Chapter Text
“It’s over.”
In all of his years working with his hot-blooded porn movie director, Vox had heard those words probably a million times. But this time, there was an edge to Valentino’s tone that sounded like something more than one of his diva tantrums.
Vox’s coup against the gates of Heaven had been a resounding failure. Currently, the Vees were in the lobby of their tower, behind the reception desk. Vox’s head was propped up against a computer screen, with Valentino leaning over him. Velvette sat on the chair, a little behind the moth, legs crossed as she furiously typed on her phone. As the most diligent worker of the trio, she was already working on damage control.
Vox looked at her for a moment, before he brought his attention back to Valentino.
“Alright, alright…” The glorified tablet conceded. “I know I lost my cool back there and you’re upset with me.”
“‘Upset’ doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Valentino’s eyes narrowed, as he straightened up. “I think we need a break, you and I.”
As those were also words Vox had heard many many times in his life, he did not take Valentino’s declaration seriously, as made evident by how his expression and tone barely changed.
“Alright, fine. I guess that’s fair enough. Whenever you’re ready to apologize, I’ll–”
“Apologize?!”
Outraged, Valentino brought a hand to his own heart, before he picked up the tablet. Velvette finally stopped aggressively typing. Instead, she started filming the exchange.
“If someone has to make amends here, it’s you!”
Vox audibly inhaled.
“You tore my head off. Literally.”
The front door opened, and Valentino immediately stopped staring at the screen to look at who it could be. He wasn’t surprised to find Angel Dust standing there, looking like someone had just run over his pet pig with a car. Valentino set the tablet down, beckoning Angel closer by moving one finger. With a shaky breath, hugging himself, the spider started walking towards his owner. Velvette was still filming, but Angel wasn’t worried about that. Actually, he preferred when she was here. Valentino tended to be nicer when she was around.
When Angel was close enough, Valentino grabbed him by one arm and pulled him to his chest, grinning.
“Amorcito… I knew you’d come back.”
As the moth started caressing his head, Angel shut his eyes. It looked like he was about to cry even more, but he managed not to. From where his head now rested, Vox cleared a throat he did not have anymore.
“Yes, yes, the team is all back together. Good job. Now what?”
Still holding one of Angel’s arms, Valentino glanced down at the tablet. Now with a mean little smile, he looked back at his employee.
“Angel, I want you to grab your suitcase and fill it with as much of your stuff as you can. We’re leaving.”
Angel did not even question it. He just nodded his head and went to the elevator. He was glad he would not be there for the next part, as Valentino and Vox were already engaging in a screaming match.
The doors of the elevator shut on the pornstar, and as he waited for it to reach the porn studio floor, Angel rested his back against the wall and buried his face in his hands.
What wouldn’t he give to get a do over?
Even if he had been an unwitting participant in this whole debacle, it was still his fault.
Why did he have to be so stupid, so naive to think he even had a shot at redemption? And now, how could they ever forgive him? Yes, Cherri and Husk came to help him, but even if they assured him he was instantly forgiven, he had still tried to choke his best friend…
And Husk…
Oh, Husk…
They were all safer without him.
The pornography department was empty. It usually only occurred when the extermination was happening, or on very special occasions, like tonight.
Just like Valentino had ordered, the spider went to his dressing room. He took a moment to wash his face and retouch his makeup, before he started packing.
His Overlord was a somewhat predictable creature. It wasn’t the first time he had asked the spider to grab his stuff because he was fighting with Vox, and as such, he expected they would be back in the V Tower in a few days.
As he stood at the vanity and put some of his makeup in a travel bag, he kept looking at a bottle of Love Potion. When he picked it up, it felt heavy in his hand. He kept telling himself he did not want to touch the stuff anymore, but… It sure made life with Valentino easier.
It was the last thing he put in his suitcase.
Once he was done, he went back to the elevator and pressed the button to the lobby. While he waited, he pulled out his phone by pure reflex.
Cherri had already sent him a bunch of messages.
Husk had not written anything, and Angel wasn’t sure if it would hurt more if he had.
The door opened, and Angel hastily put his phone down his bra. Valentino and Vox were still arguing, while Velvette was now holding the disgraced CEO’s head in her hands. The moth barely looked at Angel, but he snapped his fingers and pointed at the main exit.
As soon as the spider obeyed and the doors shut behind him, Valentino went back to the argument.
“The way you’ve been treating me in front of Alastor was fucking unacceptable,” Valentino was saying.
“Not again with Alastor! How many times do I have to say it? It’s over, I handled it!”
“Val’s got a point,” Velvette sat down in her chair again, spinning so that Valentino could lean over her shoulder if he so wished. “You were gonna destroy us all because of your issues with him! How can we guarantee you won’t do it again?”
“I don’t have a body anymore,” Vox laughed in disbelief. “Alright? Val?”
As Velvette rolled her eyes and looked elsewhere, clearly annoyed, Valentino leaned over her shoulder, crossing a pair of arms on her backrest. Once he saw his lover, Vox’s screen got a little brighter.
“Val, you know me. I know I’ve said and done some things, but so did you. Let’s kiss and make up.”
The moth blinked, before he raised his voice, unable to contain himself.
“You tried to kill us all!”
Even if it was only for a second, Vox emitted the tone of his hypnosis, as his eye shone in its now familiar manner.
“And you ripped my head off, you crazy fucking bitch!”
Eyes wide, Valentino remained still for a moment, just staring at the screen. He then took Vox from Velvette’s hand.
“How dare you try and hypnotize me?”
“Okay, Val, put me down–”
“You know what, Voxy?” Valentino spoke in his sugary sweet tone, joining his other pair of hands in a cutesy manner. “I’ve had enough.” He slammed the tablet down on the desk. “I quit.”
With a huff, Valentino spun around and started stomping down towards the entrance. Vox couldn’t stop himself from laughing.
“Oh no, Valentino, please don’t quit! What will I do without Hell’s biggest ho?”
“Fuck you!” the moth yelled over his shoulder. “With a fifteen inch dick, sideways, with spikes!”
“Are you serious right now?” Velvette called after the moth. She rolled her chair over to the desk and crossed her arms, looking down at the screen. “Do something, Vox!”
“I don’t have to do anything. He’ll be back before you even start missing him.”
Velvette looked as Valentino went through the automatic doors. She sounded a lot more curious than worried.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Let me tell you a little secret.”
Vox’s face disappeared, as a legal document appeared instead. The pages started scrolling down the obscenely long document.
“You know, that little NDA and non-compete clause you both agreed on?”
“Yeah, yeah, standard procedure, I know.”
She looked as Vox highlighted parts of a small subsection of the clause.
75. Non-disclosure agreement and Non-compete.
The employee will not disclose private information about the V Tower Studio and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to Voxtech, Voxtagram, Hellbook, etc.
For a period of one year, or 365 days, the employee will not work for any other studio.
75 a.
Should the employee cease their function as a board member of the V Tower Studio, whether through dismissal or resignation from the employee’s functions, they agree to the Non-disclosure agreement and Non-compete clause.
75 b.
In order to ensure the integrity of the V Tower intellectual property, the employee engages themself to forgetting everything related to the V Tower and its subsidiaries.
“Does that say what I think it says?”
Velvette read the legal jargon written there, with a little frown. She then sat back in her chair, resting her feet on the table.
“What do you mean, forget? Is there even anything worth remembering about his work here?”
“I mean it literally. As soon as Valentino is off the property of the V Tower, everything he knows will be wiped off from his memories.”
Vox’s face reappeared, and there was something cold and cruel in the way he smiled.
“You can think of it as him getting, quote-unquote, factory resetted. He’ll go back to a time before he ever worked for me.”
Velvette’s little disbelieving smile sort of faded away.
“Is that… Wait, is that even possible?”
“It is. And let this be a warning to you, my dear Velvette. If you walk out, the same will happen to you.”
This sounded insane. Velvette remained quiet for a moment, pondering the absurd story Vox had just told her. On one hand, it sounded like it was in the scope of Vox’s abilities, but at the same time, there was no way he could control someone else’s memory like this!
“Okay, let’s pretend for a moment I believe what you’re telling me…” She started walking towards the doors as well, with the intention of stopping Valentino. “What then?”
The television demon pulled out a drawing application and started crudely drawing Valentino and a literal bag of dicks.
“It’s not the first time Valentino has done that to me. Do you remember, about seven years ago, when he disappeared for about a month?”
Velvette slowly nodded her head.
“He wouldn’t tell us where he’d gone.”
“That’s because he couldn’t. He’s gonna go out there, do what he used to do before he met me, he’ll turn greedy and hungry, find his way back here, ask me for a job, and we’ll resume like nothing even happened. He gets all of his memories back.”
Velvette stepped outside with the tablet, and looked around for Valentino. The moth, typing something on his cellphone, was walking away with Angel. The social media demon did not follow him, nor did she even call to him, she was just staring, intrigued. At some point, she pulled out her phone and started recording.
When the moth stepped on the sidewalk, he took maybe two steps before he completely froze where he stood. From where she was, Velvette saw the way he dropped his phone as his eyes shone, forming the pattern of Vox’s hypnosis. The moth then shut his eyes and collapsed.
Mouth agape, Velvette lowered the phone, before she looked back at the tablet. Vox was grinning so much, his smile took more than half of his screen.
“If it makes you feel better, think of it this way; for a while there, we won’t have to deal with his temper tantrums!”
She did not seem convinced, and so Vox insisted.
“He’s on vacation, he’ll come back when he’s ready… Or when I say so.”
The way Vox said that last part made Velvette pull her head back, before she retreated inside the V Tower with the tablet.
“We need to have a little chat about your control issues…”
Valentino had not said anything to Angel. He had just walked past him, looking at his cellphone. The spider quietly followed after his Overlord, pulling his rolling luggage behind himself. When Valentino was angry like this, Angel knew better than to engage him in conversation, and so he just walked in silence.
As Valentino owned the Pleasure District, Angel occupied his mind by wondering where in the world the Overlord would choose to hide from Vox this time. The worst option for Angel would be a brothel, as he would be expected to stay inside and continually spread his legs. However, if it was an escort service, that would already be a lot more interesting, as he loved going on dates with wealthy guys. Then there was the possibility of ending up in a different porn studio, which would not change anything at all from his daily life. His favorite prospect was working clubs, as there was a possibility it would be elite enough, he would mainly pole dance and entertain. And if it was a mixed gender thing, he might even get to hangout with Cherri! … Although right now, a really fun prospect was tainted by what he had done to her. And before he could even think of a certain feline, he immediately thought about other possibilities.
But then, the moth just froze in his tracks, making Angel stop as well. Brows folded, the spider just stood there, unsure, before Valentino’s knees buckled and he fell on his back. With a gasp, Angel’s first reflex was to jump back, eyes wide. Unsure what to do, he looked around himself, before he looked towards the V Tower entrance. Velvette and Vox must have seen the whole thing, for Angel saw the woman walking away.
What kind of sick game was this?
Angel was tempted to just walk away, but he knew better than to do so. After all, this must have been some kind of messed up loyalty test, and if he failed, who knew what Valentino had in store for him?
And so, with one hand on his luggage, the spider stood next to Valentino and slowly crouched down, closely observing his face.
“Val…?”
He remained like this for a moment, before he looked at the moth’s phone. As his lower pair of hands came to rest on Valentino’s right side arms, he picked up the phone and looked at the many cracks in it. He pressed on the screen to survey the damage, but as he looked at the messed up display, he heard Valentino groan, making him jump and hastily hold the phone towards him.
“You dropped your phone, I wasn’t doin’ anythin’ with it!”
“Ohhh, my head is killing me…”
Valentino pushed himself up, eyes squinted. He looked down at the phone in his hand, not really understanding what he was looking at, before he started rummaging through his wings. He looked around himself, at the general destruction following that whole thing with Vox.
“Wow, I must have been partying way harder than I thought, what the fuck is–” He found what he was looking for and pulled out his wallet. For a moment, he looked a little confused, but he opened it and instantly found a piece of ID, cards, and cash. “Oh. Okay.” He then looked up at Angel.
Still crouching next to him, Angel just looked at him, curious yet concerned.
“You collapsed, I don’t know what happened. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah…”
The moth came to a stand, doing a gesture that was equal parts dusting and smoothing his wings. In doing so, he saw the damage to them, making him open wide eyes. He spread them and flapped them a little, before he sighed. He then pulled a little on his dress before he smiled at the spider.
“My wings are messed up, but I still have all my limbs and my wallet. What else could you ask for?” He chuckled, while Angel just stared. “And you? You alright?”
It had been so long since Valentino had asked Angel about his well-being, the spider wasn’t sure what to answer. Also, why in the literal Hell would he even think asking was appropriate? Of course he wasn’t okay.
What little fragile safety he had built in the last few months had been ripped apart by the moth and his goddamn boss.
But Angel just nodded, with a non committal sound.
Valentino nodded and spun around, walking in the opposite direction he had first taken, at a confident pace.
Inhaling deeply, the spider remained at a safe distance while he followed after him.
Valentino was already in a much better mood, it seemed, as he nodded in a friendly manner at whoever greeted him. Most people, however, left them alone, as Valentino’s reputation preceded him, and people knew better than to bother an Overlord like this. When he wasn’t paying attention to the people around them, Valentino kept looking thoughtfully at the half-demolished buildings around the area and people who seemed like they had nowhere to go.
After a little while, as they were in the Pleasure District, Valentino walked down a small, discreet alley between a club and a brothel. As Angel followed him, he wasn’t all that concerned, but he assumed Valentino must have been really eager to stay away from Vox, for both places employed only women. Maybe he intended to hide in a business where Angel would not be put to work.
Interesting choice.
When Angel turned the corner to the alley, Valentino was nowhere in sight. The spider hesitated for maybe a second, before he slowly resumed on his way. Either Valentino had come out on the other side, or he took one of the side doors leading to one of the establishments.
He was about halfway through when he heard the familiar click of Valentino’s lighter, making him stop and immediately tense up. It was followed by the moth’s exhale.
When Angel looked back at him, he found the moth had been hiding in the shadows of an emergency staircase. Behind the red smoke, he was not smiling anymore.
Assuming Valentino would soon use his Overlord privileges and forcefully pull him in close, Angel took a few steps towards the moth, hoping to at least make it less painful. But to his surprise, Valentino pulled one of his pistols out and pointed it at the spider. Angel froze, eyes wide, immediately raising all hands.
“Val, please–”
“Why are you following me?”
“I’m sorry. Just tell me where to go, and I’ll stop!”
Valentino’s eyes narrowed, as he lowered his gun a little, finger still on the trigger.
“What are you talking about?”
The spider took a careful step back from Valentino, legs bumping against his luggage.
“You don’t know where we’re goin’?”
“‘We’?” Valentino repeated. “I know where I’m going. As for you…”
“Please don’t be like this.”
Valentino remained quiet for a moment, just watching this pretty little thing. He looked at his torn clothes, shorts that might as well have been underwear with a matching bra, with a fur jacket. He looked like he had been chewed up and spat out, and from where he stood, the moth could smell his bad choices.
“What’s your name?” Valentino ended up asking.
Unsure where Valentino was going with this, Angel at least managed to fully calm down before he answered.
“Angel Dust.”
“And who do you work for?”
The spider repressed a sigh. Instead, he managed a smile that covered the cynicism well enough.
“I work for you, Mr. Valentino.”
The moth raised a brow, before he finally put his weapon away. He then stepped closer to Angel, leaning down to better look at him.
“You are pretty, in a vulgar way.”
He then straightened up and smoked his cigarette, thoughtful, before he exhaled softly.
“I’m gonna be really honest with you. I barely remember last night. I don’t remember this dress…” He pulled on his skirt. “I don’t know what happened to my wings…” He looked pointedly at a hole at the level of his thigh. “And I don’t remember you.”
As Angel’s eyes shifted to the side, uneasy, Valentino gestured for him to come along, as he resumed his walk.
“Quentin wants me to show you the ropes, huh?”
Still very confused, Angel followed, but this time he walked next to him.
“Quent–?”
It was as he said it that the spider suddenly realized what this was. Usually, he liked being warned before he would be tested on his roleplay skills, but he could roll with it. After all, this wasn’t the first time Valentino acted out a scenario for a future movie with him, and it was much easier to play along to that. He definitely knew how to play the ingénue to Valentino’s experienced courtesan. He was mostly surprised that Valentino still had enough energy to run through a scenario right now.
In the time it took him to inhale, and despite how exhausted he felt, he got into the proper headspace.
“See, I knew I ain’t that forgettable!” He stood up straighter, in a way that brought attention to his chest fluff, his strut a lot more confident. “Yeah, Quentin wants me to learn from the best, and I know there’s no one better than you.”
Pleased with such praise, Valentino chuckled as he went back on the street.
“I was headed home, but let’s do a hotel instead. This is where you’ll do a large part of your business.”
“I’ll go wherever you want me to go.”
Valentino stopped on a corner, and looked thoughtfully at a building that had been demolished earlier. The moth then looked at the spider.
“I’ll admit I sometimes enjoy the good stuff a little too much, but what happened here?”
“Well, let’s see…” Angel crossed a pair of arms as he stood next to the moth. “A huge megalomaniac bastard lost his everlovin’ mind in a ploy to take over Heaven. He almost destroyed Pentagram City fighting off an old rival.”
The Overlord remained quiet for a moment, looking down at the spider. He ended up continuing on his way, very casually.
“I wish I had been there to see it. So, what’s in your suitcase?”
“Just the essentials. A couple outfits, perfume, makeup, and… A vial of Love Potion.”
Angel was getting really tired of Valentino’s shit, yet he powered through. At least, for the time being, it appeared the moth was happy with his performance, as he was rather pleasant so far.
“Did you have to evacuate?” the moth asked.
“Yeah. At least, I think so. Why are you askin’ me all this?”
The moth laughed, putting a playful hand on Angel’s shoulder, not really noticing the way he flinched a little.
“I’m just making conversation. But I understand if you don’t wanna talk. It sounds like you had a very long day.”
“Yeah. I’m lookin’ forward to the hotel.”
The spider remained quiet for a while, and Valentino, as promised, did not push for more conversation.
The pair eventually reached a very nice love hotel in the Pleasure District, that had thankfully been mostly spared by the blast. Once Valentino went inside, he gave a look around the lobby, before he whistled admiratively.
“They renovated the place! And really fast at that, I was just here last week.”
While the moth wasn’t looking, Angel rolled his eyes, while they both went to the counter. Valentino pressed on the little bell for service and waited for a few seconds, before he leaned over the desk and gave a look around. He rang it once more, before he hummed in thought.
Perplexed, Angel jumped over the counter and opened the ledger.
As Valentino owned pretty much everything in this part of Hell, he was used to taking certain liberties. He picked an empty suite on the last floor, before he signed his name in the book. He then handed it over to the moth, so that he would also sign. Once Valentino did, Angel found the appropriate key and came back on the right side of the counter, with Valentino chuckling.
“I like your style, Angel Dust.”
He winked, before he followed the spider to the elevator. Even if they had not seen anyone so far in the hotel, Valentino waited until they were locked in the elevator before he spoke up once more.
“Are there things that are off limits to you?”
Angel answered almost automatically, as if he was listing the specs of a cheap printer.
“No. You can do whatever you want. Oral, anal, roleplay, BDSM… I don’t kiss on the mouth and I’d prefer you wearin’ a condom, but for you, I’ll make an exception.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m a firm believer in safe sex.” The moth’s smile turned a little mischievous. “Unless we get to know each other a little better and, in a moment of weakness, we both agree to it.”
Angel looked at the numerical display. He was starting to feel a little weirded out by what Valentino was doing, and he couldn’t wait for it to be all over.
“You gotta pay extra if you don’t wanna wear a condom. My pimp insists on it.”
“I gotcha.”
Thankfully, the elevator ride was short enough.
Their room was a rather fancy suite, with a gorgeous view of the city. Very at ease, the spider made his way between the deep red walls, towards the bedroom area. Valentino followed, a bit slower, taking the place in. Once he got to the bedroom, he watched as Angel put his suitcase on top of a dresser. The spider opened it and pulled out the vial of Love Potion, setting it aside.
Rather curious, Valentino came to stand next to him and pulled out a tight, hot pink dress with tantalizing cutouts. The moth once again looked at the spider, sizing him up.
“Okay, first of all, you look like a streetwalker. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you look like you’re gonna stab a guy and steal his wallet. I’d like you to clean up, put this dress on, and then we’ll go from there.”
As this was a love hotel, there was a bath in a corner of the room. Angel might have been allowed to go in the private shower, but he assumed it was what Valentino wanted. As he made his way to the large, oval shaped bath, he let the fur coat fall to the floor. He unhooked his bra and pulled his shorts down, before he looked over at the moth over his shoulder, with an inviting smile.
“Will you be joinin’ me?”
The moth was admiring the view, and the ease with which the spider was undressing, not shy at all about getting nude.
“You’re making it hard to resist…”
Angel leaned over and turned on the faucet. As it was filling up, he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne, as well as two glasses.
Finally something to look forward to. He just wished he could be enjoying this drink with someone else.
As the moth watched him, leaning on the dresser, Angel popped the bottle open and poured the glasses. He pulled the vial of Love Potion to himself, looking at Valentino out of the corner of his eyes. He poured a few drops in his champagne, and it immediately turned pink while the heart shaped smoke appeared right above it.
The spider handed the other glass to Valentino. He clinked it with it, and took a generous gulp of it.
Love Potion was fast acting, and while Angel waited for its full effects, he set what was left of his spiked champagne down, before he came even closer to Valentino. So close, in fact, he could feel the warmth of his body radiating from him.
With a vulgar bite of the lips, Angel looked in Valentino’s eyes, as one pair of arms reached around him to slowly undo the zipper of his dress, while his other hands worked on the belt. Once he could, he carefully pulled down on the moth’s dress, making sure to caress his sides as he did so. He pointedly looked down at the moth’s bulge, before he looked back in his eyes.
“Keep going,” the moth’s smile was hungry. “You’re doing great.”
Very gentle, as he lowered his gaze, Angel hooked his fingers in the sides of Valentino’s skimpy underwear, pulling it down.
Even if he had seen that thing a million times before, Angel kept looking at Valentino’s manhood in admiration.
But he focused on what was left of Valentino’s attire. When his hands went down to his thighs, Valentino understood what he was doing, for he sat on top of the dresser, daintily holding out his legs.
Angel crouched between his boots, as he undid them as well. He expertly pulled them off, in a very rehearsed motion.
By this point, the Love Potion was in full effect, as made obvious by the way all his fears and worries completely disappeared, as he pinched fingers on the fishnets and slowly pulled them off, other hands running against his skin.
It allowed Angel not to flinch when Valentino approached his hands.
Once the moth was completely nude, Angel stood once more, leaning over to grab his drink. Staring deep in his eyes, he finished what was left of it. Valentino was observing him closely, but it appeared he was mostly happy with the performance, as when Angel pulled on the neck fluff to get him to stand up, he made no effort to resist.
Grinning, Angel walked backwards with him, until he was close enough to the bath. There, he hesitated a little, something Valentino noticed. But Angel seductively bent down to pull off his boots. He stepped in the bath and pulled Valentino with him, before he sat down with him. He pressed his back against the moth’s chest, wrapping himself in his four arms.
“You were right, Val… I do belong with you,” Angel spoke in a soft voice.
Valentino reached over for the washcloth and the soap, making sure his wings never touched the water. He poured the nice scented soap on it and started cleaning his lover, starting with his back. Not really expecting that, Angel leaned forwards, giving him full access, as he kept talking.
“I don’t know why I thought I could be something better than a whore, when I’m clearly made for this.”
The moth’s hand moved to Angel’s chest, and the spider sighed in relief, resting his back against him.
“I’m made for you.”
The washcloth started moving towards his legs, and Angel made it easier by turning around and kneeling in front of Valentino. The moth wasn’t even looking in his eyes. Instead, even if he had no pupils, Angel could tell he was admiring his shape.
“I won’t run away again. I’m yours to do with as you please.”
Lips parted, his hands resting on Valentino’s chest, he drew closer to the moth’s face. But to his relative surprise, Valentino turned his head away from him. The moth brought fingers to Angel’s lips and pushed him back a little, gentle but firm, clicking his tongue in a disappointed manner.
“No kissing,” he reminded the spider.
“Ah, yeah…” Angel smiled a little sheepishly.
He was distracted by Valentino daring to clean between his legs. For some reason, the way Valentino was acting made the gesture weirdly intimate, even if he must have been touched there by every queer man in Hell.
Once he was clean, he went to pick up a different washcloth to groom the moth, but Valentino stopped him. Apparently, such a service cost extra.
And so Angel went to the other washroom, where he dried himself off, prepared himself for anal sex, and squeezed himself in his outfit. He was sure he looked his best when he went back to the main area. Music was playing, and the spider found his boss laying in bed, very casual. A pair of arms was crossed behind his head, legs crossed as well as he playfully swung a foot in the air. Under the yellowish lights of the heart shaped headboard, he looked rather nice, the spider thought.
Valentino whistled admiratively, as Angel made his way to the pole.
“I wanna dance for you.”
Valentino’s grin widened, and Angel assumed this was permission, and so he started working.
Even when he was under the influence of Love Potion, Angel needed to be in the proper headspace. He worked a lot better when he pretended he wasn’t alone with a customer, and especially if that customer happened to be his pimp.
Instead, in his mind, he pictured the fancier clubs he went to, where yes, people were there for the sexual fantasy he provided them with, but it wasn’t expected they would sleep with him. And in those fantasies, he usually found himself thinking of a world before Valentino infected him with his poison.
But more recently, when he performed, Angel had started thinking of a much different man, as he crouched in front of the pole, climbed it, licked it, and ran his hands over his own body.
Angel knew Husk did not like him to be that vulgar, but he liked pretending the feline was there, looking at him, admiring the skill behind the peddling of flesh.
It had been so fun, that night in the casino, and he knew Husk had enjoyed his performance. Maybe it had not been enough for the ex-Overlord to want him, but… At least, while Husk believed Angel to be a woman, there had been clear attraction there.
Oh well…
Angel was content with his fantasies.
When the song ended, Angel looked at his pimp; Valentino, seemingly pleased with the performance, beckoned him closer with a finger. With a hungry smile, the spider crawled over to the bed, where he wedged his hands between the moth’s legs and firmly opened them. Valentino emitted a soft, lustful sound.
“Talk to me, like you did in the bath,” the moth demanded. “I loved it.”
Angel grinned at him, biting his lip in a playful manner. He then trailed kisses up Valentino’s inner thigh, slowly approaching his manhood.
“While I was gone,” he breathed against the lavender skin, “I never stopped thinkin’ ‘bout you.”
He ran his tongue against Valentino’s erection, before he pulled a condom out from his chest fluff. He ripped the packaging open with his teeth, the motion somewhat playful in its vulgarity.
“No one over there made me feel like you do, and no one pleased me like I know you will…”
He put the condom in his mouth, skillfully unrolling it on Valentino’s dick. Once this was done, he teased and played with it, while his hands caressed the moth’s legs and his sides. As for Valentino himself, his lower pair of hands came to rest on Angel’s head, as he threw his head back, sighing in pleasure.
“I wanna be yours,” Angel ran gentle fingers up Valentino’s length, teasing the tip. “Fuck me, Val. Do with me as you please.”
Valentino was patient, but he was getting frustrated, as made obvious by the way he straightened up and grabbed onto Angel’s sides and shoulders. He flipped him over, getting him to lie on his back, with his head thrown over the edge of the bed. He shut his eyes, as Valentino pinned him to the mattress and hitched his skirt up, his too long tongue wandering his body, from between his legs to his hips, up his stomach, his sides, his neck, ear, cheek.
Angel wrapped his arms around him.
“Take me. Take me now. Fuck me.”
Angel’s voice was pleading, but sultry, as he felt Valentino slide into him.
He held him. Moaned, demanded more. Faster, slower, yes, yes right there. His body was well trained, he knew what to say, what noises to make, what to do, how to squeeze, smile, give bedroom eyes, arch his back, claw at Valentino’s back.
Love Potion made everything tolerable, it allowed him to cope, yet his mind was miles away. There was nothing going on inside his head, just a dark void where his independent thoughts used to be.
As usual, his body betrayed him, he panted like a bitch and he saw the gleam in Valentino’s eyes, sullied by a pleasure he did not have the luxury to fake.
“Take me, I’m yours. I belong to you. Wherever I am, whatever I do, I’ll always end up comin’ back to you. You’re the only man who fully accepts me for who I am.”
More booze. More Love Potion. Angel let himself be fucked as much as Valentino wanted.
Eventually, he would pass out from exhaustion.
As long as Valentino did not wake him up, he didn’t care what he did while he was unconscious.
When Valentino woke up the next morning, he started his day by making sure he still had his belongings. It did not take long, as all he had was the brick his cellphone had become, a pair of pistols and his wallet. All his money was still there and, curiously enough, when he put his glasses on, he found Angel’s suitcase was still on the dresser.
The moth wrapped himself in his wings before he went to the washroom to clean up.
Usually, he did not sleep with people like he had the previous night, but…
That little spider had been so eager, so enticing, and he made Valentino feel so damn good, he had been unable to resist him and his appetite.
Once he was clean and ready for the day, Valentino went to the other area of the hotel suite; where he found his lovely new coworker; Angel was sprawled across the couch, on his phone, and he was dressed a lot less like a prostitute. He actually wore a surprisingly conservative turtleneck over lovely tight shorts. The television was on, and a news anchor was reporting on the events from the previous night.
With Valentino in his line of sight, Angel put his phone down and looked at him, remaining quiet for the time being.
“I’m surprised you’re still here,” Valentino mentioned, as he took a seat as well.
“Yeah…” Angel straightened up to leave the moth with as much space as possible. “So uh… It was fun, what we did. I’m sure the movie will be great.”
There was something in Angel’s tone that to Valentino sounded like he was asking for something. But Valentino just cleaned his glasses with a nearby handkerchief.
“What movie?”
“Uh… Well, I thought you were testin’ out a scenario with me. I thought I did good.”
Valentino remained quiet for a moment, as he put his glasses back on.
“You were great. I don’t even know why Quentin would want you shadowing me…”
“Oh!”
It was way too early for that, and he was too sober for it, yet it sounded like they were still roleplaying. Assuming Valentino was going for some sort of a trilogy kind of deal, he leaned towards him with a little smile. After all, Valentino took his work very seriously, and so when he adopted a role, he followed it to the letter. And this role wasn’t too displeasing.
“Alright, so… What are we doin’ today? You tested my bedroom skills, do you want to see how I behave in front of a crowd?”
Instead of answering, the moth reached for the remote and turned on the volume for the news.
Katie Killjoy was talking about the events of the previous night, while skillfully avoiding talking about a certain screen headed demon. She spoke a bit about the future of the Vees and about the idea that apparently, redemption was a possibility.
After a moment, Valentino turned the television off. There was a strange look in his eyes, and it did nothing to make the spider at ease. He just sat there, quietly, eyes wide and mouth agape.
Unsure what to do, Angel just stared at him, until he got so uncomfortable, he slowly stood up and quietly made his way to the bedroom, where he started putting his things away in the suitcase. He was almost done when he heard Valentino’s steps, making him go still and listen intently. The front door opened and closed, making Angel hastily make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything, before he shut the suitcase and hurried after Valentino.
“Val, where are you goin’?” The spider asked, trotting after his owner through the hallway.
“I think I’m losing my fucking mind…”
Valentino grumbled, as he pressed the button for the elevator.
Angel followed after Valentino.
Right now, the moth was unpleasant but generally ignoring him, as he decisively walked all over the district.
His first stop was a brothel that had been destroyed last night, but even then, as he looked at it, he seemed very confused. Angel stood there with the moth, looking at the few male prostitutes around, who seemed equally confused about losing their place of employment. Some of them also seemed to wonder why Valentino was there.
The moth found a payphone, which, in and of itself, was not out of the ordinary, as his phone was busted, but Angel wondered why his Overlord did not demand to use his. After all, Valentino being who he was, he had full access to his spider’s socials and devices. Yet when Angel offered his phone, the moth had just stared blankly at it.
Whoever he called, their line had been disconnected.
The pair continued on their way to a nice residential area, on the outskirts of the Pleasure District.
Once again, Valentino stood in front of a destroyed building, quietly staring at the missing top floors. His spider, who had been running all over with him while dragging his suitcase along, took this opportunity to sit down on it and rest his legs.
“What’s that place?” Angel asked.
Valentino sighed and picked a stray newspaper up from the ground. He looked at the headline and the date, before he faced Angel and pointed at the building.
“That’s where I live.”
Angel looked at the building again, with a little frown.
“Why didn’t you ever bring me here?”
“Angel…”
The moth did something the spider had not seen in a very long time. He slowly crouched down in front of him, hands resting on the luggage, next to Angel’s legs. The spider uneasily squeezed his thighs together, staring back in those blank red eyes.
“Something’s wrong. I know this is gonna sound insane, but do you think it’s in any way possible that I’ve been in a coma for the last thirty years?”
This was the very last thing Angel expected to hear, and so he pulled his head back a little.
“What?”
“It’s like I went to sleep in 1997, and I just woke up.”
Angel remained quiet for a moment, just staring at his boss with wide eyes. But eventually, he took a deep breath, making sure to speak as carefully as possible.
“Okay, Val, I’m all for time travel scenarios and amnesia tropes or whatever you’re tryin’ to do, but don’t you think people are gonna get a little confused? I mean, it’s a lot to ask of guys who just wanna jerk off.”
Valentino’s expression turned to a glare as he stood up, and immediately, Angel flinched, raising his arms in defense.
“What are you talking about?” Clearly aggravated, Valentino started pacing in front of Angel, aggressively moving his hands around. “What the fuck is going on? They’re talking about lasers, redemption and shit on the news! My workplace is gone, my home is gone, I don’t understand shit!” He stopped pacing and pointed an accusatory finger at Angel. “And you… You’re clearly lying to me. I’ve seen your face on billboards and adverts, where MINE used to be. You don’t need my help, you’re not a new hire, I bet you don’t even know who Quentin is.”
Angel was getting scared. Either Valentino’s actor skills had reached a new summit, or he had hit his head really hard when he fell down. The spider couldn’t stop himself from giving a cursory glance around himself, half expecting to see cameras somewhere.
It would be embarrassing, but he might as well play along to Valentino’s little game. Then they’d laugh, Valentino would call him names, and they would go back to their shitty little life together.
“You’re right. I don’t know.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s not like I can reach him.” Valentino scoffed and cursed in Spanish under his breath. “Who… Who are you to me? You keep following me around like some kinda lapdog.”
“Maybe I’m just the first sex worker you laid eyes on. Maybe I saw a man lying down on a sidewalk and I wanted to steal his wallet. But then I took pity and decided to help instead.”
“Is that it?” Valentino looked disgusted, as he seized up the spider. “You just didn’t have the guts to steal from me?”
“I could’ve.” Angel stood back up and stretched his legs. “Or maybe, yeah, you have some sort of amnesia, and I follow you around because I remember you from the old days.”
“So you do know me.”
“Yeah.”
“Personally.”
“If I didn’t know you, I would’ve asked you to pay yesterday.”
“And do we have a good relationship?”
Angel wasn’t sure why he played along. It might have been the stupidest thing he ever heard, but Valentino was never committed to a role for more than the length of an actual movie, unless he was trying to trap his next victim. But there was no one like that here, and yet Valentino had been at it for literal hours already.
And honestly, it was nice not to endure his violence for a while.
“I’m here, ain’t I?”
Valentino sagely nodded his head at that. It appeared he was satisfied with the answer, for he managed a smile.
“So in that case, where do you work, and are they hiring?”
The pair was getting hungry, and while Valentino was struggling with an ATM, Angel stood next to him, lower pair of arms crossed and looking at his phone. As Valentino was distracted, Angel saw Cherri had not sent any new messages since last night, and there was nothing from Husk. With a sigh, he went to check up on his official Voxtagram, but to his surprise, his account was blocked.
He went to check the V Tower employee portal, but it was blocked as well. With a frown, he took a few steps away from Valentino and called the main desk.
“V Tower, how may I help you?” the lady on the other end of the line asked.
“Hi, this is Angel Dust. I’d like to know why my access to the platform was revoked.”
“May I have your employee number?”
Angel threw his head back with a groan.
“Come on, Janice, you know me.”
“Employee number please.”
Angel looked back at Valentino, who was kicking the ATM. He then looked ahead again at the other end of the street.
“Six nine. Six nine. Six nine. Zero.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, while the woman clacked away on her keyboard.
“You’ve been fired.”
Angel opened wide eyes and, eager for more privacy, he turned to the nearest alley, between two apartment buildings.
“What the fuck are you talkin’ about?” he hissed.
“Valentino quit his functions, and as he owns your soul and he left the premises with his property, you don’t work here anymore.”
Brows folded, Angel nervously wriggled a pair of hands.
“But… I-I don’t–”
“If Valentino comes back to the tower, your employment can resume. Don’t forget you have a non-compete clause, and as such, you’re not allowed to work in a different studio–”
“Wait a goddamn minute–!”
“In the meantime, we will continue releasing new material starring your likeness, as per the regular schedule. Did that answer all of your questions?”
“No!” the spider practically yelled, now fuming. “My contract with the V Tower is supposed to be independent from–”
“Wonderful! Thank you for your call, and have a nice day.”
The line disconnected, and Angel’s first reflex was to try and call again, but as he was about to press the button, he changed his mind. With a sigh, he put the device away before he left the alley to go back to Valentino.
By now, there was a bit of a line behind the moth, as well as people curiously watching from a distance, as the Overlord got more and more aggravated. He was currently loudly pressing on buttons, and it appeared he was about to punch the damn screen. As soon as he caught sight of Angel, he faced him instead.
“The fucking thing tells me I have money, but it won’t give it to me.”
By this point, Angel did not really care that the moth might feel humiliated by what he had to say, and so he did not even bother lowering his voice.
“I ain’t an expert or nothin’, but maybe it’s ‘cause you’re tryin’ to use your business account.”
Valentino pressed on the button to eject the card, squinting his eyes at it. He then put it back in his wallet.
“But it’s the only card I have.”
There was coldness to Angel’s voice, as he crossed a pair of arms with a mean little smile.
“Shoulda thought of that before you quit.”
Hearing that, the handful of bystanders immediately reacted. Some of them exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves. Some people were already filming, as the pair were celebrities, but now, they were really invested.
Valentino briefly looked at them over his shoulder, frowning, before he looked back at the spider.
“Quit what?”
With an eyeroll, Angel spun around and started walking away. He knew it was a question of time before he would be punished for his attitude, but by this point, he had enough of that game. Yet to his surprise, instead of an authoritative voice calling after him like a warning, or the heaviness of the chains around his neck, Valentino’s light steps followed after him and a hand came to rest on his shoulder. Valentino spun him around, facing him.
“I don’t understand, Quentin would never let me–”
“It’s not funny anymore!” Angel hissed through clenched teeth. “They fired me too, and unless you get your job back–”
“I’m trying but they’re not picking my calls.” He paused and tilted his head. “But I must have quit for a reason.”
“Okay.” Angel threw his hands up, defeated, and resumed his walk. “That’s it. Until you solve that whole thing, I’m goin’ back to the Hazbin Hotel. Call me when you need my ass.”
“The what Hotel?” Valentino called after him, raising a brow.