Angel yelped, as he suddenly felt Husk’s paw come down and smack his ass. It was sharp, intimate, in bare contact with his skin, and he felt his ass ripple with the contact. “Ahhh, Fuck!”
This felt worse than anything else Husk could have done. He had a crush on the guy, had from the first, and spent his time trying to gain his attention, and now he was bent over the bar, his cheeks bared, getting his ass spanked.
It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten attention down there of the sort, but this was different. His Pops preferred a thick strap in his hand, which he dealt with no mercy, even breaking skin. “Drop your pants, Tony, and bend over the fucking desk,” he’d say, his cold gray eyes showing no regard for Anthony’s care or any love for him. Anthony would shake, doing as he was told, but playing it off. He’d roll his eyes, mutter a “whatever”, taking down his pants, gritting his teeth against the pain, but his father showed no mercy, despite Molly’s pleas. He’d pretend he didn’t care, but the lack of love in his father’s efforts hurt him more than the strap ever could.
He shouted again, as Husk spanked him again, alternating cheeks, showing brute force. Angel kicked his legs at the pain. He’d been fucked and beaten within an inch of his life; how the fuck did this hurt so much? But it felt like he was being branded.
“Ahhhh.” Angel couldn’t help the howl that erupted from his lips, his cheeks blazing in humiliation. Husk only struck harder, it seemed, spanking his bare cheeks. Angel could only imagine the image he presented to the hot bartender, his shorts and panties at his ankles, his pale ass probably turning pink. It was downright degrading. “Motherfucker! Owww, you fucker!”
He tried to use his arms to pull up, but all he was capable of was clenching the counter as his ass was spanked, flinching and his face heating up, yelping whenever Husk’s paw made contact with his bare ass. He kicked his legs in pain and protest, crying out indignantly, wriggling, thrusting his hips, trying to evade the strikes, but Husk simply held him by his waist, and continued to strike his cheeks.
“HUSK!” Angel suddenly heard Charlie yell, and when he looked up he saw Charlie charging forward, her golden hair up in flames, horns growing from her head, her eyes completely red, flashing fire. “Let go of him!”
Fuck. This was the worst thing. He’d tried so hard to be aloof to these people, keep them out of his heart. But he’d grown to care for Charlie. She had somehow wormed her way into his heart. He couldn’t bear to let Val harm her, and had done what he could, despite how it broke his heart to make her cry like that this afternoon. But worse was the humiliation. The humiliation of her hearing Val beat his ass like he did. He’d retained his distant personality, but this was downright degrading, for her to see him bent over the bar, getting his bare ass spanked. His humiliation made him angry.
“Stay out of this, Princess,” Husk snapped, never pausing in his smacks, his paw clutching Angel’s waist, the other still striking his bare cheeks.
“No! That’s enough! You’re hurting him! You have no right to-” “Fuck off, Charlie!” Angel snapped hoarsely, his voice thick with humiliated tears.
Charlie’s demonic appearance deflated at his words, her eyes filled with tears. “But, Angel-”
“Just, ah! Go!” he said shrilly, his bottom wriggling as he attempted in vain to avoid Husk’s hand. “I don’t, oww, want you here! I don’t want ya to, oww, see this.” He kicked his legs despite his best efforts.
Charlie looked at him, hurt in her eyes, but reluctantly returned to the couch.
It seemed to go on forever, Angel cursing, gritting his teeth but unable to stop the shrieks that escaped from his lips. Just when he thought he couldn’t take anymore, he suddenly heard a clink and the sound of leather moving through material. He whipped his head around, to see Husk had taken off his belt, and was folding it in half. Angel, gasping, tried to escape his hold, wriggling, no doubt sending his inflamed ass bouncing lewdly, kicking his legs, trying to throw himself over the bar, but Husk was too strong. He used all four hands, trying to cover his red bottom, wriggling and kicking, but- fuck, this was not the time to notice this, but Husk’s one large paw easily pinned them all down behind his back, keeping his slender wrists pinned. Angel kicked helplessly, his shorts and panties at his ankles, his red butt propped up for Husk to aim.
“FUCK!” Angel screamed at the first bite of leather on his cheeks. It burned like fire, spreading rapidly, and Angel threw back his head and howled. “Ahh. Ahh! Ahhh!!!” The belt’s blows rained down on him, striking his cheeks again and again, until it was unbearable. The tears came pouring then, dripping onto the counter. He threw back his head and screamed, wailing as the belt striped his backside. He wailed, gulping sobs coming forth, and stopped fighting, sobbing uncontrollably, heart-breaking sobs, flinching each time the belt came down.
He barely registered that it had stopped. The hand on his waist lifted, and his wrists were released. He groaned, gritting his teeth, crying out at the fiery pain in his ass. He heard Husk’s now calm voice. “Pull up your shorts and underwear, and be grateful that I don’t give you more.”
Angel blushed furiously, slowly standing up, his feet finally touching solid ground. He put his hands on his ass, sucking in a breath at the heat and pain underneath his fingertips. “Fuck,” he said under his breath, moaning in pain. He blushed even harder as he bent over, hissing as he pulled up his shorts and panties, the material rough on his butt, holding in the heat. Vaggie entered, and gasped in shock and rage, coming in just as Angel bent over to retrieve his garments, and saw his dark red butt. The tears continued to fall out of his eyes, running down his face, smearing his mascara.
He sobbed hard, humiliation and emotional pain washing over him, and he spun around, clenching his fist and throwing a punch at Husk, which Husk easily deflected, catching Angel’s hand. Angel sobbed in anger and frustration, yanking himself back so hard, he tripped, sending his flailing body backward, tumbling over the counter, and crashing to the floor.
As he lay there, he suddenly heard Husk’s voice, smug with satisfaction. “Ya done?”
Pure rage washed over Angel, thick with humiliation at being treated like a kid. “You know what?! You would be fucking lucky to get a chance to fuck me!” he screamed, throwing a shard of the broken glass, aimed at Husk’s face, which he easily dodged, looking unimpressed. “You know how much I’m worth?!” Angel laughed, struggling to stand up. “You know how many people would kill to have Angel Dust come on to them?! Fuck you! Have fun being a lonely piece of shit!” He turned around and fled, tears of humiliation, hurt, and pain coming to his eyes.
He saw Vaggie in his path, but he merely shoved her aside, blinded by his tears. He saw her jump, the gold iris of her pink sclera narrowing on him, her silver hair swishing at her heels.
“Woah! The hell? Angel, where are you going?”
“Out!” he screamed, slamming the door behind him, where he finally took the time to rub his ass and sob over the events of the day before Husk.
***
“Husk! What did you do?!”
Husk shrugged, lifting his hands. “Made him a drink.”
Vaggie slammed her fist down on the bar countertop. “That is not what happened, and you know it! What. The. Fuck. Happened?!”
Husk snarled, his golden eyes flashing. “Fine. Ya want the truth?” He leaned in close, meeting Vaggie’s glare unflinchingly. “He was pushing my boundaries, putting on an act, so I bent the kid over the bar, bared his butt, and spanked his ass until he was hollerin’ blue murder, then used my belt on him.”
“WHAT THE FUCK, HUSK?!” Vaggie screamed, jumping up from the bar stool.
“He looked really upset!” Charlie cried, her scarlet eyes filled with worry and tears. Her first instinct had been to rush to Angel to comfort him, but she suspected that that would have only embarrassed him more, knowing that she had witnessed him getting spanked, and only pushed him away further.
Husk turned around. “It's just Angel, he’ll be fine.”
Charlie hugged herself. “I'm not so sure. I really messed up at the studio today, and he got - ugh, it - it wasn't good, okay?” Vaggie gently touched Charlie's face, smiling warmly, brushing her golden hair out of her ivory face.
“Gee, sounds like someone should go after him!” Vaggie hinted.
Husk merely blinked.
“Someone named HUSK.”
Husk flared up. “Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me! Why don't you go if you're so worried?” He crossed his arms, baring his teeth.
“Because I'm not the one who sent him storming out!” Vaggie snapped, stalking closer. “You caused it, you drag him back!”
“No!” Charlie intervened, getting in between the two. “Don't force him back, just…make sure he's safe. I pushed too hard today, and I only made things worse. Look, he’ll come back when he's ready; I just don't want anything to happen to him until then.”
Husk relented, groaning.
“Now,” Charlie began, “if you’ll excuse me, I'm off to write one hundred apology letters and a lesson plan for tomorrow about boundaries!”
Husk’s ears flattened against his head, and he grunted in exasperation.
Static noise filtered the air, and black shadows appeared on the floor, slowly increasing in height and growing solid as Alastor appeared, his yellow grin as impudent and repulsive as ever, his red radio-dial eyes leveled on Husk. “Well, well,” he drawled, “I must say, Husker, that was quite the entertainment! Who could have thought that the effeminate porn fellow had it in him to cause you to snap.” A laugh track echoed his words. “Not to say it was not amusing. I declare, his backside was the color of cherries.” He laughed, and Vaggie nearly charged, but Charlie held her back.
Husk’s fist curled into a fist at his side. He didn’t know why, but it pissed him off. He didn’t want Alastor, didn’t want anyone, talking about the kid’s ass, didn't want anyone to have seen his bare ass. He felt a rush of protectiveness swirl up inside him. Fucking Christ, had everyone seen Angel’s spanking?
Now that he was calm again, he was filled with regret. He’d lost his temper, and reacted badly. He shouldn't have let Angel get to him like that. Regardless of whether he deserved the spanking, he hadn't needed his belt to make his impression clear on the brat. He’d been consumed with rage when he’d bared the kid's butt, wanting to get through to him, make him feel it; but he couldn't deny that he’d stared at the sight. The kid had a beautiful ass, he couldn't deny that: all that pale fur, plump cheeks displaying a round bottom, sprinkled with pink freckles. Those freckles were fucking adorable. He could admit to himself that he found Angel Dust attractive. He’d felt the intimacy of the contact every time his hand connected with Angel’s bare freckled cheeks.
After he had finished strapping Angel’s bottom, he had finally calmed down, and regretted losing his temper like that. As Angel sobbed, he reached out a hand, intending, despite the circumstances, to offer him comfort and get him something for the pain, when Angel suddenly whipped around and aimed a fist at him. Due to his quick reflexes which he had perfected as an overlord, he easily caught his hand. Whether or not he could easily handle Angel, it had not been the right reaction.
It wasn’t hard to find him; Angel Dust was notorious for his long legs, which carried him a long distance, but made him easier to spot than others. Husk spotted Angel walking into a club.
By the time he arrived, Angel had surrounded himself with gangster sharks in business suits, all with menacing stances and coarse features. As he beguiled and flirted with them, they grinned, leading him over to a booth. One of the larger sharks smacked him cruelly on the ass, and Angel hissed in pain, his swollen ass cheeks throbbing. He put his hands on his ass, recovering quickly as he put on his act. Angel gave his porn star smirk, and made to sit on the couch, but immediately jumped up with a yelp, his mismatched magenta-pink eyes wide, the mascara surrounding them making them appear even wider, his long black lashes adding to an allure of innocence with the look he sported, as he rubbed his sore ass, cursing under his breath. He made to sit again, playing it off. He snorted a line of drugs, flinging his head back, breathing out, “Oh, yeah.”
Husk sat at the bar, hearing Angel laugh with his adoring audience. “I’m so fucked up!”
“Give me a whiskey,” Husk grumbled, but grabbed the neck of the bottle when the bartender made to pour him a glass. “I meant the whole bottle, jackass,” he growled, yellow eyes flaring.
As he drank from the bottle, his ears pricked up as he caught Angel’s words. “So I said, you couldn’t afford me in a million afterlives. I got better options, right boys?” The sharks laughed and agreed readily. Husk growled, clutching the neck of the bottle even tighter in his grasp, narrowing his amber eyes.
“Hey, baby! Be a doll and bring me another one? Daddy’s outta juice!”
Husk scowled at the shark as he took a seat beside him, ordering a drink. Suddenly, he took a flask from his pocket, and poured the liquid inside into the cup, turning the drink a bright pink color, smoke in the shape of a heart steaming from the mixture. Husk’s eyes widened, as realization sank in. The shark got up, and fury washed over Husk. He rose up, muttering. “Son of a-”
Much as he annoyed him, the kid didn’t deserve to be raped, and Husk was damned if he was going to sit by and watch.
***
Angel moved his ass uncomfortably on the seat, his butt aching. He wished he had the freedom to check out his ass in the mirror at home, to see the damage, but he needed the drugs right now. He needed the escape.
The shark returned with his drink.
“Here ya go, darlin’. Just for you-”
Angel, smirking, reached out a hand for the glass, when suddenly the shark cried out, and was jerked back by the back of his coat, sending the drink crashing to the floor, as he was lifted off his feet. Angel’s eyes rapidly widened, startled. Husk? What the fuck was he doing here?
Husk’s golden eyes were afire, his lips pulled back as he snarled in rage. “Nice try, fuckhead.” With surprising strength, he threw the shark into the jukebox headfirst. The sharks around Angel jumped to their feet, their guns ready. Stunned, Angel drew his long legs up to his chest, his arms circled around them, his pink eyes wide. He was shocked by Husk’s low golden voice, his actions lightning-quick.
“Let’s go.”
Husk suddenly grabbed Angel by his arm, dragging him out of his seat, and thrust Angel behind him, whipping out a deck of razor-sharp cards, and flinging them with precise aim at the shark demons, halting their assault.
“What the-hey!” he cried out, struggling against Husk. But Husk simply dragged him out of the bar, as he protested, using a hand to open the door before them, then putting both hands on Angel’s upper arms, keeping him restrained. Angel hated the feeling of being restrained; what was Husk going to do? Angel was still in shock, trying to comprehend what had just occurred, and his rage came back full force.
“Husk! What the actual fuck are you doing here? Let go of me!” He strained against Husk, trying to free his arms.
Husk only seemed to tighten his grip, pushing him forward. “No! I’m taking you back to the hotel.”
Angel braced his long legs into the ground, leaning back, straining against Husk’s arms. “Get off!” Finally, just as he tried to exert his strength to twist himself around, Husk’s hands released him, as Angel twisted himself around, his heart beating in his chest, not just from his struggling, not just from his fear, but also, admittedly, from Husk’s closeness to him, how his large hands could easily hold Angel’s slender arms behind his back with ease. He brushed down his clothes, fixing his hair, to gain control, putting on a haughty expression.
“That fucker put something in your drink!” Husk snarled, pointing back to the bar.
Angel’s temper flared, his eyes narrowed. “You don’t think I can tell when someone spikes my drink?!” he yelled, putting his hands on his hips. “I do this all the fucking time!”
Husk visibly recoiled, horror, shock, and frustration on his handsome face. Fuck, what had Valentino done to the kid? “You just let people drug you all the time?”
Something about that sentence caused Angel Dust to unravel; it hit too close to home. Did Husk think he wanted it? “You think I ask for it?!” he shouted, his eyes wide with vulnerability and pure rage. “I don’t ask for any of this shit! I didn’t ask to be this way!” He moved forward, his mismatched magenta eyes shining like bright red garnets, pointing a finger in Husk’s chest. “I didn’t ask for Charlie to save me. I didn’t need you to save me! I can handle myself!” He got up close in Husk’s face.
“REALLY?!” Husk thundered, startling Angel. Angel stumbled back, his arms raised in fright, expecting a blow, but to his surprise, Husk didn’t touch him. “Because I saw someone self-destructing.” He turned, moving ahead. “It seems like, I don’t know-” he swiveled back around, “you might need a bartender to talk to.”
A bitter laugh erupted from Angel before he could stop it. Oh, that was rich, coming from him. Now he was pretending to care? After Husk fucking spanked him?
“So, now you’re gonna act like you give a shit about me?” he snarled, noting the way Husk’s eyes widened. “You think after how you treated me, I’m gonna open up to you? Please.” He turned around, heading for home, his heels clicking against the ground, the pink heart on the back of his head swishing as he moved.
Husk’s words rang in his head as he continued forth, scowling, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes as if to jut out the accusations. “Maybe I’d treat you better if you were real, and not some bullshit version of yourself, always pushing my boundaries. Let me tell you, nobody in that hotel cares who you are! How famous, how hot. So you might as well just cut the act!”
At those last words, Angel broke. It had all been too much, too much. He couldn’t, he can’t-
“It’s not an act!” he screamed, turning around, tears in his eyes. Husk flinched, his eyes wide, beautiful and golden and concerned.
“It’s who I need to be!” Angel crossed his arms. “And this- this is my escape! Where I can forget about it all!” He walked to the wall, putting a hand against it. “How much I hate-” He choked on his words, tears and agony in his eyes, “everything. A place where I can get high, and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe, if I can ruin myself enough in the process, if I end up broken, I won’t be his favorite toy anymore. And maybe he’ll let me go.” He collapsed on the curb, wrapping his arms around his legs, hiding his face.
Husk’s ears flattened against his head as guilt settled in. How had he not seen this? He had always prided himself on being able to see through people’s masks, to notice their tells, but the spider demon had been suffering right before his eyes, and he had not even considered that their situations could be remotely similar. Angel Dust was in pain, he lashed out, and instead of seeing that, what did Husk do? Bent him over the bar and spanked him, then belted the kid’s bare ass.
He sat down on the curb beside the lovely spider, whose alabaster fur seemed to shine the color of pearls in the light of the streetlamps. “I was an overlord once, you know,” he sighed. Angel’s head raised, his beautiful eyes, like two pink gems, looking at him in surprise. Husk smiled bitterly. “Yeah. And, uh, it was nice to have that power. But when you’re dealing in souls,” he reflected, as memories swirled in his head, of him in his prime: his golden eyes gleaming with greed and power, his black-and-gold suit, his gray-streaked hair atop his head unhidden by his hat, a confident and power-hungry grin on his face, “while also being a gambler, the stakes are pretty high, and losing a few hands can be more than a little dangerous. So when you’re down on your luck, you turn to anything to keep you afloat, even making deals yourself. So I know what it’s like to…regret the choice made, and…knowing ya can’t take it back.” He bent his head and closed his eyes.
Angel’s head ducked back down, hugging his eyes in an attempt to comfort himself.
Husk’s eyes suddenly opened, and he smiled, standing up. “*So things look bad and your back’s against the wall,*” he sang, stepping over a puddle. “*Your whole existence seems fucking hopeless.*”
Angel seemed to visibly react to his words, clutching his knees tighter, his eyes darting to the side.
“*You’re feeling filthy as a divebar bathroom stall.*” At that moment, a sinner came trudging out of one of the buildings, looking ready to hurl. Reacting quickly, Husk grabbed a nearby red-and-black umbrella and popped it open, using its protection to shield Angel from the vomit, then wrung it from the item. “*Can’t face the world sober and dopeless.*”
“*You’ve lost your way.*” He walked behind Angel, who closed his eyes, pain on his face. “*You think your life is wrecked. Well, let me just say you’re…correct!*”
Angel’s head flung up, shock evident on his features. “Wait, what?” He turned to face Angel, even more shock written on him as Husk suddenly got up close, booping his nose with his finger.
“*You’re a loser, baby. A loser, goddamn baby. You’re a fucked up, little whiny bitch!*”
“Hey!” Angel yelled, his temper rising.
“*You’re a loser just like me!*”
Angel raised a brow, and flipped him off, clutching his knees. “Thanks, asshole!” He planted his elbows on his knees, cradling his face between his palms, a scowl on his face.
But Husk was far from finished. “*You’re a screws loose boozer, an only one-star reviews-er, you’re a power bottom, at rock bottom, but you’ve got company.*” He lay behind Angel, then stood up, walking toward a building.
“This supposed to make me feel better?!” Angel yelled after him, his Brooklyn accent even more pronounced as he lost hold of his Angel Dust act.
Husk leaned his back against the glass of the building window.
“*There was a time I thought that no one could relate…to the gruesome ways in which I’m damaged. But letting walls down, it can sometimes set you straight!*” He suddenly used the red-and-black umbrella to smash the window he had been leaning against. He walked back to Angel, taking a seat once more beside him. “*We’re all living in the same shit sandwich.*”
Angel planted his chin into his hand, snarling at the memory of this morning…of him. “*I sold my soul to a psychopathic freak.”
He heard Husk chuckle, and turned to look at him. “*And you think that makes you unique?*” Husk grinned at him, holding out a hand for him to take. Angel paused for a moment, assessing the demon before him. But Husk wasn’t doing anything to him. He placed his smaller hand into Husk’s palm, right over the heart shape. “Get outta here, man!” Husk placed himself behind Angel, taking both pairs of Angel’s hands in his own. Fuck. The fact that his two hands could easily handle all of his own was too much to handle, but his hold was gentle.
He began to waltz with Angel, causing Angel’s mismatched eyes to widen, his heels scraping against the cobblestones as he felt Husk lead. “*We’re both losers, baby. We’re losers.” As Husk turned one way, Angel’s hands slipped out of his own, but Husk only gently regained hold of them, continuing to dance in place with him. He suddenly turned, spreading his arms and wings out. “*It’s okay to be a-*”
Angel turned to look at Husk. “*Coked up dick-sucking ho?*”
Husk suddenly grinned at him again, his golden eyes lidded, causing Angel’s heart to beat rapidly inside of his chest. “*Baby, that’s fine by me.*”
Angel finally smiled, affecting poses of his own. “*I’m a loser, honey, a schmoozer and a dummy. But at least I know I’m not alone.*”
“*You’re a loser-*”
“*Just like me!*” they said simultaneously, back to back.
“*I’m addicted to gambling.*”
“*I’m addicted to sampling. Every drug and sex toy I can find.*”
Husk swiveled in closer, swinging his umbrella. “*Go ahead, baby, sing that song. Come on!”
“*I got no holes left to deflower!*”
“*I sold my soul to save my power. Now I’m on that demon’s leash.*”
They both sang, each knowing what the other was going to say, at this crucial uncovering. “*I’m trapped and it gets worse with every hour!*”
“*You’re a loser, baby.**” Angel leaned back against Husk, who popped open his umbrella.
“*A loser but just maybe if we-”
They once again sang as a duet. “*Eat shit together, things will end up differently.*” Husk held out his hand, offering, an invitation, not ordering, not forcing. Angel did not hesitate. He placed his hand in Husk’s once again, a gentle smile on his face, trust in his eyes, warmth in Husk’s.
“*It’s time to lose your self-loathing, forgive yourself, let hope in, baby.*” Angel was behind him again, soft ooh’s leaving his lips to accompany Husk’s words. As Angel’s eyes opened, Husk held out a hand, which Angel took, his eyes soft and lidded. He closed his eyes, allowing Husk to propel him forward, so they were once again back to back. “*Play your card, be who you are.*”
They both had smiles on their faces now, finally understanding. “*A loser just like-*”
A high voice broke out. “There he is!” The sharks from earlier emerged from the bar. “They’re fucking singing?! Get them!” They unpocketed their guns.
Husk and Angel dodged the flying bullets overhead, heading to the shelter of a car parked nearby, Angel using his long legs to leap over the vehicle, as they rested their backs against it.
“Shit!” Husk cursed softly. He put his arm over Angel. “Stay down! I’ll deal with this.”
“You’re fucking dead!” the leader of the sharks shouted.
Husk jumped onto the top of the car, wielding his razor-sharp cards, flinging them into the sharks, and flinging an explosive dice at them, exploding the head of one, slitting the throat of another. Suddenly, he felt a small, yet heavy force hit his back, as the smallest shark jumped onto his back, his arms around Husk’s throat. The force exerted was futile at best, but the presence on his back was annoying, and with the shark’s efforts, he was rendered incapacitated.
“We’ve got you now!”
“You motherfucke-”
Suddenly, a blast struck the shark full in the face, flinging him to the ground.
“Eat lead, sucka!” a voice with that Brooklyn accent shouted, followed by the sound of bullets from a tommy gun, along with triumphant laughter.
Husk had fallen to his knees, and his eyes widened at the sight of Angel. There was more to this kid than met the eye.
Angel held out his hand for Husk to grab. “I told ya. I can handle myself, baby.” Together, the two leveled their respective weapons against their attackers.
The small shark demon had only enough time to utter, “This did not go as planned,” before collapsing from blood loss.
Husk smiled at Angel as they put away their weapons. “Well, that was something I didn’t expect to see.”
“Like I said, you don’t know me.” Angel ran his hands through his blood-streaked hair, which flopped back into place. “Sex ain’t the only thing I’m good at.” He winked.
“Good to know. ‘Cause this guy ain’t half bad.” He wasn’t going to deny that he enjoyed the vision before him: Angel entirely, wholly himself, no act, wild and spirited, possessing a wild beauty about him.
Angel smiled softly at Husk’s words.
***
Husk and Angel reentered the hotel, laughing as they exchanged stories between them.
“He had like three bills, and it took him like thirty minutes to count it. His eyes are so shit!”
“And this is the guy you gotta take orders from?”
“I know!” Angel replied. “What a fucking joke, right?”
Suddenly, a body collided with his own, arms wrapping around his tiny waist. He stiffened, surprised, before looking down to see Charlie, nearly hysterical with apologies.
“I am so sorry, Angel!” she cried. “I promise I won’t ever, ever, ever, eve-”
“Charlie,” he interrupted. “It’s fine. I get it. Thanks…” he rested a hand on her golden head, “for caring about me.”
Her large scarlet eyes filled with tears, and she began to sob.
Angel visibly panicked, picking her up underneath the arms, unsure what to do about his situation. He saw Vaggie approaching, and saw a solution to his problem. “Uh…I think this is yours,” he said, passing Charlie to Vaggie, who took her beloved girlfriend into her arms.
“Okay, missy, let’s get you to bed,” Vaggie said tenderly.
“He-he-he said he for-forgave me!” Charlie wept. “Oh, it’s so beautiful, Vaggie!” Her voice receded as Vaggie took her upstairs.
Husk walked up to Angel. “Hey, how ‘bout that drink?”
Angel smiled into Husk’s warm eyes. “You read my mind.”
***
After serving Angel a strawberry-pink drink and talking for a long while, Angel stood up. “Gotta head to bed, I suppose,” he grinned, his gold tooth revealing itself. “Val will want me at the studio on time tomorrow.”
As he turned to head up to his room, he heard Husk’s voice call him back. “Hold on, Legs.” Angel’s heart jolted at the nickname. He turned around to face the bartender. “Look.” Husk ran a hand through his hair, his eyes down. “How I reacted at the bar earlier…it went too far, okay? I shouldn’t have lost my cool like that, and I don’t want ya to be in pain on account of me, or bruised just because I took things too far.” His eyes were steely and serious, and he took a step forward. “I gotta check out your ass to make sure that there are no bruises.”
Angel’s cheeks heated, pink seeping into his cheeks. Fuck no. It was bad enough that Husk had spanked him bare, strapped his ass, but to have him look at his ass again? No way in hell was Angel going to let that happen.
He grinned. “Well, Whiskers, if ya just wanted to see my ass, all you had to do was ask,” he purred, arching his back, his chest fluff pushed up to full advantage, biting his lip.
“Angel.”
Angel dropped the act at Husk’s stern voice, standing up straight, yet still managing to look so small, his arms wrapped around his middle for comfort, as guilt stole over his face. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I just - look, it’s fine, Husk. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be fine. I’ve taken care of my problems before.”
“But you’re not alone anymore,” Husk said firmly. “You don’t have to be alone. Legs, I just want to make sure you aren’t hurt. I’ve been in war; I know what I’m doing.”
Angel was silent for a few moments, before finally sighing. “Okay. Fine.”
They headed up to his room, where his pet pig, Fat Nuggets, was already curled up in his little pink pig bed, snoring softly.
“I’ll need you to lay down on your stomach,” Husk said quietly.
Angel flushed deep red, and softly bent down, laying down on his bed, his ass up.
He heard Husk chuckle. “Sorry, kid, it doesn’t work like that,” he drawled. Kid? Angel thought indignantly. How old did Husk exactly think he was? “Your butt’s gotta be bare.” His voice was fond, but there was no joking tone hidden.
Angel’s head whipped up. “What?! But-”
“Come on, kid,” Husk urged. “Pull down your shorts and underwear. Otherwise I can’t see.”
Angel hesitated. Despite that Husk had already seen his ass, it was just as humiliating if he were to see it again, but for Angel to pull them down himself was quite simply unbearable. He reached a hand down, grumbling under his breath in Italian, but froze. This was simply too much to ask. He groaned, his face heating up, his cheek against the blanket. He knew this had to be seen through, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“I can’t do it,” he whimpered. “I just can’t. Husk, can you-?”
He buried his face in the bed.
He heard a soft breath behind him, before he felt claws hook into his waistband, and Angel nearly squeaked as his shorts were dragged down to his ankles. He groaned into the blanket as his panties were bared to view. He nearly yelped as Husk took those down, too, leaving them to join his shorts at his feet. His face burned as his ass was bared to Husk for the second time today.
He heard a sharp intake of breath, and then a sharp curse, followed by footsteps padding softly away. He waited a couple of minutes, before finally turning his head around. No one was there.
Angel cursed himself, for trusting Husk like this. Of course he wouldn’t stay, wouldn’t stick it out. He saw Angel for who he really was, all Val, all everyone knew him to be, a fucking whore. “You fucking idiot,” he muttered under his breath. He began to rise, using his elbows to lift himself, ready to yank up his shorts and underwear and forget that this had ever happened-
A gentle hand suddenly placed itself in the small of his back, gently but firmly keeping him from rising. “Easy there. Easy.” Relaxing, Angel let the hand press him back down. “Just went to get some towels and ointment.” He gave a low whistle. “Damn, kid, ya could have warned me your ass was this sensitive.”
Angel’s temper flared, despite the well-meaningness of the situation. “My ass wouldn’t be bruised at all if ya hadn’t whacked and belted it, ya dick! And I ain’t a kid.”
Husk laughed softly. “Yeah, that’s true enough. And I guess you aren’t, huh?” His hand cupped one of Angel’s cheeks tenderly. “You just seem so much younger than me.” Angel blushed at the contact and words.
Husk had flinched and winced at the sight before him. He was right before; the belt had been unnecessary. Angel’s ass was a deep red from the spanking, heat still radiating from it, hot to the touch, with strap marks across his cheeks. It hurt just to look at. He could only imagine how much the kid hurt.
He had dipped the towels in cold water, to reduce the swelling. He placed the towel on Angel’s bottom, who yelped at the cold in shock. One of his lower hands flailed and caught Husk’s pant leg, clutching him. Husk carefully and tenderly took one of the spider’s tiny hands in one of his own, squeezing it reassuringly. “Relax, Legs. It’s alright. Just getting down the swelling.”
Angel whimpered, no longer frantic, and visibly relaxed.
After taking away the towel, Husk squirted some ointment onto his hand, then gingerly rubbed it into the red skin of Angel’s ass, who immediately cried out, and buried his face into his bed. “Fuck…” he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Shh. Easy. The sting will go away soon. We gotta get rid of those stripes,” Husk whispered.
“Ow…ah.” Angel fisted the sheet with his other hand, clutching it. “You’re gonna pay for that, ya dick,” he laughed, his Brooklyn accent apparent. “Just you wait. I’ll replace all your alcohol with water!”
Husk chuckled. “I’d like to see you try, Legs. I’m shaking.” Having finished, he tenderly patted one of Angel’s sore cheeks. “Alright, you’re all done. Come on, you, get up. Pull up your shorts and underwear.”
Angel bit the inside of his cheek to hide his grin, his cheeks pink. He slowly stood up. He caught his reflection in the mirror, and gasped softly at the sight of his bottom. The swelling had mostly gone down, but it was still slightly swollen, and a deep, dark red, but the marks from Husk’s belt had settled, barely visible.
He bent, dragging up his shorts and panties, finding it much less painful than the last time. He grinned impishly at Husk, rubbing his sore ass.
Husk, much as he wanted to deny it, had stared as Angel bent over, watching his freckled ass lift up as he bent to retrieve his shorts and underwear. The kid had a great ass, he had to admit it: all white fur besides the scarlet from the spanking with pink freckles, rounded and curved, plump cheeks, and his pupils thinned as he saw that one of the freckles was fucking heart-shaped. Fucking Christ, how was an ass so fucking adorable and sexy all at the same time?
“Sit on the bed,” Husk requested. Angel followed suit, a perplexed expression on his face. Husk, snatching one of the damp towels, gently cupped Angel’s chin in his hand. Angel gasped, a slight blush stealing over his cheeks, as Husk tenderly cupped Angel’s cheek, tilting his face up. He softly held the towel up over his black eye, to reduce the swelling.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice that,” Husk whispered, his golden eyes gentle.
Angel swallowed, his heart pounding in his throat. “Th-thank you, Husk. For helpin’.”
“Of course, Angel.” Husk smiled.
Angel’s eyes filled with tears, and he whispered, his voice cracking, “Anthony. My name is Anthony.”
Husk startled at this, but his smile only grew. “Alright then, Anthony it is. It suits you.”
Anthony smiled back.