Disclaimer: There's gonna be more fluff in this chapter than usual. Don't expect this to be common but I felt this was needed since everything in this story has been so depressing lol.

Volastor sighed as he looked through his book in the hotel library. It was fairly far from the rest of the hotel and had thick walls to prevent sound from getting out.

He was reading one the books from the libraries in order to pass the time. He hadn't read a book in months so he didn't see the harm in doing so now. It did buy him some time away from Velvet and Alastor(who constantly tried to 'make him feel better') and while they understood they wanted to help, he did desire a break from that.

Normally he'd simply go to Vark for comfort...but Vox took him so he couldn't exactly do that anymore. And until he could get Vark back, he figured reading a book would help him cope with the depressing situation…

And fittingly, the book he was reading was called,'How to live with yourself after you fucked up and got your loved ones killed'. He didn't know why this was a book in the first place, but clearly someone had a specific audience in mind when they published this.

As Vol was turning the page, he suddenly felt someone's breathing around his neck. He paused, tilting his head to see Alastor peering over his shoulder, his smile never wavering. Narrowing his eyes he coldly asked,"What do you want with me this time, Alastor?"

He hadn't talked with him in a few days and he was surprised he'd come to see him after their last interaction.

"Oh nothing. I just wanted to check on you, that's all.." The Radio Demon replied, examining the fusion with a curious gaze.

"Why is it that you wanted to check on me again?"

"Because, my fused fellow, we haven't really gotten the chance to know each other all too well if I'm being honest. I know we had a rough start but while I doubt I can ever fill in the hole my other self left in your heart, I at least want to try and be your friend…"

Volastor scoffed,"Are you trying to befriend me out of pity, Alastor?"

"What? No. I wouldn't befriend someone out of pity. Or at least, not completely."

Vol was giving him a harsh look, purple eyes sharp enough to pierce mountains. Alastor shifted uncomfortably at his gaze, knowing that Vol was far more powerful than him and that making him upset would be a great way to end up six feet under.

He swallowed his saliva before saying,"Vol, I understand you're not too fond of me, but I want to reach some common ground with you. I know you're still upset over losing your father figures and while I can't blame you, it would certainly make the grieving process more palpable if you were more open to accepting another bond. I may not be the Alastor you're familiar with, but I am still your component at the end of the day. Vox and I are technically your biological parents as we were the ones who originally created you."

Vol scowled, his tone becoming deadly calm,"And what the hell do you think that means to me? I don't know where you think you're getting at with this, but regardless of the ways you contributed to my origin, you're not and never will be, my father figure. You will never replace him and if you think for a second you can, you're sorely mistaken."

"I never claimed to do so. I know I cannot replace your parental figure, Vol. But I do want to be your friend but my resemblance to the person you lost seems to be getting in the way of that."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Vol. We both know the reason you avoided me for so long was because you always saw my other self in me. No matter how much you deny it, you know it's true…"

Volastor rolled his eyes,"As if you know anything…."

Alastor cocked his head to the side,"Oh really? I don't know anything? 't you the same person who couldn't kill Vox when he had the chance because of said resemblance? You were in the position of power and could've easily snuffed out that pompous TV with the bat of an eye. You knew it, Vox knew it, everyone did and yet, when the moment came to actually put an end to him, you chose to drop the spear. You couldn't find it in you to kill Vox due to his resemblance to the one you knew and even afterwards, when Vox taunted you before he left, you merely pushed him aside instead of beating him within an inch of his life like you could've done. Considering what you do to Lucifer, we both know Vox would stand no chance against you and yet you spared his life and brushed him off instead of retaliating with brute force. Clearly something held you back in those encounters, something that prevented you from striking a familiar face. Tell me Vol, if it wasn't that, then what was it?"

Volastor remained silent, refusing to say anything. He wanted to say something, to rebuke Alastor's statement yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead of countering his claims, Vol merely averted his gaze and huffed.

Alastor chuckled,"See? You know I'm right, Vol. You know what I said was the truth and yet you refuse to admit it because of your stubbornness. I can't say I'm surprised, I'm not too fond of admitting my feelings either. I suppose you inherited that trait from me. We're far more similar than you'd like to admit, Vol. Which granted, that makes perfect sense. It would be only natural for you to take after me in some aspects given your status as a fusion."

"Alastor, I'd prefer you avoid making comparisons between you and me. You may have once been a part of me, but that time has passed and I don't appreciate being considered half of you."

"I never said such a thing, Volastor. There's no need to jump to conclusions. All I'm saying is that we are more alike than you realize…"

"Hmph." Vol brushed this off, making an expression that Alastor swore he saw before. When Vol caught Alastor staring at his face, he gave him an irritated look,"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Needless to say, he was very confused when Alastor started chuckling,"Ha ha! No reason! I just couldn't help but notice your expression reminded me of someone familiar."

"And who would that be?"

"Vox!"

Vol tensed,"Are you kidding me? More comparisons? Alastor, we just talked about this and-"

"I don't mean it in a bad way," Alastor said,"I'm just saying, when you made that face, I could actually see his expression. Vox had the same expression whenever I saw Velvet take a photo of him during the overlord meetings. Apparently he never liked her taking random photos of him because he always seemed irritated when she did them. You should've seen it, it was so funny!"

Vol narrowed his eyes, trying to imagine Velvet taking photos of Vox at random, all while he gave her these annoyed glares the entire time. He couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth twitching upwards, quickly covering his jaw to hide the small smile threatening to over-take his face.

Unfortunately, Alastor managed to notice this, his grin widening,"Aw, was that a smile I saw, Vol?"

"N-No," He responded, voice laced with denial,"You're just seeing things…"

The Radio Demon scoffed, dismissing the fusion's claim,"You can't fool me, Vol. We both knew you were going to smile. There's no need to hide it, your smile is nothing to be ashamed of…"

"I'm not ashamed," Vol replied,stammering momentarily,"I -I just…just…."

"Just what?" Alastor pressed on, moving closer to the fusion, ignoring his personal space bubble."Come on, Vol, you can say it…"

"It's nothing," He retorted, quickly regaining his composure,"Whatever hint of a smile you say means nothing. Just forget about it…" He tried to go back to reading his book, but he could still tell that Alastor's gaze hadn't moved from him by an inch.

Alastor didn't seem convinced for a second,"You're lying, Volastor. You know you were going to smile and yet you chose to hide it from me. Why? Did you not want me to see it? Are you shy?"

Vol shook his head,"I'm not shy, Alastor…"

"Then why are you hiding your smile? There must be a reason for it. Come on, tell me…"

"That's none of your business," Volastor replied,"My reasons are personal and I don't need to disclose them with strangers…"

"Aw, I'm hurt. And here I thought we were actually starting to be friends. Why are you still so cold towards me? We were just having a connection until you started acting stubborn again…"

"I don't have to answer that," he said,"I have my reasons and they aren't any of your concerns. Now if you excuse me, I was about to go back to my book. I suggest you take your leave and head out, I prefer reading in solitude and I don't need you hovering over my shoulder to serve as a constant annoyance."

The Radio Demon made a face as Vol went back to reading his book, not moving. A part of him was tempted to just teleport and leave Vol to his own devices but he didn't want to lose the progress he had made just because Vol wanted to be stubborn.

There was that, and the fact he couldn't help but be intrigued. He had never seen Volastor smile. Whenever he was around him, he had a constant poker face and the most expressive he had was a deep scowl. To know that he was close to actually seeing him express a positive emotion was something he couldn't ignore.

Though, given Volastor wasn't exactly keen on giving him the chance to see him smile, he'd have to try something different in order to get the reaction he craved. Alastor debated what to do internally, his mind racing with ideas.

'Jokes? No,that won't work. Funny situations? No, not it either. What could possibly get him to laugh?' Suddenly, an idea hit him right in the face,' Aha! I got it! I know exactly what to do! Now. to put it into motion….'

As Vol was reading, he prepared to turn to the next page when he suddenly felt someone position their claws at his sides. His eyes widened at this unexpected contact before asking,"Alastor, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Oh nothing. Just testing a theory of mine…"

"What theory? What messed up theory ran through your mind that made you think laying your hands on me was a good idea? I don't appreciate being considered a test subject so I suggest you remove your claws before I make you…"

"Vol, there's no need to be so hostile," Alastor snickered,"Trust me, I don't mean any harm. I just want to tell you something real quick. It's rather important."

"And pray tell, what exactly would that be? It seems rather odd that this theory of yours requires your hands on me…"

"Well, I was thinking, Volastor. I haven't seen you smile since I met you. Every time I see your face, it's constantly painted with a dreary expression. Even Vaggie smiles more than you now that I think about it…"

Vol's frown deepened,"So what? I don't smile often, what's the big deal?"

"Smiling is very important to me, Vol. It's a symbol of power. It's why I smile all the time as to remain in control and be feared."

"Trust me, Alastor. I don't need to smile 24/7 to be feared. I don't see what this has to do with anything. I still don't understand why you're touching me…"

"With that being said, I believe your lack of expression is...concerning. I understand you're coping through a loss, but a smile wouldn't hurt! I know you're capable of smiling but since you're so insistent on hiding it, I'll have to take drastic measures to get what I want out of you."

Vol's eyes widened in realization, his tone becoming more panicked as his body became stiff,"Alastor, don't you dare-Gah!" Vol gasped when he felt Alastor dig into his sides, a smile being forced onto his lips,"Alastor! Nohohohoho! Stahahahahahap it!"

Alastor pretended to consider this with an amused grin,"Hm..tempting but no..."

"Alastor! Gehehehet off of me!" Vol began thrashing around as he tried to push Alastor away, landing on the floor in an failed attempt to escape. He giggling softly, his body twitching at the contact,'Knock ihihiihit off!"

"I don't feel like it, Vol," Alastor said,"Besides, I'm a bit bored so this should provide me with suitable entertainment in the meantime…"

"Ahahahahaha! I'm nohohohot you're entertainment you bahahastard!"

"Aw, swearing already? That's not very nice now, is it? I've been putting up with your insults and rudeness for quite some time when I've been nothing but formal towards you. That won't do. I tried to be nice but perhaps a punishment would humble you."

"Punishment!?" Vol shouted,"Whahahat am I!? A child? This is ridiculous! Lehehet me go!"

"Considering your behavior, I'd say you are. You are more akin to a moody teenager who isn't in tune with his emotions and given you didn't have a normal upbringing, I can't say I'm too surprised by this out-come. Regardless, problematic behavior needs to be corrected and I'll do it the only way I know how. So don't look so scared, Vol, after all, you're never dressed without a smile!"

Alastor then began tickling Vol's upper body mercilessly, scribbling up and down, his smile widened as he saw the fusion screaming and helplessly flailing around in his grasp on the floor.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ALASTOR NOHOHOHOHO!" He howled, his back arching in a failed attempt to get away as his former component began torturing him,"GEHEHEHET OFF OF MEHEHEHE!"

"Not yet! I haven't had my fun with you yet and I don't believe you've learned your lesson! Though you do seem to be struggling a bit too much for my liking…"

Literally.

Vol was a lot stronger than he looked and the only reason he hadn't broken free was because he was too busy trying to protect himself and was unable to concentrate. Still, he was bucking like a bronco and Alastor would likely be unable to contain him if he didn't restrain the fusion in some way.

As a result, Alastor used his tendrils to physically pin Vol's arms above his head and pinned him to the ground,his shadow coming to aid him as the creature sat on his pinned arms and had his hands on his upper body.

Vol was sending him a death glare through the glint in his eye filled to the brim with fear at the situation, weakly tugging to free himself to no avail.

"Got anything to say for yourself?"

Vol scoffed,"Ha...ha...You fucking wish. I owe you nothing."

"I figured you'd say as much. Oh well, guess we'll have to do this the hard way. Tickle tickle!" Alastor dug into his midsection while his shadow prodded into his pits.

Vol burst out laughing immediately at the assault, drawing his head back,"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! DAMN YOU AND YOU'RE STUPID TICKLE TALK! YOU'RE SO FUCKING DEAD WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS! MAHAHAHARK MY WORDS!"

Alastor chuckled,"Given your current circumstances, it'd be ill-advised to give me more threats…"

"IT'S NOHOHOT A THREAT! IT'S A PROMISE!"

"We'll see about that…." Alastor proceeded to dig into his sides, smirking at the bucking the fusion responded with.

"GAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOT THEHEHERE! STOHOHOHP IT!"

As the torment continued, Alastor paused momentarily when he heard someone ask,"Uh...what's going on here you two?"

Alastor turned and saw Velvet with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused at what was going on.

"Velvet! You have to help me! Alastor has lost his damn mind and he's trying to tickle me into insanity! You gotta save me!"

Velvet giggled,"Vol, don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? It's just tickling, that stuff is child's play. I don't get what you're so worked up over."

"If you were in my position you wouldn't be saying that! Now quit standing there and help me!"

"Ok! If you say so!"

When Velvet said she was going to help, Vol hoped she meant pushing Alastor off and freeing him of his binds. Instead, Velvet knelt over his shoes and began removing them,

"V-Velvet! What the fuck are you doing!? Put those back on!" Vol demanded, his girlfriend ignoring his pleas,"Velvet! Stop it!"

"Why should I? I just wanna join in on the fun! Can't you let a girl have her fun, Vol?"

"Not like this! This isn't a game! This is torture! Please just let me go!"

"Hmm...Nah…"

"VELVET!" Vol's voice became more panicked when he felt Velvet removing his socks, using her nail to stroke his foot, eliciting a whimper,"Stohohohop it….plehehehease…"

"Aw, he's saying please, isn't that cute Alastor? I think he's starting to learn manners again. He's actually expressing emotion too! This is a massive improvement!"

"Indeed. But I do believe our dear Vol needs our help. Perhaps a bit of encouragement would serve him well as a reminder."

"Helping? Are you insane? This isn't helping me at all! You two have lost your minds! Let me go this instant!"

"How about no?" Velvet asked,"No offense, Vol. But you really need to improve your attitude! But don't worry, Al and I are gonna make you feel better in the long-run! So just hold still, this will only tickle a fuckton!"

"Velvet you little bi-BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Vol's sentence was cut off when Velvet began tickling him as well, running his train of thought with laughter.

"You were saying something, Vol? I swore I heard you say something but I guess you're too busy laughing to tell me what it was. Oh well. Come on Al, let's see what happens when we both target him."

"Gladly."

To say the least, Vol fucking lost his shit. He got overwhelmed fairly quickly and Alastor wasn't helping with his assault on his upper body. The TV and Radio static in his voice had vanished entirely and he sounded more human when he laughed, audible glitches in his voice as he screamed.

"FFFUUUUCCCKKK! SOMEONE SAHAHAHAHAHAHAVE ME! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! IT'S TOO MUCH! HELP ME! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

"Anything you say?"

"YEHEHEHEHESSS!"

"Apologize."

"WHAHAHAHAT!?"

"For your behavior towards me earlier, Volastor. Apologize and we may consider freeing you."

"ANHAHAND IF I REFUSE!?"

"Do you wish for us to torment you like this all day? We have plenty of time for Vol and Velvet and I don't have anything better to do nowadays. We can just keep you here until you agree to our terms."

Volastor tensed, he could barely breathe at this rate.

Tears were rolling down his face and sweat fell from his brow. He'd surely pass out if they were to continue and even if they let him go after he fainted, he had the feeling they might do this again.

The last thing he needed was to live in fear these two would ambush him and pull this on him on a daily basis until he changed his behavior around them.

And even if he wanted to decline, the way the two tickled him made him reconsider,"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FINE! YOU TWO WIHIHIHIN! I SUBMIT! JUST STAHAHAHAHAP TICKLING MEHEHEHE!"

"Good start but I'd prefer something a bit more specific. I want a proper apology." Alastor teased, digging into rib-cage, smirking at the pronounced reaction he received.

"I'M SORRY! PLEHEHEHEHEASE YOU TWO, HAVE MERCY! I'M GONNA DIE!"

"A bit more specific!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ALASTOR YOU MOTHERFUCKER! YOU'RE JUST DOING THIS TO MAKE ME SUFFER AREN'T YOU!?"

"Even if I was, I do believe I deserve a more specific apology for putting up with your behaviour for so long. Come on, Vol. You know what I want to hear…"

"I'M SORRY FOR BEING SO AWFUL TOWARDS YOU! YOU DIDN'T DESERVE IT! PLEHEHEASE STOHOHOHOP IT! I'M GONNA FAHAHAHAINT! PLEHEHEASE STOHOHOHOHOP IT!"

"Hey Al, do you think we should stop? He sounds like he's gonna pass out at this rate.."

"Hm….I believe so. I think someone's learned their lesson. I suppose I should honor my part of the deal…" Alastor snapped his fingers and freed Vol, the fusion panting as he collapsed onto the ground.

"Ha...ha….it's over…" Vol chuckled weakly, heaving as he tried to regain his breath, wiping the tears that shed from his eyes before sending Alastor and Velvet a glare,"You two have a lot of nerve to pull that on me…"

"Aw, is the tough fusion ashamed he got tickled into submission?" Alastor teased,"Don't be, everyone has a weakness. There's nothing wrong with being ticklish. You couldn't help it. Besides, I can tell that it did have an effect on your mood."

"W-What do you mean?"

"You seem less frustrated. Apparently all you needed was an outlet to improve your attitude. Don't you feel better with that attitude out of your system?"

Vol bushed, appearing embarrassed,"S-Shut up, Velvet…"

"Aw, don't be like that! You were having fun too, don't lie!"

"I was not!"

"Oh really? Then what about this?" Velvet tickled his sides, Vol burst into a fit of giggles,

"Hahahahaha! Velvet nohohohohoho! Stahahahap it!"

"Vol, we both know if you really wanted me to stop you'd just force me off without an issue. There's no need to be shy, you're clearly enjoying this more than you're letting on. Who's my ticklish boyfriend with the cutest laugh in the whole wide world, who is it? Spit it out, babe!"

"Ahahahahahahahaha! I am! I am!" Vol was blushing uncontrollably, his tail wagging behind him.

This continued for a few minutes before Velvet let him go for real, a smile still plastered on his face,"Ha...I feel...strange...I don't get what this tingly feeling is, but I don't want it to go away…"

"It's called pure happiness, something you haven't felt in a long time I assume!" Alastor proclaimed,"But don't worry, for as long as you're willing to put up with us, you'll feel happier in the future. I would like to have a better relationship with you in the future and I believe this experience has strengthened our bond quite a bit, hasn't it?"

"You could say that…" Vol replied weakly,"Though I suggest you two start running while you can…"

"What? Why?"

Vol grinned menacingly, his eyes glowing,"Take a wild guess…" Vol's eyes were burning with a vengeance and he seemed eager to satisfy it.

"Oh shit…"

"Tick tock….Time is running out for you…"

"Velvet, he's out for blood! We need to flee!"

"Don't need to tell me twice! RUN!"

Alastor and Velvet booked it like there was no tomorrow, not wanting to be Vol's next victims.

Volastor chuckled,"They always run...Oh well, I don't see why I can't pursue. I haven't had the chance to stretch my legs in a while. This should be fun…" Volastor went on the chance,"You can RUN but you can't hide, you two! I'll hunt you down and have my fun, it's only a matter of time!"

Velvet and Alastor resorted to hiding in the hotel closet, holding their breath to avoid attracting attention. Moments later, they could hear someone walking by. Velvet tensed until she could hear Vol walking away.

'Holy fuck, that was a close one…I think we're safe.'

Needless to say, both her and Alastor were very dismayed when they saw the doors opening and Vol staring at them with a malicious grin,"Did you two really think I wouldn't notice you were here?"

"God dammit…" Velvet groaned.

"I knew this was a bad hiding spot," Alastor muttered,"Well now what? You caught us. What do you plan on doing?"

"Oh nothing, just having sweet revenge. No one pulls such a stunt on me and gets away with it…Not even you my dear, Velvet..But don't worry, it won't hurt...You'll just feel everything like I did..."

"We're so fucked…"

"Most definitely…"

Moments later, the rest of the hotel was confused when they heard roars of laughter from the hallway.

Sir Penitous blanked,"What the hell is going on over there? Why are Alastor and Velvet laughing?"

"If I had to guess, they did something stupid and Vol's getting revenge by returning the favor," Angel admitted.

Charlie paused,"Should someone go over there and check if they're alright?"

"It's your funeral," Vaggie said,"I know I wouldn't. Volastor is one of the strongest beings in Hell and if he's fucking bent on vengeance, you should avoid standing in his way unless you want to be next…"

"So should we just pretend that we don't hear anything?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Cherri exclaimed.

Everyone went about their day while Vol was having his fun with Velvet and Alastor in the background, amused by their struggles. He wasn't going to lie, he was having way too much fun with this but that sure as hell wasn't going to stop him.

"Revenge is sweet! Come on you two, smile at me! You know you're never dressed without one!"

"VOL! STAHAHAHAP USING MY CATCHPHRASE AGAINST ME!"

"Hm...don't feel like it…" Vol mentioned,"Besides, this is payback so I don't care regardless. Though I must say, you were right about this being a bonding experience! I'm having the time of my life with this and I bet you two feel the exact same way…"

It had been so long since he had fun or felt this happy, so he figured he'd enjoy it while he can. He knew it wouldn't last, but this Alastor wasn't as bad as he thought he was. Perhaps he did judge him too harshly...

He wasn't like the Alastor he knew, but he wasn't completely terrible as he thought he would be. Regardless, the road to recovery was still a long way to go, but with these two around, it'd at least somewhat tolerable.

Thanks for all the views! Tell me what you think below!

Enigmus-288: We'll see when we get back to them, but Vox is gonna take care of them for the time being(he literally doesn't have a choice since Val will boot them out if he doesn't.)

Guest: They physically erased themselves. The other Vox and Al merged but weren't erased when they created Vol but the ones we knew decided that in order to avoid a mishap like this ever happening, that removing themselves permanently was the best solution so nobody would split. We'll wait and see but things will end up changing once Vox gets his head into the field.

Mitsuru6: Ha lol. People commented on Vol being a dick on my Archive account, so don't worry, you're not the only one who feels that way. Yeah not RadioHusk, just Al comforting an alt version of his friend who looks like a cyborg(still cute tho). Thankfully, Alastor is more patient than Vox when it comes to people and doesn't give up easily and this is the end result.