Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Angel got back from work and noticed that the bar was empty, his immediate thought was that Husk had just gone to bed. Sure Angel had managed to get off work surprisingly earlier than usual, but there were plenty of reasons why Husk would have gone to bed instead of waiting up for him like he did almost every single night without fail.

Like migraines. Husk’s overly sensitive cat ears made him prone to migraines.

But the lights were still on, and a glass and dishrag sat discarded on the countertop. Husk always put everything away before turning in for the night; he may be at the hotel against his will but if he was going to be forced to work at the bar then at least he was going to take pride in keeping it clean and tidy.

Just to be sure, Angel walked over and peaked behind the bar, but Husk wasn’t there.

With a disappointed huff, Angel made his way up the stairs and towards his bedroom, but before he could even open the door he was stopped by the sound of a soft whimper from around the corner. He turned the corner and was greeted by the sight of Husk, sitting on the floor, backed into a corner with his tail wrapped around his leg and his wings wrapped protectively around his body, curled up tightly with his face hidden in his knees.

He was shaking like a leaf.

“Whiskers? What’s wrong?” The only response he received was Husk becoming very, very still. “Husk?”

Again the cat demon didn’t answer, but as he began to walk closer Husk whimpered once again and curled in on himself even tighter.

Okay, something was definitely wrong. Angel and Husk had become quite close over the past several months, and they found it surprisingly easy to be open with each other, but Angel had never seen Husk like this before; not even close.

There was also something about the way he sounded. Angel had heard him whimper before, both in pain and in fear, but this sounded… different; higher pitched and less contained than he’d ever heard it before.

“Husk? Hey, what’s wrong?” Angle gently walked over to where his friend was currently sitting as far back into the corner as possible. He reached out to touch Husk’s arm but stopped, not wanting to startle him. “What happened?”

At first, Husk didn’t react - just like before - but then he slowly, hesitantly, looked up at the spider demon. There were tears in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks - which was a new sight for Angel on its own - but something about the way he looked at Angel was… different. His eyes were wide and teary, and they held a look of innocence that reminded Angel of a small child.

“Hey,” Angel said softly, “what’s wrong? Is it Alastor?”

More tears began brewing in Husk’s eyes as he sucked in a shaky breath. That was all Angel needed to know that he was correct in his assumption.

“Fucking bastard. What did he do? Did he hurt you?” Husk gave a tiny nod. “Can ya tell me what he did to you?” Angel asked, trying very, very hard to keep his growing fury under control. That asshole hurt Husk - his sweet Husk! - and Angel very much wanted to tear him to shreds, but Husk was more important right now.

Husk was silent for a moment, but then let out a small whine that grew into a cry, then another and another. Just like the whimpers, Husk’s cries sounded different than his usual low vocals. They sounded like the cries of a child.

No, scratch that, they sounded even younger than that; like the cries of a toddler or a baby.

Before Angel could say anything else he heard rapid footsteps approaching. At first Angel thought it was Alastor, and he was prepared to protect Husk from whatever the strawberry pimp had up his tailored sleeve, but instead it was Charlie who turned the corner.

“Husk! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Charlie asked worriedly. Husk’s cries became louder and stronger as he shrunk back in on himself.

“He said Alastor hurt him,” Angel said, once again practicing control over his emotions so as to not upset Husk further. “I ain't ever seen him like this,” he said, not bothering to hide the worry in his voice.

Charlie frowned slightly; she’d have to wait to talk to Husk once he was calmer, but if Alastor had caused him to become this upset then she’d need to have a talk with him as well. As she looked back to Husk, her expression softened. Turning to Angel, she said, “I think I know what’s going on.” She then turned back to Husk. In a soft, caring voice she asked, “Husk, are you feeling little right now, sweetheart?” Husk looked up at her and gave a small nod, still crying pitifully. “Oh, honey,” she said gently, “do you want a hug?”

Charlie opened her arms enough for Husk to accept the hug if he wanted, and sure enough he leaned into her embrace and let her wrap her arms around him.

Angel was still confused as shit. “Um, I don’t mean to interrupt, but can you please tell me what the fuck’s going on?”

“Oh, right!” Charlie said, petting Husk’s head soothingly. “It appears that Husk is an age regressor.”

As soon as she said it, something clicked in Angel’s mind.

“Oh, I’ve heard a’ that,” he said. “I remember some coworkers a’ mine talking about having to do some shoots for that sorta thing years ago. Some kinda kink or something, but this” he said, gesturing to Husk, “doesn’t seem sexual. At all.”

“Oh, I think you’re thinking of age play, which is usually more of a sexual activity. Age regression is a coping mechanism used to help with stress or trauma in which the regressor - in this case, Husk - regresses into a younger headspace; often to that of a child or toddler, or even a baby, but it depends on the person.”

“So, you’re tellin’ me that right now Husk’s got the mind of a baby?”

Charlie glanced down at Husk, whose crying had since been reduced to sniffles and the occasional small hiccup, who was currently snuggled against her chest, gently gripping onto the fabric of her blazer so that she wouldn’t go away. “It seems like it,” she said softly, still petting his head lovingly.

“Oh…” Angel said, not quite sure how to respond at first. That wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting to hear.

He looked over to Husk, who had thankfully calmed down but still looked so, so sad, and felt his heart ache in his chest. Age regressor or not, this was still Husk, and if Husk could accept him, a used-up crack-whore, with no issue, then he could easily accept this.

“Hey, Kitty,” he said gently, matching Charlie’s tone; the last thing he wanted was to upset Husk, especially in such a vulnerable state, “is this something you knew about? Has this happened before?”

Husk nodded gently, his eyes gradually slipping further and further closed, making it clear that he was quickly growing tired. He slipped a thumb into his mouth, but Angel couldn't quite tell whether he was sucking on it or chewing on it.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he said gently, “I’m sorry you’ve been goin’ through this all alone this whole time.”

Husk met Angel’s eyes, and the spider smiled as he gently reached out a hand and placed it on Husk’s cheek, using his thumb to wipe away his tears. Husk leaned into the touch with a small, soft sigh as his eyes continued to slowly fall shut. He looked so… so…

So little.

It surprised Angel just how little Husk looked. It was the same Husk that he'd seen everyday since coming to the hotel.

The same Husk that waited up for him at the bar, waiting for him to get back from work to make sure he was safe. The same Husk that he'd laugh with over drinks until far later than he should have been up after an exhausting day. The same Husk that always made him feel better; feel safe. Yet now, between the look in his eyes, his facial expressions and his mannerisms, he looked so different.

“You gettin’ sleepy, baby?” He asked softly, and Husk nodded tiredly, still with his thumb in his mouth, but now it seemed more like he was actually suckling on it than chewing.

“You want us to tuck you in for bed, sweetheart?” Charlie asked, and again Husk nodded. “OK. Can you walk, or do you need us to carry you?”

Husk gripped Charlie's blazer tighter and snuggled closer into her embrace, answering her question. She looked up at Angel. “He's a little too big for me to carry, do you think you could…”

“Oh, uh, ya, sure thing.” Angel wasn't quite sure how to do this any correct way, and he was worried about grabbing him too firmly or not firmly enough or hurting him or his wings, but he gently gripped Husk’s sides under his arms and lifted him up out of Charlie's arms, laying him against his chest. He wasn’t very heavy, and Angel could hold him just fine once he was in a comfortable position. He was laying against Angel's chest with his head resting on the spider’s shoulder, with his forehead nuzzled up against the spider's neck. Angel used his bottom pair of arms to hold him up and wrapped his top left arm around Husk's back while his top right hand cupped the back of his head gently. Husk seemed content, as he gave a small sigh and snuggled in closer, his eyes finally falling shut as he wrapped his wings around himself and Angel.

It was nice. It was comforting, for Husk and himself, and Angel held him a little closer. “Come on, sweetheart, let's get you to bed.”

Angel carried Husk to his bedroom, allowing Charlie to step ahead of him to open the door for them. She flicked the light on, and Angel walked over to Husk’s bed. He pulled the covers back and removed Husk’s hat, bowtie and suspenders before laying him down, but as soon as he did Husk began to fuss and blinked sleepily up at Angel, taking his thumb out of his mouth to push himself up a little. He looked around the room, still sleepy and a little confused at how he’d gotten there, before looking back at Angel. It was clear from the look in his eyes that he was still little.

Angel sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked his head lovingly. “Hey baby, you should go back to sleep.

Husk continued to watch him for a moment before sitting up fully and reaching out for Angel. The spider demon complied with a small sigh, accepting the fact that Husk wasn’t going to go back to sleep unless he held him, and picked him up. Husk snuggled close once more and went back to sucking his thumb. There was an old leather recliner in the corner of the room that Angel sat down in. It was also a rocker, allowing Angel to rock him back and forth.

“Do you want one of us to stay with you tonight, sweetheart?” Charlie asked. Husk nodded in response, snuggling closer to Angel.

“Okay, baby, okay, I’ll stay with you, but we’re gonna have to get Fat Nuggets so he isn’t alone all night, okay?”

Unsurprisingly Husk didn’t say anything, but rather just closed his eyes. Angel took that as an ‘okay’ and stood up to walk towards the door.

“I can go get him,” Charlie said.

“Thanks, doll.” Angel gave her his room key and sat back down. “Can you grab me a pair of pajamas too? Top right dresser drawer.”

“Of course! I’ll be right back.”

Angel continued to rock back and forth, occasionally pressing a soft kiss or two to Husk’s forehead. It wasn’t long until Charlie returned with a pair of sleep shorts and a baggy t-shirt, along with one adorable little hell-pig. He thanked her and wished her a goodnight before glancing down at the sleeping cat-demon. He knew that the little guy wouldn’t like being laid down, but he had to do it, just for a moment.

As expected, Husk began to fuss a little as Angel set him down, but Fat Nuggets stepped in to help and nuzzled the little one’s face before curling into his side. Thankfully Angel was a pro at getting changed quickly, and he gently picked the cat up again before he actually woke up. He swayed back and forth for a little while to calm Husk again before pulling back the covers of his friend’s bed and gently laying down, keeping Husk cuddled close.

He lovingly petted his regressed best friend's head and smiled at the sight of him sleeping peacefully. He knew that Husk often had trouble sleeping, so it was nice to see that, at least for now, it wasn’t fighting him.

Angel placed a soft kiss on Husk's forehead before closing his eyes and allowing himself to fall asleep as well.

Chapter Text

When Husk woke up the next morning, he didn’t immediately think anything was off. He felt that he was laying on something - or rather someone - and peaked his eyes open to see that it was Angel.

Ok, that wasn’t totally out of the ordinary…

While it was still a relatively new thing, he and Angel had fallen asleep together more than once before; usually after staying up too late watching a movie or after a few too many drinks forced their dumb asses into unconsciousness.

But then the night before came rushing back to him.

Oh, God. Oh no. Please no.

Suddenly he couldn’t breathe; it was like the air was sucked right out of his lungs. His chest felt painfully heavy and he could feel the anxiety creep up his spine.

He’d regressed. He’d regressed in front of Charlie and Angel.

He remembered Alastor simulating the pain of his wings being ripped off and threatening him with the real thing, all because he’d gotten mouthy.

He could remember crying and feeling so small and scared and helpless.

He could remember the kind words and the kind faces of the princess and his best friend.

Oh, God, he was going to be sick.

Before he could bolt to the bathroom, Angel began shifting underneath him. What little breath Husk had left hitched in his throat as Angel blinked himself awake and turned to look at him.

Neither said anything, but Angel watched him for a moment with a searching gaze, and Husk knew that he was checking to see if Husk was still little. It made him want to shrivel up and disappear.

After only a moment of searching Husk’s eyes, Angel’s expression relaxed a bit and he said “Mornin’, Whiskers. Do ya mind retractin’ your claws outta my chest?”

Husk hadn’t realized he had sunk his claws into Angel’s chest until just then. They weren’t deep enough to draw any blood, thankfully, but his hands were so stiff you’d swear rigor mortis had crept up on him.

He removed his claws and sat up straight, keeping his eyes on Angel.

The spider yawned and stretched his four arms out before sighing and forcing himself to sit up. He groaned and looked over to Husk.

“Heya, Husk. How’re ya doin’ this morning?” He didn’t receive a response beyond Husk’s continued stare. “Husky, you okay?” He received silence once more. He yawned again and when he looked back at his friend, he could see the panic in his eyes. “Look, Husk, if you’re worried about last night, you don’t-”

“Jesus Christ,” Husk said, finally breaking out of his stunned silence. “Oh, God, I didn’t mean- I wasn’t… oh fuck.” He said under his breath. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of something, anything to say that would make him seem like less of a freak, because he was sure that was what Angel thought of him now.

How could he be so stupid, so weak? How could he let himself regress like that? In the middle of the fucking hallway for Christ’s sake!

Husk

He hadn’t regressed in a long, long time, so why now?

Husk

Sure, what Alastor did to him fucking sucked but so did every other punishment he delt out to Husk, so why couldn’t he have just fucking sucked it up?!

“Husk!” Angel practically yelled, and he firmly (but not too firmly) cupped Husk’s face in his hands, forcing the cat demon to look up at him.

It was at this point that Husk realized he was hyperventilating.

“It’s okay. Just calm down for me, okay, Whiskers?” Husk took in a shaky breath but nodded. “Good.” Angel said with a soft sigh. “Listen, I don’t blame you for panicking like this, but you don’t have to, alright? Not with me.” When Husk didn’t say anything, he continued. “I’m sure there’s a lot more to what I saw last night, but whatever there is, it’s okay. You don’t have to worry. I’d never judge you for how you cope with shit; Satan knows I’m in no place to pass judgement in that department. But I don’t think any less of you because of what happened last night, which I know you’re worried about, so just… calm down, okay?” He spoke the last few words softly, and he gently stroked Husk’s cheeks with his thumbs.

Husk took a deep breath and nodded. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to apologize.”

“I just…” he tried to think of what to say to explain, but all he came up with was “I fucking hate it.”

Angel hummed, still stroking Husk’s cheeks. “Can I ask why?”

“Why?” Husk asked incredulously, and he got up from the bed and began pacing mindlessly throughout the room. “Because it’s fucking humiliating, that’s why! I’ve pushed this down for so long, for fucking decades, and all it took for me to slip was Alastor doing what he always fucking does!”

He felt a tear roll down his cheek, and oh boy, if that wasn’t just the fucking cherry on top.

“Jesus fucking Christ, I thought I was over this shit! And now it’s back again! I jus- I fucking…!” He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, hugging himself tightly, his ears drooped low. “I fucking hate it.”

Angel had sat quietly and listened to Husk’s rant (that he had clearly kept pent up for far too long). Once he was sure that Husk was finished, he got up and quietly walked over to his friend, sitting down beside him and taking his hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping it came across as comforting. He was a bit relieved when he felt Husk squeeze it back.

“It’s so fucking embarrasing,” he whispered, hating the feeling of the lump settling inside his throat but knowing it was too late to do anything about it.

“I know,” Angel said softly. “I know you feel that way, but you don’t have to, Husk, because there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I can understand why you feel the way you do about this, but I promise you it’s okay. Honestly, I think it’s great that you have a coping mechanism that’s safe, and I’m sorry that you felt like you needed to hide it for so long.”

Husked let out a small huff. “Wouldn’t exactly help my image as an overlord if people knew I did… that. And then, with Alastor…” he trailed off and sighed. “Well, do I even need to say it?”

Angel squeezed his hand again. “I can understand that.” He could. If he were in Husk’s place he’d be terrified of the ways Val could think to use it against him. “Does Alastor know?”

Husk was silent for a moment, but nodded. “He does, and thank God I had the foresight to make one smart decision when I signed my soul over to him, because the one stipulation I was able to work in was that if he exposes that secret to anyone it’ll immediately break the contract.”

Angel hummed. “Smart move.”

“Thanks,” Husk said, but his voice was dull.

They sat in silence for a while, just letting the tension settle. Angel was still holding Husk’s hand, and at some point he started brushing his thumb against the back of it. Once things seemed to have calmed down a bit, Angel spoke up.

“I can understand why you’d want to hide this part of yourself, but just know that you don’t ever have to hide it from me; and if you ever need anyone to help you through it again, you can come to me. I’m happy to help.” He turned his head to look at Husk, who was refusing to make eye contact. “I’m always here for you, Husk. Satan knows you’re always there for me.”

Husk tensed up a bit. “You probably wouldn’t say that if you knew all the details.”

Angel frowned slightly. “Husk, in case you’ve forgotten, I work for Valentino, and you know the kind of fucked up shit he likes to feed into for views. There’s nothing about this that could possibly scare me off. Especially if it's something that helps you.”

Husk was silent for a moment before looking up at Angel. “Thanks, Legs.”

Angel smiled and gently nuzzled Husk’s forehead with his own. “Anytime, Husky.”

Chapter Text

After their discussion, Angel went back to his room with Fat Nuggets so that he could get dressed, allowing Husk to do the same before he made his way down to the bar. His talk with Angel actually made him feel a bit better about what had happened, and managed to make him feel slightly less ashamed. He was actually feeling quite a bit better than he had been when he first woke up.

That is, until Vaggie came up to the bar.

“Hey, Husk,” she said, slightly awkwardly. Husk brushed it off; she wasn’t exactly a social butterfly and unless she was barking orders at someone, she didn’t exactly chit chat with him or any of the others.

“Mornin’, Vaggie,” he said, cleaning a glass that had been forgotten about the night before, “can I get ya a drink?”

“Oh, no, thank you. That’s not what I came over here for…”

Husk looked into her eyes, trying to get a good read on her. When he found it he gasped and dropped the glass he’d been holding.

“Oh fucking hell!” He hissed under his breath. “She fucking told you?!”

Vaggie winced at being found out, and hesitated before saying “…Yes, she did, but-“

“‘But’ nothing, she had no fuckin’ right to tell you that!”

“Husk-“

“Jesus Christ, she says she means well but you can’t even trust her to-“

“Husk!”

“What?!”

Vaggie took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “She only told me because I’m a little too.”

Husk didn’t respond at first, he just stood there, the same expression frozen on his face, before he was able to let out a simple “What?”

Vaggie sighed before saying “I’m an age regressor too. I know Charlie had no right to tell me without your permission, but she only told me because I can relate to what you’re going through; I felt the same way after getting to Hell and finding out that this was just a part of who I am now. It wasn’t right for her to tell me and I can admit that, but she only told me because she thought it would make you feel better if I told you about me. It’s actually a pretty common thing down here.”

Husk was still surprised at the fallen angel’s confession, but he at least managed to respond faster this time. “What?”

“Yeah. It’s pretty common down here; there are lots of regressors. Charlie was actually thinking of working it into an exercise, but wasn’t sure how to do it without risking anyone feeling forced or pressured about it. And as for me, I haven’t told anyone else because I get what you’re going through, I’ve been there myself, and it’s okay to want to keep it private. It took me a while to feel comfortable enough to accept that part of myself, especially because it wasn't necessarily a thing in Heaven; Charlie said it was a part of an experiment they did centuries ago to try and keep hell under control. They’d make it so random sinners regress to a younger state of mind to sort of give them a second chance. They started sorting sinners into groups; age regressors, caregivers; They called them ‘classifications’ and the outcomes were determined by a test every sinner took when they arrived in hell. But Heaven turned the idea down because “why should we help the sinners”, and Lucifer wasn't sure how to reverse it. He tried, but this was the closest he could get. It's been like that ever since, and now this just happens to random sinners. Or, Ya'know, those who choose to do it. Charlie said that hearing about it was what gave her the idea to try and redeem sinners in the first place; with the hotel.” Vaggie gestured to the building they were in and took a breath. “I didn’t exactly have a lot of close friends to tell about this after showing up here, so Charlie was the first and only person to know about it for a long time. Even now, I’m still kinda secretive about it.” She sighed softly. “Look, I won’t tell anyone that you’re a regressor. That’s not my place, but you don’t have to be as worried about it as you seem to be.”

Husk nodded, taking in the information. “Thanks,” he said, his cheeks still slightly flushed. Was regressing really a common thing down here? Had he been hiding it all this time for nothing? Why had he never noticed anyone regressed before? Or maybe he had and just didn’t realize it? As an overlord he was always so busy with his casinos and paperwork and the like that he hadn’t really paid attention to those around him any more than he had to. In fact, the only time he really paid attention to anyone else is if he suspected them of cheating or if he was interacting with them himself, which was usually reserved for his staff, other overlords and those who he played against himself. Everyone else just sort of faded into the background. “Are you gonna tell Angel? About you being… like me? He’s kinda… well, he’s a part of this too now. Not the regressin’ part, as far as I know, but uh, he’s the one that stayed with me when it happened, and offered to do it again if needed so… yeah, he’s involved.”

“He’s your caretaker?”

Husk shook his head. “No, no, he’s not my anythin’; outside a’ my best friend. I don’t ever plan to let this happen again, so I don’t need no ‘caretaker’ or whatever. I just wanna forget it ever fuckin’ happened.” He was starting to feel embarrassed, and it was starting to present itself as anger. “I’m sorry if you thought you were gonna get yourself a friend out a’ all of this, but I just want to forget about it. If you enjoy it, great, but leave me out of it.”

Vaggie looked like she wanted to say something, but the firm look on Husk’s face told her that she wasn’t going to get anywhere. So instead, she just nodded and said “Okay, if that’s what you want, I won’t bring it up to you again.”

“Thank you,” he said, taking a swig from the whiskey bottle in his hand.

“But just remember that it's not something to be ashamed of, and if it does happen again, just know that in addition to Angel, you also have Charlie and me.”

“What if what happens again?”

Husk and Vaggie whipped their heads to the staircase to see Angel standing there, a knowing yet cautious look in his eye.

“She knows.” Husk stated.

“She knows?”

“I know.” Vaggie confirmed.

“Ah, God dammit, Charlie!”

“Ok we’ve already been over this. She only told me because I regress too. A lot of sinners do. Honestly I can't believe you guys never noticed before. Either way, now you both know about me and Charlie and I know about you. We’re even, so let’s not lose our shit again.”

“There’s nothing to know about me! It was a stupid slip up that won’t happen again.”

Angel looked towards Husk, a look of concern on his face. “Wait, Husk, we talked about this-“

“Yeah and I never said I was gonna let it happen again! Jesus fucking Christ I was actually able to put last night behind me and now you’re both pushing it back in my face! Just drop it!”

Before anyone else could say anything, an ear splitting screech of static roared through the air, causing the three of them to cover their ears. When it finally stopped, they looked up to see Alastor standing there.

“Well, well, well, it’s a bit early for such tantrums now isn’t it, Husker?”

The cat demon’s face burned with embarrassment, but that didn’t stop him from scowling at the radio demon.

Thankfully, Angel spoke up before he could.

“Hey, back off asshole! I don’t know what you did last night but I know it hurt Husk!”

Alastor chuckled, as though what Angel had said was humorous. “Oh fret not, my fine fellow, Husker was just being a touch over dramatic. Isn’t that right, Husker?”

Though it wasn’t visible, Husk could feel the chain slowly tighten around his neck.

“Right.”

“And everything is fine between us now, isn’t it?”

The look in Husk’s eyes held nothing but absolute detestation, but not wanting to be punished again, he forced his voice into a calm tone and said “Sure, Boss.”

Angel cast a sad glance towards the bartender. He knew that look; he’d given it to Valentino many times himself. He hated knowing that Alastor had the upper hand when it came to Husk, and that there was nothing he could do about it.

“Wonderful! After all, as your owner it’s my responsibility to punish my little kitten when he acts up!” He said cheerfully, pinching Husk’s cheek as he did so.

Unable to control himself, Husk hissed at him, baring his fangs.

Alastor gasped in feigned shock. “Oh my! That was quite a negative reaction! Do we need to have a little… discussion, Husker?”

Angel couldn’t believe the fucking audacity of this prick, and apparently, neither could Vaggie, who pulled her spear seemingly out of nowhere. “Why you little-“/“Hijo de puta-“

“No, Boss. It’s fine.”

Alastor cast a small, victorious smirk at the other two before saying “Splendid! Well, my chums, as much as I’d love to stay and chat, I really must be going! Ta-ta!”

Alastor sunk into a shadow that slithered out the door, and Husk sighed a breath of relief when he felt the chain around his neck loosen.

“Fuckin’ asshole.” Angel muttered. He turned and was about to say something to Husk, but the cat demon held up a hand to silence him before he could.

“Don’t. Just… please, don’t. This is the last thing I want to think about right now, so for the love of Satan, just drop it.” He then looked to Vaggie. “I don't care how common you say it is here; I don't want any part of it. So please, both of you, just drop it.”

His firm tone made it clear he wasn’t willing to negotiate the demand, so Angel and Vaggie silently agreed.

“I should probably go see what Charlie’s up to,” Vaggie said, walking away with one last concerned glance at Husk.

Angel waited until the two of them were alone again before speaking. “Husk-“

“Angel, I mean it. I don’t want to talk about this right now, so please, just let it go.”

Angel very much did not want to let it go, thank you very much. But one look at Husk’s face and he knew that pushing it was going to do more harm than good, so instead he sighed and looked at his phone.

“I’ve gotta get to work. See you when I get back?”

Husk looked visibly relieved that Angel changed the subject and nodded. “I’ll be here.”

“Ok,” Angel said with a forced smile, and gave Husk a kiss on the cheek. “See you later, Whiskers.”

Once he was out of sight, he dropped the pathetic attempt at a smile and began his journey to the V-Tower, hating that in one shitty conversation, any good his talk with Husk that morning may have done had officially been undone.

Chapter Text

Miracles were a rarity in Hell. So, when Valentino got called away for a meeting with a very wealthy potential client, allowing Angel to go home early two days in a row, he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and got home as quickly as possible. It was only a couple hours early, sure, but considering he usually ended up working several hours late, he’d take whatever the hell he could get.

He walked into the hotel lobby to see Husk putting away stock behind the bar. He smiled and walked over, happily taking his usual seat at the bar.

“Heya, handsome. I’ll have my usual.”

Husk turned to look at him, surprised, and then offered a small smile before turning to prepare the spider’s drink. “Hey. Didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

Angel was relieved to see that despite the shitty way the morning had started, Husk seemed to be feeling better.

“I know! Turns out even deviant little bastards like me can still have their wishes granted from time to time. Guess I must have been a pretty good boy.”

Husk smirked and slid Angel his drink - a ‘sex on the beach’, naturally. “Uh-huh, sure. A ‘pretty boy’ maybe, but I’m not sold on the ‘good’ bit.”

“You flatter me, Husky!” Angel said with a laugh and took a sip of his drink.

“Good?”

Angel nodded. “It’s perfect, as always.”

Husk huffed a small laugh and took another swig of whiskey, and things were quiet but calm between them. After an hour or so, Angel went up to his room to spend some time with Fat Nuggets and get some rest.

All-in-all, after the absolute trainwreck that had been that morning, things seemed to continue on as normal, which Husk was grateful for.

As closing time eventually came around, Angel made his way down to the bar for his nightly drink (or rather drinks) with Husk. The cat demon was polishing a glass when he noticed him, and he gave him a smile before putting the glass away and getting one for Angel’s drink.

“Welcome back,” he said, and Angel smiled.

“Thanks, Whiskers. Sorry to disappear for so long, but a guy’s gotta get his beauty sleep, ya’know.”

Husk hummed and slid him his drink. “Here ya go, Legs.”

“Thanks, baby.” He went to sip his drink but stopped when he caught a glimpse of the look on Husk’s face. The bartender looked slightly panicked, and Angel realized what he had said may have been in poor taste given the situation. Still, he decided to play dumb and try to give Husk the benefit of the doubt. “What? I always call you that?”

“Yeah,” Husk said, rubbing his neck, “right.” It was silent again, but this time it was tense. After a few minutes, Husk awkwardly asked “So, is the drink good?”

Angel sighed. “Husk, can we please talk about what happened this morning?”

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“Well obviously there is! Because apparently, it's still on your mind!”

“We already talked about this this morning! Do we really need to rehash the same goddamn conversation?”

“I just don’t want you to be upset about this!”

“Then just-!” Husk stopped and took a long, deep breath before letting it out slowly, trying to get a grip on himself. “Then just let it go. Please, Angel. If you really don’t want me to be upset, then just drop it.”

Angel wanted to say something. That stubborn part of him wanted to keep pushing until Husk came to a breakthrough about his regressing and accepted it. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen; not now, at least. So instead, he looked down at his drink. “Sure, okay.” He finished his drink in one more swallow and got up from the barstool. “I should probably get to bed,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

Husk averted his eyes as well. “Yeah, me too.”

Angel nodded and said “G’night, Husk” before making his way back to his room.

Chapter Text

Angel laid in bed, petting Fat Nuggets’ head. He didn’t like the way he’d left things off with Husk. They hadn’t had a fight since becoming friends and even though this was far from the worst one they'd ever had, he still felt guilty.

In the moment he had thought that pushing Husk was what he needed, and that it would help him to talk about the situation more; it had seemed to when they discussed it earlier, afterall! But he now realized that that wasn’t what Husk had needed; he’d needed time for the anger and embarrassment that Alastor had caused to simmer down a bit before being pushed at all, and Angel felt especially bad that he was the one who stormed off when it was Husk who had every right to be upset.

With a sigh Angel checked the time on his phone and saw that it was almost 2 a.m. He then looked down at Nuggets, who was staring him down. With another sigh, Angel said “I know, I know, I need to apologize.” He sat up and placed Nuggets on the bed before heading to Husk’s room. He knew it was late - or rather, early - but he also knew that Husk didn’t sleep well, so there was a 50/50 chance that he would still be awake.

He stopped outside Husk’s door, hesitating for a moment, before softly knocking. He waited a moment, debating going back to his room, before the door opened to reveal Husk, still dressed in his day clothes.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Angel rubbed his arm awkwardly. “Can I come in?”

Husk stepped to the side and opened the door further, allowing Angel in.

“Thanks.” Angel walked in and waited as Husk closed the door.

“Sure,” Husk said, then gestured for Angel to have a seat on the bed. He then sat down beside him, taking a swig of whiskey before offering the bottle to Angel. The spider took it and took a drink.

“I’m sorry for how I left things earlier. I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard.”

After a moment, Husk just said, “You meant well.”

“I did, but still… I shouldn’t have pushed you. I know this isn’t something you’re just gonna magically feel comfortable with overnight, if ever, and I shouldn’t have tried to force you to.”

Husk nodded. “Thanks. And I’m sorry too, for being an ass about it. Truth is, our talk this morning did make me feel a little better about it, but then Alastor fucked it all up.” He huffed a bitter, humorless laugh, bringing the bottle back to his lips. “Surprise, surprise.”

Angel hummed in agreement, and the two just sat there for a while.

“Can I ask you something?” Angel asked softly, not wanting to upset Husk more than he already had that night.

Husk glanced at him, then glanced away. “Sure.”

“Did you mean it when you said that you never wanted to regress again? I only ask because it seemed to help you last night. I know it’s not something you’re comfortable accepting, and I can understand that - really, I can - but if it does help, then I’d hate to see you give it up for good.”

Husk was silent as he thought about his answer. “I don’t know. I still hate that it happened, but… it did help me feel a little better.”

Angel nodded. “Well, I’m not gonna push it on you anymore, promise. But like I said this morning: if it does happen again, please don’t be afraid to come to me; I’d hate to know you were feeling little like that while all alone.”

Husk was silent for a moment. “Thanks, but… I don’t know if I’d be comfortable with that. It’s nothing against you, it’s just… I said there’s more to it than you saw last night, and I don’t want to risk pushing you away with all of that. You’re my best friend, Angel, and I don’t wanna risk it.”

“Husk,” Angel said softly, taking Husk’s hands, “like I told you this morning, nothing about this can scare me off. No matter how involved it gets, no matter what you wear, watch, eat or do when you’re regressed, it’s okay. I can promise that I’ve done far worse for far worse reasons. So if it happens again and you need me, let me know. It’s okay, I promise.”

Husk didn’t respond at first, but then looked up at Angel, checking his expression for any hint of insincerity but found none, so he squeezed Angel’s hand and said “Sure. Thanks, Angel.”

Angel squeezed his hand back. “Anytime.”

Shortly after that, the two made their way across the hall and curled up in Angel’s bed, with Husk snuggled against Angel’s chest and Angel wrapping all four of his arms around him, with one going up to pet between Husk’s ears. He began to purr, and soon the two of them were sound asleep; safe, comfortable and happy.

Chapter Text

That night had been the last time Husk’s age regression had been brought up.

For about a week.

It had been a busy day; far busier than usual. Charlie had hosted a tour of the hotel, and several sinners had shown up. For the free booze that was included, that is, and in the hopes of seeing Angel Dust, who was -thankfully- already at work.

Just when things finally started to slow down, Alastor summoned Husk for a job. Apparently Alastor’s client - a loan shark - had someone who was refusing to pay. His solution? Have the poor guy’s soul eaten by the one and only radio demon.

Husk didn’t want any part of this shit, but he didn’t exactly have a choice.

They were now on a rooftop waiting for their target. The plan was simple enough; Husk, as the muscle, would fly down into the guy and disorient him long enough to grab him and restrain him until Alastor could emerge and devour his soul.

“Ah, here he is now,” Alastor said, but when Husk looked down into the alley below, all he saw was a child.

He was confused for only a second before realization crept into the pit of his stomach. He looked to Alastor, and he could tell by the look on his face that he’d been expecting Husk’s horror.

“You said we were going after the borrower. You never said anything about a kid!”

“Did I say that? How foolish of me! We’re going after the borrower’s son! Killing the borrower wouldn’t do much good now would it, Husker? How would the sharks get their money back if the debtor was to be killed?”

“You son of a bitch.” Husk was seething. He hated having to do these jobs when they involved adults but a child? How was he supposed to kill a child? “I won’t do it.”

The chain around his neck tightened to the point that it was choking him, and Alastor pulled him close. His eyes had turned to dials and static painfully filled Husk’s ears.

“You don’t have a choice.”

And with that, Alastor pushed Husk away and had his shadow lower him to the ground. The child, who had been facing away from him, saw him out of the corner of his eye and froze before turning around slowly.

“Why hello, Benny.” Alastor’s voice was distorted as he began to grow into his demon form, and the poor kid was shaking. “I’ve been hired to teach your father a little lesson. You see, your father borrowed some money from some very generous men, and when the time came to pay them back, well, he sadly failed to pay the piper, so to say. So now, well, you know how the story goes.”

He then lunged towards the kid, but just before he could get to him Husk flew down and scooped up the kid in his arms. He flew as fast as he could while tightly holding the crying child in his arms.

“It’s okay,” he said comfortingly, “you’re safe now. I’ve got y-“

The chain tightened around his neck and yanked him down hard. He managed to hold on to the kid until they were almost down to the ground, but he still ended up dropping him. Before he could so much as think of what to do his head was slammed down into the pavement. Hard. Then again. And again. When it was finally over his vision was blurry and his head hurt more than it ever had with even his worst hangover. He was fighting the urge to throw up when he saw the little boy, who was on the ground next to him, get snatched up by Alastor.

Husk could only watch in a daze and listen as Benny screamed for his life. His nausea only grew as the poor child sobbed and screamed for his mommy and daddy before Alastor dropped him into his mouth and swallowed.

One thing most people didn’t know about The Radio Demon was that when he was in his final form, he had multiple sets of teeth; his main ones and then two sets further in his throat, much like a moray eel.

Husk didn’t know what would be worse; being swallowed alive, trapped in complete darkness and terror and being alive as the stomach acid begins to eat away at your flesh, or being alive for those few eternal seconds as you’re torn to shreds by hidden, razor-sharp teeth you didn’t even know were there.

He could see Alastor walk up to him, and the only thing his injured brain could think of in that moment was where is everyone? Why didn’t they help that poor kid?

He knew the answer though. They didn’t help because this was hell, and Alastor’s reputation was well known, and nobody wanted to risk being on the receiving end of his rage, so they fled.

Husk felt fingers run through his hair, almost comfortingly, and he waited for them to grip or pull, but they never did.

Instead, he heard Alastor’s voice, now back to normal. “Oh, Husker. You were so close, but you failed. You didn’t save him. All you did was give him a moment of false hope that he’d make it out alive. I really must thank you; it made his fear and anguish even stronger, and that made him taste even better.” The fingers left Husk’s hair and Alastor straightened his posture, brushing off his coat. “I‘ll let you fly home on your own time. No rush. And just to show that I’m never one to be ungrateful, you can have the day off from the bar tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a kind gesture, and Husk knew it. He was doing it so that Husk wouldn’t be able to distract himself from the immense guilt that he’d feel as soon as he came to. With that, his vision faded as he lost consciousness.

When Husk finally came to, it was dark outside. He had no idea what time it was and he didn’t care.

The memory of what had happened came back to him; slowly at first, but then all at once.

You didn’t save him.

It made his fear and anguish even stronger, and that made him taste even better.

Oh God, he didn’t save him. He let that poor little boy get killed for something he hadn’t even done.

He could still hear the child’s screams for his parents, and they were so loud he actually covered his ears, pressing as hard as he could to try and block out the sound, but it didn’t work.

He started to hyperventilate and could feel bile rising in his throat so quickly that he barely had time to realize he was going to throw up until it was happening.

He took a minute to make a failed attempt to compose himself before standing and taking off into the sky. His vision was still slightly off but he could see well enough to fly, and he flew as fast as he could manage back to the hotel. He landed on the balcony to his room and stumbled through the door as soon as his feet hit the ground. He slammed the doors shut and let out a sob that he could no longer contain, falling to his knees and hugging himself tightly as guilt infected every fiber of his being.

He’d done a lot of truly horrible things - both in life and in death - but this was by far the worst.

I didn’t save him. I didn’- I, I should have tried harder. I had him in my arms, he was safe, I should have tried harder.

He curled up even tighter until he was in as small a ball as he could be, his body trembling as he sobbed.

To make matters worse, he could feel himself regressing, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. It only made the guilt worse. He didn’t deserve to regress right now; to seek comfort in any form, even in a way he hated. He deserved every inch of pain and guilt he was feeling. But he couldn’t stop it, and within a few minutes he was fully regressed; alone, crying and scared. He was too little at that point to understand what exactly had happened, but he knew it had been very scary and that it left him feeling bad.

He wanted Angel. He wanted Angel to hold him and make him feel better; make him feel safe.

It was almost one in the morning, but Angel was still awake.

Husk hadn’t been at the bar when he got back, but this time he knew where Husk was.

Charlie had been in the lobby working on exercises for tomorrow’s group session, and when Angel asked if she knew where Husk was, she hesitantly told him that he had left with Alastor.

Predictably, Angel wasn’t happy. Charlie explained that while she wasn’t happy about it either, she nor her father had the power to interfere with deals between overlords and sinners, no matter how much they wanted to. In the end, Alastor owned Husk’s soul, and he could do whatever he wanted to him.

Angel was pissed. Not with Charlie personally - he knew she was right, and that they couldn’t interfere with a contract that a sinner had willingly signed - but that didn’t stop him from yelling at her.

Charlie had tried not to take it personally; she knew he wasn’t really upset with her, but the situation, and that she just happened to be the one here with him.

When Angel finally managed to calm down a little, he apologized for lashing out at Charlie and went up to his room. He’d been lying on his bed since then, checking his phone to see if Husk had responded to any of the texts he’d sent. He hadn’t.

Suddenly there was a knock at his door. Well, actually, it was more of a soft pounding.

“Angie! Angie!” Called a small voice.

Angel sat up so fast that his poor pig was damn-near launched to the floor. The hell-pig squealed angrily, affronted at the action, and Angel apologized as he rushed to the door. When he opened it and found Husk on the other side he let out a deep breath of relief.

But then he actually looked at Husk, and his concern came rushing back.

Husk was standing there in an oversized t-shirt that went down past his knees with his tail wrapped around his leg. He had tear streaks that had left damp trails on his cheeks, and his eyes were bloodshot. His breath was shaky, and it was painfully obvious that he had been crying. Hard.

And he had that look in his eyes again; that look that told Angel that his friend was regressed.

“A-Angie…” the little one whimpered, on the verge of tears.

“Oh, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

And Husk broke again. He let out a heartbreaking wail and reached out for Angel, wanting to be picked up. Angel obliged and lifted him into his arms, hugging him close and kissing the top of his head as he shut and locked his door. It was just him and Husk on the fifth floor, and he was very grateful for that at the moment.

He hugged the little one close and gently shushed him - not to silence him but rather in an attempt to comfort him - and swayed side to side. Underneath his bottom hands he could feel that Husk was wearing some sort of padding, and the idea of Husk being regressed, crying and alone but still trying to take care of himself broke his heart.

He moved over to sit on the edge of the bed and cuddled Husk as close as he could. He placed several kisses on the baby’s forehead and rocked him back and forth as he gently rubbed the little one's back. The poor thing was crying so hard that he was screaming.

“Sssssh. It’s okay, sweetheart, it’s okay. Angie’s here, Angie’s gotcha. It’s okay, my baby.” Husk curled up against Angel’s chest, trying to get as close as he could. He was gripping the spider’s shirt so hard that his claws were ripping holes in the fabric, but Angel didn’t care about his ratty old t-shirt at the moment; he cared about Husk.

Angel didn’t know how long they had stayed there like that. They sat there for a while as he rocked the little one, then he’d get up and pace around the room with him, all while whispering soft reassurances to the little cat crying into his fur.

By the end of it, Husk was coughing so hard he was struggling to get any air in.

“Come on, baby, breathe. Breathe for me, sweetheart.” He was patting Husk’s back in an attempt to help clear his airway a bit, and eventually the coughing stopped, and the two were left in relative silence; the only sounds in the room were small snuffles from Fat Nuggets, who was nuzzling Husk’s side in an attempt to comfort him, along with sniffles and the occasional hiccup from Husk, who was sucking his thumb in an attempt to soothe himself.

He was still snuggled against Angel’s chest, clinging to his shirt, but much calmer than he had been. He took a small bit of comfort from the rocking and the feeling of Angel’s fingers gently running through his hair as soft kisses were pressed to his head and face.

“There we go,” Angel whispered softly, “there we go, my baby. Do you feel a little better now?” The only response he got was a soft, sleepy moan. “You must be so sleepy. You wanna sleep in here tonight? Hmm? You wanna sleep with me in my bed, sweetheart?” He felt a small nod against his shoulder and hugged Husk a little tighter. “Okay, baby, let’s get some sleep, hmm? Come on.” Angel stood and pulled the covers back before getting into bed, holding Husk close as he laid back against his pile of pillows. He covered them up and Nuggets came over and curled up against his thigh protectively.

Angel gently stroked Husk’s cheek, pausing only to place a small kiss on the tip of nose and forehead. Thankfully, the baby was asleep within minutes, exhausted from all of his crying.

Angel didn’t know what had happened to make Husk so upset, and he knew Husk most likely wouldn’t want to talk about it when he was big again, but he was glad that the poor thing had finally been able to calm down.

With a final kiss to the baby’s forehead, he whispered “Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you so, so much.”

Chapter Text

Angel woke up to a comforting weight on his chest, and he looked down to see Husk fast asleep. 

He smiled and gently kissed the top of his head as he patted his bottom, and he could feel that the padding was wet and would need to be changed. He lifted the edge of Husk’s shirt and saw that he was wearing a pull-up. He wasn’t sure if Husk would have any more, but he hoped that since he’d had one, he would have a few more hidden somewhere.

He was willing to bet that this is what Husk had been so worried about Angel judging him for, but it didn't sway him in the slightest. Husk was his best friend, right up there with Cherry, but different in a way. If this helped Husk feel safe, then Angel had no problems with it. 

Husk huffed a breath and snuggled closer against Angel. The spider could see his eyes moving rapidly behind his eyelids and knew he was dreaming, and judging by the way his brows were slightly furrowed he guessed the poor thing was having a nightmare. He wasn't surprised; he didn’t know what had happened on the job Alastor dragged him on, but he’d never seen the cat demon so upset as he had the night before. The poor thing had been inconsolable.

Angel slipped a hand under the back of Husk’s shirt and rubbed soothing circles on his back in an attempt to offer him some comfort. He wasn't sure if it did much, but Husk did snuggle closer to him and nuzzled his forehead further against his neck, and he adjusted his wings to wrap around Angel’s sides protectively.

They stayed like that for a while until Husk started to wake up. He began to squirm and pulled his thumb out of his mouth as he yawned. He then pushed himself up against Angel’s chest and looked around, not immediately recognizing where he was. He then looked to Angel. His hair was mussed, and he still looked pretty sleepy, and Angel couldn’t help but coo over how adorable he looked. 

“Good morning, baby. How are you feeling?”

Husk just looked at him sleepily for a moment before looking down at Fat Nuggets, who was snuffling against his side. He then laid back down against Angel’s chest and continued sucking his thumb; not going back to sleep but not showing any signs of wanting to get up either. He just wanted to be held close to Angel, and the spider was more than happy to oblige. He kissed Husk on the forehead and ran his fingers through his hair. There were tears in Husk’s eyes, but he looked too exhausted to actually cry.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Angel said sadly. He placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “I’m here, baby, I’m here. I’ve gotcha.” 

Husk whimpered and took in a shaky breath, but while a tear did roll down his cheek, he didn't actually cry.

Angel kissed the top of the baby's head. He felt bad for what he was about to say, but he knew there was no good time to bring it up, and he couldn’t just leave Husk in wet padding. “I think you need a new pull-up, sweetheart. Do you have any more?”

Husk immediately tensed as his breathing began to quicken.

“Ssh, ssssh, it's okay. It's okay, baby.” Husk whimpered and began to tremble, and Angel felt terrible. “I know, baby, I know. It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay, but if your padding is wet then we need to get you into a new one.” Husk clung to Angel so tightly that it hurt and caused Angel to wince, but he didn’t say anything about it. “Ssssh,” he soothed, reaching up to pet Husk’s hair. “It’s okay, sweetheart. If you wanna do it by yourself, that’s okay; I’ll give you your privacy. But if you need or want my help, I’m here. It’s up to you, sweetheart. Whatever you’re more comfortable with.”

Husk relaxed slightly but was still on edge, so Angel went back to rubbing his back. They stayed like that for a while before Angel spoke up again. “Okay, sweetie, let’s get this over with, huh? Do you have any other padding?”. Husk was silent for a moment before tentatively pointing towards the door. “In your room?” Angel deduced, and Husk nodded. Angel kissed his head and got up, walking to the door. He opened it slightly and peaked outside to make sure the coast was clear before walking over to Husk’s room. Once inside he flicked on the light and walked into the room. 

“Okay, sweetheart, can you tell me where your things are?” Husk tensed again but pointed to the underside of the bed. Angel kissed his head again and sat him on the bed before getting down on his hands and knees to look underneath, where he saw a medium-sized cardboard box. He pulled it out and placed it on the bed. Husk reached out for him with a whimper and Angel picked him up. 

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Angel kissed his forehead. “Can I look inside?” Husk nodded and hid his face in Angel’s neck, his cheeks burning red. 

Angel opened the box to find a wide variety of items inside, including a few pull-ups, diapers and supplies, pacifiers, a baby blanket, bottles, a pair of footed pajamas and a stuffed white rabbit. Husk peaked at the box and as soon as he saw the rabbit he reached out for it. 

Angel had to readjust his hold on Husk so that he wouldn’t fall, but he picked up the doll and handed it to Husk, who hugged it close before snuggling back into Angel’s neck, putting his thumb back into his mouth. Angel picked up one of the pacifiers and offered it to him, but he just turned and hid his head. Angel tossed it back into the box and grabbed a pull-up and a diaper.

“Okay, sweetheart, can you please tell me which one you need?”

Husk stared at the two of them, and Angel noticed his eyes lingering on the diaper, but he ended up pointing to the pull-up. Angel decided not to question it.

“Okay, honey. Do you need help?” Husk was silent for a moment before hesitantly nodding. “Okay, baby.” Angel placed Husk down. “Do you want to pull it down yourself?” Husk nodded, and Angel looked away as he pulled the garment down and stepped out of it before toddling over to the trashcan and dropping it inside. 

His cheeks were burning red, and he looked miserable, and Angel could see tears gathering in his eyes, so he gently cupped the baby’s face and kissed his forehead. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay, I promise. The worst is over.” Angel held the new pull-up open with his lower two hands, and with his upper hands he held onto Husk’s sides to help keep him balanced. “Ok, sweetie, can you step in for me?” Husk did as he was asked, and Angel pulled the pull-up up for him, untucking the parts of his shirt that had gotten caught on the way up. “There we go, all done!” Angel said, trying to sound positive, but when he looked up at Husk, he saw the tears in the little one’s eyes begin to fall as his face crumpled and he started to cry. 

“Oh, sweetie,” Angel said sadly; the poor thing had been through so much over the last few days. 

Angel stood up, picking Husk up on the way. Husk curled against him, crying pitifully as Angel hugged him close. “I know, baby, I know. That must have been so scary and uncomfortable, huh? But you did so good; you did so, so good. You were so brave. I’m so proud of you.” Angel continued to whisper soft praises to him as he swayed back and forth in an attempt to soothe the poor thing. 

Husk continued to cry. Despite being regressed, the big part of him hidden way back in his mind felt absolutely mortified. It would have been embarrassing enough needing to be changed by someone else, but Angel? His best friend? Despite trusting the spider completely, and despite the fact that Angel was the person who he wanted to care for him while he was little, he didn’t want Angel to think less of him because of this, or hold it over him like Alastor did, even though he had made it very clear that he wouldn’t.

But Husk was too little for those thoughts to fully articulate, so he was stuck with just feeling big emotions with seemingly no reasoning behind them. 

Angel walked over to the box and grabbed the baby blanket inside before walking over to the recliner in the corner of the room. He covered Husk with the blanket and sat down, rocking back and forth as he placed soft, gentle kisses on his baby’s forehead. He rubbed his back gently and started to hum a soft melody, eventually singing the words as they came. 

Time after time
I tell myself that I'm 
So lucky to be loving you
So lucky to be the one you run to see
In the evening when the day is through

Husk’s cries gradually began to die down as Angel sang. The soft rumble in his chest was comforting and gave something present and prominent for Husk to focus on.

I only know what I know
The passing years will show
You've kept my love so young
So new

Between the rocking, the sound of Angel’s voice, the rumble in his chest and the feeling of his hand rubbing soothing circles on his back, Husk began to calm down as he focused not on the icky feelings in his head and his chest, but rather on Angel and the sense of safety he provided.

And time after time
You'll hear me say that I'm
So lucky to be loving you

When Angel held Husk in his arms, the little one felt safe and protected in a way that he never really had before. It made him feel less alone, and he had never noticed just how alone he had always felt until he and Angel became close friends. Being little while Angel took care of him, he felt - possibly for the first time - just how affection-starved he was. 

He allowed his eyes to begin to fall shut, feeling sleepy once more. He hugged his bunny closer to feel the soft fabric against his face as he continued to suck his thumb. 

Angel was safe; he was safe with Angel. It was ok for now. The change had been awkward and scary, and it probably would be again the next time, but for now, everything was okay. 

As he drifted off into sleep, he felt Angel press a soft kiss to his forehead, and heard him whisper “I love you, baby. I love you little, I love you big.”