The way he held her was nostalgic and it got her excited. Verosika had to close her eyes and take deep breaths to get herself under control.
"Oh crap. My head is killing me and I need to shower so bad." Blitz said, sounding miserable. He let her go and now they were lying side by side.
"Good morning to you too, Blitz." Verosika said, while putting her bra on.
"You wanted to have sex with me last night. I could smell it and fully expected it." Blitzo said all of a sudden, no petting, no foreplay, no nothing. Straight into the thick of it.
"And use you as a sex toy when you are unable to consent? Fuck that." Verosika said.
"You don't go to bed with one of the horny devils without expecting to be fucked! It would have been fine." Blitzo said.
"Was it drunk you or you who was expecting to be fucked, Blitzo? You were drunk and you mean much more than a casual snack to me. I was sober and you passed out fifteen minutes after entering the bedroom. And fuck the 'She… er, he got himself in that state and he only has herself to blame for the consequences' excuse. No consent, no sex." Verosika said.
"I remember when you weren't so uncompromising about breaking that rule." Blitzo said.
"Everybody has to eat. This is Hell. Everybody has a price and you know it, Blitz." Verosika said, as she sat by her dresser and started to comb her hair. "And rules get broken for a price, too. It's been years since anybody could afford mine."
"You were very fortunate, then." Blitz said, in a conciliatory tone.
"I was. I love you Blitz. And you don't do that shit to the people you love." Verosika said. "I feel dir… I mean, they, the people you love feel dirty after you do that to them."
Blitzo looked at her in realization and she could see sudden pity in his eyes. Verosika spent years and years in a sort of drunken anaesthesia. This was Hell. There were plenty of people ready to use her altered state to their own advantage.
"I am sorry, Si." Blitz said.
"Don't be. You never did it to me." Verosika said. "Somebody else did. Not you. Never you."
"Oh." Blitz said. The expression on his face was the one he had when he encountered something sappy or sweet and he didn't know how to react. His normal reaction was to roll his eyes and say something sarcastic, but that wouldn't do in this situation, would it?
"Stolas was drinking heavily last night, too." Blitz said, as if trying to find something else to talk about.
"He is in the guest bedroom." Verosika said, while putting her pink and fuzzy slippers on. "I guess he'll need a shower too."
"We should check on him." Blitz said.
"Sure. My bathroom is big enough for all three of us."
"I am not in the mood for a threesome." Blitz said loftily.
"Shy all of a sudden? Come on, Blitz, we already both saw you naked. And you have seen us naked." Verosika teased. Then she got serious. "I am a sex demon but that doesn't mean I am horny all the time. I thought he might need some help and we might do some bonding together. Besides, I want to check whether you still have that muscular ass of yours or if it has gone flabby."
"Haha, very funny. Especially with my head splitting headache. Point away to the guest room, bitch." Blitz said. Verosika chuckled. She missed their friendly teasing.
Prince Stolas was snoring quietly and the bedcovers were in disarray. Blitzo went to wake him up.
"Oh, Blitzy." The prince said. "It was fun but I'm afraid I drank too much and my head is killing me now. It is good to see your face, though. Where are we?"
"You are guests at my home. Lust ring." Verosika said.
"I'll need a tub of coffee, a Mammon-sized bottle of aspirin and a shower, graceful hostess." Stolas said. He was half-jokingly following ancient rules of hospitality, saying the correct words in what was quite obviously an inappropriate, slightly mocking manner.
"I can't provide a tub of coffee. The pitcher and the cups is the best I can do. For shower, follow me." Verosika said in ceremonial manner, suddenly self-conscious of her state of dress. Or undress, as it might be.
Without thinking, Prince Stolas removed the covers and stood up by the bed. There was a moment of realization of his own nakedness and they were all hit with the full awkwardness of the situation a second later. Blitzo has completely undressed him before putting him to bed. Compared to him, Verosika and Blitz were overdressed in their underwear. And one pair of fuzzy slippers. The prince didn't attempt to do anything to cover himself, though.
"Well, you are rich and you are hot. I can see what our Blitz sees in you." Verosika said, then easily removed her bra and panties. Like a good hostess. "There, now we're equal. Follow me."
She put the slippers back on and started to walk and prince Stolas started to follow, to a surprised and shocked look from Blitzo, though he really shouldn't have been. Lust demon, helloooo? Nudity taboo in lust ring? Ridiculous! So why to Heaven do you act so surprised?! she wanted to say to him but didn't.
They were in the bathroom in no time at all.
"Here we are. I don't have any bath servants, my prince. Would you like me to wash the dust from your feet and the sweat off your back?" Verosika said.
"Only if I can do the same." Stolas replied.
"That is acceptable." Verosika said.
"What the fuck, you two? What the fuck is going on here? What the flying fuck are you two doing?!" Blitzo said.
"Grooming before negotiation, Blitzy. Ancient rules." Stolas said, simply, as he checked her shower. The cabin was big enough to house five people and there were three showerheads. Cost a fortune to install and maintain. But fancy without being chintzy. Verosika liked it. A lot.
"Is this some rich people kinky crap? Or are you two just doing it to freak me out?" Blitz said.
"No. Just really old school rules, Blitz. Before the invention of running water and showers. When bathing was a multi-hour chore for a single person." Verosika explained, then removed the slippers and followed Stolas into the cabin. "He is a guest and I am a host. Or a hostess, to be more precise."
"Very obviously a hostess, dear, and a good and comely one. Certain obligations and niceties can be respected, Blitzy. And should be, when the issue being negotiated is as important as this one. Now, come on and get in. This should be fun. And relaxing." Stolas added, before turning the shower on.
It took them almost a full hour. It's been a while since she groomed someone's feathers, so Verosika ensured she was gentle and thorough. In turn, Stolas was very gentle and thorough himself, especially around sensitive parts of her wings. Prince Stolas was right. It was relaxing. And fun. Blitzo was the only one uncomfortable and was cracking jokes and throwing sarcastic quips to allay his nervousness. It seemed that he just couldn't understand that, while both Verosika and Stolas were his lovers, it simply wasn't a sex thing. It was a kindness thing. Especially if one of the pair nursed a huge hangover. He even hissed at both of them when they tried to come anywhere near his scarred back, choosing to bathe alone instead.
"While I do not have a bath attendant, I do have a cook." Verosika said as they dried themselves. "Let's have breakfast first."
So they had, in the bath robes Verosika had provided them with as their clothes were being washed. It was a pleasant meal, involving a lot of freshly brewed coffee, black as night and sweet as sin. Then again, this was Hell. Everything tasted like sin, in one way or another. Eventually. In time.