Chapter Text
There were times when Vox thought he had hit rock bottom before.
When he was in grade school and his bitch of cousin showed that stupid photo of him in a dress to everyone. When his dad found the letter he had written to another boy a few years later. When he couldn’t get hired as anything more than a weatherman after fifty auditions. When the television set fell on his head to send him to hell and curse him with his form forever.
Now that he thought about it he had hit rock bottom a lot in his life. Maybe he was a fool for thinking his afterlife would be better.
Vox sits on the doorstep of Alastor’s apartment as he smokes. He’s wearing the blue plaid dress with a cardigan over it as earlier. It’s hard to even feel shame over his attire when he’s so damn tired.
He hears the door open up behind him and turns expecting to see the deer. Instead Ella Mae is standing there watching him from the doorway.
“Ella, come Tuesday Lede is having me sell him every soul contract I own. Including yours.” Vox tells her.
The young girl pales at that as her eyes widen. Who knows what the orca will do to her once he has her under his control. Might even lock her up forever in a dark room to make sure she keeps her mouth shut.
As Vox sits, he summons her contract out of thin air and looks over it. At the bottom her name is signed in neat cursive in blue ink. The television sighs as he remembers how easy it was to get her to sign her freedom away. The promise of fame, love, and adoration was simply too much to refuse.
The TV demon takes the contract and rips it in half as the magic binding her is shredded.
“Can’t have you tell him anything you overheard while you were here.” Vox tells her as he smokes.
Ella stares at him in shock. The girl reaches around her neck to feel for a collar and chain that no longer exists.
“Now get out of here. I never want to see your face again.” Vox says to her as he looks away.
She continues to just stand in the doorway staring at him stupidly.
“Mr. Vox…” Ella mutters still dumbfounded.
“I said get the hell out of here before I zap the shit out of you.” Vox sneers at her.
Realizing he is not bluffing and has no reason to keep her in one piece anymore, the girl quickly goes back inside to retrieve the few things she brought with her. Once Ella comes back she walks past him without another word and heads off down the street.
Vox sits as he watches her go. There wasn’t really much she could have told Lede that the orca wouldn’t already know. But at least she was one thing Vox could deny him. Let the bastard live in fear that she was still out there holding his secrets.
“You freed her.” Alastor states from behind him.
The deer demon is in the doorway watching Vox with a curious look.
“Alastor, I need to tell you something and you’re going to hate me for it.” Vox says as he puts out his cigarette.
Vox watches as Alastor takes a seat next to him on the doorstep.
“You’ll never know I will unless you say it.” The deer tells him.
“I-I’m…” Vox starts.
The other man says nothing and waits for him to go on.
“I’m attracted to both women… and men. I have been my whole life.” Vox finally spits out.
Alastor’s eyes widen in surprise at it and Vix internally flinches but knows he has to keep going.
“I know. It’s not what you would expect of a man like me. I tried to suppress it but some things just can’t be cured-”
Alastor coughs lightly to cut Vox off in his speech.
“I apologize for my reaction, Vox. It was quite rude of me. But…”
Vox waits for the other sinner to say it.
“You are attracted to women?”
. . .
Vox looks at Alastor in confusion before it turns to indignation.
“Of course, I’m attracted to women!” Vox yells at him.
“Well you never shown it in all the time we’ve spent together. Can you blame me for being surprised?” Alastor responds.
Vox hadn’t shown an interest in women around Alastor because from the moment he laid eyes on the Radio Demon they never wandered elsewhere.
“Wait Al, there’s more.” Vox sighs. “This is what you’re going to hate me for and I can’t blame you.”
Alastor looks at him intently.
“I’m in love with y-”
“I’m aware.”
Vox jolts as he looks at the other in surprise.
“You don’t exactly hide it, Vincent. Really, I’ve seen schoolgirls more subtle than you.” Alastor says as he rolls his eyes.
“You don’t hate me for it?” Vox asks him weakly.
“Of course I don’t. There are much better reasons to hate someone for than infatuation. I simply cannot feel the same way-”
“Because I’m a man.” Vox finishes the sentence.
Alastor rolls his eyes dramatically once again.
“It has nothing to do with the fact you’re male. I don’t feel that way for anyone, Vox.” Alastor says with a cough.
“I don’t understand.” Vox mumbles.
Because Vox really doesn’t.
“Vox. Never once in my life have I ever wanted to kiss a man, woman, anyone at all.” Alastor says softly.
“What about Mimzy?” Vox asks.
“Mimzy is a dear acquaintance of mine and nothing more. Exactly the same as yourself.” Alastor explains to him.
“So there was never a chance for me.” Vox says disappointed as his antenna droop.
“There was never a chance for anyone, Vox. I simply am not wired the way most people are.” Alastor sighs.
Vox sits there dejected as he realizes with a crushing blow that the person he loved most in both his life and afterlife will never return his infatuation.
Yet at the same time it feels as if a heavy weight has been lifted off his chest.
“I’m not that obvious…” Vox mutters in irritation.
There is a cough interrupting their moment and Vox whips his head around.
Ella, that stupid girl, is standing there on the street watching the two of them.
“Mr. Vox.” She says.
Oh Vox is going to tear her limb from fucking limb.
“I thought I told you-”
Before he can finish his sentence Ella is running over and shoving an envelope into his hands. After doing so the girl is turning away and leaving Alastor’s apartment behind fast. It isn’t long before she’s out of sight down an alleyway
Vox sits there stunned for a second before he opens up the envelop to see a stack of photographs.
Inside are photos of Lede engaging in one of the most humiliating unsavory activities that he’s ever seen. He needs windex to wash out his entire screen to feel clean again after seeing them.
“Holy shit.” Vox says as he looks them over.
Alastor is looking over his shoulder at the pictures as well.
“I wish I could say depravity of those with carnal desires ceased to surprise me anymore but this is… something else indeed.” The deer says with an unpleasant expression on his face.
Vox turns back to look at the other sinner.
“Alastor about what you said-”
Alastor shushes him with a finger to his mouth.
“We can have that conversation later. I believe you have more pressing concerns at the moment.” The deer demon tells him.
Vox nods before he rises and dusts his skirt off. Then the man heads back into the apartment straight for Alastor’s bedroom. He picks up the red telephone off the floor and dials a number into it.
Vox waits with the receiver as it rings.
“Pride Ring Today’s offices.”
“Put Lede on the phone. Tell him Vox would like to speak with him.” The TV demon demands.
Vox doesn’t have to wait long for the call to go through.
“If you’re going to beg me not to publish the story-” Lede starts to speak.
“I’m inviting both you and Loretta to my studio tomorrow for a live interview. Have her bring her special microphone and you can interrogate me however you like.” Vox tells him.
There is a pause on the other end.
“Whatever trick you’re trying to pull is going to end in failure again.” Lede says.
“Then be there at 5:00 pm sharp to prove it.” Vox suggests.
“Very well. But remember you are the one that asked for this, Vincent.”
Vox listens as Lede hangs up on the other end.
He smiles to himself as he thinks about what he should wear tomorrow.