A Pain I Want In My Life

Anything

               Stolas, Moxxie, and Loona stepped through the portal and into Stolas' dining room. Silently, loona and Moxxie walked to the table, and each grabbed their own chair. Sitting down, they both looked toward Stolas, waiting for him to explain. But he only stared back at them as if he was confused.

"Uhhh... Stolas?" Loona asked. "What's the plan?" Stolas sighed. "Before that..." he began. "Moxxie... would you be so kind as to check up on Octavia, please?"

Loona shot up from her chair. "Stolas, what the fuck!?" Moxxie began walking toward the front door. "I'll see myself out."

"Moxxie please!" Stolas stepped in front of him. "I know things havent gone very well for you, and I am partly to blame, but whatever happened last night has made my daughter very upset. She won't open up to me, she won't come downstairs, and I believe you could raise her spirits."

"I think it would be more appropriate if we never saw each other again." Moxxie replied, making Stolas reel back. "We never should have met."

"But you did meet... and I... would be ever so grateful, if you would please..." Stolas trailed off, looking more and more distressed every second. Moxxie was already here. All he had to do was check in on her, before figuring out what to do about Stella.

"Which room is hers?" He asked. Stolas pointed and said, "Through the hall, up the stairs, and last door on the left." Moxxie looked toward Loona, who was clearly pissed about it. Serves her right. But he assured her none the less.

"It's fine. I'll be right back." He told her in a soft tone. She nodded, and he left. As he walked through the hall, he noticed the pictures lining the walls. King Paimon, Stolas, Stolas and Octavia. Before the stairs, there was a portrait of all three of them.

Noticing it, he stopped in his tracks to inspect it. Stolas was expressionless. As was Stella, who had one hand on Octavias head who seemed to be... in distress? Moxxies shoulders slumped slightly. She appeared to be younger in the portrait than she is now. Maybe by a few years.

She had a look on her face, that reminded him of the past. Only one who had been through it before could read all the things her expression was trying to convey. Loneliness, fear, uncertainty. He was reading into it too much. She may have just been having a bad day.

But he remembered when they were in the limo to go meet Andrealphus at the restaurant. She was so excited to have him around. She had texted him so much about herself. You could make the argument that it was so they could show how much they'd shared with each other over a fabricated amount of time. But he could tell...

She saw him as a best friend. And she couldn't have been happier to have him around. He made her life better.

"Oh Crumbs..." Moxxie continued up the stairs realizing how wrong this was. He was a happily... well, a married (possibly soon to be divorced) adult imp. She was a teenager, and she was royalty. They shouldn't even be acquainted.

But this is how it is. Honestly, Moxxie could take some relief in the fact that she was a decent person when she wasn't trying to get revenge on someone for 'taking her father away.'

Moxxie chuckled to himself. "I guess she's a daddy's girl."

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"Stolas, why are you sending him up to see her?" We had a plan!" Loona half whispered, half yelled.  Stolas took Moxxies seat next to her. "I know, but there's so much going on. Octavia is under a lot of stress. She really wanted to see him. And honestly having you both here, might be the safest option, so he might as well comfort her."

"Why would this be the safest place?" Loona asked. "Doesn't she have access to your house?"

"Not after last night she doesn't." He replied. "She's done something to my daughter. Until I find out exactly what, I can keep her out, as long as I feel like it."

Loona shook her head. "But..."

"You needn't worry. You are safe here. And Moxxie is safe with her. And I already have a plan to take care of everything." He said.

Loona sighed. "What if she tries anything with him?" Stolas leaned back in his chair groaning loudly. "Uuuuugghhh... yes, Crimson told me all about it. I was shocked at how my daughter was able to attempt something so bold. But she said he was quite the gentleman. Didn't even cop a feel."

Loona said nothing. Stolas sat back up in his chair to continue, only to see Loona filled with murderous rage.

"What... did she... do?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moxxie reached Octavias door. Last one at the end of the hall. He took a deep breath and knocked. There was no answer. He put his ear to the door. He could hear something familiar. It was noise. She was listening to the song he gave her on her phone. Most likely on repeat. He knocked again, and he could hear the music lower slightly.

"What..." Was all he could hear from the other side. He took that as his cue to enter. Upon doing so he could tell... this was a teenagers room.  Band posters everywhere. Clothes thrown every which way. But there was a hint of elegance to the atmosphere. The building itself of course. Beautifully constructed pillars towering above overly expensive furniture lining the walls.

Toward the far back center of the room, he could see a lump from underneath the covers of an extra large King size bed. He made his way toward the lump, his eyes barely reaching over the bed. The song ended on her phone, and it began to play again from the beginning.

"If you listen to that less, you might enjoy it more."

The song stopped, and the lump began to move, very slowly. Soon Octavia revealed herself. Moxxie held his breath and tried to not flinch. But the look on her face when she saw him...

Made his heart clench.

Such a show of relief and appreciation, from someone who... was calling for their mother all night long. But Mother never came. The memory plagued Moxxies mind. He could see himself within Octavia. No one came to save him when he was younger. But he was here for her.

He could have never seen her again. Now that he has, he wasn't so sure he wanted to let her go now.

She reached for him, but Moxxie took a small step back, trying to control his own emotions. She slowly crawled out of bed. She wasn't exactly dressed. Wearing only a large black t-shirt that covered two-thirds of her body, she stumbled towards him.

On her knees, she grabbed hold of him and pressed her cheek to his forehead. Holding him just firmly enough, that he couldn't resist without hurting her.

She was just a teenager. Just a girl. Just some royal brat. But Moxxie couldn't help returning the embrace... or the warm emotion that came with it.

"Dad said you were coming to see me... but I didn't believe him. I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me. I'll do anything..."