Chapter Text
Vox woke up with his screen fuzzing as he blinked blearily up at the unfamiliar ceiling that was painted red as if someone had splattered blood on it.
He squinted at it. Who the fuck painted a ceiling red?
“You’re awake,” Alastor’s voice came from beside him and was brittle—strained with an emotion Vox couldn’t recognize.
Vox sat up and turned to face Alastor, who had his usual smile plastered on his face despite the current situation and felt his blood sizzle. “Why the fuck do you care?” How the fuck could he still smile?
Alastor’s brow furrowed, smile remaining intact. “Why wouldn’t I care?” He asked. “I love—”
“—You don’t fucking love someone you don’t trust!” Vox snapped. “Or even fucking care about them!”
Alastor flinched as if struck. “I’m sor—”
“Sorry?” Vox scoffed bitterly. “For what?” He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Alastor. “For not trusting me or for treating me like fucking trash?”
Alastor looked down and away, smile wavering. “For everything,” he said. “I’m sorry for everything.”
Vox scowled. “I don’t forgive you,” he told him. “So, just lea—”
“—Don’t.” Alastor glanced back at Vox but with tears glistening in his eyes and his ears drooping. “Don’t tell me to leave you.”
Vox frowned, shaking his head. “I can’t do this an—”
“—P-Please…” Alastor pleaded, voice cracking as he reached out and pulled Vox into his lap, arms wrapping around him. “…Please, let me stay with you.”
He couldn’t live without Vox. Alastor needed Vox like air to breathe.
Vox swallowed hard, anger being snuffed out and heart wrenching as he put his own arms around Alastor. “Al—”
“—I love you.” Alastor lifted his head, tears streaming down as his lips quivered and his grip on Vox tightened.“So, don’t leave me.”
Vox cupped Alastor’s face and gently thumbed away the tears. “Why?” Why was Alastor acting like it had been Vox who had left him for seven years?
Why did he look so devastated?
“Because…” Alastor leaned into Vox’s touch. “…I-I…” he made a pained expression, putting his hand over Vox’s hand. “I can’t lose you again.”
“What do you mean?” Vox questioned.
“I…” Alastor hesitated, clenching his jaw. “...I don’t know where to begin.”
Vox’s heart clenched. “You don’t—”
“I have to,” Alastor decided. “I need you to know that I trust you.”
“Okay.” Vox nodded, not pulling away.
“I…” Alastor took a deep pained breath and closed his eyes briefly before opening them again and staring into the distance as he began to tell Vox everything that had transpired in the future. And when he was finished, Alastor was choking back a sob. “I-I couldn’t handle losing you.”
“I…” Vox shuddered, screen flickering and throat tightening as tears stung his eyes. “I-I’m sorry. I—”
“—You’re alive.” Alastor leaned in and kissed Vox and said against his lips. That’s all that matters to me.”
“I-I love you too.” Vox’s voice cracked as he kissed Alastor back. “I never stopped.”
“I know, mon cher.” Alastor had always known. And that was what had made everything in the future so painful—knowing that despite everything, Vox had still loved him and let it destroy him. “ And I will always love you.” And this time, he wasn’t going to let it happen again.
…
They ended up moving onto the bed—lying on it with their limbs tangled together as they listened to each other breathe in silence. A silence that was broken by Alastor speaking: “I want you to stop seeing Valentino.” He had never gotten to tell Vox how much he had hated seeing Vox with someone that hadn’t been him.
“Okay,” Vox agreed, not questioning why.
Alastor smiled and pressed a kiss to Vox’s screen. “Good.”
He was never letting go of Vox again.