Chapter Text
1)
Vox is not in love.
Yes, he likes his new acquaintance. After Alastor’s betrayal, the man no longer known as Vincent Whittman believed he would never found another soul that matched his ambition.
Then one of those wannabe overlords was found killed in his bed and Valentino’s name came to his ears for the first time. The moth pimp was a firestarter, trouble in fishnets and high heels and Vox was already semi interested the first time he went to one of his performances.
Seeing him decapitate an imp whore on stage had been enough for Vox to secure a meeting.
“Mr. Vox” a cat demon welcomes him, her dark orange fur glowing with the club lights “we weren’t expecting you tonight, sir”
She is one of Val’s oldest whores. One of the privileged ones; most of them got themselves killed after a couple of years. Vox could never remember her name but she was quiet and accommodating, smart enough to be needed and to know how to keep away from troubles.
Vox could make her a good secretary if Val ever got tired of her.
“Is Valentino here?”
“Yes, sir. On the private room” she bows politely “this way, sir”
The reek of sex hits Vox as he follows the cat inside the club. He is no longer strange to this kind of establishment, but he personally thinks the moth demon could try to be classier. He would laugh at Vox if he told him, of course, but the feel remains.
An intoxicated fish whore throws herself at him from a dark corner. Vox appreciates her naked figure, just a little bit annoyed by the audacity.
“Hello gorgeous” she purrs “Want to get a room? I’ll be tons more fun that old Kitty here”
She must be new or close to overdose. His acquaintance with Val was born just a couple months ago, but almost all of his whores knew better than to approach the media overlord like this.
A smirk appeared on his screen as Kitty failed to make the girl see reason.
Vox raises one hand to her, electricity already visible between the cyan claws, when a red chain appears in the girl’s neck. The poor slut’s eyes open in panic as she’s dragged on the disgusting floor to the scenario, where a dark figure walks to the dimmed lights.
Valentino appears then, tall and gorgeous in a dark red shirt and pristine white pants, his red eyes glowing as he forces the girl to raise from the chain.
“Well, well, sirenita” Valentino’s smile turns cruel “It seems like you still need some training, uhm?”
“V-Val…” the girl trembles in fear “I’m sorry! I wasn’t thinking, I just…”
“I know you’re new here, baby” he mockingly admonish her “but I can’t let my whores to act this disrespectful, you understand?”
“Val, please…”
“Es mío, perra”It's mine, bitch the pimp digs his nails on her face “debes aprender a no tomar juguetes que no son tuyos”you must learn to not take toys that aren't yours
Vox couldn’t understand a shit of what Val said, but he doesn’t need to. The pathetic horror on the slut’s face and the sadism in Val’s eyes were enough to prepare him for the next move.
It does nothing to stop the trill of seeing Val take the fish girl’s head with his upper hands, the rest of her body and the chain secure between the lower ones.
And after a couple of horrible seconds, in the middle of the now silent club, Valentino starts ripping her head with a violence that makes arousal raise in Vox’s gut. Screams resonate between the walls as the rest of the sinners looks at the scene, as absorbed as Vox is, in a wild variety of heat and horror.
Val finishes with her quickly, giving the now severed head a little kiss before dropping it to the floor. Then his eyes fixates on Vox for the first time in the night, smiling darkly as his tongue licks the last traces of blood from his teeth and claws.
“Voxxy!” Val approaches him in delight, two of his arms already circling Vox’s shoulders “what a nice surprise, papi”
Vox is not in love with Valentino.
But he is getting quickly attached to him.
He’s still not sure if it’s a problem.
2)
Vox is Valentino’s most important ally. That doesn’t mean he’s the only one.
Valentino’s business forces him to be close with a lot of sinners, some of them powerful enough to be considered of importance, even overlords. So Vox is not surprised when, on Val’s first official overlord meeting, Zeezi comes to their side with a smirk directed to the moth.
“Val! About time you came to one of those, man”
Val smiles, giving all his attention on the kaiju overlord without a single look at Vox’s direction.
His business with Valentino are growing fast, and that had done wonderful things for both of them in the last months. Val’s influence grew exponentially until he finally got the title of overlord, and Vox’s red of cameras now include every one of the moths clubs.
They are good together, great even, and the others had started to notice it.
Vox observes Zeezi pressing half of her body against the moth’s thin frame, laughing at something Val said, and tries to fight the uncomfortable feel that grows in his chest.
“Such an interesting pawn you got there, Vox” Vox sends a smile to Maestro’s direction “newest overlord in town and already so popular”
“That’s just what real talent does” he shrugs “Val’s more an associate than a pawn, though”
Their business relationship has also given both of them a lot of time to spend together, which forced Vox to admit, only to himself, that he actually likes his new associate. Valentino is a sadistic bitch and the most fun Vox has had since his and Alastor’s split, not only a fantastic laid but also a good conversation, and the nights Vox spends yapping about his plans for the future to Val are more and more common every time.
A couple of years ago Vox would even call him and the moth friends.
“So, is he still in the business?” Vox looks at him in confusion “as volatile as your colleague is, word says he is… exceptional on his line of work”
So he wants to fuck Val. Not that Vox could blame him; Valentino’s reputation preceded him and Vox himself is perfectly aware how well deserved it is.
That doesn’t mean it’s a topic he likes to think about. Or has to.
“That is something you need to address to him, I’m afraid” he tries to sound normal, although his voice is a bit affected “as I told you, he’s an associate”
“I see” the skeleton’s face turns into a smirk “it wouldn’t bother you then, I assume?”
Vox eyes fly to where Valentino is still talking with Zeezi. They are not a thing, less so exclusive, but Vox knows he is the only one his associate is fucking in a weekly basis. Or going out with, or calling to complain about his whores, or visiting after midnight with a stupid excuse to spend time together.
He also made sure to add Vox’s favorite grease foods on almost every club menu, and Val’s preferred red wine is now a permanent addition on his kitchen.
But this closeness mean nothing in the end. Alastor taught him that.
“Of course not” his smile turns sharper “but I must warn you, old friend; he might be a little more than what you are ready for”
Maestro’s face loses all his amusement as Vox’s walks away, but the overlord of media doesn’t get the usual feeling of victory after wining a discussion.
He’s not in love with Valentino.
He cares about him, he enjoys spending time with him, talking with him, fucking him.
But he is not in love with him.
He’s almost at the entrance of Zestial’s lair when he feels four arms around his body and the cherry scent that always accompanies the pimp’s cigarettes. His body relax almost instantly.
“This thing is boring!” Val whines, resting his head against the back of Vox’s screen “can we go already? I want wings. And nachos. And that little cocktail you made last time, the one with the tiny sombrilla on top”
“Of course” Vox chuckles at Val’s little celebration “it seems like your first meeting was a real success” the taller gives him a confused look behind his little glasses. They doesn’t fit at all, maybe Vox should buy him a new pair “Maestro asked if you still do sex work”
“Ugh, that bastard is sooo ugly” a disgusted sneer appears in his face and Vox’s little feel of victory finally arrives “fine, I guess, but is not gonna be cheap”
“I know you aren’t, gorgeous” Val laughs, his arms around Vox’s body getting tighter.
“Only for you, amorcito” the moth pulls his face closer to Vox. One of his fingers travels to the edge of his screen, where his chin used to be, caressing it “oh, talking about success. I may have fixed your little disagreeing with Zeezi”
“Oh?”
“Yeah” he raises again, drawing one of his large cigarettes to Vox. He lights it up with his trademark blue heart “told the bitch I wanted to do a couple of shots in her clubs but wanted to get different angles, you know? And that I absolutely need you to install cameras on them to fulfill the artistic vision” a mean smirk takes his face “she said yes as long as you retire them after”
“Understandable” Vox smiles back at him, one arm already around his hips “of course there’s always the risk of leaving some behind, a pretty normal occurrence” Valentino laughs “good job, Val”
“No sé por qué te sorprende”I don't know why it surprises you he huffs “but I think I deserve more than just a praise for my troubles, don’t you think, Voxxy?”
Vox’s clawed hand travels to Val’s butt and squeeze it. Hard. The moth laughs again, delighted.
“Oh Val” Vox can feel his pants tight already “you deserve so much more than that”
Vox might not be the only ally Valentino has, but he’s the most important one.
And as long as everybody knows that, that’s the only thing that matters.
3)
The first thing Vox learns about Velvette is that she’s tough.
Tougher than any woman Vox ever met in his life definitely, and most of the ones he’s met on his afterlife. She also proves to be brave enough to ambush him on his favorite restaurant one afternoon at lunch, and smart enough to get him fixed on what she has to offer.
Vox doesn’t even notice how beautiful she is until their second meeting, which is something to think about. He decides to introduce her to Valentino a couple of weeks after, fearing her no bullshit directness will clash with Val’s explosive personality.
He couldn’t have been more wrong.
Velvette and Valentino click into each other so fast that that same afternoon they ditch Vox to go shopping on his credit card. It gives Vox the creeps, but Val is happy and Velvette seems exited to merge into their little agreement, so he convinces himself everything is all right.
Until his alone time with the pimp faces a significantly decrees in favor of their new business partner. Valentino takes Velvette shopping with him, to hit the clubs, to eat, all of these things he used to bother Vox with and the overlord had been too busy to indulge most of the time.
He tries and fails to not take that personal.
“There you are Voxxy!” Val’s eyes doesn’t raise from whatever Velvette is showing him on her phone “what took you so long?”
They’re cramped in Vox’s office couch. Val’s long legs spread and Velvette on him, her phone in front of his face. The pimp has one arm around the doll tiny waist, a hand over her thigh. Vox feels something unpleasant creping from his stomach.
He’d seen Val flirting with multiple creatures since their little partnership initiated. Sinners, overlords, hellhounds, imps, even fucking succubus. Neither of them had managed to get Valentino’s attention like Velvette. Neither of them had been interesting enough.
“Hello, Val. And you too, Velvette” the doll raises one hand to wave at him, her stare glued to the phone “care to tell me why are you in my office today?”
Is not uncommon to find Val in his office when Vox is not there. They’ve been business partners for more than two decades and Val has a key. For emergencies, Vox told him, but every little thing is an emergency to Val, so the older overlord lets him inside any time he pleases.
Velvette is not part of the agreement.
“Babydoll here has an idea for your shit boring talk show tonight” Val smirks meanly, his eyes finally looking for Vox’s screen.
The unpleasant feeling in his stomach grows as he walks to his desk, his hand already itching for the whisky.
“Your Tonight Show is pretty decent, don’t get me wrong” Velvette intercedes raising her head “but it desperately needs an actualization. Especially on the costume aspect”
“Oh yeah! I’ve been told him that for years!” he laughs, hugging her from behind “maybe you can finally put some reason in that square head of him”
“I’ll try, babes”
She chuckles. Vox gulps the whisky, hitting the vase violently against the wood.
“Sadly, the reviewing for this season is already over. But I’ll accept any opinion both of you could have before next one” his voice is cold in fury. His partners share a look before turning their eyes to Vox again “Didn’t you had a filming tonight, Valentino?”
“Mierda. Travis is going to fuck it if I’m not there” the pimp squeaks, taking Velvette’s body on his arms and getting her back in the couch safely as he gets up. Then he bends over, placing playful little kisses on her cheek that make her laugh “bye bye, chiquitaLittle one” he sends Vox a wink behind his heart-shaped glasses as he leaves “and you too, Voxxy”
An uncomfortable silence falls over them after the door closes.
Vox does not regret allowing Velvette to join the business. She’s an amazing and talented partner, and their earnings had done nothing but grow since she’s on board. He just wish he could look at her without the hatred he’s been feeling since the first time Valentino cancelled on him because he had some shit going on with the doll.
He finds Velvette suddenly in front of the desk, arms crossed and a frown on her face.
“Okay, spit it out. What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have the slightest idea of what are you talking about”
“Cut the shit, Vox. You’ve been nothing but pleasant for the last two months and suddenly you give me the cold shoulder” her frown deepens “I’m risking a lot on this partnership, so whatever petty crap you’re dealing with, spit it out”
“I assure you it’s all in your head, dear” her stare becomes harder “besides” Vox looks back at his empty glass of whisky “isn’t Valentino being pleasant enough to you for both of us?”
Silence surrounds them again. It remains until Vox cannot justify looking away anymore, so his face turns back to Velvette. The doll sinner has her mouth open, her eyes wide and is looking at him like it’s the first time she’d ever done it.
A couple of seconds pass and she blinks, uncross her arms and groan in a way Vox’s old English teacher used to do every time he wrote an essay about marine biology. He doesn’t appreciate it.
“Motherfucking shirtlifter” she mutters “are you really this bloody dense?” Vox opens his mouth. She stops him with her hand “its rhetoric, asshole. Look, you know what a lesbian is, right?”
Valentino had told him about that. A couple of years ago, together in Vox’s bed after hours of amazing sex and drugs to celebrate Val’s most recent award. The moth had been yapping about his plans for the next film series, about different categories and old movies he had seen while alive.
He explained the term to him that day, Vox is sure of that, but the only thing that came to his memory was the emotion on Val’s voice, his smile, how much his precious ruby eyes shone.
He comes back abruptly as Velvette clears her throat and his screen turns cyan.
“Like… women kissing women?”
“Ha! Kissing, fucking. Sometimes I forgot you were alive on the 50s” a smile appears in her face, but is not unkind “it refers to women who have no interest for men, sexual or romantic” she looks at him right on the eyes “like me”
“You?” Velvette lets out a loud sigh.
“I’m not interested in your boyfriend, V” she explains “I do like him. A fucking lot if I might be honest. And if someday I hit my head hard enough and start craving dick he’ll definitely be my first choice. But I’m not interested in him. Not in that way”
And Vox believes her. Trusting someone has to be the worst mistake you could make down there, but Velvette had been nothing but honest about her intentions since that first time at the restaurant. And he believes her, completely.
The relief he feels is the scariest shit he’d ever faced since his arrive to Hell.
“You could have told me you are in love with him” the doll complains “explains a lot of shit, actually”
Panic grows on the man chest. After all these years together Vox had made peace with the idea that he cares about the pimp, that he is the closest thing he has to a real friend in this hellish hole. That he likes his sadism and cruel humor just as much as his tantrums and cute little smiles.
That doesn’t mean he’s in love with him. Because he is not.
He can’t be.
“W-What are you ta-talking about, V-Velvette?” shit, he’s buffering. Velvette looks unimpressed “Of co-course I’m not…”
“Sure. Whatever you say, Vox” she interrupts with a smirk “I’ll be sure to not monopolize your little toy boy in the future”
“T-That’s not… Vel…” but the doll is already at the door, leaving him alone with a little wave, just seconds before a pop up notification informs him he’s overheating.
Vox doesn’t talk to Velvette again for the rest of the day, but he receives a message from Valentino that evening, whining that the doll dumped him and demanding a night out with his partner. He also gets a smiling devil emoji from the woman that he refuses to acknowledge.
That doesn’t stop him from sending her enough money to buy a new light set the very next day.
A year later Velvette is declared the youngest overlord in Hell, with both Vox and Val standing proudly behind her.
4)
“Dad? What did you do to him?” the princess shrieks.
It’s completely unnecessary, but Vox feels magnanimous enough to let it pass.
“I'll take that as a yes! There'll be a piece of cake with your name on it. Toodles!”
Vox let himself fall on the chair after he shut the call, a satisfied smile plastered on his screen. Then his memory go back to Velvette’s call a couple of minutes ago and it vanishes.
Velvette is furious. Vox had seen it on her shoulders, on the way her eyes squint, on her crossed arms and frown. On the tone of her voice before ending the call.
He doesn’t like when Velvette is angry at him. Not really angry at least. He couldn’t care less for tantrums like the one she did outside Carmilla’s office, for the little comments she makes when he leaves a room in the penthouse.
It’s her silent fury what has him worried.
Vox takes his phone and scrolls, feeling a vague satisfaction with the praises and adoration the sinners are sharing about him. A picture of his other business partner appears on his feed and he saves it before he can stop himself.
He has not seen Val since the Might of Lilith’s presentation. It would make him mad if not for the nauseating feeling on the pit of his stomach.
Valentino’s fury is never silent.
It’s explosive and destructive, the kind that needs Vox to clear his week’s entire schedule and Velvette working on at least three different campaigns to deal with the aftermath, that ends with corpses and blood and them fucking for three days straight before the moth can calm himself.
Vox looks on his phone until he finds the pimp’s contact but stops himself from calling. He chooses to let it slide to the desk and raise both hands against his screen instead, sighing.
“Fuck, Val…”
Valentino is not talking to him. He is not kissing him either, or dancing, or having sex with him since the night he did the deal with Alastor. He appears at every event Vox asks him to but keeps his distance, remaining at Velvette’s side.
The doll’s hard stare comes back to his mind as guilt grows on his gut. He knows he’s not being a good partner to them. He knows he’s being kind of an asshole.
That doesn’t mean he regrets anything.
He’s doing what he needs to do in order to achieve their goal. Vox knows his partners are used to back out after any little discomfort, that’s why he has to keep them in line. It doesn’t matter if they’re mad at him, if he has to hurt their egos to assure they do their part.
It would all be worth in the end.
Once they’ll stand in front of that Holy Gates. Once angels and archangels have to knell to their presence, once both winners and sinners have their lives pending on The VEES’ wishes and commands. Once he can put that fucking aureole on Val’s pretty head and Velvette’s elaborate hair.
Then they’ll understand why he had to do it. Why he had to skip dinners and movie nights, to bark orders, to keep both of them on the sideline.
Then Velvette would stop looking at Vox like she is disappointed.
She will go back to tease him, complain about his clothes, to send him texts and pictures with the only purpose of distracting him from his very important work day.
And maybe Val would finally look at him again.
Not that he needs him.
He’s not in love with him.
He just misses him. Talking with him. Spinning him around the tower until he’s laughing and squeaking, smiling with something Vox never knew he needed until he stopped.
He misses kissing Val. And the sex.
And his smile.
His mind goes back to Alastor’s laugh and creepy face. To the fear in the angels’ faces, the adoration with sinners looked at him. Everything will be worth in the end.
It have to be.
5)
Vox’s office is cold.
It’s always been cold, even with the shark tank’s warm temperature. It’s just that Vox isn’t used to spend all day alone in the room.
Every day without fail Valentino or Velvette would come down and force his ass back to the penthouse. They would complain about the red, the whores, the lights or any other thing they wanted Vox to fix before having dinner together.
There isn’t any chance of that now.
Not when Val hasn’t look at him once since they came back to the tower. Not when Velvette only communicated with him to get things fixed, not even a thanks after. Even Shock.wav is avoiding him, sending his daddy a sad look before swimming away.
Vox doesn’t blame them.
It’s all Alastor’s fault. Alastor, who smiled at Vox with that wicked smile of his and a look that used to make his circuits overheat, that says Vincent with a cadence that make him blush even now.
Alastor, who promised Vox everything he ever wanted and nothing at the same time, that played him just like he did 70 years ago on that bar. That once again left him broken and alone.
The sound of Shock.wav moving on the tank brings Vox back the cold reality.
Even blaming it all to Alastor seems unfair now; it had been him who accepted the deal, who discarded the Vees contributions. That stopped listening to Val’s doubts and Vel’s warnings.
He knows he fucked up. He knows he lost.
He just doesn’t understand why he is still here.
Valentino doesn’t need him. The moth demon had always been stronger than Vox and a lot less stupid that anyone gives him credit for. Always sharp and fast, a hot mess of pure rage and sadism.
That was what attracted Vox’s attention on first place.
And Velvette? Velvette had never needed him at all. She indulged him, for reasons Vox could never comprehend, asking his opinion like his intake matters. Like he could contribute to her better views.
Why is he still here? Why Valentino took him back only to negate him the day after? Why did Velvette made sure he was fixed and charged before abandoning him in his office, deprived of any contact to news or exterior influence? Why they keep logging on the security system but never come to check him in person?
Vox doesn’t deserve their pity. He doesn’t want it either. They should have left him to die back then, to rotten, let angry sinners and overlords have their chance with him in any way they choose.
His inner monologue is interrupted by a notification from the penthouse’s security cameras. Velvette tried her best to isolate him but Vox created the Tower’s system by himself, there is no way she could keep him out. Vox at least could be proud of that.
Valentino enters the take, throwing a cup of whine against one of the walls. Velvette follows him close, rolling her eyes at his tantrum. Vox can’t listen to them but observes as Valentino raises his four arms, furious, facing her crossed arms and hard look.
Velvette screams something of her own and the pimp deflates, falling to the floor in a way too deprived of his usual dramatics. He looks sad and Vox longs to hold him, to caress his fluffy antennae between his claws and tell him everything is going to be okay like he had always done before.
Instead it’s Velvette who stands next to him, who hugs him hiding her face into his fluffy neck, whispering something Vox doesn’t really want to know. She is the one that forces Val to sit on the couch with her, his head on her lap, as bloody tears stain her immaculate white skirt.
Vox has always been sure he is not in love with Valentino.
But as he sees the moth crying on Velvette’s lap, locked into his old office and deprived of everything that made his afterlife tolerable in this Hell.
He thinks he might be.