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Valentino walked into the square at the middle of the pentagram, Vox and Velvette next to him. It was freezing. Which you wouldn't expect since it was literally Hell but he supposed they had to find a way to torture everyone and that included people who hated the cold, like Valentino.
"Mierda," Valentino mumbled, brushing a falling snowflake off of him and wrapping his wings closer. He was already regretting being talked into this. "Why the fuck does it have to be so cold?"
"I think the better question is why did you choose to wear a miniskirt when it's snowing?" Velvette commented, not even bothering to look up from her phone.
"I wore fleece tights under it! How was I supposed to know that wasn't going to be enough?" Valentino huffed, his breath visible on the air. "Plus, why are we even at this stupid tree lighting thing?! I have much better things to do than stand around waiting for someone to plug in the lights they slapped onto a giant tree."
Valentino glared at said tree, it was nothing special and he didn't get why Vox had dragged both of them to see someone turn it on. Valentino had been convinced it was some weird white people thing but Velvette had been all too willing to go along with it. Then again, she would go along with anything if it drew a crowd and there were—to Vox's credit—a good amount of people here. Someone had even set up a little booth to sell hot chocolate. God, that sounded good. No, he couldn't. He was on a diet and that meant no spontaneous treats. Or treats in general.
Vox, bumped Valentino with his arm, pulling him back to the present. "Come on Val, this is fun! Plus you'll love the lights! They're Voxtek™! Super bright, sustainable and come in a variety of assorted colors!"
"Ugg, I don't want to hear your advertisement shpeal. And don't make fun of my moth things," Valentino bit, the cold making him irritable. He stepped away from Vox and it was just to his stupid luck on this stupid outing, he stepped into a puddle of melted snow.
Valentino yanked his foot back but water had already seeped into his boot, finding its way through the seems and crevices and soaking though his sock, starting at his toes and creeping up his foot.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Valentino exclaimed, shaking his foot as if that would help.
Velvette finally looked up from her phone but didn't seem to care that much about his plight. "Vox said it was going to snow, why the fuck did you wear such flimsy boots?"
"God forbid a guy wants to look good!"
Velvette just ignored him and Vox just sighed deeply, pinching where his nonexistent nose would be, like Valentino getting his foot freezing cold and wet was some how an 'inconvenience'.
Before Valentino could lash out at him, Vox was gone, zapping away into the nearest camera.
Valentino just let let out a spluttering sharp breath, momentarily rendered speechless as he just waved his many arms around, staring at Velvette pointedly.
Velvette just rolled her eyes. "He'll be back." She continued scrolling on her phone, ignoring him, probably on V or something. (V, being Vox's re-brand of Vitter because he said it was cool and didn't listen to either of the other Vees when they said it was just was cringe as fuck.)
Valentino huffed.
The time passed by and with every second Valentino just worked himself up more, the happy Christmas music playing around the square sounding like it was mocking him. He was cold, wet and he just wanted to go home. But no he was stuck at the thing that Vox wanted and he went because he was a nice, selflessperson. But when Valentino dared to get the tiniest bit emotional about his foot getting freezing wet Vox left. Because Valentino was just too fucking much!
When Valentino finally heard the familiar zap of electricity and the soft thump of Vox's feet hitting the ground he reeled, talking before he even really saw Vox, his voice tinted in distortion. "How dare you just leave me here in the fucking cold, at your stupid event that I didn't even want to go to—!"
"Jesus Val!" Vox just groaned, cutting him off. "I went to get you new boots from your room, but you know, no need to thank me."
Valentino's mouth shut abruptly as his eyes widened at the sight because, yes, Vox was indeed holding new boots along with what looked like socks and a pair of pants. "I—you got me new boots?" he parroted back dumbly because nothing else came to mind.
"Yeah, ya idiot," Vox said with a roll of his eyes but something in the tone of his voice was tinted with warmth. "Maybe when you're not so cold you'll stop being such a bitch."
"Sorry," Valentino found himself saying quietly, too low for anyone else besides the other Vee's to hear. He didn't like apologizing but he did feel a bit foolish.
"Yeah ok, let's just get you warm," Vox said as he began leading him over to a nearby bench and handing him the boots and socks. Valentino took them, before sitting down, flinching for a second as the cold metal hit his thighs.
Valentino ignored it, focusing on removing his boots and socks and putting on the dry ones, his mind drifting as he did so.
The particular boots that Vox had picked out were light brown and slightly scuffed, not his usual style, which had gotten them shoved to the back of his extensive closet. Vox had to have really dug through it to find them. Sure, many could find that as an invasion of privacy but that was kinda Vox's whole thing and besides, it was sweet that Vox had gone to the effort to get the one pair of winter boots Valentino owned.
When Valentino had finished tying the last lace, he looked up to Vox with his hand extended out to help him up. Always the gentleman. Sometimes the gentleman, always was a bit generous.
Valentino placed his hand into Vox's own, his claws cold even through the gloves Valentino wore. Vox gently pulled Valentino up, his grasp firm, but not biting.
When Valentino was standing his attention was brought up to Vox as he placed the pants into Valentino's arms. "Spread your wings," was all Valentino got as explanation, which in other words, was none. But for some reason he complied, going along with Vox's orders and spreading his wings, which in turn brought a gust of frigid air in.
Valentino shivered, feeling goosebumps bloom all over his skin. Why did he trust this man so unquestionably? Now he was even colder.
"I know it's cold, but it's just for a sec," Vox acknowledged, before reaching around to grab the tips of his wings and holding them together in the front, kinda creating this big cocoon around Valentino.
Somehow Vox expected Valentino to understand what he was doing because he raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"Uh," was all Valentino said in return, thoroughly confused.
"Go on, get dressed," Vox urged.
Oh, oh.
Vox had created a little changing room for him out of his own wings, blocking out his body from the people around him.
Vox didn't need to do that, all of hell had seen Valentino naked—hell, there was probably a billboard of him practically so in this very square. Vox had gone out of his way to make Valentino comfortable. Not just physically with warm, dry clothes but in another way as well, giving him privacy when he didn't need to, so Valentino wouldn't have to feel a bit degraded changing in the street like some cheap whore.
Valentino didn't know what to do as tears pricked behind his eyes and for once he was happy his glasses kept fogging up. God, that was so sweet, not in the roses and candlelight kinda way but in something more meaningful.
Fuck, he loved him so much. In this moment he had never been so certain, because how could he not love a man who knew him so well?
Valentino would never say it though.
Vox loved acknowledgement and praise but not when it came to these types of things. Emotions were things he showed though little unspoken actions, never professed or loud and Valentino was ok with that. He knew Vox cared and that was enough.
Valentino shook his head of those thoughts and got to shimmying out of his skirt.
"Ok, I'm done," Valentino finally announced after he had slipped on his pants and fastened his heart-shaped belt buckle with a click.
"Finally," Vox groaned. "You sure enjoy taking your sweet time."
Vox let go of Valentino's wings and he stretched them out with a shake before he folded them back into their coat form, the warmth instant. He was much more comfortable now.
Valentino walked closer to Vox, slinking around his back so he could hug him close from behind. Normally Valentino wasn't so touchy in public—Vox didn't like it—but he couldn't help it right now. He needed to feel Vox's body against his. Not in the sexual sense—well that too—but he needed to show Vox he was thankful and touch was his method of choice more times than not.
Valentino rubbed his lower hands up and down Vox's waist while his upper twined around his chest. "Well, perfection takes time baby," Valentino purred.
"Ugh, yeah, I know," Vox grumbled but Valentino could hear the warmth that underlined his words.
Valentino trailed his finger tips along Vox's shoulder as he circled back around to his front, keeping his arms draped all around him. "I—thank you…Voxxy," Valentino murmured.
"Well if it made you stop being such a bitch…"
"Well I will, unless you want me to~" Valentino teased, the sultriness behind his words more playful than any genuine sexual intent.
Vox seemed to sense that because he laughed, that little chuckle that that brought out Valentino's favorite, bitten-back smile.
The one he only gave when it was just the two of them. And it felt like that because the rest of the world seemed to fade away. Or it seemed so until Vox's eyes flicked down for the briefest second and his eyebrows scrunched. Valentino could practically hear his thoughts. That they were in public and everyone could see this. See them…together.
Valentino's heart dropped and he moved to pull away because that's how it always was. Their image first, Valentino second. But then he felt those same cold claws grab his face and yank him down hard until his lips crashed against staticky blue ones. Valentino was frozen still for a second, so shocked he couldn't move but then he did, pulling Vox closer.
Unlike the rough start Vox kept the kiss, chaste, slow, nothing like they were used to, just lips against lips. Valentino let out a low hum as one of Vox's hands drifted down from his face to snake around his hip and along his lower back.
Eventually Valentino pulled back for air, the shock and the kiss pulling it from his lungs but he kept faces still close enough for the breath to mix. "You—with all these people."
"It's fine Velvette will erase or spin it or whatever she does," Vox dismissed quickly, diving back in for another kiss.
Just as their lips met Velvette's sarcastic voice pierced though the haze that kissing Vox always seemed to cast over Valentino. "Wow, thanks Vee."
Vox seemed to have forgotten she was there as well because Valentino found himself quickly shoved away, Vox's hands on his shoulders, holding him at a distance.
"Yeah I'm right here," Velvette announced with a roll of her eyes, looking back to her phone. "You missed the lights turning on by the way."
Valentino turned around to see that she was right, the tall tree illuminated with pretty lights. They seemed to draw him closer, dazzling him like they never had in life, like it was the most beautiful thing in all of hell. "Wow," he breathed.
Valentino felt Vox's hand snake back around his waist, hugging him back close to his side. "I knew you'd like it," Vox murmured as he tilted his head to rest it against Valentino's shoulder.
"Yeah, I really do," Valentino admitted.