harderdaddy | (Reply)

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[ it may only be for a moment, but valentino catches the brief hesitation. he catches the way angel's soft expression hardens just the slightest bit, like a mask flickering in and out of existence. it reminds him, vaguely, of vox, but valentino decides not to follow that thought any further. he'll have plenty of time to think of him some other time, when angel's not naked in his lap and soft under his hands and... doubtful, apparently, of his devotion.

it pisses valentino off. it gets under his skin, but not in a way that makes him want to lash out with violence or a razor sharp tongue. not yet, anyway. he can't quite explain it, but his hands on angel's torso still for a moment, and then they slide around to his back, arms secured around him in what basically amounts to a loose hug.

for a few long seconds, val doesn't say anything. he cradles angel's face in his primary hands, following the softened edges of his jaw with his thumbs, tracing under his mouth, following underneath the subtle curve of his smaller eyes. his own face is carefully arranged in a way that makes him mostly unreadable, but then his eyes narrow as if in thought before they seems to relax again. ]

I haven't been very... kind to you, lately, have I? [ 'lately' is generous. one could argue valentino hasn't been kind in a very long time, but he does have his moments. like now, perhaps. it doesn't really seem like there's any kind of trickery laced into the question. it's not a trap, necessarily, even if the sentiment might not be entirely genuine.

when valentino is unkind, there's always a reason for it. if he's ever cruel, it's because it's deserved. his kindness is earned just as easily as his brutality. that's how he sees it, at least.

here though, right now, valentino needs to earn angel's favor. he needs to replace that doubt with reassurance, with confidence, if not for angel's sake, then for his own. the more he can sway angel back to him, the quicker he'll have him back in the tower where he belongs.

valentino winds his arms a little tighter, and though the words feel almost foreign and bitter on his tongue, he says them anyway, quiet, and with no follow-up excuse or justification for his alleged unkindness. ] ... I'm sorry, mi amor.