Chapter Text
Vox sighed, drawing in a quick breath and letting it out slowly, trying to calm his nerves. He'd heard Val screaming from the other side of V tower, well he probably could've heard him across the city too, and was on his to calm the large drama moth down. Crashing of furniture and expensive equipment could be heard up and down the hallway to Valentino's office.
Something small plowed into him and Vox looked down, sneering at the small fox girl who'd bumped into him.
"I-I'm so s-sorry Mr. Vox, sir..." She squeaked, a mortified look on her small, fluffy face.
"Let me guess. Val threw something at you?" Vox looked down his nose at her as she stammered out a reply.
"Y-yes sir. But uhm...Angie's in there. And Mr. Valentino isn't in a good mood. I'm afraid for him."
Vox swiveled his head to eye her up and down.
"I'll take care of Angel Dust. You go home. Tell your colleagues they can leave too, you won't get in trouble."
"Thank you sir! I hope you can calm him down...you seem to be the only person he cares about." Her eyes shining, bright, and sharp.
"Yes well I hope that's true, for all our sakes..." Vox murmured as she scurried away to the studio.
Several more terrified employees sped away from Val's office on Vox's way there. At each one, he heard more crashes and bangs until they stopped shortly before he arrived. Vox had become increasingly pissed every time an employee had run by him or a massive crash had sounded from the office.
Finally, reaching the large and imposing double doors, Vox composed himself. He put on that award-winning showbis smile and knocked delicately before walking right in.
His smile dropped slightly as he strolled in. Valentino had a quivering Angel pinned to the wall, a predatory look in his deep, pink eyes.
"Val~. You better put that poor spider down before you regret it." His tone was menacing while he paced calmly and slowly toward the two.
Val's head swirled around in disbelief. His hold on Angel Dust loosened and the actor dropped to the floor. Vox looked livid. That was the moment Val always knew to stop before it got bad. He shot Angel a look to kill and the small arachnid scrambled out of the room with a whimper.
Vox's shoulder's relaxed and his face's angry expression eased. He plopped himself down gingerly on one of the several love seats strewn around the office space to assess the damage.
"Do you know how much this is going to cost me to replace?" His tone was quiet, but anyone who knew him better could hear his anger.
Vox's clawed hand gestured to the wall of the room with broken mirrors, desks, chairs, and electronics thrown against it. Though he was trying to remain composed, Vox was already exhausted. Today hadn't been easy. He'd already used up a great deal of power in a fight with Alastor plus the energy he'd channeled to stop Val.
There wasn't any fight left in him.
"Aw. I'm sorry Voxxy. Let me make it up to you~" Val's hands found their way around Vox's waist, pressing their bodies together. His voice was sultry and deep and oh so suggestive.
"Stop Val I'm not in the mood." Vox shot back, his mind was already wanting to just sleep.
Valentino's grip tightened, his anger apparent.
"C'mon baby~ It'll be fun." Val pressed Vox onto the love seat, crouching on top of him.
"Val stop."
Val leaned down and began to kiss his neck hungrily.
"Val."
"Shhh~"
"Valentino!" Vox squirmed trying to get out but Val's grip was too tight.
"Stop..." His voice was barely a whisper, tears in his eyes.
§§§§§§§§§§
Vox limped quietly into the penthouse the Vees shared. Velvette sat at the kitchen counter scrolling through Voxtagram and looked up when he walked in.
"Vox? You alright?" She asked as she stood up to go to him.
"I...Yah I'm fine..." He couldn't meet her eyes, instead looking at his feet. His back hurt so much, his whole body hurt, and he could feel the large purple necklace that wrapped around his throat where Val had grabbed him.
"Are you sure? You look pretty beat up. Was it Val? I swear, I'm gonna kill him someday."
"Yah it was Val but it wasn't...it wasn't his fault. It's fine. I'm going to go to bed. See you Vel."
"Voxxy, you can talk to me you know that right?" She looked at him from where she was standing, he had already crossed the room and was standing farther away.
Vox couldn't discern the look on her face and his mind almost convinced him she was lying. Pulling his leg.
"Yah..."
He walked slowly to his room, the ache that racked his body filling the empty space in his heart. The sun had set and his room was dark as he crossed and slid down the side of his bed to face the massive window to the city.
Cyan tears crawled down his face before he let go and they poured down his screen. He tilted his head up slightly and closed his eyes, letting the drops accumulate in his lap. Val and Velvette's voices floated around his head, distorted and cruel.
Voxxy~ I don't love you. I never have~
Get out screenface no one likes you.
"No! Stop!" Vox yelled back, covering his head with his hands.
Just kill yourself already~
We'd be better off without you.
"Stop stop STOP!" He cried but to no avail.
Reaching for the small knife he kept in his mattress, Vox unsheathed it and sliced through the tender, scar-riddled skin on his wrists. The voices immediately ceased, a hush falling on the room as blood began to bead and drip from the wound.
"T-there's no point...why am I even here..."
All of a sudden, knocks sounded on the door, loud and obnoxious, shattering the silence.
"Vox? VOX?!" Velvette's panicked voice could be heard through the door.
"Shit..." His breath was only a whisper. He didn't have much time.
Vox pushed the blade deeper into his left wrist and it began to gush as he repeated the process with his right wrist. The numbness sank in as the edges of his vision turned black and blurry. A quiet ringing in his ear deafened him to the world around him.
He vaguely heard the door burst open, flying off its hinges and slamming into the wall. Suddenly Velvette was in front of him, tears rushing down her face as she ripped off pieces of her skirt to wrap around his wrists. Val appeared in his peripheral vision as he sank to his knees next to Vox, crying.
Valentino threw his arms around his boyfriend's neck, yelling at him to wake up, tears spilling from his big, beautiful eyes. Vox used the last of his strength to pull up his bleeding arm, blood dripping down his exposed forearm, and wrapped it around Val's in a sort of hug.
"I...I love you Val. I wish...it ended differently..."
Then Val was screaming no no no over and over. Shaking him. Then Vox felt sweet, familiar lips on his, kind and tender but so so desperate. The black clouded his mind, pulling him in, quiet and enticing.
And he let it. Vox let his eyes drift close as he sank into the darkness, his arm dropping. Vox let out a sigh, like someone finally going to rest after the hardest battle.
Then nothing.