Author's Note:
I'm kind of back! I've had a hit of inspiration for this story. Thanks to everyone for understanding my little break and for the comments too. I now have a clearer idea of the direction I want this story to take. Which will make it easier for me to write. Also, I wanted to add that I don't speak spanish and am relying on Google Translate. Sorry for any misspellings or mistranslations.
Enjoy!
With a warm cup of coffee in hand, Vox entered his office and settled into his luxurious desk chair. As he sipped from his steaming cup, he turned on the systems on his stylish, minimalist desk. Moving his cup to the side, he directed his attention to multiple screens, his eyes constantly shifting between them. As he looked at his daily schedule, he scrolled through it and checked his appointments, his fingers tapping on the screen.
Vox muttered to himself, attempting to determine which meetings demanded his attention. Until a notification popped up on his screen. Feeling annoyed, he reluctantly opened it only to see that it was a message from Valentino. It read, 'Need to talk.' He sighed, "Great, just what I need this early in the morning. What does he want now?" he groaned in frustration. It was too damn early and he had no interest in whatever Valentino wanted.
He already had a lot on his plate and didn't want to be bothered for what he believed was another one of Val's tantrums. It was strange for Val to throw a tantrum so early. Typically, this would occur at a much later time of day. Instead of responding with a text, he chose to call Valentino directly. Taking a deep breath, he tried to regain his composure. "What is it, Val? Can't whatever tantrum this is wait?"
"It's not a tantrum," Valentino growled, "And I wouldn't call this early if it could wait. I want to speak with you in private."
Vox sighed, cursing Valentino for the inconvenience. But after a moment, he responded, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Fine," he agreed. "Come to my office." He ended the call without waiting for Valentino to respond. Vox rubbed the edges of his flat-screen face. He could feel a headache coming on.
He was used to Valentino throwing fits and tantrums over the smallest little things. Occasionally, it was a toy that refused to listen, or a worker who didn't meet their 'quotas'. Vox leaned back in his chair and continued to think. This unscheduled meeting wasn't making things any better. Before Valentino burst into his office, he decided to try and get some work done. No point in worrying about it until the moth showed up.
About 20 minutes later, Valentino walked into Vox's office, his expression unreadable. He stalked over to the chair in front of Vox's desk and took a seat. "Well? What is it? I haven't got all day." Vox asked, irritation evident in his tone. "This little meeting of yours has already set my schedule back at least a few hours! If this is about some minor dispute with one of your staff, I swear to Lucifer I-"
"That's not what this is about, imbécil," Valentino interrupted, cutting him off. He pulled out one of his long cigarettes and lit the end of it, taking a slow drag from it. Vox felt one of his digital eyes twitch. First, Val demands this so-called important meeting. And now he was smoking in his office! It wasn't unusual for Valentino to be smoking indoors, but Vox had told the prick not to do it in his office. Said prick just blew the pink smoke right in Vox's face and gave his signature gold tooth grin.
Vox decided to push it aside, trying to focus on the matter at hand. "Alright then," he replied, using his 'business voice', "Are you going to tell me what's so important? Or am I supposed to guess?" Valentino took another leisurely drag from his cigarette, a smirk forming on his lips. He was clearly enjoying making Vox wait. "Impatient, aren't we~?" he mused, resting his elbow on the armrest.
He exhaled a cloud of pink smoke before continuing. "I've got a situation on my hands." Vox raised a digital eyebrow, intrigued. He understood that Valentino was constantly dealing with some sort of "situation", but the serious tone of the Overlord piqued his curiosity. "And what sort of situation is that?" he asked. Valentino's expression grew serious, the playful smirk replaced by a grimace. He took another drag from his cigarette before responding. "It's about that little glasses shop in town," he stated, his voice low and contemplative.
Vox leaned forward in his seat. He had recommended the place to Val some time ago because of his shitty eyesight. It was a small, unassuming shop that mostly catered to sinners needing glasses, contact lenses, and the like. Valentino's mention of it felt out of place.
"What about it?" he asked, his tone cautious. Valentino exhaled another cloud of pink smoke, watching it swirl and dissipate in the air. "It was vandalized and I want you to provide security while it's being repaired." He took a last long drag from his cigarette, extinguishing the butt Vox's desk.
Vox nearly glitched at the words that came out of Val's mouth. Vox's digital expression displayed his surprise at Valentino's request. "You want me to provide security? For an glasses shop?"
"That's what I said Voxxy~"
His eye twitched. "But why would you care about some shitty little shop?" he questioned, his voice tinted with suspicion. Valentino crossed one long leg over the other, "Isn't it obvious? I'm just looking out for my investment. Can't let my property get vandalized and lose its value." He smirked, the gold tooth on display again.
Vox's jaw dropped. If he had a chin, it would've been on the floor. Valentino... the lustful porn loving demon who relished in brutalizing others for profit and his own gratification...had invested in a shitty little shop that sold eyeglasses.
Valentino chuckled at Vox's confusion, noticing the skepticism in his partner's gaze. "What~? Did you think I wasn't capable of having other investments outside of the porn?" he teased, a hint of mock offense in his tone.
Vox's frustration boiled over, and he yelled "YES!" A throbbing vein emoji appeared on the upper corner of his screen. He practically jumped out of his office chair and began pacing in front of his desk. He didn't understand why Valentino would invest in something as inconsequential as this shop.
"Are you shitting me?! What kind of ass backwards thinking is that?! What the hell is the point of that? We have more important projects to worry about!" Vox's voice echoed through the room.
"Why not?" he responded nonchalantly, shrugging his upper shoulders and crossing his lower arms.
"What do you mean 'why not'?! In case you've forgotten, you still have a shit ton of work to finish! And you can't use your shitty eyesight as an excuse anymore. We need more scripts written and new workers, since you keep killing them."
"Those whores should have done a better fucking job. You know I don't keep low earners." Val rolled his pink eyes. "That's one reason why I decided to invest in this shop. And besides, it's a steady business that makes a lot of cash."
Vox started rambling something about how Val was impulsive and got bored easily and how Vox would have to clean up his mess. Valentino lounged back in his chair as Vox began his annoyed ranting. Val was well aware of the fact that once the television demon began venting, there was no way to stop him.
While Vox continued, Val was debating whether to tell Vox more about Lula. And if he did, just how much information would he share? He knew Vox could do the job well and keep the shop safe, which was the primary objective. He decided to give Vox a little information to satisfy his curiosity, but not enough to raise any red flags.
"Calm down, Voxxy~," Valentino drawled, his voice slightly annoyed. "I even have plans to expand my investment. The owner is quite the little artist. She has a talent for working with stained glass. Her creations are stunning. And you know, I've got excellent taste when it comes to beautiful things." He stretched out his long slender limbs in a suggestive pose as he made that comment. "I've also commissioned her to create one for myself."
Vox stopped his pacing and stood frozen in place. "Calm down!? You have the fucking audacity to tell me to calm down?!" He turned to fully face his fellow Vee. "You interrupt my fucking morning, demanding a fucking meeting and ask me to set up state of the art surveillance system for some shitty insignificant shop!"
The door to Vox's office slowly opened, revealing a terrified intern. The poor sap was just another soul in Vox's collection, not even notable enough for Vox to remember his name. The intern clutched a clipboard, no doubt full of tasks his boss needed to do for the day to keep his empire running.
"U-u-um, s-sir? I h-have yo-" the intern stuttered. He was too scared to fully enter the room, and just poked his head inside. But before he could finish his sentence, Vox reached on his desk, grabbed the first thing he touched and hurled it at the poor soul.
"Get the fuck out!" Vox shouted. The other demon yelped as the object hit the back of the door and slammed it shut. Vox was heaving as he looked at what he threw. It was his 'Fuck Alastor' mug! He grabbed the top edges of his flat screened head and groaned. Vox collapsed onto the floor, his digital body exhausted and weary. His day was ruined, and his schedule was thrown completely out the window. With great effort, he pulled himself back up and sent an urgent message to his staff, instructing them to delay all his appointments and assignments for the day and move them to the next.
He returned to his chair, sinking into it. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his non-existent nose, feeling a headache building. "Alright, Val," he began, his voice tired and strained, "Since you've already ruined my day, I'll hear you out." Vox signed.
Valentino smirked, obviously enjoying the fact that he had managed to get on Vox's nerves already. It was always entertaining to see the normally composed demon lose his shit. He lit another cigarette, took a slow drag from it, and blew the pink smoke into the air. "Oh come on now," he teased, "Don't be so grumpy, it's too early in the day for you to be so sour-faced."
"Just get on with it, you bastard," Vox growled.
"Alright, alright. It's what I told you earlier. I've invested in this little shop, and I want it protected. And since the moth girl is the owner, it makes sense that I want the shop - and her - protected."
"Cut the bullshit Val," Vox said, leaning closer and fixing Valentino with a steely gaze. "We both know there's more to it than that. Don't take me for a fool. You can't expect me to walk into a situation blind. You want me to provide security for your little shop? I need to know all the details." Vox's patience was wearing thin, and he was not about to let Valentino get away with withholding information.
Valentino's smirk faded. He knew he had to give his fellow overlord more information, but he was still hesitant. He didn't want to tell Vox everything, but he also knew that he couldn't keep the full truth from him, either.
"Fine," Valentino relented, his tone shifting to a more serious one. "You're right. There's more to it than just the investment." He paused for a moment, taking a drag from his cigarette before continuing. "It's about the shop owner, the little moth, and my personal relationship with her."
"What do you mean by 'personal relationship'?" Vox asked, his voice edged with caution. Valentino leaned back in his chair, his eyes darkening as he spoke. "I mean, that little moth is currently my newest pet. She's completely mine, and I don't take kindly to others messing with my things."
Valentino filled Vox in on the situation with Lula and the stalker demon that vandalized her shop. Vox's expression remained stoic as Valentino spoke, but his mind was buzzing and glitching. He was going to crash. He just knew it.
"So, you decided to invest in some dinky little shop, got the hots for some moth bitch, and want me to provide security because some random shithead vandalized said shop. Are you doing all this just for a piece of ass?!"
Valentino rolled his eyes at Vox's sarcastic remark. "You make it sound so nefarious~," he said, "But yes, you've got the gist of it. And I don't just want to fuck her. I mean it's part of it but, I've... taken a liking to the moth and I want to ensure her safety as well as the shop's. At least until I'm done with her. That's where you come in."
"I want you to provide security for the shop around the clock. Keep an eye on the place, make sure no uninvited guests show up. I also want you to come up with some type of tracker. It has to be small enough to be put inside something.
Vox turned his attention to Valentino and asked, "So, how long am I supposed to be doing this surveillance gig for? Do you have a timeline in mind, or am I just stuck playing guard until you get tired of this little project of yours?"
"Should only take a week or two," Val responded. "But I want you to start setting up security now. I don't care if the shop is still under repair. I want to make sure it's guarded properly as soon as possible."
Valentino leaned forward, his gaze intense. "That pretty little chica is mine. I won't have her being targeted by that damn stalker again. Got it?"
Vox raised an eyebrow, still skeptical. "So, what, are you keeping her locked up in your penthouse or something?"
Valentino chuckled, a sly smile appearing on his face. "Oh, you know me so well, Voxxy. I always keep my favorite toys close. But no, I'll allow my little pet to go out every once in a while. It's good to let pets get fresh air now and then, right~?" His smile turned into a scowl. "Well, fresh for hell."
"But for now, it's best that she stays close by while that fucker is still on the loose. I don't want to take any chances," he added, putting out the rest of his cigarette. "I'll make sure she always has someone to look after her when I can't. And just in case, I also want you to make a tracker. It has to be small enough to fit inside something like a necklace."
"Fine." Vox didn't even bat an eye at this request. He just wanted Val out of his office.
"So, do we have a deal?" Valentino asked. Vox pondered for a moment, considering the potential benefits of agreeing to Valentino's request. Providing security for the shop could open up new revenue streams for the Vees, which piqued his interests. And if he remembered correctly, that little shop did have better quality glass when it came to his face screens. That moth bitch really did have a way with glass. The screens he bought from her shop were the best he ever had! That's why he recommended that place to Val... shit. He was the one that told Val to go there for glasses. In a way, this was all Vox's fault. Not that he'd ever admit it.
"Alright," Vox finally said, "I'll provide security for your shop and the moth bitch. On the condition that the revenue you get from this little investment of yours goes to the Vees, not just you." Vox narrowed his digital eyes at the taller demon. He cleared his throat before continuing. "And I want a discount for my replacement screens."
Valentino's smirk widened subtly. "Of course," he replied, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly. He knew he had won this battle of wills. Vox waved his hand, and a contract appeared for both of them to sign. The magical paper floated over to Val, who narrowed his pinks at it like personally offended him. "What the fuck it this, Vox?" he growled.
It was Vox's turn to smirk. "You don't expect me of all demons to not get an agreement down on paper, do you? I assure you, it's nothing big, just confirming the conditions of this arrangement." Valentino took hold of the contract, gripping it harshly in his claws. He, in fact, did expect Vox not to care enough to want this agreement on paper. "Aaand since you finally have glasses that fix your shit vision, you can read this contract. No getting out of it with the whole 'If I can't read it, I'm not signing it' bullshit." Vox taunted.
Valentino sneered at the TV demon before reading over the contract. It was actually legit, no tricks or bullshit. Huh, Val wasn't expecting that. He was genuinely surprised. The Vees were partners in the entertainment business, but this was still hell.
"What~ did you think I wasn't capable of making contracts that didn't screw the other party over?" Vox smirked, using Val's own words against him.
"Fine! I'll sign the fucking thing!" Valentino manifested a pen and signed. Vox took it and signed his name as well. And with a wave of his hand, it vanished. "Pleasure doing business with Val." Vox gave his best tv host smile at the moth man. He knew that even though the contract wasn't a soul exchange or harmful to either of them, Valentino hated not being in control. "Now, if we're done here, I have work to do." Vox said as he straightened his suit jacket.
"Yeah, yeah I'm going." Valentino stood up from his seat and yawned as he headed for the door. "I'll need details to get started. I can't keep tabs on a guy if I don't know anything about him." Vox said just as Val pulled the door open.
"Oh, I don't know the bastard's name or what he looks like." his tone was almost too smooth and sweet. "Looks like you'll have a bit more work to do~ but I'm sure you can handle it." And with that, he was out the door.
Vox's digital eye twitched, and messages popped up on his screen, warning him that he was overheating and a crash was going to happen. He got out one last frustrated yell before he crashed.
"Goddammit!"
Valentino walked away from Vox's office, deep in thought. He had a lot to explain to Lula. Mostly, the fact that she would have to act as his 'pet' for a well. He knew she wouldn't take that well. Valentino's thoughts strayed towards how she would look at him. Her eyes, full of anger, and her lips, formed into a pout. In his mind, he imagined her face flushed with heat. Her chest would be heaving as she yelled at him, her body language showing her irritation.
He was sure that he'd find her anger alluring. Val couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of pleasure at the thought.
He stopped that train of thought. Now was not the time to fantasize about how adorable she would look when angry. He had shit to do.
He arrived at his office and walked over to his desk, which was practically overflowing with paperwork that he had neglected. If he knew being an overlord involved paperwork, he'd never become one. But the power he had over others was simply delicious. He grinned to himself, yeah the paperwork was worth it.
Calming himself down, Val took out his phone, ready to call his pequeña polilla, but realized that he didn't have her number. How was he going to keep her safe if he couldn't even call her?
He took his glasses off, holding them with one of his upper hands, the other rubbing his eyes. His lower set of arms were planted on his slender hips. He was annoyed, but it was a massive oversight on his part. As he put his glasses back on his face, he had no option but to return to his penthouse. He sent out a quick order to one of the interns to go out and get more clothes and such for Lula. Since he couldn't call her, he'd have to let her know that they would have to postpone their outing to her shop in person. He had, ugh, paperwork that actually needed to be done.
As Valentino entered his penthouse, he immediately began calling out for his little moth. His voice echoed through the spacious room as he called out her name, "Lula...I'm back, querida." His gaze swept through the open space until it landed on two familiar antennae peeking out from behind one of the couches in the living room. As he looked closer, the rest of Lula's head appeared. He approached her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Lula was stretched out, lying on her stomach on the couch, looking a little disheveled. She had a notepad and pen by her side. Lula looked up at him, her big round eyes narrowed in a glare and her lips - those damn lips - formed into a pout.
"There you are, pequeña polilla. My, my, don't you look comfy," he teased. It looked like he had woken her up from a nap. Seeing her so at ease in his home did things to him that weren't just carnal. He felt his wings shudder at the sight.
"Did you have a good nap, querida?" Val purred. She had sat up at this point, stretching her arms and wings. A shiver went down his spine. He wanted to wrap her in his wings and let her sleep. "Yes, actually I did." Lula yawned. He approached the couch and sat down on the edge of the plush cushion, his arms resting on his thighs as he looked at Lula.
She gave her wings one last shake before folding against her back. "I was working on a list of items I'll need to order for my shop." She sighed and continued, "I'll have to go through my personal things in my apartment to see what I'll have to replace when we go back there today." She turned to look at the taller moth, a bit of excitement in her voice. However, he cringed, knowing that his next words would surely disappoint her. And he still had to tell her about the whole 'pet' thing.
Valentino's antenna wilted as he spoke, and he looked at Lula with a hint of regret in his eyes. "I hate to disappoint you, pequeña polilla," he said, his voice soft and laced with regret, "But we'll have to put off that trip to your apartment for at least a day." He paused, watching her expression carefully.
"Before I get into that, I need your number. I can't keep you safe if I can't contact you." Val took out his phone and set up a new contact for Lula. "Oh, of course!" Lula grabbed her phone out of her pocket. She was barely able to unlock it before Val took it out of her hand. "Hey! What are you doing?! Give that back." Val opened her contacts and added his number and sent a text to himself with her phone. "Are you done?" Lula huffed and pouted at the bigger moth. Val chuckled at her pouty face and handed her back her phone. "Yes, I'm done." Val saved her number from the text under 'Pequeña Polilla'. Lula looked at what Val put as his contact name and gave him a look. "Guapo? Really, Val?" He smirked, "What? It fits perfectly."
Lula rolled her eyes at him and got back to the conversation. "Okay, now tell me what's going on. Did something happen? Is that what your meeting this morning was about?" Lula fired off questions, one after another. Valentino raised his hand to stop her barrage of questions. "Hey, slow down," he said. "Everything is fine for now. And yes, that's what my meeting was about. I'm having Vox handle security during the repairs to make sure that gilipollas doesn't show his face." Val growled out the last part.
"Well, I guess that makes sense. As long as we get to go, I can wait a day or two." Lula shrugged. "Is that all you discussed?" she narrowed her eyes at Valentino's nervous demeanor. She could tell that he was holding something back. "Ah, sharp as a tack," he laughed. "Yeah, there's something else. To get Vox to agree to handle security, I had to tell him about you...well, kinda."
While they never exclusively said that Lula would be kept a secret of sorts from the other Vees, it was somewhat implied. Val didn't want them finding out and his reputation tanking and Lula didn't want all the attention...well, not yet. She was aware that if this arrangement with Val succeeded, she would have to be in the spotlight as his...what? Girlfriend? Partner? 'Ugh, I can't think about that right now. We'll cross that bridge if we ever get to it.' she thought.
Valentino took a deep breath as he prepared to deliver the news about the pet arrangement. He knew he could just lie to her...but the thought of that made his stomach sour. 'Shit, do I got it bad this woman. Fuck, why am I like this?'
He told her everything.
Told Lula about the lie he had told Vox, how he had implied that he had invested in her shop as a cover story. He explained that referring to her as his 'pet' was the best way to explain her presence to Vox. Given his reputation, having a 'pet' wasn't weird for the porn overlord. In fact, it was almost expected of him and wouldn't raise the eyebrows of anyone, especially Vox.
It was silent after he finished.
Lula's reaction was one of utter surprise. She sat frozen, processing the information Valentino had just shared. She didn't say a word, her expression reflecting her shock and confusion. Among all the possible things Val could have said, she wasn't anticipating that. She couldn't deny that it made sense as a cover, but still.
Valentino noticed that Lula's gaze was unfocused, and her head had dipped forward slightly, as if she was lost in thought. He waved his hand in front of her face, attempting to snap her out of her stupor. He spoke, his voice tinged with concern. "Lula, you still with me?"
Lula snapped out of her thoughts and grabbed the hand that Valentino had waved in front of her face. She refocused her gaze on him, her mind slowly returning to the present. Valentino felt a pang in his chest as she grabbed his hand. Her touch sent a jolt of electricity through him, and he found himself momentarily distracted by the warmth of her hand.
Lula's gaze met Valentino's, one of her eyes twitching. "So... let me get this straight. You told Vox that I'm your pet to explain my presence here. Is that correct?"
Valentino nodded, his eyes fixed on hers. She still hadn't let go of his hand.
"I guess since that's what you said to Vox, I'll have to... play along, I guess." She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was to come. "So... what do I need to do?" She noticed the goofy face he was making." Ugh, VAL!"
Val snapped his eyes back to her, "What was that, querida?" Lula rolled her eyes and swatted at the moth man with a pillow. "Pay attention, you're the one who got me into this!" He chuckled and grabbed the pillow from her and tossed it aside. "Okay, okay, what were you saying?"
Lula sighed and repeated herself. Valentino thought for a moment before grinning, "Well, one thing you have to do is get used to my touch," he pulled her closer to him by the hand she never took out of his. "It wouldn't do for my pet to be uncomfortable with her master's touch."
He wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her down into a dip, laying her out across his lap, never letting go of her hand. He wrapped his other arms around her. His chest pressed against hers. Entwining their fingers, Valentino leaned in even closer, his face so near to hers that she could feel his breath warming her cheeks.
"I think that's a perfect place to start, don't you pequeña polilla," he purred.
Lula was completely flustered by Valentino's sudden move, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. Her heart quickened, heat pooling in her stomach as he purred her pet name, 'pequeña polilla'. Lula felt a mixture of emotions. She was vulnerable and exposed, at his mercy. But there was something about the way he held her that made her feel safe.
All she could muster up was a soft 'Okay'.
He chuckled lowly as he noticed the effect his actions had on her. Valentino pulled her up from the dipped position but kept her in his lap, his arm still draped around her back, holding her close to him. He could feel the heat coming off her body and the small gasp she let out at being moved, and he loved it.
As much as he would have loved to spend more time with her in his lap, he knew he had work to do. So, he reluctantly pulled away from Lula. He looked at her, his arm still around her waist.
"I have to head out again," he said, a little regretful. "I've got a mountain of paperwork to tackle. But we'll continue this conversation later, okay~."
Lula nodded silently.
As he prepared to leave, Valentino paused, his hand still on her waist. He pulled her in for one last hug, his hold tight and possessive.
"Behave yourself while I'm gone," he murmured, his voice low. "I'll be back soon." Valentino placed her back onto the couch and headed out the door.
Lula jolted out of her stunned stupor at the sound of the door closing. She sat on the couch, her heart still racing and her mind whirling. The silence seemed deafening after Valentino's abrupt departure, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She buried her face in one of the couch pillows and screamed. When she was done, Lula sat up and squeezed the pillow.
"Oh, no... I'm in trouble..."
Valentino stormed into his office, his blood pumping from the encounter with Lula. As soon as the door closed, he released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and leaned back against it. Then, in an attempt to regain composure, he covered his face with his hands, only to feel the intense heat of his own blush. He found it hard to believe — the king of porn, flustered by one small moth woman. She had him blushing like a fucking virgin. It was a new low for him, and he felt both annoyed and strangely excited by the whole situation.
Sitting behind his desk, he buried his face in his hands, trying to compose himself. But it was no use. The image of Lula in his lap, flushed and vulnerable, was imprinted in his mind, and it was driving him crazy.
Yeah, he had it bad for that little moth.