Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Stolas took a deep breath before sliding the key into the front door and turning the lock. Such a simple gesture brought a wave of relief over him as this felt like his first true act of freedom. This was the beginning of his new life away from the Ars Goetia and their toxic ways. Now, he could be as he wanted to be.

Pushing inside, the little bell he had painstakingly placed at the top of the doorway the night before let out its merry little jingle. It alerted all within that someone had entered the small flower shop, and as much as the former Prince enjoyed its sweet sound, Stolas could hardly wait to hear it again when it rang for his first customer. The avian man was anxious to see which citizen of Hell would be brave enough to enter the newly opened Botanicals and Bows Flower Shop. It was thrilling but he knew there were several things he needed to accomplish before he was ready to open.

Moving behind the simple counter space towards the back of the main shop area, Stolas placed his small work tote and lunch bag underneath the lone register. He grabbed the freshly laundered apron he’d set aside. It was embroidered with his company’s logo. Along the bottom hem he’d asked for a simple hyacinth to be embroidered to help symbolize the new beginning he was boldly undertaking.

With the apron secured around his slim waist, Stolas wasted no time getting to what was to become his new morning routine. First, he needed to water and feed all the plants in the shop. Most of them were your basic flora, ones he was certain everyday people would be interested in purchasing. Roses, lilacs, daisies, and such littered about the showroom floor. They were meant to bring people in while the more exotic foliage would be found in the back. This was where the shopkeeper kept the sentient and dangerous plants for those passionate about botany.

Once everyone had been given their proper breakfasts, Stolas started tidying. A few leaves and petals had fallen overnight, and the former Prince wanted to ensure everything was perfect for his first day. Thankfully, he’d already spent most of his nervous energy making sure things were put away and displayed nicely when he’d been in last night. The anxiety of doing this, starting his new life, had kept him from being able to sit alone in his new home. It was a small space, but one that was his and he was fiercely proud of it. There were still things he needed to get done to make it more livable for him and his beloved Starfire, but Stolas was determined to make it into the home he’d always longed for them to have.

With nothing else left to do, the avian man took a deep breath and slowly walked back towards the entrance of his shop. With each step, he thought about the path that had led him to this moment. How he had been born into power and privilege but never truly felt a part of it. How he had been forced to marry a horrible woman and pressured into becoming a father after having become an adult himself. How his wife had been the bane of his existence, throwing things at him and hurting him in ways that all the other Ars Goetia turned a blind eye to. And how their young daughter catching his wife hurt him one evening had been the final straw for the already frazzled Prince to initiate divorce proceedings and walk away from all that he had grown up knowing.

He had renounced everything that made him royal in favor of a small settlement to help him and his daughter get on their feet. It had been enough to purchase their new home and the shop where he would finally live out a dream he’d often had when he’d been alone with his thoughts. And now that vision was a reality, and with the flipping of the sign that hung from the window, Stolas finally felt free.

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Fucking really? Blitzᴓ grumbled internally as he walked down the familiar sidewalk towards I.M.P. headquarters.

This day was already starting fan-fucking-tastic. He’d woken up late, having slept through the alarm on his phone, and was rushing to get both him and his adopted daughter, Loona, out the door and two floors down to the only neighbor in their building that Blitzᴓ was certain wasn’t a pervert or a psychopath. The old lady had agreed to watch his little Loonie for him during the day while he was at work, trying to build his company into the most successful assassins’ business in all of Pride. He would leave them with whatever money he had in his pockets to ensure they could get lunch, and in exchange for doing this huge favor, he would take care of anyone who bothered the kind woman for no fee or questions asked. It was a nice arrangement that Blitzᴓ was very grateful to have.

Once his daughter was safely in her care, the frantic imp had parkoured his way down the winding stairwell and hallway to get to his van in his usual parking spot. Hopping inside, it was the cherry on top of his chaos ice cream when the engine refused to turn over. He tried a few times to get it to go, first asking the car very nicely to work and then threatening the piece of shit to be dropped off at a local junkyard before finally giving up. Blitzᴓ rested his already pounding head against the steering wheel, wondering if perhaps this was a sign from Lucifer that he should call it a day and return to his shitty apartment for some much-needed rest. But the idea was quickly stamped out as he knew that he couldn’t waste a single day if he wanted to get him and his daughter out of the shithole they called home.

Pulling out his cell phone, the aggravated imp called his two employees, Millie and Moxxie, to let them know they would have to find their way to the office. Moxxie of course went on and on in the background about how he’d been warned the engine light was on for over a month and probably needed some extensive work, but thankfully Millie paid her husband little mind and assured their boss and friend they would be fine taking the bus to work. When Blitzᴓ offered to pick up coffee to make up for the inconvenience, Millie said they would pick it up and instead asked Blitzᴓ to bring something to work that he had not been expecting.

Flowers.

Why the most lethal woman in Hell would want something as silly as flowers he had no idea, but Blitzᴓ found himself unable to deny the request. Perhaps it was meant to cheer up the sour moods of the two men in her life. Whatever.

Blitzᴓ, abandoning his van, made his way down the sidewalks of Imp City keeping his head down and his hands in his pockets to ensure that no one tried to mess with the already drained imp, who was one shoulder check away from going completely mental on everyone within the vicinity.

Thankfully, Blitzᴓ didn’t have far to go to get the unusual item. A new shop was opening today and he would quickly slip in and buy what small arrangement he first found before heading nearly six blocks to the office. He didn’t have a vase or anything for them, but he could always use Moxxie’s coffee mug. As he rounded the corner, the shop’s side came into view and Blitzᴓ made a beeline for the front. As he passed one of the big windows, he peered in to see if anyone was there…and found himself halting in his tracks.

Through the window, he saw the sexiest man he’d ever seen before. A silver fox of an owl sat before a plant that had the hardcore assassin both fascinated and horrified. It had a giant flower in the middle, surrounded by three…leaves, maybe? Whatever they were, there was a huge fucking eye on each one that was looking at their caretaker who was gently stroking one of them in his delicate hands. The stalk that held the plant was covered in thorns, giving it a more menacing look. Yet, the man tending to it had a smile on his lips and almost seemed to be cooing at it.

Taking his focus off the fucked-up Ficus, Blitzᴓ instead looked at the man who seemed to be the only person in the back of the shop. He was perched on a small wooden stool as he worked on tending the hellish plant. Even though he was seated, the well-trained assassin could estimate from his elongated form that he was probably the tallest motherfucker he’d been around. Perhaps tall enough to dust the fan in the shop without needing a ladder. His narrow waist was even more pronounced by the apron he wore and was tied tightly. His elongated arms and fingers looked so delicate as they moved to continue to stroke the eyed leaf before him, and for a moment Blitzᴓ caught himself wondering how those thin talons would feel touching him.

He didn’t know how long he’d been standing there staring at the man on the other side of the glass panes, but when one of the eyes shot a look in his direction, it pulled the focus of their caretaker, and he turned to look at the imp staring. Immediately, Blitzᴓ felt himself flush and a full-on panic rose as he knew he’d been caught ogling the man. The need to hide was overwhelming and the trained assassin quickly ducked below the windowsill even though he knew his horns were still giving away his location. He cursed at them for being so high on his head and jutting out in a way that made any attempts to obfuscate difficult, even on missions. Cursing under his breath, Blitzᴓ started to do an awkward crab walk towards the front of the store hoping that at least someone else would be inside who could help him with his necessary purchase.

Chapter Text

The bell to the shop let out its soft chime and Stolas was quickly on his feet and away from his worktable. The Hellbulb he’d been working on would need to wait to finish its pruning as the excited avian braced himself for his first customer. Pausing only long enough to take a deep breath, he twisted the knob of the door that separated the front of the store from the back and took a confident step forward.

“Hello?” he called out with a smile into the seemingly empty shop. The rows and buckets of flowers obstructed most of the space, but he could see a peak of the familiar curved black and white horns he’d seen only a few moments ago. The former prince had wondered if he’d get anyone to enter his store on its first day. Who knew that flowers were not readily sought after in Hell? Still, seeing the man who had been looking in curiously before made the slightly deflated owl fluff up a little.

Moving from around the counter, Stolas got a better view of his first customer. The young man was looking about at the different flora littered around the store, which gave the former prince a moment to admire him. He was tall for an imp and dressed in a dark blue or black suit that was slightly tattered at the ends. A burgundy shirt with a white collar was the perfect contrast to his clothing and the rich redness of his skin. There were also some white scars on his face and, from what the owl’s exceptional vision could see, his neck too. Most would have found them hideous or difficult to look at, but on him…they made the attractive imp look positively dashing.

Not wishing to appear rude, Stolas moved closer, attracting the man’s attention. “Hello. Welcome to Botanicals and Bows Flower Shop. My name is Stolas. How can I help you?”

“Hi,” the smaller male said hesitantly as he awkwardly looked up at him and then back around at the flowers. Standing side by side, the poor man probably felt intimidated by the towering figure who greeted him. The top of the imp’s horns came just to the middle of Stolas’ stomach, meaning the shop owner had about two to two and a half feet on him. It made the former prince pause and wonder if perhaps his height was one of the reasons why people had not bothered to come inside. Maybe this was something he needed to think about.

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” Stolas tried again, feeling himself flounder a bit and wondering if perhaps he had come on too strong and was going to scare the poor man off. It would be the cherry on top of his already disastrous first day.

“Umm,” was the response he got and already Stolas could feel himself starting to panic. This was his first sale, and he was already messing things up. And if he couldn’t sell a single flower, then his company, his dream would go under and that would mean the home he was trying so hard to build for him and his daughter would fail and he would-“To be honest…I have no fucking idea what I’m looking for.”

“Oh,” the slightly flustered avian said, trying to sound calmer than he felt inside. Stolas chastised himself mentally for getting so flustered so easily. The man was not certain what to buy and that was what he was there for, to help guide the citizens of Hell into finding their ideal floral arrangements. If he went to pieces every time things didn’t go smoothly…

After taking another deep breath, Stolas decided to restart this whole exchange. “Well, hi. Again, my name is Stolas, and I would be more than happy to make some recommendations. Is this for a particular event or perhaps for a particular person, Mr.…?”

“Blitzᴓ, the ‘o’ is silent, and these are for the office.”

“Well, Mr. Blitzᴓ, I am certain I have a few things that would go great there. If you would like to follow me,” Stolas offered and gave a slight nod before slowly waltzing towards the left side of the shop. “Is the office a big one or smaller?”

“You can drop the ‘Mr.’ and why does it matter?”

“Well, if you have a smaller office, I wouldn’t want to give you something too heavy fragrance-wise. It would make the experience uncomfortable. Plus, those flowers tend to be bigger, and I’d hate for them to be too…”

“Annoying?” Blitzᴓ offered and Stolas gave a small nod.

“Exactly.”

“Well, it’s not small but…maybe about the size of here?”

“Wonderful. Now, let me see…”

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Don’t look at his ass. Don’t look at his ass. Don’t look at his ass. Don’t look at his ass.

Blitzᴓ was practically chanting this new mantra to himself as he followed the tall, sexy bird around the flower shop. Already he’d kicked himself at having to deal with the man he’d been ogling earlier, and now here he was trailing behind and having to deal with staring at this man’s firm backside each time he bent over to grab a few flowers from one of the various buckets.

Stop staring at his ass. Stop staring at his ass. Stop staring at his ass. Stop staring at his ass.

The man, Stolas, seemed blissfully unaware of just how badly the imp following him was resisting the urge to land a hard slap on it. Fuck, he needed to get laid. It had been months since the last time Blitzᴓ had hopped into the sack with anyone and being this close to such a fucking amazing specimen was driving him insane and making parts of his body tighten and become uncomfortable.

“There,” the sexy owl said, distracting the horny assassin from his internal struggles as he finished grabbing the last flower from the floor and retreated towards the counter at the back of the shop. His arms were filled with various flowers, all of them a different shade of pink with some yellow in them, and they were being styled in a way with some baby breath and other leafy greens that Blitzᴓ couldn’t name but knew to be mostly used a filler for arrangements.

“So…what did you pick out?” he asked while waiting for the shop worker to finish fussing with the bouquet he was building.

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry,” Stolas said with a slightly panicked look. “I should have been telling you before I started grabbing things.”

“It’s fine, I mean. Not like I know what half of the stuff is in here. So long as you didn’t pick out the most expensive ones, then…”

“I assure you I wouldn’t have done that to you,” the avian man said with a smile and such sincerity it made something in Blitzᴓ’s chest ache for some reason. “I’ve picked out a few that I thought would look pretty but also help bring your office some luck.”

“Flowers are lucky?”

“Oh, flowers have unique meanings. For instance, these…,” the long slender fingers reached out and delicately stroked one of the longer pink petals. “These are orchids. They mean wealth and were once only found in royal households. And these smaller ones are Peonies, which mean wealth and happiness, and chrysanthemums. They are believed to bring luck to their owners in all aspects of their lives.”

“Cool,” Blitzᴓ said as he looked back at the bouquet Stolas was rolling into the wax-lined paper to fully form the arrangement how he’d designed and tied it off with a single strand of string. He had never thought about flowers having any deeper meaning than the apology usually attached to them whenever he’d given them in the past. Knowing they could mean more was neat to learn. The same could be said for the worker who was clearly into this stuff. Before he could take the bouquet in hand, the ruby eyes of the avian man widened a bit and then he turned around to grab a single purple flower that he stuck directly in the middle of it. The difference in the coloring made it stand out but its styling also helped it to blend in with the others around it. “What’s that one?”

“This is Aster. It typically only blooms this time of year in the Mortal Realm and means ‘Take Care of Yourself’.”

“Oh, uh. H-How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing,” the handsome bird said with a smile as he extended the bouquet across the table. Blitzᴓ shot him a look of disbelief and started to reach for his wallet, but the man’s expression turned serious. He raised a hand to stop him. “I insist. You are my first customer, and I want to thank you for taking a chance to come in here.”

“Thanks?” Blitzᴓ said hesitantly as he took the bouquet. For a moment, their hands touched, and the hardcore assassin felt his heart flutter at the touch. He couldn’t help noticing Stolas also sucking in a small breath and was relieved to know he wasn’t the only one who seemed interested. “Not much of a shop if you give your stuff away.”

“Then hopefully you’ll come back and buy something next time.”

He knew he needed to leave. He had to get to work. He and his employees were already running behind what with his van having decided to take a shit on this day. And yet…something about how this guy looked at him made Blitzᴓ not want to leave. He wanted to keep listening to that soothing voice talk about flowers and their deeper meanings, but then the phone in his pocket vibrated and he knew it was probably Moxxie asking when he was planning on finally showing up, him being the only one with a key to the office.

“Well, I…I have to go. But…next time?”

“Until then,” Stolas said with a smile and waved goodbye as Blitzᴓ exited. He took a moment to inhale some of the open air, feeling a little lightheaded from the lack of beautiful fragrances that filled the interior of the little store. A stark contrast to the harsher smells of smoke and vomit that seemed to permeate every square inch of Imp City. Bringing the bouquet he held to his nose, he took a deep breath and started cursing himself for not getting a vase while he was at it as he headed toward the office.

Chapter Text

Blitzᴓ didn’t know what made him stop by the flower shop again. Perhaps it was because the flowers he’d been gifted were sweet smelling and not the usual gag-inducing putrid smells that Imp City was known for.

Perhaps it was how Millie had turned from hardcore buzzsaw killer into bright and bubbly Wrathian sweetheart at the sight of them.

Perhaps it was the side-eye he got from Moxxie at having brought his wife flowers.

Or maybe it was because the flowers made the office feel a little better and brought back the memories of the handsome bird who gave them to him every time he looked at them.

Whatever it was, something had told him to stop by and see the sexy shopkeeper if only to thank him again for the present. Happily, with Loona not giving him a hard time getting out the door and his van deciding to work, it gave him a little extra time to stop by and say more than a few quick words. He expected to see the tall stud sitting at this workbench tending to whatever crazy kind of vegetation he had in his back office. Instead, he was surprised to see the charismatic florist standing near his register with a concerned look and three seedy-looking imps standing on the other side of the table. The two on the outside held revolvers pointed directly at the avian’s head while the one in the middle continued to talk.

“Now, I know youse have no idea how things operate here in the real world, birdie,” the leader of the idiot squad mouthed off. “But here in the city, people need protection and that is where me and my crew come in. We make sure business owners, like yourself, don’t have to deal with some of the degenerates around here. Otherwise…accidents have been known to happen.”

“And what makes you think I need protection?” Stolas inquired, trying not to let his nerves give away how worried he felt at being forced into a seedy deal. Blitzᴓ didn’t know if the three dumbasses that had thought it wise to try and steal from a Goetia picked up on it, but he could see it clear as day from the white pupils that were in his eyes. “I have the means to keep myself and my business from undue harm.”

“Sure, sure. I am certain a former Prince like yourself has tons of powers at your disposal,” the imp lead mocked. Blitzᴓ was caught off guard by the comment for a moment. Former Prince? Wasn’t he...? But then he recalled the article he had read about a Prince of the Ars Goetia stepping down from their position and moving to live a quieter life somewhere else in Hell not that long ago. That was Stolas? It was a little off-putting to know that he’d been checking out someone who’d been a prince and not a bastard son as he’d originally thought the avian shopkeeper to be.

Still, if he was a Prince before, that meant he had magic and could easily dispatch these assholes without lifting a finger. Blitzᴓ moved to get a better view of the shit show that was about to rain down on these fuckers at any moment…but when nothing happened, he wondered if perhaps the imps mocking had been right. Perhaps Stolas wasn’t as powerful as he was trying to make himself appear in this moment.  

“I can assure you gentlemen I am well within my means to take care of myself,” the former royal again asserted. “So, if you will kindly leave.”

“But we only just got here,” the mouth of the group said with fake sincerity. “Perhaps my boys and I would like to purchase something from this fine establishment. Boys, take a look around.”

While still managing to keep their guns trained on the flustered bird, the two imps that flanked their leader began moving about the store. They started tipping over pots and letting them crash to the floor, spilling their contents everywhere. Or they would grab a nearby shrub and start pulling out the leaves. Stolas watched them both with anxious nervousness as they did this, and Blitzᴓ knew he had to do something. No way was he going to let these three cum stains mess with someone he gave a shit about.

With the sounds of the thugs tearing the place apart to mask his entrance, Blitzᴓ was happy to find one of the front windows was unlocked thankfully. He shifted the bottom pane far enough to crawl through and hid behind a small group of lemon trees. Their citrusy smell filled the skilled assassin’s nostrils as he waited for the moment to strike, and he made a quick mental note to ask about getting one before slipping from his hiding space to come up right behind the group’s leader and pressing the barrel of his gun directly into the back of the imp’s skull.

“I suggest you tell your idiot associates to watch what they’re doing,” Blitzᴓ said in a low, threatening tone. “This is a nice shop and we don’t want to see any of it ruined after just opening.”

“Boss?” one of the thugs called out and turned his gun to point at the man holding his leader hostage while the other kept his gun pointed at Stolas.

“Yeah, that’s right, fucker,” Blitzᴓ scoffed. “Seems your boss thought it was a smart move to threaten a Goetia in his shop. Gotta say, ‘rookie move.’”

“And just who the hell are you?” the leading imp said, still not moving from where he stood to see who was threatening him.

“His protection.” Blitzᴓ pulled on the hammer of his gun and felt the three other imps in the room stiffen, realizing that the silent threat he was issuing was real. He would blow their boss's brains out and yeah, they might land a hit or two on him, but the skilled fighter was confident that he’d lay them both out before either of them could take a shot at Stolas, who just stared at what was happening with confusion and worry. “Now, I suggest you three fuckers leave this place and not come back unless the next set of flowers you get will be for your funerals.”

There was a moment of hesitation as no one moved or said anything. The two idiot associates were waiting for the leader to decide what they were to do next. The part of Blitzᴓ that was preparing for a fight almost wished he’d choose the stupid option, but instead, he picked not to and held up his hands in surrender.

“Alright, alright. We’ll go. Just…just put the gun down.”

“Yeah, not happening,” Blitzᴓ sneered. “Not my first standoff, dipshit. You and your men will slowly leave this place and if I catch you or anyone else you work with in here, I’ll make sure they get a nice tour of some of the things he keeps in the back. They are always looking for a warm meal.”

There was a huff of annoyance at not having regained the upper hand from the leader of the group and instead, he just flicked his hands in a silent command that made the others lower their guns and begin to move towards the front door. Blitzᴓ had been in enough situations like this to know it wasn’t a smart move to allow either of the two asshats to get behind him. Quickly he darted under the arms of the man he’d been pointing his gun at and moved to stand between him and the still nervous shopkeeper with his gun now pointed at his face. It gave Blitzᴓ a chance to remember what the three idiots looked like for the future.

Once the bell sounded that the door had been opened, the leader paused only long enough to look at Blitzᴓ, then towards Stolas, and then back at Blitzᴓ before turning and walking out without another word. They slammed the door shut, and that almost made the angry imp want to run out and start firing had it not been for the sounds of labored breathing he heard behind him.

“Stolas?” he inquired, releasing the hammer on his gun and putting it back in its holster as he turned around just in time to see the avian man sink behind the counter. A new panic filled the assassin as he quickly hopped over the barrier between them and stood before the bundle of feathers that was trying hard to steady his breathing. “Hey, buddy. Hey, it’s okay. They’re gone. Just breathe. You’re okay.”

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Stolas could feel his entire being shaking. He’d never felt so fearful in his life. Before, when he’d been a Prince, no one would have dared to threaten him. The fact someone had so easily come into his shop and do this, threaten him, without fear was alarming. He could feel the foundation of his entire existence shaking beneath his huddled form. He wasn’t a powerful royal anymore. He was a common man and this kind of thing happened to them all the time in Hell. He would be forced to face this kind of danger every day, and it was terrifying.

How was he supposed to do this? How could he be expected to live in such a world where there was danger around every corner? How could he keep himself from being gunned down and robbed or…An even more alarming question came barreling through the long list of ‘Hows’ and ‘What ifs’ to the front and it made his body shiver like a bucket of freezing water had been dumped on him.

How was he supposed to keep Octavia safe in this place?

Tears began to fall as he thought of his dear sweet girl having to face the brutal reality of being a resident in Hell. She was so small and defenseless. Yes, being a Goetia, even a discredited one, meant that they had a higher resistance to weaponry than others but that didn’t mean that they were impervious to being killed. Not with the presence of blessed weaponry existing. Before Blitzᴓ’s arrival, the three henchmen had alluded that they had not come here without securing the proper means to handle him if necessary. Perhaps it had been a bluff or it was the truth and the two guns that had remained pointed at him at the start of their conversation were loaded with blessed bullets. It would have only taken one to gun down the former Prince and leave his daughter at the mercy of her mother, who he was reluctantly thankful she was still with as he had yet to finish preparing her room at his new home.

This was a nightmare and one of his own making. He didn’t know how he was going to be able to do this. He’d been foolish to think that leaving the protection of the Ars Goetia was a wise move. Perhaps he could talk with his father. He could return to how things were and only have to figure out how to endure the beati-

“Stolas,” a voice firmly spoke, and he felt two hands reach into the mass he’d formed himself into and bring his face out from where it was hidden to force it to look his way. Stolas stared up at the powerful imp who had come so swiftly to his rescue and faced down the thugs without concern for his wellbeing. Though they had only met once before, this man was willing to place himself in harm’s way for the sorry shopkeeper who was cowering on the floor before him. And for what reason other than to stop an act of injustice?

The avian man stared at those two golden orbs and felt a wave of calm wash over him. They looked at him with concern, and for the first time in his life, the former Prince felt comforted. This wasn’t something he expected to feel but the rushed panic of being vulnerable began backing away and the pressure in his chest started to ease. Those piercing eyes made him feel safe. Feeling slightly lightheaded from this sudden transition, Stolas couldn’t help himself as he quickly shot up from where he’d been crouched down and threw himself into the smaller man’s arms. On his knees, the two men were about the same height and he wrapped his arms around the neck of his savior to hug him close. The sudden upshot forced his protector to rock back slightly, pushing them both into the workstation where they were. Stolas felt his heart thudding wildly in his chest and could almost perceive a similar heartbeat pounding in the chest he was firmly pressed against. It was a wonderful sensation and one the avian owner would never forget.

“Thank you,” he softly cried out and embraced his…his friend who had helped him in his time of need. Blitzᴓ had been caught off guard by the sudden actions and held his arms out aloft, uncertain what to do before they finally settled around the upper torso of the tinier frame. Stolas felt even more secure by this as he brought his head to rest on the base of his guardian’s neck. He took a few steady breaths and enjoyed the earthly smell that the imp gave off. It was alluring but the frazzled nerves wouldn’t let the frantic avian linger too long on it.

“You’re welcome.”

“I…I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up.”

“Yeah, well…what can I say? I like you.” The admission from the man who held him caught him off guard, and Stolas slowly leaned back to look at Blitzᴓ who seemed to realize what he said and immediately had a panicked look. “Your shop, I mean. I like your shop. Thought I might buy something today.”

“Oh,” the flustered avian said, trying to hide his disappointment and reddening cheeks. He wiped away the remaining water from where his tears had fallen down his face and then wiped his hands on his apron before standing again. “I-I don’t know, Blitzᴓ. You saved me. Just doesn’t feel right charging you for anything after that.”

“Yeah, well, you need to start making some money if you want to beef up security for your place.”

“True,” Stolas said with a sigh as he looked at the mess the other imps had left in their wake. Thankfully, nothing of too high value had been damaged and he could easily replace them. He’d at least had enough foresight to make sure when planning what to do with his settlement to leave an “emergency fund” in the total and that money would come in handy. Grabbing a nearby broom, the deflated shopkeeper began sweeping up the pieces of broken pots and soil as he continued to speak. “I’ll probably need to look into a security system and possibly a protection service if this place is going to work. Know of any place I could reach out to?”

When Stolas didn’t get an immediate response, he looked toward his new friend and found him pondering something before grabbing the standing pail and bringing it over to help with cleaning. “I might know a place. It’s not what they typically do, but the owner seems open to maybe branching out into different areas.”

“Oh? Where is that?”

“A little business called I.M.P. The Immediate Murder Professionals.”

“That sounds like an assassin business.”

“It is.”

“And why would a group of assassins want to help a flower shop?”

“I don’t know,” Blitzᴓ said with a small smile. “The boss seems to like your flowers.”

“How would he…? Oh.” It took a few seconds for Stolas to pick up on the unsaid thing Blitzᴓ was telling him. To be fair it was a bit of a surprise. Not many imps owned companies, let alone the murder-for-hire kind, but if he’d been able to reinvent himself as an entrepreneur, why could this handsome man as well? With the realization settling in, he flushed a little at the kind words. “So, he likes my flowers?”

It was hard not to smile as he watched his hardcore protector blush slightly at being caught with his words. He gave a distracting cough while scratching the back of his head. “Well, I mean…They’re nice smelling and make the employees happy.”

“Even the boss?”

“Anyways, perhaps they could be persuaded to offer extra security to your place? You know, since you’re just starting and the owner would hate for you to have to close up shop because of some chucklefucks.”

“Oh,” the endeared avian said with a smile. “Well, I couldn’t offer a lot. Right now, I’m on a fixed budget until business picks up. But, if the boss is amenable to it, I could throw in a fresh bouquet every so often for his office and perhaps a cup of coffee for the road. If he stops by, I mean.”

“Coffee? When did flower shops start sell-ell-Hell is that?” Stolas watched with amusement as the imp’s face went from perplexed to focus on the alluring aroma that was only now starting to permeate from the back. The shopkeeper had set it up this morning, thinking the smell might help to garner more customers. Yet, with the chaos that played out at the start of his morning, the former Prince had completely forgotten about it. The aroma was beginning to fill the shop and practically beckoned the imp toward its source.

“One of the perks of being royalty is you get the best of the best quality,” the business owner said with a slight pride in his voice. “Even though I’m not a member of their social circle anymore, my associates in the other rings still send me gifts of their products. Also, Stella, my ex, was never one for coffee, and in fairness, I don’t drink it much. But I was able to take the many bags we had in reserve when I left, and I thought it might help bring some people in. Would you…care for a cup?”

Blitzᴓ was practically drooling as he continued to sniff the air and gave a slight nod in answer. Stolas chuckled inwardly as he disappeared only long enough to fill one of the few paper cups he’d had in the back and brought it out to the waiting imp, who practically yanked it out of his hands and gulped the contents without care for its temperature. “Careful! It’s still hot from being…never mind.”

“Ahhh!” his friend said with a satisfied sigh. “Man, that is some good shit.”

“Again, the perks of having associates in high places.”

“I bet. So, flowers and a cup of that amazing coffee let's say… every three days in exchange for making sure you don’t have to deal with idiots like that again?” Blitzᴓ reiterated the terms of their deal and held his hand out in anticipation. Stolas looked away for only a moment considering what he was getting himself into and spied something in a nearby pot that called out to him. Taking a quick step away, he plucked a shamrock before returning to the man vowing to be his new guardian. It felt right to pin the small symbol of protection on the lapel of his jacket before taking his hand and sealing their deal.

“Pleasure to be doing business with you.”

Chapter Text

“No,” the aggravated hellhound said from the backseat as she crossed her arms and huffed. Blitzᴓ couldn’t help but find his daughter’s protest adorable as she dramatically asserted her irritation.

“Loonie, honey, I’m sorry, but there’s not much I can do about it. Your usual babysitter is visiting family and can’t watch you. So, you need to come to work with me.”

“You could leave me at home.”

“No, you are too young.”

“But it’s boring there,” she whined and pouted, and again her father had to stifle the urge to smile as her lower lip slightly jutted out.

“It’s not.” Blitzᴓ tried to add excitement to his tone, hoping a trick he’d read in a parenting book about helping to get your child excited about things would work. “There are plenty of fun things you can do. And you’ll get to hang out with Uncle Moxxie.”

“Ugh,” Loona groaned. “Why can’t I hang out with Millie? She’s cooler.”

“You ain’t wrong, kiddo, but I need Aunt Millie for a mission today.”

“I don’t want to hang out with Moxxie. He never let me do anything fun.”

Blitzᴓ let out a defeated sigh. He’d known this would be a very long day the instant he’d gotten the text from his neighbor this morning. She hadn’t been scheduled to go to Envy to be with her pregnant daughter to witness the birth of her latest grandchild for at least another month, but the girl’s husband had gone down on his wife and practically sucked the kid out. Fuck that dude and his vacuum cleaner mouth. Messing with my damn schedule.

So now the skilled assassin was left to face his greatest foe: an irritated hellhound kid with impulse and insecurity issues.

As he pulled up to the familiar flower shop, Blitzᴓ was already trying to mentally rework the mission so he wouldn’t need his brutal babe of an employee and could leave her to hang with Loona. It would give his daughter some much-needed ‘girl time’ as she didn’t have many female role models to look up to or ask things that a Dad probably didn’t know how to handle.

There was always the elderly neighbor…yeah, that wasn’t happening. And the other women Blitzᴓ knew were equally unsuitable. Most of them were from the lonely imps few ‘dick and ditch’ hookups he engaged in when the mood hit him. He didn’t feel comfortable bringing anyone he wasn’t serious about around his daughter, and Blitzᴓ wasn’t serious about anyone.

“What are we doing here?” his daughter’s question pulled his attention, and the slightly frazzled killer looked at her in the rear view mirror.

“Oh, this is just a stop Daddy needs to make before we head in.”

“Why?”

“You know those flowers I bring home from the office sometimes? This is where I get them from.”

“Oh.” The way Loona’s eyes were darting around looking at each of the flower displays inside and outside the shop made the tension in Blitzᴓ ease and he smiled. His daughter usually tried to hide it when she was interested in something, and seeing this felt like a bigger treat than what he would be picking up. Then he felt the shift in his daughter before she leaned back in her car seat and her hair slightly raised in fear. It made Blitzᴓ’s protective father instincts go on high alert.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“A strange bird is staring at us,” Loona said softly, worried what she was looking at could hear her. Blitzᴓ raised a perplexed eyebrow, and he let out a small chuckle thinking about how Stolas was probably the first Goetia his daughter had ever met, but then the snicker slowly died as he looked towards the shop to see a small Goetia girl staring at them both. Her big round red eyes with white pupils were laser-focused on the van from where she stood in the shop window. She wore a simple pink dress with white stars and white puffy sleeves. No smile or emotion was coming from the child. She reminded him of those creepy porcelain dolls he’d sometimes see in secondhand stores.

It was no wonder his daughter was unnerved.

Blitzᴓ was unnerved.

Thankfully, the jovial shop owner quickly appeared in the window behind the little girl. He was looking out to see what had caught the mini dread’s attention and upon seeing the van smiled and waved. Then, he quickly held up a single finger to signal for them to wait before he grabbed the smaller avian and placed her where she couldn’t be seen anymore. The hardened assassin felt like he could finally blink after having his soul scrutinized by such a tiny terror.

It wasn’t long before Stolas exited his shop with a bouquet that looked like it had taken some time to put together and a fresh cup of that delicious coffee Blitzᴓ was certain he was developing an addiction to.

“Hello, Blitzᴓ,” the happy avian said with his continued smile as he placed the flowers in the front seat and fastened the seat belt around them. Then, he handed the cup of steaming energy into the imp’s hands and their fingers touched for only a moment, but Blitzᴓ couldn’t ignore how his heart thudded just a little harder at the contact. Stolas even flushed a little, which was making it worse, but then he quickly distracted himself by looking at the young girl still slightly on alert in the back seat. “Oh, hello? Who are you?”

When she didn’t respond, Blitzᴓ looked at her with a pleading expression, asking her silently to answer. She gave him a hesitant look but eventually spoke up. “L-L-Loona.”

“Hello, Loona. My name is Stolas. It is lovely to meet you too.”

The former prince reached across the back of the seat with his long arms and held out his hand to shake hers. Again, she hesitated until she got an approving nod from her adopted father before taking it. It made Blitzᴓ proud to see her at least trying to be friendly with someone new, especially since it was Stolas who the imp knew he could trust.

“Are you helping someone by watching their kid today?” Stolas asked and normally that kind of question would have gotten a rather snarky and foul-mouthed response, but Blitzᴓ was enjoying the rich bold flavors of his delicious drink too much to do so. Plus, he knew that they had never discussed family before.

“No, this is my little Loonie Toonie,” Blitzᴓ gushed. “She’s coming to work with me today since her normal babysitter is running to Envy.”

“Oh, I hope it isn’t anything too serious.”

“Nah. Just another grand-kid about to pop and the old bat wanted to be there for it.”

“I see. Well, I guess today is ‘take your kid to work’ day and no one told us, huh?”

“So, it would seem.” Blitzᴓ could see his daughter growing anxious in the backseat as the two adults talked. She was far more patient than he had hoped and didn't want to push it. “Well, we should probably get going. Gotta set things up for her at the office while I work.”

Another groan was heard from the backseat, and Stolas gave a curious look to her father and then to her. “You don’t like going to your father’s office?”

“It’s boring there.”

“Loonie!” Blitzᴓ softly chided but she just rolled her eyes. He turned to the avian shopkeeper with a look that he was certain Stolas could easily understand.

“You know, Loona, if your father is okay with it, you could stay here.” Blitzᴓ choked a little on his sip and looked at the man still leaning into his van with a ‘what the fuck’ look. “Business has been going well recently, and I have some orders that I could use help filling. Plus, my daughter, Via, is with me and I am certain she’d love to have someone to play with. What do you think, Loona?”

“I…I don’t know,” the hellhound girl said with a weary expression. She looked to her father for reassurance whether this was a good thing. Blitzᴓ real quick tried to figure out what response to give.

A man he’d only recently come to know and feel moderately okay with offered to watch his daughter at a flower shop. One that he now has to provide some semblance of protection to keep the lowlifes of Imp City from messing with. Thankfully, just stopping by frequently had been enough of a deterrent, but there was always the chance that those bozos would come back and try again when he wasn’t there. That would leave Stolas with two young girls to try and protect and last time he’d clammed up at their presence. Yet, a father’s instinct to protect those younger wasn’t something to dismiss.

But even if thugs didn’t come in, there were still the crazy plants in the back of the shop that would look at his precious little girl like she was an afternoon snack. He hoped this pretty bird wouldn’t let his daughter wander where it wouldn’t be safe. After all, his daughter was there too, but a Goetia was more durable than a hellhound and probably not as appealing a prospect. But his precious little girl?

So the big question was if he trusted Stolas enough to keep his daughter safe.

“If you want to stay and Stolas is okay with it…then sure,” Blitzᴓ finally acknowledged and saw his daughter perk up in surprise. He had known her long enough to tell that her quick change in demeanor meant she had been trying to hide her inner want to spend the day anywhere but at I.M.P. Already the young hellhound was pulling off her seatbelt and grabbing the small backpack of activities her father had made to keep her entertained while he worked. Stolas did a small gleeful dance as he opened the sliding door and held out his hand to help his newest little helper from the vehicle.

“Here,” Blitzᴓ called out before either of them could move and he pulled a twenty from his wallet and held it out for Stolas to take. “Here’s some money for lunch. I’ll try to make it a short day, but sometimes missions get a little…squirrely so it might be late before I can get her. What time do you close?”

“Don’t worry about it, Blitzᴓ,” the happy avian said with a smile as he ducked his head back into the vehicle. “I’ve plenty of food for all three of us and don't worry about the time. I’ll keep the shop open until you can get here.”

“Oh..okay. Thanks.” Blitzᴓ just stuffed the bill back into his wallet and shoved the whole thing into the pocket of his jacket before turning back to address his daughter. “Play nice, Loonie, and listen to what Stolas says.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the young girl said as she turned to walk into the store.

“AND DON’T GO IN THE BACK,” her frantic father yelled out to her before the door to the shop could close. He then turned back to the man staring at him with a reassuring smile. “Just keep her away from those. Wouldn’t want to pick her up and be missing an arm.”

“Don’t worry, Blitzᴓ. Everything will be okay. You go do your thing and we’ll see you later.”

How Stolas’ words tickled his brain made Blitzᴓ feel his face heat. He wasn’t used to speaking to him with such care and it felt weird. So weird that he immediately fired up the van and peeled out only a second after the former Prince had stepped away from the curbside. He had to get himself under control before he reached work, otherwise, he’d never hear the end of it from the Ms.

-------

When Blitzᴓ had said he might be late picking up Loona, Stolas had thought he meant around nine or ten o’clock at night. It was nearly midnight before the bell for the shop alerted the owner that someone had come in and he was happy to see the familiar black and white horns of the nervous assassin creep in with a guilty look on his face.

"Sorry," the poor imp apologized, looking like he'd just thrown the former Prince's favorite plants into a shredder. Stolas just smiled to show that things were alright...even though he had been a few seconds away from wrapping up both young girls in his charge and taking them home. He’d been in the middle of trying to figure out a way to let the mastermind assassin know where to find them without broadcasting the address for all of Hell to know.

Perhaps a riddle?

Or maybe a cipher to make it more interesting.

Blitzᴓ continued to walk towards the workbench where Stolas waited. "The mission ran over since the fucker we were supposed to take out decided to play hide and go seek."

"Were you able to get him at least?"

"Yeah, Millie introduced him to her favorite axe." The shop owner let out a small chuckle and tried to hide the sound with his hand, but it seemed to make Blitzᴓ perk up a little and relax. "How was she?"

"Oh, Loona? She was such a great help today,” Stolas gushed. “She helped Via make up several bouquets for my orders and even made a sale herself.”

“Really? What kind of sale?”

“Just a simple arrangement I make for those looking for something quick to grab on the go. It was so adorable, Blitzᴓ. Let me show you.” The avian owner dug in his apron pocket to pull out his phone and quickly found the photos he’d taken of the moment. The first was of a sinner handing the little girl money for his purchase. She was standing on the stool that Stolas normally sat on and the serious expression she had was matched only by the stare of his daughter who was on the counter beside her. It was always funny to see how his sweet Via’s blank stare could unnerve even the fearless of men.

The second photo was taken after the transaction was complete and Loona was gifting the sinner his flowers. There was a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth and her tail which had been kept low and flat in the previous image was now perked up behind her. She had done such a wonderful job that Stolas had gifted her some of the money from the sale. He had felt it important to reward her for her efforts and only now wondered if he might have overstepped doing so without discussing it with her father first.

Stolas was about to bring up the matter when he turned to see Blitzᴓ staring at his phone with a big smile and a hint of tears. He had that proud papa look that the shop owner knew too well. It was the same way he was with his daughter whenever she did anything, and so Stolas just held the phone for a few lingering moments before switching to his contacts app and opening a blank page before placing it down in front of the emotional imp.

“So I can send you a copy,” the happy avian said and turned away to hide how thrilled he was at getting the personal contact information of someone he was viewing as his first-ever friend. During his years as a Prince, he’d realized at a fairly young age that most of the Goetia his age only ever associated with him in hopes of receiving gifts or climbing the social ladder. There was only one person he would have called a friend, but that was more so due to the connection they shared with the gifts their positions had bestowed upon them. But once he’d left the royal’s loving embrace, Stolas was not surprised to find his number blocked by most of the contacts in his phone. Now he served them no purpose and therefore had no importance.

But Blitzᴓ…

He was the first person to come into his store. The first person that Stolas had gotten to design something special for. The first one to give aid when he’d been held up by the scum of Imp City, and now had been the first to show true trust in the former Prince by leaving his daughter in his care. That was no small thing and he knew it.

“There,” Blitzᴓ said as he pressed the save button before handing it back to its owner. Again, their fingers touched for a moment and Stolas felt time and the world stop. He lingered on the sensation, enjoying the small touch of warmth, and thought he’d felt one of them softly brush against his. But then everything returned to full speed and Stolas looked down at his phone to see the name “Blitzᴓ” with a horse emoji next to it. It made the avian man smile and he placed the device back where it had been. “So…where is my little bundle of fur?

“Oh, she’s asleep over there,” the still mesmerized shopkeeper said as he pointed towards the side of the store where he’d left the two girls to find some rest. He watched Blitzᴓ turn in the direction and upon not immediately seeing his daughter turn back with a curious glance. “Oh, sorry. Here, let me show you.”

Stolas rounded the counter and made his way past a few of the stands of daisies and tulips to the enormous bulb plant set beside the store’s wall. It was the largest of the plants that the avian owner kept out on display for the patrons of his establishment to see. It was a novelty that he hoped would pull people inside like it had done in that musical movie he loved to watch. A sign hung on the wall asking people not to touch it and to ask for assistance if necessary. He had done this not because the plant was a danger but because he worried those who got too handsy would harm the precious beauty.

As they approached the large plant, he could feel the nervous energy of the skilled assassin following him building. “Please don’t tell me I’m going to have to kill a plant to save my kid, Stolas.”

“Blitzᴓ, honestly. Must everything be solved with violence?” the avian man said teasingly and then leaned over to rub the top of the bulb’s forehead. Six red eyes slowly opened and looked up at the former Prince. “All right, sweetheart. Time to let your playmates out.”

The plant gave a little shiver of its leaves in protest but then slowly opened its mouth to reveal the two sleeping children entrusted to its care. Seeing them lying curled up on the plant’s soft tongue like it was the most luxurious bed was such a wonder and made Stolas smile. They had both curled up onto their sides, so they faced each other, no doubt having spent some time within their flora fortress talking and perhaps growing just as close as their fathers were becoming. Around their heads were still the sunflower crowns that Stolas had shown them how to make and they had done so to give each other.

He gave the top of the plant another gentle rub in thanks before sitting down on his heels, so he was at eye level with his friend. “Lira is a rare plant. She is an herbivore eater. That makes her more of a threat to my posies than these two precious gems.”

“Oh,” Blitzᴓ said and Stolas didn’t draw attention to how he saw the assassin withdrawing his hand slowly from inside his jacket.

“They got tired and I knew this was the best place to put them so they could rest. It was either that or I took her home with Via and I, but I didn’t know how to tell you where we would be and I'm certain you wouldn't have been okay with that.”

“No, this…this is okay. Weird but okay.” It made Stolas happy to know that he’d not made some misstep and jeopardized the one friendship he had in his new life. Wishing to keep this moment, the avian owner withdrew his phone and snapped a silent photo of the two girls before reaching out to collect his daughter. Blitzᴓ quickly followed, picking up his daughter who was almost the same size as him. “Come on, Loonie. Let’s get you home.”

“Do you need some help?” Stolas offered but Blitzᴓ was already walking towards the front door. Thankfully, there was nothing that needed to be addressed tonight that couldn’t wait until the morning so he only paused by the register to pick up his keys before following behind. Flipping off the lights, he skillfully locked the entrance to his beloved shop and turned around to see his friend had managed to slip his daughter into her seat, placing the seat belt around her to secure her as she continued to rest.

“Do you need a lift?” Blitzᴓ asked after he slid the door on the side of the van closed with minimal sound. “I don’t have a car seat but you can hold her while I take you wherever.”

“Thank you, Blitzᴓ, but we’ll be fine. I’m just a quick walk from here.”

“Oh.”

“Wanted somewhere nearby when I was looking for where to set up shop and it was just perfect.”

“Oh…okay.” There was almost a sound of disappointment in the imp’s voice like he’d been hoping they wouldn’t be parting so soon, but then a small yawn came from the young girl on Stolas’ shoulder, and he knew he needed to get her into her pajamas and her new bed. He’d built it for her last night knowing she would be coming to stay at his new place, but only for the weekend. There were still some things that needed to be worked out about the custody arrangement between him and his ex, but he was happy to have her. It would be her first night in the tiny bed, and he hoped it would be worth the small fortune he’d spent getting it.  “Well, I guess…see you around.”

“See you around, Blitzᴓ, and if you ever need someone to watch Lonna, she is always welcome here. Anytime.”

“Thanks.” The two stood in awkward silence before Blitzᴓ finally took the first step and rounded the front of his van to hop in the driver seat. He had left his window open and so made a quick jump inside without rocking the van too much. It made Stolas smile, and he mimed a clapping motion which made his friend blush and look away shyly while scratching the back of his head. Then, he was firing up the vehicle and pulling away from the flower shop with the urgency of a father needing to get his child home.

Stolas watched them until he couldn’t see their taillights any longer before making the trek home. He could only hope his precious Starfire had enjoyed her first day at Daddy’s new place and that perhaps she too had made her first-ever friend. 

Chapter Text

Satan, after the work week I.M.P just had…Blitzᴓ was in desperate need of some fun. And not just any kind of fun. The kind that could only happen when Millie (and Moxxie by default cause that little bitch couldn’t say no to his hoe) agreed to take Loona for a sleepover. It used to be a nightly occurrence. He would fire up whichever hook-up app (depending upon what he was in the mood to play with. Yay, Pansexual!) and match with someone looking for an equally good time while also not wanting the whole bullshit of relationships and feelings. Just a quick ‘wham, bam, thank you, ma’am’ kind of thing, and Blitzᴓ was always okay with this.

Then, he became a father, and suddenly his nights were filled with making dinners, watching horse movies with his Loonie Toonie, and doing his best to not fuck her up the same way his dad had with him. So long as she didn’t end up selling herself on the streets when she grew up, Blitzᴓ could count that as a point in his column for not being the shittiest dad in Hell. Although with Cash Buckzo being his opponent…the bar had been set really fucking low.

After dropping off his precious baby to the only two people he would trust to watch over her for the night, Blitzᴓ fired up the van and sped towards the downtown area of Imp City. Thankfully, he’d had the foresight to go ahead and get into his clubbing gear before taking Loona over to stay with his friends. He waited until he was far enough away to not get another lecture from Moxxie on the importance of “good, classical music to help develop blah blah blah” in the morning when he came to collect Loona before cranking the volume up on his radio and blasting the latest rock hit while he cruised. It was a relief to have a moment to himself to take off the Dad hat and instead be the trainwreck that he tried so hard to keep those important to him from seeing.

As he continued down the highway, Blitzᴓ first pulled out the pack of smokes that he kept hidden in the visor of the driver seat. He was pretty certain everyone who rode with him knew they were there, but it was still better than carrying them on him all the time. Otherwise, he would smoke a lot more than just when he was allowed some alone time.  The familiar nicotine filling his lungs was like a warm hug and it made the imp assassin relax further as he continued to weave in and out of the other lanes, giving two shits for how many middle fingers he received for his colorful driving.

When he could tell he was a few exits away from the first of many for Imp City, Blitzᴓ pulled out his phone and unlocked it to try and figure out what he was in the mood for. There were so many apps meant to help all the citizens of Hell find whatever their black little hearts desired. There were apps for hookups based on age, sex, species, orientation, and even career. Some people had some weird fetishes, but Blitzᴓ was on each one because he liked to keep his options open. There were also apps exclusively meant for a particular type of person but no matter what they said, he had a profile on them too. He wasn’t above playing the part for whoever, just so long as he got to have his fun.

Assessing the many different icons, he decided that tonight he wanted someone tall, muscular, and who wouldn’t mind pinning him down for a change. He was usually the one in control, but tonight he wanted to be controlled. He wanted to be left a sweaty, sticky mess, and hopped on Sizzler and started seeing who was in the area. He decided that tonight he wasn’t too picky about what the other guy looked like so long as they weren’t too gnarly. He had to at least be able to look at them to get things started though he would have to wait until he got closer to the bar he was heading for before he could nail down who to nail.

As he approached an irritating red light that was keeping him from getting what he wanted, he realized where he was and looked out the front passenger window at the side of the familiar Botanicals and Bows Flower Shop. The lights were on, surprisingly, and he tried to see if he could spot a familiar pretty bird sitting at either of his worktables playing with his plants. Sadly, Stolas was nowhere in sight, and he let out a chuckle wondering if the goofy bird had forgotten to shut them off when he’d closed an hour ago. Perhaps he’d been distracted by his daughter. Was she with him right now?

His phone made a few of the familiar plopping sounds from where it sat on the bench seat next to him, but Blitzᴓ ignored them as he was still far enough from his destination that anyone who popped up on the app wasn’t worth the stop. Still, as he continued to sit there, looking at the shop, a crazy idea popped into his head. He could do the flighty fowl a solid and slip inside to turn them off. Sure, he didn’t have a key, but what was a little B&E on a night like tonight? Plus, it wasn’t like the former royal had sunk a lot of money into a security system that required codes and other bullshit. Just a simple pick of a lock and he’d be in and out in seconds. Then, he could shoot the tall glass of water a quick text reminding him to be more careful or expect a high light bill next time.

Hell, it might earn him an even bigger cup of coffee the next time he stopped by.

As if a signal from a higher power (if you believed in those), the light turned green and Blitzᴓ used that as his cue to follow through on his plan. Steering his van towards the front of the store, he pulled over to the side and parked it. Reaching into the glove compartment, he found the familiar lock-picking set he kept there for such moments. It was important to keep fresh the skills he’d learned when he’d been at his lowest living on the streets. With picks in hand, he hopped out of his vehicle and made sure the coast was clear before moving towards the door that stood between Blitzᴓ and his one good deed for the year.

Crouching down he quickly pulled out the various instruments needed to open the simple-looking lock and got to work. It didn’t appear to be anything too fancy, and he doubted the crazy shopkeeper had bothered getting the thing enchanted. From what Blitzᴓ could tell, the ex-royal had given up most, if not all, of his magic for a life amongst the lower class. Why in Heaven or Hell he would do that was beyond him. I mean, who in their right mind would give up a plush lifestyle with people whipping your ass for one where you had to struggle to make ends meet? Perhaps, once they knew each other a bit better, he could ask about that, but it didn’t seem like the righ-

“You know, a key works better,” a familiar voice sounded right behind him, and Blitzᴓ couldn’t help the small leap into the air as he quickly turned around to find four red eyes staring at him. He was still low to the ground, but the crimson discs were less than an inch away from his face and he could feel himself fluster at having been caught. Blitzᴓ was expecting to get chewed out for trying to break into a shop he was supposed to be protecting and only felt his racing heart start to slow when he saw the amused smile on the avian man’s face who was nearly bent over completely to look at him.

“Shit, Stolas. You fucking scared me.”

“Hmm. And, uh, what…are you doing?”

“I, uh, hehe,” Blitzᴓ began as he slowly rose to stand up. He was surprised to find the avian shopkeeper standing there in nothing but an overly large t-shirt that mostly covered his shorts. To complete the comfortable and cute ensemble were a pair of bunny slippers. “I was trying to do you a favor and shut off your lights. You left them on, and I didn’t want you to have to deal with a big-ass light bill. Companies around here don’t have an issue with overcharging the shit out of people.”

“Really?” Stolas said as his smile deepened and a small blush formed on his cheeks. “So, you were worried about me?”

“I, uh, was in the area and thought I might as well see if there was anything you needed. You know, with you still being kind of new to the area and stuff.”

“Well, I appreciate the due diligence, but I assure you I am okay. I realized what I had done and came back to do that very thing when I saw you kneeling in front of my door and wondered what was going on.”

“Well…now you know. So…” Blitzᴓ wasn’t certain what more to say as he nervously replaced the tools in his kit and put them quickly in his pocket to not draw too much attention. The two of them stood there for what felt like forever in an awkward standoff before Stolas gestured towards the door and the smaller man moved sheepishly to the side so he could open. Yeah, it was a lot easier to use a key and Stolas was in and out in less than a minute after having gone through the entire shop to douse all the lights before returning and locking up once again. “If you’re okay, then I guess I should be on my way.”

“Do you have any plans this evening?” Stolas asked, tilting his head as he clasped his hands in front of him. Something about the way he was looking at the usually more composed assassin was making him sweat just a little under the collar.

“Not really. Just heading to get a drink and toast to another week of killing idiots.”

“Oh, well, I hope you enjoy yourself.”

“Do…Do you want to come along?” Blitzᴓ asked in a ‘totally as friends and not as a date’ kind of way…though it's true he wondered what it would be like to go out clubbing with a Goetia, royal or not. He bet it wouldn’t take much to drink his ass under the table. Stolas seemed to consider it before softly shaking his head, making the imp before him falter a little.

“I have Via coming tomorrow evening and I need to get some things finished in her room and-” The avian man’s words were quickly interrupted by three simultaneous plopping sounds coming from Blitzᴓ’s pocket. He felt his face flush, not certain if the sexy birdie even knew what they meant. “And it sounds to me like your night is already spoken for.”

Shit. Blitzᴓ kicked himself for not having muted his phone before even getting out of the van. If this had been a real B&E attempt, having a sound go-off would have been the biggest bonehead move to pull. It was Burglary 101.

Also, why did it bother him Stolas knowing he was out on the prowl? It wasn’t like he was spoken for by anyone. If he wanted to be an overly energetic bouncy ball of sex and bad choices, that was his call and no one else’s.

“Well, at least let me give you a ride to your place. Don’t need you walking the streets this late dressed like that with all the creeps that I know are around here,” Blitzᴓ offered to distract himself from his building nerves.

“Again, I live nearby,” Stolas reminded and then peered down the sidewalk. “It’s not a long walk.”

“Kind of makes me think you don’t want me knowing where you live,” Blitzᴓ teased and, again, the long-legged walking wet dream tilted his head this time to the other side and even slightly swayed in a bashful kind of way.

“Most people in Imp City, I wouldn’t care for. But you?” Even though there were no defining pupils to show where the sexy bird was looking, Blitzᴓ knew the instant all four of them looked directly at him and he felt a weight in his chest that made him shiver internally under their scrutiny. Then, Stolas released the hold he had on his hands and motioned further down the sidewalk. “This way.”

“Good.” Blitzᴓ made sure to quickly lock his van. The last thing he needed was to come back and find it either missing parts or altogether. It would be fine there for the hopefully short but not too short walk ahead of them. As he started to take a few steps the assassin was already trying to figure out a viable excuse to perhaps capture one of his walking companion’s hands just for the hell of it. “Hope it isn’t too far. This area is not the bes-”

“Here we are,” Stolas merrily spoke, and Blitzᴓ turned to see he had barely taken a few steps away from the front of the flower shop before stopping once more. He looked to the side of where the former royal stood and was surprised to see a door he had not noticed before. Or perhaps he had and just assumed it was the entrance to another business. Then, Blitzᴓ dared to look further up the front side of the shop and was surprised to see a second and third floor with lights. Some large bay windows took up most of the wall space and he could see some hints of furniture and decorations from the floor level.

“You…live here? Above your shop?”

“Makes the commute to work easier, don’t you think?” Stolas said with a big smile. “I wasn’t looking to be quite so close when I was hunting for somewhere to live and somewhere to open my store, but then my realtor found this place and it checked so many boxes I felt it was…fate.”

“Hmm,” Blitzᴓ mused. He couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed at having had their walk cut extremely short. A part of him wanted to get to know this strange guy better, but it seemed ‘fate’ was just trying to remind the Blitzᴓ how fuck all of a chance he had. After all, this handsome newcomer to Imp City was WAY out of his league and could do a Hell of a lot better than a trash fire like him. “Well, then…I guess I’ll leave you to it then. Have a good night, Stolas.”

“You too, Blitzᴓ.” It was hard not to read too much into his counterpart’s tone as it almost sounded like he was equally disappointed in their having to part ways as well, but then another plopping sound came from the imp’s pocket, and he again took that as a sign from the universe to get out and let his issues be someone else’s problems. He gave a small wave goodbye and turned towards his van before he heard Stolas call to him. “Blitzᴓ?”

“Yeah?”

“I…I know it’s not much, but I do have some wine upstairs if you would like a glass. I mean, it’s the least I can offer for your attentiveness to me a-a-and my shop, of course. Plus, aren’t you supposed to go out…what is the term? Pre-greased?”

Blitzᴓ arched his eyebrow in confusion at the avian’s term and let out a small chuckle in amusement. “It’s ‘Pregame,’ birdbrain…and yeah, I could go for a drink before I head out.”

“Great,” Stolas said with a smile as he turned and unlocked his front door.

 -----

Alright, Stolas. You got to keep your head about you. Play this cool. You can do this.

The former royal could feel his stomach already doing flips as he slowly led the sexy-dressed imp following him up the stairs to the main part of his new home. This was the first person he had brought up, and it made sense for it to be Blitzᴓ. He was his first friend, and friends were always welcome in a person’s home. But it didn’t help that this man had claimed another unknown first: the first guy that Stolas had fantasized about.

It had been part of the reason why the avian shopkeeper had been so distracted that he’d forgotten to turn off his lights downstairs. He’d been thinking about Blitzᴓ practically all day, ever since he woke up from the naughty dream he’d been having the previous night. It had been a similar situation to the one he found himself in now. Him, leading them both into his home. Them, sharing a bottle of wine and talking. Blitzᴓ, leaning in and kissing him before asking him to go to bed and…

Stolas had to stop from continuing otherwise he knew the man behind him would easily pick up on the way his feathers would puff out in excitement. It was easy to pick up on the way he felt if you knew the signs to look out for. Thankfully, he arrived at the top of the steps and moved towards the bowl where he normally kept his keys before turning around to see what his guest thought of the place.

It was a simple loft setup. The open floor was wonderful since it provided him with ample space to move about without bumping into things. The large windows at the front of the room gave him an excellent view of the street down below from the living room, but he’d made sure to add some curtains and a few leafy plants for privacy when it was desired. The kitchen area was towards the back of the first floor and had top-of-the-line kitchen appliances installed. There was an island where the sink and dishwasher were housed while also providing a bar seating area with stools for people to relax. It would also work as a table for him and Via until he could come up with a better arrangement.

Both sides of the living room had separate staircases that were flat against the exposed brick walls leading to the second (third, technically) floor. That was where the two bedrooms with a shared full bath between them were located. It wasn’t the most ideal of setups (oh, how Stolas longed for his overly large bathtub) but it was manageable. And until Via was on a permanent schedule staying with him, the lone father could enjoy having the space all to himself before bath toys and character-driven products were lining the dual sink vanity. A part of him couldn’t deny how much he was looking forward to the space invasion.

It was there that he had retreated to when the day had ended as it was also where he was currently hiding his personal toys until he got that stupid dresser that he had to assemble himself fully put together and could put them in his room. He’d been in the middle of setting up the area with candles and aromatherapy oils to help get deeper into the mood when he’d realized what he’d done and headed downstairs to find the man who’d been practically marathoning through his mind all day huddled in front of his shop.

Again, it felt like fate was stepping in and trying to tell him to stop being so cowardly and at least try and see if there was even something possible between him and this handsome devil. Now, here he stood waiting to see what Blitzᴓ thought of his place like a student waiting for their teacher’s approval. “What do you think?”

“Nice,” was the one-word reply, and Stolas happily took it. He wasn’t expecting any kind of detailed critique of his decorative styling. With a smile, he turned and headed for the kitchen where he had a bottle of white wine chilling in the refrigerator. There was also a glass in there, but he opted to leave it hidden within the confines of its chilled prison and grabbed two others from a nearby cabinet. Popping the cork with expert precision, Stolas poured two glasses and brought them over to the living room area where Blitzᴓ had chosen to completely lay on the couch. “Man, this is comfy.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it? Hell, I might steal it from you,” the relaxing killer said with a grin as he took the glass handed to him. Stolas gave an amused chuckle and moved to sit down at the end where his feet were so they could better talk. Blitzᴓ’s tail was lazily swishing, and it made the homeowner happy to know his guest felt so comfortable here. After a big gulp, his guest placed the glass on the nearby stone coffee table that had been a pain to get up the stairs but was worth it for how it tied a lot of elements in the room together before placing his arms behind his head as a cushion. It made the lower hem of his shirt rise ever so slightly to reveal the beginning contour of defined abs and Stolas had to force himself not to stare…or drool.

“I can tell you where to find one if you like it that much,” he offered as a way of distracting himself.

“Nah. Probably too expensive for me…but it is way better than my shitty one at home.”

“I can assure you it wasn’t that much since I had a limited budget. You know, MAMKEA is a great place to find stuff if you don’t mind having to put it together yourself.”

“Huh. Maybe.”

“Oh, and you haven’t even seen the best feature,” Stolas gushed as he placed his glass next to Blitzᴓ’s and reached behind the sofa for the hidden switch that made the back collapse down and lay flat with the seating. Thankfully, it didn’t affect how his guest was lying, but it made the longer avian sitting on the sofa flop onto his side. He did his best not to look too silly and tried to roll onto his side, propping his head up on one of his hands. “So, if I should ever have a guest over to spend the night, I have a bed for them to lay on.”

“That’s fucking cool,” Blitzᴓ said with an approving grin and shifted to further spread out. He let out a sigh that seemed both relaxing and longing at the same time. “Fuck, I miss having a bed.”

“You don’t have one?” Stolas asked, perplexed by the notion.

“Not really. When I adopted Loona, I was living in this shitty one-bedroom apartment, and well…now we both live there, and I know she needed her own space. So, I gave her the room and I took the couch. It’s lumpy and sometimes smells, but it’s better than nothing.”

“That’s horrible, Blitzᴓ,” the former prince said but not in a judgmental way. He couldn’t imagine not having a bed to lay down on at night, but then again if he were presented with a similar difficulty, he would not hesitate to ensure that Octavia’s needs were met before his own. He’d sleep on the sidewalk if necessary, and it made him even more grateful for the home he and his daughter now had and the little luxuries that were sometimes taken for granted by the rich. “You are a wonderful father, putting your daughter’s needs above your own.”

“Yeah. There isn’t nothing I wouldn’t do for my Loonie,” Blitzᴓ said absentmindedly. He lay there, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes as if pondering something before he rose to sit cross-legged in the middle of the cushiony space and face his host. “So…what is your deal?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, why in the hell would a royal give up being one just to live in a shit hole like Imp City and run a flower shop?”

The forwardness of the question kind of caught Stolas off guard and he felt his body tense in response. He knew one day this question would come up and he’d have to explain himself to others. During the whole process of his leaving the Ars Goetia, Stolas had done a great job of keeping his thoughts on the matter to himself. He refused all requests for interviews even after he’d moved out of the palace. The only interview he permitted was the one talking about his new shop, and even then, he’d forced them to stick to an approved list of questions to ask, which the royal family helped to enforce. They were looking to save face from the embarrassment of having one of them walk away, and it had practically been a decree from his father, King Paimon, that Stolas never openly discuss the secrets that the family held or his true reasons for going.

You don’t want to further shame the family, do you?

The hesitation in the avian man was easily picked up by his guest. “You don’t have to answer, Stolas. I just…I’ve been trying to figure you and your deal out and I’m just-”

“No, it’s…” Stolas moved from his lounging position to sit up and took his wine in hand. He was going to need some liquid courage if he was going to do this and trust that Blitzᴓ wasn’t looking for something to sell to the local papers or Overlords and endanger him and his daughter. “It’s just hard to explain.”

“Did they kick you out?”

“No,” Stolas said and took a drink from his glass. “I walked away of my own accord.”

“Why?”

“Things…Things were not good for me or Via. There is stuff that I can’t go into, at least not yet, but I can say that the future that I saw waiting for us both was bad enough to make me realize I had no other choice. I had to leave and take her with me.”

“How bad can being a royal be?” Blitzᴓ challenged. “I mean, you have a shit ton of money, servants to do everything for you, and you don’t have to worry about someone trying to fuck with you because you all got some crazy ass magic.”

“Yes, it does sound simple when explained like that, but there are things to being a royal that make all those advantages not worth it. It’s...” Stolas felt himself floundering. How was he supposed to properly explain the years of mental abuse he’d suffered from his family; the forced isolation so he grew up never feeling any kind of love or support; and the eventual forced marriage, coupling, and physical abuse he’d been made to endure all for the sake of the comfort of a crown. It was all too much for even the strongest of souls to withstand, but saying it out loud…would it make him appear less in his friend’s eyes?

How could he dare to compare his life living in a palace to this man who most likely had to struggle for everything he had? He had fought for a ‘shitty’ one-bedroom apartment while Stolas had been given the money necessary to live in a more luxurious loft. There was no concern about whether bills would be paid as he was fortunate enough to have a well-planned emergency fund to ensure things were okay for him and his daughter. Even though he didn’t know much about the business Blitzᴓ ran, he doubted that it was profitable enough to afford such security.

Shame was bubbling over within Stolas, and he moved from where he’d been sitting to head into the kitchen so he could work through the growing emotions while trying to hide them from his guest by appearing to make them some snacks to go along with their drinks. He hated how ill-prepared he felt for handling the questions he knew would be coming from anyone aware of his situation. For most, he’d be able to ignore them as he did not care what they thought…but he didn’t want to do that with his friend, whom he wanted to open up to but feared what he would think.

Stolas was deep into his wallowing when he felt a hand press into his back and jumped a little. He turned around to see Blitzᴓ sitting on the edge of the island facing him with a worried expression. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yes, I’m…I’m fine. Thought you might be hungry.”

“Stolas,” the concerned imp spoke softly and used his tail to grab the wrist of the former prince and pull him closer. Once he was within arms reach, the tail gave way to its owner's hand and Stolas was pulled into a comforting hug. The somewhat issue of their height difference was alleviated by Blitzᴓ sitting there, and Stolas was able to comfortably wrap his arms around his friend as he was also embraced by shorter arms. It was a simple gesture but meant a lot to the man who spent most of his life wanting one and never receiving it. He even allowed himself the indulgence bringing his head down to rest on his friend’s shoulder and gave a deep sigh, enjoying the fragrances of tobacco and Blitzᴓ’s natural scent. “I sometimes don’t think before I speak, and you’re still going through whatever it is that is happening, and I…It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“Thanks, Blitzᴓ. Perhaps one day we can sit down, and I can tell you more but right now…it’s just hard with things still needing to be settled.”

“I get it. Just know whenever you’re ready, I’ll be there, and I’ll bring stronger booze.” That got a chuckle from the avian man, and Stolas felt the pressure within him slowly fading away. It felt nice feeling like he had someone whom he could open up to, since in his former life he’d only ever had his books as a means of escape. Their tales were the only relief for the frazzled prince, but even they hadn’t been enough to make him continue to endure his life as an Ars Goetia.

The two of them continued to hold onto each other and Stolas wondered if perhaps it was lasting longer than what would have been appropriate between friends, but he refused to be the first one to pull away and wondered if Blitzᴓ felt the same. He felt his friend’s hand on his back start to slowly rub up and down to further soothe and the way it made his shirt feel against his feathers began replacing the level of anxiety with a heat that he had been struggling with before.

Satan, he felt a desperate need to lean back and kiss this man, but a gentle plopping sound coming from Blitzᴓ’s pocket broke the spell they seemed to be under, and he felt his friend go stiff for a moment before letting out a grumbled sound in frustration. “Stupid fucking phone.”

Stolas reluctantly pulled back and watched as Blitzᴓ pulled the device out and quickly unlocked it before swiping it a few times and then replacing it. “You should probably go. I’m certain there are better things you could be doing with your night off from being a father.”

“Or…I could stay. You know, if you don’t want to be alone right now or whatever.” It was a very tempting offer, but the avian host knew what those sounds meant and what it was that Blitzᴓ was looking for and he…he just didn’t think he was quite ready for that. There were things he still needed to work out, both with his divorce and himself, and he didn’t want to make it any more awkward than they were dragging the man he was starting to develop an attraction to into that kind of Hell.

“Maybe another time, Blitzᴓ,” Stolas gently declined and tried not to get too hopeful when he thought he saw a look of disappointment before he turned to walk towards the stairs that led to his front door. As he descended, he saw some of the yellow pansies he’d brought in from his shop sitting on the bottom step. He’d planned on putting them in Via’s room as a welcome home gift, but instead grabbed a small bundle of them and handed them to Blitzᴓ. “Here.”

“What are these for?”

“To give to whomever you find to spend your evening with. They’re supposed to bring joy.”

Blitzᴓ gave him a questioning look before his lips turned up into a small smile and he walked out the door his host had opened for him. “Thank Satan I’m not allergic to all the flowers you keep giving me.”

“Enjoy yourself tonight, Blitzᴓ, and I’ll see you soon.” Stolas stood in the doorway as he watched his friend walk the few feet to his van and hop into the driver's seat. He placed the posies down in the seat beside him and fired up the rather loud engine. Before pulling away, Blitzᴓ looked back at him and the reluctant avian gave a small wave to wish him a safe trip. He got a nod in response and then the vehicle was speeding off into the night with its only passenger.

Once Blitzᴓ was out of sight, Stolas allowed himself to feel the regret of not having taken his friend up on his offer. He hated being alone, especially with his thoughts having been stirred up on heavy subjects, but he felt it wasn’t right to burden this newly formed friendship with his woes yet. He wanted this connection, and Stolas was determined to protect it.

Chapter Text

Blitzᴓ sat on the park bench and smoked his cigarette as he watched Loona swing high on the barely put together playset at the public playground. It was the weekend, and he’d promised his daughter they wouldn’t spend the entire time stuck in their apartment. When asked what she wanted to do first, his little Loonie instantly asked to come here as this was where she could play as hard as she wanted without worrying. 

Being a child with emotional issues, there were varying ways in which Loona liked to express her heightened feelings. Often it was with her outbursts and insults, but when it became too much, there was a need for physical release. So, she would come here and swing as hard and as fast as she could to get out that energy and make the hardness within soften. The first few times Blitzᴓ had seen her do it, he’d been really worried for her. But over time and with some guidance from a fellow member of the single parent support group he was a part of, the frazzled father learned that it was better to just let her do what she needed to do.

“Excuse me, sir,” a Sinner mother pushing a stroller said in the usual ‘Karen’ tone that made Blitzᴓ want to plug his ears. Inside the stroller was a young child fast asleep and even without flicking his tongue out, the imp could tell he was well overdue for a change. “You shouldn’t be smoking here. It’s not good for the children.”

“We’re in Hell, lady. What is good for them?”

“Well, I don’t want my precious bundle to breathe in any of your filthy toxins.”

“Fuck off then, bitch, and find another dick to ride. Maybe you’ll do better with the next spawn.” The lady scoffed in a way that showed she had probably never been spoken to like that before. Her motif showed she probably came from money, no doubt a pillow princess up topside who would spread her legs for anyone with enough zeros in their bank account. As she started to briskly walk away, Blitzᴓ called out to her again. “And change that fucking baby, whore. He smells worse than the rivers in Greed.”

“Oh my,” a familiar voice softly spoke behind him, and the panic that instantly filled the hardcore assassin made him sit completely straight and slowly turn his head in the direction it came from. To Blitzᴓ’s horror, there stood the leggy avian who had become a near constant distraction in the imp’s life. Whenever he felt his mind starting to wander (or if he was just trying to tune out Moxxie), often the image of the sexy bird lying on the fold out bed or the memory of how it felt to hold him would come back strong. He swore at time if he took a deep enough breath, he could still pick up the different floral scents that always seemed to be around the fancy flower shopkeeper. 

“Hhheeeeeeeeyyyyyy, Stolas,” Blitzᴓ said with a sheepish grin like a child being caught doing something naughty. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for somewhere for my little Starfire to play,” Stolas explained, and he gave a smile that made the nervous imp slowly start to relax until the man began bending over to bring his face down to meet Blitzᴓ’s. Those four red eyes seemed to be staring at his soul, but then another set of red eyes with white pupils emerged from behind him and it made the hardcore assassin jump. “Say hello to Mr. Blitzᴓ, Via.”

“Hi, Mr. Blitzᴓ,” the frightening child said, still staring at him like she was reading judging his sins. 

“H-H-Hi, Via,” Blitzᴓ returned, not trying to sound too unnerved. “Um, Loonie is over on the swings if you want to join her.”

“Loona!” The mention of her friend’s name seemed to pull the child from her strange state, and she began to smile and act like any sane normal kid should. Her legs started to wiggle as she struggled to get off her father’s shoulders, making the poor avian father frustrated as he worked to ensure she didn’t fall. 

“Easy, Via. You can go play. Just make sure you stick by Loona.”

“Okay, Dad.” And without a second thought the little girl was gone, off to join her friend whose head turned upon hearing the littler scampering feet heading in her direction and she started dragging her heels in the dirt below her to try and slow her movements. Once Via was within arm’s reach, the young hellhound girl reached down and picked up the bouncing bundle of feathers and pulled her into her lap. Then, she was off to swinging again, though not as fast or as high, while the Goetia girl held onto her and laughed. 

Wonder if Loona would be better if she had a sibling to play with.  

“Oh my,” Stolas said with a sigh of relief as he took the seat next to Blitzᴓ on the park bench.

“You already said that.”

“Yes, well, Via can get very animated when she is excited,” the avian man said as he rubbed the back of his long neck, trying to alleviate a clear strain on the area. He gave a soft moan, and it made Blitzᴓ’s heart skip a beat and nearly choke on his next puff on his cigarette. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he wheezed and gave a few more strong coughs before finally regaining his composure. “Yeah, I’m good. Just a strong hit.”

“Okay.” Stolas reached out to gently pat and rub his back to help soothe his friend, but all it was doing was making the boner that Blitzᴓ tried to hide by shifting his position that much harder to go away. Thankfully, once he was ablet to stop coughing so hard, the hand was removed and Blitzᴓ picked up the dropped cigarette butt that thankfully was still light at the end and used it to light another one. As she stamped out the previous one, he caught sight of his companion chuckling. “Yeah, I know we’re not supposed to be doing this here, but…come on. It’s open and airy and-”

“Oh, that wasn’t,” Stolas interjected. “Do you not have a lighter?”

“I do, but it’s only got one more flick in it, I think.”

“Ah. Well, back before I left, I was able to summon flames at will. I could just-” The former royal snapped his fingers and then held his pointer straight like something was supposed to happen. “and one would appear right here. It’s one of the few things I miss being able to do.”

“Huh,” Blitzᴓ said as he blew out smoke he’d been holding in. “Neat. What else could you do that you can’t now?”

“A few things,” the avian man admitted as he made a quick search of the playground area and was content to see the two girls still swinging as they had been. “Most of what I could do I barely did or ever needed to. But it’s the day-to-day things like lighting flames or moving objects with a simple flick of my wrist that I miss.”  

“Bet it would have made moving everything up the stairs to your loft a lot easier.” 

“Actually, I did that on my very last day with them. One final mercy from the Ars Goetia,” Stolas mused and then let out a deep sigh before leaning back into the bench further. Blitzᴓ could tell that his decision to leave the royals was still weighing on the poor guy and there were moments he had to be regretting it. To have lived with all that privilege and power. There was no way that it wasn’t messing with him. Still, Stolas had been very guarded about talking about it, so Blitzᴓ decided not to push and instead sat there quietly smoking his cigarette as he watched the two kids at play. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait too long for Stolas to break the silence. 

“So, how did your evening go the other night?”

Shit.

“Oh, it went…fine.”

“Did…did you find someone?” When Blitzᴓ looked at the man sitting next to him with a questioning expression, he noticed a slight blush form on his cheeks and it made the imp smile slightly, causing the avian man to suddenly stammer. “T-To give the flowers to, I mean. Not that I…uh…”

“Not really,” Blitzᴓ said, and he held out the cigarette he was nursing towards his bench-mate, who hesitated a moment before taking it and taking a hit. “Had a few who looked…but didn’t really feel up to it. Perhaps I pregamed too hard.” 

Stolas gave a small hoot of a laugh as he expelled the smoke he’d inhaled as a set of little rings, each getting just a touch smaller than the previous one. 

“Shit, how did you do that?”

“It’s all in the tongue,” the florist said with a smirk and slight blush to his cheeks. Blitzᴓ felt not only his brain but his soul completely blank out before letting out a groan while tipping his head back. 

“Fuck, Stolas. You can’t be saying shit like that around a horny bastard.”

“Are you? A ‘horny bastard’ I mean.”

“Shit, I’m always horny,” Blitzᴓ said with a smirk while struggling not to look at the increasingly flustered avian sitting not too far way. Stolas took another quick hit from the cigarette before passing it back and when their fingers grazed each other…fuck, that was doing something for the hardcore assassin. He had to reposition himself by bringing his leg closest to his benchmate in order to hide the boner that was forming in his pants, but he had a feeling all four of those damn ruby eyes caught onto it when the color on his cheeks deepened. 

“You know, Blitzᴓ,” the former Prince started after they had sat a few seconds in awkward silence. “I really enjoyed the other night. I mean, we see each other every other day so I can give you flowers and coffee in exchange for keeping my place safe but getting to just…hang out. It’s something I never got to do much as a royal and I wanted to say that if you…if you ever find yourself looking for somewhere to go…you’re always welcome to come over. Anytime.”

Blitzᴓ looked towards the man he’d been conversing with curiously and was pleasantly surprised when he was given a smile before Stolas looked back towards the play area searching for their daughters. The fact that his eyes widened a little and he began looking around told the perceptive imp that the two girls must have moved on from the swings. Blitzᴓ wasn’t worried as he knew that Loona would make sure the feathery ball of terror was safe. But the momentary distraction for his new friend gave him a chance to really look at the man.

There was something about him that was just so damn enticing. Blitzᴓ couldn’t put his finger on what it was specifically that made certain parts of his anatomy go rigid. Perhaps it was the fact that Stolas was just so damn sexy, with his long limbs and neck. The perfect size for the horny imp to get his hands around. He tried to imagine what it would feel like pinning those slender wrists above the avian’s head. Probably could hold both of them with one hand. That would leave his other one to see how truly soft his feathers were. He’d been wondering that since the other night when he’d been rubbing the former royal’s back and had struggled not to slip his hands up under the shirt that kept him from knowing. 

Then again, perhaps the appeal was in the fact that Stolas didn’t behave like all the pompous, rich assholes Blitzᴓ had the misfortune of interacting with. Having grown up being a circus imp, he had mostly performed for the various hellborns that existed in each of the Rings. Succubus and incubus. Infesters. Baphomets. Sharks. You name it, he’s performed for it. On occasion, a royal would make an appearance and Blitzᴓ dreaded those nights as that was when Cash was at his worse. He would demand perfection and those who failed to meet his standard would get the business end of his belt. 

Blitzᴓ often found himself on that end. 

The only time he’d ever interacted with one of the blue bloods of Hell that didn’t make Blitzᴓ want to completely barf was that weird day his dad forced him to have a play date with one of their kids. His shitty memory had taken a lot of that day away, but what he could recall was how fucking weird the kids had been. The downy little shit had been so obsessed with sharing his things, especially his massive book collection, with his ‘new friend’. The kid clearly was in need of some kind of playmate, and that need had made him an easy target for Cash’s grab for riches.  Blitzᴓ had reluctantly played a part in robbing the poor kid, and even to this day he wished he could remember the gray feathe bastard’s name so he…could…

…

Shit!

Blitzᴓ went rigid as he looked at the man sitting next to him as though seeing him for the first time. No. No, there was absolutely no fucking way that this god damn sexy ass fucker was that same downy little shit he’d been made to play with. No, possib-

“DAD!” 

The voice of Stolas’ daughter yelling out in distress seemed to be enough to pull both her father’s attention from whatever it was he had been thinking about as well as Blitzᴓ, who had been in the beginning throws of a massive panic attack. The revelation was pushed to the background of his mind (he’d fucking deal with that shit later) and instantly the two men went into defensive dad mode. They stood at the same time, looking around for a sign of the small avian while her father called back with worry. “Octavia? Starfire?”

Blitzᴓ was the first to clock her approach, seeing her running with her arms out and tears streaming down her porcelain-like face. Her father spotted her not long after him and bent down to scoop up his distressed child.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“It’s…it’s Loona.”

Hearing the child’s distress and his daughter’s name made the imp father’s feet move faster than his brain could process what was happening. Blitzᴓ was on a mad dash further into the playground area in the same direction as his friend’s daughter had come from. He rounded the tall structure where most of the kids were at play and was instantly greeted with a small circle of both children and adults encircling something. There was a wheezing sound that echoed around the park and made the stress levels of the freaked out father heighten a million times worse than it had been. 

“LOONA!” Blitzᴓ called out as he pushed past the people that stood between him and his child. He hesitated only a moment seeing his little girl on all fours, desperately gasping for air and clutching at her throat as if attempting to stop whatever it was that was hurting her. He was immediately at her side, pulling her into his arms and trying to do a quick one over to see where she had been hurt. “What happened?! SOMEONE FUCKING TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KID!”

“Some kids pushed her,” he heard Octavia weepingly explain as her and her father was by his side in a flash. “They were picking on me, and she…she saved me, and they pushed her into that. Then, she couldn’t breathe.”

Blitzᴓ quickly glanced over his shoulder at the rows of purple flowers that were lining the back area of the playground area. It had been added as part of a project to help ‘beautify’ one of the seedier sides of Imp City, and honestly looked kind of pretty. But the sight of the flowers left the imp even more confused as to how being knocked into some flowers could cause his daughter to start struggling to breathe. 

“Octavia are you sure it was these?” he heard Stolas ask and there was deep concern clearly in his tone. When the little owlet nodded, the concern turned to anger and his friend quickly set his daughter down on her feet and was on the other side of the hellhound girl. Blitzᴓ looked to his friend with a distressed gaze that begged for him to do something as he was at a loss for how ot help his precious girl. He could feel the voices of self-loathing starting to creep in, calling him a pathetic father who was no better than his own having let his daughter get hurt and possibly di-

“Does anyone have some water?” Stolas asked of the group, cutting off the dark path that the distressed father was starting to go down. The former royal was grateful to two sinners who handed him each a bottle and he uncapped the first one before looking at Blitzᴓ with a serious face. “Blitzᴓ, tilt her head back.”

“Okay,” he said and repositioned Loona so she was cradled in his lap and her head was tilted back on his arm. 

“Loona, dear,” Stolas said softly but firmly to the distressed hellhound. “I need you to listen to me very carefully. I am going to pour some of this into your snout. Now, I know it will be uncomfortable and you’ll feel like you might be drowning, but I want you to cough. Okay? Cough and it should help.”

Not waiting for any kind of signal that his words had been heard, the avian man rose to his knees and began pouring the bottle of water down both of the open airways of the hellhound’s nose. Blitzᴓ became even more distressed when she squirmed in his lap, uncomfortable with the waterboarding that was happening but after a few gurgles she began coughing and some of the water was being brought up and out of her mouth. Stolas brought his free hand up her back and grabbed Blitzᴓ’s arm that cradled her head, forcing him to bring her forward and back onto her hands and knees. As she coughed out the liquid she’d just been subjected to, her father tried rubbing her back and offering her comforting words to help. 

“That’s it, Loonie. You’re doing such a good job. You’re such a brave girl. That’s it. Get it all out.”
In the middle of his attempt to comfort his child, Blitzᴓ was briefly disturbed as more water was dripped onto the back of Loona’s head. He looked to see Stolas hosing her down from head to tail with the contents left of the first bottle and adding the second one was well. He did this without any kind of explanation. Normally a person would have gotten their hand chewed off for touching his little girl. Literally. But something in Blitzᴓ told him to trust that this man, who worked with flowers and shit, knew what he was doing and so didn’t protest when the avian reached out and began running his talons through the dampened fur. 

“I swear,” Stolas bit out as he worked to get the water completely into the hellhound’s hair. “People just plant whatever the fuck they want without a care for what it is. Just because it looks pretty it must be harmless. Fuck.”

Hearing the former royal cuss so openly was both amusing and alarming since Blitzᴓ had been learning just how proper his friend was typically. When Loona’s breathing began to slow down to its normal pace and her tense form eased, Blitzᴓ dared to look back at the purple flowers with a confused expression. “They did this to her?”

“Yes,” the avian man bit out. “Whoever choose those did so without doing the proper research to make sure the people who came here wouldn’t get hurt by them…or they did it maliciously, which is even more concerning.”

“What are they?”

“Aconitum…commonly known as ‘wolfsbane’.”

Hearing the name made Blitzᴓ’s blood instantly bubble over with anger. Someone, probably some high paid pencil pusher, had green lit planting a bunch of flowers that were toxic towards his daughter’s species. Stolas was right, this was either a case of someone not giving a shit or someone doing it on purpose since hellhounds tended to use this playground for their kids. The fact that others had not been harmed was probably sheer dumb luck on everyone elses part, but that just meant his kid was cursed by his same shitty one. He hated Loonie had to be the first to suffer because some fucker couldn’t be bothered to do his fucking job. 

Oh, whenever I figure out who it was, I'm going to shove my revolver so far of the fucker’s ass he’ll be shitting bullets for a month.

“May I see your lighter?” Stolas asked and the randomness of it pulled Blitzᴓ away from his internal rampage long enough to grab the barely useable thing from his pocket and hand it over. He pulled Loona back into his lap and held her, rocking slightly in an attempt to soothe her and him. 

“There isn’t enough fuel in there to hose down all of them,” he commented and felt a twinge of concern when Stolas’ mouth curved into a malicious grin.

“I only need a spark,” the former royal said and then flicked the lighter until a single flame came to life. He cupped his free hand around it and the flame was pulled from the device into his palm. It began to grow and grow until it was a sphere about the size of a baseball. Stolas looked at it happily for but a moment before tossing it at the rows of flowers like he was tossing a crumbled-up piece of paper into the waste bin. 

As soon as the flames touched the first plant, it ignited and the others around it quickly were overcome with the dancing fire as well. The sudden assault on the plant had the group of people who had been watching the spectacle scatter like mice. This left only the two fathers and their daughters there to enjoy the glow and warmth of the quickly made furnace. Blitzᴓ was thankful to see the purple flowers disintegrate as the flames at them up, and then he looked at the man who had caused the minor explosion and was instantly dumbstruck. 

Had Stolas always looked this fucking beautiful? The way the fire glowed off his feathers made him almost look ethereal. It was hard for Blitzᴓ to wrap his brain around the fact that the dumpy little feather duster who had been somewhat annoying on their playdate had grown into this heroic sex god that was holding his own child with a proud look on his face at the wrong he had just righted. This moment felt so…

“Thank you, Stolas,” was all the distressed imp could say and he felt his heart race when those ruby eyes look his way and scrunched slightly from the smile he received. 

Fuck, I'm in trouble. 

Chapter Text

Stolas sat behind his workbench, trying to come up with some arrangements to add to the front stalls for the customers just needing a quick bouquet on the go. This was a great way to use up some of the inventory that wasn’t regularly needed but he also liked the creative freedom these arrangements gave. Sometimes, he enjoyed composing secret messages that only those who loved flowers as he did would understand when they saw them. 

It was like sharing a coded communication amongst secret agents. 

What made the avian owner smile was when a customer would choose one that was the opposite of what they intended the gift for. One gentleman had come in seeking something for his wife so she would stop being mad at him for hitting on a coworker at the holiday office party. Stolas inwardly chuckled as the arrangement was meant to tell the person receiving it that things were coming to an end for them. Or there was the woman who needed a quick bouquet for a promotion party, but the one she picked would have been better suited for a person being fired. 

This sort of secret language felt special, and Stolas was thankful that he’d managed to find a way to continue to indulge in it after having left behind his royal life.

The former Prince was finishing up the final touches on his most recent work when the bell to the shop sounded and he looked up to find something else that made him smile entering. 

Blitzᴓ walked in dressed in more casual wear like what he’d been wearing at the park the last time they had seen each other. It had been a dreadful day, but one he was thankful for having been there for. Had Stolas not decided to take Via to the park, then the assassin’s daughter would have suffered a far worse fate than a trip to her doctor and mandatory bed rest for the next few days. The horrible plant’s effects had not been in the poor girl’s system long, thank Belphegor, and hosing her down had helped decrease the severity of her exposure. In truth, the hellhound girl would suffer no worse than if she had the flu. 

“Hey, Stolas,” Blitzᴓ said with a smile as he approached the bench.

“Good morning, Blitzᴓ. How is Loona today?”

“She’s fine. Grumpy that she has one more day left before she can go back to daycare.”

“I’m sure she’s probably a little cabin feverish. Here,” the avian man said as he slid one of his smaller creations across the table towards the owner. “Please give these to her, with my love.”

“Sure thing,” the imp said as he pushed it to the side and then hopped up on the table and sat on the edge. He had a mischievous look on his face and Stolas arched an eyebrow curiously. “So, Stolas…”

“Yes, Blitzᴓ?”

“I need your help.”

“My help? I’m not sure how effective I can be at killing people but I’m willing to try.”

“No, no. Not that kind of help,” the amused imp said with a shake of his head. “I need something more personal.”

“Oh?” Stolas asked, even more curious than before. “Do you need me to watch Loona for you?”

“Mmm, maybe,” Blitzᴓ said as he seemed to debate something before looking back at the amused avian. “I need your help coming up with a bouquet.”

“A bouquet? My, my. Whatever for?”

“Got someone I want to ask out and I know if anyone can help me, it’s the resident flower artist.”

“Oh.” Stolas tried hard to keep up the enthusiasm he’d been displaying but couldn’t deny the slight twinge of sadness that came with his friend’s news. Blitzᴓ had found someone he was interested in, and that was supposed to be a good thing. 

So why did it make him feel such melancholy?

“Well, that is…that is wonderful news, Blitzᴓ. Let’s, um…let’s get to work.”

“Great,” the hardcore assassin said, nearly bouncing for joy as he rubbed his hands together and started looking around at all the flowers littering the shop’s floor. “Where do we start?”

“Well, it might help if you told me a little about the person. This way I can help you come up with something special.” Stolas didn’t want to know anything about this person, but this was a favor he was doing for his only friend and the last thing he wanted to do was let his conflicting feelings about the situation keep him from doing his best.

“Oh, well,” Blitzᴓ started as he began rubbing the back of his neck. “To be fair, I don’t know a ton. Just that they’re not a dickhead like most people I know, really cute, and are pretty good with kids.”

“Hmm. And does this person like flowers?”

“Why does that matter?” Blitzᴓ asked curiously, and Stolas was worried about how his question may have come across and quickly put his hands up in defense. 

“Oh, no. I just…I was just wondering if this person would do better with some easy-to-manage ones or if they’d be comfortable with an arrangement that may need more attention.”

“Oh…well, I think they like flowers,” Blitzᴓ answered, again seeming uncertain. “I mean, they’ve talked about them occasionally. Could be as into them as you are for all I know.”

“Okay, that’s…that’s good to know. I would hate for them to receive a bouquet that might have a less than friendly meaning.”

“Flowers can be bitchy?” Blitzᴓ asked and Stolas couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

“I mean, they can have negative meanings. For instance.” Stolas rose from his seat and pulled from within the bucket of carnations a single yellow one and held it out for his friend to take. “What would you say if someone gave you this?”

“Uh, thanks?”

“And?”

“And…it’s pretty?”

“Sure, but for those in the know, this flower and color mean ‘rejection’.”

“Eww,” Blitzᴓ offered with a disgusted look and quickly placed the flower back into the shopkeeper’s hands. “And this is why I came to you. Don’t want to fuck this up if this is my only shot.”

Stolas nodded his understanding and began looking around the floor at all the various flowers he kept in stock. There were so many options to express the imp’s intent. It was hard for the avian owner to deny the reluctance he felt to perform this important role, but he forced the feeling down as this was for his friend and he couldn’t let down the one person who had shown him even the smallest of kindnesses since starting over. 

“What about roses?” Blitzᴓ asked as he hopped off the workbench and grabbed a handful of red ones. “Aren’t they standard for this kind of thing?”

“Do you want ‘standard’?” Stolas challenged and took the flowers to replace them in their carrier. “You came to me for something special, and something special is what you will be leaving with.”

“Okay, okay.” The skilled killer held up his hands in surrender and stood by as the proud botanist got to work composing something. He surveyed each flower and tried to pick out a few options mentally, but then had a unique idea and turned around to address his friend. 

“Would you say this person would like something…I don’t know…quirky?”

“Huh?” Blitzᴓ seemed very confused by the question. Not wishing to make this situation any harder than it already was, Stolas moved to the bucket of very bright and beautiful flowers hanging not too far from his workbench. He plucked out a few in various shades of yellow, oranges, reds, and purples. When Stolas presented them to the imp, he again seemed perplexed by the choice. “Daisies? Isn’t that a bit basic?”

“They’re Gerbera, to be more specific,” Stolas started to explain, “And they may seem that way, but I assure you these are very special to those who know their flowers.”

“How so?”

“Well, first they’re very colorful. Sure, roses are colorful too, but they are so overused that their coloring isn’t very impressive and can be easily mass replicated. With Gerberas, you can never make the same bouquet twice, making it more unique.”

“Uh-huh.” 

“Also, they have a more profound meaning than roses. Gerbera symbolizes innocence, cheerfulness, and loyal love. So, if this person does understand flowers as you think they do, then they’ll understand your intent loud and clear.”

“My intent?” Blitzᴓ asked and Stolas couldn’t help smiling as he gazed down at the flowers he held with fondness, trying to picture what it would be like to receive such a precious and thoughtful gift. 

“By giving these, you are telling the person that your intentions are honest in seeking them, that you promise to make the moments you share cheerful and fun, and, most importantly, that you seek something real and true.”

“Damn,” his friend eventually said after a moment of letting the sweet words sink in. “That sounds perfect.”

“Yes, well…” Stolas reluctantly let the magical moment fall away as he reminded himself who these flowers were for and so turned to grab a few more and some accent pieces to complete the bouquet. He made sure that all of the parts matched the main featured flowers and would not give off an offending message to the one who would be receiving them should they know the secret coded language. 

“There,” the avian shopkeeper said as he couldn’t help but be appreciative of the work he’d managed to do for his friend, even if his heart wasn’t fully in it. Still, he kept a smile on his face and even added some curls to the ribbon ends of the bow he assembled. “This should do the trick.”

“Great,” Blitzᴓ agreed and pulled out his wallet. Stolas was about to protest, willing to offer these as a gift, but was promptly ignored as more money than was necessary was placed on the workbench. “You can either let me pay for these or consider this a very nice tip.”

“I’ll…I’ll get you some change,” Stolas relented and went to the register to ring up the order, being sure to apply a very hefty friend discount to the total. He quickly handed the imp assassin his change and then offered the finished bouquet. “I hope they like it.”

“I’ll let you know later.” Blitzᴓ gave a smile and a wave as he exited the flower shop, leaving Stolas behind with a fake smile and a pit in his stomach. 

He was truly happy for his friend, truly, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that knowing Blitzᴓ was asking someone out for what would probably be a very fun evening made him feel…jealous. It was an odd feeling since it wasn’t like he had any kind of claim romantically with the ruggedly handsome imp. They were friends…and that was fine. 

Besides, it wasn’t like Blitzᴓ would be interested in him. He was a single father who was still trying to find himself in this new life he’d chosen to embark on. A former royal who was having to look up Voxtube videos on how to load his new 2-in-1 washer/dryer machine and how to make box mac and cheese. Blitzᴓ was a more seasoned person and would fit better with someone who had more experience being in a relationship than with a man who’d been forced into a loveless abusive marriage. 

As much as Stolas hated to admit it, he simply wasn’t in his friend’s league. 

Thankfully, the shop owner had a couple more hours to go before closing, which gave him time to get the negative emotions out as he helped only a few more customers with their flower needs before it was time to close the shop. He didn’t have to rush through his work since Octavia was spending what would hopefully be her last week with her mother. It was both a blessing and a sad prospect that nobody was waiting for him at home. 

Cleaning up the final stray leaves and dumping them into the compost bin, Stolas laid his apron across the workbench in preparation for the morning and switched off the lights. Stepping outside, he was so focused on locking up that he failed to notice the man standing off to his side until he turned towards the front door to his home and was stunned. 

“Blitzᴓ? What are you doing here?”

“Waiting,” the sly imp said with a smirk as he held the bouquet that he’d ordered with his tail and held it up to his nose to take a leisurely sniff. 

“Waiting? What…what happened? Did they not like it?”

“Don’t know yet. Haven’t asked.”

“Oh. Um, are they going to be coming by here?”

“Should be any moment now.”

“Oh, okay,” Stolas said, trying to be casual but feeling a little unnerved that this whole exchange was going to be taking place in front of not only where he lived but also his shop. Perhaps that was part of his friend’s opening line? Mention that he protected the small business in hopes of making him appear more alluring than revealing he was a hardcore assassin. “Then I’ll just get inside before they do to give you space.”

“Um, thanks.”Blitzᴓ arched his eyebrow as though he was trying to figure something out and then smiled and shook his head. “Hopefully, they’ll be here soon. Just waiting for him to get home.”

“Oh?” Stolas felt even more perplexed at his friend’s words since he wasn’t aware of anyone else living-

….

….

“Oh,” Stolas said again, the realization of what was happening finally hitting him like a ton of bricks. He stared at his front door as he felt his throat tighten before slowly turning to look at Blitzᴓ, who was trying to hold in the laughter as to how long it had taken the ditzy bird to finally realize what was going on. 

“Oh,” Blitzᴓ parroted with a big smile and took the bouquet from his tail to hold it in front of him. The colorful flowers that the former Prince had been reluctant to put together were now staring at him and all the things he’d said before about their meaning were sinking in. The continued silence from the taller man seemed to make the usually calm killer waver a little. “I mean…you are still new to the area. Probably don’t know which of the restaurants are safe to eat at, especially for a bird. And you did help save my kid so…”

“Blitzᴓ, you…you don’t have to. I was more than happy to help Loona.”

“I know you didn’t have to, but you did, which is more than what most people here would do. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that you’re fucking cute when you’re blushing…like right now.”

Stolas didn’t need to touch his cheeks to feel the heat radiating from them as blood rushed to them to turn them a shade of pink. He hated how bashful he felt in this moment, and worried that his hesitance was being taken as rejection when he noticed his friend’s smile start to decrease. 

“I mean, if you’re not interested-”

“I didn’t say that,” the avian said quickly and then turned to fully face the man standing outside his door with a personally made bouquet and hopeful intention. “You…haven’t asked me anything yet.”

Blitzᴓ arched a brow and then rolled his eyes as he held the flowers out directly for Stolas to take. “Can I take you out sometime?”

Stolas took the lovely flowers in hand and smiled down at them, finding it both sweet and funny that he’d assembled what was going to be given to him. For a brief moment, he thought to decline the offer, having remembered how he’d talked recently of wanting to take time to get himself more settled before even considering getting entangled with someone else. There was still more growth he needed to do. 

And yet, the former Prince struggled to find a reason why he couldn’t do all that while taking this chance. Plus, there wasn’t anything that said that this had to be a romantic date. Perhaps this was just meant as a friendly get-together, a way of saying thanks. That would be up to the man asking him out, and Stolas offered a smile to the growing nervous imp. 

“I’m free tomorrow night.” 

“Tomorrow?” Blitzᴓ said with the beginnings of a smile and seemed to be pondering something but his clear happiness with the answer was seen with the swishing of his tail. “I can do that. How about I meet you here after you close?”

“That sounds lovely,” Stolas agreed and then looked back at his bouquet and gave a small laugh. “I can’t believe you asked me out with my flowers.”

“Didn’t want to give you something basic,” Blitzᴓ said with a wink. He waited for a moment before taking the avian man’s hand in his and giving it a soft squeeze. “Until tomorrow.”

Stolas nodded and watched as the man who would be taking him out in just under twenty-four hours walked towards the van that was parked a few feet away, having blended in with other parked cars. It was sweet to know that his friend, depending upon how things went tomorrow, had gone through all this trouble to make the moment this special. As Stolas finally turned back to the door to his loft, he opened up and already began the process of picking out the perfect outfit to wear from the clothes currently in his closet. He needed something that would be appropriate for both a romantic and non-romantic date.

After all, he didn’t want to give the wrong message. 

Chapter Text

Twenty-four hours did not leave Blitzø much time to come up with something truly amazing for his date with Stolas. Not like what he felt a former prince deserved. And yet, the assassin’s quick thinking (getting Moxxie to spend all day on the phone with every restaurant in Imp City to get a fucking reservation) managed to put together a date that he felt would wow the feathers off the bird. The only thing he had to do was make sure M&M (i.e., Millie) was okay with watching Loona (of course, she was) and then pick out an outfit that would make the leggy-sexy demon cream his panties. And he knew just the one and brought it to work so he could immediately change into it once it was quitting time. 

Thankfully, the mission today was an easy one. Blitzø was able to handle it alone, taking out a high school jock who’d led a poor nerdy girl into doing some very stupidly dangerous things that landed her down here. He’d promised her love and devotion, but it was clear he’d been using her ignorance against her. To help give the girl back as much as she got, the crafty killer made sure to leave his dead body in a compromising position: with a weighted bar shoved very far up his ass and a picture of the rival school’s dolphin mascot on his phone so it looked like he was masturbating to it when he bit the big one. It was hilarious, and he took a picture that he would give the girl for free, so that she didn’t feel like her trip had been for nothing. 

Upon returning and texting her the souvenir, Blitzø started getting ready. Moxxie had managed to get him a table at a swanky place, which made the proud imp happy with his choice of clothes. He quickly put on a white button-down shirt and ass hugging black jeans. (Gotta show off the goods.) He also wore his favorite pair of horse-themed suspenders and a red vest with white stripes. The final piece was a bowtie with his mother’s pin for luck. All in all, he didn’t look half bad. 

Hell, he’d fuck him.

“Okay, M&M, listen up,” Blitzø said with a smile as he clapped his hands to get their attention. Millie was throwing a knife at a picture she’d hung up to work on her aim while Moxxie finished building the eel tank his boss had just ordered from Vamazon. “I’m heading out. Loona is ready to be picked up, so don’t make the old bat wait longer, or she might have a coronary. I’ll pick up my sweet girl at the usual time tomorrow, okay? Any questions?”

“Yeah, Sir,” Moxxie said from under the tank, “Why did we need this again?”

“Because fish make things nicer, Mox.”

“Fish, yes, but…eels?”

“What? They’re exotic. And they’re electric, so if any clients get out of line, we can chuck them in there for fun.” Blitzø didn’t have to see his employee to feel the eye roll that his logic usually got him from the smaller male, but nothing right now could dampen the high-flying imp’s mood. He had a date tonight and nothing was going to go wrong…

…

…

…

HOW IN THE FUCK DID EVERYTHING GO WRONG IN SUCH A SHORT SPAN OF TIME?!

Blitzø had everything laid out perfectly in his head. He’d head out with plenty of time to spare should there be an accident (there always was) on the way to Stolas’ place. He’d stop by and snatch some flowers from another shop (didn’t think he could get away with getting his date flowers from his place again) and then pick up the sexy avian before driving them to the restaurant where Moxxie had managed to land them a table. Then, after a bit of wine and some heavy flirting, it would be back to the loft for heavy petting and, if possible, a chance to know what ex-royalty tasted like. 

It was a solid plan!

But nothing in Hell ever seemed to go his way, as even with the time that Blitzø had set aside for dealing with possible traffic jams, he was still stuck behind one that was making him sweat to make it to the meetup on time. In truth, Blitzø was convinced that even if he left four hours early, he still wouldn’t have. It was like someone was having a sick laugh at his expense. When his impatience finally won out, the determined driver maneuvered his way across four lanes of traffic to take the nearest exit and use some known backroads to make up for time lost. 

Instead of being able to swing by the only other decent flower shop in Imp City, Blitzø was forced to stop at a gas station and pick out the best of what they had. And it seemed like everyone had the idea to get flowers today, as all that was left was a pair of daisies that looked ready to shed all their white petals if he looked at them too hard. It wasn’t the grand bouquet he’d thought to get, but it was better than nothing. With flowers in hand, he headed again for the flower shop he knew all too well and the pretty bird that was hopefully not too miffed at how late his date was running. 

With the end in sight, Blitzø skidded the car into the parking spot out front and was thankful to see the sexy bird standing outside with a khaki p-coat draped across his arm. He looked incredible, dressed in a burgundy sweater with a small hole in the chest that let some silver fluff hang out in the open. It matched perfectly with a pair of khaki capris. If Blitzø hadn’t known better, he would never have thought the man smiling at him was former royalty. He looked like your average sexy man, and that made the nerves in the once calm imp fire. 

“Hey, pretty bird,” Blitzø tried to sound as confident as he had been when he’d left I.M.P. “Ready for our date?”

“Of course. I hope I’m dressed appropriately for it.” 

“You look…damn.” Stolas smiled at the compliment, and Blitzø was happy he was able to make him blush. The avian was always so cute when he had a hint of red on his cheeks. “Well, um, shall we go?”

“Yes,” Stolas agreed, but stood there at his door…waiting.

“Um, you coming? It’s gonna be hard to go out with you just standing there.”

“Oh, um…I thought…”

Blitzø continued to give him a confused expression before the light that had burned out on the drive over finally clicked on. “Shit. Sorry.” 

Quickly hopping out of the van, he rounded the front of it and immediately opened the passenger side door for his date. Of course, the bird would be expecting romantic shit like this. He’d probably had plenty of people trying to impress him over the years when he’d been a Prince. If Blitzø wanted any chance with Stolas, he would need to step up his game seriously. 

Once the door was open, Stolas crossed the couple of feet to the other side of the sidewalk and took his date’s extended hand to help him inside. It was a bit of a tight fit, what with the avian shopkeeper having legs for fucking days, but Stolas didn’t complain and just scrunched himself up as tight as he could so he could take the seat that was offered to him. As Blitzø shut the door and returned to his side, he questioned whether having sat the tall bird in the back would have been better, given there was more leg room. 

“Are these for me?” his date inquired as he picked up the small bouquet on the bench seat. Blitzø had almost thought about chucking them in the back since they looked so horrible, but Stolas brought them to his face and inhaled deeply. “Bellis Perennis…they’re lovely.”

“You don’t have to lie, sexy. I know they’re pretty fucked. Not as nice as the last ones I bought.”

“Oh, they’re not ‘fucked’ per say,” Stolas said in mild protest. “Just need some fresh water and perhaps a bit of seltzer to help perk them up.”

Blitzø chuckled at the comment. “Of course, you’d know how to revive dying flowers. Are you sure you don’t still have magic?”

Stolas softly laughed, making Blitzø's pants feel tighter than before. Satan, this sexy bird's laugh was doing things to him. Feeling better than when he’d arrived, Blitzø turned the keys in the ignition, prepared to speed away to their destination. Yet, instead of roaring to life, it sputtered a bit, and Blitzø stared at the dashboard incredulously. He knew that his luck couldn’t be that shitty. So, he tried again. 

…

And again.

…

And again.

…

The universe was having a huge fucking laugh at him.

“Come on fucker,” Blitzø muttered under his breath as he tried another time and let out a frustrated groan before hitting his palm to the steering wheel. “Fuck.”

“Blitzø?” the pretty bird in the front seat asked cautiously and offered a sympathetic smile for the plight his date was going through. “If this is a bad time...”

“No, I got this.” If his determination could have jump-started the car, Blitzø was sure they would be flying to the restaurant where they were already ten minutes late for their reservation. Still, no matter how long he allowed the sputtering, the big hunk of metal refused to budge. “Shit.” 

Blitzø knew his efforts were futile and could feel himself questioning whether this was a good idea. Perhaps something was trying to tell him he was reaching way too far out of his fucking league. And why even bother? This wasn’t who he was. Blitzø didn’t do flowers and dinner. He was a playboy who enjoyed going out and finding someone to fill a need for a night before heading out the next morning with no expectations. He had never put this much time and effort into trying to do something real with anyone else. Not even his past relationships. So, perhaps he should listen to the force trying to prove he wasn’t right for this guy and stop trying to be something he wasn’t. 

And yet, with Stolas…he felt like he wanted to try, so failing felt worse than ever. 

“Blitzø?” Stolas called out again, and it took all the courage the defeated feeling imp had to look at his date. He was sure he looked like a kicked queeve, but the smile he got in response eased his worry. “I know this was your idea, and I don’t doubt your plans were amazing…but perhaps you might allow me to suggest an alternative?”

The crushed imp was convinced he was about to be told this was too much for his possible date to handle and that it was best they cancel tonight. Then, he would probably avoid rescheduling, and they would be back to square one, but Blitzø felt some hope for tonight returning when Stolas continued to offer his idea when he didn’t get a response.

“I have some food in the house,” the pretty bird beside him said with a smile. “It’s a meal kit I bought and have wanted to try. There’s more than enough for the two of us. We could…cook it together? And there’s some wine too for it. Then…I don’t know. We could just…”

Blitzø couldn’t help noticing how fidgety the sexy bird was with his hands. His job required him to read people as a quick shift in demeanor could be the difference between dodging a surprise attack or not. Stolas was looking down at his fingers as he continued to wait for an answer to his idea and it somehow made the man whose dreams of a romantic dinner had been so utterly fucked over feel less nervous himself. 

“Sounds great, pretty bird,” he finally spoke and enjoyed how his date beamed, and his cheeks were flushed with a pinkish hue. Blitzø was out of the van as quickly as he could get his seatbelt off and the door open. He rounded the car (giving it a quick kick for having failed him so miserably) before opening his date’s door again and helping him back out. “So much for wanting to take you for a fun ride.”

“It was certainly eventful,” Stolas teased as he pulled out his keys from his jacket pocket to unlock the door to his home above the flower shop. “I believe we moved about an inch?”

“Oh, fuck you,” his date said with minor irritation and a slight chuckle.

“No dessert until after dinner, Darling.” 

Blitzø felt his mind and soul blank out of existence for a moment, causing him to stand outside the door for a few seconds before finally entering and closing (and locking) it behind him. He wanted something to happen tonight, but to hear the very fuckable bird did too? 

Shit, play your cards right and this might be happening.

By the time he reached the top of the stairs, Stolas had already discarded his jacket across the back of a nearby chair and was in the kitchen trying to grab the items they would need. The well-trained assassin looked over the room and moved towards the kitchen to see if there were any differences since the last time he’d been there. Mostly everything was in its familiar spot, but the couch had been staged as the number of throw pillows had been reduced (the discarded ones sat in other chairs) while a throw blanket had been draped across the backside. 

Oh yeah, we’re gonna test how good that couch can hold up to some-

“I believe I have everything,” Stolas commented as he pulled the final box of ingredients from the fridge and laid them all out on the nearby counter. “They number them and…yes, that is everything.”

“Cool,” Blitzø replied as he shrugged off his jacket and threw it across a bar stool before grabbing another to stand next to the sexy ex-royal. “What are we making?” 

“It’s called ‘Dragonfruit Teriyaki Pork Fried Rice’. The picture looked so yummy, I had to try it.” Stolas brought the box labeled ‘#1 – Pork’, with a picture of the final product and a list of the other boxes necessary for the meal. His date looked at it as he rolled his sleeves with a smile. 

“Doesn’t look too complicated. Why don’t you read the instructions while I get everything ready?” 

The prep time and cook time said it would take over an hour to complete, but with the two of them working side by side, they managed to half it as Stolas was regulated to prepping things while Blitzø offered to man the cook top. He liked working the gas grill that the sexy avian had (it was much better than his shitty electric stove top that kept dying) and didn’t know how skilled a former royal who had servants that probably cooked all his meals would be around an open flame. When his date didn’t protest, he had to hide his smirk at figuring out that little nugget of information. 

For all the shit that had happened to kill his original overly romantic plan, Blitzø was finding he liked this impromptu one even more as it meant he got to spend time with this hot feathery man instead of trying to keep up appearances at a restaurant where he would undoubtedly stick out like a sore thumb. Plus, the fact that he was almost constantly being touched by the sexy twink whenever he moved around the ‘chef’, as Stolas kept referring to him, was making his skin tingle with even more of a need to know how soft the feathers he could see (and the ones he couldn’t) were. 

“That should do it,” Blitzø proudly proclaimed as he switched off the burner while stirring the delicious-looking food as the pan's temperature slowly cooled. His date was already at his side with two bowls for them and even a pair of chopsticks for each. He took each one, adding a reasonable amount but then setting the pan, still half full, to the side. “Be sure to put that up for later.”

“I’ll make you a to-go bag of it if you like,” Stolas offered as he took the second bowl once it was filled and headed towards the living room area of the loft. Setting them on the coffee table, Blitzø made sure everything was turned off and all sharp pointy things safely put into the sink before moving to join him. As his sous-chef reentered the kitchen to get the promised wine, they passed by each other, and he felt a slight tingle across his leg. He realized the playful bird had lightly swept his tail feathers to graze his thigh. It made a shiver run through the usually very composed player, causing him to nearly trip but managing to hide his misstep by launching himself at the couch to look like he was diving onto it to relax. Even from where he sat, he could see the tint on his date’s cheeks as he purposely kept his eyes on what he was working on, which made Blitzø’s grin widen with satisfaction.

Oh, I am gonna enjoy seeing those feathers ruffle later. 

“So, Blitzø,” Stolas dared to start as he brought over the two glasses of white wine and the opened bottle for them, being sure to hand his date his glass, and then sat down on the couch near him to enjoy their hard work. “Tell me a little about yourself.”

“Why don’t you start us off?” Blitzø didn’t like focusing much on himself and tried to turn the tables, but the sexy bird was determined not to let him off the hook that easily. 

“You already know a lot about me. Former royal. Father. Botanist. Yet, I don’t know much about you apart from being a devoted father and skilled with both a gun and in the kitchen.” 

“Yep, that about sums me up.” 

“I’m certain there is more to you. You know, I was once a royal. What about you? Did you come from a family of assassins and are following in their footsteps?” The way Stolas looked at him and tilted his head as he took a bite of their meal was so fuck cute that Blitzø had to hide his blush behind a quick bite as well. 

“Mmm, this is good. Uh, no, my family isn’t in the business,” the growingly nervous imp said, hoping it would be enough but wasn’t, so decided to share a little more. “We worked in a traveling circus. I grew up learning how to perform tricks and fleecing people with rigged games, but eventually went my own way and figured out I was better at killing people with bullets than with jokes.”

“A circus?” Stolas asked, surprised, and took a couple more bites of his food before swapping his bowl for the glass of wine. “That sounds exciting.”

“Not really,” Blitzø said with a shrug. “I mean, I got to travel through all the Rings, which was cool. Learned how to do some flips and spins that I still use in my job. And sure, I got to see one guy lose his hand when he didn’t listen and tried to pet our tiger, but it was…ehh.”

Stolas nearly choked on his gulp of wine, and it made Blitzø laugh when the poor bird struggled to regain his composure. “Oh my.” 

“You like saying that a lot. Wonder when else you'd like to say it?” The way Blitzø waggled his eyebrows suggestively earned him a blush from his date that made him smile boldly. Stolas did his best to try to hide it by looking away. Then…an idea came to the daring man’s mind, and he dared to see if something he’d once thought about might be true. “Do you like the circus?”

“Me?” Stolas asked and then lowered his gaze to his glass of wine. A small smile formed, making something in his date’s chest tighten as he recalled something fondly. “Oh yes. I love the circus.”

“Really?” Blitzø nearly squeaked out and swapped what he held for his glass, bringing it to his mouth to try and hide slightly behind as he continued to follow the trail he’d stepped upon. “Ever been to one?”

“Yes, but it was a long time ago,” the sexy bird continued to speak almost dreamily. “It was my birthday and I…I had gotten the best and worst news of my life that day. That was when I found out what my duties would be and could start learning magic, but it was also the day I learned about my impending marriage to Stella. So, to cheer me up, my father had me escorted to a circus that had just come into town, and then later one of the boys from the circus came home to play with me…did your family ever perform in Pride?”

Blitzø hesitated to answer at first as the reality he had not fully believed in was now staring him right in the face. Stolas was that same little fluffball he’d been made to spend time with as a kid. And now, here he was, sitting and eating in his new place on what was supposed to be a date. This tall ass, sexy bird was that same one who he’d played with and…

Shit, my luck is seriously fucked sometimes.

“I-I don’t think so,” the nervous imp said as he looked away, uncertain what to do. Sure, he could tell the truth, but Blitzø’s throat tightened as he remembered what had happened that day. Sure, they had fun once they were allowed to be on their own, but part of the fun had come at the young owl’s expense when he tricked the naïve Prince into helping him raid his palace for treasures and tossed them out of the window to Cash, who had been hiding in the bushes. They had never seen each other again after that night. Blitzø only wondered about the Prince he’d played with a few times until eventually other things had taken his focus, like his developing feelings for Fizz and then…

There had been no point thinking about a royal he would never get to know, not really, yet…here he was. Sitting on an assembled couch, eating a do-it-yourself meal kit, and wondering if it was right even to think he stood a chance now, especially if Stolas realized the truth. Would he be mad at him still? Did Stolas hold a grudge against the boy who had robbed him? Blitzø was too scared to know the answer and started doubting if it was better if he just called it quits now before he hurt the man sitting next to him, who was trying to rebuild his life. It would be wrong to mess with that, and suddenly the usually confident killer’s stomach felt like it was in knots with guilt and stress. 

“Is everything okay?” he eventually heard his date ask and felt bad for worrying him. 

“Yeah, no. Food’s just sitting heavy.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“No! No, don’t apologize. It’s good. I’m just…I don’t usually eat this rich-I mean heavy. It’s…things I make at home are much simpler. So…”

“Oh, okay.” Stolas took a sip of his wine, and they sat in awkward silence before it became too much for Blitzø to stand. 

“So, Stolas, I feel like I should say something,” came out of the imp’s mouth reluctantly, and his date turned his head to the side again, questioning what was being said. There were so many things Blitzø felt he should say. 

Sorry for robbing you blindly when we were kids. 

For not remembering you before now or ever coming to visit. 

Also, for probably fucking up your life by getting you in trouble with your Dad. 

And now for being a fucking shit head thinking I’m good enough to be here with you and wasting your time that could be spent finding someone decent.

All these things felt valid to say, but the only one he could get out was, “I feel shitty for tonight not going as planned. I had this whole big date I wanted to take you on, all romantic and shit, but…my luck likes to remind me that I’m not the kind of person who deserves…”

Blitzø lowered his eyes as he didn’t want to see what the pretty bird that he’d dared to think he stood a chance at getting to know better would give in response to his words. Probably pity. And the more he sat there, the more he felt that was what this was—a pity date. Blitzø had asked Stolas out like a dumbass by using his flowers and had made the poor man feel obligated to say ‘yes’ by standing outside his door. Fuck, he probably came off like some creeper and that just made the little bit of confidence that he’d been holding onto fly right out the window. 

He finished off the rest of his glass quickly and was fully prepared to make as graceful an exit as he thought he could, even opting to tell Stolas that he didn’t have to keep giving him flowers and coffee anymore since meeting up again would be too awkward after tanking as severely as he was. Blitzø would still keep an eye on his business, but he would do it from a distance to avoid making any more mistakes with this guy. But, to his surprise, as soon as he set down his glass, his date was already leaning in with the bottle refilling it, and when they looked at each other, the dejected imp was surprised to see a smile. 

“I don’t know about luck, Blitzø,” the sexy bird spoke softly. “But I can say that this date…I like how more intimate it is. Better chance to truly get to know each other. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Their faces were so close to each other that Blitzø could feel the small puffs of air tickling his face as both his and Stolas’ breathing seemed to deepen and slow, the intensity of the moment settling in. Neither of them moved, not even when the wine glass that the hot ass avian had been refilling started to overflow a little. Their eyes remained locked, and Blitzø was waiting for some sign if he should still try and leave or if…perhaps…

That sign came in the form of a pair of small white dots forming in the sea of red that was Stolas’ eyes and then lowering to look at the faintly parted mouth of the slightly confused but increasingly aroused imp.

Fuck it!

Anyone who knew Blitzø knew he often lived on impulse. It was one of the best life skills to help him escape trouble. It also got him into it often as well. But it was what he knew, so he jumped as soon as the idea popped into his head. Releasing his partially wine-soaked hand from the glass stem, he raised both to grab the pretty bird’s head and firmly crushed their mouths together. It was odd (Blitzø had never kissed someone with a beak). Still, he enjoyed the slight squeak it earned him before he heard the bottle of wine fall onto the table and then roll to the floor to start soaking the rug underneath with its fragrant liquid while the two men frantically moved their heads to find the right way to enjoy each other. 

Once they were better aligned and he felt Stolas melt into the kiss, Blitzø’s boldness was rejuvenated, and he shifted his position, not breaking the contact as he climbed up the twiggy twink, who continued to melt until he was partially lying on the couch. It felt amazing have this beautiful fucking bird lying under him, giving soft hoots and moans of pleasure as they continued to kiss. He especially enjoyed it when he got a gasp of surprise as his tongue licked first the harder top lip and then the softer bottom one, asking for permission to dive inside. Stolas readily answered by opening his mouth a little, and soon his date’s tongue was wrapping around the one found there, and they were once again sighing and panting as the kiss became more sensual. 

Heat was rushing up and down Blitzø ‘s spine, and his tail was quickly encircling the sexy avian’s thigh, giving it a bit of a squeeze and again earning him a moan. Oh, how that sound was making his brain feel foggy with desire, and he now needed to know how the man he was devouring felt under all those clothes. The first area his hand traveled to was the open chest fluff practically thrown in his face, begging to be touched. His claws sank into the gray silkiness, and he was surprised to find no feathers but hair. He was more familiar with this, so he threaded his claws as close as possible to the base before gripping it firmly and giving a soft tug. This caused his date to arch his back in response, pushing his chest further into the skilled lover’s grasp and eliciting a gasp of pleasure. 

“Like that, pretty bird?” Blitzø asked between kisses and got a whimpered response. 

“Yes.”

“Mmm, me too. Let’s see how you feel in other areas.” Blitzø’s date wiggled slightly and, by the tugging on his tail, could sense the handsome avian had shifted so his legs moved further apart. It made the imp smile wickedly as he wouldn’t go there immediately. No, he wanted to tease the sexy twink as much as he had teased him. So, careful not to ruin his shirt, the skilled assassin dug his hands up under the rim of the opening and made his hand travel with purpose up the fur that shifted into feathers towards the base of his date’s neck and cupped the back of it firmly, pulling it closer to him. Another whimper and Blitzø knew he was getting as good as he had gotten. “Fuck, you’re so soft.” 

“Mmm, thank you?” Stolas sounded like his brain had been temporarily shut off, and knowing he was affecting this former royal with just one hand and his mouth was making those thoughts that he wasn’t good enough go up in flames like they had been thrown into the active volcanoes in Wrath. Blitzø could make this fucking sexy ass florist squirm and that was a huge ego boost. He was slowly pulling his hand out of the hole in his date’s shirt and drifting it down to get up under the lower hemline when he felt Stolas’ hand grab his. It made the man currently leading their heated exchange stop from continuing to enjoy the flavors of pork, teriyaki, and bird to look back with mild confusion. 

“What’s wrong?” Blitzø asked, worrying that perhaps he had pulled his hand out faster than he should have and maybe yanked on a few feathers in a less than sexy way, but Stolas’ continued heavy breathing and lidded eyes told him that wasn’t the case. Yet, the white pupils were there again, which made the confidence in his date diminish as he didn’t know what caused them to appear and then disappear. 

“Nothing is wrong…per se,” Stolas stammered nervously. “I just…this is…very new to me. I’ve never…been with anyone other than my regrettable ex-wife…and I don’t want to…”

“Rush things?” Blitzø finished when it was clear the newly single man he was enjoying was having trouble expressing what he wanted. It was adorable how shy just reaching for his date’s shirt had suddenly made him. Or had Stolas thought he was going for his pants instead, ready to plunge his hand downward and find out just how turned on the pretty bird was by their heated makeout session. Either way, the more experienced playboy just smiled and chuckled slightly. “It’s okay to say you want to take things slow, pretty bird. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I... I know- I trust you. It’s just…I’m…Lucifer, I am already screwing this up.”

“No, you’re not,” the still-turned-on imp said with a smile. He gave his partner a kiss to hopefully calm him down more. The hand holding onto his moved to cup the back of his head, and those nails lightly scratched the skin back there, making Blitzø’s body shiver and his tail again tighten to show how badly he was being affected by the delicate touch. Only once he felt enough blood running back up his body towards his other head did he try to continue speaking. “Tell me what you want, pretty bird. Can’t give you what you need if you don’t tell me.”

“I…I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be spoiling this. I just…I don’t know if what you’re looking for is what I am.”

“What do you mean?”

“You…the other night…” Again, the sexy avian stilled his words, and it took a moment for Blitzø to puzzle out what his date was referring to. The last time he had been here, his stupid fucking phone had made that fuckboi noise in his pocket, practically broadcasting how much he just wanted a quick lay and nothing more. Now, that noise was costing him a chance at something even better, and he never felt a stronger urge to hurl his phone at the wall than he did right now.

When those white pupils started to form again, Blitzø felt the panic rise in himself, knowing that his silence was being interpreted as rejection. So he decided to prove his point by moving the hand about to skim up under the burgundy shirt to his slim backside and pulling at it, bringing his date to a sitting position as he did so, too. However, the motion didn’t stop there. He continued to pull Stolas until he was now straddling the lap of the seated imp. 

“I know what that looked like…but that was before I dared to ask the sexy florist, who I’m fucking into, out. And I want to ask him again if he’ll let me. So, yeah, I’m not looking for just a one-time fun time, you know?”

That seemed to ease his date's stress, the white pupils fading back into the sea of red. And soon their mouths were back on each other as Stolas continued to kiss and cling to the man who was so fucking lost in how badly he wanted this handsome man. And even though their evening never went past a very hot but PG-13 rating make out session, Blitzø felt just as high as if he’d spent all night fucking that hot ass bird into that fold down couch. He was on cloud nine as he walked to his shitty car that was still broken down and gave it a quick pat for making this the best fucking date he’d had in years. 

Climbing in a taxi he managed to get to stop for him (which in and of itself was a fucking miracle), the happy imp was enjoying thinking about how amazing just kissing Stolas had felt, trying to relive the sensations, and already thinking about their next date and how he was going to make it even better than this one.