The Best Thing (Hazbin Hotel-Huskerdust)

[coolbeans18]

Ch.13 Happy Holidays (Pt.3)

 

The truth was, Angel had never been a fan of the holidays. Growing up in his Catholic family's household, Christmas had been a reminder that he was likely going to burn in hell for his sins, something his father liked to remind him of regularly. Down here, Christmas meant peppermint and ginger and lots of food he couldn’t eat, plus regularly getting fucked by various versions of Santa Claus. He was almost always sick too; on earth and in hell, his shit immune system was a constant in his life. Maybe that’s why getting sick this year had upset him so much; this year was supposed to be different ; yet here he was, waking up on Christmas Eve, sneezy and sniffling. 

He manages to keep them stifled so as not to wake Husk. His boyfriend is still sound asleep, his wings curled around him, his usual sour expression now soft and serene. Angel drinks in the sight of him, simply watching him sleep for several minutes, and he feels silly, for panicking so much last night. It didn’t matter if he was sick or not; this year was different because he was with Husk. Every goddamn day was different with Husk.

The other man starts to stir, and Angel is treated to the sight of his boyfriend slowly waking, his neck and wings stretching a little as he lets out the most adorable yawn, blinking blearily. Angel decides he doesn’t need any other gifts this year; watching Husk wake up was treat enough. 

At the sight of Angel, Husk smiles sleepily, and Angel has to pinch himself to keep from jumping the other man’s bones right then and there. 

“Were you just watching me sleep?” Husk asks, eyebrows raised. Angel nods. Husk scoffs.

“That’s some stalker shit.” 

Angel grins. 

“I know. What can I say, I’m kinda crazy about ya’.” 

Husk blushes, something Angel takes great pride in, and sits up, stretching his arms over his head. 

“How’re you feeling?” his boyfriend asks. Angel knew it would be one of the first things out of his mouth. 

“M’ okay,” he answers honestly. “Don’ feel any worse .”

Husk sighs a little, absentmindedly bringing a hand to Angel’s forehead. 

“That’s something at least,” he murmurs, reaching for the thermometer. Angel had gone to bed with a fever of 99, and he was praying it had stayed there during the night. 

Husk takes his temperature and squints to read it without his glasses. Angel smirks a little, earning him the bird. 

“99 even,” Husk says. “Not any higher, thank god.”

“I really do feel okay,” Angel insists. His voice is a little hoarse and stuffy but otherwise he sounds relatively normal. “Just a stupid cold. Do you think—could I go down for breakfast with everyone, like we planned? I don’t even have to eat, I can wear a mask so I don’t get anyone sick…”

Husk smiles at him. “Yeah, of course. I don’t think anyone’s gonna be too worried about that baby, but if it makes you feel better we can just sit at the far end of the table.”

Angel smiles a little and nods. 

“I…yeah, that sounds good. I w-wanna…w-want…f hh uck, h-hold—ehhtchu! heh …ehhshuh! kkshhuu! sniff . Ugh, s’cuse’ mbe.”

Husk hands him the box of tissues, smiling a little. 

“Let’s get some more medicine in you, okay? Then we can go downstairs and eat with everyone.” 

Angel nods, blowing his nose a little and wiping his eyes. This fucking sucked. But he wasn’t bedridden, and that was something. 

He takes medicine and opts to stay in his pajamas for breakfast, though Husk makes him put a sweater on, insisting that he needs to keep warm, which Angel finds adorable. They make their way down to the kitchen and are met with a fucking feast. Charlie had informed them that growing up, her family always did a big Christmas Eve breakfast, since on Christmas morning, everyone was too busy opening presents to cook. It smells amazing, and Charlie greets them with a warm smile and the purest excited expression. 

“Good morning guys!”

She bounces over to give Angel a hug but he puts up his hands and takes a small step back, offering an apologetic smile.

“Don’t ahh, don’t get too close Cha Cha. I’m…a little under the weather.”

Charlie’s face falls a little.

“Oh, oh no. How bad is it? Do you need anything?”

Angel shakes his head, smiling. 

“Nah. Just a stupid cold. But I don’t…wanna get anyone else sick so I’ll keep my distance.”

Charlie waves him off, rolling her eyes a little. 

“No one cares about that,” she says, making her way back to her pancakes on the stove, flipping them one by one. “But fine, I won’t hug you…for now.”

That makes Angel chuckle a little, but he’s distracted once more as both Nifty and Cherri try to greet him. Husk huffs, flicking his wing open as a makeshift barrier between Angel and the rest of the room. 

“Everyone back off, he’s sick,” his boyfriend snaps, and Angel smiles a little, gently lowering Husk’s wing with one hand.

Cherri, for her part, looks unphased, rolling her eyes a little before returning to her spot at the table. 

“Shocker,” she teases, earning her a scowl from Angel and a sharp look from Husk. 

“What’dya mean?” His boyfriend demands of his best friend, who's stuffing her face with waffles. 

“He’s like, always sick for the holidays,” Cherri affirms, voice muffled around a mouthful of whipped cream. 

“Not always ,” Angel interjects, flushing a little. Cherri raises her eyebrows, looking mildly amused.

“Whatever you say,” she snarks, her tone implying that she means the opposite. Angel glares at her, his cheeks a little red. Husk raises an eyebrow at him. 

“I didn’t know that,” his boyfriend murmurs softly, looking a little worried. Angel rolls his eyes. 

“She’s just being dramatic. I guess it…does happen a lot, in the winter. Just…more germs around. But it’s not usually anythin’ too bad. Jus’ lots of colds.”

Husk looks concerned, but doesn’t say anything, just gives his hand a little squeeze. 

“Go sit, get off your feet,” His boyfriend says, nudging him fondly. “I’ll bring you food. 

“A LOT of food?” Angel asks pointedly, making Husk laugh. 

“Yeah, yeah, a LOT of food. Go, before Alastor steals the seat at the far end.”

Angel does as he’s told, planting himself a ways away from the rest of the group. As if sensing someone is in his seat, the Radio Demon materializes in front of him, making Angel jolt a little, scowling. 

“Kindly relocate yourself,” Alastor says, narrowing his eyes. Angel glares at him. 

“No. Husk and I are sitting down here today. I’m sick. Tryna’ not spread germs.”

Alastor’s brow furrows, in what Angel assumes is his version of a frown. 

“Perhaps you shouldn’t be mingling amongst us at all ,” the overlord hisses.

“Al, leave him alone,” Husk interjects, elbowing his boss out of the way with a pointed glare, coming to sit beside Angel with two heaping plates of food. “Side’s, the longer you stand near him the more likely you are to get infected.”

At this, the air around Alastor crackles, and he hisses a little. Husk just smirks at him. Begrudgingly, Alastor stomps off, looking a bit like a toddler. 

“You shouldn’t antagonize him,” Angel chastizes his boyfriend, though he’s snickering a little. Husk just rolls his eyes, setting their food down. 

“He’ll get over it. It’s Christmas. He lashes out now and Charlie’ll have his fucking head for ruining the holidays.”

Angel watches Alastor warily; the other man collects his food and then retreats upstairs with a cackle of static, his shadow trailing after him. 

“Still,” he mumbles a bit nervously. “He doesn’t strike as the ‘forgive an’ forget’ type. Don’ go pissin’ him off on my account.”

Husk, the saint, presses a small kiss to his temple. 

“Quit worryin’ about it okay? Relax. Eat your food fore’ it gets cold.”

Angel chews his cheek, but relents, eagerly digging in. Fuck, Charlie knew her breakfast foods. Everything was delicious, and he and Husk sit in silence for a bit, each shoveling food into their mouths. Eventually, everyone sits down, and they chatter lightly. The energy in the room is warm and rich, like chocolate or butter or bourbon. Angel clinks his mimosa against Husk’s mug of whiskey and hot cocoa, smiling. 

“Cheers,” he says, grinning. “Merry Christmas Eve.”

After breakfast, everyone pitches in to clear the table, save for Angel, who Husk insists stay off his feet. Angel rolls his eyes but doesn’t push it. He doesn’t want his boyfriend forcing him back upstairs by himself. 

Everyone starts setting up for the gingerbread house competition when Angel feels his nose start to tickle. He curses under his breath, tilting to duck his head into his shoulder to stifle two shuddering “issh! chx!” 

Husk is at his side instantly, like a fucking magnet.

“I’mb fide,” Angel says instantly, and Husk clicks his tongue, grimacing. 

“Very convincing. Are you sure you want to do this? Maybe being around ginger isn’t a great idea while you’re in this state. You’re already…pretty sensitive.”

Angel smirks at the way his boyfriend blushes as he says this. 

“Are you enjoying the show?” He jokes, raising his eyebrows playfully. Husk growls at him.

“Fuck off. I’m worried about you okay? Sue me.”

Angel smiles. 

“I feel okay. I’d like ta’ do this. Though I uh…I wanna wear a mask, and sit a ways away from the others. Don’ wanna get my germs everywhere.”

Husk looks at him warily. Seeing Angel is not going to change his mind, he sighs. 

“Alright. But you’re definitely wearing a mask, and NOT because I’m worried about germs. No touching it without your gloves on either, okay? Did you take a Zyrtec before we came down here?”

“Oh my god, YES, Husk,” Angel laughs, rolling his eyes a little. “I’ll be fine. Ginger isn’t that bad. If the smell gets too much, I’ll quit, I promise. But you’re gonna finish my house fa’ me if I gotta tap out. I’m in this to win it.” 

Husk raises his eyebrows, smiling a little.

“Might need to check the rules with Charlie on that one.”

Angel waves him off. 

“S’ fine, she can’t say no. I’ll tell her I need accommodations . She can’t argue with me.”

Husk snorts, and hands Angel an extra handkerchief. 

“Blow and then wash your hands. I’ll set up our stuff at the end of the table okay?”

“You uh…you don’ hafta’ sit next to me, if you don’t want to,” Angel says sheepishly. “I’m gonna be um. Sneezing a lot. I don’t wanna get you sick.”

Husk just rolls his eyes. 

“Quit being stupid. We’re on vacation together. I’m gonna spend as much time with you as I can, germs or no.”

Angel sighs. He knew that was a long shot.

“Alright,” he condeeds warily. “But go get me a mask. Or two. An’ no kissing or hugging or unnecessary sappy shit.”

 Husk, the fucking bastard, grins, and before Angel can protest, his boyfriend leans in and kisses him on the lips. 

“Husk!” Angel exclaims, batting him away and scowling while his boyfriend laughs. “You fucking moron. The fuck is wrong with you?!”

“I don’ want you quarantining yourself from me for the next five days,” his boyfriend says pointedly. “We never get time off together and I’m gonna spend it glued to your fuckin’ side if I well please. An’ there’s no point in you tryna’ keep your distance now because we’ve already kissed, so. If I get sick I get sick.”

Angel stares at his boyfriend in disbelief. He’s torn between utter annoyance and utter adoration.

“You’re fucking impossible,” he finally hisses, putting his head in his hand. Husk just laughs, wrapping his arms around Angel from behind and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. 

“I know. Be right back.”

Angel huffs a little laugh in disbelief, shaking his head. In his chest, his heart is doing little somersaults.  

Husk brings him a mask and they join the others at the table, a little ways apart. Angel can already smell the fucking ginger but it’s not too bad with the mask on…

Charlie sets a timer for two hours and outlines the rules. Everything on the table is game, and they can get creative and use other stuff if they want, as long as it’s edible. At the end they’ll all vote for their favorite and you can’t vote for your own. There’s no magic allowed, thank goodness—a gingerbread war between Lucifer and Alastor would get out of hand fast. The winner gets a 100$ gift card to the restaurant of their choice. 

Angel eyes his competition. Charlie, the planner, with her fucking blueprints. Cherri, who seems way more invested now that there’s money involved. Vaggie and Husk both just look happy to be there, but Angel doesn’t foresee much competition from either. Nifty is already laying out several cockroach corpses she’s brought as decoration, and Alastor is eyeing the candy on the table with a calculating gaze, as if weighing his options. Lucifer is smiling at his daughter fondly, just looking happy that she’s happy.

Angel doesn’t really expect to win, given that he feels like shit and is allergic to the stuff, but he’s determined to be better than his boyfriend and Vaggie, who he’s half convinced won’t even try. 

Charlie does a very anti-climactic countdown and they begin. 

Angel surprises himself with how well he does for the first half hour. The ginger is…difficult, to say the least, but not as bad as he anticipated. His eyes and nose are a little watery and his skin itches a bit, but other than that, the mask and gloves seem to be helping a great deal. However, he’s about 30 minutes in when the sneezing starts. It’s quiet at first, and Angel can stifle most of them into near complete silence, but as the hour wears on, they start to get harder and harder to suppress. He catches his boyfriend eyeing him warily after a particularly harsh fit, and shoots him a glare.

“Fuck off, I’m fine,” he bites, turning his attention back to his gingerbread house. It’s definitely looking better than Husk’s, who can’t seem to get any of the walls to stay together. Angel snorts as the roof of his boyfriend's house slides off for the third time, and Husk looks about three seconds away from throwing the damn thing across the room.  

“It’s icing Husk, not glue,” Angel says, smirking. “You have to hold it in place and let it harden—“

“I’ll fucking hold you in place and let you harden,” Husk snaps, throwing his arms up in exshasperation and scowling. Angel laughs. 

“Hey that wasn’t half bad. I’m rubbing off on ya’.”

“This is a stupid activity,” his boyfriend growls. 

“What’s wrong Husk?” Charlie calls, looking worried as she sees the look of rage on the other man’s face. Angel cackles. 

“Nothin Cha Cha, he’s jus’ bein’ a baby because he sucks at this.”

Cherri smirks. 

“Angel your boyfriend is an even sorer loser than you.”

“Yeah, but he’s my sore loser,” Angel jokes, leaning in to give Husk a kiss on the cheek only to be met with a large hand to his face. 

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me, with your smug little look an’ your stupid perfect house.”

“Husk, maybe your gingerbread house just got caught in a tornado,” Vaggie chimes in, and she, Angel and Cherri crack up as Husk flips them all off individually. 

As Charlie stops Lucifer and Alastor from getting into a fistfight over the red sprinkles, Angel takes the opportunity to turn away and let out a few tiny—

“chx. mm-ch! mm-chu!”

Whoops. That last one got away from him a bit. He sniffles a little and opts to take a quick bathroom break…the scent combined with his cold is starting to get a little overwhelming, but he’s nearly done. He tries to slip away quietly but Husk, naturally, notices, and shoots him a worried glance.

“Bathroom break,” Angel says softly, giving his boyfriend’s hand a squeeze. “Be right back.”

Husk watches him go warily, looking like he wants to follow, but he stays put. Angel barley makes it to the lobby bathroom and takes off his mask before—

“ ehh… ehhtchu! mmchu! kshshuh! ahh…ahhh …AH-tchu! Heh-tchu! Hah-tchuu!”

He’s panting as the fit subsides. Fuck that felt good. He’d been needing to sneeze freely for over an hour. He sniffles and coughs a little, peeling his gloves off and washing his hands, splashing some cold water on his face. He lets out a little sigh of relief, the itchy, prickling sensation finally evading a bit. Fucking hell, ginger didn’t usually make him full-on sneeze; it just left him kind of sniffly. But apparently, having his face shoved in a shit ton of it for an hour caused a harsher reaction. 

He blows his nose and cleans himself up a little, grabbing a new mask and slipping his gloves back on. He didn’t want to be gone too long or Husk would worry. 

He hurries back into the kitchen and slides into his seat at the far end of the table. The itchy feeling behind his eyes immediately returns, but he tries to ignore it. Husk leans towards him a little, nudging his leg. 

“Okay?” His boyfriend asks softly, and Angel smiles. 

“Yeah. Now shut up, lemme focus.” 

His answer seems to satisfy Husk, who looks miffed, but is convinced that he is in fact alright if he’s making wisecracks.  Angel puts the finishing touches on his house just as Charlie calls time.

Angel is pretty proud of his work. He takes several photos of it for Instagram and makes Husk take one of him and Cherri with their houses. Cherri has actually adorned hers with little cherries, which Angel finds utterly adorable and teases her about mercilessly. 

“Cherri!” Charlie squeals. “That’s AMAZING! Cherry’s, like your name! Oh my GOD! I'm voting for yours.”

“All of you are making me physically nauseated and I regret participating in this,” Cherri scowls, though Angel can see the smile behind her eyes. 

“Oh Cha Cha, you’ll love this then, mine's got PCP on it!” Angel says innocently, making Husk choke on the gingerbread he’s eating. Charlie turns bright red, sputtering as Angel and Cherri crack up. 

“Angel, fuck off, you’re gonna give her a heart attack,” Vaggie cuts in. 

“What?” Angel says, still laughing. “Angel Dust, like my name! AND it’s edible. I’m not seeing any rules being broken.”

“He’s KIDDING Charlie,” Husk cuts in before the poor girl can hyperventilate. He shoots Angel a look. “You can’t say shit like that to her, you know she’ll believe anything.” 

“I knew he was joking,” Charlie defends weakly, though it’s not very convincing.

“Sure you did babe,” Vaggie says, trying not to laugh. “Alright come on, let’s vote. Everyone write someone’s name down and put it in the Santa hat. 

Angel cozies up next to his boyfriend. 

“I’ll vote for yours if you vote for miinnee.”

Husk snorts.

“Yeah right. In no universe are you voting for mine.”

“Okay you got me there. Your house looks like a toddler ate it and threw it back up.”

Husk laughs at that, flicking Angel on the arm. 

They total the votes and in the end, Cherri is declared the winner. 

“Oh fuck yes!” She cheers as Lucifer and Alastor start demanding a recount, arguing loudly. 

“Oh my GOD,” Charlie snaps at them both. “You BOTH lost. Can you PLEASE let it go now and stop being so fucking obnoxious?” 

Charlie yelling shuts both men up fairly quickly; she does it so rarely but when she does, Angel has to admit, its pretty fucking scary. Cherri leans over to Vaggie. 

“Your girlfriend’s hot when she’s angry.”

Vaggie smirks. 

“I know.” 

Angel opens his mouth to protest—he’s said the exact same thing to Vaggie before and it earned him a punch on the arm—but he’s cut off by a sudden harsh sneezing fit, forcing him to turn away from everyone. 

“hep-tshuu! ahtchu! hahh…hahtchu! ehh-shoo! ishhuh!” 

His face is burning with embarrassment but he can’t stop. The fit keeps going, save for a few stifled coughs in between. 

“Okay,” he vaugly hears Husk say, grabbing his shoulders and steering him out of the room. “I think you’re done. We’ll be back down in a bit guys.”

“Feel better Angel!” Charlie calls after them, and Angel gives a meek wave of thanks over his shoulder. Once he’s out of the kitchen, the fit lets up a little, and Husk pauses for a moment, waiting for him to catch his breath. 

ehh…ehhtchu! chu! ahh…ahhh…ahtchu! hahh…hahtchu! ehh-shoo! snniff. Oh mby god,” he croaks, coughing. 

“Take it easy,” Husk says softly, rubbing his back. “Fuck kid, where we’re you storing those?”

Angel laughs a little, his cheeks turning red. 

“I dodn’t kdnow. I’mb happy I made it through the whole thing though.”

Husk smiles softly. 

“Me too. But let’s go shower now okay? Get the ginger off. You’ll feel a lot better.”

Angel nods, starting to scrub at his eyes, but Husk gently grabs his wrist to stop him.”

“Uh-uh. Your gloves are covered in it. Here.”

Husk gently helps him pull his gloves off, a gesture that Angel finds so sweet he thinks it might give him a cavity. 

He lets his boyfriend lead him upstairs to his room and start the shower while Angel undresses, letting out a few stray sneezes here and there. 

“Fuck, that was embarassing,” he mumbles miserably, stepping inside and sniffling a little. Husk gives him a sympathetic smile. 

“Nah. No one cares. Cept’ maybe Alastor. And you pissing off my boss just makes the whole thing hotter.”

Angel barks out a laugh, shaking his head a little.

“I’m gonna leave some more medicine on the counter here for when you get out,” Husk calls. “You want me to wait up here or go downstairs and grab you some hot cocoa and save you a seat? I think they’re about to watch a movie.”

“Cocoa,” Angel calls. His sinuses are already opening up a little and the itchy feeling is leaving his skin. He gives a little sigh of relief.

“Alright. Love you,” his boyfriend calls. Angel still gets little butterflies every time he says that. 

“Love ya’ Whiskers,” he calls back, grinning. 

Angel finishes his shower and changes into a fresh set of pajamas. He considers putting real clothes on but…it’s Christmas. And he has a cold. 

Nuggs is asleep on the bed and Angel flops down beside him, cuddling him for a moment.

“You wanna come watch a Christmas movie Nuggsy?” He says softly, giggling a little as his pig nuzzles his cheek, snorting happily. His pet is nice and warm, and he finds his eyelids drooping just a little. Just…5 minutes , he thinks, and he lets his eyelids slip closed…

***

Angel wakes up sneezing. It’s an annoying, buzzing, fluttering feeling that rouses him from his slumber, and he ducks into his wrist—

“ihtchu! chu! heh…hehpshu! ihhshu! Ah, fucgk,” he coughs, shaking his head a little. He worries he’s woken Nuggs but when he opens his eyes, blinking, he finds his pet pig is no longer there. He also discovers that he’s wrapped in a blanket, and a pillow has been slipped under his head. He stretches a little, and reaches for his phone, realizing that is nearly 8 fucking PM. He has a text from Husk. 

U fell asleep 😴 nuggs w/me and cherri in my room. ice skating @8:30 on the roof if u wanna join:) 

Angel smiles. He rubs his eyes and gets up, making his way to Husk’s room. Underneath the door, he can hear Cherri laughing loudly as the two of them chatter. He knocks twice before slipping inside, and he’s met with the most wholesome sight.

Fat Nuggets is in the center of Husk’s bed, wearing a big Christmas bow on his head. 

“Hold him still,” Cherri is saying, holding up her phone. “I wanna put the Santa beard filter on him.” Husk is holding up one of Nugg’s treats, trying to get him to pay attention. 

“Nuggs, fucking—look at the camera,” his boyfriend chuckles, snapping his fingers. Angel leans against the doorframe, his chest growing warm, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

“Ya’ know, you should really ask a child’s parent before you do a photo shoot with them.”

Cherri and Husk look up, both smiling at him. 

“Hey, he lives!” His best friend exclaims, grinning. “How’re you feeling? We thought you mighta’ passed away in there, you slept for 8 fucking hours!”

Angel flushes a little. 

“I feel fine. Can’t believe you stole my pig while I slept.”

“We didn’t steal him,” Husk argues, scooping Nuggs up and rubbing noses with him in a gesture that makes Angel’s bones fucking sing. “He woke up and got bored of you, so he came an’ found us. You’re just in time, we were about to head up to the roof. You still wanna skate?” 

“Fuck yeah,” Angel says, grinning. “I can’t wait to watch you both trip and fall every 5 seconds.”

“Fuck you,” Husk says, setting Nuggs down and starting to put on his jacket and boots. “Like you’re any better.”

“Ehhhh, might wanna take that one back,” Cherri says to Husk, rolling her eyes a little. “This dickwad is unfortunately stupid good at skating.”

Husk raises his eyebrows, looking at Angel in surprise. 

“Really?”

“Mhm,” Angel hums smuggly. “I grew up in Brooklyn, we went skating at Prospect Park like, every weekend.”

Husk tilts his head a little and smiles. 

“Oh yeah? Am I in for a treat then? Gonna do some twirls and shit for me?” 

Angel wrinkles his nose. 

“I ain’t a fuckin’ figure skater. Though that woulda’ been sick as fuck. Think my pops woulda’ found that even gayer than me fucking men.”

Cherri snorts at that, ruffling Angel’s hair before he can bat her hand away. 

“I played hockey,” he clarifies for Husk, who stares at him, a bit dumbfounded. 

“You played—but you were so tiny!”

Angel laughs. 

“I didn’t say I was good . Ma’ brother an’ all our friends played, I wasn’t gonna’ sit out. Broke my nose a bunch though.”

“Alright, alright, we gonna go do this or what?” Cherri asks, hauling them both along. “Angel, go put on some real clothes and hurry the fuck up.”

“You go ahead Cher,” Husk says, taking Angel’s elbow and leading him into his room. “We’ll meet you up there when he’s ready.” 

“I can dress myself,” Angel says sourly, and Husk laughs. 

“Uh-huh, sure. If you had you’re way you’d go out there in a fuckin’ crop top and fishnets.”

“Fishnets look very good with ice skates,” Angel points out, earning him a glare. 

“You’re wearing long John’s and sweatpants and a sweater and a scarf and a jacket and a hat—“

“Okay! Okay, jesus,” Angel says, giggling. “I’ll dress real warm.”

Husk frowns.

“I jus’ don’ want you getting any worse. You catch cold from a fuckin’ stiff breeze…maybe this isn’t a good idea—“

“Please?” Angel cuts him off, pleading a little. “I promise I’ll dress super warm an’ I swear I’ll come inside if I start feeling shitty. I love skating Husk, please?”

Husk eyes him warily, but sighs. Angel smiles. His boyfriend can’t say no to him. 

“Fine. I’m picking your outfit though.”

“Deal,” Angel says happily. “But I’m makin’ sure everyone knows that it’s your fault I look like a bum.”

Angel gets changed, letting Husk bundle him up a bit like a snowman, laughing a little. 

“I need ta’ be able to move Husk,” he chuckles as his boyfriend huffs, adjusting his scarf for the thousandth time.

“I jus’ wanna be extra careful. You’re still pretty congested…” Husk reaches for his forehead, brushing his fingers against it as Angel rolls his eyes, smiling, batting his wrist and taking his boyfriend's hand. 

“I’m alright, Husk, really. You’re sweet, but lighten up a little. Come on, lemme teach you how to skate. I’ll hold your hands and it’ll be so fuckin’ cute an’ romantic—“

“Okay, okay,” Husk boyfriend cuts him off, chuckling. “Let’s go. But NO laughin’ at me when I’m fuckin’ terrible at it.”

“Oh I’m fa’ sure gonna laugh at you,” Angel says, grinning as they make their way up the stairs. “But I’ll make sure you don’t fall.”

His boyfriend blushes at that, and Angel can’t resist pressing a little kiss to his cheek as the exit onto the roof. 

The sight is really something. 

Lucifer has frozen the entire right side of the rooftop, the floor now entirely made of ice. Angel has no clue where Charlie got ice skates, but there’s several old pairs lined up against the left wall, where Vaggie is helping Nifty lace hers up. Cherri and Charlie are already skating, holding onto each other, laughing as they slip and slide around. 

“Angel!” Nifty calls excitedly. “Carry me over! You’ve still got shoes on.”

Angel grins. 

“Alright, com’ere,” he says, lifting the little girl up and carrying her over to the ice, setting her down. She immediately falls, but as Angel tries to help her, the little goblin just pushes herself off from the wall and slides across the ice on her belly, cackling like a maniac.

“That’s…one way to do it,” he chuckles, returning to where Husk is putting on his skates and joining him.

“Ready?” He asks, holding out a hand and helping his boyfriend to his feet.

“This is gonna be a fucking disaster,” Husk grumbles, making Angel laugh.

“Come on Whiskers. Won’t be that bad. Lemme help ya’.”

The minute they step onto the ice, Husk trips, and Angel grabs his forearms to keep him up, laughing. 

“Easy there, I gotta ya’. Get your balance.”

“This is fucking humiliating,” Husk growls, his face bright red, and Angel grins. 

“You look very cute like this. Does that help?”

“ No ,” Husk says flatly, but he’s smiling a little.

Angel holds Husk’s arms, skating backwards with ease and instructing his boyfriend, who’s getting a little better, making shaky progress around the makeshift rink. 

“Can I let go now?” Angel asks, and Husk hesitates before nodding. Slowly, Angel eases away, and his boyfriend manages to stay standing, looking proud of himself. 

“Hey, there you go!” Angel laughs, doing some circles around him. 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t patronize me, Husk says, grinning. “Now go ahead and show me how good you are. I can feelyou wanting to show off.” 

“Are you sure? I can stay with ya’—“

“Nooo,” Husk says, smiling. “No, go have fun.”

Angel grins.

“I’ll kiss ya’ every time I do a lap.”

“No you won’t,” Husk says flatly.

“Yes I will!” Angel calls over his shoulder, skating away. 

They skate for a while, Husk and Cherri entering into a game of who can push the other over the most times. Charlie and Vaggie link arms, falling over at one point and landing in a pile on top of one another, at which point Charlie leans over and her girlfriend right there on the ice. Their friends whistle, laughing, and Lucifer looks torn between being so happy he could cry, and also wanting to strangle himself.

Even all congested and achy, Angel is having a great time. However, after about an hour, he starts to shiver a little. He comes over to help Husk off the ground (again) when he’s forced to turn away into his shoulder with a quick—

“kkshhu! isshuu! snniff . S’cuse’ mbe.”

His voice comes out extremely hoarse, and he winces. Husk gazes at him sympathetically. 

“How you feelin’ kid?”

Angel sniffles a little. 

“I’mb…a little tired,” he admits quietly, shivering a bit. Husk offers him a warm smile. 

“Let’s get you to bed okay? I’ll come too, I’m beat. Sides’, Charlie is gonna make us get up at the ass crack of dawn for presents.”

Angel smiles a little. 

“Okay. Sounds good.”

They bid the others goodnight and head down to Angel’s room. Husk helps his boyfriend undress, taking off layer after layer of clothing, the scarf getting stuck on Angel’s head, making him giggle. 

Husk tugs it off and grins, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“You wanna read for a bit? Or go straight to sleep?”

“Mm, read,” Angel says, burrowing under the covers and grabbing his National Geographic magazine. Husk joins him, sliding in beside him and putting on his glasses. Angel bites his lip. His boyfriend was fucking delectable in those things. He casually tosses his magazine aside and slides in closer to the other man, wrapping his leg around Husk’s waist. Husk glances down at him. 

“Hi there,” his boyfriend chuckles, raising an eyebrow. 

“Heya hot stuff,” Angel smirks, trailing his fingers down Husk’s arm.

Husk flushes a little, rolling his eyes.

“Can I help you?”

“Mmm, depends,” Angel purrs, leaning and and starting to trail gentle kisses along Husk’s collarbone. “Whadya’ say you…give me one a’ my presents early?”

Husk laughs a little, taking Angel’s shoulders and gently pushing him back.

“Uh-uh. Not while your sick. I don’ want you t’ overdo it.”

“Fine, you can do all the work then. I ain’t picky.” 

Husk laughs, shaking his head. 

“You’re impossible.”

Angel pouts a little. 

“You’re the one bein’ all sexy. Flaunting those adorable ol’ man glasses.”

Husk snorts. 

“They’re fuckin’ glasses, not lengerie! I need em’ ta’ see .”

“Well, leave em’ on and I’ll give ya’ something ta’ look at,” Angel smirks, teasing the waistband of Husk’s pajama pants. His boyfriend shudders a little, closing his eyes momentarily as Angel leaves little butterfly kisses along his neck and jaw…

“ ehh ..ehhtchu! mm-chu!”

Fuck. Those snuck up on him. He manages to aim them over Husk’s shoulder, and he smiles at the sound his boyfriend makes as he does so.

“Like that?” He whispers, nibbling on Husk’s bottom lip as the other man’s hands find his waist and pull him in, holding him close—

Angel turns away just slightly to cough. He winced a bit, clearing his sore throat. 

“Sorry,” he murmurs, moving to capture Husk’s lips again, but his boyfriend stops him with a gentle hand on his chest. Angel glances up to find Husk smiling at him softly.

“Not tonight baby. You need rest.”

Angel sighs, coughing a little and flopping back down miserably. 

“This fucking sucks,” he whines, sniffling a little. Husk chuckles.

“I’m sorry kid. But I can’t devour ya’ knowing you feel so shitty, then I’ll feel shitty. I’ll cuddle with you though.

Angel sighs, rolling over and reaching for his magazine before worming his way into his boyfriend's side. 

“Fine. But you're wearing those glasses fa’ me another time.”

Husk laughs. 

“Sure thing kid.”

The two lay there snuggled up together, reading. 

Angel glances up, gesturing to the article he’s reading.

“Did you know there’s this shrimp that has 12 color receptors? So it can see a shit ton of colors that we can’t even conceptualize? AND, it’s claws can accelerate as fast as a .22-caliber bullet. So they can punch you with like 200 Ibs of force. How fuckin’ sick is that?”

Husk narrows his eyes doubtfully.

“Lemme see that,” his boyfriend says, leaning over and squinting at the article, his eyes growing wide.

“Holy shit. These fuckers are 400 million years old?”

Angel grins. “I know right? Even older than you.”

Husk scowls at him, growling a little, making Angel laugh. 

“I’m officially changing my Christmas list,” he states, pointing to the photo in the magazine. “I want a pet mantis shrimp.”

Husk snorts.

“I’ll let Santa know. S’ a little last minute though. Not sure if he can swing it. You’re basically askin’ for your own fuckin’ Pokémon. A little super shrimp ta’ beat up all your enemies.”

Angel giggles. 

“Okay, fair, I might be askin’ for too much. Sides’, I already got my own little Pokémon who beats up all my enemies. And he gives wicked head too.”

Husk frowns. 

“Please do not compare me to a Pokémon and ask me to suck your dick in the same sentence.”

Angel cracks up, though it ends in a harsh coughing fit that shakes his frame. 

“Fuck off,” he manages to choke out. “You’re gonna kill me.”

Husk chuckles and hands him some water, rubbing his back, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek.

“I think it’s time for sleep. You look tired.”

“A little,” Angel admits, sipping his water and giving a small yawn. “Cn’ you get the light?”

Husk nods, and slips out of bed. At his absence, Angel shivers a little. He hadn’t realized that he still had the chills until his boyfriend’s body heat abandoned him. 

When Husk comes back, Angel can’t help himself from instantly burrowing into his side, wrapping his arms around the other man tightly. 

“Jesus Angel,” Husk wheezes, chuckling. Angel loosens his grip sheepishly.

“S-sorry,” he murmurs, teeth chattering a little. “Y-you left. I was c-cold.”

At that, Husk’s wing comes around him like a blanket, almost instinctively, and he rubs Angel’s shoulders. Warmth spreads through Angel’s bones like whisky and he lets out a contented sigh of relief. 

“You don’t feel too warm,” Husk muses, sounding a little concerned. “Just chilly?”

“Mhm,” Angel mumbles sleepily. “Not…anymore though. This s’…perfect.”

He can feel Husk give a small smile. 

“M’ glad.”

Angel gently brings Husk’s wing even further around his shoulders, snuggling into it a little, which feels heavenly…and also a little ticklish. One of the feathers brushes under his already sensitive nose and before Angel can register his mistake he’s forced to duck into Husk’s shoulder with a tiny—

“heh-shu!”

His face turns bright red and he fumbles an apology, biting the inside of his cheek and squirming a little. Husk for his part, blinks at him a little, then smiles. 

“Don’ apologize, that was cute as hell.”

Angel blushes, hiding his face in Husk’s shoulder. 

“It was an accident,” he mumbles, his words muffled against Husk’s fur, who laughs. 

“Don’ be all shy. S’ alright, you couldn’t help it. Wake me if you need anything tonight alright? I wanna take good care of ya’ so you can have a great Christmas tomorrow.”

“Mm, I will,” Angel promises, lacing their fingers together. “But you can’t go leavin’ our room, or Santa won’t come.”

Husk chuckles at that, running his fingers through Angel’s hair fondly. 

“He won’t come if you don’t go to sleep either. So hush. Close your eyes.”

Angel giggles.

“Alright, alright they’re closing.”

The two lay in silence for a moment. Angel thinks about tomorrow, waking up on Christmas morning with his boyfriend and opening presents with their new makeshift family, playing games and drinking hot cocoa and having Christmas dinner together…

Angel can’t take it anymore. He kicks his feet a little under the covers like a child. “Ahhhh! I’m too excited to sleep. Fuck, I haven’t felt this giddy ova’ Christmas since I was a kid. An’ maybe not even then. I can’t wait ta’ see you open your presents.”

Husk laughs. 

“The sooner you go t’ bed the sooner we’ll be opening gifts, you idiot. Now sleep . I mean it.”

Angel grins, pressing a little kiss to Husk’s shoulder. 

“Okay. G’night Whiskers. Merry Christmas.”