Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(YN) = your name
📱 = phone screen
'text' = thoughts/quoting
"text" = spoken word
bold and underline = accentuation (the former is aggressive)
italics = different tone/implication
(S/N) = street name and number
(*text) = explanation
number of empty lines indicate time passing
* (center justified) separates author notes from the story

*

A slow morning at I.M.P, everyone was busy with their routine early-day tasks.

The tranquility was disturbed by a fairly loud rumble.

"URGH! That's it! I've had it with that prick!" Moxxie exclaimed as he burst out of the armory.

"What is it now?" Loona sighed irritably from behind her phone.

"I told them countless times, two-handers go in the lower lockers! I was trying to find my silencer on the shelf and now look at that mess!" He gestured at the room.
"They keep forcing that huge damn rifle up there when it doesn't even fit! I'm not cleaning that up again! Where's (YN)?"

"Dunno, haven't seen 'em today."

"They're late again?!"

"Hon, calm down, we're all clumsy sometimes, they're prolly just-" Millie appeared and comforted her husband but he kept going.

"Yes, sometimes! Not all the time! I won't put up with their shenanigans anymore! We even failed that contract because of them last week!"

The office door opened. Blitzø stepped out with an annoyed expression.

"Hey, what's all the fuss about, I can't focus on paperwork if you scream like a virgin, Moxxie!"

"You never do paperwork." Moxxie frowned with crossed arms.

"Anyways, don't you have an armory to inspect or something? What's the problem?"

"The problem? The problem is (YN)!"

"Stop fucking whining already, I can't hear my own damn thoughts!" Loona barked, smashing the phone on the table.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Millie demanded.

"Settle down, everyone! Alright, so what, they late again?"

"Not just that, sir! The armory is in ruins for the fourth time this month, they're never on time, their performance is also atrocious lately... It's about time we- well, you do something. I'm not willing to go on one more mission with them, I'm not risking myself and Millie! And don't even get me started on-"

The main entrance suddenly swung open. You stumbled inside, trying to catch your breath.

"Shit, *huff* sorry guys, I-"

"See? We can't tolerate this any longer!" Moxxie complained, pointing at you.

"Ok, let 'em breathe, let's hear today's excuse first." Blitzø rolled his eyes.

"I, uh, had an accident." You scraped the back of your head.

"Well that explains your clothes. You look like a hobo, even more so than usual." Blitzø mocked.

"Sir, I'm serious! I would've been on time if it wasn't for some asshole cutting me off. I hit a damn trash can... I'll show you my bike if you don't believe me."

"Since when do you use a bike? What's with that beloved hatchback of yours?"

"...I wanted something cheap that could get me through traffic faster."

"Didn't seem to work out, huh?" He raised a brow with hands on his hips.

"Ugh, look, I'm back on track from now on, ok? Promise. Just let me take a piss real qui-"

"Not so fast, why don't we have a talk in the office?"

You felt a drop of sweat roll down your face as you followed your boss to the room. As the door closed, he invited you to sit with him.

"Is it really that hot in here?" He teased. "No need to wet the pants, just tell me what's been buggin' you lately. Hate to admit but Mox is right, your performance was ass these past few weeks, I can't let it all slip. And the sloppiness, dim looks all the time... What gives?"

"I know, I know, it's just... I've been having trouble sleeping lately. Even the times I managed to pass out early, no alarm or caffeine could wake me up. B-but it came and went, I'm good now, I'll make up for it." You winked, trying to sound convincing.

"Why didn't you tell me? I should know stuff like this first hand! I can't have you out on a job, dealing with guns when your reflexes resemble a dead horse!"

"I thought I could handle it..." You glanced to the side.

"You can't fuck around like this anymore! I'm not letting you off the hook next time." He frowned.

"100% won't be a next time." You nodded. "But I really gotta go now." Your eyes wandered as you impatiently fiddled with your hands.

"Wanna yank one off so bad?" He smirked. "Go but clean up the armory once you're done, Mox can't stop bitching about it. It's justified, mind you." He concluded as he leaned back in the chair.

"Got it." You quickly made your way out.

Upon exiting the office, you spotted Moxxie giving you disapproving looks from afar.

"2 minutes, ok?" You sighed in annoyance, seeing him approach.

"You're saying it like I'm asking a favor. You keep putting that stupid heavy thing up there! Why? I specifically-"

"Gimme a freakin' break! I get it, my fault, sorry, fuck me but can we not do this right now? Am I allowed to enter the restroom first? Get off me for a bit unless you want a puddle of piss in there." You grumbled, walking onward.

"I bet Blitzø was too easy on you." You heard him huff.

After the refreshment, you dealt with the mess that was the armory.

It was lunchtime by the time you got done.

You joined the gang at the table.

"Phew, you weren't kidding, that room reminded me of a territorial war." You joked as you took a seat beside Moxxie.

He turned to you with a distrustful look.
"Are you sure you've finished already?"

"Place's good as new, you could use the floor as a mirror." You winked. "By the way, you and Mills have a long shift today, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I could cover for you guys, go watch a movie or something. How 'bout it?" You raised your brows with a smile.

"Huh?" Moxxie grimaced in disbelief.

"Really?!" Millie gasped.

"Anything for my favorite couple." You aimed finger guns at her.

"Hold up, you wanna cover both of 'em?" Blitzø asked from the other side of the table.

"Not like there's a lot of work, we barely got stuff to do this week. A few calls and paperwork for the most part, no probs, bossman." You shrugged.

"You actually are back on track, that's what I like to see!" Blitzø gave you a satisfied smile.

"Told ya." You replied, stretching smugly.

"Cool, fine with me, everyone agrees?" Blitzø glanced at the couple.

"Thanks for the offer but... you're in an awfully good mood all of a sudden." Moxxie looked you up and down in bewilderment.

"Can't stay down forever, can I? Just needed a breather and some iced coffee. About time I start makin' up for last time. What, still angry with me?" You gave him an innocent look.

"C'mon sweetie, they're just bein' nice!" Millie patted Moxxie's shoulder.

"I suppose... well, thanks." He hesitantly seemed to agree.

"A lot!" Millie added.

"Heh, 's what I do."

A few uneventful hours passed, closing time was drawing near.

"Hurry it up!" Loona yelled impatiently.

"Don't wait for me, Loonie, I'm staying overtime with (YN). Get some sugar cubes on the way home, ok?" Blitzø answered from the office.

You were handling leftover paperwork and other menial tasks at Loona's desk.

"Wait, before you guys leave, I'm ordering ammo for next week, what calibers do we need the most?" You asked while looking through lists on the PC.

"Don't look at me, Moxxie's dealing with stuff like that." Loona gestured towards the kitchen.

You hopped up and made your way in there.

"Moxox, what ammo should- w-what the fuck are you doing?!" You freaked out when you saw Millie holding your bag.

Before they could say a thing, you ripped it out of her hands, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Hey!" She yelped.

"(YN)! Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Moxxie exclaimed, catching her.

As the initial shock wore off, you froze in place, not knowing what to say.

"I found it sittin' upside down near the armory, you forgot to lock it away this morning. I was just about to give it to ya before we leave, what's your freakin' problem?" She huffed.

"You think we'd steal it or something?!" Moxxie kept yelling.

"The actual unholy fuck is going on here?!" Blitzø banged through the door.

"I don't know, ask (YN) why they assaulted my wife!" Moxxie gestured.

"What did you do this time?!" Blitzø approached.

"Wait, uh... It was just a misunderstanding, I..." You muttered as you tried your hardest to come up with something. Your tail kept twitching anxiously.

"Spit it out already!" Blitzø shook you by the shoulders.

"Er... i-it's an old gift. Sentimental value, is all... I just overreacted a bit." You mumbled awkwardly.

"Sentimental value. This ragged junk you bought 5 years ago? Do you think I'm stupid? That has to be your worst excuse yet." Moxxie shook his head. "Sir, you can't possibly believe that, something isn't right here."

"What's in it?" Millie eyed you with a skeptical expression.

Blitzø's phone rang, interrupting the situation.
He quickly checked it.

"Fuuuck..." He lifted an arm to his forehead irritably.

"You're not planning on talking to him right now, are you?" Moxxie asked in an annoyed tone.

"I don't wanna, believe me, but I can only decline so many times. It's like the third day in a row now. Ok, you two go home, I don't know how long it'll take. We'll discuss this tomorrow."
He turned to you with a serious face. "Wait at Loona's desk."

"Will you seriously prioritize him?!" Moxxie flailed his arms.

"I can't risk the damn book, Moxxie!"

He turned around and picked it up.

"Stolas, how's it-... Yeah, havin' a busy week, I-" The rest of the conversation was inaudible after he closed the door behind him.

The next few seconds felt like hours.

Millie broke the awkward silence.

"Let's go, dear." She tried to hold her husband's hands but he took a step towards you.

"I'm not leaving this place and neither will you until you tell me the truth!" He insisted as he got closer and closer.

"Moxxie!" She followed.

You walked back, hitting the wall. You held the bag tight, even wrapping your tail around it.

"C'mon, please listen to her. It's- Hey!" He reached for the bag. You dodged him but then got cornered.

He got his hands on one of the straps.

"Enough!" Millie tried to separate you two.

"I knew I can't trust you! It must be something horrible, I can't let you endanger us! Just- let go-!" He pulled on it angrily.

"Don't make- Stop it! HNGH! NO!" You pushed him with full force.

He fell back, hitting Millie. The two smashed onto the table.

"ACK!"

The table collapsed. Plates, glasses clattering everywhere.

"Fuck!" Your eyes widened at the sight. You hesitated for a second, then instinctively sprinted out of the kitchen and escaped the building.

Blitzø was in the middle of his steamy conversation with the owl, leaning onto the window sill. His tired eyes flared up when he spotted a certain imp running amok on the streets.

"Huh?! Uh, battery running out, call ya back!"

He hung up and hurried out of the office but came to a sudden stop when he noticed the kitchen, almost falling over in the process.

"What the?!"

"Argh, it was (YN)." Millie growled, cleaning her clothes.

"They got away!" Moxxie shrieked.

A few minutes later, as Blitzø was scanning the streets, he spotted a fenced area at an intersection. There were a few cars and a familiar bike laying around. It was nearly wrecked. A bunch of imps kept arguing in the middle.

He pulled over and rolled the windows down.

"Hey, any of you seen the bastard?" He pointed at the bike.

"That piece of shit crashed into me! Flew all the way over there, then had the nerve to pull a gun on us!" One of them ranted. "Fucker limped away to the west. Wouldn't follow 'em if I were you."

Blitzø knew this city like the back of his hand. He knew for a fact there was barely anything in that direction. He stalked you a few times before out of curiosity but you were always cautious, especially after hearing Moxxie's experiences, so he gave up after a while. He had located your flat, which was on the other side of town, but that was all.

He went down the western road. Nothing but shady slums and alleys.

Buildings and population were getting sparser by the second. A couple ran down shacks signed the end of the city. He noticed a sketchy-looking guy leaning at one of them.

Blitzø approached him.

"You lost? I got whatcha need." He lifted his jacket.

Blitzø gave an accurate description of you.

"Hmm... familiar but my memory just ain't what it used to be, y'know. I'm sure we can help each other though. Tryina remember is hard work and good work doesn't come cheap." He spread his arms with a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Son of a..." Blitzø snarled as he delved into his pockets. "There, now speak!" He handed him some money.

"Oh, now I 'member. Seen their hobo lookin' ass crawl through here not too long ago. Pretty sure they're still in there." He gestured at a nearby pub. "Bud seemed kinda beat up, bet they owe the wrong people. Grippin' some bag like their life depended on it. You a loan shark or some shit? Here to finish the job? Go ahead, should be an easy one." He snorted as he lighted a cig.

"You better not be lying." Blitzø glared at him threateningly as the windows rolled up.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya." He smirked.

Blitzø parked near the tattered building.

Walking in, he grimaced at how disgusting and barren the place was. He saw you lying on one of the tables in the back, bottles surrounding you. He was furious but he tried to contain it.

He took the seat in front of you.

"Morning, employee of the month." He said in an irritated tone.

No reaction.

"You alive? Get up, damn it!"

Muffled murmurs could be heard.
"Paid already, *hic* fuck off."

"Do not talk to your boss that way!" He kicked the table, causing some empty bottles to fall off.

You sat up with some difficulty.

"What?... How did you?-"

"You don't wanna get me started on that." Blitzø growled. "Care to tell me what the fuck were you thinking?!

"Heh, what does it matter?" You snorted with a taunting smile. "Not like I have a job to worry about anymore."

"Don't get cute on me, asshat! What's all this crap about?!"

"I don' *hic* see what the issue is. Ya got me. What're you waiting for? If you want somethin' you better take it while you can... But spoilers, I don't have a single penny on me." You let out a hollow laugh. "Tough luck." You reached for a bottle.

"You're pushing your luck!" He gritted his teeth in rage. "Fuckin' hell are you doing here?! Why did you attack them?!"

"Bullshit! Mox can go stick it up! Lil' cunt musta forgot to tell you he started it... Like I had a choice." You snarled. "And that stupid whore touchin' my stuff..." You added with a low growl before taking a sip.

"Are you even the same fucking person I hired back then?! What happened?!" Blitzø yelled in frustration.

"You really wanna know? Lemme tell you!" You slammed an arm on the table. "What fuckin' happened was you blowing all our goddamn salaries last month!"

"What does that shit have to do with this?! I repaid it almost instantly anyway, you ungrateful scrawny dickhead!"

"That's not *hic* the point, retard!" You facepalmed. "You have any idea how stupid expensive this crap is?" You threw your bag on the table. A few sacs of pills fell out. "Couldn't afford 'em for weeks and din' even pay the fuckin' bills in time! Had to sell my damn car just to get my hands on some this morning... Now I don't even have that shitty rustbag of a bike I stole." You leaned on the table with both elbows.

"So it's supposed to be my fault you come to work drugged outta your mind?! And you coulda just asked for a downpayment if you're that tight! You never tell me shit!"

"It's none of your freakin' business, that's why! You live in your own little world and you don't even need drugs for it, con-fucking-gradulations, I envy you! What, ya expect us to spill all our personal shit on your delusional ass?" You shook your head with a fed-up grimace. "Hi boss, did you know I'm on speed (*amphetamine) 24/7?" You mocked in a funny voice. "Just leave..."

You started downing the bottle you grasped earlier.

"Can you stop that for fuck's sake?!" Blitzø slapped the bottle out of your hand.

"Dunno, can you stop stalkin' us? Tch, why are you even here? If you wanna throw hands, get it over with, now's your best chance. I'll pay for the damn *hic* table next month and we can forget each oth-"

"I'm trying all I can for the family 'cuz you're RUINING IT!" He screamed, smashing a bottle on the table.

You two glared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"What?..." You narrowed your eyes in confusion.

He sighed.

"I should really just fire you but..."

"What's holding you back? I'm a fucking failure. Don't waste your time." You looked down.

"Don't you remember what I said on your first day?"

You recollected.

"'...Welcome to the family. Never forget, we *hic* don't get rid of family.'" You quoted quietly.

"When I adopted Loona, I realized how important family is. My sisters and I never got the chance to experience it back in the day. Ever since then, I wanted those I care about to feel the same. To make them feel at home, let you guys know you belong somewhere... Especially if you don't get that elsewhere. I know I make lots of mistakes, I have my quirks, I annoy you guys all the time, and..." He took a deep breath. "Look, point is, to me, family is about not letting go. No matter how bad the situation seems. That's why I'm here. When you joined us, I welcomed an energetic, professional, and charismatic employee who loved the job. You were always the most fun one around. But now, all I see is... this." He gestured with disappointment in his eyes.

You finally looked up at him but couldn't keep it up for long.

"I'm sure that person is still in there." He continued.

"Urgh... I'm..." You held your forehead, hiding your face. "...Sorry but... that person isn't real. Without *hic* my drugs, this is all I am. It's all I ever was... A lie."

"We'll work this out but only if you don't give up on me. I know you know I kno- you know I know you- argh, you know I'm right!"

You couldn't help but snicker at this.

"You dork..."

"Let's get outta this shithole, ok?" He stood up and offered you a hand.

"...Alright." You reluctantly took his hand and attempted to get up. "OW!" You fell back.

"What's wrong?" He bent down.

"Aw, fuck me... I suck *hic* on two wheels." You whimpered with a tired chuckle. "Darn, it wasn't so bad on the way here, lemme just..." You held onto the table, trying to find a good position.

"Drop the tough guy act." He rolled his eyes. "How did you even get a license for that?"

"I didn't..." You smiled wearily while reaching for your bag.

"You're hopeless." He sighed as he folded his arms under your armpits and knees.

"What're you- hey!" You tried to push him away.

"Eh, you smell like burning tires and my dad's room. Does it hurt like this?"

"No, but you-"

"Then off we go." He picked you up.

"AH! Seriously?! Get off me!" You flailed.

"Stop moving or I'll drop you, damn it! We're lucky you're sorta underweight."

"Put me the hell down already, moron!" You yelled with an aggressive blush.

"Oh, stop makin' a scene, no one's looking."

You glanced around. There were only about 5 other demons in the whole pub but they were all most certainly watching you two.

You gave him a death stare.

"Well... told ya not to whine." He shrugged.

"Happy honeymoon!" The bartender made fun of you as you two were getting close to the exit, making others burst out in laughter.

"What did you just *hic* fuckin' say to me?! Can't hear ya from over there, wise-ass motherfucker!" You shouted, your face almost glowing red.

"Can we not start a fight right now? Sheesh, you really shouldn't drink." He shook his head.

Blitzø stepped outside with you in his arms. It was late at night. He made his way to the car.

"Surprised it's still intact, I despise this part of town... gives me the creeps. Why did you come here of all places? It's a miracle you didn't get robbed in your state."

"Well, after the flop I just wanted a place to sit and drink myself to oblivion... far away from you guys. Couldn't get home so figured I'd spend the night here." You explained with a yawn.

"Gettin' comfy, are we?" He teased.

"Argh, just... let go of me already." You groaned with a defeated expression.

He placed you on the passenger side.

"Let's get you home. (S/N), right?" He asked, shutting the doors.

"Nice to have some privacy." You crossed your arms.

"Ok, I'll tone it down in the future. But only if you stop with the stuff."

You pouted, facing away.

After a few turns, you started feeling more and more uneasy.

"Uh, how do you *hic* roll this-" You covered your mouth.

"Huh? Wait, don't!" He braked desperately.

You couldn't hold the booze in any longer.

"Holy fucking shit, (YN)! Open the door!" He jumped out and ran to your side.

"I just cleaned the interior! Fuck!" He grumbled.

He helped you aim outside for a good while.

"Eugh, fuckin'... urgh..." You coughed.

"You done?" He huffed.

"I hope..." You muttered.

"Loona pulls this shit on me every once in a while, at least I have experience." He rolled his eyes.

You reached your block not much later. He pulled over.

"What do you think, can we-" He glanced at you but you were sound asleep by now.

"Babysitter time all over again." He clawed his face in annoyance.

He searched your bag for keys. He was pissed by the time he got through all the sacs and syringes but after a while, he stumbled upon your wallet and the keys at the bottom.

He checked if you were still sleeping. His curiosity got the better of him and the zipper was undrew.

At first, he didn't like what he saw. Shady cards and scribbled notes, but then his eyes glued on a seemingly recently crumpled up piece of paper with your handwriting on it, saying 'the gang'. It stank of alcohol.

He smoothed it out and turned it around in his hands. It was an old photo, a group selfie from long ago with you and him posing in the middle. Millie was doing bunny ears on one side, Moxxie rolling his eyes with a flustered expression on the other, and Loona, as always, at her desk on her phone in the background. He noticed how much better you looked there.

He kept glancing between you and the picture.

He tucked it back in and closed the zipper, putting everything back in the bag except the keys.

He carried you upstairs and opened the door.

It was a bit of a struggle, he was quite gassed out by the time he got inside, dropping you on the bed.

He sat down at a nearby chair and looked around. The place was about the size of a small living room, a chaotic mess even by Imp City standards. Clothes and all kinds of trash everywhere.

His phone rang, making him jump up. He picked it up and stepped out of the room.

"Hey. Yeah, well... I mean, I found 'em but- What? And why is she there? Wait, I-... Ah, ok. Yes, I know. Sorry, must've been on mute. Look, I'll be fine. I'm, uh... spending the night at Stolas' place, talk to you tomorrow, 'k? Uhum. I'll just... Gotta go now. Later."

He put the phone away with a tired sigh, walking back inside.

You woke up to the sound of muffled talking. It kinda sounded like... Blitzø?

You remember having this dream where the team found out about your dependencies somehow and there was a fight and an accident and a pub or something...

You didn't think much of it, weird dreams were common for you. You didn't bother opening your eyes, there was no alarm yet.

The voice persisted though. You couldn't quite make it out but it sounded as if it was coming from the inside.

You quickly sat up, ripping a pillow off your face. You noticed your bag wide open on the ground.

"Oh, no, no, no!" You stuttered, frantically looking around. You spotted him standing near the window on the other side of the room with his back turned. He was on the phone.
You panicked and attempted to get out of bed.

"GHA! Son of a freakin'..." You fell back, your hip still stung like a hot iron nail.

He turned around.

"(...)-in about an hour or so. It's in the left drawer, I think. Tell M&M to take their time, love ya." He finished the conversation.

"Got in a nice 11 hours, huh?"

"Oh Lucifer, please don't tell me..." You lowered your head. "Wasn't a dream was it?"

"Yesterday's fiasco? Wish it was." He sat beside you.

"B-but why are you still here?"

"What, you expected me to leave you here alone in that condition? I asked Loonie to open up for us."

"What were you even doing here all night, I-... Argh... So what now? A-and what did you tell 'em about all this? They must hate me now!" You groaned with a painful expression.

"(YN)..."

"And Moxxie and Millie?! Oh fuck, are they alright?! Wh-" You babbled.

"(YN)." He repeated louder.

"Wait, didn't I throw up in your car? Aw, I'm such a fucking piece of-"

"(YN)!" He grabbed you by the shoulders. "Shut up for a sec! Listen, I didn't tell 'em much. Don't stress on this shit right now. Mox 'n Mills are fine." He let go of you. "What happens now is entirely on you."

You watched him silently with a miserable visage.

"If you remember what I told you yesterday, you already know what I have to say. But ultimately, you'll have to decide if you want to be a part of the family or not." He looked you dead in the eye.

You avoided his gaze. You always hated it when he did that.

"Hey, eyes up here!"

You slowly looked back up with a sour face.

"You must get off the juice." He stated in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

You shook your head.
"Didn't I tell you last time? The person you think I am is-"

"Heard that before, still don't believe it."

"You should. Without gear, I can't function... You had the misfortune of experiencing that this month... That's who I really am."

"Wouldn't you at least try it for the gang?"

"Huh?" You raised a brow. He never called you guys that before.

"...Even if I managed to put it down, it's a lost cause either way. How could I just go back to work after this? You won't let me do my thing, I'll only mess shit up. I'm certain Mox would love to work with me... I'm a waste of space when I'm clean." You gave the bag a gloomy glance.

"Say, what was the longest time you went without it?"

"Uh... well, these past few weeks. In a very long time. And you saw the results."

"Then you don't even know what being clean feels like! Never got to that point! If you coulda just held out a little longer and-"

"I can't!" You snapped at him, flapping an arm in frustration.

"Drop this family talk and... I'm not fit for this anymore. You need a better employee." You faced away. You had to swallow a few tears.

"I've seen the photo, ok? I know you don't wanna leave."

"Wh- that's in my wallet, you-" You exclaimed with a shocked expression.

"I don't care what you think or say, these fucking pills are destroying you! Look in the mirror and then that picture! It'll only get worse!"

"Wanna see my birth certificate too, mom?!" You snarled.

"Look at me! Look me in the eye and say you need that bag more than your job! Say you love it more than us! Say you value it more than the family... and I promise I'll leave you alone." He crossed his arms with a frown rather sad than angry.

You tensed up, moving your head away. More and more butterflies crowded your stomach.

You pursed your mouth, your vision got blurry.

'Am I seriously going to cry in front of him of all people?!'

"Well? Do you?!" He demanded an answer.

You felt warm streams leaving marks on your cheeks. You couldn't keep them in.

You turned back and buried your face in his neck as fast as you could, desperately attempting to hide it.

"Shut up, just... shut up..." You muttered with a quivering voice.

He was caught off guard but hugged you back soon.
"I'll take that as a no." He sighed.

You two held that position for a long time.

"Uhm... not to ruin the moment but... I can feel the moisture, y'know. And it's my favorite cape..." He mumbled awkwardly.

You straightened up.
"Tch, you just *sniff* wanted to see me cry like a little bitch, huh? Low blow, sir." You snarled in embarrassment.

"I'll have you know it's real expensive premium material." He held his nose high jokingly to ease the situation.

You snorted while wiping your face.

"Seriously though... you gotta admit. You can't keep this up."

You kept looking down silently.

"I see this therapist every month, I think you should try it." He handed you a card. "We could go together and see if it helps?"

"Eh... I'm not a fan of those guys." You eyed the card with suspicion.

"Tell you what, come with me and give it a shot. In exchange, I'll help you come up with a bulletproof coverup story to tell M&M and all this remains between us. Deal?"

"And Mox says you've got no *sniff* sense for business." You rolled your eyes with a weak smile. "Deal. I'm definitely paying for the table, the deep cleaning, and all that next month... Least I can do."

"Don't worry about those for now. Have the rest of the week off. You might also wanna visit a doc, that stunt seems to have really hurtcha... You need something?"

"No, thanks, I'll manage. I've had enough humiliation for multiple lifetimes... but I might need actual rides later, without a way to get around anymore." You sighed. "Whatever, I don't wanna keep you up any longer. The guys need you more than me now, you shouldn't leave Loona in charge for long."

"Heh, you might be right." He stood up. "Feel free to give a call anytime... and try to resist the urge for me, 'k?"

You nodded.

As he approached the door, he heard you say something.

"Blitzø?"

"Hm?" He turned back.

"...Thank you. A-and sorry... for everything. I *sniff* don't say it enough." You admitted quietly.

"Just stay away from that stuff and I'll consider it settled." He waved with a wink, closing the door behind him.

Later that day...

You were half asleep in the bathtub when you heard your phone vibrate.

Took you a few minutes and some effort to get yourself out of there. You slowly made your way to the bed in a towel, careful not to make a painful move. That nasty fall still ailed you.

You spread out on the bed and checked the phone. It was a Voxtagram DM from Blitzø.
You opened it.
A group selfie popped up on the screen, similar to the one you kept in the wallet. Blitzø was in the middle, giving a thumbs-up with an encouraging grin on his face, Moxxie on the very edge looking away, still visibly upset, with Millie bear hugging him. To your surprise, Loona was actually there too, on the other side. She was leaning beside the board, fiddling with her phone. The board had 'get vell' written on it... and the obligatory horse names in the corner. Undeniably Blitzø's handwriting.

"What did I do to deserve you, boss?" You smiled to yourself with a soft expression.

There were a couple of messages under the photo.

📱

27 minutes ago

Blitzø: miss u o3o lotsa emty space @ the table
yup got a new one alredi #lightningblitz
sup over their, doin ok?

9 minutes ago

not high r u >:(

now

(YN): all good, thx 4 the pic O:)
<3 u guys
pls tell mox im so sorry
ill make up for it

Blitzø: ye he isnt the bigest fan of u rn
u kno him tho always a grumpball

(YN): well its justified
idk how ill survive next week

Blitzø: relax ill kalm him down by monday ;)
we gon make it work
im here if the bag hauntin too much

(YN): got rid of it
we should start workin on a story soon tho
if they figure it out somehow...

Blitzø: chill got a whole weekend ahed
they cant
btw just axed my the rapist she free 2 weeks from now
oh somethin just cameup gotta go
nightynight

(YN): later :)

Chapter Text

(YN) = your name
📱 = phone screen
'text' = thoughts/quoting
"text" = spoken word
bold and underline = accentuation (the former is aggressive)
italics = different tone/implication
number of empty lines indicate time passing
~ = events happening around the same time at another place
* (center justified) separates author notes from the story

*

The Eddie incident made Blitzø consider hiring a new employee. He wanted someone who could reliably take care of single targets without having to go near them.

It's been quite some time since you joined I.M.P as their sniper.

You were aloof, socializing was never your strong suit but you did warm up to one of them a bit after a while.

Funnily enough, he appeared to be the only one who was against the idea of a new coworker, claiming there's no need for you due to his skills. Being a weapons specialist, Moxxie definitely had a vast knowledge of guns and everything related to them but that didn't mean he had the greatest aim or agility. He sulkily accepted this fact after a few of your successful missions.

Once the initial tension subdued between the two of you, he became your first ever (and only) real friend. He seemed to appreciate your willingness to listen to his nerdy rants.

You always tried to stay away from others as much as possible, making connections as a seasoned gun-for-hire is risky... but this time, it happened. You'd lie if you said it wasn't nice to have someone around for a change.

You two also often performed as the perfect duo together when the target allowed for a snipe. He always knew the perfect arm for the given situation and you were usually able to take the shot.

However, something has changed lately. You frequently caught yourself feeling weird around him. You didn't pay much attention to it at first but it only got worse over time.

At the end of a long, tiresome day, as everyone was about to leave, Blitzø spoke up.

"Hey now, aren't we forgetting something?"

The crew glared at him with varying levels of annoyance.

"The party is this weekend! Since the van broke down yesterday, we-"

"You broke it down, yes." Loona corrected.

"...So we gotta find a way around that." He continued, ignoring her.

"Sir, can't we talk about this tomorrow? Besides, I'm really not much for parties honestly, so... I'd pass if possible." You reasoned with him.

"I can't believe you, (YN), you'd miss your first opportunity to spend some quality time with us?" he posed dramatically.

"Sir-"

"That's how you thank my sacrifices? Especially at this time of year, who knows if(...)" He went on and on.

You noticed Moxxie giving you a 'just let him win' look.

You rolled your eyes and interrupted Blitzø's monologue.
"Ok, fine, I'm coming." You gave in.

"And you'll love it." He winked, hooking an arm around your neck, much to your annoyance.

"We could use our car!" Millie suggested.

"I don't know dear, can the five of us fit in there?" Moxxie glanced around.

Loona growled when her eyes met Moxxie's.

"What, am I too fat for you?" 

"N-no, my car is just... imp sized. You're really tall, you know." He explained.

"Make that four. I'll walk and you lot should be fine." You offered.

"Are you sure? These streets are rather hostile at night." Moxxie asked.

You nodded.

As you approached the building, some atrocious music could already be heard blasting from one of the open windows.

'This better not take too long.'

You made your way up and arrived at the shabby door.
You pulled on the knob. The stench of all kinds of alcohol and whatnot slapped you. The sight resembled some unholy ritual more so than a party. Blitzø was having the time of his life, doing epileptic movements loosely following the rhythm of the song while Millie was holding the table he stood on in place. Moxxie was sitting on the couch with a grumpy expression, leaning onto the armrest. Loona was nowhere to be seen but the lights were on in the restroom.

"Wassuuuuup?" Blitzø screeched, jumping off the table.

You had the urge to turn around and leave but you knew he'd never let you live it down.

"Er... nice to see you too, boss." You glanced to the side, then back to him.

"Oh don't be such a Moxxie." He teased.
"C'mon, live a little! Here, this'll help." He reached for a bottle and walked up to you with a silly grin.

"Sir, I'm only-"

He suddenly forced it down your mouth. After a few gulps, you managed to break free.

"You insane?!" You coughed.

"Just a lil' mood booster." He smiled innocently. "Oo, Mills, volume up! 's the best part!" He turned back, giving you a chance to slip away.

You accidentally made eye contact with Moxxie. Without a better escape route in sight, you decided to take a seat beside him.

"Warm welcome, I see." He said sympathetically.

"Hope this won't last till morning." You grumbled.

"He knocked himself out in an hour last year."

"How did he bribe you to come?"

"He tends to stalk us less if we show up. And since Millie enjoys... whatever they're doing, I didn't really have a choice. Someone has to make sure they don't do anything stupid." Moxxie explained, keeping an eye on the two.

Blitzø pulled out a funnel from under the sink and put it in his mouth, gesturing to Millie. She took 2 bottles and proceeded to pour their contents into the funnel, causing him to throw up almost instantly. She giggled, dodging the eruption.

You cringed at the events.

"...At least not the kind that could harm Millie." Moxxie continued.

"He's certainly an eccentric one." You commented in a tired tone.

"You'll hardly find worse. But this annual 'party' is different. He keeps saying he wants us to have a fun time together before that day. The problem is that his interpretation of fun is... unique."

"To put it mildly." You muttered, watching Blitzø slip in the puddle he created.

"But it's nice having someone reasonable around for once." He glanced at you with a pretty bright smile.

You didn't expect that. You've rarely seen him do that genuinely.

An awkward half-smile curved on your face in response. You felt your cheeks flare up. All it took was his cute smile... Truly an uncommon sight due to the everyday issues at work.

"Uh... yeah, it's, ehm, nice to be- I mean, having you too... A-around." You stuttered.

Moxxie blinked in a bit of a confused manner.

A drop of sweat raced down one of your reddening cheeks.

"I-I mean..." You nervously glanced to the side, looking for a way out of the situation. "Hey, Loona." You spotted the hound nearby.

She was passing by the couch, raising an eyebrow at you after hearing her name.

"What?"

Now two pairs of eyes were watching you.

"...So... Nice outfit." You tried to keep your ordinary expression while a blush was still coloring your face.

"I wear this literally every day. You on something? And I thought you can't possibly get any more of a loser."

"...Are you alri-" Moxxie nodded his head to the side with a slightly worried look but a greasy missile hit him in the face before he could finish the sentence.

"WOOOO didja see that?! Headshot!" Blitzø and Loona laughed hysterically.

"Ew, what the-?!" Moxxie shouted, wiping the pizza off his face.

"Oh excuse me, ma'am, did I interrupt the retired club's meeting?" Blitzø mocked.

"I'll get a rag." You mumbled.
You went to the bathroom.

Of course, the rag was the least of your concerns right now. You dabbed some cold water on your head, leaning onto the sink with both hands.

'What the fuck was that?' You glared at your reflection in the mirror with a distraught expression.

Meanwhile, chaos ensued outside.
Moxxie was still yelling at Blitzø, and when Loona noticed her bag became a victim of Blitzø's maneuver, things got ugly.

"You know how fucking expensive that was, asshole?!"

With three of the four participants drunk or worse, the verbal conflict became a physical one.

All of that noise was drowned out by the music and the closed door of the bathroom.

When you cooled off and stepped out, all you saw was Moxxie in the middle of the messy room on all fours, struggling for air.

You ran up to him, turning the speakers off on the way.

"Moxxie, what-?" You knelt down.

He seemed to be having a pretty severe panic attack. You remembered Millie mentioning he has them sometimes but you never imagined it could be this bad.

Noticing you, he started flailing and gasping.

"Ok, just breathe." You grasped his shoulders.

You looked around. The entrance was wide open.

'Where the hell is everyone?' You frowned.

You kept a confident demeanor but you had no idea how to handle this.

He attempted to crawl towards the window for some reason. He looked worse with every passing second.

"You need to stay put. Calm down... What happened?"

He kept shaking and making unnerving sounds. It was difficult to keep him in place.

"Come on..." You grimaced in discomfort before reluctantly hugging him to pin him down.
It was extremely surreal and unpleasant... Yet... Your expression slowly softened. It felt warm in a strange way. And tingly. Inside. It was uncomfortable but not all that bad. You felt as if you never wanted to let go.

Your phone rang, making you come to your senses.

"Loona? What's going on?"

"You with Moxxie? Tell him Millie's... fine. He still conscious?"

"Yes, but what's all this about?"

"Just shut it and get him down here! We're at the car."

"The elevator's off, I can't drag him out in this state." 

"Urgh, let's meet at the stairs on your floor then. I'm there in a minute." She hung up.

"...Alright. She's fine, Mox. Let's go."

You carefully made your way through the corridor with him. Luckily, he was more cooperative now.

You heard Loona hurry your way as you reached the stairs.

The two of you got Moxxie downstairs with relative ease.

"So? What in the seven circles did you idiots do? Seriously, I'm away for 40 seconds-"

"It was an accident, ok?! It happened so fast. We were arguing, I pushed Blitzø, and the window was open... She fell somehow."

You stopped in your tracks, causing Loona to almost drop the imp.

"Seven stories?"

Moxxie started to panic more again, hearing that.

"Thanks, fucktard!" Loona barked.

"Give me a break." You dismissed, getting back into position.

Once out of the building, the car soon appeared on the horizon. One of the doors was open, Blitzø was waiting near it. As you got closer, a body became visible on the seat.

"Millie?!" Moxxie suddenly jumped up and sprinted to the car. He hopped in and hugged her, whimpering unintelligibly into her shoulder.
She was out cold.

"She stable 'nough but we prolly shouldn' move her for no reason." Blitzø commented in a groggy manner.

You and Loona caught up.

You crossed your arms at the sad sight.
"...He's right. Be careful, you might-"

"Don't fucking talk to me!" He screamed in a painful voice.

"...So what now?" Loona spread her arms.

"We gotta have her checked." You stated.

"Nah-uh. Extermination comin' up in two days, no doc would give shelter for an imp." Blitzø shook his head.
"I could ask Stolas a favor but... ah, no. Stella wouldn't let us stay."

"You had to get us into this shit now of all times." You grumbled.

"Sorry, we're not living the virgin lifestyle like you. She'll be fine, things happen." Loona shrugged.

"Almost killing your colleague doesn't just 'happen'." You glared at her.

"Why don't you come up with something instead of bitching about it?!" She snapped at you.

"Screw you-"

"Shut the fuck up already, another fight won't help!" Blitzø slammed a fist on the car. "Let's get 'em home, not much else we can do. Hope you can drive, (YN), 'cuz I'm fuckin' wasted, Loona has no license, and..." He pointed at Moxxie who was still unaware of his surroundings, with Millie in his arms.

You opened the door on the driver's side with a sigh.

The trip was terrible, Loona could barely fit in the back beside the couple but thankfully kept her mouth shut. Moxxie was staring at Millie in his lap with a heartbroken expression.

Blitzø was navigating, being the only one who knew the way. To an extent.

"There!" He gave the final instruction as the car reached a rather rundown house.

You pulled over.

Everyone glanced at Moxxie who seemed to be at least relatively functional now.

You decided to speak up before one of the less wise passengers say something inappropriate.

"I could help carry her. You shouldn't risk it alone." You said quietly.

He nodded after a few seconds of delay.

You two made your way in, holding Millie in position.

She was carefully placed onto the nearest couch.

He sat beside her, showing his back to you.

You hesitated.

"I'll need to get the others home. I'm returning the car soon." You muttered, walking out.

When you dropped them out at their destination, Blitzø spoke up before shutting the door.

"Don't die, ok?"

"You too." You sighed.

You arrived at the couple's modest home once more. You left the car with the keys in hand.

You lifted your arm to knock when you noticed the door was unlocked as you left it.

You found the two in the same position from half an hour ago.

"Hey... I'll just leave the keys here." You put them on a table.

You watched him for a while.

"Don't forget to lock the door..."
"Stay safe." You added quietly.

As you were about to leave, you heard a faint voice from behind.

"(YN)."

You turned back. Seeing his miserable teary face made your eyelids constrict. You couldn't stand emotional situations.

"I... wondered if *sniff* it'd be possible to... I-I fear I might not be able to nurse her alone. And... since passing through the city on foot now is... I mean, *sniff* what I'm trying to ask is if you would maybe..." He struggled to ask for help.

"I'll stay." You sighed.

"Thanks so much!" He flashed up in relief for a moment.
"Sorry about all that earlier, I'm just... on edge." He mumbled, looking down.

"Don't mind that. How's she doing?"

"I don't really know. The only visibly serious injury I could find is on the back of her head. I patched it up. She is stable but... *sniff*..." He knelt down beside her.
"What if..." His voice quavered.

You weren't used to dealing with stuff like this. Awkwardly looking down at the two, you attempted to come up with something soothing to say.

"...She'll be ok."
Unfortunately, the 'encouragement' came out in your usual emotionless voice.

'I'm no good at this.' You rolled your eyes to yourself as you sat beside him.

Minutes passed in silence. You inspected the gloomy room. It seemed quite cozy for what it was.

You couldn't withhold a yawn.

He lifted his head.

"Oh, feel free to lay down in the bedroom." He pointed at a door nearby. "The kitchen is over there and the bathroom is to the left." He explained quietly, still facing Millie.

"Thanks."

"Thank you for agreeing to stay. I have no idea what I'd do alone."

You didn't really know what to say to that so you just walked away.

Entering the room, you dropped onto the bed. It was a draining day.

Even though you were exhausted, your thoughts kept on racing.

You recollected... That smile earlier... The way he affected you... You've never encountered anything like this before.
Now you had an idea what all this might mean...

'Like some fucking teenager.' You snarled to yourself.

You hated it. You refused to accept it.

If that wasn't enough, you were quite literally trapped here with him for two days practically alone.

'No. It's nothing. I'm imagining things... Whatever the hell was in that bottle must be messing with me.' You convinced yourself as you went under the blanket.

A distant creaking sound. Light lit the room through the slightly open door. Murmurs could be heard, causing you to roll to your other side, half asleep. You instinctively pulled in the soft object your hand bumped into.

"Uuh...?" You heard directly from above.

You squirmed a bit, opening your eyes. You saw a familiar black coat up close. You squinted upwards. Turns out the something you snuggled was a someone. You locked eyes with a surprised-looking Moxxie as you were hugging his thighs.

The eye contact lasted a good two seconds before realization kicked in.

"Hugh?! Oof..." You jolted and fell off the bed.

"(YN)?" He called out as he made his way around the bed.

"Urgh..." You rubbed your face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. That caught me a little off guard though." A weary smile appeared on his face.

"I thought you were a pillow or something." You looked away in abashment.

"It's alright. I just came to ask if you would help me change the bandages?"

"Sure."

"Any news?" You asked as you two approached the couch.

"Not really... At least she hasn't gotten worse." He muttered quietly.

"I already have things prepared. Try to hold her like this." He instructed as he reached for a sanitizer.

"Aaand... that should do for another day." He tied a knot.

"Looks good." You agreed.

He kept watching her melancholically.

You spotted the bags under his eyes.

He glanced at you, noticing your gaze.

"You didn't just pull an all-nighter, did you?"

"How could I leave her?..."

You sighed.

He glanced back at her.

"I'll look after her, ok? Get some rest before the sirens go off."

"...Do you promise?" He looked up.

"Yes."

"Please... i-if anything were to happen to her, I..." His voice trailed off.

"I promise. Now go, you need a break."

"Wake me up if anything happens, alright?"

You nodded.

He kissed her and hesitantly exited the room.

Nighttime was getting close. You were fiddling with your phone, sitting near Millie. As promised, you checked on her frequently.

It was about time to do so again. You stood up. You eyed her as you got closer, slowly coming to a halt in front of the couch.

Out of nowhere, an overwhelming amount of jealousy came over you.

'Why does he like her so much? What's so special about some unruly cowgirl?' Such questions circled your mind against your will as you stared downwards.

You ignored them, proceeding with the check-up but they didn't stop.

'What does she have that I don't? He deserves better. I can do better.'

You frowned, trying to silence them.

'Maybe I could... get rid of her. Here and now. This is the perfect opportunity, with the right method, no one would figure it out! Then he'll be mi-'

You shivered, taking a step back with a disturbed expression. You had no clue what or why it's happening.

You hurried out into the kitchen.

You filled the nearest cup with water and downed it.

You've never felt so out of control before.

You closed your eyes and tried to regain your composure, holding onto the counter. Just as your troubled breathing mitigated, a notification sound made you wince. You accidentally pushed the mug off the counter. A loud resounding clink. Looking down, you saw a hundred tiny yellow shards decorating the floor.

You grimaced.

You found a broom and started sweeping.

You were almost done when you heard footsteps approaching from the living room's direction. You weren't in the mood to explain why you broke it so you quickly picked up as much of it as you could and threw them in the trash, while simultaneously kicking the remaining pieces under the counter. You finished just before Moxxie appeared.

"What was that? I heard some-"

"It's all good. I just... accidentally kicked that chair." You muttered.

He remained silent.

"...Did I wake you up?" You continued.

"No, I've been up for a few minutes now... but you look like you've seen a ghost." He gave you a concerned frown.

"Hm? Oh... I don't know, guess I'm a bit tired." You lied, turning to the sink. "Anywho... you want pasta or something?" You quickly changed the subject.

"You don't need to. I'm actually-"

"Why don't you get out and- uhm, go and be with her in the meantime? I'll give a holler once it's done." You said hastily.

"...Ok." He complied, albeit in a puzzled tone.

After a breather, you started boiling some water.

All those years spent as a mercenary and now you were about to go crazy over this guy? You didn't believe it.

The pasta you laid your eyes on earlier was placed in the liquid. You found some basic spice mix in a drawer and added it.

You were lost in thought for who knows how long... then you remembered the food. You quickly removed it from the oven but it was too late. It looked awful. You sighed.

"Done." You called out in a half-hearted voice.

He came in, prepared two platters, and positioned his chair to the very edge of the table (to have a sight on his wife).

You appeared with the pot. You scooped a dumpling-shaped portion and attempted to put it on one of the plates. However, since it was quite overcooked, It stuck to the ladle. After multiple jolts, It slowly slumped onto the plate with an awkward splash like a piece of jelly. It could be described with many words but appetizing wasn't one of them.

You saw his eyelids move a little.

"...I'm not great at cooking." You added hesitantly.

"Oh, it can't be that bad." He answered politely.

He took a forkful.

You sat down on the other side.

He forced the bite down. He could barely keep a straight face.

"...Pretty... decent." He claimed not very convincingly after clearing his throat.

"Seriously, don't eat it if you don't want to. I won't take offense." You commented, scratching your neck.

You watched him as poked the food some more.

He was so adorable.

You didn't even notice you were staring at him with a small smile for so long until he suddenly glanced up.

You instantly looked down, swapping to a neutral expression. A blush threatened to emerge.

"Won't you try it?" He asked quietly.

"I'm not really hungry." You muttered, eyeing the full plate.

After about a minute, he finally gave up.

The silence was getting uncomfortable. You didn't want to initiate anything but you felt awkward just sitting there.
It was such a strange scenario.

"So-" You both spoke up in almost perfect unison. He must have felt similar.

"Hm, what are the chances? Go on." He insisted.

"...I noticed you woke up early. Had trouble sleeping?"

"I can't sleep well without her..." He turned his head towards the living room with a sorrowful expression. "But I'm fresh enough, I'll manage."

"Anyway, I just wanted to say, I appreciate all this. I owe you, I know it's a huge favor to ask this time of year." 

"No trouble." You muttered.

There it was again. The same smile that made you freak out last night.

You had to break eye contact.

"I, uh... I think I need a shower." You stood up. "Leave the dishes, I'll do them later." You walked out.

You threw your clothes on the towel rail.

A relatively long shower later, as you grabbed the towel and carelessly pulled it off the rail, your clothes on the farther side flopped down onto the wet floor.

You picked them up with a sigh. Most of them were soaked.

You grumbled as you realized you'll have to ask him for clothes.

You stepped out of the damp room in nothing but a towel.

You carefully peeked into the living room, only showing your head. As expected, Moxxie was beside the couch Millie was still unconsciously laying on... but something wasn't right. He was seemingly dozing but you noticed he was also mumbling something, unnatural twitches shaking his body every other second.

While each and every single cell of your body refused to go near anyone (let alone him) without clothes on, you knew you can't afford to waste time. If this turns into a panic attack, no one will be here to help.

You reluctantly walked in and bent down to face him at eye level.

"Hello?" You tapped him gently.

He groaned.

"Mox, wake up."

No results.

"Moxxie!" You impatiently shook him.

"WHUA?!" He violently yanked his arms.

One of his fingers caught your towel, nearly tearing it off. You were able to keep it on but the mini heart attack almost made you yell at him.

He was panting in dismay.

"Wh- Where's-?!" He jumped up frantically, loosening up when he saw her.

"...Nightmare?"

"...Yeah. Sorry, I'm such a mess la-...tely." He raised his brows, noticing your attire.

"Uh... had an accident in the shower. Can I borrow some clothes, please?" You facepalmed in embarrassment.

"O-of course... pick anything you like from the smaller nightstand in the bedroom." He turned away.

Being around Blitzø's size, his clothes were hilariously small for you.

Not long after equipping the least ridiculous-looking options, you returned.

He appeared to be examining Millie's bandage.

He was getting more and more worried as time passed. She had been like this for well over a day now.

Your social battery was running low so you stayed back. To pass time, you proof-checked the windows and other entrances, considering shit was about to hit the fan outside.

"We should replace the bandage soon. I fear it might get infected if we don't let it breathe."

"Alright."

"Oh, could you bring the sanitizer for me? I think I left it in the kitchen somewhere. Not to be bossy, it's just... getting this new coil open might take me a while." He struggled with a thick nylon wrapping.

"Mhm." 

You spotted the spray on the counter. As you got closer, you noticed a framed picture on the wall from the corner of your eye. You looked at it for a few seconds. It was a photo of them in wedding garbs.

Some of those thoughts uncontrollably resurfaced again. You quickly glanced away with a sour expression. A shiver went down your spine.

'What the hell is wrong with me?...' You stared at your hand.

"Uhm... (YN)?" A voice from behind snapped you out of your thoughts.

You tensed up at the unexpected sound, turning just enough to see him standing in the doorway.

"You've been away for some time now. I asked if you needed help finding it but you didn't answer."

"Ah... didn't hear you."

He looked you up and down, barely noticeably.

"Is everything ok?" He asked in a cautious tone.

"Sure. I was just..." You couldn't think of an excuse. "...Oh, here it is." You snatched the bottle off the counter and quickly handed it to him.

You passed him, feeling his questioning gaze on your back.

You held Millie as he was spraying the wound.

He began applying the new bandage.

"Can you hold still for a bit? I can't tie it."

"Sorry, zoned out a little."

As an experienced sniper, your hands never got shaky... but the constant sense of uneasiness was getting a bit much. It has held you hostage ever since the incident. At this point, you were quite creeped out of... whatever this was. You had no idea how to handle something like this. Your collected self started to wear down.

"Is it the extermination?" He asked quietly.

"Huh?" You looked up.

"I didn't want to mention it but you've been acting off."

You relieved, knowing he's got the wrong idea.

"Ah... Well, guess that cat's out of the bag." You played along.

"There's no shame in that, it's normal to be afraid... And no worries, We're safe here, I assure you. Doors and windows have been reinforced."

You let out a tiny smile.

"Done." He wiped his forehead as he finished the knot.

He gazed at her, touching her hand.

"She's getting weaker. Even if the wound heals, it's..." He sighed. "You must wake up. Please." He caressed her face.
"...It's almost midnight. Best if I go take a shower now. Could you-"

"Sure thing."

This time, however, you didn't hold true to your word. Being near Millie was the last thing on your mind.

You were staring at your reflection on the phone screen when an unmistakable sound hit your ears. The sirens. It has officially begun.

You didn't care much until you heard something else. It was coming from the living room.

An unknown pitter-patter from the inside during extermination is rather concerning.

'It can't be an exterminator though, they don't risk trying to enter such buildings... usually...' You bit your lip at the thought.

You reached for your sidearm and... it wasn't there. Your eyes widened. You looked down. Seeing the mismatched comfy clothes, you remembered the bathroom accident. You grimaced in frustration.

'How could I forget the fucking gun?!'

Grunts could be heard from the living room.

You frowned and took a knife from the kitchen. You snuck to the door. Close combat wasn't your preference but you had no choice. Getting a jump on others from hiding was at least something you were skilled at.

You silently peeked inside, moving slowly.

Your muscles relaxed when you noticed Millie was the culprit. She finally regained consciousness. She was in a half-sitting position on the far end of the couch, squinting around in a confused manner with one hand on the back of her head.

She turned to face you as you left your cover.

"Millie?" You approached.

"Wha... (YN)?" She asked dubiously, rubbing her eyes.

"Yes. How are you?"

"Urgh, my head's killin' me. I coulda sworn I heard the sirens just now... but isn't that next week? Wait... where- when did we get home?" She mumbled, looking around.

"Long story. First I better tell Mox you-"

"Millie!?"

Moxxie hurried your way with wet hair. He hopped onto the couch and hugged his wife.

"Moxox?" She chuckled.

"Thank Lucifer! Does it hurt? You look so pale, do you need anything? I can- I-I thought you would never- I should've-(...)" You couldn't make out the rest. He buried his face in her neck.

"Shh... Sweetie, it's ok." She smiled, patting his back.

Moxxie stopped his babbling after a while. He lifted his head, revealing his swollen red eyes.

"*sniff* I thought I might lose you forever..." He whispered.

"There, there." She held his face, wiping his tears.

"I missed out on quite a bit, huh... What happened?"

During storytime, you took a seat beside the couch.

Moxxie told the events of the past few days.

Even Millie was surprised to hear of her stunt, her last memory was Blitzø puking everywhere.

You could finally relax a little. Things seemed to normalize. You were glad but your envious thoughts refused to disappear...

Moxxie couldn't recall much from the time he was having the panic attack so you stepped in, explaining how you got them home.

"(...)Then I asked (YN) if they'd be willing to help. Thankfully they agreed to stay... That was over a day ago. Luckily we've had no complications." He wrapped up.

"Awww, you're such a knight." She nuzzled his hair, making him snicker.

"Oh and (YN)."

"Hm?"

"That was real sweet of you, thanks a lot. You're nicer than ya seem, y'know." She winked.

"Don't mention it." You muttered.

"Phew... well, that was, like, the fifth craziest thing I've done since high school." She scratched her head. "Ow, what's this?" She tapped her bandage.

"Careful!" Moxxie caught her hand. "Keep it on at least for today. Can I get you something?"

"Thanks but I'll be fine, hon." She kissed his cheek. "I think I just need to get up and move a bit."

"Are you sure? Please don't make a sudden move." He held her hands.

"No worries, lemme just..." She moaned quietly, stretching her limbs.

She rose from the couch. Moxxie anxiously stood by her side.

"Eh, stiff like a stick. Hope we have some painkillers left." She yawned.

They headed towards the kitchen.

You planned to stay behind and leave them be, you craved some alone time anyway, but a gasp got your attention.

"Is that leftover spaghetti? Oh, I'm starved!"

You followed them.
"Wait, you shouldn't eat that."

By the time you arrived, your horrific creation was already on a plate in front of her.

"Huh? Why?"

"They're probably right, dear." Moxxie added with an awkward smile. "I'll prepare something in a minute." He went to the fridge.

"C'mon, pasta can't be ruined, I'd settle for anything right now."

After tasting it, she grimaced.

"Bleugh... wow, you weren't kiddin'. Has this been eaten once?" She snorted.

"Best if I get rid of it." You grabbed the pot.

"Hey, Mox could give ya cooking lessons, way to thank your help." She joked.

"I would gladly do that, actually." Moxxie tittered from the corner.

"I'm good." You rolled your eyes with a smile.

"Wait, isn't that... Yeah, that's your shirt, Mox." She tilted her head a bit, scanning your clothes.

You completely forgot about that. Again.

"Oh, it's-" Moxxie spoke up but she continued.

"Whoa, were you two getting into some freaky shit while I was out?" She raised a quirky eyebrow.

"Hu- n-no, I can explain!" You gestured hastily.

"Millie! Not funny! They brought no spare clothes, it's what we had laying around." He shook his head.

She burst out laughing.
"Aw, ya know I'm just pullin' you guys, I know you ain't like that. Hehe, never seen you so flustered before, where's our chill sniper now?" She giggled.

You could barely mask your irritation.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you've got the hots for my Moxmox." She teased, trying to restrain her laughter.

You felt your face heat up.

 "I'll flush this." You replied grimly, turning to leave with the remaining pasta.

"...Well someone's salty today." You heard her say under her breath faintly before the door closed.

Once in the bathroom, you bid adieu to your masterpiece, splashing the pot's contents into the toilet. Unfortunately, the move was ever so slightly too fast, causing the sauce and some toilet water to spill out.

"Fuck's sake." You snarled.

You spent a few minutes mopping the room up.

Before leaving, you spotted your clothes on the rail. They were dry now.

You re-equipped them.

You went back to the living room.

Soon Moxxie called out from the kitchen.

"Dinner is ready if you want some."

"No thanks."

You took a seat in a standalone armchair near the windows.

You were pretty hungry but you wanted some time away from everyone more than anything.

No matter how levelheaded you (thought) you were, it was like you were a different person lately. Especially now that you're not exactly at the top of your game.

'At least he has his company back.'

You wanted to get home already. Even if you knew you can't run from the feeling...

Fatigue kicked in.

You checked the time on your phone. Two hours past midnight.

You closed your eyes with a sigh.

Less than a day to go.

The sound of talking made you open your eyes.

You looked around, getting out of the uncomfortable position you were in.

Millie was probably on the phone, she was speaking in the kitchen. Moxxie was fast asleep on the couch.

He was so cute, your eyes glued on him.

"Mornin', sleepyhead." You heard from the side. You whipped your head to the right.

"Oh, hi... Dozed off, didn't I." You stretched, as you left the chair. "Doing ok?"

"Pretty good, occasional dizziness and all, but after taking some pills the only one I still feel is this." She flicked her bandage.

She chuckled, approaching Moxxie.
"Ya shoulda seen his reaction when I told him to go take a nap in the bedroom. My lil' silly insisted on staying with me so he refused to use the bedroom."

Keeping up a convo with her wasn't in your best interest.

You yawned, aiming for the bathroom.

"I'll put on some coffee." She went to the kitchen.

After the refreshment, you raised a brow at the mess you found in the kitchen.

"Did you guys use my mug? Can't find it anywhere." She asked while going through drawers and cupboards.

"Your mug?"

"Looks just like this but yellow." She pointed at a blueish purple mug. It had 'M&M' engraved in it.

"Hm... I don't think I have. Maybe ask Moxxie." You shrugged without really thinking about it.

"I will once he's up. Give a holler if you find it, would ya? Mox got 'em on our honeymoon, it means a lot to me, y'know.  They were quite expensive too." She explained, emptying the last drawer.

It hit you. She was talking about the one you broke yesterday.

"By the way, there are some leftovers in the fridge, have 'em for breakfast if you wanna." She commented as she left.

When you entered the living room, she was still searching the house to no avail.

You felt pretty bad about it, but at this point, drama was the last thing you wanted. You reclaimed your place in the armchair, escaping into your phone.

She took a seat in the living room near the sleeping Moxxie.

"I don't get it, I've checked literally everywhere." She huffed.

"You really ain't much for talk, huh?" She spoke up in a bored tone after failing to find anything serviceable on TV.

"You could say that." You responded, without looking up.

"Seriously though, what're ya even doing outside work? I could figure you for anything, ya weirdo." She teased.

"What's this, an interrogation?"

"Hurr, look at me, I'm (YN), the stereotypical silent assassin, I'm so mysterious and cool and deeeep." She mocked, trying to mimic your voice. "Why so serious?"

You snorted, rolling your eyes.
"I'm just not in the mood, I suppose."

"As always." She smiled. "Oh well." She proceeded to switch through channels.

The broadcast was always full of morbid compilations this time of year, mainly security camera footage that captured unfortunate demons being stuck outside and meeting their end by the hand of exorcists.

Moxxie woke up a few hours later and snuggled up to Millie on the couch.

There was a brief argument between Moxxie and Blitzø when the latter called to ask how the couple is doing but Millie quickly got the phone and eased the tension.

Finally, night fell.

You were scrolling through the news when suddenly Moxxie called.

"(YN)?" You heard from afar.

You lifted your head, glancing around in the dimly lit room. Millie was dozing on the couch. The light was coming from the kitchen.

You got up and walked in there.

"Yeah?" You squinted at the brightness as you stepped over the sill.

You noticed he was glaring at you with a rather reproachful expression.

"...What?" You asked in a perplexed tone.

You noticed the trashcan near him. The lid was off.

"Do you know anything about this?" He held up his palm with a yellow shard in it.

You didn't say anything.

"Did you seriously watch her turn the entire place upside down for no reason?"

You sighed.

"Sorry, ok? I was-"

"You what? Don't 'sorry' to me. I get it, happens to the best of us, but a simple apology would've sufficed when she asked... Instead, you let her go through every container in the house. In her state." He gestured.

"Look, I just didn't want to deal with it right now. She said it meant a lot to her and all... It's complicated." Your eyes wandered.

"What on earth could be complicated about shrugging it under the rug?" He spread his arms. "I thought at least you're more mature than this." He shook his head. "Whatever, not the end of the world. I just wanted to make sure." He turned to the can.

"...Wait, I'll pay for it."

"This isn't about the money! Ugh, alright, no need to discuss it any further, it's not that big of a deal. I still owe you anyway, forget it. I shouldn't have even brought it up." He faced away and began cleaning the can.

You could tell he was upset.

You never cared what others thought but... yet again, it seems he was the exception. This was so humiliating.

You stood there awkwardly, trying to figure out how to save your reputation.

"The hell are you guys arguin' about so late?" You heard Millie yawn from behind.

Your eye twitched in annoyance, starting to get fed up with the whole situation.

"Oh, sorry dear, didn't mean to wake you. We were only-"

"I broke the damn mug." You huffed, turning around with an irritated gesture.

"What?! Then why-"

"I'll get a new one, alright? Just leave me be now." You shook her off, heading to the door.

"I don't want a new one! Why did you even use it? We have like, 20 non-personal cups!" She yelled.

"After four hours of watching an imp lay unconsciously, maybe it wasn't my first priority to check." You replied passive-aggressively.

You were about to exit the room when something caught your tail.

You turned around with a scowl. She was pulling on it with one hand, glaring angrily.

"Millie, don't! Calm-" Moxxie walked up to her but she didn't let it go.

"Are you seriously blamin' me?! Who the fuck told you to guard me like some maniac?!"

You freed yourself with a violent tug.

"Your freakin' husband did!" You snapped back. "Two fucking days of standing over a couch, listening to all the goddamn bitching, you don't even- how do you two even function for fuck's sake?!" You ranted blindly.

"What?!" She frowned.

"Fuck you and fuck your mug!"

If it wasn't for Moxxie stepping between you, she might have jumped at you.

"(YN), what're you doing?!" He exclaimed.

"I'm not talkin' to you! Tch, the likes of you call yourselves assassins?! Pitiful, whining, wimpy, panic attack havin' piece of-..." You froze as you suddenly hushed up, coming to your senses.

Moxxie glared with a pissed but also shocked expression. Millie looked more surprised than angry.

You stood still in a bit of a stiff manner, returning to a normal expression. Your eyes slowly drifted to the side.

The tense silence lasted a painfully long time.

Just as Millie opened her mouth, the fireworks marking the end of the extermination resounded outside.

Everyone glanced to the window.

When they looked back, you were gone.

The way home was a long one. You occasionally stepped on a few bodies.

You kicked the door open, entering the worn flat you haven't seen in days.

You stared at the ceiling from bed.

'It's just another imp, who cares?... Why can't I...'

The frustrated confusion continued. You couldn't get Moxxie out of your mind.

~

Next workday morning...

"Aight, since assholes got a bit sparser after last Thursday, we only got two contracts to clear this week so far." Blitzø explained irritably, walking up and down in front of the board.

"Both simple enough so even you two gunsexuals should be able to handle it. In the meantime Loonie and I will print some more posters to..." He stopped in the middle of his gesturing when he turned around to see the gappy audience, just realizing the empty seats.

Loona was laying on the table with her phone in front of her. Moxxie was leaning back, crossing his arms with a mumpish expression.

"The fuck, where's that scope-gazin' degenerate?" Blitzø lifted his arms in annoyance. "I know Mills isn't coming this week but they-... Argh, wait, did this sorry ass idiot bite the dust or something?" He facepalmed. "I swear if the motherfucker died and lost my favorite pistol they borrowed, I'll find a way to kill 'em again." He grumbled, pulling out his phone.

~

📱

(YN):
Excuse my late contact, boss.
I'm afraid we must part ways. I'll hop in for the papers later.

📱

You were sitting at your table, staring at this message for a while now. Hitting the send button proved to be more difficult than anticipated.

You've been trying to convince yourself it's the best option. To never see him again.

Your thumb hovered over the screen for about the 8th time now but something didn't let you do it. It was a good job, possibly the best you've ever had overall, but that wasn't the real reason.

The spell Moxxie had on you was unbearable. You couldn't deny, you were now certain what this feeling is... you just didn't want to deal with it.

You let out a long sigh as you deleted the text.

'How could I fall so low? Getting attached... Fucking comedy.' You huffed to yourself.

It was unthinkable for a lifetime mercenary.

Your phone rang.

You recognized Blitzø's number.

You tapped your forehead with a tired expression as you laid on the table, feeling trapped.

You hesitantly lifted the phone but just continued to stare at the screen until the ringing stopped.

You just wanted your old self back...

Chapter Text

(YN) = your name
(FN) = first name
(LN) = last name
📱 = phone screen
'text' = thoughts/quoting
"text" = spoken word
(FC) = favorite color
bold and underline = accentuation (the former is aggressive)
italics = different tone/implication
number of empty lines indicate time passing
* (center justified) separates author notes from the story

*

At around midnight, a faint light crept through the halls of Goetia mansion.

It was emanating from a phone.

The lanky, scruffy figure carefully opened a door just enough to be able to slip out.

The decorated piece of wood creaked loudly as it closed, making her wince.

She quickly snuck across the yard.

She approached an abandoned house a few blocks away. Someone was waiting at the entrance.

"Only 20 minutes late, I'm impressed." You teased.

"You don't wanna know what I had to go through to get here." She said in a tired tone.

"About that, I've been meaning to ask, why can we only meet up so late these past few weeks?"

"I'm running out of excuses to feed to the old man. He knows something is up so I had to sneak out."

"My, aren't you a rebel." You joked.

"Tch, let's just get to the usual spot already." She rolled her eyes.

You two made your way to the roof and settled down.

"Want some fun stuff?" You reached into your pocket.

"I'm good."

"...You seem kinda down. What's up?" You raised a brow.

She sighed.

"I think I might have to introduce you to him soon. I won't get away with this forever."

"Ok, no big deal. I'm pretty good at first impressions."

"It's not so simple." She glanced to the side.

"What, is he the stereotypical 'no one touches my princess' dad?" You smiled quirkily.

"Kind of but it's not only that."

"Fill me in, you never say anything about your family."

"I know, I just... How do I put this?... He's not what you might expect him to be." Her eyes wandered.

"I mean... how could I even expect anything if I know literally nothing about him?" You chuckled.

"Well, you know how the media portraits royalty. But that's-"

"W-wait. What did you say?" You stuttered in shock.

She stared at you questioningly.
"What?"

"Royalty?" You repeated, hoping you heard it wrong.

"Yes...? You know, Goetia." She blinked in confusion.

You tensed up.

"Hello?" She waved.

You remained silent, looking away with a troubled expression.

"Argh, did you take something you shouldn't have or what?" She poked you impatiently.

"...That's why you were so..." You held your forehead.

"Don't tell me you just noticed I'm a Goetia! Are you living under a rock?"

"I'm... not very familiar with the likes of you." You muttered nervously.

"'Likes of me?' What's that supposed to mean?" She glared.

"I've never met someone of your standing before..."

"And? What are you so anxious about all of a sudden? That won't change a thing."

"Via, I don't know if you've realized but I'm not exactly noble." You gestured at yourself.

"Who cares, I wouldn't wanna spend time with one of those pretentious rich assholes anyway." She shrugged.

"Your father is literally one of the most powerful beings down here!"

"UGH, this is why I'm not talking about my family!" She growled in annoyance. "I'm so sick of hearing this!"

"I can't just show up there, I'm a nobody! What if he-"

"He won't hate you because of that! Believe me, he isn't bothered by ranks."

"But-"

"No buts, just act natural and it'll be ok!" She spread her arms.

You eyed her with an unconvinced expression.

"Aw, for fuck's sake..." She groaned, lifting her hands up irritably. "You think he's some maniac who slaughters everyone he 'deems unworthy'?"

"I... I don't know, can't we skip this part somehow?" You fiddled with your fingers.

"Don't be such a puss-puss, I'll be there too, it will go smooth. Just bring your usual self and make that good first impression happen. He's kinda nice once you get to know him."

"Then why didn't you want me to meet him earlier?"

"He can be a little... embarrassing, is all." She scratched her neck. "Now mom is a whole different story but she's away on a business trip for a few more weeks, so all the more reason to get this over with soon. I wouldn't have to risk sneaking out anymore either.

"...Fine." You complied reluctantly.

"Don't stress it, I like you, he'll like you too." She claimed.

"If you say so..." 

"(...)Wow, did you ever use it?" You asked.

"Only the basic stuff and never without permission. He keeps saying it's extremely dangerous... That doesn't stop him from giving it away though."

"Must be so cool."

"Looks like any other old book, really. I don't know too much of it yet."

"...Hm... Sky's real clear tonight." You commented.

She looked up.

The lights reflected off her eyes.

You kept gazing at her.

"Has nothing on this sight though." You flirted.

She glanced to the side, smiling with a slight blush.

"Wait, what time is it?" She pulled out her phone. "Oh I should get going, I won't survive tomorrow if I don't."

"Now that I think about it, maybe you shouldn't walk around alone this late."

"It's only a few blocks."

"I've heard many fantasize about getting a jump on royals. Keep an eye out, ok?" You hugged her.

You heard her snicker a bit.

"What's so funny?" You released her.

"It's amusing how much you remind me of dad sometimes."

"Heh... is... that a good or a bad thing?" You tittered nervously.

She leaned in for a kiss.

"Seriously, don't sweat that. I'll set him up for next week." She winked.

You nodded with a small smile.

"I'll send the details later." She motioned, walking downstairs.

"See ya." You flapped an arm at her.

You watched her until she disappeared in the dark.

You sighed, crossing your arms.

'What did I get myself into?'

Octavia made her way back.

She pulled on the knob, trying her best not to make a sound.

As she squeezed through, the lights abruptly turned on.

She looked up with a startled face.

She noticed her father at the switch.

"Dad?!"

"Care to explain, young lady?" He frowned.

📱

Via: hey

(YN): hi
sup?

Via: bad news

(YN): what happened?

Via: i got caught last night

(YN): what?!

Via: let me finish!
long story short, he wont let me leave the house alone till he makes sure you arent dangerous

(YN): great

Via: chill he just wants to see you

(YN): eh
will videochat suffice?

Via: very funny
ok look
heres what we do
well, you, bc im defo not getting bodyguards just to be allowed outside
first, get some decent clothes instead of that wornout hoodie
hes into gardening, theres this weird purple flower he wanted to get his hands on for a while now, gonna link it later, buy some if u can
oh and pls try not to smell like weed for once

(YN): ill do what i can
when should i expect it?

Via: the sooner the better
how about this saturday?

(YN): you sure we need to do this right after you got busted?

Via: i dont wanna stay stuck here till next week. if you do what i said, we should be good

(YN): alright

📱

You let out a nervous sigh, staring at yourself in the mirror.

This elegant garb you got was pretty uncomfy but looked appropriate enough.

"Ok..." You grabbed the bag you prepared and left the house.

Your heartbeat sped up even more when the mansion appeared on the horizon.

You spotted Octavia at the gate with a well-dressed imp by her side.

"Hey." You gave her a half-hearted smile.

"Thought I'd never see you in decent clothes." She poked fun at you.

"Don't get used to it." You snorted.

You glanced down at the imp precariously.

"Greetings, you must be lady Octavia's acquaintance."

"Yes..."

"Please follow me, my lord is waiting." He turned around.

You gulped at that.

"So, uh, how's the old man doing? In a good mood, I hope?" You turned to her, trying to sound casual.

"Well, I told him you're nice and all but he didn't seem to listen. No worries though, I'm sure you'll convince him."

You hummed.

No matter how much you focused on appearing great, you were frightened.

It probably showed as you noticed Octavia eyeing you from the side.

"It's cool. You got the looks, the gift, now we'll have a chat and that's it." She reassured.

You nodded.

As the servant led you through the garden, you realized how stunningly beautiful the place is.

Once you reached the entrance, the butler opened the door and ushered you in.

Looking around in the main hall, you felt so out of place.
'What the hell am I doing here?'

Your steps slowed down.

You snapped out of it when something grabbed your hand.

She gestured with her head to keep up the tempo.

She stopped near an arch.

"You just hand him the bag and keep a friendly face, ok? It'll work out." She suggested quietly before taking the turn.

You took a deep breath and followed.

The room seemed to be a kitchen but had lots of unusual plants and extremely pretty windows.

"We're here, dad." She said, approaching the table.

As she moved out of the way, you laid eyes on her father for the first time.

He looked up from the book he was reading, closing it as he rose from his chair.

"Oh, right on time."

He sounded nicer than you expected.

However, when he got closer, your already weak, forced smile faded as you had to lift your gaze more and more.

'Holy shit, he's huge.'

"Uhm... it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr.- I-I mean sir... uh..." Your eyes twitched as you realized you don't even know his name.

"Stolas Goetia. And you are?" He raised a brow.

"(FN) (LN)." You muttered.

"Welcome. Why don't we take a seat? Do make yourself at home."

You sat down with Octavia on one side while he reclaimed his place at the other.

"Tell me about yourself, I'm sure you have plenty of interesting stories to share."

"...Well... what would you like to know, sir?" You smiled nervously.

"How did you meet my daughter?"

Your lips constricted. You would rather not have him know about that one. You attempted to come up with something but Octavia interrupted.

"One of my friends introduced us to each other not long ago, that's all." She lied.

"I see." He slightly narrowed his eyes. He wasn't really buying it.

You were swimming in sweat at this point but then remembered the gift.

"Oh, I almost forgot." You suddenly stood up.

"I've got a little something I'm sure you'll love, sir." For the first time since you got here, you felt fairly confident.

You offered it to him with a flattering visage.

"Why, thank you." He seemed quite surprised.

He took it and pulled the handles apart to see inside. To your shock, his expression changed to one of confusion and slight annoyance.

"...Instant noodles. How... considerate." He mumbled.

You froze.

You saw Octavia facepalm from the corner of your eye.

'The fucking groceries?! But then where the hell did I-?!' Your thoughts raced.

You rashly snatched it out of his hands.

"Ehehehe, I might've mixed things up at home. A-apologies..." You looked to the side in panic.

"B-but!" You desperately flailed with your arms, completely forgetting about trying to act classy. "I assure you it's a great gift, I should have a picture of it right here!" You pulled out your phone with such speed, it flew out of your hand.

You could barely keep yourself from swearing loudly as you ran after it.

Stolas watched the events unfold with distaste.

"See, it's this very awesome purple-" You hurried back to him, holding the phone up, when unexpectedly Octavia appeared between the two of you.

"Dad, how about we continue this a bit later? I'll... I think it's best if I show (YN) around the house first." She excused with an embarrassed expression.

"...Of course, dear."

She turned around with a death stare.

You avoided her gaze, knowing you're in for a ride.

Once you two were far enough from the kitchen, you spoke up.

"Via, I-"

"Not one word."

She dragged you into a smaller room. As the door closed, she lashed out.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"I don't know! I remember prepping the flowers in a bag and-"

"Not just the damn flowers, what in the hell is up with you?! Are you actively trying to ruin everything?! We didn't even get started! He doesn't even know we're a couple yet!"

You looked down with an ashamed expression.

"Ever since you found out my last name, it's like I'm trying to babysit some retard!"

"Sorry..."

"You're sorry. Fantastic, how will that fix anything? I literally cannot imagine how could you make this trainwreck of a first impression any worse." She crossed her arms.

"I panicked! I told you, I'm not-... Urgh, and he kept looking at me like... that. I can tell he doesn't like me." You shook your head, turning away sourly.

"Maybe he would if you hadn't made a joke of yourself, and me, like a complete degenerate!

"You have no clue how it feels to face a prince as a nobody!"

"You keep saying that like it makes a difference, he doesn't even care about that! Why are you acting like some insufferable imp with an inferiority complex?!

"Because I didn't have the luck to be born into royalty! To become a spoiled bitch like you!"

"Tch... no. It's because you're a coward. I asked one thing. But apparently, you don't value the relationship enough to leave your comfort zone."

Her words hurt quite a bit.

She opened the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Away."

"Via, c'mon..."

"Leave me alone."

"Wait!"

She shut it in your face.

You went after her but by then she was nowhere to be seen.

You sighed, laying against the wall.

You were about to text her when you heard something from the left. You glanced up.

Your eyes widened as you recognized Stolas.
"Sir?!" You instantly straightened up.

"Did something happen?"

"Oh, no, no, Octavia is just... in the restroom." Your eyes wandered nervously.

"Hm. How do you enjoy your stay so far? Did she show you the other floors yet?" He asked, keeping intense eye contact.

"I-t's an outstandingly beautiful residence, sir, I've never seen such-" You were in the middle of your hardest attempt to flatter him until he cut you off.

"That is delightful to hear. Would you join me on a trip to my favorite spot of the mansion? It is truly a sight to behold. My Via tends to forget about it and it would be a shame to miss. I'm positive you will appreciate it." He stated invitingly.

You didn't understand why he'd ask this right now.

"...Naturally." You agreed regardless, not wanting to appear rude.

It was a long way. He was awfully quiet too. You followed behind him timidly, keeping a bit of a distance.

At the end of a corridor, he turned to the wall and moved a low-hanging painting. An old door was revealed behind it.

He unlocked it.
All you saw was a very dimly lit stairway going down.

It had an ominous aura.

'What the hell could he want in a hidden basement?'

As he stepped in, you hesitantly did the same after a few seconds.

When you reached the bottom of the stairs, the door suddenly slammed shut. It got even darker.

You jolted. Before you could do anything else, something lifted you by the wrist.
You gasped.

Four narrow, glowing red eyes appeared in front of you. You could make out his silhouette in the dark.

"At first, I really was willing to give it a chance. I trusted my dear, that she would choose someone suitable. Someone who deserves her... Instead, I learn she was risking herself sneaking out alone at night, doing who knows what, with you." He moved you closer.

You whimpered and faced away, closing your eyes in fear. You lifted your free arm to shield your head.

He grabbed your chin and forced you to look at him.

"An insignificant. Filthy. Worthless. Abject little worm." His voice gradually lowered, tightening his grip on your wrist with every word.

You trembled, only being able to stare, tears of terror rolling down your cheeks.

"I knew it would be a smart idea to eavesdrop. I heard all I needed to. I'm happy she realized her mistake. What I'm not happy about... is that scum like you dares to address my daughter with that word." His claws delved into your wrist hard, ripping through the clothes.

You hissed.

"Wait, you d-don't-"

"SILENCE!" He pierced the skin.

You yelped. Drops of blood ran down your arm.

"...Let me show you what happens to those who don't know their place." He flicked.

The room lit up.

Torture devices, rubble, and pieces of broken horns could be seen all over the small chamber.

You tensed up in shock.

Your mouth opened but no sound came out.

He smirked at the reaction.

Finally, you burst out screaming in horror.

"HUAAAAAAAAA N-NO, NOO! OCTAVIA, A-ANYONE, HEELP! OH GOD PLEASE NO(...)" You kept shrieking as loud as you could, desperately trying to escape his grasp. His grip remained rock solid, your struggle only resulted in making the wound deeper.

"Quite the dramatic one, aren't we. Go all out if you wish, nobody hears you. Do you know why I love this intimate little room so much? It's completely soundproof." He said in an upbeat tone.

"I-I'll do anything, I- j-just please don't hurt me, I b-beg you!" You cried with a quivering voice as you started to lose it.

"Already? Pathetic. And you think you have the right to even look at her? How could a craven powerless wretch like you ever defend her if need be?"

Your pleads turned into uncontrollable sobbing.

"Now. You listen to me, as I will only say this once."

You had trouble seeing through the tears.

"You leave this house and cut all ties with her immediately. If you don't, I assure you I will personally haul you back here. Believe me, I have my ways to find out and find you. There's no place or person in any ring that could save you from me. I won't have mercy then." He stated calmly.

You still couldn't stop weeping.

"Are we clear?"

"...Y-yes, yes, *sniff* just p-ple-ase..." You stammered weakly.

"Splendid!" He smiled as if the past few minutes never happened.

He carelessly dropped you on the floor like a piece of trash.

You cowered in the corner, clutching your wrist.

"Please don't forget to close the doors on the way out, it gets drafty here, you know." He said cheerfully.

You slowly stood up with some difficulty, your legs could barely support you.

"Oh, and I'd advise you be quick about it, I really wouldn't like to see you when I go back up." He added while cleaning his claws with a handkerchief.

You didn't need any encouragement, you ran up the stairs, tripping multiple times.

You had to stop sprinting, your stomach got too upset.

You almost threw up in the middle of the corridor, descending to all fours.

You didn't even notice the butler who was watering a flower a few steps away.

He slowly lowered the watering can with a distraught expression. He grimaced upon seeing the bloodstain on the floor, knowing he'll have to clean that up.

As soon as the nausea dissipated, you jumped up and kept rushing towards the exit.

You were almost out when you bumped into Octavia after taking a turn.

"Hey, watch it!"
She raised her brows when she recognized you.
"(YN)? What're you-"

"Via!" You hugged her very tight, trying to get a hold of yourself.

"Hng! O...k. Loosen up." She patted your back.
"Why are you shaking?... Are you alright?

You didn't say anything. It took all you've got to keep your sniveling inaudible.

"...Uhm, sorry about leaving you alone there like that. I just needed some time to cool off... But what's going on? I couldn't find you or dad anywhere. Didn't you check your phone?"

You rubbed your face and let go of her.

You glanced back before turning to her.

"Look, I-I'm... I must go."

"What?!"

"Something came up, I-I got a call, I gotta go! It can't wait!"

"You can't be serious! And what happened to your clothes?"

Her eyes fixed on your face.

You didn't want to look her in the eye.

"...Were you cry-"

"No!" You quickly turned your head to the side. "I'm... sorry, I... love you... but..." Your voice trailed off. You felt you won't be able to keep it together for much longer.

"Listen, I know you're scared but please, this really isn't the time to-"

You suddenly kissed her, closing your eyes to hide the emerging tears. You knew this is probably the last time you ever get the chance to see her.

Before she could react, you pushed her carefully and ran away. She glanced after you incredulously.

As she was walking back to her room, Stolas appeared.

"Starfire, is everything alright? Where is our guest? Weren't you supposed to give them a tour?" He asked innocently.

"They said they had to go but... I don't know why."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that." He replied sympathetically.

The door opened and you trudged inside. You got out of the uncomfortable, dirty jacket and threw it on your bed.

You noticed the bag you were supposed to bring along.

You looked away with a bitter face.

'It could've been different...'

You sat down during the shower. You were still shuddering.

You hissed as warm water touched your wrist.

'I really am pathetic. He's right. She shouldn't be with someone as weak as me... What was I even-'

You pursed your lips with a painful expression.

'Maybe she was only with me out of pity in the first place? Like a side-plaything.'

You had your doubts ever since you found out who she really is but now you considered it a serious possibility.

You started to get tired of the unending supply of tears.

You crawled out of the bathroom and went straight to sleep, despite it only being early dusk.

You struggled for hours. Whenever you closed your eyes, you saw his glare.

You huffed, sitting up.

You proceeded to smoke most of the pot you had.

When you almost managed to finally pass out, a notification sound made you look up.

It came from Octavia.

You couldn't bring yourself to block her so you only ended up muting the phone.

Days passed, most of your wake moments were spent high to hush your thoughts. You had completely lost your appetite since Saturday.

You opened your eyes to something tickling your nose. You squinted with a grimace as you lifted your head. It was a feather.

"What..." You frowned drowsily.

You sat up.
You whipped your head to the side to face the figure you spotted from the corner of your eye.

"Wh- Via, what the-...?!" You jumped off the bed, baffled at the sight.

"What's wrong?" She smiled blankly.

Everything began to drift away.

Crimson light filled the room.

You bumped into something as you backed off.

"I warned you." You heard Stolas from above.

Your legs gave out as you turned around.

The room morphed into a gigantic version of the torture chamber.

You wanted to scream but your body didn't move.

He reached for you.

"GWHAA?!" You woke up to falling out of bed at home.

You panted heavily, drops of sweat and tears hit the floor.

You snarled as you got up.

"Motherfucking bird dickhead!"

A chair flew across the room, accidentally hitting a window.

You growled.

"FUCK YOU!" You shouted through the broken glass.

"Fuck you!" Some succubus hooker yelled back at you from outside, giving the finger.

You walked back to the bed with a weary expression.

'Too much fucking weed.'

You checked the phone.

It was past midnight.

You sighed, seeing all the notifications and some missed calls. You haven't blocked her so they kept coming ever since, even if without sound. You didn't have the heart to dismiss them.

You tried your hardest not to think of it. It hurt a lot... but you knew you can't respond anymore.

You bit your lip.

You knew you shouldn't do it but you simply couldn't take it any longer.

You tapped on one of the notifications.

📱

5 days ago

Via: where are you?

what was so important? did it turn out alright?

we really blew our best chance, you know
but seriously, you looked awful, what happened?

hello?

3 days ago

is this about what i said last time?
i didnt mean it, i was just frustrated, ok? i understand he may seem intimidating
but hes not the type to get aggressive even if he hates you
which i dont think he does

2 days ago

look
if theres a problem, talk
if you want to end it, fine
just dont pull this ghosting on me

📱

You stared at the screen with sad eyes.

You looked away, putting the phone down.

'I assure you I will haul you back here.' His voice echoed in your head.

You shivered but then another thought crossed your mind.

'If she believes her father is so harmless... what other secrets does he keep from her?'

You wondered.

'What if she pisses him off too much one day? What if he... Could he hurt her?'

Your timorous grimace turned into an angry one.

You glanced at the phone again.

The last thing you wanted was to test a prince but...

'She needs to know. Gotta stop being a wimp just for one minute.' You gulped.

You hesitantly lifted the device and started typing slowly.

📱

(YN): Hey. I'm so sorry for not replying, I'm kind of in a tricky situation. Via, I want you to know something important but first, you must promise me you won't tell anyone.

📱

Your hand got sweaty as it approached the send button.

'Come on... he can't find out, right? She must have a password on her phone... He doesn't know where I live... right?'

Your fear almost got the better of you but you shook your head and imagined Octavia... down there.

You walked in circles for a while, then reluctantly sent it.

You layed down, not expecting a reply at this hour.

Surprisingly, a new DM came a few minutes later.

📱

Via: ok that sounds really weird
whats going on?

(YN): listen, i cant tell you unless you swear this remains between us

Via: fine, i wont tell on you
just lets hear it, this is getting creepy

📱

You hesitated.

📱

(YN): actually
can i ask something first?

Via: yeah?

(YN): ive been sorta wondering
do you take me seriously?
as, well, a partner?

Via: you think i sneak out at night bc i dont?

(YN): i wouldnt get mad, id understand, i just wanna know, ok?
you would tell me the truth either way, right?
honestly

Via: dont you take my word for it?
whats with you?

📱

You took a deep breath and started writing.

You phrased what happened that day, sparing some of the most unsettling details... and the parts where you acted humiliatingly.

📱

(YN):
(...)
I only told you all this because I fear it might not be safe to be around him even for you. Who knows what other secrets he may hide... Remember, my life depends on you keeping this between us. It'd be best if you deleted this message.

📱

You anxiously waited for an answer.

Stolas was already sleeping when the door of the bedroom flung open.

Octavia stormed inside.

He flinched, sitting up.

"Via, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry to ruin your beauty sleep, dad, but I'd really like to hear your side of the story!" She pushed the phone in his face.

His expression changed multiple times during the read.

Finally, he looked up with a regretful face.

"Mind telling me why do you think it's ok to scare my friend into submission?!"

"...Dear, please try to understand, I-"

"What, are you seriously going to explain how it's justified?! You're a psycho!

"I did it because I love you! The way they talk to you... The likes of them won't treat you right!"

"How could you possibly know that?! We just had an ordinary argument! Even if that was the case, you think the solution would be to terrorize them?! Not even mom would do shit like that!" She gestured.

"You have no idea how dangerous most demons are!"

"I'm not a damn kid anymore!"

"You still don't have enough knowledge and experience! You are a Goetia and my only daughter! I can't let you risk yourself like that!"

"So will you break my wrist too if I resist?! Or what, beat me until I tell you where they live?!"

"How can you say that?! I would never harm you!"

"Well I don't know why should I believe you anymore! You lied to me..."

"Starfire-" He reached out.

"Don't touch me!"

She turned to leave the room.

"Octavia!" He followed.

When he reached her room, the door was locked.

"At least let me finish!" He knocked.

"I don't wanna hear it! You would've gotten away with it and acted like nothing ever happened if they didn't tell me... Go away." He heard from inside.

"I don't ask you to forgive me, I merely want to tell the truth."

He groaned.

"I only have two things I live for. You are one of them. All I have in my everyday life that brings me joy is you. I wouldn't survive if something happened to you... I may be wrong sometimes but I always do whatever I think is best for you."
"Look... if you are absolutely certain you want to spend time with them... I won't stop you. If you promise me you stay safe at all times."

The door slowly slid open.

"If you want to do what's best for me then please let me live my life." She eyed him through the slit.

"...I will. Just don't forget, you are my everything. Please don't leave the house without telling me."

He pulled her in for a hug.

She let it happen with a sigh.

📱

(YN): are you there?

📱

You were getting worried. You figured it'd take her some time to let it sink in but what could be taking this long?

'Does she think I'm lying? W-what if that monster has some kind of power and he found out?!'

These scenarios crowded your mind until you saw she started typing.

📱

Via: omg im so sorry, i dont know whats gotten into him
he regretted it, we will sort it out, ok?

📱

You felt your heart skip a beat.

📱

(YN): you crazy?! how could you betray me like that, i might literally get killed!

Via: listen, i had to
i get it, you must think hes evil but he really isnt like that by default!
he wont hurt you
or me

(YN): pls tell me he doesnt know where i live!
via you might be in danger too! where is he now?!

Via: (YN), please
i know you have a hard time believing it but he just wanted to protect me in his own stupid old man way
it was a misunderstanding
he went father mode too much, he got carried away
i never imagined he would do something like that
but he told me he only wanted to scare you off
it was genuine, i know him enough to bet on it

(YN): how could you know for sure?

Via: ill tell you in person this weekend
he lets us meet
do you trust me?

📱

You held your head with both hands for a while, thoughts racing.

Then another terrifying possibility popped into your mind.

📱

(YN): what color is my fav hoodie?

Via: what?

(YN): just answer

Via: (FC) but what does that have to do with anything?

(YN): alright, wanted to make sure its still you on the other side

Via: oh cmon, calm down
am i really that untrustworthy?
i only confronted him bc i knew he will change his mind, i didnt 'betray' you

(YN): could you keep an eye on him?
im begging you just till the weekend
to make sure he doesnt follow you or anything
pls stay safe

Via: fine just stop panicking, ok?

(YN): thanks
uh ill call you tomorrow, i just need to knock myself out for today

Via: dont overdo it
night

📱

"Hm... I suppose that makes sense... There really are lots of assholes out there you should be wary about. Guess I didn't seem better than them..." You let out a sigh after she told the events of the confrontation.
"Well, I'm just glad to be back here again. With you." You admitted softly as you hugged her on the rooftops of the abandoned house. For the third time today.

"I swear I thought dad is the only demon who can't go without doing this all the time." She snorted. "You became pretty cuddly lately." She hugged back.

You quickly let her go.

"Oh, I mean... Sorry if that's lame." You smiled nervously.

"Coming to think of it, I wanted to ask something." She switched to a serious tone.

"What's up?"

"I know you prooobably don't want to see him, and it's understandable, but he wants to make up for... last time."

"Uhm... how?"

"He said he'd be thankful if you joined us for dinner next Saturday."

You managed to fight off the urge to say no.

"...Alright, uh... Sure." You nodded hesitantly.

"You don't have to, only if you're comf-"

"Nah, it's cool!" You winked. "Ya know me, I'm not the type to back out." You tried to flash a charismatic grin.

She stared in a bit of a strange manner.

"...What?" You glanced to the side, then back to her.

"You're not trying to prove to me, are you?"

You blushed at that.

"Heh, what do you mean? Should I?" You raised a brow jokingly.

"Don't give me that look, I know you're not a fan of him, that's normal after all that. We don't need to force it."

"Er... ok... I know I may not be the bravest around but-"

"So that's what this is about." She sighed. "You're still fussing over what I said last week?" She rolled her eyes. "Look, you don't have to pretend something you're not. Alright?"

"But..." You trailed off with a sour expression, knowing how much you rely on weed.

"...I just don't want you to think I'm weak." You muttered sheepishly, looking down.

"(YN)..." She touched your hand. "I already told you, I didn't mean it. And you had the guts to tell me what happened, that's anything but cowardly." She tilted her head to the side with a smile.

You smiled back gingerly.
You were glad she felt that way but it still bugged you a little how you kept the mortifying parts out of the text.

"I forgot the flowers again!" You grumbled.

"That's the last thing we care about right now." She commented as you two made your way across the garden.

Stepping into the main hall, you spoke up.

"Darn, I shouldn't have finished that energy drink in one go. Where's the bathroom?"

"Second to last door on the right is the nearest one, that way. We'll be in the kitchen."

"Ok."

As you walked through the corridor, you noticed all the paintings on the walls, mostly of Stolas.

'Wow, this guy is full of himself.' You rolled your eyes.

You stopped not far from the restroom to check a family portrait.

You eyed Octavia's mother.

'How much worse could she be if-'

Your trail of thought was cut off when one of the nearby doors opened.

A familiar tall stature appeared.

His brows raised when he noticed you.

You got caught completely off guard.
You instinctively took a few steps back with a frightened look, nearly wetting yourself.

His expression quickly turned remorseful.

"Oh, please, I mean no harm." He gestured with one hand.
"I didn't expect you so early... I owe you more than a simple apology, don't I... (YN), was it?"

You tried to regain your composure, nodding.

"I'm afraid I tend to go overboard when it comes to my Via. I am truly sorry."

You just stood there, still visibly scared.

He sighed.

"I was indeed wrong about you. When she showed me your message, I saw you mention how you only contacted out of worry for her safety. That is admirable... but I assure you I would never do such a thing to her."

He locked his hands behind his back.

"You know, I was relieved to see you didn't detail the... chamber."

Your skin crawled at the word.

"But I do wonder why?... If I may ask."

You finally swallowed the knot in your throat.

"...I... didn't want her to think about things like that... and I was also just trying to save my reputation there." You mumbled looking away.

"Either way, I am thankful for that. No one knows of it but me. A relic of the past, unused for generations now. I'm glad I didn't have to tell her..."
"Well... it's a welcome surprise to see you accepted my offer. Perhaps that means I might be able to make up for it over time. I hope we can put this behind us..."

He headed in the other direction.

"Uh... sir?" You said carefully.

He turned back with a worn-out look.

"Please, just call me Stolas. Yes?"

"I will do all I can to treat her right... I promise."

A small smile curved on his face.
"I don't doubt that."

The dinner was mostly silent and very awkward, as expected, but it did become a more pleasant monthly occasion later.

One night, Octavia had to step out for a phone call, leaving you two alone for the first time since the initial dinner.

The atmosphere wasn't tense anymore but it was still rather uncomfortable.

"Can I ask something?" You broke the silence.

"Of course."

"Did Via have relationships with commoners like me before?" You asked quietly.

"Hm... I don't recall any. Why does that interest you?"

"I just wonder sometimes..." You glanced at the door.

"About what?" He raised a brow.

"I'm... not sure why she likes me." You smiled timidly.

"I wouldn't fret over that. We often don't understand others. But that is part of the charm, I'd say."
"In her case, I had trouble reading her thoughts as well. Ever since she was a tiny owlet."

"She must've been the cutest kid ever." You chuckled.

"She sure was... Oh, actually, I think I have a few old photos saved on my phone. Do you want to see them?" He smiled.

"Do I?!" You grinned as you stood up.

"Quickly then, before she comes back." He motioned mischievously.

Octavia heard laughter as she reentered the kitchen.

She was beyond surprised to see you in a bent over position, peeking at something over her dad's shoulder. She never saw you two have fun together before.

"(...)and this was her costume for Halloween 13 years ago. She wanted to be the wolf." Stolas explained eagerly.

"Awww, wow, this is the most adorable thing ever." You snickered.

She walked up silently behind you with a perplexed frown.

"Wait until you see the one where-"

"Dad! What the hell?!" She yelled, seeing the screen.

You jumped up at the unexpected sound.

"Ah, didn't see you there, sweetheart." Stolas chuckled.

"Why would you?!" She flailed her arms with an intense blush.

"Where's the cutest birb now?" You teased.

"Urgh, I'm not above kicking out guests!" She growled.

You two couldn't stop laughing.

The very few times you saw Stella, it went smoother than you thought.
Contrary to the stories you heard from Octavia, she wasn't hostile... except that one time when she wrecked the place because of some imp Stolas meets up with sometimes. More like, she acted as if you didn't exist. The first time you met her, she just walked past you without batting an eye when you introduced yourself. it was probably for the best. She always had this sour, angry but resigned aura. You were satisfied enough with that, she seemed to treat most others similarly too.

As time passed, you felt more at home in the mansion, you loved visiting.

Who knows, one day you might feel ready to tell Stolas the truth about the day you first met Via.
Maaan, was that something...

Chapter Text

Warning: This story is quite dark and graphic compared to the show and my other works. Reader discretion is advised.

(YN) = your name
'text' = thoughts/quoting
"text" = spoken word
bold and underline = accentuation (the former is aggressive)
italics = different tone/implication
number of empty lines indicate time passing
~ = events happening around the same time at another place
* (center justified) separates author notes from the story

*

You left the office after a tiresome week.

On your way home, you were already planning the weekend.

Just as you came to a stop at the entrance of your place to search for the keys, someone spoke up from behind.

"You ain't very perceptive for an assassin, y'know."

You quickly turned around.

There was a tall imp leaning at a nearby dumpster. He had quite uncommon features... The hat was a dead giveaway, probably one of those lowlives from the wrath ring.

"Huh? What, were you following me?" You glared at him.

He looked you up and down as he flashed his golden tooth. He must have noticed your hand slid down to your hip, despite the dark of the night.

"I coulda killed you 50 times over by now if I wanted to. I'm not here for trouble." He grinned.

"Hmph, I can imagine." You crossed your arms.
"So what're you up to? Thought you inbred hillbillies were busy shoveling horseshit 24/7." You poked back.

"I wouldn't waste my time in this worthless city without good reason." He switched to a serious tone as he straightened up.

"Look, if you want someone dead, it'll have to wait till Monday, we only take contracts on weekdays."

"That's not exactly it either." He came closer.
"See, I do need someone dead but it's a bit beyond the reach of your pathetic little group."

You frowned.
"What do you mean?"

"I assume you know the Goetia your boss borrows the book from?"

"Stolas?"

"That filthy blueblood got a nice fat bounty on his head."

"Wait, how do you even know about... Why are you telling me all this?" You watched him tensely.

"'Cause it ain't easy to off a prince without proper distraction." He replied suggestively.

"What are you even on about? You can't just kill royalty. Unless you somehow g-..." Your jaw almost dropped when he pulled his jacket apart revealing the most beautiful revolver you've ever seen. And not just any revolver. Those white markings were unmistakable.

"...B-but... how?" You stuttered in disbelief.

"Not an everyday sight, eh?" He grinned smugly. "If there's one thing I don't hate about bluebloods, it's their willingness to back their goals with money. When it ends up in my pocket, at least."

You stared in silence, still awestruck. You've only ever seen one of these. A while ago Moxxie showed you a picture of a rifle he supposedly keeps at their place for 'emergencies'. He said they stole it from someone who tried to kill Stolas a few months ago when you weren't with them yet. You never really believed him though.

"Say, how much does that conehead pay you?"

"Why do you care?"

He turned his head to the less than impressive slum you called home.

He chuckled.
"Adorable."

You snarled.

"Let's just say jobs like this make ends meet. You could buy the whole estate after a single one. So whaddya say, mind helping me put those birds where they belong?"

"Plural?" You raised a brow.

"Of course. This is only the beginning. Bluebloods like to act high and mighty till they get a bullet from one o' these." He pulled out the gun and spun it in his hand. "The fools fund their own destruction through me. Once I gain enough, they'll realize their mistake. But it'll be too late... Don't it sound good?"

"...You think I'd trust the likes of you?" You eyed him cautiously.

"Doncha understand? This is why we're livin' like this." He gestured at the house. "We 'commoners' never work together. We let 'em walk all over us. That's what they want, they know it's their only hope of stayin' in power. And it works, 'cause our kind is stupid enough to do just that." He turned to you with a charming expression. "But we ain't like most imps, are we?"

You didn't answer. He had a point though...

You shook your head.

"Stop playing me. What do you really want?"

"To slowly but surely break the system that keeps us down. Why play along when you could make your own rules?" He leaned closer, resting an arm on the wall behind you. "C'mon. Doncha wanna see those bastards get what they deserve after everything they've done to us? Haven't we had enough of sittin' at the bottom of the food chain? It's about time to put an end to this hierarchy and create a new one. One we rule."

You glanced to the side with an uncomfortable expression. Those eyes were mesmerizing.

"Which is the better choice? Wasting away in a dead-end job, surrounded by idiots..."

Your eyes widened as he offered you the pistol.

"...or putting yer skills to actual use and rising above overlords?"

You gazed at the weapon for what felt like minutes.

"...Alright... but how are we doing this?" You dubiously took it.

"Heh. I knew you're smarter than-"

A tuny whistle cut him off.
"In this alley of all places? You peasants really got no chill, huh?" Some stereotypical pretty boy incubus snorted mockingly as he passed behind Striker a good distance away.

The position you two were in certainly resembled... something else from his perspective.

The cowboy gave him a glare.

"Whoa there, tiger, I don't swing that way." He smiled sassily.

His face didn't remain smug for long though, as moments later a quarter of it was missing and he fell over, motionless.

"...This place pisses me off." Striker grumbled as he sheathed his gun.

"That's one mean caliber." You couldn't help but admire the sight.

He stepped away from you.

"Listen, I'm pretty busy. Y'know that shabby tower way over yonder?" He gestured eastwards.

"Yeah?"

"Sunday midnight. Sixth floor." He walked away.

You glanced after him pensively.

He looked back from the edge of the alley.

"Don't be late... Partner." His eyes glowed menacingly.

With that, he was gone.

You were left alone, thinking.

You weren't sure why you agreed, you didn't trust him too much but he was admittedly charismatic. And kinda good-looking.

You grimaced at the weird thought and quickly shooed it away.

You went inside and settled down.

You contemplated.

'If he's serious, this would certainly be a dream job. Maybe even more... But it would involve ruining I.M.P's business.'

You examined the gun.

'...Then again...'

The door creaked as it slowly opened. You peeked in from the empty streets.

it was pretty rundown inside too, no sign of any demon, only litter everywhere.

You made your way up to the top.

There was another small ragged door. You tried to enter but it didn't move. A few seconds later, the click of multiple locks could be heard.

Finally, the old piece of wood gave way, a familiar figure appeared.

"Well howdy."

"Hey... so, uh, why here?"

"We'll get to that."

He walked to a table and checked some papers.

The whole room was full of junk, much like the rest of the place.

You noticed a not-so-small hole on the wall that seemed to have been carved out manually.

"Before we get to the real deal, there's a lil' extra we'll have to take care of. The client wants their book back."

"Their? Isn't it Goetia property?" You raised a brow.

"Yup. Apparently, bluebloods don't take cheating too well." He snorted.

"...You mean the client is his wife?"

"Mhm."

"Wow. I wonder why." You rolled your eyes with a smile.

"Lass is pretty desperate but offered good money so we'll play along with her... for now." He added in a sinister voice.

"So you want me to get the book."

"I went after you specifically for a reason. You're the only one with access."

"It's always on Blitzø or in his office, it's near impossible to just snatch it without someone noticing."

He handed you a small tube.
"This should do the trick. A few drops in his drink and he won't know what hit 'im."

He threw a red scarf at you.
"Or just surprise him from behind if he ain't thirsty."

For a moment you almost cracked a snicker at the phrasing of that.

"You think the others won't notice that? It's kinda hard to-"

"Hold yer horses, I didn't say it's a solo job, now did I?" He turned his back and fiddled with something in the drawer.
"No fuss, the office won't be so crowded tomorrow."

"...How so?" You narrowed your eyes.

"Let's not run our pieholes for long. Point is, I'm fixin' to help ya from behind the scenes. You'll notice."

"I don't know..." You scratched your head.

"It'll be a nice sum for such a simple job. Don't tell me it's too much for ya." He gave you a provoking smirk.

"...I want 70%."

"55."

"60." You put a hand on your hip.

"Fair 'nough." He shrugged. "Now get outta here, I've got things to do. Lemme know when ya got it."

You arrived to work on Monday. You were surprised to see only Loona and Blitzø upon entering. The office door was open, your boss on the phone. He seemed angry.

As you proceeded inside, you heard the hellhound sniffing.

"Hey, (YN)."

Your tail twitched anxiously.

"Sup?" You turned to her, trying to act normal.

"You stepped in something? You smell... off."

"Uhm..." Your eyes wandered. "Er, right, heh, must be the new shampoo. Kinda bad, huh? Gotta get something better next time." You left it at that and made your way to Blitzø's office.

"Boss?" You walked in.

"At least someone's on time." He grumbled as he fidgeted with the phone.

"Well, you know me, hehe." You eyed his cup of coffee. "What's with Mox and Mills by the way?" You casually took a seat in front of him.

"That's what I'd like to know!" He lifted the device to his ear again, resting an elbow on the table as he faced to the side.

'Perfect!'

You got the poison out of your pocket under the table.

You kept glancing between him and the coffee.

You slowly reached for the cup with the tube in hand.

"Damn it, Moxxie!" He suddenly smashed the phone on the table, causing the cup to fall down.

You jolted, almost dropping the substance.

"They almost always pick up after the first few calls..." He glanced up. "You got something to say?" He raised a brow at your frustrated expression.

"Uh, n-no." You mumbled.

He stood up with a sigh.
"Go, ask Loona if we got anything for today." He walked to the window.

You reluctantly headed to the exit but looked back before stepping out.

He was standing there with his back turned, gazing outside.

"C'mon, Mills... The fuck are you two doing?" He muttered as he lifted the phone again.

You hastily pulled out the scarf and applied a few drops to it.

You snuck up behind him.

When you were only a couple steps away, he unexpectedly turned around, putting the phone down with a huff.

His eyes widened, seeing you with arms lifted, a red piece of cloth in one of your hands.

You instantly hid it behind your back with a startled face but it was far too late.

His confused expression turned serious.

"You... No way. So that's what this is about." He stared intensely.

You quickly took a step back and reached for your gun but he was faster.

To your absolute shock, he hugged you.
"You actually remembered it's my birthday!" He exclaimed cheerfully.

You were paralyzed in utter disbelief.

"Whatcha got, whatcha got?" He eagerly ripped the cloth out of your hand.

"Aw, a scarf? Weird choice. Not my type of thing but I like the fabric quality. It's kinda cute..." His grin faded a little. "...and... familiar somehow..."

You just watched him silently.

"Anyway." He put it in his pocket. "I'll have to go and check... something. Keep an eye on the place, you two, ok?"

"Uh, sure thing."

He hurried out.

After some hesitating, you went to his table and found the Grimoire.

You hid it in your suit. It barely fit.

You had an idea.

"Ah, shit!" You came out of Blitzø's office. "Left my bag at home. Can you hold the front alone for a bit?" You acted at Loona's desk awkwardly. Hiding the humongous book wasn't easy.

"Mhm." Luckily she didn't even bother to look up.

You swept some sweat off your brow as you left the building.

By the time you got home, you were quite gassed out. This thing was definitely not designed to be carried by imps for so long.

You put it down and pulled your phone out to give your partner a call.

He answered within a few rings.

"Hm?"

"Got it."

"Took ya long enough."

"Try carrying this crap for 20 minutes!"

"Heh, a few weeks down south would teach ya what's heavy. Alright, just pullin' ya, good job. Expect me in 3 hours."

"I can't stay here for that long, Blitzø knows where I live."

"Eh? Isn't that mother trucker lying unconscious right now?"

"Erm... Things didn't quite work out as planned so, knowing him, he might show up looking for me in about an hour."

"Why doncha just welcome him with some friendly fire?"

For the first time, you felt a little bad.
"...I'm, uh... I ran out of ammo a while ago." You lied.

"Tch, dang it. Fine, I'm there soon."

~

Blitzø climbed up to the couple's window, as he did many times before, but this time he didn't get his head yelled off by Moxxie, nor did he see Millie wave at him. In fact, he didn't see anyone.

He knocked on the glass but nothing.

~

You heard honking from outside.

Glancing out the window, you saw your partner gesturing impatiently from a dirty pickup truck.

You opened the door, got in, and sat down, placing the book in the back.

You grimaced as foul smells hit you.

"Freakin' hell, did someone take a shit in here, or is it just you?"

"Well sorry, princess, feel free to go on foot. You townsfolk are too needy for my liking."

"So when are we getting paid for this?"

"Prolly tonight."

He threw a small box of ammo on your lap.
"Amateur." He commented irritably as he started driving.

On the way to the tower, he called Stella and informed her about the successful mission.

~

Blitzø noticed the door wasn't locked. He was concerned.

He made his way in.

~

You two returned to the makeshift hideout.

"Y'know how this works?" He examined the book.

"Nah. Blitzø learned a few basic portal rituals but that's all."

"Remind me to torture some info outta the two feathered ones after we're done with that creep. It'll come in handy later."

~

"Moxxie? Millie?" Blitzø called out with worry in his voice, spotting the mess in the living room.

~

"Since you're here early, we might as well make use of the time and discuss the next step. See that over there?" He pointed at the hole you noticed earlier.

"Uhum."

He pulled out a rifle from behind the table.

You didn't believe your eyes, it had the same markings as the revolvers.

"Seriously, how many more of these do you have?"

"There's a snub and some knives in the back somewhere." He replied smugly.

You eyed the gun. It had black stains on it... probably blood. It seemed familiar.

You remembered the photo Moxxie showed you. This looked awfully similar.

"...Where did you get this?"

~

Like a cold, heavy spike piercing his core. That's how it felt when he laid eyes on his two favorite employees. Facedown, covered in blood. Close to each other even in death.

He nearly tripped due to the shock. He ran up to them, repeating the word 'no' a hundred times as he held one, then the other. His face scrunched up at the sight of Moxxie's brutalized corpse.

He called their names but nothing happened. He screamed at them, shaking the bodies violently to no avail. He begged, cried for them to wake up, even though he knew it won't happen.

~

"From the client, like the others. 'Cept this one got stolen a while back by those squirts you worked with."

"Wait, you..." You trailed off.

"What?" He raised a brow.
"The bunch got the jump on me on a previous job. This blueblood freak shoulda died that day but bossman either likes the taste of bird dick too much or just doesn't have a lot goin' on upstairs, 'cause they were willing to protect him. Anyway, they musta thought they're real smart." He chuckled. "Well, try and ask 'em what they think now."

You remained silent. You didn't want to get them dragged into this. You thought this would only concern royalty...

"The look on the lil' fella's face when I snapped that whore's neck, heh, priceless." He kept bragging. "Didn't even try to put up a fight after that. I've never seen such a ridiculous weakling, I'm tellin' ya, even when I was gouging out his-"

"Ok. I get it." You interrupted him in a bit of an upset tone, facing away. You've had your fair share of murders yourself but you felt sick just listening to this guy's violence fetish.

"Oh?" He turned to you.

You saw him stare at you in a calculating manner from the corner of your eye.

He slowly approached with a small smile on his face.
"You got a problem over there?"

He stood very close. 

You instinctively leaned back a bit as you looked at him.

He smirked.
"You're not afraid of me, are ya, partner?"

You narrowed your eyes with a barely masked disturbed expression.
"Tch... Are you getting off to this?"

"I've got no darn clue what you're on about, 's just a sweet lil' story. Doncha wanna hear how it continues?" His grin widened.

"...The hole, so what about it?" You tried to change the subject.

He hummed.

He took the scope off the rifle and gave it to you, gesturing towards the wall.

You only saw a tiny patch of grass in the middle, surrounded by plants, buildings, and fences.

You glanced at him questioningly as you lowered the device.

"That's where the creep will get his quiet pill tomorrow. The only part of the garden we've got a sight on. Everythin' else is blocked by those blasted trees and whatnot."

"How do you know when he'll be right there?"

"I won't. But you will."

"Huh?"

"You're gonna disguise as one of their butlers."

"You insane, how the fuck am I supposed to blend in there?!"

"Quit whinin'. I've got it all planned out. I reckon the horn shape of one of them bootlickers resembles yours. All ya gotta do is stay low and alert me when that freak leaves for his last walk. The client will provide ya with clothes and the rest." He went back to the table. "We're meetin' up with her tonight."

Your phone rang. It was Blitzø. Your throat tightened.

You muted it.

"Someone misses their employee of the month, eh?" He chuckled from the other side of the room.

Some time went by uneventfully.

You kept to yourself, leaning at the wall a good distance away from Striker.

You twiddled with your phone to pass time but put it down after a while, you didn't want to see all the incoming missed call notifications.

You took a glimpse at the cowboy.

He was cleaning the rifle at the moment, sitting at the table in a slacking position. The bloodstains of your old colleagues faded.

You watched the gun for a while with worn-out eyes. You felt pretty tired but there's no way in hell you'd snooze with him around.

Those eyes of his met yours as he glanced up.

"What's on yer mind, partner?"

"Nothing." You replied plainly, moving your head back towards the window.

"...Somethin' ya don't like?" You could sense a hint of mockery in his tone. You had a feeling he knows what's up and is taunting you for it.

Your face muscles tensed up a bit but you ignored him.

You felt his smug gaze on you for a few more seconds.

Fortunately, he left it at that.

You were really hoping the money was going to be worth it.

Hours later, you were in the middle of going over the plan.

There was a huge piece of paper spread out on the table in front of you two.

It was the layout of the mansion. He was explaining where that point of the garden is, which door leads to it, and what to look out for when impersonating the staff.

You two were bending over the map as you exchanged but the rim of his hat kept getting in the way.

"You ever take this damn thing off?" You pushed it out of the way irritably.

He caught it as it was about to fall off.

"Aw, I didn't know ya liked it so much, here." He got a hold of you from behind and forced it on your head with a low chuckle.

"Urgh, piss off!" You threw it away with a slight blush.
"Do you even wash it?"

"Sometimes." He claimed proudly.

You never before wanted to take a shower so bad.

It was time to get ready for the meeting.

He packed the book and you made your way to the car.

He parked close to the mansion.

"I'll do the talking, you just do what she says. Capisce?" He turned to you before opening the door.

"Ok."

You two approached the gate. A big feathered demon and an imp servant waited near it.

"Ma'am." Striker welcomed her respectfully.

She eyed you, mainly the top of your head. You weren't sure how to react.

"So this is the one." She glanced between you and her butler. "Hm... convenient."

She nodded at Striker who returned the gesture.

You and the servant looked at each other, both very uncomfortable. Admittedly, your horns seemed almost identical from a distance, even some other features too.

"...Milady?-"

"'Scuse me, my good sir." Striker interrupted the well-dressed imp. He put on a bit of a fake voice, resting a hand on his hip. "Would ya be so kind as to help this oldtimer out? See, my back just ain't what it used to be and this is quite the hefty package here. Could ya please hand it to yer dear master in my name?"

"Uhm..." The butler nervously looked up at Stella but he only got a cold stare back.

...Of course." He hesitantly moved.

When he reached for the book, Striker caught his arm and pulled him in before he could react.

You winced at the unexpected action.

He instantly covered the little guy's mouth to keep him quiet and broke his neck with a violent yank.

After the unpleasant snapping sound, the desperate flailing and muffled screaming stopped.

"Thanks for the cooperation." He smirked as he released the body, letting it collapse.

Striker gave her the book.

"Nicely done." She handed him a stunning amount of cash.

"It is our pleasure." He tipped his hat flatteringly.

You split it with him as agreed.

"Well." Striker picked up the victim and cast him over his shoulder. "Tomorrow then." He motioned as he went back to the car.

He threw the body on the passenger seat and drove off.

"Come." She instructed sternly, heading to the gate.

You obliged.

"You're familiar with the layout, are you?" She asked as you followed her through the garden.

"Yes."

"Good. You're not allowed to interact with anyone, you'd blow your cover. You will be stationed outside at the end of the main road, you'll have perfect sight on the back door. He should be awake in 7 hours, be there by then. If someone asks you anything, tell them I ordered you to take care of the bushes in the area. Nothing. Else."

"Understood."

She came to a stop in front of a door.

"Since this room is now unoccupied, stay here until morning. You'll find appropriate clothing in the wardrobe and hedge trimmers in the forecourt. Don't mess it up this time, you two."

She turned to you with a spiteful expression.

"And if you dare even think about stealing something shiny, I'll show you there are worse fates than death. I know your kind... Have I made myself clear?"

You nodded.

She left.

You entered the room. It was pretty, much like the rest of the place, but considerably less luxurious. It had a cozy bed and multiple wardrobes. The table was filled with the personal belongings of the imp you 'replaced'.

You curled up on the bed and set your alarm.

Despite your weariness, you didn't get much sleep...

You woke up to the alarm, feeling like shit.

You tried on some of the attires, one of them fit well enough.

You recalled the hairstyle of the unfortunate fellow you were impersonating.

You combed your hair and looked into the mirror.

'Guess that'll do.'

You sighed and stepped outside.

You hastily walked down the corridor, tensely looking out for Stolas. You've only met a few other members of the staff on the way. You kept your head down, avoiding even accidental eye contact.

You finally arrived in the forecourt and quickly got yourself a trimmer.

The garden was nice and empty.

You walked to your assigned post and started cutting away, of course only superficially, since your eyes were glued on the door.

Hours passed.

The effects of the last few days started to show. Headache, hungriness, drowsiness... You didn't even know when was the last time you ate. Regardless, your attention remained fixated.

"Do you have the-"

"Huagh?!" You flipped around at the abrupt voice that came from behind. You saw a surprised-looking imp servant.

"Stella's orders!" You practically yelled at him.

He blinked a few times.

"...Alright, I just wanted to ask what time-"

"I must trim these, leave me alone!" You hurried to another bush on the opposite side of the road.

He left after giving you a long, weirded-out stare.

You facepalmed, rubbing your eyes. You just wanted this day to be over.

A few more hours passed. You had trouble keeping the act up. By now, you were just standing at a bush, making random moves with the trimmer as you glared at the door.

And then, it opened. Your eyes flashed up. The tall figure appeared, easily recognizable.

You quickly got your phone out and sent the word 'now' to Striker.

You gazed in Stolas' direction tensely.

~

The cowboy already had everything set up when the message came. He relaxed all day to be in perfect condition.

He stepped to the mounted rifle and put his hand on the trigger, focusing on the crosshair like never before. This will be the trickiest shot of his life. Only a single split-second chance. He would never admit it to anyone but he was quite nervous.

He held his breath and waited.

~

You stared with widening eyes as the prince approached.

Out of nowhere, someone who looked a lot like Stolas appeared from one of the side roads and headed towards the death zone faster.

Your heart skipped a beat.
"Wh- no!" You gasped half loudly and ripped your phone out of your pocket in panic as the trimmer hit the ground.

~

Striker was completely motionless as if he was petrified. A single droplet of sweat rolled down his cheek as he concentrated.

A Goetia appeared in his scope.

~

"Dad, I can't find my phone! Did you mix it up with yours agai-"

Suddenly, the girl went limp, hitting the ground face first.

You grimaced in frustration, gripping your head with both hands.

Her father's face froze.

Blood began to form a small puddle around her head, it was visible even from afar.

~

He snorted victoriously as a vicious grin curved on his face.
"Goodnight, sweet prince."

In his younger years, he definitely wouldn't have been able to keep in the  'yeehaw' that threatened to erupt.

However, his smirk turned upside down when he took a better look at the body.

In a fit of rage, he slammed the valuable gun to the wall.

"...You done did it now." He growled, eyes flaring furiously.

~

Stolas was shaking. His legs gave out. He fell to his knees, expression completely blank.

You were freaking out, you knew what Striker tends to do to demons who cross him. If that wasn't enough, he knows where to look for you.

This was bad, really bad but you held it together, you figured you gotta get out of here as soon as possible. You needed to get there before he does, you kept absolutely everything important at home, you gotta risk it.

Luckily no one seemed to be around besides the incapacitated owl.

You hurried to the closest gate and successfully slipped away without anyone noticing.

You sprinted all the way home.

You almost spat out your lungs by the time you reached your place. You tried to catch your breath as you looked around, weapon readied.

No filthy trucks around or any sign of a break-in.

You kicked the door open, checking the room with the pistol held in front of you.

You went inside and carefully scanned every room with the gun in hand.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

You quickly locked the door, covered every window, and started packing your things as fast as you could.

'Ok, ok, ok, I got the money, my stuff, if I can just sell this gun and stay low, I'll have enough to rent a decent flat in Pentagram City and-' Your trail of thought was disrupted by a barely audible rattling sound. You tensed up, whipping your head to the side.

You grabbed your weapon firmly as you slowly made your way to the living room where the noise came from, keeping your aim on the door.

You cautiously checked the area.

Nothing of note.

You let out a sigh.
'Must be my imagination. I need to calm down.'

As you turned back, your eyes widened in shock, seeing the one imp you never wanted to even think about again.

You took a shot at him but missed as his tail wrapped around your arm and slammed you to the wall. The revolver flew out of your grasp.

"You would shoot your dear partner? That's not very nice." The voice that gave you chills got closer and closer.

You struggled to escape but he still had a hold on you. You pulled out your knife with your free arm, trying to cut his tail but he kicked you over the table before you could swing.

Your luggage crashed down as you bounced off the table, your most prized possessions scattering everywhere.

"Were ya planning on goin' somewhere?" He approached with a malicious expression.

You stood up with some difficulty and backed to the wall.

"S-sorry, ok? *huff* I didn't-  she came out of nowhere, I  *huff* tried to warn you! Look, uh, y-you can have the money and *huff* whatever you want just... let's settle down." You held an arm out, bargaining.

"You're one smooth talkin' lawyer all of a sudden, arencha? This is what I hate the most about you townsfolk. Y'all act like defenseless implings without a gun."

You attempted to run away but he caught your tail, flinging you into a wall and pushing you against it hard.

"I couldn't care less why ya fucked up. All that matters is that ya did. Now I ain't seein' a single penny from that bitter cunt!" He snarled wrathfully.

He punched you a few times.

You had trouble defending yourself.

A mean right hook sent you to the ground. A broken tooth fell out of your mouth.

You desperately tried to crawl away from him, leaving patches of blood on the floor. The dizziness from the blows didn't do you any favors.

He snorted scornfully as he went after you.
"Assassin my ass."

He kicked you in the side and pinned you to the ground.

You covered your face with both arms, turning your head away.

You noticed a small egg-shaped metal object near you. You realized what it was. One of the smoke bombs you just packed.

"Oh, we're just gettin' started." He commented sadistically as he grabbed your throat with one hand and lifted his fist to continue the beating.

You quickly grabbed the grenade and smacked him in the face with it.

He didn't see that coming, it hit him in the cheek and blew up.

After the flash, you only saw grey as dense smoke filled the room.

The explosion hurt your hand a lot. He let go of you.

It took all your strength to drag yourself through the room, stumbling to your feet.

You were looking for the door or a window but you couldn't see a thing.

You almost tripped a few times due to all the stuff that covered the floor.

You twitched when you heard him grumble from not too far.

You bumped into a wardrobe.

The smoke started to settle, you knew you can't waste time.

You hid inside.

You tried to keep your distraught breathing silent.

As the air cleared, he looked around, rubbing his head.

He saw the exit was still closed, windows untouched.

He grinned.
"Clever little move there."

You heard him walk around.
"But I know you're still here, partner."

You shivered. You just didn't know what to do.

You thought about making a run for it but everything hurt so bad.

"Tell you what." He spoke up solemnly.
"If ya spare me the hide 'n seek, I'll promise a quick and painless shot. If not... I'm fixin' to have my fun with ya." His tone was unnerving. "Sounds fair?"

You didn't react, of course.

A low chuckle could be heard.
"Excellent choice."

You were about to lose it when an idea crossed your mind.

You carefully reached for your phone and made sure it's muted.

You sent a message to Blitzø, pleading for him to help somehow. You described the situation.

You could only hope he takes it seriously.

Quite a bit of time passed. He scanned the whole place at least twice by now but this time his steps got closer than ever.

You trembled.

He stopped right in front of the furniture.

You felt your heartbeat in your neck as you held your breath.

He walked away.

Just as your muscles relaxed, something slammed into the wardrobe, causing it to roll to its side.

You fell out.

"Well, what do we have here?"

You glanced up in terror.

Half of his head was covered in ash. The hat was missing.

He kicked you in the ribs. You couldn't even keep yourself on all fours anymore. He stomped on you as you were laying on your back, right in the already damaged spot.

You yelped painfully.

He knelt on you, pulling his knife out.

"'Member that story ya didn't let me finish?" He grinned wickedly.

"No, wait! Please..." You groaned. You were on the verge of tears.

This only excited him more.

"Gonna cry?" He raised a brow. "Heh. Now I don't know who's more pathetic. At least that runt didn't beg me when I rearranged his face."

He grabbed your chin.

You did all you could to keep his arm away but you had no strength left.

"I'd open 'em wide if I were you, at least the last thing you'll see would be something handsome."

The blade got dangerously close to your eyes.

The door burst open.

Multiple shots were fired. Striker quickly rolled over you, hooking an arm around your neck as he forced you to stand up.

You felt the tip of the knife press into your neck.

You spotted a snarling Blitzø aiming at you. 

"Howdy there. Long time no see."

You've never seen Blitzø so pissed.

"Let them go you son of a bitch!" He yelled. 

You heard laughing from behind.

"Seems we got ourselves a lil' hero." He mocked. "Bossman to the rescue. Too bad the other two weren't so lucky." Striker slowly inched towards a window, shielding himself with you.

Blitzø could barely contain himself.

"Hey now." The knife pierced deeper. You hissed.
"We don't wanna play rough, do we?"

Blitzø reluctantly lowered his weapon.

"Ya sure value someone who'd betray y'all at the first opportunity for a shiny new peashooter."

Blitzø eyed you in confusion.

You avoided his gaze.

Striker snorted.
"Ya heard me. Whatcha think, where did the book go? Oh, how eager they were to help me steal it for a few dirty coins and turn on that Goetia too."

Blitzø's expression reflected countless emotions as he glanced between you and the blessed revolver in the corner.

Striker exploited the opening.
He kicked you in Blitzø's direction and tossed the knife, hitting him in the torso. You landed on your stomach.

Blitzø was still able to respond with a few shots, one of them injuring the cowboy's dominant arm as he was drawing his gun.

He managed to escape through the window before the trigger was pulled on him again.

You lifted your head, seeing Blitzø quivering in frustration.

He plucked the knife out with a grunt.

He slowly turned to you with that expression again.

Seconds passed in silence.

You couldn't look him in the eye.

"Boss..." You mumbled weakly, staring down at the floor.

His face scrunched up.

He kicked you resentfully. You flopped to your side with a whimper.

"You dare call me that?! After everything I- I will fucking..." He aimed at you, hand shaking in anger.

You closed your eyes, bracing for your well-deserved bullet... but it didn't come.

Instead, something light dropped on your shoulder.

You recognized the scarf.

"You're not worth it..." He muttered, walking away.

You watched regretfully as he was leaving.

He stopped for a moment.

His clenched fist loosened a bit.

"I hope he comes back for you." He stated coldly before disappearing behind the door.

The room fell quiet. Only the rustling of the wind could be heard through one of the broken windows.

You just lied there miserably. Alone with your choices.

Chapter Text

(YN) = your name
📱 = phone screen
'text' = thoughts/quoting
"text" = spoken word
bold and underline = accentuation (the former is aggressive)
italics = different tone/implication
number of empty lines indicate time passing
* (center justified) separates author notes from the story

*

A few weeks after Spring Break, you spotted Loona fiddling with her phone at the desk, smiling to herself.

You've never seen her do that before.

You snuck up behind her and carefully peeked over her shoulder. She appeared to be scrolling through Vortex's Voxtagram profile.

You smirked.
"Whatcha doin'?" You whispered in her ear in a cheeky tone.

"Huh?!" She jolted, dropping her phone. "What're you-?!" She yanked her arm in your direction but you jumped back, giggling.

"Fuckin' creep!" She yelled, standing up.

"Well, I'm not the one drooling over Vortex online." You spread your arms with an insolent grin.

"Keep it down, moron!" She blushed, looking around.

"C'mon girl, just 'cuz he got a hoe doesn't mean you can't talk to him." You shook your head with a smile.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion." She growled.

"I'm just statin' facts here, don't fuss all over it, ya like the big guy, no big deal, just approach him when a party comes around and-"

"This is none of your damn business, shut up already!"

"Party? When?" Millie popped up out of nowhere.

"Urgh, there's no party! (YN) was just, ehm... telling an old story." Loona grumbled, giving you a death-stare.

"Oo, can I hear it?"

"Actually we got shit to do, sorry." Loona dragged you with her while covering your mouth.

Once far away and out of everyone's sight, she pinned you to the wall.

"Listen, I won't repeat this. If you say one word to anyone, I swear to fucking Lucifer-"

"Jeez, ok, I get it, I'm no snitch. I don't wanna screw you over, y'know. All I'm saying is, if the opportunity presents itself, just go for it. What's the worst that could happen?"

"We're done talking about this!" She let go of you and stormed off.

One day, as you made your way up to the company's floor, yelling snapped you out of your morning coma. The elevator's doors opened, revealing a few members of Verosika's crew arguing with Blitzø.

"(...)-if you keep flirting with my clients, fucking whores!" Blitzø flailed his fist at them.

"Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful, shorty." Kiki teased.

"Not our fault we're attractive and you're not." Ace shrugged smugly.

You decided not to get involved, passing the three and entering the office.

Blitzø soon followed.

"That's it, these suck-you-bitches are goin' down!" He screamed, kicking the door shut behind him.

"Why don't ya try and make peace with 'em instead? They seem harmless enough. Without fish monsters, anyway." Millie recommended.

"You don't know that slut, coexisting isn't an option!" Blitzø grumbled.

"You afraid she'll tell us her experiences?" You raised an eyebrow with a taunting grin.

"Shut it before I give you a bad experience." He snarled.

"What, you've got quite the spell on successful people, must be your special skillz." You made a lewd gesture.

Before he could retaliate, Moxxie stepped in.

"Sir, I understand they're annoying but we can't just kick them out. They own that office now."

Blitzø's expression quickly changed from enraged to pensive.

"...But what if... they didn't!" He squinted mischievously.

"Huh?" Moxxie gave him a concerned look, fearing what his boss might be up to this time.

"Remember the crapload of papers we had to arrange before we got this place?"

"The ones you made me administer alone? Yes, what about them?" Moxxie asked in an irritated tone.

"If we could get our hands on theirs, it'd wreck their shit! Imagine her bitch ass face when she realizes they lost 'em a month before the annual inspections!" He explained eagerly.

"Sir! Do you have any idea what mess you'll get us into if-"

"Calm your tits, Mox, I won't be the one to do it." He glanced at you with a suggesting expression.

"Wha- why the hell would I risk my holes?"

"They barely know anything about you, at least compared to the rest of us, you might convince 'em to let you in one way or another so you could spy around... How 'bout this, you get me those papers and I'll double your check this month." He raised a brow.

"Hm..."

You remained silent for a while.

"Ok. I think I have a decent plan but I'll need Loona for it to work."

"What?" She exclaimed, looking up from her desk.

"Absolutely no fucking way!" He gestured.

"Hear me out!" You lifted an arm. "She'll only serve as a distraction. I can't fool them if 7 pairs of eyes focus on me! She's the only other option they don't consider an enemy."
"We'll hit up one of 'em-" You aimed a  wink at the hound. "-and ask if we could throw a 'peacemaking' party somewhere near. Once the suckers are drunk enough, I should be able to scan their place and snatch the papers." You motioned.

"Are you fucking nuts?! A drunk bunch of succubi is the last thing I'd let Loona get involved with!"

"I'll handle it." She hesitantly intervened.

"What?! Listen I can't-"

"For fuck's sake, Blitzø, I'm not a kid anymore!" She yelled.

He let out a long sigh, contemplating.

"You better make sure they don't touch her." He eyed you threateningly.

"Daddy's girl is safe with me." You smirked.

They both got pissed off by that but you quickly continued.

"I'll tell 'em you covered the expenses but couldn't show up cuz something came up last second. They aren't the smartest bunch, they won't suspect a thing."

"I wouldn't pay for all that shit even if I could." He grumped.

"You don't have to buy all of it but I'll need some assistance if imma put my ass on the line." You tried to reason.

After some more debating, he agreed to invest in the plan on the condition you refund it if you fail.

"I knew you won't be able to resist." You teased, approaching Loona.

"Don't push your luck... what do you want?" She replied irritably.

"Well, you're the only one following Texi on the Gram here." You spread your arms with a smile. "DM him."

You saw her grumpy face get a red tint as she looked at the phone.

"Awwww." You mocked.

"I'll rip you apart if you don't stop that!" She growled, clawing the table.

"Alright, fine, chill." You snorted, holding your arms up.

She started fiddling with her phone but stopped soon, glancing up at you.

"Don't you have something to do?"

"Not really." You shrugged bluntly.

"Ugh, are you seriously just gonna stand there and keep staring? I can't focus!"

"My, aren't you sensitive..." You rolled your eyes with a smile, walking off.

You returned a few minutes later.

"So?"

"Not done yet."

"Makin' progress at least?" You bent down to see the screen.

She turned it away.
"Yes, I'll call you when I'm finished, piss off."

She wasn't fast enough, you saw she hasn't gotten a single word out yet.

"C'mon, just ask him casually, what's the big deal?" You sighed.

"I don't need your-"

"Here, lemme show you!" You snatched it out of her hands.

"Wh- (YN)!" She yelled, jumping up to catch you but you were already on the run.

"I don't have all day, girl!" You exclaimed in an upbeat tone, sprinting across the office like your life depended on it... because it most likely did.

"Oh you are not leaving this place alive!" You heard her scream from behind.

"Hey!" Moxxie yelped as you bumped into him.

"Outta the way, fatty!" Loona barked, literally running through him.

"What the- AAAHH?!"

You stopped for a second behind the kitchen table, typing as fast as you could.

You heard her thundering steps approach.

When you looked up, she was midair, jumping over the obstacle.

You barely dodged her, hurrying the other way.

She crashed into the fridge, bouncing off it without even staggering.

"The hell are you guys doin'?" Millie chuckled at the events.

You aimed for the bathroom, remembering the door can be locked.

You made it. You thought you were safe until Loona smashed into it, visibly weakening the lock.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" You snickered to yourself while continuing with the message.

"We'll be cleaning stains for weeks after I'm done with you!" You heard her screech from outside.

'Mighta went a bit far there.' You gulped.

Just as you sent it, the door burst open.

Her fur was bristling. She snarled menacingly with a violent growl.

Somehow this didn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

"Alright now, before we do something we might regre-" You tried to talk your way out with a nervous grin but she charged, grabbing your neck.

You fell to the floor with her on top of you.

"What did you do?!" She tightened her grip as she shook you. "Tell me one fucking reason why shouldn't I end your miserable-..." A notification sound made her eyes trail to the side.

She quickly checked the phone, letting you go.

📱

Loona: hey blitz wants a peacemakin party, u and the guys intrested? got the suplies covered

Vortex: really? ok, id be down but gotta ask the others first, one minute

📱

Loona lowered the phone in relief.

"Was that so hard?" You raised a brow as you massaged your neck.

"You're damn lucky..." She grumbled.

"And you're welcome." You replied sassily.

"Touch my phone ever again, see what happens." She frowned.

"Ok, ok, so what did he sa-?"

"What the fuck?!" Blitzø yelled, approaching steps could be heard.

"What is this shit?!" He appeared in the doorway, gesturing at the remains of the door.

"...Collateral damage." You side-eyed Loona.

"Argh, can I get five minutes without one of you tards bothering me?!"

She stormed out of the room.

Blitzø glared at you questioningly.

"What, do I look like I can do that? She's just a bit... excited."

"I'll reconsider that extra paycheck." He stated as he left.

"Oh, c'mon!" You went after him.