Work Text:
Husk approached Angel’s office, hands behind his back.
“Anthony?” he asked, nudging the door open with his shoulder.
Nuggets ran over, wearing a pale blue hoodie and squealing at Husk’s feet.
“Hey, Porkchop. You havin’ fun on your day out?”
“He’s a menace,” Angel sighed. “Can you take him home?”
“... Right now?” Husk asked, his voice quiet.
“When you head out.” Angel, for the first time, looked up from his desk with a tired smile. “Hey, Baby.”
“Hi, Princess.” Husk moved around Angel’s desk to lean down and kiss him. “You been doin’ okay?”
“Tired of people. Tired of meetings. Tired of paperwork. I’m…”
“Tired?” Husk guessed.
“So tired.”
Husk kissed Angel’s forehead and whispered, “Sorry, Sweetheart. I brought a pick-me-up, though.”
“For me?”
“No, actually, for the pig.”
“That’s mean.”
Husk brought his arms out in front of him and handed Angel the bouquet of red and pink roses.
Angel blinked. “What?”
“Flowers. For you.”
“Did I forget somethin’? Is it our anniversary?” Angel thought for a second, then shook his head. “It’s June. Not our ‘gettin’ together’ anniversary or our ‘wedding’ anniversary.”
“No anniversary. Just… felt like it.”
“Did you do something?”
“Uh… not that I know of?”
Angel squinted up at Husk, suspicious.
“I didn’t!” Husk leaned back on the desk and braced his arms behind him. “I wanted t’get you somethin’ nice. So I brought you flowers.”
Angel’s shoulders relaxed, and he whispered, “Oh. Okay.” He looked up at Husk, brows furrowing again, and asked, “Did I do something?”
“I don’t know. Did you?”
Shaking his head weakly, Angel whispered, “No. Didn’t do anything.”
“There you go.”
“But… why?”
“Why… did I bring you flowers?”
Angel nodded. “It’s not Valentine’s Day, it’s not a… special day… It’s not an apology, ‘n you’re not tryin’ t’get me t’confess to anything… I have no idea why you’re… doin’ this.”
“How about ‘I love my husband and want him to have pretty things’ as a reason?” Husk offered, claws threading through Angel’s hair and brushing it out of his face.
“I…” Angel sighed, running his fingers carefully over the petals of the bouquet in front of him. “Okay. Thanks, Francis.”
“If you don’t like ‘em, I can put ‘em in the lobby, or at the front desk, or something. Don’t force yourself to like ‘em on my account.”
“What are you getting outta this?”
“Making my husband happy. Believe it or not, I like it when he’s happy. I like it even more when I can make him happy. So, if you’re not happy, I can make ‘em disappear. We can pretend this never happened, if that’s what you’d prefer.”
Angel hugged the flowers to his chest, shaking his head. “I like them. Thank you, Baby.”
Nuggets snuffled around Husk’s ankles, then sat down atop his shoes.
Husk picked him up. “You wanna go out?” he asked, scratching under the Hell-Hog’s chin with one claw. “That why you’re antsy?”
“Maybe,” Angel sighed, placing his flowers on the desk and flopping back in his chair. “I haven’t had a spare moment all day.”
“Well, then, he ‘n I can go outside for a few minutes ‘n let him relieve himself. I’ll come back and, if you want to, order lunch for the two’f us.”
“I… think that’d be good.” Angel pulled Husk down by the front of his suit jacket to kiss him. “Thanks, Honey.”
“Anything you need.” Husk pressed his lips to Angel’s temple, large hand massaging the back of his neck as he asked, “Are you gonna be here late?”
“Think so.”
Husk’s hands slid to Angel’s shoulder, where it was promptly shrugged off.
“Nope. Bad. Not there.”
“Sorry, Anth. You gonna be okay if I take the baby out?”
“I’ll be fine. I think I’m just… hungry.”
Husk opened the top left drawer of Angel’s desk to inspect the snacks he usually kept there, but frowned at the empty space.
“I haven’t refilled it in, like, a week. I keep forgetting.”
“Well, I’ll remind you before you head out tomorrow, hm? That way you can bring your favorites from home.”
“You’re so smart,” Angel sighed, pulling Husk close by his belt-loops and dropping his forehead to Husk’s stomach. “Love you.”
“I love you, too, Sweets.”
Angel pulled Husk closer and kissed his stomach. “I love your tummy.”
“... Thanks?”
“So hot.”
Husk chuckled as Angel pressed kisses to his stomach through his shirt and jacket.
“Can I have a favor?”
“Anything you need.”
“I wanna… turn my brain off when I get home. Just… pay attention t’you, make you feel good…”
“We can do that,” Husk promised. He stroked Angel’s hair. “Been a rough week?”
“So rough.”
“One more day.”
“... One more day.”
“You can do this.”
“I can do this.”
Husk kissed the top of Angel’s head. “I’m gonna take Nuggets outside, but we’ll be back. Anything you need before I go?”
Angel shook his head, staring blankly at the flowers on the desk in front of him.
“Hey.”
Angel tore his gaze from the roses and gave Husk a wide smile. “Hey.”
“Get up. Take a stretch-break. Drink some water. I’ll order food when I get back.”
Nodding, Angel used Husk’s hands to pull himself to his feet. “I’m gonna… change. We’re, like, the only ones here, anyway.”
“You have a change of clothes?”
“In my bag. I knew I’d be workin’ late.”
Husk kissed Angel’s shoulder gently. “Okay. Go change, stretch… you know the drill.”
“I do.”
“Nuggets ‘n I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Angel nodded.
Husk took Nuggets’ retractable leash from the edge of the desk. “C’mon, Porkchop. Wanna go for a walk?”
Nuggets squealed in joy, running circles around Husk as he approached the office door.
“Are there bags on the leash?”
Husk checked, then nodded. “Yeah. I’ll replace it when we get home, though, ‘cause there’s only a couple left on the roll.”
“M’kay.”
Husk clasped the leash on Nuggets’ collar and left the office, letting Nuggets lead the way to the inner courtyard of the V’s tower.
Husk returned to Angel’s office with three grocery bags in hand. He released Nuggets from his leash.
“Hey, Bubby. You feelin’ better?”
“I think he did need t’go out.”
Angel nodded and sighed. “Sorry, Bub,” he whispered, lifting Nuggets into his lap and kissing between his horns. “Maybe I should’ve left you home, hm? Let Niff ‘n Daddy take care’f you?”
“He loves comin’ t’work with ya,” Husk chuckled.
Nodding, Angel hugged Nuggets close. He kissed the top of the pig’s head.
Husk dropped the bags gently to the desk. “Here. Whatever you don’t wanna keep here, I’ll bring home with me ‘n put in my desk.”
Angel, with a moment of pause, opened the first bag, grinning at what he found. “You got me all my favorites!”
“I did.”
Angel stood and wrapped Husk in a tight hug, burying his nose in Husk’s neck. “I love you.”
“Love you, too, Principessa.”
“Aww, I missed that!”
Husk smiled, kissing Angel’s shoulder.
“It’s been a bit since you called me that.”
“It has, hasn’t it?”
Angel nodded.
Husk sighed. “Can we take a minute on the couch? I already ordered dinner while Nuggets ‘n I were out, so… just have t’wait it out.”
“I think we can. As long as we can cuddle.”
“Done.”
Husk took Nuggets from Angel to place him gently on the floor, then lifted Angel into his arms and carried him to the plush couch in the corner. “C’mere, Mon Ange.”
Angel tucked his nose into Husk’s chest fur, combing through it with his left hands. “Mm…”
Husk smiled at the ceiling, eyes shut and claws combing through Angel’s hair and the fine fur at the back of his neck. “I’m proud of how hard you work, Sweets.”
“... Thanks.”
“You need t’give yourself a break, though.”
“I… I know. But I can’t just… drop it all, y’know? That’s what… he would’ve done… just left everyone t’fend for themselves ‘n ignored any problems.”
“You are not Valentino,” Husk whispered firmly into Angel’s hair. “Just the fact that you’re worried about that means you’re a thousand times better then he could’ve ever hoped to have been.”
Angel nuzzled Husk’s chest, legs curling up towards Husk’s.
“You can delegate, if you need to. I’m sure you could pull a few strings, cash in a few favors… you’re allowed to take time off.”
“What if something happens?”
“Then you can say that you’re always reachable by phone. But you can’t pour from an empty cup, Sweetheart.”
Angel sniffled and nuzzled Husk’s chest. “Francis?”
“Yeah, Honey?”
“ ‘M so tired.”
“I’m sure you are. Is there anything I can do?”
“Kiss?”
Husk leaned down to kiss Angel with a soft sigh. “That good?”
“M-hm.”
“You want another one?”
“Always.”
Husk smiled. He helped Angel move up his body and straddle his hips, hands holding him tightly as Angel leaned down to kiss him.
Angel whined against Husk’s lips and tried to deepen the kiss, but Husk pulled him back with a gentle touch to the back of his neck.
“Enough, Sweetheart,” Husk whispered. “You wanted to cuddle, not make out.”
“I like kissin’ you.”
“I like kissin’ you, too,” Husk laughed, “But I think I’d rather help ya recharge before you’ve gotta head back t’work.”
Angel whined. “Francis!”
“Anthony!”
Angel huffed and rolled off of Husk to sit on the edge of the couch. “I wanted a kiss.”
“We did kiss, Princess. But I–”
“I know! Fine. I get it.”
Husk blinked hard at Angel’s sharp tone.
“It’s fine if you don’t want me. I just… I wanted t’thank you for the flowers, ‘n for comin’ t’visit–”
“You already thanked me,” Husk reminded him softly. “You don’t need to do anything.”
“But–”
“Listen to me.”
“I’m listening!”
“Don’t yell. I don’t like being yelled at.”
Angel huffed, picking at his cuticles and avoiding Husk’s eyes.
“You thanked me. You said ‘thank you’, I said ‘you’re welcome’, and that was that.” Husk offered Angel a hand, which Angel ignored. “You don’t need to earn gifts or affection. I like givin’ you things.”
“But didn’t you want me to… y’know?”
Husk frowned. “I didn’t want you to do anything. Maybe kiss me, if you’d wanted, but that would’ve been more’f a bonus than an expectation.”
“Then why?”
“Why… did I bring you flowers?”
“Why was… makin’ out– or a blowjob– outta the question? If just a kiss would’ve been a ‘bonus’?”
“... Would you have felt obligated to do any of those things?”
“Huh?”
“If you felt like you needed t’earn what I was givin’ you, it’s not a ‘bonus’; it’s you thinkin’ you need to earn what I gave you as a gift.”
Angel huffed, shoulders sagging further as he tried to curl in on himself.
Husk slipped off of the couch to kneel in front of Angel, gently tipping Angel’s face up so their eyes would meet. “Hey. Outta your head. I know it can be scary in there, so let’s stay out here, hm?”
Angel blinked back tears and whispered, “M’kay.”
“You don’t owe me for the roses. You don’t owe me for anything. You know that, right?”
“I know…”
“Do you?”
“I know,” Angel reiterated. “It just… It still feels weird. I spent… decades– Hell, my whole existence, I’ve needed to earn everything. In life, ‘n with Val…” He choked on the name, and his eyes shut as he took a deep breath. “You’re the first one who ever really… wanted t’give me things. It’s not– It’s not somethin’ I’m used to.”
“Mm. Alright, that makes sense. Now, I have two thoughts on how t’go about this, and I want you to pick which one sounds more doable.”
“... Okay?”
“Number one: I start gettin’ you more things. Small things, big things, whatever you want– or I think you’d want– ‘n don’t let you protest.”
Angel shook his head wildly.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d like that, either. So, number two: I start tellin’ you when I wanna bring you somethin’. You can tell me whether or not I should.”
“I like surprises, though,” Angel whispered, trying hard to smile at Husk.
“I know you do. I never said I’d ruin the surprises for you, though, did I?”
Angel thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“Yeah. So, I could ask if you’re in an okay-enough spot for me t’bring you something?”
“I think that’d be good,” Angel agreed in a whisper.
“So I can take the flowers home, if you want, and put ‘em in a vase on the island.”
“Vah-ze,” Angel snickered mockingly, making Husk grin.
“ ‘T’s how my Momma said it, and I never unlearned it.”
“Vase,” Angel whispered, tapping his nose against Husk’s. “With an ‘ayy’ sound.”
“Vase,” Husk whispered with a grin, drawing out the ‘ah’.”
“Y’can put ‘em in a vase,” Angel acquiesced, squeezing Husk’s cheeks. “ ‘M sorry I’m… weird ‘bout shit like this.”
“It’s not your fault. I love givin’ you things ‘n doin’ things for ya. You know that?”
Angel nodded weakly. “I know.”
“But I don’t want you feelin’ bad about things I wanna do for you. You can always color, if you don’t like somethin’ I’m doin’.”
“I can?”
Husk nodded, kissing Angel’s palm and squeezing his hands. “Just tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”
“I don’t always know if I’m… uncomfortable, though.”
Nodding, Husk kissed the inside of Angel’s wrist. “I know. I’m sorry, Princess. Just… if you do know, tell me. I won’t hold it against you.”
Angel stroked Husk’s cheeks, squeezing his face gently as he leaned down to tap their foreheads together. “M’kay.”
“I love you, Sweetheart,” Husk whispered.
“Love you, too, Francis.” Angel was quiet for a bit, licking Husk’s lower lip before he asked, “If I wanted to, could I suck your dick?”
“Not right now, Honey. Maybe when you get home.”
“Even if you’re asleep?”
Husk hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, Sweetheart.”
Angel beamed. “Maybe I’ll just come home with ya.”
“You still have work,” Husk reminded him, still holding Angel’s hands in his. “Work for a couple more hours, ‘n I’ll see you at home.”
Angel groaned and threw his head back. “Francis.”
“Yeah, Sweetness?”
“I need a kiss.”
“I wasn’t gonna leave without one.”
Angel reached up to yank Husk into a kiss, smiling against his lips. “Love you.”
“Love you. Love you so much, Mio Angelo. You’re everything. You’re so sweet, so smart… so kind, so strong…” Husk breathed out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re incredible.”
Angel threaded his fingers through the thick fur at the base of Husk’s skull and pulled him even closer. “Love you.”
Husk hauled Angel up into his arms and settled him on the desk, beaming as Angel wrapped his legs around his waist to pull him impossibly closer. He kissed down Angel’s neck, nipping his jaw and shoulder before drawing back. “I should go,” he whispered.
“I don’t want you to.”
“I know. I don’t want to, either, but you’ve got work t’get back to. I’ve gotta bring the Porkchop home, ‘n put your flowers in the apartment. Dinner’ll be here in a few minutes. D’you need anything else before I go?”
“Uh… kinda? But I can’t really… do it.”
“Name it. I’ll see what I can do.”
“I wanna crawl inside your ribcage ‘n nap on your heart.”
Husk hummed, claws gliding through Angel’s hair. “How ‘bout we just agree to cuddle when you get home?”
“Can I still suck your dick?”
“If you’re up to it. But I’d be more than fine if you just came in, stripped down t’nothing, ‘n crawled into bed with me.”
“And Nuggets?”
“If Nuggets wants to be in bed, he’ll be in bed. I can’t control him.”
“Fair enough.” Angel tucked his nose into Husk’s neck with a sigh. “I… I need a break.”
“Mm. I’m not surprised.”
“Maybe a vacation,” Angel whispered, dropping his head back.
“We can take a vacation,” Husk murmured. “Where d’you wanna go?”
“Somewhere… quiet. The mountains or somethin’.”
Husk hummed and tipped Angel’s face towards him. “How ‘bout the week after next?”
“Huh?”
“I’ll take care’f everything. You’ve just gotta take time off.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean– We don’t have to–”
“Shh… I’ll organize, pack, everything. You’re just gonna have to relax. Lemme take care of everything.”
“Francis, that’s not– I was just daydreaming. We don’t need t’go anywhere.”
“Mm… Well, if I wanted t’go on vacation, would you come with me?”
“I… guess?”
“Good Boy, Anth.” Husk kissed Angel’s knuckles. “Take the week after next off, ‘n I’ll take you somewhere nice ‘n quiet. Maybe the woods, maybe the mountains… It’ll be a surprise.”
“And… you’ll take care of everything?”
“Everything. I might ask what you want for food, but that’s all.”
“Could I cook while we’re there?”
“Sure, you can. If that’ll help you de-stress, you absolutely should.”
“It’ll just be us?”
“Just us. No one else.”
“I… Yeah.” Angel kissed Husk’s shoulder. “I like that idea. Thanks, Baby.”
“ ‘T’s the least I could do. You work so hard, Principessa. You deserve a break.”
Nodding weakly, Angel whispered, “I wanna finish working at home.”
“Okay. How can I help you tonight, hm?”
“I…” Angel sniffled and shrugged. “I dunno. I need… I just need t’be by you all night.”
“Okay.”
“I need to be done with work. I can’t– I can’t do any more tonight.”
“That’s alright. What do you want for dinner?”
“Uh… I dunno. ‘M not in a space where I can make decisions tonight.”
“You gonna be okay with what I already ordered?”
Angel nodded.
“Can I pick you up, Handsome?”
Angel nodded again.
Husk scooped Angel into his lap and kissed the side of his head. “We’ll wait for that.”
Angel pressed his forehead against Husk's temple. "Francis."
"Yeah, Honey?"
"I really wanna be horizontal. I wanna go home, lay down, 'n let you give me a massage."
"A massage, huh?"
"Mm... my feet, my legs... my shoulders..." Angel sighed. "I want you t'rub my shoulders."
"I'll do that when we get home."
"And I want brownies."
"We can have brownies."
"I also want to watch shitty reality TV."
"I... Okay. That's okay. We'll... do that."
"... You hate reality TV."
"But you like it, and you're stressed. So, if it'll help you feel a little less stressed, we can watch all the... 'Hell-A-Novella' and 'The Can't-Shitty-Anns' you want."
Angel beamed. "We can?!"
"Well, your mood switched on a dime."
"I..." Angel's smile fell, and his shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"Whoa. Hey. Not a bad thing. Please feel your feelings. If you're happy, I did my job. If you're upset, I can keep goin'."
"We can... I wanna go home."
"Now?"
"Now."
"Okay." Husk lifted Angel into his arms. "Do you think Orville and his husband would appreciate the dinner?"
"Think they'd love it."
Husk adjusted Angel, and carried him on his back to the hallway outside of the office. "Orville?"
"Yes, Mr. Husker, Sir?"
"There's going to be a delivery from FloorFlash, enough food for you and your husband. Take it home, eat with him, take the evening to yourselves."
"Oh! Sir, that's--" Orville smiled and stood. "That's incredibly generous of you, thank you."
"Enjoy your evening," Husk chuckled. He whistled once and called, "C'mon, Pig!"
Fat Nuggets charged out of the office, running around Husk's ankles until they reached the elevator. He squealed and sat down to watch the view from the glass walls of the elevator.
Angel kissed the side of Husk's neck. "Francis?"
"Yeah, Honey?"
"I want a kiss."
Husk turned his head enough to press a gentle kiss to Angel's lips. "Anything else you need, Princess?"
Angel shook his head, hiding a giddy smile in Husk's neck.
Husk handed him the flowers that he'd snagged on the way out of the office, then leaned down to pick up Nuggets' leash. "C'mon, you two. Homeward bound."
"What about-- What about the Mustang?"
"I'll drive you back whenever you come here next. We'll go out for breakfast, then I'll bring you here, kiss you goodbye, 'n take my car home. You can drive the Mustang after work."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure as Sin, Anth."
Angel sighed, tucking his face into Husk's suit jacket until they reached the parking garage. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Sweetness." Husk lowered Angel into the passenger's seat, buckled his seatbelt for him, and handed him the bouquet. "Hold onto this for me?" He plucked Fat Nuggets from the ground to put him in the backseat.
Angel nodded and stared down at the flowers in his lap.
Husk kissed Angel's temple, brushed his hair back from his forehead, and asked, "Are you gonna be okay for the drive?"
"... Hold my hand."
"Right... right now?"
"And while you drive?"
Husk smiled and offered Angel his hand. When Angel took it, he kissed the backs of Angel's knuckles. "Pretty Boy. Y'know how much I love you?"
"How much?"
Husk opened the passenger's door again and knelt in the footwell to brace his forearms on either side of Angel's hips. "I'm willin' t'sit here 'n tell you stupid jokes 'til you start laughin'."
"... I'll believe it when I see it."
"A man walks into a bar and sees two large pieces of meat hanging from the ceiling. He asks the bartender, 'Hey, what's with the meat?'. 'I bet everyone who comes in here $20 they can't pull one of them down,' replied the bartender, 'Care to try?'. 'No', said the man, 'the steaks are too high.'" Husk grinned dumbly up at Angel.
Angel rolled his eyes. "Dumbass."
"A vulture boards a plane carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess says, 'I'm sorry, but we only allow each passenger one carrion.'"
"Boooo..."
"There are two muffins in an oven. One of them turns to the other one and says, 'Boy, it's hot in here!' The other muffin yells, 'Holy shit, a talking muffin!'"
Angel snorted, covering his mouth with his top set of hands.
"I think I heard a laugh..."
"You heard wrong."
"Mm... better keep tryin'." Husk hesitated for a minute, then offered, "What's orange and sounds like a parrot?"
"Uhh..."
"A carrot!"
Angel rolled his eyes again.
"Y'know that cemetery in the center of town?"
"Uh... there's no cemeteries here--"
"People are just dying to get in."
Angel started blankly at Husk, then burst into giggles.
Husk beamed. "What's the first letter in the word 'yellow'?"
"Uh... 'Y'?"
"Because I want to know."
Angel snickered. "Alright. Point made. You made me laugh."
"D'you want me to stop?"
"... One more."
"Did you hear about the vampire that got loose in the circus?"
"Uh..."
"He went straight for the juggler."
Angel smacked Husk's shoulder gently, smiling down at him. "You're so cheesy."
"Mm-hm!" Husk kissed the inside of Angel's knee. "Just for you, Princess."
"You... always know what to say, somehow."
"I know you, Anthony."
Angel stroked Husk's twists and kissed his nose. "Can we just... go home? I want that massage."
"Sure, we can." Husk got out of the car with a low groan. "Whatcha want for dinner?"
"We can pick when we get home."
"Are you sure you're not, like, starving?"
"Not starving."
"You'll be okay for 45 minutes?"
"I'll be okay."
Husk kissed Angel chastely. "Okay. Let me know if you need something."
Angel shook his head and whispered, "I just... really wanna go home. Wear some comfy pajamas, eat some junk food, watch some'f my dumb shows, 'n let you rub my shoulders."
"I would love for all of those things to happen."
"Really?"
"Really." Husk shut the car door with a gentle thump. "Homeward bound, gentlemen."