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Charlie’s fireworks crackled and glittered in the air.
She had insisted on throwing a huge celebration for all the sinners in the hotel. It had been a difficult year, what with Vox’s attempt to destroy heaven and hell, Lilith’s sudden communication with Charlie, and the sharp increase in the number of sinners staying at the hotel.
Not to mention Angel’s long absence and recent return.
Husk padded over to Angel with two drinks, one for each of them. He could still hardly believe that he was back. Angel was sitting with his head propped up on one of his arms on the roof of the hotel, watching the firework display, and he was the most beautiful sight Husk had ever laid eyes on.
“Harder daddy?” Husk plopped unceremoniously next to Angel, holding out Angel’s favourite pink drink. Husk could never understand his love for it; personally, he thought it was too much fruit juice and not enough alcohol. But Angel liked it, so he always kept the ingredients in the bar. Even in the period that Angel hadn’t been there.
“Thanks, Whiskers,” Angel shot Husk a small, grateful smile as he handed him the drink.
Things hadn’t been quite the same between them since Angel had left and come back. There was something new and unspoken between them. Something fragile that Husk was afraid would break if he acknowledged it.
“You workin’ tomorrow?” Husk asked Angel casually.
“Nah. Val’s throwing a big party. Vox is usually in charge of it, but ya know. Vox ain’t really in a position to be in charge of anything now.” Angel replied, taking a sip of his drink. Since Valentino had become the new face of the Vees, he’d given Angel a lot more freedom. Well. He hadn’t had as much time to torture and abuse Angel.
“They still usin’ Vox as a… whaddya call them… You Pad?” Husk tried to remember what Angel had called Vox the last time. Some tablet thing, Husk knew.
“It’s iPad. Christ, ya really are an old man. Alastor should let ya out more,” Angel rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “And yeah, they do. Yesterday Val threw a hissy fit ‘bout Velvette getting to use Vox to play one of her dress-up games because he wanted to use him to watch a film.”
Husk snorted. It seemed so absurd that the man who'd almost destroyed hell was reduced to being a personal device.
“... And now I want everyone to share with someone else what you were grateful for this year!" Charlie's voice rang out all the way from the ground floor, amplified artificially with her magic. Though she seemed excited enough that Husk supposed they'd be able to hear it from up there anyway, even without the amplification. "I'll start! I just want to say I'm grateful to all of you for being here, and for my girlfriend—” she grabbed Vaggi up onto her little podium, who gave a small, awkward wave to the crowd, “—for running this hotel so well and for being the best!!"
The crowd below dutifully clapped and a few sinners began taking turns to stand on the podium to share. Angel turned towards Husk with a smirk.
“Soooo Whiskers, what are ya grateful for this year?"
"That you came back,” Husk said immediately.
Angel’s smile faltered as his eyes widened in shock at the unexpected sincerity of Husk’s answer. “I uh–” Angel stumbled over his words before letting his smile smoothen and the teasing edge enter his voice again. "Ya really know how ta flatter a man, don’t cha Whiskers?”
Husk shrugged, refusing to back down. “I meant what I said.”
Angel was silent for a moment before speaking again. “Why?”
“... Whaddaya mean why?”
“Why’s me comin’ back a big deal?”
Because you’re more important to me than you should be. Because every time you go back to that moth pimp I’m scared he’ll break you again. Because I was scared I’d lost you for good.
“It ain’t easy to find a good drinking buddy.”
Husk saw Angel’s face fall, almost imperceptibly. He winced internally, knowing he’d messed up with his response.
“Well, I’m back now, baby,” Angel’s words took on a playful, flirtatious tone again, but Husk knew better. “And anyway, Val hasn’t been that bad now that he’s gotta deal with the shit Vox left behind. Travis mostly does my shoots now, and he mostly lets me do anything ‘cause I got a shitload o’ dirt on him.”
“Why’d you come back?” Husk asked quietly.
Angel hesitated, and Husk could almost see the gears turning in his head as he decided what to say. He settled on “Vox ain’t really a threat anymore, and Val don’t exactly care what I do now that he’s so busy. So I… I ain’t as big a threat coming back now.”
Husk knew that wasn’t the whole answer, but he said nothing. It would only make Angel clam up more. So instead, he changed the subject. “So what happened to that one asshole you were telling me about? The one who kept fucking the lamp instead of you?”
Angel snorted, and just like that, they were back to normal. “Oh my god, that guy!”
The night began to grow quiet, with most festivities gradually coming to an end. They'd seen Vaggi carry an exhausted, happy-crying Charlie back to the hotel a while ago, and the rest of the hotel residents had slowly followed suit, filing back into the hotel to rest for the night. Husk and Angel remained on the roof, overlooking the city and puncturing the quiet of the night with the occasional teasing and animated conversation.
Husk wiped away a tear from laughing too hard at one of Angel's stupid jokes. They just sat there together for a moment, looking out at the city lights in quiet, comfortable companionship. Suddenly, Angel started fidgeting restlessly before turning to him.
“What are we, Husk?" Angel whispered, barely audible.
Husk’s heart stopped.
He must have stayed silent for too long, because Angel turned away, preparing to flee. "I— I'm going to bed. ‘s been a really… it's been a long day. 'm just gonna—”
“Angel, wait!" Husk's voice was rough. He cleared his throat. “I— I don't know. What we are, I mean. I…"
He took a deep breath, avoiding looking at Angel so he wouldn’t chicken out before he could continue. “... When you left, it felt like a piece of me was ripped away.” He could see Angel freeze in the corner of his eye, but once he started speaking, he felt the words continue to gush out of him like a torrent. “You make me feel like… like I can try again. Like I don’t have to drink and get wasted to feel something. Like maybe I… maybe I can still… care about someone, even if I’m broken.” The last part came out as a whisper.
He could feel tears start to pool in his eyes. He blinked rapidly. He wasn’t used to this… vulnerability. To feeling something again. To letting someone see him, so completely and entirely. He turned his head away from Angel, his hands tightly clasped together to stop them from trembling.
He felt a gentle hand brush against his. He turned instinctively towards it and was face to face with Angel.
Angel’s face was filled with emotion. Fear and anxiety and…
Love.
Husk’s breath stuttered.
“I’m pretty messed up, Whiskers,” Angel’s voice trembled, but he maintained eye contact with Husk. “To be fair, so are you. We’re both stuck with chains. And we both got our issues. But if ya want this… then I do too. I want you, Husk.”
Husk’s heart that he didn’t even know he still had was hammering in his chest. He was so happy it frightened him.
His hand shakily snaked up to brush against Angel’s cheek, and Angel leaned into his touch.
“Can I kiss you?” he breathed. Angel’s eyes widened in wonderment. Husk was willing to bet his chained soul that he’d never been asked, just forced. When Angel nodded, he gently cupped his face in his hands and pressed his lips to his.
Angel tasted like strawberries, cigarettes, and alcohol. Husk felt like something brighter than Charlie’s fireworks were being set off in him. As they pulled apart, he could feel the wide, goofy grin on his face. He would’ve been embarrassed by it, if Angel hadn’t had the exact same expression mirrored on his face.
There was a long, sacred silence as two people in love simply took each other in.
Which was of course broken by Angel’s teasing. “So… ya still wanna spank me, daddy?”
“Don’t you start,” Husk laughed.
They stayed on the rooftop, soaking in each other’s company for a couple more hours. They could see Heaven from there, shining obnoxiously brightly against the dark red sky. Husk was never one to care much for the whole redemption business, but as he kissed Angel again, he couldn’t help but feel like he’s already found his place in Heaven.