in which Val wasn't just a sexual predator, but a supernatural one too

[aschmoozerandadummy]

When Angel met Valentino and fell in love with his devil-may-care ways, sexy words, and open pansexuality, he fell right into the trap of a man who would turn vicious once he had the love-starved sex worker right where he wanted him. Dead of a drug overdose, a gay boy living in the 20s who could never have the kind of love story his straight contemporaries had, there for a code that ensured gay people in the movies would be punished to serve as a warning to viewers.

So when he discovered Valentino was also a vampire, he wasn't surprised. It explained why he felt lightheaded after they fucked sometimes even when Val hadn't given him any drugs or booze. The bite marks on his neck and shoulders that never seemed to fade. Angel Dust wasn't just a fuck toy and a porn star, but his pimp's personal blood bag.

Then one night, Valentino died. The older sister of one of his other stars, a vampire hunter, staked him, and that was it. The contract, the chain, they went up in smoke and Angel was free.

And that was the important part, right? He could move on with his afterlife, no need to think about the past.

Comments

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk is the bartender at the local hangout. He's known as a bit of an amateur magician and a cheerful gambler as well as a good ear for people to lay their issues out to.

He's been around for a long time. How long, no one can really say, as it just feels like he's always been there. The truth is that long ago, he came across a serial killer draining one of his victims, who then turned on him... and turned him. Alastor's punishment for finding him out was an immortal afterlife of serving him and doing his bidding.

Thus, Alastor called him 'Husk', a shell of a person, one who looks pale in spite of his dark skin.

[aschmoozerandadummy]

Angel wasn't turned, but he's immortal, Val's attempt to keep his favorite toy chained to him. Angel would later find out Val himself was a victim, raped and turned by a man who pretended to love him, and he chose Angel to take it out on because back then, Valentino had been a love-starved pathetic queer kid, too.

It's not enough to make Angel wish he'd reached out and tried to help him, though. Fuck that. He may hate himself but he doesn't hate himself enough to forgive his abuser.

He spends a lot of his time at the local hangout these days, trying to fill his time now that he's not a whore or a porn star. And...well, the bartender is pretty good-looking for a guy who looks like a stray cat. The sexy voice doesn't hurt, either.

"Gimme a watermelon vodka if you've got any. Otherwise just plain old vodka."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

"Sure." Husk pours a watermelon vodka in a martini glass and slides it over. "What's on your mind today? You're more thoughtful than usual. Bad client?"

He starts cleaning some glasses so he can spend more time with Angel. He's never seen any of his films, but he's considered it a couple times. Kid's hot, with that just-pale-enough skin that so many people love. Husk knows, however, that there's more behind that pretty face, and his heart (whatever's left of it) breaks a bit at how shitty he's treated.

[aschmoozerandadummy]

"Oh no! Didn't I tell ya? I'm not doin' that anymore." Angel sips his drink. "Sure all the Pride Ring's heard about it now but my pimp's dead. Got staked by someone out for revenge." He smiles in a way that makes it hard to tell whether it's real or not. "I'm just gettin' used to my freedom is all, wonderin' where I'll go from here."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

"Well, shit. Drinks're on me, then!" Husk snorts. "I've wanted to stake him myself a time or two, that ass. Guess we've been missing each other in passing lately."

"What're you tryin' to do with yourself?" Maybe Husk can help. He's not above using Alastor's connections.

[aschmoozerandadummy]

"Hey, I aint one to turn down that offer. Thanks!" Angel chuckles. "I dunno yet. Not sure I wanna go back to the sex work thing, fucker kinda ruined it for me. I kinda like being famous, though...maybe I could get into doin' a different genre of movies. Stupid romcoms or thrillers or gangster flicks."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

"You'd be a good gangster." Husk nods, passing a few people drinks, then coming back to Angel.

"Can you sing? We're looking for someone to be a lead singer for the occasional show in here." He pauses, the world swimming for a moment, and he grabs the top of the bar, knuckles turning white. Fuck. It has been a while.

[aschmoozerandadummy]

Angel's about to answer when he notices Husk swaying. "You okay? You need to go outside for a bit?" Except he may recognize that symptom, he's had it a few times when a client fucked him too hard after Val needed to feed from him.

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

"Nah. I'm fine." Husk shakes his head. He hates when he's like this, hates having to ask Alastor to let him have a drink from whoever he's draining today, that's why he's constantly ignoring the urges until it's almost too late.

"Out of it, that's all."

In which Angel mouths off to a dangerous asshole because Husk is hurt

[aschmoozerandadummy]

Angel's been free of his abuser for a decent amount of time now. He's got a good job, and he's in a wonderful relationship with the man who got him that gig. The trouble is, this wonderful man whom Angel loves very much is still under the thumb of a man who may not do the same things Val did to Angel, but is still an abusive fuck.

Alastor is a lot more crafty than Val was, lacking the explosive temper that led to him doing stupid things (like raping and draining a barely-legal young man with an angry vampire hunter sister, who then proceeded to stake his sorry ass). He smiles, acts perfectly affable if not strange, but when it comes to Husk he's just as ruthless. By now Angel knows the story of how he turned Husk, and that he's essentially blackmailing him to do his bidding otherwise Alastor will spill the beans about Husk's vampirism. That he caused.

Needless to say, Angel doesn't like this guy much. So when Husk comes in looking way worse for wear after an "errand", Angel...may have kind of gone off on Alastor.

"Just cause he works for ya doesn't mean ya get to treat 'im like trash! Y'know how fuckin' dangerous Cannibal Town is?! Even my boss never made me service those fucks!" Yes, even Val had...something almost resembling a standard.

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk hates Cannibal Town. He has no idea why Alastor can't just go himself. Their leader, the only person there with any manners, Rosie, is somewhat of a friend of Alastor's.

This wasn't a trip to see her, though. This was to the back alleys, to the dark places where no one wants to go to get... something for yet another of Alastor's rituals to do... something. Husk isn't even sure if he knew what was going on at one point. He's been without a drink for weeks, and got in a few scraps on his errand.

However, even wobbling, being the worse for the wear, there's utter panic in his eyes. "Alastor, he doesn't mean it. Angel, please. Don't. I'll be fine." He turns, pleading with Alastor. "Don't kill him. I'm sure he's stringy or something. Just... please. Don't kill him. Do whatever you want to me."

[aschmoozerandadummy]

"Like hell I don't! This fuck-"

And then he sees the absolute terror in Husk's eyes, hears him begging Alastor for Angel's life, and he sighs, clenching his fists. Alastor only chuckles, patting Husk on the head.

"Oh, my dear pet, I wouldn't dream of killing someone so amusing. The boy has moxie, disrespecting me even knowing he could never win." He smirks at Angel. "I need to be going, however. He's all yours." He's gone so quickly he may as well have teleported away. Angel immediately goes to Husk's side, wrapping an arm around him.

"Let's get to the back room. You lucky you got back before you keeled over."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk watches Alastor go, then drags his hands down his face, but follows Angel to the back room. "Please don't do that. He's dangerous, Angel. He kills whoever the fuck he wants, and if he's really angry, he makes sure they suffer. I... can't watch him do that to you."

Half-flopping, half sitting in a chair, he closes his eyes. "That was not a fun trip."

[aschmoozerandadummy]

Angel immediately goes to get Husk some water, wetting a towel so he can clean Husk's wounds. "I know, I'm sorry, I just...saw you coming in looking like that and I was so angry. I can't stand seeing you being treated like that!"

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk just sighs, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll heal. Just in time for him to torture me again."

Honestly, he wishes there was some way out, but there isn't. He's spent decades trying to find a way out, and nothing comes.

"Sorry, Angel. I appreciate you helping. I'm just a shit companion today."

[aschmoozerandadummy]

"No, you're right, I need to control my temper a little more, specially around guys like that." He sighs, handing Husk the water and gently running the towel over one of his scrapes. "I know it's cause I'm too close to the situation, I've been treated that bad so I can't stand to see it, especially when it's the man I love on the business end of it."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk sips the water, leaning back and closing his eyes. "I know. There's just literally nothing I can do. He's got control over me, and short of staking him or figuring out how to get him caught before he can figure out it's me, there's nothing I can do. And, honestly, I don't even know if I can act actively against him. Every time I've tried, he finds out. So I just... it's not worth it."

The first time

[aschmoozerandadummy]

The last few weeks have gone smoothly, all things considered. Alastor is still Alastor, but he hasn't been especially bad to Husk lately, and at Angel's prodding has kept jars of blood in the fridge for Husk if he needs a drink. Do you really want your errand boy passing out and bein' useless to you? he'd said, trying to appeal to Alastor's selfishness. And...well, it was working for now.

But lately Angel's been thinking about something else. Something he knows he and Husk both want, but haven't done yet either due to Angel's lingering Val-related PTSD or Alastor-related bullshit.

"Say, Husk? After you close for the night, I...there's something I wanna talk to you about."

Re: The first time

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

"Sure, Angel." Husk smiles at him, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "Is everything alright?"

He won't push for anything more at the moment, but he wants to make sure he doesn't have to knock off early if something's wrong with Angel.

[aschmoozerandadummy]

"Yeah, everything's fine." Angel smiles. "It's just something I've been thinkin' about for a while, and it'd be better to discuss it alone."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

"Alright." He turns back to the bar patrons, wondering what Angel has in his head. The rest of the evening goes along fairly boringly.

Eventually, he locks the front door and wipes down the bar. "Alright, Angel. What's on your mind?"

[aschmoozerandadummy]

Angel swallows, placing his hands on Husk's chest.

"I'm ready, Husk. I wanna take that next step," he says. "I know we've tried to before and I always ended up freakin' out, but this time I know I'm ready."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk blushes a bit, then wraps his arms around Angel. "If you're sure, Angel. I do want you. I... should get a drink first, though. It's been a bit, and you really don't want me passing out."

[aschmoozerandadummy]

"You can drink from me," Angel murmurs, "you know I don't mind, and I know it turns you on."

[strutwhenyourebluffin]

Husk blushes, licking his fangs without thinking. "Mmm. If you're sure, Angel. It has been a while." For once, he doesn't necessarily mind the side effects, as long as Angel isn't hurt.