Helluva Boss - After the Party

Waking up

His eyelids fluttered open, the sterile white of the hospital room greeting him with a harsh brightness. His head throbbed slightly, but it wasn't the unbearable kind of pain he'd been expecting. Actually, he felt... fine. Better than fine, even. Kind of relaxed, as if he'd been stressed his entire life and now was enjoying a bit of peace for the first time in what felt like forever. He shifted slightly under the stiff sheets, feeling a dull ache in his stomach, a reminder of whatever had just been pumped out of him.

Hospital? The thought came slowly, his mind fuzzy as if wrapped in a thick blanket of confusion. Blitzo frowned, trying to recall how he'd gotten here. Christ on a stick, had he gone and pulled a 'Barbie'? Bits and pieces floated back—blurry faces, Loona and some other woman had brought him here, carried on their shoulders, doctors hovering over him, the sterile smell of medicine and the cold sting of needles.Then a darker room with a different doctor, a doctor that looked more like a sorcerer.

Was that normal? Nah, didn't feel normal...

He let out a groggy sigh and blinked again, his gaze drifting around the room and he saw her; Loona, sitting by his bed, her hands gripping the armrest of the chair like she was trying to keep herself from falling apart. She looked rough, but her eyes were wide, filled with worry, flickering over him as though she were making sure he was still there.

Seeing her there sent a wave of warmth washing over him. It was a sensation he couldn't quite describe—this overwhelming sense of love, gratitude, and safety all bundled up in the sight of his adopted daughter by his side. He blinked again, this time focusing on her face, and a soft smile curled onto his lips.

"Looney..." he rasped, his voice dry, the familiar nickname rolling off his tongue. She blinked, her ears twitching slightly at the sound of his voice. Her eyes, those concerned eyes, met his, and for a brief moment, her stern exterior cracked.

"Dad," she said quietly, her voice thick with something he couldn't quite place. She looked tired. "You're awake."

"Yeah," he replied, his voice still hoarse but a little stronger now. He swallowed and managed a chuckle. "Guess I went a little overboard on the drinkin' this time, huh?"

Her face twitched, just a flicker, but it was enough for him to notice. There was something more there. Something she wasn't saying. Blitzo's smile faltered as he watched her. His heart swelled with affection seeing how much she cared—he knew she'd never say it outright, but the fact that she was here, waiting for him to wake up, was enough.
"Hyeah," she barked up bitterly after a while. "You dumbass..."

"I'm fine now," he added, trying to lighten the mood. "They pumped me out, didn't they? No big deal."

Loona's eyes narrowed slightly, and she shifted in her seat. "Yeah... they did," she replied, her tone carefully neutral, but there was something heavy beneath it, something she wasn't telling him. "You don't remember what happened?" she asked finally.

Blitzo frowned. "Ah, no. Bits and pieces mostly. But hey c'mon, Looney, I'm all good! You can stop lookin' at me like I'm about to croak any second. I'll just... go easy on the sauce from now on, ok?" He chuckled again, trying to make light of the situation. But Loona didn't laugh. She just stared at him, her mouth tightening into a thin line. He didn't even remember getting wasted. Or where.

That flicker of warmth he felt earlier started to ebb away, replaced by a creeping sense of unease. Something wasn't right. There was more to this than him just getting a bit too drunk. He could feel it in the air, in the way Loona wasn't meeting his eyes. She was hiding something. What happened before the hospital? His memories were fuzzy, disjointed, like puzzle pieces that wouldn't quite fit together. He remembered a gloomy bar... somewhere and someone with a sickening grin.