The Knolastname Chronicles: M&M's Version

by That1Bear029

Summary:

Basically, a lot of stories that I wrote about M&M that I have lying around!

Chapter 1: Welcome To The Show~

Howdy! 

I've never published anything like this before, so hopefully this goes well!

Writing has always been a way for me to relieve stress and anxiety, and I've recently become a pretty big fan of Helluva Boss. If you couldn't tell by the title, M&M are my favorite characters😅.....

I've written several silly little stories about these two, and I decided to go ahead and publish some of them. I feel like you can never have too many M&M stories. I don't know what this will become, but I guess we shall see!

Feel free to comment or just kick back and come along for the ride.

Enjoy!

 

Warnings: 

- Since this is mostly an adult fandom, there will be scenes of violence, substances, intense scenes, mentions of abuse, sex scenes, etc.

- Because of this, I will always do my best to add warnings in the notes before the fic starts.

- I do have some smutty things in the back of my writing closet, but those will always have warnings ahead. These pieces should only be read by those 18 and up.

- Obviously, this is not something children should be reading. If you are a child, sorry, but this is NOT the fic for you.

- SOME OF THESE ARE NOT CANON!! Since we don't have all of the conceivable information about M&M, I will be using or have used my headcanons to write some of these.

- This is just meant to be fun! I apologize for any grammatical errors I may make. Also, if some things look off such as the format I apologize in advance. This is my first time using ao3. So enjoy the show!

Chapter 2: Follow Your Heart

Summary:

A short little piece I wrote about some advice Moxxie's mother gives to her son.

Notes:

Hello again!!

This is one of my favorite pieces I have written, so it shall be posted first!

Warnings:
- Depictions and mentions of child abuse and domestic violence.
- There are several homophobic slurs used.
- Death of a parent and the grief process is mentioned.
- There is a small part where Moxxie questions his sexual orientation.

I believe that is all.

Thanks, and enjoy!

"Just remember this, Moxxie. No matter what, always follow your heart." She looked down at her young son and stroked his white hair as he looked up at her with his big golden eyes. Those eyes that she loved so much.

 

"Follow my heart? What does that mean, Mommy?" the young boy asked his mother. 

 

"It means that your heart will help you make the right choices. Do you remember how I told you that you should always do the right thing? Well, your heart will tell you what the right thing to do is." Mrs. Knolastname continued to watch her son think about the information she gave him. Moxxie was always a very observant child, and she knew that her boy was very intelligent. He soaked up every new piece of information he learned like a sponge in water, and she knew that would help him get far in life.

 

"But how will my heart tell me I'm doing the right thing if it can't speak, Mama?"

 

She lightly giggled at that. Despite the circumstances of his birth, she loved Moxxie more than anything and wanted to do everything in her power to make sure he grew up to be someone extraordinary. "It does speak to you, sweetheart. You can't hear it talking to you, but you can feel it in your chest." She got up from the mattress and knelt to tuck little Moxxie into bed for the night.

 

"Trust me, baby. You will know when you are doing the right or wrong thing. Your heart will never steer you wrong. It might not always be easy, but it's all worth it in the end. Do you understand, Moxxie?" she asked, straightening out the blankets.

 

"Yes, Mama!"

 

"That's my good, sweet boy! You are very smart, Moxxie. Do not ever forget that." She leaned down and gave her son a kiss on the forehead. She always considered herself lucky that Moxxie was growing up healthy and that she had such a sweet, sensitive child. However, she was saddened to see him growing up so quickly. Her baby boy wasn't much of a baby anymore. He had recently turned 5, and it was shocking to her that those past 5 years seemed to fly by. She got up and turned off the lights in the child's bedroom before turning around again.

 

"Goodnight, Moxxie…I love you very much." 

 

"I love you too, Mommy," he replied in his little voice. His mother walked out of the room and slowly closed the door. Her husband did not approve of her "coddling" or "babying" their son, as he would put it. However, she didn't care what Crimson thought. Moxxie was her son just as much as his, and she would raise him how she saw fit. She was in charge of the childcare, after all. She often felt that her husband misunderstood her stance on their son's involvement in the business. She was never against Moxxie holding a position in the mafia once he was grown and could make that choice on his own, but he was merely a child. What was his rush for him to grow up so fast? This is Hell. Violence is just in their blood, but to her, Moxxie had no business in becoming involved in such intense violence at such a young age. Even then, if he decided he was going to become a member of the mafia one day, she would make damn sure he would be a better leader than Crimson. A leader who treated his men with respect, kindness, and warmth. A leader who wouldn't just harm others for the sake of "because I can," as Crimson would commonly say. Her Moxxie would be different. She would make sure of it.

 

---

 

"How many times do I have to fucking tell you! STOP TREATING HIM LIKE A DAMN BABY!" Crimson yelled at his wife in the room with him.

 

"HE'S 5 CRIMSON! It's not like he's 18 years old! He's still a toddler!" Many people would have never thought about talking back to Crimson, much less yelling at him. But Mrs. Knolastname, nah. She wasn't scared of him. She wouldn't be intimidated by a man, regardless of whether he was her husband or not. That pissed Crimson off more than she could ever know. 

 

"Yeah, well, if ya keep treating him like that, he WILL be 18 and acting like a pussy! Is that really what you want!? For Mox to get out there into the world and have him acting like some kind of sissy!? If you keep the act up, he's gonna grow up to be one of those faggots that are becoming popular now, and no son of mine is going to-"

 

"MOXXIE IS GOING TO GROW UP TO BE WHOEVER HE CHOOSES TO BE! I WOULD RATHER HIM BE WHO HE REALLY IS INSTEAD OF HIM BEING SOMEONE HE ISN'T JUST TO PLEASE YOU!" 

 

That was not the best course of action Mrs. Knolastname could have taken. She knew that. Though, she couldn't stand there and allow her husband to insult their son. He was their child. Moxxie was 50% of his DNA. How could he say such horrible things about his own son? So what if Moxxie was queer when he grew up? Mrs. Knolastname couldn't care less. She just wanted Moxxie to live a successful life filled with happiness and love. 

 

She was met with a smack to the face, and her hair was pulled down aggressively. "NOW YOU LISTEN HERE, BITCH! I don't know who the fuck you thought you were talking to here, but just remember this! You wouldn't have that boy if it wasn't for me! Don't forget that YOU are the one who begged ME to give you that kid! I was even generous enough to let you keep him in that shithole ring of yours 'til he was 6 months old! So don't act like I haven't done nothing for the two of you, GOT IT!" He finished yelling and let go of his grip on her. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing that he hurt her. She just stood there in silence, glaring at the back of him. 

 

"I'll admit, I let you have your fun with him when he was young. You know, doing baby things, but he can walk and talk now. He's more than old enough to start learning the family trade. Follow your heart business, pfft…you might as well hand him a rainbow flag right now…" He said as he had Alessio light him another cigar. She was quiet as she looked at the ground, trying to calm herself. 

 

"... What's with the look? What? Ya didn't get the happily ever after that you were hoping for?" He smirked as he taunted her. She looked up at him, still with anger written all over her face.

 

"Well, that's life, doll! You might as well get used to it now so you can start teaching that to Mox. We can't have him believe in fairytales now, can we?"

 

She just stayed silent. This was her reality. She was living in this nightmare with a monster running the show. He was right. There would be no happily ever after for her. She knew that. But for Moxxie…

 

Oh, she would ensure that her precious boy would get a fairytale ending to this nightmare. 

 

---

 

Years had passed. Many years. 

 

Crimson's hunger for power continued to grow, as well as Moxxie. After the passing of his mother, Moxxie struggled severely. The remaining years of his childhood were filled with abuse from his father. There were many nights he cried himself to sleep. There were no more bedtime stories, no more life lessons for his mother to share with him, and no more comfort when he was angry, sad, or scared. No one to play with him anymore. No one was there for him. He was alone, but he had one thing that helped soothe him. He would always do his best to follow the advice his mother had given to him. Follow your heart. Moxxie always tried to do the right thing, but sometimes his dad would tell him to do something, and it just felt……bad. Like it wasn't the right thing to do, but Moxxie would always do it anyway. If he didn't, he knew what would follow would be worse than his heart feeling bad. Needless to say, he always followed the orders that his father had given him, even if it didn't feel like it was the right thing to do.

 

His adolescent years weren't any better. They came with a new set of issues. Not only was he still taking part in the mafia business, he started to struggle with changes happening to him that he didn't understand. He read about puberty and the effects that took place before, but reading about it and experiencing it were two different things. He was left to figure it out all on his own, but that was hard. He had asked his father questions, which he would answer even if condescendingly or inappropriately, but there was no one else he could go to. At some point, Moxxie believed that his dad might even begin to treat him better.

 

"You're gonna be a man soon, kid. It's time I start teaching you what real men do," he told Moxxie after asking him how he was supposed to manage hygiene now that he was experiencing physical changes. He read about the new routines that boys entering puberty should follow in a textbook and wanted to make sure he followed his new hygiene routine correctly. Moxxie did NOT like being unhygienic. Ever since he was a little kid, the idea of being unclean or dirty was always bad enough to give him the chills. If Crimson paid attention to him, he would know that the best torture method for Moxxie would be to confiscate every hygiene product in the house. 

 

The worst part of becoming older was the new responsibilities that Crimson had given him. Since he believed Moxxie was growing into a man, it meant he could play bigger roles in the mafia. When Moxxie turned 11, he started bringing him along on actual business. Instead of just bringing him along to dump bodies into the lake and using people who fucked him over as target practice, he would bring Moxxie along to meetings with him. Another thing was he would bring Moxxie along to torture sessions to get information out of people who would be foolish enough to try to scam him out of something. Moxxie really disliked those. He always felt guilty for helping torture those people. Well, at least the ones who did not harm people. It just never felt right to him. Sure, they did bad things, but some of these victims were just doing what they needed to in order to survive. 

 

'It's not the right thing to do…..This doesn't feel right…' Moxxie would often think to himself, but if he wanted to avoid the father's wrath, he did what he was told. After these days were finished, Moxxie would usually cry in his room for the rest of the night, just like when he was a small child missing his mother. He could never comprehend that the worst was yet to come.

 

The teenage years were absolutely dreadful. More changes were happening in his life and to his body. The hormonal changes kicking in really put the nail in the coffin for him. According to Crimson, he was starting to "develop an attitude." Sure, he had sometimes talked in some snarky tones to his father, which was always met back with hostility and hearing about how ungrateful he was after everything Crimson had "done for him." He had some really bad days but quickly learned to bite his tongue. On top of that, he started to gain a mind of his own. Countless nights were spent lying in bed thinking—thinking about everything. Who was he as an individual? He didn't really know outside of being a part of his father's mafia. What did he like? Why was he even in this business? Would his dad let him leave one day? Did he want to leave? 

 

…….Was leaving the right thing to do?

 

He felt like it was. His heart was telling him it was, but the idea of it scared him. Conflicting feelings always plagued him. So many years ago, his mother told him his heart would never steer him in the wrong direction. He needed to follow what it told him. Then why were some of these questions so difficult to answer? He didn't know. From the ages of 14 to 17, he always asked himself why. Some questions became easier to answer over time, and some became harder or more confusing. However, one thing was for certain: He would keep following his heart to try and help him do the right things, make the right decisions, and make his mother's memory proud. 

 

And then there was one decision that he followed his heart on, and he deeply regretted it. On his 18th birthday, he was officially inducted into the mafia. That's where he met him. Chazwick. When Moxxie was 13 years old, he started to become more aware of the concept of attraction. He didn't know much about the topic of sexuality, and it's not like he could go to his father about it either. That would be a death wish. The older he got, the more he realized he was attracted to men. He always knew he was attracted to women, but he thought that it was normal for men to always think women were attractive. He just assumed he was gay since he had never met a girl he had liked before. Then again, he had never had a chance to date before or a chance to experience any form of romance, for that matter. He was never around people his age to partake in relationships. Chaz was the first person his age who he interacted with in ways that didn't strictly pertain to business. 

 

It was Chaz who approached him to "talk." Then, talking turned to flirting. Several weeks of back-and-forth flirting in and out of work. Chaz was the one who suggested a relationship to Moxxie, and he barely had to think before saying yes. He felt his heart was telling him that this was right. Chaz was the first person to treat him well in such a long time. He was the first person to tell him he loved him in over a decade. He couldn't help himself. He loved him so much. Chaz wasn't the most thoughtful demon, but he treated Moxxie well. And Moxxie was overjoyed to have someone he loved who loved him back. His heart told him that Chaz was the one, so he followed what it was telling him. That all changed one night. 

 

He and Chaz were given the job of stealing 200K from a bank in a popular city of the Greed Ring. All was going well until Chaz accidentally set off one of the bank sensors, alerting the police. Moxxie's leg got caught in the gate of the bank's entrance after he kept it open for Chaz to escape. He begged Chaz to help him…….but he left. He left him behind. His boyfriend, the man who always told him he loved him. The one who was supposed to always stay by his side left him there. And suddenly, he was all alone again, as if it were the first night he had spent without his mother. He felt like that little boy all over again. 

 

That night, he cried in the jail cell. He cried for everything that had happened over the past 15 years. Losing his mom, being forced to kill people, torturing people, helping his father carry out his terrible crimes, and now losing who he thought was the love of his life. His first breakup, his first heartbreak. He might have been 20, but he wanted his mom. He wished she was there. She would have comforted and hugged him, telling him that it would all be ok. She would have known exactly what to say; she always did. But even if she was there, could he trust what she would have told him? He followed his heart, the advice she had given him when he was just a young child, and look at where it landed him. 

 

'I'm so sorry, Mom…….I failed you…' he thought to himself as tears fell onto the mattress below him. He wouldn't know it yet, but he would look back on that day, and it would be one of the best days of his life.

 

"........So…what are you in for?"

 

---

 

Moxxie lived a difficult life before he and Blitzo escaped prison together. It wasn't perfect once they escaped, either. Blitzo offered to have Moxxie stay at his apartment until he could build up enough funds to get his own place. He even offered Moxxie a position at the company he had been setting up before getting arrested. Hell, he even put Moxxie's name on the business cards as a thank-you for helping him get started. Aside from having to put up with Loona's attitude, hateful comments, and Blitzo's teasing, things had been ok. And then she came along…

 

Moxxie wasn't interested in dating after everything that happened with Chaz. He was honestly scared to have his heart broken again, and the idea of becoming vulnerable to someone else made him anxious. Heartbreak had since become one of his biggest fears, but there was just something about Millie. He couldn't help but be attracted to her. They had been friends for a little while before he realized he liked her as more than a friend, but he wouldn't say anything. He was just happy to have a friend. He never had any of those before. He didn't want to scare her off by making her feel awkward. Then, one day, she told him a secret while they were sharing a drink after work. She confessed that she had feelings for him and that she had for quite some time now. Moxxie's mind went into fight or flight mode. This had to be a joke, right? Millie was a beautiful girl. She had so much going for her. Moxxie didn't believe her at first until she had promised him she was being truthful. 

 

For a few seconds, he thought about what to say. He wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. She said she was serious, but would telling her scare her away? If he did tell her and they decided to take this further than just being friends with crushes on each other, would she end up abandoning him like Chaz did?

 

'What is your heart telling you? What is the right thing to do here?'

 

---

 

More years had passed since that night. Moxxie was getting ready for bed and went to the kitchen to turn off the lights. As he made his way back to the bedroom, he decided to peek inside another room that was filled with soft cooing noises. Millie was hushing and rocking their newborn baby to sleep. If he could go back in time and tell his 18 year old self that this was his life now, he wouldn't believe him. He didn't know it was possible to have this much love for two people, but he loved them both so much it was immeasurable. 

 

That night at the bar, he followed his heart, and his heart told him to tell her that he reciprocated her feelings.

 

He followed what his heart told him all throughout their relationship, and every single time, what it told him was correct. Not once did it ever steer him wrong in his relationship with Millie. The more he reflected on that piece of advice given to him so many years ago, the more he realized that his heart had always given him the correct answers. He may not have understood it all the time back then, but he did now. 

 

Later that night, he got up with the baby when he heard stirring in the bassinet. He looked out the bedroom window at the stars above the city. He looked back and forth between their infant in his arms and Millie in their bed, both sleeping peacefully. This was his happily ever after, his fairytale ending. The path that got him here was harsh and brutal, but he was living a great, successful life filled with love and happiness. Just like his mother always wanted for him.

 

'You were right, Mom……It wasn't easy, but in the end, it was all worth it…..' Moxxie thought to himself, looking up at the stars again. 

 

"I couldn't be happier…"

Notes:

This is one of the most recent things I've written. I know some people don't enjoy the idea of M&M having children, but I could have sworn that Viv did mention she wants them to have a family at some point sooooooo.......👀

It will be a headcanon of mine until proven otherwise!

Like I previously said, this is my first time posting, so if something with the formatting looks, off feel free to comment and lmk.

Anyway, that's a wrap for now! See y'all later!

Chapter 3: Home

Summary:

Millie goes out with some of her friends for the night. Moxxie is at home trying to pass the time when his anxiety gets the best of him.

Notes:

Hi there!

I thought about waiting to post this, but it's one of my most recent works and one of my favorites if I do say so myself. So I just decided that I NEEDED to post it😭✋

Warnings:
- There is a small part closer to the end where M&M's sex life is talked about.

I think that is all.

Happy Reading!

"Bye, sweetie! Love you!" Millie yelled out to Moxxie, who was in the kitchen cleaning out their fridge. 

"Bye, Honey! I love you too!" he responded, waving to her as she left their apartment.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and Millie was going out to have a girl's day with some of her friends to catch up. It had been a while that she would get to see friends outside of work since the business at I.M.P. had started picking up pretty heavily, and she and Moxxie had a free weekend open. So, this was a good opportunity for her to go out. Despite Blitzo always teasing the pair that they were attached to each other's genitals, M&M did spend time apart from each other. Moxxie never had any complaints about Millie going out with her friends whenever she wanted, and Millie felt the same when Moxxie would go out with his friends. He always encouraged her to go out with her friends whenever she was invited. He knew how it felt to be isolated away from having friends, and he never wanted Millie to experience that. When he still lived at the family mansion in Greed, he was lonely most of the time. He didn't have friends. He was homeschooled, so meeting others was out of the question. Sure, some of the other members of the mafia were people to have around, but Moxxie wasn't close with any of them. They interacted with each other for business matters only. To this day, he is still convinced that the chronic loneliness he lived through for all those years has severely affected his ability to let Millie have her own space.

It wasn't any secret to those around them that Millie and Moxxie were always together. Of course, that was just a natural result of the two being married and co-workers at the same time, but even outside of work, the two were always attached at the hip. Neither of them minded spending lots of quality time together. They were husband and wife, after all, but they would admit that sometimes they felt each other would get a bit......smotherly. Albeit a bit too clingy every now and then. Neither of them wanted to say anything, but after their argument at the summer camp almost three months ago, they shared their feelings about it. When they returned home after that week, they sat down and talked about things. Moxxie apologized for his actions more than once, but the two of them thought it was still best to talk things through thoroughly. They discussed different issues they both felt could be addressed in their relationship and even sought out couples counseling for professional guidance on moving forward. 

Many folks would find it troubling to see others going to marriage counseling, but honestly, Moxxie and Millie enjoyed going. They did have a wonderful counselor, which probably helped, but she agreed with their ideas about what to do for their relationship. They both admit that they have some insecurities about being acknowledged for what they do and wanting validation from others. They also believed that their tendencies to stick around each other for significant periods of time likely played a part in their emotions bottling over on the mission. 

So, with their counselor, they came up with a solution to prevent further situations such as those from reoccurring. You know, omitting the parts of illegally traveling to Earth and then their makeup sex that followed. She didn't need to know those details. The two of them would make an effort to communicate their feelings better, even if it meant telling the other to back off just a tad. On top of that, they decided to make more time for themselves independently. So far, it has been working out great! It took them a few days to get used to not always being around each other every second of that day, but weeks passed, and they got used to it. It was never anything big, either. Sometimes, it was just as simple as one of them running errands without the other. However, Moxxie was the one struggling the most with this new arrangement. He didn't mind giving Millie her own space; he really didn't. He knew that he could be a bit much sometimes, and she deserved to be able to have some alone time with herself. That wasn't the issue. It was his anxiety.

Millie knew that Moxxie struggled with anxiety quite a bit, but his fears ran deeper than just generalized anxiety. He feared being alone. Particularly, he feared abandonment. The idea of being abandoned and lonely pestered his mind whenever he was left to his own devices. He assumed it stemmed from that horrible memory he had of losing his mother. She was there one day and gone the next. From that day forward, he was alone until he met Chaz and was abandoned again. He never dreamed of telling Millie this, but he became anxious whenever she would go anywhere without him because he feared that she might never come back, or worse, he wouldn't be able to protect her, like how he couldn't protect his mother. But he knew that it was not Millie's responsibility to bear. He felt guilty for never mentioning this to her since they had been working so hard on their communication, but he didn't want to come across as controlling and needy. Besides, it had gotten better over the past months, but even now, in the back of his mind, the anxiety still whispered to him, 'What if.....'

This is why he always kept himself busy when she left the house. Keeping his mind busy with tasks had always been soothing to him. He never ran out of ideas on what he could do in his spare time. Well, the fridge was done. What next? He and Millie had cleaned their kitchen this morning to have some couples bonding time, so there wasn't anything left to do in there. He walked into their living area and looked around. Nothing was dirty, but tidying up a bit wouldn't hurt anyone. Ever since Moxxie was a small child, he HATED filth. Millie was never a messy person, but she never quite understood Moxxie's urge to always be cleaning. It had improved over time, but cleaning was still a form of therapy for him. He decided to dust off their pictures and shelves for the moment. Then he moved on to dusting the weapons he and Millie had displayed on the walls. After some time, the entire living room was polished from top to bottom. 

Moxxie took a break to check his phone. Holy crap! It had been three hours!? Had he really been cleaning for that long? To be fair, he cleaned the entire living room, flipping it upside down to ensure he'd get every grain of dirt and spec of dust conceivably possible. Ok, now the time was starting to make a bit more sense. He opened his text messages tab. No texts from Millie......

"It's ok, Moxxie. She's ok. Millie is fine. She can protect herself." 

He would often repeat phrases like these if he ever felt himself getting concerned. It was the truth. Millie was more than capable of protecting herself if need be. And if she needed Moxxie to know something, she would reach out. Moxxie knew that, but it was still hard, considering everything they had been through recently. His father.....Striker.......

Even with the two of them combined, Striker almost.....

'NO! No, No, No, No, nonononononono! No. Don't think about that, Mox. Everything is fine. Everything is alright,' he thought to himself. Maybe a shower would do him some good. The sensation of the warm water hitting his back always helped to calm his nerves. He turned the water on before taking his shirt off. 

'Huh.....The last time the bathroom was cleaned was last Sunday...'

"It wouldn't hurt to tidy up the bathroom, too, I suppose." 

 

---

 

Well, another hour and a half later.........and no shower for Moxxie. BUT their bathroom was spotless. Moxxie and Millie could probably eat out of the sink or toilet and they would be ok. He even reorganized their bathroom cabinets. He was in the bedroom getting out some pajamas because this time he was seriously going to take a shower, now that he had handled chemicals all day from cleaning every nook and cranny in their apartment. 

"Ok, Moxxie. This shower is for real this time," he told himself to stay on track. He would NOT get distracted again. He accomplished his short-term goal of showering. He checked his phone again once he was dried and dressed. 8:15 P.M. And one message from Millie. 

Today 8:04 P.M.

'I cannot WAIT to tell you about some of this hot tea that Roley is telling us about her ex-bf! You won't believe what he said to her!🖤' 

Moxxie chucked a bit at her text. She was safe, and she was having fun. That's all he wanted for her. Moxxie would give up anything he owned if it meant Millie could always be safe and happy. 

'I can't wait to hear all about it. Love you :)🖤' he sent back.

With that, he was reminded of something. Their 2nd anniversary was approaching rather fast. Moxxie already planned everything a month after their first anniversary. Was that a bit crazy? Maybe to some, but not to Moxxie. Ever since he met Millie, he has always gone above and beyond for any event she has celebrated. Her birthdays are planned out months in advance! Any big achievement she got at work, she was getting spoiled for that! The holiday humans referred to as "Valentine's Day," they didn't even celebrate that in Hell, but Millie was getting spoiled for that too! Moxxie still got her gifts on the anniversary of the day they started dating, even though they were married. It was an important day to him. Their anniversary was no exception. Maybe their first one was a bit of a bust, but Millie still loved it and appreciated all the effort Moxxie put into their special day. Well, this time around, Moxxie planned well in advance. Lucky for him, there was going to be a full moon on their anniversary this year. That meant that Blitzo would be with Prince Stolas, and there would be no interruptions. Well, maybe he should be knocking on wood for that one, but he felt that he had been blessed by Lucifer himself for them to fall on the same night. 

He considered taking them back to the Lust Ring but figured he might want to hold off on them returning there for just a tad longer. He decided to take the two of them to Wrath. Since their anniversary fell on a weekend this year, he figured they would travel to Wrath Friday night after work and then go home to Pride on Sunday afternoon. He knew the idea of going to the Wrath Ring might be a bit unoriginal since that's where Millie was from, but she had expressed that she missed home for a while. They really didn't go often. The first time they visited after getting married was for the Harvest Moon Festival, and they hadn't been back since. Moxxie didn't know what it was like to miss home. He never missed Greed, and he never felt like he could call Wrath 'home' even though he was born there. However, he knew Millie had a strong love and appreciation for the ring. It's where she lived out the majority of her life. He booked out all of the reservations he made for them and the private rental they would stay in. He even left Sunday open in case she wanted to take a little detour to visit her family before they would head back to Pride.

He double-checked and triple-checked everything on his laptop while he relaxed in bed. Everything was perfect and all set for them. He hoped she would like everything he planned out for them. After watching some documentary he found on guns, he looked at the top right corner of his laptop to check the time.

10:08 P.M.

It was getting late. Millie's last message to him was another black heart emoji in response to the last message he sent her earlier. She did tell him not to worry since they planned to be out later. Nonetheless, Moxxie felt a bit anxious but calmed himself again. Repeating to himself that she was and would get back home safe. They usually went to bed later on weekends, but Moxxie was pretty tired after their long week at work. Going to bed right now didn't seem insane to him. He got up from the bed to plug his laptop in, and that's when he spotted it. On top of their dresser was an opened box of condoms with the small packets spilled out, joined with a pair of handcuffs and one of their blindfolds. They must have forgotten to pick up after themselves from the other night. Moxxie looked back and forth between the items on their dresser and the trash can next to it. A few used packets were discarded in it from some of their...adult activities from this week. Moxxie stood there for a few seconds, just staring at the can.

"I guess I'll take his out. It would be kind of gross to just leave them sitting." He tied the bag and prepared to take out the trash.

 

---

 

News flash: he did not just stop at taking out the trash. Another two and a half hours had passed. The trash was taken out, and Moxxie had also taken it upon himself to completely reorganize their adult toys and items for the second time this month. He was always stunned because he kept realizing just how many toys and materials he and Millie had whenever he would go through them all. He had just finished putting away the box of condoms in his nightstand drawer. He and Millie each kept a box in their respective drawers for convenience. He remembered that the box on the dresser was new and assumed they forgot to put it away in his bedside table drawer in the heat of the moment. In those hours, he also neatened up their closet and dusted their furniture, AND polished and sharpened the knives Millie kept on her side of the bed for her.

"There!" he said, admiring all his hard work. In one day, he cleaned and reorganized the entire kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. Hell, the entire apartment looked like it had gotten a makeover; it was so clean and neat. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. 

12:39 A.M.

It was past midnight.......it was really late....and no Millie. She hadn't sent Moxxie anything either. 

'Should I ask if she's alright?'

"Crumbs, what's wrong with me?"

He felt guilty. Millie was having a night out with her friends and having some time to herself, and he still felt himself struggling not to intrude. It had been months since they started working on this. Why couldn't he just get over it? Anytime she left to go somewhere by herself, or he went somewhere without her, it felt like he always had to restrain himself as hard as he could not bug her with texts and calls. He didn't like being like this. He wanted Millie and him to have a good, healthy marriage with good, healthy boundaries. He wanted Millie to be able to go out and enjoy herself without him suffocating her. Why couldn't he just relax? Was his anxiety about being left or abandoned really that bad? How could he even think that Millie would do something like that? He felt ashamed for even having that thought pop up in his mind.

It was pretty late. Maybe some sleep would do him some good.

 

---

 

Trying to fall asleep was proving itself to be unsuccessful. For the past hour, Moxxie had been lying in bed wide awake. He brushed his teeth and set a pair of pajamas down for Millie in their bathroom before he crawled into bed. He just lay there staring up at the ceiling, trying not to let his mind run wild. It was now 1:58 A.M., almost 2:00 in the morning, and Millie still hadn't returned home, texted, or called. Moxxie decided to just turn the lamp on and scroll on his phone for a bit. He was tired, so very tired, but he couldn't find it in himself to fall asleep without knowing Millie was safe. As much as he tried to occupy his mind with anything and everything he could think of, he just kept playing out different scenarios in his head. 

'What if she's hurt?'

'What if she's in danger?'

'What if something happened to her?'

'Is she ok?'

'Should I ask if she's ok?'

'What if I fall asleep and something happens to her?'

'What if she doesn't have her weapons with her?'

'What if-'

"Moxxie?"

Moxxie looked up from his phone to see Millie standing in the doorway of their bedroom, in the condition she had left in that afternoon. She was ok. She was safe. She was here. Her presence was enough to instantaneously simmer his fears down to nothingness. 

"What are ya doin' up so late? You don't like getting off your sleep schedule like that." She walked over to their dresser and placed her purse down while examining the room. The second she walked into the apartment, she knew something was off. The place was immaculate. It was always clean, but she had known Moxxie long enough to know that one of his unconscious habits, when he was experiencing overwhelming anxiety, was to clean until he couldn't clean anymore. That was reflected in the state of their apartment at the moment.

"Oh, I-I guess I just got carried away on my phone. Did you have fun, honey?" he tried changing the subject so she wouldn't get suspicious.

"I did. It was great, but I'll save the details for tomorrow. I'm so tired. I'll be back. I need to take a quick shower."

"Ok, I left a pair of pajamas for you in there."

She smiled at that and made her way down the hall. Moxxie was always so good to her. Being sweet and thinking about her even when she wasn't there was always one of the things she loved most about him. If she was being honest with herself, even though she loved her personal time and spending time with her friends, she could not wait to climb under the covers with him. She had only been gone for about 11 hours, and she missed him like crazy. It was difficult not to text him just in that time period. She showered and brushed her teeth as quickly as possible, partly because she was exhausted, and headed back to their room.

 

---

 

Moxxie felt relaxed now that Millie was home. He had turned off his lamp and put his phone back down. Still, he didn't want to commit to sleep until she made it to bed, just to be sure. He heard their door open and felt her side of the bed dip in. She wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling up to him. She had only been gone for half a day, and she missed his scent badly. He coiled his tail around hers.

"I'm glad you had fun. Goodnight, honey."

"Moxxie...are you ok, baby?"

This caught him off guard. How in the seven rings did she know something was up?

"Of course....why wouldn't I be?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't hear the guilt in his voice.

"........The apartment looks nice—really nice. I appreciate you doing all that, honey. But you don't usually clean like that unless something's stressing you out...Please tell me what's bothering you, hun."

The jig was up. He was a little touched that she knew him that deeply to be able to pick up on that little coping mechanism of his. He rolled to his other side to face her. Her gorgeous eyes stared into his. She had one of her signature little, sweet smiles on her face. He looked away from her in shame.

"Moxxie, babe, I know something's bothering you...but we promised to be as honest as possible with each other from now on, even if it was hard to admit....please talk to me, sug."

"Millie.....I'm really sorry. I tried my best to leave you alone. I just......I just couldn't go to sleep without knowing that you would get home safe."

"Well, honey, what are you apologizing for? There's nothing wrong with that." she stroked his freckles with her thumb as she cupped his face in her palm. 

"...Because I know we promised to give each other our own space....and I want you to have your own time away from me when you need it, Millie....but I feel like any time we're apart...I'm scared." 

Millie didn't say anything. She just continued to caress his cheek and play with his hair, listening to him while he poured his emotions out for her.

"I'm scared that one day, you'll leave and you won't come home...because something might happen to you. And what if that happens...and I- I'm not there to protect you? I know you can protect yourself, Mills, but a part of me just can't stop thinking about the 'what ifs'...I love you more than anything, Millie, and I'm just..scared to lose you..." Even now that he finally told her what had been weighing on his mind for so long, he felt bad. He didn't want her to think that he was trying to control her or manipulate her into never leaving him again because that was not what he was trying to do. Those were not his intentions. He felt her hand direct his face to look at her.

".....Moxxie...I struggle with the same thing. Any time I'm away from you is difficult for me because I also get nervous about something potentially happening to you. Especially with the fact that your daddy is still out there." Ever since that trip to Greed, Millie regretted not killing the mafia boss. She feared that he would come back one day and take her Moxxie from her for good. And realistically, Millie knew that was not a far-off possibility. 

"It was hard for me not to text you every hour for confirmation that you were ok, Mox. But....there's something that I always tell myself whenever I start getting nervous about these kinds of things..." Her hand traveled down into his pants to his thigh. A few weeks ago, he had gotten a tattoo, and he purposefully got it done where nobody could see it. Nobody except Millie. The placement was so exact to ensure it would be hidden from the average person. The only way it could be seen is if he was naked, and he did that on purpose. It wasn't meant to be kinky, either. He did it to be sentimental. It was a similar tattoo to Millie's. Her heart tattoo with Moxxie's name written inside of it. Moxxie's tattoo was smaller, but it was also a heart. A heart outline with the words: 

Millie

Mia Regina

Amora Mia

La Mia Vita

'Millie, my queen, my love, my life'

That's what it said. Even though the heart was not a large tattoo, he made sure it would be large enough to write that all out on the inside. To many, the tattoo idea may seem cheesy, but to Millie, it meant so much. She was his everything, and that tattoo would forever remind her of that, and she was the only one to be able to see it: for her eyes only. She ran her fingers over it, the skin where it was tattooed was still raised a tad. Even though she couldn't see it at the moment, the image was ingrained in her mind. 

"Moxxie, my king, my love, my life.....my heart.......home is not a place for me. You are my home. No matter what obstacles we face, what arguments we get into, what happens to us in the future, no matter what, you will always be my home. And I will fight tooth and nail to the death just to get back to you...And I promise that I will always come home to you."

She placed her hands over his clothed chest, feeling the sensation of his heart lightly thumping away from the inside. ".....You really hold the key to my heart, Mox. My heart has your name written on the door to it...I love you Moxxie." He continued to stare into her eyes, feeling her heart beating against his hands that he placed on her chest. He knew she was right, and he knew that she knew that he felt the same way about her. This woman really was a gift from the universe to him. The greatest gift he ever received was her existence in his life....

His true home. He never felt at home in a ring, but he felt at home with her.

"And you hold the key to mine, Millie.....My heart belongs to you." The two leaned in for a kiss. This was probably the billionth kiss that they'd had together, and yet the fireworks they felt whenever they shared one never dulled. 

"I love you too, Mills. You really are my home and my world," he said to her once they parted.

The two fell asleep not long after that from the pure exhaustion that took over their bodies. They were wrapped in each other's tails and arms, enjoying being together in their sleep. Maybe these anxieties were something they could talk over with their counselor. They didn't need to worry about that right now, though. They were safe, secure, and happy being embraced in each other's arms.

Just where they liked it. Where they both belonged.

Where they both felt at home.

Notes:

I'm pretty sure that it's canon at this point, but I hc that Moxxie is bilingual in English and Italian.

Another thing about the tattoo: I hc that Moxxie has a tat dedicated to Millie that he has somewhere that only she can see. I decided to write it in Italian because even if someone who wasn't Millie did end up seeing it, then they wouldn't know what it says unless they can read Italian. So only Moxxie and Millie know what it says. Cheesy, I know, but I think it's kind of romantic😅

Moxxie was a bit difficult to write in this. Despite their insecurities that we see a peak of in Unhappy Campers, I think M&M have a great relationship. That being said, I think that Moxxie has some abandonment/attachment issues that were caused by his childhood + relationship with Chaz, which can cause him to be a bit anxious about not having Millie around.

I also think it's possible that Millie can get anxious when Moxxie isn't around, even if her fears aren't as severe as Moxxie's.

That's all I have for now! I have a Millie fic I want to post, but I'm not sure if I'll post it this afternoon or tomorrow.

Chapter 4: Set Backs (Not A Chapter)

Sooooooo.....I know I said that I was going to post my Millie fic last night, but some technical difficulties occurred.

I edited everything for grammatical errors and such, and RIGHT when I went to hit 'Post,' my internet went out. Then, this morning, I edited everything again because my edits did not save, and my computer fucking CRASHED😭

So, it looks like I will be editing everything AGAIN this afternoon🥲

But needless to say, I don't think the chapter will be very grammatically correct. Though, I am determined to get it out today. If everything goes according to plan, then the fic will be up by this afternoon, and I have a small little piece about M&M the morning after their wedding that I'm teeter-tottering on positing either tonight or tomorrow morning. I guess it will depend on if ao3 lets me this time.

To those of you who have been reading so far, I hope y'all are enjoying yourselves! Thanks for the kudos and such! There's A LOT more to come.

Have a good day!

Chapter 5: Insecurity

Summary:

This is a piece I wrote after watching "Unhappy Campers" that dives into some of Millie's insecurities about being an important person and being seen as someone other than a "hot girl" or a "killing machine." She reflects on these insecurities with Moxxie.

Notes:

First of all, HOORAY! I was able to save all the edits this time! 🤩

Second of all, there will probably be some grammatical/spelling errors. I was tweaking so hard editing this for the third time. So if something doesn't sound right, or sounds repetitive, that's probably why.....😅

Admittedly, this is NOT my best piece😭
I wrote it a few months ago after seeing the episode for the first time. I thought: "Hmmm...I know that Viv said Millie is not a "tragic character," but I wonder if she struggles with more insecurities than we see in this episode..."
The information we have about Millie thus far implies that she tends to bottle how she feels / bottles her self-doubt in front of others to keep up a strong front. In the camp episode, it seems that with Moxxie she tends to hide her feelings for the sake of his sometimes.
This fic is kinda angsty. Basically, it's a big writing of my thoughts about other ways Millie may perceive herself.

Warnings:
- There aren't any actual sex scenes in this piece, but there are many cases of discussing sex and sexual innuendos.
- This fic also focuses on a lot of body positivity issues + self-worth issues.
- There is a small scene that implies pressure to engage in sexual activity.

With all that being said, enjoy!

Millie’s eyes started to flutter open at the contact of the morning light on her face. She groaned and rolled over to her right side to avoid being blinded by the rays peeking through at her through the curtains. It was Saturday. Like hell was she waking up when she didn’t feel like it. After she shut her eyes again, she reached to the other side of the mattress with her tail to find…nothing? Okay, weird. She reached her right hand out to also find……

Nothing, again?

Okay, double weird. She opened her eyes again to find the other side of the bed empty. Devoid of life, the life she wanted to be there. Moxxie must have woken up already. It wasn't unusual for him to wake up before her sometimes, but considering it was a weekend, Millie would have assumed that he would have stayed in bed to sleep in as they usually did.

Whatever though. Maybe he just had the urge to start the day a bit early. She could try returning to sleep, but honestly, at this point, she was too awake for that. The clock on Moxxie’s side of the bed read 8:45 A.M., so she might as well just get up now. She sat up and stretched, yawning before she heard the bedroom door slowly open. Moxxie walked in cautiously, trying to be quiet, until he noticed there was no need since he saw Millie awake and sitting up in bed. He smiled lovingly at her, and she returned it before she spotted what he had in his hands. It was a large bouquet of flowers native to Wrath. Considering they lived in the Pride ring, these would be slightly difficult to come by or acquire, but Moxxie was always willing to jump through hoops to get them for her.

“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Moxxie broke the silence as he started to make his way towards his wife’s side of the bed.

“It’s ok, Mox. I just woke up a few minutes ago.” She watched him place the flowers on her bedside table before taking a seat in front of her on the mattress. She was caught by surprise as Moxxie pulled her in for a surprise kiss that she swiftly reciprocated. It was short but loving and passionate, just like the billions of other kisses they shared since their relationship sparked 4 1/2 years ago. They separated and stared into each other’s eyes for a bit before Moxxie broke the silence again.

“Happy Birthday, Millie…”

Huh, birthday? This wasn’t possible. Her birthday wasn’t for another week. Had Mox gone crazy? Their birthdays were literally a day apart. Besides, Moxxie never forgot anything, so what was going on? Millie took her phone from her nightstand and looked at the date.

Saturday, September 9th

8:49 A.M.

Satan’s balls….it actually WAS her birthday, and she had forgotten. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry, Mox. It completely slipped my mind.” Moxxie chuckled at that. It had been a really busy month at work. This week was particularly swamped. He ruffled her hair before reassuring her. “It’s ok, honey. I know we’ve all been under pressure recently. Come to the kitchen. I made us breakfast. Your favorite breakfast, to be exact.” Oh YES! Moxxie was a great cook, and Millie always loved the meals he’d make for her. So she knew that she would thoroughly enjoy it. “Ok, hun. Give me a few, and I’ll meet ya in there!” She climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

She completed her usual morning routine of using the bathroom, brushing her teeth, brushing her hair, and washing her face. Millie looked at herself in the mirror as she dried her face off. Birthdays have always been a…hit or miss celebration through the years. For whatever reason, they would remind her of some self-esteem struggles she had. Though, Millie always chalked it up to just getting older. It was normal to dislike yourself the older you got...right? This bizarre phenomenon started on her 5th birthday when her older brother told her that she was too loud and energetic, calling her annoying and such. She was always a rambunctious child and that personality followed her into adulthood, but ever since that birthday, she was always a bit self-conscious about her energetic personality. The self-doubts followed her since then, ranging from her personality, her energy, her body, her education…….

Her worth…

For years, Millie struggled with her worthiness in the lives of others. You wouldn’t know it because she always worked hard to push her insecurities down. She was embarrassed to admit that most of these insecurities came from boys. She didn’t have many boyfriends in the past. She only had two before Moxxie, but it was previous men she came across who made her question if love was even an act she was worthy of sometimes. Her family and friends from Wrath would always do something to celebrate her on her birthday. However, she always wanted to feel like she was the center of the universe to somebody. Her Ma and Pa always made an effort to make all their children feel special on their birthdays, but they were a large family who had a lot of responsibilities. Unfortunately, this would limit the attention they had to go around. She loved her family dearly, and she was grateful for everything they had done for her, but sometimes, she felt like she was a second thought to them. It was the same in her relationships as well.

When she was 16, she had her first boyfriend. A farmhand her age who started working to help on the ranch had caught her eye. Millie was interested in a few boys before then, but once they got to know her, they were usually gone faster than you could say "go". This boy, however, didn’t do that, which admittedly made Millie’s little crush on him grow. They dated for a few months after that, but that relationship ended on a not-so-great note.

The boy was pushy. A bit too pushy. After 4 days of officially dating, he kept trying to convince her to go to bed with him. Millie wasn’t against the idea of starting to experiment with her sexuality, but she wanted to get to know him more before sleeping with him. Through the following months, he kept pushing despite Millie’s protests. On the night of her 17th birthday, he took her to one of her family's old barns that they used for storage purposes. He had decorated the place with lights, leaving Millie awestruck until he brought her attention to an old mattress he had brought into the barn with a package of condoms and a bottle of lube on top of the old blankets. This had off-put Millie and brought her out of her starstruck brain. This sent her over the edge. He was seriously trying to make this a transactional thing? He sets up some pretty lights for her, and in return, she gives him sex? Did he take her for an idiot? Did he think she wouldn't realize what he was doing? That’s what this was? Not a real celebration for her birthday, just him making another attempt to get into her pants? To say that she was mad was a bit of an understatement. She wasn’t upset about the fact that he was displaying his attraction towards her, but it was more so the fact that he kept trying to disrespect this boundary that she communicated to him several times over and over and over and over and over again. She didn’t feel comfortable or ready enough to take this step yet.

This started an argument between the two, with the farmhand shouting at Millie that she was some "stuck-up bitch who was nothing but good eye candy for men to ogle at." He also slipped in an insult regarding her appearance, saying that her teeth were “fucked up” and that her breasts were “too small anyway,” and her ass was “also too fat,” all things that Millie had become self-conscious about when she had hit puberty and started to become more aware of her appearance as most young girls do. Of course, this verbal abuse did not play out in his favor as he thought it would. Instead of Millie crying and begging him not to leave, he was met with a knife being thrown at his head, just barely missing him because he ducked quickly and ran as fast as he could to the barn doors, more knives flying his way and barely missing him just by mere seconds. He opened the door, running out yelling at her,

“FUCK YOU! YOU CRAZY BITCH! GOOD LUCK FINDING A MAN WHO WANTS A PSYCHO!” Millie responded by throwing one more knife and running to the entrance to the doors.

“YEAH! WELL FUCK YOU TOO DICK WAD! I’VE MET HELL HOGS WHO HAVE A BETTER PERSONALITY THAN YOUR COCK PROBABLY HAS! DON’T! COME! BACK!” She finished by throwing his lube and condoms out the door at him, hitting him with them before flipping him off. She slammed the barn doors shut and bared them up. She just wanted to be alone to be able to cry without being judged by her parents.

She sat on the old mattress and just cried. She believed she could feel her heart breaking. She didn’t know him for very long, but it was her first real love. He wasn’t the first boy who showed interest in her, but he was the first one who she didn’t scare away with her violent tendencies. For her to know that it was all just a way for him to try and get into her panties really broke her, even more so with his comments. Little did Millie know, she wasn’t alone in the barn when everything went down. From atop the second level, her younger sister Sallie May was just hanging out, unaware that the farmhand was going to take her sister there with…plans of his own. She watched and heard everything that transpired. Her heart shattered to see her sister cry like that.

Sallie and Millie started to share a room at the ranch once Sallie came out, and Millie was one of the strongest people that Sallie knew. She had never seen Millie cry, and that not only scared her but also broke her heart. She quietly got down to where Millie was and sat on the mattress beside her. Millie looked at her and was slightly shocked to see her little sister. Had she seen everything that just happened? She composed herself and dried her tears, trying to wipe the mascara that had run down her face.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, Sal…” Millie said, trying to put up a strong act for her little sister. Sallie scooted closer to her sister and hugged her. They just sat in silence for a few seconds. “......Mills, for what it’s worth, I’ve always looked up to you. Because ever since we were little, I always thought that you were one of the most beautiful girls in the world…”

It was true. Millie was one of Sallie’s biggest role models. She always wanted to grow up to be as tough, strong, brave, and beautiful as Millie. Even before she had transitioned, she would watch Millie do her hair and makeup and wanted to be just like her big sister when she grew up. Millie was always there for Sallie May, and now Sallie would be there for her sister. Millie hugged her sister back, and her crying started again. Knowing her little sister was willing to sit and let her cry her heart out like that meant a lot to Millie. Lin and Joe were good, loving parents, but if they would see Millie now, she would probably be reprimanded instead of comforted. Millie was always grateful to Sallie after that day. It was a moment only the two of them knew about, as Sallie didn’t want to make things worse for Millie by telling their parents.

"Don't listen to that jackass, Millie. One day, you'll see. You're gonna meet a great guy who will treat you right and love you for who you are. Just you wait..." Those words always stuck with Millie after that night.

The bastard wasn’t going to get away that easily, though. Sallie did tell her older brother and Joe about what that asshole did to their Millie, exaggerating the story to say that Millie tried to get him, but he unfortunately got away from her. The boy was never seen again after that, but his whereabouts were a secret between Sallie May, her older brother, and Joe, who went after him for what they did to Millie.

 

---

 

Her 17th birthday was a bust, and those memories and words haunted her since. She stayed away from relationships for a few years after that, not because she didn’t want one, but because she hadn’t met anyone since who piqued her interest. That was until she met a true scum of the sea, Chazwick Thurman. An ex-boyfriend she and Moxxie shared.

Millie met Chazwick when she was 21 years old. She had recently moved to the Pride Ring and had started working for a secret organization that hired her for an assassin position. Of course, she LOVED the job. It was a place for her to get some kills in, release some of her pent-up energy, and stay active while keeping her skills sharp. Chaz had joined the organization and instantly took a liking to Millie, or more so, took a liking to how hot and sexy he thought she was. He made several advances on her, the first few to which she objected, but eventually, she decided to give him a chance, after all he seemed mighty genuine to her. Oh, how she wishes she could travel back in time and save her younger self, but you know what they say. Hindsight’s a bitch. At first, Millie was happy with her new relationship. She really liked Chaz. He was good-looking, sweet, charming, and, well, after her last relationship, he was such an upgrade. There was one issue that kept poking its little head out at Millie, commonly with Chazwick, however.

He was blind to effort.

He never went out of his way to plan dates or anything else unless it was sex. If Millie wanted to spend time with him outside of work, aside from the two of them just sitting around at his or her place, she had to be the one to take the initiative. She just chalked it up to him, maybe not being a good planner. He never even made much of an effort in the bedroom, either. Millie had lost her virginity to him, so now, being with Moxxie, what she assumed back then had been debunked. She thought that Chaz was pretty good in bed, but he really only took his needs and wants into consideration. Millie knew before she started having sex that she was into some kinky things, but anytime she would suggest them to Chaz, he would shoot down her ideas. On top of that, he wouldn’t listen to her in terms of what she needed. That was the biggest issue for her during their times in the sack. I mean, come on, what kind of girl wants to have to finish herself off after her boyfriend takes care of himself? She could probably count on her two hands how many times Chaz himself made her orgasm without her needing to use herself either during or after the act. And that was being generous. What they said was true. His dicks could be as big as fucking hell, but the man lacked courtesy in bed.

It wasn’t all bad, but it became tiring to always have to be the one to put the work into the relationship. The fact that he always just wanted everything to involve sex wasn’t much better. Millie wanted more out of a relationship than just sex. She wanted someone to want her just as badly as she wanted them. Someone who would take her out sometimes. Someone who would take her ideas and feelings into consideration. Someone who could be intimate with her in ways that didn’t involve sex. Someone she could be vulnerable with.

Three events lead to the end of the relationship between her and Chaz. The first one happened on another birthday of hers. It was her 22nd birthday. Chaz didn’t even acknowledge what day it was, even though Millie tried to give him subtle hints. He didn’t get any of them. Finally, when she became straightforward and a little upset and reminded him what day it was, his response was unserious.

“Today? I thought your birthday was in July?” As if that would have made it any better, considering that July had passed and he never uttered a word about celebrating a birthday.

“No, it’s today! September 9th, remember? I’m a Virgo.” Millie told him, a hint of annoyance in her voice. Her own boyfriend forgot her birthday. After nearly a year of dating. How in fucking hell do you forget your own partner’s birthday?

“Well, sorry, babe. You know how easy it is to forget small things like that. I’ll make it up to you later tonight~” Millie was not amused. As you can imagine, the day was terrible. Chaz did nothing for her except try to “bone” with her later that night, but she declined. She wasn’t in the mood after that morning.

A week after that, she initiated sex. They were in bed when Millie climbed on top of him. She froze when she heard what Chaz had said right before she could take things further. “Damn, babe, did you always have that many stretch marks on your thighs?” Millie disassociated for a moment after hearing that. She did have some stretch marks on the outside of her thighs because of natural growth. She even had mild cellulite on the upper back of her thighs. Two characteristics of her body that Chaz knew she hated. She climbed off and turned her back to him, covering her body with a blanket while a few tears fell from her eyes.

“Uhhhh, Millie? Did you forget that we’re kind of in the middle of something here?” Chaz asked, oblivious to her tears.

“Why would you say that?” Millie said, trying to hold back her tears.

“You know that those are things on my body that I dislike, and you pointed them out anyway…Why would you do that?” Millie said with a hint of anger in her voice. She was hurt. It felt similar to that night she experienced on her 17th birthday, except this time, she had no one to comfort her and say it was ok like Sallie May did. Unless, Chaz would see that he hurt her and come to apologize. Millie was envisioning that. He would realize what he had done, come over, give her a big hug, apologize, and tell her how much he loved her……..

“Pfft! Chill out, babe! Don’t be so sensitive! It wasn't supposed to be an insult or anything. Besides, you know that I have a thing for heavier girls. It was just an observation….Now, how about you climb back up here and take me for a ride like those horses from Wrath.”

The room was completely silent after that. Too silent. Silent enough that Chaz knew he didn’t say the right thing, but hey, it was true! She was being too sensitive…….to him. Millie didn’t know how to respond to what she just heard. In fact, it was as if every emotion she ever felt left her body, even anger. The love she had for Chaz died that night. Whatever was left was shattered to pieces. She hadn’t felt this ugly or unimportant to anyone before in her life.

“Forget it! I’m just gonna sleep on the couch tonight…” She said as she left Chaz’s room and went to his sofa. She silently cried herself to sleep that night. The audacity of him. He had seen her naked many times before tonight and he never had a problem or commented on her appearance until now. Sadly, Millie stayed with him for a bit after that. She never fully understood why, but it wasn’t long until it came to an end.

Two weeks after the incident, Millie went to visit Chaz at his apartment after work. He called out sick from work that day, and since Millie had a spare key to his place, she decided to bring him some soup to help him get better. Millie unlocked the door, her eyes went wide, and she dropped the soup she had been carrying. There on the couch was Chaz, but not just Chaz. He was balls-deep in a succubus girl from the looks of it, and the two of them were going to town. Once Chaz spotted her, he froze while Millie just stood there in shock.

“Oooh…Millie…hey! Uhm, look I know this looks bad, but if you want maybe you could join us as a truce- AHH” Chaz shrieked as a knife was thrown at his head. He ducked just at the right time to avoid getting hit. Millie threw the spare key on the ground in rage.

“CHAZWICK THURMAN! I AM FUCKING DONE WITH YOU! DO NOT EVER CONTACT ME EVER AGAIN!!” She slammed the door to Chaz’s apartment and ran the whole way home, not caring that her apartment was 30 minutes away from his. That night, Millie just cried. Really cried. She cried out loud enough for her neighbors to bang on the wall for her to be quiet, but she didn’t care. Her heart was broken, and so was her self-worth. Why did it seem that she came in second place to so many people in her life? Why couldn’t she just get over these insecurities that she’s been carrying around since she was a little girl? Is that what made Chaz cheat?  Her energetic, rambunctious, brutal personality? Was she too masculine for him because of that? Was she not pretty or attractive enough for him? What wasn’t she that made him treat her the way he did? Was he just a dick? Why wasn't she good enough? She didn’t know, but she knew one thing. She was NOT opening her heart to anyone else again. Sure, she only dated two guys, but both relationships were so painful. Why would she put herself through this a third time?

Well, life is a funny thing, and as they say, the third time’s a charm! It certainly was for Millie, but she wouldn't learn that for about another year and a half later. Millie’s 24th birthday had passed about a month ago, and it was a good one. She went home to Wrath to celebrate, where Sallie May and her friends from home had planned a great party for her. Her life in Pride had been going well, too. She still loved her assassin job, and she was great at it. Her boss had recently given her a large raise, and she had even made a few friends in Imp City. Life was going well for her since she broke things off with Chaz, but there was one issue that arose that started to cause issues for her.

I.M.P.

Blitzo Buckzo and Moxxie Knolastname. Assassins who started their own company. Millie couldn't have cared less about this new killing business, but one day, she was hired for a job that she couldn't refuse. Blitzo Buckzo owed her boss a large sum of money for a kill he agreed to help Blitzo with, and he took off with the money and started his own killing business with it. Millie's boss told her to kill both Blitzo and Moxxie to wipe out their business overall. Funny enough, at the same time, Blitzo and Moxxie had gotten a client who had paid them to kill Millie. Turns out, Millie's boss instructed her to kill the business partner of their client who was running a money smuggling scam just months earlier, and he wanted her dead. All three of them ended up at the same warehouse one night, guns, knives, and other weapons armed and ready to finish each other off. Blitzo and Moxxie ended up gaining the upper hand on Millie even though she was an extremely skilled melee wielder, she was just outnumbered. There were two of them and one of her. Blitzo gave Moxxie the opportunity to "finish the bitch off with a headshot," and then Moxxie looked into her eyes...

He couldn't do it. To this day, he still doesn't know why, but something deep within him was screaming at him not to. He convinced Blitz to cancel the job last minute and to let Millie go. Reluctantly, Blitz agreed, and all three of them compromised not to kill each other as long as they:

1. Blitz and Moxxie kill the client they took on so he wouldn't go after Millie and
2. Blitz gives the money to Millie to return to her boss in exchange for calling off the mission.

As you can probably imagine, Millie's boss wasn't too pleased with this arrangement and ended up firing her once she explained their arrangement. She didn't care; yeah, the job paid well, and she liked her co-assassins, but it was his loss. She returned the money to Blitz since her boss ended up not taking it, and he ended up hiring her to work for him. He was impressed with the skills she showed off during their battle, and she couldn't refuse. Being an assassin for his company was the least she could do after he and she agreed not to kill each other. And then there was Moxxie. She and Moxxie didn't get along great at first. Probably because less than a week ago, they were hired to kill each other, but aside from that, the two didn't seem to be adjusting well to having each other in the office. Now that they had been married for coming up on two years, they would laugh about it from time to time. At first, Millie judged him to be a "stuck-up snob from the Greed Ring," while Moxxie viewed her actions as "dangerous, reckless, and impulsive on the field." She would have stabbed him to fucking death right at that moment for hitting a sensitive nerve with her, but Blitz ended up ripping both of them a new one for making the team lose their client for bickering instead of stabbing and shooting. The two tried their best to be civil after that. Their days working together turned into weeks, then 3 months passed, and so did their feelings of animosity toward each other.

The more that time passed, the more the two assassins realized the other wasn't all that bad. In fact, they ended up becoming close friends in just those months, hanging out during and after work, and eventually, they would make plans on the weekends. More time passed, and their friendship blossomed into romantic feelings for each other. Millie was slightly anxious about this. She knew Moxxie was a good guy, but her teenage boyfriend and Chaz both also seemed like good guys at first. There was something about Moxxie that felt different to her, though, so she decided to give him a chance and take things slow once he admitted that he also had a crush on her. To say the relationship was a dream come true was an understatement. Moxxie's world revolved around her, and he showed it. It was the first time a boyfriend made her feel special and important. He would go to extreme lengths to put effort, time, and energy into their relationship, just like how Millie would for her past relationships. He didn't have a lot of money, but Moxxie would do his best to spoil her to let her know just how much she meant to him, and Millie fell for it fast. Sex entered the relationship about 1 month in, and there were no cases of Moxxie trying to persuade her before that, pushing her to do acts that she wasn't into, or her having to finish the job all by herself when he was done. Millie's favorite part of the lovemaking by far was Moxxie complimenting her, telling her how beautiful she was, and telling her how much he loved her and loved being with her. Millie had never heard such things from her past partners. For Satan's sake, she had to BEG Chaz to tell her what he liked about her that wasn't just how good she was at sex or how sexy she was. She had a feeling that Moxxie was the one for her after their first night sleeping together because of that, but her next birthday is what sealed the deal.

Moxxie had organized a date for her after work, where they went and ate at a nice place, and after they went to his and Blitz's apartment, they still shared. He made her favorite cake and even got her several gifts after saving paychecks for weeks. Loona and Blitz were both hung over by the end of the night, so the two decided to head to Millie's place for more...privacy. She knew that she was going to sink her claws and teeth into him for how much he had turned her on by the day he had just dedicated to her. When they got to her place, he confessed he had one more gift for her, but considering Blitz and Loona's constant teasing towards him, he wanted to give it to her intimately so that just the two of them could enjoy it. It was a song, a song he wrote just for her, about her. He titled it "Oh, Millie." That was the moment Millie let it sink in. She was madly in love, and Moxxie was the demon for her. Millie's neighbors didn't get a second of sleep that night. All they could hear was the banging of the headboard on the wall, the intense creaking of bed springs, and passionate, demonic screams and moans of each other's names back and forth until dawn. Needless to say, they didn't go to work the following day, but neither did Blitz or Loona due to their hangovers. They spent the day with Millie showering Moxxie with love and affection for his own birthday. Her 25th birthday was one of her favorite birthday memories. Which leads them to today. Her 29th birthday.

 

---

 

The day was spent with Moxxie spoiling and showering her with love and attention. He organized a large party just for her birthday ONLY, excluding his own from the equation so she could have her own special day. He knew it would be challenging, but he had gotten in touch with Sallie May to help him organize the gathering in Wrath so that all of her family and old friends from home could join in. Blitz, Loona, and her other friends from Pride had traveled to Wrath as well. It was a great, wonderful celebration and birthday as the others spent with Moxxie by her side had gone. She felt loved, appreciated, cherished, and a priority to all those around her, and that's one of the biggest reasons she loved Moxxie so much. He never criticized her for who she was. He never complained about her personality, her thirst for blood, her looks, her education, or her feelings. They had an argument on a recent mission to Earth, and sure, he had been a jerk. Millie had never talked much about her insecurities to Moxxie before. At the beginning of their relationship, she was hesitant to talk to Mox about how she saw herself and ultimately decided against it so she wouldn't burden him and to keep the strong front she had always kept on. Since that mission, the two had a serious talk, and they explained where their frustrations came from. They rectified their situation by promising to be honest with each other about their feelings instead of bottling them up, and they agreed to work on their communication in their relationship and at work. So far, it had been working out beautifully. However, Millie still felt that she wasn't being completely honest with Moxxie about her struggle with self-worth.

It had been about 2 hours since Millie's party had finished. Her friends told her goodbye and left for the night. Blitzo and Loona decided to spend the night in Wrath because the trip back to Pride was "too far" -- realistically, Blitz was staying behind to set up his own party for Moxxie's birthday. Most of the family at the Rough N' Tumbleweed Ranch had retired to bed. The Knolastname couple was spending the rest of the night stargazing. It was an exceptionally clear night, and Millie had taken Moxxie to one of the old barns to stare at the hellish night sky. There was a large hole in the roof where Millie and her siblings would go to look up at the stars when she still lived at the ranch. Ironically enough, this was the same barn where she broke up with her first boyfriend, lying on the same mattress that she had bawled her eyes out on 12 years ago. Instead, this time, she was having a lovely birthday night with the love of her life. Her husband, who loves her, respects her, and dedicated the rest of his life to her. Still, Millie couldn't help but think about that horrible incident because of their surroundings. The only sounds in the barn were the little comments they made every now and then and the hell crickets chirping away. After some thought, Millie's tail found Moxxie's, and they coiled them together, a nonverbal signal that the other was there and listening.

"Moxxie?"

"Yes, my love?" Moxxie responded, the tip of his tail rubbing against hers in an affectionate manner.

"Do you mind if I ask you something? Something a little bit...personal."

"Not at all. You know you can talk to me about anything, Mills," he said lovingly. Millie thought about what to say for a few seconds, not sure how to phrase her question. She decided to just come out with it. There was no purpose in sugarcoating anything. He was right. He was her husband, the one person she could rely on the most. She could trust him to give her an honest answer, right?

".......Moxxie, do you...do you think I'm worth it? Like...are you happy with who I am?"

Moxxie was caught off guard. She had never asked or said anything like this before. He looked at her with confused eyes while she continued to stare up at the stars. "Of course I am. Where is this coming from, Mills?" His tail coiled around hers a bit tighter for comfort. "Well, it's just that...ever since we've been together, you've always gone above and beyond for me. You've always...done everything you could to make me feel special, and you put my wants and needs over yours.......am I worth those sacrifices to you? I just feel like, you're such a great guy Mox, and out of everyone in Hell you could've picked, you chose me....I guess...sometimes I ask myself why because, in the past, others didn't treat me like you do. I'm not the tamest, most refined, prettiest, most beautiful, or most educated demon that you could have chosen...and yet you pick me over and over again." Moxxie just let her tell him what was on her mind, but what was she saying? Did she hear herself?

"Honestly, Mox...sometimes I feel like...you're too good for me, and that maybe you'd be better off with someone else...someone better than me."

He was stunned. He didn't know what words to say. They lay in silence for mere seconds before Moxxie wrapped his arms and tail around Millie, embracing her in a firm hug. She looked at him, and their eyes met. Their eyes always replaced each other's words, but in the moment, that wasn't good enough for Moxxie.

"...Mildred...Millie Knolastname. You are my universe, my world, my purpose in life." He ran his left fingers through her short, soft hair as he spoke. "My love for you extends infinitely beyond this world and beyond this life. My heart spends every second beating for you, and it will continue until I take my last breath.” Moxxie was firm with his words, his tone of voice conveying how serious and sincere he was. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him, but he NEEDED her to understand him. He needed her to know. "The day I married you, Millie, that was the best day of my life, and when I promised to love you, and cherish you, and dedicate my life to you, I meant it. I meant every single word that I vowed to you that day.....And I mean it when I say this..." He took her hands into his and cupped them into one pile, never breaking eye contact. "Millie, I love you more than I will ever be able to express. You are the most intelligent and beautiful demon that I have ever known. You have a wonderful personality, and every day, I wake up excited that I get to see it. And every day, I fall in love with you over and over again, but with more intensity every time. I mean all of it Millie, you are the best person I will ever know, my love for you is unfading, eternal, and everlasting. You are my life, Millie, there will never be anyone who could compete with you in my heart or demonic soul. Even when we die, there will never be someone "better than you" because you ARE perfection."

Millie couldn't speak, but she felt a tear run down her face. She cried in front of Moxxie before. Many times, actually. She felt comfortable and secure enough with him to show him her raw, vulnerable emotions. "Yeah, but..." One of Moxxie's claws wiped the tears away from her cheeks. "You don't wish that I would be different sometimes? That I would be less violent, or had fixed teeth, or bigger tits, or a real dick, or a smaller ass, or were as smart as you?" This was the first time Moxxie had ever heard of any insecurities about her body. He, of course, thought Millie was the cutest, sexiest demon alive, but her saying that broke something in him. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her soft, red skin.

"If you were even slightly different, you wouldn't be my Millie. I mean it when I say it: you are perfect just the way you are in every way, shape, and form. I am the luckiest demon to live by having you as my wife. I won the lottery that day I met you." She hugged him tight, taking him all in. His touch, his smell, his skin, tail, horns, hair, eyes, voice, and words because she felt the exact same way about him. He held her and started to caress her hair again as they purred against each other. He contemplated if he should say his final thought because it seemed like he got his message across to her, but he decided to tell her.

"Millie...I could be Lucifer and have all of Hell at my fingertips. I could be an Ars Goetia or an Overlord. I could have everything materialistic in the universe in the palms of my hands...but if I didn't have you, it would all be meaningless to me. My existence would be meaningless without you, mia regina."

She was officially left speechless. She always knew deep in her heart how much Moxxie loved her, but hearing him spill his heart out to her like that made her love for him grow larger. She didn't even think it was possible. They both loved each other so much it hurt. She hugged him tighter against her as if she was trying to fuse herself into him. They held each other like that, for Satan knows how long before either of them spoke up again.

"Thank you for that...for everything that you have done for me. I love you, Moxxie. I love you more than anything in the world. I wouldn't trade you for anything."

"I know. I love you too, Millie. My heart is yours, and yours is mine, and I promise never to break it.........and if I lose my mind one day, and I do, you have my consent to finish off that mission." Millie giggled at that and so did Moxxie. It was an inside joke they made with each other not long after they started dating. If either one of them did something terrible to piss the other off, they would finish the job they were given 5 years ago. They had arguments and spats with each other throughout their years together, but they were both still here. Both are still alive in each other's arms. Moxxie took one of the blankets they brought with them to the barn and covered them with it as the desert night started to get chilly. The two went back to staring up at the stars, just enjoying each other's presence.

"And another thing, Mills.....I don't know who the asshole was who made you believe otherwise, but you were always immensely attractive in my eyes. Not to mention sexy, but I think you get the point." He smirked at her as she flicked his nose playfully. She knew he was serious but that he was teasing her.

"Yeah, point taken, Mox....but I still say that you're sexier~" She flirted back, watching him become flustered. This was a little game they liked to play. They would always play argue about who was the sexier one because of Blitzo's insistence on having a threesome with the two. They still looked up above them, taking in the view, but Millie couldn't focus much anymore.

"Hey, Mox? Do you happen to remember my 25th birthday?"

"How could I forget it? It was the first birthday you celebrated knowing me, the first one we celebrated together..." he responded, still looking up through the barn roof.

"Well~..." She slid her hand down his pants and landed it on top of his boxers. Moxxie's eyes went wide, and he looked over to her, planting her other hand on his adjacent cheek.

"How bout' we celebrate the same way again? The barn's far away enough from the house... no one can hear or interrupt us. It could be a new little birthday tradition of ours," she said with a blush on her face.

"....Yeah...sounds like a great time to me~"

 

---

 

It was two hours later. Moxxie had fallen asleep about 30 minutes ago, cuddled up on the mattress next to Millie. She had opened the lock screen on her phone to check the time.

Sunday, September 10th
1:28 A.M.

She looked up at her husband, her black lipstick all over his face and his white hair messy and wild. She kissed him one more time on the cheek as he purred away, fast asleep.

"Happy Birthday, Moxxie...I love you."

 

---

 

The early morning sun's rays shone through the barn. Moxxie and Millie were still asleep when one of the barn doors opened. Sallie May was about to walk in for some early morning quiet time when she noticed the pair sleeping on the mattress cuddled up together. The state of their hair and their clothes from the previous day scattered and tossed on the ground told her everything she needed to know. She smirked at the sight but carefully closed the door before she started to head back to the ranch house. She smiled genuinely, thinking about it. The fact that just years before that, she was comforting Millie after her first heartbreak in that very same barn, on that very same mattress where she was sleeping peacefully with her now husband. The love of her life. The one she should have been with all along. Sallie always thought her sister's choice of Moxxie was an interesting pick, but if there was one thing she highly respected about that little imp, it was his love for her sister. He may not be the most masculine or physically strong demon, but she knew how much he loved Millie and how much Millie loved him. No matter how many insecurities she had, no matter what those insecurities were, Moxxie would spend an eternity healing her from them if he had to. Sallie was happy her sister had someone like that to love her. She reached the ranch house again. She sat on the porch, still smiling, watching the sun continue to rise into the sky, marking the start of another day.

"........I told you, sis..."

Notes:

Yeah yeah yeah...the part about 'Oh, Millie' how original of me, I know😅

Little side note, though: did we all watch the new short that came out today!? It was soooo good! Guess I'll be referencing Moxxie's.......skills...in another piece😅

Sorry, this fic was pretty long...

I have more fics that involve how Millie views herself, but this was one I just wanted to post first! We don't have much background information about Millie so far, but I do have a feeling that she struggles with her self-worth and self-confidence based on what we HAVE seen already. Obviously, Moxxie also struggles with his self-esteem, but I don't doubt for a second that the minute he sees Millie doubting herself, he steps in and tells her how much he loves her and how amazing she is.

See y'all next time!🙃

Chapter 6: A New Day, A New Life

Summary:

A quick little piece I whipped up this morning where M&M have a talk the morning after their wedding.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Sexual innuendo in the beginning.

That is all!

Millie stretched and yawned as she slowly started waking up. She opened her eyes, rubbing them a bit to try and get herself ready for a new day. As she became more conscious, she smiled, thinking about the day before. She and Moxxie had gotten married yesterday, and it was everything she had dreamed of—well, almost everything.

The two had a great day, but Millie was upset by the absence of her family's support. All of her friends from Wrath and Pride had shown up for her. Her older brother, his partner, her younger sister Sallie May, and some other family members had shown up. However, her parents only stayed around to say hello to her and to threaten Moxxie one last time. Because her two younger brothers weren't old enough to get themselves around, they had to follow Joe and Lin home. Sallie May offered to take them home with her, but their parents refused, most likely in protest of the marriage. Millie was hurt. She wanted her parents to be there for her special day. She wanted her little brothers to be there, too. Unfortunately, their disapproval of Moxxie outweighed their love for her. That's what hurt Millie the most, the fact that they just couldn't put their own feelings aside for one day for her. 

Regardless, she still had a blast. She was grateful to her brother and sister for staying and supporting the two of them. While they didn't see what Millie saw in Moxxie, they recognized how well he treated her, and they knew their sister loved him. If she was happy, then to them, that's all that mattered. And if they were honest with themselves, neither of them 'disliked' Moxxie. Her older brother actually thought he was a nice guy. But they didn't think that he was up to Wrathian standards, strength or masculinity-wise. Whatever, though. It was Millie's choice, not theirs. Sadly, Moxxie didn't have any family to attend, and that made Millie's heart ache for him. He told her before that he had no living family, but he had friends there to support him. Their boss, Blitzo, attended -- like he would've missed their wedding. He even dragged Loona along with him. It was a small but fun ceremony. They partied until they couldn't anymore, but that didn't stop the two of them from going berserk on each other when they were by themselves. They acted like feral animals, scratching, biting, and fucking each other senselessly but with passion.

Millie could already feel that she was going to be especially sore today, even though she was just lying down at the moment. She reached up to the back of her neck, running her fingers over a deeper bite mark that Moxxie had left there last night. Her body was marbled with light bruising, scratch marks, and teeth marks anywhere and everywhere. It was a good thing that they had taken the week off because she knew Moxxie would not appreciate Blitz's comments if he were to see what they had done to each other. She looked to the side, seeing Moxxie still asleep. His hair was all over the place, very opposite from its usual neatness. She tried to stifle a giggle at his appearance to not wake him. She admired him. He looked so calm and peaceful and oh so adorable. She was so excited to be able to wake up to his face for the rest of her life. His face scrunched up, and his eyes opened. After taking the time to wake up, he noticed Millie to his right. The pair smiled at each other. This was a special moment for them. Their first time waking up as husband and wife.

"Good morning, Mox," she said, brushing some of the hair out of his face.

"Good morning to you too, Mrs. Knolastname," he replied, exaggerating her new surname.

AHHH! For MONTHS, she had been waiting for the day that she and Moxxie would share a last name. She had repeated it to herself in her head over and over again since they decided to get married. Moxxie offered to either take her last name or hyphenate between the two, but she wanted to take his last name instead. 

'Mrs. Mildred 'Millie' Knolastname'

OOH! She would never get tired of hearing that! She pounced on him, attacking his face with kisses. He returned the gesture before their little game turned into something more heated. 

Millie pulled Moxxie on top of her as they continued their morning make-out session, not caring that neither had brushed their teeth yet. It wouldn't be the first or last time they pushed their morning routine aside for some sexy time together. Moxxie's hands made their way to Millie's breasts, gently massaging them as she moaned into his mouth. Millie's hands traveled down to Moxxie's butt, and she firmly squeezed him. Moxxie let out a soft whimper as he winced a bit. Millie smirked up at him.

" What's the matter? Still sore? What, ya can't handle me?" she teased him. Although, she did feel a bit bad. She went really crazy with the pegging last night. Maybe a bit too overboard.

" Yeah, maybe a little…I wouldn't be surprised if I won't be able to sit down comfortably for a few days." he laughed nervously. While the two of them enjoyed the gentle, tender sex they would usually have, they also really liked being able to let themselves run absolutely wild like true demonic savages. The downside to the intense, rough sex they would have was always the day after when they had a chance to realize just how brutal they had really let themselves become. Millie's tail and scalp were both really feeling the aftermath of last night at the moment. She knew she'd have to be gentle when washing her hair today, or perhaps the next few days for that matter.

" Hey now, mister! Don't act like you didn't like it! And besides, you had your fun after, too! I'm pretty sure my vagina is going to be feeling the effects of your 'revenge' for a week straight!" She was firm in her words, but she was partly joking. Who was she trying to fool? Not Moxxie! He knew that she absolutely LOVED it whenever he was rough with her in bed.

" Well, not that I'm trying to put words into your mouth, Mills, but whenever you told me, 'Fuck me harder, Moxxie!' I took that as you being serious." Oh, that little shit! He was really getting the bigger dildo tonight, AND she would be rougher.

" ACTUALLY, I believe the words that I used were 'Make sure I can't walk right, Moxxie!'….So, we're even! You can't sit, and I can't walk. Fair enough?" the two laughed at this.

" Yeah…fair enough, honey."

" GOOD!" She exclaimed before pulling his head closer to hers. "Because tonight I will be fucking your little ass so hard that you won't be able to see or think straight for a month." She whispered to him, making him slightly nervous but turned on at the same time.

They spent the rest of the morning cuddled up together, just taking some time to enjoy each other's presence. Moxxie couldn't believe it. He was married. He had a wife. A wife he got to pick. A wife he got to choose. A wife who looked at him and vowed her life and soul to him. A wife who loved him just as much as he loved her and treated him with love and respect. Was this a dream? If it was, it was a cruel, cruel dream. Even if it was, he still didn't want to wake up from it. But it wasn't a dream. This was reality, HIS reality. He couldn't help the large smile he had on his face.

When he was little, his mother would read him stories about finding true love. Moxxie never thought he would get the chance to fall in love and get married with the iron grip his father had on his life. His younger self honestly believed it was for the best. He never had a good example of what real, genuine romantic love was like. He never saw his parents being affectionate towards each other. Anytime they would interact, it seemed fake. It was as if it was a play being performed in front of him. The genuine relationship he did see between his mother and father was argumentative, violent, and harsh. A part of him feared that he wouldn't make a good partner due to how he saw his parents treat each other. How was he supposed to be a good partner if he never had good role models in his life to show him what that looked like? He had his mother's example, but he could tell even from a young age that her kindness towards his father was a farce. He believed he was a great partner to Chaz, but obviously, he wasn't good enough because Chaz decided to leave him in the end. He loved Millie with his entire demonic being, and he always wanted to do everything to make her happy, but he was nervous to be her husband now. Was he going to be a good husband? He hoped so, but how? There isn't exactly a book on that. 

"Ok, I know that look. I can see the wheels turning in that fuzzy little head of yours. Whatcha thinking about, Mox?" She ruffled his hair playfully as she wrapped her tail around his waist.

"Uh...well, please don't take this the wrong way, Mills, but I guess I'm just wondering how to do this."

"Do what?"

"Well.... I- I've never told you this before, but my father, when he was still living, of course, wasn't exactly the best husband to my mother. I never really saw what being a good husband looked like...I guess I'm just nervous because I want to be the best husband for you."

"Moxxie, baby, you're already a great husband! If it makes you feel any better, I don't know how to be a wife. Nobody gets married knowing how to be a spouse, but honestly, hun, I think you're a great husband, and I am so lucky to have you as mine. We just gotta take this new journey one day at a time, ok? We'll figure it all out... We're in this journey together, Mox. I wouldn't want anyone else to be by my side other than you. I promise you, it's going to be great! I'm so excited to have you as my husband, Moxxie."

Months leading up to the wedding, Millie had also experienced some anxiety regarding how to be a wife. What does a wife do? What does she have to do as a wife that she doesn't do with and for Moxxie already? What if she's not a good wife? How does she become a good wife? She wasn't entirely sure, but she had a feeling that she would figure it our along the way. Nobody's born knowing how to be married, right? 

"As am I to have you as my wife, Mills...Satan, that's one of my favorite things about you."

"What's that, babe?" she asked with excitement. She loved it when Moxxie told her what he loved about her. Hearing everything about her that was good and wonderful to the man she loved gave her a sense of security in herself.

"You always know exactly what to say. I've never had anyone like you in my life before....I love you, Millie."

"I love you more, Mox~"

"Impossible." He snuggled into her more.

"Nuh-uh!" They laughed at that. Their silly, cute little game was going to continue forever and ever.

Gosh, it was so crazy of them to think that they were now husband and wife. They committed their lives, souls, and love to each other for all of eternity. There were so many things, so many plans they had for their new life together. Where would they begin first? They wanted to get married so they could scratch that off the checklist. Eventually, they wanted to get a house of their own, move to a nicer side of town, and have babies together, but all of those realities were still a ways away. Moxxie was only 27, and Millie was only 26. They were still so young. They wanted to become more financially stable before doing any of those things. What would they do in the meantime?

"What are we going to do now, Mox?" Millie asked her husband (she would never get tired of saying that) out of curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we're both still really young. Us being able to own a home and have kids aren't something I think should be happening right away. So what do we do until we're ready?"

Moxxie thought for a second. She did have a good point. They couldn't just sit around and wait for these big goals to happen.

"Well...I suppose we could just take it one day at a time, like you said. We're in no rush, so how about we just enjoy being with each other and learning more about ourselves as a couple until then? Not to be selfish, but I would love to have some time just to ourselves for a while."

"Yeah, me too. That sounds nice!" 

The pair just stayed like that for a while, enjoying each other's embrace. This new journey they decided to get on with each other wouldn't always be easy, but they had each other to experience it together. Their demonic love would be one of their strongest assets in this new step of their relationship. Despite their differences, how annoyed they would get with each other from time to time, whatever spats they would have, and any bad or tough times they would face personally, financially, emotionally, or physically, they wouldn't let it dent their love for each other. That's what they promised each other yesterday, wasn't it? They would always be loyal and devoted to each other despite any struggles that come along the way.

Neither Moxxie nor Millie ever imagined they would find true love and go on to get married, but here they were. Husband and Wife. Ready to take on the world together and whatever journeys came with it. The rest of their lives would be filled with laughter, joy, tears, heartache, enjoyment, wonder, and, most importantly, love. Love for each other and the life they would go on to build together. For the rest of her life, Millie never forgot what Moxxie said to her on that special day.

 

To have and to hold,

From this day forward,

For better, for worse,

For richer, for poorer,

In sickness and in health,

To love and to cherish,

Till the end of eternity, for my love for you is everlasting, even beyond death,

I vow my life, my heart, my soul, and all my love to you,

Forever, we shall always be team M&M.

 

Notes:

Damn, so we're all on the hunt for new M&M fics after the Antarctica short, huh?🥲🤣

Something tells me that we’re about to get a TON of new Moxxie fics😭✋

Anyways, see y'all later!

Chapter 7: The Answer (Part 1)

Summary:

It's been a few months since M&M started dating. Moxxie has a feeling that she's the one, but he's a bit unsure of how to tell her just how much he loves her. He puts some thought into it after having a talk with one of his friends.

Notes:

Hi there, everyone!

I just want to say before y'all get into it, this is going to be a 2 part work. It was originally all together, but tbh, it was sooo long. I did not want to subject you all to reading it in one piece💀

I am not sure if I'll publish part 2 after this, but I probably will, so it'll make more sense.

I think that's everything. Happy reading!

Warnings:
- Explicit and graphic sexual content.
- A sex scene takes place, but I cut through the middle of it. You only "see" the initiation and the end.

Moxxie carefully pulled the duvet blanket over Millie, tucking her in gently. He didn't want to wake her since it was Saturday, and he knew she would want to sleep in for a bit. He took his clothes from the floor and dressed himself as he quietly exited her bedroom, closing the door behind him. 

He and Millie started dating six months ago, and he believed they were getting quite serious. Once he escaped prison, he had nowhere to go. So, Blitzo offered to let him sleep on an air mattress at his apartment until he could save enough money to get his own place. He saved a reasonable amount, but not quite enough to get his own apartment yet due to the other expenses of living.

He kept reminding himself that he was building a life from the ground up. He had no money or experience when he left Greed (aside from his sniping skills). So, it was naturally difficult to get out on his own. Well, just about a month ago, Millie proposed the idea that Moxxie move in with her at her apartment. Her rent was pretty low, and she lived in an ok part of the city. It wasn't far from the office, and it would give Blitzo and Loona their place back -- and Moxxie some of his sanity back as well.

She knew that Blitzo would miss having Moxxie around. She could tell that despite his constant teasing and crass jokes, he really genuinely liked Moxxie. Another plus was that she and Moxxie would get more time together. Moxxie was secretly hesitant at first. He didn't want to overstep by just moving into Millie's apartment, but he agreed once she insisted, expressing her desire to take this next step with him, and he wanted to take the next step with her, too. 

So, it was settled. Moxxie moved into her apartment last weekend, and things had been so great. He loved being able to wake up next to Millie every day. Something about her face being the first thing he saw when he got up in the morning always gave him a good start to the day, even if he didn't sleep well. They were still working out a few kinks, such as storage, house chores, etc., but that was nothing to worry about. They agreed to split all the responsibilities anyway. They would split the bills evenly so they could both continue to save money. Everything has been great thus far.

After brushing his teeth and hair, Moxxie made his way to the kitchen to cook them breakfast. It would be a nice surprise for Millie when she would wake up. He liked to spoil her in any way he could. Even though they had only been together for a short time, Moxxie was deeply in love with Millie. He was positive Millie felt the same way about him, but he didn't know how to tell her just how much he loved being with her. They shared their first "I love you's" not long after starting their relationship, but Moxxie felt there was something deeper in his heart he felt for her. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it. He didn't exactly have much knowledge of romance and related topics. In fact, he would commonly second guess if he was doing things right with Millie. Was he doing too much or not enough? Did she feel loved and special? Stuff like that. 

He took out a bowl from the cupboard when he suddenly felt something snake its way around his waist and leg. He was startled for not even a second before he recognized Millie's scent. He felt her hands wrapped around him while her tail was around his leg. He smiled once he realized it was her.

"You're up early this morning," she said to him, planting a kiss on his shoulder.

"Good morning. I don't think it's too early. It was 8:45 when I woke up." Moxxie continued to grab the utensils he would need.

"Yeah, it's around 9:05 now. Whatcha making?" 

"Well, I didn't necessarily have anything in particular in mind just yet. Is there anything specific you would like? This is your place, after all," he continued while waiting for an answer.

"Well..." She started. Suddenly, Moxxie felt her hands slither their way into his boxers. He immediately became flustered at her movements as she slowly rubbed his inner thighs, moving closer to his lower regions.

"I'm in the mood for you if that counts~" Moxxie silenced a moan when he felt her delicately wrap her fingers around him. He was facing the opposite direction, but he could just imagine the look on her face. That sly little smirk she made when she knew she was doing something to provoke him, her eyes watching in delight as he withered away at her touch. He turned his head slightly to see her. Yep, that's the look she had, and she was still naked from last night. And she had that look in her eyes that told him just how badly she wanted him at the moment.

"Still naked from last night's match?" he asked, trying to control himself. 

"What? You don't like seeing me naked?~" she teased. She already knew the answer to that. 

"I mean...I'm not complaining…" he became more flustered as she started to move her hand up and down, provoking him more. She was already satisfied just from seeing the look on his face. He was trying so hard to keep his composure.

"Come on, Mox. I'm in the mood for something hot and sexy this morning. Don't act like you're not into this.~"

"Don't you think it's a little early for this, M-Mills?"

"You never complained any other morning this week about it being too early. Come on, Moxxie. I know you want to, too. You just couldn't get enough of me bouncing up and down that cock all night long last night. I know how much me riding you turns you on." She continued to stroke him, but only faster this time. 

"Please, Moxxie. I want you really badly." She started to mimic the way she would moan in bed, whining his name and all. It was all in good, horny fun. Both of them initiated like this from time to time to spice things up. Moxxie liked playing "hard to get" occasionally to watch her get like this. 

Admittedly, they shared a very active and passionate sex life. Since living together, their libidos have increased off the charts. It had only been a week, but they could have sworn that they had more sex in that week than they had the entire month. Before this, if they wanted to get intimate, they would have to go to Millie's apartment to have some privacy. They couldn't exactly get it on at Blitzo's place on the air mattress. That was just a complete disaster waiting to happen. They were wild before, but moving in together definitely made the two feel hornier. They started doing it before work, after work, during their showers, before bed, anytime and anywhere, you name it. Whenever they saw the opportunity, you can bet that one of them was initiating something. Was that overkill? Possibly. However, Millie's neighbors would simply have to adjust to their new white noise because they weren't going to stop. 

His brain was cloudy, trying to fight for rational thinking, but one thing was clear to Moxxie. Millie was undoubtedly just as attracted to him as he was to her. He grabbed her hand that was working on him to stop her, and he smirked. Swiftly, he turned them around. Millie's back was now to the counter while his hands held her hips in place. She looked at him, a bit shocked by his quickness. 

"Well then..." He moved her long, messy hair away from the side of her neck, his smirk spreading wider across his face.

"Who would I be to deny you pleasure?~" 

Just as swiftly, he aimed for her neck and collarbone, nibbling and sucking the exposed skin that was out for him. Millie's moans were loud and uncontainable. She tangled her fingers into his hair as he continued to work. She started to rub her exposed crotch against his clothed one, feeling the swelling that was contained by his boxers. She was becoming impatient, wanting him to take her right there. She didn't care if he would turn her around and pound her on the kitchen counter. She just wanted him and to feel close to him. 

He noticed her efforts for stimulation and allowed his left hand to travel to her opening. She moaned out his name in ecstasy as his fingers began to get to work on the outside of her, feeling that she was already wet with burning desperation for him, all of him. She tried her best to grind herself against his hand, whimpering when he stopped.

"As kinky as it would be to do this right here, our condoms are in the bedroom, so how about we make our way back there while we still can?" He held his fingers motionlessly there, teasing her as he waited for a response. She threw her hand back into his bottoms and started working on stimulating him again, to his surprise.

"I'd much rather feed the part of me that has a breeding fantasy by risking it...but I reckon you're right." He was pulled closer to her by his shirt, their lips almost touching, and a smug look was sewn on her face. "First one to make it to the bed gets to top,~" she whispered. And with that, they were off, practically tripping over each other as they competed for domination.

 

---

 

The bed sounded like it could give out any second, but they didn't care. The sounds of Millie's mattress springs and headboard making a racket wouldn't bother them. In fact, it was a huge turn-on for them. The thought that they were fucking so animalistic and wildly to the point that the bed could break added to the pleasure and gratification they felt. The bangs on the ceilings, floors, and walls from others living in surrounding units were drowned out by the sounds of the bed, moaning, growling, and panting. The atmosphere in the room felt hot and muggy, as if they were submerged in pure humidity, and the air smelled of sex and their scents combined. 

They could feel the exhaustion taking over them. Currently, Millie was vigorously riding on top of Moxxie in reverse cowgirl while he was sitting up, biting and sucking the skin on her neck and the back of her shoulders once again. His hands were tightly gripped around her hips, guiding her to grind against him. They turned the best they could to look each other in the eyes, one of their favorite habits when being intimate. Their lips met each other, and they moaned uncontrollably as they could feel themselves getting closer to climax. 

Millie turned herself around so they could make better eye contact and rest their foreheads against each other as they continued. They wrapped their arms against each other's shoulders as a sloppy make-out session ensued. Within mere minutes, they both finished and were too tired to go again. Moxxie let his back fall onto the mattress while Millie flopped on the side of him, climbing off of his lap. After recovering, they snuggled up to each other while they continued to catch their breath. Their bodies were sticky, and their hair was damp. Millie's long hair was wild and crazy, and Moxxie's was somewhat messy, as Millie's fingers locked themselves in and out repetitively. 

"You know, we've done this so many times since we started dating, and yet, every single time, I am amazed by you over and over again."

Millie chuckled at his words while she continued to relax. 

"W-well...what can I say? I guess it's easy when all you have to do to get me going is exist, you cute, adorable, sexy little imp you." She booped his nose with her finger and rubbed her cheek against him as a sign of affection. They giggled as he wrapped both his arms around his girlfriend. Their tails found one another as he let out a soft sigh.

"Oh, Millie...you never cease to amaze me. In more ways than one. You drive me crazy, in the best way, of course, ~" 

"Yeah, I think that's evident to the entire apartment complex now, Mox. But, same. You always really rile me up~"

Moxxie looked at the digital clock on Millie's nightstand. The time displayed was 10:34 A.M. 

"Did we really have sex for almost two hours?!" he exclaimed. The more comfortable they became with each other, the crazier they felt their intimate life had become. Several rounds were not unusual for them, but Moxxie never believed that their sexcapades ever lasted that long before. Had their stamina increased, or did they just get more out of hand than they believed? Millie questioned him with a hum as she looked over at the clock herself.

"Oh......well, that sounds about right when you think about it, I guess. I mean, we tend to take our time with foreplay, so it's not that nutty if you consider that." She was correct. They did take their foreplay very seriously, maybe a bit too seriously this morning, but neither of them would complain. Moxxie sat up and stretched his back out first, taking the condom off of himself before tying it off and throwing it in the trash can on the side of Millie's bed. 

"As much as I would love to stay and cuddle with you here all day, honey, I believe a shower is in order for the two of us after all of that." He smiled at her and climbed off the bed.

"You're probably right. I love ya, hun, but I don't know if going out tonight while we smell like you know what is the best idea." She agreed as she stretched as well. 

"And as much as I don't want to, we should probably take separate showers so we can actually get stuff done today." She finished with a giggle.

Moxxie smiled in agreement as he volunteered to go first. Tonight, the two were going out with friends. Moxxie would be meeting with some friends of his he made after escaping prison, while Millie would be visiting some of her friends for the night. They were slightly anxious about being separated from each other for the evening, but they knew they'd come back home to each other at the end of the night. It would be a good time for both of them. They spent the rest of the day just hanging out at the apartment before it was time for them to go their separate ways for the night, not without agreeing to let the other know when they were heading home and when they got home safely.

 

---

 

"And then I said to him, "Hey, asshole, you're the one paying me for these costumes!" The absolute boldness of these people, gentleman! I'll tell you, absolutely ridiculous!" Steve harped to his friends. 

Moxxie laughed along with his friends at the story Steve was explaining to them. The four of them were big fans of the theatre and performing arts, a similarity that knotted their friendship. Moxxie met Randall at a music shop he visited on the outskirts of Imp City months after he escaped prison with Blitz. The two quickly became friends, and he was introduced to Oliver and Steve, two of Randall's close friends. It didn't take him long to be included in activities that they would engage in. Most of the time, they did nights like these where they would meet up to just talk about nothing in particular. These three were the first true friends Moxxie made after he escaped Greed, and they always gave him a sense of belonging when they would get together.

They continued to speak about a range of topics, including current life affairs, theatre, music, and much more into the night. Moxxie couldn't help but smile at the thought of his father absolutely seething with rage if he knew the life he was living. A job that he loved, friends, a girlfriend. A beautiful, talented, intelligent, lovely, wonderful girlfriend...

These were all things that Moxxie never would have believed he would have had almost 6 years ago. He lived a life of loneliness at the family mansion in Greed, rarely meeting a kind soul or seeing genuine smiles. He longed for companionship, for friends,...for love. He never thought he would get to experience being in love. Since he was in his mid-teens, he would secretly conceal one of his guilty pleasures from Crimson as best as he could. Romance novels. He indulged himself in reading about those fiery, burning feelings of intimacy to be shared with someone. To have such a deep, vulnerable connection with one person, body, mind, and soul. He dreamed of one day being able to share that kind of intimacy with someone. He craved it. 

He was much older now than he was when he was in a relationship with Chaz, but now he couldn't truly tell you if there was ever "love" in the relationship or only lust resulting from sexual frustration built up. With Millie, he believed their relationship to have the perfect combination of love and lust, just like in those novels he would read long ago. The lust he felt for her entirety coexisted with the profound love he had for her as well. He could go on and on about what he loved about that Warthian woman, from her talent in her craft, her lively personality, her dedication to others, her strength, her laugh, her smile, her intelligence, her creativity, her motivation, her passion for the things she loved, her caring heart.....her mind...

All of her.

Inside and out.

Mentally, emotionally, and physically. 

He could write a book about a billion and a trillion things that he loved and admired about Millie. 

He even loved the flaws she had. Like how she would sometimes forget to wipe the water off of the floor once she showered. Or how she would leave her makeup on the counter without putting it away. Or how she was slightly less organized with her clothes and weapons. Even if they would get on his nerves sometimes, Moxxie adored her quirks because they made her Millie. They were a part of her. He wouldn't change a single damn thing about her. She was the sun, the moon, and the stars in his galaxy, the glue that held his world together. 

Recently, he had found himself constantly fantasizing about what a life lived with Millie would be like. He imagined waking up next to her every day for the rest of his life, planning and having a wedding with her, building a home together, continuing to thrive in their careers together, maybe even having a family with her and having children with her one day. Moxxie didn't dislike children. He always felt rather warm towards them, which he always assumed stemmed from the cruel treatment he received as a child. That was another reason he had always felt hellbent on remaining child-free, but then he met Millie. He enjoyed the idea of them having kids someday and her being the mother to his children. They hadn't talked about it yet, but in Moxxie's mind, he believed it to be a possibility. He wanted to experience everything life has to offer with Millie. He wants to be with her forever, for as long as time exists. He was unsure if he was simply infatuated with her because they had been together for a short amount of time. They still had so much to learn about each other, but something in his gut told him that Millie was special, and he was unsure how to bring it up to her. 

"So, you ready to talk?" Moxxie was sitting in the same spot as he looked across the table to where Randall had just sat down again. It was later in the night, and Steve and Oliver retired home before it got too late. Moxxie had asked Randall before he headed over if he could get his advice about something he had on his mind. Randall was always a good friend to Moxxie, and Moxxie knew he could trust Randall's secrecy and words of wisdom.

"Oh! uh, yes. Thanks again. I know I come to you often for guidance on...things."

"Don't worry about it! You know that I'm always willing to help you out, Mox. So, what's weighing in on you?"

Moxxie thought for a few seconds before answering, trying to form his sentence before verbalizing it. 

"Well, as you know, Millie and I have been together for six months now...It will be seven months in a week and a half..." He paused to think about his next words.

"...And...honestly, Randall, I'm so in love with her that it hurts. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. I would do anything for her. I would kill for her. I would die for her. I don't want to imagine my life without her in it. And I've never felt this way about anyone else before, but....I... I've only ever had one other relationship before Millie. So....how do I know what I'm feeling is real? How do I trust what I'm feeling for her? I just...I don't know what to think or do..."

The silence in the room filled the air after Moxxie stopped talking. The only background noises were the noises of the city life happening outside those brick walls surrounding them.

"Moxxie..." Randall started as Moxxie looked up at him to make eye contact.

"There is no doubt in my mind that your feelings for Mildred are real. I've seen the ways that you treat her, speak to her, and talk about her. Vice versa, I have also seen how she treats you, and let me tell you, she is just as in love from what I can tell..."

Randall doesn't know Millie exponentially well, but he knows a bit about her from what Moxxie has told him. He's met her a few times, and he always believed her to be a lovely girl. Anyone with working eyes could see that she is deeply smitten with Moxxie. Randall could tell just by her body language the first time Moxxie introduced her to his mates. The same could be said about Moxxie. Randall knew bits and pieces of his past, but Moxxie had confided in him about his ex-relationship. He and their other friends could see the hearts in Moxxie's eyes whenever he looked at her or just heard her voice or whenever he spoke of her. It was as if they were watching the blossoms of love bloom right in front of them. 

"If I may ask, Moxxie, you say that you're madly in love with her, yes? Tell me, what is it that you love about her?"

Moxxie contemplated for a moment. How could he possibly list all the things he loved about Millie? How could he sum all those things up?

"Where do I even begin? Millie... She's my reason to keep going. She's my inspiration to do well, to create music, to be the best sniper that I can be..." Moxxie smiled as he began to think about that special melee wielder in his life. A small blush grew across his cheeks.

"She's... she's on my mind all the time. I love her personality, her smile, her laugh, her mind, her heart, and everything that comes along with her... She's loyal and trustworthy, and I can always count on her for anything. She's a great friend as well. She's very compassionate and caring for those that she loves, like her friends and family, and I love that about her. She's determined and dedicated to anything and everything that she does...And... she's brave and courageous. She's always willing to take a chance..."

A smile made its way across Randall's face now as he listened to Moxxie's thoughts. He knew just by listening to him what the answer was to Moxxie's questions, but he would allow him to finish speaking before he said anything. 

"I don't know, Randall... I'm not sure how to explain it. There are so many things that I love about her, but I just love her. As In her entire being...I want her to be the first and last thing that I see before waking up and going to bed forever. I want to be there for her whenever she needs or wants to talk to someone. I want to be someone she can trust...I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I want her to be able to understand and see the love that I have for her... I'm not sure how I should go about that. I've already written her several songs that she loves, but after a while, I feel like the message isn't strong enough anymore..."

The room was taken over by silence once more as Moxxie waited for his companion to respond.

"...Marry her." Moxxie looked up to see the smile on Randall's face.

"Excuse me?"

"Marry her... That's your answer. That's what I think your next step is with this relationship." 

"Look, Moxxie. In my opinion, you are obviously deeply in love with her. Your feelings towards her are stronger than most feelings that demons will experience in their entire lives. I have a strong hunch that Mildred feels the same. What you just described to me was what I would call "true love." Wanting to be committed to her, dedicated to her, to protect her, to give her your loyalty and trust, to give your heart and soul to her, to give your life and your love to her, there is no better phrase to use for this. Would you agree that sums it up well enough?"

"......Yes..."

"Then I believe you have your solution... You're an intelligent man, Moxxie. Something tells me that you knew what you wanted to hear all along. That you knew what the right answer was."

Moxxie looked down into his glass once more, staring at his reflection in the liquid, thinking.

Marriage? 

Was that it? 

Husband and wife. Till death do them part. 

It was certainly a possibility. Moxxie had never given marriage much thought, most likely because he never thought it was an option for him...But Millie...Being married to her...Being her husband...Her life partner...

The idea alone gave him intense butterflies in his stomach. 

"...Randall, she's my best friend but at the same time my lover...I want it to stay that way for...forever. I can't lie. I've had this lingering feeling in my gut for a few months now that... she's..the demon for me. The one and only that owns the key to my heart."

"Then I believe it's settled then...Mox, trust me when I say this. The heart knows what it wants. Your heart will tell you when something is meant to be...And your heart is telling you that it wants Mildred. Listen to your heart, Moxxie. It'll tell you what the right decision is, but I think that you've already made up your mind on what needs to be done here."

Moxxie's ears perked up at that......

Follow your heart. It knows what it wants....It will never steer you wrong.

He chuckled a bit at that thought. "Sorry, it's just...my mother said the same thing to me when I was very young...before she died."

"Well, Moxxie, your mother was a very bright woman..."

The two smiled at each other. Moxxie couldn't be more grateful to have a friend like this, someone he could confide in and someone who could give him trustworthy, fatherly advice. All his life he desperately wanted someone who he could go to for this type of life advice. He couldn't be more thankful to finally have that someone for him. 

"...Thank you, Randall."

Marriage, huh? 

Being a husband?

Mr. & Mrs.? 

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed so...

Right.

It may be time to have a conversation about the future. 

All Moxxie knew was that he wanted to be by Millie's side forever. 

Hopefully, she would feel the same.

 

Notes:

This is an old work.

I always imagined that Moxxie knew pretty quickly that he was deeply in love with Millie and wanted to marry her one day. I could also see him being a little lost in his feelings. After living the life he lived in the Greed Ring and dating Chaz, I could see him constantly second-guessing if his feelings were real or valid.

So, part 2 shouldn't be too far behind. It's finished, but I want to double-check it for any errors. I will be pretty busy in the next couple of days, so I'm not sure when it'll get published, but it will be soon.

Until next time!

Chapter 8: The Answer (Part 2)

Summary:

The 2nd part of "The Answer"

Millie talks about the progression of her and Moxxie's relationship with three of her close friends. Millie and Moxxie have a talk about their future together.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Some slight sexual innuendo here and there. Nothing major.

The apartment was filled with the laughter of four demons sitting on the sectional couch. More alcohol was poured into some of their glasses as they continued to chatter through more stories about this and that and everything they had been holding in. 

"You want some more, Mills?" Millie's friend, Kazi, asked.

"I appreciate it, Kai, but no thanks. I don't wanna deal with a hangover tomorrow." 

Millie was having a girl's night with her friends, Kazi, Roley, and Onyx. Millie knew Roley as they used to work at the same assassination firm together before Millie was fired and went to work for I.M.P. Roley introduced Kazi and Millie to each other once she and Millie started to become closer to help her make more friends in the Pride Ring. Millie and Onyx had been childhood friends, and when Onyx moved from the Wrath Ring to the Pride Ring for work as Millie had, she invited her to join their gang of girls. The four of them got along incredibly and always enjoyed each other's presence.

"OH? And why is that? I thought that you had Sundays off, missy?" Onyx teased her. Millie just playfully rolled her eyes, seeing the smirk on her dear friend's face.

"WELL, actually I do! But Mox and I have plans tomorrow, so a hangover will NOT be welcomed." The second she ended that sentence, the others chimed in exaggeratedly, saying, "Oohs" and "Ahhs." She already knew this was coming. Girl talk included talk about their partners, and they all knew that Millie had moved Moxxie in with her. It was only a matter of time before someone brought it up.

"Yeah, plans to break the bed, maybe~" Onyx teased again while Millie laughed and gave her a friendly shove to the arm.

"OH! Hush, you!" she exclaimed.

"Come on, Mills. You know, and we know it's true!" This time, it was Kazi who decided to join in on the teasing. 

Millie just diverted her eyes to look away from them with a shy grin, her mind thinking back to her and Moxxie's activities from that morning.

"Weeeellllll...that may be a pre or post game plan, but no, we are not going to spend the entire day fucking.......maybe~" Cue more "Oohs" & "Aahs" and a few whistling noises from Roley, the quietest of the four of them. Millie tried to compose herself after laughing hard at her friends. Gosh, did she love them.

"Let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if we got it all out of our system throughout the week. My poor apartment has been defiled. No room was safe. My bed would probably grow legs and beg Heaven to let him in if it could." She giggled a bit at her description. She and her girlfriend's commonly gossiped about their sexual experiences, of course, protecting sensitive details that belonged to their partners to themselves. Moxxie knew, and he didn't mind, but Millie took it upon herself to keep intimate details that she believed were too personal to share between the two of them. 

"Well? Don't hold out on us. Give us the details!"

"Yeah, girl! Spill the tea!" 

Millie's feelings toward Moxxie were obvious to all three of them. Sometimes, they would tease her, reminding her about their co-worker rivalry that took place before they became attracted to each other. But it was evident that she was in love with him, and the three demons she called her friends were so happy that Millie found this kind of love. Especially, Onyx.

Onyx had been there for Millie through thick and thin, and she knew the kind of luck Millie had with men before she met Moxxie. Millie could always count on Onyx to share her feelings with. They were a safe space for each other, someone that the other could go talk to without fearing judgment. Actually, Onyx caught onto Millie's crush she had on Moxxie before Millie even knew herself. She thought Moxxie was a good guy, albeit a little awkward at first, but she liked him. She was just excited for Millie that she met a good guy.

"All right. Calm y'all selves. I'll spill... It's been great! We love living together. And before y'all decide to say anything, NO! Not just because of the great sex!" She pointed her finger at all of them, knowing someone would make a joke if she didn't clarify. They all laughed and smirked at that before she continued. 

"It's just...we were great before, but I think things have gotten better since last weekend. It has only been a week, but we're able to be together more often. We get to wake up next to each other, fall asleep next to each other, and don't even get me started on his cooking skills! Everything he makes is sooo good." 

"I thought you already knew he was a good cook before he moved in?" 

"Well, I did, but I feel that I like it even better now because I get to watch him in action. OH! AND on top of ALL of that, he and I have started to work on this new little project of ours where we are mounting our weapons on the walls! Y'all should come by and take a look next time! It's awesome!" 

The three sat and listened, sharing knowing glances as Millie carried on, reporting every little fine detail of her new adventure.

Before she arrived, they asked each other if they had heard much about this past week from her, eager to hear about how her new arrangement with this man she so clearly loved had been going. Onyx told Kazi and Roley that she suspected Millie and Moxxie were getting serious.

She knew Millie from all the way back when they were in diapers, and never, not even with her past two exes, did she ever see Millie love anyone as much as she loved Moxxie. She could tell by her verbal and nonverbal language. You could hear the love she had for that thespian imp in her voice. Millie always told them whenever Moxxie did something sweet for her, never failing to bring a smile to Onyx's face. However, she was also aware of how this relationship had put a bit of a strain on some of Millie's other relationships.

"So, yeah. Anyways, to sum it up, girls, it's been absolutely wonderful! Sorry, I kinda got carried away." She still had a blush on her face while she smiled and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"Don't be sorry, Mills. I think it's fantastic that you two found each other. And the love y'all have is so romantic." Kazi added in.

"...So, not that I want to ruin the mood, Millie Billie...but I gotta ask. How did your ma and pa take the news?" Onyx asked carefully.

Joe and Lin were nice folks. Hell, they even let Onyx live with them for a while when her parents separated years ago, even though they had five children of their own with little room at the ranch. Their families were good friends, explaining the closeness she and Millie shared. That being said, they were very...overprotective of Millie.

They both had their own ideas about why, but Onyx knew how much it hurt Millie when they disapproved of her relationship with Moxxie.

They didn't think he was good enough for her. They believed him to be "too sensitive" and "not strong enough" for their precious, deadly little girl. Once the trip to Wrath was over, after she introduced them to Moxxie, Millie called Onyx and cried. She was very upset about their objection to their relationship and the comments they targeted at her Moxxie. She felt offended and devastated, angered by their dissatisfaction with the man that she loved, who she picked. Did they think she was incapable of picking a good man? Is that really how they thought of her? Moxxie told her it was ok, and their remarks did not pierce him, but she could tell he was lying to protect her feelings when she looked into his eyes. 

Millie gave them a look of uncertainty at this question, and she looked down, playing with a long piece of hair resting on her cheek.

"Uhhh...w-well...you see... that's uh something that's a bit...complicated. I, uh. I never exactly told them that he was moving in." She struggled to get that out.

She seriously did NOT want her parents to know about her new roommate. She knew damn well that she would be reprimanded and criticized for that decision. Millie was an adult. A grown adult at that. It wasn't like she was 18, for Satan's sake. She was 25 years old, more than old enough to make these decisions. But she also knew better than to disclose certain pieces of information to her parents.

"Wait- so...they have no clue?" Roley asked as they all stared at her wide-eyed.

"N-Nope...nobody knows. Not even my sister..." 

Millie felt guilty for keeping Sallie in the dark about this. They were sisters, but they were also best friends. They told each other everything, but Millie didn't want to take the chance that her parents would somehow discover her new arrangement. 

"Millie, I love you, but you know how this will play out if they find out, right?" Onyx even knew that Millie's family would go after Moxxie faster than a hellhound on a lamb's leg if they found out. He might as well be considered a dead man right then and there.

"...Yeah, I know. But you know what? I am old enough to make these choices on my own, and I love Moxxie. And that's just something they're gonna have to learn to live with because he's not going anywhere! I just want to enjoy my relationship without having to hear them criticizing me or the person I love! I don't need their approval to do anything!" She proclaimed, annoyance bubbling up at her core, thinking about how her family thinks of her darling boyfriend.

"Hold on! So...you two...you two have talked about it?" Kazi interjected.

"Talked about what?"

"Talked about getting THAT serious?"

Millie realized what she was referring to and blushed at it. She previously confided in her friends about her desires for her and Moxxie's future together. 

She wanted to marry him one day. 

She didn't know when, but she knew that she wanted to. 

On her 25th birthday, she knew that she wanted to be with Moxxie forever, and that hadn't been too long ago.

Though, she had yet to bring the subject up with him. They had only been dating for almost seven months. She didn't want to scare him off by seeming like she was rushing their relationship.

This was something she knew she wanted. She loved Moxxie with every nerve in her body, and she wanted to be his wife one day. Was that day anytime soon? She wasn't sure. She didn't know when the right time would be to discuss it with him.

"...We... haven't talked about it yet, but I really want to. I just can't think of the right time. I mean, we've only been dating for about seven months in a few days. I don't want to pressure our relationship." They sat in silence for a few seconds, unsure of what to say next.

"Millie, you're one of my best friends. So, trust me when I say I don't think you have anything to worry about. I sense that your feelings about you and Mox are greatly reciprocated." Onyx took her friend's hand, and Millie smiled as her friend reassured her. They hugged each other, and it wasn't too long before their lighthearted chatter picked up again.

Oh boy, did Millie love her friends. 

She didn't know what she would do without them.

 

---

 

Another month passed. Moxxie and Millie's relationship continued to grow strong, and their living arrangement remained delightful -- occasionally being intruded on by Blitzo, but nothing out of the ordinary.

They thought about their separate conversations with their friends from several weeks ago. It was a waiting game with the universe to see who would initiate this conversation first. 

Then, one Friday night after work, the two were cuddled up in bed after another passionate night of lovemaking to add to the books. Nothing crazy or intense. Just the two of them spending time together, enjoying a night of emotional intimacy and connection. The gentle nature of their session motivated Moxxie to speak with her about the topic of conversation that had been on his mind since his discussion with Randall. Millie had her head lying on his chest, listening to the thumping of his heart beating away like a soft drum in her ear. He rubbed her back up and down as he picked the perfect words to say. He wanted to have this conversation correctly.

"Millie, honey?"

"Mhm?" Her tail found his, and she intertwined the two, a signal that he had her attention.

"Can we talk about something? Nothing is wrong. It's just something kinda important."

"Sure, sweetie." She rearranged herself so she was now lying beside him, her head resting on the pillow next to his, eyes staring into each other.

He took her hands into his before he started.

"Millie, I love you. I love you very much. The past eight months have been the best months of my life. Well, technically, I suppose it's been the best year and a little over half of my life. Because that's how long we've known each other." 

Millie smiled at that. Their relationship didn't begin as lovers or even friends. She absolutely wanted to shred this man to pieces like a rotisserie chicken when she first met him, and now here they were, boyfriend and girlfriend, madly in love. Life could be so funny sometimes.

"I've never loved anyone else like I've loved you...and I never will. You're the only demon in all of Hell that I have eyes for, Millie, and I never want to imagine life without you..." He brought his hands to her face and took her cheeks in his hands.

"...I don't want to live the rest of my life without you. I don't want a single day to pass without you by my side." 

Millie stared deeper into his eyes, absorbing his words into her mind. Her eyes grew wider as she comprehended his declaration of love to her. 

"What are ya trying to say, Mox?" 

Her voice was sweet and soft. Moxxie was always mesmerized by it. She spoke with such enthusiasm, and despite being demonic, there was always some hint of innocence in her words, almost as if some virginal or angelic being had gifted their vocal abilities to her—his demonic angel.

"...Millie... I'm sorry. I'm not really sure how else to say this. I...I want to marry you one day. I've been thinking about this for a while now, but I wanted your opinion to see if it was something that you would want to do. How would you feel about that? Being married?"

Time stopped, but not negatively. It was as if there was no one else in the world but the two of them. No humans, no demons, no angels, nothing. Just Moxxie and Millie. 

Millie was at a loss for words. She didn't know what she could say to express herself. 

She leaned in and connected their lips. 

No matter how many times the two kissed, the state of euphoria never died. Every kiss was just as exciting if not more so, than the last, leaving them feeling as if their hearts exploded and they were drunk on bliss. They surrendered to the need to take a breath, separating themselves from each other. The heavy blush on their faces was enough to convince anyone who would deny it that their love was real.

"Does that answer your question?" Millie spoke up.

"I-I think so." 

"Well, in case it doesn't..." It was her turn to place her hands on his cheeks this time.

"Moxxie, marrying you would be the greatest honor I could ever have." 

They kissed again, this time more fiery.

"I love you, Moxxie~" 

"I love you too, Millie~"

"So, you mention this, so I have to ask. Are you thinking of a specific timeline? Like getting married in a year? Two years?"

"Uhm, I'm not sure. Honestly, I wanted to wait for your answer before I went that far."

They laughed simultaneously, snuggling closer to each other. Millie started purring against Moxxie's chest again as he delicately stroked her horns. 

These were some of their favorite moments. Just being together regardless of whether they were doing anything or not. 

"Wait, Mox. Did we technically just get engaged?" 

"...I suppose we did. Would you like a formal engagement? I can plan one for you. You know, for the memories." He didn't think about that. He wanted to give her a proper engagement in the future. He just didn't expect his question to spoil that.

"No..." She cuddled up more against him. "I like these memories that we're making now. That's one of the things I love the most about us as a couple. We don't need to do anything crazy or fancy to be happy. We just need to have each other, and that's all." 

Moxxie just smiled in contentment, snuggling further into her embrace. 

Satan, he loved this woman so much. He could not wait to marry her and become her husband.

The rest of the night was spent with the two spooning each other and discussing wedding-related topics.

When did they want this to happen? 

Where would they be? 

Who would they invite?

How big would it be?

It wasn't as if it was happening immediately, but they couldn't help themselves. 

The excitement of being married to each other got the best of them.

This was a new journey they would take together. 

They would look back on this night for years to come. 

It wasn't a huge, elaborate engagement, but it was theirs, and that's all that mattered to them. 

Their love meant more than a flashy scene to show off. 

Moxxie, of course, would be criticized for this, but Millie didn't care. Those people could suck it. 

All that mattered to them was that they were together, happy, and in love.

Love was always their answer.

Love is what would keep them going forever and ever until their final breaths.

True love in Hell was hard to come by, and Moxxie and Millie both knew that they were some of the luckiest imps to be alive to find love like theirs in such a brutal place.

True, authentic love.

 

Notes:

Hi guys!

I wanted to release this chapter immediately after part 1, but I hated the way I wrote the ending.

I was re-reading everything because it had been a bit since I wrote this, but I found that the ending was pretty...weak.

Idk. I just wasn't a fan of how it was finished.

So, I took a few days to think of a better version of the ending, and I wasn't able to come up with much.

I'm going to publish what I have, and if I ever come up with a stronger ending, I suppose I'll edit it.

I know this may be a sillier one, but I theorize that Moxxie may struggle with having his feelings validated due to his upbringing and everything he suffered through when he was young.

In this work, he knows he's in love with Millie and wants to be with her forever, but are his feelings reasonable? That's what I wanted people to get from part 1. He knows what he wants, but he is unsure if he can trust his judgments. He asks Randall for his opinion to validate that his feelings aren't blinding him to what's real and what's not.

But anyway, thanks for reading as always!

I will be posting the next chapter sometime tomorrow!

Chapter 9: Let's Play A Game (Part 1)

Summary:

M&M started to become close friends recently, not long after Millie joined I.M.P.

Blitz is convinced that they have crushes on each other.

Moxxie denies it.

Notes:

Good morning everyone!

Or, I suppose, good afternoon or evening, depending on what time it is for you😊

This is something small and pretty new that I wrote up back in May. I just thought the idea was cute!

Before you begin, I want to say quickly that I apologize if my writing organization keeps changing. I am testing out which style I like the best.

That is all. Enjoy!

Warnings:
- Some slight sexual innuendo. Nothing major.

"OOOHH YEAH! EAT THAT SHIT MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!" 

Blitzo yelled as he threw open the office door to I.M.P. Another mission down, another success, and another dollar given to I.M.P. 

"Sir, I reciprocate your excitement, but may I remind you this door could fall off the henges at any second...and that we don't currently have the funds to replace or fix it." Moxxie tried his best to hide his annoyed tone of voice as he had been reminding Blitz about this for a while now.

"Ohh, don't get your tiny red nuts into a twist, Moxxie! Just try to be relaxed for one day. It won't kill ya." 

Moxxie rolled his eyes as he stepped into the office. He wasn't quite used to Blitzo's unprofessional comments yet, but as the days passed by, he started to see that that was just Blitzo's way of trying to avoid tension or joking around. 

"Hey, don't forget about me!"

Moxxie turned around to see Millie just getting to the door of the office. Blitz had put her in charge of parking the van as he and Moxxie headed up. Moxxie smiled at her as he held the door open for her to get in. 

"I could never. What kind of comrade would I be if shut the door in your face?" Moxxie joked. 

"Well, I dunno! But it kinda looked like you were going to do it anyway, Mox! Don't forget that I spared your life, so really think about that next time you wanna shut the door on me, mister." The pair laughed as Millie let down her hair to re-tye her ponytail. 

Blitz discretely watched the interaction between his two employees making sure to pay attention to their body language and all. For a while, he had a suspicion that one of them had a...thing for the other. Though, he couldn't put his finger on which one it was. He continued to observe as he went to the weapon's storage to put away what he had taken for their mission. 

Moxxie, acting like his usual self. Nothing different. Just talking and...

He smirked as his eyes shifted to Millie. 

She talked back to Mox just as she typically did, carrying on the conversation, but she also displayed the classic characteristics Blitz would see in women who would do what he suspected she was trying to do.

Playing with her hair.

Smiling and laughing at Moxxie's words.

Placing a hand on one of her hips.

Making eye contact.

Playfully swaying her tail.

He knew it!

He didn't know if Moxxie knew it -- he most likely didn't if Blitz had to make an educated guess-- but oh, Blitz knew.

"Well, I better get going! I need to run some errands before headin' home. Blitz you alright with me taking off?" Millie asked.

"No problemo, Mills! Great work this week!" Blitzo approved her request, secretly wanting some time by himself with Moxxie to tease the little guy about his speculations.

"Alrighty then, boys! I'll see y'all tomorrow night!" She headed over to the office coat rack and grabbed her purse and weapon bag. 

As she headed towards the door, she put her hand on Moxxie's shoulder.

"And you there, Knolastname. We still on for tomorrow at 2:00?" 

She smirked at him as Moxxie did back. This flagged Blitz's attention faster than whiplash. His eyes grew to the size of Satan's asscheeks. There was no chance in Hell that he was witnessing what he thought he was. 

"Absolutely! I'll text you when I head over."

"You got it! Bye, guys!"

With that, Millie exited their office, and Moxxie headed over to the empty receptionist's desk. Blitz continued to stand still, eyes still wide as he tried to comprehend what he just witnessed. 

Moxxie and Millie had become rather friendly and buddy-buddy lately, but they never seemed THAT close. Was Blitz having a stroke of some kind? Did he just wake up from some kind of amnesia? Memory loss? Anything of the sort?

"Sir, I'm going to begin shutting everything down for the weekend."

Moxxie started going through the weekend checklist for the office, making sure everything would be set up as it should be for their return on Monday morning. 

Blitz decided to take the opportunity to poke around.

"Well, well, well, Mox! Look at you go! I didn't know there was anything happening between the two of you~" He wrapped his arm around Moxxie's shoulder as Moxxie was in the middle of shutting down their office computer.

Moxxie was caught off guard by his boss's actions and looked up at him with a confused expression.

"Uhm, what are you talking about, sir?"

"Oh, come on now! Don't play dumb with me, Mox. I can smell sexual tension from yards away, and I can tell that you and Mills have cum bucket loads of it!"

Moxxie's face switched from a confused to a shocked look in mere seconds.

"WHAT?! You think Mildred and I are...sleeping together?!" He asked, whispering the last part. 

"Now, there's no need to be embarrassed there, Moxxie! Hey, I don't blame you 'cause damn, she's a hottie, but I'm just so hurt that you wouldn't tell me this." He put on a fake sad face as he continued to watch Moxxie become even more flustered, to his amusement.

"SIR! I think you've got the completely wrong idea about our relationship!"

"Why? What are you two swinging or something 'cause I don't judge, Mox."

"NO! SIR!" Moxxie started but then took a deep breath, calming himself down before he explained. "Sir, what I mean is, she and I are not romantically involved in any way, shape, or form. We are simply friends. That's all."

"Yeah, sorry, Mox, but you two aren't fooling anyone with a set of eyes in their skull. Not with the way she was flirting with you just now." 

"She wasn't flirting, sir."

"Moxxie, in what ring of Hell was she NOT flirting with you, you little baby dick?" Either Blitz was truly going crazy, or Moxxie was just extremely blind to a woman's ways of seduction. Moxxie, unamused with the insult, just went back to his task of shutting down their systems for the weekend.

"I think you are reading too much into it, sir. She wasn't flirting with me. She was just being friendly. I know she hasn't been with us for long, but that's just Mildred's personality."

Ok, so Moxxie being oblivious of her advances, it is then.

"Oh yeah? Well, why the fuck was she inviting you over to her apartment tomorrow before we all go out to the bar? Why else would she be inviting you over if it wasn't for an hours-long bang sesh between the two of you?" 

"Well, if you must know, sir. We have become close friends within the past few weeks, and sometimes we like to socialize together outside of work as friends do."

"Well, no offense, Mox, you're a really smart guy, but by Satan, you are one socially dumb fucker, you know that?"

"SIR!" 

Blitzo just headed to his office to start getting his stuff together before they left for his apartment. He knew for a fact that Millie had a crush on Moxxie. It was so fucking obvious to him. Moxxie was so smart. How could he not see it? Maybe he was gay? Blitz had suspected that for a while since Moxxie refused to share any details of his sex life with him. Whatever the circumstances were, he refused to believe he was wrong. He'd get Moxxie to see it. One way or another. 

The two finished up their duties, and Blitz turned off the main light and locked the office door behind him as Moxxie waited outside.

"Ok, Mox, you ready to head back?"

"Yes, sir."

The two headed out of the building and climbed into the I.M.P. van. Blitz drove onto the main road back to his place as the two sat in silence.

"...You know. I bet she's a real freak in the sheets." Blitz said, smirking and targeting his smug look towards Moxxie, who was now uncomfortable again.

"Can we please not talk about this anymore, sir?"

 

---

 

Moxxie rolled over to his side as he began to feel the grips of consciousness take over. He took a few minutes to stretch and sit up, taking note of the dim rays of sun that started to pour through Blitz's blinds. He checked his phone. 

9:12 A.M.

Later than he usually woke up on the weekends, but he wouldn't complain about waking up later. It was still fairly early. Blitzo still snored away on the couch, mumbling something about horses and glitter. No sign of Loona either, presumably still in her room. Blitz had allowed her to stay home from work yesterday with the complaint of "painful menstrual cramps," in Blitz's words, making her angrier than the King of Wrath.

Moxxie slowly got up and headed toward the bathroom. He took a quick shower and went through his morning routine before sending Millie a quick text. He didn't want to send it too early in respect of her possibly still sleeping.

'Hey, I'm planning on heading over at around 1:40. Is that a good time for you?' 

He had just finished dressing himself before he got a ping on his phone. Looking down, he saw a reply from Millie.

'Yeah, that's good with me! See you then! :)'

It was settled then. He headed out of the bathroom, planning to cook something for breakfast. No doubt Blitz would be waking up soon. Even if he and Loona didn't exactly get along, he wouldn't mind making her something as well if she truly wasn't feeling well. 

He couldn't help but think about  Blitzo's comments from yesterday.

Mildred? Having a crush on him? How ridiculous was that? 

Sure, they had grown closer as of late, but it was because they conquered their differences and discovered that they were quite similar, contrary to what they originally believed.

Mildred was a great girl and a good friend, but that's all she was. 

A good friend.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

And that's how it would always be.

Notes:

Ok, guys. Sooooooo....

I spontaneously decided to change this chapter up a bit. I wrote way more than what you guys just read, but I decided on a new plan instead of releasing it all at once.

So, I'm going to write out more chapters and an ending for this piece.

The more I thought about it, the more I thought it would be fun. As I was editing this, I kept getting ideas.

Part 2 is basically the second half of this and is already complete. After I check everything, it will be released tomorrow.

I am not sure about the rest, but we shall see!

That is everything for now!

Chapter 10: Let's Play A Game (Part 2)

Summary:

Moxxie tells Millie about his and Blitzo's conversation from yesterday.

Millie comes up with a plan.

Notes:

Good morning, guys!

I just want y'all to know that this chapter is very conversational. I tried to make it obvious when Millie vs Moxxie was speaking but I want to apologize for any confusion beforehand.

Enjoy!

"Howdy! Come on in!"

Millie excitedly greeted Moxxie as he arrived at her apartment.

"Thanks for inviting me again! I hope I'm not overwhelming you by coming over so often."

"Pfft! Nonsense! You're welcome over any time you want!" She replied, locking the door behind him.

"You can go ahead and have a seat on the couch if you want! I just need to put some of my laundry to dry."

Moxxie took a seat on Millie's couch, setting his bag down on the floor. Her couch was a bit worn down after years and years of being used by her family on the farm. It wasn't dirty or gross, just well-used.

Every time Moxxie came to her apartment, he couldn't help but feel intrigued by the piece of furniture.

It might have been strange to be so interested in a couch, but it was more than that.

The wear and tear that could be visibly seen on it was symbolic to him.

A family used the couch, presumably for a long while, making great memories on it to become so worn down over time.

It was a very different contrast to the couches that occupied the rooms of the mansion he grew up in.

As a child, he was never allowed to jump on couch cushions, create pillow forts, take naps, or have any fun memories involving those couches. His father only allowed people to sit on them for business only. The couches were only meant to sit on for short periods of time and were more so meant for show.

He could appreciate the couch that Millie's family had passed down to her, along with the reminders of what happy, exciting memories she and her siblings may have created with it as children.

"Alright, I'm here. I know I say this every time you come over, but sorry about the sofa. It's pretty old."

She always apologized whenever he came over about her pieces of furniture, but he never minded. He knew Millie wasn't rich, but he believed the hand-me-down furniture to be worth so much more than the elegant ones that his father had in their mansion just for the sake of showing off wealth.

"You know I don't mind. It's really comfortable." Moxxie responded, running his hand over the soft fabric.

"Yeah, It's kinda gotten abused throughout the years by my siblings and me, but I guess that's fluffed the cushions up a bit."

She sat down on the opposite end to join him.

"Speaking of comfortable, you still doing ok at boss's place? I know you said last time we talked that things were a bit stressful."

Moxxie tried to pick out his words before speaking. He felt a little guilty about talking about Blitzo behind his back. After all, he helped him escape the Greed Ring, but it wasn't exactly easy to live with him and Loona.

"...It'ssss...uhm..certainly an experience." He tried to be as polite as possible about his answer.

"I'll take that as a 'yes, it's still awkward' answer." Millie giggled as Moxxie smiled at her joke.

"Well, I think you know this already, but it's not Blitz himself that's the issue. I mean, sure, he can get invasive at times, and I don't really have any privacy whatsoever...In his defense, that wasn't exactly something that I was used to before moving in with him anyway. And Loona is just...Loona."

"Heh, yeah, you don't have to say much more about that for me to get what you mean. I can just about imagine what you have to go through with her....Can I be real with you about something, Mox?"

"Of course. I'm all ears."

"...I hate living alone. My entire life, I've always had someone around. I always had to share a room. But now, it's quiet and...lonely. It just feels awkward to me...I enjoyed the space to myself at first and the independence that came along with it, but now it just doesn't feel as fun anymore. Just...sad."

Moxxie felt for her. When he was still in the mafia, he would daydream of a day when he could finally be liberated. He could have his own place, not always have eyes on him, have friends, do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, not have to sneak around whenever he was doing something he knew would get his ass lit on fire, and peacefully live a normal life like everyone else. 

Millie had once confided in him that she moved to the Pride Ring to find better work opportunities than what she could find in Wrath, but that, of course, came with its own set of complications.

She knew no one here, and for the first time in her life, she was by herself, physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

He could only assume how alone and isolated she must have felt at times. Moxxie could tell by her personality that she was not someone who would fancy enjoying her own company. She was no doubt what most would refer to as an "extrovert."

In a sense, Moxxie could relate to how she described her feelings. Even if he tried, he could never forget the loneliness he felt for years living with his father, and he deeply sympathized with Millie because of that. 

They were two different demons who lived two separate lives and lived through different experiences. Yet, they both endured the same feelings on account of different circumstances. 

"Do you have any siblings, Mox?"

"No. I was an only child in my family. I didn't even have cousins. I grew up without any other kids around."

"Well, what about when you went to school?"

"Oh, I was homeschooled. I...I didn't have any friends growing up.."

'Well, that was awkward,' He thought to himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories." Millie commented after seeing a melancholy look on his face.

"No, no. It's ok. I was just kind of realizing something. You're the first real friend I think I've made...ever. Well, actually, second to Blitz."

They chuckled at his comment.

"Well, let me just say that I am honored to be one of your first friends. Really. Because you are a real nice guy, Mox."

A smile grew on Moxxie's face with that compliment, as well as a light blush on his cheeks.

"With that being said, it is also an honor to be friends with you as well, Mildred. I haven't known you for very long, but I can tell that you are a great girl."

"Come on now. I was serious before. You can call me Millie. There's no need to be all formal," she teased.

"...Very well then. Millie, it is...And, if it would help at all, maybe you could come to sleep at Blitz's apartment to escape the quiet that you dislike."

"Hehe...well, you know what? If you ever want to escape for a night, my couch is always open. We each get something out of it." He could tell that she perked up by the playful movements of her tail.

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, I'm not so sure if spending the night is a good idea. That might not go over so well with Blitz."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

For a moment, Moxxie contemplated if he should lie or tell her about their conversation from yesterday afternoon. 

"Well...I wouldn't tell him that I'm telling you this, but yesterday, when you left the office, he confronted me. He thinks we are secretly together."

"Like...we're dating or something?"

"Yes. If I recall correctly, what he actually said was that he could "sense sexual tension" between us."

Moxxie and Millie stared at each other blankly for a moment before they both busted out into laughter at Moxxie's explanation.

Anytime they stopped, they would start up the second they looked at each other again. Tears came out of both of their eyes from how hard they were laughing.

"Oh gosh, Mox. I'm sorry. That's hilarious." Millie let out as she was able to speak.

"I know. I tried to tell him it wasn't like that and he didn't believe me. He still doesn't. You want to hear what he said to me before I came here?"

"Tell me!"

"He told me to make sure that I remember to "wrap it up."" He used air quotes for his last words.

With that, Millie was unable to hold herself back any longer. Another intense laughing fit took hold of her. Moxxie joined in when she started to snort from how hard she was letting it out. They laughed for a good while before they calmed down, drying their tears once more.

"Oh, Mox...Look, I like ya, but not like that. It's funny cause I can practically hear him in my head saying it." Millie continued to let out small giggles as she spoke.

"I agree, but he is really convinced. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts asking weird questions at the bar tonight."

They sat in silence as their laughter finally came to a full stop.

Millie smirked as an idea popped into her head.

"...You know what we should do?" Moxxie looked up at Millie, noticing the devilish expression on her face.

"...We should start screwing with him."

Moxxie's eyes went wide at her sentence, and she gave him a confused look in return. That was until her eyes also went wide at the realization of what she just said. An embarrassed look replaced her face of shock.

"Oh...my bad. Wrong choice of words...I mean, we should start messing with his head. If he's so convinced we got something going on between the two of us, then why not have some fun with it?"

It was a splendid idea. Moxxie actually thought it was clever. And it was a way to potentially have more fun at work. But the cons were still something to consider.

"That does sound fun, indeed, but wouldn't that be...unprofessional?"

"Mox, it's Blitz. I love the guy, but since when has his behavior ever been professional?"

".......Touche. Well then, how shall this game of ours go?" Moxxie inquired, now liking the idea of this the more he thought about it.

"Hmmmm...maybe we could start small? Like little "touches" here and there. Then we could escalate it like starting to flirt and stuff like that?"

"If that's the case, then you may have to play the act of the main pursuer. My flirting skills are not the best."

Moxxie hated to admit it, but he did not view himself as the best flirt. When he was with Chaz, he was the one always being flirted with, hardly the other way around.

"I can do that~ But you are interested in acting and plays and such. Maybe you can whip up some of your skills for the act."

"I'll definitely try." 

For the rest of the afternoon, they went back and forth between discussing their plans for their new little game and other topics that had been occupying their lives. 

When it was time, they headed to the bar together to meet Blitzo, hardly being able to contain their excitement and devious smiles.

Oh, this was going to be fun for the two...

 

Notes:

Well, this should be interesting...

It's not like they're going to really end up falling for each other in the end. That would be unheard of...🤭🥴

As y'all can probably guess by now, I have A LOT of M&M headcanons. But one of my favorites is the idea that these two developed a good friendship, and fell in love without them even realizing it.

That's what I had in mind when I wrote this fic.

So, as I said yesterday, this is all I have written for this fic so far. I am just now deciding to write more. That being said, I am not sure if I will post completed fics as y'all wait for the rest of this one, but I suppose we are on this journey together!

I don't want this one to drag out too much. I'm thinking maybe around 3-4 more chapters.

I have a chapter already written on how Millie tells Moxxie she's got feelings for him, so that will be one of the last chapters of this new spontaneous mini-fic.

I will keep y'all updated as best as I can!

Until next time, have a lovely day!

Chapter 11: Milestones

Summary:

M&M experience an exciting milestone late at night.

Notes:

Hey guys! I'm going through some of the shorter works that I did over the summer, so you can expect maybe 2 more works coming out either tonight or tomorrow.

There are no warnings for this fic, so enjoy! :)

The night was warm and breezy.

The loud sounds of surrounding cities filled the air, along with the buzzing and chittering of Hell's nocturnal insects that took refuge in any nook and cranny they could fit themselves into.

Surprisingly, Hell's nighttimes held peace for many, contrary to popular belief that torture and madness befell the underworld every second.

It was a night just as any other for two imps that slumbered snugly in their comfortable bed sheets.

Moxxie was particularly cozy in the small nest he created for himself in his sleep, draped in their duvet cover and swaddled in the new sheets they had secured earlier that week. They had also recently invested in a new plush mattress that was much, much better than the mattress they had when they first married years ago.

In his sleep, he started to feel himself slowly waking and becoming alert to noise along with movement on the mattress. 

"....Mox!....Moxxie honey!..."

Millie was whispering with an excited tone, trying to gently shake him awake. 

The second he became aware of this, he woke up quickly, anxious that something was wrong.

He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to help himself wake up more.

"W- Millie, what's wrong? Is everything ok?" She could hear the worry in his voice and felt guilty for waking him like this, realizing she wasn't as delicate as she thought.

She took one of his hands and guided it to a high section of her stomach, placing it so his palm rested in a specific spot. Moxxie, more confused now rather than panicked, was about to ask her if she was alright again but was caught off guard by a pushing sensation on his hand.

He looked down to where his hand was resting and felt it several times again. The realization hit him like a bullet, and he looked up at Millie with stars in his eyes.

Her gaze stayed glued to his hand on her stomach, and a wide smile was painted on her face. "...He's kicking!" She whispered once more.

Moxxie and Millie were expecting their first child. Millie had just made it to 20 weeks a few days prior, and based on the anatomy scan that they had earlier that day, it was revealed that their child was male. 

A boy.

A son.

Their son.

Their child, who they wanted for so long, was finally beginning to show more signs of life while still in his mother's womb, making the reality extra real for the expecting parents.

"...When did he start?" Moxxie whispered to his wife.

"Just a few minutes ago. I woke up for some reason and felt him moving around, and then I felt him kick...I'm sorry I woke you up, sweetie. I didn't mean to scare ya. I just got excited."

"You don't need to apologize, honey. I'm glad that we get to experience this milestone together. I was just worried that something was wrong."

She placed her hand over his as they cuddled closer together, continuing to feel the kicking sensation on Millie's bump. Moxxie cloaked her and her bump with his tail, purring as he rubbed her side with the spade of his tail.

Moxxie had become increasingly protective over Millie since they discovered that she was pregnant. It was demonic nature for males to consistently safeguard female demons carrying their offspring. 

Despite unsolicited comments and opinions from others, Millie thought it was the cutest thing to watch him ready himself to be a protective father, even though their child hadn't even been born yet. 

It was their new normal for Moxxie and Millie to fall asleep with Moxxie holding Millie in his arms and his tail guarding her growing bump. Millie had told him in her earlier months that he didn't have to be on edge quite yet, considering their son was as safe as he could be inside his mother, but Moxxie couldn't deny his instincts...Literally. 

The few times he tried to relax, he found himself becoming more defensive than a pathological liar being put on trial and confronted. Millie didn't mind. She was happy her child had such a loving and caring father like Moxxie. 

The two snuggled together, with Moxxie's tail continuing to act as a shield to Millie and their son and Millie's tail lovingly wrapped around his. Soon, the two drifted off to sleep once more, and they felt their son begin to settle down. 

They couldn't wait to meet their deadly little guy. 

Chapter 12: Rumors

Summary:

Moxxie defends Millie from past rumors.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Sexual Innuendo

Enraged.

That was the perfect emotion to describe him at the moment. 

Mad, anger, frustration, none of those terms were strong enough for him. 

There was always one habit that Moxxie partook in whenever he would feel himself becoming increasingly upset. 

He sat at the small desk table in the room furiously yet carefully, cleaning his hand pistols, using all his strength to try to calm down. 

It had been hours, and he was still clenching his jaw, and his brow was still furrowed. He was positive that if he looked in the mirror, he would be several shades of a darker red and maybe even have fire coming out of his ears. 

Out of the blue, he felt hands creep up his shoulders, and that familiar scent filled the room. With one inhale of it, he found himself more relaxed than he had been a few seconds ago. 

His shoulders started to get massaged, and he purred back in return, his tail being found by the owner of another.

"...Do you know what's so funny to me? After seven years of being married, you and I still haven't learned how to camouflage our feelings better."

Moxxie smiled and turned his head to face her. "Isn't that a good thing? That we can tell when each other isn't feeling like ourselves?" 

"It is. I'm just messin' with ya." Millie smiled lovingly back. 

Moxxie turned his attention back to his guns, hoping that she wouldn't bring up the situation from this afternoon.

"Blitz told me everything...Moxxie, honey, you don't have to pretend like you're not upset." She tried her best to approach the subject as delicately as possible. 

She didn't want Moxxie to think that she was annoyed with him because she wasn't, but she wanted them to talk about what happened earlier that day. He turned around in the chair to face her. The look in his eyes told her that he felt immense guilt for what he had done even though he wasn't at fault.

"...Millie...I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have done that. It was unacceptable of me. This was supposed to be your day...and I couldn't put that over my own emotions."

"It was supposed to be your day, too, Mox. You have nothing to apologize for. I'm not crossed with you, hun." One of her hands went and ran her fingers through his hair, the other resting on her extended stomach. 

She was 35 weeks pregnant. Since this was her and Moxxie's first child, her friends and family offered to throw a baby shower for them. Both of them requested that they hold it in the Wrath Ring on Millie's family's property since it would be the last time they would get to travel to see her folks and other friends in the ring before the baby arrived. Everything was wonderful. Everyone had a great time, and Millie got to see everyone important to her from Wrath. Moxxie's friends were also invited, so he had a great time as well. They were both so grateful for all the love and support their friends and family gave them in the wake of this new family member they would be welcoming in a matter of weeks. It was a happy time for them, especially since they tried for years to have a baby. It was a celebration the two never thought they would see. 

Then, the issue arrived with a shipment of hay. Joe and Lin would get their hay for the farm from some old friends of theirs. These friends also happened to have a son who was the same age as Millie. The two went to high school together, but they weren't friends or acquaintances even. Millie never told her parents so as not to cause any issues, but their son was a close friend of an ex-boyfriend she had. The same ex-boyfriend who always tried to get into her pants and planted the seed of several self-esteem insecurities that she carried around for years.

Once the shower had ended, Millie retired to the guest bedroom where she and Moxxie would be staying for the night to take a quick nap, her tiredness being courtesy of pregnancy, when he arrived with that week's shipment. Everyone inside had been helping to pack up what was left of the party, and while Moxxie, Blitz, and Lin had been putting the gifts they received in the back of Blitz's van so they wouldn't have to worry about loading it the next day, Joe had brought the guy over to say hello to Lin. They introduced him to Blitz and Moxxie, excitedly mentioning the fact that Millie and Moxxie were expecting a little one in a few weeks. 

Moxxie, even though he tried not to show it, was not pleased in the slightest. He recognized the name of this imp in front of him from the stories Millie had told him long ago. Joe and Lin, to no fault of their own, were oblivious to Moxxie's attitude towards this man. The fool's mistake was not leaving when he had the chance. Lin asked Joe to help her carry several heavier gifts from the house to the van, leaving Moxxie and Blitz alone with this old family friend. He was friendly enough at first. Asking about the business and how long Moxxie and Mildred had been married, and then the conversation took an uncomfortable turn.

He brought up how she was in high school. Wild, fun, a "scary chick with a good heart," as he put it, Moxxie gritting his teeth and biting his tongue, trying to be polite. Then he brought up the infamous ex-boyfriend, except "shockingly" enough, his story was a bit different from the one Millie had told him. In his retelling of the events, the asshole ex had told him and their other friends that he and Millie were wilder than a hell hog on steroids in the sheets, with Millie even bringing other men into their activities.

Obviously, Moxxie knew he was lying. He knew Millie better than he knew himself, and even though it was no secret to him that she liked to experiment a lot in bed, bringing in other people was not something she was ever interested in. In her words to him, she knew she would be "too jealous" to share her partners with anyone else, especially Moxxie. But the man didn't get the hint at Moxxie's tail restraining itself from whooping his ass on the spot, but Blitz noticed. He knew from his past teasings of Moxxie when the guy was about to break, and he saw the desire to snap written all over him. Blitz, trying to defend his friends and lift the mood, mentioned how that story had to be an exaggeration, as he tried for years to have a three-way with M&M, and both of them always refused. The last sentence from the other imp was all Moxxie remembered before he unleashed the pent-up Wrathian side of him. 

"Well, there's always other options for her. Mildred has always been a wild one, I'll tell ya that. From what I remember of her, I might advise ya to look into gettin' a paternity test there "father-to-be." Ya know what they say. Mama's baby, daddies maybe."

The rest of what happened was a blur to Moxxie, but from what he recalled, he punched the guy square in the face, making his nose bleed, letting out a yelp of pain followed by several profanities. He remembers saying something to him about not "disrespecting his wife," but nothing much after that. Just thinking about it all over again infuriated him. Who did this man think he was? Who in all of Hell told him that he was allowed to talk about his wife and child like that in such a vulgar manner? Millie planted her hands on the sides of his face, making him look up at her. Her thumbs caressed his freckled cheeks. 

"Do you wanna know one of the things that I love most about you? One of your characteristics that I fall in love with time and time again? It's your loyalty to the ones you love. You've always defended me when need be, Mox. Same thing goes for everyone else who's important to you. And you do it without hesitation, even when you know it might affect how others see you...Our son is the luckiest little boy in Hell to have a father like you to model that behavior for him. To show him that the ones you love are worth fighting for."

As if on queue, a strong kick came from the large bump between them. As much as Millie adored feeling her baby moving inside of her, she could already tell that he was going to be a ruthless fighter. She always had bruising on her stomach from how hard the baby would kick, and it only got stronger the farther along she would be. The early pregnancy days of his kicks feeling like little bumps and tickles were long gone. 

"See. He agrees with me already." She joked. She and Moxxie chuckled at her jest, and he placed his forehead against her bump, beginning to purr again. 

"I love you. Both of you. You're the two most important people in my life, and I promise that I will always defend and protect you both, no matter what." He said, their tales tightening their grip around each other. 

"...Moxxie. You know that everything he said wasn't true, right? They were all just rumors spread from my cockfucking ex and his group of asshole friends." She said, continuing to stroke his hair and remaining horn. 

"I know, my love. I know it's not true. I know that's not the kind of person that you are. It's just...hearing him say those things about you made me snap. I understand if your parents are angry with me."

Joe and Lin had gained respect for Moxxie over the years, particularly after Millie suffered a horrendous back injury years ago, and they watched Moxxie care for her in her recovery. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous if this whole thing had erased any approval that they had for him. 

"Actually, they are really impressed. They aren't here at the moment, I have a feeling that they're going hunt the fucker down, but my pa told me to tell you that he's proud." 

Moxxie's smile widened upon hearing that. He stood up and embraced her in a tight hug before Millie initiated a quick kiss. 

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" 

"Ya just did a minute ago."

"Well, how about I show you instead~"

"As much as I would love to, hun, and trust me, I really want to, I am exhausted as fuck. Maybe when we get home?"

"That's perfect for me." 

The two got ready for bed and climbed in, getting settled for the night. 

"Ya know, it's probably for the best that we don't do anything tonight. I always forget how much noise this bed makes. And we do not want a repeat situation of that one Sinsgiving..." Millie said as she tried to get comfortable.

"Oh, crumbs. I feel like every time I begin to forget about that, I end up remembering it all over again. And I don't think your parents want to have to explain another version of the birds and the bees to your brother again."

"Yeah, honestly, I would prefer for my family to not know about pregnant sex at all if that's alright with ya."

"It is more than alright with me."

Millie giggled at that and scooted closer to Moxxie. She found that in the late stages of pregnancy, moving in bed was difficult. Even though she was only 35 weeks, her bump was on the larger side, commonly scaring her about how big her baby would be when the time came to give birth. Moxxie always helped her to get more comfortable, though. He would help her move to get the comfy position just right. He wrapped his arms and tail around her, as he did every night, before placing a kiss on her forehead. 

On the day they got married, he promised to be loyal to and protect her, and he would do everything in his power to see it through, even if it meant punching more people in the face.

This was his family, and he would put himself and his image at risk any second of the day for them.

Notes:

This was a little short and sweet one that I've been itching to post!

There are several more fics with this unborn impling, but I'm trying not to post them all at once😅

Anywho, I want to warn you all before you head on to the next chapter....

It is a smut chapter. As in full-on capital S. M. U. T.

I apologize if this is too TMI, but it is in the tags, so I might as well fess up now. I have many pieces like that between these two. I find it to be my most creative pieces OK😭🥲

That being said, you have all been warned, but I will still add another warning at the beginning of the next chapter just in case that kind of writing is not your thing.

See y'all tomorrow!

Chapter 13: Wet Dreams

Summary:

Some morning ✨spicy time✨ with M&M...

Notes:

Good morning, everyone!

I hope you're all having a good day!

And if you aren't, let me offer you some smut to make it better!

Warnings:
- Extremely graphic sexual content!!!

Happy reading!

Moxxie felt himself going in and out of consciousness. He began to wake from a dream when a painful tightness he felt between his legs started to rouse him more out of his snooze. Okay, it was nothing he hadn't experienced before. Annoying but normal. He turned to his side to see his girlfriend, Millie, fast and sound asleep. A small smile rose from his lips. 

They had been dating for three months now, and like most young couples deeply in love, they led a vigorous sex life. They had been very physically intimate with each other from the beginning of their relationship, tugging, kissing, touching, petting, and overall very handsy. However, it wasn't until their relationship reached the 1-month mark that they completely gave in to each other.

It had been a night of a full moon, so their boss, Blitzo, had been occupied with a certain…duty that a specific owl prince called him to fulfill. This left his two top assassins to their own devices.

Knowing they would be alone, they went out on their own adventures after work. They went on a small date and then spent the rest of the night in Millie's apartment, where Moxxie played the newest songs he had written for her on his guitar. The rest of that night was spent in Millie's bed, unleashing their demonic, lustful desires for one another that had been growing and bottled up. Their animalistic roars, growls, moans, grunts, and cries of fulfillment had carried on late into the night. It was so late that they both slept in until the following afternoon. That was the first time they had intercourse with each other, and since then, they would fuck whenever the opportunity presented itself.

With this newfound deep love they felt for the other, erotic images and scenes would creep their way into Moxxie's head when he was asleep. He had been having these dreams of Millie for a long while now, dating back prior to their relationship. They weren't much of an issue for him. These were visualizations that he had been seeing in his sleep since he started to grow closer to adulthood; however, they were more of an irritation to him at the moment rather than a pleasant thought. 

Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw images from his recent dream or remembered moments from their previous night's activities. As much as he loved Millie's beauty and sexiness, it certainly was inconvenient at the moment. Each minute that passed became more and more uncomfortable. He tried his best not to toss and turn so he wouldn't wake Millie, but that was proving to be a challenge.

He had tried every trick in the book to fall back asleep, and not a single one worked. At this point, the fabric of his underwear and pants had become his enemy, with every small movement sending a volt of pain and pleasure through his veins. He made a slow turn to his side before he heard Millie start to groan and stir. He faced her and could tell she was on the brink of sleep and wakefulness.

He now felt bad. His goal was to not wake her up, and here she was, coming out of sleep because of him. She yawned but didn't even open her eyes when she spoke to him tiredly.

"Moxxie, hun, are you awake?"

"Yes, honey. I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No, baby. I woke up from a dream Ah' was havin'."

"Ok. I was worried I would wake you. I was having some trouble getting back to sleep. It's a bit too early to be awake right now." He responded while they both found each other's left hand. They interlocked their hands, and Millie moved closer to Moxxie so their foreheads would be touching. They lay in silence for a few seconds before Millie's country accent broke the silence.

"Why can't you fall back asleep, honey? Did you have one of those bad dreams again?"

He searched for an excuse.

"Oh no, nothing like that. I just…. couldn't stay asleep, is all."

"So, yer tellin' me that this has nothin' to do with it?" She said back to him, gently squeezing his obvious erection that had been crying for attention.

Moxxie became wide-eyed, and a small squeak escaped from his throat. How in the seven rings did she find out?! Their gazes met, and Millie had a soft smile on her face.

"I felt it when I moved closer to ya just now."

Moxxie looked away in embarrassment while thinking of a response. 

Millie took her hand and raised his chin to look back at her. "Mox, ya know you don't have to be ashamed, right?"

He smiled softly back at her. He did know. It was just complicated for him sometimes. He wasn't sure of the reason, but he would still become flustered sometimes when Millie would flirt with him or initiate sexual conversation.

"And besides…." Moxxie felt her arms snake around his shoulders, bringing him into a passionate kiss. He reciprocated once he registered what was happening, pulling her in closer and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I just had an overwhelmingly sexy dream about you~" She slipped her hand into his boxers and found her way to his growing heat. Moxxie let out a low, sharp growl as she started to move her hand up and down his shaft slowly. Considering how wet he was, she could tell he had been leaking for a while.

"So how 'bout we finish what our dreams started? I, for one, am feelin’ pretty recharged from gettin’ some sleep since last night~”

Moxxie let out a moan when he felt Millie starting to lightly bite his skin in a teasing manner.

"Y-yeah. I agree with you."

He was trying so hard to pull himself together, and Millie knew it. She always enjoyed breaking down Moxxie's normally composed personality when they were in bed together.

She wasted no time. As their lips joined together in another kiss, she climbed on top of Moxxie and started to grind their crotches together. A wet spot was showing through his pajama pants, and Millie's panties were becoming wetter just from the sight.

Their lips separated, and Millie took it upon herself to remove her oversized t-shirt, leaving her in only her black underwear. Moxxie's eyes locked onto her chest. He always tried his best not to stare when they were getting intimate so as not to make her feel uneasy, but his eyes consistently defied him. He was previously told that it would be impossible for him to be completely enamored with Millie when she had only been his second partner, but Moxxie knew that no other being in Hell could be more stunning than her. Millie was the first woman Moxxie had ever been with, and his suspicions about his bisexuality were confirmed quickly when the two started to get closer to each other.

Nobody could deny that Millie was a beautiful woman, and Moxxie never took her beauty for granted. Her messy long dark hair, her soft red skin with white scars and the occasional mole painting it, her round, firm breasts, her perfect waist that would flourish out to her round hips and ass, and her legs that had the perfect shape that was an extension of her curvy figure. Oh, Lucifer & Lilith, he would never get tired or bored of seeing her. 

To him, she was more alluring and exquisite than any Renaissance mural to be created. DiVinci and Michelangelo should have modeled their paintings in her image. She was the satanic embodiment of Aphrodite in his eyes, personality, and all. Seeing her bare body drove him wild every time. 

His stare followed her, sliding down to get in between his legs. She tugged at the waistband on his pants, slipping them off and discarding them to the floor. They could both see the shadow of his bulge through his boxers.

"Wow, Mox. What was I doin' to you in that dream if it got ya this riled up~" she said, rubbing him through his underwear. 

"No offense, but what makes you think it was a dream where you were in charge?." He smirked down at her, hoping she wouldn't be weirded out by the fact he had been fantasizing about being the dominant one. Millie was more comfortable being dominant and expressive, and Moxxie had gotten more comfortable playing that role. Despite that, it was still tough for him sometimes. 

"Oh really~?......Well then, big guy, how bout' this…." She smirked back and pulled off his boxers, releasing him completely. "I'm gonna start off by making you feel real good, and then you can take over. Sound like a plan, sugar?"

She leaned down and licked him, making him jump and moan at the attention he had been craving. She lightly gripped the base and massaged it as she got to work on licking his veins that were showing through. It was a strange move, but after trying it out one night out of curiosity, she discovered he loved it.

His noises grew louder at her actions, and he loosely gripped a handful of her hair. "Oh fuck, Millie," he let out while watching her work. She took his tip in her mouth and swirled her tongue around it while her other hand found its way to work on herself. Moxxie watched her ass and tail sway in the air, and Millie couldn't help herself but do so as a way of teasing. She knew it was working when she caught him watching the little show she was putting on for him. She knew what he was thinking, probably about their spicy time earlier when she rode him harder than an untamed horse. The little pervert~

They may not have been together for very long, but given the amount of private time the two shared thus far in their relationship, Millie knew what buttons to press to drive Moxxie crazy. She decided to use another one of these tricks, removing him from her mouth with a popping noise. Millie knew that always got him, and from his reaction, it did.

"Sorry, boo. Cain't have ya finishin' on me before you play your part~" She started a loving kiss, and he returned it. Her hands found their way to the sides of his face, and he started to run through her hair while he re-positioned them. He sat them up and grabbed a condom from Millie's bedside drawer before he grabbed a pillow and gave it to her.

Once she realized his idea, she swiftly removed her underwear and placed her hands and elbows resting on the mattress while she had her butt hoisted into the air on her knees. They found out very quickly that doggy style was one of their favorite positions to do. They both thoroughly enjoyed the sensations of Moxxie grappling onto Millie's hips while he thrust. Millie would always feel herself becoming lightheaded at just how deep he could penetrate in this position. She was practically drooling at the thought as she waited to feel Moxxie's hands settle on her ass.

Moxxie slipped the condom on and readied himself behind her. Millie almost moaned out when she felt his hands place themselves on her body and his member make contact with her. "Are you ready, honey?" he asked to confirm. "Yeah, fuck me like a rabid demon, Mox~" She clenched her hands into the pillow, bracing herself.

He slid himself inside of her delicately so he wouldn't accidentally hurt her. As much as the two of them liked to go at it, Moxxie was always cautious because he knew he would be riddled with extreme guilt if he would hurt her. The two of them whimpered in pleasure as he slid himself in before he started moving his hips back and forth. His hands took their normal position of resting on her hips, gripping them to lock himself in that spot.

Once they adjusted, Moxxie started to pick up the pace a bit. Millie quickly became a mess at the sensation. A secret that she kept to herself and Moxxie was that as much as she enjoyed rough, unrestrained sex, she also loved to be treated gently just as much. One of the many reasons she loved Moxxie so much was because of how much respect she could tell he had for her just from how he would treat her when they were intimate, something that her past partners did not do. Wild sex was fun, she wouldn't deny that, but being jackhammered right off the bat wasn't exactly the way to go.

Millie's voice started to rise in volume with each thrust from Moxxie. She buried her face into the pillow she was gripping onto in an attempt to muffle herself. Moxxie noticed her smothered sounds and slithered one of his hands down to her clit, bringing Millie's face back up out of the cushion. Probably a good thing since she was sure her claws were beginning to dig into the fabric.

"Oh fuck, Moxxie! Harder, baby! Harder!" He fastened his pace more at that.

Every sound she made motivated him to keep going, and he wouldn't stop until she was fully satisfied. Call him a simp or whatever you'd like, but he served to please her. Every groan of pleasure she made during their love-making sessions was like a reward to him, feeding his dopamine levels more and more. Her pleasure was his pleasure, and vice versa. Her voice never failed to bewitch him during intimacy like Lilith, the Queen of Hell, or a siren in the sea. 

They continued to share moans of satisfaction as they carried on. Their bodies accumulated sweat and stickiness. The time that passed was irrelevant to them, but Moxxie's hold on her hips hardened, and his thrusts had grown sloppy and brisk, a telling sign that he was approaching his limit. Millie, noticing this, grinned and pulled his head towards him by the ends of his hair. She initiated a heated kiss, neither caring if it was messy, just wanting more physical connection between them. 

The chemistry between them during their acts of love never failed to fuel the flames of their hunger to be close to each other. Still, it was never enough. They ached to diminish the gap between them as much as possible, resulting in scratches, bruises, and bite marks that wouldn't heal for days on end. It was a craving that not even climax could fulfill. Try all they might. They had yet to achieve their insatiable thirst. 

"M-Mox, hold me down, honey~" 

"Are you sure?" Slight concern plagued his voice but did not overshadow his aroused tone.

"Y-yeah. Pin me down to finish, baby," she moaned. 

Moxxie followed her demands, wrapping his arms tightly around her before pushing their bodies both down onto the mattress. It wasn't physically possible to get closer than this unless they would somehow merge together. If they could, they would, and no questions would be asked. Instantly, Millie's noises morphed into eager whines and cries of satisfaction, physically and mentally.

Her mind was growing fuzzy from the overwhelming gratification, as she would call Moxxie's sometimes. She absolutely loved it when Moxxie got like this. She could never resist or deny her excitement. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs the best she could around Moxxie's waist, locking him into her. Based on that one move, he could tell what kink of hers she was fantasizing about. He used his tail to stimulate her before leaning down to mutter something he knew she couldn't withstand hearing. 

"Y-you know, I know what you're thinking about~" He started before whispering one of the dirtiest phrases that his mind could create at that moment. 

That did the trick for both of them. They were pushed over the edge, and their bodies shook from their high. Eventually, once they calmed down, Moxxie rolled off of Millie as she turned over onto her back. They continued to catch their breath as various yells and thuds came from Millie's neighbors above, causing her to giggle. Moxxie smiled a tired smile towards her. Even though they had just woken up, suddenly, he felt exhausted all over again. 

He scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms and tail around her, burying his face into her neck and hair to take in her scent. A smell he would never tire of. She returned the same gesture, already feeling drunk off of his own aroma mixed with the other fragrances of his soap, shampoo, and sex. It was a mixture concocted that made her feel insane. 

After a few minutes, the air in the bedroom thinned to the usual climate, and their breathing evened out back to normal. Millie purred into Moxxie's chest while he ran his fingers through her hair, paying extra attention to the top of her head closer to her horns, just like she enjoyed.

"I have to be honest with you, Mills. The sex we have is always wonderful, but this has to be my favorite part." 

He couldn't see it, but a doting smile spread across her face. 

"You know what? I agree. I could stay like this for hours." 

They were always that couple who took aftercare very seriously. They didn't care about what anyone else would think. It was important to them. To make sure each other felt good and felt loved. A huge misconception about sex: Rough or kinky sex doesn't erase the love. To Moxxie and Millie, pleasure and sexual gratification were important, but they were merely an added bonus to their sexual activities. Their acts always had the perfect ratio of love and lust added together. 

"Maybe we could stay like this for a bit longer? Then we can shower? All I know is that I need to wash my sheets sometime today because, based on how they were treated last night and just now, they need to be freshened up."

"Of course, honey. Anything that you want."

He knew that Blitz would ask a million and one inappropriate questions when he would return to his apartment, but he wouldn't think about that right now. 

He would just focus on himself and the person he loved most in the world. 

Notes:

Well...

If you all will excuse me, I need to go wash my hands with holy water now🥲

Just kidding! I have zero regrets!

That is what I have for you guys today!

I would like to maybe release another chapter later today, but that will depend on how much I have going on. I have something ready for you all, but today and tomorrow, I am pretty busy😅

If not today or tomorrow, it will be Saturday. So, keep your eyes peeled!

I will see you all next time!🙃

Chapter 14: Sinsmas Miracle

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie receive an early Sinsmas gift.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Mentions of infertility/struggles with conception...

Moxxie sat on the couch, cleaning his guns after a long week at work. Since it was the holidays, he decided to clean them now so he wouldn't procrastinate on it. Blitz gave everyone the week off for Sinsmas, which was in four days. Moxxie and Millie wanted to spend as much time together as they could for the holiday. This was going to be a rather extra exciting Sinsmas as well. They finally had a house and on a better side of town at that. It wasn't anything huge, but it was theirs.

It had a kitchen, living room, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms to go along with it. It also had an office they used as a makeshift weapon room. One of the bedrooms was currently a guest room for when Blitz decided he wanted to force his way in for a little impromptu sleepover. The two of them didn't necessarily mind anymore. Blitz may be a little overbearing at times, but he was still one of their best friends. He was more than welcome to stay anytime he wanted -- well, almost anytime.

On top of their new home, Millie's family would be visiting them for Sinsmas this year. Sallie May finally persuaded their folks to visit Millie for a change after talking about how nice their new place was and how their younger brothers would love the Pride Ring. Lin and Joe relented after weeks of convincing. They figured they could give it a shot.

Over the years, Moxxie had grown on them quite a bit. Of course, they still have their woes about him, but after the accident Millie had suffered years back, they saw how well he cared for their daughter, and they couldn't resist respecting him after that. Millie hoped that they would enjoy the Pride Ring, but to be fair, it took a while for the city to grow on her after she first moved there. 

Moxxie's concentration broke when he heard their front door unlock and open. He turned his head towards it to see Millie entering their home, grinning widely, holding a white box. It wasn't unusual for Millie to always be in a good, cheerful mood, but he could have sworn that there was something more to her demeanor. 

"Welcome home, honey! How was your afternoon?"

"Hi, sweetie! It was great!" She responded while setting down her purse and the box on their entryway table.

"It certainly sounds like it! How are Roley, Onyx, and Kazi doing? It's been a while since the three of you had a girl's day."

Millie walked up behind him and peppered the side of his cheek with kisses as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"You're in a really good mood! I mean, you always are, but you seem especially chipper today!" He looked back down at his gun as he started to work again. 

"Moxxie, dear, I have a confession to make...I wasn't out with the girls today." 

Moxxie stopped working and was still for a moment. He turned to look at her, confused and slightly worried.

"....But I thought.....didn't you say this morning that you four were going to be having a girl's day out for Sinsmas?"

"Well, yes...but that's what I told ya so you wouldn't get suspicious of where I was really going."

He was a little perturbed. Where was she that it was such a big secret she didn't feel like she could tell him? Getting last-minute gifts for her family, maybe? If she was getting him a last-minute gift, he wouldn't be offended by that. She returned to where she placed the box, picked it up, and started walking back over to him. She sat on the couch beside him and put the box in her lap. He placed his equipment down on their coffee table and moved to face her. Millie took one of his hands into her while her other cupped his cheek.

"Moxxie, honey, we've been together for a long time. I'm positive that after ten years together, you know this already, but I love you. I love you so much...We've been through a lot together, good and bad. I know I've said this to you many times before, but I'm so lucky to have you as my husband. I wouldn't ever dream of experiencing everything all over again with anyone else by my side." 

He smiled at her, and his tail made its way to hers. Moxxie found himself falling more and more in love with her as the years passed. His heart grew larger and more significant to fit the love he had for her in it. 

"I think it goes without saying, but Moxxie, you're the love of my life. And I couldn't be happier to have you as my husband...That said, this is somewhat of an early Sinsmas present I put together for ya." She let him go and presented the white box to him. It was a medium-sized box and a perfect square. It had no wrapping on it, but Moxxie didn't care. He lifted the top off to see an envelope sitting on top of some tissue paper. Carefully, he opened the envelope to see a set of photos. Moxxie was a bit confused looking at them at first. They all looked to be black-and-white static photos with different angles emphasizing something inside, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was supposed to be. He looked at Millie as he heard sniffling from her. She was still smiling, but tears were running down her face. 

"I'm really sorry. I just feel emotional about everything, and I feel bad about lyin' to ya..." She tried wiping away her tears while he looked back at the pictures. What was he missing?

Finally, he saw it.

A name was featured at the top of all the photographs, along with some personal information. "Mildred Knolastname" was at the top of each and every one of them. Her name, his wife's name, and personal information were in all of these pictures. Moxxie felt a lightbulb go off in his brain. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, but not tears of sadness. He finally removed the tissue paper from the box, and his eyes went wide at the rest of its contents.

Inside was a pack of binkies, a stuffed little Baphomet, and a baby hat. The item that really caught Moxxie's attention was a newborn onesie that read "Here To Raise Hell With Mom & Dad" on the front. Moxxie looked up at Millie with glassy eyes, trying to hold back the water dams, tears still dripping down hers. He always dreamed of this moment since they had gotten married, and yet, he couldn't get the words out.

"......y..y-you are? Really?" He could even hear the emotion in his voice, so he knew she could hear it, too.

"Yeah...I am!" Her voice was still shaky as she continued to cry. She took his hands into hers as they looked into each other's eyes. 

"We're having a baby, Mox! I'm pregnant!"

He couldn't hold it back anymore. He started to cry, large tears running down his freckled cheeks as Millie did the same. He placed the box down on the table beside his guns, and the two embraced in a tight hug, Moxxie being careful not to squeeze her too hard. They stayed like that for a while, holding each other, crying their tears of joy.

They wanted a child for years. Millie specifically desperately wanted a baby for a long while. She had to hold herself back from asking Moxxie to have a baby after only being married for nine months, but deep down, she knew they should wait a little bit longer. It was Moxxie who first approached Millie about children three years after being married. After a few weeks of talking about the specifics, they decided to try with no luck. They didn't panic; it had only been two months, after all. Sometimes it takes a few tries.

Their plans were interrupted when Millie's accident happened. Her doctors informed her that due to the physical hit, along with many years of being injured over and over again, her body likely wouldn't be able to carry a child. She and Moxxie were heartbroken but continued to take a chance to see if it would happen for them naturally once Millie healed completely. 

A year passed...and then two...and then three, and still no pregnancy and no baby. 

They tried every superstition in the book, even some from the human world, to humor themselves. Eventually, after their many failed attempts, they just figured that they would live a child-free life and tried to satisfy their desire for a child with their relationship and other things. They even adopted Christy, their pet cat, and, truly, was their baby. She may have been a cat, but they spoiled her rotten. She got all the toys, scratches, treats, and kisses that she wanted. Their love for her likely stemmed from the fact that neither had a pet before. Millie's parents always told their kids that the farm animals could play the role of pets when they would ask to adopt an animal, and Moxxie would never even dream about having any animals as a child, as Crimson would have never allowed that.

As much as the two of them loved Christy, their hearts still had an implying-shaped hole that they kept struggling to fill.

At some point, they looked at other options. Adoption was on the table for them. However, since they were imps, the process was much more difficult than they believed. They ended up speaking to an adoption agent who was very helpful but advised them that imps were one of the species in Hell that were put through the most struggles when trying to adopt, despite their finances and such. Turns out that even though this was Hell, adoption was still a difficult process. And they could scratch any medical procedures off their list of possibilities. Even though they were more than financially stable, those surgeries and procedures were so expensive. There wasn't even a guarantee that they would be successful. Sadly, their chances of having children were extremely limited, especially with their age playing into things now.

They were both approaching their mid-thirties, which meant that their chances of getting pregnant would start to decline even more in a few years. Millie cried many nights after the realization hit her, apologizing to Moxxie for "not being careful enough" and for "being reckless" for all those years. He assured her that she had nothing to apologize for and that this did not dim the love he had for her, but Millie knew that he wanted to have kids just as much as she did. She spent many days and nights blaming herself, but Moxxie always found a way to make her feel better. They spent the following years continuing to enjoy each other, continuing to go on date nights and such. Moxxie, of course, still continued to spoil her profusely all through those years, and Millie was always grateful that she had such an amazing man to be there with her through the thick and thin events of their struggles.

The first Sinsmas that passed since they started trying to conceive once she healed, Millie started a little tradition of hers. Funnily enough, the humans had their own little version of this, too! An eons-old Wrathian superstition said that if trying to conceive a child, you should take dirt from the plains of Wrath, some obsidian from Wrath's volcanic lava, and a lock of hair from the potential mother and father and place it under your Sinsmas tree on Sinsmas Eve. Supposedly, if you did so, you would have a baby by the next Sinsmas. No one really knew how this old wives' tale came about, but many Wrath native demons swore up and down that it always did the trick.

Understandably, Millie was disappointed every Sinsmas that passed when her own home's legend would fail her, but she persisted. Well, four must be a lucky number for Millie. She was 24 years old when she met Moxxie, the love of her life. Last Sinsmas, she was 33 years old when she placed her little pouch of items under their tree, wishing it would work. Now, at 34, she was pregnant another Sinsmas later. 

It felt strange that they were both considered "older parents," but they didn't care. They had a miracle. A demonic, evil, yet blessed Sinsmas miracle. They were ecstatic and overjoyed. They would have a baby, and that was all that mattered to them at that moment.

Once they finished crying, Moxxie asked her about all the details, and she answered just as enthusiastically. They agreed to keep it a secret for a while, considering they waited so long for this. They wanted to keep it intimately between themselves. They knew they would have to tell Blitz since Millie would have to leave the battlefield for her safety, but that could wait for now. They spent the rest of the day cuddling and talking non-stop about baby things like things to buy, names, whether they thought they would have a boy or a girl, etc. The following days were filled with nothing but smiles and jubilation about their soon-to-be child.

On Sinsmas Eve, they decided to do their tradition of decorating their Sinsmas tree while Moxxie baked them some celebratory cookies. That night, Millie told Moxxie about her little tradition of placing that special pouch under the tree. This time, he joined her. As the soft glow of their tree reflected off of them, Moxxie couldn't help but admire Millie. He loved her to Heaven, Hell, and back, and if everything went smoothly and as it should, by next Sinsmas, they would have a little impling in their arms, filling their hearts with more happiness and love. 

"Merry Sinsmas, Mox," Millie said to him, snuggling close to his body in bed.

"Merry Sinsmas, Millie...and Merry Sinsmas to you too," he said, placing a hand on her stomach. Their quiet moment was interrupted by an audible "Meow!" They looked up to see Christy fly into the room and land on the bed softly, making her way towards them. They both chuckled at this. They had been joking that Christy was the big sister of their child. She would always be their baby, even after their little impling was born.

"And Merry Sinsmas to you too, Christy," Millie said, petting her head and listening to her purrs as she rested between them.

Needless to say, they both received the best Sinsmas gift ever that year.

 

---

 

"How does this look, honey?" Moxxie asked as he finished decorating his side of the Sinsmas tree. Millie was on the other side putting up the last ornament on hers.

"It looks great, hun!" After answering, a loud squeal was heard from Millie's chest, where their baby was wrapped in a chest carrier. They laughed at their child's excitement and noises. 

"I think Tuck likes it too, Mox!" 

Their son Tucker Boone Knolastname entered their lives on August 6th, just four months ago, and only two days before his due date. He was their greatest joy in life, and his presence was the best gift they ever could have imagined. Moxxie gave Millie free rein to pick out his final name since she birthed him, carried him, and handled all the work and pain of the pregnancy. She ended up giving him two names that were more common to humans than demons, which was unusual for Hell. She wanted something with a twang that reminded her of Wrath but something that was meaningful as well.

"Tucker" was perfect for a Wrath imp, meaning "tormentor" or "to cause a ruckus." Of course, Millie loved it! And Moxxie loved it just as much and loved seeing how much his wife loved the name. His middle name, "Boone," had several meanings, but she picked it based on the most meaningful one to her and Moxxie, which was "blessing."

They were demons, but he was their blessing. Their little miracle, as Millie liked to call him. Whatever divine being sent him to them blessed them with their precious baby boy more than they would ever know. They would give him Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, and Earth if it were all possible. They loved him more than anything, and their actions showed that. He was still fairly little, but so far, his features showed off a perfect mix between the two of them. He had Millie's physical features but Moxxie's facial features, freckles and all. 

He was the light of their lives. The nights with a young baby could be difficult, but they wouldn't change their new life for anything, even if it meant getting a little less sleep. The day he was born was the best day of their lives, next to the day they promised their souls to each other. When he came into their world, they felt their lives were whole and complete, and they couldn't wait to watch their baby grow up. 

And they weren't the only ones obsessed with their new little one. Millie's family was over the moon when she announced that she and Moxxie were expecting a baby. Millie was worried that they wouldn't be as excited as she hoped since Tucker wouldn't be the first grandchild or nephew from her and her siblings, but they had an even more blissful reaction than she ever imagined they would. In fact, within just three days after sharing their news, Joe and Lin sent them four boxes full of baby-related gifts. Her siblings were even more excited to have another baby in the family, especially her younger brothers, when they discovered Tucker would be a boy.

Between Millie and Moxxie, Millie's family, and Blitz, Tucker was probably the most spoiled baby in all of Hell. Blitz came over often to "see his two favorite assassins," but they knew that translated to "I really came here to see Tucker." They didn't complain or think at all. They were glad that Tucker was loved by many. They had to start putting a limit on the number of gifts that he could bring Tucker when he visited, though. If not, they would have to set aside a whole room just for presents that came from him. At this point, the nursery was unintentionally horse-themed from the sheer number of equestrian-related paraphernalia.

"M&M! I'M HERE TO SEE MY FAVORITE LITTLE DEVIOUS FOAL!!!"

Speak of the devil himself. 

"Well, Merry Sinsmas Eve to you too, Blitz." Moxxie returned with mild annoyance. He was used to Blitz being a consistent guest at their home, but he still wasn't accustomed to his random drop-ins.

"Now, hey there, Mox, you are the one who personally handed me a guest key. So I don't wanna hear it from you, little sperm squirter." 

"LANGUAGE AROUND TUCKER, BLITZ!!" Moxxie demanded in a quieter tone.

"Geez, Moxxie. It's not like I'm spitting false facts. This little cutie patootie future horsie enthusiast had to come from somewhere, and I know it didn't come from your hoe pegging you." Blitz teased as he made his way over to Millie, or...realistically, Tucker.

"I'm gonna be taking Moxxie's side with this one, B. Tucker might only be four months, but I'd prefer to wait longer to tell him about the birds and the bees." Millie chuckled as she handed her son over to his uncle. Blitz excitedly took him into his arms as Tucker happily screeched out at the sight of his favorite uncle buddy.

"Aww, don't do me like that, Millie Billie. BUT I suppose I can make an exception for you two......AND for my favorwit witlle assassin baby!!"

Millie playfully rolled her eyes at Moxxie on the other side of their old friend. 

"So, is Stolas still planning on coming too, Blitz?" Millie asked.

"Oh yeah! He's just in the middle of one of his fancy shmancey royal bullshhhhhhh......Schtuff meetings." He bit his tongue on the curse word before letting it out. "I just wanted to drop by a little early so I could see my favorite murder family before things got too busy."

"Honestly, it's probably for the best that we're celebrating with you guys today since Millie's family is coming tomorrow," Moxxie stated, watching in happiness, seeing his son grow even more excited at the presence of his boss. 

"Yeah, and why's that?" Blitz replied, partly paying attention.

"Cause that means you'd haveta share Tucker with my family. Trust me, you do NOT want to fight that battle. It's already hard enough between just my parents and siblings."

---

 

It was midnight by now. The only active light in the Knolastname residence was the string lights on the Sinsmas tree that Millie stood in front of, cradling Tucker as he slept peacefully. She stared down at her boy. Her sweet, beautiful boy. As she stared at the lights twinkling slowly on their decoration, she thought about how crazy it was to think that only a year ago, she found out she was pregnant, and now that baby she had hoped and prayed for so many years was here, resting in her arms.

Moxxie found her there admiring their child. His heart melted anytime he saw the two of them together. His two favorite people. He headed up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders, twisting their tails together. 

"I don't believe I ever told you. The first Sinsmas I celebrated...since my mother died was with you."

"Was it?"

"Yes. I remember how loved, happy, and safe I felt being with you. It's actually kind of funny to think about now because I didn't realize at that time that I was in love with you yet. We've always had the best Sinsmases together. I cannot wait to celebrate the rest of them in my life with the two of you." He finished kissing her on the cheek before his attention traveled to his son.

"Mox...Do ya think we got enough presents for him?"

"Honey, I think we have more than enough. Especially with that large pile that Blitz and the Prince delivered to us, and I'm positive that your family will be bringing many more tomorrow." He laughed.

"I just don't want him to feel like we don't love him enough. It's his first Sinsmas, after all."

"Cara mia, something tells me that despite the fact that he's a baby, he knows just how much we love him."

She knew he was right. Millie never thought of herself as a mother who would be "over the top," so to say, but no matter how much she did, she still always felt a twinge of mom guilt that she may not be doing enough. 

"Come on. Let's get you two to bed. It's getting late."

 

---

 

Millie settled Tucker into his bassinet in their room. She lovingly caressed his head, listening to his light cooing and snoring. She took them in with her life anytime she heard his sounds, wanting to ingrain them in her brain forever. She would miss that when he would grow out of it. She slid under the covers after Moxxie and turned to face him, their tails finding each other's again. She felt herself dozing off before Moxxie's voice interrupted the process.

"Merry Sinsmas, Millie," he whispered.

"Merry Sinsmas, Mox," she replied.

Silence fell upon them again, apart from the settled purring produced by Christy at the edge of their bed.

Millie was about to doze off once again but was awoken by the urge to say something else. Something important to say.

"...Moxxie?"

"Mhm?"

He was caught off guard by a warm, soft kiss pressing against his lips. He opened his eyes slightly in surprise before reciprocating it back to his wife. Obviously, with a new baby, they didn't have much time together to just be husband and wife. It was these small moments they shared that they still told each other, whether verbally or nonverbally, "I'm here. And I love you."

"I love you~" Millie told him as she broke off their connection and cuddled into him.

"I love you, too~" Moxxie responded as he held her tightly in his embrace.

It was a special Sinsmas to remember.

Notes:

Hey guys!

It's been a few days, huh?

I want to update y'all on some small details real quick.

So, I'm a college student, and my new semester actually began Monday (aka, why I haven't updated since last week😅). This is my senior year, and I am in the process of writing an undergraduate thesis because I am a member of the honors program affiliated with my degree.

Therefore, updates will sadly be a bit slower than usual.

Now, that being said, I would like to make a little pinky promise to you all.

I want to assure those of you who enjoy these that this fic will NOT be abandoned because I am very dedicated to it. So it may seem like a longer wait, but I promise you all that I will try my best to update at LEAST once a month.

Realistically, I would like to update every week, but that will highly depend on my workload, as I am also extremely dedicated to my academics.

With that out of the way, I just want to let you all know I have many things coming for this project. I am still working on the rest of 'Let's Play A Game,' and I am editing the rest of my old fics, so those shouldn't take too long to be released.

I believe that is all for now.

Until next time, I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Thank y'all for reading, and see y'all next time!😊✌️

Chapter 15: Fairytales

Summary:

Moxxie's mother tells her son a fairytale before bed.

Notes:

No warnings for this one!

Enjoy!

Children love fairytales. That was no secret to anyone. 

Not to humans.

Not to angels.

Not to demons.

It was fun and exciting to imagine realities where nothing went wrong, where you would always be loved by someone, and where the story always had a happy ending.

That's what Moxxie loved about fairytales. 

The happily ever afters were always why he loved to hear his mother read to him at night as he was laid down to sleep. 

She was never short of fairytales, but her son's absolute favorites were her stories native to her homeland and his homeland, the Wrath Ring. 

She had told her little boy so many tales every night before he went to bed that she eventually started to make up her own because she had run out. The result was never different. Moxxie always loved any story his mother fed him, but he, like most other children, had a favorite. 

Yes, it was tiring sometimes to tell the same story over and over, but how could she resist indulging her baby?

Her husband was less than pleased to learn that she was telling their child these stories, but she persisted. After all, he was only a pre-schooler, and a five-year-old wanting to hear bedtime stories wasn't unheard of.

Tonight was average, like every other night. 

She got Moxxie comfortable in his bed, humming a tune she'd often sing when playing instruments in the plains of Wrath while she straightened out his sheets and blankets when he asked his question.

"Tell me the story about the Wrath princess again, Mama?"

He asked that question almost every night, strangely enough, almost always when she was straightening out his covers.

She smiled her loving, soft smile at him, stroking his hair as he awaited her answer with a childlike twinkle in his eyes and a smile from ear to ear. 

"Hmmm, well, let's see...Can I hear the magic word first?" She asked.

"Por favor!"

"¡Ese es mi pequeño niño bueno!" She chuckled and ruffled his hair before sitting at the foot of the toddler bed. She could physically see his excitement as his tail wagged under the sheets. 

"Ok, the Wrath princess story..."

"Once upon a time, long ago in the Wrath Ring, there was a King and a Queen who had a daughter. During her days, she disguised herself as a farm girl, and she would ride out into the fields of Wrath to play the guitar because her parents didn't want her leaving their royal grounds alone."

Mrs. Knolastname smiled wider, feeling Moxxie's tail wag and thrash even faster. His favorite part was about to come up. 

"Well, one day, she was about to retire from her afternoon hobby when she heard a beautiful sound emulating not far in the fields around her. She listened briefly before investigating who created the melody and where they were. She jumped on her horse and listened closely, following the sound. After a few minutes of riding, she came across a watering hole wedged between a mesa and found a boy about her age relaxing under a shaded spot under a cactus playing the lute.

The boy noticed the imp girl who got off her horse and greeted her with a smile, and she did the same. She approached him, complimenting his skills on the instrument, which was returned with a twanged "Thank you, ma'am!" from the boy. She sat with him as they exchanged words. He was a farm boy from the western side of the ring, and she grabbed her guitar to play with him. 

After a couple of hours of playing and chatting, the princess realized that nighttime would be coming soon and bid farewell to the farm boy. But before she could leave, he grabbed her hand and asked her to join him at the same watering hole the next afternoon, and she accepted the invitation.

As promised, the next afternoon, she returned to the watering hole, where she again found the farm boy playing the lute. They followed the same ritual as the day before, chatting about themselves and playing the lute. Once nighttime was about to consume the sky again, the princess promised to return the following day to continue their talk.

They did the same for days to follow, and then days turned into two weeks, and the princess and the farm boy had become close friends. On this particular day, the farm boy invited the princess to be his guest at the annual Harvest Moon Festival, to which she accepted the invitation. On the day of the festival, the princess found the farm boy, and they spent the day together having fun, laughing, and dancing into the night. It was the most fun the princess had had in a long time, as her royal duties rarely allowed her much time for friends or outside activities. On that very day, the princess realized that she had fallen for the farm boy she had grown close to in those weeks. 

That night, the princess followed the farm boy to his family's barn, where she revealed her real identity to her companion. The farm boy, with no hesitation, accepted her for who she truly was and promised not to treat her differently because of her status. At that moment, the farm boy gave the princess a kiss, telling her that he felt he had fallen for her in those past weeks they had known each other, with the princess telling him the same.

Moxxie giggled and kicked his little legs as always at that part of the story. 

"True love's kiss!" he squealed in delight. 

His mother responded with a hum of confirmation before he spoke up again.

"What next, Mama? What next?" He asked excitedly. He knew what came next, but he was too excited to wait. 

"Patience, mijo." 

"So, as they laid out in the fields outside the barn that night, the princess voiced her wish to introduce the farm boy to her mother and father, but she knew that might be a challenge, for they wanted their daughter to marry someone who was also a royal and the farm boy knew his parents would also prefer for him to marry another farm girl from the town. After some thinking, the princess decided to tell her parents about her new love.

The next afternoon, she informed her mother and father of the farm boy's existence and told her parents they were in love. Of course, her parents were furious. They screamed and shouted at her that no daughter of theirs would be with a peasant farm boy who couldn't even provide food for her. She begged them to give him a chance. He was a nice, kind boy who was highly talented with the lute and various other instruments. However, her parents did not relent. They forbid her from seeing the farm boy ever again. The princess cried for she was now locked away in their residence forever, never believing she would ever see her true love again.

Unbeknownst to her, a few mornings passed, and the farm boy traveled all the way to the castle on his horse and demanded to see the king after days of not seeing the princess. He was worried that something had happened to his love. When he was introduced to the king, he professed his love for the princess, pleading with the king to allow them to be together, for their love was too strong not to manifest. 

The king refused, insulting the farm boy before ordering him to leave his palace and never return, but he already had a plan. He asked the king a straightforward question that almost left him speechless.

"Please bring in your finest, most talented musicians, your Highness."

The king looked at him, puzzled, before responding with a low yet surprised "What?" 

The farm boy responded, "I have been playing music for years. My mother taught me how to play almost every instrument, and I am highly knowledgeable about most ballads, poems, and songs that Wrath has to offer. Let me play and sing as a challenge to your most experienced musicians. If you win, then I will leave and never come back. If I win, you must release your daughter and allow her to be with me. I shall take her back to my town, where she will be very well taken care of for the rest of her days, and that is a promise I am making to you."

The king thought about his proposal for a moment. And then he grinned evilly and chuckled at the farm boy's proposition. He didn't believe there was any way that his musicians could lose a battle to a farm boy as he had the best of the best. He agreed and called in the entire crowd he had of those who could play the best music, and their challenge began. 

They played every instrument in the palace, from the flute to the organ, and in every song they sang and the instrument they played, it seemed that the farm boy had magic fingers as he made their instruments sing for him. Indeed, he was a demon of music sent by Lucifer himself, but by the time they played every instrument they had and every song and ballad they knew, the farm boy had won, but the king had not relented, so what did the farm boy do? He had one last trick up his sleeve, a simple, risky one, but it was the only idea he had left. 

"Do you remember what his last idea was, Mox?" 

"A mountain dulcimer!" He pronounced a bit too loudly.

"Remember to use our bedtime voices, baby. Yes, a mountain dulcimer." She agreed before continuing.

"The farm boy pulled his mountain dulcimer from outside his bag and agreed to play it for the king, stating that if he liked his tunes and his garage of musicians agreed, then he would have to release his daughter. The king agreed to this final idea and listened as the farm boy harped a song. He, the queen, their sons, and the entire choir and group of music experts listened in amazement at the songs plucked from this new instrument. 

The entire court was left stunned as he finished his final song. He stared the king directly in the eyes with pure satisfaction, knowing that he had won their duel, which only angered the king more. However, he knew he had lost, and reluctantly, he released the princess into the farm boy's arms.

"Do you want to finish the story's ending, Moxxie?"

"They went back to his town, and they lived happily ever after!" This time, he finished in a lower voice, trying to repress his glee.

"That's right! They got married and lived happily ever after! The end."

"Tell me another story, Mama!"

"Another one? So close to yer bedtime?" 

"Please, Mama! Just one more?"

She sat and thought about it for a moment, trying to think of any shorter stories that he hadn't heard before until she came up with an idea.

"Alright. I think I have one more for you, but you have to promise me you'll go right to sleep after, ok mi cariño?"

"Sí!"

"Ok, then..." She scooted closer to him before beginning a new tale. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Moxxie who lived in the Greed Ring, but he was locked away in a castle by a wicked, cruel demon who wanted to keep him locked in his palace and never leave, and he never wanted little Moxxie to be happy. Moxxie grew into a big, strong, smart boy and escaped the wicked demon's palace. He moved to the Wrath Ring, where he spent his days in the wide, vast fields and highlands exploring his home. During the night, he sat outside and watched the stars twinkle above him and listened to the night insects sing as the wind cooled the air. And he was always happy and never sad and lived out the rest of his days joyful and carefree. The end.~"

Moxxie softly giggled as his mother ran her hands between his horns. "Mommy, do you think I'll be like the farm boy from the story and meet a princess one day?" he asked. 

"Oh, Moxxie. I think that one day you'll meet a princess and make her very, very happy, just like the farm boy. In fact," she laid him down on his back and kneeled to tuck him in more. I think that you are gonna meet a princess and turn her into a queen." She finished kissing him on the forehead.

He questioned her innocently, "Is Daddy your king, Mama?" 

On the inside, she grimaced and sneered in disgust at the idea, but knowing her little Moxxie was just a pure child who had a vast imagination and didn't have any malice behind his words, she kept her loving composure on the outside. Her smile never deflating, she responded, "Of course he is, mi pequeño...but do ya wanna know a secret? Eres más importante para mí porque eres mi principito!" 

She nuzzled his head affectionately. "Now, time for bed you. Get some rest, my little prince." She turned out the lamp, only leaving the nightlight on in the room. Before opening the door, she turned to see him peacefully and comfortably resting in his sheets. Her little baby, no matter how old he would turn. 

"Buenas noches, mi pequeña flor silvestre~"

"Buenas noches, Mama..."

 

---

 

Moxxie hummed along to the radio song while he finished the last of the dishes in the sink. 

It was a rainy Friday night. Thunder and lightning filled the sky every minute, causing the lights to go out just an hour before. It was by chance that Moxxie had finished dinner 15 minutes before the power shut down. 

Candles dimly lit the kitchen as the two cleaned up, and the static of the radio, mixed with the music and the storm sounds from outside, was strangely relaxing for both of them. 

Tonight was nothing special, but he had cooked Millie's favorite dinner that he makes and her favorite dessert to spoil her and make her feel special. 

She was at their table putting the last leftovers in some containers before putting them in the fridge. 

She had just shut the fridge door, and Moxxie had just finished wiping his hands off while letting the water out the sink when her ears perked up at the song change—one of her favorites. 

Moxxie smiled just thinking about it. He associated this song with her, knowing how much she loved it. 

"Ooh! I love this song!" she beamed. She ran to her husband, hugging him tightly, and he returned the favor. 

Spontaneously, Moxxie picked her up by the waist, much to her surprise but delight, and started twirling her around. Millie locked her legs around his waist to hold on. 

They laughed and giggled in tandem as the storm outside roared on, even heavier now than before. 

Moxxie paused their dance, leaning his back to the wall to admire her. Beauty incarnate. 

She was the prettiest, most divine creature that Satan and Lucifer had ever had the pleasure of creating—a real-life demonic goddess. He liked everything about her, including her flaws. 

He could look at this view until time never existed anymore. 

Her wide smile, soft, black hair that framed her face, cherry-red skin, big sparkling eyes, long black lashes, and that oh-so-well-deserved beauty mark under her eye. He didn't know how anyone could think she wasn't beautiful. Their eyes certainly needed to be checked if that was the case. 

She calmed down from her laughing fit and nuzzled his face, purring. She cupped his face in her small hands and ran her thumbs over the freckles on his cheeks, watching the blush appear through his skin. 

Millie brought her face to his and kissed him lovingly, and he returned it. She slid her tail down his pants, making their impromptu embrace rise in heat and intensity. The lightening outside couldn't hold a flame to the sparks between them. 

Moxxie, sensing what she was hinting at, carried her to their bedroom, shutting the door behind them, secluding them from everything else in the outside world so that it could just be the two of them. 

 

---

 

Two hours had passed, but the storm had yet to cease. 

The thunder had taken over most of the time, with the lightning slightly dying down, and the pitter-patter and tip taps of the rain on the bedroom windows acted as great white noise for sleep. 

Moxxie was not prepared for sleep to call to him yet, so he stayed lying in bed listening to the noises from the outside, the faint sound of the radio still playing from the kitchen, and Millie's soft purring as he held her in his arms while she slept. She had fallen asleep with her head to his chest, and he was enjoying the warm exhales as she breathed in and out. She was cuddled up so close to him that he was too scared to move, fearful that he would wake her up. 

Slowly and carefully, he climbed out of bed, pulling the covers over her naked torso before putting his boxers back on from the floor. 

He entered their kitchen again, everything the same as they left it. 

He blew out the candles they left lit and turned off the radio, plunging their apartment into complete silence, excluding the noises of the heavy rain and thunder. When he started to trek back to the bedroom, he halted when he made it to the wall of their living room, where they hung their pictures. He stayed there silently, reminiscing on all the memories that were attached to those treasured photos. The one he focused on the most was a picture from their wedding. 

He remembered how nervous but excited he was to marry such a wonderful woman. He smiled, recalling the events of the day, the happiest day of his life. So many tears were shed that day, but tears of happiness. He only cried once that morning after he looked at himself in the mirror, fully dressed in his tux and put together. 

He cried those few tears for his mother, knowing that she wouldn't be there and she'd never get to meet Millie. Though, he knew in his heart she would have loved her. To his surprise, Millie reserved a chair up front and center with a candle in honor of her. He remembered crying, hugging, and thanking her. Damn, he loves that woman so much. 

He loved how soft, sweet, and loving she was, a side of her that not many people took the time to see. 

He slipped back into bed and wrapped his arms around her again, feeling his heart flutter and burst when she curled right into him again. 

His princess.

His queen. 

His everything. 

She shifted in his embrace, placing her hands on his warm, exposed chest. 

"I love you, Moxxie," she spoke in her Wrath accent.

He wrapped his tail around her and pulled her closer to him, feeling her accept the invitation. 

"And I love you, Millie...mi princesa y mi reina," he whispered to her. 

Fairytales do exist.

Dreams do come true.

True love is real. 

And happily ever afters do happen in real life.

Notes:

Hi there, guys.

It's been a little bit, huh?

Sorry about that. These past few weeks have been more intense than I thought...😅

But here I am! And I come with a few updates for y'all.

First, I have a few fics I want to release by the end of this month (subject to change). And "Let's Play A Game" will be uploaded sometime in October. Now, that puts that story at risk of being debunked by Ghostfuckers, but I think it would still be nice to give y'all the rest of that little mini-fic.

Hopefully, I can get back to posting regularly, but that will depend on how the rest of September goes.

Enjoy y'all week!
____________________

I would also like to provide you all with the translations of Moxxie and his mother's conversations in Spanish:

- Por favor = Please

- ¡Ese es mi pequeño niño bueno! = That's my good little boy!

- Mijo = Darling

- Mi Cariño = My darling

- Sí = Yes

- Mi Pequeño = My little one

- Eres más importante para mí porque eres mi principito! = You are more important to me because you are my little prince!

- Buenas noches, mi pequeña flor silvestre~ = Good night, my little wildflower~

- Buenas noches, Mama = Good night, Mama

-Mi princesa y mi reina = My princess and my queen (At the end to Millie)

Chapter 16: All For Naught

Summary:

Millie vents out her frustrations with a close friend.

A small bit that I wrote after watching Ghostfuckers...

Notes:

Warnings:

- Depictions of sexual harassment
- Some of the ways Millie talks about herself may be upsetting to some...

If there was one good thing anyone could say about Hell, it would be that amidst all the violence and disarray, at least the Hellborn knew how to manage well enough to add some form of stability to this dystopian society. Hellborn and humans weren't all that different regarding their coping strategies. That's why Hell's bars made a mint no matter what ring they were in. Anyone having a shitty day, morning, afternoon, or evening would find themselves at some shitty, old, sketchy dive bar to drink their feelings away. Tonight was no different than any other in that aspect. An overly crowded small craphole of a bar in the ring of Wrath wouldn’t be complete tonight without someone drinking their heart into alcohol poisoning, and a certain imp assassin with a thirst for comfort was doing a good job of that right about now. 

“I…I think you might need ta’ slow it a bit down there, Mills. Yer gonna regret this in the mornin’...”

Onyx watched on as her friend finished yet another beer in approximately four minutes. Millie set the empty bottle down on the bar, repositioning her chin into the palm of her right hand, waiting for the booze to take effect. 

“Oh, ya know this ain’t enough for me ta’ get anything but a good buzz off it. Besides…it takes more than 5% crappy beer to make me feel anythin’.”

“Girl, that was literally yer seventh one. I’m shocked that yer eyes haven’t started crossin’ yet.” Onyx slightly chuckled at her joke, relieved she also coached a small one from Millie’s lips. 

“Pfft! And just who do ya think yer talkin’ to? D.J.? Cause last time I checked, I wasn’t no lightweight!” 

Onyx snorted in response, recalling the events of Millie’s older brother’s wedding, and their cousin got drunk as a skunk within the first hour of the reception. “Yeah, I couldn’t forget that even if I tried,” she sipped her own beer while reminiscing on their younger days. Mildred “Millie” and Onyx. Just two girls who liked to have fun with chaos in the mesas and plains of dirt and rust of Wrath. 

The two have been best friends since birth. They were born only weeks apart and had always been close. They were loyal to each other, and Onyx would carry that out for as long as she needed to, including tonight. She looked on as Millie crossed her arms on the bar and placed her head down. Even though their conversation had ceased for minutes, they knew each other was listening. That’s one of the things about their bond, the nonverbal synchronization to just…know.

The loud chatter in the bar, combined with the equally loud country music, was enough to drive the two crazy, yet it also gave them a sense of nostalgia for when they would seek out bars to hide away from the trouble they would get into as rambunctious and wild teen girls. 

“...Why did this happen, Onny?"

The question was simple but gave Onyx enough context to begin dissecting. Even then, knowing the circumstances, it was difficult to begin answering. 

“Why aren’t I good enough?"

Millie stared at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar shelves while her mind sprinted through probable explanations. Onyx turned her head to face her, trying to pick the right words, but her mouth was dry. Knowing Mildred, she already comprehended that getting through to her would be challenging. 

“...It isn’t you, Mills. Ya might not believe me, but I’m tellin’ no lies. He was just not a good guy…No matter how good ya treated him, and I know how much you gave ta' him, he was just a fuckin’ asshole. It ain’t you, darlin’”

In response, Millie repositioned her elbows on the bar, grabbing her new beer bottle close to her chest. Growing up, her family members would call her the family ‘mule,’ teasingly, of course, because of her hard head and stubborn nature. Perhaps that played into her situation. As her mama would tell her, “That stubbornness is gonna get ya into trouble one day,” and in this moment, she couldn’t say she was wrong. 

“I love you, Mills. You’re like my sister, but…you deserve better…And you deserve to be with someone who loves you.” 

Behind the mask Millie always wore was an imp who saw herself permanently tied to the bottom. Never thinking that she could excel at much. It wasn’t too long ago that she felt her self-esteem hit rock bottom, or maybe it had been there for a while, but she didn’t notice until recently. Regardless, it didn’t matter anyway. How could it? Why would it? Ultimately, she was nothing but a savage Wrathian, undeserving of anything decent besides what she was born into. 

“Damn! Hey, baby, need some company tonight? Cause my cock would like some of yours~”

Motherfucker. This was the absolute last thing she wanted to deal with today. A fucking pervert sleezebag who was going to act entitled to her time and body simply because he was born with a pair between his legs.

Lucky her! Just fucking peachy!...

“I ain’t fuckin’ interested asshole! Try yer luck somewhere’s else,” she hissed out with a furrowed brow and went back to sipping her beer.

“Well, damn, bitch! Who fucked you sideways? You know I can fix that and make ya feel real good~ So, how about we go back to mine’s, and I give ya a big load to have with that cookie?~”

Famous last words. As if his little bit wasn’t bad enough, the oaf decided that slithering his hand between her breasts was a clever way to make her change her mind. Oh, the stupidity and audacity of him. 

Within an instant, a blade pierced through his other hand resting on the bar while the other he stuffed in her chest twisted in an entirely different way that wasn’t even physically supposed to be possible. The scream he let out was high enough to bust open any glass in the bar, but it was cut short by her fist colliding with the side of his face. The beer bottle that she had been nursing became just another weapon to her as she broke it over his head and held him in a headlock. The sharp, broken bottle held up to his throat acted like another one of her many, many knives. 

“DON’T FUCKIN’ TOUCH ME BITCH! YOU WANT A FUCKIN’ PIECE OF ME?! I’LL SHOW YOU MOTHER FUCKER! YA DON’T WANNA SEE WHAT I’LL FUCKIN’ TURN INTO AFTER THIS BULLSHIT DAY I’VE BEEN HAVING!”

Everyone else in the bar was standing there, too scared to do anything but watch and stare. Much to her dislike, Millie had built a certain…… reputation for herself around town—and not the kind of reputation she wanted to have. The only positive was that nobody would be dumb enough to mess with her unless they were like this poor sap who hadn’t had the pleasure of running into her yet.

She wanted to go further, to show this creep just who he had fucked with, but Onyx, not wanting her best friend to regret any rash decisions in the morning, decided to intervene by pulling Millie off of him. Millie resisted, digging her claws into the guy’s shoulders, but eventually, with enough pulling, Onyx threw her over her shoulder while throwing some cash at the bartender to pay for their tab. All the while, Millie continued to growl, snarl, and scream more vulgar insults at her target, going all the way to Onyx’s dad’s old pickup truck in the parking lot.  

Once in the truck, she calmed down, and the drive back to Onyx’s was more silent than death. The only noises to hear were the wind blowing past them with the truck windows pulled down. Millie stared out the passenger side window the entire time, watching them pass by the endless deserts and the stars that graced them from above. They were the only sources of “life” to see a lone tear drop from her cheek.

---

The drive from the bar to the house wasn’t much more than 15 minutes. Onyx’s mother’s house was a small house nestled in a tiny town, much smaller than the one Millie grew up in, that was far out enough from everything that the only sound to be heard was the desert insects singing their nightly songs. Millie looked up and focused on the night sky again while Onyx unlocked the door. 

“Mills?”

She turned her attention to her companion, standing in the open doorway of the house, looking at her with mild concern. Millie smiled at her, playing it off like she felt okay before joining her in the house.

The two made their way to Onyx’s room, where Millie plopped down on the left side of the bed. Her hair still up, makeup still on, still in her work clothes, still all the same…

Onyx looked over at her lifelong friend, her lifelong best friend, Millie, who used to be so full of life, laughter, madness, and chaos. Her eyes were locked on the ceiling, and Onyx couldn’t tell what the look was behind her eyes. At the very least, she knew Millie was broken. 

She lay on her bed next to a motionless Millie, not saying a word but ready to listen for what was coming. Knowing her, a word vomit of emotions was to come. Millie didn’t ever show her emotional side to anyone except for Onyx and Sallie, and even with those two, the ones she trusted the most with her vulnerability, she was sparse with her sharing. 

“Is this all I’m meant to be?…….Just some…brute for hire who everybody’s afraid of?…

The silence that followed her words carried a tone of sorrow. Desolation had grown to be Millie's intimate partner over the years, so much so that she entered a passionate love affair with the emotion that had her tangled in a lasso of anger, emptiness, and loathing. Like any other forbidden entanglement, she wasn’t a stranger to decorating her face with a mask to hide it away profoundly from those who would shun her at any disclosure of her true feelings. 

Her stress and exhaustion weren’t relieved by her performance of resilience and merriment that she gracefully played in front of others. It was always tiresome for her, not helped by her other responsibilities outside of work, and she knew this breakup wouldn’t improve anything. Millie was never one to take anyone’s bullshit, yet when it came to other’s opinions of her, they permeated her brain like an aggressive parasite, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was profusely insecure about how others perceived her. Yet, she struggled with controlling her emotions and would fly off the handle often whenever she saw fit. 

Unfortunately for her, those instances were far too frequent…

“I hate myself, Onny…Do you know that? Does anyone?” Millie choked out, feeling the dams in her eyes starting to crack under all the pressure boiling over from the afternoon and the emotions she kept chained up over however long they started to grow. Try as she might, the tears started to flow, her mascara leaving muddied streaks down her face.

“My Ma was right…dreamin’ ain’t fer demons like us…”

Onyx could do nothing but lay with her and listen. It was painful for her to watch her dear Mildred, who was close enough that she considered to be a blood sister to her, unravel like a ball of yarn. To break like fragile glass even though she had known Millie to be as tough as steel their whole lives. Even so, she knew that the persona that Millie played every day was nothing but an act to appeal to everyone around her, and she was no different than anyone else: tough, strong, and irrepressible, yet her heart was soft, plush, and sensitive and would gain injury when stabbed. 

It was common knowledge for anyone who loved Millie that her heart and burning, fiery passion for those she loved were her most outstanding assets, but that passion didn’t extend to herself…

“That’s all I’m good for, yeah…I ain’t nothin’ but a dumb fuckin’ hick,” she whimpered. 

Onyx listened on, her eyes beginning to well up with her tears, listening to her friend’s cries and laments. Her sobs kept coming, and her harsh words towards herself accompanied them. It was difficult for Onyx to understand where this was all coming from. The breakup? Her job? Her responsibilities on the farm? Maybe a combination of all three, she didn’t know. It had been a rather stressful day for her. Maybe this was the alcohol talking. 

Eventually, she calmed down a bit, and Onyx shuffled to embrace her in a large hug, which Millie reciprocated for comfort. 

“Maybe ya were right…Maybe I had a little too much to drink,” Millie tried to joke. Onyx smiled, and a small chuckle escaped her lips. “Nah, I think ya just needed to let that all out,” she sighed.

“Millie…You’re one of my best friends. We’ve been by each other’s sides since we were little tots, and we’ve been there for each other all that time. So let me be here for you now,” Onyx started, Millie turning to face her. 

“Nothin’ ya said was true. Not even close. Cause yer amazin’.” 

Millie had to turn away to keep herself from crying again and to hide the heavy eyebags that she had developed over the past month. Even though she had someone who had known her her entire life, someone she trusted with her life, telling her how great she thought she was, it was still hard to believe. 

“Yer smart, you care for those you love, yer always there fer your siblings, and yer always there for me. I appreciate that about you. I always have. Because there aren’t many demons in Hell who are willing ta' sacrifice so much of themselves fer others,” she continued, feeling her guts simmer with disgust at the following sentence to come out of her mouth, mainly because it revolved around him.

“And ya wanna know somethin’? Chaz ain’t worth fuckin’ shit! Cause if he was, he woulda’ known what a great gal he had. This is his fuckin’ loss. And don’t ya dare blame yerself for any of this cause you, and I, and everybody knows it ain’t yer fault.” 

She was momentarily worried she had gone too far or upset her friend even more. It may have been too soon to start dragging her ex through the mud. However, if she was being honest, maybe she was being selfish. She absolutely hated, loathed even, ‘Chazwick the fuckin’ prick’ as she referred to him when Millie wasn’t around, and she knew Millie’s folks hated him just as much, if not more, too. 

“Ya know…that guy at the bar, he just pissed me off so bad.” Millie started, her voice laced with a tranquility that had been absent all night.

“You know my past. That wasn’t the first asshole ta' try and get in my pants or the first to harass me at that. And I know I’ve responded in similar ways before, but somethin’ in me snapped tonight…It was just like I completely lost it,” she continued, wiping the mascara streaks from her face. 

“I’m just so tired of bein’ treated like that…If I ain’t seen as some Wrathian hick, a musclehead, a freak, or a kinda barbarian, then I’m seen as some kinda’ play thing…Just a nice pretty country slut that gross shit for brains like to stare and ogle at. And that’s what Ch...that fucker made me feel like a lot of the time…I wish that someone would see me as more than that…I know it’s unrealistic…but I mean, imagine how nice that must be. Havin’ someone who loves ya unconditionally for who you are…and not just for what you can offer them. Like in those fairytales that my mama used ta' tell us about when we were youngins.”

For the first time today, a smile found its way to Millie’s face, soft yet simple enough to catch that her mind had been occupied by everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. Onyx couldn’t be surprised. Millie was a spirit that dreamed big ever since she was a little girl, and one obstacle that continuously got in her way was everyone else's opinions. Her mind wandered off to memories from when they were little again, making up stories to play to, and their imaginations ran as wild as their actions. As all children learn, reality trumps your creativity once you grow up, and playtime ends when you’re faced with the truth of nature and the world, especially if you're a Wrath imp. The children born in the ring were treated like any other child. Still, most of the time, their childhoods were cut short by other factors and responsibilities tied to their Wrathian identities. 

Millie, being the second oldest of her siblings, not only worked on the farm growing up, but she also helped her mother, Lin, with her younger siblings and the housework, putting an early end to any dreams and fantasies that her young mind wandered off to when thinking about when she’d grow up. Her little self used to contemplate different scenarios like being a princess or maybe even a queen of her own castle, which evolved into her daydreaming the older she became of maybe leaving the farm one day, maybe having one of her own, maybe making it big as an assassin one day, the best in Wrath. 

Maybe she’d meet a nice guy and have a family. She loved kids. Her younger siblings, while they could be annoying and drove her insane some days, were one of her reasons to keep fighting hard with everything she had. 

Though, it seemed all for naught at the moment. All her hard work, all her endless dreaming that was used as escapism, was pointless. At her core, she believed all she was was a brute who was only good for muscle, and that was all her value. 

Onyx couldn’t deny that was something she struggled with herself from time to time. All Wrath imps did. When your entire species was discriminated against simply because of classism and ignorance, it was difficult not to buy into the stereotypes and prejudice sometimes, even if deep down you knew everyone else was wrong. However, she knew Millie almost as well as she knew herself, and if there was one thing she admired about her the most, it was that she knew that deep down Millie was still the little girl she grew up with who still was clinging onto her hopes and dreams that somehow she was more than just a killing machine. 

“I don’t think there’s anything unrealistic ‘bout it. I think that in all our hearts, we all desire to be loved and appreciated for our true selves. Look at yer Ma and Pa. I love Joe like a second daddy, but if ya don’t know ‘em, he can come off as a little intimidatin’.” The pair giggled, silently agreeing with each other. As much as she loved her father, Millie had to agree. Joe could come off as aggressive if you didn’t know him well, but he was a big softie at heart like she was. 

“But yer Ma loves him for who he really is, and he loves her the same…but…” she hesitated, rethinking her choice of words. “Chazwick was not that person for ya, Mills…Ya said it yerself. He paid attention to ya when he wanted to hitch a ride on ya, but aside from that, what else did he offer ya? It surely wasn't love, care, or affection. Not admiration, protection, or partnership either.”

Millie knew what she was getting at, but it didn’t make things easier. She was still sad, tired, and heartbroken. Having to think about herself wasn’t something she liked to do, mainly because her self-esteem hung lower than Satan’s balls, but Onyx did provide a point. No matter how she looked at it, or however she wanted to convince herself, Chaz might have liked her (more so, liked her body), but he certainly did not love her. 

Millie wasn’t the type to think too much about these things, but even she liked to muse on the fantasy of being loved by someone who had no obligation to love her. Someone who thought she was beautiful and would treat her with genuine respect and kindness. It was a way for her to break free from the stresses of her day-to-day life when the night would fall upon Wrath, and she’d lay in bed conjuring up those sweet, make-believe visions in her mind. 

“Maybe I just…I think that maybe I should…..be by myself,” Millie’s voice cracked with more tears beginning to pick at her eyes. Sitting up to remove her shoes and assless chaps, Onyx watched on, knowing Millie was trying to distract herself with other activities to stop herself from breaking again. She took her ponytail out, letting her long, dark hair migrate just down below her buttocks at its usual length. “Do you mind if I borrow some loungewear? This outfit is real uncomfortable to sleep in,” she asked before searching through Onyx’s drawers. After the day she had, she just wanted a long, scorching shower and to go to sleep. Onyx gave her a nod of approval, and her assassin friend headed to her bathroom to wash away all the blood, sweat, makeup, and grief of the day off. 

The second she was submerged by steam with splashes of hot shower water hitting her, she cried again, out of despair and heartache combined. 

The western assassin didn’t know that her friend could hear her whimpers even with the shower running, even though she thought she was hiding her sobs well. Onyx’s heart was broken for Millie, and it hurt to think all she could do was lay there and allow her to get it all out. 

She grabbed her phone from the bedside table to let Sallie May know that Millie was safe and with her, stopping when she had already received a message from the younger farm girl, reading:

'Yo, Mills with you? I’ve been texting her, but ain’t responding. I’m assuming that shark fucker is what’s got her all worked up?’

She stared at the text for a few short minutes, going back and forth between whether she should tell Sallie about her sister’s new status or her breakdown. Either way, she knew Sallie’s inquiries were stemming from a place of concern, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t attempt to hunt Chaz down for breaking Millie’s heart. Knowing their family, Lin, Joe, and all the boys were probably ready with pitchforks in each hand, ready to hunt before you could say ‘go.’

“...”

‘She is with me. She’s safe, just a tad tipsy. Tell Lin and Joe she’s here with me and will be crashing at my place for the night…I think she needs the love of a friend atm…’

Notes:

Hello guys!

It's been so long...

A lot of things have happened in my life suddenly. The area I live in was greatly impacted by Helene. I am ok, and I am very lucky to still have my apartment and everything I own; however, many of my close friends were not so lucky. Because of the hurricane, I also lost my job.

Needless to say, I've been a bit depressed lately. However, do not fear! I am still writing, and I have many ideas I am working on. Since Ghostfuckers came out, I've been working on new things nonstop. A lot of my older works have theories that have been debunked, so I'm trying to decide if I will delete them altogether or just rewrite them. Either way, I am excited for December to roll around so I can push more content out!

If you were also impacted, my heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to you. 🖤💜

Stay safe, everyone! And, as always, thank you for reading!

Chapter 17: (Not So) Bulletproof...

Summary:

Millie goes to visit a friend after an accident...

Notes:

Here's a little something I cooked up after watching GhostFuckers...again...for the millionth time...

When Millie left her old life behind and joined I.M.P., she never expected that she’d get along so well with her new coworkers – maybe with the exception of the receptionist from time to time. More so, she never thought she’d make great friends with them. When she first started her career as an assassin, she soon found out that it wasn’t exactly the best job to be chummy with coworkers. In fact, the only coworker she had grown close with was her friend Roley; with that, she was merely cordial with everyone else. 

There was a different relationship with her coworkers at I.M.P…

Blitz, Loona, Moxxie…

They were her team. Her ride or die. She would always have their backs, and she was confident that they would always have hers. Well…

Considering the circumstances, that was more literal rather than figurative. 

She stopped outside the familiar door of Blitz’s apartment, her heart rate increasing the more she contemplated if she should even knock. She took a final breath before knocking, hoping that someone would answer. Her tail coiled around her leg out of anxiety, and her heart felt like it would fly out of her chest cavity if it was wide open. 

When she heard the latch on the door being unlocked, she tried to straighten herself out. Blitz opened the door, almost surprised to see her. Millie gave him a nervous wave and a smile to accompany it. Blitz stepped outside to close the door to give them some privacy. 

“Um, morning, Millie Billie. Sorry, I just didn’t know you were heading over.”

“Y-yeah…um, sorry ‘bout that. I just…I wanted to come by to check on Moxxie…and you and Loona too, of course.” She gave a nervous laugh once she finished to her new employer. 

“Oh…well, Loonie’s perfect as always. I’m ok, I guess, aside from being fucking exhausted from making sure Moxxie didn’t fucking die on me in the middle of the night,” he rolled his eyes in annoyance. 

“And…Moxxie? He’s alright?”

“Oh yeah, he’s fine! The hospital took the bullets out and stitched him up. He didn’t need blood or anything like that. They just gave us some meds for him and sent us on our way. The stitches are small enough, and they said he should heal in no time, which is great for me because I know you and I can do missions just fine for a few days, but we’d be better off having our gun expert with us.”

Millie felt herself calm down hearing that, but the guilt still had it’s reigns around her for everything that had happened on the previous night's mission.

“So…does that mean I still have my job?”

Blitz cocked his head to the side and arched a brow out of confusion. “Well, why wouldn’t ya?” He would’ve said more, but he paused as he could see the remorse in her eyes. Actually, it was written all over her face. Millie had always been relaxed, but her body language told him she was on edge and doing a pretty bad job at hiding it.

“Look, Mills,” he let out a sigh and put a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. “You would probably know the best out of all of us that assassins getting hurt comes along with the job. It’s just a risky field to begin with. What happened wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known that we were going to be ambushed like that…”

The previous night, the team was hired to kill a pair of shark demon twins that set a single mother’s house on fire to cover their tracks after robbing the poor girl. All her assets, everything she had, just gone in a matter of minutes. Thank Satan; she and her baby were fine with no injuries aside from being shaken up. The young girl was from Wrath, and her story really pulled at Millie's heartstrings. Wrathians protect each other. How dare these bastards go after a defenseless, vulnerable mother and her baby like that.

Millie was the one who insisted they go after them, unknowing what was to come. They tracked them down with relative ease, and they set off as usual. Everything was seemingly normal. No issues, no roadblocks, everything aligned perfectly. 

The problem? Unfortunately, their targets had caught onto them long before they set out to kill them. Moxxie and Millie were attacked, and they never saw it coming. The reason Millie was worried about her coworker? He was the one who noticed a red laser targeted on her back, indicating that someone was ready to shoot. He pushed her out of the way onto the ground to prevent her from getting shot and ended up taking the bullet himself.

Whenever the two started to run away, he was shot a second time just below where his first wound was while trying to shoot their attackers so Millie could run for help. But she held more respect for Moxxie than to leave him there alone. It was like a bloodbath by the end of it all. She had managed to tear their assailants to bits and pieces, both with her bare teeth, hands, and knives. She didn’t know what came over her, but seeing those assholes hurt Moxxie, who became what she believed to be a close friend, lit a fire in her, one so strong she had never felt it before, and that in itself was rare. 

And she felt guilty. 

Her friend and teammate got hurt because she wasn’t paying close enough attention. She walked away with minor scraps and bruises, while he got away with two bullets lodged in his left shoulder. He was lucky not to have any arteries or organs punctured, but still…

She felt immensely guilty, as if she should have been the one to get shot instead.

“And honestly, Mills,” Blitz continued, and Millie looked up at him to hear him finish. “If anything, I admire you more now, seeing how much you care for this team. So don’t be so hard on yourself…Heh, I’m even proud of Mox, too. Didn’t think he had it in him to try to take on an entire gang by himself. But he was still acting like a little baby in the E.R.”

She was still getting to know Blitz’s personality, but she knew for a fact that he cared for Moxxie deeply, even if he had an interesting way of showing it.

“So, no. I would never fire you over something like this…unless you tell Moxxie about what I just said, then you’d be fired,” he smirked and patted her on the back. Millie let out her own smile, agreeing with him.

“Understood, sir….Would you mind if I came in to say howdy to Mox?”

“Yeah, sure! But I’m warning you, he’s asleep…and the place is a mess but nothing new.” Blitz opened the door for her as the Wrath imp followed him in. 

Sure enough, there he was, sleeping on the mattress he used as his bed on the living room floor. Bandages secured his torso, maybe a bit more than they needed to, but it would probably be for the best to hold the gauze, protecting his stitches from bleeding too much. Millie leaned down to kneel beside him. He looked so peaceful, more calm than she had ever seen him, even though she only knew him for a short amount of time at this point.

“Feel free to yell at him. I did that a couple of times last night to make sure the little whiney baby was still alive.” 

“Uhhh…nah, that’s alright. I’ll just give him a few little shakes,” Millie retorted, giving a nervous smile. 

“Suit yourself, Millie Billie. I’ve gotta go try to wake up Looney, have at it!”

With that, he left his two assassins alone. Millie looked back at her sniper friend. The morning sun coming through the curtains planted rays of light onto his face, making him look even more serene the longer she stared at him. Gray circles hung from the lower lids of his eyes. Whether that be from his body trying to recuperate or Blitz disturbing him throughout the night, she didn’t know. 

Millie felt herself in a trance, not moving or blinking. She stared at him, maybe even admiring how still and tranquil he seemed to be in the grips of sleep. Before she could break herself out of whatever spell she was under, the set of eyes below her did all the work. Slowly, Moxxie opened his eyes. A small groan escaped him as consciousness began to overtake his mind. He couldn’t remember what happened before he fell asleep, but he didn’t remember dying, for before him, there was a creature, and he was sure it was an angel. 

Perhaps an angel of death?...

The more he came to, the more he realized the beautiful demoness before him was, in fact, an angel, but in his eyes only. He was pleasantly surprised to see who he recognized as Millie sitting next to him, but that made him all the more confused. 

“M…M-Mildred?...”

“...Howdy, Mox…”

“Wh…..what are you-” his words ceased with a sharp pain in his left shoulder as he tried to sit up. He winced and let out a hiss as he grabbed onto his shoulder while Millie helped to support his back to help him finish sitting up.

“Take it easy, Moxxie. Ya ain’t ready ta be doin’ anythin’ too strenuous right now.”

“I….Mil…I’m so confused. What happened?”

“...Mox, ya don’t remember?”

His confusion wasn’t helped by the look of concern she was giving him. “Moxxie, ya got shot on the mission last night…Ya had ta go to the hospital fer them to get the bullets out and stitch ya up.”

Moxxie rubbed his head, listening to her recount the previous night’s events. Now that he thought about it, he somewhat remembered something like that happening. He also faintly remembered his head hitting the ground, which could explain the pain in his right temple. 

“...Yeah…ok, I kind of think…I remember bits and pieces of that…”

“You’re probably real tired. I’m sure it’ll come back ta ya once yer all better.” 

Moxxie steered his gaze toward her to see her concern morph into a soft smile. He could feel his heart begin to thump ferociously against his chest, and he was praying to Satan above that she’d mistake the blush he could feel growing in his cheeks for a fever, heat, or anything else. 

Since the moment they were formally introduced to each other, he had a crush on her. He didn’t even know he could be interested in women until that day, and it went without saying that he was really interested in her. With each day that went by, he felt his heart beat faster and faster whenever his eyes landed on her. For Satan’s sake, anytime they came in close contact with each other, he thought he’d have a heart attack right on the spot. He wished he had the courage to court her, but he didn’t want to make things complicated – or, more realistically, he believed living a single life was his only option.

He looked down to avoid staring at her and was taken aback to see her hands uncovered, and suddenly, he was whipped by a flashback from the night before. Hoping it would help her evade the bullet that was aimed to go through her, he pushed her out of the way onto the concrete. Thankfully, she escaped death due to Moxxie’s efforts, but she landed palms first, resulting in her hands becoming scrapped and bruised. And it just had to be the one day she wasn’t wearing her gloves…

“How…how are those?” His voice was still laced with grogginess, likely due to the medications the hospital put him on. 

She hummed in a questioning tone before following his eyes down to her subtle injuries. “Oh, these ol’ things? They ain’t nothin’...Trust me. I’ve gotten injuries much worse than these workin’ on the farm.” 

“Mildred…I’m sorry about…well, everything. I didn’t mean to get you hurt. I just…I didn’t want you to die either…”

“Now, why ya apologizin’? It ain’t yer fault, Mox. If anythin’ I should be tellin’ you sorry. I should’ve been payin’ better attention. Lookin’ back, you were right. It was obvious somethin’ was off about that place, and I didn’t listen…and you ended up gettin’ hurt instead.” 

Saying it out loud made her feel worse. Moxxie did mention to her that he had a bad feeling about the place where they were ambushed, but she insisted that with the two of them being skilled, talented assassins, they would complete their mission without any issues. If she wanted to shed tears about it, she’d have to wait until she got home. In the words of her family, crying and tears were the biggest waste of energy.

“.....I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I-”

“Stop!....Just…quit apologizin’ please...” 

Millie demanded, rendering Moxxie speechless. The already shocked sniper became stunned as his ally swiftly but gently went in to embrace him. 

The two had never been in this close of contact before. Not even with the limited spaces they’d find themselves in on missions. Moxxie never felt himself wake up so fast, and he was silently praying that she wouldn’t be able to hear or feel the thumping of his heart or the cold, nervous sweat he felt coming on. 

Cautiously, he raised his arms to hug her back, and she accepted. With that confirmation, Moxxie let himself become relaxed in her arms. It was only then that he was able to take her in. She always smelled so nice, but up close, her scent was almost intoxicating. It was so odd. She always had an earthy but clean aroma that followed her, almost like pine or lavender; however, the was a hint of sweetness that his nose was picking up on, and even though they were in a hug, it was enough to drive him mad. Almost as if he couldn’t get enough.

Merely holding himself back from sniffing her like a dog was becoming difficult, but even in his wildest thoughts, he had never found himself wanting to explore someone from the inside out so intensely. And her hair, it was so soft. If he had to imagine what Heaven’s clouds felt like, he would guess it felt similar. She had a thick, wild mane of dark black hair, yet it was the silkiest, softest material he ever had the pleasure of touching, even more exquisite than the expensive sheets and bed linens that he grew up sleeping on. 

Millie caught wind of a strange smell as well. And not the unpleasant type of strange. Strange to the extent that it had the inside of her mouth-watering. Him. It was pouring out from the musician imp that she had in her arms. Moxxie was always very clean. That much was a fact anyone could know just by looking at him. And he always had a very particular smell to him that was behind the usual cologne that he wore every day. Eucalyptus. There was no doubt about it. 

Millie couldn’t pinpoint what this elusive new smell was, though. It was like a sugary, sweet air that was around him, something she never smelled on anyone else before. ‘…Is that…..peaches?...No…apricots?…Strawberries?’ It almost had the same faint aroma of fresh fruit but even sweeter. She swore she could almost taste it. So subtle but so divine.

She needed more. 

A growing pit in her stomach was silently coaching her to claw her way into his skin if she had to, but that smell…

Oh, fucking Lucifer and Satan almightly, she felt like she would die on the spot if she didn’t get more of it. 

She took in a whiff, one that was unfortunately too loud to pass off as an accident. When she felt her wounded coworker jump, she snapped out of whatever possession she was in, almost mortified that he would become frightened by her. 

“Oh, sorry!...I felt a sneeze comin’ on…” was the only excuse she could muster at the moment as she reluctantly pulled away from their hug.

She smiled at him ever so sweetly. Just a simple tug of the lips is all, and even with that, Moxxie was so taken aback by her beauty. “I uhm…I have some chores that need ta get doin’ on at home, but I wanted to stop by to check on ya…I’m so happy to see that yer gonna be ok.” 

“...T-thank you…I appreciate it.” 

‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!’ Why couldn’t he just fucking get it together whenever she was around? It was as if she had some kind of magnet attached to her that took away any sense of logic or conversation. 

“Well, anyways. Please take it easy and get better soon. Imma miss ya at work while yer out.” 

She stood up to trek towards the front door before turning back around. “Oh! Silly me. I almost forgot,” she exclaimed, reaching into her bag to grab something. Moxxie followed her hand when she extended it to him, holding something out for him. He took it from her before feeling his heart flutter in pure glee at the cover. 

“It’s a book about opera history. I figured since you’d have some time to heal and relax, you might want somethin’ to keep you occupied.” 

A book. She bought him a book about a topic he was passionate about…A gift from a friend…

He had never received a genuine gift from a friend before. In fact, the only gifts he could remember that he had ever received without any kind of manipulative intent behind them were from his mother before she passed. Someone gave him the time of day to go out and buy him something, no strings attached.

He looked up at her, his eyes wide with warmth and admiration. 

“Thank you…That was…I love it. Thank you, Mildred.” 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. Just tried ta find somethin’ to cheer ya up!...Well, I’ll be in touch, but I mean it. Get some good rest to feel better, Freckles.”

The nickname she gave him a while back drove him crazy, in a good way. It always sent a shiver down his spine, and all the hair in his body stand up. However, he felt ashamed to admit he preferred to hear his actual name roll off her tongue with that country accent of hers.

“You know…I was serious when I said you could just call me ‘Moxxie.” He tried to correct her politely. 

“AND I was serious when I said that I’d quit callin’ ya 'Freckles' when ya quit callin’ me ‘Mildred.’”

Well, ‘Freckles’ smiled up at her at that. He couldn’t help it, and she returned the gesture to him. Satan, there was something so enrapturing about her that he always felt entranced by. 

“...Thank you, Millie…”

“...No problem, Moxxie.”

Afternoon came and soon followed nightfall, and after that, a new day was upon Hell. The next morning, Moxxie woke up still with an uncomfortable pain on the back of his left shoulder, but his pain was soon numbed by the presence of a history book about opera, the pages laced with the smell of pine and lavender with a hint of sweetness that had him hooked at every page…

Notes:

Hi, everyone!

I hope you are all doing well and that you had a pleasant Thanksgiving if you celebrate.

I was going to release a different chapter before this one, but it is a longer piece. So I am trying to decide whether to break it up into two chapters or keep it as one big chapter.

Either way, I have something fun that I will be posting very soon!😊

With that, I wanted to give y'all a tiny update. My finals begin Monday and end the following week. This means that I will have about a month to post more often (Yay!)...

I have A LOT of things that I want to push out, but I also have a lot of new ideas as well. So, needless to say, you might get a little stuffed on M&M content, lol.

I have something tiny that I got an idea for after watching Mastermind yesterday (side note: Hot damn! They absolutely COOKED with that animation), but we shall see if the concept goes anywhere.

Until next time! Stayed Tuned!

Chapter 18: Brothersitting (Part 1)

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie agree to babysit Millie's youngest brother for a few days...

Notes:

Hiya guys!

Hope you're all doing well!

This fic was originally going to be one big work; however, because it's so long, I decided to split it up into parts. That way, it's a bit easier and more manageable for those of you who may not like to read super huge chapters.

Anyway, I have no warnings for this one! Enjoy!

Wednesday Evening

“AND THEN the asshole had the nerve ta’ tell ‘er “Sorry, honey, but I ain’t lookin’ to be tied down.” Like, who do ya think you are, mister?!” Millie giggled with a sarcastic tone, Moxxie scoffing with a smile at the end of her story about a horrible date one of her friends recently went on. 

“I think it’s rather audacious that he called her “honey” right after telling her he was only in it for sex,” he chuckled, taking another bite of dinner. Moxxie and Millie made it a fun habit to “spill the tea” at the dinner table when given the chance. These stories from her friends made Millie even more grateful to their lord Satan that she and Moxxie found each other and fell in love. For Heaven and Hell above, if a man ever talked to her like that now, they’d end up with a dagger straight to the heart…

And a bullet to the head at that because Moxxie wouldn’t hesitate to end him first if given the chance.

“I KNOW! I swear! I wish I had that much audacity to pull straight out my ass when need be,” they laughed before Millie’s heavy metal ringtone pierced the air. She pulled the device out of her pocket and saw her mother’s caller ID displayed in front of her. 

“Give me a second baby. It’s my mama.”

She got up from her seat and went to the living room. Moxxie could hear her answer the phone while he quickly scrolled through his, continuing to eat dinner. 

“Wait-”

“Mama, slow down! What happened?”

Moxxie looked up from his phone towards the living room, hearing his wife’s slight panic. 

“Well, are they ok?!...Ok ok! Yeah, that’s fine. Mox and I’ll meet y’all tomorrow.”

At that, Moxxie’s ears perked up even more. Something was clearly off, evident by what he could hear of the conversation. Millie took a few deep breaths before heading back into the kitchen with a worried look on her face.

“Hey, honey…you can be upset with me if ya want, but my Ma asked if we could watch Wyatt for a coupla’ days, and I kinda told her yes…”

Wyatt was the youngest of Millie’s siblings, an extremely quiet child but with a deadly wrath, the same as the others.

“Uhm, well, that shouldn’t be an issue, except we’ll have to figure out what to do about work…”

“I’ll talk to B and see what we can do…..…Sorry, I panicked and just agreed without askin’.”

“Did something happen?”

Millie started to type out a text to Blitz while answering her husband. “Yeah…apparently, the other two boys and my Pa got hurt real bad in the fields this afternoon in a tractor accident. Fuckin’ thing exploded on ‘em. I’d been tellin’ them that engine was no good since before you and I got married, but obviously, they didn’t listen.” 

A hint of annoyance laced her voice, and for good reason. Just more people who didn’t listen to her when she was talking. Though, she was more upset that her brothers and dad had gotten hurt more than anything. She put her phone on the table before joining her husband again to finish dinner. 

“Thank Satan that Sal wasn’t far from ‘em when it happened. She heard the explosion and called for help fast, according to my Ma…”

“...Are they going to be ok?” Moxxie questioned hesitantly, noticing the anxious aura that his wife now possessed.

“Well…they’re waitin’ to see. They’re all alive, but sounds like they’ll need more healin’ than what they’re used to…My Ma wants us to watch him since she and Sal will be at the doctor's with them for a bit, and I’m assumin’ all my other family are gonna be helpin’ on the farm…That leaves us as the only ones left to babysit…”

Her husband took her hand in his from across the table, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles for comfort as he usually did. 

“They’ll be alright. Your family is tough. They always bounce back fast…I’m sure we’ll figure out a good arrangement for Wyatt…” 

Millie flashed him a gentle smile. She was sure he could see the love for him boiling over in her eyes. From the day she introduced him, it was obvious that Millie’s family was not crazy about Moxxie, to put it nicely. Yet, he was always nothing but kind and polite to them regardless of how they treated him. It set her heart on fire to know how kind this wonderful imp was and that he picked her out of every other demon in Hell to be with, but she had come to terms with the fact that her family may never recognize Moxxie as a part of their clan, which broke her heart. But she knew. She knew who he was and the kind of heart he had, contributing to how much she loved him. 

“...Yeah……I suppose yer right, honey…”

 

---

 

Thursday Morning

The Knolastname couple waited at the elevator scheduled to arrive from Wrath for Lin and Wyatt, with Millie still nervous to hear about how her family was doing but also excited to see her mom and little brother. Moxxie felt even more nervous to speak with Lin, considering she wasn’t very fond of him.

His arm was slightly squeezed, and he looked to his side to see Millie putting her head on his shoulder with her hands rubbing his arm up and down. “Don’t worry. I don’t think she’ll be all uppity ta’day.” She wasn’t so sure about that, but if it made her Mox Mox feel better, she’d do it. 

“Mildred!” 

The two turned their heads to see Lin with Wyatt holding onto her hand. He had grown a little bigger since the last time they’d seen him, but not by much. He had recently turned six years old, not a toddler anymore, which stung Millie’s heart. 

He was born when she was in her very early 20s, and she had helped her Ma to take care of him when he was a small baby. She practically watched him grow from a small, tiny baby into a little boy before she left the ranch. That made her feel guilty from time to time, knowing that little Wyatt had his big sister with him every day on the farm, and then one day, she was gone. 

Millie ran up to her mom and embraced her in a big hug, with Moxxie following behind her. Lin looked all the same, but her stress and exhaustion from the previous day and night were evident. “How are Daddy and the boys?” Millie quickly asked while pulling away from her mother’s arms. 

“Well, on the bright side, doctors think they’ll all heal as necessary. But they ain’t gonna be able to work for a little while in the fields. At least they still got all their parts,” she said, handing Millie a duffle bag with Wyatt’s belongings. 

“Oh, Satan…Well, keep us updated, m’kay? We’ll send y’all updates ‘bout Wyatt every day.”

With that, Lin nodded to her and turned her attention to Moxxie. She put a hand on his shoulder, to his surprise, and glared at him with a serious look in her eye. “Now you, we have our differences, but I trusted you with my daughter. Don’t make me regret trustin’ you with my boy.” 

“Y-yes, ma’am,” Moxxie squeaked out, fully aware his mother-in-law had the strength to hunt him down if need be. Lin made one thing very clear to Moxxie at their initial meeting: do NOT make the mistake of fucking with her babies. 

Needless to say, it was obvious where Millie got her protective instincts from…

“Ok now, Wyatt. You be good fer yer sister, alright?”

Lin got down at eye level with her youngest, putting her hands on his shoulders to bring him into a tight hug. He gave her a single nod, agreeing with her before hugging his mother back. Lin gave him a final kiss on the forehead before standing back up to look at the couple one more time. 

“Sorry for the rushed trip, but I gotta get back to the hospital. Sallie’s stayin’ there right now while yer other relatives are workin’ the farm.”

“No problem at all, Ma. Tell the guys I love ‘em.”

Following their short exchange at the elevator, Lin got on the next lift back to Wrath, and Moxxie and Millie took Wyatt to the public transit station to head to their apartment. Wyatt didn’t say a word that entire time. He just held Millie’s hand as they led the way to their respective bus stop. His quiet nature wasn’t at all uncommon. He had never been much of a talker, and Millie chalked it up to him being stressed with everything that happened the day prior. 

The only words they got out of him were when Millie asked how school was going, followed by a small “Alright” from the imp boy. The ride back to Imp City was all the same, with Wyatt still holding Millie’s hand for the entire ride. Once they reached their stop and started their walk home, Millie couldn’t help but smile as she watched Wyatt’s reaction to the city. 

His eyes were wide in wonder and awe, and he gazed up at all the large, tall buildings, the lights, and the colors. Pride was a much different scene than Wrath, and for a young child who had only known the warm, dusty plains of the ring, this certainly had to be a shock. 

Millie’s reaction when she first visited Pride shortly after joining I.M.P. was undoubtedly the same. Wrathian imps avoided the big cities as much as possible, leaving them with pictures, videos, and their imagination to piece together what the ring looked like. As Wyatt quickly found out, it was more impressive in person. 

Getting back to Moxxie and Millie’s apartment, he was hesitant to step through the door, only entering when Millie assured him he was welcome in. Their home was much different from the ranch house he was used to. Different wallpaper, smaller space, different and more abundant decorations. One thing that was the same was the photos that adorned their walls. Multiple, lots even, of Millie and Moxxie together framed and displayed proudly on all walls. The mood reminded Wyatt of the pictures his Ma and Pa hung around their home. Maybe it was the joy, love, and warmth that radiated from them, a sense of family even. They were a family even though it was just the two of them…right? 

“Here ya go, Wyatt. We don’t have a spare room, so we borrowed a sleeping mattress from a friend for ya to rest on. The couch is comfortable, but I’m sure you prefer a bed over some sofa.” 

Millie spoke as she set his duffle bag down behind the sofa, and Moxxie started to set up the sleeping mattress for their tiny guest. He slipped his backpack off his shoulders, setting it down next to his other bag before wandering around the other side of the couch, inspecting the rest of their apartment. 

Millie headed to the bedroom to grab extra pillows and blankets for the mattress while Wyatt climbed onto the couple's couch. She was right. It was very comfy and soft, too. It was newer than the couches back at home. 

Moxxie stood by silently and watched him kicking his small hooves in the air. He wasn’t lying to Millie about being okay with helping babysit. Despite their attitudes toward him, Moxxie always considered his wife’s family his family, even if they didn’t want to acknowledge him as a part of their family. He’d always come in clutch for them, but internally he was panicking. 

He didn’t know a single thing about babysitting…or just children in general at that. How do you take care of them? What did little kids even like? He was a little kid before, unfortunately, not for very long. What did he remember about being a kid himself? Practically nothing…fear, abuse, and tiny memories of him and his mother here and there. 

“Um…Here, Wyatt. How about we put something on for you to relax a little bit?” He spoke, taking the remote to the television to find something to watch. Kids like TV, right? He sat beside his young brother-in-law and started flipping through the channels, aiming to find one geared towards children. 

He felt a small but tight grip grasp his hand with the remote and glanced down to see him flipping back through the channels only to land on one he had previously passed. A wrestling channel based in Wrath, and boy, oh boy, did the little guy's tail start wagging with intensity. Moxxie couldn’t help but have a smile form on his face. He couldn’t say he was surprised by his insistence, as Millie also loved to indulge in wrestling shows from time to time. 

And speaking of, she walked back into the living with several pillows, blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and actual pillows to give Wyatt some options. “Alrightly, I got a whole buncha’ differ-” she was cut off looking at the couch after setting the supplies down on the sleep mattress, with Moxxie following her gaze. Wyatt, who had been wide awake seconds ago, was curled up on the couch, fast asleep with his small tail draped over him. 

“He was awake right before you walked in…” Moxxie recalled in semi-shock.

“He’s probably real tired. Poor little guy’s gotta be stressed with everythin’ going on.” 

Millie took one of the softer, plusher blankets from the mattress and delicately tucked him into a cocoon-like style. “Let’s let him sleep for a little while. He could use a break from his usual routine.” 

The rest of the day went smoothly enough for having an extra little soul in their home. Once Wyatt woke up from his morning nap, he and Millie continued to watch some wrestling before Wyatt decided to play with some of the toys he brought along. At the same time, Moxxie prepared a grocery list to figure out what meals would be “child approved,” with Millie confirming that her sibling would eat almost anything served to him. Still, Wyatt was a guest, regardless of him being a kid. He deserved to enjoy the food he’d be eating for an uncountable amount of days at the moment, especially with the disruption to his schedule and routine of being on the farm. 

Tonight, Moxxie settled on chicken alfredo with a side of Caesar salad. Simple enough for a kid to like, right? Maybe except for the salad, but neither would force Wyatt to eat that if he declined. 

Dinner was served, with the married pair sitting in their usual seats at the round table, across from each other, with their visitor seated in the middle of the two. An unusual movement from his left side caught Moxxie’s attention. Wyatt seemed to be struggling to figure out how to get the pasta on his fork. 

Fettuccini pasta. He should’ve known that may not have been the best choice for a child who didn’t eat noodles often. “Oh, I’m sorry. I should have thought about that before,” he said before grabbing something from the utensil drawer. He grabbed a spoon and headed back to his seat before offering to show Wyatt a “trick.” 

“This is a hack my mother taught me when I was a little under your age.”

Taking the spoon and Wyatt’s fork that he handed to Moxxie, he demonstrated how to spin the noodles into a cluster to make it easier for him. “Just make sure you don’t get too many at one time because then it’ll be too much for one bite.” From then, Wyatt didn’t seem to have any trouble. Everyone continued eating as they were before, but the corner of Millie’s mouth raised into a smile, seeing how sweet her husband was to her brother. 

Come to think of it, this was the first time that Moxxie interacted one-on-one with any of her siblings. Sallie May never had a private conversation with him, but she didn’t dislike Moxxie. Her sister’s choice of partner did confuse her initially, and after she visited Pride a few months ago to have some sister time with Millie, seeing how Moxxie treated her sister made her see how much they both loved each other. Maybe she didn’t completely get it, but if anyone in their family believed that love was love and you deserved to love whoever your heart desired, it was Sallie May. 

Their brothers Roy and Elmer didn’t seem all that interested in getting to know their sister’s husband. Roy, being the eldest, of course, made him feel inclined to protect Millie, but he knew his sister was more than capable of defending and taking care of herself. He would never say it to her face, but the first time he saw Moxxie, he knew there was not a chance in hell he’d have any need to protect her from him…and not in a complementary way. Being in his pre-teen years, Elmer didn’t have much of an opinion of him but agreed with the rest of their immediate family that he thought Millie could “do better.”  

That left Wyatt, who was still a baby when Moxxie and Millie started dating. He basically hadn’t known much of a life without the two being together, and at six years old, it was confusing hearing the comments his family would make about his sister’s husband. Before the last Harvest Moon Festival, he heard Lin and Joe complaining about Millie bringing along her “snowflake husband,” and when asking Joe why he and Ma always referred to him as such, he only got the response, “Cause’ yer sister ain’t married to a real man. A tough, strong, brutal man. Don’t be like him when ya grow up, son. Be better.”

Being a child, he just believed whatever his parents and other siblings said. Even so, hearing his father’s voice say that in his head at the moment was strange because since getting to Pride, Moxxie seemed so nice. 

The ending of the night went smoothly. Moxxie did the dishes while Millie set up a bath for Wyatt, breaking the news to him that they bathed every single day. Eventually, it was time for him to get some sleep, and Millie helped him get settled on his temporary bed. 

“Remember, bub, if ya need anythin’, our room’s right here. Just come and get me, m’kay?”

He nodded his head with a purr as Millie ruffled his hair before turning out the living room lights, the only source of illumination in the apartment being the light over the sink Moxxie left on “in case he’s not a fan of the dark,” even when Millie assured him he’d be fine. 

“Sweet dreams, Wyotie~” she whispered before closing the door to their bedroom, ready to get some sleep of her own.

 

---

 

Millie finished putting on her pajamas when Moxxie climbed under the covers of their bed, making himself cozy while waiting for his dear wife. She soon followed his lead and created her own little nest in the bed. All the while, Moxxie read through texts he missed when he was preoccupied with his after-dinner chores. 

It was fun to have some bonding time with her siblings again, especially Wyatt since he was so young. Still, despite the fact that it had only been one day, she craved her alone time with Moxxie. She shuffled herself next to him to get in some cuddle time before sleep whisked them away for the night, to which Moxxie reciprocated, snuggling up next to her. 

As he reached to turn off the bedside lamp, Millie spoke up to him, causing him to pause. 

"Hey, baby...I think it's real sweet that yer tryin' to make Wyatt comfortable here, but I promise you can tell me if you're anxious..."

Moxxie flicked off the lamp before laying back down, his arm draped around Millie's shoulder. "I promise, honey. I'm fine."

"Well, I know yer feeling "fine,"...but yer kinda acting how you do when yer nervous about somethin'..." She rubbed a hand against his chest as she finished, feeling his tail ask for permission to coil around hers. She silently intertwined them together, the same way they did every night.

"Millie, darling...You have my word. I really am ok, sweetie...It's just...Well, you know how I can be around kids. I'm not always 100% sure if I'm doing things right. I'm being cautious, is all. After all, Wyatt's just a little kid. I want him to feel safe here while he's staying with us."

"And I love that you're so considerate of others, baby. But...Just don't feel like ya have to tiptoe around him, is all I'm sayin'. He's always been a very relaxed child, and ya have me ta help you, too, if ya ain't sure about how to handle stuff."

Moxxie opened his eyes to meet hers, a tiny smile spreading across his face, and she did the same. He pulled her in tighter before the pair cocooned themselves together in a firm sleeping, comfortable sleeping position.

"You always know what to say."

"So do you, hun~"

"Sweet dreams, cara mia~"

"Night, baby~"

Notes:

Hey y'all!

As I said in the intro, the other parts will be coming soon! I have one more final this week, and then I am FREE!🫠🙏

Well...at least until January...🥲

But anyway, all the other parts of this are finished. I just decided to publish this part today to give you guys a little treat😊

I hope you enjoyed this, and have a great weekend!

Chapter 19: Brothersitting (Part 2)

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie agree to babysit Millie's youngest brother for a few days...

Notes:

Warnings:

- Sexual talk at the end.

Friday Morning

Moxxie rubbed his eyes, feeling himself becoming conscious. As he grew awake, he felt a weight at his side, only to find Millie clinging onto him in her sleep, purring softly. He gently moved to embrace her back, nuzzling into her, when he felt a hand run through his hair.

Millie slowly opened her eyes to find herself in her favorite spot, in the arms of her adoring, loving husband, wrapped in the warmth and comfort of each other’s bodies and the blankets of their bed. They did their morning greetings before Moxxie remembered their guest sleeping in the living room. 

“Do you think it’s safe to go out there? It’s still early, and I don’t want to wake your brother up.”

“Mmm, knowin’ how early they get up on the farm, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was already awake. Even if he’s not, we’re all heavy sleepers, so you shouldn’t have ta worry.”

“Well, I was thinking I could make you both breakfast…Maybe twice spiced pancakes?”

Millie, still resting her eyes, opened one with a smirk. That was one of her absolute favorite things that Moxxie made. It was mostly a Saturday morning treat since the preparation took some extra work, but anything for his wife, his sweetie pie. 

Plus, kids liked sugary breakfast, right?

It wouldn’t be an issue since Blitz gave them some paid time off until Wyatt could return to Wrath.

“That sounds divine, but I’ll warn ya ahead of time that, like me, Wyatt’s got the appetite of a grown man.” she joked.

Moxxie rubbed her upper back before deciding to get up and ready. “I’m sure I can manage.” 

“If ya don’t mind, I’m gonna try to sleep for a little bit longer.”

“Whatever you wish, honey. Rest. I’ve got it all under control~”

 

---

 

Moxxie kept as quiet as possible to not wake Wyatt or Millie as he started to heat the pan for his batter. So far, he had success while mixing everything and gathering all the dishes needed. Suddenly, he felt something tugging on his pajama pants. Wyatt stood beside him, looking straight into his eyes when he peeked down. His silence caught Moxxie off guard, as he never heard him approaching, but he flashed a smile anyway.

“Good morning. I’m making breakfast for you and your sister…And I’m assuming that you like these, just like her, because it’s a Wrath-based dish.”

The small boy's only response was another tug, this time on the tail, causing Moxxie to look down again and see Wyatt pointing up toward the stove. Slightly confused, he looked at him for seconds before something clicked in his head.

“Oh! You want to get up here?” 

His question was answered by a head nod and an ever-so-slight tail wag. “Ok, I can make that work.” Moxxie let the first pancake cook before stopping to grab a chair from their dining table for Wyatt to use as a step stool that he climbed without hesitation. Not a word was spoken when Moxxie was cooking, and Wyatt simply watched him like a small kitchen elf. 

It was a little awkward having someone watch him cook so intently, but hey, it was some company. The entire time, Moxxie continued to pour the batter and flip the pancakes; all the while, Wyatt gently swung his small legs back and forth, watching him work. It reminded him of home, when he would watch his Ma and Pa – and even their other siblings help sometimes – cooking in their small farmhouse kitchen. 

He stared at the food cooking on the pan, disassociating while thinking of his family back in another ring, particularly his dad and brothers, wondering if they were ok. Moxxie recognized the look painted on his face all too well, the face of guilt and worry. He knew that look all his life, especially after his mother…disappeared. 

Knowing there were other poor implings in Hell who had to suffer through that stress made his heart sore. Moxxie may have been a demon from Hell, one of the worst dimensions in the universe, but he wasn’t heartless, especially when it came to small children. 

Not sure what else to do to distract him, he got an idea after taking the last pancake off the stove. “Hey…Have you ever put faces on pancakes before?” Maybe it was a stupid question, but he was trying to think of anything to cheer the little guy up. Wyatt’s eyes met his for a few seconds before slowly shaking his head and looking down at his hooves. 

“...Here. How about I show you? It’s pretty fun to do. Millie loves it.”

Moxxie extended his hand, and Wyatt stared at it, blinking without any facial indication of his thoughts. He hesitantly took the offer, and Moxxie helped him down from the counter before taking the platter of pancakes and heading over to the dining table. Wyatt observed him again as he took the homemade spicy maple honey syrup he had made earlier and poured it into a squeeze bottle. 

“So, this is usually how I do it, but you can make whatever you want. It’s thick enough for you to make all kinds of shapes.” He started to shape out a smile with the topping on a pancake he isolated on a serving plate before adding a pair of eyes and a set of horns to mimic an imp’s face. 

The kitchen was silent once he finished. Moxxie cringed to himself in his mind, taking Wyatt’s silence as a sign he had just made things weirder before the boy let out a closed-lip giggle and wagged his tail. He looked up at Moxxie with a smile, which Moxxie returned, internally taking a sigh of relief. 

“Here you go. Have at it while I go put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.” He handed the squeeze bottle to Wyatt before tending to the stove area. The imp boy continued to get creative, making animal and demon faces on pancake after pancake before he spotted Millie walking in from around the corner.

“Well, look who it is! Someone’s up nice and early.”

She gently noogied him on the head, getting a purr out of him. She gave Moxxie a hug from behind before kissing his cheek. Wyatt couldn’t help but pause his activity to watch. The way they acted towards each other…

It was so similar to how Ma and Pa would love up on each other at home…

But at the same time, seeing his sister be all lovey-dovey and smoochy with someone was gross…

“Did you get enough sleep, honey?” 

“Sure did! I feel great! And from the looks of it, I must’ve slept fer a good amount of extra time. You did a lot, Mox.”

“Well…I had a little help from a volunteer.” He looked over his shoulder from the sink at Wyatt, flashing him a smile, prompting Millie to look back at her baby brother. 

“Awww, Wyotie! How nice of ya! Whatcha workin’ on?” 

“...These…” he spoke quietly, showing off his mini pancake people. 

“They’re precious, buddy! Great job!” Millie praised her brother before the three sat down to eat. 

She was relieved that the two had some alone time together, even if it was most likely silent. Millie felt tense about how Wyatt and Moxxie would get on, considering how her other siblings mainly avoided him if possible. Seeing them together and even interacting lifted a weight off her shoulders. And it was genuinely sweet to watch Moxxie being patient and gentle with him. Staring at the syrupy faces on her plate, Millie felt an idea encroaching on her. 

“Ya know, Wyatt…Moxxie loves to draw, just like you. He’s real good at it as well! Maybe you could show him some of yer drawin’s later.”

Moxxie swallowed the bite he was on before looking over at the smaller imp. “Is that so? You like to draw?” His question was followed by an enthusiastic head nod with a slight tail wag from the boy. 

“Well then, like Millie said, you might have to show me some of your drawings while you’re here. It’s a great past time!” 

With that, breakfast eventually ended, and Millie took her and Wyatt into the bedroom to get dressed, help him get ready for the day, and, most importantly, call Lin and Sallie to check on their family. 

Moxxie had just finished cleaning the kitchen when the two made their way out of the bedroom. Wyatt sat on the floor, gathering some of his toys to play while Millie walked back into the kitchen to speak with her husband. 

“I just got off the phone with my Ma, honey.”

“Oh yeah? How are she and Sallie? Any news about your father and brothers?”

“Well, she said her and Sal are alright, but I’m sure they’re tired from all this. According to that doctor they got, Pa, Roy, and Elmer should be fine, but…they’ll um…they’ll definitely need..some time to heal up back ta normal, ya know?...”

Moxxie turned the faucet off once he picked up on the unusual tone in his wife’s voice. He turned his head to face her, to catch her obviously trying to keep her normal, carefree composure. 

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothin’...”

“...Oh, Millie…It’s alright.”

He welcomed her in a tight hug, which she returned before a few small tears left her eyes. Moxxie rubbed her back a few times while whispering reassuring words to her over and over to calm her down.

“I was really worried…I’ve lived in farmlands my whole life and seen people die and become critically injured time and time again over these kinds of accidents.” 

“I know…I was stressed, too. It’s all going to be ok.”

The couple were unaware that the little boy they were in charge of was watching the scene before him, completely shocked by what he saw. Millie…crying? Millie being sad? Upset? This was a completely impossible idea for him until now. She was what everyone they knew referred to as “Tough as nails,” “A crazy bitch,” “Thick skinned,” “Strong as an ox,” and “A real, true beast.”

All his life, he had never seen an ounce of sadness in his sister. She was either on a rage binge, a killing spree, or as bright as sunshine, but never this. Whatever “this” was. Honestly, aside from confusion, he felt uneasy, and he couldn’t understand why.

He turned the other cheek and continued playing on the floor, cautiously listening in on the conversation between husband and wife in the kitchen. The most he could decipher was Moxxie repeating words of comfort to her and, eventually, Millie talking about the details regarding their father and brothers’ conditions before they continued their day.

 

---

 

Friday Evening

“Howdy there, Mamaw!” 

Millie answered her phone, seeing that her grandmother was calling. Wyatt sat at the couple’s coffee table, drawing with some scratch paper and colored pencils that he had brought along. His head shot up when he heard his sister speaking to a familiar name, and their eyes locked. 

“Hey there, Mildred! How are ya?”

“I’m doin’ well! How ‘bout you and all the craziness on the ranch?”

Wyatt put down his pencils and joined Millie on the couch as she put their grandmother on speakerphone so they could both be included in the conversation.

“Well, I and everyone else is doin’ mighty fine, but Satan have mercy, yer Momma is stressin’ me out!”

“I reckon it’s a normal situation ta be stressed…Though I know what ya mean. I spoke with her and Sallie May this mornin’, and she seemed a little…Well, yeah, stressed…” She finished as Wyatt climbed into her lap to cuddle. 

“I suppose yer right. Sallie seems to be keepin’ her calm, though. How are you and little Wyatt doin’? I heard he was stayin’ with you and Moxxie til someone was available to watch him.”

“We’re both well! We’ve been havin’ fun catchin’ up and whatnot. He was just drawin’ before you called.” 

“Well, I’m glad you both get to spend time together during all this. Speaking of, how’s that handsome little freckled musician of yours?” 

Millie let out a short giggle, ruffling Wyatt’s hair, responding, “He’s doin’ just fine, Maw. He’s in the shower. He gave Wyatt and me the bathroom first so I could get him readied for bed.”

“Good, good. Well, darlin’, I’ll let you and Wyatt get back to it. Have a good night, you two, and tell Moxxie I say howdy.” 

“Will do Mawmaw! Have a good night.” Millie spoke before Wyatt said his goodbyes.

“Bye, Mamaw!”

“Bye, honey bun! Be good for Millie and Moxxie!”

Millie placed her phone on the table when their grandmother hung up. Wyatt cuddled into his sister’s arms as she lightly scratched his head, hearing him purr in contentment. It reminded her of the days when he was just a tiny baby, and she’d watch after him while Joe and Lin needed to tend to other chores around the ranch. 

“...Milzie, I have a question.”

“What’s that, Wy Wy?”

“Why do Ma and Pa always say ugly things ‘bout yer husban’?”

Millie’s smile dropped, and her tail curled in on itself. It was an odd question coming from a six-year-old and one that made her stomach churn. She and all her siblings knew that Lin and Joe disapproved of her and Moxxie’s marriage, but to have her young brother ask about such a complex issue was…uncomfortable, to say the least. 

“.......Well, I don’t really have an answer fer that, Wyotie…But…I don’t necessarily think it’s Moxxie they dislike. Him as a person, I mean…I just think they don’t like the fact that we’re in a relationship together.”

“But why?”

“I wish I knew, honey…Sometimes, I think that people don’t like things they don’t understand, and I think that my marriage with Moxxie confuses them a little bit. Parents can be silly like that sometimes…”

Millie’s mind returned to the conversation she and Wyatt had earlier with Lin. “Is that husband of yours taking good care of my boy?” “I swear, Mildred, if my boy comes back home a sissy!” “Wyatt, don’t come home acting like a sensitive thespian now. You hear me?!” As much as Millie loved her mother, it was enough to make her snarl inside and have her gut bubbling in a heated, wrathful rage. For the love of Satan, she’d never understand why they couldn’t just leave it alone. Her parents always loved and supported her unconditionally until Moxxie came along, but Millie never thought it was fair. Her brother got to marry someone he truly loved, so why couldn’t she?

“......Mama and Pa always got somethin’ ta say when they talk ‘bout you and him at home with the folks. ‘Bout how they think ya could have gotten a better offer…but he’s treatin’ me so nice…And I see him treatin’ ya so nice…Why don’t they like you havin’ a husban’ who treats you nice, Mill Moo?”

Millie looked down and smiled at him sweetly, petting the space between his horns. “Yer right. He treats me so well. He treats me like I’m the queen of the world. He’s helped me and given me so much…Moxxie likes ta be nice ta people ‘cause he knows what it’s like not to have nice people around….I think Mama and Daddy just worry too much ‘bout us sometimes, is all.”

“...I like that yer husban’ is nice, Mills……Seein’ y’all love each other is yucky, though!” he exaggerated a gag, and Millie responded with a chuckle. Brothers, they all think love stuff is “yucky.”

“Well, ya don’t have to look when we’re lovin’ on each other, bud!” 

She noogied his head again, giggling with him and playing along. Just then, Moxxie walked out of the bedroom, dressed in pajamas and freshened up from his shower. 

“Hey, did I miss anything important?” he directed his question at Millie.

“Nah, nothin’ much, honey,” She answered before looking back at Wyatt. “Hey, bud, ya wanna ask him? Ya got about an hour til bedtime.”

Moxxie watched with mild confusion about what his wife meant until Wyatt hopped down from the couch and approached him. They stared at each other before the younger imp spoke softly, “Draw with me…please?”

Moxxie was slightly taken aback by this request. This was really the first time he believed Wyatt ever spoke to him directly, and asking him to play? He wasn’t sure how to process this all at once…

“Uhm, y-yeah! Of course! If you want-” he didn’t even finish his sentence before Wyatt took his hand, leading him to sit next to him at the coffee table. 

Millie sat with them and watched Moxxie cautiously interact with his tiny brother-in-law. Eventually, he became more secure in his actions, and the two drew together until the night came to an end.

 

---

 

Saturday Morning

“Alrighty, Wyatt, you know the rules. No kickin’, punchin’, bitin’, or incitin’ any other form of violence against another youngin’. UNLESS?”

Millie asked her brother, helping him get out of the van. She could already see the fuel in his eyes before his hooves hit the ground.

“Unless they decide to pick a fight with me first?”

“That’s right. Good boy!” She responded by ruffling his hair as he hopped out of the van. “We’ll be here watchin’ ya, but it don’t look like there’s many people here. So knock yerself out. Just be careful.” 

And with that, he was off, sprinting towards the dirt and sand before him with the speed of a cheetah, making Millie snicker to herself. She remembered those days when she had full range of the fields her family owned. For a young boy like Wyatt, though, it had to be an adjustment when he suddenly was limited and cramped in the space he had to run and play. She and Moxxie’s one-bedroom apartment simply wouldn’t do for the amount of energy that boy had. 

“Damn, he needs a job? We could make good use of speed like that.” Blitz made his way to her with Moxxie in tow, watching their temporary guest have at it with the park’s play set. 

“Well, ya know, I guess it couldn’t hurt ta get a head start,” she joked back, leaning against the side of the I.M.P. van. 

Since she and Moxxie didn’t have a car, they asked Blitz if they could borrow the van since the park was too far of a walk from their apartment. And, of course, it gave the three a chance to talk about the business and other happenings in their adult lives since M&M hadn’t been at work with Wyatt around. Consider it a win-win for all four of them. 

“Sir, I wanted to mention to you that when Millie and I get back to the office, I think that we could all benefit from a discussion regarding our weapon room. It’s been getting cluttered, and I think we could organize it better.” 

“Mmmmm…You’re probably right. Do we have the budget for it?” 

“I would have to look it over again once we return to the office, but we’ve recovered significantly since- …..Well…” 

“Oh, really, Moxxie? Here in the park in front of all these little puss turds, and you’re gonna bring it up here of all places?! Real classy!”

Millie just giggled at Blitz’s obvious joking around with her darling husband, knowing that he would make a retort.

“Sir! I did not even reference that!”

“No, but the fact that you’re thinking about it now after I bring up the budget means that you and I were thinking about the same incident!”

“Is this a legitimate argument of yours, or are you just purposefully trying to get under my skin?”

Just when he finished, Moxxie felt something pulling on his tail and looked down to see Wyatt with both hands gripped onto it, trying to get his attention.

“Oh, hello there, little guy…What’s the matter?”

“Ya can’t be ready ta leave yet, Wyotie. We’ve only been here fer about 40 minutes.”

He looked back into Moxxie’s eyes, staying as silent as ever before, nodding his head toward where he was previously playing. Moxxie’s gaze followed his a few times before the lightbulbs in his head went off.

“You want me to go with you?” he asked, almost confused. He was being invited…to play…AGAIN? Sure, being a 28-year-old grown man complimented by a six-year-old child’s request was odd, but he was certainly shocked. If anything, he would have assumed Millie would have been the one he would ask first, considering they were siblings. Seeing the surprise in her husband’s face and demeanor, Millie decided to step in.

“Look, Wyatt, how ‘bout I go with ya?”

“N-no, it’s fine Millie, really. I was just stunned is all.” Moxxie replied to his wife flashing her a smile to reassure her that he truly was ok with it. Of course, on the inside he was honestly nervous, and Millie knew him too well not to see that.

“Alright then. Lead the way.” Moxxie offered his hand to Wyatt and allowed him to take him to the play site. 

Millie watched along while smiling genuinely, seeing her husband with her baby brother. Wyatt’s version of “playing” wasn’t the traditional version most would think of. Really, he had Moxxie helping him climb in places too high or difficult for him to reach. Nonetheless, it was absolutely adorable, not to mention sweet, to watch Moxxie step out of his comfort zone a little bit. 

Millie knew that Moxxie liked kids, but he also confided in her that they made him nervous mostly because he wasn’t an expert on child psychology. She couldn’t blame him. To her, children were easy because she was always around young kids as she grew up. Taking care of them was like second nature to her. However, Moxxie was never around other kids while growing up. He had no one to play with or talk to, and his childhood was cut rather short. So, interacting with kids was very foreign to him. Though, he seemed to be handling Wyatt extremely well. 

“Ya know…I never thought Moxxie was the type to be good with kids. Tbh, I imagined he’d be the type of guy that kids would bully for fun.” Blitz joked, watching Moxxie and Wyatt together. Millie smiled even more than before, admiring the scene in front of her. 

“Yeah…I was kinda scared for this week cause…kids tend ta stress him out, but he’s been so good and patient and gentle with him. It is really cute. I can’t say I’m that surprised, though. Little babies absolutely love Moxxie!”

“Really?! So baby dick attracts other babies?” 

Millie scoffed in both amusement and defensiveness at Blitz’s long-running and largely crass joke.

“Yeah! I can’t explain it. It just seems like wherever we are, if there’s an upset little one around, the second they catch a look at his face, suddenly they’re fine! This one distant cousin of mine, anytime we head to Wrath, and her little one’s around, Moxxie is the one she hands the baby to because the second she’s in his arms, it’s like she forgets why she’s cryin’ in the first place!...He’s just talented with ‘em.”

“.....And is he ok with that?”

“Oh, he gets nervous, but he just holds ‘em til they’re calm. Quite literally like the magic touch. And I always stay by just in case it’s too much.”

Millie and Blitz continued talking, watching Moxxie and Wyatt “play” throughout the morning. Millie’s heart was absolutely feeling some kind of way, but she didn’t have the words to describe this feeling of happiness she was experiencing. Blitz caught on to her staring well before saying anything. He teased Moxxie until he could see his freckled face beginning to twitch. Still, even he had to admit that watching his sniper interact with a young impling was quite adorable and sickly sweet, especially knowing what Moxxie’s past and childhood looked like.

He smirked, looking at the admiration that Millie held on her face for her husband before getting the urge to poke and have a little bit of fun. Millie might have been his best friend, but not even she was spared from his jokes when he felt the impulse strike.

“WELL, you know, since we’ve established that baby dick is fuckable as all hell, maybe that means you two could start taking some classes on the birds and the bees…”

“Why do ya say that? Ya already know we do it…you’ve literally watched us….HUNDREDS of times, from my understandin’,” she rolled her eyes playfully.

“Whatever you say, Mills. All I’m saying is that pegging doesn’t make babies. You two know that, right?”

“Now, what are ya implyin’?!”

“Nothing, nothing! I’m just giving you some friendly advice in case no one ever told you how babies were made.” 

Millie playfully crossed her arms in defiance, “In case you’ve forgotten, I lived on a farm with animals my whole life, B! I know how nature works!.....And respectfully, in the bedroom, it’s me, Moxxie, and my very effective implant. Thank you very much!”

“Yeah, and the fourth member is the strap.”

Millie giggled in offense. She gaily punched Blitz in the arm, albeit hard enough for him to wince, as payback for his words. Eventually, the two began to playfight as Moxxie and Wyatt continued their own activities for the remainder of the morning.

Notes:

Alrighty, guys, here's part 2!

Told y'all it'd be out fast.

Also, I completed my last final for the semester this afternoon!🙏🥳

That being said, please forgive any typos that you may find in this chapter😅

So that means I will be submitting more stuff soon...

All I can say is prepare yourselves to be bombarded😈

That is all I have today, though! The next part should be appearing sometime later in the week.

Chapter 20: Brothersitting (Part 3)

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie agree to babysit Millie's youngest brother for a few days...

Saturday Afternoon

“Oh, fuck!...”

Moxxie muttered a curse under his breath, his eraser sliding across the paper. He had been secluded in his and Millie’s tiny, cramped home office. Currently, he was gripped by an intense artist's block. This was his fifth attempt to write a line to the song he had been composing for Millie for the past several weeks, and for whatever reason, he just couldn’t get this line to scratch the right itch in his brain. 

He grabbed his guitar again to try out a few tunes to experiment before he heard the door to the office slowly squeak open. Turning around in his chair, he saw Wyatt clinging to the doorknob, his tiny body being too short to reach the handle while standing on his hooves. He hopped down to come face to face with Moxxie sitting at the small, compact desk, papers strewn about. Some of Millie’s specialty knives, axes, and swords lined the walls. The only light to be provided was coming from the lamp on the desk. 

“Hello…Did you have a good nap?”

Wyatt walked over to him carefully, avoiding the boxes on the floor. Once he reached the chair, he raised his arms. Moxxie read between the lines and picked him up to sit with him. 

Wyatt’s eyes scanned across the papers that Moxxie had scattered about, studying the unfamiliar lines and shapes written across them repetitively. 

“...It’s a new song I’ve been working on….For your sister. Don’t tell her, though. It’s a surprise.” 

Moxxie patted Wyatt on the head, telling him about his little secret. The song wasn’t meant for any special occasion. Just a new piece to spoil and gush over his perfect wife. Wyatt pulled out a small square from his pocket and held it out to his brother-in-law. Moxxie accepted the mysterious object, feeling it between his fingers, and discovered it was a folded-up piece of paper. He opened up the gift to find a drawing of what looked like his and Millie’s family’s ranch. In the background was the farmhouse, and featured in the center were what looked to be Joe, Lin, Wyatt, Sallie May, Millie, their sister-in-law, and their two other brothers. 

On the side of Millie, though, was another figure, with curved striped horns and a big red bow tie…

Moxxie’s heart melted, and he couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across his face. 

“Awwww! That’s so sweet of you!” he praised him, trying to hand his drawing back to the imp boy, but he held his hand out to stop him, slowly shaking his head. He pushed Moxxie’s hand, holding the drawing to the older imp’s chest, giving him a nonverbal signal not to return the picture. 

Moxxie, understanding what he was trying to do, took a thumb tack from the corkboard on the wall and stuck the drawing to the board, displaying it front and center. 

“Well then, don’t mind if I do, buddy! Thank you!”

Both imps admired the drawing in its new place. Wyatt stared in awe that his artwork had been displayed front and center in a place that was obviously very intimate to his sister’s husband—a place where he spent a lot of his spare time…

“.....How would you feel about having a snack? It’s been a few hours since lunch, and you’re probably still hungry after all that running around at the park this morning.” 

He helped Wyatt down before getting up and offering him a hand, which he held onto as they exited the office.

“...We can whip something up to surprise Millie with when she wakes up as well. She loves to snack after naps.”

 

---

 

Monday Afternoon

Millie hummed along to the song in her headphones as she gathered all the dirty laundry in her and Moxxie’s bathroom, along with all of Wyatt’s clothes that he had gone through so far. This was currently day five of him staying with the couple, and Millie knew good and well living with brothers her entire life, until Sallie May came out, that little boys’ laundry did not smell pleasant, especially with them hoopin’ and a hollerin’ around all day long. It was time for all of them to get some fresh laundry, anyway, as they hadn't done a good job of keeping up with it this week. 

Moxxie had gone through all of Wyatt’s clothes, which he noticed had holes and tears in them. He took the time to patch and sew any rips to make sure the little boy could live comfortably in his clothes again. Millie told him there was no need, knowing her brother, they would probably rip again or get more holes anyway, but her husband insisted. She smiled, running her fingers over the fresh stitches in the garments before tossing them in the washer. Seeing how much Wyatt became attached to her husband the past couple of days became more endearing every new hour. 

She walked away from their laundry closet, allowing the washer to do its thing, when she heard talking in the kitchen after she took off her headphones. Her hooves came to a halt once she heard the conversation happening. 

“Let’s try this! It’s a trick that I learned when I was younger. Do you know what 2 x 5 is?”

“Umm…10?”

“Yep! That’s right! So, you’re going to put the 10 right here, and then you’re going to add 7 to that, which is going to be?”

“....17?”

“Yeah! Good job! Now, you can add your decimal point. The tenths place is going to be one decimal space, so when you write 17 right here…”

She quietly walked away, not to give up her position. Without looking in the mirror, she already knew her face was about five shades a deeper red because how utterly, freaking, stinkin’ cute! She went back to the bedroom to give them some quiet space to work, but even while scrolling on her phone, she couldn’t stop thinking about and adoring what she had just seen. 

Every day that Wyatt was here with them, it seemed the closer he and Moxxie became, the more she loved watching the two together. It was always Wyatt approaching Moxxie to play or for help, but she honestly didn’t mind. She thought it was sweet. And for Moxxie, his nerves eased over time. Once he got the hang of things, that is. Millie actually found herself speechless a few times at how calm Wyatt was for Moxxie, as she knew full well how wild she and all her siblings were at a young age, including Wyatt. Once again, her husband proved to have a natural talent for taming and caring for kids. 

That night, Millie had to control herself from jumping all over him when they were alone after almost a week’s worth of observing the relationship Moxxie had grown with Wyatt. She couldn’t deny it; she had always wanted a man who was good with kids. Something about that was so exponentially attractive to her. 

Moxxie turned off the light and made himself comfortable in their mattress, sheets, and blankets. Not far behind him, Millie did the same; however, she made herself comfortable cuddling into him, purring softly and affectionately while her tail coiled around his. 

“Any new news on your father and brothers today?” Moxxie inquired.

“Wyatt and I were just talkin’ ‘bout that while ya were in the shower. My Mama and Sal said that they’re all healin’ up well. Doc thinks they should be back workin’ in about a month ‘n half if they do what they should.”

“That’s great!” he whispered to her, pulling the blanket over the both of them. “I told you they would be okay.” 

“Yeah, yeah! I know you were right again, mister smarty pants,” she joked and gave him a kiss on the cheek while he returned with one on her forehead before they retired to sleep. 

 

---

 

Tuesday Afternoon

“Mox! Wyatt! I’m bac-”

“SISSY! LOOK WHAT MOXXIE MADE!”

Her eyes widened in awe and surprise when she saw her husband’s creation in the center of their living room. A large pillow fort taking up the majority of the space was built with such detail that she was shocked and speechless. Being the second oldest, Millie was no stranger to pillow forts. In fact, the times she and her siblings would make them were some of her fondest childhood memories, which Moxxie was well aware of as she talked about them from time to time.

Wyatt ran back towards the fort, screaming with delight as Millie stared in surprise. 

“Wh-...What is this?!”

“You like it? I remembered you talking about these and decided to do my research. I’d been looking up different techniques people have to put them together.” Moxxie walked over to his wife, seeing her face light up at his project. 

Moxxie was never allowed to do anything like this growing up, and anytime Millie would reminisce on those memories with her siblings, while it made him happy to hear about them, he felt awkward simply because he couldn’t relate. He could have asked his wife for help instead of doing all the work himself, but he wanted to surprise her and Wyatt, knowing how important this sort of activity was to both of their childhoods. 

“Honestly, it isn’t as hard as I thou-”

Millie cut him off with a kiss on the lips before Wyatt interrupted them. 

“EWW! MILLIE STOP IT THAT’S GROSS!”

She giggled and rolled her eyes before Moxxie released her from the hug he pulled her into. “Go…I’ve got this handled,” he told her, taking the grocery bags from her hands. She didn’t need to say anything for him to see the wanting in her eyes to explore the fort with their guest. She smiled in return before kissing him quickly another time. 

“SISSY!”

“I’m comin’, Wyotie! And use yer inside voice!”

Notes:

Hey guys.

Happy Sunday!

There is one more part left of "Brothersitting".

Sorry, I would have posted the last part with this as one last big chapter, but I decided against it because it would've been pretty lengthy. This part is pretty short, but the next part is longer. So prepare for that!

I would like to post that sometime tomorrow.

The only reason this part took me a while to post is because I traveled back home to be with my family for the holidays, but now I have a lot of time on my hands to give y'all more content!😊

Until next time, have a good day!

Chapter 21: Brothersitting (Part 4)

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie talk about things after Wyatt goes home...

Friday Morning

Moxxie, Millie, and Wyatt sat on a bench together at the elevator station, waiting for Lin. 

Sadly for the three of them, it was time for Wyatt to go home to Wrath...

Joe and the two other boys were still in the hospital and doing much better, which was great. However, it also meant that Lin and Sallie could finally have some spare time to begin working on the farm again and look after Wyatt. When Lin called Millie to share the news, she was excited to hear her Pa and brothers were getting better quickly, but she had to hide her disappointment about sending her little Wyotie back. 

Wyatt sat in Millie's lap while she held him in her arms, his small tail intertwined with his sister's longer one in an affectionate way. Moxxie sat beside them, waiting patiently as usual. His face stayed neutral the entire bus ride to the elevator and the entire time they sat there waiting for his mother-in-law. Millie even struggled to read his emotions, but she could tell something about her husband wasn't right. Maybe he was upset Wyatt would be leaving them? They had grown close during the past week. Or maybe she was just overreacting, and he was just being Moxxie?...

Her train of thought was interrupted by a sniffle below her chin. She looked down to see Wyatt wipe away a tear from his cheek before putting back on that stoic look he typically had. 

"Aww, cheer up, buttercup! I promise ya that we'll be vistin' soon ta see ya! And maybe we can convince Ma and Pa to let ya come here fer a few days to visit once everythin' on the ranch gets back up and runnin' as usual! Don't ya think that sounds like a fun idea, Mox?" His wife beamed, looking back towards her husband for his input and, hopefully, some reinforcement to help raise Wyatt's spirits.

"Hmm...?" was all he responded with before looking at his wife, registering her words, "Oh!...Yeah! I agree. I think that would be a fantastic idea, Millie...As long as Lin and Joe are ok with it, you can come see us any time you want, Wyatt!" he finished, patting the young boy's head as a smile replaced the sad look he previously had.

Before they could say much of anything else, all three turned their heads toward the elevator that was arriving from Wrath. "Come on, bubba. Let's go find Ma..." Millie told her brother, helping him down from her lap. As they approached, they spotted a more well-put-together, rested-looking Lin waving to them. Wyatt let go of Millie's hand to run up to his mother, who he had missed dearly since he was away from home.

"Oh! My little Wyotie!" Lin gleamed, kneeling down to greet her youngest. 

"Mama!" 

Wyatt clashed with her in a big, tight hug reciprocated by his mother. She stood up to speak with her daughter briefly as she and Wyatt waited for the next elevator to go home. 

"How was y'all little...well...not so little visit?"

"It was great, Mama! We had lots of fun, didn't we, Wy Wy?" Millie said, also giving her mother a hug. 

"We played a lot, we went ta the park, we took Wy to the arcade, we drew together, Moxxie even built Wyatt a humongous pillow fort to play in! It literally takes up our entire livin' room!" she recollected, giving Moxxie a slight nudge to the arm to be playful but mainly to try and get him to speak up.

"O-oh! Yeah, I did! I can see why some of Millie's favorite childhood memories are of her and you and Joe building those...They're a fun option..." he nervously stuttered out, trying to be polite to his mother-in-law. She, of course, had an unimpressed look before she sighed and headed over to him.

"Well, I'll give ya this...Ya took care of my boy and gave him back in one good ol' piece. Thanks fer all ya did this week. Joe and I... we appreciate it." She held out her hand to him, and he just looked at it in surprise for seconds before accepting her gesture and shaking it.

"..No problem at all. Anything for the family..."

The only response he was given was a firm "Mhm" before she nodded to him and headed back over to Wyatt. "Alrighty, Wyotie. Say bye to ya sister before we take off." 

Millie crouched down to give her brother a tight squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. "Bye-bye, my little Wy Wy! Take care, alright? Call anytime ya want, day or night! We'll answer!" she reluctantly pulled away as they finished their goodbyes before Wyatt turned to Moxxie, to which the older imp gave him a smile, but Wyatt could see an underlying emotion in his eyes that he couldn't quite make out.

"Well, little buddy, it was fun having you around! As Millie said earlier, you're welcome anytime..." 

Moxxie held out a hand for Wyatt to shake, but the younger boy just looked up at him instead of taking it. Moxxie was stunned as the smaller boy leaped up in his arms for a firm hug, even wrapping his tiny tail around his arm.

"O-oh! Okay..." was all he could muster out before hugging him back with Millie and Lin both staring in shock before Millie smiled lovingly at the sight. Eventually, Wyatt jumped down before handing Moxxie something. Before Moxxie could ask any questions, Wyatt returned to his mother, taking her hand, ready to return to the farm. The two said their final goodbyes to the couple before boarding the elevator, and they disappeared into the crowd. Moxxie just stared off as he watched Lin and their tiny guest walk away before Millie broke him out of his blank thoughts.

"What did he hand ya, hun?"

Moxxie looked at his wife before glancing back at the 'gift' handed to him. 

Another folded-up piece of paper...

He carefully unfolded it to see a child's drawing of Wyatt and himself hugging with the words "Baest Frends" scribbled across the top. 

Millie, seeing that, let out an 'Awwwww' with a giggle at her brother's spelling. Maybe she should let her parents know he needed a bit more practice. Moxxie smiled along with her upon seeing that. For someone who just a week ago was stressing about having a child around, it seems he did a pretty good job as a babysitter after all. Maybe kids weren't as complex as he initially thought...

The two headed back home. Even if they didn't want to accept it, they did have a lot of cleaning up to do.

 

---

 

Moxxie unlocked their apartment door and held it open for his wife to enter before they tackled the giant pillow fort to take it down. The entire way home, both imps were silent, aside from Millie joking that "I think my own brother might prefer you over me!" in response to Wyatt's last drawing given to her husband. As they cleaned, neither of them said a word. The apartment had a completely different aura today than any other day in the past week...

Wyatt was gone.

No toys lying around the place...

No more tiny, dirty clothes to wash...

No more little hands grabbing onto their clothes or tails for attention...

No more child's laughter echoing off the walls...

And the pillow fort, the first one Moxxie ever made in his life......taken down...

The only proof left in their apartment that a child had been there were the multiple scribbled drawings that were tapped to the walls and hung on their fridge. Millie couldn't explain this feeling to herself, but something about their space felt off now. This apartment...this home that she built with her husband felt almost...wrong? As if it was incomplete somehow? Like something was missing, which disturbed her because this was their space. She remembered the day they moved in like it was yesterday, and for hours, they stayed awake deep into the night, making it perfect together. She still thought it was perfect in every way, but there was a missing element that she couldn't put her finger on. 

"Honey?..."

She turned to face that familiar voice and saw her husband holding blankets, sheets, and pillowcases that he had gathered from his and Wyatt's little project. He looked concerningly at his wife, who had been seemingly staring off into space. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby. Did ya say somethin'?"

"I said I was going to put this all to wash with our sheets."

"Oh...ok, yeah, that sounds like a plan..."

"........Are you okay, honey? You seem a bit...dazed, is all."

"Yeah, I think...I think I'm just trying to remember somethin'..."

Moxxie walked over to her to get the rest of the linens that she collected while giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

"If you say so, sweetie. Let me know if you need something, okay?

"You got it, baby. I'll start vaccumin'."

 

---

 

And that's basically how the rest of their day went...

The married pair cleaned their apartment quickly, finishing before noon even rolled around. Millie took it upon herself to collect all the drawings from their walls and attach them to their fridge instead, which now covered it in Wyatt's artwork. Getting a large corkboard might be a better solution. 

She tried to make small talk throughout the day, to which her husband always replied, but she could tell he still wasn't acting normally. He was so much quieter than her everyday Moxxie. Had he really grown that attached to her younger brother? Perhaps he was just tired. Regardless of the cause, she couldn't blame him. 

The feeling in her chest reminded her of her first night away from the farm. The guilt and the silence made her feel queasy. She had never been used to the quiet stillness in her life until she left the ranch.

Now that Wyatt went home, it was as if she was going through that sense of grief all over again, just less intense this time, most likely because she knew they'd see him again soon for Sinsgiving and Sinsmas being around the corner. 

Dinner was semi-normal. They played around as usual while Moxxie cooked, with Millie helping him with whatever he needed. Though, even then, they were both less talkative than they were used to being. And then, when they sat down, they both glanced over at the chair that Wyatt had been using all week, and from then on, they ate in silence aside from talking about them heading back to work on Monday before they decided to head to bed for the night trying to end this weird, awkward day they couldn't escape from.

 

---

 

Millie hummed to herself while she turned off the bathroom light after brushing her teeth. After double-checking that all the lights were off in the apartment and the lock and door stopper were up, she headed to their bedroom to find Moxxie lying down, quietly staring up at the ceiling just as he was when she went to prepare for bed. She sighed to herself before climbing into bed with him and turning off the lamp that stood on her nightstand. 

"Honey, did I put the leftovers in the fridge?" Moxxie broke the silence of the room with his question.

"You did, baby. I just did a final round of the place, and everything was put away."

He replied with a hum and went back to staring at the ceiling while Millie took her every night position in the bed. 

"Are ya alright, babe?" she asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

The melee artist thought for a second before deciding to speak what had been on her mind all day. "You been real quiet since we got that call last night from my Mama sayin' that Wyatt could go on home..."

He didn't answer or say anything. That was all the confirmation Millie needed to know that something was up. But she needed him to tell her. She wanted him to tell her what was happening in that fuzzy head of his. She turned over and scooted towards him and started to coo and purr lovingly while gliding her nails across his scalp. To that, he purred back and twisted his tail around hers as a sign he was there mentally and emotionally. He knew full and well that Millie knew something was up, and she wouldn't go to sleep until they talked it out, as they had been doing more often as a new promise in their marriage since that weird, awkward mission they took months and months ago at the summer camp.

"...Talk me through it, baby. Whatcha thinkin' about? What's runnin' through that head of yours?"

"........I don't know. It's stupid..."

"No. It ain't stupid if it's botherin' ya, sugar." She assured him while sweetly and gently running her small fingers through his soft, snowy hair. Even with all the progress they made with their communication efforts, coaxing Moxxie to speak his mind could still be challenging for both of them at rare times. 

"...Well, I guess I've just been...thinking about how I'm going to miss having Wyatt around."

"Oh?"

"That must sound weird, but I can't explain it. I feel like I'll miss the messes, the toys, the pictures, the tiny little hooves running around all day, you know. Kid stuff."

So his silence all day was a product of Wyatt leaving...

"I think that since I didn't get to do a lot of kid activities when I was his age, being included in that stuff made me reconnect with a part of myself that I missed. And I really enjoyed the playfulness he brought to us. Even if it was only for a week. You and I get playful with each other, but it's different, for lack of a better word...I don't know, Mills. What I'm feeling doesn't even make sense to me. I can't even begin to try and explain what I'm feeling to myself..."

Millie let him finish before she pondered while he stayed quiet again, unsure of how to approach the topic she wanted to bring up.

"I see where yer comin' from, baby. I know imma miss havin' him here, too. But hey...speakin' of that, thank you for bein' so attentive and accommodatin' to Wyatt. I know this week was...different than our usual routine."

Moxxie shifted in bed to face her and cuddled into her. "It really was no trouble, honey. But seriously, I will miss having the little guy around. You were right. Kids aren't so bad when you get the hang of it." he complimented.

"Um, honey? Ya know that's actually what I wanna talk with ya about. Do ya mind if we discuss somethin' that I've had on my mind? It's kinda a serious topic." Moxxie responded both with a rub on her back and a soft "I'm all ears, honey" before she got the courage to continue, scared about how he'd react.

"....I want to talk about babies.....Specifically, us havin' babies."

"...Pardon?" 

Millie readjusted herself to be able to look her partner in the eyes as she explained herself. "I've started thinkin' about it while Wy was here, and I wasn't sure how to bring it up...I know we talked about it a little before we got married, but I feel like now may be a good time to have a real deep conversation on it."

Moxxie was unsure what to say next. Of all the things his wife could have said, he certainly wasn't expecting this.

" I see. What about it did you want to talk about?"

"I'm not exactly sure...I guess it's just that we've been married fer comin' up on two years...I was hopin' we could maybe start havin' some more talk about it. I think havin' Wyatt here and seein' how good you were with him-" she paused briefly, averting her gaze, putting Moxxie on edge. 

"Ya know what? Maybe we can put this off a bit longer-"

"No!...I-I mean, no," Moxxie interrupted her before taking her smaller hands into his larger ones. "Millie, if you think this is something we should talk about now, then let's talk about it. I'm sorry I made it sound like I wasn't interested. But I am. I want to hear what you have to say because I know that kids are something that you really want, and I want you to be happy."

"But is that somethin' that you want, Moxxie? I would love for us to build a family one day, but at the same time, I don't want ta back you into a corner if you don't want that kinda life."

"Of course I want that. I absolutely do. I never really had a real family until I met Blitz and then you. Hell, I even consider Loona to be family, even if she can be...difficult at times." he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her presence closer to him as he started up again.

"Millie, my whole life, I was always told that I never had any options. My father...He took away almost every choice that I had, including the choice to have kids or not. I was only 14 when he told me that my sole purpose in life was to take over as an heir one day and continue on the family legacy. I wasn't stupid. I knew that essentially meant he'd marry me off one day to...you know. Eventually, when I got out, I didn't think that children were a fair option for me because I was aware from a very young age that I'd be forced to have them, but then I met you, and I was given my choice back. Now, I get to choose to have kids, and I want to have them with you because I love you more than anything, and having a family with you is something I really want."

Millie blushed hearing her husband's words, and she lightly squeezed his tail back affectionately first before kissing him gently on the lips with his face cupped in her hands. "I'll never understand how I got so lucky," she paused, "I love you, too. So much. I've always wanted to have my own family one day, and I knew right away after we started ta get serious that I wanted you to be a part of it, Mox. Let me make it clear: I ain't askin' ta have any little ones right now, but since we just spent an entire week taking care of a little kid, I thought now may be a good time ta ask how you'd feel about bein' a daddy to our own little devil one day?"

Saying that out loud made her heart swirl. She always thought she was crazy once she and Moxxie's relationship started progressing, and she'd begin to daydream about them having an impling of their own one day. Maybe one, or two, perhaps even three...

Moxxie was the only man she'd ever been with who she thought about having a family with, presumably because he was the only partner she ever had who she could see being a good father or being a good role model at that. Watching him and Wyatt together, particularly Wyatt giving Moxxie that picture at the elevator station, started to make her think about how he'd make a great parent, as she always suspected he would be. 

"Well, I was never against the idea of us having a family one day. If anything, us being together made the thought grow on me. Ultimately, I think you're right. We have a lot to think about before we consider starting a family. Personally, I want to heal more from what I had to experience growing up so that I can be the best version of myself as a father. One of my biggest fears is passing that trauma down to an innocent child. But overall, I'd love to raise children with you, Millie. Really, I would. There isn't any other demon in Hell who I would want to experience that with or to be the mother of any implings Satan should give me." he finished while caressing the palms of her hands with his thumbs, and she sniffled, wiping something away from her eye. 

"Don't make me cry you." She let out as he rubbed his cheek against hers. "And don't you worry! I got issues I wanna get settled, too, but I just know you're going to be the perfect dad for any kids we should have, Mox. You're so wonderful. I promise ya I'm tellin' the truth."

"And vice versa. I know that you'll be the best mother in the world, Millie. Seriously. I've always seen how caring, protective, and maternal you are to those you love. They'll be so blessed by Satan to have you...Does that answer your question, sweetie?"

"It does, baby. It does...How 'bout we revisit this topic in about another year or two?"

Moxxie reached to turn out the light on his side of the bed before he leaned over his wife's body, carefully imprisoning her under him before leaning down to capture her in a deep, passionate kiss that he only reserved with love for her and her alone since the start of their relationship.

"I think that sounds wonderful~"

 

---

 

Saturday Morning

"Maybe we should look into gettin' Blitz a gift for lettin' us have all this time off. I know that had ta be stressful fer him and Loona." 

Millie chirped as she sat at their table, perusing Voxtazon for some horse-themed gifts for their boss, while Moxxie worked on waffles for some morning after breakfast.

"That sounds like a nice idea, honey! We might as well since he'll never let it down." The last part was meant to be more of a joke, but both imp assassins knew that their boss was bound to bring it up.

Millie laughed along before her scrolling was interrupted by Sallie May calling her. "I'll be right back, baby. My sis is callin'. It may just be a quick update on the boys."

"No problem, babe! Take your time!" he announced while she left the kitchen.

"Hey there, sis! Good morning!" Millie spoke into the phone as she sat on the couch. On the other side of the line, all she could hear was Sallie trying to stifle a laugh before beginning to speak up.

"Sal? Everythin' alright?"

"I don't know what you and yer princess of a husband did with Wy while he was with y'all, but Ma is absolutely losin' her mind!" was all she could get out before another louder laugh possessed her. 

"Whaddya mean?" 

Sallie May composed herself once again before starting her explanation, "Well, last night he was watchin' Ma and Aunt Doughty cookin', and he starts sayin' stuff like "That isn't how Millie and Moxxie do it at their house" and "Moxxie told me that it's better to add this before that." He goes ta stay with y'all fer a week, and he's over here givin' us cookin' advice like a chef!" Sal's Wyatt impression was cut off by her laughing even harder before continuing. "And then he starts on about how nice and kind yer princess is and how he'd kiss on ya and love on ya all the time and how they did all this fun stuff together HA!"

Millie just stared at the wall as Sallie tried -- and desperately failed -- to cease her excess laughter at recalling her brother's comparisons. 

"In all seriousness, Mills, I think Ma knows and is glad he had a great time with y'all, but Satan almighty, I think it's drivin' her insane that he keeps talkin' everyone's ear off 'bout that husband of yers! Wyatt really likes that guy!"

A smile crept on Millie's lips, and her heart rate accelerated to a million and one times over the limit. She glanced into the kitchen and saw her husband, her amazing, beautiful, loving, caring, perfect husband, still working his magic in the kitchen with his back turned to her. She would never understand why, of all the imps in Hell, she was the one he wanted, but she didn't care because he was hers, and she was his. 

"....Yeah...He's my princess, Sal..."

Notes:

And that's a wrap!

So sorry for taking a while to post this one, guys. My best friend took off work for two days to visit me, and I couldn't resist! We only get to see each other between 1-2 times a year since we live five states away, and one of those times is usually the holidays when I go to visit my family.

But here you have it! That's the end of "Brothersitting!"

And as a little treat, I posted something extra for y'all...An extra chapter!🤪

Go over and read it if y'all would like, and happy reading!

Chapter 22: Only A Nightmare: A Promise To You

Summary:

Moxxie talks about a promise...

Notes:

Warnings:

- Talk of divorce and separation

- Implications of racism in the beginning

____________________

Hey guys! Just a quick author's note before y'all get to reading. I had this one written for a while, but I didn't want to post it until a little later. For some reason, I woke up today and had an urge to give this to you guys. If some details don't make a lot of sense, that's why. Either way, here you are! Enjoy!

"Mommy!?"

".....Mamma!?"

"...Mommy!?"

"Mother!?"

"...Mami!?"

Moxxie kept running through the halls of the manor, desperately trying to find any trace of his mother after a horrid nightmare that she fled Greed, leaving him all alone. He felt his small chest beginning to burn and tighten up, the feeling being similar to when he'd begin to hyperventilate. Now that he thought about it, he could sense a panic attack creeping on him. The only thing suppressing it was his determination to find her. 

After what felt like hours to him, he collapsed on the floor, his tiny legs too tired to run anymore and his voice too sore to keep yelling for her. Coincidentally, he was at the foot of the door to his parent's room and excitedly jumped up in relief before grabbing the doorknob, ready to see his mother and convince her to stay, not to leave him behind...

But when he opened the door, she wasn't in the bed where she normally slept...

In fact, it was daytime now. The curtains were drawn back, the bed was made, and his father was there dressed in the same pinstripe suit he wore daily with a lit cigar in hand, staring out the window with his back to his young son. 

Moxxie knew that his father had a rule: no entering the master bedroom without permission UNLESS there was a serious emergency.

But this was a serious emergency! His mother was gone! Nowhere to be found! That was considered an emergency, right? 

He slowly walked into the bedroom, still in his cotton, white, long-sleeved button-down pajama set, fiddling with his small tail in his hands as he approached his father. 

"...Daddy?"

No response. 

The mafia boss still stood there, puffing his cigar and ignoring the little imp behind him. 

".......Daddy?"

"I heard ya the first time! What?" he shot back.

Moxxie immediately knew his father was in a bad mood. Not uncommon, but not a pleasant sight to see either, and certainly not a good idea to be around if you were the root of his annoyance. 

"...Where's Mommy?"

"She's gone, kid. She left....For good," was all he responded with quickly before taking another drag of his morning smoke. 

......Gone....

But, how could that be...

......No...No! Not this memory again!.....

"But.......She didn't tell me goodbye..."

"Yeah, kiddo! Ya know why? Cause she didn't want to!"

Moxxie flinched and gripped his tail harder at his father's outburst. He could already tell by his attitude that this wouldn't be a conversation with a good ending. 

"She left because you were too difficult! Because you were too much of a hard child to raise! Did you know that? You're a very bad little boy, Moxxie! She said you were too much trouble to care for and that she didn't love you anymore because you never listened!"

"¡No! ¡Mamá nunca diría eso! Ella ama-"

Moxxie was cut off by a hard slap to the face, sending him to come face to face with the floor. He felt tears beginning to run down his face, both from the physical and emotional pain.

"How many times do I have ta fucking tell you to stop using that hick language in my house?! I told your fucking mother not to teach you that gross shit a long time ago! And if I DO ever hear you using it again, I promise you it'll be your last words, kid! You're completely under MY authority now! This behavior is why she left! Cause you're too difficult, and ya never listen!"

Moxxie held his head under his arms, seeing his father ready to grab him, and before he felt another twinge of pain, he opened his eyes, lightly sweating, and sprung up while hyperventilating in real time this go round.

He let his eyes focus on his surroundings.

Black duvet cover...black sheets.....burgandy music note and melee weapon wallpaper........and a huge tall mirror in the corner of the room that he was now staring straight at himself...his 39-year-old self, not his five-year-old self.....

He gently lay down again on his back, his breathing regular once again. His mind was now at ease—well, somewhat at ease.

He was home. It was just a nightmare. The same one he had been experiencing for years now, but it was over. That's all that mattered to him. 

'...Entering my 40s soon, and here I am still having nightmares about those days...' He thought to himself in irritation. 

He turned his head to the side to see Millie still fast and sound asleep, looking cozy. Thank Satan he didn't wake her. Sleep had been rather difficult for her within the past few months. He gently swiped a thick strand of hair out of her face, smiling to himself. Her hair had grown out longer again over the years, still as thick and dark as ever, but about two years ago, a long gray streak decided to make its permanent place right front and center on the left side of her hair. It was a bold, decently sized band, evident to everyone, but it was a small price to pay with age. 

She was going to color over it initially, feeling annoyed that her hair decided to start graying early, but Moxxie convinced her not to, saying he thought it cute and, to her surprise, pretty sexy. Therefore, the streak stayed. At this point, she didn't mind anymore. In her thoughts, it was just another mark she collected on her body over the years. 

Moxxie got comfortable and readied himself for sleep again, closing his eyes and taking some deep breaths before-

"Daddy??"

He opened his eyes again, only to see a small figure standing in the doorway, clutching a horse plush in one hand and a blanket in the other. Moxxie sat up only to get out of bed after hearing sniffles from the smaller creature. 

"Tucker, what's wrong?" Moxxie asked sweetly, getting on his knees to be at eye level with the boy. He instantly could see, even in the dark, the large tears leaving his son's eyes streaking down his face. He felt his heartstrings being pulled on tightly, one because it always broke him to see his little boy cry, and two because he was worried he had gotten sick in the middle of the night and may have to be up at 2:00 A.M. cleaning up impling vomit. 

"I-I had a dream about you and Mommy, and y'all didn't love me anymore!"

"Awww, snuggle bug! It was just a bad dream...It's alright..." he whispered, taking the young imp into his arms and standing up to cradle him. He rubbed his back, allowing him to cry into his shirt. Glancing over his shoulder, he still saw Millie asleep in bed, with no sign of being awake.

"...Hey, honey, let's go to your room so we don't wake Mommy up, ok? She needs her rest right now." 

Moxxie slightly closed the door to their bedroom before heading down the hall to Tucker's room. There, he sat down in the book corner bean bag, comforting him and Millie's young son in his embrace and allowing him to calm down before speaking. 

"Now, what's this dream about that's got you so upset, Tuck?" 

"I had a dream that you and Mommy were fightin'! And you both told each other that ya didn't wanna be together anymore 'cause ya didn't love each other anymore! And if y'all don't love each other anymore, that means y'all don't love me! 'Cause ya told me that I'm a piece of both of ya, Pa!"

Moxxie let him take as much time as he needed to process everything. It was definitely a dream that frightened him enough that he had to go find them for reassurance that everything was alright. 

"And it was like what happened with Foscoe's parents! Because y'all were arguin' in front of me and sayin' that y'all hated each other!"

"There there, Tuck...I guarantee you, it's ok."

'So that's where this was coming from...'

Foscoe had been Tucker's friend since birth. He was the son of Millie's good friend, Kazi, and both boys were born only weeks apart. Recently, she and her husband had separated because she found out he was cheating on her. Poor little Foscoe must have seen something and told Tucker about it, not out of malicious intent but more out of childlike innocence, not understanding what he saw. 

Up until now, the only thing that Millie and Moxxie had told Tucker was that Foscoe's mommy and daddy were going to be living in two different homes and that Foscoe and Kazi would be over at their house for a lot more playdates now because they were going through something very hard at the moment. But honestly, how do you even explain something serious like that to a three-year-old?

However, Tucker was extremely sharp and intelligent. For being three, he was really good at reading and picking up on when something wasn't right. They weren't even going to say anything to him, but he quickly realized that something odd was happening at his friend's home. 

The two were unaware that Tucker knew this much about the situation. They never discussed the specifics if he was in the same room as them and never told him about "divorce" or "separation." 

Of course, Moxxie didn't blame little Foscoe for telling Tucker anything. 

The poor kid was probably so confused and not sure how to handle what was happening at home aside from talking to a friend. They were so young, after all. And Moxxie knew what it was like to know something with your parents was wrong. To see them fighting...His chest ached for the poor little guy. 

He held Tucker closer to his chest, purring before his little boy joined him, calming down from his crying. He took the opportunity to think of what to say next, but what could he say that was appropriate enough for a young toddler to understand?

"...Tucker, listen, sweetie. What happened with Foscoe's parents is very sad, and it is a really tough situation. I'm proud of you for being such a good friend to him while this is happening, but I promise you, snuggle bug, Mommy and I do not hate each other, and we both love you very, very much. It was just a nightmare, sweetie." he started running his fingers over his small head of white hair. 

"But do you and Mommy love each other?" the impling asked, looking up at his father with his large doe eyes...Millie's eyes...

"Of course we do. We love each other so much. There is nothing in the world that your Mommy could do that would make me hate her or stop loving her, and she loves me just as much."

"But how much, Daddy?"

A shocking and peculiar question it was, indeed. 

Moxxie never expected a question like this. How much did he love Millie? She was his queen, of course! His sun, moon, stars, entire universe, for fuck's sake! His life partner, his wife, and the mother of his children. The best thing that's ever happened to him. She was his everything. He loved her more than anything in the world, alongside their babies.

Not exactly an easy thing to put into simple words...

".....You know how much?" he began before getting up, heading over to Tucker's bed, placing him down, and tucking him in again. "Mommy and I love each other so much that we saved each other multiple times on missions. We've protected each other against people who were mean to either or both of us. We make sure we apologize if we have disagreements. We always say we appreciate each other, and we make sure to show it."

"And y'all always say "I love you" too," Tucker giggled, having regained his normal attitude. 

"Yes, that's right," Moxxie smiled. "We make sure that we not only tell the ones we love "I love you" but also show them that we love them through our actions."

"Like when you write Mommy songs and get her pesents?"

"Yeah, exactly, buddy," he chuckled at the mispronunciation before proceeding, "But I also help Mommy out a lot, too. Like around the house, helping her clean, do the laundry, get you ready in the mornings and for bed, and help her if she needs it right now since she's limited on what activities she can do."

"And cook 'er special breakfast on Saturday mornin's," Tucker continued. 

"And cooking special breakfast, yes," Moxxie finished as Tucker continued to purr while he stroked his hair. 

"But do you want to know just how much I love all of you, Tuck?" he asked before sweetly whispering, "I love your Mommy so much that I asked her to marry me and be my special partner forever. On the day we got married, I promised her that I would love her forever and ever, even after time doesn't exist anymore. And I promised her that I would always protect and treat her with kindness and respect and that my heart would always belong to only her and be the best husband I could be."

"Did she promise you the same, Pa?"

"She did. She certainly did, honey." Moxxie handed him his horse plush that had fallen onto the floor, his favorite amongst many gifted to him by his uncle Blitz. "And on the day you were born, Tucker, I made a special promise to you, too."

"You did?"

"Yes...I promised to love you forever as well. Well, actually, I promised you that when Mommy told me she was pregnant with you, but I did. I promised you that I would love you forever, protect you, support you, teach you all the right things, and be the best daddy that I could be."

"What about little Tucker?"

"When little Tucker is born, I'll promise him the same things, too. However, I promised him that already, I'll do it again when he's here with us. I love the three of you more than anything else in the world, Tuck."

"I love you, Daddy!"

"And I love you more, Tuckaroo."

 

---

 

It wasn't even five minutes later that Tucker was asleep again. Moxxie pulled the blanket over his shoulder to keep him from getting cold and stayed with him until he fell asleep again. Before leaving the room, he kissed him on the forehead, turned the nightlight back on, and left a crack in the door just in case. 

When he entered his and Millie's bedroom, he stopped, finding the bed empty before hearing the toilet flush from the master bathroom. Millie walked out, rubbing her eyes and fixing her temporary pajamas: a loose tank top and a pair of Moxxie's boxers that were more comfortable to wear now than her usual panties. They both stopped and stared at each other for a second. 

She broke the silence first with her country accent, "I was wonderin' why ya weren't in bed. Everythin' alright, honey?"

"Don't worry, honey. Tucker had a nightmare. I went and handled it." Moxxie explained as he climbed back into bed. 

"Oh? Should I go check on 'em? Is he alright?" she asked, fixing her long, messy hair and walking to her side of the bed. 

"He's ok, sweetie. I talked to him and stayed in there until he went back to sleep....He had a dream we got divorced. I think he's more clued into what's happening in Kazi's house than what we think." Moxxie explained as his wife pulled the covers back on her side of the mattress.

"Hmm...strange. I didn't think-" She paused and took her knee off the mattress before walking over to the large mirror in the corner, much to Moxxie's confusion.

"Millie?"

"Don't worry about it, hun...I just caught a quick look at myself."

She kept leaning down and looking at herself from different angles as if she were trying on a new outfit before standing straight in front of it with a hand on her hip. "Day-um! I'm lookin' pretty good fer an old pregnant lady if I say so myself." 

Moxxie smiled at her lovingly as she headed back over to the bed. "You always look amazing. And you're not old!"

"I hate ta break it to ya, sweetie, but we are considered old parents. At least in the eyes of obstetrics. They consider me to be in a geriatric pregnancy."

"Nonsense," Moxxie proclaimed, helping her lay back down. "I assume you got up to pee?"

"Yeah, I woke up and wanted ta go find ya since I noticed you weren't here, ya know, ta make sure you and Tuck were all good. But then this little rodeo star here decided to start practicing early in the middle of the night right on my bladder." She gave a joking scoff, running a hand on her lower abdomen. 

Much to her and Moxxie's surprise and delight, she discovered months ago that she was pregnant again, and they'd welcome another little impling into their family. Just a couple of weeks ago, they learned they would be having another baby boy, serving as exciting news to all three of the current Knolastname members. 

There were some disappointed faces in Millie's extended family offering condolences over the couple having another son rather than a daughter, but that was swiftly met with a condescending look and snarky remark by Moxxie, surprisingly. And Millie, too, if the opportunity arose. Naturally, they both responded critically to any negative comments, which in their eyes was fair since they never thought they would ever get to celebrate having one baby, much less two. 

"He's gonna be a real handful. I can already tell. He gets the most active late at night. Like a little nightowl~" Millie cooed, resting her hands at the bottom of her bump. She was only 26 weeks along, but her abdomen was on the larger side, precisely as it was when she was pregnant with Tucker. 

Moxxie purred, resting his tail over her and their shielded baby. "So we'll have an early bird and a night owl. You may be right. We'll have our hands full. But in the best way possible."

"Yeah, you're right, honey. I can't wait to see how different or similar he is to Tuck...I think they'll love each other."

"Well, according to Blitz and Stolas, the last time we asked them to watch over Tuck, he kept going on and on about how excited he was to meet "little Tucker," so I have no doubt he'll make a great big brother."

Millie replied with a hum before resting her eyes and slightly opening them again after hearing her husband purring even more. Lowly this time around, not affectionately like he normally did. 

"What? Why you starin' at me like that?" she smirked, seeing one of his own stretched across his face, his eyes targeted at her with a familiar look to his wife. 

"What? You don't like it when I look at you like this?~" he teased, "I'm just admiring you. Is that a crime? For a man to admire and compliment his wife?" 

"Oh, Mox, quit that!" Millie playfully punched his arm, laughing softly and blushing. She tried to cover her face with her hands while smiling out of control, but he already saw. It was useless.

"Come on, darling!" he continued in an exaggerated tone while snuggling up to her, "I just think you're gorgeous and outrageously sexy, sweetie~"

"Moxxie, really, quit that! This is why I'm knocked up in the first place!"

The pair laughed before nuzzling their faces together and resting in each other's arms. "Little Tucker" continued to flutter and kick around in his mother's belly, that Moxxie was still 'protecting' with his tail, ready to eliminate any threat to his family. 

"You really are beautiful, Millie." her husband spoke up again breaking the silence of the night. 

"I mean it. I know you have a hard time feeling confident in your skin while pregnant, but I always think that you're the most beautiful woman alive...Especially when you were carrying our boys."

Millie smiled and blushed even harder now, leading to her cupping her husband's freckled cheek and giving him a kiss that he returned. Despite all the years they shared together and all the kisses they'd given in that time, Moxxie's heart still raced rapidly whenever their lips joined together. 

"Ya promise?"

He took the hand caressing his cheek and brought it to his lips to plant another final peck of the night onto it. 

"Yes, I do..."

Notes:

You know, it's kind of strange that this is the fic I decided to post right after "Brothersitting," huh?😅

I really put a lot of heart into this when I wrote it, so I hope y'all liked it as much as I do.

On that note, everyone, I would like to post more stuff this week, but I -- unfortunately, unlike Moxxie here -- cannot make any promises on that🥲

I know I promised you guys more stuff; trust me, it's coming! Just hang tight and keep y'all eyes peeled!

Have a lovely day!

Chapter 23: Don't Judge An Imp By His Horns

Summary:

Moxxie meets a new member of Millie's family...

Someone has a stern talking to with Lin and Joe...

Notes:

The only thing I want to say before y'all begin is that the second half of this story takes place after the events of "Mastermind."

Apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors, as I lost my glasses again...😅

Enjoy!

"So, is there anything in particular that I should say, honey?...Or, maybe I should be asking what not to say?" Moxxie asked nervously, fiddling with his fingers as he could only sit there, marinating in anxiety. 

"Just be yerself, baby! I promise she'll like ya! She ain't as intense as mah Ma and Pa, and plus, I already told her a lot 'boutcha!" His girlfriend, Millie, reassured him as she continued driving her family's old pickup truck to their destination. 

They had been dating for only a few months, and to say they were passionately in love would be a huge understatement. Their relationship progressed to the point that Millie recently introduced her boyfriend to her immediate family, and...well.....

Things didn't go over so well, to say the least. 

Her parents highly disapproved, and so did her brothers. Her sister didn't have anything ugly to say, but she wasn't necessarily full of positive feedback to give to her older sister. Millie wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. She didn't have the best track record when it came to men, especially when it came to her last ex-boyfriend, whom she didn't even like to think about. Literally, because if she did give his memory the time of day, she'd go on a smashing/killing rampage. 

She reached over the center console and offered a hand to her boyfriend, who accepted and gave her a gentle squeeze. Eventually, a small farmhouse came into the distance. Not even a town. Just farmland and a ranch house in the middle of the Wrathian desert. It was a neat-looking place, with clean and clear land that you saw right before entering the gate. Millie parked outside the closed gate doors before hopping out of the truck with her boyfriend in pursuit. 

"We're here, sweetie! We gotta walk up to the porch, though. She keeps the gate closed 'cause she's been havin' issues with bandits tryin' ta steal her crops at night." 

The two assassins joined each other hand in hand as they made their way up to the house. Moxxie looked around as they continued, looking at the plants and gardens surrounding the place full of fresh vegetables and fruit. Millie's family really did take their farming seriously, although he could understand why since Wrath was about 90% farmlands, and that was how most residents made their living. 

Just then, the two quickly scrambled to the side of the path, tightly gripping onto each other, when they heard a gunshot go off close enough to them for them to believe they were the targets. Millie swore she had just peed her pants, and Moxxie hadn't even registered what had happened yet before they heard a voice coming from the house.

"Oh, son of a bitch! Sorry 'bout that darlin's! I'm so paranoid 'bout them crop hustler's that I shot when I heard a car outside without lookin'!"

An older woman, almost identical to Millie's mother, Lin, walked off the porch with a rifle in hand. She had long, thick, dark gray hair tied in a bun covered by a straw hat from which her straight horns protruded from. 

The two relaxed once they realized they were not in any danger, but Moxxie's shock was still wearing off when Millie let go of him to ecstatically approach the ranch woman.

"Mamaw! How are ya?"

"Oh mighty fine, sugar cube! Sorry, I almost put a bullet through y'all." 

Moxxie went up to Millie as she and the older imp shared a tight hug. The melee assassin lit up like a Sinsmas tree before taking her boyfriend's arm and introducing the two.

"So Mamaw, this is my boyfriend, Moxxie! And Moxxie, this is my Mamaw, Cinnamon!"

Moxxie and the older woman's eyes met, and he could sense right away that she didn't hold the same energy towards him that Joe and Lin did. She even offered him a welcoming smile and a hand to shake. 

"Moxxie, huh? What a fine name! Millie's already told me so much 'boutcha! All great things, of course!"

Moxxie's first handshake with Joe didn't go over too well. He almost flinched, seeing the much larger imp's hand come close to him a little too fast for comfort, just like how...someone else's hand used to when planting themselves harshly onto him. Even though he didn't want to make another bad impression, or seem like a weirdo right off the bat, he took his time taking Cinnamon's hand to reciprocate the gesture, giving her a nervous smile back. 

"Thank you, ma'am. Millie speaks very highly of you all the time as well!"

"Well, I'd sure hope so! I've been watchin' over this little miss 'ere since she was wearin' neonate diapers! Practically helped her Mama and Pa raise her!" Cinnamon spilled jokingly, pulling Millie into a headlock and ruffling up her hair. 

"Well, I won't keep you two love birds out in the heat! Come on in! Millie told me ya like iced peach and raspberry tea. I just finished brewin' some made with fresh fruit I harvested yesterday!" she announced to the couple as she started her walk back to the house. 

Moxxie's heart rate started to pick up a regular pace once again. Her grandmother seemed to be more open towards him in comparison to her parents. Millie took his arm and gave him a peck on the cheek, snapping him out of his stress-induced trance. He blushed as she guided him along, taking his other hand into her empty one. 

"Come on, baby. I told ya she'd like you!"

"Yes, you did, honey."

 

---

 

The interior of Cinnamon's house reminded Moxxie of Millie's family ranch. A small living space, a decent-sized kitchen, and an upstairs he didn't venture into to be polite. The walls were all covered in Western-styled wallpaper, and hundreds of melee weapons were displayed on the walls in the living room. From knives to machetes to swords and even different styles and sizes of axes. He admired all the displays mounted on Cinnamon's walls before his girlfriend joined him, lightly swaying her tail. 

"Beautiful, ain't they? I used to sit and stare fer hours at them when I was a little girl."

"I can see why! And I also think I'm starting to see where your obsession stems from." The two chuckled with mischief as they marveled at the stash of weaponry. "This collection is just incredible! It's amazing how many different varieties there are. This must have taken years, if not decades, to accomplish!" Moxxie applauded in excitement, letting his weapon nerd mask slip a tad.

"Sounds like you may know a thing 'er two 'bout collectin'! Took me 53 years to get to where it is now, and I'm still goin' with no intentions of stoppin'!" Cinnamon proudly announced from the kitchen as she finished preparing their beverages. 

"My Mamaw was an assassin, too, Mox!" Millie told her boyfriend, slinging an arm affectionately over his shoulder. 

"Oh, wow! Really?" Moxxie asked out of curiosity.

"Sure was! Enjoyed it, too! Jumped in the business when I was 14 and threw in the towel when I was 58. Retired after 45 years of assassin work. So was my Mama and my grandmother! My Granny was an assassin from the time she was little up 'til she was killed on a mission at age 79. My Ma lived ta be 94, and she was a killer since she was 13 'til 90!" Cinnamon proudly proclaimed, and Moxxie listened in astonishment. 

"Mildred's mother, too. My little Linsey! And her sisters also! All assassins..." 

"Your mother was an assassin?" Moxxie asked his girlfriend, perplexed as she tied her long, wild hair up in a ponytail. 

"Mhm! She sure was! Fer a while, too, 'til she quit ta be a farmer and marry my Pa! I cain't believe I've never told ya that, honey!" Millie beamed before Cinnamon joined them, placing a tray of iced teas on the center coffee table. 

"On Millie's mother's side of the family, we've been a long line of female assassins for countless generations back. Great ones at that! Goes back so far that I haven't been able to find a trace of female genealogy in our family tree that hasn't done assassin work in her lifetime! Not every woman in the family goes on to kill, but it's never skipped a generation yet, as far as we can tell."

"Well, I certainly believe that! Millie is such a wonderful, talented assassin! The first time I saw her kill, I immediately told our boss we had to have her on our team~" The sniper flirted subtly with his lover, earning a purr and head scratch in return. 

"So, Moxxie. Enough chit-chat 'bout our family. Millie tells me that yer from Wrath too, huh?" The retired assassin quizzed her granddaughter's musician-assassin partner as they all found places to sit in the cozy cabin-like living room. She took a seat in a worn-out green velvet lounge chair while the young couple sat on an old leather sofa right across from her. 

"Yes, ma'am. That's correct...Well, technically, it is. My mother was born and raised in Wrath. I was born here, but I was two when she and my father decided to pack up and move away." He finished, taking the first sip of his iced tea. 

"I see. Where was it that you grew up then, if ya don't mind me askin'?"

"Greed, Mrs. Although, I wish I would have stayed to grow up here instead." 

It wasn't a joke, but Cinnamon let out a short chuckle anyway, perhaps not catching on to the seriousness of his statement. Moxxie played along anyway for the sake of manners. 

"Well, I cain't say I disagree with ya there! I never been ta any other ring, but I've been alive long enough to know that Greed has a certain reputation. No offense, of course."

"Trust me, none taken, ma'am," he replied, flashing Millie a smile for confirmation that things were heading in the right direction, to which she took his hand in hers again to give another gentle compression before purring softly. 

"Alrighty, Mildred! Time to get to some serious talkin'! When y'all gettin' hitched?" Cinnamon asked with unmistakable enthusiasm. 

Both imps looked at her in complete shock, Moxxie more so than Millie, simply because the question caught him off guard. 

"Mamaw! We've only been datin' fer about four months!" Millie gasped in surprise and nervously laughed off her grandmother's question. 

"Well, maybe so, sugarplum, but I've been seein' how y'all has been all lovey-dovey with each other and givin' each other goo goo eyes since gettin' here! I'm old, but I ain't blind! Plus, I like this one!"

"You haven't even asked him much yet, Maw!"

"Don't got to, sweetheart! He's polite, he's clean, and it's so obvious that he loves ya and only got eyes fer ya! What else could I want for mah granddaughter?" Cinnamon took another sip of her tea before setting it down and looking Moxxie straight in the eyes, still shocked into silence from her earlier question.

"Ya do love my little Millie, don't you, boy?" Her voice, while still sweet and kind, now took on a serious, deep tone. 

"Oh, I absolutely do, ma'am! Really!...I've never loved anyone in my life more than I do Millie. I would do anything to see her happy, and I want nothing more in this life than to be with her forever and to be her husband one day." he proclaimed, taking Millie's other hand and seeing her blush a flaming hot red, graciously darker than her natural skin tone. 

"Oh, Moxxie~" she cooed, planting another loving kiss on his freckled cheek while now planning on how good she would make him feel tonight after how flattered he'd made her just in this one afternoon. 

".......Welp! That settles it, then! Ya got my vote, Millie! Keep this one 'round. I like him!" Cinnamon smirked, putting her legs up on the small stool that sat in front of her chair with her arms resting behind her head. 

"Thank ya, Mamaw...I just wish my parents could accept us as easily as you. They uh...well, I'm sure ya already know."

"Nah! Don't worry 'bout them, darlin'! They'll come 'round! They're just bein' some fussers right now, is all." Cinnamon took off her straw hat while standing up from her chair and placing it on the hook nails to the living room wall next to the coat rack. "Take it from me, both of ya. If y'all don't get Joe and Lin's blessin' to marry her, Moxxie, don't fuckin' worry 'bout it. Cause ya got mine. I'm givin' ya the permission ta marry each other...And ya can tell yer Ma AND yer Pa that those words come from me? Got it, Millie?"

Millie, smiling even wider now than before, gave her grandmother a nod, prompting Cinnamon to give the couple a soft smile back. After many years of seeing Millie get upset and cry over jackass boyfriends and men who treated her no better than livestock, this was all she wanted for her. To see her granddaughter be loved and worshiped by a good-hearted man. She didn't need to talk to Moxxie for hours to see the type of man he really was.

"Now then! I know y'all are stayin' fer supper, but I made cookies as a snack! Oh! And Moxxie, Millie told me you make yer own tomato-based products, so I harvested 50 pounds of 'maters yesterday fer y'all ta take back home t'night!"

 

---

 

Approximately 3 Years Later

"OOOOH! Mox, look at that one!!" Millie chirped in excitement while pointing up to the sky. 

"Hmmm. According to this, that one is called "Satan's Comet"........"

"M'kay, let's find a different one..." Millie's mood shifted to annoyance, as well as Moxxie's, after reading the name of the large shooting star they just witnessed. 

"I am already one step ahead of you, honey," he announced while flipping through the pages of the astronomy book they were using as they giggled together, just like two silly teenagers. 

They had been acting like that all day long, loving and goofy, much to the irritation of many of Millie's family members but also heartwarming to others like Sallie May, even if she found it a little gross. 

After what happened a week ago, the pair decided they needed to get away from life for a little while—you know, after almost dying, losing their best friend, and losing each other. They wanted an escape. So, they decided to visit Millie's family, both because they wouldn't stop pestering her to "come home right now!" after the trial, and so they could get out of the city and venture into the countryside. For the most part, they had managed to ease off all the stress and anxiety they all endured that fateful afternoon, but the two young assassins were still too disturbed to leave each other for too long. 

Things cooled down after a few days. And now the two lay under the Wrath night sky, staring up at the stars just a few yards away from the farmhouse, laughing and giggling away while Joe and Sallie sat on the porch. Sallie had been nursing a beer while leaning against the side of the house, watching the couple with delight for her sister. She had convinced Millie to go out with her that day to help ease her nerves that had been bottled up, which seemed to help, and even if she was annoyed with the two being attached at the hip all week, she couldn't deny how sweet it was to watch her big sister be loved and adored like a queen. 

"Alright, well, I think we got that settled." Cinnamon sighed in exhaustion along with Lin, who sat beside her husband in a free rocking chair while her mother took the remaining one on the porch next to her. 

"Y'all sure y'all didn't need no help? I told you two I would have pitched in." Joe asked his tired wife as she rested her head on his shoulder and took his hand. 

"We got it, hun. Thanks for wranglin' up the boys." 

"Hey! I helped with that, too! Don't go hoggin' all the credit, Pa!" Sallie May loudly declared to her mother with her grandmother's amusement.

Lin smirked as she removed her dirty gloves for the day and found her husband's tail to intertwine with her own. "I will give ya a mighty praise, Sallie May. You've been workin' so hard and helpin' us out a great deal, pumpkin. Thank ya! Especially since yer sister and...he came along over here." she finished with a sneer, provoking Cinnamon to flash her a look of disapproval.

"Lin! Don't bad-mouth that boy!" 

"Oh, come on, Mama! I know you think he's a nice kid an' all, and I get that, m'kay. He's always been very polite, but-" 

"Nah! No ifs, and, or buts 'bout it! You agree he's a nice, courteous fella', so that's that." The older female imp took her large bun out to let the mountain of hair fall into a gray, silver waterfall. 

"I just don't get it. She's always been a little firecracker, and this guy, he's just-" 

"Joe! Don't finish that sentence 'less it's gonna be somethin' complimentin' the boy!" Cinnamon gruffed towards her son-in-law with a pointer finger aiming at him. 

"Miss Cinnamon, I'm allowed to have an opinion on the boy! And I don't think he's good enough fer our daughter and never will be! Especially with almost gettin' her gutted on live television!" 

Joe shared a dirty look with his mother-in-law, and Lin and Sallie exchanged awkward glances towards each other, feeling caught in the crossfire. "Sallie, darlin'? Would you do me a favor and grab me a twisted tea from the fridge, please?" Cinnamon quickly switched to a loving smile when turning to her granddaughter, a shift that Sallie had witnessed all her life and knew too well. 

"'Course, Maw! I'll be right out."

"Mind grabbin' me one, Sal?" Lin requested. 

"Got it, Mama!"

Once Sallie May disappeared into the house, the awkward tension resumed on the porch amongst the three older imps before Cinnamon broke the silence between them -- not including the laughter and chatter of their dear Millie and her Moxxie flowing from the distance. 

"Ya know, you two are amazin' parents. Y'all raised five beautiful, great, tough little devils. Y'all raised Millie to be a hardworkin', tough, strong, intelligent, kind, carin', beautiful, wonderful young lady. And ya know what I like about that? You two raised her to know that she could be a strong, independent young girl who didn't need the validation of a useless man."

Joe's expression slightly softened, and Lin tried to avoid looking at her mother out of fear she'd catch that displeased scowl that she'd get when she was a small girl who would misbehave. 

"But regardless, she met someone special and got married. And that boy over there loves her to death, I'll tell ya! And just look at how in love they both are with each other!"

Cinnamon cocked her head to the side, signaling the two to look out where their daughter and her husband lay under the stars enjoying each other. Lin and Joe's eyes met, knowing she had a point.

It was hard for them at the beginning when their daughter brought Moxxie home for the first time. Their little girl was all grown up and didn't need them to navigate the world anymore. Neither of them wanted to admit that they did see why their little Millie would fall for someone like Moxxie, but still, they did not believe that he or anybody, for that matter, would be good enough for their baby girl. Aside from that, Millie never dated a man they liked, and not just because he was a man dating their daughter. None of them, and truly, not one of them, were decent men that they would have felt comfortable seeing Millie tie the knot with. Moxxie just happened to be the opposite of all of those past boyfriends, not proving himself to be sufficient enough in their eyes. 

"We just want Mildred to be safe and happy, Ma. That's all. You've met some of the others she'd been with in the past. We don't want her to get her heart broken again like last time...and the time before that. And all the other times before that." Lin recounted while trying to find a valid excuse for their actions towards her son-in-law. 

"Linsey, my darlin', I don't think y'all will ever have to worry about her safety, happiness, or heart with Moxxie." 

"Here ya go Ma and Maw. Straight from the fridge!" Sallie May walked back onto the porch, handing both women an open, twisted tea bottle. Tiny traces of condensation forming on the glass already felt like a reward for both of them after a long, hot day working in the ranch fields. She left not even seconds later, making the excuse of grabbing the shower first before the "love birds" got to it and used it as their personal love nest. In reality, she heard what words were being exchanged by her parents and grandmother and wanted to let them have their space...but not before eavesdropping on the rest of their conversation in the living room. 

"Here's what you two need to think about...Have y'all ever seen or heard of him mistreating her? Dishonoring her? Disrespecting her? Degrading her? Abusing her? Speaking ugly or nasty words to her? Touching or talking ill of her? Because any man that can do that to a woman they claim to love is nothin' but a lyin' liar and a coward, but a man who can proudly profess and proclaim publically the love he has for a woman and worship all of her for all eyes to see is the strongest man you'll find." 

Cinnamon concluded her lecture by taking a sip of her tea and beckoning the silence of the porch to return. Lin couldn't help but metaphorically wave a white flag. She was on the receiving end of that speech before when she was young, much younger than Millie was now. In her heart, she knew her mother was right, but how in all of Hell could she accept her daughter, blessed with all her might and toughness, melt in the hands of what seemed to be a defenseless wimp, to put it lightly? 

"My point is, Mildred's grown. She's more than old enough to make these judgments and choices by herself. And you two raised her. Doesn't that mean you should have a little faith that she'd marry a man who'd be a compatible partner for her?" 

A distracting noise caused all three imps to snap their heads forward, staring into the distance, only to see the two young assassins getting what seemed to them being a bit too giddy and handsy for Joe and Lin's comfort, to which Cinnamon chuckled with a raised brow. 

"Yeah, love nest there shall be, I suppose." 

The older she imp stood from the rocker, placing down her empty bottle and tying her hair up again before gathering her gloves and signature straw hat. 

"I understand you two want what's best for all yer children. Trust me, I do. I'm a Mama of seven. I've been there many times in my life, but y'all have to ask yerself what's most important that'll still allow y'all ta keep a healthy relationship with 'er. Do y'all want y'all opinions ta be validated, or do y'all want y'all daughter to be happy and loved? Give the young man a chance...A better chance than y'all have already given him. He's a lot stronger and tougher than y'all think, and those two got a lot more in common than what meets the eye." 

With that, Cinnamon decided to call it a night, crashing at the farmhouse for the evening so she wouldn't have to drive home too late after drinking. Joe and Lin continued enjoying each other's presence on the porch for a while after the day and week they'd had. Watching your daughter being almost publically executed for all of Hell to see and knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it was not something that turned out to be good for either imps mental health or sleep at that. As the two briefly spoke after their discussion with Cinnamon, they were forced to acknowledge that they may have been too harsh both on their daughter and son-in-law, even if they didn't say so out loud to each other. 

Whether they liked it or not, Moxxie would be a part of their lives forever and ever until their time was up. Their daughter's husband. Her one true love. Potentially, one day, the father of any children the couple may choose to have. A memory replayed itself in their minds of that fateful day when Millie dragged that thespian of hers into the family home after weeks of talking about the boy she'd been smitten with, who had stolen her heart with poems and songs and their reactions...

There was no need to say how much of a disaster it was for almost a month after when Millie refused to speak with them, and they denied calling what both imps had a "relationship." 

There was much to be done on their part. A lot of discussions, changes, and apologies to be made, but perhaps that could wait for another night so as not to disturb the two young love birds gazing at the reflections of the stars and comets that were in each other's eyes, happy to be alive and together nestled in each other's arms that created their very own love nest. 

Notes:

Howdy, guys!

I have another short story I wrote about Cinnamon here if you guys liked her, and I'll probably give that to y'all sometime next week.

Also, there's something that I want to say quickly since Sinsmas came out today...

I'm sure if you watched it, you'll be clued into what I'm about to talk about. Now that we've seen that Millie is pregnant, I know that an M&M baby is very exciting for us M&M fans, and I'd LOVE to write about it since it's confirmed.

However, I will not be creating any stories about her pregnancy or what-if scenarios just yet. Since we do not know what will happen next for Millie and Moxxie, I do not think I should write about this right now. The topic may be too broad or emotional/heavy to draw any conclusions just yet.

This isn't to say that I won't EVER write about it, but I would not feel comfortable making any fics about it until it's confirmed what will happen next.

In the meantime, though, I will still be releasing fanfiction about my own M&M fan kids!

But that is all I have for y'all today! Hope y'all enjoyed this one!

Chapter 24: Apologies

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie apologize to each other.

Notes:

Before y'all begin, allow me to clarify: I do not like to see M&M drama, guys! 😭 I just came up with this idea a few months ago after watching "Unhappy Campers." Also, you may see a lot of "!" throughout the dialogue in the beginning. They aren't yelling at each other. Their voices are just raised.

Enjoy!

It was a petty little argument. 

That's all it was.

Just a minor disagreement that got to them too well. 

And it was over something so so SO stupid, too! 

But to them, it wasn't stupid in the beginning. Not to Millie, at least. Not to Moxxie, either. Now that they quarreled over their insignificant problem, Millie was starting to feel the guilt of her compliance in their dispute. Laying in bed wide awake and alone, she replayed the events in her mind repetitively like she kept hitting rewind on a movie, trying to find any bit of evidence that she was in the right to grasp onto and run with it. Though, in her demonic heart of hearts, she knew she was wrong. 

Her part in the argument was wrong. Her raising her voice at her husband was wrong. Her avoiding accountability was wrong. And trying to sleep in their bed without Moxxie was wrong too...

She rolled over, seeing his empty, cold side of the bed, and the shame hit her all over again like a wrecking ball.

Their argument was over the dishwasher. Recently, the couple received some new cutlery in the mail from one of Millie's aunts as a very late wedding gift. The one downside to their new fancy silverware was that it couldn't be put in the dishwasher. It was slightly inconvenient, sure, but very manageable to keep them nice.

Well, Moxxie unloaded the washer a week ago and found one of their new forks in there. Believing that he had made an honest mistake, he brushed it off. However, it started happening more and more, and he knew he wasn't going crazy. It had to be Millie. She was the only other person it could be. His wife was adamant that it wasn't her, but after continuously finding more and more of their expensive dishes in the wash, Moxxie was beginning to get fed up. 

One night, just hours ago, he caught her right in the act. They were discussing their day when he called out that she was, in fact, putting their new knives, forks, and spoons in the dishwasher. He had to admit that he did mention it in a very accusatory way. No, he wasn't proud of it, but she had been denying that she'd been the one doing it all this time! Moxxie knew that his perfect, doting wife wouldn't do that on purpose; more than likely, she had been distracted whilst filling the wash and just hadn't noticed, but she could have at least apologized!

Long story short, they broke out into a tiny argument. Moxxie was just frustrated and admittedly slightly embarrassed by his attitude toward the whole thing. At the same time, Millie was also embarrassed and raised her voice ever so slightly at her husband, but not necessarily out of anger. 

Eventually, their little scuff followed them when it was time for bed, and there they were, still clucking at each other like two heated hens with their feathers on fire. Despite the fact that they both had been at it for about two hours, they kept pointing the finger at each other, refusing to look at their own actions. Instead, they focused on what the other had done wrong. 

"Forget this, I've had enough!" Millie finally proclaimed. 

Moxxie stared at her with shocked eyes as he watched her march out of their bed and head to the door. "Where are you going?!" he asked her surprisingly. 

"To the couch! I'm sleepin' there t'night!"

"No, you're not!"

"What?!" Millie had just put her hand on the knob when she spun her head around, eyes blazing and fierce with irritation. 

"I said no! You're not going sleep on the couch tonight because I'm going sleep on the couch tonight!" Moxxie then tore the sheets and blankets off of him to take his wife's place at the door. She glared at him, still aggravated but now confused, as he approached her. 

"Oh! So now you wanna argue with me 'bout where I'm gonna sleep? What next? You gonna start accusin' me of leavin' the toilet seat up now, too?!" She raised her voice again while taking a step back from the door. 

"No! I'm going to sleep on the couch because I would never let you sleep on the couch because you're my wife, and I love you, and you deserve to sleep in the soft, comfy bed instead of the less comfortable couch!"

His wife just stood there with her arms crossed, puzzled at her husband's explanation and unsure of what to say to combat his arrangement for the night. And suddenly, she didn't have any comeback as he opened the door to their bedroom, giving her one final look before taking another step. 

"F-Fine then! I'll go sleep on the floor NEXT to the couch!"

"No! You're either sleeping in here on our bed where it's comfortable, or you'll take the couch, and I'LL take the floor. But I refuse to sleep more comfortably than you and go to sleep with the knowledge that you're uncomfortable!"

"Fine, Moxxie! Go to the couch! I don't care!"

"Fine! Good night! Love you!" 

With that, Moxxie gently, yet firmly, shut the door before making his way to the couch just inches away. Grabbing onto the blanket they had draped over it, he tried to get as cozy as he possibly could on their stiff couch while still holding a scrunched-up expression from his and his wife's interaction. 

Millie, still with a tiny blaze coming from her ears, climbed back into her side of the bed and turned the light out, not before dislodging one of her many knives from the headboard and launching it at the target they had pinned to the wall in front of their bed, immediately hitting the bullseye. 

With that out of her system, she pulled the covers over her head and tightly closed her eyes. It felt like hours after that that she tried all her might to beckon sleep to whisk her away, yet it never came. All the demoness could think about was the quarrel with her husband. She thought about it more and more, and she hated how she kept coming to the same conclusion...

She was wrong. Very wrong.

She didn't like how Moxxie accused her of purposely doing the dishes incorrectly. He made her feel as if she was doing it on purpose, which she was NOT. However, she had to admit to herself that she reacted incorrectly as well...

She shouldn't have started raising her voice, arguing back, or even blaming him either. 

Now that she was alone in their room, calmed down, and her mind steady, she felt a tidal wave of guilty emotions begin to flood her heart. She didn't like to sleep alone, and she didn't like it when Moxxie wasn't there. She turned to face the other side of the bed fully, and seeing the warm, fresh-smelling body that was always there being gone was unsettling. She stretched a hand out to run over the mattress along with her tail. 

No hand stretched back out to grasp it and give it a small kiss of affection. No tail reached out to intertwine with hers either, and she didn't like that feeling. Being all alone after an exchange like this. 

When she was still dating Chaz, any time they had an argument, which was so often she couldn't even count, he would purposefully leave her by herself afterward just because he knew how much it pushed her buttons. Any time the two of them faced challenges in their relationship, he'd run and leave her stranded to try and piece them back together. And Millie loathed that feeling. Feeling like she always had to be the one to suffer alone and clean up the messes he'd either help make or make on his own. Whenever he'd avoid apologies, talking, or even just acknowledging what he did was wrong and make her feel like she was always crazy. Oh, that drove her MAD. 

But Moxxie was different. Even in difficult conversations, he was always there, and he never made her feel like she was insane, ever. 

She sighed and sat up, feeling the room's silence sink in. She contemplated her next move. She knew what she had to do. 

She had to see Moxxie. But not to apologize!

Maybe she'd just go into the living room and check on him? Her throat was feeling a little dry at the moment. Maybe a glass of water would do? Yes, perfect! 

She'd go to get a glass of water from the kitchen, which was just past their living room, and while doing so, she'd check on Moxxie and make sure he was ok! But not to apologize, of course. Simply just to see if he was sleeping well...yeah......Totally that!

 

---

 

At this point, even if he was irritated with his lovely wife, Moxxie was thanking Satan that he slept on the couch instead of her. They loved their couch—it was theirs, and it was part of their home. But dear Lucifer, did it make your back ache!

He'd never let his Millie attempt to sleep on this!

He was unsure how much time had passed, but he spent the entire time tossing and turning about, trying with all the energy he had left to make the couch work well enough to fall sound asleep. Yet, that was proving to be a more significant challenge the harder he tried, and not just because of the couch either.

He kept thinking about Millie. He felt so bad. He knew he did wrong by her, and he was now regretting how he ambushed her without even thinking. He could have just pointed it out in a reminder in case she hadn't noticed, but no. Instead, he blamed her and made the issue -- that wasn't even a real issue -- a bigger deal than it was. But in his defense, she did get a little too defensive about it. This had been happening for days! And he kept talking about it all week! How could she not start picking up on the fact she'd been doing that?

.......Ultimately, though, it made him feel even worse to admit it, but he and Satan both knew he shouldn't have done that to her. 

What kind of man was he? What kind of a HUSBAND was he? 

It was his fault. He shouldn't have treated Millie like that. And he certainly was in the wrong. 

He sat up and faced their bedroom door. He wanted his wife. His smart, sweet, loving, beautiful, fiery wife. He missed her, even if she was in the other room, just steps away from him. He wanted her. Her smell, her warmth, her tail -- but most importantly, he wanted to apologize to her. 

But should he really right now? Glancing at the clock, it was 1:03 in the morning. Surely, she was asleep, dreaming sweet nothings of stabbing and killing to her heart's content. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her. His precious Millie needed her rest!

In addition, he knew that when she got heated, she needed her space. What if she wasn't ready to see him yet? Would she be ready by morning? 

Maybe it was best to just lie down and try to get some sleep. He'd see how she was feeling in the morning, and he'd swallow his pride and apologize. He'd even make her her favorite breakfast if she was up for it! But that'd have to wait for a few hours. They could both get some sleep and wake up refreshed and prepared to say sorry to one another. Even then, it was still difficult to go to sleep for Moxxie. The only thoughts filling his head were of his plans to express his words and his wife until he lost consciousness. 

 

---

 

At some point, Moxxie woke to a stinging pain in his neck. He shifted, trying to stretch out, only to remember he was on the couch.

'That explains it...'

Due to the lack of support on his back, he knew he had to be facing the cushion of the sofa. In a desperate attempt to relieve the strain on his neck and back, he rolled over so that he was now lying against the backrest. Even when half asleep, he felt like he was being watched. He could feel a presence in the room with him, and when he slowly opened his eyes, he saw it. A figure standing over him, watching him. Although, it wasn't menacingly spying on him as you'd expect...

It was Millie. He could tell by one look of her eyes resting on him, staring down at her previously sleeping husband. 

"...Millie...Honey, w-what's wrong?" he asked, being concerned for her. He'd never seen her do this before, even when she'd manage to sleepwalk. He winced in pain for a split second from soreness, but he didn't care about that right now.

She still stood there, silent and unmoving. Moxxie grabbed her hands with care, studying her face for any signs of distress or any emotion at that. 

"Millie? Sweetie? Honey, what's the matter? Are you sick? What can I do for you, baby? Just tell me, and I'll do it."

And with that, it was like the dams broke. Her eyes started watering, and instantly, large tears started falling from her eyes, followed by sniffling. Moxxie was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting this, and he wasn't expecting her to push him onto the couch, hugging him with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. 

"Moxxie, baby, I'm so sorry! I really am! I shouldn't have raised my tone of voice with ya and sayin' all those mean things to ya, hun! I'm sorry!" 

She cried into his shirt, clinging onto him as he rubbed her back for comfort. So many thoughts were running through Moxxie's head as he contemplated what to say next. It was time for apologies, and it was time to make his. 

"No. Millie, honey...I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way. It was very immature and cruel of me. I should have just spoken with you respectfully, sweetie. I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt or embarrass you. I promise I'll never treat you or make you feel that way again." 

"But I'm sorry, too...I was ugly with ya, Mox. I love you, and I'm sorry..." She whimpered lightly as her crying started to die down. She buried her face into his neck as he ran his fingers through her short, soft hair. Neither of them wanted to move; they simply wanted to relax in each other's embrace and hug it out. Millie spoke up first after mere minutes, consumed in the warmth of their combined body heat after airing their apologies to each other. 

"Moxxie, honey? Come to bed with me? I want you." 

He whispered back to her, "Ok, sweetie. I will." before picking her up, still in the same position she was in, and bringing her back to bed, this time, following her as he did every night. He brought her to her usual side of the bed, placing her down gently as she blushed and smiled lovingly at him, patiently waiting to snuggle right up to him as he climbed back into his spot. 

"I missed you. The couch was...less than pleasant." he pulled the blankets over them as Millie scooted herself as close to him as she could. 

"I missed you. I don't like being alone in bed without you." She purred, nuzzling his face, happy he was back where he should be. In bed with her. And they were back to their normal selves, not an ounce of anger or irritation between them. 

Moxxie wrapped his arms around his wife, and his tail sought out hers under the covers to coil together. After a while, they allowed sleep to take them away, and they surrendered both from exhaustion. Exhaustion from their disagreement earlier and relief that they resolved their differences. They were just happy to be in each other's arms once again, just how they liked it. 

Notes:

Hi guys!

Merry Christmas!

And if you do not celebrate, I hope you are all having the best holiday season!

Unfortunately, I find myself sick on this fine Christmas day, so I may not get around to posting too much this week. It will depend on how quickly I get better.

Trust me. Y'all will know if I post again...😉

That is all for today!

Chapter 25: A Gift For Moxxie

Summary:

Moxxie gets a gift...

Millie let out a breath as she released her grip on the crate of blood oranges into the back of Joe's old pickup truck. She stood and wiped her forehead in case she had broken a sweat while hauling the several boxes of fruit that Cinnamon had given to her and Moxxie, some to take home to Pride and others for them to deliver to Millie's parents. 

"You got it, babe?" Moxxie inquired, checking on his wife while carrying a light cardboard box filled with planting seeds to the backseat. 

She jumped down from the truck bed before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Yep! Got it, baby!" she replied, nuzzling him with affection. 

Not long after, Cinnamon came around the corner with one last box and placed it down in the truck. "Ok, you two, that's all I got, so y'all and yer folks should be well-stocked on produce for a bit, Mills." She finished sharing a laugh with her granddaughter. 

"Thank you, Mamaw! We appreciate it!" Millie hugged her grandmother before pulling away to return to her husband. 

Cinnamon pulled off her yard gloves with ease before adjusting her old straw hat. "No trouble at all, sugar. Tell yer parents I say hello, and I'll be there Monday." 

The imp couple checked that they had gathered everything they were supposed to bring back before they agreed it was time to head off. Millie closed the truck bed as Cinnamon called out to her thespian grandson-in-law. 

"Oh, Moxxie, sugar! You mind helpin' me with somethin' in the house real quick before y'all take off?" 

"Oh, not at all! I'll be there in just a second," he replied, letting go of his wife's hand, telling her he'd be right back.

"Take yer time, honey. I'll start the engine up." 

Cinnamon led the way into the house, and Moxxie followed right behind her up the small staircase attached to her lounge room. He was curious and eager to see what it was she needed up there, for he had never been to the second floor of her home before. He refused to go without an invite for the sake of etiquette. 

There wasn't much that was different upstairs from the rest of her home. Same wallpaper, more photos, and more melee equipment lined the walls, and several doors, assumingly that led to bedrooms, faced each other on opposing sides. 

Cinnamon took out a key and unlocked a door at the end of the hall, requesting that Moxxie follow her in. The sniper imp's eyes darted around the small room upon seeing the contents surrounding them. It looked to be a music room. Different string instruments were mounted on the walls. Sheet music native to Wrath's farmlands was framed and hung around the room, and a smaller desk was perched just underneath a window that overlooked the entrance of Cinnamon's home. 

"I'm not sure how familiar you are with this part of Millie's family, but my late husband, Millie's grandfather, Buckwheat, was a musician as well as a dedicated farmer," Cinnamon ceased the silence in the room with her words as she kneeled down to take out an old guitar case from under a larger table in the room. 

"Yes...I remember Millie telling me about how he used to play a variety of instruments." Moxxie spoke up as he watched Cinnamon fiddling with the locks on the case she set down on the table. 

"Yes. He used to play and write his own stuff. In fact, he's the one who taught Mildred ta play the banjo when she was a little tot...When he died, he wanted her to have his old banjo. He made it with his own two hands when he was a younger man, and he insisted I give it ta her." 

"Right. That's the one we have mounted on our wall at home." Moxxie recalled with Cinnamon giving him a nod of approval. 

"Thing is, he didn't want none of his stuff ta go to waste. He put a lot of heart and soul into his music. Eventually, I wanna give all the grandbabies a piece of somethin' he's got in here. But after thinkin' long and hard 'bout it, I wanna gift this to ya." She opened the case, displaying an old acoustic guitar that seemed to be in great condition from the looks of it. Moxxie approached to get a better look at the instrument and looked back at his wife's grandmother with enlarged eyes that made her chuckle. 

"His guitar, banjo, and fiddle were his favorites. Millie's got the banjo, Lin's got the fiddle, and there ain't no other guitar players in the family...I want ya to have it. My only conditions are that ya take good care of it, and if you and Mildred ever have little ones, y'all pass it down ta them when they're old enough. Aside from that, it's yers." She offered a warm smile, observing her guest studying the old guitar that had been locked away. 

"Oh, no. I-I'm honored, but I can't possibly accept something like this!" Moxxie replied back in surprise. "It's beautiful, but shouldn't this go to someone in the family ins-"

"You are family, son." The older imp interrupted.

"Yer family, and that's that. If yer worried 'bout everyone else, don't! I already talked with Lin and Millie. They both agreed this is what he would've wanted. He may not have known you, but considerin' yer into music too, I know he would've given this to ya. Consider it a late weddin' gift! 'Cause I ain't askin' ya to take it. I'm tellin' ya, it's yours now. She finished her speech before taking the instrument out of its case and blowing on it to remove some of the dust that had accumulated over the years. 

She held it out to Moxxie, and he took a few seconds to stare at it both in admiration and disbelief. After a while, he held out his hands to take it from his grandmother-in-law, and he gently glided his fingers across the strings as he did his own, letting the sound fill the room. It sounded perfect, like it had been tuned immaculately before the passing of Papaw Buck. 

"I don't know what to say..." Moxxie remarked to Cinnamon, unsure of how he could thank her for such a gift.

"Ya don't gotta say anythin', son...Just take care of it is all I ask of ya. I know you will." 

Moxxie continued gazing at the old wooden guitar propped in his hands. Memories of his and Millie's wedding came flooding back to him at that moment when the two were alone, and she gifted him his guitar, one of his prized possessions. She explained that it had been handcrafted by Wrathian woodworkers from native wood of their homelands, and she had it personalized just for him.

Now, here he was, the owner of his deceased grandfather-in-law's guitar. He thought about how special this must be to Millie, for each of them to have a treasure of her grandfather's given to each of them to have until they ceased to exist.

"...Miss Cinnamon?" he asked, catching her attention.

"I never had a grandmother in my life...I actually never had a real family until I married Millie. My mother died when I was very young...My father was wickedly abusive to me growing up, and I never had any siblings. But you've always been very kind and accepting of me as Millie's partner. And you've always gone out of your way to make me feel like I belong as a part of your family, and I'm very grateful for that. Thank you for everything you've done for me...And for Millie as well."

Moxxie carefully placed the guitar back in its case to accept a hug from Cinnamon. She was one of the few family members who visibly showed their acceptance of Moxxie when Millie introduced him to her family, and she made it very clear that she approved of him being with her little Millie. 

"Moxxie, you ain't gotta thank me fer a thing, sugar. I knew the second Millie brought ya here fer the first time that she'd marry ya. I've never seen anyone love her the way you do, and I'm thankful every day she's got someone like you to be with her for life. You two are gonna accomplish great things together. I guarantee ya that!" 

With one final hug, Moxxie locked the guitar back in its travel case, and Cinnamon escorted him out of the house, not before locking up the music room that belonged to her late husband once again. Millie and her grandmother said their final goodbyes before she and Moxxie hopped into the truck, ready to head to Millie's family ranch. That night, both imps considered and discussed different ways they could display his new gift next to hers in their apartment once they returned to their own home in Pride. 

Notes:

Good morning, guys. I'm feeling better, but I'm not at 100% just yet. I told you guys that I'd publish this one this week, and I wanted to keep that goal. So here you are!

I do not think I will publish anything else this week, but we'll see. Have a fantastic day!

Chapter 26: Heartbeats of Love

Summary:

Moxxie buys a present for his expecting wife.

Notes:

I wrote this back in July, but I think it's a good time to publish :)

Also, just as a reminder, "Christy" is M&M's pet cat they adopt in the future.

"Moxxie, baby! Ya got a package at the front door."

Millie entered their kitchen to find Moxxie cleaning the inside of their oven. The couple had been focusing on cleaning their kitchen for the morning. Though, Moxxie was the one tackling all the heavy-duty work for the time being. 

It wasn't long ago that they discovered Millie was pregnant, and as of last week, she had reached the 13-week mark. This was a very exciting time for the couple, as this was their first child, and they had been attempting to conceive for several years with no luck. It was still early enough that she could get around just fine with no issues or hesitations, but Moxxie insisted that he handle anything that required decent levels of physical activity. Millie found no point in arguing, as it was important for her sweet husband to keep her as safe and comfortable as he could. However, she couldn't deny that being treated like glass at times became fairly annoying, but she'd been coping well enough. 

Moxxie made his way over to his wife, still holding onto a cardboard box wrapped and packaged with duck tape and a mailing label. Sure enough, "Moxxie Knolastname" was who it addressed. "I'm having a difficult time thinking of what this could be," he thought out loud.

"Did ya order somethin' new fer the nursery? You've been doin' a lotta shoppin' for that." Millie inquired, handing the box off to him while grabbing a knife lodged into the molding of the dining entryway and offering it to him.

He cut open the tape, his mind still running through all possibilities of what could be inside the box as Millie went to pour herself a glass of water. "No, I don't believe I di-" The sniper imp was cut off from his own words by a gasp he released in surprise, prompting him to shut the box quickly as Millie turned around to see what elicited his reaction. 

"What?" 

"Nothing..."

"What ya mean "nothin'?" Ya just acted like somethin' jumped out acha..."

Bless his little demonic heart. For someone who grew up always having to mask his emotions, Moxxie couldn't hide them anymore. Not effectively, anyway, certainly not to his wife. 

"It's just something I forgot I ordered for the nursery."

"Which is?" 

"......Oh, just...Something, honey!" 

He couldn't lie to her to save his life. Just by the excited look on his face and the sparkles in his eyes, she could tell he was trying to hide something. She smirked, seeing him desperately trying to put the package back together. She crept up behind him to get a peek, curious to know what had gotten her Mox Mox so eager out of the blue.

"What's in the box, Moxxie?~" 

The demoness rubbed her hands across her husband's shoulders, feeling him shudder to her amusement. After all these years together, her presence still sent him into a frenzy, a blushing mess. Knowing how riled up she still made him made Millie's heart swell and burn with passion. The other men boys she dated in her youth taught her that men became bored easily, leaving her for their own reasons within the span of a few months after they got what they were after or before she almost killed them for stepping out of line. Then Moxxie spawned in her life one day, and he made it evident that he was there to stay. 

He loved her just as much, devoting his life and all his love to her and now their soon-to-be impling. Millie taught him so much. Most importantly, people can make their own path and the real love you read about does exist, even in Hell. 

Her arms tied themselves around his waist in a hold as she kept trying to look over his shoulder. "Sweetie, I promise you it's nothing important..." 

"Well, yer sure actin' like it is. Actually, you're reaction to me wantin' to know what it is that yer puttin' in our future child's room is mighty suspicious~"

"That's because...I-It's something that we bought already, and I accidentally bought it again...And I'm going to send this one back!"

For someone as sharp and quick to think as Moxxie was, he even knew that was the worst explanation. There was no chance Millie was buying that. She had been with him for too long, and she'd continue to ask more questions, impatient to know what was so secretive about what her husband had purchased. It was one of the many qualities that he admired about his beloved wife: her intelligence paired with the thirst to know more and more about the subjects she didn't understand or know much of, even if she didn't necessarily care for them. 

In defeat, Millie pulled away from his back, but she was not ready to lighten up on the teasing quite yet. "Alright then. I see how it is. Such a secret that ya cain't even tell yer own wife 'bout it. Oh, excuse me, yer PREGNANT wife! Tisk Tisk Moxxie dear~"

Suddenly, he felt her rubbing the base of his tail where it met with his lower back, where she knew he loved it~ Moxxie trembled at the familiar pleasure that came along with it before she let go purring against his neck, wrapping her arms around him again. 

"I'll remember this, hun. Don't forget who this ass belongs to~" 

Moxxie shrieked in response to an admittedly too-hard slap to his buttocks. Laughter filled the kitchen, sweeping the two into a firm hug, with Moxxie turning around to embrace his wife from the front. He truly did love her more than anything else, and he always would. She never failed to make him smile or laugh. Speaking of laughing, the thespian imp noticed that her laughter had died down pretty quickly, too quickly for Millie. He maneuvered his face to examine hers, becoming concerned about her lowered eyelids, which had previously been wide with life as usual.

"Honey, are you okay?" 

"Yeah...Sorry, sweetie, I just feel kinda tired out of nowhere."

Moxxie ran his fingers through the back of her hair, extracting another purr from her lips. One of her least favorite symptoms of pregnancy had been the sudden tiredness and fatigue that would possess her for seemingly no reason at all, but it was a small price to pay. 

"How about you go lay down for a nap? I've got the rest of the cleaning under control." Moxxie suggested, rubbing his wife's back up and down. 

"Ya sure? I don't want ya to get overwhelmed."

"Honey, I insist. You know I love cleaning. In your own words, "I can handle it!"." He finished sharing a giggle with his wife before she stepped away, still holding onto his hands. 

"Ok then. I guess it couldn't hurt." 

"Come on. I'll get you that blanket you like."

 

---

 

About an hour and a half later, Millie awoke from her late morning nap feeling well-rested enough to get up and find her husband. He had moved on from cleaning the kitchen to their living room and was nearly done, aside from dusting their knick-knacks and pictures they hung on the walls. 

"Did you sleep well, babe?" 

Millie sat on the couch with Christy to pet her on the head and feed her attention for the millionth time that day as Moxxie finished polishing their wedding photo. "I did! I love that body pillow we got. It'll come in real handy once I get to the third trimester." 

Christy had just settled in her lap when Moxxie sat beside her, placing a wrapped gift with a bow on top in between them. "What's this, sweetie?" Millie questioned with her soft, country voice. 

"A gift. For you. It's the package that came in earlier. I was going to give it to you after dinner, but I think you deserve it now." 

Millie picked up the wrapped package, forcing Christy to walk over to Moxxie's lap to relax and receive love and scratchs from her "Dad" instead. 

"Aw, Mox, I wasn't really upset with ya earlier, baby. I was just kiddin' with ya." 

"I know, honey. I just want to give it to you now instead. Trust me. I think you'd like it after that nap." 

Ripping apart the wrapping paper, Millie was left with a white box with pink and blue writing. Inside the box was an at-home personal fetal doppler, and a fancy one at that. From the looks of it, it was a high-tech machine, definitely something that was worth a good buck. 

Moxxie smiled wide, observing Millie's eyes lighting upon immediately seeing what was inside. "At our last appointment, you made a comment that you wished you could listen to the baby whenever you wanted. And now, with this, you can listen to them anytime you want! OH! There's also an app we can download on our phones to go with it so we can keep track of baby bean's progress and record their heartbeat, too!" Moxxie exclaimed, wagging his tail with enthusiasm for the new "toy" he purchased. His celebration abruptly ceased once he saw tears pouring from Millie's eyes, immediately moving to comfort her, fearing that he upset her with his surprise. 

"No, no! These are happy tears! I love it, Mox! Yer the best husband ever, sweetie! Thank you!" She hugged him tight while drying her eyes, just as ready and impatient to try their monitor. 

When she gave the word, Moxxie went to fetch some aloe gel and a towel from their bathroom while Millie searched their drawers and cabinets for batteries to fuel the doppler. She wasn't surprised to find out her husband, the medical brains of the company, had already read up on how to use the machine, know what to listen for, interpret the heart rate, etc. Leave it to Moxxie to be extra prepared even when it comes to a present. 

"Ok, ready, honey?"

"Fuck yes!" she asserted, giggling as Moxxie stuffed the towel into her pants to protect her clothes, followed by putting some gel on her lower stomach. Christy retreated to sit beside Millie's head on the couch once the static of the doppler filled the house. Moxxie glided the handle across his wife's lower abdomen, listening closely to hear the familiar noise they were awaiting, ecstatic to hear the music of their impling's heartbeat. An unfamiliar sound rang through the small machine in Moxxie's hand, like waves in the ring of Envy. 

"That don't sound right...Right?"

"I read something about that before. I think it's the placenta. We should be getting- Oop!" The sniper imp silenced himself once he heard thumping on the speaker. His hand retreated to its previous position to find the sound repeating over and over again. Light thumping filled the room, inducing wide smiles and jubilation from both assassins. 

A heartbeat. Their baby's heartbeat. One of the best sounds in the world to them, and certainly one of the most thrilling. Moxxie composed hundreds of songs in his lifetime, and Millie listened to all of them with delight. Yet, they both agreed that this was the best song in the world, even more so because it was a song they created together from their love. 

As expected, they didn't do much cleaning for the rest of the day. Their afternoon was spent lounging on the couch with Christy, discussing future plans for their growing family, and listening to the baby's heartbeat as the hearts of all three imps thumped together in harmony. 

Notes:

Happy New Years Eve!

Hope y'all enjoyed the last story of the year!😊

See y'all in 2025!

Chapter 27: A New Look

Summary:

My interpretation of how I think Millie cut her hair! :)

Millie groaned, feeling herself beginning to stir with a pounding headache and back pain bad enough to bother a bitch. “Oh…motherfucker….” she cursed under her breath, covering her eyes from the sun shining through the windows. Her head felt like it was closing in on itself from the pressure, and her mouth was dryer than the plains of Wrath during the summer. She could already tell this hangover was going to be a real pain in the ass. 

She shivered while attempting to sit up. It was oddly cold for Hell. She pulled the blanket over her head to warm up and try her best not to lose her guts all over Kazi’s floor. Luckily, her vision wasn’t blurry, so she was safe enough to hopefully sober up with some fluids, medicine, and a good nap later on.

She looked down at the floor to see Onyx lying on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling like she was in a high. 

“You feelin’ it too, Onny?”

“Yeah….I ain’t gettin’ up…I feel fuckin’ aweful…” 

“Me too.”

“Me three,” Roley pitched in. 

At this point, there were three heads accounted for out of four…

No Kazi to be found.

“Where’s Kai?” Millie grumbled, swallowing a lump in her throat that she was convinced would come out as vomit if she wasn’t careful.

Roley, the most sober of the three, sat up, rubbing the bridge between her nose, “Beats me….We did bring her with us, right?” 

“We had to have…It’s her place. We couldn’t ha-” 

Onyx was cut off by gagging sounds coming from the bathroom, followed by the sounds of Kazi emptying her stomach into the toilet. All three looked that way, not fully comprehending what had happened until seconds later.

“Well…guess we know where she is…” Roley muttered before shoving her head back into her pillow as Kazi made her way out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. 

She collapsed on a sofa in her living room. “You guys all feel like shit, too?” answered with hums and moans by all the other girls. 

The gang of friends went out for a girls-only night, starting at the mall, then the club, then the bar, and eventually, they all ended the night at Kazi’s apartment, getting far too drunk than they should have. All four weren’t too keen on becoming intoxicated in public because of Hell’s nature. Just within the eleven hours they were out and about, they all had to fight off – and even injure – far too many shitheads who wouldn’t leave them be. They only had a few beers when out, but when they reached their destination for the night, that’s when the real party started, starting out with more beer, some twisted teas, shots, and ending on pure hard liquor. 

And now, they were all regretting their devilish choices. 

Millie squinted at her phone screen, trying to turn down the brightness. She wanted to check and make sure Moxxie knew where she was at, knowing she was safe and ok. 

Millie and her partner Moxxie recently got married, just shy of four months ago. Despite what most people warned her about, marriage life hadn’t been bad. She, along with her new husband, were both madly in love with each other, and it had been smooth sailing so far, with fingers crossed it’d stay that way. 

Both imps agreed before getting hitched that they didn’t want to become the kind of married couple that wouldn’t allow each other to spend quality time with their friends. So, when Millie told Moxxie of her plans to have a night with just her and her girls, Moxxie had no issues or protests, only requesting that she let him know she was safe and sound at some point during the night. 

From the texts they traded back and forth that Millie could see, Moxxie knew of her whereabouts before the alcohol completely took over her system.

‘Leaving the bar rn. We’re heading to Kazi’s for the night. 🖤’

‘Ok. Have fun. Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow. 🖤you.’

‘🖤🖤🖤 you lots more. Sweet dreams🖤’

He wasn’t there with her, but Moxxie’s messages helped bring a smile to her face, even when she felt like absolute crap. Seeing it was 10, almost 11 in the morning on her screen, she gently stretched her arms, legs, and back, enjoying hearing her joints popping and feeling some of the pressure subsiding from her night on the couch. 

The blanket she had draped over her like a blanket burrito slipped off during her movements. When she opened her eyes, she was confused to see all the others staring at her with wide eyes and mouths agape. 

“What?”

“Uhhhhh……..Mills…Do ya remember anythin’ from last night after we came here?” Kazi struggled to ask. 

Millie started trying to re-think about the night, unsure of what she was missing that they were suddenly panicky about. 

“Um…I mean, I remember us gettin’ blackout drunk, why?”  

Between Kazi, Onyx, and Roley looking at each other with anxious faces, she was beginning to feel nervous. Onyx handed Millie her phone with the photo app opened, and that’s when Millie’s eyes sprung open along with her mouth, just like the other girls, and her naturally ruby skin lightened to a rosy shade of pink. With every hangover she’d had in her life, becoming drunk often during the worst times of her life, she never felt a hangover evaporate from her body so quickly. 

Her hair...

Her long, thick hair was gone. Well…not all of it. However, the length was gone, completely severed off. What was left behind was a choppy, sloppy, poorly cut…mess. 

Her reaction was initially delayed, unsure of how or what to say in response to the hair she’d been growing for years, a decade even, being gone.

“....WHAT. THE. FUU-”

 

---

 

“...Ok, Mills…I did the best I could…” 

All four girls huddled in the small bathroom, watching Onyx salvage what was left of Millie’s hair. Lucky for her, it didn’t seem like any deep cuts disturbed the volume of her hair, but the length was beyond saving. 

Not one of them had any memory of what happened that would have resulted in this. The only clue they had was a large pile of black hair with a ponytail tied around it next to one of Millie’s knives that was shoved into the kitchen floor. Their best assumption was that she cut her ponytail off while they were under the heavy influence of alcohol. Thank Satan, she was wearing a low ponytail that night. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much hair left to save. 

It was common for Wrathians to cut their own hair due to tradition, convenience, and cost. Both Onyx and Millie grew up learning how to style and cut their hair. With Millie being in a somewhat catatonic state with a bowl in front of her in case she needed to puke again – apparently, the shock of seeing herself for the first time without her long locks was enough to make her hurl in the living room trash bin. 

Roley offered Millie a handheld mirror so she could see what Onyx made of her. She looked at her new self in the small glass, seeing a flowy bob with ends that faintly curved up in the back. 

Honestly, Millie thought she did a great job! Her face didn’t reflect that, as she was still dumbfounded by what had happened within the span of that past hour, but she thought the new style accented and flattered her face and features really well. 

A tear fell onto the mirror from her eyes, alarming the others before she spoke up for herself. 

“It looks awesome, Onny…I’m just upset…”

She started growing her hair out when she was 7. Now she was 26 years old. The only time she’d cut it was when her ends and bangs needed a trim, but outside of those boundaries, she never let anyone touch it. And now it was gone, at least until it grew back. 

This was devastating for her. Millie was so attached to her hair, and what would Moxxie say?! He loved her hair as much as she did and often complimented how pretty and soft it was. What would he think of this? Millie wanted to believe he’d like it…

“.....Y’all think Mox won’t like it?” 

The three other demons shared worried looks for their friend, aware that Millie cared a little too much about the opinions of others, especially her husband’s. Moxxie was a great guy. He’d never dictate what Millie could or couldn’t do with her body, but Millie hadn’t always known that kind of love and respect in her past relationships. 

“Aww, Millie. I think he’ll love it!” Onyx claimed, rubbing her friend’s shoulders for comfort. “You know that he worships the ground ya walk on! And Moxxie don’t seem like the kinda fella ta care ‘bout that stuff! I’m sure he’ll be obsessed with it, right guys?” She looked to Roley and Kazi for backup, to which they nodded, followed by their own agreements. 

Millie wiped the tears from her cheeks, feeling her mood lifted after listening to her friends’ reassurances and compliments. She agreed with everyone else that a shower and quick nap were in order for them to feel better, not before texting Moxxie of her plans to head home later in the day, not mentioning her new style yet. That’d be a surprise for later…

 

---

 

“Baby! I’m home!” 

Millie announced, locking the door behind her. As expected, Moxxie was waiting for her on the couch, eager to see his wife since he knew she’d be returning soon. Both imps couldn’t wait to greet each other with a hug and perhaps a much too-spicy kiss after not seeing each other for almost 24 hours. 

“Welcome home, honey! How was your night? How are the girls?” Moxxie grabbed her bags from her and set them on the couch to unpack. 

“It was fun! We had a good time! They’re all doin’ just fine.” Millie replied, following Moxxie into the kitchen to continue chatting. To hide her hair, she borrowed an oversized hoodie from Roley and had the hood on, hopefully, to disguise her shortened hair. 

“Great! Glad to hear! I haven’t started dinner yet, but I took out a cobbler I made right before you walked in because I love you!~” He purred, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Are you cold? It’s a little warm to be wearing a thick hoodie like that.” 

Millie stiffened, and her heart raced, knowing it was time to show him. “Yeaahhh…Honey, about that, I got somethin’ I need ta show ya. Nothin’ bad. Just somethin’ new.”

“Are you ok?” 

“Mhm, I promise. But uh, I got a little carried away with the booze last night, and well…” 

She decided to rip the band-aid off and pulled the hood of the sweatshirt off her head, showing the consequences of her drunken night with friends. 

“Let’s just say my hair suffered from it…”

Moxxie’s face shifted from concerned to surprised within seconds, causing Millie’s heart to race faster, this time with fear instead of anxiety.

“MILLIE! It’s adorable!”

“...What?”

“Your hair! It’s so cute!”

Moxxie admired her hair, running his fingers through it and ruffling it up like a small child.

“Yer…You ain’t upset it’s been cut?”

“Why would I be?” 

To that, Millie stared at her husband stoned-faced for a second, followed by a giggle with her facepalming herself. “I don’t know, sweetie~” she cooed before wrapping her arms around his neck. “Can you do me a favor and forget I even said that?” 

“Will do, honey!” 

They shared a laugh, with Moxxie still marveling at Millie’s hair as she asked about how his night was. The more Millie contemplated what happened earlier that day; the more her new cut started growing on her. That night, she finished drying her hair in way less time it took than her previously long mane. 

Less shampoo, less maintenance, less drying time, she loved it, Moxxie loved it…

“That took less time to dry than usual, honey!” Moxxie commented, climbing out of the shower. 

“It did! Guess it’s got its perks!” she handed Moxxie a towel, discreetly eyeing him drying off. 

Damn. Her husband was so SO hot!

“So, how fast you think ya could make it to bed?” 

“Mm…Probably in a few minutes so that I can use the dryer on my hair. Why?” 

He turned to hang the wet towel on their drying hook and shivered feeling Millie stroking the base of his tail, giving it a light tug.

“Cause, babe~ You may not be able to pull my hair anymore, but I can still pull yers~ How ‘bout we test those new sheets out?”

Millie yelped, sensing her own tail being pulled, and glanced down to find her tail in Moxxie’s fingers with a smirk on his face that wasn’t there seconds ago. That little demon…

“Then lead the way, princess~”

Notes:

As much as I love writing about M&M and their personal relationship, I want to do more writing that dives into their relationships outside of each other.

So, I decided to make this little one shot of Millie with her friends!

Chapter 28: A Drawing For Dad

Summary:

Moxxie draws a picture for Crimson.

Notes:

Warning:
- Depictions and mentions of abuse & violence.

Moxxie hummed to himself as he put the finishing touches on his afternoon activity.

Coloring was one of his favorite hobbies, and he'd been doing it for so long, ever since he was a toddler. It helped to soothe him. It was a way to help him escape whenever he was feeling sad or scared. His mother taught him to find healthy outlets for his “big emotions,” and coloring always did the trick!

He finished what he was working on and held it out before himself. He admired his finished piece, smiling wide and practically bouncing with happiness. He had been working on it for a few hours, and he thought it was perfect! 

Without hesitation, he ran out of his bedroom, ready to present his father with his creation, leaving his crayons scattered around the floor. 

It didn’t take long for the small child to reach his father’s office doors, detailed, thick, wooden doors large enough for a Goetia to fit through. Unfortunately, he was still too short at 6 years old to reach the handles, even when trying to stand on the tips of his hooves, and his tail was far too short at this point to reach. 

So, he knocked instead. Surely, his father had to answer. He could hear his muffled voice from the other side of the doors. He waited a few seconds with no answer, prompting him to knock again with more force; immediately stopping when he heard his father’s voice yell at the top of his lungs, startling Moxxie to back up from the door. 

Only seconds later, the door was answered, but not by Crimson. Alessio, his bodyguard, opened the doors with a crack, staring down at his boss’s young son, who was standing there clutching the paper in his hands. The two didn’t have a close relationship, but Moxxie, being a young child, always held an innocent, kind attitude towards the shark demon he had been around his whole life – literally his whole life. 

“Alessio, where’s dad?”

“He’s working, young sir. Now isn’t a good time.” 

“But I need to show him something. Can I make it quick?”

The shark continued looking down at him, and Moxxie continued staring back with those wide, childlike eyes that he inherited from his mother. Alessio sighed and held a finger out to the boy as if to say “stay put” before closing the doors again. 

Moxxie stood outside, wagging his tail with a huge smile, impatient to show off what he had made to his father. He looked up to see Alessio again, holding the door open for him and allowing him in this time. 

His father’s office was always off-limits for Moxxie. The only times he’d ever go inside were when Crimson invited him in. So it always amazed him to see the large room with high ceilings, bookshelves on both sides, and the large desk set in front of wide windows behind it that overlooked the garden in the back of the mansion. 

“Dad?” 

“What, Mox? I’m busy!” 

Moxxie ran around the lounge chairs in the office to the side of Crimson’s leather office chair. “I drew you something!” he cheered, shoving the picture towards an aggravated Crimson. 

“Yeah, yeah, nice work, Mox. Now go run around and play or something and leave me be, m’kay kid…” He pushed Moxxie and his paper drawing away before turning back to whatever paperwork he was previously attending to. 

Despite his father’s protest, Moxxie tried to wiggle his way back next to Crimson once again. “But Daddy, I drew this for you!”  Crimson ignored him this time, upsetting Moxxie to the point of him lashing his tiny tail around like an irritated kitten.

“Dad!” 

Crimson instantly stood up from his chair, slamming his pen down before taking the whisky glass he’d been drinking from and throwing it against the opposite wall, shattering it into shards that flew everywhere and scaring Moxxie. When his father got like this, he knew he was in deep, deep trouble. 

Before he could apologize for angering him, Crimson snatched the paper from Moxxie’s hands before tearing it in half, crumpling the pieces up, and throwing the ball of paper at his face. 

“THERE! I FUCKIN’ ACKNOWLEDGED YOUR STUPID DRAWING, KID!” he burst before sitting in his chair again, going back to his work as if nothing had happened with Moxxie frozen and horrified by his father’s outburst. 

“Now get the fuck outta here and leave me alone. I got work to do. Ale, show him out.” 

Moxxie looked down at what was left of his coloring, shriveled up, torn, and wrinkled…

He wanted to cry, but he knew if he did, it wouldn’t end well for him. He slowly leaned down to grab it and followed Alessio out of the office, dragging his tail on the floor. It wasn’t until Alessio closed the door, leaving Moxxie in the hallway, that the little imp gave himself permission to cry silently.

When he reached his room, he curled up into a ball on his bed, uncrumpling the two pieces of his destroyed illustration of him and Crimson holding hands and smiling with the message ‘I Love You Dad: Love Moxxie’ all written neatly in pink crayon. The paper was ripped uncomfortably perfect in the center, dividing the figures of Crim and his son on each piece. 

And for the remainder of the afternoon, Moxxie continued to cry in a ball on his bed until he calmed himself enough for dinner that night…

 

---

 

34 Years Later

Moxxie sat on the couch, intensely working on his laptop computer. It had been a particularly stressful few days at the office, with I.M.P. trying to track down a client who had scammed them out of paying after they successfully killed their target. This wouldn’t go over well if they didn’t find them fast because the job had been completed days ago, and their assassins needed to be paid respectfully, Moxxie too, since he was one of the ones working on the job. 

“Son of a bitch,” he groaned under his breath to avoid being heard. 

He went back to typing, having a new idea, when he heard the clicking of small hooves on the floor approaching him. 

He was addressed before he had time to look up from the computer.

“Daddy! Look what I made!” 

Moxxie looked over the laptop at Tucker, proudly displaying a paper in front of him. He closed the computer before taking Tucker’s work into his hands. The toddler climbed onto the couch beside him, watching closely for a reaction.

The paper had a colorful drawing of two smiling figures standing in the center, hugging each other. With their distinct details, they were almost identical to both demons, but the smaller figure held a familiar object wrapped in his tail. Moxxie smiled, examining the picture his son was so clearly thrilled about. 

“Is this you and me?” He asked, pulling his son into his lap.

“Yeah! It’s a drawin’ of us huggin’!” His small tail wagged in delight.

Moxxie held Tucker tight with his arm around him as both imps, father and son, studied the artwork that Tucker had spent a while coloring. Tuck was always such a loving, caring, creative little boy. Both Millie and Moxxie were so proud to be his parents. 

“It’s beautiful, Tuck! You are so talented!” Moxxie praised, ruffling his son’s wild hair. 

“And I’m holdin’ a guitar with my tail!" Tucker pointed out with a finger. "Because when I grow up, I wanna play music just like you, Dad!” 

If that didn’t make Moxxie’s day better, he didn’t know what would. He pulled Tucker in for a short, tight hug, running his fingers through the back of his white, fluffy hair. “Thank you, Tucker. That is very sweet of you.”

“I love you, Daddy! You’re one of my favorite people!”

“Well, guess what? I love you more, little wildflower!”

Moxxie ran the back of his pointer finger over Tucker’s freckled cheek, making him purr in satisfaction. The assassin picked him up with one arm while still holding the picture in his left hand after coming up with a suggestion.

“I think we need to hang this on the picture wall! What do you think?”

“Yeah! Picture wall!” 

The toddler proudly stood by as Moxxie added his drawing to the memory wall of growing pictures that he and Millie decided to start years ago. All their most important and favorite pictures of their lives together hung on that wall, and seeing their son’s artwork up there did look different, but it was perfect and fit in just right. 

“I’m gonna make one for Mommy for when she gets home!” Tucker informed his dad before running back to the living room.

“I think she would love that, sweetheart,” Moxxie replied, still looking at the drawing now displayed on the wall with all the rest.

Many times after becoming a father, Moxxie experienced these parallels between his childhood and his son’s, especially with Tucker growing older. He loved that boy more than life itself. He loved Millie more than life itself. By Satan, he could never understand how Crimson could have been that type of father to him.

Tucker was one of the best things that ever happened to him and Millie. How could Crimson look his little boy in the face and treat him the way he did? Why couldn’t he have changed?

He abused not only him but also his poor mother, who he took from Moxxie far too soon. That was something that Moxxie could never even dream or imagine doing to his family. He loved them so much it conjured a pain in his chest some days. He’d do anything for them. It had been years since his abuse, years since escaping that dreadful house, years since Crimson had died, yet he was still affected by him. 

He was still plagued by nightmares, loud noises, loud voices, and other trauma…

“Mommy!” Tucker shouted upon his mother entering the front door. 

“Hi, sweetness! How was yer afternoon?” 

…But Tucker wouldn’t…Millie wouldn’t…

Tucker would never know abuse, fear, or trauma. He would never have to hear his mother and father fighting, arguing, pretending to like each other for his sake. He wouldn’t have to cry himself to sleep from depression. He wouldn’t have to live in loneliness…

Millie would never suffer from any form of abuse, disrespect, or mistreatment. And she would never know anything other than love. No pain, fear, sadness, heartbreak, harm, nothing…

And Moxxie would spend the rest of his life making sure of it. His wife and their son will always be loved and spoiled unconditionally by him. Because they were his family and his universe…

“Hi, honey! Any luck so far?” Millie asked her husband, heading to him down the hallway with Tucker following close behind. 

“Sadly, not yet, honey,” he answered after giving her a kiss, “But that can wait. Look at this beautiful new drawing our son made!”

Notes:

NGL...I got emotional when I wrote this🥲

Also, new chapter tomorrow! Hooray!

As always, thank you guys for reading! I hope y'all enjoyed!

Chapter 29: It Started With A Kiss

Summary:

A summary of how I think M&M's first kiss went.

Notes:

Warning(s):
- Mild sexual content

Just a quick note, guys:

I wrote this way back in June. So before Ghostfuckers. That's why I'm mentioning stuff that we know isn't canon anymore. At this point, I was imagining that M&M were close friends, just to add some context.

Enjoy!

Moxxie and Millie failed to contain themselves as Millie unlocked the door to her small apartment. They had been out drinking at a bar just a few blocks away with their boss, Blitzo, and their coworker, Loona, after work, celebrating another successful week of killing. How it happened, Satan only knew, but these two knuckleheads didn’t even feel under the influence in the slightest, whereas Loona carried out Blitz with him dangling over her shoulder to be brought home. 

Considering they were all having a fun time, Millie suggested that Moxxie visit her apartment for a bit to keep the party going, even if they were down by two people.

Millie held the door open with a hand on her hip for her fellow imp assassin. “After you~”

“Why, thank you~”

Moxxie complied, wanting to carry on with the game they had been playing at the bar. 

The place had a challenge that night, and Blitz and his team simply couldn’t refuse, given the prize that was being upheld. A drinking game was all it started out as. Every table who wanted to participate was given a list of dares to complete by the end of the night. If you finished all of them without cheating, your bill was free! 

Things were going great with I.M.P. having no trouble crossing off items left and right from the list in hardly any time, but then they reached one of the last remaining boxes to mark off…

"I know that we both had our fair share of drinks at the bar, but I believe a toast is in order for a successful mission this afternoon AND our wiped-out bill thanks to a certain sniper that I know~" Millie proposed when they settled into her apartment. 

They weren't drunk or tipsy even, so what was the harm in a little more alcohol to take the load off?

"That sounds rather nice! Do you have anything?" 

"Well, I have some whiskey. You ok with that?" She headed over to the small kitchen and grabbed two glasses from the cupboard.

"Sounds good to me!" Moxxie stood on the other side of her countertop as she prepped their drinks.

She started a new conversation while putting ice into their glasses. "I have 'ta say, Mox, I like workin’ with ya! You don't look it at first, but you got some spunk to ya!" 

"Why, thank you! I must admit, you are my favorite coworker. Though, what are we going to do now? Because you know, Blitz isn't going to let it down…That is if he even remembers tonight...”

The group debated how they would finish their checklist, focusing on one of their final dares: a kiss shot. Blitz would never allow Loona to join – nor would she agree. Moxxie firmly rejected Blitz’s plan to kiss him. Their boss was certain Millie would, too, as their relationship remained only as trusted friends, excluding work. 

Naturally, there was only one option left…

 

---

 

“Com’on, Moxxie! I promise I don’t bite!... Most of the time!” 

“M-Millie, truthfully, I don’t think you want to go through with this!” 

The implications given by his melee-trained friend were enough to send an anxious shiver down his spine for several reasons, and Blitz provoking them hadn’t done much of anything to help. 

“Yeah, Mox! Just DO IT!”

“Sir, I can-”

Blitz clutched onto the collar of his shirt from across the table, forcing their foreheads together. “Moxxie, you absolutely can, and you fucking will. And that’s an order, do you hear me babydick?!” 

It was obvious to Blitz, Loona, fuck literally anyone with a pair of eyes, that Moxxie was crushing on Millie hard since their coworker rivalry blossomed into friendship, perhaps even prior to that…

Blitz had been coaching Moxxie for weeks to build the confidence to confess to her, with Moxxie trying to cease his ‘advice.’ He was adamant that the bond between him and Mildred would always be nothing more than a friendship/professional connection. Of course, he wished that was not the case; he had no evidence that she had any longing to be more than that. 

Millie grasped Moxxie’s shoulder, shoving him back into the booth next to her gently. “Look, you ain’t got nothin’ to worry ‘bout, Canary! I’ve been told I’m a great kisser! Besides, it’s just a little peck on the lips fer a few seconds!” she tried convincing him, mostly because she secretly wanted to kiss him too. 

Millie prayed it wasn’t in her mind, but she found herself overwhelmingly smitten with the sniper she worked alongside. No, she hadn’t told anyone, not even her sister, her best friend, none of her friends, to be exact. 

"Millie, I trust you, but it's not you I'm concerned about. I'm a bad kisser," Moxxie explained, testing any excuse he could think of to escape this situation. Not that he didn't want to know what it was like to kiss her...'Fuck Moxxie stop being a perv' he internally battled with himself feeling a rush of multiple doubts and worries at one time. Before he could think rationally, Millie had an idea of her own, obvious by the devilish smirk that spread across her face. 

"Suit yerself, freckles! We'll just pay our own way," Millie claimed before Moxxie let out a sigh of relief and guilt. The thespian of the bunch felt bad for letting the team down, and now that he was thinking about it, the dialogue he used made it seem like he was against their plans because of Millie. 

Maybe he would have apologized if it hadn't been for Millie imitating chicken noises loud enough only for their table. She, Blitz, and Loona stifled their laughs while Moxxie turned to her, eyes wide with shock and a hint of insult. 

"Are you...You're mocking me??" 

"Who? Little ol' me? Nah, I'd never!~" She flashed him a set of puppy dog eyes that she managed to match with the smug look she adopted. "I just think it's a little chicken of you to be scared of a little kiss~" 

Something about that got to him, evident by the eye twitch her fun birthed out of him. Moxxie sipped the last of the cocktail he'd ordered before setting the glass on the table and directing his attention to his boss. 

"Sir, hand me that shot glass..." he demanded, grabbing onto the bottle of spiced liquor next to him. Blitz didn't argue, enthusiastically cheering on his employee along with Millie, who was sensing a touch of nervousness in her gut. 

The Wrath duo got into place, with Millie on her knees, elevating herself, and Moxxie placing his hands on her bare cheeks for stability. 

"Pucker up, city boy~" 

 

---

 

What came along with their kiss shot at the bar was the two "role play" flirting for the rest of their time there. Blitz, in his drunken haze, started beaming, yelling, "I knew it!" in a proud tone, accusing the two of being together outside of work, on top of spilling to Millie how much Moxxie liked her and other private details that Moxxie would have preferred not to share with...well, anyone. Honestly, he was trying to help. Surprisingly, Blitz's foggy, intoxicated word vomit initiated something wild and fun for his employees, encouraging them not to stop, not that they wanted to...

Millie thought for a moment, reminiscing from earlier and trying to consider the point her friend was making. "Dunno..." She turned her head to face him, another smirk painted across her lips. "Maybe we'll just have to keep going~"

Moxxie smiled at that as she handed him a glass. They tapped their drinks together, readying for their victory toast.

"So, I guess we could toast this to our most recent kill and free drinks?"

"Sounds delightful."

They each took a sip from their glasses before setting them down. 

"Now then!" Millie exclaimed before Moxxie felt the collar of his shirt being tugged. "...Where were we before Blitzo started accusing us of doing unholy things?" She climbed onto the counter, grinning deviously at the musician. 

He returned the look, excited to continue what they had started at the bar.

"Hmm, well, let's see. If I remember correctly, you said, if I may quote you, that you were going to "knock my socks off" with your bedroom skills. Does that sound right?"

"Oh yeah, I remember now...If we're lucky, Blitz might not remember that when he gets sober tomorrow~"

"We can only hope, I suppose~ But how about you humor me? Are you really capable of tearing my soul out of my body?" He teased back.

"Oh, I am capable of doing so much more than that. Why? You wanna find out for yourself?~"

"Maybe I do~"

They stared at each other for seconds before the apartment was filled with boisterous laughter. Millie let go of Moxxie's shirt, but her hand failed to catch the side of the countertop. 

She stumbled forward, and Moxxie caught her quickly, her arms wrapping around his neck to help catch herself, and their eyes met. 

"...This...Isn't us just playin' with each other anymore. Is it?" Millie whispered, staring into his eyes. 

"...No"

"...We're not even doin’ this as a joke anymore, either, huh?"

"........No"

Time stood still. The only movement between the pair was slow, light breathing....

And then there were fireworks.

The two leaned in, and their lips met each other with a kiss. 

A spark ran through them like volts of electricity running back and forth between their bodies.

Neither was each other's first kiss, but this was the first one they both experienced, outside of the one at the bar, that felt so exhilarating to the point of complete obsession and arousal. 

Their bodies relaxed the deeper they surrendered to each other. It seemed like forever, but realistically, it was most likely seconds before they reluctantly pulled apart. 

Both sets of gold eyes opened, meeting each other's gaze again. And once more, the apartment went quiet. Only this time, when they looked into each other's eyes, something was different; something changed.

"...M...Millie-" Moxxie was cut off from Millie's lips, colliding with his again. 

And you know what? He didn't fight back or restrict either of them. He kissed her back just as feverishly as she did, feeling that shock of electricity again. 

Her hands found their way to his cheeks, cupping his face, feeling as if the closeness to his body wasn't enough to satisfy this new craving he stimulated in her. 

Moxxie was unsure what to do with his hands, but he settled on pulling her off the counter and holding her by the waist. She reacted positively to his gesture by moaning into his mouth, a measure that he returned once she wrapped her legs around his hips. 

Their lips refused to let go, taking not even second-long breaks between parting ways. They just discovered a new flavor of life they never knew existed. Being up close to each other and being able to fully take in each other's scent and taste was like sucking in the most intoxicating elixir that the universe had to offer. It drove them both wild. 

Using what strength she could gather during her high, Millie directed his back towards the wall close behind him, pinning him there and getting physically closer to his body. However, it still wasn't enough to satisfy her. She wanted more of him. She needed more of him, or she felt like she’d die from malnutrition.

She maneuvered her arms to mess with the zipper at the front of her shirt as best as she could, not daring to disconnect their lips. Once she zipped it completely down, she slid the piece of clothing off of her arms, leaving her torso exposed aside from her black lacy bra that was still guarding her chest. 

Moxxie felt ashamed for looking when they split, but that was short-lived, as Millie meshed them together again. Satan, she wanted to merge with him so badly, to become one being, and she couldn’t see herself becoming completely whole until then. 

Determination took over her, and Moxxie was dragged to his “friend’s” small bedroom and pinned by his waist to the mattress with her small hands. This woman's physical strength was astonishing and, in Moxxie’s mind, especially sexy. Knowing she could hold him down and take him whenever she wanted him truly did "knock his socks off."

Being in the dark only increased the fire that was now a flaming, blistering heat of a makeout. Millie fueled their passion by beginning to dry hump the sniper secured below her, much to both of their approval. 

Blitz’s intuition about his two employees was correct, after all. The sexual tension that manifested between them over such a short period of time was intense to the degree that Loona could pick up the smell. 

Millie’s hands fired at Moxxie’s shirt, undoing the buttons one by one until a hand that didn't belong to her grabbed hers at the end of the row. 

Moxxie, appearing flustered and disheveled, raised himself to meet her eyes. "Millie, c-could we talk?”

“...Uh, y-yeah, I guess,” Millie stuttered now that her previously lustful mood flipped to panic. 

The female imp climbed off this sniper she had grown to view as a close friend, if you could even call him that now, as he changed his position on the bed, now sitting on the edge with her following his lead.

“Millie…” he pondered on what to say, “I’m sorry. But I…I can’t do this. It wouldn’t be very polite of me.”

A meek, discouraged “Oh…” was the only response Millie could muster the courage to express. She could hear the emotion in that tiny reply despite trying to sound unbothered. Somehow, after all the romantic hurt and rejection she’d faced thus far, something about this one hurt the worst. And she had only known Moxxie for a matter of a few months.

“I’m sorry,” she failed to cover up a sniffle. “I wasn’t tryin’ to make you uncomfortable…I-I thought that…I read this so wrong.”

With the way she had acted, he must have thought she was a joke. Nothing but a dumb, fast country girl. Millie was sure of it. How could someone like him ever be interested in someone like her? More importantly, she thought, how could she be so blind and stupid to misread him that poorly? 

Moxxie was smart, intelligent, well-spoken, creative, civil, talented, patient, respectful, kind, and so much more. He was everything she didn’t think she could ever be and everything she didn’t believe she deserved. If anything, he should be with someone just as magnificent as he was, not some farm girl.

Moxxie was taken aback by her sudden change in behavior. “Oh, Millie, no!” he exclaimed, reaching for her hand. “I’m sorry; that’s not what I meant." 

The butterflies in Millie’s stomach were revived once her hand was intertwined with his. He was so warm and soft. Oh, what she would do to feel those hands paired with hers forever…

“What I was trying to say is…I really like you, Millie. A lot,” he started, hearing Blitz’s voice in the back of his mind cheering him on as his boss had been doing for weeks. “I think you’re great, and I’ve been charmed with you for a while.” 

Millie struggled to understand what she was feeling at the moment, but in her demonic soul, she knew it felt good, a little too good. However, there was a thought in the back of her mind whispering to her that he was lying, only spilling his guts out to her to try and make her feel better…

“Millie, you’re very special to me, and I’d like to show you that. I would hate to give you the wrong impression or disrespect you by taking things too far before we get to know each other better.”

"Ya mean....Like a date?" She asked, her voice softening.

A date...

Moxxie wanted that so badly, but could he? He didn't exactly see himself being her type...But that kiss had his mind swirling. 

"Uh, yes. I-" he paused, thinking over his words one last time. "...I really would love to take you on a date, Millie. That is only if you'd like to; you don't have to feel obligated." 

Despite feeling anxious about rejection, he felt proud for asking her, almost relieved he actually went through with it. Millie's eyes widened and filled with tears, causing Moxxie's heart to race, fearing he'd upset her. He didn't have time to apologize and take his words back. She whimpered, "I-I've never been asked on a real date before...Ya ain't messin' with me, are ya?"

"No! No, I'm being extremely genuine! I promise! Hold on a second...uh," he hastily searched for a handkerchief in his half-open shirt before offering it to her. "Please don't be sad." 

She wiped away the tears that were about to spill from her eyes, returning the stained cloth to Moxxie, still uncertain whether his gesture was what upset her. 

"Millie, I'm sorry if I...offended you. I didn't want to cause you any stress."

"It wasn't you," she sniffled. "It's silly...The only other time I've been asked on a date ended up bein' a joke. It's emotional fer me." 

".....Well, that's just cruel." Moxxie scoffed on her behalf, compelling her to laugh. 

"Ya ain't gotta tell me....So, Blitz and you really were tellin' the truth? Ya like me?" she asked for confirmation. 

"I do, Millie. I think you're wonderful! I know we didn't start off on the right foot, but I've always thought you were amazing...Even when we were at each other's throats." Moxxie rubbed the back of his neck, hoping to rub off the embarrassment. 

Millie blushed, letting her own smile take over, showing off her tooth gap. Satan, she was adorable...and beautiful. It was hard for Moxxie to think that she agreed to wanting to actually go out with him. 

"In that case," Millie blushed harder. Moxxie felt her hand travel to the tie that was still around his neck. Before he had time to process what was happening, she seized the opportunity to lock her lips onto his for just maybe one more time tonight...maybe. 

Millie felt him kiss her back, making her desire to keep kissing him stronger than before. No one else made her this awakened before. They only first kissed a few hours ago over a stupid drinking game, and here they were in her apartment, in her bed, wanting to taste each other until time no longer existed.  

They finished letting their tongues explore each other's mouths, both pleased by the string of their combined saliva being the only thing connecting them until Millie wiped it away with her thumb and took it into her own mouth. 

"Ya wanna know somethin'?" she twirled some of his hair with her pointer finger. "You were wrong at the bar. Yer an excellent kisser~" 

The female imp released a flirty chuckle, watching her partner's face flush with shyness and turning his face to avert eye contact. It was impossible to hide the bashful smile that housed his face, drawing Millie in more.

Maybe they could give this whole enemies to friends to lovers thing a try...They both liked that idea...

Notes:

Ok, guys, I have a few updates for y'all:

- Sadly, I will be entering a new semester come Tuesday. This means that updates will most certainly be coming more slowly. Howevevr, I will continue to do my best to try and update at least once a month if I can.

- That being said, there will likely be no more updates in January. But in February + March, I will be participating in two different M&M prompt weeks. So you guys will be getting some content then!

- "Let's Play A Game" will be put on hiatus for now, as I would like to change it to match the info we currently have about M&M. The first two chapters will be removed for now until I finish that little story. I'm thinking that the summertime (probably May) will be when it's finished, depending on how these next 4 months go for me.

- Also, a friend of mine suggested an idea that I've seen some other writers do. I'm new to social media, but I post some more M&M/art related content on there. I think I'd like to start posting updates about this fic on there as well. So, if you'd be interested in checking it out, I have a Bluesky account!

Here's my @ in case y'all wanna check out what I'm doing on there, or for chapter updates, etc: @madigirlcrafts.bsky.social

Other than that, that's all I've got for y'all for the time being! Have a great rest of January!

Chapter 30: Nesting

Summary:

Moxxie experiences "nesting" instincts as Millie approaches birth.

Millie began to stir in bed. Try as she might to surrender back to sleep, a low growl from her stomach wouldn’t let her be. One of her least favorite parts about being pregnant was the insatiable hunger, despite her not skipping any meals both at her doctor's and her doting husband’s insistence. The imp learned early on that not listening to her cravings or urges to eat was unpleasant, to say the least.

Sighing in defeat, she climbed out of bed, slipping her robe on top of her maternity nightgown before heading to the kitchen. It had been a longer night than usual for her. She struggled to get any sleep because Moxxie was gone. She never slept well when he wasn’t with her. On top of that, she couldn't get comfortable in bed. Between the back and joint pain and the baby moving around all night, it was a miracle she was even able to get a few hours of rest at this point. 

“Yer drivin’ me crazy, baby,” she mumbled in the dark, caressing her bump. “But don’t worry. I still love you~” She smiled, feeling a soft kick on her hand after addressing her little impling. That was one thing she would miss. He always became more active whenever she and Moxxie would talk, especially anytime Moxxie would play his music and sing, quickly making it a bedtime routine once he started kicking more. 

Millie turned on the stovetop light to help guide the way before opening their fridge to see what unholy, unheard-of midnight snack sounded good to her little dumpling. “Now, what are we wanting to eat?” she questioned like she was expecting a verbal response. Looking through the shelves, she cringed when her eyes met with and her mouth watered over one of her most sought-after pregnancy snacks that the little tot couldn’t resist, yet she hated that, as a pregnant woman, it tasted so delicious.

“...Alright…But only one more time!” …That she had repeated since month 3.

She just started her maternity leave yesterday, and she’d be 8 months pregnant as of tomorrow. To prepare for his paternity leave coming up in a week, Moxxie had been working overtime in the office, volunteering to take on more missions at night with the other assassins as arrangements were being finalized. He and Millie would leave for Wrath at the end of the week for her last weeks of pregnancy and to have the baby. Naturally, the nervousness and stress of becoming new parents had gotten to both of them lately. 

This was their first time having a baby. Neither of them knew what to expect.

Just as she started munching on her late-night snack, Millie heard Moxxie walk through the front door and into the kitchen with his work duffle bag hoisted over his shoulder. They spotted each other in the dark as Moxxie’s pointer finger wandered to turn on the light.

“….Snack time, darling?” 

Millie swallowed the bite of food she was on, looking straight ahead at her husband with her big, golden eyes. “.....Yes,” she confirmed. 

“The baby wouldn’t let me sleep, and then he decided it was a great time to make me get up to eat. Little guy doesn’t care that we just ate dinner a few hours ago.”

“He’s a growing boy,” Moxxie walked over to the other side of the kitchen island, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “He wants to make sure you’re getting what you need.” 

“Well, according to him, I needed to continuously eat onions with ranch and pickles with maple syrup for nine months straight.” Millie gagged, simultaneously popping another sugary pickle into her mouth. Moxxie purred, showing her and their son love while wrapping himself around her. If he could, he would have fallen asleep at that very moment with her in his arms, but Moxxie had work to do. VERY important work that simply could not wait. 

He set his bag down on the countertop, taking out several jars of what looked like dried wax, essential oils, and dried leaves, confusing his tired wife. 

“What’s all that, honey?” 

“It’s more supplies! To make more candles!” 

Millie could practically feel both herself and their unborn baby sigh along with her at her husband’s words. “Moxxie, hun, don’t you think we got plenty?” The female assassin walked up behind her husband, rubbing his shoulders. She couldn’t resist imagining their little boy inheriting his facial features as she saw that adorable spotted face look back at her. 

“Oh! These aren’t for here. These will be the ones I'll pack to bring to Wrath with us for when you have baby bean.” 

“....Wait- The ones we have here ain’t bein’ split between the house and Wrath?” 

“No. I made all the ones we need for the house. But you need some for when you’re in labor and recovering too.” 

Millie didn't know what to do but blink repetitively at the realization. Was her sweet husband going insane?! They had almost 300 candles that he had made sitting around in their bedroom already, waiting to be used…

Even if demon life was almost as domesticated as humanity, demons, especially imps, still had their innate, primal urges rooted deep within their DNA. One of these behaviors surfaced in male imps whenever their partners, or “mates” as Satan wrote in their biology, were closely approaching childbirth. 

The purpose of nesting was to ensure that their partners could give birth comfortably and provide them with any possible needs, wants, and desires to birth and raise their little ones in a safe, proper environment. 

And Moxxie was experiencing…..a rather extreme case of nesting. 

He cleaned their house daily, making certain it sparkled from top to bottom, with no traces of dirt, dust, or ick anywhere. He bought snacks...A LOT of snacks. Particularly Millie’s favorite things to munch on when she wanted a little something to eat, and he included other forms of nutrients and vitamins to keep her hydrated and satisfied to help with breastfeeding. He even found a minifridge and stocked up on supplies for them to keep in their bedroom to make pumping and storing extra milk easier for her.

“Moxxie, baby. I love you, I really do. And I appreciate everythin’ that ya do for the baby and me, but don’t you think you need to let yer instincts cool off a bit?” Millie questioned, combing his hair through her fingers, only wanting her husband to follow her back to bed so she could finally manage to get some sleep. Honestly, she believed that Moxxie should get a good night's sleep, too, given how much he'd been working both at the office and in the house. “Let’s just head to bed, and you can make some tomorrow if you still want.” 

Moxxie looked back at his wife again, closing a jar of dried lavender before turning the light off with the switch next to him. “Maybe you’re right, honey. Ok. Let’s go. I am feeling a little sleepy after that mission”

“I’m sure you are. And my pregnancy pillow is callin’ my name!”

 

---

 

Sure enough, the next morning, Moxxie was up bright and early, cleaning their entire house again, scrubbing the floors, checking that their cabinets were organized, dusting, etc. Anything he believed looked remotely out of place was swiftly cleaned or repositioned. This sniper was NOT about to have his home a mess for a baby or his wife at that. 

A few days prior, he went out to both Hell's landscapes and the human world, collecting and harvesting herbs, flowers, and other elements that were dubbed to be helpful in the nesting process and even so after babies were born, spreading them around the home anywhere and everywhere Millie and the baby would spend most of their time.

Another day before that, Millie became suspicious that the lights throughout their home seemed...dimmer? In no world was it possible that ALL the bulbs in their home were going out simultaneously. Upon questioning her feral husband, Moxxie admitted without guilt that he changed every lightbulb in their house, including their lamps, to dimmer bulbs to protect the baby's eyes and to set the atmosphere to be more homey and relaxing for both Millie and their tot.

Millie watched him ferociously work every hour, wondering what kind of brain chemistry was happening up there in his extra fuzzy head. That very afternoon, she went to sit on the couch to watch television, finding that all their lounge chairs and their sofa were robbed bare of the throw pillows, throw blankets, and cushions that were usually there. 

"Uhhh.....Honey! Where's all our cushions and such?" Millie called out to Moxxie from their living room. 

Her husband poked his head out from the kitchen to answer before seeing his wife bewildered at the sight of their stripped lounging. "OH! I used those for the bedroom, sweetie."

"What for? The mattress ain't enough cushion fer ya, hun?" she joked, still unsure of what was happening. 

"Oh no. Nothing like that, sweetie. I needed them for the nest."

"What nest?"

"The nest for you and the baby! I've been reading and watching Voxtube videos about it for months, and I think I did a pretty decent job!"

The melee fighter couldn't do much but blankly stare at that cute, smiling, freckled face in disbelief. A nest? He actually build a whole NEST? That wasn't uncommon by any means; however, she didn't expect her husband to become so deep in his impulses. 

"When?"

"Hmmm....About an hour ago. It didn't take me long. Maybe an hour and a half at most?" Millie took off as fast as her pregnant body would allow her to observe this "nest" her husband assembled. And Satan, it did not disappoint. Behind their bedroom door, she was met with an entire transformation. The typical neat and tidy room she was familiar with was still as neat and tidy as it always was; but, it reflected more of one of those beds that princesses and queens had in movies and storybooks. 

Sheets were hung around the bed with plastic strips to resemble a canopy. On her side of the bed, her husband created an extra comfy spot for her by adding all the blankets, pillows, and stuffies that she loved, especially those that carried fluff on them for her, and the bassinet had been attached to her side of the mattress, with the sides being enveloped by the cushions of their living room furniture for stability. And, of course, easier access for when the baby would cry for attention at night. His creation truly did give off the feel of a nest, perhaps a pillow fort, to humans. But to imps, it was indeed an impressive nest.

"I think I could have made it a bit cozier..." Moxxie thought out loud, following his wife into the space.

Millie wanted to reply, but she couldn't find the words. Her eyes were too glued to the bed, which was seeming quite cushy and snug right about now. 

"...Oh, Mox."

"You like it?"

She turned around to meet him with her glittering eyes and a beaming smile, instantly bringing him in for an impromptu kiss. 

"I'll take that as a "yes"."

"This one ain't even here yet, and yer makin' it hard fer me to say "no" to another one." Did I mention that the better a male imp's nesting habits were, the more they could compel their "mates" to continue procreating with them?

Millie nuzzled against his cheek before her sniper popped the question she was waiting for. "Do you want to give it a try? Let me know how I did?"

 

---

 

"Ok, there!" 

Millie lay snug and tucked into her cacoon of pillows, sheets, fluffy blankets, and stuffed animals she and Moxxie collected over the years. And damn, it was comfortable, the most comfortable she had felt in her entire third trimester. She was obsessed with the pregnancy body pillow gifted to her by her husband, which was included in this "nest," but it was like he managed to kick it up by a hundred notches. She had no clue how he did it, but by Satan, it was working...

"Mox...I won't lie to ya...I'm feelin' fuckin' great right now." 

She started purring at the smells that permeated the room from one of Moxxie's candles made for soothing effects. 

"...Okay...I admit," Millie shifted herself so she'd be cuddling her pregnancy pillow. "You are forgiven. It's worth you looting our living room...I'm likin' this~ And it's so warm, too."

"That would be from the heating pads. I found some that had really good reviews that aren't electric. They just work off of body heat. I put some in the crib, too, to keep beany warm at night." 

Oh, sweetness...

There couldn't be another demon alive to be able to say their husband or the father of their children was as incredible as Moxxie. Her entire pregnancy was made so much easier and less intimidating because of him; no doubt it'd be the same once the baby got here. For the past months, Millie couldn't have been more transparent with Moxxie that the actual birth was the part that scared her the most. There were too many possibilities of something going wrong despite her pregnancy being a normal one. To no one's surprise, from day one, Moxxie did everything possible to ensure that his queen could enjoy her pregnancy to the fullest extent. 

"You forgot somethin', though~" Moxxie's eyes grew wide; his instincts began to boil up in a panic, attempting to think over what he could have forgotten to add. 

"I did?..."

His wife smirking at him from under the blanket was complicating his thoughts. Did he really forget something, or was she joking, maybe? He wasn't given a chance to clarify before she answered for him. 

"You didn't leave enough space for you to nest and snuggle with me..." she whined. 

Oh, thank Satan. A burritoed Millie giggled, watching her husband's worries lift off his shoulders. "Come make some room and try it out with me." Millie requested with a few pats next to Moxxie's side of the bed. 

He wanted to, but his brain knew there was much more work to be done before their trip to Wrath. "I'd love to, honey, but how about later? I need to go spread more herbs around the house, I need to clean again, the locks need to be checked, and the-"

"Moxxie?"

"PLUS, I have to make sure I pack all those supplies alongside the candles for Wrath."

"Moxxie..."

"And...Oh, My Satan, I forgot! I needed to get some thread at the store for the hanging herb clusters!" 

"Mox!" Millie sat up, lightly tugging her husband's tail with a hint of irritation. "Baby, everything is going to be alright.” She held his hand in hers as she stood up from the bed. 

“It’s ok, love.” She cupped his cheek in her free palm, running her thumb over his freckles. “I know you want to do right by me and the baby, and your primal instincts are running wild right now, but you need to rest, too. Ok, sugar?” 

“But Millie, we still have so much to do-“

“No, honey. We don’t…It’s all in yer head.” She ruffled his hair in the space between his curved horns.

“You made a nest, you set up our room for when we bring the baby home, the nursery is set up and ready to go, and for the love of Satan, as neat as you are, I ain’t ever seen our house this clean.” She finished with a chuckle, managing to elicit one out of him as well before taking him in for a hug. Moxxie purred into her neck and closed their bodies together with his tail. 

“You did great, Mox. I promise. You've done yer part. It's time fer you to rest up. I mean, there's gonna be a mini us who need our full attention in a month, so we should be getting all the rest we can."

Moxxie melted into her for a moment before pulling away to take off his cleaning gloves and apron. "...Alright. I'll surrender to you, my love." 

"As you should. Because you just made the pregnant lady who's carrying your son get up when she didn't have to." 

"I'll make it up to you with some more brownies tonight." 

 

---

 

1 1/2 Months Later

"Ok, here we are." Moxxie gently placed their bags down next to their coat rack while making sure to hold the door open for Millie. "You got it, honey?" 

He held out a hand to her to grab onto as she entered the house, carrying a two-week-old impling strapped to her chest in a baby wrap. "I do, hun." 

Almost instantly, when they walked through the door, Christy immediately started meowing up a storm and hopped over to her owners, excited to see them after almost a month of them being absent at home. Moxxie kneeled down to pet her head, much to her appreciation that could be heard by loud purrs. "Hi, Christy girl. Did Blitz take good care of you? More importantly, did he fuck with my nest?" 

"Mox, he wouldn't do that," Millie whispered, keeping quiet for her sleeping baby. Moxxie stood holding Christy in his arms to introduce her to their newest family member. The cat had been attached to Millie like superglue when she was pregnant. Hell, even before Millie knew she herself was pregnant, they noticed their pet was acting bizarre towards her "mom," guarding and threatening anyone who wasn't Moxxie that got too close. The further along Millie became, Christy would lay on and near her stomach like she could already sense the little impling growing inside her. 

"Christy, meet Tucker," Moxxie announced as the new parents observed their beloved cat's reaction to their new addition. More purrs spilled from her throat after sniffing the newborn's head. She jumped from Moxxie's arms to the floor before running to the couple's bedroom, where Moxxie's prepared nest awaited them. 

The new father rubbed his wife's back to get her attention. "How about we go get you two settled? I'll come get the rest of our things from the car after you're both in bed." Just wanting to climb into her post-pregnancy nest to snuggle with her baby and her kitty, which she so dearly missed, Millie didn't protest her husband's plan as they both headed in that direction of the house. 

 

---

 

After a long day of getting settled back home, Moxxie unpacking, and Millie cuddling the baby, it was night. For the Knolastname family, now a family of three, four counting Christy, nighttime now looked like a gentle sponge bath, bedtime feeding, and diaper change for little Tucker with his parents. It was hard for Millie to place him down every night, with the new mother wanting nothing more than to nestle with her tiny impling for every hour she could.

She lightly set him down into the bassinet right next to her side of the bed, caressing his head naked of horns but rich with thick, white hair. Her finger traveled down to his baby soft cheeks, filled in with freckles, just like his Pa. Her demonic little angel. Every night since his birth, she admired him once she lay him down to sleep. He was about 15 days old, but she couldn't get enough.

On the other side of the room, Moxxie turned off the already dim lights before blowing out the candles he lit earlier to hush a fussy Tucker. Making it to their bed, he tugged at the substitute canopy, sheltering them in the nest that was still perfect and untouched as they left it before heading for Wrath, making sure to leave an opening in the middle after closing both sides so Christy could run in and out as she pleased and leaving them easy access for when they'd need to get out of bed during the night. 

"He's just absolutely perfect, ain't he?" She marveled with the same sentence every night since her baby came into the world with no intentions of ever stopping. 

"He gets it from you~" Moxxie cooed, resting his head on her shoulder and wrapping his tail around hers. 

The couple spent the past two weeks not doing much else but cherishing their time with their impling; after all, his arrival in their lives was very overdue. They wanted nothing more than to be with him and love on him for as long as they could. He was only two weeks old, and it seemed he'd grown so much since the afternoon he was born, too fast for their liking. 

"I'm glad we get to watch him grow, Mox...But I'm sad that he cain't stay tiny and small forever and just be here with us."

"I know, sweetie," Moxxie returned with a kiss on her forehead before Millie bent over to the bassinet to pick up Tucker, who was already starting to whimper from the absence of his mother. His mother and father quickly realized that sometimes he didn't need anything except their presence and touch to calm him. When it came to demons, smell, and touch did wonders to soothe upset and fussy little ones. He had a slight preference for Millie, understandably, since he had grown inside of her for nine months...

"If he was a baby like this forever, we could just keep him here with us in the house. In the nest. He'd never have to worry about the hardships, pain, and struggles of life...And we'd never have to be scared to let him go on his own..."

Eventually, they were successful in getting him to sleep, and he was dreaming in the small crib again with Christy sleeping at the foot of the nest, ready to tackle any intruders who'd dare have ill intent towards her family and her baby. This was also her baby now, and she'd protect him just as viciously and fiercely as Moxxie and Millie would. 

The two imps nuzzled each other under the blankets, tired and ready to get some shut-eye before Tucker woke up for his next nighttime feeding. Moxxie ran his fingers through Millie's bangs, swiping the hair out of her eyes while she adjusted herself to a cozy position. "I thought of one negative about the nest, babe."

"Hmmm...What would that be, hun?" 

"I have to clean and pick it all up" 

The pair shared a quiet laugh to not disturb the impling next to them. Millie found her husband's tail again, along with his hand under the covers. "Well ya did a pretty good job of cleanin' up the smaller nest in Wrath before we took off. Pretty fast, too, 'cause I watched you." she paused to press their foreheads together affectionately. "Besides, it'll be a good while before we're ready to clean this one up...Usually, when the little tots start gettin' ready to crawl is when it's time for the nest ta go." 

"....Or another solution: we keep it up for the next one~" Moxxie purred. 

"Oh? Yer already thinkin' of another one?"

"Aren't you?" 

Millie softly smiled with that sparkle in her eyes that Moxxie loved. Burying her face into his neck, purring back, and taking in his scent. "We could possibly start talkin' 'bout it once Tuck's a bit older...We'd just have to decide when since we ain't exactly youngin's like we were when we got married." 

"Whenever you decide, honey." Were the last words they muttered again before falling asleep in the nest where they'd raise and nurture Tucker for the beginning months of life until Moxxie and Millie, as new parents, felt secure enough to take it down and show their impling the rest of the world, only for Moxxie to rebuild a new nest for any other little ones to follow. 

Notes:

I said no more fics in January, BUT.........

I just couldn't help myself🥲

Chapter 31: A Waltz, A Clog, And A Selfie

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie dance on a mission.

Notes:

Just a quick little FYI for y'all:
- The first half of this story takes place before "It Started With A Kiss."

And in case you want a better sense of the beginning scene, the song playing while they dance is Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers."

Warnings:
-Mild sexual content towards the end

"Oh wow!" 

"This is impressive, indeed!"

Yet another mission for Blitz and his crew.

Today, they were out to kill a wealthy incubus taking refuge in Sloth. He'd been laundering money for years now, which obviously resulted in him becoming obnoxiously prosperous, but the guy ended up collecting enemies like pocket change. His one mistake, however, was recently seducing his accountant's wife. His accountant, who just happened to be his best friend for decades, was fully aware of his "business." As you can imagine, the debacle over his employee's wife didn't go over well between the two, resulting in his ex-best friend seeking out I.M.P's services to take care of him. 

Being hired to kill an unfaithful partner was not at all uncommon. This may have been Hell, but hey, heartbreaks are heartbreaks, and revenge tastes even sweeter to demons. 

Their target and some of his most loyal employees had isolated themselves in his ridiculously expensive mansion for the day, preparing for a party set to take place the following evening, giving I.M.P. the perfect time to strike. "I suppose we know what he was using all that money for," Moxxie scanned the large ballroom of their target's mansion. "Millie?" he called out to his coworker, who was practically bouncing off the walls in amazement. 

No matter if she tried to control her curiosity and wonder about the place, she wouldn't be able to help herself. Growing up on a farm, these settings weren't something she'd ever seen before in person. Ceilings high enough to reach Heaven, walls lined with intricate, rich wallpaper, floors that she could have used as mirrors. They were so shiny and clean! And speaking of mirrors...

"Moxxie! Look at how fuckin' huge these mirrors are!" The farm girl exclaimed, staring at her reflection in one of the giant glasses plastered on the wall. "AND LOOK AT THAT HUGE CRYSTAL THING!!" she pointed up at the ceiling to where the lights in the room were.

"A chandelier. It's French." Moxxie remarked, heading over to the melee fighter of the two with a soft smile. 

"I don't know nothin' 'bout that fancy stuff, but I know it's pretty!" 

Her excitement and astonishment were cute, and Moxxie couldn't help but blush while watching her. When he was growing up, and especially once his teenage years rolled around, he was required to attend balls and various business parties that'd typically be held in rooms similar to this. His first was what sparked his interest in opera, observing the details and artistic thought that went behind every decision for those elaborate parties and the architecture. 

On the other hand, Millie had never seen anything of the sort before, not even with all the clients she had in the past when she was a solo assassin. To her, the lights and scenery of Wrath held the most beauty out of any ring in Hell, but it had also been all she'd known her whole life until she migrated to Pride. Places like this were only something Wrath imps either read about, saw in movies, or could see in pictures. Aside from that, their dance halls were community barns they'd decorate with lights and other trinkets they had lying around. It wasn't a high-end giant room like this one, but it was perfect for them. 

Moxxie looked over his shoulder to the other side of the room and immediately started heading over in that direction. Millie watched as something had obviously caught her friend's eye.

A grand piano was placed to the side, unopened and very tempting to this sniper, who identified as a musician outside of work. "Oh, Satan, this is gorgeous!" Moxxie commented about the freshly cleaned and polished instrument. The freckled imp took it upon himself to pull out the stool and unlock the fallboard before taking a seat and pressing several keys one by one. Millie peeked over his shoulder at his working hands beginning to play a short composure of a song unrecognizable to her. 

"Ya play piano, too?" 

"That I do! I play multiple instruments. Guitar is just my favorite." Moxxie answered while his fingers continued sliding over several keys, taking a mental note of how finely tuned the giant appliance was. 

"Oh...any reason fer that?" 

Moxxie paused his motions at her inquiry, sitting on the bench with the same stillness as an ice sculpture as he felt some of his blood go cold. "Not particularly..." he spit back out quickly with an unsure tone in his voice.

Millie didn't push it. Moxxie confided in her before that he had a delicate past, specifically with a mother who passed when he was far too young and a father he refused to speak about. Coming from a loving, caring, safe family, she wasn't naive to the fact that at least half of Hell's population didn't have that, and she assumed and speculated that Moxxie's avoidance of speaking about his family was justified. 

"...It was my mother's favorite instrument...She taught me to play, so I guess the passion stuck with me..." he admitted, pressing down on a high-noted key. 

"...I'm sorry."

The male imp on the side of her scooted over to silently offer her a seat, flashing her a sweet smile that always made Millie feel warm and fuzzy inside. "No need to apologize. What about you? Does anyone in your family play music?" he asked, changing the subject and shifting the mood back to where things had started. 

"Well, as you know, I play banjo. My Mama plays the fiddle every now and then," she took a seat and pressed down on a few keys. "But my Papaw was the real musician of the fam! He used to play all sorts of stuff! He used to write some of his own songs and such, too, but the acoustic was one of his faves as well." 

"Is that so?...Would he be the one who taught you to play banjo?" 

Millie took her hands off the piano, resting them to her sides before speaking. "Yep! I ain't a master at it like you or anythin', but I like to think I'm pretty decent!" 

"It takes some practice. I wasn't all that good when I first started." 

"This don't seem like it's that bad, though." 

Moxxie watched her right hand play with some of the individual black and ivory pieces before he swallowed a growing lump in his throat to ask, "Would you like me to show you?" to which she looked him in the eyes for a split second before turning her face away to shield him from the blush that was slowly creeping on her cheeks. 

"O-oh ya don't have to. It was just an observation." And Moxxie, being Moxxie, didn't exactly take the hint behind her actions, believing she was just too shy to ask.

"No no. It isn't hard at all...Here, let me see." Standing up, his chest met with her back, and he took her smaller hands into his. Millie was grateful that he couldn't see her face because she was sure she was redder than Satan's ballsack with how close in contact they were. If he could hear her heart beating against her chest, threatening to claw its way out, she was in trouble. Moxxie had to admit, he felt the same, praying to Satan that she couldn't hear his own heart crying to escape from his chest...

"Ok, so, put your hands here," he instructed, placing her hands on the appropriate keys and aligning his fingers on top of hers "And now," he started pressing several keys that he knew created a classic song practiced by beginner piano players for the easiest demonstration. 

"See! That's all!" Moxxie chimed as Millie turned so that her eyes would meet his with a nod before they decided to explore more of the ballroom. They killed everyone they could, and Blitz already confirmed he was after the boss, right? So what's the harm in snooping around just a tad more? 

Eventually, their snooping led them to find an old record player and some vinyls hidden away in a box. Once they got their "Oohs" and "Ahhs" out of the way, Moxxie took the time to study the player and the records, wondering if they were even salvageable to some extent.

"These look to be in well enough condition." 

"My grandma used ta have one of those! She'd play music fer me and my siblings when we'd visit her!" 

The sniper shifted his gaze back and forth between her and the machine before a thought popped into his head. "...Want to give it a try? See if it still works?"

 

---

 

Moxxie lowered the stylus piece onto the vinyl that they two picked out, interested to know if it had any songs he was familiar with. After a few seconds, classical music filled the ballroom, echoing off the tall, large walls, startling the two assassins for a moment. 

"OOOOoooo! Tchaikovsky!" 

Millie giggled at his enthusiasm paired with that nerdy side of him that was poking its head out. She always thought it was so adorable when he did that. 

"Of course you know!" she chuckled, making her friend blush. He loved her laugh, especially when a snort found its way out. He thought it was so cute when she did that.

"Ya know what? This reminds me of the big parties the rich people have where they get all dressed up to dance and stuff! I've only seen them in movies 'n all that, but it's what I've always imagined they look like." 

"You mean the balls?" 

"Mmm, yeah, somethin' like that!" Millie waved a hand playfully at him before playing with a knot she found in her long, wild hair. "They remind me of like a fancier version of the barn dances we have in Wrath." 

Despite never experiencing one for himself, Moxxie knew much about the barn parties that were held in the Wrath Ring. He faintly remembered his mother telling him stories about them when he was a child, and as he grew older, his desire to learn more about his Wrathian heritage expanded, too. He read and studied about these "dances" that were historical to those lands of wide open plains and lava for communities to join together to celebrate their traditions. 

"I've always wanted to go to one of those," the freckled one of the pair stared up at the chandelier, daydreaming as he spoke out loud, catching Millie's attention. "I've read so much about them. Seems fun." 

"They are!" Millie finished pulling the last few strands of hair out of the knot that plagued her. "I'll have to bring you ta one when I go to visit my folks!" 

"Really?" 

"Uh yeah! You've always said you wanna learn more 'bout that side of yer culture, right? Well, I'm offerin' that to ya!" The melee wielder gently punched his arm, evoking an impish laugh out of him. 

"That means a lot to me, Millie. Thank you." 

"Aww, no problem! Besides, it's the least I could do to thank you fer not killing me!" she joked with sarcasm, to which the weapons expert rolled his eyes lightheartedly.

Ever since Millie joined I.M.P. months ago, Moxxie felt as if his whole world had been altered. However, altered in a different way than when he met Blitz in prison. Blitz blew the dark, grey clouds away, but Millie added the rainbows to his sky. She was the sunshine in the clouds for him, a literal sun goddess to his universe, even if they were just friends. Moxxie was fully aware that his feelings towards her extended beyond friends, but he could never tell her that. Along with Blitz, she was one of the first real friends he ever had. One of the only friends he ever made who wasn't obligated to hang out with him under the guise of "friendship" for the sake of business and alliances. 

He extended a gloved hand to her, catching the interest of the knife enthusiast aside him. "Care to dance? We've got time to kill."

A lit-up expression took over Millie's face, and she accepted Moxxie's hand in the process, internally feeling butterflies at the same time. "Don't mind if I do!"

The assassin duo stood across from each other in the center of the ballroom with the crystal light fixture glittering and shining above them. "Ok, ever waltzed before?" Moxxie questioned, fixing the sleeve of his suit from a crinkle he spotted.

"PFFT! I'm from the Wrath Ring, freckles! The only kinda waltzin' we do is fallin' into jobs when we need to either kill someone or get extra cash!" 

"Fair enough," Moxxie admitted, walking up closer to the farmgirl and taking her hands once again into his. "It's simple. You basically only have to move your feet to create what they call a "Beginner's Waltz." 

As did before, the small space between them brought anxiety upon the two imps, but in a sense, it felt good, not like the panic attacks that crept on Moxxie every now and again. "Well, yer gonna have to show me 'cause I ain't ever done this before." 

"I will. Don't worry." He took one of her hands and rested it on his adjacent shoulder and kept her other hand threaded into his. "Now, your feet. Just follow mine going back and forth and side to side. I'll start out slow."

With that, Moxxie guided them into a steady waltz, with Millie mimicking his movements until she felt comfortable enough to take her eyes off her feet, forcing her eyes to find his. 

"Yeah, there you go! You always seem to pick up new movements pretty quickly."

"Well, when yer a killer, you gotta learn to adjust in a life or death situation."

"I suppose that's true." 

Their dance gradually picked up the pace the more they spoke and the further they glided across the room. When it was in her line of sight again, Millie couldn't help but look up at the enormous crystal, with the thoughts in her mind racing from one question to the next. 

"Can I ask ya somethin', Mox?"

"Sure, what's that?"

"So, I know ya told me before that yer folks moved y'all from Wrath to Greed when you were small, but do you ever wish that y'all would've stayed?"

"In the Wrath Ring?" his clarification question was met with a singular nod from his dance partner, and for a second, she thought she'd messed up seeing how much pondering he was putting into his reply. That was another thing she admired about her coworker. She loved his deep thinking, as most guys back home barely used their heads for much unless it was to find a new way to try and sleep with her. 

"...Yes." his voice pulled her out of the worries she started conjuring up in her head. "To be completely transparent with you, it was really my father who wanted to move...My mother wanted to stay."

"'Cause she was from Wrath, right?"

"Mhm, that's right...The memories I have left of her are foggy, but one thing I haven't forgotten is how much she talked about us potentially moving back one day or at least scheduling time out of our calendars to take me for visits. That never ended up happening, but to answer your question...I do wish we never would have left- oop!"

He halted his explanation before bringing a thumb to Millie's cheek and gently wiping something away.

"Sorry, you had an eyelash that fell....But yes. I hated the Greed Ring. And I have zero intentions of ever going back." 

"...It just seems like everythin' y'all got over there is so nice and luxurious. Us Wrathians, can only dream about havin' stuff like that. I mean, I'm sure you've seen a lot of houses that looked similar to this." she lightly giggled.

"I have...However, don't let the pictures fool you. It's money, good money, and a lot of people have nice things, but it isn't worth it in the end. After all, everything has a price." 

"I reckon that's true!" On queue, once the song finished, so did their conversation, and they ironically ended up stopping in front of the large ballroom doors, where they started this exploration. 

"Well, would you look at that! She can kill, AND she can dance!" Moxxie teased, causing Millie to laugh hard enough, echoing off the walls. Just then, the two doors shot open, and their boss appeared in the doorway covered in blood, guts, and other unfathomable secretions, no doubt from his victims. 

"Hey, hey, M&M! Good news! We are done here! D-U-Y-N! Now get your Wrathian asses in the van so we can go get paid!"

"You got it, boss!" Millie cheered, taking Moxxie's hand into hers again to drag him out of the mansion, sending a volt of electricity through the imp and a raging blush throughout his entire body. 

Yeah...He really liked Mildred...

 

---

 

3 Months Later. After "It Started With A Kiss"...

"Alright," Millie muttered, tying her long hair out of her face. "Ya ready?"

Moxxie set himself up in front of her, about to give a response before she snatched his larger hands in her smaller ones, clearly eager to begin their activity for the night.

"You look ready enough fer me!" she chimed before pressing the play button on her phone. Traditional Wrathian music made its way through the air like the rain, wind, thunder, and lightning that were blaring in the storm outside. 

"Are you sure this isn't going to scratch up your floors?" 

"Do I look like I care 'bout that, Mox?"

"...Very well! Ok, then, you're the boss!" 

"Fuck right, I am! To start, you're gonna shuffle yer hooves back and forth, kinda similar motions to tap dancin'," she demonstrated with her own feet, holding onto her boyfriend's hands. Moxxie followed suit with her help. Much to her surprise, for a demon who'd never clogged before, it didn't take him long to catch a faster pace. She knew it was inevitable. The longer she'd known him, the more she realized he was a fast learner in many subjects. 

Moxxie and Millie started a relationship around 1 1/2 months ago, and to say things had been going well would be too much of an understatement. They started out slow, not wanting to jump all in too fast, but that didn't last more than about a week before they surrendered their concerns and anxieties to the wind, wanting nothing more than to be with each other.

"Damn! Didn't take ya long to get into this~" 

"What can I say? I have a really good teacher~"

At the moment, their boss was completely unaware of their bond outside of the office. They didn't intend to keep it that way, but for now, they were satisfied with it being just each other in the know. Naturally, the couple would find any time they could to be together outside of work, and tonight, they gathered in Millie's apartment, trapped in by a significant thunderstorm with only candles providing light in the small space. Millie insisted on teaching Moxxie how to clog, a dance native to Wrath, as she was planning on introducing him to her family sometime in the near future, and Moxxie was excited to learn about a new tradition of the ring he left too soon as a small baby. 

Despite the fact that clogging was typically done with the dancer's hand behind their back, they didn't release each other's hands once during their session. Even if they tried, the action may have been met with resistance from the other party. The weather outside only became stronger as they danced, where, at some point, they quit clogging just to hold each other and sway back and forth, enjoying each other's embrace. The music flowing from Millie's phone rearranged itself to slower tunes as the night carried on. They weren't sure when, but sometime during their shuffling, their tails intertwined. 

"Ya know...I think this is one of the most romantic things I've ever done." 

"Really? You strike me as a romantic type." 

"Mmm...I think fer most of my life, I've been more of a hopeless romantic." Millie unwrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her hands onto his shoulders. "I haven't really had much luck with datin' 'til now. I...embarrassingly admit I've been with a lot of pieces of crap." she let a short laugh escape her lips, but even with the smile she held on her face, Moxxie could sense the self-consciousness behind it. Millie confided in him several times that she'd been through a handful of bad men followed by painful breakups. Even now, with Moxxie, she found herself on edge, wondering when the "nice guy" mask would slip, and now that they were weeks into this, she started doubting that there was even a "mask" at all...

"I hope I'm not one of them," the musician gave her a nervous smile, attempting to bring a happy one to her face. He was successful in his efforts, seeing that gorgeous smile he couldn't get enough of paired with her doe eyes, wide and golden with her ruby irises. A harsh flash of lightning coupled with a loud roar of thunder startled them, and their bodies found one another in the dark, dimly lit by the few candles. When it was evident there was no imminent danger, they both released sighs and awkward chuckles of relief, feeling rather foolish for getting scared by a little rain. 

In the mostly blackness of night, their eyes settled on each other, bright golden and fiery red orbs staring right into each other's souls with equal intensity. Millie could feel Moxxie's fingers gently tighten on her lower back, sending a chill up her tail and all the way to her spine, and heat filled her entire body from horn to hoove. Moxxie wasn't the type to act on impulse or confidence, but regardless, he leaned into her, locking their lips together like two magnets that couldn't resist each other. Millie's hands enclosed around his shoulders as they were before, and try as she might, she couldn't hold her foot back from lifting the tiniest bit off the ground, feeling like she was on cloud 9. They shared kisses hundreds of times in the short time they'd been together, but something about this one felt different. 

He didn't want it to end, but Moxxie pulled away anyway, suddenly having a sense of regret for making what he believed was too much of a bold move despite Millie looking at him, blushing profusely with stars sparkling in her eyes like constellations.

“…Crumbs, I’m sorry,” Moxxie laughed nervously, holding a hand over his forehead in embarrassment.

“I just made this super awkward and uncomfortable-“ he was interrupted by a finger pressing up against his lips. His eyes slowly raised up by a few centimeters, meeting Millie’s flushed face that now housed a loving smile and half-lidded eyes full of love and admiration for the demon in front of her, and she was no longer afraid to admit that.

“It doesn’t have ta be…” she whispered back before her hands traveled to his spotted cheeks, running her thumbs over his freckles as she stole the opportunity to bring him in for another kiss, much to both his shock and desire, more so the latter. Neither one held back this time. What would be the point of that anyway? 

Millie moaned longingly into his mouth as her legs started to barely shake from the lightheadedness. Same for Moxxie, as he felt he'd pass out any second now, only keeping himself composed so he wouldn't fall unconscious on his girlfriend's floor. By Satan, they both felt like their blood had gone cold all of a sudden from the fever they passed onto each other. 

Ultimately, not long after, they found themselves nude and twisted in Millie's sheets, with her thighs closing his waist in between her pelvis and the mattress as they connected between the legs, and their tails still coiled around each other like two snakes. Her desperation prompted Millie to grasp onto his horns at one point during the night, and Moxxie, her hips before the build-up of weeks worth of tension boiled over into a release, with the female of the two rolling off her partner, sweaty, tired, and strangely fulfilled in ways they'd never been before. 

A disheveled Millie, still breathing heavily, peeked over to see Moxxie in the same state, with his white hair all over the place, a mess thanks to Moi. He was so cute and so unbelievably sexy to this melee fanatic, and oh Satan, the noises she extracted from him. Even so, it was difficult for her to accept that it wasn't all an act, as it always had been.

A thought, more of a yearning, leaked into her head, and she decided to take a chance to see how he'd react. She scooted closer to him and delicately took his arm with both hands as a form of physical contact, unconsciously leading him to look in her direction, seeing her back away once their eyes met with her, letting him go. 

"Sorry. I've been told I can get a little clingy pretty fast." 

Moxxie mirrored her earlier movements, getting closer to her. Instead, rather than grabbing onto her arm, he was possessed to wrap his arms around her entirely, bringing her body closer to his as it had been just moments ago. "No, you're not. I like this." He felt thumping coming from underneath the blankets. Noticing it was her tail, wagging in delight, he wrapped his around her body, only making her thump away faster between the mattress and the sheets. She turned, facing him to return the cacoon he'd made with his arms around her, and that's where they stayed for minutes, purring into each other, taking pleasure in the afterglow, something neither was privileged to have experienced in the past.

Minutes after, Millie broke their aftercare cacoon to reach over to her bedside table, grabbing onto something for Moxxie to notice it was his phone, to which his girlfriend typed in the passcode to unlock his home screen. 

"Uh...Mills? What's going on?"

"Sorry, sweetie! I don't wanna forget this, and I just got this idea!" She chirped back to her boyfriend as she took her position in bed, opening up his camera app at the same time, targeting it at them, and lying side by side. 

"You're taking a picture of us naked?" Moxxie questioned, mildly confused. 

"It ain't just us naked, it's us after our first time, I wanna remember this. Don't you~" 

He couldn't argue with her, literally, as he was now blushing like a madman and covering his eyes from the bashfulness she had just opened on him before he heard the camera go off.

"Ah! It's perfect! Look at us! Imma send it to myself!" 

"...I love it!" 

That he did, and he still had that picture in the folder he created of all his and Millie's memories to this day, one of the first photos that was added to the collection. Originally, they planned to dance most of the night since the storm outside was keeping them in, but they preferred their current activity, cuddling on one another for the rest of the night and talking about anything and everything they wanted to, even if it was just pure romantic nonsense to each other before the sounds of the storm outside lulled them to sleep. 

Notes:

Sooooo.....Did you guys catch the reference I was getting at with that picture mentioned at the end?👀

I know I wasn't supposed to post anything else this month, but I was going through my drafts and....

You guys already know🥲

But I mean it this time! Mark my words! No more fics in January!

Have a good week, guys!

See y'all in February!

Chapter 32: Signed, M.K.~

Summary:

Let's start the month off with a lil bit of ✨SMUT✨, shall we!😃

Another piece I wrote after GhostFuckers...

Notes:

Warnings:
- Explicit sexual content towards the end

Millie hummed along to the upbeat country tune playing on the radio, happy and cheerful on this blissful Wrath afternoon. While it was still hotter than Satan's asscrack, the breeze was providing a cool point for the imp, along with the water her hands were sinking into from cleaning the dishes. Her song was interrupted by Elmer, her younger brother, bursting right through the front door, yelling like a banshee on a sugar high. 

"Elmer, quit that! It's around the time Ma tries ta put the baby down fer a nap!" Sallie May quietly reprimanded their younger brother. 

Millie turned towards the two, drying her hands to take a break. "She and Mamaw went out to the markets. They took Wy with 'em," she informed Sallie while Elmer ran up to her, trying to buckle onto her leg. Millie gave him a playful flick on the head before rubbing his horns.

"How 'bout I get you a snack, crazy thang? Ya must be hungry after all that runnin' around at school."

After feeding the "little goblin," as Sallie liked to call him, Millie drained the sink before drying their silverware to put away, listening to Sallie gossip about some of the town scoop. The younger of the two sisters shuffled through their family mail that had been delivered earlier that day. She paused in the middle of her story, staring at a familiar letter similar to several others that had been delivered to their home for weeks now.

"Hey, Mills? Ya got another one of them letters from a...M.K. feller. The same envelope 'n all that they keep comin' i-" 

Sallie was cut off by her sister practically running right into her, snatching the piece of mail from her hands in a hurry, leaving Sal both shocked and confused. Millie always reacted like this whenever these letters arrived in their mailbox, impatient to collect them before anyone else in their house did. The excuse she carried on with was that it was her "paycheck," though Joe, Lin, and Sallie were all beginning to get suspicious and, frankly, a little freaked out by her behavior. Sure, Millie struggled a great deal with money and her finances before she got this new job, but did she really look forward to getting money that badly? None of them were sure, but her shift in mood after going "freelance," as she referred to it, was odd to them. 

"Sorry, Sal. Just uh...excited is all!" she quickly spun out. Her face brightened up, looking at the white envelope with neat cursive handwriting. 

"Well, I guess so, damn! Ya nearly knocked me over, but get that bag, sis!"

Millie rushed off to her room, promising to come back in a few minutes to finish her chore. Sallie watched on from below the staircase, her mind pondering multiple scenarios about her sister. What was that little devil up to? Was she just overreacting about this whole thing? She and Millie are closer than two peas in a pod. She'd tell her if something was going on, right? She was dying to know what her big sister was hiding, if anything at all, but maybe it would be best if she just let Millie come to her when she was ready to share her dirty little secret...

"Why's Millie actin' funny like that, sissy Sal?" Elmer questioned his older sister from the table. 

"Hmmm. I'm not quite sure, kiddo. She ain't ready to tell us why yet."

"Do ya think she's got a booooyfriiiennndd?" Elmer asked teasingly, watching Sallie May chuckle to herself.

"I don't think so, buddy. I think if that were the case, she would've cracked by now...."

A boyfriend, huh? True, it could be a possibility, but if Millie was seeing someone new, Sal was sure that she would have said something. Mildred wasn't necessarily the best at keeping those kinds of secrets to herself.

But what did she know? Millie was getting older, and that came with being more mature than she had been with her previous partners. They'd have to wait and see...

"Ooohh! Millie and boyfriend sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" 

"Alright, you! Enough of that! Finish eatin' so we can knock some of that homework out the way."

Sallie went over to the sink to finish the dishwork. All the while, Millie's ears refused to listen in on what was happening below her, for she was way too anxious to get her new letter open as soon as possible, even if they meant tearing it open with her bare teeth. 

She tried her best to take deep breaths in and out, feeling her heart rapidly beat against her chest, acting like it would explode any second now. She sat on the bed staring at the signed envelope, her hands shaking out of control and her tail bouncing all over the place out of adrenaline.

'Was this good or bad?'

'Oh dear Satan, please don't let this be bad after gettin' all excited.'

She took a few deep inhales and exhales before diving in, saying one last prayer that she wouldn't finish it disappointed and heartbroken. 

"Dear Millie,

I apologize if it's strange that I'm still writing to you like this. I know you and I have perfect communication via texting and phone calls, but I figured that writing to you was a more polite and romantic approach. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I enjoyed spending time with you Saturday night. Allow me to make myself clear. I have enjoyed all of the time we've been together, even at work. Simply being in your presence is a privilege I'm honored to have. Hopefully, I do not offend you when I say this, but I think you're wonderful. The word 'wonderful' cannot even begin to touch on how lovely I think you are. I admire many aspects of you as a demon: intelligent, smart, observant, empathetic, caring, sweet, talented, beautiful, and gorgeous in several ways. There isn't any being in the universe that could compete with you in any category. You would always win. There aren't any love songs, poems, or ballads currently composed that could begin to express my interest in you. This must be all over the place, but I'd love to continue courting you if you'd like. If you are uninterested, that is ok as well. We can continue our relationship as coworkers and friends, but I would love to see where we could grow from here. 

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at work on Tuesday.

Signed, M.K.

- Moxxie"

The grin on her face couldn't expand anymore if she tried. A few tears of joy ran down her cheek as she continued re-reading the note. She collapsed, falling back onto the bed, kicking her legs in the air and giggling like an excited little girl. She held the letter to her chest, taking in the words her secret wrote her. Too many thoughts were running through her mind at once, but for the first time in a long time, the rush of emotions was a good thing for Millie. 

For weeks, Millie had been secretly seeing someone—a coworker with whom she had become close friends. 

Moxxie Knolastname. 

The two imps recognized that they held feelings toward each other that went beyond the bounds of friendship, and from there, they started somewhat of a "relationship," using the term "relationship" loosely because they had only been on a few dates. Just simple ones to begin getting to know each other more. However, in Millie's mind, she was already in a committed relationship with this sniper boy that she found herself very attracted to.

In the past, Millie sadly hadn't known luck regarding romance. She dated a few guys here and there; barely any of them was she with for long. The longest relationship she ever held was with her ex-boyfriend, and she didn't even like thinking of him because he wrecked her opinions of what real love was, both scarring and scaring her so terribly that she vowed to remain forever single for her own sanity. 

Fortunately for her, life had other plans months ago. She was recruited by another imp, a strange fellow who saw "potential" in her as an assassin, where at the same time, someone else also had their eyes on her. From the moment he witnessed her stealing his kill, Moxxie found himself smitten with her. She couldn't lie; when she discovered he initially pushed their boss to fetch her for their team, she felt charmed by the freckled imp too. She couldn't explain it, but he had an air about him, a positive one to be clear. 

He provoked a fascination within her. It was clear to many, especially Millie, that Moxxie was what you could call a "strange bird" compared to most men in Hell, which intrigued her even more. Leading the two to where they are today, practically obsessed with each other to the point of talking whenever they could after work and attending multiple dates a week if possible.

Millie looked forward to these letters every week. Might as she tried, she could never control herself whenever she saw another note addressed to her in their mail, always signed "M.K." mostly to conceal the fact that Millie was with someone without her family's knowledge. She loved them all very much, yet, considering her previous history, she wasn't ready to reveal her new man to them just yet. 

She wanted it to be the two of them for just a little longer before she got more parties involved. 

She hadn't told anyone, not her best friends, not even Sallie.

Neither had Moxxie, and it was harder for him to hide his connection with Millie from their boss, considering the two currently live together. 

After her high wore off, she carefully folded the note again and added it to her bedside drawer, where she kept all the other love notes Moxxie sent to her from the beginning, before grabbing her phone from the top of the nightstand. Clicking on Moxxie's name contact in her phone, she contemplated what words to send back to her pursuer this time around to set up their next date. 

 

---

 

At this point, weeks passed, and Millie and Moxxie's relationship continued to blossom, with both imps now officially referring to one another as boyfriend and girlfriend. Well...still in private, that is. The only downside was that it was getting harder for Millie to lie to her folks concerning her whereabouts, especially now that she was going out late most nights of the week, AND she wouldn't return home until either the next afternoon or early morning, depending on the day. 

Since they started going out more, both assassins came up with the idea of meeting at a motel from now on, far out enough that Millie wasn't worried about running into anyone she or her parents knew who would blow her cover. She did feel bad about lying to her family, but the she imp wasn't sure if she was ready to tell them about her boyfriend yet. Besides, the thrill of running around in secret with her new lover was surprisingly fun and, in a way, felt like a fairy tale to her. 

"Sissy Millie, why you doin' yer makeup so late at night?" Elmer inquired, watching his sister finish putting on her mascara in their bathroom mirror. 

She barely had to think of what to say since she'd been giving the same answer for a while now. "'Cause I'm gettin' ready fer work, bud. Why are ya still up? Ain't it past yer bedtime?" She ruffled his hair before grabbing the lipstick tube from her makeup bag. 

"Mama let me stay up later so I could watch "Wolves 'N Hogs" with Pa and Roy 'cause I got all A's this week!" 

"Well, ain't that a treat! You've always been real smart, El!" Millie commented, putting all her makeup away under the sink before discreetly checking her hair one last time. For someone who had never been too picky about her looks before, she caught herself wanting to look "perfect" too many times these past months. 

"Common, Elmer. Time fer bed now." Lin approached the small boy with her hands on her hips. 

"Aww already?" he complained. 

"I let ya stay up an extra hour 'n a half! It's time fer ya ta get some shut eye! Remember our deal? Ya could stay up 'till Peaches and I finished the dishes, and I put Wyatt ta bed. Dishes are finished, and yer brother's fast asleep. It's yer turn." 

Before the younger imp could protest again, Millie grabbed his shoulder, getting down at eye level with him. "Ya know, if ya go to bed now, maybe tomorrow you and I could go out axe throwin' once the farm work's done!" she attempted to persuade him, and by the look in his eye, he didn't need to be bought any longer. With a final "Hooray!" he practically hurried to go to bed, with Lin barely having to do much to get him tucked in. 

Millie gathered her typical gear that she brought to "work" before saying goodbye to her family for the night while they were all gathered around in the living room. It may be a pain in the ass to carry around on a date, but it made her story seem authentic enough. And she'd change out of her regular attire before meeting with Moxxie with the black dress she had hidden in her bag. "Alrighty, fam, I'm off!" the younger melee assassin announced before advancing towards the front door.

"Yer workin' late again, Mills?" Peaches, Roy's wife, asked in an almost concerned tone. 

"Yeah. My boss thinks we could get more kills in at night, so that's what we've been up to!"

"I ain't ever heard of such a thing, but if it gets ya money, might as well," Roy replied, wrapping an arm around his wife, earning a playful eye roll from his younger sister. "Annndd you-...You're all dolled up just to kill some folks?" he questioned further, slightly ticking his baby sister off since he'd been sticking his nose in her business consistently since becoming skeptical, annoying her.

"You'd be surprised. With all the drunkards they got wanderin' 'round at these hours, we're doublin' in our normal rates. And fer your information, I am allowed to slay while I...yeah! I'm allowed to slay while I'm slaying!" Millie finished with a final goodbye before opening the door. With her back turned, she was unable to see the concerned glances that her mother and father shared before wishing her goodbye, unsure of what had been happening in their daughter's life as of late. 

"Goodnight, Millie. Be safe 'n good luck, sweetie." 

"Thanks, Ma! Love y'all!"

She shut the door behind her, jumping with anticipation all the way to Joe's old pickup truck that they lent her for the night. She threw her bag in the bed of the truck before climbing into the driver's seat, ready to take off. As soon as she put the truck in reverse to leave the ranch, she was startled by a perky voice that boomed from the backseat. 

"So who's Moxxie?"

Millie instantly slammed the brakes of the truck, ready to stab whoever was hiding out in the backseat that just scared the everloving piss out of her. A laugh exploded from the back of the truck, a familiar, mischievous laugh that Millie had known for most of her life. Putting the truck in park and whipping her head around, the owner of that wicked laugh was confirmed. 

"SALLIE MAY!? WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING FUCK?!" Millie shouted both out of shock and relief that she wasn't about to get stabbed to death in her family's truck by a stranger. 

The younger sister climbed into the truck's passenger seat next to her older sister, continuing her cackling. "Sorry! I didn't think you'd freak like that!" She laughed more as Millie playfully began swinging at her arm. 

"Why wouldn't I!? Ya just scared the absolute shit outta me!"

"Well, sorry! I apologized, didn't I."

Millie took a second to breathe, taking in what just happened, before turning back to her now-composed sister. "What were ya even doin' back there?"

"UH! NO! I ain't answerin' yer questions 'til ya answer mine!"

"Well, what's yer question?"

"Who. Is. Moxxie?" Sallie spoke slowly, almost in a teasing manner, watching her sister's eyes widen like saucers. Millie's heart froze when she saw the smirk on Sallie May's face. She knew she had to. She didn't think she even uttered his name to their family—not even once. 

"Uhm...Well...He's my coworker."

"UHM! WRONG MILLS! FUCKIN' WRONG! Pfft! He may be yer "coworker" technically, but he ain't JUST a coworker, now is he?" 

With the face she was giving Sallie, Millie knew she wasn't going to be able to lie her way out of this one. If she knew his name and of their relationship, Sal would have known what was up. 

"Ok, fine! BUT! You have ta promise me ya won't tell no one! Not Ma! Not Pa! Not Roy, Elmer, or even Wy! Got it!" Her demands were met with a rapid head nod, Sallie's tail wagging like a puppy unable to contain herself. 

"I've been...He really is one of my coworkers and my friend...But we've been...seein' each other outside of work-"

"OH MY FUCKIN' SATAN, MILLS! YA GOT A BOYFRIEND!!!"

Sallie viciously locked onto Millie's shoulders, shaking her along with herself before Millie's hand covered Sallie's mouth like tape, stopping her outburst from alerting their family inside the house.

"Not so loud, Sal!...But yeah. He's my boyfriend." She smiled with a blush. Saying that out loud made her heart skip a beat, and honestly, it felt nice being able to tell that to someone she was close with. 

"Well, don't leave me hangin'! We ain't got all night! How long have you two been goin' out?!" 

"Around two months now...We got close durin' the job, and we decided to start datin' outside work...It's where I'm headin' now."

"Is that where ya been headin' all the time when ya go out late? Ta see him?"

Sallie's question felt like an accusation of sorts, a reminder to her sister that she had been lying to her family, and that initial feeling of guilt came flooding back, making Millie even more nervous. She wasn't hiding this to hurt Sallie or their parents, yet she felt like the weight of her white lies was beginning to catch up to her. 

"Mills?" 

"...Yeah...It is," the older of the two muttered, twiddling her thumbs in her lap and looking down in a shameful way, like a child who'd been caught doing something wrong. 

"Millie, I wasn't trying to make ya feel bad, sis. I'm just curious, is all."

"I know, I just feel bad fer keepin' this from y'all. I promise it wasn't nothin' personal. I-...Look, Sal. This is the first guy I've been with who treats me like a person, who truly likes me, and ain't tryin' ta use me fer somthin'. And I love it, being special like that to somebody without strings attached...And I love Ma and Pa, but ya know how they can be when it comes ta me datin'."

Millie took a deep breath to stop herself from tearing up. She did her eyeliner and mascara too perfectly tonight to have it stain her face before she even met her date. 

"I really want y'all ta meet him, 'cause he is a great guy. He's real sweet and cute, and he's got a good heart, but I just want this peace ta stay for a bit longer."

Sallie May couldn't disagree. Joe and Lin could be a bit overprotective at times, out of love, of course, knowing how Hell was. But for her sister, Sallie never heard Millie talk about someone like that. From the sounds of it, she was swept off her feet by this Moxxie guy. Though she was curious about him, Millie had a point. Once the word spread, this association they had would be...well...tested by their parents, to put it nicely. 

"...I won't tell 'em," Sallie asserted. "I promise ya, Mills. I won't go around spillin'. That's yer news ta share when yer ready, and I'll stick by that." 

"You sure 'bout that? I love ya, but yer not the best secret keeper."

"HEY! I can keep my trap shut!" This time, it was Sallie who gave Millie a light punch to the arm while laughter broke out between them inside the truck. 

"Thank you, Sal. I can't wait fer ya to meet him. He ain't exactly the stereotypical Wrath boy, but I mean what I said. He's an awesome guy."

"If yer this in love with the fella, I'm sure he is. Besides, anythin's an upgrade from you know who...Annnnddd all the others before him." the sisters cringed as the memories came back for a second and immediately pushed out of their minds so they wouldn't have to think about them anymore. Sallie wished her sister well on her date, not without having Millie promise to tell her more details later on, jumping out of the truck before Millie thought about a strange detail.

"Hey! Hol up! How did ya find out in the first place?"

"Oh, um, El went in yer room the other day and started diggin' through yer drawers. So, I went ta get him and found yer "paychecks"..." she said teasingly "Man's a poet AND an assassin apparently!" she finished with that smug look on her face and disappeared into the house quickly after, leaving Millie stunned for a moment before she took off ready to see her musician again. 

 

---

 

Millie arrived at their meeting spot purposefully early, with enough time to change into her dress. Her new routine she started pre-date to meeting with her buddy was to pep take herself that everything would play out well with Moxxie doing similar. No matter how many times they met up, the nerves of having a massive crush on each other hadn't faded away just yet. 

No surprise, the date went smoothly, both having fun but ready to head to their usual outdated, old motel that they'd stay at after their late-night meet-ups for some privacy. They had yet to go all the way in that context. Recently, they advanced to making out and becoming handsy but nothing more, which was increasingly difficult as the days went on. 

Their current makeout session on the old, dusty bed was growing hotter as Millie's hand slowly traveled down to a noticeable bulge in the sniper's pants. Internally, she chuckled to herself at the thought of him losing his put-together appearance in a few seconds, and his pants would no longer be straight and ironed but wrinkled and soiled if she played her little game right. Her freckled partner shivered at the touch of her hand resting on him, causing her to smirk into their deep kiss. 

They pulled apart for oxygen, and the melee assassin took the opportunity to sink to the floor and readjust herself on her knees, grabbing the attention of her new romantic partner. Seeing her begin to fiddle with the buckle of his belt, Moxxie panicked.

"W-wait! Can we maybe...hold off a little bit longer before progressing to this?" 

The female demon looked up at him, taken aback at his rejection. Not that she was offended, but she was so sure that this was where their relationship had been heading for several weeks. She reached up to cup his face, forcing him to look back in her direction, into her eyes, and flashing him a sweet smile. 

"Are ya self-conscious?" She asked with her country accent soothing his nerves.

"...It's been a while since I've been with someone in this way." He blushed with embarrassment at his confession. He avoided love and sex like the plague after his last relationship ended, holding no desire to become involved with anyone else. 

And then Millie came along, sliding her way into his heart so easily it terrified him. 

"I promise, Mox, I ain't gonna judge ya. But we can take it slow if ya want. I'll go gentle on ya. We don't gotta do nothin' either if you don't feel ready yet." 

"I don't want you to think I don't want you. I do, but I don't want you to be let down either." 

"You won't let me down, sugar~" She whispered, sitting up to rest her hands on his thighs, reaching him at eye level again. "Trust me. I ain't gonna be disappointed. I want you to enjoy yerself." She buried her face into his neck and started carefully nibbling to tease, making Moxxie shudder under her touch. She was careful not to break the skin but went just hard enough to leave light hickeys along the way. 

Moxxie purred along to her biting and messing with his purple tie. "M-Millie...Go ahead." She let out a small laugh before giving him a peck, leaving behind a black kiss mark on his neck from her lipstick. 

"Anythin' you want, sugar dumplin'. Now how 'bout I take care this~"

She dropped back to her knees, coming face to face with his belt once more, finishing what she started earlier, removing the leather strap from his pant loops. Discarding it to the side, she worked on his buttons and zipper painfully slow, staring him right in the eyes the entire time. Moxxie was as flustered as a man could be and looked away, feeling too shy. Unbeknownst to him, this only made his melee partner crave him more.

At some point, she decided to stop taunting him and just shed his pants off his legs, leaving him in his boxers, aside from the shirt and jacket he still had on. "You still doin' good up there, hun?" It may have been a bit late to ask, considering her fingers were tugging on the elastic of his underwear, but there was no harm in double-checking. He gave her a single nod, confirming his readiness and earning a devilish yet sincere smile from the demon below him. 

In one tug, she had his boxers off and on the floor with his pants. She took his enlarged member in one hand, the other massaging his inner right thigh. The sensation of her warm breath hitting him made Moxxie feel like he could pass out at any moment. He felt her lips wrap around him, with her tongue hitting the tip first, leading to her taking his head into her mouth and staying still for a small moment, giving him time to adjust. 

She slowly started moving her head, bobbing up and down to warm her companion up. Her hand traveled down to his balls, giving him a gentle squeeze while her other continued massaging the inside of his thigh. She glanced up to check on her lover, only to find that he darted his eyes immediately upon meeting her, his face a blushing mess. A smirk spread across her lips, her eyelids lowering like a tiger zoning in on its prey as an idea manifested in her head to make this night more enjoyable for him.

"Hey?" she whispered after removing herself from him, grabbing the sniper's attention from above. "Mind if I try somethin'?" He responded with a shake of the head before she removed his tie completely and used it as a blindfold. To her surprise, it was the perfect width to act as a shield for his eyes. She took off the rest of his shirt and left a trail of kisses down from his chin and back to his erection. Her mouth served as a glove to his member, sliding on and off so easily that it made her aroused to think that he was the perfect size just for her. Millie took one of his hands while she continued to masturbate him and guided it to her adjacent horn, encouraging him to grab onto it exactly how she liked it. 

The demonic beauty began to moan the longer she sucked, attempting to evoke some kind of verbal approval from her darling, who'd been silent the entire time. The only signal of pleasure she'd gotten from him was profuse blushing and biting his lower lip, trying to stay quiet. But she wanted to hear him sing, and not the typical lyrical songs he wrote. She was desperate to hear the music of his love sounds harmonizing with hers, and she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. Her lips detached from him to sit up from her knees for a kiss. Moxxie trembled, feeling her hands glide across his freckled cheeks to bring his face to hers. Her lips locking with his was what he imagined dynamite would feel like if it had been planted in his heart, provoking a stronger explosion each time...

"Make some music for me, will ya, Mox?~" Millie mumbled into his ear, unzipping her dress from the back and throwing it somewhere onto the floor along with her strapless bra, letting her breasts free. She returned to kissing and biting his neck, allowing him to feel herself topless against his naked chest. Her hands buried themselves into his soft, white hair, delicately scraping her nails against his scalp, drawing a whine of pleasure from him. A start, but not quite what she was looking for. 

"A little louder, freckles. I wanna hear those melodies of yours. I wanna hear you sing like a canary~" 

She went down on him again, reveling in him finally opening up his own mouth to release his pent-up noises, sounding like an eager puppy. Deciding to be bold, the female imp pushed herself further down him, reaching his base where her lips met his pelvis, making the male imp above her moan out loud for the first time since they'd been together. She would have smiled against him if she could, feeling an intense rush of satisfaction from her victory. However, she wasn't stopping anytime soon. Oh no. Moxxie may not be aware, but this was merely a warm-up exercise for Millie. His coworker, now lover, was only getting both of them warmed up for the rest of the night. 

As an assassin, interpreting your target's body language was key to determining whether it was safe to go in for the kill or if it was the right time, and Millie was reading Moxxie better than any opponent she'd faced in her career. He was enjoying himself as much as he enjoyed those musical shows he always talked about, making Millie more wet just from studying his face. A sudden pulsing sensation in her mouth notified Millie her freckled friend wouldn't last much longer, motivating her to vibrate harder and begin using her tongue to lick against his testicles as her sucking continued.

"M-Millie, Stop. I don't want to..g-gross you out." Moxxie admitted, trying to remain polite with Millie, reluctantly pulling herself off with a subtle gasp of air.

"Well, maybe I want you to "gross me out," sweet pea~. As a matter of fact, I want your "gross" sticking to the back of my throat like thick honey~ Capiche, darlin'?" She flirted, swaying her tail back and forth even though he couldn't see her. The flush that spread across Moxxie's face turned him several shades a deeper red as the realization of Millie's words sunk in. For a final time, she brought their faces together, grabbing one of his horns and bringing his face down to hers while she went back to stroking him with a small claw. 

"Care if I'm crass fer a moment? I want yer cum sliding down my throat by the end of this~ I wanna know how it tastes and feels before I swallow all of it and it paints my insides. And I ain't gonna quit 'til I get to experience that. That is, unless ya don't wanna finish, chickadee..." 

Moxxie wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question for him to answer, but Satan almighty. If his cock wasn't twitching after that, he may need to go see a doctor. He was painfully hard, and her hand firmly gripping him like that while sliding up and down was what he imagined Heaven felt like. Well, if he was honest with himself, her as a being, her existence, was Heaven to him. 

With a final confirmation from him, his lover carried on with their affairs, longing to feel him losing himself in the back of her throat and throbbing between her lips. The whole time, she never felt the urge to touch herself as the act itself and observing him above her was arousing enough. Within minutes after they resumed, Moxxie clenched the sheets he had grasped onto earlier before letting out a faint yet audible moan as she requested, accompanying Millie's own soft noises as her boyfriend's extract leaked down like a stream into the back of her mouth. 

Sensing he was finished, she drew away from him, wiping away a string of saliva and other bodily fluids connecting them. Her fingers untied the substitute blindfold, slipping it off his face before finding his eyes. "Ain't so bad fer a farmgirl, huh?" Her voice was unexpectedly angelic for a demon, smooth and refined, with her accent adding flavor to the ears. Moxxie adored her articulations and vernacular, not only finding them adorable but rather sexy as well during their short times leading up to this.

A giggle escaped her lips at his silence paired with the amazed look he had in his eyes, muttering a "Yer so cute~" with a wide smile, climbing into his lap, unintentionally pushing his back onto the mattress.

"Is t-that a compliment?" 

"Well, what else would it be, sweetheart?~"

A hand of hers glided across his unclothed chest, taking a moment to appreciate how soft and bare his skin was for an assassin. Not a scratch was visible to her. No hair, no scars, hardly any muscle aside from being slightly toned on his chest and arms. To most, his "scrawny" appearance would serve as a turn off; however, Millie believed differently. She always saw the guys with the most muscles who obnoxiously showed them off did so to make up for a lack of personality or heart. In Wrath, a lot of those kinds of men weren't looking for any type of love, more like just some hot chick who they could get a quick fuck out of before moving on to the next. But when it came to Moxxie, she liked, really liked, what she was seeing in all aspects of him as a demon. 

"Don't mind me, baby~ Just admirin' ya from up here~"

The demoness surveyed him, turning several shades darker, coupled with him smiling and covering his face with the palms of his hands. "Don't go hidin' from me, sweet thang," she laughed, feeling a blush of her own process on her cheeks as she gently pulled his hands down away from his face, doting on his bashful smile that she swore lit up the old, musty room more than the lamps they had on. 

"Sorry...I'm not used to this, as I'm sure you can tell." 

"Well, then," she straddled his waist, untying her hair, letting it flow like a black waterfall down her back. "How 'bout we get you used to this, cutie pie?~ I've got all night ta flatter ya~"

It wasn't long before all the lights in the room were shut off by the female demon, leading to her and her lover boy becoming tangled up under the covers for the night, continuing to be affectionate to each other, much to the displeasure and disgust of the other guests taking shelter in the dated motel for the night.

Eventually, morning came upon Wrath, and Moxxie was painted with light that found its way through the sheer curtains on the large window. He barely stirred, being too comfortable in his resting place to move, oblivious to the prior night's events in his foggy brain. A delicate motion on his forehead slowly drew him out of sleep, realizing he wasn't alone. He wasn't expecting a nude demonic goddess to be lying next to him, only covered by thin bedsheets, lightly stroking stray hair out of his face. 

"Mornin' sleepy head~" 

Oh, Satan, that voice...Those eyes...That smile...That laugh...

And they all belonged to her. This wonderful, amazing demon he long admitted to himself that he loved. He was captivated by her from the moment she stole his kill months ago and don't even get him started on the first date. He fell hard and fast, and so had she. 

Millie gathered some paranoia issues when it came to the dating scene after many failed attempts to make a connection with someone. With Moxxie, though, even if she started their relationship warry of his intentions, she couldn't deny that immediate spark she felt between the both of them. Something she had never felt with anyone else.

One thing was certain. Both imps took one look at each other the moment they opened their eyes and thought to themselves, "I want to wake up to this for the rest of my life."

"D-do you want to get ready for the day?" Moxxie stuttered, still enamored by her, holding in a purr from the light, gentle scratches she was leaving between his horns. 

"Nah. I'm likin' this," She answered sweetly, cuddling into his side with him enthusiastically cuddling back, something neither imagined they'd be able to do with a loving partner. 

For once in their lives, both could say with confidence that the love they shared was real and genuine. They spent the whole morning and even the early afternoon just lying in bed, talking about anything and everything they wanted to talk about, listening to each word even if they weren't familiar with the topics. At the same time, Millie started stringing together a new reason to give her family for being home late, and Moxxie started brainstorming both lyrics for a new song and what he'd write in his next love letter addressed to her, signed with his initials: M.K.

Chapter 33: A Sister's Grief, A Mother's Love

Summary:

Sometimes, we make sacrifices for the ones we love...

Notes:

Hey guys! We're gonna do something a little different today. This story isn't technically about M&M, but I'm hoping that y'all see the connections throughout.

This one's on the shorter side, but it gets the points across.

Enjoy!

It was that time of year once again for the Wrath Ring.

The Harvest Moon Festival would be held in a few days, and there was so much to prepare for, especially with that year’s harvest being substantially blessed and full. It was bound to be quite the celebration, so it was a town-to-town effort to ensure that every demon involved would feel their hard work truly paid off with music, food, dancing, and, most importantly, their festival traditions. 

Cinnamon carried her last crate of pomegranates to a vendor’s booth for whatever concoction he was planning on mixing this year. Everyone in town knew that Cinnamon and Buck grew the absolute elite fruit, keeping them busy throughout the year. 

“Alrighty, Rolo! You are all set and good ta go! I better get a free gallon of whatever yer makin’ with all the labor it took me and Buck to nurture the fruit this year.” 

“Oh, you can expect much more than that from us, Miss Cinnamon! Thanks again, I know it’s hard work.” 

Both farmers shook hands on their business transaction before the assassin-farmer started looking around for her two youngest rascals to gather up and bring home for dinner time, finding them at another booth of a long-time acquaintance of hers shoving pies and pastries into their little faces – just hopefully not enough to make them sick. 

“How y’all feel ‘bout that blueberry tingle berry pie? I figured the two flavors would work together well.”

“Mhm!” the older of the two implings exclaimed, closed-mouthed, before taking another bite of the pie piece in her tiny claws, mouth covered in crumbs and preserves from their impromptu taste testing. 

“There you two are,” Cinnamon walked up behind them, both sitting on stools in front of the booth. “Didn’t think I’d find y’all at some sweet stall.” She sarcastically rolled her eyes, following her joke. 

“Howdy, Cinna! How y’all and the kiddos been? Well, aside from these two ‘ere.” 

“Oh, good enough, ya know! We’ve been keepin’ busy! Buck ‘n I decided ta make some renovations to the house. Clint’s been workin’ at a lumber yard for a few months with his uncle. Cole and Canyon been helpin’ our work at the farm, and you’ve already seen what these two have been up to.”

“And how ‘bout yer other two girls? I saw them runnin’ ‘round here earlier. I haven’t had the chance to go over and say hi yet.”

“Let me preface this by sayin’ I love all my children equally, but I am so proud of them and everythin’ they been accomplishin’. I feel that way with all my little ones, but Satan, I’ll tell ya, they have just been workin’ nonstop.” she reached down to run a hand each across her younger children’s heads, not paying attention to anything else except the desserts they were still snacking on. 

“I heard through the grapevine that Clint’s gotten engaged to a girl from outta town. I’ll need ta tell him congratulations when I see him!”

“Yeah, we’re real happy for ‘em. The girl’s nice enough, very quiet and sweet, but Buck ‘n I can’t lie, we’re a little worried fer him. She comes from good money, ya know what I mean?” 

“Has Linsey been seein’ anyone?” 

“Mmmm…Not to my knowledge. I’ll tell ya this, though. I think she’s got ‘er eye on Hugh’s youngest.” Cinnamon turned her head to look back at the stage set up where her husband was working with some of the other townsfolk to put the equipment together, where their family truck was right behind with their two oldest daughters, twins, packing extra supplies in the bed before Linsey closed the back, with her sister in the driver's seat ready to take off. 

“Ok, girls, that’s all! Good work today!” 

“Thanks, Mr. George! We’ll catch y’all later!” 

“See ya later, little Millie. You and Lin have a safe ride home!” 

The sister in the truck, with her long dark hair in braids, started the engine, waiting for her sister to climb in. She looked in the rearview mirror, a smirk growing across her face when she saw what was taking so long. Her sister passed one of the boys they had been working with, sneakily running a finger up his back to his neck, causing him to shiver and nearly drop the box of tools he’d picked up. 

“See ya later, Joey~ Fun time workin’ with ya~” she giggled, seeing the farmer boy blush before she got into the passenger seat of the vehicle before it drove onto the old dirt road. 

Cinnamon chuckled at the sight. This had been going on for about a year now, yet her daughter insisted she and this “Joe” boy were nothing but friends. 

“Ooh yeah. I see whacha mean.” the other woman commented, sharing a small laugh with the mother. 

“I don’t wanna invade her privacy, though; she’s a grown woman, after all. So I decided I won’t ask ‘bout it unless she wants ta come to me first. Milena too. I’m almost positive that she ain’t interested in anyone. I’m fine with that, but it’d be rude of me to ask. They’re just real focused on their careers right now.”

They finished their conversation before Cinnamon grabbed her babes hands to head home before it became too late. “Ok, you two. Let’s go get supper ready!”

“Awww, but Mama! My pie!” Poppy, the youngest of her daughters, whined. 

“Don’t worry, pumpkin. Trust me, you’ll be able ta eat more than plenty of pie the day of the festival.” she persuaded the small imp girl to get going without any upsets or tantrums. She took her daughter’s hand and grabbed her son in her arms, saying goodbye to her friend as she went to find her husband to head home.

 

---

 

“Millie! Potatoes are on the stove!” 

Linsey called out to her sister, who was working outside on the porch. 

“M’kay! Be there in a sec!” 

She washed her hands in the sink while they talked about work, and Linsey continued stirring food on the stove. 

“So, we gonna take off ‘til after the festival?” 

“Yeah, suppose so. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt. We’re all good financially, and we got that big kill a week after. Wouldn’t hurt ta rest fer a few days and spend time with family before we jump into that.” Linsey finished, turning down the heat on the stovetop to avoid burning anything accidentally. 

Milena, drying her hands, looked back at her with a grin on her face, realizing they were the only two demonic souls home at the moment. 

“...Sooooo, what’s up with you and Joe?” 

“Whatcha mean?”

“Oh, come on. You know exactly what I mean.” 

“Nah, I actually don’t.”

Her eyes met another pair gleaming at her from the side of the stove, meeting her sister’s smug ear-to-ear Cheshire cat smirk. 

“Yer sayin’ that, yet yer smilin’ just at the mention of him.”

“What?! I ain’t allowed to laugh when yer actin’ weird?” 

“Sure!” Milena responded with mockery in her voice. “But for real. Spill the details.”

“I’m tellin’ ya there ain’t no details! There ain’t nothin’ to spill.”

“Oohh, somethin’s bein’ spilled somewhere alright~” the -- technically -- younger of the two teased, examining her fingernails before being hit hard on the arm with a wooden spatula as a displeased look was painted on her sister’s face. 

“Knock it off,” she demanded before turning back to the skillet of potatoes. 

Milena grew a smile again, going in for one more punch before they got too carried away and risked someone walking in on their sisterly conversation. 

“Ok, ok. If you say so!” She headed towards the bowl of fresh onions on the table to start cutting up. “Though, if ya ask me, I think he’s into you.” They turned their heads at the same time to look at each other. “You two’d be real cute together!”

Linsey smiled back at her before turning back to the stove to hide the face flushing she could feel coming on. 

“I think so too…”

 

---

 

2 ½ Weeks Later

Hugh George knocked on the farmhouse's front door, care basket in hand, with his sons and daughter behind him. None of them had been particularly excited to make the visit; under different circumstances, it would have been different. Joe looked up at one bedroom window in particular, feeling a sinking feeling in his chest. He was a strong, grown man, but he felt his heart growing heavy over the past weeks since the news spread like wildfire around town. 

Finally, a tired, gloomy-eyed Buckwheat answered the front door, not an ounce of joy in his demeanor. Poor guy, nobody could blame him. 

“H-hey, afternoon, Buck. We wanted to come check on you and Cinnamon and…the kids.” Hugh stuttered out, unsure if he should even use that phrase. His fellow farmer companion didn’t flinch a bit until he reached out his hands to take the basket of gifts as his friend went in for a short hug. 

“Thank y’all…Fer y’all kindness. We appreciate it.” he paused, catching Joe’s eye, seeing the anxiety and desire for an answer in the young man. Buck nodded his head towards the barn they owned to Joe, a silent gesture of approval and signal of what he was looking for. 

The younger imp walked off in that direction as the older man invited his pal and family into the house. “Come on in…Sorry, the place is a pile of crap right now.” 

 

---

 

Linsey sat on the hay-infested floor, petting a lone barn cat that had wandered in, seeking shelter from the previous night. Her eyes were heavy and bloodshot from lack of sleep. She had heard before that a symptom of what they called “depression” was constant sleep, which made her insomnia all the more intolerable because sleep was the only way she could escape from this horrible prank reality was playing on her. 

For days, she’d been trying to wake up from whatever nightmare this was, only becoming more and more disappointed every time she had to come to terms with the fact that this was real life, and the only way out was surrendering to death, but she didn’t want that either. 

The heavy barn doors opened, interrupting her racing thoughts and revealing a familiar face. Seeing him standing there looking back at her was the first good thing that had happened in what felt like forever, but it was really only a matter of weeks. 

“Hi…” his masculine voice settled on before entering and closing the entrance behind him.

“...Hey…”

The bubbly, enthusiastic voice she usually carried was replaced with a grief-stricken, tired tone of voice, which was both chilling and heartbreaking to hear for the male imp demon. It was scary, sad, and uncanny, understandably so. 

It wasn’t like her. 

It wasn’t the Linsey he was used to.

He sat beside her on the hay, watching her stare down at the cat resting in her lap, sound asleep. Silence filled the whole room, aside from the animals going on about their day in their stalls around them. Joe couldn’t even describe the atmosphere surrounding them; it was too heavy and sorrowful for him to attempt to put it into words, but he knew he didn’t need to have a word for it either. 

“...I’m so sorry…About Milena…”

“...Me too…It’s hard…T-to have to watch that.” she choked up. The other couldn’t see her face, but he knew she had tears welling up in her eyes by the sound of her voice. He slowly went to take her hand, unsure if now was an appropriate time or not, pulling away before she went and grabbed on, intertwining their fingers. 

“It was awful…But I couldn’t just leave her there…So I stayed, and then our teammate saved me before they could do anything to me next…I hate when people tell me I was lucky ta escape with only a broken arm and some scars, but I’m not…Nothing even remotely close to “lucky” happened that day.” She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her good hand, reluctantly pulling it out of his. It was difficult to listen to, but his ears were completely open, and he was listening to every word she had to cry out. 

Eventually, she cried herself exhausted enough to fall asleep, still holding his hand and her head resting on his shoulder. The young farmer was conflicted on what to do, not wanting to leave her there alone, but also not wanting to become a target of her parent’s rage seeing their daughter asleep with him in the same place. Nightfall had already come onto them, and he went for the latter choice, deciding that a little lashing from her folks was worth it if she had someone there for comfort. 

He was careful in picking her up. Both to watch for her casted arm and not to wake her before setting her down on a bed of hay she made several nights ago, as she'd been sleeping in the barn, with her head resting on a pillow and her small, slender body covered by a blanket. He’d prefer his bed at home, but the hay would do for tonight…

And the night after that. And the following night after that. And for weeks following without Buck and Cinnamon’s knowledge, until his friend gathered an extra pillow and larger blanket for them to share.

 

---

 

8 Months Later

“JOE GEORGE! I KNOW YER HOME! GET YER FUCKIN’ DO-SI-DO, TITTY TOUCHIN’ ASS OUT HERE BOY!” 

Buckwheat screamed at the top of his lungs, angrily knocking on the front door of the George family home with his daughter trying to pull him by the tail off the porch with Cinnamon trailing behind the two of them, pitchfork in hand, face stern but not as upset as her husband. 

“Daddy! Quit it!”

“No, Linsey! I will NOT quit it! This big buffoon is gonna learn ta’day!” he told his daughter before lashing his anger out on the wooden door again, nearly hitting Hugh right in the nose had he not moved out of the way in time. 

The other cultivator stared on in shock at his two friends standing on his porch, looking furious with a distressed Lin behind them. 

“Buck, Cinnamon. What the hell’s goin’ on?” 

“I’ll tell ya exactly what’s goin’ on, Hugh! You need ta get yer youngest out here and face me like a man! ‘Cause I gotta few choice words fer him!” 

“PA!”

“Hush, Lin! This is fer yer own good, darlin’!”

“Look, Buck. I love ya and yer family to death, but you better start givin’ me some answers here!” Hugh expressed with discomfort and mild annoyance that a long-time friend of his was coming after his son with such rage.

“I’ll give ya some straightforward answers here! Yer scumbag son impregnated my daughter!”

“......Huh?!”

“You heard me! Yer son’s apparently been comin’ over ta my property while we're asleep and been fornicatin’ with my Linsey! And now she’s pregnant, so he better get his ass out here so I can castrate personally since he apparently don’t know a damn thing about usin’ a rubber!” 

“N-...Now just wait a damn minute Buck! My son would n-”

“What?! He’d never turn the sheets inside out with my daughter!? Well, he did! So one way or another-”

“JOE FUCKIN’ KNOWS!” Linsey shouted over her father, turning the heads of all three imps, seemingly shocked such a usually sweet girl could muster that much fire, or perhaps it was the baby. 

“If y’all would’ve listened ta me at the house, Joe knows I’m pregnant. I found out a week ago and told him. We weren’t plannin’ on tellin’ anyone ‘till after the wedding.” 

She calmed down, eyeing the older adults with a now stone-still face and a trace of irritation in her eyes. 

“Linsey…But…Ya just told us today.” 

“Well, yeah. No offense, Mama, but I think it’d be reasonable to tell the father of my child first before anyone else.”

“Lin, look, sweetie. Ya don’t have ta marry him just ‘cause yer pregnant, darlin’. Co-parentin’ is a thing! And that way-”

“Daddy! Mama!” Lin cut her father off before he could finish his other suggestions. “I’m an adult. Joe ‘n I are both 21. He’s only a few months younger than me. And this is my decision. I’m gonna marry Joe as planned; we’re gonna have this baby and start our family together. He’s already bought a plot of land where we’re gonna build a home and start our own farm. That’s final. We’ve been talkin’ ‘bout this fer months…The baby just so happened to come along before all that. We were already havin’ conversations of startin’ a family in maybe a year or two.”

“...Lin, baby girl.” Cinnamon approached her daughter, putting her hands on her shoulders. “Yer real young. Not as young as I was when yer Pa and I started havin’ little ones, but still young. Are ya sure that givin’ up killin’ fer a husband, a house, a farm, and a baby are what you want? It’s all up to you, sugar.”

“Yes, Mama.” she declared confidently, looking her mother right in the eyes, but now, she is a grown woman instead of a little girl like she was years ago. 

“I love Joe, and he loves me the same. And were excited fer our future, and I’ll miss killin’ but I just…I can’t do it anymore.” she and her mother both started tearing up, knowing where this conversation was heading. “I know y’all have been real anxious about us after Millie passed, but I can’t keep livin’ the rest of my life sad. I need to move on, and I can’t do that if I’m still an assassin. It’s already hard enough knowing my babies will never know their aunt and that I’ll have to do the rest of this game of life without her.” 

It was then that Cinnamon, a strong woman who had never shown fear to anyone and had been a talented assassin for most of her life, broke. Allowing tears to fall onto the dusty ground of the Wrathian desert. 

“I know she’d want this fer me.” Linsey wiped her own tears away as her mother cupped her face in her hands, wiping more tears away with her thumbs off her daughter’s cheeks. 

“You’ve always been so headstrong ‘n independent…I trust you. If this is what you want, I’ll support you all the way.” 

Just then, a truck could be seen heading down the pathway of the George’s ranch, with Joe and his older brother in the car, coming back from the land Joe purchased to begin building his and his fiance’s new home. 

“Uh oh, Joey…Somethin’ tells me that yer future in-laws just found out.” his older brother remarked, seeing his soon-to-be sister-in-law and her parents close to the house.

“Yeah, I’m in for it…” Joe gulped, knowing his future father-in-law and, most likely, his own father too, were going to chew him up and spit him out. “I’ll go talk to ‘em.”

“Good luck.”

Joe unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out the passenger’s side to confront whatever was waiting for him by the other two male imps. 

“Joey. Is it true?” Hugh questioned with a tough, furrowed brow. “You and Lin are havin’ a little one?” 

“Yes, Pa…It’s true.” 

It took a few seconds for Buckwheat to walk off the porch over to his daughter’s partner before they stared each other down. 

“So…You gonna take good care of my daughter?...AND y’all’s youngin’?”

“No doubt ‘bout it, sir. And any other youngin’s that follow.”

Their staring competition continued on for what felt like five minutes, when it was closer to one, until Buck cracked his serious look, smiling at his soon-to-be son-in-law and giving him a hard noogie on the head before pulling him into a tight headlock of affection, custom in Wrath imps. 

“Ahhh! I can’t stay upset with ya, Joey! Welcome ta the family, son! Just don’t let me find out yer neglectin’ yer responsibilities! Hey, Hugh! How ‘bout we celebrate bein’ grandpas with some drinks, eh?” 

“You and I are thinkin’ the same thing, Buck! I’ll rally up the kids and we can all celebrate after!” 

The two men headed inside the house prepared to party the night away until they dropped at the news of their newest addition to both sides of the family. Cinnamon rolled her eyes and followed close behind, slowing down to wait for the younger imps to catch up. 

Joe was in shock from the exchange he just had before Lin joined him at his side, taking his muscular arm into hers. Damn…They were building a house, getting hitched, and expecting a baby! And just to think that almost two years ago, she refused to admit to anyone they had a secret admiration for each other.

“That went a lot better than I thought it would.” Joe nervously laughed as his fiance let out a frustrated, tired sigh.

“That’s ‘cause you weren’t here when I was tryin’ ta physically drag him back ta my house after they found out I was pregnant.”

“Hmm…That must have been real sexy~” he flirted with her, and she reacted by roughly slapping him on his behind with her tail out of both love and a sign to stop. 

“Don’t test me.”

“Of course, honey.”

Notes:

Like I said, this isn't my usual post, but it's been in my drafts for a while, and I figured I'd share it!

Hope y'all liked this one!

Chapter 34: I Love You(s)

Summary:

First prompt of M&M Valentine's Week!

Day 1: Heated Makeouts

A sequel to "It Started With A Kiss"

Notes:

Hiya Guys! Hope you're all doing well!

This week, I am participating in M&M Valentine's Week, hosted by @ravingrubyz on Bluesky!

Meaning, for every day this week, I will have a little story for y'all in accordance with the prompts she created! Just as a forewarning, some days might come late as I have an exam on Thursday that is ruling over my life atm🥲

But anyways, who cares about that?! Let's get to some fanfiction!

Enjoy the show!

Friday nights were prime time in Hell for folks to let loose after another week in the eternal fires, as they were labeled. After another long, grueling, miserable week at work, you’d go to the bar, get drunk, get high, possibly take a guy or a gal home – perhaps even both - or there was always a chance that a party was happening in some ring that’d been growing hype in the past several weeks. 

And for those who were looking to have a more specific outing, those options were available too...

Lighthearted giggling filled the dark hallway of an older apartment in Imp City, tucked behind a tight alley to accommodate the growing population moving to the city. One of the voices, tinted with a sweet country accent, let out another heartfelt chuckle as she unlocked the door to her tiny complex, all the way at the right end of the hall.

"Are ya sure ya don't wanna stay over? I promise I don't mind. Besides, ya know I don't bite~" She flirted with the male imp accompanying her back. They both knew nothing was going to happen tonight, but hey, what's the harm in playfully teasing him, right? Moxxie blushed harder than he had any other time tonight, quickly taming himself under control.  

"Uhm...n-no, that's ok. Thank you for the offer, but it...it wouldn't be very polite of me to do that." Moxxie, a courteous imp for Hell, wanted to do the entire "dating" process the correct way, in the sense of respecting her and her personal space.

Growing up, his mother taught him about the values and importance of respecting women, only for those principles to be wrecked by his father's opinions and then being reinforced by the nanny who raised him after the passing of his mother. "We treat women with care and respect, Moxxie," he could hear her voice echoing in his head. He didn't want her to think that he was expecting anything to happen in return for taking her out, truthfully, because he wasn't. 

"Ok, very well then. You're a real gentleman, Mox. I like that about ya." He blushed even harder, as did she, as the door unlocked.

"Thanks for walking me home and takin' me out tonight. Let me know when you get back to B's place, m'kay?"

"It's no problem at all. I'll definitely let you know...goodnight Millie." 

"Night, Mox." 

He turned, heading to the exit of the building before she felt something, whatever it was she didn't know, climbing up her tail and into her chest. Oddly enough, she felt like something was missing. 

"Hol up, Mox!" She called out. 

"Did you forget so-" 

His question was cut off by an impact he wasn't expecting; her lips collided with his. He wasn't sure if shock or excitement caused his body to cease up, but that didn't matter. His entire body burnt up, making his face redden several shades darker than ever. He returned her gesture, closing his eyes and allowing himself to enjoy this close contact they were sharing. Both hearts raced as if their chests would explode, and Millie started becoming lightheaded from his reciprocation, smiling into the kiss having Moxxie feel like he could pass out.

Reluctantly, she pulled away a blushing mess, grinning at the fresh black lipstick left behind on him. "Y-yeah...I forgot that." She stuttered, walking back to the unlocked door.

"Goodnight, Moxxie, " she concluded, only for a hand to tenderly grab hers. Her coworker stood behind her, face reddened with an expression she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Mox?" 

"I'm sorry if this is inappropriate," his warning was followed by another connection via their lips that Millie couldn't refuse. This farm girl wouldn't complain. She begged Satan for a relationship like this for so long, and it was delicious and heavenly even to finally taste what authentic affection was like. She clasped his face in her hands before pulling him away, still indulging over her mark on his face. 

"I really like ya~ You know that?" 

"......Uh huh..." he responded from the shock, having her chuckle and planting a quick peck on the cheek. 

"I'm bein' real, though. I'd like ya to come in." 

"...Are you sure?"

"I insist, darlin'~ It ain't rude of ya if I'm givin' you an invite." 

Taking her date's hand into hers, she opened the door wider before looking back at him with pleading, glittering eyes, entrancing him immediately. He followed her into the dark apartment, only lit by a dim lamp in the corner of her living space. A great mood-setter indeed. Within seconds of Millie locking the deadbolt, they were in each other's arms again, but to Millie's surprise, it was Moxxie who commenced their next kissing session first by pinning her waist against the door without pressure or aggression, using just enough force to keep her there -- though, she could get away if she truly wanted to. 

She also took his hips into her hands, slipping them into his pockets to tease, assuming she was successful by the faint moan he slipped through his lips. The demonic little noises he made whenever they got like this always did numbers on stroking her ego. "So. He does have a daring side to him~" she taunted when they mutually pulled away. 

"I guess you could call it that." Moxxie felt the heat rising in his cheeks and chest from being flustered. "Well, whatever we wanna call it, I like it~ Very much, actually~" she purred before starting up another kiss; however, not just a teeny tiny lip-to-lip contact. Oh ho ho, no, siree! She made up her mind to plunge her tongue into his mouth, catching him so off guard that he felt his tail thrash from the force before he collected himself, floating back down to reality. But don't misunderstand. He didn't dislike this by any means. 

With his hands still on her waist, he pulled her body in closer to his, much to her satisfaction. Millie pulled away for a second time, both imps desperately gasping for air from diving their forked tongues into each other's mouths. Even in the almost pitch blackness with her panting, Moxxie swore he could visibly see a smirk on her face, making every hair on his body stand on end. An invisible strength pulled him back in by his tie to thrust their lips together again shortly. 

"I think the couch would better suit us~" she whispered before grabbing both of his claws and leading him in the dark to the sofa a few steps away from the door. Moxxie was pushed down onto the old, soft cushions, brain clouded over, feeling his thighs being sandwiched by hers, plush, soft, and toned. "Plus, it's easier for me to do this~" She slipped off the thin straps of her black leather dress, letting the whole front fall down to her waist, exposing her naked chest. 

Moxxie's eyes grew far too large for his own comfort. He could throw his desire to remain a well-mannered gentleman out the window because he was fully aware that he was staring. "What's wrong?" Millie flirtatiously giggled. "Yer actin' like this is yer first time seein' a pair." 

"...It is."

"......Wait, really?" the seductive act dropped in seconds in both demons, replaced with puzzlement and surprise. 

"Well, in person, yes. You're only the second demon I've been with...Ever."

"......Look, sugar. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm findin' that hard to believe."

Moxxie tried keeping a flattered and startled laugh to himself, covering his smile with a hand to suppress. "Did you assume I had ladies lining up around the block for me?" It was meant to be a joke, but he was perplexed even further when she followed with a country "Well...Yeah. Pretty much."

Silence fell upon them, although not an uncomfortable or tense silence. Millie still kept her hands on his shoulders and slowly lowered herself to rest their foreheads together, staring into each other's eyes for an uncared-for amount of time. It was so quiet they could almost hear their hearts beating together in perfect harmony. Something about resting on each other, in the dark, in the calm of night, was more relaxing than anything else in Hell. They didn't know why but didn't care to ask either. Moxxie wanted to speak up and say something, but his ranch lady friend beat him to it. 

"I really like ya, Moxxie...A lot." She admitted out loud. It gave the she-devil a sense of confidence mixed with anxiety that she didn't have the words for. 

He smiled lovingly and longingly at her, reaching up to put a hand on top of hers. "So do I." He paused, knitting their fingers together. Weeks ago, simply imagining what it would be like to hold her hand gave him chills. Now, it set off fireworks in every nerve in his demonic soul. "You're amazing, Millie. In so many ways, nobody else is. My "liking" you is a restraint on my tongue."

"So what are ya sayin'? That ya love me or somethin'?~" 

"Of course I do." 

This time, it was Millie's turn for her eyes to grow wide, as big golden suns with large, whispy lashes stared at the imp in front of her on the couch, becoming concerned this was a wrong move to make so soon. This was only their fourth date. That was far too fast for "I love yous," right?

"Y-you love me?"

"O-of course I do. How could I not?" 

A nervous laugh escaped her throat. "Ok. Now yer just butterin' me up for somethin'." She pulled her head away from his, thinking she'd see a smirk there, but seeing the same smile as before brought comfort to the melee assassin. 

"I'm not fooling you. It's not a joke." He grabbed her other hand, gently caressing the tops with his thumbs. "I really do love you, Millie...A lot." He mimicked what she had said earlier, sensing that geyser of excitement she gave him. It filled his little black heart just enough that he believed it would heal any past traumas that he had begged Satan to forget.

'Oh, my Satan. He said it. He actually said it!' 

Now, one thing to know about Millie: she is not a demon who likes wasting time. Therefore, she was quick to hop off the couch and drag her companion to another room in her apartment before he could think about asking questions. "Ok, mister! The couch don't suffice anymore! You 'n me are goin' to my bed ta finish this little moment!" she finished by pushing him down on the mattress and climbing on top of him, locking his lips in with hers again, now even more firey and passionate before their chit-chat took over. Those three deep words set off a rocket in Millie, a big ass rocket that was flying to the moon and back in her body faster than lightspeed. 

Moxxie was trying his best to keep up. Between the adrenaline rush, he was still on from his confession paired with the half-naked unholy goddess straddling him, it was a struggle to focus. The cramped bedroom was sweltering hot. The culprits allowed heat waves of passion and desire to pour from one body to the next on the old, squeaky mattress Millie's parents gave to her from her big brother's old bedroom. Any other exes couldn't even come close to drawing this type of reaction out of them exclusively from making out. 

And the smell, oh Lucifer. The smell. 

Sweet, nutty, intoxicating, clean, intense, fragrant, mouthwatering, whatever the fuck you wanted to call it, it was dramatically intense. 

"You can stay the night if yer up for it," Millie suggested once they stopped to catch their breath. Moxxie, still panting, looked up at her, pulling her dress entirely off and heading to a chest of drawers in front of the bed. By Satan's grace, he didn't know how it was possible to be so fiercely down bad for someone, but she made it possible for him. He didn't want to stare at her; it was rude and perverted, yet he couldn't look away.

'An angel of death indeed. That would sound great in a song...'

"I'll even let ya borrow some of my clothes." she threw an oversized t-shirt at him with an unmatched pair of pajama shorts that she dug out from the drawer. "They ain't the fanciest, but trust me, they're comfortable." She turned to him after sliding on a tank top, pulling out the rest of her long hair trapped inside. "So, whaddya say, lover boy?"

"I-...I would love to, but only if you want that." 

She walked back over to him, fully dressed with a pair of loungewear shorts covering the black lace underwear around her hips. "Of course, I want that, silly." She leaned down to become eye level with him, admiring him up close and personal, every molecule of his face. "And I don't insist this time...I demand~" With that, a final kiss was settled on his freckled cheek before she headed to the small apartment bathroom to wash her makeup off and brush her teeth. He should probably consider the same since several black kiss marks coincided with his white freckles from their heated moment. 

 

---

 

Millie yawned and stretched as sleep subsided from her. From the looks of it, it was either a cloudy day or decently early, as the sun came through her bedroom curtain, but not enough to assault the walls in light. The more she opened her eyes, a figure to her side came into view. Moxxie. Her adorable, handsome,...partner? Boyfriend? Whatever he was at this point in the relationship, watching over her. Oh, that's right. He did sleep at her place after their date.

"Good morning."

"Mornin'," another yawn manifested through her greeting, ending with her beaming up at him, remembering what he said last night. It was a million and one times more magical than any scenario she'd molded in her head before, all because it was him. 

"I hope you don't mind, but I made you breakfast. I'll even buy you some replacement groceries today before I head off." 

"Oh, ya didn't have ta do that."

"I wanted to." he grabbed onto one of her hands resting on her stomach. "You know. Because I love you and all of that~"

"If ya keep talkin' ta me like that, yer gonna be my breakfast~ What did you mix up?" 

"Uhh, if I recall everything, I made biscuits, eggs, bacon, coffee, and...OH, banana pancakes too! I was going to make waffles because you told me you prefer those, but I didn't see a waffle maker in your cabinets." Moxxie rambled on as she sat up, tying her messy hair into a ponytail with a hair tie hanging from a knife shoved into her wall above the bed. 

"Yeah, they're expensive, and I wanna make sure I get a-...Hol on. You made ALL that?"

"Yeah...Sorry, is it too much? I was trying not to overdo it."

"It ain't that. It's just I'm surprised ya remember. I told you about my food preferences a long time ago."

"Well, anytime you tell me something like that, I make sure I remember...Also, I made raspberry jam for the biscuits and pancakes-" 

Millie cut him off, bringing his body close to hers in a hug that he returned. Nothing crazy, just a simple, short, and sweet hug to begin the day. "Yer too good to me.~"

"Not good enough. I was contemplating finding a butcher's shop open this early because you told me you like steak and eggs." Millie kissed him on the cheek before he stretched his legs out to climb off the queen-sized bed. "I finished about 10 minutes ago. So everything should be warm, but I wouldn't wait too long." Moxxie looked down as his hand was pulled back. 

"Hey?" Millie asked, not in a questioning tone, but asking him to look back at her. 

"I love you back~" she purred, face flushed, eyelids lowered, and eyes glistening with adoration. Moxxie's face reflected the same, turning back on his knees to kiss her one more time sweetly on the lips. He wanted her to physically tell how serious he was, but he was confident she already knew. 

"And I'll love you forever~"

Notes:

Sugar, spice, and M&M! What more could the people want???😩

Also, just to be safe, there are some days when I'll be posting smutty fics, but I will give y'all a clear warning of that at the beginning of every entry in case that isn't your thing.

See y'all tomorrow!

Chapter 35: A Coincidence of Fate

Summary:

Day 2 of M&M Valentine's Week!

Prompt: Red String of Fate

A woman and her baby seek out a highly recommended assassin...

Luisa double-checked the address she’d written down on a strip of paper compared to the gated farmhouse in front of her, a small baby strapped to her chest who she could hear was beginning to stir from his nap. Inevitably, he started to become fussy, either from the heat or disorientation of just waking up.

She tried hushing him down, cringing that she’d draw attention to them and not the kind she was looking for. 

“Shh shh shh…Quiet down, Moxxie, honey. It’s alright…” She gently rubbed his little head, with small, large horns beginning to grow out in the fields of white, silver hair. This was a terrible idea. She never should have brought him to begin with. What was she thinking? She should have stood her ground with her husband and demanded that someone watch the baby while she ran her errand.

“Excuse me, Ma’am. Can I help ya with somethin’?” a gruff voice laced with a country accent came from her right, startling her. An imp, an older imp dressed in a plaid shirt with dirty, torn jean overalls, walked her way. An old straw hat adorned his head, just as her wide-brim sunhat did on hers. 

“Yes, please. I apologize. I was trying to make sure I had the correct address.”

“Ain’t no issue. Happens all the time,” he took a rag out from his overall pocket to dab the sweat off his forehead. Even with a hat, it was a scorching hot Wrath summer day, and farm work during this time was sure to make any demon sweat, even if they were like Wrathians who were used to it. 

“So what can I do ya for?” 

“I’m looking for a Mrs. Harding. I was told she lived in this quadrant.” 

“That would be my wife!” the old farmer exclaimed, shoving the cloth back into his pocket before opening the gate to the house. “What you searchin’ fer?”

“I was informed that she provided…services for people.” Luisa tried being discreet, resulting in a confused look from the man.

“You talkin’ ‘bout her killin’ services?” he questioned, much to the young mother’s surprise. She was no stranger to assassins and killing. This was Hell, she was a Wrath native through and through, but she felt that this was secretive, something no one could know about thanks to her paranoia. 

“Yes. Precisely.” 

“Well, why didn’t ya just say so, darlin’? We ain’t strangers ta that stuff in these parts! Come on in, get yer youngin’ out this heat!” he pointed to her now calm baby in the chest strap before opening the gate more for her to enter the yard. 

She followed him up the path to the front porch steps. It was a lovely little place, small but well taken care of. It was the perfect embodiment of a farmhouse, a charming home, and Luisa much-preferred houses like this over the all-too-large mansions that she’d known her whole life. 

The stranger who’d led her to the house opened the screen door to knock on the old wooden one behind it, and not long after, a beautiful older woman opened the door with a baby attached to her hip. She looked to be only a tad younger than her husband, maybe by a year or two, and if Luisa had to guess her age, she’d say early to mid-fifties. 

“Ya got a visitor, sweets! Says she’s lookin’ fer some assassinatin’ ta be done!” the male imp told who Luisa assumed to be his wife. The older woman made direct eye contact with her as her husband moved out of their way to greet each other. 

“That so?” she pronounced in her thick accent. “And who might you be?” 

“I-I’m sorry to bother Mrs. Harding, but my name is Luisa Astuto-Vinci. I know this might seem brash off the back, but I’m Bruno Cuervo’s daughter.”

Her uttering that name seemed to set something off within the woman’s soul. Her stone face never changed, but Luisa swore she could see her vertical pupils constrict ever so slightly. A stare accompanied by silence was kept between all three imps, specifically between Luisa and the mysterious woman, before she sighed and stepped out of the way to open the door wider.

“Come on in.” she directed at Luisa and her baby. Once they walked through the front door, the older woman turned to ask her husband, “You mind guarding, honey?”

“No problem, dear!” 

Instinctively, Luisa held her baby closer to her chest. Despite these two strangers seeming rather nice, they were just that. Strangers. And she was the daughter of a well-known elitist who wronged so many, especially thousands of farmers in Wrath. Not to mention, she married into a family of criminals. At this point, she was a target, putting herself in the way of a bullet along with her young son. 

“Please, come have a seat,” the older woman suggested after locking the wooden and screen doors behind them. She led Luisa and her tiny babe into a small living room filled with various axes, knives, swords, and daggers. 

She sat on a green velvet couch that looked slightly outdated but was in good shape. Mrs. Harding placed the small child she was holding on the floor next to her, playing with toys appropriate for such a young baby. 

“You can set yer little one free from that wrap if you’d like. Would y’all like anythin’ to drink?”

“Oh…n-no, but thank you for the offer, ma’am,” Luisa stuttered out, untying her son from his clothed carrier. She brushed over the locks of smooth white hair with her fingers, being delicate with the tiny stubs of horns that began to grow, decorating his head. 

Once his eyes landed on his mother’s face, his usual babbling started, filling the house. Luisa gave her son a kiss on the head before her attention was disrupted by a tug on the bottom of her dress. Glancing down, the other impling in the house was at her feet, in a post crawl position with the hem of her blue satin dress in the clutches of the baby's small, tiny claws. 

A little imp girl, as could be assumed by her dark, raven hair and the small stubs of black horns that seemed to be growing in, with beautiful scarlet skin and large, gorgeous golden eyes staring right up at her. 

Luisa gave her a smile, keeping her hands wrapped around her son. “Oh…why hello,” she greeted her as those orbs continued their staring as the baby sucked on a blue pacifier in her mouth. 

“Oh! I’m sorry ‘bout that,” the woman of the farmhouse apologized, walking back in from the kitchen with a glass of what looked to be lemonade for herself. “Come on here, you,” she spoke softly to the small girl, picking her up from the floor. 

“No apologies needed, ma’am,” Luisa watched the girl being placed back on the floor with her toys, picking up a ball to fiddle with. 

“Is she yours?”

“Oh, Satan, no!” Mrs. Harding chuckled, fixing a ruffled patch of black hair on the back of the baby’s head. “My little granddaughter. She’s stayin’ with us fer a coupla’ days since her mama and older brother are sick. Her daddy is takin’ care of them, and they don’t want her catchin’ whatever it is they got…That one yers?” she asked, signaling to the baby in Luisa’s lap.

“That he is! I’m sorry. I know it must be strange for a mother to bring her young child to a meeting like this, but I didn’t have anyone to watch over him.” 

“Don’t worry ‘bout that!” The other female imp waved her hand in dismissal. “You’d be surprised by the amount of folks that bring their little tots along to these meetings!” 

Luisa noticed the other impling crawling her way back over to her before stopping Mrs. Harding from getting back up from her seat to fetch her. 

“I’m sorry ‘bout this. She loves meetin' new people.”

“Oh no, no! It’s alright! Mine’s quite the opposite. He’s a little on the shy side.” Just then, Luisa could feel her own baby becoming restless like a baby bull, unable to stay still in her lap. Unusual of him, sure, and then an idea crossed her mind. 

“Say, would you mind if they were sat together on the floor?”

“Not at all! I’ll warn ya, though. Little miss here is startin’ to bite, so she may be chewin’ on some of these toys.” 

“I suppose it may help him to build up an immune system.” Luisa joked, setting little Moxxie down on the old wooden floor, slightly anxious he’d cry or begin to make a fuss once she’d set him down as he typically did, only to be astonished that he not only didn't show signs of crankiness but even approached the other child, crawling to her and playing along. 

The rancher imp laughed, watching them innocently parallel play together, as innocent as two tiny devils could be. "Well, looks like they make good friends, eh?" 

"I-I'm just rendered speechless. He doesn't have any siblings, and we don't have any other children in our home, so he hasn't had any chance to interact with others." Oh, her poor little Moxxie boy...If only life had been more fair, then his brother would have been good company for the little one. Luisa was sure of it, but sadly, death left him a lone twin in this cruel world, taking his other half during the birthing process and almost carrying him along too. It was a traumatic event for her, but she felt lucky enough to have one surviving child rather than none. 

"They'll surprise ya! I've always thought babies were interestin'...But ya didn't come here to talk about none of that, so let's talk business." The older woman set her glass down on the wooden coffee table before sitting cross-legged, facing Luisa on the opposite couch.

"Who exactly is it ya need gone?"

"...My father...and my father-in-law as well."

"A double assassination...Those can become complicated." 

"I understand, but please. My husband and I don't have a choice. Our fathers are both obnoxiously powerful men. He's also a descendant of a crime gang originating from the Greed Ring." Luisa, becoming upset thinking of the deep Hell she and her husband had been in for several weeks, paused to calm herself. "...I apologize. It's been a nightmare day in and day out." taking deep breaths, she looked down at her baby boy, oblivious to her struggles, running a small wooden train on the floor back and forth. She couldn't lose him, not ever. 

"...They're planning to take our boy from us...We don't know when, but we know they're tryin' to. Los bastardos codiciosos!" she cursed under her breath to remain polite to the other woman and her home. "We need them gone. Both of them. And fast."

"Yer hubs comes from a life of crime, you said? Is there any reason he can't take them out himself?" It wasn't a rude question. Rather, one spilled from curiosity. If a demon from a criminal background couldn't handle his own flesh and blood, then what was she up against? 

"We're concerned that would be far too suspicious. His father and he haven't been on the best of terms lately." 

"Hmm.....And you and your Pa? I'm assumin' that if yer wantin' him dead, then y'all ain't exactly close?"  

"Oh Satan, no," Luisa clutched her dress in fists, crinkling the garment before straightening out the wrinkles once she noticed. Talking about her family dynamic was never a pleasant conversation, to say the least. "He is an awful grandfather, was an even worse father to me, and...Well, I'm sure, as you know, he's all around a disgusting, horrendous excuse for a man. I'd take care of him myself, but I cannot risk it. Not with my little one on the line."

It was a scary time. Bruno Cuervo was a terrorist, to lay it out bluntly, the ring leader of a crime gang from the Badman Lands in the Wrath Ring. He fathered a daughter with a mistress of his. Therefore, Luisa was here, the only daughter amongst three brothers. When she was only 13, he sold her off to be married at 18 to an alliance's son to bring the families together, not caring for her safety or wellbeing like the selfish prick he had the reputation of being. 

When she had her son, Luisa vowed to dedicate the rest of her life to protecting him from facing the same challenges that she was born into, desperate to give him a chance at a "normal" life, as "normal" as being born into two crime heavy families could be. 

"...I'll do it." The tall imp looked up from her gloved hands, spotting a serious yet empathetic look from the assassin sitting across from her. "Typically, I wouldn't take these jobs no more. It's just too risky, but ya seem like a good soul...And ya got yer little one relyin' on ya to stay alive. So count me in." She finished, taking another sip of lemonade, while her guest sat in shock. She wasn't honestly expecting her to agree, with how many times other assassins rejected her before she was given this recommendation.

Luisa felt a tear slide down her freckled cheek, falling onto her dress, swiftly wiping away the remnants with her gloved finger, not even caring about the mascara left behind on the white fabric. This was too much good news to pay attention to material things at the moment. 

"Satan and Lucifer bless you! You don't know how much of a relief that is to hear!" she sniffled, taking a tissue from the mysterious rancher to dray away remaining droplets. 

"Don't mention it, darlin'. Ya ain't the first...Now, you got some info fer me ta get started? Can't wait too long, it sounds like."

The young mother nodded her head in agreement before digging in the bag she carried with her, filled with important documents disguised under diapers and wipes for her son. Pulling out stacks of papers and photos she brought along with her, both imps laid them out on the old coffee table for Luisa to explain. 

"This here is my father-in-law, Maximo Astuto-Vinci. And well, you're aware of my father's looks. They're set to meet in the Envy Ring this upcoming Tuesday the 10th at exactly 6:00 P.M. sharp."

"Just when the traffic down there starts ta get bad, huh?" the hit woman commented, taking a few seconds to stare back and forth between the pictures of both men, a smirk spreading across her lips, as Luisa could see a light bulb flicker on in her eyes. "Be quite a shame should somethin' happen ta them in that traffic, wouldn't it?" Catching on to what she was conjuring up in her head, Luisa smiled back, rapidly nodding her head in agreement as she continued. 

"And oh, what a tragedy would it be for two viciously hated men to die on the same day in a horrendous, firey accident." 

"I cannot agree more, Mrs. Harding." She continued playing along as their talking in code continued until they went over every detail of what would happen on Tuesday and the following day, with Luisa standing up and putting her sun hat back on once they finished. 

"What should I pay you in return? My husband and I agreed that we'd give you any amount you'd like." 

"Don't worry about it." Her client looked at her, confused. Surely, she misheard her. "This kill's on the house. Just worry 'bout keepin' yer baby safe. I'll handle the rest."

"Respectfully, Ma'am. I cannot do tha-"

"Respectfully, Mrs. Astuto-Vinci, you can and you will." she gave a stern response. "Besides, I don't need nothin' like this bein' traced back ta me or my family."

".....Yes, of course. I understand." Luisa and her assassin for hire shook hands, sealing their deal before she leaned down to pick her baby son up, still quietly and gleefully playing on the floor. "Come on now, darling. It's time for us to go home."

Just as she picked her little Moxxie off the floor, so did the mystery woman, picking up her granddaughter at the same time, and in a shocking and disturbing turn of events, both children started to sob simultaneously, panicking both women with their loud, screams and cries reaching their tiny arms out as if pleading to be put back together.

"Satan and crackers, sweetie! What in the everlovin' Lucifer's pit is wrong? Ya were just fine a second ago!" the grandmother, now anxious that something was seriously wrong with the baby, worried aloud. 

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened!" Luisa tried to explain while attempting to soothe her baby at the same time, wrapping him in her cloth carrier, feeling her heart cry on its own, seeing him trying to reject the strap. 

"No, no, it ain't yer fault. I just don't know what's gotten into her! I've never heard her cry like this!" she tried bouncing the baby girl in her arms, becoming overwhelmed, and started calling for her husband outside on the porch. 

"Honey, she's real upset. Ya mind just tryin' ta calm her down while I show our guest out?" 

"No problem, sugar." He agreed, heading into the living room and taking the baby from his wife. Both grandparents felt an increasing level of unease hearing how their granddaughter became more distressed once their visitor and her own baby left the small house. Luisa felt an intense concern rise in herself as her son didn't quit his screaming fit either, and even more so, knowing she'd have to try and calm him on her long trek home. 

"Geez, well, I'm sorry 'bout that, but switchin' the conversation back ta what's important, you and I never spoke, you never came here, you don't even recognize my name from here on out. And if ya will, don't contact us after. You'll know when it's done. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am. And thank you." They shook hands once more, quickly so that Luisa could get back home and Mrs. Harding could get back to the screaming baby inside.

Sure enough, that Tuesday, Bruno Cuervo and Maximo Astuto-Vinci were caught in a severe traffic accident, resulting in both men dying instantly in a hot, fiery blaze before they could make it to their meeting. No foul play was presumed. It was ruled as an unlucky, unfortunate accident. And surprise, surprise, there was no mourning from either the Wrath Ring or the Greed Ring, but instead celebrations, aside from the funerals held by both families, with only small handfuls of guests attending. As for Luisa and her husband, neither could say they were "upset" by this catastrophe, although both put on the performance of a lifetime to trick others into believing otherwise...

In an odd surprise, the Hardings checked their mailbox one afternoon 3 months later to find a stack of cash stuffed inside, $90,000 to be exact. Not a check, leaving the money untraceable. However, something told Mrs. Harding that she already knew where it came from, as it was left unmarked and safe to accept.

She held her granddaughter in her arms, staring at the cash on the table. Her daughter and her children were visiting when they found the money in their mail...

"Now I'm real excited fer y'all, Mama, but what kinda fool just leaves a random 90K in y'all's mail?"

"Beat's me, sugar! Guess it's just our lucky day!" 

"AY! Linsey! Come check out Roy ridin' this hog on over here!" 

"Alright! I'll be right over, Daddy! Ya mind watching her fer a minute, Ma?"

"No problem, honey. Go watch yer son doin' his rodeo moves!" she waved her daughter out of the house, leaving her and the baby alone.

"Welp, Mildred, looks like yer little boyfriend sent us a gift!" she exclaimed, giving her a kiss on the back of her head as the baby in her arms babbled on, both completely unaware that she'd meet that same "boyfriend" for real this time almost 24 years later.

Yeah. Fate can be a funny little coincidence at times...

 

Notes:

Also, y'all can expect this one shot to expand later on...😉

Chapter 36: A Gift For You, My Love

Summary:

Day 3 of M&M Valentine's Week!

Prompt: Gift Giving

Moxxie and Millie surprise each other with presents!

Notes:

Just a light warning!

- Talk of discrimination/prejudice

Light purring penetrated Moxxie’s ears, much to his irritation due to the interruption of his sleep. He could feel himself waking up before noticing the noise, but nonetheless, it was still forcing him to wake up when all he wanted to do was head back to dreamland.

He silently prayed to Satan that Blitz would just head home. He knew it had to be his boss breaking in again, but really? Early on a Saturday?!

To his surprise, his frustration melted away when he saw not the face of his boss above him but instead his beloved wife's gorgeous, smiling face, staring down at him, holding what looked to be an opened cardboard box in her hands. Their eyes met once he fully came to terms with consciousness, and they stayed gazing at each other for seconds before Millie’s purring ceased. 

“Mornin’, sweetie!” 

“Good morning, honey,” he responded tiredly, letting a yawn escape before his wife leaned down to kiss him, adding another good morning kiss to the list of hundreds, more likely thousands, of their life together. 

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.~” Moxxie joked.

“Me either. But since when has that stopped us.” 

“Got a point there…What’s with the box?” 

Moxxie pointed to the cardboard that Millie set down beside them. “Oh! This? Just a little somethin’ special I bought fer you~” 

“Oh, no. Should I start prepping now or later?~” 

Millie snorted, catching onto his words. “No, not that kinda present, silly! It’s just somethin’ I thought you might like…” She led on, handing him the box as he sat up. 

“For what occasion?” he asked curiously, digging in the box of packaging peanuts. 

“Nothin’! I just love ya!” Millie giggled, seeing Moxxie’s face light up once he realized what his wife had ordered. 

“The black light?!” 

“Mhm! AND it’s the super fancy black light! So you can garden those little things to yer heart’s content!” 

Over the past year and a half, Moxxie has become increasingly interested in gardening. Living in an apartment doesn’t afford many opportunities to plant anything, so his first experience was growing Satan’s Fireroot, a small succulent plant that thrives in dark environments. Considering the plant was native to Wrath desert caves, it was only fitting for him to plant some, taking his and his wife's Wrath origins into thought.

He planted some months ago in a wall planter in their small home office since there were no windows, which was the perfect setting for them. He’d wanted to invest in some form of black light, as these plants were known to love soaking it in, but alas, for a young couple trying to become more financially stable....You could already take a guess as to why they hadn't purchased one until now...

Seeing how much her husband cared for his tiny light plants, Millie quickly got to work on that, researching and learning more about what kind was recommended and what brands to avoid. She also saved money on the side before picking a highly rated light specifically for gardening. Growing up on a farm, she knew how sensitive plants could be, so she had to ensure she was getting her husband the best of the best. 

“Millie, thank you! This is amazing!” Moxxie marveled, flipping the box over to study what features came along with the technology.

“Yeah, I know. I’m pretty awesome!” she chuckled, being caught off guard as Moxxie brought her in for a hug and another kiss. 

“You sure are!~” he sang, peppering her face and neck with kisses, sending Millie into a blushing laughing fit. 

Overall, he wasn’t too concerned about going back to sleep anymore. 

 

---

 

Moxxie pulled the final strings of ribbon to complete the large bow on his gift box, neatly wrapped in bright yellow wrapping paper, one of Millie’s favorite colors. For months, he had been planning on gifting this present to his lovely wife, but now that it was the big day, he couldn’t contain his excitement. He had practically been bouncing off the walls and smiling like a fool all week simply because he was that eager to give this to her, and still, a small part of him was scared she wouldn’t like it. 

But this was it. Months of saving extra money, tracking the thing down on re-seller websites – potentially some illegal websites mixed into that - and finally wrapping it up perfectly all for her. 

It was no special occasion, but Moxxie never harbored his gift-giving tendencies for his wife. There were four special days of the year: her birthday, Sinsmas, Special Mates Day, and their anniversary, all of which he saved his most elaborate plans and gifts for. However, that didn’t mean his Millie went the rest of those 361 days without any sort of surprise. In fact, Moxxie became more excited about giving her small tokens of love than she was about receiving them, and she always loved every gift he had given to her, making damn sure to take the best care of those. 

“Whatcha got there, Mox?” a voice from behind startled the sniper, causing him to tense up before turning to match a face to that familiar voice.

“Sir? What are you doing here?” 

“Just visiting! Gotta make sure my two best assassins aren’t being assassinated or anything!” Blitz carried on as Moxxie assisted him to finish climbing through the fire escape. 

By this point, Moxxie wasn’t quite as annoyed with Blitz’s random drop-ins, but he wasn’t exactly completely used to them either. “Blitz, perhaps I’m stupid for asking this of you, but could you please maybe just send us a text or call us when you plan to stop by?”

“Pfft! Now, how am I supposed to catch you two having sex if I let y’all know I’m coming? Really, Moxxie, come on now, get those wheels turning in that little brain of yours,” Blitz teased, giving his friend a noogie right between the horns. The thespian couldn’t even be upset. Knowing Blitz for as long as he had at this point, he knew it was a joke, not to be taken seriously. 

“So tell me, what’s in the box?”

“It’s a present, Sir. For Millie.”

“Ohhhh, Satan fuck me, Mox. That’s one fucking huge dildo.”

“Because it’s not a dildo, Sir,” Moxxie replied, not coming completely down from the aftershock of his boss's previous comment. 

“Well, then what else could it be?! Look at how big this box is!”

“Respectfully, Sir. I know you can’t keep a secret. So I won’t be telling you.”

“What! No fair, Moxxie! I let you two get away with bumping rocks all the time on the job!” 

Blitz rambled on while Moxxie discarded the leftover wrapping paper in the trash bin. “I’m sorry, Blitz, but I can’t trust you not to tell her.” He was thankful that his boss couldn’t see his face because now Moxxie held a smirk of his own in secrecy as he taunted his boss back. The difference was that Blitz couldn’t tell his freckled friend was toying with him. 

“M-...Moxxie, tell me what’s in the box, or I’m docking your pay, you little cocksucker!” 

Before Moxxie could retort, Millie walked through the front door and into the kitchen, pausing upon seeing both her boss and her husband in what looked like a verbal disagreement. 

“Oh, hey, B! Stoppin’ by again?” she questioned, heading over to her husband and giving him a kiss. 

“Yes, Mills, as a matter of fact, I was, but now I have a bigger issue. Your whore bag husband is keeping secrets from me!” 

Millie sat at the kitchen table, her face shifting from relaxed and happy to confused at her best friend’s complaint. She was going to ask for a follow-up to his objection before Moxxie took the bright yellow box with a big white bow and set it down on the table in front of her. 

“What’s this, honey?”

“Oh, nothing. Just a little something I got for you~” 

“Yeah! Just a little something that he won’t tell me what it is!” 

Moxxie gave Blitz an unimpressed look as Millie laughed at their banter. Examining the box, it was a decent size, almost similar to the size of a bedside lamp in length. Right away, Millie could tell it was her adoring husband who wrapped it based on the tidiness and precision she could see in the cuts. 

“Mind if I open it here, Mox?”

“Not at all, sweetie! It’s yours!”

“Yeah, that’s a fanfuckingtastic idea, Mills, because now I have to know what’s in there!”

“Sir-”

Moxxie was cut off by his wife’s hand taking hold of his, “It’s alright, hun. He can stay. I’m ok with it! Mind grabbin’ me some scissors, though?” 

The musician fetched some scissors from one of their drawers for his wife, wagging his tail like an excited puppy with big round eyes and a long smile on his face, anxious to watch her reaction as she tore the paper open with Blitz, watching over her shoulder. 

As usual, Millie hummed to herself while tearing apart the paper, but once she cut off the centerpiece bow, her tune was interrupted by a loud gasp when she caught sight of what her husband was hiding behind the yellow paper blanket. Her reaction only made Moxxie giggle in delight, and his tail flapped much quicker. However, Blitz was now the one who was unsure of what was happening.

With large, happy tears in her eyes, Millie looked up to her husband, who had glittering stars reflecting in his. 

“Y-you got me t-the doll?!”

“Mhm! I did! I found one in brand new, unopened condition on a collector's website!” Moxxie chimed as Millie brought her husband in for a hug at his waist, real droplets falling from her eyes now.

“Oh, my Satan! I can’t believe you did this! H-how did you?”

“A lot of planning, sweetie,” he kissed her on the head. “And I have my ways!” 

“...Ok, I think I’m missing a few chapters here. What uh…What?” Blitz tried explaining his question as his brain attempted to rationalize what the big deal was.

“It’s a doll Millie really wanted as a little girl. They were limited edition, and of course, they don’t manufacture them anymore. So I went online and found a collector who was reselling them.” 

Unfortunately, Hell had a terrible hierarchy system set in place millions of eons ago, with imps staying at the very bottom of Hell’s classes from their creation up to modern times. It only got worse if you were an imp from the Wrath Ring, as those poor souls were treated horribly and discriminated against both by other demons and Satan himself. 

For the longest time, toys and shows referencing Wrath citizens were nonexistent until they weren’t, which was right around the time that Moxxie and Millie were in their younger childhood years. 

One of the most popular toys of the time was larger dolls that were modeled off of demons from every ring except one. When Millie was six, the company that released them finally made a doll based in Wrath, even better, she was a Wrath imp who they designed to be a rancher, just like her…

“I actually can’t believe it! You really-...Oh, Mox! I love you!” she stood to hug him tight, which he returned before she locked him into a deep kiss, passionate enough to make even Blitz feel like he was intruding on something. 

“Ok you two I don’t remember y’all being into exhibitionism, so could you please not make any babies in front of me…”

“Hey, you’re the one who walked into our private space, B! You should know better than that by now~” Millie purred, rubbing a finger into Moxxie’s clothed chest to flirt. 

“I’m gonna go clear a spot in the bedroom to put her!” Millie suddenly burst, taking the doll in her desert-themed box and staring at her the entire way to her and Moxxie’s bedroom. 

Her best friend and husband stood in the kitchen, with Moxxie gathering the remaining paper and ribbon to toss away again, his heart warm and fuzzy, knowing how happy his wife was with her gift. He knew she’d adore it, and knowing Millie, she’d take care of that doll like a prized possession for the rest of her life.

“So…What’s with that doll?” A slightly lost Blitz asked Moxxie for further details. 

Moxxie took a seat at the table across from his boss to unfold the significance behind his wife’s excitement. “Around the time we all would have been kids, toy companies finally made a doll representing Wrath demons. As a little girl, Millie really wanted one because there weren’t any other toys that reflected anything from the ring or Wrath culture. But they couldn’t afford it. She still talks about it to this day, and the doll is discontinued. So I hunted one down and bought it for her. So she could finally have one.”

“Geez. How much is this doll if it was that unattainable.”

“Originally, it ran for $70. I managed to convince the seller to give it to me for $150 when they wanted $200 for it.”

“Fuck. $70 for one doll. Did it have a feature that would help out around the farms or something? For that price, I would have expected it to do something other than just sit there.”

“Well, that’s exactly what those companies wanted, though. They knew damn well that most families in Wrath couldn’t afford that for their children. But you see, if they made the doll too expensive for people to buy, then no one would buy it, and then it gave them an excuse to discontinue it…Discrimination and classism at its finest.” Moxxie scoffed.

“.......Ok there, Mox. That’s a little too deep, even for me.”

“It’s the truth, Sir. Sadly, it’s still the truth most Wrathians live day to day. Even for imps, we’re treated like parasites…I can see why, for a little girl, having a doll like that where you can see yourself in it would mean everything.” 

 

---

 

That night, Millie couldn’t stop smiling as she lay in bed, staring at the doll she propped up on their large dresser. Her eyes couldn’t stay away from her little plastic cowgirl rancher with her hat atop her head, with her black plastic horns and long black hair, just like she used to have. It had been almost 22 years since she first laid her eyes on the toy, but at twenty-seven years old, she was still as enamored by it as she had been at six.

“She looks good up there, babe!” Moxxie complimented his wife’s display of the doll in their room before climbing under the covers with her. 

“Yeah! Doesn’t she!” Her tail thumped between the blankets and the mattress. Her husband softly smiled, feeling the vibration against the mattress, admiring his woman admiring her little plastic imp cowgirl. This is his favorite part of giving her spontaneous presents. Seeing her happy and excited made him happy, and she was adorable whenever she was thrilled like this. 

“I’m glad you like it!” Moxxie fluffed his pillow before laying down and pulling the covers over his shoulders. Another force wrapped around him, affectionately purring and cooing into his neck. 

“Nah. I love it~” 

Her murmurs carried on with Moxxie repeating them back lovingly while he initiated a tail coil. He stretched to turn off the light when he noticed his wife asleep in his arms, being careful not to wake her. He caught a glimpse of the doll when he leaned back into her, cuddling back into the blankets they had cocooned themselves in. 

That thing meant a lot to her despite being a grown adult woman. There was something about seeing her inner child come out that really warmed his little demonic heart. Maybe tomorrow he could start planning and searching for his next surprise for her…

But now, it was time to rest after another successful day of making his wife happy, his favorite pastime.

 

Chapter 37: Let's Make Another~

Summary:

Day 4 of M&M Valentine's Week!

Prompt: Bites & Scratches/ Feralistic

Moxxie and Millie try to expand their family...

Notes:

Warnings:
- Explicit Sexual Content (This entire one is purely sexual in nature)
***IMPORTANT: This is a sex fic. I repeat: This is a SEX FIC!!!

Proceed at your own risk...

Enjoy!

Moxxie tied his wife's hands together with a torn cloth as she lay naked on the bed, vulnerable, admiring her husband working above her. Well…almost her husband. 

The man she called her husband didn’t have his red skin, his horns, his tail, or anything else that resembled him except for the freckles that decorated his cheeks. But Satan, dammit, he was still sexy as everloving Hell to her. 

“Does that feel up to par, sweetie?"

“Don’t know. Is it tight enough to your liking?~” Millie felt a soft hand glide up her chest, adding slight pressure to her neck. Her eyes never left the face of the person holding her down by the waist. The devilish smirk on his face was still all the same despite his face seeming so different. 

“If it’ll keep you down…Besides, you don’t want to escape anyways~” 

“Yer so confident, dear. You know how sexy it is when yer confident~” 

Everything today started off as normal. Blitz assigned Moxxie and Millie a quick and easy mission to kill a priest who had been anything but godly. Father Charles preached about being a righteous man in his sermons, living your life to serve God, and living life as God intended for the human race. However, behind closed doors, he was, in fact, not practicing what he preached to his followers. 

The man was a scumbag, stealing money from the church, manipulating the members and other workers of his into getting what he wanted out of them, and even having an affair with two women in the congregation, with one of them being their client, who sought out I.M.P. to get rid of him after he killed her for threatening to reveal his lies and their relationship to the public. What a way to honor the God he taught so highly about…

The thespian ripped another piece of fabric, a thicker one, from an extra sheet in the closet before heading back over to the bed where his wife was eagerly waiting for his return. She didn’t look like his wife, but he knew it was her. Something about their eyes, despite them being significantly different, looked so similar.

Her natural red skin was that of chocolate, still littered with scratches and scars from their years of being assassins. No horns, no tail, but her long black hair was still just that. As for him, his naturally white hair shifted to a medium brown with a hint of red in the light, complementing his tan complexion. 

“And a blindfold? What are you plannin’ on doin’ to me?~” Millie whispered, looking into his hazel eyes that were staring at her with what she could only assume was hunger. 

“Now, I can’t tell you that can I? That would ruin it.” 

“I saw how you did in that priest earlier. That was fuckin’ hot~”

“You’re fucking hot, my dear~” Moxxie purred, admiring those dark mocha-colored irises focused on him.

Their primal, demonic noises apparently remained even in their human disguises, making their activity all the more exciting. “Fuck me. You’re so fucking beautiful~” Moxxie shoved a thumb against her lips that she took in sucking on it just for the purpose of play, to rile her companion up even more.

Oh, Blitz...

If only he knew what a door he opened by giving them this mission...

Their poor, dear best friend and boss was at home, completely oblivious to the current little game they’d been attending to for the past few months...

With Tucker turning three soon, the mother and father recently expressed their desire to have another child. Multiple children were always something they envisioned for their future family. Moxxie never had any siblings and didn’t want Tucker to be an only child because of that. Millie loved growing up with siblings and wanted her son to have the same experience. 

That said, the couple's first child took nearly five years to conceive, thanks to fertility challenges. They were already aware that their efforts to have another may not be successful, especially with their forties quickly approaching. At 37 and 38, they weren’t considered “old” by any means, but when it came to having more children, age wasn't on their side.

So, they decided if they would even try to have another baby, and they didn’t know if it’d work out in their favor or not, they might as well have a little bit of fun…

At first, they started doing what any couple trying to get pregnant would do. Tracking cycles, taking vitamins, having a lot more sex than usual, and then, their competition evolved. It quickly became a contest to see who could get to who first. If one of them were horny, they wouldn’t tell the other. They’d simply wait until they were alone to initiate anything to see if the other was down bad at the time. And the idea that, at any moment, one of them could be pulled to the side during their day to have a quick round or two or three, and they wouldn’t know until the other tried to start something excited them so fucking much. 

Like the other day when Millie called Moxxie into I.M.P.’s supply closet to check out a shelf that “seemed suspiciously loose” to her, only for the sniper to be pinned to the ground the second Millie locked the door behind them and began riding him like a horse from Wrath until neither of them could think or see straight. Or like just a few days following, when Moxxie asked Millie if she could help him with something in the living room after she’d put Tucker down for a nap, where the melee assassin found herself bent over the top of her husband’s piano having her brains fucked in and out every which way. 

It was a game, a breeding game, to see who could catch the other first, and you bet your bottom dollar that they were having fun with it…

So they found themselves here after their completed mission, in Charles’ room, in his bed, with nobody around, not a soul anywhere, since it was the dead of night. Moxxie caught his prey just 20 minutes before, and being that she was the one who was hunted, she was at his mercy tonight.

“Am I still beautiful as a human?” 

“Oh, by Satan, yes~”

Moxxie removed his clothes one by one, with those big brown eyes below watching him strip. Maybe he was doing it on purpose, but Millie swore he was moving at a snail’s pace, torturing her with every bit that came off, revealing himself to her.

“You know, now that I think about it, what happens if two demons try to conceive in a priest’s bed? What would that do to our baby?” Moxxie pondered out loud, mainly to rope his wife into dirty talking with him. 

“Beats me. But he wasn’t a true man of you know who anyway. What turns me on is that humans believe that angels and their king are always present in these places…You think that’s true? You think they’re gonna be watching us? Here in one of their places fucking. I hope they are, and they can’t do anythin’ to stop us~”

“I think we better stop talking and get started on making a baby~” Moxxie replied, tying his substitute blindfold around his wife’s eyes, making sure it was secure enough to where it wouldn’t fall off. 

“Although,” he leaned down into her neck to whisper, “If they are watching, they won’t be able to stop me. They couldn't pry me off of you even if they tried~"

His words, combined with his hot breath on her skin, sent a chill up Millie’s spine, only intensified by the sensation of his now human teeth biting down into her shoulder. Even if Millie was the one who took the reigns more often, Moxxie had become increasingly dominant the longer they were together. They were always switches, but they now shared the roles of dominant and submissive about 50/50. And Millie…well, she had no complaints. She always loved whenever Moxxie got like this, and with her current goal, that only fueled the fire even more. 

After a few minutes of licking and biting, the sniper stood up from the bed to remove his pants and the last bits of clothing he had left. The sound of him unbuckling his belt and his pants hitting the floor only made the melee assassin more aroused, and her mouth started to water, predicting what was yet to come. 

She felt a pair of hands steady her up and onto the floor until she was on her knees with a familiar shaped object lightly slapping her on the side of the face, dripping with what she could only imagine onto her chest, making her blush. 

“Mind if I use this?” her husband planted a hand on her cheek, running a thumb over her lips again as he did earlier, silently asking for permission, which she gave by opening up her mouth for him to use. 

Within seconds, she felt him slowly filling her mouth and hitting the back of her throat, that familiar touch that was enough to make her drip with anticipation. The only light filling the room came from the dim hallway light of the small house, but with the blindfold, Millie had no source of light whatsoever, making this all the more hotter for her. Then again, she always preferred sex in the dark compared to a room filled with enough light for a porno shoot. 

For Moxxie, he couldn’t get enough of the view he had. He himself was in favor of minimal lighting for moments like these, enjoying the more intimate feel even when they got a little too rough with each other. The light from the hallway bleeding into the darkness of the bedroom was enough for him to see what he was doing, but best of all, it bathed his wife in a soft, golden glow, complimenting her even more from this angle as he sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Yeah, there you go, sweetie. Just like that. You're such a good girl, fuck~” he gently rubbed her cheek with his palm while she found a good rhythm to bob back and forth, opening her throat wider to take more of him in without pushing it too far before feeling another hand cup her opposite cheek, pushing her head farther down making her gag. 

“Now I know for a fact you can open wider than that. Suck on that cock for me, baby~” he smirked, seeing the juices leaking from her lower lips, dripping on the floor from her arousal. Yes, she could go deeper, but it was so erotic when she could get that firey side out of him. With that in mind, she denied him any more of what she was doing already, a small tug at the corners of her mouth signaling that to the human-disguised demon staring down at her.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” He released her face, and she pulled herself off of him, still holding that sly smirk, only a string of saliva keeping them connected. 

“Yeah, it is. Gotta’ problem with that?~” 

“Did you already forget which one of us is in charge here?” One of his hands took hold of the underside of her chin, forcing her to look into his emerald eyes as he slid the blindfold off.

“No. But you know me. I like being difficult~” She tried to sway her tail before remembering it was no longer there. “It’s gonna take a lot to get me to completely submit to you~”

“That so? What do you want me to do?” He played along with her little charade.

“Beg me.” Her tone of voice made it sound like a question, but her statement was clearly a demand. “Beg me to have your baby. Beg and plead with me to get pregnant again. Anything along those lines will do!”

“I don’t think so.” Moxxie proclaimed, tightening his grip on her chin. “You’re going to be the one begging me tonight, sweetie pie.”

She narrowed her eyes still with that evil expression she had on her face as she whispered a two-word sentence that always drove him to insanity.

“Make me~”

He slid the thumb resting on her chin into her mouth again, feeling her new flat tongue circling around it as he slid the blindfold back over her eyes. 

“Oh, I’ll fucking make you alright.” He growled through his teeth, pulling her head back towards him more on the forceful side this time around before aligning himself with her parted lips. “Now, suck on it like a cock whore!"

She took him in for a second time, now pushing herself farther along down him. Hearing his moans and feeling his hand holding onto the back of her head, pushing her further and further, was like a drug. The mere knowledge that he could just fuck her up at any moment if he wanted to was its own aphrodisiac for her. 

"I'm definitely making a cumdumpster out of you tonight.~ I'm going to use you on every surface of this fucking place until we can't keep going." His spare hand traveled to grab one of her horns until it landed on a soft pile of hair. That’s right. No horns when they were humans. 

“I don’t know if you’re lucky or unlucky that you’re missing your handlebars,” he muttered, gripping her bangs before shoving her down deeper onto him, where her lips met his pelvis and her nose thrust into a jungle of coarse, dark hair. She choked and gagged until he used his hands to help her slide since her own hands were unavailable. 

“I love watching you do this. It’s so fucking hot. And your mouth feels so good, even more so when I’m cumming in it. And I know how much you love that, right? Having a thick, warm, sticky mess oozing in the back of your mouth and over your tongue. It's definitely one of my favorite places to plant my seed in you~”

He made sure to hit all the right words to tease her, smiling sinisterly like the real demon he was as her body became coated in goosebumps at the description that never failed to drive her crazy. He roughly pulled her off, his erection growing even harder at the loud gasp she took for air accompanied by heavy breathing.

“But that wouldn’t be very efficient in making a baby, now would it?” he held her face upward, leaning down to kiss her, tasting himself in her saliva. They remained like that, even involving their tongues in each other’s caverns, until Moxxie pulled her back onto the bed, setting her on her stomach. 

Once she was fully positioned, his now human-like hands grasped her waist. Satan, have mercy. If it wasn't for her role tonight, Millie would have already been on top of him. Instead, she was a whining mess, unconsciously bucking her ass against him, silently begging; all the while, he continued masturbating himself on her bum, barely scraping her entrance on purpose, growling like a desperate, hungry tiger preparing to strike. 

He clenched her hips even tighter, almost breaking the skin with his nails to keep her motionless. “What’s wrong, honey? You’re being awfully impatient,” Moxxie grinned, seeing the glisten between his wife’s legs and her fingers digging into the blanket. 

“Please…”

“Hmm? What was that, sweetie? Do you want to repeat that for me?~” he leaned onto her, with his chest meeting her back.

“Mox, please,” was all she breathed out before hearing him growl animalistically in the crook of her neck. 

“Please, what? What do you want from me, darling?” 

“Another one”

“Good girls are more specific than that. Say it like you mean it…That is unless you don’t want it.~”

“No! I do!” 

“Then say it. Out loud. For me, Satan, Lucifer, God, and all his angels to hear.” 

“...I want another baby…please.” She felt herself growing restless, pushing her hips up against him more, being stopped by him seizing her hips harder, pinning her further down on the bed. 

“Nuh uh uh, no. You’re supposed to be submitting to me, remember? So, do you?” 

He set himself up, lining with her entrance, causing her legs to shake and inhaling sharply from the faint touch. The lower part of her body was already so sensitive and weak, tugging at his heartstrings. He may have been dominating her tonight, but he was still her husband, and that part of him who was usually so caring and sweet was still very present whenever they became rougher in bed.

“Do you completely submit to me?” he asked in a low, gentle voice, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

“Y-yes…always.” He tugged on her hair with enough muscle to cause that sweet mixture of pain and pleasure she loved, making her eyes roll back. 

“Then tell me. Do you want me to breed you?” 

“...yeah~” 

“Then say it!” a demonic roar rolled off his tongue, another lovely reminder of their feral nature in case they’d forgotten. “Ask me politely. Tell me how badly you want this. Beg me for it.” And it wasn’t a request from him. It was a requirement. 

“...Moxxie, please, breed me! Please, I’m begging you! I submit to you wholly! I want to have another baby of yours! Use me! Use me and my womb like your personal love garden!” 

“Really? You’ll surrender your womb to me? Let me plant more babies in there?”

“Yes! Oh, Satan, yes! Yes, yes, yes! It’s yours! It's all yours! Only you can have it!” 

This certainly wasn’t the first time they’d given into their breeding kink, but trying for an actual baby at the same time manifested something animalistic in their bellies, wanting to make the fantasy all the more accurate, and Moxxie was now determined to fulfill it. For him and, most importantly, for her.

He freed her hair and thighs, moving to lovingly caress her cheek with a finger, and purred into the back of her neck once he swiped away her hair to leave soft kisses as a sign of his love before things got too hot and heavy.

“And only you can have me, mi amor...I'm all yours~”

Just like that, the act slipped off and right back on again, typical of the theatre nerd, as he clenched onto his wife’s ass to slide himself in her wetness. Both imps groaned out from the pleasure they craved after their elongated foreplay.

Millie bit down on her lower lip, reveling in that oh-so-good familiar feeling of her husband slowly sliding into her, barely pulling out, only to slam himself back in again, getting himself adjusted. For Moxxie, it was just too hard not to cum right then and there, but for his lady, he’d hold off for as long as he could.

Slowly but surely, he found his regular pace, in and out, in and out. Not slow, not rough, just right, how he knew his wife liked it. With all the time they’d been together, he believed he tweaked his skills to be perfect to be exactly what she wanted, and taking the noises she was making into perspective; he was doing a pretty damn good job. 

The longer they fucked, the more intense Moxxie became in his movements and tendencies. He was biting along the back of her shoulders and neck, leaving hickeys and teeth marks that would leave bruises and scars for days following, allowing his primal urges to take control, marking his territory. Everyone in Hell and Heaven could visibly see she was his with these tags.

Being able to let themselves go and succumb to their bestial drives deep within their DNA, including biting, scratching, clawing, marking, and the noises they made, was a real turn-on for the couple. Regardless that demons became more domesticated over the millions of years of their existence, Hellborn still had their primal instincts intact. They were simply just lying dormant until they peered their little horned heads out, and sexual interactions were mainly where they were released. 

For Moxxie and Millie, it was fucking great! However, now, being parents, intimacy in itself was a little more challenging, especially being able to have wild, loud sex. So, they complied, keeping to simple, sweetness when the mood presented itself, not that they ever disliked or complained about that, but even so, it felt good to let their inner beasts out every once in a while. 

A loud tear could be heard throughout the room, echoing off the walls from Millie ripping up the sheets and the mattress underneath it, sending fluff and feathers out everywhere. For an imp who loved nothing more than to dig her claws into her partner during their wild escapades, sinking her nails into anything would do until she could literally get her hands on him.

Moxxie sat up on his knees, bringing her up with him, chest still on her back and all, without interrupting his pounding, unleashing more groans along with her incessant moans and cries that pleaded to be let out. “M-Mox…D-own p-pl-ease." Millie felt herself being forced back down on the bed, only her butt in the air, being held by her husband's hands with her knees still on the mattress. 

“Since you asked nicely, princess,” Moxxie growled fiercely, keeping a strong latch on her hips as his own started hammering back into her in one of their favorite positions. In the dark, she managed to find a pillow to bite and claw into as her sniper continued fucking her like a wild rabid animal in heat, which technically they both were. The sounds originating from their chests merged with the old headboard slamming against the wall and the mattress springs creaking below made for an exquisite concoction provoking them to go harder and more vicious, branding each other with their teeth and disguised claws to the point of drawing tiny amounts of blood here and there. 

Towards the end of their heated mating, at an unknown point, they found themselves glued to each other's bodies with their chests stuck together. The female imp’s legs locked around her partner’s waist with her hands now untied, thanks to him.

It was only right to allow her to take part in the delight of ripping his back apart after the way he treated her. She couldn’t be the only one painted in marks after all, though after tonight, she’d be marked by something much deeper than scratches and bites. Moxxie found himself coated in nibbles and what seemed to be dark splotches on his skin from inviting her to join him in their feralistic play. 

“Baby…I’m hmm~” Millie squeaked out of desperation, drooling at the mouth, tasting a faint flavor of his blood on her teeth. 

“Me too~” 

Moxxie mounted himself higher and deeper into her, lifting her behind further up by his hands while staying in the crook of her neck. “Nice and deep,” as his wife always requested. To any souls watching, they would’ve been clutching their pearls at the sheer state of the room, bed, and  ’humans ’ copulating in it. Ask the two demons if they cared.

They were far too focused on their own intoxication, each other, and making their son a little brother or sister, maybe both if they tried hard enough. Either way, one thing was sure. They wanted another impling to join their family of three, and both of them were making damn sure that they were getting that baby tonight…

“Br-breed me..breed me, breed me, breed me..please, please, please, Mox~” 

“I will. I promise~” 

The heat of the room started to swell, with the air between the couple becoming thick and hotter than before, making it harder to breathe. Millie worked a hand between her legs to finish, whereas Moxxie started burying his hardness as far as he could for his final irregular thrusts. 

“Let everyone know I’m yours. Get me fuckin’ pregnant~” 

“Oh, I'm fucking gonna. You're getting pregnant tonight~” 

And it was those words that pulled the trigger for both. Millie tightened her legs around him, shaking from her high and holding on for dear life, digging her nails deep into his back, undoubtedly leaving scratches that wouldn't heal for at least a week. Moxxie pushed himself as far within her as he could physically go, with both demons feeling the bursts of his love erupting inside her, a treat Millie thoroughly enjoyed whenever they got the chance. 

He wasn’t finished catching his breath, but Moxxie carefully pulled himself out before hastily turning his buzzing wife around to where her legs were propped up in the air on the now broken headboard, making sure nothing important spilled out of her with the lower half of her body being lifted by three of the mauled pillows that fell victim to her.

He peeled the blindfold off her eyes, only for her vision to be blurred, with her mind still dizzy and disoriented from their rough duration of eroticism. In an instant, their faces met for a nuzzle before a kiss was started, leading them back to their lovey-dovey selves, a reward for their post-coital mission. Moxxie’s right hand, previously resting on her left thigh, slid onto her lower stomach, confusing her before glancing up at his grinning face. 

“I think this one is another boy~” 

She softly smiled up at him, looking tired and worn out but nonetheless gorgeous in his eyes.

“Aren’t ya gettin’ a little ahead of yerself? We don’t even know if it worked yet.”

“Oh, it worked alright~ I’m about 99.99% positive it did. There’s definitely a baby growing in there.”

“Well, if you insist,” she opened the palm of her hand for him to take in his. He accepted as he lay down on his side next to her, pampering her with more kisses and cuddles like they always did afterward. 

“That was fun, but are you feeling ok?” he asked, concerned, referencing the hundreds of superficial wounds painting her skin. 

“Pfft! We’ve done worse than this!”

“Maybe so, but I think I went a little overboard. No offense, honey, you’re as beautiful as ever, but you kind of look like you just got hit by a train.”

“‘Cause I did. Got hit by the ‘Horny Moxxie Train.’” She chuckled, whisping away some of his wild hair out of his eyes and cupping his cheek. 

"...I'm sorry I called you a whore, honey. I didn't really mean it."

"I know, dummy~" his wife giggled, bringing his face to hers.

“I love you~”

“I love you too~”

It was after hours for I.M.P. It was late at night when they left for the mission; the office was well past closing time, and Loona and Blitz offered to have a fun babysitting night with Tucker so they could take the job. Meaning, they didn’t have to be back anytime soon, and tomorrow was Saturday. They’d only have to be back by morning, and on Earth time, that was practically hours away from now. 

Most of their night was spent in the same place, in their target’s bed, continuing to shred the pillows, blankets, and mattress to bits and pieces with no chance of repair; however, not containing themselves to only his bed, but even exploring the rest of his home taking advantage of his desk, shower, bathroom sink, kitchen counter, dining table, floors, and everywhere possible in his small home office just to rub salt in the wound. And they made sure to send a huge middle finger to the big man upstairs while doing so, knowing that they were adding another soul to Hell, using the very planet he created for his humans as their personal demonic breeding ground. 

By the time the sun started to rise, the tiny house was destroyed, being a mess of broken glass, wood, knick nacks, scrapes, and scratches along the walls, and multiple places soaked with sweat and semen.

When they finally returned to Hell, back in their real bodies, they both looked a wreck, like they had just gone through a crazy night of fun as they had, prompting the imps to take a quick bath one more time before heading to their own bed, in one piece, to sleep off their nightly festivities. 

Moxxie passed out on his back, arms slightly spread to his sides like a starfish, peacefully snoozing away like any other night. Millie’s small fingers moved away some of the hair from his face and cozied up to his side to cuddle, where he snuggled back into her. 

They didn't care how late they slept in tomorrow. After all, they'd need the rest...

 

Notes:

.......And then Tucker got a little brother nine months later.....No, I'm not kidding🥲😅

Whew! Not gonna lie guys. I contemplated back and forth on if I should have posted this one, but it was just sitting there in my drafts, and the little devil in my brain kept whispering to finish it for this week.

But for those of you who enjoy smutty goodness, I hope y'all enjoyed!

Chapter 38: A Night Of Love

Summary:

Day 5 of M&M Valentine's Week!

Prompt: Vanilla Sex

"They make missionary look relatively exciting..."

Notes:

Warnings:
- Explicit sexual content

Millie let out a soft, innocent gasp as she was pushed onto the bed. Before she had the chance to sit up, her partner in this game of cat and mouse softly pinned her waist down to the mattress and dove for her neck, attacking her with gentle bites, licks, and kisses. Her moans filled the space around them, like music to his ears, especially after his long departure. 

For the past two weeks, Moxxie had been in the Wrath Ring on an intern training mission. Originally, because of the length, he was going to decline the job, but Blitz offered him almost three times his usual salary, which was tempting, but the spotted imp still had his doubts, one of which being the length he’d be away from home. Even though Millie knew that missing her husband and running the house by herself for two weeks would be a challenge, Lin and Joe didn’t raise a scaredy cat, and she insisted that Moxxie take the opportunity. And what a great opportunity it would be since he’d be working with those interns very soon and earning some extra cash along with it.

Of course, despite their wonderful success, both husband and wife were happy to say it was finished, and they could be together once more, just how they liked it. That was the longest they’d ever been without each other, which to them felt like an eternity, a scary realization that the afterlife of demons would be a never-ending pit of depression and sadness if their souls didn’t follow each other into their own eternal afterlife. 

With no hesitation, Moxxie found her lips with passion, bringing her into a deep, hungry kiss. Oh, how they desperately missed each other. The absence of the other’s touch for those 14 days was excruciatingly painful. Touch was one of their biggest love languages, from cuddling, holding hands, intertwining tails, all of it. 

Millie moaned into his kiss, following along with the script she’d started long ago when they first got together, wrapping her legs around his waist and reaching a hand up through his hair to bring their faces closer together. 

“I miss you~” Moxxie purred after they separated. 

Millie stared up at him with desire and impatience, longing for what she sensed was coming for them. “I missed you more~”

"Simply impossible, sweetheart~” 

Moxxie leaned back down to take her for another kiss, getting the chills throughout his entire body once he felt his wife tugging at the buckle of his belt and then the fabric of his pants, causing him to involuntarily buck his hips into her jeans much to her approval. Although, to her surprise, a black-ringed tail halted her hand from going further into her plans, making her direct her eyes back to her husband above her.

“Are we on the same page for tonight?” 

“Why wouldn’t we be?”

“Don’t know. Just checking.” 

Millie blushed hard as a soft laugh escaped her lips, holding her hands to her face while she did so. After all these years together, he still had the power to melt her into a shy mess like this, and she still drove him wild all the same. 

“Hey, now. Don’t hide from me,” Moxxie gently lowered her hands away to see her red in the face, garnished with that smile he missed so much. “I miss seeing that gorgeous face of yours. I want to see it.~”

“You’ve seen it every day fer the past seven years.” 

“Not for two weeks I haven’t.”

“Well, what’s two weeks compared to years?”

“That’s an eternity for me without you~”

Millie was never the most confident about her looks. She always knew she didn’t look bad, but she’d always told herself that there were prettier women out there. These thoughts came courtesy of past boyfriends, who always felt the need to remind her that they settled for her, but they never chose her. Her face barely changed over the past couple of years; however, it housed two scars, one over her eye and another towards the middle of her cheek. For someone who always bragged about the scars she had and the stories that accompanied them, these two were the exception, an insecurity she came to dislike. 

Moxxie didn’t care. He even had his own scar on his upper cheek, where Striker attempted to stab him in the eye, the same fight Millie gained her two new facial accessories. 

“You really are the most beautiful woman in hell. You know that?”

“Mox, quit that.”

“I won’t. Because it’s the truth.” he targeted her cheek, kissing the scar before directing his lips to the other one on her eye. He did this often, hoping it’d help her to love herself even a bit more. He released her as he lifted his torso up to undress himself, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. The female imp reached for his pants again but was stopped another time by her husband’s gentle hand rather than his tail.

“No. Relax, my sweet. I’ll handle all of it.” he continued, throwing his belt and tie to some unknown place on the bedroom floor. 

“Ya don’t have to do that.” 

“Well, I want to. Plus, like I said, I miss you."

Miss. Not missed. But miss.  

“You’ve already been doing a lot, honey. Tonight, I’m taking care of you.”

With that, Moxxie finished opening up his shirt to take it off, showing off a smooth, flat chest painted with a few injuries from brawls they took part in over the years. How many years with this man, and Millie still became flushed like a virgin any time he flashed his bare chest to her. His button down, gloves, and pants landed somewhere, anywhere for all they knew, neither really cared. Moxxie certainly didn’t. All he cared about was the demonic queen spread out on the mattress before him, looking bashful and red still with the shy smile on her face that she tried covering up. 

“What? Like something you see, dear?~” 

“Maybe~” 

Moxxie kneeled down at the end of the bed, initiating another exciting kiss, with his hands traveling down to caress her sides and teasing the opening of her pants. Millie’s fingers found their place back into his hair, combing through and even ruffling and messing up the gelled sections at the top. And Moxxie would allow her to do so over and over and over again if she wanted to. She was the only one he’d let make a mess of his hair, especially whenever they became intimate. Not even Chazwick, his first love, who he originally believed to be the love of his life, could lay a finger on his neat, silver hair. 

They broke apart, and the thespian took it upon himself to remove her jeans and cropped long-sleeved top, revealing more scars along her torso, arms, and legs, Just more scars and marks to her hell-bound body. Moxxie reached behind her back to unclip her bra, allowing her full, ripe chest to be set free from the black, lacey fabric, leaving the two imps now only in their underwear, which Moxxie lowered himself onto the floor, ready to tear off. 

“Oh, um, Just as a warnin’...I haven’t shaved in a while…In a long while, actually,” Millie alerted her husband, looking unbothered by her revelation. He cracked a sweet smile while cocking a thick eyebrow. 

“Neither have I. Five years of marriage, and you think I’m scared of a little hair?”

“Well, don’t complain then, mister~”

“I’d never~” he growled, sinking his canines into the matching lace of her panties, guiding them off her buttocks along her smooth legs like a track, feeling a burst of electricity with the forest of course, black hair tickling his upper lip and nose as he removed the garment. Millie stared on, biting her lower lip, becoming aroused more and more by this sniper imp she was married to. 

She always became obsessed when he used his teeth like that, and her heart could have given out at that moment with how quickly it was thumping in her chest from the anticipation of what she knew was coming next until she felt it. Trails of soft kisses being made across her legs, staring at her hooves and slowly making their way up her calves and to her inner thighs, gliding back and forth between the right and left. 

The female assassin’s heart stopped once his lips made it to hers, feeling his claws rubbing the insides of her thighs with precise calculation to add more pressure to the sensitive spots that he knew made it more pleasurable to her. She reached out to his fully intact horn as a source of balance, with her back arching off the bed. Moxxie elevated her legs to rest on his shoulders, holding onto her legs from her hips, using his thumbs to brush over the skin, showing her some extra love while he worked. 

“Wow, you really are hungry, aren’t you, darling? I barely touched you but you’re so wet~” 

“Well, ya could say I’m a little pent up. I haven’t umm…you know~” 

“Oh? Really? So you’re not just hungry. You must be starving~” Moxxie purred, slipping his pointer and middle finger into her, earning a soft moan from the queen of the house. Millie crossed her ankles across his lower back, keeping him in place. At the same time, her knight in shining armor continued licking, kissing, and sucking delicately, still using his fingers to provide dull penetration for the time being. 

Millie reached a hand to her chest, massaging a breast and closing her eyes to relax further into the receiving end of her husband’s affection. Having the demon she admired and cherished the most make love to her always excited her in a mysterious way. She could never find the right words to describe the experience, but in her mind, it all made sense, even without explanation. 

After many unsuccessful, dysfunctional even, relationships where she consistently found herself being the one to do all the work, put in all the effort, and being the only one to even give a single fuck, Millie found herself stuck in a position accepting lower than the bare minimum time and time again. 

It was exhausting. It was depressing. 

Always being the one who continued to give and give and give until there was nothing left to donate, not even energy or motivation. Because inevitably, the only thing she had left to offer was love, and unfortunately, she was never with anyone who wanted to accept that, as they weren’t looking to provide her with any in return. 

“Fuck, Mox~” She whined before a larger claw softly seized her working hand, catching her attention. 

“What did I tell you?” his voice was tender and calm as always as his head popped up from between her legs, propping himself up with his other hand. “Let me do all the manual labor tonight.” he insisted. “I don’t want you to even think about lifting a finger,” he concluded, planting a kiss on the back of her hand. 

She was completely in love, almost obsessively so, but she was cared for, adored, and happy. On Moxxie’s priority list, she was always ranked number one, and he made it his life’s mission that she’d always know that. Decades ago, love like this was only something that she dreamed of, now, it was her reality, and she wasn’t afraid to admit she loved it. 

Having someone special who loved her for who she was and not just for what she could do to satisfy them was scary at first, but over time, Millie learned to accept that she was just as worthy of real, unconditional love as any other soul crafted by the forces of life. 

“What do you want tonight? Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

“I want ya to keep doin’ what yer already doin’” 

“And what else?” he inquired, tucking back a loose strand of hair out of her face. 

“...That’s all.”

“You don’t sound very convincing.”

“I don’t wanna be selfish.”

“You should be,” he leaned down on his arms, encasing her in his body, running a finger over her scarred cheek. “I want you to be selfish. Don’t worry about me. Tonight is all about you. I’ll do whatever you want.” 

Millie took the hand he was holding in his and interlocked their fingers, reminding herself once again just how small her claws seemed compared to his. “I want you. If yer up for it.” They both went in for a quick kiss at the same time, and their tails intertwined as well, in sync.

“Your wish is my command, my queen.” 

They transitioned their bodies under the covers of the bed. Moxxie finished taking his clothes off to match her nakedness before slipping under the sheets like a snake, ready to satisfy and fulfill any wants and needs his dove may hold.

He lived to serve, and the music she was singing from above, filled with whines and whimpers of pleasure, was his stimulant to keep going. He reached up to knead her chest, using his thumbs to pet her nipples every now and then. The forked tip of his tongue was rubbing against her cervix, and it was taking every ounce of restraint in her not to start clenching her muscles from being filled. By now, fists full of white hair were clenched between Millie's fingers, where she gently tugged on him like the reigns of a horse to signal for him to stop before saying anything more. 

”Do you still want me?” 

“Yes. Always~” she cooed, while a hand worked through his hair and another softly scrapped her nails across his back. They kissed on and on until Moxxie positioned his hips to be perfectly sandwiched between her legs. 

“What a work of art you are~” he marveled, staring her right into her golden eyes. “You should be in a museum. You’re so breathtaking~” he leaned back down, kissing her all over her face, neck, and collarbone. 

“Nah...I really ain't..." she turned her head to avoid his gaze. 

"Don't do that...That's not true. You're gorgeous, more gorgeous and stunning than Lilith herself. 

"Alright, now yer just tryin' ta flatter me," Millie chuckled, " But let's not talk about me no more. Let's talk about this rockin' hot bod of yers~" She lowered a hand to run her fingers down the thick white forest of hair that was overgrown into a happy trail up his lower stomach, and in terms of his stomach, oh sweet Satan and Lucifer almighty! Moxxie was not pleased, to put it lightly, with how his body slowly morphed as an adult approaching his mid-30s. He was still fit in every sense of the word, he was still excellent at his job, which he took much pride in, but he had "thickened up" as his wife loved to say.

Plainly, his midsection decided about a year and a half ago that it would be fun to add a small tummy to the mix, not without faintly wider hips at that. The best part? - To his wife that is... No matter what he tried, they made it clear they were here to stay. 

It was an invisible change, almost impossible to spot unless he was naked, but still, the sniper who'd been thin and lean most of his life was not a fan. His knife-nut wife, on the other hand? She couldn't get enough! It was the perfect combination of adorable and sexy that made her admire him one second and had her drooling the next. "This, I'm obsessed with this~" She sensually glazed her fingertips over the fuzzy path running up his stomach before he flinched away, instinctively covering up with their bedsheets, face a red and pink mess, looking embarrassed. 

"...I told you I haven't had time to shave..."

"And I thought you said a little hair didn't bother ya?~" she teased.

"It doesn't...When it's on you, that is, dear."

"Lemme tell ya somethin' I certainly don't mind a bit of fur on ya, baby. Didn't ya just hear me sayin' how much I like it~ Now, get over here, hot stuff, and let's get ta some bed rockin' 'n headboard knockin'~" she motioned him to her with a pointer finger, playfully brushing her tail against his thigh, another signal for him to come over. 

Once he repositioned himself, they kept kissing and poking fun at each other, happy to be back together at home and mostly impatient to start loving up on each other as they'd been waiting to do since Moxxie walked through their front door.

Millie inhaled sharply as her one true love delicately inserted himself, getting past that initial stinging sensation that she still loved so much. Moxxie held himself up with his arms, making sure not to crush her, also taking a deep breath for control once he felt himself up against her cervix. It was primal, ingrained in their demonic DNA to immediately start whenever their bodies urged them to, but they usually denied that part of themselves, giving the other time to get used to the sensation of being inside or being penetrated not to hurt or cause discomfort to each other. 

It didn't matter how many times they did it - and by now, it had been a lot - Moxxie still waited for her 'go ahead' to begin doing anything, even if he knew she wanted to begin right away. Millie greatly appreciated that courteous gesture from her husband, as no others she'd been with wanted or were willing to wait on her.

"My beautiful queen, my darling, my one and only true love. That's you, you know.~" Moxxie purred above her, staring into those golden, fiery, doe eyes with the long dark lashes he loved. 

"Don't make me cum yet. I ain't ready~" She locked her tail in with his, reaching up to run a finger over those white stars that decorated his cheeks like a Wrath night sky. "Come closer ta me. I like it when you're right on top of me~" So he obeyed, sliding down to rest on his arms, intertwining their hands together, and their chests meeting. This was exactly how they both preferred things to be; even when they became rough and animalistic, being as close to each other as possible was a must. 

They stayed like that, not keeping track of how long as they didn't care, kissing, touching, whispering everything sweet that came to mind they couldn't keep to themselves until Millie gave him the "Go" that he was waiting patiently on. "Love on me, Moxxie. All night long." He responded with a quick yet deep kiss, staring into her devilish soul with nothing other than love in his body for her. "I'll love on you forever, every day, beyond tonight, my love~" he confirmed, pulling his hips halfway out before slipping back in, watching and listening to her carefully to catch any signs of distress or disapproval that never followed.

Instead, it was song and dance as it was all the time, with her purring and moaning filling the space between them, paired with his own noises while his thrusting found a rhythm. Not too slow, not too fast, just somewhere in the middle was perfect for nights like this where they wanted it to last as long as possible. So, so many people in their lives had a misconstrued impression of the couple's sex life, believing they were indulging themselves in BDSM or Moxxie being pegged into Hell's stratosphere every night, which was a nice treat for them every now and then, however, to them, these moments were more exciting than any kink or fetish they shared. 

Millie never had another lover care for her in the same way as her Moxxie, wanting to wait on her hand and foot, putting her first, giving her every pleasure life had to offer. She once had a past boyfriend who found the audacity to poke fun at her love sounds that she made during sex, and never could she imagine her Moxxie doing that to her. If anything, he encouraged it, coaxing her to sing for him and enjoy herself. And years ago, she never believed she'd find someone who would willfully commit their entire life to her, love her for who she was, and even love her period. You could say you 'love' someone and disguise your true intentions under that label, but to her, Moxxie showed her he LOVED her, and she surrendered all her love to him, too. 

She whimpered out, not in pain, but in pleasure, of that perfect man giving himself to her in the most intimate way while he continued kissing her throughout and buzzing words of love and praise to her. 

"Millie, I love you~"

"You're so beautiful~"

"You're all mine~"

"I love you so much~"

Over and over, in different phrasing, variations, even languages sometimes. It was enough to make her orgasm hearing and seeing how much he adored her, and it was beginning to take effect. That overwhelming rush of emotions started bubbling in her chest, making its way up to her throat, heating up all the way, manifesting as small, thin tears running from her eyes. 

"La mia regina, what's the matter?" Moxxie paused in his movements, cupping one of her cheeks with his hand, wiping tears away with his thumb, gently running it over her beauty mark.

"M-...Moxxie, I love you..."

"I love you, Millie. I really, really do~" he muttered, slowly gliding his hips back and forth again, seeing a smile on her face, resuming his love talk. "Mi corazón te llama. Te amo, Millie. Te amo. Te amo. Te amo." She wasn't fluent in Spanish, regardless, she could decipher what he was saying, leading her to bring him in for a passionate kiss, fitting for their love making. 

And as all good things come to an end, so did their intercourse, both finishing at the same time and satisfyingly thumping their tails against the sheets and mattress, an involuntary muscle contraction of their species' mating ceremonies. Even then, they didn't let go of each other, cradling their bodies in each other's arms, coming down from arousal, knowing the fire would be lit again sooner than later. They still had much catching up to do after all~

"...Do you still love me even with all these scars on my body?" Millie questioned, running her fingers through her sniper's white hair as he relaxed between her breasts, purring. 

"Oh, absolutely~ They're a part of you, and you wouldn't be you without them. Therefore, I love each and every one as I love you~"

"And what 'bout my body? Ya had ta care fer it fer so long while I was hurt, and even then, I can't give ya any little ones ta love on."

Moxxie opened an eye to look up at her, only to readjust himself to lay next to her, stroking her arm with his fingertips. "My love and dedication to you isn't conditioned on what you can do for or give to me.~" She leaned in closer to him as he pulled the covers up to their shoulders, wanting to keep her warm. "It's unconditional. Unmoving. Infinite. When death comes to take us, my love will come too, following you into the afterlife we're destined to succumb to.~"

"Mine too~" Her hand pawed at his other, asking to be held, which he accepted, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss, succeeded by their own, and accompanied by their next round of the night...

 

Chapter 39: First & Last

Summary:

Day 6 of M&M Valentine's Week!

Prompt: Soon-to-be parenthood

A look into Moxxie and Millie's pre-baby thoughts.

"Wow! It's so loud tonight!" Millie listened to the thumping noise radiating out of the fetal doppler her husband was running across her belly. 

The married pair laid down in bed in their Wrath getaway home, eagerly and impatiently awaiting the arrival of their son, their first baby! "Any day now!" the doctor told them that morning after their last ultrasound before the birth, making the soon-to-be mother and father all the more excited. They waited so long for this, begging, praying, and crying on their knees for far too long to be able to experience parenthood together with the demon they both loved the most in all the seven rings. Finally, they were so close to holding a little impling in their arms. A tiny demon who shared a piece of both of them, made from their love for each other.

"Oohhh! And he's kicking, too!" Moxxie cooed, seeing small kicks coming from inside Millie's belly.

"Hey, now don't encourage him! It actually hurts now that he's a fully developed baby," Millie held in a wince as another sharp kick made its way right into her ribs. 

Moxxie went to comfort her, only for his wife to confirm she was ok before he turned the doppler off and set it on the nightstand. They had been using that little tool to high hell since Moxxie invested in one. It was one of his wife's favorite gifts she'd received during her pregnancy. Listening to their baby grow a little every day, listening to his little demonic heart beating a consistent rhythm of "thump-thump-thump" was music to her ears just as beautiful as the songs written by her Moxxie. 

The soon-to-be father cuddled up next to his wife in the bed, in the temporary nest he'd built in their vacation home for when his wife delivered the baby. After Millie's accident years ago, Blitz and Stolas decided to buy a nice property of land in the Wrath Ring, hiring some of the Goetia's most talented and competent contractors and architects to build the couple a cabin in the desert as a place of refuge for when they wanted to "get away" from the stresses of everyday life. 

It wasn't anything over the top or grand, but it was beautiful and so well-crafted. They loved it. It really was their second home. "I know it's not the typical gift, and I know we are not particularly close; however, you two mean the world to my Blitzy. Therefore, you two, Moxxie and Mildred, shall be comfortable fleeing to this home courtesy of us whenever you'd like, no strings attached," in the words of the prince.

They were so grateful to both their boss and his husband, as it was an extravagant gift that neither of them felt comfortable accepting at first until Blitz gave them two options: accept the gift or get fired. Not that he'd really fire them, but both knew they wouldn't win that battle with Blitz. 

So, there they were, cuddling in their - second - bed, waiting until the inevitable happened. Millie was insistent from the beginning of her pregnancy that their child be born in the lands of Wrath. She and Moxxie were both born in the ring, along with her mother, father, brothers, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, and everyone else in her family looking back from the beginning of their bloodline. Moxxie, as well. His mother's side of the family were always Wrathians; no relative before her was born outside of the ring from what he studied when looking into his genealogy. 

It was extremely important to his wife that their son come into the world the same, seen by the magma suns, rusts, and dusts of Wrath.

They even had Millie's family "heirloom" set up and ready in front of the bed. A wooden bassinet made by Millie's great x 6 grandfather. It was spotless, with the family taking extra delicate care of it, keeping it gorgeous and safe for newborns in the family to spend their first few nights in. Millie's grandmother, Cinnamon, and all of her seven children, as well as Millie and all her siblings, used the cradle as babies, another tradition she wanted to follow with her and Moxxie's child. 

"Comfortable honey?"

"Very, hun." Millie purred into her husband's chest after he settled beside her, turning off the lamp, plunging them into the dark of night. He purred back, running his fingers through her thick, long, dark hair. He took a moment, wondering if their son would inherit her hair texture, though he'd done the same pattern throughout her entire pregnancy...

What would he be like? Who would he take after more? What would he look like? What would he grow up to be? What interests would he develop? No matter what, he wished for one thing aside from him being a happy, healthy impling.

He desired for him to have Millie's eyes. They could already tell from ultrasound that he'd developed digitigrade legs just like his father. From the looks of the 4D ultrasound they partook in, he would most likely have Moxxie's nose. Aside from that, it was a little difficult to say what traits he got from which parent. 

"I love the name you picked for him, honey. I just know it's going to be so perfect for him"

"Are ya sure ya don't wanna have more input, hun?'

"That is my input, sweetie. I love it. And I love him. And I love you~" Moxxie gave her a kiss on the cheek, pulling her body closer to his.

Millie kissed him back, feeling sleep calling to her as her husband continued to play with her hair. "August 9th," the date that had been picking at her mind all day, and even now. Their due date. The day their son was scheduled to make his extremely long-awaited arrival into their family. Currently, it was 10:58 P.M., August 5th, and the big day was quickly approaching. 

The doctor warned them not to panic should she go into labor a few days in advance, for she was sure that the little one might be ready to come perhaps before that "due date" with how active his mother reported him to be. 

Millie was feeling a lot of things. Stressed, excited, scared, happy, anything and everything along those lines. But she'd have her wonderful husband, her mother, and her sister by her side to help her through it when it was time. That's what she demanded. That all three be with her, and knowing that Sallie May was a little hesitant to be in the room when her sister was pushing an entire new demon out of her, she knew how much her sister wanted her support, so she agreed even if it was just to hold her hand. 

Moxxie wasn't sure how to feel, as he was also experiencing a mixture of excitement, fear, and anxiety, mostly for his wife and son. She had a complication-free, smooth pregnancy, but it only took one second for all of that to flip like a coin, especially during childbirth. And part of him was already in a state of dread, knowing what was to come of his Millie being in horrendous, brutal pain for hours, potentially, Satan forbid, even days. He knew she could do it. She was the strongest demon he knew inside and out, but this panic was a part of him, a part of his soul, and he desperately needed it to disappear so he could be there for his wife during that moment whenever it should strike. 

"We love you too~" Millie whispered finally.

As unbeknownst to them, that would be the last goodnight kiss they'd share as a family of two...

 

---

 

"Man, I'll tell ya! This bitch is really pissin' me off!"

Millie took another bite out of a barbeque rib with a furrowed brow, watching the television with her husband, taking a bite of his biscuit with his arm around her shoulder. 

"Honey, respectfully, should we really be watching an upsetting show while you're this far along?" Moxxie chuckled, watching his wife munch on her own food, raging at the drama series they'd started a few days ago. 

"Oh! It's fine! Couldn't hurt!" 

"Well, sure, but your blood pressure may get too high if you're angry. Besides, you're still a week out. Wouldn't want the little guy thinking it's his time yet." 

Yep! It was almost time yet again! 

Moxxie and Millie were awaiting the arrival of their second baby, another boy, according to the ultrasounds and blood work. Obviously, it was an exciting time. They would be adding a new addition to their family like they always wanted, and their older son would be getting a little brother, something both mother and father were eager to witness.

Everything was going great, according to plan. They were, once again, set up in their Wrath vacation house, with the old crib ready to hold a new baby, all their supplies needed for Millie's labor and post-labor needs, Moxxie had his secondary nest ready, and if he did say so himself, it was even cozier than the first two he'd made before Tucker was born. 

He felt fucking great! Actually, the absence of fear, panic, or anxious thoughts was slightly alarming to him, but he assumed it was because now he knew what could be expected for both his wife's birth and their baby's newborn care. 

Millie, on the other hand...she could have been better. She, of course, was ecstatic to deliver another healthy baby - outside of the actual giving birth part - but Satan almighty, she was exhausted. Once she reached the third trimester, the majority of her days were spent sleeping or relaxing in Moxxie's nest or on the couch. She didn't feel like doing anything, and to be quite frank, she didn't have the energy to either. Her husband insisted that she take all the time she needed to rest, and he'd handle everything for her, but she is Mildred Knolastname. The idea that she was just lying around doing nothing was clawing at her soul. 

On top of that, she felt fucking huge. During her first pregnancy, her bump was on the larger side, and so it was again this time around; however, according to their doctor, her baby was measuring to be much larger than Tucker was by several pounds, and she swore on her granddaddy's grave she could feel it. And don't even get her started on her boobs because those were just as bad as her tummy. 

When she was young, she begged on her knees to one day achieve a naturally large bust rather than keep her average-sized chest...and now she was begging to take those prayers back. Her back pain was Terrible with a capital T. Hence why she also preferred to stay comfy and cozy throughout the day...that was if she could. Because it was the beginning of March, which, for Wrath, meant it was scorching HOT as they were approaching the summer season soon. Nowadays, her wardrobe consisted of a maternity bra and loose-fitting shorts, complimentary of her husband, who offered his up to her. No shirts, no underwear, no tight-fitting pants, hell, since they were alone sometimes she just stayed inside naked to avoid having to wear anything. 

But, all in all, she was happy. Happy to be a mother to another amazing little boy and happy to be adding another impling to their family. Her complaints were only temporary. 

"You know, I'm not sure if Tucker will want to come home with us once we're ready to go."

"Why do ya say that, honey?"

"Because I think your family is giving him the time of his life over there." Moxxie laughed, remembering his earlier call with his in-laws to check on his son, where Tucker only spoke maybe five words to his dad before running off again with his uncles. 

Millie chuckled back, popping a burnt end into her mouth before picking up some cake she planned to destroy next. That was all she wanted during her last few weeks: barbeque, cake, brownies, and most of all, BURGERS. She couldn't get enough of burgers, even throwing bizarre toppings on top if the voices told her to. Typically, the voices would have spoken to her to eat burgers for dinner, but to her and Moxxie's surprise, the "baby" was craving barbeque and cake tonight, and he wouldn't hesitate to get it for her. 

He admired her, sitting in the nest next to him, chewing on her snacks, completely nude and very heavily pregnant with a messy ponytail tied at the back of her hair. A true goddess. His queen. His barbeque craving, cake eating, burger ravenous queen. Satan, he loved this woman. He didn't care what anyone had to say about them being together for 13 years. He fell more and more in love with her as the days and years passed. 

"Hey?" he asked, grabbing her attention as she was taking another bite of her chocolate raspberry cake, looking cute as always. "You're so beautiful~" 

She stared at him, blinking her fluttery lashes, swallowing her bite of cake. "...Really?"

"Of course~" Moxxie giggled, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, setting his tail over her bump, caressing it. 

"If ya wanna cuddle, hun, give me a sec. I gotta pee. Don't wanna get too comfy just ta get up again."

Millie slid herself out of the nest on their bed to waddle to that bathroom, untying her ponytail to re-adjust it as she left. 

"Take your time, honey," Moxxie called out, watching her close the door. He threw a burnt end into his mouth before hearing a suspicious noise coming from the bathroom, followed by a gasp from Millie. 

"...Uh...Hey, Mox..."

"Yes, sweetie?"

"You remember how ya were jokin' that he may wanna come early?"

"...Yeah..."

"Well, um...Ya might wanna call Willa...'Cause my water just broke." 

Well...Looks like they're having a baby tonight...

 

---

 

"Alright!" Moxxie exclaimed, fluffing up the pillows of his new nest, prepping the comfortable atmosphere for his Millie, stripping butt naked and ready to lie down. "Ready, honey?"

"Oh, fuck yes!~ You have no idea." she purred, flopping onto her spot in the nest, letting her husband do his husbandly work, flattening down several cold, wet clothes all over her body.

Yes. Millie was pregnant again, this time with their third child, their last baby, but also their first - and only - daughter! The "princess of the castle," her title was already, and she hadn't even been born yet.

Millie was shocked when her anatomy scan revealed she'd be birthing a daughter. Throughout her entire pregnancy, she was convinced she and Moxxie would have a house of three rambunctious little boys running around. Although she loved her boys, her husband included, to death and back, she was absolutely thrilled to be having a little girl, and she knew Moxxie was too. They were desperately trying not to be stereotypical in regards to gender, but they couldn't help themselves sometimes, buying little dresses and bows for her to wear once she was older. Millie even caught her husband in the past few months watching videos and taking notes on how to take care of and style hair for girl imps, wanting to learn and be prepared. 

It was equally as sweet to watch their boys being excited to welcome a little sister. Russell was perhaps a tad too young to fully grasp the situation, but Tucker, on the other hand, would not stop talking about her. It was adorable hearing him go on and on about his soon-to-be sister all the time.

"Ok, how does that feel, babe?" 

"Motherfuckin' great, sugar~" Millie purred letting the coolness of the towels take over her soul. Unfortunately, she and her darling husband didn't learn their lesson last time, and nine months after some back-to-back birthday sex later, she was 9 months pregnant in the dead of summer. Being heavily pregnant during June in Wrath felt like a death sentence. Millie didn't know how her Mama managed to do this five times, as she was only on her third, and once this baby was born, she and Moxxie made a pact to undergo a "him and her neutering" arrangement. 

Good luck trying to get pregnant with a vasectomy AND a hysterectomy. It would be a snowy day in Wrath before she conceived again, and if she did, then call her the first case of a demonic immaculate conception. 

At this point, that's what she felt like to an extent. In what world did a demon struggling to conceive in the first place manage to have three natural pregnancies? They weren't even trying when this little one popped up. For Satan's sake, she turned 40 on her birthday, and weeks following, when no period came, she was practically bouncing off the walls that menopause was taking over, enthusiastically throwing away every pad and tampon and period diaper away in the house, ready to never deal with a menstrual cycle ever again only for her doctor to find another little impling growing in her uterus rather than the beginning stages of menopause. 

She was, admittedly, a little disappointed to hear she was not entering that stage of her life but also surprised and eventually elated once it sunk in that she and Moxxie would have another little one entering their family. After all, early on in their marriage, once the discussion of children crept on them, they agreed that between 2-4 kiddos was the perfect number for them. And she shouldn't have been all that perplexed. Her mother was in her 40s when her youngest brother, Wyatt, was born. 

"I feel like a melting popsicle, Mox." 

The pair shared a chuckle when Moxxie laid down next to her, only nuzzling their heads together with his tail resting over her bump so he wouldn't be adding any unwelcomed body heat on her. 

"Maybe once the baby gets here, you'll feel better."

"I hope so. I swear the heat ain't that bad when I ain't pregnant, but when I am, Satan dammit, it's gruesome..." she trailed off, purring along with her husband as they relaxed in bed, with Millie laying out like a starfish having a cloth over her head, arms, legs, between her legs, under her breasts, and over her stomach to hopefully keep the little one cool.

Moxxie knew it wasn't easy being pregnant. He personally wouldn't know, but watching his wife do it times three, he admired and respected her so much before, now he did even more so seeing the amount of sacrifice and pain and everything in between that she experienced to bring their babies into the world. He loved her tremendously from day one, but somehow, this journey of parenthood they had been on for years rooted his love and admiration for her even deeper. 

The same could be said for her. Moxxie was the light of her life before their implings came around, and her Moxxie becoming a father, him taking care of and loving their babies to death, and always being there for her no matter what made her only melt deeper into him. 

"......Ya know, I'm real happy we're havin' another one, Mox. But I'm sad."

"Why's that, my love?" He intertwined his fingers with hers.

"It's the end of an era fer us...All her firsts are gonna be our last. Last pregnancy, last baby, last first word, last first steps, last first birthday...It's a little depressin' ta think about."

She was right. It was both an exhilarating and bleak event. Eventually, everyone who nurtured a family stopped having babies, but do people ever think about it that way? Perhaps to Millie, she just never considered it until now. The futuristic knowledge that one day, all her little babies would grow up and leave the nest, no longer needing her or her Moxxie, always saddened her to a degree. That sentiment wasn't exclusive to her, as her own mother and grandmother shared with her their own hidden emotions when their kids were all grown up. It wasn't easy to confront and sit with. 

"That is...a little upsetting to think about." Moxxie agreed, kissing her on the cheek before continuing his own train of thought. "But, you know, they're still little right now, and I take A LOT of pictures for those memories." he did take ass loads of pictures and videos for them to have later on once their mini M's were older, getting a giggle out of his wife as she knew all too well he was right. "And, even so, there's still a lot of firsts that we'll have with them. One day, Tucker will turn 10, and then Russell, and then Calliope. Eventually, they'll become teenagers, then adults, and who knows, maybe they'll choose to get married or have their own babies. And besides, they haven't had their first kills yet...Those would be more firsts, wouldn't they?"

"I reckon so." she cooed, kissing him back on his freckled cheeks, placing a hand on her bump. 

Their life of parenthood had its ups, so many wonderful ups for these two. Like most things in life, it also had its downs, though Moxxie and Millie wholeheartedly agreed that the pros outweighed the cons by a million. No matter the lows, they were forever grateful for their little implings, and they couldn't wait to meet this little princess, even if she was a last in their book. 

Chapter 40: Storytime With Mom & Dad

Summary:

Day 7 of M&M Valentine's Week

Prompt: Freeday!

Moxxie and Millie tell their sons a bedtime story.

It was that time of day again for the Knolastname house. Bedtime! About 99.9% of the time, their routine ran smoothly, with rare hiccups here and there, especially with a 9-month-old baby and perhaps Tucker having the usual young child complaints about "not being tired," which hardly lasted long. Tonight was a normal night, and they were finally at the end of their ordinary pattern of bathtime and getting pajamas on. Moxxie was putting Tucker in bed as Millie was finishing up giving Russell a bath.

"Ok, Tuck, you're all comfy cozy?"

"Yeah!" 

Moxxie smiled at his excitement while fixing up Tucker's main pillow so he could lie down. 

"If that's the case, then shall we do your favorite part?"

"STORYTIME!"

"Shh. Not too loud, sweetie." he put a finger on his son's lips. "Your Mom's trying to make sure Russ has a calm environment to go to sleep."

Moxxie guided the young boy down to get settled under the blankets before heading over to the bookcase in the reading corner they set up for him. "Which story do you want to hear tonight, Tuck?"

"Can you tell me one of your stories, Dad?" 

"One of mine?" Moxxie turned around with a raised eyebrow, smiling back at Tucker, whose little tail he could see was wagging under the blankets. "Well, what story do you want to hear? I think I've already told you most of them."

"Tell me the one 'bout you and Mommy!"

"Which one?"

"The one where y'all met!"

Moxxie paused to think after sitting back on the rug next to his son's bed. "When we met? Huh...Have we never told you that one, sweetheart?" 

"No! Y'all haven't!"

"Well, I guess it's settled then!" Moxxie ruffled Tucker's fluffy white hair, a texture he inherited from his mother, before leaning against the smaller bedside table to begin. "Ok, so, how did I and Mommy meet?" he started, taking a moment to compose his thoughts. 

"Was it like those fairytale stories?"

"Oh, buddy, yes!" the sniper ran a hand over his little boy's freckled cheeks that were handed down from father to son. "It was just like a real-life fairytale!...Well...almost...

 

---

 

Moxxie rushed up to the roof of the old saloon, rifle in hand, staring down the scope, ready to pull the trigger once his target came into view. Everything on this mission was going according to plan as he and his boss intended, which was a relief because it seemed that their past few kills suddenly disappeared, being nowhere to be found.

But Moxxie had this one, oh yes! He had been stalking the man the entire night, waiting for the perfect opportunity to turn his skull inside out with a tiny, lethal bullet. And there he was...

Walking out of the bar, drunk and stumbling, a bit annoying for a sniper, but nothing he couldn't handle. All it took was the pull of the trigger, and then that check was theirs...

Just a little tug in 3...2....-

But before Moxxie could internally reach 1, a blade was placed up against his throat, and every hair on his body stood on end as a hand put pressure on his back. "Don't fuckin' move," a female voice hissed in his ear, sending chills throughout his body from hoove to horn before he was dragged back by his coat on the roof and thrown to the side before he could catch whoever the hell that was. 

He only caught a glimpse of long back hair flowing down as he quickly stood up, scrambling back to the corner of the saloon, hearing a faint gargling below him. There, he was met with a terrifying but beautiful scene before him. The terrifying part was seeing his target, his meal ticket for the week, being brutally stabbed and sliced to unrecognizable bits. The beautiful part? 

A woman...

The most beautiful, gorgeous, lovely woman he'd ever seen down there, stabbing his kill to death with a blade in hand, black blood splattering all over the place like a geyser. It was too entrancing of a sight for him to look away, and the worst part? His body wouldn't let him do anything! He was just kneeling there, staring, gun still in his hand, as the warm night wind blew through his hair, making something wet fall onto his hand...

Oh, dear mother of Lucifer, was he really drooling on himself??? 'For real Moxxie??? Now is not the time!' He fussed himself in his mind, trying to get up and do something, but that obviously wouldn't do anything now...

His hit was gone, and...she, whoever she was, stood from his body, beaten to a bloody mess on the ground, before she took a sack out from one of her assless chaps and stuffed his mangled corpse in, likely to dispose of. As she threw the bag soaked with blood over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of someone on the roof and smirked as she looked up to see the same little imp she had threatened just minutes before, still sitting there in shock with wide-open eyes. 

"...It's rude ta stare ya know! I get that I'm fuckin' hot, but if yer gonna jack one off, ya could have at least hidden yerself better!"

"....Uh...huh..." 

He didn't even know if he heard a single word she said. He was too focused on that accent. Thick, smooth, country, sweet, so different compared to the growl she used earlier to threaten him. The nameless woman cocked her head to the side in confusion at this response.

Really? No demeaning words of frustration? No curses? No "Fuck you, bitch!"? No "Wrath whore!"? Like all the other insults she'd endured through her life. Not even an attempt to come down here and try to attack her for stealing his hit? Nothing? 

What was this guy on?

Well...No time to waste standing there staring at each other trying to figure it out. She had a body to get rid of. 

"Sorry, freckles. But this asshole was the difference between eating and not eating fer me this week. Find some other cocksleeve ta kill."

And with that, she disappeared into the shadows or the dark, Wrath night, much to Moxxie's disappointment, not wanting to see her go. He sat there, trying to process what just happened. He should have been more concerned with what he was going to tell his boss, but his mind couldn't get over her...

That hair, that voice, those eyes, those killing skills...

"Oh, sweet Satan...What am I doing?" he whispered to himself once he made up his mind on what needed to happen next. Moxxie wasn't even comfortable with it, but there was a need, not a desire, even though he really wanted to, but a necessity for what needed to happen next, and it involved telling his boss about what happened...

"I need to find her..."

 

---

 

"Was the woman Mommy?" Tucker asked curiously as his dad finished the story, leaving out the more inappropriate details to keep it child-friendly. 

"She sure was! Can you believe that?! We met because we were after the same guy! And she tried to kill me!" he joked at the last part, getting a small laugh from Tucker thinking in his tiny head about the event, imagining his mommy and daddy in their younger days.

"And what happened next?" 

Moxxie remembered the events so well like it had happened yesterday; however, he saw it as an opportunity to play with his wife. Making a little tease, if you will. He grinned, thinking of an answer that was sure to puzzle her should Tucker say anything. 

"Well..." he started, slowly wagging his tail in mischief, looking back to his son. 

"Uncle Blitz and I found your Mommy a few days later, and then she got on her knees and begged me to marry her. The end!"

"Wh- HEY NOW! That is NOT what happened!"

Millie stood in the doorway holding Russell in a towel wrap as he sucked on his little fist, holding onto his mommy with the other. Moxxie had a deer in the headlights look, seeing his wife there while Tucker covered his lips, and a giggle slipped from him. 

"Really, honey? That's how I remember it~" Moxxie taunted as Millie walked over to him, cheeks heating up seeing the grin on her husband's face. 

"Well, yer rememberin' wrong then, sugar, 'cause that's NOT how that last part happened!" then Moxxie watched as her own smirk spread across her lips. "It was actually YOU, honey, who got on your knees and begged me to marry you!" 

"No it wasn't!.......Mhm, ok maybe a little bit..."

"Tell me it, Mommy!" Tucker interrupted their playful banter as Millie handed Russell to Moxxie so he could dress him on the changing table.

"Alright, sweetie! Listen up. Here's how it really happened..."

 

---

 

"Ok, I.M.P.! We have our newest member of the crew joining us today! Say hi to Mildred!"

"Actually, sir, I prefer "Millie" if that's ok." 

"I'll make note of that, kid. Now! Say hello to your new teammates!" 

'Oh Satan, it's actually her...' Moxxie felt himself starting to go into an internal panic. They actually found her...And now he felt like a creep. He thought this poor girl was so pretty and attractive and talented, and that gave him grounds to what? Stalk her down??? He spoke all about her to his boss, making Blitz all the more curious to see the imp who had impressive enough killing skills to render even Moxxie speechless, prompting him to also want to find this mystery woman. 

Just a few days before, Moxxie spotted her on a 'Wanted' poster, pointing it out to his boss that she was the one who stole their business. From there, they went around town, asking questions here and there, even threatening a few folks, to find out who exactly this killer was, and from what Blitz told Moxxie, they just HAD to have her on their team after the two spared in an old, rundown bar. 

And there she was, standing right in front of them...And, Satan, she was even cuter up close like this...

"Sooooo, Millie, this is my daughter, my little girl, Looney Poo~" Blitz introduced her to the hellhound, unimpressed and not paying attention, even rolling her eyes at her "dad" using that nickname she couldn't stand to hear. "Her name's actually Loona, but you know how dads are...You do know how dads are, right?"

"Uhm, that I do. I do have a father, sir."

"Ok, perfect then! Making sure I ain't gonna trigger any daddy issues here...ANNNNDDD THIS GUY right here!" Blitz exaggerated, bringing Moxxie into a side hug, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "This right here is my best sniper, Moxxie!" 

Millie's gaze shifted to him, and their eyes met, causing Moxxie to shiver and blush like a Wrathian flame. 

"Moxxie?...OOOO! Yer the fella who was impressed with me?!" she beamed, hopping over that way. 

"He sure is! He told me all about how you killed that guy, caught him off guard, and he said we just HAD to have you join our team!" Blitz bragged about his employee, not looking at Moxxie to see the pleading look in his eyes, begging his boss to please stop. 

Millie chirped, taking Moxxie by the hand to shake, not catching on to the nervous look he had on. "Aww! How sweet of ya, Moxxie! Sorry fer almost killin' ya on that roof. Don't worry! I won't try again!" she smiled. This seemed like such a different person from the one he met that night. Perhaps she was just really dedicated to her job? From what she said that night, it sounded like she may have been struggling financially...

"N-no worries..." he stuttered, shaking her hand back.

"He's a little shy, but Mox is a fucking great assassin, you'll see! Y'all will get along great!"

"I'm sure we will! Lookin' forward ta workin' with ya, Mox!"

".......I agree, Millie..."

 

---

 

"And THAT is how yer dad and I met!"

Millie concluded, kissing Tucker on the forehead as Moxxie cradled a now sleeping Russell in his arms, sharing a smile with his wife. 

"Was the first part real, Pa?"

"Yes, it was, Tuck. I was just teasing your mom with that marriage part."

Once they finished, both parents wished their older baby goodnight and headed to their bedroom, where Millie settled Russell into the bassinet as Moxxie changed into his pajamas before they got settled into bed. Moxxie closed his eyes before a chuckle from the side made him peep an eye open, finding Millie trying to suppress a laugh with her hand. 

"What's funny, honey?"

"I'm just laughin' 'bout that time right when I joined the company, and Blitz decided to try settin' us up on a secret date...Ya remember that?"

"Yeah, I remember." Moxxie tried giggling to himself quietly so he wouldn't wake the baby. "...Do you remember how Blitz found out we were together?"

"Oh, baby, I'd prefer not to think about that ever again." Millie felt a hot flush growing in her cheeks. "I can't ride reverse anymore without gettin' nervous that Blitz is gonna walk through the door." 

Both imps cuddled together, ready for sleep after another long day of killing and being parents to their little implings. "Do ya remember the day we got married?"

"Of course I do. How could I forget? That was the best day of my life, added with the days the boys were born."

"I remember it...I cried most of the day 'cause I was so happy."

"Then you must remember me crying as much as I did." Moxxie kissed her on the cheek, bringing her body closer to his to snuggle. Tomorrow was Saturday. Maybe he should wake up early and handle the boys so she could sleep later. He bought everything to make the french toast that they like. He'd manage just fine.

"I'm glad they're gettin' older, and we can start tellin' them all our stories now...There's so many."

"And before you know it, we'll have a lot more stories to tell about them." 

Notes:

Kinda a short one today, guys, but I just thought the idea was cute!

Anyways, that's the end of M&M Valentine's Week! Thank you to @ravingrubyz on Bluesky for hosting such a fun week!

I may or may not release some more stuff in February. I would like to, but it will certainly depend on how busy I am. In March, I will be participating in another prompt challenge revolving around Moxxie, so that will be fun!

Until next time, guys! Take care of y'allselves!🤗

Chapter 41: An Unlucky (Lucky) Change

Summary:

After a serious accident at work, Moxxie begins to think more about his life and confronts Millie about her strange behavior.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Mentions of parent death
- Somewhat heavy topics

Moxxie tossed and turned in bed, begging the clutches of sleep to take him away. He wasn’t sure how long it’d been since he tried going to bed, but if he had to guess, it had to be a few hours now. 

After spending a month in the hospital, somehow settling back into his own bed wasn’t as easy as he thought it’d be. For weeks, he had been keeping track of the passing days until he could finally go back home and sink into his side of the mattress and share a bed with his wife as he had been for the past 19 years. He sat himself up with his arms, shuffling to dangle his legs over the side of the furniture. 

Well… leg now…

Unfortunately, life had been unfair for the sniper recently, costing him majority of a limb. As of 4 ½ weeks ago, he had to undergo a leg amputation right above the knee. It was surprisingly an unpainful experience, but he was unsure if that was thanks to the trauma or nerve damage he received before that.

He got caught in an explosion during a brutally rough mission, where he put himself in the palm of harm’s hands by taking the hit for Blitz and their other coworkers. Next thing he knew, there was a large flash of white light, and then he woke up in a hospital bed hooked to several machines with a missing knee and hoove.

It was an adjustment for sure, but it was reality now, and truthfully, he was just happy to be alive and at home again with his wife and kids. Sadly, he couldn’t say they were doing that much better…

Thank Satan that they were all alive and well. But his Millie, bless her demonic soul, tried her best to put on a brave face; however, he knew her too well to buy into her whole “I promise I’m fine” act. He couldn’t blame her. He didn’t even want to imagine how he would have reacted had things played out the other way around. His heart stung for her, just thinking of what it was like to get that phone call that her husband was in critical condition and they weren't sure yet if he’d make it or not.

It was her day off…She was at home with the kids…By Satan’s grace, her friend Roley happened to be there when she got the news, staying there to calm her and watch the kids while they figured everything out. 

And their poor older son…

He wasn’t handling it well. Moxxie was oblivious to what happened that day, but if he had to guess, his mother’s reaction likely scared him into believing something was seriously wrong with his dad. To no fault of Millie, of course. Moxxie and his father weren’t close by any means as the sniper was to his own son, so it was difficult to understand what was running through his little boy’s mind. Millie took the kids to visit him in the hospital when he was feeling better, but most of the time there, Tucker cried in his dad’s arms, curled in the hospital bed next to him.

Since returning home, he outright refused to sleep in his own room, insisting on sleeping with his mom and dad. Moxxie peeked over the edge of the bed to see the older impling sleeping on their blow-out mattress like he’d been doing since his dad came home. And when he was awake, he was attached to his father’s hip for most of the day.

Russell and Calliope seemed to be doing fine enough. Then again, they were far too little to properly grasp what was going on. As far as they knew, their daddy had been gone for a while and came back home looking a little bit different. 

Moxxie grabbed onto his crutches, keeping as quiet as possible not to wake Millie or Tucker, and headed to the bathroom. After taking a late-night pee, he washed his hands before splashing some warm water onto his face. Damn, he looked rough. So it wasn’t just his leg that mission took from him, it looked as if he had aged just from being in the hospital. What a toll stress could take on someone. If he could only get some sufficient shut-eye...

Turning off the light in the bathroom, he could hear soft mumbling from the other side of the door, only to be met with a saddening sight once he walked back into the bedroom.

“D-addy…Daddy...Daddy…Dad…” 

“He’s ok, sweetheart. He probably just went to the bathroom.” Millie whispered, rubbing Tucker’s back, trying to calm him down as he was whimpering and hyperventilating in his mother’s arms. Moxxie and Millie’s eyes met, sharing a look of fear, not for themselves, but for their child that ended when Tucker spotted his father heading back to bed.

“Daddy, come back.” he cried, holding his arms out in the air asking to be picked up. 

“I’m here, snuggle bug. I just had to go to the bathroom.”

Moxxie shuffled himself back into bed, getting settled for Tucker to clench onto his shirt, tight enough to dig his tiny claws into the fabric. Moxxie purred to him, wrapping his young son in his arms, running his fingers through his hair until he fell asleep again. His tiredness was too much, and seeing his son panic right before his eyes like that stung his heart so deep that he settled on laying him down in the bed between him and his wife, who also stared on, looking tired. She ran her own fingers through her boy’s fluffy, white locks, kissing him on his freckled cheek softly not to wake him up. 

“...He ain’t actin’ right, Mox…I’m worried fer him.” her country accent pierced the air in a whisper. 

“...Yeah…Me too……How long has that been going on?”

“Since…Everythin’” 

She didn’t need to explain further for Moxxie to know what she was talking about. They may have to look into getting him in with a doctor…

Their poor Tucker…

It wasn’t long after that they both eventually passed out from exhaustion.

 

---

 

“Here, Daddy. Another one for you!” Tucker handed his dad another colorful drawing of the two together, with Moxxie happily accepting it, putting his book down on the nightstand. 

“Oh, Tuck! How sweet of you, honey!” he praised, petting the space between his straight horns, adding the drawing to the pile that was building next to them on the bed. 

Millie knocked on the bedroom doorframe, grabbing their attention. “Oh, Tuckey! Guess who’s here for a playdate?”

“Foscoe?”

“Mhm! He and nanny Kazi came to visit you!” 

Tucker turned to Moxxie, face almost unsure of what he should do, wanting to play with his friend but not wanting to leave his side. Moxxie gave him a quick kiss on the head, rubbing his back. “Go play, buddy! I’m sure Foscoe is very excited to see you! I’ll pick up your crayons so you can go right away.” he encouraged, feeling his heartache at the grip tightened around his hand from his child, still scared to leave. 

“...I promise I’ll be right here when you come back, sweetie.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m going to stay right here in the same spot until you’re finished playing. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.” He ran a finger over the little one’s own freckled face, soothing him and feeling the vibrations of tiny purrs spilling from his chest. 

In the end, he was convinced, hopping out of bed and joining his mother in the main room of the home. Yeah, perhaps a child therapist wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Tucker was always a little bit attached to both of his parents, but not like this. And it hadn’t become this strong until everything happened, like Millie said. 

Moxxie started organizing the wax crayons back in the coloring box when he felt a small tug on his tail that was dangling out of bed; glancing over the edge to see his baby daughter down there, staring up at him with her big doe eyes just like her mother. 

“Dada”

“Hi, honey bee,” he responded, leaning over to pick her up as she was asking with her small arms. Surprisingly, his new body didn’t affect his balance as much as he originally expected, as it wasn’t difficult to pick up his children, even with minor difficulty, a privilege he would never take for granted again. 

He straightened out her wild, black hair, giving her a few kisses on the back of the head and holding her close to him. The little tot unexpectedly reached out to touch what was left of his amputated leg as if observing it, knowing something was different. 

“Daddy boo-boo.”

“Yeah, honey…Daddy has a big boo-boo…”

Saying that out loud was challenging. This entire prank of life was challenging. What the actual fuck was this? Some sick joke of the universe?

Sure, he came to accept the fact that he lost half a leg, he didn’t have a choice but to do so, even then, he couldn’t just accept everything happening around him caused by the aftermath. His friends were concerned about him, his wife was tired and stressed, his family would have no doubt fallen apart had the situatenion ended the wrong way. And he felt guilty for even hating what happened because of the alternative consequences…

He only lost half a limb, but his wife could have lost her husband, her partner, the father of her children.

His babies could have lost their dad. The little daughter sitting in his lap would have had to grow up without her father, most likely never remembering him because she was too young. 

He could never forgive himself or Satan if that had been the case…

Moxxie wiped tears threatening to fall from his eyes just thinking about that situation. It was as if all of a sudden, he was imagining his children mourning after him like he did years ago when his own mother suddenly disappeared. It was traumatizing to the point that he eventually had to black out all of those memories to protect himself. 

He didn’t want that for them. He didn’t want any one of them to go through that, especially his wife. 

Millie lost several close souls to her in the passing years as they aged, and he knew his wife’s heart. When she grieved, she grieved hard. He didn’t even want to imagine those hours when she wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead because if it were him and the roles were reversed, he knew he would have lost his mind. 

“Daddy sad.” he heard a little voice say in front of him, opening his eyes to see his little girl touching the wet streaks on his cheeks. 

He didn’t realize he started seriously crying until she brought him back to reality. “No, no, sweetie. Daddy's ok.” he wiped his face, reassuring her and giving her a million more kisses on the back and side of the head, cuddling her to his chest, where she snuggled back in. 

“Hey, Mox? Is Cal in there with ya?” Millie called out from the hallway. 

“She’s with me, honey! I got her!”

He confirmed as Calliope sat still in his lap, sucking her thumb, enjoying being held in one of her favorite spots. From a small infant to now, Moxxie’s lap was one of her favorite seats to relax, which his wife constantly joked about because their daughter was the one out of their three children who resembled her husband the most, sharing the same face and eyebrows, freckles, nose. The only thing on her little face that she obviously took from her mother was her eyes, as did her two brothers. 

“Oh, Callie…You’re growing up too fast, sweet girl.” her father whispered to her, covering her with the blanket as she started drifting off to sleep for a nap. 

It was funny how that worked. Before almost losing his life, this would have been just another normal routine, but it was significantly deeper now, as many other "normal" moments in his life were as he sat there thinking.

 

---

 

“Does it hurt, Dad?” Russell inquired, touching the nubbed end of Moxxie’s leg. 

“Mmmm no, not really, buddy…It just has more of a numb sensation when you touch it.” 

It was bedtime. Millie was putting Calliope to sleep in her nursery, and Moxxie was keeping watch of the boys in their bedroom until she came to round them up to their own rooms. Hey, just because he couldn’t move around at 100% didn’t mean that he was going to leave all the labor to his wife. What kind of husband would do that?

He was already extremely hesitant to leave her doing most of the housework now that he was home, but she continued fighting him on it. Anytime he offered or tried to assist her with anything, she tried shooing him away to “relax” while she finished everything. 

He didn’t understand. She didn’t have to do everything by herself; he didn’t want her to have to do that. Sure, maybe he couldn’t stand for long periods temporarily, but he could still sit and do the laundry or help make dinner. She only recently surrendered, allowing him to start helping with the kids again, but that wasn’t the point. 

Moxxie knew his wife inside and out, and it was clear as day something was bothering her, but she wouldn’t budge when he tried initiating conversation about it. Blitz didn’t seem to know anything, either, only pointing out that Millie was more tired as of late, disturbing Moxxie even more. 

Of course, she was tired. Of course, she was feeling burnt out. She was trying to juggle a home and three young kids all by herself. Her job would have been included in that, but Blitz refused to allow her to work at the moment, seeing her exhaustion, ordering her to stay home with her kids and her husband, who she nearly lost. 

“Ok, boys! Time for bed!”

Millie chirped, heading into the bedroom. 

She was never snippy with Moxxie when he pressed the issue, but he wasn’t going to stop talking about it and leave her to sink or swim…

“C-can I sleep with you and Dad again tonight, Mommy?” Tucker asked hesitantly, holding onto his tail between his hands. 

“Tucker, baby, I don’t mind you sleeping with us, but why don’t we try having you get some sleep in yer room tonight?” Millie’s eyes shifted up to her husband’s for support, seeing her oldest becoming nervous at the suggestion. 

“Hey, Tuck,” Moxxie grabbed him to sit in his lap while Millie picked Russell up from the bed. “Look, snuggle bug, how about we try this? Try falling asleep in your room tonight, and if you wake up in the middle of the night, then you can come and sleep with me and Mom if you still want.” He didn’t want to upset his son, but he agreed with his wife it was best to begin reintroducing Tucker back into his room. 

“Will you still be here?”

“Yes, wildflower. I promise I’ll still be here.” he reinforced. At their pediatrician’s recommendation, she believed that starting off small was best for Tucker since he consistently had these adverse reactions to being away from his father. 

He seemed to take the bait, though, giving his dad a hug and going with his mom to his own bedroom down the hall. 

He seemed to be getting better a tiny bit, but any shape of progress was good, right?

Moxxie took the time to finish reading the chapter of the book he was on, though he couldn’t keep his focus very well as his brain was scattering about what he would say to his wife once she finished up whatever she was doing in the kitchen, presumably picking up dishes from the sound of it until she made her way to their room around 30 minutes later, closing the door. 

Moxxie wasn’t given the chance to put his book down to dive into this inevitably tense conversation as Millie snatched it out of his hands, gently closing it to place on the bedside table. Her musician of a husband was caught off guard by her quickness, barely getting out a confused whisper of her name before she cut him off with her lips, kissing him deeply while straddled on top of him. 

The sniper couldn’t deny it felt impossible to pull away, even with the intention of sparking a serious confrontation. So, he didn’t, even giving in, resting his hands on her lower back, letting a soft moan of hers into his mouth, heating them both up. The demoness above pawed at her husband’s pajama shirt, tuning him in to pull it off over his head, followed by her doing the same, only to be flipped over on her back to where her freckled partner stared down at her with his hands latticed into hers. 

She smiled lovingly and softly at him, and he reflected the look back, admiring her like he’d never see her beautiful face again. 

“...Been a while, huh?” It wasn’t a question. It was a fact of all the stress and chaos that suspended their lives for the past weeks, but they were here now. With each other, in their safe space, in each other's embrace alone for the first time in a long time. 

“Yeah…It has,” he agreed, leaning down to take her in for another passionate kiss of the night. 

 

---

 

Time didn’t exist to them at the moment. It may have been minutes, half an hour, or hours; they weren’t keeping track. Being with each other again was too precious of a luxury for them in the present to care about time anymore. Time was time, and what happened to Moxxie painfully reminded them that their hours together in the flesh were limited, and they couldn’t just stop thinking about it anymore. 

Millie slipped her pajama bottoms back on along with her shirt after finding it on the floor, whereas Moxxie shuffled his shorts and boxers back on, fixing the back of his hair with his fingers, undeniably messy from their shenanigans. 

He watched his wife climb back into bed, scooching over to his side to snuggle, a ritual of theirs that was nearly impossible recently, having a little impling sleeping between the two. And when Moxxie came home, Millie was reluctant to cuddle in fear of harming him or his modified leg, a concern that had clearly washed away from their roll around in their sheets just minutes before. 

The thespian wasn’t sure if he should even say anything anymore. It was a necessity, yes, something he couldn’t procrastinate on, but there was a time and a place for everything. It was practically common knowledge in society that you don’t talk about issues or problems after being intimate…

“I’ll tell ya what…The leg doesn’t slow ya down in this category.” Millie attempted to joke, making a nervous, heartfelt laugh shared with a genuine one from her love.

“It’s a minor inconvenience, but I suppose it doesn’t completely mess things up…” he intertwined their tails together, letting the awkward silence in the room take over for a bit while his mind played a game of tennis back and forth about what he should or shouldn’t say. 

“...Millie…We need to talk about it eventually.”

“‘Bout what, honey?”

“My leg, sweetie.”

“...There ain’t nothin’ to talk about, hun.” she readjusted herself in his arms so she was no longer facing him. “It’s said ‘n done. Yer home, yer safe, yer ok, and that’s that.” 

“But are you ok, honey?” He felt her go still in his arms once he asked, recognizing what he said struck a nerve in her but determined to reach the bottom of it.

“...Millie, my love, I’m not trying to be condescending. I’m worried about you, my dear. I’ve noticed that you’ve been overwhelming yourself since I’ve come home.” 

“Mox, I’m fine. I’m just tired with the kids and all the house stuff. Don’t worry ‘bout me.”

“But I am, honey. Not because I think you can’t take it all on, but you shouldn’t have to. I’m here to help with whatever you need.” 

Millie stayed silent, almost refusing to answer her husband. If she had been a good actor, she would have pretended to be asleep; however, unlike her husband, she could not become Shakespeare to save her life. 

“Millie…I know what happened is terrible. It’s not the worst thing that could have happened, but it was nonetheless hard, and I know it had to be scary and tough. I know. I see it. I’ve watched how scared Tucker is for me to leave his sight. I’ve seen how Russ and Callie always want your full attention since I've came home. I’ve been watching you for weeks run around from sunrise to sunset, trying to keep our house and our family in order, and I’m so grateful for that, sweetie, but I can’t just sit by and watch you tackle everything all by yourself. It isn’t fair for you, and you shouldn’t have to keep stressing yourself out. I’m limited on what I can and can’t do right now, but please, honey, let me help you with whatever I can. You don’t have to go through this all alone. I don’t want you to have to do all of this alone.”

The calm and quiet of the bedroom stayed after his little speech, which was broken seconds later by a sniffle coming from his wife, proceeded by lots of other sniffles and tears that he saw, bringing her in closer to him for comfort. 

“But ya didn’t see it…” she paused, her voice cracking from her whimpering. Moxxie dried her face with the loose end of his pajama shirt, rubbing her back and giving her time to let the tears fall. For all he knew, and knowing his wife well enough, she’d been holding this in since the accident. 

“Ya see it now, but ya didn’t see it before…When I got that call that you’d been in an explosion…They told me they couldn’t find ya, and they thought ya were dead. Blown ta shreads… I thought ya were fuckin’ dead, Mox! And that almost killed me…I freaked out screamin’ and cryin’, and I traumatized our poor kids because of that.”

He was about to object, and then she said it…

“And it’s all ‘cause I decided ta stay home with that kids that day...I should’ve gone on that mission. I should’ve just gone into work that day and gone with ya; maybe I could’ve stopped all this from happenin’...”

“Oh, Millie, Millie, no, honey. None of this was your fault. It was an accident. A horrible, terrible accident. None of us could have expected this to happen…” 

Millie grabbed onto his shirt, still wiping her now wet, puffy eyes with it, as her husband started lightly scratching the top of her head with his nails as he commonly did to soothe her. “Baby…Please listen to me. I always knew that one day, I’d get seriously hurt. I’ve known it since my dad started having me work field jobs. With what we do, it’s just…predestined to happen one day…I lost half of my leg…But I still have the entirety of my other one. I’m alive, I’m well,  I’m home with you and the kids, and I’m beyond grateful for that. I’d go through it over and over again as many times as I need to if it meant you were out of harm's way.”

“Ya still ain’t gettin’ it though…I literally couldn’t do anythin’! I couldn’t be there ta protect you, so now I’m makin’ up fer it! Ya literally almost died! Ya shouldn’t have to do anythin’ but spend time with the kids and decompress!”

Moxxie cupped her face with one of his hands, his other still working its way through her hair all the while. “...Hun. All those years ago now, when you broke your back on that mission, I cared for you. We didn’t have the children, but I took care of you, I made sure you had everything you needed, and you were comfortable and healthy, and I managed the apartment at the time…I did it because you're the love of my life, and I love you. You’re my queen, and I would do it all over again if I had to…I get it because I thought I was going to lose you too…Those days where we weren’t sure if you’d come to or not were the worst days of my life.”

It was his turn for the tears to start falling now, both from the pent-up stress of everything he went through and the memories of that wretched, cursed final brawl with their rival, Striker, where Millie was injured almost to the point of death. 

It was years ago, and Moxxie still had nightmares about it, watching Millie being shot off a cliff by bullets, seeing her unmoving body on the ground, holding onto her tightly in his arms saying their goodbyes, believing that it had come to that, and then clutching onto her seeing her go limp truthfully thinking the person he loved the most had passed away in his arms, until she didn’t as they were rescued and rushed to a hospital where doctors and physicians still had a pulse on her and did everything they were threatened to do by Stolas, Blitz, and most of all, her husband to do whatever was necessary to try to save their Millie, his Millie. 

And just like that, when she woke up in a strange hospital room in unimaginable pain, confused and scared, he was the first thing she saw, as he refused to leave her bedside the entire time, becoming aggressive with anyone who attempted to move him, the same scenario that Moxxie awoke to after the blast. 

Tears were coming from both sides now, some even flowing into the others as they hugged. “I understand, Millie…I really, really do, honey.”

“I was so scared, Moxxie.”

“I know…It’s ok.”

Their positions switched, and she now cupped his face in her hands, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. 

“Please…Don’t leave me…” she begged, already seeing an answer in his eyes. “...Don’t leave me here in this existence alone…I don’t wanna have to explain to Tuck and Russ why you’d never come home…I don’t wanna have to tell Callie about who ya were. I can’t look our babies in the eyes and tell them their daddy, who they love so much, isn’t here anymore…I couldn’t live the rest of my life without you. I’d have to follow you to the grave.” 

Moxxie cupped her own face back, staring into those eyes, the eyes he thought about for a final time before the world went black, believing he’d never get to see them again. “So would I.” 

And that was the end of it. They spent the rest of the night crying, hugging, and kissing until they fell asleep, still cuddled up together. Moxxie woke early the next morning. Looking at the clock on the side of the bed, it was fairly early, 8:15 A.M. Millie was in no different position than she was when they finally exhausted themselves out with tears. Moxxie kissed her on the forehead, trying not to disturb her, only to turn his head towards the door, hearing a creak of the hinges. 

Tucker slowly peaked in, holding his throw blanket from his bed, opening the door wider upon seeing his dad there in the bed awake, giving him a smile that he returned back. The smile Moxxie also thought of, as well as Russell and Calliope’s, before their mother’s image clouded his mind as he believed his final moments were crushing him. His life literally flashed before his eyes before they closed…escaping the mafia, meeting Blitz and Loona, meeting Millie, their first home together, their wedding day, their friends, their first house, the births of their children, wishing that he could tell all of them that he loved them so much one final time. 

Now, he could, but it would never be the last. 

He would always remind them and show them how much he loved them until death came to take him away for real, but that would not be for many, many decades down the line, not for a long, long, long time.

 

Chapter 42: Odd One Out-A Talk With Nanny Sal

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie's oldest son, Tucker, worries about how his goals conflict with his parents' expectations. A small look into Millie and Moxxie's life as parents to their three implings!

Notes:

Just a quick note y'all. I am WHIPPED😭 so please disregard any spelling/grammatical errors.

Thursday Afternoon

Tucker opened another drawer in his parent's bedroom, carefully flipping through a binder of documents that his dad had stored away. After minutes of looking, nothing useful was hiding in there. He sighed, putting the large plastic folder back in its neat spot to start searching again. He'd been at this for a while now. Just where in the actual hell did his parents keep these things?! Knowing his father, he assumed he hid them well so they wouldn't be stolen or messed up, but still, you'd think he'd at least find something.

In a different drawer, a discreet box with a lock caught his eye. It seemed lengthy enough to hold papers and such, and he wouldn't put it past his dad to store their important information like this. He put the box on his parents' bed, going back to the drawer to look for a key—that wasn't there.

Of course. He should've known that would have been a stupid and obvious hiding place. 'Come on, Tucker! Think!'

He had to start looking faster. His parents wouldn't be home for about another two hours, Calliope was napping upstairs, and summer break had just begun for them. It was also only a matter of time before Russell came home from doing Satan knows what with his friends to find his brother snooping in their parents' room without permission.

"Dude, what are ya doin'?" A startled Tucker turned around, pointing a knife in the bedroom door's direction, only seeing Russell standing there, both brothers looking at each other with wide eyes until they cooled down once Tucker sighed in relief.

"Oh, it's just you."

"Yea, bro. Geez, remind me never to sneak up on ya." Russell quipped, setting his computer bag down and heading towards his older brother, going back to looking through his parents' drawers. 

"Sorry, ya just caught me off guard."

"So, what are ya doin' anyways? Ya know Mom and Dad don't like us bein' in their room."

"I know, but I'm tryin' ta find my birth certificate, and I know that dad's gotta have it hidin' in here somewhere along with all my other legal docs," Tucker explained, closing that drawer to rummage through another as Russell watched his brother eagerly trying to find something, seeing the black box on the bed. 

"If ya think it's in that box, then ya might wanna put it back." the younger of the brothers pointed to the wooden case. "Cause they ain't in there." 

"How do ya know?" 

"I saw mom open the box before."

"Well, what's in it?"

"It's her pictures and stuff." Russell plopped down on the bed, spreading his arms out as Tucker picked up the box to put back in the drawer. Now that he thought about it, it did make sense. The way his father acted with their personal, important documents was the same way their mother acted with her pictures and prized possessions. 

"Damn. Dad really wanted to make sure that nobody could find those then 'cause I about looked through every drawer in here." Tucker sat on the floor with his back against the furniture, playing with the freckled tip of his tail, thinking of what places he had yet to try while Russ sat up, legs crossed.

"What do ya need all that fer?"

"I wanna apply to a headstart college program school's offerin'. I need mine, mom's, and dad's birth certificates and other documents ta apply." 

"Fer real?!" Russell snorted, lowering his laugh, remembering this was around the time their sister napped in the afternoons. "Dude, yer 12!" he tried holding in another chuckle, failing as he covered his hand with a claw.

"Yeah, so?"

"So ain't ya a little young fer that?"

"Not exactly. The program begins when students turn 15. I'm gonna be 13 in about two months, so I'm applying for ear-"

"...What?" Russell asked, seeing a lightbulb go off in his brother's head. Tucker stood up, heading to the closet with Russ following behind.

"I can't believe I hadn't thought about this," Tuck spoke to himself, carefully moving his mother's large shoe rack to the side, revealing a large safe built into the couple's wall. Russell watched on in surprise, never knowing about the safe's existence until now, though, knowing his parents, he couldn't say he was at all too stunned. 

"How did ya know 'bout this?"

"'Cause this ain't the first time I've come in here tryin' ta find somethin'......No snitchin'." he turned around to his younger brother.

"My lips are sealed."

Both brothers stared at the safe before looking back and forth with each other, simultaneously knowing the next issue they had to face. 

"Sooooo...What's the passcode?" Russell decided to break the silence between them.

Tucker stared at the large metal box in their wall, thinking deeply, ignoring his little brother. "...No clue."

 

---

 

"Alright, what dates do ya have so far?"

"Uhm, Mom's birthday, Dad's birthday, all our birthdays, their anniversary, and the office zip code." Russell named off. 

"Ooo! I didn't even think of the office zip!"

"Well, which ones you got?"

"All those minus the I.M.P. one, but I did write down our zip code and the elevator number that takes you to Wrath."

"Oh, yeah, I guess that could work too," Russell commented before another voice echoed into the closet, making both brothers jump. 

"Whater y'all doin'?"

Russell jumped into Tucker's lap at the scare while the older of the two imps pointed his knife at the doorway of the closet as he did earlier instead, both siblings sighed in relief upon seeing their younger sister staring at them confused in the closet entrance.

"Oh, Satan. Sorry, Maevey. Ya scared us." Tucker put his knife away as the youngest of the trio walked into the large closet with her brothers.

"Obviously," she remarked in her small Wrathian accent. "Why y'all in Mommy and Daddy's closet? They told us not to come in their room without them."

"I know, Callie, but I'm tryin' ta find somethin' real important, ok. And I can't ask Mom and Dad because I'm not confident that they'll be ok with it."

It was true. Tucker didn't like hiding things from his parents, but he felt he had no other choice at the moment. His parents were very passionate about their assassin work and the company in general, and one could imagine how excited and thrilled they would be to watch their three little ankle-biters one day join the very company they helped to build and become a new generation of killers. 

There was only one issue with that, though, and it lay on their oldest son. 

Tucker didn't want to be an assassin. Never did, as a matter of fact. 

Ever since he was young, he never felt a calling to that profession, and as he grew older, he realized he just wasn't exactly built for it...

One time, he convinced his uncle to bring him on a mission, and he almost got killed because he didn't check before if the gun he was carrying was loaded or not. Then, another time, he accidentally grabbed the knife he had by the blade instead of the handle, cutting his hand open. As much as Blitz loved his nephew, he had to gently set a boundary on Tucker joining in on missions just yet so he wouldn't get hurt and, more importantly, so M&M wouldn't maul him to death for letting their baby - not so baby anymore - get hurt on his watch. 

So, he didn't go on missions anymore, not that he was complaining. The battlefield wasn't his style or taste, but medicine was. Ever since he was a small child, he immersed himself in learning about medicinal practices, gaining a large knowledge and passion for the medical field. He wanted to be a doctor; he was already someone the adults in his life would ask questions to when they were looking for answers to anatomical or physiological questions, and he loved studying it.

This program would allow him to do that, but the million-dollar question that he believed he already had the answer to was, would his parents approve of that?

"Why don't we try just punchin' in a buncha numbers till it opens up?" Russell suggested heading over to the safe, only to be stopped by Tucker's hands grabbing onto his shoulders.

"Are ya nuts?! Mom and Dad are assassins, Rory. Have been fer 'round 30 years. I guarantee ya that that thing is bugged to set off an alarm if the passcode is entered incorrectly a certain amount of times."

"Oh...Oh, Satan, yer right." Russ realized before going back to thinking about other important dates in his parents' lives that he may be forgetting, as Tucker panicked, looking at the time on his phone. His parents got off work in about 45 minutes, and he was running out of time to get what he needed. There had to be something he wasn't thinking of. 

"Why is this so hard? It should be easy, shouldn't it? Mom and Dad don't have any other days that are that important to them!" Russell exclaimed in frustration before Calliope spoke up. 

"Actually, there is. Y'all just don't have it written on here." She noted, looking at the dates written on Russell's notepad while her older brothers slowly looked at each other with a suspicious and knowing look. 

"...Callie, do you know what the password is?" Tucker questioned, not expecting his little sister to agree without hesitation, nodding her head.

"Yeah. I saw daddy use it once when I was hidin' fer hide n' seek with y'all." 

Tucker's eyes widened alongside Russ's at their little sister standing there innocently, both internally screaming with the new knowledge that she knew the magic number the whole time and watched them struggle. "Well why didn't ya say somethin' earlier?!"

Calliope shrugged, turning to face them without a care in the world. "Ya didn't ask."

"Ok, well, we know now. So what is it?" 

"Mmm...Sorry, Tuck. I ain't talkin' without payment." she pushed her little hand out as if telling her brothers to talk to it as she went on playing her little game. "Besides. Nothin's stoppin' me from tellin' Ma and Pa that y'all are snoopin' through their room without permission."

"So now yer threatenin' us?" Russell asked, annoyed, feeling the anxiety pouring from his brother on a time crunch.

"No. It's called business. Now, I'll tell ya what it is if ya agree to one condition." 

Tucker pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to waste anymore time, but deciding to play into his sister's demands for the sake of getting what he needed and fast. "Alright, fine...What is it that ya want?"

"Daddy let's us pick dinner every few days of the week. I wanna pick what we have fer dinner ta'night." 

"Hey! No fair! It's my turn toni-" Russell started to protest, only to be painfully kicked in the knee by his younger sister and falling to the ground, cluching his leg, cursing under his breath.

"Do ya want the password or not?!"

"YES! Yes, ok! Ok, fine. How 'bout this: Calliope gets to pick what we have fer dinner tonight. Russell, when it's my turn to pick what's fer dinner next, ya can have my turn. Sound good?" Russell replied with a weak thumbs up, still holding his knee on the closet floor. "Then it's settled. Can you please just tell me what it is, Maeve?"

"I'm satisfied! It's 01242024," Callie replied happily, helping her injured brother off the floor as Tucker quickly typed in the number his sister gave him, praying to Satan it would work and that what he was looking for was inside. To his relief, a little beep could be heard, and the safe unlocked, automatically opening the door. Inside were many items, but the one catching his eye the most was another thick binder labeled in Moxxie's handwriting "Important Documents," and as he flipped through, there was indeed a section titled "Birth Certificates."

"What's that supposed ta be in terms of Ma and Pa?" Russell asked massaging his knee that'd be undoubtedly bruised by tonight. 

"That day they adopted Christy!" Calliope chirped right as their beloved pet waltzed into the closet right on cue. Both older imps were face-palming themselves in their minds.

Of course! They were living in this house when they adopted Christy before Tucker was born, making the date so much more important to their parents at the time they would've installed the safe. But Tucker was too determined to care about that mistake on his part right now. 

"Oh, thank Lucifer, I've got it! I'll make copies of these, and Callie, I'll fix y'all brownie sundaes when I'm finished as a thank you."

Tucker informed his two younger siblings as they followed him out of the closet. Calliope hopped into the kitchen excitedly to get her treat, and Russell limped behind the two, grabbing his computer bag just as happy that this entire thing was over. 

 

---

 

Saturday Afternoon

"Ok, Callie! Make a wish, sweetie!" Millie ruffled the hair between her daughter's horns, encouraging her to blow out her candles after the family and all their friends finished singing the youngest Knolastname family member "Happy Birthday." Everyone clapped for her, and the "baby" of the family blew out all seven candles, representing her new age. She was wagging her tail with impatience for her father to start cutting the cake.

She was always a little fiend for cake or anything sugary in general, and Moxxie never hesitated to make some sweet treats for his family, whether being asked or just a spontaneous gift. But looking around, he might have become a little too emotional about his daughter's birthday and gone overboard. 

"...Maybe I made too much, honey." he reflected on himself to Millie with her back against the wall right next to him, watching the kids play in the yard. 

"We can send some home with people, hun...But truthfully, I'm not sure if we'll need to. We have so many guests. By tonight, we might not have much left." Millie's tail reached for his in a coil for affection that he reciprocated as she rested her head on his shoulder, purring. It was a long week and night. Both Millie and Moxxie went out of their way to make their children's birthdays special, including setting up the house the night before, hanging streamers, balloons, and other decorations around their door the night before for them to wake up to. 

"I can't believe she's 7 already, Mox," Millie remarked in awe, thinking of how fast it seemed their youngest grew. "It feels like just yesterday she was a tiny little six-pound newborn...and now she bites when she wants to retaliate." 

Moxxie chuckled at his wife's recollection of their daughter's...habit. "I know. It's crazy. It's even crazier that Russell is going to be 10 in March. Damn."

"Tucker's gonna be 13 in two months...In two months, we're gonna have a teenager."

"Oh, honey, please don't say that," Moxxie begged to his wife with a soft, sad look on his face.

"Aww, Mox."

"I'm not mentally prepared for that yet...or ever..."

Millie was going to comfort him initially before she got the idea to flirt since they were finally semi-alone at the moment. "Sooo, maybe the solution to that is to have another one~"

"Satan, Mills, don't even joke about that." Moxxie laughed.

"Who says I'm jokin'? Ya know ya want to, sweetie~"

"I think three is the perfect number for us. Kinda impossible now anyways since we're both sterilized."

"There's always a way, Mox Mox~" Millie cut her teasing session short, seeing their boss making his way over to them.

"Ya know, I don't know which one of y'all was a conniving little shit when y'all were younger, but I think Callie inherited it from one of you." Blitz joked, handing his employees each a cup of punch before standing next to Millie, sipping on his own. 

"What makes you say that?" Moxxie looked at his boss, eating a piece of fruit from his drink with one of the toothpicks Blitz gave them for their convenience. 

"Because she just convinced Millie's dad to get her more cake by telling him you both said it was ok."

"What!?" Moxxie reacted surprised, quickly turning his head toward the dessert table, seeing just that, his father-in-law handing his daughter yet another slice of cake and seeing her scurrying off with it, fully knowing in her demonic little mind her parents said no more. Millie giggled, watching the interaction, now beginning to understand why everyone always told her that her personality was passed down to her daughter, even if she was her father's mirror image. 

"On second thought, Millie, maybe I did make enough..."

"That would be a trait from me. I was a daddy's girl growin' up." Millie confessed, pausing to drink before seeing what she assumed was the beginning of a disagreement between her "little" cubs, with Callie complaining to her older brother about something. 

"Uh oh, something isn't going right." Moxxie caught onto what his wife was looking at, cringing at the idea that a fight between siblings may ensue as they did from time to time. Millie handed her husband her punch to hold, deciding to go see what the issue may be before anything unnecessary could start. 

"Cal, I promise I'm comin' back." Tucker tried reasoning with his sister.

"Ya also promised to play later, mister! Later is now!" Calliope fought back, eating more frosting off her slice of cake, stopping her fussing as Millie put a hand on her head to grab their attention. 

"Hey, none of that, missey. What's goin' on?"

"Tuck wants a break, but Callie don't want him to." Russell filled his mother in. Adding more water balloons into their large bucket. 

"Well, how 'bout Tucker takes a little bit of a break and comes back later?"

"But Mama! He promised he was gonna play!" Calliope whined, turning back to face her mother.

"He will play, honey. But I'm sure Tucker wants to eat, and have some cake, and talk with family for a little bit. He's much older than you, so he needs breaks." Millie explained before an idea popped into her head to add a distraction that would satisfy both kids. "Hey, Russey? Ya wanna learn how to shoot water balloons with a slingshot?" she asked her middle child, getting a nonverbal answer via the smirk that spread across his face in regards to her suggestion.

"So I'm pissed off because this bitch just decided to waltz into my office DEMANDING that I kill this whore for freEE-" Blitz's story was cut off by a sudden sharp and wet sensation on his back. Turning around to see where it came from, he spotted his best friend and her three kids unsuccessfully holding in laughs and giggles and immediately taking note of the slingshot in Millie's hand.

"oohhh ho ho! So that's how it is, HUH MILLS!?"

"Blitz, respectfully, I feel you should have seen this coming earlier."

"Don't you say another word, Moxxie! As far as I'm concerned, this is WAR started by your walking, talking sperm samples!"

"Actually, it was started by my wife-" Moxxie replied before Blitz shoved his cup of punch to his employee, who caught it with his tail, now holding three cups before Blitz ripped off his Hawaiian shirt, leaving him only in his bathing suit running towards Millie and the kids yelling for vengeance, while Tucker dodged the scene to have his break before joining back in. 

"Hey, Dad? Is the food inside?" Tucker asked Moxxie, trying to rearrange his cup situation.

"Uhh, yes. Actual food is inside, desserts are out here. If you want some cake, I'd highly recommend you grab a slice and save it for later before your sister tricks more relatives into getting her more...Mind throwing this in a trash can somewhere?" Moxxie handed him an empty cup of punch before he went inside to eat and decompress from the party. 

Tucker was much more introverted than his brother and sister in the sense that as much as he liked being around those he loved, he could only handle large crowds for so long until he needed a break for himself. He was never an imp who liked big parties, or loud noises, or anything loud at that. Just going to school for a few hours a day or being with family he knew his entire life drained him just from socializing. Like his father, he preferred the quiet more, which was interesting enough to his eldest son considering his mom and dad decided to have three implings. 

He decided to take a shortcut to his room before serving himself, just to peek at his student portal on his laptop and check in case he got any emails or news from school. Couldn't hurt. "Come on, come on, come on," he demanded from his computer, practically begging it to load quicker so he could see if he'd heard any news back yet.

"Good afternoon, Tucker Knolastname

Your application has been received and is currently under review. Please allow 7-14 business days to hear back from us. Thank you for your interest!"

So nothing yet, but it's under review. Satan that made him even more nervous...

There is nothing to do at this point but to eat some food and cake - before Calliope gets the rest - and try to relax, the key word being try...

His attention was grabbed from fixing a plate of food, hearing someone walk out of their guest bathroom, smiling and waving as his aunt Sallie walked in, now changed into a bathing suit. "Hey there, Tuck! Finally able to escape and get some food?" Sallie asked, heading towards the island in her sister's kitchen. 

"Yeah, my mom had to start a water balloon war with Uncle Blitz, but Callie wasn't gonna let me go otherwise." Tucker filled his aunt in, grabbing a serving of fries.

Sallie laughed, popping a mini mozzarella ball into her mouth and grabbing a plate. "She's the baby of the family. She likes havin' her big brothers with her all the time. Yer Uncle Wyatt was like that when he was younger with all us." she continued the conversation, beginning to fill her own dish.

"I don't mind playin' with her, but I'm starvin'...and I'd like to pig out a little bit." the younger imp joked, catching onto his aunt's giggle.

"I hear ya on that one." Sallie agreed, stopping to see the uncomfortable look on her nephew's face, which was very much unlike the boy. "What's the matter, kiddo?" she inquired, grabbing a plastic fork. Tucker looked at his aunt, snapping out of his thoughts, staying silent to consider if he should fill his aunt in on what was going on. 

"...Nanny Sal...Can you keep a secret?"

"Uhhh...Well that's gonna depend, munchkin. Is it somethin' that yer parents should know about?"

"Kind of...It's not an emergency, but I haven't told my parents yet. It's nothin' bad, I promise."

".....Ok. Let's finish gettin' food n' sit, then ya can tell me."

 

---

 

"Alright now. What's this secret that ya don't want me ta snitch about?" Sallie chewed on a spicey cheese curd while Tucker picked out the right words to use. 

"...I- I applied to college."

".......HUH?"

"It's a program my school has. You can apply to get into college early on. So I applied."

Sallie was somewhat at a loss for words. Out of everything she was thinking her nephew would tell her, this was not on the list. "...W-wow! College, huh? That...That's actually pretty fuckin' awesome, Tuck!" she changed her tone as Tucker's expression hadn't changed. "So, what's the deal? Why is it a secret?"

"...'Cause I don't want my Ma and Pa ta be upset with me," Tucker admitted, biting into a chicken tender. "I wanna tell 'em. But I don't want them ta be disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Sallie repeated, confused by the freckled imp's choice of words. 

"Yeah. I don't want them to be let down. Don't get me wrong. I love my Ma and Pa. They're great parents, but I don't want them to be mad that I ain't interested in assassin work-" Moxxie opened the door, asking his sister-in-law to grab a few towels from the couple's hallway closet, with her swiftly doing so to get back to hearing her nephew's worries. "Anyway, I don't wanna be an assassin, Nanny Sal. I love I.M.P., and I love that my parents are passionate 'bout what they do, but...I ain't good at it. It just ain't me." he finished, starting to eat some corn grits. In the meantime, Sallie let the silence settle for a little bit, thinking of her response to Tucker's frets. 

"...Now, kiddo. Ya ain't got nothin' ta worry 'bout." She stood to reposition her chair, sitting closer to the young imp, putting her arm around his shoulder, grabbing his attention as he continued to eat. "Look, I get it. It's hard when ya feel like there's an expectation on ya ta be somethin' yer not or that ya don't wanna be. Especially at yer age when yer tryin' to find yer place in Hell." She let her validations sink in, also going back to nibbling at her own snacks. "But, Tuck, with yer Ma 'n Pa, I don't think ya got anythin' ta worry 'bout. They're so proud of ya already!"

"Really?" 

"Yeah! Yer Pa is always braggin' at work 'bout how smart ya are, how polite ya are, how well yer teachers talk 'bout ya, how good of a brother ya are ta Russ 'n Cal. And yer mama," she startled, chuckling, "Yer mama always dotes on ya, sayin' how fast her little baby is growin'. They do that with all three of ya!...Point is, Pumpkin Crunch, they love ya to the ends of the seven rings. I don't think there's ever anythin' you or y'all could do that would make them disappointed in ya. Sure, if y'all went to be assassins, I'm positive they'd be thrilled. But if none of y'all were interested, I don't think they'd bat an eye. They just want y'all ta be happy 'n successful." Sallie concluded her speech, taking her last bite of mac and cheese, sensing a mood shift between the two enough to share a lighthearted memory.

"Ya know, I was in the room when you came into this world."

"Were ya?"

"I was! So was yer Mamaw! Fer all three of ya, actually...Growin' up, yer mama was like a God to me. I wanted to be as strong and tough as she was. But I swear, watchin' her pop out three kids unmedicated made me respect her even more, but sweet Lucifer, it struck the fear of Satan into me." 

Tucker snorted at her joke, remembering all the times he'd heard the story about his sweet mother slapping his dad in the face out of frustration and pain during her 18-hour labor with him. "But then you popped out, and she was instantly in love with yer little freckled face. Well, I think she was in love with ya before that, but I'm sure seeing yer impling in the flesh is more real than when yer pregnant. I remember her lookin' at you 'n sayin', "He's so precious 'n handsome! Oh my Satan, look at my baby! He's so perfect!" the country imp mimicked her sister's voice, followed by giggles from both parties. 

"She also said, "He's gonna be so wonderful. I can't wait to see what he grows up to be."" Sallie ruffled the hair between Tucker's horns as he looked up at her with his doe eyes. Shit! He looked just like her sister...But also so much like his father at the same time. 

"Point is, Tuck-Man, I think if everythin' goes right, they're gonna be so excited 'n proud of ya. They already are, and I can only see that goin' up from here. So don't beat yerself up, kiddo! Yer gonna do great-" 

All of a sudden, Millie peeped her head through the door, smirking from ear to ear her sister's way. "Hey..."

"Heyyyy...." Sallie copied hesitantly, knowing that evil little grin all too well, becoming even more scared when she saw the barrel of a water gun pointed right at her, squirting her before she could duck, with Millie running away before her younger sister could react. Damn right, Calliope got her personality from her mother. 

"MILDRED! THE HELL IMMA GET YA FER THAT!" Sallie started to head towards the door, only to poke her head back inside at Tucker, who was getting up to grab seconds. "Hey, and just fer the record, Tuck, I'm proud of ya. And I believe in ya. Ya got this!"

"...Thanks, Nanny." 

"Anytime, kid. Now, Imma go kill the everlovin' hell outta yer mother." Sallie sang, closing the door to run after Millie for a water gun war. 

Tucker smiled, re-playing his aunt's words in his head. Sallie was a "favorite aunt" among them. She always seemed to have the best advice for any scenario, especially if Tucker, Russell, or even Calliope didn't want to ask their mom and dad for fear of getting in trouble. She always had their backs, and Tucker had no reason to believe she was steering him wrong this time. It was only a matter of time now, and he had weeks to tell his parents about his potential new journey, depending on those results.

When he closed the fridge to grab sauce, a picture taped to the chrome appliance caught his eye, featuring his parents with him at his most recent award ceremony at school, both smiling and looking proud that their "baby" had achieved so much. 

Hopefully, that'd extend to the rest of the many accomplishments he had on his bucket list, but observing his mom giving his dad a wet hug outside through the large glass window, he had no doubt that they'd be ecstatic. 

Notes:

Hey guys!

It's my Helluva Boss birthday today! A year ago today, I finally gave in and decided to give it a watch!.......And now it's what gives me joy everyday☺️

Yeah, I was immediately hooked😅

But anyway, I just want to thank you all who support me and my writing in this fandom. You don't know how much it means to me that so many people have read this, as I originally believed it wouldn't get very far. But you've all been so nice and kind, and I really do appreciate every comment and kudo that I get! So thank you guys!😊❤️

My first prompt for March should be coming late next week. So until next time, have a great week and take care!

Chapter 43: Bundle of Joy & Sorrow

Summary:

A couple in Wrath encounter a great loss and a tiny miracle...

Notes:

Week 1 of Mox Madness! Hosted by @metisleigh on Bluesky!

Prompt: Early Life (Newborn - 12 years old)

Big, BIG trigger warning for this one, guys...

Warnings for:
- Stillbirth
Please do not proceed if this is too much. I understand. Your well-being is more important to me🫶...

"Mrs. Astuto-Vinci...I am so, so sorry...I promise we did everything we possibly could."

Luisa stayed still, not turning to face the doctor addressing her, not having any energy or motivation to do anything.

"...We uhm, we informed your husband of all of this as well, so you wouldn't have to. Our care team will continue to monitor you throughout the following days and nights. We  also would like to offer counseling for both you and your husband whenever needed."

It was apparent that she wouldn't respond, and Luisa's bodyguard waved a hand, shooing the doctor away before her accent permeated the air, interrupting his exit. 

"What about the little one?" her voice found the strength to speak, even if weak in tone. "My other little one...what happened to my other baby?"

The doctor shared a look with the nurses in the room, keeping watch of their patient and tidying up more from their procedure. It wasn't quite a look of concern, but rather one of pity paired with hesitance to give her the answer she was asking for.  

"I will not lie to you, ma'am...I'm not confident that he'll make it through the night; however, our care team that specializes in premature babies is working on him around the clock, making sure we're giving him everything we've got." He ended his sentence there, contemplating if he should go further. He had already relayed all of the vital information to her husband, but something told him that it wouldn't be right to hide her child's true condition from a grieving mother already going through so much.

"And, ma'am...I feel it would be unethical of me not to tell you, but even if he does survive, I cannot say if he'll grow to live a life like the rest of us." Finally, his patient turned over to look him in the eyes, showing off the bags she'd grown just within the last 48 hours. Though he couldn't blame or judge her.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"...This was a severe case. We're unable to tell yet how much the transfusion syndrome affected him. He's significantly underweight, yes, but in the long run, we'll have to wait and see if there were any other damages in terms of development or oxygen. In certain cases, these children may never walk, talk, or function on their own."

Luisa stared back at him for only seconds more before laying her head back down on the pillow, turning over again. "And my husband?...You've told him all of this?"

"Yes, ma'am. He knows. We asked if he'd like to see the children, but he refused. If you'd feel comfortable doing so, I'd like to extend the chance to you. I know that sounds...morbid and difficult at a time like this, but many parents regret not saying goodbye. I'll give you some time to consider it."

Then again, he started to head towards the door, giving his client time to decide what she'd like to do and, most importantly, get some rest. As he made a foot out the door, just a few steps more than he previously took, his ears caught Luisa's voice yet again directed right at him. 

"I'll do it...I want to see them. Immediately." 

"...I'll arrange someone to come and get you, ma'am. Sit tight." He confirmed right as he softly closed the door, and Luisa allowed tears to start falling from her eyes at everything that happened to her in the past day. A traumatizing experience that'd haunt her for the rest of her days. This wasn't how she wanted her life to go. Then again, her life never happened how she wanted. But this, this was the worst nightmare of it all. 

How did this happen? Why? Why to her? She always thought she was a good person, to demon standards, that is. Why would Satan curse her like this? 

She and her husband were expecting twin boys, a true blessing from Satan and Lucifer themselves. They were happy. They were elated, actually. Excited to bring twins into their lives. TWINS! To their knowledge, neither had a history of multiples on either side of the family, and learning the boys were identical made their adventure all the more thrilling. 

Everything was going well, and as far as they knew, they would soon have two healthy, happy, identical boys to raise in their home. Then, a week ago, Luisa slowly started to notice that the movement from her pregnancy was occurring less and slower. She hadn't originally thought much of it, believing that it was due to limited space in the womb. There were two of them crammed into a tiny space, after all. Then, just about two nights ago, there was blood soaking into her sheets, and in her demonic mother's heart, she knew immediately...

The guilt flooded her veins as she stared down into that small, cooled bassinet. Realistically, she couldn't have known, but how could she not have? She was his mother, their mother. It was her job to protect them and bring them into the world safely...

"Take as much time as you want. Call for us if you need anything." The doctor recited, leaving the room of two souls and a tiny, still impling lying in his forever cot. Luisa's eyes refused to leave him, scrambling to burn his image into her brain as she knew she'd never see him again. Never see him grow up...Or his brother...

She wept, sniffled, let it all out, not caring that she was now mourning her old self at the same time as her children. Her bodyguard placed her hands on her master's shoulders, allowing her own tears to leak. She watched her mistress for nine months prepare for the boys, growing more and more ready to welcome her implings just to watch that reality be ripped away from her. And for what? Satan and Lucifer themselves could never give her a suitable reason for such a distressing fate. 

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," she attempted to comfort, not knowing what else to say. 

Luisa heard her but hadn't acknowledged her words, focusing all her grief and attention on her son in front of her, running a finger over his cold, pale, freckled cheek.

Just like hers...

"...I was so excited...Mis pequeños bebés" was all she could choke out for the remaining time they stayed in that room, aside from her cries that'd carry on for Satan knew how long, certainly, until her death. 

 

---

 

That night, when Luisa lay in her bed, crying herself to exhaustion, she wanted to be alone with no interruptions. Her husband refused to see her, she heard no word from her father, and all day long, she'd been poked and prodded at by doctors and nurses checking on her after almost two whole days of no sleep and pure fatigue from her 17-hour labor. However, hearing the urgency in her watch lady's voice in what she could only describe as a hurry was enough to bring her out of sleep, even if she was still mildly annoyed. 

"Ma'am! Miss Luisa!" her bodyguard shook her, whispering in a hectic tone.

Luisa groaned, slowly stretching and opening her eyes to her dark bedroom. "Chiara? What's the matter?" 

"It's Baby B," she sat on the bed, with a look in her eyes that told the country imp something was happening. However, despite everything that happened, Luisa didn't sense bad or tragic news of any kind. "Some nurses were just talking in the hall. Baby B's vitals improved within the span of a few hours...They're starting to medicate him to help." Chiara tried filling in her boss to the best of her ability, not hesitating to help her client out of bed and into her nighttime robe as she started walking towards the door, eager to get to her other baby as soon as possible. 

Both women burst the bedroom doors open, Luisa rushing slower than usual, still being sore from birth, with Chiara watching her closely, following her to the doctor's quarters of the mansion. "Woah, woah! Madam! I know this is serious news, but you cannot be out-," A nurse tried protesting before Luisa interrupted her, not stopping or slowing her stride down the hall.

"I can 'n I will! I need to be with my baby!"

Hours ago, she visited her other baby, "Baby B," and watched as he fought for his life, attached to several wires and machines poking out of his underweight body. She thought looking at her deceased son was hard enough, but watching his little brother cling to life was even worse in her opinion. She never wanted to say goodbye to her babies, but there was a new fire inside her chest whispering to her that she told her little baby goodbye, and he was refusing to let go and allow death to take him with his brother. 

She shoved the large wooden doors open, alerting every doctor and nurse in the room crowded around the sick impling before immediately going back to working on him. "Mrs. Astuto-Vinci! You cannot be out of bed! You need rest!" Dr. Stone let another doctor take over his position to confront his patient, not denting her willpower to see her son.

"Maybe so. But my son needs me."

"B-but ma'am!"

"Dr. Stone," she turned to look him dead in the eyes with a look of sternness and determination - with some sleep deprivation too. "I want to stay out of y'all way. I want y'all to put your 100% into helping my baby. But I as a mother cannot stand by and keep going about my night knowing my child is fighting for his life...I'm staying," she demanded, and he knew she was not going to change her mind. Luisa was a strong woman, inside and out, and it seemed that her little one inherited that very trait to stand up and fight with everything he had. 

He nodded to her, heading back to his other patient, instructing a standby nurse to set up a comfortable chair for her. All the while, she stared intently at the impling lying in the incubator, praying telepathy from mother to baby was real, sending him messages and pleas to keep fighting as hard as he could...

'Come on, baby! Come on, little one! Fight!...Fight!...FIGHT!...'

 

---

 

1 Year Later

"Madam! You're back late!" Chiara ran to her boss, worried as she'd been gone for almost the entire day. It was already hard enough to allow her lady to leave without her AND with little Moxxie along with her, but Luisa insisted that she run her errands alone. Much to Chiara's relief, they were both safe and sound. 

"Apologies, dear. I know you were worried." The older imp patted her bodyguard's head right between the horns before handing her young impling to her, who only stopped crying hours after she finished her business. 

"He's quite warn out, but would you please put him to bed for me? He's already eaten, so don't worry. Has Crimson returned yet?"

"Of course, ma'am. No, he's still out." 

To that, Luisa nodded before heading to her room to bathe and get herself ready for a long night. Both she and her son had a long day, and she was oddly convinced that her little Moxxie would wail often during the night after the never-ending cry fest he put on for her today on their way home. She was considering calling a doctor first thing in the morning due to her anxiety that something was wrong with her baby. He'd never cried like that in his entire life, not even when his tiny lungs grew in the NICU enough to scream and whimper out. 

And the circumstances were far too weird. 

The Wrath woman prayed that she'd be incorrect, that her little one would sleep soundly after tiring himself out, and that she could have a quick chat with her husband and get some rest. Speaking of the devil, the door to her private bath slowly opened, and her tired husband stepped inside, finding her eyes as she soaked in the large bathtub filled with warm water and bubbles overflowing from the top. 

"You're back earlier than expected, dear."

"Yeah...I ended up taking the deal...Mainly just cause I couldn't focus..." Crimson muttered, taking off his coat and belt, confusing his wife.

"What are you doin'?"

"Gettin in with ya"

"...What for?"

"Just wanna spend some time with ya is all..." Crim set his hat and belt on the vanity, watching her for a sign of disapproval. Instead, she nodded in agreement, relaxing into the bubbles again before he joined in, descending far into the water enough to catch him off guard, splashing the both. Crimson came back up, soaking wet and stunned, unamused by his wife's poorly hidden laughter and broken giggles.

"...I meant to do that!"

"Sure ya did," the female of the pair teased in a sarcastic voice, finding her partner's crooked tail in the water. "I'll give you a pass. The tub's deep."

"Obviously, it ain't my fault. You're just so fuckin' tall," Crim caught himself before saying another word, not in the mood to insult his wife after the week and day they'd both had. "...Sorry." 

"You're forgivin'..."

Silence fell onto them after that, neither wanting to say anything more as their next conversation would be one of a much different tone that they were not ready to face yet, until Luisa decided to take it upon herself to start. 

"...The assassin said she'd do it." She adjusted herself in the tub, staring at her reflection in the water. "She wouldn't take any payment from me. She said it'd be done on Tuesday."

"...Guess that settles that then. Though, we should keep watchin' our backs til it's confirmed they're dead." Crimson responded, wiping some wet hair out of his face and silently sighing in relief that they'd actually found someone willing to do the deed for them after countless failed attempts at hiring somebody.

Luisa felt the same. They'd been dangerously stressed recently with everything going on. But it was done as far as they knew. Now, they had to wait for the assassin to do her thing, and then they could go on with their lives...

".....Ya know. With everything that's happened, I've been thinking about it a lot. I don't think I want another child in our lives." Luisa confessed, taking out her hair clip and allowing her long black waves to hit the water. "Not that I don't love Moxxie, but I'm content with our lives as is. And with our fathers gone and the dust settling, I feel like we'll be able to give him a normal life...Besides. It's been a year, and I'm still...struggling with you know what." She had to compose herself to finish, drying the faintest tears from her eyes, waiting for her husband's response. 

"...I can't disagree...It's been a long fuckin' year. And even if we wanted to, it ain't good for us just to...I ain't even gonna finish that." 

Crim didn't like to show his feelings much, especially to his wife, but the mob boss even had to admit to himself that losing their other son was difficult for him. That's coming from a man that didn't bat an eye at killing an innocent soul. Luisa never poked at him for it, understanding where he was coming from. They talked about it a handful of times, and even when they did, they always danced around it, not wanting to say much or refer to what happened by name.

She took care of most of the child care with Moxxie, and her surviving son had barely lived life as is, not only because he was so young but because most of his young life was spent in the hospital until his doctors deemed him healthy enough to leave. She couldn't see herself or her husband overcoming their grief anytime soon, and they needed time to spend with their baby, teaching him things and raising him. Having another wasn't even a thought in their minds despite the previous threats from their parents to do so. 

Their Moxxie came first. 

"Maybe I'll change my mind later, but...I like our family as is now. I want us to focus on Moxxie."

"...Then that's what we'll do." 

Crimson gave her a small smile that she returned, happy they were both on the same page.

Unfortunately for the couple, they had no idea that it would not be too long after that that page would burn along with everything they'd built for themselves and their son...

Notes:

Hiya guys! Sorry if the editing is all over the place. I am just WHIPPED tonight!😭

Sorry this one's a little short. I've been visiting family, and I've been particularly busy this week. However, in the grand scheme of things, the details in this are important later on.

And PEEP! A new character has entered the chat👀.......

We'll be seeing a lot more of Chiara later on! She plays a big part in some other fics I have in the making.

Go ahead and give Metis a follow on Bluesky, and go give some of her AO3 fics a read! Super talented writer!

I'll see y'all later this week!

Chapter 44: A "Sweet" 16

Summary:

Got a pretty long one today guys!

Moxxie turns 16 years old, prompting Crimson to try to find him a wife.

Notes:

Week 2 of Mox Madness!

Prompt: Mafia/Teen Life (13 - 19 years old)

Warnings:
- This one includes a lot of misogyny and some homophobia.
- Also I don't want to spoil much or gross y'all out, but if the topic of...umm...liquid human chocolate grosses y'all out or makes y'all queasy maybe consider being careful around the end😭

Moxxie sat in bed, cozied up in his pajamas with the blankets pulled up to his chest with a book in hand. The only light in the large room came from the nightstand table lamp and the dimmed streak of sunlight coming through the tiny gap in the curtains. He usually liked to wake up at least half an hour earlier than scheduled to get some reading in, as the older he became, the less time he found for himself. 

He'd just finished a chapter when a soft knock could be heard on one of the doors to the room, and he closed his novel to see his bodyguard walk in with something in her hands that he couldn't make out yet. 

"Good morning, young sir. I figured this may give you a good start to the day." She walked to his side of the bed, holding a bread and butter plate with a cupcake on it that held a singular lit candle. Moxxie took the small plate handed to him with a soft smile, blowing the candle out seconds after, followed by his guest lightly clapping her hands echoing off the bedroom walls filled with blue and green wallpaper. 

"Happy birthday, sir."

"Thank you, Chiara," Moxxie bit into the pastry, while the female imp headed to begin her duties of opening and tying back the curtains and going into the large closet to grab her master's suit for the day. 

"And what an important birthday it is. I was putting you down for your naps when you were a newborn. Now you're 16." Chiara chimed, coming out of the closet with a suit and tie, carefully putting them down on the end of the large bed and heading over to the chest of drawers to fetch the appropriate medals Crimson wanted his son to wear that night. 

Moxxie observed as she worked, going back and forth, not hesitating or skipping a step. After years of doing this song and dance every morning, Chiara was always ready to go and on top of things. Moxxie wasn't aware of her full story, but he hadn't known life without Chiara in it. His knowledge of her role in this family was that she started off being his mother's bodyguard, and once his mother vanished, she became his nanny. As he grew up, she took the role as his own personal maid and bodyguard. 

Though he was trying to become more independent. Not that he wasn't grateful for Chiara's work and help, but he didn't feel it was morally right to have her waiting on him hand and foot as his father did with their other maids. He didn't want to use her like Crimson did with all their other employees around the house. After all, she was the one who took care of him most of his life. She deserved a break now that he was getting older.

"Everything alright, sir?"

"O-oh. Yes, just thinking of everything that's scheduled for today is all."

"Well, there isn't much that you have to do between this morning and tonight. I ironed your suit yesterday, I'm about to go start breakfast with Debra, and once you're finished getting dressed and ready, your father says he wants to see you immediately in the dining room." Chiara rattled off, holding out her hand to take the empty plate with he cupcake wrapper from Moxxie's hands.

"I'll be out soon. I'll go shower and get dressed."

"Very well. I'll relay that to him. I'll see you in a while." She nodded before leaving Moxxie alone where he plopped down on his back, arms spread out on the wide mattress, sighing. To him, his birthdays were mostly like any other day. In fact, their "celebrations" felt more like business deals for his father, who orchestrated these extravagant parties in the name of his "Boy's birthday," where all his business partners and desired alliances would gather to "celebrate." 

He was grateful that his father did anything, but they felt more like parties and get-togethers for Crimson than they did for Moxxie. He didn't have any friends, so most of the time, he was left to his own devices during these balls. The staff of the mansion made more of an honor out of his birthday than his own father did, decorating the house and cooking his favorite foods and desserts for his day to bring a smile to his face on their own accord as Crimson never asked them to do so. Of course, they did the same for their boss's birthday as well, but they never left out his son, which Moxxie was grateful for.

Looking in the mirror as he finished gelling his hair back, he stared at himself, trying to pep talk himself into getting through the day and the party tonight, not looking forward to another mostly lonely birthday. Especially not looking forward to having his father request to speak with him, as those conversations rarely went well.

"Happy birthday, young sir."

"Happy birthday, sir."

Several housemaids greeted Moxxie as he walked through the mansion to the dining room. He waved and gave a small smile back. "Thank you. I appreciate it." he continued repeating to everyone until he was met with the large doors, with his father's muffled voice pouring from behind. Well, he wasn't screaming. He didn't have a raised voice. That was certainly a good sign. He carefully walked in just to play it safe in case he'd interpreted Crimson's tone of voice incorrectly.

"Ahh! Mox! There ya are. Happy birthday, kid!" 

Moxxie walked to his designated place at the dining table while Crimson held out a new cigar for Alessio to light, as he did every morning at breakfast.

"Thank you, Dad," he replied, sitting in his usual chair just in time for when Chiara and another maid served breakfast. Before either could start eating, Crimson puffed his cigar and instantly started talking to Moxxie about the business of the day. Despite Crimson's rule of "no talk of business before dinner," the two commonly spoke of business during breakfast to get a head start on their responsibilities for the day. However, Crim's insistence on speaking right away threw Moxxie off. He knew his dad well enough to know something was happening soon. 

"Ok, son. It's time you and I have a father-and-son chat. Ya'know, with you turning 16 and all that. You might be getting engaged this weekend." Crimson came out with it like it was the most normal conversation in the world, while Moxxie paused before he could take a bite of anything, shocked at his father's news and nonchalance. 

"...Come again, sir?"

"Look, I know this is all of a sudden, but here's the deal, son. In a few years, it'll be time for ya to be inducted into the family. At some point after that, you'll need ta have a wife so ya can produce an heir for yourself once I'm gone and you're the boss. And boy, do I have the perfect opportunity for this family!" 

The whole time, Moxxie stared wide-eyed at the old mafia boss sitting beside him while his brain struggled to process what he just heard. Come to think of it, was he understanding his father correctly? A wife? As in a whole MARRIAGE?! He just turned 16, not even 16 yet if you take hours into consideration since he was born in the afternoon.

Every demon he met always complimented Crimson on how mature his son was for his young age, which he never passed the opportunity to take credit for, but married? Moxxie didn't believe for a second that he was ready for that, despite everything he'd been forced to do in his youth. 

However, the young heir couldn't say he was all that shocked either, as it wasn't uncommon for his father to put everyone else at risk to get something he wanted, even his own son. 

"So, just to give ya the details, that other mafia family on the other side of the ring. That one I owe money to. Well, turns out he's got a lot of alliances who are ready to take us out if we don't pay em back soon. He's got a daughter your age. I reached out and offered to marry you two off to each other, and that way, we ain't gotta pay no one back, and the best part is both families get an heir out of it in the end. The don's coming to the party tonight with some other members of their mob. You'll get to meet him."

"...And...his daughter?" Moxxie choked out, swallowing down panic and tears that he felt bubbling inside of him. 

"What about her?"

"Well...Is she coming as well?"

"Nah! Just him and the other mafia members. That's all." 

"O-...Ok...What's her name?"

"Hell if I know. I never met the broad. All I know is that she's the same age as you." Crimson eyed his son, recognizing the look he had in his eyes that he couldn't stand. That glassy look of weakness and disrespect that was truly one of fear and anxiety instead. "Don't you fucking dare," he snarled. "I know that face and don't even think for a second of acting like a puss or embarrassing me in front of your future father-in-law."

"I-it's nothing like that, sir. Promise," the freckled boy spit out, quickly slipping on a mask to hide his true feelings about the situation. "I want to know about this girl if I'm marrying her, is al-"

"You're gonna find out eventually! So, like I said, just focus on making a good impression this weekend." Crimson ended the conversation, switching his attention to his plate as did Moxxie, followed by several quiet minutes from everything except the sounds of forks and knives scraping china. 

"Cheer up, kiddo! It'll all work out in the end!" Crimson came out with it, still seeing the misunderstood glassiness in his son's golden eyes. "Look at it this way. Your mother and I were engaged at 13! Way younger than you are now, and tell ya what. I, for one, am certainly not picky about when you two produce an heir as long as I'm still alive whenever that happens. So ya don't even gotta worry about fuckin'! It's a win-win for you, son!" Crimson patted Moxxie on the shoulder, whereas the young firearms expert was coughing from almost choking on a piece of cantaloupe.

"W-wh-what?!" he finally asked, clearing his throat. 

"Ya know. The baby-making part of marriage, son," Crimson continued on, not even alarmed by Moxxie's reaction. "Ta tell ya the truth, it's overhyped. Nobody really 'enjoys' fucking. It's just another responsibility we gotta check off our lists in these families." 

"Dad, could we please not talk about this?"

"Why? You do know what sex is, right? Chiara, you've given him the talk, right?"

"He was given that lesson when he was 10, sir." 

"Good. Better than me! My parents left me to figure it out all by myself. See how much I do for ya, Mox?"

Moxxie's eye twitched as Crimson took a sip of his coffee. Discussing sex and his father unknowingly revealing to everyone in the room that he had no idea how sex worked was not on his bucket list, and certainly not the conversation he wanted to have this morning. 

"Anyways, Mox, my point is, if you wanna wait a decade, go ahead! Your mother and I got married at 18, waited ta have you at 21 cause that's what was best for us!"

Moxxie couldn't put his finger on it, but something told him that wasn't exactly why they "waited."

"Although your grandfathers were pushing us as early as on our wedding night to try and have kids, but we refused. I normally wouldn't give the bitch any credit, but in your mother's defense, she wasn't a slut like other Wrathians...There's a life tip for ya, Mox. Stay away from Wrath girls, especially those broads who come from the farmlands. They ain't nothin' but walking red flags..."

This was far from the first time that Crimson spoke ill of Wrath people, which was hilarious coming from the man who married and had a son with a woman from the dusty rusty ring. By now, Moxxie could recite lines said by his father about his excuses and the common degrading, disgusting views this man held of Wrath women and women in general that the young imp dare not say.

"Your mother was different. She had money, and she came from the "good side" of Wrath...She wasn't a hick like those other dust bunnies from up there...Those Wrathians are dangerous I tell ya, Mox...Savages...Sluts...Beasts...The lowest demons in Hell"...And on and on and on...

"-And that Moxxie is why all Wrathian women are good for are four things: Killing whoever ya need gone, being good eye candy, being a warm hole, and carrying seed. Just remember that."

"I-...I think I could have lived without hearing those last two, Dad," he replied, zoning back in regretfully on the last part of his father's rant, having to hear the continuous vile things Crimson had to say.

"What? It's the truth! Those are the important rules my father taught me, and now I'm passing the information on to you! You'll thank me later for not setting you up with one of those. Not that I'd allow ya to breed with a fucking hick any way." He snapped his fingers for his empty dishes to be taken away by one of the maids before standing up to tend to the leftover work that needed attention before the party.

"Moral of the story, Moxxie, is that farmgirls are whores. More than the average woman is. So be grateful that I took it upon myself to find you a broad from a different background than your mother! I'll see you tonight, son. Remember, don't embarrass me."

Once Crimson had walked out of the dining room, Moxxie sat unmoving, picking at his breakfast that he'd been previously so excited to dig into. The semi-good, optimistic attitude he had towards his 16th birthday was now ruined. Not only was he likely going to be engaged to a girl he'd never met, didn't know, had no clue what her name was or what she was like by the end of the weekend, but it was yet another reminder that his own father didn't give two shits - if any at all - about him or his wellbeing. Their own maids cared more about him than his own dad, and that always stung deep. 

Besides that, he knew that this potential future marriage was already destined to start off on the wrong foot, even if the poor girl was lovely. Going into his teen years, learning more about himself as a demon, Moxxie had known for a while now that he was attracted to men. Only he knew of it as well, a secret he kept to himself, knowing the backlash that would drop on top of him if it were revealed. His father was obnoxiously homophobic, and so was the nature of the mafia. Homosexual activity and individuals were heavily looked down on and even shunned sometimes. 

Could today get any shittier? It was far from the first birthday that the young sniper would be disappointed in, and with his luck, it wouldn't be the last.

 

---

 

"Ready for the medals, young sir?"

"Yes. Ready whenever you are." 

Moxxie stood in front of the large mirror in his bedroom, tightening his tie, flattening out his suit, and triple-checking his face and hair to make sure he looked perfectly put together before heading to his "party." For these events, Crimson demanded that he and his son be dressed to the nines, and that meant wearing their medals consisting of their mob family's crest and any badges awarded to them. He was too young to have many, but Moxxie was honored with three due to his firearm talents on the field, which were very respected skills for mafia work. 

"...Don't be nervous," Chiara whispered, pinning his decorations on his suit jacket. "You'll make a great first impression, sir." She was trying to make him feel better, as she always did, but with something as frightening and anxiety-inducing as what was happening tonight, even she couldn't do much to subdue her master's feelings. 

"It's not that...I...just don't...I can't say I'm happy about the situation I'm being forced into." Moxxie sighed. His nanny knew that this was a rather difficult predicament. All his life, she watched as Crimson tormented him, used him as a pawn, and put him in dangerous situations, and it always made her blood boil. Perhaps it was because, over the years, she had begun to see Moxxie as her own baby in a way. Maybe it was due to her role as his bodyguard, holding that instinct to protect him at all costs. It didn't matter anymore, though. She knew there wasn't much she could say that would cheer him up. 

She smiled and hummed, thinning out his coat once she finished pinning everything, getting a confused look from the younger imp. "You look handsome, sir."

"I'd hope to look decent enough. I spent about an hour getting ready."

"Better an hour than 5 minutes," she chuckled, still hoping to bring even a tiny smile to his face and failing. Again, she couldn't blame him. "...You just...You're so grown up is all I'm trying to say. I presume that calling you 'young sir' is no longer appropriate." 

She didn't see it at first glance, but at that, a soft, slight smile did grace his lips, thinking back on how long he'd been called by that title. He didn't like it. But no matter how much he tried, Crimson insisted that his staff refer to his son with "respect." 

"You've known me long enough...I'm content with you calling me 'Moxxie.'" 

"I would if your father would allow it...Now then, at least try to have some fun tonight...Moxxie sir"

"I'll try my best," Moxxie smiled back as Chiara wiped away an eyelash from his cheek. For a final time, he gathered his feelings and took a deep breath before heading downstairs to meet his father for the limo. 

 

---

 

Oftentimes, Moxxie would daydream about the experiences he could have had if he was born into a different life. So often, it was depressing to think about. 

What did other demons do for their birthdays?

What was it like to have an ordinary birthday party?

What was it like to have friends celebrating with you rather than an entire ballroom filled with people you didn’t know?

It must have been nice to have a birthday cake and presents instead of alcohol and cigarettes. 

There was always a lingering awkwardness about these parties that Crimson would throw. Balls to “celebrate” Moxxie, who was left by himself with no one to talk to unless some mafia don or gang member decided to strike conversation.

Other than that, he stood next to the dessert table, taking a miniature fruit tart onto a small glass plate to occupy himself. 

“Champagne, young sir?” A server carrying a silver tray with flute glasses offered a drink to the teen. 

Moxxie took a glass of bubbling and cold blanc de blancs, thanking them before going back to enjoying his own company again.

When he turned 14, Crimson started pushing his son to take part in “manly” activities, including smoking and drinking, despite his young age. As you could probably guess, refusing these pressures didn’t end well and Moxxie accepted it was simply easier to just give in and suck it up. 

He couldn’t stand the taste and smell of smoke, but he’d put up with it to avoid any punishments. 

“There he is!” That scratchy, familiar voice sounded before an arm wrapped around Moxxie’s shoulder. “My pride and joy! The best fucking sharp shooter you’ll find in the seven rings! Rich, this is my boy, Moxxie!” Crimson bragged to another taller, larger, buffer imp than he and Moxxie combined. 

And just his luck, he already had a hunch as to who this was based on Crimson’s attitude. 

“Ah! So this is the son I’ve been hearing about!…You’re a lot scrawnier than I imagined, but I guess I can overlook that.” Rich, the infamous don that Crimson owed money to, looked Moxxie up and down, almost judging the boy. He held out a large claw that Moxxie accepted with his free hand, shaking it to be polite. 

“Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

“At least he’s got manners, Crim. That’s good. You already know how I handle disrespectful scum.”

“Well, you’ll never have to worry about that, I’ll tell ya! I raised my boy the right way! To be a man and to be a respectable man at that!…unless he meets a bitch who he needs to be knocked out, then he knows he has my full permission to do whatever he wants with the cunt!” 

Crim and Rich cackled loudly at his misogynistic comment that Moxxie reluctantly and awkwardly joined in on for the sake of avoiding any scolding later.

“On that point, boy, I’ll tell you right now that once you two get hitched, my daughter’s your property. Do whatever the fuck ya want with her. I don’t care.” 

As if the entire arranged marriage wasn’t bad enough. Moxxie didn’t even know what to say. Not only did he have to suffer with a vile father but an even worse father-in-law. How was it even possible to be worse than Crimson in the first place, he wondered. That poor, poor girl. Maybe, at the least, he could try to be a good partner to her to make up for her horrendous father. 

“I- I will ensure that your daughter is more than well taken care of, sir.” Moxxie nervosuly replied. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure ya will, kid. Just make sure she takes care of you, if ya know what I mean.” Rich winked, earning another laugh from Crimson, whereas Moxxie had to channel his inner restraint to not make a face that would alert either mob boss. However, he swore that he threw up in his mouth a little bit, thus initiating the rest of the night’s events of Rich and Crimson’s back-and-forth crass joking around, sexist comments, and Moxxie trying to ask questions about his potential future bride and being blown off for HOURS.

It was impossible for Moxxie to keep track of how many times the words whore, slut, cunt, broad, bitch, etc were used. More than he’d like to hear. Oh, how many times he had imagined himself suffocating or choking his father to death for talking like that about his mother and other women. 

Eventually, the two men decided to go talk more with other gang members where Crimson could show off more of his assets to Rich to really sell the deal, leaving Moxxie there seething with rage and frustration at both men and the shitty situation. He saw another server carrying around a tray of whiskey glasses nearby and decided it didn’t matter anymore what he consumed at the moment after that disastrous conversation. 

“Excuse me, Claus, but have any servers been instructed to pass around tobacco products yet?”

“Unfortunately, not yet, young master. We weren’t instructed to do that until 9:00.” He lowered down the tray for Moxxie to take a glass, and the young imp immediately went to sipping on it, not caring about the sting of fire sliding down his esophagus. 

“Very well. I’ll go have my own outside.” 

At this point, things could only get worse. He was praying to Satan above that by some miraculous, demonic miracle, that Rich would set Crimson off terribly enough to discourage him from marrying him off, and if he would get an extra birthday wish, he’d hang that sexist bastard's horns on the wall like all his other victims.

 

---

 

Finally, as the evening was over, Moxxie turned on his lamp again for the day, picking up his sappy romance novel, desperate to see if the two enemies would turn into lovers in the next chapter or perhaps the one after that. But before he could start reading, a knock was heard at the door, mildly irritating him. After the day he had, he wanted alone time with himself, Harry, and José. 

"Enter," he announced permission as Chiara carefully walked in as she did that morning, this time holding a large wrapped box. She always did her best to knock before going into her master's room. She always argued with everyone else that at their young master's age, privacy was important. Crimson never took her advice, but at least she tried.

"Apologies. Some of the other women of the house and I got you a gift. I wanted to make sure you got it on your actual birthday," she explained, walking up to the bed. 

"Oh? Thank you. That's very kind-" Moxxie started, taking the box from her hands, mistakingly underestimating how heavy it was. "Whatever it is, it's heavy," he laughed it off.

"That's most likely due to the packaging. The overall product shouldn't be too difficult for you to carry and clean." Chiara stood explaining herself as Moxxie tore the wrapping paper off, revealing a cardboard box with a record player inside. A very expensive and nice record player as he immediately recognized the brand.

"You've been collecting those discs. We thought you'd enjoy playing them on your own."

Moxxie was at a complete loss for words but a smiling mess. If Chiara had to guess, this was probably the most genuine smile he'd done all day. "I- I don't know what to say...Tell everyone involved 'Thank You' for me."

"Absolutely. I'll put it on your desk." she picked up the device from out of the box, setting it on his writing desk before taking the torn paper and cardboard box from the bed and heading out the room, wishing her client a good night before he went back to his self-indulgent reading, though now unable to pay attention knowing he had his own way to play the music he wanted now. 

His father never bought the boy a gift. Nothing whatsoever. He didn't have enough fingers to count all the times he'd heard crimson say, "I'm the reason you're even alive. You should be thanking me for that!" Even if Crimson refused to truly celebrate him, it felt nice to know that at least some of their staff had kind souls, enough to pay attention to his likes and dislikes, enough to pick a gift for him. 

He had that to cling onto. At least for now...

 

---

 

The Following Morning

"I'll tell ya! If I could just take over the entire ring, I would! I'd put those rodents in their place!" Rich laughed along with the other men at the table while they were having breakfast. Well, MOST of the men at the table, Moxxie being the only outlier.

Thank Satan everyone was too busy chatting and paying attention to their guests so he could roll his eyes without being beaten or called out. And thank whoever came up with gloves because he was positive his knuckles were turning light pink from how hard he had been clutching onto his fork from the bigoted ideas and opinions being shared between all of them. 

"And did you hear about those whores up there talking about how they deserve respect? HA! The fucking rats in the sewer deserve more respect than those Wrathian hicks. I'm telling you, those women are just that. Women. The day they deserve respect is the day that sinners can be redeemed!"

"We all know the truth. The only good things about them are their strength, looks, and holes." Two men went back and forth before Crimson chimed in, patting Moxxie on the shoulder. 

"That's exactly what I told my boy! They're nothing but trouble! Ask me about his mother. But at least she wasn't some barn rat. She came from class and money. Rare for that ring."

"Yeah, you got the right idea, Crim. If you're gonna fuck 'em, make sure they aren't gonna try any funny business. Those dust bunnies carry all kinds of diseases. And if they think you're gullible enough, they'll claim you knocked them up to get some cash outta you. Happened to me plenty of times," Rich boasted with a smirk, taking another bite of eggs as all the others who were actually interested started cackling away and asking questions about these instances that Moxxie was sure were either made up to boost his own ego, or true but twisted to also pump his own fragile ego. 

"They're all sluts! I'm telling you. And you can't tame a whore! Those fucking hillbil-" A loud gurgle pierced the air, forcing Rich to pause his sentence, followed by an unsettling, sudden cold sweat starting in his hooves and forehead. 

"Ay, you alright, Rich?" Crimson piped up, suspicious of their guest's out of the blue, trembling in his seat.

"Y-yeah. I-...I just...I got cold feet all of a-" he stopped again at a much louder rumble, only this time he crouched over holding his stomach that panicked everyone at the table, even including Moxxie. Although his "panic" could be better described as confusion.

Crimson started yelling for Chiara and some of the other women known to be in the kitchen at this time of day while Rich's bodyguards and other members of his mob huddled around their boss. "The hell happened in there this morning! Did y'all put something in the food!?" Crim lost his temper at the three women who came rushing in, sending their oldest cook into a frenzy at the scene before her. 

"N-no, sir! We followed the orders given to us! No dairy! None! We made sure of it!"

"Obvisoulsy fucking not! Look at the man!"

"Sir! I promise you! We only provided dairy-free creamer for breakfast today to avoid this!"

Chiara interrupted both of her bosses to add input. "Sir. If I may, Butch, Crunch, and two other guests have the same allergy. Yet they all seem to be doing alright."

Crimson looked at his two henchmen and the other members of the opposite gang. And she was correct. No one else was exhibiting any signs of a reaction except for Rich, who was now running out of the dining room and to the adjacent room, unbuckling his belt the entire time while his own mafia followed him as well as Crimson's own men once their boss started yelling after him. 

"NO! NO NO NO NO! NOT ON MY FUCKING EXPENSIVE CARPET YOU FUCKING CUNT SUCKER! RICH IF YA SHIT ALL OVER MY HOUSE I'M CALLIN THIS DEAL OFF!"

Crimson screamed, quickly getting up to follow his sharks, hearing sounds of pain and agony and...well, the symphonies of gas paired with violent squelching and squooshing joined the noises of demons screeching. Upon hearing the commotion, Moxxie covered his mouth in shock, knowing what was happening in the front room, and he did NOT want to see. 

"Moxxie, my boy, stay here! I can't have ya being traumatized by this bafoon's inability to control his intestines!" Crimson ordered, running out of the room, followed by two of the other cooks, leaving Moxxie and Chiara alone. 

"...Oh no," her soft voice filled the air. "I suppose you won't be getting engaged after all, sir." Chiara turned to her master with an unusually large grin on her face, but Moxxie couldn't tell if it was one of innocence or malace. He was betting on the latter. 

He gave her a smile back, believing this was her way of getting him out of the situation. "Thank you, Chiara."

"Whatever for, sir?" 

"....O-oh. Nothing much...Just for breakfast."

"You're welcome, sir...Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No. Everything is absolutely perfect as is," Moxxie purred, turning back to his plate, taking far too much pleasure in the racket and Crimson's screaming that could still be heard from the living space. He was sure the smile he held stretched from ear to ear, and his day had just gotten a whole lot better.

"Glad to hear it. Don't forget about your appointment at the shooting range this afternoon." Chiara finished before heading back to the kitchen as Moxxie finished breakfast in bliss and - mostly - the silence he'd been craving all weekend, taking a small mental note to never get snippy with or piss his bodyguard off. 

In the end, he had to admit, it ended up being an ok birthday after all. 

Chapter 45: A Positive Change

Summary:

Millie panics as she notices that she's gained a few pounds since getting married. Onyx helps her realize it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Just to mention, guys, this fic is about viewing your body in a negative light.
- Implications of toxic relationships.

“Bye, honey!” Moxxie grabbed his bag, embroidered with music notes, and his copy of their apartment keys. “I’m heading to Steve’s! Love you!”

“Love ya, hun! Have fun!” Millie yelled back from the bedroom as Moxxie unlocked their door to head out. Instead of stepping right onto their welcome mat, he became startled when he opened the door to Millie’s friend, Onyx, standing there with a fist formed as if she was preparing to knock. Both imps jumped at the surprise before realizing it was only each other there. 

“Sorry about that, Onyx. I wasn’t expecting to see you there,” Moxxie chuckled, moving out of the doorframe so she could walk in. 

“No problem, Mox guy. Millie in y’all’s room?”

“She is. I’m assuming you came over for her?” Moxxie asked just as his wife joined them in the main room of their small apartment. 

“I guess I fergot ta tell you. I invited her to come over fer a few hours.” Millie walked over to her husband, giving his a kiss on his spotted cheek. “Love you~ Have fun,” she purred, immediately shutting the door and locking it when Moxxie said his goodbyes all over again. 

Instantly, both girls’ demeanors shifted, Millie’s to a panicked mess and Onyx to a concerned one for her friend. Little did Moxxie know, Millie called Onyx over for a girl friend SOS, to which she didn’t hesitate to come running for her friend. 

“I don’t know what to do! I didn’t think this would happen!” Millie hiccupped on the brink of tears as if she’d just discovered the most devastating news of her life, similar to the tone of her text messages to her dear friend. 

“What’s wrong?! Ya got me over here thinkin’ too much, Mills!” 

“Come on!” Millie grabbed onto her friend’s hand, dragging her to she and Moxxie’s bedroom and sitting her on the bed. Clothes and shoes were strewn about on the floor and bed with the closet door wide open to Millie’s side. Actually, taking a closer look at the scene in front of her, Onyx realized that all the clothes and shoes belonged to Millie, not her friend’s husband. 

Millie came back from the side of the bed she was digging through, carrying an outfit that was all too familiar to both girls before standing in front of she and Moxxie’s full-length mirror on the wall. “Ok, Imma put this on. Don’t judge,” she instructed her guest before getting undressed and putting on her old work attire from when she was still a solo assassin in Wrath years ago. 

Once she was fully dressed again, this time in an old long-sleeved maroon crop jacket and navy pants with assless chaps, she turned around almost in tears again with Onyx looking her up and down now confused more than anything. 

“...Millie, I love ya, but I ain’t catchin’ on.”

“How could you not?! Look at this!” She pointed to the open fly of the navy pants, earning a still confused and concerned look from Onyx paired with a shrug. 

“...They don’t fit anymore, Onny! I can’t zip OR button these!” 

“Oh…Well, that’s alright!” Onyx giggled. “That’s what’s got ya in such a twist?”

“Nah, ya don’t understand! It ain’t just that!” Millie started, grabbing onto her friend’s shoulders. “This mornin’ I decided to go through my clothes to size down on what’s in our drawers and closet, which is when I found this and decided to try it on fer shits ‘n giggles. And when it didn’t fit, I freaked and decided to weigh myself. And I gained weight.” 

“Well, how much? Ya don’t look any different ta me.”

“5 pounds girl. 5 POUNDS since gettin’ married. Fer the last year ‘n a half, I’ve stayed the same exact weight until I checked this mornin’, and I don’t know what to do!”

Onyx watched Millie shedding off her old uniform, letting the story her friend was telling sink in. She was surprised by Millie’s reaction to the situation; yes, however, unfortunately, she couldn’t say this hadn’t happened before. Millie was never a girl who cared about her looks or weight until they reached the age when she started to date around, and at that point, she became paranoid about her physical appearance, sometimes to a concerning degree. Onyx noticed that her friend’s unhealthy attitude towards herself calmed down once she met her husband, and this was a side of Millie that she hadn’t heard from in a long time. 

Remembering this, Onyx approached Millie, who was now trying on another outfit to see how it fit her. “Millie, I love ya. But don’t ya think this response is a smidge over the top?”

“Not at all. Ta tell ya the truth, Onny, I don’t think my reaction is serious enough. I’ve even tried on the lingerie I wore for the day we got married, and I swear it feels a teeny bit tighter than I remember.”

“...You’ve kept the lingerie from your wedding night?”

“It’s important ta me. I can’t get rid of it,” Millie retorted, deeming the outfit she was wearing as acceptable before taking it off to try on another one. 

Onyx sighed and turned Millie around at the shoulders just as she took off a pair of ripped jeans so they were facing each other and had her friend’s full attention. “Look, Mills. There’s all sorts of reasons that this could’ve happened. It don’t mean it’s a bad thing.”

“But it’s a bad thing ta me! I get it ain’t necessarily a 'bad sign’ or somethin’ fer me ta worry ‘bout, but you know how important it is fer me ta stay attractive. Mox’s gotta see me every day fer the rest of his life, ‘n I don’t want him to regret it.”

“Well, has Moxxie ever said anythin’ to ya that suggests that he ain’t attracted to ya?”

“...Nah…”

“Has he ever commented on your looks in a nasty way?” 

“...No.”

Onyx could see the wheels turning in her friend’s eyes the more she pointed it out, making her believe she was getting somewhere with easing Millie’s concerns...

 

---

 

“Ok, honey, I’m ready ta go!” Millie grabbed her beach bag, ready to head out with her boyfriend. They’d made plans to go to a beach in Envy for the weekend since it was her day off. All she wore was a black bikini, and she didn’t even have time to put her cover-up on before her partner piped up with a scoff. 

“Uhh…What are you wearing?” He asked, catching Millie’s attention.

“Oh! It’s a new one I got shoppin’ with my sis! This style’s in right now an-”

She didn’t get the chance to finish her excited explanation before she was cut off by an annoyed “Change it.” Millie turned around, confused by his reaction, for a moment, thinking she had heard him wrong. 

“What was that, sweetie?”

“I said change it. Pick something else to wear. I don’t like how that one looks on you.”

“O-oh…What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s not the bathing suit. It’s you, babe.” 

At this, Millie was not only bamboozled but hurt at the same time. This wasn’t the first time he’d complained about what she decided to wear or made remarks bout her appearance in certain pieces of clothing. 

“Look, we’ve been over this. You’re hot but not hot enough to get away with certain things, m’kay? I can’t have you going around embarrassing me by looking like that.”

“...I still don’t understand. I thought it looked fine. What exactly about it ‘embasses’ you?” She interrogated him, this time with an attitude, causing him to sigh in an irritated tone. 

“Fucking Satan. Do I have to spell everything out for you? Can’t say I’m surprised. You’re H.O.T. but not H.O.T. enough to be prancing around half-naked on the beach. Got it that time? Or do I need to say it slower for you?”

Millie grabbed her beach bag and cover-up, heading back to the bathroom to change. “Forget it. I ain’t goin’ anymore.”

“If you insist. I’ll see you later,” he grabbed his own beach bag, not caring about his now obviously upset girlfriend crying in the bathroom, and walked out. 

 

---

 

Millie peeped her head around the corner, eyes honing in on her boyfriend, Chaz, who was mindlessly scrolling through his phone on the sofa. All week, she’d been excited to show off the new white lace lingerie set she’d ordered, and that morning, it finally arrived! 

She was in love with it! As much as she loved the color black, white was starting to grow on her when it came to lace, and knowing her boyfriend, she had a hunch that he was going to love it too. He never turned down sex- emphasis on the never. 

She walked over to the couch, covering herself with a blanket over her head and covering her body, purring all the way in excitement, her tail wagging away under the gray sheet. “Baby, I got somethin’ I wanna show ya!”

“...Huh?...What’s that, babe?” Chaz responded in a monotone voice, still staring at his phone screen, swiping up and down, watching suggestive videos on his Sinstagram (much to Millie’s unawareness). 

As usual, Millie waited for him to put the phone down before getting frustrated, taking it out of his hands, and throwing it on the other end of the couch. 

“Wh-! Hey! What’d you do that f-” Millie put a finger to his lips, smiling with that typical sparkle in her eyes.

“I wanna show you somethin’,” she reiterated, pulling the blanket off of her and watching her boyfriend’s eyes grow wide. 

“Damn, ok. Looking sexy, babe~” 

“Don’t I? Now, take it off me!” she giggled, pouncing into his lap and initiating a kiss, enjoying herself as things began to heat up, and soon ended when Chaz’s hands slid down to her lower back where his fingers wrapped around her waist. 

“Dang, Mills. Getting a little chunky, huh?” 

Millie paused and slowly removed her face from the crook of his neck, looking him in the eyes. 

“Huh?” 

“Your waist. Feels bigger than usual.” He repeated before pulling her away and softly pinching her stomach with his pointer finger and thumb. “Damn. You know what that means.” 

Millie felt mortified, jumping off of him and running to her boyfriend’s bedroom in his apartment, leaving him on the couch, confused before going back to his phone. In the mirror, she stared at herself wearing the two piece. Was she really that big? She didn’t think so. She hadn’t noticed or believed she’d gained any amount of significant weight recently. 

She repeated her boyfriend’s actions a few times, both on her stomach and thighs, growing more embarrassed and flustered at what she was seeing, as his words kept repeating in her head over and over again. 

No longer feeling confident or cute in her new piece, she took the lingerie set off, wrapping and packaging it back into the bag it arrived in. She’d be returning it, no longer wanting to see herself wearing it. 

She walked back into the living space, dressed in the t-shirt and shorts that she’d been wearing earlier. Chaz didn’t even look up from his phone when she returned, therefore not noticing her changed demeanor. 

“You alright, babe?”

“Yeah…I’m just not feelin’ that well anymore. I might be comin’ down with something.” 

It wasn’t exactly the truth, but not exactly a lie either…

 

---

 

Millie thought back on some past negative experiences surrounding the issue, and while that hurt, she could proudly say that she never had the same run-ins with her husband. In fact, he was the polar opposite of every other man she’d been with, in the best way possible. 

From the very beginning, Moxxie showered her with compliments on every aspect of her life, constantly telling her how gorgeous and beautiful she was and always sending her into a blushing mess. Regretfully, when they first met, she was fully convinced he was being sarcastic or mocking her for fun. In the end, she learned to take his words seriously, leading them to where they are now. 

And even then, sometimes the intrusive thoughts would invade her mind, whispering to her that he was faking it or lying by omission. 

“...It happens a lot, ya’know. Husbands who regret marrying their wives once their bodies start to change…I couldn’t handle that if it were me.”

“I think you ‘n I both know that Moxxie ain’t that kinda guy…That’s why you fell in love with him, right?”

Millie smiled, thinking about that wonderful man she married. Who was always so kind and sweet to her every hour of the day. 

“See. He ain’t even here and he’s got ya smilin’,” Onyx teased, poking one of Millie’s cheeks with her pointer finger, causing her to snort and giggle while holding her reddened face in her hands. 

“I think ya get what I’m sayin’, Mills. You know Mox’s heart better than anyone, and I know that you know that he loves ya no matter what ya look like. Chances are if he has noticed ya look a bit plumper, he don’t care. Besides, if you really have put on a few extras, look at it on the bright side. I mean, back then, when ya were still in Wrath, ya could barely afford to eat some days. And now you’re with a loving, sweet guy who actually cares ‘bout ya and doesn’t ridicule you all the time about your looks.” 

Onyx took out her phone and scrolled for a few seconds before showing Millie two pictures of herself side by side. The one on the left was an old picture from when they were 20, around the time Millie had just started her career as an assassin. The one on the right showed a picture of the two girls at a club they had gone to weeks ago, and it was evident which picture Millie looked the most happy in. 

“See! Look how much healthier and happier ya look in this one! Ya can’t deny that.”

“...Yeah. I guess I can’t, huh?” Millie stared back and forth between the two, reflecting back on both lifestyles. Her friend was right. When she was on her own, before she met Blitz, before she swooped in and stole Moxxie’s kill from right under his nose, life wasn’t the best. Money was tight and almost nonexistent from time to time. On some days, two meals a day was a luxury. Certain weeks, she became stressed on whether it’d even be possible to feed herself or if she should ask Lin and Joe to eat any leftovers they may have. 

Compared to her past exes, Moxxie Knolastname would have had a fit if he had found out his wife was skipping meals—out of concern for her, of course. Millie could practically picture the look on his precious little freckled face now. 

“I can’t argue with ya on that…Ya know how much I like to eat too.” 

“That I do. And there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that!” Onyx gave her friend a hug as they shared another laugh together. 

“Mildred?”

“Hmm?”

“Yer perfect just how ya are. Don’t let no assholes get to ya……..Especially ones like yer exes because I still will never understand what the actual fuck you were thinkin’”

“The answer is that I wasn’t thinkin’!...Mox made pie this mornin’. It’s real good. Wanna have some?”

“Uhh, hello? Fuck yeah!” 

Both girls headed to the kitchen, excited for mixed berry pie with homemade vanilla ice cream, leaving the mess in the bedroom to finish up with once they’d finish their treats. 

 

---

 

When Moxxie returned home, it was a little after midnight. He was careful when opening and locking the door to their apartment, as he was sure his wife would be asleep already, but he was surprised when he walked into the bedroom. The lamp was still on, and Millie was awake, scrolling on her phone. 

“Sorry, honey. Did I wake you?”

“Nuh uh. I’ve just been scrollin’ on Vox Tok ‘till ya got back.”

Moxxie listened as he started getting undressed and jumping right into pajamas to get ready for bed. “Did you and Onyx have a good time?” he asked before looking at the neatly folded pile of clothes in the corner. “Looks like you found a lot of stuff to donate.”

“Yeah, it was nice to catch up a bit. It seems like a lot, but most of them are clothes I haven’t touched in a while. I’ll handle it sometime this week.” 

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be right back. I’m going brush my teeth.” 

“M’kay, baby.” 

As soon as Moxxie returned, Millie pounced on him, cuddling up to him, purring loudly, and peppering his face with kisses, catching him off guard even though he wasn’t going to complain about it. 

“Missed me?”

“Yeah…Can I ask ya somethin'?”

“Of course.”

“How would ya feel if I looked different when we get older?”

Moxxie raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? The older we get, the more our looks will change.”

“Well, I get that, but…Let’s say drastic changes. I know we’re gonna age and start gettin’ grey ‘n wrinkley one day, but I’m talkin’ about the in-between like weight and such.”

“Uhm…Would I feel disappointed? Is that what you’re asking?”

“Yeah.”

“...Nope! I wouldn’t be disappointed. Because you’re my Millie. And you’re always perfect, and I’m always going to be your #1 fan!” he flirted with a kiss, disintegrating all anxiety in Millie’s system right away. 

“What’s sparked this question?”

“O-oh…A trend I saw tonight. I was just curious to see what’d you say.”

“Well, if a man can’t love the woman he’s with unconditionally, then he isn’t a real man to begin with,” he stated, turning off the lamp before rolling over to go back to snuggle with his wife – who was now five shades deeper from blushing horn to hoove. “Good night, Mills. Love you~”

She melted right into his side, cuddling him until she found the perfect comfy spot in his chest to fall asleep on. “I love ya too, Moxxie~”

Notes:

It's pretty short and all over the place, but this is just an idea I've had floating around in my head for a while. Anyways, hope y'all liked this one, and I'll see y'all later this week for my next MoxMadness post!🙃

Chapter 46: Real Friends

Summary:

Moxxie makes a friend.

Notes:

Week 3 of Mox Madness!

Prompt: Early I.M.P. Days (20-23 years old)

Hiya guys! I do apologize for any grammatical/writing errors. I might have to come back and re-read through this later. My roommate and her friends are being obnoxiously loud atm😭

Moxxie was always a morning person. From the time he was little to the ripe age of 21 years old, there was never a time when he found himself waking up “late” in the day. Whether that was due to always being on a schedule until he escaped Greed or just his body’s physiological preference could go up for debate. However, even he could admit there was something about the early sunrise and quiet of the morning that was calming to him. 

If he allowed himself the guilty pleasure of waking up late, “late” for him was 9-10 A.M. and that made him feel like he’d wasted half the day. The latest he ever wanted to sleep was 8:00, and at that point, it was time to roll out of bed. Now that he actually had the option to sleep late some days, he had no clue how he’d managed to wake at 5:00 A.M. every day for nearly 15 years straight, going out late at night to complete whatever mob business he had to do, and still manage to function like a person. 

The worst part of being an early riser was that it meant he was the first to wake up in his abode of three. Well, technically, not his, but in the apartment he shared with his roommates. Loona never woke up before noon unless Blitz dragged her out of bed – almost getting mauled in the process. And Blitz, while he slept later, didn’t stir too late, though the older of the two was always amazed at how early Moxxie consistently seemed to rouse from sleep. 

It felt like torture for Moxxie to stay still, lying on his mattress, staring at the ceiling. So, he quickly found quieter hobbies to occupy himself so as not to disturb the hellhound or other imp who had been so kind as to allow him to stay with them until Moxxie could find a place of his own. 

“Damn, kid, awake early again?” Blitz yawned from the couch, bags plaguing his eyes from the busiest two weeks they had just crawled through. 

“I can’t help it, sir.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever you say…And for the love of Satan, I promise you can please stop the formalities.”

“Yes, sir…I-I mean…sorry, sir…Uh.- I-”

“Just don’t…It’s ok.” Blitz put a finger to his guest’s lips, shushing him as he made his way to the old, small coffee maker in the corner of the tiny apartment kitchen. When he rubbed his eyes, he looked around, remembering how messy the kitchen had become from dinner the night before. Yet, it was spotless. No dirty dishes on the stove, counters, sink, anywhere. And the countertops…He ran several fingers over multiple different spots, and his fingers were so clean it was almost uncanny. 

“...Hey, Mox? Did you…”

“Hmm?” Moxxie looked up from the pages of his book, shifting his attention to Blitz. “...Oh, the kitchen? Yes. I cleaned it last night, did the dishes, and stored the leftovers in the fridge. You and Loona seemed tired, so I took it upon myself.”

Blitz watched as he went back to whatever gay romance novel he was indulging in and silently sighed as he searched for a coffee filter and their beans to get a pot started. Even though he found Moxxie to be odd at times, Blitz liked the strange, freckled little guy. He was kind, polite, sincere – his favorite trait about him – and loyal, almost worrily so. 

When the two escaped prison together, and he discovered that Moxxie had nowhere to go, he offered a spare old mattress on his floor for him to stay, and he did stay, to his surprise. It had been a little over a year now, and Blitz never believed Moxxie would be with them for this long. Not that he had an issue with him staying with them, of course, but rather all his life it felt as if everyone he ever knew left him at some point…

It was only a matter of time before Moxxie became another…

“Look, Mox, I appreciate you helping out, but you know you don’t have to keep doing this, right?”

“...Do you not want me to, si-…Blitz?”

“It’s not that. But…Ya know what? Just forget I said anything, ok?” he handed him a mug with fresh coffee before sitting down in another pink horse t-shirt and pony boxers with a robe slumped on his shoulders, staring out one of the windows. 

“Do we have any business to attend to today?” Moxxie awkwardly asked, finding the silence after that weird conversation uncomfortable.

“Mmm…It doesn’t have to be done today, but I was thinking we could go open a new banking account for business purchases or whatever the fuck companies do for their money shit.” he yawned again, taking a long sip of warm coffee. 

“You mean accounts for whenever we start accruing more clients?”

“Moxxie, I’m not gonna lie to you. I don’t know what teh fuck that means.”

“Accruing, sir. Whenever we start getting more clients, our pay increases over time. Meaning that we can collect more funds to support your business and eventually exp-”

“Moxxie?”

“Sir?”

“Not this early…Please, for the love of Satan.”

“...Yes, sir.”

It wasn’t long before silence flooded the apartment again, aside from the occasional sound of sips of coffee, the turn of a book page, and the occasional gunshot or muffled noisy neighbors made it through the thin apartment walls. 

Moxxie was never bothered by silence. He’d long since reached a point in his life where he came to accept it was like a brother or sister to him, so familiar yet a little irritating from time to time. However, he would never deny that sitting in silence with Blitzo was so much more comfortable and enjoyable than any of the years he spent in his father’s house. 

“...Hey, Mox. You said before that you have experience in finances, right?” the taller demon turned to his roommate, seemingly more awake and alert now. 

“Not exactly “experience,” like you’re probably thinking. I never had a career in it, but I’ve kept track of a… business’s financial status before. For a decent amount of time, too.”

“How much time are we talking?”

“Hmm…Since I was 16 to age 19, sir.” 

Blitz hummed in response, bringing the warm pony mug in his hand to his lips. Allowing silence to take over the apartment again. Moxxie set the book down, tagging his stopping point with an old piece of fabric he’d been using as a bookmark before grabbing a pan from one of the cabinets along with their instant pancake mix. 

Cooking had become a therapy for the young imp. Never being allowed to do so growing up made him more curious about the culinary arts, so once he started watching videos about different techniques and recipes one day, he said to hell with it and gave it a try. Why not? It wasn’t like he had much going on for him. 

To his surprise, it wasn’t all that difficult or intense as his father had described to him through the years. Besides, Crimson wasn’t around to scare him out of the kitchen…or drag or slap him out, or to go on one of his long misogynistic rants about how only women belonged in the kitchen. 

Well, call Moxxie a woman then, because he quickly found that he liked being in charge of a kitchen, and from the way Blitz commented on the foods he’d whip up – and Loona didn’t seem to have any complaints – he deduced that he was rather decent at it. 

It was a bonding activity for the two impish roommates as well, as Moxxie learned that Blitz was also fairly skilled in cooking. They’d talk while making breakfast and dinner most of the time. Or one would help clean up while the other kept an eye on the food. It was nice having someone to interact with and talk to, especially someone who wasn’t just talking to him or helping him out of obligation. And best of all, Blitz didn’t know anything about his past, meaning that he wasn’t pretending to like Moxxie for his personal gain!

…Or maybe he was. However, Moxxie assumed if that was the case, he would have figured it out by now. 

“...Hey, Mox?”

His cooking thoughts were cut short as he finished flipping the last pancake left. “Yes, sir?”

“How’d ya feel about coming with me to the bank?”

 

---

 

“Alright, so what you’re saying is the loan won’t need to be paid for the first year, right?”

“Yes, correct. Your payments won’t become due until about a year from now, since it’s a business loan, but once the file’s put into our system, it’ll take effect. You’ll see a hit to your credit and such, but that’s about it.” The loan officer sat behind her desk, grabbing files from one of the drawers, talking with her clients sitting in front of her. 

Blitz sat in one chair, pretending to understand all the logistics of financial responsibilities and all the fancy terms she was explaining, and in the other chair, Moxxie was reading some paper he’d picked up from the desk while she was talking. 

That morning, Blitz decided to rip the band-aid off and sign off on a loan so he could start progressing his business more. He didn’t know much about borrowing money. Hell, most of the time banks refused to loan anything to imps or lower-class demons due to their status, but after a few threats and other illegal strings that he’d managed to pull, they were finally able to meet with someone. And what better person to bring along with him than Mox!

If Blitz knew one thing about him, it was that the little fella was good at numbers, something that he admittedly didn’t care to understand. Plus, he knew that his temporary roomie wouldn’t steer him in the wrong direction to make any decisions about this. 

“Ehh, good enough for me! So, what do I need to sign?” 

“So, I have three documents for you. Just sign your name at the bottom of all of them, then you are good to go!”

“Really?...Well, that was a lot easier than expec-” Blitz grabbed a pen to give his signature before Moxxie grabbed his hand, lowering it away from the desk.

“Sir, no. Don’t sign that.”

“Why not? It’s a steal. We don’t have to start paying for a while, and you said that only having to pay for 10 years was good.”

“Yes, but in the fine print, it lists our monthly payments as way more than we could afford. And the interest is set to 30% at a variable rate.”

“...So?”

“So, it means that we’ll end up going bankrupt, sir. We’ll end up paying more than what we can make. A variable interest rate means that it could potentially increase over time. They’re trying to scam us.”

The two imps talked amongst themselves as the bank worker sat behind her desk, mildly annoyed that one of her clients was aware enough to read through the loan agreement. 

“If I may, I can assure you that 30% is not uncommon for these types of loans.”

“Perhaps for all the loans that y’all trick imps and hellhounds into signing, but I refuse to accept this. 30% on a business loan is absolutely ridiculous!” Moxxie quipped back, visibly seeing the surprise on her face once he started talking, likely because he’d been quiet the entire appointment. 

“Don’t take us for fools. This is obviously just a one-way ticket to watch us fail, which we won’t. This is insulting. We demand a different draft, one that’s preferably reasonable.” 

It was technically Blitz’s business, but Moxxie spoke for both of them in that moment. Even if they didn’t know each other very well, he’d been with Blitzo long enough to respect the guy who took him in, gave him a roof for shelter, helped him step into a fresh start, and overall, had been such a better man than his own father ever was, even if he got on his nerves sometimes. 

And he believed in Blitz’s dream. Whereas most demons laughed off Blitz’s idea of starting a killing business, Moxxie actually thought it was brilliant! Watching this knucklehead talk his freckles off about his ideas and the passion he had to help imp kind see that they could rise about what they’d been labeled as for centuries was truly inspiring. So, he’d help him out in any way he could to repay him and support him in his career. It was the least he could do.

The loan officer sighed in frustration, turning back to her computer, “...Fine, I’ll create a new draft. What do you think would be an appropriate deal, since you know so much about this?”

While Moxxie didn’t appreciate her passive-aggressive tone, he didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he glanced over at Blitz, where their eyes met, and his older past cell mate gave him a smile before lazing back in the chair. 

“Hey, don’t look at me. You know I’m not good with this stuff. You’re in charge of this department, Mox, take the reins!”

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Yes, and if you ask again, I’m firing you. That’s an order.” Both of them knew he wasn’t serious. Moxxie had long learned that this was his way of “joking around,” as they say. 

“If you insist, sir.”

Blitz was going to correct him again with the “sir” comments, but chose not to. He decided that now was the time to leave the guy alone and let him work his magic. While he’d never admit it, Blitz considered Moxxie an official part of his team, and he’d already done so much to help even when he wasn’t obligated to. 

‘He means well, Blitz…Don’t scare him off now.’

 

---

 

Moxxie stood on the balcony, staring up at the hellish moon and stars above, his brain spinning around a thousand memories, good, bad, and ugly, that he’d made over his lifetime, thinking over the ones made with Blitz that afternoon. 

He released a small puff of smoke from the cigarette he’d been nursing into the sky, watching it diffuse as he rested his cheek in the palm of his hand, his arm propped up on the old metal bars. 

Life had been complicated lately. Although, Moxxie had lived through enough to know it could always be worse. He could still be in prison, with Crimson, or not there at all. 

And he was ashamed to say, there were moments where he asked himself if he should 

“Woah! I never saw you as the kind of guy to smoke one!”

“Oh…I’ve been trying to stop. But sometimes I just need to release some stress.”

“Ya know, you could just jerk one off for that. Works every time for me!”

“IIIIII….I’ll stick to this for now, sir…But I appreciate the suggestion.” Moxxie politely declined the rather crude advice while digging in his pocket to grab his pack of cigarettes, offering one to Blitz, who took it from his hands along with the lighter.

“Sorry for asking since we already signed off on everything, Mox, but what exactly was it that you did on the loan agreement? You said something about your name also being on it or something like that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing major. I just asked her to add me as a cosigner.”

“Right, but tell me what it fucking does. That’s what I’m asking.”

Moxxie blew another cloud of smoke before speaking up. Essentially, what it means is that I’m also financially responsible for the loan. Satan forbid something happen to the business, then they’d go after you, but now they’d come after me too.”

“...Why would you do that? Was it a requirement?”

“No. I mean, it convinces the bank to loan us the money in the end, but that’s about it. There aren’t many other benefits.”

Blitz was tongue-tied. Moxxie hadn’t known him for that long, and, overall, he wasn’t always the nicest to him sometimes, yet he’d taken on a financial hit for the sake of “helping him out”???

It didn’t make any sense. If you were a dick to someone, the obvious reaction would be to treat them like a dick back, not help them get their shit in order to start a company for fuck’s sake! At least that’s what his dad had taught him back in the day. Oh, why should he listen to that fucking turd? It made no sense, but Moxxie’s actions didn’t make any fucking sense either! Then again, Blitz didn’t think his roommate’s existence made much sense either…

Moxxie was freaking out on the inside. A cosigner on such a huge loan was…stressful to think of. He didn’t even know imps could make their own money legally until he followed Blitz out of being incarcerated, and here he was taking on the risk. The one thing keeping him calm – outside of the nicotine rush – was his faith in Blitz’s ideas. They’d been making what he’d consider alright money for a while now, and with time, work, and effort, he could see their income increasing. Truthfully, he could. He actually had some ideas for the business himself, but he wouldn’t share them unless Blitz asked. He was the boss after all.

That wasn’t the only thing racking his musically inclined brain…An interaction once they were leaving the bank kept rewinding in his mind, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it…

---

“OK! After hours of working, rewriting, and revising every small insignificant detail you imps didn’t like, you're all set, Mr. Buckzo.” The teller sighed, intentionally highlighting her snarky comments, giving her clients an evil, fake smile.

To her only defense, they had been there a while, with Moxxie continuously finding ludicrous, insulting specifics in their loan agreement that she added in to try scamming them. And finally, she gave up, giving in to their demands for a fair, reasonable deal. 

“Now that’s what I wanna hear! Good job, Mox. I knew you’d do me proud!” Blitz cheered, giving Moxxie a slap on the back, sending his companion bent over in the lounge chair. 

“Obviously,” she stood to escort the two out of her office. “If you could train your little brain puppet to do more, you could make a fortune wasting other people’s time.” 

“Woah, now listen here, bitch!,” Blitz turned on his heels to face her after they’d walked out the door, wrapping his arm around Moxxie’s shoulders as if showing him off. “This guy here is a genius! He might be yappy and a know-it-all all, but that’s what makes him great! And he’s MY friend, so eat ass you fucking clit sucker!”

---

…Security shooed them out after that, but Moxxie was too stuck in his own thoughts to notice. 

Friend …In all his life…he’d never…he never thought…

“...Did you mean what you said earlier?...Do you really view me as a friend?”

“Uhh, yeah, I guess. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“...I guess I just don’t know how those relationships really work....I’ve never had a friend before. Or friends at all.” It was such a small gesture, but it meant so much to him. 

For someone who guarded their feelings the majority of the time, even Blitz felt himself lowering his shields and his chest feeling a warm, melting sensation. This little dude, this freckled dweeb that he’d took with him out of prison, just broke him in ten words…

And in a way, he could relate…

Blitz had friends before. A good few, two besties, and now, he had none. Well, now maybe he had one, just one…

“Crap, don’t do that to me…”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t go all sappy and fucking emotional on me, Mox. I don’t do that shit”

Moxxie barely smiled, a softened face and a slight tug at the corner of his mouth was all before looking ahead again at the city. Blitz could be an asshole, but he was a phony asshole. Not a genuine one who wanted to hurt the people in his life, and Moxxie didn’t mind it all that much, not after giving him a better taste of life in 2 years than he had during most of his 21 years of life. 

He was sure he’d get to see more of the authentic Blitz at some point in the future. After all, they were stuck together at this point. Purposefully, intentionally stuck together. 

“Whatever you say, Blitz…”

Chapter 47: Birds Of A Feather

Summary:

Millie is away visiting Sallie for the weekend. Moxxie gets a surprise visit.

Notes:

Week 4 of Mox Madness!

Prompt: Present Day (24-25 years old)

Moxxie whined as he started becoming conscious, not too thrilled from being snatched from some well-needed sleep after a long week at work. He peeped open his eyes to check their bedside clock, reading back to him 8:32 A.M. Damn, it was his usual wake-up time too. Oh well. He'd nap later if he felt compelled to. 

He rolled over, purring sweetly, trying to feel for the warm body that slept next to him day in and day out, only to feel coldness and nothing there. Oh…yeah. Millie wasn't there. How could he have forgotten so quickly?

Millie left yesterday after work to go visit her family. She wanted some sister time with Sallie May, and the two made plans for that weekend. Moxxie ultimately decided to stay behind at home not to intrude on their sister time, and he felt it'd be a little awkward to stay at his in-laws' house with all of them staring at each other. 

Well, that was slightly disappointing…

The thing he was most excited about waking up every morning was getting to see his wife, but it's ok. He'd see her in a matter of days anyway. And besides, he had two days off to look forward to, as Blitz gave everyone Friday and Monday off since they didn't have any clients scheduled and business had picked up! A small extended weekend wouldn't hurt or destroy their business. 

Moxxie leaned over, taking his phone off the charger and opening his VoxMessage app to text Millie a good morning. 

'Good morning, honey☀️🩷 I love you! Have fun!❤️🩷🖤✨'

Before climbing out of bed to get his long weekend started. He already made a list the day before of things that needed to be done and other activities to keep him busy, like getting a surprise together for his wife to await her return. And he had to act fast. 

He had four days, but he had a hunch that Blitz would magically appear to whisk him away at some point during their break. So, to the kitchen it was! 

He didn't want to spend much time making breakfast when it was just him, so he ultimately grabbed a blueberry bagel from a batch he'd made that week and started up their coffee machine to brew. Just as he filled the filter up with fresh water from the tap, he dropped it into the sink as something hard and loud hit the window in front of him.

He stood there, shocked for a few minutes before his legs allowed him to move to the other window leading to the fire escape so he could find the cause of the noise. On the fire escape, he was met with the sight of a small bird, twitching in pain with its wings spread out. Oh, the poor thing. He must have flown into the glass by accident. 

While any other demon would've taken the thing and either tortured it for sport or thrown it off the balcony, Moxxie felt compelled to pick the fellow up in his hands, being careful not to do any more damage. By the twist of his head and his reaction, the impact must have broken his neck, a very painful death to succumb to, and pulling at Moxxie's heartstrings. 

"What happened, little guy?" he whispered, examining him, feeling even worse as the spasms persisted. 

Growing up in Greed, Moxxie developed a soft spot for animals early on in life. The pollution was so horrible, it was a miracle that even demons could live down there but animals? There were hardly any , and his lack of exposure to them always made him curious as to what it was like to grow up around them, wether it be on a farm like Millie, or a circus like Blitz, or even to have a pet. 

"...Sorry, buddy. I know you might not like it, but let me try something," he whispered to the bird as if he could understand him or answer back, carefully climbing back through the fire escape and heading to their living room. 

 

---

 

Moxxie turned on the lamp in his cramped home office, setting his unexpected guest in a small bed he'd made of towels to keep him in a soft, warm environment with the help of a heated lamp gifted to him by his wife for his plants he liked to grow, making sure the light was just in the right position to keep him comfy cozy. 

"There. You feeling alright, little fella? Felt like quite the fracture you made," he gently ran a finger over the bird's head, just soft enough to watch as its eyes relaxed with the rest of his muscles. 

It took a while, but Moxxie believed he'd actually helped the creature, making a tiny, at-home cast for his neck and very delicately putting it on to hopefully aid in healing his injury. Even though he had a few scratches and bites from his feathered friend trying to fight back – undoubtedly from the pain – he was successful. And the bird seemed to calm down once the cast was on, even taking some water and seeds Moxxie offered once he settled into his makeshift towel nest. 

"I hope this works and you heal up nice and fast so you can get back to your family…Do you have a family? Currently, it's just me and my wife. She really wants to have a baby in a few years, but I don't know if I'd make a good dad…I hope your friends aren't worried about you." 

Moxxie quickly changed the subject, holding his hand out filled with seeds to make eating easier for his new companion, who seemed to be feeding well for his condition. They did that for however long it took for the feathered animal to eat, and Moxxie offered him another hand of food that he rejected by lying down in the tiny "bed."

"Hmm…Guess you ate enough," he poured the extra seeds back into the bag, resting his cheek in one of his palms, to stare at his company for the weekend. "I hope you feel better soon, little guy. I'll leave you to get some rest." Moxxie stood up, pushing his desk chair in before leaving the office and the bird inside until he'd go to check on him a few hours later. 

 

---

 

It was the next morning, and Moxxie hopped out of bed eagerly to check on Frederic. 

The previous afternoon when he went to check on the injured animal, he'd spent some more time with him and nicknamed him "Frederic." To refer to him in a more convenient way. 

He slowly opened the door to the office, holding the bag of seeds to invite his friend to eat, but to his surprise, when his eyes met the desk, Frederic was not in the towel bed he'd fallen asleep in the night before. 

For a moment, Moxxie was surprised and concerned until singing noises from above him grabbed his attention. Frederic had flown to sit on the doorframe inside the office at some point that morning, greeting his impish doctor with a song bright and early. 

"Good morning to you, too!" 

Moxxie sat in his chair, watching as Frederic flew back to the tower and the warming lamp. He was seemingly in a better mood than the day before. "You seem more mobile today. You feeling better, little fella?" No response was given, only Frederic excitedly eating seeds out of Moxxie's palm once again while the demon talked about random topics to him. 

"I sent some pictures of you to my wife. She thinks you're adorable!......Guess that would be a weird thing to say to you if you weren't a bird, huh?" he used his other hand to embarrassingly scratch the back of his neck, combing his wild, bed hair that he hadn't brushed yet. 

"You know, my boss is dating a giant bird demon. His highness, Stolas. Maybe he could tell me more about bird anatomy to help me figure out if you're getting better…….Hmm. I wonder if you're technically related to the Ars Goetia since you're a bird. Probably not how it works." 

A vibration came from his pajama pocket, and he took it out to see his good morning text from Millie, reading:

'Mornin' hun. Call you tonight. Hungover rn. How's Freddy?'

'Good morning, sweetie! He seems to be doing better. Maybe a few more days will do. Feel better. Love you!'

He would have spammed her with a million emojis and longer sentences about how much he loved her, but he didn't want to overwhelm her if she wasn't feeling well. And Frederic had just finished eating either way. Moxxie refilled his palm, and to his surprise, Frederic started pecking away again. "You're eating extra today! Yeah, you're definitely feeling a little better at least. I'll look up some more content about bird health this afternoon."

Which he did. In fact, most of his day was spent going back and forth between learning more about bird health from veterinary videos and checking on Frederic. He'd let him into other parts of the apartment, but he didn't think Millie would appreciate the sheer amount of feathers that'd be everywhere. His office had a few flying around, and bird poop was a health hazard that Moxxie wasn't willing to soil their entire apartment with. Frederic had left him a few presents in the office that morning, which he cleaned up with no issue; however, that was his private space, not the home he shared with his darling wife. 

So, Frederic would stay confined to the office. It wasn't like he was damaging anything in there. 

When night came, he fed Frederic one last time before calling it a night and heading to the bedroom to research more. Hopefully, by morning, he'd see more improvements. 

 

---

 

"Hi honey! How are you feeling?" 

Millie called her husband while he was in the middle of watching more veterinary videos and making a list of supplies to buy at the pet store the next day.

"Hi, baby! Feelin' better. I just figured I'd call now real quick 'cause I'm bathin.' Plus it's just me 'n Sal home right now, and she's workin' on finding us a movie ta watch. We're goin' out again tomorrow, so we figured we'd have a little girls' night in tonight."

"Sounds fun! How are your parents and brothers?"

"Oh, they're fine! I think Wyatt's honestly a little upset ya didn't come."

"That so?" Moxxie continued the conversation, closing his laptop and setting the notepad and pen down on the nightstand.

"Yeah! Picture this: Sal picks me up from the elevator, right? I hop out of the truck, he runs up to get a hug from me, but stops and says, "Where's Moxxie?" I'm tellin' ya yer the favorite!" Millie snorted, laughing. 

"No! I'm sure he missed you too."

"Yeah, likely… How's yer little friend doin'?"

"Pretty good! He ate a lot today, and he's been flying around the office more, so I think things are looking up for him! Tomorrow I'm going to the pet store down the street to get some bird feed and insects to see if he'll like that…I don't know what we'll do with the leftovers, though. I guess I didn't think about it."

"Well, we got the fire escape. What if we put a feeder out there once he leaves so it don't go to waste… I'm sure you'll like watching the birds while cookin!' My parents used ta have one of them on the porch."  

"Hm…Yeah. Yeah, I do like that idea! I'll have to look into it." Moxxie wrote a note for himself on the notepad, as a pause seeped into their phone call.

"...Sooo… Changin' the subject a bit. I just sent ya somethin.' Let me know what ya think~" 

"Oh yeah? What is it?" Moxxie lowered the phone from his ear to open his text messages from his wife, only to get flashed by a very suggestive photo, immediately turning him 10 shades darker in milliseconds. 

From the other side of the phone, he could hear Millie playfully giggle as she always did when she put him in these situations. 

"Millie!...This is…Beautiful but…SAUCY!" 

"OOH PLEASE, YOU! Yer full name might as well be Moxxie Marco Naughty Knolastname! Since when are you offended by sauciness?"

"I'm not. I'm just rendered speechless."

"Well, sorry ta blueball ya, but maybe it'll be somethin' for ya to look forward to." Millie teased through the phone before the pair hung up.

Damn, he loved that woman. Some time to themselves was healthy, and he knew she was having fun with her sister, but he was excited for her to come home too. Just a few more days, and he and Frederic would have the apartment to themselves until then…

 

---

 

"When ya said he was a little guy, I didn't imagine he was this little," Millie observed, watching her husband feed their bird guest some more crickets and worms from a long pair of tweezers. 

She'd returned home from her trip, and one of the first things she did after walking in was ask her sugarplum to see his new little friend since Frederic was still staying in the office. 

"Definitely. I think he's somewhere in his young adult years based on some of the things I've read. He's got all the signs of being there."

"How much longer til he's all better, ya think?"

"Mmm… I'd say a few more days. I wouldn't say past Wednesday. He's really gotten so much better this weekend." 

Millie hummed, thinking of what they'd do while they were at work. He was left in the office all day, but her husband usually took several moments out of his day to clean, feed, and check on him. "I got an idea for when we go back to work. What if we gave him a little bowl and filled it with seeds and insects for him to eat while we're gone? Ya already gave him a little water bowl."

"I was thinking about that myself," Moxxie agreed, turning to his wife. "Remember that extra camera we have? I thought about setting it up in here to keep an eye on him during the day." 

"Wouldn't be a bad idea." Millie walked behind him, rubbing his shoulders affectionately as they watched Frederic go about his bird business. Moxxie could get used to this. Having a little creature to care for and watch them grow. He was never allowed to have pets when he was younger. Millie had the farm animals she'd help care for, but aside from the few barn cats that'd relax in their stables, the family didn't keep pets. 

While they knew they couldn't keep him, it was a cool experience to have a "pet" to care for. For the time being, that is. 

 

---

 

"Ok, little guy, ready?" 

Moxxie stood on the fire escape, snugly holding Frederic in his palms. That's right. Frederic was healed and all better, and therefore, it was time for Moxxie to say goodbye and let him fly away to the nest he'd come from. 

He was happy to have helped, and he enjoyed the time he was there, but there was a part of Mox that felt a little sad freeing the animal he'd put so much time and care into. However, he knew it was time, and he was sure whatever bird flock he came from was probably worried when he didn't return that day.

"Goodbye, Frederic…We enjoyed having you. Be free." Moxxie bid him farewell, opening his palms to let him fly away, and watched as he left into the late afternoon sun set. He'd miss him, but he was still glad he was able to help, especially after the condition he was initially in when he crashed into their window. 

After that, he set up the small feeder with bird seed that he and Millie invested in before climbing back inside to clean his office and help Millie with dinner. 

 

---

 

Saturday Morning, 1 ½ Weeks Later

Moxxie leaned over, planting a kiss on Millie's forehead as she slept, snoring softly in the blanket burrito wrap she'd created for herself in her sleep. He carefully climbed out of bed, slowly closing the bedroom door behind him to leave her be while he made breakfast. Typically, he'd stay in bed with her until she woke up, but he planned on making those cinnamon roll pancakes she liked that morning, and that was a meal that had a lengthy process. 

He started gathering all the ingredients needed, making sure to take out the proper dishes quietly before movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked out the window, the morning hell sunlight shining through the glass, and what he could see were small shadows at the bird feeder. 

They'd attracted a decent amount of birds since propping it up, and they both quite enjoyed it. It added another homey effect to their city apartment, and Moxxie loved taking note of the different kinds of birds that visit it. He set the dishes down, propping his elbows on the sink ledge to get a closer look when another figure joined in, but this one perched itself on the outside ledge of the window. 

When Moxxie looked over, he realized it wasn't just any bird. Not another random bird wanting to eat some snacks. 

He unlocked the window and pulled it up, excited to see his old pal that he'd taken care of a few weeks prior. "Freddy! Hiya buddy!" he whispered, petting the tiny feathered head of the city pigeon. "You do remember us. Sorry, Millie's not awake to see you." Just then, he grabbed his phone from his pajama pants pocket to snap a picture to show her later. 

"And you brought some friends!"

Moxxie stayed there until Frederic hopped over to the feeder to eat, so he closed the window to leave him be and begin his cooking process. What a nice morning surprise! And it would be far from the last. 

The entire time that Moxxie worked in the kitchen on breakfast for him and his wife, Freddy stayed out there visiting the nice imp man who'd cared for him as a 'Thanks,' flying off somewhere back into the Pride Ring after.

Notes:

Happy Saturday, everyone!

This is an idea I've had for a while, so I decided to give it a go for this prompt!

I think now that Moxxie is no longer living in Greed, he loves animals. After living in a place like that for so long and never seeing some in person until he escaped, I like to believe he's got a soft spot for other little critters who are small and vulnerable like he used to feel.

But that's all for today!

Chapter 48: The Start Of It All...

Summary:

Lin and Joe go through a loss. Lin worries about her daughter's unusual behavior.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Pregnancy Loss
- Miscarriage

Joe entered the bedroom he shared with his wife, sadness weighing on his heart from the weekend they’d had. 

Lin lay on her side of their bed, tired, sad, and unmotivated to feel anything else. 

But there was a piece of her that was angry at everything, and the stem of her anger this afternoon was the sun. The sun rose and was settling like normal. It was a beautiful, lovely, sunny day in Wrath, and her insides didn’t want sunny and brightness. She wanted dreariness, darkness, rain, and fire coming down; it didn’t matter anymore. An EF-5 flaming twister could have come at that second, claiming the house and her with it if it wanted, and she wouldn’t have cared. In fact, she would have run out to stand directly in its path. Why the fuck not. 

Joe closed the door, walking up to the bed and sitting at the foot of it, keeping the room as silent as possible aside from the occasional bird chirping it’s dusk songs. 

“...Doctor said it was a heart condition…That’s what they found in the autopsy.”

“...What was it?...What would they have been?” Lin croaked out in a hoarse voice, taking in her husband’s silence that followed, knowing it was just as painful for him. 

“...A boy,” was all Joe could barely manage to mutter out. “......Yer parents took the kids. Yer Ma packed ‘em all bags and said they’d keep ‘em as long as we needed them to.” 

He went over to his side of the bed, climbing in to be with her, to be present with her. She rolled over, facing him with tired eyes and a stone-faced look. 

“Hold me?” was all she said, and he obeyed, bringing her body into his tightly where she started to softly cry. And he let her. His Lin wasn’t much of a crier, but he let her be one whenever she needed to, and Satan did she need to now. 

“I-I’m sorry…Everythin’ was normal, I don’t understand…”

“Shh…It’s alright.”

They stayed like that for hours, neither moving nor saying anything. Just comforting each other as best they could…

 

---

 

2 ½ Weeks Later

“You gon’ be alright if I run over to the Hodeges’ real quick?” Joe looked up at his wife, who was doing the dishes that morning, keeping herself distracted. 

“Yeah…I got it. My folks said they’d get here ‘round ten, so they might make it here by the time ya get back anyway.”

Joe kissed her goodbye on the cheek before taking off to their neighbors’ ranch a few miles away, leaving Lin alone in the house. It had been the first time in about a month that she had been alone, and the farmhouse was peaceful, yet the silence was uncanny and uncomfortable. 

There were no footsteps, no sounds of little hooves running on the wood floors, or children screaming and laughing during play inside or outside in the yard. 

It was just she and only she alone. 

She went up to her children’s rooms when she finished in the kitchen, looking at the messes that hadn’t been tidied yet. No surprise. She and Joe hadn’t been in much of a mood to care about small, insignificant clutter. If she was being truthful with herself, she had been avoiding her children’s rooms, not wanting to be triggered or worsen her mental state anymore, but now it was maybe time to go in since they were returning home today anyway. 

She started in the boys’ room. Roy’s corner was always a bit messier than Sebastian's, understandable by his younger brother’s age. Two-year-olds didn’t always make the biggest mess in her experience. It was painful to think that if things had gone differently, the boys would have had another brother to share a room with…

And then Millie’s room, her only daughter. She swore neating out her room that that child collected the strangest things, finding missing cutlery from their kitchen, rocks from the garden, dead cicadas, and what seemed to be other small trinkets she’d picked up from Satan knows where. 

Lin sighed, finding another rock in her daughter’s pillowcase while collecting her sheets. “Little Millie…” she muttered, having a chuckle to herself. 

Millie was their middle child, their second eldest, the only girl, and as much as Lin and Joe loved her, she could be a handful, as she was the one out of her siblings who people called “the wild child.” Lin hated when people called her that. Her daughter was a free spirit, yes, but what small impling wasn’t a ball of energy? She hated that people only cloaked on her daughter’s wildness because she was a girl, as she remembered all too well how she and her own sisters would grow wild and crazy as children. 

However, she took those opinions with a grain of salt. It was typically Wrath Ring outsiders that had the nerve to voice their unsolicited thoughts. 

“Linsey! Ya home?” Lin closed the door to both bedrooms when she heard the familiar voice of her Mama from downstairs

“Yeah, Mama! I’m comin!’” She carefully went down the stairs to see Cinnamon standing at the bottom, waiting for her. 

“When I saw Joe’s truck gone, I thought y’all would’ve been somewhere else.”

“Nah. He just went over to the neighbor’s to grab somethin’ real quick…Where’s everyone else?” Lin asked, looking out the windows, only to see her parents’ truck parked in the yard, and there was no sign of her Pa or her littles.

Cinnamon’s nose scrunched up in disgust before looking up at her daughter, which Lin already had a clue of what that meant. “It’s just takin’ a bit more time fer everyone ta get ready this mornin’...But I figured I’d come early and help you and Joe out if y’all needed anythin.’”

“...Oh? Are the kids doin’ alright?” Lin tried changing the subject, sensing her mother’s annoyance with a particular someone, which she could probably guess with whom, but wouldn’t mention it. 

Cinnamon’s mood immediately changed as she helped her daughter gather the rest of the laundry to do that morning. “They’re wonderful, darlin.’ Don’t worry ‘bout them. They’re excited ta come home.”

“So am I,” the farm woman paused, contemplating her next words. “...With everythin’ that’s happened, Joe ‘n I just want them ta come back…We miss ‘em.”

“I know, sweetheart.”

Just then, Joe’s truck pulled back into the yard, with another truck that followed. A girl, an older woman, and a man walked out of the second truck, and Joe quickly went to greet them, giving them all hugs and handshakes before they entered the house. 

Lin instantly recognized the girl to be her younger sister, Poppy, the other man aside from her husband being her older brother, Cole, with the other woman following behind his wife, Hazel. Joe was the first to walk in, greeting his mother-in-law and offering to help with the laundry while their guests spent some time with Lin. 

Poppy walked in, setting down a large gift basket on the table along with Hazel before giving her sister a big hug. They didn’t get to see each other often, and they were the only two sisters left out of their siblings, which had bonded their relationship well over the years after the passing of Lin’s twin, Milena. 

“I’m sorry,” Poppy whispered to her sister.

“I know…Us too.” Lin commented before doing the same with her brother and sister in law who were just as excited to be visiting, regretting the circumstances. 

“Ok, sis. What needs to get done ‘round here?” Cole asked once they said their hellos, and Lin poured them all coffee to regenerate after the long drive. 

“Well, Joe could probably tell ya more about the farm ‘n outside projects…He’s kinda taken over that stuff while…” Cole put his hand on her shoulder, affirming that he understood and there was no need to explain further. 

“Say no more. We’ve got it. We’re here to help y’all get back on y’all feet. We’ll get it under control.”

Lin thanked her brother, who set his empty mug in the sink before heading outside to talk with Joe about their schedule for the weekend. 

Once Joe and Lin told their family they were slowly getting better after their loss, Lin’s family suggested that they make a weekend trip to their ranch to help them get the farm back in order. Cinnamon and Lin’s father, Buck, had been a tremendous help to the couple, taking in the children while they grieved, coming over everyday to help cook or clean so their house wouldnt’ succumb to disarray, and offering any support they needed, but now that nearly three weeks had passed, they asked their family for more hands to get themselves back into shape. 

Joe’s family had been saints too, with his father taking the children time to time so Buck and Cinnamon could get their own chores done, or his brothers and sisters helping to babysit or bring them anything they needed. 

They were grateful for the village they had, but it was time to start getting back to normal. At least a little normal, which is where Lin’s siblings decided to make the trip and help out. 

“So, Lin,” Hazel grabbed her attention, “I don’t mean to stress ya, but Alison came along with Clint.”

“Oh, trust me, Ma already prepared me. I swear that woman just gets on every nerve I have. I’m only civil with ‘er for Clint’s sake…Where they stayin’ at?”

“They stayed with us one night. The next mornin’ she told Clint she wasn’t stayin’ there anymore and they went to stay at the King’s resort.” Poppy chimed in, rolling her eyes at her other sister-in-law’s behavior. 

“Hmm…Don’t surprise me…And speak of the devil. Look who’s drivin’ up.” Lin scoffed, seeing the flashy, expensive black car pull into their yard where her brother walked out and went to the passenger’s seat to talk to – or argue with – his wife, who was refusing to exit the car from the looks of it.

“Princess is already causin’ issues and she ain’t even out of the car yet.” Hazel sneered, using a mocking tone to make her disapproval of the woman apparent. 

Alison wasn’t the favorite member of the family. Coming from money, she acted that she was above everyone else, as if her family wealth entitled her to treat others like servants, despite the fact that she was also half imp. She seemed fair enough when she first met the family, until she and Clint married which is when her reign of terror began. 

They also had a daughter, around Millie’s age, whom everyone could already tell would grow to be like her mother. Just as spoiled and nasty. Lin didn’t like to judge children, as they were the mere result of how their parents raised them, but she didn’t care for her niece Caroline whatsoever, as she would constantly tease and push her own daughter around whenever the family got together. 

Eventually, Clint convinced his wife to exit the car, where Joe, Cinnamon, and Cole went to meet up with them, and right on time, the women watched as the final members of the family showed up in Buckwheat’s old pickup truck. 

Lin got up from her seat to go outside and say hi to everyone, and see her children whom she missed desperately. Right as she stepped outside, her three little buggers started running towards the house, each being picked up by their uncle Canyon out the bed of the truck. 

“Ma!”

“Mama!” 

Roy and Millie raced to the porch for a hug that Lin excitedly gave, one child in each arm, giving them kisses all over. Hazel and Poppy walked out to the yard to help Buck and Canyon with the supplies in the truck. 

“Oh, my little devils!” Lin exclaimed, putting on a loving smile for her implings. “How was your trip to Mamaw and Papaw’s?”

“Paw let me ‘n Roy ride on the tractor with him!” Millie wagged her small tail, holding onto her older brother’s hand.

“Wow! The new tractor?”

“Yeah! It was awesome!” Roy became more animated the more he told his mother about their stay with their grandparents as Joe walked over holding little Sebastian, handing him over to his wife once he reached her. 

“Hey! No hug for me?” the father teased as his wife took the baby from him to cuddle. His older two kids started jumping all over him, excited to see their dad. 

“Yer Maw ‘n Paw told me y’all were really good! I think that constitutes a prize! What do you think, dear?” Joe praised his kids, holding one in each arm, looking at his wife.

“I agree, honey! Maybe in a few months, when Sebby turns three, we could swing over to Loo Loo Land?” 

“Mommy,” little Sebastian chirped out, pulling on a strand of his mother’s short hair. 

She gave him a kiss on the head, watching to make sure she didn’t poke her eye out with the little horns that started to sprout on the sides of his hair. “Hi, darlin’! I missed ya, too!” 

“Well, howdy, Lin,” Clint, her older brother, addressed his younger sister. They didn’t have the closest relationship, specifically due to his wife, but they were still brother and sister. 

“Hey, Clinty. Thanks fer comin’” She gave him a side hug so she wouldn’t disturb Sabastian. “How was y’all’s trip?”

“Not bad. Considering the drive. How y’all holdin’ up?”

“...Well enough.”

“Understandable,” Clint ended their short conversation when his wife joined in.

“Clint, I swear you always decide to come during the hottest time of year,” she rolled her eyes to complain before giving Lin and Joe a short look. “Lin…Joe”

“Hey, Alison…You could-” 

“Does your home have an air condition? Or is that too expensive for you?” she cut Lin off.

“...No. But you’re more than welcome ta open the windows.” 

“It’s “you are” and “to,” Lin. Grammar is important,” Alison pushed past the couple, going to make herself at home inside. 

Both imps turned to Clint who didn’t say a word. Joe put Millie and Roy down, encouraging them to go run off and play, which Lin did the same with Sebastian asking to be put down as well. 

“...She’s just not a fan of the heat.” 

“Or of Wrathians in general, if ya couldn’t tell from bein’ married to her,” Lin shot back.

“Look, Linsey, come on. You know that’s just how she is. She’ll stay out of the way this weekend. I promise.” 

“Yeah, whatever ya say,” she decided to walk away from the already less than pleasant start, planning to go up to her bedroom to be by herself like she’d been doing for most of the day, while Joe directed Clint on what they were planning to get done with the other men that weekend. 

Inside, the women started helping Lin with chores that needed to be caught up on. Even with Cinnamon visiting nearly everyday, it would be easier for things to get done with 5 people working instead of one. Well, 4 excluding Alison, who just sat at the kitchen table reading through fashion magazines and whining about the lack of service or the heat or how small the home was or whatever else that didn’t live up to her standards. 

Cinnamon could tell how her daughter-in-law’s comments were getting to her daughter, who didn’t need to be hearing any more negativity during this time, so she proposed that Lin go to rest as she originally intended while they worked and kept an eye on the children. The retired assassin tried fighting her mother’s request, repeating that she was fine to help them, but Cinnamon just took the rag from her hands and guided her to the master bedroom, where she could have some quiet, alone time. 

“Mama, I’m fine, I promise!” 

“Maybe so, Linsey,” Cinnamon tied the curtains back to open the large window. “But you need rest.”

“Ma, I ain’t tired! I guarantee ya I can help! It’s my home after all!” her mother rested her hands on her daughter’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes. 

“My girl…I know. But I think you’d feel better if you just made some time for yourself today. Invest in your hobbies, get some sun, and you can catch up with everyone else at dinner. Besides, it ain’t healthy fer ya to ignore yer feelins’”

Both went up to the window, hearing Millie and Roy screaming from the game they were playing together with Sebastian watching from the porch. “Look…They’re fine. Poppy can watch ‘em. And Hazel ‘n I got the house covered. You just take some time fer yerself, alright? Ya barely do anyway.”

Linsey reluctantly agreed, making herself comfortable on the bed with her basket of craft projects she’d been working on. She hadn’t really picked back up on them since everything, and maybe her mother was correct. Some time to herself might be nice for a change. Just a few hours. 

The older imp woman let her daughter be, leaving a crack open in the door for her to go start her part of the house. For a few moments, Lin sat on the bed, twiddling her thumbs, thinking things over. Thinking only. About her family, the farm, making mental notes of what she was most excited to do once she convinced her husband she could get back in the fields, looking over at the bathroom across the hall and remembering…

No!...No! Don’t think about that…

Looking at the baby stuff in the corner of the bedroom, covered by a white sheet so they wouldn’t have to look at it…

“Mama!”

“Yes, honey?” Cinnamon poked her head in the door. 

Lin pointed to the pile in the corner, where her mother’s eyes followed. “C-can we maybe start by…” 

“Don’t finish that, sweetie…I’ve got it handled.” She confirmed as she started taking the pile out of the room, out of sight…

---

2 Days Later

“Lin! Where ya goin?” Joe yelled from the top of their house roof. 

Lin turned around, holding a hand on her brow bone to block the sun from blinding her. “I’m just goin’ ta one of the barns to get away from the noise!”

“You need help?”

“No! I’m just goin fer a little bit! I’ll see y’all at dinner,” she waved goodbye before heading to one of their older barns on the property, yarn basket in hand. She just needed some time to herself to be in a quiet place without anyone else.

Lin approached the barn with her basket, to be surprised when she not only saw the door already opened, but her young daughter inside with a few of her dolls playing on the hay littered floor. 

They didn’t use this barn for much, mainly storage, but it still wasn’t completely safe for her to be in there all by herself. She smiled at her when Millie noticed her mother standing there and gave a smile of her own back.

“Hey, baby. Why ya in here all by yerself?” 

“I’m just playin.’”

“Really?...You don’t want to play with your brothers?” 

“Nah…I’m playin’ by myself today.” 

It was strange for Millie to play alone. She was always good at entertaining herself, but the majority of the time, she and Sebastian played together or in parallel to each other. Roy would join in sometimes if he was in the mood for it. Rarely did she ever choose to play on her own. 

“Ok then…I’ll be right here working.” Lin ruffled her hair before settling in a spot on the floor, now far from her daughter, who went back to playing whatever she decided on. 

Joe and Cinnamon had been encouraging her to take some time for herself. She wanted to get back in the swing of things in the fields, on their farm, but they insisted that having some “me time” where they would take care of things and watch after the children for her would do her some good. 

It had been relaxing for the most part, even if she still had to take time to grieve and cry. Lin didn’t like to cry, not in front of others, that is. She’d use work as a distraction, but everyone else was doing the brunt of the work for her, and she didn’t want to be a burden or useless like she had for the past month. 

It was just…hard. 

Losing a baby that was very much wanted for seemingly no reason at all except for bad luck. She didn’t understand. She had three healthy, successful pregnancies before this one. What had gone wrong? The doctor said nothing, but she refused to believe that. 

There were no signs of genetic diseases or disorders on either side of the family. It just so happened that this heart condition decided to take her unborn out of the blue? Why now? Why at all? Did she and Joe have some underlying condition that they were unaware of? What about her other children? Did they need to splurge and take them all for some fancy genetic testing? Were they truly healthy? 

That thought kept her up at night with nightmares. What if one of her other babies just dropped dead out of nowhere one day from this mysterious condition? What if Joe did? What about their other loved ones? 

“You’re bad, Mildred!”

Millie yelling at her doll caught her attention, dragging her out of these terrifying thoughts, bringing her crocheting to a halt to see what she was up to.

“Bad…Bad…Bad…Bad…BAD!-”

“Millie,” Lin turned to her daughter, taking a moment to de-escalate whatever odd game her daughter was playing. She smiled at her, patting the barn floor next to her. “Come. Let’s sit together,” she offered, which the small imp girl took, leaving her doll on the ground and dropping the stick, walking over to relax with her mama.

Lin rubbed the girl’s hair, purring softly to her, which triggered her daughter to mimic the sounds. Millie decided instead that she’d rather cuddle and sit in Lin’s lap. She’d tucked the hook and blanket she’d been working on in the basket to make room for the little one asking for attention. 

It made Lin feel a pang of guilt. With everything that had been going on, she hadn’t realized that it had been quite some time since she’d snuggled with her babies, or had some one-on-one time with them at that. Before, she and Joe made an effort to shower all three with personal attention as much as they could while still managing a house and a ranch. Not to mention the children had only returned home a week ago.

She guessed it was just a strange month for everyone, taking down a mental note to speak with her Joey about it later. 

“Mama, why did the new baby die?” Millie asked from below, bundled in her mother’s arms. 

Lin froze, literally. Of course, her daughter knew what happened. Millie was a very intelligent child who was always scarily observant. Even if they did try hiding what happened from the kids, more than likely, she would have figured it out. 

From what Joe had told her, when her parents told the kids why they were staying with Mamaw and Papaw for a while, Cinnamon told them in child-friendly terms that their new sibling was sick and born too small and passed away. According to her, Roy cried and was upset, Sebastian is too little to properly understand that something was wrong anyway, and Millie…

She understood that her mommy and the baby were sick, and that her new sibling was no longer with them, but it took a few days for her to acknowledge that the baby wasn’t coming back. 

No tears, no signs of being upset. But she was only a little tot. They couldn’t expect such a young child to completely grasp the concept of death. Children had their own way of grieving, too. Maybe Millie coped better by ignoring it…

“...Well, you know how sometimes you, Roy, and Sebby get sick?” Lin asked, earning a nod from her girl. “Sometimes, babies get sick while they’re inside their mommies. The baby’s heart was very sick, and it caused him to be born too early.” She combed her fingers through the hair coming from Millie’s small ponytail, trying her best to explain what happened to stay appropriate and to keep herself from crying in front of her daughter. 

“But why was his heart sick?”

“We don’t know, honey,” she kissed hr on the top of her head. “It’s sad, but sometimes, it just happens.”

“...Was it my fault?”

Lin’s eyes widened, and her heart shattered hearing this. She was just caught so off guard by that question, especially coming from her middle child who was always so headstrong and confident in herself from the time she was a tiny impling to now. 

“Oh, baby, no. No, no.” She turned Millie around so they were facing each other, and cupped her cheek, running a finger over the small beauty mark she was born with. “Listen to me…It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. We couldn’t have known this was going to happen. No one could have stopped it.” She let go of her cheek and pulled Millie in tighter, holding her to her chest. 

“I’m sorry if we made you feel that way, Millie. I promise, baby. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But I’m bad. I’m a bad little girl. That’s why they said the baby died.”

“...What?” 

“The baby died because I’m bad. And I’m always being bad and making you and the baby sick.” 

Once again, Lin was speechless, but this time confused more than anything. She kept listening to all these things her daughter was saying, letting her talk to get more information, all the while, raging inside at what Millie had said next. 

“Bad Millie! Very bad little girl! You stress your Mommy out and killed baby! It’s your fault! Bad Millie!” she kept repeating in her little voice, taking her hand and hitting her leg, before Lin gently grabbed it and stopped her. 

“Hey, no! Don’t do that! We’re nice to ourselves,” the mother calmed herself just in time for Millie to start up again, but even worse than before, shocking Lin into silence.

“They make me angry! They told me I’m very bad and that you ‘n Daddy don’t need more kids anyway! And we’re trash and I’m trash, but I love you and Daddy, and that makes me angry!”

She balled a small fist up to strike herself again, but Lin grabbed her and lowered it down before repositioning her daughter to look her in the eyes, stroking her cheek, face surprised, but she tried to conceal her own rage to hide it for her daughter’s sake. 

That wasn’t her baby talking…She knew her baby, and her little Millie didn’t talk like that.

“Who told ya that?” Her voice stayed calm, “...Who said that to you?”

 

---

 

Inside the George home, Poppy and Hazel worked on cleaning the kitchen and drying dishes to put them away. At the table, Alison was reading through another high-end fashion magazine while Roy played with Sebastian in the living room, where his aunts could keep an eye on them. 

“Ya thinkin’ garlic biscuits or cheesy biscuits?” Hazel asked her sisters-in-law, but only got a response from Poppy. 

“I was thinkin’ of doin’ both. We got enough people ta feed. It wouldn’t hurt to double the recipe.” Both women started gathering their dishes and ingredients for dinner when Lin walked through the screen door of the kitchen, upset and fuming based on her expression and pace. Hazel and Poppy watched in shock when she grabbed Alison by the hair and pulled her out of the house with enough force to scare any man. 

Alison screeched and kicked while being thrown off the porch and onto the dusty yard, yelling at Lin for messing up her hair and “ruining” her designer dress and shoes with the dirt. 

“You bitch! Look at what you’ve done! Do you know how much money this outfit cost me?!”

“I don’t fuckin’ care how much your goddamn new clenched asshole cost ya! Get the fuck out of my home and off my property!” Lin took a tomato from one of the baskets picked that day that were resting on the porch and chucked it at her, hitting her bullseye on the chest, angering her sister-in-law even more. 

“I come into your home during a time of need and this is how you repay your brother and I?! You’ll be paying for a new set!” 

“I ain’t paying you fuck! You haven’t lifted a finger the entire time you’ve been here, and you’ve made things worse! I want you out! NOW!” Lin marched up to her in the yard, using her hands to shove her back before Joe and Clint came running from the side of the house, seeing the commotion. 

“Lin, what the fuck?” 

“I don’t wanna fuckin’ hear it from you, Clint! You come here bringin’ her knowin’ what she thinks of our family, and she’s been a cunt the entire time! I’m sick of it! Get her outta here now!” 

Joe stepped in, surprised and thrown off guard by his wife’s attitude and demeanor shift from the hour ago that he’d seen her last. But he knew Lin better than anyone else. She never acted like this for no good reason. “Now, Lin-” he started before she turned around to look her husband in the eyes. 

“No! You need to hear my reasonin’! And you should fuckin’ hear what yer wife’s over here tellin’ my children!” She changed her attention to her brother. “Little miss over here’s tellin’ my daughter that she and her family are trash and scum! She told Mildred the miscarriage was her fault!” 

“What?” was all Joe could say in disbelief, while Clint glanced over at his wife, who now held a deer in the headlight look replacing the angered one she had before. 

“Yeah! That’s right!” Lin turned to her husband, “She told Millie that she stressed us out too much, and that’s why our son died! Millie’s in the barn by herself tellin’ herself she’s a bad child!”

She turned back to her brother, more enraged now than before, since saying it out loud and repeating what her daughter told her. “And I’m sure she won’t admit the OTHER stuff Millie overheard her say! Like that Wrathians are trash, and our family’s trash! Or how we’re savages! Or how her Mommy and Daddy keep havin’ too many kids, and we need ta be sterilized! Why is my fuckin’ sex life any of your business you city whore answer me!” 

Alison backed up while Joe stepped in front of Lin to try calming her down, because at this rate, he was completely convinced she’d rip the woman’s head off and anyone who got in her way of doing so.

“Lin, come on, let’s go inside. You shouldn’t be stressin’ like this right now.” 

“I want her out! Ya hear me! Out of our home! Off our property! AWAY from my children! I don’t want her anywhere near me or my family again!” 

Cinnamon, hearing the commotion, walked around from the back of the house to see what was happening, when she felt a tug on her tail from below to see her granddaughter there holding onto one of her dolls. 

“Mommy’s very mad, Mamaw.”

“It’s ok, honey. She ain’t upset with ya. Come on, how ‘bout Mamaw make you a snack!” Cinnamon took her hand and led her inside through the back porch door so she wouldn’t have to see the adults in her life fighting. 

Joe reasoned with his wife enough to bring her on the front porch where she stood at the top of the steps, watching him head back over to her brother and sister-in-law. She wanted to see that bitch get in a car and leave. She wouldn’t be satisfied until then and ONLY then. 

“Look, Joe…I’m sure that Millie was just repeating somethin’ that she heard from somewhere, m’kay?”

“Clint,” Joe started in his gruff, serious tone, “Yer my brother-in-law, and I like ya. But do not insult my daughter’s intelligence, or my wife’s at that. I know Lin and she don’t get upset like that from nothin’ so I think it’d be best if you two left.”

“Now, Joe-” 

“Go. I won’t say it again.” 

At that, Clint nodded and dragged Alison off with him, both climbing into their expensive car to head back to the city, but not before Alison screamed at the couple that they and their children were filthy savages who get what they deserve. That stirred the anger in both husband and wife, but the gratification of watching her leave made up for it. And they were understandably relieved she would no longer be around their kids, a bonus being they both 100% knew everything their daughter said was true, not that they doubted her anyway. 

“Linsey, what happened?” Cinnamon walked onto the porch asking her daughter who didn’t answer, but rather turned around to face her mom and started bawling from everything. Without any more of an explanation, the old assassin woman held her daughter tight, letting her cry as much as she needed into her shoulder, keeping her out the house so the kids wouldn’t become concerned. 

 

---

 

‘ Alrighty Wrathians, we just got a rather strange ‘n unexpected report from the Greed Ring. A wife and mother from Notamafia Town in the lower quadrant has gone missin’ as of a week ago. Accordin’ to an anonymous source, she was a Wrath Ring native, so it’s suspected she could have ran off back home…’

Lin had the bedroom window ajar letting in the cool breeze while one of their radios played news and music for some background noise as she worked on her project again. Since that afternoon, Joe brought her upstairs to nap and she’d been crocheting since sunset when she woke up, trying once again to relax. A part of her did feel better, but she still had a lot of questions running through her mind. 

She didn’t want to admit it, but crying to her own Mama made her feel better. A lot better. 

A knock on the door caught her attention, and speaking of the devil, Cinnamon opened it with her regular soft smile to greet her daughter. She held a plate in her hand and a glass of water with her tail, assumngly, dinner. “Hey. Joey told me you’ve been eatin’ up here so I thought I’d bring ya supper.”

Lin set her project back in the basket on the side of the bed before climbing out to Cinnamon’s surprise. “I’ll go downstairs.” She told her mother, grabbing the glass of water from her. 

“Ya sure?”

“Yeah…I miss eatin’ with my babies.”

When Cinnamon and Lin made it downstairs to the kitchen, Roy, Millie, and Sebastian showed excitement that their Mama had decided to join them with ‘yays’ and ‘hoorays’ as she sat in her regular spot next to their father, who was helping Sebastian eat. 

“We missed ya, Ma!” Roy wagged his tail.

“I missed y’all too, sweetpea!” Lin replied, seemingly in a better mood, in the eyes of all the other family members they had there. However, not one of them dared bring up what had happened that afternoon. They were just glad she was joining them again, even if she was still grieving. 

Family was always important to both Lin and Joe, and the number one rule of family that they taught their kids was that you stick up for each other. Despite the fact that she was a young child, Lin would always stick up for her daughter whenever any asshole tried saying something. She’d do the same for any of her babies. She was their Mama, and she’d fight for them until the very end if she needed to, and she wasn’t going to let her cubs think otherwise. 

 

---

 

“So…Yer Pa told me that Clint and…Ya know who left their house.” Joe filled the silence while he and Lin prepared for bed. 

“Oh, yeah?” Lin replied in a monotone voice, slipping on her nightgown before continuing. “What did they say?”

“...Nothin’...He said he headed on over ta ask ‘em ta leave and rip Clint a new one, but they apparently had already gotten their things and left.”

Lin scoffed, climbing into her side of the bed. It didn’t surprise her one bit. Since her brother married Alison, it was like he was her little lapdog. He did everything she said, defended her even when she was clearly in the wrong, and worst of all, he’d become just as arrogant and flashy as she, driving a wedge between the relationship he had with his parents and siblings. 

“Are ya surprised? I ain’t”

“I don’t know yer brother as well as you do, but I can’t say either.” 

Lin leaned over to turn out the lamp, plunging them into moonlit darkness coming in through the curtains before she lay down, feeling relief in her back that still felt achy. She glanced over at Joe, who just sat on the mattress, not moving. 

“Ya ain’t comin’ ta bed?”

No reply…

“Joey?” she sat up in her spot, becoming unsettled by his silence. 

“...I’m sorry,” he answered quietly before she could say his name again.

“What?”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there that day…When it happened…”

Lin crawled over to him when she heard him sniffle after finishing. Sure enough, he was wiping his eyes of tears, and she caught one with one of her sleeves, drying his cheeks affectionately. 

“...I should’ve known somethin’ was wrong…I should’ve stayed when ya said ya weren’t feelin’ well…I failed ya both…”

“No…Ya didn’t.”

“I’m the man…The father…The husband…I’m supposed ta be the protector. And I failed.”

Lin felt herself tearing up, feeling vulnerable enough in that moment to share tears with her husband, who’d she barely seen cry in all their years together. Maybe when their children were born, but aside from that, Joe never shed tears. He was an emotional man, mostly with her. Not the rest of the world.

“This doesn’t make you any less of a protector,” Lin whispered, taking his hand. “You’re a great father, ‘n husband, ‘n protector…It was just a bad roll of the dice fer us…”

She sat herself next to him, leaning on his shoulder as he wrapped one of his muscular arms around hers. 

“But we’ll get through this…We always do. We’ve always overcome hard times together. We’re a team,” she reassured him, intertwining their tails. 

“I love you.” 

“I love ya, too” 

They’d get through…Like always…For themselves, and for their babies…

Notes:

So, just to let y'all in on a little secret...

I know this is a little out of the blue, but there is a reason why I'm publishing this now👀...

Also guys, there is one more chapter of Mox Madness left! I just have to finish it up because it's a pretty long one.

See y'all later!

Chapter 49: A New Moxxie

Summary:

Moxxie processes having free will.

Notes:

Hello all!

I got today and the weekend off from school, so I've finished up my last post for Mox Madness and am working on some other things!

I originally had something else in the works for this prompt, but I decided it'd be best to wait a little while before I published that one...

But I won't keep y'all for too long. Let's get on with it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Week 5 of Mox Madness!

Prompt: Wild Card!

"Alrighty, you," Blitz grabbed a tote bag from one of the hooks by his door, ready to head out with an annoyed Loona by his side, scrolling on her phone, not paying any attention to either man close by. 

Moxxie stood in front of Blitz, eyeing the pointer finger targeted at him, flinching slightly as his hand moved towards him too quickly for his comfort. 

"Here's the rules. No going outside, no touching the stove or any sharp objects, add the oven to that list, and do NOT open the door until I call you to let us back in...On second thought, I'll send you some money because I'm leaving you with water but no food...Do you know how to order food?......OH FUCKING HELL! I forgot to teach you how to operate the microwave, Satan Danmit!-"

"For Fuck's sake Blitz! He's an actual person, not a pet!...A useless person, but still"

"Now, Loonie Patoonie, we're nice to guests, remember, sweetie," Blitz "reprimanded" his daughter for her blatant rudeness before sending his new roommate some money and showing him how to use the food delivery service app installed on the phone he'd given him. 

It was strange that someone in this day and age had no clue how to use a delivery service, but if Blitz was honest, his new roommate, who he'd taken with him when he escaped prison, was all sorts of weird to him. 

But he was just a little guy! He couldn't leave him in prison alone!

Plus, there was something about Moxxie that he felt attached to. He couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that he felt bad for the guy. Maybe it was because he would've felt guilty leaving him to fend for himself, but he pushed those ideas as far down as he could. 

However, he couldn't deny it. His roommate was fucking weird...

"Okie Dokie! Now, you should be ok for the night! Call me or Loonie if you need anything, and we will see you later!" 

"Of course." Moxxie quietly replied as they both walked out the door and locked the deadbolt and handle lock behind them. 

He stood staring at the door for a few minutes, wondering what to do now. 'What now?' He thought to himself. 

Tonight was the first time ever -- in his entire life -- that Moxxie was home alone. When he escaped jail 2 months ago, his cellmate allowed him to stay with he and his daughter until Moxxie could get on his own feet. Although they all knew that it'd be a while. 

The little imp didn't have a single dollar to his name. In fact, he knew absolutely nothing about how to live as a citizen of Hell in general!

For a few days, Blitz was convinced that he was trolling him for laughs, until he realized that Moxxie was completely serious in every moment he asked a question. It wasn't minor things that could be excused either, bringing both he and his hellhound daughter to bug-eyed expressions. 

Just two days after they made it back to Pride, Blitz learned that his new buddy didn't have any place to go, no money, no assets he could depend on. So he took the fella to the bank, and opened a checking account for him, even put money in there from his account to help him out. That process was already draining, as the smaller, freckled imp had zero clue about checking accounts or how that system worked, and when the card came in the mail days later, he looked at it and asked his older roomie, "...What is this for? What do I do with this?"

It totally fucked with Blitz's mind, so much so that he was starting to wonder if HE was the crazy one.

And the realizations for Moxxie just kept coming...

"How do you get money?...Imps are allowed to get money legally?!...Imps are allowed to have jobs that don't involve working for demon royalty?!"

"We aren't all enslaved as low-class demons?"

"We're allowed to decide what time we wake up in the morning?"

"We are allowed to have our own homes?"

"We're allowed to decide what we eat?"

"You can decide for yourself what you want to wear?" 

"You don't need permission to go out and do things?!"

That one really messed the little guy up...

It was just sooo strange. If he did grow up in a secluded enviornment, some of these things made sense, but how fucking secluded had he been from reality? From the rest of Hell?

That only watered Blitz's desire to keep him with he and Loona more for a while. He didn't want him going out and getting himself killed. Even bringing him out with them was tiring, as it also seemed that Moxxie had little social awareness. Just a few days ago, Blitz taught him about the "Dos and Don'ts" of going out in public. Thank Satan that he seemed to be a fast learner...

So, because they'd be out doing whatever those two were up to, Blitz decided it'd be for the best if Moxxie stayed in the apartment tonight to avoid any crazy events from happening. 

But the concept of free will was still foreign to Moxxie. 

His entire life, he was never given much room for decision. His father always told him what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Learning that everyone else lived such a different life was, to say the least, shocking. Something about this discovery was freeing and frustrating at the same time. On one hand, he was now able to make choices for himself. On the other, he was completely clueless how to do that, and he fucking hated his father for it. 

He'd make a safe choice now, and maybe sit on the couch to follow Blitz's orders not to do anything reckless. He placed the cracked phone that he held in his hands on the coffee table Blitz had in the center of the living room, just staring at the T.V. and the walls. Blitz had given Moxxie his old phone when they got out of prison. He'd been meaning to buy a new one anyway, so why not recycle it along to someone who desperately needed one? 

Moxxie decided it'd be entertaining enough to turn on the television, at least until he fell asleep. That's another thing he was never allowed to do back at the family estate. They had televisions, with very limited channels, and they'd only be on when they had guests over. No TV aside from that. 

And Blitz had one helluva fancy television. You could look up movies, shows, and you could even use apps like they have on their phones! He scrolled over to one tab of some drama series he'd come across recently and was getting invested in. Something about an "enemies to lovers" story or something like that? It was fairly entertaining, and it kept him occupied whenever Blitz and Loona were out of the house. 

'So, where are we gonna find the guy?' 

The paused episode from the last time Moxxie turned it on started playing again as he grabbed one of the blankets from the back of the couch, cocooning himself in the warm comfort of the soft, gray fuzz. He had the apartment all to himself tonight. Might as well get comfy.

 

---

 

'Well, why did you come here?!'

'Because I had to make sure you were okay, danmit!'

Moxxie watched the new scene before him intently while taking another bite of carrot cake. Yes, carrot cake. 

That was his dinner for the night. Turns out, the rest of Hell can eat sugar and junk food any day of the year! You wanted donuts? You can go to the store and buy some! It was simply amazing, and certainly one of his favorite new facts that he learned since being with Blitz and Loona. However, he had to start managing his sugar intake better. He was like a ravenous wild animal when it came to sweets for the past two months since finding out they were readily available. And he ordered this most adorable 5-inch layered cake, perfect for a small group of people, off the delivery app for only $10.00! 

But who cares! He was going to sit there and eat it himself, all for himself, just because he could! 

He didn't care about the potential repercussions. He'd handle those later. He was just enjoying sitting in comfortable, informal clothes, cuddled on a couch, in front of a television, at 10 P.M., enjoying some cake. Oh, the idea that he was defying all his father's orders (and that fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it) was enough to bring an evil smile to his face and somehow make the cake taste even sweeter...

"Take that, old man!" he murmured to himself, taking another bite before sipping on a drink of water as the new scene popped onto the screen. 

'But we can't~'

'You know we can~'

He'd missed the last few seconds that led up to the two leads kissing, and then falling back onto the female lead's bed before clips of a sex scene followed. Moxxie blushed, feeling embarrassed watching the clips, but at the same time, he couldn't look away. 

'Yeah,~ you like th-' The male lead didn't even finish his line before Moxxie took the remote to skip past the rest of the clips, until he was positive that the scene was over. Just as it made him curious, it made his heart ache, too. 

He went back to his cake, not paying attention to what was happening in the show anymore. He felt conflicted to admit to himself that he was still hung up on his ex-boyfriend. If he could even call him an "ex." In Moxxie's eyes, they never broke up, which made the grieving process so much harder. 

He didn't understand why. Or what he had done wrong. All he knew was that Chaz, who he saw as the love of his life, abandoned him, and Moxxie never saw or heard from him again. 

Every night in prison, he stared at the cell doors, hoping that the shark demon would show up, bail him out, and they'd go off to live a life of their own. 

When that didn't happen, and Blitz gave him his old cellphone, he wished that somehow Chaz would find him, and call him to come to the rescue like a knight in shining armor. But that never happened either, and Moxxie sadly knew it wouldn't...

He didn't know why, but he always craved companionship. Romantic companionship. To feel loved, chosen, and wanted. To have someone who he could love on day and night in return.

Sadly, he knew the chances of that happening were impossible. Especially now. He had no clue how to act or be around others who didn't grow up as he did. Chazwick was also a mafia man like him. They had the same set of social skills for the mob, but other men out there weren't like that. 

He didn't even know if he could move on....He loved Chaz so much, but even that was hard to think about because Chaz obviously didn't love Moxxie the same...

If he did, he wouldn't have-

No, not tonight! Don't think about that crap! You're supposed to be enjoying this!

He looked up as the TV went dark, the words 'Play Next Episode?' popped up on the screen with the options to exit or keep watching. He ultimately decided to stop watching for now, and the TV went back to the home screen. He checked the time at the corner, reading "10:47 P.M." 

Almost midnight. And he still didn't feel tired. Curiosity got the best of him, and he stood, still cuddled in the blanket, to go peek outside. Opening the balcony door a crack, he observed the lights that were still on in the city. It was a beautiful night, and he could feel a cool breeze. Then, he opened the sliding door all the way...And took two steps. 

Outside...At night...With nobody watching him, watching over his shoulder. 

A rush of adrenaline ran through every demonic vein in his body. Who knew something so simple, that normal demons probably did every day, could feel so empowering and exciting?

Feeling brave, he walked completely onto the balcony, looking over the railing at the streets below. Some people were walking on the sidewalks, and from the bars and restaurants, he could hear chatter and music. Some cars were driving to who knows where with whoever inside. 

Who knew that Hell expanded so far beyond Greed...

Moxxie obviously knew of the other rings, but there was something so odd about seeing how other demons lived. It wasn't as bad or dangerous as Crimson described to keep his son under his thumb, too fearful and scared to leave the manor without permission if he even dared. And the people weren't truly as bad as he made them out to be, either. There were assholes, yes. But he met and ran into some rather polite citizens, such as Blitz and Loona (sometimes). His eyes wandered to the other side of the street and landed on a small corner store with its bright LED lights on. A bright neon sign displayed in the window read "Open."

'...Open?...This late at night?'

Blitz taught him that grocery stores closed at night. He assumed that meant every store...

...Maybe he could go...

'No! Blitz said to stay put!.........But nothing's stopping me...'

He went back inside, locking the balcony sliding doors behind him, before grabbing his phone, putting on a jacket Blitz gave him, and hesitantly left the apartment...

 

---

 

"Excuse me?" Moxxie asked one of the corner store employees, unpacking snacks from some boxes. A young female, from the looks of it. Maybe a few years younger than him. Definitely a teenager. 

"Does this store sell cigarettes by chance?"

"Sure does! Is that the only other thing you're wanting to buy?" She responded, pointing to the single canned beer in his hand. 

"Yes."

"Ok, come on over and I'll check you out," she smiled, heading to the back of the checkout counter to set the register up. Once she grabbed the cigarettes, Moxxie added the beer onto the counter as the employee started ringing him up. He'd just gotten his debit card out when she spoke up again. 

"Can I see you're ID before you pay?"

"...ID?"

"Yeah. For the beer. I have to make sure you're 21."

"O-oh. Sorry, I had no idea. No, I'm not 21." 

"No worries! Thanks for saying," she put the can to the side, canceling the charge from the order before giving him the green light to scan his card on the machine. He'd watched Blitz do this countless times now. He was hoping he'd do it right on his own. 

"Alright, man. Have a good night," the cashier slid the box over to Moxxie as he took it off the counter. 

"Thank you," he told her before leaving the store and crossing the street to very quickly scurry back to Blitz's apartment. He felt that same adrenaline rush now as he did just 15 minutes ago, stepping onto the balcony. Only by something as simple as going to the store! He felt fucking fantastic! He went and had a store transaction all by himself! Used the little card all by himself! Without permission!

He couldn't stop himself from smiling as he re-entered the apartment, locking the doors behind him. He felt incredible! 

"Yeah...YEAH! FUCKING TAKE THAT, DAD!" he yelled to himself, holding both middle fingers up to the sky, at nothing in particular really. It just felt that fucking good! 

And no, he didn't have to worry about being skinned alive for cursing out his father anymore either. 

With that, he returned to the balcony, cigarette box in hand, along with a spare lighter that Blitz kept in one of his kitchen drawers. He sat near the fire escape, lighting one as he listened to the night noises of Imp City around him. The sky caught his attention after a few puffs. He could actually see stars! He only saw pictures when he lived in Greed. The smog was so bad that looking up at night and admiring the stars wasn't an option, no matter where you lived. 

Now, he could finally see them for himself. How beautiful...

He didn't need permission to do this either, and that felt great. 

He could just sit out here, all night, smoking and staring up at the stars if he wanted. 

And that's what he'd do. After all, why not? 

Even if it sucked some days, and he had a lot to learn, he was enjoying this new life.

He didn't want to take this second chance for granted...

Notes:

And with that, this is my last post for Mox Madness! Even though I'm wrapping it up late, I had lots of fun!

Special thanks to MetisLeigh once again for hosting this! Go over and give her fics a read, she's another super talented M&M fanfic writer!

If you celebrate, Happy Easter! And if not, I hope you all have a fun and restful weekend!

Chapter 50: Birth Of A Gemini

Summary:

Once upon a time, a daughter was born...

There wasn't any heat in Hell that could compare to the summers in Wrath.

Even for hellions, it could be brutal. The only saving grace during the months of March - September was nightfall, when the magma suns would set and plunge the ring into darkness. 

Millie grew up loving the summer. The heat never bothered her much -likely because she was used to it - but then, when she and Moxxie's first little miracle was born at the beginning of August, it made the season all the more special to her. 

Now, she had another reason to embrace the summertime, sleeping peacefully and content in her arms after the quickest labor she'd ever had. Approximately only 5 hours, terminated in a successful birth during sunrise. The exhaustion wasn't even enough to break the awe she felt for this new, tiny impling, who was just a few hours old. 

Calliope Maeve-Louise

And she was as perfect as they come. 

Her very belated arrival was all sorts of chaos, enough to make Millie chuckle once she'd calmed down after birth, telling her husband that they truly made a real Gemini. The little tot was due to be born two days ago on the 9th, and when she didn't arrive, Millie and Moxxie started doing everything they could think of to get labor started. From drinking lots of raspberry leaf tea, to going on walks (during dusk when the air was cooler), to Millie jumping Moxxie any chance she could during the day, remembering that sex was known to help soften the cervix - not that either of them were complaining, to ultimately surrendering late the previous night once they exhausted all options. 

Millie started worrying, wondering if there might have been an underlying complication that they were unaware of that was hindering the birth. Moxxie assured his wife that she and their baby were healthy, as the ultrasound days prior had shown them. Aside from that, the baby was active as always, the entire day. He eventually convinced his wife to rest that night by telling her he'd call their doctor in the morning. She and some of I.M.P.'s other nurses were staying in a motel only 15 minutes away, and they were thoroughly prepared to deliver a baby any day now. 

But, being the bridge between the spring and summer seasons, June was one of Wrath's most notorious months for flaming twisters to brew, and that night, a slumbering Millie and Moxxie were awoken by several loud, blaring sirens and phone alerts of a EF3 flaming twister in the area, leading the two to retreat as fast as they could in Millie's condition to their getaway home's cellar to take cover.

By Satan's grace, their property was left untouched in the end, but looking outside the windows once everything was over, they couldn't see anything with all the desert dust and sand floating in the air from the high, strong winds. The two were still freaking out regardless that they were ok and safe and didn't sustain any damages to their property, but Millie's parents lived only about an hour away, and their two other babies were staying with Lin and Joe until their sister arrived. 

Were they ok? What about their other family, like Millie's brothers and their families? Moxxie tried calling his in-laws several times with no answer, his anxiety growing worse each time he was sent to their voicemail. He wanted to know if his in-laws were ok. What about their boys? Tucker, Russell. They were so little, and they had never experienced a flaming twister before, much less one of that severity. 

Maybe it was the stress, but in that moment of panic, another addition to their worries came along in a stream between Millie's legs. And, no, it wasn't pee...

Their daughter decided she wanted to come now. Of all the other times she could have, it was her moment. Her birthday would be in a matter of hours, and they had no service to get a medical professionals to their service. No contact with Willa, Sallie May, Lin, or Joe. 

If that wasn't bad enough, their phones started buzzing with more twister watches and warnings close enough to raise caution. They had no other options, and Moxxie didn't waste any time setting up the inflatable pool that Millie used for labor with their last two little ones in the cellar. If this baby was coming now, he wasn't taking any chances by putting it in the cabin's small relaxing area that Tucker and Russell were born in. Satan forbid a flaming twister came and took the house away, they'd be in that cellar with their new impling...

The sniper did his best to make the space cozy and relaxing after settling his wife in the pool, staying in there with her while labor progressed and simultaneously listening for any sounds of glass breaking above or of flames and heavy wind that never came. The only sounds that echoed off the basement walls were a weather notification every now and then and Millie's labor pains and cursing. Mainly, cursing out her husband in frustration for getting her pregnant once again, that Moxxie didn't take personally. 

Until loud knocking could be heard at the front door, followed by screaming, Moxxie cautiously went to investigate, pistol loaded in hand in case it was bandits attempting to rob the place in the wake of the disasters happening. Much to his relief, it was Lin and Sallie May outside on the porch with worried expressions on their faces before Moxxie swiftly let them in. 

"Oh, thank, Satan!" Lin hugged her son-in-law as he opened the door. The two women rushed inside, looking for Millie. "When the twister passed, we rushed over as fast as we could, with the damage to the roads, to check on you two. Where's Millie?!" Lin desperately asked the freckled imp who led them to the cellar where their daughter and sister was still laboring, trying to breathe after yet another strong, painful contraction. 

It had been around 3 1/2 hours now, and both parents anticipated that they had a lot more ahead based on their past two birth experiences. But what do ya know, that an hour and a half later, Millie insisted that Moxxie join her in the tub, claiming that their baby was going to be there any minute. Mother's instincts were correct, as Moxxie then delivered their daughter just 5 minutes later while Sallie and Lin wrote down the proper time and date information to give the doctor once she could get there. 

Moxxie and Millie didn't pay much mind to that. They were safe, their family was safe, and now they had a new tiny, crying impling who made it into their arms safe and sound despite the dissarray happening outside...

Looking down at the small, red freckled face, Millie couldn't help but replay those last moments of her birth over and over. It wasn't at all what she wanted or planned for this birth, but in a weird, odd way, it was perfect to her. 

"M-Mox...I-I'm scared!"

It was funny...After two previous births, she was scared for some reason...

Given, her two older children were born in more peaceful conditions. Tucker's birth was brutally long and tiring, and Russell's shoulders got stuck on his way out due to his birth weight of 8 1/2 pounds, but both of her elder children made it here safely. Somehow, this one scared her the most...

Moxxie held onto her, both imps kneeling together on each other's bodies as Moxxie sat in the pool, helping his wife into the kneeling position she preferred when pushing. 

"It's ok," he whispered in her ear, rubbing her back as another heavy contraction hit, causing her to sink her fingers into the back of his shirt. "You've got this, Millie. You're so strong. You can do it. I believe in you." He assured her while she started pushing instinctively, all the while Moxxie continued holding her, just as he had for their past two births. This time, he was playing two roles at once: his everyday one as a supportive, loving husband, and now the presence who would catch their daughter when she came out. 

"Don't worry. I've got her. I've got both of you," he assured Millie, readjusting himself for her to keep leaning on her, but also to assist his wife with her final efforts...

And then next thing Millie knew, she was cradling a slimy, crying impling in her arms with Moxxie crying tears of happiness next to her, kissing her on the forehead and telling her how much he loved her and how proud he was, just like when Tuck and Russ made it here. 

Millie had to shed a few tears herself, staring at their perfect, adorable daughter...

Once they were able, Lin cleaned up her new grandbaby, dressing her in comfortable newborn clothes. Meanwhile, Moxxie helped bathe his wife, getting her into her own comfortable pajamas for the day to rest and heal. Afterward, he helped her climb back into their bed, where she could relax and enjoy cuddling their new addition. 

No matter how many times she'd done it, Millie couldn't stop the maternal stare that followed after childbirth. Gazing at their newborn babies would keep her occupied for hours, admiring their features and pinpointing whether they inherited them from her or her husband, who she loved so much. It made her heart so full to realize in that moment that not only was their daughter their first child who perfectly resembled her daddy, but that all three of their children inherited one distinct feature that she loved. 

She was now, officially, the only imp in their house who didn't have freckles, and she didn't care one bit. 

When she and Moxxie first started trying many many years ago, she begged for a healthy baby, but the one trait she really wanted them to have was their daddy's white epcks that decorated his body. Now she had three...

The mother softly ran a finger over her sleeping babe's spotted cheek, wanting to remember that feeling forever since this was the last time she'd experience the morning after having a baby. 

"You're the most beautiful, perfect little girl I've ever seen," she quietly purred to the newborn, lifting up the plush, fabric hat on her head to take another look at the thick bush of coal-dark hair. "You definitely got yer daddy's lucious hair...Damn, that's real dark." The melee fanatic commented on the color, running her fingertips through the thick, dark curls coming from the baby's head. Now she knew why her heartburn was so bad this pregnancy. All three of her children were born with lots of hair, but even Millie was stunned at how much hair her little girl had. It was so much they didn't think the neonate hats would fit on her head.

Little Calliope flinched in her sleep, stirring from the sensation of her mother playing with her hair, causing her to let out a single, piercing wail, scrunching up her tiny, freckled face.

"Aww. Don't cry. I'm sorry, I won't do it again," Millie cooed, looking at the clock on the wall, and lifting up her loose pajama shirt, realizing it was about time for her next feed anyway. 

"Here. This make it up to ya?" She offered milk that Calliope didn't think twice about latching onto, making soft gulping and cooing noises as she ate.

"You had dark hair like that when you were a baby," Lin piped up from the sofa where she was folding the couple's clean laundry. She volunteered to stay with Millie and the baby while Moxxie and Sallie went to check on and fetch Willa and the other nurses. 

"Really?"

"Mhm," the older imp nodded with a smile. "It was so dark and black we considered namin' you "Raven." Obviously, we ended up namin' you somethin' different."

Millie chuckled at the idea. "Raven?...I can't imagine myself as a "Raven.""

"Hence why we chucked it," Lin gave a laugh back. "The more I looked at ya, ya didn't look like a "Raven" ta me...But ya looked like a "Mildred" to me. The second yer Pa suggested it, I knew that was yer name." 

"Mox 'n I thought 'bout naming her "Sofia" fer a little bit. But I think Calliope actually fits her the best." Millie rested back on the nursing pillow, reminiscing on the day she and her husband discovered their last baby would be a girl. She thought for sure they'd be having another boy, but Moxxie once again correctly guessed the sex of their baby, leading them to look at names immediately. 

She gave him full permission to choose their daughter's name, considering she had the most influence on naming their two older children. When they finally landed on "Calliope," it was like a switch went off. Just looking at ultrasound photos, they knew that was their daughter's name. Looking at her in person didn't change their minds either. 

Seconds later, Moxxie carefully opened the door with Sallie May, Willa, and two of her nurses following behind into the couple's getaway home. Moxxie headed straight to his side of the bed, eager to get back to his wife and baby daughter, wasting no time to purr and nuzzle against his wife's cheek.

"Hi, Millie," Willa, their doctor, and the company's physician, approached the bed, staying quiet for the newborn. "I heard the little one made quite an entrance this morning!"

"That she did. Mah little Gemini...Mind if she finishes eatin' before you check her out?"

"Not at all. And I apologize that we weren't here, but I'm glad you're all safe." 

Millie leaned on Moxxie's shoulder as he watched their new impling in his wife's arms, taking her free hand into his, affectionately running a thumb over the top. 

"Us too..."

 

---

 

"Ok, little one," Willa zipped the onesie Calliope was wearing back up after listening to her heart and lungs. The impling was NOT happy about this arrangement, screaming her tiny lungs out from the cold feeling of the stethoscope and being poked and prodded at to check her health. How dare these nice nurses and doctor, who watched after her the entire pregnancy, disturb her from her nap! The sheer audacity of them to check and make sure she and her mommy were healthy after a stressful birth! 

"You are a very healthy newborn from the looks of it!" Willa handed the baby back to her mother, who was secretly seething from the sounds of her child upset. Though she kept herself under control, knowing Willa had no ill intent. "And from what I've examined, you're healthy as well, Millie. I don't see any signs of complications in either of you; however, considering this was a pregnancy of advanced maternal age, I'll come by again tonight and tomorrow morning to check on you two again. If you'd like, I could have Amy or Dobber stay the night since the phone lines are down."

"We'll think about it...Thank you guys. Stay safe out there." Millie yawned, calming Calliope in her arms when Moxxie showed their guests out. His mother-in-law and Sallie went home to rest since the couple claimed they had everything under control for a few hours. The two were worn out from the night's events, and no doubt they were too. 

Moxxie took a now-sleeping Calliope from his wife's arms and placed her into the heirloom wooden bassinette next to the bed. In the meantime, he closed all the curtains in the cabin, limiting the sunlight coming in from early afternoon, and Millie lay down on her pillow, getting as comfortable as she could after an eventful birth. "How do you feel, sweetie?" Moxxie asked, climbing under the covers with her, snuggling up to his wife. 

"Sore 'n tired but so happy. Typical after childbirth, y'know," she yawned, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't seen herself since last night, but she knew she had eye bags; she was so tired. 

"She won't be ready to eat for another few hours. Let's try to get some sleep?" the thespian suggested, being just as tired, but not wanting to invalidate how sleepy and drained his wife had to be after laboring and pushing out their entire baby. Millie only hummed in response, giving a single nod in agreement as she shifted to get closer to him. She was ready to be whisked away to sleep, even if it was only for a few hours.

 

---

 

Moxxie walked onto the porch as he saw his father-in-law's truck pulling off onto the dusty lawn of their vacation home. 5 days later, and both assassins were sure they were ready for others to meet their daughter. 

The only ones thus far being themselves, their medical team, Lin, and Sallie May, as per usual. Calliope seemed to be a fairly easy newborn, sleeping most of the time and already following a strict feeding schedule, causing no issues for her parents. 

What they were really excited about was for their boys to meet their sister. Tucker, in particular, was really eager to meet the baby, even begging Millie to be with them when she gave birth so he could watch to feed his hilarious curiosity about the medical procedure of birth and to be the first brother to meet the baby. Millie denied him being there for the birth, mostly so she could focus and not worry about a 5 year old running around while she was trying to push a baby out, but the mother double and triple pinky promised him that he'd be one of the firsts to meet the baby once she got here. 

As expected, when Lin helped Tucker out of the truck, he bolted straight to his dad on the porch, flashing those wide doe eyes and that smile he got from his mom. 

"Daddy!" 

"Hi, sweetie!" he bent down to give the boy a tight hug, the boy who made him a dad. They missed them both. They'd been gone for about 12 days now. Millie and Moxxie sent them off to stay with Lin and Joe once their due date was quickly coming closer, but things weren't the same without their boys around. 

"Things alright in there?" Joe asked in his gruff voice, handing Russell to Moxxie.

"Absolutely, sir. Thank y'all again for watching them...Hi, baby!" he sang to Russ, kissing him on the cheek. 

"...Baby!" the toddler repeated back, mimicking the sound of his father's voice before Tucker spoke up again. 

"Daddy! Can we see the baby now? Pretty please!" 

"Of course, wildflower!" He ruffled the top of his hair. "But only if you promise not to make too much noise, ok? And be careful with mommy. She's still healing." Moxxie reiterated the rules to his son while the child held onto his grandfather's hand as they entered the cabin. Millie looked up from the basket of laundry she was folding when she heard the door creak open, and her family quietly stepped inside. She gave a warm smile to her parents, and then to her boys, who ran right up to her when they saw her. 

"Mama."

"Russey~" Millie addressed her youngest, now middle child, back before turning to her oldest, right beside him, giving both children a big hug. 

"Mama, where's Callie?" Tucker asked, wagging his small, freckled tail. 

"Come see," Millie stood up, taking his smaller claw in hers while Moxxie picked Russell up off the ground to see better. "Look in here," she whispered, guiding the older brother to the wooden bassinet where he looked down to see a tiny, sleeping impling inside wearing one of the new horse pajamas that his uncle Blitz had gifted his mommy and daddy. 

"That's your sister, honey." The female imp knelt down to her son's eye level for him to sit in her lap. They looked on through the cot bars at the sleeping creature with dark, black hair that'd now be a part of their family. 

"She has freckles like Russ 'n me 'n Pa." 

"Yeah. She does, doesn't she...She's got some on her tail like you, too, Tuck." Millie pointed out. 

"...What do you think, Russ?" Moxxie looked at the stone-faced impling in his arms, the mirror image child of his wife.

The only response he gave was another "Baby?" Good enough of a reaction. He was only 2. If he and Millie were honest, they were slightly worried about Russ's reaction to the baby since they were so close in age. But they'd take this as a success. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon like that, letting the boys hold their new sister (along with Joe), enjoying their new family of five.

 

---

 

Moxxie double-checked that they locked all the doors and windows, closing the curtains in case some wandering creep decided to take a peek in during the night. The cabin was in a safe area, but you never know what kind of thieves or criminals are lurking around in the dark. 

Millie was lying down with Calliope sleeping on her chest, running her fingers on the back of her onesie. In the bed with her, she had Tucker to her left and Russell on her right, both fast asleep, cuddled up to her sides. They tried convincing both boys to go back with their grandparents for the night, promising they could come back the next day, but both children were adamant about staying with their parents. 

"I can't say I blame them," Moxxie whispered, taking Calliope from Millie's arms to lay her in the bassinette. 

"They miss us. We must be doin' somethin' right." Millie replied, getting up to rearrange herself, carefully taking Tucker and putting him in the middle of the bed with his brother to stop him from falling over the edge. "Guess we made the right choice ta get a bigger bed fer the place," she remarked, running her fingers through her son's fluffy, white hair. 

"Suppose we did." Moxxie leaned over the boys to give her a kiss before lying down himself, closing his eyes, ready to get some sleep before the baby would wake them in a few hours to eat. 

"Ya'know," Moxxie opened his eyes to look at his wife while she spoke. "Maybe I'm biased, but I think we have the perfect family," she said with a soft smile, closing her eyes. 

Under the covers, Moxxie's tail sought out her own, coiling them together and rubbing their spades against each other.

He couldn't agree more. They had the most perfect, beautiful kids, great careers, wonderful friends, and family who have been there through so much with them, a great home they built together. 

To think that it all started when she stole a target from him almost 16 years ago, almost killing him in the process. The younger Millie never let her victims escape, but Moxxie happened to be the only exception. She wanted to chuckle just thinking about it. That little thorn in her side from that one mission all those years ago ended up becoming her loving husband, and she had three of his babies. How funny life could be.

"So do I," he agreed, falling asleep soon after alongside his wife and their three cubs. 

Notes:

Tucker and Russell will also have birth chapters, but I felt compelled to post this one today since I had some free time😊

Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and I will catch y'all later!

Chapter 51: Family Reunion (Preview)

Summary:

Moxxie & Millie take a vacation for their (belated) honeymoon! Before that, they take an extra week off to attend a wedding for one of Millie's cousins, where Millie runs into some people from her past, and Moxxie stands by his wife to support her through a tough week.

In this chapter, Moxxie begins to build a better relationship with Millie's family while Lin breaks some disturbing and troubling news to Millie that digs up uncomfortable memories...

Notes:

Hello, lovely people!

Today is my birthday, and when I woke up, I decided to give you all a little gift (lol)!

So, whether you follow me on social media or you just read my fics, y'all may have seen the hints I've been dropping that I have some fun things planned for this summer.

Well, I'm excited to announce that I have a multi-part fic I've been working on since October, and here's the first chapter of it!

Originally, I wasn't going to publish this until late May, but I've been so impatient to share it with you guys, I decided to celebrate my birthday by giving y'all a sneak peek of what's to come!

There are more announcements in the end notes, but enough chit-chatting! Let's get on with the story!

I present to you all, "Family Reunion"!

It was a cooler, sunny afternoon in the Wrath Ring when an older model, beat-up pickup truck drove through the entrance of the Rough 'N Tumbleweed Ranch. Elmer and Wyatt, the two young imps of speed and energy they were, burst out the front door of the farmhouse, screaming at the top of their lungs and running towards the unfamiliar car like two hungry wolves. 

"MILLIE!!!"

"SISSY!!!"

They already knew who it was, but seeing their older sister stepping out of the vehicle made the reality more concrete. In Elmer's case, he hadn't seen his eldest sister since the last harvest, where she, her husband, and her two coworkers accompanied them. Wyatt had seen her months before when she and Moxxie cared for him while his father and brothers were injured in an accident. She was just as ready to see them. The female assassin stepped out, closing the door behind her with a big, loving smile on her face. 

"Moxxie, I consider our place to be home, but damn, it feels nice to be home!" She held her straw sun hat to the top of her head to block the wind, wanting to blow it away, while her husband started grabbing their luggage from the back of the truck. 

"It's nostalgic for you, and it's where you grew up. No problem with that!"

Millie started running towards her younger brothers, hoping they hadn't gotten too big so she could still pick them up.

"Oh, my Satan!" she tackle-hugged them both, picking them up off the ground, one brother in each arm, with Elmer being slightly more difficult to hoist up than Wyatt. "What do I got here? Two little boys who are gettin' too big too fast!" She teased, putting them back down on the ground, dizzy from her spinning them around in circles. 

"HEY! Um! What the fuck about me?!" another voice from the porch sarcastically exaggerated. 

"I didn't see you start runnin' towards me!" 

"Well, ya could still give me a hug, smartass!" Sallie May joked as she approached her sister for a tight hug. It had been a few months since she visited Pride to see her sister, but to them, it felt so much longer than that.

"Glad to see ya, Sal! I missed ya!"

"Me too! I've been stuck with those two fer months." Sallie motioned to their two younger brothers, who were play-fighting, with Wyatt chasing Elmer around with a large, thin wooden panel. "So, how was the drive?" 

"It was fun! We're real glad we decided ta rent a car fer the trip, it'll just make some things easier, ya know? It costs more, but it's convenient."

"How much it cost ta rent?" 

"Hundred bucks, but that's cause it costs $50 fer one week and we got it fer two," Millie explained before looking around the yard. "Where's Mama 'n Daddy?" 

"They went ta help Mamaw round up some hogs that escaped. They said it wouldn't be long before they got back, so I been watchin' the boys...Aka, keepin' Wyatt under control."

"Under control fer what?" Millie chuckled. Just then, she saw her youngest brother run past them faster than a flaming tiwster towards the truck. "...Oh! I shoulda' known!"

"MOXXIE!" The young boy screamed at the top of his lungs, spreading out his arms to jump at the older imp. 

"Hi, Wyatt! How have you been?" Moxxie inquired, kneeling down to give the boy a hug. 

"Really good! I've been doin' a lot gooder in math!"

"Wow! Good job!" Moxxie praised, holding up his hand for a high five. The sniper carried their suitcases to the front porch, hauling them all by himself so Millie could catch up with Sallie. He knew she'd been looking forward to this entire trip for months now, and considering that the last time she saw Sallie May was back in April, the pair likely had lots to catch up on. 

The entire time her sister was chatting away about her eagerness to be there, Sallie May watched her brother-in-law carry their possessions to the porch by himself with ease, finding herself impressed, remembering how he struggled to do so every time before, especially when they last visited for the Harvest Moon Festival nearly a year ago. 

"Sal?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just admiring the cupcake's new skills," she pointed a finger towards Moxxie, carrying their last bag onto the steps of the house, adjusting the hat Millie had put on his head when they reached Wrath. 

"He's been doin' a lot more heavy liftin' on the job! Plus, we've been practicing a lot more together outside of work since the work's been pickin' up," Was the excuse she typically gave. The truth behind why Millie and Moxxie had been working out together more outside of I.M.P. was due to their previous run-in with Striker. After that disaster, both imps agreed that it wouldn't hurt to get extra workouts in to keep them sharp, just in case they needed to jump right into another battle. 

"Anyway, though, you mind lettin' us in?"

"Oh, my bad. Yeah, come on." Sallie agreed, leading the couple into the ranchhouse so they could put away their things. 

The pair would be staying in Millie and Sallie's old shared room, which Lin and Joe had recently renovated into a guest bedroom since there were fewer people living in the house. With Roy and his wife out on their own, and now Millie and her own husband, it was just them, Sallie, Elmer, and Wyatt.

They'd be staying with the family for the first week of the trip, before they'd take off to a different side of the ring for their personal vacation...

When they got married, Millie and Moxxie didn't have much to their names individually. All the funds they did have at the time either went towards the wedding or their bills. For obvious reasons, they didn't have the chance to go on a honeymoon. Millie's grandmother, Cinnamon, pushed back on this, insisting that the young couple couldn't just "go back to work" right away. She even took it upon herself to rent them a small cabin so they could spend a few days alone as newlyweds. Both imps were grateful for Cinnamon's kindness, as it was indeed nice to have some privacy and time to themselves after getting married; however, they agreed that one day they wanted to do something more grand for just the two of them. 

So, when they finally saved enough in their "Extra Savings" account, they decided to celebrate their second wedding anniversary by going on the honeymoon they had been unable to plan before. They were hesitant at first, for several reasons, from Blitz still recovering from his...situation with Prince Stolas to taking two weeks off work, but their boss didn't seem to mind. In fact, Blitz encouraged his employees to go off and have some time to themselves, claiming that he and Loona could handle the business just fine. 

That didn't do much to ease their concerns. For Moxxie, he felt a bit sad for his boss, believing his persistence in wanting them to take off and enjoy themselves was fueled by guilt over what had happened a year ago at Ozzie's. Millie was put off by the idea that their leaving would plunge her dear friend into even more depression. 

Moxxie asking Blitz for the umpteenth time if he was sure that he'd be alright with only him and Loona working for two weeks, set their boss off. Blitz grabbed him by the collar, saying "Moxxie, if you don't go on this very relaxing and romantic trip with your wife I swear to fucking Satan I will FUCK your ass so hard that your prostate is going to come flying out of your mouth!"

That sent the message loud and clear to the married couple and jump-started their trip planning! The best part? Millie also had a cousin, Kora, who was engaged, and they received an invitation to the wedding. Even better, her wedding was scheduled to take place just about a week before their anniversary! Their plans were to stay with Millie's family for the first week of the trip for the wedding festivities, and then they'd take off to enjoy their own anniversary. To say they were excited was an understatement. 

"Alright! That's all mine," Millie told her husband as she finished putting away her things for the week. 

"I'm just about finished, too, honey!" Moxxie replied, closing a drawer before heading to hang up the suit he brought for the wedding, when his wife approached him from behind, purring lowly and wrapping her arms around him. "Everything alright, sweetie?" 

"I'm just so happy ta be here...And I'm just wantin' to love up on ya~"

Yeah, they had been lovey-dovey all week leading up to them coming to Wrath. Loona and Blitz couldn't even keep their comments to themselves on their affection towards one another -- not that they kept their opinions to themselves anyway.

They did make a pact to keep the romance to a minimum around family, though. Moxxie preferred it that way to keep his head on around his in-laws. Millie would rather not get side eyes from her folks the entire time anyway. They'd have all next week to be all over each other. 

Moxxie turned to give her a kiss before hanging his suit and tie in the closet, shutting the rolling door after to hug her back. "I'm happy that you're happy. And I'm just as thrilled to be here with you~" 

"Don't be flatterin' me too much, hun. Remember, the bed in here makes all sorts of noise. I'd like to keep it quiet to not disturb my fam's peace...Oh!" Millie's attention was swept away by glancing out the window as a familiar truck pulled into the yard, where Lin and Joe hopped out. 

"Looks like Ma and Pa are back. Ya mind if we go say hi? I'll tell 'em off if they ain't bein' nice."

Moxxie gave her a loving smile, taking her hand into his. "Don't worry about me. I can handle it. Let's go." 

 

---

 

"Howdy there, Pumpkin! We didn't recognize this truck here!" Joe cheered once Millie walked onto the porch. 

Millie walked onto the lawn, heading to give her parents a hug while Moxxie stayed back on the porch to give them some space. "Hey, Daddy! Mama! Thanks fer lettin' us stay for the wedding!" 

"Of course! You know yer always welcomed here!" Lin took her daughter in for a tight hug before looking up at the porch, where her son-in-law offered a smile and a wave. "Ya just gon' stand there, boy? Or ya gonna come say hello?" She targeted him, making Moxxie jump a bit, admittedly. 

"O-oh, yes, of course. Sorry. I wanted to give y'all some space. I'm glad to see you're doing well after your accident, Joe." Moxxie stuttered, holding out a hand for his father-in-law to shake, only to become surprised when both older imps looked down at his hand and up at him again before going in for a hug. Even Millie found herself speechless before a wide smile spread across her face. 

"Ha! This ain't no fancy meet 'n greet, boy! Yer allowed ta hug us!" Joe laughed, giving Moxxie a noogie on the head. "Considerin' you've taken' care of my boy a few months ago, and you've kept my daughter in one piece, I can respect ya fer that! Mildred! Did Sallie take ya to see Wilbur yet?"

"She's already taken off in that direction, dear," Lin pointed out to Millie, running at high speeds towards one of the barns. Moxxie wasn't even given the chance to regain his balance from Joe's harsh knuckles before he could hear his wife’s voice in the distance calling inside the family’s barn, where they kept the animals for rest. 

“WILBY! Come here, baby! Come see me!” 

Millie jumped over the metal gate to one of the pens in the barn, tail wagging in excitement to see her beloved “pet”, hell hog that she’d raised from a small piglet. The large, sharp-toothed animal turned its head once it recognized her voice, quickly standing on its four hooves to wobble over, gleefully snorting pig noises of enthusiasm.

“Oh, Wilby, baby! Look at how big you’ve gotten! Didya miss me? Oh, of course, ya did!” Millie purred to her pet, kissing him all over his snout and face and taking him in for a hug while his happy sounds continued to ring off the barn walls. 

“Has Auntie Sallie May been takin’ good care of ya, baby?” 

“More than 'good care.'” Joe huffed when the others joined Millie inside the barn. “She’s been following your instructions to a T, pumpkin. She’s even been keeping the nest he’s been building for Cleopatra nice ‘n tidy… And keeping up with the vet appointments for the piglets. Heh, she's been runnin' all over, drivin' herself nuts to make sure they got what they need!"

Lin and Joe hadn’t kept it a secret from their daughter that her precious show pig had become a father of four since the last time she’d visited Wrath. One of their other contestant hogs, Cleopatra, and Wilbur decided to…Well, do what farm animals do and mark each other, resulting in the ranch awaiting four more hogs by the end of the fall. 

“Awww, Wilby. Did you get yer girlfriend pregnant? It’s ok. Mommy ain’t upset with you. It happens.” Millie baby-talked to Wilber, lying beside her now, enjoying the scratches and kisses she kept showering him with.

Millie had been talking nonstop about seeing her pig having his own little babies. Even going so far as to explain and unintentionally traumatize Blitz with her knowledge of hog birth and how sometimes mothers will eat any weak baby pigs in a herd. When she moved to Pride to join I.M.P., she was devastated to have to leave Wilbur behind, but Sallie took it upon herself to keep taking care of Wilbur for her sister so he wouldn’t become either their family or some other demon’s dinner. So far, it seemed that Sallie was doing a great job, even if Wilbur did throw little piggy tantrums some days in the beginning since Millie wasn’t the one taking care of him as always, but he grew to like Sallie as well.

"She's been looking forward to this for months. She's even been brainstorming names for the piglets as well," Moxxie interjected to add small talk. 

"Well, who knows, Millie! Maybe you'll get ta meet them before y'all time here's up!" Lin called out to her daughter in the pen. Millie only hummed in response, too entertained by her pet, that she missed so much. Lin and Joe just giggled and rolled their eyes before Joe put his hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. 

"Just make sure y'all get back ta the house in time fer supper, boy. I got a feelin' she'll be in here a while." 

"Yes, sir." 

The older imps left them alone in the stable, and Moxxie walked towards the pig pen to join his wife, not to climb in, however. He was still experiencing PTSD from the last encounter he had with a hell hog...

He watched on with loving eyes and a soft smile while his wife caressed the rough, hairy sides of the animal. Contrary to popular belief among many in the Wrath Ring, his Millie had a big soft spot in her heart for many creatures. Her bloodlust was just as equal in her soul as the love she had for others, and that's one of the things Moxxie loved and admired about her the most. She could be brutal when she needed to be, but behind that side of her was a loving, caring demonic soul that not many took the time to see. 

Millie was a loving, caring demon of light, and Moxxie couldn't be more grateful to Satan and Lucifer that he'd met her and had the opportunity in this life to be her husband. He worshiped her existence day and night. Lots of demons would say it was corny or cheesy for your significant other to be the center of your universe, but Moxxie didn't care or give any fucks about those opinions. She was the center of his everything, the apple of his eye, the inferior and superior vena cava to his heart. 

He could never imagine -- and frankly didn't want to -- an alternate reality without Millie. Coming up on two years of marriage, he often found himself thinking back on their lives before the "I Dos" and what he had previously been told about the institution of marriage couldn't be farther from the truth. He could practically hear Crimson's voice ringing in his head now, complaining, "Marriage is a scam, Moxxie. A ball and chain for men making them miserable for the rest of their lives by living with a nagging whore. But hey! It's good for business and forming alliances!" Yeah, if he had a dollar for every time he heard his father say that one...

Crimson rarely spoke well of marriage. Any "words of advice" he'd sell his son were negative visions of how it "enabled" women to think they had power, how wives were "useless whores" that nagged their husbands day in and day out. Oddly enough, Moxxie could understand why he had that viewpoint. Crimson was sold that lie his entire life, only to be betrothed to his mother, who also had no say in the matter. Of course, Moxxie completely disagreed with this opinion. 

He tried getting other people's input when he was growing up. He would ask his bodyguard, Chiara, what her thoughts on marriage were, but she had no certain opinions on the matter. Alessio and some of Crim's other minions never took him seriously, only cracking demeaning jokes about how wives were good for staying in the kitchen and blue balling their husbands. 

But when he met Millie, he finally understood. It was about love, yes, but loving someone so deeply that you could never love anyone else to that degree, wanting to create unity and become one with each other. To love someone so deeply and wholly that you never want to be with anyone else but them for the rest of your life. 

It was so hard to put into words, but it shouldn't be. The simplest thing he could say was that Millie was his soulmate and the love of his life, and Millie thought the same as him....

"They may come after we leave, but I am excited fer these piglets ta get here!" 

"You've raised their father since he was a piglet himself. It's natural for you to be excited." 

"Ya wanna climb on in?"

"N-no, that's ok, sweetie. I'm comfortable right here."

Millie giggled, looking back at her husband through the bars of the gate. "Still cautious 'round hogs?"

"Can you really blame me?" Moxxie stepped further towards the pen, leaning his arms on the top of the gate to rest his head in. Millie continued her pampering of the hog while their chattering carried on. 

It was an exciting time for them. Sure, I.M.P. had a few sore points recently, but things were slowly getting better, including their relationships with both coworkers, grouped and individual. Their marriage had been great, too. It had always been; however, once their extended mission to a summer camp months ago had concluded, they decided to talk more in-depth about what happened, leading them to attend a few marriage counseling sessions. Not that they thought their relationship was in trouble, but they both agreed it couldn't hurt to speak with a professional to make sure they were both on track.

Things couldn't have been better. 

They had stressors in their lives, both inside and outside of work, but they were happy. That's all they could have asked for. 

"Do ya mind if we stay a bit longer fer me ta spoil him?"

"Not at all. You've been looking forward to this." 

"Damn straight. Could ya grab me one of them pumpkins stacked over there in exchange fer me spoilin' you later?~"

"No problem, dear~" 

 

---

 

That afternoon, Joe, Lin, Sallie, Millie, and Moxxie sat on the porch together, chatting about the week and the plans to come. Elmer and Wyatt continued running around the property as the magma suns slowly started to set. Topics ranged from the wedding and their anniversary plans afterward, to what had been happening in the Pride Ring and Wrath, essentially everything they had to catch up on. Both Moxxie and Millie were thrilled but caught off guard by Millie's family's sudden change in attitude towards Moxxie, but neither assassin would complain. Though, Moxxie still found himself on his "toes" about it.

"So where is this rental y'all are stayin' at?" Lin questioned her daughter, sitting in the rocking chair beside her.

"It's in the East Quadrant. Not far from where we stayed after we got married. It's next to all those hot springs they got, and it's private property. So we got the whole land to ourselves." 

"Well shit! How much that cost ya?"  

"Ya don't wanna know! Trust us." Millie waved a hand at her sister's question to avoid giving her the specific amount. Frankly, she didn't want to think about it again and was positive that Moxxie agreed. Paying for it was psychologically painful enough. She and Moxxie were just grateful that they could still afford to live their lives after.

"Hey, Moxxie," Wyatt climbed the steps of the porch. "Look at this gun Pa bought me!" His much younger brother-in-law stepped in front of him and held out a small, unloaded pistol to his sister's husband. Moxxie took the gun into his hands, inspecting the tiny revolver, recognizing the brand.

"Oh, wow! This is an excellent starter," Moxxie complimented Joe, taking a look inside the magazine. "You know what? This is the same brand that my first gun was too, Wy. I was about your age when I first owned one!" 

"He was beggin' us to get one after he came home from stayin' with y'all. Lin and I figured it wouldn't hurt. What boy doesn't want a gun at some point?" Joe commented from the corner with a laugh. Moxxie followed up, asking several questions about the tool and telling both father and son about the best methods for learning to shoot and tricks to prevent Wyatt from hurting himself. He kept in mind not to go too overboard with the info-dumping to avoid unintentionally insulting Joe's intelligence. 

"Ya know...We were plannin' on going practice shootin' this afternoon. Wanna join in?"

Moxxie looked up at him, surprised at his question. It was the first time Joe had invited him to do anything. Actually, this was the longest conversation he had with either of his in-laws. When Millie first started bringing him around her family, they usually avoided speaking with him most of the time. Now it was like a switch had been flipped, and he couldn't be more giddy even if suspicious. 

"Really?"

"Well, yer the one who shoots guns for a living ain't ya?"

"...I'd love to accompany y'all, sir." 

"Great!" Joe slapped Moxxie on the back, sending the sniper stumbling forward as he stood from the rocking chair. "Let's head out before dinner, boy!" Wyatt grabbed his father's hand to head away from the house. Can't have any bullets going through the walls or windows in case the little guy's first shots ended up far off target. Moxxie paused to look at his wife as Elmer ran to catch up with the two. Millie gave him a loving smile, taking his hand to give him an affectionate squeeze. 

"Go. Have fun," was all she said, earning a nod from her husband, who soon walked off the porch to follow the other guys. 

Lin and Sallie observed Millie lovingly stare as her husband got further and further away from the house. The admiration and warmth in her eyes was undeniable, a look they'd never seen their Millie possess before, not with any friend or man...

Which made the announcement they had to make even more unsettling...

"Ya'know, Millie, baby," Lin started, grabbing Millie's attention. "Almost all our extended family is gonna be attending the plans this week, and we know yer happy about that...But there's somethin' ya might wanna know before we start seein' people."

"Yeah? What's that?" 

"Well...Uh," Lin paused, looking over at Sallie, who looked just as uncertain as their mother, causing Millie to raise an eyebrow. "Caroline's gonna be there. Accordin' to yer uncle, she just got engaged a few months ago, and the fiance's gonna be comin' with them."

"Oh yeah?" Millie scoffed, rolling her eyes at the mention of her least favorite relative, well, one of her least favorites...

Caroline was Millie's uncle Clint's daughter, and the two girls never had a close relationship. To be honest, they never got along. Not once were they civil, mostly on Caroline's part. She was spoiled, entitled, rude, and a bully, especially to Millie. 

When they were young children, Caroline would always make fun at Millie's expense. She'd mock the way she talked, tell her she was stupid, talk about how her family was "poor" and "uneducated hillbillies," telling her she was "weird, worthless, and trash" and that nobody liked her. There was no explanation for it. She simply just...didn't like her, which was confusing to Mildred as a young little girl, who was only trying to be nice and play. Her efforts to get along were only met with more hostility, resulting in Caroline's insults and harassment becoming more cruel. 

Things got even worse as they got older, and soon enough, Caroline's insults began to focus on Millie's physical appearance. Years and years later, Millie could still hear that persistent voice in the back of her head talking about how "your eyes are too far apart...you are becoming fat...your lips are too big...you are ugly...you look like a boy with all those muscles...your chest is not big enough..." and on and on and on...

There's one distinct memory that Lin never forgave her niece or her sister-in-law for. During one family reunion, when the girls were in their early teens, Millie tried to say hello to her aunt and cousin out of politeness. Both women gave her a blank stare before Caroline made it a point to ask her mom while Millie was in front of them why she had "crooked teeth," to which her mother replied, "Her parents obviously don't love her enough to fix her teeth, honey. Not that it would help her much." 

It took Lin months to finally get Millie to smile with her teeth again for pictures, but truthfully, Millie still hadn't gotten over hearing that. 

Anything that Caroline could "critique" about Millie, she'd seize the opportunity to do so, simply for the purpose of making Millie feel inferior. And yes, she'd use that excuse all the time. "It's not being rude if it's the truth...I'm simply just critiquing you."

After that, Lin finally put her hoof down once and for all and cut contact with her brother, a very emotionally difficult decision at first since the two were close before his wretched wife came into the picture. But watching their daughter's self-esteem plummet was too hard for Lin and Joe, and so, Clint, Alison, and Caroline were never allowed around their family again. The only one of the three who was even allowed to have minimal contact with them was Clint, who occasionally reached out for the children's birthdays and holidays. 

The rest of Clint and Lin's siblings, hell, even Cinnamon, his own mother, didn't hold back their own frustrations. Despite the fact that Caroline was their niece and granddaughter, they made it clear they didn't want her or her mother around their own children.

Lin often felt regret for not cutting them off sooner. 

Millie thankfully doesn't remember since she was too young at the time, but when she was four, her mother miscarried what would have been her, Roy, and Sallie's younger brother, and her aunt Alison took it upon herself to berate her when Lin and Joe weren't around, telling her she was a "bad little girl" and a "pest," even blaming her for the death because she "always misbehaved and stressed her parents out" which wasn't even remotely true. Lin never forgave that bitch for doing that when her family was vulnerable, and she would never forgive her or her daughter for planting poisoned seeds in her precious Millie's mind either. 

"I'm surprised she could find someone to put up with her. So. Who's the unlucky guy?" Millie put on a devilish smirk, looking over at her mother and sister, who shared another glance before Lin sighed and looked at her daughter. 

"It's Rex, baby." 

In just three words, the mood was ruined. Millie's grin dropped instantly, and her eyes grew wide at the mention of that name. Every hair on her body stood on end. Lin put her hand on Millie's shoulder when she noticed her daughter's discomfort.

"That's why we wanted to tell ya before the weddin' activities started. Cause they're gonna be here all week."

Seconds passed, and Millie stood up in silence, heading directly inside the house, and straight to the guest bedroom to be alone. Her head was spinning, and suddenly, she felt like she was struggling to breathe, like an invisible force was choking her. With her heart beating over a million beats per second, she made her way over to the dresser in haste, digging out one of Moxxie's pajama shirts to lay on the bed with, clutching the fabric to her chest inhaling as much of his scent as she could get in hopes of calming her down.

It could only do so much, but as always, it was working, successfully soothing her to lower her heart rate and help with the spinning of the room. Yet, she still allowed a few tears to run down her face, wiping them with her fingerless gloves before lying with her back on the mattress, not breaking eye contact with the ceiling fan as she gently ran the fabric between her fingertips.

A soft knock on the doorframe broke her concentration, and the young assassin looked up to see her mother heading towards the bed to sit, holding a glass of water. Millie tightly coiled her tail around her waist for comfort. Lin set the glass down on the nightstand, taking Millie's head into her lap and running her fingers through her short hair as her daughter continued shaking, albeit a bit less...

The mother and daughter sat inside in silence, aside from the muffled voices of everyone else outside, until Millie spoke up first, having run through a million different thoughts in the past 15 minutes.

"...Mama," she addressed the older imp first. "If he's there, I can't promise that I'll go...I don't wanna hurt Kora's feelin's, but I can't do it. I can't, Mama...I refuse to see him...Or Caroline, fer that matter..."

"Kora already knows." 

Millie glanced up to meet her mother's eyes.

"Yer Aunt 'n Uncle already understand the situation. So does Kora. I'm sure if ya decide not ta go she won't hold it against ya...If ya choose not ta go, we won't be upset with ya. Although, I'm sure yer brother and Sal are already tryin' ta figure out how they're gon' avoid him. That goes fer yer Pa and Mamaw too...Roy and Pa have already said if they saw him, they're not sure if they could hold themselves back from killin' him...The same goes fer the rest of us. We're suppotin' you here, sweets." 

Millie sat herself up, leaning her head on Lin's shoulder. The farmer brought her daughter in tight, running a hand in circles on her back. Her poor baby. She felt guilty for bringing this up, knowing how it would likely dampen the mood for Millie's trip, but she didn't want to hide it from her either and cause her daughter more pain. 

Millie kept Moxxie's shirt close to her, eyeballing the light and dark blue stripe pattern. "I never told Mox 'bout him or any of that...I don't like thinkin' 'bout it. But now I guess I got to, huh?"

"...That's up to you, darlin'." Lin took a minute to brainstorm a proper response. "Bein' honest with yer husband is important. I may not understand y'all's relationship completely, but he's always listened and loved ya like a husband should...Maybe talk with him 'bout it tonight when y'all get some privacy and see what he thinks? No offense, but he don't seem like the kind to have a fit over these things."

"He ain't..."

They stayed on the bed, embracing each other until Lin confirmed with her daughter that she was feeling better. 

"Imma...I'm gon just stay put fer a sec. I'll come back out in a while. I need more time to think," Millie declared, taking some time for herself to let the news sink in more and consider how she'd explain this dumpster fire to her husband.

She was shocked, yes, but she couldn't say she was surprised. She was utterly convinced both her cousin and...him...were the devil's spawn, and that says a lot since they were all literally demons in Hell, DNA handcrafted by Satan himself. Flashbacks repeated themselves in Millie's brain. It was too much. She didn't like this at all. Not one bit. 

After a while, the melee wielder made her way to the kitchen to refill the now-empty glass after drinking the one her mother brought to the bedroom. Panicked tears started to build in her eyes, the more her mind rewound on some of her most embarrassing and distressing memories that she'd buried deep down for years, desperately attempting to forget.

Nighttime was upon the ring, very telling by how clearly she could see her reflection in the window above the sink. 

She stared back at herself, unsure of what to do. Go? Not go? Avoid the situation entirely and not even mention it to her husband? What excuse would she give him? 

"Millie, honey? Everything ok?" Moxxie chimed in from the screen door. 

Millie turned to look at him, feeling all her anxieties melt the second their eyes met. "Yeah, honey. I'm comin' back out in a bit," she smiled, rattling off the first words that came to mind. Moxxie gave her a nod and smiled back, leaving her be inside the kitchen alone again. 

'That ain't who ya are anymore, Mildred...He'll understand...Moxxie loves you. He loves you.'

...She'd tell him...

She knew her Moxxie would get it. She was confident he would, more confident than she was in herself...

Notes:

Well...What an unpleasant start to their vacation...

This may seem like a short/condensed chapter, but I wanted to give y'all a small overview of what this story will entail. That being said, when is "Chapter 1" of this story coming out?! The answer is, it's scheduled to be published on May 8th!

I hope y'all enjoyed this taste of what's to come this summer, and thank you all for reading!

Chapter 52: Family Reunion (Part 1)

Summary:

Onyx shows up in Wrath for the wedding week. She and Sallie comfort Millie about what's to come. Millie tells Moxxie more about her past.

Moxxie stretched his arms into the air before slipping on his pajama shirt, excited to crawl into bed and rest after their long first day in Wrath. The day wasn't too busy, but travel never failed to tire him out. The packing, planning, actual travel, then unpacking, and socializing for hours on end afterward was a lot for him. And don't even get him started on the scheduling. Even he had to admit that when it came to being on time and making sure everything was in order as it should be, he became a little over the top. At least everything had gone smoothly today, but the sniper was beat. 

He sat on his would-be side of the bed if they were at home, scrolling through all the texts he'd missed during the day, when Millie crawled onto the bed behind him and started affectionately massaging his shoulders, a routine they went through almost every night to unwind from the day. They took turns with each other, but one of Millie's biggest love languages was physical touch, and she loved sharing that with her husband. She started purring, causing him to return the favor and place a gentle hand on top of one of hers. 

Despite the fact that his muscles relaxed under her touch, her warm breath lightly tickling the back of his neck made him tense up still, and every hair on his body rose simultaneously. 

"Mind if I give ya an early anniversary gift?"

"I thought you said the bed makes too much noise." 

"Not that kind, silly!" Millie snorted, flicking her husband on the back of his head. "It's an actual gift, I promise. Thought you could put good use to it while we're stayin' here." 

"Hmm. Well, if you'd like to give it to me now, I'd accept it." 

His wife's eagerness to present this "gift" to him convinced Moxxie to agree, and Millie headed into the closet to retrieve a long, wrapped box. "I snuck it in while ya were shootin' with Wyatt." She laid it down on the bed next to him, and her partner in crime and in life tore the paper off to reveal a high-quality telescope, along with several astrology guides neatly tucked in the box. 

"Oh, Millie. Honey, you shouldn't have!"

"You've been all into the stars lately. I figured you could use it out on our fire escape, but the night skies are so clear out in the country, I thought you'd enjoy trying it out."

"I love it! Thank you, my dear." They both leaned in for a kiss, and Moxxie climbed off the bed to finish removing the paper and set the box on the dresser in the corner of the small bedroom. "I'll have to try it out tomorrow night! Wyatt and Elmer might enjoy taking a look!" Unbeknownst to him, his wife was sitting, waiting on the bed to speak with him, nervous, anxious, scared. Millie wasn't even sure which word to use, if not all three. 

She put a lot of thought into everything that afternoon, while sitting outside watching the sunset with Moxxie and her family, helping to cook dinner, eating dinner, and she hadn't yet formed a plan for how to begin this very awkward and uncomfortable conversation, or decide if she even should. 

"You're so amazing,~" Moxxie nuzzled up to her when he climbed back into bed, breaking her out of her daze. "I love you~" 

"I love ya, too~"

"You ok, sweetie?"

"'Course. Why?" Millie asked, settling under the covers alongside her husband. 

"I noticed that you've been quiet tonight. Your mom told me that you weren't feeling well this afternoon." 

Millie turned off the lamp on her side of the bed, darkness swallowing the room shortly after, with the exception of moonlight creeping through the sheer curtains. 'Now, Mills...Now...' She thought, encouraging herself to start the conversation. It was the perfect opportunity.

"...Oh, I just had a bit of a headache. Ya know how exhaustin' that trek is from Pride ta here. I promise I'm feelin' better."

"If you say so." Moxxie concluded the chit chat with another short kiss, followed by their typical "good nights." 

'FUCK! Why Mildred! Why! You were so close!'

During the assassin's silent berating of herself, Moxxie wrapped an arm around her, snuggling in close and dissolving away her self-criticisms. The female demon did the same, wrapping her arms around his torso to cuddle while being lulled to sleep by his scent and warmth.

Tomorrow was a new day. Now she had more time. 

She could speak with Sal...Onyx was supposed to be coming tomorrow morning. She always had a level head on her shoulders.

...On second thought, maybe spilling the beans to her about him being there this week wouldn't be wise...

She, like many others in Millie's life, shape shifted into a rabid, bloodthirsty beast whenever someone hurt their precious Millie, and she knew Onyx's opinions on that fucker all too well...

'Tomorrow, Mills...Tomorrow...'

 

---

 

When tomorrow came, Millie awoke early, being peppered in soft kisses from the freckled demon sharing the queen-sized bed with her. A sunny day was upon them, it seemed, considering the strings of early morning sun bleeding into the room. 

Millie hummed, wrapping her arms around Moxxie's neck as he shifted on top of her, carefully not to squeeze her under his weight. She loved it when he did this. It was so sweet and cute, and who wouldn't want to wake up to their adorable, loving husband worshipping them from the very second they opened their eyes? 

But now, a week before their anniversary, when their Oxytocin levels were already at a maximum high, and at her parents' house at that, not the best environment. 

"Ya better quit that," she mumbled, quiet enough so she wouldn't attract attention to their door if anyone else happened to be awake. 

"Why?~"

"You know why~"

"Hmm. Can't say I do. I'm not doing anything~" He teased, flashing her a shit eating grin. His tail slithered up the mattress, caressing its way up her leg and to her thigh, sliding higher and higher with each passing second, and sending a shiver up her spine, coaching a soft giggle from her lips.

"Moxxie!" 

"Ok, ok," he relented, climbing off of her and cuddling her side. In an instant, she did the same, burying her face into his neck. The natural scent of him was enough to get her drunk, drive her wild, but she was determined to resist until they left. Absence makes the heart grow fonder...That phrase counted in this scenario, right?

This was a typical weekend morning for them. After waking up, they'd cuddle, say their good mornings, laze around in bed for as long as they liked before eventually crawling out later than usual, have a good round or two or three of morning sex if they were in the mood, or if they had a wild night out with Blitz and Loona or their friends outside of I.M.P., they'd spend the morning sleeping off an asshole hangover while they kissed and cuddled each other back to health. 

"Good morning, my sweet~" 

"Mornin', baby~" Millie kissed him on the neck, melting deeper into his arms, before both assassins jumped at the sound of an audible, small "Eww!" from the door. 

Wyatt stood in the doorway, holding onto a ragged farm goat stuffie. Admittedly, both imps found his scrunched-up nose cute, but the horror that was flowing through their veins at the moment was unmatched. Neither of them wanted to imagine that he saw what they were about to get up to. They didn't want to have to explain to Lin and Joe what happened either at that. 

Millie took the bull by the horns on this one, giving her brother an offended smile of sorts, likely from the embarrassment. "'Eww'? Whatcha mean 'Eww!?'" 

"You kissed Moxxie! Kissin's gross!"

"I'm kissing him 'cause he's my husband! I'm allowed ta kiss him!" 

"Nah uh! It's gross," Wyatt made his way over to the other side of the bed, wagging his tail when he reached his much older brother-in-law. "Moxxie, can we shoot guns this morning? Please, please!"

"Wy! Get outta their room!" Sallie May poked her head in the door. "Sorry, he's been riled up all mornin' to go shootin' again today."

"N-no. That's ok. Sure, bud, we can go shooting if your dad lets. Let Mills and me just get ready, ok?" Moxxie sat up in bed, reaching over to ruffle Wyatt's hair. In response, the small imp boy's tail started sporadically flapping back and forth, and a wide smile grew on his face. 

Sallie dragged Wyatt back out of the bedroom, closing the door to let her sister and brother-in-law get ready for the day. Moxxie was the first to climb out of bed. Millie started to do the same, excited for a new day, but was hit by memories from the prior afternoon flooding back. Her legs had only made it off the bed when she thought back on the conversation between her and her mother, and then how she failed to tell Moxxie about what was going on. 

They were alone right now...

"...Moxxie, honey?"

"Yes, honey?" He turned to her with that adorable smile and sparkling eyes that softened every inch of her and made her heart swell...and she couldn't do it. 

The wife of the pair reflected a smile back at him and found the strength to finish rolling out of bed, walking over to her husband. "Ya mind if we go visit my Mamaw fer a little bit this afternoon?" She spewed out the first excuse that came to mind. 

"Sure! I don't mind! Oh! Speaking of Cinnamon, don't forget about those tools your mom asked us to give back to her."

"I won't," Millie said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and taking an outfit out of the dresser to change into. "I know where they're at. I'll go put 'em in the truck when I'm finished gettin' ready so we don't accidentally forget them. Let's wait till this afternoon, though. I wanna spend some time with Onny once she gets here." 

"Of course, dear...I have to say, you know I like Onyx, but I didn't know she and your family were that close that she was invited to events like this." Moxxie commented, slipping on a black tie. His outfits didn't feel the same without his bowties. 

"Oh yeah! Her fam 'n my fam have been friends for a long time. I guess the family bonds got closer once she and I became friends when we were tots."

Moxxie liked Onyx. He liked all of Millie's friends that she had outside of the company, but he knew that the friendship between his wife and Onyx went back far. When the two were first introduced to each other, he'll admit he was a tad intimidated since he first met Millie's family, but Onyx seemed to accept him as Millie's boyfriend right away. 

Well, she made it clear first that if he ever did anything to hurt Millie or break her heart, he'd be a dead man, chopped meat for her farm animals, but they always got along. She made an appearance at their apartment often, but the sniper didn't mind. He thought it was sweet that his wife had a close friend like her who always made time for their friendship, even when she and Millie were busy most of the time. 

"Well, I'll stay out of y'all hair. Besides, I think Wyatt might have me busy for a while." Moxxie chuckled, thinking about how impatient the small imp was to shoot guns. It honestly reminded him of when he was around that age. His enthusiasm about guns followed him since he was in the single digits, especially since it was a hobby he shared with his late mother, who was the first to teach him how to shoot and handle a firearm. 

"Mox, it's ok to tell him no if ya get tired of it."

"I'll be ok, sweetie. I promise it's not bothering me." 

"Well, feel free to let me know if it is, and I'll be the bad guy." Millie snorted, grabbing the hairbrush out of her bag. "Ya wanna snag the bathroom first? I gotta put my face on."

"Sure! I'll make it quick." Moxxie accepted her offer, heading to the small bathroom in the hall to finish getting ready. Millie headed to the small mirror on the wall to think while brushing her hair out. What the fuck. Why was it so hard to just come out with it? She knew Moxxie inside and out. She shouldn't be this afraid to say anything. He was her husband, her other half. They could tell each other anything and everything, and they always did. Why was it suddenly an issue? 

She kept thinking about the couple's counseling sessions they attended months ago. "In a marriage, it's important to have the uncomfortable conversations. Communicating with each other is crucial for a successful relationship. As husband and wife, you need to be able to sit with one another and talk out these tense emotions so they don't keep building up." That was an entire speech from their counselor that stuck with her. Damn, she was good at what she did. 

It did make her feel uncomfortable...But what disturbed her even more was that it made her scared. Not necessarily talking with Moxxie about it, but the thought of having this conversation out loud made the situation all the more real. And that's what scared her. It was as if she were speaking it into existence, but this awkward circumstance already existed. 

What made her more uneasy was the thought that Moxxie might see her differently after. Yet, something in her gut told her that wasn't true, but she couldn't help feeling that way. Even if it was irrational, one of her biggest fears was that he'd regret her. Being with her. Marrying her. Or maybe his opinion on her would completely shift...

"Bathroom's all yours, sweetie!" Moxxie called from the hallway. 

"Thanks, baby!" 

She'd think about it later. She just wanted to finish getting ready right now.

 

---

 

"Ok, Wy. Go for it." 

Wyatt pulled the trigger of the pistol when given Moxxie's approval. Both imps watched as the small bullet from the handgun went straight through the bullseye of the haybale target that Joe set up for Wyatt the day before. 

"I gotta bullseye! Moxxie, I gotta bullseye!" 

"I saw! Good job!" Moxxie clapped, applauding the young farm boy whose tail was wagging so quickly the sniper was sure he'd fly away if it went any faster. Both males' attention was caught by the sound of a truck door being closed, seeing a small rusty pickup truck on the dusty lawn. They must have been too focused on the shot to notice it before. 

"Good job, little Wyotie! I saw that!" Onyx stepped out of the truck. After putting the gun down on the dirt, Wyatt ran up to the older imp woman he recognized, hugging her at the legs. 

"Onny! Moxxie's teachin' me to shoot guns!"

"I see that! Ya know yer sister says that Moxxie's a gun shootin' expert! Speakin' of, howdy, Mox! How ya do?" Onyx held a hand out for Moxxie to shake when he walked up to them to say hello.

"Hi, Onyx! We're doing well. Did you just drive in this morning?"

"Nah. I decided to drive in last night so I wouldn't be exhausted. I just stayed at my Pa's house fer the night. But anyway, where's Mills?" 

"Insi-" 

"Hey, you!" Sallie yelled out the screen door of the farmhouse at the female imp. "Quit the chit chat and get yer little red ass in here!" 

Onyx removed the tan, western hat from her head to be polite as she headed inside the George home. "Guess I've already been spotted," she turned back to Moxxie and Wyatt. "I'm sure I'll catch you later, Mox. Have fun shootin' you two!" She noogied Wyatt on his white hair before making her way to the porch. Wyatt and Moxxie waved her goodbye before resuming their shooting practice. 

Meanwhile, Sallie and Millie bounced on their hooves at the door for Onyx to join them inside the house. 

"I get to hug her first!" Sallie pushed Millie aside with the palm of her hand, not expecting her younger sister to do the same, almost sending her tumbling over. 

"Back off bitch! She's MAH best friend!" 

"She's mah fuckin' friend too, you cityboy cocksucker!" 

Millie gasped, taking offense at Sal's teasing, holding a hand to her chest before her offended expression melted into a smirk. "Honestly, I hold that title with pride for your information." 

"Mildred!" Lin reprimanded from the kitchen table before Onyx walked through the door, ready to be squeezed to death. 

"Alright, alright. Y'all can both hug me at the same time, ya know! I got two arms!" Which is exactly what happened. Sallie and Millie tackled their dear friend the moment she closed the door, almost knocking all of them over at the same time. Onyx hugged both demons back as best as she could, trying to breathe between their muscled arms strangling her chest. 

"I didn't know my arrival would be this much of a big deal!" She joked when both farm girls pulled away.

"You kiddin'!? When was the last time all three of us got to hang out together like this?" 

"Mmm...Was it......Oh my fuck! It was fer Mills's wedding!"

"Yep! Two years ago, almost!" Millie chimed in when her sister and friend turned to face her. "Damn. It's hard to imagine it's been that long."

"Just wait till you make it to an anniversary year that has two digits," Lin patted her daughter on the shoulder. 

"Howdy, Mama Lin!" Onyx went in for a hug from the female rancher. 

"Hi, dear! It's good ta see you! Millie says you've been enjoying Pride life?"

"Oh yeah! It doesn't beat Wrath fer me, but it's a fun change of pace!"

"Well, glad to hear it! I'll talk with ya later. I gotta go help Joe out with the tractor." Lin grabbed her hat from one of the hooks on the wall, along with her field gloves, before heading out the door to work for the morning. 

When they were alone, all three imp girls turned to look at each other, excited for their week together and the festivities to come. Onyx was the first to break the silence of the house while they all gathered around at the family dining room table. "So girls, what I miss in the past 24 hours?" She questioned, before bringing a mug of warm coffee to her lips. The sisters looked at each other, their smiles dropped, both thinking of what they had discussed earlier that morning. 

From the look in their eyes, especially Millie's, Onyx picked up straight away that drama was brewing, or at least something was off. The circular motions Millie's finger was making around the ceramic of her own mug, a habit she did when something was making her anxious, Onyx definitely could tell something wasn't quite right. She gently set the mug down on the coaster, giving her full attention to the demons sitting across from her. 

Her thick country accent slipped out a "What's wrong?" at both sisters. Sallie turned to face Millie, who lowered her face down to stare into the coffee mug. 

"...This is yer business to tell, Mills," Sallie planted a hand on her older sister's shoulder for comfort. 

"Millie? Ya know you can tell me anything." Onyx confirmed, getting a quiet "I know" from her lifelong friend in response. 

Millie took a few more moments of silence to compose herself before looking at her friend across the table, holding a hand out that Onyx accepted. 

"...It's complicated...Caroline apparently's invited to Kora's weddin' and all the parties they got goin' on this week."

"For real?...Why? I would've assumed that Kora wouldn't want her there."

"That I don't know. But that's not it. She's engaged." 

To this revelation, Onyx failed to hold in a snicker, holding a hand to her mouth, miserably failing to hold back an amused laugh. In turn, making Millie giggle as well before she reminded herself of the seriousness of the news she was trying to share. 

"It ain't- it ain't funny, Onny."

"I'm sorry, Mills! It's just laughable news. I mean, come on. Caroline of all demons found someone to put up with her ass fer the rest of their life. I find it amusing that anyone'd be that desperate." Onyx wiped away a few droplets of remaining tears of laughter, wiping her hands on her tank top shirt. "What man's gonna put up with her till they die? I'm dyin' ta know!"

"That's...That's the thing." Millie's demeanor changed again, tail coiling around her leg for comfort. "It's who the fiancé is..."

"Well...Who? Who is it?"

"Ya ain't gonna be laughin' at this one," Sallie warned her. 

"It's..." Millie hesitated. "It's...It's Rex." She came out with it and spit it out to get it over with. Just as expected, both girls watched as Onyx's face dropped from a concerned expression to a disgusted scowl. But not at Millie...Nor at Sallie...

"Yeah, I know...I had a panic attack yesterday when-"

"What...Didya just say?"

"...Rex-" Millie was interrupted by her friend shouting a wildly inappropriate -- yet appropriate for this situation -- slur for demonic souls, slamming her fist down on the table, making both Sallie and Millie jump in surprise at the outburst. Onyx only became this riled up when she was Pissed with a capital P, and she never used slurs or demeaning language to this degree. 

"Onyx, that's derogatory!" Sallie piped up, earning a fired-up stare from the older imp. 

"I don't give a fuck how derogatory it is at the moment, Sal! What the fuck is that mother fucker doing here!?" She yelled, turning back to a shocked Millie. 

"Hell if I know! My mama just told me that Caroline was engaged and it was to him!"

"WHAT THE FUCK! Does that bitch have any idea the- AH! Satan motherfucker! OH! NO! No no no nononono! That fuckin' whore ain't gonna be seein' the light of day again when I get my fuckin' bare hands 'round her throat! And that PIECE OF SHIT is goin' in my Pa's woodchiper! Fuck!" Her deep red tail thrashed about like a rapid lasso, and Millie and Sallie May were positive they weren't hallucinating seeing the flames protrude from her eyes and ears. If she got any more upset, she might burn the entire farmhouse down just from her rising, raging body temperature. 

"Onny, I get it, but try calmin' down!...I don't want Mox ta hear."

"He don't know?!"

"That's part of the prob. Mills's scared ta tell him." Sallie rubbed her sister on the back. 

Onyx knew this had to be painful for Millie. The look on her best friend's face confirmed it as well. Yes, she was angry. More than angry. On both she and Millie's behalf. But she could vent out her own anger later. She needed to be a friend first and foremost. 

She took in some deep breaths, sitting back down into her seat, taking hold of Millie's hand again. "...Ya never told Mox 'bout him...ever?"

"Nah...I don't like talkin' or thinking about it...Plus, why would I have? I doubt he'd wanna hear about that kinda thing." 

"Well...True, but I think this has to be an exception, Mills." Onyx cupped Millie's hand in both of hers for support. "I know it's not really a talk ya wanna have with your hubs at the moment, but ya might have to. And honestly, you know him best, but Mox doesn't seem like the kinda guy to flip over things like this. I'm sure he'll understand where you're comin' from."

"I got no doubt 'bout that, but what if he sees me differently after?" 

"Aww, Mills," Sallie brought her sister into a side hug. 

"I was young 'n dumb. We all do stupid shit like that when were young. Hell, we've both shared stories of stuff we did before we met, but this is a heavy one. 'N I'm scared that he'll judge me..."

"Ya want me to tell ya the truth, Mills?" Onyx followed with soon after. "...I don't think he will. I actually think he'll sympathize with ya."

"I'm agreeing with Onny on this one, sis. That little fella loves ya so much. I think he'll be upset afterwards, but not at you. At the shithole who fucked ya over. I mean...you told me yerself that he told off his mob boss Pa defending you. I think anyone who loves ya so much they'd put their life on the line for ya would be empathetic and understanding." 

Sallie was right. Millie knew that. 

Moxxie jumped in to protect and defend her at the drop of a hat, even if it wasn't physically. He stood up to his in-laws, his own father, and even rude strangers on the street or at the grocery store.

That charming quality about him was one of her favorites. She'd never forget that memorable third date they went on, where they decided to dine at a Japanese restaurant for lunch that they both previously enjoyed before they would travel to Wrath to watch the magma suns set over the red, orange, and golden mesas. Just the two of them secluded in paradise. 

When their food reached the table and Millie politely corrected the waiter who served her garlic tofu teriyaki instead of the steak and shrimp teriyaki she ordered, the poor fool didn't consider how much he enjoyed his life before Moxxie tore him to shreds for disrespecting his date after calling her a rather inappropriate term for Wrathian women. 

They still had a fantastic time after that, despite being banned from the restaurant, and Moxxie got to learn at a different Wrathian-friendly establishment how much his new acquaintance loved barbeque. They made it to their final destination that night, watching the afternoon suns of lava fade away into their respective volcanos for the evening, but Millie could pinpoint that altercation in the restaurant as one of the first signs that she wanted to marry that man who gave no hesitation to be at her side when others weren't so kind to her. 

She never realized just how attractive it was for a man to advocate and protect their woman at any time. And it was that moment that made her remember she wanted that for herself too.  

"How about this?" Onyx brought all three of them back to the topic at hand. "How about you start off by sittin' Mox down ta'night, and explain ta him why Re-...why yer nervous to attend while he's there? I agree with Sal. Moxxie would never fault ya fer somethin' that happened so long ago, Mills. More than that, yer the victim here. And I think he'll understand that." 

Millie brushed some of the hair from her bangs away from her eyes, taking in a few deep breaths through her nose and out her mouth, just like Moxxie showed her whenever she felt her temper rising. It was a reasonable suggestion, and one that made sense. The more her mind thought about it, the more she felt herself calming down. Moxxie wasn't like any other man she'd been with before in hundreds of ways, but in the relevant sense, he actually listened to and empathized with her in these types of situations. He did when she told him about her past with their mutual ex, Chaz. Hopefully, this wouldn't be any different. 

"...Are ya goin' to be ok if ya run into him, Onny?" Millie questioned her bestie, giving her a soft smile back at her concern.

"I'll be just fine, Mills....He likely won't even get the chance ta see me comin'" She joked, bringing all three into laughter and lighting up the gloomy atmosphere of the home.

"...I think y'all are right." 

"Of course we are!" Onyx teased, lightly nudging her friend in the arm, bringing a brighter smile to Millie's face. That seemed more like it! "'Cause we love ya and we all know Mox does too! Right Sal?"

"I'll admit," The youngest of the trio rolled her eyes with a grin. Sallie was never one for sappy shit, but this moment was for her sister. "I didn't really understand yer appeal of the princess at first, sometimes I still don't...BUT anyone with two functioning eyeballs can clearly tell that he worships ya, so I guess I cain't disagree. I think ya should talk with him."

Millie hugged her sister tight, one that Sallie gave right back to her. "Thank y'all. Y'all really are the best....Though, I do really wanna go to all the pre-wedding parties this week. I'm real scared Imma run into him."

"Don't worry about that." Sal patted her sister on the head. "I fer sure thought between me, Roy, Pa, 'n Mamaw that he'd be a dead man on sight. But seein' Onyx react like that has even got me shittin' on myself!"...

 

---

 

Moxxie carefully adjusted the eyepiece of the telescope before peeping through the lens, seeing a clearer view of the stars and constellations that were shining tonight. He was greatly impressed by how clear the vision was. Millie certainly made sure it was of high quality, he could tell. The downside of this wonderful gift from his wife was that he was now stressing over whether all the anniversary gifts he purchased for her matched up to one as extravagant as this. 

This was something he could never do in Greed. The smog and smoke from the millions of factories all over the ring clouded the sky too much to see the sun, moon, and stars. Sometimes it was too difficult to tell the difference between night and day. Thank Satan for clocks and watches. 

It was moments like this that made him so much more grateful that his mission with the shark ended in heartbreak and chaos, otherwise he'd never would have met Blitz, his friends, his beautiful, lovely wife, and he'd never be sitting there gazing up admiring the stars like he'd always dreamed of as a child. 

"Seein' anything cool?" Millie asked from behind, sitting on the bed. The telescope was being used inside tonight so Moxxie could have a chance to test the tool out before bringing it out into the fields. He had it aimed outside the bedroom window, far enough to get a good look for now.

"Yeah! It's really clear! Thanks again, sweetie!" 

"Anythin' for you, Mox Mox..." 

'Ok, Millie. Now's the time. You can do this...'

"...Baby...Can we talk about somethin'? It's...kinda important." The real discussion hadn't even started yet, and already it felt like a million pounds lifted off of her. Moxxie turned his attention to his wife, and upon seeing the look on her face, he knew she was serious. Their marriage was still what you could call "fresh," but the two already knew each other to the extent that they could tell when the other was silently struggling with something. 

"Of course. What is it?" He maneuvered the desk chair he was using to face her, going to take her hands into his when she pulled herself away, puzzling him. 

"Ya might wanna pick up the set first...It's a whole thing."

"Oh?...Ok. Give me a few minutes." He pulled the telescope inside to take it apart, not forgetting to close and lock the old wooden window before heading over to the mattress. Millie crawled over to her side of the bed, playing with her thumbs until Moxxie joined her under the covers. 

Her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her body to his so she could lean her head on him. Moxxie started lightly purring to ease her nerves. No use in talking yet if she was too nervous to say anything. Based on her demeanor, it was serious. Millie never got like this unless she needed to be. 

"Talk to me," Moxxie whispered, initiating their talk to make it easier on his wife. "What's wrong, Mills? You know you can tell me what's bothering you. You don't have to keep it to yourself."

"...I know. But it's still hard."

"How so?"

"Because I'm scared yer not gonna be happy with me." 

"With you? Why would I be upset with you? You haven't done anything." 

"Nah, I haven't...Not recently, but it's somethin' I did a long time ago. Before we met, and I don't want you to be disappointed with me." 

"Millie, honey. Respectfully, you're confusing me. I'm not quite understanding what the issue is, babe." 

"Just...listen to what Imma 'bout to say. Please?" Millie looked up at her partner, taking a moment to gather her words like she, Onyx, and Sallie had talked about that morning. She took his free hand into hers, and he used his thumb to caress small circles on her skin. An affectionate habit that he developed when they started dating. 

"Before I joined I.M.P...You knew how things were kinda rough fer me."

"Yes."

"And ya know how I told ya before that I was kinda out of control for a while?"

"Yes."

"Well...You know I did a lot of bad stuff 'n I hurt a lot of innocent people that probably didn't deserve it. I just justified it 'cause I was an assassin, ya know. It was my job. And it's part of how I helped myself to live and survive and helped my fam during hard times. But, thing is, before all that...when I was 17, I...dated this boy who was from outta town fer a few months. And I was so convinced he was in love with me, and I was stupid enough to let him talk me into...doing a lot of things that got me in trouble and hurt a lot more people. I kinda found out later on that he was really just wooin' me fer his own wants and to use me to do whatever he wanted or...to get me to do whatever he wanted, I reckon. That's the short version of everythin'. I guess ya could say the relationship is what got me the track record that I have...But...the problem itself, why I wanted to talk to ya, is that I just learned that one of my cousins is engaged to him and..." she paused, feeling herself getting worked up once again, but Moxxie's lack of facial expression helped her to feel that everything was ok. He was taking in the story well enough. 

"...He's going to be attending the parties and wedding with her this week? Is that it?"

"Yeah...I'm fuckin' terrified of seeing him, Moxxie...Even just thinking about the time I knew him doesn't bring back good memories at all. I'm sorry I never told ya about this, but I don't like thinking about it. At the same time, I didn't want you to hear things from other people. It's a small town. Word gets around like wildfire...I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted our trip to go."

"Aww, baby," Moxxie ran his fingers through her hair, hearing the slight shake in her voice. "No, don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about." Moxxie brought her in closer to him, nearly pulling her into his lap with his other arm. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before forming his next response. "Thank you for confiding in me. I know this has to be so hard to think back on...Millie, I know that you faced a lot of challenges in your life before I.M.P., and I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. But, sweetie, I could never be disappointed in you for any of that. Like you said, it was a long time ago. You were young."

"Sure, but... That doesn't erase it-"

"Millie," Moxxie interrupted when he noticed his wife becoming increasingly upset, wiping tears away with the palm of her hand. "Honey, I love you. I'm proud to be your husband. Nothing could ever change that. The opinions that other people have of you mean nothing to me. I know who you really are...And as for whoever this asshole is, he's the true one at fault. He took advantage of the situation and left you to deal with the consequences. Real men don't do that." He finished wiping away the tears running down her face with the sleeve of his pajama shirt. Not long after, he lay both of their bodies down onto the mattress, using his tail to cover them with the blankets. Millie cuddled up as close to him as she could, nesting her head on his clothed chest to inhale his scent. 

"You know, part of the reason as to why I never told you about my family, my dad, my past in the mob, was because I was scared that you'd think less of me," the freckled imp admitted, raking his fingertips softly across her back. "It's a part of me that I'm deeply ashamed of, and I did a lot of things during that time in my life I'm not proud of. But I know in my heart if I didn't do what Crim commanded of me, I wouldn't have survived...and I likely wouldn't have met you. That's the worst part to me. A life without you, Millie, would be dull and meaningless. A waste. You're my queen. I'd go through it all over again, and worse, if it still meant I'd get to meet you in the end. So, no. I could never be ashamed of you. Or disappointed by something you did over 10 years ago, before we even met."

"...Understand...you'll probably get labeled for bein' associated with me and my family too."

"Then so be it. I know that I can get too caught up in other people's opinions of me, but my love for you is greater than the validation of a few demons who have no clue what they're talking about."

"...Moxxie, I love you," Millie hiccuped out now between happy tears. 

"And I love you, Mildred."

"Don't fuckin' start usin' that name." 

The pair couldn't hold back their quiet giggles on that one. Millie preferred to be called by her nickname. "Mildred" was reserved for her older family members, but even though he always called her "Millie," to Moxxie, she was "Mildred." That was her name. That's the foundation of who she was. His "Mildred." His "Millie." 

"...What do you want to do, Millie?" Moxxie caught her attention in the dark. "Do you still want to attend everything this week? It's up to you, baby." 

"Yeah...I do. I know it's gonna be awkward if we run into them, but I was just hopin' we could try to avoid them as much as possible. I mean, you've seen how big my family is."

"We can do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. Whether that be to attend or not, I'll support whatever decision you make...And if you want to leave any events early, then I'll follow you right out the door." 

"Thank you, Moxxie." She cupped one of his spotted cheeks and gave him a quick kiss, pulling away for her glowing eyes to meet his own. "I love you so much."

"And I love you more. No take-backsies. Now, shall we sleep on it?" 

"Yeah. That sounds nice." Millie yawned, getting herself more settled and comfortable, buried under the blankets, still melting into Moxxie's arms. Moxxie coiled his tail around their waists, binding them together, and Millie followed in his lead. 

What a wonderful man she had as her husband...

Never ashamed of her or who she was. Never afraid to stand up for her, even if he knew it would get him into trouble. Putting her above himself. Loving her with everything he had, and making sure she knew he loved her too. 

That only made her love him so much more. More than she could express in thoughts, actions, or words. 

Her Moxxie could get in a bit more over his head. He could sometimes get too caught up in the opinions of others. However, when it came to his Millie, his Mildred, his wife, his queen, he didn't care about anyone else but her. His love and passion for her conquered every other judgment others conjured about him. 

And this week would only strengthen that fact for the both of them...

Notes:

Howdy everyone!

I hope you're all having a great week!

I don't have an exact release date for the next chapter, but I was planning on dropping it sometime either this weekend or early next week anyway, so I'd just keep an eye out for any updates!

But I hope y'all enjoyed, and I look forward to publishing the next part! :)

Chapter 53: Family Reunion (Part 2)

Summary:

Moxxie and Millie attend the first night of the wedding festivities. Millie runs into her cousin, who opens up some old wounds.

Notes:

Hey guys!

Sorry I'm uploading this later than promised. I'm visiting family, so I haven't had much time to hop on here...

That being said, this chapter wasn't edited very well, so apologies for the mistakes you'll likely see throughout.

But here's part 2! Hope y'all enjoy! :)

"Hey, honey? Do ya think I should change into a different dress? I'm not sure this one's exactly...it." 

Millie posed and turned to several different positions in the full-length mirror to see herself from multiple angles. It was the third dress she tried on for the night, black, slim fitting, hemline just above the knee, sleeveless. It was simple, but definitely her style. Millie had two general requirements when she went shopping for party dresses: if it was 1) black and 2) sexy, then it was worth the money. She occasionally went for other colors, such as a deep red, purple, or bright yellow, but black was one of her favorites. She lived under the opinion that you could never go wrong with the color black. 

When she was shopping for a wedding dress, and she saw that ruffled black and purple dress for the first time, she was instantly in love. She wanted to see herself marrying the love of her life in that dress, and she thought the color scheme went perfectly with her then-fiancé's white and rex tuxedo. It wasn't uncommon for many brides to thrift or sell their dresses once the wedding was through, but she didn't have the heart to be rid of it. The black dress with the white sash she wore for their pre-wedding events, and that large black and purple bunches of fabric still hung in the back of their closet today, kept sealed safe and sound along with Moxxie's black suit and white tux. Neither of them had the heart to give those pieces away. 

Millie even daydreamed about a sweet moment between mother and a potential future daughter, looking at the dresses together, or a little girl begging her to try it on, or perhaps asking her mother if she could include it in her own wedding one day. But she knew she might be getting a bit too ahead of herself. 

"Nonsense. You look as gorgeous as always, honey." Moxxie looked back at her while he finished buttoning up his suit jacket. "Do me a favor? Bowtie or necktie?"

"Yer lettin' me pick? Hmm...Necktie."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Moxxie opened one of the top dresser drawers, grabbing a black tie to match his wife's outfit for the night, when Millie grabbed his hand to stop him. 

"No, do somethin' with color. Ya know how much I love your taste in colorful ties~" 

"Well, what color are you thinking?" Moxxie chuckled. "I have a million different kinds." 

"Mind if I pick?" 

"Go ahead, dear." 

Millie stepped in front of him, swaying her tail back and forth as her eyes grazed the different colors she had to choose from. "Hey! No peeking!" She whipped Moxxie with the spade of her tail when she noticed him attempting to look over her shoulder, to which he laughed and backed off, facing away from the mirrors in the room. After a few minutes, Millie closed the drawer and flung both ends of the fabric around his neck to begin tying the knot. 

Purple, just like the neckties he used to wear back when they first met. 

"Good choice." 

"It reminds me of way back when. Plus, it matches my eye makeup." She finished tying the piece off, tucking the loose end into his jacket so it wouldn't move throughout the night. 

"I've been meaning to ask," Moxxie wondered while she continued straightening his outfit. "Why is there an entire week of partying leading up to weddings in Wrath. We had an entire week of celebrations before our own wedding. I remember hearing about the partying that happens for several days beforehand from books and other sources. Is there a history behind the tradition?"

"Hmm, well, the version my Mama and Mamaw always told ta me was that back in the day, it was common for the bride or groom to die before the actual ceremony. 'Cause of dangerous work, ya'know. So, if both parties survived and made it to the wedding day, an entire party would follow for several days following the wedding. Call it a celebration of love and life if you will. Also, back then, it was common to celebrate during the honeymoon because it was presumed that the couple would conceive or soon after start families. I guess over time, when couples started dying off less before the wedding, the tradition of days-long celebrations just stuck in the culture." 

She tucked away a few stray hairs that she had spotted, humming to herself. She could stare at this man for hours and never get bored or tired of his face. 

"Ya look handsome, sweetie~" 

"Not as much as you look beautiful, dearest~" He kissed her hand before snagging the rental truck keys off the nightstand, turning back to his wife. "Ready to go?"

"Yep! Let me grab my heels. Those blister inducing bitches ain't goin' on til we make it there."

 

---

 

The venue was one of Millie's uncle's old barns that they kept up for these purposes since they had a larger family. It was convenient to have a family gathering place, and a larger barn with no other use couldn't go to waste!

When they arrived, Moxxie opened the passenger door for his wife, offering a hand to help her step out of the truck. When Millie realized how far back they were parked from the barn due to how many people were there, she promptly removed her heels, swapping them out for some toeless socks that she wore on the regular. 

"I can find a different spot if you'd like, honey," Moxxie suggested when she finished slipping on her other shoe. 

"Nuh uh. Right here's fine, hun. I just don't wanna have to deal with the consequences that come with heels. You'd think for the amount of women that wear 'em they could make 'em more comfortable, but noooo!" Millie exaggerated with a smile. 

The couple made their way towards the entrance, hand in hand as per usual, oohing and ahhing at the string lights and decorations inside the barn. Round tables were spread around the room with long black tablecloths. The centerpieces had candles in glass vases with Wrath native flowers surrounding the base of the glass cylinders. Lights and flowers were hanging from the interior balcony railings. Family pictures, pictures of the bride, the groom, and the bride and groom together were placed on the walls, tables, and even on the bar.

Whoever the planner and decorator were certainly outdid themselves. 

"This is incredible," Moxxie commented, still holding onto his wife's arm. 

"Yeah...I have got to know who did all this, 'cause I'm hiring' them for our 10-year anniversary party."

"You're already planning the party?" 

"PFFT! Do ya know who ya married, Moxxie?!" Millie teased. "Yer great at plannin' things, hun, and I love ya for it, but I'm plannin' way ahead!" 

The pair stopped at the bar to grab two glasses of red wine before seeking out Millie's parents, when a familiar voice took the opportunity to say hello first.

"OMG! Millie! Hi!" 

Millie turned around while Moxxie grabbed their wine glasses from the bartender, to see her cousin Kora quickly approaching them, arms ready for a hug. 

"Howdy, cous! How are ya! The place looks fuckin' amazing!" Millie chirped, hugging Kora tight. It had been a while since the two had seen each other in person. Likely, the last time would have been at Millie and Moxxie's wedding. 

"Thanks! My Mama, Mamaw, and Nanny Pops did the decoratin'! I'm doin' mighty fine, but look at you! I'm lovin' the short hair! When didya cut it?" 

"A few months after my own weddin'! It was a drunken mistake that ended up workin' out."

"Well, I love it! It suits ya so well!" Kora's compliments stopped when Moxxie joined his wife again, handing her a glass before Millie introduced the two again. 

"Kora, you remember my husband, Moxxie, right?" 

"Of course! How could I forget music man?! How ya doin', Mox?" Kora held out a hand for Moxxie to shake. 

"Good to see you again, Kora! I'm doing great! Thank you for inviting us. We're really happy to be here. Oh, congratulations by the way!"

"Thanks! Hal 'n I are happy y'all could make it. I'm sure it ain't exactly easy to leave work fer a whole week. Y'all will see him at some point, he's probably just catchin' up with some other folks. Speakin' of, Mills, you should come say hi to the others! When I told 'em you were comin' they all got real excited! Mox, mind if I steal your lady in a while?" Kora turned to the freckled imp, taking a sip from his wine glass. 

"No, not at all! She's been just as eager to catch up with everyone this week." 

"Well, I'll let y'all settle in fer a bit since y'all just got here. I'm sure, as y'all can imagine, I got a million people who wanna talk with me. Mills, the other girls are in the corner next to the snack table, when you're ready to head on over. And help y'allselves to as much food and drinks as y'all want! We gotta lot, so it's best it don't go to waste!" Kora waved goodbye to the two before heading off to say hi to more guests, leaving Millie and Moxxie to wander some more before going their separate ways. 

On the wall, Moxxie spotted an older framed picture with all young girls centered and smiling. He immediately recognized one girl to the right, in particular, with her bright, big doe eyes and large smile, and with the adorable tooth gap he looked forward to each morning. 

"No way..." the sniper whispered to himself, catching his wife's attention. "This you?" Moxxie asked in a gentle voice, pointing to an obviously younger Millie staring back at them in the picture, along with her other female cousins. 

"Yep! That's me!"

"Oh, my gosh!" The sniper gushed. "How old were you here?" 

"Mmm...I'm gonna estimate about 11? 12 maybe?" 

"You were so cute! Oh my Satan!"

"Uh, hey mister! I'm still cute, ain't I?" she teased.

"Of course! You know what I mean, darling." Moxxie nuzzled her face when Millie felt a finger tapping her shoulder, grabbing her attention away from Moxxie. 

"Hi, Millie. Good to see ya!"

An imp woman, slightly taller than both of them, stood there with her long black hair styled in curls with spiral horns protruding from the top of her head. Her skin resembled that of ripe raspberries, and not a mark was visible on her. Though that could be from her long-sleeved shirt and jeggings she was wearing. 

Moxxie didn't recognize her, but by his wife's reaction, the two knew each other, no doubt. 

"Oh my gosh! Hi! How are ya?" Millie broke away from Moxxie's arm to offer a hug to the older woman, which she accepted and returned. 

"I'm doing well. As best as I can." The other imp responded in a soft voice. From the sounds of it, she was a meek demon by nature. "Come on, baby. Say hi. You remember Millie, dontcha?" she addressed a small male imp child hiding behind her leg holding onto her hand with a mighty grip, who only peeked out from behind before his mother picked him up into her arms. "Well, maybe it's been a while, but Millie, you remember, Munk, right?"

"Of course I remember! He was just a little tot last time I saw him! How ya doin' Munkey?" 

The child just held onto his mother's shirt even tighter, wrapping his tail around her arm for comfort. 

"He's just a little overwhelmed by all the people, I think. He usually ain't this shy."

"Nah, I get it! Totally understandable. Hey, now that I think about it, I don't believe I ever introduced you two," Millie turned to Moxxie, grabbing his hand to come forward. "Moxxie, this is my cousin, Ella. Ella, this is my husband, Moxxie Knolastname."

Moxxie extended a hand out to "Ella." He couldn't recall meeting her before. He wouldn't be surprised if he had already and accidentally forgotten, considering his wife had hundreds of relatives, and many he had yet to fall on first-name bases with. 

"Hello. Nice to meet you."

"You as well. I'm sure I'm late, Mildred, but sorry again I couldn't make it to y'all's wedding." 

"Aw, don't worry 'bout it! No hard feelins'! Besides, if yer stickin' around this week, I can show ya some pics and videos! Trust me, I got tons!" Millie and Ella kept going back and forth while Moxxie awkwardly stood off to the side, listening in. There wasn't much for him to say. He didn't quite know who the woman was or her past with his wife aside from the two being cousins, and they seemed to be having a nice time catching up anyway. 

The sniper did a double-take towards what seemed to be the dessert table, as a small imp boy that he knew all too well was attempting to claw his way up the tablecloth to catch a sweet treat from one of the displays. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see how badly this could play out. Saying a quick goodbye to Ella and his wife, telling her he'd catch up with her soon, Moxxie made his way to the large rectangular table, as Wyatt was trying to reach one of the brownies off of a silver tray. 

Damn those little legs for not being tall enough. Despite being a 6-year-old, he was still too short to reach the tops of tables and counters without needing the assistance of a chair or stool. The farm boy watched as a larger hand grabbed the brownie that he was aiming for and set it on a dessert plate, lowering it down for him to take. 

"Sorry, Wy," Moxxie watched with a smile as his brother-in-law accepted the plate with a tail wag. "I was worried you'd hurt yourself." The older imp turned to walk back to Millie's side when Wyatt grabbed onto the hem of his jacket, holding him back. 

"Wait, Moxxie! Can you put some of that ice cream on it?" 

 

---

 

"So, don't hold back! How's wifey life treatin' ya?" Millie was asked by one of her cousins.

Once she finished speaking with Ella, she decided to follow Kora to their group of female cousins who were chatting away from the large crowd, likely catching up on everything girly they hadn't been able to talk about until recently. 

It was nice to see everyone again. Millie always enjoyed family get-togethers growing up for this very reason. Until Sallie came out, her female cousins were the closest she had to sisters, and growing up together made them all extremely close, until life got in the way, and then they all slowly got too busy to see each other often. 

"It's great! We're actually 'bout to celebrate two years next week! We're headin' on a late honeymoon next Sunday!" 

"Dang! Two years already!...Ya got any advice fer me?" Kora joked, taking a sip of champagne, as did Millie on her wine as she pondered an answer. 

"Mmm...Don't be afraid ta talk about the hard things. Sometimes it may be uncomfy, but being able to be open like that with each other makes the relationship more whole. At least in my experience. It helps ya get closer to each other."

"Okie Dokie! I'll take yer word for it!" Kora responded with a smile, bringing her champagne flute to her lips a second time. "But if I get divorced, I'm blamin' you!" She swayed her tail in a teasing manner, before every other tail in the group stood straight on end at another voice added to their circle. 

"If you are going to take marriage advice, Kora, it may not be the most responsible idea to take it from her."

"...Caroline...H-hi!" Kora stuttered, keeping a fake smile on her face. "I'm so glad ya could make it!"

"You should be. Every family reunion needs the put-together members attending. Otherwise, you just have a crack gathering."

"...Sure. Anyway, um, how you been?" The bride, along with the other cousins, held back their tongues and scowls. 

Why weren't any of them surprised? The bitch hadn't changed one bit. 

Millie could physically feel her heart pounding against her rib cage. If she was here, that meant a certain someone couldn't be too far behind. Her eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to find Moxxie anywhere so she could dodge the situation, but the longer she scanned the room, the more she could feel her anxiety growing...

"Wonderful, of course! I just returned from two luxury vacations, one in Lust, the other in Gluttony. I recently renovated the estate. Speaking of, not to outshine you, Kora, but I have a little announcement of my own. I, myself, am engaged! I don't like to brag, but he and his family are extremely wealthy. The Greed Ring does have its perks, after all!" 

"Well, ain't that nice! Congratulations! Too bad ya didn't tell me sooner. We could've combined our weddin' festivities together!" Kora suggested it to be polite, but based on the slightly scrunched-up nose that Caroline grimaced, she shouldn't have made the joke. All the girls knew another insult was about to fly. 

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, no, thank you. I prefer events that are more...elegant and classy. No offense. It's just a critique."

'And there she goes with those damn fuckin' "critiques" again...And is she seriously announcing her own engagement at someone else's engagement party and pretending like we all don't know?!'

"I'd love to keep talking about my own achievements, but I suppose it would be rude not to entertain you all. Although I cannot imagine that running around picking up animal waste and shucking corn husks is all that exciting...Come to think of it, Mildred," Caroline narrowed her eyes at Millie, making the younger of the two wish she could disappear at that very moment.

"I assume the new hairdo is to avoid people recognizing you from the 'Wanted' posters I've seen?"

"Caroline. I reckon the outfit is supposed to scream "I'm still milking off Mommy 'n Daddy's money"?" 

"Well, you would know a thing or two about sucking on the wealthy now wouldn't you? My fiancé told me all about that side of you. Rex says, "Hi," by the way." Caroline's smirk shifted to a wicked grin, glaring daggers into Millie's demonic soul, all the while, the melee expert stood there, shaking ever so slightly at the mention of him. 

Pissed off from Caroline targeting their dear cousin - and simultaneously insulting the rest of them before - the other girls stepped in to defend the assassin who was clearly too scared to speak at the moment. 

"...Ya'know, actually, Millie was just tellin' us about her work!" Kora shot back. "She's a freelance assassin now. Works fer a successful, popular killin' business in the Pride Ring! Ain't that cool!" 

"Y-yeah!" Piper, one of their other cousins, started to back Kora up, placing two hands on Millie's shoulders and wagging. "AND she was just tellin' us all 'bout how talented her hubs is on the field!" 

At this, Caroline snickered like a hyena, making the rest of the women jump. "That's a good one! First, I doubt that she, of all demons, is reputable enough to hire for a "business." Second, she doesn't have enough money to her name to convince a good man to make her a wife." 

"Well then, it's a good thing that, unlike you, I don't have to pay people ta like me!" Millie shot back, almost shucking her now empty wine glass on accident. "For yer information, my boss actually hired me 'cause he thought I was talented! And my husband married me willingly!" She was trying her best to not get too riled up, but hearing this bitch even talk slightly ill of Blitz and her darling Moxxie pushed her over the edge. Or perhaps the glass of wine was inflating her confidence. 

"Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Mildred. Shouldn't this "husband" of yours know you can't turn a whore into a housewife?" The slightly taller of the two took another step forward to Millie while the assassin instinctively took steps back to get away from her. This only made Caroline grin wider, feeling victorious in her efforts to harass the younger imp. "You're just a little piece of cheap ass. Remember that before you decide to try and upstage me." She hissed before turning to walk away from the group. 

All eyes, aside from Millie's, stayed on Caroline's back as she slid further and further away from the gang, and not a single face held a positive expression. The first cousin to speak afterwards didn't hold back on the shit talking either. 

"Girl. Please explain to me why you invited her?"

"I didn't! I swear! None of my folks did!" Kora quickly tried to clarify the situation. "Uncle Clint found out 'n basically invited himself, Aunt Ali, and her! I swear on Papaw's grave, I didn't invite them! Y'all know I can't stand her just as much as y'all can't!"

"I know yer tellin' the truth 'cause invitin' themselves sounds about right fer that bunch." Piper rolled her eyes. "I still don't know why they even wanna come when they know they ain't welcomed."

"To be fair, I don't think Aunt Alison or Caroline even care...I think Uncle Clint just can't stand the fact his family ain't allowed." Winnie, one of the younger cousins, added her input before glancing over to a now quiet Millie, who was mindlessly looking down into her empty glass with her tail spiraled around her thigh and all the way down to her hoof. 

"Don't listen to her, Mills." Winnie bumped shoulders with the older imp, breaking the assassin out of her empty stare. "She's just pissed that you called her out on her bullshit. And she knows yer right."

"Exactly, Millie. Don't let her get to ya. She's just being a bitch for sport." Kora agreed, silently seething from the encounter. "I'll try to keep her away from both you and Sal as best as possible this week." 

It felt like a no-win situation. As much as Millie appreciated the support from her family in her current position, she couldn't put an end to the ongoing anxiety. Crossing paths with a past bully was one thing, but the possibility of coming into contact with a past abuser was a whole other ball park. Especially now that she has confirmed that Rex is aware of her relationship with Caroline. Therefore, he likely already knew of her attendance during the wedding week. 

She didn't care if that word seemed extreme, either, because in her mind, that's what he was to her. An abuser, a narcissist, a manipulator, a monster...

He broke her in ways she couldn't see herself healing from. Ever. 

It wasn't just her. He destroyed her relationships with others, and the relationships people involved with Millie had with others as well. 

Poor Onyx felt just about as much strain and tarnish on her reputation as her best friend did. However, she never experienced the same level of disgust and shame from the townsfolk as Millie did, but that didn't mean she was spared. 

Lin and Joe lost connections with fellas and clients they'd known for years because of the name Millie had on her after Rex. Friends who her older brother and sister-in-law had started dropping them without any explanation, which their parents also noticed as time went on. 

The aftermath of Rex on her life affected more people than just Millie, and that made the depression that followed her soon after worse. The guilt and isolation were too much, leading her to become a complete solo assassin soon after to keep herself away from others. 

Being alone was painful, but being in pain was second nature to the demoness at this point, and it felt better than consistent rejection...

At least if she were alone, she couldn't be hurt or hurt anyone else. 

As much as he sucked and hurt her over and over again, Chazwick never hid who he was from her. Yes, his betrayals hurt, and he used her, but he didn't hide his true intentions like Rex did. But perhaps that's why she accepted his lying and cheating ways for as long as she did. Being used was easier if you knew it was happening to you, and the pain was still there, but she only had herself to blame for that. 

"I'm gonna go find, Mox." Millie meakly whispered, barely, without any energy in her voice. "Sorry, girls. Maybe tomorrow will be a better setting to introduce y'all...I just wasn't expectin' to let her get ta me that easily." She turned back to the group with a sad, soft smile. "I hope y'all understand."

Kora took a few steps forward, moving in to give Millie a tight hug and whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry. I wanted you ta have a good time."

"It ain't yer fault. Thank you so much fer invitin' Mox 'n I. I promise we'll catch up with ya more this week." Millie reaffirmed, hugging all her cousins back before embarking on a new adventure to grab Moxxie and bring him back to her parents' house. 

This wasn't how she wanted the night to go. A part of her knew it may have been inevitable, but the other half of her was hoping that they'd lock eyes with each other for a second and move on with no words to be exchanged. She wasn't even sure if it was worth going to any more parties. This was a stupid idea! She never should have come, more or less dragging her precious Moxxie along with her. 

"Oh! There you are, honey!" Millie felt a hand grab onto her lower arm, turning her head, coming face to face with those smiley, freckled cheeks that she'd kiss every morning and night, and those wide, golden, and red eyes that she'd longingly gaze into for hours and hours on end. "Sorry, I took so long. Wyatt had me serve him a dessert platter. I hope your parents don't mind...What's the matter?" Moxxie's happy attitude dropped upon recognizing the unsure look on Millie's face. 

"I uh-...I was comin' find ya," Millie joined hands with her husband. "I wanna go home...If yer ready."

"...What happened?"

"Nothin-"

"Millie...Let's- Let's go get some fresh air." Moxxie led his spouse to a more secluded area outside the barn, straying away from other guests mingling near the entrance and exit doors to give them some privacy, specifically Millie, since he could sense that something was wrong. "What happened in there, sweetie pie?" Moxxie questioned her once he was sure they were alone. "You don't have to be scared to tell me."

"I promise it was nothin' serious, Mox." Millie clenched onto his hand tighter. "My cousin uh...decided to share a few choice words with me when I was with the other girls." 

"Are we talking about-" A firm hug from Millie answered his question before he was able to finish it. Even though the sniper thought it would be nice to stay, he made a promise to her. A promise he wouldn't take back or betray. "Do you want to go home?" He asked further, giving her time to think it through. 

"I don't want to...But I feel like now I have no choice." There was something about admitting that out loud that lit the light bulb off in Millie's head. 

"...I shouldn't have to hide from these people." She said bluntly, almost forcibly, coming out of Moxxie's embrace to look him in the eyes. "I shouldn't have to hide and avoid havin' fun 'cause of anyone."

"Well, of course not." Moxxie nearly chuckled, tucking a flyaway hair out of her eyes. "But, if you do want to go home, we can go. We don't have to stay if you're uncomfortable. I told you. We can take off whenever you want, no questions asked...But we can stay too if that's what you decide. I promise I won't let you out of my sight again." Moxxie made another oath for the night, giving Millie silence and time to think. Both imps were startled by the sound of blaring cheers from inside the barn, and loud country music began to roar from inside the venue walls. 

Millie had been to enough barn dances and family gatherings to know it was party time in there. 

"It's up to you, my love," Moxxie repeated, giving his wife yet another affirmation that no matter what she chose, he'd stick by her choice. 

Upon several minutes of quiet between the married pair, and Millie going back and forth on her two options, she ultimately looked Moxxie in the eyes, and locked her lips with his for a short but sweet kiss. Two smaller claws took hold of the sniper's larger ones, sending a shiver up his spine as the mood between husband and wife shifted when Moxxie looked up to see a smirk on Millie's lips. 

"Let's get our little asses back in there 'n dance."

Moxxie's expression changed to reflect the same as hers, taking one of her arms into his before he let out an exaggerated "Let's, my lady!" in response as they walked back to the barn, listening to the music of the night become louder the closer they got. All the while back, Moxxie continued whispering encouraging words to his "lady" that they could take off whenever she wanted, not to be afraid to tell him, and he'd stay with her the rest of the night should any vicious presences decide to try and strike again. 

He'd be sure to strike back even harder if they had the balls to bite to begin with. 

Crimson failed as a father. Moxxie hated him with every fiber and molecule in his body. But if the old man taught him one valuable lesson, it was that when someone bites you, you make damn sure you bite them back harder. 

He'd do it to protect her. ..

But not that night, as they spent the rest of the evening catching up with other relatives, snacking on party foods, and dancing until their hooves would fall right off. Most importantly, spending some time with each other, which was unfortunately a rarity for the past couple of weeks since life became busier and crazier for I.M.P. 

There were bumps in the road for certain, but they were determined to cross them together. As Team M&M, getting shit done. 

 

---

 

(Surprise!) Extra Scene

The night ended for the married assassins just after 1:00 A.M. 

The combination of hours-long dancing, talking with others, and a little too much alcohol for Millie tired them out quicker than they expected. By the time they were leaving the party, only a handful of cars had left, and Moxxie had a feeling it wasn't anyone from Millie's direct side of the family. They were actually the first people to leave of direct relation to the George family (Specifically Millie). 

Moxxie heard the rumors from his mother and other sources throughout his life, but when he became involved with Millie, he learned fast and firsthand that Wrathians liked to party. And they took it very seriously. 

He would never forget their own wedding activities and the actual reception that continued for hours and hours even after they departed for the night. According to what Sallie May told her sister on the phone a week later, the wedding reception ran all the way until the next mid-morning when the remaining 120 guests concluded that they had partied enough for one celebration. 

"I would've stayed l-longer" Millie giggled from a hiccup. "But it's only 1 A.M., and I think I went a little overboard with the wine."

"You had maybe a glass or two over. Do you feel like you might get sick?" Moxxie carried her through the parked cars, one of her arms wrapped around his shoulders, as he helped her to walk. She definitely wasn't drunk. Moxxie had seen drunk Millie before, and she wasn't quite there yet. But she was too tipsy to walk all on her own without stumbling over or perhaps even falling onto the dirt, and he couldn't have his Millie getting hurt. 

"Does this make you glad that you decided against wearing the heels?" Moxxie joked with a snicker.

"OH! Fuck yeah! You bet yer ass. Every other time I've gotten too crazy with the drinks and I was wearin' heels, I just took 'em off. But my hooves fuckin' burn right now."

"It's all that dancing. Don't worry. I feel the burn too." Moxxie dug the keys to the truck out of his pocket once they reached the rental car, opening the passenger seat to help Millie in first when a deep male voice called out to the two young imps, catching Moxxie off guard. 

"Mildred?! Hi, sugar! How are you?"

While Moxxie couldn't identify the older, male imp approaching the truck, Millie's face told him that she recognized the man wearing a suit and tie with faint streaks of gray in his white, slickbacked hair. 

"Howdy! I'm great!" She yelled from her seat in the car, not getting out or unbuckling her seat belt. "Mox, this is my Mama's older brother." She looked down at her freckled spouse. "This is my Uncle Clint."

"Sorry for interrupting, Millie, but I thought I had seen you from my car and wanted to come say hi." Clint reached over into the truck to give his niece a short hug before he gave Moxxie a smile. "So, who is this guy right here? You have a boyfriend?"

Right when Moxxie opened his mouth and offered Clint a hand to shake, Millie, in her fuzzy state, blurted out, "Nah! Ex-boyfriend actually. Cause he's my husband. This is my husband, Moxxie." 

"...Husband?" Clint's smile dropped to a confused expression. 

"Yep! Husband! He's great! Say, y'all never did meet, did y'all?"

"Not to my memory...I didn't even know you had gotten married, little Millie." Clint attempted to laugh it off, but Moxxie could tell that it was fake. "How long have the two of you been married, Moxxie Sir?" Clint accepted Moxxie's handshake while questioning him.

"Just about two years, Sir. We'll be celebrating our second anniversary next week."

"Wow!...Two years, huh?...I suppose time really does fly by....Well, I should get going, but I'm happy to see you're doing well, Millie. And it was a pleasure to meet you, Moxxie. You seem like a good guy. I'd like to chat with you later this week if the opportunity presents itself."

"And you as well, Sir. Nice to meet you." Moxxie ended their meeting, closing Millie's door of the truck before climbing into the driver's seat, heading back to the family ranch to get her to bed - and himself, since the exhaustion of the night was beginning to catch up with him. 

"So, I'm not judging, honey, but is there a reason your uncle wasn't invited to our wedding?"

"Whatcha mean?"

"Well, he just seemed a little...caught off guard that you were married...I'm assuming that means he wasn't invited, but even still, I would have thought your Mother would have told him that you were engaged, if they're brother and sister."

"Oh...I couldn't fully answer that, to be honest with ya, hun. I never had any personal problems with him, but he and my Mama don't get along all that well."

"Oh? How come?"

"I uh-..." Millie paused, coming to a realization herself. "...Ya'know what? I actually don't know...I wouldn't try askin' her though. She gets real snippy with you if you try talkin' about it. My Pa won't bring it up either...Guess they might've had a fallin' out at some point. I'll tell you why I didn't even try inviting him, though." Millie turned to face Moxxie. "He's my cousin's Daddy. And even if I only invited him, he would've brought that bitch along too. I didn't want her or my aunt there for our wedding." 

"The cousin?" Moxxie asked for clarification, only earning a tired "Mhm" from his wife. At that point, it was starting to make more sense for the thespian imp, and for the remainder of the ride home, he stayed quiet, hearing Millie snoring as background noise from the seat next to him. He'd let her sleep the entire way back and wake her when they reached the house, or he'd carry her in and change her out of her clothes. They'd both done it before.

His mind kept going back to the obscure family drama he'd just learned of, but he reminded himself each time:

'It's none of your business, Moxxie. Stay out of it.'

If only he knew how much of his business it would soon become in that one week...

Chapter 54: Family Reunion (Part 3)

Summary:

Moxxie organizes a date night for him and Millie. Lin and Cinnamon talk about Clint and Alison.

Notes:

Short one today guys! This one is a little bit less about M&M and more about some important background info that becomes relevant to the story later on, so just a heads up!

More happens in the next chapter!

After what felt like a never-ending night of drinking and partying, the last thing that Lin wanted to do was wake up early.

A foreign noise that kept slamming against the ranch screen kitchen door continued on every few minutes, making it impossible for her to get back to sleep. 

Just when she finally felt herself dozing off again and fixing herself to be more comfortable, another loud pounding noise rang its way through the house, and was greeted by a heavy sigh and an annoyed eye roll. 

This was supposed to be her and Joe's off day from working in the fields, and some asshole gathered the gull and audacity to wake her up at the crack of dawn and risk waking up the kids before their regular wake up time. 

If they woke up Wy there would certainly be Hell to pay. Their youngest boy had been struggling to stay asleep these days. 

"Joe," she attempted to shake her husband awake, failing miserably as he rolled over again. She honestly couldn't blame him with the late night they had. The female imp slipped out of bed, grabbing the robe from one of the spare chairs in the bedroom to head downstairs, hearing another pound on the door. Being awake, she could hear it was knocking, and whoever it was wanted their attention. 

On instinct, she grabbed the hatchet they kept next to the door for these reasons, before peaking out of the thin curtain they used to cover the door window at night, finding herself surprised when she saw an aged but familiar face standing on their porch. 

"Clint?" Lin whispered as she quietly stepped outside, hatchet still in hand, out of habit. "The hell are ya doin' here? Dontcha know what time it is?" 

"Sorry, Linsey, but I had to talk with you. Now."

"And it couldn't wait till a decent time? Yer lucky ya didn't wake up my youngest."

"Well, I didn't. So, I need to talk with you."

"...Is Mama ok?"

"...Wh-...I suppose? Why wouldn't she be?"

"'Cause yer actin' like something bad's happened! I don't see ya fer how long then ya show up at mah house in the dark no call or nothin!"

"No! To my knowledge, nothing happened! But I'm pissed off! At you, Joe, AND Mama!" His volume increased, stunning the younger of the two siblings.

"Me?! The hell did we do? This is the first time I'm seein' ya in years!"

"You're not allowed to be upset! You know what you've done! My niece got married, and not one of you bothered to tell me?!"

".......That's it?...That's what this is all about?!"

"You don't seem very defensive."

To this, Lin couldn't hold back her rage, except it came out in a soft chuckle rather than fiery anger, even if she did feel that bubbling up inside of her chest. "Why would I be? I'm not obligated to tell ya anythin' 'bout my family! Neither is anyone else! Besides, why would ya care? I thought you 'n yer wife were too good to hang out with a buncha uncivilized hicks." She finished putting an emphasis on the nickname that her sister-in-law had given them years ago, using air quotes with her fingers. 

"Obviously, I care! Little Millie got married, and my family and I were excluded from that!"

"Now I know you ain't THAT fuckin' stupid!" Lin snapped back, watching her brother take on an offended look. "Let me tell ya, you got some fuckin' nerve comin' out here ta try 'n lecture Joe 'n I about our daughter! After everythin' yer family's put mine through, ya yer damn right none of us told ya! But if we're pointin' fingers here, what in the ever lovin' fuckin' hell is YOUR daughter doin' bein' engaged to that no good cluckin' bag of dicks?!"

"...Rex is a fine young man, Lin-"

"Fine young man my ass! You 'n yer family know what he's done to my daughter! I can't believe that you'd allow yer daughter to be involved with him knowin' what he's done!"

"Look, Linsey. I get that you think he hurt Millie, but come on, they were kids, and boys will be boys, right? You have four sons, you get it. I love Mildred, but she was a difficult child, always getting herself into troub-" Clint was cut off by a hard slap to the cheek, hard enough to leave a harsh handprint on his face and making his eye tear up. 

Lin took a deep breath to calm herself - more realistically, to stop herself from raising that hatchet and chopping him to pieces with it. Brother and sister looked at each other, Clint this time stepping further back from his little sister to avoid any more of her rage targeted at him. 

"...First of all, I got THREE sons. Second, you should be ashamed of yerself fer blamin' Millie fer what happened to her...Do you even realize what he and yer family have done to her? I've watched my daughter suffer. Consider yerself lucky you never had to do the same..." 

Lin walked away, opening the kitchen door again to go back to bed, ending their "talk" not before turning back to her older brother one last time, giving him a threatening look. 

"You keep that piece of shit, yer daughter, and yer wife away from my family...I won't say it again. Don't bother comin' back."

Once inside, she locked the door. Instead of being welcomed back in with silence, she heard heavy but gentle footsteps from upstairs. When she made it back up to the second floor, Joe was just about to head downstairs, but stopped seeing his wife upset as she ascended up the stairs. 

"What's wrong?" He tried whispering in his deep voice, riddled with guilt and concern that he'd slept through whatever incident his wife had outside and scared that she'd been hurt. But he knew Lin better than that. That woman, if she ever did, barely showed any signs of fear through their many, many years together.

"Nothin' serious, hun. Let's just go back to sleep...I'll tell ya 'bout it in the mornin'."

And so they did, with the pair cuddling each other back to sleep. However, it did take a while for Lin to get some more rest, as her brother's words continued echoing in her head until the final moment when she closed her eyes. 

 

---

 

"There ya go, baby! Ain't that good! Is that yummy?" Millie cooed in a sing-song voice to Wilbur, beginning to bite through the large pumpkin that she had harvested for him that morning. Moxxie watched from behind the gate once again, admiring his wife in the morning sun while she loved on the happy hog, snorting in delight at his breakfast. 

The thespian dug his phone from his pant pocket when he felt a gentle buzz on his thigh. Opening the screen, a VoxMail message was the first notification to pop up, titled in black letters: 

"Moxxie

Here's a reminder about tonight's reservation at Rock 'N Wilds."

When he learned that there was no event for Kora's wedding that day, he took the initiative to plan a date night for he and Millie, considering it had been a while since the two had gone out to enjoy themselves. 

As common-sensical and straightforward as it may sound, one of their goals as a couple was to make sure they didn't neglect their relationship. That meant that date nights were a common occurrence for them up until recently, when business started picking up. Though, neither of them complained. Every night together felt like a mini date in, but with their anniversary around the corner, Moxxie decided to invite some of their hot and passionate romance back in to hold them over until next week. 

It was a perfect occasion, too, since the restaurant was one of Millie's favorites from home. After, he planned to take them to one of Wrath's signature wineries to grab a bottle of the red wine that they opened for the first time as a married couple at their wedding, perhaps even grabbing some bottles for Sinsmas gifts since the holidays would be rolling around soon. 

"Alright!" Millie commented, exiting the pen and making sure to lock it behind her. "He should be all set till ta'night!" Millie smiled wide, dusting her hands off on her barn apron as Moxxie brought her in for a firm hug, surprising her with a deep kiss. 

He was always a man of romantic gestures, but Millie never found herself used to his random acts of love towards her. She could never predict when he was pondering pulling her in and showering her with hugs and kisses, or ravishing her on a whim, despite him doing so often in their two years of matrimony. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the thrill of it. Never being able to tell when he was considering it or when he'd "strike" her. Like a snake to its prey. In a loving, cute way. 

And of course, when he pulled away, he got the satisfaction of seeing her adorable, startled, flattered expression, blushing five shades deeper than her natural bright red hue, and in turn causing him to flush similarly. No matter who initiated it, kissing her always started a bubbling sensation in his blood, and he found himself blushing every time without fail. 

"What's that for?" 

"Just because I love you~" He cooed before bringing her in for a lighter embrace this time, seeking out her tail to coil with his, which she reciprocated. "You know what I was thinking?" 

"What's that, hun?"

"I should take you on a date tonight." 

Millie looked up at him, with her sweet doe eyes sparkling in the sun. "A date?...Like a date date?"

"Yes, a 'date date, '" Moxxie laughed, breaking their hug for a moment to look her straight in the eyes better. "I thought it'd be nice since there isn't an event tonight. We haven't been able to go out in a while."

"Hmm...I'm listenin'. Whatcha got in mind?"

"I already made a reservation last night. Rock 'N Wilds at 7:30."

Millie's face brightened up faster than a lighter on a tank of gas, her stomach beginning to rumble with anticipation and want for some juicy, red meat and crunchy garlic potatoes that her murderous brain associated with the restaurant. 

"Mox Mox! Ya didn't?!"

"Oh, but I did, hon~ And that's not all, I made us an appointment at Old Clay's for dessert and wine...Are you down for it?"

"How couldn't I be?" Millie beamed, excited, before her brain involuntarily conjured an aggravating question on impulse. "What's that gonna cost us though?" 

"Don't worry about it. Not enough to get us in trouble. I promise. I checked our funds before reserving anything, too, if that makes you feel better."

"Yer the banker man in this relationship!" Mildred shrugged, leaning in for another kiss afterward. "I trust ya! I'm excited! Imma have to go pick an outfit, pronto! OH! Now I gotta break it ta Sal that she may have to give Wilby his nighttime snack and cage cleaning, and I gotta..."

He tried listening to every word that rolled off her forked tongue, but Moxxie couldn't help but gawk at her with in love eyes the entire time she talked to herself out loud about a "to-do" list. Not the creepy type of gawking, but simply appreciating her beauty from a distance (a short distance at that).

He loved her so much. How could he not admire her every second of every waking hour of the day?! He did so in his dreams, too, when his sleeping brain would manifest images of her to his slumbering eyes. Countless times, Millie caught him whispering and mumbling her name while he was in the clutches of a deep sleep, sparking the butterflies in her stomach to flutter about and the blood vessels in her cheeks to nearly burst, making her blush a deep red. 

The moment he set his eyes on her, when she tried to kill him during their first encounter, he physically felt his breath being taken away, stolen out of his lungs. And sure. It could have been the fact that she had her rough claws wrapped around his throat, strangling him until he was on the brink of unconsciousness. But as far as Moxxie was concerned, it was love. She was the most beautiful demon he'd ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on, and that only strengthened as he got to know her as a person, on a deeper, more intimate level...

"Mox, ya even listenin' ta me?"

"Oh...Uhm, sorry, honey. I blanked out for a moment. Now, what was it you were saying you had to do?"

Millie only gave him an equally lovestruck look, approaching him and practically smashing their lips together, falling back and dragging him along with her on a large pile of hay on the barn floor.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Let's just snuggle."

"In the hay?"

"Why not in the hay?"

It was a while before they decided to get up and leave the barn once she convinced him.

 

---

 

"What time would you like me to pick ya up, hun?" 

"Don't worry 'bout it, sug," Lin leaned over the center console of the family truck, giving Joe a quick kiss on the cheek. "My Ma already agreed ta bring me back later on, so it's all settled." 

"If ya say so." Joe agreed, parking the truck so Lin could hop out quickly once they reached Cinnamon's property. He agreed to get the younger boys to bed on time before he dropped Lin off at her mother's, taking off back on the dirt road after they said their goodbyes. 

It was difficult at first, but after Lin was able to fall asleep once more and get a few decent hours of shut-eye, she told Joe about what happened when they were alone. At first, he wanted to strangle his brother-in-law for aggressively approaching his wife and insulting his daughter at that (along with the rest of their family), but Lin managed to calm him before he could impulsively jump in the truck and speed off to kill the man. 

She called her mother that afternoon after considering it for a few hours, and Cinnamon agreed to meet and talk with her daughter later that night over dinner after she heard Lin's retelling of events. The retired assassin retreated to her mother's back porch door, knowing it'd likely be unlocked for her already.

"Mama?" Lin projected her voice once she opened the screen door, hearing Cinnamon yell out to her from the kitchen close by, already having dinner in the process of cooking with the old kitchen windows open, allowing the cool dusk air in and in turn letting the hot air from the oven and stovetop out. 

"Joe ain't stayin' fer supper?" Cinnamon asked, adding another breaded chicken breast to her dated cast iron skillet. 

"Nah. He's stayin' with the boys ta'night. He 'n Sal are keepin' an eye on 'em." Lin started cutting the fresh loaf of rosemary bread on the counter after Cinnamon handed her the serrated bread knife. "Sal could handle them on her own, but I'm sure she wouldn't wanna have 'em all by herself. They can drive her a little coo coo after a while." 

"Millie 'n Moxxie wouldn't wanna help her watch 'em? I know fer certain he'd have Wyatt doin' whatever he'd say in a jiff." Cinnamon chuckled, earning a half smile from her daughter in turn. Even if Lin wasn't Moxxie's biggest fan, she couldn't deny that Wyatt's admiration of the gunslinger was cute. 

"They ain't home ta'night," She explained, gathering two plates from the cabinet. "The thespian set up a date night fer them. Made a reservation 'n everythin'."

"Aww! Well, ain't that sweet!" 

"I gotta admit, it is." Lin agreed, setting the table right outside the kitchen, laying a towel down for Cinnamon, coming in with hot pans of food in both hands.

"Ya still ain't gonna admit he's a good husband fer her?"

"I know ya really like him, Ma." Lin playfully rolled her eyes, sitting down next to her mother, accepting a set of tongs handed to her. "He's not what I originally envisioned for Millie...but I admit, he loves her and treats her well...." The farmer paused to decide if she should even continue what was about to slip out next.

"...He's an upgrade from...you know who. If I say his name, I may get too riled up to finish dinner."

"So...I guess we should start talkin' about that, huh?" Cinnamon glanced up to make eye contact with her eldest daughter. Just from across the table, she could sense and feel the heat of rage seething from Lin. Lin was aware of her mother's own anger as well, based on the light pink color her knuckles were taking on as she gripped onto her fork and knife. 

Cinnamon hated Rex just as much as Lin and Joe did for what he did to their little Millie and how that asshole treated her. When she discovered that her other granddaughter was engaged to such a vile man, she couldn't contain her own disgust and disappointment towards the older girl. Needless to say, Clint got quite the harsh, anger-filled, foul-mouthed phone call from his mother when Cinnamon learned of the news, and the old farmer told her granddaughter she could consider herself as good as dead to her. As much as that pained Cinnamon, she couldn't find it in her heart to forgive such a cruel, evil betrayal from her own flesh and blood, despite the situation not involving her whatsoever.

"When I heard Caroline and he were together, I just wanted to about drive on over to Greed and rip a sonava bitch's head off...And Clint...Don't even get me started on him. Let's just say I gave him a piece of my mind for approving the engagement." Cinnamon scoffed. 

"I know he's yer baby too, Mama. 'N Caroline's yer granddaughter, but this news had genuinely made me grow so much hatred in my heart fer that little girl. I don't care that she's my niece, or my brother's child, or my children's cousin...I will never forgive that girl. And she ain't stupid. That's what hurts the most. That she's so bitter against my Millie that she'd stoop so low to become engaged and marry someone who hurt her so badly. It ain't like she don't know what he did ta her. But I blame Clint and Alison just as much...Caroline's the monster they created." 

"...I love Clint..." Cinnamon softly said once she gave herself some time to breathe and take a few bites of dinner. "He's my boy...My first baby...The first child between me and yer Pa...But he's a grown man, and he's made his own decisions. So, now he has to deal with the adult consequences." She took a moment to take a sip of water. "And Caroline...She's my first grandbaby. I may love her as family...But I can't say I like her or the person she grew up to be...Yer feelin's are valid, Linsey. Especially after-...well...you know." 

"...It's been almost 25 years..." Lin broke the long silence, and Cinnamon swore that out of the corner of her old eyes, she saw her daughter wipe away a tear from her own. "And Joe 'n I still haven't found it in ourselves to forgive them fer how they treated us." This time, she didn't even try to hide it. She sniffled and used her naked hands to dry the small wet streaks on her face. "...I don't think we ever will...Fer how they treated us, how they treated our babies, how Alison talked down to Millie, how the kids kept askin' fer weeks why their Aunt Alison said their brother's passing was a good thing fer Hell..."One less Wrathian" is what she told my babies when their brother died...And ya remember when Daddy passed away..." Lin continued, taking the bare napkin Cinnamon handed to her to dry her tears.

"When Pa died, Clint didn't even care...He didn't call...He didn't come home...They didn't even come to the funeral...Same fer when Mills passed years earlier. His own sister and father weren't important enough fer him to grow a fuckin' pair and stand up to that...that fuckin' cunt!"

Cinnamon scooted her wooden chair across the hardwood floor of the dining area to comfort her daughter, taking her in for a side hug. Admittedly, the memories were hard for her too, seeing her daughter so upset, opening up those old wounds, having to think about how terribly her son turned his back on their family so swiftly and left them all behind to wallow in their grief and as Lin pointed out, didn't even give a damn. 

She'd never understand where she and Buck went wrong, raising such a selfish man. She was sure his father-her poor late husband-was rolling in his grave seeing how despicable their son treated his family. And all for a woman as callous and selfish as he had grown up to be, and raising a daughter as so. 

Cinnamon loved her son and granddaughter, yes. But she could never accept or like anyone who mistreated their own family for no reason at all. She watched Caroline from a small girl being trained by her mother to be as nasty and wicked as herself, and as much as she tried to fight against it, even going as far to reprimand Caroline when she saw her being mean and a bully to other children around her (including Millie), Alison in the end demanded to Clint that they stay away from Cinnamon and the rest of the family stay away from her precious princess since they dared say anything to her little Caroline.

Oh, how they all despised that horrid woman...

She was a true demonic presence in their lives indeed. 

"...My darling," Cinnamon ran a hand across Lin's back to console her. "I will never fault you for your feelings. I'll love you always until the very end because you're my little Linsey. Your children mean the world to me...But understand that while Alison is just as much to blame for everything, so is Clint. He made his bed. Now he's gotta lie in it...That's why he's behaving like this and inviting himself and his family where they ain't welcome. 'Cause he don't wanna hear the music of the orchestra he's conductin'. Yet, he don't wanna conduct them differently." 

Lin embraced her mother in a long hug, taking solace in knowing her mother was so supportive of her and her family during this odd and confusing turn of events. They always leaned on each other so much throughout Lin's childhood, especially after the tragic and sudden death of several family members, including Lin's twin sister, Milena.

When their infant son died, the pair leaned on Cinnamon and Buck, especially on the harder days, considering the two older imps had previously grieved the loss of their own daughter. Despite Cinnamon being hard on Joe at first, he still found much comfort in her presence in the family since he never had a mother. His own mother died in childbirth with him, and Cinnamon was the closest person he ever had in his life who he considered a surrogate mother. 

Cinnamon was by no means "perfect." But she loved her family more than anything. And that's what you do when family needs you. 

You be there to love and support them in any way they need, and she was willing to sacrifice anything to be there for those she loved...

Even if it meant not having a relationship with her own son and granddaughter. 

"It must sound so silly...But Millie is my baby. Even at 28 years old, in my eyes, she'll always be my little baby. My little girl. My little Mildred." Lin whispered. "I know I can be a bit hard on her at times...Maybe too hard. But it's cause I want the best life fer her possible. And when I heard that man who hurt her so badly was sneaking his way back into this family...Mama, I just lost mah fuckin' temper...I told Clint some things I can never take back. I said some nasty, wretched things. He'll probably never forgive me for bein' so hateful 'n spiteful, but I think I'm alright with that. 'Cause I'll never forgive him for what he's done ta me or my family either...It took everythin' outta me not to strangle him on my front porch this mornin' when he started flappin' his trap about Millie."

"Don't worry, babe." The mother left a kiss on her daughter's graying hair. "I think it's normal for us Mamas ta always wanna protect our babies. No matter how old they get. Just like ya said, she's all grown, but she's still you 'n Joe's little baby girl." With that, the older woman set her elbow down on the table, her other hand traveling to cup her daughter's cheek, forcing Lin to look her in the eyes and witness the proud smile spread on her lips. 

"And personally, I think the two of you raised such a wonderful, young lady. You both raised amazin' children."

Lin smiled back in agreement, resting her own head in the palm of one hand as she placed her own elbow down on the old wood. "I couldn't agree more. I love ya, Ma...Thank you fer everythin' you've done fer me, Joe, and our own little family."

"I love you too, baby. It's what Mamas are for...Now, I wanna hear all about yer brother's bullshit, but let's wait til we're doin' the dishes fer that. And don't let me forget to give ya dessert."

 

---

 

After a fantastic dinner date, Moxxie and Millie pulled into the parking lot of the winery where Moxxie had booked a late-night appointment. 

Appointments weren't necessary for entry, but he assumed it would be more romantic, and it would give them the best chance of getting a table on the balcony to look at the stars once they picked a wine and decided on dessert. 

"Looks like they had renovations done!" Millie observed the updated interior of the winery walls as Moxxie held the door open for her and another couple walking in after them. 

Old Clay's Winery, established back in the day before cell phones and internet. It was one of Wrath's oldest alcohol suppliers, growing some of the healthiest and sweetest fruits they'd ferment themselves to create their wines, meads, and other delectable spiked beverages. 

The old bar was originally a family-run farm, that is, until the Clay family started selling illegal alcohol out of one of their barns when a prohibition was put in place by some richer, city folk in Wrath, labeling drinking culture in the ring as "uncivil and irresponsible." 

Most Wrathians didn't give a damn, and continued providing alcohol to anyone who asked despite these new "laws" they were living under, including the Clay family who's "business" ended up turning into one of Wrath's most infamous speakeasies at the time, attracting demons from several rings to visit the Wrath Ring. 

The descendants of the family still owned the farm and the property, and financially speaking, were one of the richest farms in the ring with their animal and livestock and produce sides of the farm still up and running, coupled with their winery, they were making a mint every year, especially for Wrathian farmers. 

To be fair, they were a great group of folks, and they set aside portions of their earnings every year to fund many events around the ring and purchased local goods to give back to their communities. 

Wrathians stick together. That was the culture of the land. 

"I read online that they closed down for a season just to refurbish the place. I think it looks nice." Moxxie commented as they took their reserved spot on the terrace. Thank Satan it wasn't hot out at this time of night. And the string lights hanging off the railings, paired with the soft candle glows from the centerpiece wax figures, were the perfect source of "sun" for a short date like tonight. 

Their plans for this location weren't all that grand. Have wine, have dessert, get a big bottle restock of the red, sweet prickly pear flavor they opened at their wedding, and grab a few extra bottles to keep for Sinsmas gifts. And of course, flirt with each other the entire time like nobody was watching - although a few declarations of love did turn a few heads of other patrons sitting around them. None of them minded all that much, though. Contrary to popular belief, Wrathians were not secretive when it came to loving their significant others. PDA and flaming words of passion to those you loved were actually encouraged rather than looked down upon, as they could be in other rings. 

And, no, not quite like in Lust. 

Wrath culture was heavily influenced by family orientation, which in turn meant that spouses or lovers could feel free to be as affectionate towards each other as they wanted to be (again, with certain boundaries). Simply put, it wasn't a head turner for husband and wife to love each other out loud in the deserts of Wrath, as it was a sign of a loving marriage and healthy bond between spouses. 

Millie had many memories from her young years seeing her mother and father hugging and kissing each other frequently, and while as a child it could be off-putting to see your parents love each other so openly, she always thought it was sweet to watch them being so nice and kind to each other. Same with her grandparents. As a little girl when she'd visit their home, she always remembered her Papaw Buckwheat cooking her Mamaw breakfast, waking up earlier to surprise her or going work out in the fields all day while Cinnamon would stay behind to watch she and her siblings only for Buck to return a little past their normal dinner time because he went out to town to get Cinnamon bundles of fresh flowers to make her feel special. Even in their old age, up until his death, her grandparents never stopped showing off their love for each other. 

Millie always said she wanted the same type of love her parents and grandparents had. To be treated and cherished like the queen of the castle, and for a depressing while, she didn't think the magic of a fairytale was in the cards for her. But apparently, patience was the key. She needed to kiss a few toads to meet a prince, but boy was he worth the wait...

"So, we have three bottles of our native Wrath Ring red wine, two bottles of apple and mint mead, and then four bottles of the red prickly pear. That's all?" The female cashier behind the bar confirmed with the imp couple ready to pay. 

"Yep! Anything else you can think of, hun?" 

"Not at all, sweetie." 

"This is gonna be a pretty big haul!" The winery worker remarked, taking a large box out from behind the counter to package their bottles. "Y'all stockin' up fer any special occasion?"

"Mainly fer Sinsmas gifts, but our marriage anniversary's comin' up and the first bottle we opened as husband 'n wife was the red prickly pear from here. So we get a bottle for every anniversary to open." Millie explained while the imp behind the counter was wrapping their bottles, listening, "awwing" at the short story as she finished, gently setting the last bottle down in the wine box. 

"That's so sweet! We have discounts fer anniversaries ya'know! About 70% off fer weddings and marriages. Y'all wanna take advantage of that? It would save y'all a little over half tonight." 

And with all their hard work to get I.M.P. back on the right financial track, neither of them denied that offer. 

"What a fuckin' great deal. Ya mind opening the back for me, baby?" 

"Not at all, babe. Give me one second." Moxxie opened the driver's side door to get the manual keys for the trunk, a faulty little inconvenience they found in the older rental car the day prior. Millie set the heavy box of wine on the ground as she waited for Moxxie, humming softly to herself until- 

"Mildred? I thought that was you."

Thank Satan, Millie wasn't holding that box when she turned around, because she would have broken every glass in that box, no matter how well they were packaged. Very few times in her life had she ever felt her blood run as cold as it did in that moment...

Like a terrified prey animal, she was frozen, unable to move in that spot. Because the predator who she knew had to be hunting her, who she had been purposefully avoiding all this time, was standing over her as tall as she remembered him to be...

Moxxie had just made it back around to the trunk when he showed up, and even being married to Millie for two years, physically seeing her tense up instantly made him realize something wasn't right. The sniper didn't waste any time getting to her side, not taking a single second to think anything through, only getting to Millie's aid as quickly as possible. 

"Excuse me, but I need to unlock our trunk," he stated firmly to the taller, broader, bigger all-around imp crowding over his wife, taking her shaking tail into his to try relieving her. "We're leaving anyway. Sorry." 

"Apologies uh-...And you are?" 

"Moxxie. Her husband." The smaller of the two wrapped his arms around Millie's waist, pulling her body in closer to his, instinctively protecting her from...Well, whoever this was that had the audacity to scare his dear wife. 

"Hmm...Husband, huh? Caroline mentioned that you have a husband, Mildred. I don't know whether to be surprised or say congratulations." It was so strange to Moxxie. 

The stranger's tone was polite, yet his words and body language said he was purposefully trying to be condescending and intimidating. And that name...

"Caroline?"

"M-my cousin. Th-this is um, Rex, Mox." Millie clenched onto his suit jacket, almost begging him to hop in the truck and leave. 

Moxxie looked back and forth between Millie and Rex for seconds before he realized just who he was looking at. 

"Oh...Rexxx," Moxxie hissed, hearing the venom in his own voice and subconsciously pulling Millie in tighter, closer. 

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm sure Millie has told you all about me. I was her first well...a lot of things."

"...Classy. We're leaving, so it's best if you go away. Come on, Mills." Moxxie held his ground, directing Millie to the passenger seat, even manually locking the truck door behind her just to make her feel safer and secure from the prick outside.

"Aww, no hug? What, you don't let your own wife hug other men? You don't have to be jealous. I broke it off with her. It was short and sweet. Nothing serious." Rex smirked, still trying to sound more well-mannered than he was acting, following Moxxie to the driver's side. A stupid idea, considering he obviously didn't know the smaller of the two had a gun in his suit, and two pistols locked and loaded in the truck with them. 

Moxxie ignored his obnoxious, malicious teasing, jumping into his own seat as quickly as possible to get Millie away from this place that was so thrilling and exciting to them just moments ago. 

"Trust me. I know you're nothing special." The freckled imp retaliated, turning the truck on and backing out of the lot, glaring daggers at Rex the entire way out. 

The entire ride home from the winery to the Rough 'N Tumbleweed Ranch was silent, not because either of them didn't want to speak, but because they weren't sure of what to say after an encounter like that. Moxxie himself was still trying to calm down after nearly gunning the asshole down or tearing his head off his shoulders. One or the other. 

When they finally parked at the now dark and quiet ranch, Millie began to wipe her eyes, which Moxxie noticed almost right away, taking her hand in his from over the middle cup holders, and gently kissing it, giving her time to speak if she wanted. 

"...Sorry, baby."

"Sorry for what?"

"I feel like I fucked tonight up." Millie sniffled, wiping away a streak of mascara-infused tears from her cheek. "Ya shouldn't have had to do that. I should've said somethin'. Ya shouldn't have had to hear that fucker sayin' all that." 

"Millie, I did it to protect you." Moxxie ran a hand up and down her arm, softly and affectionately. Then he considered his next words, remembering their sessions in couples counseling. 

"...I know you, Mills. You put a lot of pressure on yourself to protect the ones you love. And I love that about you so much." He paused, leaning over to give her a kiss on the forehead, still holding onto her hand and caressing the side of her palm with his thumb as he usually did to comfort her. "But that doesn't mean that you have to be all alone when it comes to protecting yourself, Millie. I'll always be here to defend and protect you whenever I have to. I don't mind fighting off people for you, especially assholes like that. You don't need to put yourself through that when I'm here. I promise." 

"I just wish I wasn't so weak when it-"

"You're not weak, sweetie." Moxxie interrupted. "Being afraid of someone who hurt you doesn't make you weak. It's a natural reaction. I mean, I would know all about that, right?" He lightly giggled, in a cheesy attempt to make her laugh. Thankfully, she caught onto his dark joke and did, joining him in a soft chuckle, even if it was only for a few seconds. 

"I suppose so."

"Right. Not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty experienced when it comes to guys like that." Then he became serious once more to finish their conversation. "But I'm telling the truth, sweetie. I'll always be here to protect you. Anytime. From anyone. You're not alone anymore." 

"...Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"You may have mentioned that at some point~"

With that, Millie stretched over to give him a kiss this time, resting her forehead on his when she pulled away. "Thank you fer the nice date." She cupped his hand into both of hers. "But can we please go to bed? I'm whooped." 

"Absolutely." 

Notes:

Hi everyone!

Sorry for being slow again😅...

I promise I'm trying my best, but every day for the past two weeks has been spent visiting family and friends.

Next part is definitely being published next week, though! So stay tuned!

Chapter 55: Family Reunion (Part 4)

Summary:

Eleven years ago, businessmen from Greed found themselves stranded in the Wrathian desert...

Notes:

Just a quick warning for this one, guys, some of Rex's thoughts about Millie are disturbing. Proceed with caution.

Other Warnings:
- Gore & Violence
- Disturbing fetishization of women
And just to be safe:
- Themes of sexual harassment
- Hints/themes of sexual assault

11 Years Ago

Summer was one of the Wrath Ring's biggest seasons for tourism. 

Despite the scorching, unbearable heat, the deserts of the second ring of Hell housed many opportunities for businesses to attract more customers, festivals to attract more visitors, and other demons of other rings to travel there for work. 

Upper class demons and illegal "business" owners commonly visited Wrath during their hustle and bustle seasons, making their rounds to several farms and properties striving to scam or convince farmland owners or other easily fooled suckers into allowing them to use their land for periods of time or to buy and take over. Others would try their luck in talking Wrathians into letting them open large corporations on their land for millions of dollars, but most declined these offers.

It was one of these corporate assholes that would change multiple lives for the worst for months to come...

The middle of May was just around the corner when a large, black Cadillac broke down on the side of the dirt road heading straight to the city of San Satanonio. 

Flat tire from a spare nail left in the middle of the left lane, from the looks of it, and as you could imagine, not a single one of those millionaires taking a ride knew how to fix a flat, nor did their chauffeur. Service wouldn't be all that useful either, given that they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. So, they were left with one option...

"I swear these fucking hicks aren't good for anything!" The boss slammed a polished shoe on the ground as he noticed the lava suns beginning to reach their late afternoon positions. "Not one, not two, but THREE cars have passed and not a single one stopped to help! I swear these fucking savages aren't good for nothing!" 

"Easy there, Abram," One of his assistants handed his boss a cigar, adjusting his fedora hat. "Someone has to stop eventually."

"Do they not recognize the license plate of this fucking car?! Greed Ring assholes! They're the ones who are supposed to be on their hands and knees for us! That's about all Wrathians are good for anyway," Abram took another puff before a movement in the distance from across the highway caught his eye. Dust was accumulating on the ground at a fast speed and running in the same direction they were heading, causing him and his other men to start yelling and waving their hands towards what they assumed had to be demons on horses. Just their luck, the owners of the large animals changed direction and started hurrying their way. 

Before they knew it, three demons were before them, raised high on their horses once they safely crossed the road to their aid. Two cowgirls and a cowboy all pulling on the reins to stop their animals before the leader of the gang seemed to speak up in a thick, Wrathian accent that sent a chill down every spine before her.

"You fellas broken down?" She hopped off her horse, walking towards the expensive automobile without permission, stunning all of them in their fancy, luxury, pin-striped suits and lavish trilby hats. 

"Y-yes, actually. We have a nail in our tire. Nobody has stopped to help us." Abram crossed his arms, emphasizing the "nobody" in an attempt to perhaps make her feel...guilty? Inferior? She was a woman after all. A Wrathian woman at that. 

But much to all of their surprise, she didn't even look at him or acknowledge his comment. She only kneeled down to the flat, taking a look at where the nail had impaled the rubber, using her rough fingertips to feel the "damage" before clicking her tongue, standing up to face Abram. 

She didn't have an unfriendly air to her at all, but his first impression of her just by the look in her eyes and her body language told him she didn't take shit from anyone. She wasn't going to be walked all over. She didn't even remark about their Greed license plate or cower in fear, bowing down before them, and she stood straight and confident, making direct eye contact to speak, unlike other lower-class service imps they'd run into before. 

"From the looks of it, it don't seem like it'd be a hard fix once ya take the nail out. Where y'all headin'?"

"San Satanonio. Would you happen to know how far it is from here?" The chauffeur questioned the young cowgirl, adjusting her white, western hat as the wind blew a particularly harsh gust, sending some dust and nearby tumbleweeds backwards and shaking the car enough to catch the attention of a lone young demon inside, spotting the girl standing outside his door. 

"Y'all'er about two hours out. Our town is 'bout an hour away to Satanonio, and we ain't far from home at all." The two other imps accompanying the mystery girl got off their own horses while she paused, thinking to herself. "Tell y'all what. It's obvious ya folks ain't from around here. I know how'ta change out a flat, and one of mah uncles works at an auto shop where we're from. I'll change out y'all's tire if y'all got a spare, and I'll take y'all to the shop if y'all wanna follow us back into town."

All four men took a moment to look at each other before they all read each other's minds and nodded in sync. Abram turned back to the young girl, accepting her help quickly so they could start moving things along.

With that, the Wrathian girl started asking questions about the car, about the spare tire, about tools, all of which were met by confused stares and looks from the Greed gang before another young man around her age stepped out of the car, offering his assistance to the country imps. 

"Excuse me, miss, but you were asking about a spare tire?" 

"Yeah, ya happen' to know where y'all tools 'n spare are at? I can't do much without none of that." 

"Of course. Follow me," He replied politely, making sure to put on his best smile in front of her. He turned on the extra charm that his mother always bragged about. He showed her where the spare was, along with their tire changing kit, even asking her if she needed help that she brushed off, wrapping one arm around the spare and the other hand clutching the kit before she went to work, calling the cowboy she had with her to aid her with the other cowgirl standing by with a blade clearly in hand, using it as a prop as a warning to the strangers not to try anything funny. 

All the while, the young boy belonging to the gaggle of Greedians stood back, watching the cowgirl work. A bit too intently at that. The second imp girl guarding her friends and their equestrians glared at him, not being a fan of the way his eyes were staring too hard at her friend's figure, more specifically her caboose, especially when she bent over to lift up the deflated tire. Sure, she was wearing sparse clothing, but it was fucking summertime in Wrath. It was hot. They were out riding all day long. 

If she could, she would have threatened whoever the guy was on the spot, but she kept her complaints to herself. 

"Burke, ya mind handin' me that wrench?" The country girl pointed out the needed tool to her male companion. When he handed it to her, in about 30 seconds, she finished the job, picking up all the pieces of the tire kit, while her cowboy friend packed the collapsed tire in the back of the car. 

"Alright, boys!" She cheered, "Y'all are all good till y'all reach town...This thing got GPS? We can route y'all ta the shop. Hell, we'll even wait out there fer y'all."

"We don't care as long as it gets us out of here. Let's just go." Abram gruffed, snapping to signal all men to get back in the car while the cowgirl and her tiny crew all jumped back on their saddles, waiting until the chauffeur confirmed the address with the lead again. Once he was routed to the mechanic shop, the Cadillac started racing down the road, nearly catching up with the trio racing back on their Hellhorses. 

The entire time, the younger man in the car continued undressing the cowgirl he'd already taken a liking to with his eyes, imagining how he'd have his way with her if he could only be alone with her for a little bit. Her voluptuous figure, her curvy hips softly bouncing as her horse ran at full speed, the way the long black wavy ponytail swayed across her almost naked back, her hot, red complexion, plump lips, those large, round eyes with fluttering black lashes expanding out, oh Satan, yes!  

He rolled down the window, taking the chance of his hair blowing in the wind, and tiny molecules of dirt blowing into his eyes from the horses kicking it up into the air and the Cadillac tires on the asphalt road just to get a better look.

She wouldn't know, her two friends wouldn't know, but he stared at her. More intently than a tiger to its prey. The way her long black hair rose with the wind, the curves that this dust bunny had, and Satan he'd never seen an ass like that on a girl or thighs like hers either.

What he'd do to be locked alone with her. The smirk that spread across his face and the way he licked his lips at her were no different than a lion to a steak, waiting to sink his teeth right into her-

"Rex, don't even think about it." Abram reached over to press a button, rolling up the tinted windows of the car, sitting back into his own seat as if he'd done nothing. 

"What?! I wasn't doing anything!"

"Right," Abram replied emotionlessly, not looking up from the documents he was reviewing in one hand. "I know that look in your eyes. She's Wrathian trash, you don't need to be involved with that." 

"Now, who said anything about getting involved with her~" Rex leaned his elbow on the armrest of the door, his eyes flickering back to the specific cowgirl ahead of their vehicle, the grin spreading across his face once again. "A night alone with her would be enough to satisfy me."

"No," his father repeated. "I will not even hear of it. Don't let me find out you're fucking a country bumpkin while we're here. You'll catch a disease from her. She's probably got all sorts of things." 

Unsurprisingly, Rex didn't listen. Not that he was planning to anyway. He'd grown up spoiled enough to know his parents made mostly empty threats. Besides, he'd done this sort of thing enough times before to know there was a high change he could fuck around with her and have no consequences. Too bad she was from a different area than where he'd be all summer long.. She could've been his little pet for the coming months. 

He didn't even know her name, but fuck it. That didn't matter. 

He'd been with too many girls to count, and he didn't care enough to know or remember barely any of their names. This little cowgirl was no exception. For a Wrathian, she was a smoking hot piece of meat, almost hot enough to make him fantasize if she could ride other things aside from that horse she was guiding. 

And he had the whole car ride to imagine things alike...

 

---

 

With luck, they'd arrived in town not long after the musketeers on their horses did, and easily enough, they found the repair shop, where all three had their horses drinking out of a large galvanized water tank. By Lucifer's luck, they'd even made it there before dark. 

Tierra Bendita

A small town of farmland littered with family-owned businesses, bars, and markets. A quaint, charming desert town known for its dedicated farmers, dangerous and deadly competitions, and most of all, its festivals. The annual Harvest Moon Festival took place in Tierra Bendita every year without skipping a beat. Imps from all over the ring traveled here year after year to attend. 

When the men stepped out of the Cadillac, they witnessed the main imp girl walk out of the repair shop, accompanied by an older imp gentleman in his oil-covered overalls, who followed behind and greeted the men with a smile. 

"You the folks from the Greed Ring?" He asked, making most of the gang cringe internally with his thick country accent and his mouth missing a few teeth.

"Obviously...Our tire went flat. Can you replace it? And how much if so?" 

The old man knelt on the ground, seeing the spare tire bound to the wheel, then got up to check the brand of tires originally on the expensive city-made car. 

"I got the same brand in the back, but ta tell y'all the truth, y'all probably don't even need a new tire." The old man wiped his forehead with the dirty rag he had on hand. "From what mah niece told me, y'all just had a nail in the tire. Dependin' on how big that hole is, I could just patch it up fer y'all fer much cheaper. Save y'all a couple of bucks."

So, after inspecting the busted tire, the old mechanic determined that he could patch it up, and fairly quickly, too, since he didn't have any other customers to attend to. That left the men in their suits and hats to their own devices, and it wasn't long before they waltzed into a busy saloon right across the street so they could watch the progress of their car. 

The booth set up next to the window also gave the youngest a perfect view of Miss Cowgirl, laughing and joking with the cowboy and other cowgirl that accompanied her in the middle of nowhere. 

He had to admit, even though he only would have used her for a quick fuck given the chance, there was something about her sweetness and bluntness fused together that captivated him. He'd heard of Wrathian hospitality before, and while it seemed she'd definitely displayed that by helping some strangers on the side of the road, she didn't necessarily fit the mold for the type of girl he'd usually go for. 

His type was the quiet, shy, insecure ones who were easy to fool. The kind who you could buy dinner for, and they'd agree to anything and everything you'd say. 

But this Wrath girl was different in that sense, and maybe that's what intrigued him so much. 

She was a challenge...

"Hey, I'm going to go get some fresh air. This place is stuffy and loud as hell." Rex stood from the table, folding his suit jacket and setting it down on his booth seat. Before he could walk away, he caught a glance of his father's disapproving eye, silently sending the message that he wasn't being as slick as he thought. He knew the real reason why his son was going outside. 

He knew his son was up to no good, but what could he do about it? He was a 17-year-old boy, and being obsessed with girls was natural. He might as well have fun now while he was still off the hook from being married. 

Abram found himself unsurprised when he watched his son exit the bar, walking back across the road to the old man's mechanic shop, where their saviors stood leaning against the building, relaxing as teenagers would on a slow summer night. 

"So, fellas, we goin' out into the deserts again tomorrow? I suggest the one far out with all the giant cacti!" The lead cowgirl pressed her back against the front glass wall of the shop, staring off into the darkening sky of orange, red, pink, yellow, and purple. Typical nights for Wrath, known for some of the prettiest sunsets Hell will ever see. 

"You just wanna go 'cause of the giant prickly pear fruit!" The other cowgirl teased, whipping her friend's thigh with the spade of her tail.

"So what? They're delicious. I'd even bring mah Pa's blowtorch to burn the spines myself." 

Their banter and back and forth about their next day festivities came to a halt when another soul entered the conversation...but only with her....

"Hey, there," Rex tapped the chief cowgirl's shoulder, stealing away her attention. "So, you're a real cowgirl, huh. Gotta be honest, I assumed the whole western style thing was just a myth, but you wear it well, sweet thing."

"Um...Nah. It ain't a myth. It gets hot out here, ya know." She swallowed, feeling tense with this stranger's flirtatious attitude towards her. 

"An understandable excuse to show off that rocking hot bod Satan blessed you with. I wanted to come over here and thank you...well, all of you, I suppose, personally." He took one of his hands out of his pants pocket, holding it up to her as an offering. "I'm Rex. Rex Ricco. That's Italian for "Richest" by the way~" 

The girl, feeling more uncomfortable now, hesitantly took his hand to shake, as her two friends watched on from behind, ready to pounce if need be, clutching their knives and machetes tucked away in their pants with their tails to defend her. Aside from randomly flirting with her off the bat, and originally being a native of Greed, there was something about this guy that seemed...off. Something that set off a barrage of red flags in their bellies. 

"No problem. We Wrathians take pride helpin' folks out."

"And you're name is?"

"...Millie. Millie George." 

"Millie, huh? Well, not to bombard you, toots, but you've certainly wrapped my attention up in one of your lassos. How about when the car is fixed up, you come back with me to Satanonio and you ride me like you did on that horse. I promise, it will be the highlight of your life~"

To this, Millie took a step back from Rex, who made it a point to get closer to her, trying to slide a hand down her side as if that'd help to convince her. 

"Woah there, pal. I don't know ya. Sorry, but I ain't that kinda gal. There's plenty of services fer that in the city, though. But I ain't it." 

She rejected him...That bitch...This stupid FUCKING good for nothing Wrathian SKANK...

She was presented the opportunity to spend the night with him, and she said "No"?!

Who the fuck did she think she was?! Did she even know WHO she was messing with?! How DARE she deny his advances!

"Mr. Ricco! How much longer on the cAA-!" 

The family chauffeur had walked across the street to the car repair shop, sent by his boss to check on the progress before he was tackled down in the middle of the road by a masked demon with rope, attempting to tie him up as he screamed for help, struggling to get away. Rex wasn't left untouched either, as he started running to help before he was also knocked to the ground by two other disguised demons, ripping open his shirt and every pocket on him as they yelled at each other to check everywhere they could reach. 

What an unfortunate situation. This was really how he was going to go? Being robbed by the uncivilized hicks he'd heard about all his life. His father always discouraged him from visiting Wrath unattended for this very reason. Rex heard all about how dangerous and brutish Wrathians were, how they'd do just about anything to get their claws on cash because of how poor the ring was. 

How ironic that a well off, rich, city boy from Greed was going to die at the hands of some inbred, impoverished, hillbillies who would never be anything more than that. "Savages from conception until death" is how his father referred to the Wrath people, and Rex would die knowing his father was always right. 

And then suddenly he was free...

Disoriented with adrenaline rushing through his veins, Rex swiftly sat up to see the second cowgirl on top of the dick that attacked him, stabbing him to death with a giant machette that she'd pulled from her knife holster tied to her thigh as the thief screamed and begged for her to stop, yet she showed no mercy.

She stabbed and stabbed until he didn't thrash around anymore or make a peep, blood splattering all over her, the dirt road, and even a little on Rex's luxury clothing, disgusting him, but with his garments already being destroyed from the attack, there was no reason to be upset. 

He glanced over at the noise from his right, seeing the cowgirl by the name of Millie George and her male cowboy partner doing nearly the same to the two other strangers. The cowboy tied his lasso around his victim's neck after stabbing him several times with his own jagged dagger before pulling both ends as tight as he could, choking the demon he was straddling to death. 

And for their leader, cowgirl Millie, Rex watched in both surprise and horror as this girl, who couldn't have been much younger than he, took the original man who started the fight by the neck, and stood up on her two hooves, choking him with one hand. The poor sap, bleeding out from a large gaping wound she'd made in his stomach, tried fighting as best he could, but it was obvious it was of no use. Rex couldn't tell if he was hallucinating or not, but he swore he could see the man begging for mercy with his eyes, but Millie didn't seem to be having it. 

"Well, sug, ya shouldn't have fucked around 'cause now yer findin' out," she hissed, before bringing him into a choke hold and snapping his neck in two like it was nothing with her bare hands.

Rex didn't know what was scarier, watching this horrible, brutal killing before him, seeing how much physical strength she had for a girl, or how nonchalantly she had just killed this man. 

It didn't really matter anyway; he had just been saved by, unfortunately, three Wrathians, but he had to admit, he was slightly impressed by their skills. Being from the Greed Ring, or just Hell at that, Rex was not blind to violence, but this extent of violence was something else. It was as if killing was a natural skill they had, like brushing your teeth or taking a shower. 

From the background, he watched as his father and the others who had followed them to Wrath ran out of the bar towards them, stopping dead in their tracks as they observed the scene before them. Meanwhile, the western trio acted as if nothing had happened. 

Millie turned around, her eyes landing on her female friend, who was covered in blood. "Ya ok, Onyx?"

"Yeah. That fucker had nothin' on me. What 'bout you, Burke?"

"Same here. This fella could barely wiggle 'round when I pinned him down. He was too easy to kill if ya ask me."

Millie dug through the man's jean pockets, finding a wallet with a decent amount of cash and an ID. "Envy, huh? Makes sense, I suppose." If watching her kill wasn't enough terror for the night, Rex watched as her stone face melted up into a delightful crooked smile. "Looks like I got a new trophy ta add to my collection!" she sang loudly to her friends, waving the man's ID up in the air like it was a prize. 

Just WHO was this psycho?! Of all the mob bosses, thieves, and con artists he'd met, Rex had NEVER seen anyone kill and celebrate like this before, and while he was a little fascinated, he was scared of her. 

It was a blessing in disguise that he didn't push her after she turned her nose up at his flirtations, or maybe he would've been the next trophy on her wall.

Millie walked towards the chauffeur, still on the ground, shaking from the strike. Despite the ruthlessness and cruelty that she showed to the robber that she'd murdered moments ago, she offered a hand to the frazzled old man, who only looked at it before glancing up at her as if he was trying to decide whether it was worth it or not. Rex couldn't blame him after the killing she'd just done. 

"It's alright...I don't bite." She reassured him, her sweet country voice returning. He took her hand, thanking her for her help and saving their lives, before Abram and the rest of the men approached the scene closer. 

"I have to admit, little lady. You certainly know how to take care of business." 

"That was nothing. I've killed worse than that. Bandits like them come botherin' our towns all the time. They go breakin' into people's houses and whatnot tryin' ta steal anythin' they can. The audacity they have is unmatched considerin' they ain't from here and most of the time they're from more well-off rings." She walked over to the corpse of her victim, stepping down and pressing on his bloodied head with her dirty, cowgirl boots. "They've probably been watchin' y'all. Saw y'all were from Greed 'n decided y'all were a good target. Either way, I'd be careful if y'all wanna travel around like this again. Nighttime is when they start gettin' goin'...But keep an eye out when y'all make it to San Satanonio. They like migratin' to the cities as well." 

Not long after, the owner of the repair shop came out with a big smile on his face, holding the keys to the black Cadillac, returning it to the owners. 

Millie and her gang threw the mangled bodies of the bandits into a large sack while they mingled about where to dispose of the bodies when Abram overheard a sliver of the conversation as the chauffeur finished paying and thanked the man for his services. 

"So what do we do now? We got three goons we weren't plannin' on killin' dead in the bag. Any ideas?...Mills? Sal has any good hidin' places you know of?" The cowboy by the name of Burke asked his companion. 

"Hell yeah. Our best shot 'bout this time might just be to go throwin' them in the caves where the wild hogs tend ta nest. Pigs eat just 'bout anythin' ya know." She giggled wickedly along with her crew as she waved her uncle goodbye before all three jumped back on their stallions and rode away just as the magma suns were beginning to set deeper into their respective volcanoes. 

Abram's face shifted to a grin as he started calculating a new idea in his head. 

"You ok, boss?" one of his associates asked out of concern and interest, recognizing the smirk on his lips and the evil look in his eye. 

"Gentlemen, I think we just found our meal ticket..."

 

---

 

"You want me to...win her over to do our bidding?"

"Precisely. I guarantee you it should be easy enough." Abram took another cigarette out of the cheap pack that one of his servants brought to him earlier that morning. Rex sat in front of his father's desk in silence in his office located in the grand city of San Satanonio, thinking over the blueprints of the plan his father had laid out for him moments before. 

It made sense, but damn it was evil, even for the likes of him and their family. 

"Father, respectfully, don't you think that may be going a tad too far?" Rex lightly tried to rebel, catching his father's attention. "Believe me. I am no stranger to cheating people to get what I want, but she did help us after all. Besides, you watched her kill a man. Aren't you afraid that pissing her off or getting on her bad side is a foolish idea?...The stupid cunt already rejected me anyway..." he whispered the last part under his breath. 

To his questions, Abram simply chuckled after lighting his cigarette, not even taking a moment to put his lips to it before he scoffed and stood up to stare out the large office windows. 

"Son, allow me to educate you about how Wrathian women work." The older demon sighed. "They're easy, son. All you have to do is sweet-talk them, romance them a little bit here and there, do enough to at least keep them interested, and with all that, they'll be putty in your hands." He paused, finally wrapping his lips around the butt of the cigarette to inhale. "And that one...Well, she puts on a tough show, but she's young. Likely naive enough to believe anything you say...I'm sure of it. She's probably just playing hard to get. That's how these hillbillies are. Manipulative. You already expressed an interest in her looks. Use it to your advantage. Talk to her as if you'd be genuinely attracted to her and watch. She'll be spreading herself open like softened butter on bread. She's our only chance to talking these hicks into selling us some land."

"...So, what exactly would you like me to do?"

"As I said. Woo her. I don't care what you actually do. You can have your fun with her as long as you get us close enough to owning some land or getting us some customers at the very least." Abram set one of his hands on Rex's shoulder, drawing him out of his own thoughts. 

Pretending to be interested in this little imp farmgirl to manipulate her into playing into their plans? It was devious and wrong, and yes, he really did want to fuck her but...

His father was not incorrect. He'd done similar deeds with girls back in Greed before, but for the first time, there was a little voice in the back of his head telling him this was going too far.

"Trust me, son. If we fail, we'll still generate some revenue by staying in the city over the summer. And you still get something out of it, too, aside from the pay. You'll get a little plaything for a few months."

Rex's emotionless face shifted to a devilish smirk, before he leaned back, resting his head on the back of his arms that he propped up behind his neck. 

"I suppose I can't refuse such a deal, Dad."

She did reject him after all, made him look like an idiot in front of her friends, dared to deny him what he wanted...

And he was going to make damn good sure that she'd pay for it. 

Notes:

In case y'all were wondering, yes, I did get the ick writing Rex's parts💀

Howdy everyone!!

Apologies for making y'all wait a while for this chapter! I've had a lot happening in the past couple of weeks!

Speaking of, I unfortunately have to make a teeny tiny, saddening announcement...

I will have to take a small break for the next few weeks. I'm taking summer school classes and let's just say I'm a lot busier and overwhelmed with those than I initially assumed I'd be🫠 So, while "Family Reunion" is completed from here to the end, it's the editing that takes me a long time with releasing these chapters, so, Part 5 will resume either at the end of the month or the beginning of July.

I apologize for this inconvenience, as I know many of you are enjoying this mini series (side note: Thank you for all the positive comments and messages🤗), BUT fear not, for I have two completely finished fics that I scheduled about a year ago to release this month.

1) Will release on June 11th as a special for Pride Month and my fanchild Calliope's birthday!

2) At the very end of the month, as another Pride Month special, I wrote a VERY, very, very, very, very long time ago😅 I have been waiting until June to release it.

So, that should give y'all some content to look forward to! Apologies again, but this is just one of those "must-do" things.

Take care, everyone!

Chapter 56: Comin' Out

Summary:

A little something for Calliope's birthday (June 11th)...

Notes:

Just as a quick note because I realized I haven't posted chapters that take place before this yet...

Tucker has moved away to complete his medical school clinicals at this point. Calliope was grounded by M&M for a year and benched by Blitz from working for that time due to an incident that occurrs in a future chapter.

The first memory she had of that feeling was a month before her fifth birthday, when she was home alone with her dad while her mother took her brothers to pick up their final school records for the year. 

Calliope stood beside Moxxie, waving as Millie, Tucker, and Russell drove away from their home towards the boys’ school that morning for a quick trip and perhaps a fast stop at the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for dinner that night. 

Before the parents’ eyes, their youngest grew from a small, 6-pound, velcro baby who would cry and cry any time her mommy would put her down or leave the room or go anywhere where she’d be out of the babe’s sight, was a month away from meeting one of the biggest milestones in a child’s life. Ultimately, it was bittersweet, but they couldn’t be happier watching their one and only little girl grow up, even if it meant they were getting older. 

Little Calliope turned to her dad once the family car was out of view, her short tail littered with white spots and decorated with two black rings, slowly wagging. “Daddy, can we play the house game?”

“Sure, baby!” Moxxie ruffled her dark, curly hair, right between her horns. “How about you go set everything up while I tidy the kitchen from breakfast?” He led the little girl back inside, going straight to the kitchen like he promised to finish cleaning fast while the impling headed to her room, taking out her dolls and setting up her dollhouse how she wanted it, patiently waiting for her Pa to join in on the fun she wanted to have while her brothers were out of the house. 

After a few minutes, Moxxie found her exactly as expected, in her room, sitting on her pink, fluffy rug with the family pet cat, Christy, sleeping soundly on her toddler bed that he and her mother were procrastinating on switching out.

“I’m playing Miss Sparkle Bug! And she’s a mommy to Rufus and Troy and their pet horse Nikki!” 

“Oh yeah?” Moxxie giggled at his daughter’s explanation, holding up the doll she had handed to him moments before. “So who am I cast as?”

“You’re the nanny! ‘Cause I’m rich ‘n have a lot of money and I can pay you to watch the kids ‘n horses while I work to make more money!”

“Well, what about the other parent?” Moxxie asked, curious about the particular choice in his daughter’s game. “Are you the only parent to these children and horses?” 

“Hmm…You ‘n Mommy both work. Can you have two Mommys ‘n Daddys who work who have a nanny?” 

“Sure. Lots of rich families have a nanny who watches the kids while the parents work.” 

“Hmm…” Calliope stopped to think, looking back and forth between her large collection of dolls and the neatly set doll house before turning back to agree. “Ok! I like that idea, Daddy!” She turned her back to Moxxie, venturing once again into her box of plastic dolls to find another “member” for her little family, pulling out a Wrath-themed doll with black, long curly hair wearing a cowgirl outfit, likely one gifted to her by her mother who wanted her young baby to have toys that represented her. 

And Calliope couldn’t deny, the cowgirl dolls had always been her favorite. 

“You’re gonna be…uhm…you?...” The young child paused, thinking on the words that almost slipped from her mouth. Something in her innocent, deadly, young brain clicked that she had never played a game with this scenario before, and it made her stop. 

On instinct, she was about to use the word “Mommy,” but in that moment, she had forgotten for a split second that the dolly she was playing the role of was already dubbed the mommy of the house. 

In her family, it was her, her two older brothers, her mommy, and her daddy. She knew other families that had two daddies, like her uncle Blitz and Stolas, who had kids like her Nanny Loo Loo and her Nanny Via. She knew that one of Tucker’s friends had two daddies, and her uncle Blitz talked all the time about one of his best friends who had a husband. 

She was aware that families could have a Mommy and a Daddy or two Daddies. But when she looked at her dolls…

“...Daddy, can my house have two mommies?”

“I don’t see why not. If that’s how you want to play the game.”

“Is that allowed?”

“You’re making the rules, sweetheart. Do what makes you happy. We can play the game however you want.”

For the final time, she took the “Mommy” doll in her other hand, holding her and the cowgirl together to consider what she wanted to do. She’d never seen this before, but her Pa never said, “No, that isn’t allowed” or “It isn’t possible.” 

“...Ok!” She piped up from her moment of silence, smiling at her Pa, who returned the gesture. “You’re gonna be the other Mommy!” Calliope talked to the cowgirl doll, bending her mobile, plastic legs to “sit” at the kitchen table of the dollhouse, initiating the beginning of her and her Dad’s one-on-one playtime. 

Despite her young age at the time, she never forgot that exchange between them...

 

---

 

The childhood years came and went, and it seemed that her adolescent years flew by. While her understanding of love, romance, and romantic relationships grew over time, Calliope's own understanding of herself became blurred. 

As a little kid, she assumed she'd grow up to be like her Mom and Dad, find a nice boy, get married, have kids. 

And when she discovered that she didn't yearn for that life...Well, she'd never felt so perturbed before...

Perhaps she was too young to fully know what she wanted in the future, but one thing specifically stood out to her about that vision. Something that she wanted to brush off and deny up until this point, at 14 years old. 

The truth was, Calliope never felt any desire or attraction towards boys. At all. 

She could recognize when a man looked nice or when a man was good-looking, but the want and yearning for male romantic affection that she'd previously assumed she was supposed to feel was non-existent. The mere thought of a man even wanting to be romantic with her was enough to make her gag. 

And she didn't understand it. Her father, her daddy, her pa, was such a great dad to her and her brothers and a remarkable husband to her mama. All the stories she'd heard growing up from television and classmates were that girls who had "daddy issues" were the ones who felt either too needy for male attention, or they were the ones who avoided it at all costs. However, that wasn't the case in Calliope's eyes. She knew it couldn't be. 

She loved her dad. They had a great relationship, always did. 

Some of her favorite childhood memories were of her and Moxxie having one-on-one playdates. He'd play with her all the time, along with making special time for Tucker and Russell. They'd play dolls together, she'd do makeup on him, she'd paint his nails. She'd inherited his love of music and appreciation for Broadway plays and musicals, and when she got a little older, he'd take her along with him to watch some after she begged to go with him a few times.

He taught her to play guitar and other instruments that she enjoyed. He taught her how to deal with kids at school who annoyed her. He was always at her school events. He would wake up at ridiculous hours of the night to "scare away" the angels, seraphim, and exorcists hiding under the bed and in her closet. 

She held her dad to a standard for how she wanted to be treated in a relationship. She always thought it was sweet to see how he adored her mom, how he'd take her on date nights, write music for her, buy her spontaneous gifts, and make all of her birthdays and their anniversary a big deal, never missing a beat. And the little things she thought were just as special, like when she and her brothers were little and he'd get up early before her mom to take care of them and make breakfast so she could sleep in, he'd do the laundry on days where she normally did it, he'd take her and her brothers out of the house or keep them home with distractions so she could have time to herself or nights out with her friends. 

How could she feel so disgusted about receiving romantic affection when her dad was such a loving husband and father? 

And she'd heard the other rumors surrounding girls who had "mommy issues" as well, but that didn't make any sense either. 

Millie and her daughter were so close, unlike some of her friends who struggled to get along with their moms from time to time. They couldn't be more opposite.

She and her mom always had "girl time," shopping for clothes and makeup, sharing new ideas with each other for the best ways to torture their victims, Millie played with Callie every single day of her childhood as Moxxie did, even as a baby Calliope was attached to her mother's hip not letting Millie out of her sight for a single second. Callie would come home from school excited to update her mom on all the crazy popcorn-worthy drama happening with other kids in her classes. It seemed to be a perfect mother-daughter relationship. No way in hell did her connection with her mother cause this...

It wasn't just romantic affection from men that she was put off by, either, making the situation all the more confusing.

Calliope suspected years ago that she was attracted to girls, a theory that had only now officially been confirmed, but as beautiful and gorgeous as she found women, the genuine hesitance she felt around sex was too much. That's what she had always believed. You were in love with someone, and you had sex with them as an expression of that love, but no, she never saw it that way for herself.

It wasn't like she was being immature about it. She was more than aware that sex was a natural part of life. It's how people expressed their love for each other and had children, but the idea of HER being sexually involved and touched by someone in that manner just didn't feel right, and that made her feel like an outsider. 

After many years of denial and nights of researching on the internet after her parents went to sleep, she could no longer reject the truth...

Calliope was a lesbian, an ace lesbian, as she suspected. 

Her feelings of denial came more so from a place of personal shame rather than one of homophobia. She wasn't homophobic. She had so many people she loved in her life who were queer, and her parents always made sure to teach her and her brothers when they were young that discriminating against people for who they loved was absolutely unacceptable. 

Hell, she'd helped throw coming-out parties for her friends who had shared their identities, she supported them at pride parades as they'd gotten older, she'd talked to her gay and queer family members about the best ways to support her queer friends to be the best friend she could be, but this, being queer herself, she was just struggling to accept it. And she didn't have any clue as to why.

She finally confessed the truth to herself yesterday.

But now what?

She had no choice but to acknowledge this side of herself, but what was the next step? Telling everyone? Coming out? How was she supposed to do that when she just came to terms with this herself? 

"Hey there, munchkin!" a country voice boomed from behind her. "Takin' in some sun before ya gotta head back to the big city?" 

"Hey, Nanny...Yeah, I love Wrath weather. Especially when dusk is comin' on."

"I feel ya. I miss the sunsets a lot when I'm at home...Well, my home in Pride at least." Sallie May handed Callie a bottled dirty lemonade, a Wrath traditional summer drink that she'd loved since she was a little girl, while the older demoness set down a beer bottle on the wooden porch of Lin and Joe's farmhouse. 

With the two being out of school, Calliope and Russell were visiting their aging grandparents and other family members who lived in Wrath, as Moxxie and Millie had some time to themselves at home. It was one of the things that two young assassins looked forward to the most every year, and Sallie May and her wife tagged along this time.

"Where's your brother at?"

"Oh, I think he's taking a nap. He and Papaw are plannin' on goin' hunting tonight." 

"And you ain't goin'? You love huntin'." 

"Nah. Not this time. Mamaw 'n I are gonna go out to the city tomorrow morning so we can get some Mother's Day gifts for my Ma. So Imma try to go to bed at a decent time." 

"Seems like a responsible decision," Sallie paused, taking a sip of her beer. "Have you and yer friends made any plans fer the summer? Yer done bein' grounded soon, huh?" 

"Well, originally at the end of the month, but my parents said I could be done now since they think I've learned my lesson. And Uncle Blitz said he'd unbench me early too, so I wanna start working again to start making some cash 'cause me 'n two of my friends wanna go to Gluttony in July." 

"Sounds like you'll have a lot goin' on!" Sallie put her glass down again when she picked up on Callie's quieter attitude. This was not a child who she had ever known to be silent or secretive in any way, so her sudden change in demeanor from just 24 hours ago was concerning. Because Satan knew if anything had happened to her baby, her sister Millie would have Sallie May served up for Hellhog breakfast before the younger of the two siblings could make it back to Pride.

"Are you alright, pumpkin roll? You seem a little off today."

"...Actually, can I ask you somethin' personal, Nanny Sal?" The young imp only continued when Sallie nodded, giving her permission to ask her question. "Were you scared to come out?"

"...Well, it's an all-over-the-place answer, but long story short, yeah. I was terrified. Especially because of where we live. Wrath isn't all dangerous fer LGBTQ+ folks, but I never met any other trans demons 'round here. There ain't as many of us in Wrath as there are in Pride. I was a little scared 'bout telling yer Mamaw 'n Papaw too because they're accepting, but even accepting people can react negatively to these kinds of things sometimes."

"What 'bout my mom? Was she accepting?"

"PFFFT! Ya mean yer Mom as in Mildred? Oh yeah! She had questions at first, but she didn't bat an eye. Actually, she was the first person I officially "came out" to. She also helped me figure out how to tell everyone else."

"Really?"

"Mhm!...I think deep down, she always wanted a sister. And she 'n I had always been real close, so when I told her, she was happy fer me." Sallie almost choked on her beer, giggling at an old memory from around that time before turning back to her niece and sharing one of her favorite memories of her older sister. "Ok, don't go tellin' yer mama that I told ya this story, but she robbed a bank not long after I came out to help me pay fer the transition."

The image made Callie share a giggle with her aunt as well, fully believing that it was something her mother would do for someone she loved. "For real?"

"Uh-huh! She and yer Nanny Onyx both did. Top surgery and hormones are not cheap, kid! Especially in rural areas like this."

"So she's truly an ally, huh?"

"Yer Ma has always been! So many important people in her life are queer me, yer Nanny Onyx, yer Uncles Blitz 'n Stolas, yer Nannies Loona 'n Via, yer Pa, lots of her old friends. Yer Mama's always been very accepting of people..."

It was a truth that Calliope could remember for as long as she'd been alive. Her mom was extremely supportive of those she loved. She always remembered her family attending pride festivities during June, some of which her uncles would babysit her and her brothers so her mom could accompany her dad. She didn't fully understand the purpose when she was younger, but her comprehension of the subject matter had improved over time. As she began to better grasp the situation, she thought it was sweet to see her mom being so supportive of her dad. 

When she was little, she'd started to recognize the sexual dimorphism between imps, specifically by how their horns distinguished the different biological sexes, and she asked Millie why Sallie May had male imp horns if she was a girl. Not wanting to disrespect her sister, Millie told her daughter to ask her Nanny Sal about it the next time they saw her.

"You know how you were born a girl and yer brothers were born as boys? When I was born, I was born a boy, but as I grew up, I realized that I was meant to be a girl, so I decided to change my outside to match who I was on the inside. But of course, you can't do anything to change yer horns," is how she remembered Sallie May explaining it to her, and just like with any other serious topic, she understood better as the years went on and she met more and more people. 

And to know her mom and their other family were so accepting and supportive of her Nanny Sallie May, Calliope wanted that same acceptance when she decided she was ready.

"...Can you keep a secret, Nanny Sal?"

"...Oh Satan," Sallie sighed, putting down her bottle once again. "Whenever you kids ask me that, I swear my blood pressure rises. I've gotten y'all outta trouble so many times by keepin' secrets. Let me ask ya somethin' first. Is this "secret" somethin' that'll put ya in danger?"

"Oh, no. Not at all...But I just figured something out, and I need advice." 

Sallie was relieved to hear her niece was in no imminent danger, but she still paid close attention to hear what Calliope had to say, adjusting her seating position to look her straight in the face. 

And the young girl didn't know how else to say it, so she just...did.

"Auntie Sal, I'm gay." For the first time, she said it out loud, and it felt oddly satisfying, likely because she'd never said it verbally before. 

Sallie's face reflected a look of surprise, only because she wasn't expecting news this big. She assumed this "secret" would be something along the lines of "I'm having trouble with a friend at school" or "I accidentally messed up and need advice on how to tell my parents."

"Well...At least I think I am." Callie went on to say, thinking everything over in her mind again.

"You think?...As in, you think you may be bi or pan?"

"No. I know I'm not attracted to guys. Thing is, I'm only interested in being with girls. I know I don't wanna be with boys...But at the same time, I really don't wanna be involved in any type of sexual relationship. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily "sex repulsed," but I'm not interested in that kind of thing. But that doesn't make any sense if I'm a lesbian, which I know I am, too. It's just really confusing. Especially 'cause I don't understand why I'm gay. I have a great relationship with my parents, which I know having a bad relationship with your fam doesn't "cause" anyone to be gay, but...I just don't know..."

"...Well," Sallie started with, scooting closer to Cal, giving her a light hug with her left arm. "First of all, thank you so much fer trusting me to tell me this. And I want ya to know that I will still love and support you all the same. I'm proud of you. And yer correct. Don't fall fer that foolishness. You were born this way. There's no "cause" for it. I know it can be easy to listen to some chuckle fucks who say that shit, but they're wrong. This is who you are...Are you scared to tell yer parents? Is that why yer askin' me about yer mom?"

"I don't think 'scared' is the right term to use...I'm nervous, though, because I don't know what to say or how to say it. Like, do I just come out and say "Hey Mom 'n Dad, I'm gay!" That just seems weird."

"...I got an idea fer ya," Sallie May pulled away from their hug to look Callie in the eyes. "How about you write out what you want to say, look up some ideas online, and how about you talk to yer Pa first."

"My Pa?" 

Her logic behind this suggestion was fueled by her own confidence that her brother-in-law would surely be one of the best sources for her niece to go to. 

When her sister first started seeing Moxxie, he'd told his then-girlfriend about his sexual orientation, which she accepted as a part of him. Millie never had an issue with Moxxie's bisexuality, and she even encouraged him to participate in pride-related activities, considering he was never able to live as his true self with his family. It wasn't until years later within the marriage that Sallie May learned that until he'd met Millie, Moxxie believed he was strictly gay, and then the two imps crossed paths and he fell madly in love with her sister. That's when the realization that he was bi came to the thespian. 

Callie was young; she didn't have to fully understand herself now, but Sallie knew that Moxxie would be nothing but accepting towards his daughter and may even offer her some extra words of wisdom. If there was one trait about Moxxie that Sallie May always admired, it was how much he loved her sister and their three children. He was like the poster child for what the perfect husband and father should be. 

"Yeah! I think yer Pa could offer ya some good advice. I'm sure he'd be proud of ya fer havin' the courage to come out too. It seems easy on paper, but it takes guts, ya'know."

"If ya say so...Do you mind if I call you later to tell you how it goes?"

"You know I'm always available to you, kiddo! You can call me anytime!...Man, I ain't gon' lie. I'm kinda pumped that you told me this!" Sallie continued to congratulate her niece as she stared off into the now setting sky. "With it being May, this means we could take ya to Pride next month for yer birthday!"

"I think I might need to actually come out to everyone else first, Nanny Sal." Callie giggled. 

"Alright, alright! But that don't mean I can't start plannin' in my own head."

 

---

 

Russell and Callie returned home days ago, and as soon as she had some alone time, Callie did what her Nanny Sal recommended and did some research on different ways to come out and talk to her parents about everything. 

She was both excited and nervous, rightfully so. 

This was a big deal, and she knew deep down that her parents would be supportive of her, but she couldn't shake off the nerves.

She'd made a speech, looked over it to revise a million times, and even as she was standing outside of Moxxie's at home office ready to go in and talk to her dad, she kept repeating what she wanted to say in her head just like she'd been practicing in the mirror for the past couple of days.

Peeking inside the small at-home office her parents shared, decorated with a variety of weaponry on the walls and bookshelves that her father owned, Moxxie sat at his desk cleaning a new rifle someone had gifted to him at work. 

The young teen took one more deep breath before lightly knocking on the door frame, alerting the old sniper that someone was there, a habit everyone in their home had adapted to since Moxxie noticed his hearing in his right ear had declined a tad. 

"Hey, Daddy?"

"Hi, sweetie!" Moxxie turned in his chair with a smile, taking a break from his gun cleaning. 

"Umm...Are you busy? I want to talk to you about something."

"Not at all. I can stop for a moment. What's up?"

"Well...It's nothing bad, but I wanted to talk to you about something important that I've found out about myself recently." She paused, wrapping her tail around her leg for comfort, and even though his eyes stayed on her, Moxxie had noticed. "I've suspected for a while that I'm...not interested in havin' relationships with men, and not that long ago, I came to terms with it. But...Satan, I guess I'll just come out with it. Dad, I...I'm lesbian."

And there it was. She hadn't exactly followed the speech she'd made in her head, but it was out, and now she was preparing for shocked questions and perhaps even needing to give him time to process the news like she'd read about online.

"Oh, honey...Come here," he said, standing up, walking over to his daughter, and wrapping her in a firm hug. "You don't have to be scared to tell me. I'll love you no matter what...Thank you for trusting me."

"I just wasn't expectin' this to be so hard."

"It is," Moxxie pulled away, not without planting a kiss on Callie's forehead. "It's stressful when you're scared of being pushed away or not being accepted for who you are. But I'll promise you something. You'll never have to worry about that. Not with us. We'll always love you for who you are."

Moxxie and Millie already suspected that their daughter might have been gay. Well, they always knew there was a chance. From that day when she asked Moxxie to play dolls with her, she always wanted her doll families to have two mothers. As she got older, Millie started finding women's bra, underwear, and lingerie magazines that had gone missing in her daughter's room. Any time the movies they watched included a popular Lust actor who was hot news a few years ago, Callie always asked her father to keep replaying any scenes that had her in it, and while all of those incidences could have been a coincidence, both older assassains had a feeling, a parental hunch you could say. 

They could have come out and asked her, but they both knew that was not their place. They just wanted their daughter to come to them when she was ready. 

One thing was for sure. If any of their children were queer, Moxxie promised himself that he would never react the same way as Crimson did when finding out about him. His main goal as a father was to make sure he and Millie's babies always felt safe, loved, and secure, and he would never reject them for being their true selves...

"Look, your mom and I love you very, very much. No matter who you are or who you love, we'll always love you. This is your story. You get to write it, and we'll always be here to support you no matter what."

Callie tried her best not to show it, but she felt happy tears welling up in her eyes at her father's sentiment. He was always one of her biggest fans. The best dad in the world in her eyes.

"I love ya, Dad."

"I love you more, sweetheart."

"...Do you mind doin' me a favor though?" Callie asked. "I wanna tell Mom tonight...Can you pretend you didn't know so it can be like y'all are findin' out together?"

 

---

 

"Ok, y'all ready?" Callie stood in front of the lounge room coffee table, facing Moxxie and Millie, who sat on the sofa. 

"Go for it, hun! We're listening. Right, Mox?" Millie asked her husband as he made room for their cat to rest in his lap.

"Absolutely, sweetie! You have our attention." Moxxie agreed, giving Calliope the spotlight, already knowing what this small "family meeting" was about.

"I wanted to have y'all both here 'cause I need to tell y'all something important. But first, I want you both to know that I love you and feel really grateful that you two are my parents. So, Mom, Dad, I'm not exactly sure what to say besides I'm an ace lesbian...I understand if you both need time to process this, and I understand if it takes you a while to come to terms with it, but I- Oh!" Callie felt herself wrapped in a tight hug from her mother, who she hadn't noticed had sprung up from the couch, wrapping her arms and tail around her youngest little cub. 

"Oh, sweetie! Don't stress yerself," Millie cooed, running a hand through her daughter's short, black hair. "We love you. And we're so proud that yer our daughter. Thank you fer trusting us, I promise we'll always love and support you no matter what." 

Callie's eyes met Moxxie's, who was still on the couch, petting Christy and letting his wife and daughter have a moment to themselves. Father and child shared a smile, and Callie hoped that her Dad could catch the glint in her eyes, thanking him for everything he'd done.

"I love you, Mom," Callie responded to Millie, hugging her mother back with both arms and tail before Millie turned to look at Moxxie, still on the couch. 

"You kiddin' me, mister! Yer daughter just came out and you ain't got nothin' to say?!" The melee assassin was by no means angry, but she felt shocked. She assumed that Moxxie would be jumping at the chance to take her to buy Pride merch and make plans to take her to Pride, and yet he was still sitting down with not a peep out of him.

"I wanted to give you two a moment," the sniper laughed, picking up Christy and walking over to his daughter. "Like your mother said, honey. Thank you for trusting us. We're so proud of you for being yourself...And so is Christy," he gestured to their long-time pet, who only let out a single "meow" in response. 

And as they were of their daughter, Calliope couldn't have been prouder to have Moxxie and Millie Knolastname as her parents. 

 

---

 

That night, after Moxxie and Millie headed to sleep -- after much talking of Pride month arrangements and activities they could do to help their daughter enjoy her frist official Pride -- Calliope started making a list of other people to tell, one of the first people on the list being her older brother Russell who, speak of the devil, had just come home after being with some friends for the night. 

Their bedrooms were not far from each other, and when the younger of the two siblings heard her brother settle down in his awfully messy room, she quietly headed over to tell him quickly before going to sleep herself. 

"Hey," Callie opened his door, sticking her head in, smirking deviously to whisper, grabbing her brother's attention as he was scrolling on his phone, eating some late-night dinner. 

"Hey, nerd. What's up? You're not getting any of my Chinese food. I paid fer this," Russell went back to taking a bite of lo mein, looking back up at his sister as he chewed. 

"I'm gay," Callie whispered, still grinning like a Cheshire cat waiting for her brother's unfazed face to show any morsel of reaction. 

"Yeah, and I'm a fuckin' millionaire with two hot blondes at my side 24/7. No, on second thought, make that a blonde AND a brunette." 

Callie's obnoxious smile dropped as she clocked that her brother hadn't taken her seriously. She walked right into his dimly lit room, closing the door behind her, hoping to do this again. "No, really. I'm gay. Asexual and lesbian." 

Russell set down his box of takeout and the chopsticks that came with it, picking up on the nature of the conversation. "Oh, wait, you were bein' serious...So, ace and lesbian, huh?"

"Yep," was all Callie said, expecting a hug or a "aww good for you, sis" type of reaction. She should have known better when, instead, her brother smiled back, teasing her with a "Neat. We can check out hot babes together now." 

"What th-...You suck, Russ! Yer a fuckin' dick, ya know that? And yer room fuckin' stinks, dude! Go research soap and fuckin' water!" Calliope threw a pair of socks at her brother's head, before he caught them in his hand like a baseball, turning around to march out of his room before he called out ot her. Both of them knew he was just being an ass and toying with her as older brothers do, but he realized now may not be the time to start messing with jokes.

"Lucy." 

Calliope looked over her shoulder as she put her hand on the doorknob, seeing that her brother's smirk had melted into a genuine smile as he took his food back into his lap. "...Ya wanna go to Pride? I'll take ya."

"...Yeah."

"Well then, let's go. June 1st is in a couple weeks." 

"...Thank you, Russ." The younger imp smiled back, leaving her brother alone for the night and heading back to her own room to finish making her list.

 

---

 

When Monday rolled around, Calliope headed to work with her parents and brother, excited yet still slightly nervous about sharing the news with the rest of her family. But she ranked everyone on her list of who to tell in order, and she hoped that she'd done well as she knocked on the first door of the day...

"Hey, Nanny?" Callie called out to Loona, sitting at her desk, typing on her keyboard. The hellhound turned around at the familiar voice calling her by her Satanmother name, spinning in her chair to face Calliope, playing with her fingers to soothe her anxiety. 

Yes, she knew her Satanmother was queer as well, but there was something so nerve wracking about coming out, despite the fact she'd done it five times now. 

"Hey, kiddo! Welcome back!" Loona smiled. "What's up?"

"Well...Um. I need to tell you somethin' important...Somethin' I want you to know about."

"Oh?" Loona raised an eyebrow before acquiring a playful smirk. "So, tell me. Who's the girl?"

"W-what?...How did ya know?! Did my parents freakin' out me?! I swear if Russ said somethin'-"

"Oh, no, no." Loona waved a paw with a short chuckle. "When you walked in here saying you needed to tell me something, there were three possibilities: You had a boyfriend, you had a girlfriend, or you're pregnant. And I know for a fact that if you were pregnant, Moxxie would be absolutely losing his mind right now. So would your mom, but mostly Moxxie."

"Well, why not a boyfriend?"

"Because you're my Hellchild. And I know you...So, you do have a girlfriend?" 

"No, not exactly, but that's what I wanted to tell ya." Callie felt her anxiety boiling back down, now knowing that her Nanny Loo Loo, like her parents, already suspected her secret. "Loo Loo, I'm queer. I mean, you already know that, but specifically I know I'm attracted to girls, but I'm also ace, if that makes sense?" the imp started explaining. "I know I'm ace, but I'm romantically attracted to girls. I'm not sure if that exactly qualifies me to be lesbian, but I identify as both so..."

"Well, that's ok!" Loona piped up. "Two things can be true at once. Just because you're ace doesn't erase the fact that you're also lesbian. Look at me. I'm Bi, but I'm married to a woman. Does that mean that I'm not really Bi?"

"No, of course not."

"Then you can be lesbian while also acknowledging you're ace." Loona stood up, walking around her desk to embrace Callie in a big hug, which the younger of the two returned. "I love you, Cal. We all do. This doesn't change that. Just...promise me you won't let assholes take your identity away from you."

"I promise. Thank you, Loo Loo..."

"Have you told your uncles yet? I have a feeling Blitz is gonna freak. In a good way, of course."

"That's actually my next stop..."

 

---

 

"Alrighty, kid. You're making me nervous. It's your first day back after being benched, and you waltz into my office saying you need to tell us something. So what did ya do this time?" Blitz joked, propping his feet up on his desk with Stolas sitting beside him in a lone chair they had in their shared office. That talk with Loona really boosted Calliope's confidence to tell others about this news, and the next people she wanted to include were her uncles. 

She had a hunch of how they'd both react, but she was honestly curious to see if she was correct. 

"Wh- Nothin'. Why?" 

"Ehh...ya kinda have a track record, kid, but I'm just messing with you...But no, really, did you do something?"

"Darling, let's just let her tell us," Stolas set a hand on Blitz's shoulder, shifting the conversation back to their niece. "We're listing, Calliope. You can tell us anything."

"Well, I have something to tell y'all, but I wanted to tell y'all together." And one deep breath later, she came out with it. "Uncle Blitz, Uncle Stolas, I'm gay. I'm an ace lesbian. And I wanted to tell you two because I love you both and trust y'all. You're both really important to me, and I wanted you two to be some of the first people I came out to because of that."

Both of her uncles lit up in smiles and congratulations before Blitz waved his hands in the air, pausing their celebration. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on there, Mini Moxxie...Have you gone shopping yet?"

"Fer what?"

"For Pride merch, kid! You can't come out and not have any fuckin' Pride merch!"

"I haven't...But-"

"Hold your tongue, Moxxie Junior! Stolas, change the schedule so Callie and I have tomorrow off! No- wait, scratch that! Take Moxxie, Millie, Myself, AND Callie off the schedule 'cause we're all going! I'll even pay for all of it!" Blitz continued blabbering off, before heading to his niece to hug her tightly like everyone else had done. "I love you so much, kiddo. And don't you forget that! If any homophobic shits have a problem with you, then you call me on speed dial and we'll go kill the fucking guy, or girl, or they, whoever they are!" Blitz continued as he walked out of his large office, yelling for her father at the top of his lungs.

"Moxxie! Clear all your plans for tomorrow! We're taking your third little fertilized egg Pride shopping!" 

Both Stolas and Callie shared a short laugh before Callie initiated a hug between her and her other uncle. 

"Thank you, Uncle Stolas. I love you."

"And I love you, Callie. I'm happy you get to be your true self. I think Via will be delighted when you tell her."

"Funny you mention it. I was planning on calling her during my break..."

 

---

 

' Hey, this is Via's personal cell. I'll call you back when I get the chance. Leave a message.'

Calliope expected this, completely aware that her Nanny Via was swamped in work a lot of the time, you know, being a Goetic Queen and all that jazz. However, she still wanted her to be one of the first people to know, so she decided that if she didn't pick up, she'd leave a voicemail for her. 

"Hey, Nanny. Sorry, I know you're busy and got a lot goin' on, but I wanted to call you to let you know that I came out today. I'm asexual and a lesbian, and I just wanted you to be one of the first people I told since you're very important to me. That's all. I love you. Bye-bye." 

The young imp hung up the phone, leaving a message for her aunt once she got the chance to listen to it. Now, it was time to make one more call before heading back inside I.M.P. Calliope searched through her contacts before pressing the one she was looking for.

'Hey, babes! How are ya?'

"Hey, Nanny Sal! Ya busy?"

'Nah! It's my day off! I'm just chillin' at home! What's goin' on?'

"Well, I'm on break right now, but I wanted to tell you somethin'. Is Nanny home there with ya?"

'...Is this what we talked about back in Wrath?'

"Yeah, it is." Callie smiled, and she couldn't see Sallie May's face, but she just knew that her auntie was smiling wide too.

'She sure is, hun! Let me grab her real quick. Babe! Come here! Callie wants to talk to us fer a sec!' She heard Sallie May yelling for her wife to join her on the other side of the line...

 

---

 

Callie's list was now down by 13 more people, that number including her grandparents and some of her parents' friends who she'd viewed as aunts and uncles since she was a little girl. She still wanted to call her mother's brothers and their wives to tell them, but there was one more person she wanted to call first. Someone who was very important to her, yet she'd been putting it off for a few hours now. 

She searched through her contacts again, before raising her VoxPhone to her ear, waiting for the receiver to pick up, heart beating against her chest hard like a bullet to a concrete wall.

'Hey, Maevey!'

"Hey, Tuck...What are ya doin'?"

Tucker and Calliope had always gotten along well. He was her big brother, her oldest brother, and even as a little girl, she always looked up to him. With their 5-year age gap and Tucker's early investment in his career, Callie always felt that, despite their closeness, there was still a disconnect between them, especially after Tucker moved out when she was young to complete his clinicals. Maybe that was what played into her anxiousness of having to talk to him about this...

'I'm just relaxin' in my apartment. I've gotta work a clinical tonight, so I'm restin'.'

"Oh...Well, I won't keep ya fer long. But I wanted to talk to you. I want to tell ya somethin."

'Sure! Take yer time! I don't gotta start gettin' ready til 9.'

"Ok, then I'll just come out with it...So, I'm gay. I'm an ace lesbian. And I wanted you to know."

'Aww, Cal. Really?'

"Mhm...Don't worry. I told Mom 'n Dad 'n Russ. So you don't have to pretend like ya don't know."

'Well, this certainly is news! Thank you for telling me...Ya still there, Cal?'

"Y-yeah. " Callie wasn't expecting herself to get emotional during this phone call, but something just broke, and she found herself wiping small tears on her cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket. "...Tucker, will you come home early for June 1st? I would really like fer ya to come to Pride with me, and...I'd like to spend some time with you."

'...Of course I will. I'll be there, Cal. I'll switch some things around. Don't stress about it.'

"Ok. Thank you...I love ya, bro." 

'And I love you, sis'

The minute she got off the phone, Callie immediately felt better about everything. She plopped down on her bed from the exhaustion of the mental load she'd been carrying for all this time. She wasn't expecting coming out to be this taxing, but she did it. To most people, anyway.

She still had to tell some more people and text her friends, but she was tired enough to justify doing that later. Everyone that she wanted to tell right away was told, and that was what was most important to her at the moment. 

She opened her phone one more time to start looking through all the in-town shops that had Pride merch that her Uncle Blitz wanted to take her to tomorrow, so she could start looking through what she wanted to buy and take notes to make the process a little easier. 

It would be the first time she'd be shopping for Pride merch, but it was far from the last. 

And she had her amazing family to thank for that.

Notes:

Hi guys! Happy Pride Month to all my queer readers out there!

I hope I did well here. I myself an not queer, but I talked to some of my queer friends about this fic to get their persepctives on it because I wanted to be as respectful as possible when writing.

So, I hope that you guys enjoyed, and as I said in my last post, there will be another Pride-related fic coming at y'all towards the end of the month. This time featuring Moxxie and Millie!

Have a great June!🤗

Chapter 57: And Then There Were Three...

Summary:

Moxxie & Millie welcome someone new...

Notes:

HELLOOOOO PEOPLE OF AO3!

I am back!

...Well...mostly...😅

I finished my summer courses early yesterday, but I am POOPED.

This means two things:

1. Family Reunion will be back on schedule soon!

2. I still need a little break to recover after my month of nonstop homework and projects.

So, I decided to give y'all a little treat today, a fic that I have been waiting to post for about a year, and that has been written for a very, VERY long time.

So, enjoy one of the first fics that started it all! 🤗 Hope y'all like!

Moxxie had experienced many sleepless nights in his life, some voluntary and some involuntary…

Some were memorable and dear to him, like the times during his early days with I.M.P. when he, Blitz, Millie, and Loona would celebrate successful hits by spending hours at the bar drinking too much and making fools of themselves until sunrise, or until management would kick them out for their drunken shenanigans.

And other memories of staying up countless hours were…less than pleasant, such as the nights that Crim would always find a way to wake Moxxie up just as he would fade off as a means of punishment or psychological torture for disobeying him, making a mistake in the house, or on a mission.

Sometimes, the son of the mafia don was convinced his father would play that cruel, painful little game just to penalize him for existing, but none of that mattered anymore…

He didn’t give a single one of those traumatizing memories and flashes of his father, Crimson, that still invaded his mind, a second thought because now, this evening, he was tired, exhausted, fatigued, will you, but it was all worth it to keep himself awake in this moment…

For the past two hours, the sniper sat in a wooden chair, scarred hands from his many years as an assassin folded in a “praying” position held over his lips as he stared into the old wooden heirloom bassinet cradling the fresh little impling swaddled in a baby blanket with a snug beanie protecting his tiny head full of silky, white hair. Two dull nubs that would soon blossom into horns decorated the sides of his head, similar to those of his aunt, in the field of that silver, fluffy hair.

And his face…Oh, Satan…

He was the most precious, beautiful impling Moxxie had ever seen, and he didn’t even care if he was biased.

He, in all his baby, newborn glory, was a perfect mix between the both of them. The perfect, ultimate result of their love for each other.

The dark circles under Moxxie’s eyes were nothing compared to the tears that continued to well up and drip onto his cheeks. Cheeks that he shared with his son, littered with constellations of freckles. The only difference being, the babe has no scars, no burn marks, no imperfections. Only red, soft, new, freckled skin…

Tucker Boone

The most amazing, incredible, blessed thing that ever happened to the couple that was Moxxie and Millie Knolastname.

Ten years together, eight years of marriage, ten years of assassin work at I.M.P., five years of idiopathic infertility, all for this tiny new life to come into their lives and crown them as mother and father.

With as many times that Moxxie would catch his wife crying over those thin plastic sticks that plunged the dagger of heartbreak deeper into their hearts with every (-) Negative, to all the nights she’d cry over feelings of inadequacy and failure that her body was refusing to cooperate and do the most biological privilege that came with having a womb, he’d never seen her sob as strongly as she did hours ago when their son came into the world and was placed into her arms at last.

The gunman wasn’t spared either. The moment this small, baby demon was laid on the towles sprawled under Millie’s legs on the bed, he cried, and the second his little lungs were filled with air and he mewed out his first cry, his father’s sobs matched those of his mother.

It has been hours now.

The cabin was quiet and tranquil, the doctor and nurses were packing their supplies, Lin and Sallie May had headed on home to rest and share the joyous news of the birth of their new grandson and nephew, Millie and their little Tucker were in a deep sleep after an 18 hour labor followed by a successful birth, and Moxxie was sat there, still crying and sniffling at the sight of their baby.

Yes, he was exhausted and his eyes were itchy and puffy from the non-stop tears, but he couldn’t look away. Their baby was too beautiful, and strangely angelic for a demonic soul, and he didn’t want to take his eyes off of him for even a millisecond.

August 6th would always be imprinted on his devilish, demonic heart…

“He really is a gorgeous baby.”

Moxxie was so glued to the little one slumbering in the wooden cot that he hadn’t even heard Willa approach him from behind, and she was aware he likely hadn’t heard her either.

That was ok. Many new parents, those who were excited to welcome a baby, that is, were dead to the rest of the world when they met their tots anyway. And she was well educated on how desperately Moxxie and Millie wanted their baby.

Willa was brought into I.M.P. years ago when Blitz realized it might be for the best that the company bring a medical professional on board. The days of Moxxie, Millie, and himself stitching themselves up were getting to be too much, especially with all the new employees he’d been hiring.

She was also an excellent choice, being the physician who was attending to Millie when she was critically injured all those years ago. The pair couldn’t be more grateful to her, aiding and assisting them when Millie broke her back, getting them access to better healthcare there after, doing everything in her power to advise them while trying to conceive, and most of all, being the doctor who treated Millie when she spontaneously found herself pregnant.

Satan only knows what kind of care and treatment they would have had for their pregnancy if they didn’t have Willa.

“It's just,” Moxxie sniffled, wiping more giant tears falling from his eyes. “I-...I love th-them both so much!”

He finally understood what it meant to be at a loss for words when it came to love.

After all this time, he still struggled to find the words that perfectly encapsulated and described just how much he loved and adored his wife, but this life they created together felt nearly impossible.

He loved Tucker so much. How could he even describe that love in any pre-existing words?

“It’s cause you're a good man, Mox,” Willa put her hand on his shoulder to properly grab his attention. “We’re gonna head out for now and let you all get some rest. We’ll come back in about five to check up on y’all, but if anything happens, you have my number.”

Once Willa and her two nurses left the cabin, Moxxie went back to his one-sided staring contest with his son, taking in every feature of his, pinpointing which ones he got from him and which ones he inherited from Millie.

There was no doubt about it, he had his father’s nose, but he had his mother’s eyes. No denying that. And Moxxie loved it. That he could look into those eyes and see his beloved Millie in their son.
Satan. He’d never get tired of saying that.

Their son. An impling that was half of both of them…

Moxxie’s trance was broken when he noticed the little tot beginning to twitch and stir in his swaddle, slowly yawning and opening his wide, golden eyes, having a look around the cabin, taking in his surroundings.

In demons, implings’ eyesight wasn’t fully developed when they were newborns. Their vision became clearer during their first year of life, with most implings having fully developed eyesight by 5-6 months, contributing to why they relied so much on scent to ensure their caregivers were around, especially their mothers.

Hence, why the bassinet was as close to Millie’s side of the bed as they could get it.

More than likely, he was seeing nothing but blurry shapes in hues of black, white, and gray as he started viewing the “world” around him.

Despite being close to his mommy, his small face scrunched up, letting out high-pitched cries and mews like those of a kitten, trying to find his mother.

It was as if instinct controlled him, as Moxxie carefully rushed to pick him up from the baby bed and comfort him. He wasn’t Millie, but he could try to be of service to their child to let her get some more sleep. The birth was long and tiring, after all.

Moxxie lightly bounced baby Tucker in his arms, shushing and purring lowly to try to be as quiet as possible, which surprisingly calmed the impling down rather quickly. He continued his purring while Tucker once again opened his eyes, focusing and looking up directly at him. Even though he couldn’t see the older imp’s face, Moxxie had a feeling that he knew who was holding him.

All throughout Millie’s pregnancy, Moxxie made it a priority to talk to and sing to her slowly growing abdomen. In his personal research, he’d learned the importance of talking to and making contact with the belly when a woman was expecting, for both mother and father.

It was his nightly routine, lying in bed opposite of Millie with his face next to her stomach, talking to the baby about random facts and topics, sometimes telling him about their day, other times he’d grab his guitar and sing songs to him, and most nights, he’d lay there after their “conversation” and purr until he’d fall asleep.

Tucker knew him. Perhaps not who he was, but he remembered this scent, this presence, this voice. This soft, soothing voice, which he’d learned, came from a safe person even when he was still in the womb.

“Hi, baby…Hi, Tucker,” Moxxie whispered, running a finger over one of his soft, spotted cheeks, watching with his own smile as a small one spread across Tucker’s face with his tiny forked tongue peeping out as he yawned again.

“I’m Moxxie…I’m your,” he paused, using the palm of his other hand to wipe new tears running down his face away. “I’m your dad…And that pretty lady sleeping over there, that’s your mom, Millie. We both love you very much.”

Moxxie’s sentiments were met with delicate, sweet-sounding meows and coos from the baby in his arms, as if responding to him, making the older sniper tear up even harder.

This was one of the best days of his life, shared with the day he met Millie, the day they got married, and the day that Blitz saved him from prison, which he had to have on that list because if he hadn’t met Blitz and escaped with him that day, he wouldn’t have all of this…

“...My father wasn’t a good dad to me, Tucker…He was horrible, and…he never should have been a dad. I promise I won’t be like that,” Moxxie sniffled. “I promise I’ll love you and take care of you like a good dad should. And I’ll always love and take good care of your mommy so you never have to grow up in the same environment that I did…”

The tragic and sudden death of his mother was a sore spot for Moxxie during Millie’s pregnancy. He was happy and grateful that their child would have the wonderful, loving grandparents that Lin and Joe were, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t sad that his mother wasn’t around for this…

He hardly remembered her, but he knew his mother would be so happy and excited for him and Millie. He did, however, remember her kindness, patience, and love that she had for him as a mother, and he knew she would be just as great of a grandmother to Tucker if she were still with them.

Damn Crimson for taking her away from Tucker, even if that’s not who he intended to separate her from…

But Moxxie had a goal: He wanted to be the best father for Tucker, and give him the loving, happy family and home that every child deserved to have.

And he would do everything for he and Millie’s baby to make sure that he’d feel loved and safe…

 

---

Just as the sky in Wrath started to die out again, signaling the end of another day, Millie let out another feral, loud yell, her vocal cords feeling as if she had cactus spines inside of her throat.

It had been 18 hours…

18 FUCKING HOURS

And she was STILL in labor in gruling, crippling pain, tired, hungry, and in the beginning stages of distress.

The only light at the end of the tunnel keeping her going was hearing Willa telling the nurses to start preparing for the baby since his head was crowning. Considering the stinging, stretching, burning pains all throughout her lower regions, no fucking shit he was crowning.

“Ok, people, we’re expecting a baby in about 2-3 minutes, so get ready. Millie, when the next contraction comes, I need you to push,” Willa began instructing everyone in the cabin.

The two nurses were adding more towels under their patient to avoid staining the bed sheets. Moxxie and Lin had assumed their positions after helping Millie out of the labor bath and onto the bed for her to push. Moxxie was on his knees on the bed, supporting Millie, crouching on hers. Lin and Sallie May were each on a side of the bed offering support, as Millie wanted both to be there for the birth.

“Mother FUCK, MOXXIE!” Millie screamed as she could sense another contraction coming on, having a death grip on his shoulders as her tail squeezed his waist like a boa constrictor to its prey. “I’M NEVER FUCKING YOU AGAIN! AHH!” The demoness roared out again as she did what Willa told her, pushing as the next wave of pain fell upon her.

“Yes! Yes! There we go! Good job! Just a few more pushes should do it,” Willa encouraged her patient.

“You got this, baby! He’s almost out!”

“Yeah, come on, Mills! You got this!”

Lin and Sallie joined in, with Lin rubbing her daughter’s back along with Moxxie, who was whispering more words of motivation into her ear as she trembled from all the changes happening to her body at once.

“You can do it, Mills! You got this-”

Unfortunately, his inspiring words were briskly cut short by a harsh, hard, bitch slap to the cheek, sending a sharp volt of pain through his entire body. The strike was so strong and pronounced that even Lin, Sallie, and the two nurses couldn’t help but flinch at the sound and shock of Millie, THE Millie, even laying a hand on her Moxxie.

Although Lin regretfully remembered that she had committed similar acts of violence against Joe all the times she was in labor due to the frustrations of seemingly never-ending pain and suffering.

“FUCK YOU FER DOIN’ THIS TO ME MOXXIE! AHHH!” The melee assassin screamed out at yet another contraction, where she pushed, tears streaming down her face from the pain. Moxxie wanted to let out a yell and cry from the aftermath of that slap, too, but he composed himself the best he could to continue supporting his wife, whose claws were now digging and sinking deeper into his back, shredding up the old t-shirt he was wearing.

“How many more fuckin’ pushes Satan dammit!” Millie let out in between breaths as she continued crying into Moxxie’s shoulder while he still ran a hand over her back.

“His head’s almost out, Millie. If you give me at least three more, I’ll be able to guide him out.” Willa coached, signaling for one of the nurses to grab a pen and paper to write down the date and time. Because truth be told, this baby was coming out any minute.

A little head full of thick white hair had made its appearance, by the looks of it, attached would be a small baby. Lucky for Millie.

“You can do it, Millie! You’ve got this!” Moxxie purred to her again, letting the excitement get to him a bit too much.

“Mox…I’m so fuckin’ tired Mox”

“I know, sweetie, but you’re almost there!” Moxxie looked around their vacation home frantically, attempting to find anything that would distract her from the pain or give her some last-minute hope for their son to make his grand entrance.

And then he saw it. On one of the dresser drawer pulls, a tiny black outfit hung from a small coat hanger. Black infant pajamas decorated with tiny white pentagrams, with a matching hat to go along with it.

Millie spent hours the other day looking through the sea of baby clothes that the couple acquired over the last nine months, waiting to find the first thing she wanted their baby to wear, only to settle on the comfortable, soft PJs.

“Look,” Moxxie ran his fingers through her long hair, bringing her attention to him and towards the dresser. “You’ve got his little outfit ready and everything. And tonight we can cuddle and snuggle with him, and finally get a good look at his face like we’ve been waiting for.”

He kissed her on the forehead as another contraction made its way through her body, and she shifted all the strength and energy she had left into pushing down hard, not even listening or paying attention to anyone else aside from her husband.

“We’re finally having a baby, Millie! And he’s almost here!”

And what do you know? Moxxie was correct.

Another strong, heavy push from Millie sent the female demon collapsing into her partner’s arms, relief, and a rush of cold coursing through her like adrenaline would any other day.

“Ok, someone write that down! August 6th! 6:06 P.M.!” they heard Willa beam along with Sallie May and Lin praising Millie as Moxxie helped guide her down into a lying position on the bed, off their knees.

The couple was so distracted that they hadn’t even noticed what was happening all around them until a shrieking, small cry bounced off the cabin walls, just like that of a kitten or newborn lamb kid.

Small but mighty and powerful enough to make Millie and Moxxie both burst into tears simultaneously as they looked down to see their son. Theirs. Crying and making a fuss over Willa and the two nurses cleaning him off and making sure he was ok after the elongated birth.

And when Willa finally shared those words and swiftly handed the newborn off to his mother, Millie really began to sob, harder than she ever did in her entire existence.

This tiny, wrinkly, furry little creature changed her life forever, for the better, in the span of a minute…
And he was so perfect.

“Congratulations, Knolastnames! It’s a boy!”

 

---

However long after, Millie was still tired and feeling groggy. As she started to wake up from her nap, she could have gone right back to sleep, but the sore feeling down below towards her legs stopped her when she attempted to stretch in bed.

Then the memories came flooding back to her all at once…

Tucker…

Gently, Millie rolled herself on her side to peek over into the bassinet, panicking when she saw it was empty.

No baby.

Had she dreamed all of this? Certainly not. She was in their vacation home, in she and Moxxie’s bed, she was sore as all fucking hell, and then she heard small purring and cooing sounds from across the cabin followed by soft, hushed shushes.

Shifting her gaze to the corner of the home where their small dining table was set up, she could make out a silhouette in the mostly dark room fiddling with something on the wooden furniture.

Millie’s alarm ceased once she caught on, settling herself back down on the mattress and watching with a loving smile as Moxxie tended to the baby on the changing mat set on the table.

Once he finished and made his way back to the bed, he returned Millie’s smile when he noticed she was awake.

“Hi…Hi,” he quietly greeted her as he sat back down in the wooden chair next to the bed, still with Tucker cradled in his arms. “Good…morning, I suppose.”

“Technically, yeah.” Millie chuckled lightly, noticing the time on their bedside digital clock. Just a little after 1:00 in the morning. “How long was I asleep?”

“About four hours. You both fell right asleep after his first feeding.”

“I don’t blame him…Diaper change?” Millie questioned, referencing the table.

“Yep. First poopy diaper.”

Millie sat herself up slightly with her arms, with Moxxie doing his best to assist her to get up and comfortable, positioning a large pillow behind her back.

“Mind grabbin’ me the nursing pillow. He’ll probably start to get hungry soon. It’s been around 4 hours.”

Moxxie fetched her the large, donut-shaped pillow to set her up before handing the newborn over to his mother, who offered him a breast with her hand to help him latch. They made good timing, as his small head started searching for food right before he found the source and attached himself to it.

With Moxxie’s help, Millie stripped off her pajama shirt to get the fabric out of his face, making it easier for both mother and baby to be able to nurse without any distractions.

“Does he seem to be latching well, honey?”

“Yeah, I think so. I’m glad. I’ve heard so many horror stories about babies who don’t wanna.” Millie stroked her baby son’s cheek, taking in all the sweet noises he was making as he ate. The female assassin looked over at her husband, staring down, smiling, and admiring their newborn before she grabbed one of his scarred hands into one of hers.

“Come. Get comfortable with me.” She requested, and he, of course, didn’t deny her.

Moxxie sat on his side of the bed, getting under the covers and snuggling up next to his love, his woman, his angel of death, the mother of his child.

Together, they gazed down, not desiring to take their eyes off of him. How could they? He was so wonderful in every way, they didn’t wanna ignore him for a single second.

“He’s so amazing,” Moxxie commented.

“Yeah…I can’t believe he’s here…And he’s so perfect.” Millie replied. “It almost makes it hard to believe that I grew him.”

“That’s why. He gets it from you.”

“I disagree. He’s your son.”

“No,” Moxxie slightly shook his head, looking into her eyes. “He’s our son.” He proclaimed, following up with a kiss that his dear wife returned.

“And you’re just as amazing! I’m so proud of you! You did it!” Moxxie’s compliments were not met as he expected, as Millie’s face dropped into a look of concern as she saw the large red, purple spot on her husband’s cheek, barely running her fingertips over it as she recognized the handprint.

“...Oh, baby…I’m so sorry. I promise I didn’t wanna hurt ya.”

“I know, my sweet. It’s ok,” he took her hand, cupping his face, planting a quick kiss on the palm. “You can never convince me you did it on purpose. I know you were tired and uncomfortable. You could have used me as a punching bag for the entire day, and I would have been fine.”

More small chatter and talk about what would happen over the next few days carried on, until little Tucker unlatched himself from his mother, letting her know he was full and satisfied, before Moxxie took him into his arms again to burp him and rock him back to sleep.

Millie cherished watching her two favorite demons together, especially observing and listening to her sweet, wonderful husband talk to their baby about all the plans he had for them…

‘I can’t wait to take you to the zoo, Tucker!...And we can go to the aquarium, the beach, Loo Loo Land 2.0, Lu Lu World! I’ll even try to get over my fear of the mascots! We can do anything you want!’

They wanted to give him all the opportunities that Hell had to offer, and they loved him enough to make all his dreams come true…

“Let’s try to get some rest,” Moxxie suggested as Millie laid Tucker back down into the bedside cot. “Willa said she’d make it back here in a few hours to check on us again. Plus, I’m sure that we’ll have to start announcing that he’s here to everyone.”

“That can wait until later,” Millie accepted, Moxxie spooning her from the back so she wouldn’t have to move from her comfy spot in the bed. “We have the rest of our lives to be with him, but I wanna take in the moments while he’s still itty bitty.”

“Absolutely,” Moxxie initiated another quick kiss, as they said their last “I love yous” and “goodnights” now as a family of three before dozing off to sleep…

Satan knows, they desperately needed it…

Notes:

And don't worry! The second Pride Month fic is ready and on its way!

She's still coming this month. I just wanted to release this first because I've been meaning to post it for sooooo long!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!🫶

Chapter 58: Proud

Summary:

An older fic of mine where Moxxie comes out to Millie...

Notes:

Welp, I was gonna wait till tomorrow to post this, but I figured it's ready to go today. So why wait🤷‍♀️ Enjoy!

Warnings:
- Topics of homophobia
- Topics of internalized homophobia

“So, are you ok with that?...With me?” 

Moxxie was sure that if his heart beat any faster, it’d be classified as a heart attack. 

He already felt lightheaded, like he was about to pass out, and…Satan, he was stupid for doing something like this! What was he thinking?!

Of course, she wasn’t ok with it! What woman would be?! 

He could practically hear his father’s scratchy, smoke-laced voice in the back of his head yelling, screaming at him about how stupid he was, how much of a failure he was to imp kind. How he was a disgusting frocio that had disappointed and disgraced his entire bloodline and family. 

He should’ve just kept his trap shut and not said anything at all. And now he put everything that made him happy at risk…

It felt like he was reliving the confusion, shame, and fear all over again, but worse. 

In Greed, he could have lost his life, and that would’ve been the end of it. The end of Moxxie Marco Alfonso Astuto-Vinci. But now, he had SO much more to lose…

He put himself at risk of losing Millie, the best thing that'd ever happened to him, the most wonderful person he’d ever known, and who he knew, after only a few months, was THE love of his life. 

And now he was about to lose it all because he couldn’t just hide it. 

He would have. If he had to choose between keeping her and keeping this a secret for the rest of his life, he would keep it a secret. 

The idea of losing Mildred was so painful, he didn’t want to imagine what it was going to be like to actually lose her…

He was so madly in love with this imp, cowgirl that he was sure, without her, his life would be meaningless because it wasn’t until he’d met her that he finally gained a purpose in life…

She taught him what it felt like to live for something, not just because two people got together and made a baby 25 years ago. 

But there was nothing he could do about it now, as he sat there on her bed with his eyelids glued together painfully tight to hold in the tears he could feel welling up. 

In an instant, his skin grew goosebumps at the touch of her arms gently wrapping around him, and her natural scent pervaded his nostrils like sugary perfume. 

“Oh, babe~” She whispered in her sweet, charming country accent. “Of course.” 

Just like that, the sun came out from behind the clouds, and he felt like every negative thought that crossed his mind in the last few seconds disintegrated away just from the sound of her voice in his ear. 

“That doesn’t change the way I feel about you…I love you. I’ll always love you no matter what.”

“...You are not…perturbed by me? Disgusted by who I really am?”

“No. I never could be,” Millie pulled away from his body, cupping one cheek to press her soft, plump lips against his, beckoning the lightheadedness to return to Moxxie like a tidal wave.

This woman did things to him. Dangerous things…

Moxxie accepted and kissed her back, precisely with the same love and passion as she did him. 

Lucifer, what a fool he had been not long ago! How could he believe that she would be anything BUT accepting towards him? She had told him before that her best friend was asexual, their boss and companion, Blitz, wasVERY open about being a pansexual man, and she never batted an eye. He'd met her sister, who he recognized as being trans by the pattern on her horns, and Moxxie didn't care.

The close bond between his girlfriend and her sister should have told him everything he needed to know: Millie was a gorgeous, kind, accepting demon who accepted and loved everyone for who they were. 

With his ex-boyfriend, Chaz, he was convinced that he’d never love anyone else with such intensity. 

But, oh, Millie…

His love for her hit him with the ferocity of a herd of buffalo. He couldn’t even fathom loving someone else more than her. He never wanted to touch, smell, caress, kiss, or share his love with anyone else but her. 

Simply looking at her or into her eyes for a mere second turned him to stone, like Medusa to a man. 

She was breathtaking in every way. Not just looks. 

She was the first and only woman he ever wanted to love…

“Thank you for trustin’ me. I know this must have been nerve wrackin’ for ya.”

“You still love me after this? I lied to you about who I was…Millie…I’m…a terrible excuse for a boyfriend! I’m a-”

“Nope, mister,” she put a finger to his lips. “Don’t you go sayin’ none of that. You’re a wonderful boyfriend. And, yes, I love you so much.” Millie planted a kiss on his cheek before stroking the white, silver hair that framed his face. He could practically see the excitement in her eyes when she said “I love you,” and that made him feel invincible, like everyone else’s opinions of him didn’t matter anymore. 

“You’ve given me the best months of my life, Moxxie. I’ve never been with someone who cares about me like you do. You’ve treated me better in these past three months than any man has in the past eight years. And I am so grateful that I have you…Your identity is a part of who you are, and so, I love it because it’s a part of you.”

“...Millie?”

“Yes?” 

“You’ve treated me better in the past three months than anyone has in my entire life…You are, truly, the most wonderful demon I’ve ever met.” Moxxie took her hands into his, making sure to keep soft eye contact. “And I love you more than anything. Because you’re my one and only, and the love of my life. You’re the sunshine for my sky, and the blood for my heart. You’re absolutely magnificent.”

“And with such a way with words like that ya still don’t think yer a good boyfriend.” Millie teased, hanging onto every word he said with anticipation.

“I think I could be better,” Moxxie admitted. “But…If you say that I am, then I believe I’ve succeeded in my number one goal of making you happy.”

“Oh, Moxxie~ You make me so happy.” Millie cooed, looking into his eyes with her large doe ones like a lovesick puppy. “But it would make me happier if you promised me something.”

“Anything, my love.”

“Promise that you’ll always be yourself with me…Don’t hide. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t feel embarrassed by who you are. Be Moxxie when you’re with me. Even when I’m not around, choose to be the real Moxxie.”

Moxxie smiled at her, bringing one of her small claws to his lips, kissing her like a delicate flower before cupping her hand into both of his. 

“I promise you, mi amor.~” 

Together, they sealed that promise with another kiss, one of the many they would share that night and in their future lives together.

 

---

 

3 Years Later

"OOOOoooooo! Millie, I like this wallpaper! You have great taste..." 

"It's our wallpaper, Moxxie baby. We just got home." Millie giggled softly, carrying her husband's bridal style into their apartment. "And YOU picked it out."

"WOW! When...did we move here?" He asked, disoriented.

"A couple months before we got married, babe." She responded sweetly, making her way to the bedroom. 

"What? We got married? That's amazing!...Why can't I remember that?"

"Yer a little tipsy, hun." 

She could tell he was out of it. Moxxie was never one to go out to get drunk when he had alcohol, but today was one of those exceptions. They attended the Pride Month celebration in Imp City that day, and his drinking may have gotten a little too out of control. He was managing his intake perfectly fine until he and Blitz had one too many and started to egg each other on in their buzzed states.

By the time everything was finished, Millie knew he was too drunk. Usually, their positions were switched. Moxxie was the one who typically had to help her get back home after a night of partying; however, this rare occasion was never one Millie complained about.

Moxxie wasn't a bad drunk. When he was intoxicated, his typical routine was to forget a lot of things and giggle most of the time. And continuously compliment his wife, that is. 

Millie gently placed him down on his side of the bed, making sure he would be safe there for a moment. He stared up at the ceiling with a far-off look in his eyes, which was slightly unsettling for his wife to see.

"Mox, honey? You ok?" She hoped he wasn't about to be sick. They had JUST changed the sheets that morning.

"Millie.....I think I'm...high..." 

She stifled a laugh, not expecting him to say that.

"You're a little drunk, sweetie. Ya had a bit too much to drink. I'm gonna go take a quick shower, ok? I'll be right out." 

She carried through with her business in the shower, washing away the makeup and sweat she had accumulated throughout the day. The immediate relief she felt from being clean and in comfortable clothes after being in her slimming dress all day was glorious. After brushing her teeth, she went back to the bedroom to see Moxxie snoring in the same position she left him in a few minutes ago.

He was such a cutie, even when he was drunk like this. Millie made her way back to him to remove some of his clothes so he'd be more comfortable. Slowly, she removed his belt, vest, and tie to be careful that she wouldn't wake him. She also took off his pants and footwear along with his fingerless gloves, undoing the cuffs on his shirt and neckline. Can't have him choking to death. 

Once finished, the demoness climbed into her side of the bed, feeling instant relaxation after standing on her feet for hours. She turned to her side to look at her partner sleeping peacefully after a day of fun and too much drinking. The wash-away bi-pride flag tattoo on his face was somewhat faded after being on his face all day. Seeing that small symbol on his cheek was a pleasant reminder to her of how far he had come in his life.

Growing up in an abusive household with a horrendous father, never truly accepted himself for who he was until he met her. Her mind wandered back to that first conversation they had about his sexuality and his willingness to discuss it with her, even though she could tell he was scared. The amount of trust and courage he had with her to talk through that, even when he didn't know much himself. That was something she always admired about Moxxie. Even if he was scared to take a chance, 98% of the time, he took it anyway. 

As he shifted to his side in his sleep, he vaguely opened his eyes, his slumber being interrupted for a moment before his lids shut again. 

"Millie.....I need to tell you something important..." His voice was soft but still had a drunken tone to it.

"What is it, sugar pie?" She cuddled closer to him.

"I...I love you...more than anyone...You've always supported me for being me, and...I'm...so happy I married you. I'm proud that you're my wife..." 

His snoring started up again after that, and Millie felt a small tear run down her cheek. He really was the sweetest and best husband a gal could ask for. 

She wiped away the lone drop on her face before snuggling further into him. 

"I love you, too, sweetie. I'm proud to be your wife, and I'm proud that you're my husband."

She stopped as she felt his tail wrap around her, and she returned the affection.

"...I'm proud of who you are, Moxxie."

Notes:

Woo wee!

This is quite the old one here, guys! I wrote this back in June of 2024 when the Pride poster came out. So even before I started publishing my stuff! I wanted this to be one of the first things I published, but tbh, I really wanted to publish this during June, given the context.😅

Since I created this project in July, I decided to wait a whole year. But there y'all go!

Be on the lookout for Family Reunion Part 5, as it's coming next week!

Chapter 59: Family Reunion (Part 5)

Summary:

Millie tells her family about her and Moxxie running into Rex. Millie reflects on her regrets from the past...

The moment he laid eyes on her, Moxxie fell madly in love with who was now his wife, Millie.

Every day since then, he found himself falling in love with his angel of death over and over again. 

One of the times that he’d find this happening the most was in the mornings, when he’d wake up before her and watch her sleep. 

And no, not in a creepy way like that. 

He would just lie on his side, admiring her while she snoozed, feeling his heart flutter around in his chest like a caged bird. 

This morning was no different from any other, as Moxxie looked down at her, smiling, as Millie intermittently snored and purred in a deep sleep, her mouth slightly open, with a stream of drool flowing from her chin and onto the pillow, her black nest of hair a tangled mess. 

Sure, to the average joe her ungraceful sleeping habits might have been a little off-putting, but Moxxie loved to stare whenever he could. Aside from the crazy things she’d say and do in her sleep sometimes, she was so peaceful, so beautiful, so magnificent to look at. 

When she and Moxxie first started spending their nights together during their dating period, she was insistent that she either sleep with makeup on or set an alarm to wake up earlier than him so he wouldn’t have to see her without makeup. 

He just assumed it was a peculiar preference of hers until he woke up before her one day, the first day he started this little niche, and when she opened her eyes to see him looking at her…

Well, she felt embarrassed until she realized he didn’t care. 

Hell, he didn’t even care if she snored, despite the fact that it did wake him up a few nights of the week…

The husband of the pair planted a soft kiss on the top of her horn to avoid waking her up, before gently stroking her bangs to remove the hair from her eyes. 

He loved those eyes, gorgeous, sinful, deadly, tender eyes that looked at him like he was the most special imp in the world. 

Carefully and quietly, he slipped out of bed, tucking her in deeper with the blankets before heading out the bedroom door, closing it on his way out to let her sleep. 

He had an idea. 

A tradition shared between the young couple was that Moxxie would make breakfast after date nights or after nights of – in the words of Stolas Goetia – passionate fornication. Yes, he was the main chef in their marriage, but it was the expected pampering that Millie enjoyed. Knowing that even if they went to bed late or if Moxxie (or herself) had worn each other out, she could fall asleep knowing that she would sleep in late as Moxxie prepared breakfast for her, so she could keep on relaxing. A sweet, romantic gesture on her husband's part, but it was one of the ultimate forms of "princess treatment" that Millie loved to play into. 

He started it not long after they began courting each other, taking joy in the act of indulging his queen. It was one of the many ways they kept the spark alive. 

Although he was unsure how he would service his woman this morning, since he was at his in-laws’ home. 

He just started to feel as if he had finally made it in their good graces, and he didn’t want to mess that up. 

Despite not growing up in a traditional family or household, Moxxie was aware that guest etiquette included not going into someone else’s kitchen and using it for oneself, as if you owned the place. 

He could ask Lin and Joe, but…

“Oh, mornin’ boy,” A voice from downstairs greeted Moxxie as he made it to the lower half of the farmhouse. From that angle, he could see both his mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law sitting at the table with coffee mugs sitting across from each other as if engaging in conversation before he interrupted. 

“Good morning, Lin, Cinnamon,” Moxxie replied as he entered the kitchen. “I apologize, I wasn’t expecting anyone to be awake yet.”

“I could say the same thing. You two came back late last night.”

“Oh, that’s right! You two went on a date! How was that?” Cinnamon asked her grandson-in-law, taking a sip from her coffee mug. 

“It was great! I think Millie had a great time, and-” Moxxie stopped himself, remembering the one not-so-pleasant memory from the night before…

That asshole, Rex…

Him disrespecting his wife and mouthing off like he knew a damn thing about his precious Millie…

If Moxxie could have, he would’ve killed the man on site for upsetting Millie like that. He was still raging about it now, in silence rather than out loud.

“...It was great! I’m sure Millie will tell y’all all about it when she wakes up.”

He would have said something, but he didn’t think that was his place. What if she wanted to discuss it with Lin and Cinnamon herself? Either way, the sniper decided to stay out of it. 

“Speaking of Millie, Lin, would you mind if I made her breakfast using your kitchen? Sorry, I know that’s a lot to ask, but it’s a little tradition we have after date nights. I make her breakfast while she sleeps in.”

He came up with that excuse as a distraction from his rage regarding the encounter. Now he just hoped he hadn’t aggravated his mother-in-law, as she tilted her head thinking about her decision while the three waited in the quiet, still kitchen.

“...I’ll cut ya a deal. You can if you make some fer the rest of us. Roy ‘n Peaches are comin’ over this mornin’ and Satan knows I need a break from cookin’. So those are the conditions.”

“I can manage that. Thank you.” Moxxie agreed before starting to take out supplies from the cabinets and cupboards, exploring more of the kitchen where his wife shared some of her most treasured memories growing up with her family. Wrathians loved to cook, most did, anyway; and food and cuisine were an expression of love and affection for many who grew up in homes like Millie and her siblings. It was a bonding hobby, you could say.

“I can help ya with that if ya want, Moxxie dear.” Cinnamon offered. 

“That’s ok! I’ve got it! I’ve gotten better at managing large meals over the years.”

“Alrighty then. I won’t fight ya on it,” Cinnamon leaned back in her chair, when all three looked over at the kitchen door as a knock rang through the small room. 

Roy, the eldest of the George children, opened the screen and wooden door to let himself and his wife, Peaches, in, greeting everyone with good mornings. 

“Hey, Mama ‘n Mamaw. How y’all doin’?” Roy asked, hugging his mother and grandmother as he walked inside, Peaches following his lead. 

“We’re doin’ alright. How ‘bout you two?” Cinnamon answered for both of them, giving her granddaughter-in-law a hug. 

“Fine. We’ve been kinda busy, but nothin’ much more…Howdy, Mox. It’s strange ta see ya without Mildred.” Roy finally acknowledged his brother-in-law, walking up to the much smaller imp to give him a firm handshake. 

“Greetings, Roy. You as well, Peaches. Mills is sleeping in. We were out late last night, so I’m making her breakfast.” Moxxie explained, cracking eggs into a large bowl with sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree. “It’s a tradition following our date nights, so.”

“Aww, I think it’s sweet, Mox. Take some notes, babe,” Peaches joked with Roy, nugging him with her arm while he playfully rolled his eyes. 

“Well, that accounts fer Mildred, but what ‘bout Pa, Sal, El, and Wy?” Roy turned to his mother. “They out workin’?”

“Yeah, Pa took Sal ‘n El out to town real quick to grab some supplies. You can take a guess where Wy is.” Lin sarcastically retorted, motioning to the bedrooms upstairs, bringing the warm mug in her hands up to her lips as Roy and Peaches settled in. 

Moxxie continued to get breakfast ready for everyone while he thought over the events of the previous night. 

He wishes he had done more. What he wanted to be a nice, relaxing, romantic night out with his wife, turned sour within seconds because of…him. 

And the way he spoke about Millie…He would have scapled the man right there if they had been alone. The way he watched as Millie seized up like a frozen statue just by the sound of his voice was enough to make Moxxie’s Wrathian side emerge its fiery little head out.

It was obvious to anyone that Millie didn’t like even thinking about Rex. She seemed to hate talking about him just as much, and while she hadn’t shared any explicit details, Moxxie couldn’t help but assume the worst. 

What had he done to her…What did he do to his precious Millie….

Whatever it was, it clearly wasn’t good, but he couldn’t ask her about it. Last night had been the closest that he’d ever seen Millie get to having a panic attack. 

He was likely letting his fuzzy little head get to him, but if it was what he was speculating it was…

He couldn’t put her through having to relive or think about that again, should he be correct. Truth be told, Moxxie wasn’t positive he could handle knowing the truth either, in heartbreak for his wife. 

He only stopped obsessing and agonizing over it when he finished cooking. How funny was that? He used cooking as a therapy, a hobby to unwind and relax, but this morning, no relaxing was done. 

Once he informed everyone in the kitchen that breakfast was complete, Moxxie filled a plate with some of Millie’s favorite things he’d made sure to include before slipping out of the kitchen and back upstairs to the new guest bedroom where his wife was presumably still asleep as he left her. 

To the sniper’s surprise, Millie was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes like she’d woken up right before he entered the bedroom. Their eyes met, and each offered a small smile as Millie stretched and yawned while Moxxie approached the bed, holding onto the plate he had fixed for his partner. 

“Good morning, beauty~”

“Mornin’, canary~” 

Moxxie set the plate down on the nightstand, kissing Millie’s cheek after their short-nickname calling, before slithering back into bed with her to cuddle. 

“What’s all this?” Millie questioned, pointing to the ceramic of warm delectables. 

“Breakfast in bed. Pumpkin French toast, scrambled eggs, crispy potatoes, biscuits.” 

“Our 'morning after aftercare’ meal after a night out with abstinence?” Millie softly chuckled, taking the plate into her lap. 

“I thought it’d be nice after a long night out. We also have a wedding event later this afternoon, don’t we? You should get something in you just in case you don’t end up eating a full dinner…I also made coffee. Would you like to go downstairs and eat with the others, or I could bring you a mug?”

Millie waved a hand at both requests, as she’d already started nibbling on her breakfast. “No, that’s alright, babe. I’ll go get some when I finish. It won’t take me long anyway!” 

Moxxie nodded in agreement, sliding off the bed and making his way towards the closet to start thinking of what he wanted to wear to that day’s event. It also gave Millie a chance to observe her options from afar.

“It’s a dinner party? Right, honey?”

“Yeah, the invite said it was a late afternoon brunch. So, it’s basically an early dinner…What would that be called?” Millie thought aloud. 

“Hmm…Lunner?...Linner?…Dunch?...Let’s just stick with late brunch. How do you feel about this suit?”

“I like it! I have that deep yellow dress that would go well with that col-”

Millie abruptly paused. Not even getting to the bite of French Toast that was halfway to her mouth when that simple little word triggered memories from the night before…

Dress…

And everything that happened when she was wearing that other black dress just hours earlier. 

Their fun time during their date…Going to the winery…Running into….

“Everything ok, sweetie?” Moxxie abandoned his task, walking back over to Millie’s side when he noticed how her mood shifted seconds ago. He immediately knew when Millie set her fork down onto the plate, setting the rest of her breakfast back on the nightstand. 

“I just need a minute…Mox, cuddle with me?” 

Her request was already being answered before she finished her sentence, as Moxxie climbed back under the covers with his wife, taking her into his arms and lying the both of them down onto the pillows together, using his tail to surround them with blankets like an extra large “blanket burrito” as Millie loved to say. 

“...I know you said not ta say sorry, but I am sorry ya had to hear all that, Mox.”

“It’s ok, baby,” Moxxie reminded while he soothingly rubbed her back. “If anything, I’m sorry you had to see him last night. I’m sure that was hard for you.”

“Yeah…He just…The idea of him brings up a lot of painful memories. Seeing him again after all this time opened some old wounds.”

“...If I may, honey,” the male imp loosely pulled away to look her in the eye. “I don’t want to be controlling. You know that. However, as your husband, if he’s at the dinner tonight, we are leaving the second that he shows himself.” Moxxie wasn’t rude, forceful, or aggressive, but his tone was stern, and Millie recognized that when he used that voice, he was serious. “I refuse to put you in that position again. I’m sorry, but I won’t allow that. I’m putting my hoof down on this.”

“I don’t disagree…Thank you, hon. I'll text Kora in advance to let her know what's goin' on...I think she'll get it.” 

The melee of the couple kissed him, and not long after, cuddling for some time, they rose again to prepare for the day, but not before finishing breakfast first…

---

“Ok, pull,” Moxxie instructed Wyatt, impressed by how quickly and accurately the youngin was becoming at shooting. 

While not quite prepared for moving targets yet, Moxxie could tell that Wyatt would grow to be a skilled shooter. He was quick, precise, and most importantly, not afraid to pull the trigger, all crucial qualities for someone to handle a firearm. 

Observing that his bullet impaled yet another bullseye, the young child became ecstatic, pointing out his victory to his much older brother-in-law again for the morning. 

“Moxxie, didya see! I hit it! I hit another one!”

“I did! You’re getting really good at this!” 

The women of the family on the porch watched as Moxxie praised Wyatt once more, all sipping on coffee and gossiping about whatever topics came up. 

Roy and Joe were doing quick rounds on the farm, hoping to get half a day off since they had another party tonight, and Roy was hoping he could sneak some time in with his little sister, considering he hadn’t interacted with her much since the last harvest festival.

“He’s pretty good with that thang!” Peaches commented. “You ‘n Mr. Joe could have him huntin’ fer supper with those skills, Mrs. Lin.”

“Ehh…We have mixed opinions about the guns. They get the job done quick, but real Wrathians kill with their bare claws. We’re just happy he seems to like ‘em. Every boy harbors a hobby like that, ya’know?”

Cinnamon and Lin sat in two of the rocking chairs on the front porch as Sallie May was on the ground attempting to fix the third chair that had been broken and off balance for a few weeks. Peaches leaned against the side of the house, and Mildred, of course, was sat perched on the wooden railing that would give her the best view of her beloved – and keep her cool in the shade. 

The warm pottery mug filled with freshly brewed coffee was tucked between both hands against her bare stomach as she stared off, yes, at her husband and little brother, but she was mainly thinking of other things . 

She hadn’t stopped replaying last night over and over in her head all morning. It was comforting to know that she had Moxxie by her side, supporting her and protecting her, but she couldn’t shake the fear and anxiety, knowing that Rex was now aware that she was scared of him. 

Millie was never someone who got scared easily, if at all. But what frightened her the most at this moment was the idea that this man, who hurt her terribly in the past, now had access to her again. 

She hadn’t seen Caroline, her Uncle Clint, or her Aunt Alison in years for that very reason: they were bullies who no one wanted around. However, not only did she have to worry about them now anytime they were visiting family. Now she had to worry about running into Rex.

Was this going to be she and Moxxie’s new life from now on? Would she just always have to have eyes on the back of her head anytime she stepped hoof in the ring of Wrath? 

No, they didn’t live there. Clint and his family lived in Greed, but who was to say that they wouldn’t try to insert themselves in every single other family reunion to come like they were doing now. 

Was Millie just bound to never feel safe around family reunions again for the rest of her life?

The terrifying thought popped into her mind when she was getting dressed: what would happen when she and Moxxie had children?...What about if they had daughters?...

It was enough to make her feel sick…Enough to make that anxious, suffocating feeling burn up in her chest. 

“So, how was y’all’s date last night, Mills? Moxxie told us that he took ya out fer a little date night!” Peaches turned her attention to her sister-in-law immediately, sensing something was not right when she noticed Millie's pale complexion, several shades lighter than her natural ruby hue. 

“...Mills?” Peaches repeated her name, finally catching the attention of the young assassin, and in her concerned tone attracted focus from her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law, all looking toward their dear Millie’s direction and immediately seeing what worried Peaches. 

Millie, unsure of how to break the news, sipped from her cup while choosing her wording wisely. She already knew that her family wouldn’t like what she was about to say. 

“It was great. Moxxie ‘n I had a great time…but Rex showed up.”

As expected, everyone’s eyes widened to saucer size, and Sallie May’s head sprang up from the dirt that she’d been working on, mouth wide and agape. 

Lin was the first of the women to break the silence that seemed to last forever. Millie, despite doing nothing wrong, felt like she was a young child being scolded by her mother when Lin used that same pissed off tone of voice that she’d use to correct and discipline her implings when they were up to no good. 

“...What?” the older farmer snarled.

“Yeah. I know, Mama.”

“What do ya mean he 'showed up’?” Cinnamon chimed in next, grabbing her daughter’s hand as if begging Lin to calm down. 

“Exactly like it sounds, Mamaw. Moxxie and I were readying to leave Old Clay’s, I was putin’ the wine we bought in the trunk, and next thing I knew he was standin’ over me. And he said a whole buncha nasty shit ta Mox ‘bout me, too. Mox told him off ‘n we left.” Millie rehashed the encounter. 

“Well, ya didn’t tell me that!” Sallie hopped up to lean on the railing, shocked that her sister hadn’t told her right away that morning. Though Sallie remembered what he put her sister through, no wonder Millie wouldn’t want to talk about it so openly. “...Sorry, Mills. That sounded kinda selfish.”

“It’s alright…We didn’t tell anyone. Not even Oynx knows yet.”

“...Does she know that he’s here?”

“Mhm,” Millie nodded at Peaches’ question. “She does. And her reaction to him being engaged to Caroline and being at the festivities this week was just about what you could imagine…She’s terrified of seeing him. She ‘n Kora talked about it, and Kora said there would be no hard feelings if she decides not to attend some stuff.”

“Why is he showing up anyways? I didn’t think that Clint ‘n his family were invited to this stuff anymore.”

“It’s cause Clint ‘n Alison got pissed that they weren’t invited. They’re essentially doin’ it to prove a point.” Lin told her daughter-in-law. “But I’ll tell ya what. Kora, her parents, 'n everyone else are all fed up with ‘em. Apparently, there's been a few scuffles in the family when some of 'em found out that Caroline was engaged to that fucker.” 

To this, Peaches looked back and forth between Moxxie in the distance and Millie close by. Peaches had been in Millie’s life ever since she was an impling, even preceding when she and Roy began dating in their early teens, and the pair had a great relationship from the beginning. Not one nearly as close and bonded as Millie and Sallie, but they both enjoyed being around each other. Peaches was also a great “big sister” role model for both girls, being willing to listen to girl drama, or talk to them about makeup or hair, give them advice about dating and relationships. 

That being said, Peaches was also well aware of what Rex did to Millie, and having to hear and watch her sister-in-law go through what she did broke her demonic heart for the girl…

“...Millie, ya don’t have to answer if you don’t feel comfortable, but does he know?” Peaches questioned. “Does Moxxie know what he did to you?”

“I gave him the condensed version of the story…I didn’t give him every detail, but Mox is smart. He likely has an idea of what happened based on context clues. I told him when we first started dating that I had a ‘past,’ but I don’t know if he’s put those pieces together yet…To be completely honest with ya, though, I don’t know if I want him to know all the details. Some things are just better if left in the dark.”

There was no response, besides Moxxie and Wyatt’s voices and the sounds of gunshots firing feet away from the home. 

The last thing said about the topic was Cinnamon’s own rage of the situation seeping out because there was nothing much else to be said. 

“I’m glad that Moxxie told him off. ‘Cause if I would have seen that son of a bitch, I would have killed him with my bare fuckin’ hands.” 

Sadly, for Millie, the end of the conversation meant having to be captured and held hostage by thoughts and memories again…

---

11 Years Ago

Rex wandered the busy dirt roads of Tierra Bendita once again, just as he did a few days prior when he and his father’s apprentices stopped in town for their car repair. 

Just looking around, he felt out of place. He felt like the only soul in town who wasn’t an imp. He wasn’t wearing raggedy clothes or missing any teeth, fingers, or any body parts at that. He didn’t talk with a funny accent or speak with bad grammar either, seemingly a requirement to live in this dumpy little town based on the speech language of its inhabitants. 

‘Fucking Wrathian trash’ he internally scoffed. 

This was what he’d been told about all his life. Wrathians were nothing but the lowest scum of Hell, but there was one pro about them: the dust bunnies. 

Wrath definitely had a reputation for how wild and radiant its women were. Plus, from what his father told him, they were easy. Fast if you will. And they were too damn stupid to realize that most men from out of town only told them they were beautiful to get them into bed. 

And speaking of women, Rex’s current mission both excited him and confused the boy at the same time. 

His father dropped him off in town, nearly an hour ago now, with one goal: Find that Millie George girl. 

Issue is…Tierra Bendita, while being a small town, was huge in terms of population for a Wrathian village. 

He wasn’t even sure how in the hell he was going to hunt this girl down, for all he had was a name. He thought about asking who she said was her “uncle” at the auto repair shop, but alas, they were closed that day. And his father’s instructions were very strict: Don’t bother calling us to pick you up until you find the girl.

For all he knew, that could take hours! Days even! 

By that time, he would have forgotten she even existed and moved on to the next hot girl he’d lay eyes on in San Satanonio. 

That is, until he was struck by luck when he wandered into an old bar, a fairly tranquil place in the middle of the day with few patrons sitting, chatting, and drinking. Then there she was…

“Hey! I saw that! You fuckin’ cheater!”

“HA! In yer face! Ya just don’t like that I’m better at this than you!” Millie pointed a finger at her friend Burke, teasing him about winning at another game of pool. 

Wow…that was slightly easier than he assumed. 

To avoid drawing attention to himself, the young demon decided to try stalling at the bar to camouflage himself, keeping a close eye on the cowgirl from several days ago and her two friends. The same cowgirl and cowboy who accompanied her that afternoon. 

“Face it! I’m just better at pool than you!”

“Nah! Yer just a cheater!” 

“Don’t be a sore loser, now,” Onyx reminded her male friend with a smirk. “Remember what happened that one time Roy accused her of cheating in the pain games?”

“...You are a devious little woman, you know that,” Burke turned to his long-time friend, still annoyed, while she continued not to care, using chalk on the tip of her pool stick with a satisfied grin on her face. 

“I don’t know what ya mean, mister!” She sang as she started gathering the pool balls from the nets, rearranging them for a new game. “Ya ready ta get yer ass kicked again?”

“Hell naw!” Burke snapped back in a sassy tone, fixing his western hat back onto his head. “‘Cause I gotta go home early. I promised my Ma that I’d help with the hogs this afternoon while Pa’s outta town.”

“Aww man. Well, we’ll catch ya tomorrow then,” Millie hugged her friend, as did Onyx, before the young male imp left the bar and his two cowgirl friends to their own devices.

“Ya wanna give a round a go, Onny?”

“I’m up fer it! Imma go take a piss first though.”

“Take yer time.” 

The perfect opportunity, and it just fell right into his lap. This was gonna be too easy, it almost made the smirk on his face genuine. 

He decided to do what he had to while he had the time, and she was alone, slowly walking up to the pool table as she kept chalking up the ends of the cues. 

“You don’t strike me as a pool girl,” Rex leaned against the table, slightly startling the cowgirl at his sudden appearance. “Whoops, sorry about that. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh…hello again. I didn’t think y’all would be comin’ back ta town once y’all cab was fixed up.”

“Well, it’s just me here today. I wanted to come exploring a tad more. And I think I found something worth the trip,” he purred, purposefully being outwardly flirty, even reaching out to grab Millie’s hand, which she recoiled. 

“If ya made the drive just ta come here and harass me ya can fuck off all the way back to the city. I told ya loud ‘n clear I ain’t that kinda gal, money boy,” she countered, walking away from him in the other direction before Rex called back out to her, stressed that he’d fuck up the entire mission. This bitch really was difficult.

“No! Wait!...Look, I’m sorry, ok? Really, that was not my intention. I didn’t mean to offend you,” when she turned her head back at him, and their eyes met, his panicked expression shifted to a more “sweet” smile, good thing he was talented at faking it. 

“It’s just, I haven’t been blessed to be in the presence of such a beautiful woman before.”

“...They ain’t got beautiful women in Greed?”

“W-well, sure, perhaps by societal standards, but not nearly compared to the nature of your beauty, Miss George.”

For a second, he became enraged, as she stifled a chuckle at his words until she turned around to face him, covering a smile with her hand, the other still holding her cue. 

“Miss?! I ain’t nearly old enough to be called a ‘Miss’.”

“It’s called manners.”

“It makes me sound old.”

“Well, what would you prefer I call you?”

“How ‘bout by my name. My actual name: Millie.”

“Then, Millie, how about I cut to the chase?” Rex suggested. “I do think you are very beautiful. I must admit you took my breath away when I saw you outside our car. I’d be honored if you’d accompany me on a night out.”

“This a fancy pants way of askin’ me on a date?”

“Why, yes, I suppose so.”

“Then I ain’t interested,” Millie turned her nose up, walking back towards the pool table, leaving Rex perplexed at her refusal. 

“Wh- why?!”

“Fella, I don’t even know ya!”

“Is that not the purpose of a date? To get to know each other better?”

“Suuure,” Millie exaggerated. “But how do I know this ain’t just another attempt to get into mah pants?” She cocked an eyebrow, putting a hand on her hip as Onyx came back out of the saloon restroom. 

“I swear fer a place that ain’t that busy durin’ the day every fuckin’ stall is…oh,” Onyx jumped, seeing the same boy who they helped days earlier now in front of her friend before he turned back to Millie, begging her even just for a night out. 

“Look, Rex was it? I’m flattered by yer invitation, but I ain’t just gonna crawl under the sheets with ya just ‘cause ya decided to sweet talk me and pay fer a meal.”

‘Mother fucker! This bitch really is playing hard to get.’

“I swear! That’s not…” Rex stopped, a new idea forming in his head. “How about this?” He grabbed one of the pool sticks, adding chalk to the tip end. 

“Let’s play a round. If I win, then I’ll take you on a quick lunch date to show you that I’m serious about getting to know you. I’ll even take you wherever you want. If you win, then I’ll let it be and leave you alone. You’ll never have to see my face again.”

“If that’s the case, then yer gonna lose ‘cause I’m competitive and I’ve been playin’ since I was a tot, so I gotta lotta experience under my belt.” Millie boasted, setting up the pool balls again to ensure they were placed correctly. 

“So, how ‘bout we come to a truce so we can make it less sad when I beat yer ass,” she turned to face him. “You ‘n me, Quincey’s at the edge of town tomorrow at 11 A.M. Ya get one chance. And don’t ferget how I ended those pricks the other night. ‘Cause I can do the same to you if ya try anythin’ funny.”

“...Really? That’s it?”

“Well, ya wanted a date, right? So let’s have a date so ya could leave me be.”

Rex wouldn’t argue with that. Sure, she was playing hard to get right now, but if it was that easy to get her to agree to a date, then he was sure it’d be just as easy to manipulate her into doing his and his crew’s dirty work. More to his interest, this was an indicator that she’d be easy to deceive in other ways…

“Very well. Then we’ll do it your way…Millie,” Rex nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Have a great afternoon.” 

Just like that, he headed out the swinging bar doors and out back into the desert streets, grinning wickedly at his success as he dug in his pocket for a small handheld phone. 

‘Is it done?’ Abram, his father, interrogated in a stern voice over the phone. 

“I found her. And I convinced her to go on a ‘date ’ with me tomorrow morning. You were right. She barely put up a fight. She just needed some pressure to break under.”

Concurrently, back inside the saloon, Millie turned her attention back to the game, handing Onyx a piece of chalk. 

“There ya go! Mine’s already prepped, so I’m ready whenever ya are.”

“...Are ya sure ‘bout this, Mills?”

“Yeah! I did it like three minutes ago.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Onyx expressed concern, planting a hand on Millie’s shoulder. “I’m talkin’ ‘bout that guy…You really think ya should be hangin’ out with him?”

“Why? Ya don’t think I should?”

“It’s just,” Onyx continued, thinking about the odd interaction as she gazed back at the entrance to the bar. “...I don’t know. There’s somethin’ weird about him. He just seems…off. I mean, think about it. He and his posse from Greed come into town, they got money, they’re in San Satanonio, one of the richest cities in Wrath, and he comes back here askin’ ya to go out with him…after he was actin’ all icky towards ya the other day…”

Millie smiled at her best friend, standing back up after setting the marble balls on the velvet tabletop. 

“I understand and appreciate yer concern, Onny, but trust me. I’ll be fine. It's really just to get him off my back. The feller knows I could tear him to shreds if he decides he wants to try his luck. Besides, it ain’t like anythin’ will come outta it….Except that I’ll be gettin’ a free meal.” Millie joked – not really – queuing both of them to giggle for a moment as they took their places to begin a new game. 

“Just promise me you’ll be careful?” Onyx replied. “You know what they say about Greed folk.”

“Of course! What’s the worst that could happen?” Millie snorted, lining up the cue in her hands, making the first shot, which started the game.

She would only come to regret those words...

Notes:

Well...This is a little odd...

Publishing this today, with the return of Helluva Boss on the same day?!

Lol, but no joke, I'm so happy that our fave little demons are back! And I hope y'all enjoyed this part!

Part 6 & 7 to be expected sometime this week!

Chapter 60: Family Reunion (Part 6)

Summary:

Moxxie runs into a family member he's never met before. Millie introduces her husband to her other cousins.

Notes:

Hey guys!

I just thought I'd leave this little note here. So, my friends and I have what we call little "sketch dates" every now and then, where we get together and just sketch and talk and listen to music. Anyway, I decided to sketch young Millie and Onyx! Remember that one scene from "All For Naught" in the bar? I did a doodle of that!

It'll be at the end! I thought I would post it here so that way y'all can have a better visual of what Onny looks like😊

"Hello," Millie answered her phone, clicking the speaker button so she could continue applying her makeup. 

'Hey, Mills! Are you 'n Mox still plannin' on coming tonight?' Kora questioned from the other side of the line, as Millie meticulously winged her eyeliner in the small bedroom mirror. 

"Sure are! We're gettin' dressed up right now."

'Great! Um, so I guess I should just come on out with it then. I talked to Caroline 'n Uncle Clint 'bout bringin' Rex, and uh...long story short, he ain't allowed at any other events this week.'

To their shock, Millie almost messed up her makeup while looking back at Moxxie, who had almost slipped since he was sliding on his pants as he gazed up at his wife. 

'...Ya still there, Millie?'

"Y-yeah. I am...But uh...Is everythin' alright? What happened?"

'Welllll...' Kora dragged out, pausing before she spoke up again. 'Let's just say uh all three of 'em ain't very happy with me 'n my parents right now. I tried explainin' to 'em why. 'Cause after I read yer texts, I knew I couldn't let him come. He wasn't even invited in the first place. But to sum it up, there was a lot of yellin' 'n hollerin' 'n cursin' from their side of the line, and by the end they agreed not ta bring him. But I wanted to let you know in case you 'n Moxxie wanted some extra time to decide whether or not to attend. Of course, if y'all still don't wanna risk it, then it's ok. I won't be mad at ya.'

The couple looked at each other again, silently conversing with their eyes before nodding in agreement. "Nah, don't worry, cus. We're comin', we ain't afraid of her. Besides, Mox 'n I decided if he showed anyway that we were gonna immediately take off."

'Ok. Sounds like a plan,' Kora agreed before she and Millie ended their phone call and the two imps went back to getting dressed for the occasion. 

"I guess...We don't really have to worry about him anymore," Moxxie replied, breaking the silence bwteeen them before kicking himself in the butt for being naieve to what he just said out loud. "...Unless, he decides to be an ass about it and shows up anyway."

"Mmm, I wouldn't put it past him," Millie said, putting away her lipstick. "It does kinda suck that she's still gonna be there though. But I ain't threatened by her."

Moxxie approached his wife, cupping her cheek with his hand, settling his thumb over her signature beauty mark -- truly, the mark of a real beauty.

"You're so beautiful~"

"Ya love to remind me, dontcha?" Millie giggled, displaying her tooth gap.

"I need to make sure that you know it," Moxxie concluded, kissing her on the lips, confused when Millie stifled a laugh once he pulled away, only for her to run a quick, moist thumb over his lips, wiping away some black residue from the lip tint. 

"Can't have you walkin' around with lipstick on yer face."

"What would I do without you?"

"A whole buncha nothin'! Maybe make some music and watch some plays," the female assassin grabbed her phone and the keys to the truck, handing them to her husband. "Ya ready ta take off?"

"Yes, honey," Moxxie opened the bedroom door for her, and the pair headed towards the family venue.

---

Millie was having a good time, but...right about now, it could have been better. 

“I must say, that’s…quite an impressive rock.” Ella stared at the band Caroline was forcefully showing off to the gang of women around. 

“Obviously. He paid 20 grand for it.” 

“20 grand for a fuckin’ set?!” Another cousin choked on her wine, hearing the absurdity of Caroline’s words. Her nonchalant tone was enough to make all of their faces drop. 

“No, absolutely not…It was 20 for the engagement ring by itself. Anything less would have been insulting.”

‘Yes…Because spendin’ outrageous amounts of cash on a rock apparently isn’t insulting,’ Millie thought to herself, taking a sip of wine, turning her head to see if she could spot Moxxie anywhere. 

Everything had been great so far. The dinner brunch was fabulous; both imps were having fun. When Moxxie offered to go grab Millie dessert, the wife assured her husband that she'd be fine just for a moment with her cousins. Then this bitch had to come crash the party when the group of female relatives all congregated to talk with one another, showing off her flashy - and in Millie's opinion - obnoxiously tacky diamond engagement ring that she had on display on her ring finger. Millie was calling bullshit. 

She dated Rex before. She remembered how he was. Sure, his family was mega-rich, practically billionaires. They had enough money to own several homes in different rings. So sure, it wasn't hard to believe that a single 10-carat diamond ring, decorated with several smaller stones, was purchased by his family for an obscene amount of money, but did Rex go through the trouble of designing it, visiting the jeweler, and purchasing it himself? H.E.L.L. no! 

And Millie knew it. The assassin wasn't buying the whole story of him going to buy it at all. More than likely, someone else did it for him and just set up the actual engagement. All he had to do was show up. He was a spoiled, entitled, lazy, rich kid who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and Caroline knew that just as well as Millie did.

“Where’s yours, Mildred?” Caroline asked condescendingly, with a mocking grin on her face.  

“I ain’t got one.” Millie shortly replied, taking a sip of her drink, completely unamused at where this conversation was going. 

“Oh? But I thought you were a wife? Your husband does not think highly enough of you as a wife to even buy you a ring? Or does savagery not pay enough for that?"

Ok...at first she wanted to stay quiet and ignore this cunt, but now this bitch was pissing her off. Insulting her was one thing, but even daring to insult her I.M.P. family was another!

“I’m an assassin. I work with mah fuckin’ hands every day. I’d think my husband knowin’ that I ain’t a jewelry gal is more important than us wastin’ money on a rock. Besides, I'd prefer fer the both of us ta go home with the same number of fingers that we left with."

To this, Caroline only cracked a laugh, and Millie was sure she could feel her bare hands almost shattering the glass in her hands if she clenched onto it any harder. From the corner of her eye, she could see her cousin Piper's tail whipping with annoyance. Fair enough. Their older cousin had a habit of getting on everyone's nerves. 

"At least you've always had one thing going for you. You've always been funny...and naive. Now, if you will excuse me, ladies, I'm going to find some more company...You know, since I'm here unaccompanied," Caroline looked back, snarling at Kora, who furrowed her brows at her older cousin. The latter showed off her fangs to assert dominance as the other engaged female rolled her eyes, strutting away like some higher-class Sin or Goetia looking down on the lower-class citizens of Hell. Too bad she was just as much imp and Wrathian as the rest of them. 

"Satan she's such a fuckin' bitch!" one of the girls whispered once Caroline was out of ear shot. 

"Total bitch! She did the same crap ta me when..." Ella took a deep breath. "When...Denny left me 'n Munk." At first, the others were stunned that Ella, a mostly soft-spoken and polite soul, had named called their other family member, even if she was telling the truth. Millie put a hand on her cousin's shoulder, flashing her a pitied smile. 

Denny, Ella's ex-husband, left her and their son when Munk was extremely young. He left after revealing that he had been having an affair with a succubus woman from Lust, abandoning his family, leaving Ella heartbroken and depressed. So depressed that she isolated herself for a while, not even attending Moxxie and Millie's wedding, which Millie understood. 

Caroline, however, wasn't as graceful and supportive as their younger cousin was, telling Ella exactly what she thought the time she saw her following the incident: "Is it not obvious? Denny left you because you had a baby, and you let yourself go. You should have put more effort into yourself after the birth to please your husband. That way, he wouldn't have gone searching for it somewhere else."

Ella hated that woman. She would never forgive her for that. She couldn't even bring herself to call Caroline her cousin. As far as she was concerned, they were strangers who just happened to have fathers who were brothers. 

"I wouldn't be surprised if she starts targetin' me next," Kora spoke up, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "She's just pissed I banned y'all know who from the rest of the events. Too fuckin' bad if she's upset. She, her folks, 'n her fiance weren't even invited anyway. They have no reason ta be here."

Millie looked down into her glass, tail pooling at her hooves. She knew she shouldn't be, but she couldn't help feeling a little responsible for this mess. The only reason they were experiencing these issues was due to her past with Rex...

"...I'm sorry. She's actin' like that 'cause of me."

"No, no, Mills. That ain't it!" Kora took Millie into a side hug. "We're all on yer side here. We don't want him here 'cause he hurt ya. And if we gotta deal with a little bit of bitchin' from her just ta keep ya safe, then we'll do it. That's why we're family."

"Yeah! And if we have ta, we'll just beat 'er up!" Piper said enthusiastically...too enthusiastically. The other girls could watch her eyes light up and her tail wag just at the thought of it, making them all simultaneously chuckle like the devious little Wrathian imps they were, and making Millie feel much better. 

"We don't need to go there quite yet, but I appreciate the offer," Millie wiped away a tear that developed during her laughing fit. 

"Speakin' of beatin' her up, though," Georgia, one of their younger cousins, wondered. "What 'bout Sal, Millie? Is she gonna be comin?"

Millie shook her head. "Nah. She said that she ain't riskin' it since I ran into both of them. Though she also said if y'all all wanna hang out together one day or night when we ain't got nothin' goin' on, then we could." Millie explained. 

"Then I reckon we need to find some time!" Kora exclaimed. "It ain't often that we all get tagether like this! By the way, Mills, where's music man?! He's supposed ta be introducin' himself!" 

"Supposedly gettin' us dessert, but he's been gone fer a bit."

"Well, the dessert table is kinda packed. He'll come by eventually!"

---

"Just the cake and dulce de leche donuts, Maxxie?"

"It's Moxxie, but yes, sir!" Moxxie confirmed with one of Millie's older uncles, who handed him a plate of desserts. 

"You 'n Mildred started makin' any babies yet? Lin 'n Joe ain't gettin' any younger!"

"U-uh, n-no sir! Not quite yet!" Moxxie nervously laughed. It was a bit off-putting at first, but it didn't take him long after he and Millie started dating to learn that this was just how Wrathians joked. 

"Well, what ya waitin' fer, boy? Ya know how ta make babies, dontcha?"

"Y-yes sir! We're just waiting a little bit."

"M'kay. Whatever ya say, Maxxie!" 

Moxxie didn't bother correcting the old man. He just politely nodded, heading over to a side table with smaller desserts like cookies, brownies, petit fours.

Wait- petit fours?!

Moxxie loved petit fours! Ever since he was a child, he scoped those tasty little morsels out at every elegant event that he knew would offer them. He wasn't aware that Wrathians had them at their events. Perhaps that would be an interesting research topic to explore later on. Either way, he didn't waste any time, reaching his hand to grab onto the tongs that were propped against the plate housing the tiny pastries when another hand bumped into his, belonging to another imp woman. 

When their hands brushed against each other, they both instinctively pulled back, waiting for the other to go ahead and make the next move. 

"I'm sorry. Go ahead." Moxxie insisted, taking a step back. 

"No, no. You were here before I. You can go first."

Moxxie, not wanting to argue with her and eager to get back to Millie's side, went ahead, grabbing a few petit fours and two brownies for Millie. 

In the time that he was filling his plate, Caroline stared the imp stranger up and down. She hadn't seen him before. Not once in her life. He wasn't even dressed like the rest of her hick relatives, as he was dressed in a suit and tie, almost fashonable enough to be attending a formal event. And thinking back on a few seconds ago, he didn't have a Wrathian accent like anyone else here, either, which intrigued her even more. 

"...Apologies, but have we ever met before?" She asked, grabbing Moxxie's attention. "I do not believe that I know you. You don't present yourself like anyone else here."

"It may be because I married in. I married my wife almost two years ago, so I guess you could say I'm new here." Moxxie flashed her a smile, even getting one out of Caroline, who rarely even genuinely smiled at anyone who she viewed as being "below" her. However, this imp seemed much different...Someone who was much, MUCH more classy and cultured than the rest of these dumb hillbillies.

"That would certainly explain it. Who are you married to?" It was hard to imagine who he would wed out of all the Wrathians in the venue. She couldn't even think of one family member who even remotely fit an imp such as himself. Perhaps one she wasn't well acquainted with? She barely knew half the people at the venue since she didn't grow up in Wrath. 

"Millie."

Upon hearing this, Caroline nearly dropped the tongs in her hands, slowly looking over to the well-dressed, well-presented freckled imp, who was taken aback by her reaction. 

"...Pardon?"

"Millie. Well, technically her name is "Mildred," but she goes by Millie. Her maiden name was "George." She's Lin and Joe's eldest daughter."

There was no way. Genuinely, this had to be a joke, or Caroline was hallucinating. Millie...THE Mildred who came from a family of nothingness, grew up poor, on a farm, had a violent and whorish past...A brute with no manners or anything to show for except that hideous gap between her crooked teeth...was married to this guy...

"Huh...I uh. I have to admit, I am perplexed." Caroline straightened herself, putting both of her hands back on her own plate. 

"Why is that?"

"Well, you know what they say. Men don't take Wrathian wives unless they can be a good maid, cook, or mattress actress. And as far as I know, Mildred does not exactly qualify for any of those." Caroline snorted, reaching back over to the finger dessert table. 

Moxxie, on the other hand, was not amused. As her words sank in, he turned to her, narrowing his eyes, completely bewildered at how indifferent she now was, like she didn't even say anything. 

"I'm sorry?" Moxxie blurted out, both in surprise and annoyance, and Caroline could sense that when she saw his face. 

"You know. Because it's Mildred."

"No, I don't know. Please explain the joke to me." Moxxie snapped back, taking Caroline by surprise at his sudden hostility. 

"Oh, please. Don't be like that," she rolled her eyes. "You and I both know it's true. It's not offensive to say she can only bring her body to the relationship, you know. That seems to be the only decent quality of hers, even if she is a bit of a cow."

"...Caroline?" Moxxie managed to ask through his teeth, feeling the temperature in his body rise from the anger that was on the brink of spilling over. 

"How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," was all he ended with, whipping his tail as he walked away. He knew if she kept going he'd gun the bitch down, and he preferred not to get that reputation in the family. He would have started an argument with her right then and there to defend his Millie, but causing a scene wouldn't help either, especially with all the family around. 

He was far overdue in getting back to his wife, anyway. 

---

"Oh! There you are, honey!" Millie beamed as Moxxie gently took her hand when he returned to his wife's side. She was even more excited to see that he brought back a full assortment of sugary snacks for them to indulge in. 

"Sorry, sweetie. There was a large crowd trying to get dessert." Moxxie made up an excuse. He really was gone a while due to the line, but he decided not to tell his love about the other reason for taking so long. 

Maybe he would later, but she didn't need to know right now. He didn't want to ruin her night, as it seemed like she was having a great time laughing and talking with her family and cousins. 

"Welp! Now that he's here!" Millie cheered, grabbing Moxxie by the shoulders and presenting him to the group. "Girls, this is my husband, Moxxie!" was followed by the pair being swarmed by all the girls, who yapped and chattered questions at Moxxie simultaneously. Millie shooed them back to give her husband some space. She knew they could get a little too excited like this, but it was her mistake for not warning Moxxie that he might get overwhelmed. 

"Alright, alright! Y'all give him a little space. One question at a time." Millie laughed, wrapping her arms around her sweetheart for a hug. 

"Where ya from? Mills says yer from Wrath, huh?"

"Y-yes! Well, technically, yes. I was born in Wrath, but I was raised in Greed. Although I much prefer it here to all the way down there." Moxxie rubbed the back of his neck nervously as all the girls surrounding him stared with blank expressions. 

"...Ladies, he's polite AND one of us!" Georgia turned to the other girls, inciting a wave of squeals and more questions aimed at the thespian who became relaxed upon seeing how quickly they seemed to accept him simply for being Wrathian. 

"So yer rich, huh?" Piper asked, looking over at Millie. "I didn't know ya married a rich guy, Millie!" 

Both Moxxie and Millie couldn't help but share a quick chuckle at this, as they were in fact the farthest thing from rich, in terms of finances that is. 

"Oh, no, I'm not wealthy. I don't have any assets to my name aside from what Millie and I brought into our marriage."

"Now how can ya be from Greed 'n ya ain't rich?"

"Well, I was raised in a wealthy family, but I myself don't have any riches. I will inherit nothing from my family."

"How come?" Another cousin, interrogated out of common curiosity. The Knolastnames hadn't even considered explaining Moxxie's family dynamic to anyone in the family. Millie hadn't even told her parents about her newfound knowledge of Moxxie's father, and she wasn't planning on revealing it to anyone anytime soon. They really should have covered their bases in case the question arose...

"W-well...He um..." Millie stumbled, looking to her husband to see if he could conjure up a better fake story on the spot. 

"L-let's just say they weren't so fond of Millie's and I's relationship, so they told me if I wanted to get an inheritance, I'd have to break it off with her. So, I made the best decision I've ever made and left to marry for love."

Moxxie pulled Millie into a side hug by wrapping an arm around her shoulder, neither paid attention as all the other women surrounding them responded with "awws" and "how sweets." 

'Yeah, that's right, ladies. This is my man,' Millie thought to herself. If she could, she'd put him on display like a trophy for everyone to see how great he was. He deserved the recognition. 

"Well, he gets extra points fer treatin' ya good!" Another cousin, Ginger, said to Millie before shifting her gaze to Moxxie right after and pointing a finger at him. "Just don't let us find out yer fakin' this nice guy act. Er that'll be the end of ya!"

"Pfft! I promise it ain't an act," Millie reassured her cousin. "Trust me. I had been waitin' fer a "mask" to slip long ago. But turns out Mox is a genuine man!" Millie put a hand to her husband's chest, accepting the kiss he planted on her forehead. 

As the night continued, and the sun finally set, the couple carried on their conversation with Millie's cousins and other family members who joined in from time to time, but Moxxie was only halfway invested. For some mysterious reason, Millie's words kept echoing in his head.

In the sense that many new things he learned about his darling this week were all starting to make sense. He was beginning to connect the dots of many of the more obscure details regarding her past that she'd been vague about before. And now he was finally starting to understand why...

---

4 Years Ago

“Y-yer apartment l-looks a lot like my ap-artment” Millie hiccuped as Moxxie guided her inside, stumbling along with her. Damn, she truly was a lot stronger than him.

“That’s because this is your apartment,” Moxxie reminded her while helping his companion to lie down on the mattress.

The I.M.P. family spent the night out drinking after another successful mission, one so successful that Blitz offered to pay for dinner and drinks at one of their favorite bars that offered half-off prices on Fridays. Blitz and Millie, as usual, may have gotten carried away, forcing Loona and Moxxie to be the ones to bring each of the drunken demons home. Moxxie didn't hesitate to assist his "secret" girlfriend in getting home safely. 

"Secret" because they thought they were keeping their new, blossoming relationship under the radar. However, realistically, Blitzo and Loona were already catching onto their little charade, Loona more so than Blitz. 

It was only fair that Moxxie bring Millie home and ensure that she reached the comfort of her small apartment safely. She was far too wasted to walk on her own without getting hurt, and Millie was thr toughest person he knew, but he didn't trust any other shmuck on the street not to use that to their advantage. 

“Here, let me take your shoes off.” He sat on the bed, taking her feet into his lap to undo the zipper on her boots, being careful not to trigger the blades underneath that would be activated if he were too rough. 

“Stay there,” Moxxie instructed her, taking her shoes and putting them on the floor next to a wide, beat-up dresser. “I’m going to get you some water.”

“I don’t want n-no fuckin’ water. I need another shot, pronto!” She hiccuped from the bed, pointing a finger up to the sky, attempting to sit up, before Moxxie gently guided her head back down onto the pillow. 

“I really don’t think you do…Just lie down for now. The water will help you feel better.” 

The sniper headed to the small, cramped kitchen for a glass when he’d heard a hard thud coming from the bedroom. The second he turned the tap off, he promptly headed back in to find his coworker spread like a starfish on the floor next to the bed, staring at the ceiling, with no motivation to move. 

Even in her drunk state she was still determined to get shit done, and Moxxie couldn’t deny, it made him want to chuckle, but considering she was now proving to be a danger to herself, he put the glass down on the bedside table before helping her to sit up. 

The tired look in her eyes told it all. She was out of it, and all she could do was stare right back at him and start giggling like an entertained child. 

“Ya look funny like this. How fuckin’ drunk are you?”

“I’m not drunk at all-” He paused, when she took one of his hands in hers, guiding it to the zipper on her cropped leather jacket, as if trying to get him to take it off. 

She was failing miserably when Moxxie pulled his hand away and helped her back onto the blanketed mattress. This time, he propped her up against the headboard, encouraging her to drink from the glass he provided. She initially kept refusing until she gave in, quickly hydrating herself after the many long hours of drinking.

“I don’t want these clothes on…Take them off.” 

“I’m sorry, Mills. I can’t. It would be highly inappropriate of me.”

“I w-want pajamas…I don’t want makeup on…I wanna be comfortable.” She repeated this, all the while attempting to coax Moxxie to take off her clothes. 

The freckled imp eventually stood to go get her some pajamas like she requested, although he was at a loss for how he'd get them on her. She was so intoxicated she couldn't even sit up by herself, and he wasn't about to violate her privacy just to get her into new clothes. 

"Here. Look. I found your favorite sleep t-shirt and shorts," the male demon presented the items to her. "How are we gonna get them on you though?" he wondered out loud, still trying to think of a solution. 

"...Millie? Do I have your consent to put you into this?" It was silly to even ask when she was clearly not in the right state of mind, but what else was he supposed to do? He couldn't just change her without her permission.

"Y-you can do whatever ya want 'cause you're M-Moxxie!"

"I don't think that's reason enough," Moxxie shrugged, watching as she flopped back down on the bed again. For a moment, he considered other options...not that any of them were very sufficient, before he sighed in defeat, silently asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do. 

"Sorry, Millie," He whispered before climbing on the bed and taking off her pants and assless chaps, replacing them with the pajama shorts, and doing the same with her cropped lethar jacket and bra not long after, helping her get into the oversized pajama shirt. "There. Now you should be more comfortable." Moxxie smiled, quickly heading to her small bathroom to fetch the makeup wipes. Luckily, she let him remove her cosmetics without any issue, but he ran into another obstacle, one that was thankfully easy enough to solve by a quick internet search, which made him relieved. 

"The internet says that if you don't brush your teeth just for tonight, you should be ok." Moxxie was mainly talking to himself at this point, but out of the blue, Millie sat up to look him in the eyes, and the boyfriend of the two was honestly scared that she was about to be sick or something along those lines until she leaned in and kissed him on the lips as if she wasn't drunk either. This kiss was the same, just as any other they'd had before, and Moxxie, for a split second, forgot she was drunk that he'd even given in and kissed her back when he was brought back to reality as Millie's hands started fiddling with the lock of his belt, attemping to unbuckle it and reach into his underwear. 

This would have been granted any other night they were together, but tonight would not be the case for them to get frisky as usual. Not in the state she was in, and Moxxie made that clear to her. 

"Nope," he said to her, delicately taking her hand out of his pants and laying her back down. "Not tonight, Millie." 

"Why?" she whined back. At the same time, Moxxie undid the covers to tuck her in. 

"You're too drunk."

"So?"

"So, it wouldn't be fair."

"Y-yeah, it would," Millie continued. "You c-can still do s-stuff."

...Back then, Moxxie only thought she was saying whatever came to mind due to her condition. He didn't think there was any weight to her words; she was drunk after all. He assumed she was speaking nonsense. Now, he doesn't believe that...

"No. I wouldn't do that to you, Millie," Moxxie proclaimed, running a hand through her long bangs. "I wouldn't desecrate you or your body like that. Now, stay right there. I'll be right back, ok? I'm going to go take a quick shower. Yell if you need anything." He finished, digging in her chest of drawers for some spare clothes that he'd kept at her place before hurrying to wash up. He didn't want to leave her alone for too long since she had already tried to escape the bed once.

It was only 10 minutes. That was it. An 8-minute shower and two minutes to brush his teeth, when he returned to the bedroom, expecting to find his Millie fast asleep. Instead, he came back to her, staring up at the ceiling, sniffling and crying with a small whimper that managed to slip out. It was a sound and a sight crushing enough to shatter Moxxie's heart. This was the first time he'd ever seen Millie so upset, and he didn't waste any time getting to her side again. 

"Aww, Millie. What's wrong, honey?"

"Moxxie...Yer so nice," Millie cried, letting the tears fall onto her pillowcase.

"What?" Moxxie made his way to the other side of the bed, sitting down next to her and cupping one of her cheeks, trying to wipe away the tears with his thumb. 

“I think it’s starting to sink in that you really like me."

"What do you mean?"

"Yer just so nice 'n sweet. Not like other Wrath boys. 'N all this time I've been waitin' on ya to slip up...Ta punch me or say somethin' mean or yell at me or somethin'" 

The sniper didn't know what to do. He had no idea what to say. So, he stayed quiet and said nothing. He only joined her under the covers, waiting for her to say more or fall asleep as he caressed his fingers through her hair. 

To harm Millie? He could never!

How could anyone do that to someone they loved? 

Come to think of it, his girlfriend had been leaving little hints about this since even before they'd become an item...

She was so resistant to his flirtatious advances when she first became a part of their team, and when he got the message that she wasn't interested, she almost seemed puzzled that he'd taken her "No" so seriously. 

She was utterly baffled when he told her he'd like to take her on a date, going so far as to explain she'd only been asked on a date before for negative intentions. 

Despite not being closed off about sex when they became official, Moxxie had noticed her odd outlook on the act. 

All this time, he had never taken into account the possibility that her past relationships may have influenced her strange view of how relationships were supposed to work. He had no proof that's what this was, but for now, all he had was speculation. 

Moxxie didn't have the best role models for love and relationships either. Hell...He was pretty damn sure that the only other relationship he'd had before Millie was straight up toxicity fueld by his starvation for love and affection. But his love for Millie was real, not horniness that needed an outlet. He truly loved her. he wanted to spend every second of every day with her, and make her happy. 

This love, this relationship, wasn't transactional. 

"Millie," he scooted over, closer to her, and laced their fingers together with his other hand. "I love you."

This had the opposite effect of what he was hoping for, as she cried harder at his words, except her crying face softened from a saddened expression to one of admiration. 

"M-Moxxie...I love you." Were the last words shared between the two that night, before Moxxie snuggled her into a hug, waiting for her to fall fast asleep.

 

 

 

Peep! Young Onyx and Millie in "All For Naught":

Notes:

So, all in all, the picture above isn't super detailed, but it gives y'all a better image of Onyx.

Let me know if y'all can't see it because it took me a little while to be able to upload the image.

This part is a split chapter; otherwise, Part 6 would have been sooooo long. So Part 2 of this chapter (AKA Part 7) will be coming either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how busy I get.

Chapter 61: Family Reunion (Part 7)

Summary:

Lin and Joe run into Clint and Alison at the brunch. Back at the George home, Roy, Millie, Sallie, and Peaches play a game of cards as they gossip.

If you need a refresher on the chapter "The Start Of It All...", I recommend skimming it before reading this.

Notes:

HOLY SHIT!

10,000 hits and 120 kudos?!

Y'all are just amazing! Simply amazing!😭🙏

Warnings:
- Mentions of sexual coercion
- Mentions of child abuse
- Mentions of stillbirth/childloss
- There's also a scene where the girls are talking about sex/sexual experiences

24 Years Ago

"Mamaw? Is the baby back yet?"

Cinnamon sighed, taking a moment to finish drying her hands before she turned back to her young granddaughter standing behind her, clutching one of her dolls. 

"Baby, we talked about this, remember?" Cinnamon spoke gently, kneeling down to get eye level with the imp girl. "The baby isn't comin' back."

"Why?" 

"Because he died, sweetie. He was too sick to stay here with your family."

"Why?"

"I don't know, honey. Sometimes these things just happen, but your baby brother isn't coming back."

"...I don't understand, Mamaw."

Cinnamon only gave little Millie a smile, cupping one of her tiny cheeks. For days, Millie had been asking when her baby brother, who tragically was stillborn, would be returning. Cinnamon and Buckwheat continued to be patient with her, trying to find new ways to get her to understand that the baby wasn't going to return. Of course, she didn't properly understand. She was 4 years old, far too young to thoroughly get the concept of death and that it was permanent. Despite living on a ranch, when they would lose their animals, she seemed to be struggling to grasp that when demons died, they did not resurrect. 

"You will one day, sweet girl," Cinnamon replied, standing back up on her two hooves. "Now, Mamaw has to go finish something outside really quick, ok? Can you play quietly so that Sebby can take his nap?" 

"Ya, Mamaw!"

"Yer such a good big sister," Cinnamon praised before heading out to the front yard, telling Roy in the living room where she'd be in case they needed her. 

Millie settled under the kitchen table of her grandparents' farmhouse, setting up her toys to play independently, putting a metal colander back on her head as best she could with her small, growing horns.

"Now, where were we, fellas?" The little girl talked to her toys. "Oh, yeah! We are at war! 'N I'm Commander Millie, and I think our first course of action should be to dig a trench to escape and sleep at night!...Let me go get a shovel and more soldiers!"

Millie grabbed a metal spoon from one of the kitchen drawers to use as a "shovel" before removing the colander from her head and moving to the upstairs portion of the home. The small imp tiptoed her way around the bedroom where she and her brothers slept to be quiet, while her younger brother napped like her Mamaw asked and when she gathered another doll from the last area she played at, a voice caught her attention from one of the other guest bedrooms at the end of the hall. 

"No, you would think that they would have their hands full since they have three older children already, but apparently getting off and having a quick bang is more important. I swear, this is why Clint's family is nothing but trash, especially his sister's family. Those children are nothing but savages. They have a daughter who is the same age as Caroline. I can already tell that she is going to be nothing but trouble when she grows up. The little rat runs around all day uncivilized. She's going to be one of those." 

Millie carefully walked towards the door, peeking in to see her Uncle Clint's wife, Alison, standing and staring out the window as she talked to someone on the phone. 

"I do not even understand the reason behind all of this fuss. It isn't as if they don't have other children. It isn't like they are unable to have more. Obviously, I do not want those two to reproduce more than they already have. Those would just be more useless Wrathians in this world. In my opinion, they should be sterilized, but you know how those types of imps are. They are just going to keep spreading their legs open. His sister is the worst. The woman wouldn't know a thing about contraception even if she read a book about it...On second thought, I doubt she can even read."

"What are ya doin', Aunt Alison?" Millie asked curiously from behind, making Alison jump, unaware that the young imp was there listening to every word that spewed out of her mouth. 

"...I'll have to call you back later, Francine," Alison said into the phone, hanging up and furrowing her eyes at her niece. As much as she hated it, that was how she and the girl were related, and as long as she was married to her husband, it would unfortunately stay that way. 

"What are you doin'?" Millie asked again, still holding onto her doll. 

"How dare you. Did your parents never teach you phone etiquette? It's extremely rude to eavesdrop on other people's conversations! I thought I told you as well, it's Mrs. Alison, little girl." The older woman reprimanded her, but Millie paid her annoyed tone no mind. Her eyes only traveled to the device on the bedside table. Millie knew about phones, but her parents didn't have one in their house. Her grandparents only recently invested in one to hang on their wall for emergencies. 

"Can I talk on yer telephone?"

"Absolutely not. Do not even think about touching it either. Now run along. Shoo. Go bother someone else," Alison commanded, heading over to the vanity in the room and picking up her makeup set. 

"Do you know why the new baby won't come back, Aunt Alison?"

"No. I don't. Once again, it's MRS." The Greed imp hissed, growing more annoyed as she'd heard Millie ask several people that same question a million times that week. 

Millie wasn't paying attention, though, as the open closet doors caught her eye, displaying several luxury dresses and outfits her aunt and uncle had packed with them. She'd seen Alison's expensive belongings before, and while she was never allowed to touch any of them, she loved to look and stare at her dresses or shoes, even the clothes that belonged to her Uncle. Her family didn't have any clothes like that. Most of the time, her parents wore old clothes to work in the field, and she and her brothers wore a lot of hand-me-downs from other family members. The t-shirt and worn bluejean overalls Millie had on now were Roy's when he was her age, and more than likely, they would go to Sebastian when he was older. On the occasions when they needed to dress up more, they had two or three "fancy" items that they would take good care of, but not nearly as nice as the dresses or suits that her aunt and uncle owned. 

From the corner of the bed, Millie spotted what looked like a thin book. The closer she got, she realized it was one of those fashion magazines. A thin paper book filled with designer shoes, dresses, and clothes that people could buy. Her Mama would always cut the clothes out whenever the mail lady would deliver them to their house and make Millie's dolls some paper clothes. However, none of her dolls had paper clothes that were this elegant. The fact that the prices next to every item in this book ranged from triple to quadruple numbers told Millie all she needed to know, and in her childlike wonder, she took the book for herself and left the bedroom like Alison asked of her. 

---

"Look, Mrs. Truffle!" Millie exclaimed to the same doll that she'd been harboring for the past hour. "Now you and yer friends can have all these pretty dresses ta wear!" 

In the short amount of time, once she'd left the guest bedroom, Millie had torn out countless pages in the fashion magazine and made her dolls paper dresses out of the clothes she liked the most, just like her Ma did. It was difficult to do without scissors, but she made do. She would ask her Mamaw to help her cut out the edges better later. 

"Now y'all can all go to fancy parties after the war!"

Just as her celebration ended, Alison looked out into the hallway in an attempt to re-trace her steps, believing she'd misplaced her magazine, until she stopped seeing Millie not far from the bedroom...With the pages all torn out and paper littered everywhere like confetti. 

In a rage, the older woman stomped up to the small child, aggressively grabbing her and her now destroyed periodical, dragging both back to the guest bedroom, seething with anger, even rolling up the magazine and striking the scared little imp with it several times until she cried from the confusion and stress of the situation. 

"This is why you always misbehave! Your parents never discipline you properly! This is why your mother lost the baby! You're a bad little girl who never listens! Bad, you hear me! Bad! It's all your fault! You filthy, little hick!"

"Don't yell at me!" Millie whimpered, putting her arms up in an attempt to guard herself.

"You're a fucking savage because nobody ever yelled at you! Now! Actually, do something good and leave me alone!"

She wouldn't think twice. Millie ran back down the stairs and retreated under the table where she had previously played with her toys, pulling her knees into her chest and wrapping her tail around herself. She'd never been treated like that before. Her parents never hit her or screamed at her, even when she'd disobey them or do something that she knew she wasn't supposed to do. 

It was the first time she'd ever felt unsafe...scared...or scared of someone who she thought she could trust...

"Hey, Millie, come play-" Roy crawled under the table, initially wanting Millie to go play his own game with him, but he ceased when he noticed his sister was crying and shaking, upset under the large wooden furniture. 

As a small child, he thought she was finally understanding that their baby brother had died and wasn't coming back, oblivious to the treatment she'd just gone through upstairs. He cried and was sad when his Mamaw and Papaw explained to them what had happened to their Mama and the baby. He had no idea that she wasn't really crying over the baby, but rather what Alison had just said to her and how she was treated. 

So, he went back to the living room, grabbed one of the throw blankets that his grandmother had draped over the couch, and slithered his way back under the table with his sister, moving her toys out the way and burritoed the two of them in the soft, plush fabric, hugging her as she cried until the two implings fell asleep on the floor under the table, wrapped in the blanket together. 

To anyone unaware of what just transpired, it was the most adorable sight. Cinnamon even grabbed her camera to take a picture once she returned inside to show Lin later on.

And with the two being at their young age, the only soul in that house who remembered that afternoon was Alison, who would never come to admit her own wrongdoings towards little Millie.... 

---

Present Day

"Ma, can I please have more cake?" Wyatt begged Lin from his chair, wagging his tail as he sat on his knees. 

"Didn't ya have three slices already?" 

"Nah. I only had one." 

"Wy, don't be fibbin' to yer mother." Joe looked at his youngest from across the table. 

"...I had three," Wyatt admitted in defeat, sitting back down properly. 

"Thank you fer yer honesty," Lin praised her son, ruffling Wyatt's white hair between his horns. 

The ex-assassin couldn't even get back to her own dessert before she was interrupted by a low voice from behind, greeting her and her family. 

"Hi, Linsey," Clint smiled, dressed in one of his usual black suits and tie. Lin internally rolled her eyes at her brother's presence, and despite Joe being all the way on the other side of the small, round table, the sight of his estranged brother-in-law made him want to jump over there and wipe the man out. 

"Oh...Hey." Lin coldly responded. 

"Sorry for barging in on your meal. I wanted to come and meet the baby of the family."

Regardless of knowing that her brother wasn't a threat to her baby, Lin instinctively wrapped a lazy tail around Wyatt, guarding her cub as if he were still a tiny newborn. Clint was aware that Lin and Joe had welcomed another baby since the last time the three had been within the same space. He'd never officially met Elmer, as he'd only spotted the boy from a distance when he was a few months old at the last family gathering where they were all in one place, but with Alison and Caroline's relationship with his niece, Millie, he begrudgingly kept his distance from his sister. 

That was 12 years ago now, since Elmer was months away from turning 13, and Wyatt was 6. Yet, the older brother made no effort to make peace with his sister or her family, only calling on holidays or occasionally for his nieces and nephews' birthdays. 

The young, curious Wyatt looked back and forth between his mother and the stranger, while the two older adults engaged in an intense staring contest. Elmer felt just as confused as his little brother, all the while both boys recognized the look that Joe held towards the older man, the same look he gave one of them when they were beginning to act out. Only, it was as if he held anger or hatred towards the older imp versus the fatherly look of disapproval that they'd get every now and then. 

"As you know, this is Wyatt," Lin relented. Typically, she wouldn't give Clint the time of day in these situations, but she didn't want to cause a scene in front of her babies. She'd cut him off if he overstayed his welcome anyway, so would Joe if he needed to jump in. 

"Hi there, Wyatt," Clint started with, turning his attention towards the imp boy. "We haven't met yet. I'm your Uncle Clint. I'm your mom's older brother." He offered a hand to the small boy, waiting for a handshake, and Wyatt, not wanting to be rude, accepted and shook the claw extended to him. 

"How old are you? It's been quite a while since the last time I've seen your family."

"...I'm 6 'n a half."

"Wow! You really must be growing up fast," Clint commented, shifting his attention to the older brother at the table soon after. "Hi, Elmer! Look at how much you've grown! The last time I saw you, you were just a tiny baby."

Elmer didn't know how to respond. He was still letting the shock of his mother having another brother he hadn't heard about sink in. Sure, he'd heard his Mama, Mamaw, and the occasional relative speak of the name "Clint" before, but as far as his knowledge of his mother's immediate family went, his mother only had two older brothers, his uncles Cole and Canyon. 

"Oh, yeah?" was all he could choke out. 

"Yes. You had to be a few months to a year old. You were probably too little to remember...Joey," Clint acknowledged his brother-in-law, feeling a sharp chill down his spine at the death glare Joe was giving him. 

"Clint," Joe addressed him. "Heard ya stopped by the other night. If ya wanted ta talk, ya could've waited till sunrise." The rancher didn't care if that set his brother-in-law off. He wanted him to know that he was aware of what he did, and said, and that he was not amused by it. Though Joe didn't take kindly to anyone disrespecting or badmouthing his wife, his kids, or any of his loved ones at that. 

Given the circumstances of the entire shit show that was Caroline's engagement to Rex, Joe was not happy about it, and he was not going to play nice for the sake of sparing Clint's feelings. Not after hearing what Lin said he was spewing about their daughter. 

"W-well I suppose I haven't always had the best timing," Clint stuttered, taken aback. 

"Yeah, ya got that right," Lin scoffed. 

"Clint, I thought I told you not to leave me behind while we are here! I do not want to be alone with your hick relatives!" Alison stormed up to her husband.

Lin and Joe's eyes met, sharing a look of "you have got to be kidding me," before Lin rolled her eyes when Alison began to squawk at Clint. It didn't matter how long it had been since they'd interacted with one another. The sound of her voice was enough to give Lin PTSD and flashbacks, not to mention the rage of a thousand angry overlords.

Eventually, when their short argument came to a halt, Alison looked between the couple, growing more frustrated with her husband for daring to disobey her and speak to his sister. She'd made it very clear to him several times that she did not want him anywhere near Lin or her disgusting family. 

"Joe...Linsey. It has been a while. I suppose I should say congratulations on the two new children."

Lin wrapped her arm around Wyatt this time, catching the boy off guard. Not that the bitch would even dare to touch her precious boy, but she was still in fight or flight mode from all those years ago, and if the witch decided to even lay a finger on him she wouldn't hesitate to fight back. 

"Thank you. Good seein' you two." That was a lie, but one she hoped would send a message to both of them. Lin was short, turning her head away from the two, expecting them to leave. She should have known better than to be so naive. 

"...That is all? You don't have anything else to say to us?" Alison prodded. 

"Like?"

"Congratulating us on our daughter's engagement." 

Lin gripped her fork tightly and had to take several quiet, deep breaths in response to Alison's demand. The worst part is that she could decipher by Alison's tone of voice that she wasn't trying to mock Lin or her family. She was seriously asking Joe and her to congratulate and shower their daughter with praise for being engaged to a man who harmed their own daughter. After all these years, Lin's own beliefs were confirmed: Alison was still a raging bitch. 

"...Yer right. My dearest condolences go to you and yer family." 

Internally, Joe was dying of laughter, but he kept it inside for the time being. He and his wife could share a good laugh about her snippy comeback later when the children weren't present. 

Alison and Clint, on the other hand, did not appreciate Lin's smartass remark, and while Clint could just swallow his own frustrations with his little sister, Alison was not one to let things go. 

"Y-you've always been a vile woman! No wonder your daughter was taken advantage of, you fat cow!"

The entire mood of the table, which was already tense, shifted on a dime. Complete silence fell upon the six demons. Wyatt and his older brother stared at each other with shock before they glaced at their mother and father who did not look happy, to the point of even striking a slit of fear into each, and to everyone's surprise, Lin smiled just as she normally did when she was happy or excited and turned to her youngest child. 

"Ya'know what, Wyotie? I changed mah mind. You can have more cake!"

"...Really?" Wyatt asked his mother, forgetting what had just happened seconds ago, thrilled at the chance to get more dessert as any child would be, while Elmer stared at his mother, confused at her reaction. 

"Of course, my love! Why not! It's a special occasion," Lin confirmed, looking at her husband from across the table. "Joe, ya mind helpin' him? Actually, never mind! How 'bout you, Wy, and El all go to get more dessert!"

"Yes! Comon', Wy!" Elmer stood from his chair to help Wyatt down from his. 

"Please make sure they don't get into any trouble, honey?" Lin turned towards Joe, who was already preparing to follow the boys around to give his wife and the two other imps some...privacy. Before leaving, he gave her a final look, silently asking if she was sure she'd be alright, to which she nodded, and he wouldn't fight her on it. The farmer already knew that she'd share some choice words and kick enough ass for the both of them.

Once they were all alone, Lin stood up, coming face to face with Clint and Alison once her husband and children were out of earshot.

"Now listen here, you cheap city whore. I don't know what kinda fuckin' termintes ya got crawlin' up yer ass to make you such a miserable bitch, but I honestly couldn't care less. You say one more thing 'bout my daughter and I will make damn sure you can never step foot in Wrath ever again." 

Alison clutched her pearls -- yes, literally -- acting offended at Lin's crass language while Clint became angrier with his younger sister. 

"Now you just wait a second, Lin! First off, do not threaten my wife. Second of all, really? You told Joe about me going to the house!"

"Hmm well, let's see, we've been married fer almost 30 years, you come to our home in the middle of the night tryin' ta intimidate me while also talkin' crap 'bout our family. So, what exactly didya think was gonna happen?!"

"So your solution was to make me look bad?"

Lin could only laugh at the audacity of her brother's words, almost wishing Joe were there to laugh along with her. "Ya already did that yer fuckin' self! Really? Ya thought Joe had a good view of ya? 'Cause if that's what ya think, then yer just as delusional as yer wife. And I WILL in fact talk to her however I please since she obviously don't have any issues insultin' me 'n my family."

"If anyone here has the right to be upset, it should be us and Caroline!" Clint retorted. "We heard all about how Millie's husband threatened Rex the other night when he ran into them! He just wanted to say hello, and your son-in-law threatened him!"

For a moment, Lin went silent, not from a loss of words, but rather from disbelief, until her amusement returned and she was sure laughing even harder now, not only at their audacity but at the pure stupidity of their words.

"You think this is a laughing matter?"

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely! Come on now...Mildred's husband, the thespian, the one who flinches at the sound of a tumbleweed? Yeah, yer both fuckin' dumb 'cause I know my son-in-law, and I know there ain't no way that story's true. As a matter of fact, Millie told us all 'bout her little run in with that dickwad, and if anything it sounds like Rex ignited this "confrontation." How fuckin' stupid do you two think we are?! And even IF the boy threatened him, then good! It's way past time fer that fucker ta get what's comin' to him. Did ya seriously think Millie wasn't gonna tell us 'bout that?!"

"Not according to Rex-"

"Imma stop ya there," Lin held her palm up to the two demons. "I don't give a shit what Rex has ta say. He's a fuckin' liar anyway. So don't even bother. He has NO reason to approach mah daughter in the first place!"

"Of course you refuse to listen! You believe your whore daughter over anyone else! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

"Yer correct," Lin agreed, shocking Alison for a moment before she continued. "I could say the same thing 'bout you and yer daughter. Her mother has the audacity to call other women whores when she engages in the same lifestyle. You've raised her to be as callous and wicked as you are. No wonder she wants ta marry someone who was already with her cousin. You taught her that behavior was acceptable."

"Wh-...What exactly are you insinuating?!"

"Nothin' that ain't true. I'm just statin' the facts," Lin grabbed her bag from her chair. "You wanna play that game. Fine then. I'll play along. But yer not gonna stand there callin' me 'n my innocent daughter names. Now, if you'll both excuse me, I wanna enjoy the night with my family. My REAL family."

Clint tried to call out to his sister, but Alison stopped him, demanding that they find Caroline and return to the resort they were renting for the week. It wasn't long before Lin found her husband and her two youngest children, who were likely going to be up all night with the amount of sugar they were consuming. 

"Hey, everythin' alright?" Joe asked an upset-looking Lin. 

"Fer now. I handled it. I swear, Sallie is the smartest one outta all us fer stayin' home."

Joe wrapped a muscled arm around her shoulder, bringing her into a side hug. "If they decide to be difficult, then we'll give 'em difficult. You know I ain't afraid to say stuff to 'em."

"I know...But I'm scared," Lin admitted, surprising Joe, "I don't wanna make things worse for Millie...And I think I just unintentionally did..."

---

"Alright, we doin' this?" Sallie looked between her two older siblings as they all sat down at the family dining table. "Big sibling time!"

"Reckon so. Ya up for a game, Mills?" Roy turned to his sister as he shuffled a deck of cards. 

"Absolutely! We haven't done this in years!"

"Well...At least not just with the three of us...Besides Peaches," Roy looked at his wife sitting beside him. "The last time we all got to hang out just us like this was before Elmer was born."

"Pfft! Peaches is basically like a sister ta us! She counts!" 

"I'm glad you accept me to the point of considering me a sister, Millie," Peaches replied, drinking from the beer bottle in her hand. 

"We've known ya like forever. You've always been a part of the family. Even bafore you 'n Roy became a thing."

"Peachy has been with us so long, I don't remember life before her." Sallie joked, taking a sip of her own drink.

"To be fair, you were a literal infant when mah parents moved to Tierra Bendita...Right, honey?"

"Well, you and I were both 6 when your family moved over here. Millie and I are three years apart, so she would have been 3, Mills 'n Sal are two years apart, so she would've been 1, depending on what month y'all officially settled in." Roy explained, before Millie set her drink bottle down on the table, remembering to tell her sister-in-law an interesting detail she'd only recently learned about her husband. 

"Oh, speakin' of, Peach, I fergot ta tell ya! Mox's been tryin' ta learn more 'bout his mama's side of the family, and turns out his Ma was from Rashville!"

"Really?" Peaches looked up at her sister-in-law with a curious cocked eyebrow. "So, Moxxie, the musician, is from the music capital of Wrath? Who would've thunk?"

"Well, I don't know if he's from there, but according to the DNA testing we've been doing, it says his Mama and her family are originally from there."

"I can't say I remember much from living there...Hey, speakin' of, where is Mox?"

"Sleepin'," Millie explained, looking through the cards Roy handed to her. "I think bein' off schedule fer the past couple of days has worn him out. He doesn't like to stray away from his everyday routine too much....Plus with everythin' else goin' on, he's been needin' ta catch up on some shut eye."

"When ya say 'everything else goin' on' yer refferring to y'all's life in Pride or the shock from this week?" Peaches asked for clarification.

"Mmm...Both. Oh, before I forget, Sal, Kora and the other girls wanna find time this week to see ya so we'll be plannin' somethin'." 

"Sounds great ta me! 'Cause I fer one ain't riskin' runnin inta she who shall not be named or the other one at that. Plus I gotta give Kora 'n Hal their weddin' gift."

"I don't blame ya," Millie muttered, taking a new card from the center deck while everyone else glanced at each other, inviting the silence in while the four demons played their game until Sallie May could no longer take the uncomfortable quiet of the Wrath night. 

"...Ok, I gotta be the first one ta say somethin'! Did anyone actually find out why in the literal fuck that cunt nugget is with Mr. wipes his ass with cash?!"

Silence fell upon the table again before a stifled giggle from Millie sent the other three demons quietly cracking up at Sallie's nicknames.

"I gotta admit," Millie got out after calming down, "Despite the fact that they both traumatized me, I wouldn't mind thinkin' of 'em from time to time just to remember ya said that, Sal."

"Cunt nuggest is pretty good," Roy chuckled, playing his turn.

"Well, anyone? Comon! I'm stayin' home ta avoid them, but I gotta get the tea!"

"From what it sounds like ta me, it kinda sounds like the marriage is arranged," Millie took a pause to sip her beer. "So in conclusion, I highly doubt they actually want to get married to each other. She was bragging all night about her engagement ring that cost 20K...And ONLY for the engagement ring. Satan only knows how much the set actually costs."

"An arranged marriage?" Peaches wondered out loud. 

"Mhm, she said at the dinner ta'night that Alison's parents know Rex's parents, and each family was lookin' ta make an aliance so..."

"So they're basically sellin' their kids off to each other just ta get more cash. That's fuckin' aweful, especially since I'm assumin' Uncle Clint and Alison know the kinda things Rex has done."

"Those kinds of folks don't care," Roy scoffed. "I get Uncle Clint is Mama's brother, but if he could sell his daughter out just ta get some more fuckin' money when he married a literal millionaire AND the fiance is a fuckin' manipulative rapist he deserves ta get what's comin' ta him."

"Roy!" Peaches nudged her brother for the language he used, since his sister was sitting right across that table. 

"...Oh, fuck. I'm sorry, Mills, I shouldn't have said that."

"Nah...It's alright." Millie excused her brother, "I don't think that's the right label ta use but knowing him I guess ya never know...But anyway, yeah, sounds like they're only tagether 'cause their folks wanna be in each other's good graces. I've heard Moxxie talkin' 'bout that sometimes. He said arranged marriages between wealthy families like that in Greed ain't uncommon...I mean, it's literally called the Greed Ring fer a reason."

"Ain't that the truth...But it still don't give her the right ta be actin' all bitchy like that to ya, sis."

"When has Caroline ever not been a bitch ta me? Here's the facts, the only reason she keeps gloatin' 'bout being engaged ta Rex is 'cause she's tryin' ta get under my skin. Any sane person would vomit at the idea of marryin' someone who's already had sex with their cousin."

"Maybe her karma will be that she 'n Rex will never get each other off?" Peaches lightly chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. 

"Nah, her karma is gonna be that she'll never be able ta get off, 'cause Rex don't know a thing about pleasing a lady." Millie popped off, not having a care in the world that she was sharing these details with her family, and putting Sallie and Peaches in shock at the revelation.

"...Fer real?" Sal questioned with interest. 

"UH YEAH! He fuckin' sucked in bed! The guy couldn't find the clit even if it stretched out and licked him in the face." Millie complained, prompting Roy to slowly lower his cards onto the table, pinching the space between his nose and eyebrows, and mumbling something under his breath. 

"Oops! Sorry, bro."

"Mills, I love ya, but in my mind yer perpetually 5 years old. I don't wanna be hearin' none of that."

"Yer just actin' like a big 'ol baby!" Sallie teased her older brother. "Over here actin' like ya ain't married!...No offense, P."

"None taken...So he was that bad at it, huh?" Peaches looked back up at Millie, drawing another card from the deck. 

"Girl, let me tell ya. Caroline's in fer a wild ride if those two decide ta get it on, 'cause he can't fuck fer nothin'. It would be more pleasurable to masturbate with sandpaper."

"How did ya never tell me 'bout this?" Sallie laughed, turning to her older sister. 

"'Cause he fuckin' traumatized the crap outta me. I don't usually wanna think about him, especially in that department." 

"Well, don't keep us waitin', spill the tea!" 

"No, no, please don't," Roy disagreed with Sallie. 

"Why ya so interested?" Millie giggled. 

"'Cause I just found out that this sack of shit who almost ran ya outta the fuckin' Wrath Ring sucks in bed, and I have a feelin' that if miss prissy pants decides ta try 'n start shit with me later on this week, it'd be smart ta have some dirt. Now start talkin'!"

Millie playfully rolled her eyes at Sallie's eagerness. "All I'll say is that he's selfish. He cares more about getting his own rocks off."

"Isn't 'selfish bastard' Rex's middle name?" 

"Fair point, P, but he's one of those guys that literally just gets off then leaves ya there ta finish yer own."

"Who was worse in bed? Rex or Chaz?"

"Oh my fuckin' Satan. Rex. Definitely Rex. I don't even have to think about that one."

At the revelation, Peaches and Sallie scrunched up their noses, cringing at the very thought as Roy took a bigger swig of alcohol to try tuning out the girl talk unfolding at the table. 

"Let me guess," Peaches cautiously proceeded. "He'd also get all offended if you tried ta...finish the job?"

"OH WHAT! Yes! He'd get sooo mad if I even tried touchin' myself! He wouldn't even let me try to take the reins! He felt emasculated by me even suggesting I try rockin' it on top! It was so bad I thought I was ace fer a good while."

Sallie snorted, choking on her drink, trying to laugh quietly. "What?!"

"Yeah, ya heard me!"

"He literally told ya that?"

"His exact words. 

"Mills, your my SIL, and I love ya, but why in Satan's fuck did ya wanna be with this guy, again?" 

"Look, I was 17, ok? I don't have a single good explanation as to "why?" I'm just glad that I'm happy now."

"I know that y'all family has their own reservations about Moxxie, but I'm sure if anythin' he don't feel emasculated by his own wife." 

"Please, Moxxie is the only guy I've ever been with that can actually make me finish. I am so hot 'n bothered by that man, I might as well be in heat every single day."

"OK!" Roy slammed his cards down on the table. "I am gonna go take a piss while you girls finish this conversation." The oldest of the groups stood walking towards the kitchen door. 

"Yer goin' take a leak outside?"

"Yeah, I'll go find a bush er somethin', Sal." 

Alone at the dinner table now, all three girls looked at each other before laughing among themselves. They usually indulged in descriptive girl talk when they were together, but perhaps doing so in front of Roy might have been a bit too much. Maybe the extra alcohol, even after the event, was getting to them. 

"He'll get over it," Peaches cleared her throat, continuing the game. "...But seriously? Yer happy, Mills?"

"Very much. Things are great." Millie smiled, thinking about her precious husband, who was slumbering peacefully upstairs. "Much better than they used ta be. Who would've thought that havin' a significant other who doesn't treat ya like shit would have made such a difference in yer life." 

"Probably because him treating you like a queen has strengthened yer self-worth." 

"Ok, I don't know about that...Sometimes I still wonder why he wants to be with me in the first place."

"The princess worships the ground you walk on, Mills. It don't really matter why, it matters that he loves you and chooses you...And that he treats you good 'cause if he didn't his ass would be grass by now." 

"I agree. And I'm gonna speak fer Roy and say he'd agree with what Sal said too." 

"So y'all think I deserve this win in life?"

"'Course! Everyone deserves ta be happy, Mills."

"I'm glad you think so, P," Millie deviously smirked, fanning her cards out on the table. "'Cause I just beat all y'all asses on the first round!"

Sallie and Peaches started to argue with Millie, completely unfazed as she finished off her beer and glowing from her triumph of winning in only 30 minutes. She had always been a sneak when it came to card and gambling games...Admittedly, not as good as her husband, but good enough to win the majority of the time when playing with others. 

"Save the banter fer later, ladies! 'Cause I'm gonna turn in fer the night." 

"What?! Yer gonna beat us and then leave us ta girl talk by ourselves?!" Sallie pushed back. 

"We can girl talk some more when we hang out with the others. That way we don't need ta censor how we talk or what we talk 'bout. But fer tonight, I am heading to bed." 

"Fine," Peaches and Sallie concurrently whined, taking all the cards and shuffling the deck once again.

"Night, Mills."

"Yeah, sweet dreams. And don't ya fuckin' go up there ta try and get it on with the cupcake either. My bedroom is right next ta y'alls and I don't wanna be hearin' none of that."

"Who? Little ol' me?" Millie teased, acting offended and innocent. "I would never!" Was all she chuckled before disappearing upstairs and preparing for bed. She enjoyed tonight, but all she wanted to do was retreat to bed and snuggle next to Moxxie.

Before leaving the bathroom, Millie stared at herself in the mirror once she finished brushing her teeth, not thinking of anything in particular, just looking into her own eyes and thinking of little things that wouldn't leave her mind at ease. Finally, she turned out the light and tried her best to be silent when she made it to the bedroom, finding her way to the bed in the dark and getting cozy next to her sleeping husband, spooning him from behind and petting the back of his hair while he lightly snored in his blanket cacoon. 

"...Moxxie, thank you for everything that you do for me and our marriage. I appreciate you and everything you do for us. You always treat me with respect and try hard every day to be the best husband, and I love you so much fer that." Millie whispered, and despite not receiving a verbal response, she knew Moxxie would have said similar words back to her if he had been awake.

If only she'd found him earlier in life, if things had played out differently, perhaps she could have avoided a lot of pain and heartbreak, but she had him now, and for her, that was all that mattered.

Notes:

Oopsies! Sorry about the late post guys! I was gonna post yesterday, but then the site was down for like the whole day😅

Also, I was thinking about this the other day...How crazy is it that this fic is going to be a year old in just a few weeks?!

That's honestly amazing to me! I can't believe it's almost been a year since I've been sharing all my stories with you guys!

But for now, Part 8 will be coming soon!

If you are celebrating the 4th, and even if you don't, please be careful and stay safe out there tonight!🫶

Chapter 62: Family Reunion (Part 8)

Summary:

Onyx shares her concerns about Rex with Burke. Rex begins to manipulate Millie for he and his father's agenda.

Notes:

Happy Saturday, everyone!

So, I decided to switch some things up. What this is is the original part 9, but I decided to switch around parts 8 & 9 since it made more sense for me.

So, this will be the new part 8, and the original part 8 will be the next chapter, part 9.

Warnings:
- Implications of emotionally abusive relationships.

11 Years Ago

“Alright, honeybee, I’ll be back by suppertime. We can go to Willy’s if ya want!” Onyx looked up from her project, facing her father as he put on his western hat. 

“Let's please! I’ve been craving a good burger.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do! How ‘bout you call yer Mama ‘n invite her too?”

“I’ll do that!...Oh, Dad!” the teen girl called out before he left the house. “Do ya mind if I invite Burke ‘n Mills over fer the day?”

“Not at all. Just be careful if y’all go somewhere.”

“Yes, sir,” Onyx agreed, rushing to her father’s kitchen to dial the George house phone, and it wasn’t long before someone picked up on the other line. 

‘Hello? George house.’

“Hi, Mama Lin! It’s Onyx. Is Millie home?”

‘Oh, hi dear! Umm…She, unfortunately, is not. She took off to spend the day in San Satanonio.’

“Oh…ok then. Thank you.”

‘Would you like me to take a message for her?’

“No, that’s ok! Thank you again.” 

Surprise surprise…Of course, she was in Satanonio…

Onyx felt guilty for being annoyed, even slightly, but she quickly talked herself out of being upset with her friend.

Weeks ago, Millie went on her first outing with Rex “just to get him off her back” in her own words…Unfortunately, their date had the opposite effect…And not only in Rex…

Millie had actually taken a liking to Rex, and after three more dates, she decided to give him a chance. 

Everyone had their own reservations about the relationship, but Onyx especially didn’t like it one bit. 

Every time Millie would swoon about her new boyfriend, talking about how sweet, kind, and generous he was, Onyx cringed and wanted to gag, but she kept those thoughts to herself…mostly herself. 

“Howdy! At yer pa’s house this week? That’s some nice work there!” Burke jumped off his horse, complimenting the wooden sculpture Onyx was whittling in her hands with a sharp knife. “Pops out workin’ in the fields?”

“Naw, not today. He ‘n Mr. Joe are goin’ pick up some more hay…What’s yer folks been up to?”

“Mmm, not much. My Pa’s startin’ to build a new shed. My Ma’s been workin’ more on her sewin’ and whatnot.”

“I love that new sundress I bought from her. The pale green one. It’s nice fer when I go out ‘n it’s hot. As a matter of fact, I’m wearin’ it tonight.”

“Where ya goin’ ta’night?” Burke asked, lighting a cigarette. 

“Me ‘n my parents are goin’ ta Willy’s. That’s why I invited ya over early.”

“Mills ain’t comin’ hang out with us?”

Onyx’s smile dropped along with her wood shaving, and Burke wasn’t oblivious to the sudden mood change in his lifelong friend. 

“Oh,” was all he muttered when he put two and two together. “Guess she’s with the boy then, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“She’s been hanging out with him a lot lately.”

“Yep…”

Ever since Millie started dating Rex, Onyx and Burke had noticed she had been going out more often with him rather than spending time with them as a group of friends like they all used to. In the beginning, the young cowgirl would occasionally miss the hangouts they’d do during the week; however, this quickly morphed into Millie choosing to follow Rex to Satanonio nearly every time she and her two friends made plans. 

The other cowgirl and cowboy understood to an extent. Millie had never had a boyfriend like this before, and it made sense that she wanted to spend all the time with him she could, considering that at the end of the summer, Rex would have to return to the Greed Ring. 

She would never admit it, but it was really starting to get under Onyx’s skin. She loved Millie. She was her best friend. They’d been friends since the time they were in diapers. But Onyx would be lying if she said she wasn’t at least mildly frustrated with Millie. 

It wasn’t because she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend. In fact, despite her own thoughts about Rex, Onyx was happy that Millie was happy. It was the principle of how she was going about spending time with Rex…

The number of times Onyx and Burke invited Millie to go out and she turned them down every time, now in favor of being with Rex, was becoming annoying. 

What was really starting to piss her off was how Millie would decide at the last minute to skip their own plans to go to Satanonio. Like a few days ago, when they previously made plans, only for Millie to never show up, or she wouldn’t let them know that she changed her mind and was going to see Rex. 

If Millie wanted to be with Rex, then so be it, but the fact that she was starting to ditch Onyx and Burke a lot was starting to hurt her best girl friend’s feelings. 

And perhaps part of that was on Onyx’s part. She hadn’t told Millie how she was truly feeling about the situation. What was she supposed to say? “Hey, you’re hanging out with your new boyfriend too much. Stop that.” She couldn’t do that. So, unwillingly, for the sake of her best friend, she stayed silent.

But there were a select few people she was comfortable sharing her thoughts with about these new circumstances…

“You know she’s not doin’ it on purpose, Onny,” Burke shattered the wall of silence between the two of them. “Mills wouldn’t do that to ya.”

“No, I know…It just…It’s startin’ to hurt mah feelin’s a little bit. I get she wants ta bond and spend time with him, but…” The cowgirl paused, beginning to regret even sharing her emotions, as hearing herself talk sounded selfish to her ears. 

“I get it,” Burke admitted. “I know what ya mean. I do think your feelings about it are valid ‘cause it ain’t cool how she’ll just take off without lettin’ us know first…She has been a little…preoccupied recently.”

“I’m tryin’ ta be patient with her, and I don’t wanna be a bad friend, but it’s really startin’ ta tick me off.”

“...It ain’t just about Millie, though, is it?” 

“Well, damn, ya didn’t have ta call me out like that,” Onyx smiled. 

“But I’m right, aren't I?” Burke grinned, poking his friend’s cheek. 

“...Ya better not blab ta her…I do not like that man.”

As if Burke would tell Millie or disagree. He was much quieter about it, but truth be told, he wasn’t Rex’s biggest fan either. He didn’t have as many opinions on him as his other pal, but he wasn’t so supportive of Millie running around with some schmuck from the Greed Ring, especially knowing that he and his family were likely there to try to buy land just to fuel their own desire to get richer. 

“I can’t explain it, Burke…But I just get a bad feelin’ ‘bout him…There’s somethin’ about him that sets off red flags fer me. I don’t believe fer a single second that he’s got good intentions.”

“....Eh, she’ll be fine!”

“Burke!” Onyx pushed him on the arm while he snorted at her reaction. “This ain’t a joke!”

“Oh, come on! I was just tryin’ ta lighten’ the mood!...But seriously, she’ll be ok. She’s Millie. If he did something that she didn’t like or tried ta be slimy, she’d kick his ass faster than a fuckin’ twister. She’s gonna be ok.”

“...Ya really think I’m bein’ too paranoid ‘bout him?”

“I think,” Burke pondered his response, wrapping an arm around Onyx’s shoulder for comfort. “I think that you love Millie so much that you just wanna protect her. And ya don’t wanna see her get hurt. And I don’t think that makes ya a bad friend. Don’t misunderstand me either. Of course, I wish Mills would spend more time with us, too, but we can’t force her ta do that…I do think we should bring it up ta her though. Who knows? Maybe she don’t realize she’s doin’ it.”

Burke’s words of advice helped to soothe the anxiety Onyx had been bottling up for a while now, but still, she couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about everything…

“Yeah…I’ll try talkin’ ta her. I’m the one out of the two of us who’s better at this kind of thing anyway.” She giggled, poking fun at Burke who was playing offended. 

“Wh- Hey!” It was his turn to punch her now. “I’ll have you know, little miss, that I am a great communicator!”

“Yeah, but you can be a little too blunt sometimes."

“Sometimes people need ta hear the unfiltered truth!”

“Yeah, yeah. Now are we gonna go ride horses er not?”

“We’ll let’s go! I’m waitin’ on you, Anxious Amy!” Burke joked, hopping back on his horse. Onyx locked the door to her father’s home, and she went out back to the barn to her own horse. 

Even when she tried her hardest to relax that afternoon by remembering Burke’s words, something in her gut wouldn’t settle, continuing to tell her that there was definitely something bad about to happen.

---

2 Days Later

“Hi, Miss Pam!” 

“Hi, Millie! It’s great to see you! She’s upstairs!” Onyx’s mother greeted Millie once she answered the door, and right away, Millie sprinted upstairs to her friend’s room, excited to see her after a while of the two being separated. 

When the young rancher burst through the wooden bedroom door where her friend was finishing her makeup, she smirked at her like a Cheshire cat, waiting for her friend to start the conversation first. 

“Hey bitch,” Onyx smiled, jumping up from her chair to give Millie a tight hug, and one of relief to see that she looked ok. “We partyin’ hard ta’night?”

“You fuckin’ bet! I am ready to party hard with other Wrathians tonight.”

“Oh?...You’ve been partyin’ with non-Wrathians?” Onyx asked, originally as a joke.

“Yeah, Rex brought me to a couple of those fancy dinners that the rich folk do…They’re ok, but that ain’t my preference.”

“...Oh…So you’ve gotten a taste of them rich people's parties.” 

“Uh-huh…They’re…certainly different.” Millie hesitated.

“What ya mean…In a good way orrr?” Onyx pried, recognizing Millie’s strange reluctance to say much.

“Well, let’s just say that Greed folk ain’t like Wrathians at all, but I put up with ‘em fer Rex…Speakin’ of, look at what he got me!” Millie changed the subject, pulling out a very expensive, very impressive mobile cell phone from her bag, one that Onyx could tell Millie never could have afforded on her own, neither could her parents. 

“...Wow, is that a VoxPhone?”

“Mhm, he got it for me so that way we can talk anytime we want! It’s still pretty new, so imma have to put you ‘n Burke’s numbers in, but I’m excited ta try it out!”

“I don’t blame ya…He’s a big gift giver, huh?”

Onyx noticed rather quickly that Rex had been gifting Millie a lot of expensive things, and while she could appreciate a man wanting to spoil his girlfriend, there was one detail she clung onto surrounding all these extravagant presents that Millie hadn’t seemed to pick up on…

They all seemed to be gifts for Rex that he disguised as being gifts for Millie. 

There was a chance that Onyx’s paranoia about him was getting to her, but it was all far too convenient for him. Expensive dresses and makeup for these parties and dinners he dragged Millie to, all of the expensive accessories like shoes, purses, jewelry, the VoxPhone…

They all benefited him in some way, shape, or form, and Millie?...Onyx wasn’t Millie, but she knew her best friend well enough to know that not a single one of those gifts were things that Millie had any interest in. Conveniently, none of these gifts were in Millie’s style either, but rather the style that would match those rich women from the Greed Ring. 

“He said he wants to treat me, and he’s definitely keepin’ his word…Ya ok?” Millie asked, watching as Onyx stared off into the distance, like she’d quit engaging in their conversation and started staring off into Heaven. 

“...Do you actually mind if we talk real quick before we leave?” Onyx bit the bullet, not sure if she’d find a better time that night to have a chat with Millie like she and Burke discussed. 

“Sure, what’s goin’ on?”

“Well, Mills,” Onyx took her friend’s hands in hers. “I’m really happy fer ya. I’m happy ya found this guy who treats ya well, and who you love, but I’m ashamed to say I miss ya.”

“Miss me?”

“Yeah…I’m not trying to sound selfish, but I do miss spendin’ time with you. You have been going to Satanonio a lot, and I understand that, but do you think maybe we could start schedulin’ some time during the week just fer the two of us, and Burke too.”

“Of course!” Millie proclaimed. “I wanna spend time with you ‘n Burke. Yer my two best friends!” She hadn’t realized how much they missed her, how much time had likely passed where she spent many days and nights in the big city and got carried away. But Millie would make this right. She would be more careful and pay more attention to how much time she was spending with Rex independently, so she could begin to mend the relationship with her two best friends in all of Hell. 

“I love you…And I’m sorry I’ve been getting carried away,” Millie initiated another sweet hug with her lifelong friend, embracing the feeling that she hadn’t realized she missed since they’d been apart. “And I promise ta do better. Thank you fer talkin’ ta me.”

“Absolutely. And I love you too…But now,” Onyx pulled away, both girls sharing a grin. “Ya ready ta fuckin’ party our asses off?”

“Fuck yeah!”

---

The Following Afternoon

Rex sat in the office of his father’s pent house, in the desk rolling chair looking down on the busy streets of San Satanonio, annoyed and pissed off from the previous night. 

Millie hadn’t answered a single call or text that he’d sent her. For hours last night, he continuously rang her cell, the cell that HE bought her, and the stupid bitch didn’t even have the common curtesy to pick up and answer him?!

Just who did she think she was?!

How dare she! Well, he’d make damn sure to use that against her later. He’d never let her forget it. 

‘Mr. Ricco, Mildred George is here at the front desk asking to see you.’ The desk phone rang throughout the room, its voice belonging to one of their receptionists. 

Well, speak of the devil. 

Rex hit the reply button, confirming with the front desk woman to send Millie up to the office. Right away. He had a bone to pick with her. 

Every time she waltzed right into their building with that stupid, excited smile, it made him want to get up and slap it off her face. A foolish little Wrathian girl who had absolutely nothing to be so joyous about, yet she always wore that fucking smile. And don’t even get him started on her voice. He’d been attempting to find coaching and classes that'd encourage her to speak normally, but was unfortunately not finding any luck. Guess it made sense that hicks wouldn’t understand the importance of proper language and speech. 

“Hi, sweetie!” Millie waved as Rex stood from his chair, not returning her gesture. “I’m surprised I got here early! The train was runnin’ a little behind this mornin’ accordion’ to my brother.”

“...Where were you last night?”

“Hmm? I was out with my friends. We went to a party that Burke’s cousin was hosting…You ok?”

“I was up all night, worried about you because you didn’t return any of my calls or texts.” 

A lie. He broke a few things around the penthouse in a rage when she wouldn’t answer him, but he couldn’t tell her that. 

One important thing about Millie that didn’t take long for Rex to learn was that she had a habit of putting everyone else’s wants and needs above her own, and…well, it was easy to guilt her. Too easy…

“Oh…I’m sorry,” There she went, her smile dropping, and her voice shifting to an apologetic tone. “I promise I didn’t mean to ignore you-”

“You did, though. I was scared that something was wrong…And you were at a party. You didn’t tell me you were going to a party. What if something bad had happened? I wouldn’t have been able to go and help.”

“Well, hun, my fam wasn’t far from the house the party was at.”

“Does anyone in your family have a cell phone?”

“...No, but my parents have a house phone.”

“Still, you have no guarantee that they would have answered. Did you know everyone at this party?”

“Nah, but-”

“So, you went to a party without telling me where you were going, you didn’t answer any of my means to get in touch with you, and you also admit you didn’t know everyone who was attending.”

“Yeah, but Onyx ‘n Burke were there with me. Plus, I knew majority of the people there. It ain’t like I went to hang out with a bunch of strangers.” Millie explained softly, feeling even more guilt when Rex just turned and walked to a couch, slumping down in his seat with his head in his hands.

“You’re missing the point…You may think you were safe, but you really don’t have a promise that you are, even if your friends were there. How was I supposed to know you were safe? You had me so worried, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat this morning because I still hadn’t heard from you.” 

Millie approached the couch when she heard sniffling from her boyfriend, now feeling horrible for her “irresponsible” actions. Maybe she was being too selfish…Maybe she was wrong. She genuinely hadn’t been on her phone much in the past few hours, so she hadn’t known yet how hard he was trying to get in touch with her. She kept her phone on silent all night too…She’d have to make a mental note not to do that anymore. 

“Baby…I’m sorry. Really, I am.” She planted a hand on his shoulder, and thank Satan, he was holding both hands over his face so she wouldn’t be able to see the evil smirk that spread across his lips once he sensed she was drawn in. “I promise I won’t do it again…I’ll keep better track of when yer tryin’ to reach me…I uh, I don’t know how that’s gonna work when I’m on the farm, but-”

“Well,” Rex interrupted, drying his fake tears away. “At least when you are working on the ranch, I know someone’s always around in case you need help. However, yes, please make it a priority.”

“I promise I will,” Millie blushed when Rex cupped her cheek, kissing her, before retreating back to the desk to open his laptop. 

“Now then, perhaps we should discuss the plans for Thursday night.”

“Thursday night?”

“Yes. Thursday night, my father has clients coming to the city to close a deal. He’s already mentioned you were going to be there, so I will need you to get here by 3:00 P.M. so the help can get you ready. Don’t worry about bringing any of your new outfits from home. I’ve already purchased everything you’ll need.”

“...Forgive me, honey, but Thursday night I already have plans.”

“What?...For what? This isn’t optional. It would be embarrassing for you not to show after we’ve told them so much about you.”

“I’m sorry, but Onyx and I made plans Thursday and Friday night.”

“...Thursday and Friday? Two nights in a row? Didn’t the two of you spend the night together last night?”

“Yes, but I promised she and Burke that we could hang out those days. We’re tryin’ to schedule more time together so I can split my time equally between here and home.”

“...Why are your friends trying to separate us?”

Internally, he could have bolted out of that chair and scalped her for talking back and arguing with him, but he’d take his anger out later when she wasn’t around. 

Those two fucking imps! They were deciding to get in the way now? Oh, no, no, no! That would NOT be happening!

“T-they’re not-”

“It sounds like they are. Are they jealous of the time you and I spend together? They do know that you and I only have limited time before I have to leave at the end of the summer, right?”

“They do but-”

“Then they can understand how important this is for you…Right?”

“I’m sure they could, but I already promised them.”

“...I’ll see what I can do…But for next time, can you please run the days you wish to be with them by me so we can avoid this?”

“...Yes. I’ll do that.”

“Wonderful. Now,” Rex smiled, standing from his seat. “We’re by ourselves. Did you know that?” He flirted, getting closer to Millie, who began to blush once more, despite feeling mildly uncomfortable. 

“Umm, well, sure we are.”

“No. I mean, my father and his apprentices are out for the day. We have the entire penthouse to ourselves.” He pinned the female imp against the couch, wrapping his tail around her waist, waiting like a hungry beast for her to give in. He hadn’t been successful in his advances yet for this department , but he could tell he was getting close…

“I-...I’m. I ain’t ready fer that kinda thing yet,” Millie stuttered, trying not to hurt her boyfriend’s feelings with her rejection. Usually, she wouldn’t give two shits about sparing a man’s feelings for this type of scenario, but he was her boyfriend! And that was far different than rejecting any random man on the street.

“...Fair enough,” Rex (reluctantly) stopped, giving her some space, before holding his arm out for her to take. “Shall we go out to lunch before you have to return to the farm?”

“Sure! I’m starvin’!” 

‘Satan, she’s a fucking idiot…Stupid whore. Ungrateful bitch’ Rex said to himself, hating her for showing off that smile of hers once again, but playing along. 

He was not looking forward to the talk he’d have to have with his father later…

---

Abram sighed as he hung up the phone with their clients. It was not easy whatsoever to have these kinds of business partners change their plans around, but by Mammon’s grace, he made it work. 

“She’s lucky we were able to convince them.” The father spun in his chair, glancing at his son, who was staring out at the city lights once nightfall fell upon the ring. “This was not easy, and I won’t do it again. Tell that little whore to do whatever she has to to make it work next time.”

“...Those friends of hers are going to be an issue,” Rex muttered. “Onyx and Burke…I think they’re both starting to become wise that we’re using her…Either that or she’s struggling to prioritize me over them. One of her greatest weaknesses seems to be how important her loved ones are to her.”

“...We can worry about them later if they become a bigger threat.” Abram reminded his son, joining him at the window and admiring the other parts of the city. “And if they do,” he prompted his son to look him in the eyes. “We have a way to handle them.”

“...You mean?”

His father nodded, looking back out into the night sky. 

“Look around you, son. Where are we right now?”

“...The Wrath Ring.”

“Correct…What is one of the Wrath Ring’s best assets that its demons are known for?”

“...They produce some of the best assassins.”

“And there isn’t a shortage of them.” Abram, pat Rex on the shoulder, “If those two want to be thorns in our side, they can go ahead…But in the end, they’ll pay the price for it.”

Chapter 63: Family Reunion (Part 9)

Summary:

Lin and Joe discuss potentially skipping out on some wedding festivities. Moxxie and Millie take the kids to the pumpkin patch before they spend the night stargazing.

Notes:

Short one today guys! Apologies for any mistakes, as I've lost my glasses this weekend😅

Warnings:
- Implications of emotionally/psychologically abusive relationships

“Mornin’ good lookin’,” Joe greeted Lin when she reentered the bedroom, rolling her eyes with a smirk when she opened the chest of drawers to get dressed. 

“Quit that.”

“Too early?”

“Too many people in the house.”

“Fair enough…You alright?” Joe followed up, noticing the tired eyes that Lin had. They hadn’t returned home too late the night before. Although he had a better guess as to why she wouldn’t have had proper rest…

“I didn’t sleep well last night…I keep thinking ‘bout Clint…”

Lin was in and out of sleep all during the night, going back and forth on the fight between she, her brother, and her sister-in-law. She didn’t feel guilty for a single word she said, but nonetheless, it upset her, especially hearing the things they’d said about her daughter; hell, even the comments they’d made about her son-in-law made her feel enraged. 

The two fuckers could talk crap about her all they wanted, but the second they begin to insult her babies, her mama bear claws were coming out. 

Joe wasn’t a fan of the entire situation. He was, in frank terms, pissed off to hear his brother-in-law and sister-in-law speak so horrifically about his wife and daughter, just their entire family in general. And the bastard had the gall to approach them at dinner the night prior and act upset that he and Lin didn’t want him to have a relationship with their two younger children? The fucking nerve of that man and his wretched wife…

Maybe Clint and Alison wanted to pretend that they’d done nothing wrong to them in the past, but Joe would never forget a single detail about how they treated his family.

“...Lin, maybe we need ta consider skippin’ out on the next few events this week.” 

“Joey, we can’t do that! Kora’s our Satanchild. We can’t skip out on her wedding!”

“I ain’t sayin’ we skip the wedding, but maybe we need to consider skippin’ maybe one of the last events. It’s not worth it.”

“Not worth what?”

“Puttin’ your own sanity at risk.”

“I dunno, Joey. I would hate to do that. I feel like that would put Millie at risk since she’s bein’ targeted too…Satan only knows what Caroline and that fucker are gonna try to pull since I tore those two assholes a new one last night.”

“But that doesn’t mean that you have to put up with it either.”

“...I don’t know, babe…I’ll have to think about it.” Lin sighed, buckling her belt around her jeans. “Poppy’s comin’ over later, by the way. Can ya cover the sheep fer me?”

“‘Course. I’ll see if Elmer’s interested in helpin’ out.” Joe considered out loud before a knock on the door ceased their conversation. Lin quickly finished buttoning up her field shirt before opening the door to see Wyatt excitedly, patiently waiting for her outside. 

“Mama, can El ‘n I go with Millie ‘n Moxxie to the pumpkin patch? Please!”

“Pumpkin patch?” 

“Yeah! They’re goin’ this afternoon when Millie’s finished cleanin’ Wilbur’s cage!”

Husband and wife glanced back at each other, sharing a nod before Lin turned back to her youngest. 

“Well, were y’all invited to go?”

“Mills said we could come with them if y’all let. It’s gon’ be her, Moxxie, and Onyx.” Elmer explained better as he made his way upstairs, carrying a basket of clean laundry.

“How ‘bout this: you two get y’all chores done, ‘n tend to what needs to get done on the ranch this mornin’, then y’all can go.” 

The two young boys agreed to their parents’ conditions before scurrying off to complete everything that needed to get done before 3:00 P.M., when they’d depart with their sister and her two other special imps for a fun outing. Pumpkin patches were always a great activity for Wrathians around the time of harvest, especially youngins. 

“Uhh…Sal er’ Roy maybe. I don’t know. I’ll figure it out. We always get shit done.” Joe waved a hand, considering other options for farm help. 

“I could go back out later ta help more, too. The work always helps ta take my mind off stress. I have a feelin’ imma need ta blow off some steam.”

---

Nights in Wrath were one of Hell’s greatest beauties that were irresistible to see. The first time Moxxie visited Wrath once he escaped the clutches of his father’s abusive fist, the little imp was completely mesmerized by the night sky of his mother’s homeland. His homeland, from which he was ripped away at the tender age of only two years old.

And it pissed him off! He missed out on this experience for his entire life, only to see a sky of smog and pollution whenever he looked up in the Greed Ring. On the bright side, he finally had the pleasure of returning to his roots and appreciating the exquisiteness of the Wrath Ring’s night sky. 

After having a great afternoon at the pumpkin patch, just Moxxie, Millie, Onyx, and Elmer and Wyatt, they all returned to the Rough ‘N Tumbleweed Ranch when Moxxie took note of how clear and filled with stars the sky was that night, and suggested that they watch the stars and constellations with his new telescope. 

“Ready, Mox?!” Millie yelled to her husband from the kitchen in the house. 

“Yes, honey!” Moxxie yelled back, adjusting the telescope that Millie gifted to him in the backyard with Wyatt and Elmer excitedly watching on the back porch of the George farmhouse. 

Millie flicked off the kitchen light switch, plunging the ranch into complete darkness aside from the stars of Hell shining in the sky above. The kids squealed in delight, seeing how bright the tiny orbs in the sky were when there were no artificial sources of light. Because when the group of imps returned to the house after the pumpkin patch, Millie, Onyx, and Sallie worked to turn off and eliminate all the lights to make for the best results for Moxxie’s telescope.  

It was almost like a breath of fresh air, seeing how beautiful it was out in the country when it was just the night and the stars. Growing up, Millie, Roy, and Sallie would lie out on the lawn either at their own home or at Cinnamon’s staring at the night sky together, making for some of their best childhood memories, but it was easy to forget how breathtaking it was when it was just that: the darkness and the stars. 

Millie was really glad she’d decided to give Moxxie one of his gifts early now, as it would certainly be put to good use during their trip, especially on their honeymoon that was creeping quicker by the day. 

“Can I look?” Wyatt asked Moxxie, tugging on his tail as the older imp pulled his eye away from the telescope. 

“Sure! Let me set this up,” Moxxie set up the old wooden stool that Millie grabbed from the house, giving Wyatt a better chance at reaching the eyepiece. 

Millie, Sallie, and Onyx sat back on the porch steps, watching the boys take turns looking through the telescope, while they admired the stars themselves from afar. 

“This reminds me a lot of when we were little,” Onyx sighed, leaning back onto the porch with her hands. “Y’all remember after the harvest festivals whenever all our parents would let us stargaze while they helped ta clean up?”

“Yeah, those were great times! And ta think all them years ago it was just Roy, Mills, me, ‘n you.” Sallie thought back on their past childhood, all those years ago, before the stress-free innocence of childhood was washed away by the realities of adulthood. Despite those times being before her transition, they were still very near and dear to her.

Millie smiled sadly, looking up at the sky, starlight reflecting on her golden scleras. Those were great times for her. The female assassin always cherished her childhood memories before life became hard and demanding, but a twinge of sorrow was also attached to certain memories. Not because anything bad happened either. 

Millie felt so grateful for having such a great and fun childhood, especially after meeting Moxxie, Loona, and Blitz, learning that they were unfortunately not so lucky. Let’s be real, in Hell, there were lots of children who sadly did not have the privilege of having enjoyable, fruitful childhoods like she did. Despite coming from a not financially privileged background, she had the privilege of having a wonderful start to life. 

Sometimes, though, certain memories from her childhood reminded her of events that haunted her later in life…

“...And Burke,” Millie added, prompting Sallie May and Onyx to turn to her, almost startled that she mentioned that name. Millie wiped a small tear that manifested in her eye, looking back at the two other imps still with a mournful smile. “We can’t ferget that he was a part of that too.”

Onyx teared up, clearing her throat as she stood from the porch, making a fast excuse to go use the bathroom inside the home, when both sisters knew it was because she needed a moment to herself. Millie felt guilty for bringing it up, as she couldn’t bear to think about him lots of the time, but she wrongly assumed that it had been long enough by now. 

She looked straight ahead again, Moxxie still helping the boys to look through the telescope and identifying star patterns in the sky. That helped brighten the mood for her, even if just a tad, until Sal decided to break the silence between them. 

“So…Ya know that wasn’t yer fault, right?”

“...I ain’t so sure about that,” Millie rested her head in her hand. “It’s been a little over a decade, ‘n I still blame myself.”

“You can’t do that, Mills.”

“But I do,” she admitted, now wiping more drops that welled up in her eyes. “I always will.” 

Sallie scooted closer to her older sister, wrapping an arm around her while they continued to watch Moxxie and their brothers. 

“I don’t think he’d want you to,”  the younger of the two whispered, causing her sister to tense in an attempt to hold back more tears. “I think-”

“SAL!” Elmer called out to his older sister. “COME SEE THIS!”

“COMIN’ EL!” Sallie ended the chat with her sister, getting up to see what her brother was doing. Moxxie told the boys to be careful with the telescope before taking Sallie’s seat next to his wife, bringing her in for a hug. 

“You know, I think many years down the line, when we finally decide to retire, we should come here.” 

His presence immediately lightened the mood, even bringing a quick giggle out of Millie. 

“Ta Wrath?”

“Yeah! I think it’d be a great place…That is, unless you’d like to stay in Pride.”

“I think we’ve got time,” Millie ruffled the top of his hair, leaning into her husband’s body. “But I wouldn’t mind if we came back when we're older.”

“It’s a pretty night,” Moxxie commented while they stargazed, intertwining his tail with his wife’s. 

“Sure is. Ya ever seen something prettier than this?”

“Absolutely. You~ ”

Millie cocked her head, glancing at Moxxie who had a loving smile painted on his face as he admired her. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, much prettier than any star in any sky. His flirtations caused the melee wielder of the pair to blush, unconsciously turning her face away with a large grin from overwhelm. 

“Sorry. Did I make you shy?~” Moxxie teased. 

“Why do ya always do that?”

“Do what?~”

Millie let out a laugh, elbowing him in his side to knock it off. If he kept it up much further, she’d have to drag him back in that house to the guest room while everyone else was outside.

“You wanna know one of my favorite things about you?” Millie asked. “Yer loyal. And genuine. And funny.” 

“That’s three things.”

“Well, I got more than one favorite, ya little smartass!” 

“Well, do you want to know three of my favorite things about you ?”

“Spill~”

“You’re dedicated, smart, and kind. You’re very loving towards those you care about, and I love that about you.”

Right when they were going to go in for a kiss, Onyx walked back onto the porch from inside, no longer looking upset or teary-eyed, but instantly noticing she’d interrupted their moment. 

“Oops! Sorry y’all. Didn’t mean ta cock block.” she shrugged, opening the can of beer in her hand. 

“Oh, please. The fact that we’re stayin’ in a house with five people all week is more of a cock block than you.” Millie playfully rolled her eyes. 

“Well, there ain’t no one in there now. So technically, I am the cock blocker this time ‘round.”

That’s right. Lin and Joe were out. Sallie and Onyx were watching the younger boys. No one else was in the house at the time. Millie and Moxxie’s eyes met, each knowing instantaneously that they were thinking the same exact thing…

“...Hey, Moxxie. I just remembered. We really need to fold those clothes.” 

“Oh, you know what, honey, you’re right! How could we forget about that?” Moxxie played along, “We need to go do that before the clothes become wrinkled.”

“...There ain’t any laundry, is there?” Onyx foolishly asked the couple getting up to complete their “task.” 

“Course there is! Important laundry.” Millie replied, obviously seeing that Onyx wasn’t buying their excuse.

Her friend snorted, taking a seat on the porch while Moxxie opened the back door to enter the house. “Yeah, right! Y’all go ahead! We’ll keep the kids outta the house.”

“We’ll be back!” was all Millie told her before the two disappeared into the dark house to the guest room. 

Yeah. Millie really did love Moxxie. A real man. Funny, loyal, and genuine…

---

11 Years Ago

“You want me to try helpin’ y’all get land?” 

Millie sat next to her boyfriend on his large bed in his quarters of the Ricco penthouse. After another long date out, and several nights beforehand, where he demanded she show up to their get-togethers with other Greedians, all she was hoping for was a moment to relax on the soft, comfy mattress, just talking. 

When she said she wanted to talk to him, she didn’t have the topic of “business” in mind…

“Precisely! We think we can find good oil in Tierra Bendita. My father requests that you speak with some of the locals, asking if they’d like to sell or donate their properties so we can begin drilling.” Rex stood from the bed, excitedly explaining away the plans he and his family had to find revenue in the hometown of this little imp he’d been playing with for the past month. 

In the past weeks, he’d taken her on more dates, purchased more gifts than she had the room or purpose for, given her more money than she’d ever see in her life, given her so much attention that by now he was convinced that he had her wrapped around his demonic little finger. He’d lovebombed her so much she didn’t even bat an eye when he dropped little insults here and there, negging her to believe that she couldn’t trust her own judgement, and Lucifer’s fuck, he just knew that by now she’d do whatever he’d say if he played the sympathy cards just right…

Millie was taken aback. She was aware that Rex’s family wanted to extend their work to the Wrath Ring, but to Tierra Bendita…drilling? 

No, no, no…That would not end well for any Wrathians who lived there or nearby. 

Tierra Benidta was a HUGE tourist attraction for Wrathians and others outside the ring. So much happened there, and allowing a mega corporation to take root on that land would quickly destroy everything. The entire town was farmland. Ranchers, farmers, agriculturists, that’s where most of them worked and raised their families. Their work funded and produced a large chunk of Wrath’s food supply and, therefore, Hell’s food supply chain. 

To drill there would ruin it. The land, the cash flow, and the financial support for workers and their families. Not to mention the possibility that more companies would catch on and perhaps try to buy property there themselves. The destruction would be catastrophic, and Millie didn’t want that.

Tierra Bendita was her home. She was born and raised there; all her childhood memories, all her life experiences, were created in the dry soil of that town and her parents’ ranch. She couldn’t bare to watch that land be killed and taken over by billionaires who didn’t give any fucks or shits about who’s lives they destroyed. 

“W-why Tierra Bendita?” the imp choked out, watching as her boyfriend headed to his large walk-in closet. 

“The land there is supposedly rich in oil and potentially gold. It’s also a popular site for visitors coming in and out of town. You probably already know that, though.” Rex smiled, peeking his head out of the closet. “We could even consider opening more branches there if we’re successful with the first. With us being from Greed, the locals may not be so open to selling their land, but if you, a local, can persuade them, oh Lucifer, we’d make it big!”

“...I don’t know, hun.”

“What do you mean? Of course you do! Haven’t you told me before that most of the families there are either connected or friendly with each other? You said you grew up there. Your family has connections. I’m sure if you explained our plans correctly, some of them would be willing.” Rex continued his lecture, not picking up on what Millie was referring to in the first place. 

“No, that ain’t it,” Millie swallowed. “What I mean is, I don’t know if I can support this project.” 

Rex ceased all his movements, not even saying a word or any sound. The room filled with a tense silence between the two demons, before Millie found the courage to speak again, afraid that she’d upset her boyfriend. 

“Not that I think it can’t be done, but I don’t think Tierra Bendita is the place…A lot of farm families live there and drillin’ on that land would destroy the soil we have that’s great fer crops and it would affect the natural wild livestock too.”

With his face being hidden, Rex clenched his teeth, holding in a violent snarl. Did she seriously have to question everything? This bitch couldn’t just do whatever he said and go along with it. He shouldn’t be surprised. All his life, he’d heard that Wrathian women were difficult, especially these strong-willed ones who believed they had any power.

He slowly turned on his heels to face her, switching his face of hatred to a concerned expression. Worked like a charm every time.

“So, what are you saying? You don’t trust us?”

“It ain’t that I don’t trust ya, but I’d have serious concerns about y’all drilling there when the town’s already a big farming hub.” 

“...So, you don’t trust us then…” Rex looked away, adding a hint of sadness to his voice to make her feel like she’d done wrong. Sure enough, she approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. 

“No, I didn’t mean that.”

“Why are you with me if you don’t trust me?”

“I do trust ya-”

“It doesn’t sound like you do,” Rex argued, breaking free from her hold, walking over to a lounge chair in the center of the room, and lying down on the cushions. “Your friends don’t trust me, your parents don’t feel like you are safe when you come to Satanonio, you won’t even trust me enough to be intimate with me, even though I’ve done everything to help you trust me.”

This had been an ongoing back-and-forth between the two. Rex was adamant that they be more… involved with each other, but Millie was hesitant, despite almost being an adult within a few months. While Rex was growing increasingly frustrated and impatient, she never knew, as he did everything to hide his irritation with her in that regard for the sake of playing the loving, caring boyfriend card, but he was just about fed up. It had become an insecurity of Millie’s quickly, as she was starting to feel guilty for always rejecting him, despite her preference to wait a little longer. 

“That’s not true.”

“Then what is it? Is it because I’m not Wrathian like all of you? I’ve tried so hard to make good impressions on your friends and family, but in the end, not a single one of them believes me when I say I love you.”

Now that was a first in the relationship…

“...Wh-what did ya say?” Millie stuttered in surprise. She didn’t know they were at that point yet in their standing to share “I love yous,” but he just said it…It came right out of his mouth. “Y-you love me?”

Rex hadn’t even thought about what he said. He was only trying to milk the manipulation and guilt cards when the realization hit him, along with a new idea that was evil enough to make even him wonder if that would be taking it too far. However, there was no going back now, and he was sure after this she would completely submit to him if he did it just right…

“Of course I love you,” he muttered, sitting up on the lounge, seeing Millie standing not far from him now, tears welling up in her eyes with a blush spreading across her cheeks. “Millie, I’ve spent the past month getting to know you, and I love you like a soulmate. You’re absolutely my one and only.”

‘She’s gonna believe every fucking word of this isnt she?’ he thought to himself. 

“I mean this with all the love I have in my heart for you, I want you to be a part of this family. I even discussed with my father the possibility of letting you profit from our business here as well. He’s willing to allow it if you will help us.”

“Rex, I-...I don’t know-”

“You’ll make a lot of money,” he interrupted. “And I’m not talking about a few grand. I’m talking about billions. More money than any other imp has ever seen in their whole life.” Now he was ready to drop the real bomb for this conversation…

“Your family could profit off of that money,” he said, observing Millie’s eyes widen even more. “Your mother just had a new baby about a year ago, right? Four children are a lot of expenses for two people living off a rancher's salary…Think about how far their own work could go if they had that money. It would even be enough to allow your parents to retire one day. Even your grandmother could benefit from it. Your sister could have her surgeries. You would all be set for life without ever needing to worry.” Then, he stood, taking her hands into his when he met her in front of the large sofa. “And Millie, when we get married, I promise you will have access to everything. You, your family, your friends, not a single one of them will have to worry about money ever again.”

“...You wanna marry me?” Millie choked up, sniffling at his declaration of “love.”

“Absolutely,” The words slipped through his lips so easily, yet inside he was cackling and mocking her for being so gullible and naive. “When the time is right, I’d love to marry you and have a big wedding to celebrate you…But our business here needs to happen first.”

Millie wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. Nobody had ever said such sweet romantic things to her before. Also, she had to admit, even though she did not enjoy the idea of these large corporations building themselves in Wrath…With that kind of money, her family could live safe, comfortable lives…Her brothers and sister could live better lives…Her Mama, Daddy, Mamaw…Onyx, Burke, their families…Any children she and Rex would have in the future…Not a single one of those people would ever have to stress about finances ever again. She could treat them all to everything Hell had to offer…

“...I still don’t know if Tierra Bendita is the right place,” Millie admitted before suggesting a new idea to her boyfriend. “But I have a few other areas in mind that may work…”

Notes:

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't been too active this week. I've kinda been down in the dumps lately.

However, do not fear! More parts will be published soon and more often when my funk ends!

But just to give y'all something to look forward to...Next chapter picks back up on the flashback from this chapter👀 Had to leave y'all on a bit of a cliffhanger😉

Thanks for the reads, and I hope y'all enjoyed!😊

Chapter 64: Family Reunion (Part 10)

Summary:

Millie convinces Onyx and Burke to help her with Rex's plans. Rex has a chat with Onyx that only confirms her suspicions about him. Millie begins to notice the red flags surrounding Rex...

Notes:

Hey guys. I just want to put out a psa for this chapter. Please read the warnings associated with this one, as there are several themes that could be upsetting/triggering for some.

Warnings:
- Themes of emotional abuse in relationships.
- Mild transphobia
- Implied sexual coercion/assault
With that being said, no. There will not be any graphically detailed scenes.

11 Years Ago

“YOU WANT US TA WHAT?!” Onyx yelled at her best friend, not out of anger, but out of shock, surprise, and astonishment…Not any of those good.

“Look, I know it sounds fuckin’ insane, but hear me out.” Millie stayed calm, attempting to soothe her friend’s worries, seeing as both Onyx and Burke had their eyes as wide as saucers and their mouths agape in bewilderment. “He says if we do this, we’ll all be set fer life! You’ll both never have to worry ‘bout low pay again! Neither will our families! This could change our lives all fer the better!”

“Mills! He literally wants ta kill the fuckin’ land! That would fuck us all up! Not just our families, but everyone else who lives here!”

“Onny! Listen ta me!” Millie pleaded. “I got a plan. They ain’t gonna destroy Tierra ‘cause I think we could convince them ta drill somewhere else.”

Millie and Onyx never fought before, even during situations when they didn’t see eye to eye. This wasn’t exactly the textbook definition of an “argument,” but Burke could very much sense the tension in the house between the two cowgirls, tension thick enough you could cut it with a knife and spread it like butter on bread. Watching these two go back and forth was uncomfortable, especially since Onyx was freaking out and Millie was just begging Onyx to listen to her. 

If Burke was being honest, seeing Millie, who he’d always known to be a headstrong, fierce ball of Wrath and fire, begging them to listen to a guy they barely knew was unsettling. 

Something wasn’t quite right. This wasn’t Millie. Not the Millie he had grown up knowing. 

“U-uhm, I think what Onyx is trying to say, Mills,” Burke stuttered, setting a hand on Onyx’s shoulder. “Is that while you may think you know Rex, you haven’t known him for long, and we don’t know him like you do. So maybe we need to rethink this a little bit more before giving him and his folks the green light.”

“...So, y’all don’t trust me. Is that it?”

Onyx and Burke only looked at Millie, confused as her demeanor dropped from panicked to slightly upset. 

“Y’all know how much I love this place. Y’all know how much I love Wrath and our hometown. I wouldn’t do anythin’ to harm the land or the locals. That’s why I’m tryin’ ta convince them ta drill somewhere else.”

“It’s not that we don’t trust you , Mills, it’s just…” Burke paused, catching and kicking himself for what he was about to say. However, Millie already caught on. 

“...It’s him. Y’all don’t trust him.”

“Look, Millie,” Onyx hopped down from the countertop of her father’s home, gently grabbing Millie by the shoulders. “I’m sorry. I know how much you love Rex, and I know you wanna help him and his posse, but the fact is, we don’t know him. We have no way of knowing his true intentions…What happens if he decides ta go back on his word? Hmm? Then what are we gonna do?”

“...He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t do that.”

“But how do ya know, Mills? I ain’t sayin’ that ya don’t know him, but you haven’t known him fer long, and if ya remember right, you didn’t trust him when he first rolled into town ‘cause he seemed a little scummy.”

“Onny, I know. But trust me, he wouldn’t do that to us, okay. Please just hear me out.”

“...Fine…M’kay,” Onyx sighed, seeing how bad Millie was begging her with her eyes. “What’s yer plan?”

“Thank you,” Millie gave her friend a smile of relief before composing herself. “So, they want Tierra Bendita. I don’t think that’s a good idea fer obvious reasons. But I thought about it. What if we convinced them ta go drillin’ in the northwest quadrant instead?”

“Like, as in where the Badman Lands are?” Burke asked for confirmation, and Millie gave him a single nod. 

“Hear me out…The northwest of Wrath is pretty desolate. There ain’t a lotta folks who live up there ‘cause even fer Wrath it can get real dangerous. Most people who live there willingly are the killers ‘n assassins who hide out there, and it ain’t many. It’s next to the north quadrant, which is pretty damn rich money-wise-”

“And the main train line from Pride to Wrath runs through the northwest most often,” Burke added, understanding his friend’s vision. 

“Bingo! It’s perfect! That way, people won’t be run outta their homes, we won’t have ta worry ‘bout farmlands bein’ destroyed, Tierra Bendita is left untouched, plus they’d be close to the north and center quadrant, which are where most of the rich folk tend ta stay.”

The two other imps, still mildly unconvinced, looked at each other, as if silently trying to have a conversation about what to say next before Onyx swallowed, feeling a ball of anxiousness spinning in her gut. 

“Millie…You know I’ll always follow you no matter what…I still think this is a dangerous move...but I’m in.” Onyx agreed, resulting in Millie giving her a tight hug, and Burke wasn’t far behind. 

“Count me in, too, Mills. So, what are our next steps?”

“They want y’all ta come with me to Satanonio tomorrow when I go to see Rex so we can come up with a real plan,” Millie explained. “They said they’d feed y’all dinner too and give y’all transportation there and back. Are y’all down?”

Burke and Onyx both nodded their heads, agreeing to the conditions laid out by Rex’s family before Millie hugged them both again, thanking her two best friends before stepping out to call Rex and tell him the news. 

When Millie got far enough away from the home, Burke glanced at Onyx, who slowly walked to her father’s lounge chair and melted into the cushions, tail coiled around her body, clearly disturbed. 

“...Ya still don’t believe me?” she muttered when Burke joined her at the side of the chair. “I told ya there’s somethin’ weird ‘bout that guy…I don’t trust him.”

“But you agreed to be a part of this?”

“You know exactly why I agreed,” she hissed back. “You ‘n I both know why you did, too. Even if ya don’t say it, you don’t trust him either. I couldn’t live with myself if they do somethin’ ta her and I ain’t there to protect her…You ‘n I know Millie…And that ain’t our Millie.”

He was too prideful to admit it out loud, but seeing Millie acting like that scared even Burke. He tried to deny it all; he wanted to tell himself that the badass Millie he’d known his entire life was too strong and powerful to be manipulated by some guy, but now, he was doubting himself. This is what Onyx had been talking about for weeks, what Burke had tried to turn a blind eye to, but now it didn’t seem like he could stick his head in the sand anymore. 

Just like his other best friend, he couldn’t forgive himself if that muscle hunk did something to Millie and he didn’t at least try to be there for her. 

“...Ok, I understand now,” Burke apologized, taking a seat next to Onyx. “I feel the same. I agreed fer the same reason. I couldn’t sleep right at night if Mills got herself inta trouble.”

“...Why is she actin’ like this?...Millie’s never been boy crazy like this before.”

“Who knows,” Burke promptly replied. “Butcha know what? There’s one good thing ‘bout gettin’ involved in all this.”

“Share then.” 

“It means we can see their relationship firsthand. Maybe this is our chance ta snap her out of it.”

Onyx cocked an eyebrow before allowing her face to settle into a neutral expression, but Burke could still sense the doubt she had when looking into her eyes. 

“Ya really think he’s gonna be actin’ funny if we’re there? He’s gonna be on his best behavior and turn the charm on not ta make us suspicious. He probably already feels threatened by us.”

“Let’s just go in with a good attitude. You’ve always had a good eye fer details. He or one of them rich folks gotta do somethin’ that’ll be weird…It’s fer Mills’s sake. Just remember that-” 

They were interrupted when Millie burst back through the door, alerting her friends that plans for the following day were taken care of. 

Little did the trio know, that was one of the last normal days they had together before chaos and madness would ensue.

---

“So, Mildred. Please introduce us.” Abram sat at his desk in his own office at the Ricco penthouse, snapping his fingers for one of his servants to fetch him a glass of whisky on the rocks. 

Onyx and Burke had both visited San Satanonio before, but never to this side of the city, as it’s typically where the rich people congregated, and even stepping hoof into this large 30-story building felt like a crime. Everything in here looked and smelled so expensive. If they were being real with themselves, it all was. 

“Of course,” Millie complied, turning to her friends. “These are my two best friends. This is Burke Hodeges and Onyx Sidian, both natives of Tierra Bendita like me. Guys, this is Abram. Burke’s father. You remember him from when we fixed their flat.”

“I for one certainly remember,” Abram spoke before giving the chance to the two new imps. “How could I forget such an act of kindness? Oh, and where are my manners? I do not believe I ever thanked either of you for helping to save my son from those bandits, either. Well, I hope today serves as a symbol of gratitude, Mr. Hodeges and Ms. Sidian.” Abram held out a hand to the two, who looked at each other before Burke decided to accept his handshake first. 

“It was nothin’, sir. If anythin’ Millie did the brunt of the work that day ‘n evenin’. She deserves all the credit.” 

“Ahh, but I remember well,” Abram turned to Onyx, slightly sending the imp girl into a shiver. “It was you who took down the one who decided to target Rex, Ms. Sidian. My thanks go to you as well.” Onyx stared at the hand extended to her, slowly taking it and accepting a shake from him.

“Yer welcome…And thank y’all fer bein’ so good ta Mills also.”

“It’s nothing. We enjoy Mildred’s company here.” Abram snapped his fingers for another servant standing nearby, getting his attention. “Julian, you will assist Mildred and her friends today. Follow them around and cater to their needs. That includes when Rex is with them, too.” 

“Yes, sir,” the help answered, leading Millie and her friends out of the office and to Rex’s own quarters of the penthouse. 

The entire way there, Onyx paid close attention to many of the small, intricate features along the way, like how many servants this family had, how the giant oil paintings that decorated the walls even looked suspicious, picturing several men in uniforms that resembled what Abram Ricco was wearing, how there were barely any women depicted in them, except for one woman in particular who looked young and wealthy. 

In some paintings, she was beside what seemed to be a younger Abram. In others, she was holding a baby, a toddler, and eventually the artwork progressed to show her, Abram, and what had to be their growing child, Rex. 

The closer they got, the no-good son of a bitch that Onyx couldn’t stand took over the walls, proudly showing him off like some prized trophy, with countless sculptures and oil paintings everywhere like some type of sick, twisted fun house. 

“...Um, Mr. Julian?” Onyx called out to their guide, causing the man to turn his head as they carried on walking down the long, wide hallways. “I get these paintin’s are supposed ta show off the family, but why are there more men shown than women in the pictures?”

“Oh, that’s simply due to the hierarchy of the family,” Julian explained. “Men are who run the family. Mr. Ricco owns the business and all its assets now, but once he steps down, Mr. Rex will take over. Women are celebrated during their childbearing and childrearing years. Once Ms. Mildred and Mr. Rex are married and expecting, then she will have her own paintings done with their heir.”

“...Married?” Onyx softly replied, shockingly, glancing over at Millie, wide-eyed, only receiving an excited smile back. “Ya never told me that.”

“‘Cause it ain’t official yet. We’re only 17.” 

The other cowgirl looked down at her hooves as they continued walking, no longer wanting to see that evil face that looked down at her on each side of the walls until they reached a large pair of doors, and the butler knocked. The doors were opened by two more servants, and Julian, followed by the trio of imps, waltzed inside the room. 

“Mr. Ricco. Your father asked that I attend to you all today.” Julian greeted Rex, sitting on the large lounge chair, who turned to see his girlfriend along with the other cowgirl and cowboy who helped him and his father’s minions when they first staggered into the Wrath Ring. 

“Thank you. Afternoon, babe. You look as gorgeous as ever,” Rex complimented Millie as she ran up to hug him. 

“Hi, sweetie! So, these two are-”

“Hey, what have we talked about?” Rex gently pushed her off, making both Onyx and Burke stare at the two, confused and surprised that, not even seconds into meeting him, he had done such a thing. What made their alarm bells start ringing even louder was Millie’s reaction, apologizing and lowering her voice from one of joy and excitement to a duller version of herself. 

“Oh…right, sorry. Anyway, these are my two best friends, Burke and Onyx. You guys remember Rex, right?” 

“H-how could we not?” Burke took the initiative, composing himself from walking up and punching this bag of dicks right in the face for what he just witnessed. “It’s nice to finally meet the guy we’ve been hearing so much about. Glad ta see you ‘n yer folks made it here safely.” 

“Thank you. However, it could not have been done without you all.” Rex shook the hand that Burke held out to him. “So, you must be Burke Hodeges?”

“Yep! You’d be right.” 

“And you, young lady,” Rex approached, holding out his own gesture for the other cowgirl. “You must be the famous Onyx Sidian. I’ve heard so much about you.” 

Onyx couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something in his tone of voice that was off…As if he were trying too hard to be sincere, and when she reluctantly shook his hand, every hair in her body stood on end, and her blood ran cold like ice. This man was not a good guy. She didn’t need to speak with him anymore to know that. When she looked up into his eyes, it was like staring into orbs of hatred and wickedness, like he was trying to convey that to her, but she only responded by putting on her best fake smile. 

“Thank you. I’ve heard a lot about you as well.”

“Oh, really? All good things, I hope.” 

“What else would it be?”

“How about you tell me, little imp,” Rex’s voice lowered, almost into a growl or hiss, and Millie, Burke, and Onyx all caught onto that. Was he seriously challenging her right now? Onyx’s nervous system was already in fight or flight mode, and fucking Satan was it taking all her energy not to do either, until Rex’s smile changed into a genuine friendly expression (news flash: it was in fact not genuine), and he chuckled. 

“Take it easy, Ms. Sidian. I was only joking. Now, shall we all go to lunch to discuss these plans of yours, babe?” 

“Sounds great! You up fer it, guys?” The two extra country imps nodded, following Millie’s lead. 

“Perfect! Julian, please fetch the chauffeur to get the limo ready. Supposedly, they prepared it this morning.”

“Yes, sir,” Julian bowed, quickly leaving to get their transportation for the afternoon ready, when Rex shifted his attention to the two Wrath imps he was now properly introduced to. 

“Mr. Hodeges, Ms. Sidian, have you two ever experienced fine dining before?”

“Uhh, nah. We don’t come from families that are able ta afford that kinda thing.”

“Well, you two are in for a treat then. It took Millie some time to get used to it, but eventually she got the hang of it.”

Onyx narrowed her eyes at that statement, observing as Millie gave them what she picked up on was an uncomfortable smile that she so badly tried to disguise as her regular ‘happy’ face. “Why’s that?”

“I suppose you Wrathians are too talkative for those environments. We don’t speak to the help. They are there to serve us. Not the other way around. Do not even acknowledge their presence. It gives them a sense of entitlement.” 

“Mr. Ricco,” Julian addressed the young man. “The car and chauffeur are ready for you all.”

“Thank you. I hate to ask this of you both, Burke and Onyx, but before we go, we will need our maids to find you both suitable attire.”

“We need different clothes ta go eat?”

“Well, it’s because of the atmosphere. Do not fret. Onyx, you can wear something we’ve purchased for Millie since you two seem to be the same size. We can also have our staff assist with your hair and makeup. Burke, we have about a thousand suits and ties. I’m sure we can find you something.”

“I ain’t payin’ fer none of that. I can’t afford to,” Onyx tried shooting back, earning what looked to her like an annoyed grin from Rex. 

“No need to worry, Ms. Sidian. You will not be paying for anything today. I promise. The outfit change is only for formalities.” 

There wasn’t any time for her to argue back before more staff came flooding into the room. Men in tailored suits came whisking Burke away to fancy him up, and some maids led Millie and Onyx into a different room to do the same. 

“...So…It’s decided already?” Onyx questioned her best friend as two women worked her short, curly hair into an updo, while another applied blush and highlighter to her cheeks. “You ‘n him are gonna marry?”

Millie peeked at her with one open eye while her own eye makeup was being finished up, feeling a twinge of guilt for not spilling the secret to her own bestie, who’d been with her through everything.

“I’m sorry…I did wanna tell ya that we’ve been talkin’ ‘bout it, but-”

“Apologies, Ms. George, but could you please keep both eyes closed?”

“Oh, sorry…I guess I was just too nervous. I haven’t even told mah parents or Sal.” 

“I think you ‘n I both know why you haven’t told Lin ‘n Joe yet,” Onyx couldn’t hold back the giggle clenched at the back of her throat, hearing Millie say that. Vice versa, Millie couldn’t help but giggle with her, although it was more of a nervous laugh if anything. 

Lin and Joe were not supportive of this relationship. Millie and Onyx both knew that. They were just as suspicious of Rex Ricco’s intentions with their daughter as Burke and Onyx were, but there wasn’t much they could do to keep the two apart. What Onyx didn’t know was that Lin’s suspicions ran so deep that she was even skeptical about saying anything to her daughter, in fear that it would only push Millie into Rex’s arms even more. The one thing they didn’t want was their daughter to be out of reach with that fucker and his rich, Greedian family. The one thing most folks knew about the Greed Ring was that it had an effect on people…a negative effect. 

“So ya gotta do this every time ya come here?” 

“Pretty much, but only when we go out or they have guests over. Rex said it’s just fer the time bein’ though. Ta make good impressions.” 

‘Yeah, it’s toooootally just fer the time being.’ Onyx kept to herself. 

“...Why was he all weird when ya went ta hug him earlier?”

“O-oh, he just uh…gets overwhelmed when I get all hyper ‘n excited.”

‘Suuurreee.’

When both girls were finished being glammed up, they were sent back to the doors of Rex’s room, where Burke was dressed and hair fixed up just as extravagantly as his two female partners. 

“Hey, look at y’all! Y’all could be like those fancy Goetias when they get all dolled up fer parties!”

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen ya in a suit, Burke! Ya look handsome!”

“I didn’t think Burke knew what a suit was,” Onyx stuck out the end of her forked tongue as a tease. 

“Hey! I would if I could! Ya know how pricey these things are?”

“That one you have on now, Burke, is about $278.” Rex jumped in, straightening out how one tie and suit jacket. “For the suit only. The tie is about an extra $95.”

“...I get yer Pa owns a whole business, but I’m impressed someone got that kinda cash ta spend.” 

“That’s pocket change to us. Millie and Onyx’s dresses and shoes in total are approximately $800 if you factor everything in. But that’s not important now. Are we all ready?” 

“I think so, honey!” Millie answered for her and her two pals.

“Excellent. Let us go then,” Rex instructed, snapping his fingers like his father telling the maids and other staff to exit his quarters as Millie took the arm he offered to her while Julian led the way to the family limousine, holding the doors open for all four demons to enter and settle in for the ride. 

The entire way to the restaurant, Onyx kept a close eye on Millie and Rex, watching as Millie stayed snuggled up to her boyfriend and Rex kept a smile on his lips, a fake one at that. At one point, the pair made eye contact, and the cowgirl swore that she could ever so slightly watch as a sly smirk morphed onto his face. 

Oh yeah, they needed to get Millie out and away from this man asap…

---

“It is settled, then!” Rex held up a wine glass to the table. “You two will now be included in the plans to drill in the northwest quadrant of the Wrath Ring! Therefore, you will both be entitled to the funds we receive upon our commencement. I appreciate your cooperation, and the Ricco family thanks you both!”

“So, what exactly happens now?” Burke asked as wait staff began clearing the table of empty plates for the dessert portion of their meal. 

“Well, this is certainly a lengthy process. First, Mildred and I will speak with my father about this plan, then we will need to find the exact land where we want to drill, then after that, it’s mostly contracting and whatnot. In simple terms, it could take between a year or two before we even begin drilling.”

“That seems like a while.”

“It’s because we still need to attend to our businesses in Greed. We will still be working here, but yes. There will be a lot of going back and forth.” Rex took a sip of wine before looking back and forth between Rex and Onyx. “I will have Millie tell you two when you are needed. I will tell you now that we will most likely need both of your help finding a good patch of land in a few weeks.” 

Millie scooted her chair back, excusing herself to use the bathroom, and Burke decided to follow behind both to take a piss and chit chat with his friend, leaving Onyx and Rex alone at the table. Rex only brought the wine glass up to his lips again, whereas Onyx silently cursed Burke for leaving her there with him. 

It couldn’t be that bad, though. Even if she knew he was full of shit, what were the odds that he’d show his true colors to her, especially when Millie and Burke would be back in a matter of minutes. 

“So, you thought you were going to come here and smite me, huh?” Rex hissed, looking right at Onyx with an evil grin. 

“...Huh?”

“Don’t pretend to be fucking stupid now, you little countryside trash. You thought you were going to come here today and expose me?” 

“SO! The prince charming was acting all along. Not that yer any good at it. I saw right fuckin’ through yer gig from the beginning.” Onyx sneered back, pointing a finger at the male demon in front of her.

“And here I thought all Wrathians were nothing but smooth-brained hicks. Which most of you are, just like your little bestie, Mildred over there.”

Hearing that made Onyx’s blood boil and her vertical pupils constricted with anger, and on instinct, she pulled the knife from her leg strap that she snuck back on before they left the penthouse. 

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you. Attempt it and you’ll face the consequences. Besides, what would Millie think?”

“It don’t really matter! Not when Imma tell her everythin’ yer sayin’ ‘bout us and her!”

“Ok, now I know you’re just as clueless as her,” Rex scoffed. “You really think she’s going to believe you? I have that little doll wrapped around my finger. She does whatever I say whenever I say it. Maybe you should try doing the same.” 

“And why should I do that?” 

“Because I know how much your family needs this money that you’re going to get if you cooperate.” 

Onyx stiffened up, watching as Rex weaved his fingers together, leaning his elbows on the table. 

“Did you really think I didn’t know about all of your families. My family and I conducted extensive research on both you and Burke, as well as your families. You’re a child of divorce. Your parents separated when you were too young to remember. Your mother and father stayed friends after the separation, but I’m sure living in two single-income households means that money is tight. I’m sure you and your parents could benefit from a couple of thousand. Maybe even millions. And Burke, well, he’s just about in the same boat. Family of nine, huh? His parents never heard of a condom? That sure is a lot of kids to feed on a farmer’s salary. You want to help the ones you love, don’t you, Onyx? Millie’s told me so much about how much you love helping the people you love.”

“I ain’t desperate enough fer money to betray my loved ones and work with someone who’s apparently been takin’ advantage of my best friend this entire time. I’m outta this deal! Count me out!”

“Are you sure you want to do that? I could destroy your entire world in a second. Starting with your friendship with Millie.” 

“You may think you have enough power ta do that, but I think my bond with my own best friend is strong enough that she wouldn’t drop me just ‘cause you asked her to.” 

“I think you underestimate me. Millie’s already told me about how you don’t trust me or my family. And she’s had quite a few things to say about you .” 

“Ya think imma buy that?” 

“Believe what you want, Onyx Sidian, but one thing you should truly believe is that I’m not a liar. And I know for a fact that you know how much Millie’s family could benefit from this money. Two farmers raising four children, one of them being a new baby, forcing her mother to take it easy for a while, another one being a deluded punk who wants to try and surgically change what they are.”

‘Oh no, he  did  NOT  just  say that!’

“My point is, I could fucking ruin all of you in an instant. My family and I all have connections. And I know how much Millie’s family needs that money. So here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to shut up, say nothing to her about this little conversation, and you’re going to assist us in our plans with a big fucking happy smile on your face. Capeche?”

“...What’s the point of lettin’ me know yer justa big fuckin’ bag o’ dicks? Why not keep playin’ the part in front of me?”

“I think you know why,” Rex hissed, sending a cold shiver throughout Onyx's body with the death glare he was giving her. “If you decided to step on my toes, I’ll make sure to step on your fucking life. Don’t believe me if you don’t want to, but I have every intention of fucking you, Burke, and Millie over with the snap of my fingers if you decide not to comply. Stay out of my way, and peace will be yours. Your choice, firetoad.”

The prick went on to act as if nothing had just happened once Millie and Burke made their way back to the table, and while Millie got right back to snuggling against her partner, Burke wasn’t blind to Onyx’s unsettled energy, even finding her tail under the table, feeling her clenching his tight in her own as if signaling that something was wrong. 

The worst part of it all? She had to go the rest of the day acting like everything was ok…Not even mentioning a word to Millie...

---

“Thanks fer lettin’ me know! Have a good night!” Millie hung up on her phone call with Onyx, who let her friend know she’d made it home safe and sound, before she turned to Rex, who had just entered his room in the penthouse, locking the door behind him. 

“Onyx and Burke say thank you fer everythin’, babe! They both made it home safe. So thank you ‘n yer Pa for given’ them that transportation.” Millie thanked her boyfriend with a smile as he approached her, and suddenly initiated a makeout session that Millie melted into without any suspicion, that is, until Rex picked her up and pinned her wrists to the large mattress of his bed, staring down at a confused Millie like a predator to its prey. 

“Uhh…W-what are ya doin’?” Millie questioned, feeling panicked when Rex started getting undressed.

“Just getting comfortable~”

“By getting naked?”

“What? Do you have a problem with that?” Rex teased, climbing on top of Millie, kissing her face and neck in only his boxers. 

Millie pushed him off to the side with her hands, surprising Rex with her physical strength, even reminding him how easily this girl could end him if he continued getting too ballsy. 

“I don’t think this is the right time.” 

“Well, just when will it be then?!” Rex lashed out, even stunning his girlfriend. “We’ve been together for almost two months! And still you reject me! I knew you didn’t trust me!”

“That-”

“Don’t even,” Rex grumbled, turning away from Millie’s hand that was reaching out to touch him. “Why are you even with me if you don’t trust me?”

“I do, but,” she stopped, thinking about what to do or say. Trying to figure out how to make Rex feel better. He’d never reacted like this before, and she knew it likely hurt to be rejected over and over again. “...I’ve just never done this before, ok?

“Done what?”

“THIS! Any of it.”

“Why didn’t you just say so, then?”

“It’s a little embarrassin’, ok!,” Millie cried out, taking deep breaths to calm herself. “...I’m sorry…I get real nervous ‘bout this stuff.”

‘So she really is fucking clueless…Can’t be surprised.’

“...Have you ever…watched before?”

“What ya mean? Like porn? ‘Cause we ain’t got access ta that all the way out there. There ain’t good enough internet.”

‘Perfect,’ Rex mentally grinned to himself. He had to keep himself from laughing and getting himself all worked up from glee at this new information. Every new detail he learned about the little rat led back to the same conclusions he’d made about her over and over again: she was easy to manipulate, and she’d believe anything he said if he was convincing enough…

“...You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Rex scooted closer to Millie’s side. “I would never judge you for that…Besides, I’ve never done this before either.” He didn’t care that it was a bold-faced lie. After all, he just wanted to get what he was chasing…

“...For real?”

“Yes. I’m telling you, I’m just as inexperienced as you. Can’t be embarrassed by that,” he ran a finger down the bridge of her nose, watching the blush spread across her cheeks. “You know I love you, Millie. I want to share this piece of me with you…Do you love me?”

“Of course I do.” 

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.” 

“How sure?” 

The demoness stared at him for a moment, contemplating her next move…and then she shuffled off the bed, slowly stripping off her clothes piece by piece, causing Rex’s face to spread into a crooked, wicked smile while her back was turned to him.

When she was finished, Millie felt an odd sensation that originated in her gut, spreading all the way up from her hooves and catching itself in her throat, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was, most likely nervousness since she’d never been this exposed to anyone before, and she decided to ignore the little voice in her head screaming at her to put her clothes back on and run away fast. 

“Turn around,” Rex commanded her in a low voice, sending a shiver down her spine. Millie did as he asked, only using her hands to shield her breasts from him. “Put your hands down.” 

The hesitation Millie felt made her even more anxious. For a split second, she thought about escaping, running, jumping out of one of the windows, and for some reason, she still didn’t understand years later, she didn’t run, she didn’t try to get away. 

She removed her hands from her chest and stayed and did whatever else he demanded she do. 

Even when she had a sinking feeling that this wasn't right…

Notes:

Helloooo my lovely fanfic readers!

I want to say I'm so sorry that I haven't been as active this week. I haven't been feeling all that well. I'm tired, anxious, and still in the blues. But I want you all to know that I'm still writing and editing to get y'all these chapters out! So thank y'all for being patient with me!🤗

Next two parts should be arriving next week!

Chapter 65: Family Reunion (Part 11)

Summary:

Millie begins to question her and Rex's relationship. Onyx and Burke involve Sallie May in their plans to help Millie get out of the relationship.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Emotional/mentally abusive relationships
- Topics of sexual coercion/assault
- Manipulation in relationships

Also, feel free to ask any questions if you'd like in the comments! I've gotten some dm questions on Bluesky about some details I've taken out of the story, so if you're confused by something, don't hesitate to ask!🫶

11 Years Ago

Millie slowly stretched and softly yawned as she began to wake up from a decent night of rest, instantly becoming confused by the surroundings of large glass windows making up two walls and the large bed she was snuggled in. 

This wasn’t her room, or the ceiling, or the walls, or the bed she had been used to for her 17 years of life. Where was she? 

Oh…That’s right…

It hit her almost immediately; she was still at the penthouse, in Rex’s bed, after last night…

Millie wanted to smile and be giddy…yet, she couldn’t find it in her. 

Growing up, Lin would tell Millie and her siblings tales and bedtime stories about knights in shining armor and princes and princesses, and her oldest daughter clung onto those fairy tales of true love and romance even into her late teen years. 

One secret about Millie, that she didn’t dare to tell anyone, not even her sister, one of her best friends, was that she was a real sucker for love stories. She herself couldn’t understand why, especially being from Wrath, but there was something so romantic and exciting about finding someone who would do anything to have you, love you, hold you forever, and ride off into the sunset with you to live happily ever after. 

Despite keeping it to herself and pretending for years and years that people who were into that kind of fantasy were sissies, Millie yearned for those fairytales to be her reality, and she thought she’d found that with Rex. So, why did everything feel so…wrong? Forced? She couldn’t put her finger on the correct term to use. 

Things had started out great. Rex was kind. He was a gentleman. He bought her gifts and presents to spoil her. Now, he just seemed demanding. He didn’t make her feel warm and fuzzy inside anymore like he did in the beginning. However, she loved him, and she knew deep down he loved her. Perhaps he just had a hard time showing it?  

Last night wasn’t how she expected or imagined her first time to be at all…

Wrath, especially in the more rural areas, didn’t have very good sexual education aside from parents giving their kids the “how implings are made” talk, but many kids put two and two together the older they became. 

Millie wasn’t sheltered. She grew up on a farm. She knew what sex and reproduction were. She’d read romance books where the two love interests gave in to each other and made the sweetest love described, sickly sweet, and lovey-dovey enough to make even Millie hot and bothered. 

Call her crazy, but she’d spent time daydreaming about what it’d be like to be so close and intimate to someone in such a way. She thought about what her first time would be like, and how she wanted to be treated like a princess, like the most special girl in the world to her prince, even if she knew she wanted to be a feral little beast in bed most of the time. 

She didn’t want to admit it, but last night disappointed her. There were no kisses, no loving words, no gentle touches. She only lay there while Rex did his own thing for a minute or two before he rolled over and went to sleep, leaving her to clean herself up and ponder on what happened. 

It was so underwhelming, Millie sat up on the bed, confused for a solid ten minutes as Rex snored naked under the covers, until eventually she just covered herself with the blankets and went to sleep. 

Now, the confusion and disappointment persisted. Sure, she heard that everyone’s first time wouldn’t be perfect, but hers just seemed like a waste of time, almost. 

It wasn’t even pleasurable! Not for her anyway. It was so…bad…that’s the only word she could conjure up. 

Eventually, Rex began to stretch and wake up, and Millie seized the opportunity for maybe at least a nicer, better morning after, scooting close to Rex as he yawned, curling her arms around him.

Rex flinched for a second, relaxing once he remembered that Millie was likely still here. Opening his eyes, he was met with a soft, little smile and two large, golden eyes looking up at him, admiring him as she cooed and purred. 

“...Get out,” Rex muttered, bringing Millie’s purring to a halt, and he watched as her smile dropped and her eyes dimmed. 

“W-what?”

“Get out. I have a lot to do today. I can’t have you here.”

“Oh…O-ok. Could you get someone ta drop me off at home?”

“No. I’m not going to do that…Just take public transit or something," Rex sighed, annoyed, before turning to his side to get back to sleep. 

Millie didn’t know what to do or say, so she didn’t do either. She only found her clothes on the floor, put them back on, grabbed her phone, and slowly left, heading to Satanonio’s public bus station. 

Waiting at that bus stop gave Millie more time to think, but she couldn’t keep a straight train of thought. Even on the ride back to Tierra Bendita, she couldn’t manage to form any new thoughts; the memories from the previous night replayed in her head over and over again, and the more she thought about it, the more it upset her. 

Her mind was only partially at ease once she reached the Rough ‘N Tumbleweed Ranch, where it seemed her parents and siblings had started the farm work that morning. 

“You like peaches doncha? We’ll have to tell Pa so he can get ya some more!” Lin giggled, watching baby Elmer try the sweet fruits for the first time when Millie walked into the home, trying to avoid her mother’s eyes while believing she could quickly sneak past the kitchen. 

“Millie?...Sugar, where have ya been?! Ya never came home last night!”

“Sorry, Mama…Do you mind if I go over to Onyx’s once I handle Wilbur and the animals?”

“...Are ya alright?” Lin turned to her daughter, taking note of her tired appearance and meek tone of voice, which was a stark contrast to her daughter's usual excited, bubbly, and lively personality. 

“Yeah. Just a little tired. I was up late…”

“M’kay…Sure. Roy ‘n Peaches are gonna be comin’ help ta’day.”

“Thanks, Mama,” Millie tickled the top of Elmer’s little head, tiny white locks recently started to grow longer since his first birthday months earlier. “Imma go change into field work clothes.” Millie walked up the stairs of the farmhouse to her and her sister’s shared bedroom while Lin watched her with concerned eyes until her second eldest disappeared from sight. 

She knew this out-of-the-blue personality switch had something to do with the boy…

Lin and Joe had previously met Rex and his father, and needless to say, they were not impressed or the biggest fans of either man. From their first impression, the two thought that Rex was a playboy. She really tried, but she couldn’t see even one positive quality that would attract her daughter to him aside from his wealth; however, she and Joe had raised Millie better than that. Their interactions with Abram weren’t any better, with the older business owner making small, snide comments here and there about the ranch, their house, and Wrathians in general. However, he made sure not to make his words straightforward or obvious enough to give the older farmers ammunition to tell him off. The fucking snake. 

Lin had been itching to forbid her daughter from seeing that boy any further, as she’d been spending more time in the city with him than at home with her friends and family, and to be quite frank, she didn’t think it was fair that Sallie May was now picking up more of Millie’s chores around the farm just so she could take off and frolic around San Satanonio several days of the week. 

She’d keep quiet for now, though. Given Millie's behavior, Lin was honestly a little frightened that any negative commentary or talk about Rex might encourage Millie to be with him more, and neither Joe nor she wanted that. Joe wasn’t showing the same sense of urgency as his wife, but Lin knew his feelings on the matter, and they weren’t much different from her own. 

“Mama mo,” Elmer gurgled, slapping his tiny hands down on the aged wooden high chair that his three older siblings used. Lin, not realizing she’d kept her eyes glued to the top of the staircase for perhaps too long, looked at her youngest, grabbing the bowl of cut peaches and setting some more down on the highchair tray. 

“More? Ok, my love. Yer gonna be all sticky. Maybe we need ta give you a little bath before nap time,” the mother combed away some of the hair that had fallen in front of her young son’s eyes, taking a moment to give a final glance to the stairs, leading up to the bedrooms of their ranchhouse. “I’m gettin’ worried ‘bout yer big sis, El…I hope she’s alright.”

---

That afternoon, Millie rode her horse to Onyx’s father’s house, where she knew her best friend was staying that week. Tim, her father, who worked with Millie’s own Dad a lot, was already outside cutting some plywood from the looks of it, when he paused upon Millie strutting into their yard on horseback with her field work clothes and straw hat over her long ponytail. 

“Well, howdy there, Mildred! How ya been, sweetie?” 

“Been doin just fine, Mr. Tim! Is Onny home by chance?” 

“Sure is! She’s in the barn! You can take Whiskey back there if ya want!”

“Thank ya! Come on, girl,” Millie steered her horse to the barn all the way in the back of the Sidian ranch, where she found Onyx with a pitchfork, shoveling hay into one of the animal pens. 

“Hey! Ya made it back?” Onyx asked, wiping sweat off her forehead as Millie jumped off Whiskey and tied her down to one of the horse rails in the barn. 

“Yeah…This mornin’. Thought I’d come over…Listen, can we uh, talk?”

“Oh?...S-sure! I got the time,” Onyx stuttered, curious about her friend’s odd demeanor and insistence. 

Onyx was barely able to get good sleep that night thanks to her and Rex’s confrontation. It was bad enough that she had to go the rest of the previous afternoon without saying anything to either Burke or Millie, but what made her stomach churn enough to make her want to spill her guts everywhere was when she had to leave Millie behind that night. 

She tried her best to plead with Millie to return to Tierra Bendita with them, using every excuse she could come up with such as the three hanging out the next day, Lin and Joe asking her to help with the field the following morning, Sallie May wanting to spend time with the both of them, but Millie only brushed her off, saying she was planning on returning early the next morning anyway. 

In the end, Onyx had no choice but to leave Millie behind in San Satanonio, and she wasn’t even able to tell Burke about what happened yet either, since Rex insisted that they both return home in separate vehicles to “make things easier for the chauffeurs.” In reality, he was probably trying to discourage her from talking. 

The whole way back to her father’s home, and that whole night, her brain refused to settle down, worried about Millie and wondering what to do now that she had confirmation Rex was truly a poser. 

It was a lost cause no matter what she’d do. On one end, she’d put them all in danger; on the other end, she risked something bad happening to Millie, and Satan knew she couldn’t live with herself should the latter happen. 

But what did she want to talk about? Did Millie know about the words exchanged between her and Rex? Did Rex concoct some bold-faced lie to further manipulate Millie? Either of those options felt better than the actual news Millie had to share…

“Sooo…” Millie dragged out, as the two sat in the hayloft of the barn for more privacy. “...I lost my virginity last night.” Millie spat out, avoiding eye contact with Onyx and twiddling with her thumbs. 

If anything, Onyx was not expecting that. Her eyes instantly widened, and she didn’t even try to hide the shock that spread through her whole being. 

“...Onny?”

“Really?”

“Uh, y-yeah.”

“W-well, uhhh…Con-congratulations?” 

That admittedly made Millie laugh, even if she tried to force the giggle back in, she couldn’t help it. It lightened the mood a bit, at least, even Onyx gave in to sharing a short chuckle. 

“Thanks, I guess?” Millie wiped a tear from her eye. 

“Well, it’s just…ya don’t sound very happy ‘bout it.”

Millie’s face slightly dropped again, rethinking the night’s events over once more to find the right words. 

“...It ain’t that…It’s just umm…Oh, fuck this! I can’t sugar coat it! It fuckin’ sucked!”

“OH!?...Ohhhhh,” Onyx cringed, watching Millie pinch the bridge of her nose. “Like…how bad?” 

“Pretty bad. I don’t know if it’d be considered the worst, ‘cause I ain’t got nothin’ to compare it to, but it certainly wasn’t good.”

“Aww, I’m sorry, Mills…But h-hey! Just remember. The first time is always a little goofy ‘cause ya gotta-” Onyx paused when Millie held up a hand to her and slowly shook her head. 

“Nah. Ya don’t get it, Onny. This wasn’t just us tryin’ things out. When I say it was ‘bad’ I mean…Agh, I don’t know.” 

“What exactly was so bad ‘bout it then?” Onyx cocked an eyebrow, rethinking her original thoughts on the matter. 

Onyx was asexual, so she wasn’t all that interested in engaging in sex, but she and Millie would talk about boys that Millie and Burke were into every so often. She didn’t mind hearing about topics like this; however, considering the circumstances of this relationship and how Millie was acting, Onyx was becoming increasingly concerned that this was something else than just “bad sex.” 

“Where do I even begin?” Millie sighed, looking down. “For starters, he didn’t even try to get me wet. He just went straight in, so it felt like I was bein’ fuckin’ stabbed. But it was over pretty quickly.”

“...That’s it?...He didn’t even try gettin’ you off?” 

Millie shook her head. “None of that. No kissin’, no touchin’, no nothin’...It was awful. ‘N now I’m wonderin’ if I might be ace. ‘Cause that genuinely turned me off ta ever havin’ sex again.” Millie leaned back, letting herself fall on a pile of hay. 

“Damn…Have you told Burke any of this? He lost his V-card a while ago. Maybe this is just standard fer the first couple of times?”

“I haven’t talked ta him since last night…Onny?” 

“Mhm?”

“Do you uh…Do you like Rex?” 

Onyx swallowed a lump in her throat before quickly thinking of an answer that would both tell the truth and not hurt her friend’s feelings. That would be difficult to do since Rex literally threatened her, Millie, and Burke almost 24 hours ago. 

“...You know I love ya, Millie. And I will always support you in everythin’ that ya do…Rex is not exactly my mug of beer, but if he makes you happy, then I can’t complain.” 

“I appreciate you tryin’ ta spare my feelin’s,” Millie giggled. “But fer real. Like, do you think in the long run that he’ll be a good guy fer me?”

“...Why? Are ya havin’ doubts?” 

“Not exactly…I hate ta say it, but I think I’m startin’ ta see why mah parents aren’t too thrilled with him…I don’t know if last night has had me thinkin’ more ‘bout the relationship, but there are some things that are makin’ me wonder if I’ve just been silly this whole time. And not just last night either.”

“Yer confusion’ me a bit, Mills,” Onyx scooted closer to her, resting a hand on Millie’s knee. “What kinda things are ya noticing?” 

“...Can you keep it to yerself?” Onyx gave her a single nod, giving Millie permission to continue talking. “For one, he gets a little…upset when things don’t go his way. All the time. Even with me. He can be a little demandin’ too with everyone. I don’t wanna say he’s controlling, but he gets a little uptight at times.” Millie stopped, purposefully being vague as she felt a pang of guilt for bad-mouthing her boyfriend. 

“Are these things that have been going on for a while?”

“You could say that. I thought they were things I could ignore, but now I ain’t so sure.”

“How ‘bout this?” Onyx began to suggest. “Yer stayin’ here ta’night ain’t ya? How ‘bout I call Burke over and we can all talk through it ta’gether. I wouldn’t mind. I’m sure he won’t either if it means we can help ya think through everything.” 

“Are ya sure? I don’t wanna bother y’all with my relationship problems.” 

“Girl, please! You know I’m always here for ya!” Onyx smiled, playfully rolling her eyes. “Millie, I will do anything for ya!” she proclaimed, taking Millie’s hands into her own. “Yer my best friend! You ‘n Burke both! And I will listen to ya vent and rant every damn day if it means I can help ya!...So let me do my best friend duties, and let’s talk this out. Maybe we can think of a way fer ya to talk to Rex ‘bout this.” 

Onyx had no intentions of supporting the relationship since hearing everything Millie had to say, but it wasn’t about her. It was about helping Millie through whatever was happening between her and Sir fucks-around-alot. Millie took Onyx in for a big hug, wiping away another tear from her eye, thanking her for everything. 

Plans were made for that night, and it was settled. Burke would go over to Onyx’s father’s ranch that evening for the three to chit-chat and discuss further action.

Or so they thought…

---

That Evening

Ricco Penthouse

“Hey, babe! Everythin’ alright?!” Millie panted, finally reaching Rex’s quarters of the penthouse. Right before she was about to head back to Onyx’s home for their little evening get-together with Burke, Rex called Millie in a panic, begging her to make it to San Satanonio as fast as she could, forcing her to take public transit to the city and call Onyx, explaining the situation. 

She felt guilty, so guilty for doing that to her friends, but Rex genuinely seemed like something was wrong. His voice made it sound like something terrible was happening, and he needed her right away. 

But when she made it to his bedroom, he was sitting on his bed, relaxed, playing video games on his giant flat screen television mounted on the wall. Millie’s nerves died down once she saw that Rex was ok, but then she felt annoyed, as she’d missed out on being with her friends to come see her boyfriend lounging around playing video games. 

“Hey, babe! Thanks for coming.”

“Uhh…Sure, but what’s goin’ on? You sounded real panicked on the phone.”

“Well, I wanted to make sure you’d come. I need to talk with you about something.” 

“You-...You lied ta me?” Millie watched Rex rise from the bed. 

“No. Not technically. I really do need to talk to you about something, and I needed a way to get you over here asap…Why do you seem so upset?” 

“I ain’t, it’s just I skipped out on some plans I had with Onyx ‘n Burke ta come here ‘cause you sounded like ya were in trouble.”

“Oh…So that’s it?” Rex snapped back, putting his hands on his hips and towering over Millie. “So being with your friends is more important than coming to help your boyfriend, hmm?”

“N-no, I didn’t say that! But ya called me here in a hurry! I thought somethin’ bad happened to ya!”

“And what if something did? Because it sounds like you’re mad that I wanted you here if something horrible really did happen! Is this how you’re going to act in real situations of crisis? Are you going to have a bad attitude every time I need you?” 

“Wh-what are ya even talkin’ ‘bout?” Millie questioned, bewildered by his reaction. “Obviously, if somethin’ really would happen, then of course I’ll be here ta support and help you, but that ain’t the point. Ya lied ta me that somethin’ bad happened just ta get me over here. I was worried!” 

“No need to explain further,” Rex sulked back onto the bed. “It’s clear that you’d rather be with your friends than with me…Go home then. Be with your other boyfriend.” 

“What in Satan’s fuck are ya talkin’ ‘bout?!” 

“You know exactly who I’m talking about!” Rex shouted, sprouting straight up and throwing a large pillow at high speed in Millie’s direction, startling her as she dodged it. “You want to start accusing me! Fine! Two can play that game! What’s going on between you and Burke, huh?! Since you’re so fucking comfy cozy with each other!”

“...Burke?!” 

“Yeah! Since you want to spend so much more time with him instead of me, how about you start explaining yourself !”

“Explain what? There’s nothin’ ta explain.” 

“Are you sure about that? You and he seem really close. Too close if you ask me.” 

“Yeah, Rex, ‘cause he’s one of mah best friends! What are you implying? ‘Cause if ya think there’s somethin’ funny goin’ on between us, then you’ve got it all wrong! Burke is gay! He’s inta men!"

“Or so he says. You’re acting inappropriate with him! Really! Ya called him handsome yesterday, and then you both just so happened to go to the restroom at the same time, and you don’t see how that’s disrespectful to me?” 

“Are you bein’ serious right now?! I gave him a compliment, and yeah, last time I checked, going to the bathroom with your friends ain’t a crime!”

“Well, it was really disrespectful to me and it hurt my feelings!...As a matter of fact, you know what,” Rex stood from the bed again, resting his hands on Millie’s shoulders. “I don’t want you talking to him anymore. I forbid you from having contact with him unless it’s for business purposes only!”

“I’m not gonna do that! You can’t just stop me from talking to him!” 

“So it’s that simple, huh? I told you they were trying to push us apart! You know-” Rex felt himself getting increasingly angry with Millie, almost so much so that he was sure he was going to punch the crap out of her if she kept running her mouth. 

Dammnit! Why did she have to make it so fucking difficult to keep this nice guy act up?! If only she’d cooperate and do what he said, he wouldn’t have to be such a jackass like this!

Rex ran a hand over his face, groaning and taking a deep breath before giving Millie an apologetic look. “...I’m sorry…I’m not trying to be a dick, I just don’t want you to get hurt.” 

“Hurt by what, though? There’s nothin’ to be hurt by.” 

“By someone you think you can trust,” Rex flopped on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom, turning over to Millie and beckoning her with two fingers. “I know that Burke is one of your good friends, darling, but I know how some men are. They pretend to be your best fucking friends, and once they get what they want, they’re done with you.”

“But you ain’t gotta worry ‘bout Burke like that, babe,” Millie softly reassured him, sitting next to Rex on the bed. “I promise. Burke’s just one of mah good friends. I ain’t even interested in him like that. Plus, like I said, he’s gay. I doubt he wants ta be all up in mah bits.” 

“And that’s one of the things I love most about you, sweetheart,” Rex chuckled, running a finger under Millie’s chin. “You see the best in people…You give people the benefit of the doubt…However, you never know someone’s true intentions. Even if you’ve known them for years and years…You’ve told me about your uncle. How he’s nice and sweet to you and your siblings, but he lets his wife and daughter treat you like scum from the bottom of the Envy Sea. If you can’t even truly trust family, how do you expect to trust a neighbor?” 

“I disagree, honey,” Millie shook her head. “There’s a difference there. My Uncle Clint has given me many reasons not to trust him. Burke has given me every reason to trust him.” 

“So far,” Rex sat up, bringing Millie’s body into his, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “...Trust me on this. You may think you know him, but you’ll never truly know what’s happening inside his head…Let’s just do a little experiment: Don’t contact him for a bit and see how he reacts. If he gets all pissy with you, then you know he’s being nefarious. If he’s calm about it, then I will gladly eat my words and apologize.” 

“...I don’t know if I can do that, babe.” Millie pulled away. “That’s such a mean thing ta do. And that ain’t who I am. I don’t wanna hurt his feelings.”

“I’m not asking you to drop him completely, toots…What if I paid him extra once we start drilling?” Rex smirked, watching as Millie’s face semi-lit up at the idea. “That sounds fair, doesn’t it? If he truly cares about you, and he’s the good guy that you claim he is, then he should have no issue with you two being apart for a little bit. So, if you do this for me, I’ll pay him extra once the project starts. Hell, I’ll even pay Onyx extra if you keep this little charade between us. They’d be making billions.” 

“...Are ya sure?” 

“Absolutely! The money is theirs if you do it, baby. Just try it…For me, please~” Rex purred, causing Millie to blush. 

The country imp didn’t like the sounds of this “deal” at all. The idea of ignoring one of her best friends only for the sole purpose of easing her boyfriend’s insecurities didn’t sound right. She shouldn’t have to prove anything, but if she denied it, then the chances are that it would make her look like she was trying to hide something. 

There was absolutely nothing going on between her and Burke. They were close friends, and that was it! As she pointed out several times, Burke was gay, so the chances of him even thinking about getting into her panties were so low. 

She had no choice but to admit, though, if she could do anything to help Onyx and Burke…She would do it, no matter what the fine print said…

“...Fine,” Millie whispered. “I’ll see what happens.” 

Rex kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, bringing her in closer to him like an anaconda to its prey, and he had intentions of making her his prey the more she resisted him. 

"You won't regret it. I promise...Now, shall we talk business and maybe get comfortable after?~" 

---

The George Home

“Hey, Ma! Could ya hand me that tray right there?” Sallie called out to Lin, who was cleaning off the dinner table as her daughter worked on their dishes from the cooking they did that night. 

The family’s normal routine after dinner, once the children grew older, was to have them help with cleanup and packing away any leftovers, while Lin and Joe did their nightly routine checks around the ranch to ensure all equipment was put away and everything else was prepared for the following morning. 

Now that Roy was married and out of the house, and with there being a new baby, things looked slightly different. Sallie and Millie did the dishes and cleaned up together while either Lin or Joe tended to Elmer’s bedtime routine, but since Millie spent most of her nights in San Satanonio now, there were two fewer people to help out. 

Lin grabbed the extra tray they’d forgotten, bringing it to her youngest daughter, who was at the sink. “Here ya go, babe.” 

“Thank ya!” Sallie said, getting right back to her chore before looking back at her mother when Lin rested a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey, thank you fer steppin’ up more since Mills has been out. Yer Pa and I appreciate it,” Lin smiled, getting the same expression in return from her daughter right as a knock was heard at the kitchen door. Lin looked out the small curtain, seeing two very familiar young faces in the soft, dim glow of their porch light. 

“Howdy, kiddos! What y’all doin’ here?” the older country imp greeted Onyx and Burke, who stood on the front porch of the farmhouse. 

“Hi, Mama Lin! Sorry fer comin’ so late, we know Mills is outta town tonight, but we wanted to come see if Sal would wanna join us stargazin’ at my Ma’s place.” 

Lin turned to Sallie once Onyx finished speaking, putting a hand on her hip. “You can if ya want to. You ain’t got many dishes left, so I’ll wrap it up fer ya.” 

Sallie May smiled wide and nodded, quickly drying off her hands to follow Burke and Onyx out the door, not without giving her mother a hug and thanking her again before they all waved goodbye, and Sallie hopped on the back of Flintstone, Onyx’s horse, with the other cowgirl before the three took off into the night. 

Once the three arrived at Onyx’s mother’s, Burke set out a large quilt for them to sit on, and once everyone took a seat, Sallie was the first amongst the imps to break the silence. 

“Alright, so spill. What’s goin’ on with Mills?” 

That afternoon, once Millie informed her two friends that she had an emergency and needed to head to the city right away, Onyx rang the George home to speak with Sallie May, who she and Burke both knew was one of the closest people to Millie who could offer more insight into their predicament. 

The younger of the two sisters agreed to meet with them that night to chat, so she was ready and prepared to bitch and complain about this no-good cock sucker that her sister claimed as her boyfriend, because truth be told, Sallie did not like the guy either. He gave her a bad feeling that she didn’t like, and she had a hunch that he did not have Millie’s best interest at heart, as he claimed to. 

“Look, this is gon’ be a lot, but we think that Rex is uhh..lowkey…” Onyx pondered on different words and phrases, trying to avoid saying anything too rash until Burke decided to come out and say what all three were truly thinking. 

“Abusive. A big bag of dicks and abusive.”

“Pfft! Lowkey? How ‘bout highkey? Of course, he’s abusive.” 

“Wh-...You knew?! How come ya didn’t say nothin’?” Onyx asked in surprise. 

“I’m shocked y’all don’t know. Though I ain't sure if Mills knows he’s a snake, but I suspect she’s startin’ ta figure it out. He ain't as slick as he thinks he is, and we ain't as dumb as he wants ta believe we are.” 

“What do ya mean?” Burke turned to Sallie, with a confused expression, curious as Onyx had said something to him similar that afternoon about Millie beginning to have second thoughts about the relationship. 

“He calls her a lot and guilts her. We share a room so it’s not like she can hide it well. Even if we ain’t in the same room at the same time, I can still hear them talking. He’ll call her and make her feel bad fer not bein’ in the city with him, or he’ll make her feel guilty fer hangin’ with y’all or me. It’s a buncha things like that. And y’all know Mills. She’s got a big heart. She feels bad fer makin’ him feel bad, but I know he’s fulla shit.” 

Burke and Onyx glared at each other upon hearing everything Sallie was saying. It was all making more sense now than it had earlier. Onyx told Burke everything, from how Rex threatened her to what Millie told her about the previous night, and it only made the two more anxious for their dear friend. 

It was already a possibility, but it was now clearer than ever that what they originally believed was true. 

“What?” Sallie questioned further, seeing the apprehensive faces worn by her two older acquaintances. “Don’t tell me he’s doin’ more than that, ‘cause I’m already so close to goin’ to Satanonio and kickin’ that mother fucker’s ass outta Wrath.”

“...Ok, whatever ya do, you can’t tell this ta Mills. We don’t know how to handle it yet,” Onyx braced the young girl, looking her straight in her red, golden eyes. “He threatened us. He admitted ta me that he’s using Millie ta get what he wants. She may not know it, but he’s manipulating her. He's usin' her to get land fer his family's business. I don't know fer sure, but I think he's been lovin' her up to try gettin' her on his side. ” 

“What?......Wh-what did he say?” 

“He basically threatened me. Sayin’ if I went squakin’ to anyone about his plans to use Mills, he was gonna “ruin all of us” includin’ Millie…He tried usin’ money ta bribe me, but I would never sell Millie out fer money. And…well…it sounds like there’s some more…personal things happening between the two.”

“What does that mean?” 

“I don’t know if I can tell you…She was even hesitant to tell me.”

“Point is, Sallie,” Burke chimed in, “There’s so much more goin’ on behind the scenes we’re sure we don’t know about. We need to get Mills away from that guy and his family asap. We know that he knows that we’re all onta him, and that’s probably why he’s resultin’ to threats.”

“We don’t want Millie to be heartbroken, but we can’t just let her keep being treated this way…We know how close y’all are, and we think you could help to snap her outta it…What do ya say?”

“Is that really a question? Yes, I’m in! I hate that mother fucker just as much as y’all! What are y’all thinkin’?” 

“Ok, thanks, Sal. So, here’s what we’re thinkin’” Onyx smiled, sighing in relief before the three huddled in a circle together to come up with a new plan: Operation Save Millie

---

Ricco Penthouse

Rex fell flat on the bed, covering himself with the blankets, and immediately picked up his VoxPhone to browse videos and other content on Sinstagram. 

Millie was only staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything under the sun regarding this relationship, starting with what she and Rex had discussed earlier concerning Burke. 

The poor girl felt ashamed for agreeing and more ashamed that she let him have his way with her afterwards. 

After several minutes of Rex attempting to initiate and Millie politely declining, followed by more complaining and sulking from Rex, Millie relented, agreeing to give time #2 a try…

It wasn’t much better, and the fact that she couldn’t force herself to get into the proper headspace made it even worse. She just spaced out and let him have at it, and she didn’t understand why. At least he would shut up about it now. 

Millie curled on her side, facing the nightstand on her part of the bed, hoping that Rex might see she wasn’t feeling the best and comfort her, but he never did. Fine. Whatever. 

She had just sat back up to get dressed again when the VoxPhone that Rex bought for her began to buzz and ring, surprising the cowgirl when she saw her little sister calling her, and so late at night, too. 

It was close to midnight, and she knew that Sallie had to be up early the next morning to contribute to farm work. 

“Sal?” 

‘Hey, sis!’ She heard Sallie sing into the other line. ‘Wanna come watch the new Cleaverhead with me?’  

“Now?...It’s kinda late doncha think?”

‘Yeah, but hear me out! You come back, we can watch the movie, do our nails, all that, and hey, we’ve been meanin’ ta try dying my hair with that new dye! I ain’t gotta help with farm work till the afternoon anyway, and we haven’t had a sister’s night in a bit!’

Rex couldn’t hear what was being said on the other line, but he didn’t like the sounds of what Millie was saying. If she thought she was leaving, she had another thing coming. 

“...Ya know what?” Millie stood from the bed. “What kinda snacks ya want? I’ll be there in 45!”

Sallie cheered on the other end of the phone before the two hung up, and Millie began to quickly get dressed, excited for the last-minute sister’s night that the pair of girls had committed to. She cancelled on Onyx and Burke, and Satan’s asshole; she felt so guilty about it. But she would NOT bail on Sallie May like that. She’d think of ways to make it up to her two friends on the train ride back to town. 

“I’m gonna head out, babe! My sister called. I’ll talk to ya tomorrow.” 

“L-leave?!” Rex shot up from the blankets. “You can’t leave! You agreed to spend the night!”

“Uh…No I didn’t…”

“W-well, it’s usually customary for couples to spend the night together after having sex!”

“...You kicked me out this morning...Besides, it looks like yer gonna be on yer phone the rest of the night anyway,” Millie shot back, gathering her phone and purse, untucking her long hair from her bra and shirt. “Why do it even matter? We talked ‘bout everythin’ we needed ta talk about, right?”

“...Fucking fine,” Rex rolled his eyes, slouching down onto the bed again. “I’m not going to try and defend myself anymore. Just go.”

“Fine,” Millie whipped her tail, leaving Rex by himself in his room, stunned that she actually left. 

This was a first. Millie had never not tried to comfort him after he pretended to be hurt and upset, but…she left…That fucking bitch just left after he specifically asked her not to! Who in her right mind did she think she was?! 

That sent Rex into a rage, breaking several things in his room, imagining that any object in his way was his girlfriend. Oh, the way he wanted to strangle the life out of that girl for going against his word, for disobeying him, for refusing to submit to him. The ungrateful little whore didn’t know who she was messing with! But oh, she’d find out soon enough, that was for sure!

He had enough! He was over her disrespect after everything that he had done for her! How dare she!

As the enraged teen barged into his father’s office shirtless and seething with anger, he looked his father dead in the eyes, ignoring every confused and frustrated word that Abram was spewing at him until Rex interrupted him, slamming his hands down onto his father’s desk…

“I've had enough of this bitch's bullshit!" Rex snarled with his canine teeth. "It’s fucking time we hire an assassin!”

Notes:

Good afternoon, guys!

This chapter was super duper long originally, but I decided to split it into two parts. Since these last two chapters have been pretty angsty, I switched some things around. The second half of this chapter will be part 14, and in the next part, we get a little sneak peek into some cute *cough, cough* and spicy *cough, cough*👀 imagery of Millie and Moxxie's early days!

Just a little something for y'all to look forward to😉

Have a great Sunday, and y'all will hear from me later this week!

Chapter 66: Family Reunion (Part 12)

Summary:

Millie's had some bad boyfriends in the past. Is her current lover any different?

Notes:

Warnings:
- Explicit sexual content

Hiya guys! I apologize for the silence. I wanted to post this last week, but one of my furbabies sadly passed away unexpectedly. So I'm taking a little time away from the site and social media just to allow myself some grieving time. So, I hope this chapter conveys what it's supposed to!

Happy Reading!

4 Years Ago

Moxxie winced at the stinging sensation as the cold alcohol pad hit his skin. It didn’t matter how many times the little imp repeated this song and dance of getting hurt, sterilizing the wounds, and dressing his injuries; he always acted like a stranger to the pain. But today wasn’t so bad, as an angel tended to his scrapes and cuts from another dangerous job, well done…

Millie worked meticulously on the minor scars that Moxxie acquired on the field, being extra slow and “careful” to spend more time with her musical coworker. More time with him, smelling him, touching him…And Moxxie didn’t dare question it. 

This woman was so intoxicating and alluring that she might as well have been a succubus. In his eyes, she was, but not in a completely sexual way. 

She bewitched him from the moment she attempted to kill him, choking him and almost stabbing him in the heart with her jagged, copper, and gold dagger on that night. The twanged accent she spoke with was a spell to gain his attention. And oh, her eyes. Every time she looked at him or in his general direction, it gave the man goosebumps, almost turning him to stone like Medusa. 

If Millie hadn’t known any better, she would have assumed he looked away every time she was near because she frightened him. It still felt like a punch to the gut even for a man she hardly knew, but she was used to it. That classic look of fear that possessed demons and her victims when she’d only glance at them didn’t faze her. In fact, she expected others to run and hide away in her presence, but Moxxie was different. 

Early on, she didn’t see that fear or terror in his face or movements around her, even the times when she’d caught him staring. No. It was something else. It almost seemed like admiration or wonder, as if he were taking the time to commend a piece of intricate artwork. 

“There, all done~” the demoness purred, keeping hold of his bandaged hand, refusing to let go even when there was no longer a need to be touching him.

The staring could be explained by several possibilities: perversion, disgust, judgment. However, no one ever looked at Millie before in the same way Moxxie did…

“Any more boo boos that need fixin’?~” 

“I-...Don’t believe so,” Moxxie stuttered, feeling her body heat inching closer to him as she leaned forward. 

“Hmm…Fair enough,” Millie shrugged, gathering the gauze and wound alcohol to pick up in the small injury cabinet of their hideout, leaving Moxxie stunned as she turned her back to him, swaying her tail with burn scars. The freckled imp watched as his murderous work partner purposefully dropped the ball of gauze on the floor as she sang a fake “oopsies” in her country voice, all for the sole purpose of bending over, giving the sniper something to look at. 

No doubt she was smirking where he couldn’t see her face. Moxxie felt confident that he knew her little charade at this point, and one thing had been confirmed several times now: she was a flirt, at least with him. 

The number of times she did small things deliberately to frustrate or tease him was almost maddening, but Moxxie gave in every time. How could he deny her? 

In the beginning, he couldn’t tell the difference between whether she was being polite or trying to rile him up, but eventually she became so obvious in her attempts, and there was no conceivable way he could be blind to it. 

“You know, I think I’ve figured out how someone so talented gets injured so much on the job,” Millie looked over to him as he still sat on the old, wooden countertop. Her features told Moxxie everything he needed to know. The small glint of desire in her eyes and the playful tug of her lips was all he needed to see to guess what’d happen next. Like those musicals he indulged himself in, he’d watched this scene so many times, he knew what was to come. 

“Y-you do?” 

“Mhm~” She approached the counter again, the clicking of her black and maroon work heels harmonizing with the swift beating of his heart, only worked to make him more anxious as each step was like a second closer to her being in his personal space once again. “You know what I think?” she whispered, leaning back into his face once again, keeping an inch's distance between their lips. “I think that you get yerself hurt on purpose so that I can nurse you back to health afterwards~” 

“Th-that’s not true,” Moxxie shook his head, refuting her claims until she pressed a finger to his lips, beckoning him to stare her in the eyes as her smirk widened across her face. 

“That or you like playing knight in shining armor…Either way, keep it up. It’s arousing~ Come on. You know. I know. The boss knows…Yer a sniper. Ya don’t need ta be close to our targets ta get them, but you choose to be closer even when you know it’s high risk.”

“...Maybe I just like being closer to you,” Moxxie rubbed the back of his neck, looking away for a moment, waiting to see if the line landed how he intended. He had no clue how much that only encouraged Millie more. His sweet little words of endearment and awkward flirtations turned her on like a light switch, instantaneously. 

“Ahh…I see whatcha did there~” Then her grin faded into a neutral expression. “Oh no…I missed one,” she lamented, lightly brushing her fingers over Moxxie’s right eyebrow. “You have a small cut on yer eye.” 

“Really? I don’t reme-” Moxxie paused, about to brush his hand where Millie’s own fingers were until she lowered her hand to seize his. 

“It’s small. Maybe I’ll just have to disinfect it,” she grabbed an alcohol pad and band-aid nearby. “Close yer pretty eyes so I can fix it?” 

“...Are you sure there’s something?” By the tone of her voice, he could tell she was playing around, acting, but she seemed persistent. 

“Close ‘em, city boy~” 

So he did, hearing his coworker open the alcohol pad pouch and tear open the paper protection that enclosed the fresh band-aid, and her heels adjust slightly closer to the table. Except, she never dabbed the small cotton disinfectant on his brow line, nor did she put her hands anywhere near. Instead, her fingers slid across his freckled cheeks on each side before the palms of her hands cupped his face seconds before he felt her plumped lips lock onto his. Good deal that he didn’t open his eyes when he felt her hands glide on his pale red skin. 

Moxxie gave in to her without any ifs, ands, or buts, submitting to her and her wicked, impish power over him. What a performance she played. He never saw the kiss coming, or her tail slowly wrapping itself around his slender waist, the burned-tipped spade “coincidentally” resting on his crotch. 

Oh, what a woman…

Minutes later, she pulled away, deviously smirking still as ever, placing the band-aid over his “injured” eyebrow. “Sorry~” she removed her tail from his lower torso. “Working hours…That was just yer appetizer. You’ll get the entrée and dessert later tonight at my place when ya head on over~”

“Which is…?” Did he really need an answer for that?

“You’ll see~” She whispered, slithering a hand over his belt buckle, flustering him more before she gave him a final peck on the lips and pulled away, just in time for the big boss to barge in, oblivious to his employees' short-lived rendezvous. 

“Alright, you two, I gotta whole marathon of Equestrian Academy to watch tonight, so let’s get this last job done so we can go home early,” Blitz stretched, loading up his handgun one more time for their final mission of that Friday afternoon. “Mox, ya still going to your friends’ musical whatever tonight?”

“Uhh, y-yes, sir. That is, unless you need me at home?”

“Nah, just makin’ sure so I don’t accidentally blow your head off when you come back. Mills, ya goin’ back home this weekend?”

“Yep! I’m goin fer my brother’s birthday! I’m leaving right after work so I can head on home ‘n pack!” 

News flash…She was in fact NOT going home to pack, OR going back to Wrath that weekend. And Moxxie was NOT going to be with his theater friends.

That could be a little secret kept between the two for now…

---

Hours later, Millie twisted her mascara applicator back into the tube when she heard a knock on her apartment door. Based on the time and subtleness of the noise, she could take a pretty decent guess that it was her guest waiting behind the door. Looking at her old VoxPhone, it seemed to be that time.

So, glancing at herself, all dolled up in the mirror one last time, making sure her clothes, hair, and makeup were perfect, the Wrath girl gave one last breath before opening the door and allowing the night to carry them away to lovebird land where they'd flirt, and kiss, and likely have wild, passionate sex until exhaustion kicked in. She was always on guard and skeptical about her new partner, but Millie always looked forward to Moxxie's visits. He was nice, sweet, and good company. That didn't mean she was fully willing to trust him just yet, however, even if she was showered in all his attention and affection...

“Howdy! Come on in,” Millie opened the door, letting Moxxie inside, who was well dressed and clean as always, carrying what looked to be a large gift bag with him. “Was the ride here ok?” 

“Yes. It wasn’t bad or busy either. Sorry if I’m a little early.” 

“Nah, yer fine! What, ya couldn’t wait to come see me?~” 

“U-uhm…Maybe.” 

Millie playfully giggled, using her finger to twirl a white curl that was framing his face. “I love how ya get all nervous like this. It’s cute~...Whacha got there?” Millie asked out of curiosity about the bag in Moxxie’s hands. 

“O-oh…It’s for you, actually. It’s an early birthday gift. It came in today, but I didn’t want Blitz getting into it…so.” 

“Aww, ya didn’t have ta do that! Yer too sweet!...But ya know mah birthday ain't fer another three months, right?” Millie took his arm, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before they headed to the old couch in Millie’s living room to sit, since the bag was fairly large and bulky. 

"I know, but I've been pre-planning. And I had to buy this right when it came out to make sure you'd get it."

“You really do know how ta make a gal feel special, Mox. Can I?” she asked, slithering her hands into the paper wrapping, feeling a large box inside. 

“Of course! It’s all yours.” And all hers it was indeed. 

Out of every possibility that ran through Millie’s mind, the gift hiding inside the bag and behind the neatly cut, beige wrapping paper, being one of the material possessions she’d longed for most in Hell, was one of the last things on her mind. 

Hell Station 5

The best of the best video game consoles to be released, and when she ripped that wrapping paper off, her face dropped from her signature sweet, charming smile, but Moxxie could see how her eyes lit up with awe and fascination the moment she realized what she held in her possession. He knew how badly she wanted one. He'd noted several of the interests and passions she'd spoken of over their time together at the company, and one of the most talked about was her love of video games, particularly how she couldn't play them as a young child with her family's economic status and Wrath's lack of arcades. Her access was only permitted once she reached her early 20s and was able to venture out of her home ring, once her career as an assassin allowed for travel. However, even then, all she could afford to buy herself was an old, secondhand Nintendo Switch, which she loved and cherished dearly.

For months, Moxxie listened carefully and diligently, picking up on every tiny detail she'd been given, discussing the console, the games she liked, and how quickly they sold out because everybody and their mothers, as well as Voxtubers who played video games, wanted one. And from those days forward, he silently planned and researched, deciding he had to get her one, no matter what, and seeing that glimmer in her eyes was worth skipping a few meals here and there and sacrificing extra nights out with his fellow thespian friends. 

“...I can’t,” Millie admitted defeat, looking up at Moxxie with a new, gentle smile. “I love it, and I thank you for going through the trouble, but this is too much. I can’t let you buy me somethin’ this expensive.” 

“Well, I’m not leaving with it…so…” 

“Mox, really. I know how pricey these things are. I don’t want you starvin’ ‘cause of me.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Moxxie shook his head, staying on the couch with his hands in his lap, posture straight and proper as always, like a true Greedian businessman. The difference in Moxxie, however, was that he was such a different man from the run-of-the-mill Greed boy. Millie’s past experiences could attest to that. “I’ve been planning this out for a while. It’s all been taken care of. It was a pre-order, so it’s all paid off. Membership and everything.” 

“You did not get me a membership too!” 

“I did my research. You need a membership to play online. So, I bought you a membership…And your favorite games to go along with it. Don’t refuse. Because I won’t take it back. It's yours.” 

“Oh, Moxxie,” Millie cooed, embracing him and initiating a passionate kiss. "I know you won't admit it, but I know how much ya probably had to go through to get me this...Thank you." She pecked him on the cheek again, leaving a faded outline of black lipstick. 

Moxxie might have come from Greed, but one of the things Millie loved most about him was that he couldn’t have been more opposite from the typical Greedian boy. He was so giving in all aspects of their secret little love affair. However, the demoness still remained cautious, walking on eggshells at times, waiting and watching closely for the mask to slip. To see his true colors once she did something he didn’t like, but her freckled friend was either as great an actor as those from Broadway that he spoke so highly of, or he was really playing the long game, because Millie had yet to see a side of him that screamed “run!”

She’d been in this situation before, where she had a man claim to love her and shower her with gifts, and once her trust was gained, he discarded her like a used toy. But she wouldn’t let that happen again. No. Not even if it meant losing Moxxie, whose name was carved on her black, demonic heart. She rejected him several times when he first showed an interest in her, and when he accepted those (what she assumed to be painful) pangs of denial, Millie could sense he was hurt, but was strangely attracted to how gracefully he accepted her "nos" and "not interesteds." 

Funnily enough, his respect for her consent felt like a new sexual awakening for the farmgirl, and when she came around not long after, his poorly suppressed enthusiasm only made her want him more, because it appeared to be a real desire for her and not just Moxxie wanting to jump into her panties and dip straight after. His contentment with being only her friend after she denied his romantic advances triggered something in Millie that she had never felt with another man. 

“Oh, and I got you a little something else, too. Nothing big, but it’s just extra,” Moxxie explained, not long before Millie swiped a wet thumb across his lips and cheeks to wipe off the residue of her black lipstick. 

“More?! My birthday ain’t that important!”

“It is to me,” Moxxie said, kissing her hand, and standing to reach into the paper “Happy Birthday!” bag. He clutched a smaller box in his hands, about 9 to 10 inches long, and presented it to her, once again wrapped in neatly cut and taped wrapping. “I might have to explain this one, but I thought I’d splurge.” 

Millie accepted the smaller gift into her lap, unveiling an 8-inch purple vibrator, one that she expressed interest in before. An original from the great Asmodeus’s factory in the Lust Ring. Insertable, 15 different settings, 3 different skins included, and most importantly, VERY highly recommended by women from every ring. No doubt the reviews drove sales to skyrocket, as nearly every star-rated review gave this tool a rating of 4.8 or 5 stars, with very few 1-star reviews coming from flawed or broken aspects and the occasional Karen wanting to bitch somewhere. 

“Girl’s Best Friend” a clever name for such a thing…

“I’m sorry if this is odd to include…but you said you really wanted to try it…and they were having a sale about a month ago, so I got you one to try. B-but this doesn’t mean you have to be pressured or anyth-” 

Moxxie's back was forcefully pushed onto the couch when Millie's lips collided with his. The thespian went to rest his hands on her round hips as usual, but his lover intertwined their fingers together, sliding their joined fists above his head and onto the old, outdated wallpaper.

Millie buried her head into his neck, kissing, biting, and licking his pale red skin, leaving kiss marks and love bites all over, claiming him as hers once again, making him moan out her name and curse words under his breath as a mound heightened under his boxers, poking Millie in the thigh. 

"I warned ya before what treatin' me like this does ta me~" she whispered in his ear, kissing him higher up. "You know what you were doin', sugar. You thought you could come, spoil me like this, 'n I wouldn't go wild? Oh, baby~ Imma 'bout to rock yer world." She sat up, resting in between his thighs, throwing his belt to the floor and pulling him up by his purple tie before tearing it off him too. "How 'bout I give you a lil thank you before we try that puppy out?" She discarded her top, dropping to her knees with a devilish smirk, watching the wheels turn in Moxxie's head as his eyes widened. 

"Y-you don't have to test it out now. I bought it for you."

"Maybe I wanna test it now~ Come on, honey. Let's try it. Let's try it right now. You 'n me~ Besides, you know how much you love these lips~” Millie moaned, covering herself with a spare blanket as she quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his perfectly ironed pants, pulling them down along with his boxers to his ankles, letting him sit for a minute without any touching being done.

When his partner finally wrapped her plump lips around him, Moxxie couldn’t help but give a small jolt, letting out a breathy moan, feeling her tongue slide under him while her lips acted as a condom, sliding all the way down to his pubic bone. She stayed still, taking in his fresh, clean scent and his warmth, loving the jagged movements from his chest to his stomach, his rapid breathing, and the minor pulsing between her cheeks as he hardened more in her mouth. 

Millie placed a hand on his naked hip and another on his inner thigh, casually letting it slither down to cup his balls, knowing how much he enjoyed it before gliding herself up and down, gradually speeding up until she heard her sweetie singing like the little canary he was. 

Before he could explode on her tongue, she suddenly pulled herself off with a pop, emerging from the blanket and raising herself off her knees and settling back onto the couch in his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to kiss him passionately, digging her nails into his neatly gelled back hair and Moxxie to do the same with her now russeled up and static black mane from the blanket. 

“Do you ever think about me…when you do it?”

Moxxie was taken aback by the question, even unsure of what she meant, still high off of her kisses. 

“Well, do ya?...You’d have to be quiet since you share a space with the boss, but,” she continued to whisper, reaching down to grab him, sending a wave of pleasure through his being as she gently ran a palm up and down the underside of his shaft. “Show me, Moxxie~ Show me what I do to you~” It was a beg. A genuine desire to watch how badly this man wanted her. To see how desperate he was to think about her during such a private and intimate act. 

“Show me. Show me what it’s like. Show me how you like it. Show me how you touch yourself when you’re thinking about me ~”

And the sniper who she’d become increasingly obsessed with, that prim and proper gentleman who was so shy and bashful to her face in the beginning, didn’t waste a second, looking her in the eyes and throwing off his opened shirt and suit jacket, tossing them to the old, wooden apartment floor on top of his belt and tie that Millie stripped from him earlier. 

She climbed out of his lap, sitting beside him on the couch now, struggling to keep herself away from him, but he readjusted himself, leaning his back against the armrest and relaxing his digitigrade legs on the cushions, facing her so she could see everything. 

“You want a show?” he used both hands, one to steady himself on the sofa and the other to begin pleasing himself per her request. “I’ll give you a show~” Pacing himself, he started a slow masturbation, giving most attention to the tip, every so often sliding down to the base in a tug and pull motion, keeping one eye open to keep track of her reaction, observing her incessant unconscious squirming. 

Millie felt the lump in her throat growing, and the heat throughout her body swelling more and more deeply into her core as she struggled to stay under control, but the urge to touch him or herself was proving to be more difficult. 

Watching Moxxie jerk himself off in front of her lit a fire in her chest that she didn’t know would consume her this way. She wanted nothing more than to jump onto his lap and ride him like a rodeo bull. If only self-control didn’t exist. 

“Y-you don’t have to resist,” Moxxie groaned, seeing her hands fighting to stay at her sides. “Join me, o-only if you want to.” 

He didn’t have to finish that sentence. With a final confirmation, Millie rid her own panties and shorts off in a flash, spreading her legs across the sofa similar to him, grabbing a throw pillow to lean back on for comfort before she positioned a hand towards her inner thighs, teasing herself to rile both of them up. 

Focusing on her own movements distracted Moxxie from himself, ceasing his masturbation. As much as she wanted to tend to her own wetness, Millie was not satisfied. She wanted to watch him, and it wasn’t much of a show if he stopped. 

“No, keep doin’ it,” she cried. “I want ya ta keep goin’” Instead of staying at the other end of the couch, Millie scooted closer, finally inserting her pointer and middle fingers into her opening. “Do it with me, baby~ Please~” 

The blush on Moxxie’s cheeks now darkened him by four shades. She was so hot and arousing, she could have him throbbing and leaking just by her accent and a bat of her long eyelashes. But he felt guilty. Any time they were intimate, he aimed to please her. His own needs could wait; hers were his top priority. Growing up in the mob taught him to hold back his own sexual urges and desires well, and he intended to put those suppressing skills to use when he was with her. 

“B-but yo-” 

Millie put a finger to his lips, stopping him. “Please. It’s so fuckin’ hot to watch you…I think about ya all the time when I fiddle myself~” 

Hearing that almost sent the sniper into a horniness frenzy. He believed that Millie was just as enamored with him as he was with her, but he didn’t know she felt strongly about him enough to fantasize about him in...that manner. But he couldn’t lie; she hit the nail on the head when she assumed he did the same. 

Living in the same apartment as their boss, only sleeping inches away from him wasn’t the most comfortable or private setting to wank off when he felt the impulses arising, but living with Crimson and also having a high sex drive taught Moxxie to be a master of silence and stealth, the perfect skills to be quiet when he needed a quick moment to himself. Although the shower also worked out well in his favor. 

Minutes passed and their game evolved from them teasing each other, with dirty words and requests to a fiery session of mutual masturbation, with Moxxie keeping a mild pace sliding his fingers in and out of Millie, rubbing his thumb over her clit area and Millie squeezing his cock at the tip and relaxing her hand the closer to the base she got, using her other hand to fondle his balls as if she was bobbing her head up and down on his member. 

Both demons felt themselves growing close to orgasm, with every thrust almost sending them over the edge. Every now and then, they’d slow down to stop themselves from finishing, not wanting the moment to end, but Millie would be the dagger that’d stab an end to their prolonged lovemaking session. 

“I think about you all the time when I do this~ I do it every day thinking about all those times you’ve fucked me~” 

Moxxie was the first to go, spilling himself all over her hand with small upwards thrusts, a sight erotic enough to almost make Millie blow, but her own finish line was set back when Moxxie grabbed her by the thighs, sending her backward with her legs up in the air, watching as Moxxie took a minute to eye her for permission, granted to him by a single nod. 

Millie arched her back once Moxxie’s tongue made contact with her clitoral area, licking and sucking as if she’d been a source of sweet honey from Gluttoney. He was actually the first to take Millie orally, nervous the first time since he’d never been with a woman before, but some instruction by his queen helped to steer him in the right direction, although, he knew he still had some learning to do, and it’s not as if she wouldn’t allow him to practice on her…

“Oh, oh, Moxxie!~ ” She yelled out, gripping one claw onto the old fabric and another into his thick, white hair, directing his head to all the right spots as his own hands stayed on the outside of her thighs, keeping her hunkered down to the furniture. He knew how crazy and wild this made her...

It wasn’t long, estimated five minutes passing, before Millie, on instinct, clenched her thighs around Moxxie’s head, her back almost levitating off the cushions as her climax came and went, a strong one at that. Her little devil was getting better and better with that mouth of his, improving every time. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her about all the alone times he’d spent practicing on fruits to try perfecting his techniques, refusing to be anything but flawless for his muse. 

“We missed the chance,” Millie whined, releasing Moxxie from her inner legs. “You bought me that thing ‘n we got carried away before we could try it.”

“But I bought it for you to try. It’s yours.” Moxxie went on again, catching his breath from the seconds-long clutch Millie had on his oxygen.

“I wanted to test it with you, though.” 

“W-well, if you want, we can try it later. I mean, it’s only 6:00. Or tomorrow if you’re too whipped. You mentioned earlier that you were tired.”

“...You remembered that? That was at like 8 in the mornin’” 

“Absolutely…Speaking of, shall I run you a bath?”

“A bath?” 

“Yes. That way, you can wind down while I make dinner and get comfortable. I can help you set up the game console if you want. I don’t mind. Or we can order dinner or go out, whatever you want to do.”

“U-uhm…sure. Ordering sounds nice. I don't feel like handlin' dishes 'n clean up ta'night anyway.” Millie sat up with her lover boy, who helped her before quickly making his way to her small apartment bathroom to run a bath, still blabbering about plans for their night together.

"Oh, you don't have to be worried about clean up. I would do that no matter what we do. But we can order if that's what you want! I don't mind!"

The female assassin stayed sitting on the sofa, looking down at her old coffee table, specifically at the gifts. Such grand gestures, and all for her. Not a crumb of selfishness could be spotted in either. Millie had been conflicted on Moxxie’s generosity for a while now. On one hand, she loved to be spoiled, and his gift giving was sweet. Every present had hours upon hours of thought and effort behind it. She knew damn well that that gaming console was likely a huge pain in the ass for him to get his hands on. 

The other part of her brain, however, reminded her of all the men before him who persuaded her, lovebombed her, bribed her with material possessions. There were a many times when past exes would buy her things as a means to give backhanded compliments, or they would gift her different things that she had no interest in. Those always really hurt. 

For a long time, she was convinced that Moxxie was a fake, that he only wanted something out of her. A part of that theory still lingered in her mind whenever he was so nice and sweet to her. 

Old experiences convinced her that he wanted sex out of her, but if that were the case, wouldn’t he be bored of her by now? They’d fucked a lot since getting together. Even then, he was so different in bed compared to others she’d been with previously. Even his attitude towards her after the fact was such a stark contrast from others. 

One-night stands, leaving after the fact, were to be expected from casual hookups, but exes like Rex, Chazwick, Damon, Ramone, and all the others in between would either push her away or kick her out following. Millie just thought that rumors and stories about aftercare were myths until Moxxie made a big performance out of it. 

“It’s ready, Mills!” Moxxie shouted from the bathroom.

“O-ok! I’ll be right there!” Millie answered back, taking delight in the setting Moxxie had made of her bathroom, with steaming hot water awaiting her in the tub, just the temperature imps liked, and several herbal candles lit for relaxation and calming effects. “What would you like me to order? I can get anything you want!” Moxxie asked, blowing out the match he used to light the candles as Millie settled in the scalding water.

“Actually, Mox,” she spoke up, seeing those two adorable eyes landing on her. “...Can you join me. N-not in a sexy way.”

“You want me to bathe…with you?” 

“Y-you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought-” Millie rattled off, nervous that she’d just scared the man off, until a soft splash was made in the bubble bath and Moxxie was soaking in the water alongside her.

“No problem!” he smiled. “If that is what you want, that is what I will do!”

“You don’t have to do everything I want, ya know?” 

“But does it make you happy when I do?” 

“Well, yeah, bu-”

“Then I will do it!” Moxxie interrupted, leaving no room for back talk, even ‘booping’ Millie’s nose with suds he’d gotten on his finger, making her laugh. She really liked this man. 

Her own anxieties could persist if they wanted to. Her theories on Moxxie’s true intentions with her would keep stirring until she couldn’t think anymore. But she enjoyed his company, his affection, his loving and devoted attitude towards her. 

She’d let him treat her how she longed to be treated for as much as he wanted to. It’s not like this Greed boy was going to stick around for much longer, right?...

She might as well embrace what she could get before it was all gone.

The remainder of their night was simple yet magical for the retired cowgirl. After their shared bath, bathing each other, and Moxxie singing his fingers into her long black hair to shampoo and condition it, they dressed in comfy pajamas to lounge for the rest of the time. Moxxie ordered dinner from one of Millie's favorite take-out restaurants, including dessert. He helped Millie set up the Hell Station, even giving one of the games a try when she encouraged him to play with her. When the pair headed to Millie's bed, turning in for the evening, more kissing, touching, petting ensued, more so on Millie's end since she initiated it...a little too much. Enough to clue Moxxie in that she was attempting to start something more. 

Was he interested? Yes. Did he want her as well? Of course. However, there were other ways outside of sexual intimacy to profess and show your love for someone. 

"H-how about we wait until tomorrow?" Moxxie gently grabbed Millie by the shoulder, pulling away from the deep kiss they shared. "That'll give us something to look forward to."

"O-oh...Are you sure? I don't wanna make ya wait." 

"Wait for what? We did it once. We can just cuddle for the rest of the night and go to sleep. We haven't really snuggled in a while." 

"...Is this because of the whole boundaries thing?" Millie sat up, beginning to panic internally. "B-because I-I can get over it if ya w-want me to. I promise, you can do whatever ya want! I can just...suck it up for ya." 

She hated to even think it to herself...But she lied to herself a lot....She'd do anything to keep Moxxie, even if it meant discarding her own limits...

Moxxie stared at her, furrowing his brows when he straightened up. "What do you mean?"

"W-well, ya brought me those presents 'n ya indulged me...It's my turn ta return the favor."

"I didn't do all that for sex, though. I did all that because I wanted to spoil you and do something nice for you...You're not obligated to do anything for me in return."

"...Are ya sure?"

"Of course. I just love you and want to do things that will make you happy."

It wasn't the first time they'd had a variation of this conversation. The first time, Millie was perplexed, refusing to believe that he meant the words he spoke. It couldn't be that easy. He had to be spoiling her for something, trying to butter her up so she'd let her guard down. How could he still keep this act up?!

"...T-then...Yes, let's cuddle. Please," Millie muttered, melting into Moxxie's arms, as their heads rested together on the pillows. 

"Whatever your heart desires, my queen."

"How can I be the queen?"

"Because you're the apple of my eye. You're my queen."

"Why not the princess?"

"Well, you're both to me, but the queen comes before the princess. So, you're my queen." Moxxie yawned, stretching his tail before relaxing the fifth limb under the covers. 

To be the queen? The apple of his eye? 

Millie couldn't believe it. How could she be the queen when she'd done so much damage to those around her? To herself? 

She waited until he was surely asleep to tear up, to allow tears to slowly roll down her bare cheeks. It wasn't true! He was lying! Lying to get her to trust him! Lying to make her look like a fool! To get something out of her! 

There was no way in Hell that this guy, this loving, caring, wonderful guy, would want anything to do with her long-term. And she'd be damned if she let history repeat itself...

Millie tried to get to rest, but with all the tossing and turning she was doing, she couldn't fall asleep, and she was scared that the constant movements and squeaking of the mattress and old bed frame would wake up Moxxie. What else was she to do but stay still and silently cry to herself? So, that's what she did, for Satan knows how long, before a soft hand took hers, startling Millie to look the other way, her eyes finding Moxxie's concerned ones. 

"...What's the matter?" he whispered, still delicately grasping her hand. 

"...Nothin'..." Millie turned back over, cocooning herself in the covers, feeling Moxxie scooting closer to her side. 

"...Millie?" Moxxie peeled back the blankets from her face, using his own hands to wipe away the tear stains left behind. "...What is it?" 

"...I ain't cryin'" 

"You obviously are...That's ok, though...Are you alright?" 

"...N-no," Millie whimpered, shielding her eyes from him in embarrassment. "Y-ya can just go back ta sleep, though. I promise I'll quit it. I'm just bein' a baby!" 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Nah...I won't keep ya up with it...It's fuckin' stupid." 

"I don't mind. You're clearly upset."

Millie let out a snort between tears, using the comforter to wipe away more tears. "Fuck, why are ya so nice?" 

Moxxie's eyes scanned the small, cramped bedroom, looking, searching for anything to help calm his love down, or at the very least to help comfort her. Then, he spotted it. Across the room, his eyes landed on Mr. Kerfuffle, a giant 14-inch old, ratty Baphomet plush that Millie had kept with her since she was a young child. That tattered and matted plush demon had seen her through all stages of life; he was one of her most prized possessions. Moxxie jumped off the mattress, fetching the worn teddy and offering it to Millie once he joined her back in bed. 

"...Thank ya," she cried, taking Mr. Kerfuffle into her hands, strangling the toy with her strong arms. Moxxie lay beside her, leaving the floor open in case she decided to start talking once her crying tapered off. Despite her hesitance behind fully extending a trusting hand to her lover, Millie had grown to, oddly enough, become exposed enough in front of Moxxie to show her most vulnerable moments that she refused to show to anyone else, and Moxxie loved her so much that he'd do whatever he could to console her when she was feeling more down than usual. 

"I just don't understand..."

"What do you mean?" 

Millie slithered out of bed before Moxxie could ask anything more, digging in her aged nightstand before shutting the small drawer with a loud knock. "...I tried writing this to you a while ago...but I couldn't finish it...because every time I tried, it made me burst into tears." She handed a folded-up paper to Moxxie, the freckled sniper, accepting it into his hands and opening it up to find a letter, explaining several complications revolving around Millie's feelings towards him: how she loved him, how she thought he was too good for her, how she wanted him to be her one and only, but how she didn't think she could ever be good enough to be his soul mate.

"Five hours...That's how long I worked on that...Weeks ago, after ya took me on that nice date. After we came back here, 'n you treated me like a delicate little flower in bed." She paused, choking up on her own words once more. "For five hours, I sat here, paced around, trying to write in this letter how much I love you…but I just can’t. B-because every time I try gettin’ ta the point I break down. Cause it reminds me over and over again of the fact that I could lose you...You write me all those songs...all those love notes...Fer the love of Satan. I don't know how ya get so creative...And you spend all that time on me...All that energy and talent on me...Of all the women in Hell, you always pick me." 

"...My love, respectfully, I don't understand why you're so worked up over this."

“The problem is that I, Mildred George, have fallen horns over hooves, heads over tails, deeply, passionately, madly in love with you, Moxxie Knolastname…and that means that…As long as yer with me, you’ll never know what you could have…I’ll always be in the way of what you really want. I’ll always hold you back. You’ll never meet yer dreams. And you’ll hat-"

Right as Millie began to cry again, wiping away teardrop after teardrop, her monologue was interrupted by Moxxie, but not by his voice, no. He brought her in by his arms, tucking her close to his body, cupping her face, and using his thumbs to swipe her tears away, followed by another lip lock, similar to the one she'd given him earlier that day at work. And Millie didn't refute it. Her legs being crossed on the bed didn't mean anything, as they buckled and shook as she liquified under his touch in such a confusing yet romantic twist to what she thought for sure would be the final straw driving him away once and for all. 

“Then so be it," the proud thespian murmured, ending their kiss, combing some of her black hair away from her eyes. "Because with you, Millie, my dreams will always be about you and our future together…If I don’t have you, I’ll never have everything that I want. Because you’re what I want. You’re my dreams. And if there’s anyone who doesn’t like it, then they can just go fuck themselves.” The boldness of his last statement even made Millie let out a giggle between tears, lightening the mood even if it meant Moxxie felt flustered that he'd spoken so crassly in front of her. “I-I mean…oh crumbs, sorry.”

"No... No, don't apologize...I get what ya mean...I just don't want you to get years 'n years with me down the line, only fer ya to realize ya wasted so much time with me." 

"My love, any time spent with you will never be wasted," Moxxie clutched her hand again, lovingly caressing a thumb over her palm. "I'm serious. Please don't say those things to yourself. I love you, Millie. I want us to live out our dreams together. And I want to keep spoiling you until the end of time if you'd be alright with that."

"Oh, Moxxie~ You really ain't like other Greedian boys." 

"Well, because I'm not a Greedian boy." 

Millie chuckled, kissing him again, intertwining their tails. "Yer damn right ya ain't...But ya ain't like other Wrathian boys either. Yer so special, and I love you so much." 

"I love you too, Millie. Very much." 

Maybe trusting Moxxie wouldn't be so bad...

But after getting her heart broken over and over again, it would take some time. However, Moxxie would surely protect her and heal whatever broken spirit was left behind by exes. 

He had to, he promised to, and he would.

That was so much more than what any other had ever vowed to her... 

Notes:

I hope y'all enjoyed this silly little filler chapter before more drama ensues next time👀

Also, as of Sunday, this project is officially 1 year old! I want to take a moment to thank every single one of you! Y'all encourage me to keep sharing my stories, and all of your comments and kindness encourage me to keep writing! Thank you all for the support this past year, and I can't wait to see how far we can take this!🫶🩷🖤

Chapter 67: Family Reunion (Part 13)

Summary:

A short and sweet sneak peek into M&M's early days. Millie & Moxxie run into a surprise on the ranch...Oh, and Caroline throws a fit, too!...

4 Years Ago

Rough ‘N Tumbleweed Ranch

“So, ya first day on a farm! How ya feel ‘bout it?” 

“It was different…But I enjoyed it.” 

“You don’t have’ta lie,” Millie chuckled, scooting her body closer to Moxxie’s on the old quilt they had laid out on the front yard dirt. “I know it’s a different environment ‘n pace from the city.”

“I don’t mean different in a negative way, but I’ve actually never been on a farm before so…”

“Really?! Never been on a farm?”

“Never,” Moxxie repeated, taking Millie’s hand clutched in his, planting a kiss on the front. “I can see why it’s enjoyable, though. You’re surrounded by nature, animals, and I’m sure you learned lots of valuable life skills from working here during your childhood.” 

“I’d say so. I love the city, but I do miss the country from time to time. Especially when ya got nights like this,” Millie glanced back up at the black night sky, admiring the millions of stars from Heaven above shining down into Hell. Pride was gorgeous, not as much as Wrath in her opinion, but it was nearly impossible to stargaze like this in the city with the smog and loud, never-ending noises, and unless you had a balcony, good luck lying down to see the tiny orbs unless you peeked your head out the small apartment window. 

The Greed Ring was even worse. The chemical smog and fog from the oceans combined made it difficult to tell the difference between night and day sometimes, not to mention having to breathe that shit into your lungs every time you walked out in public. The air in Wrath was clean, crisp, and clear; you didn’t have to worry about getting black lung just from going outside. There is hardly any wildlife. The animals that do manage to live there either have a terrible quality of life or die early on and left to rot on the streets. 

Living in Greed for the short time she was there was one of the worst periods of Millie’s life. She hated that place with a burning passion, questioning all of her life decisions until the very end, until Blitz recruited her for I.M.P. and rescued her from that dreaded ring. Her boyfriend expressed his disgust for the ring where he grew up several times, and she couldn’t disagree with him. 

The only good thing that came from those wretched mob-infested streets and alleyways was their love, as that’s where it all truly began…

“...Can I ask ya somethin’?” 

“Of course,” Moxxie faced her, relishing the feeling of her hands wrapped gently around his exposed arm from their cuddling. 

“So, you’ve talked ta me ‘bout yer Ma, but what about yer other family? Like yer Pa?”

Uh oh…

He knew it would come up eventually, but he was crossing his fingers that it wouldn’t be anytime soon…

Goosebumps rose on Moxxie’s arms and legs, prominent enough for Millie to feel, looking downward to witness the vellus hairs on his body stand up on end, but his face stayed nearly the same aside from his smile dropping and his pupils constricting the teeniest bit. The only time she’d noticed her love getting goosebumps like this was when they’d become frisky and he’d grow excited, but this was different…

This felt like fear, anxiety at the very least. 

“We uh…We don’t h-have a relationship. Not much of one anyway.” Moxxie stuttered, looking to the side away from his girlfriend. He understood at some point that she’d grow curious about his life before they’d met, as his Millie was always inquisitive and observant. It was one of the very things that made him fall in love with her. However, he prayed to Satan that he could just lie his way out of telling her the truth, not because he didn’t trust her, but because he was deeply ashamed of his past life, and most importantly, he wanted to keep her safe. 

He never lied about the fact that his mother passed away when he was young, but he created a tiny white lie about the circumstances. She didn’t die from natural causes at a young age like he’d blurted out to her, but what could he say?! That he was raised as an heir to a mob, and his father did away with his mother after she disobeyed him continuously? That was a sure enough way to scare her off. 

And he wanted to keep her safe from all of it…Her being with him already put her at risk. How could he do that to her? For countless nights, Moxxie struggled, contemplating with himself whether he was selfish or not for engaging in a relationship with Mildred, knowing damn good and well what could happen to her. But he couldn’t let her go. He loved her too much. He loved her so much. She was the first demon in a long time who made him feel like an actual person with thoughts, feelings, and opinions that meant something, and call him a monster, but he didn’t want to give that up. 

Part of his predicament came from Millie’s experiences, as she’d confided in him that every past man she’d been with from Greed ended up hurting her, abandoning her, lying to her…Oh Satan, he was no better…

He didn’t like fibbing about himself, making himself seem to be something that he was not, but what other choice did he have? 

If he told the truth, he risked losing her now. If he lied, he risked losing her later…

Both options were a death sentence to his heart, and he knew he couldn’t take it…

Millie sensed long before that Moxxie didn’t have much of a relationship with his family. Aside from his mother’s death, he never spoke of any family. No brothers or sisters (then again, he did say he was an only child), no aunts or uncles, no cousins, no mention of a father, but she knew he existed. The only details she’d gotten about any familial ties were when he’d mention a nanny he had growing up in passing, but even then, not much was said. 

It was odd. Family was always important to Millie. She’d been family-oriented for most of her life, especially as she grew older, so to be close to so many people who didn’t get along with their folks or weren’t keen to talk about it was a shock. 

Her theory was that Moxxie’s family either weren’t accepting of him, being that he was queer and deviated from the traditional gender binary of being a man or something much worse that she couldn’t fathom. 

“...I get ya,” Millie stroked his hair, tangling her fingers into his thick, white locks. “Every family has those kinds of um…complications.” 

“Not yours, though. At least not that I’ve seen. You have a wonderful family.” Moxxie smiled again, this time bringing Millie shame and guilt on the inside. 

The whole time she’d been on the ranch with her boyfriend, her folks hadn’t been the kind people she knew them to be, making snide and rude remarks about Moxxie, including hits to his hobbies, looks, background, etc. It broke her. She wanted them to all get along and for her parents to adore the man she loved as much as she did. 

Alas, that didn’t happen…And oh, did their reactions to meeting him make her angry…

“...I’m so sorry about my fam,” Millie whispered. “I don’t know why they’re bein’ so difficult.”

“...They’re protective of their daughter and sister…There’s nothing wrong with that. I quite admire their love and dedication to family.”

“Well, I just know that they’ll come ‘round at some point. They gotta! They’re probably just bein’ extra protective ‘cause of my last boyfriend…And the one before that…And the one before that……And all the other fuckers before them. Yer the only man I’ve been with who’s a suitable guy if ya can’t tell.” 

“Well,” Moxxie chuckled once she finished, wrapping his arms around her body, bringing her even closer to him. “I guess that means I’m doing good at my job.”

“You are~ Really you are,” Millie purred, kissing him on the cheek before both imps looked back up at the stars. Moxxie used his tail to cover both of them with the rest of the quilt, taking in a deep breath to fully embrace the night sky, air, and music of the Wrathian night bugs chirping away in the distance. 

He was happy with Millie, and Millie felt the same about him…

They had the rest of their lives to make these memories together, and they couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them…

---

Present Day

"Ya ready, baby?" Millie hopped off the wooden porch of the farmhouse, adjusting her farm hat to protect her from the hot sun that would inevitably beat down on them during this Wrath Ring autumn day once afternoon rolled around. Moxxie closed the front door behind him, dressed in the outfit his wife had laid out for him that morning: an old sleeveless plaid shirt, a pair of her old overalls, and the maroon cowboy hat she'd gotten for him a while back to protect her Mox Mox from the sun. 

Sunrise was about two hours away from being complete, but once those magma suns rose from their respective volcanoes, the heat would not spare any creature within the ring. 

"I can't deny, Mills...I'm a little scared," the sniper rubbed the back of his neck, melting when Millie's eyes landed on him again. 

"Oh, Mox! Look at you so cute and dashing in yer farmer outfit! Ain't you just the cutest little rancher a gal ever did see!" 

"Why did you have me dress in these again? I'm not complaining, of course, only curious." 

"Just 'cause I know you'd kill yerself if yer other clothes got stains on 'em while we're workin'!" Millie teased, sticking out her forked tongue. 

"You know me so well, honey. So, where do we start?"

"Come on! I'll show ya! Don't be scared, Imma do most of the tough stuff, so ya don't have ta worry!"

They had a pretty hefty day ahead of them. Lin and Joe were going to be out until late afternoon helping Roy and Peaches build a new fence on their property, leaving Sallie May, Moxxie, Millie, Elmer, and Wyatt alone to tend to the Rough ‘N Tumble field work until it was time to get freshened up and ready for that night's wedding event. With there being one washroom inside the home, that meant that they had to get the farm chores completed relatively early, since there were five people who needed to prepare, take showers, and get dressed -- but Moxxie and Millie wouldn't mind using the outdoor shower to give Sallie and the boys the indoor bathroom, which would give them some privacy for a quickie if they were fast enough. 

Considering Moxxie wasn’t the most agriculturally inclined, Millie brought him along to help with the animals in their stables. Moxxie never grew up around animals, and escaping the mob only fed his curiosity and love for small and non-verbal creatures that didn’t have many ways to defend themselves. He would not protest helping his wife in whatever jobs she needed to complete around the farm, but he felt like an inadequate choice. He had no experience in ranch work, not even feeding animals. The only "experience" he had was feeding the birds that would visit their fire escape in the city, and that was it. 

He wanted to be helpful to his wife and the family today, especially since his in-laws saw him as pretty much useless in these settings, but was it fair to let Millie do all the heavy lifting? After all, he had immense guilt that she did a lot of that at their actual jobs already, while he relied on his guns to do the work for him. 

"Don't be thinkin' like that, baby," Millie kissed him on the cheek as they headed towards one of the barns where they kept sheep and cattle. "I promise you'll be alright. Any help is great help!"

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I could see it in that handsome face of yours~"

"You are on a roll today," Moxxie chuckled, seeing the smirk spread on his dear's lips. 

"It's the oxytocin from last night~ Now!" Millie announced, unlocking the doors to the barn. "Here's what I want ya to do, see that well over there?" she pointed out, just a few feet away from the barn. "You'll get a little wet, but I want ya to go fill up all the metal water tanks in the pens. One at a time," she instructed, handing Moxxie two wooden buckets on the ground.

"What about if they don't want me in the pens?"

"It'll be alright! These guys ain't aggressive like hellhogs can be. If anythin' they'll let you in 'cause it's hot and they want a drink. But I'll be here anyway! Now, get to it, mister!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Moxxie smiled, hurrying over to the stone water well while Millie began to clean the pens of waste and soiled hay; no doubt they'd both indulge in a good, long bath later on. His entire life, Moxxie felt an obsession, an unhealthy obsession even, to always stay clean and fresh, a value drilled mercilessly into him by Crimson when he tutored his boy on the family business and how to carry yourself as a mob boss. The only exceptions to the rule were when you were taking care of someone and things got bloody, but in those instances, you “immediately get your maids to fetch a new suit and wipe the black off your face.” Obviously, joining the business of killing meant becoming coated and filthy in blood, other secretions, and body waste, which was unsettling at first, but he learned to accept his fate long ago. Millie, on the other hand, grew up getting dirty every day. It was even encouraged in the Wrath Ring. If you didn’t get dirty and gross after a day on the farm, chances are you didn’t work hard enough, a sentiment that spread like wildfire amongst crop workers and ranchers alike. Regardless, they both had a gut feeling that bath alone after would do them both good…

“...Millie! This one keeps looking at me…menacingly!” Moxxie yelled out to his wife in the calf pen across from the one where her husband stayed still as a statue in fear of the fluffy flock of sheep surrounding him in a circle.

“Yer fine, Mox! Try givin’ him a pet! They like that!”

“What if it bites me?” Moxxie wondered out loud, cautiously inching his naked hand closer to the head of one close by. Anyone else would have watched this interaction and rolled their eyes, believing it was pathetic that a 29-year-old man was scared of a mostly harmless lamb, but Millie honestly saw the cuteness in the situation. She knew Moxxie’s past, and his being wary of even the most innocent-looking critters made sense to her. 

“Just give him a little pat! Right on the head! He just wants ta make sure ya ain’t dangerous!”

So, swallowing the lump in his throat, Moxxie didn’t argue back. Millie would know better than him how to treat farm animals after all. He lowered his hand, slowly and carefully, right onto the fuzzy head of the black sheep, taking note of the soft feel on his fingers and palm, relaxing instantly when the barn creature closed his eyes and bucked his head up as if asking the impish strangers to stroke him between the ears. 

“See! Told ya! Sometimes they just want some attention!” Millie smiled, turning back to the young calves mooing for breakfast. 

“Yeah…I guess they’re not so intimidating when they’re like this.”

“The heat is what makes ‘em aggressive,” Millie explained. “That’s why ya gotta be careful with the large animals, especially hogs, ‘cause they retain a lot of the heat in their shells.”

“So…Uh…Y’all aren’t going to kill these little guys, are y’all?”

“...No”

“Millie,” Moxxie interrogated further in a serious voice. 

“Well, we don’t! Not the sheep anyway. We have ‘em ‘cause they produce our wool.” 

“I guess it isn’t fair to judge. I suppose harvesting the animals is a requirement of farm life.” 

“Sure is, Mox Mox!~” Millie sang, locking the calf pen once she was finished, meeting her husband outside the sheep pen once his job in there was complete. “I reckon that’s why it don’t affect me much. It’s just always been a part of life fer me ‘n my folks! That’s why I’m still a little stunned that my parents weren’t really fans of me becomin’ an assassin. I would’ve thought that was definitely a career option they’d be right on board with.”

“I think they’re proud of you, honey. I know I am,” Moxxie praised, bringing in another bucket of water to fill up the goat enclosure as Millie entered inside. And at the mention of his in-laws, the sniper couldn’t help but wonder…

“...Speaking of your parents, do you think that I’m…I don’t know…Starting to grow on them?” Moxxie turned his neck, seeing Millie raking up the dirt and waste on the floorboards. “I just couldn’t help but notice that they’ve been more receptive to me this week.”

The beginning of Moxxie and Millie's relationship worried several of Millie's close family members, specifically Joe and Lin, for a multitude of reasons, one of the biggest being that they couldn't see a single thing that their little Millie or this Greedian boy had in common. 

Sure, according to him, he was born in Wrath, but aside from that, on the surface, they seemed to be polar opposites. The boy was a thespian, drowning himself in musical theater and playing instruments. He couldn’t lift a bale of hay, couldn't round up livestock, couldn't kill with his bare hands, and overall seemed to be a ‘puss’ in Wrathian standards. However, Millie loved and adored him, and her family couldn't grasp her reasoning for it. 

They couldn't see what she saw in Moxxie, but in their more private moments, Moxxie was her dream man. 

He didn't meet the physical expectations of her family's standards, but he met the emotional and mental expectations and desires of Millie's heart. With one strum of his guitar, he had her submitting to him, but not in the way most would think of submission. In the sense of wanting to commit her life to being with him forever, and Moxxie felt the same. The couple wanted to spend the rest of their demonic days, weeks, months, and years together, going through the trials and tribulations of life and love with one another. 

Millie didn't like to compare exes, but her past boyfriends could never even compete with Moxxie. He was the gentleman she always wanted, a man, a true man, who would treat a lady right, respect her, be loyal to her, not use her for his own personal gain...

Yeah. That's who she fell in love with…

“I think they are, hun!” Millie chirped, pausing her chore to look up at her sniper with her big, doe, admiring eyes with the large fluttery lashes. “I told ya they’d respect ya eventually! They just needed some time to see what a great guy you are! I think Wy comin’ ta stay with us fer a bit and seein’ how much he loved ya really opened their eyes!”

“I guess…You’re right a lot~”

“Ain’t I? Maybe ya should try listenin’ ta me more often~”

“I can’t argue with that.” Each imp gave a short laugh, turning back to their work in silence before Moxxie started to think and started another conversation without breaking focus. “So, I am wondering, sweetie, did you ever have a favorite barn chore growing up?" 

"Mmm...I don't know if you'll wanna hear it, babe." Millie avoided his gaze, but Moxxie already had an idea based on her reaction.

"Try me." 

"I loved dealin' with the animals...But I liked killin' 'n skinnin' them too...Sorry."

"So, did your passion for assassination begin on the farm?"

"Nah, it started when I stabbed one of the other girls in my kindergarten class with a pair of scissors," she reminisced, letting out a cold snicker, like it would have been a cutesy story about her and one of her friends or siblings. "She deserved it, though! There was blood everywhere!"

"Is that why you got kicked out?" 

"No, no! I didn't get kicked out till first grade! You were homeschooled, though, right? What does mafia homeschool even teach ya?"

"From what I’ve heard from my friends, you, and Blitz, I was taught a lot of the same subjects that they teach in public schools. I had math, science, literature, and history, but once I grew older, I was taught about accounting and running a business. Now I understand that I was only given that education because my dad was betting on me taking over the mob once he was gone."

"I think I would've done good bein' in the mafia! I think I would've liked all the killin' and torture!" Millie beamed in a sing-song voice, causing Moxxie to crack a nervous smile. 

"You? In the mafia? I don't doubt your skills, honey, but I don't know if you would have fancied mob life." 

"Why? I think it would've been really sexy~ You know, with you bein' an heir 'n all that~" 

"That's still a fantasy of yours, isn't it?" 

"...Maybe," Millie blushed. Yes, call her crazy, but since learning about Moxxie's crime background, she'd conjured up several fantasies about the two of them, secret lovers running around the mafia, especially since learning that it was forbidden for Moxxie to be with Wrathian girls, cowgirls specifically, according to Crimson. 

She confessed these private thoughts to Moxxie one night after they got a little too drunk together, and he was honestly intrigued by her erotic daydreams. When she learned the following day that she’d spilled the beans to her sweet, she apologized profusely, scared that he'd be saddened or offended that she was creating these role-play scenarios when his childhood and experience in the mob were traumatic and damaging to him, but surprisingly, he loved to play along with her, dropping small details about his past life here and there that she'd add to these fake stories, stimulating more excitement. Why not create something good and fun out of all that negativity for both of them to enjoy, he thought. 

“Just sayin’ though!” the melee assassin playfully kicked her heel up. “I think I would’ve made an excellent mafia wife! Yer the third guy I’ve been with who came from the fuckin’ mob. Fer some sick twisted reason, they keep findin’ me.”

“You know, the role of wives to mafia dons is to have children and raise them to carry on the family name.” Moxxie walked behind Millie, carrying the now two empty buckets again to fetch more water. “But for you, my dear, I would have made an exception. You could have been a part of the killing if you had liked.”

“Would you have still wanted ta marry me if you were runnin’ the mob? You know, with all them expectations ‘n such.”

“No doubt I would have. And if I had needed to, I would have killed Crim just so we could be together,” Moxxie gave her a quick kiss on the cheek while her face was still clean from any dirt or residue before carrying on with their tasks. 

“You’ve always been such a romantic~ Baby, can you do me a favor?” Millie called over to Moxxie as he waltzed back into the barn.

“Sure, honey! What can I do?”

“Do ya mind goin’ to unlock the hog pens so I can head on over there when I’m done in here? We're almost done in this barn anyway.” 

“No problem, babe! I’ve got it!” Moxxie agreed, dumping the rest of the water into the cows’ pens before making his way to the other barn a few minutes walk away, admittedly nervous since he’d be going into the hog’s pens, Moxxie’s equivalent of heading into the lion’s den. He still wasn’t a fan of hellhogs after that little incident during the last harvest moon festival, but his wife was doing the brunt of the heavy lifting today, so he’d do what he could to help. Besides, what could go wrong just by unlocking the barn and waiting for Millie?

“H-hello, little fellas,” Moxxie stuttered, slowly opening the barn door where the family kept their hogs at night. “Millie is going to come and…OH!” 

---

“There ya go, boy!” Millie pet one of their cows on their nuzzle, allowing the large animal to feed out of her hand. The long-time killer hummed to herself, swaying her tail as her chipper mood heightened as the light radiating from the many volcanoes in the distance began to signal a bright, new day, as she still waited on Moxxie, even though it had only been about 10 minutes since he’d left. Her tune ceased in surprise when Moxxie ran in the open barn doors, breathing heavily like he’d just run a marathon, bending over with his knees buckling putting his hands on the overalls for stability. 

“Mi-! Mills-! Milli-!” he struggled to get out. 

“What?!” was all Millie could follow with, concerned by Moxxie’s urgent reaction.

“I- It’s coming!” 

“What’s comin’, Mox?! What’s goin’ on?!”

Moxxie raised an exhausted hand to his wife’s shoulder, looking her in the eyes, desperately trying to catch his breath. 

“I-it-...it’s time.”

“What?” 

“The hogs…It’s time.” 

“....It… IT! Are you for real?!” Millie panicked, eyes growing wide at the realization of what was happening in the other barn. Moxxie could only nod his head before he heard the metal of the rake Millie was holding hit the ground as he was thrown over her shoulders, piggybacking on his wife, who ran faster than a chupacabra to the hog’s stable. 

“WILBY! MOMMY’S COMIN’ BABY!” Millie yelled, unintentionally throwing Moxxie off of her back once they reached the pig pens, with one pen to the far right immediately catching her eye. A pained Cleopatra was squealing in discomfort and effort, laboring during that early morning sunrise, exactly right around the date when Joe and Lin expected their dhow hog to be born. Wilbur sat in the pen beside her as male hogs did with their mates during the birthing proess, and once she swiftly assessed the situation, Millie was on a roll, hurrying to gather all the supplies from one of the barn closets as Moxxie regained his strength, almost toppling over again when Millie threw several old cloths and towels at him. 

“Come on, Mox! We gotta get movin’! Pig births can go bad fast if ya don’t take care of it!”

“Wh- What?! You want me to- Millie, I’ve never done this before!” 

“Ya don’t gotta do much! I just need an extra set of hands! Imma do all the dirty work!” 

“B-but-” Moxxie began to protest again, until he looked at his wife opening the gated door to Cleopatra’s pen, where Moxxie originally found Wilbur’s mate earlier, screeching in the beginning stages of labor. Millie pleaded with her big golden eyes, begging Moxxie to help, and she knew how to manipulate her sweetheart well, as Moxxie could never bring himself to tell her no. 

“Ok, ok, honey. I’m following your lead.” Moxxie surrendered, following Millie in to assist, still scared and nervous for what was about to transpire, settling on the ground ext to his wife, who began to check on the status of the labor, obeying every instruction she gave him to a t. Today was really turning out to be something different for Moxxie.

These past few days were truly evolving into an eventful week…

---

An Unnamed Hotel in San Satanonio

“It’s not fair!” Caroline shoved a wooden drawer hard back into the dresser, nearly cracking the piece from impact. “Fuck all of them! Fuck those inbred hicks!” 

All morning, she’d been pacing around her hotel, sweet, yelling, and throwing things around like a child having a temper tantrum over the newest “rules” that Kora had sanctioned for the rest of her wedding week. She was more pissed and up in arms when she first got news of these boundaries, but she could at least put on an act to pretend she didn’t care and drop snarky remarks as she did at the last get-together. 

“Honey Bear, please calm down,” Clint addressed his daughter softly, hoping to diffuse her newest outburst. “I know you are upset-”

“Daddy! It isn’t fair!” She snapped back. “It isn’t fair that those hillbillies get to decide who can have a date and who can’t! They are picking on me specifically for no good reason aside from the fact that Millie is being a big baby! And they have the audacity to call me spoiled!”

“Well, we know that they are all just jealous of you, sweetie!” Alison boasted from the door frame, leaving her husband to handle their daughter’s rage. “Think about it. You have a great family, great money, and a great suitor as a fiancé! Do not let them get to you.”

“But Mommy! It isn’t fair! Why does Millie get everything she wants?! Why does she get to bring her husband to the events, and I can’t bring my fiancé!? They are gaslighting us and manipulating you and Daddy into believing that it is we who are the problem!”

“Look, hon-”

“No, no, Clint,” Alison held out her arm, stopping her husband from taking another step closer to their grown impling. “She is absolutely correct. It is, in fact, not fair or right for your family to do this to us. After everything we’ve done for them, it is not right.” 

Clint’s eyes grew wide, slowly furrowing his brows as if silently asking his wife what she was talking about. Alison only gave him her classic look back, one that told him not to dare say a single peep against her before she turned her attention back to her daughter, who had quit her screeching and throwing fit for a moment. 

“My darling, we are so sorry we did not fight harder on the phone the other day. You’re right. This is completely unacceptable, and your father is going to call Kora and her parents to demand that they allow Rex to come with us to the next event.”

“Wh-what?!”

“You heard me, dear,” Alison rolled her eyes. “You are the man of the house. Call your brother and tell him that Rex is coming with us tonight, whether they like it or not. They can’t do anything to stop us. They cannot discriminate against our daughter just because your niece decides now that she regrets being a whore. And, yes, you give him those words exactly.”

“Alison?” Clint called out, a hint of annoyance in his voice, and his face told her all she needed to know. “Can I speak with you outside?”

The two adults, feeling the tension rising between them, slipped out of the room for a moment. The door had just completely shut when Clint started a whisper-yelling session with his wife, whom he was not pleased with. 

“What in the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

“Do not use that language and tone of voice with me, Clint! You should want to take up for your daughter against your degenerate family! They are picking on her!”

“Alison! If I call them and say all of that, then WE are going to get hunted! My relationships with them are already strained enough! I don-”

“What? You don’t what? You don’t want to defend your own child? You don’t want to call your family out after everything they have put us through? You’re a grown man, Clint! Grow a fucking spine and stick up for your family, or I will!” Alison hissed, turning her back to Clint as she strutted away, practically with steam coming from her ears. 

Clint didn’t want to…He really, really, REALLY did not think that this was a good idea, knowing his family, that is, but the other option would also disrespect his current family: his wife and daughter. 

He didn’t necessarily disagree with their opinions. He watched his nieces and nephews grow up, and his family had always favored little Mildred over his darling daughter. His sister always pointed out everything that Caroline did to Millie, but never even made an effort to see things from his point of view. His mother always babied Millie and Lin’s children over Caroline. Their other brothers and sister always had something nasty or critical to say about their wife and daughter, and never critiqued their own flaws or picked themselves apart as they did to Alison and Caroline.

You know what…Fuck them! 

He was a grown man, like his wife pointed out! He was not going to be bullied or allow his daughter to be singled out just because Lin and Joe couldn’t teach their daughter not to spread her legs! He could do whatever the hell he wanted to, and they and Millie would just need to get over it!

…Regardless…This was about to be a very uncomfortable, heated phone call…

---

Millie slid back onto the wooden wall of the pig pen, sighing in fatigue and relief that everything had gone smoothly and according to plan. Moxxie wrapped a dirty, bloody, slimy arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead when she rested herself on his shoulder. 

“Tired?” 

“I feel like a bitch fer sayin’ it, but yeah…I love animal births, but they’re long and stressful…But now I have more little piggies ta snuggle!” Millie beamed, staring forward at Wilbur and Cleo nursing their new tiny piglets. 

Only about two hours after they arrived, Millie helped Cleopatra successfully push out eight little piglets, and no stillbirths or complications either! Only one little piggy came out breech, but with Millie’s help, Cleo had no issues delivering them safely, as Moxxie helped to clean off the small babies, keeping them close to the father pig as his wife commanded. 

“See, that wasn’t so bad!” Millie turned to Moxxie with a toothy grin, wiping some more blood and other hog fluids off the birthing apron she had worn. 

“It was certainly an original experience for me…But I do have to admit, it was really cool. And the babies are pretty cute…Not to mention it was sooo sexy to see you in action like that~”

“Pfft! I was elbow deep in pig puss at one point. There ain’t nothin’ sexy ‘bout that. Unless ya have a weird new fetish I don’t know ‘bout.” 

“No, I just love to watch you get really deep into jobs. It’s cute~” Moxxie chuckled, bringing Millie’s body closer to his. “I love seeing you be so assertive and taking charge.” 

“Oh, I know you do~” Millie wrapped her own arms around Moxxie’s torso, cuddling into his side with a deep purr. “Thank you fer helpin’ me. I appreciate it. I know this isn’t really yer favorite thing.”

“Of course…Anything for you~” Moxxie sang, scratching her head between her horns, making her tail thump on the barn floor. “So what should we do now? Do we need to go get Sallie or your brothers? Do we need to call your parents?”

“I’ll take care of that. But everythin’ seems alright, so I’ll just have Sal come in and check on ‘em lat-” Millie stopped, eyes growing into saucer-sized golden moons and thrusting Moxxie’s head forward with her hands to direct his vision to whatever it was she got so quickly riled up about. “Mox! Look!”

In front of them, one of the tiny piglets steadily made its way over to the two imps with its new wobbly legs, exploring the great new big world around them. That was one of the many wonders of Hell’s creatures, with the exception of new baby demons. Newborn animals were able to walk only hours after birth on their own, being much more independent than you’d assume for small, tiny beings. 

“Hi, little fella,” Millie cooed, holding out a hand for the newborn to smell, letting them know she wasn’t a threat. To both of their surprise, the hairy, naked critter chose to crawl into Moxxie’s lap, settling into the old, blue jean overalls that Millie lent to him. Husband and wife looked into each other’s eyes in shock, Moxxie because he really thought the baby would have preferred a maternal presence, and Millie because she was so elated that the piggies she helped birth had taken a liking to her sweet hubby. Dammit! She wished she had her phone to take pictures! Millie’s lips curled from a surprised open-mouthed gape to an excited smile, clenching onto Moxxie’s arm even tighter now.

“Go on…”

“Go on what?” Moxxie cocked an eyebrow. 

“Do it…Give him a little pat.”

The thespian delicately ran his pointer finger tip on top of the fuzzy head of the small baby, even allowing a smile of his own to spread across his face when they began to softly snort in what Millie described as a “content snore.” 

“That means he’s comfy ‘n happy.”

“How cute!...How long do they stay small like this?”

“Only a couple weeks. They start ta grow bigger once their shell grows in.” Millie explained, giggling in a high-pitched delight, softly clapping her hands together, making Moxxie blush. Satan, she was so adorable when she got excited like this! “...I’m a grandma now,” Millie’s eyes widened, filling up with stars and glimmer at the small baby. 

“So what does that make me? A grandpa?” 

“Might as well be. Yer gonna be thirty next year,” Millie teased, squeezing his cheeks with her pointer finger and thumb. 

“Satan, don’t remind me.” 

“It’s alright, baby~ Sex drives don’t start slowin’ down til 50 fer us imps~”

“It’s not that,” Moxxie affectionately caressed the tips of his fingers up and down her arm. “The idea of getting older, especially remembering I spent most of my life as a prisoner, just gets to me. But it makes me feel better knowing that now I have you for the rest of my life. And Blitz. And Loona too…I never thought I’d have friends or a marriage.” 

“How ‘bout if I throw ya a birthday party? It’s the big 3.0. Ya gotta do somethin’ special!”

“You have a whole year to plan something if you wish.” 

“I’ll plan ya the best 30th birthday! All by myself…Until B catches wind and gets involved.” 

“You can do whatever you want, my love~ Involve Blitz if you want to. He’d probably need something to…take his mind off things anyway.” Moxxie’s demeanor softened the tiniest bit, thinking about their boss and how devastated the poor guy was over his breakup. As aggravating as his grieving spending was to the accountant of I.M.P., it was heartbreaking to watch the normally loud, inappropriate, boisterous boss he’d come to know curl in on himself after he and the Prince broke their arrangement. 

Moxxie and Millie talked about the relationship privately all the time! They both knew that Blitz fancied Stolas as just more than a man he was making a deal with. They picked up on the little mannerisms that Blitz would use when speaking of him. Sometimes they would purposefully mention Stolas in passing just to watch their boss’s eyes light up and a smile take the place of a frown on days when he was having a bad day. At home, they both agreed that they were definitely an item, even if neither the Goetia nor the business imp wanted to acknowledge it with labels. 

That being said, Moxxie couldn’t blame his boss for his strong reaction to the breakup. If he and Millie had broken up for whatever reason, he’d react in a similar manner. He would have had to die because he could never imagine living without her. Millie felt the same. She was so broken and jaded before she met and fell in love with Moxxie, even thinking about when they were old and grey, and just even the slightest thought that Moxxie could pass before her sent her into a crying fit. She harvested guilt over her own words to Blitz, “I don’t get it, Blitz. All this over a breakup?”...She knew damn well if the roles were reversed, she’d have crawled into a hole to die. She’d rather die a slow, painful death than live the rest of her life without Moxxie. But would there even be much of a difference?

“I hope he’s doin’ ok…I’ll text Loona ta’night to see how he’s doin’” Millie said aloud, earning an agreeing nod from Moxxie, still gently tending to the sleeping piggy in his lap. Soon they’d have to get up and go get someone, tell someone that the birth was successful, and go tend to other farm work. For now, though, they just wanted to be a little longer. Just the two of them, husband and wife, resting after the ventful morning it had been thus far. 

Sallie May eventually went searching for the couple and found them and the new hellhog herd all together to take over the care…

---

2 Hours Later

“Alrighty, El!” Sallie May sighed, patting her little brother on the top of his white hair. “Great work. Let’s go have a small break! You too, Wy!” 

Both boys didn’t decline, as they ran towards the front porch from stacking large bales of hay all morning, ready for a little snack and a drink before getting back out in the field. 

They were making great time, with nearly half of their job list for the day finished already, and it wasn’t even noon yet! There was no harm in letting them have some brotherly playtime if it meant that they’d get back to work soon. 

As Sallie removed her work boots on the front porch rocking chair, Elmer opened the front porch screen door, calling out to his older sister with the family telephone in his hand. 

“Sal! Where’s Millie?”

“Uhhh, I dunno. She and the cupcake are out somewhere working. Why?”

“Kora’s on the phone ‘n said she wants ta talk ta Mills.”

“Kora?...Uh, tell her that Mills ain’t available right now and I’ll talk ta her once I get this boot off.

The younger of the two nodded, waiting patiently inside and repeating Sallie’s words to his much older cousin right as Sallie entered the home, taking the phone from her brother as he went to help Wyatt grab a bite to eat. 

“Hey, Kora! What’s-” Sallie began to ask, only for Kora to immediately begin blasting on the other side of the line, loud enough for Sallie to pull the phone away from her ear for a second and for Wyatt and Elmer to turn their heads back, looking at their sister since they could hear Kora’s voice blaring on the other side. 

“Wh-what?...Kora hol on, when did this happen?...Huh?...Who?!......He said WHAT?!”

Notes:

Hi Everyone!!!

It's been a little bit since I last updated. I am doing ok, I've been taking some time to myself and just taking a little break from editing and such. I've also been working on some other works coming soon that I'm excited to share with y'all!

That being said, thank y'all who have sent me dms asking if I'm ok. I appreciate that, and thank y'all for being patient with me.

I'm going to switch some chapters up for the rest of the family reunion (again lol). There are only a few parts left, but this part in particular, I split in half. If I had kept it all in one piece, it would have been a doc that was over 30 pages long because so much happens😵🫠 I do not want to have to edit that, and I am sure y'all would prefer if I split it up.

So, the next chapter, instead of being the next flashback between Millie and Rex, will be the second half of this chapter. That way, things will flow better and make more sense.

Have a great week, and I hope y'all enjoyed!

Chapter 68: Family Reunion (Part 14)

Summary:

Kora shares the newest family drama with Sallie May. Moxxie stands up for his wife and lets his Wrathian side take control.

Notes:

Warnings:
- Transphobia/Deadnaming
- Implications of sexual assault
- Mentions of rape
- Physical violence

Clint anxiously tapped his dress shoes on the hard floor of his and Alison’s empty hotel room, impatiently waiting for someone to pick up the phone on the other line. The echoing off the tall, large walls with the wall-length windows wasn’t doing much to calm his nerves, and neither was the fact that he hadn’t rehearsed what he was going to say once either his brother, his sister in law, or his niece would pick up the phone. The false confidence he had was only present thanks to his wife, but the more he worked his brain thinking back and forth on whether this was the right move to make or not, was slowly chipping away at him.

‘Hello?’ Clint heard on the other line, straightening himself up before answering back. A female voice, from what he recognized, the voice of his brother’s wife, Kay. 

“Hi, Kay. It’s Clint. Are Cole and Kora home at the moment?” 

‘Oh…Hi, Clint,’ by the shift in her tone, he could tell she wasn’t so elated to be hearing from him. He honestly couldn't pretend not to know why. Their last phone call wasn’t so… pleasant…

‘Yeah, they’re both here. I’ll go get Cole,’ she sighed into the phone before Clint could hear her yelling for Cole to join her in their home kitchen. 

‘...Clint?’ the older imp heard his younger brother confirm it was him on the other line.

“Hey, Cole. Listen. We all need to have a chat about your daughter and her ridiculous requests against my family!”

‘Clint, if this is one of yer wife’s inputs again, then I’m hangin’ up. ‘Cause yer not gonna act like you can disrespect mah daughter or my son-in-law OR our sister ‘n her family just ‘cause ya can’t grow a pair ‘n-’

"NO! No, you listen to ME, Cole!” Clint stomped a covered hoof on the ground as if his brother could see it. “Don’t you dare insult MY family! My wife, my daughter, or my son-in-law! Alison and I have had enough of this foolishness with you and Lin and everyone else picking on our daughter just because Lin and Joe taught their children to be jealous, callous pricks!”

‘You really think THAT’S why we all have issue with you?’

“I know it is, Cole! And on top of all that, you and Kay are allowing your daughter to pick on my Caroline because Mildred thinks that she can go around telling people lies!”

‘...What lies, Clint?’ It should have been a simple question, but Clint already sensed what it really was: A trap. A trap to get him to admit that Rex was a bad guy, a man he would never let near his daughter with a 10-foot pole. Of course, that’s what this was. That little bitch of a niece he had convinced everyone that he’d done these horrible things to her just because she felt ashamed of her actions...at least that was Alison’s theory. 

“You already know!”

‘Then tell me. What lies? You can’t come on this phone talkin’ false facts about family ‘n then have no evidence ta back it up.’

“That’s the fucking problem!” Clint yelled into the phone. “So you can all believe Mildred’s lies with no proof, but when my family calls her out, suddenly we’re the bad guys!”

‘We have the proof that little Millie’s tellin’ the truth, Clint. It ain’t our fault that you ‘n Alison wanna turn a blind eye to it just ‘cause the man’s got money.’

“You know that’s not true! Fuck you and Kay for believing we’d do that to our daughter! And Fuck Lin and Joe and Millie! Fuck ALL of you! You can all fuck off because me, my wife, my daughter, and Rex are all attending the rest of the wedding events, whether you all like it or not, because we are TIRED of being the villains for things we didn’t do! If Millie does not like it, if Rex offends her or ‘scares’ her so much,” using an obvious mocking tone on ‘scares’ “Then she does not have to attend!”

‘Oh yeah?!’

“Yeah! And that is how it is going to be! You’re the younger brother, and Lin is the younger sister! You’re both supposed to listen to me!”

On the other line at Kay and Cole’s home, both adult imps were seething, raging, and somehow managing to hold all that Wrathian anger in at the hatred that Clint was spewing. Right as both were about to begin fighting back on the other line, they heard their daughter enter the kitchen from her bedroom upstairs with a concerned, worried expression, which was the last thing she needed today since her next wedding festivity was set to take place that night. 

“Mama? Daddy? What’s goin’ on?”

“Nothin’, sugar,” Kay attempted to ease her daughter’s concerns, but Kora was bright. She could tell something was wrong. She was sensing the tension in that small, old wooden farmhouse kitchen. She heard her father’s enraged voice from upstairs, and it was then, after observing her parents for a moment, that she spotted the telephone in her Pa’s hand, somehow still in one piece despite noticing his knuckles were turning a shade of gray from how hard he was clutching the plastic. That’s when it clicked for her, and she furrowed her brows as her own annoyance began to brew. 

“Let me talk to ‘em,” she demanded in a monotone voice.

“Honeybun ya ain’t gotta. We have it all under control.”

“Daddy…Let me talk to ‘em,” she pushed further, and Cole did not argue back. She was his little girl, but she was a strong, grown-up woman now, and she could fight her own battles if she so pleased. Reluctantly, Cole handed his daughter the telephone; both parents stuck by in case they needed to jump in again. Plus, they wanted to hear how this conversation would go down, no doubt with their daughter schooling her uncle…

“Uncle Clint, it’s Kora.”

‘Kora, look, here’s the deal-’

“No, you listen ta me, Uncle!” Kora snapped back. “If yer callin’ ta try ‘n pressure me into changin’ my boundaries fer yer family, then ya got another thing comin!”

‘Kora, this just isn’t right, and you know it! It isn’t fair to me, your aunt, or your cousin to exclude us and signal us out by not allowing Caroline to bring her fiancé!’

“But you think it’s fair that Millie has to be uncomfortable and feel unsafe the entire time, knowing that someone who hurt her in the past is attending. You think that I should make that acceptable just because your wife and daughter are offended that they can’t just do whatever they want?” 

‘Millie doesn’t have to fucking go if it makes her feel so “unsafe.” That girl is a beast, she’s acting like a baby as if she can’t kill Rex with her bare hands if she wanted to.’

“That ain’t the point! And you know that! This is the fucking problem! This is why I didn’t invite you and yer fuckin’ family in the first place! You think that everyone else should have to compromise their boundaries fer you! And that ain’t how this fuckin’ works! This is MY wedding in case you’ve forgotten! Therefore, it’s MY rules that take priority, and Rex is not allowed within a 100-mile radius of any of us, got that?!”

‘No! You listen to ME, little girl! I will not stand for this! You and your parents will not bully my family any longer! We ARE going to your events! And we ARE attending your wedding! And we ARE bringing Rex along with us! So you can take that information, tell Linsey if you want to, and you can tell everyone to kiss my rich, successful, civilized ass! In fact, if anyone is uninvited, maybe it needs to be Mildred’s husband! Since he threatened Rex the other night, I don’t think Rex is all that comfortable having the little twink around! Perhaps it’s him that needs to be excluded to see how Millie likes it!’

“...Ya know what, Uncle…You’re absolutely right!”

‘...I am? I mean, I am! That’s right!’

“Yeah! Yer correct! It wouldn’t be right of me to invite people who make others feel uncomfortable! It is my weddin’ after all! And I do want my guests ta have fun!”

‘See. I told you! Exclude the people who really need to be excluded!’

Kora rolled her eyes, so far back she swore she could see her brain working at giving Clint the false sense of confidence he was fishing for. “You’ve always been a genius, Uncle. That’s why you make the big bucks. So that being said, you, Alison, Caroline, AND Rex are now ALL uninvited from the rest of the week, AND the weddin’!”

‘...Wait- What?!’

“Yeah! Come ta think of it, none of you should be invited since all four of ya make several guests uncomfortable. Ya know, you’ve all done somethin’ ta make people feel unsafe! Have you forgotten? Like how you ‘n Alison refused ta attend Nanny Milena’s funeral or Papaw’s funeral, or how y’all refused to go to any of yer siblings’ weddings? How Alison treated Nanny Lin when she was pregnant with Roy. OH! And don’t ferget how y’all treated she and Uncle Joe when they lost their son. Didn’t think I knew ‘bout that, did ya? Or how y’all let Caroline bully and pick on Millie and the rest of us growin’ up ‘n didn’t do a damn thing ‘bout it. How y’all treated Sallie May when she came out ‘n still call her by her deadname. And ya know what? Come ta think of it, Rex is a predator and threat to women, and women make up about 70% of our family, so that would really make ‘em all uncomfortable to know there’s a known rapist at my wedding now, wouldn’t it?”

‘Don't you dare say that word! Do you know what accusing men of that does? It ruins lives, Kora! You can't just accuse people of crimes like that when you have no proof! Or your facts straight!"

“Nuh-uh, Uncle Clint!” Kora sang through the telephone, twirling the curled wire around her pointer finger. “You said it yerself! Uninvite the people who make others uncomfortable. So I’m doin’ just that! See you ‘n the rest of yer family…never?” 

‘Kora!-’

“Oh! And in case you wanna try anythin’ funny, since ya brought him up, just know,” she changed her voice, switching from a fake sweet Wrathian charm to a deep threatening tone that even made her parents shiver. “Mildred’s husband is an expert sniper. And he don’t take too kindly ta folks diggin’ at his lady. Try bein’ fuckin’ stupid ta’night, and see how quick all yer brains paint the dirt. Don’t ferget that Nanny Lin ‘n Mamaw both used to be assassins as well as Millie. And tell yer wife and daughter that if they don’t like it, they can kiss MY big, fat, Wrathian ass.”

With that, she hung up the phone, practically slamming it back into the holder nailed onto the wooden walls. Complete silence came from the other line, signaling that Clint had either no words or comebacks left. What a fool to believe he could push HER around like that, more or less her parents. 

For a moment, all three imps stood in the kitchen, silent and still, until Kora picked up the telephone a moment after calming down, dialing another number and putting the device to her ear again. 

“Hun, who you callin’ now?” 

“Nanny Lin ‘n Uncle Joe’s. I gotta warn ‘em fer what may be comin’”

---

10 Hours Later

“Alright,” Lin sighed as she stepped out of the family pickup truck she and Joe used for the day. “I’ll take the shower first. You go second?”

“I’ll probably just use the outdoor one. It’ll be quicker.”

“Well, we ain’t runnin’ late. I’m sure we’ll be fine as long as we don’t lollygag.”

“Mama!” Wyatt yelled excitedly as his parents walked through the front doors of their farmhouse, all dressed and ready to go, hair done and all. Surprisingly, he and Elmer hadn’t roughhoused enough to mess themselves up…yet. And their older son was ready for the night as well, dressed just like his little brother with his hair fixed and clothes neat and tidy. Mildred and Sallie had done a great job keeping them in check, indeed. 

“Look at you two! My boys! Are y’all ready to go?”

“Yeah, we’re waitin’ on Millie ‘n Moxxie. Millie’s finishin’ her hair.”

“What ‘bout yer other sister?”

“Sal’s in her room doin’ her makeup.”

“Then it sounds like y’all are ‘bout ta take off. Be good fer yer sister, m’kay,” the mother pointed at her youngest children, stopping herself from messing up their perfect hair. “How did Millie get y’all’s hair like that?”

“Moxxie did it!” Wyatt exclaimed, watching his mother and father exchange glances. 

“...Moxxie did it?”

“Mhm! He did it so Millie could finish her makeup.”

“I see…Well, like I said, be good fer ‘em. Pa ‘n I are gonna go get ready.”

“Y’all ain’t comin’ with us, Ma?”

“No, y’all are gonna go with Millie ‘n Moxxie ta’night. Puttin’ that fence up at yer brother’s took more time than we thought.”

“Ok, boys, let’s go!” Millie announced as she walked down the stairs, dressed in a short, lacey off-the-shoulder dress with her matching black purse, as Moxxie followed behind with the keys to their rental truck. “Oh, hi, Ma ‘n Pa! How’d the fence go?”

“Good enough,” Joe responded, taking off his hat and gloves as his wife did, setting them on the old, wooden bench they kept by the door. “We ran into a few issues, but nothin’ we couldn’t fix. But I heard that we got some new piglets?”

“Mhm! Sure do! We kept an eye on ‘em most of the day ‘n they’re doin’ great! So is Cleo! But when we come back ta’night we’re gonna check on ‘em again.” 

“Sounds great, pumpkin! Good job!”

“I can’t take allll the credit, Pa,” Millie looked to her husband, face flushed the second she put her eyes on him. “Mox actually helped me with the birth! He did great!”

“Really now?” Joe raised an eyebrow in surprise. “...Then I guess yer becomin’ acclimated ta farm life, huh, boy?”

“I suppose so, sir.” 

“Millie, where’s yer sister?” Lin interrupted, noticing that there was a head missing in their kitchen and no sign of her younger daughter in the living room. “She ain’t goin’ with y’all? She backed out?”

“Oh, nah! She’s still coming. She said she’s gonna hitch a ride with y’all instead ‘cause she was runnin’ a little late.”

“If that’s what she wants ta do, then…Alright. Y’all be safe! We’ll be there in probably ‘bout an hour ‘n a half.” Lin bid the younger imps goodbye before heading upstairs to their indoor washroom when Sallie May peeped her head out of her bedroom, after listening closely to ensure that Millie and the boys were gone. 

A hushed “...Mama,” caught Lin’s attention right as she curled her hand around the bathroom doorknob, turning around to see Sallie May all dressed up with her hair and makeup complete, wearing her own black dress similar to her sisters. 

“Aww, look at you! Ya look great, hun. Yer cousins are gonna be excited that you decided to go later,” the mother complimented, but her smile dropped once she noticed Sallie’s worried face. “...What’s wrong?”

“I think you’ll need ta sit down fer this, Ma.”

“I ain’t got the time, babe. Yer Pa ‘n I need ta hurry.” 

“No, Ma, ya don’t get it. I really gotta tell y’all ‘bout this.” Sallie pleaded, catching Lin’s shoulder as she turned to enter the bathroom. “I can shorten it ta five minutes, but I really think you need ta hear this.”

“...What did Clint do this time?”

“How’d ya know?”

“Who else would it be?...I’ll go get yer Dad. Make it quick.”

And that would indeed be the quickest gossip that Sallie had ever committed in her life…

---

5 Hours Later

At The Event Venue

“And so, anyway, there were eight babies! Mox even helped me pull a few out! He was mah helper!” Millie recounted the events from that morning to her sister and cousins, all huddled around in a cluster as they had been several times that week, all oohing and aahing at her stories. 

“Aww, what a bonding experience!” Sallie teased, nudging Millie in the shoulder. “Nothin’ more romantic than havin’ yer hubby help ya birth some hogs, am I right gals?” 

“Well, to be fair, he did say it was really sexy ta watch me help birth some hogs. But he was pretty fine lookin’ too, washing them little babies off.” Millie stared into space as she finished her story, thinking back on the joyous grin Moxxie had while assisting in the piglets’ first bath, gently washing them of birthing fluids, drying them off, handing them off one by one to Cleo for them all to feed. 

It was the first time she had seen him so relaxed around a farm animal, and the way Cleopatara and Wilbur accepted her thespian, granting the imp permission to pet and scratch them and give him close access to their babies seemed like such a simple gesture to Moxxie, but growing up around hellhogs her entire life, Millie was aware that they were creatures who did not let you get close in such a manner unless trust was well established. 

It was beautiful. 

“So he’s good with the little critters, huh? Either that or the critters like him. It’s a good sign when them farm hogs like ya!” 

“He should use them musical skills ta sing to ‘em!”

“So…Spill the beans, Millie. We’ve all been waitin’ ta hear,” Kora interjected, a smirk painting itself on her lips with a cocked eyebrow. “Is he good in bed?” 

“Kora!” 

“What?!” Kora shrugged her shoulders at Piper. “Y’all tellin’ me after hearin’ all these stories ‘bout how great he is and meetin’ the guy that y’all also ain’t interested? The only one who probably don’t wanna hear it is Sal.”

“Trust me. I’ve already been exposed to it all,” Sallie confirmed, visibly cringing. There were times when she didn’t mean to overhear Millie talking about her mate in an intimate way or caught them when they were too far gone to get off of each other. But what could she say? Her sister was happy, and that was enough to allow the younger sister to get over it. 

Millie blushed, rolling her eyes and avoiding the looks of every female cousin around. It wasn’t weird or uncommon for their family to talk about these types of topics, especially since cousins were close enough that they considered themselves to be more like friends rather than family. Yet, there was something so special and intimate about her and Moxxie’s relationship that, after almost five years together in total, Millie still became bashful when she talked about the two of them together . 

“Lemme put it to y’all this way…” she composed herself, taking a sip of wine. “There’s a reason I prefer fer him ta keep all his fingers instead of losing one ‘cause of wearin’ a ring…That and fer the past four years I haven’t been able ta get wet from anythin’ else but him.” 

Well, that sure riled all the girls up, their chatter growing louder and attracting the attention of several other family members and close family friends around, even earning them some faces distorted in disgust and discomfort when others caught onto the content of their conversation. Most walked away, pretending not to hear anything, and others just smiled and playfully rolled their eyes, remembering the days when they were around the same age. 

Their back-and-forth banter carried on, sharing perhaps too many details about each other and their own significant others or recent encounters they’d had, quieting down once Moxxie returned, handing Millie a plate of the almond cake she requested. “For you, my lady,” he purred, accepting the cheek rub his wife gave as a thank you while she took the plate from his hands. “Thank you, my darlin’,” she replied, before digging in, ignoring all the playful goo-goo eyes her cousins were sending her way. 

Kora admired them, crossing her fingers that her and her fiancé’s marriage would be as fruitful and wholesome as theirs, considering how highly she noticed her cousin and cousin-in-law spoke of each other. She knew that her aunt and uncle were skeptical, very unsure, of Moxxie when Millie introduced them to her then boyfriend, but Kora recognized that Lin and Joe were only scared for their daughter, especially after the track record of men she'd brought home previous to Moxxie. However, if they still were distrustful of him now, she could not make any excuses for them...Anyone who doubted their love had to be a fool. To deny that their love and commitment to one another were legitimate would be ignorant. How could you watch them, how could you hear them, see the pure adoration in their eyes for each other, and claim it was all an act?! Anyone in that barn should strive to have a bond with their spouses and mates in the same fashion as Moxxie and Millie. Maybe take notes even.

Her train of thought was then steered off the tracks when Kora spotted movement up in the gated off upstairs hayloft, a single shadow peering over the railings at the first floor. She narrowed her eyes as everyone around her began to buzz once more, a sinking feeling in her gut alarming her that this was not a presence with good intent, and, call her crazy, but her feral instincts were cluing her in as to who they were. Why wouldn’t it be?

“Ya alright, Kora?” Piper looked over with concern. 

“Y-yeah…I just remembered somethin’ I need a check on,” she answered back, excusing herself from the group when more music began to ring throughout the barn, sending the hundreds of guests into an excited fit. Sallie May caught on to what her cousin had detected, calling out to her quickly before she'd be swept away in the large group. 

"Kora!" Sallie yelled over the booming speakers. "Ya want me ta go with ya?!"

"Nah! I got it, Sal! I got it all under control!"

Whether or not she did would be proven later...That morning, when Kora and Sallie May went back and forth on the phone about the confrontation between she and their estranged uncle, the girls were unsure of what to do. To tell Lin and Joe was a given, but to tell and alert Millie? That caused them grief for a solid 30 minutes. 

On one hand, telling Millie could keep her safe in case Clint and his gaggle of hooligans were dumb enough to try their luck. On the other, Millie, Sallie, Kora, fuck literally everyone else in that barn could tear each and every one of them to shreads if they really wanted. Try pissing about over a hundred Wrathians off and see how well it ends for you, especially when not one of those four has experience in fighting to the death. However, they didn't know if they should take the chance. So their solution?...If Kora or Sallie, or Lin or Joe, anyone else attending really, saw Clint, Alison, Caroline, or Rex, they would not hesitate to beat the living shit out of them or at least drag them out by the scalp. 

Folks started dancing with each other as the music sped up in country, Wrathian songs, sparking the true Wrath Ring spirit that many tourists and locals threw themselves into. 

Moxxie read about these barn dances before. A Wrathian tradition that’d been carried down for generations up to this day. Any gathering where there was music, there was dancing. One of the last memories he semi-remembered of his mother was on a night when Crimson was away on business, and she turned on the radio she kept in her bedroom to Wrath’s tune station. She and her precious niño pequeño danced around her chambers with him snuggled in her arms to the country songs that came through the static. Millie had even showed him certain folk dances that were common in Wrathian culture, but truth be told, Moxxie was not confident in his dancing skills enough to do it in front of anyone else but her. 

Unfortunately, the wife of the two would be having none of that tonight, as she discarded the now empty plastic plate and fork that she feasted her slice of cake from, before grabbing Moxxie’s unattended wrist to drag him on the dance floor. 

“Ya ain’t gettin’ away from me, mister~” she teased as Moxxie gently protested. 

“U-uhm, honey, I don’t thi-” 

“You can and you will!” Millie cheered, taking both of his hands in hers. “Trust me, ok? Just follow my lead. I want ya to spin me around.” she looked into his eyes, pleading with him, and well, her eyes were always Moxxie’s weakness because he could never say no when she looked at him with her big puppy dog orbs. 

“...Then lead the way, sweetie,” he relented, smiling back at her before Millie led them into the circle of partners dancing with one another. The pair danced around with Millie’s other relatives to the tune blasting over the speakers, nuzzling together, looking into each other’s eyes happy and in love when Moxxie followed through on his promise, spinning ans twirling his wife around making her giggle until he brought her body back into his, letting her take over their dance again, completely unaware of the hateful eyes staring daggers down at them with disgust.

When Caroline heard of the argument that her father and cousin engaged in that morning, she did not even want to attend that night or anything for the remainder of the week at all. When her parents discovered that Kora was having a wedding, and that they were not invited, Caroline wanted to fight back, to beg that she could stay home in Greed so she wouldn't have to come to these stupid parties, but Clint and Alison held no room for discussion. Thus, she was forced to go along with them, and boy oh boy was she unhappy. 

You know what they say, misery loves company. So, to see how well everyone else was doing, especially that bitch Millie, set her off like a raging wildfire. 

“You got a lotta nerve comin’ ta’night,” a voice from Caroline’s right appeared, grabbing her attention away from the couple below. Kora walked up to Caroline with an annoyed, furrowed brow. “I told yer folks not ta show up here.” 

“Yeah, well, you aren’t the queen of Wrath now, are you?”

“It’s still my wedding. I can fuckin’ decide who comes in and who don’t,” the younger cousin asserted, leaning over the rail, staring down at her guests like the other, turning to see her own scowl while her eyes followed their shared cousin and her husband, dancing around and laughing throughout their conversation.

Kora picked up on chatter that whole week about them, with guests whispering about how “different” Millie and Moxxie were, how they could not believe that Lin and Joe allowed their daughter to marry an outsider, how their lovey-doveyness was sickening to some, but Kora only rolled her eyes and let those comments go through one ear and out the other. It wasn’t people’s place to speak on a relationship that they weren’t a part of, and she wasn’t going to start a family feud just because people couldn’t see her cousin-in-law for who he really was. She was being a tiny bit hypocritical as well, as Kora had her own reservations about Moxxie before they’d met, but seeing how well he treated Millie and how genuinely in love he was with her changed her tune faster than a rodeo bull could buck off a rider. 

“...It ain’t personal ya’know…Me sayin’ that yer man couldn’t come along.”

Caroline snickered, rolling her eyes before resting her head in the palm of her hand. “Sure, it wasn’t. I totally believe you, Kora. You all had it out for Rex since day one when I shared my engagement.”

“Don’t act fuckin’ dumb. You know why.”

“Why? Because poor wittle Millie was “hurt” by him literally over a decade ago? Bitch please! Just because she regrets being a whore does not mean that she can accuse whoever she wants of assault. She just acts that way because she knows that she can get away with it.”

“You really think that’s the truth?”

“I know it’s the truth. I’m not a fucking dumbass like all of you!”

“...How?” 

“How?...What the fuck do you mean, how?! ”

“If you’re so much smarter than all us, then explain ta me how you know that Millie’s lyin’. I mean, it ain’t like there aren’t other witnesses to his bullshit. Did ya ferget that Onyx Sidian was a victim ta his wrongdoin’s too and don’t ferget the Hodeges.”

“Oh, please! Onyx was in it for the fucking money! So was Burke! At least they were only in it for the money, though. That little cunt down there was more conniving than any of you know. Did any of you bother to ask what SHE did to Rex? No! Because y’all always want to take the woman’s word for anything! If you knew the real story, you’d know that it was HER who forced sex onto him. She was the little slut trying to babytrap him for the family wealth! Maybe it’s her that you all need to cry and scream rape at, and that fool down there kissing her is going to find out sooner or later when she has a baby and drains him of everything he’s got.”

“Oh, come on, Caro!” Kora couldn’t hold back, nearly yelling at the top of her lungs. “You can’t be that fuckin’ stupid! Look, I get you’ve always had it out fer all us, ok? But just because you so desperately wanna watch Millie crash and burn fer whatever stupid goal yer mother put in yer head don’t mean that you can just make shit up fer the sake of makin’ her look bad in yer head!”

“Don’t even try gaslighting me. You and I and every other grandchild here knows that Millie is the favorite.” 

“The favorite?” 

“Yeah! I said it! She’s the favorite,” Caroline pouted, whipping her tail. “She always gets everything she wants! She’s always treated like she’s some angel from up above who can do no wrong! Our whole childhood, Mamaw coddled her and babied her while I was the one who’d get in trouble! So yeah, I think that I’m entitled to see her for what she really is! A spoiled brat! My family and I know the truth about her!” 

“Are you seriously tryin’ ta pretend that you have no role in this?” Kora asked, taken aback and disgusted by her cousin’s hatred and jealousy. “You need to take a good, hard, self-reflection on yerself. Because yer projecting hard right now. You and I know that the only reason yer pissy is ‘cause yer parents raised ya to be as entitled and selfish as them, and you can’t stand ta have to take accountability fer yer actions.”

“So I have ta take accountability for my actions, but Mildred doesn’t? Of course, you would think that way. Don’t worry, though,” Caroline waved a hand, gesturing for Kora to leave her alone. “She’s going to get what’s coming to her soon.”

“...Where’s Rex, Caroline?”

“At the fucking hotel in the city, Kora! Satan, can I do anything without getting accused of something?!”

“Oh, yeah? I don’t believe you,” Kora stood fully, glaring at Caroline with a look in her eye that demonstrated that she was not kidding. That comment just didn’t sit right with her, and if she learned anything from living in Wrath her whole life, it was that when there’s smoke, there’s fire. 

Caroline’s lips curled from a sulky frown to a devious smirk, and if that wasn’t enough for Kora, the bitch’s eyes said it all. He was there, but it would be a snowy day in Wrath before she said anything about where…

“Like I’d tell you,” she snickered. “What’s the look for? Are you scared? Your own actions catching up to you? You all may think that you’re smart, but my family and I are smarter. You and that little slut down there should have thought twice before trying to ice us all out.” Then she stepped too close to Kora, close enough for her to take a step back to get farther away from her cousin, but she wasn’t scared. Far from it. Kora knew if anyone in the room should be scared, it was her arrogant cousin in front of her who was too egotistical to remember that she could be snapped in half by anyone in the barn, including Kora herself. “You should know, my fiancé has ties to the mob. You and Mildred should have listened when I said to stay out of my way.” 

There were no more words to be shared, no more insults to be thrown out, as Kora only turned to walk away. Now, you may be wondering why?  

Why didn’t she punch that sly smirk off her face? 

Why didn’t she pick her up and throw her off the railing? 

Why didn’t she press further to see where that wicked man was hiding or what their plans were? 

But the truth is, Kora was smarter than Caroline, and she was well aware that the moment she turned her back to her cousin to exit this confrontation, the large grin that previously housed her cousin’s lips faded into a shocked expression before anger took control of Caroline’s veins. 

How dare she walk away from her…How dare she ignore her…And how dare she take up for that little cunt who everyone seemed to love and adore for seemingly no reason at all…

Well, my friends, it was because Kora knew that her non-reaction would cause the kind of reaction that Caroline didn't want. She knew that walking away from the scene would drive her absolutely mad because, like mother, like father, like fiancé even, Caroline hated to be ignored. She craved the tears, insecurity, and fear that she would put into others with her terror. And even if she decided to retaliate, what would she do? The girl never lifted a finger from the day she was born until this moment. Each imp knew that she couldn’t do anything, if anything, to harm Kora or Millie, but there was someone else there who would try…

And Kora picked the priority to find him and warn her dear cousins and family members before feeding into Caroline’s delusions and ego…

---

“Alright! So, you got it?”

Moxxie confirmed with Onyx, who snuck out of the venue with him, once everyone took a break from the barn dance to pull off the scheme they preplanned for tonight…

“That I do, Knolastname!” Onyx cheered proudly, unlocking the back seat of her Dad’s old pickup truck, fishing out a clean, neat box that she kept safe and sound. “It’s tucked in the tissue paper. Right color ‘n everythin’...It is the right color, right?” she nervously asked Moxxie, who took a peek inside the box, seeing the black leather purse that was pre-ordered months ago. 

“Yes, that’s it!”

For their anniversary this year, Moxxie started planning out the gifts he wanted to get his wife well in advance, as in only two months following their first anniversary. He knew exactly what he wanted to get her, and he had the entire plan figured out. 

She’d been gawking at this purse in secret for a long time, over the span of around 5-6 months. Moxxie would catch her looking at it on her phone or on their shared laptop in passing if they’d be in the same room, whether at the kitchen table while he was cooking dinner, or during their breaks at work, even when they’d be lying down in bed at night. The obstacle that always stopped her from just pulling the trigger and buying it, he assumed, was the price. There was a store in the Imp City Mall that had this purse on display in the window, the mocking little paper price tag displaying what would have been about three months' worth of rent for the two. But the second he caught on to the fact she was eyeing the bag, Moxxie got to work.

A huge blowout Sinsmas sale from the previous year lowered the price to about 50%, and the sniper was getting his claws on that bag even if it meant losing his horns, tail, hell, even a few teeth if it came down to it. He saved up that money for months before he caught wind of the sale, so lucky him, all he had to do now was order it. To avoid having the charge put on their bank statement, or Millie becoming suspicious when a mysterious package with the purse name brand showed up at their apartment door, he turned to the next best thing he could think of, contacting someone else who desired Millie’s happiness just as much as he…

When Onyx received that phone call from Moxxie that afternoon, with him begging her to do anything she could to buy the purse on his behalf, she didn’t hesitate. Moxxie sent her the appropriate cash so she could buy it, and the morning of the sale, she woke up bright and early, hopping on her laptop, on the website to refresh once the clock struck 7:00 A.M. with her debit card info and address already saved into the system for quick and speedy checkout. 

It was a flawless plan, and executed perfectly by both assassins without any room for failure, as they didn’t even slack to allow for that to happen. 

“And the axe?” Moxxie looked up from the box housing the designer bag to meet Onyx’s eyes once again, the smile she had stretching even more when the sniper requested to see his other gift to his wife. Onyx gestured to the inside of her Pa’s truck for Moxxie to take a look inside, seeing the black, shiny, large tool tucked away in another carefully kept gift wrapping. An axe created from the obsidian and stones of Wrath, with her name and the I.M.P. logo engraved on the cheek. It was commissioned by a Wrath native blacksmith when Moxxie reached out, and he couldn’t help but wag his tail in excitement seeing the final product of the piece that had only been a sketched out design by the artist months ago. Onyx was the one to pick it up yesterday when it was finally ready, again, so Millie wouldn’t become suspicious. 

“So, how are ya gon’ hide them from her now, city boy?”

“Let me show you,” Moxxie opened the back seat door of his and Millie’s rental truck, showing Onyx how the seats could be lifted up, revealing a storage unit under them, supposedly for people to put fishing or hunting gear in them that could be locked. No one would ever know they were there unless you were searching. “She doesn’t know that I picked this truck because of the hidden storage.”

“Damn! You really thought this all out! I’m impressed, Greed boy!” 

“Assassin work teaches you a thing or two,” Moxxie chuckled before he and his wife’s cowgirl friend started to carefully tuck away the gifts under the seats, with Moxxie locking them back in place once they were finished. Now, if only they could get back inside before Millie came out to find them, but it seemed that they were quick enough that she wouldn’t get worried. 

“Thank you so much, Onyx. I feel guilty that you had to go through all this trouble.”

“Oh, please, Mox! It wasn’t no big deal!” Onyx playfully rolled her eyes, lightly punching Moxxie in the arm. “Besides, anything that I can do fer Mills, I’ll do it!” 

“Well, isn’t that the truth?” a deep voice joined in from behind, making both imps shudder and bounce, whipping their heads around to see…well…you know who…

“She always was Millie’s little pet,” Rex directed at Moxxie, who was now feeling the fires of a million angry Wrathians in his gut at the sight of this man. “Speaking of, hello, Onyx~” he teased, glaring down at her with a cunning grin, but even with her rage burning up inside her, Onyx was still, frozen, unmoving, she could only stare up at him with her big, wide eyes, trembling in what Moxxie couldn’t differentiate was either anger or fear, perhaps a cocktail of both. 

However, Moxxie wasn’t scared. He wasn’t afraid. Rex was no different from any other big, muscled man from the Greed Ring who used his size and connections to scare off anyone who dared to challenge him…Just like Crim…

“It’s been how many years, and here you are now, acting like a scared little girl when confronted. What happened to that big bad wolf attitude that you used to have, hmm?” 

Onyx wanted to fight back; she wanted to jump him and tear his face off with her claws, so why couldn’t she? She couldn’t move, she couldn’t say anything, she was just in shock at seeing this man again. This man who almost ruined her and Millie’s lives, who traumatized them – admittedly in different ways – who almost had her killed …

The only thing that was able to snap her out of it was Moxxie grabbing her hand hard, dragging her along with him as he marched all the way back towards the barn to grab Millie and get the fuck out before she saw him. He wasn’t even allowed to be there!

“Don’t listen to him, Onny.”

“What? Too scared to face me like a man, little imp? Lemme guess, your wife told you all about how I 'traumatized her' or whatever? Well, let me tell you something, Moxxie,” he hissed, saying his name with such force as if it was painful for him. “Yer little wife isn’t so innocent either~ How about you go in there and ask Millie about her almost selling her own people out for cash? Or about ignoring her friends and family to come lie down with me? Or better yet, how about you go and ask her what happened to her good friend, Burke? ”

For a moment, hearing that set off the dynamite that’d been lit in Onyx’s heart, she turned around, ready to scream a battle cry, to defend her friends, to rip this fucker to shreads to keep that name out of his mouth, but by the grace of Satan, Moxxie kept pulling her along, repeating to her to ignore him, not to listen to him, that he was doing it on purpose, until a brute force ripped Onyx away from the sniper, causing her to bark out in pain. 

Rex yanked her back by the scalp, holding her high off the ground to face him, obviously holding her painfully tight since she was clearly attempting to fight back with her arms, legs, and tail, but it was no use. Even for a Wrathian girl who had kicked the asses of hundreds of big men, he had her by the hair too forcefully. 

“WHAT BITCH?! DON’T FUCKING WALK AWAY FROM ME! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD, REMEMBER?!” he screamed in her face before a loud ring was made in the air, startling him, loosening his grip on Onyx enough for her to fall to the dirt on the ground. Rex looked ahead, seeing Moxxie in a fight stance, loaded pistol in hand, aimed straight at the strongman, clenching his teeth with a snarl and a crazed look in his eye. 

Onyx and Moxxie’s eyes met, and she took the opportunity to get to her feet, running away towards the barn, leaving both men alone circling each other like crazed dogs. Except, Moxxie wasn’t backing down like Rex expected him too. For such a small thing, he had confidence; he’d give him that. 

“Guess I underestimated you, huh?” Rex hissed. “You don’t seem like the type to confront.”

“Well, I don’t take too kindly to people who insult my wife…I’m sure you’ll understand soon enough.” 

“Oh, come on, Moxxie,” Rex chuckled, amused. “You can’t seriously believe all the bullshit she’s told you over the years. We all know that Wrathians do whatever they need to get their way. They’re manipulative, sly, conniving; every synonym in the book fits them, and Mildred’s no different. Even if you want to believe her to be.” Rex sneered as Moxxie slowly inched his finger towards the trigger, preparing to shoot again. “She’s probably told you some dramatic story about how I 'abused' her, right?” he grinned, using air quotes to further infuriate Moxxie. “It was she the entire time who wanted me. I’m sure you understand. She has a way with men. You should have heard her begging, moaning, screaming my name in that little accent of hers. You know, she’s easily persuaded. That’s why you have to go after girls who are people pleasers. It’s easier to get them to do whatever you want, even things they’d never really agree to. Oh yeah, there were a lot of things that we did! You have no idea! You’re a lucky man, that’s for sure, but never forget, pipsqueak. I had her first. She’s mine. My property. You hear that?” 

Moxxie, to Rex’s surprise, took a deep breath in before putting down his gun, laying it on the dusty ground, disarming himself. Rex looked back and forth, both between Moxxie and his handgun, confused before he was knocked over in a flash while looking down at the firearm. Moxxie held him in a chokehold, using whatever strength his body had to keep him down, and Satan was Rex putting up a fight, bucking himself like a rodeo bull to knock Moxxie off to no avail. 

In the same fashion that he choked and strangled those bikers in Wrath months ago after he and Millie’s second run in with Striker, he wrapped his arms and hands around Rex’s throat hard enough, he was sure he could feel his esophagus closing up, digging his claws into his scalp like the fucker had done with Onyx moments ago before forcing his face into the ground over and over again, as many times as he needed to to break every bone in his face if he could. 

If Rex believed that Wrathians were wild animals, then Moxxie was going to act like one. 

“Die, you stupid mother fucker! Die! Die! Die! I was in the fucking mob, too, asshole! Choke on the fucking dirt and suffocate! ” he repeated growling and snarling uncontrollably, whether he meant to say it out loud or not, nobody would ever know, but he didn’t care if he looked insane or crazed. He just wanted him to suffer like he made his poor wife suffer. He wanted him to pay for everything he’d done to her, everything he’d just said about her. He was going to pay at Moxxie’s hands. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d stop moving. For the first time, he had an unquenchable bloodlust that would only end once Rex was unrecognizable and unmoving. 

“Hey! Boy, quit it!” Moxxie heard in his rage, feeling a pair of strong arms wrapping around his waist, another pair of hands attempting to pry him off of Rex, but it was no use. His guitar strumming fingers refused to let go, clutching onto a patch of white hair even harder before he pulled a tuff out, eliciting a loud yelp out of Rex who ran for the hills the second he got back to his feet with several men chasing after him before he hopped into a black limo that backed up and rapidly drove away at high speeds before they could catch it. 

A getaway car…This was all planned…

“Boy! The hell were ya thinkin’?!” A man questioned Moxxie, turning him around by the collar of his tuxedo to face him. Onyx’s father…Moxxie recognized him from he and Millie’s wedding.

“Daddy, it’s ok,” Onyx approached her father with Kora following her close behind, worried for both Moxxie and her friend. “Mox was protectin’ us…He was protecting me ‘n Mills,” she huffed, likely from running back and forth and from the adrenaline of the sudden attack. 

“Moxxie, ya alright?!” Kora asked, praying to Satan Rex didn’t hurt him, retracting her concern once she saw the bloody hand still holding on hard to the patch of thick white hair locked in one of Moxxie’s claws. The original, neat, clean, and tidy appearance he came to the party in was now disheveled, dirty, and unkempt, like he’d gotten into a fight with a rabid Wrath beast. 

“I-I think so…” he sighed, feeling himself calming down when the other men who chased after the limo all came back huffing and puffing, surprised to see no other than this little weak thespian their family member married with a trophy of his victim. 

Roy, being amongst all the men, was shocked to see Moxxie there, the one who escaped the scuffle in victory, the imp who barely survived the annual Pain Games a year before, beat the ass of a man thrice his size and muscle. He almost couldn’t believe it…

“M-Mox,” he stuttered, placing a hand on his brother-in-law’s shoulder. “You sure you’re ok?”

“...I-I’m sure, Roy…Thank you…” The initial reaction of seeing his wife’s brother there, now knowing that he likely held witness to the fight, was embarrassing for Moxxie. For so long, he tried so hard to get the approval of his in-laws. And all that would be taken away just because he couldn’t walk away from a fight. “...I’m sorry.” 

“For what?” 

“I shouldn’t have put my hands on him, bu-” 

“For the love of Satan, Mox!” Onyx yelled, grabbing the attention of the other imps surrounding the sniper. “The fucker almost scalped me! I think that’s grounds fer ya to beat the crap outta him!”

“I just mean that I lost control!” Moxxie defended his statement. “O-of course he attacked Onyx and I got her outta that, but then he started saying disgusting things about Millie and I-...I don’t know, I just lost it!”

“...Fellas, the thespian CAN be good with his hands…” one of Millie’s uncles said out of the blue in his thick, Wrathian accent, beginning an onslaught of whispers and other comments from the others, sending Moxxie into an internal spiral. 

How the fuck did he just build the confidence to do that?!

Unlike any rage episode he’d had before, like that time he escaped the ropes and chains of the cannibal children nearly two years ago, or when he and his crewmates killed an entire army of supernatural investigators, even when he mustered up the courage to stand up to Crimson for the first time in his 29 years of life to save his marriage and his wife’s heart. This was the most intense tidal wave of wrath that ever washed over him. In fact, what just happened?! He barely remembered anything. 

When Rex started talking, Moxxie blacked out. He couldn’t remember a damn thing, but he knew it happened. There were witnesses. There was still a chunk of hair and scalp coated in black, sticky blood, mangled in his tightened fist. His knuckles were scraped with his own blood beginning to rise to the surface of his wounds, and son of a bitch did his arms hurt! His suit, being wrinkled and dusty and stained with patches of blood, should have been a clue that this really was a brawl.

A brawl that Moxxie won…

“Hey, Mox,” Roy patted a hand on his brother-in-law’s shoulder, snapping Moxxie out of the rabbithole he put himself in and jolting him back to the present. “...Let’s uh, get you inside, man. Before people start catchin’ on.” 

---

Inside the barn, Millie and the other girls’ conversations carried on, so much so that the melee wielder had completely forgotten about Moxxie’s disappearance. Not to mention Kora and Onyx stepping away, also. She had forgotten how much fun she had during these girl chats with her cousins and sister. It had been quite a while since they were all together like this, all just a bunch of girls hanging out, gossiping, catching up. 

Unfortunately, there were those few within blood-bonded families that decided not to intermingle with their relatives, and sometimes their reasons were valid, and other times their logic was flawed and their priorities were “sigogglin” as her mother and father would put it…

“And this is when we burned down that arcade! HA! That was fun, wasn’t it, Mills?” Sallie May turned to her sister, grinning ear to ear, while their cousins passed around Sal’s phone, looking through the countless photos that the two imp sisters took of themselves during the younger’s first visit to Pride. Millie nodded her head in agreement, passing her own phone off to their cousins to see more. 

“Sure was! I hope that little feller rebuilds so that way we can go back!...Hey, ya’know what?” Millie piped up. “Y’all should all come! Let’s do a mega girls' day in Imp City!”

“...You ‘n the cupcake got enough space fer that? There’s like…20 of us,” Sallie May chuckled, cocking an eyebrow. Their apartment wasn’t…tiny, but it was certainly an apartment built for one, maybe two if you lived as small as Millie and Moxxie did without children or pets. However, Sallie doubted there was enough room for over 20 girls in there. Sure, if you put some in the kitchen and on the floor of the master bedroom, maybe you could pull it off, but she knew how picky her older sister was about having people in she and her husband’s private room. 

“...We can figure somethin’ out,” Millie waved a hand at Sal’s question. “Besides, hotels exist! So does Hellbnb!” 

“Darn! Y’all really gotta whole lotta fancy things over there in Pride, don't cha!” Ginger exclaimed as she handed Millie’s phone to their next cousin waiting.  “I could see why ya like it there so much!”

“Yeah, but…I’ll admit, it ain’t the same as Wrath sometimes. I do miss it here.”

“That’s why you stay where you belong,” Caroline taunted, making Millie and Sallie jump as she appeared behind them. “Roaches belong in the trash, don’t they?”

“...Caroline.”

“Mildred. I’m not here for you, so don’t feel like you are special,” she smirked, averting her eyes from Millie to her new target. “I just came to say hi to my little cousin. My other estranged family member. Hello, Sebastian,” Caroline mocked Sallie May, acquiring pleasure and glee from watching the youngest of the three’s face grow upset at the mention of that nickname…

“It’s Sallie May now, bitch!” the scar-faced farmgirl growled, low enough only for the gang of girls to hear, including Millie, who was preparing to defend her little sister. 

“Not on paper, is it? So technically, you’re still Sebastian. You know, like technically, how you’re really a man? I’m shocked you’ve kept this whole little charade up for this long. Let me ask you something. How many women have you victimized by using this facade? Because I’m sure you’re just the luckiest man alive, considering you get to use women’s spaces by disguising yourself so you can get your rocks offFGH-” The older imp choked, as Millie tackled her to the wooden floor, stunning other guests around, but she didn’t give a single fuck about them. She was only focused on ending this witch, despite being closely related to her by blood. 

Blood does not make a family, after all…

Millie held a blade to her throat, pinning Caroline down by straddling her waist with her thighs, keeping her hand on top of the elder’s throat. “Say that a-fuckin’-gain and see what happens. I ain’t afraid to fuckin’ end you once ‘n fer all.” 

Her threat obviously held no merit, as Caroline’s frown twisted into a Cheshire cat expression, before parting her lips to spill a warning of her own to the assassin. “I wouldn’t try that, dust bunny,” she hissed. “You never know who’s around watching~”

In a flash, Millie bounced off of her, watching with fear in her eyes as Caroline coughed, attempting to regain her balance and composure, when Sallie and the others checked on Millie, who now started frantically looking through the sea of heads and horns in the crowd. 

Moxxie…Oh, Satan, where was Moxxie?!

“Millie! Millie! Millie!” Wyatt came running through the guests, excitedly finding his sister at long last, after searching for her. Millie kneeled down, eager to hear what her brother had to say since it seemed so important, and taking her husband's and her brother’s close bond into consideration, her guess is that he might have known where Moxxie was. Thank Satan, too, because this likely meant that Moxxie was safe and sound and had been with Wyatt the entire time he was gone. 

“Wy, what’s wrong?” 

“Moxxie got in a fight! And he won!”

Every woman in the group, Millie, Sallie, and all of their cousins, looked to the small boy who was smiling with his sharp teeth, wagging his tail as if he’d been telling them the most exciting news. All eyes widened, and Millie’s heart sank down into her stomach before she whipped her head at Caroline, who was now on her two hooves, glaring down at her wickedly. Before she even saw it coming, Millie was swiftly kicked in the stomach and thigh by her older cousin several times before Caroline was tackled to the floor once again, this time by Sallie May and two of their other female cousins who took the opportunity, holding her back by the arms and legs while she attempted to fight back, and failed miserably. 

Wyatt watched his sister get off the ground, worried by the physical hit she’d taken, when he was only trying to tell her about how his beloved brother-in-law had won a scuffle. Thankfully, she was ok, dusting herself up and rubbing her affected area that would no doubt be bruised the following morning. It didn’t take long for Wyatt to remember she was Millie, and it would take a lot more than a few sissy kicks to stop her, especially when Moxxie needed her. 

“Talk later, Wyotie. Show me where Mox is,” she demanded, taking her youngest sibling by the hand before they rushed out of the barn, but not before Millie turned back as Caroline yelled after her. 

“That hubby of yours isn’t so perfect, is he, Mildred !? I told you to stay out of the way! You and him are fucking dead!” 

Millie didn’t pay her any mind, facing forward once again to focus on finding her husband, praying to Satan he was ok and all in one piece…

---

The last time Moxxie dissociated this hard was when he was still living in the family estate with Crimson and his goons. Blacking out was not an unfamiliar experience for him. In fact, it was one of the most used coping mechanisms he used to mentally escape the pain and emotional turmoil of that life. 

Perhaps that was why he did it from the time Millie found him outside with Roy helping him travel through the valley of cars and trucks to now, as his wife bandaged his knuckles on the guest bed of his in-laws’ home. When he allowed the rage to take control of him outside with Rex, he let all the bottled-up anger and frustration come out of the closet. Not just recently bottled up emotions. Emotions from when he was a child, adolescent, a teen, a young adult, when he was still a prisoner in that house. Rex’s face shifted back and forth between several different people, like a skinwalker taunting him. He was Rex, then Crimson, then Chaz, then Rex again, and many more of his abusers and victims alike who caused him heartache throughout the years. 

He, truthfully, felt it in his demonic heart; he wanted to kill him. He wanted to kill anyone else around who would get in the way. He wanted the prick dead. With everyone whose life he took as a mafia heir and as a paid assassin, he never felt such a hunger for blood and death before…

Millie was worried for him. He barely said anything when she found him once again in the parking lot, but thank Satan and Lucifer, he was ok. Wyatt was not joking. It was clear who won the fight, but at what cost? Millie rallied up her younger brothers, with Kora ensuring both older imps that she didn’t blame them one bit for what had happened, expressing how sorry she was that it all transpired the way it did tonight, before telling Millie she would handle everything, including informing Lin and Joe why they’d left with the boys. 

After instructing Elmer to help get himself and Wyatt ready and into bed, the female assassin paid attention to her silent husband, who had been shaming himself the entire car ride home to now, bathing him again, cleaning up and dressing his wounds, even getting him into his pajamas to get him comfortable. 

She continued holding onto his now gauzed claws, bringing one to her lips to plant a kiss on the bandages as he always did for her. It was unsettling how Moxxie refused to meet her gaze, but one roll of the tongue did the trick once she began to ask more questions now that they were in private. 

“...What happened, baby?” she whispered in her country accent. “Talk ta me?” 

“......I just fucking lost it,” he muttered back to her. “I-...I don’t even remember what happened…I just lost my mind, and I couldn’t stop…I didn’t want to stop.”

“You did a good thing,” Millie purred, cupping one of his cheeks while still holding his other hand. “You protected Onny. You protected me. You protected and stood up for yerself. And I’m so proud of ya~” she batted her eyelashes, admiring his face up close, even managing to make him smile with her praise. 

“I don’t know what came over me…He just started saying all these things about,” he paused, taking in a deep breath to keep his feelings under control. “...He started talking about all these things he did to you. And I just fucking lost it…That’s the most unhinged I’ve ever been.” Unexpectedly, Moxxie pulled his wife in for a hug, a firm hug, even wrapping his tail around her waist for extra security as she swaddled him in her own arms and extra appendage. 

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that…You didn’t deserve to be treated like that. And I hope you recognize that now.” Moxxie ran the tips of his uncovered fingertips up and down her arm slowly, a sign of affection. 

“...I didn’t realize it back then. I believed that I deserved every treatment I got. But I know better now. Thanks to you,” she kissed him, savoring the soft feeling of his lips colliding with hers. This was the love she always wanted, and the love she didn’t believe she could ever have, yet Moxxie made it possible and even opened her eyes to see herself as more than a Wrathian, more than a brute, more than a disposable body. 

No, he taught her that she was none of that. She deserved to be treated like a person, to be respected, to be desired, to be loved. That’s why he still made her heart skip a beat every time he walked into a room. With him, a relationship, a marriage, wasn’t about what she could do for him. It was about what they could do for each other to help build each other up. He’d done so much more for her in four years than any other ex had in the span of six. She hated to imagine what her life would be now if Blitz and Moxxie had never believed in her, that was, if she would even still be here…

“What do we do now? I caused a scene. I could have ruined-”

“No, no, you didn’t. He did. She did. It’s their doing. Not yours. And I won’t let you blame yerself for doin’ what’s right,” Millie caressed her thumb over his freckled cheek. “Kora said she’d handle it. Let’s just get some rest and figure everythin’ out tomorrow when we can all sit down ‘n talk.”

To the both of them, that seemed like the perfect plan after the nonstop activity throughout the day…

Notes:

Hiya guys!!!

So, there are a few things I need to tell y'all...

First, I am very sad and sorry to say that Family Reunion might have to go on pause again for a little bit.

There are a few reasons for this:
1. A new semester has started for me this past Monday. It's also my last semester of undergrad, so I will be quite busy over these next few months. Of course, you all know I will try to update at least once a month, but we will see if I can keep up with that goal.

2. I actually have a whole week of stories that I am preparing for you guys, set to come out at the beginning of September. I have been working on these since July, but since those dates are about 2 weeks away, I'd like to focus on that little project for now so I'm not overwhelmed.

3. I genuinely did not expect for this story to be so long. I started writing FR in October, literally the same day that GF was released. The chapters are quite long, so I have to split them up into several parts because of that. So it is taking me much longer to edit them than I originally anticipated.

That being said, I am so sorry that I have to do this. I feel like I really let y'all down because I said I wanted this story to be contained to the summer, but since May, I have just been super busy in all aspects of my life. However, do not fret. Because this story will be fully published whenever I have the time. I say this all to let y'all know that if it is taking me much longer to update, y'all know why.

But seriously, thank you all for the support while I've been sharing this little story I made up! Really, y'all are the best! :)

In case I don't update again for the remainder of August, I will see y'all in September!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chapter 69: Family Reunion (Part 15)

Summary:

Millie, her family, and friends all become targets of Rex's wrath, and things start to get uglier.

Notes:

Hi everyone!

I had some spare time this weekend, so I took the opportunity to edit this part! Consider it our last little story for the month of August!

Enjoy!

Warnings:
- Emotional abuse in relationships
- Pet loss
- Transphobia/Transphobic comments

11 Years Ago

The George Home

“Bruh, quit squirmin’!” 

“I can’t help it! It feels weird!” 

Sallie lay on her older sister’s bed, still as a rock, while Millie finished glueing on the final eyelash extensions with her fine tweezers. The two had been spending more time recently as Millie hadn’t been home much, and their nightly girl time lately had been giving each other makeovers. It was one of their favorite ways to bond, even before Sal came out to their family. 

A few nights ago, they dyed Sallie’s hair for the first time since coming out. Since then, the sisters were dedicated to giving the younger the entire experience of girlhood. Millie waxed her eyebrows and was giving her sister her first lash extensions before they’d do haircuts next. Millie was far overdue for some dead-end trimmings; her bangs were getting a bit too long as well. Sallie’s hair had finally grown out to a pretty decent length, just reaching below her shoulders and enough to completely cover her upper back, and she was excited for her first gender affirming haircut that Millie agreed to. Trim her bangs, add some layers here and there. The young girl had been looking forward to it for months!

“Alright, finished!” Millie set the small tray of individual false lashes, along with the tweezers, down on her nightstand, offering Sallie a handheld mirror to take a look. “Whadya think?”

“I love it! Ya made them look so natural!” 

“I try! Now, get the clippers!” Millie smiled, putting away her lash products as Sallie jumped up from the bed to go to her side of the room. Millie hummed along to the soft static of Wrath country music they had playing on their bedroom radio, making sure to leave it at a low volume so they wouldn’t wake their parents or baby brother.

Millie carefully closed her wooden vanity drawer, with a brush and comb in hand, turning around and becoming confused as she saw her sister looking out their main bedroom window, and oddly enough, for the dead of night, there was a soft glow she could see from the other side of the glass. 

“...Sal?” 

“Uhh…M-Mills?” 

Millie didn’t waste any time joining her sister once she heard the fear in her voice, fear that she’d never heard from Sallie May ever before, and once she looked outside, her own blood ran cold seeing what had caught Sallie’s attention.

Two men dressed in all black, black masks as well, holding a trans pride flag that belonged to their family, one that Lin and Joe put out last month to support their daughter during her first pride month. They must have taken it down, but the worst and most terrifying part? 

They both could clearly see that the imps were staring down at them from the bedroom. Once they knew that, one man holding a torch put the flame to the flag, setting it on fire in front of the two girls. Millie threw herself and Sallie to the ground as fast as she could out of the way once she saw the other man throw something large in their general direction, thanking Satan she was fast enough as it came flying through the window, shattering the glass everywhere and frightening the two girls. 

They didn’t waste any time, running across the hall to Lin and Joe’s room, although it was more than likely the crash had already woken them up. Still, when Millie and Sallie burst through their bedroom door, yelling for their mom and dad, Lin and Joe sprang up from the bed, frantically asking what was wrong. They then got their parents to look out the window and see the now-empty yard with the trans pride flag burning away on the dry dirt. 

Both adults rushed to take action, with Lin grabbing the baby from his crib, who was now scared and crying from the chaos, and Joe grabbing a loaded shotgun the family kept in the kitchen for emergencies. However, it was already too late. 

There was no sign of the two strangers. There was no trace of them anywhere, no matter how high, low, or hard Joe inspected the farm. By the time morning came, the family all stayed huddled in the main bedroom upstairs except for Joe, who was intently sitting on the front porch, rifle still in hand, where any fucker who even attempted to enter the ranch grounds could see it. 

The only trace left of the flag was a small corner piece of pale blue with singed ends, small streaks of smoke slowly dissipated into the atmosphere from the pile of black and gray ash that accumulated overnight. 

Joe didn’t dare stand from the front porch until two of his older brothers arrived at the ranch in a truck, bringing their own rifles as well, parking the car in the yard, and joining their younger brother to examine the only evidence left behind. 

“What happened, Joey?” 

“Wish I could say…The girls were up last night doin’ hair…’N they looked out the window, sayin’ there were two fuckers wearing all black ‘n masks who set the flag on fire,” Joe explained, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, handing it to his oldest brother who opened it to see the vile message left by the terrorists…

Watch your back, tranny

Written in black ink, cursive writing, and unsigned. 

“Satan,” was all the older brother could let out, showing their other sibling the note. 

“They threw a brick through their window with that tied to it…Lin found it this mornin’ when she went to see how bad the damage was ‘n ta clean the glass…We’ve already made arrangements fer Sal ta go stay with Lin’s cousin in New Easternland fer now.”

“That’s far, Joey.” 

“That’s why. We don’t want her here if she’s bein’ targeted by Satan knows who…They’re wealthy folk, but Lin’s close with her ‘n they’re real nice people. At least we know she’ll be safe up there ‘til we can get this all sorted out.” 

“And what ‘bout Linsey ‘n Mildred?” 

Joe sighed, rubbing his face from exhaustion. He barely had gotten any rest the night before, keeping himself wide awake after the incident, staying up all night to protect the family and the farm. 

“I’m tryin’ ta convince Lin ta take Elmer ‘n go with Sal, but she ain’t budging…I think she’s scared of lookin’ like a coward.” 

Right then, all three men looked up to see a new beat-up truck on the ranch grounds, one that Joe recognized all too well, and the owner didn’t even hesitate to jump straight out the moment she turned off the ignition and parked it. 

“Joey, where are the girls?” 

“Inside, Cinnamon. They’re already anticipation’ ya, so the door is unlocked.” 

Cinnamon was approaching the porch before Joe even finished his sentence, when Lin opened the door for her, still dressed in pajamas with Elmer attached at her hip. Moher and daughter hugged each other tightly before Lin led Cinnamon into the house to help with figuring things out and getting Sallie packed up and out of there asap. 

“So…They just came ta burn the flag and leave?” 

“That’s what it seems like…That’s what Millie and Sallie said. Plus, the little present they left tied to that brick.” 

“...Where are the girls?” 

“Upstairs…Mills is helpin’ Sallie pack.” 

“Millie ain’t goin’ with y’all?” 

“Nah…She said she’s gonna go back ‘n forth between stayin’ here ta help us and her uncles with farm work and takin’ care of Elmer. It ain’t my favorite arrangement, but I think for the most part she’ll be alright.”

“...Wait-” Cinnamon put down the bowl of oats she was helping Lin get ready to feed the baby. “Yer plannin’ on stayin’ too?! Are ya nuts?!”

“Mama, can we please not?”

“Linsey, I won’t tell ya what ta do, darlin’, but I don’t think you should be here with the baby if those assholes decide ta come back.” 

“Look, Ma, I get the concern. Really, I do, but Joe ‘n me already had an argument about it this mornin’. I’d prefer not ta talk ‘bout it anymore. I can’t just leave. I got work ta do around here. And Wrathians ain’t runners when confronted with danger.” 

Cinnamon walked over to the table, where her daughter was preparing the baby for his breakfast, locking him into his high chair. The older farmer rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, coated by the morning robe that she wore to protect herself from the slight chilliness of Wrath’s dawn. 

“...It ain’t runnin’ if it’s ta protect yer family,” Cinnamon whispered, taking note of her daughter’s stiffness, unmoving from the wooden chair she sat in. “It doesn’t make you less of a Wrathian. It doesn’t make you a bad wife or mother or farmer, and it don’t make you a scardy cat…Sometimes we need ta run to protect our own…Look at him,” the retired assassin referred to her grandson, cooing and babbling nonsense words while staring at his mother wide-eyed and oblivious to the trouble they were trying to evade. 

“Don’t put him in that situation, baby. Take him and run as fast as you can to protect him,” she handed Lin the bowl of oats she was holding in her other scarred and aged hand, before heading towards the house staircase to see what she could do to help her two granddaughters. “Imma go see what I can help with fer the girls.” 

Lin pondered on her mother’s words, looking up at her baby who had dug into his breakfast with no second thoughts. This is exactly why she left the assassin business years ago. Aside from her twin’s tragic and traumatizing death, she couldn’t stand to think about those she’d wronged in the process of seeking revenge, especially when she and Joe started to have their own babies. 

There was a possibility that this was all a coincidence; they had no clue as to who these mystery men were. For all they knew, it could have just been some prejudiced assholes who decided to pick on their family, but Lin’s motherly instincts were telling her otherwise. She did not believe for a second that this was a random attack. This was personal…

That meant there was a chance that they could come back, and Satan knows what they’d try next…

“Mama!” Elmer squealed, looking his mother directly in the eyes. Oh, the innocence of a child…

He kept babbling on while he continued feasting, random little words escaping his mouth, almost bringing Lin to tears. 

“Mmmama…Dadaaa…Sisssa…Mmmooooo…Cat”

Lin ran her fingers through his thick hair as he started chewing on the spoon he had shoved in his mouth. She didn’t want to surrender to whoever these freaks were…But if her baby, babies, were at risk, she’d rather run than regret…

While the baby began to finish his porridge, the female farmer stood from her chair, opening the screen door to yell for her husband. 

She’d need to start packing…

---

Millie watched from the living room window as Lin, Elmer, and Sallie were given a ride to the train station by Cinnamon. She needed to use quite a bit of persuasion in order to convince her parents she felt safe and comfortable enough to stay behind, but nonetheless, Lin and Joe weren’t so keen on allowing Millie to stay at the ranch, despite having multiple others there to protect the homestead. 

She wasn’t so happy about being separated from family at this time, either, especially her sister, but she was more than old enough to protect herself, and she felt confident in her skills if she needed to use them. Once her grandmother’s truck was completely out of view, she stood to migrate upstairs, since her father insisted she do so, considering she was practically up all night. Enough of his siblings and Lin’s siblings were on the farm to allow Joe and Millie to get some rest while they tackled the farm work for the day, and work on hunting down a new window for the girls' bedroom. 

Millie certainly would not refuse. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was take a long nap, but as she made it to her brother Roy’s old bedroom, her phone began to vibrate, displaying the contact name of her boyfriend, who had to be worried sick after receiving a text from her that morning about what she and her sister endured that night…

“Hi, honey,” she answered tiredly as she plopped down on the mattress. 

‘Baby, are you alright?! I just got your text. What happened?!’

“Uhm…Our house was attacked last night. I just thought you should know in case I ain’t so talkative on text ta’day.”

‘What?...What do you mean attacked?! Are you ok?!’

“I’m fine. Everyone’s fine, but we got a broken window…Two fuckers burned down the trans flag mah parents had outside ‘n they threw a brick into our window with a note that had a threatenin’ message on it…We think it was a transphobic attack since Sal’s out publicly now.”

‘Ahh geez, babe. I’m sorry…Uhm, so what now? Do y’all need a place ta stay?’  

“Nah…My ma took the baby ‘n Sal ta stay with some relatives up north…I’m stayin’ here with my pa, though.”

‘Well, at least you’re all safe. If you need to stay somewhere, you know you can always come crash here. I honestly would prefer it that way since I know you’d be safe and out of the way if something else happens.’

“I appreciate it, hun, but I’d honestly rather stay here…No offense, but I wanna stay with family ta help clean up and get some work done. Maybe I can come by in a couple of days once we’re a little less anxious, though?”

‘That works for me, babe. Just…Please be careful, ok? And send me updates.’

“Will do, honey…I love you,” she dropped her phone onto the nightstand after hanging up, covering herself with the quilts and blankets, before curling up and falling asleep instantly, feeling safe enough to do so, knowing her father was in the other room just next door. 

In the Ricco penthouse, Rex threw his phone down on the lounge he was spread on, rolling his eyes and sighing the second the call between him and the farm girl ended. 

“...So? Is she coming?” Abram questioned from his office desk. 

“Nope! She said she wants to stay there,” Rex responded, crossing his hooves, picking up the newspaper he’d been looking into on the coffee table. “Whatever! I tried to warn her! She wants to watch everything and everyone she loves crash and burn? Let her,” he smirked from ear to ear. “She can have a front row seat.” 

Just then, a knock was made on the large wooden doors of Abram’s office. The older man called to whoever it was to enter, and in came a butler with three men following close behind, all scruffy and intimidating, but clearly from Wrath based on their looks and attire. 

“Apologies, sir, but your 10:00 A.M. appointment is here.”

“Perfect. Come in, gentlemen, we have much to discuss,” Abram stood to greet the men, and Rex watched on from the couch, sitting up to be included in this interaction, his grin never fading one bit as he recognized the leader of the gang from their selection days ago.

This would be a fun meeting indeed…

---

Onyx’s Mother’s Home

“Sal ain’t been pickin’ up,” Onyx spoke aloud, her brows furrowing with concern. 

“Maybe she’s just busy right now?” Burke wondered, sitting on the porch swing of the small wooden cabin. “You know how early they all get up to tend to the farm.”

“I know, but she knew that we’d be in touch…Maybe her ringer’s just off. I’ll send her a tex-”

“Yeah, yeah. She’s right here. Onyx,” Pam, stepped onto the porch from inside, carrying the house telephone with her, turning to her daughter sitting on the steps. “When was the last time you went to the George’s house?”

“Um, a few nights ago. It was when me, Burke, ‘n Sal all hung out, but we literally went there ta pick Sal up.”

“And you, Burke?” Pam turned to the boy. 

“Same thing, Ms. Pam. When me ‘n Onyx went. I haven’t been back since.” 

Pam only nodded quickly before retreating inside to continue her conversation with whomever was on the other line, reiterating what the two teens had told her. Onyx and Burke’s eyes met, confused and now admittedly growing anxious. What was that about? Her mother seemed stressed and in a hurry. Pam was a naturally relaxed soul, always presenting herself as calm and cool even in stressful situations. So you could imagine their puzzlement at this sudden shift in personality.

“...Ya sure that it’s ‘cause they're busy?” 

Before Burke could even get a thought out, Pam opened the door once again, asking that both teens come inside. Neither would argue, as seeing how serious she was. Onyx knew better than to talk back to her mother when she was in this state, as she was likely stressed enough. But nothing could have prepared either imp for what they were about to discover…

“I need ya both ta tell the truth. ‘N tell it now,” Pam sat on the couch across from her daughter and her close friend, keeping a stern tone and a serious expression as she interrogated them. “Were either of ya near the George ranch last night?”

“No, Ma. I was here all night.” 

“I was at home too.” 

“Are you both positively sure? Has Millie or Sallie told either of y’all anythin’ funny recently?”

“Mama, what’s goin’ on?!”

Pam sighed, rubbing her face with the palm of her hand, choosing her words wisely to best explain the situation that Lin George had just told her over the phone. She didn't want to scare either child, considering that two of their friends were...well, seemingly in a war zone at the moment. But there wasn't really much of a way to sugarcoat this...

“...There was an attack on their property last night. Two strangers burned a pride flag Mr. ‘n Mrs. George had out…Lin took Sallie and the baby ta go stay with some relatives up north ta get the hell outta there. But I need y’all ta be honest. Do y’all know anythin’ ‘bout this?”

“No, Mama, I swear! The last time we saw Sal was only a few nights ago, ‘n she seemed just like herself! Right, Burke?”

“Yeah! She ‘n Millie both seemed fine! They didn’t say nothin’ that even would make us think somethin’ like this would happen!”

“Well,” Pam sighed again, this time though in a more defeated manner. “...They have no clue who it coulda been, but if y’all think of anythin’ y’all need ta tell someo-” she paused, the ringing of the kitchen telephone catching all of their attention, and as Pam reacted to answer, Burke pulled out his cell phone, for one to text Sallie and Millie to check on them, and two to send a singular text to Onyx that she didn’t have time to see before Pam turned back to the boy after picking up the call. 

“I’m sorry, Burke honey, but it’s yer Mama. She wants ya ta go home. I guess Lin or Joe called ta keep her in the loop.”

“Ok…Tell her I’m on my way,” Burke agreed, giving Onyx a look before he bid both women goodbye and hopped back on his stallion to head home.

Onyx couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but her gut was telling her that this was bad …

Something beyond their control was happening here. It just so happens that after everything that had been happening, with Millie, with Rex, with him threatening her, that now all of a sudden there was an attack on the George home? No…this was definitely odd. Something was off. And she had a feeling that she knew exactly who planned this….

But could she tell anyone yet? Without any evidence?

“...M-mama?” she stuttered as Pam turned back to the sink to complete the dishes. 

“Yes, sugar?”

“...I-...” no…she couldn’t do it. Not yet. “...Is Millie ok?”

“Well, Lin says she’s fine. Just shaken up. She’s still at the ranch. She and Joe decided ta stay behind…Ya might wanna go give her a holler or a visit later. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.” 

There would be no wiggle room or doubt about it. She had to go see Millie that afternoon. Maybe this would be her chance to finally get her best friend to snap the fuck out of it. That was IF this was Rex’s doing, which at this point was becoming more and more plausible. 

Especially when she got another notification from her phone, signaling that someone had texted her. There were very few times when Onyx could feel goosebumps coat her entire body, and reading that text message from Burke was one that could be added to the books…

‘I think we both know who…’

---

The Following Day

The George Home

Millie was awoken by a knock on the bedroom door. She had no clue what time it was, but seeing the dim streaks of dark purple and orange seeping through the curtains, she had to assume it was dusk. 

Damn…She’d slept all day long? That wasn’t so unfathomable considering she hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep that night. She rolled over in bed, hearing the door squeak open on the hinges, seeing a large figure in the doorway with the hallway light shining behind them. 

“Hey, pumpkin, did ya manage to sleep any?” It was Joe, sitting at the foot of the bed as his daughter began to wake up, stretching her limbs and yawning. 

“Hey, Pa…Yeah, I did. What ‘bout you?” 

“I did…But ya might wanna consider gettin’ up. It’s the next day.”

“...Huh? What?”

“Ya slept through the entire day yesterday after comin’ ta sleep. It’s mornin’ now.”

Holy shit…So she slept for way longer than she thought…

“I was gonna come wake ya fer supper last night, but ya looked so peaceful sleepin’ so I just let ya.” 

“Well, thank ya…So what we gotta do ta’day?” Millie asked, sitting up, rubbing her eyes. 

“First, thank Satan we got a new window comin’ in this mornin’. That’ll be the first thing we do. But yer aunt is makin’ breakfast downstairs. So ya should probably eat first since ya didn’t yesterday. You can just do whatever ya think needs ta get done after that. Maybe cleaning’ the house or the barns?”

Millie agreed, climbing out of bed once Joe left her to prepare for the day, starting with checking her phone to see piles of texts from Burke, Onyx, Sallie, and Rex, all checking on her to see what was happening and if she was ok. Damn…Word really did spread like wildfire in their small town…

After sending back simple thumbs up and confirming messages, she ran through her usual routine, getting dressed, brushing her teeth, eating breakfast, even taking the opportunity to get some stress off her shoulders, and talked with her relatives who were there. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and neighbors all gathered round to help the family. It was sweet to see how many people jumped in to help. 

One of their neighbors even purchased a new trans flag for the family to display once they felt safe enough to do so, but for now, Millie hung it in she and Sallie’s shared room, above her little sister’s bed, so she could look at the flag whenever she wanted in the privacy and safety of her own bedroom. Without fear of their home being targeted again…

Hours following, just as Joe, Millie, and one of Joe’s brothers finished installing the new glass fixture, there was a knock on the farmhouse door. Joe answered the call to make sure it wasn’t some new punk who wanted to try their luck again, but he was swiftly relieved, seeing his good friend’s daughter standing on their porch instead.

“Hi, Mr. Joe. Y’all doin’ alright? I heard ‘bout what happened from my Ma.”

“Well, howdy, dear! We’re doin’ alright. Yer Pa actually called ta check in on us this mornin’. Millie’s upstairs. Do ya wanna talk with her?”

“Yes, please, sir," Onyx nodded as Joe went to fetch his daughter, who ran straight into her best friend’s arms the moment their eyes met. After that night, she was excited to see that face, and vice versa. Onyx was just happy and glad to see that Millie was ok. Now, if only she could convince her to look into whether Rex and his family had any involvement in this...

The other cowgirl had no evidence or proof that this was the case, but the Georges didn’t have any other enemies that she knew of. And their small Wrathian village, where they were all raised, did not have a history of being queerphobic. Nor did Onyx know of anyone who would dare to be hateful, such as that. 

They set their sights on an abandoned barn on the Rough ‘N Tumbleweed property to hide away and speak privately, as all the family everywhere would make the difficult, and Onyx didn’t want any witnesses or eavesdroppers in case things went south with her bringing up Rex…

“That’s it?” Onyx questioned after Millie finished re-telling the events. “They burned the flag, threw the brick,...And just took off?” 

“Yeah…And we’re convinced they got their claws on some magic or higher up shit, ‘cause there was no car and no tire tracks…They had ta be usin’ something to teleport. At least that’s our theory.”

“So why did ya decide ta stay behind them? Yer strong 'n brave, but I feel like yer parents would've been hearin' none of it.” 

“It took lots of convincing. I didn’t wanna leave my dad. Besides, if I left and somethin’ did happen, I’d feel so guilty…I know they can all protect themselves, especially my Pa…but…”

“I get it,” Onyx spoke up. “Trust me, I do…Ya don’t need ta try ta justify it.” 

“I just don’t get why someone would do this…My family, I mean, sure we kill a lot ‘n we’re Wrathians ‘n all that but…We’re good folks, ya know. I just don’t know why someone would do this ta us. Or...who?”

“...Millie, I ain’t tryin’ ta start trouble, but” Onyx hesitated. Unsure of what she could say that wouldn’t sound like an accusation that would upset her friend. “...Do ya maybe think this could be tied ta Rex?”

“Rex?”

“Yeah…I mean, he’s got a big boss fer a Pa…They’re from Greed. Do ya think this could be a mob attack? Do they got any enemies that ya know ‘bout who would want revenge?”

“I doubt it,” Millie brushed Onyx’s concerns off. “He would’ve told me. He talked ta me yesterday mornin’ after I told him what happened ‘n he didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout anyone who he thought it could be…I’m sure these were just some fuckers who wanted ta try ‘n be funny or scare us.”

“...Mills…I really, really don’t wanna be that person, but ya might wanna reconsider,” Millie turned back to face her best friend, eyes confused with a cocked eyebrow, bringing more guilt to Onyx’s heart for even having to suggest the possibility to her dear companion. She knew that if she was correct, and this was Rex’s plan, it would crush Millie. Break her heart even. But it wouldn’t make her a good friend just to stand back and say or do nothing. “...Not that I don’t trust yer judgement, but just remember, Rex has all them connections and ya don’t really know his background all that well yet.”

“So what are ya sayin’?...You-...You think Rex did this?”

“No, that’s not it. I don’t believe it was Rex who did it, but what I am wonderin’ is if this is someone targetin’ you because of yer connections ta him.”

“...So ya do, think this is ‘bout him,” Millie grew annoyed, not necessarily at her friend, but at Onyx’s accusations towards her boyfriend and the implications behind them. "He would never put me or mah family in danger! He loves me! If he did have anyone I needed ta be worried 'bout he would've told me!"

“Mills I-”

“Nah, say it! Say what you really mean! You don't trust him! You don't trust me! You don’t think I really know mah boyfriend!”

“Mills! I just want you to consider it!” Onyx pleaded with her. “Think about it. Who else could it be?! There has ta be some motivation behind this aside from some assholes who are transphobic!”

“You sure? ‘Cuz if I remember right, Onny, ya never trusted Rex! Even after meetin’ him and seein’ he was a good guy ya never ya still don’t like him!”

“...Ya know what? Yer right, Mills," Onyx admitted, becoming stonefaced. She didn’t want to hurt Millie’s feelings. She didn’t want to upset her or imply that she was blind to what was happening. However, watching her reaction to this suggestion and seeing how willing she was to take up for this man who had been hurting her and stringing her along for months, all her plans to stay nice and cordial went flying out the window, and she, Sallie, and Burke's intentions to keep their mouths shut went along with it...

“I don’t trust him because I don’t like how he treats you.” 

“What?!”

“Yeah, you heard me,” Onyx said sternly. “I love you, Millie. So so much. Yer my best friend, but I can’t hide it any longer. I do not like or trust this man. Not one bit. I don’t like how he treats ya. I don’t like how he talks ta ya. I don’t like how he manipulates ya. And I especially don’t like how he takes advantage of ya either.” 

“Excuse me? When has he ever done any of that?!”

“Mills! I saw it with mah own eyes, ok?! When he pushed you away literally when Burke ‘n I were right there! How he sweet talks ya ta get what he wants! How he pressures you to do things with him you don’t wanna do!”

“B-but he!...He don’t do that!” Millie started to cry. “He isn’t like ya think he is! He would NEVER do that stuff ta me! He's just...He's just...He just wants me ta be a better person, ok!”

"...Mills, are you ok?" It was a genuine question of concern. This new attitude and level of naivety were so out of character for the cowgirl. And it was as if it just happened overnight...

"NO! Obviously I ain't!" Millie cried even harder, soaking her shirt with tears as she hiccuped. "Here I am happy and in love with someone who finally likes me, and you and everyone else around me keeps treatin' me like I'm stupid! Like y'all don't even trust me! Yer supposed ta be my friend!"

“I’m not tryin’ ta be a bitch, Mills, but we just...I don't wanna see ya get hurt! None of us do!"

"And WHO is WE?!"

"Me!"

"Nah! You said WE, implying more than one person! So who the hell is WE?!"

"Well, me, 'n yer folks I'm sure, 'n Burke, 'n Sal, and-"

"Since when is it anyone else's business what I-...Wait-" Millie's eyes grew wide, glancing at her best friend with the most heartbroken stare that Onyx had ever seen. The pain in her eyes was evident and heavy, almost making Onyx spill out her own waterfalls. "…So you ‘n Burke and Sal...Y'all have been talkin’ behind mah back ‘bout this?!” she whimpered, large tears streaming down her face. “When I’m over there with him…Y’all are gossiping about him...‘bout me?!”

“No! Of course not!”

“Obviously y’all are! If yer sayin’ that others have the same opinions too!” 

“Millie, I-” 

"No! I'm done with this! He was right! None of y'all really care 'bout me or helpin' me! All y'all care about is yer damn selves!"

"Mildred!"

“Just,” Millie held up a hand to Onyx, stopping her from saying any more. Wiping her tears away with the palm of her hand. “Just…Give me some space, Onny…I just need some space,” was all Millie finished with, walking out of the abandoned building and back to the farmhouse, unable to see Onyx’s own tears with her back turned to her best friend since childhood…

Seventeen years of friendship...and they likely just lost it all, and over a man too...

The worst part? Onyx knew that there was nothing she could do now...There were no more warnings, no more chances, no more ways she could even try to get Millie to understand...

And she knew, if she stayed with this man, she'd never see Millie again. 

That was a fate worse than death to Onyx Sidian...

---

2 Nights Later

Since she and Onyx’s…disagreement, Millie struggled to fall asleep. 

It was a habit that had followed her from childhood into her late teens. When something was going wrong or bugging her, it greatly affected her sleep schedule, keeping her awake into all hours of the night. She wasn’t someone who could just “sleep it off” and miraculously have a solution in the morning. 

Moreover, she was starting to wonder if it was she who was in the wrong here…Maybe she had taken it too far. Perhaps she was too emotional over everything that had happened and took it out on Onyx…

She couldn't fathom not having Onyx and Burke and Sallie May in her life...That just wouldn't be possible for her, not just because of how intertwined all of their families were, but because they were her best friends, her biggest cheerleaders, her rocks in this shitty world of Hell. She didn't want to live a single day without them...But what about Rex? She loved him...Did he love her?

Of course he did! He said so! He treated her so! 

...But, why then, after she started dating him, did her entire life seem to be spiraling?

Relationships were supposed to change your life, change you for the better, yet everything seemed to be getting worse. 

Maybe it was all just in her head....

Even so, if Onyx was right, she wasn’t sure if she was quite ready to apologize yet. She wanted more time to chew on her feelings. Like she was doing right now…

She tossed and turned in bed, thinking over everything that had been happening as of late and Onyx’s own concerns shared with Millie in the barn…

After she’d calmed down, Millie admitted to herself that Onyx wasn’t all wrong…

Rex had done some odd, questionable things throughout their relationship. He wasn’t comforting…He wasn’t the best with emotions…He was honestly beginning to seem a bit controlling. Demanding that she be with him at all times and spend less time with her loved ones. He decided what she had to wear when they were going out. How she had to look….There were a lot of things that he forced convinced her to do with him in bed that she explicitly said no to or made her feel uncomfortable…But isn’t that just how lots of men were? 

Millie grew up around great men: Her Pa, her older brother, her uncles, her male cousins, Burke, lots of their male neighbors, and townsfolk around. There was not a shortage of good men around her growing up, truly good men. But, Millie had also been raised hearing stories about bad men, the kind to stay far away from. 

Rex seemed to be a good guy, sure, he did some things that were questionable, things that she didn't like. However, on the flip side, he was sweet, kind, caring, sending her and buying her lots of gifts and flowers, and telling her that he thought about her every day. 

Obviously, there were flaws in every relationship; she and Rex just had to work out their flaws. And in his defense, she’d never been in a relationship like this before. He was more experienced, and therefore, he was just doing what he thought was best.

Still, she’d find a way to apologize to Onny; she was only worried and watching out for her. Deep down, Millie knew that Onyx had nothing but the best intentions. So, why did she just...lash out at her like that? Never in a million years did she ever want to hurt her best friend. 

‘Oh, fuck this!’  She thought to herself, climbing out of bed to get a glass of water, perhaps a midnight snack even. The young imp carefully and delicately escaped her bedroom, tip hoofing across the wooden floorboards not to wake Roy and Peaches, who were sleeping in Roy’s old bedroom. 

That night, Joe and all the other family members who had gathered to aid days ago ended up staying out late to hunt for tomorrow’s dinner while Peaches, Roy, and Millie stayed home to watch out for the house and the property. By now, they were positive that the attack was a one-time thing, just two bigot fucks who wanted to give them a little spook. 

…Or so they wanted to believe…

Millie stared out into the night, sipping from the glass as she looked out the window above the kitchen sink, closing her eyes and allowing the nightly songs of the hell crickets and other nocturnal insects to fill her ears and ease her mind with music.

Then, when she opened her eyes once more, a flare caught her attention from the corner of her eye…

At first, she wrote it off as the porch light glitching, which was the most likely explanation, but the more Millie looked at the curtain covering the back door window, she thought it was rather unusual for the light to be that bright… Really bright…Bright enough to light up every window in the house, and far too orange for a singular light bulb…Yet so far from the porch? What was going on…

Ladies, gentlemen, and pals...To this day, she sometimes wishes she had never looked…

The sight was enough to make her drop the glass, letting it shatter around her feet. A large fire in the distance, lighting up the entire ranch, sending embers and flames into the dark night sky…The barn…Their livestock barn.

From upstairs, the younger sister listened as her brother and his fiancé jumped out of bed and began to run down the staircase, hearing the sound of broken glass ringing throughout the house. 

However, Millie didn’t wait around to show them her discovery as she bolted out the door upon making a horrifying realization, watching the wooden structure burning to ash out in the field. 

“WILBY!!! WILBUR!!!” She screamed into the night, running as fast as she could, as quickly as her muscled legs would allow, towards the barn, with Roy soon following behind, seeing his baby sister aiming straight for the burning building. 

“MILLIE!!! NO! STOP!” he screamed after her, but even he was distracted by seeing this unexpected tragedy happening before his eyes. He didn’t have the time to get sidetracked now, as he watched Millie disappear into the blazing walls that were swiftly collapsing in the distance. 

The fire was blazing hot, hot enough that Millie felt the tears streaming down her face evaporating the second she ran through the destroyed doors of the shelter, hundreds of animals, sheep, cattle, horses, goats, pigs, all screaming and crying out to be saved as the flames took control of the wooden structures containing them…It truly was what the human mind perceived Hell to be…

Millie, in her fear and adrenaline, kicked, punched, and broke every lock she could with her bare hands, getting as many animals as she could out of the barn, watching them all run and stampede out faster than she’d ever seen animals run before, escaping the hot, sweltering air around them. 

At long last, she finally made it to the pig enclosure, nearly burning herself alive to reach it, but thank Satan all the pigs were accounted for and safe, now she just had to rush to get them out.

Millie scooped little Wilbur up in her arms, protecting him as all the hogs ran, searching for an escape in the fire that now had fully taken over the right entry to the barn. Millie ran, seeing the dark of night to the left where all the animals were running out from, screaming in pain as she felt the flames eating the red flesh of her tail, leaving a scar on the tip…But that was enough motivation for her to keep fighting to get out. 

“MILLIE!!! MILLIE!!!” she heard Roy, yelling, seeing him coughing and desperately attempting to find her in the forest of fire that was beginning to grow around her. 

“ROY!!!” she called back out towards him, running for it the moment she found her brother, getting his own scars in the process. Thankfully, by some miracle, both siblings made it out alive with minor scarring; Millie’s, however, was far worse than her brother's. And little Wilbur was panicked, but stayed in Millie’s arms, even after they escaped the ruins of the barn. 

Peaches tried her damndest to rally up all the livestock running amok from their own fear and chaos, but it was useless. Their only hope to keep them all contained was the fence that surrounded the entire ranch. It would take several pairs of hands to gather them all again…But even then, it’d be no use…

The barn was gone, fully engulfed in the blaze as the roof fully caved in, collapsing in on itself. Millie and Roy each coughed up a storm once they got far enough away from the barn, no doubt ash getting into their lungs during the process, but that would not prevent Roy from reprimanding his younger sister for being so careless and putting herself in grave danger. He was pissed.

“The fuck-...What the FUCK were you THINKING?!”

“I had to get the animals! Wilbur was in there!” 

“You’d rather save a fuckin’ pig than save yerself! What the fuck is the matter with you!”

“Roy! Stop!” Peaches begged, grappling onto her fiancé’s arm. She was just as upset with her soon to be sister in law, but Peaches was never one for yelling, and she just wanted both of them to relax after watching both imps, whom she loved dearly, nearly go up in flames.

“W-wait-...” Roy huffed, calming down slightly with the encouragement from his girlfriend, but looking around, seeing the variety of his parents’ farm animals roaming around and staying clear of the fire, he noticed…

“Wh-...Where are t-...the horses?”

Millie froze, looking up at the barn that was practically gone by this point, only the skeleton was visibly left in the jungle of fire …The horses…Oh Satan! She wasn’t able to make it to the horses!...

And her show horse… Her horse, Whiskey, who she’d had since she was a little girl…

Millie didn’t answer. She stared at the remaining flames, lighting up the Ranch like a Sinsmas tree, watching what was left burn in front of her very eyes as her legs gave out and she fell to the ground on her knees, crying and screaming louder than anyone had heard her weep before.

Neighbors from all around quickly made their way outside once they heard the commotion and saw the flames coming through their windows…And all they could do was stare and run over to ensure that everyone inside the George home escaped safely…Physically safe…

Despite being a hellborn, that night was one of the closest nights to true Hell that Millie would ever live through…

---

Ricco Penthouse

“Let me get this straight before we shake on it. It’s only these two, correct?” 

“Yes, that’s correct,” Abram confirmed with the assassin sitting across from him, taking a puff out of his cigar. Rex stood beside his father, who was sitting in his rolling chair. The young man didn’t even try to hide the large smirk on his face. It was a shame that it had to come to this, but his girlfriend left him no choice. 

To be fair, he tried to warn all three of them, Onyx more directly than Millie and Burke, but Millie’s stubbornness led him to do this. 

She wanted to be a disrespectful, difficult little bitch? Fine. Let her. She can deal with the consequences. 

This all started because she rejected him in the first place, and he wasn’t going to let her forget it. 

‘Fuck around and find out what happens when you disrespect me, you stupid little whore.’

“This is Burke Hodeges and Onyx Sidian,” Abram went over one last time, pointing to the pictures they had of the country imps out to the hitman they hired sitting in front of his large desk. “They’re the targets. We’re going to send both of them out to the Wrath Man’s Canyon along with this girl right here,” he detailed further, handing the assassin a clear picture of Millie. “Don’t do anything to her, though. She’ll fight you back, and she’s strong, but whatever you do, don’t kill her. Don’t even come close to it. We need her alive. However, these other two do whatever you need to do,” Abram leaned back in his chair, taking a longer drag out of his cigar. 

“Be as brutal and as quick as you need to be…Because we need those two dead.”

Notes:

Yeah...

I don't really have much to say after this one🥲

BUT, just know, Millie DOES get her happy ending from all of this.

Chapter 70: Baby Brother

Summary:

Day 1 of M&M Fankids Week!

Prompt: Newborn

Notes:

Helllllllloooooo fellow readers!🤗

Remember that week of content that I said would be coming in September? Well, this is it!

Starting today, y'all are going to get a daily story! But not just any stories...This is M&M Fankids Week!

Yep! This week, y'all will be getting content about my little M&M babies: Tucker, Russell, and Calliope!

I'm really excited because I feel that I don't write about my fankids that often, plus I'm happy for y'all to get to know those three little buggers better! Thank you so much to Guron65 for hosting this week!

So I don't wanna bug y'all much more, let's start this fun week of prompts off!

As a child, Millie listened to stories from her mother and grandmother, retelling their birth experiences, hearing about both the pains and wonder of childbirth. 

She wishes she had listened better about never forgetting the pain…

Somehow, someway, she’d forgotten the pain and anguish of Tucker’s birth only three years prior, but it was all coming back to her now. After almost eight hours, she was sadly remembering the uncomfortable nature of giving life all too well. 

She assumed that since she’d given birth once before that it’d be easier, perhaps even a little smoother than before, but maybe that was just wishful thinking…

“Ok, now stop,” Willa instructed Millie, who wouldn’t argue back, as she was growing more exhausted after pushing for a rather long time. She’d lost track a while ago, but the tired demoness knew it had been a while, and she didn’t want to acknowledge it, but her mama gut was telling her something was wrong. 

Moxxie was beginning to grow increasingly worried as well. It had been nearly two hours now, and there was no mention of the baby getting close to coming out. In fact, based on the look on the doctor’s face, something was definitely wrong. Her expression hadn’t changed in the longest time, staying stonefaced; however, the sniper could swear he noticed her brows furrowing ever so slightly…

“Amy,” she turned back, calling one of the nurses’ attention, who had been working to prepare for when the baby actually arrived. “Get Dobber. We’re gonna need to perform a McRoberts,” she whispered, staying calm on the outside but panicking internally. 

As a doctor who’d delivered many babies before, she’d seen little tots who’d get stuck, whether by the head or shoulders, but even if you’d done something a hundred times, it still wasn’t a fun game to be playing, especially when Mom and baby were at risk. 

Moxxie overheard her instruction, and while it could have been a simple request since they couldn’t be far from baby coming out, he’d known Willa for a good few years now, and the emotionless expression she had was never a good sign, not when she became completely silent, and she didn’t have a single word to say. 

“Wh-what does that mean?”

“We’re going to need to apply pressure on the abdomen. We’re dealing with shoulder dystocia, but with a quick squeeze it should be resolved,” she rambled while putting on a fresh set of rubber gloves, while both nurses re-entered the room. 

Lin, who was on the other side of the bed, helping to hold her daughter’s leg, looked up at the doctor when she heard the term being used. She’d heard the horror stories of many mothers before whose babies became stuck during birth, and thank Satan none of hers ever did, but she knew enough to know this could go bad quickly if it went unresolved. 

“How fast can it be done?” Lin asked, while the other assistants got into place. 

“If successful, it should only take about a minute or two. But we can't waste time.”

“What’s wrong?!” Millie cried once one of the nurses calmly asked her to stop pushing. This was too different from Tucker’s birth. Despite a rather long labor, her first little one’s birth was calm, peaceful, and quick. This was too difficult. She’d been pushing for far too long for the baby’s head not to even be out yet. The moment Willa told her she needed to get on the bed for the birth rather than finish delivery in the tub of water was a sign that something was wrong, and in her heart, her instincts were screaming. “He's stuck?!” 

“He’s fine. He’s ok. He just needs a little more help sliding through,” Willa attempted to keep her patient calm, but that only made Millie’s anxiety worse. The only thing keeping her sane during this time was Moxxie holding her hand in both of his to squeeze, but maybe his own fears were bleeding into hers because she could sense that he was on edge as well. “He just needs a little help coming out. You’re gonna feel some pressure down here, ok, Millie. Don’t push, though; we need to try guiding him out mechanically.”

She knew it...This only confirmed one of her biggest fears regarding childbirth. Her baby was stuck. He couldn’t come out on his own. How did this even happen? Her whole pregnancy was normal. Baby boy #2 was always healthy with every scan she’d had. But she didn’t have time to contemplate any further as she let out a harsh yell when Willa and the nurses began to try pulling the tot out, sending a wave of one of the worst pains she’d felt in her life, and all that suffering ended in no luck, as even after the little guy’s head was now out, one of his shoulders was still caught under her pelvic bone, causing more of a panic between Moxxie, Lin, and Sallie all scared shitless for both their beloved Millie and the stubborn little guy who was refusing to be born, causing more of a quick paced rush between all three medical professionals who instructed everyone to get the mother imp on her hands and knees for one more attempt before they’d need to perform an emergency cesarian. 

“I got an arm! I got an arm!” Willa said in what sounded like an almost relieved tone before she was finally able to guide the rest of the baby out, where she and the two nurses wrote down the time and date of birth while enticing him to take his first breath after the stress he’d gone through during delivery. 

The three other imps paid more attention to getting Millie back in a more comfortable position, though; she and Moxxie were struggling to keep their eyes away from the small, red, limp body not far from them on the bed, being rubbed and prodded at, trying to stimulate him to cry or even make a noise. They assumed the worst. 

"What- What's wrong with him?!" the mother whimpered, out of energy and hoarse after the endless screaming and yelling from her long night. "Why ain't he moving?! Why ain't he cryin'?!"

"He's fine," Willa repeated in an unusually calm tone, trying to reassure them. "This happens with a lot of babies. It just takes them a little bit to relax after birth." She was panicking on the inside herself. This little guy had been in there for far too long. It took him much too long to come out. Satan help them. She wouldn't be able to look either imp in the eye if their little one hadn't made it. She was just crossing her fingers that he'd start wailing any second now or show any signs of life. Anything...

Millie buried her face into Moxxie’s chest while he still held onto her as she began to cry, both from the long, traumatic process and believing it had all been for nothing, thinking that their little one that they wanted so badly hadn’t survived the birth. Moxxie began to shed his own tears. Watching his Millie go through that was terrifying in itself, but seeing his new child, his son, struggle for life was on a whole different playing field from anything he'd ever witnessed before. Seeing his little body being spanked hard on the back and rear while the medical professionals desperately worked to get him to breathe was a sight he'd never forget for as long as he lived. 

Like his wife, he eventually had to turn away, as if all of this had never happened. He couldn't bear to look anymore, but as a father, if their little one was no longer with them, he owed it to him to look at him, to see his face, to see this tiny baby they created together, even if it meant it was the only time he'd ever get to witness his face. 

So, he looked...For his son, he took a glance at him. Seeing a head full of white hair and a face filled with freckles...

The first streaks of light symbolizing a new morning in Wrath were welcomed by a mighty, piercing cry followed by relieved and joyous tears from his parents…

---

7 Hours Later

Lin & Joe’s Farmhouse

Moxxie quietly opened the old wooden door, cringing as the squeaky hinges of his in-laws’ home caused a sharp noise. He peeked in and suppressed a laugh at the sweet sight before him. Tucker, sound asleep, contorted into a mess of a position. Just like his mother, he had particularly vivid dreams, causing him to "sleep fight" or take action in his sleep. He snored lightly, and a dribble of drool had run onto his pillow. Not much woke Tucker up. For a three-year-old, he was a tough sleeper.

Moxxie crept his way into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed as he gently ran his fingers through his young son’s hair. The early morning sunlight had found its way through the curtains, not doing much to wake the boy. He brushed his bangs to the side of his face, taking a moment to admire him and that adorable little face he had, a perfect mix between him and his wife. His boy. He was always perfect in every way, ever since the day he was born. Adored dearly by both of his parents, he was the apple of their eye, and Moxxie was so proud to be his father. 

Gently, he gave the boy a few small nudges while caressing his cheek to offer comfort. "Good morning, snuggle bug. It's time to start waking up," he whispered sweetly. His little face, which was still peaceful moments before, now scrunched as he began to come closer to consciousness. He yawned and stretched himself out, even his tail on impulse. He was in for a surprise when his eyes opened and landed on the sight of his father, one of his favorite people, provoking him to wake faster.

"Pa!" He leapt up into his lap and embraced his father in a tight hug.

Moxxie rubbed his back as he hugged back their firstborn, silently wishing that he could stay little forever, but knowing his growing up was inevitable.

"Where's Ma, Daddy?" Tucker asked, pulling away from his father.

"She's at the cabin, sweetie. She's resting."

"Can we go see her?" It was both a demand and a request made by the toddler boy out of concern about being away from his mother. Moxxie was one of Tucker's biggest role models, and he loved his daddy immensely, but Tuck was also a mama's boy. He always was, even as a small baby. Being away from his mother for too long caused some anxiety in the boy, but as he grew older, he started to feel the same when he was away from either of his parents. 

Moxxie remembered himself being similar when he was young. His mother was his favorite person, and when she disappeared without a trace, the anxiety and stress that followed was pure torture.

"Don't worry, bud. She's ok, she's just tired. She needs to sleep for a little bit. We're going to go see her in a little while, ok?" He seemed content with that answer, albeit a bit saddened that he couldn't go right away, but what could you do? And after the long night Moxxie had, he appreciated his son’s compliance.

Not much was different that day from any other for father and son alone. Moxxie helped him get dressed, brush his teeth, and brush his hair, and then get him breakfast before he traveled out to the yard to watch and "help" his uncles with some hay while Moxxie had a discussion with his in-laws about their night. Well, Joe, that is, since Lin was asleep upstairs, just as exhausted as everyone else after a sleepless, stressful night. 

"So, aside from the complications, everything else happened as it should? All is well?" Joe quizzed his son-in-law about the details.

"Yes, sir. They're both healthy and ok, but her doctors say she should take it easy the next couple of months because the process was longer than usual. Plus, the shoulder dystocia was traumatic for both of them. Mentally and physically….I’m just glad they’re safe," he replied, sipping the coffee given to him without hesitation. It was a really long night, so he’d take any caffeine offered to him.

"Praise Satan. You know this ain't our first rodeo, but we were still nervous. When I saw the look on Lin’s face when she got back this mornin’, I just knew that somethin’ wasn’t right…But yer correct. All a Pa wants is fer Ma ‘n baby ta be safe." Despite being at home all night, Joe also had tired eyes, as he was even up late, worrying about his little – but not-so-little – girl.

"Yeah, I was too. Especially when I could tell in my gut something was off. But it’s all over now."

"Bein’ scared like that’s just part of the process. And just in case there is a next time, it never gets easier. I'll tell ya that," Joe huffed.

Moxxie chuckled, taking another sip and looking at Tucker playing out in the early morning yard. "I appreciate the warning, sir."

---

5 Hours Later

Moxxie & Millie’s Vacation Home

"Ya know somethin,' sis? You were always a badass, but I feel like yer more of a badass now." Sallie May joked as she helped her sister climb back into bed after another bathroom trip.

Millie laughed along as she fixed herself to be propped up with a pillow, cushioning her back against the headboard. "Well, what can I say? I didn't win all them fighting competitions for nothin'."

She let out a yawn; even though she had recently awoken from a good and well-earned nap, she still felt exhausted and drowsy.

"He's such a little chonk!" Sallie squealed, impressed, leaning her head over into the crib to look at her new nephew another time. To be fair, he was an impressive size at birth for how small Millie was. An 8 1/2 pounder! Almost 9 pounds! He almost didn't fit into the newborn clothes that Millie and Moxxie packed with them. Thank Satan they brought a variety of sizes, as he'd no doubt grow bigger during their recovery stay. "I can't believe you pushed this thang out yer fuckin' kitty cat! I'll say a prayer fer her."

"He's so handsome," Millie cooed, looking over at her sleeping newborn. "He's the cutest, most beautiful little baby alive right now. There aren't any babies cuter than Tuck 'n him."

Oh, Mom brain, Sallie thought ot herself. It was beautiful to experience. Mothers loving and adoring their newborns, thinking they were the most gorgeous beings in the world. But she couldn't disagree. Her sister and brother-in-law did make some beautiful kids. Naturally cute and adorable straight out of the womb. 

"Looks like yer princess and Tuck are pullin' up right now," Sallie commented, looking out the window of the bedroom as Moxxie pulled the truck borrowed from his in-laws into the yard of their small, Wrathian vacation home. 

"I'm nervous about Tuck. I don't want him to get jealous or think Mox and I don't love him as much anymore." Millie expressed to her sister, reaching over to the side of the bed to retrieve her newest addition.

"Honestly, I think he'll be fine. He talked our ears off all week about how excited he was. I mean...we didn't all always get along and had scuffs with each other, didn't we? But I’d say our little group of siblings all share great relationships, right?" 

Millie smiled at her sister, hoping that Tucker and the new impling in her arms would grow to have the same relationship as she did with her siblings, especially like her relationship with Sallie.

"Thank you...for everything, Sal. Moxxie and I appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah. Enough of the sappy stuff. I think it's time I should go meet up with 'em at the front door." 

Millie sarcastically rolled her eyes, looking down at the slumbering baby. She never thought fate would allow them to have another one, but hell, was she happy. She and Moxxie were so excited for Tucker to be a big brother, but she was anxious about his reaction to not being their only child anymore. 

For a while after discovering she was pregnant again, she carried mom guilt. Guilt that all of her love and attention would no longer be focused only on Tucker, bringing her to tears on particularly hormonal days. But her sister was right. With all the sibling fights and rivalries that the two girls and their brothers had throughout their younger years, they loved each other all the same. She just hoped that her babies would grow to love each other, as, after all, as depressing as it was to think about, once she and Moxxie were gone, they would be all they had left. 

Brothers…A special bond that was so hard to explain unless you experienced it. 

She stroked that new little head filled with white hair, just as Tuck had when he was born. Growing teary-eyed as she took in all his little features, and wondering how she had gotten so lucky to have the life that she did.

It was a reality that her past self could only ever dream of…Married, living out the rest of her days with the love of her life who adored and worshipped her, great career, great, amazing friends and coworkers who cared deeply for her, a home that belonged to her and her significant other, and babies…

She wished she could go back in time and give that broken, shattered version of herself a hug and comforting words that she desperately needed at the time…And to let that poor little lonely, Wrathian girl know…She had everything she ever wanted….

And she would never question Satan's will for her to have it…

---

On the front porch, Sallie met her excited nephew and brother-in-law, acknowledging Moxxie, filling him in on what had happened since he left. Thank Satan that his wife and their new impling were doing well. 

“Is Mommy ok, Nanny Sal?” Tucker interjected, enthusiastically wagging his freckled tail. 

“She’s perfect, bud!” the aunt answered back, ruffling his fluffy hair. “She’s excited ta see you! But be gentle with her, alright? Listen to her and yer Pa!”

The little boy nodded before Moxxie led him into the house, smiling at the anticipation that he was showing. Upon seeing the two, Millie smiled wide, excited to see both of her boys together again. Tucker's smile, though, was much wider than both of his parents' as he ran over to the bed and crawled up to his mother, remembering to be gentle with her like his Nanny said. Millie wasted no time in hugging her son, missing him even though they had only been separated for a few days. Moxxie walked in and planted a kiss on his wife's cheek before affectionately rubbing her arm.

"How are you feeling, honey?"

"Well, I'm still exhausted, but I feel great. I felt even better once Sal told me that you two were here." She commented, rubbing her cheek against Tucker's.

"I missed you, Mama!" Tucker whispered keenly.

"I missed you more, baby."

And speaking of baby, Moxxie looked down into the wooden bassinet that had been passed down from Millie's parents, the same bassinet that Tucker slept in during his first few days as a newborn, admiring their new son..

Little Russell…

Russell Carlito Knolastname…Born early that morning, March 8th, at 3:48 A.M., just two weeks before his due date…Throughout her pregnancy, Millie never felt him being too active until late at night. He was always a night owl, even in the womb. Hopefully, that wouldn't backfire on her and Moxxie too much. 

The parents struggled to pick out a name for their new boy, but had a small list of names they liked that they’d kept from when Millie was expecting Tuck. "Russell" wasn't even on their list, much less an idea in their minds, but when Millie stared at their precious baby sleeping peacefully in her arms after birth, she knew it. That was his name… 

His middle name, "Carlito," came from Moxxie's mother. That's what she wanted to name her baby boy, but Crimson refused, saying the name was "too fruity" and his son wouldn't be caught dead with a "Wrathian hick" name. The wicked don would tell the tale over and over again to Moxxie when he was growing up, gloating about how he won that ‘battle’ with his mother and saved him from being associated with “that” culture.

Once they discovered that they’d be having another boy, Moxxie told Millie about it, and she suggested they use the name as a way to honor her deceased mother-in-law, to which Moxxie agreed. He knew his mother would have adored his new family, and it saddened him that she had a lovely, beautiful daughter-in-law and two grandsons she would never meet. 

The assassins’ eyes met with Millie nudging her head over to the cot, giving her husband permission. Moxxie guided Tucker over to the bassinet as Millie took in this moment of her adorable husband helping their first baby meet their new baby, all the while Sallie May silently slipped into the cabin again in case she was needed, watching from afar at the heartwarming family image.

"Look here, Tucker. This is your little brother." Moxxie sat next to Millie at the foot of their bed, setting Tucker down on his lap so he could see better. The child peered over into the crib, studying the new member of his family that he would grow close with for the rest of his life. Moxxie and Millie watched with smiles and modest nervousness as their sons met for the first time. It was a day they’d thought about for nine months, each thrilled for their little boy, yet still anxious to know how he’d take the news. 

He looked on for a few seconds, taking in the image of this smaller imp child creature they called his "brother."

Both imps believed they had done a good job preparing their son for the inevitable arrival of his sibling. Telling him he was going to be a big brother in private, answering all the questions he had, explaining to him what their lives might look like with a new baby, talking him through all the emotions, reading him books about babies and when little siblings come along, including him once they started planning and setting up the nursery, letting him play with, talk to, and touch Millie’s belly once her baby bump started coming in, hell, she even allowed him to draw happy faces on her abdomen so that the baby “could have a face.” But now was the ultimate test…The big day they’d been thinking about for more than half a year…

“...Is this the baby that was in your tummy, Mommy?”

“Yep, baby. That’s him.” 

".....Why is he so little?" 

The parents looked at each other and shared a quiet laugh, both reacting to the cuteness and relief. "He's a baby, honey. He's going to be small for a while until he grows up like you." Millie explained, petting his head. He was always a rather observant child. 

"Do you want to help Mom hold him, Tuck? Babies like to be held." Moxxie asked, trying to help lead his son into contact. Tucker sat in Millie's lap while Moxxie handed Russell over to her. The older boy lay out his arms as his mother did, feeling the softness of the blanket this new impling was swaddled in. He continued to stare at his brother emotionlessly while his parents praised him for using gentle touches and being careful. 

And then baby brother sealed the deal. Tucker watched with excitement as he saw a small smile spread across the infant's face, paired with a soft cooing sound, making his older brother giggle and his tail wag again. 

"He's smilin’ at me!"

"I think he likes you holding him, Tuck. This might have to be a routine until he gets a bit bigger." Millie encouraged. Realistically, Moxxie and Millie both knew the "smile" was just a muscle reflex, but it was still sweet to watch their boys already getting along and seeing Tucker excited about the new baby. 

“Hi, little Tucker!” the child cooed, using the infamous nickname he'd given to the baby long ago while Millie was still pregnant, before he was dubbed with a real name. A true name. 

“His name's Russell,” Millie replied, stroking her eldest boy's hair.

“Awwww,” Tucker remarked, continuing to stare at his new baby brother before a switch flipped in him, as he started to sniffle and cry, still being gentle and holding the baby who didn’t pay any mind to his brother’s outburst. The instant panic that Millie, Moxxie, and even Sallie May all felt when his tears began to fall melted away when he stuttered out his next childlike statement.

“I love you, Russey! Yer my best friend!”

This time, it was their parents’ turn to cry, as if the two assassins hadn’t cried enough already in the past 12 hours. At least they were happy tears. Moxxie scooted to the other side of the bed, now able to wrap his arm around his wife’s shoulders while they each carried on, enjoying the first day of being a family of four with their two precious little cubs, both grateful for the life they’d built together since meeting 13 years ago. And Moxxie felt grateful that he’d built an even bigger nest than his last at home, because he had a feeling that they would need room in their bed to accommodate Tucker as well once they returned to Pride.

Millie felt grateful for her wonderful family and everyone who supported her, even long before the birth. For her friends who supported her when she shared that she and Moxxie were trying for another baby, to those that cried and celebrated with her when she found out she was expecting again, her friends and colleagues at I.M.P., her wonderful husband who was there for her every single day and doctor’s appointment, her medical care team who was always making sure she and her little one were safe, her family who celebrated her and her growing family, and her other little baby who made her a mommy three years prior. They had so much to be thankful for, and neither would take it for granted. 

Sallie dropped a few tears herself, witnessing her sister and her own family. The family she always wanted to have with someone special since they were young girls. The older sister stayed silent, watching on from the doorframe, smiling on at the scene. 

---

That night, finally, when all the excitement of the new baby had died down a tad and everyone was tired and becoming settled, Moxxie tucked their now eldest boy in on the spare sofa bed they had installed in the cabin for when they took family vacations to Wrath.

He could have gone back to his grandparents’ home that night, but there was no talking him out of leaving the new baby. Most of their afternoon was spent trying to convince Tucker to take his nap, and let Millie have the baby back to either feed or change him. He relented each time with a bit of persuasion, but the other 90% of the time, when Russell wasn’t eating or dirty, they’d let him have him. After all, Millie was exhausted as was Moxxie, and they thought the instant fascination their oldest had with his little brother was the most adorable sight. 

The parental guilt of having another child may subside over time, but seeing their boys together put their previous worries at ease. They were really happy they tried for that second baby…

“Is he all done?” 

“Yeah…Right back ta sleep,” Millie whispered in response, cradling Russ in her arms as he melted back into a deep slumber after another feeding and burp. “He falls asleep right after he eats. He gets all fussy when I burp him ‘cause he immediately wants some shut eye…Maybe that’s a sign he’ll be a good sleeper.”

“Well, Tucker was a good sleeper if you recall. We can only hope the same for him,” Moxxie yawned, rubbing his darkened eyes, gently brushing a finger over one of Russell’s freckled cheeks, a trait shared between father and both sons, one that Moxxie proudly passed on to his children from his mother. 

Satan, how he wished she were there…She would have loved his wife and boys so much. She would have been a wonderful grandmother. He was just happy that he and Millie could honor her in some way or fashion, but it was still a raw wound knowing they’d never know her and vice versa…

“Moxxie?” 

“What is it, ma chérie?” 

“Do you think his birth counts?...Did I actually give birth ta him since, ya know…he was technically pulled outta me? I know that might sound silly, but be honest, will ya?” 

“...Yes. Yes, you did,” Moxxie confidently spoke, not a hint of hesitance to be detected in his voice. “It wouldn’t have mattered if you pushed him out, if he was pulled out, or if he had been born by cesarean. You’re his mother, you grew him, carried him, nurtured him, and were in labor for him. You did all of that. Not me or anyone else. You.”

“Well, ya did kinda have a hand in that, babe.”

“Not as much as you did. But yes, no matter how, you gave birth, sweetie. And I am so proud of you for it. I just…I’m sorry this time around was more complicated. I wish I could have done more.”

“It’s fine, Mox,” She rested a hand over one of his. “We’re both ok. There ain’t anythin’ you or I could have done. I’m just glad it had a happy endin’ fer us.”

“Yes, of course,” The sniper yawned again, picking up her hand to plant a kiss on it before getting up from the bed to put Russell back into the cot until he’d wake for his next feeding in a few hours.

“But I’m warnin’ you, mister,” Millie flipped, her voice deepening and her demeanor shifting on a dime. “After that birth, you get me pregnant again, ‘n I’m cuttin’ your balls off.”

“Oh, no. No need to worry, honey. I think we’re both on the same page.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah…I mean, we’re in our late thirties already…I don’t think there’s any more time for us to baby make anyway.”

“So, that’s it then?...No more babies?”

“No more babies. As much as I love them and you, I think our family is complete.”

The now tired parents of two lay down under the blankets, with Moxxie helping his wife to get comfortable before he tended to himself, cuddling up close next to her. Even in the complete darkness of the cabin, they could still clearly see each other’s faces with their natural illuminating imp eyes, admiring one another, snuggled up close to one another. How hard was it to believe that only three, going on four years ago, they were under the impression that parenthood was a goal they could never reach? Now, they had their two precious little demons to spoil and love forever and ever until their last breaths. 

“You have given me everything,” Moxxie started again. “You will be worshipped every day for the rest of your life.”

“You’ve been doin’ that fer thirteen years now.”

“Well, you’ll be worshipped extra hard then.” 

“And you, it is you who has given me everythin’,” Millie cupped his scarred cheek, taking in all the mods that her sweet husband had taken over their dangerous years of assassin work. A missing horn, several brutal scars and marks joining his freckles on his face, others hidden by the blankets and cheeks of their bed. Yet, with all such changes, he was still her Moxxie, who she loved so much, so fucking much! “You’ve treated me so well, so stinkin’ well. You ‘n them are my everythin’. Deny it all ya want, honey pie, but you are my light. You are my king.”

“But I’m not a king.”

“If I have to be the queen, then you have to be the king. No butsies…And those two are the little princes. So you are the king. My king.” 

Moxxie playfully rolled his eyes, nuzzling her own scarred face with his, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead as he noticed her dozing off to the first night’s sleep as an official mommy of two. And she couldn’t have been happier with that.

“Fine…I’ll be the king…” 

And Moxxie couldn’t have been happier either…

Notes:

Finally! All the stories about the M&M mini's births are published!

I've had Russell's sitting in my "Completed" folder for so long, and it feels great to finally share it with y'all!

Oh, Moxxie and Millie...No more babies, huh?😏

Lol, well, that's day 1! I'm so excited for y'all to see what else I have waiting for this week!

Also, happy Mission Zero week! I am so fucking excited for this new episode, y'all have no idea!

Oh, and...the new short from yesterday😳 My oh my! I have so many new ideas forming from that, and the little credits with M&M🥴

But anyways, tomorrow we'll have a little story about sibling rivalry...👀 Have a great Sunday, and see y'all tomorrow!

Chapter 71: Kindergarten Terror

Summary:

Day 2 of M&M Fankids Week!

Prompt: Kindergarten/Toddler

Friday Afternoon

“So…As you can see, you understand where my concern is stemming from, correct?” 

Well, indeed they did…

Moxxie and Millie sat in horror and silence as they went through the several different papers presented to them by their daughter’s equally shocked teacher. With all the different aspects of parenthood they’d been warned about by family and friends who had started families before them, this was not on that list of “just wait untils” that they always rolled their eyes at…

“W-we certainly do,” Moxxie replied. “Thank you for drawing this to our attention. We will both have a word with her tonight at home.”

“A-and this is very unusual behavior for her,” Millie jumped in. “Our children all get along great at home.”

“With all due respect, Mrs. Knolastname, I believe that can be true, but with Calliope’s…other tendencies to uhm…” the young teacher paused, and both parents cringed knowing that she was trying her best to pick words that wouldn’t offend them. “...Claim dominance, I just think this is slightly concerning, especially considering it seems to be targeted towards only one of your other children. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had all three of your kids. They’re wonderful and very bright, but I wouldn’t want Callie to continue on into school still having these types of urges.”

“We understand,” Moxxie grabbed his wife’s hand under the desk when he sensed her wanting to object to what the teacher was saying. “Thank you again. Please let us know if she does anything else similar to this.” 

“Will do. You all have a great weekend.”

It was a silent car ride home from the school to their home that night for Millie and Moxxie, as neither wanted to or had much of anything else to say...

---

“Who drew this, Callie?” Moxxie held up one of the drawings that Calliope’s kindergarten teacher had sent home with him and his wife that afternoon. The little imp girl only stared at it, shrugging her shoulders, not saying a word throughout her father’s interrogation. “You don’t know who drew this?” 

“......No!” Callie protested, lying through her teeth, considering the evil smirk she allowed to spread across her lips. 

“So you didn’t draw this picture of our family? And you didn’t sign your name at the bottom here? This looks an awful lot like your handwriting.”

“No!”

“Yer not in trouble, honey,” Millie interrupted, attempting to help her husband coax out the truth from their young daughter. “We just wanna know why yer drawin’ things like this. It ain’t nice.”

“I didn’t drew it, Mommy! Russell drewed it!” 

“Really?” Moxxie questioned, clearly not buying it. “Russell drew over fifteen drawings of himself being killed and attacked by you, signed your name at the bottom, and then gave them all to Mrs. Fisher?”

“Yep!”

“Honey, I doubt it,” Moxxie pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, Callie, you can’t draw pictures like this, ok? It isn’t nice to your brother, and it isn’t appropriate to do at school.”

“I didn’t do it, Daddy! He did! Punish him!”

“We won’t punish him for something he didn’t do, Callie.”

When Millie and Moxxie received another phone call from their children’s school that afternoon from Calliope’s teacher, they already knew they were in for a real “treat” when she requested both parents join her for an after-school meeting to discuss their child’s classroom behavior. 

Both parents believed they raised their children well. So far in their academic careers, all of their teachers had nothing but good things to say, complimenting how polite, well-behaved, and smart their kids were, maybe they’d get a minor incident here and there with their middle child, Russell, but never anything major that they believed they needed to be worried about…Until their youngest started Kindergarten earlier that year…

Mrs. Fisher was the kindergarten teacher for all three of their children, a wonderful young instructor who they felt confident prepared Tucker and Russell for the next grade level. However, they’d been contacted by the school more times about Calliope’s behavior than they’d like to admit…

“She isn’t a bad child. She isn’t rude or mean to her peers. She isn’t a bully…But she does have a habit of becoming slightly too rowdy and moody if someone does something she doesn’t like,” was the first report they had gotten within the first week of her starting school. They weren’t blind to it either. Russell was a wild kid, but the parents were able to tame him a bit better before it was his time to attend school. Calliope, on the other hand…

She gave no fucks, to put it bluntly. 

The moment she emerged from the womb, if she had a crazy plan in her mind, there was no stopping her from putting it into action. If she wanted to do it, she was going to despite the consequences. They were unsuccessful in finding a punishment that worked on her. 

Time out? She’d just wait until the timer was up and go back to doing whatever got her there in the first place. 

Praising the good behavior they want to see? Didn’t matter. She’d go right back to doing the wrong thing a day later. 

Natural consequences? Pfft! She didn’t care about those either. 

Needless to say, they were running out of ideas. And every parenting podcast, book, vlog, VoxTube video they watched already suggested solutions that previously didn’t work. Unless they included physical discipline. Moxxie and Millie made a mutual decision long ago, before they even started trying to have children, they they would never physically put their hands on their kids. No yelling, screaming, spanking, pinching, none of it…

But they were quickly reaching the end of their rope for what to do, especially after this little sibling rivalry between Calliope and Russ had sparked months ago. 

Millie was telling the truth earlier at the school when she said that their implings got along well at home, but what she didn’t reveal was that Russell and Calliope had a habit of getting at each other’s throats often. It wasn’t all that unusual, especially since she grew up with siblings and they’d argue from time to time, but with the two-year age difference between Russ and Callie, there were some sibling disagreements to be expected. It was only recently that they’d really gotten each other’s nerves, though. Perhaps it was because Callie was finally reaching an age where she could be more present in play, in the sense that she wasn’t a little baby or toddler anymore. Or maybe Russell felt that the relationship between he and Tucker was being threatened with this new presence that also wanted to be involved. 

Whatever it was, the two assassins were having none of it. They tried their best to encourage the two to get along, but their efforts had been hit or miss thus far…

“Now, apologize to your brother,” Millie instructed Calliope as she and Russell stood in front of each other following she, Moxxie, and Callie’s little chat about her unacceptable behavior. 

Both children just stood facing each other before Callie took three steps forward, holding out one of her little hands that she’d been holding behind her back. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, putting her head down in defeat, while Russell hesitantly took her hand to shake, 'accepting' her apology since their parents were present. 

“It’s ok,” he said back, before feeling his sister’s grip on his hand tighten, …really tighten, almost painfully so, before feeling something crinkly being slipped into his palm. 

“Ok, sweetie, I think that’s a firm enough handshake,” Moxxie ended the confrontation, getting Callie to let go when he noticed that she was applying more force than she needed to. “Let’s start getting ready for bed, ok?” 

Each parent took a child to their own rooms to grab a pair of pajamas while they waited for Tucker to finish his shower in the hallway bathroom. While Moxxie looked through the clothes in Russell’s pajama drawer, the middle impling gave into his curiosity to look at what Callie had maliciously slipped into his hand, and to his terror, he unfolded a sticky note with a small drawing picturing he and Callie, but not a sweet little sibling sketch of the two happily together like you’d think…

It was Callie, happy on a sunny day, dancing over what seemed to be a tombstone…With Russell buried underground, having X’s for eyes, clearly portrayed to be deceased. It was then that he looked to his left, seeing his little sister sitting on her bed in the room across from his, smirking at him with the biggest shit eating grin he ever did see with the most devious look in her eyes, wagging her small tail in delight. 

He knew her well enough to know that he should have recognized it was a trap. Her little ‘apologies’ were always a show for their parents, but to be fair, so were his. 

Oh, but tomorrow, it would be his turn to seek revenge. He furrowed his brows at his sister, still eying her across the way, visibly throwing her little present into the trash bin in his room…

Tomorrow, he’d get sweet, sweet revenge…

---

Saturday Morning

The next morning, Calliope sat on the floor of her bedroom, kicking her feet and swaying her tail as she lay on her stomach, coloring and drawing, humming to herself when Russell decided to observe if now was the best time to attack. On the other hand, he woke up that morning wondering if he could maybe make peace with his little sister, that is, only if she was willing to cooperate. If not, then he’d carry out his plans to get back at her from yesterday. The older brother carefully stepped inside his sister's pink-filled bedroom, knocking on the door to grab her attention. 

“H-hey, Cal…What are ya doin’? Ya drawin’?”

Calliope only looked at him for a split second before turning back to her project, picking up a red and black crayon, putting it to the white sheet of paper. 

“Look, I know that we haven’t really been gettin’ along lately, but yer mah sister and I think that Mom ‘n Dad would like it if we could start bein’ friendly…so-” he shushed when Callie sat up, handing him the drawing that she finished seconds ago, not putting her arm down until he accepted it in his hands. 

A drawing of Moxxie, Millie, Calliope, and Tucker all smiling and holding hands, like any typical child’s artwork of their family, except, there was one missing member of the family…

“O-oh…Is this what ya drew of our family?...W-where am I?” he asked, feeling a shiver going down his spine when Calliope pointed to a figure in the background to the right, dead and tied to a noose hanging from a tree. There was no denying it either, folks, as she even drew an arrow with the nickname “Russ” right above it…

“Oh-oh yeah! Really?! Real fuckin’ classy, Cal!” Russell let the word slip out of frustration.

“You should lower yer voice!” Callie teased. “Mommy ‘n Daddy might hear you sayin’ a no no word!...No, actually, how about you say it louder so they can hear it!”

“Ya know what? I came in here ta apologize and make things right with ya, but now I ain’t goin’ to since yer so insistent on-”

“You would like that, wouldn’t ya, Russ?” Callie interrupted her brother, circling him like a predator to its prey, keeping her hands hidden behind her back. “You would like it if I just quit doin’ things that got ya in trouble, wouldn’t ya?”

“Uhm…Well, yeah, ‘cause I’m the one gettin’ in trouble fer it.”

“Precisely! You would only benefit if I stopped. There ain't nothin' in it fer me if I quit harrassin' you."

"...That don't make any sense. Wouldn't we both benefit if we stopped goin' after each other since we both get in trouble most of the time fer it?"

“Fair enough. But maybe I just don’t like you,” Callie responded calmly, swiftly kicking her brother in the crotch, sending him to the floor on her fluffy pink rug, yelping in pain before she got on his back, pinning him to the ground, pulling out the little ‘surprise’ he was hiding in his back pocket. 

“You thought you were gonna come in here ‘n sprinkle cat litter all over MY stuff?! How stupid of you to think I wouldn’t know that you’d come looking to get back at me!”

“It was gonna be harmless! I wasn’t gonna if you would’ve agreed to a truce!”

“There will never be peace between us! You hear me!”

Callie was readying to open the bag of –Thank Satan – clean cat litter that Russell tucked away in a little plastic baggy before Moxxie came in after hearing the commotion, pulling his daughter off of his youngest son, telling them to break it up. It wasn’t long before Millie came in, equally confused and shocked at her children’s physical altercation, as both parents kept each impling away from each other. 

“What is going on in here?!”

“Russ was comin’ ta put cat litter on mah stuff!”

“Callie drew more pictures of me dying!”

“Ok, enough! Both of you!” Millie demanded, carrying Russ while Moxxie carried Callie, each out of the bedroom. “Yer both goin’ in time out fer this one.”

"Mama! No fair! He started it!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yuh-huh!"

And over and over again until they reached their respective time-out spots...

---

Sinday Afternoon

The following day, Russell sat on the couch, going through his chore for the day: folding the laundry. It was a quiet day, a peaceful Sinday before the beginning of the week…And then Calliope poked her devious little head into the living room to see if her target was there. 

“Hellloooo, brother! What are you doin’?~”

“Foldin’ clothes…Why? What are ya goin’ try ta do?” Russell backed up, getting a hunch that this wasn’t just an innocent sibling interaction.

“Oh, nothin!” Callie grinned before using her tail to knock over the basket of neatly folded laundry that was almost complete, running away giggling like a mad woman as Russell stared down at the clothes scattered everywhere. He was about to go stomping down the hall after her when he felt a hand on his shoulder, halting him from another bad choice. 

“Don’t do it, Russ. I’ll clean it up,” Tucker said to his younger brother, picking up the basket before gathering the clothes on the living room rug as he began to fold them once again. “If ya go and retaliate back, it’s just gonna get y’all in trouble again.”

“Oh, I’m gonna get her back, alright! I’ll get her back real good!”

“...Ya know y’all are fightin’ against y’allselves right?”

“What do ya mean?” Russell looked to the oldest of the three of them. 

“Well, y’all keep goin’ at each other’s throats ‘cause y’all fight each other ‘n then y’all end up both gettin’ in trouble right? But if y’all didn’t fight, then y’all wouldn't be gettin’ punished. So, y’all are playin’ y’allselves ‘cause y’all keep fighting…Plus, she’s five. It’s her sick way of tryin’ ta rope you in to playin’ with her.”

“It’s easy fer ya to say! She don’t do this kinda stuff to you!”

“‘Cause I don’t give her a reaction,” Tucker replied. “She’s targetin’ you ‘cause yer closer in age ‘n she knows yer gonna feed into it.”

“...Hmmm…Tuck, you might have just solved all my problems!”

---

Monday Afternoon

Russell sat at the family’s kitchen table after school, finishing math homework before his parents would get home, as he usually did. Tucker was in his room doing Satan knows what, leaving the two youngest children alone in the kitchen when Calliope came strolling in, grinning with both hands behind her back. 

“Hello, Russ!” 

“Give me a sec, Cal. I’m just finishing this up.” A cool burst of something wet hit the side of his face and arm, stunning him out of his task for a moment, turning to the side to see Calliope spritzing him with the spray bottle Moxxie and Millie used for their cat. 

“Wh-what the hell? Stop that! Yer gonna get my homework wet!” He fussed, snatching the bottle out of her hand, only to his surprise, she didn’t seem to care. She tucked her hand behind her back again, still smiling like an innocent saint staring at her brother with her large, doe eyes, making Russell suspicious. 

“...What are ya doing?...Why are ya lookin’ at me like that?”

She ignored him, walking away out of the kitchen, leaving her older brother bewildered, but knowing Callie, she was just being her odd little self, trying to provoke a response out of him. Exactly like Tucker said she would. Good thing he barely gave in to this weird interruption. 

Just then, Moxxie and Millie walked through the door, greeting their children with smiles and questions about the school day, unintentionally making Russell lose his train of thought...

---

“Alright, Russey, goodnight, baby.”

“Night, Mom,” Russell responded to Millie, who closed the bedroom door as he slid into bed, turning out the bedside lamp in his room, ready to go to sleep. 

Only, right before he could lay his head down on his pillow, Russ caught a whiff of what smelled like….Definitely not what a pillowcase should smell like. He didn’t know what it was, but it was wretched. He sat up in bed, smelling at his pajamas and his own arms, wondering if he was just imagining things or if he hadn’t showered well enough. With the way he threw all his laundry all over the place, there was no guarantee that these pajamas were fresh. Now he knew why Moxxie was annoyed when he wouldn’t pick up his clean clothes. 

But no. It wasn’t that. This smell was strong and too pungent for it to be him, and it would be very unusual for his siblings not to say anything if he did smell. The small imp boy got closer to his pillow, taking a strong sniff again and gagging at the stench radiating from the fabric. What the fuck was going on?!

He picked up the cushion, turning on his lamp again to examine and look inside the fabric.

And his eyes couldn’t have widened anymore than when he saw what was waiting for him inside…

---

“So I talked with Kazi today,” Millie said as Moxxie removed his prosthetic, sliding into bed next to his wife. “She said that the art therapy really helped to mellow out Milo when he was having similar urges to Cal.”

“Well, studies have shown that giving them something to do with their hands can reduce the urge to scratch and bite. I’m on board. I mean, as much as I love her, she can’t go her entire life acting…out?”

“I understand. I mean, I was a little devil, too, and I remember the farm work being good fer me. Gave me somethin’ else ta focus on aside from just giving in-”

Both parents ended their conversation when their door was opened by their middle child, looking annoyed and upset, standing in their doorway holding his pillow by the hem as evidence. 

“...Russ?” Moxxie questioned, concerned. 

“Callie put cat poop in my pillow case…”

---

Tuesday Morning

“Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Moxxie asked Callie, sitting at the table across from Russell, both parents looking disappointed at her, with their arms crossed. 

She only looked at her brother, who was still mad and annoyed, with an emotionless expression until her face grew into her devious little smile that she always made when she did something she knew was wrong. 

“Oh no! What a shame, Russ! Poor Christy had an accident!”

“You put it in my pillowcase and you know it!” he pointed a finger at her as she continued to act nonchalant about the situation.

“I don’t know what yer talking about! I never went in yer room!” she started swinging her hooves under the table.

“We also found some in his backpack, Callie. Last time I checked, Christy wasn’t that well potty-trained,” Millie said back. 

“I didn’t do it, Mama! I would never!”

“Sure ya didn’t,” the mother responded sarcastically. “We’ll talk about yer punishment after school.”

“I don’t need a punishment, Ma! Russell put it in there ta frame me!”

“No! I didn’t! You put it in there on purpose! You sprayed me with the water bottle yesterday ta mess with me!”

“Hey, hey, cool down,” Moxxie patted Russ on the shoulder as his youngest son began to grow more heated at the situation. “We’re going to buy you a new backpack. You’re gonna use Tucker’s old one for today. Mom wiped down all your folders and supplies. None of them smell like cat poop.”

“But Dad! She keeps doing these things on purpose ta get me in trouble!”

“Russ, sweetie. Mom and I are going to handle it, ok? It’s going to be ok. Don’t worry about it,” Moxxie tried his best to assure Russell, but the younger boy felt like it was no use. No matter how many times Callie got punished for something she’d do, no matter what Moxxie and Millie did, she’d just keep on doing it over and over again. Both older imps knew they had to do something about their youngest’s behavior, and they were researching and working on the best course of action, but that was not on Russ’s timeline. 

He knew that after school or sometime soon, his little sister would go back to harassing him again. And fuck Tucker’s advice! 

Now, it was eat or be eaten….Let the true games begin…

---

Wednesday Afternoon

Calliope skipped over to the kitchen cabinet, where she climbed her way up onto the granite surface to reach the snack basket that Moxxie kept from them on top of the fridge. Mainly to keep it away from Calliope, as it was the sweets snack basket. If she got her claws on it, they knew that she’d eat them all. The little bugger had a massive sweet tooth, and while their daughter was always welcome to eat sugary snacks, they’d prefer if she didn’t eat them all in one sitting. 

However, what Millie and Moxxie weren’t aware of was that Calliope had learned long ago how to get up there to reach the basket and would sneak up there in secret when the parents were out of the home. Success was in the palms of her hands when she wrapped her fingers around the fabric handles, only to drop her shoulders in confusion and disappointment when she looked to see that her favorite chocolate snack cakes were missing. She knew for sure that Moxxie had bought a fresh box only days ago…

“Looking for something?” she heard to her right, looking to see Russell smirking at her from the kitchen doorframe, holding an opened box of the chocolate snack cakes. The little devil…

What did he have to be smirking for? 

Callie clocked his expression straight away, hopping down from the countertop to take the box from Russell’s hands, only to find it completely empty. 

“I took them to school! I hope you don’t mind!” he boasted, not for long though, as Callie tackled him to the ground, choking him out like a madwoman until Tucker noticed the ruckus and stepped in, pulling the pair apart. 

Unfortunately for Calliope, that afternoon, Russell won the sibling wars. But she wasn't done with him yet…

---

Wednesday Night

Russell felt like he was going insane. 

Out of all the laundry he had strewn about on his floor, in his closet, and in all of his dresser drawers, he could not find a single underwear or a piece of clean pajamas. 

Matter of fact, there were lots of clean clothes that he knew for a fact Moxxie had washed just two days ago that were missing. Two of his drawers were nearly empty, and two stacks of clean laundry were nowhere to be found. 

So, begrudgingly, he called for one of his parents, as he was wrapped in a towel after getting out of the shower and was starting to get cold and rather confused at the lack of clothes in his room. 

“Dad, a lot of my clothes are missing…Most of my clothes, actually. I ain’t even got underwear.”

“How can that be? I remember washing several pairs of underwear that belonged to you two days ago. You folded the laundry, right?” 

And so sparked the great adventure for Russell’s clothes. Moxxie and Millie searched that house high and low through the laundry, Tucker’s clothes, Calliope’s clothes, and their own clothes, only to come up with nothing…

The hell? Did they have a mysterious sixth person living in their home, stealing their child’s clothes? ONLY their middle child’s clothes? 

“Where the fuck could they have gone? It ain’t like they all grew legs and left.” 

“I don’t know. This one has me stumped…I guess he can wear some of Tucker’s old clothes tomorrow, but still, we have to figure out what the hell’s going o-” Moxxie opened the trash can to throw an empty soda can, stopping in his tracks, catching Millie’s attention. 

“...What?”

“...Callie Maeve!”

---

Thursday Afternoon

Welp, his clothes were stained in ketchup, and the damage Calliope had done would take Moxxie at least a few days to try his best to remove the patches of deep red, but at least all of the clothes that were pulled out of the trash can were accounted for. 

And as per usual, the little tot didn’t seem to flinch at her punishment. No television or computer time for two weeks, AND she had to write an apology letter to her brother as well as her parents. But Russell wasn’t going to let her off that easily. Oh no. 

He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he was going to get revenge. As of right now, though, he was dead set on giving the little rat of a sister he had the silent treatment. 

“Hi, Russ!” 

Well speak of the devil…

Russell didn’t even acknowledge that she was there; he continued playing on his Sin Switch, facing the small handheld screen while Calliope approached his bed, tilting her head to the side. 

“Ruuuuussssss......Are you ignorin’ me? What? I didn’t put yer clothes in the trash. It might’ve been Christy.”

As much as Calliope adored their cat, she did have an odd habit of blaming her for her own wrongdoings. She used her hands to climb on top of his bed, crawling all over and around her older brother, who twisted and turned to avoid her at all costs, not even giving her an answer or reaction when she began to poke and pull at his hair in a desperate attempt to elicit some form of response. 

“Russell~...Russey~...Rory~...Ya can’t ignore me forever~” she teased in a sing-song voice before deciding to give up with a shrug of her shoulders. “Fine! I’ll leave ya alone!” was all she said, leaving the room immediately, much to Russell’s surprise. But whatever! He focused on his game again until he decided to finish the math homework that he’d been procrastinating on for the past hour. 

Walking into the living room was like a big slap to the face, as he saw Tucker and Callie both sitting on the couch, with their little sister snuggled up close to their eldest brother, as a blanket covered both of their legs. Tucker had his nose buried in a book as always, while Calliope used a clipboard to draw another one of her crayon pictures, likely one depicting her murdering him in more vicious ways.

“Th-...The..wh-...WHAT?!”

“Somethin’ wrong, Russ?” Calliope grinned maliciously, refusing to tear her eyes away from the board. 

“Uh! Yeah! The fuck!? So you’ll be nice to and cuddle with Tucker, but yer gonna terrorize me?!”

“Tucker is nice ta me! He plays with me, ‘n draws with me, ‘n oh! He don’t try ta bully me either!”

“Hey, hey now! You started this, remember!”

“Did not!”

“Did to!”

“Did not!”

“Did to!”

“Yer a liar, liar, Satan’s fire!” she continued to mock him, still dragging a dark blue crayon across the paper. “Yer the one who started this months ago when you decided ta lock me in the bathroom all in the dark without a light! Don’t dish it if ya can’t take it!...Whatever that means. Mama says it all the time.”

“It was just a prank, Cal! It was a joke!”

“...A joke?” her little voice repeated his words, and in that moment, she finally looked up from her paper, turned her head to face him, almost shrinking her brother down from shame at being faced with the embarrassment. “A funny punchline is a joke. A phrase that causes laughter is a joke. Striking fear into a vulnerable person who you know is deathly afraid of the dark is not a joke! And it is NOT funny! But ya wanna know what is funny? Gettin’ back at you!”

“Callie, really, I feel bad about that, ok! But I promise I thought I was just playin’ a joke.” Russell explained. 

“Then say it. Say yer sorry.”

“...I’m-”

“Nuh uh,” Calliope put a hand up, interrupting him. “I’ll stop all this IF you apologize ‘n do what I say.”

“Well, what do ya want?”

“I want $100 AND I want ya to replace the box of snack cakes ya ate…I want 10 boxes!”

“I ain’t given’ ya that! That’s like mah whole allowance fer two weeks!”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to leave ya with a little stinky surprise in yer bed tonight!”

“No! Oh, fer the love of Satan, no! Fine!” Russell grumbled, retreating quickly to his room, bringing back out two $50 bills, handing both to his sister. “I’ll ask Dad ta make his famous chocolate cake. Does that compromise work fer ya?” 

“Fair enough. Now, I want ya to get on yer knees and apologize.” 

“...Really?”

“Knees!”

“Ok, ok!” Russell put his hands up in defense as Calliope stood up from the couch in front of her brother, who was now on the ground. “Calliope…I’m sorry-”

“Very sorry,” she emphasized. 

“I’m very sorry for locking you in the dark when I know that yer really scared with the lights off. And I’m sorry fer leavin’ ya in there til Mom ‘n Dad got home. And I’m sorry fer fightin’ with ya…Can you please fergive me?”

“...Are you really sorry?”

“Yes. I’m really, very, 100% sorry that I did that to you.”

“...For real?”

“Yes, for real.”

“Hmm…Well, it’s too late fer that,” Calliope answered, swiftly grabbing Russell by a fistful of his white hair, turning herself around and tooting in his face, letting go before running away in victory, giggling her little tail off. 

After the initial shock, this only enraged Russell more since he was now out of a hundred bucks, and had just gotten a big stinker in his face. He also knew that this battle was not finished yet, and he was determined now, more than ever, to finish it off. 

“I saw that comin’,” Tucker said, turning the page of his novel. 

“Satan, she fuckin’ sucks! I know I’m supposed ta love her, but damn, she makes it hard!”

“Russell, you know she’s just ragebaiting you at this point, right?” Tucker looked up from his book as his younger brother stood off the ground, still waving a hand in front of his face to diffuse the smell. 

“I don’t really care what she’s doin’ at this point! This ain’t over!...Lemme see this. The hell is this?” Russ mumbled, picking up the drawing that Calliope had been working on, expecting to see another depiction of his demise, except he found a very sweet, very innocent scene that he was not at all prepared for. Stick figures that were obviously he and Calliope, smiling and hugging on a beach. A cutesy little image that even made him feel softer in this moment of rage. This had to be the first picture she’d made in a while where she WASN’T fantasizing about killing him. 

“Aw, well…This ain’t-” Russ began to speak…and then he turned the page around…

‘Russ I hat yu yu fat uglee tord. I wish yu wuld die and eat Kristees puupee for diner every nigt wile me and Mom and Dad and Tuker all go eat chokolat cak and go two the zuu so I can lock yu in a munkey cage.’ with another sketch underneath of Calliope smiling with angry eyebrows, throwing what looked to be a bomb inside of a cage that the stick figure Russell was locked in. 

Russell clutched the paper in his hands, eye twitching and knuckles turning light pink from the strain. The younger brother ripped the paper in half, crumpling up the pieces and throwing them away before sitting cross-armed on the rug next to the sofa to cool down. 

“Think before ya do anythin’ crazy.”

“I am thinkin!”

“Why don’t ya just tell Mom ‘n Dad on her?”

“She don’t care. She’s just gonna keep doin’ it anyway. She literally got in so much trouble last night ‘n she pulls this.”

“...Ya know she doesn’t really hate you, right?”

“Tuck, yer supposed ta be the smart one of the three of us.” Russ turned to his older brother, who closed the book he’d been indulging in with a page marker. 

“She’s five, I don’t think she really hates ya…Go look at all the pictures taped to the back of her door,” he said, offering a hand to his little brother to help him get off the floor. “Talk ta Ma ‘n Nanny Sal about how they and our Uncles all used ta rough house. I guarantee ya you’ll see some parallels.”

Russell heard him…but he wasn’t listening.  

His mom, aunt, and uncles all had great relationships, but with the way his sister had been terrorizing him for months, he didn’t see that type of bond happening for them. Moxxie and Millie talked to them many times before, giving the classic “parental speeches” so to say to try and get through to their two youngest about why they should get along…

“You’re siblings. You’re each other’s family. In a long time from now, one day we won’t be here, and you three will need each other.”

Yeah, whatever that means…

He didn’t need her. And he was about 99.99% positive that she wouldn’t need him either. Honestly, he would be content with ignoring her for the rest of his life once they became adults. He nor Tucker ever asked for a sibling anyway, so what was the point in playing nice with her? 

No. Fuck her! She started all of this, but Russell was determined to finish it…

He WOULD get the last laugh…

---

Friday Night

By midnight, Russell was prepared to carry out his plans. He practically skipped out of bed; he was so ready to get the ultimate payback on his sister once and for all. For sure, she’d stop her shenanigans after this one. He’d get in a lot of trouble, no doubt, but the thought of getting this type of revenge was too sweet for him to care too much about getting grounded for however much time. 

He tip toed to the living room, carefully climbing on a chair to disable their home alarm after examining their parents turning it on and off for a few days now, then he made his way to the back door, seeing the heavy thunderstorms pouring down outside, making the butterflies in his stomach even more excited listening to the heavy thunder and lightning thrashing amongst the rain. He timed this so perfectly that it was impressive how quick he was. He was even shocked by himself. This would surely make her stop if not anything else…

You see, Callie was brave, and a daredevil, and stubborn, but there were two things that she was deathly afraid of since infancy: the dark and bad weather. So much so, being in pitch black darkness petrified her enough that she couldn’t think straight. 

The conditions for tonight were perfect: a heavy thunderstorm that had been brewing for a while, and it would rain down monsoons on the Pride Ring that night for at least a few hours, but there was no time to waste. 

He snuck into Callie’s bedroom, sitting on top of her floorbed, waiting for her to wake up as he kept booping her right on the nose, seeing her eyes open after a few attempts. “Ya wanna see somethin’ cool?” he whispered before leading her to the back door in their kitchen, with the little tot carrying her emotional support stuffie in her hands, ripped and frankensteined back together by none other than Moxxie after she’d decapitated and mutilated it several times. 

“Step out onto the lawn and just look up at the sky real quick,” he instructed her, and even though Calliope had an inkling of suspicion, she was curious enough to do what he said, obviously missing Russell's smirk when she was completely out of the house, and before she knew it, Russell slammed the door behind her, locking his tormentor outside. The adrenaline felt exhilarating to the degree that he didn’t think he’d be able to get back to sleep. 

He climbed into his bed, the blankets and mattress even felt comfier and cozier as his victory set in. He cocooned himself, his tail wagging under the sheets, bathing in the fact that he had won. His heart pounded against his chest, mostly from a cocktail of glee and anxiety. Anxiety from the fact that his parents would no doubt be angrier with him than they had ever been before, but this revenge was too sweet to care much. If anything, being grounded for several months was better than always looking over his shoulder, wondering, watching, waiting for the little rodent to strike. 

…And then there was a knock at his window, waking him from the light sleep he had managed to settle back into. 

Tap…Tap…Tap…

Over and over again, and he couldn’t just play it off as heavy drops of rain, as these sounded deliberate. He reluctantly rose to his knees, cracking open the curtains to see Calliope standing there, all wet with her disabled Baphomet stuffie in her claws, looking up at him with big eyes. She huffed several times on the glass, fogging up a big enough patch, taking a little finger to write out a message with the steam. 

'SURY'

An admission of defeat. Waving the white flag. 

For a split second, Russell felt a little bad, especially since he knew she was probably scared, but you know what? Too bad, too sad! He furrowed his brows at her when the fog dissipated on the glass before shooting her the middle finger and shutting the curtains on her.

Yet, as nice as getting back at her made him feel, something felt…off…

That nice, warm, fuzzy feeling he harbored minutes ago was slowly fading away, but why? He won the game. He got what he wanted…

But something kept telling him to go look outside that window once more, and after about five minutes of tossing and turning on it, he did, he pulled the curtains aside, expecting to see Callie there…except she wasn’t…

Instead, she was huddled near the back door, with her knees to her chest, plushie in hand, crying, silently crying, using her soaking wet onesie sleeve to wipe the tears away, though they wouldn’t be doing much with the pouring rain slamming down on her.

It was in that moment, he felt guilt. He considered for a millisecond that he’d gone too far. But once again, SHE started this! He was only getting back at her before she could get him again….

He didn’t know what possessed him, but Tucker’s words from the previous afternoon resonated with him, and the next thing he knew, he was in Callie’s empty bedroom, lightning and the small nightlight she had next to her bed illuminating the room enough for him to see. 

Drawings and coloring pages were scattered on the floor, many displaying those cruel scenes of her harming him in the most barbaric ways….Then he noticed some taped on the wall next to her bed, several showing off her, Tucker, and Russell himself, all happy and smiling, hugging, playing together. Some with her, the two of them, and their parents as well, a big happy family of five…

The back of her door…

There were countless drawings of her, Tucker, and Russell, lots of pictures of her and Russell, but not of her killing him, or even torturing him. They were hugging, holding hands, playing together…getting along…just as they used to…before Russ played that cruel prank on her…

......

...He did start it…He did…

The young boy sighed, taking one of the pictures down of the pair holding hands with flower bouquets wrapped in their tails…He remembered her drawing him that picture…

“...Oh crumbs…” he rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose before quickly fleeing to the back kitchen door once again. 

For little Calliope, it felt like hours that she’d been out there, when in reality, it had only been about 30-45 minutes…Then she heard the door lock being fiddled with, turning her puffy, teary eyes around to face the door when she heard someone open it, letting her inside...

---

“There,” Russell said, after he finished burrito-ing Calliope up in several fluffy blankets, like a little Russian nesting doll, tucking her in his bed with a set of clean, dry pajamas. 

After he let her back inside, he took her to the bathroom, dried her off, and gave her fresh PJs to dress into before wrapping her in several soft, plush sheets of fabric. The older brother climbed back onto his mattress, sliding under his own blankets again before giving the girl beside him a quick kiss on top of her forehead, along with several little headpats, turning off the tableside lamp, plunging the two into almost darkness since he’d moved the girl’s nightlight into his room for some comfort. 

It wasn't long after that until both implings were carried off to sleep. 

Moxxie and Millie panicked when they went to Calliope’s room the following morning, and she wasn’t in bed, only to sigh in relief and silently “aww” when they found their two youngest babies snuggled up together in Russ’s room. 

The thing is, this wouldn’t be the last time the two would get into stupid, petty arguments. Even when they’d enter their teens, they’d tease and mock each other in playful banter, and news flash, even as adults, they still enjoyed poking at each other on occasion. But they surely didn’t hate each other. 

Calliope never hated Russell, and vice versa. They were best friends by blood and by bond. 

No silly quarrels were strong enough to crack such a foundation…

Notes:

Guyysss, they actually become best friends as they get older🥲

I hope this one sufficed! I loved the storyline I was telling here, but I find it wasn't as "meaty" as the other things I write. This was the very last story I wrote for this week, and it was AFTER my classes started, so that might explain it. 🫠

And yes, I am hc now that "Sunday" in Hell is actually "Sinday" for demons lol

Tomorrow, we will have a Tucker and Millie focused fic!🙃