Chapter 21: Set Up Again

Trigger Warning: Brief discussion of self-harm

The entire office was covered in a white sticky paste. Globs of it stuck to the walls, Loona had left hours ago to try to get it out of her fur, and Moxxie and Millie had given up trying to keep themselves clean. Blitz was covered in it, too, but he was way too focused to care.

"Sir, do you know how much it's going to cost to get this carpet cleaned?" Moxxie asked uselessly, "All for some stupid child's art project."

"How dare you, Moxxie! This life size paper-mache stallion is going to hit the fine arts museum like a wrecking ball!" Blitz flung a glob of the paste onto the ceiling, "And if they reject it, the metaphor will become literal."

"It's pronounced papier-mâché," Moxxie corrected, "and it's a artform that is hundreds of years old, both simple enough to be used by children, and sophisticated enough to make beautiful works of art, and yet you are using it to give a your fake horse large g*nitalia."

Blitz looked Moxxie dead in the eyes while slathering more paste onto the horse's privates.

Millie cleared her throat, "Was there something you wanted to talk about Blitz? You seem a little . . ."

"Crazy." Moxxie said at the same time Millie said, "Strung out."

Blitz didn't bother to look up from his work, "The only people who are crazy here are you two for not wanting any credit for helping me with this project. Trust me, Flour Rebel is going to sell for millions!"

"Flower Rebel is going to end up in the trash." Moxxie mumbled.

"Flour is Flour, like the stuff she's made out of, not flower like petals. And you clearly are a liar if you claim to know so much about art but can't see the genius in this here statue." Blitz patted it's side, hand sticking to it.

Moxxie prickled at the insult to his taste, "You- Ugh! How did you even know I thought you meant the other flower? They're pronounced exactly the same!"

"Because you're predictable, Mox. You and your basic b*tch tastes and your basic b*tch interests." Blitz successfully removed his hand from his creation, and sneered at Moxxie.

Mox lunged at him, trying to pin him to the ground. Blitz fell, knocking a whole bucket of paste all over the floor. He grinned as he blocked Moxxie from swiping at his face. Moxxie put all his weight on one knee jabbing into Blitz's stomach. He was right about to shove him, but suddenly Moxxie was being lifted away by a powerful force from above.

"That is enough!" Millie shouted, holding Moxxie like a child might try to carry a cat or dog, squeezed around the chest with arms dangling over.

"Blitz, stop antagonizing Moxxie. And Moxxie, stop falling for it! I swear, you're cute as a button, but you don't need to take the bait!" Millie scolded.

"Fine," Moxxie did his best to cross his arms, "Can you put me down now?"

Millie gave him a light kiss on the head, and tried to set him down, only to find that there was so much paper mache paste on them both that they were stuck together.

Blitz grinned as he got to his knees, "Wow, you two really are inseparable aren't you? Moxxie, do you really have to cling to your wife like that? I mean, I knew you were-"

"BLITZ!" Millie shouted, stomping over to him, Moxxie stuck to her chest like a baby in a sling.

Blitz cowered a little as she towered over him. For a moment, he thought she was going to punch him and he braced for impact, but it never came. Instead, she grabbed his cheek to tilt his face up at her.

"When you feel pain, you need talk about it with your friends who are trying to help you. Stop purposefully causing problems! You think you're the only one who's ever been hurt?! You think the rest of us don't lie awake at night, heartbroken and scared?! Of course we do! But we find people we trust who can share in the burden! But you?!" She sighed and lowered her voice, "You think you deserve the pain, and you would rather hurt us before we can hurt you. You want to provoke us into attacking you as an excuse for self-punishment, aren't you? Well, it's not going to work, Blitz. This endless cycle of pushing people away, hating yourself for it, and shoving people away again has to end!" She was shouting again, now on the verge of tears, "But you're the only one who can stop it. None of us can do it for you. And I just-" she sniffled, tears streaming down her face, "I just can't watch you hurt yourself like this."

Blitz looked up at her in shock, they both stayed there, silently, frozen in that moment of time. He took a deep breath in, about to speak, when Moxxie's body made a squishy sound as he slid off of Millie's chest and onto the floor. They all looked at each other. Blitz couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, falling back on the floor. Millie and Moxxie looked at each other, and joined in the laughing fit. Millie placed a goopy hand on Moxxie's shoulder to steady herself.

"Hey!" Moxxie said, and smeared some paste onto her pants in revenge.

"You, wha-" Millie started, stopped when Blitz hit them both with some goop to the face.

She wiped some of it off with little success, "Oh, this is war."

— — —

All the furniture had been either toppled over, or shoved into some sort of battle formation. The three imps were slumped over on the couch cushions which were now spread across the room. The only sound was the heavy breathing and giggles, until Blitz finally spoke.

"I'm in love with Stolas."

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Moxxie laughed, "That's hilarious, sir! For a second there, I thought you said you were in love with his highness."

Blitz replied in a defeated, sing-songy tone "That's cause I did…" he began laughing, "I'm so f**ked!"

"Not necessarily!" Millie scrambled over a desk and sat cross-legged in front of him, "He might love you back! Have you asked?"

"Last time I saw him, I insulted him to his face." Blitz sat up and put his head in his hands.

"Yeah, but, have you asked him?" Millie said again.

"And then he insulted me back, and they were all . . . painfully accurate." He rubbed the bridge of his nose regretfully.

Moxxie trudged his way through the gooey floor and sat down as well, "Yes, but sir, did you ask him if he loved you, too?"

"You don't understand! I verbally assaulted him!" Blitz gestured in emphasis.

"To be fair, how is that any different from how you usually treat your friends?" Moxxie asked frankly, but when he received a death glare from both Blitz and Millie, he put his hands up in an apologetic surrender.

"You haven't answered the question Blitz." Millie asked melodically.

"No! And it wouldn't matter if I did! Because he's a prince and I'm a circus freak f**k-up!" Blitz curled up into a ball, tail wrapping around himself.

Millie went over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Oh, Blitz, you know that doesn't matter. If he loves you back, he'd probably give up his money and status to be with you. He might be missing you right now; being reminded of you everywhere he goes."

Moxxie followed suit and placed a hand on his other shoulder, "Yeah, he'd probably freeze hell over if you asked."

Blitz looked at both of them suspiciously, "Okay, that sounds oddly specific."

Millie looked away, "The point is that if you both have feelings for each other, you'll work it out! You can't give up before you even try!"

"She's right, Sir. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wondering, do you?" Moxxie added.

Blitz still looked deflated, "I don't know guys, we left things really . . . really bad. I don't know if I'd even be able to convince him to see me."

"Oh well, you're in lu-" Millie started, but was quieted with a hand over her mouth from Moxxie.

"You're in a real pickle, sir. Why don't we all go out for drinks tonight and talk about it? On us." Moxxie suggested.

Blitz's face lit up, "Oh, well I'm always down for free booze. Let's go- oooooh. . ." Blitz stood up excitedly, but accidentally lifted both Millie and Moxxie up, who were stuck with their hands on his shoulders.

Millie made frustrated sounds as she realized that Moxxie's hand was stuck over her mouth.

Blitz grinned a stupid grin, "Haha! Maybe now you guys will agree to a group shower?"

— — —

A little while later, the I.M.P. business, minus Loona, got into the company van together and started driving in the direction of their favorite bar. Normally Blitz would've fought tooth and nail for the driver's seat, but he was feeling strangely lighter having gotten all that off his chest, so he let Millie drive, and lounged alone in the back seat without a seatbelt. He hadn't been looking out the windows, until he felt a speed bump, something that was definitely not on the way to the bar. Sitting up, he saw out the window that they were driving through a neighborhood.

"Hey, where are we? I thought we were going to Busty Beanie Baby Burlesque and Bar." He said, and watched the two up front exchange a look.

"Just a little detour, B. Don't worry about it." Millie said in that sweet voice that you just knew was up to no good.

"Okay, what's going on you two? You know how much I hate being out of the loop." Blitz leaned forward to put his head between the two front seats.

"Ugh. Do we." Moxxie knew all too well.

"Okay, we may have, maybe, kinda read that little blue letter addressed to you from his majesty." Millie said like a child admitting to disobedience.

"YOU WHAT!?" Blitz shouted, then leaned back, face palming, "No wonder I couldn't find it! Stolas had been mad I didn't read it, so I went looking for it to figure out what it said. But you two took it! So where is it, ya thiefs? Huh? Where'd ya hide it?" Blitz started looking around the car.

"It's not here, it's in our apartment!" Moxxie said to get him to stop scrambling around.

"You're apartme-! We were just there getting the gunk off! Ugh! I knew it! I should've snooped through the closet instead of the nightstands." He crossed his arms pouting, then sat up again, "Wait, what does that have to do with why I'm not drunk and getting a lap dance?"

Moxxie looked at Millie, who spoke up, "Oh no, I admitted to one crime. Now it's your turn."

"But the second is so much worse! And he always goes so much easier on you!" Moxxie retorted.

"Quit your whining, Mox. Spill." Blitz said, putting his face too close to his.

"Well, we," Moxxie squeaked out a whisper, "we may have written him a response."

"The f**k did you just say?!" Blitz pulled him by the shirt towards him, "You little bottom *ss dipsh*t gutter sl*t f**king sh*t stained fragile b*tch-"

"Boys! I will turn this car around!" Millie shouted, and the two sat back, grumbling.

"So let me guess. You set me up on a date with him, and we're supposed to talk it out, and have a hunky sorry story book happy ending, while I don't know what the f**k his letter said, or what my response was?" Blitz more stated than asked.

"It was a letter talking about how much he missed you!" Moxxie said, "He said he told you that he loved you, but based on what you've said, I'm guessing you either didn't hear, or didn't acknowledge it."

". . . Bullsh*t! What'd he really say?" Blitz said, incredulous.

"Hang on-!" Millie let go of the steering wheel and began rifling through the van's glove box.

Moxxie quickly leaned over and grabbed the steering wheel, "Honey! Why! Why can't you just tell me you need me to steer?"

Millie popped back up with a mischievous grin, "I do it for the thrill. A few seconds where our very lives are in danger." Then to Blitz with a big smile, "Here you go, Boss! I'm glad I remembered to bring it with us."

Blitz was handed a blue envelope with his name in big swirly letters on the front. It was definitely the same letter he had left in that drawer and forgotten about.

"And I'll text you a picture of the letter Moxxie wrote in your stead. All you have to do is show up and be honest about your feelin's! . . . Which is asking a lot, but you've finally told us how you really feel. I think you're ready to face him, head on!" Millie held a fist in the air.

"Please don't make it sound like a physical altercation is about to occur." Moxxie sighed.

The two continued talking, but Blitz was deaf to the world as he read the letter over and over again in disbelief.

"when you left after I told you that I love you." Blitz mumbled aloud, "That night, when we ended our arrangement, and I ran did he . . .?"

He put the shock to the side for a moment to get back to the main issue, "Hang on, this specifically says that he's moving on. And this was like a month or two ago! Maybe he's already met someone else! The news said he was on dating apps! We don't know if-"

"Exactly!" Moxxie read his mind, "We don't know. And you never will," Millie joined in and they spoke as one, "unless you ask!"

Blitz watched them high-five, annoyed, "Oh, that's real sweet isn't it? You two must be so proud of yourselves. And just when I opened up to you. I played right into your hands!"

Millie smiled, "You say that like it's a bad thing!"

"It is a bad thing! You two went behind my back!" Blitz whined.

Moxxie turned to look him in the eye, "You can kill us all you want when you get back. But for now, get out of this d*mn car and go f**king talk to your prince." he swore at him which was a relatively rare thing for Mox.

Blitz opened the van door, " . . . Fine but I'm holding you to thaaaaaaa-" he fell onto the asphalt as the van sped off without him.

Author's Note:

Vik here to say hi. Thank you so much to everyone who shared this story last week! Typically, when I post a new chapter on here, I get about 5-10 new kudos that week. This week we got 22! So thank you all so much. And it's not quite Christmas yet so if you haven't shared this story with someone yet, please do! Or try bookmarking or subscribing, or something. I don't know, just click some buttons. That's my Christmas wish.

Don't forget, there will be a winter holiday special on December 21st, and it won't be in this story, so you won't be notified for it or anything. Just go to my profile page and see my other stories.

This chapter is a little longer so hopefully that makes up a little bit for the short one last week. Actually, the reason it turned out so long was because the whole papier-mâché fight and heart to heart with Blitz and the gang was totally improvised and not at all what I had planned for this chapter. I didn't know if I should keep it in or not, but my dear editor and number one supporter both loved it and wondered how I came up with the idea.

I originally was just going to have Moxxie and Millie shove him on the date, and then have a second scene where Stolas confronts Stella about something. But I was struggling to figure out how Moxxie and Millie would get Blitz on the date, and I remembered that the last time we saw Blitz he was heartbroken after a fight with Stolas. So he would have to be doing something over the top ridiculous and/or self destructive. I had been thinking about papier mache for a craft I've been thinking about making because no, I cannot just have one hobby at a time like a normal person. So, with it in my head, I ended up sticking it (lol pun intended) in here, and then it just turned emotional when I wasn't looking. And with a bit of polishing, I kept it in.

I'm sure you all are looking forward to the next chapter, and I'm not going to give anything away but oh boy, the emotions . . . Anyway, Thanks for reading! Same time next week?

— — —

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