#exhausted husk

[fizziepopangel]

Rest For The Wicked

* Author's note: I am chronically ill and I've been feeling like shit lately so this fic took so much longer than I thought it would, and it's not as good as I had hoped, but I am my own worst critic so I hope everyone else enjoys it.

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Husk stood behind the bar, a glass of whiskey resting on the counter beside him as he watched the other residents of the hotel mill around the common area. A yawn escaped his lips as he stared lazily into the common room where Charlie was droning on and on about trust or apologies or boundaries or some other redemption bullshit.

Fuck, I hate this shit. He thought with another yawn as he watched Niffty scurry around after a bug. That girl’s put more holes in the floor and the walls stabbing at those things than she’s put in the bugs. Why do we even let that little psycho run around with anything sharp in the first place?

He let out another yawn and took a swig of whiskey. He couldn’t remember the last time he had gotten a good night’s sleep. He had been an insomniac for as long as he could remember, but his inability to sleep had worsened since he and Angel had become a thing…. He wanted to sleep after a long day of manning the bar and participating in all of Charlie’s redemption activities, but Angel wanted to go out dancing and blow off steam after a long day of redemption training and dealing with Valentino in the studio… And Husk didn’t think it was his place to say no. He knew he didn’t have much going for him. He was old, he was a gambler and a drunk, and honestly he didn’t see anything attractive about himself, so he figured it would be unwise to disagree or use the word ‘no’ too often once he found himself with a man he already felt he didn’t deserve…. But the lack of sleep and constantly forcing himself to be on the go was starting to take a toll on the hell cat; he could tell the second it began, but his motto always was that there no rest for the wicked and he always claimed that it was the motto of hell itself, even in Charlie’s hotel of ‘healing’.

First it was just a dull ache in his lower back; too much time on his feet at the bar��� He figured he could handle it, maybe just pop a couple ibuprofen with his whiskey before work, but over the next few days it just seemed to be one thing after another piling up. Headaches, back aches, and overall fatigue, it all just kinda began to weigh on him heavier and heavier until it seemed like he was ready to crumble beneath this invisible force that no one but him could see.

Husk did his best to ignore it. He really did. He popped ibuprofen, pulled a barstool behind the bar to try to sit whenever he had a chance, even sipping water every so often in a feeble attempt to reverse whatever the fuck had been happening to him… But the stress proved to be too much for the old bar cat, and eventually everything that seemed to be building up would finally seem to break him.

And that is how his boyfriend found him when he came down to swipe a bottle of booze off the shelf after a long day of filming with Valentino; sitting behind the bar at the end of his shift, his body curled up in a ball as he rubbed his temples and tried to keep the tears at bay.

“Husk? Babe, what are you doin’?” Angel said, his voice just above a whisper as he peered over the bar at the hell cat he had come to love. There was concern written across his features, but he stayed where he was… He loved the feline demon in front of him, but it was late and he was tired, and honestly he didn’t know how Husk would react to him having walked in on this seemingly intimate moment since they had only really been dating for a couple of months.

Husk sat there, his wings moving to shelter him in a sort of passive show of defensiveness at his boyfriend's voice. “I…’m fine.” Husk mumbled out, his breath coming out in a sort of shaky sigh that just didn’t sit right with Angel.

All of the tiredness and annoyance from his own day faded away, taking his fear of overstepping with it as Angel found himself hopping behind the bar and kneeling beside the usually stoic bartender. “You don’t sound too fine.” He sling an arm around his boyfriend. “Ya know I won’t judge you or nothin’ if you aren’t fine…. You never judged me.” Angel gently bumps the other demon’s shoulder and gives him a soft smile. “That’s why I love ya.”

Husk chuckles through his pain and exhaustion. “Yeah? That the only reason?”

“Nah, there’s a couple of other things I like too.” He smirks. “Now what’s goin’ on, kitten?”

“I’m just…. “ Husk let out a long sigh. “I’m just… tired. That’s all.”

Angel looked Husk up and down. There was something about the dark bags beneath his eyes as he said that made Angel’s heart ache. He tried to think about it and in all honesty, he couldn’t really remember the last time he had seen the bartender sit down for more than a moment, or the last time he had seen him eat a decent meal or drink anything other than whiskey. 

Gently, Angel leaned in and kissed Husk’s forehead. “How about we get you up off the floor and go back to my place tonight? I’ll run you a bath.” Angel smirked flirtatiously. “Maybe I’ll join ya; find a way to help you… relax.”

Angel smiled as his boyfriend let out a dry chuckle. “Don’t know if I’m up for that tonight.”

Giving him an affectionate nuzzle, the spider demon smirked. “Fine. Maybe we could just cuddle or somethin’?” 

“That’s gay.” Husk mumbled, sniffling slightly.

Slowly, the pair made their way to Angel’s room, moving at the turtle-like pace Husk set. Despite Husk grumbling about feeling old and hating how shitty he felt, Angel couldn’t help but feel an almost overwhelming sense of love for the grumpy drunk…. Though as he helped the other man into his room, part of him was a little upset  that Husk had let himself burn out this badly.

“Why ain’t we goin’ to my room?” Husk grumbled, pulling Angel from his thoughts as he pulled him into the room and helped him ease onto the bed. Fat Nuggets immediately climbed up on the bed and nuzzled into Husk’s side, snorting softly. Despite himself, the tired drunk grinned softly as he gave the little demon hog a pat. “Hey there, Fat Nuggets.”

Angel smiled as he watched Husk drop his rather tough exterior to pet his little piggy pal. He always loved the relationship Husk had with the little creature, and he knew that Fat Nuggets truly enjoyed the time he got to spend with Husk. It made his heart smile. 

Shaking the thought from his head, Angel walked over and placed a soft kiss on his pig’s head before looking at his boyfriend. “I’ll get that bath goin’, then we can–”

“Nah.”Husk mumbled, shaking his head for a moment before stopping when he realized that the motion made him dizzy in the exhausted state he was in, and that dizziness made him nauseous. “No, just…. I just need to sleep.”

A soft sad look seemed to settle on Angel’s face. Husk looked like he needed a lot more than just sleep… And as he looked him over, he felt bad considering that Husk always seemed to look after him and his well being.He wasn’t sure how he had missed the signs of his partner getting so overworked; he saw the man every single day, this should’ve been something he noticed way before it got to the point of finding him crying on the floor of the bar the way he had.

“How ‘bout we get ready for bed then?” Angel suggested softly, reaching over to gently rub Husk’s back. Husk let out a soft, contented hum, his eyes already growing heavy as his body teetered on the bed. He didn’t argue as Angel moved Fat Nuggets aside and gently easing his boyfriend down against the bed. “Tomorrow we’ll spend the day in bed; we’ll watch some of those stupid magic shows you like on VoxTube and order junk food, maybe even sneak some booze from the bar.”

Angel’s soft words fell into the air, covered by his boyfriend’s snores. He didn’t mind though; this was the most peaceful he had ever seen the soul of his partner. He sighed, grabbing the blanket and pulling it over them both and kissing Husk’s temple. “Goodnight, kitten.”

He lay down, but Angel didn’t sleep. No, he lay awake, his hands slowly stroking through Husk’s hair as he listened to him snore and purr through the night. Despite everything that had happened at work that day, he felt at peace knowing that he could hear Husk’s soft breathing as he finally slept; knowing that despite the hell the other man put himself through, that he felt at peace when he was with him, and that in times like this he could take care of Husk in the same way Husk took care of him.

[ambrosiagourmet]

On the one hand I doubt the couple of days that Rin Toshiro & Flamela spent together was like hugely impactful for any of them but on the other hand what if we pretend like Toshiro and Rin quietly looked out for each other and formed a weird friendship about it

[lealikestodraw]

This drawing took 8 hours. This is literally the most ambitious drawing I've ever made and I sacrificed my schoolwork it lol (I worked on it all day).

[smolstarthief]

Hmm... I kinda want to mention/discuss how Husk and Alastor have more in common than the fandom thinks and can even be interesting foils to each other but idk if you all ready for that tea yet... 👀

[ghostzzy]

i’ve been attempting to synthesize my thoughts and concerns about going on testosterone for about half an hour now and i’m making very little progress.

[mumblelard]

happy clean sheets day imaginary constructs or else

[i-write-sin-not-tragedy]

I dont remember writing this rant on Discord

[iliveinprocrasti-nationn]

“hey so there’s been a bunch of exposures recently but we’re gonna have the volunteer party this week bc it’s outdoors so we’ll be fine. yeah it’s a bunch of people all talking maskless face to face in relatively close proximity but we’re outside so any transmission would of course be impossible” be so fucking for real

[a-queer-sub-baby-2]

.

[hautevaux]

I wanna do so much but my brain says no

[dickbaggins]

genuinely asking. are you insane. Ive just read The Stakes last night and it changed the chemistry of my brain in a ways that I can't comprehend. i couldn't sleep last night so i am now taking suburban train, eyes blood shot and thoughts racing in my scull like bugs or vampires in the forest searching for someone to bite. I don't even have much to say about the smut except that it was one of the best that i read ever in my life and i found out fanfiction exists when i was like 12 so i read. A Lot. but ... the. the state of their relationship??? jdbdjkdjdjd how do i call it. the way they are insane about each other and Gale ohhhhhh GALE. What The Fuck Gale. What The Fuck DickBaggins. who will take responsibility for all this i am genuinely asking. who will pay for my therapy AFTER THIS. I can't like describe the state of my mind when Astarion left Gale's apartment, taking a train and looking at Waterdeep, the City that took... from him. Feeling like this. Yooooo

now it wasn't surprise that you could capture the nature of Astarion's inner mind very well since i am a fan of your other bg3 works but to do it in an au like this?????????? to extract his utmost self and insert it in what looks like silly hockey au just for it to actually be very complicated world where Gale did such a big mistake when he was younger he's going to pay for it gods above and belong only know how long???? maybe forever??? maybe he'll never wake up feeling Astarion's arms wrapped around him???? And Astarion as an elf he. he relives his memories while he trance yes???? idk if you keep this funky little detail in your au but to think about. It. Losing my mind tbh

what i am trying to tell you. this au brought tears to my eyes and i expected something smutty and juicy and maybe funny and silly and instead you just submerged me in a tragedy so gut wrenching and raw (HA). I am not even exasperating. Wtf.

so. Thank you i guess. I am going to think about it for 30 business days at least :)

That was. Phew. I need to dive in Mithridatism's Gale's weed collection after this because i can't legally find it in my country

Hope you are well, friend

elves are so fucked up. they've just gotta lay there and contemplate all the shit that's ever happened in their lives? this isn't restorative? this is a defect!! and it has to mess them up

and everyone else gets to relax and snore their way through some nonsense dreams every night without the horrible shadow of their past looming over them in razor-sharp, unbidden memories for eight hours straight??

what a raw fucking deal

(and for me canonical vampire spawn astarion doesn't sleep or meditate or any of that stuff UNLESS it's with someone else. otherwise he's up all night prowling and doing his hair and oiling his hand crossbows)

hey I'm glad to have ruined your life a little bit over my hockey au! even though it's uuuh heavy?? it was a lot of fun to write. kinda want to keep finding new aus to throw them into now? there's just so many more situations I want to put them in

[dutybcrne]

@strdstd replied to your post:

{10/10 Headcanon, I love- And then there's me doing angsty af hcs most of the time-}

Jdhfbf eYO I can do those too, lemme have a crack at it-

[jesterguy]

Feeling very wrung out. Like an old sponge that's been used too many times

[hopskipandarump]

jesus fuck i have never clenched harder in my LIFE than today when our sam sent lb2 instead of lb3 at the start of phase 4

i was the only person who noticed as well and i knew 100% without a doubt that if i said something we would wipe because it would distract people so i just spent the whole phase silently sweating staring at that hp bar the entire time

the best part

is that somehow we made the dps check

and im pretty sure when i explained why it was so tight i sounded like id just run a marathon

[linuxthegeek]

-

[kof-xiii]