I really like Helluva Boss, and with Loona very clearly crushing on Vortex, as well as letting the thought escape her that she thought Beelzebub was hot, I am so on board with this throuple. Also, shout-out to AaronMakesDrinks on Pintrest, who was way ahead of me in terms of crafting a Loona-themed drink that involved Kahlua and blackberries. I want to say similarities are coincidental, but there's definitely some inspiration there that seeped through here.
Please enjoy!
"Why the fuck did I agree to this…?" Loona groaned, wearing her red party dress, staring up at the hive-like mansion of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Beelzebub—colloquially Queen Bee-lzebub. Her crush, Tex, had somehow found himself dating royalty, and they both were hot. What's more, Loona had expected her to be a total bitch, but Beelzebub was sweet as honey if a little loose-lipped. Loona gnashed her teeth, looking over Beelzebub's text again.
Hey, Loon. Wanna come over 4 some gurl talk? Tex will b home l8r. O! & wear smth cute - Bee
"Who still types like this…?" Loona muttered to herself, walking up to the door. Poised to knock, she raised a lightly clenched fist and leaned in to give a few tentative taps.
Before she could, though, the door swung open. She nearly fell forward into the doorway, bracing herself for a world-toppling level of embarrassment to meet her on the Sin's floor. Her descent had barely begun when it was abruptly halted by a strudy-yet-tender, four-armed embrace.
"Loona, you made it! I'm so happy to see you!" Beelzebub exclaimed sweetly, her fuchsia gaze just as bubbly and excitable as the day they met. Something that Loona found impossible to hate. As Beelzebub helped the hellhound regain her balance, she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I remember this dress!"
"Y-yeah, well…" Loona stammered, "it's not like it's my only one, I just—"
"You wanted to wear something that I'd find familiar! Girl, stop, you're gonna give me cavities!" Beelzebub gushed, earning a burning blush from Loona. That blush only deepened when the Queen Bee herself started examining her more closely. "Ah, I see now. That crimson fade really brings out your eyes. It's a beautiful gradient that's passionate, but also low-key."
Loona, when finally faced with a brief pause, was at a loss for words, so she just went with the first thing she could think of. She replied, "Thanks. Uh, you look…comfortable." Indeed, Beelzebub did look comfortable. She was wearing a cream-colored crop top that fell just above her iridescent midsection that had "H.B.I.C." embroidered in hot pink across the chest and a pair of cherry blossom pink short shorts. The hedonistic comfort and effortless confidence Beelzebub exuded was its own kind of charisma. Her amorphous hair and tail flowed freely, playing by their own rules the way she did.
"Oh, thanks. I was cleaning up and didn't think to change from home-casual to party casual," Beelzebub remarked with a shrug. After another brief pause, she broke down into a fit of giggles, "I am so happy you're here!" Closing the door with one of her surprisingly powerful legs, she pulled Loona in and flew her onto a couch in her massive foyer.
Loona tucked some of her silver hair behind one of her pointed ears, taking a subtle breath, trying to play cool. Her tail gave an involuntary wag whenever she looked up into Beelzebub's brilliant smile. Clearing her throat a bit, she said, "Thanks for inviting me over. I was kinda shocked when I got your text. How've you been?"
"Pretty chill, mostly. Been thinking about you a lot. And your boss. How've you both been?"
A note of somberness entered Loona's tone as she answered, "I've been alright. Blitz is…a little worse for wear, but he's still got a heart of gold deep down."
"That's a relief. He's a ton of fun—fuck it, you're both fun, and it'd suck if anything happened to either of you. That's part of why I got so bent outta shape when he started giving off those dark vibes," Beelzebub explained, concern, tenderness and empathy mixed into her smile. "And I did notice it took him being at the party before you started to really cut loose."
"You did?" Loona asked, remembering Beelzebub being super bubbly and a bit aloof when Tex introduced her.
"Uh, yeah," Beelzebub answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I was high on life from everyone having fun, but that doesn't mean I don't see shit when shit's going down. The hounds are my hive." She waved her hand, a puff of cotton candy materializing out of seemingly nothing. The sweet aroma beckoned Loona, who inched forward a bit and sniffed more and more intensely at the confectionary morsel. Beelzebub held the cloudy sweet just above her nose. It smelled delicious and was so tantalizingly close. She parted her lips just enough for it to pass through and pass it did as the Deadly Sin gently plopped it into her maw.
The cotton candy was even better than she imagined. Loona felt the sugary fibers melt in her mouth, washing her tongue in a torrent of sweetness. Now she'd felt foolish for not indulging in this when she was at the party, but better late than never. Her tail wagging grew faster and more fervent. She closed her eyes, imagining a warm, golden glow blanketing her. She felt cozy, like she was floating in a sea of honey, but without the stickiness. The sweetness brought with it feelings of warmth and safety. When Loona opened her eyes again, they watered as a breath she didn't realize she was holding escaped her.
Beelzebub gazed into her eyes, gently holding her hands, and softly asked, "So? How was it?"
"Wow…!" Loona remarked. Her exclamation was one of excitement that was barely above a whisper. It was like her memories remained, but the pain and isolation had all ebbed away in low tide.
"Right? C'mon, I'm working on something new and want your input," Beelzebub beckoned as she got up, Loona raising to her feet in kind. The Sin of Gluttony took her gothic guest towards the back of her home into an immaculate kitchen that, save for conflicting recurring fox den and beehive motifs, was surprisingly mundane. It was more impressive than the one she and Blitzo had in their apartment, but it wasn't like she had her own private professional kitchen.
"Wow. This is way classier than I'm used to," Loona stated as she looked around. How homey and clean it was. "Wait, you said you were cleaning earlier."
"Uh-huh. All morning."
"By yourself? I kind of expected the Deadly Sins to have some sort of hired help."
"Oh, yeah. I got a couple cute butlers, but I gave them the day off," Beelzebub began to explain as she started stretching. "Doing it by myself is a bit of a bitch, but I don't like the whole servant thing. Besides, I'm not some hoity toity sack of shit like that clown Mammon. I can do things myself. Except the morning after an all-night rager; I'm toast without them then." Casually, she remarked, "One moment, the floor is coming up at you. The next, you wake up in bed, headache pills on the nightstand, unable to tell your head from your ass. Roll over and you're like 'where did this egg come from?'"
Loona found herself really impressed with that answer. Beelzebub was more than alright. All the more reason for her to question why she was even here, why such a high-profile demon wanted to see someone like her. Still, she couldn't help but give a small smile. Even if this felt way too good to be true, she wanted to enjoy it. It was a very cruel irony, though, feeling this kinship with the girlfriend of the guy she liked. More than that, even. A warmth pulsated from Loona's chest, as opposed to the grossness of jealousy over someone who was never hers to begin with.
The hellhound hadn't felt her smile falter, her lip quivering, but Beelzebub had. Was any of this okay? Was it even real? Loona was pulled from her thoughts by a soft "Hey." And just like that, her silvery white eyes were peering at hot pink irises in a sea of pale yellow. "You can talk about it if you want."
That warmth from Loona's chest rose to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. She quickly stammered, "O-oh, uh, it's nothing. Just some weird thoughts coming to me."
"Oh, I totally get where you're coming from there, Loon. And I think you're a good girl," Beelzebub assured, leading a flustered Loona to a seat shaped like a beer glass at a fair-sized, hexagonal kitchen table. "Sit tight, okay? I had this brilliant idea for a drink, and I wanted you to try it."
If the Sin of Gluttony wasn't also the queen of booze, then Loona would be convinced no demon was. It was a shock that she'd wanted to drink so early in the day, but Loona was far from opposed. Beelzebub stood at the kitchen counter, two cocktail glasses, two shakers and four bottles in front of her. Loona leaned forward, eying the bottles curiously. She quickly identified one of them as vodka. The other three were Kahlúa, blackberry liqueur and coconut cream liqueur, all of which piqued Loona's interest.
"I see you peeking," Beelzebub remarked teasingly. Loona held back a small laugh and hid behind a curtain of her hair. "So the reason I wanted you to come over and try this is because I had you in mind when I thought of it."
"Me?" Loona asked, peeking through her bangs.
"Yep," Beelzebub replied matter-of-factly. "I'm going for fruity, but with a dark side."
"Sounds like me, yeah."
"Ha! Called it."
"Hey…"
The two canid demons guffawed after a brief silence and Beelzebub assured, "Relax, girl, it's me, too."
"Oh! Oh, wow, I wasn't really expecting that," Loona replied, feeling the tide of kinship come in. "You like guys and girls, too?"
With a shrug and putting all four of her arms to work, pouring directly into the shakers, the HBIC remarked, "Yeah, more or less. Honestly, I'm an 'anything goes' kinda girl. I'm surprised that you're surprised. Girl, I told you that you were a cutie!"
"I thought you were just being nice," Loona muttered, her wagging tail giving away her inner thoughts. Then, as Beelzebub capped the shakers and began mixing with each pair of arms, Loona's head caught up with what her eyes took in. "Wait, you didn't measure out any of that!"
"I've been doing this a long time," Beelzebub nonchalantly declared, her bubbly nature and cool confidence reminding her of both Blitz and Tex. Not a combo she expected to have come to mind. "I'd also slow the process way down if we were in an actual bar and it wasn't just us. Since it is, though, I want to show off."
With that, the Deadly Sin uncapped the shakers and poured the lavender mixture into the glasses, her smile emphatically wide. Loona marveled at just how in her element Beelzebub seemed to be. There was something bewitching about it, something admirable. It was a smile befitting of someone who'd make sure everyone was having a good time by any means necessary. As Beelzebub sauntered over with the cocktails of lavender delight, she held one out for Loona, who eagerly accepted it with both hands.
"Cheers!" Beelzebub exclaimed, and the two clinked their glasses together. Loona took a sip and her eyes lit up. The burn of the alcohol was there, yes, but the sweetness of the blackberry and coconut, the bitterness of the coffee in the Kahlúa and the smoothness of the cream blunted the sting just as much as they added flavor. It made her think of what a starry, moonlit summer night in the human realm must have been like. She quickly took another sip, while Beelzebub had taken in more than half her cocktail in one go.
"Good, right?" Beelzebub asked, receiving a nod from the hellhound who then slung back a decent sized gulp. The two beamed at each other, and Beelzebub sat down next to Loona. "So…" Walking her fingers over to Loona's hand, she asked, "What's your favorite thing about Tex?"
Loona choked mid-sip, eyes wide open and stricken with panic. With a cough, she asked, "Am I that much of an open book?"
"Mm, not to most people," Beelzebub answered as she gingerly cupped Loona's hand. "But the reason I called you a good girl, the reason I can get a read on your thoughts, is because I know the smell of someone who wants to indulge…" Another of Beelzebub's four hands cupped Loona's, gently rubbing a thumb on the back of it, as she finished, "…but thinks she can't."
Loona sat in silence for a long moment, took a deep breath, and gulped back the rest of her cocktail. Once it was empty, she placed it down on the table and mumbled, "If you know I have feelings for him, why invite me over? Why are you being so nice to me? Does he even know I'm here?"
"Of course he knows," Beelzebub assured tenderly. "He's at work right now, but he and I talk a lot about you. He knows you're here, cutie." The Queen of Gluttony stood back up before lowering herself to her knees, still holding Loona's otherwise-free hand. "And I'm being nice to you because I'm being honest with you. I do think you're pretty cute, and in a world where demons just tend to take what they want and do what they want, you've got enough respect for Tex and for me to, you know, pump the brakes. Hell's got enough bad girls, anyway."
"I'm not that good… Not at all…"
Beelzebub gazed sadly up into Loona's eyes. Seeming to contemplate her next words as though crossing a narrow bridge over a bottomless chasm, the honeybee fox suggested, "Why don't I take you upstairs? You can lie down, and we can listen to music. Maybe pace ourselves on the spirits." Loona was baffled. She didn't have any reason to think Beelzebub was lying to her, but she just couldn't take any of what she'd said at face value. Wasn't respecting their relationship the right thing to do? Keeping her head down, keeping to herself, keeping whatever scrap of peace was left. And she was getting praise for that?
Her movements were broader and more exaggerated than she intended, but Loona was able to stand and maintain her balance, her big, fluffy tail swishing back and forth. Choked up, she whispered, "I don't feel like I deserve this. This nice drink, your attention, Tex's attention, I…I want it all, but…"
"Shh…" Beelzebub shushed, delicately pressing a finger to Loona's lips as she rose up. "C'mere." The Sin's gaze was sickeningly sweet, a forbidden candy, luring Loona in with its luster.
"You're his girlfriend, I can't—"
"He knows. Trust me. And you'll see him later. Let's just get you comfy, especially since we've got more of this Loona cocktail left."
It wasn't long before Loona, who wasn't normally a lightweight when it came to holding her liquor, found herself holding one of Beelzebub's four hands as they trekked up a big staircase towards the master bedroom. She had no idea what ratio Bee used to mix that drink, and a part of her suspected Bee didn't know either, but she had to get it before she left.
In two of Beelzebub's three other hands were freshly topped off cocktails and the last one held onto the railing. Loona found herself watching the swirling colors in Beelzebub's midsection and her fluid-like, ethereal mane and tail. Everything about the Deadly Sin really was a wonder to behold. Truly, Lilith be even more damned, Beelzebub might have been the most beautiful demon in all of Hell.
"What the fuck is it made out of…?" Loona mumbled under her breath, eventually reaching the apex of the stairs and following Beelzebub down a hallway. She found herself blushing, paintings of all manner of hellhounds in all manner of settings and scenarios hanging on the walls.
"…Wanna hear a joke?" Beelzebub asked, getting the hound's attention as a tall door opened before them.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure," Loona replied.
"What am I when I fly at a party?" Beelzebub inquired, handing Loona one of the cocktail glasses and embracing her in a three-armed hold.
"I don't know, what?" Loona reported neat-automatically, taking a swig of her self-inspired cocktail.
"Buzzed," Beelzebub replied, buzzing her wings and flying Loona over to the biggest bed the latter had ever seen in her life. Corny as it was, the confidence in the delivery and the sudden and well-timed flight earned more than a few giggles out of Loona. It was exhilarating, and the two of them laughed. "And without spilling a drop. Cheers." They clinked their glasses together again, but Beelzebub was a bit too fervent with her toast and ended up sloshing some of her cocktail onto the front of Loona's party dress. Her smile quickly dove into a frown as a big stain formed on Loona's chest. "Shit! Aw, fuck! I'm so sorry!"
"Ah, fuck, I love this dress," Loona groaned, then stopped short, realizing she wasn't holding back her frustration. "I mean, it's not that big a deal, right?" It was too late. It took her an extra moment in her inebriated state, but when she really studied Beelzebub's face, she saw what could only be described as an expression of mortified horror. "Bee?"
"Shit, shit, shit…" Beelzebub muttered to herself as she briskly jumped off the bed, placed her glass on the nightstand and threw open a closet. "Hang on! I'll find something for you!" It was both impressive and disconcerting how quick Beelzebub had taken action. Before Loona could find any words of reassurance, a pale-yellow towel was thrown to her from deep within the closet. "Wipe off the excess with this!" Dutifully, she did so, still gazing into the closet and catching glimpses of glow of Beelzebub's hair and tail, weaving back and forth between garments on coat hangers.
"You okay in there?" Loona finally asked, dabbing her chest with the towel, stealing a lick of the cream liqueur off it.
Beelzebub quickly popped out, holding up a hanger with an off-the-shoulder black crop top. It had a heart cut out on the chest, much like the pink one Bee wore when they first met, and a silver moon on each shoulder. It took Loona's breath away. It was cute, it had a sense of mystic to it, and just the right amount of edge. Relief overtook the Deadly Sin's expression at Loona's silent approval. Back into the clothes she dove, looking for more things for Loona to wear, all while Loona herself slowly pushed herself off the soft, plush bed.
As the hellhound approached, she almost got crashed into when Beelzebub popped back out with a pair of black shorts emblazoned with a yellow, bee-shaped crest on the left hip. As Loona stumbled back, she overcorrected and started to fall back. As she did, Beelzebub grabbed her arm and slipped, them both falling into the closet.
They both grew quickly flustered, and Loona sheepishly chuckled, "You made that cocktail pretty strong, hehe. Gotta say I really like it. Mind if I got the recipe?"
"Sure, sure! It's the least I could do. I have you over for a drink and to have a good time, and I go and fuck up your good dress," Beelzebub assured, cursing herself for the accident.
"Ah, I gotta take some of my dad's stuff to the dry cleaners anyway. Now, I can stop putting it off," Loona replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Not like I get spilled on every day by royalty, anyway." When that didn't dissuade Beelzebub's doubts, she went for the direct approach. "Look, I promise it's not that big a deal. Honestly, I'd rather it be an accident than on purpose cuz you and your boyfriend are both sweet and hot and it'd crush me if I ever pissed you off to that point. I don't expect you to be the perfect hostess because you've already been amazing to me."
Beelzebub's eyes lit up, and this time, it was her breath that was taken away. That declaration of Loona's was like the cocktail in a way neither of them had quite expected: boldness.
Loona wasn't quite sure what to say next, and Beelzebub wasn't saying anything. All the while, though, she did inch closer to her, and ultimately wrapped her arms around her. It wasn't long before Loona found herself returning the gesture. Beelzebub pulled back a bit and touched her forehead to Loona's, the two gazing deeply into each other's eyes as time seemed to stand still. Loona could feel Beelzebub's breath, her scent was pleasant and inviting, and those eyes captivated her again.
It was Beelzebub who made the next move. With their snouts mere inches apart, Loona felt Beelzebub's lips press against her own, and it made that warmth in her chest swell. She pushed into the kiss, feeling comfort as Beelzebub held her close. Beelzebub started to pull away, but Loona pushed forward into her, prompting her to push back. When Beelzebub finally pulled back, Loona opened her eyes and looked longingly at the hostess. The Queen of Gluttony whispered, "Why don't I give you a hand with this?" Two of her four arms got to work locating the zipper in the back of Loona's dress. The secretary hound felt the dress loosen, the dampness on her chest not pressing as firmly against her.
"That was amazing," Loona reported with a sheepish chuckle. "So, uh, how'd I, you know…taste?"
"Better than I imagined," Beelzebub assured with a flick of one of her free wrists as her occupied hands tenderly rolled the dress down her body. A piece of cotton candy appeared in her hand, and she held it just above Loona's nose. It was so tantalizing. It looked so soft and fluffy, and the aroma was intoxicating. It beckoned her. She dared to reach for it, to crane her neck to just get a little bit closer. Her mouth opened on its own, just enough to let her tongue out to retrieve the sweet morsel.
Beelzebub released the fluffy sweetness, letting the hellhound pull it back into her maw, savoring the taste. It was delightful. Loona's senses came alive all at once, every nerve in her body bristling in anticipation and her mind wanting more. It was like everything that didn't make sense or gave her pause had melted away, giving her a renewed sense of purpose.
"Mm…how the fuck can cotton candy be that good…?" Loona asked as she relished the flavor, striving to commit it to memory.
Beelzebub lightly brushed one of her graceful, delicate hands against Loona's cheek, cupping her face while gazing tenderly into her eyes. The queen replied, "I could say the same about you. Hell could use more girls like you, Loon." At that, the broiling heat came back to Loona's face in one big wave. It wasn't exactly how she saw herself, but maybe Beelzebub was right. Maybe she had a point. After all, the whole reason she'd ever been jealous was because Vortex wasn't hers to take. Her heart had done nothing but pine for the muscular, cool-headed hellhound, but pining and not pushing the boundary had been the right thing to do. Even in hell, was that really such a foreign concept to other hell borne, to those who'd known no other way of life?
Loona had always tried to cling tight to what was hers, avoid what wasn't, and never give an inch to anyone. That's how it was in the pound. But here, in Beelzebub's closet, in Beelzebub's arms, those walls fell away like torn paper to something stronger. Once more, she murmured, "Is this really okay?"
"As long as you're not mad about the dress," Beelzebub whispered, combing her fingers through Loona's long, luscious silver hair. "I'll pay whatever to have it clean."
Beelzebub's claim was mixed with a bold concoction of sincerity and desire. "Indulge me, Queen Bee," the gothic hellhound told her, and Bee needed no more prodding. She held her close, holding another long, deep kiss and Loona felt her body relaxing, conforming itself to the Sin's hold.
The duo cuddled, taking in each other's scent and the softness of their fur. Everything truly felt right. This was the last place and the last way Loona would even dare to expect comfort, and yet, here she was: kissing and cuddling the biggest party animal in all of hell, not to mention her crush's lover and a blossoming crush in and of herself. The pressure of Beelzebub's body on hers was a weighted blanket of passion. Even after having met the queen before, Loona still expected her to be more aloof and dismissive. Each expectation was dashed and deflated in the best ways; Beelzebub had been friendly, attentive, bubbly and, at worst, got a little too swept up in the details. It was monumental. She was able to explore! On her own terms, too.
Once Queen Bee had finished helping Loona get changed, the two emerged from the closet, leaning on each other. Loona's tail wagged excitedly, and Beelzebub pulled her onto the bed, the duo gazing into each other's eyes.
"You really are a ton of fun," Beelzebub gushed, rubbing her nose to Loona's. "I was gonna wait until Tex got home, but there's something I have to ask you."
"Y-you were gonna ask me with him here?" Loona asked, cuddling into Beelzebub's lithe form. Thinking about Blitz, she realized, "To be your third…!"
"Of course. Reaching out to you was his idea," Beelzebub mused, scratching Loona under her chin, earning more tail wagging. "Well, you specifically were his idea. We both think you're cute, and I like having you around. Saw you made a couple friends at the party." She delicately touched her forehead to Loona's, she added, "There's something dark in you, but it's not bad. Everyone's got it, and they suffer, but they-they use it to try to ruin lives, careers…relationships. You're a good hound."
"Yeah, well…you met Blitz," Loona replied thoughtfully. "He almost never opens up about shit when he needs to, but…as hard as it is to say, he set aside his pain, took a chance on me and saved my life. Sometimes, I feel like I don't deserve it, but I would have ended up on the street without him, so..."
The hellhound felt the grip around her tighten. The next words out of the Deadly Sin sounded strained, and they cut right into Loona's heart. "I'm so sorry…I tried to make the system functional and livable, but it just wasn't…"
"You're here now, and you don't just leave us out to dry. That's a lot," Loona replied, nuzzling the vulpine demon. "More than I expected, more than you have to do."
"Aw, girl, the hellhounds are my crew, my people…" Beelzebub told her, sniffling. "And I want you to be there, too."
"I will," Loona assured. "Keep holding me like this, and don't quite the booze game, and I think we've got something good going on."
"Ah, so you like The Loona," Beelzebub mused as she wiped her eyes.
"Could use a more original name, but yeah."
"Would you rather I call it a Full Moon?"
"Hey…!"
The two devolved into hysterical giggling, holding each other as they laughed themselves to exhaustion. As sleep took them, they found comfort with one another. The warmth of each other's fur and embrace fortified their dreams. Loona was eventually roused from slumber by the distant sounds of a door opening and closing. Minutes later, another. Then, the balance on the bed shifted ever so slightly. Loona peered through her bangs, and her tail started moving on its own. Her lips creased upwards. Gazing back at her was the gentle, one-eyed stare of Vortex. He was right there, with her and Bee, waiting for them.
"Hey," he whispered, his voice soft and low. Loona took him his gentle grin, his bulking muscles, the way he sat on the edge of the bed, a guardian ready for action on a moment's notice. She admired the way his tattoo sat on his bicep. The way the scar over his blinded eye made him look rugged while his good eye portrayed a more docile and loving nature.
"Hey," Loona returned the greeting, matching his volume. Beelzebub was out like a light.
"She ask you?" he murmured, receiving a small nod from beneath the mass of Loona's long, silvery locks. He followed up with, "So what do you think?"
"Can't go wrong," she replied. Tex shot her a wide, excited, toothy grin, laid down and rolled, throwing one of his thick, firm arms across both his girls. Oh yeah. Loona was sure now, as she lay there, sandwiched between two of hell's hottest sweethearts. This felt right.