Chapter Text
The jazz Alastor chose filled the room with a calm, comforting atmosphere, and with a snap of his fingers the old fashioned lights scattered throughout the room switched off and the even older-fashioned candles were lit, casting the room in a soft orange-yellow light that felt accidentally romantic.
When they slow-danced, Vox was able to touch Alastor even more than usual. Alastor typically led, which meant that one of his hands was on Vox’s hip. That alone felt so intensely intimate. Sometimes he wished Alastor would take the opportunity to do more than just putting his hand on his hip, but even so it was— it was still nice.
Tonight was much the same. Alastor lazily slow-danced with him, looking so content he might fall asleep where he stood. If he did, Vox would catch him before he could fall. And then carry him to bed, tuck him in, maybe sneak the lightest of kisses on his forehead…
Perhaps not the last one— Vox didn’t think he could be so daring. It… was only a silly little daydream, anyway. He didn’t know if Alastor swung that way. Or any way, for that matter. The only time he had ever seen Alastor look at anyone with any kind of desire was when the guy was planning on killing and then eating whatever Sinner had caught his eye. Which Vox admittedly didn’t mind, it was kind of hot actually—
Vox nearly jumped as something warm bumped against his forehead. Alastor had pressed his forehead against his and was looking into his eyes.
“Penny for your thoughts, my dear?” the Radio Demon asked.
“Just thinking about how much fun I’m having tonight,” Vox said nervously, offering a shy smile. He broke eye contact and stared down at Alastor’s bowtie instead. I wish tonight would never end.
Alastor hummed thoughtfully and closed his eyes all the way, forehead still pressed against Vox’s.
His Alastor.
Vox’s own eyes drifted shut as well. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was thinking about how much he loved Alastor, more than (after)life itself.
. . . . .
Red eyes slowly drifted open, coming face to face with the side of a desk. His head felt heavy, and he slowly rolled onto his stomach, body… aching? Aching…? Pain? The only time Vox had ever felt physical pain was when that television fell on his—
He tried to sit up, but his limbs felt too big, too long. And when he looked at his hands, they were…
The claws were a vibrant royal purple.
“What the fuck?” Vox muttered.
“What did you do to me?” Alastor hissed shortly after. Vox could feel him, could feel how beyond pissed he was. “Vox! W̶̼̄h̸͎͂a̸̹̔t̴̝͠ ̶̨͐d̸̠͐i̷͈̎d̶̡͌ ̵̭̈́y̴͕͘o̷̥͗ù̷͜ ̷̤͒d̸̗̽o̸̗̿?̸̣̉!̷͈̅”
“I can explain!” Vox said quickly, eyes widening.
“Then do it,” Alastor snarled, “before I decide to do s̵̰̚o̴̤͠m̵̟̃e̷̯͋t̵͕̏h̷̘̏ĭ̴̖n̶̮͛g̴̜̔ ̶̢͂d̴̯̾r̷͔͌ą̵̾s̴̹͘t̷̰̄i̶̗͌c̷̙͑ ̸͍̄a̶̡͊b̸̙̿õ̸͎ȗ̶͍t̷̪͠ ̵͖̋t̸̻͋h̴͎̾ȋ̶̳s̷̡̓.̶̻͑”̶͓͝
He had known the Radio Demon long enough to know he was not joking or exaggerating.
“I’m— back when I was alive, I wasn’t… exactly… human.”
Silence. And then Alastor asked, “What?”
Vox sighed, closing his— their? Eyes.
“I came from another world,” he continued. “I was a Gem. And Gems— some of them at least, like Rubies— they have the ability to temporarily fuse together. I never thought we’d be able… but maybe because we’re both demons?”
“So this is only a temporary development?” Alastor asked, the heat of his rage now cooling.
“I think so,” Vox answered. “But I’ve never done this before, I was a Pearl, we’re not— I didn’t even think we could do this— I don’t know how to unfuse— I— I’m sorry, Alastor, I’m so sorry, I never thought anything like this could happen, I—”
A tear billowed and dripped from his eye, and started to roll down the side of his— their? screen. Vox wanted to tear his— their? Which was it?— own antennae off with shame. The only reason he didn’t was because Alastor was sharing this new body with him and he didn’t want to hurt him in the process.
Suddenly he felt like he was no longer in control of their arms. Alastor had taken the reins and now, directing them like they were puppet arms attached to strings, he wrapped them around their shared body. Was Alastor trying to hug him? Why?
“Now now,” Alastor said gently. He lifted one hand to wipe away Vox’s tears. “Smile. You know you’re never fully dressed without one.”
“But what if we’re stuck like this?” Vox whispered.
“We won’t be,” Alastor told him. How could he sound so certain? “But in the meantime,” he continued, smiling now for the both of them, “why don’t we see what this new body looks like, hmm?”
Vox closed their eyes and nodded. He unwrapped their arms from around their body and grasped the top of the desk, using it to help pull their body up to their feet. Their eyes flicked up to the mirror leaning against the wall at the back of Alastor’s office. Their shared body sure was an interesting sight.
Their body had Vox’s television head, though the screen was now a light purple color, their teeth the color of Alastor’s, yellow. And one eye, the left one, was distinctly Vox’s— and the other, the right, Alastor’s. Atop their television set shaped head sat Alastor’s fluffy ears, one of which twitched, and between those ears also protruded two small somethings that looked like a mix between Alastor’s antlers and his antennae. Their clothes were a mix of what they wore as individuals— Vox’s favorite white shirt and sweater vest, Alastor’s pants, and—
“Holy sh—” Screeching static replaced the swear that tried to escape their lips, “— is that a tail?! It looks so fluffy!”
Alastor hummed with some annoyance and their brows furrowed. “Yes it is,” he said, “and no, you may not touch it.”
Vox nodded, too busy now marveling at their shared body as a whole. It was also slightly taller and wider than either of them individually, at least when they weren’t in their full demon forms— they weren’t a giant, mind you, but it was still a noticeable difference. Maybe a foot or so taller and a few inches wider? And their shared shadow, much like Alastor’s shadow, seemed to have a bit of a mind of its own. It stretched up from the floor and stood beside them, seemingly just as taken with their new body as Vox was.
Speaking of full demon forms, Vox now wondered just how big their combined full demon form was…
“Why don’t we find out?” Alastor asked.
Vox jumped, startled. “Did I say that out loud?”
“You say a lot of things out loud. Sometimes I wonder if you even have a filter.”
Vox covered their face with both hands in embarrassment.