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Blitz had seen many sides to Stolas, from the kind father that doted on his daughter to the horny owl that sent him endless lewd texts during all hours of the day to the nerdy intellectual rambling on about stars and plants. Now he wasn't sure how to describe the Prince, who had carefully deposited him on the bed as if he were made of glass.
Worried mother hen? Dotting boyfriend?
He gently coaxed Blitz out of his jacket and gloves before moving down to remove his boots. Blitz commented about being undressed, half joking and half flirting with the tall demon, but Stolas just gave him a small indulgent smile before placing a pillow under his feet and urging the Imp to start eating.
Blitz frowned at the response, shifting the bottled water to rest between his legs as he tore open the packaging of the crackers in his lap.
"Isn't there some snobby rich person rule about eating in bed?" He asked.
Stolas was leaning over in the process of fluffing the pillows behind Blitz's back and let out a thoughtful hum.
"I suppose there is," He replied, straightening back up, "I was never allowed to eat in bed as a child," He smiled fondly down at Blitz, "But I've always bent the rules for you, my dear."
Not sure how to respond to such a statement, Blitz ducked his head, nibbling on a cracker. His stomach still felt uneasy, and the headache he'd felt coming on earlier was starting to return.
He raised his other hand to rub at his temple, and Stolas instantly took notice.
"Are you alright, Darling?"
How many times was Stolas going to ask him that? Blitz inwardly rolled his eyes, deciding to do what he did best and avoid the question entirely.
"Are you going to stand there staring at me all day? Or are you going to join me?" He patted the spot beside him and flashed the owl a charming smile.
"Oh, I, uh-" Stolas was clearly startled by the invitation, staring down at himself, still fully clothed.
He cleared his throat.
"Yes, allow me to get more comfortable," He moved toward the side of the room, slipping off his cape and gloves and gently placing them on the fainting couch against the wall.
Blitz then watched him carefully unbutton his waistcoat, his talons nibble and quick as they shed another layer of clothing before beginning on the shirt underneath. Usually, when Blitz arrived for the full moon, Stolas was already fully nude, posing provocatively on his bed, or only wearing his robe. So watching the prince undress in front of him was something new and oddly fascinating.
Blitz nibbled on another cracker as Stolas folded his shirt and laid it out on the couch, the top half of his body now exposed. The owl then reached down to undo his pants, and Blitz felt something warm and pleasant flutter inside him, heart racing as the material slid down Stolas's long legs to the floor.
'He's wearing underwear.'
At first, this revelation surprised him; he knew Stolas preferred not to be so restricted, and the form-fitting shorts he now sported looked nothing but confining. But, on the other hand, they also looked fucking hot; hugging the owl's bottom so tightly it left little to the imagination, not that Blitz needed to imagine; he'd seen the prince nude many times, of course.
So why did he feel so flustered now? Taking a long drink from his bottled water to try to quell the heat that had replaced the nausea in his belly.
Blitz expected Stolas to discard the underwear as well, nearly holding his breath in anticipation, but the owl simply placed his pants with the rest of his clothes and turned back towards him. Blitz felt like he was on fire as Stolas strutted slowly across the room to stand by the bed next to him, never breaking eye contact.
Blitz swallowed hard, mesmerized as he looked up into those burning red orbs.
"Are you finished?"
The question was like a splash of cold water to Blitz's face, breaking him out of his trance as the owl gestured to the forgotten crackers and bottled water in the Imp's lap.
"Oh, uh-" Blitz stammered, shaking his head briefly as the heat in his belly faded. He handed both things over to the owl with a halfhearted thanks, looking away as Stolas set them aside on the nightstand.
'What the fuck is wrong with you?' Blitz thought, face now hot with embarrassment, 'Since when do you get this torn up over Stolas?'
And yes, they had agreed to no sex beforehand, but since when did that stop the Prince from openly flirting with him? From lusting after him? From looking at him with thinly veiled desire?
When Stolas turned back to him, there was nothing sexual in his gaze.
"Did the crackers help? Are you feeling any better?" He reached out a hand to lay over one of Blitz's cheeks, brows furrowing in concern, "You look a bit flushed, My dear."
'And whose fault is that?' Blitz inwardly quipped.
"I'm fine, and yeah, the crackers helped," He brushed the hand away from his face, looking pointedly away from the Prince, "You getting in bed or what?"
His moody response didn't bother Stolas at all. Instead, he walked around to the other side of the bed, pulling the covers back and slipping in beside the Imp. The owl turned on his side, propping his chin up with one hand while the other reached over to tug the covers over Blitz's waist.
Taking the hint, Blitz snuggled down into the bed, turning to face the owl, one arm pillowed under his head. He was still in his shirt and pants, but the added clothing wasn't uncomfortable.
Stolas looked content, but the silence between them only made Blitz more aware of the headache that had decided to rear its ugly head.
"So, what now?" The Imp asked, sounding impatient, "We just going to stare at each other's faces all fucking day?"
Stolas let out an amused hoot, smiling all the more fondly at him.
"I could never tire of looking at you, Blitzy."
Blitz found himself relaxing at the flirtatious tone; this was far more familiar than the worry Stolas had been exhibiting.
Blitz reached for the Prince's hand between them, his thick palm covering the owl's slender fingers.
The sultry gaze that had only just returned to the Prince's face instantly vanished, a small crease appearing between his two lower sets of eyes.
"You feel a bit chilled," The owl stated softly, worriedly, "Should I fetch an extra blanket?
Blitz rolled his eyes, the mood now ruined, as he pulled his hand back towards himself.
"I feel fine, birdbrain. Now stop fussing already."
"I'm not fussing," The owl denied with a pout, "I'm simply concerned."
"Is this cause we're together now? Or is this about the baby?" Blitz asked, genuinely curious about where this behavior was coming from.
Stolas sighed, looking vaguely annoyed.
"Both, of course," The owl replied, "I care about you a great deal, but your being pregnant does add an extra layer of concern to the matter."
"I'm fine," Blitz stubbornly said, "I don't need you to treat me like I'm made of glass or some shit."
"I'm not entirely sure you know what fine is," The taller demon huffed, sitting up in bed to run a hand through the feathers on his head, "You fainted the other night during our usual session, and you nearly did so again out in the hall."
Blitz glared as he pushed himself into a sitting position, his headache pounding in his temples as his anger flared.
"I told you I hadn't been sleeping well the other night and that thing in the hallway was just a fluke," He retorted, "If you're gonna hold every little thing against me, then-"
"I'm not holding anything against you," The owl interrupted, frustrated, "I'm worried about your wellbeing. I'm worried for our child."
"You don't think I care about this kid?" Blitz fumed.
"That's not what I-"
"I bet you think I can't fucking do my job anymore either, don't you?" The Imp challenged.
The Prince looked momentarily caught off guard.
"Well, I...I do have some concerns regarding that, yes."
"I fucking knew it," Blitz replied, his voice suddenly much lower than before as he turned to get off the bed.
Stolas's eyes widened as he reached out to catch Blitz's hand, stopping him from leaving.
Blitz tensed.
"Blitz, please," The owl pleaded, "Let us talk about this."
"What else is there to say? You and everyone else have already decided that me being pregnant means I'm fucking useless," he felt tears stinging in his eyes and valiantly fought them off.
He was not fucking crying over this.
"That's not it at all, my dear," Stolas replied, voice going soft and sincere as he gently tugged Blitz's hand to get him to look over.
Blitz met his gaze begrudgingly, waiting for what he had to say.
"I know how capable you are; you're strong, agile, and incredibly resourceful," The Prince effortlessly complimented him, "Not to mention stubborn to a fault."
Blitz raises an eyebrow, "I'm sensing there's a 'but' in there."
Stolas sighed.
"But being pregnant does come with limitations."
Blitz frowned.
"Even at your best, you've been injured in the past. What would happen if you became ill or dizzy on one of your excursions?" the owl asked.
Blitz groaned as he pulled his hand away from Stolas's now loose grip.
"You're making my head hurt," the Imp complained, rubbing at the side of his head.
Stolas sighed.
"I'm only asking you to consider the possibility of something going wrong," he said, his voice soft, "you'd be putting more than just yourself in danger."
Blitz placed a hand on his stomach, staring at the cover still over his knees. It had been so easy to get angry when Moxxie had brought up the subject earlier that day when it seemed like he was being underestimated and shoved aside, just like he'd been most of his life. Those old wounds and insecurities had surged to the forefront of his mind, and he'd reacted as defensively as he usually did.
He just...
"Hate being fucking useless," He muttered.
Stolas's hand was on his face, gently tilting his head to look at him.
"I can assure you no one thinks you are useless, my dear," He said kindly, "Our concern for you is not from lack of faith in your abilities."
Again he felt the urge to cry, but he shoved the feeling down deep. He pulled away from the gentle touch, rubbing his face, head still aching.
"Ugh, fuck," he groaned and then sighed, "Okay, fine. A compromise then."
Stolas tilted his head.
"Compromise?"
"Yeah, ain't that the kind of shit you do in a relationship?" Blitz said, raising an eyebrow.
"What did you have in mind?" Stolas asked.
"I'll agree to just go along on the easier kills, and that's only if I feel up for it," He replied, frowning, "I won't go topside if I feel sick or whatever, and when I get further along, and I can't move as fast I'll stay behind on desk duty. Sound good?"
"Oh Blitzy, that would be wonderful," The owl gushed, pulling the Imp towards him in a hug that sent him toppling sideways into the bird's feathered chest.
Blitz groaned.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," he grumbled, pulling himself away, "Can we please just lay the fuck down now? My head is fucking killing me."
He hadn't meant to admit the last part out loud and regretted it instantly when Stolas frowned.
"You have a headache?"
Blitz sighed.
"Yeah, can we not make a big deal about it?"
"Perhaps I can help," The owl replied, raising both hands, the tips of his fingers glowing with magic.
"Whoa now," Blitz leaned back, bracing himself with his hands behind him, "The fuck are you trying to do?"
"A simple spell to help lessen the symptoms of your headache," the owls replied, "It also works wonders on sore muscles. I assure you it's perfectly safe."
After a moment, when Blitz realized the owl was not going to proceed without permission, he gave a slight nod. Stolas smiled and moved his hands to either side of Blitz's head, two fingers touching the sides of the imps temples and slowly massaging them.
Blitz winced as he felt the magic push against his headache, feeling icy cold against his skin. Then he felt his headache start to recede as if being washed away by a cooling tide. He hadn't even realized how tense he was until his shoulders began to relax and his eyelids drooped.
"Fuck," he mumbled, closing his eyes with a slight hum.
"Is that better, darling?"
The icy cool feeling against his temples had disappeared, but so had his headache. After a moment, his entire body relaxed, and he realized that stolas was cradling his head in his hands.
"Mmm...feels nice," He slurred tiredly.
He heard Stolas giggle and felt him kiss the center of his forehead.
"Let us lay down, shall we?" the Prince said.
Blitz hummed again, allowing Stolas to ease him down onto the bed. He sighed when his head hit the pillow, and the warm cover was draped back over his body.
It took considerable willpower to blink open his eyes, squinting at Stolas's adoring stare in front of him. He wondered if the owl intended to stare at him the entire time.
'Creepy old bird.'
Even as he thought this, he snuggled up against the Prince and closed his eyes again. Stolas sighed contently and wrapped his arms around the Imp, stroking the spikes along his back.
The sensation was calming, and Blitz nuzzled into the soft feathers in front of him, purring softly as he drifted off to sleep.