Fan Fic Friday
My main achievement was to get the MRI on my back today and not clean any of the things I needed to clean. Whee.
I did get a lot of writing done.
so enjoy the stories. Since my spook_me story is long I'll post it here tomorrow. Have another long one (that is getting so ignored right now. Ah, so we don't like seeing the sex worker aspect of Angel Dust)
Title: Love Bites (But So Do I)
Summary: Just when Angel thinks he’ll finally get to finish filming his erotic horror movie, things go sideways yet again and he’s reminded why you never bathe alone.
Author Note - Spikesgirl58’s six word prompt challenge. The six words were Expression, Pace, Important, Create, Surreal & Fire Also written for Lyrical Titles for the prompt Lyric with "love" or "hate" using Love Bites (but so do I) by Halestorm, and the allbingo prompt of Never bathe especially when in the house alone.
Angel slapped two hands on the car’s broad hood and two other hands on Talbot’s shoulders. It wasn’t often he got to rail someone on camera - especially a tough guy like the gray-furred wolf man currently under him. That’s why Valentino’s current big budget horror porno Night of the Twinks was so important to Angel. How often did he get to help create a character he actually enjoyed portraying on screen? He had to pace himself, however. Lucifer help him if he came too early and the camera’s missed the money shot. No, Lucifer won’t help you. He might laugh at you or worse, give you that sad ‘you’ll never be redeemed’ look. Self-doubts actually helped him get a little control back.
“Cut!” Valentino’s angry voice snapped in the evening air.
Angel glanced around the city street, looking for whatever had pissed his boss off because it wasn’t him. He was putting in the sex act of a life time here. That’s when he spotted dozens of eyes looking out of a nearby night club’s windows: a night club that was supposed to be empty. Valentino’s ire over the unexpected audience could catch the asphalt on fire. A good baker’s dozen of spiders came out of the club, all dressed like it was 1925 and they were about to run some bathtub gin to the corner speakeasy. It would be a surreal sight if Angel didn’t know each and every one of the spider sinner demons. The mirrored expression on his brother and father’s faces was enough for Angel to wish for hell fire to just end him now.
Angel slipped out of Talbot and off the hood, his erection crumbling like a two week old cookie. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“We were about to ask you that as if it wasn’t painfully obvious,” Arackniss said, making a suggestive hand gesture, and their father grunted. Behind them Angel’s cousins and uncles all snickered.
Crossing his arms, Angel walked to the sidewalk, his junk jiggling because he was too mad to hide it away like he often did. “Obviously yes, I’m in the middle of a shoot.”
Angel flinched as Valentino put his hands on his shoulders.
“Angel, baby, do you know these people? What are they doing in an abandoned building?” Valentino pointed to the club. “Tell me you didn’t invite friends to a closed shoot!”
“Trust me, I would never invite this crew.”
“It’s not abandoned any more. It’s our new club,” Paolo, one of Angel’s cousins, said.
Valentino squinted at them, his gaze hardening behind his ruby lenses. “Is that you, Henroin?”
Vox, who had been observing the shoot, which was rather unusual in Angel’s experience, stepped closer. “Val, your vision is even worse when the sun’s fading.”
Angel glanced up at the setting sun such as it was in hell’s weird-ass sky and said, “Yeah, that’s Henroin and Arackniss. You’ve might have seen them at overlord meetings. You have a new club?”
“We’re getting it in order now,” Arackniss said, walking over to him but stopped dead, frowning. “For fuck’s sake, Tony, could you find pants or something? Everything is on display!”
Angel couldn’t argue that and with him in red leather platform boots with the words ‘kneel’ on the right and ‘here’ on the left, he stood so tall his brother was basically eye level with his cazzo. His only other clothing was the red leather bondage straps around his thighs, a matching belt he could be suspended by and the leather web over his chest with the arm tie down belted to his back for the big finale when the big bad twink was finally sated and subdued.
“Fucking people in the street now?” Henroin grumbled. “How much lower can you sink?”
“At least he got to be the one doing the railing,” Arackniss muttered and their father slapped him upside the back of his head.
“Angel, you didn’t answer my question,” Valentino said. “How do you know them?”
He nodded. “Can someone get me my robe please?” he called out before turning to Val. “I’m Henroin’s son, which is why he’s eyeing me like he could make me explode from the mere glare. Don’t worry, the verbal attack will be at any second. Arackniss is my brother.”
Valentino and Vox widened their eyes.
“You’re such a fucking moron,” Henroin growled.
“See? Told you it would be any second.” Angel glared back at his father. “Look, how is it my fault you guys are in a club that was supposed to be abandoned when we got permission for the shoot?”
“Excellent question. Maxie!” Valentino bellowed and the woman who was supposed to be in charge of checking things and getting permissions inched forward. Angel wouldn’t want to be her. “Explain how you missed a club of spiders, including their overlord, is in the middle of my shoot.”
“I swear it was empty when I contacted everyone,” she protested.
Angel and Vox both took steps away from Val and the potential splash zone Maxie might become. Ben hopped over with Angel’s red robe. He peered around Angel, studying Arackniss, his long bunny ears twitching.
“He’s a cutie.”
“Ben, do you need to borrow Val’s glasses? My brother was never cute.”
“Oh fuck you, Tony.”
“Somehow I doubt that’s happening with all of you standing here watching me,” Angel sniped back and several cousins snickered. He pulled on his robe. “Better? Happy now?”
“That I’m not staring at your ridiculous pink pubes and your lubed up cazzo hanging in our faces, yes!” Arackniss lit up a smoke, growling when Angel stole his cigarette.
“Speaking of which, Val, are we going to find a new street to shoot on?” Angel took a long drag on the cigarette. “I can’t with these people standing here watching.”
“We didn’t get the money shot,” Val reminded him, tossing Maxie over the car. She hit ground and scurried off.
“It’s never going to happen.” Angel crossed his arms but to his surprise Val didn’t look furious with his defiance.
“I’m sure you couldn’t do it in front of your dad either, Val.” Vox laughed and Valentino shrugged.
“No, I suppose not.”
“I guess there’s no need for me or Talbot then,” Wellsly slurred sidling up with a hopeful look on his face. He always was lazy, looking for an early day whenever he could get it. He stuck out his corkscrew tongue at Angel.
Angel regretted that they couldn’t finish the scene because that tongue was meant to be rimming his asshole right about now and he’d been looking forward to it. “I was thinking, Val, since we’re going to have to retool this scene anyhow, what if Wellsly isn’t enough for the climax. I mean, you want to calm the crazed twink. Maybe there should be some front action too. We could take this unexpected break and work on the scene.”
Valentino widened his eyes and pointed at Angel with his cigarette holder. “I like that. Maybe you should come up with ideas more often.”
Angel managed not to laugh. Valentino rarely accepted any alterations to his scripts unless it was dialogue since who watched porns for the talky bits?
“Maybe Ben, who’s already been subdued, and Talbot can work in tandem with the blowies while you’re on a swing. Maxie! Get us permission to work in the park,” Valentino bellowed at her. “We can suspend Angel Dust from a nice sturdy tree limb. It’ll be a pretty climax.”
Angel couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for that, judging by Valentino’s smug expression. “See, that sounds perfect.”
“What is going on?” Henroin asked, stepping closer to hear what they were talking about.
“Nothing that concerns you, Papi. We won’t finish tonight because youse are working and having youse watch me doing my job is just a complete and utter no from me. We’re going to work in the park tomorrow because I didn’t get to finish here.”
“Don’t remind us. Your pink and white ass pumping away is going to be in all our nightmares tonight,” Arackniss grumbled.
“People pay good money to see what you go for free,” he reminded his brother. “And I don’t want to talk to you guys about what you just ruined for me.”
“I’m sure whatever it was will embarrass the family further. Sei un coglione,” Henroin said. “Puttana.”
“Yeah, I am and you’ve ruined the evening so why don’t you all go back inside or something. We’ll have to go clean up. Anything else I need to do tonight, Val?” Just because his idiot family was still staring at him, Angel kissed Valentino’s cheek before nipping his collar bone hard.
Valentino caressed Angel’s ass. “You are frisky tonight, amorcito but no, we’re done. You did a good job but you look tense. Here take off your edge. Share if you want.” He spread several lines on the hood of the car.
“Go ahead. All you’ve ever been is a useless coke fiend,” his father said and Arackniss tried to hush him only to get shoved hard.
Angel could say so much to that accusation. He had started down this path just because of his father and how he treated him. Why not continue walking his path? Angel pulled the pipe from his robe and he snorted up as many of the lines as he dared. He slammed his fists down into the hood as the coke burned into his system.
“Tony…come on now.” Arackniss pulled him away from the hood before he could snort some more.
Angel shoved him as hard as their father had. “Don’t.”
“Just trying to understand why you’re so upset. This is nothing you can’t do tomorrow,” Arackniss said.
“He’s too dumb to know why he’s mad. Leave him,” Henroin called.
“ Mi hai proprio rotto i coglioni!” Angel shouted back. “You want to know? It’s not something you tell family but if you keep calling me dumb I’ll decide I’m too dumb not to know I should keep my mouth shut.”
Henroin waved him off. “Go back to being a whore.”
He wanted to scream the truth of why his temper was flaring, that it was because he was so badly treated by his father but he didn’t want to get in a massive physical brawl that would leave him too bruised to work tomorrow which would only set off Valentino. Angel decided to go with the most embarrassing thing he could say in his father’s eyes.
“And that’s why I’m upset. I didn’t get to cum and then Wellsly was going to eat my ass like it was Christmas dinner. I was looking forward to it but you’re right. I shouldn’t be angry that you interrupted my work because tomorrow Wellsly will get to go to town while Ben and Talbot suck me off so maybe I shouldn’t be angry. Maybe you did me a favor,” Angel snarled, wiping the coke off his lips.
Arackniss and Henroin’s eyes popped.
“You’re right, Tony. That is something you don’t tell family.”
“Stupid puttana. Get out of my sight,” Henroin growled.
“As soon as Val says we’re all going.”
“We’re all going. And Angelcakes, I didn’t remember to tell you but Vox and I had a club opening to go to…alone. I’m sure you understand.” Valentino stroked his shoulders.
“But…you drove me here.”
“Yes, do be sure you have your clothes and your phone out of the limo before we leave.”
“They’re out but…how am I getting home?” Angel asked plaintively.
“Call your friends from the hotel.” Valentino waved him off.
“But they’re all out for the day. Husk was driving Charlie and Vaggie over to Lucifer’s and I know you don’t want me to call Alastor over here.”
“Don’t you dare.” Vox held up a warning hand.
“Don’t make a fuss, baby.” Valentino pulled him close, licking Angel’s lips leaving behind a trail of red that made Angel’s head swim. He put a bag in Angel’s hands. “Here, have a treat. You wouldn’t have liked the club anyhow.”
That was a lie but Angel couldn’t complain about the baggie. It was a generous amount of coke by anyone’s standards. He pocketed it with a sigh. “I don’t think Niffty can drive and she’d bring Alastor. I don’t want to go home in a cab. The cabbie will just expect me to do him favors.”
“Hey, bring me a few drop cloths!” Arackniss shouted at their cousins still inside the club.
“Are you finally killing your brother?” One of them laughed.
“Tempting but no. I’m driving him home.” Arackniss eyed Angel. “But I want to no part of him touching my car seats because he is covered in lube and things best left unmentioned.”
Angel sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief. “Thanks, Nissy.”
“Pull your robe shut tighter. I’m serious. No part touches my car’s interior.”
Angel bit back his ‘fuck you’ because Arackniss was his salvation. He didn’t want to put on his clothing because he really was covered in lube and spunk and he didn’t want to try and catch a cab in his robe. He pulled his robe closed tighter and called for his clothing and phone. By the time costuming coughed them up, Arackniss had gotten his car which bore a strong resemblance to an Auburn boattail speedster in less than subtle deep red. It was way too sexy a car for him. Angel also kept his ‘do you need a booster seat to see over the steering wheel’ to himself because he might be catching a cab if he sassed off.
One of the cousins threw several drop clothes over the seat and Angel got into the convertible. The thing had no seatbelts or he’d be sweltering under a cloth no doubt. Arackniss turned over the engine which purred.
“Thanks, Nissy. I do appreciate it.”
“Just try to keep the coked up antics to a minimum.”
“Exactly what are you expecting me to do?” Angel asked sourly.
“Well, I wasn’t prepared to see you fucking someone against a car in the middle of the street today so as far as I’m concerned anything and everything is possible with you right now.”
Angel snorted. “Night of the Twinks is going to be a great movie. I’m enjoying the hell out of being the movie’s big bad, no pun intended.”
Arackniss sucked at his teeth, contemplating something. “As much as I hate to admit it, I can see the appeal of your upcoming swing scene.”
“Don’t mention that to anyone. That’s the movie’s final plot twist.”
“Such as a porno has one?” Arackniss asked dubiously.
“Shut up and yes. They need to get all of my limbs into the arm binder behind my back but I’m fighting all the way. Once they bind me the magic spell that made the twinks all rambunctious is broken. I’m shocked Val thought my idea was good and double downed on it. I’m not saying no to that.” Angel chuckled.
Arackniss side eyed him. “Do you realize that your robe looks almost like that bastard’s coat?”
Angel stroked the white fuzzy ruff of his robe. “It’s not an accident I match his wings. He made sure of it. Valentino is vain but you’ve met him in overlord meetings you know that.”
“I know he’s more than a little psychotic too. I can’t believe you fell for him.”
Angel sighed, sinking in the seat. He wanted to get out his coke baggie and snort a little more to help him cope with the rush of emotions and memories but Arackniss absolutely hated watching him do it. Angel couldn’t blame him. He’d been the one to deal with Angel’s corpse back when they were alive. “I loved him, Nissy.”
His brother grunted, steering around a piece of flaming building that had fallen into the street from who knew what source. It was just a typical night in hell. “I remember. I hated him from the jump but you wouldn’t listen. You were smitten. I’m not sure I ever saw you more in love.”
“You tried to stop me.” Angel looked away. “I hated you for it. You were right and I was a fucking moron.”
“Love does that to you.” Arackniss allowed him off the hook buried so deep inside him.
“Love bites.”
“Sometimes,” Arackniss agreed. “I got lucky in love. You didn’t.”
Angel harrumphed. He’d never been lucky in love, not once. Husk will be different. Angel could only hope even knowing Husk was bad at relationships. He admitted that. Angel twisted on the seat, turning his gaze on his brother. “I loved Maddelena. Your wife was wonderful.”
“She was. Breaks my heart in a way that I’ll never see her again but I’m also very glad she is not here in hell.”
“She was way too good for that. She was way too good for you.” He smirked.
“Do you want to walk your little smarmy domination boots all the way back to the hotel from here?”
Angel reached down and stroked his rhinestoned ‘kneel here’ boots. “I do not but you know I’m right.”
Arackniss snorted. “I do. I wish Valentino had been what you thought he was.”
“Me too but he’s a psychotic freak. Of course, he’s pretty annoyed with me about the hotel right now, doesn’t like I have an in with Lord Lucifer and Charlie and he doesn’t, which is why he abandoned me in the street, dirty from a day’s work. And he thinks I’m in love with someone at the hotel but he can’t figure out who it is.”
Arackniss took his eyes off the road. “Actually, you have a different look about you. I thought maybe it was confidence now that you managed to fight off an exorcist army - which by the way the whole family was talking about. Even dad was impressed. But maybe it’s not that. Maybe it is love.”
Angel scowled, rubbing a hand across his face. “I didn’t know it showed so much.”
“Tony, you had a decent poker face when you were alive and you sure as fuck knew how to keep a secret but you’ve gotten sloppier in hell.”
“Yeah well no one here cares if I’m gay or an addict. It’s sick really that in hell I’m free to be me but I would have gone to prison for being gay when I was alive,” Angel replied bitterly.
“No, you wouldn’t have. Papi would have murdered you before risking you giving up evidence against the family to keep out of prison,” Arackniss said.
Angel shuddered. Every word of that was true. “Thanks for nothing but you’re not wrong. I’m half in love right now or maybe over my head in it and don’t even know it yet.”
“At the hotel? Well, I know it wasn’t Pentious because you’d be in deeper mourning than you are for your friend and that new guy you mentioned the other week when I texted you after that fall from the top of the tower, which for fuck’s sake, Tony, how did you manage that?”
“My costars gave me way too many hallucinogens in a drink.” Angel shrugged. “No, definitely not the new fish bastard, who is even shorter than you if you can imagine it.”
“I can imagine you walking from here,” Arackniss snarked back. “You’re not insane enough to make a play for the Radio Demon, are you?”
“Alastor has no interest in sex that I can tell and Vox and Val would lose their fucking minds if it was. I’d probably be skinned out and my hide would be fluttering off the top of Vee tower.”
Arackniss widened his eyes. “Tell me you’re not hopeless in love with Lord Lucifer.”
“I would not say no if he offered to dick me down dirty but no, it’s not Lucifer either.”
“That leaves Husker.” Arackniss quirked up his eyebrows. “Really? A failed overlord?”
“He’s a nice person once you get past the crusty exterior but you have to keep this secret, Nissy. If Valentino has any idea he’s right…it’ll go bad for me and Husk. We can handle ourselves but Valentino won’t play fair.”
“Yeah I know.” Arackniss shrugged. “I worked with Husker when he was an overlord. I liked him and his casinos but he drinks about as much as you snort drugs.”
“I’m aware. We’re hopeless addicts but…together we seem to use just a little less. Maybe Charlie’s actually succeeding a little with us. It’s pretty new, these feelings. I haven’t felt like this in decades and it’s…scary.”
“Love often is.”
“Yeah.”
Angel fell into silence, thinking about it. He’d have to be more careful with his expressions or at least use the whole ‘I helped stop an exorcist army’ as the reason for his happiness. When Arackniss pulled up to the hotel, he looked at it longingly. Angel knew the look. His brother wanted something but didn’t want to ask.
“You want the two dollar tour?” Angel asked suspecting Arackniss wanted to see the joint.
“Sure.”
Arackniss followed him in. Angel paused in the lobby, listening. The hotel was as quiet as a mausoleum.
“Anyone here?” he called. No one answered. “So I am all alone. That’s unusual. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
To his surprise, Arackniss even followed him up to his new room once he concluded the tour. It was a bigger suite than his old room had been. Fat Nuggets raced over when he opened the door and Angel scooped him up.
“How’s daddy’s little boy?”
“You have a pig.”
“Fat Nuggets. Isn’t he the cutest little hell pig you’ve ever seen?” He displayed Nuggs for his brother’s approval.
Arackniss looked him over. “He’s cute for bacon.”
“Don’t you listen to your uncle Arackniss, Nuggsie. He was raised by wolves.” Angel kissed the end of Fat Nuggets’ snout and put his beloved pig down. Setting his clothing aside, he filled Nuggets’ bowl for him.
“I lost everything when the hotel was destroyed so it’s not as nice in here yet as it will be,” he said.
Arackniss glanced around at the few decorations Angel had managed to get up in the room. “I think it looks good, very you with all the pink and purple. Papi would break out in hives in here.”
“That man is not welcome here,” Angel said, striding into the bathroom to pull out a towel and set it next to the tub. “I need to wash up, Niss. I’m going to have to cut this short, if you don’t mind or you can wait downstairs for me.”
Arackniss pulled his cigarette pack out of his jacket pocket and tapped out a cigarette. “I’ll go. I need a drink or twenty to erase the sight of your flat ass humping away.” He smirked.
“Fuck you, big brother.” Angel laughed. “And thank you for bringing me home. I really do appreciate it. Need me to show you the way out?”
“Nah, I’m good. Go clean up. You’re kinda stinky at this point.”
“Oh please, like you can smell anything after nearly a century of cigarettes.”
Arackniss snorted and left with a little wave. Angel showered off and once he was mostly clean and the tub had drained of any residual grossness he filled it with hot sudsy water and soaked his aching body in it. The cocaine had already started to fade in his system and the water lulled him into a slumber.
# # #
After getting several blocks away, Arackniss reached into his pocket for another cigarette. His fingers found the pack but not his wallet. With a groan, he pulled over and checked all of his pockets and the car. No signs of it. Had it been in his pocket when he got the cigarettes out in the hotel? He was fairly sure it had been so Arackniss wheeled around and drove back. If he left his wallet with his baby brother, Tony would give it back most likely light in the money department. Tony always did have sticky fingers.
No one had arrived back at the hotel and he was glad of it. He wasn’t prepared to actually meet either the Radio Demon or Lucifer. His wallet wasn’t on the ground nor did he see it anywhere as he back tracked the tour he’d taken with Tony. That left one place: Tony’s bedroom. Hoping he wouldn’t see anything more psychologically scarring tonight, he trooped back up there. His wallet wasn’t on the bedroom floor and Tony’s pig ran over to greet him. He gave the warm little porker a couple head pats.
“Tony, I’m coming in,” he said but his brother didn’t answer. He must be done with his shower by now and was somewhere else in the hotel.
Arackniss slipped into the bathroom to learn he was wrong. Tony was in the tub but he didn’t respond to his intrusion. There was his wallet on the floor by the sink. He grabbed it. “Sorry, Tony.”
His brother still didn’t respond. He turned to the tub to see Tony slumped down to the point his lower lip was nearly underwater. Had he O.D.ed again? He assumed that resulted in a painful respawn. No, water rippled a little so he was breathing.
“Tony,” he said again but his brother didn’t respond. Worried because Tony - afraid of their father barging into his room - had always been a light sleeper, Arackniss shook his shoulder.
Tony woke up with a scream. He thrashed and went under. When he surfaced, he twisted and turned trying to see who had touched him. That’s when Arackniss realized his mistake. He’d known Tony had lived at the studio with Valentino for decades. One of the reasons he and Tony rarely spoke was because he hated how Tony gave Valentino so much access to him, a lot of it violent and sexual. Tony had to think someone was about to do something to him.
“Sorry, Tony!”
Tony glared, levering himself out of the tub. “You gave me a fucking heart attack, Giovanni!”
“I didn’t mean to. You were about to slip under the water.”
Tony growled and lunged for him. Arackniss legged it. He could take his brother in a fight but he didn’t want to get into it with this dripping wet, naked, coked up version of Tony. He jumped onto the banister and rode it down to the bottom of the stairs. He leapt off before slamming into the newel post and nearly collided with a short blond man. Holy hell, no one had told him Lucifer was barely bigger than he was because this surely had to be the lord of hell.
A loud scream that sounded suspiciously like Ti ucciderò, Giovanni! echoed through the lobby as a shadow fell over them. Tony jumped over the banister, going into freefall. His strong jumping-spider legs cushioned him as he landed almost on top of Arackniss. Kill him, will he? Arackniss barely stopped himself from cold cocking Tony who stood there, all six hands balled up, ready to throw punches when he noticed that Arackniss wasn’t alone in the lobby.
“This is new,” Lucifer deadpanned.
“Angel!” Vaggie said. “Why are you wet and naked? And who is this?”
“He’s no one, just someone about to die,” Tony growled.
“Long time no see, Arackniss,” Husker said. “What did you do to your brother?”
“Oh, this is the brother you mentioned,” Charlie said. “And yes, why are you wet and naked?”
“I was in the tub. I thought I was alone,” Tony panted. “And then this idiot touched me.”
“Again, you were about to go under and I didn’t want you to breathe in a bunch of gross soapy water. For fuck’s sake, Tony, go cover your shame or something.” Arackniss said even though Tony hadn’t unballed his fists.
With another feral growl, Tony grabbed Arackniss by the jacket and skinned him straight out of it. He tied the sleeves around his waist so the back of the jacket functioned like an apron over his crotch. “Happy now?”
“No. My jacket is now touching your cazzo and I know where that was less than an hour ago,” Arackniss moaned.
Tony waggled his hips as if trying to make sure as much of his junk touched the jacket as possible. A huge scowl crossed his face as he spotted Charlie looking at the floor. “Don’t look at my feet! No one is supposed to see them!”
“They are very pink,” Arackniss said.
“They’re about to be up your ass.” Tony shoved him. “You scared the living hell out of me.”
“Let me guess,” Husk said. “Ben Bunny was talking about surviving horror movies again and your imagination ran away with you.”
Tony sighed, nodding. “Rules for surviving number three, never bathe especially when in the house alone. I was alone…which is why he freaked me out. Why the fuck did you come back, Niss?”
“I dropped my wallet when you gave me the tour.”
“You ruined my bath. It was peaceful.”
“Until you wet yourself, literally and figuratively.” Arackniss chuckled.
Angel flashed his fangs. “I’d punch you into next week but Charlie’s watching.”
“And you’re dripping all over the lobby,” Vaggie put in.
“And did you miss we’re already in hell? What horror movie bad ending could possibly scare you now?” Arackniss laughed harder.
“Says the man who doesn’t live with the Radio Demon right down the hall,” Tony sulked. God his brother was the king of sulking.
“And didn’t you tell us you were living to the end of the horror movie?” Husker teased him, simply making Tony sulk even harder.
“Apparently he’s living to the end of the one he was filming today; just don’t ask how he’s managing it because he’ll tell you. He has no filter.” Arackniss side eyed his brother who flipped him off. “Don’t look at me like that. I had to see you having sex on top of a car in a public street tonight. By rights, I should be over there drinking until the memory dies.” He stabbed a finger at the bar.
“Angel,” Charlie tutted.
Tony lifted his chin. “I am not apologizing for that. My family should apologize to me for pressing their faces against the window panes, watching.”
“Don’t worry, I’m slapping Dante for saying ‘hey, isn’t that your brother out there, Arackniss’.”
Tony made a face at him and stomped up the stairs.
“Hey, my wallet and smokes are in that jacket!” Arackniss yelled after him, getting six middle fingers as a response. “Take note everyone, never disturb Tony in the tub. He doesn’t take it well.”
Husker snorted. “Want that drink?”
“Not as much as I want my wallet and cigarettes back.”
His jacket came sailing over the railing’s edge. Arackniss touched the damp jacket gingerly. He extracted his wallet to find it empty. “I knew that fucker would rob me.”
“Suca,” Tony shouted from on high.
Arackniss flashed a middle finger toward the ceiling before turning to Husker. “Can I have that drink now?”
“Sure.”
“And fair warning to everyone, right after telling him he’d have to find his own way back here, Valentino gave him enough coke to stop an elephant so don’t be too shocked if he comes rampaging back down here.”
Husker sighed. “I’ll make everyone drinks.”
Arackniss nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
# # #
Angel slipped down the hallway in a fresh robe that wasn’t crusted with everything from his work day. Arackniss had hung around a lot longer than he’d expected and everyone found their beds late. He had a little plan he wanted to enact but needed people to be asleep for it because he didn’t think it would be entirely quiet. He knocked on Husk’s door, knowing he wouldn’t be asleep yet as he’d just come upstairs a few minutes ago.
Opening the door a crack, Husk eyed him. “Your brother said you were coked up out of your head.”
“The buzz has worn off. I only wished it lasted for hours.”
Husk stepped back, letting him in. “He also said you two were talking about some heavy topics on the way home. You okay?”
“I’m fine. We were talking about him being lucky in love and how, for me, love bites.”
Husk made a face. “It definitely bites.”
Angel smiled wickedly and caught Husk in his arms, lifting him up. He pinned Husk to the wall, biting into the crook of his neck just hard enough to elicit a soft moan from him. He gave Husk another nibble. “It’s okay that love bites because so do I.”
Husk wrapped his legs around Angel’s waist as he slid his arms around his neck. He flicked Angel’s butt with his tail feathers. “So I see. I can see your movie role is giving you ideas.”
Angel nibbled his way along Husk’s collar bone. “I always have ideas. Like how much fun we can have with size differences.”
“And one of us has more than enough arms to make it easy.” Husk dug his fingers into Angel’s thick hair. “Only pinning me here means I can’t get to the lube in the night stand, babe.”
Angel reached into his robe’s pocket and pulled out a crystal bottle. “Our finest thin silky lube, stolen right from the set under Valentino’s very nearsighted eyes.”
Husk laughed, his torso jiggling against Angel. “Only you would have lube in a crystal jar.”
“Because I’m the best.” Angel nipped Husk’s lower lip. “And what would make this better is if you bite me back.”
Husk flashed his fangs. “Babe, no worries there.”
Angel grinned. Love might bite but it was worth the sting.
End notes -
Italian translations:
Cazzo - dick
Sei un coglione - You’re such an idiot (coglione is technically a testicle)
Puttana - whore
Mi hai proprio rotto i coglioni!- You’re breaking my fucking balls!
Ti ucciderò - I’ll kill you
Suca - suck my dick
Felicitous The Owl House
It Was Then That She Knew Hazbin Hotel
Wrong Stargate SG-1
Their Scents Hazbin Hotel
Fault Hazbin Hotel
running to stand still Star Trek: Voyager
Holiday Of A Lifetime Torchwood
How did I get it so wrong? Call of Duty (Video Games)
Stealing Recipes Hazbin Hotel
When it all falls down…I’ve got you Call of Duty
Awakening Call of Duty
Always Wanting Touch Hazbin Hotel
Someone You Can Bet On Hazbin Hotel
Yet Another Test Hazbin Hotel
Mysterious Creatures Torchwood
Disentangling The Owl House
Knowing How Much You Want Me Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
A Damn Good Day Prodigal Son
Living Spaces Teen Wolf
Untitled Prodigal Son
I did get a lot of writing done.
so enjoy the stories. Since my spook_me story is long I'll post it here tomorrow. Have another long one (that is getting so ignored right now. Ah, so we don't like seeing the sex worker aspect of Angel Dust)
Title: Love Bites (But So Do I)
Summary: Just when Angel thinks he’ll finally get to finish filming his erotic horror movie, things go sideways yet again and he’s reminded why you never bathe alone.
Author Note - Spikesgirl58’s six word prompt challenge. The six words were Expression, Pace, Important, Create, Surreal & Fire Also written for Lyrical Titles for the prompt Lyric with "love" or "hate" using Love Bites (but so do I) by Halestorm, and the allbingo prompt of Never bathe especially when in the house alone.
Angel slapped two hands on the car’s broad hood and two other hands on Talbot’s shoulders. It wasn’t often he got to rail someone on camera - especially a tough guy like the gray-furred wolf man currently under him. That’s why Valentino’s current big budget horror porno Night of the Twinks was so important to Angel. How often did he get to help create a character he actually enjoyed portraying on screen? He had to pace himself, however. Lucifer help him if he came too early and the camera’s missed the money shot. No, Lucifer won’t help you. He might laugh at you or worse, give you that sad ‘you’ll never be redeemed’ look. Self-doubts actually helped him get a little control back.
“Cut!” Valentino’s angry voice snapped in the evening air.
Angel glanced around the city street, looking for whatever had pissed his boss off because it wasn’t him. He was putting in the sex act of a life time here. That’s when he spotted dozens of eyes looking out of a nearby night club’s windows: a night club that was supposed to be empty. Valentino’s ire over the unexpected audience could catch the asphalt on fire. A good baker’s dozen of spiders came out of the club, all dressed like it was 1925 and they were about to run some bathtub gin to the corner speakeasy. It would be a surreal sight if Angel didn’t know each and every one of the spider sinner demons. The mirrored expression on his brother and father’s faces was enough for Angel to wish for hell fire to just end him now.
Angel slipped out of Talbot and off the hood, his erection crumbling like a two week old cookie. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“We were about to ask you that as if it wasn’t painfully obvious,” Arackniss said, making a suggestive hand gesture, and their father grunted. Behind them Angel’s cousins and uncles all snickered.
Crossing his arms, Angel walked to the sidewalk, his junk jiggling because he was too mad to hide it away like he often did. “Obviously yes, I’m in the middle of a shoot.”
Angel flinched as Valentino put his hands on his shoulders.
“Angel, baby, do you know these people? What are they doing in an abandoned building?” Valentino pointed to the club. “Tell me you didn’t invite friends to a closed shoot!”
“Trust me, I would never invite this crew.”
“It’s not abandoned any more. It’s our new club,” Paolo, one of Angel’s cousins, said.
Valentino squinted at them, his gaze hardening behind his ruby lenses. “Is that you, Henroin?”
Vox, who had been observing the shoot, which was rather unusual in Angel’s experience, stepped closer. “Val, your vision is even worse when the sun’s fading.”
Angel glanced up at the setting sun such as it was in hell’s weird-ass sky and said, “Yeah, that’s Henroin and Arackniss. You’ve might have seen them at overlord meetings. You have a new club?”
“We’re getting it in order now,” Arackniss said, walking over to him but stopped dead, frowning. “For fuck’s sake, Tony, could you find pants or something? Everything is on display!”
Angel couldn’t argue that and with him in red leather platform boots with the words ‘kneel’ on the right and ‘here’ on the left, he stood so tall his brother was basically eye level with his cazzo. His only other clothing was the red leather bondage straps around his thighs, a matching belt he could be suspended by and the leather web over his chest with the arm tie down belted to his back for the big finale when the big bad twink was finally sated and subdued.
“Fucking people in the street now?” Henroin grumbled. “How much lower can you sink?”
“At least he got to be the one doing the railing,” Arackniss muttered and their father slapped him upside the back of his head.
“Angel, you didn’t answer my question,” Valentino said. “How do you know them?”
He nodded. “Can someone get me my robe please?” he called out before turning to Val. “I’m Henroin’s son, which is why he’s eyeing me like he could make me explode from the mere glare. Don’t worry, the verbal attack will be at any second. Arackniss is my brother.”
Valentino and Vox widened their eyes.
“You’re such a fucking moron,” Henroin growled.
“See? Told you it would be any second.” Angel glared back at his father. “Look, how is it my fault you guys are in a club that was supposed to be abandoned when we got permission for the shoot?”
“Excellent question. Maxie!” Valentino bellowed and the woman who was supposed to be in charge of checking things and getting permissions inched forward. Angel wouldn’t want to be her. “Explain how you missed a club of spiders, including their overlord, is in the middle of my shoot.”
“I swear it was empty when I contacted everyone,” she protested.
Angel and Vox both took steps away from Val and the potential splash zone Maxie might become. Ben hopped over with Angel’s red robe. He peered around Angel, studying Arackniss, his long bunny ears twitching.
“He’s a cutie.”
“Ben, do you need to borrow Val’s glasses? My brother was never cute.”
“Oh fuck you, Tony.”
“Somehow I doubt that’s happening with all of you standing here watching me,” Angel sniped back and several cousins snickered. He pulled on his robe. “Better? Happy now?”
“That I’m not staring at your ridiculous pink pubes and your lubed up cazzo hanging in our faces, yes!” Arackniss lit up a smoke, growling when Angel stole his cigarette.
“Speaking of which, Val, are we going to find a new street to shoot on?” Angel took a long drag on the cigarette. “I can’t with these people standing here watching.”
“We didn’t get the money shot,” Val reminded him, tossing Maxie over the car. She hit ground and scurried off.
“It’s never going to happen.” Angel crossed his arms but to his surprise Val didn’t look furious with his defiance.
“I’m sure you couldn’t do it in front of your dad either, Val.” Vox laughed and Valentino shrugged.
“No, I suppose not.”
“I guess there’s no need for me or Talbot then,” Wellsly slurred sidling up with a hopeful look on his face. He always was lazy, looking for an early day whenever he could get it. He stuck out his corkscrew tongue at Angel.
Angel regretted that they couldn’t finish the scene because that tongue was meant to be rimming his asshole right about now and he’d been looking forward to it. “I was thinking, Val, since we’re going to have to retool this scene anyhow, what if Wellsly isn’t enough for the climax. I mean, you want to calm the crazed twink. Maybe there should be some front action too. We could take this unexpected break and work on the scene.”
Valentino widened his eyes and pointed at Angel with his cigarette holder. “I like that. Maybe you should come up with ideas more often.”
Angel managed not to laugh. Valentino rarely accepted any alterations to his scripts unless it was dialogue since who watched porns for the talky bits?
“Maybe Ben, who’s already been subdued, and Talbot can work in tandem with the blowies while you’re on a swing. Maxie! Get us permission to work in the park,” Valentino bellowed at her. “We can suspend Angel Dust from a nice sturdy tree limb. It’ll be a pretty climax.”
Angel couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for that, judging by Valentino’s smug expression. “See, that sounds perfect.”
“What is going on?” Henroin asked, stepping closer to hear what they were talking about.
“Nothing that concerns you, Papi. We won’t finish tonight because youse are working and having youse watch me doing my job is just a complete and utter no from me. We’re going to work in the park tomorrow because I didn’t get to finish here.”
“Don’t remind us. Your pink and white ass pumping away is going to be in all our nightmares tonight,” Arackniss grumbled.
“People pay good money to see what you go for free,” he reminded his brother. “And I don’t want to talk to you guys about what you just ruined for me.”
“I’m sure whatever it was will embarrass the family further. Sei un coglione,” Henroin said. “Puttana.”
“Yeah, I am and you’ve ruined the evening so why don’t you all go back inside or something. We’ll have to go clean up. Anything else I need to do tonight, Val?” Just because his idiot family was still staring at him, Angel kissed Valentino’s cheek before nipping his collar bone hard.
Valentino caressed Angel’s ass. “You are frisky tonight, amorcito but no, we’re done. You did a good job but you look tense. Here take off your edge. Share if you want.” He spread several lines on the hood of the car.
“Go ahead. All you’ve ever been is a useless coke fiend,” his father said and Arackniss tried to hush him only to get shoved hard.
Angel could say so much to that accusation. He had started down this path just because of his father and how he treated him. Why not continue walking his path? Angel pulled the pipe from his robe and he snorted up as many of the lines as he dared. He slammed his fists down into the hood as the coke burned into his system.
“Tony…come on now.” Arackniss pulled him away from the hood before he could snort some more.
Angel shoved him as hard as their father had. “Don’t.”
“Just trying to understand why you’re so upset. This is nothing you can’t do tomorrow,” Arackniss said.
“He’s too dumb to know why he’s mad. Leave him,” Henroin called.
“ Mi hai proprio rotto i coglioni!” Angel shouted back. “You want to know? It’s not something you tell family but if you keep calling me dumb I’ll decide I’m too dumb not to know I should keep my mouth shut.”
Henroin waved him off. “Go back to being a whore.”
He wanted to scream the truth of why his temper was flaring, that it was because he was so badly treated by his father but he didn’t want to get in a massive physical brawl that would leave him too bruised to work tomorrow which would only set off Valentino. Angel decided to go with the most embarrassing thing he could say in his father’s eyes.
“And that’s why I’m upset. I didn’t get to cum and then Wellsly was going to eat my ass like it was Christmas dinner. I was looking forward to it but you’re right. I shouldn’t be angry that you interrupted my work because tomorrow Wellsly will get to go to town while Ben and Talbot suck me off so maybe I shouldn’t be angry. Maybe you did me a favor,” Angel snarled, wiping the coke off his lips.
Arackniss and Henroin’s eyes popped.
“You’re right, Tony. That is something you don’t tell family.”
“Stupid puttana. Get out of my sight,” Henroin growled.
“As soon as Val says we’re all going.”
“We’re all going. And Angelcakes, I didn’t remember to tell you but Vox and I had a club opening to go to…alone. I’m sure you understand.” Valentino stroked his shoulders.
“But…you drove me here.”
“Yes, do be sure you have your clothes and your phone out of the limo before we leave.”
“They’re out but…how am I getting home?” Angel asked plaintively.
“Call your friends from the hotel.” Valentino waved him off.
“But they’re all out for the day. Husk was driving Charlie and Vaggie over to Lucifer’s and I know you don’t want me to call Alastor over here.”
“Don’t you dare.” Vox held up a warning hand.
“Don’t make a fuss, baby.” Valentino pulled him close, licking Angel’s lips leaving behind a trail of red that made Angel’s head swim. He put a bag in Angel’s hands. “Here, have a treat. You wouldn’t have liked the club anyhow.”
That was a lie but Angel couldn’t complain about the baggie. It was a generous amount of coke by anyone’s standards. He pocketed it with a sigh. “I don’t think Niffty can drive and she’d bring Alastor. I don’t want to go home in a cab. The cabbie will just expect me to do him favors.”
“Hey, bring me a few drop cloths!” Arackniss shouted at their cousins still inside the club.
“Are you finally killing your brother?” One of them laughed.
“Tempting but no. I’m driving him home.” Arackniss eyed Angel. “But I want to no part of him touching my car seats because he is covered in lube and things best left unmentioned.”
Angel sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief. “Thanks, Nissy.”
“Pull your robe shut tighter. I’m serious. No part touches my car’s interior.”
Angel bit back his ‘fuck you’ because Arackniss was his salvation. He didn’t want to put on his clothing because he really was covered in lube and spunk and he didn’t want to try and catch a cab in his robe. He pulled his robe closed tighter and called for his clothing and phone. By the time costuming coughed them up, Arackniss had gotten his car which bore a strong resemblance to an Auburn boattail speedster in less than subtle deep red. It was way too sexy a car for him. Angel also kept his ‘do you need a booster seat to see over the steering wheel’ to himself because he might be catching a cab if he sassed off.
One of the cousins threw several drop clothes over the seat and Angel got into the convertible. The thing had no seatbelts or he’d be sweltering under a cloth no doubt. Arackniss turned over the engine which purred.
“Thanks, Nissy. I do appreciate it.”
“Just try to keep the coked up antics to a minimum.”
“Exactly what are you expecting me to do?” Angel asked sourly.
“Well, I wasn’t prepared to see you fucking someone against a car in the middle of the street today so as far as I’m concerned anything and everything is possible with you right now.”
Angel snorted. “Night of the Twinks is going to be a great movie. I’m enjoying the hell out of being the movie’s big bad, no pun intended.”
Arackniss sucked at his teeth, contemplating something. “As much as I hate to admit it, I can see the appeal of your upcoming swing scene.”
“Don’t mention that to anyone. That’s the movie’s final plot twist.”
“Such as a porno has one?” Arackniss asked dubiously.
“Shut up and yes. They need to get all of my limbs into the arm binder behind my back but I’m fighting all the way. Once they bind me the magic spell that made the twinks all rambunctious is broken. I’m shocked Val thought my idea was good and double downed on it. I’m not saying no to that.” Angel chuckled.
Arackniss side eyed him. “Do you realize that your robe looks almost like that bastard’s coat?”
Angel stroked the white fuzzy ruff of his robe. “It’s not an accident I match his wings. He made sure of it. Valentino is vain but you’ve met him in overlord meetings you know that.”
“I know he’s more than a little psychotic too. I can’t believe you fell for him.”
Angel sighed, sinking in the seat. He wanted to get out his coke baggie and snort a little more to help him cope with the rush of emotions and memories but Arackniss absolutely hated watching him do it. Angel couldn’t blame him. He’d been the one to deal with Angel’s corpse back when they were alive. “I loved him, Nissy.”
His brother grunted, steering around a piece of flaming building that had fallen into the street from who knew what source. It was just a typical night in hell. “I remember. I hated him from the jump but you wouldn’t listen. You were smitten. I’m not sure I ever saw you more in love.”
“You tried to stop me.” Angel looked away. “I hated you for it. You were right and I was a fucking moron.”
“Love does that to you.” Arackniss allowed him off the hook buried so deep inside him.
“Love bites.”
“Sometimes,” Arackniss agreed. “I got lucky in love. You didn’t.”
Angel harrumphed. He’d never been lucky in love, not once. Husk will be different. Angel could only hope even knowing Husk was bad at relationships. He admitted that. Angel twisted on the seat, turning his gaze on his brother. “I loved Maddelena. Your wife was wonderful.”
“She was. Breaks my heart in a way that I’ll never see her again but I’m also very glad she is not here in hell.”
“She was way too good for that. She was way too good for you.” He smirked.
“Do you want to walk your little smarmy domination boots all the way back to the hotel from here?”
Angel reached down and stroked his rhinestoned ‘kneel here’ boots. “I do not but you know I’m right.”
Arackniss snorted. “I do. I wish Valentino had been what you thought he was.”
“Me too but he’s a psychotic freak. Of course, he’s pretty annoyed with me about the hotel right now, doesn’t like I have an in with Lord Lucifer and Charlie and he doesn’t, which is why he abandoned me in the street, dirty from a day’s work. And he thinks I’m in love with someone at the hotel but he can’t figure out who it is.”
Arackniss took his eyes off the road. “Actually, you have a different look about you. I thought maybe it was confidence now that you managed to fight off an exorcist army - which by the way the whole family was talking about. Even dad was impressed. But maybe it’s not that. Maybe it is love.”
Angel scowled, rubbing a hand across his face. “I didn’t know it showed so much.”
“Tony, you had a decent poker face when you were alive and you sure as fuck knew how to keep a secret but you’ve gotten sloppier in hell.”
“Yeah well no one here cares if I’m gay or an addict. It’s sick really that in hell I’m free to be me but I would have gone to prison for being gay when I was alive,” Angel replied bitterly.
“No, you wouldn’t have. Papi would have murdered you before risking you giving up evidence against the family to keep out of prison,” Arackniss said.
Angel shuddered. Every word of that was true. “Thanks for nothing but you’re not wrong. I’m half in love right now or maybe over my head in it and don’t even know it yet.”
“At the hotel? Well, I know it wasn’t Pentious because you’d be in deeper mourning than you are for your friend and that new guy you mentioned the other week when I texted you after that fall from the top of the tower, which for fuck’s sake, Tony, how did you manage that?”
“My costars gave me way too many hallucinogens in a drink.” Angel shrugged. “No, definitely not the new fish bastard, who is even shorter than you if you can imagine it.”
“I can imagine you walking from here,” Arackniss snarked back. “You’re not insane enough to make a play for the Radio Demon, are you?”
“Alastor has no interest in sex that I can tell and Vox and Val would lose their fucking minds if it was. I’d probably be skinned out and my hide would be fluttering off the top of Vee tower.”
Arackniss widened his eyes. “Tell me you’re not hopeless in love with Lord Lucifer.”
“I would not say no if he offered to dick me down dirty but no, it’s not Lucifer either.”
“That leaves Husker.” Arackniss quirked up his eyebrows. “Really? A failed overlord?”
“He’s a nice person once you get past the crusty exterior but you have to keep this secret, Nissy. If Valentino has any idea he’s right…it’ll go bad for me and Husk. We can handle ourselves but Valentino won’t play fair.”
“Yeah I know.” Arackniss shrugged. “I worked with Husker when he was an overlord. I liked him and his casinos but he drinks about as much as you snort drugs.”
“I’m aware. We’re hopeless addicts but…together we seem to use just a little less. Maybe Charlie’s actually succeeding a little with us. It’s pretty new, these feelings. I haven’t felt like this in decades and it’s…scary.”
“Love often is.”
“Yeah.”
Angel fell into silence, thinking about it. He’d have to be more careful with his expressions or at least use the whole ‘I helped stop an exorcist army’ as the reason for his happiness. When Arackniss pulled up to the hotel, he looked at it longingly. Angel knew the look. His brother wanted something but didn’t want to ask.
“You want the two dollar tour?” Angel asked suspecting Arackniss wanted to see the joint.
“Sure.”
Arackniss followed him in. Angel paused in the lobby, listening. The hotel was as quiet as a mausoleum.
“Anyone here?” he called. No one answered. “So I am all alone. That’s unusual. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
To his surprise, Arackniss even followed him up to his new room once he concluded the tour. It was a bigger suite than his old room had been. Fat Nuggets raced over when he opened the door and Angel scooped him up.
“How’s daddy’s little boy?”
“You have a pig.”
“Fat Nuggets. Isn’t he the cutest little hell pig you’ve ever seen?” He displayed Nuggs for his brother’s approval.
Arackniss looked him over. “He’s cute for bacon.”
“Don’t you listen to your uncle Arackniss, Nuggsie. He was raised by wolves.” Angel kissed the end of Fat Nuggets’ snout and put his beloved pig down. Setting his clothing aside, he filled Nuggets’ bowl for him.
“I lost everything when the hotel was destroyed so it’s not as nice in here yet as it will be,” he said.
Arackniss glanced around at the few decorations Angel had managed to get up in the room. “I think it looks good, very you with all the pink and purple. Papi would break out in hives in here.”
“That man is not welcome here,” Angel said, striding into the bathroom to pull out a towel and set it next to the tub. “I need to wash up, Niss. I’m going to have to cut this short, if you don’t mind or you can wait downstairs for me.”
Arackniss pulled his cigarette pack out of his jacket pocket and tapped out a cigarette. “I’ll go. I need a drink or twenty to erase the sight of your flat ass humping away.” He smirked.
“Fuck you, big brother.” Angel laughed. “And thank you for bringing me home. I really do appreciate it. Need me to show you the way out?”
“Nah, I’m good. Go clean up. You’re kinda stinky at this point.”
“Oh please, like you can smell anything after nearly a century of cigarettes.”
Arackniss snorted and left with a little wave. Angel showered off and once he was mostly clean and the tub had drained of any residual grossness he filled it with hot sudsy water and soaked his aching body in it. The cocaine had already started to fade in his system and the water lulled him into a slumber.
# # #
After getting several blocks away, Arackniss reached into his pocket for another cigarette. His fingers found the pack but not his wallet. With a groan, he pulled over and checked all of his pockets and the car. No signs of it. Had it been in his pocket when he got the cigarettes out in the hotel? He was fairly sure it had been so Arackniss wheeled around and drove back. If he left his wallet with his baby brother, Tony would give it back most likely light in the money department. Tony always did have sticky fingers.
No one had arrived back at the hotel and he was glad of it. He wasn’t prepared to actually meet either the Radio Demon or Lucifer. His wallet wasn’t on the ground nor did he see it anywhere as he back tracked the tour he’d taken with Tony. That left one place: Tony’s bedroom. Hoping he wouldn’t see anything more psychologically scarring tonight, he trooped back up there. His wallet wasn’t on the bedroom floor and Tony’s pig ran over to greet him. He gave the warm little porker a couple head pats.
“Tony, I’m coming in,” he said but his brother didn’t answer. He must be done with his shower by now and was somewhere else in the hotel.
Arackniss slipped into the bathroom to learn he was wrong. Tony was in the tub but he didn’t respond to his intrusion. There was his wallet on the floor by the sink. He grabbed it. “Sorry, Tony.”
His brother still didn’t respond. He turned to the tub to see Tony slumped down to the point his lower lip was nearly underwater. Had he O.D.ed again? He assumed that resulted in a painful respawn. No, water rippled a little so he was breathing.
“Tony,” he said again but his brother didn’t respond. Worried because Tony - afraid of their father barging into his room - had always been a light sleeper, Arackniss shook his shoulder.
Tony woke up with a scream. He thrashed and went under. When he surfaced, he twisted and turned trying to see who had touched him. That’s when Arackniss realized his mistake. He’d known Tony had lived at the studio with Valentino for decades. One of the reasons he and Tony rarely spoke was because he hated how Tony gave Valentino so much access to him, a lot of it violent and sexual. Tony had to think someone was about to do something to him.
“Sorry, Tony!”
Tony glared, levering himself out of the tub. “You gave me a fucking heart attack, Giovanni!”
“I didn’t mean to. You were about to slip under the water.”
Tony growled and lunged for him. Arackniss legged it. He could take his brother in a fight but he didn’t want to get into it with this dripping wet, naked, coked up version of Tony. He jumped onto the banister and rode it down to the bottom of the stairs. He leapt off before slamming into the newel post and nearly collided with a short blond man. Holy hell, no one had told him Lucifer was barely bigger than he was because this surely had to be the lord of hell.
A loud scream that sounded suspiciously like Ti ucciderò, Giovanni! echoed through the lobby as a shadow fell over them. Tony jumped over the banister, going into freefall. His strong jumping-spider legs cushioned him as he landed almost on top of Arackniss. Kill him, will he? Arackniss barely stopped himself from cold cocking Tony who stood there, all six hands balled up, ready to throw punches when he noticed that Arackniss wasn’t alone in the lobby.
“This is new,” Lucifer deadpanned.
“Angel!” Vaggie said. “Why are you wet and naked? And who is this?”
“He’s no one, just someone about to die,” Tony growled.
“Long time no see, Arackniss,” Husker said. “What did you do to your brother?”
“Oh, this is the brother you mentioned,” Charlie said. “And yes, why are you wet and naked?”
“I was in the tub. I thought I was alone,” Tony panted. “And then this idiot touched me.”
“Again, you were about to go under and I didn’t want you to breathe in a bunch of gross soapy water. For fuck’s sake, Tony, go cover your shame or something.” Arackniss said even though Tony hadn’t unballed his fists.
With another feral growl, Tony grabbed Arackniss by the jacket and skinned him straight out of it. He tied the sleeves around his waist so the back of the jacket functioned like an apron over his crotch. “Happy now?”
“No. My jacket is now touching your cazzo and I know where that was less than an hour ago,” Arackniss moaned.
Tony waggled his hips as if trying to make sure as much of his junk touched the jacket as possible. A huge scowl crossed his face as he spotted Charlie looking at the floor. “Don’t look at my feet! No one is supposed to see them!”
“They are very pink,” Arackniss said.
“They’re about to be up your ass.” Tony shoved him. “You scared the living hell out of me.”
“Let me guess,” Husk said. “Ben Bunny was talking about surviving horror movies again and your imagination ran away with you.”
Tony sighed, nodding. “Rules for surviving number three, never bathe especially when in the house alone. I was alone…which is why he freaked me out. Why the fuck did you come back, Niss?”
“I dropped my wallet when you gave me the tour.”
“You ruined my bath. It was peaceful.”
“Until you wet yourself, literally and figuratively.” Arackniss chuckled.
Angel flashed his fangs. “I’d punch you into next week but Charlie’s watching.”
“And you’re dripping all over the lobby,” Vaggie put in.
“And did you miss we’re already in hell? What horror movie bad ending could possibly scare you now?” Arackniss laughed harder.
“Says the man who doesn’t live with the Radio Demon right down the hall,” Tony sulked. God his brother was the king of sulking.
“And didn’t you tell us you were living to the end of the horror movie?” Husker teased him, simply making Tony sulk even harder.
“Apparently he’s living to the end of the one he was filming today; just don’t ask how he’s managing it because he’ll tell you. He has no filter.” Arackniss side eyed his brother who flipped him off. “Don’t look at me like that. I had to see you having sex on top of a car in a public street tonight. By rights, I should be over there drinking until the memory dies.” He stabbed a finger at the bar.
“Angel,” Charlie tutted.
Tony lifted his chin. “I am not apologizing for that. My family should apologize to me for pressing their faces against the window panes, watching.”
“Don’t worry, I’m slapping Dante for saying ‘hey, isn’t that your brother out there, Arackniss’.”
Tony made a face at him and stomped up the stairs.
“Hey, my wallet and smokes are in that jacket!” Arackniss yelled after him, getting six middle fingers as a response. “Take note everyone, never disturb Tony in the tub. He doesn’t take it well.”
Husker snorted. “Want that drink?”
“Not as much as I want my wallet and cigarettes back.”
His jacket came sailing over the railing’s edge. Arackniss touched the damp jacket gingerly. He extracted his wallet to find it empty. “I knew that fucker would rob me.”
“Suca,” Tony shouted from on high.
Arackniss flashed a middle finger toward the ceiling before turning to Husker. “Can I have that drink now?”
“Sure.”
“And fair warning to everyone, right after telling him he’d have to find his own way back here, Valentino gave him enough coke to stop an elephant so don’t be too shocked if he comes rampaging back down here.”
Husker sighed. “I’ll make everyone drinks.”
Arackniss nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
# # #
Angel slipped down the hallway in a fresh robe that wasn’t crusted with everything from his work day. Arackniss had hung around a lot longer than he’d expected and everyone found their beds late. He had a little plan he wanted to enact but needed people to be asleep for it because he didn’t think it would be entirely quiet. He knocked on Husk’s door, knowing he wouldn’t be asleep yet as he’d just come upstairs a few minutes ago.
Opening the door a crack, Husk eyed him. “Your brother said you were coked up out of your head.”
“The buzz has worn off. I only wished it lasted for hours.”
Husk stepped back, letting him in. “He also said you two were talking about some heavy topics on the way home. You okay?”
“I’m fine. We were talking about him being lucky in love and how, for me, love bites.”
Husk made a face. “It definitely bites.”
Angel smiled wickedly and caught Husk in his arms, lifting him up. He pinned Husk to the wall, biting into the crook of his neck just hard enough to elicit a soft moan from him. He gave Husk another nibble. “It’s okay that love bites because so do I.”
Husk wrapped his legs around Angel’s waist as he slid his arms around his neck. He flicked Angel’s butt with his tail feathers. “So I see. I can see your movie role is giving you ideas.”
Angel nibbled his way along Husk’s collar bone. “I always have ideas. Like how much fun we can have with size differences.”
“And one of us has more than enough arms to make it easy.” Husk dug his fingers into Angel’s thick hair. “Only pinning me here means I can’t get to the lube in the night stand, babe.”
Angel reached into his robe’s pocket and pulled out a crystal bottle. “Our finest thin silky lube, stolen right from the set under Valentino’s very nearsighted eyes.”
Husk laughed, his torso jiggling against Angel. “Only you would have lube in a crystal jar.”
“Because I’m the best.” Angel nipped Husk’s lower lip. “And what would make this better is if you bite me back.”
Husk flashed his fangs. “Babe, no worries there.”
Angel grinned. Love might bite but it was worth the sting.
End notes -
Italian translations:
Cazzo - dick
Sei un coglione - You’re such an idiot (coglione is technically a testicle)
Puttana - whore
Mi hai proprio rotto i coglioni!- You’re breaking my fucking balls!
Ti ucciderò - I’ll kill you
Suca - suck my dick
Felicitous The Owl House
It Was Then That She Knew Hazbin Hotel
Wrong Stargate SG-1
Their Scents Hazbin Hotel
Fault Hazbin Hotel
running to stand still Star Trek: Voyager
Holiday Of A Lifetime Torchwood
How did I get it so wrong? Call of Duty (Video Games)
Stealing Recipes Hazbin Hotel
When it all falls down…I’ve got you Call of Duty
Awakening Call of Duty
Always Wanting Touch Hazbin Hotel
Someone You Can Bet On Hazbin Hotel
Yet Another Test Hazbin Hotel
Mysterious Creatures Torchwood
Disentangling The Owl House
Knowing How Much You Want Me Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
A Damn Good Day Prodigal Son
Living Spaces Teen Wolf
Untitled Prodigal Son