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pinned
Vox could hear Velvette crying from her room. It wasn’t as far away here as it had been in their tower. It echoed in his head, reminding him he should go to her. But he lay with Valentino and couldn’t make himself rise out of bed to go to her.
“Bastardo. Go to her.”
“I will.”¹⁰ Vox had no plans on moving there quickly though. He felt far too lethargic for that. Val’s wings had wrapped around him—so Val couldn’t want him to leave quickly either.
It wasn’t like Val could get up and go to her either. Maybe he would bring them both the same place later, but sometimes Vox wanted to spend some time alone with Val. The change in their situation and the loss of their tower didn’t alter that in the slightest. Val’s wings were still as soft as ever. He pressed the edges against his screen and inhaled, for his sense of smell was relegated to his mouth. No nose and his antennae weren’t like Val’s…
The taste was dizzying, which wasn’t any good. Vox was the only mobile one of the three of them at the moment. He would help the two get back on their feet as soon as he could, but he had to keep himself in order first. Which meant he shouldn’t keep doing this if it made him woozy. But there was the slight taste of cherry, like Val’s favourite smokes, and it calmed Vox like anything. Grounded him like nothing else did these days. Vox didn’t want the other two to know how shaky he felt when they were both bedridden and he was the only one who could move between them.
“Now, papi. Or I’ll be cross.”
“Cross and do what?”¹⁰ Vox kissed over the fine scales. He would have to take Val to the bath soon enough and carefully return the shine to these wings. He ran his claws carefully from the edges to where they would connect to Val’s back and stopped.
“You’re such an ass.”
“Yours.”¹⁰
Val’s laugh was far too light for him to really be mad. Vox kissed Val a few more times before carefully gathering him into his arms. Val was so much lighter these days. Vox needed to fix that. It was far too reminiscent of when he had first met Val. Skin and bones, because De’Andre hadn’t wanted him to become too strong. Because De’Andre’s taste in his women was skeletal and he did the same to the men in his employ too. Vox had worked so hard to get Val to a healthy weight. He would have to do it all over again too.
There is no doing this again.²
He’ll be just fine, just fine, just fine…⁴
Take care of them. That’s all. Take care of them.¹²
He walked them out of that room and into the next, where Velvette lay. She was probably still mad at him, because he hadn’t managed to grab any of her wigs. He hadn’t managed to grab any right legs either, and the only right arm he’d salvaged had an odd colouration which Vox hadn’t known how to fix. Velvette was too mad to tell him.
She can’t stay mad forever.⁷
He wrapped Val’s wings around Velvette’s parts so they could commiserate together and sat on the edge of Velvette’s bed. For some reason, both were silent now. He reached for Val’s hand, but there wasn’t one there. He took Velvette’s instead, but she didn’t squeeze back.
Of course she wouldn’t. She was mad at him.
Of course he couldn’t find Val’s hands, they weren’t here.²
pined
The tower. His tower.
If Vox had never shared the tower with Valentino, he could have had a leg to stand on in saying Angel Dust didn’t belong there. Could have forced the stupid spider to be anywhere else but here, making sure Val spent less time with him, and maybe keeping Angel from being so important to him. Such an interest to him. When Val was angry, he would go on and on about how mediocre Angel Dust was, so why did he keep bringing him back to bed?
The only person who was in Val’s bed as often was Vox. They were best friends, of course, and had similar tastes in sex. What did that mean for Angel?
Nothing good. It hurt to think about. He needed it to stop before it strangled him, or maybe he could just die because Val didn’t want him in the same way as he wanted Val.⁵ He needed the spider out of their lives. If only he didn’t keep ending up useful in one way or another. To distract Val, to get information, to make money… Angel Dust was it.
To want the most. Vox gripped himself and rocked back and forth within the recesses of his mind so as not to show any of it on the outside. On the outside, it didn’t matter. No screams or fury or sobs would let out. Only what he wanted people to see.
And Val obviously wanted him to see how he caressed Angel’s face, considering the angle he had placed himself and Angel toward the main camera in the room. Talking about some sort of public affair where people would see the two together. Not Valentino and Vox.
Vox rubbed the non-existent bridge of his nose. It was a habit he had never kicked, despite his face being flat for so long.
We need to work.⁴
As true as that was, Vox could not concentrate. How could he work when Val called him out like this, when Val obviously wanted him to come in and ruin his moment, when Val wanted to be mad at him? Val would be angry if Vox didn’t interrupt as well, so there was no avoiding it. But, this way, Vox had the higher ground. He would not interrupt.
Not even as Angel climbed onto Val’s lap and let Val fuck him. Bitch. He acted like he didn’t want to be here, but then he was crawling all over Val before Val even drugged him.
Vox didn’t watch.
Vox watched.∞
His desk had gouges in it from when he wasn’t typing away on his projected keyboard. Val had left Angel Dust behind, sashaying through the penthouse as if he hadn’t done anything wrong. Except he had. He knew he had. Pink smoke streamed past his teeth from the frustration that Vox hadn’t interrupted him. It was because of that, wasn’t it? Val wouldn’t have done it like that if he wasn’t thinking of Vox the whole time.
Vox electroported. Through the wires and out into the hallway in front of Val. Perhaps he should have thought of what to say beforehand, but he had acted before thinking. Fortunately, he could think fast.
Val narrowed his eyes, unimpressed.
“Val.”¹
“What do you want, Vox?”
He wanted Val, of course. To plead that he stop doing this to him, tell him that he loved him, that he would do anything Val wanted.⁵ “Just… checking in. You know.”¹
Val sneered and tried to walk past him. Vox snatched one of his wrists and was relieved when Val didn’t immediately pull away.
“I could tell what you were doing,” Vox said more sharply than he had intended. “I want you to stop that.”¹
Val didn’t even feign being coy. “Stop what?”
“You know what.”¹
“Just because you can see me everywhere doesn’t mean I can’t do whatever I want, you know.”
Vox inhaled sharply before plastering a smile on his face. “Of course, baby! That’s why I’m asking you.”¹
“Asking?” Val raised an eyebrow. “I want, hm? Didn’t sound like a question.”
“I was letting you know how I feel.”¹ That was one of those big in things, wasn’t it? I-statements? Velvette had said something about it.
“That’s not the same thing, sweetie.” Val leered at him and slowly pulled his hand away. Vox only held on harder. When Val yanked back, it brought Vox into Val’s chest. Perhaps he could have held his ground, but this way he could point out that Val was the reason Vox “pushed” Val into the wall. Their nails grazed each other as Vox yanked Val down by the ruff and kissed him. There was the hint of Angel there and Vox swore he would chase it away.
Val’s wings spread and Vox pressed them against the wall with his cords as if he might pin him to the wall. Val’s growl had approval as he lifted Vox from the ground, Vox’s ass in his hands, and pulled them groin to groin. Val was as hard as he was. And it didn’t take long for Val to have his skirt up and his panties down to press one of his dicks against the cleft of Vox’s ass.
Vox moaned and the flash in Val’s eyes was softer than their actions. He ground against Vox without actually penetrating him and Vox kissed him back to stop himself from seeing those eyes. All he needed to know was they were on him.
They undulated against the wall—Vox having him affixed to the surface even as Val manhandled him. Val let go in a way he never would with another being. Only with Vox.
Mine mine mine mine mine.⁷
Love you love you love you love you.⁵
Love me love me love me.∞
This solved nothing. Not fucking Val or being fucked by Val. Perhaps it expressed the words he couldn’t say, but not in a way Valentino could understand.
But when Vox laid under Val in the middle of the hallway afterward, with Val purring on top of him and kissing his neck, he didn’t care anymore. As long as he always had this, he would be fine.
He shut the others up. Mute. Separate. Consolidate. Delete. Rewrite. Until he was alone and his mind was silent.¹
pinned
It didn’t matter that they had lost everything. Vox was a master of building himself up from nothing. He had done it more than once. Perhaps Val and Velvette hadn’t had to do this, but that was why he was here: to lead them to victory even from the jaws of defeat.
Val draped over his back as Vox spread Velvette’s body out on the table in front of him.
“She would hate knowing you are touching her like this.”
“That’s why she’s asleep,”⁷ Vox muttered. Velvette had given him permission anyway. She might hate it, but she was sensible enough to know this was needed. It wasn’t like her having to deal with some lesser person touching her bare parts. It was just Vox.
She couldn’t mind too much. He was being respectful. This was for her sake, after all. All for her.
The injuries had kept her from holding her pieces together as she naturally did. This arm should have pressed into the socket at her shoulder and then connected. Vox’s body worked similarly in certain ways. But for some reason it wouldn’t stay. Vox would have to rig something to keep it there until Velvette healed enough for it to stay without external assistance.
Vox wasn’t about to make a bunch of slings and casts. Velvette would murder him with a look. Vox would actually die if she looked at him like that. Let alone what Val would say if he thought whatever Vox did looked bad—even before Velvette woke up.
Val’s wings ghosted at Vox’s heels and he shifted to make sure none of Val would drag on the ground. He was still light enough Vox could carry him on his back while they did this.
“You could make it look really cool. With all sorts of swirls.”
“It needs to be functional first!”⁷ Who would be seeing them anyway? Not for a while. Velvette wouldn’t want to be seen as anything less than complete, so no one would see her with however Vox’s solution looked. And, when she had healed, she could make it look better. She would have the energy and ability for them to work on it together.
Val was so warm around him. It was good, considering how cool he had been lately. Val had always run hot, which had made the summers unbearable when the idiot wanted to cuddle and Vox was trying to expel heat through his vents. But Val wasn’t nearly as warm as he should have been. Still, he was warm to Vox.
Humming against his back, Val was quiet for a little while as Vox bent the wires around Velvette’s forearm. They were flat and thin, but firm enough that when he wrapped the other side under Velvette’s opposite arm it would hold her arm there. He attached the rest of the harness. Hopefully it was comfortable. Well, it would be uncomfortable, but hopefully not to the point where Velvette demanded it taken off.
“This could totally be made into a fashion statement.”
“Yeah, yeah. I heard you.”⁷
Vox wanted Val to kiss the back of his head. Waited for it. Val was keeping him in suspense (as he had a lot recently), and Vox tried not to beg. He was supposed to focus on Velvette anyway. Not on Val pressing against his back.
Not about ripping off his clothes so Val would be touching his skin instead of his clothes so he could bury his flesh into Val’s wings and devour and be devoured. He wanted.⁶
There was the gouge in Velvette’s chest from a near fatal blow. The epoxy salve usually worked fast, but this had crumbled away. Vox wiped it up and opened a new canister. He filled in the emptiness. Eventually it would stick, it would become a part of her body, and the healing would commence. All Vox had to do was continue to take care of her. His Velvette. Valentino’s babydoll.
When he had finished for the time being, he reluctantly let Val lie next to Velvette. A wing covered her nakedness as Vox went through the clothes of hers he had salvaged to bring them out for Velvette to decide between. His sense of style was never something she agreed with, but he tried. He tried. Just as he was with Val.
The two slept together. He sat next to them and pet Val’s wing.
“Val…”¹⁰
No. He should let them rest. Resting against each other, warmer than Vox felt right now. If he didn’t move, he might never move again and rust against the wall. In this small place he had carved out for them. If only they still had the tower.
He wanted to take Val’s hand, but Vox couldn’t budge. Maybe he was tired of Vox touching him all the time. Maybe he hated Vox because he relied on him so much. It had been so long since Val had last been so weak, had needed Vox to raise him up. They were all supposed to be equals.
What if they both hated them.
Vox shook. Val and Velvette did not rouse to reassure him. It was fine.
Of wasn’t. It never would be again. There was nothing to protect.²
pined
Val always felt amazing. Inside or outside, Vox loved him.
I love you, he wanted to say, needed to say, but was forced to keep silent.⁵
Val clung to him like Vox was the only object keeping him grounded in reality. His squeaks were soft, his insides soft and welcoming, as he pulsed around Vox with the perfect rhythm. An even better rhythm than Vox could even pump himself into him. It made him crave to stay inside and not move, but his body craved more than his mind did, and Val needed to be taken care of.
“I’ll take care of you, baby,”¹ Vox whispered as he hitched Val’s ass higher and thrust faster.
Val took such control in every other encounter. It was only with Vox that he let himself completely loose. Vox was certain. After all, anyone else might try something. Val trusted him implicitly. As Vox did.
Then why can’t I tell him?⁵
I can’t drive him away.⁴
Val rubbed circles at the base of Vox’s nape. Vox dove in to grab Val’s nipple chain and tug. Val whimpered, tongue lolling from his mouth, as he smiled the most pleased smile he had all weak. Which said a lot, considering Val loved to look smug around most people.
With a lick, Vox sent a small jolt through the gold. Val squeak and moaned with utter wantonness. His thighs squeezed Vox so hard he might actually develop a soreness from them. With his wires, Vox pulled Val’s legs further up so he could hit the spot most other people couldn’t find. The few Val would let fuck into him, anyway.
“Yes! Fuck, Voxxie! Right there!”
Vox shocked him again and Val clenched so hard that Vox had to come. He took a split second to consider pulling out and covering Val like mayo on a hamburger (Val used the birthday cake metaphor and Vox didn’t think it was as applicable), but he couldn’t help himself. His favourite thing was to come inside and remain embedded for as long as possible.
So he did, digging his claws into the meat of Val’s ass to pull him in and give Val more twinges of pain. Another tug of his chain and Val was the one to cover the both of them in his release. Small squeaks of contentment unconsciously escaped him as he rode out his orgasm and Vox did the same with small motions of his hips.
Letting go of the chain, Vox licked Val’s right pectoral and then left a bite mark. He hadn’t broken the skin this time, but Velvette had a photoshoot for Val tomorrow. Val always had healed fast, but in case any marks would take longer than twenty four hours to fade completely, Vox would avoid both of their ire. This time.
Val purred. A hand played over Vox’s antennae, from tip to base, and Vox shuddered in response.
“You’re definitely my favourite.” Val smiled as if he had no care in the world.
I love you.⁵
“We’ve been fucking for several decades.” Vox laughed. “I’d better be your favourite.”¹
“I’ve trained you well.”
Vox feigned a scowl, but kissed those words from Val’s mouth. Val hummed into his mouth, a vibration through his chest and into Vox’s, before engulfing Vox in his wings.
Only them. Vox and Val. Val and Vox.
pining, pinned
Vox woke with that dream in mind. How long ago was that? He wanted Val. To be in him, for Val to be in him, it didn’t matter. Vox needed him so badly.
He reached. Val didn’t rouse, still asleep. Of course, because he needed more rest to recover, so Vox shouldn’t rouse him just for this. Not that Val would be upset if Vox used him in his sleep—so often had he basically demanded Vox do it to him or that he be allowed to enter Vox’s room while Vox slept and do whatever he’d like.
For some reason, Vox’s limbs felt like lead. Still, he pushed himself up and pressed his face into Val. He inhaled and kicked off his boxers. It took too long, too much shuffling to get it off his ankles, before he ground against him. Press into his softness. Maybe Val wasn’t as tight as he usually was, but it didn’t matter. Vox liked him in every way. Being loose was just another fun way to take him in. Maybe Val had done this on purpose, because it was rare for them.
He licked Val’s scales as everything shifted underneath him. Vox took himself in hand, stroking the base of his dick as he rubbed his tip into Val.
“Ah… mi amor, let me help you.”
The hand around him tightened. Claws tickled his balls, before pressing more firmly into them and pushing them against Vox’s taint. Panting, Vox licked Val as he thrust into his fist, Val taking his tip as he always did. It wasn’t the smoothest of all handjobs, but it had been a while since they had been at the top of their game.
It didn’t matter if they were or not. This was good. Any sex with Val was good.¹⁰
“Here. Wrap this around you.”
Vox took the edge of Val’s wing and covered his side with it. It made it hard for him to release the hot air from his vents, but it made things as hot between them as it should have been. Temperature-wise. His hips angled further down until the only part underside of his cock which wasn’t rubbing against Val was encase in a hand.
Swallowing back his saliva, Vox kissed over Val again. A slight twist in the wrist and he came all over Val’s wings.
“There we go. Satisfied? Give me another kiss.”
“You make it sound like I’m desperate,”¹⁰ Vox whined as he kissed Val. He would have to help Val clean up, but that wasn’t a problem. He loved bathing Val and now he had an excuse to do it all the time as opposed to reasons which kept him away from it.
“Aren’t you? You are always so desperate for me.”
“Am not.”¹⁰
“No?”
“I’m just…”⁵
…in love with you. But should he say it now that Val couldn’t leave him?⁵
Vox sat on the edge of the bath. It was such a small basin, but somehow Val fit. Vox took great care in removing his cum from Val’s scales and fur, to make sure it wouldn’t flake too much.
“You take care of me so well.”
He sat on the edge of the bath. It was such a small basin, but Val’s wings fit. Vox took great care in removing his cum from Val’s scales and fur, because there was no growing any of it back.
“I love you, Vox.”
Vox stared into the bubble bath. The wings floated in the warm water, slowly taking in water and sinking in. Only a few scales had rubbed off on the brush he used. Vox’s fans spun, but he still couldn’t breathe.
Vox sat on the edge of the bath.
“I love you, Val.”⁵
“I love you so much.”¹⁰
“You’re here. Here. You’re here. Here with me. Here. Here.”⁷
His vision became staticky. He wasn’t crying, but it was hard to see. Vox had to be careful with Val’s wings, they were so important to him, they were… they were… they were…
All we have left.²
pinned to the floor
Vox was not the only one here. Other vultures had come to see what they could find in the rubble. Vox might have lost so much, but he still had his power. Electricity to make the carrion scream and cords to throw them away from his things.
Val’s things. Velvette’s things.
“Ugh. Disgusting.” Velvette sounded normal. No one would know she was a head, torso, and single arm. Sandwiched between him and Val, no one would see her.
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll handle it.”¹⁰ He should have had people to do this for him, but at the same time Vox didn’t want anyone else picking through the debris like this. Didn’t want anyone seeing this. As if it were possible to hide such a large wreckage from the eyes of the public. Bile rose in his throat, but Vox swallowed it back.
Velvette’s hand rested on his shoulder and Val’s wings wrapped over his left side. He found twisted metal which no longer had Val’s prescription in them and left them be. Val couldn’t see to worry too much about it and Velvette wouldn’t comment on it.
“We’ll worry about them, Vox. I want to break them apart.”
Vox forced a chuckle. “Well, Val, you get to wait for a bit. You’ll have plenty of chances to rip them to shreds later.”¹⁰
Moving around pieces of the building was tiring, but he had to. Not as much, because he was looking for things from the penthouse, but enough. Vox had to be glad for that. He knew how many corpses would be under it all. And while most of those didn’t mean anything, his sharks would be under there.
Shok.wav would be under there.²
There would be no point in doing this if he was alone.
He was alone.²
“Over there, V! No one could’ve opened up that trunk yet!”
Yes, Velvette’s outfits. They could make do with those and adjust them for both Val and Velvette. Vox broke it open and shoved concrete away to get the lid open. Perfect clothes for his perfect Vees. Velvette made a sound as Vox jammed them into a bag, but there was no way he could carry them all perfectly laid out or folded or whatever.
“Vox?”
The voice was familiar. Too familiar. Bile burned at the back of Vox’s mouth as he wondered whether he should ignore him or not, but Val already had made a comment.
“Looks who’s come crawling back.”
“He isn’t the one crawling!” Velvette snapped at him. “Ignore him, Vox.”
“No! Get him to help! If he’s here, he should be helping me!”
Even in this state, Val wanted Angel. Vox could do everything, give him everything, and it was never enough. He would never be good enough.
Vox straightened his back and turned. Angel Dust was covered in some grime, but he’d obviously been doing searching of his own. Whether around the tower or elsewhere in the Entertainment District after their fall, who knew.
The look in his eyes was one Vox wanted to burn off his face.
“Don’t you dare hurt him, cabrón,” Val growled.
Vox sighed. “What do you want, Angel? Haven’t you and your people done enough?”¹⁰
Angel huffed. “Look who’s…” He trailed off before finishing and the expression on his face became unbearable. What was it? What was that? Vox couldn’t figure out what it was, what it meant, but he hated it. He wanted to hurt him.⁷ Vox shifted the other two behind him so Angel couldn’t look at them.
“Get out of here.”¹⁰
“I still hate you, you know.” Angel took a step closer. “I always hated you the most. But… I can’t stand seein’ you like this either.”
Vox laughed. “Seeing me like what?”⁷
“Just leave him!” Velvette snapped.
Val wouldn’t have it. “Don’t you fucking dare!”
Angel took a deep breath. “Broken.”
Broken. Broken? Was that the look in his eyes? He thought Vox was broken?
“And I’m… You keep coming out here and talkin’ to yerself. The Hotel’s open. Even for you. Charlie would say so.”
Vox could taste blood. He meant to say something, but instead he was on top of him. Angel’s hands came up, four hands he didn’t need four hands⁶ scratching back, but even broken Vox was stronger. He forced Angel to his back and pinned him.
“Don’t you dare break my things, Vox!”
“Vox, just ignore him! He’s not our problem anymore!”
“I’m going to kill him!”⁷ Vox wanted to scream, but the words came out in a gasping exhale.
Angel managed to strike him once in the corner of the screen before Vox had that hand secured again. “They’re dead, Vox! Val’s dead! Stop talking to him, he’s not there!”
Claws around throat. Tighten, tighten. Feel the blood, hear the gasps, vibrations of struggling lessening and lessening. Heartbeat pattering under his chest. Tears streaming down the sides of his head. Tears dropping down on Angel’s face from above.
Why was Val silent? He should have been screaming his head off about Vox attacking his precious Angel Dust. So why was he saying nothing?
Vox let go and Angel began coughing as he desperately took in air. Vox turned. The other two weren’t where he had left them next to that chest. He got to his feet, stumbled, then crawled up to there. Wrapped a red cloak around him.
“Val? Velvette?”⁷
The only sound was of Angel breathing and getting to his feet.
“Val… I was just making him shut up!” Vox laughed nervously. “I wouldn’t kill him without your permission! You know that!”⁷
Had they gone home without him? They were home. This mess was his home. Velvette must have convinced Val to take her to where they were staying now. Vox picked up the spare parts he had gathered for her and the clothes. They would forgive him. Angel wasn’t important.
“You know I didn’t mean it Val!”⁷
Angel said something, voice rasping and weak, but Vox ignored him. His very tone hurt Vox’s head.
Angel said the truth and they couldn’t take it.²
pining for an answer which will never come
Val’s wings did not taste like Val anymore. The red was dim and the fluff at the edges ragged from how much had fallen out. Perhaps they would have lasted longer if he had pinned them to the wall, but Vox had hardly gone a moment without touching them. They were clean and wet. Vox almost wrung them out, but a scale stuck to his hand when he squeezed and he couldn’t hold it too tightly. If he did, they would tear and he wouldn’t have him anymore. He didn’t have Val anymore.
Vox stumbled to Velvette’s room. Her spare parts were held together by wire and the glass eyes were nothing more than glass. Open and unblinking. Had they been like this the entire time? Val’s wings left a wet smear over the ground.
He would never have any more of either than he had at this moment. Pieces left behind with every movement and fragments he couldn’t pick up left on the floor.
“The Vees are eternal, aren’t we, mi luz?”
Vox gasped for breath. It was too dark and he couldn’t see. He staggered, but didn’t make it to Velvette’s bed before he dropped to his knees and knocked over his instruments. Pliers and epoxy and metal scattered everywhere. His scalpel near his hand.
“We are,”¹⁰ Vox agreed.
This isn’t Val speaking.²
I know.¹⁰
“If the Vees are eternal, does that mean you’ll finally admit you want to be mine, papi? Forever?”
Val’s wings remained plastered to his arms. Vox picked up the scalpel and considered forever. Forever with Val was all he had ever wanted, wasn’t it? For a very long time…
“Forever, Val. Forever.”∞
He brought the scalpel to his throat.