Chapter Text
“Surprise!”
Stolas smiled as the demons waiting on the other side of the portal yelled out vibrantly, the pretty banner with ‘Welcome Home Blitzø’ written upon it clear as day in the Palace Hall that had been decorated specifically for the occasion.
Blitzø, who had been completely caught off-guard by the small crowd awaiting him, stepped back into the owl, still clutching his discharge papers. Stolas steadied him, knowing that the Imp was completely stunned and therefore unable to choose a reaction.
Luckily, he had good friends, for Millie darted forward and embraced him, planting a kiss to his cheek.
“Welcome back, B,” she told him brightly, cupping his face and shaking it. “We missed you.”
“Yeah, office was pretty quiet,” Moxxie added, handing his boss an iced coffee that he’d gotten for him as a gift. “Too quiet.”
“I-”
Stolas stepped aside, closing the portal as Blitzø puffed out his cheeks, having teared up.
“I’m… glad to be… back,” he managed, holding it together valiantly despite everyone clearly knowing that he was struggling to keep his emotions lidded.
“Good, because this shit took forever,” Fizzarolli told him, zipping to his side with a mechanical ‘thwip’ and pointing to the high ceiling. “Those fucking streamers were a nightmare.”
Blitzø stumbled as his back was thwacked rather suddenly, an exuberant laugh echoing out. “Gave it a good shot, Imp boy.”
Blitzø blinked widely as the Sin of Gluttony beamed down at him, Loona at her side with a semi-self-conscious demeanour whilst Vortex merely grinned, arms folded.
“He usually does,” Verosika smirked, stepping forward and handing him a slice of cake- one that wasn’t painful to receive.
“Th-thanks,” Blitzø uttered, looking to Stolas who tittered at him.
“You look better than you did when I last saw you,” Asmodeus pitched in, placing a hand upon Fizzarolli’s head. “Think you can keep out of trouble for a while now?”
“I can make no promises,” Blitzø scoffed, his arms too full and therefore rendering him stuck. “Uh…”
It was then that Vassago glided forward, taking the discharge papers from him and setting them inside the bag that contained the robe and other clothes that Blitzø would take home.
“Here,” Octavia mumbled, handing him a pair of brightly coloured socks. “I guess… you can wear ‘em round the Palace.”
It was a token of acknowledgment, of acceptance, and Stolas’ heart warmed as Blitzø thanked her with a genuine smile, his entire frame having lit up.
“Guess he prefers socks over coffee,” Vassago teased, nudging Stolas who chuffed out a laugh.
“So, I got games!” Fizzarolli announced, which got everyone’s attention and therefore kicked off the mood.
Stolas observed the first few, letting Blitzø enjoy his time with those who had taken the time to look past his faults, his struggles, his coping mechanisms that often created walls that were hard to climb over.
It was very evident that Blitzø was not one-hundred percent, for he was quieter than he would have been, and there was something timid in his mannerisms that had an odd affect on those around him.
Stolas picked up on it straight away, how much gentler everyone was. It were as though they couldn’t help themselves, their tones and jabs falling under the sharpness they would usually use- and Blitzø in turn was not as loud or vulgar, nor as brazen.
He was not even as competitive, happy to be part of something over on top of it all.
“It’ll take time for him to fully bounce back,” Vassago mused, standing beside the owl who hummed in agreement as the rest of the group attempted to play Twister.
“I hope he can do so,” Stolas murmured, noting how Loona and Octavia were giggling as Blitzø and Verosika began to complain about Fizzarolli’s limbs being a cheat in and of themselves.
“How about yourself?” Vassago inquired, bringing his red cup to his beak. “Have you finally sealed the deal?”
“Unofficially, yes,” Stolas answered nervously, still aware that he had the mess online to sort out. The look on Vassago’s face said the parrot was well aware, too. “I’ll do it, I will. I just wish for him to be a little more settled before I throw him into the centre of it all.”
Vassago tilted his head in the owl’s direction, clicking his beak good-naturedly. “I think he is quite accustomed to being the centre of attention, Stolas. Yes, more so on the negative, but I think he would appreciate you being outspoken about your relations with him.”
“Relations with him, must you speak so?” Stolas whined, grasping a cup and pouring in a simple soda. He frowned at it then rolled his eyes, knowing that his daughter was looking out for him. “I’m in love with him, and I cannot wait to announce it.”
“It appears that you can,” Vassago teased, earning himself a playful punch to the arm.
“Wow, throwing hands,” Bee suddenly broke in, distracting everyone from their game.
Loona twisted round, fur in disarray as she held herself up over Octavia. “Who’s throwing hands?”
“Vassago and Stolas.”
“What?” Blitzø piped up, his tail currently wrapped around an irked Moxxie’s neck. “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“We are not fighting,” Stolas tutted, gliding over to the Imp and booping him on the snout. “Release your employee.”
“Yeah, only Millie’s allowed to choke me,” Moxxie rasped, which had Blitzø yelling in protest, the others cracking up as Blitzø lost his balance and ended up flattening Fizzarolli to the matt.
“Ow! You’re fucking bony!”
“You try having the life sucked out of you by a bajillion fucking flowers!”
“I have an Ozzie for that.”
“Fuck you.”
“He does that too.”
Stolas tittered as they continued to bicker, and he set his cup down as Vassago ushered him to join, the Imps moving off the brightly coloured circles.
“Stolas, right foot, red!” Bee instructed, Loona and Octavia selecting music to put on as the rest moved to get food.
Stolas pursed his beak as he ended up partially under the parrot, the long limbs becoming a tangle that only he seemed to be conscious of.
“I’m not sure if this is such a good idea,” Stolas told his best friend, very much aware that Vassago had not been around Blitzø to the extent he maybe should have before partaking in such a game.
“Why? What do you mean?” Vassago asked, planting his left palm to a blue circle and therefore only a mere breath away from the owl who groaned inwardly.
“You two should have fucked,” came the predictable announcement, Blitzø joining in and pressing himself far too close to Stolas’ frame. “I wouldn’t have said no to a threesome.”
Vassago’s eyes widened, and he regarded Blitzø with a level of astonishment that had Stolas hooting with laughter. “I do beg your pardon?”
“You heard me.”
“I rather wish I hadn’t!”
“Why? I got a big dick that birds dig.”
“Stolas, get that basket back. I preferred him choking on petals.”
The small celebration didn’t survive late, for Blitzø had ended up falling asleep after Octavia had dragged a bean bag into the hall for him after he’d started to show signs of fatigue.
The laughter and chit-chat continued, which Stolas suspected was a comfort to the Imp who often thought himself to be alone and isolated.
It was not the case, it never would be. Not from here on out.
As the Sins and Stars took their leave, Stolas left Blitzø to sleep, curled up in that soft yellow fleece that Stolas couldn’t even think of once being his own. He idly began helping the servants clear up, and he was happy to send the girls off to chill out in Octavia’s room, the two getting on so very well.
Millie and Moxxie were the last to leave, insistent on helping out and therefore pleasant company for the owl who had bid Vassago farewell just prior to the girls retreating.
With the Hall mostly cleared and everyone fed and watered, he only had the focus of the event to relocate.
Stolas smiled as he carefully scooped up the still-sleeping bundle that had been the focus of many a snapped photo. He’d certainly be annoyed come morning when everyone uploaded their cutesy snaps of him sound asleep like that, but Stolas didn’t have the mind to intervene.
It was something he felt people needed to see, because Blitzø was so very misunderstood, and… Stolas was adding to part of that.
He padded into his bedroom and pushed the door closed, setting Blitzø upon the sheets and dimming the lights.
What a lovely evening it had been.
Seeing everyone in such good spirits was healing for them all, and Stolas yawned as he slipped into his sleepwear, deciding that Blitzø’s sweats and t-shirt were safe enough for the Imp to sleep in.
He settled under the covers and pulled Blitzø close, nuzzling between those magnificent bands of black and white with a swollen heart. He ran his talons up Blitzø’s back, enjoying the purr that rattled out of the Imp’s chest, Blitzø pressing closer purely on instinct.
He was going to be the end of Stolas, truly.
“I love you,” Stolas whispered, shuffling down before pulling out his phone. He gazed at the demon before him with rising adoration until it became too much bear. With a quiet chitter, Stolas opened his camera, cradling a rouge cheek before gently bestowing a kiss to Blitzø’s lips, snapping a selfie as he did so.
He broke the kiss only to gasp when he was pulled back in, Blitzø having apparently woken up during the press of affection.
Stolas warbled as he was finally released, meeting tired scarlet hues that stared at him with all the shy devotion that Stolas himself felt.
“You gonna post that?” Blitzø asked in a hushed whisper causing Stolas to blush as he grew flustered.
“I- I intended to, yes,” he whispered back, holding his phone tightly.
The way Blitzø grinned at him was deadly, because he was still so very exhausted, yet he was fully aware of himself, his words, and the effect they had on the Prince who fluffed up.
“What you gonna say?” Blitzø inquired, lacing their hands together playfully.
Stolas purled softly, enamoured with the way he was being spoken to. “I think I should like to announce that you are my boyfriend. The handsome, amazing, wonderful Blitzø.”
“Only handsome, amazing, and wonderful?” Came the mischievous response, and Stolas scoffed, snuffling the Imp’s neck.
“If I were to list everything, I’d run out of characters.”
Blitzø chuckled at that, and Stolas sighed, trailing his beak up rouge skin, along a sharp jaw until he could meld their mouths together once more. The contact was gentle, slow, languid in the best of ways as Blitzø kissed him back just as dotingly.
“Will you be mine forever?” Blitzø asked, a quiet plea underlying his words as they barely broke apart.
“I’ll be yours forever,” Stolas confirmed a little breathlessly, heart starting to race as his cheek was snuffled. “Will- will you be mine? Forever?”
Blitzø hummed in confirmation, threading his claws through florentine tufts before tucking himself under Stolas’ chin.
“I was yours anyway,” he murmured, snuggling against silken quills. “I just didn’t know that you wanted me.”
“I want you,” Stolas promised, holding the Imp close whilst scrolling through his privacy settings, unlocking his account and following Blitzø back. He went straight to his profile, selecting ‘new post’ and smiling as he bit his lower lip. “I love you,” he reiterated, selecting the photo of them both. “I want all of Hell to know it.”
He quickly typed his announcement in the caption before hitting upload, waiting for the confirmation before turning the device off, content to let Hell fall into shambles and shock whilst he enjoyed the warmth of man in his arms.
“Good,” Blitzø yawned, breathing in Stolas’ sweetly-scented feathers before wrapping his tail around a florentine thigh.
“Because I prefer telling you my feelings over coughing them up.”
Stolas tittered, tugging up the duvet with a sigh.
“I prefer your words, to any flower, my love.”