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Once a year, many demons would find themselves entering a heat or rut. If stubborn enough, they could take drugs or drink themselves into a stupor to avoid dealing with the shitty symptoms said experience gave them. Husk was one of those schmucks who would drink themselves stupid in order to avoid the 3 days of hormones and neediness.
At least, that’s what he usually would do.
It only took one inhale of an ‘Alpha’ demon's pheromones for him to fall into an early heat. Generally, this never happened. Nothing would trigger his heat so easily, especially not some smelly bastard who couldn’t contain his stank.
And no demon could ever sway his heat into the submissive role. He always felt open to fucking or being fucked. Husk always felt as though he had a choice in the matter. Although, if he were being honest with himself, he would most likely just lie there and take it. He did fall into the city of Sloth for a reason, after all.
After all the shit he went through while he was alive, he was too tired and jaded to give a shit anymore. So, color him surprised when he suddenly felt the desperate need to roll onto his back and bare his belly like a goddamn animal. He would have felt disgusted at the time, if he were in his right mind.
But he wasn’t in his right mind. Therefore, somewhat rational Husk could shove it up his grumpy ass.
It all started when Husk went to work another day at the Hazbin Hotel. He had run out of alcohol at his apartment and he was already irritable from a night of not drinking, so he definitely was in no mood to deal with the morons at said establishment. Unsurprisingly, when he began to man the bar, he was already giving the customers and hotel guests a ‘warm welcome’.
No one had the guts to call him out for it, most likely used to his attitude by now.
He was not even two hours into his shift when he noticed it. Something that went from smelling like some fancy cologne before shifting into something... swampy? He couldn’t put his finger on it and was too distracted by the sudden wave of heat that all but punched him in the gut.
He had to grab the counter at his sudden lack of balance, too stunned to hide the fishlike look of shock that covered his face. He would have known if his heat was coming; there would have been pre-heat symptoms and everything! Why did his heat come on so suddenly?!
It was two months early, for fucks sake!
Trying to ignore the prickly feeling beneath his fur, he swallowed hard and tried to focus. He had to get home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Husk knew he wouldn’t even make it halfway before succumbing to his body's needs. It wouldn’t be long before he was begging for someone to take him like some needy whore.
The thought nearly made him tear out his fur in frustration. There was no fucking way he would degrade himself like that. Stumble around like a drunken buffoon? Sure. But begging for dick from some nobody on the street? Fuck that.
It was then that he noticed the smell getting worse. More pungent and heavy, like a second skin or a thick coat. He practically felt it seep into his fur, as though it was filling up his lungs like water.
Opening his eyes (when had he closed them?), he tried to focus on finding a way home. He didn’t want to be stuck in the hotel during his heat. Maybe someone that wouldn’t take advantage of him could... Oh, for the love of all that was terrible and rotting, how could he be so stupid?!
Alastor! That smiley fuck could snap his fingers and Husk would be home in an instant. There was no way he would want a horny cat at the hotel, especially not with his aversion to anything sexual. He wouldn’t even hesitate to send Husk home.
Determined to find the psycho, Husk glanced around and felt relieved that no one noticed his predicament. Too busy caring about their own pointless lives to notice his internal panic. It didn’t take long to spot the red eyesore and he began to make his way over.
As he got closer, he noticed Alastor standing as stiffly as Husk held himself. The tall demon had his arms clenched tightly behind his back, seemingly discussing something serious with the princess of hell. He wondered how much worse his heat induced state would disgust Alastor. Probably a shit ton. The thought would have made him at least smirk but the cramping in his abdomen twisted his lips into a nasty grimace.
Coming to a stop behind the much taller man, Husk cleared his throat and opened his mouth to interrupt the others conversation... only to choke on his words as the powerful scent from before amped up to an all-time high. He slapped his paw-like hand over his mouth and nose, claws nearly slicing into his cheek.
The two powerful demons in front of him halted their conversation abruptly. Charlie’s eyes widening to the size of dinner plates at whatever expression Alastor was making. Husk struggled to focus on her face, gasping behind his hand as he nearly suffocated himself in order to avoid inhaling the heady scent.
He had to hurry and get the fuck out of here!
“Ch-Charlie, I need to take the next few days off.” At this point, he could care less how his voice wavered. He needed to leave. Now.
“Wait, you too?!”
What the fuck did she mean by that?
It was then that Alastor turned to face him. When Husk looked up, he almost forgot about the assault taking place on his body. For once, the demon before him was not smiling. Sure, his teeth were visible but it was more like he was baring them in hostility. Those red eyes were narrowed and staring straight into Husk’s soul.
Now, Husk had never felt afraid of Alastor before. Wary? Yes. Sick of his shit? Most definitely. But piss your pants terrified? Never.
Today was the start of many firsts for Husk and he did not appreciate it in the slightest.
Husk felt his arms fall limply to his sides, eyes wide and ears resting flat against his skull. A quiet, nearly-there rumble began in his throat; the start of a growl that would soon morph into a hiss. His instincts were yelling at him to run. He was in no state to fight and there was no way he would win even if he wasn’t in heat.
Their staring contest must have freaked Charlie out, for she bodily threw herself in front them. Neither Alastor nor Husk looked away from each other, even as Charlie managed to wedge herself into the small space in between them.
“Okay, let’s just stay calm! We can figure this out like nice, rational demons! So, there is definitely no need to fight! ...right?” The nervous tone in her voice made him break eye contact -don’t look away from a predator, don’t look away- and take several uncoordinated steps back.
“Charlie, I need to be anywhere but fucking here right now,” Husk growled, feeling a shitty mix between horny and panicked. “Somewhere far away from- from everyone.” He was on the verge of begging, he could feel it.
And he couldn’t care less.
Charlie held her hands up in a passive gesture, “Alright, we- uh... we can put you on the top floor! The whole floor is empty and no one will disturb you or hear anything and- oh my god, how did we not prepare for this?!” She groaned, smacking her red cheeks in despair.
Any other time he would have laughed at her misfortune, but he was too busy feeling relieved at the thought of locking himself away. “Which room do you not mind getting fucked up,” Husk blurted, entirely serious and only feeling slightly guilty at the princess’ shocked expression.
She’s had her own ruts, he’s sure. He didn’t understand why she was so surprised. Maybe it was because it was Husk? Yeah, no one wanted to see an old, broken man beg to be pounded into the ground. The thought made him grimace as warmth curled in his belly.
Ugh.
Charlie snapped out of her stupor and took a step forward, eyes narrowing in determination. “Okay, let’s get you into the elevator. The faster we get you there, the better.” She took out a keyring holding what looked to be hundreds of keys –how the fuck are there that many keys on that tiny ass keyring- and unhooked the one she was looking for.
She took another step towards him, “Here-,” A deep, growl-like rumble made both demons freeze. Husk felt his fur fluff up at the sound, his eyes locking onto the overlord once more.
Alastor had his red glowing eyes locked onto Charlie’s back. His grin sharp and nearly covering the entire lower half of his face. He looked pissed off, as if he was about to attack the princess at any second. Speaking of the blonde standing in between them, she looked as though she wanted to turn around and stay rooted in place at the same time.
The poor girl was trembling.
Husk clenched his jaw and decided enough was enough. They all needed to get away from each other and get their shit together. He had no idea why Alastor was acting all pissy at Charlie but Husk wasn’t going to just stand there and watch her take the brunt of the radio demons' wrath.
“Alastor, tone it the fuck down,” Husk snapped, his tail lashing behind him in agitation. He felt his wings flare when the taller demons’ head snapped up with an audible crack. His body seemed sharper, somehow. As if Alastor was about to shift into his more monstrous form.
Which, he might be. Goddamn it, Husk had to get the smiley fuck out of here before someone got eaten. And by the feral sounds coming from Alastor, as well as the strange white noise echoing throughout the hotel's lobby, there was a high chance that would be happening very soon.
“Charlie, give me the key.” Said girl looked up at him with an uneasy frown, clearly not sure if she should take the risk of moving and upsetting the deer demon behind her even further. Not that he could blame her but he had to get this shit show on the road. He reached forward and snatched the key out of her grip before turning to address the tall psychopath who was still glaring holes into Husk’s face.
“Come on, we’re going upstairs-” Suddenly, Husk was engulfed in shadows and the feeling of being dragged under water hit him like a freight train. When the shadows lifted, he found himself stumbling forward and flailing his arms to catch himself.
Disoriented, he glanced around and realized he was in one of the hotels many rooms.
“What the fuck... how in the hell did I-” Hands clamping down onto his shoulders interrupted his confusion, causing him to jerk out of the firm hold and swipe at the offender.
Said offender turned out to be Alastor, who easily dodged the cat demons’ attack. “My my, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.” The taller man’s voice lacked the usual radio sound effect; sounding quieter and deeper.
Husk squinted, pupils turning into slits. “You’re one to talk. You nearly gave the princess a goddamn heart attack,” he sneered. He was too uncomfortable and dizzy to be dealing with this bullshit right now. He should be drunk and unconscious. Unfortunately, his sudden heat made that impossible and he had to deal with 3 days of hormonal suffering.
“I don’t know what crawled up your ass and died but-”
“She was too close to you.”
Husk blinked owlishly up at Alastor, baffled. “....what?”
Alastor’s grin wavered, glowing eyes narrowing. “She should know better,” He tsked, stepping forward to undo Husk’s bowtie.
Husk let him take away the unoffensive garment, unmoving as he tried to kick his heat-addled brain into gear. He tried to figure out what Alastor meant by Charlie not being allowed to... stand next to him? About her knowing not to be near Husk? What the fuck did he mean by that?
“I’m pretty sure Charlie being in the same room as me is a given considering we work at the same shithole, you jackass.”
Alastor hummed, as though he were taking the shorter demons’ words into consideration, before flicking Husk’s hat off his head.
Husk sputtered, smacking Alastor’s hand away from his head. “Oi, what the hell are you doing?! Knock that shit off! I’m already naked enough as it is, you weirdo.” His fur already made it hard to sleep under a blanket, don’t get him started on clothes.
His upper arms were grabbed, holding him still as the taller demon leaned down into his space. Their faces only inches apart. Husk tried not to squint at the glow the deer demons’ eyes gave off. The lack of space between them only reminded Husk of the painful throbbing within his pelvis.
It was also a reminder as to how he still carried a torch for Alastor, even after all these years. Over a decade of trying to get rid of his feelings and he still wanted nothing more than to be near the murderous cannibal before him. Just the thought made his heart flutter and he had to beat down his selfish desires with a mental stick. A stick covered in spikes and rusted nails.
A sharp claw tracing his jawline snapped him out of his daze, eyes focusing on the demon before him once more.
Alastor’s eyes trailed over his face, a soft grin tugging at his lips. Husk felt breathless at being on the receiving end of not just that look but such gentle touches. Alastor and gentle in the same sentence was nearly laughable.
And that smell...
Wait. The scent that had made him want to bend himself over the nearest flat surface and beg for relief was right here. The fancy cologne mixed with some kind of swamp or forest. The smell was coming from Alastor!
He was the one who was pumping out pheromones and triggering lesser demon’s heats. He- oh holy fucking shit, Alastor was in rut.
The claw tracing Husk’s jaw slid up across his cheek and paused on his lower lip. Alastor’s gaze followed the path of his finger, now looking directly at Husk’s lips. The intensity of his stare making it that much harder for Husk to push away the fog desperately trying to drag him under.
If Alastor was in rut, there was no way he was in his right mind and it would definitely explain how strange he was acting. Alastor was arosexual. Sure, there are situations where Aromantics and Asexuals have had happy and successful relationships but Alastor always made his general dislike of sex and romantic relationships known.
Alastor would never be caught dead being so intimate with someone. Especially not Husk.
So Alastor must not be in full control of his actions... which meant Husk was taking advantage of Alastor by letting him do whatever he wanted in his rut-addled state. Husk thought his heart was about to punch its way out of his ribcage at the very idea.
He had to stop this before their mating instincts fully kicked in.
Husk wrapped his claws around Alastor’s wrist and slowly, yet firmly tugged the sharp red claws away from his face. This seemed to somewhat snap the taller demon out of his trance. Good. The more he was able to ‘sober’ Alastor up, the faster Alastor would understand what was happening and leave. He would realize how disgusting it would be to spend a rut with someone like Husk.
Husk heaved a sigh, ignoring the painful twinge in his chest as he released Alastor’s wrist. “Al, we have to stop. You’re in rut and I’m in heat and neither of us are thinkin’ straight right now.”
Alastor continued to stare at him, his expression unreadable.
Husk ran a hand down his face, ignoring the slight sting of his claws catching his cheek and nose. “If you don’t go, you’ll do something you’ll regret. Trust me.” He kept his paw on his face, giving him an excuse to not look at the demon before him. Maybe when he uncovered his face and opened his eyes, Alastor would be gone.
The thought made him unbearably sad but at least they could go back to the way things were before their mating cycles decided to sync up. And Husk could always drink his problems away. He was a pro at ignoring his feelings, after all.
Husk’s heat took that as its cue to finally fuck him over for good. His knees buckled and he stumbled backwards, his lower back luckily hitting something soft. Blearily, he looked behind himself and struggled to register that he was leaning up against a bed. Any rational thought he had was thrown out the window as he looked over the comfortable looking piece of furniture.
Said bed would make a perfect nest.
Turning around fully, he sank his claws into the comforter and began yanking and pulling at the bedding. He arranged the sheets on one side and was preparing on crawling onto the bed to start on the next side when he was interrupted.
Long fingers gripped his hips, a firm chest pressed against his back; warmth seeping into his furred frame and adding to his already overheated body.
His thoughts scattered, mind going hazy as he forgot what he was doing not even a minute ago. Something in the back of his head was nagging at him, as if trying to fight its way to the surface. Tell him something was wrong. But the feeling of sharp teeth against his neck distracted him.
Husk suddenly found himself on his back, the silky sheets of the bed-no, the nest- beneath him forcing a gasp from his throat.
Alastor hovered above him, a guttural growl coming from him. Husk could only watch, bleary eyed and dazed, as the other demon snapped his fingers and magically closed the curtains. Once the large windows were covered, Alastor’s eyes glowed harshly. The light seemed to reflect off of his teeth and make them seem more sinister. Knife-like.
That was the last somewhat intelligible thought Husk had before everything faded away.
-------
When Husk wakes up, he first notices how relaxed and loose he feels. That is rare in and of itself. He then notices how gross he feels. He has a taste of rotting flesh in his mouth and his fur feels messy and matted.
He forces himself to open his eyes, no matter how exhausted he feels. He’s lying on his side in a destroyed bed. The sheets and comforter have been ripped to shreds. He is lying on one stretched out wing while the other his half-hazardly draped over him.
It takes him longer than he would like to admit to come to his senses and figure out where he is; and when he remembers- oh boy does he fucking remember.
The hotel room that wasn’t his.
Why he feels so disgusting.
The solid weight pressed against his back and moving-
Oh fuck, Alastor-
Husk tried to steady his breathing and pretend to still be asleep, even when all he desperately wanted to do was throw himself out one of the large windows across the room. He felt Alastor shift against him, the arm beneath his head (oh shit) flexing before relaxing.
He felt several claws slide into the fur on his hip, trailing lightly back and forth in a somewhat soothing motion. Alastor let out a deep sigh that Husk practically felt through his own body.
Husk tried not to panic (he failed miserably) and he tried to put his sober brain to good -lets be real, it has never been good- use. Start simple and get the facts straight. He and Alastor had... sex? Nah, too impossible to think about. Mated? Yeah, that was definitely it. It was more animalistic in the way that it relied heavily on instinct and it also made more sense considering how much Alastor despised anything involving the word sex-
Oh no. Oh shit oh fuck oh god damnit-
Alastor would never do something like this by choice! Especially with someone like him! The stag was in rut and had no choice of who he fucked and that meant that Husk had taken advantage of him?
No, Husk was in heat and he had tried to get away... right? Husk definitely made it clear that he didn’t want to mate and Alastor has enough self-control to leave if he wanted. It's not like his heat had forced Alastor’s rut to worsen. Not like how the red demon’s rut had made Husk’s heat worse...
Or that’s exactly what happened.
God motherfucking damnit, of course his heat would trigger a demon in rut! He wouldn’t have any effect on a demon that wasn’t ‘in-season’ but a demon in rut? The smell of his heat would definitely have an effect on a rut-induced demon.
That just made things worse! That meant that Alastor had no choice and Husk was too stupid to get away from Alastor from the beginning. Ugh, he should have just taken a chance and tried to get to his apartment or even just to a hotel room to ride it out. He shouldn’t have singled Alastor out to selfishly get home faster.
What a fucking god-awful piece of shit he was-
A harsh shudder across his back from the demon haunting his thoughts tore him from his inner turmoil. Husk stayed perfectly still as Alastor seemed to stop shaking, release a shaky breath and carefully maneuver his arm from beneath Husk’s head. He peeled himself -it literally felt that way, probably from sweat and other fluids- from the cat demons back and quietly walked away (he was always quiet, definitely not doing it for Husks benefit, not that he would deserve such kindness). The sound of a door closing and water running made Husk relax.
Alastor must have woken up enough to feel repulsed from their activities and he had to clean off any proof of their romp in order to feel better. Alastor must feel mortified! God, Husk felt awful for making the other feel like this.
He considered Alastor one of his closest friends- hell, his only friend. They had gotten close over the last several years, as strange as that sounded. Alastor always did get what he wanted in the end and at the time that was Husk’s friendship. Or loyalty. That made more sense.
When he got bored, that was when fuckers needed to run.
But Husk had developed feelings for the cannibalistic overlord which only made the situation worse. He not only took advantage of his friend but he also loved him. Which just confirmed that his heat-addled mind did it on purpose in order to satisfy his fucked-up needs.
Husk had never hated himself more (who would have thought he could loathe or think of himself even less).
Heaving out a sigh and trying not to weep in despair, he forced himself out of bed and onto wobbly legs. He knew it was too soon to get up. That mates needed to rest for a day and stay near each other to either strengthen the mating bond or heal faster, but Husk needed distance.
He had to run.
And he knew he couldn’t get far. He was too weak, for one. Husk also wasn’t one to hide either. If he dies, he dies. Sure, he wouldn’t go down without a fight but... he wouldn’t fight Alastor, well usually he would but not this time. He deserved whatever was coming to him.
He also knew he wouldn’t be able to get far because of the simple fact that no one could escape the radio demon.
Shaking his head, Husk stumbled his way out of the hotel room and to the elevator. He didn’t stop until he made it to his hotel room (Charlie had everyone on staff have a room in case they needed it). He fished his key out of his wing, thanking lucifer that it hadn’t been knocked out from previous activities, and unlocked the door.
He didn’t bother locking it behind him and went straight to the bathroom. He needed to get this gross taste out of his mouth, as well as the nasty crap that was matting his fur.
First, he did his best to shower off the grime, struggling to stand as he continuously grabbed onto the rim of the tub for support. Once he finished, he couldn’t handle the strain on his body and decided to lie in the tub. The sore feeling radiating off of nearly every part of his body made him suck up the fact that he hated being wet and how heavy it made his fur and wings. Husk put the stopper in the drain and let the water fill up halfway before shutting off the water.
He tried to ignore how he deserved to suffer the pain of his and Alastor’s coupling. How he shouldn't allow himself to sooth his aches and pains with a hot bath.
Right now, it was the only thing holding him together. It didn’t help that he knew being away from his mate was what made his pain worse. Again, mates needed to recuperate together and he had just broken a generally followed rule. He wondered if Alastor would feel the same... but he quickly shoved the thought away.
Alastor would not want to be near Husk, not after he had defiled him.
Husk trembled and shoved his cheek against the lip of the fancy tub harder. He lied on his side and stretched out, his shoulder and hip sticking out of the water. The expensive tub was open on all sides, allowing Husk’s wings to flop over the back of the tub and sprawl limply over the floor.
Once he felt as though a nice bruise would form on his cheek from his rough treatment, he eased on the pressure and squeezed his eyes shut.
Alastor would probably heal quickly, due to his power and abilities. He wouldn’t need to suffer through the aftereffects of mating. He’d be fine, well... physically.
A quiet hissing sound made Husk open his eyes. It didn’t sound like the hiss of hot water... movement caught his eye and he spotted a shadow-like creature finish sliding its way in from under the bathroom door. It formed two glowing blue eyes and looked around before locking eyes with Husk.
It froze before an excited sharp grin slid across its maw. The shadowy blob let out a tiny shriek before sliding back under the door.
Before Husk could finish processing what he had just witnessed, the bathroom door slammed open. The heavy wood splintering once it made contact with the wall. Husk felt his wet fur try to rise, eyes dilating at the sudden possibility of an enemy.
He shouldn’t have been surprised when Alastor stepped into view.
He sighed and didn’t bother getting up, letting his head fall back against the lip of the tub with a resigned thunk. At least he could get his punishment over with. If he was lucky, he would finally die and be rid of everything.
But that was only if Alastor made it quick and didn’t feel the need to drag everything out.
Said demon stepped into the bathroom wearing a red striped robe, wasting no time in making his way over to the bathtub. Alastor’s eyes roamed over the cat demon’s body, frantically checking him over for... what, he wasn’t sure.
“What?” Husk snapped, feeling shaky all of the sudden.
Alastor’s red colored claws clicked against the porcelain of the tub as he grasped the rim, his grip so tight it made a groaning sound echo within the steam filled room. His eyes went half-lidded, voice raspy and deep as he whispered, “Wait.”
Before he could open his mouth to ask, Husk suddenly felt his body tense as waves of pain fell over him. He trembled and held back a pained yowl; the ache of his ass quickly made itself known and he would have felt embarrassed if it weren't for the fact that he could barely catch his breath from how much he hurt. He absolutely ached.
Demon mating's were no laughing matter. They were intense; making demons act downright feral and out of their minds. He wasn’t surprised at how horrible he felt but goddamn did it suck.
“F-fuck...,” Husk choked out as the pain began to fade. He felt even worse now, fully knowing it was because he didn’t stay in his- their- nest. Newly mated demons needed to stay together for at least a day in order to avoid feeling so shitty. Sure, it wouldn’t kill the demons if they chose not to stay together but it would take a few more days to recover and it would be pretty damn painful.
That kinda shit was common knowledge down in this hell hole.
“Why did you leave?”
Husk opened his eyes, blinking hard to clear his now watery vision before focusing on the overlord before him. Alastor had moved closer, choosing to crouch down in order to be directly in front of Husk. Their faces were less than a foot apart.
Might as well get this over with.
“I’m sorry...” Alastor titled his head, his hair swaying with the movement. Husk took a deep breath and forced himself to continue, “I’m sorry for... well, all of this. You were in rut and I was in heat. This, what we did- it was all my fault.”
Alastor opened his mouth and leaned forward, most likely to agree but Husk quickly cut him off. He was on a roll and he needed to get this out before he got cold feet and made things worse (although it was probably too late for that).
“I knew you were in rut and I didn’t try hard enough to get you away from me. You were probably far from being in the right state of mind and with my heat added to the mix- goddamnit, Al... I know how you feel about this kinda shit. You must feel so fucking violated.”
Husk grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as possible. He so badly wanted to beg for forgiveness. He would never admit it to anyone but he cared so deeply for the demon in front of him. He knew his feelings were one-sided but that didn’t stop his cold, dead heart from loving someone so hard and so much.
He loved this man with his entire being. From his sharp wit to his frightening sense of humor. He even loved the stag’s murderous tendencies. Alastor was the first demon he had ever cared for. The second obviously being Nifty, who understood him in a way no one other than Alastor could.
That crazy little neat freak of a bug.
Husk would do anything for his ragtag group of weirdos. He would die for them-
A firm, yet warm pressure against his forehead halted his thoughts. Husk’s eyes snapped open, nearly going cross-eyed in order to make out the blurry image before him. He nearly jerked away when he realized what he was looking at.
Alasor had leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together.
He could barely make out the red iris's staring back into his own burnt-orange pair. He felt the warmth of every breath Alastor took and he held back a shiver. This was way too intimate, why was Al-
“My dear, I believe you may have some... misconceptions of the events that have recently taken place. Allow me to explain it to you in a way that you would understand.”
Alastor pulled back to look him in the eyes properly. His grin much smaller and more reserved. “I was indeed in rut. I had gone to Charlie, my wonderful yet naïve business partner, to ask for the next few days off. Imagine my surprise when I smelled the most delightful aroma coming from behind me.”
Husk felt his cheeks heat up at the compliment, biting his tongue to keep his usual poker face in place (he failed).
“I turn around and alas! The scent of Sazerac and something delightfully smoky was coming from you.” Alastor let out a dreamy sigh, eyes trailing over Husk’s body fondly (...wait, what?). “At first, I could hardly believe such a divine creature was standing before me. So close and perfectly within my reach,” Alastor held up his hand and slowly closed his hand into a fist. “It seemed as though Hell had dropped my soulmate right into my lap.”
Red eyes moved to lock with his own, the subdued yet sharp grin turning coy, “Well... almost.”
Husk felt his mouth go dry as he struggled to keep up; his ears flattening to his skull as he became more flustered with every word the man before him spoke. Holy shit, what the fuck was happening?
“Now, I do regret my more... aggressive behavior. You are correct in how our actions become solely focused on instinct and need rather than rational thought and common sense. However, I being the demon that I am have no such lack of control! I am the epitome of self-awareness and self-control. I only become more violent and I cannot be faulted for something so trivial.”
Alastor paused then, unclenching his fist and reaching into the tub to slide his fingers into the warm water. He twirled his claws in a swirling motion with a thoughtful look on his face, brows furrowing in concentration.
“On the other hand, I fail to see how our coupling was your fault. It was my rut that forced you to fall into heat, was it not?”
Alastor must have noticed the baffled look on his face, for he sighed and shook his head in disappointment. “Husk, my dear friend. How long have I known you? Of course, I would be able to figure out when your yearly heat cycle would take place. I am not like the other ignorant fools that inhabit this relm.
“I knew the moment I laid eyes on you what had occurred and for that I apologize. I never meant to sync our cycles, yet... I do not regret it in the slightest.”
Husk’s head shot up, although the rest of his body remained in place. He was too sore to move no matter how badly he wanted to jump out of this tub and shake Al’s shoulders. How could Alastor not regret what they had done? He should be disgusted and outraged! No one would willingly spend their mating cycle with Husk, especially not the radio demon.
Before he could question him, Alastor continued, “There is no one I trust more to handle my rut. Other despicable creatures would have been eaten but you... You’re worth is far more valuable, my beloved.”
B-beloved?!
Cupping the hand he had in the water, Alastor poured the small amount of water over Husk’s shoulder and hip (the only other parts of him sticking out of the water besides his head and wings). He did this a few more times before placing his hand over the soaked fur of his lower half, thumb dragging over the swell of his hip.
Alastor’s gaze followed his own ministrations, his grin small but not in a bad way? He looked almost... content.
“I admit, this was not how I originally planned to confess my affections. I had the most spectacular date planned! Oh, you would have had a wonderful time, dearest. But not to fear, we can still go on that date. Sure, my plans to ‘woo’ you are currently out of order yet that doesn’t have to stop us! Why, once we get back into the swing of things, we can go to Mimzy’s speakeasy and-”
Husk felt his jaw drop as Alastor began to ramble about their future dates. He could barely believe what he was hearing and he most definitely had no idea how to respond.
He needed to get his shit together and understand what had just happened. So, Alastor didn’t blame him for their ‘accidental’ mating. Not only did he not blame Husk for what had happened, he also preferred Husk to be the one to mate with him? And Al wanted to date him before all this mating bullshit went down?
What the hell was even happening right now?
Husk felt relieved that he didn’t take advantage of Alastor. He still felt guilty but at least Alastor had control- wait a fucking goddamn minute...
“You were in control.”
Alastor made a face at being interrupted, not angry but clearly displeased at not being able to finish talking about possible date ideas. “Pardon?”
“Your rut. You said you were in control.”
Alastor looked confused, “Yes?”
“....you chose to mate with me. On purpose.”
Alastor tilted his head once more before he straightened, eyes brightening in realization. “Ah, yes! I was in complete control the entire time! Sure, I became a little distracted here and there but I could have stopped our rendezvous at any moment.”
“Why would you... with me?”
“Husker, my darling. Must I repeat myself? I am infatuated with you. When our mating cycles synced, I knew our relationship was meant to be! It was too late for you to drink yourself into a drunken stupor and while I can ignore the nasty side effects my ruts can bring on; I could never allow you to suffer on your own. Or worse...”
Alastor’s irises suddenly reshaped into radio dials, his grin stretching unnaturally across his face. “I could never allow you to spend your heat with someone else. No one is worthy of your time or your body. No one but me.” The stag demon leaned back into Husk’s personal space, the hand on his hip gripping tight enough to emphasize his words.
“You belong to me.”
Usually, Husk would smack Alastor upside the head for claiming possession over his person. Now? He could care fucking less. He felt heat rush to his face so fast he thought his flesh was about to melt off. Husk felt flustered and shocked at the same time.
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
He didn’t even try to hide behind his poker face. He was too stunned to even speak right now. Alastor’s face went back to normal and he chuckled. “Now, what is that face for? I believe I have explained the situation clearly enough for you to understand. Did my confession truly surprise you that much?”
Husk opened and closed his mouth for a moment, uncaring of how stupid he looked, before nodding his head. “Fucking, yeah I’m surprised. Hell, surprised doesn’t even cover it! Al, you don’t even like sex, for fucks sake!”
Alastor hummed, the hand on Husk’s hip loosening its hold. His fingers went back to carding through the slowly drying fur. “I most certainly do not see the appeal... at least, not for just anyone.” Red eyes locked onto his own pair once more. “However, there can be exceptions.”
“Exceptions?”
“Yes. Before I had met you, I believed such a thing to be impossible. Now, I know that not to be true. Over time, I have grown to not only crave your presence,” the hand on his hip lifted to stroke Husk’s furred cheek, “but your flesh.”
Husk took a second to process what he had just heard before giving Alastor an unimpressed look, “If you try to eat me, I’ll scratch your fucking face off.”
Alastor threw his head back and laughed.
“There’s my clever companion! I nearly thought I had broken you. What a shame that would have been.”
“I will get out of this bathtub and fight you.”
Alastor gave Husk a delighted grin and cackled, “Oh, my dear, you always know just what to say to make me laugh! If you even had a small sliver of a chance at besting me in a fight... why, the thought is simply hilarious! Ha ha ha!”
Husk huffed and closed his eyes, his somewhat bruised cheek throbbing as he rested his head back on the lip of the tub. He knew Al was right and if he were being honest, he didn’t really care about who would win in a fight.
It didn’t matter that Alastor was more powerful. It made Husk seem more unassuming that way. Just like when he would play cards at the casino, it was great to be underestimated and it gave Husk the upper hand.
Husk grimaced as another wave of pain tore through him. It wasn’t as intense as before but it was still awful. After around 30 seconds, the pain ebbed away and he sighed in relief. Just having Alastor near him made all the difference but the pain would only stop if they were in a ‘nest’ together and constantly touching each other.
Cuddling, for lack of a better word.
Husk blinked open his eyes and nearly jumped out of the tub when he saw Alastor gritting his teeth; his red eyes were squinted in obvious discomfort. Immediately, Husk realized that the stag demon was also suffering the same side effects and it was Husk’s fault for separating them in the first place.
Sure, Husk had a decent reason but that didn’t mean Alastor had to suffer from someone else’s mistakes.
When Alastor relaxed and straightened from his tense posture, Husk reached up and out of the tub to run his wet claws through the others red bangs. Alastor froze and locked eyes with Husk; his gaze piercing and scrutinizing at the same time.
Husk ignored the look and smoothed Alastor’s bangs back. The fluffy, yet tame hair only moved up slightly from its original position; which made sense considering how hard it was to ever mess up Alastor’s physical form.
“I know it’s a stupid question and the answer is glaringly obvious but... are you okay?”
Alastor’s sharp features softened, his hand reaching up to hold Husk’s. He intertwined their fingers and held the paw to his cheek, nuzzling the heart shaped paw pad gently.
“Do not fret, my dear. I am as right as rain.”
Alastor suddenly took that moment to nearly give Husk a heart attack. He suddenly stood up and swooped down, plucking Husk from the tub as if he weighed nothing at all; wrapping him in a large fluffy towel that seemingly materialized out of thin air.
“Holy shi-”
“Now, I believe we have delayed the inevitable for long enough.”
“Hey, what are you-”
The overlord ignored his hysterics, his shadows covering them for a moment only to spit them back out in Alastor’s room. Said room was as classy as it was off-putting. Husk had been there a handful of times and was still unable to process the full extent of what he would see when entering the premises.
Sometimes Alastor’s room was normal; the décor consisting of various shades of red and black. There was the bed and wardrobe, the side tables and desk.... but other times, Alastor’s room would have random parts of what appeared to be a swamp.
The swamp would seem to stretch endlessly, not following the laws of physics (not that Alastor was one to follow such a basic concept in the first place) and would feel as dangerous as the demon who summoned it.
At the moment, the swamp was present. It wrapped around the hotel rooms furniture as if it belonged there. Behind them was the door that led into the hotel itself. To the right you could see the wall that held the door to the bathroom, as well as a wardrobe.
In the back-right corner was a desk and armchair that looked as fancy as it did intimidating. That was where the swamp came in, circling the desk with grass and tree’s that sprung up behind it. The swamp then stretched to the left and the walls and windows of the hotel on that side seemingly ceased to exist.
The large king bed was to the left as well and it was surrounded by swamp water. Husk was not interested in seeing how deep said water was, nor was he interested in what creatures may reside in it. Knowing Alastor, there could be anything hiding in those mucky waters.
Next was the stone-like path placed in between the swamp grass that lead to the many pieces of furniture and doors spread across the room.
Alastor made his way down the path that specifically lead to the end of the bed, taking a large step over the water and easily hopping onto the comforter. His shadow creatures appeared and pulled back the sheets, allowing the overlord to place Husk down before arranging them both beneath the bedding in a way that satisfied him.
He sent his shadow minions away once he was settled and dragged Husk to him, their bodies aligned and pressed together tightly. Alastor wrapped one arm around Husk’s waist, the other tilting the older male’s chin up.
“Now, let us complete this bonding process properly. Shall we?”
Alastor leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Husk felt his normal brain functioning come to a screeching halt, body going slack in surprise. The stag demon took advantage of Husk’s shock and deepened the kiss, claws hold the cat demon in place as he practically ravished him on the spot.
It took several moments for Husk to get his bearings but when he did, he tried to give back as good as he got. He slid his arms around Alastor’s neck and kissed back, the taller demon humming in response and pulling Husk even closer (if that was even possible at this point).
Now Husk didn’t want to overstep any boundaries but he decided a simple swipe of the tongue along Alastor’s bottom lip wouldn’t kill anybody.
Unfortunately, he was proven wrong when he felt Alastor jolt, the arms around him tightening to the point of nearly bruising him. When Husk went to pull back, Alastor rolled them over and pinned him in place; mashing their mouths together and nearly slicing Husk’s lips and tongue open with his teeth in the process. His wings were crushed beneath him and the bed uncomfortably.
Before Husk could hiss and curse the other man out, Alastor shoved his tongue down his throat. Alastor’s tongue felt unnaturally long and thick, causing him to gag and swallow hard around the offending appendage in order to not throw up. Now, Husk could exaggerate spectacularly on a good day but right now he couldn’t make this shit up.
Don’t get him wrong, he didn’t hate what was happening but he was most definitely struggling to keep up. He was too old for this shit (more like inexperienced, not like he would ever admit it)!
Luckily, not even a minute later, the red eyed demon seemed to realize what he was doing and pulled back; tongue taking its rightful place back in that dangerous, knife-like teeth filled mouth.
The two panted heavily, staring into each other's eyes as they caught their breath.
“It would seem that we may have gotten a tad bit carried away.”
Husk laughed breathlessly, “Ya think?” He held back the urge to point out that it had been Alastor that had gone too far. Nearly suffocating him to death with a kiss, of all things.
Alastor chuckled, seeming to get his shit together faster than Husk (the bastard) and he turned them both back onto their sides, facing each other. He tucked Husk’s head beneath his chin and ran his clawed hands up and down the dark fur of the cat demons back.
Husk sighed and nuzzled the grayed neck in front of him. A few days earlier, if someone told him that he would be in this position, he would have laughed in the poor schmuck's face before downing several bottles of cheap booze.
Now, as sappy as it sounded, Husk felt as though he were on cloud nine. He didn’t even bother hiding the purr that practically tore itself from his throat.
He felt Alastor rub his chin against his forehead, sighing deeply and causing Husk’s ears to twitch in response. “My darling, never leave me.”
“Nah, you’re stuck with me. Which is a shame for you, really.”
“Good because I wouldn’t let you go even if you wanted to!”
Husk snorted, not even close to being surprised. The warm, fluttery feeling in his chest spread throughout his entire body and only succeeded in strengthening the sound of his purring. Alastor made an embarrassing cooing sound and proceeded to nuzzle Husk that much harder.
“My beautiful, sweet kitty! Why, if anyone ever dared to lay their hands upon you I would- well, I would destroy their meaningless existence as well as the ones they cared for.”
“Alright, let's not get crazy.”
“Oh, my beloved," Alastor pressed a firm kiss to Husk’s brow. “It is far too late for that.”
“Ugh.”
Husk decided right then and there that his yearly heats wouldn’t be as terrible to suffer through. Especially, since he had Alastor to spend them with. Maybe this whole mating thing wasn’t so bad after all.