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[harderdaddy]

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[harderdaddy]

[Val looks downs and Angel looks up. Outside of the studio there's so few demons Angel has to look up to, but here, and with Val- he's always looking up. Small. Vulnerable.

He turns and the walk is familiar...comforting. That hand guiding and claiming his stake, as if anyone in hell doesn't know who Angel Dust belongs to.]

Wardrobe handled or do I gotta pick somethin' out?

[papichulo]

[ as the car pulls away behind them, valentino guides angel inside the tower and into the main lobby, leading him toward the elevators by the far side. he glances up casually toward the nearest camera for only a moment, and then presses the button to call the elevator down.

during the couple seconds that the two of them are kept waiting, valentino appears to be contemplating angel's question. truthfully, the shoot was pulled together kind of last minute, so the details are kind of... loose. there is, technically, an outfit waiting for angel, but it's nothing overly-specific to the shoot itself, and hardly the focus.

valentino slides his hand up angel's spine to the back of his neck, squeezing gently, almost comfortingly before he lets his fingers drift again, lingering in the space between his shoulders. he looks down at angel and smiles at him, somewhat soft and fond though it's hard to tell if it's genuine. valentino is, after all, very good at presenting himself in the best light when he wants to. ]

Whatever's easiest for you, baby. Wardrobe has been picked out for you already, but if you'd rather wear something else... I trust your judgment.

[ does he? or does he know angel wouldn't do anything to compromise or sabotage the artistry and composition of a shoot by choosing something unacceptable? ]

[harderdaddy]

[For how their night started, Valentino's been very accommodating now, all smiles and soft touches. Trust even. A sober Angel might've been more suspicious. Even high he knew there was a balancing act to be played, and he smiles easily back up at Val.]

Nah, I like wearing what you pick out for me, Val. You always make me look good.

[Just wear whatever they tell him to, play the brat for the cameras, get fucked and then he's done...he can handle that. And if he's good Val will be good to him.

The doors chime and Angel steps inside.]

[papichulo]

[ it's always a balancing act, a scale to be tipped one way or the other. sometimes all it takes is the wrong choice of words, or misplaced attitude, sometimes valentino's just having a bad day and it takes almost nothing to set him the fuck off. sometimes, all it takes is a smile from angel to tip things over into his favor. what valentino is up to right now, with all of his gentle touches and quiet promises, is anyone's guess, but he's definitely up to something.

as angel steps into the elevator, valentino follows after him and comes to stand beside him, his hand a steady point of contact between his shoulders. he presses the button for the studio floor, then turns toward angel slightly, using another hand to touch the side of his face, to tilt his chin up toward him. valentino leans down so he's close, and he says, ]

You make it so easy, you look good in everything. [ he leans the rest of the way to brush a kiss against angel's mouth. ] ... And in nothing at all.

[harderdaddy]

[Lifting his gaze at Val's prompting, Angel smiles easily, rocking up to help meet those lips. He's still not quite calmed down from the limo, and with those pheromones in his system he pushes to try and deepen the kiss with a whine. There's no way he can get what he wants in the time it takes the elevator to, but it doesn't stop that want.]

You promise- once the shoot's done, you promise?

[Isn't it nicer when Angel's begging for it rather than putting up a fight?]

[papichulo]

[ like angel, valentino's also still somewhat keyed up from the limo, so he allows the little bit of needy desperation from angel, lingering to kiss him a little more properly for a few seconds, tasting that soft little whine in his mouth. he pulls away shortly after, smoothing his thumb over angel's cheek in reassurance. ]

Mm. [ he chuckles quietly, almost under his breath, amused and pleased by angel's begging. he's so much more attractive when he's practically melting in valentino's hands. ] Promise. We'll get through the shoot, and then I'll take care of you. How does that sound, mi cariño?

[harderdaddy]

[Nodding eagerly, gratefully, everything all at once, Angel holds onto that promise. Sure, he's going to be fucked in the shoot, and maybe he'll get off, but that's not the same. He needs Val.]

Sounds perfect, Daddy.

[His smile softens at Val's phrasing, painting a picture where the pair of them have to suffer through the shoot together. And it makes him that much more agreeable when his mind can lean into that belief that they're approaching this as a team. Never quite equals, but needing each other...]

[papichulo]

[ in his experience, angel's always so much more amenable when valentino positions himself on angel's side instead of opposing him. the phrasing is intentional, meant to offer a sense of reassurance and understanding - yes, it's late and angel's tired, but at least he's not alone. at least valentino's there to support him, to make sure he's safe and comfortable on set, to weather the late night together with him. to take care of him afterward. it's an act, for the most part, but it's a good one.

when the elevator doors chime and slide open, valentino presses his hand to angel's lower spine and guides him forward and out, but instead of leading him toward the studio, he stops in the hallway instead. ]

I'll see you soon. [ val touches angel's face with the back of his hand, skims his fingers underneath angel's chin. he looks at angel's mouth, like he's tempted to kiss him again, but he resists and steps away instead, nudging angel in the opposite direction with a hand on his chest. wherever valentino is going, whatever it is he has to take care of, it's - away from the studio. toward his bedroom near the opposite side of this floor, more specifically.


when valentino eventually shows up in the studio, he's maybe only a few minutes late. his entrance isn't subtle, but it's not particularly distracting either, but he seems... relaxed. maybe very slightly disheveled, but he sinks into his chair and casually wipes his thumb against the corner of his mouth, his eyes on the scene before him. travis hands him a script, which is pretty bare bones and calls for a lot of improv, and valentino barely flips through it, his eyes finding angel instead. ]

[harderdaddy]

[Swept off into wardrobe and makeup, Angel tries not to think about where Valentino's gone. Tries to push down that pointless jealousy that has his eyes flicking towards the countless 'security' cameras that haunt him in this place.

By the time Val returns it's obvious enough what he's been doing, Angel's eyes very briefly finding his before his character spits a biting remark, dripping with sarcasm, and very quickly pays for. The slap helps jar Angel to his senses, burying those bitter feelings before he has to live through this brat taming in real life as well.]

[papichulo]

[ the sound of a palm connecting with angel's cheek doesn't seem to faze valentino at all, his gaze never wavering as the scene plays out, though it's rare for him to even blink at any form of scripted brutality; it's the real, authentic shit (or as close as one can get to authenticity in this industry) that sells best, after all. even so, there are limits - if valentino thought they were being pushed, he'd call for a cut and correct the behavior. as it stands, one little slap isn't enough to bruise angel's pretty face, so he lets the cameras continue to roll, watching with a steady gaze.

overall, it's a fairly easy shoot. valentino only calls cut twice, once for an alternative line delivery and once for a boom mic dipping into the frame, but otherwise the whole thing goes surprisingly smoothly. wrapping goes pretty quickly, the studio emptying out perhaps a little faster than usual, the set crew ready and eager to call it a night. valentino dismisses angel and his scene partner before anyone else though, and it's only once everyone's cleared out that he goes to find angel in his dressing room. ]

[harderdaddy]

[At least the shoot went smoothly. Angel's a frustrated mix of exhausted and horny by the time they're done, and starting to sober up. But he's done for the night...for real this time. He strips down and cleans himself up as best he can. He's still in his robe by the time Valentino let's himself in, sitting at his makeup table and debating whether he should take it off or let Val enjoy the full face.

He flashes a tired smile back at Val through the mirror before he turns his head.]

How'd I do, Daddy?~ M'almost ready, I just gotta get dressed and stuff.

[papichulo]

[ coming to stand behind him, valentino looks down at angel and lets his primary hands settle on his shoulders. he squeezes gently, thumbs massaging into tense muscle, and offers a small smile of his own down at him. there's practiced fondness tucked into the corners of it, but there's a thread of possessiveness in the shape of it, too. valentino's second pair of hands skim down angel's back and settle near the bottom of his spine, kneading there too. ]

Perfect. As always. [ not "as always", because the number of times valentino's lost his temper on set over angel not performing to whatever ridiculous standard on any given day is probably too high to count, but that's neither here nor there. he practically folds himself in half to lean down, and presses a lingering kiss against angel's cheek, the same one his scene partner had slapped numerous times. when he pulls away, he doesn't straighten up, but stays leaning over angel instead. he looks at him in the mirror, face tucked close to the side of his neck, the fluff circling his neck brushing against angel's jaw. ] Stay like this, baby. If you want.

[ getting dressed seems kind of pointless when valentino has every intention of taking angel back to his room and peeling him out of everything anyway, but if that's what angel wants to do, valentino won't stop him. for once. ]

[harderdaddy]

[The tension spikes for just a moment at that first touch, but he quickly relaxes into it and breathes a grateful sigh.

His lips curl at the compliment, drinking them in while Val's still in the mood to hand them out. Watching them in the mirror they like different people...happy. Angel nuzzles into that fluff and turns his head finally to press a matching kiss to Val's with a smile, eyes still trained on their reflections.]

Love you, Val.

[He nods faintly and pulls his robe a little tighter. It's not the first time he's made the trip like this. Hell, he's plastered naked all round this tower, there's not much reason to be bashful about it.

He sets his phone on the vanity, hoping Val will read it as not wanting to be disturbed while they're alone tonight, but mostly he doesn't want Val snooping.]

I can't wait to feel those sheets again.

[papichulo]

[ valentino does not say it back. it's not as if he's never returned the sentiment - he's told angel he loves him more times than he can count, but these days, more often than not, those three little words come as a soothing balm to hard blows, verbal or otherwise. that's not to say that he's never murmured them in quieter moments, or that he doesn't find time to remind angel that he loves him when he's in one of his better moods - but valentino deliberately withholds the sentiment for now.

he communicates it in other ways, though. valentino smiles at angel's reflection, moving his hands from where they're massaging his shoulders so he can cross his dominant arms over angel's chest instead, holding him tight and close, lips finding his cheek, his jaw. he doesn't miss the way angel sets his phone aside, bright red eyes following the movement of his hand, curious. suspicious. but he doesn't say anything about it, his eyes finding angel's in the mirror again. if he wants to convince angel that living in the tower was in his best interest, then he needs to keep control of his temper, at least for now.

valentino meets angel's gaze in the mirror again, and he stands to his full height, letting his fingers skim up angel's chest as he straightens. he offers one of his hands, gold rings glinting under the soft vanity lights. ]

Then let's not waste any more time, amorcito. Come on.

[harderdaddy]

[It's stopped hurting quite so much when he doesn't hear it. At least that's what he tells himself. He doesn't volunteer it quite so often these days either if he's being fair, and Angel's mind manages to twist his hurt round on himself without Val even needing to say a word.

The possessive hold is nicer in moments like this, when it doesn't feel entirely designed to show Angel who he belongs to, and he smiles taking the offered hand and rising once he's released. His other hands try to readjust the robe again as they step out of his dressing room, and he finds himself glad there's not too many people around at this hour to see him heading up instead of out. He tries to bury that shame, the one that feels remarkably similar to what he feels each and every time he relapses after trying to quit for any amount of time.]

[papichulo]

[ on the other hand, valentino feels no shame in leading angel to his penthouse. their relationship, as loosely defined as it is, is hardly a secret, at least not among those employed by the vees, and valentino would just - rip anyone apart who had anything critical or less-than-positive to say about it anyway.

that being said - it is relatively quiet at this hour. mostly everyone has wrapped up and gone home, and any stragglers are smart enough to make a point of ignoring angel and valentino alltogether, like the two of them are ghosts. valentino opens his hand a little around angel's, but only so he can slot their fingers together, giving his hand a light squeeze as he leads him along. fortunately, the trek from the studio to the penthouse isn't terrible, and it's not long before he's letting angel inside, holding the door open with two hands and ushering him past the threshhold.

with the doors closed and locked behind them, valentino turns angel around to face him. he slides a hand under his chin, lifts his head carefully. his thumb strokes across his smarted cheek, head tilting slightly like he's checking for any lasting marks that won't be gone by morning. he seems satisfied enough. ]

You did well, baby. [ valentino's hand drifts from under angel's jaw, ghosting down the column of his throat. two of his fingers slide underneath the collar of his robe, following the hem down where it crosses over his chest. ] Why don't you take a hot bath, hmm?

[harderdaddy]

[It's been a while since he's been in this space, but it still feels familiar. Like home if not entirely safe.

He lifts his head and watches as Val examines his so gently, that guilt rising again for whatever doubts have been bubbling away in his mind.

His fingers release the hold on his robe, and he smiles softly before nodding, shoulders loosening up at the thought.]

You wanna join me, Daddy?

[papichulo]

[ outside of valentino's temper, the penthouse is safe. it's one of the safest places angel could be, all things considered. in the years that valentino's known him, the annual threat of extermination has never touched angel here in the tower, and valentino has always provided him with everything he could possibly need. here, with valentino, he's untouchable, unless valentino says otherwise.

running the back of his knuckles down the center of angel's chest, valentino smiles at him quietly, his other hands working at sliding a set of gold cuffs off of his own wrists. ]

If you'd like me to. [ of course he wants to join him, but presenting angel with the option to bathe and relax alone is calculated. it's supposed to make him feel like he has a choice, like he has freedom - and he does. have a choice, at least, and for once, it doesn't seem like there's a wrong answer, no looming threat.

valentino steps around angel, and he hands off some of his jewelry to kitty, who seems to appear out of nowhere before zipping off again. he turns then, hands beginning to roll down his sleeves, fingers unbuttoning the cuffs. ] Do you want a drink? I'll bring it to you.

[harderdaddy]

[That much is true. Nothing's ever got to him here except for Val himself. He has always held true to that aspect of their contract, the fame, the protection...none of those are a lie. As far as Hell goes it's a pretty good deal. Not a lot of people down here keep their word like that.

Gaze following the path of that one hand, Angel smiles easily when presented with a choice. All these years and he's still easy to play with that illusion sprinkled in now and then. He nods with an almost shy expression, as if Valentino hasn't just watched him be railed on set for the last however long.]

'Course I do.

[He's no longer surprised by Kitty, the appearance making him grin fondly as he starts off towards the bathroom, glancing back at the offer.]

Mmm, surprise me?~

[There's a playful tone and a wink, before Angel disappears to get the bath started.]

not me trying to piece together a logical layout based on like 4 screencaps

[papichulo]

[ that playfulness earns angel a low, quiet laugh from valentino, and he waves him off with a lazy gesture of one hand, his others beginning to work at the buttons down the front of his shirt. he only turns away once angel's up the spiral staircase and out of his line of sight.

alone, valentino finishes unbuttoning his shirt, but leaves it on and open for now. he summons kitty again, instructing the fizzbot to pour him two drinks - two martinis, specifically, one with an olive garnish, and one with a lemon twist, and then heads up the stairs himself, though he doesn't join angel in the bathroom right away. instead, he removes a couple more rings and another bracelet and sets them neatly on top of the vanity in his loft of a bedroom, and sends off a quick text. kitty meets him upstairs only a minute or two later, silver tray in hand, and valentino plucks both of the drinks from it before sending her off.

by the time he joins angel in the bathroom, enough time has passed for angel to have filled the large, elevated tub in the center of the room, and littered the water with whatever soaps and bath salts he pleases (because valentino is, unsurprisingly, the kind of person to have an obnoxious amount of soaps and salts and sprays and lotions). he sets the glass with the olives in it down on the wide marble edge of the tub and uses the same hand to touch angel under the chin, and then leaves him to sit on a plush stool in front of the nearby vanity, where he sets his own glass down. ]

You look comfortable, [ he says, his voice low as he bends and reaches down toward one of his ankles to unzip his boot. he slides it off and sets it aside, then moves over to the other one, his eyes on angel the entire time. when his shoes are off, he straightens up and peels himself out of his dress shirt, left in only his white slacks, a gold chain at his throat, and the more delicate chain strung between both of his pierced nipples.

he picks up his drink, stands, and wanders over, looming over angel, but making no move yet to finish undressing, or to join him. when he speaks again, his tone is... apologetic, maybe a touch overdone. practiced empathy, mixed with something else. ] I'm sorry to have kept you up so late. I'd have found someone else if I thought anyone could do it better.

[ realistically, there are a handful of lesser-known stars who probably could have pulled off such an easy scene with some effort, but that's not the point. ]

lol, such dedication <3

[harderdaddy]

[Fuck he's missed this bath. A sweet strawberry scent wafts from the water, always his favourite of Val's array of options, and there's a few bubbles to help conceal his feet. He lets himself relax in the warm embrace, eyes closed until he hears the sound of Val's heel's approaching.

He hums gratefully, sitting up to take a sip of that drink. Setting it down again he folds his top set of arms on the edge of the tub and rests his cheek atop them to watch Val.]

I am~ [There an easy smile, one that grows a little more leering as Valentino strips more away, and he shifts, lifting his chin as the moth looms over him.]

It's fine, Val. Really. I was just...bein' a brat. An' you've made up for it real nice. You gonna let me make up for what I said? [He arches a brow in invitation, nodding towards the water.] You promised if I was good...

my ass almost opened the sims to try and build something before i was like no that's too much lmao

[papichulo]

[ he did promise. he's made a number of promises over the past couple hours, actually, all of which he intends to fulfill - he hasn't forgotten about allowing angel to delete those photos of - but this one seems the most beneficial to the both of them at the moment.

valentino takes angel's face in one hand, tilting his head up as he leans down to kiss him, his tongue snaking into his mouth while his two remaining hands work his pants open and off; unsurprisingly, there are no underwear to be shed. when he breaks away, he leaves another kiss at the corner of angel's mouth, still leaned in close. ] I did, didn't I? And you were such a good boy...

[ his teeth flash as he smiles, and he takes a sip from his glass before straightening up and stepping over the marbled edge and into the bath. he sinks down into the hot water with a sigh, his back resting against the slanted side of the tub, and spreads his upper arms out along the edge, drink set aside. ]

lol that's amazing <3 <3 <3

[harderdaddy]

[The photos are all but forgotten at this point, between the sweet words, pleasure and that high he's starting to miss.

Which makes him all the more eager for that kiss, lips easily parting, wanting more of that poison in his system. His eyes strain to catch a peek, and he gives a pleased groan at the sight of him. He puts on his best wide eyed innocent look and nods, some how managing to look sultry while doing it.]

I had a good incentive~

[Val seems in a good enough mood to be playful like this. Of course he should be good because Val fucking says so, and they both know it.

He waits until Val's settled to shift over to him, fingers lighting on that pretty chain delicately as he stole another kiss, and then let himself settle comfortably for a moment so the both of them could enjoy the warmth.]

...I missed this.

[papichulo]

[ hidden under the water, one of valentino's lower hands skims behind angel's back and settles at his waist, pulling him in closer to his side. he drags his claws lightly against his hip, up and down in lazy strokes, sharp, but not enough to hurt. enough to tease, enough to tickle, maybe, but that's it. he takes another sip of his drink, and then sets it aside again with a soft tink of glass on marble.

valentino lets angel's confession sit in the air between them for a few long moments, fingers tracing X's on his hip, and then, like he did in the car, he encourages angel to move into his lap with a subtle nudge of his hand. ]

You could have this all the time. [ it's murmured, no need for anything louder in the minimal space between them. valentino pets a hand down angel's chest, fingers wetting down his fluff a little. his eyes flicker up, catching angel's. ] ... You did before.

[ before angel left. before he moved out and started holing up in that shitty hotel. before he decided that everything he could ever want wasn't actually enough. ]

[harderdaddy]

[Each little brush of those claws is a show of how gentle Val can be when he wants to. He could tear him to pieces if he wants. Has a few rare times, though that's usually reserved for less consequential people when he's in a rage.

Shifting and settling over Val's lap without a word exchanged between the two, he thinks he might know Val better than most anyone except for possibly the other Vees.

There's a conflicted look, and the words die on his tongue before he can get them out - they didn't. Even then. The good moments didn't make up for the terrible ones, and he tries to remind himself.]

...we'd fight. [He offers finally, opting for a phrasing that gave himself at least half the blame.] I don't like fightin' with you, Val...