"Morning Husk."
"Hey Champ," he greeted the wolf, offering him a beer "a little early for a drink don't you think?"
"Oh please, don't you drink like 3 bottles of booze every morning?" he playfully countered "I actually came to check on you."
"Check on me, what for? As you can see I'm awake, and I'm sober for once." he replied, leaving Lucca less than pleased with his sarcasm.
"I meant I wanted to see how you were taking this. (Y/N)'s redemption process, doesn't it bother you that he might be leaving Hell for good?" he asked, making the cat go silent "I'll take that sudden silence as a yes. You're going to miss him aren't you?"
"Why the f*** wouldn't I? He's one of the best gamblers I've ever met. He's done some crazy shit to get me out of trouble too, safe to say I owe him."
"You owe me for the trouble or you owe me the money from past games?" you joked as you sat at the bar.
"Still nagging my ass for that cash. Look, it's not my fault you've got a bad poker face (Y/N)."
"Hey, I take offense to that. I've played you under the table more times than you can count." you countered, making him laugh "Seriously though, is me leaving really OK with you?"
"...To be honest no, it's not OK. You're giving up to damn easy on this! How can you be OK with quitting on Blitzø like this?!" he yelled, making you flinch.
"Husk take it easy."
"Nope, he asked so here it is. Never mind our friendship, what about the one you love huh? We sure as hell can't do shit against Stolas, but I know for a fact you've got the balls to take action. So why, why are you just quitting like this?!"
"Because he made up his mind when he left!" you snapped, startling them both "I've tried to call Blitzø almost every day since then. I've texted him, tried video chat, email, Voxtagram, I still got nothing. He's completely cut me off guys, I can't reach him..."
"What about your co-workers, haven't you tried talking to them? Maybe they can help you reach him." Lucca suggested.
"You think I didn't try that? Millie and Moxxie haven't seen him since then, no one has. I tried so hard you guys, I tried so hard to protect him, to keep him happy everyday. And what do I get from all of that hard work? He leaves because he was afraid."
"Or are you the one that's afraid?" Lucca asked.
"Excuse me, are you calling me a coward wolf boy?" you growled.
"Hey, take it down a notch guys--"
"As a matter of fact I am. I can tell by looking at you, you're scared to lose him. And yet here you are trying to get redeemed, that's the equivalent of you leaving him behind. You do know that right?"
"Of course I know that!" you pound your fists on the counter, tears streaming down your face "D-Do you really think I'm OK with this, with him letting his fear get the best of him?! What the hell else can I do Lucca? He won't talk to me, he doesn't even want to see me again! I...I have nothing without him, I loved him so much. I did everything right, and he was the one that left. You don't know how much that hurts!" you cried, resting your head on the counter. You could feel a comforting hand rest on your shoulder.
"All I'm saying is this, if you really love someone, you have to be willing to fight for them." Lucca said before leaving.
"He's got a point kid, and you can forget what Al said. It ain't too late to back out, sad to say this hotel doesn't work for everyone. You can still--"
"I've made up my mind Husk, you can stop trying to talk me out of it." you sniffled, wiping your face "If I can't be with Blitzø, then I have no reason to stay down here. I just want out of this shit hole as soon as possible." Husk was hurt by your words, however he knew that you were just as stubborn as him. Once you had set your mind on something. there was no changing your mind.
"Oh, (Y/N), there you are. I just ran into Lucca and...Um, am I interrupting something?" Charlie asked as she approached the bar.
"Nah, just me and Lucca trying to talk some sense into this clown. Hoping we can get him to change his mind and stay."
"Wow, that's pretty sweet of you Husk. You really want him to stay huh?" she asked with a sweet smile, making him blush.
"Er, h-he's a good card player alright?! Probably the only one that won't cheat against me." he quickly countered, making you both laugh as he took a large sip of his drink.
"Love you too Husk, but I've made my decision. Guess it's time for our next session, right Charlie?" As you stepped down from the stool, you winced as you felt a small pain in your back.
"Are you alright (Y/N)?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just had this weird pain in my back. Don't know why, I slept fine...despite waking up alone for the past few days."
"Hey, it's alright, you won't have that problem anymore. Let's get our next session started shall we? We've just started and we've made pretty good progress."
"Have we, really?"
"Yes, I mainly say that because I've had quite a few sinners scoff at my 'List of Firsts' method. I have patients get either hesitant about speaking about their past or defensive for me prying into their personal lives...You can guess which response I'm met with."
"Not gonna lie princess, I would get pretty defensive too if someone kept probing me with personal questions. You've got good intentions though, so I don't really see the problem." you shrugged as you entered the office, laying on the chaise.
"And that cooperation is what makes the redemption process easier. If only some of these poor souls could see it like that. I mean yes, I have redeemed quite a few people, but not as quickly as I hoped I would." the princess sighed, sulking into her chair.
"Hey, at least this little safe haven of yours is protecting some people. Those willing to give it a shot anyway. It's not like you can cater to everyone in Hell at once, the place would be too damn crowded." you joked, relieved that you were able to make her laugh.
"Yeah, fair point I guess. Now, why don't we pick up on where we left off yesterday? If I remember right, you mentioned how Moxxie was trying to bring you both together?"
"Yep, he kept dropping so many seemingly false hints for about a few weeks before I finally decided to try and make a move myself."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'seemingly false'? You made it pretty clear that he was trying to get you both together."
"I said that because it turned out Blitzø was already crushing on me. After a bit more probing Moxxie finally figured it out for himself. The only issue he had was getting Blitzø to finally admit it."
────── 〔Flashback〕──────
"This is getting really sad sir, it's very clear that you like him." Moxxie pressed on as his boss tried to get his work done.
"Mox, I have over 100 forms I need to fill before the day is out! Can you please not bring that up now?"
"So you admit it then?"
"Admit what, can you stop bugging me already?"
"That you like him." Moxxie noticed his boss flinch at his words, his cheeks starting to turn a deeper red.
"Uuh...like who?" he asked, playing dumb as he tried to resume his paperwork. Moxxie chuckled to himself, noticing the many errors he was making on the forms.
"You know who, I'm talking about you and (Y/N)." he playfully teased with a sing-song tone.
"You know what, I need some coffee!" Blitzø grabbed his mug, dumping the lukewarm drink into the trashcan before quickly departing.
"Nice try sir, you're not fooling anyone with this."
"W-With what, I don't know what you're talking..." He suddenly let out an alarmed squeak, hugging the wall before he went around the corner. Moxxie peaked around him, seeing you and Loona talking briefly before you left "Phew that was close...as I was saying..." He looked back at his employee, growling as he started to laugh "Again, I don't know what you're talking about Moxxie! (Y/N) just worries me, that's all. There's something about him that rubs me the wrong way."
"Has he admitted his crush on him yet?" Loona laughed, looking up from her phone to see him blushing.
"Ah-ha, so you DO like him!"
"Both of you, shut up! I do NOT have a crush on (Y/N), OK? Where in the world did you get that idea from?" he asked, noticing them both exchanging a similar skeptical expression.
"Oh gee, where do we start?" Loona started, her voice filled with her signature sarcasm "Whenever you do talk to him, you can hardly get your words out."
"That is not true--"
"When you go out in the field with him, you try too hard to show off." Moxxie added.
"W-Well, only to show him the proper--"
"And to top it off, you've been trying to avoid him like the plague because you're afraid to say something stupid." Loona added with a grin. They both stared him down with a similar expression, laughing as he tried to hide his flustered face in his coat.
"OK! Geez, you both really know how to break an imp down." he whined in defeat "So what if I think he's cute, he's also pretty cool, very agile in the field, has a great aim..." he swooned as he started to lose himself in his thoughts.
"Uh, you done Blitzø?"
"Not even close, I actually got a peak of him in the locker room a few times. He is ripped under those clothes, what I wouldn't give to have 5 minutes alone with him.~"
"Theeeeen why don't you just ask him out?"
"Because I'm too nervous to say anything Mox! Come on, you've been there with Millie right? You get so tongue tied you don't know what to say? Or you know what you wanna say but you're so scared that you can't say it!"
"Ooh yes, back when we first started dating actually. I was so nervous I'm amazed I even asked her out."
"Exactly! Plus I've been acting so weird around him, trying to keep my distance all because I'm too. At this point it's too late for me to just walk up to him and say 'Oh, hey (Y/N), would you like to go out with me?'. He would just look at me and say--!"
"I kinda wished I asked you first." you chuckled, the others laughing as you startled him.
"(Y-Y/N)! Heh, hi, I was just...we were...Why didn't you tell me he was right behind me?" Blitzø growled at his daughter, only for her to snicker behind her phone "OK, how much of that did you hear?"
"Everything from how cool I am in the field." you laughed as he started to blush "Seriously though, I'm glad I finally caught you. The way you kept ducking and dodging me these past few weeks, I was kinda afraid you didn't like me or something. So, now that it's confirmed that you do, I guess I finally get to ask. If you're free tomorrow, do you want to go out for a few drinks? I know a great place uptown, we can go out dancing too." Blitzø was taken aback at your proposal, almost in complete disbelief. It had been a long time since someone had asked him out on a date, someone other than Stolas that is.
"Oh...Yeah, yes, we can head out after closing. B-But maybe you can pick me up at my place? I'd rather not go on a date in my work clothes...N-Not that this is a date! We don't have to label it right away, I mean, no need to rush things right?" he nervously added, making you laugh.
"Yeah, no biggie boss. I'd rather change into something more comfy too, how does 9 sound?"
"Sounds good, I'll see you then."
────── 〔🖤〕──────
"You know what? Something told me that the whole 'crushing on you' scenario was the case. You have no idea as to how often I get that story, it's so cute to me." the princess giggled.
"Yeah, he was pretty cute too. He spent the rest of the day mumbling to himself, worried about what he was going to wear, where I was taking him, all that fun stuff." you chuckled to yourself, recalling your partner's nervousness "Once the day actually came, I almost didn't get out of my car. I swear I gripped the steering wheel so tight I tore off the leather. Eventually I finally got out and called him down. After an awkward ride of silence I took him to one of my favorite clubs."
────── 〔Flashback〕──────
"I still can't believe you got us into Envy, this place is like hella exclusive. You have to tell me, who did you have to blow to get us in VIP?" You laughed at the question, escorting your date to the booth overlooking the dance floor.
"Why did something tell me you were gonna ask me that?" you chuckled, sitting across from him "The guy that let us in, Cliff, he's a friend of mine. We play poker after work on the weekends, he happened to mention this place had an open VIP slot and boom. He was able to reserve it for us. He even said the first round of drinks is on him."
"Sweet, nice to have a date with connections." he laughed, but blushed at his choice of words "Um, well like I said, we don't have to label this whole...thing just yet. I mean..." Your boss was at a loss of words as he tried to justify himself. It was unlike him to suddenly get flustered after such a joke. Hell, he made jokes like this all the time. Some of them are more R-rated than others. He was so embarrassed he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. What nearly sent him over the edge was your hand suddenly grabbing his.
"Look boss, you're not the only one that's nervous tonight. For what it's worth, I almost didn't get out of my car when I picked you up. But we're here now, so let's just relax, OK?" you said with a soothing tone. Blitzø smiled, feeling your thumb tracing a small circle on the back of his hand.
"OK (Y/N), that does take the edge off a bit. Also, you don't have to keep calling me 'boss' and 'sir' outside of work. It's Blitzø, I feel like an old man when people call me 'sir'."
"Duly noted, I'll remember that next time." you replied, a sudden look of interest in his eyes.
"Um, I'm sorry (Y/N), it almost sounded like you said next time." he chuckled.
"I did, whenever I ask someone out I commit to it. You can play stubborn with me all you want, but I guarantee you there will be a second date Blitzø." you boldly replied, making him blush as your tail brushed against his. He didn't even fight it, as the night went on your tails were perfectly entangled with each other. A few drinks in, you were both laughing, sitting side by side in the booth as you shared jokes and stories.
"No way, so you used to be in the circus down here?"
"Yep, Barbie and I were 'The Amazing Imp Twins'. Sadly she took to the bottle once business started to die down at the park. It got so bad she had to get shipped off to rehab."
"Huh, I didn't think there would be rehab in Hell. At first I thought Husk was joking."
"Who now?"
"My other poker buddy, if you can't tell I'm into gambling. Poker, craps, Texas hold'em, you name it I've probably played it."
"I'll put my money on that...Buuut how are you at strip poker?~" he asked, a tone of mischief in his voice. At this point the drinks were taking full effect. You bit your lip, heavily admiring the lusty gaze he had on you.
"Haven't. Lost. Once. Maybe we can play sometime, see how good your poker face is.~" you suggested, just as flirtatious as your hand slowly traveled up his leg.
"Easy cowboy, it's gonna take more than one round of drinks for you to get a peak at this ass." he retorted as he stood "Dance with me."
"Say what now?"
"You heard me (Y/N), this is a club right? Come on, dance with me!" Before you could protest any further, he laughed as he pulled you by your arm. Try as you might to slow him down, you quickly found yourself on the illuminated dance floor.
"Damn, you don't waste any time do you?" you teased, your hands resting on his hips.
"Are you kidding, I haven't had this much fun in ages. Well, without sex for a change." he joked, no doubt referring to his 'arrangement' with Stolas "I'm glad we did this (Y/N), I wish I could just stay out all night with you."
"There's no rule saying you can't." For a moment, you both stopped dancing. His hands gently cupped your face, your eyes and his steadily closing as he came closer. However, you were brought back to reality with a sudden yelp of surprise from your boss.
"Ouch! What the hell asshole, that hurt!" he snarled at the bird-like demon before him.
"Sorry babe, it's not my fault you got a hot ass. I mean, for an imp anyway." he replied tauntingly, the group accompanying him laughing. You pulled Blitzø behind you, your hand resting on your gun with an irritated growl.
"You listen to me dickhead, that's MY date you just harassed. If you know what's f***ing good for you, you'll get down on your knees and apologize right now." As serious as you sounded, he and his friends laughed hysterically.
"Wouldja look at this clown, trying to be all tough for his bitch! When Hell freezes over am I ever gonna kneel for a little rat like you."
"Hm, OK then, better grab a jacket shit stain." In one quick move, you drew your gun to shoot out his knee. Everyone gasped as he wailed in pain, forced to the ground as he held his leg. The music stopped as you aimed your gun at him, beads of sweat dripping down his face "Now then, how about that apology?"
"Sweet Satan, ch-chill out man!" he whimpered as you pressed the barrel to his head.
"Well?!" you demanded, cocking the pistol.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry alright?!" he cried, almost on the verge of tears. The silence was broken by the sound of laughter, the source being the large stain that formed in between his legs.
"Great, now that's 2 messes they need to clean up. Remember this valuable lesson my friend, keep your f***ing hands to yourself. Come on Blitzø, let's go, I'm tired anyway."
"Right behind you (Y/N)." Blitzø took your arm, flipping off the demon as you both left.
────── 〔🖤〕──────
"You shot the poor guy, are you serious (Y/N)?!"
"Yes, I know, that wasn't the best way to handle that guy. But you don't understand princess, that could have been our first kiss. He f***ed up what should have been a romantic moment for both of us and I snapped." you shrugged, only for her to sigh in response. She rubbed her temples, muttering to herself as she tried to process your story.
"For the love of Satan and my dad, you sound worse than Angel with that story. That sounds like something he would do if someone bothered him and Lucca."
"Heh, I believe it. He did come from a mob family after all. Anyway, despite that little confrontation, I still got a kiss on the cheek before we left. I was afraid my chances of a second date were out the window after that, but that kiss gave me a little hope."
"Aww, at least he was willing to give you a chance. But if that guy ruined your little moment, then when did your first kiss happen?" she asked, noticing you lay back on the chaise with a smitten sigh.
"That was the best, and also the worst date ever." you laughed "It started off with us going out to dinner, this was our 4th date. Everything was going so well until Blitzø ran I to his ex."
"Ooh, the story of bitter exes. Been there done that, I'll never forget my run in with Seviathan. When he saw I was dating a girl he went crazy, they almost fought over me that day! Ugh, and in the lobby too...But that's a story for another day. What happened, and if you don't mind me asking, who was his ex? An old boyfriend?"
"Girlfriend actually, it shocked me to learn he used to date Verosika Mayday." The name made her choke on her coffee, almost spitting it across the desk.
"V-Verosika Mayday?! 'Vaycay To Bonetown' Verosika Mayday, he dated her?!" she coughed as she cleaned up her mess.
"Yep, she was a bubblegum bitch and he wasn't the best boyfriend either. She said something about him stealing her car and maxing out her credit cards. I mean sure, that is a real asshole move to pull, but he's changed. I tried to argue with her, she didn't believe me, Blitzø got defensive, and the rest is history."
"Yikes, and I guess you got kicked out of the restaurant?"
"Yep, what made things worse was I ran out of gas on the way back home. And to make things even better, it started raining. I ended up having to call a friend of mine to give us a ride and a tow. Luckily I was able to salvage the rest of the night at my apartment. We watched a few movies, listened to music, and I showed off my cooking skills."
────── 〔Flashback〕──────
"You know, I would've been happier if we ate in tonight. This is really good, where did you learn how to cook?" Blitzø asked, happily enjoying his meal.
"From my mom, she had enough recipes to fill her own cookbook. After she passed I found myself having to cook for me and my dad."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you...Do you know where she is? Like, have you seen her since...?" Blitzø asked hesitantly as you took his empty plate.
"Can't say I have, unlike me she was a saint. I'm sure she's up in Heaven, crying her eyes out that her only son was living the crime life with his father. Even in Hell that didn't change too much for me now did it?" As you washed the plates, Blitzø curiously scanned the apartment in awkward silence.
"...What about your dad, is he still kicking? Ooor...?"
"He's still alive, to my knowledge anyway...I'll never forget our last job together. It was supposed to be a simple robbery, everything was going so smoothly until my clumsy ass tripped the motion alarm. The guy we were stealing from had a damn shotgun, his aim clearly on my pops. I dropped what I had and...the next thing I knew..." You gripped the edge of the sink, quietly sobbing. Blitzø got up from the table, quickly hugging you.
"You took the shot for him, didn't you?" he asked, feeling you nod "Not to be a prick, but that's bullshit. You saved your dad's life, how can someone that brave get dragged down here?"
"Blitzø, I did a lot of things I wasn't too proud of. I stole, I lied, cheated, killed--"
"Stop it." he turned you around, holding your tear stained face in his hands "Stop bashing yourself like that (Y/N), it honestly hurts me to see you like this. To be honest, I didn't think I would ever care about someone like this." he sighed, grabbing a napkin to clean your face.
"It's alright, I'm fine." you lied, trying to stop your tears "Dad always said I was a wuss, maybe that's what got me killed."
"For the love of Satan, I said stop! It was your good heart that got you killed protecting your dad. Didn't we just go over that? Come here, sit with me." He took your hand, leading you to the living room "Sure, your past life wasn't the best and you fell down here. But let me tell you something, I have met many sinners during my job, and they all griped and complained about how much they hate this literal hellhole that I call home. Then you come along, you're the only sinner I've met that's seen the good in all this."
"Come on Blitzø, I can't be the only one. I mean it's like my mom used to say; in the worst of situations, you need to have the right mentally."
"Exactly! There, that right there is what I'm talking about. While literally everyone else curses at Heaven for forsaking them, you still stay positive. You're always smiling when you come to work, taking each job I give you without complaining, and you...you just beam with joy whenever you come to work. I always loved that about you." You blushed at his words, his expression mirroring yours as he realized he said the 'L' word. You both say in silence as a new song started to play, his eyes glued to the floor as he tried to fabricate an excuse, an explanation, something to cover up what he just said. You smiled, standing up to offer your hand to him.
"Dance with me."
"...Excuse me?"
"I like this song, I listen to it all the time when I prep my weapons. It's a nice change from all the club music, don't you think?" you asked, happy that he took your hand.
"Yes, it is." You both swayed to the music, moving in perfect sync as you gazed into each other's eyes. He rested his head on your shoulder with a soft sigh, losing himself in your embrace "This is nice, it's rare to share a moment like this with someone."
"I know, no gunshots, no screams, no bitchy clients..."
"And no one hounding you for sex either. There's a freak for almost every problem down here." he added, making you laugh. Then you looked at him, gingerly stroking his cheek. You had a brief flashback of your first date, the demon that interrupted your moment. This time was different, this time it was just you and him. Your gaze alone gave him the cue to lean closer, his eyes closing as his lips met yours in a soft kiss.
A moment of love together
A moment of love forever
A moment of love
I will give you all my time
A moment of love so endless
A moment of love God sends us
A moment of love that will never be enough
As eternal as one moment of our love
────── 〔🖤〕──────
"That was our song, A Moment of Love by La Bouche. Came on as soon as we shared our first kiss. After that night we made it official, and we told everyone else the next day."
"Aww, that's so romantic. That also explains why you requested it so much at the bar, Husk said he's heard it so many times that he has the lyrics stuck in his head." Charlie laughed "I'm not going to lie, you're the only one to make it this far into my 'List of Firsts' sessions. I know we just got started, but not many sinners like talking about their relationships the way you do."
"Eh, that's because most sinners are so bitter about being stuck down here. Sure they're dead but they better count what little blessings they have. I'd rather be stuck down here forever than be killed by an angel."
"That's...one way to word it (Y/N). That also leads to another question my patients hate answering. Your first extermination, how was that for you?" she asked hesitantly.
"It was rough Charles, I hardly got away the first time. That's when I met Cliff, he was the only one nice enough to help me ride it out. Let me tell you, he had a whole safe house ready for the extermination. From food to a place to sleep, he had it all in that cellar."
"Wow, I was wondering how you guys met. And what about with Blitzø, do the exterminators ever reach Imp City?"
"Not really, some of them come after us in spite. They find it funny to use us for target practice, but we were smart to stay inside. The occasional explosion did scare us, but at least we were together."
"That's very sweet that you stuck together...And I have another appointment in a few minutes. Just when I thought I nailed the scheduling for these sessions." she groaned as she glanced at the clock on the wall.
"It's cool, might as well go around and say my goodbyes."
"Oh, (Y/N) wait! Before you go I did get a call from Pentagram Urgent Care, that's where Loona is staying. She's doing pretty well but...they mentioned that she wanted to see you. She's in room 203 if you want to stop by." she added. You tensed up at the news, knowing that there was a chance you could run into Blitzø. You knew him too well, he would drop everything to check on her.
────── 〔🏥〕──────
"Wait, so let me get this straight. After Moxxie let it slip about me being admitted to the hospital, you broke off the engagement with (Y/N)?! What the hell Blitzø, why would you do that?!" Loona yelled, her father cringing in his seat.
"Because I can't take this anymore Loonie! Stolas has done a lot of crazy shit to get to me, this right here goes beyond crazy! He went too f***ing far this time!"
"Blitzø--"
"I mean a broken leg and a fractured rib?! He could've killed you if Via didn't hear you on the phone!"
"But he didn't, that's all that matters right now! Millie and Moxxie got to me pretty quick too. And I don't have a fractured rib, they only guessed that because of how hard I was breathing." she corrected him, only for him to rest his head in his hands with a worried groan "Blitzø, you need to talk to (Y/N). Tell him the wedding is still on, please."
"I can't Loona."
"And why not?! F*** Stolas, (Y/N) is the best thing that's ever happened to you. Which is why--"
"Which is why I have to do this, I can't see him again."
"...Blitzø..." Loona's ears drooped as she heard him starting to cry.
"I can't deal with this right now Loona. First there's you, my only daughter, who nearly got killed by a horny, possessive, son of a bitch prince that can't take no for an answer. And then there's (Y/N)...I love him so much, I want to marry him but I can't. I'm doing this because I don't want to take any chances of Stolas finding him. This is...this is madness, pure obsession at its worst, and it's all my fault!" he sobbed into his palms. He suddenly flinched, feeling her hand rest on his shoulder. Looking through his fingers, he could see that she was on the verge of tears as well. She opened her arms for a hug, which he was quick to accept. She rubbed his back in small circles as he continued to cry, forcing herself to hold her tears back. Then, she glanced at the door with a small gasp. You gave her a weak grin, raising a finger to your lips as you placed a small vase of flowers on the table by the door. As much as she wanted to say something, you shook your head before she could open her mouth. You gave her a 2 finger salute, leaving her to console your partner.