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“Mama, what’s this?” Little Blitzo asked, pointing to words that had shown up on his wrist.
“Oh!” She said startled, then smiled. “Your soul words have appeared. They’re words your soulmate will say to you at some point. Once you’ve both said the right words they’ll vanish.” She took a look at Blitzo’s wrist, and her face fell. “Oh that's…”
Follow me, imp.
“It’s probably out of context.” She grimaced. What cruel words from a soulmate. Though she supposed that made it clear he wouldn’t be looking for another imp. That was more to go on than most got.
“What’s wrong, mama? What does it say?” Blitzo asked innocently.
“Ah, don’t worry about that now. You can read it when you’re older.” She smiled.
“Okay.” He seemed to accept this. “Can I go play with Fizz?”
“Of course. Just make sure you’re both back for dinner.”
“Okay.” He ran off.
Tilla frowned, thinking on the words. Soulmates were supposed to be destined for each other, but words like that…
She hoped Blitzo would be okay.
***
Stolas stared at the words wrapped several times around his wrist.
Can I have a fucking minute to think after everything you put me through you pompous, rich, asshole!
He cringed.
Were soul words supposed to be so harsh? What would he do to illicit such venomous words?
He couldn’t bear the thought of hurting someone so badly. Yet he couldn’t think of any scenario where words like these would be said without anger.
Soul words were meant to bring joy, but Stolas just felt hollow.
He hoped things worked out for the better afterwards.
He decided then to keep them covered. Better to say he had none at all than show such callous writing.
***
Blitzo was starting to think this royal brat was pretty okay. Sure he was still a blue blood, but there were worse ways to spend a day. Especially a day you were bought for.
“Woah.” As Stolas held his grimoire up Blitzo caught sight of his wrist beneath his sleeve. “Your soul words are so long!”
“Oh.” Stolas looked embarrassed, quickly covering them again. “Yes they’re certainly… interesting.”
“I have soul words too, but I can’t read them.” Blitzo admitted, hanging from the tree by his tail. “Pa says reading isn’t as important as performing so I’m a little behind.” He said nonchalantly.
“Oh. I could read them to you. If you want?” Stolas tiled his head to try and see the words.
Blitzo shoved his wrist unceremoniously into the owl's face. “Yes, please. No one at the circus will tell me for some reason.”
Stolas stared at the words, squinted, then stared again.
Oh dear.
“Um…” He began.
“Just tell me.” Blitzo rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid. By now I can tell it must be something bad.”
“Yes, well… it says ‘follow me, imp'.” Stolas fiddled his fingers together.
Blitzo’s face went blank. “Oh…”
“I’m sorry!” Stolas said quickly.
“No I… don’t be, it’s not like you wrote it.” The small imp sighed. “Well, if nothing else I guess they aren’t an imp.” Blitzo lamented.
“No, I suppose not.”
“What does yours say?”
Stolas fell silent. “Something rather cruel.” He admitted. “I’d rather not say it.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Silence fell between the two, both simply staring into space.
“Welllll…” Blitzo finally said. “Tell me more about your book.”
Stolas started up again and Blitzo smiled, entertained by his nerd talk.
Eventually he went on about wanting to start his own circus. The night ended on a high note, all things considered.
Blitzo tried not to dwell on the words on his skin
***
Blitzø learned quickly that his words were not unique. As he grew he heard them more times than he could count by almost every type of demon.
There was no respect had for imps, that’s what he had learned. It made him bitter.
“Follow me, imp.”
He didn’t even bother to glance at the words, just told the fucker he had a name and followed them. He stopped getting any sort of excitement years ago.
Now he had even less fucks to give, trying and failing at finding work everywhere he turned.
Maybe it was time to consider starting that business he always talked about. Not a circus, not after everything, but something he could be the boss of.
It was especially appealing as he was run out of yet another interview room.
Maybe he should just start killing people. It would be better than this.
He paused. People. Actual people. Living people.
Huh, there’s an idea.
***
Verosika had her own words. Blitzø saw them one night.
He knew by now she wasn’t likely to be his soulmate. She could be a bitch, but she didn’t look down on imps.
He couldn’t see her saying those words.
In fact, she had frowned when she read them.
So one night, when she had confessed and he realized he didn’t want, didn’t deserve, those feelings, he decided to give her a reason to hate him.
Maybe it would turn out to be true after all.
She called him every name under the sun after it all, but nothing came near the words he hoped and dreaded to hear from her.
So Blitzø moved on.
Maybe if he hurt enough people it would start to mean something.
***
Adopting a hellhound had been a whim. Adopting Loona had been a conscious choice. She reminded him of himself.
Blitzø couldn’t help but love her and her snarky attitude.
“Wow. Your soulmate must be a dick.” She’d told him when she saw the mark.
“Oh yeah? Doubt yours is any better!” He’d argued back.
Loona showed him her blank wrists. “Nice try. I don’t have one, dipshit.” She seemed totally unbothered by that fact too.
That was when Blitzø learned not everyone had soul words.
He wished he didn’t either.
***
Millie and Moxxie were disgustingly affectionate with each other. They had found out after a year of dating that they were soulmates, and were recently married.
It made Blitzø sick.
But they were damn good at killing things so he hired them. They seemed supportive of his idea.
That helped. A lot.
Now that he had employees, he found a building to rent. Then there was just one thing left to do.
He needed a reliable way to Earth.
***
This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. He was supposed to break in, steal the damn bird's book, and get out.
Instead, he was being dragged away by two hellhounds. “Come on, guys. I didn’t mean any harm, really. I… I’m an old friend.” He smiled.
The hounds ignored him, continuing to drag him who knows where.
Great.
The fancy hallways were making his skin crawl. Even more so when they entered a room full of rich pricks.
A party. Great.
“Stolas, sir!” One of the hounds called.
Blitzø watched his childhood acquaintance sputter and cough as he choked on the absinth in his hand. “I’m fine.” The owl breathed.
“We caught this nasty imp trying to sneak into your chambers. What should we do with him?”
Nasty? Bitch, he showered this morning!
Stolas finally looked at him, making eye contact. Blitzø grinned nervously. He probably didn’t even recognize him. He changed so much.
So had the prince. Damn the fucker had gotten tall.
“Into my chambers?” Stolas raised a brow. “Well that is quite… concerning. Hmm, leave him to me. I’ll handle this personally.”
Blitzø gulped. He did not like the sound of that.
The hounds dropped him and he grimaced as his knees hit the floor.
Stolas stared down at him, then started walking. “Follow me, imp.”
For the first time in years those words made him pause. Mostly in pain.
Okay, totally in pain. Ironic pain at having the very person who told him what they said so many years ago, who cringed along with him at their meaning, had now said the very same thing.
Time changes everyone he supposed. Especially rich fucks.
Blitzø scowled and followed.
He felt even worse when it turned out the prince did remember him.
***
Blitzø’s arm itched. Nothing had changed, but the words itched like nothing else.
He blamed Stolas. Blamed this entire fucked up situation.
He stared at the still sleeping prince beside him. He was laying on his hands, but Blitzø was able to catch just a few words of the prince's mark.
And even if he couldn’t write well, at least he could mostly read now.
…fucking minute… put me …rich asshole!
Well. At least his didn’t look much better.
Serves him right.
Says the man who slept with him. His mind taunted.
Blitzø willed it to shut the fuck up and stood from the bed, taking the book with him.
He lost his balance leaving the balcony, landing on a table with Stolas' presumed wife sitting with her friends.
All were now covered in cake, and Blitzø stared before running off quickly, saying the first thing that came to mind. “Sorry, I fucked your husband!”
He could here the shouting behind him, followed by Stolas' unhinged laughter, but he ignored it.
He got what he wanted.
His wrist continued to itch.
He ignored it.
***
Blitzø noticed, when they started sleeping with each other, that his words itched in Stolas' presence. He decided it had to be something with the prince’s weird magic.
Sure it hadn’t happened when they were kids, but Stolas was so much more powerful now. That had to be the cause.
He couldn’t figure out any other reason.
He didn’t exactly have anyone to compare notes with. Loona had no mark at all and M&M's vanished when they matched.
So, he was left to contemplate.
Yeah, it had to be the magic.
***
The full moon deal had worked. Stolas got to live his fantasy of being pounded by the lower class. Blitzø got to keep the book. And as a bonus the prince was a good fucking lay.
That was absolutely the only reason he kept this up. Sure sometimes the two spent a good hour talking about their days first. Or that one time they watched a movie because Stolas wasn’t feeling it. Maybe Blitzø bought a shitty romance novel because it reminded him of the prince once. And of course he saved his life that one time. And sent his team the other. No big deal.
It didn’t mean anything. Not at all.
Blitzø was just an imp, and Stolas was a prince. End of story.
So why did this hurt so much?
Stolas gave him the crystal, ended the agreement, then fucking confessed?
Sue him for thinking it was some role-playing shit. What else was he supposed to think?
“Fuck you, Stolas!” Blitzø kicked the door to the hall open. “Can I have a fucking minute to think after everything you put me through you pompous, rich, asshole!” He seethed.
Stolas had frozen, stone cold.
Blitzø was too pissed to notice.
“Treat me like one of your butler imps! Well I’m not letting you, bitch! Let's go!”
It was only in the ringing silence that followed when Blitzø realized the itching in his wrist was back.
In fact, it burned.
The imp looked down at it, only…
Only it wasn’t there.
“Blitzø…”
He looked up to find Stolas staring at him, tears rolling down the prince’s face. He was holding his arm, the one with his mark, or where it had been.
“Stolas… what…?” Blitzø shook his head.
He remembered now, the words he caught sight of that morning a year ago.
…fucking minute… put me …rich asshole!
What had Blitzø just said?
Fuck.
Stolas was still staring at him, grief mingling with the hope in his eyes.
“What did your mark say?” The imp choked.
He’d never read the whole thing. Was always preoccupied by other… events, and the prince kept it covered otherwise.
Stolas looked away. “I think you know.”
He did.
And he had spent his life thinking his words were bad.
Blitzø fell to his knees, then laughed. It was a humorless, unhinged sound.
When he calmed he realized his face was wet. “Fuck.” He choked. “I really am just an asshole.”
The click of talons on the floor made him look up, and Stolas knelt beside him.
“You're not.” The prince looked down. “I didn’t realize you think so low of me.” He whispered, tears still falling.
Blitzø shook his head. “I don’t.” He breathed. “I really don’t. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I’m just…” He trailed off. “How?” He finally asked. “How can it be you? How can you care about me?”
“Blitzø, you’re a wonderfully complex individual. You’re kind and ambitious. Perhaps a bit callous but that’s never bothered me.” Stolas sighed. “I never dared dream you would be my soulmate. Perhaps I hoped you weren’t, given the words, but… I have cared for a while.”
“Stolas… this, us, how can this even work?” Blitzø stared at the crystal, unable to meet the owl's eyes. “I mean… I’m just an imp.”
“You’re you.” Stolas told him. “That’s enough for me. Forget everything else.”
Blitzø laughed bitterly. “I can’t just forget my class, Stolas.”
The prince was silent. “I suppose not.”
The two sat in silence for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts.
“I want to try.” Stolas told him. “Please.”
“It’s going to be a mess. The other Goetia, hell other imps, we'll be an attraction.” Blitzø warned.
Stolas just smiled. “I saw your perform. You are used to an audience.”
Blitzø blinked at him. “You fucking dork.” They stared at each other fondly. “You really think this can work?”
“I want it to.”
“Even though I’m an assassin? An imp? A dick?”
“I for one like your dick.” Stolas hooted. Blitzø choked. “But yes, darling. I want you and all your traits.”
“Fucking hell.” Blitzø put a claw to his forehead. “Alright, fine. Let’s be idiots and try this or whatever.”
Stolas’ pupils shone brightly. “Truly?”
“Yeah, bird brain. Let’s do it.” Blitzø smiled and took his hands.
Stolas kissed him. It was slow and their lips moved fluidly. Blitzø felt warm inside, pulling him closer. “Thank you.” Stolas whispered pulling back.
“I’m sorry my words were so harsh, pretty bird.” Blitzø carded his claw through Stolas’ feathers.
The prince smiled. “They lead me to you. I have no complaints at all.”
Blitzø kissed him this time. Harder. Deeper. Closer.
All those years hearing those Satan-blessed words, and they lead him here.
Maybe being “just an imp" turned out alright in the end.