A Month of Rut - Vylad (2024)

Chapter 1: Day Zero

Chapter Text

Vox felt uncomfortable in the Hazbin Hotel. Vark was loudly snoring by his side, curled up on the floor while Vox was reading through a bunch of pages on a clipboard. Him and Valentino had officially broken up. This time Vox ended things and Valentino did not take it well at all. He had broken into Vox's house that night, hoping to kill Vark and get revenge on Vox for dumping him. Vox would never forget the sound of the bullet leaving the gun as he darted out in front of Vark to save him from being shot.

Vox bleeding out in front of Vark had caused him to go into aggressive mode. He had lunged at Valentino with no hesitation and was very close to ripping out the pimps disgusting arms, but Vox had managed to get himself up to his feet and stop that from happening. Valentino had run as soon as he could though. He knew once Vox lost consciousness, nothing would be able to stop Vark's fury.

Vark had quickly left the building and began a hunt for anyone to help his master. He used his nose and managed to track down Angel Dust who was taking Fat Nuggets for a walk.

Angel had recognized Vark immediately and went back to the hotel to gather any potential reinforcements. Charlie, Vaggie, Alastor, Angel, and Niffty had all carefully followed the dog shark to Vox's house where they could see all the damage done to it. Inside laying on the floor was Vox. His screen was completely black and neon blue blood was oozing out of a gunshot wound in his chest.

Now would have been the perfect time to kill him. Take revenge and have the V's fall down, but no one could bring themselves to do it. Niffty was actually the closest person to killing Vox until he let out a low wheezing noise.

His screen had flickered on before turning dark again. Charlie decided right then and there to bring him back to the hotel, which is where Vox currently resides with Vark.

He wasn't an official patient, no, not at all. Charlie had decided to expand the Hazbin Hotel to include anyone who needed therapy or were in an abusive relationship, which fit the bill for Vox.

His wound had healed rather badly to be honest. Vox kept picking at it and reopening it, a form of self-harm. He would constantly say he deserved the injury and he was a monster for being in the hotel. Alastor had gotten so frustrated with Vox that he actually knocked him out with his powers until the wound was better healed.

Vox heaved a heavy sigh and began to create some sparks in his hand. He was getting rather fidgety. He shifted a bit more in the chair before he tried to focus back on the papers. It was an evaluation. Basically Charlie, Vaggie, and Alastor sat down and judged everyone on the progress they were making.

Vox was making good progress except for one.

Touch.

Once Vox was free from Valentino, his body had basically shut down and Vox would freak out if anyone so much as tapped his shoulder. He had electrocuted many people because of this. He was forced to open up about the rape and abuse he endured from Valentino just so they wouldn't throw him out of the hotel and leave him without anyone to protect Vark.

His tolerance for touch did greatly improve however as now people could tap him, shake hands, or anything of that sort. Anything lingering or remotely sexual was met with electricity and violence though. Vox actually had a jacket that said “DO NOT TOUCH” that was gifted to him by the Princess herself.

He wore it every chance he got. He was in love with it.

Vox threw the clipboard on the coffee table and buried his hands into his face. He couldn't focus on anything right now. Vark's head raised up, seemingly sensing his owner's distress but the shark eventually put his head back down.

“Reading typically works better if you actually attempt to read.” A familiar radio voice spoke up from behind Vox.

The Media Demon didn't even turned hid head. “Sir, I'm really not in the mood.” Vox grumbled out from behind his hands.

Alastor’s smile faltered a bit at being called ‘Sir’ and he hesitantly took a step forward. His smile was back on as cheerful as ever and he leaned over Vox’s chair. “You're not having another one of those flashbacks are you?” Alastor asked evenly. “I rather not deal with that again.”

Ah. The attacks. Sometimes Vox would start overthinking everything and he can't breathe, other times Valentino is standing right over him, touching his spine, sinking his fingers lower and grabbing Vox’s ass. Forcibly spreading his legs and inserting a finger inside while Vox begged him to stop.

Vox shuddered a bit and shook his head violently. “I'm fine.” Was all he forced out.

Alastor accepted that answer and moved around the chair so he was facing Vox. His smile still planted on his face. Vox was probably the only person that Alastor actually respected the boundaries from.

It was also probably because Alastor was the one who found out first that Vox would have a meltdown if touched.

“Do you need something?” Vox asked and he rested his elbow on the chair and buried his face in his hand. “You don't usually bother me unless you want something.” He added with a low grumble.

Alastor leaned over Vox a bit and exhaled quickly. “I just… felt the need to check on you.” Was all the Radio Demon said. “Make sure you are progressing and not relapsing.”

Vox wanted to call bullsh*t but he didn't feel like it. “Well, I’m okay.” Vox shrugged. “So you don't have to worry about me. I know you only have a handful of clients in the hotel, but seriously. You don't need to baby me.” Vox offered a fake smile.

Alastor let out a low huff but accepted the answer nonetheless. “If you're so confident.” The Demon grinned. “I'll be heading out.” He added, vanishing into the shadows before Vox could say anything.

Vox did notice something left on the floor where Alastor was standing. Vox forced himself to his feet and took a step forward before couching down and grabbing the velvet that fell off of Alastor's antlers. “Ugh. Hormones.” Vox rolled his eyes before offering the velvet to Vark who ate it happily.

Alastor was probably entering his rut and wanted to make sure the hotel was safe before he locked himself up in his room.

Vox hated dealing with demons in rut, and he knew Angel had a similar hatred as well. Always horny, always frustrated, always protective, always f*cking and never caring. They hump anything. However Vox never experienced an asexual person entering the rut so Alastor was probably a lot more muted.

Probably closer to when Vox was on his period. Slightly more horny, but mostly pissed off and annoyed at everything. Textures had to be perfect, only certain foods, lots of iron. Paranoia, that kind of sh*t.

Cramps too. Vox hated his period cramps.

Most demons didn't have periods anymore except for a set few. Most demons are infertile after all so it doesn't really surprise anyone.

Just a handful of demons didn't get infertility as their curse, specifically demons with a big hatred for pregnancy and birth.

Demons who would rather kill themselves than get pregnant more specifically.

It was like some cruel joke to the angels.

Vox shook his head slightly. It didn't really matter. He clapped his hands and Vark got up slowly before stretching and yawning. “C'mon boy. Let's get you in your tank before you dry out.” Vox ordered with a whistle. Vox quickly made his way towards his room, Vark following behind him closely.

God Vox loved his Varky.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Charlie had decided to do a movie night with everyone and Alastor was definitely being pissy. He was sitting nearby Vox, a low growl escaping him every time Vox tried to leave so he just accepted his fate.

Vox didn't know a whole lot about ruts afterall, especially asexual ones, but if he had to take a wild guess, Alastor had selected him as his mate.

Thankfully Alastor wasn't interested In sex because there was no way in Heaven that he could bring himself to have any kind of sexual relations with anyone.

Vox was okay with just needing to be in Alastor's sight. It was comforting in a way.

Vox could barely focus on the movie though, no one really could. Everyone was getting distracted and talking about random things.

“Finding Nemo is a classic.” Vaggie was arguing with Angel.

“It's about a f*cking fish.” Angel exclaimed. “A fish! There are so many other movies that are probably more iconic than a movie about a dumb fish.”

“I think it's the message about it that makes people love it.” Husk grumbled as he stared into his empty mug. “f*ck I need more alcohol.” Husk stood up and headed out towards the bar, his tail flicking in annoyance slightly.

Niffty was just smiling at Alastor. She had a knowing look in her gaze and she seemed quite pleased by something.

It felt so homey. So docile.

Charlie was also smiling and taking videos of everyone on her phone, except Alastor and Vox. Alastor couldn't be recorded while Vox expressed that he would rather not be on camera and Charlie had naturally respected that. She was far too good for Hell. If it wasn't for the fact that she was born in Hell, she would one hundred percent be in Heaven.

Vox turned his attention from the others back to the movie. It was the Polar Express. Vox didn't even know why they were watching the Polar Express. It was July.

That was probably why no one was paying attention to it.

Vox shifted in his seat and grunted in slight annoyance as he tried to get comfortable. He was never one for sitting normally. As a bisexual it was in his nature to be in the most uncomfortable looking poses and be comfortable in them. Like a cat if you will.

Vox grumbled slightly before throwing his legs over the arm of the chair and laying with his back on the other arm. That was much better. Alastor was sitting in another chair next to Vox, staring at the Media Overlord with a wide grin.

Since Alastor and Vox both hated being touched, Charlie had invested in getting them both their own separate chairs. Also known as she begged Alastor to get one for Vox as well since Alastor manifested his own.

Vox jumped a bit when he felt fingers graze his screen. Alastor was running his fingers along Vox's ‘forehead’ and was starting to make idle conversation with Charlie.

Vox could feel his heartbeat quicken a bit but forced himself to remain calm. Alastor was just trying to soothe his instincts. That's all. This didn't mean anything. Alastor didn't have any plans to hurt him.

Vox batted Alastor’s hand away and moved his head to stare at the Radio Demon. Vox slowly reached his arm out above his head and grasped Alastor's hand.

Hand-holding was fine. Vox could control that. Alastor let out a huff, but accepted the contact nonetheless. He ran his thumb over the veins in Vox's hand. A low, pleased rumbling sound escaped Alastor's throat as he got to touch his chosen mate.

Vox could barely pay attention to anyone though as he pulled up his phone and began to scroll through the internet. It was just one of those days where no one was really getting anything done or paying attention to anyone. Everyone was just relaxing and spending time and Vox was more than happy with that.

Vox was really into reading a story when a loud cackle made him jump. He dropped his phone on his face before pulling his hand away from Alastor's and sitting upright to stare at Niffty who was wheezing. She was staring at the T.V. screen now and was watching the Polar Express try to free itself from the clutches of the freezing cold water rhat was below the frozen lake. It made Vox a bit nervous to watch her laugh at such a scene, but then again, they were in Hell. He honestly shouldn't be that surprised, but here he was. Being surprised.

Alastor stood up and walked over to Vox, grasping his hand once again and pulling him up to his feet. Vox let himself get pulled up and Alastor declared. “Let's cook something!”

Also known as Vox sitting at the counter and watching Alastor do all the work because Vox was horrible at cooking.

Vox allowed Alastor to drag him to the kitchen and sit him down. Alastor quickly moved around the kitchen and grabbed his ‘Oh Deer’ mug. He filled it with water and placed it down In front of Vox before he rolled up his sleeves and went towards the fridge. Opening the door and rummaging through the ingredients.

Vox looked into the mug before pulling it towards himself and inhaling deeply. “Alright. How bad are your hormones?” He asked without missing a beat. “You're oddly overprotective of me and I know you're in rut. Your velvet is shedding.” Vox raised his finger and pointed it at Alastor as he spoke.

Alastor was now looking over his shoulder, the fridge door still open and his arms carrying an assortment of vegetables. Alastor stepped back and closed the fridge door with his hips before dropping the vegetables on the counter. He picked them up and began to examine them for stickers before placing them in a strainer.

“I don't want to have sex.” Alastor declared. “It's just… I feel a bit more touchy and paranoid. Like I need certain people near me at all times. Usually I just get this fatherly feeling over Niffty, but this year I've picked a mate, and it's you.” Alastor explained with his grin still plastered on his face. “Probably because of all the trauma you went through. I need to protect you.”

“I can handle touch.” Vox nodded slightly. “Just… Hand-holding is fine, but try to keep your hands in places where I can see them.” He told the cannibal with a weak smile. “I would rather be able to see your hands on me rather than just feel them. Boundaries, amirite?” Vox laughed a little coldly.

Alastor didn't really care though. A deep, pleased noise escaped the back of his throat. “I can do that.” He told Vox with a nod as he moved the strainer over to the skin, washing the vegetables. Vox stared into the mug before lifting it up and taking a sip. Inhaling deeply as the water cooled down his internal fans.

Vox had his eyes closed and was simply minding his business when he could hear tapping against the table. He opened his eyes and Alastor was staring at Vox and now standing right beside him. Vox watched as Alastor very slowly moved to grab Vox's hand. Vox rolled his eyes but grasped the deers hands and pulled him a bit closer. He rested his head against Alastor's shoulder with a slight smile. Alastor tensed up almost immediately but soon melted into the touch.

“You have some cooking to do.” Vox hummed. “So, think of this hug as the fuel to get you through the recipe.” Vox pulled back slightly with a warm smile plastered on his lips. “I'll be here the whole time.” He reassured the deer.

Alastor let out a low whine but bowed his head and accepted the distance. He backed off and went back towards the sink, pulling the strainer out and setting it on the counter.

Maybe Vox can actually pick up a cooking tip.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox couldn't sleep. He felt uncomfortably hot and stuffy. His body was aching and Vox felt like he was dying. He tossed and turned in his bed, grumbling and whimpering under his breath as he tried to fall asleep but just couldn't.

Vox let out a louder whine before shoving his pillow overtop his head and trying to force himself asleep. Why was he so uncomfortable? What was this agony in his stomach? Was his period already starting?

Vox didn't even hear his door open and close, but he did feel the dip in the bed as another person settled down.

Vox could hear them breathing. They didn't touch him or anything. They were just waiting. Vox shoved the pillow off his head and sat up abruptly. His eyes widened in shock when he was met face-to-face with Alastor.

The man had bags under his eyes and his upper lip was twitching a bit but he stared at his chosen mate with little emotion.

He held a bit of uncertainty in his gaze though. He wanted Vox. He wanted to make sure Vox was safe. Vox stared back and then gently wrapped his arms around his stomach. “Can I spend the night with you?” Vox asked. “In your room?” He added. His voice was barely above a whisper. He had ducked his head and was now looking anywhere but in Alastor's direction.

Alastor just nodded dumbly and reached his hand forward to grasp Vox's before he was plunged into darkness.

In a snap of a finger, Vox was on another soft bed in Alastor's room. Alastor was nowhere to be seen but that was okay. Vox could tolerate that.

Vox sat up a bit and began to move the pillows around to guarantee his comfort. Nesting if you will. Everything needed to be perfect after all. He wanted to sleep and he wanted to sleep well.

Vox didn't hear Alastor's return but he could feel Alastor's gaze watching him carefully as he pushed the pillows to a corner of the bed, and then shifted them ever so slightly to make a semi-circle.

Once the pillows were in an acceptable location, Vox pulled at the blankets and laid one down over top of the pillows and where Vox would be curled up with Alastor.

Once the thick, soft, red blanket was in its new spot safely, Vox laid in his little nest and beckoned for Alastor to join him.

Alastor was very hesitant. He still had his wide grin plastered on his face but his ears were slightly lowered. He was moving slowly like he was about to startle a deer or something.

Once Alastor reached the edge of the bed, he slowly climbed in and rested his head against the assortment of pillows. He inhaled the scent of Vox before he closed his eyes, content at being near his mate.

Vox moved towards Alastor and gently placed a hand on Alastor's chest. Alastor opened his eyes and stared down at Vox who just stared back before slowly scooting closer to the deer.

Alastor raised one of his arms and wrapped it around Vox. Pulling the male in close to him and letting out a low, pleased, grunt.

Alastor's shadow pulled the blanket over the two of them before disappearing back into the void, leaving his Creator and his Creator's mate be.

Vox closed his eyes and let a small smile rest upon his features. “Sleep tight, Little Deer.” Vox whispered into Alastor's chest, wrapping his free arm around Alastor as well, his other hand still resting on Alastor's chest.

Alastor let out a pleased, rumbling sound before he closed his eyes. He began to play some soft music before he let himself be lulled to sleep.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox woke to an empty bed. He was clothed still, which was a good sign, but Alastor was missing, which was a bad sign.

Vox groaned as he forced himself out of his nest, throwing the blankets off to the side. He looked around the room to try and take in his surroundings. The room was like a frozen moment in time, complete with an area from what looks to be a bayou. It was gorgeous to say the least.

It was a deep shade of red that was easy on the eyes and so vintage. There was something about the room that was addicting to watch.

Vox approached the bayou, albeit a little hesitantly. He shivered a bit when he stepped on the cool, blueish-green grass. He knelt down and ran his hand along the grass. He watched as fireflies flew from his touch and into the sky. His eyes glowed brightly, attracting a few bugs towards him. He batted at them in annoyance and scrambled up to his feet. He stepped back and out of the bayou part of the room. He stared into the area for a bit longer before he turned around and walked towards the exit. His hand was reached out to turn the knob when a low growl caught his attention.

He looked over his shoulder to see Alastor sitting on a chair in the corner of his room. He had a radio playing softly and his ears were pressed flat against his head as he growled at Vox. He still had that grin plastered on his face, but it was definitely more forced.

Vox pulled his hand back to himself and rubbed his arm. He walked towards Alastor, keeping his gaze low. “Hey… why didn't you wake me?” Vox asked with a tilted head.

Alastor had stopped growling at this point and his ears picked back up. “You needed your rest.” Alastor answered simply. “No need to wake you when you're entering an exhausting state.”

“What the Heaven are you talking about?” Vox asked with narrowed eyes. “The f*ck is that supposed to mean?”

“I can smell it from here. You were born a female were you not?”

“Oh, my period? Yeah. It's not that big of a deal. I take some painkillers and just sleep it off on the first day. The pain usually lessens after that and I can kind of function.” Vox shrugged with a yawn. He walked over to Alastor, rubbing his screen, mimicking what would have been him rubbing his eyes. “It's not worth letting me sleep in.” Vox told Alastor. “While I appreciate it, I also didn't want anyone to see me come out of your room. They would ask way too many questions and I think I would die from embarrassment if I had to answer them.”

Alastor blinked slowly before shaking his head slightly. “Why would that be bothersome? They understand The comfort you find in me since I never make any advances on you and we both despise touch. If anything they won't comment on it at all because they'll think you had a rough night.”

“We both had a rough night.” Vox shrugged. “Either way, Princess Bleeding Heart will still question me about progress and improvement and her little angel girlfriend will threaten me for getting ‘too friendly with the host’ and ‘She still doesn't trust me’.” Vox sighed, using quotations as he spoke. He eyed Alastor wearily who had now outstretched his arm and was clearly waiting for Vox to come over and share the chair with him.

Vox walked over to Alastor and plopped right in his lap, snickering slightly at Alastor's sharp inhale before he decided to accept the touch and hold onto Vox loosely, not wanting to stress out the other male.

Vox leaned back against Alastor and sighed lowly. “It's just nerves I guess. I don't know how to explain this without outing your problem.” Vox threw one of his hands in the air as he explained.

Alastor closed his eyes and shrugged. “Well I would prefer it if you just stay in my room for the month. Husker and Niffty are well aware of my problem and can handle any and all questions. You get a month off from your therapy and I get to spend time with my mate. It works out for both of us.”

Vox snorted in slight amusem*nt and booped Alastor's nose gently. “I'm sure you would love that, but Alastor, I would still need to do my actual work. Not just the therapy. I have to help edit commercials, close deals, fund projects, and just work on contracts I already have.”

“To my knowledge, this is stuff you can simply do online is it not? While I do detest new technology, I'm willing to make an exception for you, Darling.” Alastor hummed. “I can deal with noisy picture boxes and buzzing little rectangles if it means you stay in here with me for the month where I can keep an eye on you. I just need to inform Charlie about my upcoming absences. I'll keep it brief and explain to her that this will be happening every year for the foreseeable future. She's very understanding. I'm sure there won't be any issues.” Alastor explained.

Alastor's chin brushed against Vox's shoulder before his head shot back like he touched a hot stove.

Vox frowned. It must be tough to pick a mate who was traumatized. Vox looked over his shoulder to try and get a good look at Alastor before giving up and standing up. He turned around to face the other male. He moved his hand to rest against Alastor's cheek, smiling a bit as Alastor melted into his touch and closed his eyes. “Alastor, I don't want you to be uncomfortable with my work. I don't even know much about your rut. Like the only thing I know about it is you want to f*ck, but you don't want too and I don't want too. I don't know how I'm supposed to help you.”

“Rut doesn't mean ‘you want to f*ck’. It's an increase of hormones. A lot of animals simply are just very horny, I am not. I just get aggressive, protective, and territorial instead. This hotel is my territory, but I would be putting a damper on the Princess’s project by treating every new client as a threat.” Alastor spoke softly, his eyes still closed as he basked in his mate's attention. “No one will be in danger so long as I'm in a safe place with the ones I've chosen to protect. I don't want to put pressure on you, I don't want to be like Valentino, Vox, and I feel disgusted that I even have to ask.” Alastor continued. He brought his hand up to gently hold Vox's, which was still pressed against his cheek. “Please just nest with me. I don't want to destroy the hotel out of frustration. I won't hurt you and I will tolerate all your new technology if it means you stay with me this month. At least until I am out of the thick of it and can control my temperament better.”

“I'll stay.” Vox sighed out. “So long as I can work here without you huffing.” Vox added with narrowed eyes. “I will need to gather my things and set up a small office area that I can work in so I don't invade anywhere too much and you'll have to explain to the Princess that I'll bring with you for safety and health reasons.” Vox listed off easily.

Alastor's grinned seemed to have widened somehow and his eyes shot open. “Anything for you!” He purred. “You can get your things right now and I'll talk to the Princess right away!” Alastor wanted to boop his nose against Vox's screen but he managed to stop himself and instead pull back from Vox. He took Vox's hand off his cheek and placed it by Vox's side before he got up and straightened his coat. “Don't you worry ‘bout a thing. I'll make sure you have plenty of food and liquids while staying here. You won't have to eat any human flesh or deer flesh. I'll be a good mate!” Alastor declared to Vox happily. His tail was wagging ever so slightly as he spoke. His eyes were lit up and his grin was genuine.

Vox rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know you will.” Vox waved to Alastor. “No go deal with everything. I'll gather my things so I'll be back before you know it.”

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

When Vox finally finished setting up his little corner in Alastor's room, Princess Charlie burst in and took in the surroundings. It was like she's never been in his room before.

She spun around in a circle before her eyes settled on Vox. “Aha! Alastor told me you two would be bunking for the month. I have drawn up activities for you to complete while you have your little sleepover!” Charlie pulled a list out of nowhere and thrusted it into Vox's face.

Vox gingerly grabbed the sheet and examined it with narrowed eyes. He looked up at Charlie and tilted his head inquisitively. “What did Alastor tell you exactly?” He asked. The male flicked his fingers against the list with a raised brow. “Because this just says ‘Use protection’ and ‘don't kill each other.’”

“He told me you were spending the month with him privately! I don't know much about deer, but Husk confirmed that Alastor was entering his rut and I do know what that is!” Charlie declared. “I don't care if you two are helping each other out, but I just want you two to be safe about it.” Charlie explained. “I know this would be a big jump in your recovery so I won't stop you.” Charlie made a face as she spoke. “As weird as that is to say.”

“It's not sexual.” Vox immediately blurted out. “Alastor picks someone he needs to protect and this year his body picked me.” Vox tried to explain without outing Alastor. “I know it's weird and unusual, but we won't be having sex for an entire month.”

“Oh thank God.” Charlie breathed out in relief. “I didn't want to imagine that at all. I'm so happy you guys aren't having sex. As good as it would be for your recovery, it might also set you back further and I don't want that. Still though, make sure you guys stay safe while bunking together. Rut hormones are no walk in the park, and even if Alastor doesn't want a sexual partner in his rut, it's still going to be… an overexaggerated period.” Charlie raised a brow as she tried to explain it.

“I know, but I would rather him at least have a partner to go through with it. Besides, he said he would tolerate my technology so I can get some work done.” Vox smiled. “Hopefully it'll help with my aversion to touch. He wouldn't dare attempt to harm his mate so I'm pretty safe regardless of his emotional outbreaks.” Vox told Charlie. He patted her on the shoulder awkwardly. “Don't worry about it. I'll be okay, and so will he. By the end of the month everything will be as peachy as pie.”

Charlie frowned and tilted her head before asking. “Won't there be a huge change in your relationship? You're going to be spending a whole month together. Alone. Not to be a downer, but it's going to be a huge change after, Vox. Are you going to be okay with that?”

Vox's smile faltered for a second. “We'll be fine, Princess.” Vox reassured her, and he could only hope that he wasn't lying.

Chapter 2: Day One

Chapter Text

Vox got up early in the morning, as he does, and crawled out of the bed. Alastor was still dead asleep, sweat was sticking to his forehead and Alastor was shifting a lot more. Vox reached behind him and undid the button on the back of shirt. Once the button was undone, he wiggled his arms free and pushed the shirt down and stepped out of it. With a T.V. for a head, unfortunately that was the best way of getting dressed and undressed, as embarrassing as it was. He walked back over to the edge of the bed, his shirt in hand as he leaned over and put it in front of Alastor's face.

Alastor shifted ever so slightly before grabbing the shirt and inhaling deeply. The rut was already starting to affect him so Vox also took this moment to turn on the fan he set up on the bedside table. He angled it so it would blow directly onto Alastor. Vox left Alastor be and made his way over to his makeshift office.

He sat down in his spinning chair and did a little spin in it before awkwardly pulling himself towards his desk, little sparks shooting through his fingertips. Vox paused for a moment and narrowed his eyes. Shirt. He should put a new shirt on. He peeled himself away from his chair with a hiss of annoyance and made his way to Alastor's closet.

He swung it open and examined the very many red coats the man had. Vox picked up one of his shirts he had folded in the closet and then grabbed one of the many red coats that Alastor owned.

Vox quickly got dressed and went back to his office. Now he was comfy.

Except one thing was missing. He needed a drink! He narrowed his eyes and tried to decide whether he wanted to get back up or not. Vox let out a low groan and leaned back in his chair. He buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to get back up. Vox grumbled to himself but quickly opened up his emails on his computer. He didn't want to get up again.

Vox rested the corner of his screen against his hand before he began to scroll through the endless emails he didn't want to read. He grumbled and clicked on ‘important’ which apparently almost everything was marked as important.

He scanned over the email, it wasn't anything important. It was literally just someone demanding a refund. Important emails are like… recalls, or lawsuits, or something along those lines. Not some little whiny bitch who thinks she owns the world. He could feel his eye twitch before he inhaled deeply. Everything was fine.

Vox quickly processed the refund before moving onto the next email. This time it was an email from his assistant explaining that a potential client wanted to host a meeting with Vox asap to discuss business.

That's a problem.

Vox looked over his shoulder to stare at the sleeping sinner and frowned. His brows were furrowed as he looked back to the screen. Okay. First thing was seeing when this client had availability. They might not be open for a little bit. Vox sent an email back to his assistant, basically just asking for very specific details and how important this meeting would be, because he had this thing to deal with.

While Vox canceled all his meetings for the month, he never explained to anyone why he did so. Just that they'll have to reschedule for next month because something important came up. Thankfully people don't like to argue with an Overlord. Everyone's assumption was it had something to do with Val, and Vox was willing to let their assumptions run wild.

He had to protect Alastor's secret afterall, even if it meant people thought he was f*cking Val in the dumpsters or some sh*t.

Vox could hear the ding in his head as he received An email back from his assistant, Papermint.

Vox opened it swiftly and read the email quickly, he could feel the electricity bubbling up inside of him as he read each word.

Client was super important and was not accepting “wait until next month” as an option.

Vox sent another email out asking about a potential video call meeting instead. As much as he did not want to do that and invade Alastor’s privacy, this client was big. Like hundreds of thousands of dollars. He could make a few adjustments and exceptions for them.

Once he shot off that email he went back to looking at other emails. He had three emails from Katie Killjoy, a few troll emails, five emails revealing his personal contact information. Doxxing is always fun! Jokes on them, Vox knows more about them then they will ever know about him.

Vox reached his hand off of the mouse and tried to grab his mug. The mug he didn't have because he didn't want to get up.

Vox let out a low whining sound and pressed his screen flat against the desk. Why was he so lazy?

Vox nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a low ‘thunk’. He looked over to his desk and tilted his head before spinning in his chair to look at Alastor who had placed his ‘oh deer’ mug down on Vox’s desk.

“You look good in my coat.” Alastor immediately purred. He was also holding a mug, a gray one with little drawings on it. If Vox had to take a wild guess, Niffty made that for Alastor. He was a respectable distance from Vox, he was slightly leaning into his space though. He wanted the touch and comfort of his mare, but Vox’s words clearly rang in his ears. Alastor carefully brought his hand forward and gently grasped Vox’s. “What has you in a mood, my Dear?” Alastor asked, rubbing his thumb over Vox's knuckles.

Vox stared down at his hand before he felt himself tighten his grip on Alastor's hand. Control. He was in control of this relationship. Vox sighed deeply. “Just client bullsh*t.” He mumbled out. “I also felt too lazy to make myself a drink, I just wanted to get all this work done. I'm used to having assistants know me like the back of my hand. They just gave me everything I needed while I worked on the endless emails.”

Alastor listened with his big grin as always, but the way he pulled Vox's hand to his chest made his heart flutter a bit. “Darling, I may not be as skilled as your assistants at reading your mind, but I am a wonderful cook. My mate only deserves the best and I swore to Charlie that I would be taking the best care of you.” Alastor's gaze dropped a bit and he stared at the hand he was holding close to him. “Why didn't you wake me? I'm usually an early riser, Vox, it wouldn't have bothered me.”

“You were all sweaty. The starts of rut were clearly taking effect. No offense, Al, but rutting animals can be a bit unpredictable. You probably would have woken up too fast and startled me. Besides, I'm also your mate, and as your mate, I decided you needed more sleep.” Vox answered with a smile. “It's not that big of a deal.”

Alastor's grin seemed to widen impossibly further and he wiggled his butt ever so slightly before bringing Vox's hand up to his cheek. “Mate! You called yourself my mate!” He declared happily. “My mate.” He purred. He rubbed his cheek against Vox's hand for a bit before he let it go and stared at Vox with a soft gaze.

It didn't even occur to Vox just how happy Alastor would be at hearing that. He assumed that spending the month would have solidified his choice of being his mate, but words sometimes are really all a man needs to hear.

Vox grabbed the mug that Alastor placed on his desk and examined it.

“It's coffee.” Alastor explained. “I'm aware you prefer coffee over tea and prefer sugar and milk, so I took initiative and bought sugar and milk for you and put a decent amount in your bean juice.”

Vox took a sip at the exact moment Alastor said ‘bean juice’ and almost spat out his drink on the spot. He shoved the mug into Alastor's hands and started to aggressively fan himself with his hands as he tried to force himself to swallow the warm drink.

Alastor watched with worry as Vox managed to swallow his drink with a slight cough. “Oh my gosh. Please don't call it bean juice ever again.” Vox panted out, reaching his hand out to take the mug back from Alastor. Alastor did hand it back, albeit very hesitantly.

“I'll refrain from doing so in the future.” Alastor dipped his head slightly as he spoke.

Vox just hummed as he successfully managed to take a drink from the mug. He let out a little happy noise as the contents were perfect. “Amazing job, Al. It tastes amazing!” Vox moaned out happily. “It's perfect.” Vox placed the mug back on his desk and scooted over in his chair. He patted the spot next to him. “Do you want to cuddle me while I work?” Vox offered with a wink.

Alastor's brain seemed to have stopped working for about three seconds before he nodded his head dumbly. He put his drink down next to Vox's and crawled into the spinning chair. He was careful to do his best to not touch Vox, but once Alastor was in the giant chair, Vox spun the chair to face the oversized monitor. He wrapped an arm around Alastor’s waist and waited. It didn't take long for Alastor to shift in the chair and move so he was comfortably leaning against Vox. He had one arm draped over Vox’s shoulder and his other hand had found the one on his waist and was now holding it.

Alastor being cuddly was something Vox expected, but he wasn't sure exactly how cuddly Alastor would be. He had to admit the weight of his mate was comforting. Vox could feel himself lean into Alastor as he clicked through the endless emails. Most he ignored, some he responded too. The work was endless.

A ding alerted him of a new email, ah right. “Hey, Al?” Vox murmured out, a part of him hoping that Alastor wouldn't hear him, but by the way that Alastor’s ears twitched, he knew he was heard. “I have a super important client I need to deal with. I already canceled our meeting, but they're being pissy about it. I'm trying to see if a video meeting will work, but this is your room so I have to ask. May I host a video meeting with this client? I wouldn't be asking unless they were super important, but this is a deal we've been trying to secure for months now and it's a big deal, to say the least.”

Alastor had opened his eyes and flattened his ears slightly. He pulled his head off of Vox and stared at him with a raised brow. “Do you have anything to cover up the room?” Alastor asked. “I would prefer my room to remain hidden in the eyes of new technology. As much as you are my mate, I do like my secrecy, especially in a time like this. Very few people know about my rut, Vox, and I'd prefer to keep it that way.” His eyes were slightly narrowed as he watched Vox carefully.

Vox on the other hand just looked at Alastor and tilted his head. “Like a greenscreen? Yeah I can cover the location and make it look like I'm at my own place so long as you don't f*ck around with it, I can make it work. That also means no walking in on my meeting, Al. There will be no way I can explain what you're doing in my place.”

Those were agreeable terms. “Very well, I permit it.” Alastor gave his consent.

Vox was about to say something else when his stomach grumbled, and that caught Alastor's attention. “Oh my! I haven't cooked for you!” Alastor separated himself from Vox a bit slowly, making sure to not spook the other male. He quickly rushed himself over to where the kitchen was and began to open cupboard doors and pull out what supplies he would need. “Now we don't want anything too big. Honey on toast is something we can do easily. We wouldn't want to upset your stomach. I can also whip up some egg, or even a western omelet would be something good for you. Yes, I think that will be what I make.”

He was talking so fast that Vox could hardly keep up. Vox decided to roll his eyes fondly and turn his attention back to his emails. He clicked open the one from Papermint and almost clawed his desk.

No? To a video meeting? Because they were too valuable? Vox looked back over to Alastor who was happily chopping up a pepper. He had his sleeves rolled up and he genuinely looked like he was content with everything.

Vox looked back at the email and sighed. “So uh, bad news!” Vox started off. Best to just jump right into the issue on hand and not prolong it. “They rejected the video meeting. I think I'll have to meet with them… physically. In person.” Vox winced before he finished the sentence as Alastor slammed the knife down a bit too violently for a simple chop.

He could feel the temperature drop as Alastor's eye began to twitch. Vox couldn't help but shrink back in his chair.

“Alone?” Alastor's voice sounded so far away yet so close at the same time. It also sounded distorted. Vox had averted his eyes from Alastor and was now staring down at his feet.

Okay… territorial. Alastor did say he would feel territorial and protective.

“N-no. I will have Papermint, my assistant, and I can bring guards with me if you'd prefer.” Vox spoke out quietly, his hands were shaking, f*ck.

He clenched his hands into fists and hugged himself tightly. Okay deep breaths. Vox screwed his eyes shut and inhaled deeply. He's got this. Alastor is not Val. Alastor will not hurt him.

Words were being spoken but Vox just couldn't hear them. It was just white noise to him.

Vox let out a low whimper and put his hands on his head he needed to breathe. Feel his emotions. Acknowledge his emotions and let them feel the way they do.

It was like there was a pounding in his head and his chest. He couldn't focus. He just had to keep reminding himself that Alastor would not hurt him. He was Alastor's mate. Alastor just wanted the best for him.

But f*ck man. For seven years Alastor wasn't there for him. In fact he just up and vanished, and the years before that? They attacked one another and belittled one another. If anyone was going to hurt him, it would be Alastor. Alastor probably didn't even like him, he was just using him for his bodily needs. Just like Val did.

No. That's a bad thought. Alastor would never use him like Val did. Alastor even said he felt disgusted that he had to ask for Vox to stay in the first place.

Vox's gaze darted around wildly before he managed to focus on Alastor kneeling in front of him. Alastor wasn't touching him, or trying to corner him. He had a loot of pure concern. The radio dials were gone and his antlers were back to their small size.

“Vox?” Alastor sounded hesitant. Fearful. His hair was poofed up slightly and his grin was still f*cking there, but it didn't meet his eyes. He was worried.

Vox just stared at Alastor numbly. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?

“I didn't mean to scare you.” Alastor continued when Vox remained radio-silent. “I… don't know what came over me.” He admitted in a small voice. The uncertainty in his tone made the moment feel human. “I'm… sorry. I shouldn't have reacted in such a manner. This is different to both of us and you're the one going all the extra miles to help me.” Alastor looked down at the ground, his ears lowering as he let out a sigh. “Of course your business will always come first. It was foolish of me to think it wouldn't.”

Vox just stared at Alastor. What the actual f*ck? Alastor apologizing is so foreign and Vox despises it. Alastor shouldn't be apologizing. He had little to no control over his emotions. f*ck Vox shouldn't be apologizing either, it's not either of their faults. Only Valentino should be apologizing and that bitch who thinks they're important.

“No.” Vox managed to force out. It felt like he was suffocating. His throat was so closed he might as well have been drowning. “My business can survive without them.” Vox told Alastor, still hugging himself tightly and refusing to meet his mate's stare. “If you don't feel safe or comfortable with me going out to see others, then I will not do it. This rut is going to have to be based on respect for one another.”

Alastor tilted his head. “What are you saying, Dear?” His voice was quiet but hopeful.

Vox slowly unwrapped himself and offered a shaky hand out to Alastor. “I'll stay with you. I promised I would and I shouldn't go back on my word. That bitch can suck my dick.”

Alastor took Vox's hand but let out a low growl at Vox's words. “They better not touch what is mine.” He snarled out, his grip on Vox’s hand was still gentle despite the radio dials coming back into his eyes.

Vox just rolled his eyes. “Why don't you go back to making breakfast?” Vox suggested. “I'll send an email out telling the client to accept next month or beat it.” Vox leaned forward a bit and gently patted Alastor's head. “I'll still be here working.” He reassured the male. “Don't you worry about it.”

Alastor hesitated a moment longer before he let go of Vox's hand and wandered back into his little personal kitchen.

Vox couldn't help but be amazed at how big the hotel room was. Of course Alastor being an Overlord can manipulate things to his will, but you still need ample room for that. What was more impressive though was how prepared Alastor was for his rut.

Vox hadn't really noticed it, but Alastor had an assortment of books, pillows, blankets, scratching posts, different foods; including lots of red meat for iron. Not to mention he had actually shrunk down the bayou area a bit to be more closed in.

Vox breathed in deeply and took a sip of his coffee, much colder than it was before, but he wouldn't be caught wasting it. He cracked his knuckles and began to write the email.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Breakfast wasn't anything grand or big. It was just comfortable. Vox had attempted to return to his work but he just couldn't focus, so he gave up on that. Now instead he was in the nest he had made and was reading a book. His legs were bent, knees in the air and he was moving them, occasionally they would bang against each other but it didn't really both Vox. He didn't even know what he was reading.

Some book about murder, that part was obvious, yet Vox couldn't tell you the plot to save his life. Alastor had decided to be the one to clean, banishing Vox out of the kitchen, declaring that ‘it was Alastor's responsibility’. Whatever the f*ck that was supposed to mean.

Vox was still finding it hard to focus though. He heaved a heavy sigh and dropped the book on his chest, still open. His fingers trailed along the book's spine.

Vark. He missed Vark.

Alastor and Vox had agreed that it would be best if Vark didn't remain with them. With Alastor being in rut and not having the most wonderful relationship with dog-like creatures, it was really the safest thing for Vark.

Niffty had agreed to watch the shark though, something Vox was grateful for. Usually Vel would watch Vark, but she’s been busy with her fashion shows, and Vox didn't have it in him to ask her to stop doing her shows to watch his pet.

Even though Niffty had a schedule on what to do with Vark and Vox trusted Alastor’s thrall, a part of him still felt a bit paranoid. It was his baby after all.

It was only day one, why did Vox feel so down? The man rolled over in the nest. His back is now facing the entrance to the bed.

Vox had a feeling he would feel a bit depressed in their quarantine together, but he never expected it to hit so soon. Vox pulled the book out from under him and smoothed the pages before closing it and setting it on one of the many pillows.

Vox felt the bed dip down suddenly and he rolled back over to face Alastor who was just sitting in the nest. He wasn't looking at Vox or anything, just staring into the void.

Vox opened his mouth to say something, but Alastor pressed a finger to his screen.

Vox narrowed his eyes slightly but let Alastor keep his finger there. He was clearly trying to think of how to word something, and well Vox didn't want to pressure him into it.

“I must admit this is rather new to me too.” Alastor sighed. His shoulder drooped and his ears flattened against his head. “I've never taken in a mate before, and Niffty was my thrall before she was my daughter.” Alastor admitted. “I already owned her soul. She did everything I asked of her because I had control over her, as much as I hate to admit it. This is new to me, Vox, and you're… dealing with so many emotions right now. This genuinely could not have happened at a worst time, but I fear for what will happen if you leave me suddenly. Not being able to see you is worse than anything. Like as soon as you're out of my sight, someone else will come and take you from me.”

Vox grabbed Alastor's wrist and moved his hand from his mouth. “Sounds like you get a lot of anxiety.” Vox stated. “How bad does it get?”

Alastor just shrugged. He looked so exhausted. “I hate this.” Alastor took his hand from Vox and placed them both in his lap. “I hate lacking control.”

“You always have that smile.” Vox pointed out. “That's a bit of control.” Vox forced himself into a sitting position and leaned against Alastor slightly.

Alastor accepted the touch and hesitantly wrapped an arm around Vox's shoulders. “Right you are, Dear.” Alastor closed his eyes. “I find myself struggling to keep it up right now though. Normally I wouldn't care much for scaring someone, but you're my mate. I'm supposed to protect you from danger. I feel like I've harmed you more than helped you.”

“Hey, I'm supposed to be helping you!” Vox argued. “You're doing an amazing job. You've been taking care of me physically, one bad moment doesn't mean you're a bad partner.” Vox wrapped his arm around Alastor's waist. “it's not your fault I'm f*cked up. We're in Hell, Al, everyone is f*cked up in their own way. These are our punishments for what we did in the living world.”

Alastor turned his head so he could stare into Vox's eyes. “I don't want to be your punishment.” Alastor whispered.

Vox could feel his heartbeat increase at those words. Holy f*ck. That was better than any love confession he's received. Vox pressed his screen against Alastor's forehead, lowering his brightness so as to not blind the man. “You won't be.” Vox whispered back. “I'm sorry your mate is me.” Vox's gaze dropped. “If I could help you, I would.”

Alastor pulled Vox into a hug. “You are helping me.” Was all the male said before he yawned widely.

“It's barely noon.” Vox laughed, wrestling himself free from Alastor's grip. “You're already sleepy?” Vox asked in a teasing tone.

“The weather feels perfect.” Alastor purred. “I won't fall asleep, don't worry.” Alastor fell back against the pillows and grabbed the book that was beside his head. “You were reading?” Alastor asked, flipping the book over to look at the back. “Ah, one of Niffty's romance horror books. I'll have to return this to her.” Alastor mumbled to himself.

Vox leaned over and snatched the book back from Alastor before he laid back down, his leg pressed against Alastor's. “Yes! This may come as a surprise, but I mostly read on my phone.” Vox answered. “I left my phone by my desk and didn't want to get it though so I decided to raid your bookshelf and find a book instead.”

“You can read on the tiny box? read actual books?” Alastor's ears perked up as his attention was grabbed.

“Yeah.” Vox chuckled. “Oh boy. I'm going to have to show you what a phone can do. We are spending a month together after all.” Vox gave Alastor a toothy grin.

“You're still going to stay?” Alastor didn't even try to hide the excitement in his voice.

“Of course!” Vox dropped his voice low and whispered in Alastor's ear. “I'm yours, remember?” He purred.

Alastor's ear twitched and he turned to look at Vox. His eyes were wide and his grin was genuine. His tail was wagging for sure, something that deer don't do but Alastor probably developed the habit while down in Hell.

Alastor hesitated for just a second before pulling Vox into a hug. “Thank you!” He whispered.

Vox laughed but returned the hug. “Alastor! Al, buddy!” Vox pressed his screen against Alastor's shoulder. “Come on, I wasn't going to give up on you.” Vox closed his eyes. “It's just the first day. I just have to adjust.”

Alastor didn't let go of Vox though. He loosened the grip ever so slightly and was now laying on his back with Vox laying on his stomach.

Even with that problem solved, there was still one problem Vox needed to address. “Um. I don't want to ruin this moment.” Vox chuckled nervously. “Alastor, is it okay if Vark can at least visit us once a week?”

Alastor inhaled a bit sharply. “I… don't see why not.” He managed to respond. “Vark is your… pet after all. It would be tough on you both.” Alastor admitted, although a bit hesitantly. “I would prefer if he didn't come to visit while I'm in the thick of my rut.”

“Is that when you're going to get sexually frustrated?” Vox asked. “Because I would rather Vark keep his virgin eyes.” He added with a laugh.

“Yes and no.” Alastor raised Vox’s hand and laced their fingers together. “This is when I would recommend you to not leave my sight. I'm going to be… clingy, to say the least.” Alastor’s smile was a bit more genuine now. “I wouldn't say sexually frustrated, but I will be territorial.”

“That's okay. Just let me know when the thick of it is coming so I can prepare myself, and make sure Vark won't be here for it.” Vox lifted his free hand over to Alastor's head and began to pet his ears.

“Thank you.” Alastor closed his eyes. “For being willing to do this with me. I've… I'd…” He trailed off.

Vox rolled his eyes fondly. “Alastor, don't worry about it. Just remember. Touch me where I can see it or let me know it's you before you touch me, and try to keep violent outbreaks away from me.” He added with a slight frown. “I… was scared.”

“I know you were.” It was simple. No beating around the bush or gaslighting him. Admittance. “I'll do better.” He promised.

“I'll hold you to that.” Vox closed his eyes and rested his screen flat on Alastor's chest, listening to the rise and fall of his chest. It was soothing.

Even though Alastor said he wouldn't fall asleep, it didn't take long for him to fall into a slumber. His fingers were still laced with Vox's and the other arm was wrapped around Vox's waist.

Vox knew it was only the first day of something temporary, but the way his heart was beating and the small smile that made its way onto his features made him think a little more about this.

Being treated with love… felt so nice. Valentino never treated him like this. He rarely cuddled Vox after f*cking him. He always tried to put up as many walls as he could, and Vox was addicted to the feeling of validation from Valentino.

Was this love though? Alastor wasn't interested In anything sexual or romantic?

Platonic love maybe? Why did Vox's heart hurt at that idea?

No… he couldn't be. It was too soon!

Vox couldn't be falling for another so soon. Valentino hurt him, but Vox refused to have any rebounds or anything of the sort.

No. He should just enjoy the month. He needed to stop worrying about the future and just enjoy the present.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

When Vox awoke, it was around seven pm, and it was Alastor shaking him.

Vox was still laying on top of Alastor and boy did he feel groggy. “Urh. What?” He asked, his eyes barely open.

“You're bleeding.” Alastor stated matter-of-factly. “I have things in the bathroom you may use to help with your blood. I asked Rosie for the supplies. I didn't tell her why, don't worry, but it should be the proper equipment.”

Vox shot out of bed before Alastor even finished speaking. “Holy sh*t! I'm so sorry!” Mortified, Vox rushed into Alastor's washroom.

Alastor rolled his eyes. Overdramatic. Alastor got up and quickly checked the nest for any blood. While it wouldn't be a big deal if there was blood on it, Alastor didn't want Vox to remake the nest. Luckily there was none, so the only problem there was was the blood on Alastor.

He snapped his fingers and his clothes were off him and he had a clean ones on in an instant. Powers were so convenient like that.

Alastor's unfortunately didn't have a washer or dryer, but Niffty would be coming in occasionally to do laundry so it was okay. His hamper was in the bathroom though, where Vox was. Alastor didn't really know what to do while waiting for the man to be finished, but his time was valuable so he just sent his shadow to dump the clothes into the hamper, and to instruct Vox to do the same.

Alastor went into his kitchen and washed his hands immediately, scrubbing them absent-mindedly while he tried to think of what to make Vox for dinner.

Probably something small would be best. He finished washing himself and dried his hands quickly before wandering over to his fruit bowl. He had apples, pears, and oranges. He grabbed two apples and then made his way over to his fridge where he grabbed some different berries.

A fruit platter will suffice for Vox, Alastor can eat some arm he had in his icebox.

He was washing the fruits and berries when he heard the door to the washroom open again. He heard footsteps, then the closet opened. After a second the closet closed again and he heard footsteps race back to the washroom before the door slammed shut.

Alastor turned his attention back to what he was doing. Once he deemed the fruit washed enough, he turned off the tap and dried the fruits before pulling out a cutting board from one of his drawers and a paring knife.

He also made sure to grab a plate from his cupboard. It took no time for Alastor to cut everything up. He made sure to keep the platter organized and perfect for his mate.

He had soaked the sliced apples in some lemon juice so that they wouldn't oxidize as fast.

It was pretty good. He could feel himself get giddy at the idea of showing Vox and having Vox be proud of him. It was like his endless appetite has transitioned to gobbling up any and all compliments his mate gave him.

He heard the bathroom door open again. He could hear a few footsteps before he heard a quiet ‘thump!’ Vox was in the nest again.

Alastor took this chance to grab the plate of fruits he had prepared, as well as a glass of water and carried it proudly into their bedroom.

God that felt weird to say. Their bedroom. Their. So weird.

Vox had his hands covering his face, but when Alastor cleared his throat, he unhid himself.

“Al?” Vox's voice was quiet. He sounded so embarrassed and ashamed. That won't do.

“I made you a fruit platter!” Alastor cheerfully declared. “Tomorrow I'll be cooking up steaks, if I don't fall asleep again.” He added with a slight eye roll. “I also brought water.” He lifted up the glass as he spoke and placed it on the bedside table.

He placed the fruit platter in Vox's hands once the male sat himself up.

Now he just had to wait.

Vox examined the plate carefully before he smiled. “It's so beautiful!” Vox exclaimed. “Gosh, you've been outdoing yourself.” Vox told the deer cheerfully. “Thank you, Alastor.”

Alastor could feel the butterflies in his stomach. “Only the best for you!” He told his mate. “Now I trust you'll eat all of that? I'm going to go eat.. my special food.” He told Vox. “I'll be back.” He promised.

Vox watched the male leave, a smile still on his face. He looked back down at the plate and picked up a sliced strawberry to pop into his mouth.

Oh, day two Vox was going to up the ammo. He was going to be the best mate ever, just wait, Alastor.

Chapter 3: Day Two

Chapter Text

Vox woke up before Alastor once again, but this time he had a goal in mind. A mission.

While he was almost positive being mates wasn't supposed to be a competition, Vox was going to be the best mate to Alastor ever.

Sure he would probably be his only mate, but the point still stands! Vox had a demon to impress and very little idea on how to do it!

Vox couldn't cook for sh*t and he wasn't going to leave to get Alastor food. Alastor would probably be able to hear that door open and close and it would make him more upset than anything.

Vox tapped his fingers against the countertop. He needed ideas and ideas fast. He could always make a mean drink. Vox was pretty good at making drinks. Demonberry lemonade was his specialty.

Alastor probably didn't have the supplies for it though.

Vox frowned. Why was everything turning out to be a dud? Maybe just laying in bed with Alastor would be the best idea. Alastor was adoring being touched by Vox, and honestly this was probably the only time Vox would ever get to snuggle with the feared Radio Demon.

Vox looked over his shoulder at his computer and he gave a devious smirk. Well he may not be able to do much during Alastor's rut, but he could always do stuff for Alastor after his rut. He could help him kill demons and keep his meat well supplied. Vox always had a bunch of idiotic demons who thought they could outsmart him. The best solution was to simply kill them. It wasn't like Vox had any use for the bodies after he killed them. Alastor would probably enjoy having the extra meat laying around.

They wouldn't be mate's outside of his rut though.

Vox looked down to the ground and sighed. Why was life so hard? He just wanted to impress his mate and take good care of him. He had to make up for his breakout yesterday. It probably made Alastor more paranoid than anything.

Vox walked over to his desk and grabbed his phone. He used his lightning to charge it up and began to see what he missed. He had a message from Niffty. Odd. He opened the message and it was just a picture of her and Vark. That did bring a smile to his face. The hammerhead shark was sleeping on Niffty’s bed while Niffty was laying against him. Vox knew that Vark was snoring. His little gobber was a loud sleeper.

Vox closed his phone and looked back over to Alastor's sleeping figure. He pocketed his phone and made his way back to the nest. He crawled into it and cuddled up against Alastor. Vox pulled out his phone again and began to scroll pass the endless messages. Some were from Valentino, some were from Velvette, some were from Charlie, and a few were from Papermint.

Vox opened the ones from Papermint first. His free hand was idly rubbing Alastor's side. The first message was just some work related sh*t, including some messages about how the client didn't take being told no well.

Vox replied to the message with ‘Tough sh*t’ before he continued to scroll. Papermint sent some pictures of how production was going and then sent Vox that drink recipe he asked for a while ago. Vox sent him ‘thanks’ before closing the messages and moving onto Velvette’s. She was sending him mass pictures of dresses she made, including ones she wanted him to wear. He rolled his eyes at that. Of course she wanted him to model for her.

Her messages quickly changed tone though. She had started to message him about his location and ‘why did you cancel all your meetings?’

Aw f*ck. He didn't tell her. Vox looked over at Alastor's sleeping figure before he began to type out a message- but it didn't get far when his phone started to vibrate. She was calling him.

He answered and held the phone up to the side of his screen. “Vel?” Vox spoke a bit hesitant. He moved his phone away from him before she could start speaking.

“What the actual f*ck, Vox? You cancel all your meetings and then go MIA? You didn't tell me sh*t. Do you have any idea how worried I was? I swear I thought Valentino got his f*cking hands on you again. I was about ready to find Vark myself and let him kill that son of a bitch for you!” She shouted into the phone.

“Calm your itty bitty titt*es” Vox rolled his eyes. “If you let me speak I can explain myself.”

“It's going to be littered with exc-”

“What is happening?” Alastor's voice startled Vox. He dropped his phone and quickly looked over to Alastor who was now pushing himself up. He seemed to give up halfway and just plopped back down.

Vox quickly retrieved his phone one again and was greeted with a raging Velvette. “Did you seriously f*cking skip out on all your meetings and work to get laid? Who is that with you? Vox, it is too soon for you to be having sex. I swear, and for a month too? You're ridiculous. I love you but seriously? Vox you can't be serious. Send me your location. I'll come and kill him for you. I'll take you back to your place.”

That set off Alastor. His antlers grew quickly before they retracted back to their regular size. He snatched the phone from Vox. “Do not ṭ̷̛̛̠͎̪͖͊͐̇̀o̴͖̱͕̖̲̗̩̓͐̔͝ų̵͖̟̖̌̑͑̀c̸̛̹͚͚̬̹̗͎̑̓͐̆͐̎̿̕͝h̶̢̢͉̣͂̎̃̎̔̎̾̏͘ my mate.” Alastor snarled into the phone.

Vox quickly took his phone back, but it was too late. Velvette was already going off again.

“Are you with the Radio Demon? Vox I swear, did you blow off all your meetings to deal with some horny deer? You're ridiculous. I know you have some weird hate-crush on him but seriously? I have no words. I am stunned into silence. What the f*ck, Vox?”

Vox could feel his cheeks redden with each word. “Velvette! For the love of all fashion, please shut the f*ck up!” Vox threw his arm over his eyes. He could feel Alastor's breath on his shoulder. Alastor was keeping his temper in check, which meant the world to Vox, but he couldn't even acknowledge Alastor and thank him because his bitch of a friend was too busy embarrassing him.

Vox rolled over so slightly so he could cuddle into Alastor better.

Velvette did indeed quiet down, but only for a second. “Put this on video. I want to see what the f*ck you're doing.”

Vox looked over at Alastor who shook his head. “Velvette, I can't.”

“So you are with Alastor.” She declared. “He is the only person we know that can blow up a video feed for being on it.”

Wasn't this already confirmed? Why did she care so much?

“Can I explain myself, please?” Vox asked. His voice had gotten much quieter now and he tried to bury his screen into Alastor's chest.

“You may.” Vox knew Velvette's eyes were narrowed and he could hear clattering in the background. She was looking for a knife.

“I-” He looked up at Alastor who had his ears flattened. Vox fell quiet once again. He didn't want to expose Alastor's problem to Velvette.

“Thrilling explanation.” Velvette's voice was cold. “Anyway, I think I'm going to go to one of the food shops. Do you want some salad?” She asked.

Alastor just seemed more confused by that question, but a bit of panic shot threw Vox. “No! I don't want any salad.” Vox answered immediately. “Maybe some sweets, but not salad.”

It was dead silent on Velvette's end before Vox could hear her drop whatever weapon she had chosen. “Oh okay!” She smiled.

Alastor put his chin on top of Vox's screen and held onto his mate tighter. “We are not doing anything Vox isn't comfortable with, miss Velvette.” He spoke slowly, like he was picking out his words carefully.

“Hey, rut's a bitch.” Velvette’s voice came over the phone. “So long as Vox is safe, I don't give a sh*t what you're doing to help it.”

“You know about his rut?” Vox didn't even try to keep the surprise out of his voice.

“He’s a deer, Vox. It’s not rocket science.” Velvette responded with a deadpan voice. “I still think it's too soon for you, especially with someone in rut, but hey, you're calling the shots apparently.”

“It's not sexual.” Alastor's voice cut in before Vox could answer. “I don't get sexual urges. Just overprotective.”

“Oh! Asexual rut! That makes more sense.” Velvette put her phone down and was pouring herself a drink. “I would say use protection but that doesn't need to be said anymore.” Vox could hear her set her glass down. “Just keep him safe.” She told Alastor. “Or I will kill you.”

“Threat noted.” Alastor sounded way too calm.

“Well I suppose I'll let you go then! Ta-ta, Voxxy! Kisses darling. Love you!” With that she hung up on Vox.

Vox took this moment to shove his phone under the pillows and groan loudly. He rolled over once again so he was now laying on his stomach. Alastor was rubbing his back in comfort.

“Why did she ask you if you wanted a salad?” Alastor asked Vox. Confusion was evident in his voice and his grin seemed more hollow. Sadder.

“It's a code word.” Vox mumbled. “Salad means I need help. Sweets mean I'm safe.” He explained numbly. He pushed himself up and rolled over so he was now on his back. Alastor was now rubbing his stomach, an action that made Vox’s heart swell, but hurt a little at the same time. “We made it after… my ex got a little too rough.” Vox knew that Alastor knew who he was referring to, but he didn't want to piss off Alastor.

Which failed as the radio dials flickered in Alastor's eyes as his upper lip began to quiver.

Vox's gaze fell but he placed his own hand on Alastor's. Alastor looked down at Vox's stomach and the radio dials vanished. “You won't ever need code words around me.” Alastor leaned down and buried his face in Vox’s neck, breathing in his scent.

“Well I'd rather not bring down the mood any further!” Vox declared as he began to pet Alastor's ears. “How about we get up and do something?”

Alastor grumbled something incoherent and buried his face deeper into Vox's neck.

Vox rolled his eyes. “Come on. You promised me steaks tonight!” Vox pouted a little bit. “Besides, we spent all day in bed yesterday. Shouldn't we get some exercise in?”

Alastor actually growled at that and inhaled deeply before he separated himself from Vox. “Fine.” He grumbled.

“God, you're so cuddly today.” Vox laughed. “Come on, get up and get changed. I can send a message to Niffty and ask her if she can do some laundry. Besides, our bedding can use a wash.” Vox added. “How about you get changed, and pick out an outfit for me, and I'll strip the covers and have Niffty do some laundry.”

Alastor's ears were low but he did get out of the bed. He looked so exhausted.

Vox also rolled out of bed and immediately began to strip the bed of its covers and blankets. He also made sure to remove the pillow covers to have those washed as well.

Alastor had wandered into the washroom to get changed, so Vox took this as an opportunity to message Niffty. While Alastor admitted to viewing Niffty as his daughter, Vox wasn't sure if she would be classified as a ‘threat’ so to speak.

It took Niffty about thirty seconds before she was knocking on the door.

Vox opened the door without hesitation and watched as she carefully took in the sight of Alastor's room before she turned her attention to Vox. “Hi, sir! I'm here for the laundry!”

Vox smiled fondly at her and took her over to where he had the pile of bedding laying on the floor.

Niffty circled it once before grabbing a bag out of nowhere and cramming the bedding into the bag. “Perfect! Thank you for letting me know Alastor was ready for a clean.” She smiled widely, her grin was toothy but she seemed harmless otherwise.

Well except for the fact that she killed Adam.

Actually this was good. “Hey, Niffty. I'm.. I want to be a better mate to Alastor. Do you have any ideas how I could be? I'm terrible at cooking and most of my skills can only be used outside of his rut. Not like I can leave and get things to make stuff I can do half decently, I mean. I'm sure you understand.” Vox added with a nervous laugh. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I just… want to be useful.”

Niffty stared at Vox for a few seconds before she shrugged. “The best you can do is be yourself. He picked you as a mate when you were being yourself. That's who he still wants. If you really want to go the extra mile, just keep the room tidy and help him out if he asks, but he's trying to impress you. Not the other way around.” Niffty spoke in a lighthearted tone. “Think of it like a courtship!” She clapped her hands together and darted around Vox before stopping in front of him again. “You already successfully courted him, and now he's trying to court you back!” Niffty explained best she could. “You're going to do fine!” She reassured him. “Now I gotta go and wash all this stuff! Just message me if you need anything, or if Alastor needs something.” She added. She picked up the giant bag of laundry and headed towards the door.

Vox ran a bit ahead of her to open the door. “Thank you, Niffty!” Vox smiled. “I appreciate this, and your advice.”

“No problem, Sir!” Without saying anything else, Niffty was gone in the blink of an eye. Vox closed the door quietly and went back to where the bed was. Folded neatly on the bed was a pile of clothes. Vox picked up the clothes and headed to the bathroom. He tried to knock on the door but as soon as he raised his fist, the door swung open.

Alastor was wearing his usual clothes instead of his pajamas now. His ears were still slightly lowered and his eyes had bags under them. Vox couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for waking him, he was clearly tired. Alastor probably didn't sleep as much as Vox did.

“Do you stay up all night?” Vox asked with narrowed.

“Of course! When my mate is resting I must protect them from any danger!” Alastor answered quickly. Ah that explains the sleeping in.

“Alastor… you can go back to sleep if you want?” Vox offered.

“I'm good, Dear. I'm already dressed and ready to go! Though tomorrow I wouldn't mind sleeping in.” Alastor looked at Vox a bit shyly.

“Oh yeah, I can leave you be!” Vox smiled. “It wouldn't be a problem.”

Alastor's smile dropped to a scowl, which scared the f*ck out of Vox. “Holy sh*t!” Vox pointed at Alastor's face. “You can show emotion. What the f*ck. No smile again. I hate this. Smile, please. This is traumatizing.”

Alastor rolled his eyes and grinned at Vox who immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “That is so much better.” Vox stopped pointing and patted Alastor on the chest. “What was the frown for?” He couldn't help but ask. “You wanted to sleep in tomorrow.”

“I wanted my mate to remain in bed with me.” Alastor answered without missing a beat.

Vox's screen flashes red as he begins to blush. “Holy sh*t. Yeah of course! You've been watching me while I've been sleeping, I can take care of you while you rest. It's only fair.”

That seemed to be the right answer as Alastor immediately relaxed and leaned forward slightly. Vox met him half way and tucked his screen under Alastor's chin. It was a bit awkward since they were the same height, but it clearly made Alastor happy and at the end of the day, that's all that matters to Vox.

“Alright, Big Buck. I gotta get changed. I'll meet you in the kitchen though, how does that sound?” Vox pulled away from Alastor first. Alastor tried to lean in after him, but Vox planted a hand on his chest to stop him.

“Hmm. Alright.” Alastor backed off from Vox a little to give him more room and the two swapped positions. Vox watched as Alastor turned around and left. His gaze fell down to where Alastor's tail would be. While he was still wearing his coat, Vox could tell that Alastor didn't tuck his tail into his pants. It actually made Vox smile a bit. It was a sign of trust from Alastor.

He closed the bathroom door and examined the clothes Alastor had picked out for him. It was a gray turtleneck, black leggings, and then Alastor's coat. He must have really liked it when Vox wore his clothes. Vox quickly got changed and left the washroom.

He made his way into the kitchen where Alastor was humming as he fried up some scrambled eggs. Vox sat down on one of the chairs that sat opposite to the counter. “I love these leggings. They're so comfortable.” Vox decided to break the silence. “I don't own leggings though so you summoned these for me. I also don't own a turtleneck. Very odd choice, Alastor.” Vox rested his elbows on the island and narrowed his eyes. “So, why the turtleneck?”

Alastor froze up for a second before his eyes dropped down to the food he was making. “Your neck.” He mumbled. “I wanted… to bite it. Show your ex that you were under my protection now.” He explained bashfully.

Okay… that wasn't what Vox was expecting, but f*ck that sounded nice. Just to walk around wearing a scar to show he was loved and cared for? To show everyone that he found someone better than Valentino?

Vox inhaled deeply. “Maybe I'll let you do it later.” Vox refused to meet Alastor’s gaze as he spoke, his entire screen lit up red.

Alastor dropped the spatula he was holding into the pan and his eyes widened a bit. He spun around to stare at Vox. His mouth opened and closed before he swallowed harshly. He clearly didn't know what to say, he still had his smile plastered onto his face but Vox couldn't help but find the silence addictive. He had rendered the Radio Demon speechless.

“Sweetie, you're going to burn the eggs and melt the spatula.” Vox chided with a smirk.

That seemed to snap Alastor out of whatever war was going on inside his head. He turned the heat off and took the spatula out of the pan and tossed it to the side. He buried his face in his hands and let out a low groan. “Oh my gosh. You shouldn't play into my rut-fogged fantasies.” Alastor huffed out.

Vox rolled his eyes. “No offense, Alastor, but I'm not ‘playing into them’. I think I would actually like that. Like a little warning that someone cares about me. Call me f*cked up, Al, but… I think the idea of someone just caring about me- well I would do anything for that feeling. The feeling of safety and security.” Vox tapped his fingers against the countertop, a nervous habit he had.

Alastor blinked slowly before he made his way over to the sink and turned it on, washing his hands once again since they were now dirty. “This is something we can discuss after my rut.” Alastor told Vox. “I admit… the idea is enticing, but this isn't something we should plan while I'm all… this.” Alastor beckoned to himself with wet hands as he spoke.

Holy f*ck. Can you die from blushing? Because Vox's screen was so red he might actually have some kind of internal issue. Was his system overheating? Were his fans working properly?

Vox raised up a hand to shield his face from Alastor's so he couldn't see just how red he was. “I'll.. bring it up after your rut.” Vox managed to mumble out.

“Well then! Let's eat shall we? Do you want some toast?”

“No thanks. I'll have an apple instead of toast.” Vox leaned over the counter and grabbed one of the green apples. It was obviously a granny smith but it didn't taste like one. Hell had some weird ass punishments.

Alastor rolled his eyes fondly as he split the eggs onto two separate plates. “Very well.” Alastor popped two pieces of bread into the toaster and then handed Vox his plate.

Vox took it happily and began to chow down. “Man you're such a good cook!” Vox happily announced.

“I've literally only cooked eggs so far.” Alastor responded with a raised brow.

“Oh yes! For your rut, but I've tasted the other stuff you've cooked in the hotel. Your jambalaya and gumbo is delicious.” Vox covered his mouth as he spoke.

“Of course they're delicious! They were my mother's recipe.” Alastor's chest puffed out slightly though at his mate complimenting him. The toast popped out of the toaster, so Alastor grabbed it and buttered it before sitting next to Vox.

Vox scooped up some eggs onto his fork before he froze up. “Hey, um. Thank you for keeping your rage in check when Velvette called.” Vox smiled weakly. “I appreciated it. It made me… feel secure next to you.”

Alastor had his fork in his mouth when he turned to look at Vox. He stared at him for a second before taking his fork out of his mouth. “Of course! You deserve to be safe and happy, Vox. I meant what I said. I will do better for you. I will be a mate worthy of you.” Alastor leaned his head forward a bit. Vox smiled and dimmed his brightness before pressing his screen against Alastor's forehead.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox had found himself back at his computer as he worked through more of the emails. This time he was tackling all the emails of pissed off people who just couldn't handle the fact they had to wait a month for their meetings. These weren't even people who got canceled on. These were just regular people who wanted to sign a contract with Vox.

As much as Vox loved to personalize each email to suit each client, he had a very clingy mate who had dragged a chair over to be next to Vox's. While Vox happily would have shared his chair with Alastor again, he needed his hands to type, and Alastor was dead set on cuddles so Vox told him to just sit next to him while he worked.

Either way back to his main train of thought. Vox had decided to write up a rough email he could just copy and paste. He edited to suit each client's needs, but other than that he put no effort into telling the people to f*ck off.

Alastor was trying to focus on reading a book but he was struggling. He wanted to curl up with Vox and just have an easy day. Alastor didn't know what was wrong with his body. Usually he had more time before the worst parts of his rut took over but it looked like it was coming in sooner than usual, and probably going to last longer than usual too. He didn't want to limit Vox from his work though, Vox already canceled so much for him. Alastor couldn't help the small whine that escaped him as he thought about the clients he cost Vox.

His ears lowered and he looked back down at the book he grabbed. It was the book Niffty had left, it wasn't something Alastor would usually read but the change of pace was welcomed.

Alastor leaned back in his chair and shifted his position for what must have been the twentieth time.

“What time is it?” Alastor asked Vox.

“Hm? Oh, twenty to five.” Vox answered without even looking at Alastor. Vox's eye was twitching and the occasional spark would leave his body. He must be arguing with someone.

“I'm going to start making dinner.” Alastor told Vox. Alastor got out of his chair, but jumped slightly when he felt Vox grab his wrist.

Vox looked at Alastor and laced their fingers together. “I'll join you after I send this last email.” He promised his mate.

Alastor just nodded and with that, Vox let go of Alastor's hand and turned his attention back to the monitor. He stared at the email for a second before pulling out his phone and texting something to someone.

Vox shut off the computer and stood up. “Alrighty! Email dealt with!”

He totally sent a hit on the person that pissed him off. Alastor just chuckled and led Vox back to the kitchen. Vox took his seat where he was before and watched as Alastor washed his hands before grabbing what he needed. “What vegetables would you like?” Alastor asked Vox as he opened the fridge to grab the steaks.

“Oh um… steamed carrots?” Vox suggested. Alastor just nodded and pulled out some baby carrots as well as the two steaks.

They two fell into a comfortable silence as Vox watched Alastor prepare the meat and bring the water to a boil. There was something so… domestic about it all.

Alastor broke the silence first. “Why don't you see if Niffty can drop off your pet to spend the night with us.” Alastor suggested. “I'm sure he misses you very much.”

Vox smiled brightly, his screen lighting up. “Really?” He asked.

“Why not?” Alastor shrugged. “You miss your little shark friend.”

Vox jumped out of the chair so fast and raced around the counter to throw his arms around Alastor. “Oh my gosh. Thank you! I promise he'll be on his best behavior.” Vox grabbed Alastor's face and dimmed his screen before rubbing his screen against Alastor's nose. “You're the best!”

Vox was back in his chair before Alastor could say anything. He was typing out a message to Niffty, Alastor presumed.

Alastor could feel his cheeks redden as he watched Vox. He could still feel the warmth from Vox's screen. His heart fluttered a bit at just the sheer happiness Vox showed in such a small action.

Alastor stared down at the cutting board for a second before his smile softened and he turned around to start warming up the frying pan and melting the lard.

A knock on his door made his hair poof up and a snarl took over his features before Vox waved at him to calm down. “It's Niffty.” Vox reassured his mate. “If you want to answer the door you can, I'll watch the pan and water.” Vox slid out of his seat to take over where Alastor was standing.

Did Alastor want to make sure it was Niffty? His mate didn't seem too worried. Alastor's upper lip twitched before he decided that yes. He wanted to check who was at the door.

Alastor walked over to the door and only opened it a crack to see who it was. Just Niffty, just like Vox said. Alastor opened the door wider and Niffty waltz on in. In one hand she had a leash and in the other she was pulling a huge bag. Alastor grabbed the bag and lifted it up for her. Once Niffty and Vark were inside, he closed the door behind her and dropped the bag on Vox's chair.

“It's the laundry!” Niffty declared happily to her boss. “Vox asked me to clean it for you two!” Before Alastor could say anything, Niffty dropped the leash and crawled up his front and gave him a hug.

“I missed you.” She whispered. “I'm so used to doing this with you.” She admitted in a small whisper. Alastor returned her hug tightly and spun them around.

“I miss you two.” Alastor whispered, breathing in the comforting scent of his daughter. “Have you been good?” Alastor asked once he pulled away. He was still holding her though.

“Extremely! I've finally gotten rid of all the roaches.” She told him proudly.

The sweet moment didn't last long when a yelp from Vox alerted Alastor. He shot around, ears perked at the sound of his mate being in danger.

Alastor carried Niffty into the kitchen, his grip on her tight at the possibility of there being danger. He breathed out a heavy sigh of relief when he saw Vark was on top of his owner, licking his screen excitedly.

Vox was laughing and had his arms around Vark, hugging his baby tightly. Alastor looked down at Niffty and smiled. “Vox, Darling, is it okay if Niffty stays for dinner?”

Niffty’s one eye widened at that and her smile got wider. She looked to the Overlord on the floor, eagerly awaiting his response.

“Vark, get off me you oversized pup!” Vox chided his pet gently. He gave Vark a gentle shove and sat up, Vark throwing his head under Vox’s arm. “Of course she can!” Vox smiled. “It’ll be nice!”

Alastor dropped Niffty to the ground. She immediately rushed over to Vox and helped him up to his feet before leading him back to the chairs on the island. Vark followed after his owner happily, his giant tail wagging.

Alastor rolled his eyes before he started to wash his hands, his smile was still on his face but it wasn't forced.

Alastor loved that his daughter and his mate were getting along. It made his heart swell in a way Alastor didn't know was possible.

Alastor was afraid when this rut started, but now that he was here? He found himself enjoying this one more than any other ruts he ever had.

Chapter 4: Day Three

Chapter Text

Vox woke up screaming, which startled Alastor awake.

Alastor immediately separated himself from Vox as his mate began to thrash around. Alastor had literally no idea what to do about this. He knew Vox got flashbacks but usually he could hand him off to Charlie to deal with, but the idea of someone else being near his mate made Alastor growl.

Okay. What did Charlie do? Alastor inhaled deeply and tried to remember. Okay she wouldn't touch him. That part was obvious. His heart sank as he realized Charlie didn't do anything. She would just sit next to Vox and make sure he didn't hurt himself whilst he was freaking out.

Alastor could do that. Alastor watched helplessly as Vox continued to kick out and whimper. His eyes were still screwed shut but he stopped screaming, that was a positive.

Alastor was now on his knees, still ample distance from his mate but close enough to be able to reach out and stop him if he needed to.

After what felt like an eternity, Vox finally stopped kicking and was just lying in their nest, panting.

Alastor regrets not having Vark stay the night. After they had dinner, Niffty and Vox got to talking and Niffty admitted having Vark around her helped her out a lot. She had someone else to care for since she couldn't care for Alastor and Vox's heart had melted. He told Niffty to take Vark with her for the night and that he was happy that Vark was helping her.

Alastor wished he tried to convince Vark to keep him though. Vark would be more useful than Alastor was right now.

It was dead silent except for Vox's heavy breathing. Neither of them moved at all, neither knew what to say.

The silence was suffocating though and Alastor almost broke the silence, but he stopped when he heard sobs.

Vox had started to cry. He was trying to do it quietly but Alastor's oversized ears picked up on it anyway.

Alastor took this moment to crept up closer to Vox and lay his head on one of the pillows. He didn't want to scare Vox, Vox was already having a hard enough time.

Alastor didn't have to wait long before Vox made grabby arms at him. He wanted comfort. Alastor made sure to move slowly, but Vox didn't seem to care. As soon as he felt Alastor's body, he wrapped his arms and legs around Alastor best he could and pulled him in close. Vox was still crying but it somehow got even quieter.

Alastor grunted slightly and snaked his arm around Vox's waist. He used his free arm to push himself into a sitting position, Vox was now seated in his lap, his legs and arms still wrapped tightly around Alastor.

Alastor stayed silent the whole time as Vox cried into him. On the bright side of Vox having a screen for a face, no tears! On the negative side, no tears.

It was about seven minutes before Vox finally quieted down and stopped his whimpering. He still didn't let go of Alastor though and Alastor was okay with that. He wanted to be the only person to hold on to Vox while he cried.

“I will hold on to you as you cry. I will stand by your side for every tear you shed. In the end, if you're all I have to protect and support. More than anything I will be the pillar of fire that lights up your path.” Alastor sang quietly. “Regretfully, I didn't stand by your side when you needed me the most. Deservingly, the memories will follow me to say hello for eternity.”

Vox pulled back from Alastor and stared at him while he sang.

“It's wishful to hope that time will turn back on my demand. I can never fix the harm I let come to you when I had my back turned.” Alastor continued softly, running his fingers under Vox's screen. “So in the end, it’s you who stands as the strongest Overlord. More than anything-”

“More than anything.” Vox continued softly.

“I'm grateful you're my partner more than anything. More than anything, I'm lucky you're my rival more than anything.” They sang together quietly. They two put their heads together as they finished their song together. Vox's eyes watered a bit more before he closed them and accepted the warmth from Alastor.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Alastor asked quietly. His grip on Vox has tightened ever so slightly.

“I… had a dream.” Vox whispered. “Well I wouldn't call it a dream. A nightmare of… Valentino.” Vox opened his eyes and looked away from Alastor.

Alastor inhaled sharply but didn't react other than that. Vox took that as a sign to continue. “It was… of a time before we broke up.” He admitted. “His touch follows me. It lingers on me. I feel filthy that he was the last person that touched me, but I'm so scared. I'm so scared that I will put my heart back out there and have it stomped on again. I'm so scared that Valentino is the most I deserved. He told me he loved me so many times. Oh Alastor, what if that's the love I deserve? My brain tries so hard to forget what he said to me, what he's done to me but it's not doing enough. The videos, the names, the… the feeling of him is everywhere. They're all I can see when I close my eyes.”

Alastor closed his eyes to try and calm his instincts. No. Vox needed him to be Alastor. Regular Alastor, not overprotective Alastor. Not rut-Alastor. He needs the Alastor he butted heads with for years.

“The feeling of him may be everywhere, but you stand over him. You beat him at his game. His goal was to control you. Make you lose yourself to him, but you didn't because you're stronger than him.” Alastor spoke softly, like if he spoke too loud Vox would run and hide from him.

“I think of him everyday, Alastor. Doesn't that mean he won?” Vox asked in a choked voice. “Not a day goes by where I think of what would have happened to Vark if I wasn't there. What would have happened to me if Vark wasn't there. I can't help but think about what would have happened if I stayed with him and didn't break up with him. Would I still be alive? Would I be living my life in fear?”

Alastor began to rub soothing circles on Vox's hips. “What if there were no more what ifs?” Alastor asked, his brow was furrowed and his smile was gone. “You shouldn't ponder the what ifs because this is the path you're on, and this path is a rather fortunate one. You should take advantage of it.”

“I should have fried his ass when he hurt me the first time.” Vox whimpered. “I have the power, I have the skillset to do it, but I didn't. What is wrong with me?” Vox asked.

Alastor's ears dropped and he closed his eyes. “Love makes you hesitate. The one second hesitation changes your life more than you realize. It's not foolish to be in love with someone who tricked you. It's not foolish to make a mistake. We're sinners. We're in Hell because of supposed ‘mistakes’. Vox, that doesn't mean there is something wrong with you, it actually means there's nothing wrong with you.”

“What?” Vox placed his fingers under Alastor's chin and forced him to look at him. “What do you mean by that?” He asked, his eyes were starting to water again.

“You shouldn't hurt people you love and you can't physically hurt someone you love.” Alastor stared deep into Vox's eyes as he spoke. “I learned that lesson years ago. In my first life. When I watched my father hurt my mother. I knew I could help her, but I couldn't bring myself to harm my father. It was that hesitation that cost me everything. My father hit my mother over the head with a lamp the very next day. I watched him beat her, and that was when I was able to hurt him. When I lost the love I had for him. I was still too late.” Alastor shook her head slightly. He closed his eyes again and hugged Vox tightly.

“Was that when you decided…” Vox's words died in his throat, but luckily, Alastor knew what he was asking.

“It was. I was young, but I knew I never wanted someone to go through what my mother did. I know she's in Heaven, probably disappointed in how I handled things, but… seeing all my victims in Hell and none of their victims here… I knew it was the right choice. If I have to live with her disappointment, then so be it. I will never stop loving her no matter what.”

“So… no regrets there?” Vox asked, pressing himself as close as he could to Alastor. It was such a sentimental moment. They were bearing their hearts to one another and Vox feared that the moment would be taken from them.

“My only regret is that I didn't consider you a victim.” Alastor pressed his forehead against Vox's screen. His eyes were closed again. “I don't know why I didn't. I have such strong morals. I think a part of me was convinced you were strong enough to overpower the feeling of love, but… no one can beat that. It seems so foolish to think about now, having you in my arms letting your heart bleed out. No one is stronger than the power of love.”

“That sounds so cheesy.” Vox laughed. “You know that, right?”

Alastor's smile returned to his face, no teeth or anything. A small genuine smile was on his features. “It does, but love is really the only thing that stops people from hurting one another on purpose. Once that first blow is dealt, it's not love now is it?”

Vox raised a finger and booped Alastor's nose. It was shaky and hesitant, but Alastor didn't care. “Is that what you think the meaning of love is?” Vox asked.

“I think It's a symptom of love, not a meaning.” Alastor hummed. “I don't know what the meaning of love is, it's something I can't put into words, but I guess it's a feeling of finding something worth cherishing. It's such… a problematic thing, but so addictive. Like a drink that was made by the gods. Say you quit drinking alcohol, but you get handed this drink that was hand-crafted by a God. As much as you shouldn't do it, as much as you should refrain from drinking it, it's so enticing to try this thing that you'll probably only get it once in your life. You can try to remake it as many times as you want, but it will never replace that original feeling, and in the process of trying to remake it, you end up falling deeper into the rabbit hole.”

“I guess that's one way to put it.” Vox spoke quietly. “Gosh, we were supposed to sleep in, I can't believe I woke you up. I'm so sorry, Alastor.” Vox whined in a low voice, he made no effort to try and separate them though.

“It's fine. I'm thrilled you didn't have to go through this alone.” Alastor whispered back. “Do you mind if I lay us down again?”

“Of course not, go ahead, Al.”

Vox unhooked his legs from Alastor so he would be more comfortable laying down. Alastor tightened his grip on Vox and fell backwards into the nest.

Alastor shifted so he was laying on his side, his body covering Vox's from anyone who would decide to barge into Alastor's room.

Alastor reached over and grabbed a blanket. He dragged the blanket over the two of them and then pulled Vox into him. “Is this okay?” Alastor whispered.

“You being a big spoon makes sense.” Vox whispered back. “Yes, this is perfect.” He added. He moved his head so his screen was laying flat, he didn't want to wake up with sore shoulders and a sore neck.

Alastor closed his eyes and let himself get pulled into a dreamless slumber.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~

The next time Alastor awoke, it was to Vox crawling back into the nest.

For a minute Alastor was paranoid that Vox might have broken down again, or had more flashbacks, but when he shot up he was pleased to see that Vox just went to the kitchen to grab some fruit.

“I can't cook for sh*t, and I'm really bad at chopping things, but I got hungry and didn't want to wake you.” Vox explained as he settled back into the nest. “I have plenty here so you're more than welcome to share this with me.”

Vox grabbed the plate he set on the bedside table and showed it to Alastor proudly. The leafy parts of the strawberries were just pulled off, leaving the stems behind. Every single apple slice was a different size and crooked, like he tried different cutting methods.

At least he washed the fruit, but he didn't dry them. Alastor rolled his eyes fondly but took a strawberry and popped it into his mouth, stem and all.

Mama didn't raise no quitter as the kids say.

Vox put the plate back down on the bedside table and then grabbed one of the water bottles he had Niffty bring him while Alastor was asleep and tossed It to Alastor.

Alastor caught it in one hand and stared at it for a second before staring at Vox. Vox spoke before Alastor could. “We're spending this day in bed!” Vox told Alastor. “No work on either of our ends, just two guys who woke up at six pm enjoying the rest of their day together.”

Alastor made himself sit up straight, Vox copying his movements so he could set the platter of food between the two of them. Alastor didn't notice it at first but there was even rolled up meat. Alastor did get some cold cuts, so he shouldn't be surprised to see them on the platter but Alastor still felt touched at the sight of them. Alastor watched curiously as Vox pulled out his phone and opened some app. Vox picked some random black and white movie and held his phone for him and Alastor to watch.

“This is just for background noise.” Vox explained. “I grabbed a few books so we can read to one another after we eat.” Vox smiled, his head tilting ever so slightly.

Alastor could feel his cheeks warm. “Ah… that sounds perfect.” Alastor patted Vox's head, careful to not touch his antennas. “It sounds like a perfect bonding moment.” He admitted. “I look forward to seeing what books you picked.”

The two ate, Alastor occasionally getting distracted by the noises of the movie. His ears were perked and his eyes were full of curiosity as he watched the movie. It was honestly just some random horror movie Vox picked. A lot of demons put in the effort to recreate movies they saw while they were alive so they had something similar to hold on to. It was somehow endearing how sinners were hesitant to let go of their time on Earth.

Once the two finished eating, Vox closed his phone so the noise wouldn't distract Alastor and he turned and reached back over to the bedside table once again. This time he grabbed the small pile of books he had set up, setting down the empty plate at the same time.

He dropped the pile of books in his lap and began to place them in a random order to show off all their covers. “I figured we could just flip to random pages and read out what we found, or tell each other a page number and have them pick it at random. Or we can read the full books, whichever you prefer. I have books for both of these ideas.”

He was very prepared. Alastor couldn't help the low rumble in his throat as he thought about what a good choice he made in having Vox be his mate. Valentino was missing out on probably the best thing that would ever touch that scoundrel. Abusers don't deserve good things and Alastor was happy to keep Vox to himself.

Alastor didn't respond to his mate and instead decided to look at the books that Vox had picked. One was the romance thriller Niffty had left, another was the bible, the dictionary was also there for some strange reason. There were a few other books, one was about cats in the wild, another was about dogs in the wild- written by the same author too. There was one called ‘September Fourteenth’ by some ‘Hovering Leaning Collie’. Weird author name, and last but not least, there was a book written by Queen Lilith called ‘The Beginning of Hell’.

Alastor placed his hand on top of the one written by Lilith before he grabbed the one Niffty left. “We're both reading this one. How about we start from the beginning and I read it to you?” Alastor smiled. “We can experience it together.”

Vox's eyes lit up at that. He quietly gathered up the other books and shoved them onto the nightstand. He grabbed his water bottle and shifted his position so he was leaning against Alastor. “I'm ready!” Vox told Alastor.

Alastor rested his chin on top of Vox's screen before he began. “‘A Misty Lullaby’ by Redacted.” Alastor read out the title before he flipped open the book and went to the first chapter. “Chapter One.” Alastor leaned back, Vox following after him, still snuggled up to his mate.

“‘Lark remembered the day like it was yesterday. She remembered too much about that day actually. The day all of Earth changed, or maybe it was only her life that changed that day. She came home from work to see his corpse hanging there, swinging back and forth. There was a note tied to him, but she was too distraught to notice it. She screamed and screamed until her neighbors called the police in fear of a domestic violence situation. Lark could have sworn she cried more tears than anyone else in the world on that day. It was like a chill took over her body and she fell numb from that point on. She told herself she would never love again, in fear of the pain it would bring her if she dared let herself get attached to someone.

Her friends and family had watched her become a shell of herself. She stopped eating, she slept most of the time. She didn't want to go outside in fear of the questions she would be asked. She told herself that she was stronger than this, but when she came home to an empty bed and that daunting hallway where his body once hung, well she couldn't bear it. Deciding to move from the source of her pain wasn't a bad idea, it would actually help her heal, but the fact that she decided to leave her family behind and start anew in a place where she knew no one? That was when it became a bad idea. There was no harm in running away from her problems, but bringing a piece of her problems would save her from more suffering down the road.’” Alastor paused to catch his breath. He looked down at Vox who was staring into the book with a cloudy gaze. Alastor had no clue what Vox was thinking, but he was here to comfort Vox in case he needed it. Alastor turned his attention back to the book and continued.

“‘That was the story of how Lark now stood in front of her brand new apartment building. The building stood tall and towered over everything in its vicinity. It was a dead gray, like all the emotion was sucked out from it by some super villain. A part of Lark wanted to turn around, run back home and cry to everyone about how she made a mistake, that she didn't want to leave them behind and that she was just hurting, but she was too close to her new start to give up now. Lark inhaled deeply before she grabbed ahold of her suitcase and walked into the apartment building. At the main desk sat a middle-aged woman who looked like she wanted to murder Lark for interrupting her thrilling day getting paid to do nothing.

“Um, hello!” Lark greeted the receptionist warmly. “I put in a deposit for an apartment here, I just want the keys so I can unpack.”

The woman raised a brow and stared at her singular suitcase before scoffing and tossing a set of keys at Lark who failed to catch them. “A1, second floor.” The woman told Lark.

“you don't… need me to sign paperwork or anything?” Truthfully, Lark had never rented an apartment before so she wasn't sure how this was supposed to go.

The woman shook her head. “Don't worry about it girly. All the work is already done. Just leave me alone and go to your room.”

Lark decided to not push and just picked up the keys from the ground. She lugged her suitcase up the stairs till she reached the next level. It didn't take her long to find her room. She entered it quickly and locked the door behind her. The room was also completely grayed out. The furniture, the walls, everything. Lark threw the keys to the gray coffee table and slid down against the door, her face buried in her hands. Regret had already pooled in her stomach, she could only hope that this was worth it in the end.’”

Alastor closed the book and threw it to the floor, where it slid gracefully across it.

“I forgot how sh*tty the first chapter was.” Vox murmured to Alastor. “Maybe we should have stuck to the movie.”

Alastor slid downwards a bit so he was comfortably laying against the pillows. “Sometimes bad books are good reads.” Alastor shrugged. “I don't think I can read a chapter out loud again though, that killed my throat.” Alastor admitted to Vox. “We can probably just read it at the same time and I can flip the page when we both finish it.” He suggested to Vox who nodded his head in agreement.

“Yeah, I'm okay with that.” Vox closed his eyes and grabbed one of Alastor's now-free hands. “It was soothing to have you read though.”

“Maybe I'll read some smaller books to you.” Alastor compromised. “My voice lives and you get your fix of books read to you.”

“We can always try audio books.” Vox suggested. “That way neither of us have to read and we can do something else while someone reads to us.”

Alastor tapped his chin thoughtfully before he shrugged. “Sure, why the hell not.” Alastor snatched Vox's water bottle and opened it before chugging the last bit, ignoring Vox's offended ‘hey!’

Alastor leaned over Vox and dropped the empty bottle on the nightstand before retreating to his side of the nest. Vox was pouting at him, his eyes slightly rounded to look more pitiful.

“Sorry, Darling. Reading out loud hurts my throat.” Alastor laughed. “Besides, I think I earned that water for reading you a story.”

Vox rolled his eyes. “You're so lucky you're my mate.” He growled playfully.

“Oh? Or what?” Alastor asked with a smirk on his features.

“Or I would… tickle you!” Vox declared while pointing a finger at Alastor.

Alastor's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he raised his free hand in front of Vox. “Sure would be a shame if I tickled you first.” Alastor purred.

Vox yelped and grabbed Alastor's wrist quickly and placed the hand on his stomach. “No tickles!” Vox scolded Alastor gently.

“I jest, I jest!” Alastor leaned his head forward and pressed it against Vox's screen.

Vox didn't move for maybe two seconds before he gently grabbed one of Alastor's antlers and led Alastor's head down to his neck.

Alastor wasted no time with the granted permission and stuck his head in the crook of Vox's neck, breathing in that delicious scent of his mate.

Vox closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment of basking in Alastor's attention. Something he knew would be getting a lot of this month, but instead of getting sick of the touches, he found himself leaning into them and wanting more of them.

Vox was faced with a crisis though. After Alastor's rut was over, would Alastor just stop touching Vox altogether or would they still get to lean against one another?

Thinking about the future was stressful.

Alastor had begun to roll ever so slightly, changing his and Vox's positions so he was now on top of the male, his face still buried in Vox's neck.

Vox began to pet Alastor's back absent-mindedly. He just needed something to do with his hands honestly, and touching his mate seemed to be the best idea.

Honestly there was a huge comfort in Alastor specifying to him that this rut wasn't anything sexual, it made moments like these feel so soft and Vox found himself able to enjoy them more than when he was with Val.

The constant paranoia that Valentino was trying to appease Vox's sexual side and that touches weren't just touches, that Vox had to read into everything. It was f*cking exhausting. Knowing that there was nothing to read into took a much larger weight off his shoulders than he thought it would. Vox closed his eyes and let out a little sigh. He was content. Things were nice.

Alastor had since pulled his head back and was now laying it on Vox's chest. He was just staring at Vox's face with a small smile. For Hell, this sure was nice.

Alastor's ear twitched forward as Vox began to speak. “What should we do tomorrow?” He asked, his words were slightly slurred as sleep began to take a hold of Vox. Poor thing was probably still exhausted from his nightmare.

“How about you go to sleep and we figure that out tomorrow?” Alastor suggested instead. “I'll be here to protect you from the scary nightmares.” He promised in a much lower voice.

“Thank you…” Vox's voice trailed off as his screen got much dimmer. He must've dozed off.

Alastor pulled the blanket over both of them and then buried his face back into Vox’s neck. He was softly humming to himself to pass the time. His ears were ready to pinpoint any potential danger and his shadow was here to keep an eye on everything. He usually had his shadow spy on the others in the hotel to make sure everything was running smoothly, but this day he forgot to give the demand to his shadow so he was just floating around without a care in the world and Alastor couldn't bring himself to care about his shadow's aloofness.

All Alastor cared about was making sure Vox was the safest person in all of Hell. Gosh, Vox was so perfect. He may not know what he’s doing half the time but he makes up for it in passion

Even though they were both f*cked up people, Alastor could find solace in the fact that they were f*cked up together. It hasn't even occurred to Alastor that he might have wanted a friend in the Media Overlord. After Vox checked himself in for therapy, Alastor wasn't sure what to make of it; but after spending some time with the man? It was the best thing that had ever happened to Alastor.

Well second best thing. The first best thing was meeting Niffty.

Chapter 5: Day Four

Chapter Text

“What about board games?” Vox asked as he looked up from scrolling on his phone. “Niffty can always join us, and Hu- never mind. Niffty can always join us.” Vox has gotten pretty used to Alastor’s antics and overprotective nature. Vox had assumed, incorrectly, that all of Alastor's thralls would be safe, but at just the mention of Husk, Alastor’s eyes had turned to dials and his antlers began to grow before he inhaled deeply and forced the features to go away.

As much as Vox would love to continue to lie in bed with Alastor, Alastor has informed him that the thick of his rut was coming sooner than expected and a lot stronger than expected so the likelihood Alastor's instincts would let them do anything is low.

Thankfully Vox is a master at planning on short notice and had already begun to work out ideas and plans of things they would do. He sent a text to Niffty explained the situation and she in turn was out doing an emergency grocery shop for microwavable dinners because Alastor wouldn't be able to cook and Vox can't cook. Vox had also sent a text to Charlie asking for pain killers, ice packs, ice cube trays, another fan, and a small T.V. that could be placed on a table, as well as some more books and even a few puzzles.

However there was another problem, what to do before they're stuck in bed. Vox loved to do things so it was definitely taking a hit on him, so here he was. Trying to pick something to do before Alastor's rut takes over.

There aren't a lot of games or things to do with two people stuck in a room together. “Okay, what about cards? We can play some card games. Like War, or Old Maid. That's something different.” Vox suggested as he went back to looking at his phone.

He was one hundred percent reading off a list. Vox voogled ‘things two people could do’ and was just reading off of different sites. “We could always share stories.”

“What are we? High school girls?” Alastor asked with a snort of amusem*nt.

“Hey man! I'm just trying to come up with ideas. I would usually suggest going to a park or eating out or going for a drive, but that wouldn't be a good idea.”

Alastor's ears flattened at the idea of going outside. “I suppose you have a point.” He sighed.

“Besides. This is basically a glorified sleepover! Why not treat it as such?” Vox asked with a wink. “We can even call the people in the hotel and talk to them for a bit.”

“That… would actually be nice.” Alastor admitted. “I find myself missing their antics. They are a very fun group.” Alastor was staring off into space as he spoke, like he was remembering something.

“Well then we can do that.” Vox promised Alastor with a smile. “I'm going to make sure you are perfectly happy and comfortable throughout your rut!”

“Darling, your presence is already making me comfortable and happy.” Alastor purred. “I'm grateful you're willing to be here with me throughout the month.”

“Anything for you!” Vox's mouth spoke before his brain could think. He blushed and slapped a hand over his mouth, Alastor just chuckled.

“Adorable.” Alastor’s voice was a bit hoarse as he spoke.

f*ck, okay. That should not have been attractive.

Vox swallowed hard and looked back down at his phone when it vibrated. “Oh hey! Charlie has everything! She's on her way right now.”

Right as Vox had finished speaking a knock could be heard.

Alastor stood up first, his ears flat and a low growl escaped him. Vox stood up after him and patted his shoulder. “Easy, Big Boy.” Vox warned. “Just leave the stuff by the door!” Vox called out. “Once you're gone, we'll bring it inside!”

“Okay!” Came Charlie's muffled response. They could hear her grunt and direct for Vaggie to put whatever items she had next to the baskets. Vaggie mumbled something under her breath and a much louder ‘thud’ could be heard as Vaggie dropped her item.

“Bye, Vox! Bye, Alastor! We miss you!” Charlie yelled at the door before her footsteps could be heard getting quieter. Vaggie bid them farewell as well before she too left them alone.

Vox smiled and made his way to the door, only to jump back in shock when Alastor used his shadows to move right in front of him. Alastor was holding a hand out to stop Vox from walking further.

Vox couldn't help the scowl and eye roll but he let Alastor open the door.

Alastor stuck his head out, a low growl echoing through the halls. The lights flickered a couple times. A warning.

Once Alastor deemed it safe, he stepped into the hallway and let Vox leave the room.

Vox didn't let his gaze wander or anything, he only had one goal in mind and that was to get everything inside. He picked up the basket first and ran it over to the island counter, dropping it there before returning back out to the hall. Charlie had bought them weighted blankets which was adorable. She even got a few body pillows, probably so they could build up a wall if they wanted to.

Vox brought those in next, he didn't feel like carrying them far so he just brought them inside and put them right next to the door.

Now for the big mission. The television.

“Can you get that side and then I’ll get this side?” Vox asked Alastor, pointing to the side closest to Alastor as he spoke.

“Why are we receiving a picture box?” Alastor asked with a raised brow, but did as requested and moved to grab the television.

Before Vox could answer, Alastor lifted it up all by himself and carried it into their room. Vox could only stand there, staring in shock as the man placed it on Vox's desk.

Vox made his way back to their room and shut the door. He also made sure to lock it. While he was aware that probably everyone knew of their situation- he'd rather Alastor not feel threatened.

“I'm going to move the bedside table and put it at the foot of our bed. I custom made this one so it looks like an old model, but still has all the features of a new T.V..” Vox explained. “So you better be gentle with it.” He added with an accusatory finger pointed at Alastor.

Alastor was now leaning on the boxy T.V. and was staring thoughtfully at it before he spoke. “I like it when you say ‘our bed’. Makes me feel… warm.”

Vox didn't even realize he said that. Vox's screen flashes red. “Oh, um. Yeah. I like it too. Makes me feel like I belong.” Vox began to twiddle his thumbs as the two fell into an awkward silence.

The silence stretched more and more, neither of them moving or even trying to say anything.

At least until Vox got an idea. “Can we renovate your room?” Vox asked with a tilt of his head.

“Renovate?” Alastor repeated, his smile fell into a frown as he stared at Vox, puzzled.

“Yeah! Like nothing big or anything, just add a few more walls and doors. I… Alastor. I don't like how open your room is.” Vox admitted shyly. “I know you don't like it either. If we changed it to be more rut friendly, then you wouldn't have to stay up so late protecting me.” Vox explained sheepishly. “We could… ya know. Sleep together.”

Oh… oh.

Alastor liked that idea. He couldn't help the purr that escaped him as he imagined being cuddled up next to his mate, holding him tightly, whispering different things to the T.V. to help him sleep better. To feel safe and not at risk.

“I would like that.” Alastor finally got off the T.V. and cracked his knuckles. “Well, how would you prefer our room to look?” Alastor asked Vox. “I think I would like the bayou room to be closed off with some walls and a door.”

When Vox nodded his head in agreement, Alastor snapped his fingers. They both watched as walls snaked up from the ground and slowly surrounded the bayou. Once the walls were fully formed, a wooden red door appeared in the opening.

“It would look nicer as a nice grayed out blue.” Vox mumbled under his breath.

Another snap of Alastor's fingers and the door changed from red to a beautiful shade of shark blue. He also added two lanterns on either side of the door.

Vox didn't even try to hide the smile. “Thank you!” He hugged Alastor tightly before turning around, his hand still on Alastor's back, as he gave his next request. “Maybe some walls surrounding the kitchen, no doors though. Arches would be beautiful.”

Alastor put an arm around Vox's shoulders as he snapped his fingers once again. More red walls came from the floor, just before the tile, and made their way to the ceiling. A hole formed in the wall to reveal the kitchen. The arch continued to form until it almost reached the ceiling. It rounded itself out before stopping. Alastor then repeated the walls and arch to build the living room. The fireplace, his chair, his rug, basically the spot next to Vox's office.

Vox pointed at his office next. “Just a small room would be okay, a door would be nice, but maybe a glass door so you can see me?” Vox suggested to his mate.

Alastor had no issues with that. With another snap the room was formed.

That just left their bedroom.

“A locking door.” They both said at the exact same time.

Alastor built the room quickly. Their bedroom was easily the second largest room. The first was the living room- and that was only because a big f*cking bed took up a good portion of the room.

Once the walls were finished, Alastor snapped a burgundy door into existence.

“You're the best!” Vox hugged Alastor once again. “Now let's move the nightstand and get that T.V. set up!”

Alastor laughed and pushed Vox gently. “Whatever you say!”

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Valentino stormed into Vox's workplace. The poor receptionist at the desk looked ready to sh*t herself. “I'm here to see Vox.” Valentino snapped, his cost puffed up ever so slightly as he spoke, his wings did that sometimes when he was man, and boy was he pissed at Vox.

That ungrateful bitch has been ignoring all of Valentino's messages and just recently he had blocked him! The audacity of him!

The receptionist gulped but sat up straighter. “I'm sorry, Mr. Valentino.” Her voice wavered a bit, but she wasn't going to back down. “Vox isn't accepting meetings for the next month. He had some personal business come up and it took priority. You can send him an email with any complaints, but I can schedule you for a meeting in the next month.”

What.

Valentino's eyes twitched. Pink salvia slowly dribbled out of his mouth as his rage continued to build. “I think the f*ck not!” Valentino yelled. “Where the f*ck is he? Is he in his office?” Valentino yelled at the lady.

She closed her eyes as he spat on her, but by then Papermint has come running into the room. “Sir. Vox is taking the month off. He is not here and he won't be accepting any meetings with you or business from you. I am asking you to leave at this moment.” Papermint stood between Jasmine and Valentino. His eyes were narrowed as he stared down the moth pimp.

Valentino narrowed his eyes further until he shoved the blurry blob back, Papermint grunted in pain as his back was hit against the desk, but Valentino was already storming out back to his limo.

Once he got in, he lit his cigarette and inhaled it deeply. The pheromones coursed through his veins and calmed him down immediately.

Valentino closed his eyes and leaned back against his seat. “If I was a little whor*. Where would I be?” Valentino hummed to himself.

He pulled out his phone and looked at his contacts. A devilish grin appeared on his features as he stared at Angel Dust’s name.

“Why… I do believe I would be in the Princess’s hotel. Sucking up her affection for being too weak to handle a little rough-housing. I bet that stupid shark is there too.” Valentino looked at his scarred arms. “I do believe I have a score to settle.” He smirked. He pressed the button to speak to the driver. “Take me to Vox's penthouse this instant!” Valentino shouted into the speaker.

His driver mumbled out a confirmation and began the drive.

Valentino knew where all of Vox’s important things were, and Valentino had a message to send to his boyfriend. A reminder of who he belonged to.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Alastor winced as Vox finally managed to get one of the weighted blankets free from their cardboard, which resulted in his mate immediately falling backwards into the bed.

At least he got the blanket out.

Vox kicked the garbage out of their bed then wrapped the blanket around Alastor. It was red. The other one was blue, supposingly obvious who they would belong to. Vox sat back down in their bed and stared at Alastor for a second before shaking his head. “No, give me that. I get red. You get the blue one.” Vox decided.

Regardless he wanted to keep his mate happy so he obeyed without hesitation. He was not going to watch Vox open another one of those blankets though. Alastor snatched the unopened blanket from Vox and quickly opened it. Alastor unfolded the blanket and got the cardboard out of the blanket before he stared at it. Then he immediately stuck it on his head.

Vox’s laughter echoed throughout the room, a noise Alastor would love to hear for the rest of his life. Alastor shook his head and then pulled the blanket off of his head, he had a goofy smile plastered on his face.

“You're such a cutie.” Vox reached a hand out to pet Alastor’s ears. “Gosh you're so soft.”

Alastor blushed at that. He doesn't think he was ever called soft before in his life, but man did he like that. Of course Vox would be the only one to call him such.

It had taken the two not long to set everything up to their liking. Alastor had summoned a different desk to rest theIr new television on, and then they spent some time trying to decide on decorations before they decided ‘f*ck it’ and didn't do anything at all.

Vox did get changed though. Vox has fully embraced being a filthy clothing thief and was once again wearing Alastor's clothes. This time he was wearing his shirt, and coat.

Alastor loved how Vox looked in them. It was like he was staking a claim without even having to.

There was one conversation that weighed heavily on Alastor's mine.

The bite conversation. The more persistent Alastor’s rut got, the more he found himself replaying that conversation over and over again in his head. Alastor knew he was the one that said they'll discuss later, and he had no regrets revolving that decision, but his rut-mind hated him for that. The idea of claiming his mate was overwhelming. Delicious even.

Still. Alastor knew he made the right choice. He didn't want Vox to feel pressured into making a decision like that because Vox was already doing his best to help him. Alastor was paranoid that Vox would only agree to it due to his rut.

Alastor was broken from his train of thought when Vox flopped down into his lap. Vox reached a hand up and booped Alastor's nose. “So after this year, do you think you're going to pick me as your mate each time?” Vox asked. It was an innocent question, but the idea of having Vox to himself for a month every year made him giddy.

“Probably.” Alastor answered instead. “I picked Niffty every year prior. It would make sense if you were my new mate. While deer have many mates, I think I'll have one and only one for the rest of my afterlife.”

Vox yawned. “I like that. I like being your only mate.”

Alastor leaned down and rubbed his nose against Vox's screen. “I like it too.” Alastor told him in a quiet tone. “Now, check your mini-box. See if Niffty is done with the groceries.” Alastor ordered.

Vox pulled his phone out from his pocket and turned on the screen. He sent a text to Niffty quickly before he dropped it on his chest. “Now we wait.”

“If she doesn't respond she's probably still out.” Alastor shrugged. “Not a big deal, I do hope she doesn't stay out much longer though.” Alastor growled, his ears flattened. “I don't like the idea of her being out by herself.”

“Aw… the fatherly instincts stay.” Vox cooed. “That’s adorable. I like this side of you.”

Alastor rolled his eyes and pulled Vox up so he was leaning against his chest. “You like me in general.”

“Hehe. Yeah, I do.” Vox confirmed with a smile. He poked Alastor’s nose again and closed his eyes. “I'm happy you picked me as your mate. I don't think I'd be okay if you picked someone else.”

Alastor paused for a minute. “I think… out of everyone I know. Living world and here in Hell, you are the only person I would ever want as my mate.” Alastor whispered to Vox.

Vox pulled Alastor's head down and kissed his forehead gently before booping his nose again. “Thank you for picking me.”

Alastor's cheeks flushed red but he also kissed Vox’s forehead and then booped the spot where Vox's nose would be. “Thank you for being you.”

Chapter 6: Day Five

Chapter Text

“Oh, Voxxy, I'm so bored without you. Are you sure I can't come over?” Velvette's voice whined over the phone.

“Sorry, Vel. While I consider you my family, Alastor doesn't consider you his.” Vox's apology was genuine.

“That doesn't make any sense.” Velvette argued. “You're less likely to f*ck someone you consider family than you are his family. You feel me?”

Huh. “That's… a good point, but regardless, Alastor doesn't understand his instincts much, Vel. I rather not experiment on him. I prefer our room in one piece.” Vox's voice was gentle.

Didn't change the fact that Alastor was awake though because of Velvette's whining, but Alastor didn't mind pretending he was asleep. He loved to eavesdrop.

“God, you're down bad.” Velvette snorted. “Anyway, Love. I hate to talk about work with you when we haven't been able to hang, but has that new contract been going well?”

That caught Alastor's attention.

“I haven't the slightest clue what to put on it.” Vox admitted. “I wouldn't call it a contract. More like a formal notice. The contract comes after the notice.”

“Whatever. Same difference. Both are letters with lots of words.” Alastor could hear her rolling her eyes.

“They're… very different but go off I guess.” Vox yawned.

“Bitch are you tired of me?”

“No, I just didn't sleep well. I had an alarm going off at my penthouse, which is weird because nothing was detected on the cameras. I haven't really been able to sleep since then.”

“Did you take your sleeping meds?” Velvette pressed.

“No…” He sounded shameful as he answered.

“Go f*cking take them.” Velvette snapped. “I'm sure Alastor won't give a sh*t. He'd be happier knowing you're sleeping instead of being some paranoid, workaholic.”

“I'm not paranoid, and I'm not working! I'm talking to you at this very second.” Vox argued back. He was still keeping his voice down. “Plus if I get up, I might wake Alastor.”

“With those giant ears I'm sure he’s been awake this whole time.”

Ouch, but again, fair. He was indeed awake, not for the whole time though.

“Well he’s definitely going to wake up if you don't shut the f*ck up, God. You're so annoying.”

“Bitch, you love me.” She sounded so smug. Alastor had to admit she knew her worth. He could do without the excessive cussing but this was hell!

“Yeah, and I'm thinking about canceling my subscription.” Vox grumbled. His hand began to absent-mindedly pet Alastor's ear. Alastor didn't even try to resist the purr that accompanied the pets.

It was dead silent on Velvette's end. You could hear a pin drop.

“Vox?” Her voice sounded so small compared to her usual egotistical self.

“Yeah?”

“No matter what, we'll always be friends, right?”

“I think we're way past being friends.” Vox responded. “You're my family, Vel, and no matter what, you'll always be my little girl. What makes you ask?”

“It's just that a lot is changing in such a short time. The Princess defended us against angels, her hotel started to really pick up, you and Valentino started fighting in front of me more and more, then you guys broke up, then he tried to kill Vark, then you went missing, then you went missing again. I feel like you are on a completely different wavelength right now and I can't keep up.”

Oh sh*t. This was getting way too sentimental, Alastor should not be listening into this. This was between his mate and his family.

Alastor let out a small noise and began to stir, trying his best to mimic waking up. He raised his head, his eyes barely opened as he looked around the room.

“Good morning Alastor.” Vox greeted before returning his attention to Velvette. “I'll wait for you to catch up then.” He told her.

“He stopped pretending to be sleeping?” Dammit Velvette, stop calling him out.

“Velvette, it doesn't matter if he was pretending or not. He's up now.” Vox laughed with a roll of his eyes. “Maybe he got tired of hearing you bitch.”

Well… technically he didn't get tired of her bitching, but he didn't want to hear her talk about her problems. Alastor shoved his head into Vox's side, making him chuckle deeply.

“Velvette, I gotta let you go. He's being needy.”

“Whatever. You better call me tomorrow though. Bye, Love! Kisses!” With that Velvette hung up on Vox.

Vox tossed his phone onto one of the body pillows and turned his attention to Alastor. “How's my buck?” He grabbed one of Alastor's antlers and pulled his head up so he could look into Alastor's half-lidded eyes.

“Feeling tired.” Alastor grumbled. It wasn't a lie. He was feeling extra exhausted today. If he had to guess, either tomorrow or the day after he would officially be in full rut. “The renovations were a good idea though. I feel much safer. Less paranoid about someone breaking into our den.”

Vox's brow furrowed slightly. Den was a new one. He never heard Alastor call their room a den, but Vox wasn't going to judge. He wasn't the one with a bunch of instincts in overdrive. “I feel safer too!” Vox smiled. “I like the quietness it brings. Also, is it okay if Vark gets to come over today? I miss him.”

Alastor narrowed his eyes before jerking his head out of Vox's grasp. He buried his face back into Vox's side. With his rut coming so soon- it would probably be wise to let Vark come over. “Of course you can, Darling.” Alastor answered, his voice muffled. “I wouldn't be opposed to having a meal with Niffty again.” It would be the last homemade meal he would be giving his mate for a little bit after all.

Vox went back to petting Alastor's hair. “I can give her a call, but you should let me get up and get changed. I know you're feeling cuddly today but I wanna be somewhat productive today.”

How did Alastor get so lucky and unlucky with his mate? Lucky because his mate was a hard-worker and proved to be a good mate, but unlucky because he just wanted to cuddle his mate and do nothing.

Alastor inhaled deeply before he rolled over with a loud groan. “I want to hold you though.” He whined.

Vox laughed and leaned over Alastor. He poked his nose. “You can still hold me. Just let me get changed first.”

Alastor watched as Vox climbed over him and got out of their nest. Vox went into their closet and pulled out one of Alastor's many coats. “We really need to get some laundry done.” Vox mumbled to no one in particular. He also grabbed one of his dress shirts, dress pants and underwear, obviously. Be sanitary. “Alright, I’ll be back out in a minute.” Vox told Alastor before going into the bathroom.

That left Alastor alone, in their room, with only his thoughts. He laid sprawled out in their nest, his eyes now closed.

Spending the day with Niffty would be very enjoyable, he couldn't argue with that, but at the same time the idea of sharing Vox's attention made him growl.

Why was this so challenging? Why couldn't his instincts just calm the f*ck down and be fine with whatever? He tossed his head back and forth a bit as he began to sweat. He rolled to his side and began to fumble with Vox's bedside fan a bit. Once he found the dial, he turned it on and breathed a huge sigh of relief when the cool air hit his face. Definitely going to be his last day of reasonable thinking, he should take advantage of that.

Alastor forced himself out of their nest and swung their closet door open. He felt like his nose was guiding him as he grabbed Vox's jacket. His vision felt a bit blurry. Yes, mate's scent. Alastor grabbed the rest of his outfit for the day and got changed very quickly. While the idea of his mate walking in on him changing was enticing, Alastor did not want to deal with the aftermath of that, besides Vox always took forever to get dressed. Probably because of the giant T.V. on his head. Alastor did notice all of Vox's shirts had buttons on the back. Sometimes Vox had them done up, but for the entirety of Alastor's rut, Vox hasn't bothered with trying to look formal. Vox just got changed and encouraged Alastor to do the same so that the depression of being trapped in a room wouldn't take hold of them.

It was so endearing that his mate cared about his well-being. Alastor's ear flicked towards the bathroom door as he heard it open. He turned his head to stare at Vox who was frozen in the doorway.

“What?” Alastor asked with a tilt of his head. “Is something the matter, Mate?”

Vox swallowed audibly and put a hand on the center of his chest. “You’re- f*ck. That's… I see why you like it when I wear your clothes. Dark blue looks so good on you.”

“You look better in my clothes.” Alastor moved towards Vox slowly. Once he was a close enough distance, he trailed his fingers along Vox's chest. “Is this okay, Mate?” His voice had dropped even lower.

Vox nodded dumbly. “Y-yeah.” He whined.

Alastor leaned in and pressed his forehead against Vox's shoulder. His fingers moved up to Vox's chin and trailed his jawline. “Beautiful.” He purred.

Vox gently grasped Alastor's hand and pressed a kiss against his knuckles. “Pretty Boy.”

Alastor liked that nickname. Alastor could feel Vox's other hand tap against his shoulder. Alastor whined a bit but moved away from Vox and gave him the space he needed, Vox was still clutching his hand though.

It was one of those things that Charlie had first established to everyone in the hotel after Vox joined. Some type of system that lets others know when someone needs a break. Alastor suggested that you could tap or pat someone. While Vaggie pointed out that people loved to give people pats to be condescending or supportive, Charlie was overjoyed that Alastor was contributing so she made that system.

It was a bit clunky at first but once everyone got used to it, it was smooth sailing from then on out.

“I sent Niffty a text while I was getting changed. She said she would join us for dinner tonight but she had a lot of cleanup to do so she will just drop Vark off.” Vox told Alastor. He tugged on his hand as he led him to their bedroom door. “I told her to just let Vark in when she came by and to not worry about us. I figured since we're in here it wouldn't be the end of the world if she waltzed in, besides, she probably wouldn't even care. That girl is a one-track mind kind of person, but that's part of her charm. Do you think… you could tell me the story of how you met Niffty?” Vox was speaking so fast it was hard for Alastor to keep up, but he did manage to catch that last part.

“I don't see why not, why do you want to know?” Alastor asked with the tilt of his head, his ears flopping slightly.

Vox opened their bedroom door and slid outside, still pulling Alastor after him. Once the two were out of their bedroom, Vox closed the door and made his way into the living room where he sat Alastor down on their new couch. “You mentioned once that she was your thrall before you viewed her as your daughter and you don't hide that she's your favourite so I guess I'm just curious about how you two met and how she became the favourite.”

Alastor stared at Vox for a second before patting his lap. He honestly expected Vox to roll his eyes and sit next to him, but to his surprise, Vox crawled right into his lap and wrapped his arms around Alastor's neck.

Alastor was blushing wildly and was trying to avoid Vox's gaze, which earned him a cackle. “Alastor, you held me while I cried, we slept in the same bed together, we're always touching one another. Me sitting in your lap is very tame.”

“It's very… intimate.” Alastor mumbled, but he wrapped his arms around Vox's waist and spread his legs slightly so Vox slid down in between his legs instead of being directly on him. “I'm not opposed to it, however.”

Vox turned his head so he could press his screen flat against Alastor's collarbone. “Good. Because I'm not moving until the story is over.”

“Alright, well… Niffty was one of the first souls I met in Hell. She belonged to another Overlord before me, and no, it was not Husk.” Alastor's voice was low as he spoke, like he was sharing a secret. “Once I rose to the position of Overlord, I met many other Overlords. All who were cruel to those around them. Ones who were abusers. Some I even recognized from my time alive.” Alastor paused, his ears lowered slightly as he tightened his grip on Vox. “One Overlord was a man I killed. He sexually abused his wife and beat her to a pulp. She fled one day during a storm that was rumbling. The thunder and lightning was the perfect chance for me to bury my victims, but she bumped into me.”

Alastor inhaled deeply. “I froze up. I was caught red-handed. I expected screams, I expected the police to come, but instead she met my gaze and asked if I was the man who killed abusers. I told her the truth. She had already caught me after all and told her I was. She told me about her husband. She begged me to kill him, to free her, so I did. When the police were hot on my trail, she told the cops I was with her on the nights of certain murders. She protected me from the police. When I finally landed in Hell though, he was thriving. Abusers get luxury here and I wasn't about to let him think he had escaped judgment. While Heaven may had rejected him, I was going to make sure his afterlife in Hell was torture. I owed it to her after all.” Alastor closed his eyes. “Niffty was one of his thralls. She loves bad boys as you may have realized. I organized a meeting under a fake name, I wanted him to be unprepared for his fate.”

Vox began to rub Alastor's back. His heart was hurting for this man. He wanted to give him comfort, offer him words of reassurance but he found his throat closed up and he felt mute.

“Once I stormed into his office, he realized exactly who I was, but it was too late. I had him killed. I left him bleeding out, begging for his life. I broadcasted everything. Everyone knew how pathetic he was at that moment. I destroyed his reputation and left him gasping for air, but because of how fast I had to act, I didn't realize there was someone in the room with us.” Alastor's hand began to trail up Vox's spine. The danger sent a shiver down Vox's spine.

“Did her soul get transferred to you?” Vox managed to find his voice finally.

“No. When you kill an Overlord, all their contracts break free. Niffty was crying. She was talking about how she needed to find a master to serve, someone to clean for. She was babbling about needing to find a new Overlord to serve. I had no thralls and back then, the idea of owning someone's soul sounded horrible. I wouldn't be better than those abusers if I completely owned someone, but I didn't want her to fall into the chains of someone horrible. I told her the truth. I told her I was an Overlord needing an assistant.”

Vox raised his head to look at Alastor. “An assistant?” He asked.

Alastor nodded his head in conformation. Their door could be heard opening and closing and soon Vark walked into the living room happily. The shark jumped into the couch and pushed his face into Alastor and Vox.

Vox began to pet Vark but he was too drawn in by Alastor's story to really pay too much mind to his pet's arrival.

“I don't own her soul, despite everyone's beliefs. I offered her protection in return for her to be my assistant. She agreed and that was our contract. She belongs to me in every sense, but her soul is hers. I take her with me everywhere To keep up my end of the bargain, which is protection and she keeps up her end. Her assistance is usually cleaning or helping me kill people. Sometimes I have her butcher people, but usually I keep her duties light to not abuse her.”

Vox looked down at Vark, he was still petting the shark and he was almost surprised to see Alastor's hand moved from Vox's spine to pet Vark's head. Hahaha. f*ck yeah. Get Vark’d bitch, but there was still one more question that Vox had.

“What ever happened to the guy's wife?” Vox asked. “She lied to the cops, she assisted you in murders by not telling the cops about who you were. Did she ever get caught after it was revealed you were the murder.”

Alastor's gaze dropped and his smile vanished. “After I was shot and mauled, the news traveled fast. She found out and knew she would be tried for being an accomplice. She hung herself within hours of my death. Her note read ‘he listened to our wounds’.”

“How did you find out what her suicide note was?” Vox asked with a frown. “I mean it was after you died.”

“She's in Hell, Vox. I ran into her before my hiatus.” Alastor's voice had dropped even lower, his hand stopped moving. It just sat on Vark's head. “I actually tracked her down again recently and told her about Charlie's hotel. I told her about redemption, but she shook her head and smiled. She told me ‘I don't regret lying. You saved many of us from being killed. If you're in Hell, then I'll stay in Hell with you.’”

“I'm sorry Alastor. That must be hard.” Vox whispered, placing his fingers under Alastor's chin and guiding his head so Alastor was looking at him. “I didn't realize how sad of a story it was. She's always so happy.”

Alastor just nodded and closed his eyes. “Thank you.” Was all he whispered.

Vox pressed his screen against Alastor's head and began to hum a tune. He wasn't sure what exactly the tune was, but it seemed to work in comforting his mate.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“Vox!” Charlie called through the door. “I don’t mean to bother you, but someone dropped off a package for you. It says that someone named Papermint left it.”

“Just leave it by the door!” Vox called from where he was on the floor. He was fighting for his life against Vark. Do not play tug-of-war with a pet shark. Vox was being dragged on his ass by his pet.

Alastor was still on the couch watching them with his smile back on his face.

“Okay!” Charlie yelled. Some shuffling could be heard before Charlie shouted ‘bye’. After about thirty seconds, Alastor got up to retrieve the package.

Vox was a little confused though. Papermint didn't tell him about any packages? Maybe he got distracted or something, but still. Vox didn't appreciate unexpected work.

Which is weird because most of Vox's work was unexpected work. The internet was a wild, wild place.

Once Alastor returned, Vox dropped the rope and reached up for the package. Alastor handed it to him before sitting down on the floor beside his mate.

Vark had looked up from his rope and was growling. His eyes were glued onto the package and he was slowly circling them now, his jaws were slightly open. Saliva was dripping from the shark's mouth. He was sniffing the air too.

It made Vox nervous. Vox leaned into Alastor and slowly inspected the package.

The name ‘Papermint’ was written on a tag that was attached to the package with a bow. The writing itself was in cursive and in a pink, sparkly, gel pen.

Vox could feel his chest tightening. Papermint didn't know how to write in cursive. He could have gotten someone else to package it.

Vox took the bow off and tossed it to the side, which Vark charged and tore up immediately, making Vox yelp out in shock and press back against Alastor even more. Alastor growled a low warning to Vark, he now had his arms protectively around Vox.

Vox swallowed hard and opened up the package before the stress overtook him. His heart was pounding fast, his chest tightening more and more as he took a peak at what was inside the little parcel.

Papers. Vox reached in and slowly pulled the papers out of the yellow parcel. His heart was beating so fast. It was so hard to breathe now. Vox could feel digital tears form in his eyes. He could feel Alastor leaned forward a bit to look at the images he was sent.

The first few images were of Vox's penthouse trashed. It looked like everything breakable was broken. His T.V. was smashed, his lights were pulled down from the ceiling and left hanging there. The penthouse was flooded from Vark's tank being broken. There was even a knife stabbed into a picture of Vark.

Vox was shaking as he reached back in to grab the next set of papers. These were ones that Vox didn't even know were taken of him.

There were an assortment of pictures. They were all pictures of Vox. He was bloodied, bruised, barely conscious, naked. Some were of his screen smashed in, some were of him tied up, there was even one of Valentino choking the living daylights out of him.

Vox dropped the pictures and dug in further. He could feel Alastor's, but he felt so warm. Why were the lights flickering? What were these symbols in the corner of his vision? What was dropping on him? Vox pulled out the last two items. One was of a flash drive, and the other was another picture of Vox’s penthouse, but written on Vox’s mirror in blood were the words ‘You will always be mine.’

Vox was shaking so badly he could barely keep himself upright. He dropped the pictures and flash drive and fell backwards into Alastor. He winced as he felt something fall onto his screen.

He raised a hand shakily to wipe it off his face. Blood.

Vox blinked slowly and looked up at Alastor, and oh f*ck.

Alastor's eyes were completely black, the radio dials were sporadically rocking about, his antlers were ginormous. His hair was puffed out and his claws were digging deep into the floor.

Symbols were floating around Alastor. He had green energy oozing out of him and blood dripping from his maw. His head and back looked contorted and he had black tentacles in his back gripping the floor.

Vark was growling at Alastor now, slowly moving before he lunged. Vark’s teeth grabbed the collar of the coat Vox was wearing and pulled him back from Alastor. Once Vox was a respectable distance from Alastor, Vark jumped overtop of Vox, standing over him. His tail was wrapped protectively around Vox and he was snarling at Alastor. Alastor's head snapped ninety degrees to the side with an audible ‘crack!’

He was prowling towards Vark slowly but the shark wasn't backing down.

Before Alastor could move, Vark headbutted the angry man, knocking the man flat on his back, but Alastor recovered quickly. His tentacles pushed him up off the ground into the air and he sent five towards Vark, charging at the shark at full speed.

Vark hopped to the side, his tail just barely getting nicked from the tentacles.

Vox gasped out. It was so hard to breathe but one of them was going to kill the other. Vox managed to force himself to his feet, his legs shaky.

Vox inhaled and right as Alastor and Vark charged one another, he let out a shout and a huge bolt of electricity shot out from Vox's body and flooded the room. It consumed and burnt everything around it except for Alastor and Vark.

Once the lightning stopped flowing, the entire room was blacked out from the damage. It smelt horrible, and there was no way anything would be saved, but Alastor and Vark were in two perfectly okay small circles.

Vark had managed to calm down and Alastor's eyes had flashed back to normal.

It was dead silent. They were all staring at one another, blood was slowly dripping from the injury in Vark's tail.

Vox couldn't breathe though. He stared at them before his screen turned completely black and he collapsed to the hot floor.

The last thing he heard was a panicked “Mate!”

Chapter 7: Day Six

Chapter Text

When Vox finally woke up, it was seven am. There was also Velvette standing over him, pressing a cold rag to his neck. It hurt to open his eyes, he could feel the very heavy dip in the bed and the familiar rough skin of Vark pressed against him. Vox was also only wearing shorts now and had like five fans on him.

It hurt to open his eyes but the entire room was dark. It smelt awful, like burnt drywall. Most importantly though, he was in his and Alastor's nest without Alastor.

Vox shot up, to the surprise of Velvette who yelled out in shock. “Where’s Alastor?” Vox yelled, his eyes were glowing brightly, his screen as bright as can be. Vark sleepily raised his head and looked at his master. He had one eye half closed and the other fully open. His tongue was sticking out and his tail was bandaged.

“Jesus f*cking Christ!” Velvette yelled. “Lay the f*ck back down. He's fine, Nifty has him in your office. He's knocked out. We gave him a sedative.” Velvette snapped. “Calm down.”

Vox did the exact opposite of ‘calm down’. “You drugged him?” Vox yelled. “Why the f*ck would you drug him? Now he's going to be more pissed off.”

“He f*cking agreed to it!” Velvette threw her hands in the air. “Jesus. f*ck. Vox, after you completely destroyed the room, Princess Charlie and everyone came running in and saw Alastor holding your unconscious body and using his tentacles to hold Vark in the air! His eyes were completely black, his mouth had blood oozing from it, it was terrifying! Niffty had promptly kicked everyone out and called me asap to come help you and Vark while she took care of Alastor. At the idea of you two being in separate rooms he promptly freaked the f*ck out and so we suggested drugging him and leaving you in the room with him, he agreed.” Velvette finished her story with a shove. Vox didn't fight her though and let his back hit against the pillow.

“The Princess is currently having a new room arranged for you too.” Velvette's tone was so soft as she spoke to him. “We're going to move you and Alastor to the new room as soon as she's finished, but Vox. Alastor hurt Vox. I don't want to be that girl, but Valentino tried to do the same thing.”

Vox's heart hurts. His head hurts. His legs feel numb. “Vark scared him.” Vox mumbled. “I started panicking and Vark grabbed me because he was scared and then Alastor freaked out because Vark took me away from him when he was having some kind of rut meltdown. Trust me. Once Alastor wakes up, he will be all over me trying to make up for it, and after this month is over he'll probably try to make it up to Vark. It was genuinely an… Well I wouldn't say it was an accident, they were trying to hurt one another, but trust me. Neither of them were in the right mindset.”

Velvette stared at Vox, her eyes were dull. She heaved a sigh and pressed the rag against Vox’s neck again. “Vark can probably smell that Alastor is in rut. He probably doesn't know you're his mate though. He thought you were in danger, like it was Valentino all over again.” Velvette murmured, but it was mostly to herself.

Vox didn't say anything. What could he say? He just looked away from Velvette. Should he tell her about the parcel? He should, shouldn't he?

“Velvette… Alastor had a meltdown because Valentino dropped something off.” Vox tried to explain, but his throat closed up and the digital tears were building up once again. “I… Velvette, he's pissed. He wants to hurt me. He… God I don't even know what was on the flash drive he sent. I destroyed it. Velvette, I don't know what to do. Valentino destroyed my house and… Velvette… he had pictures of…” Vox was babbling at this point, the tears were falling completely and Velvette looked ready to cry herself. “He had- he took pictures of me… after we… he…” He couldn't even get the words out.

Velvette pulled Vox into a hug and shushed him. “Hey, it's okay. We'll figure something out.” She whispered to him. “You have Alastor and Vark by your side. You'll be fine. Does Valentino know you're with Alastor?”

“N-no?” Vox whimpered out. “No one knows but.. you, Papermint, and the hotel. God Velvette, my employees They're going to get dragged into this hot f*cking mess.”

“Good. Keep it that way, don't tell anyone else where you are. I'll tell Papermint to go on lockdown and look out for any revenge p*rn and have it removed immediately. We'll kill anyone who distributes it. Vark is going to stay with Vaggie. Any packages delivered To you will be screened and if Valentino sends anything, we'll track him down. Niffty is going to stay with you and Alastor in the new room and take care of you both. I'm going to write the official statement and have Valentino let go as a partner of The Vee's. We need to do damage control, but most importantly, you are going to relax with Alastor.”

“Velvette… I don't think Alastor's going to let this go.” Vox whispered to her. His eyes were screwed shut now. “Alastor saw the package.”

Velvette patted Vox's back before she pulled back, her hands on his shoulders. “When we find Valentino, we'll let you and Alastor know. You and Alastor can kill him together.” She promised. “Valentino won't know the fury that’s coming his way.” She kissed Vox’s forehead. “Stay strong for me.” Her voice sounded so small. “Remember what you told me when we first met?”

“Your burdens are mine now. I'll keep you safe from your past. Forever is a long time, let's spend it together.” They both whispered to one another. They stared at each other for a moment longer before they both started to sob, their arms wrapping around each other tightly. It was like a dam just broke and the two couldn't hold back their emotions anymore, but that was okay.

They had each other and that would never change.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

The new room felt so dull. There was none of the charm that Alastor and him worked hard on, but at the same time, the old room felt so daunting. Charlie mimicked their walls and rooms at least to the best of her ability so they had doors and the rooms were separated once again. It was touching but Vox felt so cold at the moment.

They let Vox into the room first so he could get his scent in there and build a nest. It was hard to focus though because he just felt so heavy. So stressed and so ready to crumble.

Now he was laying in their new nest, Alastor curled into a tight ball right beside him.

God he wanted a drink. He wanted to forget everything. Sometimes Alastor would stir and Vox could feel his heart stop, but he didn't know if it was from fear or from happiness. He felt like he was drowning in his emotions.

The pressure in his chest felt so harsh. Vox buried his face in his face. He kicked his legs slightly. “f*ck!” He cried out. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. Was it wrong of him to feel so afraid of what Alastor would do when he woke, but the slumber was worse. The silence was daunting. He could hear Valentino's laughter echoing in the empty room. Why were feelings so f*cking hard?

Why did he… why did a part of him yearn for Alastor? Why did he crave the touch of the man? The words of reassurance from him felt like the only cure. Vox closed his eyes and felt all the tension leave his body as he addressed his emotions. Alastor… shouldn't Vox want nothing to do with him? For f*ck's sake he had hurt Vark.

Vark attacked first though, but it wasn't Vark's fault. It wasn't Alastor's fault either…

It was Vox's.

He's the one who didn't let Vark finish Valentino's life. He's the one who refused to hurt the man. He's the one who was so f*cking emotional. He.. kept the man alive all this time. He watched Alastor slowly get more clingy and cuddly. Alastor warned him about threats and dangers. Vox was the one who put Vark in harm's way both times. Vox was the one who dated Valentino in the first place.

He didn't pull the trigger though. No. Valentino was the person who pulled the trigger. Valentino was the one who hit Vox. Valentino was the one who hurt him.

So why did it feel like Vox's fault? Vox rolled over in their nest and hugged himself tightly. He was the one who was scared. He was the person who reacted violently to being touched by people. He's the one who destroyed their room.

Yet he didn't hurt Vark or Alastor. He kept them safe. They were perfectly okay. Once he passed out, Alastor didn't hurt Vark anymore. Alastor recognized that Vark was under Vox's protection.

Valentino would have killed Vark if Vox passed out like that.

Alastor and Valentino… his heart felt so split. Did he want Alastor the same way he wanted Valentino all those years ago? Was Alastor even willing to deal with Vox after all this?

Was Vox willing to work with Alastor on this step?

…

He was. He wanted Alastor. He wanted Alastor to hug him. He wanted Alastor to tell him he was strong. He wanted Alastor to kiss him gently. He wanted to watch movies with Alastor and laugh at the bad editing. He wanted to introduce Alastor to the world of the internet. He wanted to show Alastor podcasts.

He wanted Alastor to hold him and sing to him.

Vox sat up and looked at the sleeping figure that was next to him. His ears were twitching now. The drug was wearing off.

Alastor needed the same thing. Alastor told him he was his mate. Alastor called him that.

Alastor held him so many times when Vox was distressed, it was only fair that Vox returned the favour.

Alastor must be so scared right now. He told Vox so many times that he's never taken in a mate before. That he never once understood his instincts that he just let them do as they pleased because that was safer than trying to hold them back.

Vox told him he'd stay. Vox told him he wasn't going to give up on him after one bad bump. Vox was an Overlord. He was stronger than most sinners and he was Alastor's. He raised his hand to his neck and brushed his fingers across the spot that Alastor had first buried his face in.

Vox placed his free hand on Alastor's cheek. “You've done so much for me. You've touched my heart and made it bleed in a new way. So in the end, if this ends in bloodshed and misery, there’s something I need to say.” He sang softly. He rubbed his thumb across Alastor's cheek ever so slightly. “My eyes are open and my views have been restored by you. More than anything I need you to know I'm falling for you. More than anything.” Vox pulled his hand back and looked away.

He closed his eyes again and laid back down next to Alastor. He stared into Alastor's sleeping figure for a minute before he smiled and wrapped his arms around Alastor. He closed his eyes and let his imagination play different stories. He could be strong for Alastor, even if it was just for the day.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

When Alastor woke up, he had a killer migraine, but most importantly he had Vox with him. His mate. Alastor forced himself to sit up straight and took in the room. It was obviously a new room and it looked like they did their best to mimic Alastor and Vox's new room. All the walls were empty and the walls had no designs on them, but a T.V. was at the foot of the bed, and to both sides of the bed were two bedside tables. The closet also was in the same position as the old one. They didn't look anything like the originals, but Alastor felt touched by the attempt.

When Alastor looked down, Vox was staring up at him. “Hi.” Alastor managed to say.

“Hi.” Vox whispered back.

Alastor stared at his mate for a second before his ears flattened and his smile vanished. “I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt Vark. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to get so violent. I was trying so hard to control myself but I just couldn't. No matter what I did I felt like I was locked in a tiny box with no control over myself. I just sat there and watched as I hurt the things you loved. I watched myself attack your pet. No, your baby. I watched you… I watched you scream. I watched the electricity surge and destroy everything in its path. When I saw what Valentino did to you, when I saw the damage… I… I don't know what happened. I hate that I hurt you. I hate that I couldn't control myself at that moment. I hate how my instincts and powers consumed every part of me. I hated… every second of that. I hated that I reacted like that. I should have been strong for you. I shouldn't have let my emotions dictate my actions.” Alastor was talking so fast Vox could hardly keep up.

“Alastor.” Vox sat up and grabbed both sides of Alastor's head and pulled him against his forehead, dimming his screen so he wouldn't blind the deer. “It's okay.” Vox told him. “I promise, it's okay.”

“It's not okay!” Alastor argued. He pulled his head away from Vox and turned so his back was facing him. “I'm no better than that moth!” Alastor spat. “I hurt you. I failed you twice now. I failed you when I didn't save you from Valentino and you had to save yourself. I failed you when I reacted unreasonably. I should have killed Valentino all those years ago when I found out what he did for a job. I should have killed him when I saw the bruises on you, but instead I ignored them! I have no right to be acting like this!” Alastor snapped, he fisted his head and buried his face into his knees. “I had every chance to help you but I didn't! I didn't do anything! I went against my own morals!” Alastor sounded so distressed.

Vox was just stunned into silence. He was expecting Alastor to still be in a rage, not self-loathing. Vox was speechless. He had absolutely no idea on what to say to Alastor. He didn't even know Alastor could feel emotions like this. Regret and sorrow were words that were never associated with the Radio Demon. It was fine. He's got this.

Vox looked towards their bedroom door. Vox closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before addressing Alastor. “You not helping me was the right choice, Alastor. I'm an Overlord. People would have seen that and thought lowly of me. Would have tried to manipulate and hurt me further because I would have been a joke. You're not wrong for not doing anything. Sitting out is the right choice sometimes. I stand as a beacon of hope to other sinners who are struggling at this moment. Sinners who are going through the same thing I was.” Vox got up on his knees and awkwardly made his way to Alastor before he sat right back down next to him.

Alastor slowly looked at Vox, his eyes were a bit puffy, but Vox didn't mention it. Instead Vox continued. “I'm your mate, Alastor. You wanted to protect me. While you could have reacted better, unlike Valentino, you had a reason to react that way. You're in rut and your mate is being threatened. Valentino's excuse for hurting Vark is that I broke up with him. You were trying to protect me and so was Vark. It was a miscommunication between the two of you, and that's okay.” Vox wrapped his arms around Alastor. “I forgive you because you're my mate and you were just trying to protect me. I respect that. I probably would have done the same thing.”

Silence. All you could hear was the breathing between the two of them. Vox's poor heart was beating so fast Vox was worried that he might actually have a heart attack.

“I want him dead.” Alastor finally growled out. “I want Valentino dead.”

“I want him dead too, baby, and Velvette promised me that once they track him down, they're going to give us his location.”

A pause. “Baby?”

“Oh.. uh… sorry.” Vox apologized sheepishly. “It slipped out.”

“I like it.”

Another pause. God this was so f*cking awkward.

“Will I ever be able to fix my relationship with Vark?” Alastor asked. His voice was so quiet Vox almost didn't hear him.

“He might be hesitant but I can reintroduce you guys. He'll warm up to you.” Vox reassured him. He rubbed Alastor’s shoulders in comfort. “He'll love you, don't worry. As hard as it will be on us, once your rut is almost over, he can stay in our room permanently. He can get accustomed to your scent through the door and I can introduce you guys in small fragments. It'll be a lot of work but it's possible.”

Alastor breathed a heavy sigh of relief and leaned into Vox's touch. “Thank you for being here with me.” Alastor murmured.

Vox leaned into Alastor as well. “Baby, I'm your mate, you bet your ass I'll be here for you. Through thick and thin, Alastor. I told you I wasn't giving up.” Vox started to pet Alastor's ear.

Alastor closed his eyes and welcomed the attention he was receiving. It was nice to be told it was okay. It felt nice to be emotionally vulnerable. “Why are you comforting me?” He couldn't help but ask.

“Because you need it.” Vox shrugged.

“Your ex is threatening you.” Alastor pointed out dryly. “Yet I'm over here acting like it's my trauma.”

“Just because it isn't yours doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to see.” Vox pointed out. “It sucks that Valentino is going crazy, but I just have to keep reminding myself that he's not missing me. He's missing the control he had over me.” Vox threw his head back and looked up at the ceiling. “Besides, I'm not alone anymore. I have everyone in this hotel, Papermint, and Velvette backing me up.”

“It's still ridiculous you have to put your feelings and fears aside to deal with my emotions.” Alastor mumbled.

“I'm just repaying the favour, Alastor. You've comforted me more times than I can count. You have respected my boundaries and wishes every step of the way. You're allowed to have a bad day, and even though it sucks that this is it, I can handle it. I'm supposed to support you as well, Alastor. Being mates goes both ways. Once you feel better I can tell you about my worries.” Vox promised. “For now, just let me carry this burden.”

He continued to pet Alastor’s ears as they both quieted down. The two sat in comfortable silence before they heard a knock on the door. “I made dinner!” It was Niffty. “May I come in?”

Vox looked at Alastor who still had his eyes closed. “Yes you may!” Vox called back out.

The door opened and Niffty came bounding in. She had two plates. There was fruit salad, mashed potatos and bologna on one and the other just had an assortment of different meats on it. She zipped over to Alastor's side of the bed and put his plate down on the bedside table before she ran back around and put Vox's plate on his table. She waved at Vox cheerily before she zipped back out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

“I'm being babysat.” Alastor mumbled.

“What?”

“She's supposed to make sure I'm not going to kill everyone. I'm in jail. They're all scared and upset.” Alastor expanded upon his previous statement. “It’s deserved, but I don't appreciate it. I do like food though so I can't complain.” Alastor straightened up and grabbed his plate of food. He examined it carefully before he unhinged his jaw and tipped the plate upside-down over his mouth. Vox watched in astonishment as all the food fell into Alastor's mouth and he swallowed it all whole! What the f*ck?

Alastor placed the plate back down on the table and was licking his lips when he noticed Vox staring at him. “Ah, apologies. When I use a high amount of my power I tend to… eat like that to restore my energy. Usually it's sinner meat but Niffty probably didn't want me to eat that in front of you.” Alastor explained a bit bashfully. His head was ducked and his ears were flat. “I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Alastor, really, It's fine.” Vox insisted. “I was just a little stunned is all. I rather you be yourself.” Vox grabbed his own plate and picked up his fork. Niffty had also given him a spoon for his fruit salad, what a sweetheart!

Alastor had moved closer to Vox now and watched him eat, which was very much not creepy, thank you! He leaned his head down onto Vox's shoulders and closed his eyes again. Vox patted his head before returning his attention back to his dinner. The sound of the fork accidentally hitting the plate was grounding in a way.

Alastor had no idea how long they were sitting like that, but he felt Vox flick his nose, which made him screw his eye shut even tighter and let out a strangled sound. He moved his head off of Vox and opened one eye to see that Vox was setting his now empty plate on his bedside table.

Vox scooted forward a bit and then fell backwards right into Alastor.

“Umph!” Alastor grunted, wincing ever so slightly. His smile was back on his face though and he seemed a bit more cheery.

“So, as I said, I already spoke to Velvette and they’re working out a plan right now. I’m still going to stay with you and hopefully we’ll have everything sorted sooner rather than later. I would like the rest of your rut to be stress-free so we can really focus on each other.” Vox's tone was gentle and tired. Poor guy was probably still tired from all the energy he released. “Papermint and Vel are putting Voxtech on lockdown until this all settles. I am not sacrificing my employees over Valentino’s temper tantrums.”

“What about the pictures he sent you?” Alastor asked. “What if he distributes them?”

“The revenge p*rn? I'm not too worried about it honestly. It sucks, but I control the internet, I can have everything removed in the blink of an eye.”

“I meant physically?” Alastor pressed.

Vox… hadn't thought about that as a possibility. “Oh f*ck!” He yelled out. Vox shot straight and turned to stare at Alastor. His eyes were wide with panic. “f*ck! I didn't think about that, Alastor. Oh my gosh. I'm such a f*cking idiot. Of course he would make copies. He sent physical pictures to me! He probably has hundreds laying around at his disposal.”

Alastor did not mean to cause Vox to panic! This is very much not what he wanted! “Okay, hey, hey, settle down.” Alastor grabbed Vox's frantically waving hands and held them up to his chest. “Vox! Hey! It's okay!” Alastor's voice was hushed and his gaze was gentle. “Maybe you can have Velvette hire some employees that could find and collect pictures of you. Like a private investigator?” Alastor suggested. “This is Hell, I'm sure you could find a bunch of people who could infiltrate the system. Maybe destroy all of Valentino's printers?”

Okay. Those were solid ideas- Vox could work with that. “Right. Okay. I can- I- call Velvette. I need to call Velvette.” Vox’s hands were shaking when he reached into his back pocket to grab his phone. He could barely hold it steady as he dialed Velvette's number.

Velvette picked up almost immediately. “Are you okay?”

“Vel, Vel, what if he gives out physical copies of the pictures?” Vox wasted no time at all. “We can't scrub those ones!” Alastor reached out and pulled Vox back against him, hugging the male tightly. It was light if he hugged him tight enough, all these issues would just vanish into thin air.

“That's a bit of a problem, don't worry, I'll hire someone to dig deeper and see if that's a possibility. If any do get released, don't worry, Vox. Anyone with them won't have them for long, and if they don't hand them over willingly, we'll just kill them.”

“Thank you, Vel.”

“Of course, babe! Don't you worry. I'll have everything handled. You just relax and take it easy! Kisses!” Velvette hung up, probably off to go hire some new intel.

“Handled!” Alastor rubbed his nose against Vox’s screen. “Easy as pie.”

Somehow, despite all his anxieties, he managed to smile. “Yeah. Easy as pie.” He repeated to himself. “Hey, Al?”

“Yes?”

“After your rut, are you gonna be back to normal? Like hating people touching you and all that?”

“Yes.”

“Would that include me?”

“I don't know.”

It was such an honest answer.

Vox pushed himself up and picked his phone up from where he dropped it. He crawled over to the T.V., promptly turning it on before he returned to Alastor, sitting in between his legs, remote in hand. He switched the T.V. to Voxflix and began to scroll through the movies.

Alastor tilted his head thoughtfully as he watched Vox go to black and white movies. Vox stared at the endless list of movies before getting out of the black and white movies and moving to some colourful animations.

“Sorry, Al. I don't think I can handle a black and white movie. I need some colour.” Vox's apology sounded way too genuine for such a small deal.

While Alastor would love to pick and tease on Vox for his ‘new technology’, he really didn't have it in him today.

“It's fine, my Dear. It's been an eventful past day. I suppose you've earned a little reward.” Alastor leaned back in their nest, taking Vox with him.

Vox just hummed in response before putting on some animation about a horse. “This is a popular movie on Earth. Well the original is. Obviously this is a remake.” Vox told Alastor. “It's about a horse named Spirit though, it's pretty good. I haven't seen it in a while though.”

Alastor didn't know how Vox could embrace new technology like this. Old technology was just better. The thrill of danger, the sounds it made, even how blocky it was. There was something so beautiful. Alastor loved to watch radios change over the years. It was so enthralling.

“Mate?”

“Hm?”

“Why do you like all this new technology so much?” Alastor asked. He was staring up at the ceiling now.

“Coming into Hell for a giant ass T.V. for a head was a bit part of it.” Vox admitted. “My balance got f*cked. It was so heavy. My neck was in constant pain from carrying it. When I realized I could swap my head out, it felt like a blessing. While this screen isn't the most attractive, it causes me the least amount of pain.”

Alastor's heart ached at the idea of Vox being in pain. Deep-down he could feel respect form within him for newer technology for saving his Vox from constant agony. “Does it still hurt?”

“Yeah, but compared to the pain I felt before, this is a much nicer change of pace.” Vox grabbed one of Alastor’s arms and wrapped it around himself.

“Are you in pain right now?” Alastor asked. He stared down at the hand Vox was still holding. He brought his other arm around Vox and pressed his face against his neck.

“Just a little sore from all the electricity I released. I may be some glorified lightning rod, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.”

Alastor's heart broke a little. “I'm so sorry.” He whispered. He gave Vox's neck a gentle kiss.

Vox tilted his head to give Alastor more room. “It's okay, Alastor. It's not the first time I've done that, it won't be the last. I'm grateful that you've apologized for losing your temper like that. You've been supportive of me since I came to the hotel.”

Honestly being nice to him was the least they could do after seeing him bleed out from a gunshot wound.

They were all just so happy he survived it. While there would have been no permanent damage from him dying, the process of being reformed was excruciating, no matter how small the injury was. Alastor was lucky to have never gone through it himself, but he's heard horror tales of the pain people went through.

Alastor kissed Vox's neck again and pulled back slightly. “You deserve the opportunity to heal and better yourself.”

“I won't heal until Valentino stops being a little bitch.” Vox growled out. “Once they find him, I don't give a f*ck about staying back and sitting pretty. I'm going to have electricity course through his veins. I'm going to fry his heart and turn him into a moth barbecue.”

Alastor blinked and stiffened a bit. “Will I be with you?” Alastor asked. There was a pit in his stomach. The idea of Vox just sneaking out and leaving Alastor alone made him want to scream out and claw up everything. He needed to be in control though. He would not have another meltdown in front of Vox. He owed it to the man.

“What kind of f*cking question is that? Of course you're going to be there with me! I need my mate to see how strong I am!” Vox declared, his chest puffing out slightly. “Besides, I know you want some revenge too.” Vox purred. “I'm not opposed to watching my mate hurt my sh*tty ex.”

Alastor grinned widely, his tail wagging ever so slightly at the idea. Showing Valentino that Vox was his sounded so delicious, but there was one thing. “You said ‘hurt’. I'm not allowed to kill him?” Alastor asked. He was used to just killing everyone who inconvenienced him.

“Sorry, but no.” Vox booped Alastor's nose. “I want to kill him. I want him to look up at me in terror while I reclaim all of what he took from me. I want to be the man he fears. I want him to feel what I felt for all those years, and I want to be the man who makes it clear to him that I am more than just his victim.” Vox declared, staring directly into the television now, watching his movie intensely.

Alastor let Vox enjoy his movie, he had things to think about at the moment. Like about Vox reclaiming his power. For years Alastor had just killed any and all abusers. He never once thought about the possibility that they wanted to be the person to end their aggressor's life. The women always seemed so happy to be freed from their clutches. Hell, Sahara had even asked him to kill her husband when she caught him burying bodies during that storm.

Did they ever want to do the same thing Vox did? Did they want to end their husbands’ lives? Did Alastor ever ruin their plans? Did Alastor undermine all those women?

He couldn't help but wonder if he ever made those women feel weaker instead of empowered.

“Alastor, Baby, I can hear you thinking. Penny for your thoughts?” Vox's voice cut through Alastor's thoughts like a hot knife.

“Do all victims wish to get revenge?” Alastor's voice was barely above a whisper. He couldn't keep the shaking out of his voice. He thought he was helping those people for all these years!

“Alastor, everyone wants revenge on those who hurt them. Some people can forgive those who harmed them while others are too afraid of the consequences. I'm not afraid of the consequences 'nor do I want to forgive Val, and I'm not afraid because I have so many people backing me up. I want to be an icon for others who aren't as fortunate to have others behind them. What you did for those women, you helped them. Back then, women didn't have The power they do now, Alastor. They were lucky to have a man see their struggles and stand up for them. You knew they wouldn't have changed, so you made sure that they couldn't hurt another woman or child ever again.” Vox reached his arm up, and totally did not accidentally smack his hand against Alastor's teeth, and brushed his knuckles against Alastor’s cheek, awkwardly. Look, he was comfortable and didn't want to turn around. “Most of them were afraid. You helped them. While I'm sure some of them wanted to get revenge personally, but it isn't the end of the world.” Vox reassured Alastor. “I have the option to avenge my past self and I'm choosing to take up that option.”

“I just never thought about it like this before.” Alastor admitted.

“Baby, if I had no one to support me, I would want some crazed man to kill my husband.” Vox chucked. He turned his head upwards to stare up at Alastor. “Stop fretting about the past.”

Alastor looked down at Vox before his face softened and a genuine smile crossed his face. “Okay. Thank you for allowing me to hurt Valentino.”

“You're so sappy.” Vox laughed before returning his attention back to the move. “You're welcome though.” He shifted his position ever so slightly so he was laying on his side, his head sideways so he could stare at the T.V. screen.

Alastor has never thought about it before, but if Vox had his old head still he wouldn't be able to lay against Alastor. His head would be too big and chunky to properly cuddle. As he spent more and more time with Vox, he found himself appreciating new technology more and more. He was still a firm believer that radio was better than television though.

As Alastor started to pay attention to the movie, he found himself enraptured by the sounds and world. The animation for the horses’ running was beautiful and pulled off well. It was like he was sucked into a new world. The music was surprisingly decent as well! Maybe Alastor could watch more movies similar to this one.

The two watched the movie in a comfortable silence, Alastor holding onto Vox tightly when the fire scene started. He was captive, it was like nothing else existed in this world except for the movie that was playing on the screen. He could live without the narration though. It was a bit distracting to be yanked out of the movie's element from the horse talking.

Once the movie was over Vox turned off the T.V. and turned around so he could sit down on Alastor's lap while facing him. “What did you think?” Vox asked. He looked incredibly smug.

“It was… better than I expected.” Alastor answered with narrowed eyes.

“Hah! In your face!” Vox laughed loudly. “I will count that as a win!” He threw his arms into the arm in celebration. “Alastor watched something with colour and said it was good!”

“I said it was ‘better than expected’!” Alastor argued. “I didn't say it was good.”

“Nope, nuh-uh. I saw how captivated you were!” Vox grabbed Alastor's shoulders. “You saying that just means you liked it!”

“I had low standards going in!” Alastor put his hands on Vox's waist. “This is ridiculous.” He scoffed, he lowered his eyes and pouted at Vox.

“Don't worry, Big Buck. I won't tell anyone your dirty little secret.” Vox teased Alastor. He still looked way too smug.

Alastor purred at the nickname and flipped their position so Vox was laying on his back and Alastor was over him. “You better not!” Alastor tried to sound mad but he failed miserably.

Vox's hands were still on Alastor’s shoulders and he had a raised brow. “Alright, enough of the teasing. Alastor, your rut. How's it going?” Vox asked. As much as he wanted to continue bonding with his mate, they needed to talk about one of the issues at hand, which was Alastor's rut.

“It's…” Alastor paused. “I think it's getting worse. A lot worse.” Alastor brought one of his hands to Vox's chest. He began to draw circles with his fingers. “Pretty soon we'll be stuck in bed.”

“How soon is soon?” Vox asked.

“Rut should kick it into high gear either tonight or tomorrow morning. I can feel it. The cravings for your touch. The need to protect you and keep you near me. Vox, this is your final chance to leave. Once tomorrow comes, I can guarantee you'll have the opportunity to leave until after.”

“I already told you I'm staying.” Vox frowned. “I'm going to be here for you. Stop trying to convince me to leave.”

Alastor whimpered a bit. “I'm just trying to give you an out.”

“I know you are, and I greatly appreciate it, but seriously. I'm a big boy. I can handle this.” Vox pulled Alastor's head down and killed his forehead. “I'll turn the fan on before we go to sleep, okay? I don't want you to overheat and sweat up a storm.”

Alastor closed his eyes and pressed his body against Vox's. “Yes, Dear.” He murmured. A large yawn escaped him, almost splitting his face in half. “Sleep sounds nice.”

“Then come cuddle me and go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up.” Vox whispered with a smile. “Tomorrow we can read, watch movies, share stories, and call our friends. I'm sure they'll be pleased to see that you're feeling better.”

Alastor didn't respond. Instead he rolled off of Vox and curled into his side. His ears flattened and his eyes felt heavy. He breathed in his mate’s scent.

Soon they would be able to get revenge on Valentino, and that thought brought a smile to his face as he fell into a dreamless slumber.

Chapter 8: Day Seven

Chapter Text

Vox woke up to Alastor laying on top of him. The Radio Demon was very much awake and just staring at Vox. His eyes were completely black and he was sweating profusely. One look into Vox's internal clock showed him that it was five am.

“Hey, Pretty Buck. Were you protecting me?” Vox brought one of his hands up and began to pet Alastor's ears. The big fluffy ear flicked ever so slightly at the touch and Alastor whined into the touch.

“Must keep mate safe.” Alastor’s voice was very groggy and deep. It sounded like there was a frog in his throat or something along those lines.

“You kept me safe all night, Baby.” Vox nodded his head. While Alastor slept through the night, Vox opened a thread of Voxxit and asked the internet how he should treat his mate.

He still didn't really know what to do, but a lot of people confirmed that rut was different for everyone. They also said that universally everyone in rut wanted touches and reassurance, sexual or not, which Vox could work with.

Alastor slowly got off of Vox and rubbed his body against Vox. He was acting like some oversized cat!

“What are you doing, Mate?” Vox asked, sitting up. As soon as he sat up, Alastor went behind him and rubbed up against him.

“Scent!” Alastor answered simply. He still had his giant grin, but it was definitely a lot more forced. “Got to show others you're my mate.” Alastor purred. “I lucked out with getting you as a mate. So perfect and beautiful.” Vox’s screen was bright red and he looked away in embarrassment.

“I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just an average guy.” Vox mumbled out.

Alastor pouted and grabbed Vox, pulling him into him so he could cuddle with him. “So pretty and strong. Many others want you.” Alastor peppered kisses along Vox’s neck. “I'm lucky you picked me.”

Vox tilted his head to give Alastor more room. His face was still red. Alastor told him he'd get clingy, not complementive, or kissy. Alastor has kissed Vox and he never minded it before, but there was something so different about it happening now.

“I thought you picked me?” Vox responded with instead. He sucked in a breath when Alastor nipped his collarbone. His hand shot out to grab Alastor's ear and he guided his head back into the crook of his neck. “Baby, no. That's a little… too…” Vox's voice trailed off.

Alastor moved his head back down to his collarbone and kissed where he had nipped Vox in apology. “I'm sorry, Mate.” Alastor whimpered.

“It's okay, Baby. Thank you for stopping.” Vox melted into Alastor's touch. Alastor had his hands on Vox's waist and guided him back towards his body.

“Anything for my mate!” Alastor answered simply.

Vox closed his eyes and decided to just enjoy the moment of being kissed and admired. Everything he did something with Valentino, it was messy, rough, and usually painful.

“Why are you distressed?” Alastor's voice started Vox. Alastor began to examine Vox's body carefully, rolling back the sleeves of Vox's sleepwear to check his arms. “I can smell it.” Alastor’s voice was still low, probably a side effect of the rut. “I smell no blood but you're hurt!”

Vox rolled over so he was laying on his stomach and grabbed Alastor’s wandering hands. “I was just thinking about something.”

“Was it something I did? Was it the bite? I'm sorry.” Alastor whined.

God he sounded so hurt.

“No… I was just… thinking about how you stopped and how much I appreciated it.” Vox had to word everything very carefully.

“You were upset though!” Alastor countered.

“Look, I was thinking about how Valen- oh fiddlesticks!” Vox pushed himself backwards away from Alastor when blood began to drip from his mouth.

“V̷̨̲̣̺̰̑̔͌̈́̑̇͜ͅa̴̳͓̔l̷̢͖̙͎̯̥̀̓͐̏͆̓̄̇̕è̵̢̢̼̠̖̱̭̱̳̉̓͝͝n̴̨̗̗̹̮̯͈̩̾ͅṯ̵̡̡͚̻̟̝̫̯͕͂͌̅͠ĩ̷̠͖̹͍͙̩̈́̋̐̑ͅņ̷̩̬̗̯̟̝͕͈̔̈́͒̓̿́͘͠o̸̡͓̗͙̬̮̳̍͒ ̸̢͚͒̇h̴̡̨̥̳̤͉̆̀͒̑͑u̷̢̨̮̭̾r̴̹̹̺͓̝̀͗͌̊͜ͅţ̷̡͍̩͉̑̌̒́͌̈͝ ̴̢̤͈͇̟̜̬̜̘̈́͑͗̀̽͋̓̓̕͜ṃ̸̢͔̘͚̩͍͚͎̾a̸̜͍̹̰͠t̶͈͈̘͔́͊̏̇̅̃͊̀͗͗ḙ̸̂̂͑͘?” Alastor snarled out.

“No! I mean, yes but…” Vox could feel himself panic a bit. Vox tried to come up with some type of solution but he really had no plan at all. Vox swallowed harshly and did his best to whimper. “I need you.”

The blood stopped dripping and Alastor turned to look at his mate. Alastor reached out a hand hesitantly before he snatched Vox into his arms and began to look around the room, like Valentino would burst in any second and take Vox. Okay, good. His protective instincts were stronger than his crave for violence.

Vox let himself get manhandled until Alastor had a good, and comfortable, grip on him. Alastor was pulling at the blankets a bit and growling.

“What's wrong?” Vox asked.

“Nest not soft enough.” Alastor whined.

“Here, let me remake it.” Vox offered with a smile. After a moment Alastor nodded his head and scooped Vox right up, making Vox yelp in shock.

Alastor hopped off of the bed, still holding Vox bridal style. After looking around the room for a bit he placed Vox down and went into the closet.

Vox rolled his eyes and pulled all the blankets and pillows off of the bed. He fixed up the sheets, smoothing them out so there were no lump. He brought out his little mini handheld vacuum from the cupboard in his bedside table. Once he finished smoothing out the bed he vacuumed up any little bit of dirt that collected under their covers.

Vox laid down their biggest blanket on the bed and then built a weird crescent shape with the pillows. Once he was content with that, he added the rest of the blankets. With how hot Alastor was getting it was probably best to sleep without covers on. Vox could only assume that Alastor was going to be laying on him for the next week every chance he got.

Vox turned around to announce His completion of the nest and his jaw dropped- well his mouth opened.

Alastor had pulled out every single jacket and shirt, some of them had holes ripped into them and he looked more pissed every second.

“Al?” Vox's voice was quiet. “What are you doing?”

“Needs to be softer!” Alastor declared. Once he was done raiding the closet, he turned around proudly. “Nest needs to be perfect!”

Before Vox could object, Alastor picked up all the clothes he threw on the floor and added them to the nest. He seemed to be moving everything to a certain spot, but he never ruined any of Vox's work.

“Why does it need to be softer?” Vox asked with a tilt of his head.

“Mate's neck! Mate needs neck support.” Alastor answered like it was obvious.

Vox swallowed and he could feel his heart swell. “O-oh. What about you?” Vox asked. “You're not the biggest fan of laying on soft things. I don't want you to be uncomfortable.”

“I don't care about that.” Alastor scoffed, his tail was wagging ever so slightly. “Discomfort is worth it for your health.”

Vox froze up a bit at that and felt the digital tears well up as he watched Alastor push the clothes down so they were flat and not lumpy. No one has ever cared for him like this before. Valentino would just scoff and tell him it's a part of his punishment. Velvette had a lot of body pain from the doll nature she had so her bed was made to her comfort and Vox has never once told her about his neck issues before.

Papermint was the only one who knew and cared. He would bring Vix different neck pillows and try his best to find ones that best suited him. Papermint honestly deserved to get paid more than he does.

Vox narrowed his eyes slightly and wrote a note inside of his journal and put it in his mental folder. It was so great being a T.V. that was basically a glorified computer.

Alastor seemed to have noticed Vox's silence and turned his head to look at his mate. A distressed noise escaped from the back of his throat. “You're crying!” Alastor cried out. He rushed over to Vox and grabbed both sides of his screen and began to check Vox over again. “Why?”

Vox grabbed Alastor’s wrists and smiled weakly. “Hey, it’s okay. They're happy tears. I'm just… touched that you care this much for me and my body.” Vox told him. “I promise I'm okay.”

Alastor seemed worried still but nodded his head before he scooped Vox up again. Vox couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. He threw his arms around Alastor's neck. “Oh my gosh!” Vox laughed. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure you see how much I care!” Alastor declared as he carried Vox to their nest. Once he reached the edge of the bed, he carefully put Vox downing the middle before crawling in as well.

Vox couldn't help the sigh of pleasure that left him when his neck was greeted with softness. “This is perfect.” Vox told his mate.

Alastor's grin widened at that. He crawled on top of Vox, purring happily when his mate wrapped his arms around him. “Only the best for you!” Alastor laid his head on Vox's chest and stared into his eyes.

Vox smiled and patted Alastor on the head. “You're such a sap.” He laughed.

Alastor closed his eyes. “Only for you, though.” The male grunted out. “Only my family gets this treatment.”

Vox couldn't help the smile when Alastor called him his ‘family’. He felt like some giddy high school girl who just got asked out by their crush.

Well technically this whole situation was like that. While Vox wouldn't have ever called his feelings for Alastor a crush, he was infatuated by the man when they first met all those years ago.

It hurt to think about how close they were until Valentino came in and swept Vox off his feet. Vox didn't even notice it happened until it was too late.

It was anything big at first. Valentino would just make plans with Vox, and if Vox already had plans he would make Vox feel guilty for not hanging out with him. Vox was a busy businessman afterall, his time was stretched thin enough already. It was stressful to try and stay on top of all of his relationships. He could never keep track or who he hung out with or who he didn't see.

Alastor was really the only person who stuck by his side the whole time, but Valentino had already had too strong of a grasp on Vox's social life. It was like Valentino was the only person he could hang out with without feeling guilty.

It really wasn't that good of a relationship from the beginning. At the end of the day, Vox was just happy that he could mend his relationship with Alastor. He would do anything to be his friend again.

Friend. Vox didn't know why it hurt so much to think of Alastor as a friend, well he did, but he had hoped that maybe his feelings would lessen, but having Alastor curled up on top of him, just resting his eyes. Being comfortable with Vox. It was like some blessing and curse. Vox tightened his hold on Alastor slightly, which pleased his mate immensely. Vox wanted so hard for their relationship to go back to normal after this month, but he was becoming increasingly aware of the fact that it probably won't happen.

Would he still be Alastor's mate at the end of this? Would he be okay with sleeping in an empty bed again?

Did he even want to go back to his own room?

Vox took a look around the room Charlie had replicated for them. It felt so cozy compared to the cold, crushing reality of his room. It was like all his fears vanished when the walls came into play. He felt safe in this room. The bedside table, Alastor's clothes? That felt like home. His room just felt like some foggy dream.

Waking up beside Alastor wasn't bad either. Infact Vox had come to enjoy it. The first couple of nights, he always checked to make sure that he was dressed and not stripped naked, or that he was at least wearing the same clothes he went to sleep in and he was each time. Alastor has never tried to see his body before. Alastor has never once looked at him like some glorified sex doll like Valentino did.

Alastor would never ever sleep around with other people during an argument.

Was Vox really so blind to Valentino's cruel nature? Vox knew he wasn't any better, neither was Velvette. She made drugs meant to knock people out or make them horny- but Valentino wanted those for his p*rn shoots. They were never supposed to be mass produced. Velvette liked to keep her potion making abilities on the low side because it was dangerous for people to know what you could do.

Vox made electronics meant to specifically spy on others. He made Valentino’s p*rnos so widespread. He made everyone who they were. He… felt so powerless the whole time though. Like he was just a puppet being played by the puppeteer. Vox shifted a little bit which made Alastor open his eyes. The two stared at each other in silence before Alastor closed his eyes again.

Vox looked at his internal clock. Six thirty am. He could hear clattering in the kitchen. Niffty must be awake now and was making them food.

Honestly Vox felt so relieved that Niffty would be staying with them. The idea of trying to heat up canned soup with Alastor clinging onto him sounded like a nightmare, especially when Vox was a master at setting things on fire.

Vox moved his hand up to Alastor’s ears and began to fiddle with the tip of them. He twirled his finger in circles, watching in mild amusem*nt as they flopped about.

Cuddling. Vox used to be such a big cuddler. He loved to be held at night and just spend time with his loved one but Valentino always wanted something else. Vox didn't even realize how touch-starved he had become. A part of him still craved to be left alone, to have no one near him, but another part missed this.

Was he really going to be okay with a whole month of this though?

Alastor never liked getting touched. Alastor said he would rather be uncomfortable than have his mate in pain.

It would hurt Alastor if he didn't indulge in his needs, wouldn't it? Sweet sugar on toast, Alastor had even bitten Vox earlier and stopped when Vox said no. He had shown signs of getting nippy. He had Vox wear turtlenecks, they even spoke about Alastor wanting to bite him!

Considering how little he seemed to care about Vox telling him no, maybe it wasn't painful? Or was Vox so used to Valentino that he had to pull excuses out of his ass for Alastor respecting his ‘no’?

You never say ‘no’ to Valentino. It was the one rule everyone knew, everyone except Velvette that is. She would straight up laugh in his face at times and ignore him. Vox worked so hard to make sure she was never on the receiving end of Valentino’s rage. Vox took so many hits for Velvette. So much sexual and physical abuse for her.

Vox couldn't blame her though. She never had to deal with Valentino unless he was targeting his rage at her models. Vox loved Velvette too much to let anything happen to her.

Vox would take a hit from Lucifer to keep that girl safe. Vox wished he could tell her though. Let her know how much he cared for her, how much his body had endured for her, but he couldn't. Velvette would feel guilty and never forgive herself, and in this pit? Never was real, and it was a very long time.

Vox couldn't lie to himself. Spending this past week with Alastor might have been his best week ever in his entire afterlife. When he spawned into Hell during the extermination, he felt so alone and it was haunting to see the bloodshed everywhere around him. It was so overwhelming to unlock his powers at that moment. His fingers still ached sometimes from the sheer power he had released that very first night.

When he met Alastor, he felt taunted and belittled by everyone. While Alastor never said anything cruel to him that first meeting, he could feel everyone else judging him. It was so flipping hard to be the only demon with a T.V. for a head. Freaking god, he was probably the only demon with a head like this.

It felt so refreshing to be free from judgment. While he was Vox, the owner of Voxtech, a man with eyes everywhere, he was fully aware of all the eyes on him. Vox was aware of everything and anything. Every insult and hate comment? He knew what it said. Every phone call where people talk sh*t about him? Every degrading word Valentino calls him via text?

It took Vox no time to learn how to channel his energy and power into little inventions, but it took years to learn how to dispatch himself from them. Everything with his power was a part of him and it was tiring.

Even to this day, everything was just muffled. While he could use his powers to find Valentino himself, he was so mother-hugging tired. He was so scared too though. He wasn't scared of Valentino. Vox knew he was more powerful. It was like Alastor said that night when he had that nightmare.

He stopped loving Valentino when he tried to kill Vark. He stopped loving Valentino when he got a taste of what real love was like.

No. He was scared of what he would feel again. Trying to unlock all those devices he threw in the back of his mind? It was like trying to reopen a small wound. It would just get bigger and bigger, and who knows, a certain Radio Demon might use his powers on you to sleep through your recovery.

Even though he knows logically he could trust Velvette and Papermint to do their jobs, to do what they told him, it still made him ache.

He just felt so exhausted at this point. If only he told Valentino ‘no’ all those years ago. If only Vox didn't fall in love so easily. Even now with his heart bleeding out from the damage Val did, he could feel it fall for Alastor.

He wanted to embrace it. He wanted to let him love Alastor, but he just couldn't make that step. All this? This was all for Alastor’s rut. Alastor probably didn't care for him no matter what he said. He was just using Vox for his own needs, but God Vox was a fool for letting him do it.

Vox was so idiotic for leaving his heart open. He was so stupid for not throwing away the key to his love.

He didn't know how people manage to stop feeling. He knew they felt miserable but still, wasn't misery better than pain? Vox could remember all those years ago when his mother told him that emotions were what made you human, what made you strong.

‘Even Gods have emotions.’ She had told him while tucking him in. ‘They embrace them and let it fuel their powers. They let themselves feel.’

Vox wasn't a God though. He didn't even know if he was classified as a ‘human’ anymore.

Vox was broken out of his thoughts by a loud knock. Alastor immediately jumped up and covered Vox’s body with his own. He was growling at the door. His eyes were still completely black, but luckily there were no radio dials in sight.

Niffty opened the door without waiting for a response. She was carrying two plates of food. Once again, Alastor's was loaded up with meat and Vox just knew it was sinner flesh.

Vox's was a parfait though, so he was pretty excited for that. He really was in it for the granola. He liked the crunch, but yogurt and fruit were always good.

He’s been eating a lot of fruit lately, what the frick-frackle was up with that?

Alastor immediately relaxed at the sight of Niffty and laid back down on Vox.

“I see it started!” Niffty smiled at Alastor. She made her way to the bedside table, she put the new plate of food down before she took Alastor’s plate from last night.

Alastor got up and leaned over to sniff the plate of food. He looked a bit skeptical at first, but once he inspected it carefully, his skepticism vanished into thin air.

Niffty placed Vox’s bowl down and also stole his plate. “I’ll be back in a little bit!” Niffty told Vox. “I’ll be bringing you guys some water bottles so you're very hydrated! My first time being stuck with him was pretty bad because I completely forgot to grab water and had to make-” Niffty narrowed her eye at Alastor before she leaned in, beckoning for Vox to bend down, which he did. “Husk,” she backed up again and spoke louder so Alastor could hear her, “bring us water. It was horrible!”

Vox casted a glance at Alastor who was just staring at him. “Why can't you say his name?” At the idea of another male, Alastor's ears flattened and he began to growl. His upper lip peeled back in a snarl to reveal his sharp teeth. “Nevermind.” Vox pointed a finger gun at Niffty, he's bisexual, it's in his nature. “Got it.”

Niffty just smiled wider and waved at Vox. “You'll do fine. Just don't overthink it!” That’s all he's been doing, Niffty. “I'll be back in about ten minutes to collect the dishes and bring your water.”

She blew a kiss to Alastor and quickly left the room, leaving Vox alone with a decently pissed off Alastor.

“Hey, Baby.” Vox moved closer to Alastor and grabbed his hand. Alastor hasn't stopped growling, but he did stop snarling. “You know you're the only one for me.” Vox kissed Alastor's knuckle. “No one will ever take me away from you.” It was a little closer to the truth than Vox would have liked, but it seemed to work. Alastor's ears flicked forward and he stopped growling. He was now just staring at the hand that Vox just kissed and Vox really wished he could read minds.

Alastor swapped their hands' position and then kissed Vox's hand. “Mine.” Alastor whispered. Vox swallowed, hard. That should not have been that hot, holy heck.

“Yours.” Vox confirmed quietly, like he didn't want to believe it himself. Well he did, but he didn't want to let himself fall so hard for a man who was just dealing with instincts.

He was failing miserably but it's the thought that counts, right?

Alastor let go of Vox's hand but crawled over top of the man to grab his bowl. He handed the bowl to Vox before he grabbed his own plate of food and cuddled into the side of Vox.

It was so intimate. Just sitting in silence eating their own respective meals. Vox didn't even try to fight against the smile that made its way to his screen.

Even if Alastor was being instinctual, he still cared about Vox enough to actually pick him as a mate. Vox was going to enjoy this and indulge a little bit. He's earned it after how hard everything has been on him these past few weeks.

Alastor wouldn't judge him for that. While Alastor has never actively encouraged him to enjoy himself, he never complained when Vox showed him affection. Once his rut is over, Vox can poke and prod him all he wants.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

The damage done to the room was a lot worse than Charlie had thought, but she was still hoping she would find something to make everything easier on the two. The blackened walls sickened her a bit. The chaos and destruction. It reminded her a lot of when her hotel fell, when they lost… so much. Her heart still ached for Sir Pentious and Dazzle.

Everything seemed so broken. She had gone into every room already except for their bedroom, which probably had the least bit of damage. Even the bayou room had caught ablaze. Charlie didn't even want to think about how Alastor would react to finding that out. It seemed like a very dear place to him, no pun intended.

Charlie examined the closet first. Most of their clothes seemed decently in tack, but Charlie did not want them to wear them anymore. She could see the blackened holes in some of them. Charlie pushed through the ruined clothes for a little bit before she gave up on that search. Of course Alastor would use a closet like some psychopath and just have his clothes in it. He was no fun.

Charlie turned her attention over to the bedside table that was on the right side. It was red, so Charlie could only assume that it was Alastor's, especially considering the other one was blue. She opened the drawers and cupboards, groaning loudly in frustration when her search came up fruitless. She slid across the bed to examine Vox's and was met with a similar void.

Charlie groaned loudly and buried her face in her hands before collapsing on her back, her arms and legs sprawled out as she stared at the ceiling. She just wanted to help! She wanted to make it easier on them. It couldn't be easy for Alastor or Vox to be in an unfamiliar place during a rough patch in both of their lives. Sure Charlie tried her best but she knew that her work paled in comparison to Alastor's. He had a lot more experience in manipulation of the environment after all. Charlie turned her head to the side and actually gasped when she saw a box sitting under Alastor's bed.

“I knew you had secrets!” She exclaimed before scrambling herself up onto her hands and knees. She pulled the box out from its hiding spot and examined it carefully. It was burgundy and unlabeled. It honestly just looked like some random gift box Alastor bought at a shop, but still it was something!

She still had to make sure whatever was in it was okay though. Alastor was going to kill her if he found out she was snooping, but at the same time, she needed to be sure it was okay! Plus she is a bit curious.

Charlie opened the box with one eye closed, treating it like an explosive because well… It is Alastor afterall. She didn't know what she was expecting. Maybe a human limb of some kind? Some embarrassing photos that were taken that were too precious to get rid of?

What she didn't expect though was a hand-crafted bracelet.

Her brows furrowed as she gently took it out of the box. It was clearly made by Alastor with much care but what she didn't understand was what it was.

It was red, purple, and blue and hand-woven. It looked to be made with thin strips of leather and in the direct center was a locket. The locket was unsurprisingly shaped as a radio with a blue jewel where the dial would be, but when Charlie opened the locket, she almost dropped the bracket in shock. Inside was a collage of pictures. They were taken of Vox in the hotel, there was even some picture of Vox in Alastor’s bed that he obviously took during his rut. All the photos were black and white, but there was one coloured picture, one that was taken by Angel Dust. It was of Vox laughing at something Alastor said, it was also the biggest picture. The rest were just surrounding the big one in the outline of the radio.

It was a courting gift. Alastor was going to court Vox after his rut, and with how the locket was made, it was clear Niffty knew and helped Alastor make it. Charlie would have assumed Angel Dust, but pictures were obviously taken while Alastor was in rut so Niffty very much so helped.

Charlie couldn't help but think about how tired Alastor had looked when they finally got to see him. When he was holding Vox, he had huge eyebags and looked ready to fall asleep at any given moment.

Was he… staying up late to make this for Vox? Charlie quickly put the bracelet back in the box and closed it. She took a shaky breath. She had to fight every urge to scream. It was so adorable. Alastor embraced a little bit of modern technology to make his courting gift? He actually went out of his way to do a coloured picture? Oh God, this must be so valuable to Alastor. They were so lucky that nothing happened to it.

Charlie held the box close to her chest as she left the room. She couldn't help but stare down at the box once she was outside though. Her grin had to be wider than Alastor’s at this point! She was so excited for her friend!

Though now came the hard part. Where the heckles was she supposed to put the box? Did she give it to Niffty to deal with? Oh goodness she had so many different choices and she didn't know which was the right one! She didn't want to ask anyone else for advice though, she didn't want to out Alastor’s feelings, that would cause more harm than good. He might totally shut down if she told anyone else. Niffty was clearly the safest person to ask, but she was taking care of Alastor and Vox! Oh this was so exciting, but her joy was completely ruined when she remembered Sir Pentious. He told her about his feelings towards Cherri Bomb.

No. She had to focus on the positive! Heart stop hurting! Just be happy for your friend instead of wallowing in the past.

Charlie hugged the box tilted. Her smile turned weak as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She'll have to talk to the sky once Alastor confesses to Vox. While Sir Pentious may not be with them anymore, she liked to talk to the sky. The spot where he was before Adam hurt him ruthlessly. It helped her. It was like Sir Pentious could see and hear her still. Sir Pentious would love to hear about how Alastor can indeed feel emotions.

Charlie lets her feet carry her to Alastor and Vox's new room. She stared at it for a second. She wiped her tears away and then knocked on the door. Niffty opened the door almost immediately. Charlie just smiled and handed the box to Niffty who recognized it immediately. Niffty squealed loudly and hugged Charlie tightly.

“Thank you!” Niffty looked up at Charlie, her eye was bright and was slightly glazed over. “Thank you.”

“Of course, anything for a friend.” Charlie hugged Niffty back. Her voice was shaky as she spoke. She knew she was barely holding it together but after the torture she went through, the pain they all went through, it may have seemed so small but Alastor was allowing himself to feel, to get involved. It was a change! She was actually helping someone powerful better themselves. While she had been helping Vox, he willingly went into this. Alastor was just a host, so to see this side of him felt like a small victory. To see him care so much for someone who wasn't Rosie felt like a blessing in disguise.

Plus out of all secrets she could have stumbled upon, this one was probably the most welcomed of them all, plus she could tell by the images that he was planning this for at least a month now.

While she understood that Niffty probably had no idea what was making her sad, she allowed the tears to fall more.

It felt so good to see progress after everything. It felt so good to cry and not have it be bittersweet.

“He's making a collar for Vark right now.” Niffty spoke in a quiet voice. “He wants to show Vox he accepts Vark too.”

Charlie didn't even try to hide the loud, excited squeal that escaped her.

A muffled “Shut up!” from Vox did make her and Niffty burst into laughter though, the tears were drying on Charlie's cheeks.

Yeah, they were good for one another.

Chapter 9: Day Eight

Chapter Text

“No, seriously. I need a shower, I stink.” Vox laughed while pushing off the clingy male.

Vox was currently standing outside their bathroom door, fighting for his life for a shower.

Okay not literally but with how Alastor is he might as well be.

“I need to watch over you!” Alastor whined. “Need to make sure my mate is safe!”

Vox had woken up, once again screaming, which freaked the living daylights out of Alastor. He has been clinging to Vox every chance he got. He even laid on top of him when he tried to leave the nest to get changed. Alastor's paranoia was endearing, but also exhausting. Vox did know what he was getting into though so he couldn't complain too much, he just didn't realize that at the sight of him being distressed it would kick Alastor's instincts into ultra gear. He even snarled at Niffty for getting too close to Vox. She didn't seem to mind at all, she told Vox it was to be expected, just sooner than she expected.

Niffty's theory is that his deep rut got triggered early so there was no preparation time for the sudden change in attitude.

Vox feels guilty for that. If he wasn't such a coward this wouldn't have happened.

“I need to make sure you're safe!” Alastor whimpered when Vox removed Alastor's arms off of his waist.

“Alastor, baby. I'm going to be naked inside of there. I don't think you'd want to see that.” Vox patted Alastor's head gently. “I don't think you'd want to have a shower with me either.” He added. “I'll just be in the other room.” Vox tried to reassure Alastor.

It didn't work though. His eyes just rounded ever so slightly. “I can be inside the bathroom with you! I can stay outside of the tub and make sure you're safe.” Alastor suggested.

Vox's eye actually twitched ever so slightly at that idea. “I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Alastor.”

“You won't make me uncomfortable! We can keep the curtain closed so I won't see you. Please just let me be in there with you, Mate. I don't want someone to break in through the wall and hurt you.”

Oddly specific but considering that the one wall in the hotel has been blown up like seven times now, understandable. “Okay, Alastor.” Vox sighed, defeated. “You're just… don't peek at me, please? I am not okay with that.”

Alastor just nodded his head so Vox opened the bathroom door and dragged himself and Alastor into the room. Alastor was still clinging to him, he was occasionally rubbing up against Vox to try and get his scent on him.

Oh idea!

“Alastor, where's your cologne? I can wear that after my shower so I can smell like you.” Vox suggested.

Alastor licked his lips and thought about it for a second before he reluctantly released his hold on Vox and wandered over to his mirror. He pulled the mirror and Vox watched as it popped open to reveal a shelving unit inside. Alastor grabbed a bottle and closed the mirror again before placing it down on the sink and turning to face Vox. “Can I still scent mark you?” He asked.

Okay, maybe the process itself was an instinct thing, not just the scent. “Yeah, of course!” Vox responded with a wave of his hand. “Do you have any body wash?” He asked.

Alastor nodded and walked over right beside the bathtub. He opened a cabinet that was there and stared into it for a second. His eyes were actually narrowed as he tried to decide which one to let Vox borrow.

After a minute of Alastor just staring, he finally picked out a bottle and handed it over to Vox. It was rose scented. “Where did you get this?” Vox asked. “This seems very unlike you.”

“A friend gave it to me.” Alastor shrugged. “I never used it before.”

Fair enough. Now comes the problem though. Vox had to get undressed. He stared at Alastor for a minute before he laughed awkwardly. “Can you turn around?” Vox asked. “I, erm, got to take my clothes off.” He told his mate.

Alastor tilted his head a bit before nodding. “Let me get you some clothes to wear after your shower!” He declared happily. He left the bathroom, leaving Vox alone.

Vox wasn't going to not take advantage of this moment. He quickly stripped naked and grabbed a towel to tie around his chest to cover every aspect in his body. Vox quickly stepped into the bathtub and used the curtain to cover his body so Alastor couldn't see any part of him. He would normally just start his shower, but he wanted to wait for Alastor so his mate wouldn't open the curtain to talk to Vox.

Vox heard the bathroom door open again and watched as Alastor came back inside carrying a bag and a chair. Alastor placed the chair down on the floor right in front of the sink and then placed the bag on top of the sink.

Alastor's tail started to wag when he noticed Vox staring at him. Vox watched as Alastor went into the bag and pulled out a beautiful deep purple lace dress shawl.

Alastor proudly showed it off to Vox before he reached back into the bag and pulled out a dark purple dress shirt and then black dress pants.

“How long have you had that for?” Vox asked.

“Not long!” Alastor announced happily. “I asked someone to pick it up for me. Since most of our clothes got ruined, I thought it would be nice to get you something new!” Alastor told Vox. “Do you like it?” He tilted his head. He was staring directly into Vox's eyes.

“They look gorgeous.” Vox smiled. “Thank you so much. I'll be sure to put it on after my shower.” It was the truth, they were beautiful, the shawl wasn't really Vox's cup of tea, but dammit his mate bought a lovely present and he was going to wear it.

Vox found himself enjoying the idea of killing Valentino while wearing something Alastor bought him. He would hate to get blood on it, but stabbing a knife deep into Valentino's throat while proudly showing off that fact that he was someone else's was a delicious idea and Vox found himself craving more.

The thing that touched Vox the most was the outfit itself. When he first saw the shawl, he expected Alastor to pull out a dress, not dress pants and a shirt. While Alastor probably didn't understand just how important that was, it was still enough to make his eyes water just a smidge.

It felt like he was being validated while being told to dress pretty in his identity.

Alastor and Vox stared into each other's gaze for a minute longer before Alastor sat down on the chair. “I'll be here protecting you!” Alastor told Vox. “Enjoy your shower!”

Vox smiled and just closed the curtain, he removed the towel off himself and threw it onto Alastor's bath side cabinet. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“Alastor, let me call my daughter.” Vox chuckled as Alastor pressed up against him. Once Vox got dressed Alastor had scooped him up and carried him back to their nest, Alastor was sniffing along Vox's neck, enjoying the scent of his own cologne on his mate.

While Vox didn't mind the kisses and attention he was receiving, he did actually need to call Velvette about Valentino's location. Papermint had found out when Valentino would be accepting meetings next, in about four days, so now Vox needed Velvette to set up a fake meeting with Valentino.

Vox wanted to catch Valentino completely off guard and in his own home. He was inspired by Alastor's story of how he found Niffty.

Alastor whined loudly but kissed Vox's neck before moving back and sitting proudly on top of his mate. His hands were fisted into the shawl and Vox was slightly afraid to move. He wasn't sure if Alastor would take too well to being moved when he was so deep into his rut. His eyes were completely black, there was zero colour, no radio dials, and no white anymore in his eyes. Just pure blackness.

He wasn't afraid for his life, oh God no. He was just afraid of how clingy Alastor would get if he was accidentally knocked off of him.

“Are you sure you have to call Velvette?” Alastor asked with a tilt of his head.

Vox frowned slightly. When he called Velvette his daughter it was just so Alastor wouldn't get pissed off at the idea of his mate talking to someone else. It never occurred to him that Alastor actually held the view that Velvette was his daughter.

Vox tried to think back to all the times he interacted with Velvette in front of Alastor. He didn't really act like her father in front of him? During the entirety of Alastor’s rut they acted more like siblings than anything.

Outside of Alastor's rut though… Vox could think of many occasions where he called Velvette and got on her ass about eating or overworking herself.

Maybe Alastor thought this before he chose Vox as a mate?

“I do have to call her. Baby, I have something important to set up.” Vox decided to answer Alastor's questions. He brought his hands up and gently grasped Alastor's waist.

“Why?” It was such a simple question but it filled Vox with dread. How was he supposed to answer that?”

“Because… I'm planning a surprise.” Vox decided to go with. “A very special surprise.”

Alastor stared thoughtfully at his mate before he leaned forward and nipped the corner of Vox's screen. His fingers turned into dangerous claws and the lights began to flickered every so slightly as Alastor's antlers grew in size.

“Ĩ̸̬̬̖͂̀̔̂̏́̂s̵̨͔̯̮̪͎̮͑͗͌͝ ̴̡̧̘̓̇̾̋͐t̴̨̡̞̝̖̹̠̳͓̲͆̚͘h̷͙̐̀̄͐̽͛̕ȩ̵̙̼̬͇̭͔̯̼̀ ̸͚͙̥̃̏̃͆̌̂s̸̛̞͊̔ȕ̷̠r̷͎̻͎͉͌͌p̵̡̡̨̜̲͎̫̳̼̔̎̎̑̓ṛ̴͉̇͌̑̑͂̇̚͘͜ͅi̵̮͕̩̰͂̃͛̃̑ş̸̥͎̗̣̱̖̻̅͗̎̾̕͝ͅe̸͔̮̘͚̿̉̾̎͗̍͝ ̷͚̤̦͇̊̅̉̄̿̀̅̚V̴̢̢̡̛̛̘̓̊̈͋̂͋a̵̳̣̝̜̰̗̰̐̽̄̿̽͌͛͂̕l̷̡̦̟̳͔̲̣͘ȩ̶̧̡̖͓̲͉̋̔̊̾n̴̞̘̹̥͊̊̂̇͘t̴͈̰̜͍̦͖̭̞̀͌̕͠ị̸̧̤͓͎̝̂̍̐͊̾͗͊̋͠n̷̢̘͈͖̥̜̪̽͐̃̂̈́̏͜ọ̸̼͖̌́̕͠͝'̸͓̲̔̏̀s̴̯̞̻̬͈̣̻̪̻͙̔͘ ̸̧͆͆͗͆̕̚d̸̡̢̦͉̺͍̻̼̀ę̸̲͓̖̳́͗̂̈̾̽̇̈́̃͝ǎ̴̛̘͉̰̍̒͋ţ̶̩͖͈̅͊̽̆̊h̷̡̢̦̃̑͗̀̍̉̓̓̃̚?̸͚̳͖͉̦̃̾̆͐̓͜͠”

Alastor's voice sounded so far away yet so close. Vox whimpered when Alastor moved his head ever so slightly and bit Vox's neck slightly.

Vox brought his hands up and grabbed Alastor’s antlers. He didn't know if he wanted to let Alastor continue biting him, but he knew Alastor probably didn't want this. Alastor said he wanted to talk about biting outside of his rut. He pulled Alastor away from his neck and met the male's eyes. His eyes were actually glowing black with green liquid oozing out of them. Blood was dripping down his maw, staining Vox's new clothes.

“It is.” Vox responded. “So I need you to be a good boy and stay quiet while I set up a meeting so we can both hurt Valentino. Okay?”

Alastor blinked and the green liquid disappeared. There was still blood dripping from his mouth but Alastor looked a lot more shy now despite his earlier attitude. “Yes, Mate.” Alastor whimpered quietly.

Vox smirked slightly and released his hold on Alastor's antlers. “Good Boy. Now sit.” Alastor obeyed and plopped himself back down on Vox's pelvis and stared down at his mate while he fished his phone out from the bedside cabinet's drawer.

Once he retrieved his phone, he dialed Velvette's number and put her on speaker before dropping his phone on his chest and grabbing Alastor's knees with his hands.

“Hello?” Velvette answered the phone almost immediately. “What’s up?”

“Hey, Velv. Mint found out when Valentino would be doing meetings again.” Vox decided to jump straight into it, ignoring Alastor's growl when he mentioned Papermint, he just flicked his mate's thigh with his fingers.

“You want me to book a meeting under a fake name?” Velvette asked. Vox could hear her typing away on her phone, getting the details she needed from Papermint no doubt.

“Yes please, as soon as possible would be preferred.” Vox added. “Preferably on the first day.”

Velvette paused. “Are you sure that's wise? You would be leaving Alastor and I don't think he would like that.”

“My Dear, he's coming with me.” Vox responded smugly. “Don't worry about him.”

Velvette started typing again for a minute before she deleted whatever she had written up. Vox heard her sigh and lean against her island counter. “Vox, shouldn't you wait until after Alastor's rut? Alastor would… probably do a lot more damage than you're planning.”

Vox threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. He watched helplessly as Alastor leaned forward to grab his hands and press little kisses against each knuckle. “Velvette, I want to enjoy this with Alastor. I want to be a good mate who doesn't cause him constant stress because of my sh*tty ex boyfriend. I don't want to wait for Valentino to make a move, Velvette. It's my turn to move a piece. I'm not going to sit here in fear all month long for him to out me as trans, for him to tell everyone every dirty little secret I have. I want to cut him off. I want control again Velvette. I want my freedom back.”

He could hear Velvette lean back against her chair. She tapped her finger thoughtfully against the island. Vox could feel his heartbeat accelerate the more he waited. He screwed his eyes shut, waiting for the rejection.

“Consider it done. I'll have a meeting set up so we know Valentino won't f*ck off before you get the chance to reach him.” Velvette smiled. “I'm so happy to hear that, Vox. I want my best friend back too. I missed you a lot.”

“I missed me too.” Vox pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Thank you so much. This means the world to me.”

“Show that f*cker why you're one of the most powerful Overlords Hell has ever seen.”

“I will.”

Chapter 10: Day Nine

Chapter Text

“Alastor, get up!” Vox shoved Alastor out of the nest. Alastor yelped out as he dropped down to the floor. “Oops. Didn't mean to push you that hard. Anyway, get up! I just got a text from Velvette. In two days we have that f*cking meeting at nine am. Alastor, we need a plan.”

Alastor groaned loudly as he pushed himself off of the floor and onto his feet he had one eye closed as he rubbed his forehead. “That was rude.” He mumbled. Alastor climbed back into the nest and pulled Vox into his chest.

Vox rolled his eyes but let himself get pulled into Alastor. “Seriously Alastor, we have today and tomorrow to come up with an idea. Velvette worked overtime and managed to convince Valentino that we were some super important client that was worth hundreds of thousands who just severed a contract with me.”

Alastor looked down at Vox and tilted his head. “Isn't the plan to just kill him?” Alastor asked. His eyes were bright red now, but occasionally they would flicker into black pools.

“Well… yes.” Vox laughed nervously. “I mean before that. How are we supposed to get into his office without being noticed?”

Alastor raised a brow and raised one hand to flick Vox's antennas which resulted in a low groan. Alastor's eyes widened and Vox blushed. “Don't f*cking touch those.” Vox gasped out. “Those are sensitive!”

“I thought they were like my antlers!” Alastor threw his arms up in surrender.

“Oh f*cking hell they are not like your goddamn antlers. They produce constant electricity. They connect me to everything in Hell. They're like… I don't know, but don't do that again, holy f*ck.” Vox's screen was bright red as he looked away from his mate.

“I'm sorry!” Alastor apologized. “I genuinely didn't know.”

“I know you didn't.” Vox smiled faintly. “Now, what's your bright idea?”

“You control Hell with your powers.” Alastor vaguely gestured to Vox's antennas. “I was just thinking that you could… shut off the cameras and all that. I can sneak us in with my shadow powers.”

“Oh yeah… we can do that, can't we?”

“Very much so.”

Vox's gaze dropped. “I'm sorry, Alastor. I'm just nervous. For years I've stood behind Valentino and enabled his behaviour against others in hopes that he wouldn't turn on me and break my screen again.”

The lights began to flicker and Vox tensed up when he felt Alastor’s fingers turn into claws and dig into his arm. When he turned his head to look up at his mate, he gulped when the once red eyes were jet black.

“V̵͚̪̦̽͂̀͠ǎ̶͇̣̮̭͇̰̦͒͑̈̇̿͋͐͜͝͠l̸̡̙̂̈̊̈́̀e̸͔̫̣̹̪̻̱̝̐̆̉̀͋̋̾́͝ņ̶͎̫̊̿́̇t̸̜̖́̾͑͗̊̊̄̿i̸̭̲̞̊̓̄̓͒́͝ņ̶̲̙̜̳̅̒̀͒͋̈͝ô̷̡̧̜̹̠̞̯̜̞͒͆̾͌͒̚ ̷̨̛̱̩̯̮̹̪̪͓̰̋̊͆͑͋͂̀͐͝d̴̛̺͙̹̞́̔̈́͂͘i̶͈̍͊͑͝d̵̘̭̠̤͎̈́͂̋͘͜ ̸̡̧̘̝̲̬̱̜̇̊ŵ̸̯͂͐͛̀̇͝ḩ̴̡̢̧̲̭̭̜̭̹͒a̵̺̽̆͆̃̔̀͠ţ̸͖̫̟̤̪̣́͆̂́̋̽̇̿?” Alastor's voice was filled with static and rage as he spoke.

Vox felt himself start to shake a little bit before he harshly reminded himself that the rage wasn't directed at him, that Alastor didn't want to hurt him. He was safe. “Well, you know… he broke my screen... blinded me so I couldn't…” Vox trailed off when he saw Alastor's rage begin to grow more and more. Vox hugged onto Alastor tightly when a loud shriek echoed through the hotel.

Vox couldn't help the sob the escaped his throat at the loud noise, but it seemed that that was what grounded Alastor once again to the situation at hand.

Alastor whimpered at the sight of his mate being distressed and he quickly pulled up the blankets in their nest to wrap around Vox. “I'm sorry, Mate! Forgive me!” Alastor whined. He rubbed his cheek against Vox's and flattened his ears.

“You're… forgiven, Al, but please, don't do that around me.” Vox whispered before burying his face into Alastor's chest. “Alastor, you already knew he hurt me.” Vox added quietly.

“I know, but I don't like hearing about it.” Alastor snarled. “I'm going to broadcast his mutilation. I'm going to show everyone what happens if they dare hurt my mate.” Alastor's shoulders tenses up as he speaks, his antlers growing ever so slightly.

Vox narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. “You want to go public about us?” Vox asked with a slightly raised brow. “Alastor, I don't think that's a good idea. I love the fact that you care about me like this, but it might, ah, out your problem.” Vox pointed out dryly. “I don't think you'd want millions of people in Hell knowing about your rut. The fanfiction and fanart would go insane with that knowledge.”

Alastor’s eye twitched. “Niffty already makes enough as it is.”

“Hopy sh*t you actually know what fanfiction and fanart is? Wait actually no. Go back a further step, Niffty makes fanfiction and fanart?” Vox didn’t even try to hide the surprise in his tone.

“Yes. Unfortunately she does.” Alastor heaved a heavy sigh as spoke.

Vox was only slightly scared. “Is it p*rn?”

“Usually.”

Okay now he was terrified. “N-none of me, right?” Vox asked hesitantly.

“I made it very clear to her that she can't write or draw anything to do with me or you, don't worry.”

Vox breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Thank God. I mean, I'm terrified at the idea of having sex. The last thing I want to know is that my mate's daughter is writing p*rn of me.” Vox pressed his screen against Alastor and hummed softly. “I am so scared. This is my one chance to make a stand against Valentino and I need to succeed. Alastor, I need this so badly.” Vox whispered.

“You'll succeed.” Alastor stated simply. “You're a far more skillful fighter than him, you got this, and even if he manages to catch you off guard, I'll be there to make him regret it. The broadcast will be delicious.”

“You sure you wanna go through with the broadcast?” Vox asked. “Again, it would make us very public and we're not even like… dating or anything.” Vox swallowed harshly at his own words. Oh how badly he wanted to be the one the Radio Demon slept with at night.

“You're my mate. I'm not embarrassed by that.” Alastor shrugged. “I love my mate very much! You're my mate for a reason.” Vox's heart actually shattered a bit at Alastor's words. Just his mate. Not his boyfriend or partner.

“I guess, but again Alastor, it would make it public that we're involved together. Aren't you worried about that?”

“Then everyone will know you're mine.” Alastor trailed his fingers up Vox's thighs, going higher and higher until he was just below his chest. “I would claim you in front of Valentino to prove to him that you'll never have his dirty hands on you ever again. I would love to go public that you're my mate, wouldn't you like everyone to know the Radio Demon is yours.” Alastor leaned forward and purred the last part right in front of Vox's face. Vox squeezed his thighs together slightly and pushed himself back.

“Hot as f*ck, but Alastor. You're in rut. You need to think about what you'd want outside of your rut.” Vox laughed nervously. He laid flat on his ass and crossed his legs as he leaned back and stared at his mate. “Would you want everyone to see me as yours outside of rut?” Vox asked simply.

“Yes.” The answer came immediately and Vox froze up. Jesus f*cking christ.

“Okay, Alastor, I need a minute holy f*ck.” Vox looked away blushing. f*ck no. He needed to get a hold on his emotions. There was no f*cking way to he was going to find anything about this conversation attractive. Alastor was in rut and wasn't thinking properly, Vox was not going to be an asshole like that.

Once Vox got his beating heart under control, he inhaled deeply and turned back to look at Alastor who's eyes were still solid black, but there was a glint to them.

Vox crawled backwards and Alastor crawled forwards, stalking his prey until he towered over the other male. “Alastor?” Vox asked in a small voice.

Alastor leaned forward a little bit more before he suddenly closed his eyes and backed off. “Sorry.” He mumbled. “My rut makes all my animal senses heightened, I can smell a lot of different things.”

Vox's face flashed red. “Oh.” He laughed awkwardly.

Alastor also seemed embarrassed and chose to look away. “Sorry about that. I understand your feelings. I can get pretty intense during a rut, I mean I didn't realize how different it would be spending it with a mate, but there are a lot of differences I didn't even account for.”

“It's not a bad thing though, right?” Vox couldn't help but ask.

“No. With you? It's never a bad thing.”

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“Bitch, I am thirsty! I am literally going to the kitchen to grab a drink, it's not the end of the world!” Vox argued as Alastor scooped him up in his arms and exited their bedroom. Niffty was in the living room and minding her own business, but she did look up over the couch when she saw Alastor carrying Vox. She snickered at the sight of it and went back to cleaning. After Alastor had snapped at her, she was putting some distance between the two of them so Alastor didn't feel stressed, which was definitely the smart choice but God f*cking dammit, now Vox was fighting for his life just to get some water.

He pouted at Alastor when his mate set him down on top of the counter. Alastor chose to ignore Vox and grab a glass and fill it with ice from an ice cube tray before wandering over to his water cooler and filling the glass up. He returned to Vox and proudly presented the cup like he just killed a thousand men for it.

It was pretty cute to see Alastor excited though so Vox couldn't resist the chuckle that escaped him. “Thank you, Mate.” Vox took the glass from Alastor and tipped his head back, taking it like a shot. Alastor's eyes were wide as he watched in amazement. Like that was a tall glass of water with ice cubes in it? What the actual f*ck? How does someone take that sh*t like a shot without gagging from getting deep throated by an ice cube? Honestly it was impressive.

Honestly though it was nice to be back in the kitchen, even though it hasn't been that long, it all felt like a distant memory for Vox.

Alastor took the glass back from Vox and refilled it before he started drinking from it. “Not going to get your own cup?”

“This one has ice in it already and is in use.” Alastor answered simply. Once he deemed himself hydrated enough, he shoved the cup in Vox's hands and scooped up his mate once again, carrying him bridal style now.

“Wow, you just love carrying me, don't you?” Vox teased gently, clutching onto the glass of water to prevent it from spilling.

“My mate deserves the best treatment!” Alastor nuzzled Vox's face as he spoke.

“God you're so touchy.” Vox laughed. “Are you always this cuddly with Niffty?”

Alastor carried Vox back into their room before he answered. “No. Niffty isn't my mate, she is my spawn. She receives comfort and protection from me, my mate gets special treatment because you're special to me.” Vox's heart might have grown like four times the size at those words.

“What about after your rut?” Vox tilted his head. “Are you still going to want cuddles from me?”

“Yes.” Alastor purred. “I would love for my mate to remain with me ever after my rut.” Alastor moved Vox to the bedside table, where he placed the glass of water down before Alastor tossed him into the bed, Vox laughing at that. Alastor crawled in after his mate and kissed the top of Vox's screen gently.

Vox kissed Alastor's nose before he pulled back and leaned against their nest, letting out a huge sigh of relief when his neck was freed from the pressure of his giant head.

Alastor watched Vox for a moment before he rearranged the pillows to ever so slightly support Vox's neck better. “I don't like how you're always in pain.” Alastor whined. “I wish I could heal you.”

“I don't mind the pain, it's like a reminder that I'm still a person, or well a sinner I guess. Either way my point stands! I rather feel pain than feel nothing at all. I've had chronic pain since I've been alive though, Alastor. It's nothing new, it's just in my neck now.”

Alastor laid down next to Vox and pulled him in close. “Just because you don't mind it doesn't make it any easier on others.” Alastor said before resting his chin on Vox's shoulder.

“Well, I appreciate you trying to make the pain easier on me.” Vox patted his mate's head. “It means a lot to me.”

“I would do anything for you, Mate. I don't mean to keep repeating it, but I really would do anything to keep you healthy and happy.” Alastor closed his eyes as he spoke, one of his ears flicked slightly.

“I wouldn't do anything to help you out too, Alastor.” Vox smiled weakly. “I don't think I could do a lot, but I would try.”

Alastor opened one eye. “Getting to be there when you kill that o̵̧͓̻̪͚͎̫̻͔̓̎̿͊̓̽͌̅͘͘t̸̛͔̫͎͖̐̍͆̐̄̈́͐͠ͅḣ̴̨͕̳̟̘̺̆̅͂̉̄̽͂͘e̴̪̬̼̟͗̇r̵̹̹̱̲̤̜̬͂̿̈́͐ ̴̡̤̓̎̔̍͂̓̚̚̕m̷̼̹̫͔̥̂̋̋̊̑ȃ̸̡̂͒́̈́̚ͅl̴͔͖̟̫̠̑̾͆͑̒͠͠e̴͕̠͊͊̂͆ will be very rewarding in itself.”

“I don't think that counts much.” Vox chuckled. “It's mostly my revenge.” He pointed out, booping the other's nose gently. “Not exactly the most thrilling thing for you to sit through.”

“I would get to claw at him and destroy any self-esteem he had while letting his screams echo through Hell and then have my mate kill him for everyone to hear. I like the sound of that.” Alastor's eyes darkened more as he spoke.

How does Vox keep forgetting that this man's whole thing was that he killed abusers? Of course this would be some dream come true for him. “I hope I can live up to your expectations.” Vox grimaced. “I don't know if I'm going to use an angelic weapon or not, though. On one hand if I kill him permanently, it'd be nice, but on the other hand there's a high chance his p*rn empire would become mine and I don't even want to try and deal with the paperwork that follows on that.” Vox groaned lowly. “Why are decisions so hard?”

“If you kill him regardless of how, he would lose his p*rn empire to you anyway. He’d have to rebuild himself if you choose to kill him without an angelic weapon.” Alastor pointed out. “There’s no shame in taking both weapons and just deciding on the spot how you want him dead.” Alastor suggested. “It would probably be much easier on you in that case.”

“Those are actually pretty good points. I'll think about it for sure.” Vox yawned widely. “No matter what I pick though, he's going to suffer for all the pain he's caused me and others.”

Alastor moved his head up higher so he could bury his face in Vox's neck again and breathe in the scent of his cologne and body wash on him. It gave him joy in a way he didn't know was possible. “I can't wait to see him quivering in fear as you stare down at him. Bloodied knife in hand as you strike him repeatedly for each wound he had given you.” Alastor's voice was low as he spoke.

Vox had no idea how Alastor could glorify the idea of killing someone but Vox did really like that idea. “I can't wait to watch him cower in fear when you stand over top of him, blood dripping from your mouth from where you tore at his flesh.” Vox chuckled. “It'd be very nice to see.”

Alastor rolled his eyes and kissed Vox's neck. “Well in a couple of days we'll have the proper chance to kill him.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence, Alastor cuddling into Vox, while Vox pulled out his phone and began to scroll through the internet. He rested one hand on the small of Alastor's back.

The Radio Demon shifted just slightly closer to Vox before his breathing evened out. Vox knew that Alastor was asleep, and Vox also knew that Alastor wouldn't want him to move at all. Alastor was very clingy after all, Vox didn't want to be strangled by the man for not being close enough.

Vox rubbed his hand up and down Alastor's back as he read through many different threads. There were a lot of different posts about all sorts of situations. Some people were talking about how Velvette, Vox, and Valentino were all being radio-silent, others were still talking about the extermination. It was like they were all still in disbelief that Charlie managed to fend off the attack, but on a positive note, it seemed to shower the princess in new respect, which she deserved truthfully. Even while Vox was an enemy to the hotel, he couldn't help but admire her foolishness.

Vox smiled as he read some posts about Charlie. He liked one calling her the sweetest demon in all of Hell before he switched over to Voxstagram. There were a few pictures from the different people in the hotel, even a video of Angel gathering everyone around to play Truth or Dare.

He missed them. He missed hanging out with them. He looked down at the sleeping figure at his side before he rolled his eyes. “I'm almost halfway there.” Vox reminded himself. “I only got like twenty more days of this.”

Even though he missed the others, he still wasn't looking forward to him and Alastor being separated again. Vox missed sharing his bed with someone, he actually loved to be affectionate with his partners, even to his friends. There was just something so grounding about it. Velvette had told him that his love language was touch and he agreed with that honestly.

It hurt so much when he stopped liking touch. It cut him so deep when he would flinch and cower away from everyone who even raised their hand at him. He was regaining himself again though. Alastor can touch him. He loves it when Alastor gives him attention. He loves feeling Alastor's lips against his skin. The worst part is that he didn't even realize he missed being held until now. He didn't realize how much he missed. He missed himself so much, but is it only for Alastor? Would he be okay with anyone else touching him?

Vox turned off his phone and chucked it to the side before pulling the covers up higher and rolling over so he could cuddle Alastor properly. This is what he wanted. To be loved and cared for, but instead he went to Valentino of all people. He supported Valentino's evil doings, but that didn't mean he deserved to be a victim, right? Why were emotions so hard? Vox closed his eyes and hugged Alastor tighter. In two days he could get his revenge on Valentino and avenge every other victim.

Once Valentino was defeated and knocked down from his Overlord position, all his contracts would be broken. Angel would be free from his clutches.

Vox found himself smiling before drifting off to sleep. It would be worth it and beneficial for so many people.

Just a little more waiting.

Chapter 11: Day Ten

Chapter Text

One more day. Vox was extremely hyper and was practically bouncing off the walls to Alastor's dismay.

“Mate, please settle down!” Alastor gasped out when he caught one of the fans that Vox accidentally knocked over when he spun around with his arms outstretched.

“Come on, Alastor! Tomorrow I get to spill Valentino's blood! Do you have any idea how excited I am? I get to break Angel free from his contract, I get to free everyone from him. Valentino would never be able to abuse anyone ever again!” Vox laughed before he grabbed Alastor's wrists. Alastor threw the fan back onto their nest before he was pulled up from their bed.

“I know tomorrow is the day, but don't you think you should be resting for your big day? You're going to be facing off against your ex.” Alastor's words were careful and his eyes were narrowed.

“I know I am, but Baby, I get to face off against Valentino with my mate. My partner in crime.” Vox clutched Alastor's hand and brought his fist up to his lips so he could kiss his hand. “Alastor, I actually get to reclaim myself and free so many other victims. This is better than any sex in the world! Better than drugs!” Vox spun himself. Alastor brought his mate down into a dip and held him there while Vox practically vibrated in excitement. “Oh my gosh! I should get a fancy outfit. I need to look sexy while putting that ungrateful bitch back in his place.” Vox freed himself from Alastor's grip and ran back to the closet. He swung it open and he froze up a bit at the sight of nothing.

“Oh yeah… I destroyed everything.” Vox frowned. “That's okay! Hey, Alastor? Do I have permission to get blood over the outfit you bought for me?”

Alastor tilted his head. His gaze darkened a bit as he imagined Valentino's rage at Vox wearing something that was so clearly not his usual clothes. “I don't see why not.” Alastor finally responded with. “You do need to look your best, but are you really planning your outfit today?”

“Duh! It's like when you're so excited for something you have to plan everything to a T the night before.” Vox closed the closet again and wrapped his arms around Alastor's neck, pushing his own body against his mate's. “What? Are you judging me?” Vox teased with a grin. “That's not very nice.”

“I'm never judging you!” Alastor gasped in fake offense. “How dare you assume I would ever think so harshly of my mate. I just think you always look sexy.”

That came out of nowhere and both Alastor and Vox frowned at that. Vox raised a brow and moved his head slightly away from him. “What did you say?” He asked.

“I… have no idea why I said that.” Alastor admitted with a flick of an ear. His eyes were back to their bright red colouring. “I mean- not that you're not good-looking! I just- I mean, yes you're attractive and oh my God, just kill me.” Alastor ended up groaning and looking away from Vox in embarrassment, his ears were flat against his head and his face was bright red.

“Flattering.” Vox laughed. “Don't worry, I won't hold it against you, I know you didn't mean it.” He patted Alastor's head in reassurance. “Your rut makes your brain not think, eh? Just say?”

“I'm tempted to bite your hand for saying that.” Alastor gave Vox a toothy grin but there was no bite to his words. Alastor didn't have it in him to hurt his mate, he was actively looking forward to hurting the man who hurt his mate. “I do need to ask, does Princess Charlie know of our plans tomorrow, or is she in the dark?”

“Oh please.” Vox scowled. “If she knew, we would already be on our fifth lecture from her. The only people who know are the people I work closely with, and Velvette because she orchestrated everything.”

“Fair enough.” Alastor laughed, resting his head on Vox's shoulder and keeping his grip on Vox tight. His ears lowered a bit. “This is hard on me.” Alastor admitted. “All of my instincts are screaming at me to keep you safe. Bring you to our nest and have you stay there until I kill the threat, but I think back to our conversation. I think about how you told me how important that is to you, I think about you telling Velvette you want to prove yourself and be a good mate, how you want to enjoy being mine and not live in fear.”

Vox moved his screen so he could also rest the corner of his head on Alastor's shoulders. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Alastor, I'm so grateful that you're letting me do this, I can't imagine how hard this has been on you to hear your mate constantly talk to other people and about another man. You've been withholding your instincts for my sake so much lately. I need to do this more than anything though. I need control back. I need my freedom back and I need to give everyone else their freedom back as an apology for enabling Valentino's behavior. I need to do this to clear my own conscience, Alastor.” Vox's eyes watered a bit as he inhaled sharply. “I need to save these people from this man. I've seen firsthand the harm he wants to do to others, I've experienced it myself and I need to help them. I may not be a good person, I'm far from it. I'm a spy, an enabler, but by God I refuse to be a monster.”

“You're still a victim regardless of all your bad-doings.” Alastor pointed out quietly. “You don't have to be a good person to be a victim of abuse.”

Vox hugged Alastor tighter and swung around him, laughing when Alastor wrapped his arms around his waist and picked him up into the spin. “Thanks, Al. I actually really needed to hear that.” Vox smiled. He pulled back and looked into Alastor's eyes. “I'm so appreciative that you're so supportive of me.”

“Of course! You're my mate and my friend! I wouldn't want to be cruel to you. That's not how you keep people close to you.” Alastor's eyes were half-lidded as he leaned in closer to Vox. “I want our relationship built out of trust, not pain.”

Vox found himself leaning forward as well. He licked his lips before he pulled back suddenly, placing one hand firmly on Alastor's chest as he pushed back. “You're such a romantic.” Vox laughed nervously.

Alastor whined at the sudden distance and he couldn't help but scowl. He was so close to kissing his mate on the lips! While he loved giving Vox attention everywhere else, he felt like Vox kept putting up walls that he couldn't tear down. Isn't that what people did when they liked one another? They kissed! He could smell Vox's attraction to him, he could tell Vox liked him, so why didn't he ever act on his feelings? Alastor wasn't an idiot, he wasn't some blind child who couldn't put the square in the right hole.

Though to Vox it was clear that the rut was putting a larger strain on him than Alastor would have liked. Rut was supposed to be Alastor's issue to deal with and Alastor's alone! Why did Vox care so much about it?

Alastor already knew the answer though. It was because he was his mate and he was trying so hard to repress his own feelings to save Alastor from it. Rut wasn't like that though. Alastor was still aware of everything he did, he just had less self-control and was more instinctual. Everything he did was his raw emotions.

Alastor wanted to wait so desperately for after his rut to properly court Vox, but this distance Vox kept putting up was actually starting to sting a bit. V̸̨̛͚̥̭͐͌̃̓̂̈̋͘̚ä̵̩͙͈̻̘̉̚l̸̨̙̥̱̻̻̿ę̸͕̟̼͕̼̼̋͂̎̄̋́̊̈́͠͠n̸̨̤̙̝͎͊͐̿̓̍ť̷̗̮̟͖̹̫̇̈́́̓̽͂͂̊ͅį̴͌͗̑̌̍̋̃n̶̢̻̹̝͚͕̪̙̥͇͘͘ǫ̶̡̖̟̙̬̮̹͇̋̃̑ must have done a lot more damage to Vox than any of them had originally realized.

“Just for you, Vox.” Alastor finally purred out. “I can't let the secret get out that I actually have feelings.” Alastor let go of Vox so the man could wander into their bathroom. Alastor followed after his mate curiously. “What are you doing?” Alastor asked with a tilted head.

“Obviously I'm going to set the clothes out so Niffty can wash them.” Vox explained before he dug into the hamper to pull out the clothes Alastor gave him. “I can't wear dirty clothes to kill someone! I need the clothes to be spotless so I can stab the other guy more for getting his blood on them.”

“Very petty of you.” Alastor grinned as he watched Vox proudly pull out the outfit.

“What are you going to wear?” Vox asked before he gasped. “Wait no! Let me buy you an outfit! We would look so good together. I can order it in and have it delivered the same day so we can wash it.”

Alastor's ear flicked back and he winced slightly before he nodded his head. “Just… nothing restrictive or revealing.” Alastor told Vox.

“Oh easy!” Vox waved his hand with a laugh. “Plus we're the same size, well you're a bit smaller, but that makes it easier on me.”

Vox shoved Alastor out of the bathroom doorway and pushed him into the bed before Vox threw the clothes on a pile beside the bed and pulled out his phone. “This is going to be so fun! I never got to buy clothes for a partner before!”

Alastor smiled genuinely at the word ‘partner’ but didn't mention it. He didn't want Vox to catch onto what he had called him. “Well, I suppose I can lower my expectations just a little bit as it's your first time.”

“Taking my virginity in clothes shopping.” Vox snickered before he slapped a hand over his mouth. “Oh f*ck. I'm sorry, Al. That wasn't an appropriate joke.” He seemed genuinely remorseful.

“I like it when you're yourself.” Alastor shrugged. “Joke away, it just means you're feeling better. If anything I should be honoured that you're comfortable around me.” Alastor leaned his head on Vox's shoulder as he stared into the stupid tiny box. Vox was so lucky he liked him or he would smash that sh*t to pieces.

“Thank you.” Was all Vox whispered before he opened up some random clothing shop in the Pride Ring. Vox scrolled through the endless amount of clothing before he found a shirt that caught his eye. It was a dark cherry red dress shirt. It would be super easy to hide blood on it. He pointed it out to Alastor who just closed his eyes.

“You're shopping for me.” Alastor reminded Vox. “Pick whatever you think suits me best.”

Vox narrowed his eyes slightly in thought before he changed the shirt's colour to black and added it to his cart. Vox quickly scrolled up to adjust his search bar. Vox found a pair of black work pants with a concerning amount of pockets that he also added to his cart before he selected a dark red blazer to complete the fit. Vox put in the order for same-day delivery before he threw his phone to the side. “Done and done!” Vox declared happily. “I think you'll look very pretty in what I got. Now get your head off me. I gotta send a text to Niffty and get these clothes washed, and maybe some of our bedding too.” Vox added as he batted Alastor's head off his shoulder.

Alastor grumbled but complied. He rolled off the bed and helped Vox take off some of the blankets once a text was sent to Niffty.

She arrived in no time and waltzed into their room with a smile. She pulled out her little hamper bag and shoved the clothes and bedding into it. “I'll have this done in a jiffy!” She told Vox. “Don't you worry ‘bout a thing!”

“Thank you, Niffty.” Vox smiled. “I appreciate it a lot.”

“Oh, it's no problem at all! Thank you for taking care of Alastor! He can be quite a handful at times.”

“I am right here. No need to talk about me like I'm some ghost.” Alastor pointed out dryly from where he stood, right next to their bed, in plain sight.

“See, so moody.” Niffty pointed a finger at Alastor. Her tone was teasing and Alastor couldn't really stay mad at her. He just smiled and rolled his eyes affectionately.

Niffty left shortly after, claiming she had a lot of work to do, which yeah. She probably did.

Vox turned his attention back to Alastor and placed his hands on his hips. “Oh don't pout at me.” Vox chuckled.

Alastor whined loudly. “You guys were bullying me.” He joked. “Can't believe my own family had turned against me.”

“Not my fault Niffty is too adorable. I would believe anything she told me.” Vox smirked. “I guess you're okay too though. More handsome than cute.” Vox outstretched his arms and let out a grunt when Alastor ran around the bed and practically tackled him to their nest.

Vox laughed when Alastor rolled off of him and flicked Alastor's ear gently with his fingers. “You're such a dork.”

Alastor nuzzled Vox's neck before he pulled back to stare at the male under him. Tomorrow they will be fighting against someone. Alastor took in Vox's appearance and couldn't help the pit of worry that settled deep within his stomach. It felt like a cold hole that was getting heavier by the second despite not growing.

He couldn't deny that despite everything, Vox has gotten softer. He didn't fight much anymore because Charlie didn't want him too and with Vox's aversion to touch, it left a pretty big weakness for Valentino to take advantage of. His antennas, his screen, gosh everything about Vox! Alastor was never once paranoid about harm coming to Vox any of the times he attacked him, but now it was all he could think of.

Vox was good at defense though. He relied a lot on the environment and wearing out his attacker before moving in to deal his blows.

“Hey, I'll be okay.” Vox brought a hand to Alastor's cheek as he spoke. His tone was soft and his eyes were gentle. “I can feel the anxiety from you, Baby. You need to take a deep breath. We're both powerful Overlords. We got this.”

“You're right.” Alastor lied easily. “Two versus one. I like those odds.” The pit didn't vanish though as he stared into Vox's eyes.

His lying didn't seem to work on Vox who raised a brow. “Al, seriously. What are you panicking about? I know you're in like you're super overprotective arc but you gotta use your words.”

His overprotective what? Alastor elected to ignore that part and just look away as he spoke. “I'm just worried he's going to hurt you. I know you rely a lot on defense and I know firsthand how good of a fighter you are, but I can't help but feel like he's going to fight dirty.”

“Oh you bet your ass he is, but I'm counting on it.” Vox's smile was faint and fake. “I'm a little worried for your sake too honestly. I don't want Valentino to hurt you.”

“Valentino has a target on your back, not mine.” Alastor pointed out dryly. “It’s you he wants to hurt.” He added, his ears flattening as he spoke.

“True, but I know that man like the back of my hand.” Vox grinned. “He's practically blind, Alastor. He listens and feels the building. We just need to disorientate him. Your tentacles can slam against the floor to confuse him and I can turn all the lights up bright to keep his attention on those.”

“Cornered animals are a lot more violent because of fear.” Alastor pointed out. “Even if this does work, I still want you to be careful.”

“I will be, don't worry. I won't take any risks.” Vox reassured Alastor. “I want to be the victor of this, and sometimes being the winner means you have to sit down and wait for an undisclosed amount of time.”

“Thank you.” Alastor leaned forward and kissed Vox's collarbone. “I want my mate to come home in one piece so we both get yelled at by the Princess's little girlfriend together.”

“Wouldn't miss that lecture for the world, especially if you'll be there with me.” Vox laughed. He buried his hand in Alastor's hair as he stared up at the ceiling.

Alastor and Vox both screwed their eyes shut. Why did they have such a bad feeling about this?

Chapter 12: Day Eleven

Chapter Text

Vox slid the angelic blade into his heels before he slowly opened the door. It was about six am. Their meeting was at nine am. Vox didn't mean to watch up so early but he was nervous and excited, but Alastor was okay with this. It meant they would have an easier time getting out undetected by Charlie and Vaggie the earlier they left. Vox and Alastor were both wearing the outfits they bought for one another, and honestly? They looked f*cking great together.

Alastor left the room first, his eyes were solid black as he carefully inspected the halls, his nostrils flared slightly as he took in the different scents. Most of the scents were stale. Good sign. He grabbed Vox's wrist and dragged his mate through the doorway, closing it very quietly behind them. Once the door was closed, Alastor dragged Vox down the hallway quietly. Their steps were light, you could only hear the occasional click from their heels hitting against the ground as they jogged through the hotel. They reached the front door in no time and both slid out of the hotel. Alastor took off his blazer quickly and placed it on Vox's shoulders, scenting the side of his mate's scent for a second before the two held hands, walking away from the hotel.

Vox pulled out his phone and checked the address Velvette sent him real quick. Yup, still Valentino's p*rn studio so that was a good sign. “We have a few hours before our meeting.” Vox pointed out to Alastor. “Want to go for a walk through Cannibal Town?”

Alastor snarled at that and flattened his ears. “I already hate the fact that you're outside, Vox, I'd rather as few people as possible see us. Besides, it's going to be a pretty decent walk still.”

“I know. I'm just… nervous.” Vox admitted. “Sleep didn't come easy last night. It's like everything is happening so quickly and I have to be perfect.”

“You asked for this to be done as soon as possible.” Alastor pointed out to his mate. He wrapped an arm over the male's shoulders, pulling him in close as they continued to walk. The streets of Hell were. There were hardly any sinners in sight and even if there were, no one would dare mess with two Overlords. It was when they were on Valentino's turf that they had to remain hidden and stick to the darkness.

“I don't really know how to explain it. It's like waiting in the dark is worse than just pulling the trigger. Doing this before Valentino gets a chance to move, it's empowering in a way. I'm not just fearfully sitting in a corner, crying and begging for him to just do something. I'm taking initiative no matter how imitating it is to do so at this very moment.”

“I think you mentioned one time how this gave you control.” Alastor hummed thoughtfully. “I can see why having control is very important in situations like this. I love to have control over situations so I can see why this is a desired outcome.”

“Yeah, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying. I still feel scared, and I know that doing this won't change that damage he did to me. This type of sh*t takes years to undo. One simple murder doesn't solve all my problems, especially if this doesn't go well and he ends up hurting me more. It'd be like stage one all over again. The constant paranoia and trust issues. Just shutting everyone out and not talking for months, it can happen all over again and I'm so afraid I'm going to step backwards in this development and make everything worse Instead of better.” Vox's grip tightened on Alastor's hand. “It's so f*cking scary, but at the same time there is something addictive to being this close to freedom.” Vox brought up his other hand and pressed his fingers together as he spoke. “I'm taking a step and leading a change, but I'm so worried that I'm not ready for this change. I can't imagine all the extra strain this will put on me and my other relationships. How exhausted my assistant will be by the end of this month. I won't even have to deal with the backlash of this until after your rut is over it'll all be on Velvette and Mint.” Vox casted a weary glance at Alastor when he mentioned Papermint. Alastor growled lowly but other than that he didn't react. Okay, good. Papermint was being recognized as a friend and not as a threat.

“You'll still have to deal with the burden of knowing that Velvette and your… friend,” Alastor snarled out the word ‘friend’, “are dealing with the public in your stead. I think that's a stressful thought to carry with you all month. I expect for you to be busy the next couple of days after you carve out Valentino's heart, I know you will be. As much as I don't want to share your time, I know how much this means to you.” Alastor lowered his ears slightly. His gaze dropped down to Vox's hand in his. “A part of being a good mate is supporting your mate in what they want to do, even if it goes against all your instincts. I hope you know I do expect you to take a break from me to deal with the public. It's part of the reason why I’m not entirely looking forward to this. On one end, my mate will get their revenge and can rest a little easier knowing that the man who once hurt him doesn't hold any power over him anymore, but on the other end, so many people will be demanding your attention and time.”

“What? Alastor, I'm not going to just ditch you to deal with a bunch of nosy people. Being a good mate also means spending time with their partner after a traumatic event. Sure, it'll probably be a lot more traumatizing on me and you could probably care less, but the point still stands. Velvette and Mint can handle it, they're big kids.” Vox smiled at Alastor. He stopped walking for a second to rest his hand against Alastor's cheek and stare deep into his eyes. “I know this is hard on you. You've vocalized how much this goes against your instincts like twice now. Once this is all done, I'm going to return to our nest with my mate and cuddle him until he feels better about letting his mate go straight into danger.”

Alastor raised his free hand and gently held onto the hand that was on his cheek before he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “I wouldn't mind cuddling up to my mate after this.” Alastor admitted in a low voice.

Vox swallowed. “Why in such a tone?” Vox asked.

“I like the reactions it gets from you.” Alastor leaned forward and gently pressed a kiss to Vox’s cheek before he pulled back and began to walk again, still holding Vox's hand so he was once again dragging his mate behind him.

Vox laughed a bit and let himself get dragged. “Okay, fair enough. I can understand your reasoning.” The two fell into a comfortable silence as their walk through Hell continued.

Alastor had definitely picked up the pace. His ears were constantly twitching and he seemed on edge. If Vox had to take a wild guess on what got Alastor out of sorts, it would be that other sinners were starting to stir awake. Alastor could probably smell them and didn't want his mate anywhere near any potential competition or threats. Vox didn't mind though, Alastor was already going through quite a bit to let Alastor do this in the first place, so if Alastor was a bit possessive over him it wasn't the end of the world.

They were literally wearing clothes they bought for one another, Vox was wearing Alastor's blazer, Alastor had just kissed him on the cheek and they'd been holding hands this entire time outside. Even the stupidest of sinners could probably figure out that the two were involved together in a certain way and hopefully would be smart enough to stay clear of them.

It was definitely better to remain unseen though. Once word got out that Vox and Alastor were traveling together, then things would turn from hard to downright challenging. Valentino would know exactly what to look for and be extra wary of any clients he had booked, but at the same time he might be egotistical enough to think that Vox wouldn't strike back. That he would just give up and submit to Valentino all over again. Vox was sorry to disappoint, but that was not where his story was ending.

He was going to come out on top no matter what he had to do to Valentino to get there.

~☆~☆~☆~●●●●~☆~☆~☆~

“It's showtime.” Vox closed his eyes and grasped Alastor's hand. He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes which were now glowing a blinding red and blue as he connected himself to the endless streams of data that were pulsing around him.

Little sparks of electricity shot off of him when he pulled the power to the cameras. He flashed a fake ‘Sorry! This server is down for maintenance - VoxTech’ sign over top all the screens to make it more believable.

He closed his eyes once again and let his body get moved with the streams of data. It felt like he was floating, on the best drugs in the world. As he floated through the streams, he felt Alastor tighten his grip on his hand. Vox gasped out as he was shot out of the data streams and brought back to reality.

Vox closed one eye and blinked the other multiple times until his eyes stopped glowing before he turned to Alastor. “Thank you.”

“You electrocuted me.” Alastor complained. “Try not to get sick from this.” He added when he grabbed Vox's other wrist and melted the two of them into the shadows.

Vox clutched onto Alastor tightly as they moved swiftly through the shadows. Alastor slid them underneath the door and with a little direction from Vox, managed to weave past all the employees to get to the stairwell. Alastor and Vox made their way up the stairs before they were at the entrance to Valentino's doors.

Alastor frowned a bit but moved under the door and brought the two of them to a shadowy part of Valentino's room. Alastor peeled them off the floor and dropped Vox to the floor before he knelt down to bring his mate up to his feet. Vox nodded his thanks to Alastor and turned his screen's brightness all the way down as he took in the room. It was completely empty. Valentino must be making his way to the room at this moment.

Vox stepped further back against the wall to try and hide in the shadows to the best of his ability. He held his hands behind and he kept his eyes narrowed so Valentino would have a harder time seeing his illuminated light.

The doors opened and the tall moth waltzed into the room. His hips swayed with every step. He was texting someone on his phone and had two of his hands on his hips. Before he could make it to his chair, Vox moved quickly and pulled his angelic blade from his heel and threw it right at Valentino.

It sliced clean through Valentino's wing, a loud cry of pain echoed through the room, but Alastor had already moved quickly and set up runes of silence so no one could hear anything inside the room.

Vox's dagger slammed into the wall behind Valentino and Vox was already pulling out another that he had given Alastor that was in his blazer.

“Vox!” Valentino snarled out. His wings unfolded and he flapped them harshly which knocked Vox against the wall with a low grunt.

Alastor was back in the shadows and was moving behind Valentino. Vox watched as Alastor shot out from the floor and clawed into one of Valentino's arms.

“What the f*ck!” Valentino hissed out as he stumbled back from the force of Alastor's movement. He tripped over his own heels and stumbled slightly but managed to catch himself. Valentino quickly fell onto his back and kicked Alastor off of him, rolling to the side and standing back up. “Is this what's going to happen?” Valentino snarled at Vox and Alastor. “You guys think you can just waltz into her and kill me? Voxxy, are you seriously that pissed off about the little present I sent you?” Valentino dodged the next knife Vox threw smoothly. He did a little twirl as he did so and sidestepped Alastor who shot a tentacle at him.

“I'm more than pissed at that!” Vox snapped. “What the actual f*ck? Why did you have pictures of me?” Vox ran to the wall and grabbed his knifes, taking a decent chunk out of the wall as he did so.

“Oh, Baby. I have so many more pictures.” Valentino purred with a low laugh. “Those were just some of my favourites. Showing you off as the little submissive bitch you are.” Alastor's ears flattened and he launched more tentacles at Valentino at the same time Vox threw another knife.

Valentino dodged Alastor’s tentacles and twirled right into Vox’s knife. It plunged deep into his upper shoulder, a loud yell escaped the moth as he held onto his shoulder, refusing to take the knife out.

Alastor warped so he was right next to Vox. In his hands was an old microphone. Vox recognized it as the microphone he used before he got his signature red one. Valentino stepped backwards, his wings flared as his blood dripped onto the floor.

“So what? You left me for this prude, Voxxy?” Valentino snarled. “You couldn't stand on your own two feet so you still had to go and whor* yourself out to anyone who would give you the time of day?”

“Shut up! I'm not like that!” Vox yelled back. He had tears forming in his eyes. “I didn't leave you for anyone else. You hurt, Valentino. You hurt everyone with your touch! I'm tired of you hurting others. I'm tired of staying complicent while you slaughter those you employ.” Vox took a step back, Alastor placed his hand on his mate's shoulder to try and ground him just a bit.

“So what? You tried to come back here to hurt me? You've never been capable of hurting me before and you think now you can? You had to go out of your way to get help from the f*cking Radio Demon! Your sworn enemy. Oh how the mighty has fallen.” Valentino narrowed his eyes. He pulled out a weapon that was strapped to his thigh. Rule number one of being an Overlord is that you're never unarmed. That's how you get murdered.

Alastor summoned about five tentacles and slammed them all to the ground at the same time while Vox moved to dodge Valentino's strike.

The shaking threw Valentino off his footing and he fell down to his ass but quickly recovered. He slid across the floor and flew up into the sky before he dove for Vox. Vox covered his screen based on instinct but that wasn't where Valentino was aiming. Like Vox knew all of Valentino's weak spots, Valentino knew all of his.

Valentino reached his arms out and grabbed Vox's antennas before breaking them off roughly, a loud cry of pain from Vox echoed through the entire room as everywhere in Hell went dark.

Vox collapsed to the ground and felt around the top of his head with his hands. He was crying fully now as he tried to contain his gasps and whimpers of pain.

Alastor’s eyes turned black at the sight of his mate whimpering and charged full speed at Valentino through the darkness. Alastor snarled and bared his fangs at Valentino’s throat. He needed to hurt him. Revenge. Alastor grasped the knife that was still in his shoulder and yanked it out roughly before moving it and stabbing it in all of his shoulders. Valentino screamed and kicked but he couldn't get any leverage from the angered male. Green essence was oozing everywhere and blood was dripping down onto Valentino’s face and glasses. Alastor grabbed Valentino’s glasses and shoves them in his mouth. He snapped his jaws shut, breaking the pink glasses before he spat out the shards of glass at his mate’s abuser.

A wheeze from Vox distracted Alastor. Alastor used his tentacles to string Valentino up. Alastor snarled at Valentino before going over to his mate. Vox managed to push himself into a standing position but his eyes were glazed over, still crying. Alastor brought his hand up and gently grazed his fingers over Vox's injury. “I'm so sorry, Mate.” Alastor whispered. He pressed his forehead against Vox's head and sent a little spark of his own to Vox.

“Alastor, get your f*cking microphone again. I want this sh*t broadcasted. You don't rely on my powers.” Vox snarled, wiping away his tears. He limped over to where his knife was dropped. He bent over and picked it up, examining the blade carefully. “I'm going to carve out that wing before I end your life.” Vox spat, pointing his knife at Valentino's undamaged wing. “Niffty deserves a little reward I think.”

Alastor summoned his old staff and walked Vox over to where Valentino was tied up by the tentacles. Valentino was struggling against them but he could register that he had royally pissed off Alastor by striking Vox like that and any chance of breaking free was low, but he could still play dirty.

Alastor's old microphone lit up and he began to speak. “Greetings, sinners of Hell! I am here today with a very special broadcast. I apologize for the bad audio, you see my microphone got damaged so we’re back to using this one.” Alastor turned his gaze to Vox. “I'm with my fellow Overlord, Vox! Say hi, Vox.”

“Hello, Hell. I'm terribly sorry for the blackout but someone decided it would be a good idea to try and disconnect me.” Vox spat in Valentino's face who just growled lowly back and tugged a bit harder against the tentacles, a little squeak escaping Valentino everytime he moved.

“That leads us to our victim today.” Alastor turned his attention back to Valentino and shoved the bottom of the staff against Valentino's throat. “Today we have Valentino here. That's right dear listeners, the Overlord Valentino. As you know I only got after those who deserve it and I think this disgusting excuse for a sinner fits the bill quite well. He has hurt many people. Do you know anyone in Hell? He's probably harmed them in some way. I'm afraid his evil-doings will come to an end here today though.” Alastor laughed, removing the staff from Valentino's throat. “Hold onto your loved ones because we are going to make Valentino suffer for every injury he inflicted. This broadcast is not for the faint of heart.” Alastor gave his disclaimer easily before he summoned a stand for his microphone and placed it down.

Vox trailed his knife along Valentino's chest before he gasped out and grabbed his head. The pain was throbbing. He felt like he was dying all over again. Vox collapsed back onto the floor, but Alastor didn't acknowledge it. He couldn't let Hell know Vox was weak. He just grabbed Vox's knife and moved behind Valentino.

“Don't you f*cking dare!” Valentino snapped at Alastor. “I can tell you all the horrible little truths about Voxxy. I can tell all of Hell what a f*cked up maniac he is.”

Alastor thrusted his face right in front of Valentino’s and snarled. “Don't speak ill towards my mate.” Alastor snapped.

Vox stiffened up slightly as he heard the words echo through all of Hell.

Valentino just chuckled coldly. “Oh, so you two are f*cking? He left me for some limp-dicked f*cker who probably can't even make him feel good.” Valentino sneered before turning to look at Vox. “Oh look at you~ you look so beautiful on your kn- OH f*ck!” Valentino screamed when Alastor dug the knife into his back right where his wing connected to his flesh. Valentino screamed and tried to kick but to no avail. Alastor worked the knife torturously slow as he carved out Valentino's wing with the utmost care. “Mother f*cker!” Valentino shouted at Alastor. Alastor didn't care about Valentino's words though. He grabbed the base of the wing and pulled. You could hear flesh ripping as Valentino screamed in pain as his wing was detached from him. Blood sprayed everywhere and Alastor stared down in dismay at his outfit as he chucked the wing to the side.

“I ruined the outfit you bought for me.” Alastor complained.

Vox shook his head. “I picked it purposely so it would hide blood well.” Vox explained. “So don't stress about It.” Vox was rubbing the top of his head, sending constant sparks to try and soothe his pain. Vox was getting horrified at the thought that he might have to try and reattach his antennas to his head. He spawned into Hell with those dammit! He was always able to swap them into different heads but he never broke them before and he never wanted to experience this again. He was a powerful Overlord! He was strong and able to deflect blows easily but now he was sitting on the floor doing everything in his power to not cry or let his pain be shown on their broadcast. He couldn't afford to let Hell know he was weak, but considering that all of Hell knew he and Alastor were involved with each other. Well… Vox could only assume that no one wanted to bring the wrath of the Radio Demon down upon them. “I'm sorry if I get blood on this outfit. You did such a good job picking it out.” Vox apologized.

“Oh, Darling, I think you would look beautiful covered in your enemy's blood.” Alastor purred. He stepped over the wing he carved out and placed the knife in Vox's palm. “Your turn.” Alastor whispered into the side of his screen.

Valentino managed to regain some of his composure. “Oh, now the sniffling little bitch is going to try and hurt me?” Valentino sneered. He yanked against the tentacles to try and shove his face in Vox's but Alastor snarled back and used his powers to force the tentacles smaller, making them pull harshly against Valentino's body. Valentino gasped out in pain as he could feel the strain in all his joints, all the pain from the stab wounds he was given. Blood was still dripping from every single one of his wounds but Valentino knew he wasn't coming out of this alive. If it was just Vox, he might have been able to sweet talk the man, but with Alastor here he knew he wouldn't succeed. No, what Valentino's plan was to cause as much damage to Vox's reputation as he could. Alastor was so nice to broadcast his death, was he not? Might as well give everyone a show.

“Oh please, Voxxy. You're such a slu*t. You've barely broken up with me before you got some buck to fill up your holes. Are you so desperate, hm? You can't live with a co*ck buried inside of you? Gosh you're such a whor*.”

Vox’s hands were shaking hard, from the pain and from the words Valentino was speaking. It was worming its way into his mind. God he was a whor*. Vox screwed his eyes shut and dropped the knife. It clattered against the floor.

Alastor wrapped his arms around Vox to offer some comfort to his mate, but he made no move to harm Valentino, it was Vox’s turn. Vox needed some revenge of his own.

Valentino continued to sneer at Vox however. “I think my only regret with you was letting you take birth control. I should have f*cked you up so good that you were bred so well. Turn you into a breeding bitch.” Valentino’s words made Alastor and Vox tense. “All you would have been good for.”

Did he… just out Vox? Vox wasted no time grabbing the knife and charging at Valentino. He reached into the pimp’s mouth and pulled out his tongue before slicing it out, a muffled scream echoed through the empty room as Vox dropped the tongue on the floor.

Valentino had blood filling his mouth and filling it quickly. He tipped his head forward so he could let the blood drip out instead of choking on it. He snarled at Vox and Alastor but without his tongue he couldn't really say anything. There were tears in his eyes from the burning pain of being mutilated, but he kept a pretty strong front.

Alastor had no chance to even react because Vox was faster and was now running on pure rage. All his pent up anger had finally boiled over and there was no love left in his body for Valentino anymore, just hatred.

Once he got the tongue out, he drove the knife into Valentino's gums and popped out his golden tooth. Vox's eyes narrowed as blood dripped into his shoes but he had a bigger target in his mind. He threw the tooth to the ground and pointed the knife at Valentino’s throat. He stared deep into Valentino’s eyes, but Valentino decides to take advantage of this moment and yanked one of his hands free from Alastor's tentacles and brought his hard up to the top of Vox's head where he grasped the chunk of antenna that was still remaining and yanked it out completely causing Vox to scream and cry out in pain. Vox dropped to the floor and curled in on himself as he whimpered and sobbed, holding the top of his head like a little baby.

Alastor didn't care anymore about Vox's revenge. He plucked the knife from Vox's shaking hand and approached Valentino. His eyes were wild and green liquid was oozing out of them. Alastor twirled the knife around in his hand before he dove it deep into Valentino's throat. The two stared deep into one another's eyes. Alastor drove the knife so far it actually came out on the other side of his neck. The handle was buried inside of Valentino's throat. Blood was slowly gurgling outwards.

Alastor left the knife inside his throat, listening in glee as Valentino's breathing became weaker and weaker. Alastor grabbed his microphone and shoved the much right where the knife was so everyone could hear Valentino's wheezing. “This is what will happen to anyone who even considers ť̶̻͈͙̝͜͠͠o̷̢̳̬̩͓̞̜̮̽̔̈̿̊͜͜u̵͍͕̞͗͋̀͐̇̌̄͝ͅc̷̢̛͉̦͕͉̟͆̾̐̀͆͠h̴̨̩̙͊̈́i̸͚̰̺͙͎̤͈̋̾̒̍̇̀n̴̨̟̥͕̲͖̑̎̑̾̀͜g̸͙̩͙̭͉̻͂͝ what is mine!” Alastor declared to all of Hell. “We are ending this broadcast tonight. Just understand this, dear sinners. My mate is fully aware of all of your posts and texts. If I find out anyone is sharing any information they shouldn't be, I will end you. I'll tear into your hearts and feed it to the cannibals.” Alastor snarled. He slammed his microphone to the ground before ending the broadcast. The microphone disappeared and Alastor rushed over to where Vox was curled in on himself. “Mate, don't worry. I'll care for you.” Alastor whispered as he gently scooped up Vox, making sure to grab Vox's antennae, as well as Valentino's wing, and inhaling deeply. Where was Alastor going to take Vox? He was clueless about technology and Vox was in no state to care for himself.

Vox had an assistant though, didn't he?

~☆~☆~☆~●●●●~☆~☆~☆~

Papermint kicked the backup generator and threw his hands in the air when that didn't work. Vox planned for blackouts to happen from emotional outbursts, but it was clear that this wasn't one of those. This was something bigger. Something was wrong with Vox. Papermint tried not to let his anxiety get the best of him. He couldn't think about that. Vox had Alastor with him. Alastor wouldn't let anything bad happen to Vox.

Papermint inhaled sharply before he turned around and screamed at the top of his lungs. “Holy sweet mother of f*cking Christ!” He yelled as he jumped back. “How long have you been there!” Papermint pointed a finger at Alastor accusingly before he realized why Alastor had come to him. Vox was passed out in his arms, and his antennas were snapped off and crushed into many pieces. “Oh, that's the problem.” Papermint turned Alastor around and immediately moved him out of the generator room. “Well don't just stand there! Get him in the lounge room.” Papermint pulled out his phone and sent an emergency text out to Velvette to kick everyone out of the lounge asap.

Alastor just let himself get pushed but the smaller male. Alastor has never once met Papermint and he was surprised to see such a small male. He expected someone big and strong, to be honest. He didn't know why he did, but Papermint was like half the size of Vox and Alastor and there was something humourous about that.

Velvette made quick work and had already kicked everyone out and was pulling out the couch into a bed for Vox to lay on. She summoned a bunch of clothes and dropped it onto the bed before smoothing it out. Her head snapped backwards when she heard the door opening, her eyes were glowing a bright red but she relaxed at the sight of Alastor, Vox, and Papermint. “Set him down here!” Velvette ordered Alastor. “I'll go find a flashlight.” Velvette ran off before Alastor could answer.

Alastor turned his head a hundred and eighty degrees to stare at Papermint who was behind him. The little Envy sinner just nodded his head so Alastor did as Velvette demanded and set his passed out mate on the multitude of fabrics that Velvette had laid out.

Alastor sat down on the bed next to Vox and handed off the antenna pieces to Papermint who examined them carefully.

Velvette came running back in with a battery powered flashlight and a magnifying glass. Papermint moved to the coffee table, tucking his legs under him and sitting down. Velvette sat down next to him, holding up the magnifying glass so Papermint could see the pieces better.

Alastor watched in silence as Papermint examined his mate's antenna. A part of Alastor wanted to rip off the other male's hand, but Vox trusted him and clearly he seemed to be more competent than Alastor would be.

“I'm going to have to remake his antennas.” Papermint finally announced to the room that was waiting. “I'll gather the materials and start that up right away, Velvette pop open the back of his screen and detach the antennas from him.” Papermint ordered his friend. “I feel like he won't like me near Vox.” He added when Velvette raised a brow. Velvette turned to look at Alastor who was glaring at Papermint.

“Ah. I see, yeah I'll do that. Go get your sh*t.” Velvette waved to Papermint. Papermint left the room and Velvette moved over to where Vox and Alastor were waiting. Alastor actually growled at Velvette when she put her hands on Vox's screen but with one glare, he averted his gaze from her and grabbed Vox's hand instead. He ran his thumb over Vox's knuckle, watching as sparks flew out, following the pad of his thumb.

Velvette summoned a screwdriver and unscrewed the back of Vox's head. She moved Alastor's hands so he was supporting Vox's head and making the pain easier on him. Once she opened the back, Alastor watched as she weaved her fingers through the multitude of wires. After a few seconds of just combing through his wires, she found the one she was looking for. She unplugged the antenna from his head and gently pulled out the base of the antenna. “There we go.” Velvette whispered. She set the base to the side and screwed back on his back of the head. She dematerialized the screwdriver and turned Vox's head so his screen was facing upwards. Alastor moved Vox's head so it was resting on his lap, supporting the weight. He wouldn't want his mate to wake up with neck pain.

Velvette slid off the couch and moved to the coffee table. She put down his base at the exact same time Papermint returned with a box full of supplies.

Alastor's ears lowered slightly as he watched Papermint and Velvette start to work on a new antenna for Vox.

Seeing Vox's face completely black was unsettling and Alastor didn't like it. He shouldn't have let Vox go after Valentino, but at the same time Vox needed it.

It was dead silent as Papermint worked. He seemed highly stressed and Alastor couldn't blame him. This was clearly something new for him and if he f*cked up he had his boss's mate to f*ck him up.

As well as Velvette. She was watching him curiously though, like she was taking it in in case something like this ever happened again.

Not like Alastor would ever let anyone he didn't trust near Vox ever again.

It was hours later when Papermint finally slammed his hands down on the table. “I f*cking did it!” He announced. He got off of the floor and gave the new antenna to Velvette. “Please put this inside him.” Papermint ordered Velvette.

She did so quickly and stepped back away from Vox before Alastor felt bitey.

Alastor watched in amazement as power turned back on and Vox's screen lit up.

It must be so exhausting to be the power source for everyone in Hell.

“He's going to take all night to reboot.” Papermint took Alastor, setting away from the male in case he decided Papermint was a threat again. Alastor stared at Vox before turning his head to look at Papermint. Papermint took this opportunity to continue. “You two should stay the night. Velvette and I will lock down the building so no one walks in on you two. Once Vox is awake tomorrow we can test to see if he's working properly and if he is, we'll send him back to the hotel.” Papermint bowed his head to the Radio Demon.

Alastor stared at Papermint for a second before he nuzzled up against Vox's face. “Thank you.” His voice was so quiet Papermint could barely hear him.

He was going to ride off that high forever. f*ck being Vox's assistant. The mother f*cking Radio Demon said thanks to him!

Velvette and Papermint waved to Alastor before they left the room, leaving Alastor alone with his mate.

Alastor kissed Vox's rebooting screen and pulled him ever so slightly closer. He pulled one of the many dresses over Vox's body and closed his eyes. It was uncomfortable, but they were safe. Vox was safe and Valentino was bleeding out somewhere.

Alastor wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapter 13: Day Twelve

Chapter Text

Vox groaned loudly as he brought his hand up to his screen. His head was throbbing. He felt like he just took every possible drug in the world and got run over by a car.

Vox took in his surroundings carefully. He was in the V's tower. Holy sh*t did Valentino actually kill Alastor? Vox jumped up to his feet before he tripped and fell on his side with a loud groan. Alastor's head shot up from where he was sleeping and he kicked off all of the dresses and rushed over to Vox's side. “I'm so sorry. I wanted to be awake before you. Papermint said your memory might be a bit hazy from the pain, or that you wouldn't remember anything after your antennas were broken.” Alastor apologized as he helped Vox up to his feet, one hand was hovering over the small in his back just in case Vox fell back and needed more support.

“Papermint?” Vox repeated hesitantly. He turned on Alastor immediately and pointed a finger at his chest. “Papermint is here? You… didn't hurt him did you? Alastor I swear to f*cking God if you hurt Papermint-”

“I'm fine!” The chipper voice cut off Vox. Vox swung his head to stare directly into his assistant's heterochromia eyes. The small male didn't even have a scratch on him. He looked perfectly healthy. “Alastor brought you to me because of your little accident.” Papermint explained to his boss. Vox watched as Papermint approached him slowly, making sure to not come off as a threat to Alastor. Vox couldn't help the way he smiled at the extra care he put in to make sure Alastor knew he wasn't going to try and take Vox away from him. “Your antennas got damaged and Alastor didn't know how to fix them so he asked for my help. I did have to remake them though, from scratch, so we will have to test them out, Sir. Just to make sure I didn't make a mistake anywhere. I used the same materials as your old ones but I don't know if this is like an organ transplant where your body needs to accept it or something along those lines.” Papermint reached out a hand and gently grasped Vox's hand. “Can you make a fist for me?” Papermint asked as he stared directly at Vox's hand, like if he looked anywhere else he would get murdered.

Alastor… actually probably would kill him if he looked anywhere else, so yeah. Fair enough, Papermint. Vox balled his hand into a fist and looked over his shoulder at his mate. “What happened to Valentino? What happened to my antenna?” He asked, his head slightly tilted and his eyes narrowed. “I thought he only broke a little bit of my antenna. It should have been fixable. The damage wasn't too bad, I would have passed… out.” Vox's voice trailed off as he looked back at Papermint. He kept swinging his head to look at the two of them. Alastor actually growled lowly and grabbed Vox’s face so he would stop looking back and forth.

Alastor’s ears flattened and he breathed out a low sigh as he finally answered his mate’s inquiry. “He outed you, Vox. He outed you to everyone in Hell then broke the rest of your antenna.” Alastor answered. “You cut off his tongue before he managed to break it though. I made sure to kill him after, and I gave a warning to all of Hell to not spread things or I would kill them.”

Vox wanted to be angry at Valentino. Not he wanted to be f*cking furious, but he could only feel numb. “He went so low to out me and then try to f*ck my memory over by causing me great pain?” Vox whispered. He pulled his hand out of Papermint's and wrapped his arms around himself. He turned and walked right into Alastor, rubbing his screen against Alastor's chest as he seeked comfort from his mate. He didn't want to look at anyone right now. He felt disgusted by himself in that very moment. What else did Valentino say about him? Did he just tell everyone he was born a woman or did he word it in a way that was so much worse?

“I'm sorry.” Alastor whispered. “I know you wanted to kill him and make him suffer, but he was only going to keep making digs at you. He knew his time was up so he used what he had to hurt you in ways he knew you would suffer the most.” Alastor wrapped his arms around his mate and rested his chin on Vox's head. He let out a warning growl to Papermint, who already had their hands up in surrender and was backing away. Alastor turned his attention back to his mate. He was gently rocking them back and forth to try and soothe him. “He will never hurt you again though. I made sure to let that bastard choke on his blood and I let everyone hear the sounds he made when he realized how f̷̡̱̠̪̖̳̫̬̪̕ǘ̸͇̬̭͇̘͚̦̈́͗͝ć̵̖͇̖̙̹̗͎͖̆́͒͂͒k̷̲͉͙͒ȩ̴̡̠̞̯̺͇̲̗̲̒d̸͓͚̳̟̯͔͋͌̒͗͛͛̕͘̕͝ he was. I didn't let him get away with hurting you. I also made sure to collect that wing for Niffty. It's in the void right now. Nice and safe.”

“If it makes you feel better, Velvette and I have been working hard to remove any and all posts that mentioned the broadcast's unfortunate reveal. We also scrubbed everyone's phones of videos and recordings of the broadcast so no one has any evidence of it. Only we have evidence, and it's in a backup drive that only you, Velvette, and I can access.” Papermint explained to Vox in a gentle voice. “We're keeping it as controlled as we can, but you're probably going to have to make a statement regarding everything, of course not right away!” Papermint added when Alastor bared his teeth at him. “When you're feeling better, of course. I still need to make sure that antenna is working properly and then I think Alastor has earned some alone time with his mate. It can't be easy being in this room in rut. It's so open and not to mention I keep walking in to check on you!” Papermint waved one of their hands as they spoke. “So why don't we get these tests out of the way and send you back to the hotel to get yelled at by everyone for killing Valentino. The quicker everyone yells at you, the quicker you guys can enjoy the rest of this.” Papermint clasped their hands together and closed his eyes as he spoke.

“Don't remind me of our inevitable lecture.” Alastor groaned. His ears pressed flat against his head as he turned to look up at the ceiling. His smile was still on his features. “They're going to be mad that we didn't come home either.”

“Hey, At least with the power on they know Vox is safe.” Papermint shrugged. “Now go sit back down!” He ordered Vox. “I want to watch you walk. Add a little zap to each of your steps.”

Vox rolled his eyes but obeyed his assistant. He moved back from Alastor and reached his arms out slightly as he walked over to the couch-bed. Every step he took, a little spark of electricity followed behind. His last step towards the bed was actually a bit too hot and he burnt a footprint into the flooring.

Papermint raised a brow but didn't question the extra electricity. Sometimes Vox produces a lot more electricity than expected, it's why he had monitors everywhere. Something needed to be able to absorb all the extra power he made and Vox liked it going towards something productive. Vox spun around and sat down on the side of the bed. After a second Alastor followed after his mate and sat down next to him. Vox's eyes closed and he leaned into Alastor's body. Papermint couldn't resist the little smile that graced his face. They were honestly cute together, and the relationship was clearly good for Vox. He had gained a bit of weight and he could actually turn his head which meant his neck wasn't as sore as it usually was. He also seemed so damn happy being in Alastor's presence. It was no surprise though, Vox had occasionally mentioned missing Alastor throughout The years Papermint had worked with him. Hell, in Vox's office was an angelic knife that was given to him by Alastor. Even after their friendship ended, Vox couldn't bring himself to get rid of it despite Valentino and Velvette's constant complaints about it. Valentino just didn't like that Vox had something in his office given to him by Alastor, while Velvette just didn't want Vox to hang onto the past if it was going to hurt him, but she didn't really care other than that. She definitely didn't care now that Alastor and Vox were mates.

Ah right, but back onto the main issue at hand. “Alright, give me sparks on your hands.” Vox balled up his fist and lit it up with electricity. Alastor stared in wonder and amazement as his mate showed his powers. He would never understand how Vox just decided he needed allies to be stronger when he was already pretty powerful but himself, but Vox did get Velvette and Papermint out of it so he couldn't complain too much about it.

“Shoot a bolt into the ceiling.” Papermint's next order came, and Vox followed through with no issues. The bolt shot into the ceiling and burnt through the drywall, the smell made Alastor wrinkle his nose, but at the mention of his name he found himself listening to Papermint. “Alastor, flick his antennas. I need to see if they're connected to his nervous system properly.”

Alastor gave Vox an apologetic look and glared at Papermint before getting off the couch and blocked most of Papermint's view of his mate. He didn't want anyone to see Vox’s reactions. He moved his hand slowly to give Vox plenty of time to move, but when he didn't, Alastor flicked the first antenna. He watched as it bounced back and forth for a little bit while Vox suppressed a groan. He gave a thumbs up to Papermint who awkwardly gave one back.

All three of them wanted to die all over again, but it was crucial for them to know if Papermint actually made the antennas right and if Velvette had connected them properly.

Alastor moved his hand to Vox's other antenna and just gently grasped the ball in between his two fingers. Vox's head fell forward and hit Alastor’s shoulder as Vox sucked in a deep breath before shakily giving Papermint another thumbs up. “Yup. I can feel them all right.” His voice was low and his screen was bright red as he kept his face on Alastor's shoulder. He wanted to avoid everyone's glances, especially Papermint's.

“Perfect! I would press for more extermination, but I actually fear for my life right now so I'm just going to say you should be good enough for the rest of Alastor's rut. When it's over we can do some more testing.” Papermint told Vox with a smile. “Go on back to your hotel, and don't worry about Velvette. I'll tell her you say ‘hi’ and ‘to f*cking eat some real food.’” Papermint truly knew him so well.

“Thank you, Mint.” Vox smiled weakly. He still looked so exhausted.

“Not a problem, Sir!” Papermint did a little bow before they waved ‘bye’ to Alastor and Vox. Before Vox could even say anything else to Papermint, he felt Alastor wrap his arms around him and the ground below him gave way and he felt himself get transported back into their room back at the hotel.

Alastor scooped up Vox properly and tossed him into their best that was freshly washed. It was clearly recreated to the best of Niffty's ability and Vox was proud of her for attempting, however. Vox immediately went to work on fixing all the things she got wrong though. This body pillow went here, this blanket needed to be here. Vox deserved only the softest of nests after all he went through.

Alastor watched Vox recreate their nest with a smile on his face. There was something so endearing about seeing his mate work hard to create the most comfortable of things for them to lay in together.

Once the nest was suitable, Alastor went to climb in but Vox jumped out of the bed into his arms instead. “Nope! Sorry, Alastor, but we need to talk to Charlie and the others about what we did. We can't just disappear on them like that, kill an Overlord, not come back home and then just… show up.” Alastor wrapped his arms around Vox to hold him firmly but he walked forward and pressed his mate against the bed.

“I've had enough of people being near you.” Alastor snarled. “I didn't like Valentino touching you and I didn't like that assistant of yours touching you.”

“Papermint is a good employee, Alastor. It's important for him to make sure he didn't f*ck me up by sending me home with a defective item, and you brought me to him!” Vox pointed out. He wrapped his arms around Alastor and wrapped his legs around his waist.

“I know he was.” Alastor grumbled, breathing into Vox's neck. “That's why I didn't kill him.”

Vox awkwardly patted Alastor's back. “Suck it up. Once we get yelled at we come back into our room and you can have all the cuddles you want.”

Alastor groaned loudly but after a minute of mouthing at Vox's neck, He finally picked him up again and teleported them to the main room, where Charlie, Husk, and Angel were gathered.

“Holy sh*t!” Charlie yelled. “What the f*ck are you guys doing back here? Actually wait no, what the f*ck were you thinking?” Charlie waved her hands frantically as she watched Alastor gently place Vox down on the couch before he also sat down and curled into his mate's side.

Husk had been washing a glass but the minute he saw Alastor's shadows appear in the main room, he dropped it on the counter and pulled out a bottle from the shelf. He tipped his head back and began to chug it as he walked out from behind the bar to stand next to Charlie and stare at the two mates.

Angel sent out a text to all the other residents in the hotel and soon everyone was in the main lounge.

Everyone was dead silent before Angel spoke. “Thank you so much.” His voice was genuine and he was staring down at his feet. “When I heard his screams, I was terrified of what he would do to you guys, especially after the power went out, but then I felt it. The chains had snapped and I felt my soul burst in flames as it was freed from his clutches.” Angel had tears in his eyes and he looked up at Alastor and Vox. “f*ck you guys for disappearing and making me jobless, but thank you for giving me my soul back, even if it was unintentional.”

“It was part of the reason we decided to kill him.” Vox told Angel before he cuddled into his mate, a group of ‘aws’ echoed through the room.

“Look, Vox, Alastor, while I agree that Valentino has hurt a lot of people, are you sure killing him was the right thing to do? The broadcast was pretty horrific to listen to.” Charlie was hesitant as she spoke. She didn't want to piss either of them off.

“It was actually pretty tame for Alastor's broadcasts.” Came Husk's gruff reply. “Usually he tortures them for much longer, besides the bitch had it coming. He decided to use his last moments to damage Vox's reputation and out him. Does that sound like someone who would stop harassing them if he was kept alive.”

“Husk is right!” Niffty clasped her hands together. “While I understand you don't like your people being killed, you need to look at the wider picture. Alastor really only kills abusers or people who cross him and his friends.”

Vaggie was silent for most of the conversation. Her eye was narrowed and she was clearly thinking hard about it. The angel let out a sigh eventually and turned to look at her girlfriend. “Charlie, they have a point. Valentino made Angel’s life miserable and practically ruled Vox's life. While it hurts now, and they shouldn't have broadcasted it for everyone to hear, it's for the better.” Vaggie placed her hands on Charlie’s shoulder and pressed her forehead against her girlfriend. “I don't like this sh*tlord doing as he pleases, but it will improve a lot of people's lives, including two of your residents.”

Charlie screwed her eyes shut. “Surely there was something different they could have done!” Charlie argued.

“Oh! There absolutely were things they should have done!” Angel snapped three of his fingers and pointed at the cuddling pair on the couch. “They should have told us they were leaving.”

“They should have included us in the plans.” Niffty grinned, pulling out a knife from nowhere.

Husk leaned over and took the knife from her and tossed it to the side. “They should have waited until after Alastor's rut.”

“They shouldn't have kept how hurt they were from Valentino's behavior a secret, and they should have come home right away.” Vaggie finished the list. “It's too late to change it though, Charlie. They already did it and now we should look on the positive side, like Angel is doing! He got his soul back! We should be happy for him.”

Charlie inhaled deeply before she nodded her head and gave Vaggie a thumbs up. “You're right.” She smiled. She turned to Alastor and pointed a finger at him. “We will be talking about your murderous intentions after your rut though.” She narrowed her eyes at Alastor as she spoke.

Angel leaned on Husk and smiled. “Thanks, lovebugs.” He dipped his head as he spoke. “Now you two should head back to your room before Alastor actually decides to murder us.” He added with a wary glance to the deer.

Alastor had tightened his grip on Vox and was glaring at everyone. His upper lip was quivering and his eyes were starting to turn black.

Vox nodded his head and placed a hand on Alastor's cheek, his mate's attention turned to him immediately. “Let's go back to our nest.” Vox cooed. “I promised you some cuddles, Didn't I?”

Alastor's eyes flashed black for a second before they turned red again. He pulled Vox impossibly closer and the two males melted into the shadows.

“I cannot f*cking believe that you were the voice of reason.” Angel turned to stare at Vaggie, his mouth hanging open. “Did you and Charlie swap personalities?”

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox let out a low moan of relief as Alastor's hands skillfully worked the knots from his neck. The two were back in their nest, Vox had crawled on top of Alastor and tried to move his head to kiss his cheek, but all that escaped him was a groan of pain and Alastor didn't like the sound.

So now he was laying against his mate as he massaged him gently. Alastor was humming and occasionally would kiss the top of his head, but Vox could feel it in Alastor's claws. He was bothered by something.

“What's wrong?” Vox asked as he leaned into Alastor's touch. “Is the broadcast bothering you?”

Alastor shook his head and his smile actually fell from his face.

“Are you upset because Charlie wasn't happy with us?” Vox tried again.

Alastor shook his head once more and turned Vox around so they were staring into each other's eyes.

“Do you want to tell me what's eating ya?”

“Why do you refuse to kiss me?” Alastor asked bluntly.

Holy f*cking sh*t. That was not what Vox was expecting. He was expecting Alastor to be mad about how much Vox cried yesterday, or the blackout, or just literally anything he did. Not something he didn't do. “What?” Vox was stunned.

Alastor threw his hands in the air. “I've tried to kiss you. I've been trying to give you hints and signs that I want to kiss you on the lips but you never take them. You pushed me away the other day when I tried. Vox I don't see the issue, I can smell it. You're attracted to me, I'm your mate and I want to kiss you.”

“That's the problem! Alastor you're in rut. I can't just take advantage of you and kiss you when you're not in control of your emotions.”

“I am in control!” Alastor exclaimed. “Everything I've done is stuff I wanted to do. Sure, I'm more protective and crabby. Sure I want to murder everyone more, but I've been wanting to kiss you since before my rut!” Alastor's tone was slightly raised, but he wasn't yelling. He seemed more exasperated than anything.

“You're… asexual though.” Vox whispered. His head was ducked and he was avoiding Alastor's gaze.

“Okay, I really don't know what that means, but that doesn't matter.” Alastor argued. He grabbed Vox's face and turned the screen so Vox had to stare into Alastor's eyes. “I picked you as my mate. I've been hoping I could avoid my feelings for you until after my rut so this didn't happen but I can't, Vox. I want you to be mine. I've meant every word I meant. Seeing you lay on the ground after that moth touched you? Seeing the way you tried so hard to free yourself? Vox, seeing you hurt killed me more than anything else in the world. Seeing you cry and whimper hurt me. Seeing someone else touch you hurt me. Having to sit back and let your assistant fix you killed me more than you could ever know. I’ve been fighting against every instinct I have because I didn't want to ruin us. I didn't want to scare you with my feelings.” Alastor was speaking so fast it was hard for Vox to keep up. “I want to hold you every time you cry. I want to be the only one who kisses you. I want to be the only person you go home to. Vox I've been dreading the end. I've been so afraid. I may not even like sex, but f*ck, Vox. If you decided you wanted to have sex ever again, I want to be the person that you do it with. I want to be the only person who touches you. Vox, I like you so much, I like who you are. I like the demon you were before Valentino and I like the demon you are now.”

Vox’s eyes were watering and he was breathing a bit more heavily as he searched Alastor’s eyes for anything that proved that he was lying, but there was nothing.

“You want to be with me after your rut?” Vox whispered. “You actually like me?”

“Stay there!” Alastor let go of Vox's face and jumped off the bed. Vox frowned and tried to lean over to see what the f*ck he was doing. Alastor was kneeling under the bed and pulled out two boxes. One was burgundy and the other, larger one was blue.

Alastor hopped back onto the bed and handed the two boxes to Vox.

Vox was skeptical but took the larger one first. He stared at Alastor for a second before he pulled the ribbon and opened it. He actually gasped when he saw what was laying inside of it. It was a hand-crafted leather collar. The leather was a fade from red to blue with purple in the middle. There were two tags. One was a radio and the other was a T.V..

Vox inspected the tag and his heart fluttered when he read that ‘Vark’ on the radio tag and then Vox's phone number was engraved on the other tag. He put the collar back in the box and stared at Alastor for maybe a couple of seconds before Alastor shoved the second box into his hands. “Open it!” Alastor's tail was wagging so hard.

Vox inhaled deeply before he opened the second box and froze up at the sight of a bracelet.

Vox examined it carefully before he popped open the radio locket and looked inside. His lip wobbled a bit as the tears began to fall down at the assortment of pictures Alastor had turned into a collage for him.

Vox knew what it was. “This is a courting gift. These both are courting gifts. How long have you had these?” Vox couldn't take his brace off the bracelet. He closed the locket and held it close to his chest.

“I made the bracelet before me rut and made the collar after me and Vark got into that fight. I felt horrible and wanted to show you that I accepted him as your spawn.” Alastor admitted. His ears flicked back and he looked nervous.

Of course he was. Alastor just spilled his guts to Vox and Vox hasn't even told him anything.

“Put it on me.” Vox held out the bracelet for Alastor to take. His eyes widened as he shakily grabbed the bracelet. He carefully clipped the bracelet around Vox’s wrist and moved back.

Once the bracelet was secured on his wrist, Vox jumped onto Alastor. He grabbed Alastor's face and gasped out. “I accept! I want to be your partner outside of your rut. Please!” The tears were now falling freely now and Alastor didn't care.

His heart skipped a beat and Alastor grabbed the back of Vox's head with one hand and wrapped his arm around his waist before he flipped their positions so Alastor was now on top of Vox.

He leaned in closer but stopped just a few centimeters from Vox's lips. He wanted it to be in his mate's ballpark.

Vox crashed their lips together and threw his arms around Alastor's neck and wrapped his legs around his waist.

Alastor was clearly a very inexperienced kisser, but Vox didn't care. He was kissing his mate.

Neither of them attempted to deepen their kiss and soon the two of them just had their lips pressed against each other. Both their eyes were closed as they basked in the feeling of their significant other.

Vox's heart was pretty much in his throat and his body felt like he was on fire. He could only care from Alastor's touch. Little sparks were coming from his antennas as he pressed his body as close as he could against Alastor's.

Alastor had a tight hold on his partner and eventually moved his head to kiss Vox's neck. Something he had done countless times now felt entirely different and new. Vox shuddered occasionally and brought one of his hands to Alastor's hair where he began to comb through it. His fingers slid through it easily, Alastor's hair was very clearly well brushed and taken care of. The texture felt a lot rougher than he expected and there was a bit of a curl to it, he would have to convince Alastor to let Velvette do a proper curl wash on his hair, but he couldn't give a sh*t at that moment. Everywhere Alastor touched felt like sparks were shooting off his body and everywhere he kissed felt heavenly.

He gave Alastor's hair a little pull when he felt his teeth graze his collarbone. “Baby, no.” Vox gasped. “I'm not ready.”

Alastor pulled off of Vox and gently kissed him in the middle of his screen, where his nose would be if he had one. “I'm sorry.” He whispered. He was apologetic and he seemed a bit upset that he had pushed Vox's boundaries.

“It's okay, it happens. I'll let you know when I'm ready for that.” Vox whispered back. “Thank you for respecting it.”

“You would do the same for me.” Alastor answered simply. “I must admit, I'm not sure how big of a fan I'll be of kissing when I'm outside of my rut.”

“That's okay. One step at a time, Alastor.” Vox let go of Alastor's hair and leaned back against the bed and groaned a bit. “Oh these pillows are do soft compared to whatever the f*ck we were laying in yesterday.” Vox stretched his arms up above his head. “My neck needed this.”

“I wish you weren't in pain.” Alastor frowned. “I don't like it much.”

“Sorry, Baby.” Vox apologized. “It's just a part of my hellish punishment. I can take painkillers to make it easier on me?”

Alastor's eye twitched. “You don't take painkillers for your neck pain?”

“Only when it gets really bad.” Vox shrugged nonchalantly. When he finally met Alastor's gaze he shrunk down slightly. “Of course, I will start to take them every time my neck bothers me unless I reach a limit or need to wait.”

Alastor's ears went up and his eyes lit up. His smile came back and he patted Vox's head. “Good Boy.” He purred.

Vox gulped and blushed at that. Alastor's grin widened at the sight of his mate squirming but didn't comment on Vox's reaction. Instead he just flopped down on top of Vox, resting his chin on his mate's chest as he stared up into his face.

“So, I take this as ‘we are dating’ then?” Alastor with a smirk.

“Pretty sure all of Hell thinks we're dating now anyway.” Vox laughed. “Officially we are now though.”

“I like the idea of being your partner.”

“I like the idea of being your partner too.” Vox whispered. He forced himself up ever so slightly so he could press a quick kiss to Alastor's nose. Vox laid back down and wrapped his arm around Alastor. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of his mate.

Yeah. This was perfect.

Chapter 14: Day Thirteen

Chapter Text

Vox laughed as Alastor hugged him from behind. Ever since Vox had accepted Alastor's courting gift, he'd been extra clingy. One eye was black and the other was red. He kissed Vox's cheek every chance he got, he touched him every second he could, but Vox didn't care. He was touch-starved and nothing was better than being held by your partner.

It felt so surreal to call Alastor his partner. Vox never thought he'd see the day where Alastor actually held romantic feelings for someone, let alone held them for Vox.

Vox still had one pressing matter to deal with, which was his outing. A part of him wanted to curl up and die but he knew he had to be strong and embrace it. Besides, Vox already had a decent idea on what to say. He's a man right now, it doesn't matter what he was before, it only mattered what he was now. Hell was surprisingly accepting, which was nice, but it always sucked to have something like this happen, regardless of how accepting people were. It was his private business and now it was all aired out for everyone to stick their nose in.

It f*cking sucked ge had to give clarity on what Valentino said, especially when he barely remembered what was said, but he couldn't be sour. Not when he had his mate pressed up against him, and kissing the side of his screen.

“Baby, what are you doing?” Vox laughed. “You've been clinging to me all day.”

“I like that nickname a lot more now.” Alastor purred in a low rumbly voice. “I'm just so happy my significant other is here with me. I don't think I could ever get enough of you.” Alastor pressed his cheek against Vox and closed his eyes as he spoke. “I want to be with you every second. I feel so much better now that I'm not resisting my instincts. It feels so nice to hold you and kiss you.”

Vox wanted to point out that Alastor hasn't even attempted to kiss his lips since their first kiss, but he stopped himself. Right. Vox’s sexual trauma might be why Alastor doesn't, and there was something about that idea that made his heart flutter. Alastor respecting his past and boundaries was hella attractive, especially considering Alastor doesn't know what boundaries are half the time.

Alastor's grip tightened ever so slightly and he leaned more into Vox. “What are you thinking about?” He asked with his eyes closed.

“I was thinking about how you're super respectful of my boundaries.” Vox grinned. He shook Alastor off him and turned around so he could swing his arms around his neck. “I like that about you, but you do realize you have partner privileges now, right?”

“I thought hugging you from behind was partner privileges?” Alastor tipped his head in confusion. “Kissing your cheek is partner privilege.” Alastor added. “I don't ever want to be allowed to kiss your lips or do something to you because of ‘partner privileges’.” Alasfor brought his hands up and did air quotations as he spoke. “Especially when you're going through such a hard time right now. Your ex was murdered just the other day after he outed you and harmed you to the point of passing out.”

Vox was silent for a second. “Wait. I don't have to kiss you if I don't want to?” He finally asked. “That's a thing? I just kind of assumed you had to kiss your partner if they wanted too. Is that why kissing you felt so good compared to- I'm not finishing that sentence.” Vox gave Alastor finger guns when his eyes began to glow green and changed to solid black.

Vox pressed his lower body against Alastor and pressed the palm of his hand against Alastor's cheek. “Baby, come on, you know I only have eyes for you.”

Alastor's lip twitched before he inhaled deeply and leaned into Vox's touch. “I don't like the idea of others touching you.” He grumbled. “You're mine now and I don't plan on giving you up to anyone.”

Vox smiled gently and leaned forward a bit. Alastor reciprocated quickly and pressed his lips against Vox's. He brought his hand up to hold the back of Vox’s head as they shared the most gentlest of kisses.

Vox closed his eyes as he sighed into the kiss, the little sparks were addictive, even more so knowing that he didn't have to kiss Alastor if he didn't want to. Alastor pulled back first, his head turned upwards and Vox hid his face in Alastor's neck. His screen was bright pink as he inhaled deeply. “You know you don't have to kiss me if you don't want to, right?” Vox mumbled. He wanted to be a good partner to Alastor and make it clear that his boundaries were valid too.

Alastor hummed thoughtfully before he spun Vox and dipped him down. Vox held onto Alastor for dear life when he was suddenly being moved around. The movements were slow, giving Vox all the time he wanted to escape Alastor, but he didn't want to. He wanted to be with his mate and spend time with him. Plus Vox was slightly worried if he stopped letting Alastor be clingy he would be banished back to the nest to sleep.

Not that Alastor has done that. Vox was just happy to be out of their bedroom and in the room without Niffty hanging around. Since Alastor managed to leave the house and control himself around the gang and Papermint, it was decided he was okay enough for Niffty to take a break from feeding and watering them. Which is also why they were in their living room today. The only issue now though is that Alastor's mate accepted his courting gift and wanted his mate's full attention, but it's not like the rest of the crew know it yet. Vox hasn't even told Velvette yet, he wanted to wait for after Alastor's rut.

“After your rut, am I allowed to stay in your room?” Vox asked as he let Alastor move him in any way he liked. The dancing was slow, but Vox didn't care.

“I would like that a lot.” Alastor twirled Vox before picking him up and wrapping Vox's legs around his waist. “I was hoping you would just stay. I'm sure we could figure out what to do with your room. I would say turn it into an office but you already have one in my room.” Alastor teased as he fell back against the couch.

Vox shifted his position ever so slightly to make himself more comfortable and wrapped his arms around Alastor's neck. “I was dreading leaving.” Vox admitted. “I didn't want to go back to sleeping alone. I used to love being touched and touching others, it felt like a piece of me was stripped away. I tried so hard to focus on the present but the idea of leaving you? It always hung on and made its way into my thoughts.”

“Well don't worry. You won't ever be sleeping alone ever again.” Alastor promised. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Vox's forehead before he pulled back. “You can always touch me. You're my mate, my partner. If anyone deserves to touch me, it's you.”

Vox smiled and closed his eyes as he leaned in to rest his screen against Alastor's shoulder. His head was tilted awkwardly, but he didn't care. He was cuddling his partner damn it! “I hope you know that you can tell me what you don't want me to do.” Vox swallowed harshly. “I don't want to overstep any boundaries. I can't imagine you have much experience.”

“I don't, but if you do something I don't like, I'll tell you. I want this to work out. I want us to work out.” Alastor tilted his head so he was resting on Vox's screen. “I can't think of any right now. While I would prefer if we don't do anything overly sexual, I also don't mind if you want to try and reclaim that part of yourself. I just ask you to keep it private and not tell anyone of what we do behind closed doors. I'm not comfortable with others knowing what we do.” Alastor spoke with a slight snarl.

“I don't want people to know that stuff about me either, so that works out and I think I don't want to try anything sexual for a while, but thank you.”

“For what?”

“For offering to be the man I could do it with.”

Alastor's face scrunched up. “I would have a much bigger problem with you seeing other people to fulfill your needs.” Alastor growled. “I'm not interested in sharing, Vox. You're mine and I’m not going to let anyone else touch you in any inappropriate way. I want our relationship to just be us two. No other partners.”

Vox frowned a bit as he remembered Valentino. His ex always constantly slept around with other people and it always made Vox feel so small and unimportant to him. Valentino would always reassure him that he loved him and only him and Vox loved him back. He would let Valentino do whatever he wanted to keep their relationship happy. That really wasn't how open relationships worked though. Communication was important in those. Vox shouldn't have been told after Valentino already started seeing other people.

“I don't want to see anyone else either.” Vox finally told Alastor. “I only want you, Alastor.”

“Good.” The two fell silent before Vox inhaled deeply.

“Alastor, are those seriously the only boundaries you can think of? This is like… your first ever relationship and you just want our sexual life to be private and for our relationship to be closed? I'm not judging, I'm just curious if there is anything else. I don't want to step on any toes. You're my mate and I want to be a good mate.”

Alastor lifted his head off Vox's head and forced up Vox's head so he could look at him. “You're already a good mate.” Alastor told him. “Don't ever think you're not. You've been a good mate the minute you decided to help me with my rut despite being hesitant and scared.” Alastor tucked Vox's screen under his chin and he moved his legs up onto the couch so they could cuddle on the couch, Alastor made sure to keep a firm grasp on Vox's back so he didn't fall off the couch. “As for other boundaries, I'm really not sure, Vox. My only issue is really touching but I'm fine with you doing it. Just be respectable about locations. I'm a big boy, Vox. I can tell you if something bothers me. I need you to be clear now though about what you don't want me to do. I want to make sure you feel safe.”

Vox closed his eyes and huffed out a sigh. “Alastor, I really just… I don't know.” Vox admitted. “Communicate your feelings and thoughts to me. Don't shut me out when you're mad, or hit me.” Alastor actually growled at that but he kept his mouth clamped shut. It was ridiculous that Vox even felt the need to specify that. The damage Valentino did to his mate was so deep that Alastor almost wished that Valentino was still alive so he could truly torture him for all the pain he caused. “I like being touched, but… while I don't really care if I can't see it or not, but please don't grope me in public or anything like that. Please don't refer to me with any feminine labels. Don't call my chest 'boobs' or anything along those lines. I'm comfortable with who I am, but even that can be a lot. Especially if it’s constant. Don't… please don't pick on what I eat.” Vox finally added with a low whisper. “My relationship with food isn't the best and I'm working hard to try and fix that, and this rut has definitely been helping me with that, but I still get self-conscious. Plus biting. I… like it, but… It's something I relate to sex so I need time to get used to the idea.”

It hurt Alastor to hear Vox’s list was just basic human decency, but Alastor wasn't going to mention that. “I can do that.” Alastor’s fingers went to Vox’s chin and he pushed his mate’s head a bit so he could lean in. Vox kissed him with a slight laugh.

“You're such a cuddlebug.” Vox spoke against Alastor’s lips. “I really didn't expect you to be this much of a kisser.”

“I like it because you like it.” Alastor responded back. “It makes my mate happy whenever I do it. I can smell it on you too. You like a lot of things I do.”

Vox's screen flashed red. “What. Can you smell my arousal each time?”

“Yes.”

Vox groaned loudly and he pulled his head down and tried to hide against Alastor's chest. “You mentioned it a few times but I didn't realize you could smell me each time. Even outside of your rut? Can you smell it?”

“It's a lot more muted, but if I'm close enough or if it's strong enough I can.” Alastor responded with a chuckle. “You don't need to hide. I like knowing what I do to you. I also like knowing I’m the only one who could make you react in certain ways.” Alastor’s gaze darkened as he spoke. The blackness was slowly creeping in from the corner of his eyes before he blinked it away.

“You can't say sh*t like that.” Vox whined in a high-pitched tone. “That's… hot, but also embarrassing! This whole time I've been making a fool of myself.”

“Hey, I never told anyone!” Alastor laughed. “Your secret's safe with me.”

“Not really a secret since we're dating now.” Vox grumbled.

“It's the sentiment that counts, my dear!” Alastor rolled Vox over so now Vox was pressed against the back of the couch and Alastor was the one closer to the edge.

Vox rolled his eyes but he couldn't keep the smile off his face. f*ck he loved his dork.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox was shaking in excitement when Niffty finally opened the door and Vark came bursting into the room. He crashed into Vox at full speed and began to like his owner's face while Vox laughed in joy.

Alastor spoke to Niffty for a little bit before he dismissed her and closed the door. He didn't mind Niffty being near, but Vox didn't want anyone to know they were dating yet and Alastor had no plans to stop giving Vox affection for the rest of the night. His mate deserved it after all he's been through.

“Who's been a good boy? That's right, you've been a good boy!” Vox managed to push himself into a sitting position and was hugging Vark tightly whilst simultaneously petting his shark with both hands.

Most importantly in one hand was the collar Alastor had made for Vark. Vox wanted to put the collar on Vark, but most importantly he wanted Alastor and Vark to get along.

Vark separated himself from Vox's grip and slowly approached Alastor. His head was low and his tail would wave occasionally as he approached the male. Vox's heart hurt a little at the sight of a nick in his tail. He was hoping there wouldn't be any permanent scarring but it seems that wasn't the case. Alastor looked guilty just looking at Vox's beloved pet.

Alastor bowed his head in shame and quickly walked past Vark, making his way into the living room where he sat himself down on the couch and partially curled in on himself.

Vark huffed and sniffed the area Alastor was just standing in. Vark raised his head sharply and looked at Vox before looking into the living room where Alastor was. Vark blinked slowly before he trotted right past Vox and inside the living room. Vox got to his feet immediately and followed his pet. His heart was in his throat as he watched Vark sit down right in front of Alastor. Alastor's ear flattened and he looked away from Vark once again.

Vark stared at Alastor before he put his head in his lap. Vox held his breath, collar still in hand as Alastor carefully reached out and stroked the shark's head. Vark closed his eyes and accepted the pats from Alastor and Vox has never felt more relieved in his life. “Holy sh*t. He forgives you.” Vox moved slowly so as to not startle Vark and he climbed onto the couch with Alastor and cuddled into his side. Just to make sure Vark was aware, he gave Alastor's cheek a kiss. Vark blinked at his owner and looked between the two before he closed his eyes once again.

Vox leaned over and took off Vark's old collar and clipped the new one on. He felt Alastor's hands reach over to hold onto his waist so he didn't fall into his shark. It was hard to believe how a few weeks ago Vox would be shaking and screaming at Alastor for touching him, but here he was embracing the gentle touches of his mate. Once the new collar was secured on Vark, he felt Alastor pull him back onto the couch so Vox could properly cuddle him.

“We need a T.V. in here so we can watch movies.” Vox yawned and he grabbed Alastor's legs and pulled them onto the couch and over top his own legs. He leaned into Alastor's body and closed his eyes. “I wouldn't mind reading, but I'm still so tired from the blackout.” Vox admitted. “It takes a lot of my energy to reboot all of Hell. I'm a demon in very high demand, you know.”

“Why do I feel like this is the first real break you've had in the past seventy years.” Alastor sighed as he wrapped an arm around Vox.

“Because it is!” Vox answered cheerfully.

“Thank goodness you're my mate now.” Alastor heaved a heavy sigh. Vark stared up at the couple for a bit before he hopped up onto the opposite of the couch and curled into a ball, clearly seeking Alastor safe enough to sleep around him and to protect Vox.

“Why's that?” Vox asked with a frown. His brows were furrowed and his left eye started to spark a bit.

Alastor has fought Vox long enough to know the signs of an annoyed Vox. Vox loved his work and Alastor needed to tread carefully. “Because I go into rut every year. Every year, you get a month off to focus on yourself and your mate, and don't you dare say you can't take that much time off every year, Papermint built brand new antennas for you on the spot that powered up all of Hell. I know he's capable enough to run your business for a month every year.”

Vox opened and closed his mouth before his frown deepened and his eye stopped sparking. “I'm so used to burying myself into my work to avoid Valentino.” Vox admitted. “It's weird to have a healthy relationship to return home to.”

Alastor blinked and shook his head. “Well you don't need to do that anymore. I may not understand much about relationships, but if I find you burying yourself into work to avoid me, I'm going to assume I'm doing a bad job.”

Vox rolled his eyes. “Nah, you'll do fine. So long as you don't start beating the sh*t out of me or cross any lines we'll be able to communicate properly and fix ourselves up.”

“I don't plan on ever betraying your trust. I may need the occasional reminder as I get used to what you don't want, but most of your limits are just basic human decency, Vox.”

Vox looked away and the two fell silent.

“Can you give me a nickname?”

“You already have a lot.” Alastor pointed out dryly.

“Yeah, I know, but I want something special to represent our relationship. I like being called your mate, but I don't really want to be referred to that in public, and you call everyone ‘darling’ and ‘dear’ so it's not as special.”

Alastor sighed before he looked up at the ceiling. “I might need some time to think of a new nickname for you, then.”

“Take all the time you need.” Vox cuddled into Alastor and closed his eyes. “We're in no rush, we have all the time of our afterlives.”

Alastor closed his eyes too and the two dozed off together, cuddled up on the couch with Vark laying on the opposite end of the couch.

Chapter 15: Day Fourteen

Chapter Text

“Alastor? Vox?” Vox and Alastor jumped apart when they heard the knock on the door. “Hey, I don't mean to bother you guys, but I need to know what's going to happen to Valentino’s empire?” It was Angel who was speaking and he seemed hesitant. “Because that was kind of my job and I need to know if I'm working under one of you guys now or if there is a different plan.” His laugh was nervous. Angel was clearly a bit afraid of how the two would react, but Vox and Alastor just exchanged a glance.

Alastor picked up Vox and dropped him onto the couch before he headed towards their door and opened it. “Ah! Angel, please come inside!” Alastor gave the p*rnstar a toothy grin.

Vox patted Vark's butt so the shark would get off the couch. Vark did so with a huff but obeyed his master. Once Angel walked into the living room though, Vark tackled the man and began to lick his face.

“Oh my gosh! No, I don't have Fat Nuggets with me.” Angel laughed as the giant shared pinned him to the floor. “You're such a little beast! Vark! Please, I need to breathe!” Angel grabbed Vark's head with all four of his hands and began to rub the shark.

Angel managed to push Vark off of him and stand up. He straightened his clothes and looked to the couch where Alastor and Vox were sitting. Angel raised a brow as he watched Vox lean into Alastor's touch. Alastor had his arm wrapped around Vox's waist and was staring deep into Angel's soul.

Angel narrowed his eyes and scanned up and down Vox's body. There were no hickies or anything, but he was wearing Alastor's clothes and a bracelet.

Angel wasn't an idiot, he knew that the two had finally gone official, but since neither of them were bringing it up, Angel didn't want to either.

Angel sat down on the other side of the couch, making sure to keep a decent distance from Vox and Alastor, afterall, while Alastor's rut may be slowing down, but he still might lash out and attack him if he felt threatened.

“So, you're worried about Valentino's p*rn industry?” Vox asked with a tilt of his head.

“Yeah, kind of. I mean, Valentino had a lot, and I mean a lot of employees, all of which he turned pretty famous and in Hell, sex is pretty much the most consumed piece of media down here. We don't have contracts anymore, we're not exactly safe from other demons now because we don't have protection. Me and the girls were worried though. What would become of us? Who would take over Val's work? Would we have to find new jobs? I told everyone I would talk to you two, so here I am. Talking.” Angel's voice was shaking a bit as he explained his dilemma to Vox and Alastor.

Alastor's grip tightened on Vox and he pulled his mate closer to him with a low growl. Angel gulped and tried his best to not seem interested in Vox. Okay, Alastor was still having some issues and that's okay. Probably didn't want Vox to be thinking of work while they're off f*cking or whatever the hell the two of them were doing in here.

“Alastor, shush.” Vox patted Alastor's head and grabbed a hold of one of his antlers. Vox guided Alastor's head to his shoulder so Alastor could rest his head on it. Vox released the antler and turned his attention back to Angel with a slight frown. “I'll talk to Papermint about it and see what we can do. Technically under Valentino's contract, if anything were to happen to him it would go to me or Velvette, so I'll message Velvette and see what she wants to do. We can draft up proper employee contracts and make it so your souls aren't owned but you still have a job. It won't guarantee you total protection but you would still technically be under the Vee's protection.” Vox told Angel. He clasped his hands together as he spoke.

“So… we're all still employed?” Angel asked in a low voice. It sounded like he was holding his breath and he seemed nervous.

“Yes. You're all still employed. I just don't know if you'll be working under me, Velvette, or if we're going to find someone specifically to take over that portion of work.” Vox smiled. “Don't worry about it though, I got it covered. You can tell your girls that it’s being worked on. I'll pay them a living wage for the time off that’s being taken, it's not their fault that this happened, so they shouldn't be punished for it.” Vox added when he saw Angel open his mouth. “Just try to enjoy your time off for now.”

Angel smiled and rushed towards Vox. His arms were outstretched, obviously going for a hug, but the warning growl from Alastor made him stop and reconsider it. He reached out one hand and grasped Vox's hand and laughed. “Thank you! Thank you! Seriously, at this rate you might be redeemed.”

“Haha, thank you, Angel, but I don't plan on redeeming myself.” Vox leaned back against Alastor and brushed his thumb over his mate’s knuckle. He didn't want Alastor to get pissy over the idea of redemption. “I'm pretty happy with who I am right now, besides I'm not a good person, and I've accepted that. I've embraced that part of me. I mean, just look at all my creations. I help fuel people’s addictions. Not exactly Heaven material.”

Angel could admit that Vox had a point in that regard, but paying employees a livable wage after killing their abusive boss? That was pretty good Heaven material, but he clearly didn't want to leave Alastor. Angel watched the two for a second before he smiled and leaned back against the couch. “So, when are you two going to tell everyone you're dating?” Angel asked, changing the subject.

Vox let out a small squeak and turned his head away from Alastor while Alastor's grin widened and he tried to pull his mate in even closer.

“Sorry if you wanted it to be a surprised.” Angel snorted. “I recognized the difference immediately, not to mention that bracelet is obviously a courting gift.” Angel added with a wink while gesterung vaguely to the bracelet.

Alastor rubbed his face against Vox's screen. Vox laughed a bit and pressed the palm of his hand against Alastor's face. “Well… we planned on telling you guys soon, we just wanted to wait a little.” Vox responded with a low chuckle. “It's a new development between us.” Vox added. He made a frown and pulled his hand back. “Did you just f*cking lick me?” Vox gagged. “That's disgusting!” Vox complained before rubbing his wet hand on Alastor's suit who whined loudly.

“Hey!” He grumbled. “I like my clothes.” He complained.

Vox rolled his eyes. "Should have thought about that before licking me.”

Angel smiled as he watched the two interact. They really were good for one another. “I think you two make a good couple.” Angel laughed. “I'm sure the others would love to see you two together, but don't worry. I'll keep your secret. It was just obvious from the minute I stepped in.”

“Was it?” Vox asked with a tilt of his head. He actually yelped when Alastor pressed a kiss to the side of his screen. “Alastor!” Vox turned his head and laughed. “Baby, you're being such an attention whor*.”

There was something endearing about watching Alastor be a little snugglebig. Mimzy did say that Alastor was a little kitten once you got some rye in him, but to see a completely sober Al act like this? It was otherworldly.

“Just a little. Mostly the courting gift gave it away.” Angel shrugged. He crossed his arms over his chest and put two on his other arms on his hips. “I am also a very clever demon, though.” He smirked. “Charlie probably wouldn't know what the bracelet means. She'll just think it's a friendship bracelet and be happy you continued some exercises or some sh*t. There is a reason why I need to be drunk or high to deal with half the sh*t I go through.” Angel joked.

“Charlie might figure it out.” Vox argued. “Besides, we don't plan on keeping it a secret. We're just not telling anyone yet.” Vox explained with a slight wince as he stroked Alastor's ears. He could already hear Charlie's squeals of excitement when they tell her or if she finds out on her own.

“Well, don't worry about it too much.” Angel gave Vox finger guns. “I don't plan on sharing your little secret and I don't want Alastor to kill me for saying so too.” Angel got up onto his feet and stretched. “Well, I'm going to let the girls know about our paid vacation, and congratulations to you two! I mean it. I think you two are good for one another.” Angel added when he saw Alastor roll his eyes.

“Thank you.” Vox smiled. “I'll send out some messages later today and get everything dealt with.” He promised.

Angel just waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah. Try not to stress too much about it though. Alastor still might need some special attention.” Angel added with a wink before he bid them farewell and left the two overlords alone.

Vox yawned widely and got up from the couch. “I suppose I should send out messages to Papermint and Velvette.” Vox told his partner. “I'll be in my office.”

“I'll come with you!” Alastor immediately offered as he got up as well and pressed his body against Vox in a crushing hug.

“Oof!” Vox grunted before he yelped out in shock as Alastor picked him up from behind. “Holy sh*t! Alastor, put me down!” Vox laughed as he was carried over to his office.

“Nope! I'm taking you into your office and then putting you down in your chair! My Star gets only the best treatment!”

“Your Star?” Vox asked with a raised brow.

“Mhm. My Little Star! You're famous in Hell after all, but you're mine.” Alastor growled the last part into the side of Vox’s head and Vox couldn't help the whimper that escaped him.

Alastor didn't pay any mind to Vox’s whimper and instead opened the door to his office. Alastor walked in and then looked around the room. Charlie really did her best, so Alastor wasn't going to fault her, but she really didn't know how many screens Vox was glued to. Alastor rolled his eyes regardless and made his way over to the big chair in the middle of the room. He stared at it for a second before he sat down and shifted Vox a bit to sit on his lap.

Vox could feel his fans working overtime as Alastor’s hot breath was on his neck but he managed to swallow and grab the arm rests. He tried to move the chair forward to no avail, but Alastor picked up on it quickly and moved the chair for Vox so he was in front of his desk and wouldn't kill his back by leaning forward.

Vox opened up his emails and scrolled through the countless emails with a huge sigh. Most were reporters trying to get the scoop on his and Alastor's relationship as well as Valentino's death. Vox rolled his eyes and clicked on the ‘compose email’ button. He cracked his knuckles and typed in Papermint's and Velvette's email from memory with practiced ease.

Alastor couldn't help but be amazed as Vox's talented fingers danced over the keyboard. f*cking hell. Alastor wouldn't have any of that sh*t memorized ‘nor would he be able to type as fast as Vox.

“Why are you sending an email?” Alastor asked as he rested his head on Vox's shoulder. He watched the words appear on the giant computer screen with only mild interest. He still didn't care for Vox's technology, but he did care about Vox and his interests.

“Because it's work related.” Vox explained. “it's important to have backup files and proof for work related stuff so no one double crosses you. Valentino used to f*ck around on his phone too much and it was horrible. I trust Velvette and Papermint, but it's never a bad idea to have backups.” Vox attached a file of Valentino's Vee contract and sent the email off after quickly reading it over. He leaned back against Alastor and reached his hand up to graze his partner's cheek. “I got so much sh*t to catch up on.” Vox admitted. “This is top priority, however. People can wait to peep on their neighbors or whatever the f*ck I have to design next.”

“You really don't mind being who you are?” Alastor leaned into Vox's touch.

“Hey, I'm in Hell for a reason. I just own up to it unlike other sinners. Those who can embrace who they are do better. I know I can fuel people's addictions, so whatever the people want is what I make. Addiction equals money and money equals power in the world. Hell is so similar to life on Earth it's not even funny.” Vox snorted. “I don't care what I make for all these people. We do polls, we check people's most searched demand and go from there. I take advantage of thousands of sinners, one of my powers is hypnotization for a reason.”

“Wait, you can hypnotize people?” Alastor sounded genuinely shocked at this. “How come you never hypnotized me during our fights? Or Valentino whenever he tried to hurt you? How often do you use this power?”

Vox furrowed his brows and pulled back from Alastor slightly so he could turn his body to look at him. Alastor tried not to wince as he watched Vox's back. For a man with chronic pain, he really did not give a sh*t.

“How the f*ck did you not know about this? I never used it on you because it's cheap and if I'm going to beat your ass, I want to do it the hard way, as for Valentino, his vision is too sh*tty. I've tried multiple times but not a whole lot I can do when he's blind as f*ck. I did learn I could turn up my screen brightness to distract him though, and I use it very often. How else do you think I can escape the press half the time? People don't like to leave me alone.” He laughed. He booped Alastor's nose gently. “I wouldn't use it on you, don't worry. I like control but I know you do too, and your entire persona is all about control.”

“You're willing to just… give up control for me?” Alastor tilted his head. “Wouldn't someone who went through all of what you did want control?”

“Eh, I'm used to it. You learn to just roll with the punches, besides if you push too hard the result isn't pretty. f*cking with overlords is dangerous business. I'm content with where I am, and who I'm with. I trust you to not take advantage of me.” Vox shrugged before turning back around and leaning against Alastor again. He groaned lowly at the immediate relief he felt. He really wished he was able to be flexible. This was true bullsh*t.

Alastor inhaled sharply and wrapped his arms around Vox's waist. “Thank you for trusting me.” Alastor whispered. He closed his eyes and breathed in his mate's comforting scent. Vox has officially made it a habit to wear Alastor's cologne and Alastor loved it on him. The smell of pine was just perfect for Alastor, a little weird for Vox, but he didn't really care. Vox couldn't smell anyway so he just wore whatever Alastor gave him. Alastor had considered giving Vox some rose-scented perfume, but decided against it because he loved his scent on Vox much more. Though the rose-scented body wash was quite nice. Alastor would have to ask Rosie where she got it from.

He could vaguely hear Vox typing out some more emails but he couldn't be bothered to open his eyes and snoop. Vox wasn't really doing anything of interest to him. Work was so incredibly boring, but if Vox got frustrated Alastor would happily murder whoever pissed him off.

It's been too long since he did a proper broadcast. Of course he was still waiting for his microphone to be fixed. Rosie was working hard on fixing it. Once the staff itself was fixed, Alastor could fill it with his powers once again and everything would be back to normal.

Well not ‘normal’. He had Vox now, but it would be close enough to normal. He heard Vox let out a groan and opened his eyes. “What's wrong?” Alastor asked.

“Well Velvette doesn't want Valentino's sh*t and I don't want Valentino's sh*t so we're going to have to find someone else to take over.” Vox complained. He threw his hands up in the air as he spoke. “I don't want to deal with any more horny bastards though and as the founder of the Vee's I'll be the one doing all the interviews.”

“Why not hire that effeminate fellow to be the boss?”

“I'm sorry, who?”

“Angel Dust.” Alastor rolled his eyes like it was clear who he was talking about. “If anyone knows anything about whatever your… ex was doing, surely it would be him.”

Vox frowned as he thought it over. It would be a good temporary fix to the issue. Angel would still be working to redeem himself still, but he could also make the p*rn industry a safer place to work. “That’s actually a good idea.” Vox told his partner. “I'll have to ask him if he would be interested. I'll let Velvette and Papermint know I'm going to ask Angel Dust and to hold posting any applications.” Vox turned his attention back to the computer and typed out another email.

Alastor hummed in acknowledgment as he closed his eyes once more. He was so helpful. While Angel wouldn't exactly rise to be an overlord as he didn't do any of the fighting or killing, he would at least be a powerhouse protected by Vox and Velvette, and as much as Alastor hated thinking about others’ sex lives, he had to admit that Angel would be the most experienced for this job.

He felt Vox press back against him and he tightened his grip. “Are you done?” Alastor purred.

Vox closed his eyes and nodded his head. “Yeah, I gotta feed Vark right now anyway. I can check in on my emails later in bed.”

Alastor stood up, still holding Vox, and scoffed. “Nope, nuh-uh.” Alastor shook his head. “I am banning work in our nest.” He told Vox as he carried him out of the office. Once they reached the kitchen, Alasfor put Vox down so he could grab a giant metal bowl for Vark. Vox summoned a bag of shark chow and filled the bowl up about halfway before he narrowed his eyes. Alastor watched in mild amusem*nt as a bunch of math equations appeared on his screen. After a moment of silence, the equations disappeared and Vox added a little bit more chow before he gave a long whistle.

Alastor could hear Vark running before he saw him. When the shark barreled into the room all happy and excited, Alastor actually took a hesitant step back. He liked Vark for making Vox happy, but couldn't Vark be more like a cat instead of a dog?

Ugh, the things you do for love.

Vox put the bowl down and gave the command to let Vark eat before he turned to stare at Alastor for a second. The two stared at one another before Vox's brow furrowed and his brain finally caught on to what Alastor said. “Hay, wait a f*cking minute!” Vox pointed a finger at Alastor. “What do you mean work's banned in the nest!”

“Nest is for cuddles! Your office is for work.” Alastor patted Vox on the head, much to his mate's annoyance. “Don't be upset, Cher. It's for the best.”

“Chair?”

“No, Cher. You asked for a unique nickname and so I've given you two! Star and Cher. I could also call you Chéri.”

“Cher.” Vox repeated, this time properly. “What do those mean?” He tilted his head.

“They mean ‘Dear’. Mon Cher or Mon Chéri means ‘My Dear’. Very suiting, don't you think? It's typically used to address one's lover or child.” Alastor leaned in close.

“That's French, right?” Vox asked.

“Indeed.”

Vox was silent before he gulped. “That's… the male one, right?”

Alastor's heart broke a little bit before he nodded. “Yes, indeedy. ‘Ma Chérie’ or ‘Ma Chère’ are the feminine ones.” Alastor reassured his mate. “You told me not to refer to you as anything feminine. I have no intention of breaking your boundary or trust.”

Vox smiled and pulled Alastor into a hug. “Thank you for being so understanding. I love the nicknames, Mon Cher.” Vox repeated in a low raspy voice.

Alastor's tail wagged. He never thought he would like to be called that, but hearing his own lover say that? Yeah. It felt nice.

Alastor leaned forward, Vox caught on and kissed him gently, both their eyes closed for a second before they separated and pressed their foreheads together.

“Work is still banned from our nest.” Alastor whispered.

Vox’s eyes flew open and he pulled back from Alastor. “Oh f*ck you!”

“I do believe it is too soon for that.” Alastor shot back immediately with a wide grin. Vox's eye twitched just a little before he started to laugh.

“I can't believe I forgot I'm dating a smartass.” Vox snorted. “Is your rut completely worn off then? Smartass Alastor is usually normal Alastor.”

“It's not fully gone but it is ending a lot sooner than usual.” Alastor responded. “I think having a mate is a lot different than a paternal bond.”

“So no more cuddles?” Vox pouted.

“I suppose I can make an exception for you.” Alastor's grin was so wide it was practically splitting his face in half.

“Yay! Special treatment!” Vox clapped his hands together.

Chapter 16: Day Fifteen

Chapter Text

Alastor kissed Vox's head gently. His mate let out a small sound before he snuggled in further into the sheets. It was currently three am, and Alastor couldn't sleep. He was just so giddy. His rut was finally starting to relax and it felt so good. He could feel the pressure on his skull start clear up and he could finally register that he and Vox were dating. It was an incredible thing and Alastor never would have thought it was possible. Alastor ran his fingers along Vox's screen before he froze up at the sight of Vox's furrowed brows. Alastor tilted his head and withdrew his hand away from his mate.

“Vox?” Alastor whispered. His voice kept quiet because he didn't really want to wake his mate. “Star?” Alastor leaned in close and brushed his lips against the side of Vox's head. To be honest, he actually had no idea how Vox could hear people. He just assumed he had a microphone in the side of his head. He would really have to ask Vox how he was able to listen to people, Alastor was curious.

Vox squirmed a bit and his hand shot out and Alastor squeaked when it grasped his hair. Vox's brow furrowed more and he shoved Alastor away, kicking slightly. Alastor whimpered at the notion. He logically knew his mate was sleeping but the remnants of his rut filled him with sadness and paranoia. He felt so rejected at that moment, but he shook his head. He couldn't afford to get lost in his emotions. His mate was clearly not having a good dream and Alastor would be damned if he dared to let Vox continue to suffer.

Alastor opened his eyes and pushed himself away from Vox so he could take in the situation. Vox was half-covered by the blankets. His shirt was missing and tossed on the floor somewhere, he must have been overheating last night and his fans couldn't keep up. Alastor could see an assortment of scars littered all along his body. Some were jagged and others were smooth. Alastor tried not to think about whoever gave him most of those scars, it made his blood boil.

Vox was still kicking a bit and he would toss his head back and forth his arms were up above his head and Alastor could see the sweat on his body. Ew.

Vox rolled his body a bit away from Alastor and whispered something out that he couldn't catch. Alastor tilted his head and his eyes rounded with worry. “Star? Mon Cher?” Alastor reached out once again, but he didn't touch his mate. His hand froze a few millimeters away from his mate's head before he withdrew it once again.

“Vox?” Alastor repeated louder, his upper lip curled back ever so slightly as he barked out the word. Vox must have been having another bad dream. It tore Alastor to watch his mate struggle and he couldn't help his increase of anxiety at the sight.

He didn't want to make Vox panic by grabbing him, but at the same time Alastor was genuinely worried that Vox was going to hurt himself.

Alastor hopped out of the nest and rushed over to their closet. He swung open the doors and examined the interior. Okay. He saw Vaggue hold Charlie whenever she was upset, so maybe if he gave Vox something to be wrapped up in, it would help!

God, this really was outside of his element. When Vox woke him up by screaming last time, Vox was awake and could accept Alastor’s comfort properly.

Alastor grabbed two of his coats and carefully made his way back to their nest. He walked on both sides, pacing a little bit before he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He walked to the side where Vox was the closest and shoved the first coat into Vox's. Vox immediately grabbed onto the coat and pulled it in close. It was right up against his face and it looked like he was trying to breathe in the scent to no avail. Alastor didn't even really notice how Vox couldn't smell anything. It must have been a blessing for walking around outside of Hell, but inside when you could make it however you pleased? Not being able to smell yourself or your mate? It must be a miserable experience. Alastor couldn't even imagine what it was like to be completely scentless, let alone not even have a nose.

Alastor shook his head to force the thoughts away and wandered over to the other side of the nest. He climbed in, doing that weird knee walk where you're trying, unsuccessfully, to walk on your knees while carrying a long piece of fabric. Once he was close enough to Vox, he draped the coat over his partner before he sat on his knees. He stared at Vox for a minute, who was still flinching and twitching.

Alastor let out a loud whine, hoping the sound of him being distressed would be enough to wake the clearly panicking male. It didn't work. Alastor's eyes screwed shut. Vox did say he had ‘partner privileges’.

Alastor took a shaky breath before he opened his eyes once again and lifted the covers. Alastor scooted under the blankets and slowly dragged himself closer to his mate. Alastor carefully wrapped his arm around Vox and pulled him in close.

Vox was still thrashing about, but it slowed down. He seemed a lot less distressed by having the comforting weight on him.

Alastor would have to invest in getting him a weighted blanket. Alastor really didn't want to touch Vox when he was freaking out. Alastor didn't know if Vox was dreaming about that moth again or not and he hoped to the gods above that he wasn't. Maybe he was just dreaming of killing some random sinner that pissed him off. Wishful thinking, he knows.

Vox pressed his body back against Alastor and stirred a bit before he completely relaxed into the body behind him. His furrowed brows disappeared and his mouth slightly opened. He was still clutching the coat but his grip was a lot more gentle. There was a bit of drool coming out of the corner of his mouth, but Alastor didn't care. He was comfortable and clearly felt safe enough.

Alastor rested his head against the edge of Vox's screen and started to whisper. “There’s a beautiful forest with a sparkling lake in the center of it. It's surrounded by slippery rocks. It's peaceful and relaxing, there are only two people there. Two overlords, Vox and Alastor, you and I.” Alastor's grip loosened and he started to trail his fingers up and down Vox's scarred arms. “There's some rain that's drumming against the leaves, the pitter patter is soothing. We run to a den that's under a large oak tree to prevent ourselves from getting soaked. We laugh and joke about the weather. We're safe. You're safe.” Alastor told his mate. “Maybe Vark's there too.” He added. “His tail is wagging and we're hanging onto him for dear life because he wants to run and enjoy the water, but you don't want him to track mud everywhere.”

Vox clutched onto the jacket and breathed out a sigh that was so quiet that Alastor almost missed it. Vox's face softened and he relaxed into Alastor's touch. Alastor's heart fluttered a bit as he rubbed Vox's arm. He leaned over his mate and turned the bedside fan on and shifted its position so it blew directly onto Vox. Alastor could still hear Vox's internal fans working overtime to keep his mate cool.

Alastor closed his eyes and let his worries all melt away. Alastor didn't know much about dreams or nightmares, but he remembered when he was a little boy and his mother used to whisper things into his ears to help his brain come up with a new scenario instead of letting it come up with even more bad dreams. She was an angel and a lot better at comfort than Alastor was.

Alastor would never wish for his mother to be down here with him, but he couldn't help but wish she was. She could meet Vox and tell them embarrassing stories about Alastor’s past. She could teach Alastor more recipes from his childhood. She could help Alastor comfort Vox. She could tell him all the things she used to do for Alastor when he was having a scary dream and he could use it to comfort his mate.

At the same time though, she didn't deserve to be down in Hell. Her soul was too pure. She was even nicer than Charlie somehow. She would have loved Charlie. She would adore the hotel and help Charlie run it. Alastor's eyes dropped a bit as a sad smile crossed his face. Would she be proud of him for the hotel? Would he make her proud by trying to redeem souls? Would she be okay knowing he was probably going to be stuck in Hell forever? Would she fall for him? Would he redeem himself for her? Alastor hugged Vox tighter and closed his eyes. No. He loved his mother, he really did, but… he might love Vox more. It hurt him to think like that, but it was true. If he had to pick between his mother or Vox? It would be hard, so hard. He would probably cry, cry tears until he had no more left to cry, but he would pick Vox. When had his feelings gotten so strong? He wouldn't… actually pick Vox over his mother would he? He loved them both so dearly, but Vox already said he wouldn't go to Heaven. Alastor opened his eyes and sighed weakly.

Alastor's ears lowered a bit. His mother or Vox? He couldn't have both, could he? His mother didn't belong in Hell and Vox didn't want to go to Heaven. This shouldn't be as big of a dilemma as it was, but Alastor found his heart hurting in ways he didn't know possible.

He felt Vox stir in his arms. Alastor glanced down at his mate and his gaze softened. He picked Vox as his partner in Hell. He said to Lucifer before. Sometimes the family you pick is better. His mother wouldn't want him to pick her over his own partner. She would scold him and lecture him. In the end she always wanted him to be happy, and Vox did make him happy, even with the absence of his mother. Would his mother make him happy even with the absence of Vox? Alastor couldn't see himself dating anyone else. He only wanted Vox, in all his years of living. He's found very few people attractive, and even fewer he wanted to date. He really lucked out being in Hell with Vox who also found him attractive and wanted to date him.

His mother wouldn't want him to pick her over his partner. She would be disappointed if she found out Alastor left his partner for her. She would want him to be happy, and Vox made him happy.

Alastor's face scrunched up a bit as the breeze from the fan hit him in the face, interrupting his thoughts. Alastor wasn't a fan of being cold. He liked to lay in the sun on a warm rock in a grassy meadow. Oddly specific, yes, but once you do it, you would understand why. Still, Alastor was willing to give up his warmth if it meant Vox was comfortable. Alastor could always hide behind Vox if he got too cold. It was one of the many benefits of sharing a bed. Vox could be the force field that blocked all the freezing cold air from Alastor, who would gladly accept any and all of the warmth.

Is this what it was like to have a partner? Is this how his mother felt with his father? Fluttering heart and a will to protect them more than anything? Willing to pick them over everyone you care for?

This couldn't have been how it felt for his father. Alastor's father would hit his mother whenever he was enraged. He would berate her and insult her. He would scream at Alastor and hurt him whenever his mother distanced herself. It was such a bad environment for both Alastor and his mother, but Alastor never understood how his father could claim he loved them when he treated them so cruelly? Looking down at Vox, his heart swelled. He could never imagine hitting Vox or insulting him no matter what he did. He could never imagine tearing down his mate or belittling whatever spawn Vox may have borne. Even if Alastor wasn't a big fan of children, he would tolerate whatever kids Vox would bring to the relationship.

Thank god Vox had none though. That wasn't a commitment Alastor wasn't ready to take. Velvette and Vark were fine. Vark was a pet and Velvette was a grown woman who could take care of herself. They were commitments that Alastor was ready for.

Regardless of that, how do people look at those they swear to protect and hurt them? It doesn't make any sense to Alastor. His heart hurt for his partner just from seeing the damage that was done to him by another. The worst part was seeing Vox become a shell of who he used to be. His partner tried so hard to put on a strong front, but Alastor could see right through it. Anyone who knew him could see through it.

Alastor jerked back slightly when he felt Vox move. Alastor separated himself from his mate and watched Vox roll over. One of his eyes was barely opened while the other was closed. Vox brushed his hand against Alastor's cheek. “Hi, Sweetie.” Vox's voice was low and groggy, he was still fighting off his sleep clearly. Alastor swallowed harshly at the nickname and blushed a bit. The darkness in the room hid it, Vox was too tired to turn his screen brightness up to illuminate their surroundings. It was a rarity to see Vox in complete darkness. A rarity that Alastor was lucky enough to witness.

“Hello, Star.” Alastor spoke softly. He leaned his head against Vox's hand and closed his eyes as he embraced the touch. “Shouldn't you be sleeping?” Alastor asked. He brought his hand up to grasp Vox's wrist. He could feel the bracelet he made under his hands. Vox must've fallen asleep while wearing it. Alastor would have to keep an eye out for that. He wouldn't want his courting gift to get ruined, not that he would care or anything! He just knew that Vox would panic and feel bad, even if Alastor could just make a new one.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Vox yawned widely. His tongue stuck out slightly as he yawned. He was like a little kitten. “My neck hurts a bit, and I had a really weird dream, but it turned out okay in the end.”

“What were you dreaming about, Mon Cher?” Alastor asked.

“It was about Valentino. He was hurting me, and… then he tried to drown me, but when I came to the surface- I was in some secluded forest with you and Vark. There was a lake that I was in, but then it started raining so we ran for cover, except Vark. He tried to run into the water.”

“It sounds like the ending was lovely.” Alastor purred. “Do you dream of me often?”

Vox’s screen heated up a little and his fans got a bit louder as he squeaked out a response. “N- I mean… well m-may- sometimes!” Vox stuttered out.

A good reaction. Okay. Alastor can distract him from his nightmares if he puts the heat on just a little. Alastor pulled his head away from Vox's hand and leaned forward a bit more, he tangled his legs up with Vox's and pressed his hands on either side of Vox's head. “What type of dreams do you have of me?” Alastor asked in a low, rumbly voice, he was aiming to fluster his mate, and it seemed he hit gold.

Vox’s eyes widened and his face turned a dark shade of red. “Uh… before or after we started dating?” Vox managed to choke out.

Alastor’s interest was piqued but he didn't want to push Vox's buttons too hard. “Whatever you wish to tell about, Mon Cher. I'm interested in all your dreams.” Alastor leaned in close. His breath was on Vox's screen, fogging it up.

Vox's heart was pounding. What did he want to do? They were so close. Vox felt so warm and there was a little ball of heat in his stomach. He squirmed a bit as he tried to get his brain to function. “Ah… well… many things, Dear.” Vox gasped out. “I… dream about you keeping me safe.” Vox whined.

Alastor leaned in even closer. His lips brushed against Vox's screen. The fog had built up and there was a bit of moisture now on Vox's screen. His plan seemed to be working extremely well.

“Just f*cking kiss me, already!” Vox finally cracked. His voice was no longer deep and was just a high-pitched whine.

Alastor moved his head and captured Vox's lips. His mate's back arched slightly into the touch. The sparks were addicting and a little flame grew in Alastor. He liked the heat in his body, he liked how Vox made him feel. Alastor licked Vox's mouth hesitantly. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he wasn't expecting Vox's mouth to open.

He didn't know what to do so he opened his eyes and pulled back. Vox whined loudly at the separation.

Alastor looked down at Vox with a confused expression. “Why'd you open your mouth?” Alastor asked.

Vox blushed and laughed awkwardly. “Because you asked me too?” He responded.

Alastor's brows furrowed. “No I didn't?”

“Oh… right you're new to this.” Vox's blush deepened and he tried to look away from his mate's inquisitive eyes. “When you lick someone's mouth while kissing, it typically means you want them to open their mouth so you can deepen it.”

“Like… make out?”

“Yes. That's typically how you start making out.” Vox waved his hand slightly and rolled over onto his side.

Alastor turned his head to follow Vox. His neck cracked as he continued to tilt his head further. “You would have made out with me?” Alastor finally asked after a minute of silence.

Vox blushed and let out a little squeak. “I mean… yeah. You're my mate. Would you have made out with me?”

Alastor hummed before he hopped over Vox and laid down right next to him, his body facing Vox's. “I don't know.” He admitted. “I don't like the idea of our tongues… touching, but at the same time, I am interested in what sounds you would make or how you would react.” Alastor grazed his knuckles against Vox's screen.

“We don't ever have to make out if you don't want to, Alastor.” Vox told his mate. His gaze hardened and he grabbed Alastor's hand, gripping it tightly. “We won't ever do anything you don't want to do. Really. I can manage just fine with hand holding and sharing a room. I'm a big boy and I value your comfort over whatever ‘urges’ I might have.” Vox used his free hand to make air quotations.

Alastor stared down at his wrist that Vox had and blinked. He looked back at Vox and his ear flicked but he didn't respond. He didn't really know how to respond to that. Was he supposed to thank him? Tell him it was okay? Tell him that he wanted to indulge in his urges because he liked Vox and liked making him feel good? God why were feelings so f*cking hard. This is why Alastor always smiled, that way no one could see how his boyfriend made him overthink such a small thing.

It wasn't really small though, was it? Vox just told him he would be fine doing… nothing couple-like, all for the sake of his comfort, but Alastor wasn't okay with that! He wanted to make Vox feel loved, but he didn't know how to put his thoughts into words.

“I think we should make a safeword.” Vox declared loudly, way too loud for so early in the morning. It was like he could sense Alastor's panic and knew that they needed some kind of solution.

He didn't need to say it so loudly however. Alastor's ears flattened at the sudden yelling and his eyes screwed shut before he brought his free head up to his forehead and rubbed his temple. “Too loud, Mon Cher, maybe lower your tone a bit. It is still early in the morning. Now, please tell me, in a lower tone, Star. What's this safeword thing you're talking about?”

Vox's gaze dropped a bit at the lecture and he gave Alastor a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I got a little bit excited.” He sat up straight and pulled Alastor up with him. Alastor let himself get dragged with a slight eye roll. He wanted to be dramatic but he couldn't hide the genuine smile that was plastered on his face. He really adored his mate and his antics.

“So, safeword?” Alastor pressed once they were comfortably sitting up, staring directly into one another's eyes.

“Ah! Right! So it’s a word that a couple decides on in advance that is basically like a red light. Basically if the word gets uttered, it’s a withdrawal of consent. Like, say for example we’re kissing and you feel uncomfortable, then you can just say our safeword and we stop whatever we were doing.” Vox explained. He was waving his hands slightly as he tried to explain it to his partner.

Alastor tipped his head thoughtfully and tapped his fingers against his chin. “So… if we were… having some fun, and you said whatever the word is, we stop. No questions asked?”

“Yes. Typically it’s used for sex, but we can use it for anything that includes touching or something that pushes our boundaries.” Vox explained. “When it’s uttered, we stop everything and move to aftercare.”

“Aftercare?” Alastor tilted his head.

“Yes! Basically after sex it's important to make sure the submissive is taken care of, like making sure they're clean, or comfortable. You just… take care of them after sex. Our version of aftercare wouldn't really be… anything too over the top since we aren't having sex, but it's still important to care for the one you made uncomfortable!”

“Ah, I understand.” Alastor ran his hands up Vox's sides, his movements were slow so Vox could stop him at any given moment. “I wouldn't be opposed to having a safeword.” Alastor told his partner. “If you would like one too, then I'm sure we can decide on something.”

“I think a safeword would be a good idea.” Vox rested his own hands on Alastor's and rolled his hips slightly to shift into a more comfortable position. “With your inexperience and sexuality, and then my past with partner and previous sexual encounters, it would be the safest idea to keep us aware of each other's boundaries instead of constantly second guessing whatever we do. It would save us from a lot of overthinking.”

Alastor's clawed hands dug into Vox's flesh when his partner moved his hips. He was trying to hold Vox steady so he didn’t fall off balance. That T.V. for a head was unsurprisingly very inconvenient. “That would be smart.” Alastor purred to his mate. “I do like touching you, but I will admit that I am a bit afraid of doing too much to you all at once. I don't want to overwhelm you.”

“I'm a bit worried about touching you after your rut.” Vox admitted in a small voice. He still held onto Alastor's hands, but began to guide them a bit lower so Alastor could grasp at his hips. Alastor took initiative and pulled Vox into his lap, relishing in the little squeak that escaped his mate.

“Well, Mon Cher. What should our safeword be?” Alastor purred into Vox's shoulder. He felt Vox shudder a bit from his hot breath, but he didn't pull away.

“Ah. Well… I'm not sure.” Vox whimpered when he felt Alastor kiss his neck. He leaned his screen forward and pressed himself against Alastor. “It should be something neither of us would say during… passionate moments.” Vox sounded so flustered. For a man with an extensive sexual past, it was astonishing to Alastor that he was so embarrassed. He seemed so confident describing everything until it came to the actual deciding moment. Alastor couldn't help but be a bit curious on what made his mate get so bashful. Was It the fact that they were talking about potentially having sex? That didn't make much sense to Alastor. The two already discussed that they would have sex together. Was it the fact that Alastor was pressing kisses along his neck? That might be a part of it, honestly.

Alastor was pretty confident that Vox was feeling shy because he was discussing such an intimate thing with his partner while shirtless. He wasn't paranoid about his scars was he? Alastor stiffened a bit. He released one of his hands from Vox and blindly felt around for a blanket. He couldn't find a loose one but he managed to blindly grab one of the coats he grabbed earlier and handed it to Vox. Vox graciously took it and slid the coat on, being careful to not disturb Alastor who was still lathering his neck with attention. Vox buttoned up the coat up to his chest before he grabbed Alastor’s now-free hand and guided it back to his hips. He seemed a lot less flustered now and more comfortable, which was a good sign to Alastor.

“Hm… what about ‘hibiscus’?” Alastor finally suggested when Vox stopped moving.

“Hibiscus?” Vox tilted his head, which gave Alastor more access to his neck, which he attacked with kisses immediately.

Vox grunted and screwed his eyes shut as he grabbed onto Alastor’s shoulders roughly. His claws dug in deep, leaving little red marks on his mate. Alastor was definitely still struggling with a bit of his rut. Vox could only hope that Alastor wasn't going to go back into his clingy phase. As adorable as it was, Vox liked to bathe in peace, and also go to the washroom without explaining to Alastor for ten minutes that he wasn't going anywhere.

“It's a flower.” Alastor mumbled into Vox's skin.

“I know that.” Vox grumbled. “I just wanted to know if there was any special meaning behind why you picked it?”

“Nope!” Alastor stopped kissing Vox's neck and pulled back. He gave his mate a toothy grin. “I just like them.”

Vox smiled and rolled his eyes. “Well, I like it too. I think hibiscus is a good safeword.” Vox leaned backwards and fell against their nest with a quiet ‘oof!’

Alastor let go of Vox’s hips. He watched with curiosity as Vox’s lower body slid out of his lap and into the bed. “So it’s decided then?” Alastor asked before he moved over to the right slightly and plopping down next to Vox.

“Yup! Remember to use it if you ever feel uncomfortable.” Vox reminded Alastor, booping his nose as he spoke.

“I won't forget.” Alastor promised his mate. He dragged Vox’s screen in towards him, kissing his forehead. “Now, if you don't mind, I think some sleep will do us good. It is still early.”

“Yeah, I know.” Vox yawned. “Sorry for getting distracted.” He rotated his neck awkwardly to stretch it out to help with his neck pain. Vox closed his eyes when he felt Alastor’s hands press against his neck and shoulders, already starting to work on the knots.

“I'm the one who was distracting you.” Alastor pointed out with a dark chuckle. “Try not to overthink it. It doesn't bother me. Now, close those pretty eyes and get some rest.”

Vox closed his eyes and breathed out a happy sigh when a particular knot was worked by Alastor’s skillful hands. He could get used to this.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

When Alastor awoke next, the bed was cold. Alastor kept his eyes screwed shut and felt around for his mate.

Nothing.

Alastor opened his eyes, they were black pools as the realization crept in that Vox wasn't in their nest. Alastor shot up and climbed out of their bed immediately. His antlers grew as he stalked towards the door to leave their room. Before he could swing it open, Vox kicked open the door. He just barely missed Alastor's face but he didn't even notice his mate jumping back. Vox was carrying a bunch of papers, clipboards and what looked to be pencils and pens.

Alastor's antlers shrunk down and his eyes changed back to their inky red before he stepped to the side so Vox didn't walk into him.

“What are you doing?” Alastor asked his mate. “I thought I said work was banned from our nest.” He added with narrowed eyes And a low growl.

Vox didn't turn his head, or make any signs that he noticed Alastor. He just walked right past him before dropping the assortment of sh*t on their bed. Vox spun around on his heels to face Alastor and slammed his hand down on the stack of papers. “I know. I was hoping to be back before you woke up.” Vox admitted. “I figured you didn't want to wake up alone, so I thought I would write out a few contract ideas for Angel while you slept.”

“Did Angel accept the job offering?” Alastor asked with a tilt of his head.

“I haven't asked him yet, but Velvette and Papermint gave me the go-ahead. It's typical to write out some contracts first, because even if Angel doesn't accept the job, the contract will go to someone else.” Vox answered. “Is it okay if I do up some drafts in our nest first? I really don't want to carry all this sh*t back to my office.” Vox asked. He made his eyes big and round. He couldn't really do proper puppy-dog eyes but it seemed to get the point across.

Alastor stared into Vox's gaze for a minute before he sighed, his ears flopping down as he did-so. “Fine.” He groaned dramatically. “Only because your neck needs the support though.” Alastor added with narrowed eyes.

“Yay!” Vox clapped his hands together as he cheered before climbing into the bed, crinkling up some of his papers as he did so.

“Do not sit on those pens. I don't want ink everywhere.” Alastor leaned over and pulled most of the work towards him so Vox couldn't damage it anymore.

“You don't want me covered in ink? If I was, we could have a bath together.” Vox teased Alastor as he puffed up a pillow. Vox collapsed against the pillow and moaned lowly as his neck was met with immediate relief. It was slowly getting worse and Vox knew that. He wanted to keep powering through the days, but he could feel the stiffness creeping in. He could feel the ache in his muscles and his head felt like it was pounding. Stress headaches sucked ass, especially because it was over something so small and pathetic. A little neck pain never killed anyone, but God did it hurt like a mother f*cker.

Alastor seemed to just know though. His brows were furrowed and his smile was more strained than usual. Could he smell Vox's pain? Vox didn't want to ask in case Alastor couldn't. He would just worry Alastor more than anything and it would open a whole lot more problems. He probably just slept bad on his neck. He has been sleeping on his side a lot lately. Some nights he would wake up to Alastor’s arm under his neck, supporting the weight of the T.V., but it wasn't helping much. All it did was delay the inevitable. Sleeping with your neck on a constant angle because of the weight of your f*cking head was not good for you. Vox hasn't been able to really do any of his stretches lately either. Well, he had plenty of chances to do them but Valentino always laughed at him whenever he did. He didn't want Alastor to pick on him for it. He genuinely liked Alastor and didn't want him to view him as a joke more than he already did.

Yet, Alastor has never once shown signs of bullying Vox for his personal issues. Alastor would tease and debate him in public, but he never brought up stuff that the public didn't already know.

“Vox?” Alastor snapped his fingers in front of his mate's face, making the male jump.

“Huh?” Vox gasped out. “What happened?”

“You were gapping out.” Alastor explained with a concerned look on his face. “Star, are you sure you want to do some paperwork today? You don't seem… into it.” Alastor described it badly.

Vox huffed a bit and nodded his head, but doing so caused a sharp pain to go down his spine. A loud groan spilled from his lips as the stiffness went further down. Okay. He moved his head too fast.

That didn't help Alastor’s anxiety however, if anything it made it worse. “Vox?” Alastor’s voice sounded so small.

“Yeah, I'm good.” Vox sat up a bit straighter, wincing ever so slightly. He could pay for it at a later date. “Could you pass me the clipboard, some paper, and some pens?” Vox held out his hands. He didn't want to move. Not when he just got comfortable.

Alastor narrowed his eyes but obeyed. “Alright, but you're staying in our nest all day today.” Alastor ordered as he gave Vox what he requested. “If you want something, tell me and I'll get it for you. Did you feed Vark yet?”

“Yeah, I fed him. I took him for a couple of laps around the room but he's getting pretty restless. I might need to get Niffty to take him back so she can give him proper walks.” Vox told his partner. “I love him, but I can't fulfill his needs here. He has way too much f*cking energy to keep him cooped up in here. He would destroy this room. It would look worse than the one I fried up.” Vox admitted with an awkward laugh. “He can be very destructive if his energy isn't used up properly.”

“Most dogs are like that.” Alastor told his mate in a gentle voice. “I'm sure sharks are very similar in that regard, but I digress. I will summon Niffty and have her take Vark back so he can get the proper exercise he needs while you take it easy.” Alastor pointed directly at Vox in that last statement. “I will let you work because you will only stress if you don't do whatever it is you need to do, but other than that you are on break. You are relaxing.”

“Why?” Vox asked with narrowed eyes. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” Alastor snorted. “I can see it in your movements though. You're hurting. I don't want you to overwork your muscles, they need a chance to recover.” Alastor told his mate. Alastor pulled a blanket up to cover Vox's body. Alastor could help but notice he was still wearing the clothes he slept in. He was in his shorts and Alastor's jacket, but Alastor could see a new hole forming in his coat. It looked like Vox clawed it when he got frustrated by something, probably his pain. Alastor has seen it before. One time Alastor got a really good blow on Vox's leg, he didn't know Vox had injured it just earlier that day. He thought his scream was dramatic, but Vox clawed off his pants, shredding them up completely, he saw the giant bruise he just kicked.

Actually, thinking about that bruise… was it possible that Valentino had put it there? Alastor growled at the very idea of his, his eye twitching and his ears flattening.

Vox tilted his head before he winced at the movement and straightened himself back up. “Are you okay?” Vox asked with a slight frown.

“Yes, Mon Cher. Sorry I was just thinking.” Alastor summoned a neck pillow for Vox. Alastor walked around the bed and pushed Vox's head forward so he could slide the pillow into its spot. The long groan of relief that escaped Vox's lips made Alastor's smile turn genuine. He was making his mate feel good!

Alastor pulled his hand back and kissed Vox's cheek. “I'll give Vark to Niffty and let her know he needs some walk. I'll be right back, alright?”

“Okay.” Vox closed his eyes and melted into the comforts of his nest. “Thank you, Alastor.”

“Not a problem. Now start working on your contracts.” Alastor flicked the corner of Vox's screen before he turned and left the room, leaving Vox alone with his thoughts.

Okay. Some highlights on the contract. It should probably be something small to stay with. Maybe a five year contract to start with that they can renew later. He doesn't want Angel to feel trapped if he agrees. He also should give Angel some benefits. He wouldn't exactly be a Vee, but he needed to make it clear that Angel would fall under their protection. He would have full hiring and firing rights. Vox didn't want to go anywhere near sex workers. He didn't want to be involved in the slightest anymore. He felt uncomfortable just at the idea.

Vox pulled out his phone and huffed. Maybe he should make it so this was Papermint's department. Papermint wasn't bothered by sex or anything along those lines. They didn't really care. Maybe Papermint's potential assistant could handle it? Really Papermint would just have to overlook the progress and publish it on the appropriate sites once the videos were cleared.

Vox sent a quick text to Papermint and almost immediately he got a response back. It was a thumbs up. Vox smiled and wrote down on the outline that Papermint would be in charge of publishing the works. Vox was really lucky that he had Papermint. Good thing he scooped him up before anyone else could. Those f*ckers missed out!

Okay, benefits were important. Vox tapped his pen against the clipboard. The same benefits as a Vee would probably be a good idea. Angel would be taking on the same workload as Valentino, so it was only fair he got the same benefits.

Pay. Angel's pay should be higher than Valentino's. Vox didn't really want to be involved with this type of sh*t anymore. He was just the publisher. With Valentino he got a thirty percent cut of the profits, but that was because he was more involved. Maybe just a twelve percent cut would work, and ten percent of that would go to Papermint. Vox nodded his head. Yes. He likes those numbers. It would be a major loss to his numbers, but hopefully Angel could rake in more views than Valentino ever did.

Vox was just finishing up the outline when the door swung open and Alastor reappeared. He wandered over to the bed and plopped down right next to Vox with a loud sigh.

Vox moved his pen to his other hand and patted Alastor's back. “Hey, Sweetie. Vark didn't want to go?” Vox's tone was knowing.

“He didn't want to leave you. I think he could sense your pain. I had to get Niffty and Charlie to help drag him away from the door.” Alastor grumbled. He raised his head though and crossed his arms under his chin. “How's your work going?”

“It’s alright. I've decided to not really be involved with the p*rn aspect anymore. I'll be taking a huge hit in the profit area, but I would rather not work in that area anymore. I'm handing it over to Papermint. He's probably going to finish The contract since whoever takes over Valentino's work will be directly responding to him. I was just finishing up the Vee's aspect.” Vox responded with a shrug. “I'm going to send it off to him in a bit.”

Alastor leaned over. His ear flicked. “That looks like a bunch of bullet points to me.” Alastor finally declared.

“That's because it is.” Vox snorted. “It's basically just the benefits the worker will receive from the Vee's and the payment stuff. Papermint will decide on the workload the employee is expected to fulfill and all that other sh*t.”

“Papermint's going to be the big boss, huh?” Alastor leaned against Vox. “He'll do a fine job.”

“I know he will. Hopefully Angel accepts this too. I don't really want anyone else to take the job.”

“I'm sure he will. It looks like a really good position for whoever takes it.” Alastor hummed, his eyes closed.

“Yeah, well. I tried. They won't be a Vee, which sucks for them, so I'm trying to make up for it in literally everything else.” Vox shrugged. “It's unfair to take on all the work Val uses to do and get a sh*ttier job.”

“Look at you, trying to be a good person.” Alastor teased his mate gently.

“As if.” Vox scoffed. “I just don't want someone to get a sh*ttier job Than Val's. After everything that dick did to me? I want this position to be the best ever to really stick it to him.”

“Mon Cher, he is dead. You can't really stick it to him anymore than you already did.” Alastor pointed out with a chuckle.

“Shush. You know what I mean.” Vox gently smacked the top of Alastor's head with his pen.

“I suppose I do.” Alastor groaned loudly before he forced himself up and rolled onto Vox who squeaked.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Vox laughed.

“I'm laying on you.” Alastor deadpanned. He shifted his body weight ever so slightly so he wouldn't be crushing his mate. He didn't want to make Vox’s pain worse.

“Unfair!” Vox laughed. He grabbed Alastor’s face and pulled him into a kiss. “You're supposed to take care of me, not flatten me!” Vox grinned once he pulled back.

“I'm helping!” Alastor argued with an eye roll. “Sometimes weight helps.”

“Most of the time it helps.” Vox chuckled. “Whatever, Cuddlebug.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence as Vox's pen scratched against the paper as he finished writing up his notes.

Vox could only hope that what he was doing was the right thing to do.

Chapter 17: Day Sixteen

Chapter Text

Vox couldn't sleep. He could hear the soft snoring coming from Alastor, and that wasn't what was bothering him. No, not at all. His body ached and groaned in ways Vox hasn't felt in a long time.

He was trying his best to keep himself quiet, to keep Alastor unaware of his predicament. He could hardly move, his joints had locked up. Instead he could only shift pathetically as he tried to make himself comfortable. The nest felt lumpy, everything was hot but he couldn't remove his shirt, he couldn't move his shoulders or his head. Everything he tried to move his neck, he was met with a sharp pain.

Vox tried to push himself upwards into their nest with his feet, but wasn't very successful. After a solid minute of trying, he just gave up and felt himself slide down further into the nest, which did nothing to help his discomfort. It felt like there was a blanket that was crumpled up under his back which really felt like there were rocks in his nest. It hurt too much to move, the pain was unbearable. Vox just wanted to scream and cry. He wanted to beg Lucifer to heal his pain, to remove his nerves so he could never feel again, but Vox knew better. He would miss being able to feel the touches of his friends. To feel pain or to feel being held. He just had to suck it up.

His pants felt too tight, his body was so hot. He needed the fan on but he couldn't reach it. He needed help, but he didn't want to wake Alastor. He could tolerate it for a bit longer.

Vox screwed his eyes shut and inhaled sharply. He just needed to fall asleep. Once he is asleep, all his pain will go away.

About thirty minutes had passed when he opened his eyes again. No sleep had yet to come to him and despite having a T.V. for a head, he was starting to develop eyebags. It hurts to move his legs now. He tried to turn his head, but he let out a low whimper of pain at the sharp stabbing sensation in his neck.

He could feel Alastor stir beside him and he inhaled sharply. Alastor didn't wake up, however. Vox breathed a sigh of relief and managed to move, albeit very slowly, but managed to lean over to the bedside table and turn the fan on before grabbing his phone.

The air felt like a blessing against his sweating body and he wanted to sob in relief at the coolness of it all, but he couldn't. He would wake up Alastor if he did and his mate would not take it well if he saw how much pain Vox was in.

Vox really did love Alastor a lot. It was too soon to say it, of course, but Vox knew he did. Vox wasn't ready to show Alasfor this side of him. The side that can barely move, the side that makes him whimper and sob from pain. Vox remembers many years ago when he first landed in Hell. He remembered when he was laying on the bathroom floor. Bleeding from his period and crying from the pain in his neck. It was way back when he had the older T.V. model for a head, so his pains were a lot worse then. Vox didn't even remember who found him, well more like ‘know who found him’. He had actually passed out from the pain, and when he had awoken? He was in his own bed, surrounded by blankets and pillows, and on his bedside table was a full glass of water with ice cubes in it and some painkillers.

Whoever that person was? That was his hero. His running theory right now was that it was Papermint. Papermint is the only one who openly knows about his neck pain and periods. Papermint never shied away from doing work whenever he saw Vox wince or rub his abdomen. Really, Vox f*cking lucked out with getting Papermint. He may not own Papermint's soul- he actually has a similar deal with Papermint as Alastor does with Niffty- but Papermint was loyal to him and only him.

Well sometimes he's loyal to Velvette too. If he feels like tolerating her antics.

Vox powered on his phone and began to scroll through his messages. His vision was blurred and it was difficult, but he managed to find Velvette's name under his contacts and opened up their messages. Vox inhaled deeply before typing out a simple message.

The little green icon popped up immediately and she began to spam his phone.

Vox panicked and muted his phone quickly. He turned his head swiftly to look at Alastor to make sure he didn't wake up, but doing so resulted in an extremely loud, and pained groan, which did wake up Alastor.

Alastor's eyes shot open and he sat down straight immediately. “Mate?” Alastor's eyes had a dangerous glint to them. “Is someone hurting you? Are you unsafe?” Vox wasn't sure what to expect, but he didn't expect Alastor to start sniffing him.

“What the f*ck?” Vox squeaked out. Alastor wasn't touching him, no, he was staying extremely still as he carefully examined him.

“I can't smell any blood.” Alastor growled before he looked into the darkness, a low threatening growl echoed through the room. Alastor shot out his tentacles and flicked the lights on. The room was drowned in a bright light, but it didn't affect Vox and Alastor didn't seem to care. Alastor's head snapped around wildly as he tried to find any culprit, but he was met with an empty room.

“Alastor, Baby, I'm fine. We're safe. No one is here.” Vox tried to reassure his partner. “I didn't mean to wake you, Sweetie.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed. “You sounded in pain.” Alastor argued. “I know that sound. You're hurt.”

“I- listen. Look- Baby. It's not important.” Vox tried again, his tone was more pleading this time. He wanted Alastor to stop prying and go back to sleep. Alastor already had enough to deal with as it is. Vox didn't want his mate to realize how weak and pathetic he actually was. Alastor would break up with him, leave him in a heartbeat if he saw how much up-keep he was. Valentino always said no one would ever love him once they realized how much of a nuisance he was. Constantly pestering them for pain meds, or some ointment cream, or just food and water, having them help him go to the bathroom. They would get sick of it and only stay around for him money and just let his wallow away in his own filth.

No. He had to be strong so Alastor wasn't burdened. He already told Alastor a bit about his pain, they didn't need to go into detail about how bad it was.

Alastor wasn't convinced however. “Vox…” He sounded so hurt and his eyes were a bit wide. His ears were tilted back and his head was dipped to one side. “If it's hurting you, it's clearly important. Even if it seems superficial. I don't care if it's your emotions or you just stubbed your toe. Please, let me in.” Alastor made no move to grab or hold Vox, he kept his distance, which was probably wise on his end.

Vox averted his gaze and screwed his eyes shut. “You'll just… leave me if I told you.” Vox managed to whisper out.

Alastor found that hard to believe, but it had to be something serious, or it was another lie that the moth had fed his beautiful partner. “Why in the great Hell would you think that? Mon Cher, we barely just got together and I know for a fact you haven't left our room since then. Your scent is everywhere and not once had it led to the door. In fact, you've barely been leaving our nest. Is this about the pain yesterday? Did it not go away?” Alastor finally reached a hand out and grasped Vox's as gently as he could.

Vox wanted to shrivel up and die. He didn't want to be dealing with this. He couldn't even shake or nod his head because it hurt too f*cking much.

Alastor took his silence as a ‘yes’ regardless. “Mon Cher.” Alastor's voice was low and sounded so impossibly hurt, but it wasn't for him. No, he felt hurt for Vox. “Whatever can I do to make it feel better? You mentioned you would start taking medication for it again, do you have it somewhere?”

“Valentino threw it all away years ago and I never refilled the prescription.” Vox mumbled, his eyes were still closed. He didn't want to look at Alastor. He didn't want him to see just how weak and pathetic he truly was. “He-” Vox cut himself off and turned his head ever so slightly, ignoring the burn in his neck.

Alastor was torn between telling Vox to ‘just spit it out’ or ‘whatever he said was wrong’ but he had a feeling that neither would help in this situation.

“I'll tell Charlie that I am experiencing some pain and request for her to bring me ointment and painkillers.” Alastor sighed finally after a long pause.

“You're going to lie?” Vox gasped. He raised his hand and placed it on his neck to help guide his head so he would stare at Alastor. “You don't have to do that, really! It's not your fault I'm like this, Alastor, I can suck it up!”

Alastor didn't like hearing his name from Vox's mouth. He sounded… too afraid for something so small. “I don't want you to ‘suck it up’. I want you to feel comfortable and happy. Star, I care for you deeply and I don't want you to tolerate any pain for my cause. It’s clear you're not ready to open up about it.” Alastor gestured vaguely to Vox as he spoke. “So, I’ll take the fall for now until you are ready. You've mentioned it a few times. It’s my fault for not listening and seeing the warning signs. I assumed after resting up, you would feel better, but it clearly got worse.” Alastor shifted in the nest ever so slightly.

“I don't want painkillers.” Vox narrowed his eyes.

Alastor’s upper lip twitched before he rolled out of the bed and stood at the end of the bed. He was just staring at Vox with a raised brow.

“What?” Vox asked with a frown.

“Get out of the nest.” Alastor shrugged. “Surely if you're not in pain, you can get out of it easily, right? With no assistance whatsoever?”

Oh. He was being a smartass again.

This was a battle that Vox knew for certainty he was going to lose. He made a pained noise? He'd lose. He asks for help? Another failure. He even attempts in the first place? It would make that pain so much worse, but hey! Maybe exercise was what he needed to help! He knew that was a lie, if he pushed his body so soon, he would just flare up again and make everything worse and then Alastor really would hold it over his head.

Vox settled on a glare for about five seconds before he sighed and tipped his head back, wincing just a bit at the movement. “Okay. My pain is bad. It gets really bad. I haven't even been able to go to the bathroom to try and have a bath to help my joints because my neck hurts so bad. My back is aching, I can barely move my neck, or roll my shoulders. I've been awake from the pain for such a long time now. Everything is stiff and I just want to sleep.” Vox was speaking incredibly fast, but Alastor was able to pick it all up easily.

“I don't see why you felt the need to hide this from me. We're sharing a room, Hell, we're sharing a bed. Surely I was going to find out one day, and you already told me multiple times that you get bad pains. Why were you trying to stop me from witnessing it?”

“Because I don't want you to leave me.” Vox whispered. “I don't like feeling useless, and you're a powerful overlord. Once you see how weak I am, you'll leave me for someone better. Someone more powerful and capable.”

“Cher…” Alastor’s words trailed off as his ears lowered. “I don't plan on ever leaving you.” Alastor walked around the bed and gently grasped Vox’s hands. “I don't plan on dating anyone but you. I don't plan on letting you suffer in your own pain. I wouldn't be a good partner if I did.” Alastor attempted to reassure his significant other. “I should have known it was getting worse and not better. You already told me about the pains, but I didn't heed the warnings properly and now it's my duty to care for you. Whatever made you think I would leave you in your time of need?” Alastor already knew the answer but he needed to hear it for himself.

Vox stared down at their hands. His eyes felt a bit watery and he inhaled shakily before he tightened his grip on Alastor's hands. “Because I'm a hassle. I'm broken and the only things I'm good at are sex and just being some sugar daddy.” Vox was whispering. “I'm not worth the effort people put into me. I'm just some perverted bastard who deserves all this pain.”

“I think you're worth the effort.” Alastor's eyes rounded a bit as he spoke. He gently kissed the top of Vox's head and climbed into the nest, making sure to sit on top of Vox's legs to give him some pressure. He needed to be grounded in case he started to freak out. “Now, tell me what exactly it is you need so I can take care of you.”

“A warm bath to help my muscles and painkillers.” Vox whispered.

“Consider it done.”

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Alastor gently placed Vox into the bathtub and turned the water on. He made sure it was warm before he added some bath salts, bubble bath, and oatmeal. He mixed in the treatment carefully, making sure to avoid Vox's body. Once all the treatment was dissolved, Alastor removed his hand and dried it off quickly. He turned the tap off and left Vox for a second to answer the door. He could just barely hear the knocking and he knew that Charlie had brought what he had requested.

Alastor opened the door before Charlie could knock again and the two stared at each other for a second before Charlie clasped her hands together.

“I was expecting Vox to answer!” She laughed awkwardly. “I thought you would be stuck in bed from the pain. I'm happy to see you up and around. Whatever Vox has done to help you must have been like magic! Anyway, I brought the stuff.” Charlie shoved two gift baskets into Alastor's hands. “Brand new heating pad, I got any pain meds I could find honestly, some might be for menstrual cramps but I figured Vox could use those if he needed too so I bought them anyway. I also got some muscle heat cream, you rub that on the spot where it hurts and it will heat up and absorb into the skin and help with the pain. I also got that neck pillow you asked for and some heated blankets, towels, and also some oil for massages in case Vox wants to try and help out your pain like that!” Charlie spoke so fast that Alastor was confident he missed half of what she said.

“I appreciate you going out of your way to do this for me.” Alastor hummed as he lifted the blanket off the two baskets. “It's very helpful.”

Charlie's chest puffed up slightly. An Alastor compliment was rare. Extremely rare, and boy were they addictive. “Of course! Any time, Alastor! Just let me know if you need anything else! I'll let you get back to resting.” Charlie added with a wave of her hand. “I gotta say I wasn't expecting a text from Vox about you, but I'm glad he had your back.” Actually Alastor sent her that text from Vox's phone, but she didn't need to know that. Vox was trying to send a message to Velvette, but his hands were too shaky and it was painful to watch so Alastor took his phone away from him and managed to send a message to Charlie and Velvette. Velvette would actually be coming by later in the day to keep Vox company.

Alastor just stared at Charlie before she deflated a bit. “Ugh. I'm such a bad liar.” Charlie sighed. She raised a hand and grazed it over Alastor's chest, right where the scar that Adam gave him was. “I know Vox is the one hurting. Alastor, It's super sweet you're willing to take the fall for him, but I could sense his pain. I wasn't sure where he was hurting or what he needed.”

“I actually have another request for you.” Alastor removed her hand off him with an eye twitch. Why does everyone want to touch him? “Since you already know it's for Vox, can you find a heavy or weighted blanket? Vox told me that pressure helps him.”

“I can do that!” Charlie winked at Alastor and gave him two thumbs up. “Go take care of Vox!” The two bidded one another farewell before Alastor rushed back into the bathroom and put the baskets on his cabinet.

Alastor stared at everything for a minute before he ran back out and grabbed a glass. He filled it up with water and ice cubes before he brought it back to the bathroom. Alastor turned the tap back on and checked the temperature before he shook his hand and dried it. Alastor pulled out the neck pillow Charlie had picked out and raised Vox's head a bit so he could put it around his mate's neck. Alastor sat down on the cold floor and stared at his mate.

“Do you feel any better?” Alastor asked as he began to play with the bubbles.

“I would feel better if you were in here with me.” Vox grumbled, his eyes were closed. “Other than that? Yes. It feels really nice. I appreciate this.”

“I don't think we're at the ‘bathing together’ phase yet,” Alastor laughed, “but I'm glad that the bath is helping you.”

“Bitch, I'm naked.” Vox opened one eye. “You literally carried me in here, and stripped me of my clothes. Typically people feel uncomfortable bathing together because they don't like someone seeing them naked.”

“I asked for Velvette to come by. I would rather not be undressed knowing she's coming.” Alastor reached his hand into the warm bath water and grabbed Vox's warm hand.

“Velvette is coming? I thought… no way. Did you actually send out text messages? I thought you just took my phone away!” Vox sounded so happy. “Velvette's coming over today? You're going to let her in? I thought you didn't like strangers near your room? Near your nest?”

“I don't.” Alastor agreed easily. “However, she is your spawn. As your partner, I have to accept your spawn into my life. While I may never view Velvette as my own kid, like you'll probably never view Niffty as yours, she is still yours. You're in pain and she might be able to cheer you up more than I can.” Alastor leaned over and turned the bath off so Vox's pillow didn't get wet. “I would let your other child in, but Vark might make the pain worse by jumping on you. I figured it's more reasonable to throw Velvette into a wall over Vark. Also, Star. Please understand that it isn't my nest. You made it completely yourself. I have never once built a nest in my life. Of course Velvette is going to be allowed in our nest because you built it and she's your family. I'm lucky I get to share it with you.”

“I'm not an animal sinner though. I don't understand why I would feel the need to build a nest.” Vox argued. “Surely it was for your sake.”

“Maybe you have some deep-rooted instincts.” Alastor suggested. “Regardless of why you decide to build one, do you feel safer with one?”

“I guess, yeah. It's more comforting to have all that weight around me and to be able to burrow.” Vox sighed, his eyes drooping as he yawned widely.

Vox's body began to slide into the bathtub. “No, no. Stay awake, Cher.” Alastor reached his arms in and gently pulled Vox's body up slightly. Alastor heaved a sigh and moved his position so he could properly pick up Vox. Alastor removed his mate from the bathtub, ignoring the loud groan that echoed through the room. Alastor grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it around Vox's body to keep him covered to the best of his ability.

Alastor dried one of his hands and removed the neck pillow from Vox's neck and dropped it on the bathroom floor. He readjusted Vox's head so he would properly support his mate's neck. Alastor carried Vox out of the bathroom and gently played his mate down in the nest. He didn't care if their nest got wet or not, he only cared about Vox. Alastor went back to the washroom and grabbed both baskets by their handles in one hand, then he threw the neck pillow in one of the baskets before he grabbed the glass of water and carried it out. He dropped the baskets and set the glass of water on the bedside table. He leaned down and grabbed the neck pillow and the heat cream. Alastor dropped the neck pillow on the nest and quickly squirted some of the heat cream into his hands. He stared at the white cream for a little bit before he sighed and applied it onto Vox's neck generously.

Once it was all rubbed into Vox’s neck, he put the neck pillow back in its place and wandered into the bathroom where he drained the tub and rinsed it out before washing his hands. Alastor went back into their room and wandered over to their closet. He pulled out a pair of boxers and pants and dressed up Vox, who let out a pained noise when Alastor moved his legs. They must have stiffened up. Alastor tried to work gently, but Vox muffled sounds made him wince. It never really occurred to him if Vox had a high or low pain tolerance. Either he had a high one and it was really bad or he had a low one and the pain was enough to make him make small noises.

Considering during their fights, Vox could take hit after hit and jump back up to his feet with no complaint, Alastor could only assume that Vox's pain tolerance was high and this pain was bad.

Alastor would imagine that chronic pain was bad. He didn't have any, but to be constantly having sore joints and if you do too much of anything it flares up worse than ever before? Yeah it was probably a true pain in the ass to have.

Alastor set down Vox's legs and went into one of the baskets and pulled out a bottle of painkillers. He narrowed his eyes as he read it before he dropped it down and he pulled out a different bottle. This one was for joint pains, good. Alastor read the instructions on the back before he opened the lid and removed the foil inside. He shoved two fingers into the opening and pulled out two cylinder gel tablets that were red, white, and blue. Alastor closed the bottle before dropping it back in the basket and gently patting Vox's stomach. It was the only area Alastor knew wasn't suffering from pain. “Mon Cher, please open your eyes. I have medication for you to take. It'll help with the pain.”

Vox groaned lowly but opened his eyes. They were watery and he seemed so exhausted in that moment that it made Alastor's heart lurch. Alastor placed the meds in Vox's hand and waited for his mate to pop the pills into his mouth before he handed him the glass of water.

Vox took the glass and gulped down the contents happily and without a care in the world. He actually gagged a little from the pills, but he managed to swallow everything down before he shoved the glass back in Alastor’s hands. He was coughing a little bit and his eyes were screwed shut. His cough sounded like his throat was completely closed up. It was hoarse and sounded dry. It made Alastor shiver a little bit from discomfort.

Vox rubbed his eyes for a bit before he patted his chest. “Please lay on me.” Vox requested in a pitiful voice. “I want my mate to cuddle me.”

There was no way in Hell that Alastor could reject that request. Alastor carefully climbed into the nest, making sure his lower half was not on Vox before he flopped down and closed his eyes. His ears lowered a bit as Vox began to pet him. They laid in silence for a bit before Vox's breathing began to even out. Alastor's ears pricked forward as his mate's hand stopped moving.

Before Alastor could move, there was a knock on the door. On his bedroom door specifically. He didn't even hear someone come in. Alastor's shadow opened the door to reveal Charlie and Velvette on the other side. The two girls were talking, Charlie carrying the blanket Alastor had requested and Velvette on her phone showing Charlie what Alastor could only assume were Vark pictures.

The two girls turned their attention to the now open door and Charlie dropped the weighted blanket and gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes were wide and Alastor could practically see the hearts floating above her head.

Velvette on the other hand seemed more smug than anything and she raised her phone for a second. She thought about it for a second before she scowled and lowered her phone.

“You can take a picture.” Alastor grumbled.

Velvette looked so excited and brought her phone back up and snapped a few pictures of the two cuddling. “This is so cute! Are you two dating? I bet you're dating now! Oh my f*cking God, when you guys go public, can we use these pictures I just got? Holy f*ck you two are adorable.”

Charlie's gasp got louder. “Wait! You're dating now? Holy sh*t! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” She pointed at the two cuddling overlords before she hopped into the air and clapped her hands together. “I thought you two were just mate's for your rut! No wonder you were so specific and wanted me to get enough medication to last a few months!”

Alastor's face turned bright red and he let out a low groan before he grabbed his own ears and tried to hide his face. “Why is everyone figuring it out before we get to tell them?” Alastor complained. “How are we supposed to make up some elaborate lie and see how long we can trick you if everyone finds out before the month is even over? Jesus, we're only been dating for four days.”

“Four days?” Charlie yelled before she slapped a hand over her mouth as Vox began to stir.

Vox let out a quiet mewling noise before he fell silent. Alastor let go of his ears and began to stroke Vox's chest to keep him settled.

“Keep it down!” Alastor hissed. “I just got him asleep like, not even thirty minutes ago!”

“You guys are too cute!” Charlie cooed. “I never thought I'd see you date someone! Vox is so good for you! I'm happy you're with Vox!”

Alastor narrowed his eyes. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Charlie looked at Velvette for a second. “Nothing!” Charlie grinned. “Don't worry about it! I just, wow. Congratulations to you and Vox. You two seem pretty happy with each other!”

“He's dead asleep, and I am glaring at you.” Alastor deadpanned. “Is that what happiness is to you?”

“You're lying on him.” Charlie countered. “You're cuddling! You hate people touching you. Like four weeks ago you almost broke Angel's wrist because he accidentally touched you when he sat next to you.”

“His hand grazed my rear. I had every right to.”

“Maybe you shouldn't have taken up all the room on the couch.” Charlie held her head high and closed her eyes. “Couches are for sitting, not laying!” Her chest puffed up slightly.

Alastor raised a brow and smirked. “You shouldn't hold your head up any higher.” Alastor told her in a fake concerned voice.

“What? Why?” Charlie's head snapped back down to stare at Alastor.

Alastor grinned, his teeth on full display. “You might drown when it rains.”

“What?” Charlie narrowed her eyes as she tried to understand what he just said. Velvette bursted out laughing and let out a wheeze that sounded painful.

Charlie looked at Velvette before she looked back at Alastor. “I don't get it?”

“Your nose, my Dear.”

“Oh f*ck you!” Charlie threw his hands up in the air.

“No thanks. I already have Vox for that.”

All three of the demons fell silent before Velvette gasped loudly and pointed at Alastor. “He made a sex joke!”

“I did not!” Alastor tried to deny it.

“Oh yes you did!” Charlie laughed. “Holy f*ck, Alastor made a sex joke!” The cackle that left Charlie was very unlady-like, but Alastor's smile softened a bit. There was something so beautiful about the moment, even if it was at his expense.

Either way, he was still going to deny it. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Nope, nu-uh! You can't gaslight, gatekeep, girl boss you way out of this!” Velvette's smile was predatory. “We heard you loud and clear! f*ck I wish I was recording that.” Velvette opened her phone's camera for a second before she rolled her eyes and shoved the phone in her pocket.

“I never thought I'd see the day.” Charlie wiped a fake-tear away and clasped her hands together before she brought them up to her cheek and leaned into them. “He’s all grown up. One boyfriend and he's making sex jokes.”

Alastor almost frowned at that, but he kept his smile up and narrowed his eyes. “Darling, would you be a dear and refer to us as ‘partners'? I… don't like that tag much.”

Charlie's eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “Oh I'm so sorry! Of course! I should have asked before assuming your prefered label.”

Velvette looked between the two before her eyes narrowed and she pointed at Alastor. “Is that because Vox and Valentino were ‘boyfriends’ or do you actually just hate that?”

“I could care less what Vox and Valentino were.” Alastor growled. “Vox is mine now.” His eyes glowed red as he thought of Valentino somehow coming back from the dead to steal Vox away from him. Alastor managed to regain control though and screwed his eyes shut to hide the glow. “I prefer ‘partner’ because it feels more… permanent and not as fleeting as the term ‘boyfriend.’”

Velvette bent down and picked up the blanket that was dropped on the floor. She grunted as she realized it was a weighted blanket and was surprisingly heavy. “I get that. Jesus f*ck. How many pounds is this?”

“Fifty!” Charlie answered helpfully.

Velvette picked up the blanket and waddled over to Alastor and Vox. Alastor and Velvette made direct eye contact before she dropped the blanket directly on Alastor.

“Ack!” Alastor grunted. He managed to shove the blanket off just enough for him to glare at Velvette and Charlie who were snickering.

Alastor opened his mouth to scold Velvette, but all three of them froze up when Vox let out a small noise. Vox murmured something but Charlie and Velvette couldn't hear it. Alastor's heart shattered when he heard Vox's words. “Please don't touch me. I don't want it.”

Alastor shoved the blanket off himself and shook Vox, a bit more violently than he should have. Vox jerked awake and stared directly into Alastor's worried gaze before he looked around the room and saw Charlie and Velvette’s worried expressions.

“Why the f*ck are you guys in here?” Vox demanded immediately. He tried to shove Alastor off him, but combined with Alastor's weight, the blanket, and just how weak he was, Vox was unsuccessful in his pitiful attempt.

“They already know we're together.” Alastor grunted when Vox shoved another hand in his face.

“Oh.” Vox immediately dropped his hands down to his side and seemed to zone out for a second before he pouted and made grabby hands towards Alastor. Alastor rolled his eyes but laid back down on Vox and pulled the heavy blanket over the two of them while Vox resumed his petting. “Well, welcome to our humble home.” Vox joked to the two ladies. He seemed surprisingly chipper for just being woken up by Alastor so abruptly after he had just fallen asleep, but Charlie and Velvette could figure out quite easily that he was having a nightmare.

There was no way in Hell or Heaven that Alastor would wake up Vox while he was in pain unless it was for something serious, and Charlie knew that Vox was plagued by nightmares. Sometimes she would wake up at three am to Vox screaming out. That was when he first joined though. Charlie could only assume that he finally managed to soundproof his own room, and Alastor’s room was already soundproof so Charlie mimicked that over to the new room.

Charlie and Velvette exchanged a glance before they both stepped into the room. Charlie shut the door behind her and watched awkwardly as Velvette crawled into the nest and laid right next to Vox.

Charlie hesitated for a second before she moved over to the other side of the bed and climbed in on the opposite side of the Vox. Alastor showed no signs of caring. Charlie breathed out a genuine sigh of relief and settled into the comfy bedding more.

Charlie felt so nervous to be with Alastor and Vox in their nest. Alastor was a rutting male for f*ck's sake! Only family was allowed in the nest and obviously Velvette was considered Vox's family.

At the same time, Alastor specifically asked her to fetch the items for Vox, under the guise it was for himself but still.

Charlie felt her eyes water a little bit as the realization slowly sunk in. Either Alastor or Vox considered her family and given her relationship with the two, there was a very high chance it Alastor who considered her family.

Her tears were interrupted when Alastor smacked her on the top of the head gently with his hand. “Don't you dare start crying. The bed doesn't need to be wet.” Alastor grumbled before he closed his eyes.

“Don't be mean.” Vox chided his partner gently. “Emotions are ass. Just because you are in control of them like all the f*cking time doesn't mean the rest of us are emotionless freaks.” Vox added with an eye roll.

Alastor opened one eye. “We wouldn't be dating if I was ‘emotionless’ like you're saying.” Alastor used air quotations as he spoke.

“Maybe this is some huge prank we’re pulling on everyone.” Vox snorted.

Velvette raised a brow and looked up from her phone. “I hope you know literally no one will ever believe that. Alastor killed Valentino and made it clear you were his. Even if this is some prank, look at how lovey dovey you two are now. It's definitely not fake.” Velvette added with a smirk. “You'll only be pranking yourselves.”

Alastor narrowed his eyes before he moved ever so slightly and shoved Velvette off the bed. She screamed as she fell to the floor and rubbed her ass as she sat up. “You lost bed privileges.” Alastor leaned over the side of the bed to grin down at her.

“You bitch!” Velvette pointed a finger at Alastor as she yelled. “I will take Vox privileges away from you!”

“Nope! Don't include me!” Vox held his hands up and avoided everyone's gaze.

“Hold on! I'll join you on the floor!” Charlie laughed. She kicked herself off the bed and summoned some pillows and blankets. She set them on the floor and sat down on them. It didn't take Velvette long to join her.

Velvette stuck her tongue out at Alastor. “Hah, get f*cked.” She grinned.

Alastor's eye twitched ever so slightly but Vox began to pet his partner's ears again with a low chuckle.

Alastor will deny it to his death bed that he completely melted into Vox's touch.

His Cher was having a bad day! It was only for Vox's sake. Definitely not because he craved his partner's touch.

He will not hesitate to attempt to murder Charlie and Velvette if they ever tell anyone.

Chapter 18: Day Seventeen

Chapter Text

Alastor let out a low growl as he pinned Vox's hands above his head. Vox was whimpering and writhing, it felt too hot. “Alastor!” Vox gasped out. “Mate!”

Alastor leaned into Vox's neck and inhaled his mate's scent. “Mine.” He muttered before he pressed kisses along Vox's neck.

Vox rolled his hips ever so slightly and began to pant. His eyes screwed shut.

Everything felt so hot, there was a warmth in his lower body and he just wanted Alastor to kiss him everywhere.

Vox's eyes shot open when he felt Alastor bite his shoulder. “Alastor, Baby, no.” Vox whimpered. “I'm not ready.”

A cold chuckle escaped Alastor before he pulled back and Vox’s eyes widened with horror. “I'm not your little boy toy.” Valentino's words shook Vox deep to his core.

“W-what?” Vox tried to pull his wrists away from him. The heat left his body and he was just left with terror and cold shivers. “Get off me!” Vox screamed as he tried to kick Valentino off of him. “Where's Alastor? What did you do? You're supposed to be dead!” Vox yelled.

“Alastor is where he belongs, in Cannibal Town. Unrecognizable and probably getting torn apart at this very second.” Valentino leaned forward and licked a stripe along Vox's face. “I just came to reclaim what's mine.” Valentino's fingertips danced along Vox's screen. His grin was wide, dangerous. “You didn't really think you could just kill me and be freed like that?” Valentino snapped his fingers as he spoke. “Voxxy, that isn't how Hell works.” Valentino purred. “You've always been mine, and deep down you know it.” Valentino ran his fingers down to Vox's stomach before using his other pair of arms to grab his hips. He pulled Vox flush against his pelvis and grinned when he felt Vox squirm.

“Now, now, Darling. You know I like it when you struggle.” It felt so disgusting to feel Valentino's hands. It felt so gross to hear his words.

Vox screwed his eyes shut. If he just went to sleep, this will all be over. He can wake up and be free from the clutches of this man.

Vox's eyes flew open when he felt Valentino wrap his hand around his throat. Vox's hands shot forward to grab Valentino's arm and he tried with all his might to push the man off, but he was double his size.

“Remember that you've done this to yourself.” Valentino leaned forward to Vox's mic and kissed it impossibly gently. “If only you were a good boy then none of this would happen.”

Oh Vox hated that more. He wanted to vomit and scream. He didn't like Valentino calling him a ‘good boy.’ It didn't make his body feel warm like when Alastor said it. It filled him with disgust and repulsion.

“Now, sit back and let me enjoy myself. You owe it to me.” Valentino purred. He licked Vox's neck before moving down to Vox's collarbone and nipping it gently.

Vox screwed his eyes shut. He just had to take it.

“Imagine if Alastor was here. He would think you're such a disgusting cheater. You're letting me do as I please. I always knew you never loved him. You will always miss me and crave my touch. You won't even let him bite you, yet here you are, letting me.” Valentino sunk his razor sharp teeth into Vox’s collarbone, which made the male cry out and kick at Valentino.

Valentino snarled and dug his fangs in deeper before he pulled back. He licked his lips and pressed two fingers against the bite. “Such a good boy.”

“No!” Vox sobbed. “I’m not a good boy! Don't call me that!”

Valentino chuckled darkly before he rolled his hips into Vox's. Vox could feel him, and it made him want to scream.

“Vox!” Valentino suddenly yelled. Vox flinched back at the loud noise, but his gaze widened when he felt Valentino shake him. “Vox! Wake up!”

What?

“Cher!” Valentino shouted again, this time he was shaking him even more violently.

Vox jerked awake and gasped sharply. It was pitch black and he couldn't register anything except for him being pulled into a hug.

He could feel a hand on his back and he could hear someone whispering reassurances into the side of his monitor.

Vox inhaled shakily before he slowly felt the body that was holding him. He ran his hands up higher until he found the head and could feel Alastor's soft hair and ears.

Vox slowly petted the ears before he screwed his eyes shut and a sob escaped his throat. He melted into Alastor’s touch and cried. “It was horrible! Valentino was there… he bit me! He touched me! He tried to choke me!” Vox babbled. “He said you were in Cannibal Town being eaten! He tried to- Alastor, he tried to hurt me!”

Vox could hear a low warning growl escape his partner’s throat and Vox vaguely registered the hand on his back leaving.

Vox squirmed in Alastor’s hold and managed to turn enough to see Velvette’s wide eyes staring back at him.

“Velvette?” Vox managed to croak out. That's right. Charlie retired back to her room but Velvette decided to stay the night. Velvette was stuck in the floor because Alastor refused to let her back in the nest so Vox had given her a lot of pillows and blankets. Alastor had wrapped his arms around Vox and pulled him against him while Vox was talking to Velvette. Alastor had fallen asleep first, then Velvette fell asleep on the floor and Vox fell asleep last.

Velvette managed to hold in her emotions well. Her eyes were a bit watery, but she kept a strong front on. No one knew what to say. It was dead silent except for Alastor's whispers.

Vox relaxed into Alastor's hold and closed his eyes. “I'm sorry if I woke you guys.” Vox apologized. “I didn't mean to.”

Velvette and Alastor exchanged a glance before Velvette spoke. “Vox, it's okay. Really.” Velvette laughed a bit but it was forced and sounded a bit fearful. “If anything I'm glad you woke us up. It sounds like it was horrifying.”

Alastor rubbed soothing circles along Vox's hips. “Don't ever apologize for waking us. I would rather be awoken than find out you had a nightmare. It must have felt so real. I'm sorry we didn't wake up sooner.”

Vox grabbed Alastor's hands and brought them up to his chest. Alastor raised a brow but didn't question the location change, he didn't want to rub circles on Vox's chest, so instead he just moved his thumbs in circles just below his mate's collarbone.

Vox didn't know what to say, and it seemed the other two felt the same way.

“Well, how about we get out of this room and go downstairs to the main room? We can eat some breakfast together. Maybe being around others is what you need!” Velvette suggested. “That way you aren't alone and you have everyone that cares about you surrounding you!”

Vox smiled weakly. “I would… like that.” Vox admitted. “Is it okay with you, Alastor?”

Alastor's eyes narrowed before he heaved a heavy sigh. “If it makes you feel better then sure.”

Vox raised his hand and patted Alastor's cheek. “Velvette, how about you go down and let everyone know we'll be joining them for breakfast? Alastor and I will catch up. I just want to… talk to Alastor about my dream.”

“Oh, of course! I understand! I'll see you down there, bitch!” Velvette waved to the two before she left them alone.

It was silent between the two. Alastor was still rubbing Vox gently as he waited for him to speak up. Vox on the other hand was fisting the sheets trying to figure out how to word his situation.

“It started…” Vox trailed off. “With you kissing me. It was great. I liked it, but then you went down to kiss my neck, then someone tried to bite me. When I said stop, Valentino spoke to me and you were completely gone. He bit me and told me I was a cheater and that he was going to reclaim what was his.” Vox screwed his eyes shut.

“I'm sorry.” Alastor nosed Vox's neck. Vox tilted his head to give him more room, which Alastor gave an appreciative hum for. Alastor kissed Vox's neck before sighing and resting his cheek along Vox's shoulder. “If Valentino was still alive and if he ever touched you like that, I would never consider you a cheater. Not unless you were intiating, but I know you would never.”

“Thank you.” Vox closed his eyes before he inhaled sharply. “I want you to bite me.”

“I beg your finest pardon?” Alastor's head jerked back.

“I want you to bite me.”

“No, no, no, I heard you the first time. Vox, just… why?” Alastor moved Vox’s screen so he could meet his eyes. “I thought we talked about this. Vox, you said you weren't ready for biting. You have a whole boundary for it.”

“I want a scar though, I want it to be there for me to remind me that Valentino is dead, that I'm yours and not his. I want it there so I can feel it and know I'm dreaming.” Vox explained to the best of ability. “I don't want this to be like some sex thing. I want it to be there for me to feel and know I’m safe even when I’m alone and scared. I want it to be there so I can dream and not be terrified of Valentino. The bite will remind me he’s dead and I have you, and if it’s not there, it will tell me if I’m dreaming or not.”

“You want me… to bite you so you can be grounded by it? Like a weird therapy thing?” Alastor tilted his head. He sounded so puzzled.

“I know we haven't told anyone we're dating, except apparently it's obvious, but regardless of that! I want to be yours and I want it on me.”

Alastor frowned, honest to God and he heaved another sigh. “Cher… I would love nothing more than to claim you, but you just had a nightmare, and from the sounds of it, it was a sexual nightmare. Are you positive you want to be claimed so soon after it? May I remind you, I would be biting your neck hard enough to make it bleed, to make it scar. It will hurt, and possibly make you feel things you don't want to feel. You told me that you associate biting with sex. You said you're not ready for sex and I don't want to have sex with you if you're not ready.”

Jesus f*ck, Alastor paying attention to his boundaries should not be this attractive. “I want this. I told you a while ago I would think on it, and honestly? I need this. I need the reminder, the pain. I need the love you would pour into the bite and I know you'll take care of me.”

Alastor closed his eyes for a second before his smile reappeared. He kissed Vox on the center of his screen and he pressed his forehead against Vox's. “Okay, a few things. We're going to see our friends soon, I will not be biting you right before we see them. If you still want me to bite you, we'll do it tonight.” Alastor told Vox. His gaze hardened and Alastor tightened his grip on Vox's shoulders before he continued. “Second, you need to understand this, I am coming out of rut, but doing this will send me back into the depths of my rut. My instincts will be overwhelming and the urge to protect you will be stronger than ever before. If you thought I was clingy before, then buckle in because this will be worse. You are officially becoming my mate, my partner. This is a big deal, Vox. You can't just regret this the next morning because there is no undo button.”

“Is this like marriage?” Vox asked.

“What? No. You can always leave if you don't want to be with me anymore, the scar is permanent and my instincts are too. If we do this, there is no possibility that my body will feel the need to care for Niffty during my rut, it will only want you.”

“Sounds like you get the worse end of the deal.” Vox frowned. “I still get the chance to leave and just walk away with a scar and you're stuck with instincts forever?”

“I don't ever want another partner. In all my years of living and death, you are the only one for me, I'm willing to live with this choice. I understand you aren't as… picky as I am with partners and might fall bored with my inexperience.”

“Hold on! I never said I planned on leaving you. You're the only one for me. I was just… going to ask if you were okay with such a situation? It sounds like it'll suck for you, like you're trapped and I basically get away scot free. How do you even know what would happen?”

“I don't.” Alastor closed his eyes and sighed. “I don't know if this stuff will happen, I just need to warn you that it will most likely happen, and I'm not trapped.” He added with a frown. “This is a choice we are making as adults. I appreciate the worry, but trust me, I’m okay with this arrangement and possibility. We wouldn't be talking about it if I wasn't.”

“So… I get my hot partner to bite me, he leaves a scar. He picks me permanently as his rut partner, he might accidentally go back into rut while I'm recovering, and basically I will be his forever? f*cking hell, Alastor. That sounds better than anything.” Vox leaned forward and grabbed Alastor's hands. He guided them down to his hips and he carefully planted himself in Alastor's lap. “So is this like some werewolf sh*t?”

“What?” Alastor was so adorable when he was showing openly how confused he was.

“Like you know, biting them to claim their mate and f*cking senseless to solidify the bond?” Vox laughed a bit as he explained. “It's a whole thing. There are heats and ruts, knots too.”

“What do you watch?”

“Read, actually. They're usually books, but as the media demon, I need to be aware of all things happening in the media. You can laugh and bully me all you want, but this sounds like some werewolf sh*t.”

“Biting you isn't a ‘deer’ thing though. This has nothing to do with rut, it will probably affect my rut, it’s correlation not causation.” Alastor chuckled a bit as he spoke. “This is something I want to do to you and you want as well.”

Vox stared at Alastor for a second before his face flashed a bright red. “Holy sh*t. This is your kink. I'm indulging in your kink and by doing so- oh f*ck. This is- oh f*ck. This is a kink thing.”

Alastor tilted his head innocently. “Isn't this technically your kink?” Alastor asked with a devilish grin.

“Nope, na-da! We're not pointing this at me! Asexual people can have kinks?”

Alastor looked more irritated by that statement and he heaved a long sigh. “I still don't know what that means.” Alastor pointed out dryly. “I'm not immune to sexual urges, Vox. I just lack them most of the time. I can still find things… intriguing.”

This whole time he thought this was a rut thing! Of course this was something Alastor was genuinely into! He even said that they could discuss it after his rut! That was the first sign! That's why he was so hesitant and didn't want to mark Vox until they were dating, this is something he wanted to share with a partner! Oh God It all made sense now.

“Okay, but why do you think biting me will make your instincts go crazy?” Vox asked. He needed Alastor to explain everything to him. “Actually wait, start from the beginning. What are your instincts and what are you into?”

“Ah, well… biting is an instinct, well nipping I guess would be the better term for it. I nip to… express dominance during my rut.”

“Wait, you've been trying to dominate me?”

Alastor cringed a bit and lowered his head and looked away from Vox. “Unfortunately I have. I can't help it.”

“Hey, Baby, don't look away from me. We're talking about this now. I don't think I'm aware of how much of your instincts are in play and how much it's because you want to. All the nips make sense now. I was wondering why I had to keep reminding you to not bite me, especially when your mind is clear like it is now and you're perfectly aware of that boundary. It's because it's your instinct and I'm not going to fault you for that.” Vox forced Alastor to stare into his eyes. The buck seemed a bit bashful and his ears were low. His face was red but Vox knew he was likely embarrassed from the conversation.

“Is my indulging of your kink basically stating I will be your breeding partner? I remember asking you like last week if you get sexually frustrated, you haven't confirmed or denied it yet.”

A squeak left Alastor and he buried his face in Vox's shoulder. Vox couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. So this is how to fluster Alastor.

“I… yes. By letting me bite you, it's the start of a deep rabbit hole. Rut is typically about breeding for deer so it would open that possibility. I don't usually get sexually frustrated though, or even sexually interested in anyone, but a few nights ago I found myself rather… curious about you. I didn't do anything of course, I would never forgive myself if I did.”

Vox narrowed his eyes slightly and stiffened up a bit. “Were you feeling curious the night we were talking about safewords? You were interested in my dreams and kept kissing my neck, and you even licked my lips!”

Alastor's face flushed an even darker shade of red. Oh busted. “I…” Alastor stammered a bit.

Vox couldn't help but feel a bit bad. “Did… I make you stop?”

“No, of course not. I stopped because I didn't feel comfortable pushing you. Our relationship is new, Vox. You told me you aren't ready for anything like that for a while yet.” Alastor laughed. “I'm not going to force your hand. Stop feeling bad. What was it you said? ‘I'm a big boy, I can handle all my urges myself’? I can do the same.”

Vox leaned forward and captured Alastor's lips in his own and was pleased when he felt Alastor kiss back.

Vox pushed Alastor a bit and continued to kiss his partner as he fell back against their bed. Vox sat on Alastor's stomach and continued his assault on his mate's lips.

Alastor's hands grasped Vox's thighs and Vox grunted a bit when he felt Alastor's claws dig into them. This felt way better than anything he ever did with Valentino.

When the two finally separated, Vox blushed a bit when he saw Alastor's lips were a bit red and puffy. Jesus christ.

“We shouldn't continue this.” Alastor hummed. “We have to go downstairs and meet our friends.” Alastor patted Vox's thighs and chuckled. “Get off me so I can make myself look presentable. We don't want everyone to find out we're dating by how disheveled we look.” Before Vox could get off of Alastor, he yelped when Alastor pulled him in close by the back of his neck and whispered into the side of his screen. “Besides, if you're still interested, we're going to have tonight to do whatever you want.”

Vox's face turned a bright pink as Alastor let go of him and gave him a mischievous smirk. Alastor may be asexual, but f*ck. He knew exactly what he was doing.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“Took you f*cking long enough.” Velvette scoffed as Vox and Alastor finally came downstairs. “We were about to send someone to burst down the door and see what was taking you both.” Velvette was sitting at the table with her phone in her hand, taking pictures of the food that Niffty had prepared. She stopped her endeavors for a second to look up and stare directly at Alastor and Vox. Her eyes narrowed and she pointed a finger at the two. “What took you guys so long?”

Alastor stepped in front of Vox quickly to hide his face before he turned bright pink. Alastor answered the question easily. “Vox and I were discussing what steps he wanted to take in case a dream like that ever happened again.” Alastor waved his hand as he lied. “Nothing to worry about. Apologies if we took longer than anticipated.”

Velvette looked directly at Alastor's lips and grinned knowingly. “Apology accepted!” She shoved her phone in her pocket and turned her head to shout into the kitchen. “Alastor and Vox are here now! Get your sorry asses in the dining room!”

Alastor walked over to where his chair was at the end of the table and frowned before he waved his hand, magic poured from the palm of his hand and his chair grew wider. Alastor pulled the bench back and beckoned for Vox to sit down, which he did gleefully. Alastor pushed the chair in before he melted into the shadows and reappeared right beside Vox.

As soon as they two got comfortable, Niffty zipped over and dropped two plates of pancakes before them. Alastor's plate had a lot of bacon and sausages on it, while Vox's was a lot lighter and only had a few pieces of bacon on it. Vox stared at his plate for a second before frowning. He wanted more, but he wasn't going to say sh*t. Vox rubbed his hands together anxiously and watched as the rest of the hotel members lumbered their way over.

Charlie and Vaggie were excitedly chatting until they met the gaze of Vox and Alastor. Charlie waved to them happily while Vaggie narrowed her eye. Charlie took her seat at the opposite end of the tablet while Vaggie sat to her right. Niffty quickly served them their plates as well.

Next came Husk who was walking hand-in-hand with Angel. In Husk's free hand was a bottle of alcohol he had swiped out of the bar.

Husk and Angel took their seats beside one another, right beside Vaggie. Angel waves to Vox with a large grin. Vox waved awkwardly back but he couldn't help the smile that fought its way to his face.

Niffty served them their plates before she quickly got her own plate and sat down beside Velvette. “I already fed Vark!” Niffty told Vox cheerfully. “He's in his tank sleeping off his full tummy.”

“Thank you, Niffty.” Vox bowed his head slightly. “I greatly appreciate it. I haven't really been able to care for Vark lately, so it means a lot to me that you and Vaggie have been taking care of him.” Vox turned his head to Vaggie and dipped his head to her as well. “Thank you.”

Vaggie's eye widened a bit before her gaze softened and she let a rare genuine smile cross over her face. “You're welcome.”

Charlie was bouncing her leg and staring expectantly at Alastor and Vox. She was trying so hard to act normal, but she was failing. It never occurred to the two that Charlie would be bad at keeping secrets.

Angel and Velvette casted Charlie a warning glance, trying to tell her she was doing a bad job at hiding what she knew.

Alastor clapped his hands together and looked at Vox. Vox turned to stare at his mate and watched him carefully as Alastor's ear flicked in the direction of Charlie.

Vox blushed a bit and nodded his head.

Alastor turned his attention to Charlie and his smile grew. “Charlie, dear. You seem positively excited. Is there something special you wish to share with your friends?” Alastor clasped his hands together and rested them under his chin as he rested his elbows on the table. “Perhaps some news about two people in particular?”

With the green flag given to Charlie, she stood up abruptly and clapped her hands together as she hopped in place before squealing. “Vox and Alastor are dating!” Charlie announced to everyone, pointing excitedly at the couple.

Husk and Vaggie's jaws dropped in shock while Niffty squealed with excitement and ran over the table to hug Vox and Alastor. “Congratulations!” Niffty yelled. “I knew it was coming! I didn't realize it was so soon though! Oh let me see the bracelet!” Niffty grabbed Vox's hand and examined it before frowning and dropping it and grabbing his other wrist. “Oh here it is!” Niffty exclaimed as she examined it. “It's beautiful! It looks amazing on you! Alastor really outdid himself. It matches you beautifully!’ Niffty held up Vox’s arm to show the table the bracelet. “Look what Alastor made!”

“Made?” Husk coughed. “You mean- how long were you planning on asking him out? That looks like it took a lot of time.”

Alastor wrapped an arm around Vox's shoulders and pulled him in close. “I've been planning for quite a while now, dear Husker.”

Charlie, Velvette, and Niffty all let out an ‘aw’ at the sight of Alastor being touchy.

“So… does that mean we get to see you be all cuddly with Vox now?” Angel asked with a grin. “The Great Alastor has been wooed by love and now craves his boyfriend’s attention.”

Alastor narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to make a retort, but Charlie beat him to it.

“Actually Alastor prefers the term 'partner,’” Charlie told Angel with a slight frown, “and so what if he does? Vox is his partner and we shouldn't shame Alastor for wanting to be close to his partner.”

“Hey now!” Angel held up all four of his hands in surrender. “I'm not trying to shame him. It’s just that Alastor isn't exactly the most… affectionate person out there, and here he is. At our table, one arm wrapped around Vox. I'm just curious. I'm sorry for calling Vox your boyfriend and not your partner.” Angel added to Alastor. “I didn't realize you had a preference.”

Alastor's eyes narrowed. “It's fine.” Alastor responded curtly. “As for your inquiry, what I do with Vox is none of your business. However, my feelings towards other people touching me haven't changed.” He added with a warning growl to Angel. “I'll finish that job with your wrist if you feel the need to test your boundaries.”

Vox laughed awkwardly and planted a hand on Alastor's chest and pushed his partner down a bit. “Take it easy.” Vox murmured to Alastor. “They're all just uncertain. They don't want me to get hurt or freaking out because you touched me.”

Vaggie watched in astonishment as Vox's words actually succeeded in calming down the overlord. “What the f*ck!” Vaggie yelled. “You mean we've had to tolerate this piece of sh*t talking down to us for months when we could have just…” Vaggie's voice trailed off as she tried to think of what to say.

“Get him laid?” Angel suggested.

“Let him kill Valentino sooner?” Velvette said at the exact same time. The two exchanged a glance before they shrugged and turned their attention back to their phones and meals.

Husk seemed a lot more frustrated by this announcement than anyone else, but he held his tongue. The warning glares that Alastor was sending him was enough for the cat to hold his tongue. Alastor would not take kindly to Husk daring to suggest that Alastor was taking advantage of Vox, even if the timing was suspicious. Husk could only hope that Alastor's feelings were genuine, but in all the years that Husk has known him- Alastor has never fallen in love or in lust with another sinner. Vox typically annoyed Alastor and Alastor had many scrapped plans to hurt the fellow male.

Come to think of it, in the past year Alastor hasn't complained about Vox at all though and he was always listening to Vox and his smile always seemed more genuine whenever Vox spoke. Husk's ears lowered a bit and he leaned forward a bit to get a proper look at the new couple.

Vox was proudly showing off the bracelet to Niffth who was giddily telling everyone the pictures in the locket. Alastor's arm was still around Vox's shoulder and Husk could tell that the two were pressed right against one another. Vox was leaning against Alastor's chest slightly and he seemed so relaxed against the buck. Alastor knew the other hand was only slightly tensed. He was the one who initiated the touch and had pulled Vox close to him. One of Alastor's ears was tilted toward Vox, listening to his mate speak at all times. Alastor's grin seemed softer, more genuine, and his eyes were hooded slightly. He seemed so relaxed instead of being tense.

Husk watched as Vox grabbed a piece of bacon off his own plate and nibbled on it. When his attention was not on Alastor or the plate in front of him, Husk's jaw dropped. Alastor had carefully grabbed some bacon off his own plate and placed it on Vox's. Alastor never shared his food! Husk turned his attention over to the other end of the table and Vaggie met his gaze with an open jaw as well. They had both seen that Alastor had just shared his food. Alastor and sharing his food was unheard of! Alastor hated sharing his food! Husk had watched the male swallow piles of food if someone even pretended to try and take some of it, and then Alastor would eat the hand of whoever thought they were a comedian.

Husk managed to close his mouth and smiled genuinely at Vaggie and dipped his head. Alastor's feelings for Vox were genuine enough.

Vaggie seemed eased by Husk's conformation and relaxed. She could enjoy her breakfast without threatening Alastor.

The chatter continued on as Niffty tried to get details from Vox. “How did you two get together? Oh! Who confessed? Was it you? Wait no! I bet it was Alastor! Have you two kissed yet? What about sex? Did you two have sex yet?”

“Niffty!” Vox exclaimed. His face was deep red and he tried to hide himself in Alastor’s chest.

Alastor chuckled and patted the top of Vox's screen. “Niffty, those are rather invasive.” Alastor chided his daughter gently. “However, to answer your questions, I confessed first. Yes, we have kissed, and no. We haven't had sex yet.”

“Oh! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Niffty chanted. “I gotta see it! I bet you two look absolutely adorable.”

“Niffty, dear, that's impolite to ask for, especially at breakfast.” Alastor patted Niffty on the head.

“Alastor's right.” Vaggie nodded before she froze up. “Oh I don't like that. agreeing with Alastor doesn't feel right.” She turned her attention to Charlie, her brows furrowed. “Am I ill?”

Charlie pressed her hand against Vaggie's forehead and shook her head. “No. You feel fine.”

Vaggie shivered a bit and sighed. “This feels so weird, but I will stand by what he said. Niffty, don't ask people to kiss at the table!”

“Can I ask once we leave the table?” Niffty asked with an innocent head tilt.

“You may never ask!” Alastor exclaimed. “We will kiss if we feel like it!”

“I need to know how Vox kisses though! For science!”

“I specifically said you were not allowed to draw or write any of your ideas on Vox. You have no need for science.” Alastor narrowed his eyes.

Niffty pouted and crossed her arms. “Not fair!” She complained.

Vox blushed even more and wrapped his arms around Alastor's waist as he tried to hide himself even more. “Please stop this conversation.” He begged.

“Niffty, darling, please sit down and eat your breakfast.” Alastor patted his mate's head gently. “You're making Vox uncomfortable.”

Niffty gasped out and covered her mouth “I'm so sorry, Vox! I was so caught up in the moment! I won't let it happen again.” She apologized.

“I forgive you.” Vox mumbled. “Please though, stop it.”

Niffty pouted and hopped off the table. She rushed back to her seat and sat down.

The table was dead silent as they watched Vox cuddle into Alastor. They were waiting for the moment where Alastor would snap at Vox and jerk away. Well, everyone except Charlie and Velvette. They knew how much Vox and Alastor liked each other's comfort.

Charlie clanked her fork against her plane and coughed a bit as a warning to everyone, Husk averted his gaze quickly and tugged Angel's arm to make him look away.

“Stop staring!” Alastor growled. His ears pressed flat against his head. His smile was still plastered on his face and his grip tightened on Vox.

Vaggie coughed and looked away immediately while Velvette's eyes widened ever so slightly as she scrolled quicker through the internet.

Niffty's grin just widened before she looked down at her plate.

Vox finally looked up and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized no one was paying him any attention. His screen was still bright red and he refused to let go of Alastor's waist.

Alastor was still glaring at everyone still, making sure no one looked their way so Vox could eat in peace.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Alastor looked up from his book again as he heard Velvette shout. “How do you keep cheating? What the f*ck is this sh*t!”

Vox, Velvette, and Charlie were playing board games, specifically ‘The Game of Death’. It appeared that Vox was winning, much to Velvette's dismay.

Alastor was seated in his chair with a book in hand whilst Vaggie was on the couch, reading over a few different ideas for the hotel. Husk and Angel were talking, ahem- flirting, over by the bar and Niffty was playing with Keekee, Fat Nuggets, and Vark.

Vark was overjoyed to be reunited with Vox again. The shark wasn't even dry from his tank visit when he pounced on Vox. Vox was wet, so Alastor had used his powers quickly to swap Vox's clothes. Alastor may or may not have put Vox in his clothes, and when Velvette gave him a smirk, Alastor had argued it was all they had that was clean.

Niffty was mortified and had rushed to do the laundry immediately. She was in disbelief! Was she really slacking in her job? Once Alastor realized that Niffty had run off, he sent his shadow to dirty all of Vox’s clean clothes. No way was he about to have Niffty return and announce to everyone that Vox had plenty of clothes, Alastor just decided to pick his own.

“You can't cheat in this game unless you're the banker and I'm not! Charlie is!” Vox's voice brought Alastor back to the present and he looked down at his mate with mild amusem*nt.

“You used your powers to trick us!” Velvette countered. “You have hypnosis! It's all fair game to you! You just flash your eye and tell us to get f*cked and boom! It's over!” Velvette snapped her fingers as she spoke.

Vox and Charlie exchanged an exhausted look before they both returned their attention to Velvette. “I did no such thing!” Vox objected.

“Yeah, that would be really uncool of him.” Charlie added as she rubbed her arm. “Vox, you didn't uh, use your powers, right?”

“He didn't!” Niffty and Angel answered at the exact same time.

“He would have to use them on all of us to guarantee that he gets away with it.” Angel explained to Charlie with a grin. “One of us would notice, or he would have to have us all face him and Alastor's had his nose in that book all day.”

“Don't bring me into this!” Alastor grumbled. “I'm just reading. Nothing wrong with that, right?” He added with narrowed eyes.

Angel threw his arms in the air and winked at Alastor. “Nothing wrong with that, just thought you'd be watching your man closely.”

“Vox is fine. I don't need to watch him.” Alastor shrugged before returning to his book for a second. Alastor lowered his book once more and narrowed his eyes at Angel. “Unless you feel the need to get too friendly with him?” Alastor growled out. “In which case, I’ll gladly break your spine.”

Vaggie jumped up to her feet, her wings flared as she did so. “Okay, chill the f*ck out, Alastor. No one is going to flirt with Vox. Angel, Vox is taken. No flirting.” Vaggie pointed a finger at both Alastor and Angel as she spoke. Her tone was cold and her eye was narrowed.

Charlie stood up and wrapped her arms around Vaggie before she kissed her cheek. “Relax, Vaggie!” Charlie giggled. “Everyone is just so happy for Alastor and Vox, and Alastor is just feeling a bit overprotective.”

Vaggie smiled softly at her girlfriend and grabbed her hand. “I know. I just would rather Alastor not feel… threatened.” Vaggie whispered the last part to Charlie who frowned before her eyes lit up with realization.

“Oh. I don't think you need to worry about that.” Charlie whispered back. “Alastor knows Vox only wants him.”

“Alastor is a rutting male.” Vaggie deadpanned.

“Oh yeah.”

“You know I can hear you, right?” Charlie and Vaggie jumped when Alastor appeared right behind them. He threw his arms over their shoulders and leaned in close. “These ears aren't for show.” Alastor flicked one of his ears as he spoke. “They do work.”

Charlie laughed nervously while Vaggie rolled her eyes before shoving Alastor's arm off her.

“This is horse sh*t!” Velvette shouted suddenly. “This game is a scam!”

Everyone turned to stare at the girl, including all the animals.

Velvette was holding a card with narrowed eyes. “Why the f*ck are my taxes so high? We're in Hell! The person who made this sh*tty game probably evaded their taxes! Seventy thousand dollars in taxes is outrageous! My salary is only a hundred ten thousand. That leaves me with forty thousand dollars! For a year's salary. What a scam. Who made this game? I'm going to f*cking kill them.” Velvette leaned over the board game to grab the box, but Vox was faster and snatched it away.

“No murdering!” Vox yelled. “The person who made this probably already got murdered seventy times and who knows! He might have been exterminated.”

“I will make sure he is exterminated.” Velvette's eyes glowed red for a second as she stared deep into Vox's eyes.

The two smiled before bursting into laughter.

Charlie seemed only mildly disturbed, her smile was nervous as she moved back to the floor. “Maybe that's enough of the board games.” She laughed.

“Yeah, whatever.” Velvette waved her hand once she caught her breath. “I have to go soon and put on a show for everyone. It's my most anticipated show because Valentino is gone. Everyone wants to see how we're going to be without him.” Velvette got up to her feet and checked her phone before grinning. “Papermint says ‘hi’ by the way.”

“Tell him I say ‘hi’ back.” Vox told Velvette as he moved over to Alastor and grabbed his mate's book before shoving Alastor over and sitting beside him. It was a snug fit, but neither Vox ‘nor Alastor cared.

“I'll tell him you called him a bitch.” Velvette decided. Velvette dusted herself off and smiled at Charlie. “Thank you for letting me spend the night. I appreciate it.”

“Oh of course! Everyone is welcomed here!” Charlie smiled back. “If you know any sinners looking for redemption, could you send them my way?”

“I suppose. You are taking care of Vox and Vark. I don't really know anyone but I can ask.” Velvette shrugged.

“Sounds good! Thank you Velvette!” Charlie and Velvette left the room, Charlie probably leading Velvette to the front door.

“Would you like to retire to our room?” Alastor whispered to Vox.

“Oh, yes please.” Vox leaned into Alastor. “I'm getting a bit tired honestly.”

“You've had a long night and interacting with your friends is exhausting.” Alastor hummed. He patted Vox's thigh and watched as his mate jumped up to his feet.

“We're going to call it a day.” Vox told the others. “It was nice to hang out with you all.”

Husk waved at Vox before pouring another drink, Niffty used both hands and waved at the couple. “Don't worry! I'll take good care of Vark.” She told Vox with a wide grin.

“I’ll… take care of Vark tonight.” Vaggie told Vox. “I worry she might be distracted with her fan works tonight.” She added under her breath.

“Thanks.” Vox whispered back.

Just as the two were leaving, they heard Angel shout. “Use protection!”

Vox shot a small bolt of electricity that totally f*cked up Angel's fur at that comment.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“That was not how I hoped our announcement would go.” Alastor sighed. “I'm terribly sorry about Niffty.” Alastor led Vox to their bed and sat him down. Alastor sat down next to Vox and held his mate's hand.

“You're talking about breakfast, right? It's okay, Alastor.” Vox reassured his partner with a smile. “You already warned me about Niffty's habits, I kind of expected her to be a bit weird.”

“So, what's your answer, Vox?” Alastor couldn't help but ask. His heart was thumping and he was nervous.

“What? Oh, about the bite?” Vox looked at Alastor and grinned. “Yes. I still want it. Seeing how protective you got over me in front of everyone made me realize how good of a choice you are for my partner.”

“You're not bothered?” Alastor tilted his head and his brows furrowed. “About this not being a instinct thing?”

“Why would I be bothered? Valentino had way worse sh*t he was into. Honestly, you being into biting is very unsurprising.”

“Vox, I need you to actually think about this.” Alastor tried again. “I don't want this to be about me and what I like. I need you to stop. Think about whether or not you want this. Don't think about pleasing me in any way. Just think about the effect this will have on you, mentally.”

“You're trying to change my mind.” Vox narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because…”

“Because I said I'm not ready for sex?” Vox asked. He stood up abruptly and pushed Alastor into the bed so he was laying on his back. Vox stood over him and pointed a finger at Alastor. “Don't you start this sh*t with me. Don't you dare tell me what I want and don't want.”

“That's not what I'm trying to do!” Alastor put his hands up in surrender. “I don't mean to make this challenging on you Or anything of the sorts! Vox, I don't want to take advantage of you!”

Vox stared at Alastor for a second before he deflated a bit. He didn't have the energy in him to be mad. “Alastor… you won't be taking advantage of me.” Vox whispered before sitting back down on the edge of the bed. Alastor made no move to get up, he just watched Vox carefully. “I'm not even on any birth control anymore. I need to take birth control again before we do anything like that. I just want this for my own sake though. I want this to be our unique thing.”

Alastor closed his eyes before finally nodding his head. “Okay. Where do you want it?”

“Oh, dealer's choice. Maybe somewhere I can hide most of it with clothes though. Just while it's healing and for work reasons.” Vox pulled Alastor up so he was sitting now and straddled his mate's lap.

Alastor inhaled deeply before he leaned forward and kissed Vox gently on the lips.

Vox whimpered into the kiss and pressed against Alastor. His claws dug into his partner's shoulders as he returned the kiss enthusiastically, both their eyes fluttering shut.

It was so soft, Alastor made no attempts to deepen the kiss or touch him, but Vox wanted more. Vox licked the seam of Alastor’s lips and he actually got a bit giddy when Alastor opened his lips. Okay, Alastor said he wasn't a fan at the idea of their tongues touching, but he did want to hear Vox make noises. Vox attempted to slip his tongue into Alastor's mouth but gasped into the kiss when Alastor closed his mouth around Vox's tongue. Alastor's teeth grazed along Vox's tongue and it made him shiver and whine into Alastor's mouth as his mate sucked on his tongue lazily. Heat pooled in Vox’s abdomen and he could feel himself start to squirm a bit. His hands shot down to bed and he grasped the covers in hopes of grounding himself a bit. His face was bright red and Vox couldn't help but melt into Alastor’s body.

Alastor let go of Vox's tongue and he pulled his head back sharply, gasping ever so slightly. A thin trail of saliva was connecting them, but he broke when Vox moved his head.

“What the f*ck was that?” Vox managed to gasp out.

Alastor just shrugged in response and moved Vox's body a bit higher. Vox let go of the sheets and threw his arms around Alastor’s neck. “Are you sure you still want to do this?” Alastor asked, his brows furrowed slightly as he spoke. His face was dusted with a light red.

Vox let his body get pulled around, but he froze for a second before he nodded his head. “Yes.” Vox confirmed. “I want this. I want you.”

Alastor's gaze darkened for a second and his pupils grew a bit before he blinked it away and gulped. Alastor slapped a hand over his nose and shivered a bit. Vox blushed a bit but he wasn't going to back down. He felt so safe, even if it was very soon. He’s known Alastor for years and he could trust him. Falling in bed with Alastor felt great, being loved and adored by him felt amazing.

Alastor kissed Vox’s cheek before he trailed down to Vox’s throat, then to the side of his neck. Alastor froze up as he stared at the skin. Alastor screwed his eyes shut before he pulled back. His ears were pressed flat and his grip tightened on Vox.

Vox could recognize the signs of someone getting overwhelmed a while away. Vox’s heart broke a little at the sight of his strong, powerful partner moving away. Vox managed to get Alastor to let go of his hips. He got off of Alastor as soon as Alastor let go him and sat down on the bed beside him. “Hey, no, Baby. We don't have to do this if you're not ready.” Vox hesitantly reached a hand out but didn't touch Alastor. If he was freaked out or overwhelmed he might not want the touch. Whatever heat that had pooled in Vox’s stomach was gone in an instant at the sight of his partner being distressed.

Alastor kept his eyes closed for a minute before he opened them. He stared at Vox with wide eyes, his breath a bit shaky. Why was Vox comforting him? Vox was the one with past trauma, not Alastor! This was stupid. If Vox was ready, why wasn't he? Alastor whimpered a bit before blinking rapidly, shaking his head ever so slightly as he tried to get rid of the bad thoughts that were plaguing his mind.

Vox didn’t think it was stupid, Vox didn't care. Vox knows how hard it is to put yourself out there and to be consumed by thoughts and worries right when you're trying to perform. Even celebrities get stage fright sometimes, there is nothing wrong with a bit of performance anxiety, especially when you're trying something new. Vox pulled his hand back and scooted off the nest. A distressed noise escaped Alastor at the sight of his mate moving away. He leaned to the side a bit to see Vox picking up some of the blankets and pillows off the floor. Comfort was important if someone was going through a hard time! Vox returned to Alastor quickly and wrapped his mate up in the blankets before removing his own shirt and handing it to Alastor who took it shakily and hugged it tightly.

“We did a lot of new things today, Alastor.” Vox smiled as he sat back down on the bed. “If you ever need a break, you just need to tell me. I'm sorry if I pushed you.”

“It’s okay.” Alastor whispered. “I felt fine. I wanted to do it, but as soon as the moment came, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I just felt so many feelings and thought so many different things. I… I can't describe it.”

“I can.” Vox smoothed the wrinkles on the blankets that were covering Alastor before he smiled. “You did too much in one day. You were running on that adrenaline and it all crashed on you suddenly. All your worries and fears came rushing back in that moment and you froze up.”

“I feel awful. I… you wanted this so badly.” Alastor whispered.

“I did, but I want you to be comfortable. Tell you what. My answer hasn't changed at all. I still want you to be my partner and I still want that scar, but we'll do it at your pace. You're not ready, and that's okay. We might try again several times before it finally happens, but this is new to you. All these feelings and thoughts are new. You're allowed to be intimidated and scared, I'm not going to judge you for that.” Vox reassured Alastor. “Two steps forward and one step back.”

Alastor fell silent before he managed to wiggle his way out of the covers and opened his arms. “I want my mate.” He whimpered.

Vox knew what he wanted. Physical reassurance. Whenever he was yelled at by Valentino, he always wanted it. Vox shook the thought out of his head and crawled on top of Alastor. He chuckled a bit when Alastor threw some of the covers over his body and hugged him tightly.

Vox gently patted Alastor's hair as he closed his eyes. He needed to slow down a bit. Vox knew that. He had all the time in Hell now, and was with someone completely out of their comfort zone. With Valentino it was always do, do, do. There was no stopping and no thinking , but with Alastor he needed to stop and think. Alastor has been so patient with him and it was only fair Vox returns the favour. He was proud of himself for recognizing that Alastor wasn't okay before he had to say the safeword, but he felt so bad for pushing Alastor to that point.

Did he make Alastor feel uncomfortable by pointing out it was some weird kink earlier? Did he make Alastor feel weird because he got frustrated?

“Alastor?”

“Hm?”

“I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

“For making you feel pressured.”

“I never said I felt pressured. I didn't feel pressured at all. I felt… scared I was going to react in a way you weren't ready for.” Alastor's words madd Vox raise his head sleepily and stare into Alastor's half-lidded gaze. “I don't need my hand held, Vox.” Alastor gently ran his thumb over Vox's knuckles. “I know I want to be with you, but this is a step that I worry might be too soon. I don't know how my instincts will react and that scares me. I find you beautiful, and I'm lucky you want to be mine, but what will my instincts decide when we cross that bridge?”

“No matter what happens with your instincts, I want to be the person holding your hand. I'm just… Alastor, am I moving too fast?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Each couple is different. Some take years, others only take days. We've known each other for years, we're rut partners and have been locked in a room together for two weeks and we only just started dating. Our relationship is a bit strange, and it would make sense that we move faster than most couples. We've already passed the ‘talking’ stage and the ‘getting to know each other’ stage.” Alastor hummed. “If you were moving too fast I would have let you know by now. You're doing alright, Vox. I just need a bit more time for myself to catch up. I want you as much as you want me, but I'm… always going to be a bit more worried than you.” Alastor added softly. “I logically know that you don't need me to hold your hand and second guess everything, but I value your comfort and safety more than anything else. You're still plagued by nightmares of that moth, and I worry that I might accidentally remind you of him.”

“You won't.” Vox reassured Alastor. “You're a serial killer, not a monster.” He couldn't help but joke a bit. “You haven't done a single thing that made me feel unsafe. I want you to indulge in your own feelings because I know you care about me more than anything. I trust you and I don't mind you exploring your own feelings with me, so long as I'm conscious and can oppose or approve of it, then go wild. Alasor, you can even nip me if you want, just to get used to the feeling.”

Alastor narrowed his eyes slightly and scooted upwards so he was in a sitting position. Vox watched his movements carefully and tilted his head slightly. Alastor leaned in and pressed a kiss to Vox's collarbone before he gave it a gentle nip. There was no pain and honestly, Vox could barely feel his mate's teeth against his skin. Alastor pulled back and stared at Vox who just smiled. “Oh no. I've been dominated.” He teased Alastor, bringing up their earlier conversation.

Alastor rolled his eyes affectionately but pulled him in close and breathed in his scent. He was relaxed, calm. There was no arousal smell or any signs of distress. Vox was comfortable. Alastor nipped his throat this time, a small whimper escaped Vox's throat and Vox began to bounce his leg a bit.

“I… don't mind it on my throat, but maybe not there please?” Vox screwed his eyes shut. “I… used to get choked, he choked me in my dream. Even though I don't really need to breathe, I don't like the suffocating feeling.”

“Of course. I would never try to make you feel uncomfortable, Mon Cher. Your throat is off limits.” Alastor ran his hands up Vox’s side as he spoke. Alastor didn't really care where he nipped his mate. His instincts were happy. He's showing his dominance and his mate is accepting it. He's accepting the lower rank, he's accepting that Alastor ranks above him.

Instincts were f*cking weird as sh*t.

Vox closed his eyes again and inhaled sharply. “Thank you, Alastor. I appreciate it.”

“Anytime, Mon Cher. Anytime. Thank you for being here with me.”

Chapter 19: Day Eighteen

Chapter Text

Vox laughed a bit as he felt arms wrap around his waist. “What are you doing?” Vox chuckled. He dropped his book on the couch and grabbed Alastor's hands.

“Sneaking up on my mate.” Alastor purred, his teeth grazed Vox’s shoulder a bit as he spoke. Vox shivered and leaned back. “He was just standing in this room, looking absolutely beautiful, might I add.”

“You want something.” Vox laughed, but his laughter turned into a shriek when Alastor hosted up Vox. Vox curled his legs in on himself and tried to crumple in on himself.

“I do want something. I want you to keep wearing my clothes.” Alastor growled into Vox’s neck before dropping him on the couch. Vox shoved his hand under his back and pulled out the book he just landed on and threw it to the floor. “They look good on you.”

“I look good in just about anything.” Vox grinned. “Your clothes are pretty nice though.”

“I wouldn't go as far to say you look good in anything.” Alastor wrinkled his nose slightly. “Some of the outfits you wear are horrendous.”

Vox blushed a bit and looked away from Alastor and pouted a bit. “If you're going to bully me I will withhold kisses and cuddles.”

It was Alastor's turn to pout. “Now hang on. No need to be so harsh.” Alastor leaned over Vox and tilted his head. “I'm a very good partner, aren't I? It's not my fault you have bad taste in clothes.”

Vox turned his head to glare at Alastor. “My tastes are fine.” He argued.

“Velvette is the only reason for that.” Alastor snorted in mild amusem*nt. “That girl is really working overtime.”

“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, Alastor? Is it okay if Vark comes over for the day? I've been missing him.” Vox quickly steered the subject away from his clothing. Look, baggy clothes and layers helped hide what he had and what he lacked. His clothes are a bit too tight for his comfort anyway. Alastor was only slightly larger than Vox and his clothes were perfect. Except for how wide of hips that Vox had. It's f*cking hard to skimmy up into clothes that don't have back buttons. His head was an inconvenience and so was his lower body. Everything was inconvenient. Life was just sucky like that.

Alastor stiffened a bit at the mention of Vark. He opened and closed his mouth for a few seconds as he tried to think of what to say. “Can it wait?” Alastor finally asked his partner.

“Well… yeah. It's not like he's in any danger or anything. I just miss him. Why do you want to wait?” Vox's brows furrowed a bit. “Vark hasn't been holding any grudges towards you right?”

Alastor shook his head and screwed his eyes shut. “No, nothing like that. I just… know he can be a lot and I don't feel comfortable having him in our room when… I want to try again. To bite you.” Alastor explained with a slight stutter. “I was hoping to try again if you were in the mood to see if I could do it this time.”

Vox's face softened and a genuine smile crossed over his features. “Baby, are you sure? Yesterday was a lot on you and I don't want you to feel pressure.”

“I know it was, and I woke up at like three am and got to think about it all morning and I realized just how badly I want to do this. How worried I've been over your feelings and not acknowledging my own. You can tell me when you're not ready and when you are. You've been wanting this for weeks and I've been the one pushing it off because I was afraid to take advantage of you. I trust you to tell me if you're not ready or if you are, and I want to be able to enjoy myself in this partnership instead of constantly worrying about whether or not you'll be okay. I'll still be worried and might not jump at everything you want to do, but this is something you've wanted for a while now, and I want it too.” Alastor ran his hands up and down Vox's sides as he spoke.

Vox looked down at Alastor's hands and smirked a bit. “Is that why you're being touchy? Is this something you want to do later or right now?” Vox asked. Vox trailed his own hands up his as he spoke.

Alastor's cheeks flushed red and his hands stilled and he pulled back slightly and a loud whine escaped him. “Voooooox.”

“What? I was just asking.” Vox laughed. He leaned up a bit and kissed Alastor's cheek before he grinned widely. “If you want to do it right now, then I suggest you pick me up and move me to our bed because I am not being bitten on a couch where anyone could just break into the room.”

“My doors are always locked.” Alastor argued.

“That won't stop Niffty and you know that.” Vox chuckled. “Besides, isn't my mate supposed to supply for me and respect my wishes? My wish is that my strong partner picks me up, carries me into the bedroom and bites me there.” Vox paused for a second as he examined Alastor's face. He wasn't reacting in any way. “Only if he wants to.” Vox added.

Alastor tilted his head and stared at Vox before he scooped him up. Vox squeaked and grasped onto Alastor, his claws digging into his partner's clothes, tearing them slightly.

“Whoa! Warn a guy!” Vox yelped.

“I'm just fulfilling your request, Mon Cher.” Alastor growled lowly into Vox's neck. Vox shivered and a small whimper escaped him.

It didn't take long for Alastor to carry Vox into their room. He kicked the door shut behind him and used his tentacles to lock the door behind them. He wandered to one side of the bed and stared at it before tossing Vox onto the nest.

Vox sprawled out on the nest for a second before he gathered himself up and watched with wide eyes as Alastor climbed into their bed and crawled over to Vox. His pupils were blown wide and his lips were quivering a bit. He was soon over top of Vox and just staring. His brow was slightly furrowed and Vox knew that Alastor was feeling a bit overwhelmed again. He didn't know where to start or what to do.

Vox spread his legs slightly and let out a low whimper, arching his back slightly. Alastor's gaze darkened just a bit and he slowly trailed his fingers up Vox's clothes, well… his own clothes technically.

“I would return the favour and add some new holes to these, but I would rather not damage my own clothes.” Alastor whispered in a raspy voice.

“Coward.” Vox teased.

Alastor narrowed his eyes at that and pushed himself so he was sitting on his knees. He brought both his hands to the center of Vox's shirt and tilted his head.

Vox blinked before he nodded and in a flash, Alastor had torn the clothes. Vox gasped out at the sudden cold air and he was honestly a little shocked. He didn't actually think Alastor would rip the clothes. He thought he would unbutton them. Alastor placed his hand on Vox's back and pulled him up slightly to take the torn shirt off of him. Once it was off, Alastor just dropped Vox, a loud squeak escaped him as his back collided with the bed.

Alastor trailed his fingers along Vox’s chest. He was seemingly memorized by the scars and how Vox looked. The dark gray skin was warm to the touch and littered with cyan scars. His scar tissue was interesting to Alastor. His blood was red, Alastor knew that because every sinner bled red. They weren't blue bloods like everyone commonly believed them to be. He couldn't help but be curious though. Vox may bleed red, but his scars… his tissue was a bright blue that seemed to glow against his skin. Alastor blinked and carefully moved his hands down to Vox's hips. He didn't want to grab his chest or place his hands on Vox's stomach in case his mate didn't take kindly to that.

“You're beautiful.” Alastor whispered. He leaned forward and captured Vox's lips with his own. Vox returned the kiss passionately and threw his arms around Alastor's shoulders as he arched into his partner's touch. The kiss felt more heated than anything they've ever shared. It left butterflies in both of their stomachs as neither deepened it and just bathed in each other's comforts.

Alastor grinned against his mate's lips before he moved his head away from Vox. He kissed the corner of Vox's lips before he trailed down to Vox's neck, just below his screen. Alastor grinned and hoisted up Vox's lower half and pressed him against his pelvis at the exact moment he nipped Vox and sucked his skin. The cry that left Vox made Alastor stiffen but Vox quickly rolled his hips against Alastor who groaned lowly into Vox's skin.

“I'm good!” Vox gasped. “I'm okay! I liked that! Please keep going! Alastor, please!” Vox begged.

Oh.

Alastor liked that quite a bit. Vox sounded so pretty. Alastor teased Vox's neck with his teeth before he pulled back and tilted his head. He watched curiously as Vox tried to keep rolling his hips, but Alastor tightened his hold and stopped his mate's movements. He could feel himself grow a bit uncomfortable with a pressure forming in his stomach and Alastor couldn't resist rolling his hips a bit into Vox. Vox whimpered and tried to meet Alastor’s roll but couldn't.

“Patience, Love.” Alastor leaned forward again and gently kissed along Vox's collarbone bone. His lips finally reached the area where Vox's neck met his shoulder and Alastor placed a gentle kiss before a very small nip. “I think I want it right here.”

Vox whined. “I don't care where you put it, just please. Let me just…” Vox tried to roll his hips again and Alastor got the message. He let go and pressed the palm of his hands against the bed, Vox could now freely move his body however he wanted. “Pick me up!” Vox gasped. “Please, Alastor!”

Alastor obliged and gently gathered Vox into his arms before pulling him into his lap properly. Alastor kept his grip on Vox's back gentle, just strong enough so Vox wouldn't fall.

Vox didn't care though. He immediately started to grind himself against Alastor and began to grunt at the effort. His eyes screwed shut as he worked his body against Alastor. It felt so f*cking good.

There was just something addictive about watching Vox try and pleasure himself against Alastor's body. Alastor tilted his head innocently and thrusted upwards, just a bit and he couldn't help the low groan that escaped his lips at the pressure he felt. It felt good. It was a good feeling. He was mostly curious on how Vox would react, and the cry of pleasure he released was worth so much.

Vox threw his arms around Alastor's neck and whimpered when Alastor thrusted against his body again. It felt so nice. He felt so safe compared to whenever he did it with Valentino. He always felt pressured or inadequate at the job, but sitting here, feeling Alastor slowly get more and more desperate? He had to be decent at this! Not to mention just how good it felt to feel Alastor press against him more and more.

Alastor's hands flew down to Vox's hips and he held his partner in place as he thrusted up against him, low pants escaping Alastor from the effort. Vox threw his head back and tried to grind against his partner more. He wanted to make Alastor feel amazing for their first time. He didn't want Alastor to not like it.

Alastor's upper lip quivered a bit and he rolled his own hips up Vox before he pressed his mouth against Vox's neck.

Vox's hand flew down to his area and he just held his hand still for a moment before he screwed his eyes shut and brought his hand back up. He didn't need to rub his cl*t, Alastor was already doing a good job despite his inexperience.

It was hot and it was heavy, Vox and Alastor both being as quiet as they could before Vox whimpered out. “Alastor, please. Bite me! I'm so- I'm, oh please I'm close.” Alastor's pupils grew in size before he bit down on Vox's neck, hard.

Vox cried out in pleasure and his hips jerked against Alastor’s as he could feel himself shudder and press up against Alastor's body.

Alastor also screwed his eyes shut and grunted into bite as Vox’s movements and the scent of his partner finishing brought Alastor over the edge, but he didn't stop. No, he was marking his mate. Alastor buried his teeth in even deeper, doing his best to ignore Vox's occasional whimpers of pain. His mouth was being flooded with Vox's blood, it spilled out of his mouth and dripped down Vox's shoulder, chest, and back.

Alastor's grip on Vox tightened just a bit before he released Vox’s neck from his fangs. Vox was slumped against Alastor and panting hard, trying so hard to stay awake but it was clear that the experience had taken a lot from him. Alastor felt himself grow sleepy as well, but he couldn't rest. What was that thing Vox mentioned all those nights ago? Aftercare? Right. Care for your partner after sex.

Did they have sex? Alastor genuinely didn't know but he didn't care. He made his partner feel good, but he had to make his partner feel better for when he would be more in his mind.

Alastor lapped at Vox’s wound for a bit to try and clean it before he froze and frowned. What the f*ck was he doing? He needed alcohol to make sure it wasn't infected. Not to lick it. Alastor pulled his head back and rubbed his hands up and down Vox’s back. “Go to sleep. I’ll care for you.” Alastor purred to his mate.

Vox didn't offer no response and his breathing already evened out a bit ago, but on the off-chance he was fighting sleep, it was important to make sure that Vox knew he could rest.

Now to clean them up and make sure the bite didn't get infected.

~~~~☆☆~☆☆~~~~

Vox opened his eyes wearily and forced himself into a sitting position with a loud groan. He could feel Alastor stir beside him and he knew his partner was awake.

Vox threw the covers off in a slight panic at the realization he might have cum in his sleep. His brows furrowed a bit as he realized he was wearing completely different clothes. His eyes widened and he slapped a hand to his neck, where he felt a large bandage.

“That wasn't a dream?” Vox asked.

“What?” Alastor sounded exhausted and he growled a bit before rolling over to look at his partner. Alastor blinked before he heaved a heavy sigh and forced himself into a sitting position. “What wasn't a dream?”

“We… I… holy f*ck.” Vox fell back against the bed and Alastor couldn't help the pit of anxiety that wormed its way into his stomach.

“I didn’t… take advantage of you, did I?” Alastor's voice sounded so small.

“What? Oh God no, Alastor, f*ck no. You didn't do anything wrong.” Vox pushed himself back up and threw his arms around Alastor. “No, Baby. I felt so safe and nice the entire time. You listened to everything I asked for and didn't make me feel rushed at all. I liked it. I enjoyed myself a lot, I hope you enjoyed it though too.” Vox frowned a bit. “Did you have a nice time? I know that… was probably your first time doing anything like that.”

“I enjoyed myself too.” Alastor pulled Vox in close for a hug, taking special care to not rub up against his partner's bandage. “It was good. I liked making you feel good.”

Vox closed his eyes and let himself relax against Alastor. “Thank you for changing my clothes, and putting a shirt back on me.” Vox sighed. “I really don't like sleeping in dirty clothes.”

“I don't think many people would. I just decided to do that aftercare thing you were talking about. It seemed like the right call. I made sure your injury was cleaned and properly bandaged, then I checked you for any other injuries before changing out your clothes. It felt a little weird to do, but it isn't the first time I've seen you naked, or the first time I've changed your clothes. I figured you would have brought it up a lot sooner if it bothered you.” Alastor explained as he fell back against the pillows, taking Vox with him so his mate was laying on top of him.

“I'm perfectly comfortable with you changing my clothes, especially if I'm unable to. You're right. If I had a problem I would have mentioned it so you're all good. Thank you for taking care of me.’

“It's only the bare minimum.” Alastor murmured as he rubbed Vox's sides. “I didn't touch the nest because that's mostly your domain, but there is a bit of blood on it from the bite.”

“Can I deal with that tomorrow? I really just want to cuddle you and enjoy myself.”

“Of course, Star. I won't make you do anything you don't want to.” Alastor closed his eyes as he spoke. “I hope you weren't in too much pain from the bite?”

“Nope. It actually felt pretty nice. You did very good with distracting me.” Vox laughed a bit. “Did you make it deep enough to scar? Because if you didn't, I wouldn't mind doing that again.” Vox teased. “Maybe not so soon though. Maybe in a couple of months.”

“It'll scar.” Alastor reassured his partner. He kissed Vox's forehead before he laughed. “We don't need an excuse to do this again. I liked watching you enjoy yourself. If you want to do it again, we can do it again.”

Vox closed his eyes as well and rested his screen flat against Alastor's chest. “I appreciate it.” Vox mumbled.

“Are you going back to sleep?” Alastor asked with a head tilt.

“I don't know. I'm still a bit tired, I won't lie.”

“Well I suppose that means I did my job right.” Alastor joked.

Vox lightly smacked Alastor's arm but he couldn't resist the chuckle. “Yeah. Whatever.”

Alastor didn't respond, instead he just laid there while Vox dozed off.

Alastor couldn't help but smile as his gaze lingered back down to the bandage on Vox's thoracic outlet.

It would be so annoying to keep calling it that. I may be an author, but I am not getting paid for this- so my book, my rules. I'm going to call it his shoulder. You know what I mean, accept my laziness.

Alastor gently tapped his fingers just above the bite before he tilted his head a bit. While Vox might have a harder time doing it, would Vox be interested in biting him back. Alastor licked his lips at the idea of wearing Vox’s bite. They would so openly be one another’s partner and there was no one that could change that.

While Vox was nowhere near as jealous or possessive as Alastor was, maybe he could fix that. Alastor suspected that all his possessiveness and jealousy was beaten out of him by the moth. He had to repeatedly watch his ex fall into bed with so many sinners. It must have been such a nuisance and exhausting to always be upset at that stupid moth.

Alastor would never cheat on Vox though. He would rather be dead. Maybe he could slowly reintroduce the idea of being overprotective. Alastor doesn't need protection, sure, but Alastor knows for a fact that Vox was a possessive man. Way before he met Valentino he was someone who didn't like to share. Alastor watched in slow motion the fire slowly be extinguished right in front of him. The worst part was that Alastor barely noticed the change. Vox was in that stage where Hell was starting to get to him and the realization he was going to be stuck there forever was sinking in. It was a normal phase and one that Alastor didn't pay much mind to, but Valentino had taken advantage of that. He saw a young overlord going through a rough time and sunk his claws in before Alastor had even noticed.

Alastor wrapped his arms around Vox’s torso and snarled a bit. He didn't even notice Vox slowly becoming a shell of his former shelf. If Alastor had noticed, would he have fallen in bed with him sooner? Would they both be sponsors for the hotel? Would they have been mates for years at this point?

Ah, but there was no use dwelling on the past. Vox was his now and bore the scar to prove it. Besides, who's to say the gap in their relationship wasn't what they needed to be partners.

Alastor just wished Valentino wasn't a part of that situation. He wished that Vox never got hurt.

Vox would never get hurt again though. Alastor would make sure of it. Alastor closed his eyes and breathed a small sigh of relief as he let sleep slowly claim him.

Vox was safe and his. Alastor would make sure it stayed like that for the rest of time.

Chapter 20: Day Ninteen

Chapter Text

“I want a bath!” Alastor declared loudly, looking up from his book. Vox and Alastor were both in their nest, Vox had gotten up early to try and clean it, but Alastor had woken up at the same time and just grumbled and complained the whole time. He ended up teleporting the old bedding away to God knows where and summoning whole new bedding for Vox to use. It worked out just fine, but Vox had to deal with Alastor leaning over him constantly and rubbing his body against him. Alastor did warn him about his instincts, so Vox couldn't complain, but he didn't think they would be this bad. Alaseye's eyes have been solid black basically the whole time too! At least he was talking normally though. He hasn't called Vox by name yet, but Vox will take whatever wins he can get. ‘Mate’ is practically his nickname now anyway.

“Okay.” Vox continued to scroll on his phone. His back was pressed right up against Alastor's chest. Prime positioning for Alastor to kiss the bite he left on his partner. Alastor has been so lovestruck since he struck his claim, it was a bit creepy, but Alastor was a creepy man in general so it didn't really bother Vox. He signed up for this by agreeing to date the man.

“So, let's have a bath.” Alastor continued with an eye roll.

“Wait. ‘Let's?’ As in me and you? Together?” Vox looked up from his phone and turned to face Alastor, a small groan escaping his throat as his neck strained. The bite had stiffened up and the movement caused some discomfort.

Alastor looked a bit panicked before he screwed his eyes shut. “It’s just your vite healing.” Alastor mumbled under his breath before he relaxed and opened his eyes again. “Yes, me and you. Together. In the same bathtub.”

Vox stared at Alastor, a bit dumbfounded before he frowned a bit. “Alastor, you may have seen me naked multiple times now, but I haven't seen you naked before.” Vox pointed out a bit dryly. “I know how you are about your body and being covered.” Vox added as he rubbed his hands up and down Alastor’s arms. “I know you're going back into the depths of your rut, but I need you to think for a second. Think real hard. I know you said you don't do anything you don't want to do, but I worry. Take a minute please. Are you comfortable with me seeing you naked? That includes all your scars and anything else you might be self-conscious about.”

While they may have had sex yesterday, Vox had noticed that Alastor didn't remove any of his own clothing. He stayed fully dressed for the whole thing, and that isn't a problem. Vox didn't give a f*ck, whatever Alastor preferred was fine with him, but he couldn't help but be a bit worried. Alastor may not be ready for Vox to see him, and that was fine.

The issue was that Vox really valued this relationship and if Alastor got flustered or embarrassed, he tended to act aggressively or pull away. Again, nothing wrong with that, but Vox liked his relationship with Alastor and didn't want to ruin it. He was just bitten for f*ck's sake, the last thing he wants is for Alastor to regret doing that to him.

“Why wouldn't I be okay with you seeing me naked?” Alastor tilted his head and moved his hands to hold onto Vox's hips. “I've seen you naked, haven't I?”

Vox laughed a bit and rested his head against Alastor's chest. “That's not how this works. This isn't a ‘you did this and now I have to do this’ situation, Alastor. We do things at our own pace. Many people have seen me nak-” Vox was cut off by a low growl and Alastor pulled Vox in even closer, a small grunt escaped Vox. He could feel Alastor's hands move up to his back and his claws dug in only a bit, not enough to hurt Vox, but the pressure was there. The pressure felt kinda nice honestly.

“No one but me should see you like that ever again.” Alastor growled. His upper lip was quivering and his eyes were narrowed.

Vox pinched Alastor's side and could help but smirk when Alastor yelped in shock and released his grip on Vox to rub at his side. One hand remained touching Vox, though. “Alastor, relax. This was… before I joined the hotel.” Vox told his partner. “No one but you will see me like that ever again. Unless I have a medical emergency. Then the people caring for me will probably see me like that, but they don't care. They see plenty of asses, tit*, and dicks all the time!”

“I must ask that you don't speak so crudely,” Alastor grumbled, “but I see your point.” He lamented. “I just don't like the idea of others seeing you in such a vulnerable way.”

“Are you okay with me seeing you in such a vulnerable state?” Vox tried again. “Alastor, think for a second. Are you comfortable with me seeing your body?”

Alastor stared at Vox before he scoffed. “What kind of question is that? Of course I am. What makes you think I'm not?”

“I just… Alastor, you didn't take your clothes off yesterday.” Vox sighed. “I didn't know if it was because you didn't feel like it, didn't want to, or if you just didn't want me to see you without a shirt on.”

Alastor made a face and narrowed his eyes slightly. “You didn't ask me to.” He shrugged.

Vox stared at him, confused and just exhausted. “So… you are okay with me seeing you naked? Scars and dick and all?”

The look Alastor gave him was answer enough.

Vox couldn't help but laugh a bit. “Holy f*ck. I was over here worried that you weren't ready for that step and boom, turns out you were just wanting me to ask.”

“We have a safeword for a reason.” Alastor flicked Vox's antennas as he reminded his mate.

Vox gasped out and fell forward a bit. He clutched onto Alastor's clothes and screwed his eyes shut. “Alastor.” Vox warned in a low voice.

“I forgot about that, I'm sorry.” Alastor rubbed the back of Vox’s screen as he spoke. He sounded so sheepish and ashamed.

Vox stayed still for a few seconds before he shuddered and straightened up. “It's okay.” Vox smiled weakly. “Just, try to remember next time. I don't want another round for a while yet.” Vox admitted. “It felt nice, don't get me wrong, but it was a little overwhelming.”

“Of course! I wasn't trying to instigate another 'round’ or anything of the sorts!” Alastor reassured Vox. He kissed the top of his screen gently and closed his eyes. “I was simply trying to bug you. I'm truly sorry.”

“It was an honest mistake, Baby.” Vox chuckled. “I don't mind. I'm honestly impressed with how good you've been with my boundaries. Usually you disregard them to bug people.”

“You're not ‘people,’ you're my family.” Alastor murmured, his lips still pressed against Vox's screen. “I always respect my family.”

Vox stiffened up for a second before he pulled back from Alastor sharply. Alastor's eyes flashed with hurt before Vox crashed their lips together. Alastor's eyes fluttered shut and he melted into the kiss. Vox broke it off and pressed his head against Alastor as he closed his eyes and smiled. “You're my family too.” Vox murmured.

Alastor hugged Vox tightly. The two stayed in silence before Vox patted Alastor's thigh suddenly. “Alright, Big Buck.” Vox pulled back slightly. “If you're okay with me seeing your ass, then let’s go have our bath.” Vox grinned.

Alastor rolled his eyes.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Vox sighed contently as Alastor worked the knots in his shoulders. The two were in the bathtub together, the water was warm and bubbles were floating around them. The scent of lavender filled the air and the sound of a fan filled the room. Vox had washed Alastor’s hair, he could see why he wanted the bath. He had velvet stuck in his antlers at the base that just wasn't coming off. Vox had to scrub real hard and once he got his antlers all clean, they drained the tub and started to fill it again. Vox suggested a shower, but Alastor adamantly refused. Something about it being more comforting? Vox’s assumption is that it’s a living thing or a rut thing. It didn't matter. Alastor was draining the tub to keep it clean, so it didn't affect Vox in any way.

Alastor did take off Vox’s bandage to check on the injury and he was pleased by the outcome. It was healing rather nicely and wasn't infected at all. It already had a cyan scab covering it. Alasgor mostly wanted the injury to breath though. He had to make sure Vox didn't submerge it in the water. He almost did it accidentally multiple times, but it wasn't a big deal. Alastor just didn't want any sparks to electrocute the water. When he took the bandage off, a spark flew out of the injury and Alastor isn't exactly electric-proof like Vox was.

“What's it like to have all of Hell rely on you for everything?” Alastor asked as he worked his hands down Vox's back. He wrapped his arms around Vox's waist and pulled him in close. The water sloshed around a bit as Vox was moved. This was nice. It was so relaxing to feel secure in Alastor's arms. Free of judgment and cruelty.

“Exhausting.” Vox sighed in response. “I'm so tired, Al. Some days I just feel so drained. I wonder what would happen if I just pulled the plug on everyone and took away the internet and electricity. What it would be like if we went back to how it was before I came to be.” Vox closed his eyes as he spoke. The warmth was pulling him into a slumber, but he didn't care. Alastor would keep him safe. Alastor wouldn't let him drown.

“Well, I was content without any electricity in Hell. I never understood people and their addictions to those little boxes. There's a whole world of misery awaiting them.” Alastor raised his hand above the water and hovered his hand over top of it. The water was just barely grazing his skin. “Sinners would be miserable without you though. You bring them what little joy they have in this cruel place. To them, you're an angel.” Alastor sighed as he spoke. “They would turn on you in a second though. They would kill you for even suggesting that. They take advantage of what you give them with no remorse or care for you.”

Vox's gaze dropped a bit. “Yeah, I know. I take advantage of them just as much as they do me. Their money and them watching me gives me the power I need to continue to do this.”

“Sounds like an unhealthy cycle.” Alastor hummed as he gently moved Vox's head a bit so he could rap his fingers right beside his bite. “I would give you all the attention you need to fuel your powers.”

“Thank you, but you already do that. This whole rutting thing has been helping me immensely. It's why I was able to charge up so much electricity that time you and Vark fought.”

Alastor looked a bit saddened at the mention of his fight with Vark, but he shook his head slightly and pressed on. “Anything for you, Mate.” Alastor kissed Vox's shoulder before he yawned widely. His razor sharp teeth were in full display for a solid five seconds before His jaws snapped shut with an audible ‘click.’

“Are you getting sleepy?” Vox asked as he began to push all the bubbles together. “We can get out if you'd like. We did wash you already.” Vox offered with a small smile.

“No. I'm okay like this. Unless you would rather get out?” Alastor tipped his head to the side. One of his flicked as he continued. “You seem quite tired too. I hope you aren't straining yourself.”

“No, I'm not. Warm baths are great for my joints. I just don't like getting all pruney.” Vox laughed awkwardly. “Plus my vents can only handle so much water before it becomes too much and I start to malfunction.”

“Well we don't want that.” Alastor patted Vox's thighs. “Please stand up, Mon Cher.”

Vox scrambled up to his feet and turned so his back was facing Alastor. He was covering his face slightly.

“You know you can look, right? My body is yours to enjoy.” Alastor chuckled as he grabbed one of the towels and threw it on the ground before he grabbed another and wrapped it around himself. He stepped out of the bathtub, taking extra care to step on the towel.

Vox sneaked a peak and he realized quickly why Alastor preferred baths. “Oh, your hooves. Right.” Vox laughed a bit awkwardly. Alastor raised a brow at Vox before handing his mate a towel.

“What about them?” Alastor asked as he sat down on the ledge of the bathtub.

Vox stepped out of the tub too. “Oh nothing, I was just thinking about why you prefer baths over showers. I completely forgot about your hooves.” Vox quickly dried himself with the towel before he threw it into the hamper. His skin was still a bit damp but he didn't care. He grabbed one of the piles of clothes Alastor had put aside for them and dressed himself quickly.

When Vox turned around to look at his partner, He squeaked and covered his eyes as Alastor was now standing and drying himself. While Vox knew he could look, it still felt so weird to see Alastor naked. His former rival, his mate, his everything was just standing before him all comfortable, without a care in the world about how he looked.

Once Alastor dried himself off, he grabbed the other pile of clothes and dressed himself, a low chuckle escaping him as he watched Vox look everywhere but at him.

Once Alastor was dressed, he hugged Vox from behind and leaned close to his face. “You can look now.”

Vox lowered his hand and breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned into Alastor's touch. “You look handsome.” Vox stated absent-mindedly. “You antlers look so pretty.”

Alastor's chest puffed up a bit at the compliment. “Thank you for the compliments, and thank you for getting rid of that last bit of velvet.”

“I thought it all came off like, a while ago.” Vox ran his hands through Alastor's damp hair as he spoke. “Why was there still some?”

“Most of it did come off at the beginning of my rut, but sometimes it gets trapped between my hair and the base of my antlers and I can't get it off unless someone else gets rid of it. It's just an inconvenient placement.”

“Why didn't you ask me to get rid of it sooner?” Vox asked as Alastor lifted him up and carried him out of the bathroom.

“I didn't want you to feel pressured at all.”

“What made you decide to have a bath with me to get rid of it?”

“We had sex.” Alastor shrugged as he placed Vox down in their nest. “I figured that sex was the more daunting thing and since we crossed that path, you would have no problem having a bath with me.”

“Yeah, fair enough.” Vox shrugged too. He moved over slightly so Alastor could climb into the bed. Alastor cuddled up against Vox's side, his head resting on Vox's collarbone. “How's the bite?” Vox asked.

“Oh, it's fine.” Alastor closed his eyes. “It's healing rather nicely.”

“Oh good. I would hate for it to get infected. That would be a sh*tty ass place for an infected injury.” Vox laughed a bit as he spoke. He brought his hand up to run his fingers through Alastor's hair again.

“Do you think the others are doing okay?”

“Why wouldn't they be?”

“I don't know. I kind of miss them.”

“We could make a phone call.” Alastor pointed out.

“Oh yeah! You're right! Can you grab my phone?” Vox sat up abruptly, a low grunt escaping Alastor as he was jerked upwards by Vox. He rubbed the side of his head before rolling over and grabbing the phone on Vox's nightstand.

“Here.” Alastor passed the phone to Vox. “There's your noisy rectangle.”

“Thank you!” Vox kissed Alastor's cheek before he pulled him in close and the two settled back down. “I still have to talk to Angel about taking over Valentino's sh*t.” Vox muttered to himself.

Alastor watched with mild amusem*nt as Vox opened up the alarm clock app on his phone and set an alarm called ‘talk to Angel.’ He set it to a random time and picked a day that was in five days. “You should be okay with my talking to Angel by then, right?” Vox asked.

“I don't see why not.” Alastor grumbled slightly. “I don't like the idea of you leaving me while I'm in rut, but I can tolerate it.”

“Thank you!” Vox kissed Alastor's cheek before he pulled up Charlie's number and called her.

Charlie picked up quickly. “Hello?”

“Hey, Charlie!” Vox put his phone on speaker and rested it on his stomach, the screen facing upwards.

“Hey, Vox! Alastor with you still?”

“Yup! His rut had a bit of delay to it so we're not going to be back down for a little bit. Don't send Niffty our way either.” Vox added with narrowed eyes.

“Alright, whatever you want. So what brings you to my phone?” Charlie asked. She sounded so cheery.

“Ah, I missed you assholes and wanted to say ‘hi!’” Vox told her. “I used to deal with you guys everyday, and now only dealing with Alastor feels a bit weird. Did any new sinners sign up?”

“Well hi then! Let me put you in speaker so everyone can hear you.” After a second Charlie's voice came back, though a lot more echoey. “No new sinners yet, I'm afraid. Most people are coming here for protection from other demons, so Vaggie had me tell everyone we would only shelter demons who need safety from abusive relationships, want to do therapy, or whoever wants to be redeemed.”

“I take it the public wasn't very happy with that?” Vox winced slightly as he spoke. He could just imagine the outraged yelling she had to face when they announced it.

“It does make sense.” Alastor hummed thoughtfully. His eyes were still closed and one ear flopped downward. He was dozing off, but Vox could appreciate the effort he was putting in to engage with Charlie. “I wish I was there.” Alastor sighed.

“Why?” Charlie sounded so confused.

“Because he would love to kick everyone out.” Vaggie could be heard from the far end of whatever room Charlie was in.

“I would love to kick everyone out.” Alastor nodded his head in agreement.

There was nothing stranger than Alastor and Vaggie agreeing on things.

“Don't be like that, Alastor.” Charlie snorted. “To answer your question, though, Vox. No. They were not happy at all. A lot of them yelled at me, but I need to prioritize my guests over sinners who think they'll just free protection from me and Alastor for simply being there.”

“Did you keep any?”

“No one but you and Angel.” Charlie admitted in a small voice. “It's been rough lately, to be honest, but it will pick up one day! We'll get sinners who want to be redeemed one day, and sinners who need safety, like you.”

“I've been wondering that lately. Do I still get to stay? I don't really need safety anymore since Valentino is dead. I mean sure, I still need therapy but I mostly lived here for safety.”

“Of course you're still staying!” Charlie sounded offended that he even asked. “You're our family now and you're dating Alastor. I kind of just assumed that you and him would be living together.”

“Not as a guest though?” Vox asked with a frown. “Wouldn't that mean I get special privileges?”

“Of course you do. You're dating me.” Alastor snorted in amusem*nt. “You're not really taking up an extra room as you are just living with your partner.” Alastor pointed out. “Your old room can be put back to normal and someone else can live there.”

“He’s right.” Charlie laughed a bit. “Hell, we could even turn your old room into a room for Vark. He could use the space and a big tank. The reason we had to put our foot down was because of how many sinners were coming here for the wrong thing. You came for the right reason. That's the difference.”

Vox rested his screen against Alastor and smiled. “Thank you, Charlie. I don't think I'd ever be able to head back to my penthouse anymore. This is my home now, it's Vark's too.”

“Hey, anytime!” Charlie's voice broke off suddenly and then it was Vaggie speaking.

“You're the one making that sh*tlord tolerable, so thank you.” Vaggie spoke into the phone loudly, clearly intending for Alastor to hear. “I swear I was going to pull his hair out one day.”

“I’ll rip that other eye out if you touch me.” Alastor snarled into the phone, his eyes black and radio dials took the spot where his pupil used to be.

“I'll shave you bald if you try.” Vaggie threatened in response. Charlie and Vox remained silence for a solid second before they both nervously laughed.

Vox patted Alastor on the head. “Hey, no need for that. She won't touch you, and you won't attack her, okay?”

Alastor growled lowly but the dials disappeared and he sighed. “Fine.” He grumbled.

“You're the best!” Vox grinned.

Charlie let out a quiet ‘awww’ on the other end of the phone, but Vox ignored it. He knew they were a cute couple.

Alastor closed his eyes as Vox began to rub his ears. It was clear Alastor was exhausted and Vox felt a bit bad for calling Charlie when he was so clearly tired, but he missed everyone. He wasn't exactly an extrovert but he wasn't an introvert. Sometimes he really liked socializing and other times he would rather kill himself than talk to someone. You know, normal human things.

“Well, I'm getting pretty sleepy over here, Charlie. I think I'm going to call it an early night.”

“Oh yeah! Of course! If you'd like, maybe I see if Velvette would want to come over and she could hang out with you again tomorrow?”

Vox casted a glance down to Alastor who still had his eyes closed. He looked relaxed and seemed to be content, nothing looked amiss. “I would really appreciate that.” Vox smiled. “If you wouldn't be bothered?”

“Not at all! I really enjoyed spending time with her so this would be a lot of fun! I'll let you two get some sleep, I'll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Talk to you tomorrow. Thanks Charlie!” Vox and Charlie hung up on one another. Before Vox could even say anything, Alastor grabbed the phone and threw it back onto the nightstand.

Vox laughed a little bit at his partner’s antics and kissed the top of his head. “Well, are you ready for some cuddles and then bed?”

Alastor opened his eyes to look at Vox. He inhaled deeply before letting out a low groan. “I guess.” He sighed. “I'm so comfortable though. I think I'll stay on top of you.”

Vox laughed. “Don't worry. I can cuddle you the way you are.” He reassured his partner.

“Good. Because I'm not moving.” Alastor wrapped his arms around Vox's legs.

Vox couldn't resist rolling his eyes fondly at Alastor.

Chapter 21: Day Twenty

Chapter Text

“I need a turtleneck!” Vox demanded. “Velvette is going to go off the walls if she sees this, and if we bandage it- then she'd ask questions about why I’m injured.” Vox's eyes narrowed as he watched Alastor move to stand in front of him. He crowded against his mate and slowly pressed him against the wall.

“Isn't the whole point of it to be shown off?” Alastor asked as he traced his fingers along the healing bite. “Seems rather counterproductive if you want to hide it.”

Vox shivered against Alastor's fingers. His touch felt so warm compared to his cool body. “Velvette is my family. You wouldn't want your mom to see it, now would you?”

The look of disgust that Alastor gave Vox made him burst out laughing. “See! You get it now!” Vox grabbed Alastor's wrist and pulled his arms down so they could wrap around him.

Alastor grumbled a bit but he snapped his fingers. Alastor's clothes, yes Vox is still wearing Alastor's clothes, were replaced with the familiar gray turtleneck from all those nights ago. Really, it started it all. It was the piece of fabric that made Vox ask questions and made Alastor acknowledge his primal desires.

Vox looked down at his clothes and his gaze softened as he recognized the turtleneck. “I like this shirt a lot.” Vox smiled softly. “It's like a new beginning for us.” Vox traced his fingers up the fabric before he clapped his hands together and grabbed Alastor's face. He pulled him into a kiss, much to his partner's surprise. “Thanks, Sweetie.” Vox winked as he pulled back. “I appreciate the clothes.”

“I can respect that you don't wish for your spawn to see your injury.” Alastor hummed. His fingers tapped against Vox's shoulder. “I still feel the need to point out that she’s going to see it one day. It’s there and Velvette isn't idiotic, as much as she acts like one.”

Vox leaned forward and hugged Alastor gently. He looked tired all of a sudden and it made Alastor worry a bit. “Vox?”

“I'm okay.” Vox sighed as he closed his eyes. “Velvette will be fine. I've done worse things in front of her with Valentino, I think that's part of why I don't want her to see it. Velvette yelled at me at the start of your rut about how it was too soon for sex, remember?”

“I do. I think I lost some of my hearing that day.”

“Well…”

“Cher, it’s none of her business what we do in our room. We both consented, we had a safeword, and we both wanted it. I get you're worried because you don't want to stress her out more, but she can't dictate your recovery. You know when you're ready. Not me or her.”

“You're right. I'm sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.” Alastor snorted in mild amusem*nt. “You'd think after years of being in Hell, you'd stop being a chronic over-apologizer.”

“Sor-” Vox cut himself off and looked away from Alastor, his face a bright red. “f*ck you.”

“Not right now, thanks.” Alastor walked past Vox and to their bedroom door. He opened it and beckoned for Vox to go first.

Vox scurried past Alastor quickly, his face was morphed into one of disbelief. Sex jokes and Alastor were cursed. They did not belong together. How the hell has he already rubbed off on him so much? Vox squeaked a bit when he felt hands on his waist. Alastor was starting to get real touchy.

Alastor didn't get the chance to hand onto Vox for long before knocking could be heard. Vox wiggled his way out of Alastor's grip and swung open their door, revealing Velvette in pajamas.

“Hey, babies.” Velvette waltz in like she owned the place and promptly sat down on the couch.

Vox rolled his eyes and closed the door before he made his way over to the living room couch as well. Alastor's eyes narrowed a bit and his smile tightened before he followed after his mate. Before Vox could sit down, Alastor quickly took the spot next to Velvette and pulled Vox into his lap.

Velvette raised a brow before she rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. “Still in it?” She asked.

Vox grumbled slightly as Alastor kissed his hand but he nodded. “Yeah. Alastor never had a partner for his rut before. His body is changing its mind faster than you change your clothes. Which is saying something. I swear every hour you have something new on.”

“Oh, I usually do, babe.” Velvette laughed at the exact same time a low threatening growl escaped Alastor's throat at the nickname.

Velvette raised her brow at Alastor's reaction before she looked at Vox.

Vox planted a hand on Alastor's face and laughed a bit awkwardly. “Sorry, Vel. He seems to be taking a few steps backwards.”

“It wouldn't have anything to do with that turtleneck you're wearing, right?”

Vox felt his blood turn cold and his eyes widened. He looked at Velvette, his mouth opening and closing like a fish fresh out of water. “What?”

“I'm not stupid. I spent way too much time with you and Va- um… that other person, to know what turtlenecks mean. You got a hickey or something like that.” Velvette waved her hand slightly. “Appreciate you attempting to hide it from me, but you don't need to act like I'm naive.”

“Right. I didn't mean to insinuate that you're an idiot or anything along those lines.” Vox apologized.

“You're good. Besides, Alastor is a good look for you. I never liked hearing about your sex life.” Velvette smiled before she looked at the growling male. “You need to take a chill pill though.” She booped Alastor's nose and withdrew her hand quickly when Alastor snapped his jaws at her. “It is fun to entertain your guys’ antics though.” She leaned away from the two and threw her feet on the couch. “So, Vox. Do you want to hear about the absolute outrage and chaos Valentino's death caused?”

Alastor seemed rather interested. His growling stopped and Vox could admit that he found himself a bit curious. “Sure. What's happening outside of the hotel?”

Velvette grinned widely and pulled out her phone. She opened up to the internet and switched to one of the many tabs she had opened up. “Okay, so firstly- the media is in an outrage at you and Alastor being together. Alastor saying you were his mate has been clipped and edited so many times.”

“What does ‘clipped’ mean?” Alastor spoke in a low voice. His ears were lowered and he had his arms around Vox's waist.

“Means they took a portion of the media. Like voice calls or videos. Usually like ten seconds at the most. People mostly use it to edit things.” Vox answered as he tried to wiggle out of Alastor's grip to look at Velvette's phone.

Alastor just rolled over instead, taking Vox with him and away from Velvette.

Velvette snickered a bit before continuing. “Papermint has been doing his best to keep the rumors on the downlow, but once he found out you two were actually dating, he stopped giving a f*ck. I've been waiting to make an official post though.”

“An official post?” Alastor repeated. He craned his neck to look at Velvette, his eyes narrowed.

“That's why I have those pictures of you two snuggling. You two dating is such a huge deal and like, extremely good publicity. There used to be polls and thousands of theories that Vox had to remove about you two being together. People have been dreaming of this moment. Some people even made fanart.”

Alastor seemed only slightly disturbed. One of his brows were lowered and his smile was tight, one eye twitched occasionally.

“Of course I won't post anything without your consent!” Velvette quickly said. “I have the family tax on Vox to do as I please, but you're… well you.”

“Implying I'm not your family?” Alastor tilted his head.

“Well I mean… you are in a way, but you're a lot more particular on your boundaries than Vox is, and our relationship is newer. Fresher.” Velvette explained with a nervous laugh.

Vox gave up the struggle and laid simply in Alastor's arms. An occasional huff of annoyance escaped him. He crossed his arms and glared at Alastor who refused to look at him.

Velvette watched the two carefully. Her eyes had a bit of a glint to them, one that was murderous should Alastor make Vox uncomfortable or cause him pain, but she could trust him. Vox did, afterall, and Vox was Alastor's mate. Mates typically don't try to harm one another. It was all about impressing them.

“So when do I get to publish the pictures?” Velvette asked. “Everyone is waiting for the official statement or announcement.”

“I don't f*cking care.” Vox grumbled as his face was kissed by Alastor. It was hard to stay mad at the man when he was acting like some cat and trying to get his attention by rubbing his cheek against his screen. Oh, and also occasionally biting the corner of his screen. The forbidden snack.

“What about you, Alastor?”

Alastor stopped his attack on Vox and turned his head to stare at Velvette, his neck cracking as he did so. “Picture?” He repeated.

“Yes. On Voxstagram.” Velvette spoke like she was talking to a toddler. “Bitch, I get it’s not important to you, but you guys kidnapped Valentino, our co-worker, killed him on a broadcast, called Vox your mate, then Vox was outed, and you guys just disappeared from the public eye. Poof. Vox needs to charge up because without Valentino, he doesn't have that extra attention from Val's consumers.”

Alastor never really thought about Vox's power taking a hit. Vox said Alastor was helping plenty, but Velvette had a good point. They should take advantage of all the attention they were receiving to have Vox produce more power. If the power flickers or goes out, who's to say what random sinners would do? Vox has two exposed weaknesses right now. A hole in his team, and his feelings for Alastor.

“Take some better ones.” Alasfor grumbled. “Then post them.”

Velvette actually squealed and got off the couch. “Okay, perfect! Now, you'll never know when I take them because I want them to be natural. Got it?”

“You're the boss.” Alastor sighed. “I'll only be dimming my powers today though. This is your only chance.”

“Oh trust me. I can make the most of it.” A wicked grin appeared over her face as she stared at Alastor.

Vox seemed a bit more puzzled on the other hand. “Wait. When did you take a picture of us?” Vox asked.

“When you two were cuddling. You were napping. I would use the photos, but to be honest, babe- suck a dick, Alastor. It was my nickname for him first- they're not the greatest. You're asleep and Alastor looks pissed off.” Velvette waved her hand as she spoke. “Don't worry, though! These next ones will be pure perfection. I'm a natural at taking photos!”

Vox just seemed so exhausted at the moment, but he shrugged. “Whatever.” He leaned up against Alastor and closed his eyes. He let out a small hum before their living room T.V. sparked to life. “Let's watch Balto.” Vox declared to his mate and friend. “I'm feeling it today."

“Is it like the horse movie?” Alastor asked.

“Sort of?” Vox tilted his head slightly. “They're different, but both are animated.”

Alastor hummed a bit before he heaved a sigh. “Whatever you would like.”

“I'm impressed.” Velvette sat back down on the couch, keeping a safe distance from Alastor. “You managed to convince him to let tellies into your house, and now you've convinced him to watch things on said tellies. You're really the bitch of the house, eh?”

Vox looked over at Velvette with a slight frown. Alastor’s grip tightened on Vox and he bared his teeth at Velvette as he rested his sharp fangs on the turtleneck’s collar.

“Alastor is just willing to try new things for me.” Vox laughed a bit as he patted Alastor’s head. “If he wants me to try new things for him, I gladly will. I'm lucky to have a partner like Alastor.” He explained awkwardly.

“It's still a miracle.” Velvette laughed. “I thought he would throw any and all tellies he came across.”

“That would mean I'd throw Vox.” Alastor pointed out dryly. “I would do that a year ago, but now? I would never.”

“Never?” Velvette raised a brow. “Not even if you two got into a huge fight?”

“I would try to resolve it peacefully.” Alastor closed his eyes as he leaned against Vox, the T.V. started to make some noise as the movie Vox had picked turned on. It must be so convenient to just select things mentally like that. Vox didn't want to get up but wanted to watch something? Boom. It was on and he could pick whatever he wanted.

“Good.” Velvette's tone seemed to get a lot lighter when Alastor said that. Like he passed a test of some kind.

Oh.

She really was a clever girl, Alastor had to give her that. He could see why Vox loved and cared for her. She was witty and could hold her own, but most importantly was just how supportive she was. She may lecture Vox, but she still lets him do whatever with his life, and if it goes badly, she’s there to pick up the pieces.

A true friend. She would get along well with Rosie.

Alastor was distracted from his thoughts as Vox snuggled in closer, his eyes drooping. One was slightly blurred and a few dead pixels appeared on his face. Alastor couldn't hide how alarmed he was and he panickedly looked to Velvette who just shook her head and mouthed ‘he's fine’ to him.

That's when it sunk in that Alastor knew next to nothing about his own partner. Vox was all modern technology and while he seemed to have no issue with Alastor not knowing anything, it was a much larger issue! What happens if Vox gets hurt again? Alastor would have to take him back to Papermint and Velvette. What if Velvette and Papermint were busy and couldn't help Vox? What if Vox was obliterated and Alastor had to put him back together? What if Vox fried his sensors? What if Vox caught a computer virus?

Velvette seemed to notice Alastor's panic and coughed into her fist to catch both of their attentions. “You know, Vox. Alastor is pretty territorial. Papermint was one step away from losing his hand all because Alastor couldn't help you.” She glanced between the two before she continued on. “Maybe you should make an emergency backpack and manual for Alastor. So he can fix you, and if he doesn't think he can do it properly, then he could bring you to Papermint. Because then Papermint wouldn't be a last resort, but a choice, and Alastor wouldn't feel compelled to kill him just for breathing.” She said it smoothly and slid a bit closer to the two cuddling males. “I mean, I'm sure Alastor wouldn't mind learning more about you, even if he has to give up some of his old ways to do so.”

Alastor had to admit. He was a little scared of her. The way she seemed to effortlessly read the room was haunting and her tone was sickly sweet. Alastor has seen her read the room before though. In the overlord meeting. She was incredibly witty and clever, noticing things Alastor would have missed, such as Carmilla's eyes flashing red for just a second.

The more time Alastor spent with her, the more he could tell why Vox held her in such high regards.

“Hm? Oh yeah. That's a good idea.” Vox only seemed to be half-listening, but regardless, his screen lit up with a yellow page and a note was written. He shoved it away somewhere before turning his attention back to the movie, his eyes dimmed a bit, exhaustion seemingly taking over.

“Ugh. Alastor, move. I need to post a picture of Vox so he can get some energy.” Velvette pulled out her phone.

“Isn't he just tired?” Alastor asked with a frown.

“Sometimes he is, but he's also powering all the rings of Hell, and Mammon is hosting his stupid clown thing today and it takes more power from Vox, so he needs the extra attention.” Velvette explained as she opened her phone.

“I'll stay right here.” Alastor decided. “You wanted to make an official post anyway.” Alastor pressed his face into the crook of Vox's neck, ignoring the raspy laugh that escaped his mate.

There was only silence, no sound of a picture being taken but Alastor could trust that Velvette did so already and was editing it.

Alastor moved Vox's head a bit so he could move in ever so slightly, pausing just before Vox's lips. Vox leaned forward and connected the kiss, his head twisting at a bit of an awkward angle, but Alastor kept a firm hand on it to try and keep it as relaxed and natural as he could.

Their eyes closed as they kissed gently, Alastor was gently pulsing his power into Vox to try and give him a bit more strength. It seemed to work and soon enough they pulled back. Alastor readjusted Vox so he was properly in his lap. Vox's back was pressed up against Alastor's stomach, his head resting on Alastor's chest. It was the most comfortable position for cuddling they had discovered. Vox's head had made everything difficult, but Alastor was not about to tell his partner how much his head inconvenienced them. No. He loved Vox, therefore he loved every part of his body. He just had to learn how to adapt to it.

“Oh perfect.” Velvette's voice distracted Alastor from his partner. “You two are so sickly sweet. I got so many pictures.”

“I want to see.” Alastor craned his neck to attempt to look, an action that really had Velvette pausing.

Her head tilted a bit before she showed her phone to Alastor, showing him the pictures she managed to snag. There was a bit of static in the photos, nothing Velvette could do, besides it made them look more real in a way. She had got a few of Alastor kissing Vox, his head in Vox's neck, and just now of the two cuddling together.

Alastor was a little creeped out. She worked fast and he didn't even realize she took photos. “They look nice.” Alastor managed to get out. “Good work.”

“Well the subjects are rather attractive people so it wasn't hard.” Velvette snorted in mild amusem*nt. “Eitherway, it should be good enough to give Vox that extra boost to help him.”

“Should I invest in getting a phone to get photos of him to post?” Alastor asked with furrowed brows. He seemed genuinely torn. “I don't want him to be constantly tired if he needs more attention.”

Velvette looked up from her phone and raised a brow as she looked Alastor up and down before hitting ‘post.’

The reaction was immediate. Vox's screen brightened up and he straightened up a bit more. A few sparks shot out of his antennas and he grabbed Alastor's hand, his thumb running overtop of Alastor's veins. Velvette's post was blowing the f*ck up.

“If you want to. I mean, I can always post pictures and do that sh*t. You could always just use Vox's phone to take pictures and send them to me.”

“Wait. What are we talking about?” Vox sounded so confused. His head shot up and he began to look between the two. “I think I toned you guys out for the past like three minutes.”

“Oh. Nothing important. Alastor was just wondering if he needed to get a phone to assist your powers.” Velvette waved her hand as she spoke, answering for Alastor swiftly so he didn't come up with an excuse.

Alastor's cheeks flushed a bright red and he looked away. “I just want to help.” He mumbled.

Vox's gaze softened a bit. “I appreciate it, but you don't have to. I just need to start taking selfies again, it's all good.” Vox kissed the corner of Alastor's mouth before he turned his attention back to the movie.

Velvette took advantage of Alastor's distraction and came up close beside him, pressing her body against Vox's and Alastor's before she put her phone on mute and began to watch the movie as well.

Alastor stiffened up a bit at the close proximity, but he forced himself to relax and keep his growls to himself. It's Vox's spawn. She's okay. She helped Vox. She made him feel better.

Alastor twisted his body just a bit to give Vox more coverage just in case. He needed to calm his screaming instincts. He needed to protect Vox. It worked. With Vox a bit more hidden and Velvette leaning against only Alastor now, he found himself relaxing into the touch and he turned his attention to the movie.

The occasional sparks Vox was releasing were a bit annoying, but it was worth it to see Vox actually be a bit more like himself.

Chapter 22: Day Twenty-one

Chapter Text

When Alastor woke up, he could hear Vox and Velvette giggling a bit. His first thought was that they were doing something to him, but their scents seemed so far away. Alastor forced his eyes open and moved his head to try and locate the two. His ears pricked upwards a bit before he rolled over onto his other side dramatically and stared down onto the floor. Velvette and Vox were leaning against the bed, seemingly ignorant of Alastor's scorching gaze as they stared at Velvette’s phone.

He was just being a drama queen, however. A little salty that Vox left their nest to spend time with his spawn. Maybe Alastor still wanted cuddles, dammit!

Alastor tugged his arms free of the blankets and threw them over Vox’s shoulders, grumbling under his breath as he pulled his mate in close. “You left me.” Alastor complained quietly.

“I’m sorry.” Vox patted Alastor’s head. “We were just reading some of the comments on the post.” Vox explained to his partner as he grabbed Velvette’s phone and shoved the screen in Alastor’s face.

Alastor stared at the screen for about half a second before he growled lowly and buried his face in Vox’s neck.

“This is so nice!” Vox gave Velvette her phone back, charging up the battery percentage as he did so. “I feel so good! Like I could take on the whole world!” Vox declared to Velvette. “I never realized how drained I was.” Vox admitted quietly. “I f*cking hate Mammon's clown show. He holds it once a year and every year he tries to one-up it.” Vox frowned a bit before he rolled his eyes. “There's nothing wrong with that, but it's like he forgets that it's my power each year. Like I'm not the reason he's doing so well.” Vox grumbled.

“You said the other day that the attention I gave was plenty to keep you up. What happened yesterday?” Alastor asked as his grip tightened on his mate.

Velvette scoffed and pulled up a video on her phone before shoving it in Alastor's face. It was a video of two girls, hell-born from the looks of it, singing a song and performing in front of a large crowd. “Mammon does this sh*t every year.” Velvette explained. “He's ignorant and selfish. Vox has to power all the seven rings of Hell, but Mammon likes to pretend he's the only ring on his clown festivals. Lights, cameras, all that sh*t. It's a big event and sadly Vox takes the blunt force of it because Mammon doesn't care about anything other than money. You're doing a great job with taking care of Vox, some days the sins just use more power and it makes Vox more tired and sleepy. Sometimes Bee holds these big parties, she tries to stay aware of Vox's limits though.”

“Asmodeus has a whole f*cking factory I have to power twenty-four seven.” Vox added as he moved his head slightly. Alastor kissed his partner's cheek and managed to drag the smaller male up onto the bed, pulling him into his lap so he could assault him with kisses and nuzzles. Velvette only seemed slightly pissed at that.

“So important.” Alastor mumbled tiredly to his mate.

“Extremely important. Papermint works with what he has, but he can only do so much to make the day okay for Vox.” Velvette sighed as she crossed her arms.

“How did you meet the sins?” Alastor asked with a slight frown. “You speak as though you know them personally.”

“I do. I'm the representative for the overlords. They hold monthly meetings that I have to attend.” Vox explained as he leaned into Alastor's embrace. “It's hard being the only overlord there, no one else seems to know about the meetings. I've asked them if they could take over for me, but no one ever does. I'm so tired.”

“I've never heard of these meetings before.” Alastor hummed thoughtfully. “I'm sorry that you're stuck doing these alone, but I'm sure they picked you for good reason.” Alastor kissed Vox's face. “You're powerful and smart. I can see why you were chosen to represent us. You're a businessman, afterall.”

“Flatterer.” Velvette snorted.

“I like it when he compliments me.” Vox kissed Alastor's cheek and tried to push himself closer to Alastor. “It makes me feel better about myself. Maybe I could ask for permission to take you with me. Sometimes Vortex and Fizzie come with Bee and Asmodeus. They're their partners. I don't see why I can't bring you with me. The meetings are held in Pride because I can't leave.” Vox chuckled a bit as he spoke.

Alastor's heart fluttered at the idea of being brought with Vox. Being introduced as his partner, but one thought plagued his mind. “Does that mean you missed the meeting this month?”

“I told Bee that my friend was having a rut and I was helping him. She understood. She's a canine and so is her partner. She was actually more worried that Val would be pissed at me.”

“Is she unaware you two broke up?” Alastor asked.

“She's aware now.” Vox chuckled. “She told me she never liked him and she was happy for me. Said Velvette and I deserved better.”

“Wait, Beelzebub knows who I am?” Velvette gasped out. She shot up to her feet and grabbed Vox's suit, ignoring Alastor's warning growl. “She knows who I am?”

Vox flinched back from Velvette and gently grabbed her hands and rolled his eyes. “Of course she does! She's one of my best friends and you're my family. She knows all the tea.” Vox added with a laugh. “She kind of just… decided we were friends and I haven't been able to shake her, but I've grown to like her.”

“It's weird.” Alastor frowned. “To think that you have this whole separate duty to represent every overlord, and we're all unaware of the responsibility that rests on your shoulders. I didn't even know about this when we were friends all those years ago.”

“It's my burden to carry, Alastor.” Vox sighed as he let go of Velvette's hands. “Of course now I'll be letting you in on my struggles. We're partners, and I expect your hand in helping me.” Vox added as he closed his eyes, a small smile plastered on his face.

“You two are way too sweet.” Velvette gagged a bit. “So lovestruck, it makes me sick. Happy for you, bitches, but seriously? Disgusting. You two are so in love it hurts.”

Vox chucked a bit as he pulled away from Alastor and turned around to cup his mate's face. He pulled him in close and kissed him gently before pulling back, his eyes drooping a bit. “I do love Alastor a lot.” He murmured.

Alastor's gaze widened and his heart swelled before he wrapped his arms around Vox's waist and pulled him against his body. “I love you too.” Alastor whispered as he cradled his partner.

“That was not an excuse to act ever more lovey!” Velvette yelled as she jumped on the bed and tried to separate the two. As soon as her hands touched Vox, Alastor snarled and actually slapped her hand away and twisted his body to hide Vox from her sights.

Velvette was stunned by Alastor's actions. She put her hands up in surrender and looked a bit panicked. “Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you stress.” Velvette slowly scooted her way toward Alastor. “I don't want to take Vox away from you, but please remember that he's my family. My parental figure. I care for him deeply and while I want him to be happy, I don't want to watch you guys make out.”

Vox inhaled shakily but kept quiet as Alastor mulled over his thoughts. He didn't want to sway Alastor's opinion, but he hoped to the gods above that Alastor would let Velvette into his heart.

Alastor stared at the woman for a second before he slowly turned his body again, revealing Vox back to Velvette. “I'm sorry.” Alastor apologized. “I don't mean to throw a wrench into your relationship. I can't help these feelings.” Alastor mumbled and he cuddled into Vox.

“Hey, I get it.” Velvette cackled a bit as she slowly reached her hand out and gently grazed her hand against Alastor's shoulder. It took everything in Alastor's power to not flinch away from her touch. “Thank you for trusting me and letting me into your nest, Alastor.”

Vox managed to push himself away from Alastor and he knelt in-between the two with a laugh. “Okay. I think we are being way too sappy and sentimental.” Vox laughed a bit. “I get it. I'm loved by everyone and you all care for me. These past few weeks I swear all I've been doing is wearing my heart on my sleeve, and while I don't mind it at all, everyone is going to know that I have feelings and I can't have that.”

“Oh God forbid that people know you have feelings.” Alastor teased Vox gently, pulling him back into his arms. “Don't you dare leave me. I want to cuddle with my mate.” Alastor's throat rumbled with a low purr.

Velvette laughed and rolled her eyes before she leaned up against Alastor and Vox and pulled out her phone to take a quick selfie, much to Alastor's annoyance.

Velvette paid him no mind. She pulled up her Voxstagram and went to their most recent post, the one where it was made official that Vox and Alastor were dating. “The comments have been going crazy. Vox and I have been reading a few of them. You want to hear some?” Velvette asked with a smirk.

“Oh! You got to tell him! They're f*cking hilarious! Well, some are.” Vox grabbed Alastor's hand that he had on his waist. He pulled it up to his chest and rested it there and he leaned against Alastor. “You're such a good partner. Letting me cuddle against you despite hating being touched.” Vox mumbled under his breath so only Alastor could hear.

Alastor stiffened up a bit. He didn't even realize Vox remembered that. “I love you, and only you, touching me.” Alastor murmured back as he rested his chin on top of Vox's head.

Velvette rolled her eyes but decided to ignore their antics and just start reading out the comments left on their post. “I can't believe we didn't see this coming. Those two are always flirting on radio and T.V.. They're obsessed with one another. They never shut the f*ck up.”

“I wouldn't call that flirting.” Alastor objected rather defiantly. “We were arguing. Debating, if you will!” Alastor traced his fingers along Vox's body as he spoke. “I do suppose I am a little obsessed with my mate now.” He added with a dark chuckle.

Vox's face lit up red as he tried to avoid Alastor's gaze. He squirmed a bit and laughed nervously. “Alastor.” Vox whined. “Don't feed into their ideas.”

Velvette rolled her eyes and continued on. “‘How long has this been going on? Has the whole Valentino and Vox thing been just a ruse? Vox seemed to have moved on quite fast.’” Velvette read in a deadpan tone. “There are many dislikes on that comment and a lot of people are talking sh*t about them.” Velvette added with a wicked grin. “I love watching people fight on the internet over stupid things. It's so funny to watch them forget that cultures and different backgrounds exist. The amount of times Vox has been called an American always makes me laugh.”

That caught Alastor's attention. “I never paid much attention to your nationality. What is your nationality?” Alastor asked his partner with a tile of his head.

“My parents were German, but I was born and raised in Canada.” Vox shrugged. “They fled just before the war and my father fought In the war to try and prove his loyalty.”

“You never talk about your life on Earth much.” Velvette hummed. “I didn't even know your father taught in the war. Were you born before that time?”

“Well obviously. I died as an adult in the nineteen fifties. I better have been born before.” Vox chuckled a bit. “I don't know how, but I wasn't drafted.”

“Can you speak German?” Alastor asked.

“I know a few words still, but I've mostly forgotten the language sadly.” Vox admitted, his voice was a bit shameful. “I never really spoke German, I just understood it because of my parents. English was my native language.”

“Shouldn't you know French if Canada is your home?” Alastor asked with a frown. “You acted as though you knew nothing.”

“You don't really learn terms of endearment in school.” Vox pointed out dryly. “I can introduce myself and hold a small conversation, but other than that I'm pretty f*cked.”

“This actually brings up a good point. How many languages do you know?” Velvette turned her body to face Vox.

“I know English, I know a few words of German, Spanish, and French. Nothing special. Just things I was taught or picked up on. I also speak Bitch, which is your language.” Vox pointed a finger at Velvette as he said that, a smirk on his features.

Velvette's eyes narrowed and she let out a huff of air. “I'm going to let you get away with that because Alastor is already pretty pissed at me.”

“How right you are!” Alastor raised his hands and clapped them together before he dropped them back down to Vox.

“Back to comments!” Velvette flopped down against the two once again and pulled her phone out as she continued on her journey. “‘Who do you think is the top?’ is another one and oh boy, Vox, everyone is saying you're the bottom.”

“What the f*ck?” Vox threw his hands in the air. “Unbelievable!”

Alastor could help the pit of worry that formed in his stomach. “Velvette, Dear. They aren't saying that because of any information Valentino revealed, right?”

Velvette stared blankly at Alastor before she looked back down at her phone and then at him again. She let out a heavy sigh. “Alastor, we're removed any and all evidence of that ever being said, but we can't change people knowing that or theorizing that Vox is. It might influence their decision, but even fellow vagin*lly havers can be tops. Don't worry about it.” She waved her hand as she reassured the buck, though her choice of words seemed to make him even more annoyed. “Besides. They're probably just guessing because in all the pictures you're basically man-handling him.” She added with a snort of amusem*nt.

“I am not!” Alastor argued, but his face flushed a bright red as he spoke.

Vox rolled his eyes and hugged Alastor's arm. “Yes you are.” He purred. “I don't mind though. I like feeling safe.”

“My virgin eyes deserve better.” Velvette has never looked more exhausted in her entire life until that very moment.

“Your eyes are far from virgin. Don't pull that sh*t on me.” Vox narrowed his eyes as he glared at Velvette who stuck her tongue out at Vox.

Velvette flipped off Vox before she looked back down at her phone. The three of them fell into a silence, an uncomfortable silence for Alastor, but Velvette and Vox didn't seem to mind it one bit.

When Alastor started to shift uncomfortably, Velvette got the hit and pushed herself off the bed. “It was nice spending time with you boys, but I'm afraid I must take my leave.” She bowed a bit as she spoke.

“Oh, already?” Vox sounded very distracted and far away from the conversation. Velvette was confident that he had enough energy and attention to last him another week, or month. It all depends on how the news reacts to the announcement. Her assumption was that Vox might just be thinking about his time alive, he usually got quiet whenever he thought of his family. Vox told her about his sisters once and how he missed them occasionally.

“Yeah! It's always nice visiting you bitches, but of course, you're a new couple.” Velvette winked at Vox. “I can imagine that your privacy is important, eh?”

Vox's screen flashed a bright red and he ducked his head in embarrassment as he mumbled out a ‘yeah, okay’ to her.

Velvette laughed and waved to the two before she left their room quickly.

Alastor watched her leave before he buried his face into Vox's neck, ignoring the surprised squeak that left his partner. “Clever girl.” He growled out lowly. “I want my mate all to myself today. I've had enough of sharing you.” Alastor tugged on the turtleneck a few times as he spoke, clearly wanting the shirt off so he could admire his bite.

Vox inhaled shakily before he gave Alastor a small push. “Okay. Let's slow down a bit.” Vox laughed a bit nervously.

Alastor whined loudly as he was forced away from Vox's warmth, but he didn't complain or try to force his way back into Vox's space.

“Can you be a good mate for me and grab me a clean shirt from the closet? Any will do. You would probably prefer a V-neck but I don't know if you own any.” Vox moved off of Alastor's lap and got on the floor. Vox examined himself for a second before he huffed. “Actually, can you take this shirt off me?”

Alastor rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Vox's shirt vanished in the blink of an eye before a low-hanging red v-neck took its place. The v-neck wasn't anything fancy, but there was a bit of lace on the collar of the shirt. Vox knew that Alastor added that for himself and it made his heart flutter a bit. Alastor had made no move from their bed and was eyeing Vox up and down.

“You look beautiful.” Alastor finally gasped out.

“Oh! Well uh… thank you!” Vox laughed a bit awkwardly as he rubbed his neck a little bit. “You're the one who picked the top though.”

“No top would be able to make you look any less gorgeous than you are.” Alastor purred, his eyes were heavy as he stared at his partner. “Clothes can only do so much for the wearer. It's all about the confidence you carry yourself with.” Alastor finally moved off their bed and approached Vox slowly. He seemed to have sensed Vox's hesitation earlier and was moving extra carefully so he wouldn't panic.

Vox couldn't help the smile that fought its way to his face. Before Alastor could touch Vox, he shoved his outstretched hand out of the way and threw his arms around Alastor's shoulders.

Alastor froze up for a second before he returned the hug tightly. “What's this for?” Alastor asked. He sounded genuinely confused.

“You're so caring and supportive.” Vox mumbled into Alastor's shoulders. “I just f*cking love you so much.”

Alastor inhaled a shaky breath. Even though Vox had said it mere minutes ago with Velvette in the room, it was different to hear him say it again with so much passion and affection. Alastor could feel tears well up in his eyes as he returned the hug tightly. No one had really said they loved him since his mother all those years ago.

“I love you too.” Alastor managed to choke out as they moved their bodies together. Soft music filled the room as they danced, or attempted to dance. Neither Vox nor Alastor let the other go.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“What are your friends going to say about us dating?” Vox asked as he raised his head from where it was resting. Vox had cuddled up beside Alastor and was resting his face flat against his partner’s side, wrapped in blankets.

“What about them?” Alastor moved his hand from the small of Vox's back and flipped the page in his book. The warm glow of candles wavered a bit as Alastor spoke. He seemed a bit touchy about the subject.

Vox and Alastor were laying in their bed, curled up together. The lights were out and Vox's screen was dimmed as low as it could be. Alastor had lit a few homemade candles that Vox wasn't even going to question what they were made from. Alastor was reading while Vox was sorting through his memories and reminders, deleting ones he didn't need anymore. He was just simply basking in his partner's warmth whilst he worked quietly.

They hadn't spoken in a few minutes, but Vox was greeted to a memory with a handful of women talking to Alastor. It was years ago, back before Vox and Alastor had their falling out, but Vox knew that Alastor was still friends with them. Alastor didn't like to lose friends. He kept his cards close and his circle small for a reason.

“Well, you and Rosie are pretty close, and that other girl? Mini?”

“Mimzy.” Alastor corrected as he booped the touch of Vox's head affectionately. “Rosie and I get along just fine. I'm sure she will have no issue with our partnership and will be most pleased. When we had that fight, you wouldn't believe the lecture she gave me!” Alastor chuckled darkly at the memory. “She really does like you, so I imagine her excitement will rival Charlie's.” Alastor's brow furrowed before he continued with a heavy sigh. “I'm uncertain if Mimzy and I will continue to get along.”

Vox pressed his body against Alastor's so his weight would bring him comfort. “Do you want to talk about it?” Vox asked quietly. “I'm a good listener.”

“So I recall.” Alastor rasped. “I suppose it would do me some good to discuss what's been happening. Mimzy and I had a disagreement. She brought danger to the hotel's doorstep and left me to clean up the mess. For years I've endured her doing this, but she directly harmed Charlie's progress and I couldn't allow that. I told her she wasn't welcomed here unless she wished to redeem herself. I haven't seen her since, and before my rut, Rosie told me that Mimzy has been complaining to all who would listen about how horrible I was.”

“Do you think you were too harsh?”

“No. I think I wasn't harsh enough.” Alastor growled. “I couldn't imagine what would happen if you were in the hotel when she brought the loan sharks.”

Vox let out a laugh. “You're acting as if Vark would like other sharks so close to me.”

Alastor had forgotten Vark was a shark. He never really thought much of his new pet. “I suppose Vark is more than capable of taking care of you.” Alastor sighed. “He put up a good fight against Valentino and me.”

“Don't be jealous.” Vox chuckled. “You're always going to be my number one protector.”

“I f*cking better be.”

Chapter 23: Day Twenty-Two

Chapter Text

It was weird when Vox was the one awoken by fidgeting. Alastor was tossing his head back and forth and whimpering out stuff that Vox just couldn't catch.

“Baby?” Vox pushed himself to a sitting position and took in everything. Alastor was on the opposite side of the bed, his hands patting and grasping the sheets, clearly searching for Vox. His eyes were screwed shut and there was sweat sticking to his forehead.

Vox frowned before reaching a hand out and gently grasping his mate's. “Hey, I'm here.” Vox whispered and he pulled the covers up highly and slowly curled up against Alastor.

The reaction was immediate. Alastor's hands flew to his back and pulled him in close before his claws started to tear at the shirt Vox was wearing. Vox winced a bit as the claws dug into his skin, a small bit of blood welled out from the scratches, but he couldn't find himself caring. His mate needed him.

Alastor let out a choked sob before his eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly with a gasp. He looked around a bit panickedly before he felt Vox in his arms. Alastor cradled his mate close, breathing in his scent as he screwed his eyes shut.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Vox whispered out once Alastor seemed to have calmed down. “My sister once told me that talking about dreams makes them go away so you never relive them, good and bad.”

Alastor was quiet before he nodded his head.

It remained silent for a few more minutes
Vox didn't want to speak because Alastor was clearly trying to word whatever he was feeling and had just experienced, and Vox didn't want to shove his foot in when Alastor clearly needed time.

“Have I ever told you about my father?” Alastor finally asked, his eyes glowed brightly against the dark room and Vox's glowing screen.

“I don't think so. You really only ever mentioned your mother, and that was brief.” Vox answered quietly. Vox looked over his shoulder and opened a small portal. A candle fell out of the portal and landed upright on the nightstand next to the bed. Vox sent a small spark of electricity to the candle and lit it ablaze. The flame flickered in the room, the light brought comfort to Alastor in a way he couldn't explain.

“I didn't know you could open portals.” Alastor hummed.

“Bee taught me how. I don't know if all Overlords can do it or just me. No one else ever does it so I try to limit my use of portals, but I shove a bunch of comfort items into the void to pull out whenever I need them.” Vox answered as he turned to look back at Alastor. “It's clear you could use something grounding. I find candles are the closest way we can connect to our Earth selves. I picked this scent just for you actually.” Vox added with a bit of a shameful laugh. “When I first returned to the hotel, I didn't know what the future held for us, but I had hoped we could be friends again. That we could be who we are before we fell apart. I'm glad we're different from what we used to be though. I adore being your partner and I don't think I ever want this to change. I love being yours and only yours, but enough about me. Alastor, your father?”

Alastor's ears lowered a bit; he had hoped he could distract Vox from the current conversation, but it appeared his short attention span didn't quite work like he thought, or the conversation was simply too serious for it to work.

“Right. Well… my father… was my first victim.” Alastor sighed. “He used to hit my mother, and I would see him do it. He would make me watch so I would never step out of line. He would belittle and insult her, both of us. He called us slurs and made our lives a living hell. I don't know how he could claim to love her while harming her. How he could insult the colour of her skin despite marrying her. I think he was furious. I looked like a perfect mix of both her and him, but acted more like her. I think he wanted a white child, and when I came out looking like this… he was disgusted.”

Vox had to literally bite his tongue to prevent himself from asking questions. Alastor didn't need to stress and think about his father's thought process. Vox pressed his body against Alastor's and rubbed soothing circles on his chest. He didn't know what else to do other than listen and show he was listening.

“He didn't hurt me nearly as much as he hurt my mother, but he made sure to make it clear that I wasn't his child. When I started taking interest in ‘womanly’ things, he threw a fit. Accused me of being gay, well… he didn't say that exactly. He used a much harsher word.” Alastor suddenly looked so tired. “I guess funnily enough I'm dating a man now, so he was sort of right.”

Vox grasped Alastor's hand and kissed it gently. Vox could have guessed that Alastor didn't have an easy time being mixed-race, but he never would have assumed his father was what caused most of his issues. He also wouldn't have guessed that Alastor's interest in cooking would be problematic.

“One day, I was just a teenager, maybe seventeen or sixteen? My father bashed my mother's head in with a vase and I watched her fall to the ground. She stared at me with eyes filled with terror as she gasped for air, knowing her son just witnessed that. I watched the light slowly leave her eyes, she was fighting and fighting, but there was nothing either of us could do. When I finally realized what he had done, I used the shards from the vase to my advantage. I was filled with rage, with enough power to take on a thousand lions. I threw him to the ground and stabbed him in the throat with vase shards as many times as I could. I was so infuriated. It wasn't the best mess to clean up. I took all the shards and hid the body. Both of them. I couldn't allow them to find me, no matter how much it hurt. I gave my mother a proper burial with a grave, under her favourite tree with flowers planted atop of her. As for my father? Well I buried him in the bayou. I don't remember where, or care where.” Alastor added with a low growl.

“Did you have a nightmare where he hurt your mother again?” Vox asked carefully, his throat tight. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He knew Alastor was a murderer, a serial killer, but burying both your parents? The amount of trauma would tear Vox open. No wonder Alastor was so f*cked up and so supportive of killing abusers.

“Well… yes, but there was more to it. My mother had fallen into Hell because she wanted to help Charlie.” Alastor recalled. “My father found out about her fall and came to investigate, and he found her, but he also found you…” Alastor trailed off. “I knew it was a nightmare, but the hard part was knowing he's down here with me. That part is no dream. The hard reality that he knows who I am and knows who you are is haunting me.” Alastor whispered. “It wasn't my first nightmare, you just never awoke during them before. I've been… so scared of leaving you alone because I don't want him to find you.”

Vox didn't really know what to say. What do you say when your partner opens up about their abuse? What did Alastor say when Vox had come clean about the abuse Valentino put him through?

“I won't let him hurt me or you.” Vox promised. “I'll fry his ass the second he tries anything. One slur out of his mouth, or any insult and I'll teach him a lesson he won't ever forget.” Vox curled in Alastor's body.

“I worry about his lies. What if he tells the princess that he wants to be redeemed? She will let him in without hesitation and I'm not allowed to hurt guests, and neither will you.”

“Tell her the truth. Tell her that your father is hom*ophobic and racist and wants revenge on you for killing him.” Vox whispered. “She'll understand.”

“I don't want her to worry or to tell anyone else.” Alastor whimpered. “I hate feeling weak. I hate my face, my body, my skin. Everything about my physical appearance because everyone felt the need to belittle me and talk down to me.”

Vox stiffened up a bit. He never really thought about Alastor avoiding cameras and videos, but it all made sense. Alastor feared people seeing him, a mixed race person.

Alastor didn't hate photos or videos. He just hated people seeing him because of people’s cruelty towards him.

Vox felt his lip wobble a bit as the realization sunk in. For years he’s been teasing and bullying Alastor for his hatred of technology, when the answer was right in front of his face the whole time.

On the radio he was able to hide himself, not be open about who he was or have his race on display. Vox felt terrible for all his words to Alastor. Why didn't he realize it sooner?

“Vox?” Alastor sounded so far away yet so close.

Vox jumped back a bit before he violently shook his head. This was Alastor's trauma, not Vox's.

“Sorry. I just got lost in my thoughts.” Vox laughed a bit awkwardly. “Alastor, Charlie won't judge you for having hardships, if anything she'll be more understanding of your stance on certain things.”

Alastor still seemed a bit worried about Vox, but he huffed out a sign. Vox was a stubborn man when he wanted to be. “Her understanding nature is what scares me.” Alastor stated dryly with a raised brow.

Vox sighed before he looked down at hisbhands numbly. “Do you want advice, or do you just want me to listen?” Vox finally asked after a moment of silence.

Alastor seemed genuinely taken aback by that question. He frowned for a split second before his smile came back. “I don't know what I want.” He admitted. “I want you to be safe. My mother is safe in Heaven, I know that, but you? You're not safe down here with him.”

Vox kissed Alastor's cheek gently. “Well, what would make you feel better? Do you want to mark me up with bites so everyone knows I'm yours? Do you want me to cuddle you and tell you how good of a job you're doing? What about a movie? Do you want to stay up and pretend the dream never happened?”

Alastor froze up a bit. So many choices and such little time to decide. His heart and body was torn. He really didn't know. He felt so out of place and a bit scared truthfully. He could comfort Vox without an issue. When he first meant Vox he had to comfort the male, but now?

“I don't want to mark you up.” Alastor finally manages to get out. “I think I just want to hold you.” He decided.

Vox smiled and wrapped his arms around Alastor's neck. “Then hold me.”

Alastor did just that.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Something was wrong with Vox. Alastor could tell almost immediately with how his partner was acting. He looked exhausted and a little ill to be honest. He was sitting on the floor in front of their coffee table with blurred eyes.

“Vox?” Alastor slowly approached his partner, trailing his fingers along the wooden table. “You seem off, Sweetie. Is everything okay?” Alastor asked a bit hesitantly.

“Yeah. I'm just thinking.” Vox huffed out.

“About what?” Alastor took a step beside Vox on the floor, taking special care to not touch his partner. Vox might not react well to being touched.

“Everything.” Vox stretched up his arms before he rolled dramatically over to his side to stare at Alastor.

“That's not really specific.” Alastor chuckled a bit dryly. “I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong. At least I don't think there is.” Vox sighed as he raised his head. “Papermint has been doing great with the workload he's been forced upon. Vark is well taken care of. You're okay, and so are Velvette and the other hotel members. It's just too quiet.”

Alastor's ears lowered a bit. “Vox…” Alastor's voice trailed off before he managed to regain his thoughts. “I know I may have startled you awake, but please don't stress about any dangers coming our way. I'll speak to Charlie about my father and see if we can have it so he proves himself before entering the hotel.”

“Not going to ban him?”

“You and I both know Charlie won't agree to that.” Alastor sighed. “You listened to my worries this morning, I think I should repay the favour.” Alastor reached out an arm, he didn't touch his partner though. He just hovered his arm there until Vox grabbed it and pulled it over himself.

“It's stupid. I didn't mean to take over your day.” Vox mumbled. “I should be fawning over you, making sure you're okay and healthy, not the other way around.”

“My shadows are months away, maybe even years. Yours are everyday and constant.” Alastor hummed as he cradled Vox close. “You listened to my words and offered me advice I wouldn't have thought of. Mine are just nightmares of the future, but yours are pressing matters of the past. My issues can wait, they haven't happened yet, yours can't wait because they have happened. You're already dealing with the consequences. Never apologize for feeling down or less than yourself.”

“I'm just feeling a bit depressed.” Vox admitted in a small voice. “I'm cold. Haven't been able to work much, and all the work I have been doing is responding to stupid emails from people. I love cuddling you, and I am so happy we've been spending all this time together, but the lack of technology is starting to get to me. I can’t fidget with anything because I don't want to break anything and I've just been pent up I guess.”

“Oh, Mon Cher. You should have told me sooner.” Alastor whispered. “While I may not enjoy your frivolous technology, we share a room now. This space is yours to do whatever you please. Just try to leave my things alone.” Alastor rubbed Vox's shoulder comfortingly as he spoke. Alastor was a bit disappointed in himself. The only changes Vox had made were the T.V. and an office. Nothing else. He should have realized that Vox hasn't truly embraced the room yet. It was their room and Vox should be able to have fun and enjoy his new room.

“I'm sure you have way more rules than just that.” Vox mumbled to himself. “Be honest with me, Alastor.”

“Bright lights hurt my eyes and I tend to freeze up when there are many.” Alastor mentioned with a shrug. “I know you enjoy your fun colours though.”

“I don't want to blind you.” Vox chuckled a bit darkly. “I should have tried that when we were fighting. I always- used to brighten my screen whenever I spoke to Valentino to keep his attention on me. His mind tended to wander and he already had horrible eyesight so I couldn't just jingle a bell in front of his face.”

Alastor's gaze darkened and a low growl escaped him. His claws dug into Vox's thighs as his antlers began to grow. “Don't bring up that man.” Alastor snarled.

“He's my ex, Alastor, and a pretty good source of some trauma.” Vox placed his hands over Alastor's. He rubbed the veins reassuringly. “He's going to be brought up. I'll try not to bring him up for the rest of your rut, but don't get hissy with me when I do.”

Alastor's ear flattened and he forced his eyes closed and he tried to calm himself. “I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I don't mean to get snappy with you.” Alastor refused to look at his mate as he spoke. “I can't stand this. The lack of control.”

“Well, tell me about it.” Vox smiled. “Let me in, Baby. I won't judge you or shame you for your struggles. If you keep pushing them off, it'll only hurt us more.”

Alastor always hated it whenever Vox was right. It was his most annoying trait because Alastor did not appreciate being called out like that, thank you very much.

“Rut has never been easy on me. Sinners get punishments for their sins that make perfect sense, and I am no exception from the rule. When I first manifested in Hell, I couldn't understand what my punishment was. I was thriving even! Killing off people who didn't deserve the luxury of Hell. Making abusers suffer for all they did to others. It was a paradise for me! Then… I spent a year in Hell and my first ever rut happened.”

Vox knew this was before his time. Back in the Dark Ages as Papermint affectionately called it. Only fire to guide people through the dark pits of Hell, and usually that fire led to an overlord. It's why there were so many souls under contract and overlords were plentiful. Once the light came, the overlords who hid in darkness and took advantage were slowly hunted and killed. Vox knew Alastor killed plenty of overlords before Vox manifested, but there were hundreds when he first appeared.

“I felt… desires I never really felt since my mother's passing. The desire to protect and care for someone. Be there for them constantly. I had no control over anything and was unpredictable. Years passed and I learnt to tolerate it. I would just hold up in my house until the feelings went away.”

“You never had a rut partner before Niffty and I?” Vox asked.

Alastor chuckled a bit before answering. “No. I wasn't in tune with my emotions and was more of a fiery ball of rage. Not exactly a good mindset to have someone trapped in your room to care for. Niffty didn't become my spawn for quite a little bit. It took time and I had to learn how to relax my emotions before my body finally picked someone. It accepted that the likelihood of me finding a ‘mate’ was low and settled for the next best thing to make it more tolerable.”

“Wait. Before Niffty, you were still searching for a mate?”

“I'm a deer. It's what I'm meant to do biologically, but I'm all about control. Even my rut was a challenge I wanted to conquer. I did, for a little bit. My rut grew stronger and stronger each year, but I always managed to push it down, but… my last rut wasn't a pretty sight.” Alastor looked down at his hands in shame. “My body didn't give up hope. I didn't realize it was waiting for the perfect mate. My rut happened when we knocked you out to heal your injury. I went feral. I would try to attack anyone and anything without hesitation. As I stated when you first became my mate, only Husk and Niffty knew of my ruts. I got many lectures from the princess and her little girlfriend for all the damages I caused.”

“They didn't question why you were gone for a month?”

“I didn't leave for a month. I stayed in the hotel and kept up appearances. My body didn't pick a partner last year, which was quite a surprise, but now I know why. My body did pick a partner. A mate. It wanted you, but you were unconscious in your room with a shark threatening to bite our heads off if we got too close.” Alastor ended his sentence with a low growl.

“You could recognize that?” Vox frowned.

“I only realized recently.” Alastor admitted. “I figured I was just off my cycle or something.”

“Hah. That's a mood.” Vox snorted in mild amusem*nt. “A totally reasonable thought. It was consistent for like seventy to ninety years. When we were friends your body never picked me before.”

Alastor looked away, his eyes drooping a bit. “I think it was how I found you.” Alastor admitted softly.

“What do you mean?” No one ever really spoke to Vox about what it was like finding him. He was barely conscious and all he knew was that Niffty almost killed him and Vark led them to him.

“When Angel Dust busted into the hotel, he yelled that your pet was trying to drag him somewhere. We thought Valentino finally had enough and were sending Vark to try and drag Angel to you so you could hand him over to Valentino. In hindsight, if Vark wanted to drag Angel somewhere. He very much could. He is very strong. We all prepared. We were ready to kill you and Valentino. The first red flag should have been when Vark didn't care about all of us going. That he didn't care that we were armed. Vark led us confidently through allies. He retraced his steps with such practiced ease. We didn't know what we were walking into, but Husk and I could smell the blood as soon as we stepped foot on your property. Soon the others could too and they broke into a sprint. When we found you, your screen was dark. We couldn't see your chest move up or down. All we saw was red blood with a mixture of dark blue in it. No one had ever seen a sinner bleed like that and we were worried and confused. We thought you out of it completely. We didn't know whether to enact revenge or leave you or take you home. Niffty wanted to shed your blood more. She was curious about the blue and wanted to see where it came from, if it came from certain body parts or if it just happened when you were near death.” Alastor paused in his story as he casted a glance towards Vox. His expression was unreadable. He didn't look upset, annoyed, happy, mad, or… anything. Vox was stone-faced as he listened.

Alastor inhaled deeply before he continued. “When you wheezed, no one could do anything. We all froze. Charlie decided to take you to the hotel, but I remembered the feeling. It was a cold rage. The scent of your blood disgusted me and I felt ill being near you. I thought I was mad at Charlie for bringing you home, that I was disgusted by your presence. I know now that wasn't the case. My instincts were rearing their ugly head. I was upset that someone touched my mate. Made my mate bleed and cry. Made my mate's spawn seek out help from people who could have killed you. I picked you as my mate a year ago when we first found you. I was mistaken. I thought my body was angry at nothing. That my body threw itself off to wreak havoc upon others.”

“When in reality. You just spent your entire rut alone without your mate.” Vox finished for Alastor. His tone held little to no emotion. It was a bit freaking to be honest. Alastor always hated it whenever Vox went like this. Calculating. Thinking. Vox was much smarter than Alastor when it came to these types of things, another thing about Vox that used to infuriate him, but now he just sees as endearing.

“That feeling of no control and just pure rage. It scared me, Vox. Sometimes I fear that I'm going to snap and hurt you somehow because my body and instincts will just decide to reject you completely.”

“You haven't rejected Niffty.” Vox pointed out calmly. “You still care for her as your daughter. When I came around, she didn't just stop being your child.”

“Mates are different!” Alastor's ears lowered a bit. “You might find someone who can suit your needs better.”

“Babe, you suit my needs just fine. Besides, I don't plan on leaving you, ever.” Vox leaned into Alastor's body and rubbed his screen against Alastor's chest. “Even if you lose control, I'll still be here. Partnership is all about helping one another through the tough and thin. You've been helping me through the tough times, now let me help you. I won't back down from your need to control. If it makes you feel better, you can control the pace of this as much as you like. I'm not in any hurry. I value you too much to care if you want to slow down.”

“What if I want to speed up?” Alastor asked as he trailed his fingers up Vox's spine, relishing in the way his mate shivered.

“Then I'll be there with you. I'll tell you if you need to slow down. You would never force me to do anything I don't want to. I trust you completely, Alastor. I don't expect this control issue to be a permanent thing and I don't want you to tell me when to eat food or change my clothes. You might be feeling overwhelmed because you're struggling with everything. This is new to you, and all you have are your instincts to rule you, which makes you feel like you have no control.”

“You would give me control over our entire relationship… just to keep me comfortable?” Alastor sounded shocked.

“I would bring the stars to Hell if it meant you would stay with me.” Vox smiled and he pulled back from Alastor. “I'm a big boy. I've been dealing with abuse and my emotions for years. You have a literal punishment that takes away what control you have for a month. Every. Single. Year. I can put aside my feelings for a week. It's not the end of the world. You have a lot of deep-rooted issues within you, but you can't work them out at your own pace because you're not allowed to.” Vox grabbed Alastor's hand and kissed it gently. “You didn't even get any time to accept the fact you might have had feelings for me before your body decided I was your mate.”

“I never thought I would find ‘The One’ so to speak. I probably never would have acknowledged them.” Alastor laughed a bit.

“Why not?”

“Well I never felt interested in romance or sex. I could look at someone and think- ‘Yeah. They're attractive’ yet I could never find someone who I would consider dating. People would tell me something was wrong with me, I tried to ignore it, but it got to me.”

“Yeah. Aroace people had it rough, still do.” Vox shrugged.

“You and Velvette keep saying things like that. Rosie even said I was ‘an ace in the hole.’ What does that mean?” Alastor might be a little fed up with people using words and sayings he didn't know.

“Well, asexual means you feel little to no sexual attraction. Like- you can look at someone and say ‘wow. They're beautiful,’ but you wouldn't typically think ‘I wanna f*ck them.’ Like me for example! Alastor. Would you say I'm attractive?”

“Yes. Very charming and you have quite the silver tongue.” Alastor answered that immediately with no hesitation. It made Vox's screen light up a bright pink for a split second.

“Now, when you look at me, do you think ‘I want to have sex with him?’”

“Not… particularly. I think you're an attractive man, but I really only ever wanted to have sex with you maybe three times. At the most, and even then, it wasn't really a burning desire. It was more like ‘this makes him feel good, I want to make him feel good too.’” Alastor spoke, waving his hand a bit as he tried to explain himself awkwardly.

“Right. You may look at me and think ‘I want to make my partner feel good and he likes sex. I could try it out.’ Another thing asexual people do is just have sex for procreation. They just really want a biological baby with their partner so they have sex to fulfill that. Your sex drive is there, but you don't typically think with your dick you could say, and you don't feel the need to try and get laid. You're okay with not having sex because it doesn't appeal to you. Atleast, that's my understanding of it. Other people might have a different take on it. Nothing wrong with that. It's a spectrum for a reason! Everyone experiences it differently and feels differently about it.” Vox added. “So you might think completely differently about asexuality, and that's okay. There’s also a bunch of sub-genres in asexuality that are more clarifying on what type of asexuality you feel.”

Alastor felt like his mind was exploding with information. Vox was like a mini-dictionary! “Asexual.” Alastor repeated. “Ace. I like that label.” He decided. “It makes me feel normal.”

“That’s the first part, now this is just speculation in my end about you, but Aromantic is another sexuality I think you might relate to. It’s very similar to asexual, but it’s about romantic attraction instead of sexual attraction.”

“That’s a thing?” Alastor sounded a bit dumbfounded. “Romantic attraction?”

“Yeah.” Vox chuckled a bit. “See, you can be romantically attracted to someone but not sexually, and vice versa. It's all layers. Humans are messy creatures and a lot of our emotions are stacked on one another. You can feel multiple different feelings for one emotion. Sexuality, Romance, and Gender Identity are kind of similar. It's layers upon layers. If you're one, there's probably another that can describe you, but it's usually easier to go by one.”

“What's the… aromantic one?” His voice was small. A bit hopeful. Vox could understand why. After years of being told something was wrong with him, Alastor was finally getting an answer on what was so different about him.

“It's similar to asexuality. You feel little to no romantic attraction to others. It's sort of like… hm… you don't really feel the need to date or find a romantic partner that much. Some people really want relationships and crave it, but aromantic people couldn't care less and are fine on their own. There is always a small possibility that you find someone you're interested in and want to be with, but it’s not exactly common. Aromantic is another spectrum.”

“I don't understand though. I never understood why people wanted sex or a partner so badly. Even now that I have it, I can't really understand what people crave about it. I care for you with all my heart and would never want you to leave me, but I don't understand spending my entire life looking for someone. It was pure luck that I managed to find you in my own time.”

“I appreciate you specifying that you care for me.” Vox laughed a bit. “I would be very sad if you just started talking about not wanting a partner.”

“The only partner I want is you. The only person I want anything to do with, is you.” Alastor peppered kisses all across Vox’s screen. “Is that how it works? You have to find ‘the one?’”

“Never say that to your fellow aroaces.” Vox winced a bit as he remembered someone telling Papermint that he just hasn't found the one yet. That was the only time Vox has seen Papermint kill someone before and boy did he make sure the blood got everywhere. Vox knew Papermint has killed hundreds of sinners before, he’s been in Hell for a very long time, but seeing the crazy glint in his eyes as he spilled the man’s blood? Yeah. It was enough to give Vox nightmares for a little bit. “They've been told their whole lives that they would find ‘the one’ one day and it's a phrase that they absolutely despise. There is no ‘one’ to find. One day you just might find someone who fits your desires and needs. It's just that the chances are slimmer for an aroace, and there isn't anything wrong with that. It's just that their desires are different.” Vox tried to explain. “I'm really not the best person to be asking this because I'm not asexual or aromantic, but I hope that makes some sense to you.”

“I think I understand the concept.” Alastor hummed. “It's nice to know there are other people like me and that there is nothing wrong with me.” Alastor's grin softened as he hugged his partner closely. “I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me, even if it's outside your expertise.” Alastor kissed the top of Vox's screen as he finished his sentence.

Vox smiled. “I would suggest people to talk to, but I don't want to out anyone.”

“Out?” Alastor frowned.

“Tell people their sexuality without their consent.” Vox explained. “Like say you walked up to someone, like I don't know… Mimzy, and you told her I was born a female without my knowledge or permission, I would be very hurt.”

“I would never!” Alastor gasped. “That's such a personal thing!”

“That's basically what it means. Some people are openly trans or part of the LGBTQ plus community while others aren't.”

“I understand.” Alastor closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again. “I greatly appreciate you taking the time to educate me. I suppose the future isn't all too bad if they're more accepting of people like us.”

“I'm going to wager a bet that you're excluding future technology?”

“But of course!” Alastor waved his hand. “Future technology can burn! It's all so fragile.”

“I'm going to have to get you a Nokia mobile phone.” Vox snickered. “I want to see if you would find a way to break one.”

“A what?”

“Nokia mobile phone. It's basically a handheld phone.”

“I'm not a fan of your screens.” Alastor rolled his eyes. “You should know that.”

“Oh I'm not talking about a smartphone. I'm talking about a f*cking brick. A flip phone. I want to watch you drop one on your foot. They're on Earth, but so help me, Alastor. I will make one in Hell just for you.”

Alastor was only a little scared of whatever device Vox was talking about.

Chapter 24: Day Twenty-three

Chapter Text

“I can't do this!” Vox threw his hands up in the air before he winced. He lowered his arms and rubbed his shoulders with a grimace.

Alastor peeked into the living room with furrowed brows. “What's wrong?” Alastor asked.

“I can't focus.” Vox grumbled. “I'm trying to get all this sh*t dealt with before I talk to Angel in a couple days. I'm just proof-reading some of the different contracts Papermint wrote up, going to pick my favourite, but I just f*cking can't.”

“Too much energy perhaps?” Alastor suggested as he walked up behind the couch. He draped his arms over Vox and invaded his personal space with a wide grin. “I could always throw a ball for you to chase “

Vox leaned back into Alastor’s arms, doing his best to hug his partner back. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I might just go to the bathroom and try to relax.”

“Perhaps I can help?” Alastor got really close to Vox's face, he wasn't kissing him or anything, but Vox's eyes widened in a bit of fear.

”Perhaps I can help?” Valentino purred as he ran his arms up and down Vox's body. “Sex is great for helping people relax.” Valentino gripped the bottom of Vox’s screen and grinned wickedly.

”No. Val, I don't want to have sex.” Vox argued, jerking his head away clumsily. “I want a bath.”

Valentino's eyes narrowed and a low growl escaped his throat. “I wasn't giving you an option.” He grasped Vox's throat and threw him down onto the bed, Valentino climbed over the man and ripped through his clothes. “I'm going to fill you up so well. Get you nice and bred.”

Vox’s eyes widened in horror as he tried to kick away. “No! Val, I don't want this!” Vox sobbed. “We talked about this. Please don't do this.” Vox rolled over to his side and began to sob. “I don't want this.” The evil glint in Valentino’s eyes didn't leave as he forced down Vox’s boxers. Vox sobbed and cried as his boyfriend inserted a finger without a care in the world for his partner.

“Vox?” Alastor snapped his fingers in front of Vox’s face, scaring his partner. “Hello? I was asking if you wanted a massage, but you completely gapped out on me. Are you alright?”

Vox’s fearful look turned a bit more hopeful. “A massage? Not sex?”

“What? No, not sex. You said you didn't want to try again for a little while and no offense to you, but seeing you like this doesn't exactly put me in the mood.” Alastor gestured vaguely to Vox. Vox didn't even realize that Alastor had moved their positions and he was laying against the couch with Alastor a decent amount of space away from him. Vox’s heart swelled a bit at the care.

“Oh.” was all Vox could whisper out as he rolled over to his side.

Alastor stayed where he was, worry in his eyes. “Vox, talk to me.” Alastor whispered. “You completely gapped out and I'm worried.” Alastor slowly moved so he was spooning Vox, giving his mate more than enough time to stop him.

“Valentino said the same thing to me.” Was all Vox muttered.

Alastor could put the pieces together rather quickly. He got up and grabbed one of the blankets that Vox liked the most that he had stashed away on the couch. Look okay, blankets are nice on the couch and Vox tends to get cold easily. Alastor gently pulled it over himself and his partner. “I won't do anything to you that don't want me to.” Alastor promised. “I’ll even make a deal to prove it.”

“Alastor…” Vox rolled over and cuddled against his partner’s chest. “We don't need to make a deal to prove anything.”

“Not for our souls, Mon Cher.” Alastor promised. “Just a deal that binds me to you where I cannot physically do anything to you if you don't want me to. Just to give you some peace of mind.”

“What would you get in return?” Vox asked with narrowed eyes.

Alastor’s ear flicked in annoyance before he huffed. “I don't know. Nothing?”

“No deal.” Vox scoffed, but he did roll back over to face Alastor. “I appreciate the offer though. Relationships are built on trust and it’s not fair you're forced to do nothing I don't want you to. It should be a choice. I trust you to choose not to hurt me.” Vox smiled. “I know you. You would never hit or rape me. We’ve been incredibly vanilla and this relationship hasn't been anything too bad. Maybe a bit emotionally exhausting with how many conversations we’ve had about boundaries, consent, and all that, but it isn't anything bad. My brain is just a bit fried.”

“Well, how about we take today and tomorrow off? You have to speak to Angel in three days I believe, so you get to mentally recover and you have that one extra day to deal with contract stuff, and if you aren't ready by that time, you can keep pushing it off till you're ready. No need to burn yourself out.” Alastor pressed a kiss to Vox's cheek. “Let's make today all about you. What do you want to do first?”

“I'm not getting an option, ain't I?” Vox rolled his eyes as he spoke.

“Nope!” Alastor sounded so gleeful that Vox couldn't bring himself to be mad or annoyed.

“Okay. Well… I think I want to go to bed.” Vox ran his fingers up Alastor's chest. “The pillows are calling my name and I just want to emotionally unwind, ya know?”

“Not really, but I'll help you out however I can!” Alastor grinned. Alastor gently pushed Vox off of him so he could stand up straight. He offered his hand to his partner, watching with endearment in his eyes as Vox used Alastor to pull himself up.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

“What are you doing?” Alastor draped his body over Vox’s as he peered curiously at Vox's screen.

Vox tore his gaze away from his laptop and smiled. “I'm researching! I figured for my break from all that boring paperwork, I’d just do a bit of research on rutting bucks!”

Alastor's eye twitched just slightly and his smile was a tad more strained. “How charming.”

Vox looked away from Alastor and closed his laptop before he crossed his arms over his chest. “I get that you don't care much for this, but as your partner, I need to know how to help you and support you. You actually don't act much like a buck in rut. You're a lot more muted than I thought, but honestly I'm grateful you don't do some things bucks do.”

“Oh, well, now I'm curious, Vox.” Alastor moved around so he was seated right next to Vox, relishing in how his mate leaned into his touch.

Vox reopened his laptop again and grabbed a notepad he had put to the side. There was some writing scribbled down that Alastor could barely make out. Vox sometimes did that on purpose so people didn't know what he was doing.

It was weird, but Alastor found it rather respectable that Vox bothered learning how to write badly to keep his privacy. Almost like how the author doesn't organize her google docs to keep everyone stressed and guessing.

“Well, you didn't really rub up against any of the furniture and leave markings there for any potential mates to find, or for any enemies to find.” Vox tapped his pen against his notepad as he read out what he had written down. “Regardless of how ichy your velvet was, you tolerated it until you felt like we were in a good position instead of being impatient and aggressive over it.”

Alastor tilted his head a bit as Vox spoke. “Well I suppose my issue is that I don't want any rivals to find us.” Alastor shrugged. “Leaving marks would tell others where I am and I wouldn't want you or I to be hunted.”

Vox narrowed his eyes for a second before he started writing in his notepad, no doubt writing what Alastor said. “Bear with me, but I think I have a theory on your rut.”

“What is this? A science experiment?”

“I'm simply curious about my mate.” Vox laughed a bit. “It's important for me to understand what you need and what instincts I need to help you with.”

“I suppose I'll let it slide.” Alastor sighed loudly. “Alright. What do you got?”

“Right!” Vox clapped his hands together and held up his notebook as he began to flip through pages. “Cleanliness! You are very clean for a rutting buck. Bucks will roll themselves in mud or piss on themselves.”

“I'm sorry. They do what?” Alastor sounded in total disbelief.

“Urinate. On. Themselves.” Vox repeated. “The more dominant males do that, but you don't, which I'm grateful for. No offense, Alastor, but I do not have a kink for piss.”

“I-” Alastor cut himself off. He seemed so lost and confused about what Vox had just told him.

“I would recommend washing your bucks by the way. I know you don't care for cleanliness, but you have probably been consu-”

“Shut the f*ck up.” Alastor groaned loudly as his head hit against Vox's shoulder. “I do not want to hear or think about that.”

“Sorry, Baby.” Vox chuckled. “Bucks also rub up against everything to mark their scent and remove any velvet stuck to their antlers.”

“I do that sometimes.” Alastor hummed. “I just replace everything I damage and do it in private. I really only wanted to mark up around you.”

Vox flushed a little bit. “You did?” He asked, a bit breathless.

“I wanted to attract you. I wanted to show you how strong I was, how handsome I looked without the velvet. I guess you could say I wanted to show you I am a good, handsome, strong father to our fawns.” Alastor blushed a bit as he spoke. “I know you aren't the fondest of children or anything, It was mostly my instincts going crazy. I managed to contain myself as much as I could, but sometimes I would return to my room and pretend you were behind me. Watching my every move and rub my antlers up against anything wood to try and get my scent everywhere. A futile effort considering you can't even smell anything.” Alastor laughed a bit coldly as he finished his sentence.”

“Interesting.” Vox chuckled a bit. “I suppose I would have been attracted to you losing yourself to the thought of me. Just loosen up your control a bit and whisper out my name while you did so and I would have been hooked.”

“I suppose next year when I'm trying to attract you to be my mate, I'll do that.” Alastor's voice suddenly dropped to a low rumbly purr and Vox's blushed a bit.

“You're going to try and attract me again?” Vox asked with a laugh. “As your partner, I fear I'm already pretty attracted to you. You'll have a much easier time.”

“Couldn't you pretend?” Alastor pouted. “Just a little bit?”

Vox smirked as he ran his hands up Alastor's chest, feeling his partner's muscles very carefully. “I don't know.” Vox batted his eyes a bit. “Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I already know what a strong buck you are, perfect stud, ya know?”

Alastor had moved in even closer, his breathing laboured and his eyes dark. His lips barely grazed against Vox's before he pulled away. “Don't do that.” Alastor growled out lowly.

“Don't do what?” Vox tilted his head innocently, there was a bit of mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Play into my instincts like that.” Alastor turned away from Vox, pulling his body away from his partner. “Vox, control is hard. I rarely have any during my rut. Don't try and feed into whatever delusions I have during my rut. It makes it really hard to focus and stay controlled. I don't want to hurt you or take advantage of you.” Alastor spoke so quietly that Vox could hardly hear him.

Vox's smile fell and he pressed his body against Alastor's. “I'm sorry.” He whispered out. “I didn't mean to make anything hard on you.”

Alastor's ears flattened a bit and he gritted his teeth. “I know you didn't mean to.” He grumbled. “Continue on. Tell me more about your research. I'm curious how similar I am to a rutting male now that you bring it up.”

Vox held Alastor's hand in his hand before he continued, occasionally squeezing it to give comfort to his partner. “Well, bucks tend to travel a lot to breed with as many females as they can.” Vox waved his free hand slightly as he spoke. “You're monogamous though, and we've spent over twenty days together so I'm assuming you're not interested in ditching me for some female.”

“Absolutely not.” Alastor agreed easily. “You're my mate, my one and only. I do not want to ever leave you.”

“That's pretty f*cking gay.” The joke slipped out of Vox's mouth before he could stop himself. His face turned a bright pink as Alastor slowly turned his head to make direct eye contact with him.

“I hope it is?” Alastor sounded more confused than anything. “We are two men. In a courtship together.”

Vox snickered a bit and patted Alastor's head, relishing in the way his ears flopped about. “Oh, Sweetie. Memes and internet inside jokes are going to have to be taught to you.”

Alastor's eye twitched a bit, but he bit back whatever comment he was about to make when Vox curled into his body. Alastor's heart picked up in pace and he felt his breathing hitch a bit before he began to rub Vox's sides.

Vox looked up at him with big round eyes. “It also says bucks have a really unique sweet scent to them when they're rutting, not that I can test this theory or anything, but there should also be a tassel gland that releases the scent, or we'll hormone into the air. Do you have one?”

“I think I have the scent. Husk usually complains that I smell too strong or too sweet and to ‘kindly f*ck off before I tear me own nose out’. It was probably the most aggressive he's ever been to me. I made sure to keep him in check.” Alastor sounded a bit smug when he brought up that last part, no doubt proud of himself.

“Right. I'm going to ignore that.” Vox didn't pull away or anything, his grip tightened on his partner and he rolled his eyes a bit. “Either way. It also says that does have about a seventy-two hour frame where they can fall pregnant and the buck usually hangs out with her for the full seventy-two hours to keep breeding to guarantee pregnancy.”

“I don't think you work the same way as a doe.” Alastor chuckled a bit, but it was dark. “Even if you did, I wouldn't want you to let me do that.” The possibility of Vox falling pregnant was very real and one Alastor didn't want to risk it. “I'm happy that I seem to lack that instinct.”

“It seems most about dominance or sex are ones you don't have, which is kind of what rut is all about.” Vox let go of Alastor to grab his notepad. “Which of course you already knew. You told me at the start that you don't get sexual urges.”

“Used to.” Alastor corrected.

“Used to not get- what?” Vox turned to stare at his partner with his mouth wide-open. “Are you starting to get sexual urges?”

Alastor's ear flicked and a heavy sigh escaped him. “I suppose when I got you, I felt them a bit. Not anything overpowering. Whenever I smelled that you were aroused, I wanted to make you feel good.” Alastor explained with a slight eye roll. “Usually I can ignore the feeling, so I don't really bring it up.”

“If you can't ignore it, what do you do? Jerk one off in the bathroom.” Vox asked with a slight snicker.

“I usually have a shower. You're asleep most of the time so it works out fine in my favour.” Alastor stroked Vox's back as he spoke.

“You know if you ever feel horny and want to have sex, you just have to ask.” Vox smiled faintly.

“I know. I don't want to pressure you. You are a beautiful soul, but sometimes you want to please others more than you think. I would never disregard your comfort over my own frivolous needs. I went this long without feeling the need to do anything, I can survive just fine without it.”

“I just don't want to neglect you.” Vox mumbled, mostly to himself.

“Not having sex isn’t neglect.” Alastor snorted in mild amusem*nt. “I don't know what thoughts and lies have been fed to you, but Star. It’s okay. I promise. Now, has any of this information helped with your theory?”

“Not really.” Vox huffed. “My theory was that your asexual ass doesn't feel the same as most rutting bucks do, or your need for control was simply higher. You have all the physical attributes of a rutting buck, but I thought you didn't do any of the things rutting bucks do. You keep a steady weight, you get a good amount of sleep, you're not chasing down any other potential breeding partners, and you aren't humping anything.”

“Sorry to put a damper on your theory.” Alastor teased his mate.

Vox frowned for a minute before he scoffed and clasped his hands together. “I know bucks don't have this, but you sound more like a werewolf than anything.”

“I do not like this conversation is going.”

“Do you have a knot?”

“I was right.” Alastor gave a defeated sigh.

Chapter 25: Day Twenty-Four

Chapter Text

Alastor didn't confirm or deny Vox's question, and Vox was just dying to know. Alastor had suggested they sleep right after and Vox did so easily, but he wants an answer. If Vox is getting Alastor's duck in him, he has a right to know.

Can his body even take a knot? Vox could feel his heartbeat accelerate just at the idea. He didn't even know how big Alastor was. Five inches is a great size, anything bigger than that can hurt, and with a knot? Vox gulped and looked down at his notepad. “f*ck.” He whispered. His hands were shaking slightly just at the idea of being in pain during sex. Maybe Alastor was right to not tell him, but the thoughts were consuming him. Did he have to retrain his body for sex before he had it with Alastor?

“What did your notepad do?” Alastor's voice startled him and he jumped slightly.

“What?” Vox looked up to see Alastor standing in their doorway. He was carrying a plate of bacon with assorted fruit on it. “Oh, is that for me?” Vox beckoned over to the food.

“It is.” Alastor nodded his head as he walked into their room. He gave Vox the plate and scooted next to him into their bed. “You were shaking a bit and glaring at your notepad.”

Vox took a bite of bacon before he let his shoulders sag a bit. “I was just thinking about stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Alastor leaned his head on Vox's shoulder. He stared at his mate with admiration and love so clearly in his gaze.

“Uh…..” Vox's face turned a bright red. “Ya know.”

“You're still thinking about that?” Alastor asked with a short laugh.

“Well… it's going to be inside of me one day, Alastor. I have a right to know.” Vox scoffed, but he refused to look at his partner. He just continued to play with his food.

“Hm. Well, I suppose you bring up a good argument.” Alastor sighed. “I like the idea of surprising you though.” He added with a sharp grin.

“Alastor, I'm going to be honest. I'm scared. I don't want to be in pain at all. I don't know if I have to get my body used to that kind of stretch either. Please tell me.” Vox admitted in a small voice as he swallowed a strawberry.

“I don't have one, at least I don't think I have one.” Alastor kissed Vox's screen gently. “I'm a deer, not a dog. You don't need to worry about it, not right now anyway, and don't ever panic about me and you having sex. I don't care how far we go so long as it's with you and you're comfortable.”

Vox smiled weakly. “I know, but you never know when you might want to have sex on your rut.”

“Your comfort takes priority every time. Whenever you are in distress it sets me off on a defensive streak. Nothing sexual passes my mind. Once you're uncomfortable or anything like that, my other instincts will kick in. You will be completely safe.” Alastor promised.

Vox pressed his body against Alastor's and grabbed a fistful of blueberries before he shoved them into his mouth. Alastor recognized what he was doing. Vox used to shove food in his mouth whenever he was flustered or embarrassed so he wouldn't have to answer. It was something Alastor always found endearing. It was nice to see he hadn't changed at all since all those years ago, which made Alastor wonder.

“Vox. What happened between us all those years ago, is it water under the bridge?” Alastor found himself asking before he could stop himself.

Vox managed to swallow his blueberries before he looked at his partner. “I assumed so. We never brought it up and we're dating now.”

“Yes, I know, but I can't help but wonder.” Alastor sighed. “I care for you so deeply, I did back then too. I can't believe I allowed that drift to happen to us.”

“Neither of us acted maturely, Alastor. All we can do is look at the future, and I see a future with you.” Vox pressed forward and rested his body against Alastor's. “Do you see a future with me?”

Alastor smiled deviously and nodded his head. “I do.” He captured Vox's lips in his own, relishing in the muffled whimper that escaped him as he pressed his partner against the bed. He used his tentacles to move Vox's food and work to the side so nothing would fall or get damaged as they continued on.

Vox had thrown his arms around his neck and arched his back into his touch, his eyes wide and his face was tinted a bright pink.

“Alastor, Baby.” Vox panted as he tried to press himself impossibly closer.

“Yes?” Alastor's voice was rough and his pupils were blown out as he stared at his mate.

“Holy f*ck!” A voice made the two separate quickly, both their faces a dark red now. “I see why you ignored my knocking.” Charlie had her eyes covered, her face was also a deep scarlet.

“We weren't even doing anything.” Vox couldn't help but laugh. “We were just kissing. It wasn't going to go any further.” He tried to reassure the demon.

Charlie peeked through her fingers and took in that they were both fully clothed, their clothes didn't even seem that out of place. “Oh. Maybe you were.” She laughed a bit awkwardly. “Well, since Alastor's rut is wrapping up. I wanted to invite you both down to watch some movies. It is movie day after all and you guys missed the past couple weeks. I didn't know if you guys were feeling up for it though.” Charlie spoke incredibly fast, still clearly flustered.

“That would be lovely. Are we starting earlier today or at the regular time?” Alastor leaned into Vox's space, he was leaning his head onto Vox's shoulder, his hands trailing up his partner's back, just out of view for Charlie so she wouldn't be more traumatized.

“Regular time is fine!” Charlie squeaked out. She still wasn't looking at the two, clearly still embarrassed about walking in on their activities. “I'll let the others know that you guys will be joining us! Bye!” Before Alastor or Vox could say anything, she slammed the bedroom door shut and Alastor took it upon himself to summon one of his tentacles and lock the door so they could have no more interruptions.

“Locking the door, eh?” Vox grinned. “Hoping to get some action?” He added with a chuckle as Alastor's hands hiked up a bit higher. He was gently holding the side of Vox's breast. He didn't squeeze or anything, just holding it. Vox was silent for just a second before he frowned. “Hey, what happened to your door always being locked?”

Alastor didn't want to or know how to respond to Vox's first question. Was he hoping for some action? He wouldn't deny any, but he wasn't sure if he was actively looking for sex.

“No.” Alastor decided. “Just want some privacy to kiss and appreciate you, as for my door. Hush. I forgot.” Alastor couldn't deny he was a little worried about how easily Vox seemed to be accepting of sex. Alastor really hoped that Vox wasn't trying to use it as some form of punishment on himself, but Alastor also couldn't throw that idea out the window. He knows Vox very well and knows that when he gets all self-destructive, nothing can stop him. Alastor can at least nudge him in the right direction and pull any stops. He doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to, and he has no problem not indulging in Vox's needs if he knows Vox is using it as a punishment.

Fingers snapped in front of his face and it made him flinch a bit. Alastor's ears flattened and his eyes widened a bit. “What?”

Vox was staring up at him with concern in his eyes. “Are you okay? You just started to gap out. Alastor we don't have to kiss if you don't want to.” Vox tried to squirming his way out of Alastor's grip but was rather unsuccessful as Alastor tightened his hold.

“Sorry, Star. I was just thinking about some things.” Alastor tried to reassure his partner, but when Vox sent him an unimpressed look, he knew he failed. Alastor couldn't believe himself. His mind went in that direction when Vox had been taking very clear steps to make it enjoyable for himself. It was stupid and wrong for Alastor to think that.

The little ‘what if’ made Alastor's heart pound though. Vox might decide to not have Alastor properly take care of his body before and after and that would be bad. Could Alastor force Vox to let him take care of him afterwards?

“You're doing it again.” Vox's voice startled him once more. “Stop doing that. I'm getting worried.”

“Sorry, Love.” Alastor whispered. “I'm just worrying about little things.”

Vox's face flushed at the nickname and he looked away from Alastor. He bit his lip a bit, sadly since he had no real face, no blood came out of the wound for Alastor to lick.

Hm. Maybe he could convince Vox to let him try a taste of his blood. It would be powerful and probably something very intimate. Alastor could see himself invading Vox's personal space, crowding him against a wall or the bed. Their eyes would meet and he would lick his lips. Vox wouldn't catch on because he's f*cking stupid at times, but Alastor would spell it out for him. Yes. Alastor would enjoy that very much. Watching his partner squirm as he added a new scar on Vox's body to really show everyone he was his. The competition was stiff after all. Almost every demon wants a piece of Vox.

Vox himself is gleefully unaware, but Alastor can tell. Before they were dating and Alastor was in charge of reintroducing Vox to demons outside of the hotel to help with his anxiety, he could feel their glares on him and see the lustful looks they were sending to Vox. The poor sinner was too innocent in terms of endearment to really understand anything, it was a bit pitiful. Stick Vox in front of a giant computer and he’ll have thirty-seven new products within three hours, but have him talk to someone? It was always an issue Vox and Alastor would have many years ago when they were first friends.

Vox always either spoke condescendingly, in business, or in Alastor’s favourite language that he knew, Idiocy.

“Alastor!” Vox managed to actually scramble out from underneath him and fell on his ass onto the hardwood floor. The loud ‘thud’ broke Alastor out of his thoughts and he leaned over the bed to look down at his mate who was on his knees, rubbing his ass. “You gapped out again, then you started making this weird radio frequency. It scared me.” Vox mumbled, mostly to himself, but Alastor found his ears flattening and his eyes widening in shame.

“I'm sorry.” Alastor whispered, guilt was evident in his voice. He reached out a hand, pleased when Vox took it. “I didn't mean to scare you. My thoughts are just scattered and I was trying to rein them in.”

Vox stood up and crawled back into their bed. “Well, tell me about them.” Vox sat criss-cross applesauce before he stared at his partner with affection in his gaze. “Let me carry whatever is bothering you.”

Alastor's face flushed a bit red. “I would prefer not to have you know what my mind is thinking of.”

“What? Why not?” Vox frowned. “I won't judge you?” He sounded genuinely confused, his brows furrowed a bit as he stared at Alastor.

Alastor's face turned a deeper shade of red. “I just-” Alastor inhaled deeply and managed to calm his rapidly beating heart. “I… am thinking of rather intimate stuff. You appear to be rubbing off on me.”

Vox tilted his head a bit before realization finally sunk in. “Oh.” Vox looked away for just a second before he grasped Alastor's hand and kissed it gently. “Why didn't you say so? We don't have to talk about anything like that. Let your mind wander, I don't mind. Just try not to go all radio-silent on me while staring into my soul. It was sort of creepy.”

“Thank you, and I will try not to.” Alastor chuckled a bit as he watched his mate shove his hand away to climb into his lap. “Comfortable?”

“Gotta claim the best seat in the hotel.” Vox joked as he finally settled into his partner's lap.

“So, how long has Charlie been doing movie nights? You don't really like movies and you act like I killed your cat or something every time I put one on.” Vox was curious. Charlie had been doing movie nights since before Vox joined the hotel. Alastor never once complained about the movies Charlie put on. He also never really watched them. He was usually reading or doodling. Sometimes he was just talking to the others during the movie, but he never cared much about whatever was on.

“She started doing them when Sir Pentious joined.” Alastor explained. “She wanted us all to get along and thought movie nights were a great way to go about it. They used to be mandatory, her girlfriend made her do that part, but now she doesn't seem to care much.”

“Probably because of how hissy you get.” Vox joked to his partner.

“Oh shush.”

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

One odd thing about Alastor during movie nights was that only certain scenes would catch his attention. Particularly scenes with lots of blue. Vox never really noticed until now, but he can see it more often than anything. Alastor always gravitated towards anything blue.

“Why the f*ck do you like blue so much?” Vox found himself asking Alastor before he could think twice about it.

“Well, it's your favourite colour.” Alastor shrugged, not phased in the slightest by the question.

“Aww.” Charlie cooed as she pressed her hands together and leaned her head onto her fists.

“Barf.” Husk grumbled. “That was so sweet I might get a toothache.”

“It was a cute answer, but nice f*cking try. When we first met you were obsessed with me and I recall you saying that you ‘liked my colour.’” Vox narrowed his eyes.

“Why is it you can't remember my friends' names but you can remember one thing I told you fifty years ago.” Alastor sighed. “I like blue because it's not yellow.”

“What the f*ck kind of answer is that?” Vaggie asked. She was in complete disbelief and everyone was confused by the answer.

Everyone but Niffty that was.

“I thought you weren’t telling anyone that?” Niffty asked Alastor with a frown.

“Well it won't kill them to know.” Alastor shrugged. “I'm colourblind.”

“No way. You pick out outfits perfectly!” Angel gasped. “That one outfit Vox was wearing is so beautiful, he told me you picked it out! How did you manage to make it match so well?”

“Niffty and Rosie helped me.” Alastor sighed. “It looks yellow to me.”

Vox frowned. “your clothes?”

“Yellow.”

“What about all of Hell? That’s red too. No way it looks yellow to you.” Husk narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at Alastor.

“Very yellow.” Alastor sighed. “I wasn't colourblind when I was alive so I know what colours look like, but… I mostly only see yellow. Vox is the only colour in my life if I'm being honest. Literally and figuratively.” Alastor reached out a hand and gently grasped Vox’s. He planted a kiss down on his partner’s hand, admiring the way his screen turned a bright pink.

“So you can only see blue?” Charlie asked as she looked around the hotel. She felt a bit guilty. She looked to the green bar Alastor added and pointed at it. “What colour is that?”

“White and pale blue.” Alastor responded quietly. “I know it's hideous and doesn't match the then of the hotel, but I was so sick of seeing yellow everywhere. Your father can bully it all he wants, but it helps keep me sane. To me it blends in well with the yellow, but I guess it might stick out like a sore thumb.”

Everyone felt a bit guilty now. Almost talked sh*t about the colour Alastor had picked, but it never once occurred to them that Alastor literally didn't know what colour he picked. He just picked a non-yellow colour.

“So… I'm blue?” Vox leaned forward and stared at his partner with a small smile.

“Pale blue, a dusty purple, and gray.” Alastor confirmed. “More like a turquoise I suppose. Eitherway, it felt so nice to see someone with actual real colour.”

“What colours can you see?” Vox tilted his head.

“Not many. Yellow, white, blue, purple, and gray.” Alastor looked away as he answered. “I miss reds, oranges, and pinks.” He admitted in a small voice. “I used to watch sunsets all the time. Didn't realize how much I liked those colours until they were gone. Niffty and Rosie guide me to pick out clothing and things similar to that, but I never know if they're telling me the right colour or not.”

“You're wearing red.” Vox leaned onto Alastor as he spoke. “A very nice red.” He added.

Alastor rested his head atop Vox's and continued to stare at the television. He didn't even care about the movie. He just liked the sky that was being shown.

Everyone fell into an uneasy silence as they watched Vox comfort Alastor.

Alastor straightened up in his chair and huffed. “It doesn't matter however. It won't kill me to not see colour. I can just safely say that yellow is not my favourite colour anymore.”

Vox kissed Alastor's cheek. “Don't worry. I'll be sure to wear lots of blue for you.”

“Blue and purple is preferable.” Alastor chuckled a bit. “Rarer colours to come across.”

“Maybe once a month we can all dress in colours you can see.” Charlie suggested. “It's not fair that you're stuck seeing yellow all the time. It could be one of our exercises! It could be about doing something small for your friends to really lighten their mood.”

Everyone turned their attention to Alastor, watching him carefully as he thought it over.

“I think I would really like that.” Alastor's smile turned a lot more genuine at that.