Chapter Text
It was a night like any other, the sky outside was a soft almost pastel red, slowly turning darker as the night went on. The 2 men had no perception of time, just enjoying drinks and each other's company.
Alastor was initially reluctant to go to the Vee tower, he didn't want to talk to Vox’s associates and definitely wasn't keen on all the technology, upgrades and cameras everywhere. But Vox has been waiting for this day, preparing, doing anything he could to make it more comfortable for his …friend? Associate? Partner?... That’s not what's important right now… Vox has his own floor in the tower, being the head of the company was a big deal after all. Valentino and Velvette were allowed here, although sometimes Vox wished Valentino would invite himself over less often, but it had everything the head of VoxTek could need. His main broadcasting suite, his workshop where he’s played about with his new products, making improvements to himself, or just playing around, being creative with new designs. There was also a large lounge with a tv which covered an entire wall, closer to a cinema than a lounge. This was where Valentino could often be found when he wasn’t filming or playing with one of his newest ‘toys’ employees. Large soft sofas which Val would lay himself across and bright neon lights, often in sync with the sound system on the TV. As well as his personal office, for doing all the exciting paperwork which came with being the CEO of the company.
Although the tower was minimalist in the sense there wasn’t clutter, trinkets, etc, it was still all very modern, the latest technology in every room, cameras covering every corner of the whole tower, speakers scattered throughout. They all agreed one of the worst things there could be was complete silence, and in a tower so large there definitely could be silence, so the music buzzing throughout was a homely feel…Although not appreciated too often due to Val’s …presence?... in the building. Loud. Centre of attention. Needy. You always knew he wasn't far away because he could always be heard, no matter what mood he was in, moaning or yelling, Valentino was always nearby.
But there was another area, a whole floor in fact, one the other Vees didn't know about, not on the floor plans, not on the maps, not even an option in the elevator. But Vox was connected to the entire building, he didn't need buttons to control the elevator. Just underneath Vox’s floor was a secret floor and unlike the rest of the tower it was surprisingly…outdated? There was a large library, usually the only books on the rest of the floor’s were digital or Val’s smutty books and porn magazines, he didn't read them, his eyes were too shit, just liked owning them, especially if they were rare. But here there was a large library with almost everything you could imagine. Vox needed the physical books in order to digitalise them, but something about holding a book, smelling the pages, he wanted to keep that sensation. There was a large kitchen, no smart fridges, cookers, latest appliances, just a humble kitchen, with utensils, a normal fridge, a basic cooker., a kettle. The most advanced thing was a microwave and Vox only decided it was a safe choice as it used radiowaves, otherwise it may be a bit too modern. There was a large master bedroom, one which was only for Vox, no Val, no wine spilled on it, just his. There were still record players, Vox still wanted music. But there were no cameras. No way for the others to find him. A way to ‘unplug’ as much as he could, given the fact his head was a literal TV, and hopefully a place Alastor would feel comfortable. It was perfect, an escape for Vox and a safe space for his guest.
The 2 of them entered the tower, luckily it was quite late so the reporters and most of the employees had already left. They stepped into the elevator, the doors closed and they both stood for a moment, Alastor gave him a slight glance, slightly confused. Vox, slightly drunk, swaying slightly as he stood was just staring into space, until the elevator then just began to move.
“My brain is a remote control” He giggled slightly, almost impressed with his own abilities. The rest of the tower was a sensory headache, bright neon lights covering almost everything, posters of their recent adverts on walls, Valentino’s art in other areas, often full of people and noise. But the elevator stopped and as the doors often Alastor almost needed a minute to readjust his eyes to the darkness. The bright lights had been replaced with warm bulbs which were on dimmer switches, almost on the lowest setting to create a warm cosy atmosphere. A few candles were lit and placed on bookshelves and on different surfaces. Rather than the obnoxious neon blues and hot pinks there were navy blue velvet curtains, wooden furniture, accents of silver on handles and in various other places but over all it felt like a cosy little coffee shop with a library rather than the home of the media overlord.
Alastor stood, quietly taking in his surroundings, watching as Vox disappeared off somewhere. His eyes were scanning across the large library he seemed to have entered, not looking for anything specific, more observing the wide range, it was even organised into genres like he was in a real library. The sound of jazz began to fill the room and Vox clumsily walked back into the room, looking proud of himself.
“It’s just a record player” he beams, “there’s no technology here, well nothing too over the top at least… well other than me i guess” he begins to mumble, hand rubbing at the back of his neck “It’s my little escape from…well everything really, but I’m guessing it would suit you too, at least more than the rest of the tower, that's for sure” Alastor just hums in approval. “Do you like my library?” Vox didn't know how to be quiet at the best of times, but a few drinks in his system and he didn't think quiet was something he was even capable of anymore “I have so many different books! I’m sure you could find one you’d like, I’d even let you borrow it, or you could just read it here, sometimes it’s nice to have company, no one even knows this floor of the building exists, which is nice, but also it can get lonely and i could never get tired of being around you, so you're welcome anytime” Vox rambled on, Alastor wasn’t overly listening though, more taking in how different this is to anything else he’d seen associated with Vox, it felt nice, like he’d slipped into a part of Vox’s life which was protected, secret, Alastor almost felt flattered.
Vox was practically bouncing as he walked, apart from the swaying, stumbling, but he was like an excited puppy, making his way through the rooms. Alastor just followed in behind him. Vox took them into the kitchen. Wooden oak cabinets lined the kitchen along with a black polished granite countertop. In the corner was a fully stocked bar, Vox happily grabbed 2 glasses and poured them each a whisky, he placed them on top of the matching granite kitchen island in the middle of the room.
“Do you like it? I thought the wood was really pretty, sorta a lighter coloured to go with the polished black, I like the curtains too, the navy, I think it pulls it all together, like it feels homely?” Vox is buzzing, practically begging for Alastor’s approval. This space was his, but every time he was alone with his thoughts he would imagine having Alastor here with him, if he didn't like it…well in all honesty he would tear the place down and redesign it so Alastor did like it, but no one needed to know that.
“It’s lovely, feels very cosy, I never would have expected something so charming from the man whose entire tower is bright lights and loud decor, it’s very tasteful” Vox should be hurt by the back-handed compliment, but he wasn’t, all he could hear was the praise. Alastor liked it!
They each picked up their drink as Vox led them into the next room, Alastor almost thought he spoke too soon when he could already see the blue hue coming from the room, but was pleasantly surprised. There was a large aquarium built into the main feature wall, no TVs (other than the man himself) but instead a beautiful aquarium. Along the bottom were Epaulette sharks, small slender sharks with rounded snouts, large dark eyes and large spots which look like eyes on their shoulders, walking across the bottom of the sand, using their fins like feet. There were blue-spotted ribbontail rays, some moving through the water, they had 2 bright blue stripes running down their tails and electric blue spots scattered across their body, some buried into the sand so only their blue spots and curious eyes could be seen. Swimming around the tank were Lookdown fish, extremely flat fish with mirror-like silver skin adding a shimmering look to the tank. There was also Lionfish, hoovering as they drift through the water, regal and graceful, with long trailing pectoral fins which look like delicate ribbons attached to their bold brown and cream striped bodies. As well as the fish there were Gorgonian sea fans, looking like trees within the tank, large fans of midnight-blue coral. Dragon’s breath macroalgae, a deep crimson seaweed, almost flame-like with its shape. And basalt rock caves, a volcanic rock which is charcoal, almost a deep black in colour, creating caves, arches and tunnels.
Alastor took in more of the room, opposite the aquarium wall, there were 2 armchairs and a sofa, made of a deep navy cotton-velvet fabric, soft to the touch. In the middle of the room was a solid oak coffee table, a slightly warmer, more honey colour compared to the cabinets in the kitchen, a thicken and heavy table which looked more like a permanent fixture of the room rather than furniture. Against the aquarium wall, parallel to the coffee table, was an oak sideboard, in a matching colour to the coffee table, with the record player sat on top of it. Across the other side of the room, against the far wall, was a grand piano, with gloss ebony finish, angled so the player would be able to see the whole of the room, including the aquarium which it was almost pressed against. Also on the far wall, the opposite side to the aquarium & piano, was another tank, however this one was a floor to ceiling cylinder filled with moon jellyfish, lit up by a breathing indigo light softly pulsing in and out.
They both walk into the room, sitting side by side on the sofa, knees almost touching. Alastor believes Vox has been talking since they walked into the building but he hasn't been processing most of it, it was more like a comforting white noise machine. That was until there was a shift, the frequency changed, it was no longer the happy bouncing rambles but became quieter, softer, almost nervous, Alastor began listening again.
“My life is about the brand, about perfection…it can be a lot, you know, and here…here no one can find me, no one can ask me to do a thousand things, fix other peoples problems…” Vox takes a slow sip of his drink, he isn't expecting a reply, he’s just trying not to say the first thing that fall out his mouth. “I like it here, it's peaceful, I always hoped you’d like it here too…I mean we’re 2 powerful overlords, we could do so much! We already collaborate on stuff, I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable, I know you don't like some modern stuff, I mean I made this place with you in mind, no tech, no cameras…” He was rambling again Fuck! “I mean, we can both just exist here, no one watching, no pressure of what we should or shouldn't be…be doing, we could just be us. It could be an asset we share, a long-term commitment to us…to being together- working together” He took a deep breath, gotta nail the landing, gotta sell the idea “It’s about optimisation. We enjoy each other’s company, but you know what it’s like, out in public, reputations to uphold, everyone having their expectations. This private complex, there’s no one watching, it’s just us, like an exclusive alliance”
Alastor shifted, turning to look at Vox, the indigo light from the jellyfish tank reflecting off his screen. He looked hopeful? But Alastor was pretty sure that’s always how he looked, there was something else, nervous maybe? “I will admit I'm intrigued” Alastor responded, watching Vox’s eyes light up, excited he didn't say no. Vox began to practically vibrate in his seat, he drank more of his whisky, slowly becoming less coordinated. He looks up at his big aquarium and then back at the man sitting opposite him, ears twitching slightly as he listens to Vox, looking relaxed, his normal smile but there’s a softness to his eyes. He smiles back at the man “You know Al…..” almost singing his name "you're like a Great White Shark… they haven't changed in MILLIONS of years ... They don't need to. Everything else changed, the world changed, but they stayed the same because they were already perfect…”he almost whispered the last word, he could feel his screen heating up but he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or Alastor just being so close, listening, so perfect. “And I feel you, you know? Like sharks, they can feel electricity in the water, like, like, they can feel a heartbeat in the water from MILES away! That’s like so. Far. away. And I'm tuned into your frequency, like everyone else is just background noise, but you, I can feel you, it’s like you're a part of me, like no matter what I can sense you. Sometimes if i havent seen you in a while ill panic because i worry about you, and i know youre capable but youre so great and i want you to be okay, and sometimes i worry but then i can feel youre signal and I know youre okay and it brings me so much comfort…it’s liked in tuned in to you, and only you” Vox half laughed to himself.
He drank the rest of his whisky, there was a thud as he placed his glass down a bit too hard on the coffee table. He was leaning forward, went to sit back against the sofa but ended up just tumbling sideways, and ended up way closer to Alastor that he intended. He giggled to himself a little, practically pressed up against the other man “sorry Al, I’m a bit clumsy, it seems…” He looked up at Alastor. Alastor could see he had probably had more than enough alcohol for the night, his screen dimmed when their eyes met, his bowtie was cooked, he looked a mess, but his eyes were so full of admiration.
Vox felt his screen turning more a shade of red than blue, flush taking over as he looked straight back at Alastor, he was staring, like he was trying to figure out what the picture box was thinking, but there was a soft, calm, almost gentle side to his eyes. Vox was getting flustered, he wasn’t sure if anyone got to see this side of Alastor. Before he had time to think about anything, his body just seemed to move. He sat up a bit, so he was more level with Alastor, he quickly moved, it was meant to be a quick peck, but he was too drunk for full control and half crashed his screen into Alastor’s face, losing balance and it taking a bit more effort to pull away, due to Alastor practically holding up his top half. Alastor let out a soft light chuckle as he practically lifted Vox off him, then carefully and with a lot more control that Vox, despite drinking at least twice what he had, he placed his hand under the base of Vox’s screen, gently tilting it so they made eye contact again. Vox had the most adorable rosey cheeks, his eyes nervous as he looked between Alastor’s eyes and lips, unsure if he had upset the radio demon, a drunken fool unable to see the signs.
Alastor moved his hand along the edge of his screen, across to the bottom right corner and then up about halfway up his screen. His eyes flicked to Vox’s mouth, slightly agape as he stared in awe. A wicked smile crossed his face as he leaned in, slowly, watching Vox’s eyes close, he took the TV’s bottom lip between his teeth, grazing them as he slightly bit down before releasing him. Vox let out a whine neither of them were expecting, but that was confirmation enough. Alastor has put the pieces together of what the drunken man was rambling on about, going in circles, never quite admitting anything. Alastor could see the literal hearts now in Vox’s pupils as he leaned in again. This time a soft and tender kiss, Vox let Alastor lead, pressing their lips together, he practically moaned when he felt Alastor’s other hand just rest against his leg. Alastor used this to slip his tongue in, deepening the kiss and exploring Vox’s strange anatomy, a TV for a head but a mouth almost human, almost. Alastor could practically taste his electricity, a little shock pulsing through his tongue as Vox struggled to contain his excitement. Eventually they parted, a tender, but passionate, many decades waiting kind of desperate kiss.
Vox doesn't say anything after they pull away, he doesn't even make eye contact with Alastor. He shuffles so they are sat side by side again, but being the needy creature he is, he leans his head on Alastor’s shoulder. He knows Al isn't always comfortable with touch, and although they did, just kiss omg! Did that actually happen?! Am i that drunk im passed out and had a fever dream without thinking he lifted his hand to his lip, he could feel the sting from Alastor biting his lip, definitely real. Alastor chuckled, watching this play out, he moved further away from Vox, much to the sad noise Vox didn't mean to squeak out.
“Stand up” Without thinking Vox stood, wobbling a little, carefully watching Alastor as he moved. He leaned against the armrest of the sofa, moving to be half laying across the length of it. He then gestured for Vox to join him, he did happily, resting his head on Alastor’s chest, his arms wrapping round the mans small waist, Alastor placed 1 hand on the back of his head, gently drawing patterns with his finger and tracing around the ports, the other resting on his back. He smiled softly at the man happily cuddled in his arms
“Theres a bed you know…like just through the next room, probably more comfortable”
“And do you think you are capable of walking those steps right now?” Alastor questioned. If Vox wasn’t drunk, he still wasn't sure if he could walk, due to his legs feeling like jelly, ready to collapse after all of his dreams have come true. He didn't respond, just snuggled further into Alastor, he was still half listening for any high pitched static of discomfort but he didn't find any so quickly ended up just falling asleep on top of his favourite person. Alastor had spent a lifetime—and an afterlife—viewing the carnal interests of others with a sort of distant, clinical boredom. Men, women... it had all been the same tedious noise. But as he looked down at the shivering, rose-cheeked TV in his arms, he realized the "noise" had finally found a melody. It was about the man who had built a whole world just to hear him breathe. He looked around the room again, a room Vox made to share with him. He felt his chest fill with a warmth, foreign but so comforting. He rested his head on the TV’s head, holding him a little tighter as he fell asleep as well.