~It had been a few days since Axel had been hired at IMP, and it's time for his first assassination~

"Axel! Where are you!" Blitz called out from his office. Axel quickly jumped up from his desk and ran over to Blitz's office, before opening the door excitedly.

"Yes? You wanted me?" Axel's eagerness couldn't be contained, and Blitz chuckled at the sight of Axel acting like a puppy.

"Do you know what time it is...." Blitz playfully teased, and Axel's expression brightened even further.

"My first assassination?" Axel's eyes widened like a child on Christmas morning, and a wide grin stretched across his face.

"Sure is!" Blitz replied. "Go and get a gun from the armoury, and I'll be with you shortly. This one's going to be a doozy, so M n' M don't need to come. And I can also see your skills up close." Axel nodded enthusiastically, before leaving the office.

Finally! FINALLY! I get to kill someone! Axel thought happily. After what felt like an eternity of paperwork, he was finally going to do something meaningful. His steps were practically bouncing as he made his way to the weapons closet, excitement coursing through his veins.

Loona watched the spectacle from her desk, raising an eye brow at the strange sight. "What's up with you today?" She asked.

"Blitz is finally letting me join a mission. After all this desk work, I'm ready to actually do something useful," Axel replied dreamily, his mind already racing with thoughts of the upcoming task. He picked out a sizeable handgun and a few spare magazines from the armoury, along with a substantial hunting knife that he tucked away in his pocket.

"Alrighty!" Blitz's voice chimed from his office doorway. He approached Axel with a proud smile. "Your first mission, eh? The first kill is always the best. I still remember mine like it was 6 years ago. By that I mean I don't really remember it at all." He looked at Loona. 

"Loony, care to do the honours?" She rolled her eyes, before flipping through the grimoire and reading the portal spell. As she read it, a bright red circle appeared in the office, captivating Axel.

"It's beautiful..." He said in awe. Blitz grinned smugly.

"Sure is!" He replied. Blitz then began walking through, beckoning Axel to follow him. Just as he was able to do so, they were stopped by Loona.

""Hey!" She called out, her tone oddly softer. "Just... take care of yourself out there." Her attempt at concern took Axel by surprise, prompting a smirk.

"Aw, is Loony Toony worried about me?" Axel taunted, his sarcasm undeniable.

"Don't flatter yourself," Loona retorted, crossing her arms defensively. "Just...be careful."

"Your concern warms my heart," Axel replied cheekily, feigning a sentimental moment.

"Go on, get out of here!" Loona muttered, though her eyes betrayed a hint of something else. Axel flashed her a mischievous smile before shrugging and stepping into the portal behind Blitz.

"I'm so touched you care for me, Loona." Axel mocked, wiping away a fake tear.

"Don't make me regret it." She warned. Axel smiled at her, before the portal closed behind them, sealing shut.

(TIMESKIP - 30 MINUTES)

Loona was sitting at her desk, reading the next issue of Hellhound Weekly. But as she read through the magazine, she couldn't help hear the words Axel had said to her replay over and over in her head. 

I'm so touched you care for me, Loona. He had said. Your concern warms my heart. She tried thinking of something, ANYTHING to distract her from Axel. But her mind betrayed her, and she found herself thinking of him once more.

I don't care about him. She reassured herself. I couldn't care less if he made it back or not. She stared back at the magazine momentarily, before slamming her fist into the desk.

"Goddamn it!" She yelled in frustration. "What is wrong with me?!"

In the midst of her outrage, Loona failed to notice the curious glances from her fellow co-workers. Moxxie and Millie exchanged a quick glance, their eyebrows raised in silent communication. Loona's display was far from her usual composed self, and it piqued their interest.

"Honey, are you ok?" Millie asked, her voice soft. Loona turned to them, before quickly composing herself.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She lied. "Just a bit of a headache."

Both Moxxie and Millie looked at each other and shrugged before resuming their work.

As Loona tried to relax once more, a loud ringtone was heard from her phone, and she picked it up eagerly. "Yes?" She answered.

"Loona, we're ready to come home dear!" Blitz replied on the other end.

Loona sighed in relief, before opening up the grimoire and flicking to the portal spell. As she muttered the incantation, her mind became excited at the thought of seeing Axel again.

"...Fuck yeah that was AWESOME!" A booming voice called out from the portal that had manifested. Loona looked up from her desk and waited eagerly, her tail wagging. Soon a tall, blood-stained figure waltzed through the glowing red circle, his eyes shining with happiness. A smaller but equally stained figure followed behind him, laughing as well.

"You really showed that gang how to dance huh?" Blitz complimented Axel, which caused his tail to wag.

"I-It was nothing, really." Axel said, bashfully. "You were the one to kill the leader in the end."

"Oh come on! At least take some of the credit." Blitz replied. "You saved my ass too many times out there." He clapped his hands together, before rubbing them excitedly. "What do you say we all go to the new dive down the street? A celebration for your first kill."

"HELL yeah!" Axel said, excitedly.

Loona stared at him momentarily, smiling. He seemed so happy, so joyous. It was a rare sight to see in a hellhound. Unbeknownst to her however, her tail was still wagging, giving her a slight blush when she finally realised.

"Moxxie! Millie! Get your asses out here! We got to celebrate!" Blitz called out, as two familiar imp walked through the break room, following Blitz down to the van.

It was just Loona and Axel in the room now. He turned to her with a smile. "Come on, lets go. It's been a while since I had a drink with some friends." She nodded, before getting up out of her desk and moving to the door.

Loona's eyes met Axel's as he turned to her with that cocky grin of his. "Ladies first," he playfully remarked, holding the door open.

"Hilarious," she retorted with a roll of her eyes, though a subtle warmth spread through her chest at the interaction.

They brushed past each other, the close proximity sending a shiver down Loona's spine. 

(TIMESKIP - 30 MINUTES)

"...and then I stabbed that fucker right in the chest with his own knife!" Blitz's dramatic retelling of the mission put a smile on everyone's face, even Loona. The only one not smiling at the story, was Axel.

This feel way to familiar. He thought, as he sipped his drink. As much as he tried to forget, he mind was focused on one thing. His sister.

The way she smiled. The way she laughed. Hell, even the way she comforted him when he was younger. All things that Axel missed deeply. As he looked at the drink in his hand, his mind kept wandered back to the day she died. The WAY she died. It was all his fault. And the fact he was working for a murder company? Ironic, he thought.

Unknowingly, Loona was staring at him, trying to study his face. She knew that something was bothering him deeply. She just didn't know what. I guess I'll try to talk to him. She thought.

"...hey" Loona's soft voice snapped him out of his trance. "You good?"

"What's it to you?" Axel's response came out sharper than he intended, the frustration in his tone catching both of them off guard. Loona momentarily recoiled from his words, her brow furrowing, before she turned her attention back to her drink.

"Chill the fuck out, I just asked a question." Loona replied, her voice mimicking the same hostility he has held.

Axel sighed deeply, before rubbing his eyes. "Sorry. I'm just...thinking about something."

"You wanna talk about it?" She looked back at him, her voice showing no sign of the hostility it just held.

Axel hesitated for a moment, his guard still up. "Not really," he admitted, his gaze averted. "I'd rather drown it out for now." He managed a faint smile, attempting to lighten the mood, before taking another sip from his drink.

"Fair enough," Loona sighed. "Guess we're not so different in that way."

"Yeah," Axel agreed.

The silence between them lingered for a moment, heavy with unspoken thoughts. 

"Cheers to drowning our troubles," Loona finally raised her glass, a toast.

"Cheers," Axel replied, clinking his glass against hers. As they both took a sip, their eyes briefly met, a silent connection forged in the midst of their individual struggles.

God, if only you knew what I did, He thought.