Chapter 15:Putting the TRY in Triangle"
The cozy café Verosika frequented was a stylish little spot, nestled in the less chaotic part of the Pride Ring. It was a quaint, quiet refuge from the usual Hellish madness, with plush seating, dim lighting, and soft jazz music playing in the background. The café's warm tones and the comforting aroma of fresh pastries were the perfect contrast to the emotionally charged atmosphere at Moxxie and Millie's table.
Moxxie fidgeted nervously, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of hellbrew, his tail swishing anxiously behind him. Millie sat next to him, arms crossed, her expression a mix of amusement and irritation as she watched the unfolding drama. Across the table, Bellina sat with her head in her hands, staring at Moxxie like she was trying to reconcile two completely different realities.
"I don't get it! You—You were so pretty, with that amazing figure and those curves!" Bellina's voice trembled with bewilderment as she looked Moxxie up and down. "But... you're a boy?! How is this possible?!"
Moxxie winced, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. "Well, uh... yeah, I'm a boy. I thought that was pretty clear when we first met—well, sort of met. I mean, I wasn't exactly trying to deceive you, Bellina."
Bellina's eyes widened even more, her mind racing. "But... we kissed! And it was... it was really nice, but now—now I don't know what to think! I thought I liked girls—well, I thought I liked you! And now you're a boy?! What does that make me?!" She threw her hands up in the air, clearly overwhelmed.
Millie rolled her eyes, her frustration palpable. "Sweetcheeks, it don't matter none if he's a boy or a girl. What matters is what ya feel! 'Sides, you think you're the only one who got a surprise? I mean, look at me!" She gestured to herself. "I used to be called Millard, and I was da one dat was da girl, back when I we was pretendin ta be human!" Her accent grew thicker with each word, a clear sign of her growing exasperation.
Bellina's eyes flicked over to Millie, her confusion only deepening. "Wait, so you're saying you were pretending to be human too? And a boy? But now you're a girl?" She looked back and forth between them, her mind trying to piece everything together.
Moxxie, still red-faced, attempted to defuse the situation. "It's... complicated, Bellina. But gender and species doesn't really matter down here. What matters is how you feel, like Millie said."
Bellina's face contorted with emotion, a mixture of frustration, confusion, and something deeper. "I... I don't even know what I feel anymore!" She buried her face in her hands again, her voice muffled. "I thought I liked girls, but then I met you, and you were perfect! And now you're telling me you're a guy? What does that make me? Am I bi? Pan? Or just confused?!"
Millie softened a bit, seeing how distressed Bellina was. "Listen, darlin', it's okay to be confused. It don't make ya any less of a person or any less strong. Maybe you are bi, or pan, or maybe ya just love Moxxie for who he is, regardless of what parts he's got. Ain't nothin' wrong with that."
Moxxie, still unsure of how to handle the situation, reached out a hand to Bellina. "Hey, whatever you're feeling, it's okay. I'm still the same person, er, demon, you cared about. I'm still... well, me." His voice was soft, trying to be as reassuring as possible despite his own embarrassment.
Bellina peeked through her fingers, her eyes meeting Moxxie's. There was still a lot of confusion in her gaze, but also a glimmer of something else—maybe acceptance? "I... I think I still care about you, Moxxie. Or Moxxine. Or whoever you are." She sighed heavily. "But this is a lot to take in. I mean, I wanted to be with you so badly that I made a deal with a demon to turn me into... this!" She gestured to her new demonic form, still not quite used to the sight of herself.
Moxxie managed a small smile. "And I'm glad you did, even if it's a little... unconventional. But you don't have to figure everything out right now. We can take it slow and see where things go, okay?"
Bellina slowly nodded, finally lowering her hands and looking at Moxxie more steadily. "Yeah... I guess so. I'm just... really overwhelmed." She looked down at the table, her thoughts clearly racing. "But I think I do still love you. I don't know what that means yet, but I know I do."
Millie, who had been tapping her foot impatiently, finally smiled. "Well, that's a start, ain't it? Love's complicated, but it's worth figurin' out. Ain't that right, Moxxie?" She nudged her boyfriend playfully, her previous irritation melting away.
Moxxie grinned sheepishly, feeling a bit of the tension ease from his shoulders. "Yeah, it's definitely complicated, but it's worth it."
Bellina smiled weakly, her emotions still a tangled mess but starting to settle. "I guess... I'll just have to get used to it. Maybe being a demon isn't so bad if I get to be with you." She paused, then added more hesitantly, "And, um, Millie too, I guess. Since she's important to you."
Millie's grin widened, and she leaned over to pat Bellina on the back. "There ya go! We're one big, weird, Hellish family now. Ain't nothin' wrong with a little bit of confusion as long as we got each other."
Bellina chuckled nervously, still not entirely sure what to make of everything, but feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah... okay. I think I can deal with that." She glanced out the window, spotting the rest of the IMP team huddled in the car, clearly spying on them. "Are they... watching us?"
Moxxie sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yes, they are. They're... a little overprotective, let's just say that."
Bellina giggled, some of her earlier tension fading away. "Well, if we're gonna be a family, I guess that means they're my family too, huh?"
Millie beamed, pulling both Bellina and Moxxie into a hug. "You betcha, darlin'. We're all in this together, and we'll figure it out, one way or another."
As they sat there, huddled together in the cozy café, the tension and confusion started to give way to something new—an acceptance of their strange, complicated, and entirely unconventional situation. For now, they were content just to be together, figuring out the rest as they went along.
And from the car outside, Blitz, Loona, and Barbie looked on with varying degrees of exasperation and fondness, ready to jump in if needed but happy to let the three of them have their moment.
"You think they'll be okay?" Barbie asked, her voice softer than usual as she watched the scene unfold.
Blitz huffed, crossing his arms. "They better be. I didn't drag my ass all the way to Zestial's castle for nothing. But yeah, I think they'll be fine. Millie and Moxxie are tough, and that girl... well, she's got guts. I'll give her that."
Loona, leaning against the window, shrugged. "Whatever. As long as they don't start doing mushy stuff in the office, I'm good."
Barbie grinned, giving her brother a playful nudge. "Come on, Blitzo, admit it—you're a little proud of them."
Blitz rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this over with so we can go home."
And as the team prepared to head back, they knew that while the road ahead might be bumpy and full of unexpected twists, they'd face it together. After all, that's what family—however strange or Hellish—was for.
Life had settled into a strange but oddly comforting routine for Bellina, Moxxie, and Millie. Bellina, who had started out as nothing more than a lovestruck possum girl, now found herself being pulled in multiple directions, each more peculiar than the last. Zestial, her demon benefactor, had an unpredictable way of treating her, alternating between doting on her like a daughter and treating her like a pet or servant. It was confusing, to say the least, but Bellina had somehow adjusted to the bizarre rhythm of her new life.
In Zestial's grand, gothic mansion, Bellina had taken on a variety of roles—sometimes she was a maid, cleaning the endless halls of dust and cobwebs; other times, she found herself in the kitchen, learning how to cook Hellish delicacies under Zestial's watchful eye. And then there were the days when she acted as his secretary, helping with his mysterious business dealings. During these times, she often crossed paths with Nifty, Alastor's quirky, hyperactive assistant.
Nifty was relentless, constantly pestering Bellina about her "bad boy" boyfriend, Moxxie. "So, tell me all about your ex-mobster-turned-assassin bad boy! I bet he's all mysterious and brooding, huh? Does he smolder when he looks at you? Does he bring you flowers after a kill?" Nifty's questions would tumble out one after another, making Bellina squirm in her seat.
"Uh, well, Moxxie's... sweet? I mean, he's not really that bad. He's more of a... gentleman, actually," Bellina would stammer, feeling a little awkward. The idea of Moxxie as some dark, brooding figure was so far from the truth it was almost laughable. But Nifty seemed determined to believe that Bellina was dating some sort of Hellish James Bond.
Despite the awkwardness, Bellina found herself growing fond of Nifty's company. The tiny demon was cheerful and full of energy, and her enthusiasm was contagious, even if it did make Bellina a little uncomfortable at times.
Meanwhile, Moxxie and Millie, the infamous 15-year-old assassin duo known as MM, continued their rigorous training at IMP, honing their skills and going on increasingly dangerous missions. But no matter how grueling their work was, they always made time for Bellina on their days off.
The three of them had decided to give being a throuple a shot, and while it was unconventional, it seemed to work for them. Moxxie adored Bellina's sweetness and found himself enjoying her company more and more. Millie, for her part, was thrilled to have another girl around to share the fun with, and she quickly took Bellina under her wing.
Their days off were spent doing all sorts of things—going to Hell's version of an amusement park, having movie nights where they watched cheesy horror films, or just lounging around in Millie and Moxxie's cozy little apartment, talking about everything and nothing. The dynamic was lighthearted and silly, with plenty of playful banter and teasing.
Bellina quickly learned that Millie and Moxxie's relationship was full of laughter and love, and she found herself fitting into their world with surprising ease. The three of them developed a rhythm, with Moxxie being the steady, calm presence, Millie bringing her boundless energy and enthusiasm, and Bellina adding a touch of sweetness to the mix.
But not everyone was thrilled about their blossoming relationship. Loona, Blitz's adopted daughter, found the whole thing utterly gross. "Ugh, you guys are so mushy, it's disgusting!" she would groan, scrunching up her face in exaggerated disgust whenever she saw them holding hands or cuddling.
"Of course you need two girlfriends, Moxxie," Loona teased one day, her voice dripping with mockery as she pointed at him. "It's because your butt is so big! I mean, one girlfriend just isn't enough to handle all that." She crossed her arms, clearly enjoying the way Moxxie's face turned red with embarrassment.
Millie, never one to pass up an opportunity to tease Moxxie, laughed and playfully smacked him on the rear. "She's got a point, ya know. You do got quite the caboose on ya, Moxxie!"
Bellina, giggling at their antics, added her own comment. "I think it's cute! You've got a nice... um, figure, Moxxie." Her cheeks flushed slightly, still getting used to the ease with which Millie and Loona teased him.
Moxxie, thoroughly flustered by the attention, tried to change the subject. "Alright, alright, enough about my, uh, posterior! What about the fact that Loona here hasn't even been on a date herself? Maybe she's just jealous of us." He shot Loona a mischievous grin, knowing full well it would rile her up.
Loona rolled her eyes, flipping her hair back. "Pfft, as if! I'm ten, I don't need any of that gross lovey-dovey stuff. You guys are just hopeless romantics." But there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips, and it was clear that, despite her protests, she found their antics somewhat endearing.
The playful banter and teasing continued, with Loona finding new ways to poke fun at the trio, and Bellina, Moxxie, and Millie growing closer with each passing day. Their dynamic was unconventional, but it was full of warmth and love, and even Loona, in her own grumpy way, seemed to appreciate having them around.
And so, in the midst of the chaos and danger of Hell, Bellina found a family—a weird, quirky, loving family that accepted her for who she was, possum girl and all. She knew there would be challenges ahead, with Zestial's demands and the dangerous missions Moxxie and Millie faced, but for now, she was content to enjoy the little moments of happiness they shared together.
After all, in a place like Hell, finding love and friendship was a rare and precious thing, and Bellina was determined to hold onto it with both hands—even if it meant dealing with a few jokes about Moxxie's butt along the way.
To be continued….