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Cameras. Everywhere.
Alastor had dealt with the humming drones that followed him everywhere he went since he first returned to pentagram city. At first he ignored them. His image wouldn’t show clearly anyway.
But the more he ignored them, the more incessant they became. At his limit, Alastor plucked a drone from above with a thick tentacle. It tried to evade him but failed miserably.
“Come alone,” Alastor said to it.
In the next moment there was a flash of electricity and Vox stood before him.
“Lonely? Is that why you’re looking for my company?” Vox asked
“Hardly,” Alastor said before consuming them both in shadows.
“Fuck,” Vox shouted when he was spat back out into reality.
Before he could even turn his full attention to him, Alastor stabbed him in the stomach.
“Fuck, what was that for?” he asked, confused and irritated.
“For this,” Alastor said. He let a drop of blood fall to the floor and it glowed with green power.
Vox stepped away, hesitant. When the glowing stopped, Vox felt heavy.
“What…what’s happening,” Vox aksed.
“It’s a binding circle. You can’t leave it unless I break it,” Alastor said.
The fuck?
“Why are you doing this? Are you planning on killing me?” Vox asked.
“Not yet,” Alastor said easily. It sent a chill up Vox’s spine.
“Listen, Alastor. I was just keeping track of you. I wasn’t going to actually try to kill you!” Vox said.
Alastor shrugged.
“I don’t care,” he said.
“Val and Vel are going to look for me. They won’t just abandon me,” Vox said.
Alastor waved a hand away.
“They’ll never find you here. We’re far on the outskirts of the city and your power signature is completely muffled,” he said.
Vox bit his lip. Blood spilled down his chin.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“Ah. Just obedience,” Alastor said.
Vox was too afraid to ask more than that.
“Don’t worry your silly head over it. Now, I have some work to do at the hotel. I’ll be back later. In the meantime, explore your surroundings. Tata, darling,” Alastor said before melting into his shadows.
Vox waited to be sure he was gone before running for the door. Just before he could grab the handle, he was launched across the room, landing on the large bed at its center. It was the only piece of furniture in the room. There was no window and no other way out as far as he could see.
Vox crossed his arms, folding in on himself as he bled onto the mattress. What the fuck was even happening?
***
Vox was stressed and exhausted. His fear spiked as he watched Alastor appear with no warning. Alastor didn’t say anything, and Vox was afraid if he opened his mouth he would beg or cry. The tears were already filling his eyes.
“Ah, Vox. Have you had a chance for any escape attempts?” Alastor asked, standing at the foot of the bed. Vox launched himself off the mattress in an attempt to knock Alastor down. A tentacle lashed out, wrapping around Vox’s chest and slamming him face down on the bed. It flipping him over and held him there.
“My, my. Wasn’t that pathetic?” Alastor mused.
“What do you want!” Vox winced as his voiced cracked.
Alastor tilted his head.
“I don’t know yet,” he said.
“You don’t fucking…why the fuck did you do this then?” Vox shouted.
“Because you were annoying me. But I don’t feel like killing you either. This is a sort of purgatory for you until I figure out what I want from you,” Alastor said.
Vox got the sense that Alastor viewed this as mercy. What a fucking psycho.
Vox didn’t want to die. Even with the torture that he was sure was coming, Vox was afraid of death. What could possibly exist beyond hell?
“Hush,” Alastor said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached a hand and Vox did his best to shy away. He couldn’t get far and felt a gentle finger brush against his screen. Only then did he realize he was crying.
“You’re safe here, for now,” Alastor said. Then his face changed to something thoughtful.
“You loved me once, right Vincent?” he asked quietly.
Vox twitched at hearing that name from Alastor’s lips. He could physically feel the want he held back then when he thought they were…whatever. He shook the feeling off.
“Go to hell,” Vox said.
He immediately screeched as Alastor stabbed his cane into Vox’s screen, shattering the entire right side of his face.
“I have no tolerance for bad behavior. If you value your life, you will give me a reason to spare it,” Alastor hissed.
Vox sobbed before he could bite back the sound. Alastor smiled and anger cut through the fear. Not enough to talk back though. So, he swallowed it and fell silent.
“Good boy,” Alastor cooed. Vox felt a rage.
Alastor tossed a bottle of bourbon onto the bed, releasing Vox. Vox sat up but made no further moves.
“This is a gift. I’ll see you when I feel like it,” Alastor said before disappearing once more into the shadows.
Vox released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He reached for the bottle and, after weighing his options, took a long swig of the liquor. It burned nicely going down and spread warmth in his chest.
He ventured off the bed. There really wasn’t a lot of space apart from it. He checked underneath and found nothing. Not like he expected it anyway.
After some time passed and Vox was halfway through the bourbon, the lights suddenly went out. Vox could see absolutely nothing. He capped the bottle and blindly found his way until he could stand it up on the floor.
He rolled over, staring into darkness. It was silent. At V tower, he was used to the blue glow of shok.wav and the sound of electric currents running through his systems. Here, he could feel no connection to the currents.
Here, there was nothing but Vox’s cries and wails. He wondered if Alastor was somehow watching. He hated himself for wishing he would come back.
***
“Vox.”
Vox rolled over. It took him a long time to realize what was happening. Alastor snapped his fingers and bright light flooded the room. Vincent sat up quickly and almost feel over as he felt lightheaded.
“Alastor?” Vox slurred.
“How do you feel?” Alastor asked.
Vox couldn’t parse why he was asking that. He couldn’t parse much of anything actually. His head was swimming and his vision was blurry.
“What did you do?” he asked slowly, trying to hold on to his thoughts.
“Just a little something to help you relax. You drank quite a bit of it,” Alastor said gesturing to the bottle.
“The bourbon?” Vox questioned.
“Indeed. Valentino came looking for you, you know,” Alastor said absently.
Vox straightened, but collapsed back over himself as his head swam.
“What did you do to him?” he asked, anger mixing with whatever Alastor gave him in a sickening anxiety.
“Nothing. He doesn’t think I have anything to do with your disappearance,” Alastor said.
Vox didn’t know whether he should be happy that Val was safe or afraid because he wouldn’t be able to find him.
“Anyway, dear. What would you say to conducting an experiment with me?” Alastor said.
Vox’s mind couldn’t absorb what he was talking about. He said nothing. Alastor didn’t seem to care.
“I need you to lay back for me,” Alastor said.
When Vox didn’t move, a thick black tentacle wrapped around his chest and flipped him onto his stomach. Alastor tugged the waist of Vox’s pants and Vox finally caught up.
“What are you doing?” Vox half-asked, half-cried.
“I told you. Experimenting,” Alastor said.
Pants and underwear removed, Vox flushed in embarrassment. Alastor slid a finger between Vox’s butt cheeks, gently pressing against his hole.
“Alastor, I—”
“Shut up,” Alastor interrupted, but pulled away anyway.
Vox sighed in relief until he felt something cold and wet press against his hole. He tried to turn enough to see what was happening. He could see a tentacle extending from Alastor’s back. Alastor was watching the appendage with his full attention.
Vox cried out as the tenacle slipped inside him. It was thin, but grew thicker as it bullied its way inside Vox.
Vox cried, his screen glitching more than it already was from where it was shattered.
“Louder,” Alastor said.
It took a moment for Vox to absorb what was said.
“I said louder. You’re holding yourself back,” Alastor said.
The tentacle suddenly thickened and Vox gasped at the pain.
“Louder,” Alastor repeated.
The tenacle thickened even more and Voc screamed. He screamed at the pain, the invasion, and the feeling of loss he felt knowing he was stuck here with no help coming.
“Beautiful,” Alastor said, sounding entranced.
Vox cried loudly, not caring at this point about looking weak. Fuck. He was weak.
The tentacle retreated and Vox cried in relief, until he felt fingers pressing their way inside him.
“Alastor, please,” he whined.
“Please what, darling? You’re hard,” Alastor said, fucking his fingers into Vox’s hole.
Vox glanced down, unable to see but he could feel his erection pressing against the mattress.
“I’m not—”
“Not what, aroused?” Alastor asked.
Vox bit his lip, humiliated.
“Fuck,” Alastor mumbled so softly Vox almost couldn’t hear it.
The fingers were gone, and something thicker replaced them. Vox moaned, helplessly aroused as Alastor’s dick sank into his hole. It was thick, but nothing compared to Valentino. The thought was a wild attempt to regain some feeling of control.
Alastor groaned above him as he bottomed out. Vox bit the bed sheets to try to muffle the sounds.
It doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t feel good.
Vox tried to think his arousal away, but it was unmistakable in the sounds he made as Alastor fucked into him in earnest.
Vox came just before he felt warm cum fill him. Alastor collapsed on top of Vincent as the tentacle holding him down disappeared. Vox felt Alastor’s entire weight as he came down from his high.
Finally, Alastor pulled his softening cock out of Vox. Vox cried silent tears, making no attempt to move or face Alastor. Fuck, he couldn’t face Alastor.
Alastor ran a gentle hand along Vox’s back.
“I’ll be back when I get bored,” he said before disappearing.
Vox made no move to get up. He cried as cum dripped down his thigh. He wanted a shower. He wanted to burn and scrub at his skin until he could wash the memory of this away. Funny. He would have given his right leg for this at one point. Now he just felt, empty, violated.
Dirty.
***
The lights went on and off and Vox had no other way to tell time passing. He’d been through three cycles when he felt a chill in the air. Alastor appeared in a flash of green light.
“They’re done looking for you,” Alastor said lightly as he sat at the foot of the bed.
“No, they wouldn’t give up that easily,” Vox said, confident in his lover and friend.
“Well, they found your body,” Alastor said.
Vox stared. Alastor just smiled.
“How? Are there even any sinners that look like me?” Vox asked.
“Not one exactly, no. But put together enough body parts and it just looks like you were annihilated,” Alastor said.
“So…that’s it?” Vox asked, heartbroken.
“I’m afraid so. The good news is, I’ve chosen to let you live. For the time being,” Alastor said.
“Oh, wow, lucky me,” Vox said sarcastically.
Alastor gave him a look of warning and Vox fell silent.
“I quite enjoyed our experiment when I was last here,” Alastor said, “I’d very much like to explore some more.”
Vox tried to keep the disgust from his face. He knew he couldn’t fight Alastor; not alone, not without his own connection.
Alastor crawled over Vox, crowding him until Vox’s head smacked against the headboard. Alastor pulled him until his head hit the pillow and straddled his shoulders, pulling his dick from the confines of his pants.
No. Nononono FUCK no!
“Open wide,” Alastor said. Vox opened his mouth to protest and Alastor took the opportunity to shove his dick past sharp teeth and into his throat.
“Bite me and I will rip your tongue out and make you eat it,” Alastor said in warning.
Vox had no doubt about how serious he was. He didn’t fight it. In fact, he began moving his tongue around the cock fucking in and out of his mouth to try to make the demon come faster. His gag reflex was long gone, thanks to Valentino, but Alastor’s dick was long and thick and it cut off his breathing uncomfortably.
After a few miserable minutes, Alastor finally came down his throat. As Alastor pulled out, Vox coughed up a few thick droplets of cum.
Alastor tucked himself back into his pants and slid off the bed, looking down at Vox with curiosity.
“I like you like this,” he said.
“Like what?” Vox asked, venom in his tone.
Alastor grinned like a mad man.
“Suffering,” he said before disappearing.
Vox looked down at the drugged bottle of bourbon still sitting on the floor. He weighed his option. Get a bit loopy or sit with the taste of Alastor’s cum on his tongue.
He grabbed the bottle like a lifeline.
***
Vox was always hungry; always thirsty. Alastor sometimes brought him food and water, but very rarely. He knew he couldn’t die of hunger but the pangs in his stomach and the dryness in his mouth were rather uncomfortable.
Alastor came by more and more frequently. He said he enjoyed his experiments, but by the tenth time, fucking was hardly an experiment anymore.
The light flooded the room again. Vox sat up slowly and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Alastor already standing at the foot of the bed.
He remained silent; his voice the last form of personal agency he held on to.
“Vox, dear. I have good news,” Alastor said.
Vox stared at him. Alastor ignored his silence.
The world tilted as Alastor’s shadows surrounded the both of them. Vox was spat back out, tumbling onto the floor. He looked around him. He was in an apartment. There was clearly a kitchen, a living area, and at least one bedroom down the hall.
“What is this?” Vox said; the first thing he’d said in weeks.
“Your new home! Of course, you’re still going to be bound to the bedroom, but I wanted you to see what else you will have with good behavior. You can cook for me, clean. It’s like having a little wife waiting for me every day,” Alastor said.
“No. Nononono NO! Alastor, I can’t. Please. Please just let me go home,” Vox begged.
Alastor touched Vox’s head gently and the shattered fragments merged together again. Vox touched his screen to find it whole.
“You’ll grow to like your new role, my dear. Remember, you’ve loved me once already. You can do it again,” Alastor said.
“I can—”
Vox was cut off as he was sucked into darkness and deposited on a bed, alone. The room was much larger than the other. The bed a much softer, plusher. He examined the closet to find…nope. Vox shut the door, hiding the lingerie behind it.
There was a bathroom attached and Vox shed his clothing immediately and jumped in the shower. He ran the water as hot as it could go, scalding his skin in the process. He didn’t care. It felt good to lose a few layers of skin.
***
Vox held the headboard as Alastor fucked into him. It was all he could do to stop himself from hitting into it.
“Fuck, you’re so needy, Vox,” Alastor growled despite his complete lack of arousal.
“Yes, Alastor, please fuck me harder,” Vox moaned obediently. Alastor liked when Vox participated and if it made him come faster, it was a plus for Vox.
Alastor stopped thrusting, pushing into Vox’s ass as far as physically possible before grinding his hips. That was a good sign and Vox let out a happy little moan as he felt himself fill up with Alastor’s cum.
It was a pleasant feeling to Vox now. It meant the worst was over. Well, except for…
Alastor’s mouth grew impossibly large as he bit down on Vox’s shoulder. Vox cried out weakly from the pain. It was something Alastor did often. Vox had layers of bites in various stages of healing. It was painful but it was quick and it meant Alastor would leave.
Alastor licked up the blood seeping slowly form the wound.
“What do you say to leaving this room?” Alastor asked, sitting against the headboard and pulling Vox into his lap so they were facing each other.
They were close, and Vox tried to subtly lean away. Alastor kept him still with his hands on Vox’s hips.
“Like, go home?” Vox asked hopefully.
Alastor laughed. Vox felt his hope sink into the floor.
“This is your home, darling. No, I mean, would you like to make me dinner tonight?” he asked.
Vox ran that through his head. Cooking meant knives, right?
“No sharp objects, of course,” Alastor said as if reading his mind.
Vox frowned. Well, it was better than being stuck here. And if he recalled correctly, there was a TV out there. He couldn’t connect with it, but it would be more entertaining to watch that than the wall.
“What do you say?” Alastor had that dangerous tone in his voice that promised punishment if he said the wrong thing.
“Yes, Alastor. I would love to cook for you,” Vox said obediently.
Alastor smiled gently and kissed Vox’s forehead. The quiet intimacy made Vox blush. Even his body was betraying him.
“The recipe is on the kitchen counter. All the ingredients are already prepared and in the fridge. Have it ready by 5,” Alastor said before sinking into the shadows.
Vox lost his balance and almost fell off the bed. He recovered and stood, looking nervously at the door. Alastor said it was okay, but his other attempts at opening it usually ended up with electrocution.
He touched the knob with one, hesitant finger. When nothing happened, he took the whole thing in hand and turned.
The door opened with a creak and Vox walked slowly into the rest of the apartment. He took in the full kitchen, the stack of books on the floor, the television and the cozy chair and almost cried.
He’d spent the last few months with nothing. Even these few things were like air to a drowning man.
Vox went to the kitchen. It was open concept so he could see the entire apartment when he looked closer, he noticed the small window over the sink. It wasn’t real. The image in it was of a farm with cows and goats all moving as if they were real.
But there were no farms in hell.
It was engrossing anyway and Vox found himself staring for quite a while.
Finally, he snapped out of his reverie and opened the fridge. There were, indeed, ingredients in there. It was a lot of vegetables and what looked like cut up meat. He would be completely unsurprised if it was made of sinners.
The recipe was on the counter. It looked like a mockery of chicken noodle soup. He could do that easy enough. There was a clock over the small television. He had three hours.
More than enough time to see what was happening in hell.
Vox found the remote and flipped on the TV. He scanned through the channels. He watched new segments from every available station. He’d seen ads for Velvette’s love potion and Val’s shoots, but no mentions of him.
Vox wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Some kind of plea from Val to his kidnappers to return him? Or maybe a segment on how his absence was shaking the foundation of hell. But no. Someone saved a hellhound from a tree and another sinner founded a new hybrid between the rose and geranium.
For the first time in months, Vox felt tears falling down his screen. This was it. This was his life. No one was coming.
***
“Smells divine,” Alastor said, appearing in the center of the living room.
He looked expectantly at Vox who sat on the chair, the demon standing between him and his soap opera.
“I…” Vox tried to think of what it was Alastor wanted.
“I missed you,” he said, his voice hesitant as he stood and wrapped his arms around Alastor’s chest. He froze, ready for punishment when he heard a screech coming from the radio.
But then Alastor wrapped him up in his arms and smelled the crook of his neck.
“I’ve thought of you a lot today,” Alastor said.
“Are…are you ready for dinner?” Vox asked, pulling back a little, but held close by a hand on his shoulder.
“Yes, dear. Now, dish us two plates and tell me how your first day as a true wife was,” Alastor said.
Vox winced at the terminology. It felt demeaning.
“I think you need some clothing, dear,” Alastor said thoughtfully.
Vox had grown accustomed to his own nudity, but clothing sounded nice too. As long as it wasn’t…
Alastor pulled a pink slip from a black hole. Vox tilted his head. At least it wasn’t lingerie.
He pulled the dress over his head. He wasn’t expecting the hollow feeling squeezing his chest. Like he’d lost some integral part of himself he didn’t realize he was still holding onto. His vision blurred as water welled up in his eyes.
“Oh, honey, it’s ok. We’ve just started,” Alastor said.
What was meant as assurance only furthered the despair that had been growing inside him all day. He was alone. No one was coming. No one was coming.
Vox squeezed Alastor, crying thick tears into his chest. Alastor held him tight, rubbing a gentle hand on his back as if this wasn’t all his fault. At this point, Vox didn’t care. He needed someone. He needed someone to love him.
And if Alastor’s love would break him, well, at least it was love.
***
Things had been going well. A few months had passed since Vox had been promoted to wife. He was getting better at cooking. He had a sense of what flavors went well with others. He was pretty proud of some of the meals he prepared.
Alastor had also been spending more time with him. It wasn’t just sex anymore. Alastor would sit with Vox. They played games, watched movies, or just cuddled together with a drink and talked.
Vox didn’t want to hurt Alastor anymore. Why would he? Alastor was his whole world. He’d long since been given permission to use a knife, but had no desire to use it for anything but cooking.
Today, Vox stood in front of the closet. He hesitated. He wanted to surprise Alastor, but, putting on something so revealing felt wrong in a way he couldn’t remember. He tried to figure out where his hesitation was coming from but came up with nothing.
So, he shook the feeling off and selected a nice sheer purple top with dark purple panties. Simple. He looked at himself in the mirror and couldn’t help but cover himself.
This was for Alastor. It would hardly be a good surprise if Vox couldn’t even expose himself to him. He forced his arms down to his side and walked away from the mirror.
That night, Alastor came home later than normal. Vox was already on his feet to give him a hug when someone else appeared behind him. Vox immediately sat back down and hunched in on himself.
“Oh, dear, you look lovely,” Alastor said, approaching him. He tilted Vox’s screen up and pressed a kiss on his forehead.
“You remember Lucifer, right darling?” Alastor asked.
Vox nodded hesitantly, terrified and confused.
“So, I do this for a favor?” Lucifer asked, assessing Vox with disinterest. Vox looked nervously at him.
“One favor that will in no way affect me, yes,” Alastor said.
“Hmm. Well, TV head man, stand up,” Lucifer commanded.
Vox looked at Alastor.
“You heard him, darling,” he said gently.
Vox looked between the two but complied. He froze in fear when Lucifer’s hand lit up with hellfire and he placed it against Vox’s head. He shrieked, but felt no pain. He did, however, feel his manhood start to sting. It was a quick, uncomfortable feeling and just as fast as it started, it was gone.
“Later,” Lucifer said, walking through a portal.
Vox looked at Alastor, tears streaming down his screen as he tried to figure out why he allowed Lucifer to hurt him.
Alastor gently held his frame and kissed the spot Lucifer had burned him.
“Why?” Vox asked, devastated that Alastor would do this.
“Follow me,” Alastor said, pulled Vox into the bedroom and pushing him onto the bed. He took Vox’s hand and pressed it between his legs. Vox’s eyes widened as what Alastor had done dawned on him.
“You…what?” he said, words beyond his capability.
“I got you a nice little pussy,” Alastor said.
Vox palmed himself. He slipped his hand into his panties and slid his fingers through the folds of his new sex.
“A nice improvement, right?” Alastor asked.
It wasn’t, but Vox knew that tone. He couldn’t do anything about what happened, but he could keep it from getting worse.
“I love it, Alastor,” he said as sweetly as he could.
Alastor beamed.
“I knew you would, love,” he said, “what do you say we try it out?”
“Now?” Vox squeaked, but Alastor’s smile became thin and he reevaluated.
“Yes, of course, Alastor,” he said.
Alastor beamed and took Vox’s hand, guiding him to the bedroom. Vox looked anywhere but at Alastor. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care.
“Alright, Vox. Let’s test this tight little pussy out, shall we?” he said.
Vox cringed when he felt his panties being pulled down his legs.
“Relax, dear,” Alastor said sweetly.
Vox took a deep breath and exhaled, imagining himself far away. It worked for a few long moments until he felt something wet sliding between the folds of his new anatomy.
He squeaked, a wave of pleasure overtaking him. It was different that his penis, but the sensation was pleasant.
He gasped as Alastor’s tongue massaged one, sensitive spot over and over. Before he knew it, he was coming. Alastor sat up from between his legs.
“My turn, dear,” he said.
Alastor pulled his pants down just far enough to release his already dripping cock. Vox looked down at him nervously. Alastor did nothing to prepare him, but he supposed he didn’t need to. He could already feel slick on his thighs.
Alastor pushed in and Vox bit his lip. It felt good. Different, and not like himself, but pleasant none the less. He made small sounds as Alastor fucked into him. They seemed to spur him on as he quickened his pace, fucking hard into Vox’s new genitalia.
Vox felt his orgasm growing from deep in his belly. He groaned his release just as Alastor pulled out of him and finished on his stomach. It ruined the lingerie but Vox didn’t care. He had bigger issues.
Alastor tucked himself back into his pants. He looked down at Vox strangely. He pulled the lacey top over Vox’s head and tossed it to the ground.
Then he laid down, fully clothed against Vox’s naked form. He laid on his side and pulled Vox’s back against his chest.
“You’re so perfect for me, Vox,” Alastor said quietly, romantically into the back of Vox’s screen.
“Yes, Alastor,” Vox responded. Well, as bad as this change was, it made Alastor happy. And a happy Alastor was a kind, Alastor; a gentle Alastor. And that was worth all the mental anguish that Vox may still experience.
He fell asleep like that. When he finally woke, Alastor was gone; his side of the bed fully cool. Vox slid his hand down to his naked pussy and ran a finger along it, picking up lingering slick as he did so. Evidence to their love making last night.
He fit his hand over the mound and sighed. It could be worse, could be far worse with Alastor. If this kept him happy, well, Vox would comply.
***
Months passed and Vox had grown comfortable in his routine. He’d cook, clean. He always had dinner ready for Alastor. On the rare occasion Alastor spent the night he was ready with omelets and bacon.
The rest of the time he usually listened to the TV as he stared at the wall, clinging to that one last strand of sanity. That small part of himself that knew how terrible his situation was. By the time Alastor returned, the thought was already gone for the day.
Alastor sat on the chair, reading the paper as Vox watched TV from his place sitting on the floor beside him. He was distracted in a quiet pleasure as Alastor gently ran his fingers around Vox’s antenna.
“Darling I’ve been thinking about something,” Alastor said suddenly.
“Yes, Alastor?” Vox asked nervous. Alastor’s ‘ideas’ were usually unpleasant.
“Wouldn’t you love it if we had a little one running around? A child that you could care for?” Alastor said as lightly as if he were commenting on the weather.
Vox’s entire mind shut down.
“No,” Vox said quietly.
“I’m sorry I can’t quite hear you,” Alastor said.
“No. NO I can’t Alastor, don’t do this to me! I can’t! Ican’tIcan’tIcan’t…” Vincent’s voice trailed off and turned to small whines as he shook and cried.
“Vox,” Alastor said, a warning. Vox didn’t care.
“No, Alastor! You can’t do this to me!” Vox shrieked.
He didn’t back down, even as Alastor enveloped his limbs in shadow tentacles.
“That is enough. I wasn’t asking. I was telling,” Alastor said, looking at Vox with rage.
Vox would normally back down at this point. But he wouldn’t.
Alastor sighed, running a gentle finger on Vox’s screen, catching a tear-drop. Then Vox screamed as both his arms were ripped off his body. Alastor released him and Vox collapsed into a pile on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
“I’ll reattach your arms when you learn to behave,” Alastor said before disappearing.
Vox sniffled, the tears beginning to ebb.
He couldn’t think; couldn’t breathe. Vox had never in his wildest dreams realize that this could happen. Could sinners even get pregnant? And if not, was it an empty threat or did it have something to do with Lucifer’s handiwork.
He didn’t want to find out.
***
Vox woke up and the second he sat up in bed, he felt his stomach churn. He barely made it to the toilet before he puked up what little was in his stomach from last night’s dinner. He continued to dry heave until tears filled the edges of his eyes.
What…no.
Vox put a hand on his stomach. It didn’t feel any different. Was he supposed to feel something if he was pregnant?
Vox flushed the toilet and went out into the kitchen. He still felt nauseous, so decided to just eat a few crackers in lieu of a real breakfast.
What should he do? Ask Alastor for a pregnancy test? Was that even a thing in hell?
He put a pause on that thought as he ran to the bathroom once more.
***
Vox remained silent about his concerns. His nausea came and went. If Alastor noticed his trips to the bathroom, he said nothing. It wasn’t like Alastor was too present in the apartment anyway.
After two months he began to notice his stomach swelling. This confirmation broke Vox more than anything else had so far. He stood sometimes, in the kitchen, holding a knife to his stomach. He’d kill two birds with one stone. Literally.
But if he failed and survived, Alastor would rain more hell down on Vox than he cared to be exposed to.
“Why do you keep holding your stomach, dear?” Alastor asked.
“Oh, um. I don’t kno—”
Alastor lifted the thin slip covering Vox’s stomach and pressed a gentle hand on the bump there.
“Oh, my dear. How wonderful! You’re going to be a mommy,” Alastor said cheerfully.
Vox pretended that his sudden rush to the bathroom was due to pregnancy and not absolute disgust.
***
Vox stopped eating. Alastor did everything he could to get him to eat something, but the level of punishment he could deal out was less severe as Vox was pregnant. Vox had no idea how starving himself would affect the pregnancy.
Best scenario, it would shrivel up and die inside of him.
His stomach grew anyway. He was getting stretch marks. Alastor bought him loose fitting sun dresses as a gesture that Vox was sure Alastor felt was a kindness.
It wasn’t. It didn’t matter whether he was clothed or naked. The heavy weight of his growing stomach was in his face, day and night.
Then it happened. The mind-blowing pain of contractions. Vox wailed as he lay curled up on his side. After a few moments, the pain stopped. Vox hoped it was a complication but when the cramps came back, he knew he was in labor.
“Alastor!” Vox screamed at the top of his lungs. Only moment’s later, Alastor was at his side, rubbing his back.
“I’m here, dearest,” he cooed.
Vox cried, and saw someone else through his blurred vision.
“This is Nifty. She had some experience delivering children when she was alive,” Alastor soothed.
“Let’s get to the bed. I need wet towels. We may need forceps but that’d only in case something goes wrong,” Nifty said.
Fuck, Vincent prayed that something would go wrong.
Vox was in agony for hours.
“I can see the head. Vox, push,” Nifty said, her voice a bit manic.
Vox complied and pushed with his whole being. Finally, he felt relief and the silence was filled with the wails of a child.
Vox couldn’t see anything where he lay on his back. Alastor stood still for a moment before passing something over to Vox.
Alastor placed the child on Vox’s naked chest. Vox’s hands hovered for a moment, before he rested them against the child. His child.
Tears filled his eyes as he took in the blamelessness and helplessness of the little being lying on him. It was looking at him, completely innocent despite his conception. It needed him. It needed him.
Finally, he wrapped his arms gently around his child.
“It’s a girl, by the way,” Nifty said cheerfully.
A daughter.
Vox was so enthralled that he didn’t see Alastor until he was reaching for their child. Vox held their daughter close and curled his body to protect her from the man.
“She’s mine,” Vox hissed. Alastor had the nerve to laugh.
“She’s ours, now let me hold her. I promise to return her straight away.
Vox looked suspiciously at Alastor. But, it would happen whether Vox wanted it to or not so he handed her over.
“What are you going to name her?” Nifty asked.
“Ask Vox,” Alastor said.
Vox stared wide-eyed at his little girl.
“Violet,” he said dreamily.
“Lovely,” Alastor said.
As promised, Alastor returned Violet to Vox.
“Come, Nifty. We should be getting along,” Alastor said.
“One more thing,” Nifty said, pulling a blanket that had been abandoned on the bed.
“This is how you swaddle,” she said, demonstrating for Vox.
“You got it?” she asked.
Vox nodded and the pair disappeared into a portal of shadows.
He held Violet, unwilling to even look away from her. But what now? Was she going to be trapped here like Vox was? God, he didn’t want that for her. She was hell-born, not a sinner. She had a chance at life.
Violet was a chubby little thing. Her skin and hair were blue, but her eyes glowed a bright red and she had small antlers on the top of her head.
He stared at the little version of him for hours. Finally, she started crying. Vox panicked, unsure of what was wrong. After a few stressful minutes, Vox finally realized that she was probably hungry.
His breasts had swelled during pregnancy. He hadn’t thought much about it before other than as part of the disgusting changes he’d been going through. Now, though, he prayed they would function for his little girl.
Thankfully, she latched easily and suckled fresh milk. Vox’s body still disgusted him, but he supposed in this case, it was a blessing.
***
A new room appeared out of nowhere, fully furnished for a baby. From the crib right down to the baby monitor, Alastor had thought of everything.
Vox had trouble sleeping the first six months, and it wasn’t just because of Violet’s cried. He was so scared that something was going to happen to her. He couldn’t live with himself if he ever allowed her to come to harm.
Alastor had taken to sleeping in the bedroom with him every few weeks. Vox didn’t dare say it, but he dreaded those nights the most. Alastor would spoon him and Vox’s whole body would reject the sensation.
Vox continued to perform his ‘wifely duties’ with Alastor. He didn’t mind much anymore. Now that Alastor had his child, he had Lucifer sterilize Vox. Vox loved Violet but couldn’t help feeling afraid that he would need to care for another child.
Violet was enough.
After Violet’s first birthday, Alastor began taking her with him.
The first time, Vox screamed and begged Alastor with all he had. Alastor had responding by beating him unconscious. When Vox had come to they were already gone.
He’d waited for hours. Alastor had returned Violet in time for dinner.
When Violet began talking, Vox knew he needed to shelter her. She was absorbing everything and, as much as he hated Alastor, he didn’t want Violet to know what a monster he was.
“How come mommy stay?” Violet asked one day as Alastor came for her.
“Mommy needs to stay home and take care of the house,” Alastor said gently.
“Yeah, sweetie. You go with your father,” Vox said, though it pained him to say it.
Violet had looked sadly back at him before disappearing.
Vox let his expression fall. He didn’t cry; wouldn’t cry. He wiped his eye anyway as he walked to the kitchen to begin prepping dinner. He paused as he was chopping an onion and held the knife up, inspecting it. He rested the blade on his throat. Not to kill himself, just…to let the thought sink in.
Vox laid his hand flat on the counter and stabbed the knife through meat and bone until it wedged into the counter itself. Vox wiggled his hand, encouraging the blood seeping from the wound. When he finally pulled the blade out, he quickly covered his hand with a towel to keep the blood off the floor.
The bleeding stopped fairly quickly, but the wound would be visible for a few days. Alastor would punish him for hurting himself. He wouldn’t take Violet from him. He knew that if he did, Vox would find a way to kill himself for real.
No, Alastor’s punishments were more creative. Last time Vox broke his own finger—just to feel something—Alastor had locked him in the closet for an entire week. No food, no water, no stimulation. Just empty darkness for what felt like an eternity.
When Alastor returned with Violet, Vox had already set the table.
“Hi Violet. Did you have a good day?” he asked as he dished up three plates.
“Yeah! Daddy took me to see a shark!” Violet said cheerfully.
Vox dropped the glass of water he held and it shattered on the floor.
“He…he did?” Vox asked, shok.wav coming to mind immediately.
“Yeah, at the aquarium,” Violet said.
Vox tried to level his breathing. When he looked up, Alastor was staring at Vox’s hand and the bandage there with a thin smile. Vox put it behind his back, as if that would help the situation.
Violet walked over to Vox.
“Woah, hold on baby. I have to get this glass up,” Vox said.
He swept up the broken glass and gestured for Violet to sit.
“Alastor. I made stew,” Vox said to be civil.
“Splendid dear,” Alastor said with a dangerous tone that thankfully, Violet didn’t recognize.
Vox grimaced. He’d disobeyed Alastor, and now he would be punished.
But Vox will do it again. And again. And again, until Violet was old enough to live on without him. Then he would find a more permanent solution to his problems.
But, for now, he smiled for Violet and took small bites of his dinner.