With no more clients for the day, the members of I.M.P. spent some time in the break room before deciding to call it a day and head home. Blitz had managed to finish the smoothie that Millie and Moxxie prepared, but the thought of eating anything more substantial made him want to gag, so he declined the gracious dinner invite from the pair, suggesting that they take Loona out instead. There was some initial resistance; none of his employees were too keen on leaving Blitz alone, but the taller imp insisted that he was going straight home to nap and didn't want Loona to miss out on eating just because of him.

Now Blitz was back home at his apartment, curled up on the couch as he flipped through the channels on TV, tired but unable to sleep. It wasn't long before his phone went off, alerting him to a new text message. He no longer had Stolas under the name Creepy Mouth, having changed the title many months ago to a far more affectionate 'Birdbrain.'

Birdbrain: I do hope you are feeling better, my dear. Have you gone to the doctor yet?

Blitz stared at the message for some time, debating what to say.

His phone dinged again.

Birdbrain: I've been thinking about you all day.

What was he supposed to say to that?

Another ding.

Birdbrain: Do let me know something at your earliest convenience.

Blitz groaned, typing up several different replies before deleting each one.

'fuck this,' he thought, getting up from the couch.

He would go over to Stolas's place and just tell him face-to-face. Get it over with and deal with the fallout. He left a note for Loona when she returned and headed out the door.

When he arrived at Stolas's palace, he was nauseous again but still managed to climb the balcony up to his room despite being a little winded.

Blitz wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved to find the Prince wasn't in his chambers when he entered. He thought about texting him that he was there, knowing that would have the horny owl hurrying to his room in no time, but at the last second, Blitz decided against it.

He was already tired, and the thought of the conversation that would follow and the consequences made him feel exhausted. So instead, he slipped off his jacket and boots and hopped up on the sizeable bed, curling up on the covers and deciding to take a quick nap as he waited for Stolas to show up.

He let out a deep sigh as his eyes slipped closed.

What felt like a moment later, he awoke to the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Stolas stood over him from the side of the bed, dressed in his regal attire, complete with crown, a disapproving look in his dark red eyes.

"Stolas," Blitz scrabbled to sit up, "I-"

"What in hell are you doing here?" The Prince asked, "This is not part of our usual arrangement."

Blitz was momentarily taken back by the owl's cold but calm tone but found his voice.

"Yeah, no shit," he replied, "But there's something really important I have to tell you."

"And you couldn't have simply called?" The bird asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow, "Instead, you felt the need to break into my chambers uninvited?"

"Well, I..uh.." Blitz floundered slightly, "Seemed like the kind of thing that needed telling in person."

"Well then?" Stolas said, arms crossed and impatient, "Out with it so you can be on your way."

Blitz didn't understand where the Prince's attitude was coming from, but he'd had enough.

"Damn it, Stolas, I'm trying to tell you I'm pregnant!" he snapped.

Surprise flashed across the owl's face but was quickly replaced with a sneer.

"And you thought this was something I'd want to know?"

Blitz frowned.

"Well, considering it's yours-"

"Get rid of it."

Those words hit Blitz like a ton of bricks, momentarily stealing his breath away.

"What?"

"You heard me," Stolas sneered, "I'll not have my name associated with such vermin. Get rid of it."

Blitz bared his teeth.

"I'm fucking keeping it!" He yelled back.

Something vicious came into the Prince's dark gaze, and his form shifted, black and red mass expanding as his proper form loomed over Blitz, Eyes blazing and beak sharp.

"Then I'll get rid of it myself!"

Blitz flinched, curling up into a tight ball and closing his eyes and...and someone was shaking his shoulder, gently but urgently calling his name.

"Blitz! Blitzy, wake up, my dear!"

Blitz gasped, eyes flying open as he scrambled back against the head of the bed.

Stolas was there, not in his royal attire but his nightly robe, a look of deep concern on his face and a hand held out toward him.

"My dear, it's alright," his voice was low and soothing, "You were having a nightmare, that's all."

'A nightmare, ' Blitz thought, heart still pounding in his chest, 'A fucking nightmare."

"Fuck," he cursed, still breathing heavily, "Fucking hell."

Stolas scooted toward him cautiously, placing his hand on top of one of Blitz's, his gaze soft and worried. Everything about him was in stark contrast to the Stolas from his dream, and Blitz felt himself relax under his touch.

"There now," The Prince said, still speaking in that soft voice as if he were a frightened toddler, "Nothing to fear."

"I'm fine," Blitz managed to spit out.

"I'm terribly sorry, my dear," the owl apologized, "If I had intervened sooner, perhaps I could have spared you the fright," he admitted, "But you looked so adorable curled up on my bed that I didn't want to wake you at first."

Blitz scoffed.

"It's not your fault I had a bad dream."

"You called my name, and you looked frightened of me upon awakening." the Prince revealed, eyes somehow knowing, "Am I correct in assuming the nightmare was about me?"

Blitz looked away.

"I see," came Stolas's sad reply, his hand moving to cup the side of Blitz's face and bring his gaze back up to meet his, "My dear, please know that I would never harm you. Never."

The words were enough to nearly make the imp come undone.

"Yeah, sure," he managed to reply, his voice suddenly strained.

"Oh, Blitzy.." the owl scooted closer still, gathering the imp in his arms and pulling him forward in a comforting embrace.

Blitz found little resistance left in him as he leaned into the hug, burying his face into the soft feathers on the bird's chest and letting out a shaky breath.

"I was worried when I didn't hear back from you," Stolas revealed, "Imagine my surprise upon finding you in my bed of all places."

Blitz chuckled weakly.

"May I ask what brought you out here?" the Prince inquired softly, "Does this have something to do with your visit to the doctor?"

'here we go,' Blitz thought, sighing as he pulled away from the embrace, placing himself back on the bed next to the owl.

"Yeah, I...I needed to talk to you about that."

The look of concern on the owl's face intensified.

"Oh dear, is it terribly serious?" he asked.

Blitz rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's pretty fucking serious, yeah."

The Prince reached out to capture Blitz's hands in his.

"Whatever it is, my darling, we will face it together," he stated, his frightened gaze intent, "Is it..are you.."

Blitz groaned as he pulled his hands away, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not fucking dying, okay?"

Stolas's relief was apparent.

"Oh, thank Satan," the bird sighed, "I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you, my little imp."

Blitz frowned.

"You would have found some other guy to be your little plaything," He stated, "It's not like I'm irreplaceable."

"That is blatantly untrue," Stolas replied earnestly, looking offended, "There is no one in the 7 rings that could ever replace you, my dear. You are far more precious to me than you realize."

Blitz cringed, looking away.

"Damn it, Stolas, how can you act like.."

'..act like what we have is anything more than you wanting me to fuck you.'

"Blitz.."

He looked up, knowing the Prince was thinking of the exact same memory as him.

"My dear, I...I am so sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for-"

"No, I do," the Prince insisted, "I should have told you what you mean to me sooner. Ever since that night, I thought...I thought I could just show you instead."

Blitz blinked, thinking over the last few months since their disastrous date. The soft looks the owl would give him, the texts and calls he would receive asking about his day, the gentle touches and kisses he'd started to give. Had all this been Stolas's way of showing him?

And Blitz had been shying away at every effort.

"You are far more than just a plaything to me," Stolas continued, "I fear I would be lost without you."

Blitz swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat.

"I'm pregnant."

The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop them.

Stolas blinked, looking confused.

"What now?"

Blitz groaned in annoyance.

"I said I'm pregnant," the imp snapped back, "And before you even ask, yes, it's yours."

Stunned silence.

Blitz shifted on the bed uneasily.

"So, uh-"

"Pregnant," the owl repeated softly, still looking blank, "I...I didn't think such a thing was possible."

"Yeah, well, apparently I'm just lucky like that," Blitz replied, still waiting on the other shoe to drop, "Are you gonna say anything else or.."

Finally, the Prince's expression changed, tears gathering in all four of his eyes as a shaky smile found its way onto his beak.

"Oh, Blitzy..." he cupped his hands in front of him, gushing, "What marvelous news!"

Blitz could only gawk at the owl as he engulfed the imp in a tight hug, lifting them both off the bed and spinning them around with a joyous laugh.

"Oh, what fantastic news, indeed," The owl crooned.

"Ugh, put me down, you birdbrain!" Blitz practically squeaked,

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," The Prince began to fret, gently placing Blitz back on the bed, "I didn't hurt you, did I, my dear? Or the little one?"

"I'm fine," Blitz replied, "Pretty sure the kid is too. Just wasn't expecting..all that," he gestured at the owl with one hand, lifting up an eyebrow, "You're really okay with this?"

"Okay?" the owl repeated, "Blitzy, I'm ecstatic."

"Yeah, I can tell," Blitz chuckled, "Really wasn't expecting that, but yeah."

"Are you not happy as well?" Stolas asked, looking worried.

"Yeah, no, I'm happy," Blitz hurried to reply, "At least, I'm pretty sure I am. Definitely better now that I know you're not gonna throw me away like yesterday's trash, heh."

Stolas looked stunned once again.

"You thought I...Oh dear," he looked suddenly so sad, "Then I've done a poor job indeed of showing you what you mean to me."

"Hey, it's not like I make it easy to-"

His words dried up in his throat when Stolas delicately captured his face between his hands, staring intensely into his eyes as he leaned down so their faces were close together.

"My dear, I would like us to be so much more than we have been," he admitted, running a tender hand over Blitz's forehead and horns, "If you'll have me?"

Blitz blinked.

"Uh, what exactly are you proposing? You're not taking back the book, are you?"

"The book is yours to use as you like. I will still need it back on the full moon to fulfill my duties, but you are under no obligation to have sex with me," The owl explained, "Instead, I hope we might actually begin a new..relationship of sorts."

Blitz pulled away from the owl's touch, shaking his head to try to clear his thoughts.

"Hold on now, are you saying you wanna ..date me?" he asked, perplexed.

"Very much so, yes," Stolas replied.

"And if I say no?" Blitz ventured cautiously, "What then?'

The owl looked saddened at the question.

"I will not take the book from you under any circumstances," he replied, "I know how much your business means to you and your employees. If you don't want a relationship with me, I'll understand."

Blitz blinked. No obligations? No deals?

"I also understand if you need some time to-"

"Okay."

Stolas stilled, blinking owlishly at him.

"...Okay?"

"I'm already having your fucking baby, so it seems a little backward, but what the hell, let's give it a try."

"Oh Blitzy...," The Prince began to tear up again, "You have no idea how happy you've made me."

"Yeah yeah," Blitz replied, rolling his eyes good-naturedly, "Just get over here, and fucking kiss me already."

Stolas wasted no time, capturing Blitz's lips in a tender but urgent kiss, one hand delicately laying over his stomach.

This time, Blitz did not shy away from the affection.


Notes: Is anyone reading this? lol