Archive of Our Own

Blitz threw the van into park outside his apartment and took a slow, shaky breath. His eyes were wide and staring straight ahead, his hands tight on the steering wheel.

What the fuck happened? What the fuck just happened?

He didn’t know how long he’d sat there, gripping so hard his fingers were going numb, but his stare was broken when a thin, long fingered hand slipped into his view and gently touched his arm. “We should… head inside, Blitz,” said Stolas, who’d been sitting right there beside him the whole time.

Blitz blinked and snapped his head to look at the owl, his eyes still stuck wide. “Uh. Yeah.” He shut the van off and shoved the keys into his pocket. “...Yeah.”

He got out of the van and rounded it, opening the door for Stolas and stepping out of his way. As Stolas emerged, his head stayed low, his shoulders tense, and his arms wrapped around himself. He looked… wrong, without his hat, or his cape. Blitz pursed his lips and shut the door behind him. “...Come on.”

Stolas nodded blankly and followed.

They both remained silent on the trip up to Blitz’s apartment. They both pretended that Blitz’s hand wasn’t shaking as he unlocked the door and let them inside. Stolas had to duck his head even lower just to avoid hitting it on the door frame. He was too tall for this place.

Blitz shut the door behind them and regarded Stolas again, watching him stand there trying to become as small as he could and take up as little space as possible. Blitz took another breath. “Let’s… go sit. Do you w-... do you want some water?” His voice sounded hollow, even to himself.

Stolas hesitantly nodded. “Please…” From there, he made his way to Blitz’s couch and sat down, staring down at his lap.

Blitz hadn’t even made it to the fridge before Loona’s bedroom door was thrown open, smashing against the wall. “What the fuck, Blitz!” She had her vision locked on Blitz as soon as she saw him, storming out toward him with fury in her eyes. “Where were you all day!?”

Blitz bit his lip, holding his hands out to her. “Loonie-”

“You went out for coffee, and then you never came back! Do you have any idea how worried we were!?” Loona didn’t stop until she was looming over Blitz. “If you just wanted to fuck off and skip work, you could have texted me! Or anybody! Or at least answered your fucking phone-”

“Loona, sweetheart…?” Stolas’s soft voice sent Loona’s ears on alert, and she snapped to look at the speaker, her eyes landing on Stolas on the couch. She hadn’t even noticed him in her tirade. “Please… He’s had a very difficult day, I assure you he would have reached out if he could.”

Loona stared at Stolas in shock. “Your highness?” She sniffled once, rubbing one of her eyes. “What are-...?” She then turned back down to Blitz, whose expression hadn’t really changed from the far off stare he’d been wearing for hours. “...Dad, what happened…?”

Blitz swallowed a lump in his throat. “It’s… fine. Everything’s fine, I just got caught up in some shit. It’s fine. Sorry…”

He watched as Loona studied his face, and then watched her eyes roam around the rest of him. He knew she was making note of what a mess he was–a torn sleeve, a cut on his hand, a few bruises. “...Who the fuck did this to you?” Loona asked, her voice low and threatening.

Blitz flinched as he tried to think of how to explain something that he wasn’t even sure he could understand.

~

He had been out for coffee when it happened. He’d been feeling nice that day, and he had some extra funds from a previous job, so coffee for the squad sounded like a great way to start the day. He’d dropped everyone off at the office and gone out to find a cafe that still let him in.

At least they didn’t wait until he’d already paid to strike.

He’d known something was wrong the minute he got in line. Three larger hellhounds entered the building shortly after him and immediately stood far too close. Blitz tried to act nonchalant, pretending he didn’t notice them, wrapping his tail strategically around his leg in preparation for what was inevitably to come.

But the hounds didn’t waste time.

The minute one grabbed Blitz’s arm, he went straight for his gun, but a second knocked it loose, and he was dragged out of the building. Blitz fought tooth and nail against the hounds, not knowing who they were or what they wanted, but it couldn’t have been good, whatever it was. As tough as he was–as much as he’d fought for his whole life–three massive hellhounds against one, single, disarmed imp was never going to go his way.

He was pinned on his back, and his whole miserable life flashed before his eyes as the largest of the hounds gripped his throat with her powerful jaws and sharp teeth. They were already breaking skin as it was; All she would have to do is bite down.

“We got him,” the only hound not holding him down panted into a radio. “Bring the car around.”

And sure enough, a sleek, black car sped near-soundlessly out of a nearby alley. Blitz felt a needle enter his arm, and the last thing he remembered before whatever it was started to kick in was a hood being thrown over his head.

~

Remembering it all made Blitz pause too long, and it allowed Loona the time to see the bite mark on his throat. Her pupils shrank, and her fur bristled. “Dad, who did this…?”

Blitz sighed and reached out for her arms. “Don’t. They were just doing their jobs, sweetie.”

“They could have killed you! I can talk to Bee, I can find out who-”

“Loona!” Blitz’s hands flinched, even as his voice broke to get her attention. “I am fine. They don’t need any shit for just doing what they were told. I just want everything that happened to be over.”

Loona stared at him. She was tense under his hands, and it looked like she wanted to scream. But as she was asked, she slowly settled down and turned her eyes to the floor. She then lifted her head to look at Stolas.

As Blitz followed her gaze, Stolas was watching with his hands curled tight to his chest, looking worried for them both. She held her mouth closed in a tight line before sighing and closing her eyes. She knew, more than anyone, that Blitz and Stolas were on rocky ground right now. She’s the only one that Blitz let see how upset he’d been recently. Perhaps it was why she was so ready to jump to his defense.

He wished he had the mindset to feel touched by that. But right now, he was too full of emotions to feel anything .

Loona gave Blitz a small nod. “...I’m gonna go to a party… Blow off some steam. I’m glad you’re okay, or whatever…”

Blitz managed a weak smile and finally let his hands drop to his sides. “You wanna take the van?”

“Yeah.” She held out her hand for the keys, which he handed her. She then turned back to Stolas and squinted at him. “...Your highness? Don’t… make things any worse. Okay?”

Blitz flinched. “Loonie-”

“Just ‘Stolas’ is fine, my dear… And I won’t be any trouble. I promise.” Stolas gave her his own weak smile. “The… Goetian council has seen to that.” Stolas sounded just as exhausted as Blitz felt.

Loona blinked at him. And then she nodded. She moved back to Blitz and dragged his head to her by his horn, planting a kiss on his head. “Don’t make a mess of the place.”

“No promises,” Blitz said, trying to be teasing, but coming off empty.

He watched as Loona made her way to the front door, feeling like he was a dam holding a wall of something back to spare her the fuss. Before she made it out, Stolas’s shaky voice broke the silence again. “Er… Loona?”

Loona turned to regard him, watching after her sheepishly over the back of the couch. “Could you-... Would you mind getting in touch with Via and telling her where I am…? I… no longer have my phone.”

Loona’s stare was hard–quizzical. But eventually she nodded, finally taking her leave and shutting the door.

Blitz let go of the breath he was holding. It came out shuddery and clipped. He slammed his lips closed tight to stifle any noise that might have tried to escape. He then made his way to the kitchen to finally get Stolas his water.

Once the cup was set on the little side table nearest Stolas, Blitz moved to the owl’s other side and sat down beside him. That same silence from before took over, with only the idle sounds of the apartment and the city life outside to fill it.

Stolas was just as distant and lost as Blitz. He carefully took the water from the table into his hands after a few moments, sipping it slow, shakily, and gratefully. He could taste the difference between what ran from the tap in the palace and what came out of the tap in Blitz’s cheap apartment, being more metallic, but it was something he’d have to get used to. If Blitz could handle it, so could he.

Not that he had much of a choice. There was no going back now. The last time he’d walked out of the palace would be the last time he ever walked out.

~

It wasn’t how Stolas had thought he would start the day.

He was alone, without Via or even staff, picking at his late lunch with little enthusiasm at the end of an empty table. He’d had no plans, only wore his robe, and was ready to spend another day feeling miserable and drinking. That should have been the day.

But instead, his relative peace had been shattered. A small selection of Goetic demons strolled through the entryway into the kitchen without a shred of warning, causing Stolas to drop his spoon and pull his robe closed in shock. “What in the-!” Bringing up the end of the group was none other than Andrealphus, who had a sickeningly sly grin on his face as he came into the light. Stolas stood and glared him down. “What is the meaning of this!?”

Andre tilted his head back to look down his beak at Stolas. “The council requires your immediate attendance. You might want to change into something more appropriate.”

Stolas flinched, his anger shifting to worry. “The… council…?”

Andrealphus clicked his tongue. “You might want to hop to it. This is a very time sensitive matter.” His smirk never once left his face.

But that same cold stare of his was shared by the other demons flanking him. Despite no longer being the only one in the room, Stolas had never felt so alone in his entire life.

~

Stolas had donned his hat and cape to leave with them, but they were gone now. Settled on the floor in the room he’d been brought to. He wondered idly if Andrealphus had kept them as souvenirs, but he didn’t want to think about it–of Andrealphus tossing them happily at Stella’s feet, and her inevitably ecstatic response…

Right now, all he could think about was the small imp at his side, looking smaller than he ever had. Stolas’s mouth trembled as he gazed into his cup. “...Thank you. For-... For letting me stay,” he managed, keeping his gaze low. He was afraid looking at Blitz now would imply an expectation. But he didn’t want Blitz to feel any obligation to him. He would never put Blitz in that position ever again.

Blitz didn’t respond right away. He fidgeted next to Stolas, keeping his wide eyes locked on his lap. “...Yeah. Don’t… don’t mention it. I wasn’t gonna-... I mean after what you-...” Stolas turned in time to watch Blitz’s eyes squeeze shut. “...Lemme get you another blanket. This one’s not long enough for your legs…” Blitz shoved off of the couch and walked to the bathroom and flipped the light on, beginning his hunt.

Stolas stayed where he was and frowned, closing his eyes to sink into the couch and sigh. Of course Blitz already felt like he owed Stolas something. As Blitz returned with three folded things in his hands, Stolas couldn’t fight his own words. “If you’re not comfortable with me here, I can leave…”

Blitz finally– finally –looked up at him, brows dipping in confusion. “I’m not gonna-... I’m not kicking you out, Stols, that’s a dick move.” He handed him a small, yellow blanket that looked like it was well worn, with holes and broken threads all over it. “Sorry this is all we’ve got.”

Stolas accepted the blanket with a careful hand. “You do not have to do this.”

“I kinda do, yeah. Just… shut up and get some rest.” Blitz moved away from him and tossed the other things he’d retrieved from the bathroom onto the floor–two towels. He left one folded and then spread out the other.

Stolas’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. “W-... Blitz, are you sleeping on the floor?”

Blitz didn’t look at him as he walked back toward the bathroom, pulling off his jacket. “Yeah? Where else am I gonna sleep?”

All at once, Stolas was hyper aware of how many doors were in Blitz’s home. Blitz’s shadow danced in the light from the bathroom door, and the only other door led to what was most certainly Loona’s room.

Blitz didn’t have a room. And he was giving up the couch to Stolas.

With a soft huff, Stolas stood from the couch and laid the blankets on its cushions, making his way to where Blitz’s makeshift sleeping spot was. He sat carefully on the hard, carpeted floor, working to unbutton the vest he was wearing. For now, he’d sleep in his dress shirt and slacks. Perhaps tomorrow he’d find a way to procure some other clothing to wear.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Blitz, who’d changed into a large t-shirt for sleep, had returned from the bathroom. “You’re sleeping on the couch.”

Stolas frowned deeper as he tossed his vest aside. “I’m doing no such thing.” He crossed his arms. “Had I known you’d be giving up your only sleeping space to me, I’d have found somewhere else to go-”

“Your fancy feathered-ass is not gonna get a wink of sleep on the floor. Get up, I’ve slept on the floor before,” Blitz nearly barked at him. Stolas supposed he should be grateful that Blitz hadn’t brought up that Stolas didn’t have anywhere else to go. Blitz made his way to Stolas and held out his hand, waiting for Stolas to take it. Stolas only crossed his arms tighter against his chest, but all that served to do was upset Blitz further. “Stolas, come on.”

“No! Blitz, you were injured today! The last demon who needs to be on the floor right now is you!” Stolas stayed right where he was, standing his ground. Because he could still see every bruise and cut on Blitz. Every bandage. Every new mark.

And every single one was Stolas’s fault.

~

Stolas was tense the entire way through the massive halls of the Goetian courthouse. He hadn’t been sure what to expect, but being led through the halls into a large, vacant boardroom really wasn’t it.

Once he was moved to the head of the room, facing the long table and sat in the head seat less like a guest and more like a prisoner in interrogation, he finally got the nerve to speak. “Andrealphus, I will ask you again, why am I here? I know that there are motions being made against me, but this is not the way the council behaves, and you know it.”

“Mm, of course I do, Stolas,” answered the Marquis, the venom still dripping from each word. “But I know quite a few more things as well. For instance,” Andrealphus made his way to another Goetic demon, a dove Stolas knew as Shax, and plucked a large folder from his hands, dropping it on the table in front of him. “This case looking into your crimes against demon law is incredibly thorough. Did you know that you’re not the only one who’s misused the tome of your responsibilities?”

Stolas pursed his lips. “I already know what you’re going to say, and you can’t lay any blame on IMP. This choice was mine, and mine alone.”

“Oh, if only it ended there. But Stolas–” Andrealphus opened the file, and there sat photos, pulled from Sinstagram, staring up at him from the table.

Via’s Sinstagram, from when she used the book to travel to LA.

“–What of the crimes of your darling daughter?”

Stolas’s breath hitched in his throat. His mouth slammed shut, and his eyes followed after as he fought the grief that filled him. “...Please… She has nothing to do with-... Why can’t this horrible case focus on me and leave her out of it? She’s a child, she was upset, she didn’t know what she was doing was wrong-”

“I know this, Stolas! Octavia is my dear, sweet little niece! The last thing I want is for her to be dragged through this investigation along with you… but it’s not my choice.” The tone of Andrealphus’s voice didn’t feel like he felt any remorse at all.

But perhaps that had been the point.

“The investigation against you is going to find this information no matter what I do to stop it!” He gave a dramatic sigh and rested his hand against his forehead dramatically. “...Unless…”

And there it was. The other shoe had dropped, and Andrealphus was finally showing his hand. Stolas took a deep breath and straightened his spine, narrowing his eyes at the peacock. “...What do you need me to do…?”

Andrealphus chuckled, and the sound made Stolas sick. “Well you see, my dear brother-in-law, I don’t want to be seen as an unfair demon. The council has decided to give you a chance to right your wrongs!”

Stolas’s frown deepened as he aimed it at the Marquis. “And what does that entail?”

“We wanted to make sure you have options. Either you renounce yourself, here in this room–your position, your possessions, anything of value to your name signed away to my poor, neglected sister…”

Stolas’s eye twitched. “...Or?”

Andrealphus smirked and snapped his fingers. The doors of the boardroom were kicked open, not in violence, but with the effort of someone whose hands were busy–

–holding tight to a hooded, bound, and struggling form as he was dragged into the room. The muffled, wordless shouting never stopped even as the hellhounds unceremoniously tossed the small figure onto the center of the table.

Andrealphus made his way to the figure, reaching for the hood and yanking it off to reveal a face that Stolas already knew would be beneath it from the moment he’d breached the doorway.

Blitz, bruised and bloody, a cloth gag in his mouth keeping him as silent as it could, darted his eyes around like a cornered animal before coming to land on Stolas. Only then did he finally still.

“Or,” Andrealphus continued, willfully ignoring the deep stare Stolas and Blitz were locked into, “You can simply kill the imp responsible. Everyone knows none of this would have happened without him, so,” he gestured at Blitz, whose eyes were wide and angry and terrified… and not once leaving Stolas. “Either my sweet sister gets everything you own, or you wash your hands of one pathetic, worthless, little imp.”

Before him, on the table, Stolas watched as that fearful and furious gaze gained another emotion–

Resignation.

~

Blitz remained determined. “I am fine.” His voice didn’t sound as if he was. “N-Now get the hell outta my spot.” He held his hand out again, waiting for Stolas to take it, but his eyes weren’t focused on him. They weren’t focused on anything.

Stolas frowned and shifted to sit up on his knees. “Blitz, look at me please…”

“I just wanna go to sleep, Stolas, I need you to move-”

“You’re shaking…” Stolas finally reached for Blitz’s extended hand, but it was merely to cover it in both of his.

Blitz went statue-still before something seemed to snap. He dropped to his knees in front of Stolas, like a marionette with its strings cut. His breathing had picked up, as if no matter how much he inhaled, he couldn’t get enough air…

Stolas panicked and let go to lean down on his hands and knees in front of Blitz, trying to catch his eyes and get him to focus. “Blitz! Oh–Blitz please look at me, sweetheart, it’s all right-”

“Don’tfuckingtouchme.” Blitz was hyperventilating, lifting his hands to grip his horns.

Stolas wanted to sob, but only leaned lower. “I won’t touch you… I won’t, darling, I need you to breathe for me, please…”

Blitz squeezed his eyes shut and gulped for air, the spines along his back and tail standing on end and twitching. The tail was flicking behind him at a fast, angry pace, but perhaps anger was not what it was?

Perhaps it was in fear.

Stolas swallowed the lump in his throat and ducked his head, closing all of his eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you, Blitz. But you need to feel what you need to feel, you can’t hold it in. You’ve no need to-… to be so brave. Not with me, not now.”

Blitz barked a sob, curling in on himself more. But with that dam broken, he was able to suck in another breath to fuel another sob. And then another.

Stolas couldn’t do anything but let Blitz cry. He couldn’t touch him, or hold him, no matter how much his skin was screaming at him to do so. He didn’t want to make it worse. This had to be Blitz’s choice. Stolas would never take that from him ever again.

Blitz’s face was hot. He could feel the tears burning trails down his face. It was humiliating, but now that he’d started, he couldn’t stop. The closest to death he’d ever come, and it was at the hands of the demon he’d just invited into his home.

But he was never in danger from Stolas, was he?

There was never a world where Stolas would have hurt him.

Stolas chose him over a life of power, and leisure, and comfort.

Stolas… chose him.

~

Black, rippling magic erupted from a snarling Stolas before he suddenly took his massive eldritch form. The lights in the boardroom flickered as the massive black owl lurched out of the chair he’d been sitting in, swirling around the bound imp and planting himself protectively over him. His hat and cape fell to his vacated chair, discarded.

“How DARE you lay your hands on him!” His many voices filled the room, echoing around at the startled Goetia and terrified security.

Blitz’s eyes were wide as he was nearly swallowed by the darkness of Stolas. One of Stolas’s massive wings was wrapped around him like it was shielding him as his many red eyes threatened to bore holes through the other demons in the room.

Andrealphus stood there tense for a moment, looking nervous before straightening his robe and scoffing at him. “Well it seems I have your answer concerning the imp,” he said, looking thoroughly unimpressed.

“You had no RIGHT-”

“I was simply trying to expand your options,” Andrealphus continued, checking his talons as if he hadn’t just been terrified by Stolas’s show of force. Technically, he was correct to have no fear; he still had the upper hand. If Stolas were to harm any of these council members, there would be far worse than hell to pay. “So, do you wish to go forward with this trial, and drag your sweet daughter down with you, or will you willingly relinquish everything to Stella?”

Blitz’s shocked gaze snapped up to the still furious Stolas, but Stolas never once backed down. “You know my answer…”

“Mm,” Andrealphus sniffed idly. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to be clear, dear brother-in-law.”

Stolas’s rage made his entire form shiver and the lights flash. “You knew what my answer would be when you came to collect me. Give me the FUCKING paperwork, and I will sign it.”

Andrealphus grinned, and he held his hand out to one of the other demons, who carefully passed him a scroll. “Surely you don’t want to do this in that form. It’s so very unbecoming of a royal to fold to their emotions so heavily.”

Stolas gave one last hiss, making all of them–even Andrealphus–flinch before he finally shrank back down. But his arm was still around the bound imp. “...I want your word that Blitz will not be hurt…”

Andrealphus shrugged. “You’ve already decided that he wouldn’t be. What happens to him now is nothing to do with me.”

“SWEAR it, Andrealphus!”

“Alright! Hells, Stolas, you can be awfully rude when you want to be.” Andrealphus leveled his gaze on Blitz. “No one will touch your little toy.”

“He has a name.”

“And I don’t care.” Andrealphus had the gall to give Stolas a smug little smile. “I’ll not have a care in all of hell as soon as you sign.” He unrolled the scroll and let it hover in the air, with a bottle of ink manifesting at its side in waiting.

Stolas took a steadying breath and finally loosened his grip on Blitz. He turned to him fully, putting himself between Andrealphus and the poor, trembling imp. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry they dragged you into this, Blitz… Are you hurt?” He asked, beginning to undo his bindings by slicing the gag free to let him speak.

Almost as soon as the cloth was out of the way, Blitz took a deep breath. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Stolas gave him a weak smile. “What I have to. There was no other way this could go.”

“Stolas-”

“Everything is going to be okay,” Stolas interjected, beginning to make short work of the simple ropes around Blitz. “I promise… I promise you.”

Blitz watched as Stolas turned away only once he was completely freed. He carefully reached for the feathers at his chest and plucked one with wince, dipping it into the ink before reading the scroll.

By the end, he scribed his name to the bottom, and the scroll returned to Andrealphus’s hand. “Now. There’s just the matter of… preventing retaliation.”

Blitz watched Stolas’s eyes close as he took a resolved breath. Stolas carefully stepped down from the table. He walked to the peacock with his head low, like a man on death row. He knew what was coming; it had been clear in the contract.

One of the other demons held out an ornate box and opened it, revealing some sort of white-gold looking band that hummed with blessed energy. Andrealphus plucked it from the box and faced Stolas with a gleam in his eyes.

Stolas glared daggers through the icy demon. “You’ll return Blitz’s crystal to him? And his other possessions?”

Andrealphus tilted his head before nodding to the hellhounds that brought Blitz in. Sure enough, Blitz was helped off of the table and handed his wares without hesitation. He barely had the focus to take them back.

With that, Stolas sighed and held his arm out to Andrealphus. “...If anything happens to either of them–if you go back on your word–you’ll wish it was easy for you to die.”

Andrealphus only grinned in response. “Consider me warned.”

And with that, he clapped the angelic brace around Stolas’s wrist.

~

By the time Blitz had calmed down, they were both fully on the floor. Blitz was curled forward and still gripping his head far softer than he had been moments ago. Stolas had managed to keep his hands off of Blitz, but still within his sight and reach if he needed him. If he needed someone… Stolas no longer felt like it should be him, but for now, he was the only here who could attempt to offer any comfort.

Not that he thought Blitz would find his presence very comforting right now.

Slowly Blitz took a deep, trembling breath and rolled onto his side on the floor.

Stolas flinched and gathered the folded towel from behind him. “Blitz you-... please, that can’t be good for your neck-”

As he reached out to hand him the towel, Blitz’s own hand shot out and grabbed Stolas’s wrist. Stolas went still, even as Blitz moved his other hand to help undo the shirt sleeve cuff and roll it up. His actions revealed the angelic band that was now keeping every ounce of Stolas’s magic locked behind it. He had no defenses. His goetic healing was gone. Stolas was just like any other low ranking demon now.

Blitz frowned at it, running his fingers over it. “...Does it hurt?”

Stolas lowered his eyes. “...No. I just feel tired.” It wasn’t a lie, per say. If anything, it was true, but that tiredness stemmed from a deep, empty feeling, like he was a star whose core had just turned to solid, cold stone.

…The stars. He’d never be able to see them again.

Stolas’s head lowered further, and he closed his eyes, trying to stifle the emotions that were bubbling within him.

Blitz, thankfully, seemed to pay his face no mind. His eyes were still locked on that blessed band. “...Why’d you do this…?”

Stolas lifted his gaze to the imp slowly. “The alternative was letting the council try and lay blame for the grimoire’s misuse on Via. I could never let that happen.”

“But you could have just killed me,” he said, like it was the easiest thing in the world to say. “Then everything would have just… gone back to normal for you.”

Stolas’s frown deepened as his heart twisted in his chest. Even after everything they’d gone through, from that horrible full moon, to the party, and their radio silence after that, Stolas had known there was never a chance that he could have done such a thing. But somehow, and perhaps reasonably so, Blitz still believed it had been an option.

Blitz huffed and finally pushed himself off of the floor, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them tight. “Why the fuck would you-... for Via, I get, but for me-” He sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut again. “You know what I’m like now. You know first-fucking-hand. Why the fuck would you bother saving my stupid ass…?”

Stolas’s heart was in his throat. He lifted his gaze away from Blitz, trying to find anything to focus on as he thought about what to say–

–But any words he might have tried to form froze as his breath hitched. His eyes had landed on the photos Blitz had up on the walls. Everyone in his life seemed to be up there. The crew of IMP, old images of Fizz, and other imps he didn’t recognize. But primarily, his focus was on the fact that Blitz was in every single photo, and he’d been crossed out. His visage was blocked by thick lines of black marker.

There was a reason that Loona was so protective of her dad.

With Stolas officially now being useless for words, he crawled toward where Blitz was curled inward and wrapped his arms around the imp, unable to stop himself. He said nothing as he rested his cheek against Blitz’s horn, eyes closed, hugging Blitz like he was trying to squeeze that self-hatred out of him.

Blitz only leaned into the embrace, likely too mentally spent to do anything else, but at least he was receptive of what little comfort Stolas was trying to provide. Blitz may have been out of tears, but Stolas wasn’t.

“There isn’t a world where I don’t save you every time, Blitz,” he mumbled against that horn.

Blitz shivered in his hold. “I treated you like shit…” The words were muffled against Stolas’s chest.

Stolas took a deep breath and held tighter. “And I couldn’t see that I was doing the same to you.”

“Stols-”

“No, Blitz. There’s nothing I regret now more than having attended that party, but more… what I said to you. How I said it.” Stolas pulled away enough to rub at his eyes, and Blitz took the opportunity to finally look up at him. “You’d truly come to… apologize to me. You came, and you wanted to talk, but I didn’t want to listen.”

Blitz frowned at him. “You were drunk, that’s not fair-”

“It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have even been there, I-...” Stolas groaned and covered his face with both hands. “...You are worth so much, Blitz. I meant what I said when I told you I thought so, so highly of you. I still do, nothing has changed. You still–” He took a steadying breath, “–mean so much to me. For whatever that’s worth now.”

Blitz took on an exhausted facade, an exhale–of relief or frustration, Stolas couldn’t tell–escaping as his eyes squeezed closed again. “But why? I’m not worth everything you had.”

Stolas’s smile returned as he lifted a hand to the side of Blitz’s face. “They’re just possessions, Blitz. My home, my things, even my magic–none could be more important than a life. Your life.”

Blitz sniffled and rubbed angrily at his eyes. “Yeah right, like you’d have done that for any other imp…”

Stolas’s beak clamped closed for a moment, before he bowed his head. “...Before we met again, I don’t believe I would have. You’re right.” He eventually found Blitz’s hand and held it. “But that’s what you’ve been trying to get me to understand, isn’t it?”

Blitz frowned at him. “...Stols-”

“In the boardroom, you looked… so sure. You were convinced I would end you, but not simply because of the consequences of not doing so. You were expecting to die because… well surely that’s just how things go, isn’t it?” Stolas felt the guilt in his chest ache, as it had been doing for some time now. “...And I failed to see how you saw it. All of it.”

Blitz winced. Then, he sat back up on his knees and wrapped his arms around Stolas’s neck. “...I coulda said it better…”

“No.” Stolas curled his arms around Blitz’s waist and buried his face in his shoulder. “I needed it made clear. My feelings are not second to your reality.”

“But I-”

“I needed it shoved in my face, darling.” Stolas leaned his head against Blitz’s own, simply basking in his warm body and focusing every sense on that fact that Blitz was here, and breathing, and alive. “And I don’t regret choosing you over the life that made me believe that others were below me. I will never regret choosing you.”

Blitz very slowly went boneless against him. He sniffled, a soft, quiet sign that he was crying at least a little bit, but even with how stifled Blitz kept it, Stolas felt it was finally in relief. Blitz’s arms twitched around his shoulders. “You’re still taking the fucking couch.”

Stolas laughed, ducking his head into Blitz’s shoulder. “It’s still early.” He adjusted his hold on Blitz and carefully lifted him from the floor. “What say we sit for a while? And just… talk.”

Blitz, for all his faults and independence, simply held onto Stolas and let himself be carried to the couch. It was perhaps a testament to his exhaustion that he was actually allowing someone else to take the reins, if only for this simple task.

Stolas set him down first and then sat next to him again, reaching out for Blitz’s hand. Blitz didn’t take it. Instead, he tipped over until his head was on Stolas’s lap, cheek pressed against his thigh. Stolas could feel the weight of Blitz’s experiences of the day. And they were so much louder now that Stolas was here, in Blitz’s small home, with his walls covered in his self-hatred.

All the while, Blitz still powered through his life without hesitation. Stolas could only ever wish to be so strong.

He laid one hand gently on Blitz’s shoulder, rubbing it up and down. “...Will you talk to me, Blitz?”

Blitz didn’t flinch, or move. He didn’t turn to look up at him. He only let Stolas soothe him and stared straight ahead. “What’d ya wanna know…?”

Stolas smiled. “Anything you want to tell me about.” He looked about the room, at the doodles stuck on the fridge, the photos on the walls Blitz tried to redact himself from, and even the cracks in the ceiling. “I don’t care how mundane. I just want to know you. Properly, this time.”

Blitz remained still and quiet. Then, softly: “...Only if you tell me your favorite color.”

Stolas snorted and ran a knuckle along Blitz’s cheek. “...Deal.” He tilted his head. “It’s red.”

It was Blitz’s turn to snort. “Of course it is.” After another bout of silence–one that Stolas was not going to rush–Blitz took a slow breath. “...Did I ever tell you about Fizz?”

Stolas blinked at that. He had minimal knowledge about the connection between Blitz and Fizzarolli, Asmodeus’s precious jester. He only knew from Ozzie’s words that Fizz hated him, and from Blitz’s words that he’d apologized to the clown. “No,” Stolas finally decided as his answer. “Tell me about him.”

~

“That fucking bitch.”

Blitz’s outburst was met by Stolas’s immediate laughter–a loud, full, head-thrown-back affair. “That’s what I said! Not to her face at the time, obviously, there was still an obligation to keep up appearances, but-”

“Well clearly she didn’t think so! Who the fuck spends their whole fucking wedding insulting their new husband? I don’t care how arranged it is.” Blitz was sitting on the arm of the couch now, this many hours into their chat, so he could at least be a bit more eye level with his guest. “I can’t believe that hypocritical piece of shit Striker had the gall and get a dig at me when he was in her fucking pocket.”

Stolas’s smile softened. “Well, one does what one has to to survive.”

Blitz frowned deeply and crossed his arms. “Oh come on, you can’t feel sympathetic for that asshole now-”

“I think I do, actually.” Stolas tilted his head until he was leaning on the back of the couch. “After all you’ve said tonight… I feel I understand some things far better now than I ever have.”

And fuck, has Blitz said a lot. They both had, honestly. In the past three hours, into this late night, he and Stolas had shared more about each other’s lives than they have in their entirety of knowing each other.

Still, the idea of Stolas being okay with any measure of multiple attempts on his life didn’t sit right with Blitz. “I dunno if you can apply my bullshit to Striker of all fuckstains.”

“Not yours specifically no. But he’s not exactly here to share with us his grievances, is he?”

Blitz’s frown deepened. “Stols, he was gonna kill Fizz for having the audacity to be in love with a sin.”

“And I’m in no way excusing his actions.” Stolas’s smile never left his face. “But that doesn’t mean something very horrible didn’t happen to make him feel that way.”

Blitz’s gaze finally lowered. Because Stolas’s words, once again, were hitting home a bit more than Blitz would have liked. “...So it’s the same for me, then. I’ve got my reasons, but they’re not excused.”

He heard Stolas give a small chortle of a laugh. “Now when did I say that?”

Blitz lifted his gaze again. “...Just now?”

“I was talking about Striker.”

“You just said our situations were the same.”

“I did no such thing.” Even in his argument, Stolas was relaxed and smiling.

Blitz couldn’t stand it. “Look, I dunno what the fuck game you’re trying to play here, but you definitely did, and you can’t have it both ways. Either we both suck, or we’re both excused, pick a lane.”

Stolas chuckled again. As nice of a sound as it was, it was still annoying the crap out of Blitz. “I believe I’ll remain firmly in both. Consider me a road hog.”

Blitz groaned. “Stolas-”

“Are you not going to hear me out as to why I’ve decided this?” Stolas sounded amused.

Blitz sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll bite.”

“Promises, promises.” Stolas leaned his arm on the back of the couch and settled his feathered cheek against his hand. “You and Striker were both dealt terrible hands in the past. I can’t speak to his experiences, but from the things I remember him saying, I can only expect that he suffered at the hands of the elite in some way. Who knows how many loved ones he’s lost because of demons like me?” Stolas then took a breath, and he reached his free hand out to take Blitz’s own. “And then there’s you, sold to a Goetian Prince in your youth and expected to perform for a day. A transactional arrangement before we were even old enough to understand what that meant.”

Blitz flinched. “...That… doesn’t count-”

“Of course it does.” Stolas lifted his head and wrapped his other hand around Blitz’s as well. “Whether you like it or not, you were purchased for my entertainment.”

“No-” Blitz huffed and closed his eyes tightly. “…The only reason Cash even agreed to that was because it put me in a position to steal shit.”

Even as Blitz opened his eyes again to peer at Stolas, the fucking bird hadn’t stopped smiling. “I know,” he said, like it was old news. And it probably was. “But I had a friend, and it was a price I was happy to pay.” There, the smile finally fell, slowly and solemnly. “...But that’s just it, isn’t? I was still paying for your time. Throwing money at something to feel… anything.”

Blitz felt his own hand subconsciously squeeze Stolas’s own, though whether it was in comfort or fear that Stolas would let go, he couldn’t tell. “...You were a kid, Stols.”

“And so were you,” Stolas said, his smile returning. “And it was so… formative for you, that you saw no other way I could have wanted to spend time with you. You were entertainment. That’s all you saw yourself as, and I never once tried to dissuade you from that line of thinking.”

Blitz slid onto the couch properly and held tight to both of Stolas’s hands. “You did, though! You told me how you felt, and I just-”

“Needed time that I didn’t give you.” Stolas held his hand tighter and only let go to collect and bring Blitz’s other hand into the hold. “I sat there and told you that everything you believed was wrong and expected you to have an answer for me right away.”

Blitz trembled in Stolas’s hold despite his efforts not to. “Y-...You were trying to fix it…”

“But I believed that I had all the answers I needed. I took your voice from you, Blitz.”

Blitz snarled. “Stop- Why are you-... You didn’t do that.”

“I did.”

“Stolas-”

“And yet, you still sought me out to apologize. You and your friends still saved my life multiple times. You afforded me the benefit of the doubt so many times when I hardly deserved it. And that–” Stolas said, before Blitz could argue again. “–Is the difference between you and Striker. Given everything you’ve been through, that I put you through personally, you offered me a place to stay when I lost it all. When I no longer have any power over you.” He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against Blitz’s shaking hands. “I expect that Striker would offer me only the kindness of putting me out of my misery.”

Blitz’s mouth opened before he could stop it. “If he so much as thinks about you, I’ll make him eat his own tail.” His tone was low and dangerous, like a threatening promise.

Stolas laughed softly. “I don’t know how you’d find out if he-” When Stolas lifted his head again, his eyes locked on Blitz’s and went wide.

It was then that Blitz realized he was crying. His face was hot, and wet, and what was left of his vision was blurry.

Stolas frowned and lifted his hands to Blitz’s face. “Oh, Blitz…”

Blitz sucked in a deep breath, leaning into those hands and covering them with his own. “...I’m so tired, Stols…” His voice was barely there.

Stolas inched closer to pull Blitz against his chest, arms wrapping carefully around him. “Then you should sleep, darling-”

“No, I’m-... I’m tired of this… Of me.” Blitz choked out another sob and soon found himself burying his face away in Stolas’s shoulder. “I’m tired of losing people, I’m tired of hurting people, but I don’t know how to stop…”

Stolas curled his arms around him tighter, fighting the need to cry right along with him. “...You can just… start somewhere. It’s hard, but I know you can do it.”

Blitz bit his lip, swallowing his nerves. “...But what if I-... What if I just end up hurting you again…?”

Stolas laughed, almost so softly that Blitz only felt it in Stolas’s chest. “I’m not talking about me. I was talking about you.”

Blitz froze. He stayed still even as Stolas pulled away to take his face into his hands again. Tears fell again as he looked up into Stolas’s eyes, now alight with the white pupils he’d only ever seen when Stolas was letting himself feel as deeply as he could–in the throes of passion, in anger, in sorrow…

And they were looking at him with some emotion that Blitz couldn’t place. “You deserve to have people who care about you in your life. It will be awfully hard to accept that when you believe that you don’t.” He stroked his thumb along Blitz’s cheek to brush away another tear. “So start with you. Let yourself have for once without feeling like you have to earn. What do you want?”

Blitz didn’t answer.

Not verbally.

He dove forward at Stolas, cupping a hand on the back of his head and yanking him forward into a kiss. Blitz felt tense even as he did it, expecting to be pushed away at any moment–to be told that’s not what Stolas meant–

–But instead, Stolas’s arms curled around Blitz’s neck like they belonged there. He kissed back once the momentary shock had worn off, and Blitz felt an instant relief as he leaned into it.

It was like they never stopped. It was like that horrible full moon where Blitz fucked everything up had never happened.

During a fleeting moment where they broke apart, Stolas gave the softest of sobs, causing Blitz to pull away enough to search his face. Stolas, despite his tears, was still smiling. “I’ve missed you so much, Blitz…” He whispered it like they’d been separated for years.

Blitz’s bottom lip trembled, and he kissed Stolas again. “Sorry,” he said in return, against that beak so he could taste the word.

“No,” Stolas answered, running his talons along Blitz’s horns. “You’ve apologized enough, my darling…”

His darling. The phrase gripped Blitz’s heart and squeezed. But for once, Blitz didn’t let it ache. He didn’t let it loom like a threat, and he let his heart beat in time with it. This wasn’t some claim of his body; it was an invitation, and Blitz was not about to refuse it.

He lurched forward again, his arms sliding down to Stolas’s waist to lean him back against the pillow and the arm of the couch. He kissed him with renewed vigor, his tongue slipping in to curl around the one it had missed for so long. Stolas hummed and gasped with every motion, letting himself be carefully shifted down the cushions. Blitz gave a hungry growl and leaned back enough to lift one of Stolas’s legs around him and yank him closer.

Stolas gasped and reached his arms above his head to grip the pillow, a sudden look of passion in those bright, red eyes, legs now akimbo of Blitz’s hips.

That move flashed the softly glowing angelic cuff in Blitz’s line of sight again, and he paused, eyeing it like he could melt it off with his gaze.

Stolas’s excitement took on an air of concern. “...Blitz…?”

Blitz pursed his lips. They couldn’t do this like they normally did. He couldn’t be rough with Stolas the way they were used to because of that blessed thing. Any damage Blitz inflicted on Stolas would no longer heal as it should.

But maybe that didn’t have to matter?

With his resolve solidified, he leaned over Stolas and stroked his cheek. “No whips this time. No ropes, no bear traps.” He ran his other hand down the front of Stolas’s body until it was settled between his legs, pressed against the warmth of his cloaca through his trousers. “Just you and me…”

He watched Stolas’s body tremble at the touch, but then that smile bloomed on his face again, his feathers ruffling just enough to give away his excitement again. “...That’s all I need.”

And for once, Blitz believed it.

He made short work of their clothes, unbuttoning Stolas’s shirt and tossing it aside first before tackling the pants. He slid them and Stolas’s underwear off together in one practiced move before yanking his own t-shirt up and over his head. He threw his boxers down and did everything in his power to kick them across the room without having to separate from Stolas. Once they were free of clothes, everything slowed down. Blitz only gazed down at Stolas, who was still looking up at him like he was the most important thing in the room. Stolas gaze was soft, but those white pupils still held him in their sights with no sign of letting up. Blitz bit his lip again and ran a hand up the feathers of Stolas’s abdomen to his chest, watching the feathers of his head and neck ruffle up at the attention. Stolas gave a soft gasp as he shivered, and Blitz rested his cock against his cloaca. There was no rush, no desperation…

It was just them.

Blitz leaned his hands on either side of Stolas’s waist, hunching over him and rolling his hips. His cock remained outside Stolas’s entrance for now, wanting to simply bring them friction. Stolas sighed in response, leaning up so that he could cup Blitz’s face. And he held Blitz like he was precious. If Stolas kept it up, maybe there was a chance Blitz would believe that, too. He let Stolas guide him down, kissing him again with all of the gratitude and affection he could muster.

Because he owed Stolas his fucking life. He wasn’t treating this moment–them, together, enjoying each other’s bodies, and company–like payment. That wasn’t what this was. Stolas had given up everything for Blitz. His home, his powers, his status… So Blitz would give him a home. He’d make Stolas feel powerful. He’d make sure Stolas felt important and special.

But this moment, right now, was for both of them. No deal, no expectations…

Fuck him, it was love, wasn’t it…?

Those thin hands on his face slid to the back of his head as Stolas pulled away. “Blitz…? Why are you crying…?”

Blitz sniffled once and nuzzled Stolas’s hand. “...It’s just a lot… Today, this… Everything…”

Stolas smiled again and pulled Blitz against his chest. “I know,” he whispered, pecking a small kiss between Blitz’s horns. “But I won’t let you weather it alone.”

Blitz pressed deeper into Stolas’s feathers, gripping his hips and rolling against him. He reveled in the soft, quivering moan that the move pulled from Stolas, memorizing it like a favorite song. He drew his hips back again, letting the tip of his cock slip into Stolas’s entrance with ease. It was a familiar position, but everything felt so different now. He pulled his face free of Stolas’s feathers to look him dead in the eye as he slowly slid inside like he was coming home.

Why had he never taken the time to wonder at Stolas’s face when they did this before? He’d watched, but he’d never really paid attention, to the small gasp that he could barely hear, to the way it dropped his beak open just a bit, the pinch of his eyelids, the way Stolas wouldn’t look away from him…

Blitz crawled forward as he bottomed out, hiking Stolas’s legs up to find that angle that he knew Stolas couldn’t get enough of before he even began moving. Stolas reached for his face again, fingers slipping behind his horns to hang on tight and keep him close. “Please,” He whispered.

And it was the last word either of them said to each other before Blitz started to move.

Blitz found a pace, deep and slow, and rocked into Stolas like it was their first time. His tail curled around Stolas’s waist of its own volition, and he did nothing to stop it. He let his hands roam, like he didn’t already know every spot that Stolas liked to be touched. Every little moan and whimper sounded new, and fresh, and beautiful.

I love you, his mind said, so much more freely than his mouth could ever dare. I love you, I love you, I love you…

Stolas’s hips began rolling in time to meet Blitz’s thrusts, and it startled him, knowing that it usually meant he was close. Stolas sat up on one elbow to throw his other arm around Blitz’s head and pull him back into another kiss.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Blitz kissed him back like it was easier than breathing. He picked up his pace, snapping his hips in a desperation he didn’t know he had. Stolas’s own body responded in kind, tightening around his cock, trembling as he grew closer and closer to his inevitable peak.

Stolas’s body wound tight, and he pulled away to gasp. “Blitz-...! P-Please… bite me…!”

That almost startled Blitz out of his pace. “W-What?”

Stolas tilted his head. “Like… Like the first time…”

Blitz’s gut coiled, but not in the pleasurable way they were moving toward. He finally slowed until he was buried in Stolas to the hilt. “...Stols, I was-… I was robbing you then, I don’t-”

“And I was using you,” Stolas answered softly, giving him another smile even as his legs shivered at his sides. “But it-... it was the moment I was freed… ” His chest was heaving. “Let’s… remake the moment. It’s ours now, Blitz…”

Blitz bit his lip and lowered his head to Stolas’s shoulder, nuzzling it even as he resumed his thrusts. “It won’t-... It won’t heal…”

Stolas whimpered and gasped at Blitz’s movement, nuzzling the horn closest to his face. “It’s a scar-... a scar I will gladly wear,” he whispered, tightening his hold on Blitz. “Please…”

Blitz’s body reacted to that shaky, quiet word more than any horny declaration Stolas had ever made. He began bucking his hips faster, realizing what Stolas was letting him do–marking him. Leaving behind proof that he allowed an imp to fuck him. To touch him.

To love him.

Because that’s what it fucking was.

Blitz lifted his forehead from where he’d tucked it in Stolas’s soft, feathered shoulder and clamped his teeth down, right where he’d bitten in his panic that first night. The sound Stolas had made back then had been frantic, and shocked, and passionate… And while there was no less passion in Stolas’s gasp and subsequent moan, it was softer–almost delicate. Stolas’s arms curled around Blitz’s head, holding him there even as Blitz’s sharp teeth broke the skin and drew blood.

If he’d had any fear that Stolas would regret his request, it was chased away by the feeling of Stolas’s body tightening around his cock and convulsing. He held tight to Blitz and sobbed as he came, his legs quaking on either side of the imp’s hips. He’d clung so close, his body so taut, and he sang through his orgasm.

There was no way that Blitz wouldn’t have been dragged right along with him. With his own desperate moan, Blitz let his hips snap wildly. But it only took a few more thrusts to finish himself off, burying himself deep inside of Stolas as his own orgasm painted Stolas’s inner walls. Behind him, Stolas’s legs crossed and drew them closer, holding Blitz’s twitching length inside him until he was finished. All of Stolas held Blitz close, like he was afraid to let go.

Blitz could only hold him back, just as tightly. He removed his mouth from Stolas’s shoulder, before ducking his head into the unbitten one to breathe him in. He shuddered against Stolas as he felt himself coming down to the tune of Stolas’s breathy, slowing gasps.

But they weren’t just gasps. As the blood stopped rushing through his veins and muddling his hearing, he realized that what he was hearing were words.

“-Love you,” Stolas’s delirious, unsteady whisper said, both far too quietly, and much too loudly. “I love you… my sweet Blitz… Love you…”

Blitz ignored the burning in his eyes and resolved to only hold Stolas tighter, those eyes squeezing shut and trying to keep the tears in.

Because for once, he didn’t have any doubt that it was true.

Once they had finally come down from their afterglow, Blitz immediately suffered the humiliation of having Stolas see how pathetic his shower was in comparison to the palace's ornate bathtub. Stolas seemed to have no issue with it whatsoever, not even minding that he had to duck his head to even get it under the spray. They shared the stream, lazily holding and washing each other in the softest moment of intimacy Blitz had ever experienced. All the while, they were quiet. Blitz barely brought himself to look Stolas in the eye as he carefully cleaned the new, welcomed wound on the owl’s shoulder.

He gave Stolas a pair of clean boxers to wear for sleep, as well as a t-shirt that he couldn’t wear yet–not until Blitz finished bandaging the marks that Stolas had softly begged him for.

Stolas was happy to sit there silently, humming under Blitz’s careful hands as he wrapped the wounds. Blitz kept his eyes on the task at hand, but his mind–and his words–were elsewhere.

“I think-...” The words froze in his throat.

Stolas gave a soft, inquisitive noise, turning his gaze to him.

Blitz could feel his gentle stare. His hands finally twitched once he secured the bandages. “...I think… I love you,” he finally managed, lowering his gaze even more. “...Too, that is. Ya know, ‘cause you… were saying-…” He closed his eyes tightly. “Unless you didn’t mean-... No, even if you didn’t mean to-... I-”

Long taloned hands suddenly found his face, and his eyes snapped open as Stolas guided him to his face. Stolas looked enamored, his sleepy eyes soft, and a wobbly smile on his beak. “...Please say it again, my darling…”

Blitz’s lips pressed together tight before he sucked in a nervous breath. “I love you.” His whisper was so soft, he was worried that it wasn’t loud enough.

But Stolas still heard it. Blitz watched happy tears well in all four of his eyes before he was pulled against the prince again.

No, not a prince. He was just Stolas. And ‘just Stolas’ was inexplicably in love with him. Blitz curled his arms and tail around Stolas’s waist and buried his face in Stolas’s feathers. He smelled like Blitz’s soap and a bit like Loona’s fruity shampoo. Something about it felt so… real that Blitz clung a little tighter. “...Hey Stols…?”

Stolas sniffled slightly and leaned back only enough to peer down at him again, wiping his eyes with one hand. “Yes, my love?”

‘My love’ wedged into Blitz’s heart and grew roots. Blitz glanced up and lifted a hand to Stolas’s face, running his thumb under Stolas’s eye. “...I also like red,” he said, keeping hold of Stolas’s gaze.

That gaze stayed soft and half-lidded. “Oh, my sweet, darling Blitz… That may be the gayest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

Blitz snorted despite himself and dropped his head back to Stolas’s chest. “Oh fuck you.”

Stolas hooted with laughter as he held Blitz close and toppled them over onto the couch cushions. “I believe you’ve already done that.”

“Like you won’t wanna do it again,” Blitz teased… only to lift his head from Stolas’s chest in nervous concern. “...You do wanna do this again, right…?”

Stolas laughed again and leaned his head up to peck a kiss on Blitz’s forehead. “Of course I do. But not tonight.” He laid his head back down and closed his eyes. “We both deserve some rest after the day we’ve had. Especially you. As such–” Stolas’s arms locked around Blitz and held him securely, “–you are not sleeping on the fucking floor.”

Blitz smiled down at Stolas as his tail shifted away from Stolas’s waist to his arm, curling around it happily. He freed one arm to grab the blanket from where it had been thrown over the back of the couch and tugged it over them both. “Fine. But only because you’re comfy.” He laid his head back down amongst Stolas’s chest feathers, the t-shirt he’d gotten out for him forgotten over the arm of the couch, and sighed softly. “...Hey Stols,” he said again, a bit quieter this time.

“Yes Blitzy…?” Came the sleepy reply.

Blitz nuzzled him again and closed his eyes. “...Everything’s gonna be okay.”

Stolas was silent for a while, so long that Blitz was almost sure he’d fallen asleep, but then, in the silence of the room, he finally responded again. “...I know it is,” his voice managed, though barely there. One hand ran its way along Blitz’s horn, like it was comforting for both Blitz and himself. “...I know.”

Blitz would make sure that Stolas could continue believing that for as long as Blitz had anything to say about it.

~

Stolas awoke feeling shockingly comfortable. He knew exactly where he was, with the memories of the previous night fresh and still fluttering in his chest. As he came into awareness however, he realized that Blitz was no longer snuggled on his chest, but Stolas had been carefully covered in two blankets to keep him warm. Blitz’s horse blanket was tucked around his neck and over most of his body, and the knit blanket was bundled around his feet.

While the living area remained somewhat dim, with curtains drawn closed over the seeping sunlight, there was a light on in the kitchen. Stolas could hear the soft sounds of dishes clinking, and he slowly sat up to see its source.

Sure enough, Blitz was ambling quietly about the space, pulling ingredients out of his cabinets and setting them down on the counter. He happened to turn with a large bowl under his arm, toward Stolas, and blinked. “...Hey. Fuck sorry, was I too loud?” He set the bowl down on the counter. “I was… just gonna make breakfast.”

Stolas gave a soft yawn before sitting up the rest of the way. “No, no, you’re fine. I’m a rather heavy sleeper, I was waking up on my own.” As the blankets fell off of him, he finally reached for the forgotten t-shirt from the night before, unfolding it and glancing at the graphic on the front. “...’Figh as huck’...?”

Blitz sputtered into a laugh. “Shit, sorry. I’ll go grab you a different shirt.”

Stolas donned a mischievous smile and tugged the shirt over his head before Blitz could go to grab another. The shirt was somehow both too big, hanging off of one shoulder, and too small, leaving his midriff bare. “I’m perfectly fine with this. If you give me a few weeks, I’m sure I can cultivate some specimens on your balcony to make this accurate.” He adjusted his shoulders to lean the bare one toward Blitz, a happy little grin on his face.

Blitz snorted again and rounded the counter. “It’s a fire escape, Stols.”

“I fail to see the difference.”

Blitz laughed and made it to Stolas, curling a hand behind his head and brushing down some of Stolas’s out-of-place feathers. “If you grow weed on the fire escape, it’s gonna get stolen the minute it’s smokeable.” He then winced. “Also we can’t really smoke in here, it’ll fuck with Loonie.”

Stolas pouted and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Ah yes, her remarkable sense of smell…” Stolas leaned into Blitz’s hand for a moment before his eyes opened wide, a thought striking him. “...Does that mean that… she could potentially smell that we-...” He felt his face grow warm.

And then he watched Blitz’s own face deepen in color as well. “...Ah fuck.”

Stolas leaned toward Blitz and buried his face against his chest before devolving into a fit of giggles. He felt Blitz’s arms encircle him as his chest filled with laughter as well. “I’ll invest in a good air freshener,” Blitz said, humor in his voice. “I love Loona, but I’m not about to let anything keep me from touching you…”

As Blitz’s hands slid to his cheeks, Stolas lifted his head back up to regard Blitz and found him smiling softer than he’d ever seen before. Stolas’s heart jumped in his chest, doing some choreography Stolas would happily pay to see on stage. “...Blitz…”

Blitz bit his lip a bit and rubbed his thumbs over Stolas’s fine-feathered cheeks, smoothing them down and making Stolas give a satisfied little trill. And then Blitz spoke again. “You can… stay here. For the record. As long as you need.” He watched Blitz take a slow, shaky breath. “...Sorry again that it’s kinda cramped. Kind of a mess.” He shrugged.

Stolas beamed up at him, giggling as Blitz had the audacity to look humiliated again. “I’m a big fan of messes, actually. I love the stories they tell.”

Blitz snorted once, clearly trying not to look embarrassed. “Well that explains why you like me then.”

“Naturally,” Stolas chirped, nuzzling Blitz hands as they hadn’t left his face. “...And I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me. Quite happily.” He cupped Blitz’s hands with his own and pecked gentle little kisses into his palms.

Blitz looked for a moment as if he was trying to hold something back, but his tail betrayed him as it swished behind him eagerly. Eventually he broke out in a smile and ducked his head, wrapping his tail around his own leg sheepishly. He moved one hand to Stolas’s shoulder, knowing it was carefully bound beneath his shirt–knowing it was something Stolas was happy to have. At least, Stolas hoped it was obvious.

He reached out and tugged Blitz closer by his waist. When he was close enough, he leaned their foreheads together and closed his eyes. He felt something shudder through Blitz before he relaxed, possibly more so than he’d ever done before. Blitz leaned close in return and sighed with such relief that Stolas could feel it himself, and for now… this was all either of them seemed to need.

But the front door opening partially, followed by a sharp knock pulled them out of their peace. “You idiots better be decent,” called Loona from the other side.

Stolas’s face darkened, but he quickly glanced down and around to be sure of just that.

Blitz snickered and touched Stolas’s cheek again. “You’re good, babe,” he said softly. He then turned back to the door. “All good Loonie! You’re just in time; I’m about to start pancakes.”

The door swung open, and Stolas turned to look over the back of the couch as Loona made her way in–

–followed by Octavia, who’s hand was clasped nervously in the hellhound’s own.

Stolas gasped and stood quickly, rounding the couch and beelining for his precious daughter. “Oh, Via, sweetheart!” He nearly dove at her to throw his arms around her. He squeezed his eyes shut as he held her close. “I’m so sorry, my starfire-”

“Dad-”

“I never wanted to leave you, please know I would never-”

“Dad, you-”

“They didn’t give me a choice, they were threatening you, and they threatened Blitz, and-”

“Dad!” Via pried herself away just enough to hold his upper arms and peer up at him. “I know.”

Stolas blinked down at her. “You… know?”

Via gave him a soft smile and then glanced back toward the door. She and Loona did not come alone. “He showed us,” she said.

Looming just outside of the doorway was Prince Vassago of the Ars Goetia. His arms were clasped behind his back, his spine straight, his head held high. Once an equal, now a superior, Stolas’s mind reminded him as he flinched and moved away from Via just enough to bow his head. “Your highness,” he said, keeping his voice soft.

“Now now. None of that,” Vassago answered, waving him to stand. He straightened his coat and took a stride forward–

–and the top of his head hit the doorframe with a soft ‘thunk’. Loona snorted. Aside from that, there was only silence as Vassago ducked his head to enter properly and closed the door behind him.

Almost as soon as the door clicked shut, Blitz was suddenly standing between Vassago and Stolas, glaring up at the parrot demon. “Are you a part of that council?” His tone was harsh.

Stolas planted his hands on Blitz’s shoulders in a panic. “Oh, Blitz, don’t-”

“Because you’ve gotta have a massive set of balls to come here after what you fucks did to him.” Blitz didn’t seem to care that he was speaking to a very powerful demon, and Stolas had no way of protecting him without his magic. “What, you haven’t done enough? Did you come here just to rub it in his face!? Because I may not have some magic powers, but I will still fuck you up-”

“Blitz, chill out,” Loona suddenly said, grabbing his upper arm. “He’s here to help, idiot.”

Despite Stolas’s concerns, Vassago never once stopped smiling. “Está bien, miss Loona. He has every right to be angry.” Once he was shielded from the outside, Vassago seemed to relax. His shoulders were looser, his pose was less stiff. Even his smile seemed less forced as he turned his attention to Blitz. “You must be Blitz.” He held his hand out to him. “I’m Vassago! Wonderful to finally meet you after hearing so much about you.”

Stolas blushed as Blitz turned back to him to give him an incredulous stare. Still, when he turned back to Vassago, he shook the other demon’s hand carefully. “...How much have you heard exactly?”

Vassago then turned his smile to Stolas. “Ah, he escuchado mucho… Stolas here is quite the chatterbox when you get him going. A while back, you were all he could talk about.”

Stolas’s embarrassment only heightened. “Vassago, honestly.”

Via turned to her father as well and squinted at him. “He’s not wrong.”

“Via!” Stolas glanced down at Blitz, who was now facing him and grinning. He huffed and covered his face with his hands, groaning at the attention. “Vassago, do you-… do you mind telling me what this is about…? I’m plenty aware of the terms I’ve signed.”

Vassago nodded slowly. “Well you may be. But I certainly wasn’t.” He made his way further into the home to lean against the outside of Blitz’s kitchen counter as Stolas frowned at his words.

“I… don’t understand,” Stolas said, barely reacting when Blitz took his hand beyond squeezing it in return.

Vassago then held his hand out to Via and Loona. “You should know the first I heard about any council decision made regarding you was when your daughters came in and told me.”

Stolas turned his gaze back to the girls. “When did-…?”

“I asked Bee for a favor,” Loona suddenly said. She was doing her best to look disinterested at the whole thing, staring down and scrolling on her phone. “She got in touch with Asmodeus, and when he didn’t know shit, he reached out to Vassago.”

Blitz’s hand twitched in Stolas’s. “Aw, Loonie-”

“Don’t mention it.” Loona’s shoulders tightened a bit, as her own embarrassment blooming.

Via smiled gratefully at Loona. “She was keeping me in the loop, so I went with her to see him.”

Vassago brought his smile back to Stolas. “Your daughters care very much about both of you. You’re not the only one in this room who’s threatened me, Blitz.” He didn’t let the statement linger, as Loona suddenly bristled and focused even harder on her phone. “I saw what happened, Stolas. And you must know that it was not at all the decision of the council.”

Stolas felt Blitz grow tense in his hold. “What–you saw it and you didn’t stop it?”

“That’s not what he means, darling. Vassago can see past events,” Stolas said quickly, squeezing his hand again before pulling out one of the small chairs by Blitz’s dinner table and sitting down. “Vassago… as happy as I am to hear that this wasn’t a council decision, I don’t see how this is good news. It means this is still an ongoing investigation; what I did was supposed to keep Via out of it.”

“I can handle myself, dad,” came Via’s short reply.

Stolas huffed. “Sweetheart, I will not have you dragged into my mistakes.”

“She won’t be. Stolas, this agreement you’ve gotten into is based on lies.” Vassago gestured to Via. “The grimoire is her birthright. Using it without proper training is only unwise, not illegal. She was never in any danger of being pulled into the investigation.”

Stolas let a sigh escape, but it was short, like he didn’t have enough breath. Via was safe… She was safe.

But before Stolas could respond, Blitz sounded off again, looking angrier than ever. “So what you’re saying is that Stolas went through that shit for nothing? You saw   what they did to him, he’s defenseless right now!” Blitz pointed at the band on Stolas’s wrist. “This–” he sucked in a sharp breath, “–this is about the fucking book, right? Because Stolas wasn’t the one misusing it, I was.”

Stolas’s chest gripped tight in fear. “Blitz-”

“I stole it.” Blitz didn’t stop. “I snuck in, and I took it, so blame me. Throw my ass in prison or something, I can fucking handle it.”

Loona finally pulled her phone down, gripping it tight at her side. “Dad, shut the fuck up.” She barely registered when Via gently took hold of her arm. “Stop acting like you’re expendable. We all give a shit about you, you don’t have to keep taking the hit for everyone.”

Blitz froze where he was, face contorting into something like pain.

Stolas bit back his own emotions at the idea of Blitz once again trying to decide his sacrifice was preferable and reached back out to his hand again. He took a careful breath with a deep resolve. “It wasn’t just Blitz, Vassago. It was my choice to let him continue to use the grimoire.”

Blitz’s head snapped back to him. “Don’t-”

“I could have stopped you at any time. You weren’t the one who knew about the laws, I was. No one here should be held accountable but me.”

Vassago, to his credit–and far from the chatty prince that Stolas was used to–held his tongue as they spoke until Stolas finished. “So you lent him the grimoire by choice?”

Stolas gave a deep nod to Vassago. “Yes. He needed an avenue for his business, and it was the only way at the time.”

“But what about your responsibilities?”

Stolas felt his shame warming his cheeks. He really didn’t want to do this in front of Via–or anyone else for that matter. “Blitz returned it to me whenever I needed it.”

“So there was no disruption to what was required of you?”

Stolas shook his head. “No.”

He felt Blitz squeeze his hand again, and he looked back as Blitz let go. “And he took it back anyway. I don’t need the book,” he said, darting off into the bathroom where he’d left his day clothes. After a moment, he came back out with his Asmodean crystal. “He got this commissioned for me. It’s all legal, ask the big chicken yourself.”

Via snickered this time, much to Stolas’s dismay. “Uncouth as ever, I see,” she teased from Loona’s side.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

Loona rolled her eyes. “It means you need to quit putting your foot in your mouth.”

Vassago seemed to be pondering the information. He nodded quietly to himself before pushing away from the counter. “Right, then. I’ll see what I can do.” He turned a chipper smile to Stolas before reaching out and taking his hand in both of his to gaze at the angelic band. “My first order of business will be getting this off of you. It won’t be today, but hopefully by the end of the week, the agreement you signed with Andrealphus will be nullified.” He slowly set Stolas’s hand onto Stolas’s lap. “As for the investigation… I’m afraid it still has to go on, but from what I’ve gathered here today, I can’t imagine the court’s findings will be entirely out of your favor.”

Stolas blinked up at him in shock. “...You… can’t? How?”

Vassago shrugged. “Well from the sounds of it, the grimoire was never fully out of your control. And, the demons who were utilizing it did so with your knowledge and allowance, and it didn’t interrupt your obligations. As far as law breaking goes, this is sounding like you might have some extra work on your hands for a while as penance, but it’s far from as dire of a punishment as taking away your magic and your home.” He smiled brighter. “I’ll do whatever I can, my friend. So don’t you ever try to bow to me again.” Vassago then turned his attention to the other. “Any of you.”

Stolas’s breath left him in a sharp sigh, just short of a sob of relief. Via hurried across the room and hugged Stolas again from behind, leaning against the back of his head. Beside them, Blitz didn’t take his eyes off of Vassago. His gaze was suspicious, and while it made Stolas nervous of what he was thinking, Blitz honestly had every right to be so. Still, perhaps for the best, he remained silent.

Stolas gently touched Via’s arms around him and offered Vassago a grateful smile. “...I don’t know how to thank you.”

Vassago only chuckled. “Oh, just treat me to lunch or something once you’re all settled at home again. In the meantime, I’m happy to find you some accommodations until you’re free of that band.”

Stolas could feel Blitz bristling at his side, but curse him, he was still holding his tongue. Stolas turned a soft, loving smile at him and reached out to take his hand again. “...Thank you, Vassago, but I’m very happy and safe right here.”

Blitz startled and turned to Stolas as if to argue, but when he caught Stolas’s eye, he looked… enraptured. Stolas laced their fingers together, and Blitz bit his lip, fighting off emotions that Stolas was sure he wasn’t used to.

Vassago nodded with a happy chortle. “Entiendo. If you can think of anything else you might need, don’t hesitate to let me know.” He then turned fully to Blitz and let his smile grow somber. “Blitz, I want to extend my deepest apologies to you.”

Blitz blinked and turned back to the prince. “Uh… you do?”

“Of course. There was no reason for your life to have been put in jeopardy. Neither of you should have gone through this at all, and I will do my best to make up for it.” Vassago placed a hand on Blitz’s shoulder and squeezed it in promise. He then moved back for the door. “Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”

“I’ve got something,” Loona suddenly said before Vassago could even open the door. Both Blitz and Stolas watched as she hurried to Vassago’s side and pulled him down by his shoulder to whisper something to him. Vassago looked confused for a moment before turning his attention toward the wall–

–More specifically, to Blitz’s collection of photos he’d painstakingly redacted himself from. Vassago’s resulting frown punched a weak, ashamed little noise from Blitz’s chest. Stolas turned to Blitz in time to see him drop his gaze to the floor. Stolas squeezed his hand.

Vassago kept his beak closed tight and made his way to the photos. Then, with a wave of his hand, every single photo cleared of the thick, angry lines of marker obscuring Blitz. Vassago’s smile finally returned as he checked his work with approval. “There. ¡Mucho mejor!” He turned back to Blitz, who seemed to be doing his best not to shake, or perhaps cry. Vassago only offered Blitz his smile, without a hint of malice or pity. “I’m very happy that Stolas has someone like you looking out for him, Blitz.” He dipped into a soft bow to the group before finally opening the door and ducking out. “I’ll be in touch!”

When the door shut and left the four of them alone, Blitz’s shoulders finally dropped from where they were tense and held up by his chin. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his free hand as Loona made her way back to her father’s side. “You… didn’t have to do that…”

Loona arched a brow at him and smirked. “I did, actually. This way it’ll be harder for you to redo all of it.”

Stolas frowned at Blitz. “Oh, darling, please don’t-”

“I won’t, for fuck’s sake…” Blitz finally lifted his gaze to Loona, and Stolas never realized how truly small Blitz could seem. Through some heavy emotions, Blitz still managed to smile. “...Thanks, sweetie.”

Loona’s calm attitude seemed to waver, and she huffed before dipping down and hugging Blitz’s head into her shoulder. “Just don’t do it again, otherwise I’ll kick your ass the same way I do other motherfuckers who talk shit about my dad.”

Blitz laughed into her fur before pulling away and beaming. “You defend me, Loonie?”

Loona rolled her eyes and shoved him back toward Stolas. “Eugh, not if you’re gonna be weird about it…”

From behind Stolas, Via rounded him to look him in the eye. “Are you alright, dad?” She asked, touching his shoulder.

Stolas’s chest swelled with affection as he reached for her arms. “Are you? I know this must be so stressful for you.”

“I’m not the one who got kicked out of my house!” Via suddenly hugged her father again, resting her beak on top of his head. “...I’m just happy you’re okay, and I’ll be happier when you’re home.” She took a slow breath and pulled away, glancing at Blitz. “...But at least you’re somewhere safe.”

Blitz blinked up at Via with a touched smile. “...Thanks, kiddo.”

Via grinned at him. “If anything bad happens to my dad while he’s here, I’ll kill you.”

Stolas gasped despite Blitz immediately cackling. “Via!”

Blitz shook his head. “Nah, she’s good, Stols. She’ll have to get her ass in line behind me, though.”

“Oh for hell’s sake–” Stolas slid out of the chair and knelt down, yanking his daughter and Blitz into a lopsided hug. “Nobody is killing anybody. Everything will be just fine.” He took a shaky breath and held them tighter, squeezing all of his eyes closed. “We aren’t facing this alone. No matter what happens…”

Stolas felt Via shift, and he opened his eyes in time to see her reaching her arm out to Loona. Stolas lifted his gaze to the young hellhound, who went out of her way to find out what happened and get help. Loona, who cared far more than she’d ever let on, who befriended and worried for Via, and would gladly kill for her friends and family. Stolas smiled at her and nodded for her to join them.

Loona was fighting to keep her emotions off of her face, but it didn’t take long for her to give in once Blitz held out his arm for her as well. She took one large stride and wrapped her arms around the whole group, leaning her head down sheepishly. “...Thanks for saving my dad,” she whispered, eyes closed to help stave off her obvious gratitude.

Stolas hummed softly and leaned his head against her hair. “Anytime. Without hesitation.”

And so they stood there, relieved in each other’s arms. They were all safe, and warm, and hopeful. It was the happiest Stolas had felt in such a long time–since Via was born, likely. Beside him, Blitz was curled into the embrace as deep as he could go, like he was taking in as much comfort from it as possible. The quake through Blitz’s body was barely there, but even without seeing his face, Stolas knew that he was crying. Loona must have noticed too, because she leaned her head more on Blitz’s horn than Stolas’s shoulder. Stolas held them all closer.

This was the life he wanted. This was the family he wanted. And for the first time since his birthday all those years ago, it felt like everything was okay.

And Stolas believed it would stay that way.

With a sharp sniff through his nostrils, Blitz was the first one to pull away, rubbing at his wet eyes quickly. “Right, that’s enough of the emotional shit, I’ve had enough breakdowns for one day.”

Stolas laughed softly. “You’ve had a rough one, dearest. I think you can relax now.” He turned to Via after she pulled away and found her looking down at his borrowed shirt, amused.

“...’Figh as huck’, huh?”

Stolas’s cheeks grew warm. “I-... I didn’t have anything to sleep in, and Blitz was kind enough to lend me something,” he offered, though he knew blessed well that he hadn’t worn it to sleep.

Loona bumped her shoulder against Via’s and smirked right along with her. “Yeah, sure. That’s totally all it is.” She leaned conspiratorially toward Via. “Don’t sit on the couch.”

Via balked. “Oh, gross.”

Stolas groaned and hid his face in his hands, but to his relief, Blitz was also flushed in the face. “Oookay! Who’s ready to shut the fuck up about where my dick has been for a while!?”

Loona and Via raised their hands together, and Stolas laughed before lifting his own.

Blitz nodded in approval. “Fan-fucking-tastic. Now who wants pancakes?”

“Me!”

As the girls answered in unison and took both seats at the table, Stolas happily stood and made his way after Blitz into the kitchen. He followed Blitz’s instructions as they navigated the rest of the morning, with Via and Loona chatting at the table and sharing pictures on their phones, Blitz trying to give him a play-by-play of everything he was doing. Stolas’s heart swelled at the scene. He felt calm, for the first time in his life.

As Blitz was waiting for a pancake to get cooked enough to flip, Stolas leaned down and pecked a small kiss to his cheek. Blitz blinked and glanced up at him with a soft blush and wide eyes. “What was that for?”

Stolas’s smile stayed right where it was. “Everything,” he answered, gazing at Blitz with all of the affection he could muster.

Blitz’s blushed deepened, and he bit a giddy smile before turning back to make sure the pancakes didn’t burn.

Stolas leaned against the counter and wistfully watched Blitz work. If Vassago wasn’t able to get the deal reversed, it didn’t matter to Stolas. He was perfectly happy to make due with what little they had, right here.

Because it was this little bit that meant everything to him.

~