mazeofrelationships | Bittersweet is the name of the game [until it's just sweet and there are weddings]

Bittersweet is the name of the game [until it's just sweet and there are weddings]

There's a lot to be happy about. For one thing, Mom finally called her back and judging by the short conversation they shared, seems proud that she was able to figure out a way to save the city and herself. Maybe she just wanted her grown daughter to fend for herself?

(She could have just said so instead of ignoring her, though.)

The hotel is full of sinners who truly want to be redeemed, Vaggi's happy with her new name, Baxter is one of them, and she's mending her relationship with her dad more and more. Plus, the Vees are leaving them alone.

But Husk...isn't in good shape. He's functional, but he always looks sad and lost and disinterested. She's caught him in Angel's room cuddling with Fat Nuggets and trying not to cry.

And Alastor's not helping. Charlie was initially glad to have him back, but he's still his usual difficult, cagey self treating the hotel like an amusement, and she's noticed a lot of his jerkish behavior is aimed at the poor bartender.

"Tsk, tsk, Husker. The bartender's supposed to be the one everyone goes to when they're depressed, not the other way around," the radio demon scolds. "You're lucky anyone comes to you for drinks lately, the clubs have bartenders who know how to smile and look appealing!"

"Alastor, maybe leave him alone," Charlie says sternly. "He's doing his job, and...it hasn't been easy for any of us."

They've gotten used to the eight-foot spider-shaped hole in their lives, but that doesn't mean they're okay with it being there. They never were.

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"Shut the fuck up." Husk pounds on the bar with his hand, glaring over at the Radio Demon. "I'm beginning to understand why Vox wanted to wipe that stupid smile off of your face."

His chain has been wearing on him more and more lately with the loss of Angel. The fact that he's not only stuck down here, but stuck being someone's errand boy with nothing that he can do about it is just depressing. Of course Angel left. Everyone leaves him. It was too good to be true that Angel would ever even dream of... He just wishes he could go back to not caring anymore.

Vaggi glances over from the front desk, but says nothing for now.

"Oh dear, sympathizing with the man who wanted to blow up the entire city?" Alastor smirks. "Maybe reflect on that a bit, Husker."

"Maybe you should reflect on why he feels that way, Alastor," Cherri snaps. "I know ya own him, but d'ya have to be such a cunt?!"

"Just because Vox was wrong doesn't mean you're the good guy," Charlie says. "How is Husk supposed to get any work done if you harass him, anyway?"

"Who the fuck made you therapist?" Husk turns away from Alastor, back to the glasses behind the bar.

Niffty is currently hiding under a sofa, not wanting to get in the middle of this.

Vaggi steps over, crossing her arms. "Seriously, Alastor. Stop harassing him. There's no need to poke sore spots."

"What the fuck sore spot are you talking about? Nothing's wrong! Why can't people just leave me the hell alone!!!" Husk growls a bit, putting his hands on the bar to calm himself down. This isn't helping anyone, and it'll probably piss Alastor off enough to do something to him. Then again, maybe he'll be able to feel something.

Baxter has his nose buried in a pulp novel, he'd rather not get involved either.

Alastor shakes his head. "Oh, Husker, I think I know what this is about. But I did once warn you about what happens when you care too much," he says. "When you open your heart to others."

"Alastor, knock it off," Charlie warns.

"You don't think I fucking know that?" Husk snarls, claws digging into the bar in front of him.

"Are you fucking getting off on this? Because let me tell you, there's better porn out there. Go find some and leave me alone." And for all of Hell's sake, don't keep going.

"Then why did you get so attached to that spider, hmm? One would think you'd have learned your lesson after your train wreck of a marriage."

Wait, what?! Charlie's irritation briefly turns to surprise. Husk was married?!

"How the fuck did you know about that, you absolute piece of trash?" For a moment, it looks like Husk is going to launch himself at Alastor, but he remains behind the bar. "That is none of your business, and not relevant." It's totally relevant his mind tells him. It's just another failure, yet another person who you thought cared and left.

Something clicks for Vaggi, something that she is going to look into later. A girl talking to someone in Heaven who could only be Angel's sister who was mentioning a gambling and magician father... Could it be? Maybe.

"Oh, I have my ways," Alastor gloats, and seeing Husk's reaction makes something in Charlie snap. She's reminded of another instance, the very person Husk is pining for having his sin revealed to the entire hotel by another asshole except at least this one was honest about it and Charlie was just too selfish and blind to see.

She'd failed Angel. She'll be damned if she lets this happen again. She goes full demon mode and grabs Alastor by his upper arms.

"I can't believe I thought you were our friend, or at least our ally! I won't have anyone digging into my friends' deepest wounds and laughing while they bleed! GET OUT!" she roars. Maybe he's fired, maybe he just needs to be in a time-out cage so he can think about what he did.

Charlie's roar gets Vaggi at her side in an instant, spear out, and wings unfurled. She hadn't thought that the first thing that she'd need to defend the Hotel against was one of their own, but she's ready to enforce whatever Charlie decides.

Husk has had enough, he launches himself at Alastor, claws out, ready to rip into that smug fucking deer. However, before he can get close, Alastor manifests a glowing green chain, and holds Husk at arm's length. Husk snarls, trying in vain to get to Alastor.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Alastor calmly holds the chain. "Naughty kitty, what would the Princess say if she saw you attacking her host?" He turns to Charlie. "Not that it matters, because if you throw me out, I'm taking my little pets with me."

Shit. He's got her there. "Fine, then go to your room! Just stay away from Husk, you've done enough damage for a week, let alone one day," she snaps. Alastor chuckles smugly, letting the chain disappear and smirking as Husk is dropped halfway onto the bar like an old sock.

"Fine. I grow bored of this rabble anyway." He disappears in his usual flash, and Charlie partially de-transforms, going to Husk's side.

"Fuck," Cherri mutters, "and I thought the Vees were a bunch of cunts."

Husk collapses on the bar with a bit of a thump. He has a sneaking feeling that he'll pay for this later, but for now, he needs to get a bit of his dignity back.

Standing, he brushes himself off, taking a long, deep breath to steady himself before turning back to everyone else. "I'll pay for the bar scratches, Charlie. Sorry about that."

The last thing he wants is to talk about any of that. It's too rough, it's too... painful. As calm and sarcastic and flippant as he usually is, it's easy to forget how deep Husk's own wounds go. Even his poker face is not hiding his emotions at this moment. He's not even sure if he cares enough to try.

"Don't worry," Charlie says, fully back to her normal self by now. "I'm sorry I couldn't make him stop before he threw the drama bomb."

"Y'need to talk about it?" Cherri asks from the couch where Fat Nuggets has been cuddled up on her chest the whole time and she knows if she tries to move she'll feel guilty.

"No." Husk snaps, a bit more sharply than he intended. "No reason to. It's old news." People're always leaving him. That's just his life.

"Charlie, I gotta get some air. I'll... be back." Without waiting for an answer, he walks out the door, hands in his pockets, trying to keep his emotions under control. Whether irony or fate is in charge, he finds himself outside of the club where he and Angel first bonded. Just seeing the place is almost enough to let the emotions he's been holding back for weeks pour out.

Charlie nods sadly, she knows she can't force someone to open up. She'll clean the bar and make something Husk likes for dinner...she's not as good a cook as Angel or Niffty, but she's decent.

While all this has been happening, the subject of Husk's continued sorrow and angst is walking proudly through the streets. After over a month at V Tower stewing in his guilt and self-hatred, taking up the old role of battered whore and porn star, and getting some revenge jabs at the iPad whenever he didn't feel like utter shit...he's free.

During a trip to one of Val's favorite clubs, he heard that a certain bartender was in a pretty bad way, and the feelings he'd been trying to stamp down couldn't be stamped down anymore.

He went back to V Tower to protect his friends from himself, but his heart belonged at the hotel. With the certain bartender. It took a few days, but in that time he'd gathered his courage and confidence and finally, finally broken his contract.

I don't need you anymore, Val. Not the fame, not the drugs, I've got better waiting for me. And you don't need me, either, you never did.

Asmodeus, the big boy of Lust himself, was on standby in case Angel needed an assist. Wasn't necessary, and the man even said he was proud of the former porn star for being so brave.

I'm free. No more day-long shoots, no more being overrun with dicks and drowning in cum and ooh, harder, Daddy and prancing around in slutty outfits singing about how much he loved being a tragic whore who was going to die from Val's poison.

His walk back to the hotel finds him in front of a certain club...and a very sad-looking bartender.

"Husk?"

Husk snaps around, eyes wide. Great. The last thing he needs right now is Angel, another reminder of what he's lost. He's about to say something, but he stops for a moment, really looking at him.

Something's different. A different set to his shoulders, a different look in his eyes. Is he that comfortable with Val? Was everything just in Husk's head? Turning back, he shakes his head, arms hugging himself in a subconscious mirror of one of Angel's gestures. "I'm supposed to forget you, remember?" Not that he ever could. He's about two seconds from losing it.

Ouch. The wind's knocked out of Angel's sails, but he knows he deserved it. Sure, he's free, but he also abandoned everyone he loves and who cares about him in return. Cherri, Fat Nuggets.

Husk.

Fuck, he owes everyone such an apology, but seeing Husk like this he doesn't know if "sorry" is even a good enough start.

"Look, Husk, I..." He digs his hands into his pockets. "I know you're pissed, y'have every right to be after what I did." Not long ago Vox had needled him for coming back, guess your little friends really don't mean anything to you after all, huh? Angel told himself they'd forgive him, they never held anything against him, he was here because he wanted to protect them.

Maybe Vox was right.

"I'm sorry. I-I thought you'd be better off without me, after I attacked you and Cherri and Vox was usin' me as a spy and all, I just wanted to protect you. But maybe I was just bein' selfish, too." He says this to own it, because Husk deserves to hear it.

"Well, I guess you got your wish." Husk can't look at Angel, the one glance he got convinced him that Val got his fangs and claws into him again.

Clearly, he missed the part about Angel protecting him. "Why are you even here? Don't you have classier clubs to get into? I just want to go get drunk in peace."

"I was wrong, okay? About everything. I..." He sighs. "I aint with Val anymore. Didn't just leave, tore up my contract and everything. It's over, I aint Angel Dust the famous porn star anymore. Just...Angel, I guess."

He sighs. "I was gonna go back to the hotel and check up on you, but...I guess ya need time. I would too if someone I called a friend just up and ditched me for my own good."

That gets Husk to turn around, eyes wide at Angel. In no time at all, he closes the distance between them, throwing his arms around him and holding him close.

There's a suspicious wetness starting on Angel's shoulder where Husk has buried his face. There aren't words. Angel's free, and he's coming home? Maybe things aren't as bad as he'd feared.

Angel was just about to keep walking and give Husk space, but...then he's hugged. And...Husk's crying?

Angel smiles, his own eyes a bit misty as he wraps both sets of arms around Husk, one hand coming up to cradle the back of his head and card through his fur.

He knows that they probably look like absolute fucking losers, the washed-up former overlord and the now-former porn star clinging in the middle of the sidewalk, but he can't find it in himself to care at this moment.

Sniffling, he looks up at Angel, tears still in his eyes. "You're free? And you're coming home? Please tell me I'm not drunk and hallucinating."

"I'm free," Angel says quietly, his own voice shaking a little. "I'm coming home, Husk, and this is real." One of his third arms reaches up to brush away the tears on Husk's cheeks.

"Oh, thank fuck." He lets a few more tears fall, turning to nuzzle Angel's hand.

"That asshole can't ever touch you again. That's the best thing I've ever heard, I think."

"Asmodeus was on standby in case I needed help, but I didn't. Val, he aint even as powerful as he thinks he is. He's...just a sad little bastard, needed someone to treat like shit so he didn't have to feel sorry for himself." He sniffles a little. "They can't use me anymore, Husk. I can go back to where I always belonged."

"Good for you, Angel. I bet Val would have shit himself if he realized Asmodeus was on your side." Husk manages a smile. "No one's ever going to touch you without your consent again if I have anything to say about it."

He's not entirely sure if he has the right to say that, but he's going to anyway. He's tired and vulnerable at the moment. "We should get you back. I'm sure everyone'll want to see you."

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Bittersweet is the name of the game [until it's just sweet and there are weddings]

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