The Radio Demon

repost of a meme by moonpiehelps: mentions of panic attacks , vomiting , trauma , self harm , and distressing situations . Feel free to adjust as needed ! ♡ 

( 𝐑𝐔𝐁 ) ; one muse rubs the other’s back to comfort them while in a moment of distress.

( 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓 ) ; one muse grabs a bucket for the other who’s about to throw up. 

( 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 ) ; our muses share a bed so the other doesn’t have to be alone. 

( 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 ) ; one muse calls the other a term of endearment to comfort them. 

( 𝐇𝐔𝐆 ) ; one muse holds the other close while they open up / cry.

( 𝐀𝐈𝐃 ) ; one muse runs to the others aid after they were violently hurt. 

( 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 ) ; one muse calls sender late at night in tears and the other comes over to comfort them. 

( 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 ) ; one muse reaches out to the other after they’ve withdrawn from everyone. 

( 𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂 ) ; one muse discovers the other during a panic attack. 

( 𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 ) ; one muse takes care of the other while they’re sick.

( 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 ) ; one muse holds the other’s hand while they’re in pain or panicking. 

( 𝐂𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄 ) ; one muse offers to cuddle with the other to help them sleep.

( 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄 ) ; one muse opens up to the other about a traumatic experience. 

( 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄 ) ; one muse guides the other through a breathing technique.

( 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 ) ; one muse comes to the other with an injury they’ve been trying to hide that’s beginning to worry them.

( 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒 ) ; one muse gently kisses the other while they’re crying.

( 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄 ) ; one muse helps the other into a bath/shower after a traumatic event. or they bathe together.

( 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐁 ) ; our muses instinctively grab each other while they’re scared.

( 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 ) ; one muse gives the other a shoulder rub.

( 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 ) ; one muse wipes blood off of the other.

( 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐓 ) ; one muse shows up at the other’s doorstep in tears.

( 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 ) ; one muse has been missing and finally shows up, dirty and traumatized. the other helps clean them up and tries to get them to talk.

( 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄 ) ; one muse wakes up the other after having a horrific nightmare.

( 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐋 ) ; one muse makes the other a warm meal to make them feel better.

( 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 ) ; one muse has been slowly deteriorating mentally/physically, the other takes it upon themselves to make sure they’re taken care of.

( 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 ) ; one muse takes the other’s face ( cheeks , chin ) when trying to comfort them. 

( 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 ) ; one muse lets the other stay over when their house gets too stressful.

( 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑 ) ; one muse sits outside the door to comfort the other who won’t let them in.

( 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 ) ; one muse stays over to make sure the other doesn’t hurt themselves.

( 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐊𝐄 ) ; one muse strokes the others hair.

( 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐌𝐀 ) ; our muses sit together after a traumatic experience. 

( 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 ) ; one muse helps ground the other ( bonus if you specify how ) 

( 𝐈𝐂𝐄 ) ; one muse holds an ice pack to the other’s injury.

( 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐏 ) ; our muses cry and hold each other after a traumatic experience. 

( 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 ) ; one muse strides up to the other and suddenly embraces them tightly after experiencing something distressing. 

( 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑 ) ; one muse calms the terrified other.

                           Hisㅤ𝑮𝑹𝑰𝑵ㅤwasㅤalwaysㅤ

             ʰ͟ᵃ͟ˡ͟ᶠ͟ʷ͟ᵃ͟ʸ͟ㅤaㅤsmile      ʰ͟ᵃ͟ˡ͟ᶠ͟ʷ͟ᵃ͟ʸ͟ㅤaㅤＴＨＲＥＡＴ !  

a mix of arguments, tension, manipulation, gossiping, fighting, & general emotional messiness!

you  weren't  supposed  to  hear  that.

don't  look  at  me  like  i'm  the  only  one  lying.

want  to  tell  them,  or  should  i?

you  think  i  don't  know  what  you  did?

i've  hit  people  for  less.

oh,  i  thought  you  already  knew.

that's  funny,  you  didn't  say  that  last  night.

say  that  again.  i  dare  you.

you  wanna  talk  about  loyalty?

no  offense,  but  if  you're  the  last  to  know,  that's  on  you.

go  ahead  -  pretend  like  it  wasn't  your  idea!

they  deserve  to  know  the  truth.

you  didn't  hear  this  from  me,  but  -

oh,  so  now  you  care?

don't  flatter  yourself.  you  were  just  convenient.

you  crossed  a  line.

we  had  bets  on  how  long  it  would  last.

it's  not  even  a  secret  anymore.

you  don't  get  to  cry  about  it  now.

touch  me  again  and  see  what  happens.

say  it  again.  louder  this  time.

you  really  thought  nobody  would  find  out?

don't  act  so  innocent.

okay,  but  am  i  the  villain  for  laughing?

tell  me  who  else  knows.  right  now.

this  whole  time,  and  you  didn't  say  a  word?

don't  act  brave  now.

you're  really  gonna  do  this  here?

it  wasn't  supposed  to  get  this  far!

you  can't  rewrite  history.

oh,  i'd  never  say  it  to  their  faces.

it  was  supposed  to  stay  between  us.

we're  all  thinking  it,  i  just  said  it.

you're  not  as  untouchable  as  you  act.

do  you  even  feel  guilty?

they  warned  me  about  you.

go  ahead,  make  it  worse.

if  you  repeat  this,  i'll  deny  everything.

the  next  thing  out  of  your  mouth  better  be  an  apology.

you're  about  three  seconds  away  from  regretting  this.

you  keep  pushing,  and  i'll  push  you  back.

they're  going  to  find  out.

one  more  lie,  and  i  walk.

they're  lying  to  you.

you  need  to  back  off.  now.

you're  defending  them?  after  everything?

don't  try  to  hide  it.

tell  me,  was  i  just  a  placeholder?

you  really  think  sorry  fixes  this?

there's  nothing  left  to  say.

don't  act  like  you're  the  one  hurting.

i  don't  owe  you  any  explanation.

whatever  helps  you  sleep  at  night.

you  should've  seen  this  coming.

i  hope  it  was  worth  it.

i  told  the  truth.  just  not  all  of  it.

you'll  miss  me  before  i  miss  you.

smile.  you're  ruining  the  mood.

i'd  watch  that  tone  if  i  were  you.

it's  not  my  fault  you  believed  me.

you  have  such  a  talent  for  pretending  you're  innocent.

we  both  know  this  is  over.

i  never  said  i  was  a  good  person.

Vox had hoped that his words would be answered with another joke or accidental innuendo. He would have taken some teasing at his expenses even. Anything would have worked, just for the sake of dissolving the tension that still clogged the air between them and to get them off a subject that was getting more and more dangerous with every passing minute.

Unfortunately for him, Alastor seemed not to get the memo the room was screaming. Or, perhaps, they had other previous plans and, as per usual, they chose to stick to them. Normally, the disgraced Overlord would have expected his rival to be more attentive and mindful of the consequences of their choices, but...they had both been acting impulsive since the battle, hadn't they? Slipping in ways they couldn't afford.

The TV demon's whole form visibly stiffened as the words hanged between them. Painful and heavy with implications, carrying the whisper of broken hopes that could never be rebuilt, of wounds that could never fully heal.

Anger boiled underneath the cutting sorrow and his is first instinct was to snap, to state that yeah, those had been great times, but they had been over for decades now and whose fault was that?

However, that would have started another fight or, even worse, another heart-wrenching discussion and he refused to go through it again. Not when the too intense night they had shared just a few days before was still so fresh in his mind and soul.

"Some things...I guess you can never fully move on from them," was what he chose to say instead, glancing away. He tried to keep a neutral tone, but he couldn't keep the sense of bitter loss out of his voice. "Even if they are dead and gone and never coming back."

His throat tightened and he hurried to down half of the contents of his glass, attempting to wash away the rotten taste from the back of his throat. Distracted as he was with his own inner struggle, he didn't notice Alastor moving closer, not until the toast was offered, drawing his digital eyes back on the other.

The lack of distance was registered, but his focus was immediately stolen away by the newly exposed patch of skin and Vox found himself tracing the curve of Alastor's bare shoulder before he could realise what he was doing. Satan, how many times he had imagined what it would be like to press his screen against the elegant line of that neck and taste the smooth skin...

...Fuck. Nope. Absolutely not going there.

With a hiss, the Media Overlord pushed himself on his feet, depositing his glass on the coffee table as he started to shrug off his jacket.

"Alright, fuck it. I'm way too overdressed for this," he muttered, mostly to himself, but also to let his rival know what he was doing before the other could get alarmed. And if stripping also helped with the warmth that had started to pool under his skin, well, that was for him and him alone to know.

His bowtie came off next and he popped the top buttons of his collar open, tugging at it a little before rolling his sleeves up at his elbows. Only then, he retrieved his drink and sat down again.

Much better.

Clearing his throat, he forced himself to look back at the Radio Demon, holding his gaze on the latter's face and not any lower.

"...Uh, yeah. A toast. Sounds...good to me. It's not like we can do much other than move forward, can we?"

Dead and gone. And never coming back.

Alastor supposed that, despite their change of heart, that was only deserved. It didn’t matter that they made a mistake. It didn’t matter what their feelings were. Vox was still poised to bite like a wounded animal, and they were too tired and sore to offer their neck.

So, they buried the longing ache, the regret and the sorrow, deep down in their crypt and locked them up tight. They chose to embrace the warmth of the liquor instead. The stuffed cotton in their head. The pleasant burn in the back of their throat.

They were so drawn into their own musings that they didn’t notice Vox’s state of undress until his thigh brushed their own. They reluctantly glanced upward and very obviously became distracted by his open shirt, which teased at the muscles beneath the rest of the fabric.

They couldn’t help it.

When was the last time they’d been this close or this open with each other?

Too long.

Chuckling, Alastor clinked their glass with Vox’s own before downing what? Their fourth or fifth? It’s not like he was keeping track.

“Lord, we keep goin’, ‘n you’re gonna have me sweatin’ like a sinner in church. I’m supposed to be miserable ‘n now I can’t think of nothin’ but this.”

Their natural drawl thickened like molasses the more they sank into the couch cushions. They weakly smiled up at their companion through a few errant curls.

Vox's shoulders relaxed a little when Alastor took his suggestion without protests and took a seat on the couch. His chest felt lighter for a moment, his heart tickled by an emotion he chose not to name. Not that it mattered anyway. It was obviously the alcohol starting to affect him. Which meant that he should keep drinking.

Thankfully, the Radio Demon seemed to agree on that last part, as they had brought the bottle with them and were already getting him a refill.

Those pleased thoughts, however, were short-lived, as the former Media Overlord almost choked on his freshly poured glass at the other's teasing. What the...? Had Alastor seriously just said that to him?! Why would they...?

.....Wait a moment. Oh. Oh. Of course. They probably had missed the sexual implications of the joke he had almost made. They most likely meant spending the day in bed lazing around, not spending the day in bed fucking.

"I...It's been a while since I've done that," he mumbled, his voice still a little tight with embarrassment. "There's always work to do, people to handle, projects to pour over..." In one word, he was a workaholic, but that wasn't news to either of them. "And besides...I'd take going for a swim to relax over lying down almost any day."

Damn, he missed his sharks. He hadn't gotten to see any of them since leaving the Tower, not even Shok.wav, and he would have done anything to just get an hour where he could sit in their main tank room, watching in silence. It always helped put his mind at ease.

"Yeah, you're right on that. Valentine's Day is dumb, I've always thought that. The only thing it's good for is business," he agreed with a shrug, sipping his drink, more slowly this time. Just in case Alastor decided to say something outlandish again. "I've celebrated it before, but...it was to please someone else. I never personally cared, but it can have its practical uses."

Perhaps his rival was right, perhaps it was performative, but that was actually an advantage to some extent. It had often been the perfect excuse to dote on Valentino whenever he needed to bribe the other into forgiving him for something he had...or hadn't...done.

The TV demon eyed his companion for a moment, wondering whether or not he could dare asking about the admission they had just made. They never had anyone to spend the day with? Did that mean...?

"No one, hm?" He echoed in a carefully casual tone, soft enough that Alastor could have simply ignored it, had they chosen to. A shrug followed. "Hey, nothing wrong with indulging in a little self love, anyway. Right?"

Digital eyes unconsciously followed the movements of those fingers as they threaded through dark hair. It made his own itch to touch and he was far too keenly aware of the urge.

Then the lull was broken at the mention of the potential messes they might have encountered on their way to the kitchen and Vox was suddenly very, very glad of his choice to pace his drinking.

A hint of cyan touched the middle of his screen and he hid it in his glass. Maybe he liked watching...spontaneous live sexual performances occasionally, but that was his business and his alone. And he sure as hell wasn't going to tell that to Alastor of all people.

They shrugged a shoulder, the perfect picture of nonchalance, despite the way their grip tightened on their glass. For a moment, Alastor was almost afraid that this tentative peace between them would break and that Vox would begin to mock them. They relaxed marginally when that wasn't the case, but only just.

If Vox thought that he would be quickly replaced, he thought wrong. Even now, the thought of sharing intense and genuine feeling for another seemed an alien concept, romantic or otherwise. He was one-of-a-kind; they were the foolish one for not realising that sooner.

"Nothing can quite live up to our glory days," they hummed against the rim of their glass. "There was just you 'n me for a while there. Guess I became too used to it." Alastor offered a wry, lop-sided smile. "And spending such a holiday with myself alone is such a bore."

There were a million different vulnerabilities to unpack there, but they pushed on before they could be questioned about any of them. Despite the comfort Vox's presence brought, they wouldn't bare their heart or dissolve into tears. Not again, anyway. If they drank enough, they'd black out and then wake up to realise that this uncomfortable holiday was over and done with.

Then they'd go their separate ways.

They should be happy, so why does the thought of another separation make their chest ache?

"Well, I got some leftover étouffée in the fridge. Since Charlie got us into this mess, the least she can do is send it up."

They took another long, bracing gulp, eyes fluttering closed as the liquid burned on its way down. Warmth bloomed in their chest. On a whim, they scooted closer to their companion; their robe slid to bare a bit of shoulder.

"And since this holiday is already miserable enough, let's not add to it." They extended their glass, eyes creasing about the corners as they smiled. "A toast, then! To a new start?"

By the nine circles, he still looked as handsome as he did the moment they first locked eyes.