When Alastor touched her shoulder, the chimera squirmed and pulled away from her abruptly. Al's hand hung in the air, and Husk opened her mouth, only to close it back and wrap her wings around herself in silent consternation. She withdrew her hand, her thin eyebrows arched pitifully. Even angry, Husk never shied away from her touch.
- Husk? - Al's voice was so miserable that Husk froze, unable to contain a large shiver. - Honey?
- Al, please don't touch me now," she warned quietly, though all she wanted to do was scream at the top of her voice until she was hoarse, and beat, beat, beat until her claws shattered.
Trying not to look at the frankly agitated fawn, Husk hurriedly turned around and left Alastor alone, hiding around the corner and running away. It was only when the door closed behind her with a satisfactory click and the bed creaked under her weight that Husk screamed, clawing her furry hand with her fangs. Her anger had not subsided, but the image of a disappointed Alastor rose before her eyes. Frightened. Unhappy. Her eyes filled with silly tears, and Husk caught herself on the bed, beating hysterically while her claws scratched the fabric of the pillows and she bit her own knuckles and cried, screaming into the cushion mangled by her own claws. Anger replaced hysterical crying, and Husk couldn't remember how long she cried like that before a terrible migraine hit her. Her head was subjected to heavy, blunt blows, and Husk whimpered, using her own wings as a blanket. She still couldn't tell how much time had passed when, exhausted by hysteria and headache, she fell into a shallow sleep that brought nothing but the supposed safety of pain and screaming.
But the first thing that caught her eye when she opened her eyelids was that she was covered waist-deep in a sheet, though she had been covering herself with her wings the whole time. Her head hummed faintly, but it was nothing compared to the terrible migraine she had experienced the day before. Opening her eyes, clotted with tears, Husk noticed a shadow curled up on her bed. The shadow immediately twitched and sat up straight, examining Husk, and she suppressed the impulse to cover herself more when the familiar shadow shook its head and slid toward the door, leaving Husk alone. While she was digesting what had happened, the door opened, and Husk spotted Alastor with a tray. On it were several glasses that smelled like hot chocolate and a deep bowl that smelled like something sweet.
- Al? - Husk's voice was quiet, even slightly hoarse. Did she really break her voice with a scream? Alastor's face took on an unreadable expression.
- Honey," Alastor glanced over at her and sighed heavily before sitting down to her, setting the tray on the nightstand. Husk tucked her legs slightly, letting Alastor sit beside her, and turned her head away. Now that she wasn't so aggressive anymore, she felt really bad.
- I suppose, my dear, something really upset you yesterday," Alastor began quietly, placing her hand on Husk's right thigh. The chimera flinched at this touch and, after thinking about it, still turned toward her. She couldn't ignore Alastor, not after such fucking one-actor theater.
- I guess," Husk said quietly, not daring to move under her hand. She was almost certain that in another minute, she would start shivering again. Alastor's palm began stroking her thigh through the sheet, stroking her side affectionately, and Husk could tell that she was able to restrain the shiver while Alastor gently adjusted the sheet on her. - Did you come to see me? - The chimera asked quietly, and Alastor smiled wearily.
- What do you think? - she asked with a slight reproach, and Husk felt a dissonance as she was distinctly cradled, covering her with the sheet and continuing to stroke her with her hands. The cat's brain began to throw up images: Husk was asleep, still shivering with convulsions, when Alastor shadowed her into her room. She couldn't see her face, but Husk could imagine Al's face was contorted in a grimace of... really, frustration or pain, Husk couldn't remember. But the fact that Alastor had made her take head pills and tucked her in with a blanket was enough to make Husk now try to get up on her elbows.
- Al," she sobbed softly, and Alastor reached out to touch her as Husk clutched at Alastor's shoulders and whimpered quietly, clinging to her chest and clutching at her shirt, wrapping them both in her wings. She expected any reaction - that Alastor would push her away, hit her, rebuke her, that Alastor had tried to soothe and support her, but Husk had refused to do so herself... But instead, Alastor squeezed her waist tightly, wrapping her arms around Husk, and Husk was pressed tightly against Alastor. They sat like that, clinging to each other, and only the quiet sobs of the cat and the quiet rustling of its wings broke the silence. Alastor's palm began to gently rub her back, helping to muffle the muffled cries, and Husk pressed her head against Alastor's cheek, letting the stranger's hands hold her tightly.
- You're fucking unbearable," Husk muttered, biting her knuckles, but Alastor only smiled meekly, not letting Husk pull away for a moment.
- I could say the same to you, dear," Alas whispered softly. - So, why did you act like that?
- I don't know," Husk hissed softly, wrapping her arms around Alastor's shoulders harder. - Al, I know I'm a bastard, I'm really sorry," Alastor rubbed her back under the base of her wings, helping to calm her breathing, and Husk wrapped her wings harder. Pulling away or pulling away was out of the question.
- I was worried about you," Alastor said quietly, and the chimera's ears pressed against her skull. She didn't deserve that.
- Al, I-
- Husk," she was shaken by her shoulders, and Husk was forced to stare at Alastor. She was still being hugged, claws clawing at her fur, and Husk didn't even realize when she'd been seated in Alastor's lap. Her trembling paws clutched at her shoulders, and Husk opened her mouth, feeling like she was suffocating. - Husk, breathe," Alastor said sharply, placing one hand on her shoulder, and Husk dutifully took a ragged breath, letting her rib cage quiver. Alastor stroked her arm and nodded.
- Come on. - she murmured, taking the same breath, and Husk, feeling her hand on her thigh, exhaled in unison with Alastor. A few more synchronized breaths and inhales, and Husk felt she could breathe.
- You're doing a good job, kitty," Alastor smiled, feeling Husk calm down, and Husk looked at her, bowing her head. She hadn't expected to be pulled to Alastor's smiling mouth, and Husk caught herself kissing the doe with her arms around her shoulders. Alastor hummed satisfactorily, and the cat exhaled into her lips, rubbing her cheek against Alastor's smiling face.
- Feeling better? - Alastor murmured in her ear, and the shiver that went through her body after that was much more pleasant.
- I'll live," Husk said uncertainly, allowing herself to reach for Alastor again and kiss her on the lips. - And I'm really sorry about yesterday. I know you're always up for a hug, but I was afraid I'd snap at you.
- You're terribly sensitive," Alastor sighed, but Husk saw her gaze soften and Alastor put her in a hug. Again. Husk really screwed up badly yesterday, and she wanted her Hugs back. Day. Hell of a month. Husk caught herself in the oddly sentimental thought that she could have agreed to give Alastor even her whole life.
- And you like that," Husk parried quietly, and quite snubbed as Alastor leaned in to kiss her neck.
- Yes, dear, you're right. I like that," Alastor chirped, covering her neck with kisses and making Husk giggle softly. There was no trace of the hysteria left.
When her fingers fumbled for the sensitive spot under Husk's old knee, the cat laughed, feeling the tickle, and Alastor smiled triumphantly, mercilessly playing with her fingers under her knee, making her squirm and giggle.
Husk couldn't explain her broken emotional compass, but Alastor was always there for her. It was bloody amazing, and Husk, though she couldn't find an explanation for it, didn't want Alastor to leave her. Alastor wasn't clearly not going to leave her alone, though. And Husk was fine with that.
- The chocolate is getting cold," Alastor snapped Husk out of her thoughts, handing her a mug of the still-hot drink, and Husk dutifully accepted it, taking a sip. She squeezed her eyes shut, licking her eyes contentedly. She really liked the chocolate with a hint of alcohol.
- It was still warm. - Husk objected, sipping her drink. She was still sitting on Alastor's skinny thighs, but she was damn comfortable, and she wasn't going to get up from it in the next hour or two.
- You can't make hot drinks get cold," Alastor told her off, and Husk showed her tongue, returning to her mug. Doe snorted softly, kissing her shoulder, and Husk, undisturbed by the hug and the chocolate, purred softly before she realized that this offensive sound had come off her lips. Alastor squealed happily, hugging her tighter, and Husk silently continued purring until her mug was empty. Alastor nodded contentedly and held out her hand, while Husk gave her the mug and rested her head comfortably on her shoulder. The mugs disappeared, and Alastor pulled Husk, forcing her to lie completely on her feet, to which Husk did not object in any way.
- Will you... Will you stay? - Husk asked with a raised eyebrow, and Alastor tapped her chin with a thoughtful finger.
- You can't complain," she said smugly, and Husk snorted quietly.
- I'll fucking complain if you leave me alone.
- I won't let that happen," Alastor promised, grinning.
- Very reassuring," Husk tried to swallow a purr, wrapping her arms around her waist and nestling into her shoulder. Without speaking, they lay down on the bed and pressed against each other, and Alastor wrapped her arms around Husk's waist, her face against her breasts. Husk awkwardly nuzzled her neck with her nose, and they closed their eyes to the light jazz music.
Fuck this hotel.
Later, Husk wakes up with lipstick on her neck and chest, and to her outraged cries, Alastor tells her that Husk looks insanely beautiful with red on her neck. To which Husk will promise to leave her a fucking hickey, which will match Alastor's aesthetic. And of course, Alastor will later clamp Husk against the wall of her room, only to knock the ground out from under her and kiss her, before biting her and getting a mouthful of black and white hair before they both laughed like crazy, swearing and kissing.