The I.M.P gang were ready to leave the Goetia mansion and set off back to work, as Moxxie and Millie walked down the steps back to the van with their arms linked together.
Moxxie then gave his wife a 'ladies first' gesture as he opened the door and held her hand into the van.
"Well, I guess this is... stay safe, you two." said Blitzø.
"We'll be ready, Blitzø." replied Stolas, putting on in a rather seductive tone. "So don't you worry those pointy little horns about it."
"Here we go again." Via grumbled to herself with a chuckle or two.
"Ya sure you'll adjust good here again?" asked Loona, ruffling her beanie.
"Positively, Loona. I'll cut him some slack this time." the owlet then looked at the little human boy. "And thank 'you' Balin Johnson, the kindest sweetest human I've ever met, for making this princess' day."
Balin just blushed as the 17-year-old owl demon booped his nose and slowly gave him soft head rubs, before he seized the opportunity to hug her again. Over the next 10 seconds, Stolas continued to be touched by seeing his daughter affectionately sway him back and forth in her embrace.
Soon, the prince wrapped his arms around the two, picking them up off the ground and squeezing them tightly.
"Dammit, dad." grumbled Via plainly this time.
"My apologies owlet. I just... take it you two got along just fine?" he asked putting them down.
"Yeah, we did. He's actually one of a kind, for a human." Via then showed a small smile in response.
"Indeed." smiled Stolas as he wiped his tears and crouched down to speak with him. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Balin Johnson. I hope you like it here so far."
"Yes I do, Mr. Stolas. Hell looks amazing." Balin bowed to him. "And I have Loona to thank for saving and bringing me here."
Loona then looked to the kid and flushed twirling her tail fur. "I mean, it was nothing. You were all alone, so who better to help?"
Normally she wasn't used to compliments, as the only ones she'd get were ones for her body and how great she was just after a night in the same bed.
"I hope to see you again sometime soon." smiled Via, grabbing a card out of her beanie. "In fact, if you ever need a babysitter, give me a heads-up."
"Are you sure, Via?" Stolas asked in surprise. "You want to be his sitter?"
"Well, I have learnt from the best over the years." replied his daughter, who handed the card to Loona and exchanged its phone numbers with each other.
Soon, the entire gang were in the van as the engines revved and Stolas and Octavia waved goodbye.
"Godspeed, little ones!" called Stolas.
"Bye-bye, Balin!" called Via.
As Balin waved goodbye to them too, the van took off from the mansion.
Before long, the boy snuggled up to Loona's backside as Millie sat next to the two giving him kisses on his cheeks. Loona, being on her phone the entire ride, couldn't help but think in her head that this was very wholesome.
THAT NIGHT...
Balin was now sitting on the balcony of Loona's apartment, overlooking the dark crimson sky of Hell.
There may not have been a lot of stars when it was night-time here, but he was able to see the lights of Imp City shining bright, just as the ones in his world.
It reminded him so much of the vacation he took with his family to the Gold Coast not too long ago. A city much bigger than this one.
The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, envisioning himself back on that hotel balcony where all the colourful lights shone in the black night sky. Cars were driving by, music was playing; soft jazz or hard rock, people were socialising, and he could smell the delicious food and the swimming pool a few feet below.
After 20 seconds, the boy opened his eyes back to the similarly beautiful, but sometimes funky, sight of Hell. He could hear some of the deranged locals walking along the streets as they fought and even had sex out in the open, but thank goodness he didn't actually see any of that going on.
Meanwhile, Loona was back inside washing their dishes from dinner and glancing back and forth to see if the kid was a-okay.
She never knew this feeling before, having lived a chunk of her life in tragedy, but every time she looked at him, it made her so glad to see him relaxed and happy.
With the dishes all done, Loona took off her smock and decided to bring him back inside. So she walked out to the balcony and began sniffing.
"Hmm... where's Balin?" she wondered out loud, playfully sniffing the air. "I wonder, I wonder where he's hiding."
"Loona? I'm right here." Balin waved his hands trying to get her attention.
"Hang on. My ears are picking up something." she spoke again, looking to the chair Balin was sitting in. "Right here? I can smell him, but he's not there. Did he turn invisible on me?"
Loona then began walking around the deckchair in a circle on all fours pretending to sniff out the boy, as he giggled.
"Or maybe... he's here! In my arms!" she then scooped him up out of the chair and spun him around.
"WHEE!" the little boy laughed out loud.
Loona chuckled as she finished spinning. "C'mon kiddo, time to come inside." she carried him back into the apartment.
Balin then sat down on the couch while Loona took off one of his shoes.
"Okay, ya ready to see if your ankle's healing up a little?"
The child gave her a nod, and with a gentle and quick touch like with a band-aid, the hellhound pulled off the cast to see his ankle's swelling was starting to disappear.
"Why not walk around a bit, see if you can walk properly now?" she suggested.
So Balin did just that, walking around the room in circles like a dog pathetically chasing its tail. His foot may've strained the first few steps, but he soon got the hang of it again.
"Yep. I'm all better." he said cheerfully.
"Told you I'd take care of you, starting with this bad boy." chuckled Loona before she sighed in guilt again. "Sorry for being the cause of that."
"It's okay, Loona." smiled the boy sympathetically. "I'm the one who risked it anyway."
"No kidding. Jumping off a staircase to get away?" she showed a smirk. "Where did you ever learn to pull off something that dangerous?"
"I've been taking swimming lessons since I was two." he replied. "Mainly on Tuesdays."
"Swimming? How high were the high dives?" she asked in surprise.
"Just as high as the waterfall back at Mr. Stolas' castle."
Loona then ruffled the little boy's hair with a mighty impression. "Wow. You're one cool kid. Respect, coming from someone your age."
"Aw, shucks." flustered Balin modestly. "It's kind of nice to not feel like a problem for a little while."
Loona then lowered her ears a little hearing that. "Why's that?"
"Because it's like you said. This is Hell, and I'm a human." he explained. "As I've learnt back home, when someone sees you alone, they take advantage of you. So what if this place is no different?"
Showing her sympathetic look next, Loona gently put her paw on his chest while her claws were put away. "I know. But, home is where the heart is."
"Like... here with you?"
She then gave Balin a gentle nod.
"But hey, never believe you're a problem. Here or anywhere." she continued speaking. "If you were ever a problem here, I would've killed you. And if I wanted to kill you..."
"...You would've killed me, back at the school?" Balin interrupted her.
Loona then gave Balin some soft shoulder-pats like he was a pet. "Good boy."
"In that case..." the kid then stood up straight on the couch and saluted like a soldier. "I promise to you, Loona the hellhound, as a good little boy, that if I ever misbehave very badly in this apartment, I shall grant you permission to eat me up for dinner! Meat, bones, and all!"
Watching at this cute moment, Loona laughed and held up a US-flag blanket behind him the entire time.
"Ohh, mini dude, you are so funny." she chuckled, soon hugging him from behind. "I promise, I'll never eat you."
"Thanks, Loona." replied Balin in a safe sigh. "But Loona?"
"Yeah?"
"About what Octavia said." he explained again. "Do you think I'm one of a kind?"
"One of a kind? Sweetie, you're the kindest little guy I know." she smiled with a blush. "You've survived on the streets for nearly a week. You've greeted and made friends with people with an open heart; many of them demons like us. You have a cool taste in music, you're surprisingly athletic, and you're really good with animals. Well, animal-like demons like me and Via. You are SO adorable. And that's a one-of-a-kind thing for me to say. I wish I knew how that felt sooner."
Loona then felt Balin nuzzle his head into her hairy belly, which surprised her a little bit.
"It's not too late, Loona. Because I'm here now. And I love you for helping me so far." he said softly to her.
"T-That means a lot." she smiled once again. "And... I-I... I love you too, kid."
As Loona's tail swished, the two stayed in each other's embrace, continuing to have feelings for one another, no matter how different they were.
"Your fur's really soft, Loona." the boy smiled.
"Why thank you again, Balin." she replied. "I use the best product to take care of it. To make sure it's silky smooth and clean. *smirks* Just for you to touch."
As Loona and Balin chuckled, she then let go of him and placed him into the carpet.
"Speaking of which, you want another bath before bed again tonight?" she asked him.
Balin then blushed in surprise.
"There's that little blush again." she teased. "I'll take that as a yes."
The boy then followed her into the bathroom where she turned on the shower for him.
Soon, as the running water started to warm up, Loona suddenly got an idea of why Balin was blushing so much on being bathed by a hellhound, let alone a beautiful one like her. So much so, she then got an idea on how to have a little fun with that. Sure, she was questionable about it first, but being the first dog-like trait she wasn't anxious about, she thought it a nice way to say thank you for having him groom her fur with the hairbrush earlier on that day.
"Oh, Balin... I think I know what you're blushing about now..." she cheekily said with a naughty look on her face.
The boy heard her speak and stopped undressing himself to his underwear, feeling confused at the smirk.
Loona then undressed, wearing nothing but her bikini which exposed most of her fur. She then turned off the shower water, picked him up by his waist with both paws, and placed him in the bathtub in between her legs.
With a sniff around his entire body, Loona then sang the words 'bath time...!' before doing the most unthinkable thing of all.
She started licking Balin's hair, making him react a little bit giggly.
That's right! Loona decided to lick the little boy clean as his bath tonight, like a mother dog/wolf would do with her pups.
"Loona?!" laughed Balin as he began to squirm. "What are you-you doing?!"
"Giving you a bath, squirt. Isn't that what you wanted?" she teased again. "C'mon, hold still. Gotta wash behind the ears."
With that, Loona pulled the boy back towards her and licked his ears with precision, making him release a little squeal before moving to the back of his neck.
The two giggled throughout most of the fun they were having, but as Loona continued grooming him along his back and up his waist with her hot, moist, kinda rough at times, but soft tongue, Balin soon felt rather soothed as it rippled his skin.
"OK, turn around. Almost done." sighed Loona, letting out a few wolf-like purrs as she soon did his entire facial area. Including his cheeks, his forehead, and the front of his neck.
After a couple of minutes of licking along his abdomen, Loona sniffed his body one last time before she finished.
"There we go. Lil' Balin Johnson's all nice and clean." she smiled, nuzzling her cheek into his.
She then placed him out of the tub so she could have her real shower next, and he could barely keep his balance after what he just felt.
"I-I-I had no idea you would do that." the boy stuttered.
"Consider it a thank you for grooming me with the comb this morning." she grinned in response, giving Balin a towel to dry himself off. "Just, don't mention it to the others, or else I'll never live it down."
"Don't worry, Loona. Your secret's safe with me." promised Balin, but he couldn't help but ask something. "What made you think I wanted that?"
"Well, I'm a hellhound. I can sense nerves after all, like I sense... fear." Loona tapped her snout again. "You don't have to worry, I would've done it for you anyway. And I can still do it if you'd like, all you have to do is ask."
"Like maybe... once a week?" the boy then asked.
"Hmm... not a bad idea, kiddo." she scratched her chin with her claw. "A couple of days, I can bathe you with soap and bubbles. Another couple of days, you can shower yourself off, then once or twice a week, I could give you a nice and warm hellhound tongue bath. Sound cool?"
"Cool." replied Balin with a smile.
"Now come on, get outta here so I can shower." she chuckled, pulling the curtain back while Balin dried himself off and brushed his teeth.
During the shower, Loona then thought of another idea to show Balin her appreciation, having promised him the new life she'd offer, even though again, this was Hell.
So when she finished her shower, she put on a gown and picked up her phone to call Moxxie. Her last resort.
MOXXIE - (On the phone) "You've reached Thelma and Louis. Neither of us can answer, but please leave a voice-mail."
"Hey fatty, it's Loona. I've an idea I'd like to discuss tomorrow morning, something I wanna do for the kid. So, see ya's... tomorrow morning, I guess." she flatly said as her message before hanging up.
AT M&M'S APARTMENT...
Little did Loona know, Moxxie had one phone in his hand and a piece of paper in another.
Sighing in relief, he then danced with joy at the devious plan he pulled off. He actually said all that on the paper, while answeing the call!
But Millie cleared her throat glaring at him, and she was not happy.
"What, in the actual, FUCK, Moxxie?!" she shouted in a soft tone, as to not wake up the neighbours or let Loona hear from far away.
"What? She gets to hang up on us when we're shot, so why not follow Blitzø's advice for once?" protested Moxxie. "To show some 'family' love?"
"Well I hope ya know what you're doing, hun." Millie yawned sternly, before dozing off. "Blitzø may still use that as evidence for her to beat us to a pulp."
Hoping into bed, Moxxie then looked at the readers, and with a swing of his arm, he whispered...
"Well, hey, I still call that a collective benefit."
He then plopped onto his bed and wrapped his arm around his wife's torso for a good night sleep. After checking if Blitzø was around with one open eye.
BACK AT LOONA'S APARTMENT...
Loona changed into her PJs and walked into the spare room to see if Balin had changed into his.
"Hey kiddo, wanna sleep with me... again?"
She was about to finish, when she saw Balin already in that bed, but cuddling a teddy bear in his arms. Not the one Via gave him, but one from his backpack.
"Aww, that is so fucking cute." she swore to herself quietly in awe, before walking over to him and rubbing his torso.
Soon, Balin opened his eyes from the touch to see her. "Hey, Loona."
"Hey Balin." she replied in her smile and pointed to the bear. "Who's this little guy?"
"Oh, this is my teddy bear, Teddy." he introduced her. "Say hello to Loona, Teddy. *comedic voice* Hello to Loona, Teddy."
Loona giggled hearing Balin mimic his stuffed companion's voice like a comedian, like any other kid does.
"Nice to meet you too, Teddy." she gently shook his paw, and soon noticed Balin yawning. "You wanna spend tonight in here?"
"If that's okay with you." he replied.
Eh, I understand. But if you ever wanna sleep with me again, my tail is always open."
Balin chuckled hearing that from Loona, before resting his head back on the pillow. The hellhound then gave him a soft but long kiss on his cheek, before landing a quick one on Teddy's too.
"He says thank you." the boy smiled, closing his eyes. "Good night, Loona."
"Good night yourself, little buddy." Loona whispered softly.
She stroked his soft brown hair, hoping he'd call her 'mommy' in his sleep again, but soon stood up from his bed to turn off his bedside lamp for the night, fading the entire chapter to black.
A/N: See y'all in the next chapter.