The Reason: Last chapters and epilogue

Chapter ten: the house of splinters

Husk was deep in a different kind of game. Deep Aces, flushes and painstaking counts that could leave him either utterly devastated or reeling with pride. His momma often taught him to be wary of pride as, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall,” was her favorite thing to say in his youth. Proverbs 16:18 was a very outspoken verse in his house as they were very poor and usually didn’t have much to eat. School was for the rich. Farming was for… well, suited for his degree of intellectual caliber. Or so his papa often reminded him.

Husk didn’t want to remember his human life but betting against such high stakes made him remember the first time he lost. It was his last five dollars and he had 2 and 7 off suits, which could not make a straight. Of course, it didn’t escape Husk’s logic or hubris to know his losing hand was called the Devil’s Hand.

He almost wished he had the Dead Man's hand: Two Aces and Eights – two pair. Wild Bill Hickok was the “luckiest unlucky son-of-a-bitch South Dakota could muster up,” according to his papa. The lucky hand that caused his unlucky demise.

Five dollars or a million dollars, this was a very… no, his most important game ever played. Likely the most important thing he ever done, arguably.

And the dealer set up the more potent and rigid sort of game: Five Card Stud. Whatever they were dealt needed to be used with careful precision.

He knew he didn’t have a Royal Flush, best he had a straight flush.

As Val played his hand, Husk had a jolt in his heart: they both had flushes.

“Which one has the higher hand?” Val asks, squinting his eyes. Husk smirks as he knew how bad Val’s eyes were bad, (”He had like three bills, and it took thirty minutes to count them! His eyes are so shit!” Angel laughed,) and saw the advantage he had. An Ace.

“It’s mine, isn’t it?” the arrogant tone hit a higher level as Val started messing with the cards on the table. The tactical advantage was that they were at Val’s offices above the porn studio and Vox, Val’s partner, was giving them the space to go through with the bet.

They went through three draws, and they were technically at a stalemate. This last one would decide the winner. Husk realized the highest-ranked card in the flush would win and felt confident.

“House has the King; competition has an Ace. Latter wins,” The dealer said dryly.

Val spat out whatever saliva or slime he had stored in his mouth. “What?! That can’t be!”

Husk nodded to the dealer. Val gave Husk a seething look.

“You cheated! You aren’t getting that bitch’s soul back! It's mine.” Val slammed a fist in the middle of the table and the cards started flying off the ends in a messy pattern all over the floor.

Husk growled. “Overlord or not, a deal is a deal!”

“You ain’t shit, nobody is going believe you or back you up. What do you think you can do? Nada!”

Husk took in a shaky breath. “I know some top cats in hell. Maybe I can send them here to straighten everything out.”

Val lands him an incredulous look. “How dare a pipsqueak like you threaten the likes of me? I’ll send my best to slaughter you and all those insignificant loser bitches down at that shit hotel.”

“Lucifer would not take kindly to anyone in heaven or hell threatening his daughter.” Husk boldly walked closer to the moth-man.

Val scoffed. “If you take one more step toward me, piece of shit, I will fucking kill you.”

“I think I’ll call up your stupid flathead boyfriend Vox to come up here. I heard he calms you down when you have your bitch-fits,” Husk said with poison, taking that last step before Val moves to strike him, his eyes seething red.

He misses. Husk takes out his arsenal of cards and slices through cloth and skin.

Val winces in pain, looking at a few bodyguards nearby.

“You bitch!” Val whines, nodding quickly to his staff. They move in quickly and put Husk in a headlock and start kicking him viciously.

“What is this?” he spits out blood as one of the bodyguards kicks his mouth, chipping a tooth. “You can’t fight me on your own?! You weak, cowardly little toad!”

Val straightens out his ripped long coat, brushing it off as if he needs to get the essence of Husk off of him. “I'm actually a moth. A toad is a completely different genus and species.” Val smirks. “Says the dumbass that tried to save a slut that can’t go one day without sniffing a line off a crackwhore’s ass.”

“Shut the fuck up. You’re the only dumbass I see.”

Val nods in a more pronounced way as his guards start to beat him harder.

Husk starts to make a grab for one of his hidden pistols, but is instead blacking out, his vision bleary. Suddenly he is looking at the end of a barrel pointed directly at his face. He is too weak to say or do anything.

Suddenly, he hears a loud, splintering noise canceling out all the other sounds. It’s a crackling, piercing and resounding noise that spreads across the room.

He opens his swollen and painful eyes to see a glimpse of white hair and a truly furious expression: Angel, Husk thinks with a leap to his pounding heart. ‘He looks and sounds like an Angel,’ Husk dreamily thinks. ‘He’s my Angel.’

It's then that he feels the vibration of several heavy plops on the ground: bodies.

He feels something or someone lift him up.

He can barely open his eyes as he hears by his ear, “You fucker! You will never touch my Husker ever again! You’ll pay for this!”

Its Angel, definitely. Husk lets in a shaky, violent sigh.

“Don’t get your panties up in a bunch, baby, I just roughed him up!” Val taunts.

“Fuck you. You’re gonna fucking pay for touching him! I heard everything! I was here the whole time. You fucking couldn’t handle losing. Give me my soul back and I'll leave in peace.”

“Peace?” Val laughs in a cough. “You killed all my men! Some of those assholes fucked you too!”

Angel scoffs, “I didn’t kill them. I knocked them out. I mean that I won’t kill you.” Two strong arms were wrapped around Husk’s body, brought close to Angel’s chest. Husk managed to open his eyes long enough to make out Angel’s lower arms strategically aiming his Tommy gun at Val’s head.

“I usually ain’t got trigger discipline for shit, but by even just squeezing a tiny bit on the trigger here will be you serving Val’s homemade tomato soup for Vox and Velvette tonight. Extra pulpy.”

“Maybe we can make soup tonight? Huh, baby?” Val teases but looks scared.

Angel never seen Val look almost human before. This moment, Val could almost pass for human. Almost.

The terror was etched in his features even as Val kept up the cocky attitude.

“I wont even dignify that with a response, you sick freak!”

Val’s anger surfaces and he comes over to backhand Angel.

Angel aims for just a few inches above his head and fires a warning shot.

“You can’t shoot at me!” Val screams, hysterical, moving backward in a terrified and dizzy motion. “I own you… I own you!”

Suddenly the contract appears in thin air but the chains that usually bond Angel start cracking. Angel puts his weapon away, and strides confidently over to the contract.

In one swift motion, his hands rip the contract in two.

Val’s speechless for the first time in his life, almost falling to his knees in shock.

Angel says nothing but nods to the shocked moth-man who used to torment and abuse him, leaving him to his house of splintered fear and destruction.

They walked out like a boss, a gangster, a total badass, as Husk would tell him later after he recovered. And all without killing anyone, too.

“I could use a fucking drink,” Angel says under his breath.

So could I, Husk counters in his mind.

Last Chapter: the dreamer’s heart

“Oh my goodness! Oh my God! Oh goodness me!” Charlie cried as Angel brought in an injured Husk into the hotel. “What happened?”

“Husk got me my life back. Nifty!” Angel says to the petite maid of the Hazbin Hotel. Nifty runs over to the exhausted pair. “Take care of Husker here while I go talk to Charlie.”

Nifty nods and start washing the wounds and cuts on Husk, as Angel puts him down on the couch gently. He leans down to kiss his forehead.

“Clean! Clean! Gotta get clean!” Nifty says maniacally to herself as she dresses Husk’s injuries.

“How did this happen??” Vaggie asks in a shock as Angel sits down with the couple to tell him about how Husk helped him win his soul back.

The next few days were rough as Husk was barely on the edge of consciousness, but Angel didn’t leave his side.

It wasn’t until the fourth day, Husk started to become more like himself.

Husk was able to open his eyes fully and when he did, he said a surprising revelation: “Angel, you’re glowing. You got a halo.”

Angel laughed. “What? You’re dopey. You must be on those strong pain meds. Did Nifty slip ya something I don’t know about?”

Husk widened his tired eyes. Yes, there was an orange-golden glow, like an aura, surrounding Angel.

And… an unmistakable golden halo on top of his head, floating.

“No. Not sure. But you gotta go look in the mirror. Ya look like you just came from Elysium. Golden and all heavenly.” Husk got up, feeling dizzy. “You're… gorgeous….” Husk stammered out. It didn’t help he felt loopy and in so much pain.

Angel chuckled nervously. He got up and went to a nearby mirror.

“Holy fucking shit.”

Husk heard Charlie’s exclamation as she seemed to have noticed the same thing as he did.

“Is that fog? What the hell!” Vaggie commented as they both started freaking out about the halo forming above Angel’s head.

“That ain’t fog or smog or a rainbow, Angel, you’re going to be redeemed!” Charlie sputtered out. Charlie and Vaggie grin.

They embrace Angel and Husk gets up slowly.

Suddenly, Angel runs over to him and holds him tight.

“Thank you!! Oh, I love you,” Angel whispers in Husk’s ear.

Husk felt a tiny gasp escape his lips at the soft and sincere words of love. “You’re a winner, baby. You’re not a loser no more.”

Angel tears up. “Same as you.”

“I ain’t gotta be redeemed to know I won it all,” Husk leans to kiss his cheek. “I love you, too, Anthony.”

Angel lets the tears fall as they kiss again, this time more gently, as Charlie and Vaggie leave to give them privacy.

“Oh, what an entertaining turn of events.”

Husk and Angel jump out of their embrace.

“The fuck?” Husk asks with a side eye to his firmer boss.

“Yeah, what the hell man! Don’t sneak up on us like that,” Angel quips.

Alastor grins wider, which makes Husk cringe with a grimace.

“You two seem cozy,” Alastor comments.

“Yeah, jealous, old man?” Angel laughs, and Husk shakes his head, mouthing out a, “No,” to Angel.

“I was just wondering how you’ll both take it once Angel goes to heaven and Husk remains in hell.”

‘Cruel bastard,’ Husk thinks. But its something he’s thought of too often.

It was a scary and sad thought, to always be without each other.

“I've never seen early signs of canonizing in a demon before,” Alastor sighs and raises his arms around dramatically. “Usually, you gotta be double dead. Or so I’ve heard. Rumors, hah! They really do have underlying truth to them.”

Husk raises his brow. “What? You’ve heard of this before! And you didn’t say anything?”

Alastor shrugged. “Didn’t want to.”

Angel growled, “You slimy son-of-a-”

“Uh, uh, uh! If you’re going to be hoping to join those feathery elites, you gotta stop using those naughty words!” Alastor snakily drawls out. Angel rolls his eyes, scoffing loudly.

“Why can’t I join him?” Husk argues.

“Well, because of our deal. You must always stay here and take care of the damned here in this hotel. Forever.”

Husk curses under his breath.

Angel gives him a death glare. “You really do lie with that sneaky, falsely honest mouth. Manipulate and steal. You truly are a monster.”

“Now, now, lets be happy. Happy that Angel is free to leave you behind, Husker.”

Angel runs over to punch Alastor; Husk notices and immediately stops him as he sees a dangerous red and black aura surrounding his former boss.

“Hey! Whats the big idea?! I’m gonna clobber him.”

“Not a good way to die… again,” Husk whispers as he gently holds onto Angel from behind.

Angel nods, breathing in a stressful manner, huffing a bit.

They leave Alastor as he grins, waving goodbye in a mocking way.

“So…” Husk starts to say as they hold hands, walking to Angel’s room.

“Yeah?” Angel eyes him softly.

“You’re gonna get your wings?” Husk looks down, feeling a wave of grief wash over him. Being so lonely for so long, it was easy to pretend love didn’t exist. But, now that he found it again, well, truly for the first time with Angel… it hurt so bad. He knew now why he refused affection for so long.

It was the fear of loss that truly stopped him this long.

Angel smooths out his hair, sighing, “I guess.” He gives Husk such a pleading, sad look it wells up in his stomach, twisting it and churning it like crazy.

“I gotta find a way to get you out of that dumb deal with Alastor. That way, you could join me!” Angel brightens as they went into his room and shut the door. “Or, I could just do a fuck-ton of bad things and then…” Angel laughs manically, “Heaven will have to reject me!”

Husk shakes his head deeply, making Angel give him a disappointed look. They both lay down and get closer.

“I can’t imagine my life without you now that you stepped into it,” Husk kisses the crook of Angel’s neck, moving up to kiss his face.

Angel sighs happily. “I gotta feel you, baby.”

Husk blushes, “Ya mean, make love?”

“Yeah. Not fucking. Not sex. Love,” Angel swoons, kissing him deeply on the lips.

Husk nods as Angel wraps his legs around Husk’s hips and back.

“Baby? But…” Husk hesitates.

Angel blinks. “Whats wrong, stud?”

Husk laughs. “I ain’t no stud.”

“Sure feels like it to me.”

“I need to let you know something about me.”

Angel nods slowly, hearing the serious tone in Husk’s voice.

“What is it? You can tell me.”

Husk sighs. “I always had an idea of what we would do…” Husk says lowly and Angel looks surprised.

“I didn’t think you actually liked me that way for a long time.”

Husk blinks in a small bit of shock, “Really?”

“I knew I was pushing you away. I did it cause I really liked you. You saw through that. You gave me a reason to be myself again.”

Husk smiles warmly. “Same here. I was a grouchy asshole.”

Angel laughs. “Yes, you were!”

Husk growls. “Jerk!”

Angel cuddles cheek to cheek with him, their faces smushed together. “You are my jerk!”

Husk nods as they both chuckle.

“So, what do you think? What did you picture us doing?” Angel asks, his curious nature burning.

“I want… You to do me…” Husk says so quietly that Angel almost can’t hear him.

Angel nods in understanding, making it out mostly.

“Yeah baby, I can and will.”

Husk feels a lump in his throat get more painful as he swallows it slowly.

“Yeah? That good?” Husk asks, suddenly feeling all his wound-up feelings explode and melt deep down in his groin.

Angel nods. “Yes. You’re a good boy. You’re my good boy.”

Husk grins, “I can be a bad boy.”

Angel admonishes, “No. You gotta be good. Or no treats.”

Husk nods solemnly, feeling a hot blush over his neck and face. Angel leans in to softly kiss Husk. Their breath hitches as they move against each other, their hardening erections getting more painful to bear.

“Damnit all, I am so fucking in love with you,” Husk says as they continue to kiss.

Angel grips Husk by the arms and pins them on the bed. “I am insanely in love with you.”

Husk spreads his legs and whimpers as Angel uses deft fingers to tease him.

“I haven’t been the top in forever. I hope I don’t hurt you,” Angel says gently.

Husk shakes his head. “Nah. You’ll be fine.”

“You sure this is ok?” Angel asks.

“I’ve never been surer in my li-mphhh!!!” Husk starts to say but moans in a surprised way as Angel’s hand slides down his pants, stroking his balls and cock, rubbing circles around the head and squeezing his balls.

“Yeah? You like it?” Angel whispers against a moaning Husk.

“Mmmm, ye-yeah.”

“I like that hard, big cock, so needy…” Angel takes off Husk’s pants and slaps his dick and then licks it up and down.

“Oh, holy fuck, Angel!” Husk cries out.

Husk can’t believe how good this feels and the foreplay has barely begun.

Angel put Husk’s hand on the seam of his pants, “You feel me, baby? You ready to take all this?”

Husk moans into his mouth a yes.

“I will always take care of you,” Angel says but it doesn’t match the greedy, sensual tone from before. It feels like an affirmation, a love declaration.

Husk looks at him as they stay quiet for a moment. The silence is so deep it feels like a sinking chasm that has the most vibrant colors, soaking them up into the atmosphere with a newly forged star.

“Make love to me, Anthony,” Husk whispers.

Angel blinks as the silence is cut off, as he kisses Husk’s neck, moving lower to prepare him.

He moves over to grab lube and slathers it on his fingers, gently teasing Husk in a circular motion.

Husk is a breathy, fast moaning mess. This was better than any fantasy he conjured.

This and all of what made Angel who he was, was the reason he was still here. His anger, ego, humor, the way he laughed, the way he cried… everything about him was his reason. They continued to haphazardly run through the foreplay at an agonizing speed. It creates a window of suffering in-between the moans and whimpers and cries. Angel is careful, too careful. Its sweet, Husk thinks, but too slow.

Uncomfortable at first, hitting a stride by two fingers but maxing out at three, Husk can not contain his sexual frustration any longer.

“Stuff me, Angel,” Husk whimpers out, embarrassed by how blatant he is with his dirty talk.

Angel is surprised too but enjoys it all the same.

Angel lays back and helps Husk sit on top of him, slowly until the latter slams down on him, making Angel yelp in pleasure.

“You need to fuck more, Anthony, a man’s gotta have intercourse too sometimes,” Husk grunts as he pivots his body at an angle as they look deeply into each other’s eyes.

Angel nods, for once silent. The pleasure is so full, so rich, do decadent, he can’t speak a word.

After a rough start of uneven thrusting, they get into a sweet spot and move together in a private dance of swirling, deep motions that feel like they are a part of each other.

Holding onto Husk’s hips; Angel feel euphoric, blasted with the most intense pressure and pleasure he’s ever felt. Angel hits Husk’s prostate suddenly, not once but three times in row.

“Fuck! Fu—-uck!” Husk almost screams as Angel leans forward to kiss him passionately.

“Come with me, baby,” Angel whimpers as Husk slams roughly against Angel. He strokes Husk as they come quickly and intensely, moaning into each other’s mouths as they kiss.

In a sweaty, afterglow of first-time love making, Angel has only one thing to say.

“That sex was so good I don’t even want a drink.”

Husk laughs as they cuddle naked, laying sweet nothings against each other’s ear, trying to forget their imminent separation that is coming soon. Their love is so important to them, this safety and security that lands one a halo and one a new determination in finding his own set of angelic wings. Maybe Husk had them all along.

Epilogue: Winner, Baby

The day comes, like an epiphany: deep, resounding, painful. A sorrowful ballad that Husk and Angel only hear.

The last few days were spent together. They had fun with Charlie and Vaggie with parties and dinners, gaining two new demons to rehabilitate by the last day.

It was a deeply melancholy moment as Husk started humming to the tune of, Loser, Baby, kissing Angel goodbye. It was as if a red, blistering hot branch was climbing in his heart, searing it with a brilliant, ethereal humming that felt more cathartic and beautiful and gentle than anything he ever has known.

“Bye Charlie; you’ve been an angel to me, I love you like a sister,” Angel hugs a weeping but happy Charlie.

“You are my brother!” Charlie hugs him tight. “I looove you!”

Angel chuckles, “My enthusiastic sister.” Vaggie gave him a side hug.

“Be on the lookout for the high Seraphim. Watch your six, dude,” Vaggie offers as that is the best advice she can give him as an ex-exorcist Angel from Heaven.

“Thanks, chicka.” He snaps his finger, winking at her as she scowls.

He felt like a dying star, so much gravity and force and pressure. As if the process would turn him into a galaxy or gold.

But, before he left, Husk sang out that he was a, “Winner, Baby…” and it made him sob as they embraced again for the last time.

“Please don’t go…” Husk cries.

Alastor is far away from the farewell party, as he and Angel already had their last discourse.

One last deal had been made.

“So, you’ll put in a good word for me with a high-ranking pair of wings and what do you want in return?” Alastor slyly whispered.

“I want you to break Husk free from his hotel prison,” Angel, hand on hips, demands with passion.

Alastor shakes his head. “Too easy. I can’t just allow him to be free from his responsibilities.”

“Fine,” Angel gulps. “Then set a limit. After fifty souls have been redeemed, Husk is free to go or stay if he chooses. To go up with me or stay down.”

“One-thousand,” Alastor offers dryly.

Angel gives him a disconcerting and unsettling look. “No. That’s not fair. Give me a friend discount.”

“Fair is fair. Sometimes fair is slightly below unfair, Angel, my dear boy. It’s so utterly charming you consider us friends.” He rests on his cane. “What’s a number that’s below and above at the same time?”

“One hundred.”

Alastor growls. “Hmm.Fine. All must be completely redeemed to heaven. No tricks.

Angel thinks a moment. He suddenly nods sharply and shakes Alastor’s hand.

Then in a plume of red smoke, he’s gone, and Angel leaves the area to say goodbye to everyone else.

Nifty gives him a strong hug that feels way to constricting for someone her size.

“See ya around pipsqueak!” Angel says goodbye to her, as she squeezes him tight. Too tight, around his neck and he coughs from the pressure as she grins manically.

“I need you, Anthony,” Husk cries, holding Nuggets, as Angel starts to ascend to a glowing, white light.

“I don’t wanna go either. Baby, be strong. I’ll see you sooner than you think.”

Husk gives him an incredulous look. “What are you talking about?” he starts to flap his own wings to catch up with Angel.

“Alastor is gonna let you be free after you help a hundred people get to the up and up.”

Husk gasps.

“I told you I would always take care of you,” Angel smiles.

Husk wipes a stray tear from Angel’s face. Angel kisses Nuggets on the cheek.

“I’ll take good care of Nuggets, baby,” Husk whispers as Angel wipes more tears, nodding at his affirmation.

“I know you will. You’re the best, Husky. I love you both.” Husk and Angel touch cheeks as they lightly kiss on the lips.

“I knew you were always my reason why. Since I first met you.”

Angel shrugs. “Reason for what?”

“For everything. You’re my experience, my lows, highs, you’re everything to me.”

They kiss again, not for the last time, as Angel climbs higher than he ever thought he could reach.

The end.