Helluva Boss X Reader (Season 1)

CHAPTER 76: A HAPPY FAMILY

Y/N set her sister's brush down by the sink and looked at herself in the mirror once more. Despite turning back to her true hellhound form, the time she spent wearing her human disguise still weighed on her perception. Adjusting back to her real body felt strange, as if it took a while for her reflection to feel like hers.

She looked at herself closely, her hair still damp from her shower, every feature of her hellhound appearance reflected in the fogged-up glass. She looked exactly the same as she remembered... except for the small, barely visible bruise on her dark little nose. She had to get even closer to notice it, it wasn't any bigger than the ones she used to get in training with Millie, but the memory of the blow her sister had given her hit her back without warning. Her chest tightened and she jerked away from the mirror, sucking in air.

For a moment, she wondered if it would have hurt less if the blow had come from someone else.

She raised a hand to her nose, instinctively rubbing the bruise, as if it would fade the pain that still throbbed beneath her skin. However, the touch made her notice another mark. She looked down at her wrist and ran her fingers over the small scar left by the burn from the fire. At that point, her fur never grew back, revealing a patch of dark pink skin, smooth and cool to the touch.

Her mind took her to another scar. She slid her gaze to her other arm, where a thin, hairless line marked the spot of the cut she'd got during the chase with the Imp "Mutilator." Unlike the burn, that wound had almost completely healed, becoming barely noticeable... except when her sleeve wasn't covering it.

Y/N shook her head, trying to push away the memories before they dragged her into an even darker place. She didn't want to think about scars, or bruises, or doubts that weighed too much.

She got off the stool she used to reach herself in the mirror and left the bathroom, leaving behind her reflection and everything it reminded her of.

As she walked out, Y/N found Blitzø on the couch, fast asleep, snoring softly. His laptop remained open in front of him, but the battery was completely dead. He wasn't the only exhausted one in the house.

The little hellhound headed towards her room, but a familiar smell made her stop. Tobacco smoke reached her nose, and as she turned towards the windows, she saw Loona sitting on the balcony, smoking quietly.

Part of her wanted to keep walking to bed and leave everything behind. She still felt uncomfortable with Loona, because of what had happened between them, resentful of the punch, no matter how many times she told herself it had been an accident. But another part of her felt a pang of guilt for fearing her big sister. Their relationship had improved so much since she came into the family, and all she wanted was for everyone to be able to get along.

So, taking a deep breath, Y/N gathered the courage to approach Loona.

Y/N stepped out onto the balcony, sliding the glass door gently so as not to make any noise, and was immediately greeted by the characteristic bustle of the hellish streets of IMP City. Distant traffic, screams of enraged demons, an occasional gunshot, all the usual. The streets shone under the night light of the city, bathed in the glow of a quarter moon in a partly cloudy sky. She felt the wind brush her hair, carrying with it the smell of garbage and black smoke from the cars.

Silently, the pup approached Loona. The adult hellhound was sitting on the floor of the balcony, behind the railing, looking out at the streets in front of her. Her legs dangled carefree between the bars as she enjoyed the fresh air, still wearing her usual clothes. Seeing her in her true form, Y/N felt more familiar with her than in her human form. She noticed how her ears and tail were relaxed, in a peace that, somehow, seemed a bit unusual to her.