Correcting mistakes
Vox was in the room he and Valentino shared, and at that moment, the room was completely empty. So Vox took advantage of the moment to look at the old photograph, torn in half, that he kept. The photograph that had been taken when he and Alastor had been friends in the past. ("There are no friends here")
Vox could still remember those words as clearly as the day they shattered him. He would never say it, but he couldn't stop wondering what had gone wrong. Why did Alastor have to be even more prideful than he had been? Back then, he had trusted Alastor, he had shown himself to be vulnerable, and it had all ended in a cruel rejection.
The worst part was that even now, when he thought he felt nothing more, he still longed for that friendship. He hadn't even been able to hold onto Alastor forever. It didn't matter what he'd said at the party; it had all been to impress his old friend. In the end, he couldn't even do that; he'd almost endangered Velvette and Valentino. Had he really been so blinded by power? Apparently so. Now his team was angry, and Vox didn't know if they would ever forgive him.
Not knowing that felt worse than having regenerated from the neck down. In the solitude of his room, Vox allowed himself to break down his superficial confidence and cry silently. He was terrified of being alone again. All because he'd been too blind to see how much he'd been pushing them away.
Valentino was passing by at that moment and witnessed much of his friend's introspection. It was true that both he and Velvette were upset with Vox, but they had already been through something similar days before and had moved past it. It wouldn't be any different now, but apparently his partner didn't think so. After all, if it weren't fear of losing them, then why would Vox be crying?
Entering quietly, Valentino approached his partner and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Vox… are you okay?" he asked in a softer voice than usual.
Recognizing the voice, Vox quickly composed himself and returned to his usual self-assured demeanor. "Of course, Val. It was just a glitch I needed to eliminate."
Valentino sat down beside him; the answer hadn't convinced him. He just needed to see the photo the tech demon still held in his hands and see the hidden pain in his boyfriend's eyes.
"Don't lie to me, darling. I know when you're not okay."
Vox looked away, berating himself for thinking no one would come in. Sometimes it was really annoying that he and the Vees knew each other too well. Because that meant they could never hide anything from the other two.
"You don't have to pretend with me, you know that," Valentino assured him, using a more persuasive tone. "Especially if it's about what happened yesterday"
"I messed up. I wanted to surpass Al more than anything. And I thought I really wanted it—and look how it ended. Now I've lost everything, and I… I don't want history to repeat itself. I'm sure you don't believe me anymore. Yesterday I was a—" He couldn't finish the sentence, but it was clear what he wanted to say.
Valentino moved to face Vox, forcing him to look directly at him. "Vox, you know Alastor doesn't change. It's not worth clinging to that idea. I won't lie to you, you went way too far. But are you like this because of what happened at the end? Are you afraid of losing us because of this?"
"I—I already lost a friend before."
"Please, Vox. It takes more than that to push me or Velvette away. Our connection is stronger than a few delusions of power."
It was terrifying not being the voice of reason for once, and frankly, it was a little strange to hear Valentino make a point when it came to thinking rationally.
"Since when are you the mature one of the two?!"
"Ever since you started acting like you were desperate for Alastor's attention, someone had to stop you, Querido."
Vox chuckled, finding the situation rather comical despite the initial nostalgia.
"Funny, because usually I'm the one who has to stop you."
The taller Overlord couldn't help but laugh too, though he then feigned indignation and offense.
"Yeah, yeah, very funny. But seriously, Vox. No more colossal plans that blind you, the last one almost turned you into something you're not." His tone turned serious again as his hand began to play with Vox's shirt neck. "You have Velvette and me, that should be enough."
Vox couldn't take it anymore and suddenly lunged forward, hugging his teammate more tightly than necessary. "I'm sorry, Val. I didn't mean for all this to happen."
Valentino hugged him back just as tightly; it was all over now. "I know, and after a short punishment for leaving us out, I'll forgive you."
A wave of nervousness washed over the TV Overlord, because although his partner's touch was quite tender, they both knew perfectly well where those words led when one of them crossed the line, even by Hell's standards.
"Come on, Val. I know that look, it's not necessary." I tried to reason with him.
Valentino, however, ignored any protest or reasoning as he moved closer, continuing to stroke his partner's neck.
"Not necessary what? You know how this works." One of his hands began to slide down to Vox's upper ribs, tracing lazy circles there.
The media demon began to tremble and tried his hardest not to laugh at his taller partner's extremely light touch.
Of course, Valentino only slightly increased the pressure of his fingers, knowing exactly how to tickle his boyfriend.
"What's up, Vox? I thought you liked it when we played like this." His smile widened as he continued to tease him.
"Valentino, I'm serious. If you even think about—"
His partner wasn't surprised. Instead, he started tickling his sides without warning, his fingers moving quickly, faster with each passing second.
"Oh, but I am! You need to remember that we are a team, Voxy. And if you don't do it willingly… you know what happens."
The tickling was so intense that it made Vox fall backward, laughing and trying to push away the moth demon's four arms.
"I'm understand now-hahahaha, really!"
The movie Overlord smiled triumphantly, alternating between the upper and lower ribs of the TV Overlord. Having four arms gave Valentio a considerable advantage, because while he used two to tickle him mercilessly, he used the other two to keep Vox immobilized.
"You don't sound very convinced, it seems you're just trying to stop me. And besides, I love seeing you so vulnerable," Val stated, positioning himself on top of his boyfriend, taking advantage of his dominant position to continue teasing him.
Vox, on the other hand, tried to summon cables that could pull Valentino away, but the laughter and tickling prevented him from concentrating enough. Well, it wasn't like he was really trying.
"You're- hahahaha impossible!"
Valentino watched with amusement as Vox tried to use his wires, but he didn't give him time to execute that defense. Instead, he intensified the tickling, moving his fingers even faster and more effectively. His laughter mingled with the other Overlord's as he watched him struggle to regain control.
"Of course I am, but you love it."
Valentino laughed even harder at his denial, clearly enjoying the situation. His fingers found their way to the technopath demon's abdomen and began circling it, provoking an even more intense wave of laughter.
"Of course- hahaha not!"
"Then why do you allow it? You could stop me if you really wanted to," Valentino asked mockingly.
Seeing that his powers were in vain, Vox tried to use his arms to partially protect his abdomen from his partner's tickling.
"Val, when- hahaha I get out of- hahaha this!" he declared, laughing.
Valentino saw Vox trying to use his wires, but didn't give him time to mount his defense. Instead, he intensified the tickling, moving his fingers even faster and more effectively. Soon, his laughter mingled with Vox's.
"You're not exactly in a position to talk to me like that, Voxxy. If I were you, I'd watch my words. Besides, you look adorable when you laugh like that."
His fingers now moved to a new spot on Vox's abdomen, beginning to tickle him there, provoking an even more intense wave of laughter.
"Hahahaha- Shut up!" He tried to sound serious, using his arms to partially shield his abdomen from his partner's tickling.
"Why should I? I'm enjoying this moment too much." Valentino watched as Vox tried to cover himself, finding the scene even funnier. Watching his friend with amusement, the moth demon used two of his hands to grab Vox's arms, pulling them away so he could continue playing.
"This- hahahaha- is't not fair!"
"Hell is never fair, Voxxy. You need to learn that your actions have consequences, Querido. It's for your own good."
"Ahahaha!- Mine or yours?!- Hahaha no!" Vox asked, laughing.
Valentino paused for a moment, pretending to consider the question. His hands were still on Vox's abdomen, ready to resume tickling at any moment.
"I guess a little of both. But mostly mine. I need to see you completely disarmed and vulnerable."
With that said, the tickling resumed, this time targeting Vox's ribs. It made him burst into hysterical laughter as he tried to get up, but having a taller companion didn't help.
"Val- hahahahaha you're tickling me-!"
"Of course I am, that's the point." He continued tickling, switching between his upper and lower ribs to keep Vox in a state of uncontrollable laughter. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Can't you use your powers to save yourself?"
"Hahahahaha- You're doing this- hahahahah on purpose!" he exclaimed, giggling.
"Of course I'm doing this on purpose. I want you to completely forget about Alastor and focus on me." Then he increased the intensity of the tickling, knowing Vox was reaching his limit.
"Okahay, okahay- hahahahaha- time off, Val!"
"Hmm… I don't know. Should I? You seem to still have the energy to keep laughing." Valentino commented, pausing briefly, only to resume tickling him again.
"Vahahahal!"
"What's wrong, Voxxy? Can't you form any more words?" His voice was playful and teasing.
"Wait- hahahaha not so fast!"
Valentino laughed triumphantly, increasing the speed of his fingers even more, enjoying the sound of his boyfriend's laughter.
"Oh, too fast for you?" he teased. "You know I can do this all day if I want."
After what seemed like an hour of laughter and brief pauses, Valentino finally stopped for good, letting Vox cool down.
"You went a little overboard."
Valentino accepted it as a compliment as he lay down next to Vox, not letting go completely. "I know, I know. But you know it did you good to de-stress a little."
"Don't start," Vox replied, looking at his boyfriend with amusement.
"I'm just stating the truth. You look much more relaxed and adorable now than you did earlier."
Vox's face turned a light blue, but he quickly wiped it away. "Yeah, I guess I needed it."
