Lovers Once More - Radiostatic

Uncovering Lies

Alastor had been hunched over his desk for the past hour, engrossed in stacks of notes and ledgers, his focus unwavering. That is, until a quiet knock at the door made him look up, startled. He watched as Vox's head peeked in, screen flickering faintly, his usual smirk in place.

"Need something?" Alastor asked, raising an eyebrow.

Vox shrugged, stepping into the room. "Not exactly. Just... bored," he said, trying to sound casual but giving Alastor a look that hinted he had something more on his mind.

Alastor chuckled, setting down his pen. "Well then, by all means, come in," he said, walking over to the bed and sitting down with an inviting smile. "Shut the door, would you?"

Vox hesitated for only a moment before closing the door and crossing the room to sit beside Alastor on the bed. He leaned back, resting on his elbows, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. The silence between them felt heavier than before, the unspoken words from the other night lingering in the air, waiting to be addressed.

"So," Vox began, breaking the quiet, his voice softer than usual. "About... what I said the other night. I'd rather not dance around it anymore." He glanced at Alastor, his screen glitching faintly as if struggling to find the right words.

Alastor nodded, crossing his arms as he regarded Vox thoughtfully. "I think that's wise," he said, his voice gentle. "I've been... curious as to whether it was the drink talking or if there was something more behind those words."

Vox shifted uncomfortably, staring at a spot on the floor. "I... look, I don't usually get all sappy. You know that. But seeing you again, after everything..." He paused, frowning as he searched for the right words. "It brought a lot back. And maybe I said things I hadn't planned to. But that doesn't mean they weren't true."

Alastor's gaze softened, and he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "It seems we're both guilty of leaving things unsaid over the years," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I never stopped caring, Vox. Perhaps I chose to bury it beneath other priorities, but there was a time when we were... more than just rivals, more than whatever we became after."

Vox finally looked up, his usual sarcasm absent, replaced by a vulnerable sincerity that Alastor hadn't seen in years. "We went from friends to lovers to enemies, and now we're... here. I don't know what to call it, Al. I just know that I missed it. Missed us." He reached out, hesitating before placing a tentative hand over Alastor's. "And I wasn't lying when I said I missed being more than friends with you."

The contact was small, but it held a gravity that words couldn't capture. Alastor's fingers curled around Vox's instinctively, his eyes locked on Vox's screen, reading the fleeting emotions glitching across it. He took a slow breath, steadying himself. "I missed it, too," he admitted, his voice low. "I think, somewhere along the way, I convinced myself it was easier to forget. But now, sitting here with you..."

Vox's grip tightened ever so slightly, and he chuckled, a sound tinged with both humor and regret. "You know, we're probably both fools for digging this up again." He looked away, his screen flashing faintly as he shook his head. "But for what it's worth, I'm tired of pretending it didn't mean anything."

Alastor smiled, his thumb tracing slow circles over the back of Vox's hand. "Then let's stop pretending." He paused, his voice softening as he leaned in closer. "No more masks, no more games. Just... us. Whatever that may look like."

They sat in silence, their hands intertwined as they both took in the weight of those words. For once, there was no need for banter, no need for deflection. They simply sat together, letting the unspoken truths settle between them, both feeling a sense of peace they hadn't known in years.