Chapter Text
The light turned on. Velvette’s voice echoed through the apartment. “Hello?” The tip-tap of her heels grew louder until eventually she stumbled over Vox’s broken form. “Holy fuck. Val! Get in here!”
Vox groaned in response, burying his face in the carpet. He felt a warm hand stroke his screen. “Don’t worry,” Velvette tried to comfort, “we won’t let anything happen to you, we - we promise.”
Vox merely groaned in response. His vision started to blur. The lights in the apartment began to flicker.
“What is it, my dear - oh, shit!” Valentino rushed to Vox’s side. “What the fuck happened to him?”
“I don’t fucking know - do you know where the first aid kit is? Grab it. He’s fading fast - that wound looks nasty.”
Vox felt his consciousness begin to fade as Velvette leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, we’ve got you.”
His head throbbed as he came to. He was laying on the floor with Velvette curled into his side. The stab-wound he had gotten from the tentacle seemed to have healed. No doubt due to the insanely expensive cream they had gotten in case of emergencies.
Vox tried to stir, but a sharp pain shot down his side, forcing him to still. Okay, no moving. He could work with that.
“Velvette?” he croaked, trying to rouse her. She stirred in her sleep and nuzzled into his waist. He repeated her name, causing her nose to scrunch up. A lost cause, he decided, opting instead to wrap an arm around her and accept his face. “Valentino,” he tried instead, though he doubted the moth demon would be able to hear him - his voice wasn’t exactly up to his usual television-host standards.
He was about to resign and go back to sleep when he heard footsteps approaching. The light turned on. “Ah, sleeping beauty’s finally awake I see,” teased Valentino.
“Only one of us,” said Vox, gesturing at Velvette’s sleeping form.
Valentino leaned down and gently shook Velvette’s shoulder. “Come now, darling, wake up - don’t you want to say hello to Vox?”
She raised her head and blinked groggily. “Vox?”
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”
“Vox!” She launched herself towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle. He returned the hug, a pang of guilt shooting through him as he felt her shake in his arms.
“Careful there, sweetness, you don’t want to hurt him,” warned Valentino.
“Right, right. Sorry. It’s just - fuck, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual,” quipped Vox dryly. He released Velvette and allowed her to inspect his bandages. She nodded when she decided that everything looked up to par.
Valentino cleared his throat. “What in the fuck happened to cause all this, exactly?”
“Can I -” Vox coughed - “Can I tell you in a bit? I really need some fucking water.”
They helped him to his feet. His knees began to shake, and when he tried to limp towards the kitchen, he just about collapsed on the floor again.
Valentino scooped him up in his arms and carried him bridal-style to the fridge. In any other situation it would have been embarrassing, but Vox found himself far too tired to care.
“What do you want,” inquired Velvette, “juice, gatorade, water, that five-hour energy shit you practically live off of?”
“Five hour energy, please,” rasped Vox.
Valentino set the TV demon gently down on a dining chair, flitting to the fridge to help Velvette. Watching his two friends act so domestic with each other sent a pang of longing through Vox. He couldn’t tell if it was for the relationship they shared or for Velvette and Valentino themselves.
He was leaning towards the latter.
Vox banished those thoughts to the back of his mind as Velvette returned with his drink. “Make sure to finish it all,” she warned, “even if it’s not the best for you, you need all the liquids you can get. I tried to hook you up to an IV, but your stupid, shiny skin was too damn tough and broke the needle.”
Vox picked up the glass and threw it back. The cool liquid coated his throat - he hadn’t realized how thirsty he was. He chugged the entire thing, then placed the cup back on the table.
Velvette blinked. “I’ll get you some water.”
Valentino slid into the chair next to him. “After you’re sufficiently hydrated, you’re going to need to let us know what happened - and who we need to kill.”
Vox laughed weakly. “While the sentiment is appreciated, Valentino, I don’t think you’re going to be able to beat this one up.”
“I’m sure I can find someone who can.”
Velvette returned with a glass and took a seat on Valentino’s lap. She leaned forward and looked worriedly at Vox. He could tell she wanted to ask him about why he was so beat up.
He sighed, drank half of the glass, then placed it down. “I confessed to Alastor,” he said plainly. “He turned me down. I was stupid and followed him when he tried to leave, and he decided to make me pay for being stupid enough to like him.”
Velvette’s eyes softened. “Oh, sweetie..”
“That asshat. What kind of idiot do you have to be to turn down a hot piece like you? Honestly, some people just have no sense.” Valentino grabbed Vox’s hand and squeezed it.
Velvette placed her hand on top of both of theirs. “Agreed. That radio-prick is absolutely fucking stupid. I’m not going to say I told you so, because that would be an asshole move, but I had a feeling something like this might happen. Just, uh, without all the violence.” She winced.
“Gee, thanks,” scoffed Vox.
“Nothing to do with you, of course, darling, you’re amazing! It’s just - well, I’m fairly certain Alastor’s aromantic.”
“What’s that?”
Velvette sighed. “Sometimes I forget you were alive in the forties. It’s basically when people don’t feel romantic attraction. There are tons of other identities, too - bisexual and pansexual, where you like multiple genders, nonbinary and transgender, where you identify as something other than what you were assigned at birth,”
“Velvette, perhaps this isn’t the best time?” Valentino suggested.
“No, continue,” said Vox, “I need the distraction.”
“There’s gay and lesbian, of course, where you like the same gender as you. Then there’s the asexuality spectrum, where you’re not interested in sex in some way. When you’re asexual, instead of having a sexual orientation where you’re into people, you have a romantic orientation. Stuff like biromantic, homoromantic, panromantic.. Then there’s polyamory, which Val and I practice, where you have room in your heart for more than one partner. The opposite of that is monogamy, where you prefer exclusive relationships.”
“Wait, polyamory is when you date multiple people? And that’s accepted now?”
“Of course it’s accepted, there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“Right, right - I just meant - back when I was alive, that kind of thing was super frowned upon. Like, people would get hate-crimed if they were out as any sort of queer, and polyamory was part of that prejudice. I had no idea there was a word for it, I just knew that it was wrong.”
“The forties sound like they suck actual ass,” Valentino chimed in helpfully.
Vox snorted. “They definitely did.” He smiled down at his lap. “I knew that being bi was accepted now, but people are fine with all these other things, too? That’s amazing.” He looked up at Velvette, who was smiling widely at him. “You said you and Valentino were polyamorous - so you guys date other people?”
They exchanged a look. “Not quite. Valentino is free to have sexual relationships with whoever he pleases, but we’re only interested in romantic relationships under certain circumstances.”
“With certain people, too,” added Valentino.
“What are those circumstances? If you’re cool with me asking.”
“If we find someone that would be willing to date both of us, someone that we already know, someone that we’re both attracted to.”
“And I’m guessing you haven’t found anyone like that?”
Velvette flushed. “We’ve found one person.”
“Velvette,” warned Valentino, squeezing her knee, “this is really not the time for this discussion, don’t you think?”
“No, it’s - it’s fine, I’m feeling much better,” hurried out Vox. His heartbeat picked up. “Who’s that person?”
Velvette stared at him. “I think you know.”
“Velvette!” Scolded Valentino. He then turned to Vox, his eyes apologetic. “We didn’t mean to spring this on you. We were going to bring it up, but the time never felt right - and you were always chasing after that ridiculous deer demon.” He scoffed. “That stupid, disgusting waste of oxygen.” He cleared his throat. “I promise you, our friendship is not conditional. You can say yes, no, or put it off to be discussed at a later date, and we won’t be offended. We’re your friends first and foremost. Dating you would be a bonus, of course, but it is by no means necessary for you to remain in our good graces.”
Vox swallowed thickly. “This is - wow, uh -”
“I’m sorry!” Velvette blurted out. “I get that you’re going through a lot, and you’re getting over your crush on that deer-fucker, and Val’s right, I shouldn’t have sprung this on you now, but it just feels wrong seeing you so sad because you think nobody loves you.”
Vox smiled shakily. “I think I’d like that. Dating you two.”
“We’ll need to talk about all of this, of course,” added Valentino, “but, I have to say - I am so glad you said yes.”
“Me too,” said Velvette, leaning over Valentino to wrap her arms around Vox. “We’re gonna be so much better than that stupid radio whore could have ever been!”