Archive of Our Own ^beta

The rain wasn’t even doing it right.

Grey clouds had moved over Pentagram City, bringing with them blustering winds and constant rain that melted a few things that it touched. Ugly, thick globs of it hit the windows with a loud cacophony of disgusting, sudden, sharp raps, and they splattered in uneven, grotesque blobs. Each one he saw put him off more than the last, and he sighed heavily.

Sitting up from where he’d been leaning on the windowsill on his elbow and his chin in his palm, he turned and crossed his legs tight, right over left. After a second, he swapped them and then sighed as he sunk down into the window seat in his bathroom. He didn’t want to keep thinking about it, but he was alone, and when he was left alone, his poor mood became a hopeless, inescapable prison.

Vox could have been kinder to him. 

He should have been kinder to him.

After all, he was carrying the beginning of their child , and he’d been treated with such disrespect that he couldn’t help but mope. Let him sulk was probably what Vox was going to do. Let him pitch his fit, he’ll feel better tomorrow after he’s bought some things.

Maybe that was true, but tomorrow felt like a long way away, some distant checkpoint that he couldn’t meet as he slogged through the mire created in the wake of his sour disposition. Absently, he glanced at the silk cushion beneath him, his phone sitting beside him with its screen facing down. He knew there wouldn’t be a message checking on him, he knew that despite willing it to happen with all of his might, it wouldn’t materialize. 

Half of him wondered if he started drinking if Vox would pay attention to him. Sure, he was pregnant, but it was really early on…

He sighed.

Something stopped him, put hesitancy into his core, and he reached out with one lower hand to take his phone off the bench. Folding one leg beneath the other, he let his knee bend at an angle as he began to scroll through the website for Vox Maur. Humming Vacay To Bone Town , he began to look through the different clothes on offer.

Starting in the men’s section, he tsked and scoffed at much of the collection. If Vox could pull things over his head, he’d be wearing half of this striped or checked polo bullshit, and Valentino couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Fuck Vox, but also fuck Vox.

Why was he crying ? Stupid fucking hormones. At least it passed quickly, unlike the rain outside.

The first thing to be added to the list was a long-sleeved black polo with a bright blue V emblazoned on the chest. Sure, it could have been red, but he knew a lot of this was for Vox. It was part of the game, part of the kink they shared, part of why he had the credit card in the first place. 

A button-down in bright blue with gray horizontal stripes came next, followed by a simple red t-shirt with white cuffs on the collar and sleeves. A rather busy button-up short-sleeved shirt fell into his cart next as he perused the site with a sigh.

He already felt a little better. Retail therapy was the cure for everything!

Oh, those were cute. A pair of pale yellow calf-high socks managed to slide in, with its electric blue toes and little cocktails littering it. Too cute! A soft pair of boxer briefs came next, with the band being a bright blue above a rich red. Silk, naturally, because he was worth that.

Skipping the rest of the men's section, he moved on to the women's, securing four dresses before he'd even gone to the second page. A cute little top-and-bottom couple that he could wear to some business meeting or another followed after, coupled with a cute red scoop-neck top and a pair of striped short shorts. 

Only the shortest to show off his beautiful legs, of course.

He was going to run up the bill on this so much. Two body suits, a very ruffly top, a pair of silk and lace panties, and a tube top found their way into the cart, as well. Five more dresses were piled in until he finally stopped to look at the money he'd spent.

It wasn't exactly chump change, he knew that Vox would notice a $3,396 charge to his credit card, but the amount would probably make checking on him worth it.

Entering Vox’s credit card information like he had a million times before, he followed through on his purchase until he received the email telling him that his order was received. With any luck, he’d have it by the end of the week, and he’d be able to show off. 

The temptation to spend more was greater than him, and he started for Vella Luna Boutique’s website. He was already adding more clothes to his cart when a text came through that made him take pause. Naturally, he didn’t get to purchase those quite yet, if only because he checked the text immediately.

[ Text From: Daddy ] Are you okay, baby?

Valentino imagined it was said with malice, and he didn’t know that he wanted to answer. Instead of answering, he brought up Vox’s contact information and changed his name in his phone. There, ha! Take that .

Returning to the boutique’s site, he stewed in his upset as he leaned back against the wall just below the window. The rain still spattered in horrible, loud mock knocking, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He wanted to complain, but there was no one to listen to him.

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] Baby?

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] Daddy’s not mad at you

Oh , but Valentino was mad at him . He could barely remember what had happened, why he was so upset, but that didn’t matter. It was the principle of the matter, now. He was upset and he would remain as such until he was apologized to properly .

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] Val? Are you alright?

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] You’re really upset, aren’t you?

Now, instead of accusations, Valentino was reading concern in Vox’s texts, and the tears returned to his eyes. He wiped at his face with his upper hands as he tried to think of how to respond.

[ Text From: Val ] You ripped out my heart and stomped on it with stiletto shoes.

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] I told you no, bunny

[ Text From: Val ] You know I hate that

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] Sometimes you need to hear it

[ Text From: Val ] No

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] …baby

[ Text To: Val ] You’re such a fucking hypocrite.

[ Message Deleted ]

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] It’s okay, I promise

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] What if Daddy took you out tonight? Made it up to you. Take you to that burger place you like so much, the one with the teriyaki thing?

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] We can go shopping first if you want to. I know you just went shopping but I think you deserve something nice right now. It’ll take some time for your order to be delivered.

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] You know I’m a negotiator, baby.

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] What can daddy do to make you feel better bunny?

Damn him for using that nickname so much. Valentino could hear it in Vox’s voice as he read the text, and it made him shiver.

[ Text From: Val ] …

[ Text From: Val ] You really want to make it up to me?

[ Text From: Cockwaffle ] I do. I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t mean to make you so upset.

It was probably the hormones coupled with Valentino’s usual melodramatics, and Vox had to accept that this was going to be his life until the baby was born. Of course, this was going to be an adjustment, and Valentino was going to be his usual, sensitive, ready-with-the-crocodile-tears, manipulative, sensitive self, but worse . 

At least Vox was one of the most patient men in Hell. He’d need to keep the florist on speed dial for the next nine months or so.

[ Text From: Val ] I guess we can go out…

[ Text From: Val ] I feel like death, though

[ Text From: Val ] I’ve been sick and the sound of the rain isn’t helping

[ Text From: Daddy ] Headache?

[ Text From: Val ] Yeah…

[ Text From: Daddy ] How about we order in? I’ll come see you, bring you some takeout, we can have a quiet night. Just you, me, and whatever you want to do at your house.

[ Text From: Val ] Snakehead movies.

Really, honestly , Valentino loved those stupid things way more than they were worth, but it wasn’t like Vox could actually do anything about it. He’d greenlit three snakehead B-movies for Voxflix to make his complaintive little bunny happy. It looked like his night was going to be snakehead movies and greasy burgers in Val’s bed.

[ Text From: Daddy ] And Godzilla if you’re still feeling down.

[ Text From: Val ] ❣️ You’re the best. I want three teriyaki burgers, a rodeo burger, a breakfast burger, and two taco burgers. OH and the onion ring tower, mozz sticks, and three purple prickly pear lemonades.

It just wouldn’t be Val without making grand demands and expecting they be carried out lest Vox once again lose being in his good graces.

[ Text From: Daddy ] I’ll be there soon, baby. I’ll have the food delivered to your place.

[ Text From: Val ] Love you, daddy

[ Text From: Daddy ] Love you, too, bunny.

As awful as the day had been, Valentino was feeling better about his evening plans. Now, he just needed to put something else on and dress up a little for when Vox came to see him. At least that was the fun part.

He absently hit pay now on the cart in Vella Luna’s website, shelling out another $1,590 for it. He was only $14 away from his spending limit, but he figured Vox would forgive him this one time.

Hopefully, this didn’t become a habit.